Umami Burger — Restaurant in Santa Monica

This restaurant was astonishingly bad. I checked the reviews just before and saw 4.4 stars so I expected a "good" to "great" burger. I really can't believe that anyone would rate this place positively. Here were the items we ordered:

Hatch Burger - first off the burger came out "wet", almost like they cooked it on a Foreman Grill or something. The chilis on the burger were cold and looked as if they came out of a can. Overall, one of the worst burgers I have ever eaten, and at 14 dollars this was a travesty.

Short Rib Fries - the short rib on top of the fries was dry, and the gravy that was poured on top was thanksgiving gravy. If you are going to do braised short rib fries, please pair it with a sauce that matches.

Wings - pretty much the only edible item, but they were average at best.

Overall, I am surprised that this place could somehow achieve a 4.4 rating. Either there are fake ratings on here bumping up the average, or the people of Santa Monica have terrible taste.

Update:

I finally came back here after seeing the response to my original review. Overall, I was impressed with the service and quality of the food. Here is what I tried:

House-made Pickles and Beets - I'm a sucker for pickled vegetables so these were right up my alley. Nice to snack on before a meal.

Short Rib Fries - this was the restaurant's shot at redemption. I was initially hesitant to order this again, but my fears quickly dicipated as I took a bite of the savory short rib with the perfectly crispy fries. The gravy brought the dish together nicely as well.

Manly Burger - the manager, Josh, explained this is one of their signature burgers. The burger had a perfect combination of ingredients, including fried onions, bacon, and quality beef. I was throroughly impressed, and would certainly come back for this item.

UFO - at this point I was totally full and could not even think about dessert. Josh, however, insisted that I try the UFO, which is a deep fried oatmeal cookie topped with vanilla ice cream, and drizzled with caramel. Who could not enjoy those three ingredients? When combined they form a dessert that you must try, even if you are totally full from the earlier dishes.

Overall, I was really impressed with Umami burger, and will be returning soon. The staff and manager were amazing and created such a welcoming environment. Obviously the food add to that environment, which I've already discussed...

I arrived on time for the pickup at 6:45. The girl came out and said they were a little backed up and I said that was fine. After 30 minutes of waiting, I tried approaching her about my order. She was extremely rude and dismissive, curtly saying they were delayed and it was coming. She walked away from me mid sentence as I was just trying to confirm they actually had the order. People were getting their food immediately upon arrival, so it was confusing why I was still waiting. After 50 minutes she calls my name and I go through the food. We’re missing several condiment orders and fries. On top of that, the food was cold as if it had been sitting there. I go back to the door and ring the doorbell several times before she comes. I tell her I’m missing food: the fries and several sauces. She responded rudely and tells me I’m wrong and it was all in there and she wants to see the bag. I went to get the bag of food to prove we don’t have our food. After waiting 55 minutes, I’m not going to leave without everything I paid for. She tries taking the bag of food inside away from me and I tell her to just bring us the missing food. She walks away and I can hear her screaming inside. Several minutes later, a man walks out and shoves the missing food into my hands and walks away. I am disgusted by the way things were handled by Umami Burgers. Rude, untimely and inconsiderate. She was the employee with blue eyes, dark hair...

if you had ever eaten at an umami burger when they first opened, you know what kind of dining experience I was expecting: a Japanese take on an American classic: these burgers were not just magnificent, they were literally like works of art! Each part of the burger was so delicate and so perfectly accentuating the next; I had never tasted a burger like that up until that point, and unfortunately, I don't think I ever will again. The umami burger we went to the other night was a far cry from what I experienced that first time, years ago. It was unrecognizable, and to be honest, the burger was a mess of mystery sauces and grease; I felt slightly nauseaus and couldn't eat any more. not to mention, my boyfriend ordered a pepsi, which they ended up (of course) wanting to charge $4 and change for; what was served to him was a can of pepsi, and nothing else. no cup, no ice; that can costs less than a dollar sometimes at liquor stores. all and all, a severe disappointment and such a shame; los Angeles has lost a very special dining experience and food which was a grade above anything I've ever experienced. as I said, we should all be in mourning for the loss of some amazing works of art: if you never had the pleasure of experiencing umami as it was, I feel very...