Cheeseburger Week
Cheeseburger week
You can download the 2024 Cheeseburger Week passport here:
During Cheeseburger Week 2024 from January 21st to 27th, Pasadena dines in honor of Lionel
Sternberger, the culinary genius in being the first to put cheese to hamburger and served it at the Rite Spot in Pasadena in 1924. His Aristocratic Burger was an instant culinary hit!
For 2024, we are changing things up somewhat.
We are adding a Cheeseburger Passport. Download the Cheeseburger passport, visit the participating restaurants, get your passport stamped and win prizes.
Then simply purchase something from participating businesses and get your passport stamped. As a bonus, The Stand is offering a 10% discount to Cheeseburger Week Passport holders through January 27th.
Then redeem your Cheeseburger passport for prizes:
4 purchases at different participants (with stamped passport to prove it) wins a $5. gift card to a local restaurant.
8 purchases at different participants (with stamped passport to prove it) wins a ten dollar gift card to a local Chamber member restaurant.
12 purchases at different participants (with stamped passport to prove it) wins: a $15 gift card to a local restaurant.
Visit all 16 participants (with stamped passport as proof of your purchase) and win the grand prize: a gift card tor dinner for two at a Chamber member restaurant. (Worth at least $50.)
INDIVIDUAL PURCHASE IS REQUIRED AT EACH RESTAURANT BY EACH PATRON TO RECEIVE THE STAMP. SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS, PROOF OF PURCHASE WILL BE REQUIRED TO REDEEM ALL PRIZES.
ONE PASSPORT PER PERSON-DUPLICATED OR COPIED PASSPORTS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.
SEE BACK OF PASSPORT FOR FULL RULES.
There are a few cheeseburger-themed events happening around Pasadena. Several Pasadena Hotels offer burgers and specials with a stay. Invite friends and family from all over for Cheeseburger Week and they can enjoy special perks. CLICK HERE for details on special events and hotel deals.
You can still take the Cheeseburger Challenge and vote for your favorites.
Check with individual restaurants about outdoor dining availability.
Cheeseburger Challenge
Forty of Pasadena's favorite restaurants, lounges and burger joints offered their signature burgers, some special creations and a deals during Pasadena Cheeseburger Week.
Some, such as The Raymond, El Portal, Yahaira's, The Stand, Kathleen's, Twohey's and others may offer specially created burgers for Cheeseburger Week. The Terrace at the Langham Huntington Hotel actually created a cheeseburger dessert for 2020!) This year The Royce Woodfired Steakhouse at the Langham has the Royal Royce Burger. It is decadent and delicious!
Still others offer special deals, such as Lucky Baldwin's special slider flight, The Great Maple's specially crafted burgers, Pie 'n Burger and Dog Haus.
CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF SPECIAL MEALS AND DEALS.
You can download the Pie 'n Burger discount coupon here:
Be sure to check participant website links below for hours and offerings.
Take the Cheeseburger Challenge here (live January 21st):
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 2024, 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 21st through January 27th. (Cheeseburger Challenge voting is live until 6:00pmpm on Sunday, January 28.)
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 21st to 28th). 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 some special offerings:
Several participants in the 2024 Cheeseburger Week celebration and Cheeseburger Challenge are offering special meals and deals.
Here is who we have so far (many are still tentative, sorry. Keep checking back for 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
- Colombo’s (Eagle Rock)- lunch only
- Cordova Cafe and Bottle Shop
- Craft by Smoke and Fire
- Deluxe 1717
- Der Wolf
- 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
- Fox’s (Altadena)
- Granville
- The Great Maple
- 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 (they are now on Fair Oaks in South Pasadena)
- Urth Cafe
- Yahaira’s
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 something from Burrito Express, Margarita's, Mijares or El Cholo is more to your taste. (After all, isn't a cheeseburger simply a beef burrito rearranged?)
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 2023 Cheeseburger Challenge opens January 21, 2024, and ends January 28, 2024 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.