Massively popular LA burger joint shut down for vermin infestation

That secret sauce might just have come with whiskers.

Hipster burger lovers in Los Angeles got a stomach-churning surprise Tuesday, after trendy hotspot The Win-Dow was slapped with a closure order by pubic health inspectors for a rodent and vermin infestation.

The walk-up smashburger spot had developed a devoted following for its no-frills, affordable food in a city where even a casual lunch can quickly become a splurge.

Photos posted to Reddit captured the official Los Angeles County Department of Public Health notice at the burger joint’s popular Silver Lake outpost, accompanied by a polite hand written sign, presumably from management, that claimed The Win-Dow was merely “temporarily closed for maintenance.”

Locals, however, were not buying the PR spin.

“Ratatouille be making my burger,” cracked one online critic.

The gross discovery sparked a lively debate over whether The Win-Dow was to blame — or if the restaurant had simply fallen victim to Los Angeles’ seemingly endless urban rat population.

“Honestly I blame it less on them and more on there just being a plethora of rats in that general area,” one commenter wrote.

Another chimed in that “that whole area” has a particularly nasty dumpster nearby.

There could be some truth behind the local chatter.

Modern Bread & Bagel, which operates next door at the same Griffith Park Boulevard address, was closed by health officials on Sept. 15 for a vermin infestation, according to published inspection data. Its inspection listed seven violations totaling 20 points, including an 11-point major violation concerning the presence of insects, rodents, birds or animals and a four-point violation involving clean food-contact surfaces.

One Silver Lake snoop quickly connected the dots: “Modern Bread and Bagel is closed too, must be that whole complex infested.”

The Win-Dow has expanded aggressively across the city, drawing massive buzz from Venice to Hollywood.

Yet, the Silver Lake location has fought an uphill battle with locals — and not just over four-legged pests.

Commenters gleefully applauded the health department’s hammer, claiming the pest invasion was “karma.”

The outpost faced fiery backlash online last summer, when they reportedly served Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

“May they have the abysmal future sales they deserve,” one person wrote. “I hope it turns into a rat cafeteria.”

An employee for The Win-Dow hung up on the California Post when asked for comment.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters