Feb 2009

Fatburger – Los Angeles (Santa Monica)

I’ve been on a burger binge lately. First,  Pie ‘n Burger. And now, Fatburger. Which begs the question, does this burger make me look fat? Good thing The Streak is still alive.

The Astronomer and I were kickin’ it in Santa Monica on a gorgeous sunny Saturday when hunger pangs got us searching for suitable grub. We were tempted to hit up the local branch of our favorite fast-food Chinese eatery, but decided on a whim to try Fatburger. Founded in 1952 in Los Angeles, the Fatburger chain is co-owned by Magic Johnson. There are currently 93 outlets worldwide, most of which are in California.

While I didn’t notice it at the time, it appears from the photos I took that Fatburger’s clientele is mostly comprised of dudes. I guess with a name like Fatburger, it’s hard to attract the girly population.

Unafraid of putting on the pounds, The famished Astronomer ordered a half-pound Kingburger ($5.49). All of Fatburger’s burgers come with a choice of mustard, relish, onions, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce and mayo. One has to fork over extra chedda for some cheese. The Astronomer ordered his Kingburger with only lettuce and onions. Although the Kingburger was better than an average fast-food burger, it was altogether unspectacular.

Not nearly as hungry as my dining companion, I went with the Baby Fat ($2.99), which I ordered with lettuce, grilled onions, tomato, cheese and a straight face. With the meat patty cooked all the way through, the burger bordered on dry and needed a good squirt of ketchup with every bite. The fixins were average; the onions could’ve used more time on the grill. As far as fast-food burgers go, this one was decent enough, but nowhere near as tasty and fresh as the burgers from In-n-Out.

The Astronomer and I love, love onion rings, and Fatburger delivered in this department. The homemade onion rings ($3.29) were lightly battered and well-seasoned.

This is what Santa Monica looks like in the middle of January. We don’t miss the east coast winters one bit!

Fatburger
1218 3rd Street Promenade
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone: 310-393-7331

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6 thoughts on “Fatburger – Los Angeles (Santa Monica)

  1. Hi Gastronomer,

    I’ve been a fan of your site for a while. I just wanted to recommend the Apple Pan if you’re still on a burger binge! Great burgers, love the old diner feel. So does not fit amongst everything else on Pico.

    Diane

  2. I love onion rings too! On a side note, it was 73 yesterday in Durham, NC. I almost believed I was in California again! Too bad it won’t last. =) How did you survive these east coast winters?

  3. Diane – Thank you for the recommendation. Apple Pan is on my list of “classic” L.A. places to try along with Spago and Pinks 😉

    Sharon – 73 beats the weather we had in Pasadena yesterday. It was sunny, but in the 50s. I survived the east coast winters by wearing lots of cute sweaters and peacoats and pretending I was Felicity. Ha! It’s all about having the right gear.

  4. let’s talk burgers next Tuesday…

    you’re gonna need to bring pencil/paper 😀

    Fatburger is my fave “chain” in all of LA. It’s the only chain I’ll eat at. And it puts In n Out to shame.

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