Last week we took our neighbors D and L to check out the newly opened Burger Parlor in Downtown Fullerton also know as the SoCo District. It was our first visit to the Burger Parlor and although I had heard some raves about them I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. Burger Parlor serves dinner in the same space that Rialto Cafe serves breakfast and lunch, a concept that I find very intriguing. This works out great for both owners because they can split the costs of rent. Burger Parlor is the new concept from fine dining chef Joseph Mahon, you can read all about him and the concept in this article from LA Weekly. All I know about Joseph is that he seems like a pretty cool guy, I had a quick chat with him and when he found out I was I twitter he asked me for my name and thanked us for stopping by. But I know you are more interested in the food, so here it is.
(Please excuse the bad pictures, I think my camera was mad at me!)
We ordered 3 different burgers, but I only got decent pictures of two of them. Our friend D got the Smokey ($9 Hickory Smoked Bacon/ Fried Onions/ Cheddar Cheese/ Bibb Lettuce/ Oven Dried Tomato/ Secret Sauce), he is hard to please but thought the burger was great and hit the spot perfectly. Mrs. DanGarion also got the Smokey and loved it, she thought it was one of the best burgers she’s had from a restaurant in recent memory.
L ordered the Chip Shot ($9 Fontina/ Potato Chip/ Tomato Confit/ Mushrooms/ Arugula/ Chipotle Aioli), but had Tomato Aioli in pace of the Chipotle, she loved the burger and thought all the flavors went together just perfectly.
Being that I’m on a major pastrami kick I got the Mahon ($10 Hamburger Patty/ Pastrami/ Swiss Cheese/ Caramelized Onions/ Pickles/ Grain Mustard Sauce) with secret sauce added on for good measure. The burger was great, it had just the right size patty to go well with all the ingredients, and the patty was juicy. The patty wasn’t huge, which is one of the main things I appreciated, don’t try to overwhelm me with some huge boring meat patty, wow me with fresh great tasting juicy beef. It surprised me to find out that the pastrami was diced instead of the traditional slices but I liked it just the same. Joseph isn’t kidding when he made this burger his namesake. This is now entrenched as one of the best burgers I’ve ever had since starting my food blog.
Then we shared one order each of the beer battered onion rings and Belgian fries. We each had our favorites when it came to the sides but we all agreed on two things, the onion rings were great, and the price on the sides was a bit high for what you got, if someone ordered a burger fries and a drink they are looking at a meal right about $12, which for some might be considered high, but this is dinner, and it is a great premium burger.
Overall I felt Burger Parlor was well worth the amount we spent, but be aware that drink prices (especially for beer) might be higher than you are willing to spend. Also they don’t have a soda fountain all drinks are from bottles or cans. I highly recommend checking out the Burger Parlor and discovering what a great gourmet burger can taste like. We will be going back soon and get better pictures to share here on Eat in OC!
[xrr rating=4.5/5]
Burger Parlor
108 W. WILSHIRE AVE
FULLERTON, CA 92832
Check out their Facebook and Twitter pages for information on how to receive VIP Specials and discounts, not to mention access to their secret menu.
