Southern California’s culinary story is written with the legend of the cheeseburger, with its supposed birth at Pasadena’s Rite Spot in 1924 being a point of local pride. However, in our current burger-saturated era, where even the mighty millennial hamburger joint faces a backlash, a quieter, more nuanced classic awaits its renaissance: the patty melt.
Believed to have been born inside the bustling kitchen of Tiny Naylors in Los Angeles sometime in the 1940s or 1950s, the humble patty melt — a symphony of griddled beef, cheese and caramelized or frizzled onions nestled between toasted rye — became a comfort food staple in 24-hour diners and roadside haunts across the country.
The patty melt (technically a sandwich, not a burger) consists of a ground beef patty topped with cheese (American or Swiss, ideally) and caramelized onions pressed between slices of toasted bread (usually rye). Eschewing the usual burger fanfare of lettuce, tomato and such condiment detritus as mayonnaise and mustard, the patty melt is a purist’s delight, best enjoyed late at night after a long day’s work or an evening of ethanol-induced revelry.
Sure, one can make a patty melt at home, but the reality of juggling multiple griddling surfaces to achieve that simultaneous melty-crisp harmony is best left to the pros and their high-volume kitchens. Here are five spots in Orange County to find patty melt perfection.
Patty melt at High Horse Saloon in Fullerton. (Brock Keeling, SCNG)
High Horse Saloon (Fullerton)
Found at this Western-style bar in downtown Fullerton, the patty melt at High Horse Saloon bucks the rye for slices of toasted sourdough, adding a pleasant tang to each bite. Everything else is as expected but in ideal proportions: a six-ounce beef patty (cooked medium, please), American cheese, a smear of thousand island dressing, and a bed of caramelized onions cooked this side of translucent. Diners can opt for avocado and/or bacon add-ons for an additional $4 or $3, respectively, but that would ruin the patty melt’s deceptive simplicity.
Cost: $16
Find it: 102 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton
Le Hut Dinette’s patty melt with tallow fries. (Photo by Brock Keeling, SCNG)
Le Hut Dinette (Santa Ana)
Forget newfangled twists, OC’s new diner Le Hut Dinette, from the team behind Heritage Barbecue, nails the patty melt. Straight up delicious. Chef Ryan Garlitos has crafted a beauty of juicy ground brisket, caramelized onions, American cheese, pickles and a special sauce, all nestled between toasted milk bread baked next door from its neighbor, 61 Hundred Bread. An added bonus is its pairing with fries fried in tallow (beef fat). Sublime.
Cost: $22
Find it: 730 Poinsettia St., Santa Ana
The patty melt at Mollies in San Juan Capistrano. (Photo by Brock Keeling / SCNG)
Mollies San Juan (San Juan Capistrano)
While San Juan Capistrano is in the midst of a culinary revolution — its litany of acclaimed restaurants and the new River Street Marketplace has turned the historic town into South County’s dining destination — this 51-year-old casual and cozy eatery found inside a shopping plaza offers a tasty, affordable patty melt. Here the sandwich comes on rye bread (nothing beats caraway notes in each bite), with a black Angus beef patty, cheese (American, Swiss or cheddar available), frizzled red onion and dressing. A special shout goes to the friendly and speedy service.
Cost: $13.75
Find it: 32033 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano
The patty melt at Norms. (Photo courtesy of Norms)
Norms (Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Orange, Santa Ana)
Norms? Yes, Norms. I’d be remiss not to hold space for a late-night joint specializing in high-volume comfort food, the type of chain that beckons after a concert, overtime at work or a raucous evening on the town. The patty melt here features two thin beef patties, caramelized onions (optional) and melted American cheese strategically placed above and below the pair of patties, offering your palate a double dose of cheesy glory. Optional side include French fries, tater tots, onion rings or fresh fruit. By all means, gild the lily by ordering a milkshake to accompany the rich sandwich.
Cost: $13
Find it: 1125 N. Euclid St., Anaheim; 2150 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa;1550 E. Katella Ave., Orange; 102 17th St., Santa Ana
The patty melt at Reunion Kitchen in Laguna Beach benefits from parmesan grilled rye bread. (Photo by Brock Keeling / SCNG)
Reunion Kitchen (Anaheim Hills, Brea, Laguna Beach)
Noting on the menu the patty melt’s origins at Tiny Naylor’s on Sunset Boulevard, Reunion Kitchen’s patty melt comes with cheddar, grilled onions and a beet patty sandwiched between grilled rye bread shellacked with a thin crisp coating of parmesan that gives the dish an added hit of umami. Thousand Island dressing comes on the side, which lends the sandwich a nice dunking option, especially when it comes to the final bites of crust.
Cost: $18.95
Find it: 5775 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road, Anaheim; 180 S. Brea Blvd., Brea; 610 N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach