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    For The Win

    3.9 (302 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order For The Win Takeout or Delivery

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    Business Info

    FOR THE WIN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - For The Win

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    Seating
    Ally Y.

    One of the best burgers I've had in a very long time if ever. You walk in order from the tablet and find a seat. They even have a counter top to eat at while your order gets made. The service is great because you order and do your thing while the chef does his and all is well. (For the "bad service" comments I don't think good service needs to be "extra happy" when customers come in. True service means they put their soul into what they do and that's this place simplicity at its finest a real burger joint with real people) keep it 100 Smashed Burger: it's a simple honest burger. It's the pinnacle of cheese burger with molten cheese and grilled onion. Expect third degree burns on your tongue if you don't wait a bit. But that's the best part when have you sat down and had a hot cheeseburger NEVER! Until here shoutout to the chef for perfecting such greatness. We added fries and a soda I wish I got the cheese fries because they looked so good. But that's for next time. (Price $10 a burger)($3extra for a double) well worth This place is legit W burgers

    Fries
    April V.

    The burgers are good but not a big fan of the sauce. Fries are nicely salted. Bought the fry's sauce & it's like an In-N-Out spread sauce packet. I didn't really like it & it tastes like it has some types of mustard or horseradish or strong oil Not sure if I was overcharged or the prices increased The service was fast though

    Entrance
    Hannah S.

    Always on the lookout for a great burger and have heard a lot about For The Win, but my experience here was a bit disappointing. The burgers are cooked nicely and the cheese is good - but their fry sauce is overwhelmingly sweet, they charge an additional price for everything apart from the buns and meat, the vibes are uninviting, and the staff don't seem to want to have anything to do with the customers.  We were meeting up with my SIL/MIL and were all craving burgers so we came here for our family dinner. The decor is minimalist, bare bones, and quite sterile - definitely not an inviting place to linger. There are giant order screens instead of registers at the counter and the staff are hiding back in the kitchen and constantly seemed busy and overwhelmed even when we needed help (we were the only customers). We eventually figured out our issues on our own and got our food ordered with no help from anyone. We ordered three single cheese burgers and one double with some loaded fries, water bottles and a chocolate shake - almost cost $80! If you want lettuce and tomato or even pickles - extra charge. Pretty much nickel and dime you for anything other than the meat and cheese lol. And forget about water cups - there aren't any water stations or anything so you're forced to get bottled water (yay more microplastics). The food took a while to prepare and when it came out, our shake was missing. I asked the staff about it and he seemed very annoyed - but I eventually got it.  The burgers were cooked decently - the meat and cheese have decent flavors but again, I was not a fan of how sweet their fry sauce was - it was overwhelming on both the burgers and the fries. I also asked for two extra sides of the sauce as I wasn't sure what to expect and they charge extra for that too ($3 for two sauces) lol. It's definitely not made in house - it came in pre packaged plastic like giant ketchup packets. Definitely wouldn't get this again. The fries were pretty good and the chocolate shake was nice - those were the wins of our experience. I was also taken aback that the self-order kiosk asks you for a tip - you self order, pick up your order yourself when they put it on the counter so you take it back to your table yourself, AND clean up after yourself - which is totally fine but what would we need to tip for?  The location is great - in the main core of the cute little downtown Alhambra area near the movie theater. Parking is easy in the garages nearby. The food isn't bad and I would come again if it wasn't so impersonal and expensive, but unfortunately based on this first experience I doubt we'll be back - definitely preferred it when it was Grill Em All.

    Our already today. 2 double cheeseburger, dirty fries, and Brussels
    Ann Q.

    We had a really great first time experience today! There was only one gentleman working today and he greeted everyone that came in! I told him it was our first time here and he warmly helped us out at the register. Explained what the burgers come with and sides options. We opted for 2 double cheeseburgers no add ons, and all fixings. Order of Brussels and dirty fries. OMG if I was younger I would throw down the burgers and fries so quick!!! The dirty fries had tons of grilled onions and their fry sauce. There was an option to add bacon bits but we decided against it since we were expecting our meal to be heavy already. I absolutely loved the dirty fries!!! It was an elevated more gourmet version of in n out animal fries. The smash burgers were made very well, nice char and crispy beef edges! Cheese fully melted, generous sauce, pickles n onions all in some sweet and soft toasted brioche buns! The buns were similar to Hawaiian bread. I had to eat with a fork and knife, I had already fumbled and dirtied my dress with the Brussels! Brussels I think we're just deep fried, I don't think there was any sauce or toppings on it yet the Brussels were not overly bitter. I was hoping they were going to help with offsetting the heaviness of the overall meal, but because it too was fried in beef tallow, everything ate overall super heavy and very rich. These aren't cheap, you are paying for quality and you will get quality foods! Despite the price I felt like it was worth it. I would definitely add veggies on my next visit and and and!!! I found out coconut Co is going to be their neighbor soon!!! It would be a perfect pairing to get a coconut drink to pair with my burger!!! I'm so excited for them to open!!! Man... Definitely get the dirty fries!!! I'm drooling just thinking about it! BYOB, there is no fountain drinks here only canned and bottled drinks. No ice no water refill station.

    Happy to be at our favorite smashburger in Alhambra!
    Greg W.

    I wanted to post an update. About 2 weeks after the review we went back. We walked up to the front and asked the grill master if they are buttering and/or grilling the buns. The answer was unfortunately "sorry no", so we decided not to eat there. Michael, I hope this changes back but until it does, we won't be returning. This might work for the normal buns but not for the gluten free buns. Because of this, I can't give them four stars any longer.

    Ashley H.

    Alright burger place. Service was minimal and there were kiosk stations upfront to order on. Meal itself wasn't bad (a little on the salty side) but I was pretty surprised on how small their cheeseburger was being $8+. Asked staff for water cups which was denied. Overheard another patron after ask and also denied as well.

    Tiffany T.

    One of my favorite smash burgers! The burgers are incredibly flavorful, and you really get those perfectly crispy edges. The servers are always super friendly and quick with my orders. There's convenient parking nearby in the garage behind the movie theater or next to Dollar Tree.

    Cheeseburger
    Austin B.

    tl;dr the excellent, McDonald's-esque fries can't make up for the average smashburger; the expensive food isn't worth the premium Following the COVID-era smashburger trend, For the Win is a pandemic-borne pop-up from the mind of former fine-dining chef Santos Uy. Originally operating out of his Bib Gourmand-designated Papilles Bistro, FTW has since established multiple dedicated brick-and-mortar locations across Greater Los Angeles. While many burger aficionados lament that the quality has declined with the expansion, FTW remains routinely ranked among LA's top smashburgers. The relatively recent Alhambra outpost is located by the movie theater at the busy intersection of Garfield and Main. The interior decoration is pretty barebones. The concrete floors are polished, and the whitewashed walls have only orange-and-blue, FTW-specific decals. Up front, a handful of wooden tables are pressed up against a teal-upholstered booth. Further back, a diner-style counter peers directly into the open kitchen. The hum of the industrial refrigerator and sizzle from the grill overpower the low din of chatter. I originally was drawn to FTW for their lunch special: a cheeseburger, fries, and a drink for $9.99. Within about 10 minutes, I was presented with a cafeteria tray of food. The piping hot cheeseburger was mostly forgettable, from the flimsy potato roll bun, to the handful of snappy pickles, to the not-quite-juicy-and-not-quite-crispy patty, to FTW's overly sweet Thousand Island-adjacent fry sauce. The shoestring fries were a superior McDonald's dupe: excellently crispy, and the portion was the perfect size for sharing. The staff were friendly, and I was pleased to see my burger being cooked to order. Although I have never tried FTW during the pre-expansion days, I've confirmed during a return visit that the Alhambra location is middling as far as smash burgers go. Ultimately, the burgers are no more satisfying than a solid In-N-Out Double Double, but double the price; as such, I don't expect myself ever paying them a return visit.

    Triple smash with loaded fries and a chocolate shake. Better go for a walk after!
    Colin O.

    Sweet and simple, this is a great burger. Everything is cooked fresh and the staff always make an effort to welcome their customers. Not cheap by any stretch but the taste is worth it. Love their food!

    Fries
    Jess B.

    My husband and I tried this place out on a Saturday night. It was about 1.5 hours from closing. It's an open kitchen and they have both table and bar seating. We opted to sit at the bar and watch the cook prepare our food. Your order from a kiosk (there's two in total), which I really like. The menu is small and simple; there's only a few options for burgers and sides. My husband ordered a double cheeseburger with fries and I ordered a double cheeseburger (lettuce wrapped) with brussel sprouts. Service was standard. They weren't friendly but they weren't rude either. And our food was delivered pretty quickly after ordering. I started with the brussel sprouts and they were really salty. It was so salty that after my first bite I had to immediately down my drink. They were pretty pricey so I forced myself to eat them but paired them with the lettuce wrapped around my burger to decrease the saltiness. I had the burger next. It was good but I wasn't a fan of the sauce.

    Cheeseburger
    Gail Astrid M.

    Love their smash burgers over here. I wish they had more signature drinks rather than the tap and the canned. Overall all A+ customer service. Very casual place.

    Double Cheeseburger
    Rickey S.

    TLDR: burger is tasty but seems overpriced for what it is. I'd give it a 4/5 stars overall if the double cheese burger was like $12 after tax: 5 star for the burger & 3 stars for the service. -- Came in on a Friday around 915pm. I ordered a double cheeseburger ($12.50) with tomato and lettuce added ($1) and it came out to $14.92 after taxes. The burger was good, crispy edges from the smash burger, well seasoned. The lettuce and tomato are a must to add more texture. It's just way too pricy to be $15 for a double smash burger imo. The service was mid. There were only two people in the restaurant including me. It took about 15 minutes to get my order. Maybe they were understaffed but there were only two workers but I could tell they were slammed with all the online orders coming in. The other customer who was waiting on his meal didn't get the sweet potato fries that he ordered because they made a mistake and had to wait for the sweet potato fries to be cooked (from frozen) and I ended up finishing my burger before his order was completed. Online orders weren't completed in the 15-20 minutes that I was there. After 9 pm they put the chairs up by the booth and only bar seating is available.

    Julia K.

    My husband and I came here for a quick bite after discovering it about a year ago near our favorite local movie theater. There's plenty of parking behind the former Rite Aid or the theater structure. We ordered two single cheeseburgers, they do them smash Burger style here, and a side of sweet potato fries. Everything was fresh and delicious. Sad to see it was a pretty slow night for the restaurant as we have seen businesses come and go from this place over the years and it would be a shame to see this place go too. If you're in the area, stop by and get some bomb burgers, the fry sauce doesn't disappoint either!

    Cheeseburger (left), Chicken Sandwich (right)

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Really good , ends are little burnt sometimes but this really good , need fountain drinks , service was ok , nice area to eat ,

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    2 years ago

    Best fries ever! They don't use seed oils the cook them with beef tallow I'm so lucky to have this nearby!

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    2 years ago

    Best freakin burger ever! Fast service, crispy fries. The also have chicken sandwich, which is amazing ,as well

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    2 years ago

    This is, in my opinion, the best burger in LA!! Forget In and out of your mind....Californians need to eat this burger!

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    2 years ago

    "Juicy, flavorful smashburgers with perfectly crispy edges and fresh toppings. A must-try!"

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Burgers were great. It was ordering by kiosk which was very easy. Will be back. Convenient for a meal b4 going to theater.

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    2 years ago

    Yes very good good service good lighting good color good good oil good food yes yes so good meat is good onion is good

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    2 years ago

    Very welcoming, with very delicious smash burgers! First time coming and I will for sure be returning to the Alhambra location again!

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    2 years ago

    Good food great employees very friendly and nice, would highly recommend you go here for the experience

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    2 years ago

    Love these smash burgers! They're very consistent and the staff is awesome! And love the decor

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The service was great and the burgers were great. The shakes were delicious as well. The service was also on point. Definitely recommend

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    2 years ago

    Food was amazing first time trying the smash burger triple patties might be too much for me to eat but still would come again 10/10

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    great ambiance staff and food! would def come here again! fast quick service as well.

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    Page 8 of 8

    Ask the Community - For The Win

    Hey! Just wondering any follow up on the question regarding a nut allergy?

    Just wondering, for a nut allergy, is there any concern?

    Llppp

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    With Love, - Add your own toppings for free

    With Love,

    4.5(431 reviews)
    1.0 mi
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    Second Visit & Still Such a Fun Dessert Spot!…read more This was our second visit here, and once again the service and ambience were very welcoming. It's a smaller dessert spot with about 3-4 tables available, but it gives off a cozy and chill vibe that we really enjoyed. This time we got the half-and-half milk and ube ice cream with taiyakis filled with: * taro * red bean * custard * cheesecake * nutella And honestly... I was really surprised that the cheesecake filling was actually delicious! Creamy, smooth, and definitely something I'd order again. The taiyaki itself was warm with that nice slight crisp on the outside, and paired perfectly with the ice cream. Overall, such a fun spot for dessert and definitely a must-try if you're craving taiyakis and ice cream. Happy eats!

    I had this place bookmarked for a long time but never got around to coming here due to its…read morelocation. This is in the same tiny plaza as Golden Deli and Bopomofo, so parking can be tough at peak dinner time. The good: the taiyaki texture was nice and crunchy. The ice cream was smooth and not icy. The price is good for amount you get. The bad: the store was extremely cramped and hot. It's a very tiny shop so easily felt packed inside. I was annoyed when they called my order but I was struggling to get through the shop to get my order. By that time the employee had walked away. I was annoyed because when she came back she completely ignored me and handed someone else their order and walked away. I don't understand why they keep the completed orders way behind the counter if they don't even verify the correct person is picking up... after being skipped over twice I finally cut in and interrupted the other employee for my order and she was like oh... sorry it's melted. Like yeah it's been sitting there and I didn't want to go into the employee area to get it! That was really irritating. The ube flavor was bland. It tasted like milk, I did not get any ube flavor. The custard in the taiyaki was just okay. The worst part was that the taiyaki had a really off putting taste on the outside... almost like the aftertaste of margarine or something, it bothered me. Overall the flavor and service was lacking and the experience inside was not good. I was not impressed by any aspect and would not recommend this place unless you were already dining in this plaza and wanted to just walk over.

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    Patisserie Too - Heating up the croissant egg tart and Portuguese egg tart, so good

    Patisserie Too

    4.2(450 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$$

    I loved the coconut tart the most. Every single tart here is very affordable here, ranging from…read more$0.95 to $2. The cheapest and simplest one is the Portuguese egg tart and the more fancy ones are either $1.75 or $2. I tried all of them: Portuguese egg tart, cheese tart, caramel croissant tart, tiramisu tart, berry tart, and coconut tart (my favorite). We also got the salted egg yolk croissant for only $1 which is a steal although I wish it was a tad bit sweeter to balance out the salt. It was a smooth process to go in and buy. They also have a variety of specialty desserts that are in the $8 price range if you want something more extravagant. I tried the King Panda which was filled with cream cheese mousse. There's both indoor and outdoor seating, but more of the latter. We went on a Saturday and it was pretty packed but we managed to snag a seat.

    got to know this bakery simply because this place used to be Perfectly Sweet, now Patisserie Too…read more it seems like it is now an Asian based bakery that offers pastries and subjective "cute" cakes. seems like most people buy the portuguese egg tarts the most (cause they are only 99 cents each, which is considered cheap. They are decent as well. It is the main lure. The cute cakes are "Asian cute", like you would know this is from a Chinese bakery kind of vibe. IMO they are overprice / maybe overrated and I think they only appeal to people who like these kind of cute stuff or maybe kids. otherwise I would pass on these overpriced themed cakes. The service is decent. The store seems clean. On the weekends, there probably would be lines but on weekdays they are less busy. I personally would not choose to wait in long lines for this. There is nothing extraordinary really. I'll come back for the egg tarts if I am in the area and perhaps try their coffee next time. Just as a side note, as of now, this bakery is located next to an abandoned burger joint Which hasn't operated or maintained for years. The portion of the shared parking lot has overgrown vegetation, and sometimes you would see "questionable " characters hanging around the establishment. this Is beyond the bakery's control. Good luck people :)

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    Patisserie Too - Paste de nata (Portuguese egg tart)

    Paste de nata (Portuguese egg tart)

    Patisserie Too - English tea

    English tea

    Patisserie Too - View from across street

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    View from across street

    Pillow Talk Cafe Pasadena - Egg Heaven and Tamagoyaki sandwiches

    Pillow Talk Cafe Pasadena

    4.2(592 reviews)
    2.9 mi
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    Locally owned & operated
    Women-owned & operated

    Came here after checking out Descanso Gardens and was worried they'd sell out so I placed an online…read moreorder. Picking up was smooth and easy but parking was awful. We had to circle the area a few times to find street parking. It would be nice if they had a designated parking lot in addition to street parking because some of the businesses around there had that. There was seating inside despite the store being pretty small, so my bf and I just ate inside. The cakes were pretty good! I got the Matcha Yuzu and he got the Kinako Chestnut. I couldn't really taste the yuzu until I tried only the first layer of cream. The matcha overpowers the yuzu a lot because there was two layers of matcha cream and one layer of matcha cake. Still really good and can taste that the matcha is high quality! As for the kinako chestnut, we couldn't taste the chestnut much but there were some chestnut pieces hidden in the cake! I would love to try the peach one as well but this place is quite far. Hopefully I'm in the area when they have the peach seasonal again.

    Ordered UberEats and my order arrived in less than an hour!…read more Menu had a good variety of sandwiches, cakes, and drinks. Pricing was pricey. Most of the cakes cost $9+ and the sandwiches were $10+! Got the Egg Heaven Sandwich ($13) and it was pretty much an egg salad sandwich. The bread didn't taste fresh and was quite dry. I was expecting the bread to be soft and fluffy but that wasn't the texture at all. The egg salad was quite heavy on mayonnaise and had too much pepper for my preference. Overall, I wasn't impressed with the sandwich unfortunately. The Sunny Side Up (Coconut Mango Mousse Cake) - $9.50 - was delicious! Love how it was nicely packaged in a cute tin! The mango mousse was so creamy and I could tell it was made with sweet mangos! The cake was so moist and fresh. The coconut cream on top made it even more delicious! Definitely recommend! The Tiramisu ($9.50) was so good! It was so creamy and every bite was nicely layered with mascarpone mousse/coffee jelly and topped with cocoa powder. It wasn't too sweet and the cream didn't feel too heavy. The cake was very fresh and soft! Overall, I didn't enjoy the sandwich but the cakes were incredible and definitely worth getting!

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    Pillow Talk Cafe Pasadena
    Pillow Talk Cafe Pasadena - NEW SPECIAL DRINKS

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    For The Win - burgers - Updated May 2026

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