Pasadena Cheeseburger Week

One fateful afternoon in 1924, Lionel Sternberger contemplated the hamburger he was cooking up at Pasadena’s Rite Spot and thought it needed a little something extra. A simple slice of American cheese later and the cheeseburger was born, spawning hundreds of variations across the country and inspiring Pasadena to celebrate its prodigal son each year with a week dedicated to all things cheeseburger.

And this year, in honor of the 100th anniversary of Route 66—which travels through Pasadena—and the 150th anniversary of Colorado Boulevard, a new Route 66 Cheeseburger category will be added to the offerings, as well as a Route 66/Colorado Boulevard Cheeseburger Crawl. Choose from 40 Pasadena restaurants to take advantage of burger deals and special beefy creations and vote in the Cheeseburger Challenge. The annual week-long celebration only confirms what Sternberger knew all along: Everything tastes better with cheese.