Here are the tasty 8 contenders in the LAist Tournament Of Cheeseburgers

We're inching closer to crowning the champion in the LAist Tournament of Cheeseburgers, and this week the Savory 16 has been whittled it down to the Tasty 8.

Thousands of you have been faithfully showing up to vote for your favorite restaurant, brewery kitchen, pop-up, and everything else you love that can be found between two buns.

We're grateful, and slightly awed at your commitment — it's clear that cheeseburger passions run deep in SoCal.

But now, let's reveal who made the cut this week:

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The Tasty 8

Yup, we've lost (what we thought were) some surefire favorites. We're sad to see Smashed-Up Burgers (Whittier) and Riverbed Bums (Los Angeles) go, as well as Terrible Burger (Long Beach) and Softies Burger (DTLA and OC), but we're glad they held on for as long as they did.

Some of you may have noticed that In-N-Out is now off the list. That may make some of you rejoice; others may be in mourning. It put up a robust fight, but it's now been outpaced by the scrappy pop-up and smaller independent businesses currently defining the most recent wave of L.A. burger culture.

There was some contention this week, with people asking how In-N-Out was even in the running in the first place. Well, the rules are pretty simple: Any non-franchise spot was eligible to be entered, and while In-N-Out may feel like a franchise because they’re everywhere in SoCal, they’re actually not. They're family-owned, allowing them to be eligible.

But it’s not over yet: we still need you to vote. The battle royale — the royale with cheese, if you will — is about to start.

Next steps

We're opening voting today for the next round, the Flavorful 4! Get your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers to vote, too. Remember, each person can only vote once.

(Note: we list the burgers in alphabetical order to keep things fair. Also note that the voting page randomly selects the order every time it loads, so a different eatery is always at the top of the list.)

The Flavorful 4 will be announced next Friday, June 14.

There will be another round after that, and the ultimate winner will be crowned at our free, family-friendly event at Smorgasburg L.A. on July 7.

If your favorite drops off before then, the good news is that all of the Tasty 8 will join us at the event, so anyone who turns up will get to try them all.