Terrible Burger, the pop-up from Long Beach couple Nicole and Ryan Ramirez, has quickly made a name for itself with burgers that are equal parts classic and wildly inventive. You might’ve spotted them slinging patties at Ambitious Ales, The Hawk, or The Wine Country. Each time? Definitely with a lineup that shifts, could be for their stellar double cheeseburger with house-made Duke Sauce. Or more daring creations, like the gochujang-laced Khuga Burger that put them on the rightfully stacked SoCal burger map.
Even collaborations have become their calling card, too. Like a one-night-only partnership with Lola’s Mexican Cuisine. It yielded the “Whatever Lola Wants,” a chile relleno stuffed into a burger and drenched in Lola’s creamy green salsa. Or the Long Beach Food Scene Week collab they did with The 4th Horseman, which resulted in one of the most monstrous masterpieces I’ve had the horrible pleasure of encountering.
But their weekly Tuesday residency at Midnight Oil in DTLB (dubbed “Terrible Tuesdays”) shows off an entirely different side to both the team and brand. With deep frier and full kitchen in hand, they’re churning out
What should one expect from Terrible Tuesdays?
Terrible Burgers are what Chef Ryan calls “more squish burgers than smash burgers.” That means thicker, juicy patties—he’s working with a 73/27 fat ratio—with crisp edges and tender, meatier centers. Their flagship standout creation, the Khuga Burger, is a masterclass in flavor fusion: imagine Korean BBQ meets classic burger, with house-made Bulgogi BBQ sauce, gochujang aioli, and sweet-chili pickled cucumbers—all melding with savory-sweet heat. Now put that on top of crinkle-cut fries and you’ll have a hint of what they’re finally able to tackle with a full kitchen.
“We’ve long wanted to do fries but the lugging around of oil from pop-up to pop-up, having to wait for the oil to cool to dispose of it properly…” Nicole lamented. “It just wasn’t viable. Same for things like wings or croquettes—which we fell in love with when we went to Spain. This is such a great way for us to expand our brand without over-exerting ourselves.”
Sichuan-dusted lemon pepper wings. Massive croquettes filled to the brim with a five-spice doused béchamel with bits of Chinese sausage. A genuinely solid Ceasar salad with a house-made dressing. (Which, by the way, Long Beach should dub Ms. Nicole as the Sauce Queen: everything from their house-made ranch to the garlic chili aioli they serve with their wings are genuinely worthy of bottling.) Pickle chips.
Hold up—so what is Terrible Burger?
The pop-up’s origins are as punk rock as its name. Both veterans of the film industry, Nicole and Ryan pivoted during COVID and the writers’ strike, turning a Supply & Demand event gig into a full-time hustle. Their style? What Ryan calls a “squish burger”—a juicy 73/27 patty with crisped edges and a tender center, cooked with the confidence of true burger obsessives. The Terrible Burger moniker itself nods to Ryan’s punk band, The Terrible Lizards, and their raptor logo cements the tongue-in-cheek branding.
But beyond the music and film backstory lies a deeper ethos of community. Whether raising awareness for the Pink Boots Society at Ambitious Ales or teaming with local chefs and restaurants, Terrible Burger thrives on connection and collaboration. It’s this spirit, paired with food that satisfies both the purist and the experimentalist, that has turned their pop-up into one of Long Beach’s most successful food stories.
A look at Terrible Burger’s offerings every Tuesday at Midnight Oil.
Ceasar Salad: Cavatappi pasta | Romaine | Pecorino Romano | Houe-made Ceasar dressing | Breadcrumbs
Croquettes: Chinese sausage | Five-spice béchamel | Garlic aioli | Strawberry jam
Chicken Wings: Sichuan lemon pepper | Garlic chili aioli
Fried pickles: Cornmeal-fried pickle chips | House-made ranch
Loaded Fries: Fries | Cheese | Hamburger meat | Bulgogi BBQ sauce | ochujang aioli | Sweet chili pickled cucumbers | Pickled red onions
Ranch’n’Pickle Burger: Two all-beef patties | House-made Ranch dressing | House-made fried pickles | Cheese | Tomato | Lettuce
Terrible Burger is a popup with various locations throughout the month. It’s residency at Midnight Oil, located at 255 Long Beach Blvd., is every Tuesday from 4:30PM until sold-out.
