Pie 'n Burger

When you come from In N Out country (like me) it's very hard to find a cheeseburger as excellent and delicious as their Double - Double - period! Add in the $7.00 price tag, of this lush A-One cheeseburger it hard to find a comparison.Here in Pasadena, CA Pie 'n Burger was a bit more money than my coveted Double Double, but it was equal to or maybe even a little bit better than. Yes, I said better than!That's a rarified statement!This "Old School" diner (established in 1963) has very few tables and one rather large counter. You get to watch the cooks do their magic making steak and eggs, pancakes and other coffee shop fare. These "Hash Slingers" are down right great chefs. That's right, I said chefs!My cheeseburger here was just that delicious. It was messy, gooey, fall apart wonderful. This was a rare find.Of course I've heard Pie 'n Burger for decades; but I never found the time to make this drive, as it was just to far from where I lived. Luckily on this trip to SoCal I was staying minutes away.Now, when I come back to my old home (L.A.), this is my first stop, not, you know who.

This honestly maybe the worst restaurant in Pasadena. For years I saw Pie N Burger on food lists for "best burgers in LA" but never took the plunge to actually come because the reviews by customers on Yelp were so mixed. Last night I decided to take the plunge and finally give Pie N Burger a try since I knew I'd have to try it eventually one day.All the reviews are true. You're paying $18.50 for a below average burger and fries. Burger patty was not salted at all (very bland), and the fries weren't crispy or salted (soggy). I could get a much better burger for over half the price at other spots like Pharoh's or Top's. Worst of all is the service. This place is completely understaffed. They needed about double the amount of waitresses they had in there. We waited forever to get seated, have someone take our order, and to pay. At one point I saw the guys at the grill get frustrated that none of the waitresses were picking up the food that was ready and bringing it to the guests. But it's not the waitresses fault, they were nice, but the place just doesn't have enough staff. Shame on the owners for overcharging for shitty burger and not even bother to staff the restaurant appropriately. I'd like to think that a place that charges $18.50 for a basic burger and fries can afford not to understaff their restaurant. I don't recommend anybody to ever come here. The food sucks, the service sucks, and it's crazy expensive (especially in this economy, don't waste your money on this place). I don't know why this place has so many customers and is so packed, there's literally so many better burger spots in Pasadena for cheaper and you actually get served in a timely manner.

Absolutely loved and can't wait to come back! Yes it's on the pricey side, would recommend checking menu before coming to make sure you're ok with those prices in a diner setting. Apparently they use high-quality ingredients so I can understand the price hike.Ordered a burger with onion rings and slice of apple pie and loved it all. Thousand island was especially delicious. The place was clean, decorated for the holidays, and service was quick. Pro tip: if you're not starving, you can get the kid's burger and fries which is a bit less. CASH ONLY

What We Ordered:-Big Ben $24-Cheeseburger Combo $18.50-Chili Cheese Fries $11.50-Boysenberry Pie Ala Mode $10.75-Coconut Meringue $7.75-Pumpkin Pie Ala Mode $10.75I've had this spot bookmarked for a minute now and finally had an opportunity to go. My wife's postgraduate professor and son were visiting the LA area and wanted to meet up. In my wife's culture, when a friend or someone you know visits you must treat them to a meal. Since his son (he's young) wanted burgers and suggested McDonald's. I decided to pick a burger spot. Whenever I can find an opportunity to go to one of my bookmarked places, I take it! The wife may say it's selfish. I beg to differ! LOL! We arrived on the early side and sat down to wait for the other members of our party. A family came in after us and put their name and the number of their party to the waitress. I didn't know! Luckily, we put our name next! The restaurant got pretty busy afterward. This is a Pasadena institution after all. There are limited tables available. Most of the seating is at the counter and you can specify to the waitress which one you want. We waited 15 minutes and they called our name for the counter. I asked for the table and waited a little longer. Carefully, it can be a long wait for a table. There's only room for 5 people at a table. I read a mixed bag of reviews on Yelp. Sometimes, the best restaurants get the biggest critics. People go in with unrealistic expectations. This is a casual burger joint. I'm not expecting 5-star service and a tablecloth dinner. If one of the items they are known for is in the name of the restaurant, you should probably order that dish. Order the burger and order the pie. It's that simple. The professor's kid wanted a hamburger but ordered the chicken sandwich and didn't like the chicken. Order the burger and you won't be disappointed! People on Yelp were complaining about the beans in the Chili Cheese Fries. It's not something you normally see in LA, but I liked it nevertheless. I really liked the Big Ben. It was a delicious-tasting burger! I like how it has a big wedge of iceberg lettuce, providing a nice crunch texture to the burger. It's the quintessential Cali-type burger with the lettuce and tomato. I was very indecisive per usual trying to decide what pie to order and the waitress was very attentive and brought me a spoonful of each to help me decide which one to order. I thought that was a nice touch! The service here was very good and very attentive! The Coconut Meringue was pretty good, but it was a bit too sweet for me after a while and I couldn't finish it after the big meal. The Boyensberry was not bad, and everything tastes better when it's Ala Mode. They use Thrifty's Ice Cream here. I would like to try other pies here, but I will for sure order the Big Ben next time I come here. I can't wait to come back to Pie 'n Burger~ Pro Tips: 1. Cash or Check only! ATM located inside! 2. Pay attention to them calling the names! They almost crossed our name off the list because we were waiting for a table. People after us were getting called and they thought we weren't there anymore.

Old school with counter service and an all-American menuThe cheeseburger was huge and made fresh to order. It did fall apart halfway through but the burger was yummy. I wasn't fond of the fries but the onion rings were solid. Too bad we were too full to order pies but will definitely be back for them.

It's a Pasadena classic. What more needs to be said?Diner vibe w/ majority barstool seating, hamburgers, classic syrup + soda hand-mixed soft drinks, a fridge full of cakes and pies. Parking is limited especially during peak weekend brunch and weekend dinner hours. Likewise, you may have to wait to get seated, but you're allowed to carry out too.In my opinion, half of the experience is eating in and feeling like you're transported back to a pre-internet dining experience. All the way down to the vintage cash register clicking in the front. Tried the hamburger w/ cheese and grilled onions, along with a separate side of fries that we split between 2 adults. A chocolate shake for dessert. All-in, a bit pricey at $60. (Payment here is cash only, by the way. But they have an ATM on site) And I get it. We're supporting a small business. That's great.Taste-wise, at risk of offending many die-hard Pie 'n Burger fans, I thought the burger was pretty bland. The meat was sorta crunchy, no real flavor to the sauce that was added for moisture. In N Out has better flavor and weight to its burgers for your buck. So, 4 stars based on my personal preference of taste. It's an experience for sure. But you can definitely afford to skip it if you're just looking for an affordable, delicious burger. There are other spots locally that'll likely cost less and taste better.

Great spot for a traditional cheeseburger and fries. Would come again! Ordered some pie to go since the burger and fries were very filling.

I love this spot because it's very traditional and old fashioned with the way they run everything! It's cash only so come prepared but they always have an atm inside. I ordered a cheeseburger and it was so packed with ingredients it was delicious. It had a very similar taste to in n out burgers. The fries don't seem to have salt but they are pretty solid and they give you a generous portion. The chili cheese dog was a bit salty BUT aside from that it was delicious paired with the crunchy onion rings.

Burgers were Not that good. Very regular, nothing to talk about. Juicy but not seasoned and on a regular bun. Grilled onions with tomato, pickles and thousand island dressing. No big deal. Kind of disappointing, but whatever. Onion rings were also regular deli tasting, no big deal. The crumble peach pie is EXTREMELY SWEET, too sweet, not that good. My first and last time there.

I skipped lunch today, but as I was about to pass this place, I decided to stop by for takeout. Food and service has always been great here. Today, Sandy rang me up and she was friendly. I got their cheeseburger combo with onion rings, chicken pot pie which came with side salad. I also added a boysenberry pie slice. The boysenberry is one of their popular pies. I can't wait to try out their chicken pot pie since I usually make it at home to compare. Chicken pot pie was kind of on the dry side, I think the top crust was more than the ratio of the pie filling. I'll skip on the chicken pot pie next time. Of course their burger was delicious as always. It was cooked to perfection and everything was stacked perfectly so neat. Onion rings were delcious as well. And their boysenberry pie was delicious. It tastes just like Knott's boysenberry pie. Those are the only two places for such pies. After all, it is a pie n' burger, so they were equally great!! Thanks Pie n' Burger for your great service and making my delicious meal!! Also, thank you for the heart warming message to get better when I was in the hospital and was craving pie n' burger. It kept me going!!