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Ten Dining Options When Visiting Santa Anita for the 2023 Breeders’ Cup
Events / Travel
The Derby restaurant in Arcadia, Calif. is a rite of passage for racing fans visiting Santa Anita Park and a chance to mingle with some of the big names in the sport. (Courtesy of The Derby Arcadia)
Are you a horse racing fan planning a trip to Santa Anita Park for the current fall meet and/or the Breeders’ Cup World Championships? If you answered yes, you are not alone. As host of the 2023 Breeders’ Cup, Arcadia, Calif. will surely be a popular travel destination for horseplayers and racing fans from far and wide this season.
Whether you are a first-time visitor or repeat visitor to Santa Anita, it can’t hurt to know before you go and get an advance overview of the local Arcadia/Pasadena area dining scene. Here are some spots to put on your radar for your next visit to Santa Anita. The Breeders’ Cup is what it’s all about for racing fans, but if you’re going to make the trip, it’s good to know that the races aren’t the only game in town.
Santa Anita Neighborhood Favorites
Bring your appetite to The Derby! (Courtesy of The Derby Arcadia)
233 E. Huntington Drive, Arcadia
626-447-2430
The restaurant synonymous with dining after the races near Santa Anita, The Derby is famous for hosting horsemen, celebrities, and racing fans for more than 100 years since 1922. The Derby offers you your best chance to hob-nob with other racetrackers while enjoying an upscale menu, inviting ambiance, and friendly service. Amenities include free valet parking, patio dining, and a full bar with extensive wine list. You’ll fall in love with the place when you walk in and see the giant old-school red banquettes. Advance reservations strongly recommend.
Villa Catrina Mexican Restaurant y Cantina
Courtesy of Villa Catrina
251 N. Santa Anita Ave., Arcadia
626-294-1973
You can’t visit southern California and not sample some of the area’s delicious and affordable Mexican cooking. Thankfully there’s Villa Catrina, located right beside Santa Anita Park. The restaurant offers typical Mexican cuisine and dishes specific to the Mexican state of Jalisco. Enjoy their dining room, bar, or outdoor patio seating, and don’t forget to indulge in a tasty margarita or two, or three while you’re there. Salud!
Ensenada Fish Tacos (Matt Denney's Ale House)
145 E. Huntington Dr., Arcadia
626-462-0259
Billed as “downtown Arcadia’s favorite restaurant,” Matt Denny’s is a lively spot located right down the street from the racetrack. You can enjoy hearty meals inspired by Caribbean, Mexican, and Californian recipes and wash it down with a selection of hand-crafted ales in an upbeat atmosphere. Steaks, burgers, seafood, sandwiches, and salads are all prominent on the menu, and you can top it all off with a decadent dessert.
420 N. Santa Anita Ave., Arcadia
You can’t say you know the “ins-and-outs” of California fast food without a visit to In-N-Out Burger. Not all good meals need to be highbrow. The In-N-Out Burger chain has elevated burger-and-fries dining to a legendary echelon. If you live in an area of the country without In-N-Out franchises, this is your chance to grab some of the best fast food you can find anywhere. Dine in or drive-thru.
Pasadena Dining Scene
Nearby Pasadena California is a foodie haven and dining hub where you can find any type of cuisine you crave and in any price range, starting with Old Pasadena, the original 22-block downtown area loaded with world-class restaurants, brick alleyways, live music spots, and late-night fun.
Other areas include Playhouse Village and its family-owned eateries, the South Lake Avenue shopping district, and the Civic Center District filled with landmark buildings often featured in film and TV where you will find The Paseo, an open-air pavilion that includes many pub and dining locations. Here are just sampling out of hundreds of spots in Pasadena:
Courtesy of Green Street Restaurant
146 Shopper’s Lane, Pasadena
626-577-7170
Green Street Restaurant has been serving innovative California cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in an attractive family-owned establishment for more than 30 years, since 1979. They specialize in flat breads, salads, sandwiches, pastas, and small plates ideal for sharing.
30 W. Green St, Pasadena
626-529-5584
Craft by Smoke and Fire promises craft dishes, craft cocktails, and great entertainment for an experience that feeds not only the body but also the soul. They specialize in barbeque, steaks, and elevated street food, and creative drinks while striving to become a cornerstone in the Pasadena community.
Photo courtesy of Il Fornaio
24 W. Union St., Pasadena
626-683-9797
Il Fornaio offers upscale Italian dining in a cosmopolitan atmosphere. With locations in places like Beverly Hills, Carmel, Del Mar, Manhattan Beach, and Las Vegas, Il Fornaio has patented the formula for good Italian cuisine served in a modern ambiance for you to enjoy an elegant night out.
336 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena
626-787-1444
Nick’s motto is “Dine, Drink, Escape.” The Pasadena restaurant offers a stunning contemporary setting where you can dine in their garden room, outside on the balcony, or in their private wine room – all decorated in marble, wrought iron, and custom woodwork. The food matches the ambiance with a wide selection of crowd-pleasers on the menu such as salmon, Chilean sea bass, fried chicken, and market fresh salads.
Meet for a Drink
46 E. Huntington Dr., Arcadia
626-446-2575
www.facebook.com/FirstCabinBar/
Local Arcadia watering hole is known for its friendly bartenders, inexpensive drinks, and tasty pub grub. Once described by Time Out magazine as “perhaps the ultimate dive bar,” the First Cabin bar has a neighborhood vibe where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came. Live rock music is featured several nights a week. Not only can you visit after the races, you can also go there before first post. They open at 8 a.m. if you are looking to get a head start.
151 E. Huntington Dr.
626-461-5600
Old-school dive bar opens at 6 a.m. is also known as a good place to drink some beers and knock back some shots and/or cocktails after the races. Come here for a great jukebox, pool table, shuffleboard, sports on TV, and the occasional Karaoke night.
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