I know this location closed but I have to give an ode goodbye to this spot since this where me and my husband had our first date ‚). Great Burgers, and great green tea! I have tried other locations but idk, there is something about the original that doesn’t compare. I miss this location and will always remember it!
Christel L.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Murrieta, CA
I know this location closed, but I do have to leave a review for the original spot, because it’s where I became a fan of Umami Burger, even if I may have visited another location before going to this one. We came as a party of three and sat outside on their patio. It had a nice ambiance to it and we all were excited to partake in this trendy established, yet still expanding burger brand in L.A. All of us got different burgers on the menu. I ordered the Port & Stilton(with slight hesitation as my first choice would typically be anything with the word«truffle» in it), which I found to be wonderfully delicious. Paired with a cold hefeweizen beer, the dinner experience was great, for all of us. After a couple of years, I’ve tried other variations of the burgers and fries and remain a fan. It’s a shame they couldn’t renew the lease on the property because street parking was easy in this area. Nevertheless, the expansion across SoCal, other western states, and New York proves that Umami will be around for a long time. Long live Umami Burger!
Candace L.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Los Angeles, CA
I really think the actual Umami burger isn’t that great so I never get it… so I ordered the Triple Pork Burger and it was deelicious! So juicy and the bun was perfect. The fries were good and crispy this day — I never opt for their special ketchup(I’m not a ketchup person.) but their other sauces are good! I like how they have a cheap valet at the door, it makes it so much easier sometimes. but then again I wish they just had a bigger lot so we can just park ourselves. this Umami isn’t that large. so not sure why they have a valet…
Stella M.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Los Angeles, CA
I have no idea why people love this place. I just thought it was an ok burger joint. The burgers weren’t all that special. Maybe it was their off day??? I had their Umami Burger and my friend had their Manly Burger. We both thought they were ok but nothing beyond average. We would have preferred In N Out over Umami. Some of my other friends rave about it so I may give it another try but I really am not expecting much of change of opinion…
Alexander Y.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Rowland Heights, CA
Finally, I made it to Umami Burger! Only took like several years to get here, but I did. Came here on a Tuesday for lunch at around 12:30. Surprised that there wasn’t a line, but I’m not complaining… spent enough time waiting in lines at restaurants. Had the Truffle Burger because I have a severe weakness against truffle. I can say, it was a pretty good burger. Very flavorful and tasty. My only gripe is that it was a bit lukewarm once I got it and that the beef, while tasty, was still a tad bit dry. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s bad at all. But man, when you can taste that meat, you can really TASTEDATMEAT. I can’t say that here. Bit overpriced for my liking as well, but oh well it is what it is. Also go the thin fries, sweet potato fries, and smushed potatoes. Thin fries were about as expected, kinda hard to screw those up. Sweet potato fries were quite tasty. Loved the smushed potatoes, came with this epic glaze that I still can’t get over. Was still a bit perturbed that the fries were also lukewarm… come on, bring out my food faster! All in all, very good burger, worth the hype. If I’m ever in vicinity of one, I’m definitely gonna come back. But still not the top of my burger list.
Jay S.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 Vancouver, Canada
Umami is the place you leave asking,“What should we eat now?” Here’s the running theme: Dry. Small. $ 70 for 4 people to eat burgers. Thoroughly unremarkable and overpriced. $ 12 for truffle burger — which was mine and deemed the best of the lot but still utterly forgettable, $ 10 for small burger, $ 11 for Umami. $ 3 per Crush and Mexican Coke in the bottle. You could tell the ingredients were quality, the buns were good, but the kid’s burgers in particular were quite dry — which we all know pretty much wrecks everything else. I was puzzled and my kids weren’t impressed. We were particularly put off by the service, which was bordering on non-existent with just a dash of rude(lest we think they forgot us!). Would I try it again? No — I’d rather go next door to Wacko and blow the $ 70 on something to take home!
Carol L.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Campbell, CA
Delicious burgers. I had one of the specials of the day: beef patty(rare), whole chunks of fresh bacon(not the strip kind), a fried egg, smushed tater tots, and onion strings. It was such a great, rich, and flavorful burger. The sweet potato fries are sprinkled with brown sugar, so way overly sweet. They brought us out a new plate without the sugar, but that batch was burnt. This was disappointing, but their truffled beet salad was delicious, especially the house made ricotta on it! Odd… a burger place that doesn’t have beer. I heard several people trying to order it! TLDR: Great burgers, skip sweet potato fries. Go to a different location if you want beer.
Wii K.
Évaluation du lieu : 1 Los Angeles, CA
I had no idea what to say… kinda disappointed Atmosphere — 2.9 stars Fries — too salty and wilted 1.1 stars Service — 2.4 stars Parking — 2.2 stars Umami burger — 1.8 stars
James Y.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Los Angeles, CA
I got the truffle burger and wow it was so good! Maybe it was because I hadn’t eaten since 8PM the previous day and it was 2PM the next day, but the truffle burger was made so well, so good! The next burger that I’ve had that’s actually made me so whimsical over a burger would be the 510 burger, but I haven’t had one of those in too long. I had and order of tempura battered onion rings on the side and it was great! One of the better onion rings I’ve had. If you like your onions to be fully cooked inside and super soft, these are not for you. But these onion rings are cooked well, not overcooked, which will give it the onion texture onion rings should have. The service was good but the location is so small. Regardless, it was a nice atmosphere and the burger, wow the burger! Good thing they opened on in San Francisco, I’m definitely going sometime soon to try their other selections!
Roland L.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Los Angeles, CA
While a favorite of many Unilocalers, considering Umami’s burgers as the best is a bit of a stretch. Subjective? Yes. However, hamburger patties should be aptly seasoned and not possess as high fat content as Umami’s patties do. High fat content effectively masks the(good or bad) quality of beef used in the patty, and in my eyes, is appalling especially as grease races down your hand and onto your wrist. Hamburger patties should be aptly seasoned. With so many choices for burgers in Los Angeles, I vowed not to waste precious calories on Umami’s burgers ever again but I was weak and succumbed to the plea of a couple of my friends to have burgers here. Because street parking was nonexistent, our only option was valet parking. We were greeted, seated in the patio, then waited upon by a gal who appeared to be a former cholita. She seemed a bit apathetic. Tempura Onion Rings: 1⁄5 I certainly am a fan of anything tempura but not when the tempura batter is overabundant, soggy, and lacking crispy texture. Cheesy Tots: 4⁄5 Umami really surprised me here. I enjoyed the perfectly fried tots with embedded bits of cheese. Very tasty and was not salty. Truffled Beet Salad($ 7.00): 5⁄5 Arguably the best thing on Umami’s menu. Umami’s truffle dressing is decadent and binds the flavors of ricotta, beet, and arugula. Certainly one of my favorite salads. Umami’s best burger($ 12.00): 3⁄5 This is Umami’s best burger. It is succulent and has a dynamic flavor combination comprised of truffled cheese and truffle glaze. But the problem remains a patty that simply has too much fat. I failed to mention that this burger is marginally larger than a slider. There are two burgers I crave and most assuredly am able to enjoy often: 1. The Comme Ça Burger 2. The Office Burger at Father’s Office I certainly do not crave Umami burgers. A mere 10 – 15 minute drive is all that separates you from possibly having just an okay burger or an amazing burger. It’s your choice.
Jennifer W.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Oakland, CA
Of all the Umami Burger locations, this one is not as attractive, both externally and internally. The signage isn’t that great and the parking is valet. I would suggest parking on the side streets. Our server was fantastic. All the tables have an tablet for browsing the menu, playing games, and paying the bill. However, it was not free to play the games and the tablet wouldn’t read our credit cards properly. It’s too bad because the transaction would’ve been so seamless and easy. It even had options for splitting the tab by grouping certain items and automatically calculating the tip based on what percent you select. The burgers are cooked to order and done so perfectly. As with all Umami Burger locations, my favorite thing is the housemade sauces and the round fluffy bun. Of the sauces, the ketchup, ranch, and aioli are my favorite. The hatch burger was great, but the green chilies didn’t stand out so much. It really needed sauce to complete it. The port and stilton burger was pungent as one could guess. It was a bit too much for me, but it could be neutralized with sauce too. The cheesy tator tots weren’t that cheesy, but were great as tater tots.
Eunice J.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Los Angeles, CA
If I had written this review right after the first time I had Umami, I would have given it 2, maybe 3 stars. But last night Umami redeemed itself. My first experience wasn’t very good. The service was extremely slow and inattentive. Food wasn’t great. I ordered the Umami Burger, and for an $ 11 burger, I expected bigger, less greasy, the bread to not be soggy, and just… better. I could tell that the meat quality was good, but because all the other things with the burger weren’t, I was very disappointed. Last night I came back. I ordered the Hatch Burger this time, thinking that it has to be better than what I got last time. It was good, but not great, because again, for a $ 10 burger, I think it should have been better. I should have ordered the Umami Burger, because last night it tasted amazing. Bread wasn’t soggy, wasn’t greasy, and the parmesan was crispy. I took a few bites of my bf’s Umami Burger and instantly regretted not ordering one myself. It was GOOD. We also shared the Smushed Potatoes. Loved these, but I wish they came with a side of a flavorful dipping sauce. We washed it all down with Mexican coke and root beer, both of which were made with pure cane sugar. Service was friendly and attentive enough. They have these cool little tablets on each table that you can play on while you wait for your food. Parking sucks because the surrounding neighborhood is permit parking only, so you are pretty much forced to valet in their lot for $ 2.50. If you’re lucky, you’ll find some metered parking on the big streets. I hope last night is the norm and Umami was just having an off-day the first time I came here!
Adrian Robert H.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Beverly Hills, CA
66% Good, but not great burger. ***Short Review Came back here in Jan ’12 to re-try the Umami burger (visited a few times back in ’09 but wanted to see if my opinion changed) Overall I found myself enjoying the Umami burger more than I did prior. It is a good burger, but I wouldn’t place it as one as my favorites. The Umami burger does have character for certain, there’s nothing out there that’s similar in terms of use of condiments. –the good; the beef used is certainly tasty the good is that, cooked ‘medium rare’ the beef patty has a good char. there is a good play of textures from the crunchy cheese to the more chewy shitake mushroom. bun used is pretty light, so the ratio between starch and meat is reasonable. –not so good; beef patty was over-cooked and not cooked as consistently as I’d like. the caramelized onions while taste good seemed a bit too sweet and obscured the flavor of the beef. (although I suspect if you like teriyaki or bbq sauce burgers you may find this effect appealing). burger is generally smaller than most gourmet burgers, and for that I think the value isn’t the best. service and ambiance are about average. nothing really stands out other than the fact that the food comes out pretty quick. Detailed Review will look the burger further. My burger reviews typically break down the dish by specific elements such as the beef patty, condiments, bun, etc. **** Umami Burger shiitake mushroom, caramelized onions, roasted tomato, parmesan crisp, umami ketchup($ 11) (Dish Rating, 66%) I had this burger back in ’09 and didn’t enjoy it very much back then. I didn’t care for the condiments as much as I do now, but I still feel it’s short from a great burger. What gives it character for the most part are the condiments, but in some ways the beef patty is also very good, even if the execution wasn’t spot on. This is something I would recommend everyone whom is interested in gourmet burgers to give a try, even though it’s unlikely to appease all. Beef patty here has it’s strengths and weaknesses. In terms of the good, the beef itself is quite tasty. when eaten alone it is certainly has more of a robust tastiness to it, and hold it’s own. there were some noticeable juice and grease levels despite being overcooked for medium rare. I suspect it would be effective with minimal condiments. Char levels are great, the ends of the beef patty have a slight crunch to it. What I didn’t care for was that the meat was over-cooked, and cooked inconsistently inside the beef patty. parts of the beef were between medium to medium well, although never overdone. It was good, but I think it may have been better if cooked right. Will order ‘rare’ next time to offset possible over-cooking. Beef patty thickness was thinner than I’d like. Size of the beef also seemed smaller, not really something you’d expect from a typical gourmet burger, but larger than your typical slider. Condiments were good for the most part and gave the burger much of it’s distinct character. I enjoyed the crunchy Parmesan cheese. The flavor of the Parmesan was noticeable, yet balanced. It was robust but did not overpower other elements. I loved the crunchy texture and how it blended with the crunchy char of the beef. Shitake mushroom was a smaller portion, but again the flavor is there, and it gives the burger a slight rubbery texture in contrast the the chewier beef and crunchy cheese. I didn’t feel it was as gimmicky this time around. I wasn’t a huge fan of the caramelized onions. There was something in the flavor that reminded me of balsamic vinegar, although I could be entirely off. I felt they were a bit too sweet. Although they didn’t quite over-power the beef patty, I felt that it muted the presence of the beef more than I’d like. The effect is similar to what you’d experience in a teriyaki or bbq burger, which is okay if the beef isn’t that special and lacks flavor. here, it’s more of an intrusive element. Still, it is a very tasty burger, and I like the burger’s overall character. The bun works too. Visually it seems like there’s too much bun for the smaller beef patty, but the starch is fairly light and compresses well. the ends of the bun have a prominent glaze and the bread is delicious by itself. Despite some level of juices and sauce, the burger doesn’t fall apart. As mentioned prior, portion size is smaller than your typical burger. If you are a big eater like myself, I think at least two burgers would be needed(although I’m confident I can take down four). Fries aren’t complementary. Despite the lower than average price for a gourmet burger, I figure most ppl with a heartier appetite may end up spending $ 20-$ 30 for the food alone(fortunately I was only there for a snack). Value is so-so.
Lauren T.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Los Angeles, CA
I thought I would add an update to the new location: Umami Studio City: Décor is great and there usually tends to be bar seating opening if you don’t want to wait. The restaurant isn’t really roomy. It seems everyone is sitting elbow to elbow in their dining area. Because there are other locations of Umami Burger and with The Counter and Laurel Tavern nearby, I don’t feel it’s worth 45 minutes for a burger as some people do. But their food has been fairly consistent every time we are there. Same favorites as last review. New trend: a «U» stamp on your bun.
Tiffany O.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Newark, NJ
Damn you gourmet burgers for being so delicious. I finally got around to trying Umami Burger on a day trip around L.A. with friends. Atmosphere: Valet parking for $ 2.50 or street parking around the area(if you’re lucky). This location is rather small, but we came in around 1:30 on a Wednesday and we beat the rush. Food: I ordered the Truffle Burger($ 12) while my friend ordered the Umami Burger($ 10) and we cut them in half and traded. The Truffle Burger was really good — the meat was juicy and the truffle oil added a really interesting but satisfying taste to the pallet. I really liked the Umami Burger as well. We also shared sweet potato fries, which were average, and the Umami Ketchup really just tasted like regular ketchup. The size of the burgers may look small, but I was full and satisfied with them, and I was hungry. Service: Our waitress was nice and attentive. It’s good and worth a try. Maybe I’ll try the Santa Monica location the next time I’m around the area.
Quisha H.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Hawthorne, CA
BELIEVETHEHYPE… That is all.
Anthony N.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 Playa del Rey, CA
***Umami Burger is definitely tasty with juicier meat than Father’s Office, but it is also quite greasy so it will probably turn off some*** After receiving several strong recommendations for Umami Burger, I decided to head back to give it another try. After my first visit, I felt the food was way too greasy. After this second visit, I feel the same. This Umami Burger(on La Brea) is the original location. It is a small place with both indoor and outdoor seating(I caught a glimpse of the outdoor seating as I was leaving – outdoor seating here consists of tables on the side as well as a patio; the patio seemed bigger than I was expecting). The inside is straightforward and functional but also clean and comfortable. The servers gave off a casual, everyday vibe(fitting with the atmosphere and menu) though service was not rude or indifferent. My waitress was friendly, welcoming and attentive. Food came out at quick pace. I went with the truffle burger and it was a soft bun filled with truffle cheese and a juicy and meaty beef patty topped with a truffle glaze. The meat here is much juicier than what you will find at Father’s Office. Also, though the truffle flavor was appropriately distinct, it did not overwhelm the flavor of the burger. The beefiness of the burger still came through bright and clear. The burger was so greasy though. I can definitely see why people like this burger because it is very tasty. I just can’t handle the greasiness. I also had the smushed Yellow Creamers and those were good. The insides of the potatoes were soft and slightly creamy while the outsides were nicely crisp. The potatoes were served over garlic aioli, which was perfectly fine, but I would have more preferred a more interesting flavor combination. For dessert, Umami Burger features sweets from Milk and Cake Monkey. A long time ago, I had a freshly made and just out of the oven Cake Monkey cookie(chocolate cookie, pecans, marshmallow fluff, and caramel) and it was one of the best cookies I’ve ever had. Ever since that experience, my Cake Monkey desserts have lacked that just-out-of-the-oven quality and the desserts have not been as good. That being said, I did try the Cake Monkey apple pie here and it was a strongly reduced sour apple filling with a crust that was dusted in thick sugar crystals. The crust was great. It was very flavorful and the sugar was nicely toasted so it provided a good crispy and satisfying texture without being overly sweet. Unfortunately, the sour apple filling was way too strong and intense. The vanilla ice cream did provide a much needed contrast to the strong apple filling. With Umami Burger, it is all about preferences. I could see people really liking the burgers here(even though they may be a tad small and overpriced for some). I’m okay with the price, but the greasiness of it outweighs the tastiness and will probably keep me from giving them another try. Parking is available on the street by meter.
Ciara G.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 The Heights, NJ
I just got a facebook, again,(many thanks Karey R) and I noticed someone dear to me posted the below on Wednesday, «I would pay good money to never again hear/read the word „epic,“ „fail“ or any insanely clever combination of the two.» So Hugo C… this ones for you! I’m going EPICFAIL on this review update. Our server Skidamarink-a-dink-a-dink was pretty awful. He was very ho-hum, semi cocky, snarky, tried to be funny and cheeky but failed miserably. Him alone, ruined this experience for me. So my girl Shannon R. just got an ROTD for the joint a few weeks ago talking about how awesome their Earth(veggie) Burger was. You all know my love for the pig but I trust Shannon and her veggie bunny eating ways and if she said it’s the best veggie burger then it probably is the best and I want to try it. Before arriving I knew in advance what I wanted to get. The Greenbird(smashed avocado, green cheese, sprouts, butter lettuce) but sans turkey patty and substitute earth burger patty. I was super excited to order my creation but was shot down in no time by scoot scoot. Scooter informed me that you CANNOT substitute items. You can remove items but not add anything in addition. So no veggie patty in place of the cow or turkey and forget about adding bacon lardons to your So Cal burger. WEAK! When did Umami go all Father’s Office on us? Don’t even get me started how skeet scoot forgot one of our burgers saying«the kitchen didn’t see it on the ticket». Umm the kitchen didn’t see it bc YOUDIDN’T RINGITIN!!! Their pricey for the portion small sides are mediocre at best. Skinny fries were overly salted and really Umami, you use frozen fries. Sweet po’s were good and the jalapeño ranch, once he brought it, was even better. I’m not a fan of their grease filled o-rings at all and the smashed potato things were tasty once we were provided utensils to eat them with. YESWEHADTOASKFORUTENSILS. I will return but only with Shannon as she promised me an Earth Burger date night Togo style, sunsets and the tar pits.
Lauren B.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 Tustin, CA
Umami gets docked one star alone for NOT serving alcohol. What a joke?! How can you have a burger without a beer? The server says to us, «but we have 15 sodas on the menu and I can read them off to you.» Yea, Dude… Whatever. We ordered the Umami burger and the Manly burger. The Umami burger was better than the Manly burger. However, both burgers were over cooked when asked for medium rare. And the manly burger tasted like my dad could have cooked in the backyard and both were very over buttered. As for sides we ordered the truffle french fries and the onion rings. The fries were good but the onion rings were soggy. I am not sure if the ketchup we got was the umami ketchup but it just tasted like ketchup. Overall the burgers were expensive and somewhat disappointing. At least the wait isn’t long because NO one is drinking. Father’s Office RULES! :P 2 ½ Stars
Catherine C.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Long Beach, CA
This burger looks tiny, but it is actually quite filling! I ordered an umami burger, and it was delicious! I wasn’t too impressed with it the first few bites because I wasn’t expecting it to taste sweet. But I must admit, it grew on me. The meat was sooo tender and juicy! The flavors went well together, though on the sweeter side. If you’re looking for something more savory, I’d say try one of the other burgers. The one thing I didn’t like too much was the parmesan crisp in the burger because it was a little bland and tasted more hardened than crisp. But overall, it was tasty! We also had some sweet potato fries, but they were topped with cinnamon. Again, a little sweeter than I liked since my burger was already sweet, but still good!