The Win-Dow
Hamburger restaurant · Long Beach ·
Casual eatery serving smashburgers, chicken sandwiches, fries & shakes
Casual eatery serving smashburgers, chicken sandwiches, fries & shakes
"We imagine that when McDonald’s opened their first location, the burgers looked and tasted a lot like what you’ll find coming out of American Beauty’s burger window: they’re a quick, cheap (a single cheeseburger is $4.25), and deliciously compact homage to the California roadside burger. Grilled on a flat top with onions, topped with american cheese, pickles, and house sauce, and served on a potato roll, the burger is low-brow but high-quality. The meat comes from American Beauty next door, and while there are no martinis at the window, there is a chilled-out patio, perfect for grabbing after a day at the beach." - brant cox, sylvio martins, nikko duren
"Though you won't find them at the original location in Venice, dipped soft-serve cones are on the menu at the Hollywood, Silver Lake, and Long Beach locations of casual smashburger spot the Win-Dow—and at $5, we appreciate they're just as affordable as their budget-priced burgers. Dip flavors include mint cookies and cream, salted caramel, and chocolate peanut butter, though you can order classic vanilla soft serve on a cone if you ask." - brant cox, sylvio martins, cathy park
"This Venice takeout window is a great option for when you want to make like a legal written document and keep things brief. Whether that means finally meeting up with a coworker you’ve been avoiding, or testing the waters with a potential love interest, a meal at The Win-Dow can be as long/short, laid-back/serious as you want. Kind of like a choose-your-own-adventure game, but with excellent burgers. If you’re going the easy-breezy route, just grab one of their $4 burgers (it comes topped with caramelized onions, pickles, and a slice of silky American cheese) then hastily make some excuse about having to FaceTime your grandmother. However, if you’re vibing and want to hang out a bit longer, American Beauty’s adjoining steakhouse just reopened for outdoor dining. Snag a table, order the ribeye, and hope they don’t bring up The Joe Rogan Experience." - brant cox, kat hong
"The smash-burger specialist that began as a takeout window in American Beauty, a Venice steakhouse, is slated to open downtown a few blocks from the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. The menu centers on cheeseburgers, fries, and fried chicken sandwiches—heavier mains balanced by a grain bowl or a lemony kale salad—and will join the concept’s existing locations in the Grove, Venice, Long Beach, Silver Lake, and Hollywood. Projected opening: May." - Mona Holmes
"When you only have 30 minutes to inhale lunch and the thought of eating Sweetgreen again makes you want to scream obscenities in your car, head to The Win-Dow. This streamlined takeout spot is best known for its pocket-sized burgers, but they also have a shaved kale salad on their short menu which proves why LA’s clichéd obsession with kale salads exists in this first place. This one is particularly delicious with a lemony sweet vinaigrette and tons of sharp black pepper and pecorino that makes it taste like a leafy cacio e pepe. The extra crispy, olive oil-y croutons are also a highlight and half the reason why you should immediately eat this salad on one of Win-Dow’s outdoor stools." - brant cox, cathy park, sylvio martins, arden shore