Service was awesome. Food portions were awesome. Food flavor was great and though similar to other restaurants for the pallet... Some of their food just knocked my socks off. The trio appetizer was pretty good but was the only thing I could even balk about. And it still was better than a lot of other fried combo Italian appetizers. The clam chowder, actually was unique. It was the thinnest chowder and best I've ever had. The flavor was crazy good. Not Campbell's at all. The garlic chicken calzone (not even a calzone fan but my date had to have one) was out of this world tasty. I would go back just for the calzone and I don't even fancy calzones. I had the tortellini with seafood. At this point I couldn't even eat anymore and we boxed it and took it home. I warmed it up later that night, being the fat ass I am, and I ate it quick. I expected the seafood to be small but once again this place had me salivating. It was weird though... Our waiter was working it, he had 5tables at one point and the girl who was supposed to be the hostess I guess literally just stood there. When we walked in she didn't greet us but rather told us to sit wherever we like. She said it friendly but for a restaurant that is all candle lit and serving main course dishes at $15 a plate I would kind of expect to be seated with a menu. I know it ain't the ritz but seriously... In any case, any gripe I would have with the female at the front desk was quickly obscured by our waiters efforts and attention. He was great. If the owner reads this... He was the guy serving on the 18th of August evening. read more

Food is good, prices are reasonable, service is friendly, waits are short. What more could you ask.

I rate this business anything near a single star because they exist. The booth my family and I where seated at had a lot of crums on the seats, so I had to wipe it down before we actually sat. The waiter watched and said nothing. The wine selection was very poor. The service was ok. The wait time for food was long and we were the first table sat at 5pm for dinner. The veal was cooked ok with canned pasta sauce that had a chalky film. My boyfriend saw his chicken in a defrosted foster farms bag in the open kitchen before being cooked! He did not share this with me until we left... knowing that I would leave immediately. The ranch salad dressing wasn't even good. I live very close to this San Clemente restaurant and I wanted to try it to be a good local supporting a local business. This is the worst Italian food I have ever experienced. read more

Good delivery spot. The calamari was legit. Pizza was a bit lacking, would definitely order again but specify extra sauce as it was very dry. Pasta was good, nothing special that I couldn't cook myself. Good place to order from when you want Italian but don't feel like cooking. We prefer IC over Sonny's. read more

Wandering around San Clemente last weekend, looking for a light bite and affordable bite with the girls, we were put off by the pretentious offerings available in many of the little restaurants in the area and by the sheer volume over at Pizza Port. Instead, we stopped into this little family-style, hole-in-the-wall restaurant, one block over from the main drag. The ambiance is nothing to write home about. But the food! A whiff of marinara beckoned us in. The toasty bread wooed my gluten-intolerant friend. Three of us shared two pastas and a salad and we STILL had leftovers. And they were ALL delicious! I'll definitely return, should I get back up that way. read more

I went here a little while ago and thought this is truly authentic italian food. I think maybe the best in SC ! The Calzone is wonderful and the pasta really delicious as well. The restaurant itself is older but comfy. Not 5 because I have only been there once ... will update after my second visit! read more

I am updating my review because my experiences recently has been dissapointing sad to say. I was a HUGE fan and this was the go-to comfort food. The service has changed and that's too bad. First off, I understand pricing needs to go up and times change and because of the great food I didn't mind that. If you order a meal the salad or soup and even bread, it is no longer with the meal. It is an additional $2 each. That's fine like I said. It's the customer experience that has changed. I feel that the staff is brand spanking new and has no idea of how to take orders and pretend that when they get it wrong it is the customers fault. WTH! For reals!?! The girl who took the order asked me like 3 times what my order was and my info which I spelled out to her in elementry terms. Not to insult that, but c'mon. Then when I called to let them know that the order was wrong when delivered, the same person who took the order acted like I was talking foreign. She was like maybe you should speak to the manager, fine ok but she hung up! Oh and by the way, the delivery person also said he was late because the street was totally wrong...poor driver. Over it. My first review was a five plus stars. And still holds a three because the food. Booo. I was a big advocate of this place and thought it was the bomb. Too bad the service is compromised. Maybe next time. read more

I went to this restaurant a few days ago and no one was at the front desk and i had to knock on a table so the guy that was cooking looked at me and he was not wearing a mask. Do not go to this place read more

I feel like I would give this place 5 stars if it didn't have such a lame name. Italian Cravings? Apparently they didn't get the memo that if you call a place [Name]'s Trattoria, it will be more well-respected. This place is super casual, which is great for families. We were with my 2 toddler nephews who proceeded to fling food all over the place and nobody seemed to mind. So, this isn't a date spot. The food is good--and portions are huge. We got 2 orders of bruschetta, thinking we'd have just a few measly pieces for our table of 8... but there were like a hundred crostinis on each plate. We ate them all because, I mean...they were there. I got the gnocci julieta, which was good, but not great. I would recommend getting it with a red sauce, I think. They have wine and beer--no hard alcohol. I appreciated that they had a couple Italian beers--Moretti and Peroni. Prices are really reasonable. If they were [Name]'s Trattoria, I bet the prices would go up. In sum, it's not fancy, but it'll do the trick. read more

Yuck. Bland. Just, not good. Ordered delivery. Took forever. Was that "garlic toast" of some kind? Bread sticks? Not sure. Didn't look good. Didn't taste good. Spagehtti and meatballs - pasta overcooked, marinara bland, meatballs not even worth talking about. Won't order from them again. read more

Good food, friendly service. Came in for the pizza and it was very good. The pizza crust was just the way I like it...a little thicker than thin crust, pizza oven crisp and great chewiness. Washed the pizza down with a couple Peroni's. We sat outside on a small little patio and had fun watching the yoga hippies across the street scurry into their cars. Oh, perk about eating here is the restaurant has their own private lot! Easy parking. Steve out. read more

Thursday Lunch at 1p a month ago. Hey, there's no one inside eating and one person outside. Worried that maybe it's not a good lunch spot even though reviews are good on YELP. Well my friend and I decided to go ahead and try it. Didn't want to go to Avila's down at the corner. We were not impressed with that place last time we were in the area. Server was nice. Took good care of us. I had the Penne Pesto with Chicken. It was fine. Bread was good. I'd go back again when I'm in the area. read more

4.5 stars!! Been here a couple times now and both times I ordered their spaghetti and meat sauce. You really can taste that they don't just use canned sauce. This was probably the best spaghetti and meat sauce I have ever eaten. The first time we were there, my fiancé ordered their calzone. It was HUGE! The veggies and meat in there were seasoned perfectly. The second time we were there, he ordered a pizza. I can't remember it so I don't think it was anything special. They bring our bread and marinara sauce that is very tasty. I have to remember not to eat too much of them. The only thing I don't like is that the service can be slow. They are good about coming to check on you while you are eating but when we were ready for the bill (both times) the waitress was no where in sight so we had to wait awhile to pay and leave. When a place can make a simple dish taste like the colors of the rainbow, you know it's like finding a pot of gold! read more

My husband and I always love going to Italian Cravings! Great food at a reasonable price, and always a great wait staff. read more

Excellent food! Try the antipasto salad with a side of their garlic cheese knots --- yum! Everything is really good! read more

This was my second visit in the past 3 weeks. Very, very solid food. The prices are good and the food is pretty authentic. I tasted the pizza which was really good and I had my usual Tortellini Gorgonzola. The tortellini was awesome. Even had enough to bring home for lunch today! Definitely recommend checking this spot out!! read more

Brought my girlfriend in for a date last weekend. We parked in their lot around sunset and saw that we could also get a great view of the sunset on the ocean from a staircase behind the restaurant. What a beautiful view! So we walked in and were greeted immediately by the Waiter and were seated in a somewhat private, romantic corner of the restaurant by candlelight. GREAT AMBIANCE! We were both very happy and we both ordered the Mama Mia. shortly after, we both enjoyed the house salad and AMAZING marinara sauce with Rosemary bread. When the food came up, I could smell it from the kitchen already. My belly was so prepared to devour that Mama Mia, I knew it was going to be great. I had to fight devouring my plate in under 5 minutes, so that I could keep some sort of a pace with my girl. I ordered a caraf of Chianti and sat for a little while and enjoyed ourselves. Service: 5/5 Cleanliness: 5/5 Price: 5/5 Tastiness: 5/5 read more

Love the pesto and chicken vodka pasta, but incredibly disappointed with the take out portions. They've switched to smaller containers. We spent over $50 on three orders of penne pasta and it barely fed three people. Feel somewhat cheated. read more

Hadn't been here for a few years. Started off ok, but went south. Had 2 that ordered pesto chicken penne. After order came, noticed that the chicken was missing. When server came by, alerted her that the chicken was missing. She responded that we had ordered gluten free. What? That made no sense and we asked for the chicken to be added. She later returned to the table with the bill. We were shocked to find we were charged even more than the item we ordered. The server seemed to care less and wanders off. Took up to guy up front who didn't seem to understand. He finally said he would take $5 off. This brought the price down to the price of the chicken item we ordered! We were too tired to fight. Ridiculous that they have a server like that and a guy that didn't fix it. Won't be back, ever. read more

Would have given 4 stars maybe even 5, but we ordered an extra large pizza the other night, and it seemed small, cheap and just not very good. But I will say the meals that I have had while eating there have been very good. rich, and a good deal. One thing they need to know is NOT to spray the tables with window cleaner while the customer is eating. You would think that would be obvious, but it has happened more than once as we ate. Not cool. read more

So terrible. Worst pasta and pizza I've ever had. Would not reccomend. I ordered delivery, ot came quickly but pasta was way over cooked, watery, tangy taste, and chicken was slimy. Pizza was soggy, flimsy, and wet. Not a good flavor, the garlic bread was bad too read more

This was a nice little hometown restaurant and since we were trying to do some gluten free options, they were quite accomodating. Our waitress was a real sweetheart and attentive. We came rather late so there were not a lot of folks there at the time, but loved our GF pasta. They deliver, too. We live in Talega and not in town (about 2 miles away total from Italian Cravings), but they deliver there too. That is a nice touch. This place has been around a while and I can see why. I love San Clemente and whether you are a local or not, it is a good solid choice. read more

From out of town and found this place randomly because we were looking for parking. Friday night around 7pm and not too busy. Service was slow and they did apologize for taking so long. Food was good and I would come again. Service was OK. It seems that their phone orders impacted service inside the restaurant based on what the waiter said. read more

Great Italian restaurant located in Downtown San Clemente. They have great pizzas!! The Combo is a must, as it is very delicious, made with fresh topping and lots of cheese. They also offer a variety of pasta dishes and salads which you can pair with their house wines to make your meal complete. A large pizza and carafe of wine for two people is a great deal for under $ 20.00 dollars. Not bad as the pizza has amazing flavor. The staff is very friendly and make you feel welcomed the minute you walk in. Whether you eat inside or outside you will surely receive amazing service. read more

Italian Cravings - Combo Pizza !! So so good !! - Italian Near Me - San Clemente, California

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No service - stood there for close to 5 minutes waiting for someone to seat us. Cook in back sees but doesn't acknowledge our existence. When server came out he was obviously aloof and couldn't give a shinola about our experience. Left. read more

I placed an order for delivery and it arrived hot and fresh and absolutely delicious. The veggie calzone was perfect, not too doughy and not too much bread. I also ordered the garlic cheese rolls for an appetizer and they were so good. The cheesecake was decent. I'll definitely order to-go again! read more

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Just had an early dinner here. Our waitress' name was Sheena and she was the sweetest ever ! We ordered mozzarella sticks and cheesy garlic bread for appetizers that were absolutely to die for. We had a half white half cheese pizza that was the best pizza I've had out here so far! As our main dinners we had chicken vodka park and chicken parm and they were incredible ! Sheena was super quick to bring everything out at a great speed and it was an excellent experience all around. We will definitely be coming back ! read more

we ordered side salads, balsamic chicken , a calzone, and a side of meatballs. The pasta was good nice tangy balsamic glaze drizzled over the top. The dish contained bite sized pieces of cubed chicken, rather than a full breast. The calzone was stuffed full of meat and cheese, but the dough was a little on the thin side and was hard to eat because it was falling apart. The marinara sauce on the side is really good. We got the meatballs for my son. He is not picky. But the texture of the meatballs was not for me. The side salads consisted of an iceberg mix, shredded carrots, cucumbers, and tomato. The ranch dressing is no good. It is obviously a cheap processed dressing. Reminded me of the ranch you get in a cup at pizza hut. The italian dressing was a balsamic and olive oil mix. read more

It was a cool place the waitress was a cutie . The salads were fresh and the bread was different , like it was seasoned garlic bread without the garlic or heavy butter. It was delicious . Now this were they started to lose there one star , now don't get me wrong the food was good but it just doesent standout. Like it almost looks like it should have a pop about it but it's just regular . This a good place for lunch, I'd go to cheesecake factory for dinner. read more

Had a coupon , dinner for 2, $30. This included 2 glasses of wine or beer, 2 soups or salads & 2 entrees(anything on the menu. It was delicious! I had the mama Mia & my BF had neptune(seafood dish). Very large portions! The bread & dipping sauce was great! Service was awesome. Destiny , our server, was very attentive. Check it out! read more

Italian Cravings - Entree on left, Mana Mia & other entree was Neptune. Yum! Huge portions !!! - Italian Near Me - San Clemente, California

Cozy place. I always get the gnocci and a glass of wine. Theres parking, indoor/outdoor seating, delivery. Casual dress. Staff is good. read more

We love Italian food and were craving a Chicken Parm sandwich for lunch. We found this place and decided to try it out. We had just finished some shopping so we wanted to place the order Togo. It's in a nice area, easy to find and park which is always a plus down here. The inside was charming, and small. It wasnt very busy, we came in on a monday at lunch. They had specials and we decided to share a sandwich. We stood for kind of a long time before anyone acknowledged us. The server was bouncing around to the 2 tables in the restaurant and didnt pay us much attention. Finally the cook asked us if we were ready and we gave him our order. We sat down and waited and 10 minutes after we ordered the server/cashier finally asked us if we had been helped... it was super odd. He didnt speak to us again until our food was ready and he handed us the bag and gave us our total. We were so excited to try it, we opened it in the car. It was really small, but was a good snack for us to share and it came with a salad. My husband loved it, he liked that the chicken was cubed and kinda chunky. He had zero complaints. I thought the marinara was on the sweet side which I hate so I didn't care for it much. I didnt particularly like the cubed chicken this way, I kept pulling out the pieces when I took a bite leaving holes in the sandwich. We definitely had a difference in preference, but while I didnt like it my husband did! We saw what some of the tables had ordered and the alfredo and pizza looked good. I would try this place again, but we would have to get it delivered or sit down because Togo pickup didnt get much attention. read more

Thanks for the whole 3 tiny meatballs that were clearly Costco freezer brand along with the marinara .. the staff was outgoing and friendly and clearly underpaid read more

We hit up Italian Cravings at least once a month. We like to eat in as well as will often place an order for pick up. We LOVE their Cajun sautéed shrimp appetizer and bruschetta to start off with. Our kiddos love their pizza and my favorite entree is the Mama Mia. read more

Very good..just had spaghetti and meatballs....hubby had a personal pizza...very good lunch!

Good Italian food is REALLY hard to find. Most places just use the same red sauce and throw it on everything on top of a pile of cheese and call it pizza, lasagna, pasta, etc... Although the name is terrible, this place definitely surprised me. The atmosphere is small and a bit cheesy, and our waitress was quick and friendly. My girlfriend ordered the baked penne pasta and loved it...great light sauce with tons of flavor. I took a chance and ordered the gnocchi w/ a vodka sauce and sausage and loved it! Tons of flavor, and they didn't spread the usual red sauce on everything. The price is a bit steep but this place looks very mom n' pop so I was okay with that. Next time I'll try a pizza for take out as thats what everyone seemed to be doing. Definitely give it a try if you don't feel like waiting an hour at Selmas. UPDATE: Had the lasagna, and it just wasn't that good...it needed better sauce and a bit more flavor. Lasagna is key to good italian, and this just did not cut it or was even close to Angelo's in Fullerton. I'll try the pizza next... read more

The food is good. We always order pizza with pineapple, basil, eggplant, and fresh tomato. It a winning combo. The Vodka Chicken and Mama Mia are to die for, but heavy (they also are almost the exact same dish, so don't order them both). I like this place for take out. The interior is a real home spun mess, but I can be overly snobby as a professional interior designer, others might find it charming. Update: Last I was in they had done a clean up remodel. It is a bit nicer. read more

Re-Ordered because I used to love this place. Food was really good. Delivery was early read more

The bread that came with the soup is really good. The soup yesterday was clam chowder. The quality and the flavor was excellent, albeit, the soup was a little thin, the flavor, the potatoes, the clams, the textures were excellent. Ask for some lemon with the clam chowder to make it really pop. The the eggplant parmesan spaghetti was pretty good. No complaints. Not overwhelmingly special yet definitely worth eating!. The Eggplant was properly cooked. The marinara sauce could have been more abundant. The Caesar salad could have been tastier by using real shredded parmesan, and a tangy Caesar dressing. It was barely Ok read more

My wife Kathy does not enjoy food like I do. She would be happy with a bowl of steam. This is the 2nd time in 3 years we have gone there. The service was great. Kathy had Meat Lasagna. I had the Mama Mia somethingor other. Kathy finished her lasagna and ate some of mine. Kathy likes it. We will be back read more