The Oinkster Launches Burger Week in Eagle Rock

Has “June gloom” made you glum? Is the weather threatening to wreak havoc on your sun-and-fun plans? If so, Chef Andre Guerrero has just the antidote to your waiting-for-summer blues.

Think of the best, most iconic burgers in Los Angeles: The Tommy Burger, Umami Burger, Father’s Office. Now imagine them all easily accessible in Eagle Rock and under one Googie architecture-inspired roof.

That’s Burger Week.

Fine dining chef Guerrero, who pioneered the “slow fast food” concept in Eagle Rock after opening restaurants such as Senor Fred and Max’s, is launching The Oinkster’s celebration of L.A.’s “burger culture” today, Monday, June 6. The summer grill fave will continue through Sunday, June 12.

Every day, Chef Guerrero will offer a different burger from around town but, with an Oinkster twist—making Burger Week a celebration, an homage and a bit of a challenge all in one. The Oinkster, which has been lauded by Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold, will shake things up on Thursday. The grill maestros of Grill ‘Em All, winner of The Great Food Truck Race, have been invited to take guest chef turns at the brick-and-mortar joint.

The Burger Week Grand Finale is The Oinkster’s Special Burger, which will be available all weekend long. Considering that The Oinkster uses fresh-ground, Nebraska Angus beef and concocts condiments such as regular and chipotle-flavored ketchup and ancho-lime mayonnaise on the premises for their “everyday” burgers, it’s clear this is one tribute fest you won’t want to miss.

Here’s The Oinkster’s own lowdown on their Burger Week lineup:

Monday: “Big Mac” ($6.50)— “‘Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun’ done Oinkster style.”

Tuesday: “The Tommy Burger” ($7.00)—“The Chili Burger made famous by Tommy Koulax in 1946. They say, ‘Many imitate, but none compare.’ We’ll see ...”

Wednesday: “Father’s Office” ($8.50)—“Caramelized onion, applewood bacon, gruyere cheese, maytag blue cheese, arugula with The Oinkster’s twist.”

Thursday: Grill ‘Em All ($TBA)—“‘Two dudes, a truck and a megaphone’ will be in house for this very special event. Chef Ryan Harkins and Matthew Chernus will work our line from 8 p.m.- 10 p.m. for a special dinner service serving only Grill ’Em All burgers.”

Friday: Umami Burger ($9.50)—“Made with oven-roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, Parmesan frico, sautéed shitake mushrooms and house made ketchup. ‘The Fifth Taste’ will be revamped a la Oinkster.”

Saturday and Sunday: "The Oinkster’s “$25.00 Burger!" ($9.50)—“Dry aged Kobe beef, Porcini/white mushrooms sautéed with shallots, cream, grated Parmesan. Cambozola cheese, arugula, truffle aioli crispy onions, on a French burger bun.”

Everyone who buys one of the featured beef-on-a-bun offerings during Burger Week will get a wooden nickel. The “Don’t take any wooden nickels” adage doesn’t apply here, though: each nickel is good for 50 percent off the Oinkster Special Burger on a subsequent visit.

Planning to sample every one of Burger Week’s featured burgers?  Be sure to save your receipts and swap them for an “I survived burger week” t-shirt.

Summer won’t officially start until June 21 of course, but Chef Guerrero, The Oinkster, and Burger Week are doing their part to make the wait for your favorite season just a little bit easier. And a whole lot more delicious.