Another grand opening, yay... another CA line con... (not a fair review just based off experience). Got in line under the 48 S Raymond banner at 10:51am, 05/09/26, got to the entrance exactly 1hr later. Everything essentially sold out, with the regular salt butter bread in the works and queued for order. Friendly staff and generous enough to let the line know in advance. Salt butter bread, exactly what it is. Disclaimer: I'm salty and buttery too, so maybe another visit/updated review for another time read more

Wa-Iro - Nothing - Bakeries Near Me - Pasadena, California

Cute Japanese bakery that opened up in Old Town Pasadena. Items sold out quickly but there was always more coming out to replace it. My friend and I came at around 11am. We got lucky and grabbed a seat inside the very limited seating area. Downside is we got major fomo because around 12:30pm so many more new items were put out. If you're in the area, I would take the pastries togo and look for outside seating in any of the small alleyways. My friend and I only kept inside because of how hot it was outside. In terms of service, it's a pretty standard bakery. You get a pick of baked goods and the only thing you have to go back for is your drink order. There is a bathroom inside which looked like a gender neutral single room. read more

Visit was so-so, not sure I'd return or recommend unless someone is looking specifically for stuff they have. Went on 7/17 morning, parking was difficult to find and the store was packed. Customer service was non-existent, cashier was rude and just not having a good day. Breads are decent, not bad, and pricing was ok, but being in SGV and next to LA, its not very unique or uncommon stuff. Drinks are ok, I got a drip coffee and a strawberry matcha latte. Coffee was really sour. Matcha was alright, but I've had better elsewhere. I don't think anything stands out very much, except the bad service. I would not recommend or likely come back. read more

Is it weird to say I liked their salt bread more than Pain Maison? It was goooood. The special takoyaki roll was also delicious! Melon pan was just okay. I thought the line moved relatively quickly for soft opening, not sure if they will be adding another person behind the counter. Best of luck to Wa Iro! We're so happy to have you in Pasadena! read more

Wa-Iro - Drink menu - Bakeries Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Do not come here during this heatwave because they do not have AC. Why are you open and forcing your working to work in this heat? They only had a small fan which obviously isn't going to cool down a place with clear glass windows. I felt so bad for the working especially when they're BAKING in this heat. Bread was good but expensive! Was pleasantly surprised they're kept warm though. Would try again if they fixed the AC read more

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The pastry and the service is great! I stopped by at 1:50pm thinking that they would close soon, but they extended their hours to 4:00pm! I got the curry pan, red bean salt bread, and the sausage panini. Salt bread cookie right out of the oven was so yummy too! The staff are super sweet. can't wait to bring my family here again. read more

Wa-Iro - New opening hours as of 7/17/26 - Bakeries Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Still a line at times to enter, came here around 1:30pm on Saturday (apparently they close at 2pm for now), waited for about 15 mins. I think it was helped by the fact that they were out of many selections so close to closing otherwise may have waited longer even. Overall their main item is the salt bread and they do it pretty good using the Hokkaido flour. I'd be interested in coming back when the hype dies down a bit and they have more selections. They do have some matcha drinks too which look really good and Japanese quality. We already got a matcha earlier so we'll have to do a rain check on that. Overall though it's yet another bakery in Pasadena, I think this one is unique enough to hang around for a bit. read more

I miss going to a bakery in Japan and Wa-Iro helped me satisfy some of that craving. We tried the salt bread, the matcha mochi, sausage panini, and the regular and matcha melon pan. They were all delicious. We went there on a Wednesday morning so it was easy to find street parking right in front of the store. Service is friendly. There a few tables inside and outside. I highly recommend Wa-Iro. read more

Pastries were good but not remarkable, and probably not worth dealing with the lines and crowds on a weekend

saw a few reels about their soft opening and decided to give it a try. we got there around 9am and we had to wait about half an hour. the workers were very slow in taking and packing up orders. the breads were soft but not anything to fond over :( maybe it'll be a better experience after their grand opening read more

Wa-Iro - Bakeries Near Me - Pasadena, California

The bakery offers tasty bread, and the quality is good. However, the prices are quite overpriced compared to similar bakeries in the area.

Been here twice now and both times were solid. Got helped pretty quick each visit, place is clean, and the staff is genuinely really nice - not forced, just good energy. Also, they were playing The Internet ("Girl") when I went in, which immediately set the vibe for me. That alone already had me in a good mood while waiting for my food. Now the real star here: the cinnamon rolls are dangerous. Like actually. I went back the next day just to grab a whole box so I could heat them up at home, and somehow they were STILL just as good. That's rare. Also had the banana matcha and I'm not exaggerating--it might be one of the best matchas I've had. It's got little banana bits and this cookie-like crumble situation going on that makes it taste way more interesting than your usual matcha. Overall, I don't really get some of the negative reviews unless people are just hung up on price for the simpler stuff (yeah, I wish those were a little cheaper too). But for me and my wife, this place has been a hit. We're definitely coming back. read more

Wa-Iro - Bakeries Near Me - Pasadena, California

I braved the line at opening, and I would say it was mostly worth it! The salt bread here is very crispy and buttery, similar to Bag of Cakes in Fullerton. I tried the original and red bean, and the red bean definitely stands out to me. I also tried the takoyaki bread and the jalapeno cheese panini. These breads did not particularly stand out to me. Maybe I needed to heat them up, but they tasted very dense. Overall, I enjoyed the vibes here, and would definitely come back to try their drinks! read more

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When this place was announced to open, I was so excited and it was WELL worth the wait! The pastries here are so delicious and you must get the salt bread!! The people who work there are always so nice and welcoming, and the mood of the place is so warm and cozy and just overall such a nice place. If you are ever in the area, definitely stop by this place !!! :) read more

Food seemed authentic and tasted very good. Service was pleasant, if a bit slow (waited almost 2 hours in line). Limit of 6 items. I was disappointed because their curry pan wasn't ready yet, so I missed getting the one item I went there for. I'm definitely going back! read more

Wa-Iro - Bakeries Near Me - Pasadena, California

Wa Iro is another fantastic bakery addition to the Pasadena area. It's conveniently located right across from the Green St. parking structure, where you can get 90 minutes of parking for $1. The bakery recently had its grand opening and is currently super busy, so be prepared to wait about an hour to get in. Once you're inside, what you see is what you get. If something isn't out, you unfortunately won't be able to order it. This brings me to my first annoyance. We got there around 9 a.m., about an hour after opening, and the line was already super long. It stretched past Blick and almost to the entrance of Copa Vida, about two storefronts down from the bakery. After waiting around 15 minutes with the line barely moving, a whole group of people showed up and joined the people in line in front of us. At that point, we had already been waiting about 20 minutes. Normally, I wouldn't mind a person or two joining their group, but this was basically two families' worth of people cutting in. They also each entered the bakery as separate parties, so it really felt like we got cut by two groups. It was frustrating, though I can't fully blame the bakery for that. The bread itself was really yummy. Salt Bread Plain: 4.5/5 Cookie Butter Salt Bread: 5/5 (This was my favorite) Red Bean: 3.5/5 -- I'm not a huge fan of red bean, but if you like red bean, you'll probably enjoy this. Yakisoba Bread: 4/5 Jalapeño Bread: 5/5 Japanini: 4.5/5 Matcha bread (I forgot the name): 3/5 After I paid, they brought out the curry bread and melon bread. I saw the party that cut in front of us go back and order more bread, so I tried to do the same. They told me I couldn't. When I mentioned that the party in front of us had just been allowed to buy more, they first told us that didn't happen. We said we saw it happen, and then they told us it was because they were friends and family. Honestly, that's fine. I understand friends and family may get special perks. But don't lie to me about it. Also, if they're going to be allowed to do that, maybe don't do it right in front of other customers who are being told no. The whole thing felt disrespectful. That being said, the bread was really yummy, and I would definitely come back. The drinks were a bit on the sweeter side. We asked for half sweetness, and they were still very sweet. We got the Sakura Latte, 4/5, and the Banana Cream Latte, 4/5. Ultimately, annoying experience but good bread. read more

Came here since we were in the area and there wasn't a huge line when we came around 10:30-11am. We waited for probably 10ish minutes until we were helped. Unfortunately, they were little to no pastries left to choose from. We were able to get more when we were getting closer to checkout (they brought out different fresh bread later on). Service was also very slow. I understand it is soft opening so they are trying to work out all the kinks, but I believe there needs to be some type of communication among the workers in order for the checkout process to go by faster. I would love to try again once they figure everything out, and hopefully be able to try more of what they have to offer read more

Wa-Iro - Bakeries Near Me - Pasadena, California

I was excited to try this bakery, but unfortunately, it was a disappointing experience. I ordered a latte and six pastries. When I asked for a box to take them home, I was told I needed to buy one more pastry to get a box. I was honestly surprised. I had already purchased six pastries--how many do you have to buy before a box is included? I understand that every business has its own policies, but there was no explanation or courtesy--just a blunt response. The staff simply repeated that I had to buy another pastry. I also noticed they were starting to say the same thing to customers behind me. It came across as arrogant, dismissive, and lacking basic customer service. As for the food, the pastries were decent but not exceptional, especially for the price. I've had much better pastries elsewhere that offered both better quality and friendlier service. I don't mind paying premium prices when the product and customer experience match. Unfortunately, this bakery fell short on both. A little kindness, professionalism, and a simple explanation of the policy would have made a big difference. Sadly, I don't see myself returning. read more

the hype is real. The salt bread and the jalapeño cheese is my absolute favorite. The banana matcha is delicious too! read more

Wa-Iro - Banana matcha and salted caramel cold brew with matcha cold foam - Bakeries Near Me - Pasadena, California

Always fresh and moist, selections varies daily and price is is not too bad considering the high quality ingredient they use. Service is a tad slow but all worth it. Interior is nice, just difficult to find parking but as expected since it's in old town. read more

Wa-Iro - Today's selection - Bakeries Near Me - Pasadena, California

Cute little bakery spot. The counter person not very welcoming, got some attitude problem. The cashier was friendly. The salted butter bread super tiny -overpriced almost $4 -tasted like pillsbury dough super dry. The strawberry puff was fresh & too pricey -$4.00 for one bite. read more

Loved the salt breads and Purin was surprisingly good. I also enjoyed the black sesame latte. Just remember to drink straight from the cup, no straw. I would visit more often if the lines were shorter. read more

Service was great. Bake food was delicious. Matcha Latte was okay. I had better. Barely taste the matcha.

trendy place but very mid. savory and sweet breads were pretty decent, but you can find elsewhere without a wait. hard pass on their dirty sesame drink because it was bland ( slight black sesame & watered down coffee taste) i had expectations but my experience was ruined here. ordered 5 items and didnt receive a box which is ok, so they gave me 5 separate bags? how did they expect me to hold all that, then when i asked the cashier for a bag, she just stares then hands me one. while i was waiting for my drink, i overheard them offering to heat up other customers bread but not mine and when i asked the cashier she said they do heat it up? so why was mine not heated up... i ate my yakisoba bread cold. id suggest this place advise their employees to be on the same page to either ask customers if they'd like their pastries heated up or if they'd like a bag. isn't that customary? on the bright side the place seem clean and they had a system so it did not feel claustrophobic inside read more

Really amazing spot to get quality food and drink.I got the curry pan and cinnamon roll. The curry pan is light and fluffy with authentic Japanese curry. The cinnamon roll has become my favorite. Not too dense, and the frosting is light and airy. I also got the strawberry matcha, so yum! The staff is very nice, especially the person who rang up my order at the register, I didn't ask for their name but very nice vibe :) Will be coming here regularly. read more

Gave one star because the bread was good yet overpriced. The way they manage the store has to improve so people don't have to wait 20 minutes in line with five people ahead of them. Only one employee serves one customer at a time and then checks them out at the register while everyone else has to wait. They need to hire another person to keep the line going with multiple customers picking out bread simultaneously. It's such bad management that adds unnecessary waiting time and gives everyone a bad experience. read more

Wa-Iro - Bakeries Near Me - Pasadena, California

Best cloud ice vanilla latte fast service too yummy day treat too I had the strawberry.

I give their matcha 2/5. Service and ambiance are good. I don't recommend their matcha drink. Salted bread isn't that good. Out of ordi is better. read more

I am only going to spend a few minutes at most with this review. Service was terrible. Cashier was rude and whoever that helped me with the glasses couldn't care less about patronizing their business. You can't use Yelp for honest reviews because no one can speak their mind without hitting some language land mine that thin skinned people cannot handle so either the business or someone reports you to get your review removed. read more

I ordered the premium hojicha latte and salt and butter bread. Both were delicious. I asked for oat milk and was pleasantly surprised to learn that's standard. When I walked in to the cafe, the people working greeted me, and I was helped immediately. Everyone was friendly and helpful. I found a cozy seat where I could enjoy the meal and do some work on my laptop. Would recommend! read more

Wa-Iro - Salt and butter and hojicha latte - Bakeries Near Me - Pasadena, California

810am arrival for grand opening 5/9, got in around 10am, roughly 2 hours - pastries are delicious but even then they were missing several items. Yes, its not worth waiting that long, but by the 1 hr mark, there was no turning back. However, the pastries are really good. I had the salt and butter, and salt and butter cookie. Enjoyed both, Had the yakisoba, the japonica? swiss cheesy pesto type, jalapeno cheese and the sausage pastry. Sausage, and also the jalapeno cheese pan are reorders and the rest were solid. The shumai one and the cloud hojicha latte was only okay. read more

The pastries were chewy and delicious. Not overly sweet or salty. The matcha had the perfect balance with the milk and strawberries! Service was friendly. The bakery is clean and modern. Would definitely come back. read more

Wa-Iro - Cinnamon roll, sunrise and salt & butter - Bakeries Near Me - Pasadena, California

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So I'm a salt bread snob and have had it in Japan and Korea and it's amazing. Visually, this salt bread is a 0/10. It looks white and undercooked. They did bring more out later and maybe 2 of them were golden brown. Taste wise, these are 5/10. People are not buying these because they look/taste amazing, they are buying them because it's all that's left because this bakery has yet to perfect its timing on baking everything. I also tried the chocolate salt bread and it was ok. When we got around to the other side of the counter, it was almost completely empty. We shared a fish sandwich and I thought it was terrible but my friends thought it was decent. We tried both match and regular melonpan which was pretty good. I loved the banana cream matcha latte and would get again. I asked the cashier if they would be making anymore of the sweet pastries that were on the right side of the case and she said no, once those are done, they don't make anymore and they they will only be making more hearty sandwiches. On the left side of the case, it was only fish sandwich (we arrived at 11am). 5 minutes after we sat down, they brought out about 6 more hearty sandwich options (left side of the case). We could not get those, as the line was 10-15 minutes long and as we sat there, those items went fast. They weren't really refilling the salt bread and visually, I know why. I know this place just opened and I'm not trying to be super negative but the salt bread needs 3 more minutes in the oven. It's also criminal to charge over $4 for these as they are half the size of the ones in Japan and Korea and taste wise, it's just meh. These need a lot of rework. I like the limit on the number of pastries but you need to prep better and time your baking better. People are leaving with the worst items and might not come back if this is the game they have to play each time they come. read more

The pastries are nothing to brag about and it's not really worth waiting in line for it. The service was the reason for the 1 star. Staff are very rude. They are better places with lower price and much better service. I will not go there again for sure. read more

Food and space was nice. The line was very long. Will come back once the hype calms down. Would love to try their other baked goods. read more

Wa-Iro - Salt & Butter, salt & butter cookie, sunrise, smores, curry pan, and takoyaki pan - Bakeries Near Me - Pasadena, California

There have been a lot of hot bakeries opening in Pasadena lately, but this one is actually worth the hype. Everything we tried was spectacular, can't wait to go back and try more! The bread is so light, fluffy, and fresh, and there are so many interesting varieties that it's hard to choose, like the yakisoba and fish filet paninis, which we loved! The black sesame latte was amazing too. We waited about half an hour in line a little after they opened on a weekend during their soft opening. They were sold out of some breads already but more were coming out, as they're constantly baking so that the bread is always fresh. Service was friendly even though they were so busy. The space itself is cozy and warm. There are a few small tables inside where you can enjoy your food, as well as a single restroom. read more

I love salt bread. I was very excited to hear about this place. It didn't disappoint. The "regular" salt bread is the best. It is a little crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. read more

A cute and quaint shop! Best salt bread I've ever had amidst the growing number of salt breads popping up. I love how hot it is when they bake them fresh and it's sooo fluffy compared to other places!! It gets busy but honestly the line does move quick. I also got a strawberry matcha here- it was good, kinda sweet and I would just stick to their pastries. Overall, would definitely come back read more

Finally tried this new Japanese bakery and WOW -- the salt bread absolutely lives up to the hype. Perfectly soft and fluffy inside with that buttery, slightly crispy exterior... dangerously addictive. Everything tasted fresh and perfectly made, and the drinks were also so yummy and paired perfectly with the pastries. So excited to have a spot like this nearby -- already planning my next visit! read more

Like the takoyaki bread , yummm very must to try, curious with banana cloud cream matcha, which was sold out that day before grandopening. Hope next route there will be no more limit of 6 for bread purchased read more