[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap] perfect cheeseburger makes your hands look beautiful, like they’re Rita Hayworth in Life Magazine. It’s simple, bright, resplendent—clean almost but bursting with messy greatness that comes to gooey life with each bite. And those bites are an effortless tearing of what must be your own flesh coming back to you to make you whole.
Is that too dramatic for food? Nah, dude. This is Los Angeles. And food, especially that which tastes better in your car, is a lifestyle. You can plan your whole day around food, base your meal breaks around where you are going to be at a certain time or on a certain day. But a burger rolls with you.
It’s in your left hand as you gangster lean that turn off Slauson and Soto. It’s sitting with you at the counter listening to Sinatra after you’ve just had a good meeting in West Hollywood. It’s hanging around on your wedding night, after everyone else has gone home and it’s just you, your closest friends, and the smell of grilled onions. And it’s got your back when you finally feel right enough to celebrate the divorce at your favorite burger bar just a few yards away from where you asked her to marry you.
Tacos in Los Angeles may be everything, but cheeseburgers—synonymous with L.A. car culture—are a very specific thing that holds steady in its soul and ours who share one with the City of Angels. Here are 12 essential L.A. cheeseburgers for any occasion.