Skip to Content
Cheap Eats

Bang for your Burger Buck – Uncle John’s DTLA

IMG_2472

IMG_2504
Because Burgers and Rice are as American as apple pie.

There is something about the Asian American Sensibility that sits so perfectly well with Bang for your Burger Buck. Their reputation for hard work and business savvy came after a long road paved by manual labor and unjust exclusion from mainstream society. Being a child of immigrants from a Third world country, I would occasionally get the "remember where you came from" speech and as a result, some lessons from the old country prevail. Lucky for you, value is one of them, and that pretty much sums up Uncle John's to a T.

A standard visit to Uncle John's is incomplete without trying the Spicy Fried Pork Chops and Eggs. Chinese food for breakfast? No Brainer. Add eggs? That pretty much sums up the culinary trend of the last 10 years. Just remember to get fried rice on the side. Avoid the tubers, as they just are not up to snuff. Besides you really are missing the point: rice is the starch of choice for the Asian continent, and when in Rome . . . .

IMG_2511
Soy it up.

If you haven't guessed from the pics, my burger of choice is the Patty Melt at Uncle John's. Save for a few old school diners, you just don't see a lot of patty melts on menus these days and considering it is $7 with a side(fries and slaw are options along with fried rice) it is bang for your burger buck and you haven't even felt how heavy the plate is.

IMG_2503

The rye bread on the Patty Melt reminds us that Uncle John's is a true diner, a place that keeps a good pantry of breads and knows how to griddle them to golden. Plenty of American cheese and onion, essential to a great Melt are laid out in full force. I do wish they could get a temp down right. While this burger was far from dry, I could have stood for it to come off the griddle a tad sooner. An earlier visit where I requested "Medium Rare" was replied back to me as "40%" - let's just say the burger was on the rare side to the point where the lack of texture failed to stand up to the rest of the sandwich. Regardless of that, this Patty Melt is one gooey good gut bomb and should be topping your list of "my next hangover meals".

IMG_2514
Pass the chili oil

Knowing that the rice takes well to an extra dash of soy and chili oil, I went ahead and sauced up the burger. Cardinal burger sin? Yes. Would I do it again? Absolutely. At Uncle John's we are reminded that we are a nation of immigrants and what binds us all together is our ability to celebrate our multitude of cultures, even one's that aren't exactly our own. So embrace the diversity, eat like a Fob, and celebrate America.

IMG_2495

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

Tamal or Tamale? How to Correctly Pronounce the Singular Form of Tamales

The tamal vs. tamale debate has an almost emotional connection with people simply because it becomes a “how my family speaks the language vs. how it’s ‘supposed to be’ written” type of language conflict. In a culture like Mexico, where family always comes before anything, it makes sense that people will go with what feels familiar rather than what they are expected to say.

December 24, 2024

L.A.’s 13 Best Bars With Games and Activities

The best L.A. bars for axe-throwing, cumbia nights, playing pool, doing graffiti, smoking, playing pinball, and other fun, possibly delinquent activities.

December 23, 2024

Everything Wrong with Tesla’s $500 ‘Mezcal’

"Mezcal has become a commodity for many, without any regard for the earth, [or] for Indigenous people's land rights," says Odilia Romero, an Indigenous migrants rights advocate from Oaxaca and the executive director for CIELO. "Oaxaca is also having a water access issue.

December 20, 2024

This Weekend: Sonoran Caramelos, Brisket Tteokbokki, Mex-Italian Fusion, and Country-Fried Tofu

Plus, Malay-style wings, a collaboration pizza-topped with Philippe The Original's French-dipped beef and hot mustard, and more in this week's roundup.

December 20, 2024

More Than 70 People Reported Feeling Ill After Eating Oysters At L.A. Times ‘101 Restaurants’ Food Event

Ragusano is disappointed that the L.A. Times didn’t publicly disclose that there was an outbreak at their event. “Obviously they’re not going to print it in their paper,” Ragusano said. “But they‘re a newspaper and newspapers are supposed to share the news. This is how people usually find out about something like this,” she added. “It's ironic because it happened to them.”

December 19, 2024
See all posts