PrintPie 'N Burger a Purely Californian Experience
If it's Tuesday, it must be time for another review from Nick Solares. Nick is also the publisher of Beef Aficionado, his blog that explores beef beyond burgerdom.
Pie 'N Burger
913 East California Boulevard, Pasadena CA 91106 (b/n South Lake Ave and South Mentor Ave; map); 626-795-1123; pienburger.com
The Short Order:Classic So Cal-style griddle-cooked burgers replete with Thousand Island dressing. While there is nothing unique about the recipe, the execution is unmatched. It's the author's favorite example of the breed
Want Fries with That? Absolutely—they're golden, crispy and delicious
Price: hamburger $6.25; cheeseburger $6.75
Notes: Open Mon.-Fri., 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sat., 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sun., 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Last week I reported on the venerable Apple Pan restaurant and its justifiably hyped burger offerings. An equally compelling burger—albeit with far less star power (you probably won't see Jack Nicholson or any other celebrity dining here)&madsh;can be found in Pasadena at the decades-old Pie 'N Burger. I have to thank George Motz for featuring Pie 'N Burger in his book Hamburger America. I would have definitely made it to the Apple Pan irrespective of his book, as it is world famous, but a hidden gem like Pie 'N Burger would have likely slipped under the radar, overshadowed by L.A.'s more celebrated burger joints but for Motz's coverage. And what a shame that would have been, for Pie 'N Burger provided me with one of the seminal burger experiences of my life.
While the Apple Pan benefited from its proximity to the Hollywood movie studios and has served everyone from Clark Gable to Barbara Streisand, Pie 'N Burger has thrived on the back of a different constituency: local college students from USC and Caltech, as well as legions of those salt of the earth-type working people that you only hear about during primary elections.
Dating back to 1963, Pie 'N Burger appears to have changed little in the ensuing years. An old mechanical cash register is still in use and while it can accept your money it cannot factor in sales tax—waitresses must consult the matrix of a chart posted on the wall to determine the tax before giving you your check. The register is not the only anachronism: the worn Formica counter top, the fading brown plaid wall paper, the staff themselves—many of whom have been here for decades—and even the menu items all hearken back to the optimistic zeitgeist of Southern California in the early 1960s.
Perfectly Balanced in Every Way
The burger here is pure California: a quarter-pound of fresh beef, griddle-cooked and served on a toasted white squishy bun with American cheese, lettuce, onion, pickles and Thousand Island dressing. The dressing is made in-house using a recipe that was provided by the Kraft company back in the 1960s and still uses Kraft mayonnaise. According to Hamburger America, Pie 'N Burger goes through over a hundred pounds of the dressing a week. That is an awful lot of burgers, even if each one gets a generous smear of the tangy sauce.
Biting into the burger is a wondrous experience. Perfectly balanced textures come from the soft compliance of the bun, the snap and crunch from the pickles and the generous helping of lettuce, and the beef exhibiting both crunch from the charred exterior and ethereally buttery tenderness from the inner flesh. The flavor profiles are equally captivating—the perfectly balanced sweetness and tang of the dressing, the savory cheese, and the hearty flavor of the fresh ground chuck all synthesize to produce a burger that is harmonious in every regard.
To add further harmony to the proceedings be sure to order the fries as they are golden, crispy and delicious. I also recommend the shakes, which are served in a classic fashion in the metal cups that are used to mix them. After two burgers, fries, and a shake, I unfortunately had no room left for the fabled pies, but by all accounts they are also fabulous.
My Favorite Burger in California
While I loved the Apple Pan and their unique recipes, there is something more universal about Pie 'N Burger, whose sandwich is constructed in a manner that is replicated tens of thousands of times across the Southern California landscape. The burger is, after all, essentially what you will get at In-N-Out burger and at countless other spots. But to me, Pie 'N Burger is the most exulted example of the breed: in my experience it achieves an unmatched level of harmony and balance. I have had some great burgers in LA—the aforementioned Apple Pan, In-N-Out Burger, Fred 62, as well as a few others that I will report on next week—but if I had to choose just one it would be the burger at Pie 'N Burger. It may not be the best burger in California, but it is certainly my favorite.
Related
Apple Pan: 'Quality Forever' in Los Angeles
In Los Angeles, Fred 62's Jucy Lucy Is Like In-N-Out on Steroids
In-N-Out: Hooked at Fisherman's Wharf
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10 Comments:
Ahh!! So excited to see Pie 'N Burger mentioned. Its just a hop, skip and a jump from my boyfriend's apartment, and I'm just up the road. It is fantastically retro. Breakfast too, is divine, in that greasy spoon sort of way. Things just don't change. I agree, it just might be the best burger in LA.
foodandscience at 1:46PM on 09/02/08
You must return one day for the pie. Fantastic.
Cookieeater at 2:00PM on 09/02/08
yeah!!! so excited to see this post! definitely my favorite burger place in l.a...and probably anywhere! thanks for showing pie n burger some love!
jslander at 2:19PM on 09/02/08
Great job Nick! Glad you made it there. It really is a special place.
Hamburger America at 3:46PM on 09/02/08
As a Pasadenan, I'm so happy that you made it out to the Pie 'N Burger. It's been a favorite around here for decades....
minoric at 8:24PM on 09/02/08
I had my first Pie 'N Burger last Friday and completely agree - the Apple Pan has a great history and nostalgia value, but it can't compete with PNB on taste. My cheeseburger with grilled onions was sublime. Next time, though, I'm going to have to try those fries!
shred at 2:40PM on 09/04/08
I hope you get to review Twenty Five Degrees and Cassell's while you're in town.
25D and PNB are currently my two favorite spots, but Cassell's offers a good burger too.
My sandwich of choice at 25D is one I like to think of as a quasi-ruben burger:
Turkey burger, gruyere, crispy proscuitto, sauerkraut, arugula and thousand island dressing.
shred at 2:49PM on 09/04/08
@Shred. Funny you mentioned Cassell's as I have been meaning to get over there but they close so early that I always miss it. I am in LA about 6 weeks of the year so I will definitely hit up Cassell's and 25D when I get back there in October.
Nick Solares at 2:57PM on 09/04/08
As residents of the area, we have a strict policy on Pie N Burger visits--no more than 2 in 6 mos. The reason is, when you're there you go all out. The burger. The Fries. The shake. The pie. The works.
Then you need 3 months to recover.
If you want great deals on wine after your burger, make a left out the door, and a left down the alley (look for the flag). There you'll find the Chronicle Wine Cellar, which is home to the best bargains and quirkiest selection of wine in LA. Strictly no frills, like PNB, and they only take cash or checks. But the ideal place to go after the burger!
Deb Harkness at 4:58PM on 09/05/08
I love these burgers, I really do - I've seen comments elsewhere saying they're not really any different from In-N-Out's, but the significant difference is that the patties are made by hand, and I think the meat's better as well. And while there are burgers in other categories that I may like at least as well, these are to me the epitome of the Classic Lunch-counter Burger.
As an alternative to those wonderful fries, I would urge anyone to try the potato salad, too. It's probably the best you can find at a place like this. The tuna sandwich is also a wonder of its own, a rich, dripping monster of a thing. My only disappointment here was the one patty melt I tried, but I'm sure that was a fluke - it was overcooked, had a piece of mostly UNmelted cheese the size of a large postage stamp, and was lukewarm when I got it.
willowen at 2:24PM on 09/08/08