Santa Monica Sweet: Strawberries on Your Burger

Ready for figs, guava, and berries atop your patty?

If July had an official phrase emblazoned upon the backyard cook's calendar, it would be "hon, can ya get me...?"

"Hon, can ya get me...?" is the plea every grill helmer makes of every friend and partner and guest at some point during the party. Mustard and cheese and lettuce qualify for the cook's kitchen errand list, but so do, increasingly, the items of the fruit bowl.

Fruit and meat? Not an unlikely combo, but still very rare to see at burger joints. But Pono Burger of Santa Monica gets the delectable draw of sweet plus savory, as evidenced by the fruitalicious offerings found atop its patties.

Is there caramelized fig jam atop the Piku "Fig" Burger? It's right in the name. Is there a spicy guava rum sauce on the meaty Kuawa Crunch? There is (and we invite you to pause here and consider the last time you consumed guava anywhere near a burger. Like, even on the same day.)

And now back on the menu, just in time for the pinnacle of summer heat? The Sweet Mona Burger, which is lathered with housemade organic strawberry compote.

Yes, lathered.

Also on the Sweet Mona: Niman Ranch smoked bacon, green leaf lettuce, wood-smoked caramelized onions, cheddar and an organic beef patty. Lest you're worried that your patty + bun'll get too darn sweet.

The Scene

Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.

Theodore Payne Foundation's ‘poppy-ular' Poppy Days Spring Sale is about to sprout

The Broad is broadening: The contemporary art museum just unveiled a major expansion plan

Is that possible, even? And shouldn't every at-home grill-helmer attempt fruit on the burgers this summer? No need to relegate sliced cheese or the condiments to the back of the fridge. We're just saying that fruit may be, where beefy pleasures are concerned, the foodie's final frontier.

Okay. Maybe not. Maybe candy + a patty would be that. Hope that trend remains a few years off. For now, more strawberry compote, please.

Copyright FREEL - NBC Local Media
Contact Us