When I want to indulge in the finer things from the Old Country, I head here--it has the warm ambiance of a grandmother's kitchen with the flavors and fragrances that make you wanna try everything on the menu. I swear, everything they have is the ultimate version of it--from the balsamic syrup to the prosciutto and hand-made ravioli--I'd go here more often if I could afford it! PS - ignore the wacko one-star reviews about Angelo; he's a gem with a great personality and a fantastic host who makes you feel right at home! read more

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Came on a Saturday evening and it wasn't too crowded! The place is so cute and I love that they had old black and white films playing in the background. It felt like I was transitioned into a different place, didn't feel like I was in Berkeley at all! The food was great! Everything came out at a decent time, and I didn't have to wait too long when placing an order or waiting for my appetizer and my main dish! The staff was okay. They seem really young and maybe this is some of their first jobs, so I don't want to be too hard on them.. They do lack some customer service cues and kindness, none of them smile or greet you upon entrance.. But many of the older servers and hosts are more kind and chatty. I appreciate them and the younger staff could learn a thing or two! Don't let that discourage you from trying their food though! It's their saving grace! read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Food is good. That's about it for the good. The service has been consistently unbelievably terrible each time we've gone. I thought it might have been an off-day the first time, but...I was wrong. They are apparently consistently off. We had to ask for every single thing and between each thing we asked for, another 15-20 minutes passed. Moreover, after we asked, one employee acknowledged our request/stated they would be there to help/get someone to help and then another 15-20 minutes passed. ----- Here's a list (without exaggeration) of what we had to ask and wait 15-20 minutes for between each item/food: - Water - Water refill (when the water pitcher was COMPLETELY empty) - For the complimentary bread and dip (we saw that other people at other tables who had gotten seated after us got theirs before us) - For our order to be taken - For our order (it took about 20-30 minutes before our food arrived after ordering) - To clear our plates ----- *Note: I didn't list the check. Though we had to call someone over for the check (which is fine), they came over shortly with that. I guess when it comes to collecting your $$$, they are on it. ---- I'm usually not that picky with service at restaurants but this stood out as sooooo unbelievably bad. If they had an event going on, a large take-out/catering order to fulfill, or something like that, I could understand but at least even in these cases, I think it's just common courtesy to let your customers know. (Those scenarios are speculative in this case...I'm just trying my hardest to empathize with their unbelievably terrible service). ----- P.S. I saw a row of employees/waitresses behind our table just standing and chatting. They did not seem busy by the looks of many empty tables inside the restaurant and in the outdoor seating area, but again, I'm considering the possibility that they were working on something else...just would've appreciated some communication) read more

Great food! Really impressed with the tastes, plating, all of it. Service was fine--nothing outstanding. Run, brick interior that has a very European feel with Italian movies projected on the wall. read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I've been here a few times and finally decided to post. Great Sicilian food in an intimate setting. They screen black and white films on the brick interior and the place is so very busy during dinner. They are fairly priced and entrees are perfect for sharing. My friend and I shared a salad, pasta and the branzino. All were super. I had a glass of their Chianti with the meal and it was a lovely glass. Make reservations, you will need them! read more

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If you like olive oil, this is your place. Our appetizer was a butternut squash dish. It was cold, smothered in olive oil, with big chunks of garlic. We tasted a bite and left the rest. The waitstaff was completely uninterested in why we were having them take the plate away nearly untouched. Maybe this happens a lot? There was about 4 bites of meat on the lamb shank. The polenta fritters included on this dish were as hard as a rock. We needed to cut it with a knife to get through to the tepid and dry polenta inside. There was no spoon to access the sauce. We had to ask for one. The salmon was good, but a little overcooked and ... you guessed it ... smothered in olive oil. It was served on a bed of very oily greens and potatoes. We were there on a Friday about 6pm. The restaurant was starting to get busy but wasn't too noisy. There were quite a few tables with kids, so I guess it's kid-friendly...? Overall, we didn't think this restaurant was very good. I've heard that the price of oil is on the rise, but $115 for two people with 4 items (salmon, lamb shank, butternut squash & a glass of the house white) is far from being a good value for the money. read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Lamb Shank - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I'm always surprised that the overall reading isn't 5 stars. I love eating here every visit. From the ambience outside to the ambience inside to the friendly attractive, wait staff and the incredible food and wine. You always get started off with warm bread and their own olive oil, garlic, and spiced dipping sauce. It's so good! But you gotta like garlic. I don't think I ever get tired of the raviolis. And they have this sliced pork dish that really hits the spot. It was the first time I had cannolis for dessert and it won't be the last. I will not drone on and on. Just take a look at the pictures. read more

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I highly recommend the mushroom ravioli it's absolutely delicious. Great service and great vibes - the best pasta spot in Berkeley!

"Jerry, you don't understand, thats the way they talk in Italy, they sing to one another." - Cosmo Kramer, Seinfeld Unfair & unkind I've been in overlooking a review of Agrodolce, I thought for sure I was going to write an update! This Friday I was reminded just how special it can be to have an ongoing relationship with an establishment, it really does nourish your belly as well as your soul. The D'Alo Family has been feeding us since the 90's, La Spaghettata, Tratorria La Siciliana, Isola Osteria, The Sicilian, and or course Agrodolce. Like Giuseppe and Rosa had in the past, Angelo somehow brings you into his world as a part of the family. da Scene: Met up for a boys night out shooting pool @ the Breakroom and wanted a nice dinner, no hesitation, we're headed to Angelo's place. Packed as it always is on weekends @ 7pm, we stroll in and like 4 cousins he hasn't seen in ages, greeted and welcomed. Since there's a bit of a wait, glasses of wine kept us busy in line. da Grub: I take over ordering to make sure we do it right: starters, pasta, then Secondi. I ask Angelo to pick a bottle of red for us, he brings the Gattinara, it's BIG and could stand alone, but was great with my order: we start with the Zucchini Flowers and Mista, followed by a couple orders of the Porcini Ravioli (decadent and exceptional), then 2 orders each of the Porchetta and Involtini (my favorite). More wine was needed, Amarone della Valpolicella was brought. da Service: Our servers were many, and all so helpful. Felt a bit aged when Angelo brought over his son, a grown man now, I remembered him "yay high"... also spotted a server from back in the Trattoria days who instantly remembered me. As we finished off with Cannoli, Tiramisu & espresso , Angelo made sure we got some of his Limoncello, and we brought home bottles of Rosa's dipping oil for the girls. It sounds like an exceptional night... and it was. But, it's how I remember ALL my visits here. You can have them too, just come often enough to be remembered and you'll be welcomed "in" as well. Ciao! Apologies... pics next time, was too busy enjoying the moment. Bring back the Gnocchi w/ Pesto!! read more

Pleasant place. Nice menu. Service was diffident at best. Over the course of three courses, I had five different servers. Totally unclear who was actual my server. Hostess was dismissive when I arrived and it was very long wait to order. Seemed dismissive of my choices. Offered no insights. Meh. Tuna carpaccio was delicious. Lots of bread with super garlicky dipping oil. I didn't like my beef roulade entree. Nothing wrong with it -- I just did t like the flavors. When I ordered dessert, there was no move to tidy the table. Dessert was served on a dirty table and came with the bill. After that I was invited to order another glass of wine "if I wanted to stay longer." The place was not full. Very strange. Doubt I would return based on the experience -- but an older crowd of many tables were clearly having a wonderful, cocktail filled time. read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Tuna carpaccio - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

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If your an out of towner looking for a place to take your CAL BEAR to for dinner, this is the place! It looks small from the outside but when u walk in towards the back it is spacious! I celebrated my daughters 21st bday here! The food & staff were amazing! They accommodated a party of 20 the weekend before Thanksgiving which I will forever be grateful for! Thank you Angelo & Sam for taking care Of us we had an AMAZING time! read more

Agrodolce Osteria - This is in the back room (one of two tables we occupied). - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

It might have been a rough night for the staff. But this is what I run into: broken reservation system. Sitting reservations was running behind 30 to 40 minutes. The bar is super small to get a drink while you are waiting. The hostess was extremely rude. She was frustrated with what was going on, and she was not shy in showing her frustration and anger. She would slam bottles on the small bar even though I was sitting right there. Later I found out, she is the daughter of the restaurant manager. She mixed up our order, so we did not get one of the dishes we ordered. And what we ordered was salty. Service and food were extremely disappointing. read more

I dined at Agrodolce with a large group of friends - we were celebrating not one but two birthdays - and we also were planning to try the Restaurant Week menu. Once we were seated and took a look at the menu, however, we decided to mix and match from Agrodolce's extensive list of appetizers and pasta dishes on the regular menu. This turned out to the right choice, since everything is served family-style. We ended up ordering five appetizers and five main dishes to share. Highlights of the meal were the Burrata di Prosciutto, Fiore di Zucca (zucchini flower), Ragú di Maiale, and Campagnola. Another popular dish at our table was the braised lamb shank, which is served with a side of crispy polenta. Every dish, with an exception of the Fiore di Zucca (which only comes with two servings), was more than enough food for our group of ~10 people. Somehow, we still had room for dessert, so we ordered the Bomba, tiramisu, and panna cotta to share. I went straight for the Bomba because I figured you couldn't go wrong with warm chocolate cake and ice cream - while this is true, I probably wouldn't have ordered this dessert for myself. The pasta dishes - and our excellent servers - were the clear star of our dining experience. read more

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What a lovely place. My friend and I sat outside on a Sunday evening prior to going to Berkeley Rep. We sometimes thought they may have forgotten us outside, but we found the food delicious and would go back again. The lasagna was delicious as was the frittura mista. The fiore di zucca was amazing. Unfortunately we didn't have time for dessert. Definitely a restaurant to recommend. read more

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Originally, I gave two star, but since the restaurant Try to delete my first review. I'm giving one star now. We stopped by this restaurant to celebrate a birthday, but unfortunately, the service fell short of expectations. The wait staff seemed overwhelmed and unfriendly, particularly who brushed us off when we asked about our drinks after waiting for 20 minutes but when I tried to order a second drink from another waitress ( I didn't get her name.) She got my drink within five minutes. Then barely acknowledged us when she brought the check. Not even "thank you!" ($600) just slap the bill on the table and walked off ! The food was a letdown too - it was overly salty and served lukewarm, with some of the meat and potatoes feeling more like room temperature than hot. Overall, we'd think twice before recommending this place. I for sure will not be coming back. read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Way too salty - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

I got to experience Agrodolce twice because someone I know had developed a liking for it. We've all been there. Overall impressions: restaurant management is chaotic and in a way, very stereotypically Italian. Either the restaurant overbooks or doesn't do a very good job of managing waitlists or existing tables. In any case, there is an overall sense of chaos with people waiting a long time both to be seated and served, and workers running around looking stressed. It's probably how the original owner of the rotting Fiat in front of the restaurant felt while he or she owned the car (will it start today or not?) It probably doesn't help that most of the workers look like they are in or just left high school and look frankly mentally overwhelmed. There is also only one bathroom and on one of my visits, that was "knocked out," which left patrons the option of an employee bathroom. Yikes. The food itself unfortunately is pretty mediocre. I tried the risotto once as I was told it was great. Well, it sure was the most watery risotto I've ever had. The pasta dishes seem decent but to be honest, not very special. With some effort, I think we could all make something similar. The wine list seems ok but the cocktails are basically poured by a high school kid, so I'm pretty sure I could've done a better job myself with those as well. If it sounds like I'm struggling to find a reason for you to come here, well... read more

Always came here alone, always felt at home owing to great services The place delivers every time. Most recommended: Linguine pesto+Stinco D'agnello Paccheri San Giovanella Porchetta al Forno read more

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The food was excellent! Really enjoyed the pasta ragu, gem salad, branzino. But the ambience and staff were outstanding! They were kind and friendly. We are coming back to try more! Too late for photos! read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

The food is so good! We had six people and tried various dishes, all excellent. Warm, cozy atmosphere, full house but not noisy.

The food was great, the service was crummy. The wait staff were over worked for the people they have to aaccommodate . I don't remember the name of the cocktail I had but was satisfying. The bread and dipping sauce was great! Acme bread is a delight with the olive oil concoction they served. The oil was the BEST I've ever experienced. Yes, that good. The campagnolo was very nice. I love pappardelle and the sauce was different and light. It's cozy inside but a little noisy though. I thought the prices were fair. Worth returning to. read more

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My family loves coming here for celebrations, the food is incredible and the restaurant has a really fun atmosphere. Inside is cozy although gets pretty loud, if you want a more chill experience the outdoor seating is nice as well, and sometimes has live music playing. Every dish here is superb. The Caesar salad is packed with flavor, the extra anchovies on top add a nice zing. The roasted pork shoulder and braised lamb shank are melt in your mouth tender. The mushroom ravioli is one of my family's favorite dishes, it's packed with flavorful mushrooms and the cream sauce is so good to soak up with their complimentary bread. And speaking of their bread, make sure they give you a basket with their seasoned olive oil. As for desserts, I would recommend the cannolis. The service is decent but they seem chronically understaffed. Having been here for dinner on multiple occasions, the servers are always visibly stressed out and in a rush. Not really their fault, but can slow down the service and once you get your food you have to flag them down for drink refills and such. read more

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i attended a private event here recently - a surprise birthday dInner. The restaurant kept one dining room for normal patrons and had the party in a separate room. The service was fantastic. The food was excellent and there was plenty of it. The proprietor, Angelo, was extremely engaged with the guests and he himself did some of the serving. It was a great party, and the staff did their best to make it an excellent experience. I also come here for dinner periodically and have never been disappointed with the food or service. They make great dishes, some of which I've never seen at other restaurants. Angelo is often at the restaurant and usually makes it a point to check in with every table at some point. This restaurant is a real asset to our neighborhood! Thank read more

Amazing food, really cute vibe and lovey service. We had lots of apps and everyone ordered a different kind of pasta. I forgot to photograph the deserts, but we had one of each of those as well. Every dish tasted so good! I love a good cream sauce for pasta and this place did it perfectly. My only complaint was that we did end up waiting a while to be seated, even with a reservation, but the staff was really friendly about it, had us wait at the bar and gave us some free shooters to celebrate our friend's birthday, so that made up for it. Overall this place was great and I'd definitely recommend trying it out! read more

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Wonderful food, reasonably priced, and terrific service! We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner.

Love the quaint dining room, BUT it can get really loud and seem a bit crowded when tables are full because of how close the tables are. Love, love, love the silent black & white film that rolls via a projector on the wall in the front dining room. I've been twice. Service can be a bit slow because they get very busy, but they all strive to care for guests. Carponata super flavor. Sides of greens a family sized and great for sharing. Not impressed with Branzino entree. Mixed feelings about returning for a third try. read more

Is bad service a deal-breaker for you? The service is seriously bad. Bad because it is poorly managed and also because the wait staff is of low quality. (bussers and runners were good) Servers are not assigned to tables, instead they drift around the room and make guesses at where to go. You might not see a server for a long time. OR you might have two different servers come to take your order within a minute of each other. Funny but annoying. The other problem is most of them don't know much about food or drinks. I've had a couple that are one step above drone. Good stuff-- The kitchen does good work. Dishes are prepared with care and consistency. Specials vary and usually fit the season. Inside it's warm and cozy and loud. Tables are close together. Waiting at in line at for the host puts you by the restrooms which smells like what you'd expect. read more

Good wine collection, excellent vibes, pasta and chocolate cake was really good too. Just wouldn't order appetizers next time since we got 2 and both were not great read more

Such a great place: authentic, go-to Italian place for me and our family for celebrations and catch ups. Always great food and service. Expresso Martini is a treat! read more

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Today is my 75th birthday, and this evening I had the best birthday party of my life thanks to dear friends and the fabulous staff at Agrodolce. I'd never been there before, and don't know where to start. The food was great, and Manager Sam and his staff were outstanding. The service was so attentive without ever being intrusive. We were not only celebrating my birthday, but also my little service dog, Bindi's, Gottcha Day--he's turning 16 in 2 weeks. When our desserts came, I couldn't believe my eyes! My chocolate souffle had a candle in it and "Happy Birthday 75" written in Italian in chocolate across the plate. But wait, it gets better! A second plate had a spoonful of ice cream with a candle for my dog with "Bindi 16" written in Italian in raspberry sauce! They sang "Happy Birthday" to us in Italian. It was a night I'll always remember! read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I recommend this place 100% the food was absolutely delicious. The service A++ the environment A+++. It's so perfect for aesthetic pictures, I absolutely love the lights they have inside and outside. Perfect for date night or for hanging with friends!! I'd say to gate keep this place because my mom and I came last minute and were lucky to still be able to grab a table loll. Over all, an absolutely amazing place !! read more

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Wonderful dinner, a little noisy but food and service worth it. We can't wait to return

A disappointing and expensive experience to say the least. My family and I had dinner here last weekend for my Dad's 80th birthday. The owner Angelo was nice enough , but too overbearing. My family and I barely had enough time to get situated before he started pushing appetizers on us and rushing us to order. The waitstaff were the same way and just as annoying . The feeling everyone had at our table was that they were trying to turn over tables as fast as they could and rush us out the door. I barely had a chance to review the menu before Angelo basically ordered for us. He suggested ordering family style so that everyone can try a little bit of everything. Let's start with the appetizers. Quite possibly the worst appetizers I have had at any restaurant. The calamari and artichokes were bad , the Caesar salad was awful, and the cheese on that tomato dish was disgusting. I wish I could say the main dishes were better , but they were not for the most part. The only thing worth eating was that ragu pasta. The other pasta dishes had zero flavor and we would not recommend. The swordfish dish we had was just mediocre. This place is not ADA compliant. My Uncle is in a wheelchair and we could barely get through the restaurant without knocking into someone. The ambiance is loud with a lot going on at once . Our total bill came out to over 800.00 for a party of 12. Not at all worth it for our special occasion. My family and I are of Sicilian descent , and are accustomed to authentic Sicilian cuisine. Sadly, this place missed the mark. read more

We had reservations at 5:45, arrived a little early and were seated right away. The table that was offered was outside but behind a planter. It didn't feel like a great option but it was okay. Drink order was taken within 5 minutes and 5 minutes later the water arrived. We ordered our full meal at that time because we had someplace to be. The complimentary bread, dipping oil and the Cefalu salad that came out very quickly were the star of the show. The oil was smooth but a little spicy and the salad had a great lemony flavor. I would eat both again. My son ordered the mushroom ravioli and I went out on a limb with the Scoglio. Unfortunately, it was not great. There were zero prawns, the calamari was extra chewy, and the shrimp was over cooked. I tried to salvage the flavor by adding the dipping oil and mushroom sauce, but I ended up throwing it away. The mushroom ravioli and sauce were good. Lots of mushrooms, if that's your thing. My main concern was when it took 30 minutes for our entrees to arrive and then my food was overdone anyway. The service was hit or miss. We ordered drinks and dinner, received our salad, and then didn't see a server again until our food arrived, at which time I asked for to go containers and the check. Had to ask for containers and the check two more times. Not terrible, but not great. Go for the salad, bread, and a drink, and maybe eat elsewhere. read more

Cute ambience, stingy portions. Came with a friend to satisfy an Italian craving at 8pm on a Thursday evening. The interior ambience is cute and cozy, with a silent movie projecting on the brick wall at the back of the restaurant. We ordered the mushroom ravioli and a fried eggplant and mozzarella appetizer to share. The food was delicious, although I was anticipating more than 5 ravioli for a main course. We ended up eating a lot of bread so we wouldn't leave hungry. Nice place to come for a drink and a snack, but probably wouldn't return when I'm actually hungry. read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Interior - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

If you are a woman I would recommend you stay far away if the owner Angelo D'Alo is present. Unfortunately returned here recently for a mandatory event and can confirm the owner is still extremely creepy to women and will openly leer and you and check you out. He usually sits at the bar and will walk from table to table checking in with guests. A different Yelp review went into detail about how he openly stared at her chest. Please note that there are a huge percentage of one and two star reviews. Chances of a pleasant dining experience are low. read more

My new favorite Italian restaurant! The staff were super friendly, the food was great, drinks were good. Ambiance casual but nice & family friendly. I'll be back!! read more

Olive Garden is way better than this place. The quantity to price ratio here was genuinely abysmal. If you want to have a better Italian food experience in Berkeley, go somewhere else like La Val's, Gypsy's (despite how greasy their food can be), Artichoke's, or Pizzeria de Laura, to name a few. I went here a year ago with a bunch of friend and was very disappointed by how much food we got, given how much we paid. Guess that was quite the memorable dining experience. read more

Liked this place since Trattoria Sicilliana. Consistent with the other reviews: Food is good. Service is erratic. Long waits between server coming to table. Had to remind them several times. Waited 20 min for our drinks, when finally asked for it, they checked with a few people before coming back to tell me that they don't know how to make my drink. (They charged us for the drink so we had to get it removed.) The entrees were passed across the table rather them served to each individually person. Pleasant surroundings. I like the food and have nostalgia for the College Avenue days when they first opened, but still note the chaos. read more

Devin was absolutely fantastic! Genuinely one of the most attentive, caring server we've had the pleasure of meeting. The food was amazing and the ambiance was lovely. Will be going back again as soon as possible. read more

We were disappointed with the restaurant. We heard great things about the restaurant but it was an underwhelming experience. We arrived and were seated outside with a bush hanging over our heads. The entire time, service was creating a disturbance, constantly moving around furniture and disassembling the heat lamps in attempt to light them. The restaurant has free bread which was very pleasant but the oil served with it definitely was rushed in the plating as our table was covered in oil when the plate was served. We ordered a $19 burrata which was misleading because it was more like a slice of burrata spread across slices of frozen tomato. We ordered a bottle of wine which we finished before our pasta arrived (note we are also slow wine drinkers). We ordered a norma which arrived with little to no eggplant and a ragu that was filled with bones. The cannoli was stale but the filling was sweet. Overall, we left sad because we expected more for the prices and love Italian food. The restaurant has potential - perhaps an unlucky evening. read more