Culinary Culver City: Signature Burger offers globally-themed sandwiches

Few things are more American than a hamburger, right? Well, kind of. Nobody’s quite sure who invented the sandwich, but a similar thing was popular in Hamburg, Germany, in 1869. It seems that everybody wants to claim the good old burger, which makes the theme of Signature Burger wildly appropriate.

There are a number of different burgers on the menu, each one created to represent a different part of the world. So there’s the Dubliner, which includes blue cheese and Irish stout aioli. There’s the Great Wall burger, which is an orange chicken sandwich. The Taj Mahal blends tandoori spices with red onions, cilantro and tomatoes, and finishes it with a cilantro mint chutney spread.

We went for the Aloha burger, obviously a Hawaiian-themed ono burger that features grilled pineapple, an over-easy egg, Applewood smoked bacon, teriyaki sauce, cheddar cheese, and bacon mayo. This thing is amazing.

The pretzel-like bun is firm enough to contain the delightful but messy concoction, which is important. Without that stability, the sandwich could easily implode all over your hands and clothes. The meat, which was cooked medium because we trust the establishment, is tender and juicy (making the stable bread more impressive). The egg bursts at the first bite, which is something you’ll either love or hate. We couldn’t get enough.

The bacon adds that glorious, smoky, salty flavor that bacon does so well, and that’s contrasted to near-scientific perfection by the sweet teriyaki. The cheese gives a sharp tang, as well as that awesome sandwich-to-mouth string that makes the best burgers so much fun. We were stuffed after eating it, but still wanted another one. That’s how good it is.

Impressively, we ordered onion rings as a side, but they weren’t ready when the burger was, so they threw in a free side salad. When the onion rings did come, it was worth the wait. Hot and crispy, and just the right amount of greasiness, they were big enough to be called “onion wheels.”

The staff was superbly friendly, and workers went out of their way to accommodate us (and we had a five-year-old child with us). They were welcoming, and extremely helpful.

 

The outdoor seating is comfortable, and the prices are reasonable. If we’d had room, the gourmet fries also looked amazing. If you want a contemporary, fun twist on American favorites, give this place a go.