Pasadena Cheeseburger Challenge winners posted in second annual contest

The results are in for the Second Annual Cheeseburger Week Challenge, sponsored by Pasadena Restaurant Week and the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce. The winners were posted on Wednesday on the Pasadena Restaurant Week site.

If readers notice the same restaurants in the top four for multiple categories, it may be because these restaurants truly outshine the competition; or, it could be that they are just great at motivating their customers to go online and vote.

“This year we had almost twice as many restaurant entries and about 50 percent more voters,” said Pasadena Chamber CEO Paul Little, adding that 1,821 people voted. “We did notice that some of our participating restaurants are getting very savvy about motivating their patrons to go online and vote for them.”

Voting ended on Monday for Pasadena Cheeseburger Week 2013, which ran Jan. 13-18. Participating eateries are listed in an earlier article in this column. The results below list the top four vote-getters in each category, along with the total votes received for each and the percentages. Not every person voted in each category.

“The Cheeseburger Challenge is a fun way for people to support their favorite Pasadena area restaurants,” said Little. “We are also very pleased with the addition of so many more restaurants to this year’s event. Whatever someone might have wanted in a cheeseburger could be found among our participating restaurants.”

Pasadena Cheeseburger Week was sponsored by the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce with support from the Merrill Lynch/Bank of America and was a California Restaurant Month event.

Winners of the 2013 Cheeseburger Week Challenge

Favorite restaurant for a burger

1. Slater’s 50/50 (18.6 percent / 173 votes)
2. The Counter (15.4 percent / 139)
3. Dog Haus (15.1 percent / 136)
4. Pie ‘n Burger (14.3 percent / 127)

Favorite lunch counter burger

1. The Counter (37.6 percent / 338)
2. Pie ‘n Burger (30.3 percent / 272)
3. Clearman’s Galley (12.2 percent / 110)
4. Burger Continental (9.4 percent / 84)

Favorite traditional cheeseburger

1. Dog Haus (17.9 percent / 186)
2. The Counter (17.5 percent / 182)
3. Slater’s 50/50 (17.3 percent / 179)
4. Pie ‘n Burger (15.8 percent / 165)

Favorite sliders

1. Dog Haus (24.3 percent / 102)
2. Ruth’s Chris Steak House (22.3 percent / 94)
3. Kings Row Gastropub (16.6 percent / 71)
4. POP Champagne and Dessert Bar (12.9 percent / 58) - tie
5. Café 140 South (12.9 percent / 58) – tie

Favorite Gourmet Burger

1. Dog Haus (22 percent / 117)
2. Slater’s 50/50 (21.4 percent / 114)
3. The Counter (20.5 percent / 109)
4. Umami Burger (18.8 percent / 99)

Favorite alternative burger

1. Slater’s 50/50 Cheeseburger Salad (26.6 percent / 244)
2. The Counter Bison Burger (26 percent / 237)
3. Umami Burger Ahi Tuna Burger (12 percent / 110)
4. Kings Row Gastropub Mars Rover Burger (9.4 percent / 86)

Favorite turkey burger

1. The Counter (29.8 percent / 260)
2. Slater’s 50/50 (25 percent / 117)
3. The Original TOPS (9.6 percent / 84)
4. Umami Burger (9.4 percent / 81)

Favorite sit-down/white table cloth cheeseburger

1. redwhite+bluezz (23.2 percent / 94)
2. Green Street Restaurant (14.8 percent / 60)
3. Beckham Grill (13.3 percent / 54)
4. Vertical Wine Bistro (11.8 percent / 48)

Favorite new restaurant for a burger

1. Slater’s 50/50 (46.3 percent / 201)
2. Umami Burger (25.3 percent / 110)
3. BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse (16.8 percent / 73)
4. Trattoria Neapolis (11.5 percent / 50)

Favorite ethnic burger

1. El Portal (33.8 percent / 163)
2. Burger Continental (28 percent / 69)
3. Yahaira’s Café (25.4 percent / 61)
4. CREPE studio (14.1 percent / 34)

Favorite Kobe burger

1. redwhite+bluezz (30.4 percent / 112)
2. The Original TOPS (28.7 percent / 106)
3. Vertical Wine Bistro (15.2 percent / 56)
4. Toro Sushi Bar Lounge (13 percent / 48)

Favorite bar burger

1. Dog Haus Biergarten (17.6 percent / 101)
2. Slater’s 50/50 (16.5 percent / 93)
3. Kings Row Gastropub (16.1 percent / 74)
4. Beckham Grill and Crown Pub (14.4 percent / 66)

Favorite veggie/vegan burger

1. The Counter (19 percent / 69)
2. Real Food Daily (17.6 percent / 64)
3. Slater’s 50/50 (17.3 percent / 61)
4. Umami Burger 11 percent / 40)

Favorite draught beer with a burger

1. Kings Row Gastropub (23.2 percent / 37)
2. Haven Gastropub ( 16.3 percent / 26)
3. Dog Haus Biergarten (16.3 percent / 26)
4. Slater’s 50/50 (15.1 percent / 24)

Favorite dessert after a cheeseburger

1. Pie ‘n Burger (21.8 percent / 188)
2. Slater’s 50/50 (20.2 percent / 184)
3. BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse (12.3 percent / 112)
4. POP Champagne and Dessert Bar (10.3 percent / 94)

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