Cheeseburger Week Chronicles: King's Row Burgers: For the Fearless and Fearful Alike

King’s Row Gastro Pub is not strictly a “burger place,” but it has two offerings: one for the traditionalist and one for the culinary adventurer.
When there, we recommend you become a traditional adventurer.
For those who play it safe, there is the double burger with house ground Creekstone Farms natural Angus beef, crispy iceberg lettuce, tomato, onion, a special sauce, American cheese, and pickles on a sesame brioche.
If that sounds like a mouthful, it is, literally.
This baby’s a tall order, again, literally, filled with traditional burger taste that won’t disappoint or leave you needing to order another entrée.
We washed ours down with a unique beer, a Beechwood Form Top (Blonde), which is neither here nor there, but allows us to mention the friendly barkeep who served it to us, Phillip.
The non-traditional offering at King’s Row comes in the form of the “pork belly” burger which is made with 100 percent house ground pork belly, banh mi pickles, jalapeño, cilantro, mayo, sriracha and American cheese.
Phillip cautioned that it is a very rich burger, but that people who know what they’re looking for, like it very much. We must have known what we were looking for, because we liked it very, very much.
As much as we liked the cavernous atmosphere and charming, multi-chambered structure in which the rustic pub is structured.
And what can you say about American cheese? Banished from the national pantry on almost every other front, its presence on the cheeseburger appears to remain unchallenged by its more uppity cohorts—cheddar, swiss, and Mr. Monterey Jack.
Cheeseburger Week only comes once a year, but these burgers deserve more frequent attention.
King’s Row Gastropub is at 20 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena 91105. (626) 793-3010. www.kingsrowpub.com.