Food & Drink

Comments (0) Best Belly-Dancing Brunch - 2011

Burger Continental

Burger Continental

Burger Continental

535 S. Lake Ave.

Pasadena, CA 91101

626-792-6634

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Most people don't realize what's behind the doors of Burger Continental in Pasadena. Not only is the restaurant's name painfully generic, it hardly describes the vibe inside — or the food, for that matter. This charming hideaway comes with a sprawling patio that looks a little like the Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland. Burger Continental specializes in pita sandwiches, kebabs, falafel, gyros, baklava and other forms of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. There are burgers, too, but with such a banquet of exotic dishes, it's not usually the first thing people choose to eat. Be sure to try the Sunday brunch, an all-you-can-eat-and-drink buffet with stations that dole out generous portions of omelets, Belgian waffles, meat and Mexican food. There are also the trademark foreign specialties, including some pretty unusual morning entertainment — namely, belly dancers. As part of its Sunday brunch, Burger Continental features live music along with rapidly gyrating, undulating women decorated with coins. Because who doesn't need a little shimmy with their toast and coffee? 535 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena. (626) 792-6634, burgercontinentalpasadena.com.

—Tanja M. Laden

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1 comments
tunablue
tunablue

Took the gang here last Wednesday, and I left feeling like one of the family. The owner, Tony (his real name is Andrew), treated us like old friends, and regaled us with stories about his life. The food? Unique, varied, different, delicious, and more than I could eat for three days--I know because I've been eating left overs for three days. Tony brought us a soup he made earlier in the day. A split pea and lentil concoction--thick enough to stand up a spoon--that I've been thinking about since. Although there weren't enough bowls (who knows why) he made do with coffee cups.

Cons: When I announced that our table needed cleaning, Tony gave it a quick once over with a bar towel, leaving most of previous goo on the table. I used some napkins and did the job myself.

Crazy place, good fun, great food. Give it a try.

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