an intimate neighborhood Thai restaurant run by two sisters
Must-try: Green curry with braised beef cheek, Chimichurri chicken satay, Sticky rice
📍 851 Cordova St, Pasadena, CA 91101
a Peruvian-trained chef specializing in sauce-seasoned tempura over rice
Must-try: Tempura tendon, Fried shrimp, Tempura egg
📍 694 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91101
Mexican in Pasadena — 4.7 on Resy across 6,012 diner reviews
Must-try: Al pastor tacos, Margaritas
📍 140 S Lake Ave Ste 101, Pasadena, CA 91101
Pasadena's legendary 1961 drive-in serving the breakfast burrito that has fueled the San Gabriel Valley for over sixty years
Must-try: Breakfast burrito, Western burger, Hash browns
📍 640 S Arroyo Pkwy, Pasadena, CA 91105
Sandwiches in Pasadena — 4.7 across 575 diner reviews
Must-try: Wagyu cheesesteak with mortadella, Spicy salami with Calabrian chili butter
📍 625 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91101
a tiny seafood joint whose Jamaican plates are the real draw
Must-try: Jamaican oxtails, Jerk chicken, Fried fish
📍 181 E Orange Grove Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91103
Italian in Pasadena — 4.6 across 2,002 diner reviews
Must-try: Mortadella with stracciatella and pistachio, Spicy salami with arugula
📍 1976 Lincoln Ave, Pasadena, CA 91103
Peruvian in Pasadena — 4.6 across 601 diner reviews
Must-try: Wood-roasted chicken, Fried plantains, Lentil-pepper salad
📍 885 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91106
a family-owned room specializing in Venezuelan comfort food
Must-try: Arepa with pabellon criollo, Carne mechada arepa, Tequenos
📍 950 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91106
Pasadena's Southeast Asian bone broth temple — pho, congee, and market cooking
Must-try: 24-hour bone broth pho, Oxtail congee, Crispy garlic noodles
📍 67 N Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91103
Sichuan in Pasadena — 4.4 across 3,469 diner reviews
Must-try: Cumin lamb, Laziji, Boiled fish in chili oil
📍 1035 E Green St, Pasadena, CA 91106
Filipino in Pasadena — 4.4 across 1,434 diner reviews
Must-try: Pork lumpia, Braised eggplant with shrimp paste, Turon
📍 296 Allen Ave, Pasadena, CA 91106
Armenian in Pasadena — 4.3 across 600 diner reviews
Must-try: Khachapuri, Za'atar manaiesh, Beoregs with spicy soujouk
📍 1132 N Allen Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104
a daytime counter that packs a full breakfast plate into a tortilla
Must-try: Pork belly breakfast burrito, Soft scrambled eggs, Hash browns
📍 928 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91106
a counter with a huge menu that, improbably, actually works
Must-try: Pibil-marinated rotisserie chicken, Goat birria tacos, Salsas
📍 203 S Rosemead Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107
an eccentric Thai room running Bangkok dishes and unusually thoughtful desserts
Must-try: Larb with wild mushrooms, Spicy mango salad, Seafood noodle hot pot
📍 20 Union St, Pasadena, CA 91103