Art's in El Monte
It was getting close to lunch time after an assignment in El Monte today and as I was leaving saw a nearby burger joint.
Ironically, the assignment was about a story on woman's health and fitness, (I'll start the diet on Monday).
'Art's - The Art of Burgers" the sign read for this small location on Valley Boulevard. The set-up reminded me of a typical In-N-Out or Tommy's stand.
Drive-thru on both sides, walk-up window, small parking lot and a few tables nearby.
Coincidentally there is a Tommy's right across the street.
The menu was typical of a burger stand - hamburger, cheeseburger, double-cheeseburger - with a selection of sandwiches as well. Chicken, steak, etc.
Since it seemed the specialty was burgers, I thought I would give them a try and ordered a chili-cheeseburger combo which came with fries and a drink for under $5, with an extra 50 cents for the chili.
The young woman at the window also offered me yellow chili peppers along with the typical ketchup at no extra charge. I thought, 'Wow, they really know me here!'
Even though the chili grease was seeping through the bag before I even got back to the office to enjoy it, it wasn't enough for me to scoop up with my fries like I like to do at Tommy's.
It was difficult and messy to eat, but that's the way I like my chili-burger. The chili wasn't overpowering the burger, maybe that's because the burger meat didn't stand out at all. The cheese had more flavor than the meat.
The fries were okay, not great but I liked that they weren't too greasy.
Overall, I would say if I wanted a good chili-cheeseburger that would give me a heart attack, I would go to Tommy's across the street.
If I wanted a mini heart attack and I was in El Monte by Valley and Peck, I would probably still go to Tommy's and only eat half of my meal.
I Love Eazy Out oop's I mean Art's... If you grew up in El Monte, you would know what I was talking about. Ast's has some good burgers and has a great local following. If I wanted a chili burger, I wouldn't go to Art's, I'd go to Tommy's, but for overall burger and fries, hands down to Art's in El Monte. With no In and Out in the city, it's the closest thing and maybe better. I usually order the Double Cheese Burger, Fies and a Drink. If you're up early and want a good breakfast burrito, than Art's won't dissapoint. They have a burrito called the Big John, and its huge. A very good Breakfast Burrito. If you want a Breakfast Sandwich, I always order an egg and cheese sandwich on sourdough. It's a good sandwich. Art's is a great local place to pick up a great meal. To bad the go-karts are gone...