Old Sasoon Bakery

"Whether it’s a good day, a bad day, or just a slow Saturday morning, eating freshly baked bread at Old Sasoon is a restorative act. Located on a quiet, suburban street, this four-decade-old Armenian bakery recently added an indoor dining room, but their sunny sidewalk patio is still the move. Post up with coffee in a paper cup as your baked goods arrive warm from the oven: za’atar-crusted manaiesh, triangle-shaped beorags with spicy soujouk, and jingalov hatz stuffed with an entire bundle of fresh dill. These are available all day, but show up before 3pm for Sasoon’s breakfast special: khachapuri. These golden bread boats filled with soft, salty cheese and a runny egg are big enough to share." - brant cox, sylvio martins, andrew ryce

"This beloved 40-something-year-old Armenian bakery in Pasadena never misses, which probably explains why it’s been around longer than the internet. Like everything on its menu, Sassoon’s lahmajun hits your table in a matter of minutes. They’re easily foldable like a just-baked pizza, lightly dusted with flour, and tear apart like fancy toilet paper. We also love that the ground beef on them is so tender it nearly melts into the tomato sauce. Just know these flatbreads are on the smaller side, so one is usually never enough." - sylvio martins, andrew ryce, brant cox, cathy park

"Opened by Haroutioun Geragosian in 1986, Old Sasoon Bakery is named after the village in Armenia that his grandparents left after World War II. The beorags (savory hand pies) and the lahmajoun (flatbreads) make perfect on-the-go eating, but sit down for a well-made khachapuri if time allows. This Georgian breakfast staple is topped with a blend of cheeses, a single runny egg, and a few pats of melted butter — all in a boat-shaped flatbread." - Mona Holmes

"Old Sasoon is a four-decade-old Armenian bakery in Pasadena where you can find beautiful za’atar-crusted flatbreads, beorags filled with spicy soujouk, and jingalov hatz stuffed with so much dill they glow green in the sun. All of these delicious, fresh-from-the-oven things are available to-go, but we much prefer sitting on Old Sasoon’s sidewalk patio. It’s a nice place to slow down, take in some sun, and drink coffee from a paper cup. It’s borderline therapeutic and maybe a little euphoric, too, if you show up before 3pm for the breakfast special: the khachapuri. These golden bread boats are big enough to share and hold a mix of soft, salty cheeses and a runny egg that doubles as dip for the crust." - brant cox, sylvio martins, arden shore

"At Old Sasoon, what you see is what you get. This beloved 40-something-year-old Armenian bakery in Pasadena blends into quiet suburbia. There’s no music or TV. You won’t see a peppy barista foaming up cappuccinos behind the counter. You’ll wait in a simple gray dining room or on the sunny sidewalk patio—self-serve coffee in hand—until your bread arrives hot from the oven. And that’s all you need, frankly. Because the fresh-baked breads and breakfast dishes here are spectacular enough to plan a whole morning around. photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp Open daily except for Sundays, Old Sasoon is busiest in the morning when people line up to get their lahmajun to go. But if you’re making a special trip to this Pasadena staple, we suggest slowing things down. After you order at the counter, you’ll wait ten-ish minutes while the kitchen warms up za’atar-crusted manaiesh, jingalov hatz stuffed with whole bunches of fresh dill, rippable lahmajune designed for dipping in bowls of foul, or canoe-shaped khachapuri filled with soft cheese and a runny egg (the morning special). So grab a table in the meantime. Take in the sunshine, maybe call your mom, and once your baked goods arrive, eat them while they’re hot. Most of the well-priced bread dishes here tend to be big enough to share, so maybe bring someone along who could also use a moment of uninterrupted peace (and a few carbs). Food Rundown photo credit: Jessie Clapp Khachapuri If you order one thing at Old Sasoon, let it be this bread boat. The golden crust is soft, so you can tear off a piece and swirl it in the salty, cheesy, eggy center. It’s big enough for two if you care to share. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Jingalov Hatz There are so many herbs stuffed into this flatbread we’d argue it counts for one of your five daily servings. It’s also a nice switch-up from all the meat and cheese on the menu. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Soujouk & Cheese Bourek Old Sasoon’s boureks are so soft and fluffy that your fingers leave imprints when you press them. Our favorite is the soujouk and cheese—the spicy cured sausage adds a kiss of salt and a little spicy kick. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Foul By Bowl This bowl of spicy, zippy stewed beans will wake you up more than Old Sasoon’s drip coffee. It warms you from the inside out and is best eaten with lahmajune: tear off a piece of flour-dusted flatbread and make little wraps with the fresh mint, olives, and tomato on the side." - Sylvio Martins