Twin Palms Restaurant

Twin Palms is the perfect place to go on a Friday night for a date, for a girls night out, or happy hour with some coworkers. The chef uses the freshest ingredients and the presentation is gorgeous! I had the burrata appetizer and it was amazing! Then I shared the jumbo crab pasta and the mushroom risotto with my date– DELICIOUS! And we shared the crème brûlée tart– yes! A tart! It was so good, I can’t wait to go back! The ambiance is welcoming, warm and fun. Service was efficient and friendly. Thumbs up!

Certainly one of the top 3 worst dining experiences ever. I’m not one to complain, but the lack of professionalism, food service expertise, and overall failure as a restaurant motivated me to register with Unilocal to write this review.
Here’s the skinny, Sunday brunch, 4 couples with a noon reservation. The last couple of our party trickles in by 12:30 and we had our drink orders well underway and things are looking good. By 1:00 we have our food orders in as well as an appetizer. We got our appetizer and drinks in a timely fashion, then all hell breaks loose. We couldn’t get napkins, any more drinks, let alone the attention of the waiter or staff. It’s about 1:45 and we are wondering where our food is and we are starting to get a bit hangry. After complaining to the hostess and asking for a manager, she mentioned that she would get a manager to speak with us. It’s past 2:30 and the food starts to trickle in… Finally.
Things go from bad to worse. Our food is warm at best and quite bland. They completely messed up on one of our orders by sending the wrong thing. They tried to quickly rectify the situation by sending the correct dish. After 10 – 15 minutes my friend gets his steak. At least it’s hot. I could go on… They forgot our toast, extra plates, ketchup… No worries though, we got them ourselves. Yikes! As we are eating a manager named Joe or Joey comes to the table to tell us they were short two cooks and he was in the kitchen cooking. His demeanor was gruff, unapologetic and very matter of fact.
Things go from worse to epically horrible. The bill comes and it’s almost 3pm. Guess what’s on it? Yup, the dish they served my friend as a mistake was on the bill along with his true order. At this point I ask to speak with Joe/​y and tell him that it was a horrible experience and give a suggestion to let is know in advance if our food is going to be delayed. Oh, one more thing, get this item we didn’t order off of our bill. He tells us he will remove the item, still no apology!
Again, I’m not one to complain, but this was a noteworthy experience that needed to be shared. Twin Palms will never get any of my business again and moreover, I will fervently recommend to anyone who asks not to go there. Stay away from this place!!!

Absolutely AWFUL. The entire experience was extremely disappointing. I could go into a long dissertation of details but I’ll spare you the novel & hit the main points.
** Service was barely existent although there were plenty of people on staff. 12:00 noon on a Sunday and only 6 tables in use on the patio and 2 under the covered area. There is no possible excuse for such slow kitchen prep and poor wait service.

** Bottomless mimosas ($ 20 per person) were ordered and should have been flowing non-​stop to cover the long wait & eventually the horrible meal. In the end, we only received the original mimosa and 2 refills in the 2 ½ hours we were there. For each refill we had to ask for the next & wait about 15 min for it to arrive.
** Food when it finally arrived 1 hr later after ordering was truly horrid. Everyone in our party ordered something different & every dish was sub par and mostly left uneaten. In hindsight we should have complained, paid for the drinks and walked out after the first bite.
** Pricing is too high for the quality of food/​drink. For example the Eggs Benedict which includes 2 slices of English Muffin topped with 2 wafer thin slices of «ham» (questionable meat actually — it looked like packaged lunch meat) certainly not a respectable slice of Canadian ham, one tablespoon of sauce (I wouldn’t call if hollandaise) and one small over-​cooked egg. On the side were cubed potatoes, no onion or peppers included — just the potatoes which tasted like they had been cooked in a fryer with some fish. No amount of salt could cover the fish taste. $ 12.00 per plate
I am aware that it is difficult to hit the mark on the 3 main goals in the restaurant business QUALITY /​PRICE /​SERVICE. I am happy to have 2 of the 3 met when I dine out. Twin Palms failed miserably on all 3 points. I will not return and will advise others of our experience.

This review is for happy hour only. Hours are W, F @ 3−7PM and Thursday all day! Sat at the bar and was attended to by the bar manager. Now here’s someone who really knows his stuff! And he was so friendly. He is well versed on different drinks and beers and makes such delicious cocktails. My favorite is Dang! You Spicy Rita (yup, that’s the name!). It’s basically a pumped up margarita made with serrano infused syrup and it has just the right amount of kick. And for only $ 5, you can’t beat that!

I came here for Easter Sunday brunch and won’t be coming back. It took over an hour for us to get our food after we ordered and our waiter never acknowledged it. He never said sorry or updated us as to why it was taking so long. And once the food finally did come out they couldn’t even manage to bring it all out at the same time. We were waiting for a while for my dad to get his food after everyone else had theirs. The food itself was not worth the wait. I had the chicken and waffles and it was bland and uninteresting. My family seemed pretty satisfied with their food but the consensus was that it was only «okay».
I will never come back here nor recommend this restaurant to anyone.

Dealing with this establishment was a complete nightmare from the point of making a reservation all the way to the point of visiting for brunch.
We made plans to visit Twin Palms for Sunday brunch because I had purchased a deal voucher for two entrees and two bottomless mimosas. When initially calling to make a reservation the person answering the phone was uncertain if they could accommodate our party. We called back the next day and were told our first choice of date was not available. We responded that we’d like to schedule for an alternate date. At this point they said «OK «and immediately hung up on us. Ultimately we decided to schedule our reservation online. However, we still needed to call to provide out voucher information.
We were given 3 different stories on the eligibility of the voucher when we called to follow up. None of these versions were listed in the voucher fine print. We were finally told we’d need to be contacted by their «event planner», who never called us.
We decided to show up for our reservation and deal with any details in person. We were taken to a table as soon as we arrived, as the restaurant was only half full. We proceeded to sit at the table for 20 minutes with no visit from a waiter. Several parties were seated after us and managed to get service before we did. Several waiters even walked past us to get to these parties and they seemed to avoid eye contact as they passed our table.
We had prepaid for our meal, which is the only reason we even went through all this trouble. But, after 20 minutes of being ignored in a restaurant that was by no means busy we were forced to leave and find another spot to get a meal.

I came back here again today and totally realized that their food is absolutely inconsistent. The last time I came to Twin Palms, it was on Sunday ³⁄₁₆ and I ordered their Short Rib Hash and the portion was very small, but it tasted great. However, on Sunday 4÷13÷14, I ordered the Short Rib Hash again and it tasted different and the portion got bigger. My bf also ordered the same dish as the last time we were there, Steak and Eggs. His dish also tasted different, it wasn’t good as last time. So, in total, we have been here 3 times and the restaurant hasn’t been consistent. Twin palms has a beautiful ambiance and great service (their waiters do need to smile more though). Overall, it’s a beautiful place, but they really do need to get their food together.

I had read mixed reviews of this place and wasn’t sure whether this should be where we wanted to throw a birthday party for my girlfriend with over 40 guests until I saw the place with my own eyes and met Leslie whose warmth, enthusiasm and planning skills had us sold! And we are so glad we chose Twin Palms for a memorable evening.
Starting with the backdrop of live jazz music (which kicked into an awesome DJ through the hours of the night), the tables set in a way to give us our private space around the dance floor, the bar tenders doing a very good service all through (cheers Chad!) and had the wine pouring in and very tasty dishes flowing without the guests needing to pause even for a second made it all so memorable.
Music, great ambience, awesome food, spot on service, what more could we have asked for?! Looking back, it was the perfect evening!
Thank you Leslie for making this happen and for keeping this splendid evening within budget! Twin Palms rock!

As much as I appreciate the attempt to revive a place that once was a fun place to have Sunday Brunch. New owners you need help. 1. When you change the menu you update your website too 2 different menus not cool and don’t blame someone else. 2. Send the bartender to Bloodymary making school and ensure he passes level 101. 3. Learn to cook bacon and sausage dried up logs of meat not good. The pancakes were awesome, the hash was yummy and were leaving it there.

To say this place is poorly run is an understatement. I am blown away at how far down they have fallen. I used to come to Twin Palms when I lived in Pasadena more than 10 years ago and it was always great.
We came here for a friends birthday dinner, and there was 12 of us. Keep in mind that for a Saturday night, there was quite a number of empty tables. We were seated at 8 PM, and did not receive our dinner until 9:45. When the food did arrive, it was over cooked. The fish our friend got was INEDIBLE. My fries were cold. The servers had no idea whose food was whose, auctioning it off and even wandering to other peoples different tables with our food!
When the manager came over to «apologize» he said that there was another big party and that was the problem. He couldn’t even just say sorry. Blame it on something else. And for the prices and what they are seemingly trying to do there, that is low class.
When the DJ came on, I walked over to the dance floor to check it out, and it was mostly high middle aged, older folks dancing. The whole place looks like they are trying to go for a 40’s racetrack derby club theme, and it doesn’t work. They better get their act together fast, or they are going to be out of business soon.

Man, Twin Palms has had some real hate directed at it — they must really regret whatever brunch Groupon/​LS they did because it seems a lot of the one-​stars came out of that.
I can only vouch for their Happy Hour, a solid one with a real cocktail menu — had a whiskey, tasted a martini, and the bartender was happy when we ordered the spicy margaritas, which he said haven’t really taken off since they added them. The interior is beautiful, and the live jazz band lent a relaxing groove to the proceedings.
If the pizza was a preview of the rest of the bistro menu, I understand a lot of the criticism as it was just okay, and even then it seemed to take longer than it should have. I will probably hang back from a full dinner until I see some of the repeated complaints addressed, but I give full props to their friendly bar team and will return for Happy Hour when in the area; I guess it’s normally Thu/​Fri nights.

Twin Palms!!! What has happened to you? You used to be THE place back in the day, what with your great tented area, hot chicks, and great food. Now youre replaced with this soul less tourist trap with bad lighting and a menu that totally destroys a chopped salad. Must be hemorrhaging money, this empty on a friday night.
I have a piece of advise for Sam the owner. Contact a restaurant company in Newport Beach called Javiers. I think theyre opening a location in beverly Hills. Theyre a high end mexican restaurant whose décor and concept would blow this location up and make you some money (instead of bleeding cash). Ditch the cockamamie idea of getting an entertainment license in here and get a good operator in here who can fill the place and spit on the high rent! Ignore this advice at your peril!

All the words in all the languages in all the worlds can not possibly express my elation when I discovered Twin Palms had reopened: if I could get up and do those really fancy Cirque du Soleil type acrobatics to demonstrate my happiness I would! And so it was with high hopes and great expectations that I welcomed the second coming of this old favourite.

Four of us went there for dinner one recent weekend. The venue is more or less unchanged, plenty of seating is available in the spacious, excellent outdoor section, as well as inside, and there is also a nice lounge area. I like the whole vibe — it’s just a cool, fun, comfortable place to hang out. There is a giant screen that shows silent movies throughout dinner and at 10pm the DJ takes over to entertain the diners.
I am thrilled to report the service was outstanding — among the very best I have experienced in fact — our server was pleasant, helpful and attentive without driving us to the edge of a nervous breakdown.
Unfortunately food was a little hit and miss– calamari appetizer was only so-​so but the sliders were very good. The daily special beef dish was also great, though a little pricey. In contrast, the salmon and chicken dishes were disappointing.
We did experience one awesome and completely unexpected surprise, however: some time after placing our order, our server came out with complimentary plates of gnocchi for the entire table. His explanation was that the kitchen was running behind schedule and the chef wanted us to enjoy one of his special dishes while our meal was being prepared. Whatever the reason for this delightful turn of events, let me tell you this was the best damn gnocchi I have ever had in my life! Completely amazing.
Overall, I’d say the menu could do with more variety and food quality needs to improve in some key areas, but given how much I’ve always loved this place, the resurrection was long overdue and I can’t wait to go back.

Quite possibly the worst place you can go to for «brunch.»
They’re idea of buffet brunch for $ 20 is simply eggs, waffles, potatoes, bacon and sausage. The sausages looked like they had been sitting out for a really long time: crinkly and wrinkly. After looking at what they had to offer at this sad buffet brunch I opted to order off the menu. Still a bad idea.
At the table two dishes were ordered off the table as the rest opted to eat the sad pile of food lying out. We didn’t make any smarter of a decision. I ordered the short rib hash and it came like stew: very soupy and unappetizing. The beef was so difficult to eat and the egg cooked over the hash was too overdone.
The other dish ordered? Two by two by two. Sounded really good actually in writing. Two eggs, two slices of bacon, toast and breakfast potatoes. The eggs were overcooked and turned into rubber. The breakfast potatoes were almost non-​existent as they’d literally give you two tiny potatoes cut up into fours. That’s just two bites of potatoes. They really wanted to drive the «two» point home.
Service was a mess. They would bring out our toast and not explain to us that it was two orders on a single plate. Just why? I would’ve eaten all four slices if you set the plate right in front of me and not say a word. Or if a server offered to bring us jam and then have another server bring it to someone else at the table and not explain what it was.
Save yourself the empty stomach and wallet. Avoid this place like the plague. I never leave brunch unhappy, but Twin Palms definitely made it happen. I’m just so angry at this place for existing.

Early December 2013, group lunch
Once again, my special guest, Maria’s Mom:
«Hi Errryone! It’s the holidays and we’re all busy (except Maria, who has time to be on Unilocal — really?), so I’ll keep this brief.
Twin Palms should have stayed closed — it is bunk! Poor service, average food, and the atmosphere of a barn. Note: having no real roof may be fine on a balmy summer evening, but on a rainy winter afternoon, it was a nightmare. The „heat“ wasn’t working. I would have frozen, if I hadn’t been wrapped in layers of cashmere and wool, accented with the fabulous jewelry that helps me keep my strength up… but I digress.
I won’t be back. Ever. Oh, and to the rudest bus-​person on Earth: slow your roll and put a deposit on some manners.
Gotta run, Unilocalers. Love you — I review these places so you don’t have to take any chances out there!»
***
Um, thanks, Mom. No Twin Palms — I think we got it.

Twin Palms, Pasadena time machine? I am not sure how long it was dormant but it’s back in action and ready for business just as it was a few years back. They have left bits and pieces of the old establishment and refurbed here and there.
This was seemingly the only place large enough that was still allowing patrons to come in during a very busy Saturday evening. The entire Old Town area was super busy and we were hungry and thirsty.
Not wanting to wait for a full meal we grabbed a couple of small bites at the back bar. Key here is small, barely there bites. If Haven across the street wasn’t so packed not sure who is rolling into TP for their appetizer and small pâté menu. We played it safe by starting with two items and calling it a day, that says it all.

White Pizza — 8 Fingerling Potatoes, Ricotta, Rosemary was basically a small flatbread that was literally 4 bites and not all that flavor packed.
Siliders– These sounded way better than they tasted. The should make the portions
slightly larger and up the price. It’s hard to properly cook a burger this small without drying it out… Twin Palms Sliders — 6 White Cheddar, House Pickles, Crispy Onions
So the bar scene\nightlife is the other aspect that really gets going on the weekends. It was actually pretty fun considering we were just there to attempt a meal and ended up sticking around to socialize a bit. The crowd is eclectic and varied and the good news for all of you 20 somethings is that the place is big enough to avoid the 40 somethings pretty easily.
Curious to give the full menu a shot, all in all a decent spot in the heart of Old Town Pasadena.

Twim Palms Restaurant recently opened up after 4 years of being closed. This restaurant is brought to life with new ownership and chef. For years, this restaurant was always busy and music and drink always flowing. At one time, it was owned by Kevin Costner who lived not too far away.
We came here for brunch not too long ago excited to see if this place is a lot like it ws in the past. The layout here is unique. The entry takes you into a large open courtyard. To the left is a stage and north and south bars. The rear and the to the right are the enclosed for formal seating. From what I recall from being here years ago, minimal renovation has been done.
The brunch menu here is American cuisne. I ordered the hanger steak, eggs, crispy potatoes and toast. Steak medium rare was perfectly. Eggs were eggs and okay. Crispy potatoes was composed of tiny fried potatoes which where overcooked and more than crispy. The rest of what we ordered I though was a bit disappointment. The lemon ricotta pancakes weren’t fluffy, the way I like them. The basil syrup that came with it was a bit too earthy for me. Brown sugar French toast wasn’t good at all in my opinion. The other things that we ordered were Kobe tri tip sandwich and lamb hash. Both looked mehhhh! Steel cut risotto looked a bit plain. Really, it’s just oatmeal.
I was hoping for good stuff. Years ago, brunch here was a buffett which was reasonable and had a good variety. That was with previous ownership.
Service here was very good though. Very attentive and friendly. Pricing was reasonable for the place. I’m hoping to come back maybe for dinner to give this place a chance.

Wow, the Twin Palms is open again? The corner of De Lacey and Green was pretty depressed the last couple of years while Twin Palms was shuttered, or more appropriately tented. Used to be a really, really hot place to be a very long time ago when Kevin Costner’s ex used to own the place (remember him?) Back in its heyday, there were live bands and music every weekend, celebrities would even be seen from time to time under the canvas and famous palm trees. It would fall under disrepair after the Costner’s sold their interest and as people eventually lost interest in the mediocre food. The new owner Sam Khachatrian was to revive the glory of the old Twin Palms retaining the naming rights and bringing in a chef most recently from Drago Centro. The menu will be Cali Mediterranean with prices in line with nearby Houston’s or the Cheesecake Factory; don’t know if that sounds a little cliched, I would have liked to see a more upscale place take hold in Pasadena like some of the best places on the westside, but that takes time to take hold. It’s happened before…
We dropped by to check out the happy hour scene on a Friday night which goes on until 630pm; we were actually about 10 minutes too late so kudos to our super nice bartender for letting us slide. A couple of Red Sangria’s to mellow out on seemed like a good idea
. They were dangerously sweet as the weather was warm, and it would be easy to slam a couple of these down; not bad though, very refreshing. The HH salumi and cheese plates are a bargain at $ 5 a piece but I’ve had better quality charcuterie elsewhere
. I think it was a chorizo, and a prosciutto but I’m not sure as the server didn’t take the time to tell us
. The cheese plate had a soft brie and one of the nuttier white cheeses. Augmenting the meats were some pickled veggies while the cheese plate had the sweeter choices like dried apricot and some sort of sweet jelly preserve, as well as some almonds
. Both plates came with crostini that was little more than toast…
We didn’t stick around very long but there was supposed to be live entertainment booked for the front center lounge. We may want to come back sometime to see how that goes (you know… it sucks to be in front sometimes…)

Unlimited mimosas for $ 20! Came here for a Sunday brunch and got the Ahi Tuna Salad and the unlimited mimosa deal. My friend and I also opted to split a side of potatoes, and a pastry side (I think potatoes were $ 3 and pastries were $ 4?). Potatoes definitely weren’t worth it (way small portion and they weren’t that fantastic), but the pastries were pretty bomb. They give you two fairly large pastries, and they were so good!
The ahi salad was delicious but a little steep at $ 17. I also wish there was more greenery (at the end of my dish, I was left with so much tuna to eat alone!)
Service was good and fast, but overall, I think pricing needs to be reevaluated, as a lot of items were pretty pricey!
Oh– the patio was soooo pretty and the live music added a nice touch.

Twin Palms is back and better than ever!!!
The ambiance is great and the food is delicious. Definitely the hippest place in old town. There are really no words to describe. I highly recommend you check it out for yourself. You will not be disappointed.