The Stand Burger Spot Takes Three Categories in 2021 Cheeseburger Vote

Playhouse District eatery The Stand took home three honors in this year’s Pasadena’s Cheeseburger Week celebration in Pasadena

In a dramatic, razor-thin victory,  the burger and hot dog spot just across the street from the Pasadena Playhouse was voted “Favorite Place to Go for a Burger,” with 25% of the vote.

Dog Haus and Dog Haus Biergarten received 24% of the votes, with Pie ‘n Burger taking third place in the category, with 9% of the vote.

During Cheeseburger Week from January 24th to January 29th, Pasadena honored Lionel Sternberger’s genius in being the first to put cheese on a hamburger and serve it at the Rite Spot in Pasadena in 1924. Three dozen of Pasadena’s favorite restaurants, lounges and burger joints offered their signature burgers, some special creations and great deals during Pasadena Cheeseburger Week.

“Enjoying cheeseburgers is a matter of personal taste so we can’t honestly try to determine whose burger is best,” said Paul Little, president and CEO of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the yearly event. “Cheeseburger Week is intended to be a fun event that brings attention to the wide variety of offerings and creativity of our local restaurants.”

1365 hungry voters cast ballots in this year’s Cheeseburger Challenge®. Participating restaurants could enter in two categories of their choosing, from “Favorite traditional cheeseburger” to “Favorite alternative burger.” Every restaurant  was eligible for the “What is Your Favorite Place to Go For a Cheeseburger?” category.

Here are the top vote getters in each category:

• Favorite Place to Go for a Burger:

  1. The Stand 25%

  2. Dog Haus/Dog Haus Biergarten 24%

  3. Pie ‘n Burger 9%

• Favorite Innovative Burger

  1. The Stand 38%

  2. Umami Burger 17%

  3. Kings Row Gastropub 16%

• Favorite Lunch Counter Burger

  1. Pie ‘n Burger 51%

  2. The Counter 30%

  3. The Pan 9%

• Favorite Traditional Burger

  1. Pie ‘n Burger 43%

  2. Clearman’s Galley 34%

  3. Cindy’s 14%

• Favorite Sliders

  1. Dog Haus/Dog Haus Biergarten 43%

  2. Kings Row Gastropub 27%

  3. Foothill 12%

• Favorite Veggie Burger

  1. The Stand 42%

  2. Umami Burger 19%

  3. Clearman’s Galley 13%

• Favorite Gourment Burger

  1. Dog haus/DogHaus Biergarten 34%

  2. The Raymond 1886 32%

  3. Umami Burger/Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse (tie) 11%

• Favorite Alternative Burger

  1. Umami Burger 25%

  2. The Counter 19%

  3. True Food Kitchen 13%

• Favorite Turkey Burger

  1. True Food Kitchen 39%

  2. Barney’s beanery 31%

  3. Kathleen’s Restaurant 24%

• Favorite White Table Cloth Burger

  1. The Raymond 1886 42%

  2. Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse 41%

  3. Mi Piace 17%

• Favorite Dessert After a Cheeseburger

  1. Pie ‘n  Burger 33%

  2. Stonefire Grill 22%

  3. Cindy’s Restaurant 9%

Voting in the Cheeseburger Challenge® is done online and does not require proof that patrons sampled all the entries. Here are the participants for 2021:

• Barney’s Beanery

• Bone Kettle

• Cindy’s (Eagle Rock)

• Clearman’s Galley

• The Counter

• Dog Haus (Hill Street location)

• Dog Haus Biergarten

• El Portal Restaurant

• Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar

• Foothill

• Fox’s Restaurant

• La Grande Orange Cafe

• Granville

• The Great Maple

• The Grill at Brookside Golf Course

• Hummus Lab

• Kathleen’s Restaurant

• Kings Row Gastropub

• Lucky Baldwin’s Pub

• Lucky Baldwin’s Trappiste Pub and Cafe

• The Luggage Room

• Mi Piace

• The Pan

• Pie ‘n Burger

• Raffi’s Catering

• Rounds Premium Burgers

• Ruth’s Chris Steak House  

• Slater’s 50/50

• The Stand

• Stonefire Grill

• True Food Kitchen

• Umami Burger

• White Horse Lounge

• Yahaira’s Cafe

Cheeseburger Week is a Pasadena Restaurant Week and California Restaurant Month event presented by the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce.