A hidden Italian gem in the South Bay. Our server Crystal welcomed us in the same way Nona would. The food is the same as I remember from 30 years ago - soooo tasty. Get the anti-pasta if you want a filling starter, or go for the full dinner plate and enjoy a tasty Caesar or soup. Their Lasagna is top notch, and they just added a Meat Lasagna to their menu The pizza has a great ratio of sauce to cheese to dough - nailed it. The decor is warm, Italian music flowing, plenty of wine options, and Italian beer flowing on tap! read more

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A cozy restaurant with a variety of dishes with affordable prices. Owner is friendly and greets us each time we come. Highly recommend. read more

This place has been here as long as I can remember, but I recently decided to try it out one night. The atmosphere is just as one would expect from a traditional Italian restaurant. They have a bar to the right and tables throughout. I slid the patio door open to look outside at their patio area. It looked pretty nice, but since it was a cold night, I decided to sit indoors. I ordered the vegetarian pizza. It tasted really good, but it was served slightly cold. The reason for the 3 stars. Even though I was full, I ordered the crème brûlée for dessert. That was really good. They torch the caramel. So good. One of the better crème brûlées I've eaten. I highly recommend it. They have a pretty nice dessert menu that also includes cheesecake and spumoni. It was a slow weekday and there was only one person waiting on tables. She was nice, friendly, and efficient. There were only a handful of other customers. I would come here again. I just hope my pizza is served hot next time. They have their own parking lot right in front of the restaurant, and it's free. There's also plenty of free street parking. By the way, they add 3% to the bill if you pay by credit card, so I paid by debit card. read more

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If you want to go to a traditional, old-school, Italian restaurant, Hank's is your place. This place emanates all of those old-school Italian restaurants, the kind that you see in all of the movies. In terms of the overall design, the interior is, again, very old-school Italian restaurant. Plus, they have a nice outdoor patio area. The music that plays over the sound system is a combination of traditional Italian music mixed in with a little bit of Dean Martin, of course. What they offer for food is the traditional Italian cuisine. They've got tons of pastas, lasagnas, and all of that kind of stuff. They also have a pretty good selection of pizzas. Personally, I recommended vegetarian pizza. Also, they have a nice selection of wine, some Italian beers, some domestic beers, and a little bit of all of the stuff you would expect in terms of cocktails and soft drinks. One thing about this restaurant to question, however, is their food preparation. The last time I got one of their vegetarian pizzas, it arrived cold. As we were eating it, we were questioning how could that be the case, as it appeared to be fully cooked. Perhaps, it was the server just not bringing it out on time as she could be heard having long conversations. Or, maybe the cook pulled it out of the oven a bit too soon. It was still good, but it was cold. Who likes cold pizza? Also, another thing to note about this restaurant is that they charge a 3% credit card fee if you want to use your credit card. I think that's a little bit messed up, because who carries cash anymore? But, that's the way they do it. So, if you want to use a credit card, expect a 3% surcharge. My advice is, use your debit card where no fee is attached. Overall, if you're in the South Bay, and you want some traditional Italian food, this may be your place to go. read more

Another delicious meal at Hank's. Food was well prepared and served at proper Temps. Severice provided by Crystal was wonderful knowledgeable and fun, all in a welcoming atmosphere..thank you, look forward to see you again soon read more

Everything was great! Fabulous dinner on the patio with friends. Great food and atmosphere! read more

Had the chicken arrabbiata, served hot straight out of the oven, Caesar salad had a ton of anchovies (woot woot) Really anything you want to add or subtract or substitute they say yes! read more

Hank's Italian Restaurant - Crystal is the best server EVER! - Pizza Near Me - Torrance, California

Me and my wonderful girlfriend decided to check this place out(even though I was born and raised walking distance from Hank's) and we were blown away! Crystal(our server) was fantastic! The meatball apps, and the chicken piccata were amazing! I personally got the chicken parmesan and put the Marsala sauce on top! Def 5/5. Oooooo and those free garlic parm breads that came to the table out of nowhere were to die for!!! 100% will be coming back! read more

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Food was amazing and service was excellent! We ate outside and the ambience was so relaxing. Can't wait to go again!!

This restaurant is tiny, cute, and very delicious. They do have a bar, with only 2 chairs to sit at! I walked in and was surprised with how fancy is it. There's white cloths on the table, and a little outdoor seating area. The garlic bread is good and the menu has a variety of options that includes more than just pasta! I wished this place closed later. The service was great too. read more

Hank's Italian Restaurant - Rigatoni - Pizza Near Me - Torrance, California

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This cozy restaurant has good service and good food. My family has been going to this restaurant for over 30 years.

Got a medium pepperoni and mushroom pizza. Nice mild sauce. The ingredients were very good. Service was prompt and extremely welcoming. read more

Hank's Italian Restaurant - Medium pepperoni and mushroom pizza - Pizza Near Me - Torrance, California

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LOVE THIS ITALIAN SMALL BUSINESS! It's so nice to go to small cozy restaurants and support small businesses. We have been here a number of times and always love what we get. A MUST HAVE is The Marinera Mozzarella :p read more

Hank's Italian Restaurant - Mozzarella Marinara GET IT!!! - Pizza Near Me - Torrance, California

Yesterday my hubby took me here to show me where he used to go as a little kid when he would visit his grandparents and had his first pizza at 3 years old. We drove all the way up from Irvine. We shared a pepperoni pizza and it was amazing! We met and talked with the owners and they are super nice. They fixed a couple things up, but kept the place looking mostly like it did back then. It's so nice to have some places stay the same when so many other places have changed. Very charming restaurant. I love the woodcarved ceiling. We will be making it a new tradition to come here every couple months. I highly recommend checking Hank's out. This is one of those places where you can tell the owners take great pride in what they do and their customers. read more

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Always enjoy this legacy Italian pla6ce, have been coming here for years.Have not had a subpar pasta dish.

Fantastic Italian- one of the best in the South Bay. Cozy, fun ambience with friendly, attentive service. Delicious pastas, pizza and salads. Expansive menu offers choices so everyone will find something they like. Reservations recommended especially on weekends. read more

My wife and I have not been here for over 22 years. We've been living in Florida. Just moved back to California. This was one of our favorite places to go. We ordered a pizza. Was the worst we ever had. The dough was thick and dense and very unappealing. read more

My absolute favorite place to get lamb chops! So scrumptious! I've tried it at other restaurants and does not compare. My family gets a variety of pasta dishes, and the pizza and we have never been disappointed and have been coming here for at least 20 years! It's a family owned business, and the customer service has always been amazing! read more

Chicken piccata was inedible, the chicken breast must have been boiled in water there was no taste, noodles way under cooked and sitting in a pool of oil. My poor husband tried to eat half of it, he just couldn't do it. The lasagna was so very very sad with under cooked noodles, no filling between layers and burned cheese. My Costco lasagna that I burned in an RV oven was better than this. Prices are higher but quality went way down. So very sad because I like to support small restaurants. I can't see myself returning even if the owner contacted me personally. The server was delightful so it's not her fault. read more

Hank's Italian Restaurant - Chicken piccata - Pizza Near Me - Torrance, California

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Great spot! Never knew it was there despite living here my whole life. They were very nice and respectful with delicious food. The Veal Parm was the best I've ever had by a decent amount and all the workers were lovely and attentive. I'm so sad I'm just now finding out about this place. When my wife and I actually get to go out we don't worry about the prices and get whatever we want as we did here, but in the end the check was super reasonable. read more

I have been coming here since the 80s and really enjoy the food. It is made from scratch from what I know of and real quality ingredients. I will admit I was turned off by having to wait today as the sign indicates it's open at 4:00 PM, but they did not officially open till 430 and I was hungry but I feel the owner cares about his customers and will make good on his promise and consider being open longer for dinner perhaps a suggestion of staying open till nine or 10 o'clock or nine Monday through Thursday and 10 or 10:30 on Fri and Saturdays. Since Vinces Italian does not exist this would be a great place to have it as a substitute best wishes. read more

Hank's Italian Restaurant - Pizza Near Me - Torrance, California

Well it wasnt there anymore, nit sure if they closed or move somewhere, but i used to love going there when i was still working in the area

I have been going to Hank's since I was a kid - it's actually where I had my graduation dinner. It's been a long time but we went for my mom's birthday and had a wonderful meal. Big portions, delicious food, and a real home feeling. Just like I remembered! But, we do miss the salad bar! read more

Back again to test out the other dishes! My bf tried the Linguine pescatore dinner. He loved it! Said everything was fresh and the sauce was amazing. I'm allergic to seafood so I'll take his word that it was delicious. I had a salad plus the Mozzarella marinara and it's definitely a huge delicious portion. Have a party of 3 or more for this huge appetizer! The spumoni ice cream was a perk from checking in on our last visit! Please don't sleep on this amazing dessert. The flavors were very vibrant after a big meal. The staff here are just amazing and friendly! The owner is doing well at keeping delicious food and kind employees on rotation. read more

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I returned to Hanks today after nearly 25 years. I have many fond memories eating here as a child. My experience tonight was just as I remembered. We sat on the patio which has heat lamps and a fountain in the middle. The pizza has a nice crust and the dough is slightly sweet. We also had the sausage and peppers over spaghetti which was fine. Service was fast and friendly. Insider's Tip: Check-in on Yelp for a free dessert read more

Food was good, service was a big issue. Ready to order but they wanted to just get the drinks first. We had a diabetic with us who needed to eat. A couple cane in after we had our drinks, they got their food and finished before we ever got our food and another couple was seated at the table and they also got their order before us. Overall it took close to 1hour 30 min to get our meals (we did get salad before that and garlic bread. The pasta was missing the meat but at that point I told them to just take it off the order. Ambiance is nice. THe excuse was the kitchen mixed up the orders - Lame! read more

My husband and I have eaten at Hank's for years. The food and service are great. All staff are incredibly friendly and accommodating. It's like eating at a relatives home. You. Am eat inside or on their peaceful patio. read more

I love the family run restaurant! Great family that works together. Running a restaurant is not easy!! Greeted when we walked in, enjoyed dinner and the great service. read more

Great food and excellent customer service. Our server Crystal was super sweet and extremely attentive making our experience very pleasant. We are impressed at how this little restaurant can bust out a huge amount of food! You definitely get what you pay for - savory food, great music, smiles and aromas that really make you feel at home (without having to do the dishes!) Definitely returning to experience a bit of Italy in Torrance! Recommend you try if you like cozy little restaurants read more

I only ever review restaurants if the food is something else. This hits that requirement. I got the chicken parmigiana, and boy. It all tastes like freezer food and canned spaghetti sauce that was heated up in the microwave. I honestly think I could have made something a million times better at home, and I wouldn't call myself a good chef. Also, it's 20 dollars for this meal with certainly didn't help with my expectations. I should also add that this was my first visit here (and last) so I had an open mind. Honestly, if I could give this place a 0 I would. The veggies were literally microwaved plus everything tasted incredibly bland. But at least the staff was friendly and nice, they should definitely take their talents elsewhere. Disappointing. Ps. The window was broken and was held together with duct tape. I have no words. (Picture included) Also. I feel the need to point out that NONE of this is the staffs fault and they should be treated with respect. They are only doing and cooking what they are told. This problem lies on the shoulder of the restaurant owner and the restaurant owner only. Thanks for reading. read more

Hank's Italian Restaurant - Window held together by duct tape. - Pizza Near Me - Torrance, California

This place takes forever , they promise you a wait time and forget about you ! Not only that they realize it and go and whisper amongst one another and send someone to tell you the food will be put in a couple more minutes still . Not attentive at all ! It's not even the cooks it's the people in the front and management ! read more

Delightful Italian restaurant off of Hawthorn Blvd. I had a tasty pasta with Italian wine and it was very good. The young female server was lovely - great service. read more

I had a hankerin' for some Italian food last Saturday evening and I decided to try Hank's, a place I've driven past maybe 200 times in my life and never wandered in for a meal. It was a slow night I guess, b/c the weather was foul. I was greeted nicely as I entered and was seated right away. A server came over in a minute or two and placed the eating utensils, etc. and handed me the menu. I selected the Cannelloni and she brought me some very tasty garlic bread right away. (I'm getting hungry thinking about this as I'm writing.) The cannelloni dish arrived in a reasonable amount of time, and I dug in. It was outstanding!! I had not had this favorite dish of mine for YEARS, mainly b/c I've not seen it on the menu of any restaurants I frequent. I must state that the ambiance of this dining room was very nice. The sounds of Dean Martin wafting through the light background buzz singing "That's Amore" added to the pleasure of this meal. However, after I paid my fee, with my charge card (why pay for it when you can charge it????) I noticed the total was a bit more that the listed charge on their menu, plus the standard thievery tax of 10%. Eighty Two cents more, to be exact. My server was busy serving a table of 6 at the other side of the dining room, so I asked the gentleman at the front whose duty appeared to be greeting people. I asked him about the $.82 fee and he said, "Oh, that b/c you used a charge card." I said, "If I had known I was going to be charged a FEE for using my charge card, which incidentally is not unusual for people these days, I would have paid with cash." He could see that I was irritated and asked if I wanted to speak to the manager. I told him, no, I didn't want to speak with the manager, but he could tell him a customer just left who was pissed off at having this fee tacked onto his bill without being advised it would be added. In essence, the cannelloni was excellent, the bread was excellent, the service was excellent, and the ambiance was excellent. But for 82 cents, I won't be back. read more

My family has been coming here for years! The food is always excellent and consistent. We had so much fun drinking wine and enjoying the environment of the restaurant. Might make this a birthday tradition. read more

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I've driven/ walked by a dozen times and never gave it a second thought. On a whim we stopped in for dinner and found the food/ service/ ambiance to be wonderful. Great food, super friendly, beautiful patio. 5 out of 5, will be back. I fundamentally do not understand the bad reviews. It is a super great little gem of a family owned/ run neighborhood restaurant. Try the patio! read more

We grew up with Hank's. It's been a staple here in the South Bay since I can remember. It's a family-owned restaurant hence the people who work there (the family) always makes us feel like we're family with their great service. Some of our own family favorites are the salmon w/ lemon & capers, the lamb chops! You can't go wrong with anything on their menu. Personally, Hank's has the best garlic bread you'll find anywhere. Since the pandemic, sometimes when they're are lots of customers there's a little wait given that there's a limited staff but it gives us a little more time to hang out as a family and talk around the dinner table, knowing that very soon a very delicious meal will be appearing. read more

Hank's is one of those few iconic Southbay restaurants - like Red Onion, Charthouse, Joe's and the Admiral Risty (R.I.P.). You can't call yourself a Southbay Local unless you've experienced this jewel. Family owned and operated, George, Julia and their daughters are always generous, gracious and attentive - and they work hard to ensure every one of their guests have a 5-star experience. So, if you live in the Southbay, or you're just visiting, don't miss out on this Southbay experience - you'll be glad you did. read more

Hank's Italian Restaurant - Pizza Near Me - Torrance, California

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Wow! Terrific salmon, with lemon caper sauce at this restaurant. We went to try it because my friend was having a birthday party, and we wanted to have salmon. Well, it was delicious and we were sold right away! It was out of this world. So that's what we did. It was generously portioned and the sauce was a lovely companion with the salmon. I highly recommend it. It was enough for us to split and enjoy another pasta dish. We liked the atmosphere too, the outdoor area was very comfortable. They had heat lamps already for us, it was rustic but comfortable with nice chairs and tables which were a tiny bit low, but we're kind of tall. The service was excellent as well. Actually, we were at another restaurant up the street prior, we were going to try their salmon recipe but they weren't serving it. We also wanted to sit outside and they told us we couldn't :-/ Inside it was so noisy that we just left. My friend said let's go down the street so that's when we went to Hanks. Good move! read more

It was my first time and probably my last. I ordered the Veal Parm dinner. First when they say veal it should be a veal cutlet not a pate consistency covered with thick breading and enough salt to kill a kidney.! Everything was over salted and poor quality. If you're trying to hide the bad taste you should invest in higher quality food and not use a pate like mystery meat! They charge a premium price $28.99 for low quality food. I had a stomach ache and sat on the throne most of the night Basically, I paid them so I can poop all night. If you need me to teach you how to make a veal cutlet parmigiana let me know , I will be happy too teach you. Just respond. Being an Italian American, been eating this since I was a child. You do win a huge trophy for being the worst Italian restaurant I have ever dined at from New York to California and all states in between. Now let's talk about the sauce instead of opening up a can of the lowest quality tomato sauce, it would be way way easier to make a sauce., a simple sauce. Here is the recipe and it's free this is for a serving of 12 (do the math for larger servings) 1cup of olive oil, 13 cloves of fresh garlic, 1 96 oz can of Cento Italian tomatoes (remove Stems). 1-2 punches red pepper flakes and 1TEASPOON fine sea salt. Directions.: Combine the garlic and the olive oil in a deep large sauce pan over medium-low heat, for about 10 mins. Turning the whole garlic cloves so they are equally brown a golden color with dark golden running through with the fragrance not burnt smell mild garlic. fragrance. While the garlic is getting golden, deal with the tomatoes. Put them in a large bowl, preferred crush them with your hands (gloves of course) pulling out the stems, and tossing the basil leaves. When the garlic is about done add the pepper flakes and the sea salt to the oil and garlic to infuse the flavor for 1 min. Put the tomatoes in the pot stir from the bottom up mixing the garlic the peppers and the sea salt evenly. Turn up the heat to medium until a simmering boil stir every so often. Once items at a boil lower and if evaporation happens add a 1/2 cup of water. Sauce will be perfect after 3hrs. Next the chicken or veal cutlets. 1/4 -1/2 inch thick on the veal. (Real veal) if not even pound with a mallet to 1/2- 1/4" Thick. add a small punch of salt and pepper, Give an egg wash and lightly bread crumb very lightly both sides and set aside on a tray or plate. Put in cooler for 5 mins. While you're waiting for them to chill lightly olive oil a pan over medium heat drain the oil with a small punch of salt and pepper and garlic slices (thin), place on low to medium heat for 3 mins on each side remove add sauce covering and fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh parmigiana cheese pinch of the parmigiana put in oven until proper 165 degrees for chicken and veal 150 degrees. Serve with Al dente (ziti or spaghetti (12 mins pasta cook time. And serve Delicious and your business will thrive. Forget the cheap crap not worth it. You're saving now but losing in the short and long term read more

My old stomping grounds. Came here regularly once upon a time! Back in the days when we'd smoke on the patio having a glass of wine! So that was back in the day! Still love the ambiance and background music. This used to be the best place. The food is still good but the staff was severely under staffed for a Sunday night. They didn't bring the garlic bread until after the pizza was here. And though the menu states that the salad bar is "daily" the salad bar was empty and when we asked about it, the guy kind of snipped: "never on Sunday!" Well, we came there because we remembered it was a good one. Oh well. And not to keep complaining but our table was so wobble. Very annoying! read more

Hank's Italian Restaurant - Pizza Near Me - Torrance, California

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