5 stars waaaaayy up high! My favorite Italian place in Pacifica (outside of the pizza joints Luigi's & Viva Italiano's). I mostly come here for the espresso & to practice Italian with one of the cashiers who is a native speaker. They throw on a basketball game and sometimes if it's super slow, the staff will come out from the back to watch. The setting is pretty small, four or five tables indoor seating only w/ ethnically Italian artwork strung along the walls w/ a REALLY nice interior paint job. I've enjoyed their panini sandwiches & some pasta dish (can't recall the name). Have yet to be disappointed by Buona Italia Caffe! It seems like they also take reservations for larger parties, I've came in a few times where three or four of the tables are strung together for family dinners. The business appears to be family owned & operated. Keep up the awesome work & thank you for being a centerpiece of Pacifica culture. Ya'll are the cat's pajamas! LOL read more

I've been wanting to try this place for a long time. It's cute and has a good variety of traditional Italian dishes. I had the smoked salmon panini and my buddy had spaghetti with meatballs. The Panini was good. The French fries were very good. My friend reported that the spaghetti was disappointing. Service was excellent and the food came out in a reasonable amount of time. There are not very many tables here, so plan for takeout on the busier nights. I plan to grab something and head down to Winters. Parking is easy enough and if you go for lunch it's a nice neighborhood for a walk afterward. You're just a few blocks from the seawall. Where this place can improve is by giving us a more "home cooked" touch. It's the difference between good cafeteria food and my friend's Italian Nonna making us dinner. Give us that home-cooked Italian comfort. I would have given 3 stars, but that 4th star is because the prices are a good value, and that is important nowadays. However, I would be willing to pay more for higher quality dishes. Give it a try. On my next visit, I will try the chicken piccata. read more

Buona Italia Caffe - Smoked salmon panini. Not visually stunning, but a good lunch. - Italian Near Me - Pacifica, California

Food - 3 Service - 3 Value - 4 The food here is a good value for the immediate area, but nothing really stood out with the food or service. We tried the linguine with clams, seafood alfredo and shrimp alfredo and a salad. The salad was fresh and the pasta wasn't bad but at the same time it wasn't memorable either. read more

Buona Italia is a cute little restaurant. The decor is old fashioned. Plenty of street parking in this quiet neighborhood. The servers were quite friendly, and they genuinely cared about their customers. The portions were generous, and they used fresh ingredients. Daily specials are posted on the counter, and there is a wide variety of beverages to choose. read more

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Omg we were so dissapointed with our food. I'm really not sure how, if you ordered the pasta, that this would be a 4 star dish when it tastes like a Stouffers TV dinner with soggy cheap noodles and weird out of the jar tasting sauce and Ikea meatballs at restaurant prices. Water is from the sink and you have to ask for ice, if not it's lukewarm. Bread is cheap and tastes like something you'd get with your airplane meal. My meat pasta tasted watery and bland and needed spices, real tomatoes, and fresh herbs or something to give it a fresher flavor instead of tasting like a cheap TV dinner. Horribly dissapointed in this place. read more

Buona Italia Caffe - Italian Near Me - Pacifica, California

Very small restaurant with no ambiance. Service was good but food was average. Food lacked italian flavor.

I love stopping by Buona Italia Caffe when I'm in the area. The guy at the register is super nice. I've tried their pastas and salads and can't complain! I heard that their calamari is amazing- will definitely try that next time! There are a few tables inside for small groups as well as 2 small tables outside. Thanks for the yummy food and great service! read more

After a lovely hike to Mori Point, my daughter and I were in the mood for authentic Italian food in Pacifica. Buona Italia is a local, rustic Italian restaurant serving great food and wine. I had a spinach ravioli with a nice glass of Chianti wine. They even gave us bread on the side. The Marinara sauce was amazing. Pros: Vegetarian options, dog friendly, great service Cons: limited seating and a little expensive for the portion sizes read more

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Stopped in here for dinner on our stay here in Pacifica. We were excited to see this eatery had 4.8 stars The place was small inside but has a nice ambiance that makes it fill intimate! The gentleman that took our order was very polite and helpful. We ordered: 1. Clam linguine- small portion for the price, and lacked flavor. It tasted more like butter noodles with a side of clams (this was Mentioned by other yelpers). 2. Chicken Parmigiano- it was edible but it was drenched in a marina sauce that tasted like tomato sauce. There wasn't much season or salt. Normally the sauce serves as a compliment to the chicken cutlet. The chicken was drowned in the sauce to the point it became soggy. The green beans that were served with it were actually cooked perfectly. 3. Homemade gnocchi- another dish that was drowned in tomato sauce which caused the gnocchi to be overcooked. We were really wanting to enjoy this place. And for the first time all of the low star reviews were spot on about this restaurant. read more

The food is amazing and the owner/chef is trained in Sicily! And it shows in his cooking and general wonderful outlook. I live nowhere CLOSE to this place, in fact a 40 minute drive with no traffic, but it's the best pecs to go in Pacifica. read more

A lucky find in our 5 week stay. Already had it three times and will try again before we leave. The spinach ravioli just awesome!! The pasta is made fresh and I tried it with meatballs, class and then shrimp. Meatballs as good as my favorite back home. The shrimp and clams were cooked perfect, so often overcooked. They really are very focused on delivering a great meal at a good price. A small place with a few tables so mostly takeout and that has worked out just fine. I enjoyed talking to the chef /owner when I go to pick up. They have specials posted not on the online ordering, so call and ask! I sent a question via Yelp and was answered promptly. Go! read more

Thoroughly enjoyed trying this spot for lunch! I got the spinach ravioli and it was delicious. It was a bit small for the price but it was nice that the meal came with bread. The spot itself is very small inside and although they say they have outdoor seating, they only have one small table on the road side. Overall would recommend if you are looking for casual italian in the area! read more

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Delicious food, cashier was super friendly. I do eat pork but wanted Sicilian omelette so a cashier substituted it with smoked salmon at no extra charge read more

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Loved this place. As others have said it's very small (seats about 12 people total) and is casual. You order at the counter and they bring the food to your table, but do provide table service (they deliver the food, bring you bread, refill water, etc.) Most of the menu is on the menu wall, but there are papers posted with handwritten descriptions of various specials. We had a caesar salad (solid, though croutons not homemade - the pear salad seemed to be the choice of those who know best), gnocchi with tomato sauce and fresh mozzerella (all tasted homemade, including gnocchi), and spaghetti with meat sauce. Everything tasted really good, and we noticed the dishes on other tables all looked great as well. All of the patrons seemed like locals and regulars. The prices were refreshingly reasonable for the quality and quantity of food. We will definitely be back! read more

We tried this place to support the local restaurants in Pacifica. I ordered eggplant parmigiana and my husband had chicken piccata. We also shared fried calamari. The eggplant parmigiana was very thin so I couldn't really taste the eggplant. However, the sauce was good. My husband's chicken piccata was just okay. Small slices of chicken and it came with veggies and bread. The calamari was good. Crispy & tender and the sauce was good. They served a good amount, not like other places. It's a very small place. I noticed they received several calls for pickup or to go. The lady that served us was attentive and friendly. Will give it another try and order different items next time. I can't remember the prices but it wasn't too bad. read more

Found this gem on Yelp. After hiking all morning, we were hungry and ready to eat and this place did not disappoint! It's small - few tables. Street parking available. You order at the counter and they bring the food to your table. Everyday was pretty quick. We ordered the calamari fritti, Bruschetta (amazingly good), garlic, olive oil pasta with shrimp, cioppino, salmon piccata, and finished off with a cannoli. Everything was cooked perfectly and well flavored. Service was great! Price was reasonable. Definitely a good find and will return whenever in the area! read more

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We live a couple of blocks away and this has become our favorite place in the neighborhood. The food is homemade, absolutely delicious and generously portioned and the presentation is very appealing. The branzino is one of our favorites - perfectly cooked and seasoned fish and green beans, a large portion, big enough to share if you pair it with one of their generous salads. A pear salad with Gorgonzola and candied walnuts is one of our favorites, but sometimes they have a special like an orange salad or persimmon salad recently. The homemade ravioli with butternut squash and sage has been on the menu recently and we've ordered it three times. It's succulent! The service is always fast and friendly, and oh yes, they serve wine now too. You can choose what kind you would like from their selection of bottles. We love this place! read more

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Read about this little place on Bay Area Eats and had to try it, so my friend and I made a special trip to Pacifica. Needless to say, it was fantastic! Definitely worth the drive! I had the lasagna with meat sauce and she had the linguine with clams. We each sampled the other's dish and both were amazing! My mouth is watering just thinking about them! The lasagna was rich and full of flavor. The portion didn't look to be too big, but I could only finish half of it. The other half was great for a second meal the next day. I think the richness of it made it ultra filling and satisfying. My friend's linguine with clams was also amazing. The linguine was cooked just right, al dente with just the right amount of chew!! And there were so many fresh clams!! There are only 4 tables in the whole place; two tables for 2 and two tables for 4, so it would be difficult to have a large group there. I would also imagine it could get busy and you'd have to wait, but I think it would still be worth it! There were two people working there, the very friendly person who waited on us and the person in the kitchen. They were so full of smiles that I'd return just because of them! They were worth 5 stars, but the food kicked it over the top! Can't wait to return! read more

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Italian Food Excellent Taste Buena comida ,buen sabor ,excellente servicio. Y también está Serca de la playa. read more

Another fine evening. We pushed the limit of having a larger party with us 6 4 adults 2 medium sized kiddos. We were treated like family. From the time you walk in to the time you leave. I tried the lasagna in meat sauce. I have to say it tasted incredible. Nothing to complain about. I cleaned up the plate with the warm bread. We also had calamari with lemon and a spiced red tomato based sauce. The linguine and clams is a dish not to be missed. The pear salad was pleasing to the eyes and the mouth. The young ones enjoyed the spaghetti and meatballs. While my nephew enjoyed the fish. To end the meal we each had a tasty cannoli. Thank you again for having such a gem of a restaurant. Superb!!!! read more

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We came by on a Friday evening and left pretty satisfied with our food! There are only 2 tables for 2 people and 2 tables for 4 people inside so yes, it's a very small family owned restaurant. The owner's son took orders at the counter and he did such an amazing job. So you'd order at the front, pay for your food, and grab your table after. Pastrami panini - Bf liked this! He said it was very meaty and cheesy and tasted delicious. Salad on the side was very fresh too. Homemade gnocchi with cream sauce - I personally thought the serving was small for almost $17. But taste-wise, it was fantastic and super creamy. Would come back here more often for their other items! read more

Buona Italia Caffe - Homemade gnocchi with cream sauce - Italian Near Me - Pacifica, California

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My parents recommended this spot to me and when I was in Pacifica, I decided to give them a try. My parents raved about their seafood pasta, but since I'm not a huge seafood person, I went with the spaghetti carbonara. What I loved about the dish is that is had a lot of sauce and it was super tasty. The pasta was cooked al dente, and the side of toasted bread was used to dip into the excess sauce. This was no-frills, just good pasta that tasted home cooked. The best part of this place is that the portion sizes are good and the prices are very reasonable. Majority of their menu and especially the pasta dishes were all under $20. The restaurant itself is on the smaller side so best for small groups of 2-4. They have a couple tables inside, this is probably a better takeout spot for me. Definitely will be back to try some of their other pasta dishes. The owner of the restaurant was very kind and provided exceptional service. read more

What a lovely little Italian restaurant in Pacifica! I ordered lunch over the phone for pick up and they were so accommodating, including their willingness to do a half-n-half order of gnocchi so I could sample two different kinds. Chef's kiss! Their pear salad with arugula, Gorgonzola, walnuts and lemony dressing was delicious and a very generous portion. Plus a few pieces of grilled bread, cheese and dried chile flakes. Would return in a heartbeat whenever in Pacifica. read more

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Arturo. Remember that name. That is a man who runs his own little piece of Italian culinary heaven in my little burg: Pacifica. There are a grand total of 4 tables, seating a grand total of 12 people. But I'm sure lots of folks are happy to take away and enjoy his great eats at the beach, in a park or on the patio in their back yard. He has a smallish menu, but a nice selection. This was my first time, and I wanted to make sure if I got something good, it was no fluke. So my 14 yr old and I sampled a bunch of things and took some home for the 20 yr old who had late classes. Started w calamari. Light breading, perfectly crisped, every ring & tentacle separate- nothing stuck together. A lemon wedge and a small dip sauce of marinara with just a hint of spice. That's about as perfect as it gets. Ok, next up, his house-made gnocchi w basil pesto. A nice large plate of very tender, obviously hand-made gnocchi. In a generous pool of pesto cream. The pesto was fine, if unspectacular. I was looking for a little more nuttiness (pine nut), little more garlic, evidence of fresh basil, good quality EVOO. This is the closest I can come to a complaint. I need to mention that every entree pasta dish comes with a small side of grated parm, a small bowl of red pepper flakes, and 2 or 3 nice slices of baguette, for dipping. Ok, now some entrees. First the lasagne. He made the pasta for the lasagne. I don't know anyone who actually *makes* the pasta in a lasagne. They brown the meat filling, they make the bolognese, they make the bechamel, they mix the ricotta and shred the cheeses. But they don't *make* the pasta. That's next level. Wow. What a difference. Cloudlike. Don't think I've ever described a lasagne like that before. Ok, Eggplant Parm. Let's see if Art passes the parmigiana de melanzane test. A plate of generously sauced tender as a cloud, obviously hand-made, and made lovingly, sliced eggplant. It ate like two layers. Generous but light as a feather. So Art has 2 other guys in the kitchen, and maybe a 3rd staff person, cruising. He single-handedly runs the register, takes orders, pours the wine, gets water and refills, serves the food, and does some meticulous quality control in the kitchen. He had a few tables, including us, on the Wednesday night about 5:45 - 7:00 pm when we were there sampling his provender and chatting up the older couple behind us. Arturo says he worked for 13 years at a very reputable Italian place in Tiburon, which is no longer in biz. A lot like my own story. Years of practice and hard knocks and a desire to get the details right. And watch the smiles on customers' faces, and enjoy their appreciation. I don't know how he does when weekend comes and he gets slammed on a Friday, Saturday or some holiday when to go orders are flying at him like bats in a cave. But he's got the chops, and the stones, and he sure looks at ease in his house, with his crew. We need to patronize the good stuff in our little town. There's not that much of it frankly. Oh, and my kid had a Pastrami Panini. He ate every bite. And the fries. Man, the crisp on those fries. That's a whole story. He told me how he makes them. I'd never do that much prep or process in my life. But that's why these are special. Try them. Don't take my word. We finished with two perfectly sized, small cannoli. Just the crisp shell, and some delicious under-whipped cream. I was never taught to do that. But it makes all the difference. I will never whip a dessert cream to chantilly stage again. So dry and uninteresting. The lighter whip leaves a touch of creaminess and a sauce like finish. The simplest elegance. On Yelp I see a 5 star overall rating. That means of the 179 or so ratings, not a single person gave less than 5 stars. My kid found a 4.8 rating for Arturo's place on Google Eats. Then he proceeded to find the worst review he could. Someone said something about tasteless sauce and pasta cooked as if for a child. Hello?? Maybe you were drunk and walked into the taco place next door? Or you might have otherwise been hallucinating?? 5 stars from me. I'll be back before too long. read more

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Absolutely wonderful restaurant. Great customer service. Can hardly wait to order the pear salad with arugula. Butternut squash ravioli was super. read more

It rare Yelp lets me down.. I would not consider this 5 stars!! Hard to find parking in this sketchy location., small, moderate to high priced restaurant with limited seating and you have to order (and pay immediately) from the counter. That's no big deal but worth mentioning. Spaghetti and meatballs: the meatballs tasted and had the texture of something massed produced. They were hard, dense, rubbery and no flavor. Branzino was overcooked and the dish was lacking in flavor. I used up 2 lemons just to get some level of flavor. Chicken parm was probably my favorite, but the breading was completely soggy and not enough cheese. I get the quaintness and homelike feel, but there's no way this can be 5 star. Maybe we hit this spot on a bad day, but I can't understand why 5 stars!! read more

An incredible little establishment in the heart of downtown Pacifica. This spot has the best customer service, friendliest owner and the food is amazing! From the pasta to the paninis and everything in between. Highly recommend the pear arugula salad with grilled chicken for an easy lunch! Oh, and a cannoli!! read more

I love LOVE LOVE their food. Everything is so authentic and tasty! I have brought friends and family here to dine and everyone was so impressed!!! Don't skip this place when you're in town. Eat in or take out is always perfect!!! Robin read more

Everything I've gotten here is so good. You can't go wrong. The food quality and flavor is consistently good. The service is great too! They're always so happy to see you. It's a small place, so not a lot of room for big groups. Even the restroom is clean. I love this place. It's my go to when I want a comforting delicious meal. read more

Buona Italia Caffe - Grilled Chicken Panini with salad instead of fries. Sandwich was delicious and I really enjoyed the dressing on the salad. - Italian Near Me - Pacifica, California

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Quaint restaurant, great food, quick service, and overall excellent experience. I love how fresh the caprese salad tasted, how light the batter was on the calamari (10/10 perfection), and the clam linguini was light as well, you can really enjoy and taste each ingredient. This was a perfect light lunch and I cannot wait to try some more for dinner and of course their omelettes in the morning. :) read more

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Small, family run restaurant. The tween son was manning the cash register and handling the orders when we came in. He was very good. You place an order at the register and you can either take it to go or eat at the restaurant. There is limited seating but we were lucky to grab a table by the door. We ordered a grilled chicken paninis and a chicken parmesan. The chicken parmesan was huge. It came with a side of bread. The parm was good. Sandwich was a tad dry. Not sure what it needed but we needed water to finish that. The produce in the sandwich was fresh I have to say that. The only thing that I didn't like was that there were no prices on the menus. I'm pretty sure there's a law that you have to display pricing on the food. That's a minor irritation that can easily be fixed. read more

Buona Italia Caffe - Grilled chicken panini - Italian Near Me - Pacifica, California

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Small little place. But don't let that fool you!! Super fantastic food! Wish I can post my order. Next time- we are in it with the food. Next time. Will definitely come back. Great and friendly people. read more

This is our first time here and we'll be back soon. The food and service are excellent. They serve gnocchi 3 ways. We opted for the creamy pesto sauce. The gnocchi was cooked to perfection and the sauce was out of this world. We also had the chicken parmesan. This is a dish I cook at home and it's a big hit with the family, but I have to say that Buona Italia's sauce was so good, I wish I could replicate it. For dessert we had home-made cannoli and it was probably the best we've had. Our server, Arturo, was super friendly and helpful. I wanted to pull up a chair and invite him to join us. read more

The food was terrible. My friend agreed. We were very unhappy with the meal. I went there because of their great yelp reviews. The Yelp reviews don't match our experience. I thought the main course was overpriced. Almost the same price as a fine restaurant. Ambiance could improve. The people working there were nice. read more

We came here by accident, we were going to another place but due to some reason we couldn't dine there so we decided to dine at this place. It is a very tiny place but as we were dining here we saw people come and go so tables were not empty for long. We were especially excited and happy to visit local business and we like to support local business. Pricewise it is not commonly affordable, but if you compare it with other Italian restaurants, it is very affordable. We ordered home made Alfredo Sauce Spaghetti with Prawn, it is delicious and the sauce is very good, it came with some bread and you can dip it with the sauce or cheese. Would come back if in the area, highly recommend if you feel like Italian. read more

Buona Italia Caffe - Italian Near Me - Pacifica, California

Cute little restaurant with limited but at least comfortable seating. We had a shrimp alfredo and a pastrami panini sandwich. The food was good though the sandwich was dearth of any condiments just the bread meat and cheese. It could have used some condiments or even if it would have been nice if some were or the table. Reasonable prices and good service. read more

Absolutely amazing hole -in-the-wall type place. Great authentic Italian. Love everything I've tried. Service is excellent as well.

Great food and even better customer service! What a lovely place. Small but they did the best sitting out party of 6! Had lobster and shrimp ravioli! Outstanding! My mom had the eggplant parmigiana, the sauce was perfect! Thank you so much, we will be back! read more

Buona Italia Caffe - Lobster and Shrimp ravioli - Italian Near Me - Pacifica, California

Very small but cozy spot in Pacifica to grab some Italian pasta in a cookingg style reminiscent of the old school red sauce joints. Nice portions and very friendly service. I would suggest take out since ambiance is more like a cafe. The bruschetta was tops and we enjoyed that even more than the pasta. The linguine with clams is solid and would highly recommend. I tasted the spaghetti with meatballs and the pasta was good, but the balls tasted kind of commercial. Overall happy with our meal and an option if the Italian craving strikes while in Pacifica. read more

5/29/23 Lunch What a quaint little restaurant! We wanted to check out the Taco Bell Cantina in Pacifica but not to eat there, so my husband found Buona Italia Cafe on Yelp. It is a tiny place with only 4 tables but the service and the food were outstanding. We started with the calamari. It was perfectly fried and served with a spicy marinara sauce. My husband got the pastrami panini, and I got the salmon piccata. Everything was made to order and so delicious. I would definitely return to eat here again and try some of their specials. Their 5 star rating is well deserved. read more

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