I love coming to this spot every time I'm back around my old stomping grounds. There's something nostalgic about it, and it always brings back good memories. What I really enjoy about Dinner Dash is how fun and convenient it is to order from them. They offer a great variety of food options, and everything is surprisingly affordable, which makes it easy to keep coming back. One of my go-to orders is the teriyaki chicken bowl, and I like to pair it with a side of Lay's Mexican Chicken Tomato flavor fries. It's such a unique combo and always hits the spot. If you haven't been and you're in the Pasadena area, I definitely recommend checking it out. It's a bit of a hole-in-the-wall with a very minimalistic interior, but don't let that fool you, you might be surprised by the quality and flavor this place has to offer. Sometimes the most unassuming spots end up serving the best food. read more

See all

Dinner Dash is located at 1491 East Colorado Boulevard Pasadena, California 91106. They are known for quality, affordable Chinese food, derived from family recipes. They believe in fresh ingredients based on what is available in the market. The menu with pop-up specials feature the best finds from the ever-changing market. Their fresh fruits, meats, and seafood are always featured. I was greeted warmly as I walked to the counter. There are tables as well as a counter ledge along one wall. The ambiance is friendly and cheerful. There are colorful pictures along the walls. I was surprised to find out that all ordering is done through the kiosk that they have available. Nothing is written down. I needed assistance to explain cooking techniques and the best items to initially try. The manager was very helpful in helping me decide on what would give me the best selection of items on their menu. I decided on four items to take home. She put the information into the kiosk, and then asked for my phone number to send my receipt to. The receipt is very helpful in that it lists all the items ordered, as well as the prices. No cash, so my credit card tap took care of my payment. I sat down to enjoy the pictures on the wall and wait for my order. After about 10 to 15 minutes, my order was ready. She double checked my items...Teriyaki chicken bowl, tangy glazed ribs, Stew Napa with tofu and vermicelli, chicken gyoza, and spicy golden soup with seafood and pickled cabbage. Every item I ordered had great flavor, taste, and value. The spicy golden soup was probably my favorite. It was filled with seafood, vegetables, and pickled cabbage. There was a lot there. I enjoyed the teriyaki chicken bowl filled with vegetables and juicy chicken. The stew Napa with vermicelli noodles was a pleasant surprise. You could tell those noodles were made fresh. Great flavor, bite, and chew. The tangy glazed ribs are great! I would love to order this just as a standalone appetizer or snack. The gyoza was cooked to perfection and juicy. There are a number of food variations on their menu as well as specials that change frequently. I love the prospect of enjoying a long walk and coming here more often. I highly recommend DINNER Dash. You will not be disappointed. read more

See all

Not understanding all the amazing reviews. It was possibly one of the worst Chinese food I've had. All the dishes were underwhelming. The tofu was probably the most edible. Order on a screen and pick up the food at the window. read more

Dinnerdash - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Affordable. Cheap. Nice choices. 10 minutes pickup. Taste amazing! Only downside is parking but it was still worth it! read more

See all

New Chinese takeout-esque spot serving main dishes in smaller portions and cheaper prices ($2-9) to promote shareable dishes! Great for small parties wanting to try various dishes. + Slow-braised pork ($5.99): insane price, for 4 chunky, juicy pieces. Flavorful, tender and perfectly fatty (9.2/10) + House made Chicken teriyaki ($5.99): wow the chicken was really tender, big pieces and I could tell the sauce was house made, unlike other spots where it's sticky and overly sweet (9/10) + Mapo Tofu ($5.99): not too spicy but a good kick, soft tofu and with ground chicken (8/10) + Spicy lobsterette bowl ($7.99): spicy, saucy crawfish over rice. On the savory side (7/10) + Buckwheat noodle ($6.99): colorful, refreshing dish but sauce was slightly too watery (7.5/10) + Spring roll ($1.99 for 2 rolls): freshly fried and filled with noodles and veggies (7.2/10) + Cucumber salad ($2.99): crunchy cucumber w some green onions, chili oil. Cucumbers themselves didn't seem marinated or vinegary though (6/10) + Fried rice ($3.99): generous portion of fried rice, cooked well w egg (7.4/10) + Brown sugar droplet: barely sweet silky jelly with small dates (7.8/10) + Silky almond tofu: freshly made tofu and house made syrup, great almond flavor! (8/10) Overall, love this concept of smaller portions as I love trying many dishes. They also have rotating dishes and plan to serve milkshakes soon, which is exciting. read more

See all

Checked out this spot yesterday and such a cute spot! It's a self service spot with easy ordering kiosks with allllll the pictures, you get to mix and match what dishes you want to try and they have new specials based on what is available from local farmers/suppliers! Everything is about $5 which is great b/c you get to decide how much you want to eat/spend, whether looking for a snack or a whole meal! I got many things, here were my faves: - the pork belly w/ jalapeños - traditionally w/ a Chinese pepper but I loved this version - tasted like a hint of Mexican cuisine - the lobsterette bowl was reminiscent of Sichuan cuisine with spice that I love in the gravy/sauce, very yum, pretty spicy. - brown sugar dessert - sooooooo refreshing!!! And as Asian moms love to say - not too sweet! Could eat 5 of these, especially on a hot day like yesterday. Also got the buckwheat noodles w/ peanut sauce - good and lots of veggies which I liked but would have liked some more sauce. Mapo tofu was also good and had chicken instead of traditionally pork which tasted healthier but would have liked a bit more flavor in the sauce itself. Tofu dessert and potatoes were also pretty good but not as memorable. I love how everything is less oily, tasted fresh, lots of veggies/balance, and overall is healthier than other fast food Chinese spots but at similar prices! The place itself is so cute inside too, can eat with some folks at tables or easily eat alone at the nice bar w/ stools situation they got. They got Wi-Fi so can totally imagine doing work while snacking here. Highly recommend if you're looking for something fast, easy, yummy, affordable and w/ lots of choices! Also the to-go bag is cute and insulated if you're on the go! There's parking on the side streets. read more

See all

On a Saturday afternoon in early December, I was driving by on Colorado and notice people lined up here at 10:45am. My sister and I stopped by at 11:45am. We ordered from the tablet and prices are pretty affordable in small size. No greetings at all, the owner was focused on relatives. It's not quick at all as stated outside. They make the food when ordered so we waited 15 min for cute packaging bag. There were small tables and free water. No photo on food. read more

See all

Cute place! I really liked the ordering system -- simple and easy to use. The portions are on the smaller side but priced accordingly, so it balances out. I ordered the teriyaki chicken, which tasted good, but it was missing the vegetables shown in the photo. A little disappointing, since that's what I was expecting. Overall, still a nice spot with potential, but I'd love to see more consistency between the menu photos and what's served. read more

A casual little restaurant offering a wide variety of small dishes ranging from $3-$8. I like this style of restaurant since you can try more things, best to go with a group and order family style so everyone can share different dishes. They have 2 large tablets to order and pay, then your food comes out quickly on a tray. Came during their soft opening so lots of dishes weren't available, but everything I tried was good. Would be better to have larger trash bin to quickly dispose of everything on the trays, as well as napkins/water available for self serve. read more

See all

The food selection and speed which they brought out the food was nice. They mentioned they plan on expanding the menu to include milkshakes which will be a welcome addition. The looks of the business are simple with bits of art scattered around. It gives minimalist vibes. While the portions are not large, they are perfect for a lunch. The first time I went, I had the Spicy Lobsterette Bowl and the Hunan Spicy Pork. Both are the more popular options and were good but I would like the cut of pork to be different. I returned today and got the Kung Pao Chicken and Fried rice. The Fried Rice was a little dry (an improvement over the undercooked white rice I had last time) and needed more flavor. The Kung Pao was also wanting but the veggies were cooked well enough. Overall, this visit was not as impressionable as my last visit. I will give a final update on my next visit. I always try a business a few times to get a good sense of their food. read more

See all

Food and service is awesome here. Small little hole in the wall place. Did not expect it to be so good and affordable!

Ok so I wasn't sure what to expect with the mixed reviews for this place but I was very happy with what I got on my first time visiting. I tried the Kung Pao Chicken and the Hunan Pork. Both were very tasty. The portions are on the smaller side but the value is great. I pad $13 and change after tip and taxes. The young lady at the counter was cheerful and enthusiastic. The place definitely gives minimalist vibes and is pretty small. You order and pay at one of two kiosks whether dining-in or take-out. There were no other customers when I went - they are probably busiest when students are at PCC - and my order was filled in about 10 minutes. I will definitely be coming back to try some of their other dishes. read more

Dinnerdash - Hunan Pork - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

The food is delicious, healthy and affordable. It's so good that I eat here at least once a week. I also love the variety and how you can order a few different dishes like Tigawok. They keep releasing new items on the menu and they're just done very well. The service is great. They bring the food out quickly and are always nice. Ambiance is clean & minimalist with good music playing. Definitely recommend stopping by if you're in the area. read more

Dinnerdash - Mushroom Chicken Bowl, Spring Scallion Chicken - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

This is my first time ever leaving a Yelp review for any restaurant. I've been here over twenty times and tried every dish -- it's become my go-to spot as a PCC student. It's even closer than Starbucks, and honestly, better than Starbucks. I've tried pretty much every restaurant around PCC, and when you look at the price, quality, and service, this is easily the best place in the area. For all the negative reviews, they are probably considering Panda Express as the only Chinese food, or they're expecting a state banquet at a seven-dollar price. Like cmong guys. I've recommended this place to all my asian or Chinese friends, and it instantly becomes their go-to spot too. I'm not exaggerating -- the most expensive dish is around $9, and most are $7-8. I don't know what's stopping you. Try it once and you'll understand exactly what I mean. read more

Dinnerdash - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

Love their portion sizes and very reasonable prices! Our family got to try many different dishes, and they all tasted great. The ingredients were fresh, and the service was friendly and efficient. The restaurant is comfortable and clean. A perfect spot for a quick and delicious dinner. Highly recommend if you're in the area! read more

Dinnerdash - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Our most favorite dishes are the Hunan spicy pork, molten-yolk eggs and teriyaki chicken. The Hunan spicy pork is very authentic and spicy. The pork slices are very thin and elastically tender. The taste is better than the other restaurants that I usually go. The portion is very generous for this single-digit price. The molten-yolk eggs are amazingly delicious and surprisingly low priced. If you go to Japanese ramen places, these eggs can easily cost you triple-the price. Think about how much people got ripped off by these ramen places? The teriyaki chicken is sweet and savory well-balanced. My small appetite and picky son loves it. And again the portion is generous. The rest of the dishes are good too, the quality is better or the same as the other sitting-down waiter-serving restaurants. I like their style of being minimalist and healthy. Usually the fashionable minimalist healthy restaurants are not minimal and healthy in their pricing and greed. But this restaurant is minimal and healthy throughout their prices. Right now everywhere else is serving real Chinese food in $20+ per dish, but this place is just single digits, however their portion is smaller. But I can just order double portion which will be comparable with the $20+ dish portion in other restaurants, but the prices are only in $12-ish. So the customers here are getting a good bang for the buck. Wish them to open up more locations soon to crack down the evil and greedy double-digit priced restaurant market, and bring the originally single-digit priced market back to the people in California! read more

See all

I ordered the chicken teriyaki and was pleased to see there was a good amount of chicken. The portion was perfect, not too big and not to small. One thing to note is that it didn't have a lot of vegetables, only 1 piece of broccoli. Other than that the price was fair and I'll definitely be back in the future. read more

Dinnerdash - Chicken Teriyaki - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Spotted dinnerdash when I was in Pasadena area and glad I gave it a try. They are a new restaurant right across from PCC with a variety of dishes selection, mainly Chinese. My friend and I end up ordering cucumber salad, glazed rib, lobster rice, hunan spicy pork, stirred fry egg with green pepper and a veggie dish. The dishes came out fairly quick and we end up just eating it in the store. We enjoyed almost all the dishes but my favorite was the lobster rice, hunan spicy pork and the cucumber salad. The store itself is pretty cute and modern, a nice contrast to the other stores close by. The price is insane, it's hard to find good food with this kind of pricing around the area. Would definitely go back again to try other items on the menu. read more

See all

Amazing spot! We had such a great time at this new American Chinese kitchen. The owner is so friendly and welcoming -- she even gave us a thoughtful gift when we arrived, which really made us feel special. The food was excellent with a huge variety of dishes, and everything we tried was flavorful and fresh. The ambiance is cozy and comfortable, and since it's brand new the service felt super attentive and personal. My whole family loved it, my little one loves their famous tea! we'll definitely be back soon. A great addition to the neighborhood! read more

Dinnerdash - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Very tasty and tremendous pricing! Strong recommend. They did a great job for only being open for one day. read more

Dinnerdash - Lobsterette bowl - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

I ordered shredded potatoes, green beans , tomatoes eggs etc! everything is super tasty! I highly recommend the braised pork. I will definitively be back! read more

Dinnerdash - shredded potatoes, green beans , broccoli - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

The food here is incredibly authentic! The Mapo Tofu is perfectly spicy and savory--it's the ultimate comfort food when paired with rice. The Stir-fried Pork with Green Peppers has great 'wok hei' (breath of the wok) and the meat is very tender. Generous portions and high-quality rice. Highly recommended for anyone craving a real home-style meal! read more

Dinnerdash - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Recommend this restaurant. Each dish is around $1.99 -6.99. You can try many well-known Chinese food at very affordable price at small size. read more

Dinnerdash - Outside of the restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

I got the teriyaki chicken bowl and it was delicious! Super nice service, and they have WiFi so this will be my new go to study spot!

The food is VERY good for such an unassuming takeaway spot! The spicy fish soup is up there with the best I've had. The salted caramel milkshake had NO BUSINESS being as good as it was!!!! Insanely delicious is all I can describe it as. The people working there were very nice and friendly. I will be back for sure read more

Dinnerdash - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

A hidden gem in Pasadena! Or dare I say, the broad LA area. They're DELICIOUS, AFFORDABLE, and HEALTHY - a combo hard to find these days. Their decor gives off young and creative energy. The owners were super welcoming and helpful. My recommendations would be: * Buckwheat noodles - super refreshing * Hunan pork - very authentic* Sweet and sour pork ribs - a must try I was told there will be seasonal items rolling out in the future. Will definitely come back and look forward to trying new dishes! read more

Dinnerdash - Chefs menu - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

Clean, prepares food fast, good portion and pretty cheap. I'd recommend! Right next to PCC read more

Dinnerdash - Curry chicken - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great service and food was fresh made to order. Pricing is fair and I love the portion size.

I've been here twice now and both times the food was incredible! The prices are amazing and the portions sizes are like anywhere else I've ever been! Hope this place stays around for a long time. They are quick and efficient I love their to go bags and containers read more

Amazing service and delicious food. The kung pao chicken was soo good and everything was fresh. read more

Dinnerdash - kung pao chicken, orange chicken, cucumber salad, chow mein, passionfruit green tea with lychee jelly - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Tapas like experience....the dishes are perfectly portioned & priced for sharing to try multiple of them, if you're on a budget or want to eat daintily. I've been here enough times to try almost all of their dishes and can remember only 3 cons: 1)The tomato and egg dish was too sweet for me. just because i prefer savory vs. sweet. The dish itself was still cooked well. 2) the orange chicken had a strange aftertaste. 3) a couple of the dishes can be a tad too oily I recommend the tea egg, spring scallion chicken (it's a cold dish), spicy cabbage, glazed ribs, broccoli beef, sauteed green beans, spicy cucumbers and braised brisket w/ carrots. Service is great...you order and pay at a kiosk and the girl who hands you your food is very friendly. Wait time is typically 10-15 minutes. Parking is on the street or I've parked in the Carls Jr. parking lot a couple of times. read more

Love the smaller portions! It means we get to try more dishes and less food waste. They use good ingredients and everything I ordered taste great. Will definitely come back. read more

Casual Asian food that is healthier and cheaper than other options available. Would come here again just for the value and taste.

This place is amazing, the quality of meat and veggies are 5/5 while the price for the quality,packaging, and service is great, they can easily charge more for it but they keep it very reasonable. The music fire too, made me wanna go hit the club. read more

This place is a hidden gem. The food is fresh, flavorful, and absolutely delicious! The space is bright, modern, and minimalistic -- a perfect spot to relax. Super friendly staff too. Definitely coming back! read more

See all

The food was really good, and it came out really quickly. Definitely coming back whenever I am in the area! read more

Dinnerdash - Braised Pork Belly Bowl - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

we ve just finished an excellent lunch with our team here. they just did a soft opening. i really like the clean space and atmosphere they have. the food are priced very reasonable and thry are tasty w/ excellent quality (not too oily, not sweet, and not too salty as well!). the seasonings are ust right. we ordered bunches of things, my favs are(i m not a restaurateur so i probably misspelled something here): braised pork belly (superb!), fried rice, shrimp fried rice, spicy hunan beef (super good), egg w tomato, string beans. bottom line is: food is priced right with good portion and the taste is really good. atmosphere is bright and airy, will definitely add this to my regular lunch place! read more

See all

The food is really good and I highly recommend eating the teriyaki chicken and Chow mein . The food also arrived quick and was very fast.

I saw many good reviews on yelp so decided to give it a try after working out. Man this place exceeded my expectation!!! They have many protein dishes, I loved their organic softboiled egg, braised pork, and their chow mein was so unique and flavorful! WOW wow this place is going to be my to go place often, oh and I usually don't eat spicy food but their spicy lobsterette bowl is to my surprise soooooo delicious, I will come back to try more! And lastly, their prices are ridiculously good for such high quality of food, honestly I feel like their dishes are so much more flavorful than many of the large Chinese restaurants! Definitely a big 5 star for this new addition in Pasadena! Just WOW read more

Good food and good service. I order mapo tofu I like how they make it and the sauce. For the ambience I also like it because it feels like modern and cozy place. read more