Top Round (CLOSED)

Throwback burgers and cocktails giving you the same-ol' blues? Look no further than Top Round, LA's latest homage to old-school, as in roast beef sandwiches, from the guys behind 800 Degrees Pizza and Red Medicine. With a prime Mid-City corner—La Brea and Olympic, to be exact—and retro furnishings (think: bright orange and red picnic tables), the charming, fast food joint seems like it's been part of this city block for decades. Though faux fast food, you can expect gourmet roast beef sandos layered with top-notch ingredients from hormone-free roast beef to housemade condiments such as cheesy "whizz", spicy mustard and Provel. (What is Provel cheese, you ask? As any good St. Louisan can tell you, it's the stuff that gooey dreams are made of: smoked Provolone, cheddar and Swiss cheeses.) Order at the window for a no-frills Beef on Weck ($4.95) with fiery, burn-your-nostrils horseradish and sea salt and caraway seed–topped bun or layer it on with crispy, fried onion and jalapeño strips and barbecue sauce for a Bar-B-Cue ($5.45). Pair with double-fried French fries—make it "dirty" ($3.95) with gravy, Provel, caramelized onions and tangy house sauce—and rich, creamy custard ($2.95, small; $3.95, large). Try it pistachio, strawberry or chocolate–flavored in a shake (add soda from the fancy, touch-screen machine for a float) or sprinkled with toppings galore for a sundae or blended concrete. Can't decide? Go off-the-menu with a strawberry-pistachio shake combo or sundae topped with pineapple, marshmallow and coconut (a fave of manager Noah Ellis).