The Kitchen

Great food and great staff! We ordered a 18” sausage and pepperoni New York stile pizza and a Caesar salad with chicken. All was very good, flavorful, the pizza came out fast.

I stumbled upon this place on my way home and boy am I glad that I did. I stopped for a late lunch and the waitresses working were polite and attentive. I tried the chicken Marsala which was actually really good and a huge portion so you sure do get your money’s worth. NY Pizza was also amazing. Overall, I genuinely enjoyed the food and the staff a lot and highly recommend you give it a shot!

I have been coming to the kitchen for twenty years I love the food the vibe and the service feels like family. George

We enjoyed our lunch here. My wife was very pleased w her personal size pizza. My meatball sandwich was delicious. The soup was very good. The staff is very pleasant. We ordered from the Dine LA menu. Pasadena, so parking can be a challenge. But it's worth a visit.

The food is always excellent and the service terrrific! Get the Lasagna and you won't go wrong. Many tasty items on the menu as well. Located just 1 block off of Colorado, it is easy to find. And the atmosphere is cozy & you won't be rushed as some other restaurants in town.

Wow was dinner great, I had Chicken Picatta, Mom had chicken marsala. Only thing I would have dine differently would be to toss the pasta in the picatta sauce.

My husband and I stopped in here on a whim after work last night and now it's one of our favorites! Great small cafe feel, delicious food, and great customer service from our waiter. The food was delicious, but the standout was the cheesy garlic bread. My one note is that they should consider serving it with a side of marinara sauce for dipping. Will definitely be back!

Our new favorite Italian hang out. Their pasta is delicious

Great food and service. A landmark in Pasadena. Staycy and Stephanie started this 27 years ago and serve their customers seven days a week 11 AM to 9 PM. Julie and Hunter took care of us tonight with a red carpet. We thought! But noticed everyone is served as such. Cozy place. Tucked away, yet too too Italian. Drop by next time you are the old Pasadena. You be happy you did

Picked up a chicken Alfredo and it’s was delicious!!!!! And I’m picky with my pastas!! Affordable, big portions and delicious!!! Staff was amazing as well

We stopped by this place before going to the Rose Bowl game, and it was wonderful! I ordered the Sausage Roll calzone and it was delicious, filled with bell peppers, onions, cheese and their incredible house-made sauce. My mom and sister ordered a cheese pizza and the chicken Parmesan sandwich. Their sauce alone was enough to convince us to stop by again on our way home to grab another pizza! Our server was very sweet, and our food came out quickly. We were able to sit down, have an our food and make it to the free shuttle to Rose Bowl, conveniently located across the street by the Parsons building. Great experience, and can’t wait to come back!

This location is really amazing. We came back again, food is delicious. The atmosphere was nice and everyone is friendly. I love there pasta and Parmesan cheese taste so fresh. Everything we ordered was very delicious. I would definitely come back here again. I highly recommend

Outstanding. We arrived and given the option to eat inside or out, Since it has cool down we decided outside. Outside was perfectly clean and it gives you a view of the buildings surrounding you and just the general crowd passing by. Service was on Point. Our Waitress was very Peppy and often came to check in on us. You can tell she cares for the clients as she was very informative and helpful on suggestions. Top Notch Crew, everyone worked together to get you taken care of. Food was Amazing! Lots of pizza shops to go to, But I can tell you this. Food here is Fresh, Made to the order with heart and dedication. You can tell they are using quality ingredients as everything is quite delicious. My wife ordered a Lassagna and Tri- Color Tortellini with the pink sauce, Which is a zesty creamy delicious sauce. She also had some wine, they have a selection of Wines and Alcohol Berverages. My son had the 7inch New York Pizza, for a picky eater he really enjoyed it. He quietly ate most of it leaving him some left over for the next day. I myself had the Chicago Deep Dish, let me say. Was thick and soft, with the right crisp. You get to build the pizza with whatever ingredients you wish. And I will not lie when I say, this is by far one of the best pizzas I've gotten. Desserts, why not. Perfect for a date night, We ordered the Chocolate Cake, Dessert of the Day and finally my favorite the Tiramisu. You cannot go wrong with any, But the Tiramisu was again one of the best I've gotten to eat. Top Notch Restaurant, Family owned. Perfect for family Dates, importantly Perfectly Cute/ Romantic interior for a Date Night as well. We got to meet the owner, She was a Sweetheart and you can tell from the Owner to her Waitress and Staff that they care for you.

This place is a hidden gem in Old Town Pasadena—classic old-school Italian, with some Brooklyn vibes. My server, Elizabeth, was kind, knowledgeable, and made the experience even better. The food was amazing, and the New York City personal pizza was the closest I’ve had to a real New York slice in Old Pas. Great selection of red wines too. Definitely worth a visit 🍕🍝🍷

Such a yummy Italian restaurant. The decor is super cute. It was fresh inside during a rather warm summer afternoon. Service was quick. Items as ordered. Such a unique authentic taste to My chicken piccata. My friend loved her dish as well. I will return.

My wife and I made the trek out to Monsterpalooza but when we got there the line was way longer then we we willing to stand in. Just to make the trip worth while we decided to stop and get a bite to eat. We saw the kitchen and decided to stop in. It was empty so of course we were sat immediately. Our server’s name escapes me since J waited so long to complete this review. Anyway she was very pleasant. Our food came out fast and was very delicious. Then I started to wonder why exactly this place was empty. Good service is harder and harder to find. Then when you add the deliciousness of the food, I hope more people find their way here.

Our NY cousin was in town and we got together for lunch. The place has a nice atmosphere and kept clean. The servers were friendly and professional

This place is delicious for a friend's and family dinner! The food here is cooked fresh and the staff are super friendly. Out server this night was amazing! Went above and beyond for our experience at the kitchen. Their shrimp scampi was really good. They Chicago deep dish was super hefty but also good! And the half portion of pepperoni, Mushroom and sin dried tomatoes yum! I would recommend this place 👌😄

"Anchovies on request" is a new concept to me for a Caesar Salad. My experience is that most places on this coast either include them in the dressing or delude themselves into thinking they've made a Caesar at all. So when I asked the wait staff for as much anchovy as they could pile on me without getting in trouble, they dropped on more than the standard can. And it was glorious. The spinach manicotti was also excellent.

Nya Boland

We stopped by this place before going to the Rose Bowl game, and it was wonderful! I ordered the Sausage Roll calzone and it was delicious, filled with bell peppers, onions, cheese and their incredible house-made sauce. My mom and sister ordered a cheese pizza and the chicken Parmesan sandwich. Their sauce alone was enough to convince us to stop by again on our way home to grab another pizza! Our server was very sweet, and our food came out quickly. We were able to sit down, have an our food and make it to the free shuttle to Rose Bowl, conveniently located across the street by the Parsons building. Great experience, and can’t wait to come back!

Stefany Hernandez

This location is really amazing. We came back again, food is delicious. The atmosphere was nice and everyone is friendly. I love there pasta and Parmesan cheese taste so fresh. Everything we ordered was very delicious. I would definitely come back here again. I highly recommend

Jon H

Outstanding. We arrived and given the option to eat inside or out, Since it has cool down we decided outside. Outside was perfectly clean and it gives you a view of the buildings surrounding you and just the general crowd passing by. Service was on Point. Our Waitress was very Peppy and often came to check in on us. You can tell she cares for the clients as she was very informative and helpful on suggestions. Top Notch Crew, everyone worked together to get you taken care of. Food was Amazing! Lots of pizza shops to go to, But I can tell you this. Food here is Fresh, Made to the order with heart and dedication. You can tell they are using quality ingredients as everything is quite delicious. My wife ordered a Lassagna and Tri- Color Tortellini with the pink sauce, Which is a zesty creamy delicious sauce. She also had some wine, they have a selection of Wines and Alcohol Berverages. My son had the 7inch New York Pizza, for a picky eater he really enjoyed it. He quietly ate most of it leaving him some left over for the next day. I myself had the Chicago Deep Dish, let me say. Was thick and soft, with the right crisp. You get to build the pizza with whatever ingredients you wish. And I will not lie when I say, this is by far one of the best pizzas I've gotten. Desserts, why not. Perfect for a date night, We ordered the Chocolate Cake, Dessert of the Day and finally my favorite the Tiramisu. You cannot go wrong with any, But the Tiramisu was again one of the best I've gotten to eat. Top Notch Restaurant, Family owned. Perfect for family Dates, importantly Perfectly Cute/ Romantic interior for a Date Night as well. We got to meet the owner, She was a Sweetheart and you can tell from the Owner to her Waitress and Staff that they care for you.

Jenny Garcia

This place is a hidden gem in Old Town Pasadena—classic old-school Italian, with some Brooklyn vibes. My server, Elizabeth, was kind, knowledgeable, and made the experience even better. The food was amazing, and the New York City personal pizza was the closest I’ve had to a real New York slice in Old Pas. Great selection of red wines too. Definitely worth a visit 🍕🍝🍷

Miguel June

Such a yummy Italian restaurant. The decor is super cute. It was fresh inside during a rather warm summer afternoon. Service was quick. Items as ordered. Such a unique authentic taste to My chicken piccata. My friend loved her dish as well. I will return.

Chef Robert Olivares

My wife and I made the trek out to Monsterpalooza but when we got there the line was way longer then we we willing to stand in. Just to make the trip worth while we decided to stop and get a bite to eat. We saw the kitchen and decided to stop in. It was empty so of course we were sat immediately. Our server’s name escapes me since J waited so long to complete this review. Anyway she was very pleasant. Our food came out fast and was very delicious. Then I started to wonder why exactly this place was empty. Good service is harder and harder to find. Then when you add the deliciousness of the food, I hope more people find their way here.

L Ang

Our NY cousin was in town and we got together for lunch. The place has a nice atmosphere and kept clean. The servers were friendly and professional

Andrea Ramirez Ledesma

This place is delicious for a friend's and family dinner! The food here is cooked fresh and the staff are super friendly. Out server this night was amazing! Went above and beyond for our experience at the kitchen. Their shrimp scampi was really good. They Chicago deep dish was super hefty but also good! And the half portion of pepperoni, Mushroom and sin dried tomatoes yum! I would recommend this place 👌😄

Keely Espinoza

Picked up a chicken Alfredo and it’s was delicious!!!!! And I’m picky with my pastas!! Affordable, big portions and delicious!!! Staff was amazing as well

Zack Lloyd

"Anchovies on request" is a new concept to me for a Caesar Salad. My experience is that most places on this coast either include them in the dressing or delude themselves into thinking they've made a Caesar at all. So when I asked the wait staff for as much anchovy as they could pile on me without getting in trouble, they dropped on more than the standard can. And it was glorious. The spinach manicotti was also excellent.

This hidden gem in Old Town Pasadena is one of my favorite Italian restaurants. I love the exposed brick walls in this beautiful old building. The ambience is relaxed and welcoming. The servers are very nice and attentive. We have tried their lasagna, pizzas, shrimp scampi, lemon pasta and cheesy garlic toast. We will definitely come back and try something different. Although my favorite dish is the shrimp scampi with spaghetti.. so delicious! I highly recommend.

Staff was extremely friendly and welcoming! The atmosphere is quaint and relaxed to enjoy wine and food. I enjoyed the minestrone and caprese salad. I also had a side of the meatballs and they were very flavorful. I would absolutely recommend stopping in for an enjoyable experience and great food.

Great flavor (from a former Chicagoan—We take pizza seriously), great friendly service. Prompt delivery but a nice place to go out, too. Comfy.

Charming good value old-style Italian with pastas and pizzas. Excellent gluten free options and plenty for vegetarians. Delightful friendly service (our waitress Soraya was excellent). Much better vibe than most other places downtown and very tasty food.

Marissa Winfrey

This hidden gem in Old Town Pasadena is one of my favorite Italian restaurants. I love the exposed brick walls in this beautiful old building. The ambience is relaxed and welcoming. The servers are very nice and attentive. We have tried their lasagna, pizzas, shrimp scampi, lemon pasta and cheesy garlic toast. We will definitely come back and try something different. Although my favorite dish is the shrimp scampi with spaghetti.. so delicious! I highly recommend.

Sara RaynorRepko

Staff was extremely friendly and welcoming! The atmosphere is quaint and relaxed to enjoy wine and food. I enjoyed the minestrone and caprese salad. I also had a side of the meatballs and they were very flavorful. I would absolutely recommend stopping in for an enjoyable experience and great food.

Tony D

Charming good value old-style Italian with pastas and pizzas. Excellent gluten free options and plenty for vegetarians. Delightful friendly service (our waitress Soraya was excellent). Much better vibe than most other places downtown and very tasty food.

Stopped in The Kitchen Italian restaurant for lunch and was pleasantly surprised. I had the meatball sandwich which was great and my wife had the eggplant parmesan, which she liked. We had great server who was very friendly. Will definitely try this again next time we are in Pasadena.

For a NY Slice, it's better than most places in LA county. Light and airy thin crust, not greasy. The con, it lacks seasoning, didn't taste any oregano or basil at all. Also, the staff was busy, but they didn't give the impression that I was welcomed to dine in. I'll still give it another go.

This quaint Italian restaurant in Old Town Pasadena truly impressed with its well-presented dishes and generous serving sizes. The food here is simply great! What really stood out was the rich, flavorful marinara sauce, which tasted homemade and wasn't watered down like at so many other places. Their ravioli is fantastic, and appetizers like the bruschetta with tomato topping were also excellent. The dining area, though on the smaller side, actually adds to the restaurant's allure, creating a cozy and intimate atmosphere. I can imagine it being perfect for a quiet, romantic dinner or a lively gathering, depending on the crowd. The staff members were incredibly welcoming and friendly, rounding out a wonderful experience.

We were pleasantly surprised w our lunch. We ordered from the Dine LA menu. The minestrone soup was delicious. Loved the salad. My wife was very pleased w her pizza. Parking is a challenge. But pretty good Italian food. We will definitely visit again.

Went yesterday with my three kids and their friend in the, yay table of 4 kids lol but Dan took such good care of us! He deserves 5 stars. Our drinks were never empty, he was so kind and patient with my kids (and me). Service was prompt and our food came out in a very reasonable time frame. I'm giving 4 stars because honestly the pizza and calzone was not the best I've ever had, something about the flavor was off (and I've had tons of both). However the mozzarella sticks were to die for and we will probably come back just for those! And my kids said the spaghetti was amazing (and let me tell you, they're spaghetti experts). So between that and the great service we will be back for sure! And my kids agree. Thanks Dan for the great experience!

A cozy Italian restaurant located in the heart of downtown Pasadena. The prices are quite fair for the portion sizes and the taste was satisfactory although nothing that will blow you away. If you’re looking for a safe-bet Italian restaurant with pasta that tastes just as you would expect and nothing more beyond that, this is a good safe option and the service here is excellent with incredibly friendly and attentive staff.

Nice ambiance, and good location in Old Town Pasadena. The food was good. I had a cheese-less pizza (they did not have an option of vegan cheese) and loaded it up with 6 toppings! Sautéed spinach side was good also.

W O'Brien

This quaint Italian restaurant in Old Town Pasadena truly impressed with its well-presented dishes and generous serving sizes. The food here is simply great! What really stood out was the rich, flavorful marinara sauce, which tasted homemade and wasn't watered down like at so many other places. Their ravioli is fantastic, and appetizers like the bruschetta with tomato topping were also excellent. The dining area, though on the smaller side, actually adds to the restaurant's allure, creating a cozy and intimate atmosphere. I can imagine it being perfect for a quiet, romantic dinner or a lively gathering, depending on the crowd. The staff members were incredibly welcoming and friendly, rounding out a wonderful experience.

Robert Bojorquez

We were pleasantly surprised w our lunch. We ordered from the Dine LA menu. The minestrone soup was delicious. Loved the salad. My wife was very pleased w her pizza. Parking is a challenge. But pretty good Italian food. We will definitely visit again.

Joey Cheung

A cozy Italian restaurant located in the heart of downtown Pasadena. The prices are quite fair for the portion sizes and the taste was satisfactory although nothing that will blow you away. If you’re looking for a safe-bet Italian restaurant with pasta that tastes just as you would expect and nothing more beyond that, this is a good safe option and the service here is excellent with incredibly friendly and attentive staff.

Cena Felter

Went yesterday with my three kids and their friend in the, yay table of 4 kids lol but Dan took such good care of us! He deserves 5 stars. Our drinks were never empty, he was so kind and patient with my kids (and me). Service was prompt and our food came out in a very reasonable time frame. I'm giving 4 stars because honestly the pizza and calzone was not the best I've ever had, something about the flavor was off (and I've had tons of both). However the mozzarella sticks were to die for and we will probably come back just for those! And my kids said the spaghetti was amazing (and let me tell you, they're spaghetti experts). So between that and the great service we will be back for sure! And my kids agree. Thanks Dan for the great experience!

Ram Ambatipudi

Nice ambiance, and good location in Old Town Pasadena. The food was good. I had a cheese-less pizza (they did not have an option of vegan cheese) and loaded it up with 6 toppings! Sautéed spinach side was good also.

Great service and nice atmosphere. Thin crust was a little too thick for our tastes and while the salad had fresh ingredients, it had waaay too much dressing. Will def try them again though.

I will give this place another try but the shrimp scampi was so-so. Not traditional and with tomatoes. Shrimp was good. Spinach was frozen chopped and meh. The place got busy at 1 PM and I had to ask for an iced tea refill and waited 10 minutes to finally catch the waiter to ask for my check.

Tasty pizza and Cesar salad for a decent price. A small, pleasant place to have Italian food. It took long for our food to come out but that probably means it's fresh. Enjoyable for the family or a date. 🙂

Apps were great , the chicken parm tasted like something you would get out of a frozen dinner section at grocery store, spaghetti/chicken was just ok nothing to rave about. pizza had too much of a after taste of something can’t figure it out, maybe garlic.

This place serves no nonsense Italian fare. The highlight of our meal is the lasagna, it was cheesy and delicious. The shrimp Parmesan and chicken piccata were pretty good except that they were accompanied by very salty roasted potatoes and sautéed spinach respectively. The Italian sub and the desserts were average. Our server was attentive.

Public pay parking structure across street Outdoor seating with cover on both side of streets since this restaurant located on corner Plenty of seating on Wednesday night House salad is very plain - not recommended Chicken Alfredo pasta- one best pasta I had since the covid.. eat will hot.. sauce gets thick when cold Pizza - cheese.. yummy even I am meat lover type person Pizza - veggies, I did not eat it because have toppings I don't eat. But my friends love it. Garlic bread is okay wish have more garlic flavors. I would go back for the pasta..

Susanna SS

This place serves no nonsense Italian fare. The highlight of our meal is the lasagna, it was cheesy and delicious. The shrimp Parmesan and chicken piccata were pretty good except that they were accompanied by very salty roasted potatoes and sautéed spinach respectively. The Italian sub and the desserts were average. Our server was attentive.

Jane N

Public pay parking structure across street Outdoor seating with cover on both side of streets since this restaurant located on corner Plenty of seating on Wednesday night House salad is very plain - not recommended Chicken Alfredo pasta- one best pasta I had since the covid.. eat will hot.. sauce gets thick when cold Pizza - cheese.. yummy even I am meat lover type person Pizza - veggies, I did not eat it because have toppings I don't eat. But my friends love it. Garlic bread is okay wish have more garlic flavors. I would go back for the pasta..

Guys, this is the nastiest minestrone soup I've ever had. It looked and tasted like they've just been adding broth and scraps of food to the same pot for years, except I detected the smell of a can, so maybe that was from the beans. I also gave low stars because the prices. I once ordered a salad which was literally lettuce, a tomato, a few olives, and some cheese, with a small container of dressing, and with tax and tip I spent almost $17. On the upside, the free bread is good.

I wanted to love this place and was looking forward to lunch there. The reviews were so good. What a disappointment. We had the antipasta salad and a pizza. The antipasta was fresh and okay but the pizza was like carnival pizza. Can sauce and tasteless crust. We ordered NY thing. It was not thin. The wine was just okay nothing memorable. I would not ever go again. I don't know how the reviews are so high.

The tomato/marinara tasted canned, excessive use of oregano. I ordered minestrone, and what i got was a bowl of floating oregano, dead vegetable vomit. It tasted horrid, colorless. Tasted the same as the marinara. I ordered one slice of cheese, same sauce ( I could not finish it, never in my life have i not finished, a slice of pizza, and Dominoes tasted five stars after this). A straight up hair on my wife's side salad. Blonde; neither of which are we. The sign says 30 years, I'm assuming at some point ownership had changed hands, cause this "30 years" tasted like 3 years of cutting corners. I left, I walked out and I cried, ask my wife. Never, ever have I not finished a small meal.... IN MY LIFE! As a chef, who cooks for 3 of the Major Sports team in Los Angeles have never had a more unenjoyable meal. I don't blame the establishment but the management that has allowed foid to come out soo horrid. Will not be returning. I had such high hopes. Especially for "30 years" in business. Try for yourself. I could be wrong but my experience wasnt an exaggeration.

I liked the service and ambiance. But the la dine menu chicken parm was inedible, i ordered a deep dish pizza and it was nothing close to it. It was like ordering extra dough please. That's it! Ingredients were like plastic. It tasted old. If i had this chef at my restaurant. Id be scared of losing all my business