30 Burgers in 30 Days: Fun with Buns at Rounds Premium Burgers (Day 4)

Sitting at the windowside counter at Rounds Premium Burgers in West Hollywood, watching drunk and soon-to-be-drunk clubgoers flit from bar to bar, we couldn't stop thinking about buns. Specifically, brioche buns, the de facto frame for every upscale burger, often lending them an unearned gravitas. If these gentrified burger chains wrote a jingle, they'd sing the praises of a coarsely ground angus patty, chipotle mayo, organic greens, blue cheese, pickle chips and caramelized onions on a toasted brioche bun.

At the recently opened Rounds, which stays open until 2 a.m. and sits on a prime piece of people-watching real estate at the corner of Santa Monica and San Vicente boulevards, we tried to order our burger on something, anything, besides a brioche. Not the Counter-esque option of serving it over mixed greens or the protein-friendly option of wrapping it in lettuce. We tried sourdough, but our very sweet server explained they had ordinary pre-sliced supermarket bread and we really probably definitely wanted the brioche. He was right.

The brioche at Rounds is gorgeous. Its perfect width, its height, the chubby top bun teetering above the stacked burger like a baby who hasn't quite grown into his head, its golden color, its shine. This is a burger with loads of visual appeal. Rounds wants to be taken seriously. It's making a play to join the big boys of the burger world -- without charging big boy prices.

Sitting at the windowside counter at Rounds Premium Burgers in West Hollywood, watching drunk and soon-to-be-drunk clubgoers flit from bar to bar, we couldn't stop thinking about buns. Specifically, brioche buns, the de facto frame for every upscale burger, often lending them an unearned gravitas. If these gentrified burger chains wrote a jingle, they'd sing the praises of a coarsely ground angus patty, chipotle mayo, organic greens, blue cheese, pickle chips and caramelized onions on a toasted brioche bun.

At the recently opened Rounds, which stays open until 2 a.m. and sits on a prime piece of people-watching real estate at the corner of Santa Monica and San Vicente boulevards, we tried to order our burger on something, anything, besides a brioche. Not the Counter-esque option of serving it over mixed greens or the protein-friendly option of wrapping it in lettuce. We tried sourdough, but our very sweet server explained they had ordinary pre-sliced supermarket bread and we really probably definitely wanted the brioche. He was right.

The brioche at Rounds is gorgeous. Its perfect width, its height, the chubby top bun teetering above the stacked burger like a baby who hasn't quite grown into his head, its golden color, its shine. This is a burger with loads of visual appeal. Rounds wants to be taken seriously. It's making a play to join the big boys of the burger world -- without charging big boy prices.

• Day 3: Whipped Cream & Other Delights at The Counter


• Day 2: Kimchi & Cultural Fusion at Kalbi Burger


• Day 1: 30 Burgers in 30 Days: Alcohol & Excess at GO Burger.