Great Maple Is a Chain Restaurant That’s Engineered for Modern Dining Culture

In mid-October, The Great Maple plans to open their latest Southern California location at Pasadena’s Paseo Colorado outdoor mall. Last year they debuted a squeaky clean location adjacent to Del Amo Mall in Torrance.

Upon first glance, Great Maple seems like another bright, well-designed restaurant with a varied menu, full bar, and plush banquettes. But the fast expansion strategy tells otherwise. Great Maple’s approach seems to be similar to a Cheesecake Factory or Houston's, but with a more modern interior, located in or next to a shopping mall.

The menu contains plenty of crowd-pleasing favorites that are perfectly on-trend. Perhaps a little too on-trend. Great Maple boasts an ancient grains salad, and a modernized caesar full of kale and shaved brussels sprouts. Well-established as a brunch spot, Great Maple’s cocktail menu includes a new twist on a Cosmo: vodka, almond milk, strawberry preserves, and lemon. And there is always demand for their maple bacon donuts. Prices run $6 to $23 for brunch dishes, and $8 to $35 for dinner plates — certainly not cheap but also not in the fine dining realm.

The dinner menu is the point of emphasis at this second-story Pasadena outlet. The salted caramel pork ribs, prime rib dip sandwich, or cast iron rib eye could possibly tempt Paseo’s Arclight movie goers.

Great Maple

After launching in San Diego in 2013, owner Johnny Rivera formerly likened Great Maple to a “European dinette,” but now reflects the “A Modern American Eatery” description on the website. Can The Great Maple become the high-end restaurant chain like Houston’s? The Pasadena expansion is part of the five restaurant chain, with locations in Newport Beach and San Diego, plus plans to open in La Jolla by November.

Rivera is also part of the Hash House A Go Go chain. The massive breakfast portion-serving Hash House A Go Go is headquartered in San Diego, with locations in Nevada, Illinois, Florida, Texas, and Connecticut.

Great Maple
Paseo Shopping Center, Suite 112
Pasadena, CA