Best Brunch in Pasadena CA (2025)
A cheese-lover’s brunch with Midwestern warmth: sticky toffee pancakes, pimento omelet, and cheddar-biscuit benedicts in a former horse stable. Frequently recommended by local food writers and highlighted by Visit Pasadena; the in-house cheesery deepens its neighborhood ties.
Pasadena history in a Craftsman cottage meets a serious cocktail program. Weekend brunch leans classic—think Benedicts and Dutch babies—at a spot long praised by critics; OpenTable lists current Saturday–Sunday brunch service.
Russell’s is a retro lunch counter that, at first, you might mistake as a tourist trap: there’s a constant crowd out front, a bright neon sign, and tacky fine art reproductions lining the walls. And even by Old Pasadena standards, this place is a zoo. But don’t be deterred—Russell’s chaos comes with fantastic food. The menu is a mix of Southern and French-leaning brunch dishes, which means eating gravy-covered chicken fried steak while the person sitting next to you at the counter digs into a gooey croque monsieur. Be prepared to wait a few minutes for a table though, since Russell’s only accepts walk-ins and they’re busy most days of the week.
Chef Dean Yasharian’s French bistro adds a refined weekend brunch with mirrored menus for meat and plant-based eaters. Recognized by the Michelin Guide and noted by Time Out for Saturday–Sunday daytime service.
Family-run since 1920, this landmark hosts Alice’s Mimosa Brunch on Sundays with pozole and menudo bars, street tacos, handmade tortillas, and often live mariachi. A multigenerational gathering place that turns brunch into celebration.
Chef Onil Chibás channels Cuban roots into a creative New American brunch—German chocolate pancakes, arepa Benedicts, brisket huevos rancheros—on a relaxed neighborhood patio. Featured by Pasadena Weekly and Visit Pasadena for its distinct weekend spread.
East Pasadena’s chef-driven standby for scratch-made brunch: crab cake Benedict, lemon–ricotta pancakes, and bottomless mimosas. Pasadena Magazine has spotlighted its brunch cocktails; the friendly bar and patio keep regulars returning.
Venezuelan-style breakfasts—arepas, cachapas, and churros—plus a drinking chocolate beloved by LAist. Brunch here feels like a quick Caracas trip, with gluten‑free options and daytime hours ideal before strolling Old Pasadena.
Southeast Asian flavors enliven weekend brunch: pandan waffles with duck, Balinese chilaquiles, and restorative 36‑hour bone broth. Family-run and warmly reviewed by critics, with current brunch details posted online.
I've watched this nearly 40-year-old Armenian bakery, opened in 1986 by Haroutioun Geragosian after relocating from Syria, evolve through a three-year renovation that will debut a new 32-seat dining room later this fall. Owner Joseph Geragosian expanded into the former Salon Figaro space—knocking down part of the southern wall—to create a room with grey walls, framed prints by Pasadena-based Armenian artist Mike Agopian, six tables and eight bar stools; although the bakery will employ a server and a busser, diners still pick up food at the front counter. He also revamped the Allen Avenue patio, adding a planter and a square table around the oak tree plus four additional tables and sun shades that make it feel like a European cafe. The menu has grown from the original six items to showcase Armenian, Georgian, and Middle Eastern dishes; recent additions include a double-decker za’atar and cheese flatbread, foul by bowl (a stew of fava beans served with fresh herbs and pickles), and jingalov hats, while the bakery remains best known for lahmajune, khachapuri, and za’atar flatbread and offers many beoreg fillings (spinach, olive, mushroom, potato, Swiss chard, and fava beans). Joseph’s favorite is the spicy cheese beoreg—“I have to have one” regularly—and the family’s work earned them national attention as 2022 James Beard Award semifinalists in the Outstanding Baker category. I find Old Sasoon welcoming, accessibly priced, and a memorable neighborhood bakery that now has more seating and menu options to experience the homegrown goodness.
