Blog | Rustic Canyon Burger: Worth the Hefty Price Tag?

I can only peruse so much transcendent foodie praise before my rumbling stomach overtakes the will of my cheap wallet—even if it is for just a burger and it costs the seemingly unjust $18.

It was time to finally try the much beloved Rustic Canyon Burger, a beautiful 80/20 Niman Ranch beef blend topped with an onion fondue (rad!), housemade pickles (cool!), herb remoulade (nice!), arugula (okay!) and sharp cheddar cheese (!).

Truly a delicious burger served with fresh, crispy, hand-cut fries which immediately rival my two other favorite Los Angeles fried potato sticks at North End Caffe and Wurstkuche.

The big question though: is the burger worth 18 buckaroos?

Well, with much thought, I would say yes. The food is insanely fresh at Rustic Canyon (as at all of Josh Loeb's Santa Monica restaurants). The bun and all the toppings are either made in house or from a nearby source. The 8 oz burger meat itself is from a stone's throw away (Northern California). This locality truly shines and puts the burger over the top; especially when coupled with the fact Rustic Canyon cooks a burger like a fine steak, truly giving it the detailed attention necessitated to warrant such a high price tag. Definitely one of L.A.'s finest burgers and up there with my personal favorite.

The Most Kick Ass Food I Ate This Week

Week: July 29—Aug. 4

The Kick Ass Thing: Rustic Canyon Burger (sharp cheddar, onion fondue, housemade pickles, herb remoulade) with hand-cut French fries

Restaurant: , 1119 Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica

Price: $18

Awesome: Monday night is Burger Night at Rustic Canyon which offers the RC Burger as well as two specials.

Annoying: I sat at the bar, got the burger and one beer. It cost $33 with tax and tip. Yikes. 

For daily Westside food musings check out my blog, The Unemployed Eater.