By Larry Levine –

Ask someone to name his or her favorite burger restaurant and no matter what the answer, someone else will throw out the name of a place they like better.

Then there’s the debate over which is the preferred meet for a burger – Angus, Chuck, or Sirloin?

I tossed these two subjects at my co-hosts at atLarrys.com – the restaurant recommendation web site. The answers I got regarding the beef were all over the map. There was no clear winner. One person even said he preferred a combination of meats blended into a single burger. My personal preference is chuck that I grind myself at home so I can control the fat content.

When it came to favorite burger haunts, my atLarrys.com co-hosts were not shy. The list they compiled is by no means comprehensive. Nor is it geographically balanced. Nor does it pretend to be a list of the best burger joints in the state. It’s just a list of 23 places to get good burgers and start the conversation.

Rod Wright’s first choice is Cassell’s in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles as much for the history of the place as for the quality of the burger.

Larry Sheingold weighed in with a list of places from San Diego to the Bay Area and Sacramento. Remember, Larry likes the condiments as much as the burgers.

Then there’s Janice Lacy, who said, “To be bluntly honest, I never eat at burger joints. I can’t even name one. I rarely eat red meat, and when I do, I eat fillet mignon.”

Gotta love a woman like that. You can see biographies for Janice and her husband Jim and read about their restaurant recommendations at http://www.atLarrys.com  

Here’s the list of burger spots the atLarrys.com co-hosts put together. After you’ve looked it over, click on comments below and add your own favorite burger spots to the list.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY

 Hodad’s – 5010 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach, CA 92107 – (619) 224-4623  – Quintessential sloppy burger experience

 LOS ANGELES COUNTY

 25 Degrees – 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028 – (323) 785-7244 – You build it in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

Barney’s Gourmet – 14006 Riverside Dr., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 – (818) 808-0680 – In the Fashion Square Mall; several other locations

 The Bucket – 4541 Eagle Rock Bl., Los Angeles, CA 90041 – (323) 357 5654 – A hang out for Occidental College

 Bun-N Burger – 1000 E. Main St., Alhambra, CA 91801 – (626) 281-6777 – 50’s style burger joint

 Chronis – 5825 Whittier Bl., East Los Angeles, CA 90022 – (323) 728 7806 – An old cruising joint that goes back to the 1960’s  

 Cassell’s – 3266 W. 6th St., Los Angeles, CA 90020 – (213) 480-5000 – History on a bun

 Gus BBQ – 808 Fair Oaks Ave., South Pasadena, CA 91030 – (626) 799-3251 – Chilean owners add their personal southern hemisphere touch

Mo’s – 4301 W. Riverside Dr., Burbank, CA 91505 – (818) 845-3009 – 24 varieties of burgers; formerly Paul Newman’s place – Hampton’s

Original Tommy’s – 2575 W. Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA – (213) 389-9060 – A 24-hour L.A. institution

Pie’n Burger – 913 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91106 – (626) 795-1123 – 1950’s style burger joint near Cal Tech

Umami Burger – 850 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA – (323) 931-3000 – Several locations; wide variety of burgers

 BAY AREA

 Joe’s Cable Car Restaurant – 4320 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94112 – (415) 334-6699 – Choice beef chuck, consisting of rib eye and chuck steaks freshly ground at Joe’s.

900 Grayson – 900 Grayson St.,
Berkeley, CA 94710 – (510) 704-9900 – Good meat, good sauce, great bun

SACRAMENTO AREA

The Broiler Steakhouse – 1201 K St., Sacramento, CA 95814 – (916) 444-3444 – Perfectly prepared custom patty

Esquire Grill – 1213 K St.,
Sacramento, CA 95814 – (916) 448-8900 – Hand-made patties, cooked perfectly

Ettore’s Bakery –  2376 Fair Oaks Blvd. – Sacramento, CA 95825 – (916) 482-0708 – A bakery serving food, so the cheddar buns are unique and unmatched

Fanny Ann’s Saloon – 1023 2nd St., Sacramento, CA 95814 – (916) 441-0505 – Iconic Old Sacramento bar and restaurant

J’s Café – 1004 “J” St., Sacramento, CA 95814 – (916) 446-7456 – No frills, fast service near the Capitol

Jim-Denny’s – 816 12th St.,
Sacramento, CA 95814 – (916) 443-9655 – Old time burger joint

Roxy Restaurant – 2381 Fair Oaks Blvd. – Sacramento, CA 95825 – (916) 489-2000 – Colorado buffalo burger

Ten22 – 1022 Second St., Sacramento, CA 95814 – (916) 441-2211 – A mouth symphony in a brioche bun

Whitey’s Jolly Kone – 1300 Jefferson, W. Sacramento, CA- 95691 – (916) 371-3605 – Old-fashioned drive-in burger stand

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