While Philadelphia is home to the famous cheesesteak (location based) rival of Pat’s and Geno’s, Pasadena has something of their own coffee stand off.The good news is that both options are delicious at what they provide to the community, but when you distill down all the unique menu items, you really must focus on the coffee.After multiple espressos at both establishments, on multiple visits throughout the year, it stands clear that Float has the best coffee.Today at Float I had a full flavored Americano that was crafted with beans from La Mill. It was delicious. Yesterday, at their competition, I had an Americano that was consistently thin on texture, overly smoky and too astringent overall.At the end of the day, all consumables are subjective, and I hope both coffee shops can survive for the long run.As a side note, shame on the landlord of the shared building for adding more stress and competition to small businesses in an increasingly brutal market.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kristy L.
Sandwiches were solid but nothing to write home about. I'd honestly give this place 3.5 stars overall. Service was great and very attentive. They answered all our questions and told us what most people like to order. We got the pesto chicken and floats Italian. The pesto chicken kind of lacked flavor. The chicken was tender and the cheese was melty but it didn't have that umami or saltiness that would have made the sandwich all the better. The floats Italians bread was really chewy and a little hard to eat. It got to the point where we had to remove most of the bread to be able to consume it. floats did not skimp out on meats at all. Our sandwiches were stacked. Ingredients tasted fresh. I'd only really come back here if I was in the area. They also ran out of bacon when we came which was around lunch time on a Saturday. I will say though there were many people eating and ordering so maybe there was a rush they didn't expect and ran low on ingredients.
Cecilia H.
I've been wanting to check out this place for awhile and I finally was able to catch them during their opening hours which is from 8-5pm. The first item I got was the turkey avocado club and it was delicious! I only ate half and the next day I air fried the rest and it was still good- especially the bread! I was still dreaming of this sandwich so I decided to go the next day and wanted to try something new so I got the pastrami rosemary. It was big mistake! It was really the worst sandwich I've ever had in my life. The pastrami was so chewy and rough. It was way too thick for my liking. The slaw was just full of mayonnaise and cabbage- there was no flavor. I do not recommend anything with pastrami and I would stick to regular deli meats. I was so disappointed with this sandwich. It's unfortunate that I didn't like my sandwich. I am reluctant to return since I didn't enjoy it. Hopefully on my next return I can get the turkey club sandwich to redeem this spot.
Doerte Sennecke-Chow
First time here. I was undecided between ordering the coffee Latte or Cappuccino. This time, I went with the cappuccino. See image. The cost was $6, including tips. I can’t help but ask myself if it was my favorite cup of coffee?Probably not but Float’s coffee ranked high on my list. Somewhere between Two Guns brewery and Blue Bottle Brewery on the Westside of LA.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Angie DelGado
Food was okay. Nothing really special. Got the veggie sandwich.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: The Picnic Sandwich
Meagan F.
Not normally a sandwich type, but the outdoor seating environment was so nice I stopped and had myself a "Pesto Chicken Sandwich" and it was really delicious! Definitely recommend! I'll be back to try their turkey cheese melt or chipotle bacon club! Recommended by the employees!
Smartching
Elegant little
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Angie C.
Interesting how the owner responded to my review. Not only did I not get calls from the business but she claims they did call... interesting. Way to go with the sarcasm, after all the owner was not the one that got the missing items that she claims they did not miss even though I have photos proving otherwise, so that's sad that she's claiming this if she wasn't there to see what really happened. And also, shame on you for your customer service. I have encountered better customer service, never at such a negative level as this owner has responded so please take this into account whenever you deal with this business and they miss any items in your order.
Dan A.
We tried Float Pasadena for the first time and it was a fantastic experience. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful with their food recommendations. I had the Italian sandwich and my wife chose the pesto, both were delicious. The standout for me was the London Fog with oat milk - it was perfectly balanced with a slight sweetness. The Dutch bread added a flaky, flavorful touch to our sandwiches. The location, tucked in a charming alleyway, matched the cozy, overcast day perfectly. We're definitely coming back!
Nathan S.
food and floats are fine. The coffee is pretty bad though. As a barista i can say they use pretty good products and machines for espresso but just are doing something inherently wrong when pulling shots. Every time ive given them a try the coffee has been super sour. Also their pour over setups dont look to have been cleaned regularly.
Nice spot for an affogato or a sando. Always an interesting, good looking crowd and kind, attentive service. The retail corridor that Float sits at one end of seems to skew towards influencers because it is so visual, but don't let that stop you from visiting. And it is so damn easy to park on weekends, which I can't say for most places in Pasadena. Recommended, and I am excited to try more of the things.
Maggie M.
Excellent service and sandwich's! Took them a while to bring my coffee but when they did it was was sit a delicious Rice Krispie treat on the house.
Bryanna N.
Girl with the tattoos makes the BEST samiches. I recommend. The baristas are awesome and the best like ever. Highly skilled employees.
Vic C.
Float Pasadena, which is kind of hidden, is located in Burlington Arcade, closest to the parking lot side than from the entrance on Lake Ave. After doing some shopping and walking around the HolidayFest event on South Lake (a tradition my husband and I like to do every year), my mom was hungry and wanted to get something to eat. She wasn't expecting to eat lunch but Float had ran out of most of their pastries and she was starting to get a little hangry. So she decided she would order a sandwich for her and one for my husband since I said I wasn't really that hungry. However, I ended up eating half of her sandwich. Anyways, we ended up ordering: Half Pesto Chicken Sandwich, $12 prior to tax- This sandwich was toasted and the inside was nice and hot. Surprisingly the half sandwich was plenty for my mom and the other half was plenty for me (but I wasn't that hungry and my mom is a small eater). There was plenty of chicken in the sandwich and I liked the roasted vegetables and pesto sauce. Roast Beef Sandwich, $11 prior to tax- My husband wasn't too hungry and so he only had half of his sandwich (normally he would eat the whole thing, but we ate only 2 hours before hand and my mom ate 4 hours ago). He liked his sandwich and thought it was good. Pour Over Coffee, $4, prior to tax- My mom had to have her coffee. She enjoyed it. -------------------------- (Total= $33.45 after tax and tip) Wait time for our sandwiches were a little over 15 minutes, but the employee who took our order had quoted us that wait time, so it was expected. Service was quick and friendly. But looking for a table was a challenge. The seating is incredibly limited here with very few outdoor tables and very little seating inside. I have not been here on a week day and have only been on a weekend (I have had their chai tea and one of their root beer floats on previous visits) and it has always been a busy little place. I think the food is good and can see why this place is popular. Not sure if I would make a special trip but overall, our dining experience was positive.
Yana E.
i love coming here and ordering their bagels, such a beautiful spot, i come when it's not busy so i get served on time
While Philadelphia is home to the famous cheesesteak (location based) rival of Pat’s and Geno’s, Pasadena has something of their own coffee stand off.The good news is that both options are delicious at what they provide to the community, but when you distill down all the unique menu items, you really must focus on the coffee.After multiple espressos at both establishments, on multiple visits throughout the year, it stands clear that Float has the best coffee.Today at Float I had a full flavored Americano that was crafted with beans from La Mill. It was delicious. Yesterday, at their competition, I had an Americano that was consistently thin on texture, overly smoky and too astringent overall.At the end of the day, all consumables are subjective, and I hope both coffee shops can survive for the long run.As a side note, shame on the landlord of the shared building for adding more stress and competition to small businesses in an increasingly brutal market.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sandwiches were solid but nothing to write home about. I'd honestly give this place 3.5 stars overall. Service was great and very attentive. They answered all our questions and told us what most people like to order. We got the pesto chicken and floats Italian. The pesto chicken kind of lacked flavor. The chicken was tender and the cheese was melty but it didn't have that umami or saltiness that would have made the sandwich all the better. The floats Italians bread was really chewy and a little hard to eat. It got to the point where we had to remove most of the bread to be able to consume it. floats did not skimp out on meats at all. Our sandwiches were stacked. Ingredients tasted fresh. I'd only really come back here if I was in the area. They also ran out of bacon when we came which was around lunch time on a Saturday. I will say though there were many people eating and ordering so maybe there was a rush they didn't expect and ran low on ingredients.
I've been wanting to check out this place for awhile and I finally was able to catch them during their opening hours which is from 8-5pm. The first item I got was the turkey avocado club and it was delicious! I only ate half and the next day I air fried the rest and it was still good- especially the bread! I was still dreaming of this sandwich so I decided to go the next day and wanted to try something new so I got the pastrami rosemary. It was big mistake! It was really the worst sandwich I've ever had in my life. The pastrami was so chewy and rough. It was way too thick for my liking. The slaw was just full of mayonnaise and cabbage- there was no flavor. I do not recommend anything with pastrami and I would stick to regular deli meats. I was so disappointed with this sandwich. It's unfortunate that I didn't like my sandwich. I am reluctant to return since I didn't enjoy it. Hopefully on my next return I can get the turkey club sandwich to redeem this spot.
First time here. I was undecided between ordering the coffee Latte or Cappuccino. This time, I went with the cappuccino. See image. The cost was $6, including tips. I can’t help but ask myself if it was my favorite cup of coffee?Probably not but Float’s coffee ranked high on my list. Somewhere between Two Guns brewery and Blue Bottle Brewery on the Westside of LA.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Food was okay. Nothing really special. Got the veggie sandwich.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: The Picnic Sandwich
Not normally a sandwich type, but the outdoor seating environment was so nice I stopped and had myself a "Pesto Chicken Sandwich" and it was really delicious! Definitely recommend! I'll be back to try their turkey cheese melt or chipotle bacon club! Recommended by the employees!
Elegant little
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Interesting how the owner responded to my review. Not only did I not get calls from the business but she claims they did call... interesting. Way to go with the sarcasm, after all the owner was not the one that got the missing items that she claims they did not miss even though I have photos proving otherwise, so that's sad that she's claiming this if she wasn't there to see what really happened. And also, shame on you for your customer service. I have encountered better customer service, never at such a negative level as this owner has responded so please take this into account whenever you deal with this business and they miss any items in your order.
We tried Float Pasadena for the first time and it was a fantastic experience. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful with their food recommendations. I had the Italian sandwich and my wife chose the pesto, both were delicious. The standout for me was the London Fog with oat milk - it was perfectly balanced with a slight sweetness. The Dutch bread added a flaky, flavorful touch to our sandwiches. The location, tucked in a charming alleyway, matched the cozy, overcast day perfectly. We're definitely coming back!
food and floats are fine. The coffee is pretty bad though. As a barista i can say they use pretty good products and machines for espresso but just are doing something inherently wrong when pulling shots. Every time ive given them a try the coffee has been super sour. Also their pour over setups dont look to have been cleaned regularly.
Restaurantji Recommends
Nice spot for an affogato or a sando. Always an interesting, good looking crowd and kind, attentive service. The retail corridor that Float sits at one end of seems to skew towards influencers because it is so visual, but don't let that stop you from visiting. And it is so damn easy to park on weekends, which I can't say for most places in Pasadena. Recommended, and I am excited to try more of the things.
Excellent service and sandwich's! Took them a while to bring my coffee but when they did it was was sit a delicious Rice Krispie treat on the house.
Girl with the tattoos makes the BEST samiches. I recommend. The baristas are awesome and the best like ever. Highly skilled employees.
Float Pasadena, which is kind of hidden, is located in Burlington Arcade, closest to the parking lot side than from the entrance on Lake Ave. After doing some shopping and walking around the HolidayFest event on South Lake (a tradition my husband and I like to do every year), my mom was hungry and wanted to get something to eat. She wasn't expecting to eat lunch but Float had ran out of most of their pastries and she was starting to get a little hangry. So she decided she would order a sandwich for her and one for my husband since I said I wasn't really that hungry. However, I ended up eating half of her sandwich. Anyways, we ended up ordering: Half Pesto Chicken Sandwich, $12 prior to tax- This sandwich was toasted and the inside was nice and hot. Surprisingly the half sandwich was plenty for my mom and the other half was plenty for me (but I wasn't that hungry and my mom is a small eater). There was plenty of chicken in the sandwich and I liked the roasted vegetables and pesto sauce. Roast Beef Sandwich, $11 prior to tax- My husband wasn't too hungry and so he only had half of his sandwich (normally he would eat the whole thing, but we ate only 2 hours before hand and my mom ate 4 hours ago). He liked his sandwich and thought it was good. Pour Over Coffee, $4, prior to tax- My mom had to have her coffee. She enjoyed it. -------------------------- (Total= $33.45 after tax and tip) Wait time for our sandwiches were a little over 15 minutes, but the employee who took our order had quoted us that wait time, so it was expected. Service was quick and friendly. But looking for a table was a challenge. The seating is incredibly limited here with very few outdoor tables and very little seating inside. I have not been here on a week day and have only been on a weekend (I have had their chai tea and one of their root beer floats on previous visits) and it has always been a busy little place. I think the food is good and can see why this place is popular. Not sure if I would make a special trip but overall, our dining experience was positive.
i love coming here and ordering their bagels, such a beautiful spot, i come when it's not busy so i get served on time