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    For The Win

    3.9 (307 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order For The Win Takeout or Delivery

    For The Win Photos

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    FOR THE WIN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - For The Win

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    Seating
    Ally Y.

    One of the best burgers I've had in a very long time if ever. You walk in order from the tablet and find a seat. They even have a counter top to eat at while your order gets made. The service is great because you order and do your thing while the chef does his and all is well. (For the "bad service" comments I don't think good service needs to be "extra happy" when customers come in. True service means they put their soul into what they do and that's this place simplicity at its finest a real burger joint with real people) keep it 100 Smashed Burger: it's a simple honest burger. It's the pinnacle of cheese burger with molten cheese and grilled onion. Expect third degree burns on your tongue if you don't wait a bit. But that's the best part when have you sat down and had a hot cheeseburger NEVER! Until here shoutout to the chef for perfecting such greatness. We added fries and a soda I wish I got the cheese fries because they looked so good. But that's for next time. (Price $10 a burger)($3extra for a double) well worth This place is legit W burgers

    Fries
    April V.

    The burgers are good but not a big fan of the sauce. Fries are nicely salted. Bought the fry's sauce & it's like an In-N-Out spread sauce packet. I didn't really like it & it tastes like it has some types of mustard or horseradish or strong oil Not sure if I was overcharged or the prices increased The service was fast though

    Entrance
    Hannah S.

    Always on the lookout for a great burger and have heard a lot about For The Win, but my experience here was a bit disappointing. The burgers are cooked nicely and the cheese is good - but their fry sauce is overwhelmingly sweet, they charge an additional price for everything apart from the buns and meat, the vibes are uninviting, and the staff don't seem to want to have anything to do with the customers.  We were meeting up with my SIL/MIL and were all craving burgers so we came here for our family dinner. The decor is minimalist, bare bones, and quite sterile - definitely not an inviting place to linger. There are giant order screens instead of registers at the counter and the staff are hiding back in the kitchen and constantly seemed busy and overwhelmed even when we needed help (we were the only customers). We eventually figured out our issues on our own and got our food ordered with no help from anyone. We ordered three single cheese burgers and one double with some loaded fries, water bottles and a chocolate shake - almost cost $80! If you want lettuce and tomato or even pickles - extra charge. Pretty much nickel and dime you for anything other than the meat and cheese lol. And forget about water cups - there aren't any water stations or anything so you're forced to get bottled water (yay more microplastics). The food took a while to prepare and when it came out, our shake was missing. I asked the staff about it and he seemed very annoyed - but I eventually got it.  The burgers were cooked decently - the meat and cheese have decent flavors but again, I was not a fan of how sweet their fry sauce was - it was overwhelming on both the burgers and the fries. I also asked for two extra sides of the sauce as I wasn't sure what to expect and they charge extra for that too ($3 for two sauces) lol. It's definitely not made in house - it came in pre packaged plastic like giant ketchup packets. Definitely wouldn't get this again. The fries were pretty good and the chocolate shake was nice - those were the wins of our experience. I was also taken aback that the self-order kiosk asks you for a tip - you self order, pick up your order yourself when they put it on the counter so you take it back to your table yourself, AND clean up after yourself - which is totally fine but what would we need to tip for?  The location is great - in the main core of the cute little downtown Alhambra area near the movie theater. Parking is easy in the garages nearby. The food isn't bad and I would come again if it wasn't so impersonal and expensive, but unfortunately based on this first experience I doubt we'll be back - definitely preferred it when it was Grill Em All.

    Our already today. 2 double cheeseburger, dirty fries, and Brussels
    Ann Q.

    We had a really great first time experience today! There was only one gentleman working today and he greeted everyone that came in! I told him it was our first time here and he warmly helped us out at the register. Explained what the burgers come with and sides options. We opted for 2 double cheeseburgers no add ons, and all fixings. Order of Brussels and dirty fries. OMG if I was younger I would throw down the burgers and fries so quick!!! The dirty fries had tons of grilled onions and their fry sauce. There was an option to add bacon bits but we decided against it since we were expecting our meal to be heavy already. I absolutely loved the dirty fries!!! It was an elevated more gourmet version of in n out animal fries. The smash burgers were made very well, nice char and crispy beef edges! Cheese fully melted, generous sauce, pickles n onions all in some sweet and soft toasted brioche buns! The buns were similar to Hawaiian bread. I had to eat with a fork and knife, I had already fumbled and dirtied my dress with the Brussels! Brussels I think we're just deep fried, I don't think there was any sauce or toppings on it yet the Brussels were not overly bitter. I was hoping they were going to help with offsetting the heaviness of the overall meal, but because it too was fried in beef tallow, everything ate overall super heavy and very rich. These aren't cheap, you are paying for quality and you will get quality foods! Despite the price I felt like it was worth it. I would definitely add veggies on my next visit and and and!!! I found out coconut Co is going to be their neighbor soon!!! It would be a perfect pairing to get a coconut drink to pair with my burger!!! I'm so excited for them to open!!! Man... Definitely get the dirty fries!!! I'm drooling just thinking about it! BYOB, there is no fountain drinks here only canned and bottled drinks. No ice no water refill station.

    Ashley H.

    Alright burger place. Service was minimal and there were kiosk stations upfront to order on. Meal itself wasn't bad (a little on the salty side) but I was pretty surprised on how small their cheeseburger was being $8+. Asked staff for water cups which was denied. Overheard another patron after ask and also denied as well.

    Happy to be at our favorite smashburger in Alhambra!
    Greg W.

    I wanted to post an update. About 2 weeks after the review we went back. We walked up to the front and asked the grill master if they are buttering and/or grilling the buns. The answer was unfortunately "sorry no", so we decided not to eat there. Michael, I hope this changes back but until it does, we won't be returning. This might work for the normal buns but not for the gluten free buns. Because of this, I can't give them four stars any longer.

    Cheeseburger
    Austin B.

    tl;dr the excellent, McDonald's-esque fries can't make up for the average smashburger; the expensive food isn't worth the premium Following the COVID-era smashburger trend, For the Win is a pandemic-borne pop-up from the mind of former fine-dining chef Santos Uy. Originally operating out of his Bib Gourmand-designated Papilles Bistro, FTW has since established multiple dedicated brick-and-mortar locations across Greater Los Angeles. While many burger aficionados lament that the quality has declined with the expansion, FTW remains routinely ranked among LA's top smashburgers. The relatively recent Alhambra outpost is located by the movie theater at the busy intersection of Garfield and Main. The interior decoration is pretty barebones. The concrete floors are polished, and the whitewashed walls have only orange-and-blue, FTW-specific decals. Up front, a handful of wooden tables are pressed up against a teal-upholstered booth. Further back, a diner-style counter peers directly into the open kitchen. The hum of the industrial refrigerator and sizzle from the grill overpower the low din of chatter. I originally was drawn to FTW for their lunch special: a cheeseburger, fries, and a drink for $9.99. Within about 10 minutes, I was presented with a cafeteria tray of food. The piping hot cheeseburger was mostly forgettable, from the flimsy potato roll bun, to the handful of snappy pickles, to the not-quite-juicy-and-not-quite-crispy patty, to FTW's overly sweet Thousand Island-adjacent fry sauce. The shoestring fries were a superior McDonald's dupe: excellently crispy, and the portion was the perfect size for sharing. The staff were friendly, and I was pleased to see my burger being cooked to order. Although I have never tried FTW during the pre-expansion days, I've confirmed during a return visit that the Alhambra location is middling as far as smash burgers go. Ultimately, the burgers are no more satisfying than a solid In-N-Out Double Double, but double the price; as such, I don't expect myself ever paying them a return visit.

    Tiffany T.

    One of my favorite smash burgers! The burgers are incredibly flavorful, and you really get those perfectly crispy edges. The servers are always super friendly and quick with my orders. There's convenient parking nearby in the garage behind the movie theater or next to Dollar Tree.

    Triple smash with loaded fries and a chocolate shake. Better go for a walk after!
    Colin O.

    Sweet and simple, this is a great burger. Everything is cooked fresh and the staff always make an effort to welcome their customers. Not cheap by any stretch but the taste is worth it. Love their food!

    Fries
    Jess B.

    My husband and I tried this place out on a Saturday night. It was about 1.5 hours from closing. It's an open kitchen and they have both table and bar seating. We opted to sit at the bar and watch the cook prepare our food. Your order from a kiosk (there's two in total), which I really like. The menu is small and simple; there's only a few options for burgers and sides. My husband ordered a double cheeseburger with fries and I ordered a double cheeseburger (lettuce wrapped) with brussel sprouts. Service was standard. They weren't friendly but they weren't rude either. And our food was delivered pretty quickly after ordering. I started with the brussel sprouts and they were really salty. It was so salty that after my first bite I had to immediately down my drink. They were pretty pricey so I forced myself to eat them but paired them with the lettuce wrapped around my burger to decrease the saltiness. I had the burger next. It was good but I wasn't a fan of the sauce.

    Cheeseburger
    Gail Astrid M.

    Love their smash burgers over here. I wish they had more signature drinks rather than the tap and the canned. Overall all A+ customer service. Very casual place.

    Double Cheeseburger
    Rickey S.

    TLDR: burger is tasty but seems overpriced for what it is. I'd give it a 4/5 stars overall if the double cheese burger was like $12 after tax: 5 star for the burger & 3 stars for the service. -- Came in on a Friday around 915pm. I ordered a double cheeseburger ($12.50) with tomato and lettuce added ($1) and it came out to $14.92 after taxes. The burger was good, crispy edges from the smash burger, well seasoned. The lettuce and tomato are a must to add more texture. It's just way too pricy to be $15 for a double smash burger imo. The service was mid. There were only two people in the restaurant including me. It took about 15 minutes to get my order. Maybe they were understaffed but there were only two workers but I could tell they were slammed with all the online orders coming in. The other customer who was waiting on his meal didn't get the sweet potato fries that he ordered because they made a mistake and had to wait for the sweet potato fries to be cooked (from frozen) and I ended up finishing my burger before his order was completed. Online orders weren't completed in the 15-20 minutes that I was there. After 9 pm they put the chairs up by the booth and only bar seating is available.

    Julia K.

    My husband and I came here for a quick bite after discovering it about a year ago near our favorite local movie theater. There's plenty of parking behind the former Rite Aid or the theater structure. We ordered two single cheeseburgers, they do them smash Burger style here, and a side of sweet potato fries. Everything was fresh and delicious. Sad to see it was a pretty slow night for the restaurant as we have seen businesses come and go from this place over the years and it would be a shame to see this place go too. If you're in the area, stop by and get some bomb burgers, the fry sauce doesn't disappoint either!

    Cheeseburger (left), Chicken Sandwich (right)

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Good food good taste and good ambiance. Similar to the glendale location and friendly workers.

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    2 years ago

    YUMMY and clean. If you want a good smash burger this is the place to be. Service is good and ordering is quick.

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    My first time here burgers look very appetizing customer service is a 10 and efficient

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    2 years ago

    Went to the one in Glendale so naturally I had to come to this one! It was great!! Great burger and fries!

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    2 years ago

    They have Amazing burgers and shakes! Fast service and it looks clean! Lots of room to sit

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    2 years ago

    This place is an underground burger joint located on the Main street, employees are friendly and overall vibez are chill.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Food did not taste good and was over priced. The service is good though but I wouldn't go again.

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    1 year ago

    Food was good. Service, idk you oder on a screen and seat yourself (grand central market). I still love In-n-Out most!

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    1 year ago

    IT is just For the win! Taste, size and freshness hits all the spot! My top 2 list of a good burger.

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    2 years ago

    Awesome burgers!!! I will totally come back to enjoy these juicy burgers. The service was amazing. Keep up the great work

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    The guy with a nice mustache was really hospitable! Great service & food! Would come again.

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    2 years ago

    Parking is good. Not busy. Place is clean. Been to Glendale location- was pretty good. Expect the same thing here. It's close to home.

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    Page 6 of 8

    Ask the Community - For The Win

    Hey! Just wondering any follow up on the question regarding a nut allergy?

    Just wondering, for a nut allergy, is there any concern?

    Llppp

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Patisserie Too

    Patisserie Too

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    They've now moved to a new location in Alhambra on Main Street!! Still as casual as prior spot,…read moreand as many options for mini sweets and treats, and they have some limited seating inside. The parking is a shared lot in the back (which can get busy during rush hours). Still love the Portuguese egg tart deals. This new location has self service stations to order but you still have to get in line to pick up the order -- so it's a bit of a hassle as you'd think this makes it faster!

    I had been seeing pictures of Patisserie Too all over my feed and finally made a trip to see what…read morethe hype was about. Let me start by saying this place is absolutely Instagram-worthy. Every dessert in the case looks like a tiny masterpiece. You can really see the care and detail that went into creating them, which is so impressive. The cafe itself is bright, cute, and has a really nice ambiance. It feels like a perfect little spot for a date, to be honest. A huge practical plus is the parking situation, which is easy with plenty of street spots and a lot nearby. Now, I feel a little weird saying this because the presentation is a full 10/10, but the taste just didn't match up for me. I tried a couple of their most popular items, and while they were okay, they were kind of bland? The flavors weren't as bold or memorable as I was hoping, and some textures were a bit off. It was a bit of a letdown after how stunning everything looked. My experience was just okay, so I'm landing at 3 stars. The staff was nice, the place is charming, and I wouldn't say no to coming back with a friend to try a different pastry and a coffee. But if you're going purely for an incredible flavor experience, you might leave wanting a bit more. It's a feast for the eyes, for sure. I plan to come back to give this one more try.

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    Salju Dessert

    Salju Dessert

    4.3
    (1.5k reviews)
    1.2 mi
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    SALJU HAS EXCELLENT SHAVED SNOW…read more=============================== I am so glad Salju is still in business after all these years! It seems really popular as well. While I was there lots of people came in. I used to bring my son years ago. My selection today was a small matcha with strawberries on top. I had the choice of two items in addition to condensed milk which I love. Next time I'll pay extra for more condensed milk. It was absolutely delicious. Even though it's about twelve miles from my home I will make the trip. It's worth it. The service is great too.

    small shaved ice ($8.5) - at first i was like why is this…read moreshaved ice almost $10 after tax but it is so worth it given the size, texture, flavor, and the fact that you can choose two toppings! - there is a great variety of toppings which I liked; i got the grass jelly and red bean, both of which were good quality ingredients - got it without any condensed milk bc it was already yummy by itself; light, refreshing, and a perfect guilt free sweet treat - the matcha was super strong and the shaved ice itself had a quirky texture; although it is shaved ice it has a texture leaning a bit towards gelato? A bit gooey when you pull it up; It doesn't melt quickly right in your mouth too rating: 4.7/5 - this might be on my top 2 shaved ice spot because its texture was just so unique; flavor was good and portion was massive - i really have nothing to complain about this spot and what's even better is the amount of seats and outlets in the store - has a restroom in the back - great spot to hang and chit chat - super welcoming and friendly service - service is extremely speedy IG: @nom.noms.only

    Photos
    Welcome to Salju Dessert. #Order counter
    Welcome to Salju Dessert. #Order counter
    Pineapple with double gummies
    Pineapple with double gummies
    Strawberry snow with boba, mochi and condensed milk

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    For The Win - burgers - Updated June 2026

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