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Pie 'N Burger a Purely Californian Experience

Posted by Nick Solares, September 2, 2008 at 10:00 AM

If it's Tuesday, it must be time for another review from Nick Solares. Nick is also the publisher of Beef Aficionado, his blog that explores beef beyond burgerdom.

Last week I reported on the venerable Apple Pan restaurant and its justifiably hyped burger offerings. An equally compelling burger—albeit with far less star power (you probably won't see Jack Nicholson or any other celebrity dining here)&madsh;can be found in Pasadena at the decades-old Pie 'N Burger. I have to thank George Motz for featuring Pie 'N Burger in his book Hamburger America. I would have definitely made it to the Apple Pan irrespective of his book, as it is world famous, but a hidden gem like Pie 'N Burger would have likely slipped under the radar, overshadowed by L.A.'s more celebrated burger joints but for Motz's coverage. And what a shame that would have been, for Pie 'N Burger provided me with one of the seminal burger experiences of my life.

While the Apple Pan benefited from its proximity to the Hollywood movie studios and has served everyone from Clark Gable to Barbara Streisand, Pie 'N Burger has thrived on the back of a different constituency: local college students from USC and Caltech, as well as legions of those salt of the earth-type working people that you only hear about during primary elections.

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Slow But Steady Growth After In-N-Out Founder's Death

Posted by Adam Kuban, August 9, 2006 at 8:12 AM

Relax. In-N-Out isn't going to change with the death of cofounder Esther Snyder. From the Los Angeles Times:

The new head of In-N-Out Burgers said Monday that the venerable restaurant chain would remain in family hands and stay true to its time-tested strategy — a simple menu and slow but steady growth — after the death of company matriarch Esther L. Snyder....

"The general perception in the industry is that it's under-developed — that there could be a lot more of them," said Randall Hiatt, president of Costa Mesa-based consulting firm Fessel International.

The trick, Hiatt said, is to achieve that growth without losing the In-N-Out mystique.

"Because of the way they have restricted growth, it still has that cult kind of buzz," he said. "Like Krispy Kreme had but lost when you started to see them at every gas station."

Loss of In-N-Out Founder Won't Change Menu Plan [Los Angeles Times]

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