Topline:
We announced the LAist Tournament of Cheeseburgers a month ago and asked you to share your favorite cheeseburgers. And did you! We received thousands of entries. Today, we're releasing The Round of 32, who will be whittled down over the next few weeks to the Savory 16, the Tasty 8 and the Flavorful 4. The ultimate winner will be crowned on July 7 at Smorgasburg LA. This is your invitation to join us for this free event!
Why it matters: You get to vote! These are the 32 most popular SoCal cheeseburgers nominated by you, the LAist audience. The list reveals the deep connection you have to the places you frequent, and how they're part of your lives.
Why now: We have the entries — now we need you to vote! Starting today, you'll have the chance to push your favorite cheeseburger into the Savory 16 round. Voting closes on Thursday May 30 at 1 p.m.
The backstory: We're celebrating the 100th anniversary of the cheeseburger, an iconic American favorite with close ties to SoCal. According to local lore, the cheeseburger was invented right here in Pasadena at a drive-up roadside stand. (A sidewalk plaque on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena commemorates this magical moment.) To honor that entrepreneurial spirit, we decided to crown the best cheeseburger in Southern California — with your help.
What's next: You vote! Head to LAist.com/burgervote, and while you're at it, get your friends, family members, neighbors, and co-workers to vote, too. And plan to join us at Smorgasburg LA, on July 7.
We asked you to share your favorite cheeseburgers in L.A., and you answered in droves!
As of this week, we've received almost 4,000 entries for the LAist Tournament of Cheeseburgers, our competition to crown the favorite cheeseburger in the land.
Now we’re unveiling the Burger Round of 32 — see below — and opening voting for the next round.
Here’s how it will work
Starting today (Friday), you can vote for your favorite cheeseburger eateries among the Burger Round of 32.
Those votes will determine who makes it to the Savory 16 round, which will be announced on Friday May 31.
Then, a new round of voting will begin. Each week your votes will whittle the list down two more times, to the Savory 8 and then the Flavorful 4.
So get voting — and get your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers to vote, too. Remember, each person can only vote once.
It will all come to a head at a free event on Sunday, July 7, at Smorgasburg LA, when the top vote-getter will be crowned.
Check out the entries
We couldn’t be more proud of this list, which embraces the greatness of our SoCal food scene.
You shared the juiciest, meatiest, and cheesiest burgers as your favorites — from smash burgers with the thinnest crispy, lacy edges to thick bistro burgers found in dive bars, pop-ups, beachside locales, and beyond. Your entries reflected it all.
The representation of the many neighborhoods and cities on the list also reflects the true diversity of the Tournament of Cheeseburgers, which feels distinctly LAist.
It'll be amazing to see burger businesses from the Valley, South Bay, O.C., and L.A. all grilling their hearts out next to each other this summer at Smorgasborg LA.
So without further ado, here are your most popular burgers, in alphabetical order. (We want to keep things fair).
The voting page also randomizes the order every time the page loads, so there's always a different eatery at the top of the list.
Introducing the Burger Round of 32
