Growing up in the Pasadena area, I’ve explored a fair share of restaurants just because they’re in such close proximity to me. Whether it was the place to eat during my lunch break or the spot to go to after the club, I have my favorites. Although it’s easy to have an assortment of go-to restaurants, I appreciate a spot that I haven’t explored. Based on the title of this post and the aforementioned sentence, I think you’ve gathered that Rounds Premium Burgers happens to be the latest discovery. Yes, dear reader, you are correct.

Recently a friend and I made the simple decision to feed our inner fat monsters with the fast-casual restaurant, Rounds. Take a gander over the menu and you have two options: create your burger or order a pre-designed one. I decided to go with the latter. I ordered The California ($8.50) which is a fresh ground chuck patty, bacon, American cheese, Thousand Island dressing, and avocado mash on a brioche bun. And you already know I got the fries, Fresh-cut ($2.50) to be exact. The fun part about Rounds is that the Pasadena location has a happy hour every day from 3pm to 6pm where all drafts are only $3. So that Angry Orchard that would have cost me $6, was half the price. Excuse me while I do my frugal “I love to save money” dance.

Now that that’s done….

The burger was a pleasant surprise considering the caliber of most fast-casual spots. Other restaurants can have low quality, messy, and greasy food but that isn’t the case for Rounds. The burger was savory and you could taste the freshness of the patty and the crispness of the vegetables. The only part about the burger that I disliked was the avocado mash. It tastes bitter and the consistency doesn’t mesh well with the burger. You may think, “It’s just smeared avocado, Danielle. It’s not that bad.” Lies; it is that bad. Avocado mash is simply an inexpensive and watery substation for avocados that leans closer to the side of guacamole. Go for straight avocados or go without. Mash aside, the food was great. You can’t go wrong with a simple burger, fries, and beer at a great price. It makes me want to dance.

Oh crap, here comes my frugal dance again…

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Address: 46 North Lake Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101
Phone: (626) 304-9810
Hours: Daily – 11:00 am to 10:00 pm
Social: Website, Facebook, and Twitter.