Best Pepe Salad , service is great as well . Shrimp pizza and chicken piccata by far just like my grandma s

Is Tarantino's turning into a sad pizza party? It pains me a bit to write this review because I've been a fan since the early 2000s, however, the quality isn't just what it used to be. Let's start with the crust. The Tarantino's I'm used to had a light, spongy, and tangy dough that was a delight to eat. Now it's lifeless, tasteless, and flat...like saltine cracker flat. The sauce, once vibrant and zesty is now boring. The cheese is skimpy. The toppings are less. So, either corners are being cut, or my pizza expectations are at a higher standard than before. An extra star for the kind service here. read more

This New York ex-pat gives Tarantino's two thumbs up. We ate there yesterday for the fourth or fifth time over a period of decades. I don't live in Pasadena any more and so I don't get to Tarantino's as often as I like. But, we decided that will change. This is an old fashioned NYC-style pizzeria. Not that I saw any Italians in the place, which would have been nice. I don't know who owns Tarantino's now, but the food has stayed consistent as far as I can see. And, that's a good thing. We ordered pesto rigatoni, tomato-basil fusilli, and a Sicilian cheese pizza. All of it was exceptional. Really, the Sicilian pizza was one of the best I have ever had, bubbling with pillows of very good mozzarella and oozing deep red marinara sauce in just the right amount. Unlike some people, we thought the complimentary green salads were excellent. They not only had an authentic balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing -- a refreshing return to true savoriness, distinguished from the West Coast abomination of "Italian" dressing saturated with sugar -- with sliced tomatoes and tiny chopped onion, but real green lettuce, very little iceberg. Along with that came isosceles garlic bread wedges sprinkled with Parmesan. Clearly, someone here cares! The two pastas were obviously made to order, served in hand-made white ceramic ovals with deep wells to hold the delicate broth and sauce. The pesto, something one can't find in many ersatz Italian California restaurants, was obviously crafted from chopped fresh basil and delectable pine nuts. A bowl of freshly shaved Romano cheese brought to the table, completed the meal. The place is small, it is bowling-alley in configuration and perhaps those two features rule out the more boisterous and convivial celebrations we can have at more pedestrian and popular (read, well known, rather than favored) spots nearby. But, there are televisions, a loyal patronage that pours in and fills the dining area quickly, and celebrity photos line the walls, in a subtle, low-key-we-are-not-bragging-but-hey way. The service is attentive, warm, cheerful, and friendly -- European style. While waiting for my made-to-order dishes, I glanced at the corner near the window, to my left. It was spotless, as were the large panes of the store front. Then I inspected the carpet everywhere: spotless. Bring cash, Tarantino's doesn't accept credit cards and maybe that is why the prices are so reasonable. We have decided to make this a much more regular pilgrimage. Total success, once again. read more

I drive 45 mins to an hour to eat here. I think that's enough said :). My daughter's favorite and she's a picky teen, but this is just the best- small, quaint, family-owned and the best service. Food never disappoints. read more

Great casual Italian restaurant. Been going here for decades. Pasadena classic. Food is outstanding. Only negative thing is lack of parking, but that's not the restaurant's fault. read more

Don't order a pizza to be delivered via GrubHub. It won't get delivered and then you get charged anyway. Also, your credit card company will believe Grubhub and not you, the customer. read more

Had a terrible experience while dining in for lunch with my autistic son. He was discriminated against for being autistic by Julio an employee. My son was not disrupting anyone he simply was highly stimulated and that seemed to bothered Julio who brought it to my attention. I was in complete shock that he stated my son was a danger to customers passing by or dining at restaurant. Only a person with complete ignorance could say such a thing. I asked to speak to Manager Carlos but he was not at restaurant. However , later on this evening I was able to speak to him and explained our traumatizing experience. I asked that changes be made and all staff be educated on how to treat All Customers with respect and equality. Truly hope this brings awareness to others when dining at this restaurant. I truly hoped at the moment this occured I could have built the courage to stand up to this individual and advocate on my behalf of my son but I was so upset I couldn't find the words at that moment nor did I want to cause a scene with 2 other families dining in. The manager did state I could call if I visited again for lunch. However , no lunch could ever make me forget the discrimination we faced. I only hope this post brings change to staff and awareness to anyone reading this read more

If you want an old-school Italian restaurant, this is the place in Pasadena. Walk in and you're instantly transported back to a 1950's Italian pizzeria, from the charming vintage decor (lots of celebrity photos, at my table John Travolta was features and my friend said this was his early hangout in LA), to the delicious old-fashioned pizza! I had the pepperoni, which is about as classic as you can get. The crust is thick and bready, in the best way. The sauce is flavorful without being too heavy on oregano or any single herb. Plenty of delicious cheese, and excellent, crispy pepperoni that was not too spicy. The medium was more than enough for two people. If you're going to the Pasadena playhouse and want a traditional treat, this is a great choice! read more

The sauce and bread makes this one of the best pizza places around. Been going here for over 28 years and it hasn't changed one bit.

CASH ONLY. Hidden gem that has been around for years. I love their take on carbonara. It is not elegant or fictitious. Tarantino's serves blue collar food at blue collar portions and prices. While I would love to eat the entire menu, I keep coming back for just the carbonara. It is the most rustic carbonara I've had in the area and California by far. For a great price you get a huge dinner serving of pasta (that can easily feed two) with fatty chunks of salty pork, oily sauce topped with generous portions of cheese. Each bite is as hearty as the no frills decor of this landmark eatery. read more

Tarantino's Pizzeria - Pizza Near Me - Pasadena, California

The huge smile and happiness expressed in reading the menu was even bigger after our delicious meal that included a Pepe Salad, a Grandma Tony's Special, a Florentine pizza, a Chicken Marsala, and a Chicken Piccata. This place is easily a 10 plus out of 10! read more

Tarantino's Pizzeria - Extreme happiness looking at the menu! - Pizza Near Me - Pasadena, California

One of the most authentic New York and Italian pizzas I've ever eaten outside of new York and even at that every dish is fantastic the sauce is the key and they got it pat down read more

Unbelievably rude and arrogant staff. Do not recommend this place one bit. Need better staff training to deal with social interactions.

Best salads around. Been coming here for years. Great pasta and pizza too. Yummy food.

Omg!!!! This pizza is amazing. I had Grandma Tony's Special. Amazing!!! The crust is incredible. Definitely will be back and if you never had, take a chance and stop in. You will not be disappointed! FYI, cash only. read more

Tarantino's Pizzeria - Grandma Tony's Special. - Pizza Near Me - Pasadena, California

really underwhelmed with the food. marg pizza oddly had minced garlic and uncooked tomato. superr over prized for low quality food. pesto pasta was oily and flavorless. garlic bread was stale and less garlicky than the pizza. overrated and overpriced. UPDATE: my friend and i both got food poisoning read more

Went here for dinner with a life long friend of mine and she's a regular here. Always talked about it so I had to try it. As soon as we were seated they brought over her regular drink and I had the same. The server knew her order and he was so sweet. Everyone greeted us so warmly. She ordered the pasta with marinara and I had the penne with butter, cheese and olive oil. They also brought us the bread and it was delish. Plain house salad...couldn't imagine that salad so simple could be so good. Everything was so delicious! Homemade everything! Family recipes passed down for generations that they share with all of us....the extended family. Next time I'm trying the sautéed mushrooms. She sent me a pic of some a few weeks later and mouth was watering looking at them. Can't wait to go back. I live in Orange County so unfortunately it's not close but I'll make it a point to go back each time I visit. Thank you for the delicious food Tarantino's! read more

It's awesome I have some local friends in the area that have kept recommending Tarantino's for Italian food. I'll admit, I was a bit skeptical as I walked in the first time dining here. If you're looking for fine Italian dining, you best go elsewhere but if you're looking for a tasty home-cooked meal look no further. Over the past few visits, we have always ordered the Pepe salad http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/tarantinos-pizzeria-pasadena#piO7u_Pel-2ieDtMmxIJ_A. A damn tasty salad where they use a pesto sauce as their dressing tossed with garbanzo beans, pasta, lettuce, red cabbage and tomatoes. Definitely a must order when coming here. I think 99% of their patrons order this salad. This time around we tried their Italian sausages w/ peppers http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/tarantinos-pizzeria-pasadena#6ny6X0mJBAJjq46QVLeinA. Another tasty appetizer with a tasty tomato red sauce along with sauteed green peppers. Served with the sausages is their white bread http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/tarantinos-pizzeria-pasadena#8jKzJyCpP5tcXWt4zaDXhQ which is the perfect vehicle to mop up all the leftover sauce on your plate. Baked ziti http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/tarantinos-pizzeria-pasadena#hhChfkYmhsfuE-3S4oJkIg. Not a bad non-meat pasta dish but nothing I'd recommend. I did really like the ricotta cheese that was mixed with what tasted like parsley. Paisano pasta http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/tarantinos-pizzeria-pasadena#lGLSfidG3iuxsDHsdo0ieg. A spicy red sauce w/ sausages which is my go to pasta dish here. The combination of the onions, garlic, sausages and their red sauce is damn tasty. I keep telling myself to try other pasta dishes but for some reason I keep ordering this one. Oh and this tastes even better the next day. Cash only business so make sure to bring plenty of cash if you're thinking about coming here. read more

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Mamma mia! My favorite pizza shop in Pasadena! Gotta get the Tucci's special! It's phenomenal! We recommend it to everyone we can, and we order that pizza every time! There's also no bad pasta that we've had! The carbonara is a favorite! read more

Man, this sucks to be writing such a terrible review..but Tarantino's..what happened? Bf and I decided on pizza last night, and we got a large pepperoni, onions, and sausage pizza. The pizza itself was just..awful. The crust was so tough and DRY AS HELL. You know when you get a slice of pizza, it tends to flop at the bottom? Yeah, this pizza didn't do that. It was straight and tough as cardboard. The onions were cut in such uneven proportions and they were just raw. Giant chunks, small pieces..just inconsistent. The ranch? It was basically sour cream. That is exactly what it tasted like. I can honestly and confidently say that if I were to take a blind taste test with yesterday's pizza..I would've thought it was DiGiorno's. Bf's words: Tarantino's lost me. We were both so disappointed, and this was our favorite pizza spot :( read more

This review is going to be straight forward. My family ordered 3 medium pizzas and all of them were super basic and boring. The sausage, the pepperoni, and the works pizza, all had hard crust/dough. All the pizzas kept falling apart too. The toppings and cheese would just slide right off. By the time I got home, the sausage pizza had slipped all around in my car and all the cheese was on one side of the pizza. (I should've taken a picture) Anyways, I probably wouldn't suggest coming here as there are plenty of other places to try. This place just seems like they lost their passion. When I was picking up the pizza, all the employees were quite and all looked exhausted of making pizzas. read more

Tarantino's Pizzeria - Pizza Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Good pizza. Need to come back to triird some other dishes; including the garlic bread!

Amazing. Pizza was delicious, nice thick cheeese and then service comes by table side to throw parmesan on top. Really intimate ambiance. Cant wait to come back. read more

Really a great lunch special. My wife and I love to make it up there on holidays. They have super great pizza crust, nice soups, and a great Caesar salad. read more

My co-workers and I frequent Tarantino's Pizzeria for lunch as it is right across the street from the office. Tarantino's is a great spot for a relatively quick Italian lunch. Pros: Very affordable and large portions. I almost always order the baked ziti. I am out of there with a total bill less than $10 and plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day. I have also had the pizza and it is delicious and cheesy. The salad is a big portion and really fresh and delicious! The dressing is homemade and light. On a cold day, I love getting the Wedding Soup as it is salty, warm and filling. Super casual atmosphere and typically quick service are also a big plus. Cons: If you do not work close by then parking would be a total pain. You can park on Green Street before the restaurant in a paid lot or you can try to get lucky and park outside on Green Street. Tips: Bring cash! They do not accept credit or debit cards - thankfully there are several close banks on Lake. read more

Love this restaurant, I highly recommend it. The cleanliness is super clean. The customer service is great and the prices are even greater the taste of the quality of the food amazing pizza taste amazing. . read more

Got the Paisano, Carbonara, and garlic rolls. The pasta came in very large portions and was packed with flavor. Very good food for the price. Would definitely come back. read more

Tarantino's Pizzeria - Paisano Pasta - Pizza Near Me - Pasadena, California

This place was not great. My sis and I shared pizza and salad. Something was not kosher and we both were sick for days!

Greetings were so welcoming from the restaurant staff. Cozy place I've not been to in years. Pie was top shelf. My favourite non meat pizza. Two Modelo Negras and we were all set. read more

Tarantino's Pizzeria - Pizza Near Me - Pasadena, California

Small local Italian restaurant. I don't think the food is amazing but it's very solid "mom's traditional style food." It gets really crowded here and it's CASH only so that's kind of a pain. A solid option if there is no line but I would move on to another restaurant if I see a queue in front. read more

Tarantino's Pizzeria - Pizza Near Me - Pasadena, California

Good pizza! Friendly, family owned atmosphere. Salad just OK -- one star off. Will be back.

Fantastic pizza here. The Florentine pizza here is something else. My go to is usually a large pizza, half Florentine, half Grandma Tony's special (either with mushrooms or pepperoni). The crust is thick and crispy. Support this awesome spot read more

Amazingly good and simple pasta made correctly. The price is untouchable too. Couldn't tell you anything about the pizza but it looks good.

The Luis's special is from another galaxy far far away. If darth Vader had the last Luis's special I would build my own light saber and chop him down with the edge of my hand. Best Italian dish I have ever ate in my entire life:) yummmm read more

My girl was craving pizza so we tried this place out. We walked in and it was empty. We almost walked right out... bad sign right? I said, let's give it a try, it has 4 Stars, it should be pretty good. We ordered the Granny's pizza which has a different sauce from the regular sauce. The waiter said it was cooked with bell peppers and oregano. The pizza was good! I like the slight crunch the crust has. Was the sauce worth paying $4 more for? Not really. All in all, we liked the pizza! Their smallest size is HUGE!! We had half mushroom and half meatballs. read more

Tarantino's Pizzeria - Pizza Near Me - Pasadena, California

If you want to taste the best pasta ever, try their chilaquiles pasta!!! It's to die for! Garlic rolls love their service! read more

Best pizza I've ever had in Pasadena and surrounding areas. This is no joke! Only thing I'm upset about is that I just found this place. Thank you for giving me faith in pizza in the SGV and Los Angeles! read more

Best pizza in Pasadena. My favorite is the Touchy(?) Special. Lots of shrimps on a not too thin crust

Don't have much to say , SIMPLY AMAZING beyond tasty. Salad. Apatizer drinks it was all tasty. Service was amazing as well. Super welcoming. Definitely worth the drive read more

Tarantino's Pizzeria - a close up of a pizza - Pizza Near Me - Pasadena, California

I've been eating at this restaurant for nearly 30 years. My brother worked there as a teen. It was great then and it still is! The pasta putanesca is one of my faves. But everything tastes great! Highly highly recommend! FYI it's a cash only venue. read more