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Angelino Cafe

4 star rating
based on 26 reviews

Category: Italian  [Edit]

Neighborhood: Mid-City West
8735 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 246-1177
  • Price Range: $$
  • Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
  • Parking: Street
  • Attire: Casual
  • Good for Groups: No
  • Good for Kids: Yes
  • Takes Reservations: Yes
  • Delivers: Yes
  • Take-out: Yes
  • Waiter Service: Yes
  • Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
  • Outdoor Seating: Yes
  • Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
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26 Reviews for Angelino Cafe

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19

Scott H.

Monterey Park, CA

4 star rating
07/23/2008

After reading Yelps reviews I setup my friend's birthday lunch here and was not disappointed.  The staff was friendly and courteous, the food was good and the view of all the randomness of Melrose was nice.  Overall, they handled a large group well, the price was reasonable and everyone had a good time.  Give it a go!

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3

29

Steve M.

Park La Brea, CA

3 star rating
07/09/2008

The food here is nothing special, which doesn't mean it isn't good. I just think it's perhaps a bit pricey for what you get. The bread, however, is really good.

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0

5

Leigha S.

West Hollywood, CA

5 star rating
04/28/2008

It looks a lot of other people love this place but  this is 'our' place. We live in the neighborhood and started going a few years ago. We take EVERYONE here. Granted it can get loud inside and there are smoker sometimes outside which we despise but the foods great and affordable. Their specials are generally always the same and we always get them, the lasagna special (to literally die for) and the steak. It's authentic Italian. I've lived in Italy and the best places there are always the unassuming quaint little restaurants and this one can hold its own. The owner is very nice and from Naples and the guys working that have been there forever which leads me to think they are treated well and I like that. 2 thumbs up! Bon apetito!

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2

Nicole D.

Park La Brea, CA

4 star rating
07/23/2008

Ive been to this place 3 or 4 times now and have always enjoyed the food..Its local and its resonably priced, It's usually pretty busy also so at times this little place can feel crowded but in my opinion its worth it, some of the better "authentic" tasting italian food i've found in this area, I was just there yesterday and ordered the pollo pizzaiola, YUM i love the sauce and asked for veggies AND potatoes on the side, good amount of food. sometimes the service is a little screwy when they get super busy but I love this place non the less, try the lasagna...be back soon!

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52

Angie D.

Upland, CA

4 star rating
05/18/2008

Good food and service.  I had the Avocado e Shrimp as an appetizer and it was delicious.  The shrimp was large, fresh and the whole dish was covered with this light, balsamic-like dressing. I know I had a pasta dish and it was really good too, but I can't recall if it was a ravioli dish or not.  However, I do remember having the Margherita pizza and that was tasty.  The crust is thin and flaky-not greasy, the sauce was slightly tangy and cheese was not stretchy at all.  When you get the check, they also give you a couple of Italian treats too!

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Elite '08

170

237

Brian C.

West Los Angeles, CA

2 star rating
02/29/2008

You can imagine my sigh when a friend said "American" when I asked what type of food he was in the mood for.  I don't even know that that means anymore for the Westside.  Norm's? Coco's? Craft?  I mean I know what it means for breakfast and lunch, but for a cheap dinner I'm stumped.

Italian is the closest I came to it.  This was after a quick yelp search for "American" which yielded nothing in the $/$$ range.  No menu on the yelp page, but I found a menu for an Angelino's Cafe in Westwood that looked really good, so I thought it might be another location, so we headed off.

It's a small spot on 3rd and you might have to park in the Cedars' public garage like we did for $1 and hour. I quickly found that the menu was not the same as like-named Angelino's Cafe.  I'm not a big pasta fan and wasn't in the mood for a pizza, so I settled on the Pollo Pizzaloa.

They gave us that requisite cold bread slices with butter which is just like the crap they give you at every other effen place that is too lazy to bake bread themselves or at least warm up the stuff they bring in.

My Pollo Pizzaloa tasted like it was a bigger portion of a Lean Cuisine meal. I'm serious.  Way to salty and unoriginal.

Maybe I'll come back and try the pizza, but I doubt it.

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Elite '08

71

248

Lisa S.

Long Beach, CA

4 star rating
03/26/2008

Cute little restaurant!!  The servers are pleasant and accommodating, the food is good and not badly priced (although the portions could be slightly larger), and the tiramisu was quite tasty.  

We had to wait almost 40 minutes for one of our party to show, and no one rushed us to order or gave us any attitude.  It was fantastic.

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3

45

Craig R.

Cheviot Hills, CA

4 star rating
03/24/2008

Yummy, yummy, yummy.  This place was recommended to my by an Italian friend of mine who said this was the closest to tasting like he was back home as he's found in LA.  Good stuff.  :)

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6

42

Mica R.

West Hollywood, CA

5 star rating
03/21/2008

great rissoto with asparagus and chicken + the pizza is super thin and crispy super fresh very home feeling!!!!!

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5

44

Anthony H.

Tarzana, CA

5 star rating
09/21/2007

I didn't want to give this place 5 stars.  Mostly because this is a mandatory monthly visit for me.  Too many 5 stars, and this place will become impossible to get into.  It's already a pretty tight spot as it is.  The food is always the best. Their pizzas are thin crust and just really good.  The largest tables fit 6 really tightly.  Get ready to be snuff next to your friends if you're taking more than 4.  But don't go with just 2.  We usually order 8 or so different dishes and skip on the dessert.  They give you some cookies with your bill.  So ask for the bill with your coffee order.  I like the chocolate dipped cookies.

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10

30

Gregory L.

Sherman Oaks, CA

5 star rating
10/29/2007

Best Tiramisu I have ever had.

Great thin crust, crispy pizza with ham or tomatoes. All the pasta dishes are delicious. Staff are typically very friendly, including the owner and head waiter. Seating outside with warmers under an awning. It's a very special, romantic Italian restaurant. Great place for first date or take your friends to impress them.

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175

Ruth A.

San Leandro, CA

4 star rating
04/21/2007

A friend of mine lived in Milan for a year, and had bewailed the fact that she hadn't been able to find certain Italian dishes done "right" since moving to Southern California.  I took her to Angelino Cafe on the basis of the Yelp reviews -- it sounded like a good bet.  

She was delighted with the food:  not just "Italian restaurant" staples but truly interesting dishes.  I had ahi tuna steak with putanescca sauce, absolutely delicious, and I hear from her that the pizza was "perfect" as was the tiramisu.  

One note.  The staff is excellent but I observed that if you push them, they push back, mostly by ignoring the wayward customer.  Respect these folks, and there's no problem.  I was happy with the service I received, and I'll be back.

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Elite '08

123

223

Albert H.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
05/03/2007

Came to Angelino Cafe for my last good meal before Mr. Dentist went to work fixing my horrendous teeth/gum situation (children, see your dentist regularly!). And lemme tell ya, it was GREAT!

As always, I have the memory of a decrepit alzheimer's patient. I can't remember what anything we ordered was called. BUT, I do remember that what we had was good eats. Hopefully the names will come to me.

First of all, this place is TINY. And a good third of the seating is outside under a tent with a heat lamp. Nonetheless, the cramped conditions contribute to the very rustic, homespun vibe of the restaurant. The bare wood tables are very welcoming. I dug it.

On to the starters.. We used one of their DEEEELISH pizzas as an appetizer.. T'was thin and crispy, just how i like it! And topped with prosciutto and some kind of white cheese (mozarella?). The tabled scarfed it down, it was so damn good. We had another pizza, with olives and other junk, and while good, it paled in comparison. I also ordered the minestrone soup, and was pleasantly suprised by its non-Tomato-y goodness. Apparently minestrone does not equal tomato/vegetable soup! Who knew.

And entrees? I ordered the spaghetti and clams in a white wine sauce.. DELICIOSO! Loved it and wiped my bowl/plate clean with bread. I just had a flash of butchering the Italian language.. Spaghetti alla Vongole? Perchance. Anyhow, the pasta was perfectly al dente. And me being the clam lover that I am, absolutely adored the sauce. Perfection. Others in the party got Sausage Arrabiata, Eggplant something or other, and not-fried Calimari. I was personally absorbed in my own Vongole-goodness, but I do believe everybody enjoyed their selection.

We also had some Birra Moretti throughout the meal, which was a nice light Italian uh, lager? Beer, as we Americanos like to call it. It was cheaply priced too, if I recall. Score!

Great meal before I started my current liquid and tofu diet. Would most definitely go there again.

(Once my teeth are back in action of course.)

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4

21

mark w.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
03/07/2007

I haven't been here in awhile. It is really good though. One of my favorite places. The guys that oversee everything at night are great and the food is really good.

They told me they deliver to the hospital. I've made a mental note about that, just in case. You know?

Either way... give it a try. It's casual as the other reviews state. I'd guess the prices are in the $9-$16 range. I usually get a pizza. Everything is good though. Well... I'd skip the gnocchi. However I haven't found any gnocchi I liked, since I visited Italy.

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Elite '08

22

67

jenny h.

Westwood, CA

4 star rating
06/05/2007

Best margherita pizza ever!!  A colleague introduced me to this place and I've been in love with their pizza ever since.  I love thin crust pizza and this place makes a really great one.  The individual portion is pretty big too, but again it's thin.  I've also had the one with prosciutto on top and it's very delicious.  You can't go wrong with the pizza here - the sauce and mozzarella are perfect.  There's also a great pinot noir here from New Zealand (Babich).  The soup with angel hair pasta and julienned veggies is very savory and light.  The only thing I didn't like was the shrimp scampi risotto.  I don't know why it just wasn't that stellar.  Pesto pasta is good too but I always go for the pizza!

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4

26

david s.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
07/29/2007

This is about a block away I've gone about 500 times over the last 4 years or so. The good: Food is always good, surprisingly good, and delicious. I mainly get the pastas, penne with meat sauce, shrimp con scampi, whatever they are all really good. I'd say you can't go wrong. The price is fair, $10-$16 for the pastas.

Ok so the bad: Even tho the service is getting better, it's still far from great. I've seen people be ignored for far too long at their table, laughably long, it helps to go and expect bad service and be surprised if you get good service. They are always friendly even when they ignore you... yes even as a somewhat usual I get ignored form time to time. Less the more you go because the waiter will remember what you ordered last time and stop by and ask if that's what you want again. The reason for the bad service is only one waiter, he works hard it's mainly at the busy times he's overwhelmed.

The ambiance is just ok, it gets REALLY loud in there when it's busy. Better to go earlier or later. Not at say 8:00.

All that said, the food at everyday dinning prices is just too good! You just HAVE to suffer though all that and enjoy their great pastas.

...and there's always take out!

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Elite '08

38

116

Jon J.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
04/17/2007

I was interested to this place by an Italian who used to work as a waiter so he knows his Italian restaurants. Really excellent place. Small and charming atmosphere. Polite staff and great owners. Most importantly, the food is fresh, delicious, and excellent in every other way and their daily specials always interesting. Love it!

Be careful with parking. I think the street spots in front of the restaurant only have a 30 min. limit. There's a parking garage nearby.

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Elite '08

39

225

Caroline K.

Cypress, CA

4 star rating
11/25/2007

Cute tiny Italian place located near the Beverly Center.   Because it's so small (they also have a little patio), it tends to get loud when full.  So my friend and I  started with the Prosciutto Di Parma E Mozzarella, which was parma ham and buffalo mozzarella.  My friend said it usually comes with cantaloupe at other places he's been to, but I guess they were out, so it was basically akin to a meat and cheese plate.  It was still good but prob would have been better with the cantaloupe.  We ordered the Rigatoni Con Ragu and one of their pizzas that came with parma ham and mushrooms.  The Rigatoni Con Ragu came al dente, the way I like it, and the sauce was good as well - it was a tomato meat sauce on the slightly sweeter side.  The pizza had a very thin crust, which I found a bit too thin bc it became soggy in the middle.  Other than that, it was light with a nice smoked flavor.  We didn't order dessert, though they did give us each a chocolate dipped cookie and one flaky cookie with cinnamon.   Waiter was very friendly, although I had a bit of trouble understanding him due to his Italian (?) accent.

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23

128

Lisa M.

Los Angeles, CA

3 star rating
01/15/2007

Went with a friend last night.  He's a regular and always orders the same thing.  I had a glass of wine and their arugula, tomato and mozzarella pizza.  It was really good with a great thin crust.  They give you the greatest little crispy cookie with your bill.  Loved that.
I'd totally go back cause the place is casual, busy, cozy, and has pretty good food.

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36

Aubrey L.

Studio City, CA

4 star rating
04/10/2007

I was lucky enough to be introduced to this place by my friend Justin.  We stopped in on a nice, sunny day and the place was practically empty. It's not a huge place (filled with small tables) and additional seating outside.  The food is good, the wait staff polite and the atmosphere casual.

I decided to bring my fiance back for a romantic evening the other night.  This time the place was packed although we had no trouble finding parking.  The tables can feel a little too close for comfort sometimes as we were unwillingly involved in our neighboring table's very private conversation.  We started out with the Caprice salad and some wine (both very good).  My fiance ended up getting the seafood risotto and thought it was a little undercooked however, I got pasta with a cream sauce and it was delicious.

In the end, we really enjoyed everything Angelino Cafe had to offer......the food, the wine, the cookies with the check and knowing that the guy next to us probably sealed the deal with his date that night.

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9

40

Jason F.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
08/14/2006

Another one of my staples.  I frequent the Pollo Pizzaola (I think that is the spelling).  Basically, chicken in pizza sauce.  What do I love about this dish?  It's simple.  The chicken is cooked well, the sauce is great and the couple kalamata olives make me feel like the Greek's invented this dish (Greek Pride!!!).  The julienned vegetable option must be taken over the potatoes. (who needs potatoes!)  You want some good pizza?  Try the wafer thin pizza at this joint.  I prefer the mushroom pizza for some reason.  It's just really good.  Hmm, the Fagioli soup is also included in my to-go bag.  Don't forget to throw some crushed red pepper in this soup before you dig in.  [Begin urban speak] Gotta make it hot, what what.

For desert, both the cookies that come to the table with your tab (I beg for them) and the chocolate and lemon pie are very good.  Give 'em a try.

Again, all the food is simple here, like you are eating in the italian countryside, not a glitzy restaurant with eloquent french flair.

Simple...just how I like my women...

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Photo of Beth C.

 

1

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Beth C.

CA

5 star rating
01/20/2007

Cafe Angelino is the best. The food is always consistant. My husband and I order and eat at Angelino at least once a week. You feel like you have stepped into Italian neighborhood resturant. I usually eat here before and after I leave town. Try, Farfalle ai Carciofi, Fusilli alla Puttanesca, Tricolore, Carne del Giorno, and any of thier pizzas. There really isn't any dish I would not recomend. Also, if you like crab, they have a special angel hair with crabmeat that is light and yummy.

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1

10

Chadwick C.

CA

5 star rating
10/07/2007

I'm shocked someone didn't give this place 5 -stars.  It's the best affordable Italian Food in town.  Great service.  Come on people.  Stay at home if you're not going to give a place like this 5 stars.

ADVICE: get something with the tomato sauce on it.  They make they're own and it's really amazing stuff.

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Amy H.

Santa Monica, CA

4 star rating
06/15/2006

I don't know about you...but, every now and then...I enjoy going to a place where I can show up dressed as casual as I like.  Angelino Cafe not only has great Italian food, but it has a homey feel to it...kind of like dining at your Italian grandmother's house.  The prices are very reasonable and the portions are not gargantuan like many other restaurants out there.  It's perfect for those of us who are watching our waistlines.  You can enjoy a bowl of pasta and not feel like you've blown your entire diet.

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81

Russel G.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
08/30/2006

Solid.  Thats about all that needs to be said.  The food is good, reasonably priced and served in a place that has no hint (and I mean zero) of presumption.  Not the best Italian in the City, but great for a week night when cooking is not an option.

File their menu in the Sun-Wed folder!

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Elite '08

53

353

Will M.

Los Angeles, CA

3 star rating
04/09/2006

Small cafe with decent food but a small menu and small portions.

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