Steingarten LA: Lackluster Burger & Sausage, Barely Redeemed by Beer List

I always go to where a supposedly good burger resides so made my way to Steingarten LA in West LA. I was sorely disappointed. Not only was "The Works" burger overcooked twice (I gave up after the first time taking it back) but it wasn't even that good. In fact, the patty was flavorful enough but the sum of its parts, including the bun, toppings, etc, just didn't cut it. It's not even an average burger, I'm afraid.


The bun was far too dense and while I liked that it was toasted, that didn't help the fact that it was still too dense. I didn't feel like a lot of thought had gone into the toppings, which included tomatoes, cheddar cheese, lettuce, raw onions and Thousand Island dressing.

We tried the Bratwurst because the owner was raving about them. Disappointing. It didn't even come close to the ones I had on the streets of Germany years ago. Then he played up the dipping sauces that he makes in-house, including a very good garlic and herb-based green sauce, that was hands-down my favorite. I think that was the one good thing about the place and smothering that sauce on the burger helped a little bit (but ultimately didn't save it).

The beet salad was too heavily sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, defeating the purpose of salad. I liked having an extensive beer list but I could get that at Biergarten, Village Idiot, Congregation Ale House in Long Beach, heck even in My Father's Office that I don't frequent much.

Sorry but I'm not returning to this joint. There are simply too many far better options out there for the same price, or even less.