After all that In-N-Out action, you’re probably ready for the big O—an organic burger, that is.
Maybe it’s a backlash against "Fast Food Nation’s"supersized bitch-slap to the meat patty, or the feeling that bovine emissions have nothing, eco-wise, on SUVs, but L.A. chefs and restaurateurs are romancing the red-blooded burger again, with an eye toward organic beef and farm-driven accompaniments. Burger nights, like the ones at Grace and Larchmont Grill, have sprung up all around town. 25 Degrees and the Counter have been on the vanguard of the build-your-own-burger trend. And do we even need to mention the hullabaloo still swirling about the intransigent version served at Father’s Office?
Two newcomers, in fact, are serving all burgers, all the time: chef Govind Armstrong’s 8 oz. Burger Bar, a sit-down affair (replacing his Table 8 on Melrose, which will reopen in the old Chocolat space later this year), and the quick-service O! Burger in West Hollywood. 8 oz. strives to make burgers slow food, while O! Burger strives to make fast food healthy. Though divergent in concept, the two joints are peddling roughly the same philosophy—that a high-quality burger paired with fancy sides and a produce-laden shake can be worth 20 bucks.
To determine where you should part with your hard-earned Andrew Jackson, we dove straight into the burger-eating trenches, pitting the O against the Oz. Here’s the O-by-O.
Rachel Levin is a contributing editor for Metromix Los Angeles.
