If you go to Anayas and David is your server, you will not have a good time. pause for dramatic effect. You will have a great time. This guy is the model server - hospitable, knowledgeable, poised, competent. Clear from the get that he takes his craft v seriously. Shepherded us through the whole experience, really. He could have served us dog shit (he didn't - more on that later) and I would have said `Ah man, pretty good service!` So, on to the food (which was not dog shit). Yummy crispy tortilla chips served with two salsas at different heat settings, boom. David recommended a diablo pasta [fusion dish] that came out with this really wonderful creamy habanero sauce. Camarones al ajillo also hit the spot. Solid churros too! Only gripe - the guava flan could have used a touch more guava. Overall a very solid experience. It was the rare moment where the service may have actually eclipsed the food? Owner/manager, if you're reading this, promote him immediately. read more

Service was great, had a bad start with no utensils or napkins but was good towards the end. Food was delicious, had the Barbacoa plate and man it had great flavor. My little plus one had the carne asada plate which was like eh, Enchiladas were pretty good. Been here before and ordered the chicken mole pobalana which was on the dry side but will try it out again another time. Ambiance was pretty cool, none of that Kalaveras loud noise. Would definitely be back, especially for their brunch. Their house margaritas will be a pass on the next one, too much ice and salt.. Hardly got four sips out of it.. read more

Anayas - Barbacoa Plate - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great service. Food 10 out of 10 very well seasoned. The atmosphere is 10/10, Great music You can still hear yourself talk. It's very cute vibes for a girls night or a family night out. We got the chicken fajitas,Chicken Quesadilla, camarones a la diabla and the camarones al aljillo. We are here from out of town but we will definitely stop by on our next visit. read more

Delicious food and great staff. Everything we ordered was so good. This was the perfect place to bring my family and share dishes. The amount was generous and i highly recommend ordering the guacamole. They mix it in front of you so it's fresh. Our server was amazing and so attentive. They also accommodated my booth request for my family which I highly appreciated. There is also outdoor seating. Highly recommend! read more

Anayas - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Came here just for aqua frescas. I'm glad I came in the service was amazing and the place looks so cute. definitely coming back for food next time! read more

This is a great option if you are craving upscale Mexican while in Pasadena. The location is great, the service is exceptional, and the food is delicious! The bartenders and waiters are very knowledgeable and friendly. They have a really nice outdoor space as well, perfect for people watching and enjoying an afternoon :) read more

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Go for the guac fresh made in front of you. Really good portion, fresh and delicious. You won't go wrong. It becomes the highlight of your visit if you're a fresh guac lover. read more

Disappointed in my first experience with this place. My family came to visit and it was their first time in Pasadena so I tried to look for a spot to leave them impressed. We all agree that Mexican food sounded good so I picked Anayas. I walked in and the host said hi welcome how are you, I was slightly distracted and said hi table for 5 please and right away he again stated how are you rather than say anything about the table as if trying to insinuate that I was rude for not answering. I usually feel really bad when I ignore that question and even overthink about how it made them feel ignored, this time was a genuine mistake and his response just left a weird impression on me. We were say quickly though at a table right by the entrance. The restaurant is very pretty but it gets very cold if you are seated by the front door. I didn't get our servers name but he was a younger gentleman with glasses on. He was nice when taking our drink and food orders and drinks came out in a timely manner. The food is where we had a major problem. We all ordered together: an asada quesadilla, taquitos with a side of rice, two barbacoa burritos no guac/onion, and a fettuccine pasta. When the food arrived. The side of rice was plated with one of the burritos so we had to ask them to bring the side of rice that we had asked for for somebody else's meal because that's not how we wanted it. Worst of all though, my mom's pasta was completely missing, when I told the food runner this he said he'd check on it and it he never returned. It had been over 7 minutes and the rest of our food was getting cold as we like to wait for everyone to have their meals so we can eat. Thankfully my brother got up and said something before I did because I was very upset. they finally brought the dish out five minutes later and they brought out the most undercooked pasta I have ever seen at a restaurant, like you could visually see how stiff the pasta was when he set the plate down. My mom was polite and said to all of us that she was enjoying it, but she later told me she through the leftovers away because it was inedible. They comped the pasta from the tab, the very very least they could do. I would not be okay with this quality from any restaurant but especially for a restaurant that is charging an average of $30-40 per dish. I felt so bad that this was the first culinary experience my family had in Pasadena. The barbacoa was very good but not nearly enough to compensate for everything else that went wrong. I will not be back. read more

Anayas - Barbacoa Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

We met up with some friends for drinks and dinner. The drinks were so delicious! Service was great. The aguachiles were so tasty! The spice level was perfect! The fajitas were also good but could use a little more flavor. The guacamole was made at our table and it was also very good! We parked in the street but it wasn't bad. read more

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Mother's Day brunch was great. Food was tasty and we had reservations for a party of 12. The buffet line sometimes got long but the food was worth the wait. read more

Came to Anaya's to celebrate my sister's birthday for lunch. Great ambiance with a Mexican inspired atmosphere. There are a few parking stalls behind the restaurant, limited one hour street parking out front or paid public parking. Carlos was our waiter and he's awesome. He was very welcoming and helpful with our food choices. He gave us the lunch special lists and we decided to try the Three Tacos (carnitas, al pastor and chicken), the carnitas was my favorite. Also had the Chicken Enchiladas both plates came with rice and beans. The specials also came with Agua Fresca (horchata, piña and cucumber) I believe there were other Agua Fresca options, depending on what day you go. I would come back again when back in the area and try other dishes they have on the menu. Overall the food was good and our little celebration was great! read more

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We came to Anayas after work for a happy hour. It was our first time. Our group ordered food and drinks. I tried the chicken taquitos (they were ok) and the jalapeño peppers. A lot of my coworkers liked the jalapeño poppers. They were fairly good and had some heat to them. The dipping sauce was yummy. Nothing WOWed me though. I ordered the watermelon margarita. That was pretty good and aesthetically pleasing! The ambiance and service is probably why we won't come back here for a happy hour. For a Wednesday happy hour, it was dead quiet with no people and it was really dark. I felt like they need to turn on the lights. They also kept leaving the door open so there were a bunch of flies that kept buzzing around our food. In addition to the flies and dark ambiance, the service was pretty slow. It took them a really long time to get any food or drinks out and then they would forget an order here or there. And then charge us twice for it on the bill. Decent experience and always wanted to try it, but I probably won't be coming back. There are better options for Mexican food and happy hour. It also doesn't help that they don't have convenient parking. Unfortunately, it's a no for me. read more

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This is my second time coming to see bartenders David and Miguel, and they really know how to keep a customer. They're both professional in what they do, making great drinks while always making sure you're being attended to. So far, I've tried the chicken mole plate and the chicken taco plate, both being really good dishes. I was worried whether or not i'd like the mole, as I've been disappointed at other places but I thoroughly enjoyed it! There were many other dishes on the padded, book-like menu, however, in case you feel like trying something else. I met David a few months back, and I'm glad I did because ever since then it's been a great time at Anaya's. read more

Anayas - Chicken mole plate - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Everything was amazing! I love street Mexican food and more formal restaurants like this and I absolutely love this place! Everything was great! read more

The food here is not authentic Mexican food and the food has absolutely no flavor at all ! I had to ask for salt to at least give my food a little seasoning . The service is good but the food is not good whatsoever. This place is so expensive for no reason... SAVE YOUR MONEY!!!! read more

This is my first time here as I was attending a family event being hosted. It was quite busy as it was a Saturday and it seems that they were a bit under staffed. It took about an hour for everyone to receive their food. I'm not exaggerating; We arrived around 2 and didn't leave until 5. The overall experience wasn't too bad. We had a good server but he seemed super stressed running around trying to attend everyone. Items ordered: Classic Mojito: 8/10 Cadillac Margarita: 6/10 very very salty Shrimp enchiladas: 6/10 personally, I have had better. The rice and beans were fresh though! Mole tacos: 7/10 Fried ice cream: 8/10 (you can never go wrong with it) I will say they are quite pricey and for what you're paying, you're not getting true authentic Mexican food. read more

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Ok I'll tell you the bad first ; Anaya Fakitas Combo steak and shrimp ; TWO SHRIMP ON MY PLATE!! That's never happened to me before!! I'm 70 years old !! Chicken Taquitos ; just passable, not any Whoa Factor. Asada tacos ; just plain not much flavor!! Let's discuss the good now , Draft beer , good , it's hard to screw up. Cadillac Margarita, nice presentation, not bad . Desert ; Deep Fried Ice cream , just ok . Service staff; was good . read more

ANAYAS is always awesome. The food Is amazing and the customer service is outstanding. The ambiance is definitely pleasing to the eye. The drinks were phenomenal. read more

Anayas had amazing brunch Sundays and great service . The best Mexican brunch with many options . Authentic and delicious Mexican food . The ambiance was family oriented and chill . It was perfect for our Father's Day brunch . Great overall had a great time . Great prices . Amazing service. read more

This place is great! PARKING- Plenty of parking, also a lot in the back. May have to pay a few bucks but very convenient. SERVICE- Everyone there was very attentive, drinks and food came out very fast. FOOD- I got a burrito and shared chips and guac. I love all the fresh ingredients they choose! Even down to the salsas! DRINKS- LOVE LOVE LOVE. I didn't get the name of the blue margarita drink but order that if you like a little bit of coconut and a refreshing mix! Overall we had a great time. A little on the pricier side for Mexican food. But drinks, food, and service was FANTASTIC!!! read more

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We've ordered twice now from this restaurant and the quality and taste is one is the best in Pasadena. Food is absolutely delicious and you can tell they use fresh and quality ingredients. read more

It's a lovely space and the service was very good. I just didn't think that the food was particularly flavorful or to the level of the setting. The Huevos Mexicanos were fairly small portions and the fish tacos were somewhat bland. The sides of beans and rice were just standard fair, which feels like a lost opportunity to impress. Would definitely try again for dinner at some point, but the flavors need some elevation. read more

You've been hiding yourself, but you're not good at it. You can sometimes camouflage the restaurant, but you cannot camouflage the recipes behind it. You deserve to have an authentic Mexican food experience....go elsewhere. As someone who was raised on Mexican food, I want to help you all have the most authentic experience possible. Anaya's has all the accoutrement of authenticity, but the American versions served here can be replicated by any white boy in Kentucky with a freezer and microwave. Lacking good recipes, any hack can open a can of beans and salsa and put out an edible taco. Anaya's chef lacks confidence and a Mexican palate. Dishes here cater to Pasadena's waspy enclaves and lack any semblance of "south of the border". Foods and flavors from Mexico have influenced American cuisine for decades. At Anaya's the favor was returned. Authentic Mexican food is vibrant, delicious and fresh. It is also colourful, spicy and uses an amazing array of chillies, both fresh and dried. There are three main influences on Mexican cuisine as we know it: the Mayans, the Aztecs, and the Spanish. Get the gringos out of the kitchen and then perhaps, your dishes will reflect your high prices. -3 stars for incredibly bland, tastless imitations. -1 star for gouging the wallet. Response to Jose A: The success of your restaurant does not hinge on any Yelp review, rather on the quality of the food served. My opinion remains, the food was bland and does not reflect the cost of the meal. I agree that any person, regardless of race, can cook up a great meal. Keep looking. As far as finding a great Mexican restaurant with great value; Los Angeles and its environs are blessed with many. I am happy to recommend a few. Perhaps a visit can assist your kitchen staff in creating authentic Mexican dishes. Tip: ask you chef to lay off the sugar, every dish was overly sweet. Who is Mark?? read more

Anayas - $93 with tip. Dont be fooled, this white-boy Heinz 57 version of Mexican food will cost you. - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I've been wanting to try Anayas ever since I moved to the area, and I finally had the chance to check it out recently. I made a reservation earlier that day, and my friend and I were promptly seated upon arrival. Our server was incredibly friendly and enthusiastic, and the service continued to be fantastic throughout our meal. The ambiance was charming and cozy, and I loved the brick wall interior. It really is beautiful insidr and I loved their vibes. And surprisingly, the authentic Mexican restaurant fits in perfectly with the other laidback but trendy restaurants that encompass the area. As for the food, everything was absolutely delicious! Even the chips, pico de gallo, and spicy salsa were all packed with flavor and tasted amazing. My friend is Mexican and very picky when it comes to Mexican restaurants, to the point where she almost always refuses to go to them because she says her family's homemade food is better, and yet she loved everything we ordered here. She was actually pretty shocked by that fact. Lol. Anyways, I don't recall exactly what she ordered but it was one of their traditional platters. As for me, well I was excited to try their fusion option - the Diablo chicken linguine, a linguine pasta tossed in a creamy habanero sauce and topped with chicken, green onions, and shaved parmesan. To put it simply, the pasta was mind-blowing! Words cannot begin to describe my love for their Diablo pasta but let's just say I demolished that meal ;) So to summarize, outstanding service, incredible atmosphere, and delicious authentic Mexican food and fusion options. Anayas is now my go-to place for both authentic and fusion Mexican food, and I highly recommend giving them a try. read more

Anayas - Diablo linguine with chicken - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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*David* What an incredibly hospitable person and wonderful service we received tonight. (Server, Bartender, Manager, Tequila Extraordinaire). We sat outside near the fire, this was wonderful! It was a beautiful chilly night here. I didn't grab any photos because I was so hungry! But trust that it was plated well and drinks were garnished. (Garnishes are very important to me, especially with an $18 drink) We were met with chips and salsa (and extra hot salsa as well). It's not "typical mexican restaurant" salsa. The chips were great and the verde salsa was a bit watery, I wish it could be strained of some of the liquid because the flavor is fab. We also had "the finest still water of pasadena". Great tap water without any funky tastes or smell. My table mates really enjoyed their meals, shrimp burrito and 3 tacos w/rice and beans. I got enchiladas rancho. The enchiladas left a lot to be desired but I devoured it none the less. The adobo sauce was quite sweet compared to what I am used to and I spoke with david about and it he was glad to hear so he could mention this to the chefs. The first margarita was ok, I was surprised that a margarita classico was tequila, "lime" (sour mix) and agave. When I ordered a second one I asked for the classic tequila/lime/cointreau and david personally made that for me. More palatable for sure! My mom is a tequila lover and David was incredibly knowledgeable about the flavor profiles while also being very considerate of the price points. He brought her a sipping anejo and she enjoyed it throughly. David was a wonderful conversationalist and I would come back for his service specifically. I am new to Pasadena from the midwest and have been surprised/disappointed by the lack of hospitality everywhere I go. So David was a really great change from that. He also was knowledgeable about the area and mentioned other spots we could check discover. I wish the price points for were less, this is not a restaurant that I can frequent often because of the prices. But I would gladly come back for David's service or someone he has trained in guest relations. read more

I am ADDICTED to this place! I'm just sad it's kind to far from where I live but oh my gosh, I haven't had a bad thing there but my favorite are the chicken fajitas. They marinate them in delicious spices with a white wine base. I also love the churros-really authentic versions. Service is hit or miss but usually pretty darned good and always friendly. Ambience completely fits with the style of food. I love all the Mexican cultural assets in the place. Makes me feel a little closer to my latin family. read more

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I've been wanting to check out Anayas since it opened. My friend made reservations for a group of us to meet here on Cinco de Mayo. Normally, I wouldn't go to a Mexican restaurant on Cinco de Mayo because I know it will be crazy busy. However, she made the reservation a month in advance and confirmed it the day prior, so I figured all would be good. Our reservation was at 6:30 - after Happy Hour, which is from 3pm - 6pm. We arrived 10 minutes before our scheduled time and were told we'd have to wait until 6:30. We checked again at 6:40 and the response was that it would be a few more minutes. At 7:10 they said that maybe it would be another 30 minutes. Our reservation was for 16 people, so you would think they would have sectioned off an area for our party. It was pretty obvious we would be waiting all night for a table despite having made reservations, so we went across the street where we were seated immediately and received top notch service. Even though I was excited to give Anayas a try, I won't be making an effort to return. read more

Horrible service. Went during Sunday brunch, they were late, no food items in the buffet were available for 20 minutes. We asked for chips and salsa while we waited and we were told that they do not serve chips and salsa, which is ridiculous for a Mexican food restaurant. Won't be going back horrible service and mediocre food. read more

Came here on a Sunday morning for drinks in March 2022. They were pretty delicious. We had the -Anaya Margaritas (which are already made with Mezcal). El Mexcalero Viejo (old fashion) La Cascada (refreshing flavor, tad bit on the sweet side). The server was funny and attentive. We Didn't eat any food but the chips and salsa were decent. Salsa was a full diced tomato base. read more

Anayas - Anayas Margarita w/mescal - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

If you're craving for some authentic mexican food, this place definitely will get the job done. They give you a complimentary chips & salsa to start it off and it was really good. Salsa tasted refreshing and the chips tasted fresh (crunchy and not stale). We tried the wet burrito with the choice of Barbacoa and the enchiladas. The wet burrito tasted amazing as their signature red sauce meshed perfectly with the Barbacoa. The barbacoa was really tender and soft too. This burrito was pretty big as well so you'll definitely get your money's worth and get your cravings satisfied. The enchiladas was cheesy and creamy. The rice and beans that came with it was a great combo to it, both tasted fresh. Overall, it was a great experience and cravings were satisfied. Will be returning to try out their other dishes. read more

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This is a restaurant with racial discrimination. I was originally planning to check its menu and decide whether to go in for a meal. I parked my car at their parking spot, but was rudely kicked out by their staff. It's truly a terrible restaurant. You shouldn't think that just because you are white, you are superior to others. In America, all people are born equal. The original residents here are Indians, not you. read more

The service and decor is very good but the food and drinks were lacking in taste. Maybe it w a off night. I thought the chips, salsa and rice were the best of what we had to eat. The margarita was less than average and for two simple meals and two margaritas our bill with tip was $102.00. Too expensive not to be good, I cannot recommend anything other than the salsa and chips they are both very good. read more

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My GF and I have been to Anayas together a few times. The ambience is excellent and the food and service are consistently very solid. We went again last week for dinner. My GF enjoyed some delicious tacos and I had the tortilla soup with chicken, which was flavorful but barely lukewarm. Love you, Anayas, but at the price point, the steam should be rolllllling off that soup! We will still be back and hopefully the food will be hotter next time. read more

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Took a group of 20 out after a conference in Pasadena. Was able to book a reservation easily as they have plenty of space for large parties. Everyone loved their drinks and food and desserts! A great time was had by all. read more

Food is fine. Service is ok. Price is bad. I got sopes. The waiter asked if I wanted rice and beans on the side. I said yes but didn't ask him what the additional cost is. It turned out that beans and rice EACH is $4.99. You can see the what they look like in the picture. Literally nothing special but costs 10 bucks to have rice and beans. Yikes. And they don't even taste good! Rice is flavorless and beans is too watery imo. read more

Anayas - Chips - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Anayas in Pasadena serves authentic Mexican food. We tried the Carnitas de Lechon a la Pibil and a few tacos ( El Pastor and Shrimp). The portions were sizable and everything tasted good. The cocktails were very good too! They have some interesting Mezcal cocktails option. We tried the Rey Quemado, it was Smokey and spicy. The Mezcalero Viejo is an old fashioned with Mezcal. They have happy hour every day of the week until 5 PM. On Sundays they have bottomless mimosas from 10 to 2 for $25/ person. The service was very prompt. The server was friendly and gave us good suggestions for food and drinks. They have both outdoor and indoor seating. You can make reservations on Yelp. read more

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THE SERVICE IS GOOD ================== The service was very good from the beginning to end. I was disappointed with the high prices though. I paid close to $23 for shrimp fajitas (7 shrimp, beans, rice and a bit of salad) and $14 for a spicy margarita. The minimal parking in the back of the restaurant is tricky. The spaces are double stacked and way too close together. I parked at the Pasadena Playhouse structure and that was a rip off. The sign is misleading, but that's another story. Try to park on the street or in the lot by Urth Cafe. read more

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Poor service, almost nonexistent. Severly overpriced. Mediocre food. Same experience the first time we went there. Thought we'd give it another chance a year later. Same exact disappointing experience. The positive? At least they're consistent. read more

Everything... food, drinks, service and ambiance was amazing! Jose, the manager, was so polite and attentive. Will definitely be back bc the brunch was sooooo good. read more

Anayas - Mexican Mule - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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So this has now become a favorite spot in Pasadena. There are a few places that attempt the elevated Mexican food concept like mercado but this place, unlike Mercado, succeeds! Came here for brunch and the everything from the decor to the ambiance to the food to the service was on point! Started off the Anaya's Margarita which was amazing. Huge fan of mezcal and this was executed perfectly. Had the asada quesadilla and the shrimp ceviche. Both, again, we're on point. Steak was cooked and seasoned perfectly and the ceviche refreshing and crisp. We all had the chilaquiles. I had mine with chorizo and my kiddos with the asada. I recommend you splurge on the protein. The chilaquiles alone tasty AF but that added protein sets them over the top. By far one of the best Mexican joints in Pasadena and we'll be back again.... Frequently read more

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