Have you seen their website? The interior decor is as tacky as it. But in fairness, they do have friendly and very attentive staff. About 3 of them checked on us in intervals. They provided us with fresh, hot rolls even though, upon taking our orders, all of us just felt like getting dessert and coffee. And when our friend got a cappuccino, our lady server apologized in advance that it might take a while because their machine is still warming up. Strategy! She exaggerated so that we would expect a long wait but really, it wasn't! Creepy as it may sound but I got a whiff of our servers' hands while he brought in our bread basket. It smelled freshly clean as soap. At least, you're assured that employees here wash their hands before returning to work! read more

Old school charm, proud family tradition, and a long history of lovingly prepared Italian food from their family recipes. Their new location (literally across the street) provides more space and efficiency, although it doesn't "ooze tradition" like the old site....but it works better, and the food is just as good. Great experience here every time. read more

I love it here every time! Always outstanding service and food, always fresh and the best pasta

This is my coworkers favorite restaurant in town and I can see why. It's nice, but not too fancy. The people are welcoming, but not in your face. The menu is basic Italian-American favorites served in large portions, at a reasonable price. They start you off with bread which is either a crusty loaf or these chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside rolls. They kinda remind me of bagels actually! The salad was fine, no complaints. For my meal I had the pasta carbonara--huge serving, super creamy and rich. I'm not sure what kind of ham was in it, definitely not bacon or pancetta though. It also had plenty of peas. Honestly, it was so heavy that I ended up asking for lemons to cut some of the creaminess, and it really helped. Overall La Botte just has such a nice family feel that I'll definitely go back. When we were cold, the staff noticed on their own and said they'd turn the air down. My coworker even said that sometimes 'Mama' will sing for you read more

I was born and raised on the east coast, from Boston, and lived in NYC. Because of business, I'm in Lompoc more. I must say I have been to many Italian Restaurants, and it's the first time in a long one that I've tasted bolognese the way I had it in Little Italy in NYC. I felt like I was there eating AUTHENTIC Italian food. I mean, this family knows what they're doing. Okay, Jay S from below's recent comment, the service was not horrible. Maybe you got it on a bad night? On my night, they were slammed. But, really...isn't it about the food??? And, this place has it in diamonds! Brilliant home made food. I felt like I was walking into a home cooked meal. I haven't been able to find that in Italian Santa Barbara cooking, that is, unless you want to pay a fortune. So generous with their portions. And, I must say the night I went recently...I can't remember having bolognese so outstanding in every way. Salads were fresh, bread baked out of the oven - hot and fresh. No, they won't jump to serve you, and some would give it four stars for that, but the staff are so very kind, and I grade on the FOOD...if you want authentic Italian food, drive outside of Santa Barbara and come to Lil' Ol' Lompoc for a gastro experience you won't forget.. read more

If you're stuck in Lompoc overnight, you're kind of SOL.You have very few choices; Lompoc is tiiiiiny. There's this place and across the street used to a better Italian restaurant but now it's a dodgy sports bar. So, yeah, you're screwed; you have to go to La Botte. Here are some tips to maybe make this restaurant not such a waste of money: 1. Don't order booze, it's expensive: bad Italian beer and supermarket wine. 2. Don't order specials. Also expensive and maybe just the chef's experiments? 3. Stick to comfort foods. 4. Order the calamari. 5. Split your meal. 6. Skip the whole business and stock up on groceries at Von's and maybe bbq at your hotel's weird shared grill by the pool? Idk, it's Lompoc. read more

Wonderful!!! Our server on Saturday, July 3rd (should've gotten his name) was so nice and we were super-impressed how he handled all the tables with such ease and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. (And he tried so hard to get the Dodger game on for us...that was so nice of him!) Food was great! I had the chicken piccata and my husband had the manicotti, and we polished both off---and they were big portions and we normally don't eat that much, but here we did! Nice new location, though I hope the city does something to preserve the old location with the pretty painting on the exterior. We live about two hours away from Lompoc, but when we're in town, we always stop at this restaurant. It's a must and a local treasure for sure! read more

This was definitely not the place I wanted dinner but it was the only name I remembered. Service was slow and the result was a pizza that was so so. The waitress took forever to get the order right uh we ordered a Nick's Special but change the Pepperoni to Meatballs. Really should that take 5 tries? I was saddened by the limited menu and it was only fair. The ambiance, if that is what you can call it was from the 70/80 eras. The menus were sticky and the whole place needed a thorough cleaning. The waitress did not know the menu she said it was her first night and that is why she was bouncing off the walls REALLY! Would I go again NO read more

Visiting Lampoc we asked around which was the best restaurant in town. Everyone agreed on two, one being La Botte. We came in late evening but even when it was already after hours and the place was full, the (presumably) owner welcomed us anyway and sat us at the bar. After a delicious cup of minestrone, we ask for chicken Picatta and breaded Veal, both superb. Now the cherry on top? The service, so unique that facing a walk of 1.5 miles back to our hotel (Uber is spotty, there is one taxi for the town) one of the servers very kindly offered us a ride... now, that's what means above and beyond the duty service. Highly recommend after a tour of the wineries. read more

When you first walk into the restaurant, the first thing I notice is the blob of melting cakes located inside the mirrored cake display case. Unappetizing. The walls of the restaurant painted with fading scenes of Italy, mostly Venice which makes me think, Venetian food.... sardines, squid, seafood, light pastas.... but that's hardly the case when you open the menu. Instead, you get alot of Americanized favorites... lasagna, chicken marsala, and carbonara (cream based and not traditional egg based)... and lots of dishes with heavy tasteless alfredo sauce. The menu is boring and on the very heavy side. I settled on the chicken picatta with afredo, minestrone, and my wife had the lasagna. Presentation... horrible.. just a blob in a sea of sauce for the lasagna. The alfredo, was tasteless and sooooo heavy. I had a couple of bites and ate the house bread instead to save on the calories. The minestrone, really not much better than a can of Progresso in fact, I prefer the Progresso. All in all, the restaurant is physically tired and fading, inside and outside and the menu is tired. It's 2014 and not 1992 anymore. These outdated menus and restaurants are from an era gone. They can hang on, but without re-invention, how can they survive? I know that Lompoc is a different market than lets say Los Olivos, but take a look around and see all the shuttered restaurants in Lompoc. I stay in Lompoc for about 2-3 weeks a year and I finally ate at La Botte after being recommended to me a few times and that's that been done, I don't need to revisit again. I'm taking my money to Santa Maria and Los Olivos for Italian. Los Alamos is up and coming... at least they have a bright restaurant future. read more

Oh Lompoc Cons: Prices Felt like someone's living room Lasagne was a waste of space Waitress forgot things (constantly) Clam Chowder had carrots in it...just weird Pros: Nice staff Good Calamari Pizza read more

This was truly a mom & pop kind of place, a favorite of the locals. They were definitely busy, no open tables by the time we left at 6:15. The food was just okay. Mostaccioli soup was bland; needed a lot more seasoning. We split a pizza and some cheese ravioli. Both were decent, but nothing special. My husband was particularly disappointed. I'm trying not to be negatively influenced by the fact that the town of Lompoc sucked! Maybe La Botte is the best place in town, but it's not that great. read more

Food good as always .. service has gone down hill !!!! They say they open at 4.maybe but you wait a hour for your food just for take out.. you should opened for lunch again and maybe you staff will be ready for dinner shift by then . read more

It's a rare thing for me to make my way to Lompoc. Let the reader take note: This was my home town growing up (And please, no comments on feeling sorry for me or how tiny or awful the town appears to be...my childhood was awesome! And there are few places on the planet that could recreate how incredible the time was). Not too much has changed since those days...Lompoc has always struggled for good places to eat (I recall families being excited that Denny's came to town!) and most of the mom and pop shops have been around for a very, very long time. Enter La Botte: an authentic, made by real Italians, restaurant. I recall when they first built this place (Before it, there was a 1960's style burger joint called "Taco/Burger"! Lompoc had two of them: one at the La Botte location and the other on Ocean...told you I grew up here!). In those days, Lompoc hadn't seen a good Italian joint since Maestro's and Yenny's Pizza was around. La Botte rose up and presented not only good Italian bill of fare, but pizza you could make your fork stand up with. It's been a good few decades since I've darkened the door here, but let me tell you things haven't changed much. Momma (The proprietor) and her daughters still run the place; the food is still very good, and the locals know to support what has become a Lompoc institution. During farmers market you can find these folks dishing out samples. And when you come in, don't be surprised if you are served by Momma. I'm not sure what all the complaint is about prices...I've traveled the world and the prices here are fair, the portions are ample, the hospitality is very good. Not happy with your plate? Speak up! They strive to make things right! Call it small town hospitality if you will...a dying art in an age where many establishments are happy to just throw your food out a window. As for me, I'll keep coming here as long as the food and hospitality remain the same. A restaurant with heart, soul, and gives a damn about it's customers? I'll eat there any day of the week! Sounds like La Botte for me! read more

So so good authentic Italian restaurant. First time here and everything went good. Waiter was really friendly and accommodating as well!

Please see the Don Pepe review for the start of this story.... we pick up this review at the end of the first paragraph. So we went to La Botte, a few doors down from Don Pepe. It was about 9:03 when we showed up, and the sign said they close at 9, but they welcomed us like long-lost family members and had food in front of us within five minutes - which was just what we wanted. My travelling companion - who is vegan - inexplicably ordered a spaghetti bolognese and then complained when she discovered meat in it. Mama Caterina came to our table and offered solace to my distressed friend, who by now was talking about insufficient enzymes, etc. and generally was working herself into a deep misery. Mama Caterina put a comforting arm around my companion and told her she'd bring out a plate of pasta with a tomato sauce. The upside of all this was I got to eat the spag bol, which was an unexpected bonus. I had ordered a vegetarian penne dish, which went down very nicely, thankyou. They didn't charge us for the extra plate of pasta, so I left an extra large tip to cover the cost of it - after all, it was our mistake. Overall the food here is not fancy, it is just good, honest, old school Italian nosh. But it is not expensive, and the hospitality is outstanding. Don Pepe may boast a big burrito, but when in Lompoc I say go to La Botte. They'll be open, they'll be kind, they'll feed you well, and they'll not bust your wallet. read more

Exceptional service and great food! The bread that was fresh out of the oven was delectable! Word of advice, don't eat too much bread because you won't be able to finish your meal. So darn darn good! read more

Food was fantastic in quality and taste. Really good shrimp Alfredo with a lot of shirmp. Service was okay. We were never told the specials, asked what we wantednto drink such as wine or soda. We had to ask to get a lemonade and a wine they did not have in the restaurant but on the menu. I was disappointed. We also had to ask for a refill in water and ask for a dessert menu. We are not discourage about the service. The food was excellent in every eay, but we will give this place one more chance and another review soon to make a final judgment on this place. read more

La Botte - Host desk - Italian Near Me - Lompoc, California

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We were in Lompoc on a stop over during a 3 day, 300 mile bike ride, and wanted some tasty carbs for our final day. We went to La Botte and had Brochetta, salads, and a huge plate of spagetti and meatballs. Our server Catalina was super, the food was great, and I was very satisfied! They have a special version of Italian salad dressing that is the best I've ever tasted. The marinara sauce was very tasty as were the meatballs. The service was prompt, the food was excellent, and I was full and very happy. I highly recommend giving this resturant a try if you are in town. read more

Wow, my first time at this restaurant I ordered by phone for pick up I walk in and was knocked over by The Wretched stench of raw sewage I was told oh we can't do anything about it we had the same problem at our old restaurant. The food is so so I would never step foot in that place ever again. A family of four with two little girls while waiting for a table had to leave because the girls of vomited. read more

Wasn't very impressed. I called an order and it took me a few minutes because the lady couldn't get my order right. Then when I got there my order was still wrong. I got the chicken fettuccine Alfredo and the chicken was kind of dry and the pasta wad blend and not enough sauce. I will give them another chance with a dining review. read more

So we were literally next door to this restaurant and I called in to place a TO GO order and was told that they were not doing "anymore dinners". I wasn't asking to dine in and I reiterated that it was to go and still she said they weren't doing anymore dinners.....???? It was 40 min till closing.... super disappointed that this business doesn't honor their hours. As much as I understand covid restrictions ordering a to go should not be effected. read more

I'm not a big fan of Italian food but this place really impressed me! Food: I ordered the sauteed mushrooms and the Baked Mostaccioli and they were both DELICIOUS! The baked mostaccioli was made with penne pasta with eggplant mozzarella & ricotta cheese, served with Nick's meat sauce. It's basically a lasagna but with penne pasta instead of the flat type of pasta. It's REALLY REALLY good! I normally can't taste the difference between different tomato sauces but I could really tell a difference with this place! It tastes so much fresher and BETTER than any other tomato sauce I've had! A healthy serving of the cheese made the dish even more tasty! I loved it and highly recommend this dish! The meal also came with a house salad and some bread (which was also delicious!) This place gives pretty BIG portions too! Service: Friendly and fast! They really take care of you here! Ambiance: Very cute and cozy. I like how the place really oozes in Italian flare! Love it! Price: The meal came out to be around $20 (tax and tip included). It's a really good price considering I was able to stretch the entree meal out into THREE separate meals! I ate 1/3 of it that night and then I had 1/3 of it the next day for lunch and then the last 1/3 of it the next day for lunch and it still tasted AMAZING on the 3rd day!! YUM! Overall: I LOVE this place and would LOVE to come back! Can't wait until I do! :) read more

Thank you Yelpers! We found this little gem in Lompoc. Great dinner and wonderful service. We even had "mama", all the way from Italy, stop by and make sure we were enjoying our meal. I had Chicken Marsala which was quite good. If you find yourself in Lompoc, you can't go wrong here. read more

We found this delightful place by asking the desk person at our hotel which place in town was "write-home-to-mama good." He didn't hesitate when he recommended La Botte. Bonus that they are open later than a lot of places, since I like a late dinner, and Lompoc folds up early. It's a homey, cozy place with comfortable booths and soft lighting. It's owned by an Italian family who have been here forever and were clearly born to do this. I think the woman who seated us might have been the owner; she was a lovely older Italian woman who treated us like family. There were several other diners in the restaurant, despite it being 9:30pm on a week night, and we never felt rushed. The menu had lots of delicious choices, from different regions in Italy, but probably weighted toward Southern Italian (think pasta, red sauce, beautiful Mediterranean veggies, etc.). I had the baked mostiaccioli and OMG, it was so good! Flavorful and satisfying. The menu had a number of interesting wine choices, some local and some from Italy. I will go out of my way to eat there again next time I'm in Lompoc. read more

My wife and I have been frequenting this restaurant for a dozen years and the food has always been consistently awesome. But above and beyond that, it is run by an extended family that is some of the best people on earth. They make you feel like family too. But now they have added a new dimension: a waiter named Al. Very experienced, incredibly entertaining, professional and personable. A new family member. I hope we get him again next time. read more

Hands down our Favorite Italian restaurant in all of Santa Barbara county and it's right here in our awesome little town of Lompoc! The service is excellent from start to finish and the Food is amazing from appetizers and wine to our main dishes!! And the La Botte Family atmosphere is legit, we just feel right at home and always leave full & happy! read more

This place is hands down the absolute BEST restaurant in Lompoc, and one of the BEST restaurants I've ever been too! I was born and raised in Santa Barbara, and have traveled the world...not much can hold a candle to Mama's cooking :) The Chicken Piccata was to die for. The portions were huge, and wait staff very friendly and attentive, and of course you have Mama charming everyone there :) PLUS, all pasta can be made gluten free (which is especially important to a Celiac like myself) and tasted wonderful. I told my boyfriend when we were there last night that this food would be what I wanted for my last meal on Earth. Everyone has got to try La Botte. ***PLUS, one a month they have GREAT cooking classes at lunch time. You are served a giant plate of fabulous fare, and shown how to make what you're eating from scratch! Then they send you home with the ingredient list and recipe. It's only $15, GREAT DEAL and TONS of FUN! read more

Lompoc...tiny tiny tiny town. That being said, you have to eat right? My friends and I ventured to La Botte as we heard that is was great from the locals. We had a great time. First, the bread you are served is amazing. Piping hot, doughy and delicious. I seriously wanted more. My boyfriend and I split a ceasar salad and a pizza (Nick's). Both were very fresh, and the portions were massive. We had enough pizza for another meal, which worked for us. The staff was also very warm and helpful; no complaints in that department. All in all we had a nice time. read more

Randomly stopped here for some dinner while passing through Lompoc and it turned out to be some of the best Italian food we've had! We were started off with some comp dinner rolls but we declined to indulge in their modest wine selection. The boy made an excellent choice of chicken marsala served with mushrooms and fettuccine Alfredo. My taste buds melted with delight with my order: linguine alla vongole with cream sauce. I'm not normally a fan of clams but the baby clams served in this dish may be the only way I'd like to eat them again. Additionally our meals came with a choice of soup or salad. The minestrone soup was simple and tasty and the salad was delightfully fresh with slightly sweet house Italian dressing. To top off an already amazing meal we ordered the chocolate cake with Kahlua and hazelnut cream frosting. And yes, it's as delicious as it sounds. The only downside was that while we were immediately seated we did wait longer than anticipated (and comfortable) for our meal to come out: probably 20 or so minutes. But it was all definitely worth our while! read more

We recently had dinner here and it was okay. The restaurant has a very old and musty feel to it which gives me the impression the food was made a week prior. We saw the pizza was made from scratch and it turned out pretty good. The tiramisu came out super sloppy and all over the place. It looked like a sloppy joe with frosting on it. The staff however was very friendly! The prices aren't bad but for this place I think they are too high. We won't be visiting this restaurant again or Lompoc for that matter. read more

Large portions of food but the quality was good but not great. I had Chicken Marsala and it was far from the best I have had. My sister had pasta and the sauce was flavorless. I not sure what other options you have in Lompoc for Italian but I will keep looking. read more

Let me start by saying, I am Italian and I love Italian food. I eat at the best Italian restaurants, but when I'm in Lompoc, there is no other choice. Best Italian restaurant by far... absolutely incredible food- consistently. NEVER been disappointed. Owned by a beautiful and wonderful family who care so much about their guests and the food that they serve. Always excellent service, great prices... I can't think of an Italian restaurant within a 100 mile radius I would even consider. Must give it a shot, and return and return and return! read more

I wanted to like La Botte, but I couldn't. I came here in 2009 and again in 2014 with the same results. The food is just bland. While it feels like a quality meal, I just was underwhelmed by every item. The Veal Marsala had a thin sauce without enough Marsala wine and without being reduced enough to increase the flavor. The Fettuccine Alfredo was also thin and watery without enough cheese in the sauce, no pepper, and a cheaper, less flavorful cheese. At the prices, I would have expected slightly better ingredients. I gave it 3 stars as I could see it as a pleasant meal for someone with reduced taste bud sensitivity, such as a senior. read more

We stopped here on our way (travelling across the state). The food was delicious . I was happy to see authentic Italian food. They have a good wine collection as well.. I hope they improve their service a little. We had to wait for 15 mins to be seated even though they had tables that were empty. Will recommend this place to anyone looking for good Italian food. read more

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If you like old school Italian, you'll love La Botte. There aren't a whole lot of good restaurant choices in Lompoc, so I might venture to say that this is the best place in town. I knew it was going to be good when I walked in and saw a huge picture on the wall of the owners. There's also a picture of Mama Caterina on the back of the menu. The service was a tad on the slow side and it we sat at kind of an odd table near the kitchen, but about half way through our meal some people sat across from us and I realized that they were the owners and probably some of their family. I think one of the guys was wearing a track suit, which made me smile. :) The food was fantastic - I had the chicken piccata, which was to die for. The garlic bread was tasty, the caesar salad just as it should be. I wish I had saved room for one of Mama Caterina's homemade desserts. Next time. read more

Excellent Chicken Marsala!!!! One of the best I've ever had!!! On a mini-vaca and stumbled upon this place!!! So glad we did!!! And super friendly down to earth staff! Highly recommend this spot! read more

La Botte - Awesome dish!!! And the mushrooms were so DELISH!!! - Italian Near Me - Lompoc, California

Just finished eating my dinner, I had the Chicken Piccata. It came with a caesar salad and bread. (Like the kind you get from Panera Bread) Total $20. Was it worth it? No, BIG portion of the chicken dish tho. So big you could share. The manager was nice, she told me about the wine tasting they were having the following Sunday. The food was just ok. Nothing special. We will be returning we'll just order one plate read more

We stumbled upon La Botte last night with staying in Lompoc. We had an awesome waitress, she got us seated and had drinks on the table in record time, she was very helpful with the recommendations and my husband picked their special. I picked my favorite thing, chicken Marsala, we opted for the bread and soup with our meal. Their seafood soup is great, full of flavor and packed full of veggies and seafood! DH had the tomato bisque was raving about it! We couldn't even finish our dinners there was just so much food and we might have gorged ourselves on their awesome rolls! I would have rated a full five stars but we sadly didn't get a chance to try them a second time. Based on the one trip expect great food, friendly and quick staff and an all around pleasant eating experience! If we were locals this would quickly become a favorite for us! read more

The restaurant itself is beautiful, and offers great service. The food, dine-in or take-out, is delicious! We went for our anniversary and we were not disappointed. Now, we order takeout regularly! read more