A & A Golden Grill 2616 E. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena

Been passing by this place for a while so I just stopped by for lunch. It's new - I noticed them last year. It's accross the street from the Post Office. From what I can gather just by looking at the joint from the outside, I was expecting some Zankou wannabe - like Zorbas. But this place was different.

It's a clean space but would win no interior design awards. They do have your Rot chicken and falafel, but instead of trying to be another Zankou, they are shooting in the direction of a fast food version of say Carousel or Raffis. They actually do kabobs, lule, fish (sole), lamb, and lamb chops - which I haven't seen at other joints.

I ordered a chicken lule sandwich which included a drink and fries. It was a big sandwich and the entire bill was under 8 bones. Not bad for a lunch.

Now, they start cooking on order so if you choose the kabobs, it can take a little time to cook. And as far as flavor, I didn't find the chicken lule as well seasoned and as tasty as say Carousel or Raffis but for a fast food lunch - it hit the spot.

I'd certainly come back here for lunch and sample some more stuff.

Also, I did notice that they do party platters. This might be of interest for some of the businesses around the area - if they need to feed a bunch of folks at the office.

A & A Golden Grill Mediterranean Fast Food
2616 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena CA 91107 (626) 356-9191
aagoldengrill.com

Viva Tacos La Estrella: Off Colorado - Pasadena

Let's continue on this La Estrella kick. There are many La Estrella locations and taco trucks in the area. I've been to the La Estrella Taco Truck on York Blvd. a bunch of times and have been recently visiting the La Estrella Taco Truck on Colorado Blvd. For this post, I visited the La Estrella on Foothill in Pasadena in a small minimall with a small tight parking lot. You may want to just park on the streets on your visit.



The thing to try at this particular location is the fish taco. It's not a small affair either so order multiple tacos with caution. You'll find a satisfying mix of heat from the hot sauce, cool from the crema, and crunch from the fried fish batter and cabbage.

I don't know what is true or not but I read on Chowhound about the divorce of the husband and wife who ran the La Estrella business. According to the chowhounder, they heard that the couple split but they still get to run different La Estrella locations and the husband got the fish taco recipe in the settlement.

I tried tacos with various meats there and they are okay. I'd stick with the fish tacos.

Viva Tacos La Estrella
2525 E Foothill Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107 (626) 584-9815