Fred 62 - Los Angeles, CA

Fred 62 in Los Angeles’ Los Feliz neighborhood is a great place to hang out with the hip crowd and have a burger. My family and I went south to Los Angeles for the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. We were excited to check out college campuses for my daughter and burgers for me. We had heard that one of the great burger places in L.A. is Fred 62.

We parked on Vermont Street a block from Fred 62. There are lots of vintage shops and places with unusual things. There is a great T-shirt shop Y-Que that has shirts for each neighborhood in L.A. Also, a great newsstand on the sidewalk with all the low-circulation magazines you can only find in L.A.

All the tables were taken at Fred. It is first-come, first-anarchy trying to get a table. It was an unusually crisp and sunny 75 degrees, so we took a bright yellow table outside. We had just enough of an awning that we didn’t roast in the sun. A lovely platinum-blonde young lady in fishnet stockings covered with red leg-warmers, took our order. Fred 62 likes it dark and goth from the workers to the lettering on its cards and menus. A nice change from the over-used 50s theme of so many burger places, Fred’s is more Rock-A-Billy and tattoos.

I ordered the Juicy Lucy Burger with Fries ($9.99), Chocolate Shake ($4.89), Onion rings ($4.10). The shake came first. The chocolate syrup was not stirred in giving it a pinto effect through the clear glass. Very cool. Also very tasty, creamy and cold.

The onion rings were battered and thin. They were too thin, a little soggy and not that flavorful. Just okay. Fries were medium cut with skins on. Hot and pretty good, but not exceptional. But I liked the presentation of the fries in a little brown bag cut and folded neatly.

The burger itself came on an impressive homemade bun nicely toasted. The 1/2-pound patty was cooked medium rare with Cheddar cheese. Lots of impressive toppings were piled on, all fresh and crisp with tomato, onions and lettuce. There was only a small dab of the promised Thousand Island dressing in the middle. I should have asked for more.

I enjoyed hanging out in Los Feliz and people watching from our sidewalk table. I wanted the food to be better. But I did feel hip for a brief time, so that is worth something. I should have had some ink done.

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5
Fries 3.5 Spatulas
Onion Rings 2.5 spatulas
Shake 4 spatulas

Fred 62
1850 N. Vermont Street
Los Angeles, CA 90027
323-667-0062
www.fred62.com