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- Hours:
Tue-Thu 11:30 am - 8:30 pm
Fri 11:30 am - 9:30 pm
Sat 5 pm - 9:30 pm
Sun 5 pm - 8:30 pm
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Classy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
204 reviews for Bertolucci's
Review Highlights
"I love the old school italiano supper cllub."
(in 39 reviews)
"they also have a great polenta app that is very delish."
(in 41 reviews)
"Service was great and the food is fresh and hot."
(in 10 reviews)
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204 reviews in English
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Review from Tiffany T.
Pacifica, CA
1/19/2012
This is classic Italian in a fun way. The lighting is soft, but not how other reviewers made it sound 'dark' inside. There is a lounge area too, seats and tables by a bar- but I came to eat :)
We got the seat under the leg lamp, and had our server, Tracy., take some pictures for us. She was nice! our water was always full, food came reasonably quick.
The menu has one side for food and another for alcohol, with a good amount of options without going overboard.
I got the stuffed porkchop special (cheese and Pancetta inside) and it was great! Cooked perfectly, with the bone in and topped with a mushroom sauce, which went great with the italian grits.. which are like creamy mashed potatoes.
The prices were roughly around $10-$15 for appetizers, $20-$30 for dinners; In my opinion, reasonable for a dinner out with friends/family. I felt the portions were generous.
One thing: Since this was my first time, I was confused on where the entrance was... (not the huge double doors) but the smaller door by the private parking... not a big deal, just awkward cuz I was waiting a while to meet my friends by the big doors. -
Review from Justin N.
Pacifica, CA
2/3/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
So this is what interesting about this spot. The ambiance is of a 70s or 80s mob movie. If a guy was whacked in the back room I wouldnt die from shock. Now I am extravagant for humors sake but this place is not modern. Not to say it's bad. The seats were extremely comfortable and appropriate for everyone's height. But I wouldnt bring a date here to impress a lady that thinks the decor makes or breaks a place.
This is the rundown for me from here:
The good:
+The service was quite attentive. Getting anything we asked for happened with ease and no attitude
+It was a good time. Let's face it. When you go to a restaurant that is not fast food you want a good time. The staff interacted and were still very nice even though we were the last to leave and killed a bottle of wine.
The bad:
-Hate to say it. But the food wasn't that great. My and my GF's chicken Parmesan was way to salty and the pasta with it was bland and overlooked. The Alfredo apparently tasted like a stick of butter an the brushcetta had a great base with fresh tomatoes and good crisp toast but very little cheese
-It is a little overpriced for the quality. The ravenswood Chardonnay we bought was 28 a bottle. That's a 200 percent mark up. I know there should be some mark up but the rest of food just didnt seem to justify it.
All in all we went here when we were kids and it holds memories. And I had a great time with all the people there. But I would probably venture elsewhere next time I crave Italian food -
Review from Randy B.
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
Sure, I like the old school feel...and the best part of the place is the attentive service by both the waitress and hostess. But sorry to report, this is highly mediocre at best.
SOUNDED GOOD
I ordered the chicken parmesan: $19. Pretty cool that it was a complete meal, and offered with entree: soup or salad, and 2 sides with a variety of choices, ranging from vegies, polenta, pastas & several choices of sauce.
BUT NOT SO GOOD
The chicken parm was thick and not crisp (pound it like you mean it, and crisp that thing up!), the marinara sauce was plain and not seasoned enough. The vegies were delicious, especially with loads of butter it's cooked in (heart attack!). The pasta w/meat sauce was edible, but the oil or fat from the meat was not drained, and it was soupy and oily tasting. The dinner salad was fine, and nicely chilled. Best thing on the plate was the mozzarella atop the chicken parm - it was fantastic and the real deal.
CONCLUSION
While there isn't much other dining choices in South San Francisco that I'm aware of, I would definitely recommend trying somewhere else. Sorry Bertolucci's, you don't get my vote. -
Review from Seong P.
1/11/2012
You can't miss the bright lit up sign, when you're driving down 101. It intrigued me. One night, we wanted pasta and finally remembered to check it out. Once inside, it reminded me of New Jersey, and maybe that's the point.
I had the linguine with clams, which was a good sized portion with lots of clams. Still, I thought it was on the pricey side for a relatively simple dish.
We were the youngest people there by decades. I saw how nice the staff were to the mainly senior citizen diners, and I liked that. -
Review from Grace L.
South San Francisco, CA
1/10/2012
I've only been here once for dinner on a weekday. It was pretty dark in here like all the reviews state. And there was indeed the leg lamp in the window, which was comically odd since it didn't really fit the decor. It has a old world feeling inside. Lots of the other patrons were older folks (55+ and up).
I ordered the Linguini Tutto Mare (i think that was the name of it), aka the Seafood Linguini and it was SOOO GOOD. I think I dreamt and drooled about it for months after I had it here. I still need to make my return trip to make sure it was not a dream. Lots of big pieces of seafood, good spices in the marinara sauce and the linguini was perfect.
My husband ordered the Petrale Sole with the polenta and he didn't care for it. But eh fish entrees are always a hit or miss in my opinion. It wasn't a bad entree, he just didn't care for it.
His brother in-law ordered the Gnocchi and just a week after we went to Bertolucci's he went to Italy with his wife and they said the Gnocchi was better at Bertolucci's than in Italy. That's definitely got to be a good sign!
I forgot what my sister in-law ordered, but I believe she said it was good and she liked the food there.
Overall a good experience, but it is definitely a trip back in time eating in there. Also, I wish it wasn't so dark inside.
There's a small parking lot to the side of it but also street parking. Since it's not on Grand Street, there isn't as much of a headache for parking thankfully. -
Review from Nathan T.
12/29/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Good selection of classic Italian dishes. Service was slow. Had to prompt another to find our waitress.
Wine list is a bit small but serviceable. Good specials. Looked like a lot of regulars were present. Our party of three had no problem getting a seat but the place was pretty busy for a Wed night.
Everyone enjoyed their salads and entrees. I would go back. -
Review from Angela C.
12/1/2011
Great service with fresh, delicious bread ("free")
Decent portions for the price, esp. in San Francisco.
However, with all the great restaurants in San Francisco, I was hoping for outstanding Italian food instead of just above average Italian food.
OssoBucco was a disappointment because I could have made it taste better than that. Polenta was super creamy and buttery...Yum!
The Veal Parmesan had good sauce but the meat was too chewy. Same with the Chicken Parmesan. -
Review from Ian G.
Portland, OR
1/18/2012
A colleague and I recently ate here during a business trip. It was my first time here; it was his second. The other complimentary Yelp reviews and #1 Italian Restaurant rating for the area solidified our decision to come here.
The place was easy to find, especially with the prominent neon sign. I liked the fact that parking is plentiful and free - a few blocks away you're limited to metered parking in downtown SSF.
The decor felt Italian - nice, but a bit gaudy. It was dark inside, as mentioned by other reviewers.
The free bread was fantastic. We were served a baked flat bread with some marinara / onions and a few slices of fresh sourdough. Yum!
We started with some minestrone soup, which had some nice flavor, but some of the veggies were a bit mushy. Not really a big deal, in my opinion.
I had fettuccine alfredo for my main course. It was good and the portions were plentiful - hard to screw up a dish like that. My colleague ordered the special, which had linguine, spinach, and salmon in a garlic olive oil sauce. According to him, it was great.
The service was good, and we were well taken care of. Zero complaints about service. :)
If we're in the area again soon - I'll definitely be back! -
Review from Monica B.
South San Francisco, CA
10/31/2011
My grandpa (NONO) used to take us here all the time because they had "real Italian food"
YUM YUM YUM! Is all I have to say. I haven't had anything not good here.
BE WARNED the portions ARE HUGE and the food is rich... But It is SO GOOD!
They have done some updates to the decore on the inside which is nice... but i must say i do miss the fountain! hehe
Oh and the Palenta is to DIE FOR! YUM YUM YUM!! -
Review from Jess M.
Come si dice...I can't run for s**t but if running lets me eat lots of carbs, I'm in?
Carbing it up before a run has never been this good! It was the night before the SF Half Marathon and Bertolucci's was our place for the feast.
Walking towards the door I felt the need to bring my ID out to show the bouncer! I was gonna get my Uncle Guido on the phone if there were any problems.
We ordered:
Fried Calamari w/cocktail sauce and a spicy garlic aoili - Killed it! The calamari were huge! No tentacles (our favorite) but they weren't missed cuz the calamari rings were so thick and meaty! And that spicy garlic aoili, fuggedaboutit!
Tuscan Frittes - Killed it! There was something about these thin crispy fries seasoned well that we couldn't get enough of! And we dipped them in the spicy garlic aoili!
Grilled Polenta baked in marinara sauce and topped with mozzarella - I ordered this with my pasta and loved it.
BTW, the complimentary bread and butter they serve, killed it! We asked for more and the second batch, killed it!
Linguine Con Vongole & Cozze with clams and mussels - Very hearty sauce and plenty of flavor! It was filled with tons of clams and mussels! They obviously don't skimp around here!
Penne Al Forno Penne baked in marinara and topped with mozzarella - Sooo good! I love anything topped with melted cheese especially pasta! Simple made good! I'm getting this next night of carbing!
Fettuccine with shrimp, mushrooms and tomatoes tossed in garlic butter, herbs and olive oil from their specials for the night - Good not great. It needed more sauce since halfway through it was pretty dry. The shrimp were big and had a nice crunch when you bit into them though.
For dessert we ordered a chocolate hazelnut praline torte and a custard and berries one. Don't ask me the exact names cuz I will definitely be wrong and you'll end up ordering the chocolate bomba or something. They were both equally good in that they balanced each other out between the rich chocolate and the refreshing custard and berries.
Atmosphere was okay, there was a Fra-gee-lay in the window that made for fun pictures, our server made us feel like she wanted us out of there directly after our check was paid but I'm sure if Uncle Guido was there with us she wouldn't.
Come si dice...I'm so full I wanna yack but not because of the food, more because I was running the marathon in a few hours? -
Review from KC W.
South San Francisco, CA
11/28/2011
Yes, definitely a GO.
Good food, good service, old school Italian ambiance, good (fair) prices, full bar & live music (on Saturdays).
What more could you want? Maybe better parking on busy nights.
I've been coming here for decades, and old family favorite eatery. When they changed owners a few years back I was so disappointed. My first 2 times back in were discouraging, food not up to par, and I really wanted to like this place because my friends still liked it and my personal family history with Bertolucci's.
So I am very glad I tried it yet again and it was just as good as my old memories. I've been back several times since and each time has been a good experience.
Wait staff is friendly and efficient and makes you feel welcomed.
Favorite foods have included the Minestrone, Polenta, Cannelloni, Chicken Alla Sodini (flattened so don't expect a plump chicken breast), Porterhouse Steak (Bistecca Alla Fiorentina) on the dinner menu.
Dessert MUST include Exotic Bomba, that alone is worth the trip! -
Review from Liz E.
11/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is the sort of Italian restaurant where I would take my parents. The plates are large, the food is homey, and the selection is pretty basic. The restaurant itself feels like it is from another era, what with the dark paneling and 70's-esque lounge area. Our service was good, and the whole experience felt less commercial than someplace like Olive Garden.
The carbonara was tasty, and the gnocchi a la bolognese was something I enjoyed for several days. Come hungry, leave stuffed and with leftovers!
WARNING: They're closed on Mondays! (Made that mistake once...) -
Review from Monica W.
San Francisco, CA
1/23/2012
My boyfriend and I came here on a Friday night and it was raining. We were hungry and was thinking of where to eat until my mom gave us a $50 gift certificate to that restaurant and we were like YES, let's go there!! I believe there was a private parking for the restaurant but we decided to park on the streets since it was closer to the entrance and it was raining. The restaurant was nice and spacey, they have a bar by the front entrance and then to the side are the tables. Anyways, my boyfriend and I started off with some steamed clams and muscles with garlic sauce and garlic bread for appetizer and it was AMAAAAZINGGGG! Gahhhh it makes me drool just thinking about it. For our main dish, my boyfriend ordered Linguine Con Vongole & Cozze (muscles, clams, shrimp) and I ordered the Tortellini Carbonara (cream sauce with mushroom). After dinner, I ordered Tiramisu for dessert! Oh man....that Tiramisu melted in my mouth like it was nothing!! It was like heaven!!! The food overall was amazing. I loved it. This is a nice restaurant that you can go on a romantic date with your boyfriend or girlfriend or you can go out with your family also. I would love to come back and eat here again!!!
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Review from Sam R.
9/3/2011
Well worthing going to the food, service and atmosphere are great. With that said more details about my experience.
Walking up Bertolucci's I could hear jazz playing from with in. There sat the party of friends and family I was there to meet. All listening to jazz and having drinks before dinner. Not being rushed we listened to jazz while enjoying our drinks and catching up.
We sat at a long table near the kitchen, which was a good thing being a noisy group. The waitress came got our appetizer and drink orders, gave us a couple of loafs of bread with olive oil and vinegar to snack on while the appetizers were prepared.
For appetizers we shared polenta and bruschetta which were very good. Well prepared and tasty. The bread and soup are amazing. I had the lasagna which was more cheese than anything else, it was okay. I personally don't think I would get it again.
Others in the party had the spaghetti & meatballs, pepper steak, veal saltimbocca, among other meals. I head nothing but great things about what they eat.
The waitress was great, she was always helpful and there when we needed something without rushing us. Over all the experience was very good. It reminded me of the type of experience one would have in europe dinning out. -
Review from Nina W.
Mountain View, CA
12/1/2011
Meh...I've experienced better Italian at Maggiano's. I heard about this place on Check Please, Bay Area and was really excited to go. I took my parents there after they flew into the city. Our server was nice but nothing extraordinary. The focacccia bread that they provide was probably the best part of the meal. I had the eggplant parm and it was way too cheesy! After I finished my food half the plate was still filled with cheese! This is ok Italian food, but I don't think I'll be back.
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Review from Dan A.
Sacramento, CA
9/14/2011
Price: expensive
Portions: large
Quality: bland
Service: good
This is an old American-style Italian restaurant that is caught in the 1970s, for all of the wrong reasons. Pasta Pomodoro and Fuzios have way better and tastier pasta dishes, at better prices as well. I don't recommend it. -
Review from Nicholas S.
San Francisco, CA
7/18/2011
So after hearing Bertolucci's, Bertolucci's Bertolucci's from one of my co-workers, I finally took the plunge. Last Saturday the wife wanted Italian and we have some good stand bys, but we figured what the hell, lets try something new.
And we were ecstatic by the time we left! I had the special of the night which was Osso Bucco and it was awesome, fall off the bone, perfectly sauced, with an awesome polenta side. My wife had the Ricotta Gnocchi, which was a little cloud of heaven. Light Fluffy and soaked up the sauce perfectly. And to top it all of we had a fresh made canolli for desert, whats not to love? -
Review from Gloria H.
3.5 stars
If you have driven on 101 pass SSF, you would have seen Bertolucci's. With traffic going home, we figure it's better to find a place to have an early dinner than getting stuck on the freeway.
Although we got off the freeway with Bertolucci's in mind, we drove around Grand and Linden to make sure there were no better alternatives before making the plunge. Off the beaten path, we parked across the street and walked in.
Definitely old school The dining room to the right was full so we opted for one of the low tables with swivel chairs in the bar area - there were booths too but we wanted to catch the Sharks and Giants game.
Our waitress was friendly and attentive. What we had:
glass of Krug cabernet each - $9
Clams and mussels in white wine broth with garlic bread - $16 - generous portion and very good
Petrale sole in lemon sauce - $21 - came with a creamy buttery polenta and some sauteed zucchini and carrots. The fish was dipped in egg and pan fried - it's ok, I would have liked it w/o the egg but hubby liked it.
Pasta special - fettucini w/ linked sausage in cream sauce w/ fresh tomato - $18 - very generous portion, there's no way to finish it or at least nobody should. Very rich and tasty.
Sauteed spinach - $7 - again, generous portion and very buttery and flavorful with sliced mushroom
The entree came with a choice of soup or salad. Hubby opted for the soup - minestrone, which was a large bowl and very tasty. I had the salad, a nice plate of iceberg w/ onion, tomato and a few garbanzo beans tossed in a light dressing - refreshing.
Mixed berry tart - $6 - lighter than expected and the mixed berry was good.
So with all the generous portion and tasty food, why just 3.5 stars? The food was so buttery and rich, it did not sit well in my stomach - it never really got digested.
We like the ambiance - it's almost like a different era. Service was friendly and they have live music Friday-Sunday.Listed in: Pasta - al dente or forget it!
-
Review from Victoria A.
Hayward, CA
11/10/2011 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
I made reservations from open table thru Yelp :). we had spent the day in the city and made perfect timing for our reservations. we got to the restaurant they sat us right away. the waitress was very helpful and patient with us. the Calamari was very good not too chewy or crunchy.I didn't care much for the salad too much garbanzo and kidney beans the ministrone soup was very good perfect for the cold nite. My boyfriend had the stuffed chicken a bit dry for him but tasty I had the chicken parmigiana it was delicious very cheesy. the place wasnt too packed or too loud and soft music. My boyfriend said it was his birthday the waitress brought him out a cannoli I'm not really a fan of cannoli's but I had a bite it didnt taste too bad the filling was a bit sugary I had coffee it was good didnt taste watered down or old. Overall the place was very good. I cant wait to go back
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Review from Jeannie A.
Redwood City, CA
5/8/2011
Thank you Yelp and yelpers for helping me find this great place! Some of my family had been there years ago, but no one knew that the restaurant was now updated by Sodini's. I had never noticed this restaurant at all and found it while frantically looking for somewhere in the SSF area to take the mothers for Mothers Day. I would always just go to North Beach in SF.
The ambience was great and fun too.
The food was great!
The service was great!
Great for families, baby and grandma.
What more do you want? It's nice to finally have an Italian American
restaurant on the peninsula that is updated enough for all ages but still
traditional. I loved the polenta appetizer and the cannelloni. Nice wine selection too! Thanks to yelp we didn't have to go to SF to have an SF dinner. Most importantly, the whole family left happy. -
Review from Jenna L.
5/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went there for a birthday dinner last saturday. I liked it. The eggplant lasagna was truly yummy and cheesy. DELICIOUS!!! I've been on an eggplant high for months! Can't get enough of it!
Negative stars for the dim lighting!
It got pretty crowded, but maybe thats the only good thing in South City?? *SHRUGGGG
I parked a couple blocks away. Outside reminds me of the ghetto part in San Jose. BUT inside proved me wrong! :D -
Review from Jin L.
San Jose, CA
8/4/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Easy Parking! Nice Very Good Food.
service.! -
Review from janice s.
San Francisco, CA
11/11/2011
I'm a San Francisco native. I didn't even know about this restaurant in South City until I saw it reviewed on 'Check Please.' I needed to check it out. There were many such restaurants in the city long ago, but the number has dwindled significantly. Probably Piero's isn't well known to most, but it was the elegant booth restaurant where anyone could go, wearing almost anything. Bruno's, after it got rid of the cafeteria type style, Original Joes, and quite a few similar places in various hotels.
The place I'm speaking of here, is pretty darn old school. If you grew up in an Italian household, you would find it very familiar. But let me say, the food is quite good, the bar is fun, the ambiance is whatever you want it to be. The server that helped us this evening was fabulous! Efficient, timely, personable, upbeat, and very thoughtful. Add to that the fact that she was communicative and funny, she was almost 50% of the good time we had.
Thanks Rachael!! Go there folks. Old style Italian restaurants are swimming upstream....you know what I mean. -
Review from Joe M.
You ever see the movie Goodfellas? Wait, maybe that's too harsh. How 'bout Casino? Wait, that's almost the same. Okay, have you ever seen Back To the Future? So imagine Doc Brown and Marty McFly decide to go back to the late 70's or early 80's for some homefeel Eye-talian food. That's what Bertolucci's is. Seriously, I wanna say timewarp, but in a good way, promise. You walk in through what I thought was the back door, right through the lounge area where they have a live band playing. This is where the bar is and a few small tables to chill and hang or meander while you wait for your table.
Once seated, the dining area is wide and open. It was more like a huge dining room rather than a restaurant, complete with old school chandeliers dangling from the ceiling. Given the sound level and brightness of the dining area, this is definitely not a place to have a small, quiet dinner. In fact, it's the opposite. The music is loud, the dining room is bright, and the tables are huge. I don't know about you, but I'm not used to having so much elbow room at a restaurant which is exactly what you'll get here. And hey, these are all plusses.
On to the food...granted after 2 decently strong Jack and Cokes, pretty much anything will taste good. But I was still able to tell the food really was good. The polenta was awesome, just like other reviewers have mentioned. But I really enjoyed the Antipasti Platter (loves me some salami and cheese) and the super-crunchy Brushcetta. Seriously, you know how in comicbooks they write sounds so you can imagine in your head that you're hearing them. I felt like when biting into the bruschetta if I was in a comicbook, the word CRUNCH! would be next to my mouth, written in squiggly capital letters with an exclamation point. And this is still a plus.
For my main dish I ordered the NY Steak. It was cool. It wasn't off the charts, but I have no complaints. After the drinks and apps, there was no way I was going to finish that entire steak. But I am really looking forward to finishing it off tomorrow morning with an egg on top! Oh yeah!
Overall, I'd give this place a 3.5, but I rounded up cuz the people there are pretty nice and it's definitely a fun place to eat. -
Review from Steve B.
Moraga, CA
3/5/2011
We saw this restaurant on "Check Please - Bay Area" and went here to celebrate my wife's birthday.
The food was good, the server we had sucked. She was friendly, but horrible. We waited forever for everything. We got some drinks, she would not let us order an appetizer till she brought out the drinks! She told me to wait! Drinks arrive, we asked her if the polenta would be good for the six of us, she recommended two. After a bit of talk, we told her one polenta one caprice salad to share.
A while later she brings out 2 polentas and one caprice salad. No appetizer plates. We had to ask for the bread. She still won't take our dinner order. Had to eat our appetizers with our bread plates, menus taking up the table. Appetizers done, empty water glasses. We sit.. A good while later we finally get to order dinner. (the polenta was good, by the way)
The dinner goes on like this, waitress we can hear complaining about how busy it is, meanwhile she only seemed to have about 3 tables, all by us, but she spent most of her time out of our sight or by the drink/service area.
After dinner, my mother-in-law asks for the bill, and ask that it be given to her. a while later, the bill comes to me. Pass it down to my mother-in-law, wait a good 20 more minutes before we can flag down the waitress to have her take the card and charge us. Guess who the card came back to? yep, me, not her.
The special gnocchi was very good. Pesto gnocchi was good. my the cannelloni was ok. but both it and the veal saltimbocca were very salty.
Desserts were good too. Surprisingly small wine menu, but nice bar.
I'd eat there again, but wouldn't make a special trip out there. If I did go back I would make sure I didn't have the same server. It is worth mentioning that we saw tables coming and going, it was just us who had the bad service, everyone else seemed to have a good waitress. -
Review from Seung Eun C.
Los Angeles, CA
2/22/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Funny fact: We were the only Asians dining in this restaurant during our whole meal.. I mean, this NEVER happens up near SF..
KEKE.
Ok, now on my yelp...
Not bad. Not great.
2.5 stars
Standard Italian food.
Last year my husband had the bistecca of his lifetime in Florence Italy so his expectations of Bertolucci's bistecca was set quite high.
One bite and he was ready to cry..
It didnt come close.
The steak was a t-bone. It was tough, pink when he asked for bloody, and didn't have any rosemary flavor..
The polenta was delicious though..
It was more like butter with some polenta added in.
My seafood linguine was okay.. There was plenty of shellfish and the sauce was a typical marinara. It was good but just didn't have the freshness I crave when I have this pasta dish.
Caesar salad? Again, it was okay.
Service was good.
Our waitress waived the corkage on our bottle as long as we bought another bottle.
Overall an average experience. Just as we expected :p -
Review from mike c.
With the increased traffic and parking prices in the City, sometimes it's better to eat closer to home. Remembering Steve L.'s review from last year, I chose this restaurant, easily seen from 101 South, to meet some friends staying near the airport on a recent weeknight. Parking was easily found on the street, though they have a private parking lot in back. Walking in brought back memories of the movie "Goodfellas". With a coat check room to the left, the bar directly ahead, and the dining room to the right, the restaurant made me wonder if I'd see De Niro or Pesci dining inside. We were seated in a booth that comfortably seats four. With one friend a bit under the weather, we didn't order any share appetizers. I had:
1) Minestrone bowl - Hearty vegetable soup with the usual Italian seasonings. Tasty and good option for my ailing friend.
2) Spaghetti with Meatballs - Having enjoyed the meatballs at their sister restaurant in the city, Sodini's, I knew what to expect here. The noodles were covered with an obviously homemade marinara sauce with tomatoes, herbs, and spices. Just adding a few spoons of Parmesan Cheese made me want to sing "On Top of Old Smokey" (http://www.youtube.com...).
We were given a small basket of bread, great for sopping up the soup or any remaining tomato sauce. The waitress was kind and occasionally checked on our table. Don't expect innovative culinary revelations here as it's just an "old school" kind of place. Will try other menu items on my next trip.Listed in: My Humbling ROTD's
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Review from Souny K.
South San Francisco, CA
12/26/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Decided to check this place out because the boyfriend was craving Italian and it's about 3 minutes away from our place. Our server was new and didn't even know what was on tap, but I didn't mind it so much. Everyone is new somewhere once, so no need to give her a hard time.
Appetizer - We ordered the fried calamari and it was really good! No complaints here
Main Course - I had the spaghetti and meatballs. And wow, were those huge meatballs. Lol. It was better than average, but I'll probably try something else next time.
Boyfriend had the pepper steak ordered medium-well. It came out more medium, medium-rare, but we don't like sending food back unless it is completely messed up. He ate the outside and I ate his red pieces. We both thought it was decent, not the best steak ever though. However, the steak came with italian grits, which he LOVED. Lol.
I'll probably be back. -
Review from jazzy l.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2011
PARKING - easy street parking after 6pm, otherwise metered. It's right off the freeway and we didn't want to fight SF city traffic on a Friday night for dinner
HUGE BERTOLUCCI's SIGNAGE (you can see it on the freeway)
Caprese Salad with thinly sliced onions. - tomato was a tad too ripe
Fettuccine with Tutto Mare - $19? (Mussels, Claims, Calamari, Shrimp (a bit small)
DESSERT - Cannoli
SERVICE and SPACE - Very spacious and the tables and food service is prompt.
You can't really walk around the area, unless you drive down to Grand Ave after you eat. Not a very happening neighborhood to begin with -
Review from Paula T.
Riverside, CA
8/12/2011 1 photo
Everything was delicious and the service was excellent. A great dinner during our vacation! If you aren't a local, they don't mind. You're still treated like family.
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Review from RC S.
Batavia, IL
7/19/2011
Ten minutes after leaving SFO we were pulling into Bertoluccis parking lot. A couple glasses of excellent house wine, yummy sourdough, a quick and helpful server. Is this the city by the bay or is it heaven? My seafood linguine was A plus plus. All of the fam loved their dishes too, especially my son and the lasagne. This restaurant is a winner. It deserves a little facelift. Just sayin'. OK, never mind.
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Review from Colin S.
Menlo Park, CA
9/6/2011
appearances can be deceiving. it looks like an old school, kind of shabby, from the outside but the ambiance and food win you over once inside. Stick with the pastas, especially the gnocchi. the main courses are
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Review from Pipey M.
Brooklyn, NY
10/23/2010
This review is for the lounge area.
To the older Asian man with the keyboard that rests atop your Piano, who meows some of the lyrics to popular Italian restaurant classic tunes. I love you.
To the old couples dancing to the older Asian man with the keyboard that rests atop your Piano, who meows some of the lyrics to popular Italian restaurant classic tunes. I love you as well.
To the decor, 10 stars.
To the food, well, you don't come here for the food. But it's certainly edible, and that's something. -
Review from Rho T.
10/19/2010 6 photos
Vinny: "So the two youts went in ..."
The Judge: "Ahhh -- what was that word?"
Vinny: "What word your honor?"
The Judge: "Two what?"
Vinny: "Youts? ... Oh I'm sorry ... ... two YOOOUUUTTTHHHS."
This place was Goodfellas slash My Cousin Vinny slash the Sopranos.
We came here for our pasta feed the nite before the Nike Women's Marathon. I ordered the plain ol Spaghetti n meatballs cuz I didn't want to go nuts and have some trunk problems during the run the next morning, if you know what I mean. The meatballs were huge....but the meat was ground up super fine, and I guess I'm used to more chunkier meat, so it didnt't fly w/me well. My friend though ordered the Linguine Con Vongole & Cozze (w/clams and mussels) and that, was poppin. If I come here again, that's what I'm ordering.
It was also game 1 of the NLCS so we got to watch the game at the bar w/all the Tommys and Jimmy Two Times and the Paulies. Good times.
3.5 and rounding up. -
Review from Ryan F.
11/2/2010
1. clean, nice looking old school place.
2. tons of parking.
3. easy access from the freeway.
4. great, great bread (fresh sourdough).
5. seafood dishes were very generous for the price.
6. waitress was quick and attentive, esp. considering we had a large group.
7. my dish was pretty good, not outstanding, but others in the group had really great food - the eggplant parm seemed to be a big hit with the group.
Overall a good Italian experience. Great, unpretentious place with plenty of space for a big party, nice looking decor and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere - we'll certainly go back. -
Review from Brian B.
San Bruno, CA
10/1/2010
What a fun place! It is Old School Italian restaurant. I have been to this place several times and I have no problem recommending it. The food is always great, and the service is always friendly.
Bring your appetite! -
Review from Alnadi P.
San Jose, CA
10/8/2010
Went there last night for a corporate dinner. I have to say, great food + pleasant staff + great drinks from the bartender = 5 in my book!
I had the veal and it was AMAZING...they also have a great polenta app that is very delish.
Will definately be going back here. -
Review from Victor C.
Redwood City, CA
6/7/2011
Family style dining, good food, and great drinks!
Seriously I love this place,,,,the food, the ambience, and the staff are great! -
Review from Vincent D.
Burlingame, CA
9/18/2010
I have been to both of the Sodini owned businesses on many occasions. I have never been so satisfied. Every time i say the same thing. You can never get over the beautiful arrangement and anti-pasta that is filled with a plethora of flavor that I know Peter himself has hand selected. You start with your hand prepared salad then move toward your meal hoping your not to full from the fresh bread and garlic herb bread which goes so well with the olive oil and vinaigrette. You have the choice of many styles of fresh Italian cuisine: veal saltambocca, New York steaks and a pepper steak with flavor to have you stuck with amazement. Of course pasta, you match a selection of sauces with a selection of pasta. You WILL NOT be unsatisfied. And do not forget to pair a fine bottle of wine with your meal.
Peter Sodini is the owner of this fantastic restaurant. When Peter is in the building he walks over to every table and hand greets all of his patrons. Hospitality is key in a successful business and you feel right at home when you step in the door. You might even get seated by one of his sons.
If your feeling a quick snack you might want to check out the other family owned establishment called Golden Boy pizza. -
Review from Marie L.
South San Francisco, CA
8/14/2011
I love Bertolucci's! I'm so happy its still an old time place to go in South City and the big sign from the highway always makes me smile (and get hungry).
The creamy polenta is so addicting. The fresh bread and focaccia is top notch! Everything is always doused in cheese, so not recommended if you're dieting. I'm always way too full when I leave and still walk away with leftovers :)
