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While I’m a fan of those sloppy hamburgers that drip with juice, there also is something to be said for having one where the meat is lean and not too fatty. Thus enters Barney’s Gourmet Hamburgers.

While originally a Bay Area fixture, it also has branches in West LA. Strangely, the two branches are within 2 miles of each other. One is in the Brentwood Country Mart and one is in Brentwood just east down the street.

What Barney’s advertises is high-quality, lean, corn-fed beef hamburgers. In addition, they offer a wide variety of toppings and combinations. Some of the more interesting ingredients are feta cheese, scallions, and cucumbers. And in an interesting twist, they label some of the different combinations of ingredients by what country they represent. I decided to try the Parisian Burger along with a side of Spicy Curly Fries.

As far as a burger goes, it wasn’t mind-boggling good or bad. Rather, I was very satisfied with it. Of course, I definitely noticed the difference in the after-consumption feeling since the ingredients were of higher quality. I didn’t get the “itis” (watch the Boondocks), which is basically a food coma.

Though the burger was satisfactory, the fries were amazing. They weren’t too greasy and each (and I mean each) fry was crisp. I find this very rare in most restaurants. There’s always one or two that are under or overcooked. They had a little kick, but nothing too hot.

Barney’s also has various chicken, turkey, and vegetarian burgers. In fact, the veggie burgers can be either garden or tofu, which is a big draw. There are also a host of salads.
The only drawback is the very small space. It can get crowded and parking in Brentwood is a hassle. But, if you’re looking for a healthier approach to hamburgers, try out Barney’s.

Barney’s Gourmet Hamburgers
11660 San Vicente Blvd.
Brentwood, CA

225 26th Street
Santa Monica, CA

By Jeff (see more of his posts).