Tommy's Double Chili Cheeseburger a 'once in a lifetime' Thing

Serious Eats' A Hamburger Today enjoys tackling beloved SoCal burgers, and today released their thoughts on The Original Tommy's Double Chili Cheeseburger.

Among the lessons learned was that the picture was a lot prettier than the real thing, and that the chili is the star of the show. "[The chili] actually transformed it from something ordinary to something unique (and I dare say, special). The flavor of the chili, along with the pickle and the cheese, dominated the burger, while the beef and the rest of the toppings played a more textural role." But that wasn't exactly a total win: "Instead of being rich, hearty, and generously seasoned, it was strangely mild, and tasted more like a paste made of re-fried beans and finely-ground beef than any chili I'd ever tasted."

The Serious Eater gave up after making it a regrettable half-way through, summarizing: "Original Tommy's may be 'a Southern California tradition', but for me, it's strictly once in a lifetime." So, chili cheeseburger enthusiasts: Was this blogger's take seriously wrong, or seriously accurate?