We love True Food Kitchen, first time to the one here in Pasadena. It was a bit of a swing and a miss. Thursday night, 8pm, an hour before close, party of 4. I went to Open Table to make a reservation - just in case Plenty of tables open. We were seated right by the door. Our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable, however, got one order wrong. There were 2 seasonal pizzas and I would have been happy with either. She specifically recommended one which I said yes to, and I got the other. The flatbread was fine but nothing to rave home about. Two in our party ordered the harvest salad with very different results. The one with chicken was beautifully prepared with a great balance of protein, vegetable and kale. The second - no protein - was basically a bowl of kale with almost no other vegetables, of which the cauliflower was very undercooked. The ancient grains bowl with steak was the best of the 4 dishes, although the steak was cooked well done and a bit dry. Brussels sprouts as an appetizer were could have been cut smaller and cooked a bit more. It was quiet and so our conversation flowed nicely. I'm going to chalk this up to an off night for them. read more

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We were in the area doing some last-minute Christmas shopping when we decided to pop in and give this place a try. Definitely loved the ambience and the setting. Amazing patio for most days of the year here in Los Angeles. Most of the staff was super friendly. Our waitress didn't seem excited to really tell us about the menu for the food seeing as it was our first time, so we just decided to try a couple of things Honestly, it wasn't that memorable. My daughter got a possible which tasted OK just didn't look very appetizing and if I remember correctly, I got a pizza that had some kind of sausage on it seeing as there selections with meat are very limited. If you're someone who's in two more "pure" foods, and like vegetarian options than this place is definitely recommend it. If you're a carnivore like me, I would think twice. All in all aesthetically gorgeous but food wise was just OK. read more

True Food Kitchen - Chicken Sausage Pizza - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I liked the food but the website sucks. Nice restaurant. Fresh food. Vegan choices. All good. I'm looking for happy hour on the website and all these sign ups get in the way. It's not straightforward or enticing with photos of food, the restaurant , the bar etc. I can't get beyond the sign up tabs and cookies. I give up. We will go somewhere else for Happy Hour. read more

The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, with a modern yet homey feel. Friendly staff and flavorful dishes make it a perfect go-to for a relaxed morning. read more

Food was amazing. Service was amazing. Highly recommended for a small group of friends, clients, and family most of all. read more

Been here so many times and keep coming back! I love their service,ambiance, clean food options, and refreshing drinks! Everything on the menu is good, you seriously can't go wrong! read more

True Food Kitchen - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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My go-to spot for great drinks and good food near home. True Food Kitchen never misses! The staff is always friendly and welcoming, and the quality is consistently top-notch. I'm especially obsessed with their Kale Aid juice--so fresh and the perfect brunch pick-me-up. The outdoor seating is also a huge plus--perfectly dog-friendly, which makes it an easy choice when I'm out with my pup. Whether it's brunch, lunch, or dinner, True Food always delivers. read more

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One of my favorite places for a quick and healthy lunch! Their patio is so enjoyable and they allow dogs! Food is tasty

Really cute restaurant! Service was decent and so was the food! The ancient grains bowl is probably the best lunch option because it is filling and doesn't leave you feeling bloated afterwards! The lemon blueberry brunch muffins are very sweet and weren't what I was expecting. They were glazed in some sort of icing. Next time, I would try the shrimp blackened because as they were served lacked a bit of flavor and some were still cold. read more

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We went there for the 3rd time and they took in consideration everything that bothered us in our last visit. We had a great time , my daughter enjoyed eating outside and felt welcomed. Thank you so much read more

This place can get BUSY, so just be aware of wait times and such. It is definitely worth it, though! The servers are fun, the food is great, and the location is simply awesome. Such a gem! read more

Decided to give this place another try and this time, it did not disappoint! Food was delicious and service was attentive. We got seated in the dining room with a fire place. The ambience was calm and relaxing. Even though it was raining outside, the dining space felt warm and inviting. They now have happy hour from 3-6pm so we ordered the Duo Dip as appetizers. Portion size was good for two people. read more

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Who said healthy eating has to taste bad? True Food Kitchen proves that whole foods can be absolutely delicious if made the right way. So many amazing options for vegans and meat eaters alike! I got the Harvest Salad with smoked Tempeh and it was so mouthwatering good! The caramelized Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, and quinoa fused together perfectly. I added smoked tempeh for an extra flavorful twist. I also got a delicious cappuccino with oat milk to warm me up at the end. Service was super friendly. We were seated within 15 minutes in the beautiful patio area. It was a little chilly, so the waiter turned on the heat lamp. Very pleased with True Food! Had an amazing lunch :) read more

True Food Kitchen - Seasonal Harvest Salad with Smoked Tempeh - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I ordered the Chinese Chicken Salad. The salad was fresh for sure. It was missing the bok choy and snap peas and had very little cilantro. The dressing was also clean and fresh but had minimal flavor. The chicken was good quality but flavorless as well. Luckily we had some Waba sauce packets and were able to add it to the salad or it would have been very boring. We ordered take out. The food was packaged nicely and delivered timely. I tried a friend's Butternut Squash pizza and that was very good! read more

Rancher's hash was underwhelming - chewy beef - and very bland. Also they are short on staff so long wait times from placing orders to receiving drinks read more

Location: True Food Kitchen is located on Colorado Blvd in Pasadena. As we all know parking on the street is not going to be an option unless you're very lucky. Either way, expect to pay for your parking, either on the street or parking structure. Interior/exterior: You have the option of either sitting outside or inside. We sat inside because it was still hot at the time we went. Love their decor. Thank god for AC. Service: Our server was friendly and did give us some suggestion. It did take long before our food came out. I think one of our drinks got lost because it took so long. Oh now I remember they ran out of that drink. Really? Food/drinks: Appetizers: 1. Edamame dumplings with dashi, white truffle oil, and herbs ($14): BOMB! 2. Charred Cauliflower with harisso tahini, Medjool date, dill, mint, pistachio ($12.50): it wasn't that great. I feel like the flavor wasn't there and a bit too charred for my liking. Main dishes: 1. Korean Noodle Bowl with sweet potato glass noodle, pickled shiitak, organic spinach, carrot, bean sprouts, Chef Matt's Magical Dust ($16.50) and I added fair trade arctic salmon for an additional $11. I can honestly say that there's nothing magical about this dish. It was bland and boring. 2. Spinach & mushroom pizza with roasted mushroom, lemon almond ricotta, caramelized onion ($18.50). Toppings were good, however, the pizza was soggy. It was soggy that I cannot call it pizza. 3. Peruvian Grass fed burger came with grass fed organic beef, caramelized onion, Peruvian pepper sauce, Vital Farms fried egg, Point Reyes blue cheese ($19.50). Added kale salad and potato hash. You cannot go wrong with a burger. It was better than the other two dishes. 4. Smoked Gouda Turkey Burger with avocado, organic tomato, butter lettuce, jalapeño remoulade ($17.50). Added kale salad and potato hash. Again, you can't go wrong with a burger. Drinks: 1. Sparkling Prickly Pear Tisane with prickly pear, hibiscus, lime ($5); it was so sour and doesn't taste yummy at all. I didn't even finish it. 2. Peaches & Bourbon with old grand dad bourbon, giffard pêche, lemon ($15): watered down craft cocktail. My overall experience was not that great as majority of the stuff we ordered were not that good. The only dish I would recommend is the edamame dumplings. read more

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Friends suggested this restaurant and I am glad they did. We went on Sunday and it was busy so there was a long wait. They take reservations so I would definitely so that in the future Everyone likes their meals - I had the teriyaki grain bowl and loved it. Other people had the burger and turkey burgers. Enough variety that even picky eaters should be able to Find something Food quality and quantity were excellent Don't skip dessert - apple cake was tasty Service was excellent we sat outside - they have a nice courtyard which is great when it's nice out . Patio had heaters which was nice Definitely recommend. read more

Omg Heather is an Angel! I just want to hang out with her, lol she really made my experience a million times better, so much personality and super funny! I am so happy she helped us today, super thankful for her attentiveness and company. I almost wish she could just sit and eat with us lol super sweet! The food was delicious, very good quality and hearty ingredients. Everything tasted amazing and you can tell they prep everything from scratch . Their butternut squash soup is amazing and their vegan flatbread appetizer. Love the hi is us lemonade and the veggie burger is the best in Pasadena! I didn't save room for the squash pie but I will be back Thank You again Heather for making our morning super special, such a glowing personality and kind soul. Check out her podcast /TikTok "with a side of ranch" ;) read more

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True Foods used to one of our favorites on a summer Friday night! Sitting outside, they used to have delicious cocktails and good food. They still have good food...unless they run out of what you want...then you have to make do with something else. I've never been to a restaurant that "runs out" of the popular items so often! It's happened to me a few times now! But the cocktail were the bigger issue!! What on earth happened to their cocktails? I used to LOVE their spicy margaritas! I've had the time and time again! Yesterday, I ordered my usual and they brought out a drink that was weak and watery. It no longer has that tart, lime taste. It tastes more like dirty ranch water with VERY little tequila or lime! We asked them to remake them and I think they were messing with us, because we got the same thing, but they put EXTRA jalapeño syrup to try and cover up the fact that it was still a weak, poor excuse for a margarita. Now they were so spicy the were undrinkable. We basically left then there almost full. Our waiter could've seen we did not drink them, but he did nothing further to remedy or try to make up for the awful drinks. Not the service we've come to expect from True Foods. Paid for our over-priced drinks (only because they were awful) and learned our lesson. Won't be ordering cocktails at True Foods ever again! Wine only...can't screw that up! read more

Amazing! Food was really good! We'll definitely come back. Nice ambiance to enjoy as well.

This "sniffs in" at about 3.75 stars... I met a friend here because both of us are having carpy health years in 2024 and it seemed like a better choice as we head towards 2025. I dined at their Newport Beach location circa 2012? The wife vetoed it off our list because I believe she felt it was too healthy and not tasty enough. I reviewed the menu and images in advance and there were countless options of interest for my palate such as watermelon salad, grass fed burger, butternut squash pizza, bougie blanco pizza, pineapple spritzer, chocolate PB tart, squash pie, doctors mule, espresso martini, peach mojito, spicy Korean chicken sandwich, grass fed bison sausage pizza, carrot cake, sparkling peach tea. NOTE: some items will be unavailable as their menu changes periodically Here is what we "sniffed in" on: CHARRED CAULIFLOWER: -- creamy and spicy and fairly well charred -- not the best rendition but a solid one RATING = B+ BOUGIE BLANCO PIZZA: -- needs more of all ingredients -- it's a rather petite pie with a soft thinner crust -- it tastes good but it was lightly topped so could have been better -- since it was so small they should have been more generous with ingredients for the price point IMHO RATING = B THAI PEANUT NOODLE BOWL: -- spicy and creamy with great texture variation -- added chicken (for health purposes) RATING = A- PRICKLY PEAR TISANE (drink): -- not very sweet but refreshing -- flavors a bit muted for me RATING = B- HOT COFFEE: -- nothing to write home about and a tad thin but slightly above average -- had to ask for whole milk/half and half (not included automatically) RATING = B- SQUASH PIE: -- similar to pumpkin pie but softer and a more brownish yellow color -- clearly spicy -- love the coconut whipped cream -- delicious pie and if you like pumpkin pie you will like this -- seasonal offering I believe -- portion size = medium -- not too sweet RATING = A PEANUT BUTTER DARK CHOCOLATE TART: -- great looking -- fantastic balance between both PB and chocolate -- delicious with coffee -- not too sweet RATING = A The wife is not wrong in that you can definitely tell you are eating healthy food and some dishes are much more flavorful than others. Nothing really impressed me too much other than the desserts. I would likely reserve this place for when I want a specific dessert or a healthy meal. If you are a health nut or prefer very light subtle flavors this is likely your spot. The ambiance is pretty cool and you can watch ultra fresh looking prep through the all glass kitchen. Parking is available at a garage located on DeLacey. Thankfully we were able to make a reservation on a busy weekend. read more

I usually have nothing but great things to say about this place but not today. First off I'd like to acknowledge that dining out is not something many Americans get to do these days with cost of living & goods being so high, especially in SoCal. I was treating myself to dinner and sat in the bar so I wouldn't have to wait for a table. I was expecting to have a fantastic experience and was super disappointed. I made eye contact with the bar staff several times but wasn't even acknowledged for what felt like 10 minutes. Finally one of them came over but I felt like I was a bother to them. They did the bare minimum throughout my meal and never asked if I needed anything else or was happy with my meal. I ordered the edamame dumplings which are always great, the original chicken sandwich, which was a massive disappointment along with the smoky bloody Mary, which was also a massive disappointment. The sandwich was dry and pretty flavorless. I had to order a side of ranch just to eat it. And the drink was so water down that it barely had any flavor. For $20 I was expecting so much more. All together this evening cost me almost $65. Sad to say I have no intentions of returning again. If the owners or managers happen to see this please have a talk with your wait staff in the bar. They're rude and have no concept of service. It's as if being a server is below them and you're annoying them simply by being present. To the chef...healthy good should taste incredible. This sand which was dry and pretty flavorless. Sad to what's become of this place. I'd recommend going to the Arbour nearby for a much better farm to table dinner and quality service. read more

Portions are terrible, service good, prices way too high. I always strayed away from dining here because many friends have told me that it is just untasty "healthy" food, but I gave it a shot recently, hoping my experience would be pleasant. Unfortunately, I realized that my friends were right. The "healthy" food here left me feeling hungrier after dinner because of how bad their food was. Please do not order the edamame dumplings. It's literally green mush in a dumpling with no flavor, no textures, just bland mush. I am not someone to leave food behind but I couldn't finish half of my dish. I will say the guacamole and chips were good, but I wonder if they tasted so great because my main dish was so bad. I tried two other dishes that my friends got and neither one was better than what I got. I assume the people who say this place is good are vegans. read more

True Food Kitchen - Edamame Dumplings - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Been to TFK on numerous occasions, I love the service they provide from the waiters and waitresses to the bar staff. The food is absolutely delicious, I can honestly say you don't feel any bloating after a meal! The area outside to sit and eat is always clean and tiny. My favorite part of the restaurant is when there's doggos with their parents! Such beauty! 10/10 will always come back again read more

True Food Kitchen - Guacamole Starter and a cold Stella - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Delicious salad, healthy food, and I got to sit outside in December! For someone that lives in Idaho, that's quite a treat!

When it is storming or scorching anywhere else, Pasadena is always a haven with sunny skies, a mild breeze, and tropical temps in the '80s. Yesterday was just like that, as it always is reliably. When you add to it the charm of Old Town, its stately buildings with a touch of modern thrown in for 22nd Century excitement, and its abundant arboreal greenery, there is not much more to ask for this side of heaven. Except! True Food Kitchen. We had been planning to eat here for the last few months but all sorts of other things got in the way, including the latest Covid restrictions that soured me on eating out. For our first foray back into the wild of it all, we decided we had to come to TFK. So glad we did. Delightful, crowded with festive brunchers like us, but not so packed as to be uncomfortable, we sat on the huge shaded patio. In fact, TFK is a sprawling complex of rooms and outdoor seating, lightly misted from above so the entire experience was cool and refreshing. Our servers, Cat and Kelly could not have been nicer. We never had to wait for anything and when we didn't know what to order or how to manage all of it, Kelly and Cat were right there to make it all happen. We had (see my menu picture) two starters, two main plates and two desserts. My Teriyaki Quinoa bowl was delicious -- I could taste the pan searing. My friend had the Ancient Grains bowl, one element of which were absolutely scrumptious miso-candied yam cubelets that I am going to try duplicating at home. The Roasted Acorn Squash Flatbread was a symphony of delicate flavors and the Brussel Sprouts were perfection personified. I cannot say enough about the quality of these dishes, and if I weren't on a perpetual austerity diet to stay slim, I would have had three more. As for the desserts, OMG. There are no words. The Squash Pie and Flourless Chocolate cake were divine, especially the latter which was made of such dark chocolate that it was almost black. Rarely do you get items of this quality anywhere. I had a latte and my friend enjoyed a lime and ginger concoction that was just right on this bright and cheerful day. Notice the beautiful spot True Food Kitchen occupies on the corner of Colorado in the Tanner Market complex (with Zara and Madewell, steps away, oh joy!). We literally felt as if we had taken a mini vacation. Don't miss this superb organic spot, especially for its extensive vegan and vegetarian offerings despite not being billed as a meat-free restaurant. We plan to return often. read more

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The restaurant is very pretty with nice seats outdoors and inside too. They have many healthy options for drinks and food . Thank you Angie ! read more

What a beautiful place and great food! We held our company holiday party here and it was amazing! Laura the events contact is fantastic at her job and the staff that helped us at our party (Sydney and Kevin) were perfect. The party rooms are beautiful and they do a great job of making the event planning easy. Thank you True Food and Laura! read more

I tried this place out for the first time since I was in town for a swim competition and wanted to find something close by afterward. This place was spotless, hipster-style, and very friendly. I liked all the healthy options, and my friend and I really enjoyed our meals. The servers were very polite, and customer care was notch read more

Our server never checked on us, never introduced him self , and pressured me and my friends to tip, and called me out when I didn't for his bad service. We physically asked for the check for ourselves , and he then ignored us asking for a box. It was genuinely the worst dining experience , and my food was nasty read more

Hi everyone I went to true food kitchen with my family we waited and ended up waiting an hour and a half for our food to get served. We only received one item and it was cold chicken parm. The server took it back and ten mins later we received a cold curry dish. We have now been waiting for around two hours with no dishes not even our appetizer out. We asked to heat up the chicken parm if possible and they never brought it back out. We ended up telling them if they weren't going to bring it back just to take it off our checks. I will not be coming back here again and I'm very disappointed in every single worker here and most important I feel disrespected by the manager who established a horrible environment. Just a heads up don't get any of there side sauces like buffalo and even there drinks like lemonade. My son got a lemonade and said it was horrible so I decided to try it. I'm not sure how you can mess up a lemonade but it was very bad. This was overall a very bad experience and I would like everyone to save their time and not come here. Please take this into consideration before you come to this horrible restaurant read more

Everything about our experience was not good. Check-in was laborious. Table inside was crowded and loud. Requested my toddler's pasta with butter and cheese to be brought ASAP as he was hungry. It came out 45 minutes later. My co-diner's drink was watered down. Burgers were dry. Server was everywhere except at our table. I ordered a glass of wine. A glass arrived empty and had to flag down a server to inquire about the wine that was supposed to be in the glass. All around a stressful and bad experience. Only silver lining was the restaurant was so loud that no one could hear my toddler crying out in hunger. Our family will be one time diners. read more

Decided to try something new in the area, from service to the food it was a disappointment. I get this is supposed to be a "healthy" place, but healthy doesn't mean it has to lack flavor. Flavor was lacking heavily. I got the butternut squash pizza, was meh. My boyfriend got the chicken parmesan, his food was better than mine but still not great. Our waitress was very slow to greet us from the beginning, we waited probably about 10 mins before she introduced herself and got our drink order. another 10 minutes went by before she came back and took our food order. not sure what was going on as it was later in the day and not too busy. anyway, we get our food and like i said, bleh. our waitress didn't check on us the entire time we ate, half the time she was standing at the bar talking to her coworkers. i had to go up to the bar to ask for our check. I spoke to someone who seemed to be a manager about the situation and she was very apologetic and kind, just sucks our first (and last) time here was so disappointing. read more

We had a group meeting during lunch time today (near the kitchen round table inside). The food was good and very fresh. But the service was horrible!!! Servers never checked our table. I asked the server to clear the empty dishes from the table, but one blond hair sever rolled her eyes and showed discontent. We didn't get any refilled coffee and also waited 10 minutes to get just one drink. Even though bad service, I gave 20% tip for them to get better. I don't recommend this place. read more

Parking Best option is meter by the bridge and cross the street. Make a reservation This place can get pretty busy. I like coming here to catch up with a friend. It's such a nice place to sit and chat and grab a drink. Recommend I have tried the bowls, the burgers, and pizza. The bowls are super clean, and fresh. I personally love sangrias so I always order one there. read more

True Food Kitchen - Sangria - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Came in on a rainy day and staff was super friendly and accommodating. Loved the flourless chocolate cake and the ancient grains ! Both recommended by our server and neither disappointed! Definitely will be back! read more

This was my second time here after a few years And something is definitely different cause I did not remember this place being so bland. The food is so mid, semi-cold, bland and disappointing. The portion will also leave you hungry honestly. I can't say anything bad about the overall atmosphere it is great but my God the food is not worth coming back here. Service is also weak, the staff Is very friendly but they're not attentive at all. My friend had to send her dish back because of undercooked chicken. Brunch time drinks were ok very watered down. Just super dissatisfied and disappointed for the price paid. We left feeling robbed, so many other great brunch spots. Unfortunately wouldn't recommend. read more

True Food Kitchen - Pancakes - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Healthy yummy place in Old Town Pasadena. If you are strict on your diet, this place may be a good option for you. All the food on the menu has the Calorie amount shown. We started with the watermelon salad . It was so so good. It had cucumber, tomato, and avocado cream on top. There was an ingredient that I don't know what it is..it was crispy and crunchy...like rice crackers. Our second appetizer was edamame dumpling. Is was delicious. It had good amount of edamame stuffing. The wanton skin has a good thickness...good texture, soft and not smooshy... My hubby got Lasagna. He said it was light. Super tasty and amazingly pretty low on calories. Noodle cooked good and well seasoned. I got Tuna poke with Yuzu dressing. The dressing was good and light. My bowl had mushroom, bokchoy, cucumber, brown rice and tuna. ..Good size.. This bowl is healthy, so the seasoning is light. You can add more taste from the amount of dressing you use. Drinks were good too! So far ....every mixed drink we've gotten has been good...so try some. Really refreshing and not too sweet. Service was good & friendly. Big space.. a lot of seating indoor and outdoor! Variety of dishes on the menu Street parking Located in old town area of Pasadena. There are city pay lots around to park in as well. read more

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The place is nice and the products are organic and healthy. Make sure to make a reservation, or you will be waiting 20-60 minutes read more

True Food Kitchen - Breakfast burger - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Located in downtown Pasadena is this healthy gem! Parking can be found on the street, the public parking garage or a valet parking lot. We had reservations and we were sat right away. It was a Friday afternoon and it was a little busy when we arrived and service we received was average. You have the choice of either sitting inside or outside, and they have a variety of healthy food items and drinks to choose from. We started with their hummus and pita which was amazing, we cleaned the plate! I ordered the Teriyaki quinoa bowl and I added beef my sister ordered the Spaghetti Squash Casserole and she added chicken. We were satisfied with our dishes I would definitely get the teriyaki quinoa bowl again it was amazing and perfect portion size. Would definitely come back to try different menu items!! read more

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