Rick’s Drive-in in Pasadena serves old-style burgers, shakes, and fries, but those in the know go there for one thing – the spuderito. Stuffed with french fries, tomato sauce, cheese, onions and salsa, this messy burrito comes with a huge handful of napkins. Really, it is so spicy it is almost more like a salsarito. If you like, you can add meat for a dollar ten, but that really isn’t what the spuderito is all about.
The owner, Ralph, started making spuderitos for himself around 10 years ago and so many people asked for them he finally put them up on the board next to the French burger (on grilled sourdough) and the pineapple milkshake. Sadly, the milkshakes are no longer made with real ice cream. You can “blame the guy who came to fix it.”
Other exciting menu items at Rick’s are the taco burger and the Combo E., which is a burrito with everything. But for us it’s about the spuderitos. Get one before Rick’s is forced out by condos and has to move. You just might get addicted and have to buy spuderitos three at a time and hoard them like certain people we know.
680 East Walnut, Pasadena CA 91101
