I had a pretty frustrating experience ordering from For The Win today, which completely defeated the purpose of ordering ahead. I placed an online order through their website, and it quoted about a 25-minute prep time with a ready window around 2:56 -3:06 PM. I planned accordingly and even arrived earlier so I could pick it up fresh and avoid waiting. However, just five minutes after placing the order, I received a text saying it was already ready. That immediately raised a red flag, because if you're paying $13+ for a double burger, you expect it to be made closer to your arrival time, not immediately. When I arrived, the burger was already cold. When I brought this up, the employee I spoke with repeatedly said "it's not my fault" and pointed to someone else, instead of taking any ownership or even acknowledging the issue. It was a really poor way to handle a simple customer concern. Eventually, after some back and forth, the burger was remade, but I had to wait another 10-15 minutes. And ironically, it took longer to make it this time than it did after I placed the online order. But then now I wa stuck waiting defeating the whole purpose of ordering ahead. A manager eventually came over and was polite, but by that point the experience had already been frustrating. They also threw away the original burger instead of offering to let me keep it, which felt wasteful. On top of that, when I asked for a couple cups of water for my daughter, I was told I'd need to purchase a bottle, which felt pretty tone-deaf given the situation and didn't even think to offer me any anything for the misunderstanding and having to wait extra time now... The bigger issue here is the lack of coordination and communication. If you're going to quote customers a pickup time, especially for hot food, the order should be made accordingly--not immediately after it's placed. Otherwise, you're guaranteeing that the food won't be fresh when the customer arrives. Between the timing issue, the lack of ownership from staff, and the overall handling of the situation, this was a disappointing experience. I usually like the food, but the service and process today really need improvement. read more

First time eating here and probably the last. When I ordered the double cheeseburger with the cashier, I asked for lots of pickles. As she entered the order, I asked what was on the cheeseburger and she recited "cheese and sauce". I again reminded her of fact I wanted extra pickles, to which she replied "oh yeah". Needless to say there were barely any pickles on the burger and when I later looked at the receipt I found no mention of my request. Poor customer service and the burger was just a nondescript smash burger. $15.80 for just the burger, including the tip which clearly was not earned. read more

FOR THE LOSS is more like it!!! Ordered two burgers but was charged for two cheeseburgers?! WTF?! The price difference was only a buck per, NBD, but when I asked the counter girl to refund the difference she looked at me like I was from Mars. ‍ "Can't give you a refund," she finally answered, "Whaaatttt?!?" The burger was so-so, the milkshake tasted like milk, minus the shake. Fries were overcooked and lacked flavor. I understand why there was no line and no wait, cause everyone goes to in n out, the only reliable option for true burger fans. Also, if you're only gonna serve canned soda, why not include Coke?! Again, WTF?! Manager, your staff was sweet, I'm not mad at them, BUT YOU OWE ME TWO BUCKS!! read more

Did not live up to the hype! My patties were not seasoned at all, which was likely just user error. Even if the patties were perfectly seasoned, it's just a mid burger that wasn't really smashed. I was expecting more crispy edges, and my wife and in laws burgers were the same. On the plus side, the regular and sweet potato fries were both good and had a good crunch. read more

For The Win - Double Hamburger w/ Jalapeños - Sandwiches Near Me - Van Nuys, California

For the win--literally! After a few hours of shopping, my daughter, granddaughter, and I decided to grab dinner at For the Win. We were all craving burgers, and nothing hits like a fresh smash burger. I ordered the double cheeseburger with bacon and all the toppings, plus a side of sweet potato fries and a cold brisk tea. Everything was delicious. The restaurant was super clean and had a festive vibe with Christmas music playing, which we loved. The staff were very welcoming, and the customer service was top-notch. We'll definitely be back to this location. read more

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After hearing video after video of the best smash burger in LA- we finally tried this place! It's very small- kinda tucked into a small parking lot. The prices? HIGH. I'm talking $14 burger - no fries. $8.50 loaded fries. No soft drinks, only canned soda. Quite a hefty price for what it is. The burger was good- the special sauce has a little kick but nothing too much and I'm sensitive to spice. It just wasn't good ENOUGH to warrant this kind of price. Definitely think it's been overhyped. Service was good, the girl was nice. Resturant seemed clean. However- I find a better value at Chris n' Eddys I don't think I'll be back unfortunately read more

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Craving for burger and want to try something else from my usual burger spot. I don't really like their shared parking lot. It's smaller than ordinary ones, it's made for compact cars. Friendly cashier explained and took my ordered. I got double cheeseburger and fries. It didn't make me full without any veggies. Also should have gotten triple patties but it was a bit pricey. Overall it was a good tasting burger. read more

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I would give it 4.5 if I could. Burgers are amazing, sides are decent. Place has small inside seating but the parking can get very tight in that shopping center. Definitely one of my favorite smash burger spot in la. read more

It never fails when I go to LA. I have trouble finding a good place to eat. The place we were going to didn't work out, and we came across For the Win. It was just an average smash burger with delicious sweet potato fries. Customer Service was great. Can't say I would return read more

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Location is on the smaller side. But they make great use of it. Nice, clean and well maintained. My husband and I had cheeseburgers I had a side of loaded fries and my husband had the brussels sprouts. Cheeseburger was good, but going forward I would do the sauce on the side. It was just too much for me, but I would love to have it just to dip my cheeseburger as I wish. The load fries were yummy! The brussels sprouts were delicious! The staff was kind and very polite. read more

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Food ordering is done completely on a tablet, easy to order or change language if needed. With clear pricing and modifications to your food. There is no meat wellness modification since it's a fast food smash burger style if that's your concern. Food for two - double cheese burger and order of sweet potato fries. DEFINITELY order an extra patty since they're extremely thin patties for smash burger standards. Food took 15 minutes to be ready. Only one party ordered before us but there were lots of to-go orders. Total came out to $34. Venue was nice with ample seating and one gender neutral bathroom. A quick eats joint but restaurant prices. Food was tasty but value wasn't there. It's incredibly expensive for how satisfying/filling the meal was. Unfortunately it didn't satisfy our burger craving and we will need to compensate with the "two palm trees burger place". If you're going to do a quick service style meal/dining experience the value needs to match. We can't be paying $34 and still both be hungry. read more

For The Win - Double cheese burger and sweet potato fries - Sandwiches Near Me - Van Nuys, California

I ordered from here again because they are delicious here. This is the first place I tried a smash burger and I love the crisp they have to every bite. There usually is a line out the door because of the hype they have behind their burgers. They do handle the pack to their punch for their burgers. They are savorying and delectable in every bite. Love this place. read more

For The Win - Cheeseburger...nom...nom...nom - Sandwiches Near Me - Van Nuys, California

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Delicious burgers and Brussel sprouts! We as a family love grilled brussels sprouts! My grandson is going back to college and wanted to eat here, I loved the burgers! read more

For The Win - Our burgers! We all enjoyed our food and sweet potato fries, French fries and grilled brussels sprouts! - Sandwiches Near Me - Van Nuys, California

The Food- Smashburger with Fries- Very good and I would get both of them again. The only thing that kept me from getting to 5 stars was that I thought the price was a little of the high side considering that is more a a fast food type of setting. Parking- Shares a medium size lot with a few other businesses. I could see that parking could be challenging at busy times. Service- Friendly. read more

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Was excited to give them a second chance! For the win!!! But was disappointed again! The brussels sprouts were burnt! Not able to eat them The staff were friendly - and the strawberry shake was good! read more

For The Win - Brussels sprouts - Sandwiches Near Me - Van Nuys, California

The best cheeseburger I've had in Los Angeles so far. Still a few other places to try before I crown a winner, but For The Win makes an extremely delicious cheeseburger. I like to add lettuce and tomatoes, with a double patty. read more

For The Win - Double patty, added lettuce and tomato. Best cheeseburger in town. - Sandwiches Near Me - Van Nuys, California

What a smash! Great tasting burger with a lot of flavor, which is sometimes hard to find with a smash. The fries are excellent. Cozy spot to stop and have a great burger. The staff are super nice as well. read more

For The Win - Smash with fries - Sandwiches Near Me - Van Nuys, California

I mean for a smashburger it's not the worst. Just wanted to try it to see why it was popular. I would give the burger a 6.5/10. Nice restaurant and good music. Definitely do not like that they do not offer soft drink machine or even free water! Price does not match the food. read more

For The Win - Double Cheeseburger - Sandwiches Near Me - Van Nuys, California

For the win was so great!! We had the double cheeseburgers and loaded fries. All items were really tasty and flavorful. read more

For The Win - Cheeseburger Fry Sauce Ranch Loaded Fries - Sandwiches Near Me - Van Nuys, California

Fries arrived cold. They tasted like McDonald's fries. I got a buy 1 get 1, and the burgers were tiny. Was nothing special. Would I return? Probably not. Skimpy portion and cold. read more

You want to talk about a smash burger in the valley ? You will definitely win when you grab a meal here. The burger is delicious and the cheese was perfectly melted. The fries resembled an elevated version of McDonald's fries, they're not perfect and are missing a better crunch to them. The vanilla milkshake was perfect! My only critique would be to have a toasted bun on the burger and better seasoned fries. The customer service was great and they were friendly! I will be back :) read more

For The Win - Cheeseburger - Sandwiches Near Me - Van Nuys, California

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Walk in and it's practically empty and the man who is the cook and taking my order barely speaks and is not approachable. Parking lot has the tiniest spots to park. The menu is simple but I was looking over my receipt and it says kitchen service charge 4.00% (first off) I didn't chose tip and I'm being forced to give more than I wanted. Why ask my name if I'm the only customer in here and the other woman is eating already. There is no music playing just the sound of silverware in the kitchen being put away. -- Wait why did I put 5 stars; it's absolutely delicious and I loved every single bite. I ate all my fries. I had a double with jalapeños and bacon. I also purchased the fry sauce and bbq and it went along very nicely. "I definitely will be back again"! 4th of October 2025 read more

For The Win - 3rd of October 2025 - Sandwiches Near Me - Van Nuys, California

Food is great customer service needs help. Ordered the Uber Eats buy one get one free and got ONE Burger. $23 with tip and delivery. Called the next day. Worker was zero help and would not give his name. Another example of GREAT PRODUCT Horrible Customer Experience. read more

For The Win - False advertising on the buy one get one free. After receiving one bacon cheeseburger, I called and they were no help. - Sandwiches Near Me - Van Nuys, California

I was so excited about this place, however i was very turned off. The patty is very small, thin and tasteless. Its about the size of the palm of your hand. I had to pay extra for lettuce, also pay extra for tomatoes. Also the fries is just normal, very oily fries. To top it all off, I had to pay $16.89. I did not even get a drink. This is only for a small burger and a small lame fries. I had to go to in/n out after as I was still hungry. I asked for hot sauce, they didnt have. Asked for a cup of water, they said we dont give out water. I will never go back!!! I hate feeling ripped off!! read more

DISCLAIMER: I am not a fan of smash burgers. But can't knock it til you tried it. I've been hearing good things about For The Win smash burgers. There was a location that opened up in my local area and I felt that I needed to give them a try. Finally got the chance and I can't really say these burgers stand out from standard smash burgers. You have a several options from smash burger, cheese smash burger, and grilled cheese. The burgers go up to three patties which is nice. Then you had the base model options which area onion, pickles, and their smash sauce. If you feel like upgrading you can add bacon, lettuce, tomato, extra cheese, jalapeños, and swap to a GF bun. For the sides you get fries, sweet potato fries and I may be wrong on this one, brussels sprouts. One thing I noticed in the past was a fried chicken sandwich that was on the menu but I didn't see it this time. The first thing I noticed which I didn't like is the kiosk style ordering. It is available immediately as you enter and with a short line you are out the door and the area can get cramped. Not only is it non interpersonal it blocks the entrance for people to come in or leaving the shop. Once you were done ordering I saw people scrambled trying to find a place to wait for their food if not already grabbed a table. Customers were left saying "excuse me" to get to an area they want to get to and I think the workflow on people moving is poor. Not to mention the placement of the trash can is in the back of the shop. Since I sat at the front counter top I had to navigate through the line to grab my food, then back to my spot, then same thing when throwing away my trash and same for exiting. Now for the smash burger. I ordered a double patty cheese smash burger with a side of fries and a soda. I think the smash burger is on point with others that I have tried and can't say it was bad. I did add jalapenos to it and theirs killed the burger eating experience for me. The burgers are hot off the counter top griddle which is nice but you do need to dig into the burger quickly as the bottom bun will quickly start to soften and become mushy due to the heat. (or flip your burger upside down). The fries tasted good but for me they were well done, hard, and crispy. I think the person behind me asked to have their fries well done and mine were in the batch. Not exactly worth $5. Not a fan of grabbing packets of ketchup for the fries. Not a fan of paying almost $3 for a can soda. I would like to try FTW's smash burger one more time with all the options loaded. (maybe a different location) It will become very pricey since my first order was almost $30 but at least I can say I've tried it and go out with a bang. Parking: medium sized private lot shared with other shops VERDICT: One and done read more

For The Win - Sandwiches Near Me - Van Nuys, California

I ordered this place and it not what I ordered or worth what I got. The burger did not taste great. There was no meat on it. I understand it's a Smashburger but where was the burger? The service I would say was not great because I ordered it with bacon and tomatoes and everything I didn't get any of that. Environment, OK read more

For The Win - Cheeseburger with no bacon when I wanted bacon - Sandwiches Near Me - Van Nuys, California

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I went to For the Win for a Yelp event and was blessed to try a meal from them and what I can say is, For the Win might be the best Smashburger in LA. It is without a doubt the best one in the SFV. I am very grateful that they decided to open up a location in the Valley. What I loved about my experience there was the ease of which it was to order and sit down. It was around rush hour so the parking lot was full. I got lucky with one of the last parking spots. I was shocked For the Win wasn't more packed. The burger is a 5/5 and the fries (also a 5/5) were perfect with the right amount of crisp. Their sauce (5/5) is also second to none. I got a double double with jalapeño and boy did it hit the spot. Their bacon burgers also taste amazing. read more

For The Win - Double smashburger with jalepenos and Fries - Sandwiches Near Me - Van Nuys, California

Finally got to go to For the Win again after trying it a couple years back at the Hollywood location. I preferred the Van Nuys location cause the plaza had a better parking situation. I thoroughly enjoyed the online ordering platform, made things so much easier. We ordered to go but ended up dining in. The girl at the counter was very nice, the music wasn't too loud, and the food was phenomenal! I got the cheeseburger, my husband got the double cheese burger and we ordered sweet potato fries and regular fries to share and for our 3.5 year old to enjoy as well. Both the sweet potato fries and regular fries were massive portions and own would have been plenty to share. My onlt complaint was that the fries were almost too salty, but thankfully they didn't cross that threshold. Its pricey for the size of the burger you get, but you can't beat the quality. It's not someplace I can afford to go to all the time, but I have enjoyed it both times we have gone. Note that the sauce on the burger can be spicy for some. It was a pleasant spice for me, but yoo much spice for my 3.5 year old. Definitely stop by and splurge! read more

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We were pretty underwhelmed by the burgers. The whole point of a smashburger is that you want the patties thin and crisp. Ours were thin, but also limp and gray, without much seasoning. Didn't taste any onions either. It just felt like minimal effort was going into making them. The place was empty, so it's hard to blame the lack of execution on being slammed. The fries were pretty good, but the Brussels sprouts were greasy and didn't have any real crispness. The milkshake was OK, but nothing exceptional. Tried it once. Don't really see a need to go back. read more

I came back just to be sure that this burger is as awesome as the first time I tried it. And the verdict is Yes Yes Yes! It was the 4th quarter, team down 1 point with 2 seconds to go! The crowd was on their feet! This Double Cheeseburger took charge, shot the ball and scored it For The Win! He won the MVP this day! The food presentation was very impressive, as the cheeseburger patties looked beautifully grilled and the patties were of such a great size that the lower bun was not even visible. I've tried many smash burgers and I must say that this one was one of the best- very juicy meat with cheese, their special sauce and the smaller, thinner tasty bun that was just enough, as it was very minimally invasive on the taste of the actual meat and cheese, which made each bite spectacular. I'm still surprised how the burger held its composure, given that the patties are like 25% bigger than the bun. Very impressive! The ambiance today wasn't anything special, with the place being kinda empty and the weather gloomy outside, which enhanced the hole-in-the wall simplicity of this place. Despite that, their food is definitely a winner! Will come back for more! read more

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Overall rate 6/10 Cheeseburger - seasoned well , bun was nice didn't sog up. (Every single condiment we're charged though) Fries - very average like stale , expected better as it was slow wouldn't expect to get old fries Sauces - Ranch kinda felt store bought and house sauce was a bit overly mustardy Milkshakes - both were good but tbh how can you mess up a shake read more

For The Win - Hamburger Cheeseburger Vanilla Milkshake Chocolate MilkShake Ranch Fry Sauce - Sandwiches Near Me - Van Nuys, California

Whoever came up with an idea of a dark blue logo on the black background that is the least visible sign among all others at that plaza - needs a raise (sarcasm). I heard a lot of this place, they even paid for the street banner so everybody around knows this is the place. I got a double cheeseburger. This is NOT a smash burger. Patties were crispy on the side but had Wendy burger type of thickness in the middle. The onions were weirdly distributed under the patty. The patty was a little chewy but pretty tasty thanks to the sauce and seasonings. The bottom bun was paper thin for some reason, like PAPER. The price of $14 was a little high for the quality. I am glad that they have clients but I am not gonna come back - this is not the smash burger place. read more

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Was looking forward to this, but the dining room has no atmosphere, the service was fine, but not professional or friendly. But the burger itself was fine. Nothing special, and certainly nothing I would go out of my way to get again. read more

Been waiting for one of these to open close to me and my friend told me how good it was. Did she hype it too much?? I'll never know Came here around 7pm on a Saturday. Parking lot is big enough didn't have to look around long. You order off the iPad instead of with anyone. No wait at all, great cause i was starvinggg There's a sign that says "free shake or fries with review" and i told him I'd leave one but he didn't give either for free and said he had to wait to SEE my review lol. Should i have said im elite? I'm not sure if i should've asked for the ketchup or i missed where it was but it wasn't on the burger or bag. The sweet potatoes fries were so good i didn't need ketchup though! Not the burger though... The burger id say 3/5. They said to order it the way it's advertised. I'm not sure the fry sauce made it on mine cause it didn't have that much flavor. I now miss lettuce tomatoes and ketchup on a burger For being a place that i didn't expect to have Brussels they were really good just a little burnt I'd come back though, need my fries read more

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Not bad, but definitely not great. Unsure where all the hype is coming from for this place. There are dozens of better burger joints in LA. Doesn't even come close to the best that the city has to offer. Everything was really just okay, unremarkable. But the price is outlandish - nearly $40 for a burger and two sides, not worth it! read more

I broke my five-year red meat fast to try one of these smash burgers. Smash burgers were starting to catch on when I stopped eating red meat, and I always wanted to try one. I figured If I'm gonna try one, why not try the best? At this point, I have nothing to compare it to as far as burgers go, but from my memory of meat five years ago, this was a pretty good burger--or, as Jules from Pulp would say, " This is one Tasty Burger." BB read more

The parking at For the Win is atrocious. All the parking space are packed like sardines. Nice cars beware! This is hands down the best smash burger I've had with crispy edges. The sauce is a tad overwhelming. I would recommend getting the secret sauce on the side. Bun is soft and chewy. Besides the sauce, the burger is pretty awesome. It's insanely busy at 12PM, but there's enough tables to accommodate people eating and leaving, I think. read more

For The Win - Double Cheeseburger with Jalapenos - Sandwiches Near Me - Van Nuys, California

Super salty! I wish the guy cooking the burger would take a bite of what he's making. It was so salty that my lips actually started itching. And apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so. When multiple reviewers are calling out the same issue with the salt level, it's probably a valid criticism rather than a one-off complaint. read more

Flavorful smashburger and addicting fries! Definitely lived up to all the great reviews! Loved the self-service kiosk, which allowed for easy customizations. Order arrived in a timely manner. Location itself isn't very large, so seating can be tough. read more

For The Win - Sandwiches Near Me - Van Nuys, California

This review is strictly about the burger. I ordered a double cheeseburger with bacon and jalapeños, it was excellent -- super flavorful, great sear, and the bun was fresh and held up perfectly. Just a really solid, satisfying smashburger. The spot itself is simple and mainly for grabbing your food, nothing fancy, but I'm not basing my rating on atmosphere. Service at the register was friendly and quick. If you're here for the burger, you won't be disappointed. read more

For The Win - Front of location - Sandwiches Near Me - Van Nuys, California

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