Govind Armstrong's new burger bar 8oz is nothing special...and I am not sure if that is a bad thing. I for one have had enough of the extreme burger craze. Between the over the top concoctions ala Foie Gras, and equally absurd prices with quite a few debuting over $30, it's all just too much. The biggest compliment I can pay to 8oz is that it is not trying to be something other then what it is, a neighborhood burger joint.
At 8oz, there are a good amount of burger choices. Aside from their signature 8oz, all the others are actually 6 ounces. You also get a selection of cheeses, fixins, with the classic style served simply with Iceberg lettuce, tomato, pickles and white onions. The prices are also very reasonable ranging from $10-$8 for burgers, $4 for sides, $1 for cheese, $2 for bacon etc.
In my opinion, there are two styles of burger patty; the thick and round patty and the flat thin patty with consistent thickness from end to end. Unlike great LA burgers from Comme Ca and Hungry Cat that reside in the round camp, the 8oz patty is flat and thin, kind or reminded me of Hubert Keller's Burger Bar in Vegas. Not to say it fast food thin, but very different then the thick round patty style. As a result, the first thing I noticed is that the 8oz burger is not juicy. For example, when I bite into the burger at Comme Ca or Hungry Cat, the thick and juicy center explodes and you can't help but have the wonderful juice from the meat drip down your arm. This is not the case here. The "8oz" burger that I had was good, and cooked an accurate medium rare, but tasted no different then from a decent backyard BBQ chef. Again, not necessarily a bad thing, but in the end, this burger does not have any sort of unique personality or attributes that make it something you crave for. One thing I did wish for was for the meat to be seasoned a bit more aggressively. The beef does sit center stage, but would be so much nicer with some salt. Also, I added Bel Paese, a nice cows milk cheese, but it did not stand out or add anything to the overall experience.
I would curious to know what the mix of meat vs. fat is for their burgers. This is obviously critical in achieving a leading burger. Especially in a time when chefs are experimenting with a broad array of meat mixes for their patties with combinations including Brisket, Sirloin and others. It doesn't appear that any interesting combination is part of the 8oz burger.
Note, only the 8oz is served on a La Brea Bakery bun. And, although this bun is just ok, it is better then the traditional McD's buns on the others.
I did have on order of fries which were not bad and at least crispy. Again, could have been seasoned a bit more. The real standout here was the homemade ketchup infused with Anise. Really really nice. This I would go back for.
There is a good selection of beers both draught and bottles and priced fairly starting at $5.
All that being said, what is going to make 8oz a success is the comfortable atmosphere and plentiful bar seating including a couple of flat screens. This is a real neighborhood place that will great to hang out with friends and have a bit. What this stretch of Melrose is in dire need of are pubs with good food, a good atmosphere and a few TVs to watch the games. 8oz delivers on all...and thank God, because if I have to go to El Guapo one more time to watch a game, I will kill myself.
In the end, 8oz provides a comfortable setting, good prices and a decent burger. I guess I just don't understand what Govind Armstrong thought was unique or especially tasty about the burgers in order to make it worthy of his name.
