As a frequent Yelp user, The Oinkster quickly found its way onto my list of places to try in Los Angeles due to its 2,000 reviews touting the Pastrami Sandwich and their burger. This information was verified when my friend Brian raved about the Pastrami Sandwich as the best he ever had. On a recent trip to Mammoth, we stopped at the Oinkster and so I was excited to give it a shot.
We arrived at 11 AM, just before they had opened, yet there was already a line. Fortunately, the line moved fairly quickly and within about 15 minutes we were seated outside digging into our meal. At the time, I was not in the mood so much for pastrami and with all my friends getting the Pastrami Sandwich, I figured I would try a little of theirs and go with the burger myself since I rarely make it to Pasadena and wanted to give both a shot. To top off the burger, I did add a little pastrami to it. With the pastrami added on the burger came out to about $8.50. Unfortunately, it just did not impress. The toppings overpowered the patty and pastrami, which were both rendered almost tasteless. The bread was also unimpressive. As for the Pastrami Sandwich, that was much better. This one, served on a roll, blends cabbage and caramelized onions with the pastrami itself. Not usually a fan of cabbage, the combo actually worked pretty well overall, giving a complement to what could have otherwise been a little too dry of a sandwich.
If you venture to Pasadena and enjoy Pastrami, I would say The Oinkster is worth checking out. Stay away from the burger, though, as the pastrami is the clear cut winner in this one.
Price: 7
Pastrami Sandwich: 7.5
Burger: 3
Atmosphere: 5
Overall: 6
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