Ever since Bobâs Burgers debuted on Fox in 2011, fans have been laughing along with the Belcher family and salivating at each new Bobâs Burger of the Day. Finally, the time has come to try these once fictional burger concepts for ourselves!
This week, a Bobâs Burgers pop up is coming to Los Angeles, inside the Far East Plaza in Chinatown. The location is already a well-known stop for food fans, as it serves as the home of Chef Alvin Cailan’s concept shop, Unit 120. Itâs here that the Bobâs Burgers pop-up will be showcasing a 10-day burger collaboration with different guest chefs. The temporary shop opened on December 1 to long lines and inevitable daily sell-outs of burgers, but there are still a few days left to get your burger fix.
To go along with the Bobâs Burgers collaboration, thereâs an art gallery in the adjacent dining space featuring the artwork of a number of people who actually work on the show. I checked out the space and spoke with a few artists on hand who were happy to talk about their work and love of burgers. Anthony Aguinaldo and Hector Reynoso, who are both prop designers on the show, spend their days drawing the food featured on Bobâs Burgers. Both artists affirmed that working on a show about food inevitably makes them hungry for whateverâs being served up.
Artist Mario Joseph Dâanna Jr. is a storyboard artist on Bobâs, and he created one of my favorite pieces for the gallery: one that features Hawk and Chick from the episode of the same name. Dâanna was inspired by his friend Keisuke Hoashi, who voiced Rising Hawk in the episode. “Keisuke and I were at lunch one day and I told him that if they ever did a Bobâs Burgers art show, I wanted to create something with Hawk and Chick,” D’anna said. “I got him to sign the piece and said, ‘Well, Suzy [Nakamura, the voice of Chick] has to sign it too!”
At the gallery, I spoke with Bobâs Burgers creator Loren Bouchard, who was thrilled to see all the art inspired by the show. On the art gallery and food collaboration, Bouchard said, “This was built into the show…it’s a form of creativity, we’re all foodies now. People’s appreciation of the food scene is really healthy, it has a lot to do with family and tradition and expression, and when youâre making food youâre trying to make someone happy. I’m enamored of the food scene because it’s the purest form of appreciating creativity.â
Of all the burgers of the day that have appeared on the board, Bouchard favors the silliest ones. His all time favorite is the âSay It Ainât Cilantro Burger (Doesnât come with cilantro…because cilantro is terrible.)â I think a lot of cilantro haters would agree with him.
The Burger of the Day when I stopped by was the Get in My Deli Burger by the pastrami geniuses at LAâs popular Wexlerâs Deli. The meal consists of an angus beef patty with Swiss cheese, grilled onions, Russian dressing, and pastrami bacon! Any guesses on what other featured burgers might show up at this exciting pop up? Iâm crossing my fingers for an Endive Had the Time of My Life Burger or a Beets of Burden Burger. Or maybe a Hit Me With Your Best Shallot Burger, if weâre really lucky. Clearly I have a thing for song puns.
Time to strap on your Louise hat and settle in for a snack. The Bobâs Burger Pop up is located at Unit 120 in the Far East Plaza in Los Angeles and runs through December 10. Check out some of the featured pieces in the gallery below.
Whatâs your ideal Bobâs Burger of the Day? Let us know in the comments and tag @nerdist and @justjenn on twitter to show us your favorite burger!