In the quest for something to eat between Burbank and Pasadena, I found myself in Eagle Rock. Once upon a time I only knew Eagle Rock for The Oinkster, but the past few years have seen a number of delicious reasons to visit appear. One of these is called the Patio. The Patio is all about burgers and beers, so clearly I was all about seeing what it had to offer.
I started off with a Millennium Falcon beer, which was obviously a hunk of junk, and then moved on to the burgers. The Patio keeps its burgers pretty simple, so I went with the Double Cheeseburger and added bacon. I chose both swiss and cheddar for my cheeses and ordered the patties medium instead of the usual medium-rare per the waitress’s recommendation. I also asked for it without the lettuce, tomato and onions.
The result was a thing of beauty. The Hawaiian bun from Homeboy Bakery glistened and whet my appetite. I bit in and found a near-perfect mix of sweet, savory and smokey. The hand-ground beef had a great texture to it and was nice and pink in the middle. Plus, while I would have usually liked it cooked a little less, the medium sent a message. That message was that this was not a gourmet burger. No, instead this was just an intricately conceived and crafted bar burger.
If you’re looking for fancy, you might want to keep looking.
But if you’re looking for a modern throwback, the Patio will do you right. I should also mention I split some of the hand cut fries with my buddy and they went over well. Nonetheless, the burger was the centerpiece of the meal and with good reason.
