As for the 'value' of a burger, fries, and drink... Fat Burger in Pasadena, CA is a very good value for what you get... specifically for the portion size & taste vs. dollar - no other hamburger place, in my humble opinion, can beat Fat Burger here for Quality, Values, and Taste.
Food is great, the service is friendly, and the ambiance is fine but for a few minor issues... NO COKE, just Pepsi -- I really dislike Pepsi -- Bring back the Coke...
NOTE to Fat Burger: Removing Coke was in fact the reason why I Stopped going to the Monrovia, CA location -- look what happened; they're "Closed" now. It will also be the reason why I will not make Pasadena my "Go-To" place but only occasional place -- bring back Coke and I will make it my "Go-To" place. Trust me, I eat out a LOT.
Also, their dining chairs are small and kept me sliding off of my seat; perhaps my but is a bit too big for them.
The dining area was a bit dusty for my allergies; could be the napkins; they need to figure out how to keep the dust down a bit.
Parking can be tricky at time; few spaces in front on a busy street and a parking lot that can be a blind-spot when existing.
The only thing missing from this 'Fat Burger' location is the Jukebox; something I have been accustomed to seeing and using in all of their joints but this one... Please bring back the Jukebox.
Overall, I give Pasadena's "Fat Burger" 4 Stars.
My slightly off-topic rant:
There was a time before where some other burger joints could have beaten Fat Burger for 'value,' but in recent times, Fat Burger is now clearly pulling ahead of many other chains, and I hope Fat Burger regains a foothold in the L.A. market.
I wish I could drop a few names here of some other places I now avoid; I really mean, refuse to go to now. However, there are a few in the San Gabriel Valley, and in L.A. and Santa Barbara in general I'd clearly refuse to go back to because of Declining Value and Poor Pricing strategies that are now just driving customers away.
Nothing worse than competitors failing to address their Declining Quality, Lower Value and Rising Prices or "Extra Charges" all in an effort to cut corners or use Shrinkflation" to offset their rising operating costs and reduced profits; all of which only lead to Poor Value and Poor Customer Satisfaction and increased "Lower Sales Turnover."
You see, some companies see their profits as a piggybank they can dip into without thinking of longevity, failing to forecast downturns, re-investment, quality control, and customer satisfaction and sales volume.
When profit margins begin to shrink, their first step is to raise prices but fail to keep QC in check, which leads to fewer sales... and here's where we see a slippery slope begin and the collapse of a once "loved business" begin to tank.
However, where others burger chains are now failing, Fat Burger in Pasadena seems to be doing OK in delivery good value and excellent taste of its burgers to its customers.
Again, I'd love to name names here, but I cannot, but I wish I could. read more