Pasadena Cheeseburger Week Can't Be Topped

We're only three years out from a savory centennial, one that's set to happen in the Crown City, and yet we haven't even begun to plan for this momentous event.

For it was in 1924 that the cheeseburger, that classic of American cuisine, debuted. And where did this hankering-inspiring icon first show up?

Why in Pasadena, at the Rite Spot, where Lionel Sternberger first had the meaty moment of inspiration.

And while it is true that January in the rosy city tends to be full of floats, royalty, and brassy bands, too, it is also a month that's devoted to celebrating what can be called one of the city's most celebrated eats, the cheeseburger.

The whole month isn't given over to cheeseburgery, but Pasadena does save a week or so, near the end of January, to spotlight those eateries that make really excellent buns-plus-patties-plus-cheeses-plus-other-toppings goodies.

The pandemic changed up the local restaurant scene, at least temporarily, but Pasadena Cheeseburger Week is still going forward on a takeout and delivery basis.

Stay-at-home orders were lifted on Jan. 25, which means some restaurants may have restarted outdoor dining.

Pasadena Cheeseburger Week is sizzling through Jan. 29, some forty restaurants are participating, and finding special dishes and deals is as easy as taking that first big bite.

But the centerpiece of the annual weeklong cheeseburger bash? It has to be the Cheeseburger Challenge, where anyone can give their favorite dairy-topped burger a shout-out.

So as chilly January comes to an end, and you're looking for filling foodstuffs, are you craving a French Onion Soup Burger at The Stand? How about a Black Label Burger at Mi Piace?

Peruse all of the posh patties here, then take part in Pasadena's other January party, the one that isn't about floats and flowers but slices o' dairy and bun-tastic burgers.