HOME > Chowhound > Los Angeles Area >


BBQ Hot Spot - Pasadena

  • 9

The missus needed to pick up dry cleaning next door..so we decided to save some time and try out the new korean bbq wings joint.


1. Skip the ramen...you are better off with some supermarket ramen
2. Hot Wings - skip the hot "american" version. Mild (honey) and K-Hot (Korean Sauce) are the best flavored.

Looks to be a mom&pop&daughter operation. Great service but food was just O-K. Wished they serve real korean noodles etc.

2391 E Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91107

p.s. in the same strip mall is Dickey's BBQ Pit which replaced Domino's. Decent crowd there but pricing is almost Robin's BBQ level.
p.s.s. Plate 38 looks quiet

  1. Click to Upload a photo (10 MB limit)
  1. Usually when I order ramen at korean restaurants, it ends up being shin ramen. Same with rabokki.

    I think their concept of ramen is similar to HK ppl and nissin ramen.

    They both strongly prefer a specific taste and texture when they think of ramen, unless the shop is a specialized "lai mein" shop.

    1. In the same complex is a Subway, I believe, and Lupita's (http://lupitascm.com/) - I've not tried the latter, but keep meaning to.

      Across Sierra Madre Blvd., in the Von's shopping center, are The Flame Broiler (http://www.flamebroilerusa.com/home.html) which isn't bad for a quick chicken and veggie bowl and Pasadena Noodle & Grill (http://www.pasadenanoodle.com/) which is Vietnamese and isn't getting great reviews on Yelp, but I was okay with what we tried (caveat: I'm not terribly knowledgeable about Vietnamese cuisine).

      6 Replies
      1. re: ElsieDee

        Flame broiler = Korean yoshinoya

        1. re: ns1

          I always thought it was the Korean Chipotle.

          1. re: ns1

            I've only been to that flame broiler once, and that's all I needed to not go back there (or their other locations) ever again.

            Got a "the super works" plate, or whichever had all 3 meats. Ribs were cooked ok, but sauce was generic and meat was sparse. The beef is hard, overcooked, flavorless, and had many chewy/inedible pieces. The chicken is flavorless and had a lot of fatty and tendon pieces. Sauce is horrible. Veggies were undercooked to the point where I thought they were raw (though maybe that was the point?).

            I'd actually much rather go to mako bowl or *gasp* yoshinoya (certain locations)...

          2. re: ElsieDee

            Thank you for the info. I saw the sign last week and was wondering about BBQ Hot Spot. Pasadena Noodle & Grill - you can find better pretty much anywhere else. Lupita's, which I have not been to in years, was very good when they first opened, probably still good. Flame Broiler reminds me too much of Yoshinoya (which I find repulsive), so I will never step foot into one. Plate 38 has the best bagel & lox plate I have ever had - they deep fry their capers!!

            1. re: WildSwede

              Lupita's IS still good. Far from the best, and you can't get a margarita, but the best cheap all-arounder in that vicinity as far as I'm concerned. Mrs. O was addicted to the lengua plate back when she was eating that sort of thing, and I love that and the seafood enchiladas. We were first taken there by Tania's folks - Pops loved it mostly because it was so cheap, but he had some strong favorites. The darker of the sauces that come with the chips is especially good; a friend visiting from Nashville got a quart jar of it to take home, and it so impressed his boss that when she was next in LA she made a side trip just to eat there and get some sauce of her own.

            2. re: ElsieDee

              The beef at Flame Broiler is inedible, but I agree with ElsieDee that it's a good spot for a quick chicken/veggie/brown rice teriyaki-style bowl. Certainly not a destination, but good for a healthier fast lunch if you're in the area.

            3. I completely forgot I tried this place a while back. I guess that says something - it hasn't occurred to me to try it again or even mention it to anyone. We had the "hot" Korean-style wings, which were not hot, but were quite sweet and too saucy (eh, that's a personal preference). My tall dark and handsome husband was put off by the ends of the wings not being clipped (and the occasional feather). I don't mind these things at all - I consider the crispy end pieces a definite plus, actually - but not enough to redeem these wings. We can make better at home.