Haven Gastropub

Treated poorly as a paying customer.
Me and a few friends wanted to find a fun place to watch a college football game, and we came across this pub. They had TVs everywhere so we decided to call and make a reservation. As soon as we showed up, our waitress treated us awfully. She gave us attitude when taking our order, bringing our food or just any question we had. We were nothing but kind to her and weren’t even loud. We left before even finishing our food because we felt extremely uncomfortable. After we paid our bill and were leaving, we overheard our waitress say «yeah that was them.» We felt so disrespected after doing nothing wrong. On top of that the food was overpriced. We will never return to this restaurant.

Probably the better of all gastropubs in Pasadena — my weekend stomping grounds.
I’m just here to remind everyone of how bummed I am this place closed.

Review in #Haiku:
Came here for a drink
Empty, far as eye can see
Bars with no girls suck

I’m happy this placed closed. Why? Because they stopped serving those delicious mussels with chorizo & tomato broth in favor of the most disgusting thing I’ve ever tried… arrogant bastard mussels.
These were without a doubt the worst thing I’ve ever had in my life. I had to hold my breathe & plug my nose to finish them just to not have wasted $ 20.
Good riddance!

Given the 1,2,3…8 people at the bar and 3 servers I was surprised by the apparent indifference the bar staff had towards service. Watching some waiting guy get looked at by a bartender without any recognition while he poured another beer, placed it in a mat for the server, looked up at the basketball game then slowly strolled over and asked what he wanted, seemed an unfortunate first impression.
It’s a pretty sizable place. Although we were only stopping by for drinks the food that other guests were ordering looked pretty good.
Maybe table service is better.
Parking: Pasadena has a number of lots and metered parking is available a short walk away

If you’re looking for some southern comfort spin on gastropub grubbin, this is the place to be. The hand crafted food really is amazing. If you’re looking for a burger, the McCormick sounds the most intriguing, but the haven burger really is the way to go. All the flavors and ingredients go so well together, your taste buds are in for a big treat. I do have to say my personal favorite food wise is the short rib tacos.
For drinks, this place seriously has THE best beer rotation. Here you can find local craft brews and always something new to try for the first time. My expertise on the craft beer community has grown so much thanks to Haven. Plus you’re always welcome to take home a growler of some of their finely house brewed beers. Also I have to mention half off all whiskeys and scotches Thursdays!
In terms of service, you’ll find it hit or miss. But when Julie the bartender is working, you can be assured you’ll be taken care of. Really makes you feel at home and gives some great recommendations on something to try. Service like this keeps me coming back.

Came in to get a pint, and order a flight and a Black Rhino. Very cool spot. I love how the bar is well lit and how they have a good list of draft beers. That’s a plus for me. Unfortunately, I did not order anything to eat but there truffle fries (wish I was disappointed). But the menu and the rest of the food seemed legit. I will surely come back to this place.
Great service as well.

The beer selection is amazing. If you want to really treat yo self, get the McCormick Alley Burger (has bacon apricot jam– yum!) with truffle fries!
We came in for lunch on a Saturday. It wasn’t too busy and the wait staff was attentive and friendly.

Gastropub with amazing on tap choices and delicious gourmet pub food!
Visited this place after a long day of training with a chef friend of mine. We just made happy hour– so we started the night with a hefeweizen and a rye pint each. Our bartender was quiet but friendly and she brought us a few samples to help us decide.
After getting our drinks we ordered a lamb burger for me and a duck gnocchi for her. The lamb burger was DELICIOUS with an amazing onion jam! The duck gnocchi was surprisingly light and airy yet packed with flavor! The duck was cooked perfectly!
It was a great place for a girls night out and I’ll probably stop by for a brew when I’m in the area. The only thing that keeps from being 5 star is the service, which was good but not great.

My short review is based solely on the bar area. I’ve never dined here in the restaurant or ordered their food.
Service at the bar is great, our female bartender was great! Wish I could remember her name because she seriously made me the best cucumber mojito I’ve ever had in my life!!! I’d come back time and time again for that drink. Drinks are as pricy as any other bar in pasadena but at least the drinks are super good here. My man fell in love with their large beer menu, he’s an instant fan of their own beer (sorry I can’t remember the name) I’m not sure if it was their house beer or what but it’s one of his new favorites.
We will be coming back in the near future that’s for sure!

Open late and they’re pretty great. Countless ales, pils, various things with Hop to choose from. Get a flight, maybe, because there’s simply too many to choose from. While trying to figure out what I wanted, I did sample a couple house brews that were tasty and fun. (Maybe #1−5 on the menu is from the guys here. One was a Blond and the other was like a Pale Ale — and I preferred the Blond’s ambitious combination of boldness that didn’t overpower). However, I settled on a Trumer Pils that hit all notes I like to hit. If it weren’t kinda late for me, I would have ventured into more. Next time.
The place itself has a cool look to it – there’s the spacious wrap-​around bar, and tables and bankheads spread out, too. I love the lighting that you can see from the street. And the TVs, while certainly a feature here, don’t swallow up the place. I’m sure it’d be good for a game, though. Overall, the layout felt more intimate than Slater’s ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ — and a bit hipper and more relaxed.
It may seem confusing by looking at some older Unilocal reviews, but Burger Haven apparently isn’t a separate entity. It sort doesn’t exist, even. It’s all here, and in fact, as the whole place is called Haven Gastropub. Tons of amazing beverage options on tap and in bottles. Yet, don’t forget the burgers. The burgers themselves offer something pretty wonderful here. Though there’s definitely more than burgers available, that’s what I can tell you about right now.
Though the three available for Late Night Menu all sounded appealing (starts at 11pm), I had to go for the Lamb Burger. It, like most of the burgers here, are grass-​fed. (When’s the last time I had a lamb burger?) And, there’s a real sustainability effort on the menu in general. This was also revealed to me by one of the gents behind the aforementioned wrap-​around bar. (Service is friendly, efficient and helpful). The Lamb Burger is special: flavorful meat — don’t go more than medium — on a rosemary brioche bun, with a delicious onion jam, tzatziki, and onion sprouts. Mmmm. An almost-​Greek take on an American classic. I really liked it, and the size felt just right, too. Fries sounded great, but more than I could handle tonight. No worries, I look forward to coming back.

Came here for a birthday dinner on a Saturday night. I was surprised to see it so empty though. So we tried a couple of beers and they were okay.
I shared the mac n cheese and shepherd’s pie. I thought the shepherd’s pie had good flavor– the meat was drenched in gravy. It kind of reminded me of Hamburger Helpers… The mac n cheese was yummy! The portion was small though, so it wasn’t worth the $ 14.
*Free basket of fries with Unilocal check-​in! Show the waiter when you’re ordering your food.*

I was super excited to take my friends here after our great brunch experience at Copa Vida. The décor is beautiful, the dark wood, the identical tap handles, and the gorgeous bar. Unfortunately, it was only the aesthetic that impressed me :(
I really wanted to like this place. However, the food was just meh. We ordered the short rib tacos (which by the way… if a place that looks like this has short rib tacos – it must be an unwritten rule to order them straightaway) and some truffle fries. I must say the tacos looked amazing… but again that’s the aesthetic… they looked great, tasted way too salty. Since I was hungry, I forced myself to get through them. My girlfriend finished one but couldn’t stomach any more. What was worse, the beer I paired with the tacos (I think it was their house amber) didn’t help to chase away the saltiness of the dish.
The truffle fries were good, but I know I would’ve enjoyed them better if our entrée wasn’t so salty.

After hearing so much about this place, I finally found the opportunity to visit for a friend’s birthday. This place resides in the smaller alley of deLacey right across from the parking structure, and thankfully it’s not that difficult to find this establishment. 3.5
FOOD QUALITY:
I’ve read through many reviews that this place is good, and I can agree with most that the items here are worth trying.
So here’s to me trying to remember details from my drunken state:
Shepherd’s pie: BLUR.
Baby Back Ribs. Sweet and savory, sweetness from the marinade that used Dr. Pepper which gave a nice caramel kick to the BBQ flavors. FALL OFF THE BONE, soft, very easy to eat and was actually one of my favorite items of the night.
Lamb Burger:
I was actually expecting a little more from this, but it was good. The onion jam was the highlight of this dish and really helped bridge the lamb patty with the bread and onion. I do have to point out that the patty was unevenly seasoned because I would get glaring spurts of salt on different bites, and if there wasn’t onion jam present in that bite then I might as well be shaking a salt shaker on my tongue. I think this would be a brilliant burger with perfect execution: onions and tzatziki to lighten the heftiness of the burger while the onion jam binds the meat and lightness as a nice subtle fill, with the buns to hold it all together. It almost achieved this, just that something was a little off that didn’t meld all these flavors together.
Long story short: It was good and I wolfed this down, just that it could be a little better.
Truffle fries: I’m not a fan. When you salt your fries then add truffle oil == excessive saltiness on your taste buds.
Housemade Donuts: Crisp on the outside, soft in the inside but without a fill; it’s a light, unsweetened donut. Pair with the Jameson caramel or nutella sauce and you have yourself a sweet treat that goes in your mouth.
SERVICE:
I think the alcohol here serves as a stimulant because I’m pretty sure we waited for a long time for things to come. like our waitress. and food. But while intoxicated it seemed like a long time at all.
OTHERWISE. the bar service is pretty helpful and friendly, while the rest of the staff is just fine/​normal. They’re somewhat attentive to your needs, but I feel like you have to reach out a little to wave down help.
ENVIRONMENT:
Dark ambiance, good for dates. Comfortable seating. Kind of loud, so be louder.
OVERALL. I want to come back here to try more of their food because I liked what I tasted so far. it’s a solid establishment with, what my friends say, reasonable prices for their food and their drinks.

Love coming to this place! They have the most amazing truffle fries paired with a delicious aioli sauce that I get every time I’m here. You literally cannot go wrong with any of the food here! On Wednesday’s they have half off any bottle of wine that is under $ 40. On Thursday’s It’s half off whiskey, neat or on the rocks. To top it all off, they have an industry card. If you work in the food industry or in some type of position that deals with customer service and food/​drink, you are eligible to receive half off during certain times. On Monday’s it’s all day industry day. After 11pm, industry pay kicks in too. If you want to take advantage of this, just bring in your most recent pay stub and ask you server about an industry card. You won’t regret it!
Anywho, the servers are so lovely! Very nice and accommodating! They also very knowledgable about everything on their menu, whether it be drinks or food. The atmosphere is very relaxed, although, I prefer sitting on the left side of the house because the right side is SUPER dark. I literally had to whip out my phone and use it as a flashlight once! If you like to watch football, hockey, or baseball games, they have a tvs by the bar but it never gets so rowdy during games that you have to shout to hear the person next to you. Overall, I recommend this place! It’s really my go to place!

This pains me because I really enjoyed my first experience here during Dine LA (as evidence by my previous review). I chose this place for a birthday celebration for a party of 20. However, all was not well.
FOOD — 4 Stars: The food here is pretty good for the most part.
— French Fries: These were good. No complaints. they gave a lot actually and that’s a big plus for me since I’m big on my carbs.
— Truffle Fries: These were disappointing because several of us ordered this. We were confused because we couldn’t taste any of the truffle in the fries. We ate it anyway and figured out that the bottom 10% of the fries actually tasted like truffles. They should add more truffle and properly mix it in.
— Pretzel: This was so good that I didn’t need any dipping sauces — beer mustard and fontina cheese. I know it might sound crazy, but really it was that good.
— Pulled Pork Sandwich: I really loved this because the mixture of the cabbage, aioli, delicious pork, and bun were exactly what I wanted. Perfectly cooked and simply perfect.
ATMOSPHERE — 3 Stars: This place is pretty laid back. It has a huge bar area with sports playing on TV. Though I will say that this time, the mood was offset by the music, which was really slow and mellow. It didn’t feel as lively as a Yard House or BJs. It was about 3 notches lower than that — again mellow.
SERVICE — (–8) Stars: So, we had a reservation for 20 people @ 730PM. They indicated to use that we should notify them if we were going to be late as they only allow a 15 minute grace period and that we can be seated once we have half our party — 10 people. We called ahead to let them know we would be running late and that we would be there by 745PM. They said no problem and thank you for the update.
We arrived at 745PM and out of the 20 people that are supposed to come, there are about 8 of us. So, as we’re waiting for the rest of our party, they have us wait at the bar where we gladly spend money on drinks. A few more minutes pass and another 6 people show up. So, we let them know that we have half our party here so that we can be seated. The manager (Kyan — I think that’s his name) then informs me that we seat your party that’s here, but we can’t save the seats for the other people that haven’t arrived yet. Oh and since all of you were running late (even though we notified them and we’re spending money at the bar), we can only give them a 20 minute grace period before we give away your tables. I reiterated what he said and told them what they told us. No one said we needed our entire party to be seated… we only needed 10. Then, he says «Ok. I’ll make it 25 minutes» as if it’s some favor to me. His rationale was that we were holding up the tables way longer than it should be since we’re starting late almost 30 minutes late and that customers wouldn’t understand why we have our section of tables.
So, of course I start feeling a bit bad, but at the same time, we have most of our party here and we’re about to order more drinks and appetizers. So, they literally only setup place settings for the people that were there. The birthday boy goes to the restroom and come back… he informs me, «do you know there’s about 6 open tables on the other side?» Really? The manager is going to put a damper on our whole evening and there are PLENTY of open tables! I almost didn’t believe it so I had to go look with my own eyes and of course, there is plenty of open tables for these imaginary customers that would need to take our spots. I couldn’t believe that the manager would stoop to that level. I can understand if the place was packed and the line was out there door, but 1) there are NO aka ZERO customers waiting, 2) there are PLENTY of tables, and 3) we were NEVER told that we needed all 20 people there to save the seats; only that we needed half our party to be seated.
Needless to say the service just spiraled downhill from there as the wait staff did a less than stellar job of delivering our food and drinks. For some reasons, they would just bring the appetizers, sides, and drinks to our table first and practically just set it down until we told them it wasn’t ours. The waiter did not come to check on us after we had our main entrees, some drink orders never came, and we were never checked on for more drinks so people in our group ended up getting drinks directly at the bar. I’m not sure if the guaranteed gratuity made them work less for the tip, but if I had a choice, I wouldn’t have tipped based on the level of service we received.
RECOMMENDATION: Based on the food, I want to come back. However, based on the service, I won’t be back any time in the near future nor will I recommend this place to anyone. Bad service doesn’t sit well with me at all and I’d hate for someone to go through this same experience regardless if it was for a large party or just a party of two. Sorry, Haven…

Overall: Gourmet bar food and beer! I have been here twice (once with a travel zoo deal and a second time to try other items that sounded delicious) and will keep coming here unless they give me a reason not to come back.
Food (4 stars): Free pommes frites with check-​in (1 order per table only)! This review is for the second time I have been here. I came here with a group of 7 and we shared the pommes frites, truffle frites and pork jam. I got the beef tongue poutine and had a chance to try mac n cheese, seasonal flat bread, haven burger, warm kale salad, housemade donuts, cookies and milk, lamb shank, braised bone-​in short rib.
Frites comes in a huge bowl that is good enough to share between 3 – 4 people. The truffle frites only had a hint of truffle oil and the greasiness melts the frites in your mouth. The restaurant does not carry ranch but they do have a garlic aoili sauce that is delicious.
Pork jam is a must try! It is basically pork that is chopped into small pieces cooked slowly in fat over a long period of time until tender. The «jam» was very smooth and easy to spread over buttery toasted bread. The «jam» is salty in taste.
Haven burger is delicious!
Mac n cheese with a twist since it has gruyère cheese.
The beef tongue poutine is pricey and I cannot get myself to eat the beef tongue.
I would recommend passing on the donuts and cookies & milk.
Ambiance (4 stars): Casual clean bar with televisions and plenty of room for large parties. Parking is metered on de lacey st or in the parking lot across the street where you get 90mins for free.
Service (4 stars): Prompt and we got our food relatively quickly.

Haven was a cool place to be during week two of Unilocal on tap!
Tyler and I came down here one day and got to enjoy some amazing fries, a yummy beer flight (2 flights each, plus stealing sips from one another!), good service, and several yummy beers. We also had the pulled pork tacos, which were good, but the price was a little steep in my opinion.
Loved the décor of this place. Loved the atmosphere. Loved that you could see the brew smack dab in the middle.
Will be back!

I need more PORK JAM! That stuff is fatty, meaty CRACK. I dare you to dislike this dish if you are a pork fan.
I’ve been to Haven a few times now and I have been impressed by most of the dishes and drinks I have tried. My favorite was definitely the Pork Jam. You get a generous jar of slow cooked pork rilletes, topped with duck fat (!) and a sprig of thyme. Serve that with some plain crostini and a gorgeous, whole-​grain mustard (it looked like glossy, golden caviar), and you practically have a whole meal. The pork is incredibly rich and flavorful, and it spreads so nicely on the toast.
Other dishes I have tried here: a daily special of Venison Tartare, a Seasonal Flatbread, the Lamb Burger, and the Truffle Fries. The tartare was quite good, with a drizzle of pomegranate reduction, a quail egg, and a parmesan crisp. I usually don’t even like venison, so who knew I would enjoy it raw? The lamb burger was pretty good, but I think they really need to cut back on the onion jam a little bit; it was somewhat overpowering and too sweet. The truffle fries were cooked nicely, but I wanted more truffle flavor! The seasonal flatbread I tried had pear, arugula, brie, caramelized onions, and guanciale. I was so excited to finally try guanciale and it was delicious. However, I thought there was too much arugula and not enough brie on the flatbread. Still tasty though.
Of course, another great reason to come to Haven is for the beer selection. My first time, I tried a flight. Unfortunately, I don’t remember all the beers I tried but they were all good and the selection is quite good. I wish they had a flat rate for a flight, rather than individual prices for tasters, but you can get some really strong/​flavorful beers so I can live with it. Be sure to check-​in with Unilocal; I believe there was a «Get One Pint 50% Off» offer when I went. The service was good every time I was here. It is a tad pricey, but the food and drinks are solid. I hope to return when the seasonal menu changes for the spring.

Nice atmosphere and great variety of beer on tap. Checked-​in on Unilocal and got 50% off my first draught beer. The downfall of this deal (I know, what could possibly kinda suck?), the fact that it’s one check-​in deal per table. It would have been nice if me and the rest of my party got to reap those benefits as well.
Beer prices are pretty standard and reasonable. I did think that the food prices were quite high. I opted to try one of their burgers. My bf got the Haven Burger which was pretty tasty. The patty was really juicy and the arugula just highlighted the burger’s great flavor. If you are going to try a burger here, this is probably the best choice. I had the Pulled Pork Burger w/​red cabbage which wasn’t too flavorful in my opinion. After a bite of it I was pretty tired of the burger. We also ordered the regular fries and the truffle fries. I have to say the truffle fries were slightly better – but they taste pretty similar. I don’t think I’d be back here for the food, but maybe for the beers.