In the lunch line at Oinkster, men and women with copious neck and hand tattoos mingle with guys in suits. Across two tables, a biker, wearing a T-shirt printed with that infamous Johnny Cash middle-finger photo, talks to two L.A. County sheriffs as they chow down on burgers, while teenagers on a date giggle in the corner. They're all here at Andre Guerrero's refurbished midcentury burger stand in Eagle Rock for a cheffy (though not too cheffy) take on fast food: smoky, pulled-pork barbecue sandwiches with a not-too-sweet, vinegary, Carolina-style sauce; house-smoked pastrami that is just fatty enough; rotisserie chicken; burgers; purple ube milkshakes that showcase the chef's Filipino heritage. There's a decent selection of beers on tap and sides like Belgian french fries and homey black beans that take this spot more than a few notches above your regular burger stand — and for only a couple dollars more. That, plus the convivial, diverse crowd make the Oinkster stand out, even in a city full of fantastic burger shacks. 2005 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock; (323) 255-OINK, theoinkster.com. Mon.-Thurs. & Sun., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sandwiches $5.25-$9.50. Beer and wine.

 

Besha Rodell's Introduction

Anne Fishbein's Photography

The Google Map

 

The 99 Essential Restaurants List:

A-Frame
Alma
Angelini Osteria
Animal
Attari Sandwich Shop
Bäco Mercat
Bar Amá
The Bazaar
Bestia
BierBeisl
Bludso's
Cacao Mexicatessen
Canelé
La Casita Mexicana
Cemitas Poblanas Elviritas
Chichen Itza
Chung King
Cole's
Coni'Seafood
Cube Cafe & Marketplace
Din Tai Fung
Eva
Father's Office
Fred 62
Gjelina
Golden Deli
Go's Mart
Il Grano
Guelaguetza
Guisados
Hatfield's
Ha Tien Quan
Hawkins House of Burgers
Hayat's Kitchen
El Huarache Azteca
Huckleberry
The Hungry Cat
ink.
Jar
Jitlada
JTYH Heavy Noodle II
Kang Ho Dong Baekjong
Kiriko
Kiyokawa
Kogi Truck
Krua Siri
L&E Oyster Bar
Langer's
Little Dom's
Lucques
Ludo Truck
Lukshon
Mariscos Jalisco
Matsuhisa
Meals by Genet
Mélisse
Milo and Olive
Mo-Chica
Musso & Frank
Nem Nuong Ninh Hoa
Nickel Diner
Night + Market
Oinkster
Osteria Mozza
Pann's
Pa-Ord Noodle
El Parian
Park's BBQ
Philippe the Original
Picca
Pink's
Pizzeria Mozza
Playa
Pollo a la Brasa
Providence
R&R Soul Food
Ración
Red Medicine
Ricky's Fish Tacos
Rivera
Rocio's Moles de los Dioses
Salt's Cure
Sapp Coffee Shop
Savoy Kitchen
Sea Harbour
Shanghai No. 1 Village Seafood
Soban
Son of a Gun
Sotto
Spago
The Spice Table
Superba Snack Bar
Tacos Leo
The Tasting Kitchen
Tavern
Tsujita LA
Vincenti Ristorante
Wurstküche
Zam Zam Market

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