The Munch Company

A charming and well-lit lunch spot obviously operated by a lovely unit of a family. The strawberry lemonade bullseyes the tart target without being overly sweet. The mango smoothie with almond milk transported me to a mango-smoothie-with-almond-milk wonderland, thick with sweet clouds of brain freeze. With tongue gingerly against the roof of my mouth, I bit into the Green Monster on sourdough, its freshness delighted and satiated. If I lived within five blocks of Munch Company I would be here no less than five times a month. That’s the truth, Ruth!

One of the best sandwich places I’ve ever been, I am not a big fan of sandwiches but the sandwiches here are so flavorful and fresh. The turkey fig & Brie has just the perfect combination of sweet and savory, and the seedy pastrami is such a toasty treat, I have no idea how they cooked the vegetables but it’s just so good. The owners are so nice, peach smoothie is a must-try and the cookies are so good too. The overall atmosphere is just so soothing and wholesome.

Got a strawberry lemonade and the turkey, brie, and fig sandwich. Both were delicious! I got the regular size of the sandwich but it was so good I could have eaten more. Staff was really friendly, place has a nice chill atmosphere.

Great sandwiches (I like the turkey fig and brie) and nice workers, but the soup to-go portion was really poor and small, with only a few small pieces of meat and no vegetables inside. This portion was for $7. Very much not like the photos you see of the soup....

The staff was incredibly rude and disrespectful. We called to ask if the place was dog-friendly, and their response was completely unprofessional—they snapped back with, "What the hell is a dog supposed to do at a sandwich place?" Definitely not the kind of attitude you'd expect from a business.

Our family lived in South Pasadena 12 years ago. When Celeste owned it the food was an amazing. Then she sold it years ago the new owners changed the food and it wasn’t good. We just came into town and the new owners changed it back the food is amazing again.

I ordered ahead. The owner did not like that I dined it. Their online order options do not allow to specify for take out or dine-in. The reason against dine-in, I am not sure. They have tables and no one there. The food was nothing special. The roast beef sandwich was on store bought sourdough. Soft and tasty. The ingredients were well-proportioned. However, there was nothing special about it. The pickle that came with it was terrible. It was soft and not sour. It lacked any crunch. I think I would have preferred to eat the paper in came. Along with chips and a small drink (by small I mean small, it was probably 8oz) or so, and half was ice), it came to ~$17-$18. I will not return.

I love it here! I come whenever I’m craving a good sandwich. The combo is a great deal! I love the salami pesto, the avocado hummus, and turkey fig and brie sandwiches. I always enjoy the hibiscus basil tea :) The music is so nice and the service is excellent!!

Was in the area and saw that I had bookmarked this place long ago. I popped in here at about 1:15pm on a Tuesday and there were a few other customers here. The friendly man at the counter took my order: half a turkey fig, and brie sandwich and 4 chocolate chip cookies. I'm not sure if the cookies are always baked to order but they were in this instance. The sandwich was delicious! Great balance of all the ingredients both in quantity and flavor. The cookies? Dare I say these are the best cookies I've ever eaten. And not just when they were fresh from the oven; they were just as delicious after they cooled. Perfect crispy edges and fluffy centers. Not overly sweet. Excellent and a great price to boot! I will definitely be back for more cookies and for another sandwich.

We came across this sandwich shop while yelping places for lunch as we are very much so West LA Angelenos and were aaall the way in Pasadena for an all-day excursion. Omg were we happy to find this place! It is delicious! So much so that we kept thinking about it months later and made a point to go again next time we were on that side of town. Second time was just as tasty. Both visits, I got the vegetarian sandwich on 'squaw bread' (none of us had eaten this type of bread before and now we are hooked) and added mustard. I do wish I added some sort of sharp cheese to it though. And some sliced pickles, maybe. Both of my friends went for meat forward sandwiches and were also very happy with their lunch. The combo is a good deal but I do wish they had a healthier chip option. I highly recommend.

I'm not much of a sandwich person but this place has CHANGED MY WORLD. The Green Monster is TO DIE FOR. I got mine on a French roll and swapped the provolone for cheddar--10/10 decision. I honestly didn't know a sandwich like this could exist. * The avocado spread ties everything together so perfectly. * There's a generous stack of turkey. * The cheddar stands out in every bite, just how I like it. * You can truly taste the love and pride in the way it's made. On top of all that, the owner (I spoke with the husband) was incredibly sweet and kind. He mentioned that he and his wife have kept the original menu from the previous owner, knowing how loved this shop is by the community. I'm officially a forever customer :)

I think this place had a change in owners, the people that used to be behind the counters have changed but I'm glad the taste and quality of the sandwiches haven't! We usually get the Turkey Fig and Brie, and Ham Apricot and Manchego sandwiches. Both are good, but my definite favorite is the Turkey Fig and Brie! The ingredients are always fresh and the bread is never stale. It usually takes them less than 5-10 mins to whip up our orders. It's quant inside, a hand full of tables with chairs and some greenery decor adorns the walls. The new people behind the counter are nice, seems like a Chinese couple that's running the shop now! I'm glad this place is still open, hope they remain so! Def give this place a try and support small businesses! (:

Still the best sandwich around. Owners provided amazing service as well adding to the lunch experience

We absolutely love this sandwich shop. I feel like sandwich shops are so hard to come by these days; we are so lucky to be close to The Munch. I've had just about every sandwich on the menu, and they are all incredible. The staff is really kind and helpful. The interior is comfortable if you prefer to dine-in. Don't miss out on their sides!!

One of the best sandwich places I've ever been, I am not a big fan of sandwiches but the sandwiches here are so flavorful and fresh. The turkey fig & Brie has just the perfect combination of sweet and savory, and the seedy pastrami is such a toasty treat, I have no idea how they cooked the vegetables to make it so juicy yet crunchy. The owners and staffs are so nice, peach smoothie is a must-try and the cookies are so good too. The overall atmosphere is just so soothing and wholesome, I would definitely come back again to try out more sandwiches, such a beautiful place for small gatherings.

If you appreciate homemade noodles fresh ingredients great service this is the place for you. The roast beef sandwich is made with real beef not that plastic beef the bread is soft and fresh.

I've been to Munch 15 times counting today...my last visit. -5 stars for service, +5 stars for the veggie hummus sandwich on squaw and +2 for the simple fact that they are a mom and pop shop. The previous 14 times I balked at the price and brushed off the lack of friendliness from the people behind the glass. Today, I went in and ordered two sandwiches to go and an Arnold Palmer. $37. After 20 minutes of waiting at a table I went up to ask if we could have the drink while we waited. He gave me the drink and asked us to wait outside on the sidewalk where there are no tables. I glanced around the tables inside and only 2 of the 8 tables were being used. I said, "but there are six empty tables and my daughter and I would like to share this drink at a table," He said, "but your food is take out and tables are for dine in only." I said, "if I were to only order a drink, could I drink it at a table?" He said, "yes, but you are a to go food order, so no, i am requesting that you wait outside." So, we did, but his brashness ruined the spot for me. After reading the many 1-2 star reviews here, I'm not surprised that this is consistently happening. It's too bad, I really get a sense of the original owners touch there, but it's fading out of sight..

First time here! Came here for convenience since I was next door to a hair salon. Owners were not so friendly. I ordered a sandwich that was ok. I don't understand their reason as to why my sandwich has to be cut in three pieces? I asked if my sandwich could've be cut into two and they said no. Flavor was ok. Price was $16 for a 9" sandwich. I guess it's ok .

We tried all the sandwiches and love them all. The turkey fig & Brie & the green monster are my favorite. My kids love all kinds of sandwiches and salad. Highly recommended. The quality of the sandwiches is remarkable, so flavorful & fresh, can't compare with others. The quality of their service is also amazing. Love the environment too. Always bring my friends here and they all enjoy it so much.

Today was my first time visiting the Munch Company for lunch based on a colleague's recommendation. I got the turkey, fig, & Brie sandwich combo and the ham, manchego, and apricot sandwich combo for later. The combo came with a full sandwich, your choice of Dirty brand potato chips, a fountain drink or canned soda, and pickle for $14. And I must say, you really get your moneys worth here. I have eaten both sandwiches and they were both incredible. PACKED with fresh ingredients and very flavorful. I consider myself to be a big sandwich gal and aside from the great food, I was thoroughly impressed with their help, patience, speed, and customer service. I even mentioned that I had to walk half a mile carrying both meals and they pulled out a drink carrier to make it easier for me to carry. This is a solid, small business that I plan to visit frequently in the future.

This is my second time at The Munch Company and I adore it here. They play quiet and peaceful music and make a delicious sandwich! I particularly enjoy the fact you can pick your own bread. I don't think there is free wifi, so I just use my hotspot if I need to get some quick studying in. The service is great and the workers are so kind. I really recommend this place and the hot in the club sandwich if you want a good sandwich!

I don't mean to pile on with this review but today I realized I won't likely come back to this place again. Yelp reminded me to mention food, service and ambiance. Food: overall a good sandwich but they nickel and dime you to death and then add ingredients to the sandwich so mechanically and scarcely that the best way to describe it is that it tastes like the shadow of the sandwich you thought you were getting. My Turkey Fig Brie was hardly a snack. They used to pile the ingredients and this version I could hardly taste the Bree on it. Pickles on the side? Nope. Pickle. A tiny singular pickle with each sandwich. My daughter wanted a customized BLT so we tried to make some changes and they didn't like the deviation, So we ordered off the custom menu. That sandwich cost us $15 for a regular and all we really wanted to change was avocado instead of guac. She was happy with the sandwich but it wasn't a $15 sandwich. I've tried to give this place second and third and 6th chances but I'm done. The sandwiches are good but the service and ambiance just don't justify the price. Not For Me.

I just paid $8 for a half sandwich...it is robbery! I always want to shop local and hope that I am supporting my neighbors but this is ridiculous!

Tasty sandwiches, run by nice family. Don't order via the yelp link. It routes you through Grubhub which adds on $4 per sandwich.

I forgot to take pictures this time around but that's just how good the sandwiches are. They use super fresh ingredients. We got the green monster sandwiches and the bean sprouts on the sandwich just go perfectly to give it the freshness it needs. We also got it on the squaw bread which is one of the softer breads they have available. We order the macaroni salad everytime we come and it doesn't disappoint.

I've loved this place for a very long time, and visited this establishment in all of its iterations. You can't beat the lunch special anywhere else, nor the fact that they have Squaw bread, and it's perfectly soft. They have something for everyone, all diets and lifestyle choices/needs. It's such a warm and homey business, I don't understand how anyone doesn't like it here. The employees are absolutely lovely. I like that they are focused, yet friendly and helpful. I have yet to have poor service here, even when they are swamped. You won't regret coming here, and supporting this place!

The hummus veggie sandwich is consistently fresh and delicious and I crave it regularly!

Absolutely love the Munch company's sandwiches, my favorite sandwich Place in South Pasadena! I normally like to get the green monster (it has turkey, provolone cheese, sprouts, lettuce, pickled vegetables, guacamole, garlic aioli, and fresh herb dressing) and comes with a pickle spear! Their lemonade and strawberry lemonade are both really good and hand-squeezed, the TV dinner and seedy pastrami are also tasty-not as good as the green monster in my opinion though...

COVID-19 Status: Stopped by here to pick up some lunch. They do have two sets of tables outside but the inside is completely closed, including the bathrooms. I got the Turkey Fig and Brie salad and loved it. It was very simple yet delicious! The fig butter added a nice touch to the salad. My friend got the Salami Pesto and Cheese salad and liked it as well. We also got the cold noodles side - the sauce it comes with was different and overall, added a nice flavor to the noodles. I would definitely recommend this place if you're in a mood of a simple salad but don't want to make it at home!

I'm super bummed about this. Came here in hopes of something decent. Was very much let down. First of all, I would suggest ordering in person and not off the yelp app. All the prices are inflated on app. My sandwich was 15$ after taxes. No delivery. I ordered it and was at the shop 5 minutes later because I was close. This was the most disappointing 15 dollar sandwich of my life. I ordered the build your own Italian cold cuts. Seriously skimpy for portions of meat probably 1/4 inch of total meat in the sandwich. however they weren't afraid to pile on loads and loads of iceberg lettuce. Oldest trick in the book. The world doesn't have room for these types of businesses anymore. I wanted to like the place. Worker seemed friendly enough but I'm honestly offended. I wish I took a picture...

Great local South Pas spot for lunch! Owner is hard working and takes pride in his food. Fresh ingredients and good bread!

I guess new owners and it has changed! Razor thin tomatoes, skimpy avos, spring mix (with spinach) on a BLT.... they have no clue how to make the basics.... $14 for a horrible BLTA, I threw 1/2 of it away Complete rip-off

Omg the best sandwiches EVER!!! These Sammies are packed with flavor! They really know how to create the best textures and flavor combinations! I will forever be obsessed with the Turkey fig and Brie sandwich! Love how much arugula they put and the regular sized ones are PLENTY HEFTY. They were out of brown bread but the rye was delicious too! No sogginess.. just yum!

I love a well constructed sandwich! I ordered an Avocado & Veggie ($10.50) add Turkey (+$2): comes with guac, avocado slices, cucumbers, pickled carrots and onions, mixed greens, tomato, sprouts, and herb dressing on squaw bread. I love sandwiches because of all the different textures, and this one definitely hits the mark! The ingredients are super fresh, even the bread. This is a great vegetarian option without the turkey, but I prefer the extra protein- and they don't skimp! My only complaint was that the bread was slightly too soft, so by the end it was falling apart. It would be awesome if they added the option to toast the bread. 5/5! They have unique sandwich options like Turkey, Fig & Brie and TV Dinner (hot roast beef & garlic mashed potatoes). You can also build your own sandwich or make any of their specialty sandwiches into a salad! There's an option for everyone. They also sell fresh baked cookies for 75 cents which are so CRISPY and delicious. I was able to order online thru yelp and it was ready in 25ish minutes.

Was at the ballet store 2 doors down & decided to check this places out with my 2 year old for lunch. She got the "I want to pick" toddler plate & I had the apricot & manchego sandwich. Both were very delicious. Excellent lunch place. Will be back.

Great pastrami sandwich and service was great. I'll be back. Decently priced and you can eat there.

It feels like a different restaurant. I enjoyed the food here before. But the vibe was definitely off when I walked through the door. I went there for lunch on a Monday and I was turned away. It was very strange. The place was empty. I stood there for some time before someone acknowledged my presence. They then told me they are unable to take my order because they are extremely backed up with their online orders. They told me it's best to order online. (But he just said they were backed up?) Either way, it felt like I was more of a bother so I left. I ended up going to Heirloom Cafe down the street.

had a huge takeout order today and everything was delicious, accurate, and super fresh! seems family owned and is really cute inside. i like how u can make any sandwich into a salad for those who are gluten free

I recommend the Turkey, Fig, and Bree on Squaw as well as the Hot in the Club on a roll! Super delicious and super friendly staff!

what a great gem ! Got the 'hot in the club' sandwich -- bread was soft and the bacon was crunchy. fresh made strawberry lemonade to wash it down. And the service and overall quality was A+! New fave sandwich spot in Pasadena :)

It seems like this establishment is under new ownership (?). Ambience : dead silent when you walk in, no soft ambient music, just the whirrr of the refrigerated deli case that looks very uneventful. Do we need to see what's in the fridge ? No nice food displays to see here -- just tubs of lettuce and canned drinks .. Food: Meh. My dead grandma could have made a better sandwich. I got the turkey Brie. STALE bread, 2 slices of mediocre turkey product and fig paste ( not actual fig slices) Service: No friendly hellos. Just masked faces taking your order like they're struggling through life making sandwiches. With all the competition out there I'd say they need to understand the food selling biz a little better. I was not impressed and will not be coming back . Smiles go a long way people..

If I could leave ZERO stars, I would. NEVER COMING BACK HERE AGAIN. For a place of business to be in South Pasadena, which is supposed to be inviting, friendly, and comfortable, this was anything but. My niece and I went in to get a sandwich and review a paper on our laptop. After about an hour, a staff member (who I can only assume is the owner) told us in a not friendly albeit aggressive way to "have mutual respect" and pretty much made it clear to leave the premises. It is disheartening to receive this kind of service at a location that "looks welcoming." For an afternoon, to have lunch and a study session its hurtful to be treated in that way and should not be a representation of the good of South Pasadena food service.

Solid pastrami sandwich, especially if you can't make it to Monrovia for Gene's. Friendly service too. Enjoyed eating at the table for two outside, made it feel very metropolitan.

Whenever I was craving a sandwich, this would be my local go-to spot. Yeah, there are a few other great ones around the area, but Munch always had me coming back for more of their Hot in the Club sandwich, Sesame Chicken Noodle Salad, and Macaroni Salad. I always called in to order or used the Yelp! app to do pick-up. I love their personalized thank you message hand written on the paper lunch bags, too! Suggest ordering ahead.

I love this place. Always great sammies, incredibly friendly, hard working owners. Super clean too!

Terrific sandwhich spot owned by a really nice Chinese couple! Both sandwhiches and salads here are delicious and oftentimes bold creations. My favorite is the seedy pastrami sandwhich on french roll with added tomato. Ingredients are quality and fresh prepared. Sandwhiches here are not super cheap but they are still fairly reasonable; after all everyone gotta make a living. I hope Munch Company stays here for a long time to continue fulfilling South Pasadena's lunch needs :) Some downsides: I think the menu can be a little confusing because there are no pictures denoting difference in size between half, regular, and large. In my opinion they should remove the half size off the menu because it's too confusing and no one would be full off of 1 half size sandwhich anyways. So I definitely under ordered my first time here which was not ideal because I was bringing for a group... But otherwise if you understand the sizing and order at least a regular size sandwhich then you will have a delicious lunch meal.

It's Chinese owner, very nice! 5 stars Will come again, it's nice to find a good restaurant in south Pasadena

Read great reviews on this place for over a year, when I finally was able to go there it was extremely disappointing. As a local I love supporting small shops in the area, but I'm afraid this spot won't get mine. Since new ownership about a month ago this place must have changed. The sandwiches are mediocre at best, but they charge premium prices. Additionally, customer service is not very friendly. The sandwich is lackluster and they are stingy with the toppings. The man behind the counter asked me if I wanted a pickle.... Just include it! You are already charging me $13 for a sandwich! Save your money, there are better sandwiches in the area for the same and even less of a price. I will not return.

Not coming back here again, not worth it. Its a small sandwich shop with a small selection of sides and sandwiches that are on the gourmet side. I got the brie and turkey sandwich on sourdough and a side of seedy slaw. It was really uneventful. Everything was low in flavor. The sandwich bread did not taste like sourdough, it tasted and looked like supermarket white bread. I was hoping for it to at least be toasted. The turkey was also Ralph supermarket grade, as well as the brie. So nothing really had any flavor. I could make a better sandwich at home. The seedy slaw also had very little flavor. I like the fact that it was very fresh and crunchy, and I liked the addition of the pumpkin seeds inside and other grains (i think there was quinoa?), but overall it sucked too. Sadly, even the seating in the restaurant sucked. The benches to sit on were really hard and uncomfortable, there were lots of trinkets on the table that were crowding it so it was difficult to eat. There were big pillows that you can't really lean on as they take up the whole seating area anyway. Just really awkward and uncomfortable. Last, I ate in the restaurant and it felt really awkward because no one else was there (sign its not a good place!!) and the restaurant workers would stare at me. I wanted to run away lol. So I ate fast and left.

This is a great place for a weekday lunch, better than the chain sandwich shops! I highly recommend the pastrami sandwich, it's wonderful! The bread is fresh, and the atmosphere is very charming, this is everything that you want in a sandwich shop. I'm ready to start working my way through the menu but I'm sure glad I started with the excellent pastrami.

Super disappointing. My husband and I ordered on their website ahead of time so we wouldn't have to wait and were quoted 20 minutes. When we got there, we waited another 20 minutes while they made everyone else's food and then were handed ours without any sort of acknowledgement. The food itself was really mediocre and overall we felt like it was a huge waste of money. Would suggest somewhere else for lunch or any meal.

The Munch Company used to be worth the occasional trip from Long Beach. They had the best egg salad sandwiches in Southern California. Note the past tense. No more egg salad.

New ownership...Not what it once was. We used to go here with our kids after school. It changed ownership in that time and was still charming and tasty. Now NEWest ownership and the whole experience is terrible. Charm is gone. Sandwich meat was terrible. Bread was dry. And zero friendly customer service or greeting when entering. To the owners, this is South Pasadena. A blend of small businesses that are part of the community. And yes some corporate chains. But your current approach won't work.

My partner and I went here after seeing the menu and 4 star rating. We ordered a large Turkey, brie and fig sandwich on sourdough to share, two drinks and a side of pickled veggies. The price came out to over $30, which would be fine if the quality of the food justified it. So what was the problem? Lets start with our sandwich: first of all the "large" is just a sandwich and a half of another sandwich. I don't know why you wouldn't just have "add a half sandwich" as an option instead of calling it a large. It made it a little awkward to split; it's 3 half sandwich. Second, they didn't toast the bread or even offer to toast the bread, and the bread wasn't fresh, it was dry. Third, I've had many turkey, brie, and fig sandwiches and never had anyone put mayonnaise on it. It was drenched in mayo to the point that it over powered all the other flavors. Mayonnaise is sweet and tangy, it's great on certain sandwiches but it basically just ruined a good combination in this situation. Fourth, I've seen more turkey in a Lunchables than on this sandwich. For $17, there needs to be more than 4-5 thin slices. Fifth, we waited 15 minutes for a sandwich that wasn't even heated or toasted, and when we got there it was empty. The pickled veggies just tasted like tumeric. Nothing too exciting. Over all, way too expensive and low quality for the price. Would not recommend and won't be returning.

Great sandwiches! The Munch Fish Sub is a fried fish sandwich and is perfectly crisped with great spices. The sandwich comes together really well. Also had the strawberry lemonade and my friend had the mango smoothie, which were good. It takes a little longer than usual, but you can tell everything's made fresh.

It's been a while since I had a really solid sandwich, but the Green Monster that I got at The Munch Company today hit the spot. The veggies were fresh, the bread (sourdough) was super soft, and the aioli they used definitely elevated it above the average sub. Expensive, but worth it. I paired my sandwich with a drink from La Monarca across the street and had a delicious, nourishing lunch. I'll be back soon!

Great service and yummy food at a super reasonable price! The cold brew was great as well :)