Lawry’s Beef Bowl Tradition For Rose Bowl Game Teams Resumes After Two-Year Hiatus

Penn State will participate in Lawry’s ‘Beef Bowl’ in Beverly Hills today, one day after Utah, its opponent in Monday’s 109th Rose Bowl Game, resumed the tradition following a two-year coronavirus-related hiatus.

The Beef Bowl was conceived by Pasadenan  Richard N. Frank in 1956, shortly after becoming Lawry’s president. The tradition continued under the leadership of his son, Richard R. Frank, also a Pasadenan.

The Beef Bowl is older than all but the Rose, Orange, Sugar, Sun, Cotton, Gator and Citrus bowls. 

Billed by organizers as college football’s most enduring pre-bowl game tradition, student athletes from the two teams playing in the Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena are treated to a sumptuous prime rib steak dinner at Lawry’s Prime Rib.

“The Beef Bowl is an opportunity for us to celebrate the players and coaches and kick off the festivities of the Rose Bowl Game,” Ryan O’Melveny, Lawry’s Restaurants current CEO, said. “It’s a tradition that we look forward to every year as it has been passed down through my family for generations.”

Utah Utes at Lawry’s 

On Thursday evening, Utah football team players with their coaches and staff arrived at Lawry’s Prime Rib to a red carpet welcome, with Lawry’s serving staff lined up outside to usher them in.

Backup quarterback Bryson Barnes was the showstopper during the Beef Bowl’s “First Cut” ceremony. 

“This year, Barnes charmed in the role of “First Cut,” partially because of the irony that he raised pigs, along with the role he played in last season’s Rose Bowl thriller and partially just because of who he is. The presentation was phenomenal between the “chef’s kiss” and then taking the ceremonial first slice to his wife, Brittlyn,” KSL Sports reported on the Beef Bowl. 

“It’s a pretty cool experience,” Barnes told the media. “Last year we got stuck in the hotel doing the whole thing. We weren’t able to have quite the experience we had tonight so I’m excited to get this thing off, go have some fun with my teammates and eat some prime rib,” KSL Sports reported. 

Barnes was speaking of his experience in 2021 when the Beef Bowl did not happen with its usual fanfare. Instead, Lawry’s packaged and delivered takeout meals for the Utes due to COVID-19 concerns. 

Rose Bowl teams have annually participated in the Lawry’s Beef Bowl from 1956 through 2019. 

It was not held in 2020 because the Rose Bowl, which was a College Football Playoff Semifinal, was relocated to Arlington, Texas, based on “the growing number of COVID-19 cases in Southern California along with the inability to host player and coach guests at any game in California,” according to a statement from the Pasadena Tournament of Roses.

The 2021 event was canceled one day before its planned start “given the growing concerns around COVID-19 and the Omicron variant,” the restaurant announced. Lawry’s packaged and delivered takeout meals for the players instead.

Lawry’s The Prime Rib is located at 100 La Cienega Blvd. For more information, visit www.lawrysonline.com.