The Crown pastrami burger is a quarter-pound cheeseburger loaded with hot pastrami, lettuce, tomato, onion and Thousand Island dressing on a sesame bun.
Nick Katsanevas and brother-in-law John Katzourakis opened Crown Burgers in 1978, converting a downtown hot-dog stand and putting the pastrami burger on their menu. The dish itself was first served at Minos Burgers in Anaheim by James Katsanevas, who learned the build from a Los Angeles cook; Crown Burgers brought the Greek-American pastrami-on-cheeseburger to Utah and codified it. The hybrid (pastrami plus American cheeseburger plus fry sauce) defines Salt Lake's casual food canon. By the 2020s, seven Crown Burgers locations served the dish across Utah; Apollo Burger built a competing pastrami burger empire at a lower price point.
3 editor picks for Crown pastrami burger in Salt Lake City, ranked by editorial score. All Salt Lake City signature dishes · Crown pastrami burger across every city.
Red Iguana ★ 5.0
north-temple · 736 W North Temple St, Salt Lake City, UT 84116
Red Iguana on West North Temple, the Cardenas family's Mexican room since 1985 and Utah's most awarded restaurant, runs the state's defining moles.
Crown Burgers ★ 4.5
downtown · 377 E 200 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Crown Burgers on East 200 South, the Katsanevas family's burger institution since 1978, popularized Salt Lake's pastrami burger at its Greek-American counter.
Apollo Burger ★ 4.0
north-temple · 143 N Redwood Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84116
Apollo Burger on Redwood Road, the Utah burger chain since 1984, serves charbroiled pastrami burgers and Greek-American sides.