It could be a scene from a movie: A charismatic chef ditches his gourmet bistro and starts cooking burgers out of a kitschy takeout window.
In this case, the chef happens to be Alexis Trolf, the auteur behind Newsday Top 50 restaurants Lost & Found and Lost at Sea. And his takeout window is the old Waffle Cabin, a tiny storefront on Long Beach’s West End that’s literally built to look like a log cabin.
Trolf weekend burger concept is called Lil’ Al’s, named after his daughter Alice. Lost & Found makes a legendary burger, so fat and juicy that it’s currently on Newsday’s list of standout Long Island burgers.
Trolf had been planning to start a gourmet pita spot in this location, but eventually he found the space too small to execute that concept. Then came the quick pivot to burgers.
“Right now we’re doing burgers and fries, and they’re really good, I think. They’ve got a universal appeal,” he says. “It’s kind of taken on a life of its own. I could open multiple Lil’ Al’s. I could open in Point Lookout, Rockaway …”Â
A cheeseburger and fries taken to-go from Lil’ Al’s in Long Beach. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
His menu is stylishly small, with only one burger and a couple of sides. On a recent Friday night, this meant French fries ($5) and a paper cup filled with an ooey gooey bechamel mac and cheese ($6). A new item, a “sausage confit” with Dijon for $8, turned out to be a well-done spicy sausage in a bun.
Like Trolf’s other nearby restaurants, there’s already more buzz than there is signage or reliability. The concept doesn’t have a Google listing yet, nor does it seem to have regular hours. (The door lists opening days as Thursdays through Sundays from 5 p.m. until they sell out.) And yet, there was a stiff line on the sidewalk outside, and the burgers took about 30 minutes to come out.Â
“One day I ground 138 patties and they were gone in two and a half hours,” Trolf said. “I spent three and a half hours cutting and grinding patties and they were gone in half that time.”Â
At less than six ounces, the cheeseburger ($10) is significantly smaller than the bistro burger at Lost & Found, although it’s still got that fat beefy steakburger quality. Instead of Gruyere, it’s layered with Cheddar cheese, which doesn’t have the same funk. Hearty eaters may want to, gasp, order two. Because the freshly-ground meat is still very high quality, the whole experience might leave you, too, wanting more.
Lil’ Al’s, 874-B W. Beech St., Long Beach. Open 5 p.m. until sellout Thursday through Sunday.
Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.