Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Pie n Burger


Seize the opportunity...that's what I was thinking when I had a business meeting out in the City of Industry. I knew on he way back we would be passing through Pasadena and have a chance to finally try Pie n Burger.

This famous LA burger spot has been around since 1963 and not many things have changed. As you walk in you notice it's a long restaurant with a counter to the right and a few tables on the left. When I say it's "long", by no means do I mean big. The place probably seats 20 at the counter and another 15 at the tables. The original menu is still on the wall, the kitchen is right in front of the counter. We sat at the counter right in front of where the pies are kept. Looking at the menu on the wall, it's not difficult to figure out what to order. The hamburger is listed front and center. We ordered two cheeseburgers and split an order of fries, splitting the fries was recommended by the waitress.

While we waited for our food, we scanned all of the pies that were available, Apple, Pecan, Peach, Strawberry, Cherry, Custard, Lemon Meringue, Ollallieberry, etc...the list goes on and on. Our burgers and fries where delivered and I couldn't hold back, I dove right into the burger. Thankfully my co-worker had enough discipline to take a few photos before diving in. The burger is a quarter pound beef patty with lettuce, red onion, American cheese, housemade Thousand Island and pickles. The bun is a typical soft hamburger bun, that is toasted. Just looking at it brings back memories of the All American classic. With the first bite I understood why so many argue it's the best burger in Los Angeles. The combination of beef flavor, pickles, and dressing with the crunchy texture of the lettuce and bite of the onion was perfect. Another great thing about the burger was the size, not overwhelming, not too small, just a perfect size. The burger was delicious.

The fries were average, but definitely not seasoned enough. Surprisingly I was pretty full and didn't think I could eat another bite of food. But sitting in front of the case of pies was too difficult to bear. We split a slice of custard pie and it was perfect, not too sweet and a nice smooth texture.

Pie n Burger is a classic American diner with a delicious burger. Whether or not I think it's one of the best is yet to be determinded, there are still too many burgers I have yet to try. But it's definitely up there with the ones I've had so far.

1 comment:

  1. I've never heard of this place, but it sounds intriguing. I'm a burger fanatic these days, so it would be nice to try something slightly different. http://www.brownandsugar.blogspot.com/

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