Union Restaurant

"You can call it a “destination restaurant,” because Union is so good it makes people who don’t go east of the 405 drive all the way to Pasadena. This Italian spot makes everything from scratch—the bread, the butter, the pasta—and the quality shows. The pasta is what shines brightest here, like the squid ink lumache with Maine lobster and butter, and the torchetti with pork ragu. You also can’t leave without getting the wild mushrooms and polenta. If you’re looking for a place to have a fantastic blowout meal right in Old Town, this is it." - brant cox, sylvio martins, andrew ryce

"Union restaurant opened in 2014 and continues to prepare some of the best plates of pasta in town. Twisty torchetti pasta comes topped with a spicy Calabrese pork ragu, while the squid ink lumache plays well with Maine lobster and truffle butter. These standards and more have been satisfying Pasadena pasta-goers for a decade in its airy, high-ceilinged dining room. Don’t sleep on the highly curated wine list here, either." - Mona Holmes

"For nearly a decade, Union Pasadena took hold of Northeast LA with its enduring Italian dishes, especially the lemony bucatini and eggplant rigatoni timballo pasta; always-solid starters include charred octopus, pork meatballs, and Pecorino-laced arugula. Chef Sandro Hernandez’s saucy half chicken serves two and served with a side of broccolini. If takeout is required, Union’s family of four menu can fill in nicely. Whatever is needed for dinner, Union’s got it." - Matthew Kang, Eater Staff

"You’ll find the entire range of the human experience at Union. We’ve taken everyone we know to this Pasadena pasta restaurant - best friends, promising first dates, exes who we can’t stand talking to for more than five minutes. But where Union really shines is with impressing family members. It’s in a sleepy part of Pasadena, so you won’t have to worry about cars speeding past your table or anybody seeing a “hypebeast,” plus they serve some of the best Italian food we’ve ever eaten. There’s wild mushroom polenta, bright-orange saffron linguine, and a tonnarelli cacio e pepe topped with so much grated parmesan, you might actually see God." - kat hong

"Nab a table at Union for a taste of chef Sandro Hernandez’s quintessential Cal-Ital cooking. The torchetti is topped with a Calabrese pork ragu, ricotta, crispy rosemary leaves, and best of all, an intense dried chile oil. The squid ink lumache with Maine lobster and truffle butter satisfies with subtlety." - Cathy Chaplin, Eater Staff