Best California Burgers

I need something more cheerful to talk about, so I am going to make a post of the best burgers I've had in California. This is by no means a comprehensive list (since I haven't traveled much), nor am I a burger expert. (Mark probably is.) I know what I like, though - a good meat-to-veggie ratio, a good bun, and great condiments. Places get bonus points for their fries or unusual sides.

1. In N Out - There is nothing more Californian than the In N Out chain. It is owned by a Christian family that pays their workers decent wages and gives them paid vacations, health care, etc. (Suck on it, Wal-Mart.) Anyway, the only way you can tell it's owned by a Christian family is that at the bottom of the soda cups there are little not-even verses - just something reference Bible verses - like Exodus 3:10 or something like that. Some people get worked up over that, but I find it hard to make a big deal about it when you don't even think to look down there most of the time. Anyway, the best thing about In N Out is the freshness. Everything - meat, tomatoes, onions, potatoes are shipped to each location daily and everything is made to order at the location. This means that your meat is not microwaved, your fries didn't come in a frozen package, and you eat a wonderfully good burger for really cheap. There is a secret menu where you can order stuff if the stuff on the regular menu does not entice you. One warning - if you're in Southern California, you may have to wait a while for your stuff, because it's always crowded, and they don't start on your order until you give it to them. In N Outs in Northern California are less crowded. (I am not a big fan of the fries, though. They're a little too mushy for my taste, but some people like them a lot.) You can get a veggie burger but it's just the burger without the meat.
   
2. Johnny Rockets - This is another burger chain. It's not as great as In N Out, and it's more expensive, but it's more of a diner than a fast food place. Their burgers are huge and filling and yummy. I like their onion rings better, and one of the best things about this chain is that you can get Vanilla Coke here. Not the canned shit, but Coke flavored with real vanilla. (Or real vanilla flavoring. It tastes awesome, trust me.)
   
3. Fatburger - I'm putting this on here because Mark said so. I had it a couple of times while I was in UCLA, and I didn't really see what the big deal was. At Fatburger, besides the regular menu, they give you the option of customizing your burger further, so if you want chili and bacon on your existing giant burger, you can. You can even put an egg on it - the very idea of which revolts me, but is nirvana to some. There are a lot more locations than I thought there were, but none that are close to us.
4. The Counter - This is a nice burger joint located in Palo Alto, near Stanford. The menu lets you customize your burger even further than Fatburger does, and the meat is fresh and humanely raised, for those of you that care about that stuff. I recommend picking three toppings, and a sauce if you really want one because anything more gets to be a bit much. The burgers come piled high, and depending on how much stuff you picked, you may have to eat it with a fork. They are sooo good. There are lots of good veggie options if you're not a meat eater or don't feel like a burger at the time. Some of the best things on this menu are in the starter section, such as the Sweet Potato Fries. Oh my god those are delicious.
   
5. Tommy's - Tommy's is an L.A. institution. There are Tommy's all over the place in Southern California, and none, sad to say, up North. Tommy's is famous for its burgers with chili. You can have variations of burgers with chili, but that's about it. It is a heart attack on a bun, and it is delicious. You may lapse into a food coma afterwards. It's really messy to eat, but that's beside the point, isn't it?
6. Marvin Gardens - This is located in Belmont, and sometimes Mark goes here with his co-workers for lunch. It is a small pub/family restaurant. Most of the lunch crowd are the mechanics that work around the area. It's been around for over 30 years. In addition to the burgers, there are pizzas and sandwiches, which are also pretty good. I don't think their online menu is comprehensive, though - I could have sworn there are lots of burger options. The ones I've had had always been so large I could barely finish them. They are grilled right there, and it's really good.
7. Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers - This is mostly a Northern California thing, I think. The burgers are fresh, and good meat-to-veggie ratio, and lots of great sides. I never finish a burger here, but that's because they're so huge.  It is decently priced, and in addition to the burgers, I love the Deep Fried Vegetable Basket. You can hear people's kids going, "But Mommy, look I AM eating vegetables!" 
8. Joe's Cable Car - We went here for someone's birthday and we haven't been back since, but we totally should. For one thing, even though it's in San Francisco, this restaurant has FREE PARKING. That is worth it, right there. But another thing is that the burger meat is freshly ground, at the restaurant, and you can safely eat your burgers medium rare here. They'll make it medium rare anyway, unless you specify otherwise. If you come with a huge party and order a lot, everyone gets free mugs to take home. Their burgers were so good I don't even remember the sides.

That's all I can think of right now. I'm sure there's plenty more I missed.