Urban Plates, where have you been all my life!?! Great food, great service, great prices! Holy freaking grass-fed cow the steak sandwich is truly masterpiece of flavors and textures that deserves a spot on the menu in heaven. Now that I've got your attention let me tell you the tale of our first visit to Urban Plates. It was a birthday dinner on a Sunday evening with a large party of 30-50 people. The birthday boy arranged with management to "reserve" an entire section of the dining area for our group. I don't think they actually take reservations so it was nice of them to accommodate us. That said, the kitchen and staff were really on top of their game. Even though they were totally slammed with orders our food was delivered to our table in less than ten minutes. Thanks to those guys and gals for great service. I ordered the steak sandwich with an additional side of mac n cheese and my wife ordered the chicken tender plate. Incidentally, a comfort food favorite of hers since childhood. We were both very impressed with the quality of the food at such a reasonable price. Truly a "food joy" experience. My wife is really looking forward to trying the hot chicken on our next visit. I personally believe that if there were a contest for best steak sandwich in Pasadena the chimichurri steak sandwich at Urban Plates could beat the very popular beef dip sandwich at the high end place just down the street. Very high quality food for a very reasonable price. Fun Facts: -Urban Plates first location opened in San Diego in 2011. -Founded by Saad Nadhir and John Zagara the chain currently has just over twenty locations mostly in Southern California. They have plans to slowly expand outside of California. -Their website claims that their food is all scratch made with organic ingredients. Using hormone and antibiotic free grass-fed beef, sustainable salmon, and never frozen chicken. So, do yourself a favor and give this amazing place a try soon.

I liked it. Nothing spectacular but good food, plenty of options, fresh and at reasonable prices. Also fast and efficient service. Their steak was good to perfection and the sides of carrots/potatoes and turkey bacon/brussel sprouts were really good. I’d definitely come back here.

Nice location, nice environment with sitting outside. The food is good, organic with healthier options to choose from.

This fast casual restaurant has been serving Pasadena for several years. The menu is more streamlined now but there remains a variety of dinner plates, bowls, salads and sandwiches. We ordered the steak salad and chicken Cobb salad. They came with a slice of cold grilled bread. The flourless chocolate cake and apple pie were very good, not too sweet. The dining room and patio are both spacious. The service is fast and efficient.

I have been ordering door dash from this location, and the food was already cold when it was delivered. I am not going to complain about that because delivery takes time. I finally get to dine in this pass weekend. The restaurant is very cute. Modern industrial decoration is my style. I order steak salad. The steak was cold when it was delivered to my table, which was as cold as the ones I ordered from door dash. I was a bit sad as I was expecting a warm steak that fresh off the grill. The taste was a bit blend, and they did not give me enough salad dressing. Unsure if I want to return and give it another try. Parking is available in the structure and this restaurant validates the parking.

I don’t often give a five star review when it comes to restaurants. What I love about Urban Plates is the quality of the food, and the value. The food was fast and most importantly, DELICIOUS!!!! Well worth the experience and I would say better than Tender Greens.

Good selection, vegetarian friendly, order-ahead available. My friends recommended me to come here and I don't regret visiting. The menu has a lot to select from, ranging from soups, salads, sides, cakes, drinks, steaks and fillets. Staff were really friendly and patient. Dining area is well lit and decorated. I ordered a Braised Beef and Mushroom bowl with Mashed Potatoes on the side. I also ordered a side of Macaroni and Cheese. Also ordered was Sea Bass fillet with brown rice and Roasted Bay Potatoes. We had Stubborn Root Beer and Mint Iced Tea for drinks. Water is self serve. Personally, I found that the Mashed Potatoes and the Macaroni and Cheese were delicious and well seasoned, but the Braised Beef and Mushroom was a bit salty for my taste. The beef was incredibly tender. For the Bass, I felt that it was under seasoned and a little dry. The Roasted Bay Potatoes tasted good but seem dense. I recommend tasting the Mint Iced Tea. Refills on teas and sodas were free at the time of visiting. Additional seasonings, like black pepper, salt, Sriracha, and olive oil, are available at the counter for self serve.

I used to have nice experience dining here, but today’s dinner completely changed my opinion. So although i stopped writing reviews since three years, I decided to write some words here. This was the WORST dining out experience ever since I came here in US. Both the portion and the quality of the foods we had were much worse than last time. I ordered the exact same dish as before and they first gave me about half the portion of the meat, which was overcooked and burnt. The meat was not tender and felt like chewing a rubber. As you can see from the photo, there was a stark difference between the past photo (third photo, one with brighter light and more portion) and the recent one(1st photo). I thought i got a kids’ menu dish. And it was not only mine. My friend also ordered the same dish and she got even less. And my other friend ordered a beef sandwich(2nd photo), which was terrible. The beef was overcooked and even though i did not try it myself it looked awful. There were lots of burnt on the meat and he said the meat was too stiff. After getting that sad portion of chicken plate, I showed them the past photo (third photo), and they gave us more chicken-which would be a natural response for anyone who saw that difference in portion, but the meat was awful. It was overcooked so it felt like a rubber. (4th, 5th photo) I don’t know why urban plates changed this much. Perhaps they hired a new chef? Or the chef was drunk? I don’t know. Urban plates, you should definitely pay more effort on maintaining the food quality. This was definitely not a meal worth 18 dollars. I’d say 10 dollars at most including the tip.

This is an awesome place in a very comfortable way. The food is well-executed and fairly priced. I live in NYC, not Pasadena, but if we did we’d be here at least 2-3x a month (maybe more for healthy lunches). Nice street side patio, industrial vibe inside. Open kitchen. You do hear sounds from the kitchen but they seem to blend into the background. Ordering is a snap, especially if you download the app. There were people who walked in and ordered at the counter but they seemed more confused and that seems so much less efficient. We just sat down at the table, entered our table number into the app and food and drinks just appeared, almost magically. One thing on the app they could improve is that it makes you enter the location repeatedly for subsequent orders, which slows things down. And ordering stepwise makes sense, especially for a larger party (we had 6). The food? Tasty goodness: can be reasonably healthy (although not for me as I ordered chimichurri steak, fries and roasted mushrooms). My only issue with the food was the chimichurri, which could have used more spice and more acid for a more vibrant and balanced flavor. But that comment alone should tell you what you’re dealing with: awesome and wholesome food well-prepared by the chef on staff. Steak and two sides: $20. Tofu: great. Chicken tenders: perfectly fried and crispy/tender. Beer, wine: nice choices. Awesome sides. You can construct a healthy and tasty meal here, lots of great vegetables. If you’re lucky enough to be near one their spots, go now.

I’ve been 2x now and enjoyed both meals very much! It’s a little pricey, but the quality makes up for that. The ambiance is modern rustic. There is a beautiful long fireplace lining the patio-great for an intimate lunch or dinner that seats many people and overlooks Lake Ave. The inside is open and airy with lots of seating. You grab your own napkins and utensils as well as your number. The tipping is a little odd since they ask for it when you pay, but there are technically no waiters, only bus boys. There is a wide variety of food that is fresh, tasty and healthy. I have a good appetite and I think the portions are great. The chicken club sandwich was wonderful and the bread tastes like it’s made in house. The salmon was perfectly cooked and tasty. Everything came out fairly quick and I was impressed that nothing was overdone or underdone. The iced mint green tea with honey was perfect. One of the best iced teas I’ve had. If you are trying to eat healthy but want to have a delicious meal and somewhere more upscale than say Chipotle, but still casual, this is a fantastic option. I highly recommend and will be back again!

Urban Plates offers fresh bites and comfort foods in healthier options. I enjoy coming here when I don't feel like cooking but want something more on the homemade/healthy side. There are plenty of places to sit both inside and out of this location. They offer a kombucha on tap. You can also order your food beforehand for pick-up, which they have a special line for.

We enjoyed their Moroccan chicken braise & Grilled steak salad. Both were tasty and reasonably priced. Cashier Maria was very friendly

Great food 👍 and service was quick 🏃‍♀️. Food was excellent and came out quick during lunch hour. Had the sliced 🥩, asparagus, mash potatoes, and salmon. Place was clean. Street parking with meters. Minus one star because employee taking order was struggling. Nice but needed more training? I had the paper menu, pointed to each meal set for my party, and verbally called out each item. Unfortunately, he kept asking me what I wanted to order 2-3 times. I was very patient, wasn't mad, but just confused 🤔. Almost felt it was a prank. Again, I was patient, repeated myself and gave they guy the better of the doubt and figured he was new. Save yourself some time, check out their menu and have a list ready if you are in a large party. Would come back again.

It was my first time at a Urban Plates and I really enjoyed it. We had the chimichurri steak and the chicken tenders, and as sides: mac n cheese, fries, Cesar salad and quinoa. The fries were delicious! The other things you need to add salt for them to taste good. I also had a glass of wine (red blend). The atmosphere was great, the servers were really kind and went above and beyond.

Tried Urban Plates in Pasadena for the first time. Amazing location 👌. Service was okay. Food was definitely delicious. Shrimp kabob had an excellent parmesean twist. It was succulent off the stick. Steak was okay; not spectacular but the chicken had exquisite taste. Outside seating is an experience in itself as there a fireside flare. Great job Pasadena.

A perfect place to grab a healthy lunch. Centrally located near a bunch of shops on Lake. Great atmosphere and spacious seating, good location to catch up with a friend. A bit pricey but service is quick and the food is fresh and tasty. Staff is friendly. Will definitely be back.

Very clean and lovely atmosphere at night! I love that they turn on the fire display in the front to give a more warm environment. This place looks very fabulous inside and out and is run by great and respectful people. My first interaction was very professional while ordering my dish for tonight! We also threw a few jokes over the counter to make each other laugh! Very welcoming environment, and you can tell that they enjoy working here. Tonight, I got the grilled salmon with an additional three sides. I love the fact that most sides are free with a pacific food item of need to make that the case! The food was great and delicious. Will definitely have to come back soon!

We had a great experience! Isaela gave us great service. The line was quick, even at 6:30 on a Friday night. And the food came super fast. Love all the healthy, from scratch options. I had to get the three side plate, because there were so many great choices, I couldn’t decide.

The mango pie is so delicious. Even I am very full, I still can eat one slice. Service is very good，the atmosphere of the restaurant is very comfortable.

Everything was burned and the burger had an extra burnt piece inside on the bun. I appreciate a grilled bun on a open flame but if you can’t do it maybe you shouldn’t. Anything on a bun or with bread was completely burnt. The 2 stars are because my daughter enjoyed her steak kids meal minus the toast that comes with it.

Good for anyone looking for simple modern American diner food. Feels like Whole Foods hot plate section but into a restaurant. Maybe we just need to give it another chance? Only thing we liked was the Ahi Salad. House sodas are refillable? Tea and lemonades are not. $4.95 Strawberry Lemonade $3.75 Cowgirl Cookie (dairy free) $13.95 Braised Beef and Mushrooms (got rice vs mash potatoes, find with a slice of bread) $15.95 Ahi Salad (comes with a slice of bread) I rather go to Lemonade. But I'm a light eater. I think this place is great for more of the protein eater though.

delicious, healthy food with not too long of a wait time. i enjoyed the ambience and how easy it was to order our food and be seated. i also appreciated the wide range if vegetarian and vegan options. i felt satisfied after eating my meal without any bloating or discomfort. i’ve noticed the meat dishes and bread tasted slightly dry, but otherwise, the food was good for the price and portions received. i would come back here again for the healthy options and ambience.

I used to come here pretty often but lately have been noticing a drop off in quality. I got the grilled chicken plate and pretty much all of the chicken was over salted and burnt black. The roasted potatoes were soggy as well! It's not inedible but I couldn't enjoy it much at all. I'm pretty disappointed since I used to enjoy coming to urban plates often but the prices have been increasing and the quality has been decreasing.

Had the Grill Grass fed Steak Sandwich, and the meat was really bad. Cheap meat, very chewable. I changed it to a 5 star, cause they did reach out to me, and my wife's salad was really good. Customer service is fantastic.

Great gluten free experience. Remind the cashier to removed the bread as it comes out on the plate on the entrée itself. Great vegan and vegetarian options.

Place was filthy as hell. Baby seat even more dirty we had to scrub it for over 10 min to get the black and brown stuff off of it. Food plates were not the same as I once experienced in a location near airport LAX when it was rather newly opened at the time. Our table was outside so it was not clean either. One of my guests ordered sandwich and got a different order altogether which was not fresh meat (you could see the color of the old food visibly) and Caesar salad was abysmal at best. Most of the plates we got looked nothing like the photos on the menu

Delicious organic food and desserts. I love the Chimichurri steak plate whenever I come here. Free validation parking off Del Mar.