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    Monarca Pasta & Grill

    4.6 (192 reviews)
    InexpensiveItalian
    Closed 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

    Monarca Pasta & Grill Photos

    Business Info

    MONARCA PASTA & GRILL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Jaelarra J.

    While looking for food in the area, I came across this place based on its reviews and decided to give it a try. I ordered the Chicken Lasagna and the black sauce pasta. I asked the gentleman taking my order if I could add extra veggies to the pasta, but after driving an hour back to my side of town, I realized none of the additional veggies nor shrimp I requested were included. The Chicken Lasagna was decent--different, but I'd rate it a 7/10. As for the black sauce pasta, I was told it would have some spice, but it ended up being more on the sweet side, almost like it had a hint of BBQ sauce. I'd rate that a 4/10.

    Italian bread
    Victoria M.

    The food was amazing and the ambience was fun and accessible! In addition to the shrimp scampi spaghetti and bread being delicious so was the lemonade I ordered.

    Monarca chicken pasta and carne asada. So delicious!
    Tiffany C.

    It was our first time here at this place and overall we really liked it! ENVIRONMENT: This place is a hole-in-the-wall hidden gem. It's a very small restaurant with 8 tables total (3 two-person tables and 5 four-person booths). There weren't many people when we went but it might get crowded on other days. We parked on the street to get here. SERVICE: The servers are very friendly & attentive and made sure that we had everything we needed throughout our meal. Wait time was also very quick. They also gave us free chips and salsa as we waited for our food. FOOD: We ordered 2 entrees: the Carne Asada entree and the Monarca Chicken Pasta. Both dishes had huge portions! - Carne Asada Plate: very delicious, the meathad that nice charred bbq flavor with a hint of lime. It was a tiny bit dry though. It came with a side of rice&beans and garlic bread ...huge portion and very filling! 8.5/10 - Monarca Chicken Pasta: this dish was surprisingly amazing! It was a chicken bowtie pasta dish with pink sauce (tomato + alfredo sauce) and their signature black sauce which is a sweet savory sauce that tastes similar to teriyaki sauce. I feel that the sweetness of the black sauce brought out all the flavors of the pink sauce and chicken. 9/10 -Apple Pie: Their apple pie was not bad, but the crust was kinda hard and not very fresh. But we did like how it was warm and not too sweet, as well as the fact that it came with vanilla ice cream. 6.5/10 PRICE: The prices here are very affordable! Almost every dish was under $15, and there were several that were under $10! This restaurant is really a bang for your buck. Overall, we highly recommend! Great food, great prices, and we will DEFINITELY come back to this place if we happen to pass by the area in the future!

    Carne Asada
    Monifa S.

    Monarca is a little mom & pop restaurant in a tiny shopping center. It may seem a little sketchy from the looks of it, but the food did not disappoint. Came here for dinner with a party of 4. The seating is tight, but it works. I would honestly call it a fusion restaurant as there are Italian, American, and Mexican cuisine options. There is also a parking lot. It is a little small but we were able to find street parking. We were a little confused at first regarding seating, but it is seat yourself. Someone eventually brought us a menu and provided us with beverages. The server was very kind and attentive. She did her best at explaining stuff to us. I got the carne asada with tortillas and rice and beans. As we were waiting for the food, we were given fresh tortilla chips and salsa. The chips were so good as they were crunchy, warm, and sweet. The salsa was not a spicy salsa, but it had a very light taste. The carne asada was well seasoned and moist. The rice and beans were average. The tortillas were not homemade or anything special, but they were good. I enjoyed the food and was very full. The prices at this place are unmatched. The carne asada meal was less than $10. AMAZING!! Overall, I enjoyed the food and would most likely come back here.

    Chips
    Shelby S.

    Monarca is a small restaurant located in a similarly small strip mall about a mile from USC. What I really appreciate about this place is that it is not in a pretentious area but it still has extremely good food AND pricing. There is some parking in the strip mall, but it can get pretty tight (literally) and/or full. There's plenty of street parking across the street. We weren't really sure what to do when we arrived since no one really greeted us and there weren't really any directions, so we seated ourselves. Our server has friendly and ensured all of our orders were correct. The chips and salsa were fantastic. We asked for multiple bowls because they were that good. One time, we even got a hot, freshly made batch and they were amazing. We ordered some guac and it was ok--kinda of bland but still good. I had the lobster ravioli with pink sauce (a mix of tomato + Alfredo sauce) and loved it. I could definitely taste the lobster in each bite. The garlic bread was good, too, and it was great dipping up the me extra sauce with the bread. I would definitely return!

    James R.

    Hidden gem !!! Great food , great prices and friendly staff !!! Limited seating and parking but worth the wait

    Garlic bread
    Chuy D.

    This place is out of control delicious! We tried a lot of plates.. the chicken pasta was great! The little shrimp soup was fire!! And the lobster ravioli were the absolute best!! So so good! Thank you monarquita!!

    Baked Tilapia
    Shannon Z.

    This place is one of those hole in the wall places that people don't really know about but they serve really good food. It's located near USC so students should definitely come here to check out the food because they serve a pretty big portion for a good price! This place is small and it's definitely not for big parties. My sister and I found parking on the plaza next to it which I believe belongs to this place?? I ordered the spaghetti shrimp pasta and my sister ordered the baked tilapia. The portion size of the baked tilapia was HUGE. It came with rice, beans, and the tilapia. It's definitely enough to have for 2 meals. The shrimp pasta was delicious as well; the shrimp was thoroughly cooked, the sauce was perfect. I've seen lots of pictures on Yelp that there were suppose to top off the pasta with shredded cheese but my dish didn't have that. The portion size for the pasta wasn't HUGE but it did leave me full, with alittle leftover. One of the best things about this place was that it came with free nacho chips with green salsa dip, and garlic bread which were all very yummy as well. Both of our meals came out to be around $23 which is a decent and affordable price compared to other pasta shops. I believe that they sell $6 pizzas that look really tasty when I saw pictures of it on Yelp and that's super cheap. The quality of the food is decent compared to the price. If you're in the USC area, you should definitely check out this place!

    Tilapia
    Michelle Z.

    My sister randomly found this place since she was looking for food near USC. It is a small restaurant in the same plaza as Olympian diner, and if you drive by, you most likely would not have noticed it. We wanted to come on a Tuesday, but apparently they're closed on Tuesdays. It was a bit difficult locating the restaurant and finding parking, but we parked behind the plaza because the parking lot for this plaza is small. The place is smaller than I expected; you order up front, and then go sit down. They bring out a plate of chips and a small bowl of salsa. The salsa and chips were just okay, but it was free and good way to past the time. They also brought out some garlic bread (it was mostly just butter) right before we received our food. I ordered tilapia, which comes with rice and beans, and my sister ordered the shrimp pasta. The dishes were huge, especially my tilapia. It was two pieces of fish, 1/3 plate of mashed beans, and 1/3 plate of rice. I usually hate beans, but this beans was actually good because it tasted nicely seasoned. It was the perfect wet-consistency. I even dipped my garlic bread into it. The rice and fish were also really nice, especially after squeezing some lime juice on top of it. I only ate less than half the plate and took back the rest for another meal. The meal portion is huge, and for about $10 or $11, I think this is pretty affordable for how many meals you can make out of this.

    Very good food. I had the chicken pasta and my husband had the carne asada. Everything tasted great. The service was also great and the food came out fast.

    Seafood pasta (front) shrimp spaghetti (back)

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    1 month ago

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    9 months ago

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    5 months ago

    Cooke and staff are very nice ! Great food also!! Definitely recommend the pasta and pizza super delicious thank you all,

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    9 months ago

    Everything I have had so far has so much flavor ! Their Alfredo pasta is so delicious and the tilapia with rice and beans hit every time!

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    1 year ago

    the best chicken fettuccine. I will always be a loyal customer to this restaurant flavors always on point

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    2 years ago

    Food was surprisingly good. I got the spaghetti with meat sauce. Will definitely go back.

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    3 years ago

    Excellent mom and pop shop. Pastas are delicious and portions are huge. Family staffs are always friendly.

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    3 years ago

    The service is always good. My go to is the shrimp Alfredo and the caribbean Pasta. It's so tasty and it's all home made and fresh

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    9 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Food is excellent and very tasteful, prices are good considering that the food is delicious.

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    Maccheroni Republic

    Maccheroni Republic

    4.4
    (4.6k reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$

    Maccheroni Republic - Life is full of pasta-bilities!…read more So if you know anything about me, you know that I love pasta more than just about anything. While I can only officially claim about 12% Italian heritage, I'm 100% down for Italian food, especially homemade pasta, any day of the week. I'm spending this week in Little Tokyo for a conference, and while Japanese food is also absolutely my jam, when Maccheroni Republic slid into my Yelp feed, I knew that I had to hoof it over there immediately after we broke for the day. I saw the front of the building, and my heart sank because it looked closed, but then I noted the sign that indicated that the entrance is on the right side of the building through the courtyard. Thank goodness! I strutted through the courtyard, and observed about 15 people waiting for tables. Unbothered, I went up to the host stand and chatted with the stylish maitre'd - Dino - who indicated that he could have a table for me in 7-10 minutes. I proceeded to wait and I watched how he deftly sat the other waiting parties in order without difficulty or notes. To the untrained eye, it might have looked a little chaotic, but Dino absolutely knew what he was doing. About 15 minutes later, Dino sat me at a corner deuce in the inside dining room where I had a nice view of everything. Angel efficiently took my order and did a very good job of overseeing my table as well as about nine others. The dining room is so cute and homey, and the patio is a welcome respite from the bustle and business of downtown. Since I was "da sola" or on my own, I just tried the shrimp cakes and I ordered the Rigatoni all Norma which is one of of my go to pasta dishes since I don't eat much meat. Incidentally, this dish is named after Norma, the famous 19th-century opera composed by Catanese native Vincenzo Bellini. According to legend, a famous Sicilian playwright, Nino Martoglio, tried the pasta and was so overwhelmed by its perfection that he exclaimed, "Chista è 'na vera Norma!" ("This is a true Norma!"), comparing the culinary masterpiece to the musical one. So says Wikipedia anyway. The shrimp cakes were delivered quickly by a sweet food runner who kindly checked on me periodically during my dinner. The four shrimp cakes were accompanied by sauteed onions which paired really nicely with the crispy cakes that were brightened with a spritz from the fresh lemon wedge. She also brought a basket with four slices of Italian bread which I enjoyed with the EVOO and Balsamic that were on the table. My Watermelon Ciao was also so good. It was sweetly tart and such a nice treat on a Monday! Not long after I polished off the shrimp cakes, the rigatoni was delivered and dusted with a generous layer of parmigiana. The little fresh mozzarella pearls glistened on the top of the pasta and slowly melted and oozed into the sauce as I stirred it up. Yum! The rigatoni were al dente and delicious, and they were perfectly sauced. Of course, the eggplant was perfectly cooked as well, I only wish there had been a few more pieces of it - although by the time I ate the last noodle, I was so full! Alas, I had no room for dessert, but I intend to bring some of my conference colleagues back for a meal before the end of the week because it was THAT GOOD. I also loved that this place is NOT pretentious at all. There were all sorts of folks enjoying their food here from medical professionals in scrubs to college kids in shorts and t-shirts, and I was also very casually attired, but I was treated well and welcomed with graciousness and delicious food! Mille grazie Maccheroni Republic, Dino, Angel and everyone at this wonderfully lowkey yet fabulous trattoria.

    First time at this restaurant. The staff was really…read morewelcoming and attentive which really makes a difference when stopping to enjoy good company and food in downtown. We went fairly early in the afternoon , to enjoy Lunch while visiting my aunt. They brought out fresh bread and it was really good, the balsamic vinegar had an amazing flavor . Forgot to snap photos of the appetizers , it's was Brushetta and The bone marrow, both were excellent Every dish came out and was sooo good , a nice portion and every dish was very well balanced and exceeded our expectations. The shrimp tasted very fresh and was perfectly plump and not overcooked. The Ragu with wild board was excellent and ragu was rich and hearty. Lasagna was very rich and decadent and we enjoyed every bite. Gnocchi con carne was delicious as well For dessert we had affogato , espresso was very rich and velvety , with the perfect sweetness. Flourless chocolate cake was amazing . We look forward coming back, the patio was really cute and offered shade and made us feel like we were transported to much calmer atmosphere (love downtown la though ) Above all else , every single staff member we encountered made the experience amazing , we will definitely be back.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    MASCARPONE FLAN
    MASCARPONE FLAN
    Scallops with squid ink risotto

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    Scallops with squid ink risotto
    Cento Pasta Bar

    Cento Pasta Bar

    4.4
    (1.2k reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$$

    Charming laidback outdoor courtyard setting nestled in trees and a lively kitchen-view, counter…read moreseating inside. The menu is inviting with plenty of great options without being overwhelming. Less is more. But let's talk art (culinary, that is). The dishes certainly deserve main features. To start "the best Caesar salad in LA" and I quote which was certainly true. Grilled octopus charred on the inside and juicy at the center. Spicy pomodoro is perfectly al dente and a well-balanced sauce. But, my favorite-- the agnolotti! Wow, melt in your mouth! The flavor profiles of corn, crème fraiche, and old bay were delicious. My only wish -- larger serving of this (smallest pasta serving on the menu). To complete it, banana pudding tiramisu -- delicious too with a firm center and oozy outside. Atala was wonderful and very sweet. Recommendation: come with a group of at least 4 to try more on the menu -- the large plates (branzino and ribeye) looked excellent! Definitely a worthwhile visit.

    I have to admit, I don't eat pasta very often, but damn... the pasta here was amazing…read more Getting a reservation was surprisingly easy through OpenTable, which was a huge plus. We came on a Thursday night as a group of four and the place was pretty busy. From everything I've heard, Cento is one of the more popular pasta spots in LA right now, so I was excited to finally try it. We started with the radicchio salad which was delicious. Light, refreshing, and tangy, a great way to start the meal. For pasta, we ordered the Spicy Pomodoro, Sweet Corn Agnolotti, Broccoli Bucatini, and the Cavatelli Finocchio. Honestly, it was hard to pick a favorite because every single one was excellent. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, the sauces were flavorful, and each dish felt unique. My only complaint is that the portions are a little small. I understand they're meant for sharing, but to be honest I probably could have eaten all four by myself. At around $30 per plate, this definitely isn't a cheap meal. One thing that was a little disappointing was that it was my fiancée's birthday and I had noted it on the reservation. We noticed another table receiving what looked like a special birthday dessert, but nothing was mentioned for us. My fiancée didn't want me to ask about it, so we just let it go and ended up getting dessert elsewhere. Not a huge deal, but it was a bit of a letdown. That said, the food itself was absolutely outstanding. If you're a pasta lover, this place is definitely worth checking out.

    Photos
    The kitchen view from our seats
    The kitchen view from our seats
    Spicy Pomodoro
    Spicy Pomodoro
    Beef Tartare

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    Beef Tartare
    Donna's

    Donna's

    4.3
    (685 reviews)
    3.8 mi
    $$$

    This has to be my new favorite LA restaurant. Every dish I had was amazing, even the dessert. I was…read morepleasantly surprised by the chicken parmesan and linguini & clams pasta. The caesar salad was also made really well. The service was friendly and quick. It's a super cute vibe inside too! Parking can get tricky since it's all street parking, but not too bad.

    Getting reservations here felt like getting concert tickets for a popular artist. Reservation slots…read moredrop at 10am, 28 days in advanced. Within minutes, tickets for Saturday night were completely taken. Crazy! So much hype around this restaurant and for the most part, it did actually live up to it. Garlic Bread - Heavenly. A crunchy exterior with a soft buttery finish in between every slice and topped with parm shavings. This was definitely my favorite out of everything we got! Arugula Salad - Dressed perfectly with a tooooon of cheese on top. My type of salad! There was enough acidity in the dressing that the cheese wasn't too overpowering. Meat and Cheese Plate - Assorted meats and cheeses with olives and artichokes. All the cheeses were rich and the meats were sliced thinly. The portion of the plate as a whole was a little on the small side though. Fusilli Alla Vodka - The flavor was good but it honestly tasted like I could've made it at home. I was expecting a more rich creamy sauce with a handmade pasta. My hopes were extremely high for this dish since this is the one everyone gets. It wasn't bad by any means, it just wasn't what I was expecting after seeing all the great reviews on it. Pan Seared Branzino - Comes on a bed of green sauce. The branzino itself was seasoned and cooked perfectly. The sauce felt a little out of place. A little too herby. It comes deboned. Patatas - Generous portion of crispy large potatoes with a delicious bed of aioli. Cannolis - Comes with 3 fun sized cannolis of differing flavors. Strawberry, chocolate, and I'm forgetting the other flavor. A fun take on your classic cannoli. My least favorite was the strawberry shortcake. It had the concept of a cannolis but just didn't hold up well and was more like cheesecake. The chocolate was the best. I did enjoy the toppings on either side of the cannoli for an extra crunch. Rosina - Perfectly balanced cocktail. A little sweet with enough tartness to not make it overpowering. Service was great, the interior of the restaurant was cute and homey, food came out quickly - overall, a very good experience. The hype around this place made my expectations extremely high, and although they weren't all met, this was still a meal I would definitely come back for.

    Photos
    Bar area.
    Bar area.
    Broccolini
    Broccolini
    Chicken Parmesan

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    Chicken Parmesan
    L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michele

    L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michele

    4.3
    (2.6k reviews)
    5.4 mi
    $$$

    The best authentic Neapolitan pizza I've had in los Angeles. The crust was incredible, the cheese…read morewas perfect, and the arugula prosciutto pizza was outstanding. The Caesar salad was really good, and the branzino was honestly one of the best I've ever had - great presentation too. The kitchen staff in the back were some latino dudes but tbey clearly know what they're doing because the food tasted very authentic and well executed. I'm giving 3 stars for service because we waited way too long for our bottle of wine. When it finally came out, it wasn't the bottle I ordered, and our waitress Lauren insisted it was the same thing, which felt insulting because it was obviously not the same vintage - it was off by two years. At that point, I just wanted some wine already, so l let it go. That said, the ambiance was great, and the food alone makes this place worth visiting.

    Would I recommend this restaurant? Not really…read more From the outside, the restaurant looks okay and doesn't particularly stand out, but once you walk inside, it's very cute and nicely decorated. The atmosphere is pleasant. Sitting outside in their back patio was enjoyable, while the indoor dining area is cozy and aesthetically pleasing. Everything looks appealing and well-presented, but unfortunately, much of the food lacked flavor. I ordered the Pappardelle Genovese pasta, and although it looked delicious and had plenty of meat, it was surprisingly bland. I even added sea salt to try to enhance the flavor, but it was still only average. The pizza wasn't bad, but it's not something I would order again. The drinks were fine and looked cute, but nothing particularly memorable. My favorite item was the beet salad. It was delicious and well balanced, with mixed greens, goat cheese, hazelnuts, and a balsamic vinaigrette. That was definitely the standout dish of the meal. Overall, the ambiance, decor, and presentation were better than the food itself. While it's a nice place to visit and enjoy the atmosphere, I probably wouldn't return for the food.

    Photos
    Interior.
    Interior.
    Truffle Pizza
    Truffle Pizza
    Interior

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    Interior
    Mother Wolf

    Mother Wolf

    4.1
    (1.4k reviews)
    5.3 mi
    $$$$

    Tried a few dishes, and the standout was definitely the rigatoni--easily my favorite…read more Would come back again, especially to grab a seat at the bar and try more from the menu.

    Mother Wolf delivers when it comes to food and service. Every dish we ordered was delicious, and…read morethe staff was attentive, professional, and genuinely welcoming. The quality of the food is undeniable, and it's easy to see why this restaurant has built such a strong reputation. That said, I was disappointed to see the automatic 5% wellness charge added to the bill. While I understand the intention is to help fund employee benefits, I don't think customers should be put in the position of directly subsidizing them through a separate fee. Yes, you can ask to have the charge removed, but doing so makes you feel like the bad guy--as if you're choosing not to support the staff. Why not simply incorporate the cost into the menu prices? Add a couple of dollars to a pasta dish or adjust pricing accordingly. At least then the cost is transparent and built into the dining experience rather than appearing as an extra charge at the end of the meal. Mother Wolf is already an expensive restaurant. Cocktails can easily run around $30 each, so it's hard not to wonder why employee benefits are being passed on to guests as a separate line item. The food and service were excellent, but the wellness fee left a bad taste in my mouth and would make me think twice before returning.

    Photos
    Open kitchen
    Open kitchen
    Polpette Di Coda (Oxtail Meatballs)
    Polpette Di Coda (Oxtail Meatballs)
    Croquettes, least memorable of the night for me but good!

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    Croquettes, least memorable of the night for me but good!

    Monarca Pasta & Grill - italian - Updated June 2026

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