we get them out mega burger died right
here and saw it man right here you got
even if you drive an hour an hour and a
half to come here to drink a burger to
eat a burger it's worth it
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when the Sun sets in Los Angeles that's
when the true spirit of Tommy's comes
alive before now and other late-night
haunts started the boulevard night owls
were first drawn to the neon lights of
this mom-and-pop chain which famously
popularized chili burgers throughout
SoCal but the legend of Tommy's has just
as much to do with its gritty party vibe
as a greasy burgers themselves hardcore
Angelenos understand its aura which is
why I brought along - oh jeez Kogi
pioneer Roy Choi and radio personality
Evan Kleiman to dish about what makes
Tommy's the ultimate late-night burger
temple Hey so here we are legendary Los
Angeles eatery Tommy's there's something
just institutional about the one on
Beverly in rampart this is our spot I
mean for me in and out didn't exist when
I was growing out didn't come into the
city of La to lie until I was out of
college right so for me this this was it
this was the place my pops brought me
here you know so yeah like it's the
first thing that I experienced yeah are
the burger everyone thinks like oh you
know LA in and out but like if you're
true Dali if you grew up here you know
it's a secret handshake well it's also
the chili the chili makes it a
completely different experience and it
makes when you want to eat it different
- true and you know what's crazy about
that is like it doesn't even say it on
the menu like it's like your
cheeseburger a hamburger a hotdog it
automatically comes to chili the
consistency of it is some other
different is right there's like this
game splatoon
where you shoot things and there's like
the thing I can't have the chili feels
like it has that density and weight
right it has to melt yes and meld with
the burger like like what sauce
but it's worth it
usually when you've had it you've maybe
had a few right exactly needs something
for all that liquid refreshment oh yeah
as a restaurateur look at all like the
elements right what does this be like
your dream restaurant if you're a
restaurant you know like these little
things but I thought to be cool today
this place is so much about the line I'm
yeah and Tommy's family of you hear this
we love you but like the vibe being to
survive at the other place five eight
this five that's la well I feel like
every time I come here especially late
at night it's like a flex dude like you
have to have a fly car like you if you
have a nice car you at least have to
give it up one like one tribe in the
main parking lot just so you're like you
know I'm sure my car a little bit all
especially when used to low rank today's
low rate and I'm right here
you come in at the angle yeah come here
and then you swoop this way and then you
swoop around like this when I was coming
here you know there were a lot of low
riders but I had a bag of honor you have
a bug and that's the best thing about
time right
that's what be about flexing
that's that's [ __ ] Tommy's maybe I'll
feel let's say the lines looking a
little long yeah that's holding our
place I think yeah that's my brother
over there confront you let's go get
some of those cheeseburgers to Wally's
and we let's go eat like they're gonna
catch it I've probably been coming to
Tommy since I was a little girl maybe
nine I'm 25 now she's lying
it's 41 yeah definitely a party vibe
never like a dull moment when you hear
my name Jonathan David Jonathan Jonathan
hey Dave fresh out of the Dodger game
stand in line with everybody else it
plugs up okay I made [ __ ] excuse my
French but whatever you go through if
you got some problems at home come
Tommy's on a late night and get you a
nice meal right I mean you can't go
wrong with Tommy I'll have my number -
I'm gonna add a chili tamale no tomato
extra pickle I'm Bob Auerbach I'm Tommy
Kula axes stepson the founder of
dominance Tommy started in this Shack
behind me 1946 May 15th the chili burger
is an LA tradition and did start here at
Tommy's hamburgers when the Dodgers are
winning we're doing really well down
here yeah man I mean burgers from here
it's priceless cuz its original it
really is original yeah reminds you of
your childhood so fresh out of a game
you come and straight get Burgers and
Fries I need to have beer and they'll be
lit your turn
how's it my turn I'll do a regular
cheeseburger no tomatoes no pickles
extra onions extra cheese
world-famous chili burgers to be exact
no matter what race religion everybody
likes Tommy right
okay who got the no pickles no tomato I
got it this one with extra onions is
mine that mean you your left this is the
absolute way to eat this
eating at the tailgate eating at Tommy's
is the way you do this I've never taken
one yeah you can't at home I've had
Tommy brought to me haha you're kidding
but I've never brought Tommy's to
anybody I love that the flavors are
amazing the chili is unique a killer
yellow yeah it's like almost like
Bolognese yeah it is almost like looks
like a polonaise yet in a burger it's
not dripping like you can tell this is a
well-thought-out recipe oh right a pot
that's not what you do right yes
the squirrel is the most important part
is so uniquely al there is the first
time I ever did it's [ __ ] genius if
we have to remember that this place was
founded in 1946 these credit chili is in
1946 that was like somewhere near a reef
I see [ __ ] right yeah the tamale man
I've never had it before yeah I'm eating
this thing my second one right that's
the story like this is like the first
thing I really ate when I came here my
pops used to bring me in without little
like you know real real little it's
something I always went back to so at
every stage in my life I mean the first
place I came when I got my car was I
came here yeah I had a 76 Thunderbird
drop to the ground
I [ __ ] now is a cruise right over here
but the tamale was our thing is just a
thing that me and my dad really liked
right and I really never I had the
burgers here but like for me I grew up
on the tamales for for me this was like
the treat after going to the dentist so
if you can stand getting a cavity filled
we'll go to Tommy's afterwards it's like
a late-night talk show perfect segue
these a treat tamales you got here on
that yeah right you know one thing that
I think sets this place apart that I
love is that you're standing up there's
something about it that's just
awesome yes everybody's in the same boat
when it's really busy you're like
jostling right and it's that kind of
thing where you can get into like a
conversation with somebody you would
normally not have a conversation with
while you're in line and we're
California's we don't need we don't need
tables we don't need chairs this one it
is we eat on our car be in our car
laid-back California eater all day you
know thanks for hanging out with me at
Tommy's you are the best people most
knowledgeable Los Angelenos you never
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have to take off our jerseys because
some guys have a Kyle on for the burger
show thank you for watching hit the like
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for me for the burgers please and thank
you