Kimberly L.
Yelp
Review #839
2025-011
Food Order:
Original 50/50 Burger (50/50 beef & bacon blend, pepperjack cheese, avocado, over easy egg, chipotle mayo, brioche bun) with French Fries, Chili Cheese Fries
I first enjoyed a sample of Slater's 50/50 at 2017's Time Out L.A. Battle of the Burger. Oh, what a battle it was! Their concept is dedicated to burgers, bacon (incorporating 50% bacon & 50% beef in their patties), & beer... it's no wonder the gastro-pub has a huge following. Founded in 2009, Scott Slater, a S. CA native, was inspired by the belief that bacon is meat candy... creating the "original 50/50 patty" = 50% ground bacon + 50% ground beef.
Most locations were located many miles N or NE, so I was happy to see their 09/2023 announcement to take over Johnny Rockets on the upper level by AMC Theatres at Del Amo Fashion Center. Although the dining room appears spacious, the back-to-back tables are a tad too close & you may bump your neighbor when squeezing into the inner seat.
I haven't dined in yet; I occasionally ordered from Slater's 50/50 for our office's weekly 3xTs (Thursday Takeout Treats): Original 50/50 Burger with Fries, particularly for the chili kick from the chipotle mayo & pepperjack cheese. Fries are slightly soggy from condensation on the drive back, but I usually have a few crisp pieces before getting into my car.
The Chili Cheese Fries is not recommended. There's something off-putting with the liquid cheese & chili. I like "real" shredded cheese either cheddar or American that organically melts from the temperature of the fries & chili, not this liquified stuff. Yuck! The chili was kinda sweet, BBQ flavor. I like a hearty, savory chili, & this wasn't it.
The menu is pretty extensive with starters, wings, flatbreads, burgers, salads, specials (i.e. hot dogs), loaded fries, sides, milkshakes, & soft drinks. There's a 50 Alarm Burger that's so hot that a waiver is required. What's hot? Ghost chili powder, ghost chile jack cheese, grilled jalapeños, spicy fried peppers, & habañero-bacon spread. Yikes! I'm at the life stage where I can no longer handle that much chili heat.
Service during lunch rush has been iffy. My order has always been ready upon my arrival, & I'm usually on the dot. Sometimes I think it's been prepared early so my burger is lukewarm or cool by the time I get back to the office. Not once was there someone at the host(ess) stand, so I'm often left waiting before I can collect my order unless it's sitting at the table. When my bag's there, I'm tempted to grab & go instead of waiting for a server to clear me. There were times when I was called into a meeting after placing my order via Local by Toast app, & I would try to delay the pick-up/cook time by calling but no one picks up the phone. What's worse is you can't make changes on the app even though the original pick-up is more than 30-mins. \(`0´)/
Recommended: Original 50/50 Burger & Fries.