For the unaware or the uninitiated, I am a total chow hound when it comes to burgers. It’s rare to find a burger I don’t like and there’s not too many places I won’t go to eat a burger to love. (Have I told you about the famous burger on Koryo Air, North Korea’s airline? No? Ok, well… That’s another story, I digress.) Rounds Burger falls solidly in the middle of the spectrum, it was not a burger that I absolutely loved, but I liked it pretty well. The mini Southern California chain is a bit confusing, as locations have popped up and closed around the Southland with the last remaining existing on a less populous stretch of Lake Ave in Pasadena. Walking in at 8 o’clock on a Thursday night to find the restaurant empty suggestions that maybe Rounds isn’t long for this world, which is unfortunate, because it’s a decent burger.
I had The Rounds Way which is a basic burger w/lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, and 1000 Island “chopped and made into a mix on the burger,” which comes on a brioche type bun and without cheese… which I sadly noticed too late, garlic fries, and a Sam Adams Summer Ale. The burger itself was a bit dry, but the totality of the sandwich squished down nicely to create a proper ratio of bun, toppings, burger. The garlic fries were decent fries sprinkled with a heaping helping of garlic, whose flavor isn’t really imparted on untouched fries. For a counter service place, it was good to be able to have a beer, but for a counter service place in SoCal, the beer selection was less local than I would have preferred. Rounds also has a selection of more creative burger selections, but it’s always good to evaluate on their basics.
The restaurant itself has light wood and high ceilings, remarkably comfortable, but not the sort of place you’d hang out for awhile, even though the staff is amicable. Ultimately, Rounds is an excellent choice for a grab and go burger in the Pasadena area, but not remarkable enough to go well out of your way for. Still, a very decent burger.