I have to admit, social media has done a great job of promoting restaurants and new foods. It doesn't even take much. Perhaps a photo of the atmospheric lighting of a dining room or the close ups of the food and the satisfied grins after a bite. But social media is mostly lies. Everything is set up to bring out the best while negating every little blemish. So I'm happy to see WAKE AND LATE lives up to the hype and even surpasses expectations.
Deco/Ambiance - "Grandeur meets vacuous"
WAKE AND LATE is located in the heart of Pasadena where something is always happening. Though parking can be difficult to find, walking through the neighborhoods to get to this place is more pleasant than a walk in the park. The buildings are gorgeous, the mixture of green space and urban planning finds balance, and you might even see another spot you'll want to visit after.
Once you arrive at the entrance you see a line corralled by stanchions leading into this nouveau art building. The inside has toweringly high ceilings. Also, they might be in the middle of redesigning their restaurant because 80% of WAKE AND LATE is inaccessible, hidden behind makeshift barricades and trifold panels. It is strange and off putting but it leaves more intrigue than baffled looks. The use of clean white lines and paint for the interior also gives a timeless yet modern vibe.
Service - "Quick to order, wait for the prize"
For as long as the line might be to order your food the wait goes by quite quickly. The person behind a counter stands adjacent to a glass display of their baked goods, enticing you with their delicious presence. WAKE AND LATE's menu isn't large and you can easily decide what you want after a minute of looking at the menu. Just remember if you want to order bagels there is a 2 bagel minimum and the smear/cream cheese comes separately.
However, the wait to receive the food is a different story. Because WAKE AND LATE makes their food fresh it can take some time to receive your orders. I saw some people wait 20 minutes for their bagels. But the real question is: is the food worth the wait?
Food - "OMG YES"
As some people might have noted this place is known for their breakfast burritos. It is notorious for being delicious and has been even considered one of the best breakfast burritos in Los Angeles county. Does it live up to its hype? Kinda. The burrito I had was a bacon burrito. Though not large in size it was packed full of high quality eggs, cheese, and the crispiest bacon you could ask for. If you love crunchy, crackling bacon than you'll love this burrito. The cilantro crema it came with was also a highlight, accentuating each bite and adding another layer of complexity. But as far as best goes, no. It is very tasty and will leave you happy but there are other burritos with far more to give you for the price you pay (we'll discuss this later).
The bagels are out of this world though. The exterior of the bagels have this wonderful firmness to it where you aren't afraid to manhandle them. They have gravitas and so does the flavor. I tried the parmesan bagel and the sweet onion. Neither were oily like you might expect with such ingredients. For the parmesan bagel we spread a honeycomb butter on it and for the sweet onion we did the lox smear. I was surprised by how light and airy the actual bagel was. Though immense in flavor it didn't feel heavy at all. The honeycomb butter was phenomenal and it was one of those items where you can put it on a shoe and it probably would be amazing. The parmesan bagel itself was fantastic. Even with nothing on it the crunchy bits of the cheese along with the savoriness added a great mixture of texture and flavor. The sweet onion bagel was a complete surprise to me as the caramelized onions incorporated in the bagel actually brought out a sweetness I wasn't expecting. I had this with the lox smear and though I personally would've loved more salmon in it the smear had a great balance. Both bagels worked so well with the playful nature of sweet and savory. I dare to say, WAKE AND LATE might be the best bagel I've had so far.
Price - "Ouchie"
"Los Angeles is a cheap place to eat," said no one ever. Though the quality of the food here is amazing the price makes this more a special occasion visit than you becoming a regular. I ordered an iced coffee, 2 bagels with 2 different smears, and a breakfast burrito and it was over $40. If you're okay with that, definitely visit and visit often. If not, maybe make this an occasion.
Overall, I still think of WAKE AND LATE on Sunday mornings. I think of what each bagel would taste like in different combinations and when I can go next. I can still smell and taste it in my memory. If that isn't enough reason to want to return somewhere, then what is? read more