A Hidden Gem in Tustin - A+++++++ My partner has lived in Tustin for 25 years and somehow never dined here until last night--what a discovery! Tucked away in a strip mall, Barolo Italian Cafe is easy to miss at first glance, but once you step inside, you're transported to a cozy Italian restaurant offering a mix of fine dining and casual charm. As an Italian from Boston who has frequented the North End's renowned Italian eateries, I have high standards--and Barolo more than delivered. The outdoor seating was charming, with a few scattered tables (we were told an enclosed patio is in the works). Inside, the atmosphere is casual yet intimate, with tables set close together and the chef-owner's bustling kitchen in full view. Part of the experience includes hearing the chef call out orders to his team--an authentic touch that adds character. Now, onto the food: I absolutely loved my Veal Sorrento, paired with perfectly cooked fresh vegetables (you can opt for pasta as well). My partner's Rigatoni Bolognese was equally incredible, and every dish we saw being served looked outstanding. Bread and salad are included with the meal, and both were exceptional--fresh, flavorful, and a great start to the evening. The service was impeccable. Our server was attentive and friendly, but the rest of the team also made sure we were taken care of--someone else checked in on us, and another kept our water glasses full without us even asking. It's clear the staff works together seamlessly. My partner enjoyed a generous pour of wine for $12, which was well worth it. So how did we find this gem? A friend from Newport Beach recommended it, and instead of going to our usual Italian spot, we decided to give Barolo a try. We're so glad we did! This will definitely become a regular spot for us, and I can't wait to come back to explore more of the menu. read more

This is a small, hidden neighborhood gem. Service great. Food is solid. This is a real east coast Italian joint. Be warned, portions are huge! Add that to the endless complimentary warm onion focaccia and the house salad - you will leave very full. Best part, it's not crazy expensive. Prices are very reasonable for the amount of food you get. read more

Barolo Cafe - Italian Near Me - Tustin, California

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Hands down the best Italian restaurant in Irvine. Fine dining with reasonable prices. Services are amazing but not pretentious. My weekly destination place to eat! read more

Service is extremely poor. They are overbooked, can't manage a kitchen and the timing properly. I called in one time and was asking questions and instead of answering they simply hung up. I wouldn't go here if you are looking for a relaxing place with normal, calm staff. read more

This is the best little find my work team made last week! They were able to accommodate a lunch reservation for 11 people. The foodies at the table were judging all the food and it was all tasting really good! The bread was also the perfect pairing to the pastas! Service was excellent as well. If you want a lower scale local Italian spot, this is it! read more

Barolo Cafe - Linguine cardinale with added mushrooms - Italian Near Me - Tustin, California

What a great find!! Everything we got was so tasty! And the portions were large! Enough to share. We got: Complimentary Bread - so good! Calamari Frito 10/10 - lightly breaded and cooked perfectly. They added a large side of marinara for dipping. Linguine w Vongole with red sauce - had a small kick and flavorful. Lots of clams including baby clams. Specials for the night: Seafood linguine - tons of seafood! It was delicious! Mussels, clams, shrimp and tons of white fish and salmon. Seabass grilled with olives and tomatoes. Lots of flavor and cooked perfectly. What I really loved is that all of our dishes came out piping hot! We really enjoyed our dinner and will be back! Their dessert menu was extensive and we didn't have time to try any but there were great choices! read more

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What went well you ask? The answer is everything! I've been going to Barolo Cafe for many years. Giuseppe never disappoints. Never misses the mark. The food is always delicious. Ambiance is perfect for a small bistro. Try it! I'm sure you'll agree! read more

Happened to be at this shopping center location one evening and noticed a good crowd at dinner time, which got us curious about how we could have missed such a popular place, given that they'd been around for so long. From then on, I knew we had to come back to try this place some day, and did so for an early weekday lunch, just in hopes of avoiding the crowd. I must say that this place is a cute little independently owned, casual styled, Italian bistro. As soon as we walked in we were greeted by a very friendly lady who told us to sit anywhere we liked....so we did. Since we were the only ones there, she gave us her full attention and explained a little about their menu and their specials for the day. Everything she mentioned and all that we could see on the menu sounded absolutely Yummy! There were so many dishes we really wanted to try, but being our first time here, we pretty much stuck to our usual Italian dishes....but just to make it a bit more interesting, we went ahead and ordered one of their specials. So, we went ahead and ordered the Calamari as an appetizer, the Chicken Parmesan which came with a side of pasta and salad, and the special of the day...Seabass Piccata with a side of pasta. I had actually ordered spaghetti marinara on the side, but for some reason we ended up with bowtie pasta instead.....no big deal. So, the calamari was very good with the side of marinara sauce....it had a very nice light crisp to it and tasted very good. The seabass was also very good...fresh, moist, and perfectly prepared with a tangy lemon, capers, and white wine sauce. As for the chicken parmigiana, nice big portion, delicious.....breading could have been crisper, but still tasted very good. My only complaint would be that I requested the marinara sauce and melted cheese to be served on the side, but it came on top of the chicken, making the breading pretty soggy. Overall, the food here is quite good and we would definitely come back again. Service was very nice and friendly, food good....overall, and nice cute little Italian bistro ambiance inside with a tented makeshift dining area outside in the parking lot. read more

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The food was WONDERFUL Service was also great! I had the chicken piccata gluten free pasta with garlic sauce read more

Barolo Cafe - Chicken piccata - Italian Near Me - Tustin, California

A friend and I had dinner outside last Saturday night. The restaurant was quite busy, but the service was excellent. My friend ate the salmon plate and I had linguine vongole-red clam sauce. Both dishes were outstanding, and were accompanied by a house salad that was tasty, but nothing special. We enjoyed the outside area (sort of like a tent) because it was quieter than inside and very relaxing. We will definitely be back! read more

Eggplant parmigiana was cut thin and cooked perfect. The bolognese sauce was amazing and the fettuccine noodles were cooked perfect. The tiramisu was soft, cloudy and chocolatey. Staff are all friendly and everyone helps out so you never feel ignored. Short wait with no reservations but not bad. Servings were generous, the fettuccine was a whole other meal for my son when I got home. read more

Oh my goodness! Really good Italian food Pasta Pescatore (seafood pasta) was so good. veal Lemon butter capers with angel hair pasta. It's tart, buttery and tender. My son got the linguine Bolognese. Such a hearty meaty sauce. Everything was hot and fresh. Good service and I hope you can try it if you think that sounds good. read more

Barolo Cafe - Pescatore pasta is so good and so much seafood. Veal scallopini is great and the linguine with bolognese was terrific. - Italian Near Me - Tustin, California

I have always seen this place and I finally was able to finally have dinner here. I am a sucker for pesto. I love pesto and tend to eat it constantly. I was able to order a salad, pesto, and some wine to make the dinner even better. The people are kind and they let you know what's in the menu for the day. I would definitely recommend this Italian restaurant that has great options of food, great service, and a variety of seating. read more

Barolo Cafe - Pesto with chicken - Italian Near Me - Tustin, California

Great salad dressing, great bread and awesome tiramisu. However, the service and food has gone downhill. The waiter was condescending and unresponsive. He never asked if we wanted a second glass of wine or if we wanted our check. He acted like we were inconveniencing him. The shrimp was overcooked and the special filet mignon pasta had very little filet, and was bland. We had a birthday and a 46 year anniversary and we were told they only give 1 dessert per table but we could buy another if we wanted one. The overall experience was not good. Their attitude is they have so much business they don't care. read more

The restaurant is small and quaint. The service was great. They are very friendly and attentive. The pasta dishes were good as well. I wish the pasta was al dente tho. It was a bit overcooked. The sauces were tasty. The desserts were excellent. read more

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Authentic, family run, warm, creative, friendly, great service, generous portions, reasonably priced......Barolo is very worth a try! Like us you will keep coming back! read more

I've been here many times and am never disappointed. I come with a group and we typically share multiple dishes to maximize the amount of plates to order. We had two specials - Eggplant Ravioli and Oso Buco as well as two favorite pasta favorites - Rigatoni and Tortellini. The house bread and wine are fabulous. Service is always amazing. A hidden gem read more

Barolo Cafe - Tortellini - Italian Near Me - Tustin, California

By far the best Italian place in OC. I've been to Italy and can say this is it. Good, fresh pasta dishes. Even their salad dressing is amazing and the people there are friendly. Their ravioli, can't get enough. Anything with their pink sauce can never steer you wrong. It gets crowded on the weekend for dinner. Lunch during the week is the best time. I recommend this place to so many people and no one has been disappointed. read more

In my opinion, not just the first bite, but every bite gets a "Mmmm!" from me. The food is delicious, the bread is warm, the service is busy, yet good. The wine selection is varied. Reasonable prices and delicious and generous portions abound. It's no wonder the place is always packed! Ambiance is busy, lively vibe, nothing pretentious. Primarily focused on the food and service! It's my "go to" for good Italian food. read more

The food was delicious, the service fine. Wouldn't be seated at the table just outside the door again. Customers waiting for tables crowded us quite a bit. Inconsiderate of the customers, but a Barolo employee could easily have asked them to wait off to the side. But we'll be back. read more

By far the best Italian food on the planet! Thank you to Giuseppe and his awesome team.

Located in North Tustin is Barolo Cafe. I was at a flower appointment at Conroys and we were hungry since it was lunch time. We had never heard or been to Barolo so we took our chances and had lunch! Very small inside but the outdoor patio is much larger and accommodating. We sat outside and it wasn't too hot since they had a nice patio covering. The menu is a dream for any Italian food lover! So hard to pick one entree! I loved the ravioli-- I was bummed that it was spinach ravioli and thought it wouldn't be as good but oh man it was a gem! Done so well! My mom enjoyed the linguini but pretty heavy for her at lunch. She had a huge amount of leftovers! The complimentary of bread was baked to perfection and the mozzarella caprese was so good too! Service was attentive and our server had personality which made the meal enjoyable! The only ding I think she forgot or got super busy at the end to bring the check. We waited around 20 minutes to close out the bill but otherwise everything else was 5 star! I definitely recommend this place for any Italian lover! read more

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Came here for a team lunch with my coworkers to celebrate a birthday. We came for lunch time, and the spot is on the smaller side seating wise inside, but they were able to accommodate our large party of 11. They also have an outdoor option, but it is in the parking lot (covid-19 style). They brought out delicious focacia bread to start, with tasty onions and olive oil/balsamic on the side. This was so scrumptious-I was already licking my fingers before even getting started. As for appetizers, we chose calamari and bruschetta for the table. Both appetizers were fantastic. As for my main dish, I went with the Linguine Cardinale and it was perfect. Portion sizes are HUGE. I took home over half my dish! You may be able to share some pasta dishes, IMO. To end, they brought the birthday girl a complimentary tiramisu. Authentic, for sure. Everything was tasty. While not a fancy place, this is a great, no frills simple spot for good tasting food when the craving for Italian food hits. Plenty of parking in the plaza. Thanks, Barolo! read more

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Almost 10 years since my previous review, Barolo Cafe is still amazing. I grew up in Tustin and eating at Barolo, and now in my 30s it's one of the only establishments in this plaza that is still around (a lot of other businesses have come and gone). I'm pretty sure it's the same chef here too, though the tall waitress who was here for years was no longer there on my most recent visit. There is also a tent outside now offering some outdoor seating. The house-made bread is still my absolute favorite, hot and baked fresh with onion and a nice crunchy texture. The pastas are all phenomenal, and portions large. The prices haven't even gone up that much over the years, and at 2021 prices, this restaurant truly offers quite a good value. The chef felt so bad that they made a mistake with my order and I had such a prolonged wait for my dish, that they delivered a complimentary tiramisu with my check. What service! Now that I live in Long Beach, Tustin is a bit of a drive, but I can still see myself making the trek out here on occasion; it's just that good! ;) read more

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This place gets busy...we ordered the calamari fritti which was just amazing, we tried to order the Linguine Vongole but they were out of fresh clams, so they gave us a half order of canned clams with the pasta which was ok, above average. read more

Always consistent. Great special. Atmosphere is really nice. Excellent service. Love this place.

I love this place, the food, the quaint size, the wait staff. I have been eating here for years and have never been disappointed. Their prices are excellent and the quality is superb! Almost a year ago, I had them cater my wedding and my guests are still raving. The new ones became new customers. They gave us the whole restaurant for a late lunch. They let us pick beverages from the menu, including wine and beer, and let us bring in our own champagne. The guests got to pick from three entrees. plus there was home-made Tiramisu and appetizers that were so good they almost spoiled our appetite for the fabulous main course. I recommend them all the time. read more

I have eaten lunch at Barolo Cafe twice now and absolutely love this place. The food is excellent and the service is just as good. It's quiet, but not overly so, making it easy for people to visit. I look forward to trying everything on their menu. read more

Amazing food and friendly service! I recommend you give this place a try. Don't be fooled that it's in a strip mall. Enjoy!

I love this place! Delicious food and good service. Just be prepared to wait a bit for a table but it's totally worth it!

Had dinner here on Saturday night. We waited for about 30 minutes after arriving around 7:30pm. We ordered Rigatoni Salsiccia and Linguine luciana. The complimentary bread was warm, soft and heavenly with the onions on top. Our pasta also came with a house salad with balsamic vinaigrette. It needed just a tad more dressing. I told my server that I wanted to change out my linguine Luciana to spaghetti, but when it came out, it was linguine. I didn't have it changed out since I was hungry. The pasta was bland. I had to add more salt to it. It seemed like the sauce was watered down. The Rigatoni Salsiccia on the other hand was delicious and full of flavors. The 2 pasta dishes were so different that it seems like it was 2 chef who cooked this. As for the atmosphere, I like that the place was very homey and I felt like I was having dinner at an Italian's friend house. read more

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It's a small little venue, which after things were beginning to normalize from the pandemic, they had an outdoor tent setup for expanded dining. Don't underestimate it though! Despite it being a small hole in the wall, they provide some of the most high quality Italian cuisine I've tasted in Orange County at a great price. The overall ambiance of the place sings of relaxation and warmth. I always come here during the early evening when I'm in the mood for pasta. All pastas come with a house salad and a generous portion of focaccia with a side of oil/balsamic. Oh and don't worry about telling the staff to throw on more Parmesan cheese, because you get a great portion of it to pour yourself. :D I enjoy too how tentative the staff is at making sure you're seated right away and taken care of. If you're lucky enough on some evenings? You can get some entertainment too from the kitchen. Where the head chef is yelling like Gordon Ramsey to move things faster. read more

Barolo Cafe - Pesto Bowtie Pasta with Chicken - Italian Near Me - Tustin, California

We just left the restaurant and I couldn't be more disappointed. I wore a new dress, had on pearls and they could not get us out of there fast enough. The food was good enough, but being almost ushered out as soon as possible, was not cool. I called the next day. Yes, they remembered me. They did not try to make anything right. I warmed up the leftovers, but alas, it was all pasta, no sauce. read more

Food is good as usual, authentic Italian food as the ones I've had in Italy. Service was good, will be coming back again soon!

Great food always! Wish you had one in Newport, Costa Mesa or Huntington Beach! Nicole L. read more

We had a great time with our office party. Great personalized care and service. The food was truly out of the park! Awesome. Been coming here a long time and feel the food is better than ever read more

Been coming to this secret spot for years. The Italian food here is heavenly and the most fresh you'll ever find. Their house focaccia bread is amazing as well. I lived in Italy for a bit while abroad for school and this is the only place that comes close to how good and FRESH the food is there. It's the only place I can get pasta as good as that in Italy in OC. The chef knows what he's doing!! Make a reservation on weekends as they're always packed, as many people/the regulars frequent this place every week!! read more

Barolo Cafe - Italian Near Me - Tustin, California

I had ordered take-out from here a few weeks ago and decided to treat myself to a dine-in dinner last week. Started with a wonderfully fresh salad, but the star of the evening was the sole. A light sauce on the fish with, I think, a hint of wine. The sole was cooked perfectly. I look forward to returning! read more

Barolo Cafe - Filet of sole, with a side of penne arrabbiata. - Italian Near Me - Tustin, California

We began visiting Barolo Cafe back in the early 1990's. It was a regular favorite lunch spot with my co-workers. Fast forward to 2019 when our family moved to Tustin and we rediscovered this gem. Best surprise was that all of the goodness remained! The food remains the star with generous portions and first-class preparation. Our first time back we were offered the bar seating because they were reserved through 8 pm. What a treat! there are only 4 bar seats with full view of Chef Giuseppi's choreograpied food preparation show. Possibly the best seats in the house if you're wondering how the dishes come together. Reservations are recommended, especially for a party larger than 4 as the restaurant is small, even with the outdoor eating pavilion. Great selection of Italian wines to choose from. Prices are reasonable given the portions and the quality of the dishes. read more

I remember coming here several years ago, and I'm assuming it's run by a family. But half way through dinner they start passionately fighting. It was kinda incredible. Like it felt like you were in the kitchen with this Italian family. This isn't a place that can be recreated. Go there if you want real Italian food with real Italian passion! read more