Since 1952, The Original Tops has been serving up quality grub for the residents of Pasadena that they would want to enjoy every day with the promise to be made: "craveable, comforting, approachable, and from scratch." In 2024, I decided to check up on this promise. I stopped by on a Friday morning and decided to try to much talked-about Basic Egg Burrito ($8.29). It was mentioned on several of the growing "Best Breakfast Burritos" in Southern California lists. This is a tall order, especially given my love of breakfast burritos and trying several of them throughout the years. Made with three California fresh eggs, homestyle potatoes, Jack & Cheddar cheese, the Basic is then all wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla, grilled and served made to order. The burrito itself is a pretty good size, accompanied by two green sauces which add some flavor to each bite. The burrito itself came out extremely hot, with the egg and cheese perfectly melted together. The homestyle potatoes were also delicious. Mild in flavor, soft to the bite, with the occasional crispy "hash brown edges" included to add a little crisp. I wish there was a little more crisp to the burrito to give a little more "umph" and flavor with each bite. You could add a bacon, chorizo or pastrami as an upgrade if you choose. However, it was a decent basic burrito and value for under $10. Hop's is a small drive-thru and dine-in restaurant, located on E. Colorado Blvd. just south of the 210 Freeway. The parking lot is fairly small, however, located in a residential area provided plenty of street parking options, as well as grab and go flexibility. You order at the counter, wait for your order to be called in one of the two dozen indoor and covered outdoor seating options, pick up, and enjoy. No frills, no fuss, just a pretty good option for quick-service, homemade greasy spoon grub in Pasadena. read more

The Original Tops - Basic Egg Burrito. - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

Went here on a date with my boyfriend and we had the pleasure of enjoying corn dogs and some delicious cheeseburgers. It was super packed here, for a Friday night that's to be expected! But everyone who was dining here talked as if they had been coming here for years and knew exactly what to order. Happy I got to finally try this spot! read more

Unfortunately their food has went downhill and I'm super disappointed. The pastrami was very fatty The chili cheese fries was off. Almost as if the meat old, didn't taste right The steak sandwich meat is not rib eye. It was way overcooked and thin meat. Horrible! Never going again you oust a long time customer read more

I went to this place a couple of months ago, and it was amazing, like a 10/10. The food was some of the best I'd ever had. But fast forward to today, and I felt like the food was super salty. My wife, daughter, and I hadn't eaten all day, and by the time we were a third of the way through the meal, it felt like we were eating pure salt. We ended up throwing away about two-thirds of the food. My wife said we should've stopped eating it as soon as we tasted the saltiness, but I think I was so hungry that I didn't notice until we were further into the meal. I'm not sure how to explain this, but the first time it was the greatest thing I'd ever eaten; now it's one of the worst places I've ever eaten. I probably won't ever come here again. read more

Something is going on with consistency. We are long time patrons and order the same thing every time and each time as of late, the result has been different. The chili in the fries last night tasted different. Not the same kick it usually has. Literally topped with 5 pieces of onion. The pickled carrots were sweet! Literally sweet! No pepper or vinegar at all. It was insane. Either the taste, portion, or ingredients have been off. Possibly management needs to make rounds and ensure that the restaurant is producing as it should. I still love this spot. But maybe it is time to check production. read more

See all

Came here 5 years ago and wanted to try it out since it's been so long! On a Friday night, the drive thru is packed, parking was also tight, but we were able to find a parking spot as some customers were taking food to go. Going inside there's a back door near the drive thru line and a front door, we entered through the front side where there's plenty of outdoor seating. Didn't get a chance to take photos of the menu but what caught our eye which we ordered was the sycamore melt, pastrami, zucchini sticks, chili cheese fries, and medium drink. I also told the staff I wanted onion rings but I said all the sides at one go and he might've missed it, but after seeing all the listed food it was a good thing we didn't order it. The melt was unfortunately wet, most likely due to the coleslaw, but plenty of meat and the bread was crispy and toasted well. The pastrami had a lot of meat, but since we ate it after the melt, the bread was a bit soggy and it was more sour than I remembered (maybe too much mustard or pickle juice got it). Overall I'm happy with the size. Meat was a bit it saltier than I remembered. Chili cheese fries and zucchini were delicious. Especially with their ranch, but we didn't ask for more as I remember we had to buy it if we wanted another ranch dip. Fri is are filled through a fountain drink machine, refills unlimited! We didn't finish the sides, there was so much food so we got it to go and just stuffed them both in the chili cheese fries box and got a lid to cover. Overall I think I'd like to come back and try their burgers and get the zucchini sticks again! Restrooms are gendered and one person use at a time, and separated by a front door. read more

See all

Today, I ordered the loaded baked potato soup and the beef/chicken tostada. Tostada was as good as last time. Moreover, this time I asked for half asada and half chicken. Yummy. Loaded baked potato soup is AWESOME! It had bacon, cheese, chopped onion and the chopped potatoes. OMG, it was sooooo good and I finished it in no time. This is a must try. If you have not been to The Tops, give it a try. You will like it. read more

See all

Hubby kept seeing Tops all over social media and wanted desperately to try. He came the first time on his own wanting the breakfast burrito but was sad to learn they stop serving it at 11am. For his first rodeo he got the chili cheese fries with pastrami and pickles. This was such a large portion that he had some leftover, which I tried next day and it was still good! I think he also got the pastrami burger, which he said was okay/not bad - I just think his appetite was set on the brekky burrito tbh... Anyhow, the following weekend he went back Tops and brought some food back for me. Didn't bother waiting in the drive thru, he went around the long drive-thru line, parked, ordered and got his food rather quickly. He got the breakfast burrito this time w/ sausage and it was seasoned well & comes with some salsa verde. Got the regular chili cheese fries - still delicious and a huge portion & the patty melt (one of my faves!). I think for the price, portion, and speed (when going in) - you can't beat Tops! Their breakfast burrito is better than Lucky Boy, IMO. read more

See all

I've driven past this place a million times, always seeing a line, and finally decided to see what the fuss was about. Safe to say, I get it now. Ordered 13 bacon and egg breakfast burritos online for pickup, and the whole process was ridiculously easy. The staff was next-level friendly--the rep who helped me asked how many salsas I wanted, then proceeded to bless me with a ridiculous amount (a true hero). She even boxed up the burritos so I wouldn't have to do the awkward balancing act on my way out. Now, about these burritos--don't let their size fool you. They will take you down. I ate a whole one and felt fantastic, but apparently, the wiser move is to eat half and save the rest. No regrets, though. I'll gladly take the post-burrito food coma. Bottom line? This place lives up to the hype. Glad I finally stopped in--this is officially my go-to breakfast burrito spot. read more

The Original Tops - Bacon egg burrito - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

Very nostalgic and cozy feeling place. Service was fast and the food was decent. My Rueben sandwich was good but the meat had some chewy pieces that I had to spit out. The sweet potato fries were good and plentiful, but were a little soggy. They need to be a little more crispy or cooked longer. Great variety on their menu so will try something else next time if in the area. read more

The Original Tops - Receipt for lunch. - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

Is this my new favorite pastrami spot??? The staff is really friendly and the portions are generous. Everything tasted homemade and the pastrami wasn't too greasy or salty. I think it's safe to say I really liked it. read more

See all

I've been eating from Tops restaurants for decades. My go to is the chili cheese fries. My recent experience at the drive thru: longish wait, good service and food was spectacular, as good as it was in the 90s. Over the years sometimes it's hit or miss depending on the location, but I recommend this shop. I want to try the zucchini fries next time. read more

I am going to start out by saying this is a three star review.....but with extreme prejudice (I would even go so far as to say a 2.5). The extenuating factors are that my mom raves about this place, and we did get it to go, and stopped for gas, so it may not have been at its best. But.....my initial experience was not as good as my mother would hope. First off, I asked for it without onions and thousand island. I open it up at home, and there was an ample amount of thousand island all over my burger. I did my best to scrape it off, and added my own toppings. The bun was ruined (as again, sopped in a dressing I asked to not be on it), and the meal.....was a big nothing burger (dad joke intended). The patty, even with ketchup and mustard added.....had very little taste. It wasn't bad.....it just wasn't that good. The fries were shoestring fries, and we ordered them extra crispy, which they were not (again, I will be nice and assume this happened in the "journey" back home for take out, and may have been better if eaten in restaurant. It is a drive-thru, but in the middle of a neighborhood, so be prepared for some congestion. I guess it is popular locally, and that is a credit to the congestion, but be prepared to be honked at. I am glad my mom enjoys it here, but I probably wont be returning back read more

The Original Tops - Meh (to go) - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

Went back to try their fish and chips. Generous portion of chips but the fish wasn't good. Too fishy and dry. Also, I'm so sad that they changed their ranch. It is now too thick and salty. Even the color was different. You could see the seasoning salt or something. I'd stick to the burgers or salads. I'd like to visit more often because we love that they have outdoor seating (to go with my dog) but the heaters aren't working at the moment. read more

An acquaintance of mine claims this place is a classic. If that's the case, I wanted to try out this place as I was curious about it. It has been around since the 1950s and is the original. Unfortunately, the place is no good. Arriving, the parking lot is limited. The place is a fast food joint and the quality of food has declined as the prices have increased over time. The ambiance was not great. There was small space between each of the booths and the bathroom was tiny. When you look around, the people eating inside were unhealthy looking. I felt out of place, I felt like I was in a McDonald's or Fatburger. A lot of fatty items on the menu that will cause all sorts of problems. I had a difficult time figuring out what to choose from the menu. Chili cheese fries, triple hamburger with fried onion rings, hotdog with fried okra and a Diet Coke, etc. The breakfast isn't served all day, massive disappointment. The customer service was horrible. The woman at the front was annoyed at her job, she didn't smile and was annoyed with how long it took for me to order. When the food arrived, it was smaller than what I could have received at jimmy deans, another drive thru fast food joint. The size of the Baja burrito (carne asada, rice and beans, and chili) ordered was so small for $10. I could have went to del taco and got the same size burrito for $6. A bean and cheese burrito would have been more satisfying and it is about $3 at Taco Bell. The other thing ordered was the pastrami sandwich and boy was it average. It was $12 and it was loaded with trimmed fat. No wonder people look unhealthy here. It was loaded with a sauce that tasted icky. Icky like the texture of saliva from making out. It was goopy and it wasn't right. The aftermath was not great. I had a stomachache after and had a hard time going to the restroom. I couldn't go! I feel that the food was still trying to be absorbed in my body. I'm not used to eating the food at all. Overall, a big miss with the experience and aftermath. I can't recommend it if you are used to eating healthy food. The onion rings ordered were over cooked in hot hydrogenated oil. It was very salty and I couldn't finish a ring. The pastrami sandwich and burrito were unappetizing. It looked nothing like the pictures I seen taken from others years ago. read more

See all

Super bummed they got my order wrong!! I live 30 mins away so I couldn't just go back. I ordered a CARNE ASADA tostada salad with no pico De gallo. Even the recipe said it. By the time I got home to eat, I opened it up and saw chicken! I was mad! Ugh Mom got an avocado BLT. She liked it. Loved the crispy bacon. read more

The Original Tops - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

This place is packed often for a reason - the food is really good and lots of options. It's also great that their veggie burger patty is gluten free! They remember my name and are always kind. read more

Im a loyal customer of 40 yrs. Just a quick note to the management. My recent visit (April 14), I ordered my usual; Top's special & Zucchini. The Zucchini was a bit of a disappointmen, its was not crispy (bready) like before. Just a constructive criticism from a loyal customer! read more

One thing I enjoy doing when planning trips is choosing which restaurants we're going to do. And my biggest enjoyment is when I allow my family to pick a place. In this case, my son wanted to come try this place out. It's definitely a drive If you're coming from DTLA. But If you come during the week and go when there's not that much traffic then it's only a quick 45 minute drive. LOL. But it's definitely worth the drive at least once. My son and I both ordered their TOPS Special burger. It comes with a thin 1/4 lb beef patty with a mountain of pastrami, mustard, American cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. The burger is huge, and very tasty. The beef patty was cooked perfectly and the pastrami was delicious. The burger with fries is definitely very filling and with the price of admission. It's very fairly priced. My son enjoyed his meal as well and was very happy that he selected this place for our trip. We both agreed that although it was delicious we would only want to return if we were in the area for a game at the Rose Bowl. It's rare when we make it out this far, but we had time to kill so it was no biggy. Despite it being delicious, I wouldn't go out of my way to do revisit this place. But if you're in the area, I definitely recommend it. read more

See all

I first heard of this spot from my coworkers, who all spoke highly of this place. After trying it out, this may be my new go-to spot for a tasty pastrami sandwich. The inside of the store has a classic, old school diner feel about it with its plush booth benches, checkerboard tile styling, the wall with old images of Tops, the standard bowl shaped lights above, and so on. You'll find this place buzzing with locals just enjoying a casual meal together, hanging out with friends, etc. Each person is happily chowing down on a burger, sandwich, and sides. In terms of food: Pastrami Sandwich ($14.19): Like a person trying to hug a full sized Sequoia tree, their soft, toasted French roll tries its best to hold the stacked layers of peppery & salty brined blankets of juicy, tender pastrami. A light spread of yellow mustard and slices of pickles completes the #topspastrami sandwich (I added onions to mine because I like that bit of sweet, sharp taste). "Small" Chili Cheese Fries ($6.09): They say it's small but it definitely is a generous size to share between 2-3 people in my opinion. A pile of fries are slathered with hefty amount of chili and melted cheeses (we topped ours with onions). It's a heavy, rich accompaniment that goes well with any of their sandwiches or burgers. I enjoyed the friendly service and terrific food so much that my last bite felt bittersweet. Full up with the rich meats, bread, and fried goodness, I definitely need to take some time to walk about a bit afterwards. Give this place a try and let me know what you think! read more

See all

Stopped in for an afternoon salad and order of onion rings. While the chefs salad was okay, and a fair deal for the price, the onion rings left a lot to be desired. It was merely a sliver of onion topped with lots of breading. Basically no onion whatsoever. Just bite after bite of fried bread. Very weak. How about putting some onions inside those rings, please? read more

Food is delicious, service is good ambiance is nice reminds of "the hat" in OC. Highly recommend

I complained about how chintzy they get during their last hour and this establishment reached out to me to make it right so I went back and did get a full size pastrami sandwich that time. However, I got there around 8 PM or so instead of getting their during their last hour on a Friday or Saturday night. I did notice, however, that their chili cheese fries box did get a bit smaller for the same price. I noticed it as soon as I set the box down on the passenger seat. (When you do something often enough, you notice when something is "off," you know?) I asked the cashier about it and he confirmed that their size did get smaller for the large chili cheese fries. That doesn't diminish from the fact that they're still delicious. read more

The Original Tops - The last hour, they get cheap & give you smaller portions to make their pastrami last, I guess. Normally, the pastrami sandwich is bulging. - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

Decided to give it another try but the burritos now seem even smaller. Really disappointed with how small they are, you can look at the picture and see for yourself. Service is friendly but I can't justify this as a burrito. Lots of extra tortilla left over and very salty. read more

The Original Tops - Burrito ? Very small burrito, a side of salsa for size comparison. So much extra tortilla. Their burrito ads are misleading. - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

If you love pastrami give this place a try. I ordered the Tops special and it was packed with meat. They did not hesitate to add a large pastrami portion which was also tasty. It was not oily or dry. I also ordered zucchini fries. They were made to perfection. read more

The Original Tops - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

I wish I can put a ZERO STAR. Never eat here. Food was wrong and cold. Gave me someone else's food after they messed up. And on top of that they gave me the wrong drink. Just not the best experience. I would understand if it was busy but there was only 2 customers in the place which is wild. read more

I always come here for the best chili cheese fries in town. Other places the chili is like mush but not here. You can tell they use high quality fresh ingredients. The portions are huge here. My other favorites are their burgers and the chicken tortilla soup! Everything so good. Drive through line is always long but it's worth it! read more

Tops always comes thru when I get a craving for "naughty" food - Their portions are generous, the food is always fresh & packed well & is reasonably priced even on Doordash. Chili cheese fries are dependably large enough to share and oozing with melted cheese. Zucchini fries were crispy and not cut too thick but were slightly too salty. The tortilla soup was also slightly too salty but was still delicious w/ a good amount of chicken & cheese in it. The fresh avocado on top was also a nice surprise. read more

See all

We had the chilli dog, chilli tots, fries, pastrami sandwich and the kid's cheeseburger burger. I used self checkout, and I loved the pictures ordering the first time. It was jam packed inside and out. If you want to come order and eat and leave this is the spot. The people who brought the other half of our food were so nice and polite. Food was great, I loved the chilli dog. We would totally go there again. read more

Tried to order 2 breakfast burritos and the lady said they ran out of sausage. Who the F%$k runs out of sausage on a Saturday morning? NO BUENO! read more

The portions here are always HUGE! I got the crunchy taco and it was so stuffed that they didn't even bother filling the taco shell with all the meat, veggies, and cheese because it'd be impossible without breaking the shell. The toppings are just piled outside of the shell. 1 taco was the equivalent of eating 2 or 3 regular fast-food crunchy tacos. And the meat in the taco was fresh and you can tell its real beef with no fillers like you'd find at a cheap fast food place. I am just so impressed by this simple taco I also got the LA Street dog which is a bacon wrapped hotdog with cilantro, tomato, and grilled bell peppers. It was very smoky and exactly what you'd get from a classic LA hotdogs street vendor. This place is amazing and it's no wonder why it's always packed. But don't let that discourage you, the food comes out FAST. Highly recommend this place if you have a huge appetite without wanting to break the bank. It puts all the other fast food places to shame. read more

The Original Tops - La street dog and large onion rings - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

The place is clean and welcoming. All the employees in front are attentive and friendly. I wanted breakfast and missed it by 15 mins. So I settled for lunch, had the turkey and ham melt with a side of chicken tortilla soup. The bread was perfectly toasted and the whole sandwich was very good for a basic. The tortilla soup was surprisingly delicious as well, too bad they serve it in a cup. The soup was more of a stew as it was thick af, nice presentation tho and it has avocado piece in there. Overall prices are a bit high, but quality is good not great. read more

The Original Tops - Ham and Ham & Turkey Melt with chicken tortilla soup - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

The place is pretty good. It's like a old time diner with comfort food. The pastrami is alright. I prefer the one from The Hats more. I would rate their pastrami a 6/10. Not the best and nothing special. I love their breakfast burrito. The bacon one. So tasty and just the way i like it. The sauce is nice too. The cheese pastrami fries is ok. Too soggy and the pastrami is 6/10 Would come back! read more

See all

Massive portions alert! If you're ordering anything legit plan to share because everything is sized for two standard adults to split! The Original Tops is a great stop to fuel up for any event, we were headed to the rose bowl and stopped in and walked out stuffed with multiple left over boxes! From the juicy delectable burgers to massive pastrami sandwiches there's sure to be something for everyone. The fried zucchini was thin cut and crispy the perfect side that even reheats perfectly when you take it home! read more

See all

Food 2/5 Service 2/5 Ambiance 3/5 Milkshake 3/5 Not sure what the hype is all about. Food took forever to come out, no apologies even when they forgot our friends food and kids milkshakes. There is no customer service here. Onion rings were sad. Zucchini fries were better. Burger was mid. Nothing special about this place. I was more impressed with their bathroom and overall ambiance which was clean so I'll give them that. One and done for me. read more

The chili cheese hot dog was a bit salty. But I liked the onion rings. Tostada salad. Pastrami burger. Fried zucchini. Chili cheese fries. Vanilla shake. The customer service helped me with a smile. Nice an classic atmosphere. Order what you like and what you know. But everything is a great filler to my hunger. read more

See all

By far, Today I ate the best (3) meat breakfast burrito w/salsa verde in my fukcn life! I'm a black guy so you know I've tried many! HA

The drive thru is rather awkward, but nonetheless the food is just right! I love the fried zucchini and French fries but what has captured my heart are their tater tots! They are lightly crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. Am I addicted? Yes...I am! If I get nothing else, I'll get their tater tots. I have also had their grilled cheese-respectable- and their Tops special burger with pastrami? Omg. Soooooo good! I can only eat half. Also, many I add, they have the BEST shakes! I only ever get vanilla but good gracious! They are superior and fresh. Can't go wrong with much on the menu- I've had their breakfast items and they've all been great! read more

I usually like everything I order at this restaurant. They're fast. The service is good. I enjoy the atmosphere inside the people who will help. You are extremely nice, but the French fries. Were a complete waste of time. I got a large size but most of it got wasted. And there was no salt on it at all. So they were tasteless overcooked very underwhelming. I will never get them again. read more

Already can't wait to go back! I had the sausage breakfast burrito with green salsa and an orange bang and it was better than expected! Seasoned well, the sausages, eggs and potatoes were cooked perfectly and the tortilla was soft and pliable. Service was quick. They have drive thru, 2 digital kiosks as well as cashiers to help speed up service. The place was clean and roomy. read more