If you're staying in North Beach and trying to choose among the countless Italian restaurants , do yourself a favor and pick this one! We are SO happy we did! - The food was absolutely outstanding. The Frutti di Mare was packed with fresh seafood and incredible flavor, - pizza was fantastic and my mega picky kid devoured it - I wasn't too hungry so I got the chilled seafood appetizer and boy oh boy - it was GREAT! The atmosphere felt like stepping into rustic Sicily--warm, cozy, welcoming, and wonderfully authentic. It had that rare homey feeling that makes you want to linger over dinner. The service was equally impressive. Luis was an absolute rockstar--attentive, friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely helped make the evening special! Gave us homemade limoncello - and it was fabulous!!! San Francisco gives you no shortage of Italian restaurants to choose from, especially in North Beach, but this place exceeded our expectations in every way. We left talking about how glad we were that we chose it. Highly recommended! read more

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The food was alright. Nothing terrible but it did not meet my expectations and was not the best Italian food I have had. The service was great though. Our waiter was super helpful and attentive which I really appreciated. Overall it was an okay experience but I would not come back. read more

Caffe Sport - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Walk in and the visuals and aromas are all encompassing! The food is beautiful to look at - wonderful to smell and full of flavor Fresh fresh fresh also! The service was also amazing! Super busy dinner time - but we were tended to by multiple staff members A great experience Great food I will go back read more

Cafe Sport is a North Beach gem. We ordered the vegetable pizza and the Carne e Funghi (penne with a beef and pork ragù, mushrooms, and cheese) -- both were excellent. The pizza had a great charred crust, and the pasta was rich and hearty, packed with mushroom flavor. Portions were generous and the service was solid. This is exactly the kind of cozy, old-school Italian spot North Beach is known for. Will definitely be back -- highly recommend for pasta lovers. read more

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I'm a sucker for smiley staff. We were in North Beach on a whim and figuring out where to eat, when I noticed Caffé Sport's staff was in front smiling and greeting passersby. One glance at the crowd outside Sotto Mare, Caffé Sport it is (it was empty)! Caffé Sport has been a North Beach institution for as along as I can remember. They're known for their old-skool Sicilian food, their "orange sauce", and kitschy vibe. Considering all the stellar Italian restos in the city, we had a very disappointing meal. I later found out that the original owner passed and it's been under new ownership for several years now. Not sure if this has to do with it or if it was just a very off day. FYI, they charge 3% for using a credit card and their online menu prices isn't up-to-date. Friend got a diet coke for $6 a can?! F O O D * Complimentary Bread & "Orange Sauce" Maybe this was better back in the day? What we received was stale and dense bread, served with what tasted like commercial vodka sauce. * Homemade Lasagna w/ mushroom beef ragu, ricotta, mozzarella ($25): https://tinyurl.com/zpwwy5aj Who can resist gooey, molten cheese?! Other than the mozzarella, the lasagna was meh, flat layers with most of the meat in the surrounding ragu that was very salty. * Pasta Con Salsiccia Rigatoni w/ vodka sauce ($28.99): https://tinyurl.com/yd7kmjcx Sadly, this tasted like boxed pasta, jarred sauce, and industrial breakfast sausage patties. The patties were hard and rubbery, not fresh and they didn't even bother to break it apart into smaller pieces. Wildly overpriced for the quality. * Side of Sicilian Meatballs ($7): https://tinyurl.com/48v3wxx6 Firm, dense balls in a salty marinara sauce. Probably would have tasted better if it was warmed through. Good value tho. * Fries ($7): https://tinyurl.com/54hdmndn For the drunchies, I appreciate the huge portion for the price. Not sure what brand of frozen fries they use but it was hella salty. S E R V I C E What drew us to Caffé Sport was the very friendly staff in front. While they remained friendly during our interactions with them, service was less than bare minimum. With the tip option starting at 20%, it's fair to expect basic service like water refills. Despite the restaurant not being busy, our pastas took over 30 minutes to arrive. A M B I A N C E OG kitschy decor with indoor and outdoor seating. Fit for tourists. Overall, a very underwhelming meal with pastas that felt overpriced for their quality. I'm obvs in the minority tho. It's hard to overlook when you can get fresh, house-made pastas with scratch-made sauces for the same price, or less at numerous other restos in the city. If you're a local, I recommend taking advantage of the Caffé Sport's TGTG deal: $4.99 pasta surprise bag before deciding to dine-in. read more

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The last time I was here was 18+ years ago! Food was delicious and exactly how I remembered it. Fresh, garlicky and cooked to al dente perfection. Chefs kiss! Staff was fantastic, called me by my first name, and I felt right at home. Parking can be a challenge but that won't stop me from coming back. read more

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"Would you like Italian or Mexican?" My son was picking up "Too Good To Go" surprise bags for us and a neighbor. We had two creamy pesto pasta plates, one rigatoni & one linguini, and a girthy burrito stuffed with beef, beans, rice- substantial. Had a taste of the burrito before my teen inhaled it- savory. The pesto was so delicious, made with an abundant amount of roasted garlic and basil so it had a rich depth of flavor. I ate it with relish- the whole bowl! My only quibble is the pesto was a touch too creamy: The roasted garlic had already nicely mellowed it. Caffe Sport was nicely populated with a few diners having an early Sunday dinner at 5 with quite a delivery few orders ready to be picked up. Service was warm and welcoming, we'll be back in person. Located in the very heart of North Beach right on Washington Square Park, come after an afternoon strolling North Beach or for Saturday/Sunday family dinner- and takeaway always! Tutti a tavola a mangiare! read more

Caffe Sport - Creamy pesto with roasted garlic, perfetto! - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Got a burrito! for dinner from Caffe Sport through the TooGoodToGo app tonight. It was very good. It's not on their regular menu. Is this what they feed their staff? If so, it's a nice perk. I would have posted a pic but was too hungry. Sorry. Likely I'll get a burrito from them again very soon and hopefully I'll have more self control.... read more

Caffe Sport - Too Good To Go pasta - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

I got a Too Good to Go order and it was outstanding. I initially thought it was just plain rigatoni but there were meatballs in the bottom under the pasta. It was creamy, cheesy and the meatballs were very flavorful. I think it was a typical serving size and we split it between three women who aren't big eaters. I would definitely go back again. read more

Caffe Sport - Rigatoni and meatballs. - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Seated immediately on a tuesday evening. Lots of vibrant decor that makes the place feel cozy. Food was great. They give some bread with vodka sauce. We ordered the seafood risotto and pasta alla diavola. Both served nice and warm. Risotto was creamy and had a bunch of mussels and shrimp. Pasta was really flavorful and also had some spice to it which made it even better. Friendly staff - patient and let us try out some wines before picking. read more

Caffe Sport - Risotto di Mare - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Day before Valentine's Day we decided to do a night out in North Beach and dined at an old favorite Caffe Sport. There's been some changes to menu since the last time but the old favorites are still there, especially the Shrimp a'la Franco (formally the shrimp a'la Antonio), and my gosh this had to be one of the best dishes we've eaten so far in 2026. If you love garlic, high a chance you'll like this dish. They used these huge prawns served with zucchini. The sauce is addicting, makes you want to soak up every bit with each shrimp and even to dip in the bread. We also got a Cesar salad, and the pasta carne e fungi (meat and mushrooms). Luis the owner is so kind in sweet. He knows my family and I have been coming here for over 30 years and was open to feedback as I thought there needed to be more béchamel in the meat and mushroom pasta, and was receptive to it. Service was 10/10, shrimp a'la Franco was the star of the show and overall we enjoyed our dinner here. Will definitely go back just to satisfy my shrimp craving. read more

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The food was great! Got seated fast. Server was ontop of it. Pepperoni pizza was super good!! Gnocchi on point! I have to add that my friend who ordered it said she will be dreaming of them because they taste like her late Italian mothers and she would come back just for that. Rice ball things were perfect and crispy! They were a little worm and could have been hotter. The burrata was a little bland... no oil or vinegar. Two pieces of small bread. We ended up adding it to our pizza crusts. We would come back! read more

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Really busy Saturday night in North Beach, but we were lucky to get a table here with practically no wait. The staff worked to get us seated promptly. They were really busy so I didn't expect the food to come out as fast. I did have to remind them of sending out our oysters after our pasta came out and we were already well into our meal. The free bread is nice touch along with the sauce it comes with. Oysters tasted briny and fresh. Pasta pescatore did not skimp on the shrimp. A solid meal overall. We were not rushed on our meal at all which sometimes happens at bustling spots like this one. Also, it was a fun and colorfully decorated space. There were lots of Christmas lights and tinsel up for the holidays. read more

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I have an abundant reasons of why I dislike visiting San Francisco these days...... it's obnoxious to say the least. But, with the pasta offerings that this restaurant has, and how accommodating they are to say many dietary modifications, each person is bound to find something to their liking! I don't have many restaurants added to my SF Bookmark List, but this is one of them and I would happily return when I am in the area again. Thank you for reading! read more

It was unexpectedly one of the best Italian spots I've had in SF! The fettuccine & spaghetti with meatballs & mushroom ragu were both done super well and not too heavy. The sauces were flavorful and not too salty! Food also came out very fast and we were able to eat & pay quickly without hassle since we were on a time crunch. The only odd thing was that the free bread arrived at the table after our food arrived. Service was on the slower side -- not sure if that's because we were sitting outside. Would definitely come back for more of the menu when I have more time! read more

Caffe Sport - spaghetti, Fettuccini Alfredo, cheesy garlic bread - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place has amazing Italian food! The pasta sauces tastes delicious but somehow still unique from other italian restaurants. I love the decor i feel like im in an old family restaurant in italy. Our server elliot was great, friendly and accommodating. Will definitely come back when we are at north beach read more

Caffe Sport - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I finally tried their food for the first time. I love seafood, so I got the Scampi al' Antonio. It's Gulf Prawns served hot with their homemade recipe of a white garlic sauce and steamed zucchini on the side. This was absolutely delicious with lots of garlic and spices. The staff is really nice, and the interior is very lively. I can't wait to try more items on the menu next time. read more

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A San Francisco institution since before the 1970s, this restaurant pleases in every way. arrange parking at one of the several garages. Recommend the 1600 block on Powell Street. Casual so you can drool over the menu before making's choices. If unfamiliar with entrees by name, ingredients and specified. Plenty of veggie choices but cheese with practically everything, so not really vegan. Most fascinating feature: your pasta will be scorching hot even at the bottom of the food, so be careful. read more

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Great food, AMAZING service, great ambiance. PLEASE visit this place if in town and any locals! read more

Caffe Sport - Their name on the wall - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Food average. Nothing really extraordinary. Had seafood linguine feel the sauce was bland, watered down. Crab cake also bland. Place is mostly hyped up. Will try other placesin the area. read more

Been wanting to try this place and I finally did. We came here for a little bite to eat since we weren't that hungry. We shared a salad and some garlic bread. We also got a To Good To Go meal too so we got to try their pasta. All was delicious. But, when we got our to good to go. It was very small portion. But it was only $5 bucks so I can't really complain. The pasta was good though. I will come back and try something else. read more

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Tried Caffe Sport since our usual haunt for the past decade (Monica Lisa) shut down. Appetizers were on point. Cheesy Garlic Bread had good flavor, bread was airy and crunchy. Same for the breadsticks - good cheese bread ratio and a satisfying first bite. Pastas were flavorful and good large portions. The only semi letdown was the pizza, which seems weighed down by a gratuitous amount of cheese on a bread crust that seems primed to support one slice of cheese. The result is a very mid pizza which was way off par compared to everything else here. Maybe it was an off day, probably an anomaly. The latte was excellent, so were the desserts. Can't wait to hit this place back up! read more

The food hasn't improved over the years. Disappointing. I was waiting to get a table next door at SottoMar, but after 40 minutes I gave up and came here. I should have just gone back to the hotel. Service is fine, Food is sloppy. Very expensive, salty, seems like it's made in a giant pot and served all night - or all week. read more

A local spot in North Beach that's been here for many years. We were thinking about getting Italian food and wanted to try the spot. We got two pasta dishes, clam and linguine is my go to and I'd say I'd give it about 3.5. The flavor was a bit bland, not much garlic or buttery taste. The other pasta dish had their house sauce, which was better. The service was pretty quick. We went on a weekday for an early dinner, so wasn't busy at all. However, the price for two passes plus tip was around $75. A bit pricey for what it is. read more

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charming and traditional little spot in north beach. the pastas are around high $20s to $30s but the portions are huge. we tried the: - cheesy garlic bread: very soft inside, loved this! - gnocchi with meat sauce: gnocchi itself could have been cooked for 1-2 min less, I like my pasta more al-dente - porcini trifolati ravioli: lots of mushroom goodness! read more

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(3+), Twas a time that going to Caffe Sport was an exceptional, iconic SF experience. Now, it's a good experience. The old school ambiance is still fun. The staff however, didn't seem the least bit invested. In the old days, the place was run by some real "characters" and it definitely added to the experience. Wine by the glass severely overpriced!!! ($15-16 for a glass is retail for an entire bottle.) $23 corkage is definitely worth it if you'd end up buying 3+ glasses anyway. The mushroom risotto was quite good. Risotto undercooked but not bad. The mushrooms in the dish were just brown mushrooms; the sauce has porcinis. The pesto with shrimp was very good. The Caesar salad was also quite good. As were the bread/spread. read more

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Loved the food here and thought there was great service! We had the fettuccine Alfredo and the garlic bread. We sat outside and the vibes were very nice. read more

Caffe Sport - Garlic Bread - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Got 2good2go here, it was soooo beast. Awesome rigatoni pasta, big serving, reasonable prices, super nice staff. Will be coming back!

Food: 4 Decor: 3 Service: 4 Came here for a weekday lunch with a friend. No wait walking in. Oven Fresh Garlic Bread $7.00 Fresh Italian bread with roasted garlic, brushed with butter and seasoned with Parmigiano cheese and parsley 5/5. Delicious. Perfectly grilled and garlicky with some tomato sauce. Linguine Ai Frutti Di Mare $32.00 Linguine pasta with crab legs, clams, mussels, shrimp, and scallops in white wine sauce 4/5. Really good al dente pasta with a wine sauce that was surprisingly light. Pasta Tutto Mare $30.00 Fresh clams, mussels, calamari, shrimp, and scallops in olive oil, garlic, red wine and marinara sauce. Your choice of pasta 3/5. Good. Our other seafood pasta dish was better since I preferred the wine sauce and crab legs. Service was good. read more

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Excellent food all around. The tab bread was nice and warm, and we also got some garlic bread. I had the beef ravioli and it was delicious. We really loved the decor as well. read more

Looking for a new Italian restaurant in North Beach, we decided to try Caffe Sport. We were the only customers for awhile. My wife got the pasta with mushroom ragu and I had a HUGE bowl of minestrone soup. Both were excellent and tasted old school authentic. Service was excellent. read more

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From the adorable and curious decor to the menu of delicacies that are not easiy found AND MASTERED anywhere but Sicily, YUM! We are eat very little meat but took a chance on the meatballs as we both LOVE meatballs. OH MY GOODNESS, they were perfect. Savory and served in cast iron alongside the order of bread that was the perfect start. Then we ordered the pizza with the prosciutto and arugula and OH MY GOODNESS. First of all, the taste, the texture, the perfect crust to sauce ratio and absolutely perfect amount of every item. Topped off with the perfectly fresh arugula and tons of prosciutto...........wow, just wow. And wonderful service. Sit in the corner booth on left, see the decor that includes some adorable little snarky decoration pieces too in Sicilan. Photos of family everywhere. Beautiful hand made tiles and .,,,,,,,I could go on and on read more

We came on July 4th, we drove up from SJ for the day with the sole purpose of eating all day. We started in Chinatown, walked through North beach, went to Haight st, then Ghirardelli Square, the Wharf and back to North Beach for dinner at Caffe Sport. They were busy as it was the 4th and the street was closed for the celebration. We were greeted and acknowledged right away, were told it be about 20 minutes wait for a table for 4 inside. We had excellent service, delicious food and a great family time. For appetizers we ordered the mushroom ravioli and calamari, we had Cesar salad, my daughter ordered a pizza, my son the lobster ravioli, my husband the shrimp scampi and I had the salmon and wrapped it all up with a cappuccino. It was a great evening at the lovely caffe sport, the old decorations on the walls makes it a perfect place to visit. read more

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Wow! This is a friendly and warm place with, most importantly, great food. I'd returned for calamari ( best ever) and a Caesar salad I'd had here before, but my son and I were temped by the other seafood options on the menu, like a mix of muscles and clams in white wine and garlic or the seafood antipasto. We finally decided to point at the menu with eyes closed and the antipasto won. He wanted the arugula and I have to say, normally I'd prefer other greens. However, Caffe Sport's lemony vinaigrette and the freshest cherry tomatoes made that my new favorite. We started with the castelvestrano olives marinated with spices and lemon and noshed on them throughout the meal. Perfect. The seafood was perfectly cooked and so fresh, served on ice and with a tiny bottle of Tabasco and house-made cocktail sauce. If you are going for drinks, the olives and bread with dip would be a great snack. The last time I visited it was warm and I sat outside in their parklet. Inside for this visit was decorated for Christmas and was so festive. Since it was lunch, we didn't try the pasta this time and the big salad, seafood, olives and bread were enough for lunch. North Beach is fun any time but for me, during the holidays it's a must.Caffe Sport has old school warm hospitality and very good food. We had so much fun and if you go, you will too. read more

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The first time I went there was years ago. It was delightful and just as old school San Francisco as you can get in North Beach. We went last year a few times and the service and food were fine. Calamari is chewy and the sauces were not memorable. Fast forward to tonight. The penne was so al dente that you couldn't break into a bite if you wanted. The sauce was light enough to wonder if it was just a puddle on the bottom. It was also a sad sign of not a good place when everywhere else has a wait and a line and there was literally one table of two tourists these asking for a server. They need to focus on better food and customer service. Bummer. read more

The first dish I ever had at this restaurant was the pesto pasta. I was hooked! Really fresh and fragrant pesto sauce with al dente pasta and a generous amount of cheese. I cleaned this plate up easily. One of the best pastas that I've had in the Bay Area. I wish I lived in SF (just so I could eat this every week). Restaurant is clean and service was great. read more

Caffe Sport - Pesto with Penne Pasta - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Busy Italian place at the heart of North Beach. Can definitely get crowded so I recommend a reservation if you can get one! We got seated inside and took a bit to get our order. Got the gnoochi and the frutti le mar (very good). Both pasta dishes were great! read more

Amazing Cioppino!!! So good, huge, flavorful and authentic. right next to Sotto Mare and no line! What a find! Super helpful waitstaff and great prices. Perfect xxxx read more

Caffe Sport - Half eaten the Cioppino! So much to take home - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I was recommended by my coworker to try this place since I heard their alfredo is really good--it definitely did not disappoint. Something I must highlight is the service and the ambiance there. Service-top notch. Servers were incredibly welcoming and recommended the good food to us. I got the alfredo and of course, very creamy, but not excessive. I would definitely come back if I get a chance. read more

Food is good quantity and very nice quality, the servers are kind, fast, and personable! Environment is very charming, a busy decor style that feels cozy, familiar, and inviting. Prices are a little above average, but overall very worthy experience. Lovely location in the heart of SF North Beach! read more

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