Elite Tasting: Haché LA

Free food and booze, score! This event was saweeet (It was my first as an «elitist»)! I was glad it was so casual and that I could bring a plus one. Loved the «grub and go» feel to it (even tho we stayed for almost the whole time). Everyone seemed so friendly and helpful. Great energy.
So as you may have heard this place is the same as Mick’s Karma Bar in Irvine, just with a different name. It’s pretty sweet! Nice outdoor seating area and the same great Burgers, fries, and Strawberry Basil Lemonade. This location also serves beeeer! Pretty stoked to have this place so close to my hood again.

My first Elite tasting event and I’m hooked! Finally met the lovely Katie who checked me and my +1 in and gave us the low down on the restaurant. We got our sticker name tags and lined up to order our food!
Ordered the Karma burger and a beer but also wanted to try their strawberry basil lemonade and the lady at the register handed it to us for free! Free burger, beer, and lemonade! Why can’t this happen everyday in my lifeeee
Once we got our number, we went back outside and tried looking for an open table. luckily found a small booth in the corner! Although there were some lighting issues so it was a bit dark outside, I didn’t mind at all.
Onto the most important part– ze food. Burger was out of this world. Let’s just take that in. Out of this worlddddd. Perfectly cooked and juicy, and paired so well with my beer and lemonade.
I can’t wait to bring back my squad of eaters.

My first Unilocal Elite Tasting — YAY!!! Katie B knows how bring people together — thank you, thank you for making this happen!
Every new spot in our neighborhood becomes embattled by this controversy: «they put an expensive place where my cheap place use to be» … and it goes downhill from there ;)
Yes, Hache LA got the obligatory «reclaimed wood» makeover (the hallmark of any self respecting urban restaurant renovation) … but do not let that fool you… this taco turned burger stand was not gentrified — it was rewarded by good karma… burgers…
Mick apparently listened… and put a really, really good place where the cheap place use to be… but kept it cheap!
The burgers here are masterpieces without being art… its just a damn good burger.
His grounded, honest, high quality, burger is a testament to his deep understanding how to fill the space between a bun with happiness and goodness.
I love that you can add egg to any burger… for extra heart attackery!
Most importantly you can eat fries and drink beer there… all for around 15 bucks… sold.
NOTE: They do have a vegan patty — for those who do not swoon over 100% fresh ground cow.

Katie B. and Haché LA threw an amazing tasting event for Unilocal Elite.
First of all, everyone was amazingly friendly. They made sure everything was perfect, every step of the way.
I tried the Habanero, and my hubby tried the Karma Burger. They are both amazing with the flavorful GARLIC MAYO. It was literally the best Garlic Mayo my husband and I ever had.
They weren’t kidding when they said the fries were fresh. Not only were they hot, hot, hot, but the texture felt like a real potato.
The Strawberry Basil wasn’t too sweet, and it was a nice flavorful drink. Some people opted for the alcohol instead.
I also loved how this place has their own parking lot. The parking in the area may suck, but this place makes sure you are taken care of.
Katie and Unilocal hooked it up with mints, arm bands, shakes, cell phone fobs, and other Unilocal goodies, as well.
Thanks Katie and Haché! My husband and I had a blast.

THANK YOU Katie B & Hache LA for having us for this Elite Tasting… First impression was great and I will be back and bring more of my friends. This was my first ever Unilocal Elite event that I’ve attended… I’ve been fortunate enough to be eligible for many years and I wish I hadnt waited so long to attend one. I liked the fact that this was a casual affair. As Katie B mentioned in her correspondences to us, it was a come & go as you please type of Elite Tasting. I like that…
Hache LA has a small parking lot to the side of it. Definitely look at the spaces & make sure you’re parked where you’re supposed to as it seems other business also share the same parking lot. This restaurant is all outdoor seating. You order at the counter inside and you pick from one of the tall stool bar tables or bench table communal seating. I like that… It was a very hot day in LA the day of the event but thankfully it cooled off enough to be pleasant by the time the tasting started & certainly by the time I got there (we were a little late).
I ordered the karma burger which I really liked. The burger patty was good and tasted fresh. The garlic aioli was one of the most flavorful I’ve ever had. That was a nice condiment to the cheeseburger & fries. You really need to slather that stuff on everything… It’s delicious. The karma burger comes with lettuce, tomato, onions and some really good fries on the side. It was a good burger. The Hache patty indeed tastes fresh. It wasnt oily at all. The american cheese melted on top of it was delicious. The burger bun they used was one I’m not familiar with but it was great. It held up well and tasted great. Everything in this burger worked great together. I sometimes take out onions on my burger if there is too much or they are too strong. Not a problem on the karma burger for me.
Service was good but you can see some growing pains. My good friend & I noticed the cashier a little flustered but she was super cool. We got there towards the end of the tasting so I’m sure it was a hectic few hours & much busier prior to our arrival. Also, I only saw one server & she would walk around asking for names (which were printed on our receipt) when bringing people their orders. The outside patio isnt big but you can tell when it’s busy, some time will be wasted trying to find what goes where. Maybe a number system or some variation of? Just a suggestion.
Strawberry basil lemonade was very good & refreshing on a warm September night. I really liked it… Good flavor and perfect with the tasty cheeseburger and fries. What a combo…
Chef Mick walked around and asked how people were doing. He asked us how we liked our burgers and we assured him it was real good. He was very gracious and we shook his hand on our way out. Of course, BIG thank you Katie B for hosting and having us. Thank you Chef Mick… Much success to you. Thanks for having us. I told you guys I’ll be back and I intend to very soon.
Attention Los Angeles: There’s a new burger in town. Hache LA… Make sure you try that karma burger or that habanero burger.

Great event! I absolutely loved the laid-​back nature of it – just order your food and drinks, then sit down and hang out.
The ambiance of Haché LA is great: low key, relaxed, outdoor, casual. I would love to come here with friends after work to throw back a few beers and indulge in some comfort food.
The habanero burger was right up my alley! I love spicy food and this burger hit the spot without making my mouth go up in flames. I would definitely recommend that to anyone adventurous enough to try new flavors. The karma burger was pretty run-​of-​the-​mill, but when paired with the restaurant’s garlic mayo, it became more noteworthy. The fries were also cooked to perfection: slightly crispy on the outside and a bit mushy on the inside. Just how I like them!
Other pluses: plenty of parking in the attached lot; chill, outdoor space that’s just removed enough from Sunset Blvd; a good-​looking and talkative crowd.
Thanks for an A+ event, Katie and Haché!

This was an awesome event. It was a pleasure to finally meet the Ambassador herself Katie B and to try out Hache LA. My first Elite tasting event, it was super casual loved the whole thing. The service was amazing, all the staff was buzzing around at 100mph being very helpful and welcoming.
I had the habanero pepper burger, the patty was juicy and the whole thing was spicy even added a few japapenos to it. Washed everything down with a crisp Allagash white ale on draft. They have nice beer selection, look forward to coming back and seeing what they’ll have on tap next time, all good craft beer.

Finally decided to check out an event. Thoroughly enjoyed it, even with the mysteriously-​disappearing music. Felt a little bad for the workers, because they went from zero to holy-shit-that’s-a-big-crowd in no time flat, but they handled it with aplomb. Ha, that’s a funny word… aplomb…
Food was great. A mid-​priced burger that, for once, is closer to high-​end than it is to its fast-​food brethren. Oh and fries the way fries should be: with salt, no bullshit, and no ridiculous ketchup tricks to go with. I can stand by that.
I was fully expecting to have to pay for my second (… and third… and fourth… and fifth…) round of beers, but they just kept bringing them out! I hope I wasn’t spoiled by this, but if this is how all Unilocal events are, I’ve been seriously missing out.

Thanks Katie B. and Haché LA for the wonderful meal! Katie B. is really good at her job, so organized and definitely a cool cat. The event was super chill, comfortable, and the staff was so friendly!
Parking in the private lot: confusing at first due to the tandem spots, but I was a rebel and parked perpendicular, squeezing into 2 inner spots (Yes, that was me). Didn’t get towed. Win.
Plenty of seating in the open patio when we arrived around 7:15p.
Cool environment, very rustic with wooden tables and wood paneling on the walls. Since everything was still reving up, there were a few bare poles in the center of the patio and there were a few technical difficulties, but I can easily foresee the patio strung up with lights and filled with music.
Unilocal swag on every table. YAY! Thanks!
Strawberry Basil Lemonade was refreshing; lots of fresh basil and strawberry, not very tart. Would definitely like to come back and wash down their excellent «steak sandwiches» with some craft beer next time.
+1 and I both got the Karma burger. It was surprisingly clean and light; totally not greasy, and the fresh beef patty was definitely the star of the show. The American cheese was gooey and melted into the juicy patty, and the lettuce and tomato was fresh and complementary. The bun was beautiful, again, not remotely greasy. The fries were tasty as well; crispy but substantial. I love steak fries!
Beautiful, well-​crafted meal in a lovely environment. Props to the chef and his sous chefs!

I want to start by first saying I’m not a burger fan, that said, this place has some decent burgers. Don’t expect any over the top or fancy like Umami, I think these are honest to goodness just good simple burgers.
+Their burgers are extremely juicy. All of the meat is fresh and I believe they have an actual butcher on site so you can be guaranteed that sucker is fresh and cooked to perfection.
–They didn’t ask how you wanted your burger cooked so they came out Medium Rare, my favorite. Be ware those who like theirs well done!
–Didn’t see vegeterian options.
+Habanero burger was actually a touch spicy. I eat really spicy food but I feel like it had a decent kick and added flavor. The cheese they use in this burger seems to be bleu cheese and it’s a very light layer so it’s very subtle. You really taste the meat itself. I actually added some ketchup to boost the taste a little.
–Karma burger was a good tasting cheese burger. No bells or whistles, just straight up cheese burger. I preferred the Habanero burger.
–Fries are decent, nothing special.
+Ambiance, love the outdoor seating (just need to make sure the lights are working next time! :)
Overall cool spot, if you like burgers and beer check it out.

Loved the casual feel of this Unilocal event! Grab your food, snag a seat, grub and go! Thank you, Katie B!
/​/​LOCATION /​/​Silverlake across from Night + Market Song
/​/​SERVICE /​/​Although the scene was a bit chaotic with some people receiving receipts and some not receiving receipts, the wait staff tried really hard to serve everyone as quickly as possible. I felt bad for them rushing around trying to figure out where everyone was and I think perhaps issuing a buzzer or handing people numbers might ease up the process. We were really grateful for our waitress who was constantly following up with us on the status of our meal.
/​/​FOOD /​/​
+ Strawberry basil lemonade: Sweet with chunks of strawberries at the bottom. Tasty and refreshing.
+ Karma burger: Large and juicy with american cheese and onions. I would have liked a bit more greens in my burger (lettuce and pickles), but definitely can’t knock a free burger! It was very filling
+ Fries: Super crispy and very tasty with the garlic aioli!
Thank you Hache, Katie B, and Unilocal for another tasty event!

There are very few things that I’d brave this ongoing LA Heatstorm to get to … but this Elite Tasting was definitely among them!
Props to Katie B. for setting up such a cool event. The new Hache LA is sure to make an impact in the Silverlake scene! The space has a really cool vibe, great food and a really pleasant staff!
Me and My +1 both went for the Karma Burger, fries and a Strawberry Basil Lemonade. The Karma Burger was perfectly cooked and had just the right mix of classic ingredients. It’s not about stuffing it with a thousand «experimental» ingredients … it’s just a well made burger that hits the spot. The lemonade was really good too, just the right amount of sour and sweet.
We did have some momentary power outages during our dinner, but that added to the adventure of it all so no points taken away haha!
I’ll definitely be back to Hache LA … there’s much i’ve yet to try!
Stay Cheerful ;)

I first like to thank Katie and MIck for planning and hosting a great event! This event was located in Silverlake on Sunset Blvd. There are plenty of signs so its not hard to miss this place. There is a small shared parking lot next to the place and if you came early enough there was plenty of parking. Me and my friend were one of the early ones to arrive, so we were able to choose where we wanted to sit and don’t have to wait for our burgers. There wasn’t any inside seating, however, most of the seating outside was shaded.
To the main course: the burger. They have two choices for burgers: The Karma and the Habenero burger. I decided to try the Habenero Burger. Portion size was perfect, not too small, but not too big to the point where I can’t finish it. The burger tasted fresh, with no one topping overtaking the taste. I did think it was a bit too spicy for my taste, but I really didn’t mind. One thing that stood out to me were the meat and bun. The bun wasn’t big and greasy while the meat was tender and juicy. We also decided to try the Strawberry Basil Lemonade. I thought the drink was great as it tasted good but not overtly sweet. A pretty good combination.
The vibe at this place is very chill. They had a couple of issues with the music and the lights and I hope they’ve fixed those issues by the time they have their Grand Opening. The service was top notch, even when they received a rush of elites with their +1s. Overall, I thought it was a great event and I’ll definitely be coming back to this place again soon!

Thanks so much to Haché LA for graciously hosting this event for us Unilocal Elite and our +1’s, and a very special thanks to our gorgeous Katie B.
We arrived around 730P and found parking in the lot. Score! No need to hunt for metered street parking. I was super stoked about getting in on this event after seeing all the buzz and the over 1k reviews for their OC burger joint.
Two burgers were being offered: Karma and Habanero, while I do firmly believe that what goes around, comes around — I opted to satisfy my other senses, those yearning for HOT!!! not that it hasn’t been over 100 degrees in LA for the past few days, but the sun was down, the patio was cool and the Alagash White was flowing.
I ordered the Habanero burger, my boyfriend ordered the Karma and we both said yes to fries.
Our food took around 20+ minutes to come out and while these burgers don’t land on my top 3 list — the Habanero is HOT! I took a few bites with my burger in tact to get the full representative taste before pulling off the top bun, because it was just too much bun but this burger left me sweatin’ the way any thing called Habanero should.
I don’t eat a lot of red meat and I just took the Meatless Monday pledge, so thank goodness this was a Wednesday event :) The patty seemed small in ounces which for me, is good since I can’t always stomach a lot of beef.
Nothing really stood out about the fries to me, friets vs frites French, Belgian I guess I should know the difference right??? I love a good order of frites and I’m not even a big fried potato fan but these were more of a filler, shove some in my mouth with my burger not «OMG we must order these» type menu item. I did enjoy them more once dipped into the garlic mayo.
I enjoyed my Alagash White it was a nice choice to wash down my spicy burger. My boyfriend said his favorite part of this event was the free parking and Strawberry Basil Lemonade (which I did taste and enjoy).
The staff was friendly and busy ensuring us Unilocalers had a nice experience. They are located in a very awesome space along Sunset — next to my newly fav store Claire V. and just a few walking (which you’ll want to do after polishing off a meal here) blocks from my fav gelato at Pazzo.
Lastly, I picked up some new Unilocal swag — I’m pretty sure it’s a phone charm! Awesome :) I love new things :)
Thanks again Katie B. and Haché LA, we appreciated the opportunity to try the menu here.

This was my first Unilocal Elite event! Katie was so friendly and helpful. Can’t wait to attend more.
I thought Haché was very impressive considering they were still in their «soft opening» stage. I had the karma burger, fries, and strawberry basil lemonade. Everything was cooked to perfection and the lemonade was delightfully tart.
I know I will be back here because a burger, fries, and a drink for around $ 10 is an amazing deal!
The only issue I had, which is understandable with a soft opening and 1 server, is that they forgot my food. The waitress was very friendly. She apologized and offered me some extra fries!

Fun new hamburger joint on the eastside. Or should i say a brand new french fry joint? Cause these have to be the BEST french fries i have had in a long time. They totally remind me of the Pommes Frites from Belgium. Crispy on the outside but light & airy on the inside with the perfect seasoning. Add their garlic mayo & welcome to pure bliss! Ok, the habanero burger was good too but did I mention the french fries & their awesomeness? The strawberry basil lemonade complimented the burger & fries perfectly, not too sweet not too tart! Thanks for a great event Katie B, it was a beautiful night for some Unilocal shenanigans and thanks to Hache & their staff for working their butts off to feed us.

Thanks to Katie for hosting this event. I love burgers and beer so this was a no brainier for me. I enjoyed myself, despite some technical difficulties on the restaurants part. :lights out, music stops:
Our food was ok, but we would have enjoyed it much more had we gotten the correct order. My wife ate 75% of her burger wondering why her mouth was on fire and I kept wondering where the heat was. :(the waitress probably couldn’t tell which burger was which since the lights were out. I also noticed that people weren’t getting their food in order, which probably would have been avoided if they had order numbers, rather than just relying on receipts. Fortunately, beer heals all wounds.

We had a great time at Hache!!! Awesome event Katie, you’ve surely done it again! :)
I had the Habanero burger. I was a little afraid to get it. I’m really glad I tried it… it wasn’t too hot. I was still able to eat the entire burger without my mouth being on fire. My bf got the Karma Burger. It was a nice classic burger. I actually prefer it over the Habanero one. The strawberry basil lemonade was yummers!
They ground their own beef on site for their burgers and they don’t pre-​pack the patties till they’re ordered, so they’re really fresh! It definitely brings out different flavors.
Love that they have a parking lot right next to the restaurant. I’ll be back to try the sweet onion burger!

What a perfect mid week event.
What’s better than free booze and burgers? Yeah, nothing. I’ve visited Mick’s a few times so I was excited to see Hache opening here in LA. Bringing the same good ol burgers and the famous strawberry basil lemonade. Wooooo.
Both my friend & I had the habanero burger. The bun was perfectly toasty holding together the feta cheese, red onion, leaf lettuce and the oh so amazing «steak hache.» You can taste the freshness in the meat which is not something you find too often. And the fries. OMG. They were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Sooo bomb.
The beer was good too! I enjoyed the amber ale.
Another pro about this place is there’s a parking lot next to it! With ample number of spaces … how often do you find that in LA?
Thank you Katie for hosting & Hache for providing the awesome food & drinks!

Katie B. (where the B. truly stands for Badass) really does a great job in offering a variety of events to attend. But from the moment I saw this event, I knew I had to RSVP immediately because like a moth to a flame, a vegan to Trader Joe’s, and/​or butthole drivers to Toyota Priuses, I am drawn to burgers and booze.
So yes, this event was simple: Free burgers, fries, and beverages… ’nuff said!
Haché LA (pronounced «ah-​shay») dishes up burgers with patties that are prepared in the French-​style of mincing (haché-​ing) up steak and making patties out of it. The quality of the beef was positively blatant and the pillowy bun it was served with did well in holding up the patty, sauces, and fix-​ins.
For the Unilocal Event, Haché LA offered the Karma burger and the Habañero burger. So the wife and I ordered both to share. When the food was ready, Grace brought out the food to us with a million-​dollar smile.
The Karma burger is their take on the classic American cheeseburger and consisted of sirloin steak that was haché’d in the store and served with American cheese, lettuce, tomatos, red onions and an interesting sauce. This burger was tasty until I tried the Habañero burger … dun dun dun!
Not to instill any bad karma (sorry Karma burger), but the Habañero burger was all definitions of «hot» as in badass, spicy, and erotic (definitely made some sexual grunts as I ate this). This burger had chiles, garlic mayo, lettuce, tomato and queso fresco. Everything a Korean from LA could ever want! I literally did not want to put this burger down, but the wife told me to give it back.
Happy wife = happy life… sigh~
The fries were really tasty and the aioli that they served was perfect because it wasn’t too overpowering. For drinks Haché LA offered tasty strawberry basil lemonade and beers that included Allagash White and Anderson Boont Ale.
Once we finished our meal, we got up to let other Unilocalers have a seat and ended up shooting the breeze with Katie Badass.
So, even with the crazy 100-​degree weather we have been having, Haché LA was even hotter and is definitely a hot new addition to the Silverlake/​Echo Park area.
* The normal price for a burger, fries, and a lemonade will be $ 9.25 and some change. A pretty good deal in my opinion for quality ingredients.
* Haché LA was having some electrical outlet problems where the lights were turning on and off. I hope they use Unilocal to find an electrician to fix the problem before their grand opening tomorrow, September 18^th, which is coincidentally National Burger Day!
* On a side note… According to this New York Times article referencing a UC Berkeley study, it is scientifically proven that Prius drivers are you-​know-​whats
.