The LAist Tournament of Cheeseburgers was a barn burner.
We held a month-long cheeseburger contest to crown Los Angeles’s favorite cheeseburger. Starting with our Burger Round of 32 contestants, nominated by LAist audience members, we had a weekly knockdown drag-out battle each week as we whittled it down to Savory 16, Tasty 8, and Flavorful 4. Finally, a winner was crowned….Hangaburs.
On July 7, we hosted a cheeseburger celebration with our friends at Smorgasburg LA at The Row near downtown L.A. to commemorate the winners. We saw more than 7,000 of you who joined us that day as L.A.‘s burger fandom was on full display. Despite the heat, many lined up to try some top contenders. But it's no surprise that Hangaburs had one of the longest lines that day as they made their Smorgasburg LA debut.
We recently checked in with the burger pop-up to see what life has been like since taking home the honor of LA’s Favorite Cheeseburger.
Post-Tournament Life
The El Sereno-based Hangaburs, run by partners Alicia Lopez and Cecilia Ledezma, are known for their unique take on the smashburger for its lacey patties and long slices of pickles, earning them a rabid cult following, which came in handy when taking the top spot this year at ToC.
“It's been really positive. We sold out early in the first pop-up right after the competition,” said Lopez when commenting on what it’s been like since the win.
In addition to the stronger showings at their weekly pop-ups held throughout the L.A. area, they’ve also been flush with plenty of positive feedback congratulating them. “We're getting a lot of affirmation that we have a good burger,” Lopez said.
What is in store for the future?
Since winning the tournament, Hangaburs has maintained a steady pop-up schedule. However, with newfound popularity has come plenty of more prominent catering inquiries. While it’s undoubtedly a testament to hard-earned success, they say it’s a little tricky since they both still have full-time jobs. “It brings into question what the next move for this is,” Lopez said.
With the more significant profile, Hangaburs has had the opportunity to expand its operation; they’ve started renting a space at a local commissary kitchen. This has allowed them extra prep space, not to mention provided a sense of community from the other businesses, and added support when applying for proper licenses to sell at larger-style events. “We can be around other professionals, and you can learn a lot from them,” Lopez said.
With the added prep space, Lopez said she's thinking about adding some specials to the menu, which is something to look out for in the coming months.
When reflecting on the tournament win, Lopez and Ledezma still pinch themselves on what it took to get here. “We didn't even think we could get that far, and the fact that we won is so surprising. We don't like to say number one because it feels weird," Lopez said. “We just like to keep doing what we're doing, and if people like it, then we'll just keep going.”
