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Umami Burger
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 10 pm
Sun 11 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Drive-Thru:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Hipster, Trendy, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
1814 reviews for Umami Burger
Review Highlights
"The sweet potato fries had seasoned brown sugar."
(in 270 reviews)
"The Port and Stilton is my favorite by far."
(in 130 reviews)
"Try the tempura onion rings and the sweet potato salad."
(in 150 reviews)
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1814 reviews in English
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Review from Chandler M.
Los Angeles, CA
2/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
To be specific, I wanted to give this place 3.5 Stars. I'm rounding up because I do believe this food is very good, and worth the somewhat expensive price. However with all the other gourmet burger places I've been to, I cannot in good conscience give this 5 stars.
I still don't know why I paid $3.50 for a bottle of coke with no refill...
Anyway, I came here with a friend and ordered the onion rings and smushed potatoes; both were extremely delicious and the right price, which raised my hype for the actual burger. The sauces we received with the rings and potatoes were also very good, and upon recommendation of our waitress we got the ketchup and horseradish ranch. Fantastic food.
For my burger I got the "manly" burger and got the meat cooked medium. My mistake. a hamburger needs to be hot in my opinion, to really get that seared-meat flavor to combine with the other materials in the burger that makes them a global treat. What I got was lukewarm (but tasty!) burger on amazingly soft bread with similar-quality toppings. I actually loved all the food here, It just seems that everything was overpriced by 2-3 dollars. Just expensive enough to give me a momentary pause in looking at the bill.
I would come here again if a lot of my friends wanted to stop by, but this is not a place I would go even for a pick-up lunch. -
Review from Chandler B.
Los Angeles, CA
2/5/2012
Looking at the menu, I was concerned to see there were only about 10 items on the menu and each item only listed three or four ingredients... but upon ordering I realized, why mess with perfection? The burgers were absolutely delicious! I went with my parents and we ate everything on the table, down to the brown sugar seasoning on the sweet potato fries. The special for this week was cheesy tots and when my dad ordered them I was expecting nacho cheese on tots. Wrong. Cheese was mixed into the potatoes before it cooked and each bite was filled with the perfect mix of tot and cheese.
I am a huge fan of the manly burger (with onion strings and bacon) but was excited to see they have a few vegetarian options on the menu, as well. I left more than satisfied and will definitely be back!! -
Review from Robert R.
Beverly Hills, CA
2/3/2012
The results are in:
1) BOA steakhouse - best burger in LA
2) Stout on Cahuenga
TIED for 3) Umami and Fathers Office -
Review from Jackie B.
Los Angeles, CA
2/3/2012
I am a firm believer that once a business gets too popular, expectations of said business goes way up. This in turn reflects on later ratings of these businesses. Umami Burger is a victim of its own success. If you've never heard about Umami Burger and went in off the streets of LA, you would automatically give it the 5 stars that it deserves. But since there has been so much hoopla about this burger joint, the expectations have gone through the gotdang roof.
That said, I enjoyed my truffle burger and fries. I recommend this joint to the max. -
Review from Steven V.
Los Angeles, CA
2/2/2012
I love salty, and this burger definitely packed a lot of flavor in such a small package. The bun was good, the meat was perfect, and the cheese was unique and interesting. I tried the Truffle and the original, both were very similar except the truffle was sweeter while the Umami is saltier. I also had the popped potatoes, which were interesting and tasted like normal potatoes in my opinion.
While the service isn't very good and the prices aren't reasonable for a burger, I feel like this is something that distinguishes Los Angeles as a food haven and one of the best burgers I have had. If you're a fan of salt, I would order the Umami, it somehow filled me even though I was pretty hungry and it was pretty small. -
Review from Yvette P.
Los Angeles, CA
2/1/2012
The only reason I came here, was for the hype. Everyone I knew kept bragging about UMAMI BURGER and how spectacular it was. I seriously did not understand why. We ordered a $12 burger that did not come with fries, so I expected this burger to blow my mind. I can't say that it was terrible, but it wasn't to die for. I've had a better burger at Father's Office. The taste was good, but a little too bloody for my taste. The waitress failed to ask me how I wanted my meat cooked. If I would have known the burger was going to be bathing in blood, I would have asked for it to be cooked Medium.
The highlight of our dining experience was the tablet on the table. You can play games and keep up with everything added to your tab. Pretty cook, but somewhat of a lazy approach for the wait staff. They barely checked up on us. Guess that's a great way to keep you distracted and stop you from requesting service. "Here you go customers, play a game and stop pestering us." OH, and you can pay your tab at your table as well. No need to bug the waiter/waitress in splitting your tab.
The place was pretty small. Not big enough for the rush crowd and the parking lot was tiny. I'm absolutely stunned to see establishments like this that require valet parking. I mean, you get in my car and park it 10 feet in front of me. Really? I have to pay you to move it a few feet in front? I thought that was pretty lame. -
Review from Dee A.
1/31/2012
Great ending to a trip out west. The wait was quite long but that's always a good sign, right? Once seated the service was super quick and pretty awesome. We ordered the umami burger, sweet potato fries, onion rings and some other burger. We were brought one wrong burger which was quickly remedied. Personally I liked the size of the burgers. They were not too big and not too small. It was good, but I don't really remember it standing out that much. I loved the sides and the sauces available though. The onion rings were crispy and not too oily. The sweet potato fries had cinnamon that worked well when dipped into hot sauce.
Overall, when I'm back in Cali I'd definitely try to stop back up and get some more onion rings! -
Review from Georg R.
Los Angeles, CA
2/8/2012
This is a special LA tradition. I've never seen so much attention being paid to the making of a burger. The patties are perfectly placed onto the bun, which is perfectly toasted and branded with a signature U on top of it. This is fine-dining for burgers. It's an interesting approach to changing the social connotation of a food by making it special. It's an experience worth having, and a great get-together location for eating out!
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Review from Juliet C.
El Monte, CA
2/6/2012
I've only been here once but I enjoyed my experience. I got the triple pork burger & thought it was delicious! I also took a bite out of the truffle burger, which was good, but nothing compared to the triple pork in terms of flavor. I also really liked the variety of sauce options that were available for the fries. I'd recommend the jalapeno ranch & the roasted garlic aioli. So, I'd have to say the food here is good but quite pricey for the quantity you receive. I honestly felt like I could've eaten another burger even though I already had 1 burger, fries & a drink...
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Review from BruBru B.
Los Angeles, CA
1/21/2012
Waited 15 minutes to get seated and another 20+ minutes for two burgers and a room temperature fries. The food weren't bad but it's nothing worth the wait.
The table next to us got a bloody under-cooked burger and all the manager had to say was "you ate half of it already. what do you want me to do?" the kitchen did replace the burger but the manager couldn't help himself to throw the plate onto the table like he might as well slamming the burger in the customer's face. The guy seriously needs a vacation and don't come back.
Slow kitchen + an unpleasant manager = a ruined weekend night out.
Avoid this location. -
Review from Elisa G.
Pacific Grove, CA
2/7/2012
Best burger ever. I need to have a burger here, not want. They have a great menu to create a perfect meal. The La Brea location is my favorite. Parking is convenient at this location for $2.
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Review from Jennifer K.
Los Angeles, CA
2/6/2012
Burgers are AMAZING. Very juicy and yummy. The appetizers are to die for. Cheesy potatoes are wonderful. They have decent beers and great sodas. I enjoyed the shirley temple. I just wish there were more room. We felt crowded and couldn't move while waiting for a table. The staff was nice but they also seemed distressed by the crowd. More tables and room please.
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Review from T H.
Los Angeles, CA
2/6/2012
I had several people tell me Umami makes the best burgers they've *ever* had. I finally took my wife there - both of us with chips on our shoulders, anxious to dissent with our friends' hype. Unfortunately, they were right - Umami makes the best burgers either of us have ever experienced! They are a grade above The Corner. And, to boot, they make the second-best beet salad we've ever had (surprisingly, first place goes to The Cheescake Factory of all places).
So why not five stars? Maybe it's just this location, but it is ridiculously cramped, service is inexperienced if well meaning, valet is expensive for this kind of place, and there's always a long line (not just because the food is good, but because they didn't plan enough tables).
There's a new location coming to The Grove soon, which is actually closer to us, so hopefully that eliminates most of these issues and it can go to five stars for that one maybe... -
Review from Bryan A.
Los Angeles, CA
2/6/2012
I don't get the appeal. I've not had the service issues others have had at either the La Brea or Santa Monica location--well, at SM the server was pretty chilly. But having tried most of their burgers I found them underwhelming. I don't find the flavor profile very appealing and an hour later I feel like I've eaten an anvil. They are unrelentingly greasy and heavy and the umami tastes like soup mix seasoning to me. I've gotten take out from the La Brea location a couple of times and the bag was soaked through with grease when I got home. Bleh.
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Review from AJ R.
Los Angeles, CA
Updated - 1/16/2012
Im updating my review from a few years ago......I like this place but overall its just over rated, super busy all the time and frankly I really dont see what the big deal is about it.
I appreciate the work that goes into what they produce at Umami - I really do. They make their own fries, the burgers were high quality ingredients.
However, none of these things make up for how difficult it is to find parking (or pay for parking) then wait to get a seat, wait for service and eventually the food - which is not bad - just not incredible.
The first time I went they made their own ketchup, the last time I was there it was Heinz. They still charge you for extra ketchup even though they bring you a tablespoon. For the prices they charge, I think its fair to bring a bottle of ketchup to the table.
Lately there has been A LOT of hype around this place and in my opinion its just not that good. If someone were to say this is the best burger place in LA - it just means they haven't tried enough.
Again, this place isnt bad - its just WAY over rated and over priced.Listed in: Best Burgers in LA
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/11/2011
I appreciate the work that goes into what they produce at Umami - I really do. They make their… Read more »
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Review from Liangzi H.
Los Angeles, CA
2/5/2012
My friend is a big fan of here, and she's been telling me how yummy the beef burger here is. However, I ordered the salmon burger, which I thought was healthy. The bread is really good, and the sweet potato chips are delicious. It's just salmon doesn't fit for burger. I should've had the beef burger. The interior environment is cozy and small, good service. Valet parking $2.5. I'll come back and write a follow up review.
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Review from Leslie C.
Los Angeles, CA
1/13/2012
Umami, you and all your dang hype.
After thinking The Counter was expensive (at about $9 a pop), imagine my eyes when I saw Umami's menu ($10 is your cheapest burger)... and $5 pickles? There better be some flecks of gold in those pickles, Umami.
The location is small (there is indoor and what appears to be far more spacious outdoor seating), valet is entirely unnecessary--but hey, its what we get for living in LA--and the portions are smaller than I imagined. I will agree, however, that the burgers are delicious.
While the burgers were juicy and I'll admit, better than our dear In-N-Out, I cannot see myself paying $11 for a burger that tasted on par with what I consider to be cheaper alternatives (and now here is where The Counter's lookin' mightyyy fine). The sweet potatoes, however, were scrumptious for two reasons and for those two reasons alone I may return to Umami: 1) They were topped with brown sugar and 2) Aaaand they were topped with brown sugar (ha!)
I am glad to have tried the oft-talked about Umami, but I do not plan on returning unless it's my lucky day and someone's buying! -
Review from Lisa H.
Chino Hills, CA
1/24/2012
I don't even remember the three burgers we ordered. Do not bother trying tiny, over-priced and over-rated bland tasting burgers. Instead, go for the cheesy tator tots.
I took one bite from the perfectly fried golden tots, tasted the warm cheese that oozed out, then completely forgot about the burgers.
Come here for the cheesy tots. You will be amazed by the rolls royce of tots. They were badboys fsho. Oh, did i mention you can skip the burgers?
Tots tots tots!!!
Warning: Parking is valet, $2/3 dollars. They charge for condiments. say what?!? -
Review from Kat N.
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA
1/10/2012
3.5 Stars to be exact but I'll give it a 4
There was so much hype about this place that I had to try it. The service and atmosphere was warm and friendly, not to mention the interesting feeling of dining in a "glass box" restaurant.
I was very pleased with everything we ordered: The Umami burger, The Manly Burger, Onion Rings, Cheesy Tator Tots, and Mango Soda.
The best part and probably the most unique thing about this about this place was their tasty homemade ketchup and dipping sauces served in a "pho" spoon.
Sadly, Umami Burgers are yummy but for the price I was expecting mind-blowing, out-of-this-world burgers. Don't get me wrong I really liked it but I just prefer old fashion lettuce and tomatoes in my burgers. Maybe next time, until then back to In'n'Out. -
Review from Marcie M.
Los Angeles, CA
1/14/2012
Umami's Earth Burger is NOT VEGETARIAN! The ingredients are listed as vegetarian but it's NOT vegetarian.
I am violently allergic to fish and as soon as I bit into it, I got violently sick. After the fact, Umami admitted that the Earth Burger is not strictly vegetarian....WHAT??? They confirmed it had "dashi" flavoring, which is made from dried Bonito flakes. This was REALLY disturbing. Very irresponsible!!! -
Review from Holly N.
Austin, TX
1/8/2012 1 photo
Soooo yummy! The burgers were the perfect size (no food coma) and really juicy. I got some teriyaki pineapple burger thing (one of the specials) and it was sooo good. Had it cooked medium well because the server said medium was still pink. The triple pork burger was kind of plain. The sweet potato fries were delicious though!
They had this cool tablet thing on the table that you could view pictures and descriptions of items on the menu. You also get two free games to play, so choose wisely or pay $1.95 for unlimited games! -
Review from Ronjini M.
Los Angeles, CA
1/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
My sister-in-law brought me here after a day of wedding prep shopping. We were starving and she said that this place is generally packed to the max. I've been meaning to come here for at least a year now to see what all the fuss was about.
We had a couple of delicious apps for now, which I have forgotten about. Not because they were forgettable, but because I had a lot of things on my mind at the time. All I remember is that they were delicious. Wait...it was a secret app...Cheesy tator tots and the onion rings, yum! Yes. They kind of put us overboard on the belt buckles.
Anyway...on to the burgers. I tried the Umami burger since it was my first time coming here. Not to mention that I love mushrooms and they put shitake on this baby. It was such a different type of delicious burger with that traditional bbq taste. I can't really explain it.
Umami is on the list of my burger joints along with the Santa Monica Counter. I really like that place. I also really want to try "Not your Father's -
Review from Joshua M.
Los Angeles, CA
1/16/2012
Came here for dinner, having very high expectations from all the things I've been told by friends. Though we were very doubtful at first of it being worth $10 for a burger, we were all very pleased when the food arrived.
We had umami burgers, portabella mushroom burger, tempera onion rings, thin cut fries, and sweet potato fries. Everything tasted fresh and amazing. The burgers were cooked about medium, keeping them extremely juicy and tasteful. The fries were all seasoned differently, and each one was a great new experience. The burgers may seem small, but they won't leave you hungry. I've had a few run ins with $10 burgers before in California and Vegas, but this one is truly worth $10. Great ingredients, concepts, and presentation made this meal a phenomenal experience.
This place has a very neat look to it as well. The inside feels very welcoming, and you almost feel like a place you'd go to for drinks and small dishes. The water cups they give you were interesting as well, being flexible and clear, kinda wanted to take one home (but didn't). Some things to know, parking can be a bit hard if you don't use valet (which is $2.5), so be aware of that. Anyways, I would definitely come here again, recommended to anyone! -
Review from Rachel R.
San Diego, CA
1/17/2012
I was excited to try out this place after seeing it on Yelp. But don't expect to just walk right in and be able to get a table. I came here around 8 or 8:30 pm on a Sunday, expecting the restaurant to be relatively empty, but my family had to wait half an hour for our name to be called. However this wasn't too bad considering the popularity of the place.
Everyone ordered the Umami Burger (because it had Umami in the name, so we reasoned that it must be good), except for my little brother, who ordered the Manly Burger (because he's sooo manly--NOT). The burgers were all cooked medium rare and were very juicy and flavorful and had a complex meaty taste that tasted different from other burgers I've had. I didn't get a chance to try my brother's burger; he seemed to like it, but looked like he was about to pass out from a food coma afterwards. It must have been the beer-cheddar cheese and all those bacon lardons.
The sides we ordered--regular fries, sweet potato fries, and onion rings--were just okay (the sweet potato fries had an interesting cinnamon-y taste though!), so I will probably pass on them next time and just get a burger. Next time I really want to try the SoCal burger, which I've heard tastes like a fancier version of In-N-Out, my one true love.
We got lucky with parking and were able to find a spot out front, but in general it seems pretty hard to find parking unless you do valet.
Looking forward to coming back and trying more things! -
Review from David K.
1/31/2012
Truffle burger with jalapeno ranch... pretty damn good! the cheesy tots were pretty good too. Only reason this place gets a lower rating is because its over priced!
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Review from Sally Z.
Los Angeles, CA
1/4/2012
The truffle burger is unlike anything I'd ever tried before! Unique and delicious!
Because of the popularity, there is a wait. At the tables, we enjoyed playing around with the little tablets they left for us.
I recommend coming with no more than 4 people, or else it gets tough to get a table!
The portions leave you upset because you wish there was more.. We also enjoyed some fries and their onion rings. Trying the sauces was cool! -
Review from Catherine H.
Los Angeles, CA
1/15/2012
There is so much hype about this place that I just had to try it out. This is the only location I've been to and it was tiny. They had about 5-6 tables inside and then the majority of their seating was on a heated outside patio. We sat outside and it wasn't that bad, just the occasional firetruck/ambulance interrupting the ambience...The heat lamps surprisingly did their job and wasn't the least bit cold in a short sleeved shirt!
I got the umami burger, because I always feel the need to get the entree named after the restaurant! This consisted of a medium rare patty, with sauteed onions, tomato, and some kind of crispy layer. It was pretty good...I wouldn't say it's the BEST burger I've ever had but close to it. I still felt the patty was a little dry and kind of crumbled even though it was cooked medium rare.
We also got the tempura onion rings and the sweet potato fries. I find it kind of weird that they pair the sweet potato fries that are seasoned with brown sugar with ketchup, but they still tasted decent. I liked the tempura onion rings more, they were huge and better than your normal onion ring, because I think the breading was a good texture to go with the onions!
Overall I might come here again, but it was kind of pricey for the amount of food you get and it wasn't the best burger I have ever had. -
Review from Uyen V.
Houston, TX
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
We ordered several burgers and shared, but the only one I feel the need to write about is the truffle burger. The seasoning is definitely tasty and the bread is delicious, but it's the truffle oil that makes all the difference. Yummm ...
They also have really good cheddar tater tots and iced green tea. It's very rare that someone writes about something as basic as iced tea, but this one was definitely worth mentioning - not too sweet or strong. -
Review from Ann K.
Los Angeles, CA
2/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
I have been to Umami about a dozen times, it's always quite good, I love the salads which rotate seasonally and the fries are good as well.I've had a variety of burgers. On almost every visit I would rate Umami a 4 STARS. BUT this trip was exceptional, here's why. TUNA BURGER. Didn't know they had a tuna burger, I understand it's a sometimes special. I'm pretty picky about my Tuna's ( gulfstream being my baseline for all things tuna burger). I grilled ( no pun intended) our server pretty good when she recommended it. Really sounded strange to me and I ordered the wasabi aioli on the side. But she said it was more of a chop than a grind ,which I like, and had some interesting veg on it like gingered carrots. I truly was not expecting to have my socks knocked off. Off they flew! Awesome tuna burger totally Umami, think tunasushi burger. Now what really took us to the moon was the cheesy tots. Home-made tater tots filled with cheese, are you kidding? The old fashioned way.MUST ORDER.Can't believe we didn't know about these. Totally a salt lick ( so if you don't like salt, don't order an complain) but cheesy potatoey goodness.We sat there trying to decide if we needed a second order. So the good news is that it was a crazy good, 5 star meal. Bad news is I may never go back to Umami unless they have the tuna burger.......
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Review from Donna A.
Los Angeles, CA
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
As good as a burger can get! We had the Umami and the california burger! We were enamored by the flavors and taste. It was in a less frequented part of LA for us, but they got locations all over. They even make their own ketchup! We would go back again and again! Worth it!
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Review from Karina M.
Sunland, CA
1/14/2012
UM AMAZING!? I had the Ahi Tuna Burger and it hit the spot. It was delicious, light, but ENOUGH. The piece of tuna was HUGE. I got the sweet potato fries, which were the best I have ever tasted. You can't change or modify your order, which is cool with me. I believe that's how it should be. If you're picky, eat at home!
Best burgers, best sides, best sauces. TRY the DIABLO sauce! So spicy and yum!
I think I can go to this joint every week and try a new burger each time. It's pricey but so worth it! -
Review from Dessilina F.
Los Angeles, CA
1/25/2012
Wow that is all I can say. Well not really. Yum, yummy, oh my, one of the best, top five burger favorites!, Great place and service! Did I say yum, yet?
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Review from Thi N.
Fremont, CA
1/10/2012
4 stars for flavor
3 stars for size
I like this place for the flavor, but can't they make it a bit bigger since it cost so much. I was still hungry afterward. -
Review from Janice K.
Los Angeles, CA
1/30/2012
To be quite frank, it's a bit overrated here. Maybe all the hype killed it. Burgers are quite good but I am a huge fan of their onion rings. The batter is amazing...! Never go on a weekend.. the line is ridic.
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Review from Sandy R.
Los Angeles, CA
1/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place has thee best burgers. I cannot say enough about how good their burgers are, and their side dishes... Everyone that works there is just so friendly and cool. I love Umami :)
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Review from Pamela S.
12/14/2011
Someone is going to have to explain their seating policy to me, because I don't get it.... Empty tables inside and 2 people out of a party of 3 are not allowed to be seated until the 3rd person arrives, and are told to wait outside in the cold? When there was absolutely no wait? It's not like 1 person was trying to take up a table of 10 seats during peak dinner hours.
Anyway, both times I've been here, it was still pretty early, at 6 or 7 pm, so there was no crowd yet. Of course valet seemed utterly pointless, but whatevs. I actually didn't see the valet booth my first time and just drove right in to a parking spot in the empty lot. I guess it might be useful during busy times....
On to the food - I've tried the Portobello Umami burger (very juicy), the Japanese Caprese Salad (good, but not filling if ordered as a dish), and various sides including the thin fries and the tots. The sides are pretty delish. I would prefer for the burgers to come with a side, given the price of each burger.
Umami Burger is a very innovative concept, right down to their logo and the tablet on each table, and the food is savory, but I feel like it might be overhyped a bit. I am still down to try some of their other burgers sometime (with meat! mmm), but I'm not that impressed yet. -
Review from Carlo C.
Torrance, CA
12/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
I finally get what the whole commotion is about. After waiting, what seems to be like an eternity...I finally had an umami burger. I would say that it ranks up there with the Father's Office burger but with a different LA twist.
It's definitely a burger joint to try. I had the actual Umami burger and it was delicious. Sweet Potato fries are a must. The onion rings were a waste of time though. I found them soggy. Not even soggy underwear could be worse than a soggy onion ring.
Also, they have valet. I'll try not to judge a burger joint by the pretentiousness of valet, but umami burger does the job. Even if it's a tad overpriced. -
Review from Isabella L.
Culver City, CA
12/26/2011
Although Umami is a solid 4, I'm not sure I'll run back because there are so many other burger joints to relish when you live in L.A. The reason I would go back would not be for the burgers, but for the sides. The onion rings were definitely some of the best I ever had - apparently they just changed the batter so for those of you who were disappointed before, try them again. The smushed potatoes (baked potato + french fry concoction) are quite delicious too. The sweet potato fries are just ok compared to these two. I wish I had tried the tots.
As for the burger, pretty good, but definitely overhyped. One thing is I concur with a lot of the other reviews mentioning the temperature cooked vs. requested can be quite inconsistent, leaning on the rarer side. I like medium well, so I asked for well done just to be sure (I rather have my meat dry than bloody). SO wanted medium, but I pushed him to get medium well since I figured they might cook it closer to medium rare. When we cut our burgers in half, SO found his was a medium well like he requested. But mine was more undercooked than his! Mine was definitely medium even though I asked for well done, which basically means burn the shit out of it for all I care. So just be aware that they don't know the grill that well. It sounds like they know how to make medium rare and everything else is up for grabs.
Service was really good - from hostess, server, busboy. A bit pricey for the burger ($11), but that's to be expected. It would be nice if they threw in some fries with your burger - I mean a potato and oil costs almost nothing. Parking on the street was easy, but that's because we got there right when parking restrictions on La Brea let up. -
Review from Min-Joo L.
Los Angeles, CA
1/2/2012
So this is what the hype was all about....
Ok. So I wouldn't necessarily deem this place to have the best burgers in the world. Honestly, I'd be just as happy (or more) with an animal style double at in'n'out. But having an Umami Burger should be on everyone's LA "to eat" checklist.
I went with a few of my friends and we each ordered a different side, so we ended up trying every single side on the menu. All their fries are amazing (except the thick cut/wedge fries tasted a little weird...like you could taste the oil they fry it in) but I definitely recommend their smashed potatoes. They taste AMAZEBALLS with their jalapeno ranch sauce.
Got the Greenbird burger (turkey burger, avocado, sprouts, green cheese). Loved it but was not impressed by the size. [Insert that's what she said high five]
If I'm gonna pay $11 for a burger and an extra $5 for a side of fries, i better be getting an $11 sized burger butttttt i didn't. At least it tasted great so I forgive you, Umami Burger.
Yes. I paid almost $20 to have a U-stamped burger bun.
You should, too....at least once. -
Review from Stephanie N.
Venice, CA
1/16/2012
When we arrived I was shocked at how small this place was and thought its going to be a long wait. No wait we were given the choice to sit at the counter which sounded fine, until we were taken to a title side room with a counter facing the wall and a small table right in the middle. Ummm ok, it seemed like a space they didn't know what to do with... We waited about 10 min for a server to finally show up, by then we had decided to leave. I spoke with the manager Cole and he just made excuses about how busy they are... Really?!?!???!! There is no customer service anymore truly sad...
I was looking forward to trying these delicious burgers but alas I will not be going back anytime soon...
