Restaurant: Hank’s Pacific Palisades

Location: 1033 N Swarthmore Ave, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272. (310) 427-3077

Date: November 3 & December 26, 2018

Cuisine: Burger joint

Rating: Good burger, but narrow menu and expensive

I’m slowly working through all the places in the new Palisades Village.

Hank’s is right on Swarthmore, just a bit down from where the old Mort’s Deli (much missed) was. They have a nice patio. Hank’s is VERY crowded. Lines at almost all times. Probably Hank’s is the most popular because it’s the most approachable.

The build out is a bit pubby.

The menu. Sadly it’s pretty much all burgers / sandwiches. I’m okay with burgers, but I can’t eat them all that often. There is a lingering Mort’s item in the form of a Reuben.

Buffalo Cauliflower (deconstructed) (12/26/18). This is normally fried and coated with the hot sauce and blue cheese dressing but I was trying to go “low carb” and got it steamed with the sauces on the side. Pretty decent when you drenched it in sauce — although not that much cauliflower for $14.50.

Cheese Burger with bacon, sautéed onions, and American cheese. It was a good burger. Not huge though (although certainly big enough). Heavy like burger’s always are. I wasn’t totally sure if they forgot the bacon which makes me think maybe they did because I should have noticed it. Empty cheese burgers start at $15.50 and don’t include fries!

Burger Bowl with kale Caesar and added bacon and sautéed onions (12/26/18). You can get the burger on a salad instead of a bun — but as I discovered it’s only one patty instead of the two that come on the normal burger (I guess they expect women to order this) and so it ends up a bit “where’s the beef.” Pretty small patty, 1/4 pounder (uncooked). The salad was good but I did have to pile on the stuff so this was $14.50+$2+$2+$1.50 = $20 (before tax and tip). I had ordered cheese but they forgot it. They did bring it later but it was like half a slice of Craft American on plate. They could have put 2 slices on at least. Haha.

Impossible Burger and fries. My wife loves this because as a vegetarian she doesn’t get burgers out often. Fries don’t come with — but are $6.

Onion Rings ($8!!). Good rings. But $8?

Mac & Cheese. Simple and pretty good. But also $8.

The nearby Bay Theater and it’s very short very retro sign.

So far, having tried all the places in the village (even if I haven’t posted all of them as of this posting), Hank’s actually has the best execution. It’s a burger place and the burgers are really good. I’ll have to try a shake too at some point. Problem I have is that it’s pretty much all burgers and I can only eat them every so often. And it’s crowded so it takes a bit of time. I often like burgers fast casual. And prices are quite high. A burger with stuff — and that’s the only way I eat them — will easily bust $20 and that doesn’t include fries. A burger, fries, and a shake would be around $40! Yeah, that’s right!

Still, because the food is good (for what it is), I feel this is the most successful of the rather dull collection of offerings at the village. Blue Ribbon is okay too, but a touch boring. Porta Via is downright badly executed, although I have to try it again now that they’ve been running for awhile.

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