[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]he classic Southern California cheeseburger is still basically the same thing since its invention: a grilled beef patty, onions, chopped lettuce, pickles, ketchup, mayonnaise, and a slice of yellow cheese, all joined fresh on a softly toasted bun.
The roadside-style L.A. burger is best when had at a family-run joint on any street corner across the region. It should be wrapped in paper, and served preferably in a basket or paper hot-dog tray. Fries on the side, along with a fountain drink poured over big slices of ice in an out-of-fashion white foam cup.
This cosmically L.A. meal took a significant hit this week with the announced closure of Irv's Burgers, a West Hollywood stand that has been fighting for survival for more than five years, right up to a preservation push, and has now officially lost the battle.
Irv's, which first opened as Queensburger in 1950, has been slanging its delicious burgers, pastrami, and breakfasts in the same style as the early days, when Santa Monica Boulevard was the final leg of the old Route 66 through the city before hitting the pier.