21 Dec 5th-Dec 11th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | From Boxing to Burgers Food truck La Hamburguesa swings for perfection. BY ZACH ODEN A new food truck experience aims to punch up the smash burger scene in the West Valley. La Hamburguesa, parked on the corner of McDowell Road and North 36th Avenue, is the passion project of chef and profes- sional boxer Hernan-Zeal Rivera. It’s gaining a cult-like following on social media for its lovingly crafted smash burgers and hand-cut, beef tallow fries, with some even calling it the best burger they’ve ever had. Rivera, 27, grew up in the Phoenix food scene. His father, Hernan Rivera Sr., started in the restaurant business 28 years ago in the same plaza where La Hamburguesa currently resides. His dad founded Valley favorite Nogales Hot Dogs. “My dad would work at the bakery next door, and he had a recipe for hot dog buns. He asked if he could set up shop in front with these Sonoran hot dogs,” Rivera says. “(He) moved to food trucks, and eventually he started Sushi Sonora, and still runs that today.” The junior Rivera started apprenticing under his father’s watchful eye as a child, taking orders before he was a teen. “My dad is a bit of a workaholic, but he taught me so much about the business, how to work hard. He’s definitely my idol. I remember just being a little kid and taking orders for customers and looking up to him for what he was doing. I was so small, my legs would just dangle off the seat of the food truck as we would prep,” Rivera says. Along with a sense of hard work, his father instilled a passion for simple, fresh dishes. But the path to burger champion did not seem so clear as Rivera got older. From boxing to burgers In his early 20s, he threw himself into the world of amateur boxing, and after two years of full-time training, he turned professional as a middleweight. Now, he balances his life as a chef with his fighting schedule, getting up early to train before heading to the truck to prepare for evening service. “Boxing actually led me to La Hamburguesa. After my last fight, I gave myself a little reward and my brother and I went to Japan for two weeks. I fell in love with the way they approach food,” Rivera says. In Japan, he was awe-struck by the drive for perfection and respect for the food, along with the use of the freshest possible ingredients. He brought that ethos home and now applies it in his truck. “The burger I am making is actually inspired by a burger place in Tokyo: Shogun Burger Shibuya. They do a wagyu burger, not smashed, but everything is locally sourced and made with intention. I wanted to do that here, with our resources and our community,” Rivera says. It all starts with locally sourced meat and bread. Rivera opted for a homemade Japanese-style milk bun and part- nered with Mark Bookhamer at Food truck La Hamburguesa slings burgers, including The Signature, in the West Valley. (Photo by Zach Oden) While he still gets in the ring, Hernan-Zeal Rivera now focuses on smashing burgers. (Photo by Zach Oden) >> p 22 ▼ Food & Drink
