Father’s Office

Before chefs all over town started offering their own haute takes on the burger, there was the granddaddy of them all: the iconic Office Burger. On any given day in Santa Monica, you’ll see locals lining up outside or sitting in their cars along Montana waiting for the doors of a small pub called Father’s Office to open at 5 pm. By 5:15, all eleven of its square wooden tables are claimed; by 5:30, the whole place is packed. Some come for the artisanal beer (the extensive menu is divided into Malty, Hoppy, Yeasty/Spicy, and Fruity/Herbaceous), but most need their fix of the house specialty, a perfectly grilled beef patty with a dollop of melted Gruyere and Maytag Blue, a pile of fresh arugula, a little smoked bacon, and a compote of deeply caramelized onions, all served on a soft French roll. As my cousin explained to me, “It’s the best burger you will ever have in your life, and if you ask for ketchup they will throw you out.” Trust me, you won’t need the ketchup. The burger is flawless and the fries (thin, delicate, curly, with a dusting of parsley) come with an insanely addictive garlic aioli dipping sauce. Don’t expect glam surroundings—this is, after all, a burger-and-beer affair, where you place your order with the bartender. But know that you’ll be dreaming of it long afterwards. There is a new, much bigger location in LA, but it will never match the heart and soul of the Santa Monica original.