WEST SIDE TAVERN

A good tip but off by marks.  This owner is committed to a good burger, 100% Angus Beef, cooked on a very hot grill to get that nice sear. The cut is 80/20.   My server, Danny was delightful, as all the other crew.  Young, helpful, down to earth people, how refreshing. Danny reminded me of Marina del Rey's Barnes & Noble bookstore after I mentioned that almost all of the bookstores are gone today. I sat at a table that had a nice view of Pico Blvd.  It felt open and spacious, and warm inside.  They decorated the restaurant with dark wood and low lighting.  I loved the old-fashioned cheesecloth or is it burlap, napkin.
This restaurant was recommended to me by a patron of the new Bristol Farms Market on Wilshire, which I love!  When I talk up burgers people pipe in and give me their recommendations, I love that.  That tells me that others are as passionate about their burgers as I am. 
The first thing that I noticed was the nice smoky, savory smell.  It had a beautiful bun, I think one of my favorites.  The thing about reviewing so many burgers is that you might need to return for another tasting in order to critique the most recent burger. So it is important to be very descriptive in my writing.  This burger is adorned with garlic aioli, carmelized onions, arugula and Tillamook cheese.   At first bite you have a nice combination of ingredients, which caught my attention.   Although, it could have been more seasoned with pepper.  Of course I miss the raw onion but they didn't overpower the burger with carmelized onion.  The sweetness of the onion could have taken away from the burger, but it didn't, bravo.  Again, I was told that the owners pride themselves in finding the best tasting meat and participated in many tastings before their came to their end product.   My criticism  would be to work on it's taste and texture to perfect it. 
The fries were skinny, airy and surprisingly with a good flavor.  I don't know if it was by accident or not but the small cup container that held the fries was a perfect shape and size to keep the fries hot.  I think that keeping the food hot is very important.  The ketchup was ok, but ordinary and they could entertain the idea of checking out Plan Check's, which is superb.  Anyway, these French fries are addictive to me and I can't say that about any others except at the Mediterran restaurant on Pico by Santa Monica High School.  I think they put old bay seasoning or something on them that make them delicious.  And their water has cucumber in it, love that!
I told Danny that I liked an amber beer and he recommended the Beach House.  It couldn't disappoint, I would buy it in the market, it was that good.  This restaurant gets a 9, with young, cute, nice waiters with great service.  Another reason that they received a 9 is because the music was great.  I am sated and wait for my return visit.  Will I have a burger or try the tuna?  For sure I will order fries.