Posted by Adam Kuban, September 2, 2008 at 2:00 PM
More L.A. burgerage for you. A Hamburger Today reader Mike Makis just dropped us an email: "Those that are not college football fans may have missed last night's segment on ESPN of the Apple Pan. Todd Blackledge covers a 'Taste of the Town' for every week's prime time college football game, and since last night's overtime showdown was at the Rose Bowl, he ended up at the Apple Pan."
Posted by Nick Solares, August 26, 2008 at 10:00 AM
If it's Tuesday, it must be time for another review from Nick Solares. Nick is also the publisher of Beef Aficionado, his blog that explores beef beyond burgerdom.
Apple Pan
10801 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles CA 90064 (map); 310-475-3585 The Short Order: Plump, succulent, and tender quarter pound burgers made with toasted, squishy buns are generously topped with lettuce, cheese, pickles, and mayonnaise. They're arguably the finest example of the California-style burger Want Fries with That? Crispy and delicious, they're worth getting Notes: Closed on Mondays. Tue.-Thu. and Sun., 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Back in 2005 Hamburger Hadley reported on the the venerable Apple Pan in West Los Angeles. It has since been featured in George Motz's Hamburger America—rumor has it that the idea for Motz's film and subsequent book originated at Apple Pan's counter over a burger. As the newest member of the AHT staff, I considered it a rite of passage to make Apple Pan a destination when I recently visited Los Angeles.
An Eatery That Takes You Back in Time
Nothing has changed since Hadley's visit—the Apple Pan remains exactly as he described. In fact, I doubt that much has changed at the Apple Pan since it opened back in 1947. At that time the Apple Pan was surrounded by the citrus groves and family farms that blanketed the undulating terrain of what was then rural West Los Angeles. A riding stable used to be located just across the street—a lady that I struck up conversation with at the counter remembers taking lessons there as a child and then heading over to the Apple Pan for burgers. She confirmed that absolutely nothing has changed at the simple ranch-style building in the ensuing years. On the other hand, almost everything else in the vicinity has transformed from rural to urban—the massive Westwood Pavilion Mall located across the street towers above the Apple Pan and rows of houses have replaced the rows of orchards.
As editor of AHT, I'm ashamed to say I've never been to the Apple Pan, but I've read and heard plenty about the place. Over at Serious Eats, we even have a nice video about general manager Charles Collins and his own 50th anniversary of service there. But today's story in the L.A. Times brings some new, quirky info (at least to me):
It's well-known that you can't get tomato on your burger, but "regulars know you can request an onion slice or even fried onions, when the grill isn't too busy."
The Apple Pan has remained stubbornly old-school in terms of food prep and service: "Soft drinks are still poured in paper cones supported by stainless steel cupholders, in the 1940s lunch-counter way. Over time those bases began to disappear, and about a year ago it looked as if the restaurant would finally have to start using cardboard or plastic cups. 'But then a customer found a bunch of bases for us on EBay,' [owner Martha] Gamble says."
It's a loving portrait of a type of place that is sadly becoming all too rare these days. One that treats its customers and employees with respect (the "newest" kitchen member has been there 17 years) and doesn't try to meddle with a good thing or expand or chain itself out, thereby losing quality.
The Apple Pan, an institution of a burger joint in Los Angeles (covered here on AHT), opened in 1947. For 50 of its 60 years in business, Charles Collins has worked there. Burger documentarian George "Hamburger America" Motz catches up with Mr. Collins as he marks his golden anniversary there.
THE APPLE PAN Location:10801 West Pico Blvd. (at Westwood Blvd.), Los Angeles 90064 Phone: 310-475-3585 Price: $5.75 Short Order: Two classic burgers dating to the '40s still amaze tastebuds with individuality and kick-ass quality in old-school diner digs.
About the filmmaker: George Motz is the burger-mad genius behind our favorite burger movie, Hamburger America. For more from George, visit his website, HamburgerAmerica.com
Posted by Adam Kuban, February 26, 2007 at 10:43 AM
Reaching into the digital mailbag today finds this missive from the Chubby Hubby (that's his photo of some mini burgers at left here).
Dear Adam,
Hope this email finds you well. I know everyone and his kid brother must write to you asking for recommendations, so I’ve decided to jump on the bandwagon.
This spring, my wife and I are gonna go on a round-the-world jaunt. Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., Paris, Dubai. So, if I were to ask you to recommend one great burger joint in each place, could ya and would ya?
—Chubby Hubby
Dear Chubby Hubby,
Since you produce one of the most hunger-inducing foodblogs out there, you can ride shotgun on the bandwagon today. I might not be too much help with the Asian burgers, but I'll do my best for recommendations where I can. Perhaps the AHT community can help where I'm of no use. Burgermeisters: Feel free to jump in in the Comments section.
Singapore: Dude. Are you serious? You're BASED IN SINGAPORE. Do you really need a recommendation there or is this just a cheeky test of AHT's overseas burger knowledge? Still need a Singapore burger tip? Here ya go ;)
Bangkok:This article on Where to Eat: Bangkok recommends a joint called Great American Rib: "A half pound of good tasting beef with lots of juice. It’s served on a standard size bun so it is a little hard to get your mouth around. I ordered it medium and it actually arrived that way." (Great American Rib: Sukhumvit Soi 36, about 1,000 m from Sukhumvit Road.) The author of the piece actually cites Tony Roma's as possibly the city's best burger, but as it's an American chain, it just seems like a cop out to recommend it to you.
Tokyo: My visits to Tokyo predate AHT, so my food focus when I was there was on Japanese cuisine as opposed to burgers. That means no first-hand burger experience beyond a McD's visit (for comparison to U.S. Big Macs) and a couple MOS Burger runs. I'm sure you're familiar with MOS already, so you can safely skip it. What I'd be really interested in were I to visit again would be the Sasebo burger at Big Man, located in LaLaport's Tokyo Panya Street. (I have no idea what LaLaport is, btw.) Not familiar with the Sasebo burger story? Get educated, my friend.
Los Angeles: OK. I'm going to get dinged for this no matter what I say. First of all, a shocking confession: I've never been to Los Angeles. So I know I'm wholly unqualified to answer this. I'm hoping the community of AHT burgermeisters will chime in here. Second of all, even if I HAD eaten all the burgers in L.A., I'd still get bludgeoned by partisans of one burger or another. That said, the burger I'd be most curious about in L.A. would be the one at the The Apple Pan. I'll try to get a hold of our man on the scene there, Hamburglar Hadley and see what he says as well.
New York City: I see from your comment here that you used to live near the Corner Bistro in New York. While I'm personally not a huge fan of the softball-size pub-style burgers that most New Yorkers seem to fancy, and of which CB's is an example, I'd hesitate to send you to Burger Joint or Shake Shack (two of my favorites), since they're not in the big-burger vein. I'd send you instead to J. G. Melon on the Upper East Side. It's one of the few pub-style burgers here that have left a lasting impression on my taste memory. (J. G. Melon: 1291 Third Avenue, New York NY 10021 at 74th Street; map)
Washington D.C.: Once again, a city I have only visited pre-AHT (try back in kindergarten), but AHT reader upon AHT reader has said, "Adam: Get thee to Five Guys. Now!"
Paris: While the obvious choice in the City of Lights may be Joe Allen, my money is on La Café Crème (4 Rue Dupetit Thouars, 75003; map), thanks to the very strong buy recommendation given by Mister Hamburger, a man I'd trust with my hamburger life. Here's a great general tip from Mister H.:
Mister Hamburger hasn't had meat as good as this in a burger in years. Mister Hamburger gives French cows and French chefs five hamburgers [out of a possible five]. Mister Hamburger has also noticed a correlation between restaurants in France that serve Steak Tartar and hamburgers--the French love their tartar and should they also make burgers at that place, you're virtually guaranteed a very high quality burger.
Our kick-off Best Burger List comes from George Motz, director of burger documentary Hamburger America. For his film, George crisscrossed the country looking for the perfect patty, the best buns, etc. You can order a DVD of the flick here. You can view George's list below. — The Management
In No Particular Order
(These are all places that I drool just listing them, and I can't wait to visit again)
The Apple Pan, Los Angeles
Father's Office, Santa Monica, California
Pie 'N Burger, Pasadena, California
Shake Shack, New York City
Schnäck, Brooklyn, New York
White Manna, Hackensack, New Jersey
Solly's Grille, Milwaukee
Bobcat Bite, Santa Fe
Ted's, Meriden, Connecticut
Dyer's, Memphis
Top Notch, Chicago
Louis' Lunch, New Haven, Connecticut
Casino El Camino, Austin, Texas
Town Topic, Kansas City, Missouri
Steak 'N Shake
Well, there's George Motz's picks. Love 'em? Got a beef with 'em? Send us a list of your own or discuss in the Comments section below. — The Management
The Apple Pan in West Los Angeles is as famous as its bones are bare. A simple horse-shoe counter brimming with customers, behind which two cooks and three servers (all long-in-the-tooth, sweet gentleman rocking white paper hats and aprons) scurry like chaps on a mission, its guts are not much to behold. Instead, the effort goes into the few items that dominate the sparse menu, from fruit pies to ham-and-tuna sandwiches to, of course, the famous burgers.
The Apple Pan resides in a charming wood-and-brick house (see photos at top) that faces the Westwood Pavilion like an indie David facing off against corporate Goliath. Stepping inside instantly transports you to the 1950s, with local families enjoying the same awesome burgers and famous pies that they have for generations. It's not the 1950s recreated à la Fatburger or In-N-Out. No, the Apple Pan harks back to a more rural Los Angeles and a time when this location was surrounded by farms and orchards. Despite innumerable offers from developers, the Apple Pan has remained in the same family since its founding in 1947. It is now run by Martha Gamble, whose parents, Alan and Ellen (cute, right?), started the restaurant with an early focus on one of their parents' pie recipes as a star attraction. Today, the Apple Pan is an L.A. institution and serves a hamburger worth coming a great distance for.
Walking into the Apple Pan with my two associates—Mike, a visiting warrior from Swaziland, and Brooks Rosenquist, former New Orleans public school teacher/warrior and current hard rocker—the Pan's every last seat was filled, as usual. The wait died in five minutes, however, and we bellied up to the counter, catching sullen looks from some middle-aged men in the corner who no doubt used to munch here while ditching the high school bell, now seemingly ditching the ball 'n' chain.
Though the seats have too little space for some burger loving butts, it is an honor to sit before the harried staff of the Apple Pan. A lot of people say the servers are gruff, but they are just old school, looking as if they have worked here since they were teenagers, as some sort of Sisyphean punishment to serve hamburgers until the day North Americans have had enough. In other words, they are not about to introduce themselves like "Stacey from Torrance" does at your favorite California Pizza Kitchen location. They average about 70, and you know serving burgers to a bunch of punks and their padres at that age has to suck. Essentially, if it's not on the menu, don't waste anyone's time asking for it.
The Apple Pan busts two famous hamburgers: the Steakburger and the Hickory Burger. Both are amazing, so my crew and I mixed it up with a few of each. Watching the servers in action as they placated and fed normal-looking Angelenos (they exist) helped pass the time fast enough. Mike broke down the significance of the cow in Zulu culture, making us feel a venerated gravity in anticipation of one of Los Angeles's best.
First the fries arrived on teensy paper plates (left) to stave off the salivation, coming thick but with a good balance of lightness and crunch—though not really anything to spazz about. Our waiter, ever the hardcore pro, flipped his Heinz bottle like Tom Cruise in Cocktail, pouring a thick blotch of ketchup all over our plates in a flash, before moving on to the next victim.
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In No Particular Order 
The Apple Pan resides in a charming wood-and-brick house (see photos at top) that faces the Westwood Pavilion like an indie David facing off against corporate Goliath. Stepping inside instantly transports you to the 1950s, with local families enjoying the same awesome burgers and famous pies that they have for generations. It's not the 1950s recreated à la 
