Blu LA Cafe

Holy Smokies, they’re gone! I went for lunch today and the place was empty; completely empty. No tables, chairs or counters. :(

When this place was new the service was slow/​horrible. However, the burgers were GREAT, which is why I returned later on.
The last time I visited, (and I do mean last because the place is now closed down), I had a Tamarind Turkey Burger, which was new to the meny then. I was curious, but it was so delicious. The soft tasty hamburger buns and the large beef patties are what really made the place here. Too bad that not enough people were able to find out about this place. :(

Surprisingly good burger. Real Potatoes in the french fries. Very Good. Shockingly good for a whopping 8 bucks or so. Maybe the a-​holes at Cole’s should learn from the guys next door.

This was my DTLA burger haven for a hearty meal during long work weeks for many months. They offer delicious blue cheese & bacon burgers with the option of a healthy side salad that made my cravings for fat and grease look a bit more sophisticated. I always ate every bite!
A great place to meet up with a friend, have tea, and share a meal at night. The service is genuine, sweet and attentive. I had many-​a-​burger delivered to my door, which always arrived hot (even the fries)! The delivery guys must be riding Hoverboards… SO FRESH!
Ps. Try the peanut butter chocolate cookie if you’re feeling naughty. They are great for giving to friends too. Make sure you watch their eyes twitch while they take their first bite. :P

Anytime Living Social or Groupon offers deals on burger joints — you know I’m on it! I was excited for the chance to try Blue LA Café. It’s almost easy to miss if you’re not familiar with the area — just know that it’s right next door to Cole’s. Parking is (of course) a pain in that area, but around the block was a $ 5 lot. I was only willing to pay this because of our Living Social coupon ;)
The place is decorated in a cool contemporary style — it’s blue but not TOO blue. Our friendly server let us sit anywhere we liked since it wasn’t too busy at the time. Their specials and drinks are scribbled on the chalkboard sections of their walls — unfortunately some of their beers and most of their signature desserts weren’t available.
The burgers, however, were pretty damn good. My fiancé had the Blu LA Burger, and was able to sub the blue cheese for cheddar — he enjoyed it very much and to quote him «The bacon was a little over done, but that’s better than it being not rendered enough.» Sounded good to me! I had the Goat Cheeseburger — I loves me some goat cheese, but this was almost a little too much. Like previous reviewers mentioned, all their burgers are cooked well, so the slight dryness from both the patty and cheese made me miss the moisture of a good burger. I still enjoyed it — along w/​my side salad and his fries (those were REALLY good, but they were kinda skimpy on the side of ranch).
I wouldn’t mind coming back to try their other burgers. Note: the prices are knocked down a dollar or so when you dine on the night of an Artwalk. So if you don’t mind the crowds of LA scenesters/​hipsters causing traffic and taking up all the parking, by all means give this place a shot!

It’s fun to be on my personal voyage for LA’s Best Burger… with the help of a few friends, of course!
I was introduced to Blu when my buddy from church, Matthew, mentioned how when he lived in DTLA, he knew this place that had an awesome burger with bleu cheese and possibly the best Red Velvet Cake (at the time, supplied by Susina Bakery). He was right, this place is pretty darn good!
If you are not already familiar with the DTLA area, parking can be quite a hassle. Sure you’ll find street metered parking, but few in an area that I would consider safe (as many areas of street parking can be found that is not well lit and where many homeless individuals roam). There is a parking structure in the adjacent northwestern block of 6^th and Main, but as all lots and structured parking go, you best get ready to pony up the cabbage!
Blu is located next door to Cole’s P.E. Buffet, the landmark best known for birthing the one and only original French Dip sandwich (which, btw, happens to be better than Philippe’s). The walls at Blu are adorned with art of varying genre. The dining area is clean and neat. The restroom is generally well maintained.
I’ve had several burgers here, but I think my favorite is still the Blu LA Burger ordered Medium Rare. I’m not one who cares for bleu cheese, but in this burger, it just works oh so well! No wonder why this burger was crowned by LA Downtown News as the Best Burger of 2009! The contents of this lovely gourmet burger are: ½ lb. angus beef patty, bacon, bleu cheese, lettuce, tomato and it’s served on a brioche bun. The natural cut fries are cooked to perfection as well, warm and soft inside with a subtle crispy exterior.
My second favorite is the Tamarind Turkey Burger.
The last time I dined here, my bud Justin and I decided to grab a burger before heading to meet some other dudes at Urth Caffe to chill. We arrived at 9:50pm, 10 minutes prior to closing. It was unintentional and we felt bad showing up so late, but they were so cool as to welcome us in and they fire up the grill. In case you are wondering, the service is outstanding!
A 4 star rating for a place that based upon my review, deserves 5? Well, no one has been able to dethrone the king… The Comme Ça Burger! It’s hard to explain, you just have to try one for yourself, and when you do, you MUST order it Medium Rare! Don’t get repulsed by a Medium Rare gourmet burger… do yourself a favor and live a little, you won’t regret it!
Whenever you’re in the DTLA/​Little Tokyo area and in the mood for a burger, give Blu LA Café a try. Their burgers will quite possibly be one of the best gourmet burgers you will ever have!

I had a good experience here maybe, because I had a living social coupon, I read the Unilocal reviews and went to the website (where they tell u where u can get validated parking). It was noon, on a Wednesday, but just a couple days before Xmas so I guess less ppl @ work taking lunch here. It’s kind of small in the inside so the place would be ez to fill on any occasions or non occasion.
I had the Derby burger, which was really good, but I wished it had pickles on it just my personal preference so don’t judge me. The fries were better then good fresh cut, skin on, extra crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, perfectly salted, I could go on, but I won’t. I wish the counter made fries like this.
My friend had the blu burger without Bacon, and they didn’t think it was that great, but I’m guessing its because it didn’t have the Bacon on it to make it what it should’ve been.
The customer service wasn’t rude or friendly, but some what nice I guess. She didn’t give us any attitude. The service was actually not memorable, but that’s better then bad LOL

Either we caught them on a really off day yesterday, or else they’ve really gone downhill since I lived downtown 6 months ago.
I used to go in all the time on weekends for brunch. They had this omelette called an «atomic scramble» that was seriously delicious, the coffee was amazing, and the waitress Cole was super sweet. Every time was a homerun.
Went yesterday and entered, seeing Cole wasn’t working. Oh, well… no big deal. Except that the waitress who was working seemed more interested in socializing with the customers she knew than in paying us much attention. Interactions were short and brusque.
Ordered off the lunch menu because apparently brunch isn’t an option at noon on a Friday (boo), got the salmon burger and fish and chips.
Everything was SOOOOO greasy, it was as though the pulled it from the oil and dropped it on the plate in some timed reality show contest. The french fries were shiny, the fish was shiny, the plate was literally swimming in oil. I think they were floating around the plate. My boyfriend, who’s more health conscious than I, actually pulled a pile of napkins and ‘drained’ the french fries that way… like middle school frozen pizza day… it was pretty gross.
We would have complained, except that nobody came to check, after the food was dropped off, for half an hour, and by then we were done… and a little upset stomachy, and ready to leave.
My bf will never let me take him there again, and doesn’t seem to quite believe me when I tell him how great brunch w/​Cole always was… massive fail, today.

Although the food was not bad (but not great either), I have to give this place one star due to the major avocado FAIL! I ordered the monterey burger which was described as a house-​made ½ lb. angus beef patty, monterey jack cheese, jalapeños, avocado, served w/​tomato, lettuce, & mayo on a brioche bun for $ 10.5. Sounds great, right? When our food finally arrived an hour later, we were starving and they were starting to close the place. When he dropped off our food, he informed me that they were out of avocado so he just gave me extra fries. I was left with so many questions! Why didn’t they tell me before they made it so that I could order something else? Don’t they know avocado was the only reason I ordered that burger? To top it off, the fries were mushy and the burger was dry.
So not only was the service really slow (they only had one server/​bartender and one cook) and the food mediocre, we had to eat quickly since they closed and started cleaning right after they brought our food. Also, parking was bad, we ended up paying $ 7 to park near the homeless camp-​out spot. Definitely not going back to this place!

The four of us had lunch here before heading to Unique LA last Saturday. It was within walking distance and we had to take advantage of our LivingSocial coupons. It’s a bit tough to find, but it’s near Cole’s and you walk down a flight of steps from the sidewalk.
Fried Mushroom Ravioli — Like 50% of a Miller Lite, it had great taste and more filling than I thought it would have, with a rich pesto-​like texture. Think of them as fried 3-​inch squared pierogis that come about 6 to an order, with greens, and spicy dipping sauce.
Fries — They’re freshly cut with skins on some of them and crispy on the outside and soft and hot on the inside. Yes, you want to order them.
Chimay — On tap! Awesome! This is one of my favorite Belgian beers.
Burgers —
Sage Derby Cheeseburger
Tamarind Turkey Burger
Blu L.A. Café Burger
Monterey Burger
We split each burger into four pieces so we could try each. In short, the turkey burger was juicier than their regular burger. Is it because they’re about ¾″ thick? They all tasted similar to me and the flavors weren’t as pronounced as they could be. For example, the tamarind was shy. At the same time, you don’t want the burger drenched in it. I hoped there would be a better balance, but it wasn’t quite there — and that goes for all the burgers. Their award-​winning Blu L.A. Café Burger stood out from the rest since the blue cheese was mild and the bacon helped put it over the top. Like a construction worker, it was straightforward, but it got the job done.
Service was pleasant and she accommodated us very well. Blu LA Café’s ambiance was very… blue. With four seats at the bar, you shouldn’t hope to be too sad. It’s cozy and contemporary with some marvelous artwork adorning their walls. I could do without my cousin’s 90’s style «Gangsta Homies» artwork though.

Damn fine burger!
Came here on a livingsocial coupon after I hit up the Pershing Square ice skating.
Called ahead to make sure we could get sat at 9:30 (as they close at 10pm on weekdays). The dude was kind rude saying they may or may not be open.
Whatever we came anyways and while the service was «nay», the meat was «yay!»
They were out of bacon, fries and apparently the brioche bun my burger was supposed to be on (which they failed to mention) but it was still delicious.
I had their signature Blu LA burger – which I read great Unilocal reviews on. Really, really well seasoned beef! The blue cheese wasn’t melted but still good. The garlic mayo and everything came together perfectly. Would love to go back and hopefully try it with bacon and a side of fries.
Not sure I’d drive across town for it when you have great burgers all over but if I’m in downtown this is the place I’d go for beef!
Beware of homeless men singing John Lennon songs FYI.

Quite surprised this place has low ratings. I had a great experience here despite the fact that I’m a vegetarian, but my friend seemed to enjoy his burger. I got the grilled cheese sandwich, but should have known it was going to be a blue cheese…(BLU la café).
The guy was an absolute sweetheart and made me a regular grilled cheese sandwich (DELICIOUS) upon learning I don’t like blue cheese. The atmosphere is rather nice as well… very serene and oceanic. Even paintings are mostly in blue tones.
Oh…and they got stella, fat tire and chimay on tap… so c’mon people, stop fussing!

*** She told me that I was temporary, yet she fed me beef. ***
½lb blu cheese angus beef burger to be exact. I’m confused.
How can I be temporary when you feed me like an urban king?
The sign on 6^th Street claimed that the burger was #1 in the city.
I was eager to disprove the claim but I must confess, it was great.
Damn, I’m the «temporary guy» who just happened upon beef love?
Was I merely spurned and seeking a lil comfort inside a massive
burger smothered with bacon and blu cheese, or was it that great?
So I took another bite, yet another, then before I knew it, it was gone.
This joint is quaint … quainter than most … memorably quaint in fact.
The burger was succulent … more succulent than most … it’s delish.
*** If this is what being «temporary guy» means, I can accept it. ***

Couldn’t get seating at Cole’s, so my group of tired, hungry feathered fellow Unilocalers went next door and planted our tired selves in the resto.
I was still full from feathers and the lunch I had at Spitz. So I got a Peach Bellini. Aaaaah, hit the spot.
I got a bite of Andrius’ Monterey burger and was surprised by the flavors that touched the palate of my tongue. The jalapeño was a nice touch, but I am a wimp so I teared up. (one tear). I also stole her fries when she wasn’t looking, just to taste. Not bad!
The dessert, it’s like a bunch of vultures waiting to pounce as we eyed Val’s chocolate chip cookie with scoops of vanilla enveloped in warm gooey chocolate. Val was kind enough to buy one for us vultures and that thing was devoured in 2 secs.
I like the color blue and this Blu was not too bad.
The service did take awhile, but who cares, the more time I got to spend with my fellow Unilocalies. It was just great energy after the pillow fight and I think it transcended to Blu.

It’s probably both a blessing and a curse to have your café near a renowned spot like Cole’s. On the one hand, you benefit from young hip spillovers who don’t have time to wait for their French dips. On the other, you’ll probably be underrated and overlooked despite offering great food and phenomenal service.
After our pillow fight adventure in Pershing Square on Saturday, our group of Unilocalers was feathered, sweaty and famished. Rolling twelve deep, we failed to get a table at Cole’s and needed sustenance immediately. Blu LA Café did the job quite well.
The place was empty when we walked in so we were easily able to rearrange the tables to seat all of us. I went with the chicken Caesar and a side of their potato chips and really loved both. The salad featured bacon and tender chicken and the homemade chips were perfectly crisp and not greasy at all. I washed it all down with an amazing white sangria that came with a fruit purée instead of chunks and was just perfect.
Many of the others in the group went with the Blu Café burger, similar to the FO burger with its bleu cheese and bacon. But I liked how this one came on a brioche bun instead of a roll. Everyone absolutely loved their burgers.
The whole time we were eating I was staring at their dessert case, filled with beautiful cakes and ginormous cookies, so there was no possible way we could pass up dessert. We went with the cookie ice cream sandwich. At first we thought the whole table could share one but when the glorious thing came out it was so delish we had to order another for the other half of the group. The cookie was warm and fresh (I liken it to a giant version of those Otis Spunkmeyer cookies you used to get at your school cafeteria), with pebble-​sized chocolate chips and melty vanilla ice cream.
All of our food was pretty much perfect, but it didn’t compare to the impeccable service we received. There was one server manning the entire place that day and he was amazing. Sure, the food took a little while to come out and was spaced out kind of oddly due to the big group. But our waiter was kind and patient and even spilt the bill individually without even having to be asked. Who does this?! I think all restaurants should start a policy where they do this for big groups automatically to save the pain of splitting the bill at the end. He even called all of us by name as he handed us our checks, and he REMEMBERED my name a few minutes later! Truly ridiculously amazing waiter. I nominate him for president.
The only downside I can see is that the décor leaves something to be desired — a somewhat generic feel, especially compared to the retro cuteness of Cole’s. But hey, if the plain jane look of the place keeps this secret hidden from others and prevents lines out the door, maybe I’m ok with that!

THE BEST BURGER I’ve found in LA, so far. If you love burgers, this is a MUST. Get the Blu burger for a transcendent experience. From the menu: «house made ½ lb. angus beef patty, topped w/​bacon, blue cheese, garlic mayo, lettuce & tomato on a toasted brioche bun» for $ 11.50). It’s pricy, but that’s downtown, and it’s at least two meals’ worth of food. The burgers give this place an automatic 4 stars, even if I haven’t tried anything else on the menu. They have turkey, veggie, and fried tofu patty options for all the burgers, too.
The huge dessert/​bakery case features absolutely scrumptious choices as well, like a super rich mocha 4 layer cake. Divinely wicked treat, I ate this in small sections over several days, because i I wanted to savor it.
The dine-​in service can be slow, so don’t come here in a hurry. The vibe inside is an icy blue winter mini-​palace with a fountain, which seems kind of cold. But, they do provide delivery for nearby buildings, so you don’t have to bother with sitting in there if you reside on the block.

My review is based solely around the awesome server I had when I came here with friends the other night. My friends and I had just finished ordering some treats at BabyCakes next door. We were eating at a table outside for a bit, but then I was freezing my tookus off, and wanted to eat inside, plus I needed a hot cocoa to wash down some of the pastries we were indulging in.
The server was very sweet, didn’t mind at all that we had brought in some pastries from next door, I ordered a hot cocoa, and my friend wanted a Chai Latte. She explained that they don’t normally make those, but that she did have some chai tea that she could put some steamed milk and honey in. We also ordered a chocolate chip cookie that she says they bake fresh daily. She was really attentive, and sweet, and the cookie was divine. We were the only patrons there on a late Monday night, and she didn’t mind one bit.

Great for a late night bite when your Downtown. But this review is only about the coffee!
I’m from the South and coffee is a huge part of the culture. It’s just something to be savored and really enjoyed and celebrated. I’ve been in LA for almost ten yrs and this was THE BEST CUP OF COFFEE I’VE HAD IN LOS ANGELES!
I’m tempted to say the best coffee I’ve ever had but too many sweet memories of Paris café’s and sitting in the French Quarter at Café du Monde would never let me say that :)
I can’t remember all the wonderful details but for $ 3 a lovely silver french press was brought to the table and what accompanied it was nothing short of heaven. No half-​n-​half served here. It was a rich, freshly made sort of cream. Not too rich, not too sweet, but just right … mmmmm. Selection of sugars and honey for everyone’s taste. I think our server said the beans are ground when you order. If you like coffee that tastes like asphalt you won’t like it. It’s just this smooth, wonderful flavor.
For some reason most place in LA don’t have a clue. Their coffee either tastes like liquid tar or like really bad weak tea.

Oh breakfast!
Cut to the chase… I’ve gone here only for breakfast so I can’t say much for anything else on the menu. The service was great and we chatted it up with the owner for a good while. Once, the restaurant was 75% full but the server did pretty well being the only one working.
I’ve had the Meat Lover’s omelette and Spinach w/​goat cheese omelette as well as the Bacon scramble. Meat lover’s had tons of meat and flavor but the sausage was a bit too oily. The spinach and goat cheese was great… and they weren’t shy with the goat cheese! Bacon scramble was good too, it had large bits of bacon, scramble eggs set atop sliced potatoes all served in a large bowl. It was good but the potatoes were a bit greasy.
I must say that I really liked their coffee. It’s served in personal french presses and the cream is as heavy as me when I leave the restaurant. I haven’t tried their wines but the selection looks better than average. They have bottled lambics AND Coke from Mexico… you know, the kind with sugar cane instead of high fructose corn syrup! Oh the cavities! They have pastries and refrigerated desserts as well. The cheesecake with strawberries and chocolate was flirting with me but I ended up kissing the plain croissant. The croissant and I will surely go out again.
Overall, the ambiance was nice, modern, quaint and cozy for a downtown café. The inside seating area says max occupancy 49 people and they have outside seating too. Free Wi-​Fi but I couldn’t find an outlet anywhere. I’ve come here for breakfast a few times and I would come again… if there’s parking. =)
See you for dessert…

I’ve heard many things about the Blu LA burger and one afternoon after a job site visit, I found myself close enough to walk here. I only had one thing in mind, to get the Blu LA burger and compare it to the Office Burger from FO it’s so often compared to.
Long story short, in my opinion, the Office Burger still holds the title for «Best Burger in LA». Now if I’ve never had the Office Burger, this would probably take the top spot; it’s that close. The cheese and the bacon are definitely very tasty and the bun is super spongy and not too greasy. The thing that knocks it a notch down from the Office Burger is the meat. I don’t know what they use for the Office Burger, but it’s just so damn flavorful, nothing can come close. I chose to get the salad instead of fries since it was during the week and I was trying to be «relatively» healthy. The salad was pretty good and the dressing was good as well. It wasn’t doused in the dressing, just enough to accent the greens.
I’d like to try some of the other items on the menu since it’s unfair to judge this place solely on its burger.