Chew on the Cheeseburger Challenge this January

You can end your January with a week of cheeseburger goodness from the 26th to the 31st, as many restaurants in and around Pasadena are celebrating the week with special menu items and/or deals for patrons. For those unfamiliar with Pasadena’s cheeseburger claim to fame, there’s a plaque at the location of where Lionel Sternberger supposedly created the first cheeseburger while working at his father’s stand, “The Rite Spot,” at 1500 West Colorado Boulevard. Records of an old menu for “The Rite Spot” featuring the cheese-topped “Aristocratic Burger” reinforce this theory. The reason for its creation and the verification that Sternberger’s burger was indeed the first cheeseburger created in the United States are still matters of some speculation, which is hardly surprising given how much of a treasured American classic the cheeseburger is.

Whether or not Sternberger’s cheeseburger really was the first, there will be no lack of them this coming week. No matter what your cheeseburger craving may be – classic, plant-based, gluten-free, and more – you are sure to find a restaurant that serves the ideal burger to satisfy your craving. True Food Kitchen is a good bet for the vegan or health-conscious diner; the Counter serves every kind of patty, from the Impossible Burger to more unusual meats like bison and even a fish option: grilled mahi mahi. The steakhouses are the place to head for the most luxurious burger experiences: Ruth’s Chris and Fleming’s are both located on Colorado Boulevard. For a more down-to-earth, diner-style burger, Pie n’ Burger is a longstanding classic on California Boulevard just off Lake Avenue. Even the Langham and the Huntington are joining in on the fun! If you really want to, you can visit all the restaurants participating this year on a Cheeseburger Crawl (should you be so brave…please don’t take this as me endorsing the idea, though):

• 1919 Cafe at the Huntington
• Bacchus’ Kitchen
• Cameron’s Seafood
• Central Grille
• Cindy’s
• Clearman’s Galley
• The Counter
• Del Frisco’s Grille
• Dog Haus (Hill Street location)
• Dog Haus Biergarten
• Edwin Mills by Equator
• El Portal Restaurant
• Foothill
• Fox’s Restaurant
• La Grande Orange Cafe
• Granville
• The Great Maple
• Green Street Restaurant
• Kathleen’s Restaurant
• Kings Row Gastropub
• Lucky Baldwin’s Pub
• Lucky Baldwin’s Trappiste Pub and Cafe
• The Luggage Room
• Mi Piace
• New School of Cooking
• The Pan
• Paul Martin’s American Grill
• Pie ‘n Burger
• Plate 38
• The Royce Wood-Fired Steakhouse at the Langham
• Ruth’s Chris Steak House – Happy Hour menu
• Slater’s 50/50
• The Stand
• Stonefire Grill
• Taproom at the Langham
• The Terrace at the Langham
• Trejo’s Cantina
• True Food Kitchen
• Umami Burger
• White Horse Lounge
• Yahaira’s Cafe
  

Happy Cheeseburger Week!