We decided to have lunch here based on all the great reviews! It's a small place next to a laundromat but the food is well worth it. I definitely agree with most of the reviews, food is delicious and pricing is good for portions. The salad and garlic rolls were yummy. I had the Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo, it was good but wish l would've tried something different. Can't wait to go back, Definitely recommend and will be bringing my family soon. read more

El Appetiz - Italian Near Me - Baldwin Park, California

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Hands down this is one of my favorite restaurants to come to. Everything on the menu is delicious, chicken tequila is a must have.

I ordered through Door Dash. Food was good. As other reviews stated, the to-go food was pretty messing in packing. The sauce had dripped EVERYWHERE and had compromised the bags integrity. I had quite the clean up to do before I could eat, which wasn't good. However, once I got to eat the food was really good. I got the chicken fettuccine, salad and bread. I would order again, just time it to have time to clean it first. LOL read more

Nice little shop, seems to have about 5 employees, which are very nice. Food is good if you are looking for a pasta/ fresh pizza fix. Older shop run like an older shop nothing wrong with that at all. No hassle, decent pricing, and good food. read more

El Appetiz - Always hits the spot, artichoke alfredo - Italian Near Me - Baldwin Park, California

This is my second time in this location. Food is good the only bad thing is that they take a very long time to you served. Both times I've been there only one waiter for the lunch rush and they take about 45 minutes to get your meals out. The waiter couldn't even split the check at the end because he said he was too busy. Won't be returning to this establishment just disappointed with the wait time. read more

Me and my friends wanted pasta and pizza so we checked around locally for any places that had both and we stumbled across this gem! Not only was the food great but the customer service was amazing they treated us like family even though it was our first time there. Definitely coming back for more and recommend if your in the area come grab some food you won't be disappointed. Especially since COVID is a thing still they offer quality food to go! read more

Nice aesthetic. Nice aroma. Nice and considerate gestures in the dish(like completely hand-peeled to the tail. The shrimp was delicious). SUPER BLAND THOUGH. I think your pasta and raviolis will astronomically improve with a little more seasoning. read more

I tried this place on a whim, and so far have been back twice. This is my third time ordering at El Appetiz, met the owner, they do a good job with the pasta dishes I ordered. All the dishes I got were good and the Italian chop salad is good too. I will try a pizza next time! If it's like the pasta dishes I have ordered, it will be good! It's a tiny hole in the wall restaurant off the corner of Merced and Baldwin Park Blvd. but as far as I'm concerned it's a gem! read more

Was hoping this place would be good as it is close to my house and the reviews are good. I ordered the creamy tequila chicken to-go with Grub hub. I was pretty impressed by the big portion. However, that was about all I was impressed with. The sauce was watery and bland. This dish was just outright horrible. I don't like wasting food, so I mixed some garlic salt to add flavor. It helped, but it can only go so far. I had to try and force myself to finish it, but I couldn't go through with it. I like big portions, but if the flavor is not there, it doesn't really matter. read more

This place is a hidden gem. TheY have some of the best Italian food at reasonable prices. I love that they only charge $7 for corkage fee. We had the bacon wrapped shrimp as aN appetizer and they were lights out. I've never had a bad meal here and I've being going for over 2 years. read more

Best Salad in town! An explosion of fresh cilantro, grilled onions, grilled chicken, a light house sauce all tossed with greens = heaven. Oh and a guacamole dressing on the side is just perfect! read more

El Appetiz - Poblana Salad - Italian Near Me - Baldwin Park, California

Looove this spot. The food is always amazing and the service is great. Try the salmon salad!!!

Horrible experience ordering to go. Place my order ahead of time and said it would be ready in 30 min. After 1.5 hrs my food isn't ready at all and they already took my credit card and charged me for it! This place is the worst. read more

This place is so damn good! My family is picky on Italian food and usually only prefers mine but we talked them into trying this place and it was amazing! And they were completely satisfied!!! Definitely a place to go again and again and try all the different dishes. read more

It was my first time visiting this place on Sunday . I ordered take out. I decided on a shareable size of fettuccine alfredo with blackened chicken. I will say that it was good but it was missing something, maybe salt? The blackened chicken was perfect but the sauce was definitely missing a something! The price was reasonable. I would probably give it another chance. read more

I first heard about this place on a food segment on the radio a few years back. The host was talking about places he liked to go and he raved about EL Appetiz. We love the sandwiches. This is upscale at an affordable price. My mom even just requested that we pick up food for her birthday here. Right now is a good time to support your local businesses and this one is definitely worthy. read more

I really don't know why this place is rated at $$ price range. Anywho, to the dozens of mexican restaurants, 24-hour taco stands and fast food get-ups littered across baldwin park, lies this little Italian restaurant on the corner of Baldwin Park Blvd. and Merced. i've lived in Baldwin Park since 98' and have never been to this place until recently. As i walked in, the stench and dirty interior of the restaurant reminds you that yes, you sir are in Baldwin Park. It almost made me turn away and drive down to Carino's, but I toughed it out and grabbed the menu. I was skeptical at the food due to the fact that it's the only Italian joint in BP. The 4-star yelp rating didn't sway me either. So here goes, I ordered the seafood pescatori (sp?) and my gf had ordered the shrimp and scallop pesto. A couple of beers down, the food arrives. From my experience thus far of the restaurant, I didn't have high hopes for the food. ... until the first bite. wow. Did NOT expect how delicious both our dishes were. It almost made me forget that I'm still in a run down Baldwin Park building and lived a few blocks away. Don't underestimate the pizza here either. Though, I do wish they would hire an interior decorator and remodel so I could actually dine in at the place without wanting to take a shower after. That or move away from their laundromat location. The real surprise here is the price. I've opted to ordering take-out here ever so often since my first dining experience and you can NOT beat the price. 3 full pastas and a specialty pizza for under $40? Suck on that Carino's and Macaroni Grill. - Mark Inocentes™ read more

I used to go here to carb up before half-marathons/marathons. It's understated flavor feels satisfying and somewhat regal (weird coming a restaurant on Baldwin Park Blvd.) Kinda makes sense tho, as I've heard the chef as a background at some popular restaurant in LA. I'm sure somebody out there knows his story. The pasta for me did all the talking already. It was delicious. Lemme tell you a little about it. Their Tequila Chicken Cream pasta I feel rivals Romano's. Lots of haters for this restaurant. So I guess YMMV. But I think if you are a fan of Olive Garden or Romano's, then you'd probably like their fare here too. If you aren't satisfied, I guess you could check out Avolio's, which I would describe as having a fuller flavor than that of El Appetiz. FYI: This place is PACKED on Valentines Day and Mother's Day. read more

Wanted to warn the future customers or all the current customers to be careful when you eat here. Last year my friend bit into a piece of metal when eating his pizza, Today while eating a salad from the Covina location i bit into a sharp pice of plastic, inspected the rest of the salad & found a dead fly. Please be careful when eating here. Accidents do happen but i believe they have a bad employe working for them. I will post up the picture. read more

I have been dining at this restaurant since I was very little, and it has become my favorite Italian restaurant! The owner of the restaurant cooks the food with the help of his fellow cooks. It may be a small restaurant, but do not let its size fool you. Their food never disappoints me such as their sandwiches, pasta, and especially their pizza. They always provide excellent service, and they have a very friendly staff. read more

Used to come here for lunch a lot between classes to meet the hubby. He still stops in from time to time - lucky!! It's a total diamond in the rough It's in a totally unassuming neighborhood, as in you would never assume such great food could come from this quaint cafe. I never liked Cream of Mushroom Soup until the Chef talked us into a small taste test of it - isn't that awesome?! Great fresh pastas - and no matter what you are having to eat, try the soup of the day. It's worth it! Very attentive staff, and the chef read more

When it comes to Italian, this small joint in the San Gabriel Valley is the best. They are so popular that Baldwin Park Unified uses them for their catering needs. Their best dishes includes: * Fiesta Chicken Salad, wow! * home made rolls * Alfredo Chicken Tequila * house lasagna * Asian salad * house dressing The cons are: * close at 6pm, clearly catering to lunch crowd * place is rather small * a bit pricy but well worth it read more

The Blackened Salmon salad was quite tasty. Food is very, very good. Service is excellent! Could have been a little more fish in the salad. I would definitely come back if I lived in the area. Thanks for the great hospitality. read more

El Appetiz - Italian Near Me - Baldwin Park, California

This is one of my favorite lunch places. I wish I could get over there more often. I understand Ryan's compliant, I have had less than stellar service there, but the food calls to me to come back, plus my family always loves to eat here. The salads, sandwiches, and pastas are the strength of this small place. The Asian Chicken Wonton salad is made with real honey and the homemade dressing is top notch. The Poblano salad has a great taste and seems to be the most popular. The pastas are served hot and tasty, the bread that is served is a small treat before you get your meal. read more

Gotta love this little Italian restaurant that could! If you've been here before, go and check out the new facelift they've done to the interior. The sexy new murals inside of European countryside make it more soothing escape atmosphere. They have a friendly lovable staff that has always been sensitive to my vegetarian needs and concerns. I've eaten here at least fifty times over the last few years and my favorite is the Vegetable Primavera Calzone. This place seriously has the best calzone ever. I've greatly enjoyed all the pastas and the veggie pizzas and sandwiches that I've tried, but the Calzone is to die for. Veg Out, Veggie Army read more

I work in B.P, and all of my chunky coworkers order lunch from here, the food is great, portions are big,and you cannot beat the price, I dont do it often, well because I like to remain thin, thank you *grabs her low fat yogurt* read more

The definition of a Hole in the Wall place. It's a quaint place. The food is terrific and reasonably priced, average plate is $9. Their pasta dishes are good for two people. I love their Jambalaya. I wish they had a variety of wine, but they do offer a Moscato and a red. read more

Ok, a whole in tha wall type of place...but those are usually the best! And this restaurant sure is! I have beento El Appetiz more than a few times. I have had th following.. 1. Blackened chicken Fetteccini alfredo - Really good and creamy ( my husband loves this dish, he does not like garlic at all but LOVES this pasta dish- he gets it every single time we go there. 2. BBQ Salmon sandwich- the taste is out of this world 3. Mushroom soup- OMG a huge burst of awsomness in my mouth!!! (only served on Wednesday) All meals come wih garlic buns I also love the Ice tea- with a piece of mint leaf - i love this place so much hy catered my wedding... This place is also extremly affordable. Awsome find. Some people dont like the "look"of it, but trust me once the food hits ut taste buds the background fades away... read more

Really good authentic italian food, the chef, the waiter and server was very kind and sweet...i reccomend everyone to come here

Great food. Great service. My children and ig ave been coming here for years. We always get the Jambalaya pasta and the poblano salad. We highly recommend it. read more

Been going here for years, we even had them cater for a graduation party. Every dish we've ever tried is amazingly delicious. Very friendly customer service too! read more

Yesterday I had the pleasure of getting takeout here. I'm from NY and this is definitely not NY Italian. This is Mexitalian comfort food made con amor. Jose adds his own personal flair to traditional italian dishes. Everybody there was extremely friendly. Being new to the restaurant, Jose even gave us 2 different sample salads to try while we were waiting! This place has all the makings of a great ma and pa type of local family restaurant I grew up with. What do I personally look for? Large portions of ingredients, flavorful sauces (not watered down), plentiful al dente pasta. This place cares about food...properly carmelized onions, tender chicken, fresh marinara, plenty of sauce for bread dipping. They don't even skimp on the seafood! I ordered shrimp and I actually got shrimp...yah I'm looking at you "fine dining Italian restaurants." I don't understand why people would pay 25+ dollars for 4 shrimp and 2.5 forkfulls of pasta. Michellin should stick to tires. Jose serves up lumberjack sized portions for under 14 dollars an entree.......Yes!, well made seafood pasta for under 14 bucks. If you're new, try the signature poblano chicken salad, any one of their pastas with cajun cream sauce and share a lasagna calzone...Congratulations, Mexitalian is your new thing now. Thank you Jose for your 20+ years of making people take naps from food coma. read more

Deep in the barrio, is this unexpected find, with real deal red sauce Italian. The pizzas and pasta are on a grand scale, and could easily be shared between two people. Cool patio, delicious food. read more

Wow the 2 most recent reviews make me wonder if this place is sliding downhill. I'll have to go in & see if everything is as good as it used to be. However, I'm worried that the last 2 people may not have ordered the better things on the menu. I used to work in this area and El Appetiz was always a regular destination. The sandwiches on pizza bread are great, with the chicken parmesan and the pino chicken sandwich (mozzarella and basil) being my favorites. Almost all of the salads are good, and the bolognese linguine has a red wine meat sauce that taste likes someone has been hard at work all making it. I think the bolognese is the best thing on the menu! I have tried the calzone and don't blame one of the reviews for thinking this place wasn't all that great. I didn't like it that much either. The chicken dijonnaise is also very good, but be sure to ask for your sauce on the side. One time they put way too much sauce on it. The restaurant is small and it does fill up quickly, so I understand if people have some complaints about slow service. The times I have been, however, I try to cut the guys some slack as sometimes there are only 2 of them for the entire place, and that's a lot of tables to take care of. The usual servers, tho, are in constant motion whenever I've been there so I can't say that they are lazy or not trying hard. This one time, I saw a lady putting her leftovers into a container, dropped and broke a plate, and then just left. Aww c'mon. That's just mean. read more

Alright, so the place is a bit dark and it smells like ... old furniture. But you can't judge a book by it's cover, right? The staff is very nice and very courteous. Every time our drinks dipped below a micron, it was instantly re-filled. They didn't burden you every five minutes but they didn't ignore you either - it was awesome. The bread that they bring you is amazing! Super soft, super moist, and super yummy. The food was just as amazingly awesome - as were the portions. I had the Shrimp & Andouilli Sausage pasta (half portion) and barely finished it ... but I did ... because it was really good. My boyfriend had the Chicken Parm Pizza Dough bread and couldn't eat it all. He also asked for it to go but then left it at the restaurant. He wouldn't stop complaining about forgetting it the entire day. Our total bill was about $22.00 which included my pasta, his sandwich, two starter salads, two drinks, and the bread. It was well worth it. read more

My boyfriend works nearby and we've had lunch and dinner here on two separate occasions. Both visits were incredible. The waiter (or manager) was always friendly, bubbly and polite. We never had to ask for refills on our drinks because he had always offered to refill it for us. I loved the Chicken Ravioli with Pesto Sauce, that is still by far, my favorite dish. My bf and I always dip their house breads in the sauce. OM NOM NOM NOM!!! I had ordered Chicken Parmigiana Pasta for my brother but he had already eaten w/o me so I took it home for dinner. It was a hefty serving that was enough to keep my bf happy the next day. We will definitely be coming back!! read more

Wow. I just called them right now to get "free local deliveries" cuz I ordered them b4 thru grub hub and they told me to order delivery from them directly next time which I did and they said we don't do deliveries... wtf. I love the food here but jeeze get your shit straight and don't be rude over the phone and pretend you guys are all cool and nice coming over ther first time delivering. Don't deserve my business anymore, smf! read more

Start off by saying I LOVE the food here. One of my favorites. This review is solely on the service, which I feel is highly lacking. It's a fairly small restaurant and at least everytime I been never seems extremely busy This has been my experience everytime, which is near a dozen times. I typically call for takeout and no matter the day, it's a guarantee immediately when someone answers he will put you on hold. He'll come back on the line after a hold, I'll place my order and typically say be ready in 20 min. Ill show up in 20 min, with maybe 3 tables or so (no where near busy), and wait another 20 min for my food...which leaves me wondering why I called in the first place and if they even took my order? The couple guys working there always appear to be extremely busy, but there never seems to be that many people in the restaurant! Not sure what's up. I've also called a couple times around 8pm and a gentleman will answer the phone saying they closed early because of "kitchen problems." For a place with such great food, gotta step that service up. read more

There food is excellent and service when over and beyond there job. Pizza was amazing got the supreme. What set the night off was when Jose came out and treated us the chef. Super friendly and even shared other things on the menu to try. I tried the chicken poblano salad! Omg AMAZING!!! A must try. Words do not do it justice. Definitely my new go to spot!! Also noticed they great there regulars by name!!! read more

We had this vendor cater our in-house meeting lunch. Their chicken and vegetarian sandwiches are ok... nothing to rave about. Guess my co-workers think any free food= automatic GOOD food. Ehhh... I do have to say, their pasta is quite tasty and we had a side item of sliced chicken to top off the pasta. Clearly, I stuck to the pasta and would recommend that off the menu. Sorry, can't quite remember the exact name of the pasta dish though. read more