The internets have been buzzing recently with the discovery of a very special off-menu item at Riordan’s Tavern: a burger that tips the scale at one whole pound. The beefy behemoth is called the Mayor’s Choice—an interesting name seeing as how one of Riordan's most infamous acts as mayor involved eating a hamburger while meeting with hunger-striking day laborers. We guess he’s embracing his notoriety.

When we first got wind of Riordan's burger, we immediately thought of Downtown L.A.’s go-to place for a humongous all-beef patty: the Original Texas Barbecue King, affectionately known as BBQ King. Two 1-pound wonders within two miles of each other? Sounds like the former mayor has chosen to throw down with the Texas King.

The King’s Burger is the stuff of L.A. legend, but can it compete against this new contender? We girded ourselves for battle and wolfed down a weekend’s worth of meat, but as we were assessing the damage, BBQ King was bulldozed out of its original location. Luckily, the King wasted no time setting up a new castle in South L.A., and we’re happy to report that nothing on the menu has changed. Now, on to the show.  

Price
The burger at Riordan’s is a jaw-dropping $20. The burger at BBQ King is five bucks ($8.75 if you make it a combo). It's no contest. Even with the drive to 53rd and Vermont on today's high-priced gas, BBQ King is much kinder on our wallets.

Drinks
The upside to getting an expensive burger at Riordan’s is that you can go ahead and spend even more money on drinks. And nothing goes so well with a burger as draft beer (or wine or whiskey or a G&T). BBQ King’s got soda and even strawberry lemonade, but we want to get out of the kiddie pool. The former mayor knows how to get his drink on (big surprise). The point goes to Riordan’s Tavern.

Burger construction
BBQ King employs the rarely-seen-outside-of-Micky-D’s burger condiment of yellow mustard (sometimes called a “cowboy burger,” this is the way it’s done in Texas). The King keeps it pretty basic, with lettuce and tomato standard. The fun stuff, like chili and cheese, is extra. Along with the L and the T, Riordan’s comes standard with cheddar and bacon, which are just more awesome than mustard. So Riordan’s takes this one, but we have to give mad props to BBQ King for its sense of humor. A Frisbee-sized patty comes perched betwixt a standard little quarter-pounder bun. Seriously, it’s hilarious to behold.

Sides
At BBQ King, the default side for the burger combo is an order of delicious french fries. And since the restaurant doesn’t carry ketchup, everyone gets to experience the under-appreciated delight of fries with BBQ sauce. At Riordan’s, they give you chili and sour cream. Huh? Eff your effing chili, Mr. Mayor—where are the fries!? BBQ King knows where it’s at: Fries always win.

Sentimental factor
Stand at the corner of Cesar Chavez and Figueroa and see if the pile of rubble doesn’t make tears well up in your eyes. At least the King lives on.

Taste test
Perhaps it was the newness of it all, but Riordan’s simply slapped down a more delicious burger, pinky-rare on the inside and served on what is probably the largest brioche bun La Brea Bakery makes. We still love the smoky, barbecue-infused charms of the King’s offering, but we gotta give the taste award to Riordan’s.

Verdict
Well, we’re torn. With each winning three categories, it seems like a tie. In which case, it all comes down to taste—and Riordan’s Tavern makes a mighty good burger. Long live…the mayor!

Katherine Spiers is a contributing editor for Metromix Los Angeles—and is now in detox mode.

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