Cheeseburger Week
Cheeseburger Week returns February 23 to March 1
The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, after consulting with our restaurant members, deferred Cheeseburger Week to the end of February. We felt it important to not distract from firefighting and recovery efforts in January.
NOW HOWEVER, IT IS TIME TO ENJOY SOME TASTY BURGERS AND MORE AS CHEESEBURGER WEEK RETURNS FROM FEBRUARY 23RD TO MARCH 1ST.
During Cheeseburger Week 2025 Pasadena dines in honor of Lionel Sternberger, the culinary genius WHO WAS THE FIRST to put cheese to hamburger in 1924. His Aristocratic Burger was an instant culinary hit at the Rite Spot in west Pasadena!
Since 2011, the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce has celebrated Cheeseburger Week as away to showcase Pasadena's culinary history and highlight another aspect of Pasadena innovative past. (Julia Child, our first culinary TV celebrity was born and raised in Pasadena.)
For 2025, we are showcasing Pasadena's burger impresarios at their finest.
There are a few cheeseburger-themed events happening around Pasadena.
This year, you can expect these new menu items, specials and more:
Pie 'n Burger is offering a special meal deal (dine in only). Get a burger, side order and soft drink at a very special (Cheeseburger Week only) price. Download the coupon here:
Dog Haus (both Pasadena locations) offers a $10 HAUS BURGER & DRINK (fountain drink, beer or well shot) - Old Pas and $10 HAUS BURGER & DRINK (fountain drink or beer) - Hill Ave.
Shake Shack offers their delicious Cheeseburger for $5.
Lucky Baldwin's (the original Pub in Old Pasadena, Trappiste Pub on east Colorado and Delirium Cafe in Sierra Madre) has their tasty Slider Flight on the menu for Cheeseburger Week.
Kathleen's Restaurant is offering a special Salmon Burger meal ($22.95 + tax and gratuity) and Avocado Bacon Cheeseburger meal ($20.95 + tax and gratuity).
Magnolia House offers a special Holy Shitake Burger (Sesame bun, stacked wagyu patties, porcini rub, new american cheese, confit shiitakes, pickled cipollini onions, secret sauce, arugula with an option to add a small portion of fries.)
El Portal (and Yahaira's) offer the famous Zacatecas Burger-a delicious blend of ground meats (handmade patty with ground beef, ground pork, and chorizo) on a telera roll. Topped with ham, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and chipotle mayo).
Tardino Bros. Italian Kitchen is offering a special Chili Cheeseburger Pizza for Cheeseburger Week.
New York Chicken & Gyros is offering their cheeseburger FREE only during Cheeseburger Week (DINE IN ONLY).
For 2025, you can still take the Cheeseburger Challenge and vote for your favorites. Click Here
Cheeseburger Challenge
Many of Pasadena's favorite restaurants, lounges and burger joints offered their signature burgers, some special creations and a deals during Pasadena Cheeseburger Week.
Be sure to check participant website links below for hours and offerings.
Take the Cheeseburger Challenge here (live February 23rd):
Check out all the participants and see what everyone has on the menu for Cheeseburger Week below. (The Restaurant and Menu link is not updated as information is changing daily due to the pandemic.
Again in 2025, you can vote for your favorites in the Cheeseburger Challenge. Who makes your favorite lunch counter burger? Who serves your favorite turkey burger? Who makes your favorite veggie burger? Who serves the best beverage with a burger? You decide during Cheeseburger Week, January 26th through February 1st. (Cheeseburger Challenge voting is live until 6:00pmpm on Sunday, February 2nd.)
Scroll down to take the Cheeseburger Challenge.
We all mourn the passing for Jimmy Buffet. He personified FUN! He also liked cheeseburgers enough to immortalize Lionel Sternberger's invention in song (and a chain of restaurants).
So, here is the official song of Cheeseburger Week:
Of course it is! RIP and many thanks Jimmy Buffet.
Let’s all enjoy a cheeseburgers (or lots of cheeseburgers) thruoghout Pasadena and salute Lionel Sternberger for his mastery, insight, pioneering innovation and daring in placing a piece of cheese atop a hamburger for the first time in recorded culinary history at his father's roadside stand, the Rite Spot at 1500 West Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. Stop by to see the plaque honoring Lionel's culinary achievement.
Scroll down to take the Cheeseburger Challenge.
The invention of the cheeseburger at the Rite Spot has been documented by the Los Angeles Times, Time magazine, cheese-burger.net, Hamburger Heaven:the Illustrated History of the Hamburger and The San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Even CNN is on the story: Click here to see Casey Wian’s CNN story on Cheeseburger Week 2012.
The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce hosts the eighth Cheeseburger Week and Cheeseburger Challenge.
(Voting in the Cheeseburger Challenge is from January 26th to February 2nd). Once again, you’ll be able to vote for your favorites in a number of categories, from traditional lunch counter burgers to white table cloth an alternative cheeseburgers. We’ll also have an alternative cheeseburger category or two, as well.
Plan to come to Pasadena for a Cheeseburger Crawl, take the Cheeseburger Challenge and celebrate Lionel Sternberger’s culinary legacy in the city where the cheeseburger was first served.
Here are this year's participants. (Keep checking back for updated participant info):
- Barney’s Beanery
- Bone Kettle
- Brookside Golf Club(Lunch Only)
- Burrito Express
- Chick-fil-A
- Cindy’s (Eagle Rock)
- Clearman's Galley (The Boat)
- Clearman’s Northwoods Inn
- Cordova Cafe and Bottle Shop
- Craft by Smoke and Fire
- Deluxe 1717
- Dog Haus
- Dog Haus Biergarten
- Edwin Mills by Equator
- El Cholo Pasadena
- El Portal Restaurant
- Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar - Carry Out Only
- Foothill
- Granville
- Hummus Labs
- In-n-Out Burger
- Kalaveras
- Kathleen's Restaurant
- Kings Row Gastropub
- The Kitchen
- Lavender and Honey Espresso Bar-Lunch Only
- Lucky Baldwin’s Pub
- Lucky Baldwin’s Delirium Café
- Lucky Baldwin’s Trappiste Pub
- Magnolia House
- Margarita's Mexican Restaurant
- Maria's Italian Kitchen - Lunch Only
- McDonald's
- Mijares Mexican Restaurant
- New York Chicken & Gyros
- Pasadena Sandwich Company
- Pie 'n Burger
- Raffi’s Catering and Banquet
- The Raymond 1886-Brunch and Happy Hour Menu
- Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles
- The Royce Woodfired Steakhouse at the Langham Huntington Hotel
- Ruth's Chris Steak House
- Sage Vegan Bistro
- Slater’s 50/50
- Smitty’s Grill
- Sorriso-Bar Celona
- The Stand
- Stonefire Grill
- Tardino Bros. Italian Kitchen
- The Terrace at the Langham Huntington Hotel
- True Food Kitchen
- Twohey’s (on Fair Oaks in South Pasadena)
- Urth Cafe
- Yahaira’s
Don't want a burger?
How about the Lule Kebab Sandwich at Raffi's in East Pasadena. Or maybe Beef Ribs from Bone Kettle in Old Pasadena. Or at maybe a beef kafta kebab at Hummus Labs on Colorado Boulevard.
Maybe the Cheeseburger Burrito from Burrito Express. You can find all sorts of deliciousness at Chamo Venezuelan Cuisine or maybe Margarita's, Mijares or El Cholo is more to your taste. (After all, isn't a cheeseburger simply a beef burrito rearranged?) What about dumplings at Dan Modern Chinese or President Thai?
Check out some more of our media coverage:
Pasadena Sinks Its Teeth into Cheeseburger Week NBC Southern California
Take the Cheeseburger Challenge
Voting in the 2024 Cheeseburger Challenge opens January 26, 2025, and ends February 2, 2025, at 6:00pm.
Cheeseburger Week is a Pasadena Restaurant Week and California Restaurant Month event presented by the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce.
Cheeseburger Week is generously sponsored by Wells Fargo and the City of Pasadena.
Media Sponsor is Hey SoCal