Five noteworthy, innovative hamburger spots in LA

With fusion restaurants combining cultures and cuisines from all over the world opening every day, it might be easier to find what Los Angeles doesn’t have to offer. Here is a guide to gourmet hamburger  joints in this culinary city.

Belcampo Meat Co.

317 S Broadway St.

Los Angeles, CA 90013

For quality cuts of meat, try out Belcampo Meat Co. This butchery is known not only for raising its own cattle at Belcampo Farm, but also for processesing meat directly in Belcampo Butchery and selling it in one of its Belcampo shops. The result is a restaurant with some of the highest quality meat in the city.

Belcampo Meat Co. rivals In-N-Out in offering a quickly prepared $6 burger. The burgers are made with either turkey or beef patties with a special house sauce on a regular potato bun. For those willing to splurge, try  the $15 Belcampo Burger, made with a half-pound, grass-fed beef patty, with caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, and the house sauce, topped with a brioche bun.

The Counter

725 W. 7th St.

Los Angeles, CA 90017

For a more D.I.Y. experience, try out chain The Counter. Visitors can create their own burgers, starting from $12. The process begins with a third-pound turkey, veggie, beef or chicken patty. From there, th choices are nearly endless with the various bun choices and toppings, including the most common brioche-style bun and toppings like kale, cranberries and even scallions.

The Counter lets its customers also choose from 13 different cheeses and 22 different sauces, from roasted garlic aioli to spicy tomato jam.

Is it extra? Yes.

But is it worth it? Absolutely.

Shake Shack

400 West 8th St.

Los Angeles, CA 90014

Hailing from the East Coast, this burger joint is In-N-Out’s most notable rival. Shake Shack is prized for its ShackBurger, made with 100 percent, all-natural Angus beef. It’s made with either a single or double patty, cheese, with lettuce, tomato, and a special secret ShakeSauce.   

Cassells

3600 W. 6th St.

Los Angeles, CA 90020

Established in 1948, this iconic L.A. lunch destination has reinvented itself in Koreatown. Cassells is known for its hamburgers, but restaurateur David Chang thinks otherwise. He once called its patty melts some of the best he’s ever had. Cassells grinds fresh beef every day, and creates its own mayonnaise. For lunch, try the three-pound burgers with onions, pickles and thousand island dressing served on a Portuguese bun.

Cassells also added milkshakes, malts and a classic 1950s breakfast menu with homemade pies and a coffee bar to its menu, setting up the perfect environment for an Instagram-worthy lunch date.

Burgers Never Say Die

This underground burger joint has been discovered by mainstream audiences and has become a street food obsession. Originally a food truck, Burgers Never Say Die caused frenzies as lines curl around the traveling restaurant  as fans waited to try one of L.A.’s not-so-secret burgers. Part of the mystery is that customers never know where they’re going to appear next, and curious eaters must follow its Instagram (@burgersneversaydie) to track the joint down. Despite the location hassle, this place is beyond worthy of the hype.

For only $5, Burgers Never Say Die sells a simple California-style burger made with fresh ground beef, commercial buns and American cheese. Still, it has become an Instagram phenomenon, and customers line down blocks every day to grab this delicious hamburger at an unparalleled price. Luckily, Burgers Never Say Die just signed a lease to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Silver Lake, so everyone can soon enjoy their thin double-patty burgers in a permanent location.