Found plastic in the food that we ordered for pick up. Very dangerous, now we are wondering if we consumed melted plastic, since we assume the plastic got mixed with the dough and was put in the oven. Ordered the Bolognese and the clam linguini, both were decent in taste. read more

Gale's - Blue plastic in the bread - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great ambience and delicious food. The service is impeccable!! Love this place! Very popular. Best to make reservations!?

Absolutely the best food and the best service. Love it!! We have been customers since opening and gale and her crew have never disappointed. Yum read more

We came here for my mother's 65th birthday dinner. The service was impeccable and most of the items were absolutely delicious. We had the spinach lasagna, the Seabass, the kids' cheese pizza, bear salad. Artichoke appetizer, the salmon, and the lamb chops. We weren't huge fans of their steak and coconut cake but overall it was a wonderful time! This is our first time here, and what a gem! read more

My new favorite Italian restaurant in Pasadena! Love the vibe here, you can tell there were a lot of guests that have been there multiple times. I love sticking with the traditional menu when I come to a restaurant, but some of these specials were too good to pass up! Pears with gorgonzola and prosciutto. Beautiful presentation, loved this appetizer. Light and flavorful, perfect set-up for the heavier pasta dishes we ordered after. Ravioli di mare- love this handmade pasta dish. Was so happy I convinced the table next to me to order it too. Had to sop up all the sauce with my bread :) Gnocchi with bacon and roasted pork- if you're the type of person that loves very little pasta and lots of everything else, you would love this dish. Loaded with bacon and pork, lots of sauce, with some potato gnocchi mixed in. Very filling dish with bold flavor. We will definitely be back. This place reminded me of our time in Italy and I love the nostalgia this place brings :) read more

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The wifey and I have a few restaurants that we frequent in Pasadena, but Gale's is one of those that are always on our list. I traditionally book a reservation via OpenTable as this is a popular place...I'll know if they have a table for me or not. Order anything - it's good AND the staff if super friendly and they have the best suggestions if you can't decide. Since they have a full bar this establishment checks the boxes for both of us. read more

Cozy place just outside old Pasadena. The entrance is on the side of the building so keep a sharp eye. The host staff were bright and cheery. The bus staff were lighting fast. The wait staff were on the ball and made solid recommendations. The food was excellent! They started us with some good crusty bread with olive oil/balsamic. The bread was fresh and very European. Our meals were all devoured and enjoyed by all. I had a pasta carbonara with Italian sausage and it was stellar. Huge portion of perfect fettuccini carbonara with plenty of Italian sausage. The other meals were equally as good. Solid choice for dinner. I will be back! read more

Amazing Italian place, great service as well! Would definitely come back again, food was amazing loved it all!!

I enjoyed this place a lot while I was in Pasadena. I was with a big group and the staff was very nice and was able to accommodate us well. The bread served before our meal was fresh and delicious. I ordered the pasta al forno and it was delicious!! I would definitely visit here again when I'm back in town. read more

Gale's - Pasta Al Forno - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

I took my mom and grandma out for Mother's Day and the food was delicious, but the service from our main waitress Kelly was some of the worst that we've ever had. We got here at 12:43 for a 12:45 outdoor reservation. Once there, were are told that there was no availability outside and that the only way to be seated for our reservation time was to go inside, which we declined, instead choosing to wait. In this time, we let the staff know that my elderly grandma has Alzheimer's and requested that when we were seated, they have a hot tea at the table as soon as possible so that she could be comfortable. This did not happen and we had to request the tea again after waiting for 10 minutes. The service was very slow, which we attributed to the lunch rush, but as the crowds died down, the service did not improve. There was a point where we were 1 of 4 tables with 6 empty ones and were not helped for long periods of time. We had to wait at least 1/2 an hour to order, our waters sat empty for at least an hour, we were not given the chance to order a second round of drinks, and we sat with our dessert menu for at least 15 minutes. When we were finally asked for our dessert order close to the 2 hour mark, I mentioned how we had not been helped for most of the meal and Kelly instantly became very hostile, defensive, and condescending, which was surprising as she had barely helped us and the busboys and other servers had stepped in throughout the meal to pick up her slack. They were all so nice and helpful, which is what made her rudeness so jarring. This left us with a bad taste at the end of what could have been an amazing meal. read more

Friendly atmosphere but I Felt like they were under staffed. All the tables were full but every time we needed something we had to ask a few times. The food is good but I have to say the coconut desert was the best. Not sure if we would go back. read more

Gale's - This was the best part of the evening. - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Gales is the best spot for Italian in the area. My gf is Italian and is always on the lookout for new great Italian spots and Gales is a winner. The specials are great, last time was gnocchi. The staff is attentive, knowledgeable and great to chat with. read more

Service is great! There is parking available. Pasta is Good for 2 people if you are not so hungry. The price is right! Lol read more

I've been receiving their newsletters for quite sometime now. Decided to go and have lunch with my sis-in law. Delicious! Great service! Fresh! I will be back very soon!!! read more

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Our party of 5 made lunch reservations for noon about a week in advance. From what I saw, reservations isn't necessary for lunch as it was pretty open. I did hear dinner is when the restaurant is packed. Once we were seated, we were provided complimentary bread with olive oil and balsamic - good start to any meal =P But save room in your stomach! Scampi Fritti ($15): 6 large breaded shrimps served with thick pesto remoulade. Where do I even begin with the pesto remoulade.... so divine and heavenly. We started using the sauce to dip our bread. Must eat every last drop. Fettuccini Carbonara ($17): Creamy sauce cooked with onion, egg, crispy pancetta, and parmesan cheese. Nice salty flavor from the pancetta balances out the creaminess of the sauce. All pasta dishes come with a side of green salad. Lasagna Bolognese ($18): Lasagna is a hit or miss for me depending on the type and amount of cheese (i can't do strong cheese). Was definitely a hit here for me! Ample amount of ground beef in the meat sauce layered with ricotta, mozzarella and marinara. Use the extra sauce to eat with your bread too! Multiple uses =) All pasta dishes come with a side of green salad. Medium 'With Everything' Pizza ($22): Pep, sausage, mushrooms, olives, onions, and green peppers topped with mozzarella cheese. Pizza was just OK, nothing amazing. I would stick to the pastas. Overall we had excellent service by all staff we encountered! There is a parking lot on the side of the restaurant (limited parking spaces available). Coconut/vanilla cake provided for birthdays! read more

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Service by Javier was great. He was attentive and friendly and checked-in to ensure we were doing ok. The food was ok. Not the best I've had and slightly overpriced but they give healthy portions. I went for dinner on a Monday night so it was nice and quiet. read more

Quality, romantic ambiance, delicious details and good cocktails. Definitely a date night/celebration place cause it's on the spendy side but we'll worth it. This is my go-to choice when I want good Italian food that doesn't make me wish I had just nade pasta at home, read more

Probably my favorite Italian restaurant in Pasadena. I've been here many times and have tried most of their pasta and they are simply authentic and the best. I've recommended this place to many friends and they all left happy. read more

Amazing food- the carbonara with shrimp and the mushroom ravioli and meatballs, all incredible! Nice service and lovely outdoor area. Very popular and it was early on a Wednesday night! read more

I really wanted Gale's to be my go-to Italian restaurant. It went downhill as it has disappointed me for the last two visits. I decided not to go back. My last visit was a busy night. I asked for dressing on the side. The dressing was all over the salad. When I talked to the waiter, he did not seem to comprehend that I expected him to replace it. Presentation of the pasta was a mess. An average homemade pasta will look much better than what we got. It killed my husband's appetite. The fish soup was overwhelmed with salt and no other flavor. All in all, we were disappointed with the food and services. read more

Gale's - Salty soup with no other flavor - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Wanted to try a new restaurant in Pasadena two weeks ago and I came across this place... it's such a cozy nice place, service was truly good.... I highly recommend their steak with spinach and mashed potato it's to die for.... Not a one mistake! Yummy;) read more

Parking: Lot or Street Ambiance: Nice Service: Friendly Price: Definitely reasonable and worth the price!! Food: One of the best in the area! My friend initially introduced me to this place, and I been coming here ever since. When people ask me if I have any Italian food spots to recommend other than Olive Garden, I always name this place. Everything is pretty spot on...the bread, oil/vinegar, pasta. My friend ordered the Bolognese Lasagna the other day and it was amazing!! read more

The ambiance is excellent, and it has great service, but food has no flavor. The sauce was watery and didn't even cover the pasta. I m glad I asked to add sun dry tomatoes, but even with that I couldn't eat it. read more

Gale's - Fettuccine Alfredo (supposedly) - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Visited Gale's recently after more than 8 years from my first visit and it didn't hold up to the memory of it. Definitely old school and clearly caters to an older audience, but that usually translates into food that touches your heart, soul, and the pits of your stomach, however it missed the mark entirely on my most recent dining experience. I didn't realize there were two areas for dining - one is a lively, exciting environment, the other feels like when I used to go visit my grandma in her nursing home. We were sat in the latter. It was great for being able to chat without much interruption but it was also pretty drab, which is in contrast to the energy exuding from the front room that you walk into/faces the street. Our server was lovely but rarely present and our plates were plopped down by runners who were in a rush and not interested in coordinating with us on making room or removing plates to make room for new ones. No offer of grated cheese or cracked pepper we noticed other tables received, as well. The bread was outstanding, because it's bread and I wish I would have gone to town on that instead of saving room for the other dishes because they were lackluster as a whole dinner. The burrata, avocado, roasted red pepper appetizer was pitiful in presentation but delicious. The scampi fritti was delightful, but when the plate is more bowl of pesto remoulade than shrimp, it's a little disconcerting. If spicy is dragon's breath and the other end of the spectrum is tap water, my arrabbiata was something you'd throw on a kitchen fire vs medieval mythical creature whisper. Generic red sauce with no attitude or personality. It's ok, but with so many other options in Pasadena, I don't think it will become a go-to for me when the craving for pasta consumes my every being. read more

Gale's is the reliable, sophisticated, neighbourhood Italian establishment that we're grateful to have near us. Their lasagna is the crowd favorite in our family and atmosphere is fit for a variety of occasions. read more

Gale's never fails to serve a delicious, fresh meal from their large menu that includes ever changing daily specials as well as the usual traditional Italian food. Fresh bread with olive oil and vinegar is brought to the table and a meal always ends with a complimentary biscotti. We always come for special occasions and prefer the outdoor tented space. The servers are helpful and attentive. read more

Located off South Fair Oaks Ave in Pasadena. They have parking to the side and back of this place but it's small so can be tough to get a spot if this place is crowded. Came here for my early birthday dinner celebration. The place is kinda small and fills up fast. Service was great and food was great although it took a while I can understand that for this place. I got the shrimp linguini it was good. They also gave me a coconut with raspberry sauce complimentary cake for my early bday. Overall a great experience and good food I would come back again. A very special thank you to Nadine C. from Hawaii for coming down and organizing this for me and thanks to all my special friends that came they are the best. read more

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This is a hidden treasure off the beaten path a bit in Pasadena. This small but cozy Italian restaurant reminds me of going to a friends house for dinner. The staff is incredibly welcoming and ready to let you know the house specials of the day and all the go to dishes. I personally have ordered the my brother jerrys tortellini bolognese on several occasions. I know I should try other dishes but this one to me is the perfect meal. They do offer curbside pick up and it is packed very well , we had ordered out since covid. I'm not lying when I say this could be the best Italian restaurant in Pasadena. read more

Warm, inviting Italian restaurant in Pasadena, we stopped by for a nice Christmas season meal. The service was friendly, but a bit slow for our party of 8. Thankfully they started us out with free fresh bread (a must for Italian places!!) with olive oil and balsamic vinegar-- which was nice but not crazy good. We started with the Bruschetta (nice crisp bread with a delicious tomato and cheese top). Also got their Brussel sprouts with shredded cheese--- but just heads up, the Brussel sprouts were all cut/diced up, which made me Wonder where they were at first! Definitely would avoid that dish in the future, as I like the texture of them being whole. We tried their recommended specials of the Rotini Bolognese and Lasagna Bolognese- both very hearty dishes with plenty of meat sauce and came With a side soup or salad. I liked them both, being very classically done, just no wow factor. Their Portobello Ravioli was very good- a little heavy on the cream sauce, but had a nice flavor. Overall the food was good but nothing stood out amazingly. The portions were big, with slightly higher price range ~$17-27, which was fair. I do appreciate the free bread and biscotti dessert at the end though! read more

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The good part of been in the industry is to get to do "market research". Going to places and try their food, check the set up. Why are they successful. I heard a lot about Gale's and I wanted to check for myself. Easy parking, great host, then so, so. I don't know a restaurant or a server that doesn't want to up sell water. Before you bring ice water to your table, don't assume that your guests are cheap, offer bottle water. Compact but great wine list with amazing prices for what is offered. Judging by the wine's temperature, no proper storage. Order a bunch to taste, coming from Valentino, I do have standards on pasta. Fabio made them like no one else. Had to send back one of my favorite, the carbonara because something was off with the taste. I never send anything back but this time, I had to. Simple operation, pretty old school. Not a mind blowing experience but not a bad one either. read more

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We were craving Italian food, and decided to try Gale's for the first time. And I'm so glad we did. Amazing service and food! We ordered the garlic bread as an appetizer and ended up ordering a second round because of how delicious the bread was. Note: You can ask for a side of marinara dipping sauce. My bf ordered the Scampi Linguini and the shrimp were HUGE. Very tasty! I ordered the Clams Linguini and I couldn't get enough of it. The dish was perfect and there were a lot of clams. Luckily, they give you a small bowl to put the discarded shells in. Overall, this was such a pleasant lunch to have and I would recommend for anyone who is in the mood for some good Italian food. read more

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We took our daughter to the Disney Theme Parks for her 5th birthday but decided to take a break over the weekend to avoid the larger crowds. Gale was suggested by a college friend who lives in Pasadena so we decided to go there for Saturday dinner. Tasty food (try My Brother Jerry's Tortelloni Bolognese), nice wine selection, reasonable prices, and courteous service. read more

My to-go scallop risotto was only 2 spoons of rice, didn't even cover the bottom of the container. Very small quantity, won't be coming back. read more

Gale's - Scallop Risotto - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Had lunch with two friends today. Our server was Kelly who made an always pleasant experience even better. She was welcoming and super-efficient without being either intrusive or overbearing and made anticipating our every need look effortless. The food as always was really great - I'd been thinking about their linguine with clam sauce for days and enjoyed every bite. I can also recommend their coconut cake. Worth every calorie and big enough to share. read more

Visited Gale's for a birthday dinner for one of my friends. I hadn't heard of this place before, but my friends had good things to say about Gale's. Due to our party of 8, we had made reservations prior to the dinner. This pretty cozy restaurant is located on Fair Oaks - there's a small lot behind for several parking spots, but there is also street parking if necessary. Gale's has a very cozy interior, with tastefully antique décor and tables situated quite close to the next, giving off a very intimate and comfortable dining experience. Started off the dinner with complimentary bread and balsamic vinegar and oil. FOOD: -Soft shell crab fritto: At $16, I was expecting a little bit more than the big chunk of crab that was served; however, it was a pretty large piece of crab; despite it being fried, the skin was already a bit soggy once it reached our table. It's served atop of coleslaw along with tartar sauce. I enjoyed the taste of the crab, but overall wasn't too impressed by this appetizer, especially since it's so pricey. -Arugula salad: Not my go-to type of salad, but I think they did a good job in pairing items that complemented one another. Tomato, mushroom, and parmesan cheese went well with the lemon vinaigrette. The parmesan cheese slices sprinkled on top ... that's what got me. So good! -Chopped antipasto salad: I liked this one as well! Different types of Italian meats, marinated vegetables, romaine, and a herb vinaigrette. It's different from what I usually order - the Italian meats definitely gave the salad much more flavoring, so it was a bit on the salty side. This one also had the parmesan cheese on top ... so I was a fan. -Caesar side salad: I liked this one the most! I'm a big fan of Caesar salad, and this one had huge slices of parmesan cheese grated on top. It was a winner. -Rosemary roasted chicken pizza: I believe this was $17 for a medium, which was way more than enough for all of us with all the food we had ordered. Mozzarella, ricotta, chicken, tomato, pesto, etc. The chicken and the pesto went well together. I would say that the flavoring of the pizza was a bit on the blander side than I would have liked, but it was not bad at all! I wish the chicken had a bit more flavoring, but the dough was well made and the ingredients went well together. -Fettucini Carbonara: $17 This was probably the heaviest pasta out of the 4 that we had ordered. It was drenched in rich cream and pancetta, with onion, egg, and parmesan. Taste was really good, but after a few bites, I felt a bit dragged down. I had to limit my intake so that I could enjoy the other dishes! I do recommend this if you're looking for something to really fill you up. -Pasta al Forno: $18 This was the pasta dish that I saw many people raving about on Yelp. Creamy meat sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan. A very simple dish, but this was probably my favorite out of the 4! The taste was spot on. Loved the meat sauce and the penne type noodles. Very easy to eat, but the sauce was super flavorful. -Clams Linguini: $21 Clams with white wine. Very decadent, but I'm not a big clams fan. My friends really liked this dish - I personally liked the noodles; it was cooked more al dente and they gave us a lot of clams, so I do think the price is justified. But overall, it wasn't too special. The sauce was not as rich or as tasty as the other dishes, so it wasn't as memorable to me. -Rotini Bolognese: $17 This was also a pretty good pasta dish. I don't usually order rotini pasta dishes, but this one looked good! This was also cooked in a meat sauce, although I don't think the flavor was as rich as the al Forno. This would be good if you had young kids! I would order the al Forno over this dish. -Coconut cake: We were given a complimentary slice of coconut cake since it was my friend's birthday. It came with a raspberry sauce that went well with the coconut, although I preferred the cake on its own. Not too sweet, with just the right amount of coconut taste so that it isn't too overwhelming. Definitely a decadent enough dessert to finish off the night of heavy and fine eating. It also came with a plate of biscotti. Nothing too special about those - the cake was much better! Service: was a bit of a miss for us. Our waiter seemed impatient and not too willing to answer our questions about the various dishes. The table next to us actually provided us with better feedback than did our waiter! The other workers were really nice - constantly refilling water. tl;dr - Great place for a solid Italian meal experience! I'd recommend the Pasta al Forno for sure - all of the salads were really tasty. Definitely leave room for a slice of coconut cake! read more

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They have outdoor seating in front, on the side, and the back of the restaurant. My husband made reservations for us to come on a Wednesday at 12:45 and the tables from the front and side are all taken by customers. We were seated on the back of the restaurant. The server immediately took our temperature after we were seated. The pro of seating in the back: that no one is walking to or near our table besides the waiters, quiet so you get really enjoy some conversations with friends. The con is that service can get really slow and it might seem like they have forgotten about you. We ordered their scampi pasta and pizza. Both were delicious. They have a parking lot but it was filled up at the time we got there, so we parked on the street instead. read more

I've eaten here so many times - with friends and alone. It's delicious each time. Super friendly staff, great ambiance, and they always give such generous pours of wine. Highly recommend, a great find in pasadena. read more

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We frequent Gale's whenever we are craving good Italian food. -The atmosphere is inviting -There is ample parking -They can accommodate large parties -They take reservations -The linguini with clams is always a good choice -The complimentary bread and biscotti are always delicious Seriously, every single dish we've had at Gale's has been memorable. The pasta is always fresh. The salads are delicious and they have a good selection (the beet salad and the Cesar salad are my favorites). On our last visit, we finally tried their fresh meatballs. Very tasty! If you are looking for a good Italian restaurant in Pasadena, you must try Gale's! read more

Gale's - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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My husband and i's favorite Italian restaurant in the area. We've tried a lot of different kinds of pasta and wines and continue to go back to celebrate special occasions and date night read more

Had a delicious dinner here over the weekend. Excellent service, especially from Raul. We will definitely return for more dinners!