As rain comes down and tucked underneath a blue canopy at the back of Tabula Rasa, a wine bar on Hollywood Boulevard, Sophie Logan is covered in smoke as she grills burgers and prepares esquites. Right behind her, Francisco Tapia toasts buns and stacks up the duo’s eponymous La Burg burgers for customers on a Thursday night.
There is a strong chemistry and warm, inviting presence between the two business partners in matching blue jackets with “La Burg” embroidered on the side like a mechanic’s shirt. Every customer that walks up is treated like an old friend at a backyard party.
“People are liking it … they come get a burger and then they're like ‘oh man this is such a vibe,’ which [what] I think we like about the pop-up setting is that there's no wall and either you’re chitchatting with Sophie or you’re chitchatting with me,” Tapia tells L.A. TACO.
La Burg first popped up in L.A. a little over three years ago, serving what they call their backyard-style of burger that’s a bit juicier and beefier than a smashburger. Today they pop-up at least ten times a month outside at different bars, community spaces, and house parties. They recently did an event for Playboy.