If Only It Were 38 Degrees Outside

Sometimes you just want a burger. Let me clarify: Sometimes I just want a burger. Not a fast food burger, even if In-N-Out makes a killer one, but I’m looking for a hand-formed burger, made with good quality beef, a little bleu cheese, fresh tomatoes, red onions and lettuce and a bun that’s tasty, but not too doughy. Seems an easy proposition, but it’s not. There’s a handful of great burger joints in LA that are known for their predictable deliciousness, but it shouldn’t take a jaunt across town to satisfy that craving. (410 Boyd in Little Tokyo made my favorite burger ever, tucked into rosemary bread–but those were the days of Kash Brouillet, long before he opened Blue Star.)

One hot afternoon, not too many days ago, we stepped into 38 Degrees Ale House on Main in Alhambra to sample one of their 40+ beers on draught. Their beer menu was pretty impressive, packing a good number of classic brews, with some we’d never heard of and some local faves like Eagle Rock’s Solidarity. The menu seemed pretty standard bar & grill fare, with burgers, salads and the like, but I was focused on the burger. I chose the namesake 38 Degrees Burger with Angus beef, bleu cheese, onion relish, baby arugula, and garlic aioli. It’s hard to get a burger cooked rare most places, but here it came out delightfully red, not pink, not pinkish–but red, just the way I like it. My husband’s cheeseburger was cooked perfectly medium well and my daughter tossed back the mini sloppy joe sliders like a pro.

The decor is very early-2000 brewpub, but a lot of seating faces huge big screens that are playing various sporting events, so it’s a good place to go watch a game or several. Considering the amount of sports watching going on in the bar area, the space isn’t too noisy at all (and there is a separate dining section). Settle in with friends, drink a beer or two, enjoy the AC.

I’ll be back for the burger.

38 Degrees Ale House & Grill

100 W. Main St.
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 282-2038
www.38degreesalhambra.com/