Equator

by MAC M.

Very cool spot! Checked it out on a Friday night! Wow, the place was jamming! Trendy crowd, bartenders were on it with your order, no drama, the restroom setup is funky, very attractive crowd, and the music was good!  Oh, I almost forgot, you can sober up at the hamburger joint located on corner! Have a good 1. Peace 09!

by Badier V.

This was my favorite restaurant when I was living in the area. It's an unassuming restaurant off of an alley off Colorado and offers much more than the exterior would suggest.The place has received some rough reviews in the past when it was a coffee and hookah bar, but now that it has been a full restaurant for close to two years it has been nothing short of stellar. Three words: Beef Mignon Cubes. They are incredibly tender and sauteed with onions, black pepper and basil.Everything else on the menu is excellent; the owner, Teddy and the head chef, Jack, have really put a lot of care into the dishes they serve.The dim-sum on the weekend is good as well, and the tea selection is impressive.I really miss being able to walk to this restaurant anytime I wanted to, so everyone else has to enjoy it on my behalf!

by Sherrie G.

When I was a clueless college student with barely $10 to spend, I used to think it was "awesome" to go into this place, get the biggest sweetest coffee concoction I could find, and then sit with a friend in a corner talking about how awesome life would be when we have more money.  Now that I am NOT a clueless college student with only $10 to spend, I uh, don't go here anymore.  Better java can be found at many, many, MANY other places on the planet.  Swork, Intellegentsia, here I come.

by Kristine G.

Five stars for ambiance ... a cute space ... exposed brick mixed with chandeliers, large scale buddhas and creepy-yet-cool paintings of various quasi-morbid subjects.  It's like if Francisco de Goya and a Zen Buddhist decided to be roommates, this is what their shared space would look like. :)Food-wise, I give them a 3.  DH relished every bite of his miso-marinated cod with whipped sweet potatoes and baby bok choy.  I wasn't particularly hungry and opted for the Tandoori Chicken Salad thinking it would be a small plate.  Well, the salad was huge (I think they used a whole head of lettuce), the chicken was all right, the cilantro-yogurt dressing very "meh."  Definitely NOT ordering another salad if I go back.  Their strong points are with their entrees.All in all, though, a charming and interesting space.  The perfect kind of spot to throw a low-key birthday get-together at.  Bring on the cocktails and order up lots of appetizers, spin some good music and you are good to go.

by Shauna D.

This is one of those places that I am very fond of even though I don't think much of their drinks.The last time I went, they completely renovated and now it's all fancy and such. Aw, it's not a cozy coffee shop for random coffee dates anymore. Actually, the lounges are fairly comfy.  They also got rid of the giant sunburst metal sculpture on the wall. Oh wow, that was famous! It was in some credit card commercial in the '90s.It now looks like a bar instead of a coffee shop. But it doesn't serve booze. Ack, they took away my favorite banana mocha thingy. Or whatever it was called. It does get really loud in there though with the live bands they have.The restroom still sucks and stinks though. And the last time I was there, the ladies wasn't working so the guy let me into the men's room. Well, it's a good thing I didn't have to pay a quarter to get in. Oh, the weird thing I noticed is they serve a dim sum brunch on weekends? Huh? What is happening to this "coffee shop?"--- edit the business owner contacted me saying they do offer booze now and they still have my banana royale. Also, the restrooms are supposedly nice. I'll update when I next visit.

by sofia l.

I've been coming here since before the fancy remodel and frankly, it was better then. now, they've got this asian vibe with this huge intruding buddah toward the back. they've got more tables but still kept some cushy couch spots. for a coffee shop, it's still great. nothing changed. their chai is one of my top 5. foodwise, different story.they have food/drink specials that change every night.the night we went they had $1 martinis [$5 a piece after the first one], including flavored ones.i got a mango one, my friend a peach one. both were yummy and strong. i don't remember what day it was but it was midweek. they also had dollar satay. so we each got two. they were good but not amazing.we ordered our food from a sexy, deep voiced woman who was rather attentive and nice the whole night. she got our drinks out quickly. food took about 45 minutes to come out. the place wasn't even full, maybe half the tables were taken. i was with a good friend so it was fine, we had plenty to talk about. but there's really NO excuse for that. we got no apologies, no comps, etc.i still go in from time to time. every thing is good. but not consistent. i've gotten the pad thai at least three times and the first time was better than the other two. also, they keep messing with their menu so sometimes they take things off and put them back on. i really think they served the area as a homey coffee shop with yummy quick sandwiches. they're trying to fit into the more hip, trendy pasadena area scene but its not working. regardless of it, the staff is great. drink specials are great. you can't find deals like that in pasadena. but go elsewhere for food unless you like the pace of molasses!owners: get it together!

by Julie N.

I think Equator used to be one of those cool places to go in highschool, but I'm kinda glad I wasn't cool enough in highschool to come here anyway because I definitely wasn't missing much. We came here because... actually, I'm not sure why we came here. Perhaps we were enticed by the dark alleyway road of Old Town, or the creepy middle-aged men sitting outside the Equator entrance, or the menacing Buddha statues beckoning us inside. Actually I think it was mostly cuz we noticed it was "Tasty Tuesday," which involved $1 chicken satays and $1 martinis. Alas, Tuesday- not so tasty.While waiting and looking around I felt like we were about to get on the Indiana Jones ride. (dooo doo-doo DOOOOO, doo-doo DOOOO) The dark slash disturbing theme of decoration didn't make me particularly hungry for some bland chicken satays or syrupy martinis.  Actually, no type of decoration would ever make me hungry for Equator food. Nonetheless, that is what went down on Tasty Tuesday. We also had some mushy $7 fries with some rubbery cheese-pumped cheese that did not do us any redemption either.Maybe we'll avoid the dark alley next time, Old Town. Oh, and jk about the not being cool in highschool part. I was like SO cool.

by Roni R.Christine P.Julie N.Neural N.Paul M.

I like this place.  We'll get to the ambiance in a sec -- which is confusing and erratic -- but first is first, FOOD.Okay, so lunch specials are GREAT.  Seriously ... filet mignon for $10???  Wonderful price.  However, the wasibi crusted filet mignon was not amaing ... edible but was that good.  The Tuna sandwich?  Edible but not amazing   But drink specials???  $1 well drinks for first round.  Yes, please.   $5 thereafter.  It's all good.  =)Okay, so the ambiance.  There is, how do you say, some "exotic" paintings up that are either incredibly suggestive or outright sexual.  Then there is a Buddha on the wall alongside these paintings.  So, the couches -- get ready to sink down -- but very comfortable.  I like sitting outside in the alleyway, also cool.  The staff is great, the prices are great, the coffees are great -- just the quality of food that is not so great.  Still, maybe I can't have it all -- great food and sexy ambiance ... let's hope they change some of their menu options for me to be fully satisfied.  =)"If it's too loud, GO TO STARBUCKS!"This used to be the sign inside next to the baked goods display, where you ordered your coffee before sitting down in a plush (and most likely not so clean) chair underneath the art from a local painter, while listening to a local performer or the most random music you've ever heard over the speakers.  Aaah, the good old days.  Now you can't even order a coffee, because the coffee shop seems to be no more.  Or at least not to me.  This hole in the wall locals place is now some sad attempt at trendy that makes me sick to my stomach.  Now it is the unimaginative place people go to for dinner before wandering into a Starbucks.  They still have a few coffee options, but it really is horrible.  I went there expecting my old Equator and ended up having a truly disappointing cappuccino and one dessert (they forgot the other one) that was in no way worthy of even being served in the same location.  I've seen this place change many times over the years but this last revamping lost me for good.  If I want a trendy location decked out in stereotypical Asian decor from 5 years ago when it was actually still trendy, I'll hop on over to Hollywood or Downtown LA or an actually Asian restaurant.  Putting a giant Buddha in your coffee-shop-turned-restaurant does not improve anything.  Their food and drinks (yes, there is now a bar and wine selection) may be decent, but I sure don't plan to find out.  My rating may be unfair, but I really think the name should have changed when the coffee shop became a restaurant, so that Equator's memory didn't have to live on in shame.I think Equator used to be one of those cool places to go in highschool, but I'm kinda glad I wasn't cool enough in highschool to come here anyway because I definitely wasn't missing much. We came here because... actually, I'm not sure why we came here. Perhaps we were enticed by the dark alleyway road of Old Town, or the creepy middle-aged men sitting outside the Equator entrance, or the menacing Buddha statues beckoning us inside. Actually I think it was mostly cuz we noticed it was "Tasty Tuesday," which involved $1 chicken satays and $1 martinis. Alas, Tuesday- not so tasty.While waiting and looking around I felt like we were about to get on the Indiana Jones ride. (dooo doo-doo DOOOOO, doo-doo DOOOO) The dark slash disturbing theme of decoration didn't make me particularly hungry for some bland chicken satays or syrupy martinis.  Actually, no type of decoration would ever make me hungry for Equator food. Nonetheless, that is what went down on Tasty Tuesday. We also had some mushy $7 fries with some rubbery cheese-pumped cheese that did not do us any redemption either.Maybe we'll avoid the dark alley next time, Old Town. Oh, and jk about the not being cool in highschool part. I was like SO cool.A cool place, beautiful décor, nice atmosphere, went there for drinks after a birthday dinner party with couple of friends. Don't know much about their food, but it's nice to have couple of friends hanging out in this place. I actually do like their cocktails a lot, however, their music made us feel we were drinking in a giant elevator.Well, let's just get this out of the way:  the place looks beautiful. Maybe they could just charge us $5 to gaze at the walls rather than wasting our time and money.  And trust me:  it takes a lot of time and money for very little to show for it.  Sure the cocktails and the dishes SOUND impressive.  In fact, they sound downright inspired.  But I suspect that maybe the cooks played some sort of  ingredient Mad-Lib and trusted that the gullible would take the bait.  "Elderflower infused monkfish with a sarsaparilla reduction served on a bed of parsnip risotto with diced Jerusalem artichoke and maize comfit!"  (ahem, I'm making this up, although you get the drift).ooooh, sounds so adventurous!  I'll have that and please serve me one of your ironically named $12 cocktails while you're at it!Oh, and make sure you take three hours please, because clearly if I'm here on a Friday night, I clearly have no place better to go.

by Jess P.

I first visited this place about six months ago with friends after boozing it up at Lucky Baldwins. I remember it being packed, the drinks were decent and the pot stickers were delicious. Last night the wife dug up a coupon for a free $5 drink there (provided at least one drink was purchased) and we decided to go (she hadn't ever been). Not having my brain whacked on high end brews I was shocked when we walked in to find that there was nobody there, except a half dozen bicycle cops on their way out... Weird right? I know. 8:00 on a Thursday and there was nobody in house. We sat down and ordered our drinks: A gin gimlet for me and some sort of pink chick drink for her. We also ordered waters and when they came I immediately noticed a sizable dead bug - not swimming for it's life mind you, this bug had long ceased to be - dead stuck to a piece of ice. Gross. We then ordered Vietnamese Egg Rolls ($6), two miso soups ($4), Pot Stickers ($6), the Three Mushroom Angel Hair dish ($14). Our waiter returned and told us they were out of Vietnamese Egg Rolls ... Mind you there was nobody in the restaurant.... How could you be out? My guess is that they were out of pre-packaged frozen egg rolls... No matter, we'll replace it with Edmame ($3). When the Edmame came out the beans were kind of in bad shape and didn't have the requisite rock salt on the outside. A few of the beans were automatic tosses because they had gone bad. Gross, but for $3 who can complain? The Angel Hair and Pot Stickers (her dinner) were good, but halfway through my pasta I found myself bored with the dish... It just needed something extra... Whatever, the food was decent and the price was right. All in it was a good and relaxing evening out... until the bill came. I was shocked to find that my lone gin gimlet and her chick drink were $9 and $11 respectively. Of everything we ordered only my dinner was more than any of the drinks. For the cost of her drink alone we could have ordered nearly four miso soups or had they had them, two orders of Vietnamese egg rolls. Who cares right? We've got that $5 off coupon that brought us there in the first place. Though not explicitly saying it on the coupon the policy of Equator is not to accept that coupon for booze... At those prices I can imagine why! We expressed our displeasure over the cost disparity between the food and drinks to our server, but he didn't care and told us "that's why I don't drink". Seriously? That's the best you can come up with?  At least accept the (by all acounts valid) coupon!So the mystery was solved. The reason nobody was there to eat at 8:00 on a Thursday? There's a recession on. Nobody wants to pay as much for two drinks as they would for two dinners and two appetizers.This place looks like it's not going to be around for long... and by the looks of things, nobody will miss it. J

by Gemini T.

UGH I hate sitting in the freezing cold smoking a pipe of Weak Shisha and having to hear drunk bald beefy guys hollar at me as they stumble to their car.The police car headlights really ruin the ambiance when they roll by 5 times in one hour. Once is fine, or turn off those headlights!!!There is a 1 drink minimum for the hookah. The bong thingy wobbles and the chairs are made of wire and the tables are cramped and uncomfortable.The Nutty Irish woman coffee was really good. But I stopped coming here after I realized there are more Hookah places to choose from.oh and the people that work here should get a job they enjoy. they act so miserable.