After all the Rose Parade floats have passed by — along with the bands and equestrian units — it’s time to eat. Fortunately, Pasadena is one of the great restaurant cities of the world, with its globe-worthy assemblage of cuisine. And the options are many, from down-home grab-and-go to edgy upscale.
While the happy throngs crowd the freeway, the smarter move is to let the traffic thin and use that time to indulge in one more fine feed before starting the annual New Year’s Diet. (And good luck with that!) Where to go? How about…
Aro Latin
1019 Mission St., South Pasadena; 626-799-9400, www.arolatin.com
A delicious reminder that there’s more to the cooking south of the border than the dishes of Northern Mexico.
Bistro 45
45 Mentor Ave., Pasadena; 626-795-2478, www.bistro45.com
Robert Simon’s longtime flagship restaurant, a destination for those looking for fine dining, in a casual setting.
Bone Kettle
67 N. Raymond Ave., Old Pasadena; 626-795-5702, www.bonekettle.com
A tasty wonder from Singapore, it offers madcap bowls of broth, beef and so much more.
Buca di Beppo
80 W. Green St., Old Pasadena; 626-792-7272, dineatbuca.com/locations/pasadena
If you’ve got a group, and the group is very hungry, this Italian red sauce big portion destination, with dishes made to be shared with many, is a major crowd-pleaser.
Going to the Rose Parade or the Rose Bowl Game on New Year’s Day? Dog Haus is a great place to visit post-parade or pre- or post-game, says restaurant critic Merrill Shindler. (File photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)Dog Haus Biergarten
93 E. Green St., Old Pasadena; 626-683-0808, www.doghaus.com
Indoor and outdoor, this super-casual beer-and-dog hangout offers just that — exotic wieners, and crafty local beers, with the big game on the big screens.
Gyu-Kaku
70 W. Green St., Old Pasadena; 626-405-4842, www.gyu-kaku.com
You cook your own food over blazing coals at this Japanese yakiniku chain, where the meats and veggies can be very tasty, as long as you don’t reduce them to charcoal.
Gus’s Barbecue
808 Fair Oaks Ave., South Pasadena; 626-799-3251, www.gussbbq.com
A longtime favorite, offering classic ’que right off the Arroyo Parkway.
Il Fornaio
One Colorado, 24 W. Union St., Old Pasadena; 626-683-9797, www.ilfornaio.com
Longtime Italian food favorite, with branches throughout town, offering freshly made pastas and pizzas, and, as the name suggests, lots of good breads.
Lunasia Dim Sum House
239 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena; 626-793-8822, lunasiadimsum.com
Satellite of one of Alhambra’s best dim sum restaurants, offering dumplings and noodles all day long, saving you a trip south to the many Chinese restaurants along Valley Boulevard.
Marston’s
151 E. Walnut St., Old Pasadena; 626-796-2459, www.marstonsrestaurant.com
The destination of choice for the biggest breakfasts in town. Amazing salads as well.
Rustic Seafood Stew with calamari, shrimp, scallops, clams, prawns, New Zealand green lip mussels and spinach linguine in a flavorful San Marzano tomato-infused broth at Mi Piace in Pasadena. (File photo by Walt Mancini/Pasadena Star-News)Mi Piace
25 E. Colorado Blvd., Old Pasadena; 626-795-3131, www.mipiace.com
One of the most long-lived of our many fine Italian restaurants, busy for lunch and dinner, with a menu of creative Cal-Italian cooking.
Parkway Grill
510 S. Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena; 626-795-1001, www.theparkwaygrill.com
The Smith brothers’ most enduring creation, rightly referred to as the Spago of Pasadena.
Pez Coastal Kitchen
61 N. Raymond Ave., Old Pasadena; 626-210-0775, www.pezpasadena.com
Named not for the kid’s candy called Pez, but for the Spanish word that’s an abbreviation for “Pescado,” this is a fish house — eclectic with a Latino spin — that doesn’t even bother with a name on the monthly menu. All it’s got is a stylized cartoon fish. Followed by a menu of seafood dishes found nowhere else in town.
This is a fish house that exudes modernist creativity. Pez brings us back to the modernist elegance of steelhead trout rillettes, and seared bluefin tuna. It can dizzy the tastebuds in a nonce.
Ramen Tatsunoya
16 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Old Pasadena; 626-432-1768, www.tatsunoyausa.net
The ramen place of choice, for those who feel the need to do some serious slurping.
The Raymond
1250 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena; 626-441-3136, www.theraymond.com
In a Craftsman cottage that was formerly the groundskeeper’s home for the long-gone Raymond Hotel, old school Pasadena dining in an elegant space, with a wondrous garden.
Saladang/Saladang Garden
383 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena; 626-793-5200, www.saladang-thai.com
In a city of many Thai restaurants, the Saladangs always stand out from the crowd with their true Bangkok cuisine.
There are several bowl options at Saucy Chick Goat Mafia in Pasadena, including a cauliflower bowl. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)Saucy Chick Goat Mafia
203 S. Rosemead Blvd., Pasadena; 626-391-3600, www.saucychickgoatmafia.com
Saucy Chick and Goat Mafia were the groovy pair of pop-ups, with a cult following, and a major presence at the Smorgasburg pop-up of pop-ups in Downtown Los Angeles. On their own, Saucy Chick is a destination for — obviously — long-brined rotisserie chicken infused with either spices from Mexico, or from India.
Goat Mafia is, just as obviously, a specialist in cabrito — which is to say, billy goat. It’s not as much of a presence on the menu (the only goat dish is a rice and bean bowl topped with birria de chivo. But Goat Mafia’s presence is all over the menu, adding a spicy presence to the Mexican fusions of Saucy Chick.
Smash House Burger
46 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena; 626-345-5407, www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087573187242
There are five burgers offered here: The Simple (a single patty on a potato bun with raw onions), The Classic (same as The Simple, but with American cheese), The Smash (in this case with cheddar cheese and bacon), The Hell Yeah (made with a double patty, with bacon, cheese sauce and fries inside the burger), and The Jalapeño Queso Smash (with queso banco, grilled onions, bacon bits and chipotle sauce).
Star Leaf Asian Cuisine
641 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena; 626-345-5371; www.starleafusa.com
A 21st-century version of the legendary Trader Vic’s. Which is to say: It’s madcap, over-the-top, extreme from every angle, with a cult following, outlandish cocktails — and some very good food, including a horde of dishes that taste like nothing that’s tingled your senses in the past.
Sushi Roku
One Colorado, 33 Miller Alley, Old Pasadena; 626-683-3000, www.sushiroku.com
Trendy sushi chain, with exotic rolls and exotic cocktails to go with the rolls.
True Food Kitchen
168 W. Colorado Blvd., Old Pasadena; 626-639-6818, www.truefoodkitchen.com
Branch of healthy living guru Dr. Andrew Weil’s good-for-you restaurants, with a fine outdoor patio on Colorado, and a menu of guilt-free dishes that will heal what ails you.
Union
37 E. Union St., Old Pasadena; 626-795-5841, www.unionpasadena.com
Probably the most creative, edgy restaurant in Pasadena — brilliant cooking in an understated setting.
Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic. Email [email protected].
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Rose Parade 2025: These 22 Pasadena restaurants are near all the New Year’s Day action )
Also on site :
- Child Damages $56 Million Rothko Painting in Rotterdam Museum
- Four dead after car crashes into after-school camp in US state of Illinois
- Videos capture fighting during Israeli raid in occupied West Bank