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 with a week dedicated to all things cheeseburger.
Choose from a few dozen Pasadena restaurants to take advantage of burger deals and special creations and vote in the Cheeseburger Challenge. The annual week-long celebration only confirms what Sternberger knew all along: Everything tastes better with cheese.