Austin B.
Yelp
tl;dr the excellent, McDonald's-esque fries can't make up for the average smashburger; the expensive food isn't worth the premium
Following the COVID-era smashburger trend, For the Win is a pandemic-borne pop-up from the mind of former fine-dining chef Santos Uy. Originally operating out of his Bib Gourmand-designated Papilles Bistro, FTW has since established multiple dedicated brick-and-mortar locations across Greater Los Angeles. While many burger aficionados lament that the quality has declined with the expansion, FTW remains routinely ranked among LA's top smashburgers.
The relatively recent Alhambra outpost is located by the movie theater at the busy intersection of Garfield and Main. The interior decoration is pretty barebones. The concrete floors are polished, and the whitewashed walls have only orange-and-blue, FTW-specific decals. Up front, a handful of wooden tables are pressed up against a teal-upholstered booth. Further back, a diner-style counter peers directly into the open kitchen. The hum of the industrial refrigerator and sizzle from the grill overpower the low din of chatter.
I originally was drawn to FTW for their lunch special: a cheeseburger, fries, and a drink for $9.99. Within about 10 minutes, I was presented with a cafeteria tray of food. The piping hot cheeseburger was mostly forgettable, from the flimsy potato roll bun, to the handful of snappy pickles, to the not-quite-juicy-and-not-quite-crispy patty, to FTW's overly sweet Thousand Island-adjacent fry sauce. The shoestring fries were a superior McDonald's dupe: excellently crispy, and the portion was the perfect size for sharing.
The staff were friendly, and I was pleased to see my burger being cooked to order. Although I have never tried FTW during the pre-expansion days, I've confirmed during a return visit that the Alhambra location is middling as far as smash burgers go. Ultimately, the burgers are no more satisfying than a solid In-N-Out Double Double, but double the price; as such, I don't expect myself ever paying them a return visit.