Bistro De La Gare

My fiance and I were going to be in the area and decided that perhaps this was a nice brunch location. When we arrived, we were completely ignored by staff and the hostess. However, we gave them the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they were busy. Finally, when enough was enough, my fiance aggressively approached the disappearing hostess who gave us an insulting once over and told us they weren?t taking any more customers. Apparently, they had too large a party. I looked over at the half a dozen patrons and left in disgust. Don?t waste your time here, particularly if you?re not Caucasian. I had read that the food was hit-or-miss anyway, but apparently they have French snobbery down cold. I will never again set foot in this restaurant and I entreat you to avoid it as well. more

After reading the reviews, we were a bit hesitant. But a friend highly reccomended the restaurant, so we decided to give it a try and were not disappointed. They far exceeded our expectations and willingly accomodated our numerous requests. Upon arrival, we were greeted warmly with a ""bon jour"" and seated quickly. Being that our group was large - 16 people - we had made reservations a few days earlier and were seated in a very pretty area of the restaurant. Our waiter was patient with the group, brought out our drinks (beer and wine) and appetizers (salads) quickly and our dinner orders shortly after that. Dinner was delicious, with most everyone ordering the steak and some ordered the Penne Piccolo (divine!). Service overall was flawless, with the waiter and busboys going out of their way for us and even speaking Spanish for some members of our group. I can't say enough positive things about this little gem in South Pasadena. We'd go back in a heartbeat! Pros: Ambience, location, service, food Cons: Parking more

Had lunch today for my birthday. My brother and sister joined me. What a complete disappointment. The food is cheap but just average. The steak my brother had wasn't good; however he said his fries were tasty. When he asked the waiter if the container on the plate was ketchup, the dirty looking french waiter replied, ""It looks like ketchup"". Later my brother asked for more ketchup and it took 10 minutes to arrive, by which time the fries were gone. The real negative was the unfriendly attitude of the waiter. His service too was plain lousy. He was told it was my birthday, but offered no free dessert. I know I will never return. Cons: Attitude, Attitude, Attitude more

My wife and I loved Cafe Beajolais in Eagle Rock so when a buddy of mine told me they had opened up another restaurant I was excited to try it. So I decided to take my wife for her birthday. We started with the Escargot and the Tomato Mozzarella salad. The Snails were under seasoned and lackluster. I did have a few bites of her tomato salad and it pretty good/ok. Then I ordered the duck and she had the salmon with dill sauce. My duck was so chewy and tuff.. I love duck and I was so disappointed with it. Her Salmon was raw and we had to send it back to get recooked. We decided to pass on desserts and just go get ice cream from busters. The menu was boring and so was the service. We were just not impressed. I would not recommended de le gare. more

I read or heard that this restaurant was opened by the same people who opened Cafe Beajolais in Eagle Rock, so I was anxious to try it. We happened to go on a Thursday night, which is also the day that So. Pasadena has their Farmer's Market. We parked quite a few blocks away, which actually turned out to be a good thing. Inside the restaurant, there weren't many diners. I think most people liked sitting outside. The waiters were friendly, but seemed a little unpolished. I started with one of their special procuitto salads. This was really great and big enough for an entree. I wish the waiter explained how big it was. My husband had a salad that came with goat cheese on toast rounds. Both of the salads were very good. For the entree, I had the special black cod served with baby bok choy. The vegetables were overcooked and mushy. The fish was OK, but the sauce was somewhat bland. My husband had the pork chop, which was a little dry. His vegetables were also overcooked and mushy. We didn't have any room for dessert. Maybe if you just have starters and skip the entrees, everything would be great. I'd give it another try and not order the pork chop or maybe not order an entree. I was a little disappointed. Pros: Good salads Cons: Overcooked, mushy vegetables more

I love this place. Great simple dishes, traditional French cuisine, and great wine. Very fairly priced...... more

I love this place. Great simple dishes, traditional French cuisine, and great wine. Very fairly priced... meaning, you pay for what you get, and wh... more

I've been here for dinner more than a dozen times, and every time has been a delight! I love it so much I chose to come here for my birthday dinner last year. \r The food is consistently top-notch and the wine list quality. And you just can't beat the location--in the quaint, brick-ish part of South Pasadena around the corner from the Gold Line station! The owners are fun and super kind, and they're always around to make sure guests are happy. The wait staff , too, are good-looking and attentive. :)\r Lots of locals are regulars here, and it's generally packed for dinner, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. Pros: Food, Ambience, Service more

I am a classically trained french cook new to the area. I thought that this would be a great place to start to see what Pasadena has to offer in the realm of French cooking. I looked the place up on the net and noticed that the menu was traditional French and the owner was French himself. Sounds like it was a can't miss. Well i do not know where to start. The escargot was bland and boring. They must of just taken it out of a can, threw some butter on top and called it escargot. The salad was even less desirable. The greens were drowning in a tasteless vinagrette. The entrees came as we took the second bite of our appetizer. We asked if they could hold it as to finish and the runner was very polite and complied. When we were finally ready it took five minutes for anybody to notice. The food came out exactly as it did the first time. Not replated, not resaused. Having been sitting under a heat lamp for the duration of our appetizers the food looked appaling. We sent the food back and asked for our check. When the owner came to investigate we explained, he offered to fix it but as he himself smelled of cigerette smoke at the table we had lost our appetite. We left and finished our night at in n out. I have had bad experiences at restaurants before, but this is the first time that I have felt the need to take time out of my day to warn other people to avoid a particular place. Cons: the experience as a whole more

I don't remember where I was first offered a peek at this quaint So. Pasadena bistro, but it came through some obscure internet restaurant offer. Looking around at some of the local reviews on both food and atmosphere it seemed as though it would be a memorable night out. Unfortunately we were left without hope of ever returning. From the minute we walked in the room it appeared littered and disorganized, and not quite up to the A rating which was in the window. We were offered a seat at the bar and seated within a reasonable period of time. However, from that point forward there isn't much else that was note worthy. The salad was drenched in dressing and the toasts smeard with a tastless goat cheese spread. Escargot was bland and as small a marbles with little attention paid to any flavor. When the main courses arrived (they were a pork chop and lamb chops in a bistro wine sauce). The pork was fatty and without much flavor, and the lamb just tasted BAD. It seems as though both meats were of a poor quality in order to hold down price. I have to say that the scalloped potatoes we're both creamy and much more flavorful. The crowd looked to be mostly locals who wouldn't appreciate the higher price for a better cut of meat so I can understand skimping on the quality. I can't speak for the wines as we brought our own, and dessert wasn't anymore memorable. All in all I'd have to say skip this one as there are much better restaurants in the area. Pros: Cute room and great surrounding area Cons: Understaffed, inferior food quality more