We Angelenos are pretty serious about our burgers. We like ‘em thin, fat, greasy, lean, beefy, veggie, and everything in between. All lovers of the real deal—Midwest-raised  beef served on fluffy buns with more toppings than you can swallow—really should have at least one meal at The Oinkster.

It’s on the east side of town, but don’t hold that against The Oinkster. It sits in good company among other foodie hot spots like Eagle Rock Brewery and Galco’s Soda Pop Stop in Highland Park. And anyways, once the “slow fast-food” restaurant was featured on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” in 2010, people began flocking to it from all corners of Los Angeles.

The food at The Oinkster is a pure tribute to Americana, Angeleno fare: killer beef burgers, rotisserie chicken, Belgian fries, and in-house sauces and dressings. It’s a BBQ deli-meets-country house kind of menu here, where you can expect to throw down a freshly made milkshake and cupcake right after you devour a mile-high pastrami sandwich.

Nobody can seem to agree on which sandwich here is better—the pastrami or the pulled pork. Each is massively huge and carries more fall-apart meat than your hungry eyes can even hope to conquer. The pastrami actually contends with that of long-time deli Langer’s in L.A. It’s sliced long and thin like bacon strips, yet slow-cooked to incredibly proportions of tenderness. But then there’s the pulled pork, prepared North Carolina-style in a vinegar base, with lots of crunchy slaw and tangy onions.

But for our money, you’d be remiss if you didn’t try the “Royale” burger. It’s not so much of a hamburger as it is a meat monster: Angus beef topped with cheese (go for the Gruyere), bacon, chili, pastrami, and homemade 1000 Island dressing. Surprisingly, the flavors come together as a cohesive savory medley—but beware, the sogginess of the burger juices will quickly turn your sandwich to mush. So eat fast, and use both hands.

You almost certainly won’t be able to finish them, but get the Piggy fries anyways. They’re like a souped-up version of In-N-Out’s Animal Style fries, if you can imagine such a thing. If the thought of instant heartburn is too much for you, get instead the regular Belgian fries with extra garlic aioli on the side. The aioli is so rich with pure salty garlic flavor, you just may want to bathe in it (we highly recommend you don’t, though).

The Oinkster
2005 Colorado Blvd.
Eagle Rock, CA 90041
323-255-6465