I never knew San Leandro had such a wonderful Italian restaurant until now. Right when you walk it felt like some good things happen here. Our server was Thomas H. shout out to you, thanks for the amazing service! This was by far the best Italian food I have had in years. I can say this with a clear mind because we all tasted each others food. A Few minutes after being seated much of the bar seating was gone. All the while people kept arriving into the main dining area. There was some very nice background music being played, I could swear every song I heard was "my song". This place is a winner! read more

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With outstanding food and customer service, Paradiso is a San Leandro neighborhood gem! If you're looking for an upscale spot to enjoy a good dinner and drinks or to celebrate a special occasion, you've come to the right spot. I haven't had a dish here that didn't hit the spot. If you're unsure, be sure to ask your server for recommendations. Looking forward to the next time I come back! read more

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Dinner in San Leandro, California... I was with my cousin and his wife who recommended that we dine at Paradiso Restaurant... okay! One good thing was that there's free metered street parking after 6pm. The interior of the restaurant was quite elegant and nicely air-conditioned! We had: Tempura Portobello Mushrooms with Chimichuri sauce, Fried oysters, Crab and Avocado Salad, rack of lamb, and scallops. Wow... fancy, right! For dessert, we shared a Peach and Blueberry Cobbler with vanilla gelato... and black cherry and chocolate gelato... it was a sweet ending to a wonderful meal! Service was top notch! Everything was tasty and had beautiful presentation! Thanks to my cousins for a fabulous experience! read more

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I put in a large order to share with family through DoorDash. I'm on a fixed income and this is the only restaurant I will order a meal from or eat in because this restaurant still uses quality product and ingredients. Their food is fresh and delicious and it's always packaged well when I get it . The party so chicken piccata is a large chicken breast with mashed potatoes and it's generous and portions and can be shared with two people . The house made sea salt focaccia bread is very soft, very fresh with a delicious little packet of butter . Even the crème brûlée is homemade with good ingredients and is. The garlic prawns and the beet salad were yummy. If you haven't tried this place give them a try. You will be glad you did. Bon appétit read more

Paradiso Restaurant - Parmesan garlic fries. - Italian Near Me - San Leandro, California

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Great Italian fare prepared authentically and so well. We ordered the Meatball sandwich, the Rigatoni. Bolognese and the Focaccia . The meatball sandwich was so tasty and yet so filling with the bread being the star to keep it so light. The pasta was prepared with great care and the sauce was light and not heavy at all. The focaccia was also very good and the cheese on it was wonderfully delicious. We also tried their ice creams- I had the vanilla which was just so wonderfully light and smooth, just the way I love it. Gotta come here more often! read more

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Hands down my favorite restaurant this side of the bay. 20 plus years of fantastic food and service every single time we visit. Love the food, ambience and the service, it never disappoints. You can tell they treat the staff well too. Had a prefixed Valentines surf and turf menu tonight and all I can say is, "Chefs Kiss"!! Can't wait to come back. Totally a hidden gem. read more

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445p reservation for my wife's birthday. Seated promptly. A few minutes later, our drinks were ordered. Few minutes after that, drinks arrived. Minutes later, our food was ordered. Not too long after finishing the deviled eggs(which were complimentary, at least for our table =)),dinner arrived. Food was amazing!! Service was excellent!! A++ The restaurant was busy but our waiter never forgot about us. Had two people(man and lady) ask us how everything was, I think they had to be management or ownership. Wish they introduced themselves but still a classy move for them to ask. Great welcoming ambiance!! After dinner, my wife received a complimentary dessert!! We would definitely return to Paradiso!! read more

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We love Paradiso. It's such a local gem. Small parking lot in the back. We never had any issues with service here. They are attentive even during busy times. Complimentary bread (I wish it was served warm and toasty) Food is great here. We tried a variety of items. I will say the pizza is hit or miss sometimes. Our most recent visit the pizza was floppy and wasn't crispy. Full bar and extensive wine list. Drinks are good. They have weekend brunch menu and a special prex fixe menu for $45 daily between 4-5 pm. read more

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We dined here a few months ago and had a wonderful experience, the service was attentive, the food was amazing, and it felt like a true fine dining experience, especially for the location. Because of that first visit, we decided to make reservations for Valentine's Day and were really looking forward to returning. Unfortunately, this visit didn't meet our expectations. Our reservation was at 7pm, and although we arrived on time, we weren't seated until 7:50pm . The complimentary champagne was a thoughtful gesture and appreciated, but we were left waiting outside in the cold with a large crowd of other guests who also hadn't been seated on time. When we finally got seated, it was in a private banquet room at long tables shared by multiple couples. The seating arrangement felt very cramped, we were extremely close to the parties next to us and could easily hear each other's conversations. We were also placed in a tight corner, which made it difficult for our server to access us comfortably. We ordered from the special indulgence menu, and while the food itself was decent, there were significant delays between courses (about 20 minutes each), with dessert taking nearly 40 minutes. After being at the restaurant for about 3 hours, we ended up asking for dessert to-go. I understand that holidays like Valentine's Day are busy, but it seemed like the restaurant may have overbooked beyond what they could comfortably manage. If the capacity can't support that volume while maintaining the quality of experience, it may be worth limiting reservations next year. read more

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Today the five of us came for lunch to celebrate our friend's birthday. This being one of her favorite restaurants. No easy task as we're coming from San Francisco, San Mateo, and Contra Costa counties. I'd been here for dinner a couple of times, but this was my first time for lunch. Ordered- * the braised short rib sliders by three friends * prime rib sandwich by another * I had the linguine seafood pasta. It was delicious. Plentiful variety including scallops, fish, prawns, squid, Dungeness crab, etc. I made three small meals out of this dish. Starters - * calamari fritti - small crispy rings * polenta sticks - three pieces served with diced tomatoes My friend and I both had chocolate martinis. The dessert was a slice of their tiramisu for our birthday girl. The server graciously brought over five spoons. It was a wonderful meal. A parking lot in back of the building. And another lot one block over. read more

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I wanted to have a relaxed early dinner, so I decided to stop by Paradiso and sat at the bar. Quianna B. greeted me warmly, which set a nice tone for the evening. She suggested I try the Italian red wine first--thankfully she did, because it turned out to be sour and unpleasant. I switched to white instead, which was much better. The meals themselves were pretty bland, but I did enjoy the parmesan truffle fries once they were redone to be extra crispy, just the way I requested. Overall, I mainly wanted to share this experience because of the drink that's Quianna's specialty. The service was excellent! read more

Stopped by to celebrate a belated birthday. My lunch bud had the chicken sandwich. I had the mushroom sandwich; both came with matchstick fries. We arrived a smidge early and walked a bit to get away from cigarette smoke. Actually, we were the first customers, wow, it's a first. Nice to dine, catch up and take our time to truly enjoy our lunch. read more

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Came in with reservations, so Shirley helped for a party of five. We receded right away and greeted right away. Fast and friendly service. We ordered beet salad, brussels sprouts and calamari for appetizers. Brussels sprouts we're supposed to be honey glaze, but it didn't taste any honey. Calamari was good and lightly breaded meat salad was amazing. Seafood fettuccine was amazing with many fresh seafood ingredients, lamb shank was tender and cooked perfectly, braised short ribs, or probably the best dish with the cheesy polenta and the ravioli was also amazing. The service is always good and the manager always comes to check to make sure everything is as well. The restaurant is got a great ambience and festive atmosphere. read more

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This review is long overdue because, honestly, I've never had a bad experience at Paradiso. Every visit has been consistently excellent--the food is always cooked to perfection, and the service is always a solid 10. It's one of those rare places where you know you're going to leave satisfied, every single time. On my most recent visit, I tried the seafood pasta for the first time, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. The flavors were spot on, and the seafood was fresh and perfectly cooked. We also ordered the prime rib sandwich, which was incredibly flavorful and tender--definitely something I'd get again. The only item we were a little unsure about was the deviled eggs. They weren't bad by any means, just had a unique taste that might not be for everyone--and I've tried quite a few deviled eggs in my time! As for drinks, mine was so perfectly made that I ended up ordering a second one. It hit all the right notes without being too strong or too sweet. Overall, Paradiso continues to be a standout right in San Leandro. Great food, great drinks, relaxing vibe, and amazing service. A definite go-to spot in my book! read more

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It was my first time here and Natalie was great. Her recommendations were awesome. The Lamb chop was amazing! The calamari melts in your mouth. Amazing place. Highly recommended. read more

Paradiso Restaurant - Dinner for tonight - Italian Near Me - San Leandro, California

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An amazing surprise, with double shout outs to both the restaurant and their generous donation to EBSPCA! I doubt we would have otherwise dined at this San Leandro gem (not otherwise on our radar), if we didn't get a dining certificate at the Growl, Meow & Wine event. EXCELLENT mixed salad & fettucine Though noise level was a bit higher than we're read more

I was on a hiatus from writing yelp reviews. But this restaurant has forced my return. The food is just spectacular. Now that we have a family and kids, we don't prefer going far off. So it's just an added bonus that this has opened up in San Leandro. Not to forget the staff is also very kid friendly . We had the ribeye and the short ribs, and both were absolutely amazing, the wine pairings were also pretty apt, All in all a great find in the east bay. read more

I felt very disappointed with the service and food at Paradiso restaurant San Leandro. It is not good value and the food is over priced. We only had Pizza and Linguini (noodle) and total at $77.53. The Pizza is all black on the bottom. And When I started to leave and looked for my card, I realized the waitress did not give me my card back and claimed she gave it to me even though she did not. I asked for the manager, and the manager found it instantly I don't recommend this place and I will not to be going back there any time soon. read more

Food was good. My bff & I had a late lunch here yesterday. I had Manila clams linguine & iced tea. They serve large portions of food. The person who welcomed me was very friendly and had a nice smile and showed me to the table where my friend was sitting at. Our server was Thomas who was pleasant. The interior was simply decorated and they have a bar. The exterior was ok, could use some sprucing up. Not a lot of parking. I had to park in the street about a block away. Menu is good, lots of choices. read more

I haven't had a bad experience here yet! GREAT food, great customer service. Perfect setting for a date night which is what I went for this last time. They were also very accommodating when I planned a party of 12 for a surprise birthday dinner about 2 years ago. I continue to recommend this place when in the East Bay. read more

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Took a friend here for his birthday and we were pleasantly suprised. It was a crowded Saturday night. I had made reservations the day of, but it is best to make it earlier to get more slot times. I ordered the lamb shank which was very tender, juicy and flavorful. Compared to having another restaurant's lamb shank that week, this outdid it by far. My friend had ordered a prime rib rare but it came out medium and so he sent it back. However since that was the last prime rib, my friend had to order another dish all together. Now what amazed all of us was the level of service displayed by the manager (Allen? Its been a while!) who promptly came by and communicated that they were sorry for the mistake and got a round of drinks for us on the house. Not only that, but he gave my friend a devils egg appetizer dish to snack on while he waited for his rack of lamb (also hit high marks!). Professional communication at the highest of levels. This type of service is what truly makes this place special. Not only did the manager come out to check in on us, the chef also did as well! With great food and even better service, I am a raver of this place. Happy to tell others about this place and I will be coming back for more. read more

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Celebrating an anniversary & it was such a nice gesture to have received complimentary Champagne & even a gift card. It's been a long time since I've been back & so glad Paradiso is still going strong since 1996. They recently remodeled 9 months ago & it looks so spacious & modern. Orders: Bread (available upon request) Petrale Sole w/capers, spinach & mashed potato- delightfully crisp capers & sole, well seasoned & an item u would reorder again. Everything is so fresh you. An immediately taste the difference. Chicken Paradiso-a creamy chicken dish w.mashed potato, broccoli, string beans & carrots. A well curated dish that is a staple at Paradiso & it's no wonder why bc of the comfort & goodness this dish brings. On another note, when I went to use the restroom, I was intoxicated with bleach & had to hold my breath. While I appreciate the health & safety of the bathroom, I think they need to rethink the toxic hazard that one breathes when using the restroom. But other than that I think Paradiso is a hidden gem in San Leandro. read more

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Wanted to like the food more but it wasn't for me. The Arancelli appetizers were good. Nice glass of prosecco, filled all the way to the top. Nice wait staff, nice ambiance ... But ... the entree was not for me. I got the sole ... the portion size was substantial, but for sole it was humongous in size. Really thick like a swordfish steak and maybe because it was so thick, I could barely taste the seasoning on the fish ... said butter and garlic but didn't taste that at all ... and whatever the sauce was that it sat in ... was also bland and out of place. Both the spinach and potatoes needed salt ... or some type of complementary seasoning ... and the potatoes were lukewarm ... I should have sent it back, but my conversation with my dinner companion made me forget and we didn't have a whole lot of time to wait for another order .. Very disappointing and not sure if I'll be back for dinner there. Update: We'll see ... A friend of mine who has, like me, considered this a nice spot in the past. Wants to give this a second chance and take me there tonight, 9/25, for my birthday. If the food is better, then I will update my review to reflect that! read more

Came here to celebrate my birthday! We were seated in the back. It's a nice space. Food came out quickly and tasted good. I look forward to returning and trying out more food items. read more

Paradiso Restaurant - Rigatoni Bolognese - Italian Near Me - San Leandro, California

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Great and friendly service. It is very spacious and has a variety of seating areas. The red sauce ravioli was phenomenal. The mozzarella one tasted fine. It was gooey and cheesy, which I'm a huge fan of, butttt...the pricing for the amount of ravioli is wild. $30 for like 9 pieces, broo c'mon. I get it, maybe it's for the experience with the great service, good vibes, and the pasta is homemade, but if you're going for pasta, just go to Gypsy's in Berkeley for a fat amount of it. The pasta tasted fine here at Paradiso, but I don't think it's worth coming here for pasta. 4.0 Stars for the restaurant itself 3.5 Star for the pasta read more

Paradiso Restaurant - Oven Baked Ravioli Bolognese - Italian Near Me - San Leandro, California

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Food was good except it came out raw & presentation was s**t the first time. After waiting 30 minutes for a replacement dinner, and all my friends finishing theirs, it was good! Maybe train the second tier "cooks" better the first time instead of throwing them into the lions Den on a Friday night? Just a thought.. read more

Amazing food and service! Calamari - lightly battered and fried, seasoning flavorful, calamari tender Garlic prawns - huge prawns, buttery garlic sauce was fully soaked up by bread, can't waste it! Wagyu sliders - OK, out was so juicy that the bottom bun dissolved, maybe a lettuce to block the juice would've been good. Taste wise I didn't feel that it was too special Half chicken - well seasoned and perfectly juicy. Polenta was buttery and veggies nice compliment All cocktails involving mezcal were amazing mixology level Service was very attentive and quick, food came out quick and amazing quality as well Overall a great experience, I'd recommend for special occasions! read more

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Great food, I had crab avocado salad for appetizer and ordered the bread . I loved rosemary and salt flavor on the bread . The other slice has red pepper which tasted so good too ! Good quality olive oil dip . For entree , I had the salmon with polenta . The salmon was medium well , not fishy . Polenta is well balanced and has a nice texture . Will go back there ! read more

Back to Paradiso. This time our waitress was awesome. Got me good wine glasses for my Cab. Corkage for my wine. As usual, the food was so good. Everyone was very helpful. Great food great service. Shortribs melted in my mouth. So good. Great window seat. read more

Paradiso Restaurant - Bomb shortribs. Melt in your mouth. Yum. - Italian Near Me - San Leandro, California

It's a spacious Italian restaurant in San Leandro. I had the seafood fettuccine, it was really good albeit on the more expensive side. Pizza is great as well! read more

Restaurant is large and busy so it would seem they're doing something right but we were less than impressed. Our party of six was seated promptly and the bustling ambience was OK. Someone who appeared to be the chef came out and greeted all the tables which I thought was a nice touch. What was entirely unimpressive however was the food. Nobody at the table was thrilled with it. I've been eating on the lighter side, so I went with the mixed salad With grilled chicken, which consisted of basically just a ton of onions and some arugula. There was literally nothing else on it of all of the vegetables in the universe, you could put into a salad to make it interesting flavorful have texture and color. There's just nothing there and the chicken was dry, stringy tough, and completely flavorless. I thought it was really small for what was basically a $30 salad. My wife had a seafood pasta dish which she thought was OK although rather bland however upon reheating a small remaining portion the next day all this grease came out of it so it looks like they're attempting to achieve flavor with a lot of unnecessary fat. Our friend however we have the worst experience of all the steak was nearly $50 on the menu and you'd expect to get a sizable and delectable cut of meat for that amount of money and to have it cooked properly to her preferences Instead the steak was puny and stringy and overcooked. It just wasn't a quality cut of meat and it seems like the only temperature the grill could produce was well done. Waitress seemed overwhelmed the whole time so the service was slow and then upon notification of the steak not being very good or cooked to the proper temperature wanted to debate about it. Then when we were done, it took literally 20 minutes after everyone had stopped eating for anyone to come around start to clear the table. Our friend decided maybe the steak wasn't gonna be the thing and asked to have it replaced by a piece of salmon which also came out overcooked dry and utterly flavorless just like my chicken. Whoever is operating the grill simply has no idea about how to cook things for proper temperature and in general this restaurant completely misses the boat on flavor. I'm summary: for the prices especially that this place is charging you would expect a superior food experience, but ultimately it was the exact opposite. read more

2.2.25 We came here as a group of 8 to celebrate my 40th birthday!! The place was busy on a Sunday night, we thankfully had a reservation and we didn't have to wait for our table. The bread and water came out right away which was nice. The food...delicious . The lamb with the risotto was delicious. Lamb was not gamey at all. Risotto was perfectly cooked. My 11 year old loved the butternut squash ravioli and the clam chowder. My husband said that his frutti de Mari was delicious-generous with their seafood. The steak was perfectly cooked. The Sangria was..okay. I wish I ordered another drink. To end the night, we ordered molten cake which was delicious, and the complimentary tiramisu is so good!! I'm so happy that they gave me a free dessert to celebrate my birthday, made my night for sure. We would totally come back here again. read more

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The stand-out feature at Paradiso was out waiting staff. She was warm, courteous knowledgeable about menu options, and attentive to our needs yet gave us space. The atmosphere is lively without having a noise level that feels overbearing. I ordered the handmade house ravioli with cream sauce (a superb, simple blend of cream, garlic and freshly melted--slightly browned--delight). Per my request, it came with an 8-ounce filet mignon that was tender and bursting with flavor. My partner ordered what turned out to be extraordinarily tender, short ribs, which came with a potato purée that was flavored with its sauce reduction. He also opted to get a simple, classic plain pasta with butter and Parmesan cheese. He was given a complimentary birthday dessert (a pastry atop of vanilla ice scream with chocolate syrup)--yet he couldn't resist the decedent bread pudding that was covered in perfectly melting ice cream. I gave our overall experience three stars for two reasons: 1) the seasonal vegetables in my entree were overcooked and squeezed onto my plate and 2) the cost of menu items didn't seem consistent with the presentation and quality. That said, there's plenty more to be discovered from the variety of Italian food specialties at Paradiso! read more

Date: 11/26/2024 Time: 6:35 PM Cool The last time I dined at Paradiso was exactly 14 years ago for my 59th birthday. Guess what? I am back to let y'all know I am here again for my 73rd birthday. However, this time around was special, and to be treated like a queen, it was so memorable. I had already perused the menu on Paradiso's before arriving. I knew what specialty I wanted from this Italian restaurant - my usual Arnold Palmer and cioppino. Is the Arnold Palmer still refreshing after all the many years that I have not dined here? I stayed away too long. The Arnold Palmer has passed the test. Every restaurant I had dined at in the past, I always order the "Palmer" to determine if the quality of the food is to my liking. Eats: Cioppino. Yes, I had my share of cioppino at several different restaurants. One of the restaurants in Alameda calls this dish Brodetto Alla Vastese. I love cioppino, a seafood stew, similar to the French bouillabaise. The cioppino was absolutely delicious. The bowl was filled with an assortment of seafood and grilled Italian bread. The tomato baste broth had a slight kick of spiciness. Yum...nom, nom, nom. My date had the Canadian king salmon with an accompaniment of polenta. He enjoyed his dinner. Presentation of his meal had me salivating. I should have stuck my fork in it, just to sneak a taste. Naw, I did not want him to roar like a tiger and say it's mine. LOL. Thereafter I was served a complimentary dessert, tiramisu, a delightful and delicate cake with mascarpone cheese and topped with expresso powder. Okay, another dessert item I had a taste for was the affogato. I haven't had an affogato for about eight years. The affogato is hazelnut or vanilla gelato and dark expresso. It had a pirouette cookie. Wonderful dessert, indeed. Service was great. The waitress was friendly and personable. I am just over joy to have a special birthday dinner at Paradiso. I can't say for sure when I will visit Paradiso again. Buon appetito. read more

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Great food, good service! We go there a lot! I love their salads and I have a friend who always gets the beet salad. I also love the squash ravioli and the other entrees and desserts are great. My husband always orders a manhattan from the bar, and they use real Luxardo cherries, which I steal! The staff is friendly and the bathrooms are clean. read more

Nice restaurant, older vintage esthetic, my server wasn't attentive at all and made us wait a long time in between check ins so I ended up not ordering an appetizer or drinks, which somewhat put a damper on the experience but I would still come back to try other things. I ordered the seafood pasta. It was pretty bland not much flavor, we were not offered Parmesan cheese and I could tell that was missing. My daughter had the clam chowder. She didn't finish hers but she says she enjoyed it. As far as the restaurant itself, it was a small quant establishment with families enjoying meals together which was nice to see. Parking wasn't too bad either read more

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Food is always consistent, love the salmon and short ribs and beet salad Service team is always friendly and food comes out fast. Love eating at the counter read more

Beautiful environment & exceptional service make this a great location for a nice meal. Our waitress was exceptional! I'm sure it was challenging to handle my table because I was so busy talking to my guest. But, she was a pro.. regularly checking in and moved the dinner with no delays when I came up for air. The appetizers ordered were good & great. Caesar salad, Clam Chowder, and the great crab & avacado salad. Main dish was.. not quite..I had the seafood fettuccine. The seafood was cooked perfectly, unfortunately the pasta was under cooked (I'd say by 3min). Not a mistake that should be made. Other dish was ravioli... both pasta dishes were taken home. 2 min in the microwave fixed the pasta. Would probably order a different main for future, but really enjoyed the overall of this restaurant. read more

Dined here for our 7 yr anniversary. I made a note of it when I made the reservation and they acknowledged it when we arrived which was appreciated. We were shown to our seats and soon after was given olive and focaccia bread. Our waitress was very nice. She asked if we were celebrating an occasion and after telling her brought us some complimentary champagne. We started with drinks and I got a bourbon strawberry drink (can't remember the name of it) and it was very good. For dinner my fiancée ordered Lemon Ricotta raviolis and I got the Chicken Paradiso. The veggies were cooked perfectly. The chicken was nicely seasoned and the sauce was very good. My only gripe was the sauce was kinda liquidly. Everything was great though. Upon paying the bill our waitress gave us a gift card as an anniversary gift. Was expected and extremely generous. Overall great experience! read more

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I came here the other night with my family for an early dinner. What we ordered clam chowder, golden beet salad, and linguine frutti de mare. My experience with the food was not the best. The golden beet salad had blue cheese. Who puts blue cheese in it. It over powered the beets and not everyone likes blue cheese. It's an acquired taste for sure. The clam chowder was over powered by pieces of bacon. They only gave you 3 shells of clams. Wow. Linguine frutti de mare, was also another sad dish. It literally came out as two dishes. A bowl of soup and boiled linguine noodles on the side. What is this???? They literally poured cioppino in a bowl and called it "frutti de mare" and the boiled block of noodles had pieces of broccoli bits in it. I was literally shocked to see my entree. It was worth the price either. Very disappointed. Will I be back again? No. read more