Free Postcards. Good Food Too! Hamburger Hamlet Hollywood
Written: Sep 10 '01 (Updated Sep 10 '01)
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Pros: Broad menu selection, fast courteous service, close to tourist attractions, free postcards.
Cons: Parking is inconvenient. Be careful not to get gypped!
The Bottom Line: A good choice for tourists or locals looking for a relaxing lunch or dinner in the heart of Hollywood.
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| shurie's Full Review: Hamburger Hamlet |
I was fortunate to be treated to lunch by another Epinions member at Hamburger Hamlet Hollywood – right across the street from the famous Mann’s Chinese Theater. Although I had been to other Hamburger Hamlet restaurants, it had been many years, and I had never been to this particular location. I found the food and service to be on a par with the other locations, and the décor somewhat similar, though this particular location is lighter and more open than the others I have visited, with its high open ceilings. True to its Hollywood location, huge framed movie posters compliment the traditional black tables and black leather seating.
The Food
The menu at Hamburger Hamlet offers a wide selection of appetizers, hamburgers, sandwiches, chicken and pasta dinners, desserts, and drinks. We enjoyed looking over the menu and agreed that it would take several visits to sample all the goodies that caught our eye.
While Bonnie already knew she would be ordering the French Onion Soup, I was thinking about one of the hamburger meals. After all, this was HAMBURGER Hamlet, so I wanted to get one of their specialties. I ended up getting a dinner salad and the mushroom burger, which comes with Monterey Jack and Swiss cheese as well as tomato, onion, lettuce, and sour cream. Served open face with steak fries, it was more than I could eat! The steak fries that come with each hamburger meal are huge and tasty, and they come with a large tub of catsup on the side. The hamburgers are thick and juicy, just like those you might barbecue at home.
I found the quality and presentation of the food to be excellent for a restaurant in this price range, and Bonnie was very happy with her French Onion Soup Fondue. What a tasty soup it was! On the way to the restaurant she told me how much she was looking forward to the soup and I figured well, soup is soup - nothing to get excited about. But when she offered me a taste … wow! It’s the perfect combination of incredibly flavorful soup with gooey cheese on both the top and bottom - all layered on top of soppy wheat bread. Served on the side is a delicious cheese-bread. Mmm!
Appetizers on the menu include a wide variety of popular appetizers, plus the sampler plate, which consists of the four most popular appetizers and four different dipping sauces. Soups include the famous French onion soup fondue, lobster bisque, homemade hot and spicy chili, and several others.
If you are interested in gourmet hamburgers, sandwiches, or dinner plates, there is a wide selection at reasonable prices, including steaks, chicken, pasta, shrimp and seafood. There is also an ample salad and vegetable selection.
The dessert menu is sure to catch your eye, because it is filled with selections such as Ultimate Hot Fudge Cake, Brownie Mountain, Carmel Pecan Cheesecake and many other mouth-watering names.
Sodas, Iced Tea, and Lemonade come in huge plastic glasses that will satisfy all but the most parched visitors. I usually drink several glasses of soda or iced tea during a meal, but I didn’t even finish one of Hamburger Hamlet’s giant iced teas. I don’t know if refills are free – neither of us got that far.
The alcoholic drink selection looks very interesting as well, with several unique concoctions on the menu. There is a fully stocked bar in the restaurant, so they are sure to have your favorite drink. I was driving so I didn’t get to sample one for you.
The full menu can be found at www.hamburgerhamlet.com.
Parking
Hamburger Hamlet guests may park in a parking structure on Orange Drive, just around the corner from the restaurant. After your first visit, the parking structure will be easy to find, but the first time you will want to know where to go. Simply turn south on Orange Drive from Hollywood Boulevard. On the left side before you get to the next street (Hawthorn Avenue) you will see the entrance to a parking structure. Enter there.
I found it strange that we were asked to pay five dollars in advance. There is a large sign proclaiming that validated parking is available for Hamburger Hamlet guests, so I was not expecting to pay in advance. Hamburger Hamlet validates your parking ticket for a maximum of 1.5 hours. When you return to the parking garage, you have to walk back to the entrance to exchange your validated ticket for your five dollars. If you fail to do that, the exit attendant cannot refund your money. I have a feeling there are a lot of people who exit without getting their money back. The garage is not owned or managed by Hamburger Hamlet.
Seating Areas
The restaurant is divided into several seating areas, with a combination of booths and tables. To the left of the entrance is a nook with several four-person booths. Behind this area is the bar area, which is partitioned off from the main dining areas. It is darker and more confined than the rest of the restaurant. After going through the bar area there is an additional seating area with larger booths.
To the right of the entrance is a large, open seating area. On one end of this area is a large counter area where desserts are displayed. The kitchen area is to the rear of the restaurant. One thing that Bonnie found a little odd is the restrooms were right inside the entrance to the kitchen area. Although the restrooms were large and clean, their location seemed a bit inappropriate.
Service
The service was quick and courteous. Although we went during the lunch hour on a warm, sunny, California Saturday, the restaurant was only half filled with customers, and the service was quick and attentive.
Amenities
Los Angeles County prohibits smoking in all public places, so like all Southern California restaurants Hamburger Hamlet is non-smoking.
The entrance to the restaurant requires negotiating three low steps, but you will find a lift for wheelchairs. Another unique feature I have not seen before is a parking area for strollers at the entrance to the restaurant.
Every restaurant in Los Angeles County is also inspected and rated by the Department of Health Services, and Hamburger Hamlet proudly displays its “A” rating in the front window.
The restaurant décor is paneling of light wood with white walls adorned with large movie posters and high open ceilings. The front of the restaurant offers a view of Hollywood Boulevard and Mann’s Chinese Theater – a good place for people watching because you never know what kind of characters you will see on Hollywood Boulevard. The bar area and back of the restaurant offer more cozy and intimate seating. Tables are of a black marbleized material and the booths are either red or black leather.
Locations
The very first Hamburger Hamlet restaurant was opened in 1950 in Los Angeles, under the name “Coffee Shop to the Stars”. Frequented by owner Harry Lewis’s famous friends like Tony Curtis and Debbie Reynolds, and blessed with an excellent selection of food selected by his wife and co-owner Marilyn Lewis, the restaurant enjoyed immediate success. Since then the Hamburger Hamlet restaurants have become known for their comfortable décor, gourmet burgers, and excellent menu selections.
There are two Hamburger Hamlet restaurants in Virginia and two in Maryland, but the greatest concentration is in Southern California, with 10 restaurants in that region. You can look for a specific location by visiting www.hamburgerhamlet.com.
Free Postcards
Yes, you heard right! You can pick up all the free postcards you want at the ‘Max Rack’ near the telephone and restroom area. The cards are clever ads for upcoming movies and other products or services. But they are free and of good quality. Some of the ones I picked up featured Sergio Valente Jeans, MTV, Evian Water, and the American Music Awards.
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The sidewalk in front of Hamburger Hamlet is part of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Stars that can be found directly in front of the restaurant include those of Dinah Shore, Tom Cruise, Veronica Lake, Bobby Vinton, and Clayton Moore (The Lone Ranger).
Immediately across from the restaurant is the famous Mann’s Chinese Theater, where you can view the foot and handprints of famous stars. Tour buses constantly depart from Mann’s Chinese Theater to view the sights of Hollywood and Beverly Hills. There is a booth at the entrance to the theater where you can sign up for tours or pick up brochures about Hollywood. Children often enjoy the Ripley’s Believe-it-or-not Museum, Hollywood Wax Museum, and Guinness World Records Museum, which are nearby.
Hollywood Boulevard contains a mixture of theaters, restaurants, t-shirt and souvenir shops, boutiques, a few lingerie shops like the famous Frederick’s of Hollywood, and at one end of the strip there are several adult book and video shops. This area of Hollywood is not the ritzy, expensive part of Hollywood, but rather the busy tourist section. One of the nicer locations nearby is the famed Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel - only ½ block from Hamburger Hamlet. Enter there and you can enjoy a nice upscale escape from the busy sidewalk.
About a mile west of Hamburger Hamlet on Sunset Boulevard is the more glamorous Sunset Strip area featuring expensive trendy boutiques, upscale restaurants, and famous nightclubs. It is in this area that BMW’s, Mercedes, exotic sports cars, and limousines will often pass you as you enjoy the sights.
Summary
Hamburger Hamlet Hollywood is a good choice for tourists or locals looking for a relaxing lunch or dinner in the heart of Hollywood. You’ll find a wide selection of meals, appetizers, drinks, and desserts.
For a view from the other side of the table, check out
http://autismfamily.epinions.com/content_40152764036
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Best Suited For: Trendy Crowd
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Epinions.com ID:
shurie
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Location: Southern California
Reviews written: 36
Trusted by: 99 members
About Me:
Computer nut with lots of interests - and always an opinion!
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