Paul Martin’s American Grill

My wife and I just came here for Valentine’s Day and we were surprised that they didn’t have a set menu like every other restaurant in LA! It was pleasant surprise. All staff was very nice and sweet. The food was amazing and the drinks were great as well. If you go here order the fish tacos!

First time here was Valentine’s Day weekend. They handled the crowd well. We were seated immediately at a table that was a community table next to a TV on the patio. I was not satisfied so they accommodated my mom and I and moved us to a better table. They were friendly, helpful and kind about it. The service was excellent. Our server, Stephanie, was fun and energetic even when she found out she needed to stay an extra hour or so because they got busy. She was humorous and took great care of us! The drinks were superb. I would go back strictly for the calamari that was finger licking good! Short rib was amazing too! Loved the atmosphere. Can’t wait to back and try Happy hour.

Walked in for a quick bite only to be ignored by the umpteenth server who walked by without even glancing at our table. Waited over 15 minutes before leaving.

We’re looking forward to another visit to Paul Martin’s Bistro. Everybody on staff attempts to make your dining experience most memorable.
Our server, Amber was prompt, efficient and so warm and accommodating. You could sense that she really wanted you to enjoy the visit (from the moment we were seated)
Kenny, the manager was visibly active in assisting his servers and overseeing his guests. He graciously introduced himself at our table and genuinely appreciated our patronage. All too often we experience restaurant service with no oversight and just mediocre service. It seems they rest on the laurels of days gone by.
Hopefully (with 10 locations) P.M. delivers a consistent, high quality and enjoyable experience for years to come. Pasadena is a better place today because of it.

I loved the environment and the food and drinks were amazing. Happy hour is a must! Get there early. Seats are hard to come by!

I was here yesterday for lunch and I am here again for their dinner. The service is excellent, however today the chef forgot our order so we had to wait 30+ minutes to get our food. I ordered a salad and mushroom soup. Anyhow, glad the server took care of our dessert and coffee after dinner. Otherwise, I would not give 4 stars.

100% scratch kitchen. Everything is made here. Sauces, soups, etc. no hormone no antibiotics in their beef. Organic greens. Free range chicken.
Millennialist dream.
100 bottles of wine to choose from.
Indoor has a long long long marble top table. Great for a large party. Bar has a lot seating. Noisy inside. Intimate outside.
I had the steak Cobb salad. Good but steak a little too crispy in the outside. Calamari is good. Pinot Grigio. Very good.
Raspberry martini is popular.

Great place, the service, the food and the enjoyable atmosphere all in one! Don’t miss out!

What’s not to like ?
Was recommend this place by a friend of mine and of boy how he didn’t disappoint.
The atmosphere at this place is amazing. Super stylish and sick décor. The service is in top class and the food is incredible good.
Been here three times so far.
A good tip would be not to do here without making a reservation.

A friend & I met up for HH. Upon entrance, was a view of the full service bar & a nice layout of the restaurant which was very open. The restaurant was entirely full at 430p on a Friday. The HH specials we’re good & there were a good amount of options to choose from. I ordered a Raspberry Martini. It was made fresh w/​fresh raspberries & didn’t taste entirely sweet. It tasted amazing. I also ordered a cheeseburger w/​sautéed mushrooms & avocado w/​shoestring French Fries. The burger had great flavor & the FF were made perfectly. Overall, it was a good experience. The service was friendly & the drinks & food were on point.

I eagerly anticipated the opening of Paul Martin’s after observing the construction on the space the past few months.
Details:
I had lunch with fellow Unilocaler Cathy S. on Thursday, February 4^th. I made reservations a few days before because Cathy only had about an hour available for lunch. I let the hostess know that when I made the reservation in the event they had issues with seating a party before all the guests arrived. I let them know I would drop her off while I looked for parking. I planned to have Cathy put in my order while I was parking. Fast forward to the day of the reservation and another hostess called to let me know I might want to look at the menu first to save time. She also said it would take up to an hour and a half for lunch. I was polite, but I think we had the whole situation under control.
Food: ³⁄₅ Stars
I ordered the California salad with salmon and the house red wine vinaigrette on the side. When my salad was delivered by a completely different server or runner I did not see any dressing on the side, so I assumed they put it on the salad. After eating a couple bites I realized there was no dressing on the salad, so I had to flag down a different server. I let him know that I did not get the dressing. He gave me an irritated look because he was not our server, but what is a person supposed to do? Just sit there twiddling there thumbs in hopes that the original server would miraculously show up? The second thing I didn’t care for was the fact that the salmon was overly seasoned. I could tell it was a really good piece of salmon, but the fact that it had too much salt just ruined in. If I had more time I would have sent it back for sure.
Service: ³⁄₅ Stars
You can tell they need to work on the teamwork because it is totally disjointed. There is also no room to stand at the entrance to be seated. There is no way to stand comfortably inside without blocking the doorway if there are more than four people. My friend had already been seated, so I just squeezed by everyone else.
Atmosphere: ⁴⁄₅ Stars
The space is pretty, but it is a little too dark inside. Immediately after I sat down I wished we were sitting on the patio for more natural light. I guess it’s alright if you like dark places.
Parking: ³⁄₅ Stars
They have a valet out front or you can opt for parking in the structure for Macy’s and the other stores.
Recommendation:
Try it out for yourselves and hopefully things will improve with time. Please remember to be specific if you don’t like your food over seasoned.

Definitely no new restaurant jitters at this place. They were so full one week ago, that without reservations on Friday evening, I was politely turned away & offered a spot at 9pm. That was impossible with Baby C, so I tried again 1 week later as a solo diner. I truly love sitting at the bar as a solo, and I want to give a shout-​out to Amanda, who got me prompt service despite the place being an absolute mob scene.
Well maybe mob scene is a little too severe. It was, however, really busy, and it was only Thursday. Imagine Friday or Saturday. My choice from the happy hour menu was quickly narrowed down to the bistro burger, with comes with fries & a beer for $ 14. If you think about the fact that a beer is normally $ 5 during happy hour, that means my food was only $ 9, which is a great deal. The burger was really nicely cooked & very juicy. The thin, shoe string-​style fries aren’t my favorite, but they were nicely seasoned.
Seems like a really good first date kind of restaurant, or a nice place after work to meet friends. Free parking next door, which is shared with Macy’s a bunch of other stores. No validation required.

This restaurant has a lot of great potential! I am glad that Pasadena has a new cool vibe place to go eat and drink because it needs as many as it can get! The food is very fresh and flavorful while the atmosphere is chill, modern, and chic. I went in for lunch and there were a few fuzzies in my wine, as I was studying my glass one of the employees saw in which he immediately attended to me. He graciously resolved the problem by asking the bartender to open a new bottle of wine and poured me a new glass. I was very appreciative of the way it was beautifully handled without me even asking! Attentive service like that is hard to come across. I will definitely be coming back for dinner!

Came in for lunch and had the Verde Enchiladas. Top notch. Side salad was crispy and fresh. I left feeling not too full, just perfect.

Valentine’s is getting closer recommend to make reservations for that special someone very romantic for a date night dinner

For only being two weeks open, PM has done a great job preparing. We had reservations, even for lunch, which I highly recommend. There is a communal table which is first come, first served.
The staff was friendly, many in from other PM locations to train local staff. Instead of the stress often felt during grand openings, staff seemed happy and at ease, even though the house was packed. The space is wood and brick and iron yet the ambiance is warm and you can hold a conversation without having to raise your voice.
The menu is straight forward, starters, salads, sandwiches, burgers, entrees. Even though there are designated gluten-​free options, the menu is missing main ingredients of most dishes (sauces, dressings, toppings), so be sure to ask or, like me, you’ll send your tacos back bc you didn’t know they came w aioli. Our server also didn’t know that they base of aioli is mayo and, hence, eggs.
The steak & bacon tacos are great, flavorful on their own without the aioli.
With their salads you can add whatever protein suits you for an upcharge.
Valet parking in front is $ 8 or find street ot structure parking at Macy’s.
Bread was offered but we declined.
Also, they make their own pickles on site, a cross between dill and bread & butter, so ask for a side if you dish doesn’t come with it.
The weekday happy hour has a selection of $ 5 drinks that are otherwise $ 13.
Glad to have an alternative to DF up the street. Hope ot succeeds.

Review is for dinner on a Friday night. We had 5:45 reservations and arrived ontime if not a few minutes early. We had to wait 15 minutes for our table (a bit surprising given how early in the evening it was).
Restaurant — three main spaces: bar with a very long communal table. This probably took up 60% of the interior space. Back 40% was sit down dining /​the restaurant. They also have a nice outside patio (covered). It is quite loud inside — if you are looking for a quiet evening, opt for the patio.
Food — they go heavy on the salt here. We had 3 meat dishes — rib app, skirt steak, rib eye steak. All 3 were quite salty (even by my standards — I love salt).
Service — need to work the kinks out /​this is a new restaurant, so I get that. There were a few service mis-​steps, but the waiter apologized profusely for those.
I’d hold off and go in a few months once things are ironed out.

5 stars all the way! My family and I have now dined here 3 times, and we are enjoying the wonderful food and outstanding service immensely. The first time I went, it was just me and my sister and we happened to go in on their first day of service (¹⁄₁₇), and I had the delicious redfish (a fish I’d never had before, that is kind of like tilapia with a bit more flavor), served over some of the most delicious spinach I’ve ever had. They said it was a certain kind of spinach that isn’t common in restaurants and almost has the consistency of kale. Soooo good!
The second visit I made was with my sister, brother-​in-​law, and a good friend, and I had the cedar plank salmon which was quite tasty as well.
This past Sunday, I had some oysters and the butternut squash soup. Those dishes didn’t disappoint either.
And what can I say about the service? We have become friendly with Joseph, one of the managers in charge, and he has gone out of his way to see to our comfort each time we have visited. The wait staff and hostesses are nothing short of delightful. We can’t wait to return. Do yourself a favor and take advantage of the Sunday night prime rib dinner for two. That is my sister and brother-in-law’s favorite and they have had it twice already! Welcome to Pasadena, folks! May you prosper and become a new permanent fixture of Lake Avenue!

Paul Martin’s, the latest addition of eco-​minded American Grill’s on Lake Avenue in Pasadena. An unrefined gem with lots of potential; requiring improvements to live up to their motto «Seasonal & Delicious».
At the time of our visit, they had been open for a little over a week, with a packed house since the day of opening.
The awesome things with Paul Martin’s:
— They have a few promotions available that seem like a great deal for the amount of food and/​or alcohol your getting for the price. One of the deals under the happy hour (daily 3−7pm) menu is a hamburger with fries and a craft beer (your choice from the craft beer menu) for $ 14. Not a bad deal!
They also have a brunch deal that includes a muffin, fruit, entrée and drink for $ 22, as well as a 3 course meal with wine for two people for $ 50.
— The communal seating. This type of seating isn’t for everyone but if you like to be social with complete strangers, then you will enjoy this. They do offer private seating areas as well but at this time you probably should make a reservation in advance for one of those private tables (not sure how far in advance, so do yourself a favor and call a few days or a week ahead to play it safe).
— The ambiance. The place has a clean and decadent atmosphere, with ambient lightning and fine décor. Perfect spot for a date night, or just as an after work spot to grab a bite and drinks.
— They have a full bar with a huge selection of alcohol, wines and craft beers.
Areas that require improvement:
— Although I really like the idea of communal seating, it seems that they don’t have the process down yet for serving this section. It is part of the bar area so you seat yourself if you can find seats available. I didn’t mind this at all but then I had to ask a staff member to clean off or area after the previous patrons. Even after confirming with a worker that someone would clean the table, nobody showed up. Eventually, after 20 minutes of waiting for someone to take our order, we had to flag down a waitress to take our order. Although the staff seemed very friendly, they were notably too stressed due to their process, or lack of. The waitress also told us that their POS system went down right before we arrived which I’m sure made everything else that much harder for them.
— The seating in the communal «bar area» is cramped. The chairs are tall and heavy, and positioned right next to one another, making it difficult to not hit the person next to you while trying hop on your chair. The space between the communal and the U-​shaped bar is extremely tight when both sides are occupied with patrons. This also seem to make it difficult for servers to serve food and drinks to their patrons without being bumped into by someone.
— After giving our order, it took 10 mins to receive water — and even then, we were given one glass due to running out of glasses. It took 20 mins to receive our drinks, and 45 mins to receive our food. It was extremely packed since it was a Friday night during happy hour, so we understood the wait times, but let’s hope that this become an area of improvement. Especially not counting for available glassware.
The food and drinks:
We tried two beers from their selection of wine, beers and cocktails. It was a decent selection, and you will probably find something of your liking.
– Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale from The Booneville, CA. Classic, rich amber ale with caramel, toasty flavors and dry rewarding finish. Tasty and light.
– Abita Purple Haze. Clean crisp lager with raspberries after filtration giving purple hue and delicate flavor. Hoppy and smooth.
— We also ordered a classic mojito under their happy hour menu for $ 5. We were a little disappointed because all you could taste was the alcohol. It was too strong and the flavors were muted.
— We ordered Hamburger and Fish ‘n Chips from the Happy Hour menu. The burger was overall really tasty and the chef knew exactly how to cook the meat medium rare, but the bun was too dense for my tasting. The fries were tasty and crispy.
Unfortunately the fish was not good at all. It was supposed to be Wild Red Fish, although not specified what type of Red Fish on the menu. The restaurant promote sustainability with their selection of fresh ingredients. However, the fish was extremely bitter and had an off-​putting after taste. We did notify our waitress about this issue, but nothing came of it.
Verdict:
Now of course we all know that when a place opens they will have kinks in the early stages that will need to be fixed. This is why I’m giving them only 3 stars right now. I’m planning on going back in a few months to see if they have made any changes and will update my review. But for now, Paul Martin’s really have to keep up with the demand of hungry patrons. And we shalt see!

New favorite restaurant in Pasadena area! Just opened last week and the service, food, ambiance were great. I work near by and walk by almost every week. When I saw the space completely gutted and renovated, I knew ballers were coming into this space. They did a fantastic job on décor. Dark wood with marble counter tops. The service was attentive. Being 7pm on Saturday night, it was fully booked at the restaurant, but bar seating is first come first serve. The bar area has plenty of seating with a u-​shaped main bar, couch seating, long communal table, and high top round tables (can seat 4).
The food was really good. Menu is a little limited. High on beef items. We ordered the charcuterie/​cheese platter $ 14 and steak and frites to share. The charcuterie and cheese seemed small but really filling. The steak was fantastic. The sauce for the steak was super condensed with lots of flavor. The arugula salad with the steak was refreshing. Wine list seems skewed toward California wines. Not my favorite, but there are plenty of specialty cocktails to choose from.
This place has an older crowd (40’s & 50’s). Not many kids and not a place for 20’s to pick up at the bar.
Just one suggestion for management– don’t use the pretty outdoor patio as your wine glass storage or server break area. It looks very unprofessional and takes away your atmosphere. If you want a storage or break area, just put a wall up so we don’t walk by and see everything.

Very cool new spot! Happy Hour is not bad at all! chicken skewers were great! Great selection of brews on tap and a bunch of well drinks and hard drinks for those who had a long day! bistro burger and brew for 14 bucks during HH! Bartenders were very nice and the place looks great!!!
Only missed 5 stars due to miscommunications, I think.

Nice attractive new place and the food is great but my husband and I were interrupted so many
Times by our waiter, Conrad, that I really wanted to rate this only 4 stars. Too much overly friendliness the second time too, but better!
Best calimari ever! Salads are quite good and burgers sublime…

Great new restaurant in the Macy’s Plaza on Lake. Came here with a pretty large group. Service was great. We came during happy hour time but weren’t seated at the bar. We were still able to order from the happy hour menu. I got the mojito which was very good and only $ 5 during happy hour.
For dinner I ordered off the regular menu. I got the blackened ribeye. For the price and the size of the steak, I expected a bit more. The steak tasted fine, but I expect this type of restaurant to have either a bigger portion or better quality meat. It came with mashed potatoes which was very tasty.
Overall a great experience and the happy menu hour is pretty great.
For parking, it’s closer to park at the TJ Maxx side of the structure.

The food is fantastic. The food is prepared from scratch. The sauces are fabulous.
We had artichoke, calamari, chicken, vegetable pasta, fish tacos all fresh and great tasting.
Note: Unilocal removed my review because they claim it was not firsthand experience, probably someone reported it??? Get a life. I see less and less of a reason to use Unilocal for various reasons.

There are a lot of great restaurants in Pasadena, which is why Paul Martin’s won’t be open this time next year.
This restaurant was so loud, we could barely hear one another talk, and we had to yell. The service is mediocre. And I give it a mediocre, because they seem to care. I mean, the service is bad, but they seem to care that it’s bad. The people are nice. And the staff is HUGE. I can’t imagine how high their labor budget is, and I was there on a Monday night. Sadly, I had to ask the waiter for a plate for my appetizers which we were sharing, a menu, and a glass of tea, because he never offered me a beverage.
Which brings me to the food. If you want to meet up with friends at Paul Martin’s for drinks, good for you, but don’t order food. I ordered the «Prime New York Steak.» Now, in their defense, it didn’t say it was a New York Strip steak, just a «prime New York Steak.» I didn’t ask. That was the worst $ 40 sirloin I have ever had. It was sufficiently salted, but it was the toughest steak I’ve ever ordered at a restaurant other than Sizzler. Funny story. I ordered mine medium rare. My friend ordered his medium well. They both came out the same. Tasty, but really, really tough. And by prime, you’d like to think they meant USDA Prime, but that’s obviously not the case.
When I left, my ears were still ringing like I’d just left a very loud rock concert.
You have lots of choices in Pasadena. Choose wisely and avoid Paul Martin’s.

Was here with a couple girlfriends this week, tried some new fabulous dishes. Service was amazing, I hope it remains this way upon their grand opening. Managers informative, inviting. Love the atmosphere, inside and outside seating. Menu is reasonably priced, healthy organic choices, you can eat with out feeling guilty like your cheating on your clean eating.
Will definitely be back with my love-​great wine selection for after the love of my life is born. Nice for happy hour-​lots of bar seating.

A great addition to the Pasadena area. Contemporary large open floor plan with generous bar and patio area, great for a local social night with family and friends. Was invited to the soft opening and the service, food, and presentation were all on point. Enjoy, and be prepared for a wait for what’s sure to be a staple in the area.

I was lucky to be invited by a friend to the Paul Martin’s soft opening in Pasadena. I didn’t know I was supposed to call and make reservations, yet one of the lady managers (or hostess) at the front was kind enough to find seating for me and my friend.
We sat at the bar. It was my first time at a Paul Martin’s, and I was a bit nervous about trying a new restaurant during their soft opening. Our bartender/​waiter was Jamal, and he was SUPER nice. He was very knowledgeable about the dishes being served, helping me decide between the 3 mushroom burger and the pacific redfish.
The butternut squash soup is the best butternut squash soup I’ve ever tried. Who eats that? I don’t know, but it’s good.
I then tried the redfish with spinach. Also, very good. I loved the seasoning on the fish. It just had this beautiful crusted black pepper on it. Delicious!
For dessert, we got the banana crème pie. I’m not really a banana-​type-​of-​guy, but SURPRISE this was good too.
Thank you guys for the great experience! I definitely will go back.