Pasadena Guide to Erewhon

Erewhon in Pasadena is now finally open! This business move was inevitable because Pasadena has been blessed with many brunch spots, bars, and boutique workout studios. As I shared in my previous Erewhon post, you’re there for the vibes, and maybe some sort of grocery shopping. Erewhon competes with Whole Foods, Bristol Farms, and Trader Joe’s within the vicinity. Is it worth the visit? Of course!

What to Expect

Erewhon Pasadena is just like any other Erewhon. Expect products that are organic, non-GMO, grass-fed/cage-free, sustainably sourced, regenerative, natural-based preservatives, and more. They are big on eco-friendly packaging, so soup and juices will be coming out of mason jars/glass bottles.

The Pasadena location is much more desirable than other locations. There are plenty of free parking options around.

If you do want to grocery shop here, at least buy products you wouldn’t see in other stores. You’ll see some of the same shared brands from Whole Foods (i.e. Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups). Stick with the unique selections. Where else would you find Patagonia Provisions?

Pricing

You thought Whole Foods was expensive? Try Erewhon. They did have the $20 gallon of raw milk. I had a conversation with another customer who said raw milk is packed with healthy gut bacteria (like yogurt?), but has a really short shelf life (about a day) after you pop open the jug. The way that you have to frame your mindset at Erewhon, is that you’re taking care of your health. But when you compare Erewhon to some actual local restaurants, Erewhon is actually cheaper in price without sacrificing quality. $13 for a smoked salmon bagel at Erewhon is a steal, considering how another restaurant priced theirs at $22. It’s also ready to go most of the time, which is great if you’re pressed for time.

I used to report to a director who once told me that work comes first, not my health. While the paycheck is great, I’m not chained to my job, especially when my responsibilities are completed. I want to be able to climb a couple of flights of stairs without feeling exhausted. Health is wealth.

Prepped Foods + Hot Bar

The prepped foods section is really popular. Whether you’re craving for a salad, steak, meat, sushi, pizza, sandwiches, smoothies, or whatever it is, Erewhon has it all. I would definitely eat the sushi rolls and sushi sandwiches. It’s basically crispy rice with sushi fish in between. Who knew avocado would go great with rice and soy sauce?

As a warning, the sushi fish can be a hit or a miss. There were times when the salmon was GREAT, and other times when it tasted verrrryyy watery. I’ve had better luck with their yellowtail rolls and salmon onigiri.

I did enjoy the breakfast burrito and breakfast egg/ham sandwich! The best part is if you want specific changes to the already prepped item, you can let the staff know and they will make you a new one. I wanted the breakfast sandwich, but wanted bacon instead of Canadian ham. They were more than happy to prep a new one for me.

You can also buy pizza by the slice. There are many types to choose from for less than $9 per slice. The portion size is somewhat generous.

Erewhon’s open-faced smoked salmon bagel is AMAZING! Surprisingly, this $13 bagel is cheaper than ordering at a brunch spot a couple of blocks away for $21. Maybe Erewhon is not terribly priced for some selections.

The egg muffin breakfast sandwich has been chef’s kiss. Better bang for your buck than the ones at Starbucks.

Their hot food bar prices a combo (1 entree + 2 sides) at $29/lb. The pricing is a bit tricky, so pay for what you can consume. I am in LOVE with their carne asada, cucumber salad, and octopus salad.

Winnie Harlow’s Island Glow Smoothie

For a limited time, Erewhon partnered with Winnie Harlow, and created the island glow smoothie. It is a very loaded drink at $22. This is basically three drinks combined into one, which is great if you’re looking for all of the different superfoods.

Ingredients: Vita Coco Organic Coconut Milk, Barcode Hydration Lemon Lime, Sea Moss, Organic Mango, Organic Pineapple, Organic Lime Juice, Steens Raw Manuka Honey, Camu Camu, Vital Proteins Vanilla Collagen Peptides, Pitaya Foods Organic Dragon Fruit Smoothie Pack, Organic Coconut Cream, KOS Organic Luminous Blue Spirulina, Pitaya Powder

For the Charcuterie

Charcuterie lovers can rejoice with a healthy selection of cheese, honey, meats, and more.

Pasadena Rose Smoothie

Erewhon did right by paying homage to Pasadena with an exclusive Pasadena Rose Smoothie. I think I like this smoothie more than the Hailey Bieber’s Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie. This smoothie has a strong hint of rose water; which is REALLY refreshing. Highly recommend.

This smoothie contains rose water, malk almond milk, coconut milk, beet juice, strawberry, banana, goji berries, lucuma, maple syrup, coconut collagen, coconut cream, and vanilla stevia.

Miranda Kerr’s Kora Glow Smoothie

Update: The onigiri actually hit the spot; they have a sushi-grade salmon option. Actually, it’s pretty decent because the rice was fresh (not hard) and does the job when you’re not looking for a whole sushi set.

I tried Miranda Kerr’s Kora Glow Smoothie. This smoothie has collagen, almond milk, coconut water, maple syrup, lucuma, banana, acai, blueberries, coconut cream, blue majik, pitaya powder, and coconut yogurt (all organic). This is a great option if you’re tired of the other smoothies.

Beauty Berry by Thorne

Erewhon just released the latest smoothie collab with Thorne, a supplement company. The Beauty Berry smoothie has organic almond milk, Thorne Collagen Plus Passionberry, organic raspberry, organic blueberry, organic banana, organic ginger, organic cinnamon, and organic maple syrup. This smoothie comes in a 16oz cup, not the traditional 20oz like the other smoothies. This smoothie has a strong and concentrated berry taste.

Good 4 Ur Guts by Olivia Rodrigo

For a limited time, a new smoothie is being featured as a collaboration between Erewhon and Olivia Rodrigo. This is a play on words with her newest album, Guts. This smoothie contains Minor Figures Oatmilk, Health-ade Pomegranate Kombucha, SIBU Sea Buckthorn, Ion Gut Support, Nate’s Pure Organic Honey, Sprout Living’s Epic Protein Chocolate Maca, organic strawberries, organic dates, organic blueberries, organic mango, organic coconut cream, and organic avocados.

This smoothie is super cute with the frothed coconut cream and tastes great. Definitely prefer this over the beauty berry.

Kendall’s Peaches and Cream Smoothie

The latest Erewhon collaboration is with Kendall Jenner for the Peaches and Cream Smoothie. This smoothie has GTs Peach Paradise Kombucha, Vita Coco Organic Coconut Milk, GTs Cocoyo Yogurt Peach Nectarine, Organic Maple Syrup, Sprout Living Epic Protein Vanilla Lucuma, Organic Peaches, Organic Goji Berries, Organic Coconut Cream, Lily of the Desert Preservative Free Aloe Vera Juice, and Eidon Electrolytes.

If you love a sweet drink and mango, this is the perfect smoothie for you. There are small chunks of mango. This smoothie was too sweet for me and my friends; we needed a bottle of water afterward.

Coconut Soft Serve

The coconut soft serve was a great feature of the store, especially if you’re looking for a coconut-milk-based dessert. Whenever it comes to coconut-based dessert, I wish it tasted more like coconut – but you can add some toppings like goji berries or honey to add some flavor and health boost!

Thoughts + Feelings

I feel like Erewhon’s bottled juices would wreck nearby juiceries and tonic bars. Is sea moss gel worth the money? I would try it out for a month. I’m happy I don’t need to drive to Silverlake if I’m craving some Erewhon. The employees were super kind and helpful on opening day. I will not judge anyone with a $52 Erewhon tote bag because I have a $50 Louis Vuitton tote bag, too.

You might get hustled to purchase an Erewhon Membership, which I did the cost analysis here.

If you don’t want to wait, make sure to order ahead on the Erewhon website.

Erewhon Pasadena
475 S Lake Ave
Pasadena, CA 91101