Restaurants & Bars

Pasadena's Food Scene

Chong Ching Yao Mei

Dining

Trying new cuisines is one of the most thrilling experiences for taste buds and cultural immersion. Pasadena is home to over 650 restaurants, where upscale restaurants, ritzy steakhouses, charming cafés, modern eateries, mom-and-pops, breweries, sports bars, cocktail bars, and food trucks culminate to unearth global cultures through a celebration of food.

The late Pasadena resident and celebrated Pulitzer Prize winning food chronicler Jonathan Gold was a champion of Southern California’s diverse culinary landscape. His legacy carries on as Pasadena’s food scene sees a culinary renaissance with an exciting blend of longtime locals, immigrant families, and world-class chefs in the kitchens. With rideshares and parking abound, come and enjoy the flavors.

Explore Pasadena’s new restaurants and food trends, eat your way through the award-winning restaurants, find innovative vegan restaurants, cheer on your favorite team at lively sports bars, dive into our guide to Asian food, indulge in the sweet satisfaction of must-visit bakeries, and get into the celebratory spirit with our cocktail guide.

Browse Restaurants

Use the dropdown menu to search our directory for outdoor dining options, specific types of cuisine, and more. Already know what you want to eat? You can also type the name of your favorite restaurant into the search bar below.

Asian

Saladang

Saladang-6_c3cc3d3e99a0496ea9909ca43528d03d.jpg

Saladang consists of two "twin" Thai restaurants – Saladang and Saladang Garden, both operated by same owner. The two locations are conveniently located next...

Sarkis Pastry

Sarkis Pastry in Pasadena is a cherished community gem renowned for its rich heritage in Middle Eastern and European pastries. With a baking legacy spanning...

sato-ramen-6_c3cc3d3e99a0496ea9909ca43528d03d.jpg

Sato Ramen House is a Japanese restaurant in Pasadena that serves masesoba, ramen, bim bim bap, traditional Japanese rice bowl dishes, and popular appetizers.

Savvvys_OldPasadena_CoffeeShop_Cafe-3_d7c7cf07de53ecd99cffb905c9ef30dc.jpg

Savvvys is a family-owned café offering elegant modern houseplant aesthetics, plenty of outlets, free wifi, and specialty lattes made with handcrafted syrups...

Bakery/Café

Seed Bakery

seed-bakery-945x596-5_c3cc3d3e99a0496ea9909ca43528d03d.jpg

Artisanal Bread. Seed Bakery is a local Pasadena bakery. They start with organic grains when baking their bread and follow the old world tradition of milling,...

Asian

Shlap Muan

Wings

Cambodian Chicken Wings. Shlap Muan is the Khmer word for chicken wings. Shlap Muan was founded by an AAPI husband and wife team with the mission to...

American

Slab Pasadena

Slab Pasadena Cover

A Taste of Texas in Pasadena. Get a taste of Texas BBQ at Slab, where meats are slow-cooked to perfection. The Texas-style barbecue will leave you hooked...

American

Smitty's Grill

Smittys-Grill-3-Jonathan-Acker_c3cc3d3e99a0496ea9909ca43528d03d.jpg

American Comfort Food in Pasadena. Considered a dining room away from home by many in Pasadena, Smitty's Grill continues to warmly welcome new and long-time...

soh-grill-1_c3cc3d3e99a0496ea9909ca43528d03d.jpg

Korean BBQ. SOH Grill House is a full-service Korean BBQ restaurant in Old Pasadena. The restaurant offers a new modern take on Korean BBQ. It is equipped...