Yellow Paper Burger

LA’s Most Popular Smash Burger Pop-Up Settles Into a Permanent Eagle Rock Space | Eater LA

"A popular Los Angeles burger pop-up has taken over the former Meea’s Hot Dogs on Colorado Boulevard, transforming the compact interior and expansive outdoor patio into a neighborhood burger joint. There, veteran pastry chef Katie Reid Fahrner and former barman Colin Fahrner prepare hand pies along with smash burgers wrapped in, naturally, yellow parchment paper. After founding the pop-up at Fahrner’s former workplace, Tony’s Saloon, in 2019, the two moved the pop-up into their Monterey Park backyard with scheduled orders and pickups. When the pandemic hit in March 2020, Burnett continued baking at Tartine. The two donned red onesie coveralls and kept the pop-up going with single or double smash burgers, Burnett’s fruit hand pies (apple is the primary flavor, though they will change with the seasons at the new restaurant), tots, grilled cheeses, and pickled eggs. Hot dogs are a more recent addition that came with operating in a fully outfitted commercial kitchen. The partners used to pop up at bars throughout the region, especially at Eagle Rock’s popular Walt’s Bar. In 2022, Burnett became a baker at Glassell Park’s Bub & Grandma’s but left in 2023 to work at the operation full-time. The couple, along with a crew of creative friends, transformed the space into a casual counter-order spot filled with personal art collected throughout the years, plus custom built-in shelves and counters. Early (pre-2017) Instagram posts show Fahrner diving into research and development — eating at Los Angeles’s top-rated burger stands like Pie & Burger and Cassell’s — and underscore that Los Angeles’s smash burger fever remains strong as operators like this one, alongside longtime names such as Goldburger, For the Win, and Heavy Handed, continue to expand around town. Open Wednesday through Sunday from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m., with hours expected to expand." - Mona Holmes