Pie 'n Burger • 1963

The burgers at Pie 'n Burger have been sizzling on the griddle since 1963, each patty hand-formed from freshly ground prime beef and cooked to order in full view of the counter stools. Founder Michael Osborn's homemade pies—baked from recipes dating back to the 1940s—share equal billing, with fruit and cream varieties rotating daily. This compact Pasadena diner near Caltech still draws students, professors, and pie pilgrims who queue out the door for a slice of mid-century California done right.