Check It. Umami Burger's upcoming expansion.

We love Umami Burger here at the BEAT, so we're thrilled to hear the news that there's major expansion planned, in partnership with SBE Group. First, a flagship location at the Grove will open this fall, and then 35 more locations will open nationwide within the next three years.

My favorite is the truffle burger, cooked medium (vs. the standard medium-rare) and I hear the truffle fries (how decadent!) are pretty fantastic, too.

We told you about the Los Feliz location's great happy hour last year, and it's still a solid bet, especially on a warm summer evening.

Congratulations, Umami! My hometown burger hero.

The five current locations are listed here.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: Ringo H.W. Chiu / for the Los Angeles Times