Heidar Baba

Great food and super nice staff! I’ve tried a few different dishes here and they’ve all been delicious. The Beef Soltani is my go to, highly recommend!

We have been coming to Heidar Baba for many years, and it truly feels like a hidden gem in Pasadena. The food is absolutely delicious – authentic Mediterranean flavors that are always fresh and full of taste. Every dish reminds us of the rich and vibrant traditions of the region. What makes this place even more special is that the recipes go back more than five thousand years, carrying the heritage of the ancient peoples of the East and the Mediterranean. These dishes have passed through millennia yet remain alive in traditional cuisine, preserved with care and authenticity. The service is excellent, warm, and attentive, making every visit a pleasant experience. The atmosphere is calm and family-friendly, perfect for both quiet dinners and gatherings with loved ones. Heidar Baba has become one of our favorite places to enjoy not only great food but also a welcoming and relaxing environment. Highly recommended to anyone looking for real Mediterranean cuisine in Pasadena.

My friend invited us to try this Persian restaurant, and I was really excited since it was our first time. I can’t comment on how authentic the food is since we’re not Persian, but for us, the portions were really big. Nice and helpful staffs. The soup had a strange taste, and the appetizers felt pricey. In my opinion, the meat wasn’t seasoned enough, and even after mashing the grilled tomato to mix with the white rice, it honestly didn’t have much flavor.

A pretty good restaurant that has nice authentic Persian food. The portions are quite big and very filling, although the kebabs are a bit bland. Staff are nice and the vibe is chill. Overall it is a good Persian restaurant in the area, but if you are willing to go to other locations there are better options for Persian food. The price is fair for the quality and portions.

We were invited to this restaurant. Food was average. I had better Persian food. It was on the blend side. They will spice it up of you tell them. Service was not up to par. The lady who took our order was confused. Our host repeated it a couple of times. They also mentioned to serve everything on a family platter. However it can as an individual dish. The host was upset as they come here regularly and this was not what they expected for their guest. We assured they it is fine. The kabob and kubbedieh were very soft and juicy. They also serve extra butter. Kids enjoyed the fried and burger. They said it was good. They have a nice spot for salah. I wish it was bigger for more people to pray. Us ladies had to wait along time till the guys are done. Restaurant is very old but clean and taken well care of.

The traditional place and food. That was my first time there and everything was great. Menu items were fully Persian and traditional. We got the combo kabob with rice and it was delicious. Also, we tried our friend's stew and Barg kabob which was amazing and we loved it. The food portion was good and enough for 2 people. The place was cozy and the service was also good. We definitely coming back to try the rest of the menu.

Thank you Miss Bita. Wonderful service. Love to atmosphere. Very clean and Chic. The food was truly amazing. Very authentic and generous portions. We ordered Koobide and chicken breast. Very juicy and very fresh. Love the soups. Definitely coming back. Recommended A+

I don’t normally give good reviews but WOW! I wasn’t expecting this. SOLID RESTAURANT! It’s worth it. I ordered the Spicy Koobideh plate and was not disappointed. Can feed 2 people easy. I’m a huge monster of a person and I couldn’t finish it. I only wish I had a shovel so I could have eaten it faster. Food was ready exactly on time, 20 mins / cost 25$ with tax but in my opinion WELL WORTH IT. I know Pasadena is nicer than the rest of LA and you should expect better quality here but HEIDAR BABA is better than Pasadena deserves. A+

I really like the food We went on a quiet day, so the service was pretty good too And I like the ambience as well it kinda reminds you move back home Overall, we like it and I like the portion as you can send pictures they're pretty good and the staff are pretty nice

Not vegetarian friendly - usually most places can give you the stews in a vegetarian option but not here. The walnut sauce was super sweet and apparently has added sugar. Service is nice but not coming back. The place had a 3.8 star rating with other reviewers and there's a reason for that

We were on the hunt for cherry rice without making the drive to Glendale for Raffi's, and Yelp led us here. While we did enjoy our meal, Raffi's still holds the crown when it comes to cherry rice, which is a unique and flavorful Persian dish that's hard to beat. I ordered the salmon plate, and my husband chose the lule plate, adding a side of chicken kabob just in case. Little did we know how generous the portions would be, we definitely had enough leftovers for another meal! The plates also came with a choice of soup or salad; I opted for the soup, but it was quite bland and needed some extra salt. Our meal also came with pita bread for the table, though it's worth noting that the entrees didn't come with any hummus. The restaurant wasn't busy during our week night visit. It's conveniently located right across the street from PCC, and we were able to find street parking easily.

Fantastic all around! Took mounds of food home. Everything very fresh. Yelp yelp yelp yelp yelp yelp

Came here as recommended by some coworkers, and it was great. This is a nice and close location compared to Raffi's in Glendale, but it definitely gave me my Mediterranean fix. This is located across from PCC and they have a lunch deal, so I imagine this place being pretty popular during the weekdays with the local students. Coming here on the weekend, it was pretty empty and no special deals. My husband and I decided to share the Beef Soltani and added a spicy chicken koobideh as well as an order of hummus to pair with the complementary pita bread. Unfortunately, they were out of roasted chili. The hummus was really good, and I took the leftovers home to eat with raw bell peppers. We got the soup, which was really flavorful ! They also brought out two separate plates of rice so we could share the Soltani. Of the meats, my favorite was the beef barg, it was seasoned perfectly and had a nice bite without being too chewy. My husband really enjoyed the spicy chicken koobideh which had chopped green chilis in there (which made us wonder why they said they didn't have grilled chilis?). The beef koobideh was good as well. I thought the rice could be a little more seasoned, not sure if it usually is but perhaps not! I was interested in the bastani sonati but was too full to eat it. They sell it to go for $12-13, otherwise it's $8-9 for a smaller dine-in portion. Pricy meal overall, but I would return to get the Barg again and hopefully try the Persian ice cream.

Great portion sizes, and tasty lamb and beef options! A soup or salad is offered with each plate, the soup was good but needed a lot of salt. Both plates were 80$ with tax which is a little pricey but I had a lot left over. 2 people can share a plate if you don't want any leftovers. The place is super cute and has nice Iranian decor as well!

My coworker recommended this place as a more local restaurant to get Mediterranean food as opposed to driving all the way up to Raffi's. This restaurant is located across from PCC and there is street parking right in front. We came for lunch on a Saturday and was seated quickly. the servers were very nice and provided us with recommendations. For our appetizer, we ordered the hummus, which goes along well with the complimentary and refillable pita bread. For our entree, we ended up getting the beef soltani, which comes with a beef koobideh and beef barg and serves two people. You have a choice of getting soup or salad, so we chose the soup option. This entree also came with basmati rice. We also added an a la carte spicy chicken koobideh. My wife really enjoyed the hummus and the soup. We both enjoyed our beef soltani entree, with the beef barg being our favorite. The beef was very flavorful and seasoned well. I was a big fan of the spicy chicken koobideh, which included grilled peppers inside of it. There is a small spicy kick that added to the flavor. The menu stated that we could request grilled peppers. However, the server said they were out for the day (although there were grilled peppers in the spicy chicken koobideh). We will have to come back again in the future to try this out. Overall, we both enjoyed our experience here. We are glad that we found a local restaurant where we can get Mediterranean food. We will definitely be back!

This is my go to casual Persian restaurant. It's not pretentious and very good in my opinion. My choice entree at any Persian restaurant is the Koobideh with mast o khiar. Here, the entree comes with a choice of soup or a regular salad. You can pay an additional amount and get the shirazi salad, which is what I did. The mast o khiar is ordered as a side. The koobideh is juicy and perfectly flavored as is the rice. The portions are also generous. There is plenty of parking on the street or in their lot behind the restaurant. Each time I have come, I have never had a wait. If you're in the Pasadena area, definitely give this place a try if you're craving some Persian grub. Tip: if you have leftovers, ask for extra pita bread to go.

This place has been my absolute favorite Persian restaurant for kebabs throughout nearly my entire life. The food here has never disappointed and even want to be cater food for our events. The food is always absolutely perfect. The same as it would be if we dined in. If you're looking for amazing Persian this is absolutely the spot by far. Parking lot is in the back and seating is quite open and comfortable. Service is fine and pricing it's a little on the higher end however, it is worth the quality.

I have to say its one of my favorite places to eat. They give you nice size serving!! The servers are very kind and take care of you. There parking in the back so thats a plus. Now craving it!! = )

I love Heidar Baba. They have such an amazing delivery service. Great communication via text. Food is delicious. We've tried the hummus, baba ghanoush, and beef koobideh.

I go here every few months with my family and I have to say, it's pretty good. Now the reason why I wouldn't consider it 5 stars is that some specific places aren't that clean. The food is very good but could be a little better if it were a bit more tender. The waitresses sometimes don't speak good English but we manage. On your way out you can get a free lollipop which I like, but the back entrance (where we usually come in from) is kinda hidden from the public in an alleyway. I'm pretty sure that's why it's not crowded. Overall, I think it's pretty good.

Great taste and excellent service! I love the cuisine of this restaurant very much and that's why I visit this restaurant all the time!

Heidar Babar is a hole-in-the-wall with all the charm right across from Pasadena Community College. Food is authentic, the portions are generous, and the prices are easy on the wallet.

Great food! A bit pricey, in my opinion, but the quality and portion sizes are fair. We often visit Raffi's in Glendale but prefer not to drive there frequently. The lady who answers the phone is a bit snappy when I place an order. I mentioned that the prices on their website don't match what she quoted me over the phone, which felt misleading. Instead of acknowledging the discrepancy, she made me feel like an inconvenience. When I picked up my order, the same lady handed it to me, and she was much nicer in person. We'll give them another try next time--hopefully, we can dine in soon!

Their food is fantastic. It is authentic Persian food with high quality kebabs. Large portions at good prices. The staff is friendly and helpful. The ambiance of the restaurant is clean but a little dark.

Heidar Baba is great! The food is excellent, and the portions are amazing. I've been going for years. This last visit, my family and I got the beef koobideh, the spicy beef koobideh, the barg, and the boneless chicken. The barg was my favorite, followed by the spicy beef koobideh, but it was all great. My favorite thing about this place is that it's entirely halal. Most Persian restaurants either offer a partial halal menu (the barg/filet mignon being the item that is most often not halal) or are fully halal but also serve alcohol. Heidar Baba is fully and proudly halal. In terms of ambience, this is a restaurant fit for any occasion. It somehow nails accommodating both casual and fancy/celebratory outings. The place is beautiful, and the servers are kind and attentive. I also love how principled the owners are. Just walk by their front door, and you'll see their commitment to justice. I love this place.

Great food and big portions. Decent prices too. We come from Sacramento to eat here whenever we are driving to LA

Most delicious Persian Foods with great services , very friendly , good quality foods. Very healthy dishes.

We came here for a family member's birthday on a Saturday around 6:30pm. The dining room was fairly empty. It wasn't until after 7pm when almost the entire restaurant was packed. I think it was because of Ramadan. I was surprised by the portions of the food. I wasn't expecting it to be so much food. Even the sides were generous in size. My favorite was the chicken Koobideh. The chicken was nice and juicy. I will definitely come back here when I am craving Persian food.

I posed a review earlier ..follow up I am appreciative of the personal reach out from the Heider Baba team. Thank you for your time and kind words.

They give you so much hummus and flatbread but honestly wasn't good in my opinion. The hummus has zero flavor and the bread is basically a hard thin tortilla. The plate we got though, it was really good and portions are generous. We ordered 3 plates and it was enough for 3 adults and 2 kids. I think price is okay for 3

I don't know who hired the two ULTRA LAZY women who were working there, but this place needs to find servers who actually do their job! One was on her phone almost the entire time I was dining there (she sat in the booth across from me and I could see her talking for 45 minutes or more), and then when she was done with her phonecall she didn't wash her hands and went directly to the kitchen and started preparing people's to-go orders. Meanwhile, the other standing around on her feet could not be bothered to bring me the pita I requested 15 minutes before, refill any drinks, or even just ask if we needed anything, even when I would call out, "hello"... "excuse me"... or switched to Spanish "con permisso"; NOTHING could get her attention! I had to finally get up and get my own pita, refills, and packaging for food to take home. I really had trouble leaving any tip for their awful service.

I love Heidar Baba! It's been a Pasadena staple for me and my family since the early oughts, and we continue to get our lunch meals from them. They have a nice lunch special that goes from about 11 am to 4 pm, and it includes their salmon kabobs, chicken kabobs, and even their sirloin kabobs. They also serve it with a generous portion of basmati rice, a roasted tomato or chile, and a soup or salad. When I say soup, it's their delicious lentil soup. Often I just get a side of hummus with a combo and I share it with my hubby. The folks who work there are just wonderful and of course they remember us when we come in. They're often hosts to the PCC crowd as well, so you'll find employees and students of the college grabbing a quick bite. My pro tip for Heidar Baba is to order ahead because their lunch rush is quite massive. I recommend this Pasadena gem if you're ever in the area!

This is the worst koobideh I ever had this excuse they don't even taste like meat and they seem to be very old and they charge $24 for it

Dinner in Pasadena, California... When Nadia suggested that we dine at Heider Baba for dinner, I agreed right away! It sounded like we were going to an exotic location with delicious food! Yes! There's free parking behind the building and on the street. The interior of the restaurant looked authentic. Service was efficient and polite. Food was a fun adventure! We started with a warm flatbread, topped with butter, pepper, and tasty seasoning. Barley Soup was filling and delicious! I ordered the Koobideh Combo: beef and chicken skewers with basmati rice and grilled tomato. I liked the beef flavor more than the chicken. (I gave my chili pepper away... LOL!) The serving was very generous! We all took leftovers home! Thanks to Val, Gloria, and Nadia for an awesome experience!

The food was great and have been coming here a few times. However the service has gone down hill fast. The two women that work there need to learn how to give better customer service. You could tell they didn't care about the job since you would figure a customer is requesting items that normally come with the food. I mean you did take my order and knew what I ordered but the crappy attitude has turned me off. I will find a place where they care about their customers. I was with a party of 10 too and it was embarrassing.

My family has been going here for years! Located right in front of PCC. It's my dad's favorite place to order for this birthday. We ordered the Beef Soltani to-go, it comes with barg and koobideh. If you order multiple entrees to-go, they offer to combine the orders into a platter for family style; this is super convenient! Lamb and chicken are super moist. Make sure to ask for sumac (spice/seasoning, has a slight citrus taste for me, not spicy); I put this stuff on everything, it's so good. Staff are friendly. I think this place is comparable or possibly even better than Raffi's.

The food is really good it tastes homemade! I really like their ash reshteh too, lots of flavor

So we just ordered from this place for the first time today. We ordered: HEIDAR BABA SUPREME (came with a TON of rice) and a lot of garden salad) VEGGIE KABOB À la carte: 3 BEEF KOOBIDEH À la carte: 3 CHICKEN KOOBIDEH À la carte: 1 Barg I miss Persian rice I tried it once and never came back for it again. I ordered: ZERESHK POLO and ALBALOO POLO Everything was so delicious!! Please note the meat portions/skewed are very large! Next time I'm gonna get a plate! Fed my parents myself my husband and my mother in law... and we absolutely loved it*

we ordered two main meals plus three drinks at lunch and we paid $92! the food was not too bad but not for$45 per piece. Far too expensive for the quality received.

One thing for sure the food is remarkable in presentation and the amount of food for the price is really good. Now this is the reason for the three stars and it's because the food lacked flavor. The greek salad to the Koobideh chicken combo and rice just lacked any flavor or seasoning. The cold cheap pita bread was also a disappointment and even when requested to have it brought to us warm still was a let down. Good food but not great food.

Great food! Super generous with servings Love the ambiance! Service was super A little pricy but totally worth it!!

By far one of my all-time favorite restaurants in all of Los Angeles. Great food, big plate, well seasoned and in a very nice, clean, family-friendly settings. I love to take my special friends and clients here. Today I ordered Rack of Lamb, and it's so yummy... Highly highly recommending this place for an authentic, home-cook and friendly environment. You visit to Pasadena isn't complete until you've been to Heida Baba!

We went for take out after a year or more. But everything was amazing, same nice staff who recognized us rightaway. We got spicy chicken koobideh with extra skewer, same delicious taste! Comes with rice, grilled tomato & pepper. Over all We will be going more often for the service & awesome food.

Don't know how long HEIDAR BABA has been at this location but it's super convenient. They have dine in available... but it looks like a lot of people order to go or for pick up. Including us. This halal place is authentic enough that kebab does not automatically mean one thing. It refers to the steak pieces in a stick, by the way. The pieces are smallish in size so it's easier to eat. Also, there are bell peppers and onions on it. Unlike the ... Chicken Kebab and the Koobideh Kebab. The chicken was marinated so it is full of flavor and so was the Koobideh (ground beef). All on sticks. Got some grilled tomatoes coz gotta have those right? They're nice enough to unlock the door 10 mins before they officially open so that we could put our order in. We noticed that the lady in the phone was already busy taking orders before that!

I went there a couple times. The salad was nice and I loved the chicken kabob with basmati rice! It was delicious!

Love the food here. We order to go a lot. Today I ordered thru Grubhub for delivery. A few of the items were wrong. We have never had this happen. I wrote to Grubhub and they passed along to Heidar Baba . A few hour later HB credited my account for the incorrect items. That is great customer service. Thank you so much!

So Heidar Baba has an extensive menu with delicious Persian dishes. Located just opposite Pasadena College, the restaurant is easy to find and there is usually street parking to be found. I have eaten many things here: chicken and beef kabobs, koobedieh kabob, and many other things on the menu. The food is very good and the portions are very generous. The restaurant itself is large with plenty of seating. I often order takeout out- family style and we always have leftovers. Maybe most notably, they are one of the very few places which make Ghormasabzi-- which is an incredible spinach stew made with beef and dried limes. It is DELICIOUS and very good for you-- and they make it better than anyone else I have found. For those of you that like good Persian food- this is definitely a place to try as they have many other traditional dishes on the menu that you can't find in your average restaurant!

My husband and I were craving for Kebab so decided to try this place. I can't say enough, their food is so great and portions are huge. I usually don't eat ground beef at restaurants but my husband ordered their beef Kobideh and we loved it. Their Lentil soup tastes so great. Following week we ordered again to pick up. Taste was the same. Excellent place, will go there over and over again and recommend to all friends and family.

Amazing foods. I really enjoyed their food and I definitely will go there again. As a persian woman I shall say I am very picky when I go to new persian restaurants, and I am always ready for disappointment. However, Heidar baba was beyond my expectations. Their portion is very big and the food is amazing.

Nice real Persian restaurant. Pictures on the walls are real nice. Food are good. The waitress was so busy since she is the only one serve and pack Togo order. So be patience.

Amazing value for their lunch specials which run until 4pm. If you can't get over to Raffi's, or don't want to spend that kind of money, this place is an amazing find. Prepare for authentic and homemade Persian dishes.

My family stopped by after a long day at the Huntington Park. We got a cozy booth and our server took our order and we were served super fast. We ordered the kashk bademjan appetizer and it was delicious. We ordered the following entrees (koobideh combo, salmon kabob, Adas polo with chicken and one order of nuggets and fries) and the dishes came with a soup or salad. We ordered the soup and it was so yummy. All of the entrees were so fresh, tasty and delicious and the portions were very generous. I highly recommend this place to anyone who wants delicious tasty food!

Chicken soltani (Dark meat) is probably the best chicken kebab I ever had in my life. Make sure to order the lentil soup! The best soup of its kind.

Great Halal Persian place located in Pasadena! Great location , fast service and best of all great food ! Ordered a variety of kabobs , lamb shank , hummus , rice. excellent taste nothing was dry and perfectly grilled. My favorite was the lamb shanks , followed by the kobbideh skewers. Can recommend enough !

Probably the best place to get Persian food in the San Gabriel Valley. Heidar Baba is conveniently located directly across the street from Pasadena City College. You can find parking on the street or what some don't realize is they have a parking lot in the back. Just turn right at the Harkness Ave and take a right down the alley and it's the second entrance to your left. The alley is called Thurman Alley. You can tell this is a family run establishment. You'll find the staff extremely courteous and helpful as many of them are family members. Be warned they do struggle with the rush from PCC and walk ins/ catering as so it can be a little slow at time. But the food makes up for it. As you can see one plate is more than enough for two people and if you come for dinner time your meal includes the option of salad, soup, or fries. It's a lot of bang for your buck. Expect to spend $20-25 a person for dinner. This place can easily accommodate a large group but call ahead so they can set your table for you. Being middle eastern and having travels to Iran I can attest their food tastes just like the food back home. Closest you'll find to the koobideh you get in Tehran. Very well seasoned and their stews are amazing. I recommend the tahdig with ghorma sabzee or get the 1/2 and 1/2. Two stews for your crispy rice. Also add a side of grilled onions or jalapeños to your order. If you want to support a local restaurant that gives back to the community this is your place. Whether it's dinner tonight or catering your next office party the staff at Heidar Baba with take care of you. I don't think I've ever had a dish I didn't like and you'll always find a family member behind the grill. Tip; If you're catering a religious event they'll give you a special price. Best to call ahead and speak to the manager. I've catered through them before and it's very simple and stress free.

This was one of our favorite family restaurant we'd been going for well over 5 years ! My son and I got food poisoning and had to go to the ER . I called multiple times well over 7 times and even texted the alleged manager... I never heard back from anyone . Worst customer service .. truly disappointing

food is served with mold and the staff doesn't bother. Will not recommend this restaurant. The restaurant clearly doesn't follow health safety protocols.