Uhm I think good was decent and their service was immaculate! Thank you for making our staycation lit read more

Der Wolf - Beer Bar Near Me - Pasadena, California

German food with a twist? You had me sold at smothered tater tots. We came here after attending ScareLA nearby and wanted a hearty meal to finish off our day. Katie B recommended this place and since it was within walking distance; so we traveled by foot from the Pasadena Convention Center to this nice little eatery. If you're hanging around Colorado St., then this is a great alternative to all the chainy action going on down there. The restaurant offers your typical German fare like bratwursts and sausages, but then has gut bombs like the Wolf Burger and Wolf Style tater tots. We ordered both of those, stuffed our faces and had no regrets. Our meal: - Wolf Style tater tots: You can get these with fries, tots or a combo of the two. We went strictly tots and the the bartender reassured us that was the way to go since they held the toppings best. They didn't disappoint with their gooey beer cheese, pickled peppers, caramelized onions, bacon and chives. Again, not a diet food and you're stomach better be prepared for the greasy goodness it's about to take in. - Wolf Burger: We ordered ours medium and enjoyed it a lot. Besides the beef patty, it came loaded with Black Forest ham, lettuce, Swiss cheese, bell peppers and then covered with sauteed onions. It's a rich burger and very messy. I was ready to throw in the towel after a few bites since the tots were already taking up most of the room in my stomach. The meat was a great balance of pink, and I appreciated that it wasn't overcooked. - Bavarian Nuremburg: If it's on the menu, I'm going to order it. This was my favorite thing to eat while in Germany, and if a restaurant can do it right, it definitely takes me back to my happy place. This did not disappoint! The sausage came with your choice of topping and we went with sauerkraut. The pickled veggie wasn't overpowering and we smothered it with ketchup and mustard for extra flavor. They also had a house sauce that was sort of like a horseradish aioli - I felt it in my nose, but I liked it. - Schofferhofer Grapefruit Radler: I love the mixture of juice and beer - especially if it's the tart nectar of a grapefruit. This was my first time having this version and I liked it so much, I ordered two. It has a light alcohol content so you can drink multiples without getting sloshed, but it's a nice pairing to your food with a little bit of a beer bite to it. We even found ourselves at BevMo afterwards to pick up a six pack for later consumption at home. Service is great, but you have to order through the bar. It was a little chaotic since the bartenders are trying to sling drinks while taking requests - so be prepared to wait a bit if it's busy. Since they have a good amount of seating, I don't know why they don't have at least one dedicated server taking care of that section. I think it would streamline the process so that there aren't a lot of people crowding around one area. Parking is available on the street or nearby lots, and the place even has a decent amount of patio seating if you want to take in the beautiful weather. This is one of my new favorite restaurants in Pasadena and I'll for sure be back soon! read more

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They've been open for less than a 1/2 hour and I love the place already! Craig, the manager, was very helpful in helping me pick a drink. Starting with the Nachzehrer, prost! 2/25/15 I ended up staying at Der Wolfskopf for quite a while and enjoyed items from both the food and drink menus. The Schwarzbier (which was on the happy hour) was malty and flavorful without being heavy. I also finally tasted a Berliner Weisse with the traditional woodruff syrup- not bad! For food, I went with Craig's suggestion and tried the Nuremberg sausage (veal and pork). Since I love pretzel-anything, I switched out the potato bun for the pretzel roll. The sausages all come with your choice of tater tots or shoestring fries, so I chose the fries. Everything was delicious! I liked the little cornichons and caramelized onions that also came on the side. Be sure to try the mustards, which they make in-house. I can't wait to try more of the menu! So far, there are no happy hour deals on food but I found the prices to be quite reasonable, especially based on the quality and quantity. I can't wait to return and check out the downstairs bar when it opens, and the patio area, which has walk up ordering windows. Der Wolfskopf is off to a great start! read more

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The manager is so awesome! My friends had a birthday today and he got them free drinks and was so nice about everything! Love the place and the vibe. The manager and servers are so cool and really good people ! read more

Went a few weeks ago and the vibe was weird. We walked through a "divey" looking pub inspired bar to the outside which was a whole different atmosphere. We had eventbrite tickets for two bottles of champagne each person but the server seemed very confused by this. We had to speak with a manager to make sure they honored it (which they did thankfully) but was kind of confused as well saying that the eventbrite should have been deleted. I ordered the chilaquiles which were ok and my girlfriend ordered the same thing. Service was pretty slow as well but they were busy so I understood. Honestly I wouldn't go back but the eventbrite made it worthwhile. read more

Great bar and ambience. Worth stopping by. Rachel gave us great service! Pasadena bar is one for the win. read more

Der Wolf - Bar - Beer Bar Near Me - Pasadena, California

What is it with these German places and their almost impossible to properly pronounce names that makes the beer taste so good? I don't know! Der Wolfskopf is located on Fair Oaks closer to Union and is not to be confused with their bar located downstairs. This place is dark, plays random Netflix movies (The Golden Child and Kill Bill), good music, and has great service! There are plenty of tables and seats for small or large parties. The food here is alright. Nothing to brag about, but when you're having one of their delicious beers, you'll be thankful you ordered a basket of fries, or a sandwich on a pretzel bread! The drink selection is pretty good! I'm not talking about hundreds of brews, but there's definitely a lot to choose from. If you're not sure what any of the German named beers are, don't hesitate to tell the waiter/ess what you like, and have them make a suggestion for you. Overall a pretty fun place to hang out with a group of friends when all the other OTP bars are packed! I'm a fan and I'll definitely be back! read more

Had a blast. Started my evening having dinner on the first floor. Once 9pm hit, of to the speak easy downstairs. Food was great, prices adequate and service superb. read more

this place has it all. the music, the drinks, the good bartender. Jeff took care of us the way your family would when you go for a visit. Come in any day of the week and you're guaranteed a good time. read more

Der Wolf - old fashioned and cantarito - Beer Bar Near Me - Pasadena, California

Worst experience ever! Never coming here again. The customer service sucked ass! We order 4 waters to start with and they only brought one. Second, we order coffee, and they didn't had it prepare so we had to wait 30 minutes for it. Third, I order a cocktail drink and it literally took over 30 minutes. Forth, the food sucks! And we were missing items as well. Even my wife return, the French toast she order! And worst of all we order Fries for my son!! And they completely forgot about it. An hour and a half of waiting on our food and 30 minutes of finishing it and the fries never arrived! The mimosas wasn't good either! Horrible brunch I would have gone to Denny's instead with a cheaper price and with better quality food!! read more

Been here a handful of times and have seen the progression of it from its original owners - basically having it as a slightly more upscale Lucky Baldwin's - to the new owners to where it's a much more lively, diverse (in menu and clientele) ambitious type of spot. The place definitely has upside in regards to its aim, the food and the service. Looking forward to seeing the place grow with the area and really challenge as the best/most well known spot in town (one can argue King's Row has that but probably not for long). Although prices can be on the high-ish side and the service not as quite as speedy as one may come to expect; it's a place worth checking out - and coming back to - whether it's the main area, back patio or underground lounge. read more

Der Wolf was probably my favorite bar in Pasadena. I am saddened that this is no longer a German bar/restaurant, but I did return just to check it out now that the inside is open. It's sad because I have to drive all the way to LA now for authentic German food and beer, but things change for better or worse and covid played a decisive hand in all of this. This is now a Latin bar/club I think? It's no longer Der Wolf--that's for sure. They should probably change the name. The place is still gorgeous inside and the service was excellent. I will probably be back. read more

This place is NOT the chill German pub it was pre-pandemic. My friends and I used to come up to Old Town Pasadena for weekend nights out once in a while, and this was our favorite dinner stop. The mostly German menu was good, especially the sausage platter, and the mostly German beer selection was great, with some stuff I'd never seen at Red Lion. They even had the occasional jazz combo on weekends. The main room was pretty open, with long tables that could accommodate larger parties, so it was a nice place to have a birthday gathering with a larger group that would have an indeterminate number of people popping in and out all evening, without making any specific reservations. It was the last place my friend had a birthday party before the pandemic hit, and now that larger group gatherings are starting to come back, he decided to bring his birthday back here, so that it would feel like we were picking up where things left off. When the first wave of people arrived, early Saturday evening, the music in the main room was too loud for talking and catching up. So they wandered out to the empty back patio. I arrived, looking clueless, and the manager was nice enough to let me know the large party was outside. Apparently the patio was technically "closed," though, despite not being physically blocked off. One server asked us to stop ordering food, because they couldn't have servers keep bringing things all the way out there. The manager came out and asked how many more people would be coming (we didn't know, my friend just invited a bunch of people to show up whenever, assuming this was still a casual pub atmosphere). He let us know that he'd eventually be moving our party down to the basement, but it wasn't open yet. So we just kind of waited to be able to order food again, while MULTIPLE security people hung around the perimeter to keep an eye on us. (We're a bunch of non-threatening nerds, and I think that's pretty obvious to most people.) The bartenders were nice, but they only had two German beers on their tap list, and those were both out because of St. Patrick's Day the night before. (Those were the only empty kegs - maybe that says something about what the clientele actually wants?) Most of the remaining taps were the same old generic choices (oh goody, 805!) - beer for people who don't love beer. The bartender managed to find me and my friend the last two bottles of German beer they had stashed away in the fridge, so I made sure to tip more than 20% at the end of the night. They finally let us down into the basement (formerly Der Rathskeller, now "THE DUNGEON PASADENA"). I ordered a sausage platter, which was one of maybe 2-3 German items remaining on the food menu. It still tasted pretty good, even if they forgot to give me mustard, or a knife to cut the sausage with. At one point I ventured upstairs to use the restroom and close my tab, and a DJ was BLASTING reggaeton at assaultive, concert-level volume. I am old now, and I'd have needed earplugs to be in it for more than five minutes. Nobody was dancing (there isn't really a dance floor), nobody was talking (they couldn't hear each other), and there were wayyyyyy more men than women. Oh, and security everywhere. I can't comment on the post-pandemic viability of their old business model (which I loved!), but their new attempted nightclub seems pretty miserable. More people eventually found their way downstairs where we were hanging out, because the music levels were much more conducive to actual socializing. What I don't understand is, if Der Wolf no longer wants to be a German pub with a chill, welcoming neighborhood vibe (despite having a GREAT space for a pub!)...why are they still called Der Wolf? If their new business model is to try to sell crappy beer and overpriced tequila to 20-something bros in a nightclub atmosphere, why not do a FULL rebrand, so that people looking for the old Der Wolf know they will absolutely not find it? This version feels like the kind of place that would have been featured on Bar Rescue and gone under six months after their episode aired. I hope they find their way, but I doubt we'll be going back, as this place just isn't geared toward the likes of us anymore. read more

During Oktoberfest I was getting my fix of brats and beer wherever I could. I hope it all comes in handy this month when I find out if I get in on the Berlin marathon. I figure pump myself full of German food and it's bound to be good luck. My boyfriend and I stopped in here one Sunday afternoon. We had a few HH beers, tater tots, a pretzel and some brats. Things were fine, they weren't stand out great! Service was friendly but to be honest, I enjoyed my brats and beer at the Arroyo Whole Foods better (did I really just type that? but yea, I did) Not my fav German bar but it'll work if you're trying to itch that scratch in the Pasadena area. read more

Last night was our second time here. We are hooked! I was looking forward to Brady's artisan cocktails all week. He doesn't just mix drinks, he creates them. Everything we had was beautifully made and tasted strong and delicious. I can normally hold a few down, but after just 3 cocktails I was out for the count. This location is downstairs from Der Wolfskopf. It opens at 8:30 pm. It is dark and mysterious downstairs. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable about the ingredients they use to make the perfect cocktail. So far I have had a Vodka Old Fashion, White Russian, Cosmo, and many others that I can't recall the names of. Every single drink rocked. Check out some of my photos. The Cosmo was the BEST I have ever had. I had no idea they could taste that delicious. I also asked for vodka based drinks, there are so many more offerings. Vodka keeps me normal the longest. Lol! My new favorite place. They have been open for about a month, so I feel so fortunate to get the time and attention from Brady. I know this place will pack out in the near future. So hurry, go experience this treasure before the word is fully out. Cheers!! read more

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Nothing but great vibes. Shoutout to Brandon for being a great bartender. Definitely a friendly environment read more

Der Wolf - Beer Bar Near Me - Pasadena, California

Pretty chill bar in old town. I've only ever really been here for drinks, but I did try the sausage platter today which was very delicious. The bartenders are always cool and are good at helping you pick a beer from their decent sized selection. I like that they have happy hour everyday, even on the weekends! I believe the hours are 1-3pm on weekends. Overall, chill place to stop by and grab a drink or some bites. read more

Reasonably priced bar in Old Town Pasadena. I was missing the German Vibe from being in Germany for about a month, so decided to check this place out. They have Spaetzle, which is basically a German version of the mac n' cheese. Although it didn't taste as authentic as when I had it in Germany, it was close enough - so I'll take it! Also ordered some beers, which were refreshing to drink while munching away. read more

Came on a Sunday for brunch. Atmosphere seemed cool, but the service was very slow and the food was not very good. The waffle was soft and wilted, my tater tots were COLD, and it took forever to get our food. They did make good on the tots and brought out warm ones when I told them, but still left with an overall feeling of no desire to return. read more

Great service! Great staff! Good times. I had a really nice time watching the Pacquiao fight with a friend. If you're in the LA area I recommend checking the place out. read more

this is One of my new favorite spots I understand that it used to be a German pub but I love how the owner is keeping up with the times .Food is on point and super yummy Drinks are delicious also. All the girls are friendly the staff makes you feel really welcomed. its a pretty big location with different levels .I will keep coming back :) read more

Emily and Jose are the best! Jose greeted me at the door, gave a great recommendation when I asked for one, he even consulted with Emily when I asked for light food order. This place has great atmosphere, good music, but Emily and Jose go out of their way to make sure you are well served and having a great experience. Their boss should take notice and hand out raises. read more

Der Wolf - Konigzwickl and sausage plate - Beer Bar Near Me - Pasadena, California

Ausgezeichnet! Great place to catch afternoon matches, chew the fat, and imbibe. Beer hall style seating and festive decor remind you of being back in Munich. If you're anything like me, you'll want to plant yourself at the bar in clear view of the big screens. While there, say hi to your German friends: Radler, Weihnstephaner hef, and Aecht schlenkerla rauchbier marzen. Don't neglect the Wolfstyle tots and the tasty soft pretzel. Prost! read more

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It was all bad, all the way around. Loud rap music (doesn't really fit the German theme lol), people smoking cigarettes and pot right by the outdoor dining (the security guard joined for a ciggie break), food was wrong and took three times to come out to get right (then wasn't very good - oh and they tried to return the same burger just scrapped off the wrong ingredients and added some teriyaki sauce), asked for a manager three times before someone came to the table and then she didn't seem all that interested in hearing our concerns (she said she was the owner but didn't seem to really care about her business.) The wheels felt like they were coming off and it was only 7:00 pm. read more

Der Wolf - The pot and cigarette smoking section. - Beer Bar Near Me - Pasadena, California

I'm sorry to say we didn't have a good experience. Server was obviously new- which I'm totally ok with....but the EXCUSES were unbelievable. Ordered a lamb burger, they were out. Ordered a teriyaki burger instead. Brought me a cheeseburger. When I pointed out there was no teriyaki or pineapple was told "that's just how they make them now ". read more

Great service! And a pleasant environment! Would recommend!!! I had the multi appetizer and a La reina drink both good read more

Der Wolf - Beer Bar Near Me - Pasadena, California

Delilah is fucking rad. End of story. ......................................................................................................... .............. ........................................................ .............................................................. ........................................ .................................................... The dots are because yelp requires more characters, but I already have my review and said end of story. Delilah rocks read more

After heavily advertising to come join them for game 6 of the NBA finals on Instagram, I made and confirmed a reservation 3 days before via text (should've been the red flag that they rely on text for their reservation system). I arrived and was turned away because they overbooked and ended up missing half the game. How about 1) you don't accept walk-ins on for an extremely popular game, 2) you don't overbook for an extremely popular game, or 3) you don't cheap out and pay the open table subscription so you get a little organized? When I got there the hostess/server had an old fashioned pen and paper she was referencing. Incompetency. So many other good outdoor bar/restaurant options than this place. read more

Oooh I love the smell of a new building, it truly smells so good inside and this is definitely one of the new places to be! Now I don't live in the Pasadena area but was in town for work and a friend recommended we try out this spot. My parents are also English so please don't tell my Mum and Dad I went to a German bar! :). I arrived before my friend and took a seat at the bar and a great chat with Craig the bar tender. He recommended a great wine and informed me about the different types of cocktails he liked. I had a Riesling wine and eventually the Dark & Stormy Cocktail which was fabulous, I love the craze of the mules right now. He also told me other spots in the area of where I should check out as I wanted to see a few areas in the Pasadena area. I came here on a Wednesday evening around 8pm, it wasn't packed but no place in Pasadena was. There were a few groups of girls, guys, couples and overall a good age range. The food menu is very traditional and they have a lot of beers on tap in addition to tasty wines and crafty cocktails! read more

Came to Der Rathskeller on a Saturday night. I really like their selection of beer (lots from Germany). I like pilsners and the bartender suggested the Bitburger Premium Pils which was great. Gotta be honest though, the murals creep me out a little. Drinking beer while being stared down by a bunch of demonic paintings... definitely not for everyone. Not sure if I would come back here because it's 2spooky4me. I can see the appeal though. If you're looking for a bar that feels like a haunted German dungeon, then this is the place for you! Anyway, if you're on the edge, just know that there's an upstairs bar with a live band that was very lively and a downstairs bar that was much more chill. We went downstairs because we didn't want to have bagpipes blaring into our ears (it was St. Patricks Day weekend). read more

This place is a party. Friendly staff and great food. I was starving and I ordered the chicken strips, scarfed them down in 2 minutes, and then immediately ordered more cuz they were that good! Will definitely be back! read more

My son and I went here because his lieutenant suggested it was one of the better bars to go to. He was spot on... From the street it doesn't look like much to write about, but when you walk in you are greeted, assailed with banners hanging from the ceiling and a ton of seating. The waitresses took care of our drink orders, the prices were reasonable (I thought at least considering the locale) and the German beer they offered was very much of high quality. It was a nice evening of watching what they had on all their big-screen TVs, people watching and plenty of talking. Great time overall. read more

I love this place! Always good music, people, food and drinks. Make sure to get the chicken tenders!

Went here after a hike and had a blast. Great music, food and atmosphere for a weekend.

My review is solely on my visit without food or drinks (I came by to meet up with some friends for a quick chat, did not stay long) sometime in mid April. Parking: I used the parking lot across the street which was quite convenient since the place is right by the corner of fair oaks and union. At the time of my visit, it was a tad hard to spot since there wasn't really any sign, but I saw the A-sign on the ground, I figured with was something a bar would have outside their entrance -- and it was them! I was greeted at entrance and quickly found my people I was meeting up with. I was greeted and offered drinks, I refused and just had some water. My friends ordered food & drinks and it came pretty quickly. I did not stay long, but the atmosphere was very nice, the decor was very interesting. I'll update my review on drinks and food when I get a chance to come and dine. :) read more

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Meet up with friends here yesterday to watch the Laker game. Nice spot. Good drinks, decent food and great service!

Not awful, but they ain't what they used to be and are not in any way remarkable anymore. I would like to preface this review by acknowledging that the restaurant business is orders of magnitude more difficult during a pandemic, and I acknowledge the need of a restaurant to adapt and broaden their appeal to stay alive. A watered down Wolf is better than no Wolf, after all. But that is what seems to be happening here, so it is important to level people's expectations of this establishment with its current reality. I was a regular here from 2014-19, was away for a year, and recently came back for lunch on a Sunday. I was disappointed for 2 reasons: the de-Germanized menu, and the poor service. Der Wolfskopf used to offer an excellent list of 6-8 German beers, many of which could not be had anywhere else in Pasadena. Now, you get Veltins pils, Paulaner hefe, and the rest is Mexican and Californian offerings. You used to get schnitzel, but now you get chicken tenders. You used to get spätlze, but now you get mac and cheese. When we arrived they were offering the brunch menu with even more limited offerings (but plenty of Californian and Mexican choices, and plenty of cocktails and mimosas!). I got the sausage plate, which was OK with a decent portion size, but overpriced for what it was. The service was generally slow and inattentive, spending more time looking at their phones than checking on the tables. I ordered the sausage plate and the server skittered off before I could even give her my choice of sausage, only to return 5 minutes later to ask me. Trying to get a server's attention for some napkins and later the check took forever, and the place was not crowded by any means. This used to be my favorite spot in Pasadena, but I cannot recommend it at this time because there isn't really anything to distinguish it from better establishments of this type and price point. Hopefully they will bring something more compelling to the table in the future. read more

Best drinks and ambiance in town. We usually come here during the weekdays, and it never fails. But the weekends you truly will never be disappointed. Brandon makes the best drinks and makes me feel welcome. If you're ever in Pasadena please stop by! I promise you , you won't be disappointed. read more

I came to watch the NFC Championship game and the bar was completely full but one worker that caught my eye was your food runner. She was in every direction helping guest. My only issue which is everywhere is the short staff. read more

Probably the worst place I have ever been to... no joke! The servers have absolutely no idea what customer service is... UNLESS you are one of the regular guys, you will NOT get the service you are paying for... it took is about 35-40 minutes just to get out pitcher of beer, and that's because we asked about it. She basically told us that sometimes the tickets fall behind the printer and they don't even check... the servers are looking straight out of the strip club lol... which its whatever but when they go sit at tables with guys and have drinks with them while on their shift, and while other customers are waiting for their orders.... that is definitely NOT ok. There was only ONE male server who you could tell was there to actually work and not mingle around, he was the only one that would actually clean the tables when others would leave. And the only one who would not take his mask off. The other people were taking shots, eating oysters would not even wash their hands afterwards and go straight to delivering food and drinks to tables... this place should not be open during these times, they obviously could care less about the fact that we are in the middle of a pandemic! Very very sad and disappointing because the set up, tv's and location is great... everything else, is disgusting! read more