Romano Cucina never disappoints! I've dined in and ordered take-out, and they consistently set the bar high when it comes to Italian food and service. The restaurant is located in a small plaza. Ample parking is available. There are a few tables set out front in an enclosed area for dining. Once inside, the ambiance is very cozy and romantic, which is really nice. I am always greeted by a pleasant hostess. Once seated, the servers are always extremely friendly and attentive. They are very conversational and check on you regularly. I usually order the same entrée, the Pasta Gianni. With your entrée, you also have the option of soup or salad. I have the House Salad and I kid you not, I can eat another two plates of that salad! Although it's just a salad, their homemade wine vinaigrette is fantastic! It's tossed to perfection! The Pasta Gianni never disappoints! It contains plenty of langostino lobster and shrimp in their Bianco Diavolo Sauce, served over your choice of pasta. I usually have the penne. Every bite is delicious with a generous amount of seafood, together with a spicy kick to the sauce. The food here is fantastic and so is the service! One night, we arrived here when they were about to close. At first, the server said that they were closing, but then he asked us to wait a minute. He went back to the kitchen and came back out shortly and said that they were happy to serve us. We were so thankful for that! Food - 5 Service - 5 Atmosphere - 5 Come to Romano Cucina for spectacular Italian food and service! read more

Romano Cucina - Lasagna Bolognese and Pasta Gianni - Italian Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

WOW! We really hit the jackpot tonight! We stumbled across the best family owned, casual and delicious Italian restaurant. JADEN our server was terrific, he couldn't have been any better, he was truly exceptional and made us want to go back. This was our first time here, and we were looking for someplace new to try. All our dinners were incredible, the chef really has a great hand in seasonings, since everything was so very tasty and delicious. The portions were plentiful, and came with a salad. We already decided what we would all get from the menu on our next visit. You can't go wrong here, it was packed and the take out orders were going in and out the whole time we were there. Be sure and ask for Jaden! read more

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Went for dinner for three on a Wednesday evening. Seating was available immediately for seating indoors and outside. The free corkage fee seemed like a popular draw for Wednesdays. Bread with butter along with oil and vinegar were provided as we browsed the menu. Service was very friendly although on the slower side for both the food preparation as well as follow up service. Each of our entrees came with a large side salad to start which had a nice dressing. We got two pasta dishes and a pizza. I selected fettuccine noodles for the shrimp rosa. The pasta was well cooked, and the sauce was a good balance of spicy, acidic, and rich from the cream sauce. The shrimp weren't overcooked and the portion sizes were generous enough for us to have leftovers of all the dishes. The pizza is a thicker base similar to a new haven style pizza. The dough had a nice chew and generous portion of toppings. We ordered the tiramisu for dissert which wasn't too our taste. It was incredibly dense with an overpowering amount of alcohol in it. Presentation was great and the portion was generous, but we wouldn't get it again. Incredible value for all the items especially considering the nicer atmosphere and great service. read more

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Our favorite Italian hands down. Warm hospitality, excellent food, great value, impeccable staff and cutest decor inside. Old school Italian charm. Love! Get the eggplant parm every time. read more

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This was truly a great find. Although there are many restaurants with similar names in SoCal , this is owned by a younger man. The ambience is intimate and casual and the food excellent. The staff was attentive, the portion generous and reasonably priced. All six of my family members enjoyed their own entrees. Do note that no reservation is accepted for parties with less than 6. There are truly very few places which have checked all the boxes, read more

Romano Cucina - Dining room and bar area - Italian Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

Finding a quality comfort Italian food restaurant that makes you feel at home and is welcoming is such an important local eatery to have. The restaurant is lively with plenty of booths, a full bar, and lots of Italian and fun decor. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted by the sweet hostess who took our name and let us know what to expect for the wait. It was a Friday night, so the place was packed! Thankfully it didn't take long because it was the two of us. Our waiter was Reese and he was very nice and gave us some great suggestions. Everything came out fast and was hot. You can tell the restaurant has a great flow with how the staff works together and how they looked happy to be there! The food was incredible! Fresh bread, perfectly done calamari, a complimentary dinner salad, and a cheesy delicious entree. The eggplant Parmesan was some of the best I've ever had! The eggplant was perfectly tender and crispy from frying without being overdone. I asked for it spicy and it was delicious! Portion sizes surpassed my expectations so it's nice that we have leftovers (I can't wait!). We had to try a dessert since we were celebrating and the cannoli was incredible. I can't wait to come back and try other items on the menu! 5 star comfort Italian restaurant! read more

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Service was good food was ok but not a redo for us. Plus AC didn't work so we sat outside as receptionist thought it may cooler. Not sure why food was so so no depth of flavor for Italian read more

The have really good bread and each dinner comes with a salad. The chicken parmigiana was a big portion and you get a choice of 4 different noodles/sauces. The staff were amazing and see to your every need. Definitely recommend this place!!!! read more

Romano Cucina - Cheese lasagna - Italian Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

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Great service and delicious food. They were sensitive to my wife's gluten free allergies as well.

Romano cucinaaaaaaaaa my baeeeeeee I love youuuuu. My #1 salad on earth, literally my favorite salad ever. #1 fettuccine alfredo on earth. It is the best. Deadass. Service on 10, Ambience on 10. Best Italian restaurant fr. They need to be featured in the newspaper or something. Shout-out my #1, my goat, Romano Cucina. read more

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Fave italian spot. Pasta gianni is amazing! Wish it was a little bit bigger but the wait is worth it.

We were pleasantly surprised by the restaurant. Food was good enough for us for repeat. If there was a slight complaint was the wedding soup and as too salty. Side salad was light fresh and not ice cold, perfect to our taste. Bread was warm good. Pastas were very good. Alfredo sauce was good enough for my daughter who still prefers Maggiano, but good enough for her as an alternative. My meatballs and spaghetti were also quite good. They've also earned my wife's approval for the fettuccine with pesto sauce. Since Maggianos is too far, this could be our local substitute. Definitely warrants consideration as an option for our Italian pasta craving if we don't feel venturing to South Coast Plaza. read more

Incredible service - the owner is very kind and let us host my wife's birthday dinner here. My friends and I love their pasta here. It's definitely our favorite out here in South OC read more

Bro. Literally the best Alfredo in the entire world I swear to god. And the house salad. I hate salad but for some reason I can finish a large portion of their salad. This is lowkey one of my favourite restaurants ever and they honestly deserve like three Michelin stars or something because they have to be putting crack in their food Jesus Christ. Expect a wait time if going because of how popular it is! Service is always great, very family style. Got some cool mood lighting in the restaurant and very nice place for a date! read more

Romano Cucina - Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken - Italian Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

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Absolutely awesome restaurant!! The Food was authentic right down to the Sauage in the calzone. I haven't tasted that flavor since ciao's in Costs Mesa (now closed) And the family run restaurants in Chicago! The prices were very reasonable and the service outstanding. You can tell the staff is trained and happy to be there! Im glad i found it and I'll be back again many times. read more

The food is great. The best part for me is that they have options for Gluten Free on the menu.

Food quality and quantity are both great! Sources are all homemade, very fresh. Waiter is very pleasant. Has good vibes too.

We had a wonderful meal in congenial surroundings! Twice! And we are looking forward to more. Reasonably priced, great food and excellent bar with very attentive and friendly service. Couldn't ask for more. read more

Service was attentive and great. Sat inside and the ambience was great as well. I really enjoyed the food. Would definitely come back. read more

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Very busy place open only for dinner. Food is always hot and good! Great meatballs. And it's so close to our home in Nellie Gail Ranch that it's become are go to dinner place! read more

I've been going to the Roman Cucina in Fullerton for their Tuesday deal religiously for a while and was so happy to find Romano Cucina in Laguna Hills! Since I had the Fullerton location first I might be biased-- I think the Fullerton one is slightly better quality and more consistent but this definitely scratches the itch! We ordered to-go so it's probably even better fresh. The only thing is we found some plastic inside the bread (maybe from the slicer?). Other than that, the spaghetti and meatballs + house salad were good. Will definitely be back, while keeping an extra eye on the bread read more

Romano Cucina - Some sort of plastic in the bread? - Italian Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

Service was great! The ambiance was also nice typical Italian restaurant! I put 3 stars as the food wasn't as good as I was expecting... lots of people do talk about this place so I had to try it myself! The bruschetta bread was good but it was SUPER garlicky! The pasta bolognese was ok, they got my pasta order wrong as they have served me the gluten free pasta but I couldn't really say anything anymore as it took some time to arrive and of course VERY garlicky as well. The pasta bolognese came with a salad (not pictured) and it was very good very simple greens with vinaigrette and cucumbers. They do have a wonderful selection of Martinis! I got the Raspberry lemon drop which was Really good and I also tried their Espresso Martini and it was amazing! I will be coming back here for their happy hour because of the wonderful selection of Martinis but I don't think I will be here for the food. Highlight : it was too garlicky maybe they should used less garlic on their sauce... otherwise for people that loves garlic this is the place for you! read more

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A nice ambiance with an Italian baseball players wall , but food is not much better than olive garden . The bread served was very cheap tasting unlike most Italian restaurants . The dinner salad was decent crisp cold. pasta was average with very small amounts of lobster bits and average tasting olive oil . Not having linguini and clams was a bummer as well . The restaurant is good for locals who really don't know true authentic Italian food but works for them . read more

This was our first time here. I loved the ambiance of this place, as it reminded me of an old school Italian restaurant. The service was excellent as well. The food took a bit longer than expected because apparently they made our food to-go by mistake and had to re-plate it (according to our server). I got the chicken parm and my wife got the eggplant parm. Both dishes were excellent! Being from NJ, I'm a bit of a cannoli snob. It's tough to find a decent cannoli here in CA, but I'm always on the hunt. The cannoli was large and presented well. Unfortunately, it was not very good. (Maybe more cream cheese based rather than ricotta???). Almost $10 for a disappointing cannoli is the reason I knocked off one Star. I will definitely come back, but will try the tiramisu next time. read more

I LOVE this place! I've been coming here than more years than I want to admit. Food was great. Drinks were great! Seriously everything was as good or better than I remember, One thing I noticed I didn't like: the NAPKINS!!! Come on! The napkins are too small and too cheap for the experience of your food! Ugh. The music tonight also did not fit our culinary experience. Rat Pack please! Oh and Ayden was so extraordinary as a server. We loved him! read more

You get so much quality food here!!! I always have leftovers and I didn't even spend that much. Every dish is chef's kiss!!! I love sitting outside, and just enjoying the experience. A great go to for a date night! Doesn't break the bank and SO YUMMY. read more

First time trying Romana Cucina and we got takeout, but I'm already so excited to come back and eat there in person! I'm genuinely obsessed. Everything was so delicious, flavorful, and had that authentic, home-style Italian taste. Definitely a new favorite read more

I love the ambiance .. The food is always consistent and delicious! The service is on point... almost always busy with a wait but worth it! Only downside is their limited hours. Great place for Italian! read more

Great spot for delicious Italian food. The design of the restaurant is unique. They were busy when we got there and we had to sit at the bar so I would suggest making a reservation. We ordered pasta Gianni with shrimp and lobster and mushrooms, the sauce had a nice spice to it, and capellini ala checca. Each pasta came with a salad to start and they serve delicious bread. Portions were big which was wonderful cause we were hungry. Our server who was also a bartender was on top of everything making sure we had a nice experience. I highly recommend this place to anyone. read more

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I ordered 7 cannolis and 1 tiramisu to-go on a Saturday night and they were ready within 15 minutes. Sean and the staff were very friendly and there was plenty of parking. The cannolis were a huge hit. Very crispy shell and delicious cream inside. Portions were generous. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what cake we got but it wasn't a tiramisu. It was like a layered cheesecake. A bit disappointing but it was a decent cheesecake. The inside was very cozy and intimate but also had a great bar for watching sports. There was also some nice outdoor seating. read more

Romano Cucina - Cannolis - Italian Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

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So I can't not give it a five star review because the food was good they accommodated all the substitutions we wanted and the service was great but there's one thing that I absolutely loved about this place they don't sacrifice quality for quantity the plates are humongous and delicious and moderately priced read more

Thank you to the owner that clarified my original concern! Really good food here 100% would come back to give it another shot!

I absolutely love this Italian restaurant for so many reasons. Their options on the menu, the quality of food, and the customer service is unmatched! I love dining in when I can because it's cute and cozy, but my family, friends and I also love ordering takeout too. And, catering from here is also a phenomenal experience! The portions are on the larger side, and they have weekly specials Tuesday - Thursday for dine in! Their cocktails are also great, and im especially excited about their new addition of Skrewball peanut butter whiskey to the bar!!! The best food menu items in my opinion are: Appetizers: mushrooms, eggplant parmigiana Salad: house salad and caprese (their tomatoes exclude the gooey insides & seeds which make the caprese even more delicious) Entrees: litaliano pizza, spicy Rosa with chicken pasta, pasta tombrello, pasta Gianni, ala checca with Bianco Diavolo & chicken, chicken Marsala (off the menu) Dessert: cannoli, cheesecake, tiramisu Thank you to the Romano Cucina team, I've been a loyal customer for over 10 years now!!! read more

Romano Cucina - Caprese salad (catering: half tray, feeds about 10 people) - Italian Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

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We have had dinner here twice now and enjoy ourselves so much. The food is amazing and the service is great. We watched one of the bus boys training what appeared to be a new employee, and if all of the employees are trained the way this young man was training the new guy. There's no wonder it's such a wonderful establishment. We called him over after our dinner and found out his name was Ben. What a great trainer he was. he said he's looking to be a server. I certainly hope they consider it. read more

Food is delicious and no downgrade in quality for years!!! Service is great. Friendly busy restaurant that gives me the old San Francisco vibes of Vanessi's, if you know, you know! read more

We had such a wonderful experience here. The homemade fettuccine Alfredo was absolutely incredible, and the homemade meatballs baked with ricotta, mozzarella, and red sauce were out of this world. Even the house salad dressing was amazing!!! Everything tasted so fresh and authentic. The service was so kind and attentive too. We'll definitely be back!! read more

The best Italian food in South Orange County! The pasta is absolutely amazing and one of the best I've had. Highly recommend this local restaurant--it's definitely a place we'll keep coming back to. read more

Apparently they have a special on Martinis on Tuesday's. I got a dirty martini and my husband got a gin martini at seven dollars each. What a deal! Tonight I got the chicken Milanese sandwich. The portion was huge and I was barely able to finish it. Most entrees come with salad or you can upgrade to soup. The service is always friendly. read more

Favorite Italian restaurant by far. We eat here all the time and love the spaghetti and meatballs as well as the pepperoni pizza! I wish I knew their house salad dressing recipe because I am addicted read more

Charming local italian restaurant. Little bit of a wait but well worth it. 1/2 off wine Wednesday. Enjoyed the bar while we waited. Ordered the Lemon cream & eggplant parm . delish is an understatement. Cant wait to try a meat dish next time. Meals can be shared between two people. Large servings. read more