Russell's — Restaurant in Pasadena

Absolutely Charming restaurant with delicious food! The Cheeseburgers are my favorite! It’s sooo good! Nice large thick patty that sits perfectly on the buttery crisp yet soft bun! Grilled to perfection! Fresh generous fixings the tomato’s were perfect , the onion not to thick or over powering , the lettuce cool and crisp , the pickles yummy! They are generous with the cheese that perfectly compliments the burger and the home made 1000 island they put on the burgers was the best! Generous portion of golden crisp fries and several condiments on the table to choose from! The Ultimate burrito was huge and stuffed with everything you could want in a breakfast burrito! Eggs, sausage, bacon , potato’s, cheese , avocado , onion it could feed 2 and it came with golden hash browns! The lemonade was great tart with a hint of sweet! Very refreshing! I am a water with lemon or lime drinker big time and my only complaint was of their water. It was deplorable and they did not have any bottle water at the time or for whatever reason I asked if I could get bottle water because the water I was given had a not so good taste. They said that was the water they had and brought me a different cup but there was no difference. I am not very picky about my water so I assure you it did not taste well at all and I did not care for the oh well attitude about it. That was my only issue but it had me take 1 star off. Overall the service was friendly and quick (minus water issue) the food was delicious and it was ok priced! 3 of us ate and had soda or lemonade m for $52 and that was with a generous tip! It’s more than what we would have paid 6 months ago by at least $10-15 but that’s pretty much everywhere you go! They have quite a decent selection of breakfast and lunch options not sure about dinner or if they are opened for dinner. I think...

I would say Russell’s is my favorite diner and breakfast option in Pasadena. I like it over Marston’s, Shakers, and a few of the others. It’s very large and busy on the inside and every time I have visited there has been a long wait. This most recent visit for a Saturday brunch we were told it would be 45 minutes, but we only waited about 20 minutes. Inside is large with many different seating options so the lines tend to move fast due to the large amount of tables. They have a giant menu! It is multiple pages and honestly has a ton of options which I truly love. Kind of reminded me of Cheesecake Factory in that regard. Our server David was extremely polite, very attentive, and he did a great job. They don’t have a dedicated parking lot, but there is a parking structure on the same block or you can opt for street parking.

The food quality, portion size, and price are very fair here and it’s probably one of the reasons that it’s my favorite breakfast spot in Pasadena. Everything we ordered was made perfectly and we didn’t have a single issue during the entire meal. We started off with a homemade Cinnamon Roll, which was a great and sweet start to the meal. It wasn’t very large, so it would be easy to finish even for one person. From my entrée I chose the Croque Madame because that’s one of my favorite dishes to order at any French bistro and I was pleasantly surprised with this version as well. I honestly ate the entire thing and enjoyed every bite.

I would recommend to anyone looking for a great breakfast or lunch option in Pasadena and I plan to be back again in the...

We pulled up in the middle of the week...about 60 degrees at best, but parking was plentiful in the garage to which Russell's is attached. Bonus points because parking in Downtown Pasadena can be a fiasco of priced parking if folks are out and about.

The wait was around 30 minutes, which we accepted, because our parents raised us to have patience. However, there were great expectations because of the rantings and ravings of the Yelp and Google crowds.

Onward.

Parking, ambiance, wait times, etc. aside, we're talking about a restaurant for two reasons: food and service. AS SOON as the wife and I sat down, our waiter immediately greeted us, but it was not rushed, and took beverage orders.

They are efficient here. Folks in the tables around us were served plates of good-looking hot food that rendered them solely focused on the next bite.

I ordered The Big One, and she had a French Toast meal.

We tore those plates up. I heard nothing from my wife the entire time and it was the goodness of the food, and not her awe of her husband...this time.

The Big One is indeed that, big. Get blueberry pancakes and level up your life. The bacon was thick, the sausage was succulent, and the eggs were not skimpy...even in this economy. I could have done without the hash browns but the slice of french toast I added is one of the best decisions I've made...in life.

My decimated plate was cleared before I could take a picture of it...another testament to the friendly efficient that is a hallmark of the service here.

Will definitely be...