Pasadena annually celebrates Cheeseburger Week. According to Pasadena burger experts, the first commercial cheeseburgers were sold by Lionel Sternberger at the Rite Spot in Pasadena in 1924. During Cheeseburger Week restaurants feature cheeseburgers on their menus. See: pasadenarestaurantweek.com

The First Cheeseburger made by a teenage Lionel Sternberger burned one side of a hamburger patty at The Rite Spot, his father's roadside stand along Colorado Boulevard (then Colorado Street) in west Pasadena. Rather than throw away the spoiled burger, he masked his mistake with a piece of cheese and served it to a very appreciative customer.  

Word soon spread and customers flocked to The Rite Spot for The Aristocratic Burger, A Hamburger with Cheese. Sternberger's achievement is the first verified instance of someone serving a hamburger with cheese to a customer. Lionel Sternberger is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park. His obituary begins with another remarkable story of how he swapped his car for the first stand of the Rite Spot chain

Though they don't typically rank among the best choices for diets (they get D's and F's) because of their high salt content, fat and calories, cheeseburgers are one of America's favorite foods. "Steer" clear of monster burgers, and opt for turkey or vegetarian cheeseburgers to save a few calories, if you must!