Parkway Grill

Another menu recently mangled by this company

Posted 04/13/09

There isn't a single place in the area within a 10+ mile radius that I like more. I like this place more than Arroyo Chophouse. I haven't been to Raymond or the Ritz-Carlton yet, but I haven't been anywhere else that maybe be better for the price in the area. I've been to Parkway Grill 4 times over the last 8 years, and have always had a pleasant experience. I went there last night to take my girlfriend out for her 25th birthday, and my experience was so pleasant that I felt compelled to write a review.

Great service. I always loved the ambience - dimly lit, high ceiling, oak bar, live piano. The time it was very loud though - the only complaint I have. It's more bustling now. Arrived 20 minutes early and was seated within 5 minutes, in a secluded corner table, as requested on OpenTable. Excellent waiter, Ron, knew everything on the menu. I just got a cheap bottle of Cabernet so can't say much there.

FOOD - Crab cakes to start - blah, little salty, tasty, but nothing special. Veal Cheeks - holy moly! This is a home run dish. Recently added to the menu. The waiter strongly suggested I try it. You won't see it on their website. Think braised short ribs x 10. Succulent, tender, flavorful. Came with chanterelle mushrooms, beat puree, blanched peppercorns (that looked like salmon roe, but were peppercorns - awesome!), a white puree I couldn't identify, and a brown onion something or other. Anyhow, everything came together BEAUTIFULLY. This alone was worth the price of admission. A+ for the veal cheeks.

Main entree - Salmon - blah. Beef Braised Short Rib - now this wasn't the most tender short rib I've ever had, but it was definitely the largest, still incredibly tender, and absolutely delicious. Still fall off the bone. The array of vegetables and potatoes complemented the meat nicely. B+/A- for that dish.

Dessert - Creme Brulee Napoleon - Exquisite. Filo dough so flavorful. A-. Free scoops ice cream in a cone boat for B-day.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Pros: Food, Service, Ambience

Cons: Loud on a Thursday night, so not always recommended for a romantic date

Posted 11/01/07

i just love this place..... Excellent customer service and great food. Very friendly place

Posted 07/27/07

The menu is not that extensive, but get the lamb. So juicy. Probably the best I have ever had and I try the lamb at any restaurant that serves it. The volcano chocolate cake is better at Watergrill. If you get there early enough, you can park right in front on the street and skip the valet parking.

Posted 03/22/07

My boyfriend and I went to The Parkway Grill for newyear eve. The restaurant had nice ambience, and the service was excellent, however, the food was definitely not worth the money. We ordered three of their specials and two were bad. The fois gras appetizer was a tiny little thin sliver, about 1 square inch, with a couple of berries that costs us 19 dollars. The Ono with curry and fennel salad was dried and tasteless for 38 bucks. The only thing that tasted OK was the king crab legs for 40 dollars.
We felt as if we were robbed when the bill arrived especially when the food was so bad.
There are too many nice restaurant in Pasadena to settle for The Parkway Grill. It's just not worth the money.

Pros: Nice ambience and good service

Cons: Overcharged bad food.

Posted 01/01/07

I recently went for dinner with several business associates on a Monday night, after not having visited the restaurant for several years. It was elegant and nicely done in a traditional way, and the waitstaff and hostess were professional and polite--a combination that is hard to find in LA! The food was not exactly inventive, but was done extremely well. I had the fish of the day which was cooked to perfection, and my neighbor's lamb was flavorful as well. It is hard to find a restaurant that does not overcook its seafood. No surprises on the dessert menu, either, but the molten chocolate cake was delicious, as was the chocolate and banana bread pudding. It's not the most stylish place to eat, but if you're looking for a solid, well-cooked meal with great service, you won't be disappointed.

Pros: service, food

Cons: ambience is a bit boring

Posted 09/25/06

I went to the Parkway Grill for the first time recently. The restaurant is stylish with a beautiful little garden out front and wonderfully modern chandeliers and lamps inside. The service was excellent as was the food. We enjoyed almost everything we ordered. For appetizers, we ordered the crab cake souffle, tuna tartare and a another dish (don't remember the name) that was made up of a large cracker, caramelized onions, fresh oregano and goat cheese. The tuna and the cracker were just FABULOUS! For the entree, I ordered sockeye salmon. I thought this was just OK as it was slightly overcooked. Although the sauce was delicious, I didn't think there was enough of it. We did finish with a delicious dessert, chocolate lava cake with molten chocolate and vanilla bean ice cream. All in all, a really fun and pleasant experience.

Posted 08/13/06

I am not one to write reviews but this was outstanding!
I was brought there buy some Pasadena locals and told it was a landmark.
The food was really good, I especially enjoyed the bruchetta and crab cakes.
The highlight of our meal were definitley the desserts.
I had the chocolate lava and it's the best I've had since I was in New York at Jean George's.
The nostalgia should be called the fun plate! It was a chocolate cupcake with sprinkles, a brownie sundae, and a chocolate chip cookie Icecream sandwich(yum!).
I can't wait to return for the chocolate bananafudge tart!

Pros: Flowers and decor

Posted 07/02/06

I am fortunate enough to live 5 minutes away from Parkway and Arroyo Chop House, and dine at both frequently. The food is very good and the service is generally very good (obviously slows down when the place is packed, which is often). One thing that I found inappropriate for such a high caliber restaurant was the hostess. At such a fine dining establishment I would expect the hostess (and all of the staff for that matter) to be dressed appropriately.

Posted 08/26/05

they have great food at a reasonably good price. great for special occassions although it is a bit loud and crowded, the waiters take great care of you.

Posted 06/21/05

I remember the catfish dish I ordered. They served the whole thing! It seemed huge, but the delectable sauce made me enjoy the course all the more and finish the whole thing. Their bold and contemporary approaches to everyday items made the dining experience a wonderful adventure!

Pros: Fresh, Ambiance, Valet parking

Posted 01/10/05

Quality food, informed wait staff, pleasant/romantic surroundings (how can you not love the gigantic floral arrangement?). It's a great date spot or business dinner spot - you won't get your socks knocked off, but you will get a great meal and dining experience. I've never been disappointed.

Pros: Food, Service, Ambiance

Posted 11/02/04

A very upscale restaurant nestled in the suburbs of Pasadena. The quality of this restaurant is comparable to The Center Club in Irvine and Jimmy's in Beverly Hills (not sure if they're still around) and very close to Spago's, if not, better than in many of its own ways. It's more like a million dollar club filled with rich old men and their hot 40-50 something year old wives - okay, let's just leave it at that for now. The food was good and the portions were adequate. I enjoyed it, wouldn't return unless the occasion's a special one though.

Pros: good quality, food

Posted 08/15/04

Slickest waiters in town. The servers aggressively upsell the flatbread, three of four waiters said, "Would you like to start with the bread basket or the flatbread, the flatebread is really delicious and I highly recommend it to start your dinner." without mentioning that if you choose it over the complimentary bread basket you will be charged $9 for it. They also upsell bottled water, "Flat or sparkling?" But I've gotten used to the bottled water upsell since just about every restaurant is doing this. The decor needs updating but those chairs are so comfortable and the tables are nicely spread out. Very thoughtful of them to offer black napkins for those wearing dark clothing. Wish every restaurant would do that. Food is consistently good, but not great.

Pros: comfortable chairs, roomy tables

Cons: hard upsell

Posted 07/28/03

Timely and courteous seating at special reserved table. Wonderful waiting staff, appropriately attentive. Drinks were generous and well prepared. Crab salad was unique and very well prepared. Flatbread with gorgonzola cheese and thinly slice Japanese pear was wonderful. Crab cake was good with outstanding relish sauce. White salmon special on Israeli cous cous was enough to share. Deserts to die for !!!

Will return soon for a fine dining experience.

Pros: Food, Service, Ambiance

Cons: none, none, none

Posted 07/06/03

It was a nice place. I started off with the crabcake appetizer, and I thought it was good. Though they give you only one cake, it was filled with real crabmeat. However, I wasn't too thrilled with their ceasar salad. For the main course, I ordered a medium rare fillet and I thought it was cooked well. It had good flavor and the risotto that came with it complimented it well. I thought I try their butterscotch pudding for dessert since not that many restaurants in Los Angeles offer butterscotch flavored dessert. It was above average. The butterscotch flavor was pretty delicate where you tasted most of it in the aftertaste. I'd recommend this place for a nice romantic dinner if you're in Pasadena.

Posted 05/04/03

Food was great, service is great, the hostess is so sweet. The menu is always different, they have world renowned chef's every other week, their is a piano player in the middle of the restaurant. If you want to impress a date, take her/him there.

Posted 09/18/02

This place is great! I went there for lunch with a large party and everything was perfectly prepared. From the warm breads on the table to the great menu selections, I was very satisfied with my meal. The atmosphere is sophisticated yet comfortable and the service is great. I would recomment it to anyone!

Posted 08/15/02

I love this place. Always great service, fabulous food. The pianist or jazzband playing at the bar helps the ambiance, perfect a friday night after a hard work week. It helps you relax, a perfect start of your weekend. Eating at Parkway is a whole experience well worth the money.

Posted 08/12/02

Great food, chef's specials are usually very interesting. Vegetables and salads are wonderful

Posted 07/23/02

I am the furthest person to like a yuppie restaurant, but I do need to say It was great service and Great food. Small portions but worth it.
I would tell anyone to go there. best to go on a date!!!

Pros: great food, parking, crowd

Cons: portions

Posted 07/17/02

this is where we go to celebrate any special occasion, or to treat ourselves to a great dinner in a fabulous setting. Always good, always great service. A terrific bar as well.

Pros: beautiful, savory, great service

Posted 07/17/02

Parkway Grill serves up good, not great "California" cuisine. I think the restaurant reached its peak a year or two ago, but it still is a great spot for a "special" occasion or nice dinner out. The West dining room is a bit loud, making it not the most romantic restaurant in-town. The East side, or bar side is where the true Pasadena locals sit. If you have never been, do yourself a favor and soak up a bit of Pasadena -- sit at the bar and order one of the restaurants killer deserts (my favorite is the smores).

Posted 06/30/02

I have mixed feelings about the Parkway Grill. I've been once for dinner, and two or three times for drinks. Every occasion was quite nice, but I've found myself wondering: "Is this as good as everyone says?" I have to say it isn't. The food was quite good (but I've had better elsewhere), service was excellent, and the ambience wes beautiful, though noisy when I went last. Make no mistake--this is possibly one of the best restaurants in Pasadena. It is an EXCELLENT dining experience...but I'm saving my perfect 10 ratings for somewhere else.

Posted 05/19/02

Treat yourself, or a loved one to an exceptional meal. The atmosphere is elegant and pleasing. The waitstaff were friendly, and attentive. The food was exquisite and rich. I had the special of the day; Halibut in a mango sauce. So good. They also make a pretty mean Cosmopolitan. For dessert, I would recommend their Creme Brulee. Indeed for this place, you'll need to make reservations. Valet Parking is available.

Pros: Ambiance, Food, Service

Cons: Crowded at times

Posted 05/16/02