For the Win
Hamburger restaurant · Hollywood Hills ·
High-quality smashed-patty burgers and fried chicken sandwiches
High-quality smashed-patty burgers and fried chicken sandwiches
"This casual mini-chain from a former fine-dining chef has five locations across LA, specializing in smashburgers with beefy, fresh-ground patties and a very good fried chicken sandwich. Among LA’s surplus of smashburger options, we like that For The Win strikes a nice balance between a juicy, flavorful patty and crisp, lacy edges. Plus, the melted cheese-to-potato bun ratio that’s spot on. Our standard order is the double stack, which is surprisingly light, with jalapenños, bacon, and their slightly spicy fry sauce. They always taste best straight off the grill, so plan on grabbing a table to eat your order as soon as possible." - brant cox, cathy park, sylvio martins, garrett snyder
"This casual burger spot from a former fine-dining chef has three other locations across LA, specializing in smashburgers with beefy, fresh-ground patties and a very good fried chicken sandwich. A standout among LA’s surplus of smashburgers, we like that For The Win strikes a balance between a juicy, flavorful patty and crisp, lacy edges. Plus, the melted cheese-to-potato bun ratio is spot on. Our standard order is the double stack, which is surprisingly light, with jalapenños, bacon, and their slightly spicy fry sauce. They always taste best straight off the grill, so plan on grabbing a table to eat your order as soon as possible." - brant cox
"In a city where people spout bold claims about their favorite burger, For The Win maintains a fanatical following. Regulars head to one of 10 Southern California locations for freshly ground smashed patties with caramelized lacy edges, cheese, grilled onions, sauce, and placed between a potato bun. It’s a formula that excels because of its quality ingredients and simplicity. The menu even varies at certain locations, with a patty melt at the Glendale outlet that tastes perfect with a milkshake. Avoid the rookie mistake by having the burger delivered. Consume it as quickly as possible. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Know before you go: The single burger is pretty snack-sized, so if hungry, opt for the double" - Eater Staff
"We’d never thought we’d call a smashburger “balanced” but here we are. Opened by a former fine-dining chef, For The Win’s burgers nail the tasty middle ground between juicy, flavorful patties (that actually taste like beef) and crispy, lacy charred edges that peek out like a meat skirt. Their standard double on a soft potato bun—with Thousand Island-ish sauce, snappy pickles, and wispy grilled onions pressed into the patty—is a perfect poem of a burger by itself, but adding bacon and jalapeños is like putting a rear spoiler on a ‘03 Corolla: unnecessary, but an undeniable improvement. FTW now has four locations around town (including one at Grand Central Market), but the original in Hollywood is our go-to." - garrett snyder, sylvio martins, nikko duren
"Another Los Angeles smash-burger operation mentioned alongside others that contributed to Eater LA’s characterization of the city as being at "peak smash burger." - Jaya Saxena