Sandwiches by Connal is a Pasadena institution and an essential stop whenever I am back in my…read morehometown. I have such fond childhood memories of going there with my parents and grandparents and receiving what seemed like foot-tall soft-serve cones. They also make the best malts, terrific burgers, and excellent deli sandwiches. The pastrami on rye and grilled cheese are dependable favorites--or you can splurge on a classic banana split. Add fries, with or without chili, and you have the perfect old-school meal. When I was growing up, they called what most people know as a chocolate-and-vanilla twist a "ripple." That is still what I order--and what I call it--wherever I am in the world, even when people look at me funny. Whenever I am in Pasadena visiting family and friends, a stop at Connal's for a ripple, shake, burger, and fries is practically mandatory. Some places serve food; others hold generations of memories. Connal's does both.

I ordered a typical salami grinder. I have had done this for 30+ years+…read more Today there was no menu to-go, no menu inside the restaurant, and no available menu online. The salami was processed, not dry. It came with a major portion of yellow mustard (not requested), tons of finely chopped wet lettuce, no cheese. Horrible and soggy. I would have requested my money back, but it was a to-go order. The quality of the entire restaurant has gone, and it seems no one cares, as this has been going on for over a year. Inside the restaurant, the tables were empty and unclean. The wall decor sign for the restaurant, was broken and meant nothing as it was missing the store name. It was an icon restaurant, but now broken, and terribl.

How dare anyone give this place less than 5 stars!…read more Don't @ me, everyone is entitled to their experiences, which are clearly not all great. Anyhoo... Having just moved to Pasadena from San Francisco, I have been exploring the food scene all-around. These kinds of places are a dying breed everywhere as gentrification and conglomerates take over more and more of the food landscape. Why you should patronize this place: locally owned, family run, great food, and hella cheap. The owner (I think he's the owner) was so friendly and knew the orders of many of the locals who came in while I was eating. The front person was great as well. I ordered the 1/4 dark with fries and it was great. Chicken was juicy and the shoestring fries crisped up just right. This is on my go-to list and it should be on yours.

What a hidden gem just off of Colorado Blvd. The chicken was super flavorful, the atmosphere was…read morefun and down to earth. Met the owners and some regulars! Found the place on Yelp, it was a nice super dinner without the fancy pretentious extras!! Me and my wife loved every bite!!

Every once in a while the universe lines up and you find a completely unexpected gem. Today was one…read moreof those days! We had actually ventured out to visit another local place nearby and that didn't pan out. So... Yelp (and Perry) to the rescue!! When you come for the first time, it's a little hard to find as the sign isn't easy to see from the street and we drove by twice before spotting it. Well, thank goodness we did because this was the best sandwich I've had in a loooooong time! After a difficult time making a single selection, i almost got a hotdog instead, I chose the Hey Joe. The second I laid eyes on my basket, I knew I's made the right choice and I also knew I was in trouble. There were instantly serious doubts about being able to finish this behemoth. This offering had roast beef, pastrami, and a hot link all surrounded by fresh veggies and sauce. there was even a small side of Perry's secret recipe sauce that has a slight kick without hijacking the show. Be ready to eat, once you pick it up. It's hard to put down. I can't say enough good things about my experience at Perry's Joint today. I had to dissect the last 1/4 of my sandwich because I wasn't going to be able to polish it off in full form. The pastrami was some of the best I've had anywhere, the quality of the hot link was outstanding, and the roast beef was tender and flavorful. Any of these alone would make an outstanding sandwich on its own, but combined they're impossible to beat. Perry, you deserve a medal for coming up with this! I can't wait to come back and try something else. Maybe one of the dogs too! When I was done eating I went to express my gratitude for the food and service and was greeted by Perry himself. He and his staff and I talked for several minutes and we got a little back story and found he's been there since 2004. You don't stay in the culinary business for 20+ years unless your food and service are great. The interior is simple but warm, clean, and well taken care of. There are a few tables inside and I think I saw some outside as well. I'm guessing there's a busy to-go time at the lunch rush. What Perry's Joint does: they feed you PLENTY of great food. They use only the best ingredients and you can taste it, they smile and treat you extremely well. What Perry's Joint doesn't do: They don't skimp on portions, if you leave hungry, it's because you stopped eating, not because they didn't give you enough food. They don't rip you off, for the size of my sandwich and the obvious quality and love that went into it, it was an extremely fair price! If you're in the neighborhood and they're open, you'd be doing yourself an injustice by not checking out Perry's Joint. I know I'll be back and my local friend will be putting this in the rotation.

Man this the BEST sandwich I ever had in my life!!!…read more The venue is next to my dental office and I needed a bite to eat in between time of my appointment. So the dental assistant recommended. I walked and when I entered the venue is very homey. The menu is colorful with tons of delicious options. Carter is the manager of the establishment he is very vibrant and welcoming. He offers his best option and leaves no biases. While managing he also helps clean and prepare food. Hope helped create my sandwich and when I say, she put that thang together. Listen I'll let your taste buds speak for itself Akayla was managing the phones and helped me see the fresh fruit juices they offer. This team is the real deal. Dope vibes and very attentive to detail. Sean helped me take my order and he recommended the "Guru " sandwich. Seeing as though it was my first time, I needed a professional choice to pick the right one. When I say the "Guru" sandwich on that croissant was life changing ! Listen ! Mouthwatering deliciousness. Mind you this in the middle of a dentist appointment. Mouth still slightly numb and sore and I did not care lol To top it off I had chips and the Liver Love fresh pressed juice man that drink loved on my liver for sure lol each sip felt like I was getting healthier and healthier. I also had the lemon cake. Listen everything tastes amazing. Come and see for yourself you will not be disappointed. In the event you are, maybe you gotta upgrade your palate. Lol

We stopped by King's Breakfast & Burgers today and had an unbelievable meal. The food is priced…read moreright, prepared quickly, and tastes amazing. It sits in a cute little shopping plaza with a book store and a market. It is a quirky spot with eclectic design, but the food and the service make it absolutely worth visiting. We arrived around 1 pm on a Saturday and it was busy, which is always a good sign. One of my daughters ordered the BLT and loved it. She was especially happy that the lettuce and tomatoes were cold and crisp and the bacon was perfectly crispy. She has had her share of sad BLTs with warm produce and limp bacon, so this one really hit the mark. My other daughter went for the sausage burrito and absolutely crushed it. She said it was cheesy, satisfying, and left her wanting more. I always tell my girls that if a place offers breakfast burritos all day, you get the breakfast burrito. These are some bad ass burritos. I kept it simple with a rice and bean burrito, and my wife ordered the chile relleno burrito, which she said she always gets when her office orders from here. Everything was excellent across the board. What We Ordered * Chile Relleno Burrito $12.50 * Sausage Burrito $12.50 * BLT Sandwich x2 $17.98 * Rice, Bean and Cheese Burrito $8.99 * Can Soda $1.50 * Bottle Soda $3.75 * Can Soda $1.50 Total without tax: $58.72 This was for five people. It's a damn good price for five people to eat out and have a great meal! I am really glad I was introduced to this place today. We had a fantastic meal and I cannot wait to come back..

The Bacon breakfast burrito with avocado was so delicious. The bacon is a good quality, thick…read morebacon. It comes with a green salsa, not spicy, and a crema mixed with possibly sriracha. It's a hearty, cheesy burrito. The scrambled eggs with machaca also delicious. The fresh squeezed orange juice tastes so sweet in a good, natural way. The servers are friendly. Not a 5 star because the tables felt sticky and the seats are really uncomfortable. Maybe ordering to go is better.

I have been coming to pollo unico since I was 10 I believe. I love this place so much and I'm so…read morehappy it's still in business! And I love that they still have there 2 piece lunch or dinner combos ahahha I saw the prices go up from $5 to $9 which is still a deal! And they still kept the free drink with the combo promo!! Classic! If you want a quick chicken rice bean plate come here! You also have other side options . Coleslaw, corn and potato salad. Everything is served with tortilla. Shout out el pollo unico.

I have to drop a star because the last time I went here the mac salad was clearly gone bad and…read moresour. Was inedible for sure. I am reluctant to go there now because of that but dropping only one star to give them the benefit of the doubt. Hopefully it was a one time thing. I also got corn on the cob as a second side on the same order, and I believe for the larger plate they are supposed to give two pieces but I only got one.

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.

Oh man!! I had the smoked brisket burger and fries. The…read moreburger is made with a smoked, peppery, juicy, perfectly seared, delicious all brisket patty that makes you want to do the happy dance! Can't wait to come back and eat more off the menu! PS. The fries were bomb too! Hats off to the pit master!!

I just ordered from this place for the first time, and it will definitely be my last…read more Before leaving this review, I decided to call and speak with the manager, Jamin, about my concerns. Unfortunately, he did not respond professionally. In fact, when I described the food as being "hard as a rock," he repeated my words back to me in a condescending tone. I'll let the photos speak for themselves. The chicken wings were so burnt that even the bones had turned black. As for the brisket, while some pieces were good, about one-third of the meat was so dry it was like jerky. I have one question for the person who prepared and packed this order: Would you honestly eat this yourself or serve it to your loved ones? Save your money and eat somewhere else.

This is easily in the top 2 Smash-burgers in the city. Might be #1!! All of the details in yelp are…read morewrong. Pictures are also wrong. Burgers For Life is a Pop-Up only spot with a moving location. Check their website or IG for dates and locations. You will NOT regret it! Posting some real pics to feast your eyes on!

Where ever this pop-up is, it's worth the trip. Amazing smash burger. Easily the tastiest smash…read moreburger I've ever had. I don't know what kind of a culinary magic he's doing, but it works. Tonight the pop-up was in Culver City at Millcross. I sure hope this turns into a regular thing.