So an LA guy, have you been to The Counter? I have only been to the one walking distance from Caltech and thought it was really good and pretty expensive. Still, while more expensive than Five Guys, I would say it is a better value because the food is better. And looking at those greasy fries bags at Five Guys makes me a little sick.
Yeah Counter is exactly what comes to mind. It's good but you walk out shaking your head at the bill every time not believing you paid that much for burgers.
The thing about LA is if it's happy hour a lot of LA joints are cheaper than anywhere. If it's not happy hour your wallet is going to take a beating. I'm not even talking about drinks, tons of places have amazing food deals from 3-6 or 3-7 but are ridiculously priced otherwise. I try to find places that offer happy hour on weekends. Counter has awesome food deals for happy hour.