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    Javiers

    3.0 (438 reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 11:00 pm

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    Recommended Reviews - Javiers

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    Gohar S.

    **Correction, the managers name was Oscar This is an edit to my previous review which was originally 5 star and remains.

    Shrimp & steak fajitas
    Alisa K.

    This place is beautiful. It is hard to find because it's in an alley, and you need to park in nearby structures. However, the space itself is huge and very pretty. The food was also delicious and there are options for everyone. We did have to wait a bit, which was annoying. Our reservations were at 7:30. We got seated at 8, and the food came out closer to 9. All in all, we enjoyed ourselves.

    Tomahawk Pork Chop
    Nick C.

    Friends have been talking about Javier's. Finally got to experience what is all the talk about. Javier's Pasadena is located in a alley of food places. It's tucked away quite nicely. First off staff greeting and interior is really nice. I feel like it's a little get away from the hectic days. We had a group of 7 with reservations. Reservations are highly recommended. Chips n Salsa are great almost addictive. This was probably the highlight of the experience this and the atmosphere within. I'll get right to business. The menu isn't really reaching for anything outside the norm. I went with the aguachile verde which I split and the tomahawk pork chop. The aguachile was great. Not life changing but on point. Great amount too. Pork Chop was just a tad bit overcooked. Well seasoned. Plain n simple. This is a safe bet for a good meal. Veggies tasted good and the potato puree was light and flavorful. I'd say worth the $55. Service was a bit slow but not too bad. We had a large table. The prices are pretty high for what you get but there are some decent meals there. On a side note a friend got a "mariscos quesadilla". I think they had mistakenly got it or misread the option. Not a single person had made an attempt at this quesadilla. No one knows what was in it either. All we knew was that it smelled like the ocean. It was not pleasant at all. I believe we asked for the item to be removed but it wasnt. Avoid this menu item. You've been warned. PS - As a michelada aficionado the ones at Javier's Pasadena are a 2.5 out of 5. Very basic.

    Steak Picado
    Jane K.

    I came here on a Saturday right when they opened 11:30 am as my friend and I were walking around Pasadena trying to figure out where to eat. My friend was visiting and had never been before, so we decided to give it a go As soon as we walked in, I was completely mesmerized. The decor is absolutely stunning and beautifully done. I've been to the Irvine and Vegas locations, and honestly, I think this one tops both of them. The ambiance, the lighting and big white booths alone makes you want to stay awhile. What made our experience even better was our server, Eber. He was so passionate and knowledgeable about the menu and genuinely kind throughout our meal. We really appreciated the little details, the conversation, and how attentive he was without ever feeling overbearing. My friend ordered the steak picado, where you get to build your own tacos, and I ordered the fish of the day, which happened to be the sea bass. It was a little more buttery than I personally prefer, but I still enjoyed it. It came with seasonal vegetables and mashed potatoes, which made for a really satisfying plate. TBH I always get the trio enchiladas and I'll continue getting that from now on haha. But it's okay to try new things! My friend's steak was cooked perfectly, juicy, flavorful, and incredibly filling. The Mexican rice was yummy!! It was huge portions we were both so full. We also shared the guacamole, enjoyed some wine, and Eber had a cucumber mocktail made for my friend that was really refreshing and delicious. Overall, we had a wonderful experience. Between the beautiful space, great food, and exceptional service, this location really stood out to me. I'll definitely be back.

    Ryan S.

    I visited the Pasadena location of Javier's on 06/03/2026 at 5pm with a party of two. This is my first visit to this restaurant. I am a bit stunned about the amount of negative reviews. I tend to believe that the more "upscale" a restaurant tends to swing, the more critical you tend to be of the reviews. I don't necessarily think it is fair to judge a place on criteria you wouldn't judge a more economical restaurant on. With that said, I give my experience 5 stars. First off, you enter and the space is just absolutely stunning. The design, aesthetic, beauty, live plants, open windows, the two bars. Everything was amazing and beautiful. When we came early at 5pm, the restaurant was pretty empty; however, by the time we left at 7:15pm, it was pretty darn full, and that should speak volumes for a Wednesday night. Our server for the evening was Ivan. Ivan was very efficient, pleasant, attentive and was around when we needed him to be. They do bring out complimentary chips and salsa. Our table shared an order of the Guacamole. The guacamole was delicious, pure and simple. It was well worth the money spent. Our table also shared the Ensalada De Asada. It was some delicious greens with skirt steak, avocado, cucumber, onions, tomatoes, gorgonzola and an absolutely fabulous honey mustard vinaigrette. For my entree, I had the Enchilada's De Camaron, or shrimp enchiladas. It was so yummy. They were two large enchilada's with a delicious butter sauce, a generous amount of shrimp and cheese with some sour cream or crema on top. So yummy. For dessert, we shared an order of the churros, which was equally delicious. Overall, we had an excellent experience. May I recommend two things that could have been improved upon and one suggestion for the future. #1 - It took several attempts to get silverware for our table. I think this should have already been on the table, or given by the host upon being seated. #2 - Please take care of water refills. Water was not refilled unless we specifically asked. And my one suggestion is to consider a green salsa as well with the complimentary chips and salsa. Overall, this was an excellent visit and I would most certainly visit again in the future.

    Shrimp Ceviche
    James W.

    We went to Javier's for dinner on a Thursday and it reinforces the saying that Thursdays are Fridays in LA. It was a full house of people drinking and dining. The food was decent but you go here for the atmosphere and vibe. The interior design and furnishings are are awesome. It has a very lounge feel more than a restaurant. Louder music and alot of energy. It's not the spot for a relaxing dining experience, atleast on the weekend. Service was attentive and polite but not a lot of interaction with the staff mostly due to noise and how packed it was. All the mixed drinks were very very good. We went here for a birthday dinner before a fun night out and Javier's is that type of place. Come in for a fun time for drinks and a light bite. It's pretty pricey so drinks and a full meal can add up quick. Guacamole 2/5. Plain run of the mill guacamole. Skip and get it at any other Mexican spot. Trio of enchiladas Del Mar. 5/5. Must try in my opinion. Contents and sauces were great. Carne Tampiquena. Overall 3/5(mostly because the enchilada.) New York steak. 2/5. Way undercooked for the med rare we ordered and too rare for my wife to eat. I thought it was a good cut and could be better if prepared as requested. Chicken taquito 2/5. Good flavor but very dry. Dungeness crab enchilada 5/5, refried beans 4/5. Ceviche Shrimp 5/5. Great starter.

    Tiffany W.

    We came here for a quick dinner with some friends. Pretty packed for a Saturday evening. I ordered a shrimp chopped salad. The salad was clean and simple. Hubby ordered a pork chop, but it was way overcooked and had no flavor whatsoever. Service was mediocre. Great music, but loud.

    Bryant G.

    This super popular restaurant in old town was mentioned by several people, so we got reservations and took a party of 4. The ambiance was great, lots of well dressed people pre-gaming at the bar or waiting for tables. They have a Beautiful wide opened dining space, very well decorated. I eat a ton of Mexican and usually favor authentic mom and pop places so I was concerned that this was going to be too bougie and not satisfy but it was excellent. Everything had very good flavors and we all agreed we'd like to come back.

    Annie A.

    Very disappointing experience at Javier's. We had a reservation and still waited almost 40 minutes to be seated with very little communication or professionalism from the front desk staff. The hosts appeared extremely young and unprepared to handle the flow of guests or manage reservations properly. Unfortunately, the service did not improve once we were seated. Our server seemed unfamiliar with the menu, could not answer basic questions about the dishes, and overall lacked product knowledge you would expect from a restaurant of this level and price point. The atmosphere is beautiful, but the organization and service quality were far below expectations. For a restaurant with this reputation, the experience felt disorganized and frustrating from start to finish. The only good thing we had that night was the tamarind margarita. We order steak and shrimp tacos and asked the server to show us an item that had the tacos and rice and beans in one order and she had no idea what we were asking for. We need up getting everything separate which ended up being a total waste and nothing tasted decent.

    Janey M.

    I usually visit the Newport Beach or Century City locations, but this was my first time trying the Javier's in Pasadena, and I was so impressed. One major highlight for me is the outside patio area specifically for waiting. At the other locations, you usually have to stand the entire time while you wait for a table, so having a comfortable outdoor space here is a massive upgrade. As always, the food was absolutely great, and our server was amazing--attentive and super friendly. Between the excellent service and the much-improved waiting situation, this Pasadena location is definitely going into our regular rotation!

    Barbara S.

    Beautiful restaurant with a great vibe! We had a reservation and it was extremely crowded, but they seated us once our entire party arrived. The drinks took quite a while, and although our server was friendly, we barely saw her throughout the night. Our appetizers came out and within minutes the entrees arrived right behind them, which made the whole meal feel very rushed. Staff kept trying to clear plates we were still eating from, and the table felt overcrowded and chaotic. Honestly, it turned into a bit of a cluster. We also had to flag down Viviana for the check and again to cash us out. One more thing to note -- they automatically add an 18% gratuity, which was frustrating given the service experience.

    Andrew S.

    Not even joking one of the worst restaurants I've been to. I've been to the Newport Javier's and was blown away how amazing everything is. Came to the Pasadena location for my birthday dinner EVERYTHING appetizer drinks main course was bland and cold. Service was terrible almost like I was bugging my waiter by asking him questions about the food. Didn't get a refill on my drink. I'll end off on this LOOK at the reviews 3.0 for a reason this was MIDD I cannot stress it enough. 200$ dinner wasted go anywhere else. They don't value your money here

    Queso Fundido
    Kelly B.

    Went with a group of girlfriends and we had a blast! If you are looking to go someplace and feel like you escaped to the tropics then go here! Felt like I was in Miami. Went on a Monday night and it was still hopping. Luckily, we didn't experience a wait to be seated as mentioned in other reviews. The atmosphere is loud music so if you are looking for quiet this isn't the place. But the high booths made our dinner somewhat secluded and we were able to carry on conversation amongst us. With a large cocktail list and menu there is plenty to get your own party started. We enjoyed Flaca's to drink. We started with yummy Queso Fundido and chips and then very much enjoyed the La Tablita. This was a platter full of the tasty makings of fajitas. We choose shrimp and skirt steak. Both were very good but the shrimp was out of this world amazing in tortillas. The large platter will surely wow when they bring it to the table. In addition to the two meat choices it came with: a side of arroz, refritos, guacamole, salsa fresca, jalapeños, green onions, warm tortillas, queso fresco. We were celebrating a birthday so we got two desserts and they added even more ice cream and presented all three on a platter. It was a fun presentation. Our waiter was the best. He didn't miss a beat! Overall a great night! Public Parking Structure located behind the restaurant. $10 flat rate on a weekday night.

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    Page 1 of 11

    Javiers Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Javiers

    What about parking what is parking like?

    Garage parking, street parking, valet parking available

    Do they have a kids menu?

    No... honestly, this place isn't kid friendly. The vibe is loud music and grown folk!

    Where is there any parking?

    There is Valet parking for $25.00, garage, and street parking near by

    Gratuity mandatory? If yes, what is it?

    They did not include gratuity we were 4 people

    Is it worth the price in 2026?

    Prices are comparable to other high end establishments. The quality of food and service are there and worth it if such an experience is in your budget.

    Do they have a happy hour?

    No. Not offered

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Lupita's

    Lupita's

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    Love, Lupita's. It seems every time I come here I have…read moreexcellent service and the food is as fresh as fresh can be. The owner is so grateful to have people coming in. He always takes care of all of his customers as if they were family. Myself and my coworkers always come here for lunch regularly. No matter what you come here for whether it's soup on a rainy day or enchiladas and a hard taco you are sure to have a great meal. If you're ever in Pasadena, wanna stop by? Give lupita's a try you won't be disappointed.

    We came specifically for the shrimp cocktail after hearing great things from our neighborhood…read morecommunity. This was actually our second attempt, the first time we showed up on a Saturday afternoon they were closed, despite their online hours saying otherwise. We gave them the benefit of the doubt and came back. Service was okay. The food? Disappointing. The shrimp cocktail was the whole reason we made the trip. It tasted watered down, had no seasoning, no lemon, and still had shell on the shrimp. It genuinely tasted like a pre-made Costco cocktail in red dyed water. The fajita plate (shrimp, beef, and chicken) was passable but nothing special. What really ended it for us were the hidden fees. We ordered the fajita plate $30 (+ taxes) a massive spread with a separate plate of rice and beans and they brought out THREE corn tortillas. THREE... I am Mexican. I have eaten at hundreds of restaurants in my lifetime and have never been given only three tortillas for a plate that size. We asked for more tortillas and were charged $4 with zero warning. It's not about the money it's the principle. The charge was never disclosed. When I brought it up with the owner, Lupita, she was dismissive and couldn't explain the reasoning it's not even homemade tortillas. You can literally buy 90 tortillas for $4 at a grocery store! She took off one of the charges but kept the other $2. Meanwhile, they offer unlimited chips and complimentary salsa without blinking. The inconsistency is baffling. We genuinely wanted to support this family-run restaurant we loved seeing the family come in together. But the disrespect during that conversation made it impossible to leave on good terms. Do yourself a favor and drive about a 1.5 miles down the street to El Metate. Their large shrimp cocktail is $15, is so flavorful, and the staff treats you like family. Their pozole is outstanding too. We found them on our first failed attempt to come here and we'll be going back to them exclusively from now on. We will never return to Lupita's and made it clear to not go there in our community thread with 15K people. Unless you like hidden fees and mediocre tasteless overpriced food then this is your place otherwise...don't come here.

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    El Patron

    El Patron

    3.6
    (604 reviews)
    3.2 mi
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    El Patron has been our Mother's Day tradition for a few years now. My Mom truly Loves this place…read more My Mom , fiancé and I showed up a little before noon and the place was basically empty. We picked our table and were on our way. I Love the fact that they started doing Margarita pitchers! So guess where we started! Always have to get the special Salsa with our hot Chips, no Pico de Gallo. These 4 Salsas cover the full spectrum.....a flavorful yet mild Salsa Verde, a Earthy Arbio, a spicy Habanero Aioli and a killerHOT Habanero Salsa round out this great offering., They have a great Birria de Chivo plate and that's what I went for.....plus Rice and a Salad. Tasty chunks of goat simmered in a super flavorful sauce just really satisfies the palate. The Rice is always hot, fluffy, and is one of the best Mexican Rices around.....lots of flavor. I like to use the Habanero Aioli as the dressing on my Salad. It really compliments the chilled, crispy lettuce and the tang of the Cheese. My Mom got a shredded Chicken Taco with Rice and Beans, and she was extremely satisfied. My fiancé got 1 Chicken Enchilada with Red Sauce and another with Green Sauce. She really Loved the combo. Aleen is a great server. A great smile, very attentive and a warm personality. Her service is top notch. Thank you to the entire crew at El Patron for the continued consistency, excellent service and all the flavor.i

    Maggie makes you feel like family. Here for their 16th Anniversary and Cinco de Mayo. They hired…read more mariachi band to celebrate and arranged their customers. Great beers and cocktails. Had their margaritas. You know a place is authentic Mexican food based on their salsa, and theirs hit the mark. Had Ceviche and Chile Relleno! Fantastic and huge portion! Maggie went around passing fans and gave tequila shots for anyone who was game! She also introduced and brought around her beautiful grandbabies! What a treat! We should all support Altadena small businesses whenever we can!

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    Amazing spicy salsas!
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    Casa Ipanema

    Casa Ipanema

    4.5
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    I highly recommend Casa Ipanema! This restaurant is absolutely beautiful, with an elegant setting…read moreand a warm, inviting atmosphere. The service is outstanding, and everyone is incredibly friendly and attentive. The food is delicious, and the portions are generous and well presented. Whether you're enjoying a meal with friends, celebrating a special occasion, or spending quality time with family, Casa Ipanema is the perfect place. A truly wonderful dining experience from start to finish. Beautiful ambiance, excellent food, and exceptional service. Five stars aren't enough -- I give it a 10/10!

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    Mariscos La Pasadita

    Mariscos La Pasadita

    4.8
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    Run.. don't walk! If you haven't tried this hidden gem yet, you're seriously missing out…read more From the moment we walked in, we were greeted right away and felt an instant, welcoming energy, like we were part of the family. You can tell this place is built on pride and genuine customer care, and that kind of passion shows up in every bite. I even noticed the staff taking time to clean around the register, which gave me confidence in the overall cleanliness. Our waitress was incredibly kind and attentive when I pointed something out, she addressed it immediately and even adjusted our bill without hesitation. The food? Absolutely incredible. Every dish was bursting with flavor, the vegetables were perfectly prepared, and the seafood was fresh and high-quality. I'm honestly still thinking about it... can't wait to go back!

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    4.9
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    I've been seeing this place for the past few months on my drive to City of Hope so today I finally…read moredecided to make a stop and I am glad I did. The menu has different varieties of tacos soup,seafood and breakfast items. I opted for posole since I went as soon as they opened at 9am. Now let me clarify. I am a posole connoisseur, so I am very picky when it comes to my posole. I can say with my ENTIRE chest that this by far was the best I've ever had. Posole was super clean, the broth was soooooo flavorful I did not even want to add anything to it! The meat omg was so fresh and the restaurant did not even skimp on the meat I had chunks in my bowl which was a bonus. The owners/workers were very sweet and delightful every time I looked up at them working they ran over stating if I needed anything. I cannot wait to return and try other items on their menu!

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    Cafe de la ola

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