Fair Oaks Pharmacy & Soda Fntn
(626) 799-1414
1526 Mission St
South Pasadena,
CA
91030
34.1159
-118.1509
Neighborhood: San Marino
What People Are Saying About Fair Oaks Pharmacy & Soda Fntn
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
The Scene
Established in 1915, the pharmacy is now a pop-culture shrine to every decade between then and now. A gift shop, which spans between the vintage fountain and the working apothecary, is jam-packed with everything from licorice whips and Betty Boop to Britney postcards and 'NSync dolls.
The Food
From behind the gleaming oak and marble counter, gifted soda jerks man the fountain. Dreyer's ice cream, sweet but not too rich, makes up the base for most of the classic concoctions, but purists revel in the fountain's perfect renditions of egg creams, phosphates and rickeys. Ice cream fiends relish the Raymond sundae's scoops of vanilla and chocolate draped in caramel, hot fudge, whipped cream and requisite cherry. Budding soda jerks can create their own ice cream sodas, pairing syrups from strawberry to coffee with scoops of less predictable flavors like toasted almond or bing cherry.
User Reviews
losangal
November 15, 2008
This place could be so much fun but the soda fountain service kills the experience. The wait staff are slow and unfriendly. It takes forever to get any service and when you do it doesn't even come with a smile. There are better places in town for a shake. Try Soda Jerks up the street.
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icecream1
August 30, 2008
I am a big ice cream fan and recently visited the Fair Oaks Pharmacy with my wife for the first time a few weeks ago. After an exciting review by local TV station rating the FOP as a blast from the past with an old fashion atmosphere and a full menu of delicious food and beverage choices. I and my wife decided to stop by on a beautiful warm Sunday afternoon to enjoy a bite to eat and experience a taste of history. Unfortunately, to summarize our experience, it began to quickly evolve from a positive experience into a negative one. After seating down for a moment that turned into almost 20 minutes before a server even looked in our direction. My wife decided to get up out of her seat and politely ask one of the female servers at the counter for menus. When asked, this girl seemed surprised and her personality was very unfriendly and unapproachable. After taking our order we waited patiently for an additional 30-40 minutes for basic burgers and drinks, adding the server forgot to order our fries we initially asked for. After eating our meals, which were just fair tasting to say the least our server didn?t even stop by and ask us if we were alright or to refill our drinks. Our experience even got worse after we observed other patrons who just been seated being offered menus and drinks in less than 5 minutes. I am not sure but based on the rest of the patrons in the restaurant we were the only minority couple there at the time. It?s disappointing to mention, but after our experience I hope ethnicity did not play a role in the behavior of this particular server, but it appears coincidental when she was also assisting other patrons with a much more positive attitude. Although, it was a very disappointing experience for us and we will not return to FOP. I hope the legacy of the old-fashion soda fountains live on along with the history of the famous route 66 experience.
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Anonymous
August 08, 2008
I stopped by recently on a Sunday afternoon to have a phosphate (something I'd enjoyed there before). They were busy, but there was a vacant seat at the counter. I sat there... and sat there... and sat there. I looked around for a menu -- nothing posted on the wall and only one on the counter, beneath the elbow of the man sitting next to me.About ten minutes went by, and none of the four workers behind the counter (who were busy preparing food) even acknowledged my presence.Then I heard a young man of about 19 or 20 sitting a couple stools away ask if he could get a soda. The guy behind the counter told him he was too busy at the moment. The young man erupted, Dude, I've been sitting here HALF AN HOUR! Half an hour to get a soda?! That's ridiculous! One of the four young men behind the counter told him haughtily, Sir, we have several other tables that ordered before you. That's just the way it is. So the young man and his friend walked out.I sat there another five minutes, trying several times to flag down one of the counter workers. I was ignored or not seen. Finally, I asked the man making a sundae right in front of me, Are we supposed to get our own menus? He gave me a deer-in-the-headlights look, shrugged and said, Uh... The man next to me offered me his. Oh, I said, I didn't know we were sharing. So I took the menu, perused it for a couple minutes, then set it down and sat there for another three minutes or so. No one acknowledged my presence. Finally, I decided the young men who had walked out were right, and I stood up and exited the restaurant.I must say, this is a pretty poor way to run an establishment. Waiting half an hour (in their case) or 15 minutes (in mine) and not even having your presence acknowledged at the counter of a soda fountain is inexcusable, I don't care how busy you are. Fair Oaks Pharmacy needs to eject these young clowns runni
read full reviewThe Details on Fair Oaks Pharmacy & Soda Fntn
Know Before You Go:
South Pasadena's Mission Street affords a stroll through the halcyon days of yore. The few blocks west of Fair Oaks Avenue are lined with pet stores, craft shops and tons of antiques.
Category:
Pharmacies, Restaurants, Stationery Stores, Diners, Gift Shops, Dessert Shops
Payment Methods:
American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Local Favorite, Family-Friendly Dining, Outdoor Dining, Historic Setting, Lunch Spot
