Every now and then you get to be surprised when you come to a restaurant. Plate 38 is one of those surprise events that happens when you come here to eat. And do you know how it starts, it starts with a grilled artichoke, and may I recommend that you get one individually instead of sharing. So the artichoke is the beginning, but what takes you to full joy and you're gonna find this really strange, but it's the hamburger, with guacamole and chilies on it, I've never had a burger that tasted quite like this! And if that wasn't the top it off of all events, way to tick out these french fries, talk about the perfect shoe string, french fry with just the right amount of seasoning, how did they do it? Plate 38 is a true LA gem! read more

Had an early dinner with my boyfriend today. My goodness, the food is absolutely delicious. I could not decide which dish was my favorite. We had the arancini, mushroom bruschetta, prime rib sandwich, calamari, braised short rib and mushroom burger. I must say, heart(back) of the house seriously know what they're doing. Our server, Dennis was great. Service was great. My boyfriend had a cocktail, an airplane. The mixologist did an amazing job. The cocktail was very refreshing with a citrusy flavor. We had a great experience and will definitely be coming back. read more

We decided to try a new place while my husband and I visited his daughter in Pasadena. First I have to admit the staff was VERY nice. The staff can get a 5 star rating easily. However, I was a bit disappointed that we paid $200 for 4 burgers and fries. Unfortunately I had a mini cheese burger and although I requested well done when I bit into it, was medium rare and very pink! I could not eat it. I showed the server and he was very nice and offered to make another one but I declined. When we received our bill the server did remove my mini burger, but the bill is something I have never seen before at a restaurant. I had the charge for the food we ordered, they added their own gratuity. Then they charge a tax for the food and a separate tax for the gratuity that they put on the bill. Also there are two totals. One total for cash and a total that was more expensive if you paid with card! I have never seen this! The kids had barbecue and classic burgers, everything was a la carte. I think some things were over priced such as $4 can sodas and $7 root beer. The family felt the food was okay. Unfortunately I can't say the same for mine. Probably won't dine here again but having drinks and saying hello to the great staff would be nice!! read more

Plate 38 - Mini cheeseburger - It looked good but unfortunately it was undercooked! - New American Near Me - Pasadena, California

Plate 38 is our favorite local restaurant. It is our own "cheers" with great food. They have a very talented and adventurous chef who will create specials one usually does not see on menus, such as duck confit. There are fresh oysters daily. my Personal favorite is the tuna tartare taco. The burgers and pastas are delicious and the drinks are stiff and good. It is a cross between a sports bar and a trendy bistro. (Stephanie even speaks French). Love this place! read more

The food and the atmosphere were great! Our server was great, very attentive and polite. Definitely coming back to try the French toast.

My experiences for years. My family is very particular about food when dining out. As we rarely eat at home, we try different restaurants frequently. Plate 38 is our go to place where we can count on the food, atmosphere and friendly staff being consistently excellent. Consequently, we end up there 3 nights out of the week. I have highly recommended this restaurant to many of my patients and they all have been very happy with their experience. read more

Stopped by on a Monday after a long day at work. The happy hour special is definitely a must, especially if you like oysters. We ordered four types of oysters, two on the brinier side and two on the creamier. Our favorites were the tuna crudo tacos which were light, crispy, and flavorful. The shishito peppers were also quite good; I like the soy sauce/butter sauce (?) it came with. The wings were a nice surprise; we got them breaded and the blue cheese and sauce on the side was decent accompaniment. Also appreciated that it was on the side--it made for less soggy wings. Crab cakes were also quite flavorful though they didn't really seem "jumbo." We also enjoyed the grilled octopus. It was well-grilled and was the perfect texture and toughness. The mushroom bruschetta was nothing special; it tasted like something you can very easily make at home. Cutesy vibe, service very kind if at times delayed. read more

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The staff was attentive and charismatic. We walked in around 9:30 am without a reservation and got seated quickly. I think they prefer reservations. Mojito was amazing. Strong but very flavorful. Crushed ice and minty. The peach bellini was tasty as well. The food was delicious and sat well in our stomachs. The tomato soup tasted clean and did not give heartburn. The waffle was crispy and the whipped cream had depth. The croquet madame was amazing. my first time having the dish. They put a lot of ham in between two thick bread that tastes like brioche but I'm not sure. The eggs on top were cooked perfectly and the bechamel sauce wasn't too rich. The only negative I have is I was not a fan of the salad dressing. Would definitely come back for drinks and to explore more of the menu. read more

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Food was good and Mario provided great service. Unfortunately, we were uncomfortable seeing three other employees pet a customer's dog and then continue serving and waiting on guests without washing their hands. That took away from what was otherwise a nice brunch. read more

Food - 3.5 Service - 4.0 Ambiance - 3.5 1st visit to Plate 38, went there for brunch. Reason for my food rating: - portion size good for one person if you are a big eater than might have to order an appetizer or dessert. - food taste is good - oysters: so so -drink taste: so so For the service rating: We sat at the bar top and the first impression our server made was great then he was just socialize with everyone else down at the other end of the bar. I had to flag down a different guy (the guy who posted for me). He made up for the service. He was very attentive by refilling my bottomless mimosas were the glass was empty. For the ambiance rating: The indoor dining is kinda cozy, tables were pretty close from one another. Their outside dining was much roomier. If you want to be a little more intimate than pick outdoor patio seating, and go in the evening. ^*^ read more

Plate 38 - One of the staff who assisted us - New American Near Me - Pasadena, California

So far my meals here have been consistently good. By that, I mean presented well - the plates are arranged beautifully and the chefs take time to make a quality meal so it tastes likes it's worth the $25-35 for an entree. We were told that meals take about 20-30 mins to prepare as we were deciding. We decided to split the wedge salad (to have something while we waited) and also split the Dijon chicken. Portions were large, so it was definitely enough for two people. We were able to be seated without a reservation and service was frequent- with our drinks always kept full and requests responded to quickly. I vaguely recall ordering a burger here the last time and that it was super good. I'll have to try their breakfast some time. The ambiance is elevated enough where it felt like casual upscale dining - plus I appreciated the heat lamps outside. Place had consistent arrivals - locals know and frequent Plate 38! read more

Plate 38 - Dijon Pan-Roasted Herb Dijon Marinated Half Chicken (split to share!) - New American Near Me - Pasadena, California

I came to Plate 38 to meet with colleagues over a quick brunch. To my surprise, it was relatively packed for a random Thursday afternoon. We sat in their patio and their service was spectacular. They even offered the pup in our group water, and a doggie menu! The food was alright, nothing crazy or amazing, but was clean and tasted good. read more

Very underwhelming chilaquiles-I always look for restaurants that serve them as I love trying different variations but I ended up just picking at these when I passed through town. Luckily my sister enjoyed her American breakfast much more. I also appreciated their parking lot and we had pretty good service. read more

Plate 38 - Chilaquiles - New American Near Me - Pasadena, California

Excellent food, service, reasonable prices. Varied menu. Good wine. Perfect for all occasions.

I think it may be time to wrap up future visits to Plate 38. This place has the potential to be an awesome restaurant; however, my third review all at three stars. If you look at my reviews and many others, there is one consistent theme. The theme from most is pretty good food with pretty lousy service. We visited on Sunday 03/24/2024 with a party of four. I had the truffle mushroom burger. It was a really excellent burger; however, for $21 I was disappointed it didn't come with fries or any other side. I shared a side of garlic fries with my Husband. So, the service though...come on guys...the same complaint from everyone for years and years. You just don't have enough servers, in 2017, 2019, 2021, 2024 -- whatever year you want to use. I am guessing it is not the labor force at this point; however, it is the restaurant. On this particular visit, there were plenty of food runners/bussers; however, I believe there was only two servers on duty -- if it was more, I apologize; however, whatever the number, it was one or two short of where it needed to be. The restaurant was at full capacity during our visit. I even saw the hostess and the bartender take on the role of server during our visit. Overall, I'm just sad they can't improve this one aspect. read more

Very nice ambiance. Very popular place. I noticed when walking to our table that others were having burgers. I almost ordered a burger but opted forcthe small plate calamari/rock shrimp. I would have liked more of the shrimp, the dish was very tastyI and I recommend it. My friend has the tuna tacos and she liked them. My cocktail was also very good. Next time I think we'll skip the dessert it was just okay. Service was good. Parking is free, but might be tight depending on when you arrive. Will I return? Maybe. read more

Plate 38 - Check - New American Near Me - Pasadena, California

The food was good and the service was good until it wasn't. At the end of our meal our server asked if we wanted dessert. He told us what desserts were and we all ordered what we wanted. As we were eating what we ordered we noticed that underneath the ice cream were walnuts. One of us is highly allergic to walnuts. Her throat started itching. She and my daughter went across the street to get some allergy medication and the server came to the table and quietly said "it's on the menu". My daughter came back and asked for a menu and saw that the item in question did not mention that there were nuts in it. Our friend started having trouble breathing. At that point he should've comped the entire bill. Had it been a white customer I absolutely think he would've. It was a terrible situation and he was insulting by suggesting we were negligent by missing that it had nuts. It wasn't on the menu that the dish had nuts. read more

Food and service was great! We did have reservations and waited 25 minutes before being seated, but that was expected being Mother's Day. We ordered the yellow tail, espresso martinis, chicken club, chicken pesto, crab salad and garlic fries. All were delicious. Our waitress was very apologetic for the delays and I am glad she acknowledged that. Overall a good experience and will return. read more

If you have a large group, please stay away from this restaurant. The food is not that bad. The service is absolutely awful--and it may have been that we were a group of eight gay men. I do not formally make that accusation about WHY the service was bad; however, one has to wonder. We never knew who our waiter/waitress was, as we had several. One in the group did not get his entree while the rest of us were served. That gentleman received a snide remark from a waiter when asked. We never knew why the order was not brought out. We did ask about how to settle the check. They were all too eager to bring that out to us. At first, we were told we could split the check into three different checks. However, the check came all on ONE bill. With eight people, this is hard to settle. Plate 38 and other restaurants should find a way to offer each patron a separate check, even with large groups. They very often say that it is too much trouble to provide separate checks. It would be nice if Plate 38 and other restaurants could develop a system to do just that. Again, large groups, stay away from Plate 38! read more

We came here for Saturday brunch, which did not disappoint! I was super impressed by the two dishes that I tried: the ricotta lemon blueberry pancakes and the croque madame sandwich. Plate 38 honestly created my favorite versions of these dishes, and I will be dreaming about them for a long time. The lemon glaze on the pancakes was amazing, not to mention that the pancakes had a great texture and were decently fluffy/thick. The cheese on the croque madame sandwich was incredible, paired with a great sunny side-up egg. Everyone at the table was equally satisfied with their respective dishes, and the price was pretty reasonable for the large portion size. They get one star off because their service is honestly pretty slow. I think we waited at least half an hour for the first dish to come out. To their credit, almost all the dishes came out together, but we then had to wait another 15 minutes for the last dish (which was an entree like everything else). We came at a busy time around the holidays, so I want to give them the benefit of the doubt and say it's possible we had an abnormal day. I still thought the food was stellar, and our server was very kind by offering to cancel the last dish if we didn't want to wait any longer and get us a free drink. read more

Plate 38 - Croque Madame Sandwich - New American Near Me - Pasadena, California

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The food here was pretty good despite the fact that we waited almost an hour for it(and it was not busy at all). Our server made it feel like it was such a chore to serve us, and when we were trying to get our bill he was no where to be seen so we had the bartender(I think?) close us out. Even during our meal he didn't come check in to see how everything was at. I was really looking forward to a great experience here but I probably won't be coming back anytime soon. read more

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Yesterday was my birthday and a party of six family members and I chose Pkate 38 for a brunch location as a central meeting place. It was a nice surprise to find very ample parking. We all seemed to enjoy our choices from the menu. My cousin ordered an item with egg whites but it was served with eggs, so the server took it back and it was corrected promptly. I ordered the Smoked salmon and potato rosti, which I liked very much. I ate much slower than everyone else, and before I could finish the strawberry and orange segment on my plate, which I saved for last, I excused myself to use the restroom and said I would be right back.. When I returned, my plate had been cleared and I was very disappointed. I have worked as a waiter and busbiy, and would have never have taken a plate without asking the person or someone at the table first. That was my only disappointment. read more

Good food and fun environment! I highly recommend going here plus they have a great happy hour!

Let me start with the food was amazing, and the mimosas were also super our waiter Jose- de la torre, he was super attentive. Great service. 20/10 read more

It was mother daughter date, we wanted bottomless mimosas, and did we get bottomless mimosas 90 min worth !! The menu was a bit different but amazing food !! Never heated of a "Crab Cake eggs Benedict !! Which is what I ordered, my daughter got the French Toast!! It was also amazing!!! The staff was super friendly. We sat in the patio it was nice!! Parking was hard It's inside a minimal location, but found parking on the street, short walk. Definitely will be back !! read more

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This was my first time trying Plate 38. The parking was easy as it is located at the corner inside a shopping strip. It wasn't crowded when we were seated around 1:30 on a Sunday. The service was prompt as we waited for our parties to arrive. The interior is cozy and not too overwhelming. We sat outside with a covered balcony. Slow-cooked rib pork sandwich - the taste is good overall. However, the meat was a bit cold and hard (maybe due to the coldness), as I expected it to be softer. The portion is of good size. Garlic french fries - this is the thinner type of french fries. It is a must-order in my opinion, tasted very good and with a good portion. 1 order was enough for 3 people to share. Overall my experience was good and this place is good for hangouts. read more

Plate 38 - slow cooked pork - New American Near Me - Pasadena, California

PLATE 38 HAS always been my fav place for dinner and Happy hour with friends down the block. The HH menu has been the same and I still enjoy it since the very first time I discovered this place. The truffle fries are to die for... well dont die. But I love it so damn much. The HH oysters are amazing no matter... and there are not many restaurants that serve oysters and charcuterie board. You know this restaurant is legit when you see many locals here. Ask for Dennis... he is super friendly and the best. This is seriously a GEM of Pasadena read more

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After several years from my last review and many visits, I decided it was time to update the review because it no longer represents the experience you will have at the restaurant. Since COVID, we've made a concentrated effort to support our local restaurants and during that time, Plate 38 has become one of our favorite go-to restaurants. We tend to stroll in for happy hour and we're never disappointed. Everyone is always very friendly and it's a great atmosphere. Some of our favorite happy hour items are the fresh oysters, steak quesadilla (my husband orders multiple), the rueben sandwich and the chicken wings--we never make it through the visit without the chicken wings---they're seriously the best. We are also guilty of buying a bottle of their happy hour chardonnay from Loire. It's fantastic and very reasonably priced. We even get it when it's not happy hour and we're still happy. Everyone there is very friendly and fantastic, but Dennis, Stephanie and Celestino definitely shine the brightest. They're awesome and a big reason we keep coming back. If you're not in the mood for happy hour, we love their beet salad, the truffle burger and roasted bone marrow...mmmmmmmm....bone marrow. If you've never tried it, order it. Prices are reasonable, service is fantastic and everyone there is super friendly. Definitely stop by if you're in the area. I'm sure you'll love it as much as we do! Cheers! read more

it seems like every time you go to this place they find a reason why they can't seat you. for halfway decent food, it's not worth being treated like crap every time you come in. go somewhere else, trust me. read more

Excellent food with specials every night in a cozy ambiance. Servers are friendly and attentive. Our favorite neighborhood bar and restaurant. read more

First time coming here for a brunch and I was a little disappointed by the service. Our party of 16 was sat outside since they said they couldn't accommodate us inside and that already delayed our waitress. She was bouncing between tables inside and our table outside. We all ordered the Bottomless Mimosa option and we had a total of 2 mimosas each in the 90-minute window that we had. Our food came out on time and was the perfect temperature. I ordered the Croque Madame Sandwich and it was delicious. It was also a pretty big portion that could be shared amongst two people. I don't know if I return here for brunch as we were waiting for our waitress to come with drinks and they also only have 2 restrooms which took forever to wait for. There is no room inside to form a line for the restroom as it is exactly five feet from the closest table and/or bar seat. I didn't enjoy the lag and the wait on our drinks was not worth the price. read more

Plate 38 - Croque Madame Sandwich - New American Near Me - Pasadena, California

The food was amazing and the service was good! If we visit again we will definitely go back! read more

Plate 38 - Three Tuna Tartare* Tacos - New American Near Me - Pasadena, California

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When I lived in Pasadena, I loved coming here for brunch. They have great brunch. I was able to try out dinner for DineLA and it was great. My friend and split the menu so we got to try everything and it was all super tasty and good options too. This place is so unassuming and kind off the path of other trendier Pasadena places but it's a good option. read more

My friends and I came here after our hike and LOVED IT. We sat outside and our service was quick! The food was delicious, we cleaned our plates for sure. This is a great brunch spot, it feels like you're at home! read more

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I come here sometimes for dinner and their great happy hour (they have both afternoon until 6PM and again after 8PM). The food is excellent. The drinks are strong and delicious. And the people who work here are all very nice, especially their main evening bartender, Eric, who makes great cocktails. I wish we had more places like Plate 38 in the eastern parts of Pasadena. read more

Good service and usually pleasant and helpful staff. Roasted artichokes are always a favorite and their duck is consistently flavorful

Came here for early dinner on a Sunday, and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't busy. We had a wheelchair which they accomodated us very graciously. The hostess who greeted us was super friendly and hospitable, as well as the lady who let us change tables since the one we were at was too small for the wheelchair and was too cold for someone older. Our server Mike was also very accommodating with alterations to our order due to allergies and sensitivities. He was so attentive to our needs, always checking in on us, answering questions, and refilling our drinks. The prices may seem high at first, but for the freshness of the ingredients, to the quality of the food and fancy combination of flavors and creative recipes, it's worth it. The presentation and plating of the food is beautiful, and the taste is just as good. I wish I took more pictures, but I was so hungry I ate it all very quickly. We had the shrimp and calamari small plate (nice and crisp), the sweet potato fries, and the pan-roasted half chicken plate (sooo delicious.). We are not from the area and just visiting, so not sure when we wil be back, but it was such a pleasant time from start to finish that it will definitely be a memorable one. Oh, and ALL the desserts sounded to delicately crafted and tasty, but we ended up choosing the German chocolate cake, which did NOT disappoint! Not even a crumb left. Thanks to all who helped us today for making it a great experience :) read more

Plate 38 - German Chocolate Cake - New American Near Me - Pasadena, California

A group of 6 of us were there on Friday to celebrate a birthday. The calamari & shrimp appetizer came out hot and was excellent. The skirt steak dinners which 3 of us ordered were cold. At $34 a plate, I was extremely disappointed. Because we were celebrating a birthday we didn't want to ruin the moment but I was really disappointed. Service was slow and most times we had to wave down the server. Automatic 18% tip doesn't give them anything to work for. I am not a cheap tipper and often give the 20%, but in this case, they would have been lucky to get 15%. read more

Always wonderful food and a beautiful experience .... Went with friends who had not enjoyed Plate before and they agreed. Can't wait to return read more

DineLA Bait and Switch We booked a reservation at Plate 38 in Pasadena for Friday 1/24 at 6:00 PM.  AFTER we were seated (with a 15" delay because kitchen was "not ready") and AFTER we were shown the menu, which included its DineLA menu, we were told that the chef was "not ready" for the menu.  DineLA menu would not be available until Monday. I said to the waiter that the things I would order from the DIneLA menu are already on their regular menu.  The only difference was that the filet is 5 oz on the former and 7 oz on the latter. All he had to do was take 2 ounces off. Waiter said chef would not accommodate.  This was highly disappointing for our party and highly disrespectful of the customer.  They should have made this notification before confirming our reservation, should have disclosed this before they sat us, and should have made even a small effort to accommodate their customers. None of this was done. This is false advertisement and a bad reflection on the DineLA brand which we have used and trusted for many years. read more

Plate 38 - DineLA menu embedded in tue regular menu but restaurant refused to honor. - New American Near Me - Pasadena, California