Since late September, anyone driving along California Boulevard near Huntington Hospital has likely noticed a line of people standing under a nondescript sign of a croissant with a bow on top. The culprit is Salted Butter Company, a new, family-owned bakery offering a mix of sweet and savory pastries and a curated selection of signature drinks.
The bakery has been a local sensation, selling out by their 2 pm closing time almost every day. As recently as last weekend, the line to order extended down the block all the way east to Fair Oaks Boulevard.
According to the website, the company is family-owned, run by Haruna and Johnny Romo. They started baking in their apartment for friends and family before starting Salted Butter Company, their first retail storefront. In addition to the daily selection of pastries and drinks, they also offer custom cakes, which they claim are popular with celebrities.
Despite the lines, I visited the bakery not once, but twice. Unless you arrive right at their 7 am open time, expect to wait at least 20 minutes to order. The smell of sugar and butter will hit you from the parking lot and will make your stomach grumble with anticipation the entire time you are in line.
Once you are inside, you are exposed to the effortless intimacy the bakery provides. The employees are friendly and patient, happy to make recommendations on their personal favorites. On one of the days I visited, it was unusually hot, and the owner passed out bottles of water to those in line himself and thanked them for their patience. The drinks arrived noticeably quickly, with speed and accuracy that put chain coffee stores to shame. All the while, bakers replenish pastries by pulling freshly-baked goods right out of the oven until they sell out.
The daily pastry menu features a nice mix of both sweet and savory options. On the sweet side, I sampled the almond croissant, apple fritter, and chocolate almond croissant, and all were exceedingly delicious. However, my personal favorites were unexpectedly the savory options. I sampled the bacon potato cheese danish and the Spinach dip danish, which were both light and flaky, clearly perfectly prepared. The savory options are an excellent choice for lunch and don’t leave you feeling too heavy. From the drinks menu, I sampled three of Salted Butter’s specialties: the Iced Strawberry Matcha, the Salted Brown Butter Maple Latte and the Tiramisu Cold Brew. Each drink was unique and tasty—definitely a treat for those with a sweet tooth! The best way to describe the drinks is like sweet pastry flavors in a glass. My favorite of the three was the Salted Brown Butter Maple Latte.
While the flavors are to die for, the prices are not for the faint of heart. The signature drinks and pastries average about $7 each. Ordering for a family of four will easily set you back about $50-60 just for coffee and pastries. I spent $60 for three drinks and six food items. But what you are getting in return is a truly artisanal offering, with an undeniable quality that is distinct from what chain stores like Starbucks and Coffee Bean offer.
What is most noteworthy about the bakery is the joy and life it has brought to Pasadena in the aftermath of the Eaton Fires. They state on their website, “As we open our first brick-and-mortar shop in the city where we met, we remain committed to the things that made people fall in love with our bakes in the first place: beautiful ingredients, a warm aesthetic, and that little touch of magic only salted butter can bring.” They are certainly succeeding!
Salted Butter Company is located at 1 W California Blvd. Hours are 7 am to 2 pm on Monday and Wednesday through Saturday. Sunday hours are 8 am to 2 pm, and Tuesdays are closed. Even though the lines are long, you must try the viral bakery at least once. You won’t regret it!
