[Update] One Pasadena Eatery Shut Down for Operating Without Health Permit

Congregation Ale House on Nov. 23, 2025 (Photo – Staff)

One local eatery in Pasadena has been temporarily shut down for operating without valid health permit, a serious issue that has forced the business to cease operations until it achieves proper compliance.

By Rena Kurlander

Congregation Ale House was closed on November 5, 2025, after failing to maintain the required health permits.

Congregation Ale House

Located at 300 S. Raymond Ave, Congregation Ale House was cited for operating without a valid health permit after a routine inspection on June 4, 2025, revealed several compliance issues. During the visit, inspectors identified the following violations:

• An empty towel dispenser at the hand-washing station, which was promptly addressed after instructions were given.
• The absence of a required food manager certification, which must be submitted to the health inspector by July 22, 2025, or the business could face additional inspection fees.
• Wiping cloths improperly stored on food prep tables, posing a contamination risk.
• Food debris in the kitchen’s floor sinks and improperly labeled bulk food containers.
• Issues with the kitchen flooring, including missing cove base tiles and disrepair of epoxy flooring.

Although these violations were addressed during the inspection, the lack of a valid health permit remained an ongoing issue for the business, leading to its closure on November 5, 2025.

Correction

Little Lily’s Kitchen, located at 541 S. Arroyo Parkway, was erroneously listed on the Pasadena Health Department website as being shut down for operating without a valid health permit. Owner and Chef Kevin Irvin contacted us to clarify, stating, “We are not, nor were we, shut down by the health department.”

We reached out to the city for clarification and received the following response: “There is an error in the system, and our software vendor notified us that it will be fixed on Monday, Dec. 1.”  We apologize for any confusion caused by the inaccurate listing.

Congregation has been given the opportunity to resolve its permit issues and may reopen once the necessary documentation has been obtained. As of publication, it remains closed.

[This article has been updated to include a screenshot listing the closure information, with the “Date Reopened” field left blank, as well as clarification about an erroneous posting on the health department website. 11-26-2025]

Source: Pasadena Public Health Department.