Parkway Grill Menu

Parkway Grill Restaurant Review:

Parkway Grill, once referred to as the Spago of Pasadena, remains popular, although it no longer dominates the local dining scene as it did in the ’80s. The owners have subsequently opened Arroyo Chop House and Smitty's, though The Grill maintains its loyal clientele for good reason. The handsome, brick-lined dining room is filled with linen-clad tables, attractive art, a prominent fireplace, and generous flowers and plants. Usually packed, the place emits a theatrical buzz and piano music wafts in from the lively bar. Cocktails have upped the game, with garden fresh infusions and sophisticated specialties like the house-made Café Negroni, which is cold dripped through crushed coffee beans and poured over an ice block. The California cuisine, laced with both Asian and Latin influences, is innovative and appealing, and the chefs grill most of the meat over mesquite wood in the open kitchen. Start with tiger shrimp corn dogs with a Thai cocktail sauce, a dried fig and bacon flatbread, or the satisfying lobster crêpes sautéed with leeks. For entrées, try the seared scallops with herb-infused farro risotto, or braised short ribs. Desserts, like classic bananas Foster and a dark chocolate-glazed cannoli, hew to the American tradition of sweet and substantial, while the wine list is full of worthy worldwide selections.