Everyone seems to have an opinion on who has the best burger in town - from Fathers Office’s cult following, to the perma-line of 30 cars in the In-N-Out drive-thru, consumers are left with a lot of options, and not a lot of guidance.

Enter Pete Neumann, Founder of theburgerreview.com.

Pete prides himself on eating the worst burgers in LA so you don’t have to - and giving you the inside scoop on which ones are biteworthy. Pete has been on a search for the best burgers since 2001. Starting with steaks, he quickly realized that cheeseburgers were more nuanced, available, and of course, everyone has an opinion. He started scheduling all of his business meetings around burgers.

Pete shares, “When I moved to LA a couple of years ago, a co-worker (Fat Bruce Lee) learned that I had an encyclopaedic knowledge of burgers throughout North America, and he encourage me to document it.  I resisted, so he created the original blog. www.theburgerbusters.blogspot.com.  I caved and started writing, and then I started to get a following, so I got more serious about it. I read other reviewers’ work, and I noted that even after reading their entire review, I still had no idea about the flavor of the burger. I decided to provide readers with enough information about the fundamental elements of the burgers that they could envision the experience of eating the burger.”

And so it began - theburgerreview.com was born. Pete was on the hunt for his ideal burger, which he describes as “firm, moist, yeasty, chewy, well-toasted bun; SHARP, aged white cheddar or a thick slice of American cheese (melted, preferably under a broiler), coarsely ground, dry-aged sirloin, short rib, and brisket with a 20% fat content; seared on a griddle or a cast iron pan to create a crisp skin; cooked to a warm medium-rare.” How’s that for specific?

Pete stomached some of the worst burgers in his opinion (including what he calls the most over-rated burger in LA from Father’s Office, noting it’s “an awful burger with a rabid following”, as well as The Counter, Juicy Burger, and In-N-Out), to some of the best and most under-rated burgers, including Neri’s Curbside Cravings (a LA food truck), MIRU 8691 (Korean burger and fishbar), Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, and Billingsley’s. While these under-rated favorites might not make the hipster’s guide to burgers list, for Pete, it’s all about the flavor.

What makes his blog exceptionally entertaining is his lack of fear in providing a negative review. I asked Pete about the worst burger he’s ever taken down, and he described a gamey-flavored burger made of Gerber baby food, with a grind as fine as polenta, that tasted like it had been sprinkled with dashinomoto (bonito flakes, aka, fish food). You can read the full review on Pete’s blog. My personal favorite is his review of Hamburger Haven in West Hollywood - you know, that burger shack with the sign that says “Almost every day people tell us You have the best burgers in town.”

This might give you a hint about his thoughts on Hamburger Haven:

But when Pete leaves a restaurant happy, he gives stellar reviews, and has been instrumental in putting MIRU 8691, a hidden gem on Olympic in Beverly Hills, on the map.

Some may think he’s over critical, but at least you know when he gives a place a great review, it’s gonna be legit. He’s just a guy with an appetite and a great palate for burgers.

So what do you think Pete would request for his last meal? If you guessed a burger, you’re right - but he doesn’t discriminate.

“My Oma’s Hefekloesse with plum sauce, a plate of Albacore sashimi and basashi (raw horse), a CLT burger from MIRU 8691, and a slice of lemon meringue pie from Village Kitchen & Pie Shoppe in Carlsbad, CA.  Finally, a latte from Lux Coffee or Cafe Lladro in Seattle. Oh, and add a crab cake from G & M Crabcakes in Baltimore, MD - best damn crab cake I ever tried.”

Want to see Pete’s guide to the best burgers in LA? Check out the Burger Battle guide on Urbandig.