They didn’t offer zucchini sixty years ago, but the Super Burger remains the same.
Sixty years ago today, Elvis was planning his first concert appearance, the first issue of Sports Illustrated was on the newsstands, and the owner of a new restaurant in Redondo Beach was trying to figure out a way of standing out from the pack. Snax had just opened at the corner of Artesia Boulevard and Green Lane, one of thousands of burger stands – the first franchised McDonald’s had opened only a year before, as had the fledgling Burger King.
It took Hessie Moonie, the owner of Snax, a while to figure out what might entice people to her humble café, but in 1955 she invented the Super Burger, a concoction of two patties, lettuce, tomato, onion, and Russian dressing. It wasn’t very different from the “Big Boy” that was already being served elsewhere, but it was probably the first of its kind in the South Bay, a pointer to the more-is-better direction of American fast food.
Fast forward sixty years and there’s still a Snax in Redondo about three blocks from the original location, and an offshoot in Torrance has been active for decades. Both still serve the Super Burger, as well as hearty American breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Since the chain changed hands in 2007 they’ve served Mexican food, and on recent visits I saw more people eating burritos and taco combination plates than traditional American fast food items.
This feels appropriate at the location in Redondo, a former Peruvian restaurant that retains some tropical decor. Every meal begins with chips and good salsa with a spicy, oniony kick. Despite the fact that there are many Mexican restaurants to choose from in the area, including one only two doors away, a taste of this might incline you to survey the Mexican specialties on the menu. That’s what I usually do when I eat here, but in the interest of scientific discovery I stopped in one morning to order something different. A solution presented itself – a steak picado omelet, which fulfilled my Mexican craving and still counted as an American breakfast.
Steak Picado is more identified with the Caribbean than the Sonora-style Mexican food we usually get in California – it resembles Cuban and Panamanian dishes of beef simmered with onions and bell peppers, both in style of cooking and spicing. It’s mild but flavorful, a fine start to the day, which makes it surprising that this is the first time I’ve had it in an omelet. It’s served with toast and your choice of home fries, hashed browns, or fruit. If you like fried potatoes with onions get the home fries and ask for them crisp – they do them right here.
As I mentioned, I usually get Mexican items – generally burritos stuffed to the limit of the structural integrity of the tortilla, or a tostada when I wish to convince myself that I’m being healthy and ordering a salad. A salad with meat, cheese, and chips, but it’s still technically a salad, and salads are good for you, si? Several meats are offered on the menu, and between the shredded beef, carnitas, chicken, and carne asada I usually opt for the tender, slightly smoky tasting carnitas. Another option is usually available, the more exotic carne al pastor. This dish is a Mexican adaptation of an Arabic shawerma, an item brought to that country in the early 20th Century migration of Lebanese shepherds. It involves pork marinated with dried chilies, spices, and pineapple, slow-roasted on a vertical spit. The spicing has something of the Middle East, rich and complex but not hot, and although a tostada al pastor is not on the menu, they’ve never turned down my request for one. It’s a standout item, and well worth ordering.
It was only on my most recent visit, knowing that I was going to write this review, that I finally ordered the item that brought Snax fame: the super burger. It is available with either beef or buffalo meat, and I decided on the latter to see how it worked out. I think I liked it better than I would have liked the standard beef version, because buffalo meat is low-fat and has a slightly drier texture, and this burger with tomato and dressing is very moist. The drier party made it so that the bun didn’t fall apart, which was a win in that I went home with the burger in my stomach rather than on my shirt.
Had I been completely true to the 1950’s aesthetic I would have ordered french fries and a soda with the burger, but my tastes are more modern – I ordered a glass of wine and some fried zucchini. The wine and beer list here is about what you’d expect from a burger and Mexican fast food place – adequate and inexpensive – but the fried zucchini was the only misfire in several trips. Thin slices of vegetable were encased in a very thick breading, and it wasn’t a good effect – I left most of these behind.
That misfire aside, I have enjoyed a lot of good, quick meals at Snax – though I get the feeling that the Mexican dishes are where their heart is, they serve everything fast and fresh. The owners have updated a franchise with a claim to South Bay history, and they do what they do very well.
Snax is at 2223 Artesia Boulevard in Redondo Beach – open daily 7:30 am to 9 pm, parking in rear, wheelchair access good. Restaurant at 4535 Sepulveda in Torrance has same menu. Some vegetarian/vegan items. Menu at snaxsuperburger.com, phone 310-921-9797.
