You’ve likely seen them at The Wine Country in Signal Hill. Or Ambitious Ales. Or maybe even The Hawk. But there’s one thing for certain with Terrible Burger, the genre-bending burger popup from Long Beach residents Nicole and Ryan Ramirez. And that is the fact that they not only creare some terribly awesome burgers but do so with community, compassion, and collaboration.
Just check out the chile relleno collab burger—dubbed “Whatever Lola Wants”—they’re doing with Lola’s Mexican Cuisine on Friday, April 25 at The Hawk.
The creation of “Whatever Lola Wants” from Terrible Burger and Lola’s Mexican Cuisine. Photos by Brian Addison.
Hold up—what’s this Terrible Burger-Lola’s Mexican Cuisine collaboration all about?
Both Lola’s and Terrible Burger have long held onto the idea of collaboration—so it made sense for the two to come together. (Lola’s has partnered with everyone from Recreational Coffee to Chef Susan Trilling. And Terrible Burger recently partnered with Waldo Stout of Waldo’s Pizza [now heading the 4th Street gem that is Due Fiori] to create the marvelous monstrosity that was the burger calzone.)
“They were just so stoked about this idea,” said Luis Navarro, co-owner of Lola’s, when opening up his Bixby Knolls kitchen to the pair to test drive the “Whatever Lola Wants” burger. “It was impossible to say no. They’ve been building a name for themselves in the pop-up world. So I thought it was just genuinely cool for them to collab with a space like Lola’s, which is turning 17 on 4th Street.”
In a blend of classic-meets-old school, the burger makes sense when you discover Terrible Burger’s affinity for creating both classics and genre-bending creations. Their traditional, few-frills double cheeseburger? It’s a no-skip for me. A savory bomb with a slight bit of heat thanks to their in-house Duke Sauce. Their rightfully lauded, gochuchang-meets-cucumber salad Khuga Burger? A beautiful blend of Korean flavors with the heft of a burger. Sweet. Salty. Slightly spicy.
And “Whatever Lola Wants”? A Lola’s chile relleno, doused in the restaurant’s famed creamy, green salsa, and stuffed into a burger with pickled red onion, pico de gallo, and magic.
Terrible Burger has its roots in punk music and, of course, a decade-long love.
Movie industry veterans, Terrible Burger was birthed out of necessity, adapting, career-shifting, and a bit of serendipity.
“I’ve been bartending nearly all of my life throughout Long Beach—since I was 21,” Nicole said. “But through Ryan’s dad, I was pulled into craft services for the film industry. And it was great: great money, great insurance. But the writers’ strike really put that all into a halt on top of COVID… Then the owners of Supply & Demand needed burgers for an event, we’re both big food lovers, so we agreed and they were a huge hit.”
Like many in COVID, this represented a turn for the couple who has been together for 13 years: The desire and want to have something of their own. With all their established connections across the years in Long Beach, they were able to easily fill their empty days with popup activations and their newly found love for the humble burger.
And with it, a stellar hamburger that Ryan rightfully says is a “squish burger more than a smash.” Perfectly crisped edges but a meaty center, their 73-27 fat ratio patty is nothing short of delicious.
But what about that name? Well, it has its roots in Ryan’s former punk bank, The Terrible Lizards. With Ryan’s love of dinosaurs and a play on, well, something awful, Terrible Burgers with its raptor logo was birthed.
Where to find the burger popup…
Some burgers you won’t be able to always get. For example, their most recent collaboration with Ambitious Ales featured “The Pink Cowgirl” in honor of the Pink Boots Society beer release Ambitious held on Wednesday, April 23. (Pink Boots Society focuses on women and non-binary folks in the alcohol industry.) Their classic double or Khuga? Usually always on the menu.
“Whatever Lola Wants” will be available solely this Friday, April 24, from 8PM until sell-out at The Hawk, located at 468 W. Anaheim St. Unable to make that? Check out their Instagram for their next location.
