Restaurant Review: Gatsby's

A few weeks ago, my aunt who lives down in the LA area texted me and asked me if I had tried a local burger joint called Gatsby's. She had just seen it on Guy Fieri's popular Food Network show "Diners, Drive Ins and Dives". I personally have a hard time remembering the correct sequence of those words, and so I usually refer to it like Guy does, as DDD.

This weekend seemed like a perfect time to try the 1930's themed restaurant, so off we went. We had some trouble getting in because clearly my aunt wasn't the only one who had watched that particular episode, and the place was packed.

Besides neat vintage decorations, the restaurant features an open grill where you can watch your burgers being prepared. Before its current incarnation, this spot hosted a Japanese eatery featuring hibatchi-style grills, and the current owners decided to keep that element when they took over the location.
Almost everything on the menu is house-made, including the potato chips, mayonnaise, and pickles. The buns are baked by a local bakery.

This glorious gooey mess was mine, all mine. The Blood Orange Burger comes with the regular fixings, plus melted Gouda cheese and blood orange marmalade. The burger itself was a half-pound and very juicy.

Conclusion: You'll want a reservation (and make sure a real person takes note of it; I had a bad experience...) but Gatsby's is worth checking out when you're looking for a leisurely old-fashioned meal right out of an old 30's-era Hollywood film. And COME HUNGRY! You surely won't leave hungry.