Slater’s 50/50, Pasadena

61 N Raymond Ave · Pasadena, CA 91103 · Neighborhood: Pasadena

Most sports bars are dark, cramped little man-caves with outdated TVs and food that’s merely “edible.” You watch your (insert favorite sports team here) play on the big screen and enjoy a cold generic beer to the sounds of cheers and jeers while you desperately try to flag down your server who still hasn’t brought your french fries. Oh! Here they are… cold.

Happily, this is not the case at the newly opened, Slater’s 50/50.

The setting is bright, comfortable and clean and the staff is all too eager to please. Although a small chain, the restaurant concept grew from the ground up from in Anaheim Hills in 2009 from a then 27-year-old budding entrepreneur. Scott Slater got his start selling hotdogs outside Home Depot locations. A pure bacon lover at heart, he came up with the concept restaurant introducing a 50% bacon, 50% beef burger patty, thus Slater’s 50/50 was born. The idea caught on and the rest is history.

The locations Scott chose for his restaurants are primarily located in suburban areas, centered around the community and are a bit off the grid. The restaurants specialize in unique, comfort-food combinations like classic fried chicken and pancakes, a chili cheese burger topped with Fritos, 1000 Island Dressing and cheddar cheese or Guinness Mint Chocolate, Pop Rocks and Maple Bacon Milkshakes. It is truly a bacon-lover’s paradise; American bar food at its best.

Locations are sprouting up all around SoCal with the help of supportive local word-of-mouth. This newest Pasadena joint opened to the public Thanksgiving weekend so you can go out there and get your bacon-burger on asap.

Oh, and the best part…The have 101 beers on tap. Need I say more?

Here’s a sneak peak of what you can expect:

Fried Chicken and Pancakes topped with “house-made-bacon-infused-country-gravy,” two strips of thick bacon strips and a sunny side up egg nestled between three buttermilk pancakes and topped with maple syrup. Uhm, yeah… Are you hungry yet?

The Peanut Butter and Jellousy Burger with (of course) bacon was a crazy-weird concoction, and oddly enough, I dug the peanut butter on my bun. I also know of plenty of foodie radicals who would love this type of thing.

Slater’s namesake, the 50/50 Burger. 50% beef 50% bacon, a sunny side up egg, pepper jack cheese, adobo mayo on a white brioche bun.

The sweet potato fries come with a pumpkin sauce that is deliciously sweet.

Fried Bacon Mac n’ Cheese Balls served with Tapatio ranch. If you love fried, edible (cheese) balls, definitely up your alley. For me, I would have just as well ordered a mac and cheese – which they serve up four different ways.

You can customize your burger (hence the name “burgers by design”) and there is a paper menu that you can check off your selections of meat, bun, toppings, etc. To some, it may seem a bit overwhelming to hold “the power” of deciding what goes on their burger but to others who dream of being on Top Chef one day, it may be right up their alley.

This guy seems to know what he wants… chicken.

I recommend getting the 2/3 pound burger as the 1/3 is dwarfed by the huge brioche bun and the full pound is about the size of a baby cow. Choose wisely.

BYB Tip: Tons of giant flat screens – great for watching weekend games anywhere you sit. Get 50% off well drinks and house wines during Happy Hour (M-F 3pm to 7pm). Also, make sure to try the sweet potato fries with their specialty pumpkin sauce – it’s legit!