Mayor Gordo Commemorates Jake’s Burgers Reopening

To commemorate the reopening of Jake’s Burgers in Old Pasadena. Mayor Victor Gordo took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday.

The business is now called Jake’s Trustworthy Burgers & Beers.

“Jake’s is back!!” Gordo tweeted on Saturday. “Congratulations and welcome back Jake’s Trustworthy Burgers & Beer!!”  

Gordo worked as a waiter at nearby Rose City Diner in 1988 which was owned by Chipper Pastron, the former and current owner of Jake’s. 

The Colorado Boulevard hamburger stand first opened in 1947 and after renovations the iconic restaurant has been restored to its original look with the red exterior and black awning covering the patio seating.

The building was last refurbished in 1989 when Pastron redecorated the location and opened a pool hall underneath the burger stand.

Pastron sold the building in 1998.

In 2015, then-owner Greg Stevens, discouraged by rising rents in the quickly revitalizing Old Pasadena area, threw in the towel and sold out, with Jake’s shutting down after 68 years.

But things weren’t over yet. Pastron reacquired the building and began making plans to reopen Jake’s. 

In May, Pastron told Pasadena Now’s Eddie Rivera that he actually re-purchased the property some four years ago, and was ready to re-open in March 2020.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic erupted that month and Pastron was forced to stay closed for a year.

“Before me,” said Pastron, “someone else came in and tried a different go with it, and that didn’t work out. And so I decided to do it again myself.”

Today, Pastron has returned to the restaurant’s roots, serving its classic original burger — two Angus beef patties with two slices of cheddar cheese and in-house pickles.

‘We thought about lettuce and tomatoes and avocado and sprouts and all kinds of other things,” Pastron said, “but in the end it comes down to the simple truth and the original recipe.’

There are also handmade French fries, fried in peanut oil, and onion rings, along with spicy fried chicken sandwiches, steamed hot dogs, Jones sodas, and craft beers.

“A simple menu, the way it should be,” Pastron told Rivera.