I don't know why I just found out about this place today! It has amazing staff, delicious food and a great atmosphere. We came unexpectedly and were super impressed! I can't wait to come back with friends. Our waitress was so kind and friendly too. What a treat! read more

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We came here for a birthday celebration and had a wonderful meal thanks to the excellent food, atmosphere, and service. We ordered family style and could not decide which dish was our favorite. For apps, we had two specials: tuna carpaccio and bruschetta with fave bean puree. Both were light, subtlety flavored, and impeccably fresh. For our mains, we had papardelle with ragú, seafood risotto, beef rollatini, and braised pork shoulder. These were great choices - bold and distinctive flavors, generous portions, and easy to share. Our server was sweet, enthusiastic, helpful, and attentive. I had mentioned my father's birthday when I made the reservation, and our dessert (panna cotta, the only slight miss of the night due to its rubbery texture) arrived with a candle and Buon Cumpleanno written in raspberry coulis, with three servers singing to my father in Italian. We ate outside, early, on a warm, sunny evening, so we didn't experience the loudness that some reviews mentioned (plus we were able to bring our 9 month old puppy with us to enjoy the celebration). Agrodolce did everything right for our meal, and we left feeling full, happy, and well tended. We'll be back for sure! read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Birthday panna cotta - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Very special. I feel transported to Sicily when I'm here. Yes the food is excellent but the real superpower is just how genuine it feels. It helps that the brick interior is so warm and rustic. During one of my early visits I met the owner (from Sicily) and he gave the place such a feeling. Amazingly, this place successfully doubles as either date night or nice night out with the kids (grade school). It feels good both ways, which is unusual. Been coming here for a decade. One of my "top 3" in Berkeley. Just writing a post in support of one of my favorite local businesses. read more

Refreshing my review just to add that they can accommodate gluten-free. The food remains great, the indoor acoustics level remains very noisy, , but the outside heated tables solve that when rain isn't windy. The service has been good lately. Love, love, love the truffled ravioli, the flavored olive oil they serve with bread, the eggplant impanate, and the other dishes we've tried. Well worth a trip, with the caveat about noisiness indoors. read more

I have been to Agrodolce three times and prior to the last time, thoroughly enjoyed the experience. However, on February 15, 2026, service was lousy and the food was bland and greasy. We seated ourselves next to the kitchen but didn't realize that when the door opened wide, I was hit in the back of my chair. Hope things improve there; I haven't given up. read more

This is our second time dinning at Agrodolce Osteria. Our dining experience here was nothing short of exceptional. Our servers went above and beyond to ensure everything was perfect, and we couldn't have asked for better service. If you're looking for an Italian restaurant that delivers on both food and hospitality, Agrodolce Osteria is a must-visit! read more

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The Food was delicious. The Service was good. The space was advertised as warm and cozy with a fireplace. There was a fireplace and a large back room but the front room was right next to the bar and was chilly when not sitting right near the fireplace. When I made a reservation I explained that I was hard of hearing and would love a quiet table. When we arrived, we found that the back room would have a private party so we could not sit there. The only 4-top they had was next to the bar, in a small room with a silent movie on the wall. The noise level rose to about 4 bombs. The ambiance was not cozy, warm and not conducive to a quiet dinner with friends where a conversation could be held. Sitting in the Parklet outside might have been a better option on a warm night for people who want to have a conversation to and enjoy the wonderful food. read more

Amazing food and service. We keep coming back. The ambiance is cozy and relaxed. A great place for special celebrations.

Aaahh, Agrodolce! Just serve me up those Italian goods, why don't you?! So, I just came back from a trip to Italy about a week or so ago. It really got me to thinking about the Italian spots that I have here at home. Agrodolce is one of the few restaurants that is very reminiscent of my experience there. For starters; the setup is classic Italian. That beautiful back room with the brick wall and black and white portraits looks almost exactly like two restaurants that I dined in at while I was in Venice and Milan. The communal chatter and intimate quarters is also very indicative of Italy. Even the live performer in the front room and the glowing patio parklet setup mirrored what I experienced while I was there. In essence; I got a glimpse of the true Italian experience here before my visit. The one difference though is the service. The service is MUCH better here, of course. If you've ever dined in Italy (or in most places in Europe for that matter) service is not really "service". The American way of service is above and beyond, and the service that I received from everyone that I encountered at Agrodulce was attentive and courteous from beginning to end. When I first arrived, the restaurant wasn't too busy. But that soon changed within a matter of minutes. By the time I left, it was a packed house. This is a popular place and for a very good reason. The food menu along with their wine list is versatile and extensive. Saw the ravioli porcini trifolati on the menu and knew that I had to have it. Normally I'd go for a white wine with this dish, but I couldn't help but to order a glass of Nero D'Avola since it's one of my favorite Italian wines that I don't always see on wine menus. It was delicious. Of course they served fresh Acme bread with the most addicting seasoned olive oil dip. Don't miss this! Also, don't be afraid to ask for more if you devour it fast. Just make sure to leave room for your actual entree because that bread will fill you up quickly. The mushroom ravioli was to die for. The ravioli was so moist and perfectly cooked. The mushrooms were so fragrant and that scream sauce had me wanting to lick the plate clean. So, so delicious. You've gotta save some bread to scrape up all of that creamy sauce on the plate. Don't let your eyes deceive you either. This is a very filling portion of ravioli. Dessert was on my mind but not on my stomach. I was too damn full to indulge. But I did enjoy watching some other people eating their tiramisu. Next up; tiramisu for me during a future visit. Speaking of other people; you'll be in tight quarters when it comes to the seating arrangements. But what's nice is that the fellow patrons here are so friendly. I struck up a conversation with two ladies who were sitting next to me and they were the sweetest. They were regulars of course, and raved about this spot. I understand. I enjoyed it too. Still dreaming about the food that I had in Italy, but I'm so elated to have Agrodolce here to fulfill those Italian cravings. It's a Berkeley gem that you need to try and pronto. read more

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Excellent food and wine. Such wonderful service and a beautiful ambience. Highest recommendation!

Today is my birthday and on this day, I eat noodles. Eating noodles, as the tall tale goes, equates to long life. As such, my husband booked reservations to Agrodolce on Open Table. He went as far as to indicating the reason for our visit which was to celebrate my birthday. Now I'm not a big stickler about getting freebies or whatnot because of the occasion, but knowing that my husband mentioned this on the reservation, it would have been a nice touch for them to greet me a happy birthday which they did not. I understand that it's a busy night with large parties celebrating graduation at UC Berkeley, but for just two people, I felt as if we were forgotten service wise. Our server went on to attend to a much larger party and we often had to flag down other servers to assist us. I hate to say this as I had high expectations for this place, but the best part of dinner was the free acme bread and the oil to dip it in. I loved the strong garlicky flavor that comes through the dip so much so that we had asked for seconds. My husband got the ragu which was lacking in flavor. The sauce was pretty minimal and there was little guanciale. They definitely skimped on this. I ordered the campangolo and it too was lacking in flavor. Maybe a tad more salt would've helped but salt and pepper weren't even on the table. We had to ask for pepper flakes and Parmesan to add some more flavor to both dishes. read more

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The food is very forgettable. The salad was swimming in oil, the pesto was tasteless, the bread was cold. It's a charming space but the food is very disappointing. Staff very nice. read more

I've been twice. This place is okay. In my opinion the food is pretty average - the plating is appetizing, but the flavors didn't blow me away and it could have been a little fresher for the price. It's a shame because the menu is actually interesting! They have more traditional Italian and Sicilian options than most Italian-American spots. The ambiance is cute, the staff is kind and the atmosphere is familial. The service is like the food - good, but not great for the price. I definitely wouldn't dissuade anyone from going to Agrodolce, but I also wouldn't recommend them. While this spot has the atmosphere and menu of a nice Sicilian family restaurant, the food doesn't quite live up to its price. read more

Service and ambiance was great. The food was not very good though. I got the Paccheri San Giovanella which came out with a soup instead of a sauce at first. I got it changed and the sauce was thicker but I still didn't think the pasta was anything special. The mushrooms tasted a bit undercooked. My friend got the basil pasta which I thought was pretty good and had nice flavor. I forgot to take a picture of our appetizer which was the Carpaccio di Tonno. I thought it wasn't good as the sauce they used tasted more like a ranch/ Caesar dressing which paired weirdly with the tuna. I also didn't think the tuna tasted that fresh either. read more

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I can't fathom the ratings here. This is an excellent Sicilian restaurant with eager, helpful service, large portions and delicious dishes. The portions are generous in all cases and even their free bread and seasoned oil is a treat. The dining area is warm and inviting, and has the feeling of a family business - which it is. read more

Agrodolce is the sister restaurant to Trattoria La Siciliana, the latter which sadly shuttered during the pandemic. While I never had a chance to try their flagship location, I was excited to learn that their family recipes live on in Agrodolce. We stopped in for a casual date night for our three-year anniversary. Lively, bustling atmosphere with cozy, rustic decor and traditional Sicilian fare-- equally lively staff. With our weekend reservation, we were seated immediately. After seating, the service is a bit mixed. Dishes were slow to come out (40+ mins), servers rushing about-- we had to flag down servers pretty hard to get anything done (where are they running to?). I didn't really have an issue with management yelling, kind of reminds me of service at dim sum places. At least everyone who helped us was nice? PACCHERI SAN GIOVANELLI: Oh... This was actually a bit underseasoned. I'm usually a big fan of tomato cream sauces, but this wasn't particularly flavorful. The paccheri was cooked well, at least. TIRAMISU: This is real old-school tiramisu! Just a hint of coffee; overall airy, soft, and dreamy~ I think one of the best tiramisu I've had so far. PANNA COTTA: I prefer my panna cotta more like the texture of silken tofu, this is more like a... Jello? A bit rubbery? And the fruit preserves on top were too syrupy, tasted like Smuckers LOL My bf had nothing but positive things to say about his Linguini con Vongole Bianco... I tried a bite and was immediately jealous. Their dishes are a bit of a hit or miss. read more

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My group of friends decided to celebrate a friend's birthday at Agrodolce Osteria and we booked a reservation with them ahead of time. After about 15 minutes of waiting, we were seated outside. The waitress was nice and gave us several recommendations for what we should order. We ordered several dishes and shared them family style. My favorite dish out of the bunch we ordered had to be the Paccheri San Giovanella. The sauce was creamy and coated every noodle. The Frittura Mista was also crispy and delicious. The Lamb Shank and Salmone alla Griglia were not bad. The only dish that was only okay was the Ravioli Porcini Trifolati because the sauce was very watery. Although the food was decent, the service was okay at best. The waitress was hard to get a hold of, especially when we were trying to see the progress of our order. In addition, if we needed additional napkins or utensils, it took a while to get their attention. However, they were very nice to give my friend a drink on the house for her 21st birthday, which was a plus! read more

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Overly oilly food and wait staff, bar and bussing staff seem to have no idea how to run a restaurant. For the amount we paid, this was a tragic experience. read more

This was our first time dining here and we were beyond impressed! Owner/Chef Angelo made our experience not just fantastic, but memorable! He selected our appetizers, meals for the table and paired the wine beautifully! We closed the evening with some tasty morsels and an exquisite red. Oh what a night!!! Thank you Chef Angelo. Looking forward to our return read more

Came for a friend's birthday The service was great, staff was on it & as the place got busy they just kept on going. This was our second visit here & this time they / the chef knocked it out of the park. There were at least 3 appetizers: beef carpaccio, fried calamari, pawns & artichokes & the tomato salad, all just delicious. Oh & let's not forget the bread service, fresh bread with olive oil & herbs. For the mains there was: lamb shank, several orders of the mushrooms raviolis / one was a double, a couple of orders of the pork chop aka porchetta al forne, salmon, lasagna; in short there was so much food & getting to taste it all was even greater fun. The mushroom ravioli melted in your mouth & then dipping the bread into the sauce was heavenly. Scrumptious all around. Let's not forget dessert for the birthday girl, tiramisu & cannoli - oh my goodness. The ambiance was casual & as the restaurant filled up it gets loud, yet doable. Word has it the owner is opening a second restaurant in Danville, hoping to open January 20. This crew plans on being there! If nothing else to give him hell, eats his wonderful food & drink lots of wine! read more

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Although i was already in such a great mood because of graduating and having my family in town, this place added so much happiness to the day. Great food and vibes. The staff is super super nice and I got amazing service from the girls and Sam (apologies I didnt get to get the name of the girls individually unfortunately). They came a few times to check on us, brought us extra bread and super yummy EVOO that had herbs and garlic in. The food and dishes were warm and delicious. Because of great conversation I was having with the staff, I even got to make friends with the owner (Angelo and his brother Jerry, Gennuino, who was bartending). Because espresso martinis have become so popular recently, I've had a lot of them and many bad ones. This one was in a huge glass and the espresso was fresh and not too sweet. It was very well balanced. We enjoyed every piece of food and drink that we got. at the end of the night they brought out a complementary tiramisu for me to celebrate my graduation, which was super sweet and completely made my night. Apparently the recipe for the tiramisu and every other dish is by their mama (mama rosa) who is in her 70s and still is involved with the restaurant. Super sweet and wholesome backstory to the great business they're running for 30 some years as well. Thank you so much to all the staff for the service:) best way to celebrate being a grad! read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I came here for a Valentine's date and was disappointed. The service was incredibly slow. It took around 40 minutes for us to receive our food after ordering. I got the risotto zucca and my date got the lasagna. Both came out warm, not hot as if they were sitting out for a while before arriving at our table. It took another 15 minutes after ordering desserts (tiramisu and cannoli) to receive them. I would not recommend the cannoli, and the tiramisu was ok. The waitstaff and manager created a very tense / stressed atmosphere. It seemed that they were spread thin for the night and I could hear him yelling across the restaurant to get the attention of different people. If looking for a romantic dinner, I would recommend finding a different restaurant. read more

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The service was terrible. We were left to wait for almost 30 minutes past our reservation time. Then another 15 minutes after we ordered our wine. Waitstaff rarely checked on us or refilled our water and at best and were curt in their answers. I realize it was a busy Saturday night but answering with "yeh" when I ask if I can get a takeout container was beneath a restaurant that has such good reviews. It just seemed like a hot mess. The food itself was tasty but again not what I was expecting after reading reviews. Also, please be aware that the entire restaurant is loud, like 11 LOUD. My ears are still ringing. I rarely write reviews but hope that they will read this and tighten up their service. The place is fun, vibrant and clearly has the ability to operate at a higher level. read more

On a Saturday night this place was too busy and even though we had a reservation, we didn't get seated for over half an hour and we didn't get served for an hour and a half. We were with a group that just wanted to enjoy each other's company, so waters and waiting was fine. But ordinarily, I wouldn't expect this type of service from such a great place. We had the lamb shank which was great and we also had a pasta which was cooked very well. read more

Delicious food. Good service. A lot of options to choose from. Hidden gem. My go to Italian restaurant in Berkeley.

We made reservations for a pretty large party since it's close to UC Berkeley. They were able to accommodate us and gave us the back room to ourselves. Our waiter recommended that we should order family style but since it was for a work event, everyone ordered their own entree's to be more covid friendly. For family style ordering, they're able to make the portions a lot larger. Their pasta was delicious! Appetizers were also really good. This would've been a 5 star but minus one since there was a girl working there that was pretty rude. read more

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Service was SO slow. We had to ask for water and anything else. no one ever checked in with us to ask us if we needed anything. Also, the noise level of the second room is ridiculous. It was so loud. I felt like I was at a concert and our party of four couldn't have a conversation. It took us 25 minutes to get the bill and we couldn't wait to leave. Under normal circumstances, we would've ordered dessert. The food was very mediocre. Having parents from Italy, this was a two star for flavor. one for service, and one for ambiance. read more

I came to Agrodolce for date night with my husband. It wasn't terrible but I was sorely underwhelmed. I'm sad that I don't have a go-to Italian eatery in Berkeley because Italian is my absolute favorite especially in the summer. I was hoping Agrodolce might become my new spot but they missed the mark. Service was pretty lame. Our young (maybe Italian accent?) server completely forgot about us. Forgot our bread, forgot our wine, just didn't feel like we were taken care of that night. Food was ok, not spectacular so there wasn't much to offset the poor service. The live jazz music and my Aperol spritz were the only highlights of my evening. read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Wonderful place. The food was delicious. My favorite was watching the owner navigate his restaurant. There were so many people who seemed to know him well and loved the place. Can't wait to go back next time I visit Berkeley. read more

Classic, old-school Italian restaurant. Very casual and the wait staff is attentive and friendly. Food is good to very good. Tiramisu dessert was excellent. Decent wine by the glass list. We were here for my daughter's birthday celebration and two of the waitstaff sang the Italian version of 'Happy Birthday' in wonderful baritones. A very nice addition! read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Delicious tiramisu! - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Overall, good service and food and great ambiance. However, the Frittura Mista (fried seafood) wasn't seasoned that we could tell and was greasy and, while the Cannoli Siciliani shell was perfect and delicious, the filling was over mixed and over sweetened such that the natural ricotta flavor and texture was lost. read more

Ok, so I foolishly read the single star reviews before going to this restaurant. I get it. The service was on the fence and there was some intensity from the management. My family wanted to try Agrodolce, so we went anyway. This place was hoppin' on a Friday night. Single star ratings be damed! The outdoor seating was packed, enjoying the entertainment. We were lucky to get a table inside within minutes of arriving. It was clear to me from the start that these guys are short staffed - so who isn't these days? Waiters, bus boys, hostesses were practically running to keep up with service. It looked to be an owner that was tending bar, taking orders, and hustling himself back and forth from the kitchen to the front of the house. It took 15 minutes for our order to be taken and, sad to say, 45 minutes to an hour for the food to be delivered. But what we had was fantastic and worth the wait. The wait and kitchen staff were very apologetic. You could tell they felt bad. But it's the FOOD, and nice people, that made the experience worth your while. It was like a cult following of locals and families that were familiar faces to this place. We had the tuna carpaccio, arugula salad, Polpette Siciliane - the meatballs and rigatoni and the pesto bucatini. My kids were all over that food. The carpaccio were these amazingly thin and flavorful slices of tuna with capers and a little salad in the middle. The pasta was cooked al dente and the sauces made with love! Too easy to eat. I couldn't help but notice the empty plates of the people sitting next to us - they had the lamb shank (I could only tell by the bone on his plate) and the seafood risotto (also pretty sparse). I chatted with these folks and they had been coming... following this family business for 10 years! I guess they had another spot on College ave before coming to Shattuck. So yes, they need to fill their vacant positions so their service matches their food, but based on the liveliness and dedication of the patrons, they don't care! They are coming back anyway. read more

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Absolutely overpriced. I hope it closes and Olive Garden takes over instead. The quantity to price ratio is genuinely atrocious.

4.25 Very nice dinner celebrating my niece getting into Cal. We were a party of 10 and were greeted and seated as soon as the restaurant opened for the day. The owner came over and recommended a family style dinner for our group. We have a few kids in our party so we tried some delicious but but non complicated dishes. The aromas and flavors were very nice and complimented each other nicely. We will definitely be back in the future. read more

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The food here is beyond delicious, it's so authentic tasting and the pasta was very fresh! The apps were a delight! Love the burrata and calamari! We also had a few diff kinds of pastas and the salmon and steak! The service was great too! They had really good customer service and the food came out so quickly! The ambiance was more for family than date night, it was a bit noisy but who cares!? Enjoyed their yummy food! read more

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I've been here on 2 occasions and both times it was disappointing. The first time was on a weekday evening (not Friday). The service was extraordinarily slow. 30 minutes after ordering, we had no food and had not seen our waiter. We were seated outside, so I walked inside to find someone to ask about our food. When the food finally arrived after we had already been there for about an hour, it was pretty decent, but not worth it for the extended period of hunger. This summer we made a Friday reservation and decided to try it again. Restaurants in this area are usually not as busy in the summer since undergraduates students are not around. The inside dining room was mostly empty. To our surprise, a walk-in group (same size) who came in after we checked in was seated before us. We were seated right next to the host stand as they were taken directly to a table. So we left and will not come back again. read more

What a lovely restaurant. You can sit outside or inside. Outside you get that quintessential Berkeley experience. Inside you are met with beautiful brick and a vibrant atmosphere. The staff are attentive and the food is amazing. To start the bread service and accompanying olive oil amazing magic dipping is to die for! I think they actually sell it to go. The appetizers I have tried and loved are the little gem romaine, arancin balls (special), and the Buratta di Procitto. They have so many mains I can recommend, but I have to tell you about one in specific. The Porchetta al Forno oven roasted pork shoulder is simply amazing. It is sliced pork shoulder with an amazing sauce. I can still smell and taste it now. Can't wait to get back and order that again! They have a full bar and fantastic wines on property. The owner was so attentive and kind. The expiditor, the hostess, the servers and the bussers seemed all to do their jobs with care and dedication. I can't recommend his restaurant enough. Please give it a try!!! read more

This was a terrific meal and worth every one of its five stars. My dining companion and I started with the calamari appetizer and it was a good thing we shared it because the portion was enough for a main course. The lightly fried artichoked was such a nice touch. We then ordered a lasagne with plenty of meat and a mushroom ragu that was heavenly. The tomato sauce was also quite tasty and the pasta was cooked perfectly. This was not a soggy lasagne. We shared a seafood risotto that was loaded with an assortment of every shell fish imaginable and delicious. We only ate half of the risotto and lasagne because those dishes would be easier to bring home than our last dish, a zuppa di pesce filled with mussels, clams, and other assorted seafood. in a delicious broth. It was as good as any French bouillabasse we've ever tasted. The broth was so good that we kept mopping it up with the yummy French bread (the only non Italian item we saw on the menu)! To top off this exquisite meal, we shared a tiramisu and a dense chocolate bomb (whose name I can't remember) but the taste was incredible. The meal was served by friendly and attentive waiters on a busy Thursday evening. We barely had to wait between our courses. Angelo the owner chatted with us afterward and he was delightful. It is clear that he loves his restaurant and wants everyone to have the best possible experience eating there. I wish I had take photos of our four exquisite dishes and the two fabulous desserts. But, they are a wonderful "tasting memory." This was a very special meal and we will returm. read more

I was Si anticipating eating at this restaurant! The look, feel, decor and energy are amazing! The place is packed and I think they need more servers. We were greeted and reminded we were there to celebrate a few special occasions. The problem is that's the last thing we heard if it. No birthday celebration. No anniversary celebration. Nothing. The bread and the oil was fantastic. The grieve shrimp, artichokes, and calamari was pretty good. I was excited for the whole branzino but disappointed that it had no flavor nor did the kale and potatoes with it. I will chalk it up to them being understaffed but that should not affect quality. read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Melezane Impanata (3/5): The dish came with three pieces of breaded eggplant. Despite the generous amount of mozzarella and tomato sauce, I found the bitterness from the eggplant to be a little too much. Polpette Siciliane (2/5): I opted for a classic rigatoni and meatballs as my main entree. For such a simple dish, the tomato sauce was very watered down and underwhelming. The meatballs were also fairly dry inside. Ravioli Porcini Trifolati (4/5): I had a piece of my friend's ravioli and wish I ordered this instead of the meatballs! The white sauce was creamy and rich. The stand-alone mushrooms were delicious, but there were only a few pieces outside of the ravioli. The interior and patio seating is beautiful, with exposed brick walls and soft lighting. There was quite a crowd, so I recommend calling or using their website to make a reservation. The staff were all very busy and we did feel a little rushed to finish. Despite Agrodolce's lovely ambiance and popularity among locals, I'm not sure I would come back. read more

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