When we first met Adam Fleischman, the founder of Umami Burger, flipping patties at a food event, he seemed like a real nice guy. When he took over Burbank’s local landmark Papoo’s Hot Dog Show he proved what a good guy he is by leaving the kitschy facade alone and just upgrading the interior. The old plastic seats have morphed into luxe seating with a steakhouse vibe. There’s even a chandelier! The servers are super friendly and handled all of my questions with great patience and good humor.
The menu includes hot dogs as a nod to Papoo’s. This location is the only Umami Burger serving hot dogs. Each of the specialty dogs echoes one of the specialty burgers, such as the Hatch, the Manly, and the Cali. The wiener itself is all beef with a natural casing and no nitrates.
Other than the dogs and unusual decor, this restaurant boasts everything you already love about Umami — the beet salad, Umamified fries smothered in beer cheese sauce, short ribs or bacon. Besides the usual Cake Monkey desserts, they also have Cool Haus ice cream sandwiches. They have fat tire amber ale and French champagne. So what are you waiting for ? Get your ass down here! They are open til midnite.
