So we just ordered from this place for the first time today. We ordered: HEIDAR BABA SUPREME (came with a TON of rice) and a lot of garden salad) VEGGIE KABOB À la carte: 3 BEEF KOOBIDEH À la carte: 3 CHICKEN KOOBIDEH À la carte: 1 Barg I miss Persian rice I tried it once and never came back for it again. I ordered: ZERESHK POLO and ALBALOO POLO Everything was so delicious!! Please note the meat portions/skewed are very large! Next time I'm gonna get a plate! Fed my parents myself my husband and my mother in law... and we absolutely loved it* read more

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Most delicious Persian Foods with great services , very friendly , good quality foods. Very healthy dishes.

I love Heidar Baba! It's been a Pasadena staple for me and my family since the early oughts, and we continue to get our lunch meals from them. They have a nice lunch special that goes from about 11 am to 4 pm, and it includes their salmon kabobs, chicken kabobs, and even their sirloin kabobs. They also serve it with a generous portion of basmati rice, a roasted tomato or chile, and a soup or salad. When I say soup, it's their delicious lentil soup. Often I just get a side of hummus with a combo and I share it with my hubby. The folks who work there are just wonderful and of course they remember us when we come in. They're often hosts to the PCC crowd as well, so you'll find employees and students of the college grabbing a quick bite. My pro tip for Heidar Baba is to order ahead because their lunch rush is quite massive. I recommend this Pasadena gem if you're ever in the area! read more

I don't know who hired the two ULTRA LAZY women who were working there, but this place needs to find servers who actually do their job! One was on her phone almost the entire time I was dining there (she sat in the booth across from me and I could see her talking for 45 minutes or more), and then when she was done with her phonecall she didn't wash her hands and went directly to the kitchen and started preparing people's to-go orders. Meanwhile, the other standing around on her feet could not be bothered to bring me the pita I requested 15 minutes before, refill any drinks, or even just ask if we needed anything, even when I would call out, "hello"... "excuse me"... or switched to Spanish "con permisso"; NOTHING could get her attention! I had to finally get up and get my own pita, refills, and packaging for food to take home. I really had trouble leaving any tip for their awful service. read more

One thing for sure the food is remarkable in presentation and the amount of food for the price is really good. Now this is the reason for the three stars and it's because the food lacked flavor. The greek salad to the Koobideh chicken combo and rice just lacked any flavor or seasoning. The cold cheap pita bread was also a disappointment and even when requested to have it brought to us warm still was a let down. Good food but not great food. read more

Heidar Baba - Sunday night dinner OCT2022 - Middle Eastern Near Me - Pasadena, California

This is the worst koobideh I ever had this excuse they don't even taste like meat and they seem to be very old and they charge $24 for it read more

Heidar Baba - They koobideh seems to be very old. It doesn't taste like ground beef. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great food! Super generous with servings Love the ambiance! Service was super A little pricy but totally worth it!! read more

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Their food is fantastic. It is authentic Persian food with high quality kebabs. Large portions at good prices. The staff is friendly and helpful. The ambiance of the restaurant is clean but a little dark. read more

Don't know how long HEIDAR BABA has been at this location but it's super convenient. They have dine in available... but it looks like a lot of people order to go or for pick up. Including us. This halal place is authentic enough that kebab does not automatically mean one thing. It refers to the steak pieces in a stick, by the way. The pieces are smallish in size so it's easier to eat. Also, there are bell peppers and onions on it. Unlike the ... Chicken Kebab and the Koobideh Kebab. The chicken was marinated so it is full of flavor and so was the Koobideh (ground beef). All on sticks. Got some grilled tomatoes coz gotta have those right? They're nice enough to unlock the door 10 mins before they officially open so that we could put our order in. We noticed that the lady in the phone was already busy taking orders before that! read more

By far one of my all-time favorite restaurants in all of Los Angeles. Great food, big plate, well seasoned and in a very nice, clean, family-friendly settings. I love to take my special friends and clients here. Today I ordered Rack of Lamb, and it's so yummy... Highly highly recommending this place for an authentic, home-cook and friendly environment. You visit to Pasadena isn't complete until you've been to Heida Baba! read more

Heidar Baba - Middle Eastern Near Me - Pasadena, California

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We went for take out after a year or more. But everything was amazing, same nice staff who recognized us rightaway. We got spicy chicken koobideh with extra skewer, same delicious taste! Comes with rice, grilled tomato & pepper. Over all We will be going more often for the service & awesome food. read more

Heidar Baba - Spicy chicken koobideh - Middle Eastern Near Me - Pasadena, California

The food is really good it tastes homemade! I really like their ash reshteh too, lots of flavor

Probably the best place to get Persian food in the San Gabriel Valley. Heidar Baba is conveniently located directly across the street from Pasadena City College. You can find parking on the street or what some don't realize is they have a parking lot in the back. Just turn right at the Harkness Ave and take a right down the alley and it's the second entrance to your left. The alley is called Thurman Alley. You can tell this is a family run establishment. You'll find the staff extremely courteous and helpful as many of them are family members. Be warned they do struggle with the rush from PCC and walk ins/ catering as so it can be a little slow at time. But the food makes up for it. As you can see one plate is more than enough for two people and if you come for dinner time your meal includes the option of salad, soup, or fries. It's a lot of bang for your buck. Expect to spend $20-25 a person for dinner. This place can easily accommodate a large group but call ahead so they can set your table for you. Being middle eastern and having travels to Iran I can attest their food tastes just like the food back home. Closest you'll find to the koobideh you get in Tehran. Very well seasoned and their stews are amazing. I recommend the tahdig with ghorma sabzee or get the 1/2 and 1/2. Two stews for your crispy rice. Also add a side of grilled onions or jalapeños to your order. If you want to support a local restaurant that gives back to the community this is your place. Whether it's dinner tonight or catering your next office party the staff at Heidar Baba with take care of you. I don't think I've ever had a dish I didn't like and you'll always find a family member behind the grill. Tip; If you're catering a religious event they'll give you a special price. Best to call ahead and speak to the manager. I've catered through them before and it's very simple and stress free. read more

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The absolute best Persian food around! This place has the most amazing and moist basmati rice- it's by far the best rice I have ever had (and I have had a lot). Amazing chicken kabob- juicy and tender. The barley soup is great- they even have fresh French fries as well. Great service and reasonable prices. Highly recommended!! read more

Heidar Baba - Chicken kabob- super juicy and tender- - Middle Eastern Near Me - Pasadena, California

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The food was great and have been coming here a few times. However the service has gone down hill fast. The two women that work there need to learn how to give better customer service. You could tell they didn't care about the job since you would figure a customer is requesting items that normally come with the food. I mean you did take my order and knew what I ordered but the crappy attitude has turned me off. I will find a place where they care about their customers. I was with a party of 10 too and it was embarrassing. read more

It is conveniently located off Colorado Blvd across from PCC. I imagine they get much foot traffic from students and staff. Outside/Inside: 3.5 out of 5 The restaurant itself is spacious inside with tables well-distanced from each other. There is a parking lot in the back, but space is extremely limited. They also added a table in the back at the lot for outdoor dining, but the table and chairs looked rather brittle, so we skipped that, even though we truly wanted outdoor seating because we had our doggie friend with us. So, instead we got it to go, walked across the street and ate out in an open space at PCC. Food: 4.5 out of 5 The food itself is tasty and they are generous with the portions. Both the rice with dill and the meats were both high in quality and in large quantity. I can get behind that! The meat was most and quite flavorful. It paired well with the rice, which was very aromatic with the dill. Service: 3 out of 5 There was a staff member that was rude and did not communicate the menu well when I had questions. There was another staff member who did answer my questions and helped me make a decision on what to order. read more

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I have been eating at this restaurant for years and never once have I felt neglected by the staff. The wait time for to go orders may be a bit long, but that's because it is a good place and lots of folks order from here. I can't think of a better place to get Persian food in Pasadena. Service is superb every time and food is delicious! Dining in is always a treat because it's guaranteed that I will have enough leftover for lunch the next day. The Persian mint is just delicate and aromatic, the perfect touch to the meal and tea! read more

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First time back since COVID (early 2020). They still serve halal meats! Good things stay constant in the face of a storm. Heidar Baba, did just that, they survived and still offer tremendous food. Yes, some things have changed; prices went up, new people work there, and a couple items have departed from the menu, but the quantity and quality remain. Tonight I ordered the following To Go: 2 Muste Khair (cucumber yogurt sauce) 1 Beef Koobideh Plate 4 Koobidheh beef kabobs (a-la-carte) Total $70 Tons of food. It was packed nicely. Meat was tasty and skewers were huge. I will say that the seasoning and ground beef got tweaked from pre-COVID. Also Sumac is not added to food, now it is provided in packets. Previously some would be sprinkled on the food with extra provided. Suggest you ask for extra bread. It's nice with the yogurt. Another change is they no longer give pads of butter with the bread as they did pre-COVID. I still think this place is a winner! Glad they survived the storm!!! read more

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This was one of our favorite family restaurant we'd been going for well over 5 years ! My son and I got food poisoning and had to go to the ER . I called multiple times well over 7 times and even texted the alleged manager... I never heard back from anyone . Worst customer service .. truly disappointing read more

No, it's not in West LA. The best Persian food in Southern California (and thus most likely in the nation and thus most likely in the whole wide world outside Iran) is right here in Pasadena. Everything is so delicious, even the desserts. It's a classy spot for dining in, and also great for takeout. Get takeout from here for your next party, and you'll be the most popular guy in town. In Pasadena, we get the Rose Bowl, the Rose Parade, and Haidar Baba. read more

we ordered two main meals plus three drinks at lunch and we paid $92! the food was not too bad but not for$45 per piece. Far too expensive for the quality received. read more

The students that attend Pasadena City College are lucky to have such diverse and delicious lunch choices off campus, and especially across the street. "Oh, I just love the food from the union" said no student ever, in reality it's more like F***!, I left my lunch at home! While Heidar Baba (HB) might be pricier than many students are willing to spend for lunch I'd argue that the larger portions are essentially two meals or a two-way split. My Yelp bookmarks one evening indicated that my go-to up the road was closing in 28-minutes, so realistically, I wouldn't be able to arrive in time nor is it cool to go so late to a place where business quites down after 7pm. Feeling like a kabob dinner would set me right I saw that HB's closing time was10pm, plus, they were only two blocks up from Game Empire where I was shopping. They do a brisk takeout business too, but dining in is always better. To-go containers wreck the texture of fresh basmati rice. I was surprised that you pay at the end despite ordering at the counter, I suppose that's best in case someone adds to the order. My go-to is almost always the light meat chicken kabobs, and at $16.99 for a plate that included salad or soup or fries it seemed like a good value. The plate of hot fries arrived first and I was surprised, it was a big order. The salad is an interesting combination of piquant sliced peppers and Thai basil with crispy Lavash wedges. I nibbled at that. Then, the entree arrived! Again, huge (bigly) proportions! When my gf arrived our combined appetites could only finish the chicken and grilled tomatoe and pepper. There was so much rice that some was left behind, ergo the fries. I'll definitely return, especially since parking is available out back or on the street and to try the Shish Kabobs or lamb next time. read more

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The steak Shish kabob was grainy and overcooked well past well done. The fries were equally terrible unseasoned and doused in cooking oil. The complimentary pita bread came to my table cold and rubbery. Freezing cold tomatoes undercooked. Do not eat here. read more

Heidar Baba - Middle Eastern Near Me - Pasadena, California

Went to this place because it was close to Huntington Library. The food was okay, but the portions were really big. Service was good and nice ambiance. Wish the food was more flavorful but other than that this place was good. read more

Heidar Baba - Beef Koobideh - Middle Eastern Near Me - Pasadena, California

Chicken soltani (Dark meat) is probably the best chicken kebab I ever had in my life. Make sure to order the lentil soup! The best soup of its kind. read more

My family and I came here with a glowing recommendation from a local friend we had in LA. So like always, I came here with some expectations. We came during an off time, I could tell because we were the only customers and it was 3pm. We were quickly seated and got to choose (as again, really the only ones there) and were handed menus promptly. Our local friend really failed to express how big the portions were so we ordered 3 dishes for the 4 of us, getting the Lamb kabob, Shish (steak) kabob, and the chicken kabob. And, to my shock, there is NO STICK in the kabob! (My parents were done with me. They said they take them out so its easier for us to eat but then the restaurants I have been going to have been doing it wrong. Plus I love the sticks to play with after eating. Sue me, I'mma kid at heart and in size and age). 1. Lentil/Barley soup: 3/5 I was surprised when it came out. It was not what I was expecting but I've also never had barley soup so I didn't know what to expect. I tried a spoon of it and I had enough. It was bad. But then I dipped te bread they provided and it started tasting good. And then I tried another spoonful and my brain seemed to think "Eat more soup. Soup is good for body. Trick tongue to think soup is good." And with every bite I took, it started to taste better and better. 2. Chicken kabob: 3.75/5 The chicken was GOOD. It wasn't SUPERIOR but it was better than I had expected. It wasn't dry or anything and the seasoning was pretty good. 3. Shish Kabob: 2.5/5 It was okay. It was a little tough here and there and dry but it wasn't the worst shish that had graced my mouth. 4. Lamb Kabob: not rated The reason is that I don't eat lamb. So... sorry if I got your hopes up, I... I just don't eat lamb. If you are a lamb eater and came here for the lamb... I am sorry to disappoint. Now let's get into the real reason I wrote this review (shockingly, not to complain about the meat!) the PORTIONS. SOMEONE call 9-11 because the amount of rice they give you could BURY a human (like you and me) 6 feet under. No, it's not a serial murderer haunting Pasadena, the victims are just all hidden under the millions of grains of rice they serve here at Heidar Baba. Take some rice off and feed the starving college students! Screw 39 cents a day to help a child! More like give them your leftovers from here and it will last them a week!! HUGE! read more

Heidar Baba - Steak kabob, chicken kabob, lamb kabob - Middle Eastern Near Me - Pasadena, California

My husband and I were craving for Kebab so decided to try this place. I can't say enough, their food is so great and portions are huge. I usually don't eat ground beef at restaurants but my husband ordered their beef Kobideh and we loved it. Their Lentil soup tastes so great. Following week we ordered again to pick up. Taste was the same. Excellent place, will go there over and over again and recommend to all friends and family. read more

Love the food here. We order to go a lot. Today I ordered thru Grubhub for delivery. A few of the items were wrong. We have never had this happen. I wrote to Grubhub and they passed along to Heidar Baba . A few hour later HB credited my account for the incorrect items. That is great customer service. Thank you so much! read more

food is served with mold and the staff doesn't bother. Will not recommend this restaurant. The restaurant clearly doesn't follow health safety protocols. read more

Heidar Baba - Middle Eastern Near Me - Pasadena, California

I haven't been here in a while but always considered it mediocre kabob but since Raffi's place is in Glendale, even mediocre kabob is better than no kabob. I looked at their menu online on their website heidarbaba.com and ordered a beef soltani and an appetizer. When I got there, she told me it would be $54 and I was surprised. Based on the prices on their website, and including tax, I guesstimated the price would be $38. She showed me the printed menu and the entree was $10 higher than what was listed on their website. I showed her the website and she (badly) acted like she didn't know the internet existed and insinuated that it wasn't their website. There's pictures of their restaurant on it and I called them from the number listed there to order the takeout. She wasn't open to discussing it and told me I could cancel the order so I did and left. The most ridiculous part of this is they are charging more than Raffi's Place! For kabob less than half as good. Get real! read more

I used to live in Pasadena and this place was only Persian food around. I think its bit pricy they quality of s kinda acceptable but not the best. I wouldn't go there unless f i have time to go to Glendale. read more

Nice real Persian restaurant. Pictures on the walls are real nice. Food are good. The waitress was so busy since she is the only one serve and pack Togo order. So be patience. read more

Needs AIR CONDITIONING!!!! The food was fine (barg and salmon dishes), but it is so uncomfortably hot inside I can't recommend eating at Heidar Baba. Air conditioning is necessary during in the hot weather. I hope the management realizes their customers should have a reasonably comfortable environment to eat in. read more

I went there a couple times. The salad was nice and I loved the chicken kabob with basmati rice! It was delicious!

Great Halal Persian place located in Pasadena! Great location , fast service and best of all great food ! Ordered a variety of kabobs , lamb shank , hummus , rice. excellent taste nothing was dry and perfectly grilled. My favorite was the lamb shanks , followed by the kobbideh skewers. Can recommend enough ! read more

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So Heidar Baba has an extensive menu with delicious Persian dishes. Located just opposite Pasadena College, the restaurant is easy to find and there is usually street parking to be found. I have eaten many things here: chicken and beef kabobs, koobedieh kabob, and many other things on the menu. The food is very good and the portions are very generous. The restaurant itself is large with plenty of seating. I often order takeout out- family style and we always have leftovers. Maybe most notably, they are one of the very few places which make Ghormasabzi-- which is an incredible spinach stew made with beef and dried limes. It is DELICIOUS and very good for you-- and they make it better than anyone else I have found. For those of you that like good Persian food- this is definitely a place to try as they have many other traditional dishes on the menu that you can't find in your average restaurant! read more

Great restaurant was very quiet on a weekday evening. The food was great. The rice was fluffy, the kebabs were fantastic, and the barley soup was comforting. I would skip the salad the vegetables were mostly whole I've never gotten most of a solid crown of broccoli in a salad before. The staff were friendly too. read more

Love the way this place is laid out. Very homey and the food is excellent. You need to try this as it has the home cooking feel. Support this restaurant!!!! read more

This a family style Persian restaurant. Been patronizing for decades. I think the food is delicious. And they still serve lamb. Try their special home made saffron and pistachio gelato. So good! read more

Amazing foods. I really enjoyed their food and I definitely will go there again. As a persian woman I shall say I am very picky when I go to new persian restaurants, and I am always ready for disappointment. However, Heidar baba was beyond my expectations. Their portion is very big and the food is amazing. read more