My first time trying Fair Oaks Burger. It came to my attention after learning it survived the Eaton…read moreFire, while all its immediate neighbours perished. Four stars for the food and a fifth star for their survival and post-fire support for Altadena's recovery and rebuilding. Fair Oaks Burger is a long-standing institution, owned by a Korean family. The physical structure looks like a typical fast-food place, complete with a drive-through window, but it's smaller than most corporate fast-food restaurants. The indoor dining area has maybe 6 tables and a counter. There's an outdoor patio. I don't think the drive-through has a speaker to place your order; you order and pick up at the window. There's a single restroom, quite clean when I visited. The menu has a large selection of traditional burger fare, plus some Chinese and Mexican items. They have a breakfast menu too. I visited shortly after their 7 am opening. The full menu was available at that hour; I think breakfast stops in the afternoon. Here's what I ordered: 1) Chicken taco plate. Two tacos with rice and beans. I asked for crispy tacos, $1 extra. The taco shells appeared to be pre-fried and then filled, but the chicken and veggies were fine. The rice was appropriately orange-coloured but lacked flavour. The beans were good. 2) Chicken chow mein. Decent noodles and chicken with fresh veggies. 3) Egg roll. Quite large, filled with lots of veggies. Comes with a sweet chili sauce. 4) Onion rings. Perhaps a frozen product, but good quality and decent-sized serving. 5) Fried zucchini. Large, thick slices of zucchini, sliced on the diagonal so they were even larger, breaded and fried. The batter was different from the onion ring batter, more crisp. Served with ranch. One of the best fried zucchini dishes I've had from a burger joint. Only Pharos in Alhambra is as memorable (their zucchini is cut in wedges). Service was very friendly. I've found a new old place to support in Altadena.

Came here with my friend, who is an Altadena resident, and they told me this place is well-known…read moreamong the locals. I couldn't believe how extensive the menu was. Besides burgers, they offer cheesesteaks, Chinese food, Mexican food, and even Thai curry! I was amazed. The restaurant is Asian-owned, which gave me confidence in trying something from their Chinese food menu. However, I ended up sticking with a traditional burger combo, even though I was really tempted to try the Thai curry. I saw someone order it, but they only had the vegan version available because they had run out of chicken. I'll save the Thai curry for my next visit when the chicken version is available. The portion looked big as well. The burger was freshly made and came with avocado. It was high quality and very delicious. The fries were decent as well. I also want to mention that the restroom was exceptionally clean. You can often tell a lot about a restaurant's hygiene standards by the condition of its restroom. Just note that the restroom entrance is located outside rather than inside the restaurant. If you're in the Altadena area, please consider supporting this local business. You won't be disappointed by the food.

My first time trying this spot. Let me tell yall. This place was so good. I love the fact that it's…read morea food truck and I love how quick the food gets done. The customer service was excellent and respectful. I ordered a 1 lb of shrimp head, lobster tail l, added sausages and garlic bread. Everything I ordered was very delicious. I will definitely come back again! I highly recommend this spot.

The shrimp (with head on) is soooo good ! We ordered mild spicy and the sauce was just so delicious…read more!! We ordered to-go, but they do have a small number of tables and chairs in front of their truck for those who want to eat there. They gave us our entire order correct, it came with bibs, limes and double bagged. The side of corn on the cob was so good. I wish we ordered more! The girls who run this truck stay busy but their service is good. They are busy so the food may take about 10-15 min to come out, but it's worth it! I would definitely come back and order more food!

Saw this place in a TikTok video for "top 5 black owned fried fish spots" and since my friend and I…read morehave been on a mission to find the best fried catfish in LA, we headed over to Pasadena to check it out. Fish was good but service not so much. My friend went in before me because I was taking a video wanted to shout them out on social media but when I walked in the man looked up at me stared for a little bit and went back to loading the fish. I stood there looking at the menu he still never said anything. I finally walked over to my friend and asked if he acknowledged him when he came in and he said yes. I was ready to walk out but he wanted to stay. We decided on what we wanted and walked over to order and I swear it felt like he didn't want to hear what I had to say it was almost like I shouldn't be speaking let the man order and handle it. If that wasn't the case it's definitely the vibe I got. I asked him could he fry my fish hard he mumbled something and looked to my friend for his order. Guest what my fish wasn't fried hard......Lol Overall the food was good and prices were great but the service will keep me from returning.

Stopped by a few weeks ago for the first time as I was craving some Jamaican food nearby…read more This fish market is no frills and can be concerned a hole in the wall. The gentleman taking my order was kind, but overall service from order to take away was slower than I anticipated. I was sad as I was really craving curry goat, but apparently they sold out 10 min before I arrived, which was at 7pm. Not many places to sit and eat within the market or outside so that was a bummer. If they put some extra money into the market by sprucing up the aesthetics and adding more tables and chairs, I think that this place would do even better. I would recommend calling in your order ahead of time before heading over to save yourself the wait.

Finally got to try Rodney's Ribs, and it did not disappoint. It's located in a CVS parking lot, so…read morethere's plenty of parking available. It's a one-man operation, so wait times can be a bit longer if he's busy--but it's understandable. I loved the neon signs and the hospitality Rodney brings. You can genuinely taste the soul he puts into his food. That said, a few notes come down to personal preference--so if you enjoy it as-is, feel free to take this with a grain of salt. The ribs were incredibly tender--10/10. They were truly fall-off-the-bone. Personally, I would have loved a bit more of that smoky char you get from Texas-style ribs, but that's just my preference. Either way, Rodney clearly knows what he's doing. The potato salad wasn't my favorite. It leaned heavily on mustard, and there seemed to be a lot of relish or pickles, which threw me off a bit. Still, I'd absolutely come back again just for the ribs. The customer ahead of us ordered brisket, and I appreciated that Rodney was upfront about whether it was on the leaner or fattier side--that level of honesty goes a long way. Overall, the BBQ smelled and tasted great, and the pricing is very reasonable for the portions you get--it's definitely worth the value. If you enjoy good BBQ, I'd recommend making the trip to check this spot out before more people discover it. One thing to note: the ribs are truly fall-off-the-bone, so if you prefer a firmer, more "bite-through" texture where you can really gnaw on the meat, this might not be your style.

Rodney's ribs are excellent. I've had other stuff, but I haven't been there for a while so most…read morerecently when I have gone back I got the rib tips. The meat is tender, juicy and not over seasoned. The ambience and service are the only reasons why I'm giving it four stars versus five. It's a food truck so there is no ambience. In the service is very basic. Just walk up place you understand there and wait. That said do not miss out on the ribs because the man cares about what he does and you can taste it in the food.

Great late night, home cooked, food truck vibes. Doug and the young lady working the register is…read morealways kind and exuding great energy. The food comes out QUICK! It's charred to perfection, the bbq sauce is mandatory, sweet n savory and compliments the smokiness of the chicken real well. Their festival bread reminds me of my childhood when me n' my parents would eat out at our local Jamaican restaurant, it's got a crisp exterior and a fluffy interior. They show mad LOVE on the portions and the price is fair! This time around I ordered the plantains...thinly sliced, fried to perfection and packed with flavor. 10/10 recommend!

doug's is the best restaurant in LA easy. perfect food…read moreeverytime and great service and people. Awesome location and ambiance too, great vibe everytime at doug's.

We have been coming to Cabrera's for a number of years. I was surprised to recently find I had…read morenever posted a review. We discovered Cabrera's during the almost 2 year time span when our then go-to for Mexican, La Fiesta Grande in So. Pasadena, closed and their new location on Glenarm/Marengo opened. We tried a multitude of Pasadena places, including Mijares, Casa del Rey, Margaritas and El Torito (gringo!). Cabrera's was our fave, with a better location for us vs. La Fiesta. Their menu extended beyond the "ordinary", and I liked their plating/presentation. A slice of cucumber or orange adds a lot to a mound of shredded lettuce garnish. Mind you, our family fave for +40 years is still El Tepeyac in Boyle Heights, but that's quite a shlep. Cabrera's has also been around awhile (40 years) and now has 3 locations--Arcadia (the original), Pasadena and Duarte. All are owned/co-owned by 2 families, one named Cabrera. The Pasadena location is near the corner of Lake and Orange Grove, next to popular breakfast spot The Reyn, with which it shares a rear parking lot. All locations have a full bar. I have ordered off the regular menu, breakfast menu and Happy Hour bar menu. The breakfast menu is mostly offered on weekends when they open at 10 am, but you can ask for it weekdays at 11 am opening. My fave dish is the chilaquiles. As stated before, their all-day menu has some unique items, but I stick with the more gringo choices. Their chile rellenos used to be quite large, with the poblano chile clearly visible. They're a bit smaller and more generic now, but still fine. We order it as a 2 or 3-item combo or a la carte. Note their complimentary chips and salsa comes with 2 salsas, one red and one dark green (smoky and quite spicy). Lately we have been coming here for their Tuesday or Wednesday specials. Tuesdays is of course Taco Tuesday, and I love their crispy beef tacos. They have a special avocado salsa on Tuesdays. Every Wednesday, a certain dish is 50% off for the entire month if you order a soft drink, a great value. The most recent specials were fish tacos and steak or chicken fajitas, both delish. As AARP members, we usually arrive at 11 am opening. Inevitably either Christian and/or Guillermo, scions of the 2 founding families, are on duty then (Christian is the Pasadena manager)--shout outs to both of them! We are very comfy and happy with our newish go-to for Mexican food.

I've been coming to Cabrera's more often lately for lunch, especially when there's a game on like…read morethe World Cup. They have plenty of TVs, so it's a fun spot to grab a bite and watch soccer. The main reason I've been coming back is Taco Tuesday. The tacos are around $2 each, come with a decent amount of meat, and they also give you chips and salsa. They usually have carne asada, chicken, carnitas, and chorizo. I can normally eat about 4 to 5 tacos and be pretty stuffed, so I think it's a great deal and definitely worth stopping by on Tuesdays. I've had some of their other menu items before, and they were just okay. But between the Taco Tuesday special and all the TVs for watching games, I've definitely found myself coming back more often. If you're looking for a casual place to catch a soccer match or other sporting events and grab some affordable tacos, this is a solid spot.

The fish chicharon is one of the best tacos I've ever had. The people were funny and friendly. The…read morechips and guac were also fire! The fish chicharon is a really special taco, one of a kind.

Gael provided fast and easy service! Fish tacos are always…read moreamazing and the way to go!

Highly recommend this gem of a place. First time dining here and the fish and shrimp tacos were…read moredelicious. The fish is super fresh and John and the staff were so friendly and welcoming. Can't wait to try the rest of their menu!

Excellent service , thank you John and Daniel. Food was amazing and made fresh to order. Definitely…read morerecommend.