Welcome to Urban Pocha
Nestled in Old Town Pasadena, Urban Pocha offers a vibrant blend of Korean American cuisine and cocktails, perfect for a night out. This trendy spot features a spacious ambiance, complete with neon decor and outdoor seating. Guests can indulge in a diverse menu, including shareable delights like crispy fried chicken gizzards and savory tteokbokki, paired with innovative drinks like the Strawberry Sojito. Urban Pocha caters to groups, making it ideal for social gatherings, and promises a lively atmosphere, especially during its popular happy hours on weekends. With a commitment to quality and a welcoming vibe, Urban Pocha is the ultimate destination for food and fun.
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61 S Fair Oaks Ave Ste 130 Pasadena, CA 91105 United States Hotline: (626) 345-5596
Welcome to Urban Pocha, a vibrant cocktail bar nestled in the heart of Pasadena’s Old Town. This trendy spot brings a fresh twist to Korean-American dining, combining lively atmosphere, delicious food, and an impressive drink selection. If you're looking for a place to unwind with friends or enjoy a casual night out, Urban Pocha is a must-visit destination!
Location and Vibe
Located at 61 S Fair Oaks Ave, Urban Pocha boasts a lively ambiance, marked by hip décor and neon lights that create an inviting environment perfect for groups. The restaurant is spacious and ADA-compliant, ensuring accessibility for all. With options for outdoor seating and a heated area, you can enjoy your meal al fresco while soaking in the surroundings. The lively atmosphere makes it a great spot for a bustling Friday or Saturday night.
Culinary Highlights
- Fried Chicken Gizzard: A standout dish at $19.95, this crispy delight is topped with a honey-citrus glaze and green onions, making it perfect for sharing.
- Bokbunja Highball: For a refreshing cocktail, try this fruity drink at $7.95. It’s a delightful choice that pairs well with the food.
- Garlic Edamame and Korean Snacks: Start your meal with a splash of flavor from snacks such as garlic edamame at $6.95 and crispy onion rings.
- Army Stew: A hearty choice that reflects the essence of Korean comfort food, this dish is not to be missed!
- Photo Booth Fun: Capture memories in their quirky photo booth; it’s a fun way to have a keepsake from your visit!
The prices might be on the higher side, but considering the quality of ingredients and the generous portion sizes, it can be a fantastic value when shared among friends. Many patrons, like Hannah and Leilani, have noted how the dishes, while priced steeply, also come in substantial sizes, ensuring you get your money’s worth.
Drinks and Happy Hour
Urban Pocha offers an extensive drink menu, featuring creative cocktails and Korean favorites like soju and makgeolli. Their happy hour specials are particularly popular, with cocktails starting as low as $5.95. The atmosphere becomes one of lively chatter and laughter, especially during the weekends, making it a perfect locale to kick back with a drink in hand.
Guest Experiences
Customers have praised Urban Pocha for its friendly service and energetic vibe. Many have shared their delight in discovering complimentary snacks like shrimp chips while waiting for their food—a thoughtful touch that enhances the casual dining experience. Reviews highlight the attentive staff, despite occasional busy nights, and the cleanliness of the restaurant, ensuring that guests feel welcome and comfortable.
Whether you’re hankering for delicious Korean bar food, an array of innovative cocktails, or a place to enjoy an exciting night out with friends, Urban Pocha stands out as a versatile and inviting venue. Dive into the experience and let the flavors of Korean-American cuisine tantalize your taste buds!
Around 10-pmish on a Friday night, we were seated quickly but it took a loong time before we could flag someone down to get our order. Granted, it was busier than we thought it would be and there seemed to be a party towards the bar section. Other than that, drinks and food were good. Food is pricey tho. - Fried Chicken Gizzard $19.95: not gamey, crispy, topped with a nice honey citrus-like oil and green onions. Shareable for 3-4ish - Bokbunja HIghball $9.95: i liked this! it was like a sangria. fruity - Cass 500ml $9 - Kloud 500ml $9 - the table's fave - Tropical Banana $15 - suuper sweet but also tasty - Whiskey highball $9.95 - friend liked this too, but I think i liked the bokbunja better Next day we came back and sat at the bar. Only one person working in this section around 11:30pm. Shortly after she closed up, while the rest of the restaurant remained open. SO liked the Korean Iced Tea, while our friends liked the Lychee Soju Cocktail. Bathrooms and interior were clean. Cute lil photobooth in the corner, $10 for 2 strips of 4 photos.
Went out for drinks with a friend and was craving some Korean bar food/snacks, so we were happy to find Urban Pocha! We ordered the Strawberry Sojito, which was sweet and refreshing, and the corn cheese, which was solid. Portions were decent, so I'd definitely recommend ordering a few different dishes to get a good taste of the menu. The price point can be a bit steep, so it's probably best to come with a group to share and try more items. A nice surprise was the free shrimp chips they gave us while we waited for our food - such a small touch but much appreciated! The vibes were cool, and I'd be down to come back to hang out with friends and try more of the menu.
What a fun new addition to Old Town Pas! Urban Pocha is a great Korean American-style bar to hang out with friends, a great nighttime third place. I came with some friends when we were waiting for dinner at another place in Old Town Pas that was going to be a two hour wait. We decided to stop by for some drinks and snacks in the meantime. Urban Pocha is located on Fair Oaks, walkable from Colorado. The inside is spacious with lots of seats. It's dark with some fun neon light decor on the tables. There's also one Asian-style photo booth in the corner which we didn't use. For snacks, we got the tteokbokki and sausage skewers, steamed egg, and kimchi pancake. We thought these were snacks, but they were not snack-sized. The egg and pancake were huge, like full-on entree portion sizes! The food was good though, and I'd want to come back to try some other items. The drink menu has a good variety of drinks based on different hard liquors, beer, soju, and even makgeolli. I got the peach sour and it was delicious. Will def be back with friends again in the future!
Going to recommend parking at one of the lots, we parked in the Delacey lot but the one on green is fine too. Our server was such a little cutie twink who was so fun and gave some lovely recommendations. The strawberry soju cocktail thing was good, maybe not worth the price for amount of alcohol but it was tasty. He also strongly recommend corn cheese, which I like but my friend does not. The thing is it's like $14 for corn cheese and $15 for brisket stew with rice lol I can't understand the pricing for it other than it must be very popular or the ingredient cost must be quite high. I got the honey garlic wings, which were $18.95 pretax and they did taste good but wow the oil was insane amount. It did come out quickly so I'm pretty sure it was plated without draining. Loved that they start you off with some shrimp chips. I'll probably consider coming back I've had better and worse Korean bar food. Good vibes for casual hang out.
I love the food here, esp the Korean chicken wings, so unhealthy but sooo good The army stew here is also really good! The vibes here are upbeat and they have a decent selection of drinks. Don't forget to order a seafood pancake too.
(I gave four stars but it's really more of a 3.5) Super cute and hip place! Came here for my birthday, and they gave a little choco pie with a sparkler. They were pretty attentive despite being busy. Food-wise, the risotto was the star of the show. The army stew was also good, but you can't ever really go wrong with army stew. All the other dishes we thought was only okay. Still prefer the chicken feet from Hanshin Pocha in Rowland Heights. Drinks were good. Would come back again just to have the risotto!