California's Best Cheeseburger Comes From A BBQ Joint Praised For Its Quality

To land on our list of the best cheeseburgers in each state, you know an establishment has to be something special. In California, Moo's Craft Barbecue has also earned recognition in Michelin's Bib Gourmand category, and its burgers are delighting meat-loving customers. The restaurant's exceptionally thick burgers are made from prime brisket trimmings that are ground in-house. Just like the restaurant's briskets, the burger patties are seasoned and smoked before being seared to finish. As one fan on Instagram commented, "That's serious BBQ craftsmanship."

The restaurant has stated that the burger was never supposed to become "a thing," as the recipe evolved out of attempts to make use of brisket trimmings to reduce food waste in the kitchen. Moo's Craft Barbecue & Taproom explained on Instagram that the trimmings from its prime briskets were too good to throw away, so the team built its own brisket blend for burgers using an approach similar to what it uses for its barbecue. The result is a patty with a hard sear and crust that reminds customers of brisket bark with a subtle smoke that gets taste buds watering. The restaurant has kept the rest of the build of the burger as simple as possible, layering pickles, raw onions, special sauce, and American cheese into a toasted bun to let the natural flavors of the beef shine. 

The restaurant admits that even though the goal wasn't to become a burger spot, the burger sells out frequently and has become one of the most talked-about orders on the menu. One fan on Reddit ranked the burger among their L.A. favorites, while another called the burger "delicious" and noted that the meats have been consistently "solid" on multiple visits.

The owners of Moo's, high school sweethearts turned restaurateurs, began smoking meats in their backyard and organized pop-up events in Los Angeles before serving up craft beers, brisket, and sausages at their own restaurant. In addition to the burgers served at Moo's Craft Barbecue, customers have raved about the potato salad, with one customer joking on Instagram, "I would do morally questionable things for that potato salad recipe." The establishment can get busy, however, so if you want a taste of a specific menu item, you may want to arrive on the earlier side of operating hours (11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday through Sunday) to ensure you get the order you need to accommodate cravings. Should you be faced with a wait, know that customers assert that it is worth it.