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Categories: Burgers, Desserts, Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: PasadenaMon-Fri. 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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I love this place. Yah, there's a lot of things that can be a bother, such as cash only, waitresses that don't always have their act together, uncomfortable seating, etc but there's just something out of this world about Pie N Burger that I adore.
I understand the complaint about parking but there's plenty of lots nearby and streets to park on. Or do what I do and walk. You probably need to walk off those calories anyhow, fatty!
The burger itself isn't the best in the world but it's solid. It's like In N Out in flavor but a little bigger. The fries are hit and miss, sometimes overcooked, sometimes just right. Depending on how hungry you are, you might want to share the fries but I can do them on my own most of the time.
The shakes, floats, and pie are all great and have that homemade taste to them. Even the sodas don't come from a fountain but are MIXED naturally! How cool is that? The pies are also available whole to-go but I recommend calling ahead to make sure they save you one. I've been lucky before in getting one the day of but there's no guarantee.
I really don't know if my perception of this small diner would be different if I lived far away, but there really isn't anything better than a good burger, fries, shake, and a good piece of pie, all in walking distance.
I don't know what I ever did to Pie 'n Burger to be treated in this manner, but every time I've come here I've been nearly ignored. Service leaves much to be desired, but I am willing to put up with the curt attitude for the good grub.
I like the burgers here quite a bit, most likely because they are swimming in thousand island dressing and accompanied with the proper amount of pickles. The shakes are pretty good too, but when you get one to go they pour it into a very small cup. The fries I can actually do without - they are just not that tasty.
If it's not too busy, I actually like to come here and catch a bit of football on Sundays. They are usually playing a game on one of the screens behind the counter.
SO MANY YEARS!!! ive driven past you
we broke down and finally went....
I will keep it brief and simple:
START: CASH ONLY !!!!! PARKING NOT EASY!!!
Sunday around lunchtime waited maybe 10 minutes..ordered what i wanted ..they did not have it (skirt steak). Mind you i was STARVING!!!! so i ordered of course the Cheeseburger.
( i already was not happy they did not have the steak)
We got 1 cheeseburger 1 dbl cheeseburger 1 fry (share) and 1 yes 1 drink
$25.00 can you believe that and its CASH ONLY sorry charlie no PIE tasting cause no money!!
SO-SO service...only refilled drink once and truthfully i have had WAY WAY WAY better burgers so been there done that never again !!
Thanks i will take heed and continue my IN n OUT journey!
i have only had the patty melt, and it is so savory. The meat was cooked to perfection, the caramelized onions definitely helped complete the taste, all on grilled rye. mmm m mmmm. pair that with their homemade root beer and its party time. the fries are so so, they are only tolerable when you dip them in their ranch dressing. Every time i get a sandwich i never seem to have room left for pie. that will have to be a separate venture.
I don't know where you would park, i walk there, heard parking is a bitch though.
The decor is that of a dim and dark diner, which i don't mind one bit.
its not often you see a smile on a waitress' face, but the food is served promptly, and the prices are not outrageous.
Pie 'n Burger is one of those places that I would like to like. I really would. It has an authentic old time diner feel that Johnny Rockets and other fake ol' time cafes try to imitate but never replicate. But the problem is that while it's a pretty package, it's not worth the price or the hassle of coming here.
With IN & Out in your life who needs Pie 'n' Burger? The place is seriously a waste of the name. Then again, I guess it doesn't have GOOD in the name. Both the pie and the burger here are not very good. The burger taste like a very poorly done In & out burger and is about three times as much in price.
The Pie.. wow, what a terrible slice of pie. It's like tasting grocery store brand. In fact, I think I have had some better pies from Ralph's at 3 in the morning than I have here. And for the price, again.. it's not worth it. The quality does not match even a third of the price tag that you're paying for in this meal.
Service is awful. Took forever for the server to ever come up to me and take a drink order and the food was really lack luster. No thanks, I'll take my chances at that In & Out up a couple of miles with terrible traffic/line issues.
Today, for a Pre -Birthday celebration at work they brought in two cakes from Pie 'n Burger. Carrot and Strawberry cakes which were HUGE!!
They did NOT mess around with these cakes. They trully tasted homemade and were full of flavor. Not too sweet, and incredibly dense. Carrot cake was filled with nuts, carrots and pineapple and was DELISH. I am not a fan of strawberry cake but I took a few bites to try it since its a fav of the office and it was like biting into a strawberry.
I heard each cake is $32 but well worth it. About 20 or so people had a slice from each cake and there was half of each cake left over.
Tragically, my very first impression of this place was, "Uh-oh, maybe I should leave." I wanted to order a beef sandwich and the waitress immediately gave me a disgusted look! It was followed by some mumbling to the effect of, "Uh... you probably don't want to order that. You probably want a cheeseburger instead." Red flag!
The cheeseburger wasn't special by any means; I could have made it at home. The fries? Bleh. So, after apathetically chomping on my meal, I thought, "If this is Pie 'n Burger, I bet the pie is damn good." Wrong-o. It's like they pulled a slice from a grocery-store bought, pre-frozen pie and slopped it onto my plate with a half-melted scoop of ice cream.
Would I recommend this place? Hell yeah if you're hungry, desperate, and don't mind paying twice what you'd pay anywhere else. Enjoy!
Pie 'n Burger is exactly what In n Out would be if it was a diner. The burgers are very compare albeit more costly. The menu is extensive and they have vegetarian options. They also have chicken pot pie! I didn't get to try it this time, but it brings back fond childhood memories. If anyone have had it here, please let me know what you think. Got the root beer float and loved it. The pies are also pretty good.
My company hired them once for their catering service and I have to say it was a big hit. They really have their stuff together. They bring their grill, fresh ingredients, and pies to where ever you're located and make each burger to order.
Cash Only.
88 Lines About 44 Burgers (excerpt)
6. Pie n Burger* Pasadena, CA. Classic. One of the best considering price, locale and quality.
http://ifthesewallscou...
Fun place to take the kids. Kinda like a Bob's Big Boy if you know what that is like. However, the menu is more extensive.
Worth a trip on a Saturday after morning errands.
Pie 'n burger is like an In 'n out in a sit-down restaurant; Burgers are served in a paper wrap, buns are toasted/grilled, patties are solid, lettuce is generous, and they have THE thousand island sauce...but unlike In 'n out, these burgers are served on a plate, in a restaurant, with a roof. No drive-thru.
...and check out the name...Pie 'N burger... In 'N out. The "N"?? What's up with all these similarities? Are they related? Does the N stand for....Nom Nom Nom?
The similarities are a positive thing. I tried their beef burger and turkey burger, and both are equally satisfying. Their burgers have a nice crisp crunch, which I like, and their patties are made from scratch. I'm telling you, just like an In 'n out burger...but in some ways better.
For dessert, I ordered the dutch apple pie with ice cream. Even though I was a fan of their burger, I felt neutral about their pies. The crust was buttery and soft but a tad too salty for my taste. The dutch apples were delicious though.
The atmosphere of Pie 'n burger resembles that of a classic sit-down diner. The interior is a dull brown, tan and white. And their menu is plastered on the wall with numbers that are painted over after years of minor price hikes. I sat at the bar, right in front of the cooks, and thought that was cool. The cooks their work fast, but burgers came out slow. Lots of orders I guess.
This is a very casual restaurant, so don't expect too much attentive service. I give them 4 stars for their burgers, 3.5 stars for their pie...3.5 stars for their service...overall, I'll up them to 4 stars.
WORST service I've ever experienced!
We walked in, waited for a minute in the front, and then sat ourselves. No one greeted us but, I didn't mind. We continued to sit and wait, and wait, and wait. Mind you, there were a total of 5 customers in the restaurant (not busy at all). The older Caucasian waitress ignored us for several more minutes and when I attempted to flag her down to ask if we could order (kindly, I might add) she barked, "I'm busy!"
I'm a pretty patient and understanding person, but I will NOT spend my hard earned money in a place where the staff treats you like crap.
So, I took my gf and left right away and the server was still yelling at us, trying to justify her terrible attitude. Not even an apology, wow.
I don't care if the food is made of golden angel's tears, service that bad should NOT be tolerated, period.
I've literally passed by this place a hundred times, and now I can say, I'm not missing much.
I love Pie n Burger. Ok, I'm removing 1 star for the price. It's a little high for the setting and service, which is decidedly no-frills. But if you go in prepared for that, it's not bad. The food? Can be greasy. But sometimes you want a greasy, juicy, tasty burger, and this place certainly delivers. Also, when you order a cinnamon roll at breakfast and the waitress asks you if you want it served with butter, be aware that she will bring out a dish with a giant warm cinnamon roll resting in a large pool of warm, clarified melted butter. Holy cow. This is not a restaurant for the diet-obsessed. But that cinnamon roll? A few bites rolled in butter are totally worth shaving a few days off your life.
The pie, while pricey, definitely lives up to the hype for me. They read you such a dizzying list of varieties, it's difficult to choose. Sometimes I used to go crazy and buy a slice of each (to SHARE, of course! right??). I was never disappointed. A tip: if you're willing to spend around $16, a whole pie makes an excellent and always-welcome host gift.
I believe Pie 'n' Burger deserves its status as a cherished neighborhood landmark. But if you're on a budget, it may not be the best choice for a regular spot. The restaurant may look like cheap eats from the outside, but it's not.
Oh Holy Hell. I am done coming here. In this day and age. I hope the owner reads this. I understand them trying to keep everything old school but come on..... and the prices.........? Lets state the facts. I was in the area the other day and stopped because it was early and not packed. One cheeseburger, one root beer, and a side of has browns because fries were not ready. 11.00 freaking dollars plus tip. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY, GO TO IN AND OUT!
Good Side
1. They have good burgers.
Bad Side
1. The place is super over priced!
2. The place is too small.
3. The place is dirty.
4. Parking sucks.
5. Cash only.
6. Service is a crap shoot. Sometimes OK and sometimes it freaking sucks.
7. The owner is a pompous guy who thinks he is better than IN and Out. Well guess what dude I think you are going to loose the war. But if people keep paying these ridiculous prices I guess he will stay open.
GO TO IN AND OUT! GO TO IN AND OUT! GO TO IN AND OUT! GO TO IN AND OUT! GO TO IN AND OUT! GO TO IN AND OUT!
Good burgers. But the place is to small, no parking, and is over priced.
Still love this place even though some people tell me they don't. I know it is a bit pricey for a greasy diner burger but I love me a double turkey burger with cheese, grilled onions, raw onions, lettuce and tomato. Also gotta order some fries (usually to share) with ranch and ketchup, sometimes a shake but usually some pie. It is good to order you pie first so they set aside the flavor you want otherwise sometimes you want a flavor that is there when you arrive but it sells out. I like the lemon chaffon, dutch apple, and berry all a la mode. I have had a few just OK burgers here but most of the time I am just perfectly satisfied.
Love the Burgers!!! Fries are pretty good and I have enjoyed the pies I have tried including, dutch… Read more »
Seriously the greatest cheeseburger on earth. I cannot imagine a more perfect combination of beef and cheese. And the chocolate malts are to die for. And also, it just doesn't get more authentically funk-tastic and retro-special than Pie 'n Burger. A Pasadena institution and a family favorite for good reason.
The cheeseburger was delicious, but not $6.75 delicious, esp. when I can get the same at In-N-Out...
The hot cocoa and fries were generic...
Didn't have room or cash for pie...cash only sucks when the prices are not as cheap as they should be! Parking also sucks.
Won't be back.
passed by this place many times and finally decided to come here for dessert [more like on a whim]. i was having a sweet tooth and was looking for a place open late. luckily, Pie 'n Burger was still open after sifting through my bookmarks on Yelp!
history 411: apparently, this hole-in-the-wall diner has been around for 47 years. the interior has been slightly updated preserving the original woodworks, flooring and wall panels. Even the cash register is old school...this place has definitely stood the test of time.
food: i ordered blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream and my hubby ordered boysenberry pie....if you like your pie warm, do not turn down the offer. overall, we both enjoyed our pies and will certainly frequent this joint!
If you're looking for an old school diner experience then i guess this is a good place. Cash only, and mainly seating in around the counter. The staff were friendly enough, but our order seem to take extra long to get to us, especially getting our chili. The floor felt like it had the same grease on the floor from the 60s, and the place is so dimly lit that it seemed like most of the light was coming from the front entrance. We got a seat right away, but when we left there was a wait of probably around 10 people at 1pm on Sunday.
The wife and i split a burger ($6.50), small chili ($4.50) and an order of fries ($4?). The burger tasted good, but am i going to come back? Probably not.
Also we tried to go to Fresh & Easy to buy some water and get some cash back, but that failed as their checkout didn't give us an option for cash back. So we ended up using the Wellsfargo ATM inside the store.
Reminds me of an old Waffle House in the South, no frills, but they have some good food. Got a root beer float and a veggie burger, and some pie of course. The veggie burger was just your basic Gardenburger, but tasty none the less. We sat at the counter and got good service from an older waitress who had probably been there for many years. She was nice enough and checked in on us regularly. We didn't have a lot of demands as we were stuffing our faces with burgers, fries and shakes. Looking forward to trying breakfast there some day soon.
Yuk. You don't expect much from a place called Pie 'n Burger. Well, this place gives you less than you expect. Dirty, rude waitress, food was just to die for, meaning you eat it, and you will wish you just died. Avoid this joint
Pie 'n Burger may not be the most wonderful restaurant in the Los Angeles area, but the fact remains that they are pretty good at the two things they advertise right in the name of the store: Pies and burgers.
There's nothing terribly fancy about their burgers, but they're done just right, with a juicy patty. Their pies have yet to disappoint me (I skip the pie menu and always just ask a waitress.) It's unfortunate that they're so pricey, as it prevents me from eating there more often, but it's a good example of a good old, classic, American roadside diner.
There are better burgers in town (Father's Office) and there are better burger experiences in town (Apple Pan), but on the east side, this is a nice combination of the two.
Sometimes we wish we were born in the 70's... Where you could ride your shiny new Schwinn down to the local Grub spot, grab a stool at the counter, and get a REAL burger. But then we'd have to grow a mustache... and long side-burns... and wear bell-bottoms... or skinny jeans. Scratch that. Let's just thank our lucky Grub that there's Pie n' Burger! Honestly, I'd be surprised if this place has changed in the last 40 years... and why should it? It's freaking delicious! Swing on in and grab a seat at the counter. But please... stay on your side of the counter... Because when they start flipping up one of their "what-have-I-been-doing-with-my-life-before-this" burgers right in front of your face, you'll start to think they're testing if you're worthy of the GRUB. They've got a menu up on the wall, but if you don't know what to get at a place called Pie n' Burger... well... you're lucky you're cute. With your burger in one hand, make sure to order a soda for your other... and sit back in amazement as they whip it up from scratch. That's just the way things are around here... the burgers are piled high, the fries are crispy goodness, and then there comes the pie. Get any flavor you want... but don't even think of getting it without their homemade whipped cream. Who ever knew you could whip up happiness and put it on a slice of blueberry pie? We've always thought it... but Pie n' Burger has finally proven it... all you need to be happy is a juicy cheeseburger and a slice of warm blueberry pie. We call it the GRUB theory... and damn is it good.
This place is famous for being famous. But not much else.
I do like the way they season their meat, but these guys do not compare to other sit-down gourmet burger joints in town that give you better quality, better quantity, and definitely better service, at the same price.
I give Pie N' Burger one star, but with a heavy heart. One-stars are usually reserved for people who get into arguments with staff. As a Pasadena native I hold some nostalgic sympathy for this place, but as a self-proclaimed burger expert and conscientious Yelper, I must warn you, you will be disappointed unless you buy into the nostalgia.
One word to describe Pie 'n Burger: Proximity
Proximity to what you might ask? Proximity to my work! Probably the best part of this place!
Pro:
Decent slice of pie
Bacon Cheeseburger w/grilled onions was pretty tasty
Classic feel with an old school cash register
Make their sodas to order with syrup + soda water. Nice!
Con:
Cash only (con to some, doesn't really bug me)
Pretty bad fries for $4/order
Not a cheap burger. Burger itself + tax/tip could run you $10-12
Service can be slacking.
Overall, while I would eat here, if it comes down to it, I'd rather spend my money at your local In N Out and save a good $5-6 doing so while eating probably a better better. To some, that's blasphemy, but it's the truth.
After hearing so many good things about this place, I guess I was expecting a lot. I tried their burger, and it was very basic. Not terribly juicy, not that great. And can we say pricey??
The decor is awesome and you really do step inside a 50s diner/burger joint. If you're cool with paying a premium for an antique setting, then this place is for you.
We sat at the counter and the server was very nice. I just think that their menu items are way overpriced for what they are.
Pie n' Burger is a one-of-a-kind type of burger joint. You could easily miss this restaurant because of their tiny store front located on the busy streets, California and Lake in Pasadena. The interior is cute and slightly worn-down. Reminds me kind of like Apple Pan in West Los Angeles. Seat yourself either at the bar or a tiny table and you are ready to order.
The burgers are surprisingly juicy. I loved the patty. Their burgers come with the basics: lettuce, pickles, onion, and tomato, plus a thousand island dressing which makes it all even juicier. Their buns are average but are extremely fresh and soft. The fries are thick and crunchy just the way I like them.
Pies are a bit of a pain in the butt. Many of the pies listed on their menu are fresh fruit pies and it feels like every time I go, it isn't in season. I was able to get a slice of their strawberry pie at the end of summer though. It yummy because the crust is thin and crispy, but strange because they mixed strawberry jello with the strawberries and whipped cream. Definitely unique.
Despite all of the juicy burgers and crispy fries, the nasty attitude of the waitress working the bar (on Saturday) totally ruined my dining experience (TWICE). I felt as though we were bothering her every time we had to ask her something or order. Once they she forgot to give my brother his milkshake (after we had received our burgers) and I called the waitress and asked her if the milkshake was ready. 'Little Miss Sunshine" had her stink face on and had a bad attitude while she went to make the shake that we ordered 15 minutes earlier. I think I was rude because I must have interrupted her conversation with the other waitress. Seriously, c'mon now. Pie n' Burger needs a friendlier waitress to work up at the bar.
Bottom line: Delicious burgers, great fries, good luck with the pies, and bad customer service (on my two visits). minus 2 stars.
Oh yea I hear they have a good breakfast, I want to try it someday when I am up that early.
Old skool dinner food.
Same cooks and waitress from 1972.
I go for the microwaved Pies ala mode.
Good chill comfort times.
A neighborhood landmark. Countertop service. Ageless menu. But the burgers and pies are pricey. Is it worth it? They are good, but ... there's better out there....
A burger runs you $6.50 here (add $0.25 for cheese).
Nicely grilled meat and buns (although the buns could be better quality, it was at least nicely grilled), topped with lots of crisp lettuce and their thousand island dressing. A good and satisfying burger over all, although it's priced rather highly.
Banana Meringue Pie
Good cream, good meringue, good crust. But. I wished there were more bananas in the pie - chock full of them like Apple Pan's banana cream pie.
Photos: http://tinyurl.com/ycr...
Burger - 2.5 stars. not much to it, but lots of thousand island. not worth $6.50, imho. :(
potato salad - 2 stars. again, not much too it. bland and disappointing. needs pep, and lots of it.
root beer float - 4 stars. great ice cream. old school root beer mixed at the counter.
service - 4 stars. great waitress and very good service.
ambiance - 3.5 stars - 1950's decor and counter service.
Overall, food was somewhat weak, service and ambiance pull the rating up to three stars on what would - on food alone - be a two star review.
I had heard many stories about this place and keep seeing it on the top five burgers of los angeles lists. We were filming down the street so a few of us walked down here to give it a try. I appreciate the nostalgic value of an old time register and only accepting cash but now days plastic is kinda a necessity.
The burger is trying to mimic In-n-Out, just not as flavorful. It wasn't bad by any means, I just expected more flavor from all the hype it receives. I opted to share an order of fries with a friend and found myself too full to breach the pie department. I'm told that the pie is the real reason to visit this establishment. I'll give them that until I'm in the area again, then I'll venture in and only dine on pie.
CASH or CHECKS ONLY....YES, I did say check (I know CRAZY)
First time here and not sure how long this place has been here but.....by the looks of things a while!, and have not redecorated or painted since.
So my Wife and I sat at the counter because all the tables were taken, it was pretty cool though as we watched the Waitress make drinks the old fashioned way with syrup & soda water and mix with spoon........
We ordered two Cheeseburgers and shared fries and my Wife had a slice? of pie for desert!
The Cheeseburger at $6.75 was a good burger...nothing to RAVE about I think this place is overrated!....but as I said it was a good burger, little too much thousand island though.
The small plate of fries was like $3.50?... fries were real good, and my Wife asked for some Ranch Dressing to dip the Fries...WOW I don't know what brand they use but it was real good!
Now...my Wife wants PIE.....So She asks the *VERY NICE Waitress what do you recommend? the Waitress replied "Banana", my Wife said Hmmmmm How's the Carrot Cake? and the "VERY NICE" Waitress replied.....NOT GOOD, IT'S DRY!......WOW THANKS FOR BEING HONEST *(extra tip & extra star just for you!). So my Wife decides on Strawberry......the Waitress brings out this plate that looks like something exploded on it, I'm looking at it saying where's the PIE? now at $4 something nearly $5 per slice I expected better!. The PIE? had WHOLE STRAWBERRY'S with that red jelly stuff I guess most use, the Strawberry's themselves were good though the rest of this mess was NOT ALL THAT!...Guess she should have went with the Waitresses recommendation of Banana!
I don't know how people RAVE about this place and their PIE'S? in my opinion it's all hype, "Marie Calendar's" PIE'S KICK THEIR BUTT.....
Two THUMBS UP to the extremely nice waitress....but PIE' N BURGER you're NOT all that!.........
PIE' N BURGER = 2 Stars....the Waitress gets the extra (1)
1960's..! Back to the past suddenly..!!
Honestly, I have no idea what Pasadena was like in the 60's. I was born in late 70's and am familier with 80's and 90's era. Pie 'n Brger place was like a hollywood movie set representing 1960's era. The classic look of countertops, stools and menu board on the wall were well preserved. It was all~ "Old School" style..!
I tried the grilled tuna sandwich with a root beer float and a piece of boysenberry pie at the end for dessert. They were ok.. I liked the root beer float the most. Grilled tuna was just too plain. Also, Boysenberry was just boysenberry for me. I have regrets for not trying their famous hamburger and butterscotch meringue pie. Perhaps my three star rating will go up after tring those items. We'll see about that. But for the recent experience I give three solid star rating.
This place is a fascinating old fashioned diner that appears to be unchanged for 50 years. While it was high on atmosphere, the food was nothing special.
French Fry Review:
Their french fries were boring and generic probably frozen french fries with no skin or seasoning.
.
The pie was good but the filling was too much like canned filling and their shake was thin and watery
I hate Pasadena.
Okay not really. Let's face it the city is pretty much the epitome of adorable. Cute little street signs. Boutiques that ooze charm. Restaurants that beg to be dined in. Hell, even the Target on Colorado has some serious architectural style.
But driving to Pasadena? Notsomuch. So when I found out my hair/makeup trial with Kelly Zhang had to be done in studio, I let out the proverbial "Dear God I have to drive in traffic" groan. Then, the Yelp light bulb went off above my head. Ping! Actually, it was more like that Kevin Costner movie "Field of Dreams".
If you drive it, you can burger. Er, and pie. he he
So after two hours of eye lining, back combing and lip glossing, I drove my happy ass over to Pie 'n Burger. My kind of place. Looks like a total dive that hasn't been painted and/or cleaned since 1956. Waitress looks pissed. Counter customers have seen better days. Smell of hot juicy beef lingers in the air. Honey, I'm home!
Got the cheeseburger sans lettuce add tomato and grilled onions. Be warned, once you pick this little baby up you're not putting it down. If you did you'd risk major fallout. Juicy. Drippy. Gooey. Cheese-papery. Many compare it to In N' Out. Love INO, but this is different. This is more like a make it at home on the stove burger. If you're not a fan of 1000 island, be sure to tell them because it was drowning in it. Fine by me, slurp slurp slurp.
Fries well done were your basic Syscos, decent but you're here for the meat. How much do I love that they hand pump the syrup for your Diet Coke and then add soda water? Old. School. Plus they have chewable pebble ice. If you are an ice cruncher, you'll be in heaven. Took home a slice of cheesecake to my man, DAMN GINA. That sucker is thick creamy goodness.
I must have looked pretty ridiculous sitting at the counter in full wedding makeup and super teased Amy Winehouse bouffant hair. Good thing this place is an hour and a half away in traffic, or I'd need some serious burger "rehab".
Ok this place was pretty hyped as a great SO-CAL burger joint. It's a dive which usually bodes well for the establishment.
The Good:
- Ordering is simple off the wall board
- The burger (with grilled onions) was a downright tasty burger (it's a traditional in-out style wrapped burger
- sides (potato & macaroni salad) were fresh
- the dutch apple pie with homemade whip cream was the gotta have.
service was friendly
The Bad:
- It's a little on the pricey side for burgers and such
- the seating is limited (come on off hours)
- parking is tough
- small drink glasses
The Ugly
- The fryer went down at dinner time! (how can you eat burgers without fries?)
I'll have to try again and reassess after some fries. Worth the shot though.
People have to realized that when you decide to venture to this place - you'll need the right 'ttude. This is a 40s - 50s style fryer joint that serves kick-ass pies and even kicker-(yeah I know, not a word)-ass burgers. Tiny place that probably holds 20 people at most and long waits pretty much 90% of the time.
The people who get the best service are the locals, truck-driver butt crackers and anyone who just looks plain down-and-out. If you come in lookin' prissy, then you ain't gonna get or shouldn't expect very good service. I think a hair-net would do you some good in this joint. The trick with the servers is: You'll need to engulf yourself in THEIR problems. AND YES, they do have their problems. Accept it and move on! Once you get over that hurdle, you'll have a good chance that they'll serve you with a smile. After that you're in for a treat:
The first time I ate here, I didn't have the 'ttude, expecting "meh, just a tiny little grease joint - how good could this actually be?" Well once I took that first bite - Damn, I never had a burger that good - Now wait, YOU'LL NEED TO SAVIOR THAT EXACT MOMENT! Because it will probably never happen to you again. At least this was the case for me. I've been back numerous times and each time it looses its luster a bit more as I ask myself - why am I paying $8 bucks for a small burger? But remember it's the first impressions that count the most.... right? Keep trying to convince myself that... (And yes, it's like In-n-Out, in that you can order your burger anyway you want it: Double, triple, grilled onions, raw onions, etc. etc.) It's either the bun or the meat that just makes it one of the best (initially.)
Don't like the steak fries. So I order hash-browns instead. One trick that you may want to try if it's too pricey for you is to order the kid's meal (yeah you'll get the dirty looks from the waitress but hell it's your money) - you get a burger and fries or fruit and its like 4 bucks or something like that.
Soda fountain drinks are the best.
Burger: 5 stars, now 4 stars - Still a fan
Service, Restaurant: 2.5 stars
I should've just had a pie.
The burgers were ehh..okay. I have to agree with some of the yelpers (see reviews below)...the burgers are within similar taste of IN & OUT burgers (just add Thousand Island). I really don't understand the hype...wait was there ever a hype for PIE & BURGER?
The only fascinating thing about this restaurant is the history it carries. Well, for a burger joint to thrive for 46 years, they must be doing something right. RIGHT? History hasn't changed within this place, 60's and 70's movies still show on their tele, 60's decor still stands...I guess the only thing that did change is the price. (6.75 for a cheeseburger, 7.00 for Grilled Cheese, 9.00 sandwiches)
Chili Dogs, Burgers, Fries and Sandwiches - Overpriced for what they really are. (Regular bun, lettuce, tomato, 1/4 inch thick meat, and Cheddar cheese)
If ever I crave a piece of pie...I'd definitely consider this place...other than that "PASS"
Old School, sit on a stool, smell the onions grilling diner. Everyone has worked there since....Burgers are absolutely yummy.
I have always said that this place rivals In N' Out for quality meat, I haven't ate red meat in sometime, so recently, I tried the turkey burger. OUTSTANDING. Best turkey burger that I've ever had. My boyfriend had the regular cheeseburger and loved it as well. This place tops any other burger place by far.
Check out our New Value Menu!
Rosemead, CA
New Value Menu and FREE Wi-Fi!
El Monte, CA
Neighborhood: Pasadena
Category: Burgers
Neighborhood: Pasadena
Category: Burgers
San Marino, CA
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Pasadena
Category: Hot Dogs
Pasadena, CA
Category: Burgers
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