Umami Burger

Visited on a Saturday night around 6:30 PM and was surprised to find the restaurant nearly empty, which made it easy to seat our party of 12. Being from San Diego, I used to frequent the Umami locations in Anaheim and Hollywood when they first opened. Their burgers have definitely changed since then--it's more of a smashed patty style now, rather than the thick patties they used to serve. While I wish they stuck to the old style, the burgers are still tasty.I ordered the truffle burger with thin fries, and both were delicious. The fries were so good I couldn't stop eating them--definitely a portion big enough for two to share.The highlight of our visit was our server, Ryan. He was incredibly accommodating, handling our request to split the check three ways for a party of 12 with ease. He was patient, friendly, and personable throughout our entire meal, making the experience even better.

Stopped by for lunch here with a friend before shopping and it was pretty disappointing. So sad because Umami Burger used to be so good!I think we got there right when it opened so we were the only ones there and service was still pretty slow. We sat outside where lots of TVs were displayed. Food options sounded so interesting and delish so I was excited.What I ordered:-The Black Garlic Burger: This was pretty large, I didn't realize it was 2 smashed patties! Meat was dry and not very flavorful. Dashi onions weren't very flavorful either. The black garlic sauce was the only thing giving this burger flavor. 3/5-Thin Fries w/ Black Garlic Sauce: I totally didn't realize that I got the same dipping sauce that was in the burger but it was good with the fries. It added a good aioli and truffle flavor to them. The fries weren't anything special though, didn't taste like much without the garlic sauce. ***Note: I did take the fries and sauce home and reheated the fries in my toaster oven to the point where they were super crispy. When paired with the sauce it hit different for some reason at home. It could be because taste palate was cleansed and I was able to taste the sauce more but I def recommend doing this if you have leftover fries lol***Overall, this place was very mid. I always held Umami Burger in such high esteem because it was one of the first fusion burgers that I ever tried that I really enjoyed. But then again, this was years ago at the Anaheim location so not sure if that one's still the same or if it's just this location that was a flop. I always felt like this place was pricey but worth it, but now it's pricey and definitely not worth it. Sad!

Service was reallly slow .. there was no one there, plenty of open tables and we still had to wait 15 mins for a table... Food was okay, wasn't worth the price.

Service was great but food is disappointing. The fries were lukewarm and the burger lacks truffle flavor. Beef patty was fresh but probably won't be back anytime soon.

I like this Umami. The burgers and fries were really good, and the service was great too! We came here for the first time recently and were pleasantly surprised by the food and service!We came here after a recent shopping trip and ordered some food to-go. We ordered the truffle burgers and then some fries. When we asked the staff which fries were the best, the parm truffle fries were the hands-down winner. They also liked the thin fries too! We even ordered the apple pie as well. We've had the truffle burgers before and they were delicious as usual. The fries were great too. The thin fries were just a tad spicier which was a fun change from usual fries. Everyone that worked here were also so nice and helpful. When we're in the neighborhood, we'll definitely be back!

What happened Umami. They moved over to smashburgers. Just not the same. I got the truffle burger and it was just so dry and overcooked. They loaded it with pickles and that's all I tasted. It was just pretty disappointing...maybe I'm just too nostalgic for what Umami used to be like? Regardless, our last visit was not what I expected. Service was also not great. We dropped by for dinner right when they opened. It was pretty empty, but service was slow. And when we finally got someone at our table, you could tell they did not want to be there. Not interested in explaining the menu when we had questions, no eye contact, just very impersonal.It's a meh for me. What a bummer.

Umami.. a flavor profile invented by the hallmark greeting cards, speaks to the foodie in all of us. Umami burger had a wonderful selection of burger combos all under the soft and pillowy brioche helmet and greasy melted cheese with your choice of patty. There are choices for most diets or ways of life-- depending on where you're from-- the impossible patty is available for any burger as well as catering to the vegan folks. Togadashi fries though were so addicting. I would recommend trying it with the black garlic sauce AND their truffle ketchup (all restaurant-made!). Hopefully it means rat turds free as most ketchup manufacturers would have us believe. The truffle parm fries were good too but it's a little crumbly and the sweet potato fries were thin and fries like. If you catch my drift. Wink wink. The burgers though, delish. Rich and $3 cheaper if you order a single patty rather than double. Love their menu!

What happened to the quality of this brand? This was my first time visiting this location and my first time dining since COVID but sadly, all the nuances I loved such as the Parmesan crisp on the Original Umami burger. No logo stamped on the bun. No cheesy tots. Service was lacking (called ahead of time to get directions and the associate answered the phone with "hello". I had to ask if I'd dialed the right #) and slow which was odd considering the place was pretty empty. Our server was nice enough however there was a lengthy wait to get our drinks after ordering. So disappointing.

I'm not convinced this is the same umami burger as the one in Santa Monica. The burgers here are dry, the buns and patties are burnt, and everything is way too salty. I ordered the umami burger and there's no cheese crisp, it's just melted cheese. The umami sauce doesn't seem to be the one they have at Santa Monica. The fries are okay. They gave us way too many sauces for just 2 orders of fries. I find it hard to believe this is the same umami burger.There are several parking lots at the spectrum mall and even valet.

Food was terrible. No wonder there was no one inside during lunch time at this busy mall. Should have saw it as a red flag. Server was nice. Food, terrible. Dry patty. We wanted to complain so bad about our three burgers but we just couldn't. It was a pain to pay for a meal that none of us enjoyed. Should have went to shake shack. Waste of $60