Message from Green Street Restaurant
Green Street Restaurant has been a Pasadena tradition since 1979. Serving California comfort food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Green Street is the place where Pasadeneans go to meet old friends, discuss business or just enjoy a fabulous meal. Green Street is still owned and operated by the family that started it as a one room, 18-table cafe on East Green Street. Since 1983, Shoppers Lane (1/2 block east of South Lake Avenue) has been home to this quintessential neighborhood restaurant. We are always interested in your comments, questions, critiques and compliments. Feel free to contact us at comments@greenstreetrestaurant.com
Editorial by Citysearch
In ShortHordes of families, business lunchers and Lake Avenue shoppers regularly fill the cheerful, large dining room and patio. Blond-wood accents and colorful watercolors are as typically Californian as the food. The comfort fare covers a full spectrum of breakfast, lunch and dinner options. Sandwiches range from basic burgers to a generous chicken club. The highlight, though, is the salad selection, each made to order and served with thick slices of homemade zucchini bread.
Key Points
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner menus
- Preferred member specials
- Catering
The Inside Scoop
- Where to Sit - Patio tables are popular, so expect a wait.
- Parking - Although there's a garage next door, Green Street doesn't validate. Instead, try for a spot in the free lot just across Cordova Street.
Insider Pages Reviews for Green Street Restaurant
I stumbled upon this place and really liked it. Very fresh and healthy food, although the salads are a bit big. Apparently the trick is to ask for the lunch sized salad, unless you want to share or take the leftovers home with you.. Line outside the restaurant is a bit long, and service is somewhat slow, but all in all it's a great place for a relaxing lunch/brunch.
Posted 01/01/09 | Report Abuse
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Their Diane salad is out of this world! It's big enough for 2 to share. The zucchini bread is so moist and delicious. You can also purchase a loaf on your way out...great for holiday gifts!
Posted 12/08/08 | Report Abuse
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If you ever want fabulous salads to dress up or be your "catered" meal. Green Street has become our reliable and favorite supplier. All of the salads are great, but the Dianne, Southwestern Caesar, and the Cornucopia are staples for us. Enjoy JK
Posted 11/01/08 | Report Abuse
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The restaurant is fantastic. It has a high class feel to it and satisfactory service. The salads are amazing and the zuccini bread definitely the best and must try for anyone experimenting with the restaurant. Some items maybe overpriced for what they give you, but for the most part the prices are worth it.
Posted 10/07/08 | Report Abuse
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I can start off with the Iced Tea, you may say Tea but yes..It is great and with a wonderful HUGE Salad how can you go wrong. Let us mention the atmosphere..Great I love to sit outside in the morning or evening it doesn't matter they have heat lamps that are great. They have tasty breakfasts and they have a grilled cheese to die for. If you are in Pasadena or not, go and you will not be disappointed. The wait staff is wonderful too, and if you would like to sit inside they have a great ambiance in there also. I have been a customer of theirs since the 1980's when they were on Green St.
Posted 04/24/08 | Report Abuse
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Green Street is a great place to have business meetings. They are known for the Diana Salad, if you have not tasted it you must. They are also great with community support, such as giving cerfiticates and salads for events and meetings. The food is excellent and customer service is great. Thanks
Posted 01/15/08 | Report Abuse
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The last 3 times I have eaten here the service has been excellent. It is in a quiet yet lovely setting for an outdoor meal when the weather suits. Don't forget the option of take away! We love to order a salad and take it home with us. The salads are large enough to easily serve two, and if you ask they will set aside 1/2 from the kitchen without dressing so you can take home that second serving. The zuchini bread is the best. We are now trying out their quesidillas and they are good too.
Posted 07/28/06 | Report Abuse
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This is kind of hidden behind lake ave where there are other restaurants. If you go in the little entrance by William Sonoma you will find it easy. We sat outside on the patio and it was so pretty there are trees and greenery. The waitress was very knowledgable about the food and was accomedating to our picky habits. The herb chicken was very good as well as the Diane Salad. The garlic mashed potatoes were really good. The portions are large and meals are 13-16 dollars. I would go again.
Posted 06/02/06 | Report Abuse
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ok you really do have to try everything that everyone else recommended. the zucchini bread is sooo good. i got the thai charbroiled chicken and loved it, especially the sauce- its a little bit spicy cilantro sauce with steamed vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes- possibly the best mashed potatoes! i tried the diane salad because my mom got that. it was good, but i think this place has some better entrees to offer. The service was phenomenal. the waitress was so friendly and knowledgable. it was beautiful outside so we sat on the patio and still got great service. the location is great. its nice and quiet. the entrees range from about $10-$20 and they serve huge portions! i would definitely recommend this for anyone- on a date, by yourself or with a group!
Posted 06/02/06 | Report Abuse
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What can I say about Green St. except that they have exemplary (sp?) service. The service is excellent and their zuchinni bread is the best i've ever had. The price is a bit expensive but it's well into the "you pay for what you get" category. They specialize mainly in salad and I can recommend the "Green St. Salad" which isn't listed on their menu but you can request it, pair it up with your favorite dressing (mine is 1000 island) and you've got a great salad for lunch and possibly dinner if you can't finish.
PROS: Fast service and good environment to be in.
CONS: During rush times wait times are a bit long.
Posted 11/11/05 | Report Abuse
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Green Street Restaurant is a nice casual restraunt, but it is a classy joint. The food is excellent. The zucinin bread is the best.
The dishes are little pricy, for what they charge, I feel customers should get more.
Drinks are ok too.
Posted 09/06/05 | Report Abuse
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Great salads at this place. It is known for the Diane Salad and its Cobb Salad. They have great zuchinni (sp?) bread also. Great place to meet with friends and chat.
Posted 07/26/05 | Report Abuse
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It looks like I'm not the only one who is a fan of the Diane Salad and zucchini bread this place has to offer. It's a nice little place that has excellent food and excellent service. I've never been disappointed when I come here. It's a place everyone in the area should try at least once.
Posted 06/23/05 | Report Abuse
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I ordered the Steak and Dianne entree for dinner, and it came with their famous zucchini bread. The bread was great! It's sweet and is like banana bread, except with zucchini! The steak was done medium rare, and was perfect! I didn't even need sauce to go with it. The Dianne salad was good, but I was expecting more with all the rave reviews about it. One thing is they use iceberg lettuce instead of the romaine I'm partial to, so that may be why. My fiancee' thought it resembled cole slaw a bit (which she doesn't like).
Posted 06/20/05 | Report Abuse
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For light, well-priced food of outstanding quality, Green Street is a great choice. We've used them for a couple of birthday parties and a baby shower hosted by my wife. The Dianne salad and zucchini bread are a must.
Posted 06/15/05 | Report Abuse
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Green Street Restaurant is a terrific place to go for a relaxing
lunch with friends. Although it can seem a bit crowded, the wait is usually not long. The service is fast, friendly, and efficient. The atmosphere is energetic, yet relaxing enough to have a good conversation. The food is fresh, creative, and satisfying, especially the ample salads and zucchini bread.
PROS: Indoor/outdoor seating, great service, fresh food
CONS: Somewhat crowded, a little pricey, hard to find if you've never been there
Posted 04/18/05 | Report Abuse
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Green Street has been around for over 25 years and the Dianne Salad and Shoppers Lane are great!
Posted 02/10/05 | Report Abuse
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Green Street Restaurant is known for its selection of large, delicious salads. Try their oriental chicken salad and order extra zucchini bread. They do offer a large selection of entrees. I highly recommend this place for catering business lunches (contact Dinners Delivered to place order) and for going out with a large group. Their food is delicious and plentiful. The restaurant is consistently busy. Hours: Mon - Thu 6:30 am - 9 pm, Fri & Sat 6:30 - 10 pm, Sun 8 - 9 pm.
Posted 01/28/05 | Report Abuse
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Great salads, good breakfasts, and the best zucchini bread ever! This is my Mom's favorite place, and whenever she is in town we are there at least 3 times a week. I also buy her the Dianne salad dressing, and ship it to her - THAT's how much she likes it. It's also great for sitting outside and enjoying our great weather.
Posted 12/15/04 | Report Abuse
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The best salads you will find...possibly ever. this well know pasadena find is positively great. its the perfect atomsphere for a casual lunch with friends, a business lunch, a quick dinner or even take out. the diane salad with the zucchini bread is the best thing on the menu...although i really enjoy the sandwiches as well. you can buy the diane dressing and bread to take home and make dinner for yourself or a host gift. a tip for free parking - part down the street and walk across the street.
Posted 12/14/04 | Report Abuse
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Great chinese chicken salad and oatmeal in the mornings. Great service and location.
Posted 12/06/04 | Report Abuse
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This restaurant is one of my favorite in Pasadena. The salads are delicious and service is usually exceptional. The Diane salad is always a good one. And the zucchini bread that comes with it is worth purchasing as a loaf. Green Street is wonderful for an afternoon lunch with patio seating, or for a warm evening out.
Posted 11/25/04 | Report Abuse
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The address is 146 South Shoppers Lane...that might make it easier to find. - cr
Posted 10/31/04 | Report Abuse
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The Diane Salad is my favorite. I always look forward to the zucchini walnut bread. I have yet to try something I didn't like. The waiting staff is friendly and accomodating. They have a convenient take out service as well.
Posted 10/27/04 | Report Abuse
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Great food. Zucchini bread is amazing.
Posted 10/13/04 | Report Abuse
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Latest reviews from Citysearch.
Dunk the Coffee
by Dessertarian
Green Street is an institution in Pasadena. Its breakfasts and menu offerings are varied, affording something for everyone's tastes or dietary preferences. I have been dining here even before I qualified for the senior discount, which I now appreciate. However, I do have one major complaint - the terrible coffee which is also overpriced for colored dishwater. I have stopped ordering the coffee but would gladly pay them the $2.95/cup, if they offered something akin to Starbucks daily brew or COFFEE!
Pros: Varied menu, food good value
Cons: Terrible coffee
Posted 08/30/09
Do you like Cool Whip?
by redtitus
I used to go to this restaurant daily for lunch in the 80's. Ah-- those were the days!
Was back in town and went this week -- wow -- what a disappointment: poor service, overpriced, mediocre food, and then: the tour de force: they use C O O L W H I P on their desserts!
Yes -- the menu says whipped cream. But what they put tasted horrible and we complained. They actually brought out the bag from which they had piped out the stuff: it said "whipped topping" on the side!! Gag! They admitted their fraud without apology and without shame.
Hmmmm . . . . I wondered what was really in my hamburger . . . . yikes!
Cons: they substitute ingredients without customer's knowledge
Posted 02/11/09
Great neighborhood restaurant for take-out
by MNS
For those who live in the South Lake area of Pasadena, Green Street restaurant is a super place to stroll over to or grab food to go. The service is good, and my food has always been bagged and ready to go when I arrive. The prices are reasonable and the menu offers anything from burgers to fish and steak.
Pros: ready when you arrive!
Posted 01/05/09
Overall Overrated. Go just for the zucchini bread!
by wam08
This place seemed a little confusing. I couldn't decide if it was nice - - it seemed like it was trying to be fine dining but not quite there. The food was mediocre at best. I had the special shrimp taco salad which I was craving, but was a big dissapointment. The dressing tasted strange and there was WAY too much of it. The menu was overpriced for such average food ($14 for my not-so-good salad). However the zucchini bread is great, ha i did end up buying a loaf to take home! I wont go back here for anything else.
Pros: great zucchini bread
Cons: overpriced menu, mediocre food, bland environment
Posted 07/01/08
Nice patio, but certainly not the best salad in LA!!
by bwilli78
OK. So I go to this restaurant expecting to be able to get a really great salad. Guided by the reviews on this site, I chose to order the Diane salad (dinner size) along with a Pasadena sandwich (not suggested by this site but I wanted red meat!). The sandwich was fine. OK quality meat on OK quality bread with some sauteed peppers and onions. It was very straightforward and plain. The salad could be described in the same way. The Diane is iceberg lettuce with poached chicken, rice noodles, and toasted almond slivers and some tasty oil based dressing. I have to give the dressing some credit, but the rest of the salad was mediocre to sub mediocre. It was quite disappointing. The best part of the meal was by far the zucchini bread. The service was fast and professional.
Bottom line- Don?t go here expecting a great meal or a great salad. Come here for good zucchini bread and to enjoy eating so-so food on a nice patio.
Pros: Zicchini bread, nice patio
Cons: Based on my experience with the Diane and Pasadena sandwich... The food!
Posted 05/29/07
good service. good food.
by aira177
i like this restaurant. they had good food and good service. their sandwiches and salads are yummy. the only problem i had, was finding the restaurant. it's kind of in the corner/sidestreets.. so i kept on passing it. i'd recommend this place for a little dinner or for lunch.
Posted 11/14/06
Great Salads!
by primojade
The Diane Salad is fabu! You can even purchase the dressing to go! Don't forget to order the zucchini bread...it's to die for! The service is good too! There can be a bit of a wait on weekends for brunch so try to go early to get a table.
Pros: Fabulous Salads
Cons: Wait can be long
Posted 10/29/06
Dear Dianne
by cdot
Dear Dianne,
I don't know you, but I must say, you make the best salad on this side of town.
xo
Saladfan
Pros: Salads
Cons: Parking
Posted 09/08/06
huge portions, one-of-a-kind salads
by serendipiddy
Located behind an alleyway, you would only know about this restaurant through a recommendation or a skim through citysearch. The salads are great, especially the Dianne salad (featured special). The portions are HUGE! They also serve delicious zucchini bread in lieu of the traditional stale white bread served at other American restaurants. They have dishes ranging from quesadillas and sandwiches to rice plates and pasta. Sit on the patio and enjoy the sun with your food.
Posted 08/09/06
Best salads and eggs benedict anywhere!
by jacquieg33
Green street is consistently great! We really go there for the eggs benedict which is on the brunch menu but can be ordered by request all day. They have their own hollandaise sauce that is straight from heaven. The salads are a Pasadena secret, we love them. I especially love the Spinach and Field Green salad, but they are famous for The Diane. You can order big bowls of salad for parties and don't forget the yummy zuchini bread. Also, service is terrific at Green Street.
Pros: Food, service, patio dining
Cons: parking, long wait on Sunday
Posted 06/23/06
Perfect Spot For Lunch!
by intlfoods
I completely forgot how great their sandwiches were. I live and work walking distance from this joint, hidden away from the busy "Lake District" on Shoppers Lane and it is most convenient for lunches with my friends and colleagues. Exceptional food quality, variety and value!
Pros: Quality of food, variety, service
Posted 10/16/05
Best Salad in Pasadena!
by mcmdkdd
Try the Dianne Salad - It is the very best! But you cannot go wrong with anything on the menu - it is all wonderful.
Posted 08/26/05
I love the food
by expertreviewer
The Dianne salad, the zucchini bread, the fusion entrees, I love this restaurant. True, the service needs some work, but its good food!
Pros: Food, Prices
Cons: Slow service
Posted 05/22/05
Delicious salads, gigantic portions
by lililadaga_citysearch
The salads are amazing, but know that if you get the full size, it's enough for two or more people. The menu doesn't make it clear, but all salads are available in half size AND dinner size, which is smaller than a half size, but still enough to make a meal. The Dianne, Frank's, and the Cornucopia salad are all excellent. The quesadillas are also enormous and very good. At dinner, the meat loaf is spectacular; get it with the grilled veggies. Hamburgers are so-so. There's a daily soup, but the corn chowder is always on the menu and is delicious. Green Street also sells loaves of its famous zucchini bread, and make-your-own Dianne salad basket--it comes with the dressing and the crunchy Asian noodle topping.
Pros: Salads
Cons: no validation
Posted 03/02/05
User review by hrock80
by hrock80
We ate breakfast here one morning and recieved poor service. There was one waiter for an entire side of the restaurant and he was nowhere to be seen. The food seemed pretty good, but we were so busy trying to attract the attention of a worker, that I really don't remember what I ate. When we left, I realized I never got my side of zuchini bread! Maybe I caught the restaurant at the wrong time, I might give it one more try.
Pros: Atmosphere
Cons: Service
Posted 02/21/05
Superb Service
by dzmotors
Very friendly and responsive service and excellent menu. This place should set the standard for service in the area.
Posted 08/21/04
Dine on the Patio
by llyonize
My girlfriend and I came across Green Street Restaurant while walking in Pasadena - we stopped for a late lunch - we both ordered the same salad - forget the name of it but it had chicken, dried cranberries, almonds and mandarine oranges....they were great....and it came with a side of zuccini bread....yummg
Pros: zuccini bread, large portions, patio seating
Posted 03/19/04
Salads are ooooh soooo good.
by izelmorena
Green Street Cafe is relatively small with outdoor seating, it can get packed, but rightly so. They create a variety of tasty salads. My suggestion would be their signature salad, The Dianne (spelling?). Their full size salad servings are large. Along with their salads they serve a really yummy zucchini bread. I haven't had much else, so I hope that's enough to get you to go. As far as kids go, the conversations can get loud, so if you have a well behaved kid that can sit still for a while and talk, bring them in. But you will annoy people if your child is a wiggle worm and has a problem keeping their excited squeals down. Oh, by the way parking is bad. You can park in the garage for a small fee. There are a couple of shops to relax and walk off your food if you choose.
Pros: Salads, Zucchini Bread
Cons: Parking, Long wait @ times
Posted 06/01/03
Yummy!
by flipsyncbs
I love this restauarant. The Zucchini bred is the best!
Posted 08/21/02
Great salads!
by miyemura
I have now eaten in at Green Street and taken salads out to the Hollywood Bowl. In each instance the salads were great and were completely consumed. I plan to return many times while visiting friends in the Pasadena area.
Pros: Can get crowded
Cons: Large Salad Portions, Very tasty salads, Quaint location
Posted 08/13/02
Awesome!!
by outrage69
This was my first time here and I have nothing but good things to say about it. They have great service, superb food and the best outside seating that I have seen in awhile. Parking is really close and the food is great. I suggest you have the Steak and Dianne .... this is a mouth watering steak with a house salad called "Dianne"
Pros: Parking, Service, Not Crowded
Posted 07/11/02
Good Stuff!
by crazykitty
I highly recommend Green Street Restaurant! The staff is so friendly and helpful and the food is delicious!
Posted 06/12/02
R Place
by lvctysrch
The food is excellent and the atmosphere is quaint. I would recommend reservations and the parking isn't great, but the food more than makes up for it. It's a definite best of...
Pros: Excellent food, Community feel
Cons: Need reservations, Parking
Posted 06/12/02
Nice!
by smooch
The staff is extremely friendly and ready to make suggestions if you just don't know what to order from their extensive menu. Even though they seem to have a little of everything, I would recommend one of their famous salads. They are as large as they are tasty!
Posted 06/04/02