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Burger

Father's Office

Casual burger and craft beer outing with friends.

Closed now $$ Local FavoriteCasual VibesCozy Atmosphere
4.7/10
Notable Scored by Gil Nakamura · How we score
№ 01 · The Brief

The burger that still refuses substitutions

Tucked into the tree-lined stretch of Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, Father's Office has built a reputation as one of the most talked-about gastropubs in Greater Los Angeles. What began as a beloved neighborhood tavern has evolved into a destination spot, drawing burger enthusiasts and craft beer fans from across the city. The Montana Avenue location offers a slightly more refined take on the concept than its original Santa Monica outpost, blending upscale pub sensibilities with a laid-back California attitude that feels distinctly local.

The menu centers around New American gastropub fare, but it's the Office Burger that has earned near-legendary status among burger devotees. Topped with caramelized onions, applewood-smoked bacon, Gruyère, Maytag blue cheese, and arugula on a toasted French roll, it arrives with a strict no-ketchup, no-substitutions policy that has become part of its charm. Beyond the signature burger, diners can explore a rotating selection of shareable small plates, hearty sandwiches, and a well-curated craft beer list featuring rare and rotating taps that beer aficionados travel specifically to sample.

№ 02 · What to Order

The order, from the record

№ 03 · Insider Tip
!

Arrive early or expect a wait, especially on weekends, since the restaurant doesn't take reservations for its popular bar seating.

Gil Nakamura · Top of Los Angeles
№ 04 · The Verdict

What earns the 4.7

01
The burger, unaltered

The Office Burger's no-ketchup, no-substitutions policy has held long enough to become the point rather than the obstacle.

02
Beer list as draw

The rotating taps carry as much weight as the kitchen, pulling a crowd that treats the list as the destination.

03
Two rooms, one standard

The Montana Avenue location runs a slightly more composed version of the original Santa Monica formula without abandoning it.

How we score

The Insider Score is our own 10-point editorial rating, set by the writer who covers the room. It is never an average of other sites’ stars, and it is never for sale. It weighs three things:

01Track record

How highly a kitchen rates, across how many diners, over how long.

02Consistency

Whether recent diners still agree with the long-term verdict.

03Distinction

What the kitchen does that its category does not.

Father's Office earns a 4.7, notable on our scale for Burger in Los Angeles.
Gil Nakamura
Gil Nakamura
Food Editor

Gil Nakamura covers the LA canon for Top of Los Angeles: the pastrami and French dip houses, Little Tokyo and Sawtelle, the South Bay Japanese-American rooms, and the old-line institutions. A third-generation Gardena native who works from the public review record.

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The new opening, the sleeper the score just flagged, and the one room worth booking this week. Free.