Top 7 Cheeseburgers in Laguna Beach
National Cheeseburger Day is TOMORROW!
This Wednesday, Sept 18th, is National Cheeseburger Day.
I’m once again going out on a limb here to rank what I consider the SEVEN top burgers in our Cheeseburger in Paradise town. I tried to stop at 5 but I just couldn’t. And, in fact, I have FOUR honorable mentions, too.
If you can’t find a burger to try out of ELEVEN fantastic options in Laguna Beach, well … I guess I’m just going to have to steer you to my favorite grilled chicken sandy, instead.
Don’t be feeling left out if you don’t eat beef
Every single one of these winners is perfectly willing to replace your burger with a Beyond™ burger or veggie burger. In fact, the Lumberyard has its own specialty Beyond™ Burger …and Reunion Kitchen has an awesome Veggie Burger that I’ll often opt for.
Post in the chat
I want to know where you plan to beeline for your burger. Let us all know in the chat.
Finally, a caveat, please, for this slippery slope of my rankings
I find that my readers are extremely opinionated about burgers, tacos and soup in this town, so please remember …
I wasn’t able to try every hamburger in town. There’s only so much time to devour so many burgers.
The burgers in this column are considered gourmet burgers from dining establishments that are more well known for foodie fare.
I’m NOT telling you my absolute favorite first. The list is ranked alphabetically, period.
The AhbA Burger
AhbA Owner Nick Bennett tells me his burger is one of the top two sellers on the menu. Small wonder as this spicy gem is a memorable one.
Chef starts with two prime beef patties smothered in cheese. He adds a hefty dollop of caramelized sweet onions, which prove a perfect balance to the spicy surprise of sliced, pickled Fresno pepper rings and a slather of spicy secret sauce aioli that warms you all the way to your toes.
This is SPICY stuff, folks. It’s not for the faint of heart but, boy, is it a great slant to the usual burger fare. … NOT that we have usual burger fare here . . . moving on . . . .
The Lost Pier Cafe Cheeseburger
I know, I know, how many of you locals actually hang out at the Lost Pier Cafe at Aliso Beach? Well, I do . . . I would even if it weren’t an easy walk down the beach from my place.
As soon as Mark Christy from The Ranch chose to take over this perennial beach shack at Aliso, we knew we were in for a treat. For starters, his very talented Chef Kyle St John, who creates all the food at the Ranch’s Harvest, is in charge of this little place, too. That alone should tell you enough. The food is actually quite stellar. And it’s actually quite nice as a local to sit at the tables and just sit - watch the ocean, watch the skimboarders, watch all the delighted kids making sand castles . . .
The Lost Pier burger is worth standing in line for. This cheeseburger is a chuck brisket blend which makes it super squishy and flavorful. It’s loaded with caramelized onions, house made pickles, butter lettuce tomato and cheddar with a slather of Thousand Island on a brioche bun.
Important note for Laguna residents: Just in case you didn’t know, our resident “shopper’s” parking permit is valid in the Aliso Beach lots. Even easier to grab a Lost Pier burger now, especially in off season.
The Lumberyard Cheeseburger
The Lumberyard Cheeseburger has been a best selling staple at Cary Redfearn’s well loved restaurant, so why change it? It rocks. It’s a half pound of Angus chuck with BLUE cheese (you’re allowed to swap that out but I’d think twice about it before doing so). It’s adorned with lettuce, tomato, caramelized onion, pickles … you know, sounds basic … nothing close to basic. The way that blue cheese melds with the meat and caramelized onions … really heavenly. You can also add avocado or bacon, which I happen to do quite often.
The Oak Burger
Oak Laguna Beach’s Oak Burger. After hearing from many adamant readers about Oak’s Burger, I finally tried it about a year ago and then, for the second time last week - my birthday week - when my buddy Ruben and I were out and about. It is definitely a winner. Chef stacks Wagyu beef, creamy Swiss cheese, peppery arugula, caramelized onions, house-made pickles and secret sauce on a brioche bun.
See that peppery salad on the side? I added it in - great bite of thin-slice jalapenos!
The Reunion Kitchen Classic Cheeseburger
Definitely the highest tower of them all, Scott McIntosh’s Classic Cheeseburger at Reunion Kitchen is more like a national monument. Add optional avocado, bacon or fried egg, and you have a replica of The Leaning Tower of Pisa on your hands.
A half-pound patty of ground chuck serves as the base to sliced tomato, house-made pickle slices, crisp lettuce, melted cheese and crispy fried onion strips with house sauce (a spicier version of Thousand Island dressing). Avocado, fried egg and bacon are optional add-ons (2 of the 3 are pictured in my photo).
To me, this burger has a really lovely flavor and I remember asking Scott about it. He told me that, after selling many burgers at many different restaurants over the years … remember, he was originally involved in the menu concepting of Claim Jumper … Scott told me he learned a “French technique” while working with Restaurateur David Wilhelm at French 75.
“We served a ‘Butter Burger’ at French 75, which was actually stuffed with about a tablespoon of butter,” says McIntosh. “I carried that idea over to our Reunion Burger. When the patty hits the grill, the butter bubbles out and over and gives it that lovin’ feeling.”
The Sapphire American Wagyu Beef Burger
Now, if you were around when Chef Azmin established Sapphire … this was back when Joe Hanauer developed the old Pottery Barn into what is now “The Shops at the Old Pottery Place” … Chef Azmin came in as the anchor restaurant there.
If you remember THAT, you’ll be happy to know that very little of Chef Azmin’s Wagyu Beef Burger changed when Sapphire eventually changed hands to Restaurateur Russ Bendel in early 2020. It still remains the treasured icon it always was.
Sapphire’s talented Chef Jared Cook came in with Bendel and pulled out all the stops with more than a nod to this Azmin classic, Executive Chef Jared Cook … though he added in a few twists of his own, of course . . .
So, you’ve got Wagyu beef with Spanish cheddar cheese, sweet gem lettuce, house made pickles, shaved onion, hot house tomato and a secret sauce. Piled all together in a soft challah bun, it is certainly a crowning moment for burgers everywhere.
I’ll be talking more about Sapphire in next week’s edition - the dinner I had there last week was off the charts, thanks largely to Chef Jared Cook’s counterpart, Chef Jared Adams. Chef Jared Cook oversees all of Bendel’s locations … Chef Jared Adams oversees Sapphire. Bendel seems to be having quite a bit of luck with chefs named JARED.
But I digress. . .
Skyloft’s The Cheeseburger
Initially instituted by Chef Art Ortiz, this institution is still in play at Skyloft. This popular burger purposely harkens back to that nostalgic taste of In-N-Out. Frankly, I’d rather get this awesome burger here than submit to those lines and lines at our nearest In and Out locations . . . .
When Chef Art was in residence at Skyloft, I remember him telling me that “Sometimes you want a classic burger that’s just messy enough but can still be held in your hand without falling apart everywhere.”
Well said.
The burger is made up of two tender “skinny” patties that are hard-seared on the griddle, two “just melty” slices of white American cheese, a rabble of small-diced fresh tomato, red onion and pickles, and crisp iceberg lettuce.
It’s finished with a healthy slather of top-secret black peppercorn aioli on a cushy bun.
So, that’s it . . . . .
FOUR Honorable Mentions, too …
Namely because I haven’t tried two of these in a couple years and the other I just tried last night. I always believe in trying a burger twice, and the burger has to go through a “take home and taste test the patty the next day” test, too.
Brussels Bistro - as I recall this has Gruyere cheese and caramelized onions, which is quite an awesome combo, on a ciabatta bun.
GG’s Bistro - And you thought they only did a great Turkish Coffee and Kebabs. Nope, they’ve got two burgers and I love both of them. One of them, however, leans to their Turkish root featuring feta cheese, marinated onions and a condiment sauce, a spicy AJIKA that originated in the country Georgia … you know, the country that succeeded from the Soviet Union. The well known AJIKA condiment is a mix of hot red peppers, garlic, coriander, that kind of thing. It’s got a lovely, mellowy kick.
The Deck – My dear friend and neighbor, Murphy, reminded me of just how great The Deck’s “Beach Burger” is. She’s absolutely right, and I need to make another trip down there. The burger is shrouded in Vermont cheddar and crisp Applewood bacon, piled with peppery arugula, tomato, slathered in chipotle aioli and all loaded into a squishy brioche bun.
And on Sunday this last weekend, I finally tried the Wine Gallery Burger - Chef Josh’s ½ pound smoked cheddar cheese burger with balsamic roasted onions and the only sesame potato bun in this round up of burgers. Chef Josh is a hidden treasure of cooking skill, especially when you dive into the menu beyond the pizza and wings - so, it doesn’t surprise me that he’s come up with this winner. I promise to try it at least one more time in the year ahead to see if it topples any of the aforementioned contenders.
That’s it for this year’s wrap up! Now get out there tomorrow and celebrate the great American cheeseburger. Don’t forget to post in the chat which burger phenom you intend to try!
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