U PiCK Cafe
720 N Lake Ave Ste 9
Pasadena
626-808-9802
U Pick Cafe is next door to The Slaw Dogs, a gourmet hot dog restaurant that I reviewed back in 2010. Looking at the picture of The Slaw Dogs, I saw that the restaurant next door was called Grand Chicken, and they also served kebobs, sandwiches and pizza. So, I don't know if U Pick Cafe is owned by the same owners of Grand Chicken or if they are new owners.
Chicken breast kebob; $8.99 with basmati rice and salad. The menu says a choice of two sides with options like falafel, regular salad, basmati rice, and tabouli salad. They didn't ask what choices I wanted, but after reading the menu, I asked for rice and regular salad. They told me if customers do not specify, they will get rice and salad.
The chicken was a bit charred and tough on the outside, but surprisingly moist, tender and flavorful on the inside. The portion size is a bit small for the price, but overall I thought the chicken was good.
The basmati rice was undercooked and not fragrant or fluffy as other basmati rice I've had. The salad is fine, with fresh lettuce and a tangy dressing.
Small cheese pizza, $4.99. I just had to try the pizza. The pizza is comparable to the large chain pizza, with a slightly better crust. They need to work on the sauce, which was pretty bland.
Service was pretty good. They should ask what sides I wanted instead of just assuming rice and salad. Looking back I should have gotten the falafel instead of the salad. But, they were friendly and helpful. They seem to care that all customers enjoy the food and their dining experience at U Pick Cafe.
I wouldn't go back to U Pick for the pizza, but I did like the chicken kebob. Maybe I'll just order a couple kebobs.
