Almost walked out because nothing on the menu was really calling my name. You know when youre really hungry but also not craving anything in particular? but youre really hungry. well i felt that way and almost walked away until i saw the kimchi fried chicken benedict. my god, what a blessing that was. one of the most memorable eggs benedict dish ive ever had. everything was perfect, absolutely zero flaws. the potatoes it came with was so ridiculously perfect. i have no words. flavor was perfect, not too salty but not bland either. i love that it actually had kimchi in it, where many other restaurants dont do. they typically call it kimchi butter and call it a day. but here, the chicken was crispy but buttery, and adding the kimchi got extra crispyness, then topping it iff with the runny yolk to bring it all together. lord, i pray you give many blessings to this cafe, this is absolutely gods work! vibes were off the chain, people watching on colorado st along with the rain and christmas vibes, man, what a blessing it is to be alive! excited to finish up and head across the street for them fancy italion bucce gelato, lesss get it!! read more

Popping Yolk Cafe - Kimchi Butter Fried Chicken Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

I love coming here for breakfast! The wait can be a bit long sometimes, but nothing too outrageous. You put yourself on a waitlist and they send you a text once you're able to order. You order at the counter and they bring the food to you. The staff is all very friendly. The interior is pretty big, it can get noisy when there are multiple big parties, but for the most part it's a nice place to grab some food and chat. The food is really good, we've had some of their breakfast sandwiches and omelettes, but our favorite thing to order are the ube pancakes. So good and not too sweet! Street parking sucks because it's Old Town, but the structure off of De Lacey usually isn't full and is my go-to. read more

I stumbled onto this brunch spot and I'm so glad I did. They have all types of Egg Benedicts! I wanted to try one out for the first time so I got their Avocado Benedict. The Avocado Benedict tasted really good- it very smooth and everything worked very well together. The potatoes were great as they were salted lightly and crispy. Salad dressing was also light and wasn't overly drenched and tasted great. The staff were also so kind and sweet; they love dogs and are dog friendly. This place is a must try for brunch and I'd definitely come back again. read more

Popping Yolk Cafe - Avocado Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pasadena, California

Norwegian Benedict: 5/10 Hot Chicken Sandwich: 8/10 Ube French Toast: 7/10 This is a pretty solid takeout spot with a great variety of dishes for a group of people craving different things. The salmon in the Norwegian Benedict tasted old, but the potatoes, Hot Chicken Sandwich, and Ube French Toast made up for it! Unfortunately, we ordered Ube Pancakes and received the French Toast so that was also disappointing. read more

See all

The food was good, the atmosphere pleasant. I'm a little bothered by being asked for a tip when ordering - a tip should be given after the meal is complete. But this "tip when ordering" seems to be a new thing... read more

The Popping Yolk Cafe was POPPING off when we got there on the weekend, and we waited about 45 minutes for a table! This place is a must-try in Pasadena, and I'm so glad I tried this spot while venturing to Pasadena for the day. When your table is ready, you go ahead and order at the front counter, and then they tell you what table to go to! Every menu item looked terrific, so it was tough to choose, but I went with their classic breakfast, which came with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, garden spring salad, toast, and potatoes. Everything on that plate was so good, and the potatoes were to die for. My girlfriend also loved here food too and was raving about this place the whole day. Inside, there is a lot of seating, so it's perfect for friends and families! If I'm in the area, I'm for sure coming back! read more

Popping Yolk Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pasadena, California

Haven't been around these parts in a while, so I decided to check this newish place out. It's in the high-rent district of Old Town Pasadena and there's very limited street parking, so just head right into the public parking structure around the corner. Interesting menu. Not sure what to make of it as it's all over the place. But they do offer various eggs benedict dishes, hence the name of the establishment. Probably should've gotten one of those dishes, but the islander inside of me really wanted to try the kimchee-spam omelette. Inside is very spacious with lots of seating. Just order your food at the counter, you get a number, you find a seat and wait. Ordered the following: - Kimchee spam omelette - 5.5/10. Meh. It's a lot of food, don't get me wrong, and they load up your plate with country fried potatoes. But the omelette itself was too much kimchee and not enough egg. The added spicy sauce on top was unecessary as the kimchee itself was already spicy enough. - Iced almond mocha latte - 6.5/10. Just ok as well. Nothing too special about it. So for those two items at $28, I'd hoped to get something special, but it was just an overpriced and very average meal unfortunately. read more

Popping Yolk Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pasadena, California

Everything was delicious, one of the best brunch I've had. Loved the Nashville chicken benedict. Very flavorful with an amazing sauce and bread. French toast was crispy and sweet. Egg coffee was also a great choice. Loved the potatoes that came with the dishes. They were fried perfectly. Portion was very generous. Can't wait to try more. read more

See all

Came around 11am after going on the Eaton Canyon hike. Little to no wait on a Sunday and there's a parking structure nearby for $1 for 2 hours. Perfect for someone that has parking anxiety (me). The vibes are chill. It's one of those places where you order and pay first before you sit down, we did tip but we did think it was weird to tip before the service. We also had to call someone over rather than a server checking on us but maybe we're just mistaken if it was a table service type of deal or not. We ordered the popping yoke burger 7/10, Nashville chicken Benedict 7/10, and shared the ube French toast 6.5/10. The portion sizes are generous and expected with the pricing. $100 overall with tip. Did have to take some to-go. Food was good but nothing to write home about. Despite me writing now All and all it's chill but don't think I'll come back, respectfully. read more

See all

I've always walked by this restaurant in the evening and it's always closed. The name is so intriguing that I made it a point to visit during their dining hours. The place is a lot bigger than it looks from the outside. There is outdoor seating and plenty of seating inside. We were greeted immediately with super friendly people. You order first then find a seat. My son had the pulled pork omelette. The serving was very generous and hot. The meat was super tender and tasty, there was a huge pile of potatoes that were oh so delish! The salad was just enough vegetables to balance off the meal. My son demolished the entire entree very quickly! I had the crab egg Benedict. Again the portion was very generous. I've had my share of amazing crab egg Benedict's and this one rates in my top 5. I love the Cole slaw that was added to the Benedict. Crab was tasty and well made. I could only eat one of the two, my son ate the other. For dessert we had a berry crepe. We were so full we didn't think we would be able to eat anymore. It was so yummy, we ate the whole thing! There were a lot of berries and the crepe was thin and lite. The whipped cream was not too sweet and fluffy lite. Overall experience was awesome. The wait staff kept coming around making sure our meal was good and if we needed anything. Will definitely be going back. read more

See all

I love breakfast food and heard nothing but great things about this place. Decided to take my wife on a breakfast date a couple days ago and gave this place a try and was not disappointed at all. We ordered the Nashville Hot Chicken Benedict, the BBQ Pulled Pork Benedict, and the Toffee Banana Crunchy French Toast. Boy were we surprised with every bit. The Nashville Hot Chicken Benedict was my favorite of the two and the Toffee Banana Crunchy French Toast was absolutely amazing. The flavor was perfect, not too sweet, and the perfect amount of crunch with interior. This location is a little small but has a nice calming family atmosphere. So get there early or you might have to wait a little bit. Service was fast and the staff was really nice. I would 100% recommend others try this place and I will be going back myself to try something else. The menu has so many good options to choose from. read more

See all

First time here for Saturday brunch. Walked right in, no wait and ordered right away. Food came out fairly quickly and big portions. Everyone was nice and friendly. Place is clean and cozy with cute decor. Food was so good. I don't usually don't like sweets for breakfast, but the ube french toast wasn't too sweet and love the crunchy outside. Definitely will come back and recommend. read more

See all

Cute little brunch spot. This place has the best fresh squeezed orange juice I've ever had!!! I could not slow myself down after I took the 1st sip. My Hawaiian burger was cooked nicely and super flavorful too. They have very interesting flavors for french toast like ube! Service was fast and staff was very friendly. The booths give a homey vibe. read more

Popping Yolk Cafe - Hawaiian burger - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

My friend checked in before we got there and you have to check in before going into the restaurant. Once your table is about ready, they ask that you place your order before being seated at your table. The food was delicious and I enjoyed my Hawaiian burger. The service was decent. Everything that the servers brought out looked and smelled amazing! The ambiance is quaint and the nose level will get loud the more people that are dining in. They have outdoor seating too. I'd advise you to bring a light long sleeve because the air is on the colder side. I enjoyed the food and will need to try a different location to see which one is better :) read more

See all

Had a full day of errands ahead and my partner and I decided to grab brunch before we went about our day. We were helped quickly and the food came out fairly quickly as well. We ordered at the front and can pick any open table. We tried the ube latte, lychee sangria, Norwegian Benedict and kimchi omelette. The Benedict was cooked very well. Both pieces had beautiful runny yolks and the kimchi omelette was delicious as well. Overall a really cute and casual brunch spot. Looking forward to coming back and trying their other menu items. read more

See all

Popping Yolk Cafe is a fun addition to Alhambra. The restaurant is cozy and welcoming with additional seating in the patio area behind the restaurant. It's combined self-service where you order your food and pay ahead and then grab a seat with your number. A food runner then brings your food to your table. I found this to be easy and efficient. I ordered the classic breakfast, which came with two eggs, bacon, sausage, garden spring salad, country potatoes, and toast. To my surprise, the portions were hefty so you definitely will not leave hungry. Eggs were cooked perfectly, bacon was crispy, and the salad was a nice balance between the meat and potatoes. I also tried the egg coffee, but was told by a staff member that they do not use Vietnamese coffee which was a bummer. Didn't get a chance to try their French Toast, which looked amazing. The crowd was minimal around 9am on a Sunday with plenty of street parking within surrounding streets. Be sure to grab brunch and then walk it off at the nearby Farmers Market! read more

came here on a Sunday around 11:30am and was lucky enough to find parking near the front of the restaurant. the dine in system was a bit confusing but was able to get clarification from staff. there's a tablet you can check in on until you receive a text notification that lets you know you're able to wait in line to order. the estimated wait was 40-50 minutes, but was actually much less and about 30 minutes instead. the dishes are pretty big and probably shareable between 2 people. i ordered the kimchi spam omelette and it did not disappoint! everything was cooked perfectly and i was glad that the omelette didn't turn out dry like some other places make it to be. we also ordered the classic french toast and it was the perfect sweetness and crispiness. their vanilla latte (recommended by their staff) was also a hit so i don't think you can go wrong with any of their coffees. we were also able to get our foods pretty quickly after we were seated, which i was surprised about because it's a pretty crowded space there is indoor and outdoor seating available and very dog friendly. read more

See all

The French toast is delicious. I think they deep fry it. I really liked the crispy texture. I love the Nashville Hot Chicken Benedict. The diced potatoes are just right crispy. Maybe add some diced onions and bell peppers. I have only tried the Benedict and French toast. They can get pretty busy. Parking on Colorado is tough. Luckily there is a parking structure around the corner. read more

The wait on a Saturday around noon was about 30-60 minutes but since it's right on the Colorado St in Pasadena, I went on a walk and picked up some coffee. So the wait wasn't bad at all. The staff was super busy so it can be hard at times to get their attention but whenever I asked for something, they were really friendly and helpful. The inside was bright and beautifully decorated. The House French Toast was so good! The crunch was amazing and the syrup was not too much or overly sweet. The omelette was good as well. And if you need any sauces, they were at the table for you to add. Also, my friends and I left with our stomachs satisfied. read more

Popping Yolk Cafe - California Omelette, House French Toast, Ham and Sausage Sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pasadena, California

The food combines American with hints of Asian-fusion dishes. The menu has the usual omelette, sandwiches, and French toast, amongst other popular breakfast options, but they combine their ingredients effectively. My party ordered the Kimchi Spam and Hot Chicken Sandwich. Despite being savory dishes, they are good options for brunch. If you love kimchi, this omelette is for you. However, after a while the taste does get overwhelming and not even the side salad and the potatoes helped. The Hot Chicken Sandwich is the older brother of the Raising Cane's Chicken Sandwich. The egg and chipotle sauce helps blend the flavors together. Honestly, even the sides were impressive (the spring mix is a great option for any salad and the potatoes were small and crispy). Food was great and the servers were courteous. Good amount of seating. They do have a good system as you join the waitlist, come back once they call you, order first, and finally get seated. Also know that the parking is street parking. read more

Popping Yolk Cafe - Kimchi Spam Omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

Food was pretty good! Got the Nashville Hot Chicken Benedict. Portion size was very generous, couldn't finish the meal so had to take the rest home. I got the level 2 heat and it wasn't spicy. Next time I'll probably go for a higher heat level for more of the spicy pick. read more

Popping Yolk Cafe - Nashville Hot Chicken Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pasadena, California

1 piece of toast for a full breakfast. Really? $5 black coffee? REALLY?! I got the classic breakfast. And it came with 1 piece of toast. I also order a coffee, black, for over 5 bucks. But the orange juice does look fire. read more

Today I had the pleasure of eating at Popping Yolk Cafe in Pasadena. The service was fast and all of the staff were very friendly. The restaurant was clean and the iced vanilla latte was so delicious. We will be back! read more

Popping Yolk Cafe - Classic Breakfast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

Went every day three days in a row! Busy especially on the weekend, but worth the wait. The Benedict's are amazing, the French toast, too. Efficient and friendly service. Atmosphere clean and comfortable inside, with some sidewalk seating. read more

One of my top favorite brunch spots in Pasadena. Been here many times. I always gravitate towards eggs Benedict dishes. My husband usually orders a sandwich of some sorts & a dessert plate. The service is usually pretty speedy, restaurant has self seating & orders upon entry, but waiters/waitresses are quick to tend to any other requests you may have. Staff is very kind at this location. If you're looking to avoid being waitlisted I recommend coming during the week. Fri- Sun are busy, but for good reason. I personally love their iced lattes, they are on the sweeter side and are very creamy. They always have a nutty flavor to them. My go to is the iced vanilla latte. Potatoes are delicious and very well seasoned & the salad helps balance everything out, being light and fresh. I believe these sides come with every dish except dessert orders. If you're ordering anything eggs Benedict it's going to be messy, but it's well worth it. Food is always very well seasoned and the yolky egg in the Benedict dishes earn the restaurant its name. I love their Nashville hot chicken Benedict (Mild) the kick is there, but not over powering, the chicken is always tender and fresh. Delicious. My husband always orders a burger, and has never had any complaints about over or undercooked proteins. Meat is always cooked to perfection in every burger while being very savory and flavorful. As for desserts my husband has only had crepes, while they are good his only complaint is that the crepe is thicker than your average crepe. But, seeing that they fill up their crepes with so much, I can understand why they would make a thicker crepe. In the photo uploaded my husband ordered a berries and cream crepe and it was just that. Berries and cream topped with cereal and served with a side of Icecream. If you have a sweet tooth like my husband you should have no complaints. Overall love this brunch spot, it's relatively affordable for its quality & large portions. Service is great, food is great. Constantly craving popping yolk, so I'll always be back haha. read more

See all

Food - 4/5 Ordered the Nashville hot chicken omelette and substituted the potato's for fries. Overall thought the omelette was good. The only thing I didn't love was that the ratio of filling felt off. It had so much spinach in it, that it felt more like a spinach hot chicken omelette. The chicken was tender, juicy and flavorful. The tomato's felt a bit big and had mixed feelings on the size of the pickles. Not sure if I would have liked them cut smaller or just they used smaller pickles. The fries I subbed for didn't have much flavor for "seasoned" fries. Good level of crunchy though. Service - 4/5 Friendly staff. They checked in to see if we needed more water or anything else. Ambience - 4/5 We ate outside which was nice they had a space for that. The inside seemed nice and spacious. Overall as someone who does not really like brunch foods or eggy things this place wasn't bad and I'd come back if someone wanted brunch foods or eggy things. read more

Popping Yolk Cafe - Nashville Hot Chicken Omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pasadena, California

In the bustling scene of Old Town Pasadena there is this little gem. With a very comfortable atmosphere and a staff that is like a warm hug I enjoyed my new years brunch here. Me and my party ordered quite a few things to celebrate the new year. We got bottomless mimosas the popping yolk burger, an order of French toast, and a Kimchi omelette. The burger was delicious, moist and was complemented with some of the best tots I've had in a while. The omelet was by far the best one I've ever had. Each bite was filled with fermented kimchi and the soft omelette was just a dancing delight. The French toast is better than most it was crispy sweet but was just missing something to wow me. Overall I highly recommend this as a nice brunch with friends or in-laws. read more

Popping Yolk Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pasadena, California

Popped in for brunch today for the first time at this establishment. Only 30 min wait. Service was good and friendly. But the food was bland. Ordered the Nashville chicken Benedict. No Nashville flavors here. The hollandaise was weak and underwhelming. The chicken itself was flavorless. The meal looked better than it actually tasted. I also ordered the "new" Nutella banana pancakes. What a disappointment. The Nutella was obviously diluted and watery which was supposed to be the star was of the show. The pancake itself was soggy from all the liquid Nutella. Not worth the hype or long lines. read more

Ate breakfast here this morning at 10:30 am. We ordered at the counter, then seated ourselves. It wasn't busy. Ordered the ube pancakes. My son ordered the banana toffee waffles. Both were delicious. The only thing I wished was for the pancakes to be bigger. Other than that, it was a nice experience. Staff were welcoming, courteous and nice. read more

Popping Yolk Cafe - Ube pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pasadena, California

Service was great! I tried the ube iced latte and it wasn't too sweet in my opinion. The fried banana French toast was delicious. My friends enjoyed the crab cake Benedict. The potatoes that come with the meals are also the BEST part! Perfect amount of crisp. A little small inside, but there is also seating outside. I want to come back for a hot latte next time. Delicious! read more

Another place that we just stumbled upon walking by. Sunday afternoon trying to find a place for brunch and walking by seeing the food in-front of people. Which looks amazing, we stopped by. First off, we juts walked in to see the menu but didn't really care for the putting your name down on the waitlist even though there wasn't a waiter serving you. We left to walk around and came back half an hour later. Put our name down on the iPad waitlist. Which for 2 was about half an hour wait. But it was more like 10 minutes. They sent you a text saying that they're ready for you to come order. You place your order at the counter and a number is given to you. There's both indoor and outdoor seating. Food didn't take long to arrive and first impression. It looked amazing. As well as taste. Potion wise it was great as well for the main. Had the fried chicken Benedict which was amazing. Fried chicken with coleslaw, pickles, egg on top on an English muffin. Traditional Benedict but with the fried chicken. Served with a salad and their house potatoes. The other was the smoked salmon omelette. The amount of smoked salmon was great as places do skimp out on it. Also accompanied with the potatoes and salad. And a side of the classic French toast, half potion. That was accompanied with fresh fruit, whipped cream and drizzled with syrup. The meal great. Would definitely recommend this place. They also have alcohol which was great. read more

See all

Nashville chicken eggs Benedict - overall, I was underwhelmed by this dish. The portions are huge, which is a big perk if you're coming in hungry. The chicken itself was reasonably juicy, but, The seasoning was underwhelming. Despite the red color, there was generally a lack of flavor, and even under salted in my opinion. Which is not something that I typically say for most dishes. On the flipside, I have a safe, the potatoes were excellent, 5/5, crispy, well seasoned. Service - I have to say the service was very impressive. You order at the counter, grab a number. Afterwards, a waiter brings you your drinks, and your food. On a relatively busy Saturday morning, my food came out within five minutes. I was very impressed by that. Ambience - ambience overall is pretty great. I was there during the holidays, lots of cute, holiday decor, everything is clean, and it's a great place to just sit down for an hour with your friends. Overall, I would like to come back to try some other dishes, but definitely pass on the (Nashville) eggs Benedict. read more

Popping Yolk Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pasadena, California

If you find yourself strolling down Colorado Blvd in Old Town Pasadena, and your tummy starts chiming "feed me," I've got just the spot for you! This charming eatery, nestled in the heart of Pasadena, checks all the boxes for a memorable brunch experience. Food: 5/5 I swung by this gem with my girlfriends on a sunny Thursday morning, just before the lunch crowd barged in. We were greeted by a cozy, fully covered patio, where we basked in the perfect balance of sunlight and shade. Inside, they've got ample seating, including roomy booths and long tables, ideal for medium-sized brunch parties (6-8 people). I opted for the Classic Eggs Benedict, and let me tell you, it was Benedict-licious! For a reasonable $18, I was served a hearty portion that included crispy potatoes and a side salad. I've brunch-hopped around quite a bit, but this Eggs Benedict ranks among the best. It's safe to say, my taste buds were doing a happy dance! And then, there was the Ube Latte - sweet and tasty, but I must admit, the elusive Ube flavor played a bit hard to get. Nonetheless, it was a delightful addition to my brunch adventure. But the real showstopper was the Toffee Banana Waffle WITH ICE CREAM. I brought it home, planning to savor every bite slowly, but my family had other plans. It was swiped from my grasp and devoured before I could even protest! Trust me, folks, it was THAT good. Ambiance: 5/5 The decor here exudes warmth and comfort. The combination of the cozy patio and the spacious inside seating provides the perfect setting for a relaxed brunch date or a gathering with friends. The fact that you order at the counter and they bring the food to you adds to the casual and hassle-free vibe. Service: 5/5 Quick, friendly, and absolutely hassle-free! The staff made our brunch experience all the more enjoyable. They didn't rush us, even though it was a casual setting, and that's something you don't always find. In conclusion, I can't wait to return, and this time, I'll be bringing along even more family and friends to share in the brunch magic. So, if you're in Pasadena and brunch is on your mind, give this place a try--you won't be disappointed! read more

See all