Umami Burger
500 Broadway,
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 451-1300
Mon-Sat 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Sun 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM



I am a huge burger guy, and have been my whole life. I just love a good burger, but my needs are pretty simple and many frou frou burgers leave me cold. There are of course exceptions, like the amazing Pug Burger at Hungry Cat, but Umami Burger is not an exception for me, as I was not at all impressed.

This Umami Burger is in Fred Segal in Santa Monica with ample parking and some outdoor seating.

I am not one for Cheese on my hamburger, as I am allergic, but I wanted to try it how it was supposed to be, so I went for the Manly Burger with beer-cheddar cheese, bacon lardons, smoked salt onion rings, house ketchup and mustard

And honestly to me the truffle oil completely overpowered the meat and made it taste to me like a portabello mushroom. Not bad, but not too burger-y!

The shoe string fries were good and I enjoyed the different ketchup and dips to try, though the ketchup seemed too sweet to me.


After all the hype I had heard I thought I would like it more, but I was not too impressed. Too frou frou for me.

Give me grilled onions, lettuce, dill pickles, ketchup and mustard and I would be happy (though a good guacamole burger is great sometimes).