Pastrami Burger

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Quick Bite

A Utah pastrami burger is a cheeseburger piled with hot pastrami, lettuce, tomato, onion, and fry sauce or Thousand Island-style dressing. It is salty, juicy, oversized, and one of Salt Lake City’s great Greek-American burger traditions.

History

The pastrami burger is a Utah classic, especially in Salt Lake City, where Greek immigrant families helped shape the local burger scene. Crown Burgers, opened in 1978 by Nick Katsanevas and John Katzourakis, became the most famous name associated with the style.

The burger has roots in the Greek-owned burger stands of Southern California, where pastrami-topped burgers were already part of the fast-food landscape. When the Crown Burgers founders brought the idea to Utah, it found a permanent home. The signature Crown Burger stacked a beef patty with cheese, hot pastrami, lettuce, tomato, onion, and dressing.

The style spread through Utah burger chains and local drive-ins, including Crown Burgers, Astro Burgers, Apollo Burger, and others. Many of these restaurants also serve Greek-influenced items like gyros and souvlaki, which reflects the immigrant food culture behind the burger.

A good Utah pastrami burger should be generous. The pastrami should be hot, the beef should be juicy, the cheese should melt, and the sauce should tie the whole salty, messy, excellent situation together.

Fun Facts

• Crown Burgers is the Utah chain most strongly associated with the pastrami burger.
• Greek immigrant families helped shape Salt Lake City’s pastrami burger culture.
• Fry sauce or Thousand Island-style dressing is part of the magic.

Where to Try

Crown Burgers Salt Lake City area, Utah
The iconic Utah pastrami burger chain, famous for the Crown Burger piled with hot pastrami.

Astro Burgers Salt Lake City area, Utah
A longtime Utah burger chain serving pastrami burgers, fries, fry sauce, and Greek-influenced fast-food favorites.

Apollo Burger Utah locations
A Utah burger chain known for pastrami burgers, fry sauce, and the local Greek-American burger-counter tradition.

About the Game

This recipe is part of Van Life Challenge, a travel-themed board game from Gray Dog Games where players explore the United States, discover regional foods, and collect memorable experiences along the way.

Each featured food celebrates a real place, a local flavor, and the kind of delicious roadside discovery that makes every trip feel like an adventure.

Recipe

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Home-Cook-Friendly Utah Pastrami Burger Serves: 4 Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 15 minutes Difficulty: Easy Style: Utah / Greek-American Burger

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds ground beef
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 slices American or Swiss cheese
• ¾ pound sliced pastrami
• 4 hamburger buns
• Lettuce leaves
• Tomato slices
• Sliced onion
• Pickles, optional

For the sauce:

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon pickle relish or pickle juice
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, optional

Instructions

1. Make the sauce: Mix the sauce ingredients and chill until ready to use.
2. Shape the patties: Shape the ground beef into 4 patties.
3. Season: Season the patties with salt and black pepper.
4. Cook the burgers: Cook the patties on a griddle, skillet, or grill until browned and cooked to your liking.
5. Melt the cheese: Add cheese during the last minute so it melts.
6. Warm the pastrami: Warm the pastrami on the griddle or in a skillet until hot.
7. Toast the buns: Toast the buns if desired.
8. Sauce the buns: Spread sauce on the buns.
9. Build the burgers: Build each burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, cheeseburger patty, hot pastrami, and pickles if using.
10. Serve: Serve immediately with fries and fry sauce.

Traditional note: To make it more traditional, pile hot pastrami on a cheeseburger and use fry sauce or Thousand Island-style dressing. Serve with fries, because the sauce deserves backup.

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