Bang for your Burger Buck ~ Fat Sal’s

10:02 AM PDT on October 18, 2013

"Our burger is a sleeper on the menu"

Not for long. Welcome to Fat Sal's, the end result of a California dream three longtime pals from the NYC had about bringing the quintessential college kid sandwich, the Rutgers Grease truck hero, to Los Angeles. Three locations and two cites later (now open in Austin and San Diego), Fat Sal's could challenge Subway's rebranding of the submarine sandwich from "healthy fast food alternative" to "make your life an alternative to Man v. Food". But we are here to talk about burgers that have bang, and at $5.75 for a 1/2lb double cheeseburger, you know yours truly needed to come in for a visit.

These burgers sit quietly like choir girls on a school bus compared to Sal's notorious Atkins offenders, like his namesake sub that unites french fries, onion rings and mozzarella sticks all in the name of a roast beef sandwich. But a half pound of angus aint nothin to sneeze at, and this burger can easily stand alone as the promise of a lunch fulfilled; though you would be mistaken not to get a side of these fries:

not your mama's frites

No, they are not straight outta Paris, from a bistro that would let your mother smoke in. These French fries are 100% all American and bare an uncanny resemblance to that place where billions and billions have been served. Yeah, that's right, and check yourself Golden Arches haters/Morgan Spurlock wannabes of the world, America's friendliest clown makes awesome french fries, so this correlation is a compliment of the highest order.

Fat Sauce

When I walked into Fat Sal's I immediately started grilling the cashiers on the Fat Sauce. It would be only seconds before I was given a sample. At that point I had not tried a single bite of food at Fat Sal's and frankly I was expecting something that would have been as gimmicky as my initial impression of the restaurant. However, once I finished gnawing my fat sauce coated finger I realized the script had been flipped and I was in for a well warranted high caloric treat. We all know the power of a secret sauce, just ask the Big Mac. If you have read this column before, you know that 9 out of 10 burgers I am down for will utilize the 1000 island option. When considering the Fat Sauce, picture that, but smoother. No chunks of relish, it is something that technically could be closer to Russian dressing but technically, it is something more. This is Fat Sal's secret sauce, their signature that makes this burger not just a tasty candidate for Bang for your Burger Buck but adds a touch of distinction to what is essentially a gold standard rendition of a cheeseburger that flourishes in Los Angeles.

Shredded lettuce, thinly sliced tomato, onion, pickle, melted American cheese, and a couple hamburger patties - if you build this, we have and will come. Fat Sal's, a New Jersey inspired sandwich shop, has put a SoCal classic cheeseburger on their menu. It seems a touch odd that Fat Sal's boasts sandwich names like the Fat Mona and the Irresistible Italiano, yet chooses to call this simply a "double cheeseburger" - but that's ok, this burger is as timeless as a black tie event, stick to the rules and everyone can look this good:

The bottom line: $5.75 pre tax for a double cheeseburger with the works. Fat Sal's does have a "make it fatter option" where add ons range from chili to chicken fingers, extra patties to pastrami to potato salad, but the price hike is beyond what is necessary for delivering Bang for your Burger Buck. Everything you need for a satisfying burger is already there. For a place that draws in the crowds for gloriously excessive sandwiches with catchy names that you may find in Goodfellas or The Sopranos, a nameless cheeseburger is the sleeper you should put a hit out on.