25 Degrees: It’s what separates Rare from Well Done

Tucked inside the famed Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood lies a tiny burger bar called 25 Degrees. It’s called 25 degrees because that is all the Celsius that separates beef from being rare to well done.  Pretty clever for a burger bar.

A group of 10 friends decided to start here before catching the Fourth of July celebrations over at the Hollywood Bowl.  Having worked nearby on Sunset for the longest time, I’ve always wanted to give this place a try to see how their burgers stack up in the eternal greatest burger debate.  Lucky Devils, another late night burger joint just down the street, has an amazing Kobe Diablo burger that will knock your socks off… and yet there are many out there that think 25 degrees is better.  I must try.

Finding the place is pretty easy.  We were planning to park at the Hollywood and Highland center and walk up to the Bowl to avoid absurd $20 parking charges and all the traffic that exits the lots up there.  Another great thing about the place is that it’s open 24 hours to fulfill your burger cravings at any hour of the day.

Seating a large group like ours is a challenge.  The restaurant looks like it can’t hold more than 60 people, and offers nothing bigger than a half circle booth so our party had to split in two.  Lucky for us, happy hour runs 5-7 every day of the week, so beers, shakes, and sides were all half off.  They have a small selection of bottled beers and sodas.  I tried their very own 25 degrees red ale which had a good, rich malty flavor and my friend had an interesting kumquat soda that tasted only a hint of kumquat.  Their shakes were all very good… next time I come I will have to try their Guiness Milkshake!

They have three specialty burgers (Number One, Number Two, and Number Three).  I got the Number Three, made of mezzo seco jack, green chili, chipotle, and avocado (pictured above).  I was a little disappointed, hoping for some more kick in it, but the chipotle mayo sauce was fantastic and I was in the mood for avocado that day.  I had a bite of the Number Two, featuring roasted tomato, prosciutto, burrata, and pesto, and it tasted better.  I would highly recommend that one.

Specialty burgers come with sides, of which I liked the sweet potato fries the most.  The sheer quantity of sides that come out will definitely fill you up.  I seriously thought I would never see the bottom of my cone of onion rings, and alas, I never did.  These burgers are no small feat to chow down.

So, where does this rank in my book?  Well I’d probably put it on par with Lucky Devils but a shade under Umami Burger.  The bun at Umami still kills, while the meat of the Kobe Diablo is more flavorful.  I do like the retro Hollywood glam decor of this all-night burger bar, and their shakes and sides chalk up a fantastic meal to go with your tasty burger.  I still have to try Father’s Office, The Counter, and 8oz Burger Bar in the future.

Fireworks at the Hollywood Bowl.  It was a fantastically good time kicking back some wine while listening to the LA Philharmonic and John Fogerty play some good, classic, American music.  I’ll be back next year!  Happy belated Independence Day.

25 Degrees
Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
7000 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028