Du-par’s Restaurant & Bakery

Anytime I see claims like «Best [xx] in the WORLD!!@#!» I automatically become skeptical. In my experience, the best restaurants don’t advertise blanket claims… because they don’t need to; they let the food do the talking. And in this case with their pancakes, theory still holds — the pancakes are average at best. Nothing special, and slightly overpriced. Maybe it was the best in 1938? The hash browns AND the toast were burnt. Those are supposed to be the easy sides, right? Though I’ll admit the French Toast was pretty decent.
The servers are friendly, but aren’t automatic when it comes to drank refills. No big, but just something I noticed. On the plus side, this place is pretty big so we almost never have to wait to get seated, which is what keeps us coming back occasionally!

Good American breakfast food but the service is always a tossup.
Had a couple of times where we had to request for our toast multiple times, needed refilling of water, or top off our coffee.
Would only go back if the craving for pancakes and hash browns is strong enough.

I have become a major fan of Dupar’s. If you’re looking for a really well=cooked meal, in a casual environment (old and young crowd), this is the place. I’ve been really surprised how good their food is. Killer fish and chips! And of course, the pancakes. If you look around the restaurant on weekends, probably 50% of the tables have at least one person eating the pancakes.
Our favorite server is Lily. She is helpful, always cheerful, and makes a great salad. Great place to have a meal and relax. The red leather chairs in the back around the fire pit are comfy and the room is great. They also have a meeting room in the back that probably holds 30 – 40 people. Parking in a big lot in back.

The pancakes are one of the best that I have ever had! Obviously the breakfast is great.

This place has EXCELLENT pancakes. They are perfect. Fluffy, plate sized and buttery. We have been a few times and always get great quick service. Prices are good and is open 24 hours. We like sitting in the bar area so we can see the TVs there. This place also has a pretty good happy hour with beer and bloody mary specials. The back room with the fireplace is also nice. This place has the best breakfast in Pasadena. You wont be disappointed!

I would rate this place a solid 4 stars. I’ve always pass by Dupar’s and would think nothing of it. I stopped by for brunch this afternoon and it was great!!!
We ordered a full stack of their famous hot cakes and the country fried steak. Everything was simple. But simple in a good way. It was done right. The pancakes were nice and fluffy. Take away the fancy toppings and crazy sauces, and you have something that’s back to the basics. The country fried steak was a great accompaniment. Service was awesome as well.
I can definitely see this place as my go-​to for brunch. The great thing is that it’s 24 hours!

You have got to be kidding me! 15 dollars for an omelette and 3 bucks for coffee? That is ridiculous. Is rent on Lake Blvd. that expensive? So expensive you need to jack up the prices? Maybe you should rent another facility. I really don’t see what’s so special about this place. Do yourself a favor and go to Denny’s.

4 stars just for the pancakes! One of the best stacks of pancakes I’ve ever had (GQ mag also agrees with me, lol). It’s usually always packed so be prepared to wait. I try to go early to avoid all of that nonsense. Sometimes the staff can be a little forgetful and slow, but that’s not going to prevent me from getting my pancake fix.
I always get the blue plate #2, two pieces of turkey sausage, an egg and two pancakes. You don’t get much and there are a lot of other breakfast spots you can get more for less $$.
The lemonade and oj are fresh, which I appreciate. If you sit in the back past the restrooms there’s a cute fire pit in the middle of the room. They also have a full service bar back there. Pancakes and a shot, lol.

Best pancakes I’ve ever had! I read other reviews and I saw a lot of complaints. It seems that everyone that was unhappy with this place didn’t order the pancakes. They’re known for their pancakes guys so order the pancakes geez!
There is a City parking lot in the back that was packed when I arrived at 11 30am on a Saturday. I parked at the 1 hour spots on the street out front. Parking is only an hour on the street so don’t forget to get another 1 hour parking permit if you’re gonna take over an hour.
Staff was pleasant and service was prompt.
Omg those pancakes took me places… haha.

I make it to Pasadena once a year for the parade. Du-​Pars is on my «must visit» list. I’ve never been disappointed. Nice setting, the fireplace is awesome. Friendly wait-​staff, and always great food. Best pancakes ever, you must try.

I went to Du-par’s for a late night «snack» after a night of dancing. It was only my second time here and all I’ve had is their pancakes. But this night I was craving some meat, of the crispy salty variety. I asked if they could make some bacon pancakes and they said YES! It seemed like a joke but it was no joke when the pancakes came out. Those things were delicious! Imagine the soft fluffy pancakes peppered with nice sized bits of sometimes crispy, sometimes chewy savory/​salty bacon. I ordered the short stack with bacon. It was more than I could finish that night having eaten earlier but there was no way I was going to leave any behind so I got a to-​go box. Try it once and it will be the only way you order their pancakes from now on.

Oh, the regret of coming here. The regret is so, so real, friends. Even after waiting a few days to write a review, the regret feels as heavy as it did on Saturday. I came here with my boyfriend over the weekend during South Lake Ave.‘s annual Holidayfest. I almost don’t have anything positive to say about this place.
Before this became a Du-par’s, it was a Hamburger Hamlet. Ever since the restaurant changed, my boyfriend has wanted to try this place and see how it compares. Well, boyfriend, now you know. Now we both know.
When we first entered, we were seated and our menus given. After getting our waters and our orders taken, we waited a very long time for our food. I ordered a ½ salad ½ sandwich combo with the french dip sandwich option. Spoiler alert: there’s actually nothing to dip. It’s just sliced beef on bread. So sad I didn’t clarify. My boyfriend ordered a burger. Thankfully, my salad came out first and we were able to munch on that before the main plates arrived 15 – 20 minutes later. We were starving. The food was mediocre at best. Any time I leave an establishment thinking «I could have made that! And so much better, too!» I feel gypped. And boy, did I feel gypped leaving Du-​pars. For almost $ 40 after tip for 2 sub-​par meals, we felt uneasy.
The service left much to be desired. Our server spilled water in front of our table but did apologize. We had to repeatedly flag her down for the check and again when we wanted her to take it. The one positive thing I will say is that she was friendly-​ish and did check on us a few times. I heard her apologizing to another table since they had been waiting for their food even longer than us. She said something along the lines of only one main cook was working. Yikes.
Du-​pars, sorry, never coming back.

Early Dec 2015
Noon-​ish
Hey guys, it’s me, Maria’s Mom. Maria isn’t on Unilocal right now, so I grabbed her account and I’ve gone rogue!
Gotta type fast before she realizes my plan for world domination…
Du-par’s = yuck, don’t do it. I was forced to go here for a group outing. The crib is shabby and depressing, with derelict ceilings and a dirty floor. At our table, the food ranged from passable to possibly dangerous (uncooked/​undercooked egg and meat products). The service was miserable, lazy, and v e r y slow.
If you tied me to a chair, took my diamond earrings, and demanded that I go to Du-par’s as ransom? Pass me a magazine and keep the earrings… no Du-par’s for me.
All I can do is warn you. But now I have to run; Maria won’t be offline forever. Let’s keep this post between us, ‘k?
Love you too, you look amazing, smooches. Seriously, you look really good. Double smooches.

Formerly a Hamburger Hamlet, this Pasadena locale is currently home to Du-par’s Restaurant and Bakery. Along the lines of Denny’s and Norm’s, this eatery offers a ²⁴⁄₇ supply of mediocre American cuisine. Nothing I’ve had here as been particularly terrible or great. The food is blah but the most redeeming quality, as mentioned earlier, lies not in the food or service or ambiance but rather in the frank availability at all hours of the day/​night. Many times have I stumbled in here at 2 am with a mean hankering for pancakes or burgers (or pretty much any decent food that would be served at that time in the Pasadena area). They are also open all holidays so that further cements their ²⁴⁄₇ niche role.
P. S. Their famous pancakes are good, but waaaaay overhyped. Cheers!

Hello my Unilocalies,
Came here first time to celebrate thanksgiving with my boyfriends family. They have a huge shared parking lot at the back, so definitely finding parking isn’t a problem.
We walk on from the back door, place looks a little European, I do like their booth but I have to say the place definitely needs a big upgrade.
I order the fish and chips because who doesn’t want some fish and chips on thanksgiving right? Lol the food took over 30 minutes to arrive, I’ve got to say I was a little disappointed but was definitely excited to try their food. The presentation was beautiful, I like how it comes with a cold slaw. Their chips was fairly thick and with the best crunch, but unfortunately the fish was just unpleasant. I couldn’t bite through them because of how thick the outer layer was. The fish was bland with not much taste, and definitely burnt, it was very disappointing.
I shared it with my boyfriend because we had a late lunch and now an hour later we both don’t feel too good with a small tummy ache. I do hope that it’s nothing serious.
Overall, 4 stars for service, 2 for the food, 2 for décor and 2 for atmosphere. I wouldn’t want to come back again but thank you for opening on thanksgiving.

Du Pars is a nice reliable diner!
I only went here for dessert so I cannot tell you much apart from the fact that I really enjoyed my banana cream pie! The hot fudge sundae was alright, a little heavy on the cream and light on the ice cream, would have preferred it the other way around.
Seems like they show sports on the telly which is cool. Most of it is american though, i doubt that they show any soccer apart from the MLS by default but thats not really an issue.
Curious to try their pancakes as people claim that theirs is the best in LA. I don’t know about that but Ill keep this place in mind.

Feeling kinda Du-​pid after eating at Du-Par’s this morning.
Every couple of years, Verizon calls and says «you’re up for a new phone.» And so, we put the kids in the car on a Sunday morning, and make a day of it on oh-​so-​self-​important South Lake Ave… Breakfast at Hamburger Hamlet, then waiting in the purgatory of the Verizon store queue…
… Except HH is gone now (note: cursory research revealed that it has been gone for some time… I guess that demonstrates how little we actually visit South Lake in Pasadena.)
Mrs. Picante and I watched the door of Du-Par’s for a while, and noted several guests in t-​shirts, and with children in tow, so we figured it would sort of work out for our casual attire and three little ones on a Sunday morning. I guess this Restaurant and Bakery is not intended for kids, however.
Upon entering, we were met with a half-​hour wait. Not a bad sign, but not a joyful thing with a young family. No matter, we occupied them with trips outside and a few rounds of «I Spy» until we were seated.
No kids menu here. Pancake side is like $ 5. Yes, for a pancake. Oatmeal is $ 9. Pancakes and sausage was $ 14. I generally don’t care about prices, but considering my kids aren’t going to eat much anyway, I hate spending $ 15 each for a three year old and a one year old.
Wife doesn’t eat sausage. Request to the server (who was actually very patient and kind) to substitute some fruit for the meat was met with an unnecessary level of confusion, dramatic pauses, and the necessity of checking with the manager. Bless her heart, the server got it sorted out, and when the food arrived, the kids got a big bowl of fruit. The «extra eggs» ordered (I’m willing to pay for extras… Not sure if I did, but sure that we didn’t get anything extra) were small, even for a plate intended for a kid.
Kids-​cup milks were small, refills never offered. Not sure if there are free refills or not, but assuming not because they weren’t offered.
A grilled cheese sandwich, short stack with scrambled eggs, and an oatmeal took 40 minutes to arrive at our table. Once it was there, we never saw the server again, although while we were waiting, she did fill our coffees a few times.
I considered that maybe we were just those jerks that brought kids to a non-​kid-​friendly restaurant… But no, they had crayons and coloring book sheets for the kids… But no kids menu. What gives?
Oh well, we tried someplace new this morning. After our first experience, I can’t say I’m in a big hurry to make a second trip… A little too expensive for what you get, and a little too long to wait. Maybe in two more years when Verizon calls me to come get my iPhone 7s, this place will be something different, and we’ll give that a try.

I came here for dinner about a month ago and I absolutely love the atmosphere and setting of this place. Felt like I stepped into a classic mafia movie setting — the restaurant feature big red classic booths and old wooden wall trimmings plus a huge fire place right in center of the room we were seated in. I was very intrigued by how well the place is kept cause the chairs/​booths and tables were in very good condition.
Our waiter was okay — he wasn’t super friendly but somehow his demeanor fitted the restaurant.
I know they are known for their hot cakes but I wasn’t super hungry and really only wanted a salad — so I had chopped salad. My boyfriend had a burger.

Yes, it’s a bit more expensive than Denny’s or IHOP, but it tastes so much better! While I was pregnant I was always craving buttery food and their fluffy pancakes hit the spot, however my husband felt it was overpriced and said he wouldn’t come back. Fast forward and the baby is 3 weeks old and we decide to take my family out for breakfast before they head back to Texas. I picked Dupars because it’s an easy walk from home and good for groups.
The service is cordial and leisurely here, they don’t rush you at all. I had the blue plate #2 with 2 pancakes, 2 pieces of bacon, and 1 egg. Pancakes were light with a little crispiness on the edge — perfect! Bacon was nice and crispy. My grandma had a 2 egg 2 sausage plate that came with your choice of bread which includes one of their freshly baked muffins. I was impressed with the warm and not too sweet banana nut. Hubby had chicken fried steak, a juicy and flavorful piece of chicken, his only complaint was it could have used a bit more gravy. Everyone was happy with their meals and in the end grandma treated us! I could go again.

Glad Dupars is in Pass for sure! And it’s not in the madhouse section of Colorado Blvd we call, «Eastwood’. It’s on Lake, where you can still find parking in the back. It took over the old Hamburger Hamlet space and now is open 24×7 where you can walk in have anything you’re used to in a diner and lots of other American dishes.
Verdict? After 5 times, It was good, not outstanding. A-​OK. I’ve had a burger, a club, a roast chicken, a chicken fried steak and soup, The pies are not fresh unfortunately and after trying 3 pies, I came to this conclusion. In one pie, the rhubarb/​strawberry, I could taste the hardened shortening on the roof of my mouth. Not a good feeling. No not pretty either, it sat like a glop of pie on a plate.
There is something here that I love love love however… THE 3– Stack Pancakes! And… oh my gawd, thank you for letting me experience these stacks of perfect, perfectly fluffy, perfectly perfectly perfectly risen, perfectly perfectly perfectly perfectly buttered, perfectly perfectly perfectly perfectly salted, perfectly served piping hot pancakes… with a side of butter and a side of maple syrup. Nope you ain’t gettin’ some fake low cal/​no cal sugar here, no high fructose corn syrup here. Nope. Here you get the real thang! Real pancakes and Real Maple syrup! I’ll stop here. Don’t get the 5 stack unless you’re a carboholic, it takes you past the flavor nirvana that a 3-​stack gives you. Yummmmytummy meter says a 10++.
For these pancakes, this resto will make it to the best in LA list for me.
Visits: 5
Tip: Come here and watch fat happy diners ordering stacks of perfect pancakes. These pancakes are worth 5 stars. Oh and you can have some too. :) The rest of the menu is just Meh!