I have come to True Food Kitchen Pasadena a few times in the past and my most recent visit was this weekend. So far, I've enjoyed the location (usually would hang out on Colorado Blvd before or after), restaurant, service, and ambiance. For this last visit, my friend and I shared the Asian Wild-caught Shrimp (with regenerative black rice, roasted mushrooms, edamame, snap peas, and a pickled ginger soy glaze) and the Spicy Panang Curry (with added tofu). Both were pretty tasty. The curry was delicious, however it did not come with the " typical " ingredients you would find in that dish: it had regenerative black rice, carrots, sweet potatoes, and bok choy. Overall, this is a solid address (and would probably be a good casual date spot) that I'd come back to again! read more

True Food Kitchen - Panang Curry and Asian Wild-Caught Shrimp - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

True Food is a favorite. The menu changes regularly and I miss the quinoa burger. The butternut squash pizza is fantastic as was the chop salad which was quite fancy compared to so many others. The services were dealing with a full house and you could feel it but they were all friendly and buzzing around to many tables. The weather plays a role here since half the restaurant is outdoors. If it's too hot, there isn't enough shade but indoors is also cranking AC. We appreciated the servers letting us move tables to be more comfortable. read more

True Food Kitchen - Butternut squash pizza with ricotta. Chop salad w jicama, dates, marconq almonds, cheese and apples. So so good and not heavy or greasy. - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Jay and ANDREW are amazing!! Great service! Ambiance was amazing outside. Espresso martinis are great!

Our daughter gave us a gift certificate and this was our first time. The service was excellent, in person and on the phone. I had the Steak Frites and paired it with a glass of Tablas Creek Patelin Rouge wine. My wife had the Grilled Sustainable Salmon and we finished the night with a generous slice of carrot cake. The ambience is modern, informal and I was pleased the music was not too loud. We enjoyed everything and will come again. read more

I wanted to update my review with a shoutout for Camden who was our fabulous server! Excellent service, so so kind and helpful! He gave us great recommendations and thorough descriptions about the food. Also thank you to our host Grace who was so sweet. I got my usual ancient grains bowl, which is so good! Ambiance is beautiful here! Dim warm lighting in the evenings, so nice and cozy! read more

True Food Kitchen - Ancient Grains Bowl with shrimp - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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YOOOOO what happened!! It used to be so fresh. Now things are ready made? Store bought? Service was soooo slow the other night. I do love the Turmeric Ginger tea though. Those chairs outside need to be updated. My entire older family had trouble sitting in them for so long. Please get some cushions. read more

One of our favorite restaurants in Pasadena. The outdoor seating is the best especially in the summer and fall season. The food is tasty and love the healthy options. Service is okay, hasn't been consistent as one visit we got a super friendly staff and another visit the service was inattentive and unwelcoming. read more

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Unfortunately, they were out of the meatloaf and tenderloin so we ordered pizza. I would advise you not to come later on a weekend because they may not have the food you want. We had reservations on a Saturday at 7pm. Ambiance is cool and cozy. Restaurant and bathrooms were clean. Servers were friendly and professional. Food and drinks were good but on the higher end. read more

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My favorite drink is the lavender matcha latte. I always want to try more of the food on the menu, but I would steer clear of the doughy/not cooked enough pizza crust. read more

Wow - what a find! I'm nearby for a work event and saw the other reviews and wanted to stop by for lunch. They have an awesome lunch special served before three for 20 bucks. You get a drink, an amazing side salad or soup and I'm talking not your regular like gross Caesar or thrown together house salad -- I mean like really good salads and then, your main meal is like a wrap or a sandwich. I got a burger, which I never get, but it shows you the protein and it had the highest protein, and I'm so glad I got it ... best burger I've had in ages!! I'm already looking at time frames that I can come back here during my three day stay.... And great ambiance - outdoor and indoor seating and granted, it's a gorgeous California day, but I could see this place even in the cold, feeling cozy and fun! I sat at the bar and both of the women bartenders work fantastic... Very helpful and attentive . I'll be back! read more

True Food Kitchen - Hamburger and chopped salad - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I was looking for a place to work from my laptop and the vibe of this place caught my attention immediately. There were indoor and outdoor options to sit. It was hot out so I elected to be indoors. My server Kiki was AMAZING! She was very friendly and recommended some items from the menu that did not disappoint. I got the unfried chicken sandwich and the butternut squash pizza. Unfortunately, I was really hungry and forgot to take a picture of the sandwich, but I got a picture of the pizza. I was there for a while so I got a "Shakerato" as well and it was really good. 5/5 experience. I will be coming here again read more

True Food Kitchen - Butternut Squash Pizza - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

We used to love True Food Kitchen! It was one of our favorite restaurants with fresh, delicious food. Unfortunately after today it has gone significantly downhill. The service was non existent. We waited for a server for 20 minutes, without a greeting or water. When we finally flagged someone down, the response was, "ready?" She disappeared after taking our order and we had to flag down different servers for any requests. This was possibly the worst service we've ever received. Alisa was our server today. Our pizza came soggy. The salad warm and wilted. Chicken tenders over done. The portions were small and the food was below average. We were unpleasantly surprised. The ambience is the only constant which we enjoy. Sadly, I don't think that we will return after today. (Picture posted is from years ago, when they still had the delicious cruditè.) read more

True Food Kitchen - Farmer's Market Crudite, Fish Tacos, and Panang Curry with Chicken - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

I came back for the first time since the pandemic started and I'm so glad I did! The cauliflower appetizer, Guac and hummus happy hour appetizer, and the squash pie were delicious and filling on a cold evening. The squash pie was a little soft and underbaked, but the flavors were unchanged from the first time a fell in love with it. Service was perfection as usual, bougie vibes as usual. Very clean restrooms. Parking is the only con, all valet/paid/metered and difficult to find. read more

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Stopped by on a Friday around 3 and we waited a few minutes to be seated outside. Super cute aesthetic all around. I appreciate that they had heaters as it was a bit cold. My husband and I both ordered the bougie blanco pizza and it was amazing! So delicious- one of the best pizzas I've had. I love that they use sourdough bread for the crust, and organic ingredients where it matters most. My butternut squash soup side was also great. In general, I like True Food because they are conscious of using quality ingredients (organic, local, grass fed etc) and avoiding seed oils in their cooking. Service was a little slow but our waitress was really helpful and nice. Definitely recommend! read more

True Food Kitchen - Butternut squash soup (side) - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Walked in on a Sunday evening and the bar was open. Bartender was super friendly, super helpful and recommended good drinks + offered to split our plate since we were sharing. I didn't catch her name :( overall the food taste super clean and delicious. You leave feeling satisfied and not heavy whatsoever. We shared the hummus plate, pepperoni pizza and chicken parmigiana! Also got 2 drinks. Definitely recommend for clean eating! read more

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On Friday, May 22, 2026, my mother and I visited True Kitchen for lunch. Unfortunately, while the food was decent, the service was extremely disappointing from the moment we arrived. When we first entered, no one greeted us or acknowledged us. We stood at the front unsure of where to sit while a young man at the front desk made no effort to assist or guide us. After waiting, we eventually seated ourselves. read more

My wife and I had such a great time at True Food Kitchen. We sat outside with our puppy and I love that the patio is dog friendly. It made the whole experience feel easy and relaxed. I ordered the Wild-Caught Tuna Poke Bowl and wow... it was incredible. The black rice, avocado, mushrooms, cucumber, edamame, jalapeño, and pickled ginger all came together perfectly with the citrus ponzu. I thought I would need extra sauce but honestly didn't. it was already full of flavor and super fresh. I'll definitely be ordering it every time I come back. To drink, I had the Sparkling Prickly Pear Tisane. It had that hibiscus tang with a light fizz and was really refreshing, not overly sweet. The service was also great. Our server was friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed. Between the good food, the relaxed outdoor vibe, and being able to have our dog with us, this was an awesome experience from start to finish. read more

True Food Kitchen - Wild-Caught Tuna Poke Bowl - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Really disappointing for the price. I ordered the seasonal salad, which was missing a key ingredient listed (dates). I had to pick out of ton of wilted lettuce that clearly came from a box at the grocery store. The smallest side of salad dressing that barely dressed half the salad. All for $25. No thanks, won't be back! read more

Stopped in here with coworkers on a work trip and it was such a great experience. The food is fresh and full of Whole Foods - exactly what we were looking for. Everything was delicious! I had the poke bowl (and I never order poke, but this was so good). Happy hour wine price was just right, especially for California. Our server let us have a taste before we ordered and was super helpful. They accommodated food allergies well, and were so flexible with orders. It was such a fun dinner! I'd love to go back. read more

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Went here after a fun day with the kids. Loved the open air feel and the decor. Got a salad and burgers for the kids. Everything was so fresh and healthy. The service did lack a bit. I had to glad someone down to even take our order and after our dishes came out I never saw our server and again had to glad another server down to ask for the check. But over all loved the ambiance and food. read more

True Food Kitchen - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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5 stars! Had an amazing experience at True Food Kitchen - twice! Our server Roy was absolutely fantastic, knowledgeable, and attentive. I love the plant everywhere and the nice not too noisy ambiance. The food was delicious and the seasonal menu was creative. Highly recommend the seasonal menu with the pies etc. Will definitely be back. Thanks, Roy, for making our meals so special! read more

Pros: 1. Ingredient quality is good and the season menu highlights that. 2. Service is good. 3. Plenty of outdoor seating and location is at the edge of old town. You can get pretty lucky with street parking near here. Cons: Ultimately what holds this place back is how bland the food is. The freshest ingredients can't make up for serving unseasoned grilled chicken. Also our entire table got kale salads and while the kale was fresh, I felt like I got much more acidic dressing. The day we went was extremely busy and they were out of significant portions of their menu. It was 1:30pm at this point during a graduation weekend late spring so you'd hope there was some better planning. Like many New American restaurants: skip any fusion or Asian inspired dishes because they won't taste remotely what you expect. Korean glass noodles was overly salty per my father. Only person at my table that enjoyed their meal was my mother and she ordered a basic salmon. I'll come back if someone I'm with wants to go, but not making my way here. read more

True Food Kitchen in Pasadena has a ton of healthy options, and they were super accommodating with all the allergies at our table--which is always a relief. Our waiter Roy was friendly, helpful, and made great recommendations. The location is great--right on the corner of old town Pasadena with tons of shops to stroll through after your meal. Parking can be a little tricky depending on the time of day, but there's an $8 valet lot behind the restaurant if needed as well. There's a great mix of seating at True Food Kitchen--airy outdoor tables perfect for California weather and two cozy enclosed spots framing the patio. The ambiance walks that line between bougie and laid-back--modern but still warm and welcoming. It's got a kind of elevated casual vibe where you could wear jeans or a sundress and feel just right. That being said, I've been twice for dinner, and both times they were out of at least one popular item, so I'm not exactly sure why that happens. Coming early might be a smart move in case they run out. Still, all the food feels light but still satisfying, and I never walk away feeling overly full or sluggish. Our pizza was delicious and I always love the spaghetti squash casserole as well. I like how the menu leans into healthy ingredients without sacrificing taste. read more

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They have a very rude staff! The restaurant had just opened and no one was at the hostess stand so we walked in. Three staff members were standing around and rudely told us we needed to go outside and wait for the hostess to seat us. The hostess was also inside the restaurant and grabbed menus and placed the menus on a table right by the door and walked away. The restaurant was empty other than one table so there were lots of better tables she could have put us at. We left without ordering since we did not appreciate the treatment from all the staff. We felt like the staff would rather socialize than serve customers. read more

TL:DR - Food was mid, service was excellent, nice environment Located in downtown Pasadena, True Food Kitchen is at the very corner before you head down Colorado. This spot has had a high turn over rate ever since I started going to Pasadena for food. It used to be an Italian place, then an American, then a sausage place, etc. Now it's True Food Kitchen and I think the curse lives on. There is some street parking around the restaurant but no designated parking lot for the restaurant. There's a parking lot by Mini-so that's your best bet for getting free parking. There is both indoor and outdoor seating and they are both very chic. It has that California vibe with ample shade and a nice breeze. Wait staff hovers around always attentive to the customers. They were very personable and were even accommodating when we sent a soup back to the kitchen because it tasted like soap. The waitstaff alone is probably why I gave them 3 stars rather than 1. I went there for brunch and wanted to try something different than the typical eggs and bacon, so I went with the Spicy Parang Curry. I love all curries and can eat it at any time of the day. However, this curry was pretty mid. A good curry has a nice balance of spices that take the tongue on a journey. It'll have a little bit of bite, maybe some heat, then round it off with a sweetness. THIS curry though had none of that. It basically tasted like coconut milk with curry powder added to it. There was no depth to the flavor at all. The veggies themselves were under cooked and also had no seasoning. The carrots might bring some sweetness or the snow peas with a little bit of bitterness. Naah. Just nothing. Honestly it felt like someone trying to copy an Asian recipe without actually understanding how to make an Asian dish. Overall will probably not be back due to the bland food and kind of high prices. read more

True Food Kitchen - Spicy parang curry - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

All the food and service were great. I personally like their seasonal fall menu the most. read more

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I've been wanting to try True Food and happened to be in Pasadena for the evening so we stopped here for dinner. It was quite busy so we opted to eat at the bar. The servers were nice but definitely busy so the service took awhile for the bar. We tried the buffalo chicken sandwich and pepperoni pizza. The chicken sandwich was mixed reviews for me. I loveee spice but whatever they put in the buffalo sauce was intolerably spicy and burned mine and my boyfriend's mouths after one bite. It overpowered the entire sandwich and was painful to eat. The flavor itself was great, and I liked the slaw on top, but we simply couldn't believe how spicy they made it as it wasn't advertised to be that spicy, and buffalo typically isnt that hot. The kale salad on the side was good but very citrusy so it clashed a bit with the spicy spicy chicken sandwich. The pizza was great. The dough was fresh and the ingredients were awesome. I only wished they had more than a pepperoni and margherita pizza as I would've loved to try one, but like my pizzas to have veggies and flavor besides just pepperoni. Overall, the food was decent. Would not recommend the buffalo sandwich to anyone who can't tolerate intense spice. It also seemed to be on a whole grain oat bun and not ciabatta as the menu stated. Was a decent experience. Nice workers and beautiful restaurant and food was good. read more

True Food Kitchen - Pepperoni pizza - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I mean it was edible. The service was great! Overall, the food was just okay. I do like the simplicity of the food. Nothing was too salty or too flavorful, but I feel that for $20 a meal, I couldn't made the same stuff for much cheaper. The presentation itself was also lacking, as it looked no different from cafeteria food. Great vibes, but probs would not come back. read more

True Food Kitchen - margherita pizza and all-American burger - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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The outdoor seating area here was so beautiful and relaxing to dine at on a summer night...when it's not too hot. We had a reservation so we were seated right away and we chose from the new True Crisp'd Chicken Menu. We ordered the spicy Korean chicken sandwich and the tender plate with umami potatoes as our main entrees and a grass-fed bison sausage pizza to share. The spicy Korean chicken sandwich wasn't that spicy but I appreciated that it came with plenty of Korean bbq sauce on the side. I loved the kale slaw that came on it since it complimented the chicken well. I expected it to be one big piece of chicken but it was two tenders stacked in the sandwich. The chicken tenders were pretty much the same as what was in the sandwich except with sauce of your choice on the side. These are all air-fried so it's a healthier alternative to the typical fried chicken you see in restaurants. I saw the bison sausage pizza on Instagram and the egg in the middle hooked me in. It added a nice creamy texture but it seemed more like a flatbread than a pizza since the crust was so thin. The waiters and waitresses who helped us were all so sweet and welcoming, it made the space all the more inviting. read more

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Review We are regulars at true food kitchen, so we came here thinking what a wonderful idea for a delicious and healthy meal. When we arrived we were told 15-20 minutes. We waited for 40 minutes before asking if we were still going to be seated and then they finally sat us outside and told us the table only became available because someone was moved inside (why they didn't sit us inside initially, idk) . Once seated we looked over our menu and choose quickly what we'd like since we come often. 10-15 minutes passed as I saw waiters walk by me without greeting us. Finally one came close and I asked if anyone would be taking our order as it had been a while and no one even took our drink order. She was so polite- apologized for the wait and let us know she was assigned inside and would check for the waiter. She went inside and came back and said she would take care of it because she didn't know what was going on. I asked her name and she let me know it was Sidney. I thanked her. She took our orders and made sure we were taken care of. Thanks to Sidney the night was saved. read more

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Delicious food and very nice ambiance. I went with a medium sized group and the only one that was unsatisfied with the food was a child who did not like the chicken nuggets nor their apple lemonade. Everyone one enjoyed their food which included: Brussel sprouts, hamburgers, salads, glass noodles, pizza and sandwiches. Oh also, if you enjoy ceremonial matcha, I would not order it here. The horchata matcha was mainly (super sweet) horchata and couldn't taste any matcha. read more

This true foods location is convenient and the servers are all so up beat with wonderful personalities We loved this place simply because it is truly healthy and good for you the ancient grain bowl is my favorite over all with tofu Ambience is relaxing and casual posh :) I love it ! read more

True Food Kitchen - My favorite dish from True Foods PASADENAI love it - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Beautiful restaurant, love the open air indoor/outdoor seating, very spacious and airy. My poke bowl was good, the red rice complemented well with the bowl. I would have preferred the charred cauliflower to be a lot less saucy, but that's just my personal taste. They have a full bar with lots of variety. Service was great, there's self pay parking across the street, no wait on a Saturday late afternoon. read more

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True Food Kitchen always stands out to me for its unique, healthy, fresh, and delicious menu. The atmosphere is calm and relaxing, even when it's busy. The servers are attentive and go the extra mile to ensure a great experience. This location offers street metered parking as well as a nearby parking structure. I recommend making a reservation, especially on weekends. read more

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Stopped in today to celebrate My Moms Birthday for lunch we came around 1pm our server was excellent he was very attentive and had great rapport. However the food wasn't great I had to send back my entrée because it wasn't cooked properly and didn't taste right at all, my Moms main dish was missing 2 ingredients the Avocado and the Quinoa it was supposed to have! I Sent my food back and got an appetizer instead and we never said anything about her salad. We both got "Fresh Juices" that were okay but felt lacking flavor, the quality of food has really gone down hill since our last visit. Sad to say we won't be coming back anytime soon. read more

The service was quick and effective. The portions are a bit smaller but the options are super nutrient dense and hearty. There are a lot of gluten free options as well. So if you need a restaurant with delicious gluten free options this is the spot. I also enjoyed dinning in the outdoor area. I recommend this place for a causal dinner. Now, will I be rushing back to eat at this place? Most likely not. It's one of those places I'll go to if I'm in the area but, not a place I'd make a purposeful trip out for. read more

True Food Kitchen - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Wow, did we have a bad experience. True Food used to be our "go-to" so we chose to attend that evening for its convenient location and the vegetarian menu. Although we were seated by a host, we sat at our table for a while before we flagged down service staff. Even then, it took a while to get our drink order and basic water. We ordered starters -- but they arrived surprisingly soft and over-cooked. Our entrees were suddenly delivered by a separate server -- one who didn't know which plate went where and basically dropped the plates and bowls on our table in a hurry, leaving them for us to figure out. No effort to identify which-was-which or what-was-what. Our starter dishes remained on the table when that server left. In fact, we stacked those dishes at the end of the table, hoping that a passing service person would carry them off. But that didn't happen. We had to flag a separate service person to ask for those dishes to be removed from the table -- and even then, that service-person hesitated as though our table wasn't his responsibility. Our waitress was not to be found. The butternut squash soup was bland and flavorless. When our waitress passed, headed for another table, we stopped her to complain about the soup. She didn't hesitate to offer to replace it with another item on the menu -- although that process took some time. Even then, the bland soup bowl remained on the table -- even after we asked if someone could take it. It remained there throughout the meal. It sat there, brown and bland, untouched, going cold. The Chinese chicken salad was nothing special and it didn't improve with the dressing. Our son reported that his turkey burger was 'okay.' When my husband received his chicken-pasta dish, replacing the bland soup, he ate it because he was hungry -- but not because it was any good. We generally shared that the experience might improve when we got to dessert --- because we remembered that True Food had good desserts -- but we never found out. Our waitress moved past and dropped our check on the table, offering to "take care of that for us when we were ready." We looked at each other confused. We wondered whether the restaurant closed early -- and whether we were 'keeping' the wait staff. We flagged the waitress to the table and asked whether they were closing. She said no. We asked why she hadn't offered dessert; she said she didn't realize we were interested in dessert. We said, "well, not now." We shared our complaints with the waitress and she offered to get the manager -- but she need not have bothered. The manager was even LESS interested in our complaints than the waitress had been. She looked past us as though we were invisible. We pointed at the bowl of bland, flavorless soup that we "sent back" -- only it never went back, it was still sitting in the center of the table. She had no reaction. She offered no apology and no excuse. We won't be back. read more

So we booked to come here just the week after the fires and decided it wasn't the best time and postponed it for the following week... I noticed I have pictures that I never posted reviews for over the past few years!!!! What the....???? Anyhow, this review is a mix of multiple times coming here now how many stars to give this???? So overall though I think it still deserves 4 stars as Food Quality has always been good....Sorry to divert to my older orders of Ancient Grains and Quinoa etc....which I would say their bowls are pretty Awesome..... This time though I got the Plant Based Double Cheeseburger....Eh...rule of thumb always order what is safe!!! LOL This thing kind of sucked....small felt like it was crunchy and overcooked...not fulfilling and I feel like house made burgers usually feel so fresh but theirs didn't have that fresh feel of a house made plant based burger....probably last time I'll ever order that here. I feel like I'm all over the place on this review so I'll just stick to the facts: Clean nice place to go... Great refreshing and good quality ingredients in food (at least the Bowls for me)... Do not recommend the plant based cheeseburger at all.... Great service all the time.... I'll be back as I always have! read more

True Food Kitchen - Plant Based Double Cheeseburger - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Just had a wonderful Saturday lunch here. Beautiful atmosphere, delicious food (had the chicken tenders), and Kiki (Kiara - our server) was kind, attentive, and a wonderful addition to our overall experience. read more

Disappointed with the Burger, Try a Bowl Instead First visit, and it was a mixed experience. The crowd was mostly families and older groups. Waited about 30 minutes for outdoor seating. Menu is simple, a bit pricey, but appetizers had fair portions. I ordered the grass-fed mushroom burger--honestly, it was underwhelming. Barely any mushrooms (just one thin slice) and a tiny bit of onion. I had to ask for more, and they brought two small sides, but it didn't really help. I regretted the order after the first bite. On the flip side, my mother-in-law got a bowl that looked way better. If you decide to come here, skip the burger and go with a bowl--you'll likely have a better time. read more

True Food Kitchen - You're next burger - Vegetarian Near Me - Pasadena, California