Pie ‘N Burger

Posted By Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch on January 23, 2012 9:05 PM

Since 1963, Pie ‘N Burger has been feeding Pasadena residents and CalTech students primarily two staples extolled in their name: superior pies, at least a dozen baked fresh daily, and thin, crispy-edged burgers, perfectly grilled and topped with fried onions, pickles, and housemade Thousand Island dressing in the classic California style. Little has changed inside the spacious restaurant since the ’60s: the Formica counter, old-timey stools, and tables have held hundreds of thousands – possibly millions – of customers. Since they’ve never installed a modern soda fountain, the wait staff will whip up a cola from syrup and seltzer, or maybe you’re feeling like a cold glass of buttermilk?

The pies deserve special attention. Seasonal fruit pies sport fragile crusts and ultra-flavorful fillings, like blueberry, cherry, and the curious olallieberry (a blackberry hybrid). The meringue pies stand tall against the pull of gravity with such rarities as peanut butter, butterscotch, and banana. Pie ‘N Burger also carries mincemeat pie during the wintry months, that wonderfully aromatic, old-world jumble of apples, raisins, and spices, its crust topped with a dollop of hard sauce for a British touch. Hearty breakfast plates are popular, though we’ll be satisfied as long as burgers are always available. Pie ‘N Burger is open Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m.-10 p.m., and Sunday 7 a.m.-9 p.m. And don't forget: cash only!

Pie

Cheeseburger

Old-fahioned Soda

Macaroni Salad