Koreatown's Biergarten gets new Menu and the Glutster Burger

*Post by Mark.

This wasn't our first trip to Biergarten, nor would it be our last. Angela first stepped into the Koreatown gastropub to check out a Magnum Pop-Up several months ago. We later celebrated my birthday there, eating and drinking our way through the menu with nearly twenty or so friends. On this particular occasion, however, we came in to check out the new menu (which features burgers) and of course a couple of glasses... er... steins full of craft beer (below).

Coming on board to head Biergarten's new menu is Eddie Hah, formerly of 8 oz. Burgers on Melrose. I wasn't a big fan of the 8 oz. Burger, but Koreatown may prove to be greener pastures for Hah. 8 oz. has since (somewhat unexpectedly) closed and Hah's talents seem better realized in the kitchen of Biergarten. 

Headlining the burger menu is The Glutster. Named for Javier Cabral - a 22 year old food writer who has eaten better then most Angelenos twice his age and has been writing about it since he was a teen. The Glutster has since dropped 'teenage' from his moniker (much like most rappers drop 'lil' from their handles once they start filing income taxes), and has gone on to get published in Saveur magazine and more importantly, get a burger named in his honor. Some people get statues. Some people get parks. Some people get airports or even arenas. But, I'd take a burger immortalizing my name any day of the week. Cheers to you for the achievement, Javier!

But how did the Glutster (below) taste? Well, as far as burgers go, the Glutster goes very heavy on the toppings. Typically, this can be dangerous territory, but the sandwich holds together well, and I didn't even have to go deep into my stack of napkins. Piled on top of the patty (you can go with beef, pork or a blend) are chipotle black beans, guacamole, epazote aioli, pickled onions and a fried green tomato. And, surprisingly, it all works. 

The flavors are refreshing. Most of the ingredients seemed tribute to Cabral's Mexican heritage, others (Fried Green Tomatoes?) seem to adhere less to a common theme and more to what simply tastes good. Hamburgers are German, Biergarten is in Koreatown and The Glutster is just a wonderful melting pot of flavors. Maybe it's because I'm a sucker for guacamole, but it is one of the better burgers I've been lucky enough to munch on recently.

In addition to the new menu, make sure to check out Javier's article recently featured in Saveur. As for the burger? I'll be back for seconds soon.  I hear it's even better with pork.