The Win-Dow

Complexity is OK if you’re writing the Saturday crossword for The New York Times or going on a first date with a poet. But more often than not, simplicity is always the better option - especially at lunchtime. The Win-Dow, attached to neighborhood steakhouse American Beauty in Venice, understands this.

This carry-out spot has just a handful of seats (they’re plastic chairs scattered across a parking lot) and only seven items on the menu - three of which are burgers (including an Impossible option). Inside at American Beauty, they’re serving dry-aged steaks and a $19 steakhouse burger, but here, you can get a burger, fries, and a drink for less than $10. That $4 burger, with caramelized onions, pickles, and silky melted American cheese on top, is better than any non-In-N-Out $4 burger deserves to be, and the fries are suspiciously—we mean this in the best way possible—similar to ones from McDonald’s. Next time you’re in Venice, this is the spot for something affordable, hyper-fast, and simple. And unlike that time you went out with a poet, you’ll actually enjoy yourself here.

photo credit: Andrea D'Agosto