This year’s winner is famous for burgers that are charismatic. Go there any day and you’ll see people taking pictures of gigantic sandwiches to show their friends what they ate. The smart photographers include something for scale, because otherwise it can be hard to believe your eyes. The Standing Room is most famous for their ‘everything-in-the-refrigerator’ Napoleon Burger. But there are many others to choose from, with items as exotic as sesame leaves, Korean spicy bean sauce, habanero cream coleslaw, kimchi, and smoked gouda. You can even get a standard burger complete iceberg lettuce and American cheese, which seems almost subversive in a place with so many arcane choices. — RF
1320 Hermosa Avenue, HB, thestandingroomhb.com, (310) 318-1272)
Runner-up: Umami Burger
