BLACK STAR BURGER L.A.
THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING

L.A. loves a good burger and a good conspiracy story. And in this modern era of Russian hacks and collusion, the Russians have set up shop on trendy Fairfax Avenue and are selling the most beloved of American favorites—hamburgers.

Yes, the Drake of Russia, Russian hip-hop star Timati of the group Black Star, is one of the principals behind Black Star Burger, which quickly became a Soviet sensation now sporting nearly two dozen locations in and around Moscow. Much to the delight of Timati’s nearly 14 million Instagram followers, including many in the Fairfax District, Black Star Burger is now U.S. based too.

The story goes that Black Star Burger was founded in 2016 in Moscow by chef/businessman Yuri Levitas together with the “Drake of Russia” Timati and his business partners Pashu and Walter. The casual burger joint offers wireless charging stations, a family friendly atmosphere and an affordable price point. The burgers average around $8 a piece while sides, including fries, potato wedges, fried cauliflower, as well as sweet potato tots, range between $3 and $4.

When word first buzzed about Black Star Burger taking over the old Plan Check space it was reported that the burger buns were black. That’s not the case at the Fairfax Avenue location. But diners are encouraged to eat their burgers while wearing black plastic gloves apparently for environmental reasons.

“Every burger comes with a pack of gloves,” manager Mikey Leo has said. “We are trying to save the world, one napkin at a time. Each customer will get a set of gloves with their burger that provides them with an experience of their own. They’re going be eating with gloves on and all the juiciness will be flowing into their gloves and they’ll be able to easily clean up after themselves by just taking the gloves off and putting them into our recycling bin.”

The menu at Black Star Burger is simple. There are a half dozen burger options to choose from, including a hemp burger and a veggie burger.

For meat-eaters, there’s the Classic prepared with beef patty, bacon, aged cheddar, Black Star sauce, tomato, mixed greens, pickles and pickled red onion. The Texas is the same as the Classic but with Texas Sauce while The Mushroom, which is very rich tasting, is prepped with beef patty, bacon, mozzarella, mushroom sauce, Black Star sauce, tomato, mixed greens, pickles and pickled red onion. And then there’s The Hawaiian with beef patty, bacon, mozzarella, grilled pineapple ring, Hawaiian sauce, teriyaki sauce, tomato, mixed greens, spinach, relish and pickled red onion.

The burgers come quick and are damn tasty. I like the casual setting and the affordable pricing. Black Star burger also offers beers as well as build your own ice cream dessert bar that will be a hit with Instagrammers. Delivery is offered via all the usual suspects and students with ID get 10% off.

All Russian collusion jokes aside, they’ve figured out how to please the American burger palette with their badass burgers.

Black Star Burger is located at 351 N. Fairfax Avenue. Open daily from 11am to 10pm. Call 323-433-7792.

Story By: Jose Martinez

Photography Courtesy Of: Black Star Burger