Tommy’s

Should You Book Tommy's?

Getting into Tommy's requires no planning whatsoever — walk-in, order, eat. For a spot that earned a place on the Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats in North America list in both 2023 and 2024 (ranked #555 in 2024), that accessibility is a genuine selling point. The question is whether the burger is worth a deliberate trip to Eagle Rock, and the answer for most people is yes — particularly if you care about what goes into your food, not just what lands on your tray.

What Tommy's Is

Tommy's at 1717 Colorado Blvd is a hamburger counter in the Eagle Rock neighbourhood of Los Angeles, operating in the no-frills register that OAD's cheap eats list was built to surface. With a , this is not a sleeper find that only locals know, it has a documented track record of consistent quality at an accessible price point. The OAD recognition specifically tracks value-forward dining worth seeking out, which means Tommy's has been independently vetted against a wide field of American cheap eats competitors.

The focus here is burgers, and the sourcing choices that define the menu are what separate Tommy's from the volume-driven end of the LA burger market. Cheap eats recognition at this level, sustained across two consecutive years, typically reflects a kitchen that takes its core ingredient seriously, the beef quality, the grind, and how the patty is handled on the flat-leading. That consistency matters more than novelty in this format.

For comparison within the LA burger scene: Burgers Never Say Die leans into smash-style with a cult following; Amboy Quality Meats & Delicious Burgers positions itself at the premium-ingredient end; In-N-Out Burger remains the default LA benchmark for value; and HIHO stakes its claim on grass-fed sourcing. Tommy's sits in a different register from all of them, it has the critical endorsement that HIHO and In-N-Out lack on the OAD scale, without the artisan pricing of Amboy. Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers is the closest format peer in terms of positioning, though Tommy's OAD placement gives it a sharper critical edge.

If you are coming from outside Eagle Rock, the Colorado Blvd address makes this a reasonable stop alongside other neighbourhood dining. It is not a destination that requires cross-city planning in the way that a ticketed tasting menu might, but it is worth going slightly out of your way for, which is precisely the OAD cheap eats mandate.

For those visiting Los Angeles and building a broader dining itinerary, see our full Los Angeles restaurants guide. If you want to understand where Tommy's sits in the wider range of serious hamburger cooking beyond LA, Aldebaran in Tokyo and Atami in Tokyo show how the format travels internationally. And if you are planning the full trip, our Los Angeles hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide cover the rest.

Practical Details

Reservations: Not required, walk in. Booking difficulty: Easy, no advance planning needed. Address: 1717 Colorado Blvd, Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, CA 90041. Awards: OAD Cheap Eats in North America Ranked #555 (2024); OAD Recommended (2023). Dress: Casual, there is no dress expectation at this format. Budget: Cheap eats tier; expect to spend well under $20 per person. Leading for: Solo diners, casual pairs, anyone who wants a well-regarded burger without a reservation or a wait list.

How It Compares

Pearl Picks Near Tommy's

If you are building a day around Eagle Rock and Los Angeles more broadly, these venues are worth adding to your list: Holbox for Mexican seafood at the $$ tier, Hayato for serious Japanese kaiseki when budget is not the constraint, and Kato for New Taiwanese tasting menu cooking that represents some of the sharpest dining in LA right now. For the full picture of where to eat, drink, and stay, start with our Los Angeles restaurants guide.