Su-Beoreg & Monta Factory

A must try in Pasadena. The food is lovely and handmade. We tried the su-beoreg and monta, and we will be back. Simple menu, yummy food. Highly recommend for a weekend lunch.

It's a take-out Mediterranean restaurant with 3 items on the menu and seats for 4-6 outside. I had an aluminum baking tin packed from edge to edge with eye-shaped pastry filled with ground beef. Visually beautiful, nestled flush with each other, about 40 in all. Condiments include an average tomato sauce, a chilli sauce and plain yogurt. Addictive. The other two items were a salmon sandwich (which looked great) and pastry filled with two cheeses.

Wonderful people and wonderful food. Everything is made fresh to order, with love. Healthy salmon sandwich beats getting a burger down the street. Fresh baked cheese pastry is out of this world savory masterpiece. Armenian lasagna is unique - spices like I’ve never had cooled with white sauce.

Wow, the food is amazing! I came with my mom, and we both have tiny appetites. I figured we'd eat 1/3 and take the rest home. Nope, she polished off almost all of it just by herself. I was glad we had gotten another order to-go! The monta tastes like little treasures of crunchy-yet-soft dough with perfectly seasoned balls of meat. The sauces are so yummy. I recommend getting all three, but the spicy tomato sauce is pretty darn spicy so get that one on the side if you want to be cautious. If you like garlic, you will LOVE the garlic sauce. The su-beoreg was perfect. Like the monta, it's crispy and soft at the same time. The cheese filling is creamy, but substantial. I can't wait to come back.

Best in town, if you haven't tried them yet, then you better, this is like your mom's kitchen quality. Great Food and awesome human. Highly recommended.

Tiny Pasadena gem! The sini-monta are delightful bites of meat and dough and su-beoreg is an awesome version of mac'n'cheese (or sauceless lasagna if you will). These descriptions fail to describe how good this food is in its simplicity.

Walked in, knew immediately what I wanted and it came out quicker than expected. The food was super good and the service was excellent.

If you ever have those moments where you want to eat something different, come to this place. I have never tried manti before but I was very happy that I did. The tomato sauce and yogurt sauce that accompany it are delicious and the portions were more than enough for me. Again, check this place out!

Absolutely loved our experience at Su-Beoreg & Monta Factory in Pasadena! My brother and I were craving a new spot for lunch when we found this gem and without knowing what to expect-we were beyond impressed! It was one of those rare moments where everything just felt right--the food, the atmosphere, the warmth. The absolute highlight was the salmon sandwich--grilled to perfection, full of flavor, and so satisfying, so much so that after we finished our meal we each ordered an additional sandwich to go! We also had the Sini-Monta and Su-Beoreg and the verdict is: flavorful, intentional, and made with love. A huge shoutout to Chef Sarkis, whose passion shines through in every dish. You can tell he cooks from the heart which shines to through when he explains the meñu then showcases his creations with great pride. He even took a moment to greet guests, and that personal connection made us feel truly welcomed and appreciated. I'll definitely return! Thank you Sarkis!!

I was in the area and wanted to try something out of my usual ordinary. I tried the signature Monta and really enjoyed it. Each bite is a tasty combination of the yoghurt sauce and spicy tomato sauce over crisp-baked miniature dumplings with seasoned meat fillings.

I know it's been around for awhile but, my first visit; it certainly won't be my last. I went with both the monta and the sou boreg. Both were delicious. Sarkes was friendly and very helpful. When I told him I had other stops to make before I'd make it home, he prepared the food just right, and gave instructions for how to heat it before eating. The result was perfect. Highly, highly recommended!

It was my first time here and I wasn't disappointed! I heard about this place from my cousin who lives in The Bay because she sent me an Instagram reel. The owner was so nice and attentive, even though he was a one man show. There is only seating outside. Since it was the end of the day, he was out of the small tray of sini-monta, but my friend and I got the large. We got the spicy sauce and it was so tasty! Street parking was fairly easy. I can't wait to go back. Definitely want to try to su beoreg.

It has 4.9 stars for a reason. Their Monta & Burek are some of the best I've ever had.

I bought the vegetarian bean Monta frozen and defrosted then warmed them up at home. After a quick sauté in a covered half inch of water and because on their own they are plain, I served them with some sour cream and warmed pumpkin puree that I had, and they were yummy. The gentleman who owns/runs the business is so nice that I'd go back just for the pleasure of his service.

Couldn't pronounce most items and decided to order a little bit of everything on the menu to try. manta with the works: little dumplings with sauce. The sauce was a bit watery. Not as flavorful as I thought it'd be but fun to try. Su beoreg: some kinda cheese pastry. It was cheesy and delicious Salmon sandwich: big portion and a healthy choice garlic cream soup: not too garlicky. But I loved the little dumplings that came with soup.

This was my first time trying Monta. These are seasoned meatballs surrounded by pasty resting in a thin sauce and topped with tangy yogurt. It felt like I was selfishly eating all the appetizers someone special brought to a party! They were really good. The tray of bite sized balls looks large when you get it but I finished it no problem. If you haven't tried Monta it seems like this is place to do it.

Dear Monta Factory, Thank you for existing. You make the yummiest small montas that bring the biggest joy in my belly. Small but cozy ambiance.

I saw a photo of their main dish randomly on yelp and was so intrigued I just had to check them out...I'd never seen it or heard of it - it's their traditional Armenian Monta (sini monti) - luscious , homemade little pockets of pure delight! What a gem!! The ratings are totally justified - the food is unique, absolutely delicious, and it's owned and run by a sweet, lovely family. I ordered a small tray of the Monta and also two pieces of their other signature dish, the Su-Beoreg which was also fantastic! So the monta consists of these bite sized little boats of soft dough filled with ground beef and steamed or baked. It's covered in herbs and served smothered with a light tomato sauce that is then topped with a creamy garlic sauce. There's also an option of a side of hot sauce. The flavor combination of the all the sauces takes the dish to the next level - it's truly fantastic- complex and savory. The hot sauce is pretty spicy but has such a nice flavor to it that I just couldn't resist using a little bit with each bite and the creamy garlic sauce helps cool it down - flawless combo! The Su-beoreg is a light pastry made of a phyllo-like dough, layered with cheese, and baked - oh I'm a huge fan of this as well! I even dipped it in some of the Monta sauces and it was brilliant. Portions are pretty large - our small tray of Monta and two pieces of Su-beoreg filled up my hubby and me easily. And for the homemade quality and level of deliciousness, prices are very reasonable. Parking is all street parking but pretty easy to find a spot. The shop is very small - there's no inside seating and only a few tables outside so it's more of a to-go place. Service is excellent too - I chatted to the son of the family while my monta cooked and he is SO nice!! Just a lovely person and we will definitely be back. I get my water bottles filled every week just down the street so I'll most likely be getting lunch here weekly as well haha!!

Spreading some extra Yelp love for #ThankYouThursday for this wonderful small business that has the most delicious food!! I finally had a chance to try this place after having it bookmarked for a while and WOW this place is definitely deserving of the high reviews it has. I've never tried Armenian food before but the food here makes me want to try more. My husband and I ordered the large monta plate to share and this was soooo delicious and unlike anything I've ever tried before. I'd best describe a monta as an open faced dumpling with middle eastern flavors. The montas were super seasoned and saucy but all the flavors worked so well together. The store itself is super small and only has a small table inside and a couple small tables outside to sit at, so I think most people would probably pick something up for takeout here. We decided to eat there and the service was super friendly and the person there checked up on us every so often and offered us extra sauce, which we appreciated. Overall, I'd highly recommend trying this place and will definitely be back!

Such a nice place to enjoy the Monta and cheese Borege. The place is small but have all the charm and good stuff. We ordered the large Monta with spicy tomato sauce, Cheese Su-Borege. It was so good. We shared the large tray between the three of us and we were so full. The person at the counter was soooooo nice. He brought our order out and offer to take our picture of us and our outing.

I don't know how I found this place. I know it was on Yelp. I don't know what I even got. There are only like 5 things on the menu, but these little pockets of meat are awesome! Comes with a hot sauce and a sour cream like dipping sauce. Inside is just a counter to order. Two tables outside to sit. Owner is nice and helpful. Didn't know what anything was, but he explained everything

The monta here are delicious! Service is wonderful, call in your order if you do not feel like waiting. They have a good variety of healthy and delicious treats, such grape flavor. I really like the ground to be filling as well as their sauces. Prices and portions are fair and everything is made to order. Excellent dining option in the area!

Deliciousness! The su-boereg was the star! Gooey cheesy goodness surrounded by a crispy crunchy pastry. So tasty and a textural bombshell! The monta was also yummy - crunchy little pastry bundles with meatballs seasoned with dill, tomato sauce and yogurt.

Love this place! Food is amazing, the su-Beoreg is my favorite. The owners are also always very friendly friendly.

We've been coming here for years. Trust the reviews, The Monta Factory is amazing. The monta are little explosions of tastiness. The menu is small, but everything is good. The owner is most pleasant. But aside from a couple of outdoor tables it's not really set up as a place to eat, just a counter inside. With all the great reviews and great food I'm honestly surprised there isn't a long line every day.

A friend recently invited me over for lunch and got take out from here. Everything tried was addicting! I ate so much because it was so good! Things tried: Beef monta: the little dumplings had a little crunch and the flavors danced in my mouth. They were so good with the sauces. I literally ate half the tray! Artisan Cheese Beoreg: paired perfectly with the montas. It wasn't a strong cheese flavor, but just enough and baked to perfection. Another yummy dish. All in all I know i didn't try a lot, but everything tried was amazing! I'll definitely try again!

One of the best Salmon I had in my life at our Armenian brother's The Monta Factory. Juicy, tasty and so delicious. 100% will repeat.

Customer service is amazing and the food is delightful! He is an amazing friend and super kind. He greets us whenever we come!

Hi , finally tried the monta. But tho they were ok , i didn't really care for them ( and i didn't realize ) extra charge for the tomato sauce. Which i didn't like the taste ( so probably wdnt. of gotten that , had i known ). But added a little garlic powder , and then liked it. sorry :( BUT the owner , who works there is very nice ( the whole family is nice ) so that is what the 5 stars are for AND the cheese boereg are so yummie , love them !!!

I had the cheese borek and vegetarian monta it was amazing. So flavorful and that yogurt mint sauce was full of flavor. I will come back for the meat monta I know its going to be Besides how delicious the food was the staff was very nice there. I appreciate kind people thank you for your kindness we will be back again

Amazing!!! Order the monta as "spicy" very rich in flavor, saucy, and filling! Strongly recommend! The quality is tasted and the love is felt! Must try!

A 10! Wow, talk about a perfect hole in the wall. I was totally unfamiliar with the food, and it happened to be across the street from where my mom moved. My brother and I walked over, and did the right thing - we want everything on the menu, please. And so, the gentleman behind the counter told us twelve minutes, you will have your food. Little did I know, we were about to embark on a totally new adventure. Boo yah! Food arrives piping hot, and good portions. Sometimes you can tell by the smell the complexity of flavors and spices, this was a bouquet! Mota - the star. Little pastries with meat filing smothered in an incredible red sauce. Incredible. Truly delicious. Pastry filled with cheese - somehow managed to stay hot and flaky all through the meal. Light and cheesy, without being overwhelming. Grape leaves - I normally don't like them, but these were tasty without having that weird tree leaf taste. Salmon sando - may be the best salmon sandwich I have ever had. Salmon was cooked perfect, the beard wasn't heavy, and the spread was perfect. Sometimes you keep a little spot to yourself, feels good to have this special secret you can share when you want. This is the opposite. I want to scream from the top of pasadena city hall - you gotta try this place!!!

I've been a long time customer of Champion Cleaners next door. I never paid attention to the little business next to them. Today I was picking up laundry and saw the sign "Best Salmon Sandwich in LA". I love salmon so was intrigued. Looked it up on Yelp and gave it a try. The sign was right. Absolutely awesome sandwich! I will be back! Also to try the other items on the limited menu. It's like In n Out. Keep it simple and do it right!

Always great food, i recommend the salmon sandwich, the monta dish is also excellent. If you haven't been, it's a must try

Fantastic Armenian spot! Love the salmon sandwich here! Definitely a hole in the wall local gem!

Yummmmm everything delicious sou boreg & mante & their salmon sandwich is very fresh & delicious too

The Monta factory is a wonderful hole in the wall with amazing food. I happened to wander in there, not really knowing what they had. The person there was very helpful and offered me suggestions. I ended up ordering a Monta and a small order su-beoreg. The food was fresh and delicious. I can't wait to go back.

The tomato sauce was SO tasty on the montas. We got the cream sauce on the side to use as a dip. Delicious! Also, the proprietor was very friendly. Well worth it.

Wow! We were attracted by the sign outside declaring unabashedly, "Rated best salmon sandwich in Los Angeles". We had previously eaten salmon sandwiches at other locations but none were rated "best in LA!" We had to try this promised delicacy. In addition to the Salmon Sandwich we ordered the Vegetarian Monta, and the Hand Rolled Stuffed Grape Leaves. We started with the salmon sandwich which included a half pound of a perfectly grilled salmon fillet, house made tahini spread, and organic spring mix on a really tasty ciabatta. The truth now becomes clear. This is definitely the best salmon sandwich in Los Angeles! The vegetarian monta was constructed with lentils, garbanzo beans, and red kidney beans combined with a delicate herb mixture and wrapped in a crunchy pastry shells. These little packages of festive taste are served with house made tomato broth and garlic yogurt creme. The monta combined with the tomato broth and garlic yogurt sauce were delicious. The stuffed grape leaves were tremendous little culinary gifts wrapped in grape leaves with a memorable combination of rice, tomatoes, onion, and spices. Yum! We loved all of our wonderful choices and will need to return soon to have "the best salmon sandwich in LA" again!

Monta = Adorable mini open face baked beef raviolis! The outside wrapper was thicker than a potsticker skin but thinner than puff pastry. It comes with a thin tomato sauce and a thick garlic cream sauce that you can pour over the baked little dumplings. I liked dipping mine!

The man that helped us was so nice and we have been waiting 15 years to find some good manti! It lived up to my expectations. We had the red soup which was so good. It was a hot day and the only place for 4 of us was on the sidewalk high top table. There was a girl the left her car running right in front of us with her adorable dogs, but it made it even more hot and her stinky exhaust was annoying. I wish there was a larger table available in a better location, but I assume most people take it home. We will be back! It was so good.

Sini Monta is very delicious & satisfying. When you mix the tomato and garlic sauce to the monta the taste and texture go to the next level of awesomeness with every bite. It is so good you don't want to stop until the last one is done. Pure jem of a restaurant and the gentleman behind counter was very nice and respectful.

This hole-in-the wall spot is a gem. Salmon sandwich to die for! If you're in the Pasadena area, I highly recommend checking it out.

Delicious and freshly made food! The vegetarian Monta was perfectly crisp and had a flavorful spicy tomato sauce over it, and a tangy yogurt to cool you down. But the star of the show was the su-beoreg - it was so flaky and cheesy and melt in your mouth good. I would absolutely come here again and maybe even buy some of the frozen ones to take home. Ample street parking nearby, prices are very reasonable, and the owner is super nice. There is enough space for 6 people to dine (3 tables of 2) but it primarily seems like a take out spot anyway.

I learned of The Monta Factory from an episode of No Passport Required on the influence of Armenian food in LA. Seeing that it was close to my old place of work, I decided to drop by to order/pickup a tray of their frozen Sini Monta and slices of their Su Beoreg for a late night dinner. Ordering can be done over the phone and they have the option of paying through venmo or cash. This place and its dishes did not disappoint!!! The Sini Monta was a burst of flavor and I love the crispiness of the dough. I topped them with the tomato sauce, chili, the yogurt creme sauce and the herbs/spices which all worked together (did not expect them to). Even drenched in the sauces, the Sini Monta held up well and did not turn into a soggy mess. The baked Su Beoreg was amazing! I regret that I didn't buy a whole tray! I love that they have their dishes frozen/refrigerated for people to prepare at home. It makes for a great dinner option when you don't want to cook and/or don't have time to because you get home late. Since it's frozen, you can easily portion out what you want to eat, save the rest for another time, and control how much of the sauces you want to add. I will definitely come back to get more :).

YEAR after YEAR after YEAR, The Monta Factory makes us perfect dinners and lunches and snacks. The food is great and the service even better. We are so lucky that they are so close!

The quality and lower price of The Monta Factory have received a lot of praise, as well. Why don't reviews on Yelp have six stars? That is what this place merits! Once more, everyone in our group raved about this place. Quality, quantity, and cost-basis are excellent, and service was excellent! Sini Monta became quite popular. Can't wait to eat it once more.

Great Food! Great Value. Awesome customer service. Food was delicious and service was Great. Thank You

I think this just might have been our favorite meal on our last visit to the Pasadena area. We enjoyed everything so much and the owners were so friendly. Very intimate family shop with one or two small tables outside. Glad for fellow Yelpers who led us here!

I had been dying to try this place ever since I came across it on yelp. We came right before the holidays so they only had monta but it was still made fresh! There are only 2 seats outside of the shop but we realized that most people were buying trays of monta to bake at home. The wait for our food was maybe 10 to 15 minutes which was longer than we expected. We opted for the yogurt sauce on top and it was a bit too much for me, it was a lot tangier than I anticipated, so I will get it in the side in the future. Overall, I enjoyed the monta but it didn't blow me away. It is a little meatball tucked away into a crispy pastry shell and then doused with tomato sauce. All good things, but for the price I don't know if it's something I'd get regularly.

Delicious! My mom is not only the queen but king of mante' but mante' at this place is a close runner up in taste (not look but in taste). I got mine pipping hot with spicy red sauce, with garlic yogurt sauce on the side. Did I say delicious! Hits the craving of grandmas/moms home cooking. Home cooking that comes in a pizza box the you can enjoy the car on the go if you choose to. If you're willpower is better than mine and you can wait to get home to enjoy, best of luck not sharing. Tiny place, you might miss it, it's across the street from the Armenian church. Extremely time I'll come back for the other hot menu item-borek.

A++++++ This place is amazing. Great quality, great taste, fair prices, and wonderful service. We love the "Baby Yoda's" as my kids have named them. The food here is incredibly delicious. My only word of caution is order double what you think you will need because they are soo good you will eat twice as much. The owner is so friendly and so kind to the kids. Everyone I have recommended them to is now a frequent customer.

Amazing secret place. I love their food. Trays to bake at home are genius . I love their philo, it's thicker and holds the filling perfectly. Monta is so delicious.

If I could give this place more than 5 stars, I would! My hubby and I like to try new cultural foods so we found this little gem on yelp to try Armenian food for the first time! This place sells only a few items, but that's all the food you'd want and need. Large Frozen Monta for $15 (Easter special) +$2 for the yogurt garlic and tomato sauce + spicy sauce + herbs --OMG DELISH!! Initially we came on a Saturday around 12pm, and they were already sold out of the Monta so we had to come back another day. Make sure to call ahead of time right when they open to reserve yours before it sells out! They're so cute and small, we finished the large tray between 2 people.. because it was that good... Frozen Su Beoreg $22 --wow ultimate cheesy goodness. This was a lot for just 2 people so make sure you portion them out well! Would highly recommend and def come back! Parking isn't too bad if you park on the crossstreet. Just wow. I cant wait to eat more and tell all my friends! Still not convinced? Check out our youtube video of us eating the Monta and Su-Beoreg! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3NQd6NHlkU

My kids say this is the best food ever. I would agree. The monta is amazing. Yogurt soup, amazing, salmon sandwich amazing , I don't know if we have ever had anything bad here.

As with other recent reviewers, we learned about the Monta Factory from the television show No Passport Required. Being residents of Glendale, which was highly featured in the episode, we have experienced much of the wonderful array of Armenian food available to us. So we were pleased to learn about monta and were excited to visit this space in nearby Pasadena. The guy at the counter was not the owner, but he was super helpful. We opted to get two trays of frozen monta along with a couple of sauces to take home for later. He encouraged us to take a picture of the cooking instructions which were quite helpful. Later that day, we followed those directions and cooked one of the trays. Each tray had 40 individual monta. As they are cooking in the oven, the edges get crispy and brown. Once you have achieved that stage you can take them out or leave them in the oven to get crispier....your choice. We took them out and each grabbed one to sample. They were delicious!!! Then we continued to follow the directions by sprinkling the spices they provided on top and poured over one of the sources. Those items certainly enhanced the flavor, but sadly the sauce made them soggy and they lost that delicious crispiness. Lesson learned. A few days later we decided to have the second tray only this time I decided to prepare them differently. I took them out of their aluminum tray and placed the on a sheet pan with an inch or two of separation between them. I baked them as directed but let them stay in a few more minutes to get them nice and crispy. I removed them from the oven and sprinkled them with the spices but kept the sauces on the side this time. WOW!!! What a difference!! Each one remained crispy and we could dip them in the sauces just before popping them in our mouth. OMG!! These things are so addictive. I feel like we inhaled the entire thing in under a minute. We can't wait to go back and get more for ourselves and to share with our friends. We are so happy we have discovered something new. They are a hidden gem and I hope they remain successful for years to come. They deserve it!

The marvelous family here is so warm and welcoming, that whether it is your first visit or thousandth, they will treat you with a gentle disposition and broad smile :) Monta Factory is a SIX seat place in East Pasadena that will serve you their creations hot or frozen to go so you can make it at home. Think of it like ordering a pizza hot to eat soon or there, but also having the option of taking a frozen one to make yourself at home later. Monta are tiny dumplings made by hand that is a very labor intensive food. Unless you have a grandmother or great grandmother who is dexterous enough and who loves you enough to make a batch for you, your best hope for a taste of this wonderful food is to go to Monta Factory. They are the only place anywhere outside of someone's home where you can eat these. They tell me people travel from out of state to buy several trays, pack them in ice, then drive or fly home. The family here makes everything from scratch daily, so they may be the hardest workers in the city. I can't even imagine the repetitive, laborious, and exacting labor of love this requires every morning as they hand make each tiny piece for the day. I love their spicy version as well as their regular version. As long as you have an oven or toaster oven, any leftovers can easily be reheated in 10 minutes. I took a large frozen tray for a picnic to go and took a picture of the directions to make sure I followed them correctly:) An Armenian friend said he was going to get a tray to take home to his elderly parents because it was something he had not eaten in decades. They only sell a few things on their menu, the Monti (or Monte), that everyone knows about, but also the best Wild Salmon Sandwich I've ever eaten. It is made with a special tahini sauce, that was so good I went back twice in one week for it, and the serving was such a generous portion that I ended up with two meals! I heard a customer order the salmon over salad, so that is what I tried on another day. Depending on how hungry or carb conscious you are, their salmon over a salad is an equally delicious alternative. Be sure you get a slice of their freshly made (daily) su beoreg. This is a cheesy crispy slice of indulgence that will make you crave another one of the soft interior with a crackling top as soon as you finish your last piece. Now that I live 37 miles away, I will be making the trip with an ice pack and an insulated sac for a tray or two of their frozen Monte, a few salmon sandwiches, and some slices of the su beoreg so that I will never be more than a few minutes from great Armenian food #addicted :)