
Twice a month, El Estoque goes to restaurants around the area and takes a chance by asking the waiter to suggest food for us to try. This week, we continued the alphabetical theme by going to Umami Burger in Palo Alto.
Address: 452 University Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Located on Palo Alto’s University Ave., Umami Burger chain of restaurants prides itself in offering burgers and a variety of sides that offer an umami — or savory — flavor profile. It’s their signature burger, the Umami Burger, that propelled the restaurant to fame back in 2009 when they first opened in Los Angeles. Still, there are a wide selection of burgers on the menu for many different tastes and dietary needs.
The restaurant is fairly nondescript and tucked away between a movie theater and Sushiritto. Inside the restaurant does a complete 180° from the outside appearance as there are interesting posters and bookshelves of books scattered throughout the restaurant adding to a fun and more trendy atmosphere. Though on the pricier side, Umami Burger offers a great ambiance and a variety of burgers to suit every taste palette, two of which El Estoque reviewed.
Fries – $4

Rating: 9/10
Chicken burger – $12

The complimentary housemade ketchup was not that different from your standard Heinz ketchup in appearance but there was a bit more sweetness and a bit of a salty and sour aftertaste (almost as if there was soy sauce in the ketchup) that put you off from eating more.
Rating: 7/10
Falafel burger – $13 (vegetarian)

OVERALL:
Price: $$/$$$
Overall rating: 6/10
Though Umami Burger offers an interesting variety of burgers full of varied ingredients for different palates, however, in looking for a sense of uniqueness some of the classic parts of a good burger (such the ketchup were lost). Overall, Umami Burger was average — if over priced for the taste — with portion sizes that were on the smaller side.