Where Can I Go in Pasadena to Eat Lunch in Half an Hour?

If you only have an hour for lunch (including getting there, eating and getting back to work on time), where can you go in Pasadena to eat lunch in half an hour? If you want to eat a good lunch in a hurry but don't want to eat fast food, try the hot foods bar at Whole Foods Market in the Hastings Ranch area of Pasadena, located at 3751 E. Foothill Blvd. They are open from 7am-10pm seven days a week and offer a plethora of choices for breakfast, whether you want a hot meal or the more exotic choices of fruit, salads, or soups.

There are many vegetarian offerings on the menu including: breakfast chiliquillas (layered corn tortillas, scrambled eggs and cheese melted together in a mouthwatering hot breakfast), Southwest corn salad (with diced cucumber, sweet red peppers, green onions, green bell pepper and feta cheese), or you can try their lentil, chickpea and tomato salad. The combinations are endless and rather than worry about paying for items individually they charge $7.99 per pound of food.

Whole Foods offers international cuisine for lunches during the week: Monday and Tuesday they serve Hispanic food, Wednesday and Thursday it's East Indian food, Friday and Saturday it's Italian food and on Sunday they serve Customer's Favorites. Their East Indian hot food bar offers an enchanting variety including such favorites as; vegan vegetables and bean Chana Daal (cooked vegetables and lentils with spices); pullao rice (basmati rice and spices); matar aloo (spicy potatoes and onions); lamb and potato masala; roasted potatoes in peanut masala; sweet butternut squash with caramelized onions; spicy steamed tomatoes and zucchini and plain brown rice. They also have plain steamed veggies, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and fried chicken available.

In keeping with their green, sustainable food market standards, their biodegradable plastic cutlery is from Tater Ware, an environmentally responsible food service company.

The Corner Bakery Café in the Hastings Ranch area of Pasadena serves hearty breakfasts and over 100 lunch combinations of sandwiches, soups and salads that are less than 600 calories. They have a staff that is efficient in producing your meal in a matter of minutes and you can get in and out in a half hour or less on most days. They are set up like a cafeteria, in that you place your order at the front cashier station, grab your utensils and drinks at the drink area, then by the time you are seated you have only a few minutes to wait for your food to be served to you by one of their friendly, competent staff. The Corner Bakery is located at 3883 Foothill Blvd., Pasadena CA 91107.

Daphne's Greek Café offers a selection of authentic Greek cuisine, including; Avgolemono soup (a lemony chicken and rice soup) served with pita bread and tzatziki sauce; spanakopita (phyllo dough triangles stuffed with spinach and spices); falafel; dolmas (grape leaves stuffed with rice and spices); gyros; chicken, steak, and shrimp kabob; a variety of freshly made salads and sandwiches, and a vegetarian combo plate. For dessert, try their wonderful baklava, a pastry made from phyllo dough layered with crushed walnuts, almonds, cinnamon and cloves dripping with honey. They are set up to serve any item on their menu in less than 15 minutes, leaving you plenty of time to have lunch, do a quick errand and get back to work before your boss even knows you left! Daphne's Greek Café is located at 3573 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena CA 91107, telephone #626-351-2316.