Quarter-Pound Chili Cheeseburger
The burger that made the stand at Beverly and Rampart famous. A beef patty and a slice of cheese buried under Tommy’s thick house chili, with onions, pickles, a slab of tomato and mustard. It is sloppy in the best way and needs a pile of napkins. The chili is the star; the burger is almost its delivery system.
The story
Tom Koulax started ladling chili over burgers and hot dogs in 1946, and the chili burger became the whole identity of the stand. Its success spawned dozens of copycats across Los Angeles with near-identical names, and the family chose not to chase most of them in court, fighting only for the words “Original” and “World Famous”.
What’s inside
Make it at home
There is no copycat of the Quarter-Pound Chili Cheeseburger yet. Until there is, these recipes on the site come closest to it, judged by what goes into the bun.
- Shares beef, chili and cheese
The Heisenberg Burger - Shares beef, chili and cheese
Fajita Cheeseburger - Shares beef and cheese
McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe (Copycat) - Shares beef and cheese
McDonald's McFeast (Copycat)
Similar burgers at other chains
Built around the same things as the Quarter-Pound Chili Cheeseburger.- Islands · beef, chili and cheese
Pipeline - Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries · beef, chili and cheese
SignatureThe “Original” Carolina Classic Burger - Wayback Burgers · beef, chili and cheese
Carolina - Friendly's · beef, chili and cheese
Chili Cheeseburger
More from Original Tommy's
About Original Tommy's
Tom Koulax, the son of Greek immigrants, opened a small stand at Beverly and Rampart boulevards, just west of downtown Los Angeles, on 15 May 1946. He sold hamburgers and hot dogs smothered in chili. Business was slow at first, then it never stopped: the original stand still operates, and the family still runs the company.
Around thirty restaurants, almost all in Greater Los Angeles, plus a few in Las Vegas.
Not affiliated with Original Tommy's. Trademarks belong to their owners.