Usually when somebody in Miami says “just trust me”, someone ends up in a Bahamian jail. Fortunately, LA’s renowned Umami Burger is doing nothing of the sort, telling Miamians “just trust us” in reference to their unique brand of burgers and scientific flavor profiles that allow for no modifications, substitutions, or special orders
The burgers are all made of steak that’s ground fresh daily, like The Original topped with a Parmesan crisp, shiitake mushroom, roasted tomato, caramelized onions, and special house ketchup
The word umami (no “I”, Hurricane fans) refers to the elusive fifth taste (beyond sweetness, sourness, saltiness, and bitterness) that's savory, brothy, or meaty. So the B.U.B, which stands for Big Umami Burger, has two patties, plus bacon and beer cheddar
If Charlie Tuna had a passionate one night stand with the Hamburglar, their love child would be this ahi tuna burger topped with avocado, gingerbread carrots, wasabi flake, and tartar
No Caja China? No problem! Umami’s put a whole roasted pig on a bun with the special-to-Miami Cubano Burger: braised pork belly, a ground pork patty, smoked ham, and shaved prosciutto with American, butter pickles, and pineapple mojo mustard. With creations like these, who needs substitutions
It pairs nicely with the Medieval Smash: D'USSE and Disaronno, plus grapefruit, guava, lime juice, and vanilla syrup
Every Umami restaurant has a different decor based on where it is. The Miami location goes for a more residential feel to reflect the Western part of South Beach
Another tribute to Western South Beach is the Alton Road Lemonade: Absolut Citron, lemon juice, and blackberry syrup. Unlike its namesake street, it's extremely easy to drain
This concoction of Bombay Sapphire, mango nectar, and lemon juice with mint and fresh cucumber is called the “Umami Miami”, a name that’s gonna be pretty much impossible to say once you’ve had more than one
And if a few too many of those Umami Miamis also start messing with your shuffleboard game, Oscar the Grouch will happily explain to you the difference between “near” and “far”.
