Rocco's is the best kept secret in San Clemente. Absolutely THE BEST papardelle ala vodka I have ever had!! We have dined there many times and never had a bad meal. It's not as fancy as some places but the food rivals the best high priced restaurant anywhere in the area. Try it.... You'll like!! read more

Wonderful dinner and excellent service. We were happy to know that Rocco's was still open and offering the same delicious menu. The food and service is excellent as usual! This is a great local spot that we have frequented for years and will continue to do so. They are having trouble with the website for reservations but are working out those bugs. Just call and they will get you in! read more

We went to Rocco's tonight and had a great time. The meal was superb and Cesar did a great job of serving us. Our compliments to the chefs. Everything was made from scratch and was so delicious. We highly recommend giving the new owner your business. You will be so happy you did. read more

They failed a DoorDash driver, made him wait 39 minutes and that cost the driver money. They didn't even apologize. It was so loud with the music "radio" that you could hardly have a conversation. Food is good. read more

Rocco's Restaurant - Standing around - Modern European Near Me - San Clemente, California

My wife and I arrived early Sunday. The staff were very attentive and nice. They made my wife a special appetizer and I got the steak tartare. Both were fantastic. For dinner I got the Chicken Marsala and loved it. My wife got the Risotto. She loved her meal as well. Both portion were nice size. We shared the chocolate mousse for dessert. I can't wait to bring my family back. The cost was fair. I 100% recommend this spot. read more

Please reevaluate what you call Garlic bread. Horrible and extremely unappetizing!!! Garlic bread is very easy to make. Happy to send you mine. read more

We just lost a dear friend and the best Chef in San Clemente. Rocco was creative and innovative in menu selection and also offered an excellent wine selection. Rocco Carbonara comes from a family rich in culinary excellence and took great pride in every meal served. Janet and i ate at Rocco's at least 100 times, over the years. As a matter of fact we will be eating at Rocco's tonight and look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new friends. Doug and Janet Montandon, San Clemente, Ca. read more

If you haven't been in a while, give it a try. Same great food and service. We had the pasta with the shrimp and the pasta with the clams and mussels, generous portions served piping hot and delicious, read more

The food was great as was the service, but without Rocco, the restaurant is definitely not the same. :-( On a Saturday night in San Clemente, no one was in the restaurant when all other restaurants were packed. read more

Though small in size, Rocco's is big with flavors! Our first time here , my wife had chicken marsala and I had the Ropa Vieja, a cuban dish, both were excellent and we will definitely be back. Very happy that we found it. By the way, they have a really nice bar as well. We drive by it a dozen times a week and did not know it existed. So be sure to look carefully. It's right across Camino Real from Sea Surf and the Parlor and next to Vine. So basically four of San Clemente's best restaurants within walking distance of each other! You have to try Rocco's !! read more

We are excited that Rocco's is reopened! As regulars, we enjoyed our delicious dinner and the service was wonderful. Please come and support their reopening! read more

Absolutely love this place, restaurant is small and cute, nice bar area. Our food was great, the waiter Mark was great and we just had the best night out. Thanks for the memories. read more

Rocco's Restaurant - Veal, pork chop, risotto - Modern European Near Me - San Clemente, California

Yummy pastas & drinks! My favorite appetizers are the chicken empanadas & the crab cake. My favorite main dish is the Fettuccine con salmone. Always really great service & friendly workers. read more

Rocco's Restaurant - Crab Cake - Modern European Near Me - San Clemente, California

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I have no words. God Bless the entire family. My heart truly goes out to you. Awesome food! Service awesome. Ambiance will be different without Rocco.Highly recommend! read more

Must come see Cesar and have the JCC, best cocktail ever! Food is excellent! No choice is a bad choice! Service is amazing can't wait to come back read more

I had the surf and turf. The lobster was cooked perfect and it was really big! The steak and risotto was delicious and the dinner salad had a tasty dressing .my husband had the sea bass and he said it was really good. We got a table right away and the atmosphere was really comfortable. The servers were so nice and Caesar / our server was extra nice. We will be back. Looked like a great happy hour. Come out and support our San Clemente restaurants. We don't want to lose another great one. read more

Strongly recommend Rocco's! Ordered the escargot to start - it was delicious with the pesto based sauce! For my entree, I ordered the vodka pasta. It was amazing! Super flavorful, and on top of that, the pasta itself is made in-house! Major plus. I got the crème brûlée for dessert. The portion size was big and it was absolutely delicious. Our server was excellent as well. There is free parking on the street around the restaurant. Overall, 5 stars. Amazing fresh food and excellent service. read more

Rocco's Restaurant - Entrees. - Modern European Near Me - San Clemente, California

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This is a hard review. First of all I've been here twice in two days and the food is some of the best I've had recently. There's an eggplant Parmesan appetizer that is superb and I had lobster ravioli the first time and a pork chop the second time. I have no complaints whatsoever with the food or the wine or the ambience of the restaurant. If there's any problem at all it's with the service But not because of the quality of the service only because there are just not enough waiters on the floor. The restaurant was packed both nights but it took forever to get tea refilled, bread refilled and the food took an inordinate long time to arrive. This was not due to the quality of the food but instead they need more waiters or waitresses on the floor. The only reason this is not a five star review is Solely due to understaffing. Definitely try this restaurant read more

This was our second visit. Entrees were both good but the one item that drew us back there was a disappointment. We're big fans of steak tartare and have tried it everywhere we have found it to be on the menu. After our initial visit several months ago, Rocco's recipe went to the top of our list. Unfortunately, since then something changed. The first clue was the plate arrived plain. Traditionally, steak tartare is served with bread or sometimes potato chips. Our waiter explained "they" changed it up a while back and it no longer comes with bread. After showing him a photo of the dish taken at our last visit, he acquired some bread from the kitchen. Even with the bread, it just wasn't as we remembered it. Rocco's is still on our list, but it will be later than sooner before we return. read more

Rocco has been a long time friend and the the food is beyond exceptional. The escargot is excellent and the Veal Saltimbocca is my go to dish. Everything I eat there is just as good if not better each return. read more

Came here for Father's day, and it was a nice experience for us overall - especially the drinks. The food had good flavor - the veggie pasta pasta had very clearly fresh ingredients. However, it wasn't anything extraordinary, and I wish I could taste the goat cheese flavor a bit more. What made the experience was the good service (funny and accommodating waiter) and STRONG drinks (my dad's main Father's day requirement lol). A bit on the pricier side. read more

Rocco's Restaurant - Modern European Near Me - San Clemente, California

Introduced friends to one of our favorite restaurants and they did not disappoint. From the staff to the food and ambulance, it was perfect. The steak tartare is a favorite of mine. So many great options for the main course it's hard to just pick one. Cesar our server was very attentive and friendly. Thanks Roccos! read more

I am going to go back and sit in the main dining room and will adjust my review accordingly. So here is my initial thought: Walking in, the restaurant was so warm and inviting. Great ambiance. We were a party of 8 so we were seated in a brightly lit alcove next to the bathroom. It is a small area so whenever someone walked to the bathroom or to the part of the kitchen to deposit dirty dishes, it felt intrusive and disruptive. We all had pasta- tagliatelle was cooked perfectly. Goat cheese filled artichoke was lovely and they got the veal right. I would love to see them add a vegetable dish or two to the menu. Eggplant, broccoli I would be two great options. Bar drinks were delicious but we had several water only guests that had empty glasses twice. I know they were busy so I would recommend leaving a carafe on the table in the future. Walking out it was a group consensus that it was just ok. read more

Amazing staff, amazing food. Always blows my expectations out of the water! Drinks are great and all the bartenders are super friendly especially Kai!! I always come here for special events and everyone is always impressed with the food! read more

This is my second time coming to Roccos, and a few months since my first visit. The first time I was at Roccos, I was the first customer of the day. Belle greeted my table and was just the SWEETEST girl I've ever met. Her service was actually impeccable and that's hard to come across. We enjoyed escargot and pasta dishes which were so great. The most recent time I was there was last week. They were absolutely slammed packed in the place (great sign!) and they truly were on top of everything. We ordered the escargot again because it is honestly phenomenal. Again, so flavorful and such a delicate dish. They really know how to make this dish specifically and the flavor is insane. We ordered risotto aurora for our main course. It's HUGE. my husband and I split and it was still a lot of food. The flavor in the risotto dish itself is explosive. The garnishing was spot on, and it was truly a burst of flavor in your mouth. Let's also not forget about the tres leches cake belles mama makes. I don't even like dessert but my mouth waters for this. BEAUTIFULLY DONE. 10/10 grab a piece of this before you leave. Great table service. The wait staff moves effortlessly and seems like they are all 100% on the same page. Being in the industry myself, we see restaurants that are missing out on this aspect of our dining experiences. Whatever they're doing to coach their employees, we all need to take notes! Belle & Rocco, you truly out did yourselves again. I cannot wait to come back and have the pleasure of dining with you guys. read more

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They just re-opened after the owner's passing. Unfortunately the food is not good and the service was terrible. Hopefully they will improve. We hesitated to go in as their opening signs look very trashy and not at all appropriate for the prices they charge. This is San Clemente-upscale and the opening signs look like something outttaa seedy Los Angeles. read more

The food here is actually pretty good; nothing much to criticize with the food. The atmosphere and service are third rate. The space is so small and they pack it with tables. The sound of everyones' voices just bounces off the walls in such a small spaces and it's an irritating environment. On top of that, the bar seems to be full of "local regulars," i.e. dudes in flannel plaid shirts and flat brim baseball hats. Most recently when we went, it took almost an hour to get our food. The wait staff apologized profusely; said they were short-staffed. Look, I get it. Finding good help is a problem everywhere now. But reading the other reviews here, it sounds like it's an ongoing problem, which is the businesses' fault. But the main complaint is the atmosphere. It's just not compatible with the food and the prices. It's like if you went for a nice dinner and paid $50/plate, but inside Señor Frogs. Sorry, it's low key trashy. read more

Maybe it's our fault... going on a Friday night. The food took exceptionally long to reach our table. The meals were incorrect, but since it took so long to get, we ate what we got. One of us, at the table of five, got actually what was ordered. And twice, the waiter's excuse was that "I only work here one day a week, so..." Since the food DOES taste great, we discovered food that we had never ordered before -- and we've been here a dozen times, or more. But, by far, my biggest complaint was the noise level. Do not go, if you intend to carry any semblance of a conversation. The obnoxious bar crowd got my Apple watch to warn me of impending damage to my ears, with a dB level of 92, 98, 95, etc. Next time, we'll sit outside, or in the back, by the restrooms. Hopefully by then, some improvements will be made. read more

Been in Cali for 5 months, we've tried several Italian restaurants but this one is clearly in a class of it's own - a fabulous fusion in every bite! The pumpkin ravioli was absolutely delish as was the spicy pasta my husband had. Done to perfection! Everyone has to have a favorite European restaurant and this one is now ours! read more

Wonderful restaurant in San Clemente! We booked a reservation at 6:15 for a party of six and were greeted instantly. The restaurant is smaller but has a bar and open kitchen. We were escorted into a side room that was well lit and a bit more private and away from the main dining room. It was incredibly pleasant and I appreciate the bigger text in their menus that allows for easy reading. We got the escargot and some salads to share as our appetizers, followed by delicious pasta dishes. Veal marsala and chicken marsala were divine and the portions were very decent for the prices. Bread is an added charge of $4 to get a tiny basket for the table...might want to consider changing this or adding much more bread to the basket. Would definitely return, great for a fancier date night! read more

We celebrated Mother's Day here, and everyone in our party had the most magical experience. Our waiter Chris was phenomenal. All of his recommendations were spot on. We ordered a variety of appetizers, main dishes, and all of the desserts. The escargot was truly amazing as par his recommendation. Our daughter, who is also a chef, has dietary restrictions and they make sure her dinner was perfection. Being a local, I cannot wait to return to this charming restaurant. Thank you Rocco's for a lovely dining experience. read more

Good food, nice servers, feels urban, is loud where you have to sort of shout to be heard (on a Friday night).

Well, let me start by saying Rocco's has been my go to restaurant in San Clemente for the last 10 years or so. It is our meeting place in the middle between our home in Yorba Linda and friends in San Diego. We're good for 2 - 3 per year and have never been disappointed until tonight. Six o'clock reservation for 4, and the place is fairly empty yet we're being pushed to speed things along. We state we're not in a hurry, yet that fell on deaf ears until we have to ask the waiter to slow down. We placed our dinner order and one of us ordered a $22 pasta dish and he asked if shrimp or short rib would like to be added. Thinking some beef would be added to the pasta, the short rib was ordered. When the dish was delivered, the added short rib was the same size as the short rib entre. The added short rib increased the $22 dish to $44. The short rib entre on the menú stated $34, yet when the bill came we were charged $38. As an added insult, the bill was brought before even asking if we were interested in dessert or anything else. I don't understand why we were being rushed, I feel the waiter screwed with us after being asked to slow things down. Not a good day for the restaurant as we left with a bad taste in our mouth's. read more

I haven't left this place and I already hate it. It is SO LOUD and cramped I feel overwhelmed and stressed. We walked in at 7:10pm. It is 8:05 and all we've had are two glasses of wine. Too chaotic and slow for me. Horrible! read more

We have not eaten a meal that was prepared outside the house in over a month due to the Coronavirus. We got to hand it to Rocco's! You guys nailed the perfect prime rib Easter dinner. The flavors and the attention to detail on each course were extraordinary! The amazing blueberry New York cheesecake was a terrific finish to a memorable meal! BRAVO!!!! read more

Our server CJ was phenomenal!! He knew what we wanted before we even asked for it, and made our anniversary exceptional. My boyfriend and I are both from San Diego but are definitely making the drive again more regularly. We had an amazing experience, food is made in house and EXCEPTIONAL, and the service was top notch. Overall, would recommend the spicy penne and filet mignon and CJ as a server. Definitely coming back. read more

June 20, 2015 Imagine for a moment that you're headed northbound on the I-5, you're hungry and you're working your yelp app to find the best nearby option possible. Up pops Rocco's Restaurant and it's got a 4.5 average after more than 100 yelp reviews. For me, this is a great thing. Now, the problem I still have is that it's an Italian Restaurant, and I'm happily married to a Sicilian. Further exacerbating the problem is that my wife is a very good cook. After carefully consulting with her we decide to get off the freeway at El Camino Real and go to Rocco's. We are optimistic. On this Saturday night parking was tough, and, as it's a trendy spot, I'd imagine that it's tough to park in the area on any given night. Know this and move beyond it, as the food is worth it. They had a special appetizer the night we were there, and so we got it. It was a fried mozzarella dish that was stacked neatly and sandwiched in between the cheese they had sliced tomato and basil. It was good. We also had a salad as an appetizer and we enjoyed it as well. We shared a main dish, and you also need to know that they will charge you $2 to do this. It's disclosed on the menu and so I wasn't bothered. The entrée we enjoyed was the spice penne, and, again, another home run. Besides the parking, know that it is a loud restaurant, and so if you're hoping for a less vibrant environment you'll need to choose a different location. We didn't mind. To summarize, if I lived nearby, I'd be there often. I'd listen carefully to the specials, and I'd enjoy the dinner. read more

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We had a celebratory dinner here with 11 attendees, and we all had a fantastic evening. Food: We started with 3 appetizers: Caprese, Empanadas, and then Crab Cakes. Each of them were light, well portioned, and delicious. We only had 9 people during the appetizer portion, and since the appetizers typically come with 4 pieces, we ordered two of each (making 8 pieces). It seems like it would have been an obvious, thoughtful idea to add 1 piece to match the 9 people we had, but no such thing was done. I do recognize it would have been an extra courtesy, and no, I'm not complaining that they didn't do it - though, it definitely would have bumped the whole evening to 5 stars. For dinner, I had the Oven Roasted Salmon Filet and was very pleased. The combination of it and crab meat was an interesting decision, but it worked. Some of the other choices in the group were Spicy Penne, Marsala, Filetto Maxwell, and Bistecca Pino, all of which were quickly gobbled up. The one misstep, and it was a pretty big one, was on the Risotto Palacio, where the diner bit down onto a rock. Yes, a rock. Luckily the rest of the meal was tasty enough that he passed it off as a fluke & a mistake easily understood. For dessert we had just about everything, from chocolate & vanilla creme brulee, to tiramisu, and some blueberry something-or-another. Each of them were phenomenal and quickly devoured. There were two of us that ordered the tiramisu. A few minutes after everybody else got their desserts, they asked about theirs and were only then told that they had sold out. So, they ordered the chocolate creme brulee, and were told those had also sold out. Selling out is understandable in a small restaurant, but still a bummer - better notification would have also been appreciated. Service: The staff was great. They were very accommodating, patient, and helpful with menu suggestions. Not much more to be said, other than we were happy with them! Atmosphere: This place is a small, but intimate atmosphere. Being in a group of 11, we weren't necessarily quiet. One of us, however, had a bit too much to drink & was louder than others. Despite this, the restaurant was warm and very pleasant. I'd definitely recommend you check this place out - When back in San Clemente I'll be sure to return. read more

Rocco's Restaurant - Oven Roasted Salmon Filet (topped with crab meat and champagne cream sauce) - Modern European Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Food is great! Service is junk for such a small restaurant. Our food took an hour and fifteen minutes to arrive after ordering and 3 of the 4 meals were wrong. My number one gripe...the volume of all the Kevin's and Karen's on a Friday night! Deafening. Rocco, please invest in some sound deadening panels for your walls and ceiling so tables spending $200+ on dinner can talk to each other. Call up a recording studio and ask where they buy them? My ears are ringing still as I type this. Fine dining restaurant or loud trashy singles bar? You can only choose one.... read more

Rocco's Restaurant - Decibel level - Modern European Near Me - San Clemente, California

Ordered dinner for Easter. Prime rib dinner was fabulous. All the side dishes were great too! Even the bottle of wine I would highly recommend this restaurant. Thank you Rocco & Belissa for making this holiday dinner during such a difficult time (pandemic-covid19). read more