Lascari's Italian Cucina

Sorry Lascari but you were bland...

Ordered:
Chicken Parm Sandwich
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Baked Zitti
Mediterranean Fries

All the above were ordered with meat sauce. The sauce had no meat and the sauce was really bland. I ordered the Chick Parm and it tasted reheated and the texture was tough, even though it was pretty thin which gives me only one thought. Pre-cooked and reheated. Sauce also like I said lacked punch and just was really under seasoned...no fresh herb aroma...nada.

Med fries were pretty good.

Not coming back.

I ordered a fish plate and the tiramisu for dessert. This place is on the pricier side for faster service food in a shopping area.

The fish was seasoned with a pesto sauce that seemed appetizing when ordering, but was actually slimy and unappetizing in reality. I am usually not a picky eater, but I couldn't even finish the plate it was that bad. Sauce aside, the fish did not taste fresh or do anything for me really.

I thought all would be salvaged with the tiramisu, but even that wasn't so great. It was a little below average in my experience, and I've tried a lot of tiramisu being that it is my favorite dessert. It was dry and was missing a lot of the richness that is so great about tiramisu in general.

Overall, steer clear of any fish on the menu and there is no need to order the tiramisu. The other "more Italian" pasta type of dishes looked a lot more promising, which is why I don't completely discount this place.

I guess you can't expect excellent Italian in the middle of a outlet mall. This wasn't my mentality going in but thinking back it makes sense. My wife works nearby so I end up here for lunch sometimes. I had the chicken picata based on their recommendation but what I got was a somewhat dried up chicken breast with a wine sauce. It was okay for lunch but I think it was overppriced for what I got and it was disappointing that the main feature of the dish just wasn't juicy.

So yesterday my office played box lunch roulette and again we ordered from a new place. This time it was Lascari's and we got the boxed lunched for $8.49 which is pretty much the average going price from most catering places. The box lunch came with a choice of turkey, ham or roast beef. I decided to go with the roast beef.
Presentation wise, the box lunch is pretty plain looking but who really cares about the box its really all about the food.
The sandwich was served on a soft roll with the usual fixins (letuce, tomato, mustard and mayo on the side). The sandwich was a little soggy. It reminded me of the big bang theory episode when Sheldon explained the proper way to layer a sandwich so that the bread doesnt get soggy.
The pasta salad was interesting. The dressing had a mixture of seasame and poppy seeds. Not bad but can be a little bothersome when it get stuck in your teeth, especially during a meeting.
Fresh fruit consisted of a green apple which was a little bruised up but the size of the apple was decent. In my other reviews for other catering companies, ive noted that sometimes the size of the apples are really small, and unrippened.
Lastly the cookie, oatmeal rasin, it was small compared to other companies and on the dry side. Now obviously Lascari isnt really known for baked goods so it is too be expected that they wouldnt match up very well with other bakeries like Corner Bakery, Specialty Cafe, etc.

Overall I would rate the box lunch as fair, and filling.

I was just browsing their menu when one of the staff offered a good deal with their entree and appetizer. I thought I give this new place a try.
I had a meatball sandwich and zucchini sticks as an appetizer. The meal was descent and a good deal. For their opening week, the staff here was very friendly.
I would like to come back here again. Next time I will try their sweet potato fries.

Ugh.

I only ate at Lascari's in a moment of indecisiveness, and paid the price. You needn't do the same.

I knew something was askew when our fried calamari appetizer came out cold and chewy. Yes, there is a place for chewy mollusks, but not at Italian restaurant when it's supposed to be fried and crispy. The calamari itself was obviously of the frozen variety, and suspect that it even might have been battered and then frozen and warmed for our order.

The baked ziti I ordered came quickly, but it was a mess. The marinara sauce was bland and watery. It made me wonder if they even drained the pasta before baking it? Even then, it was only baked long enough for the cheese to melt on top and it did not add any texture to the pasta.

The other dishes we tried (pizza, linguine, fettucini) all suffered some similar flaw - the sauces tasted like they came from a can and the food felt more re-heated then cooked.

Service was fast and friendly, so that spares Lascari's the dreaded one-star review.

I had never been to a Lascari's before and I was pretty impressed! The salad was great, the bread was great, much better than the Pasta Bravo it replaced.

I did have to wait a bit for my salad but it was opening day. I'll definitely be back!

I love the original Lacari's in Whittier and even the one in Brea too but this one doesn't have the same quality food but has the same prices. That makes no sense to me. I went last week and had the pasta - it was just ok. The next time I tried the pizza - also just ok. They put cashews on their veggie pizza which is quite dumb if you ask me. This place is ok if you need Italian on the fly but it's a shame that it shares the name of the better quality spots in Brea and Whittier.

We were at the Block and decided to eat here because we hadn't heard of it before - oh, and they were giving out samples of the pasta and it was good - lol.
Turns out that the day that we were there (Sunday), they were running a special - a kids meal for free with each adult entree purchased.

Here's what we got:

Veggie Sandwich - - holy goooood!! Just the right mix of everything - bell peppers, onions, guacamole, olives, oil and vinegar, salt and pepper, and provolone... this is what I crave when I want a sandwich! (came with a choice of pasta salad or potato salad - I got potato salad - it was good, but next time I would try the pasta salad)

Minestrone Soup - smelled good, but was only OK - came with bread

Mediterranean Fries - Sweet potato fries topped with feta (I guess the feta is what makes them Mediterranean), but cooked perfectly

Kid's Mac N Cheese - if your baby likes Kraft dinner, she is NOT going to like this - lol - it's homemade, creamy, and made with regular pasta - not super kid friendly unless your kid is like 10. But, nice for the price....(especially since it was free). We would go with something else for our 5yo if we come back again.

This is the kind of place where you order at the counter and they give you a number and then bring your food to you when it's ready. However, the girl bringing out the food DID come back and check on us to make sure we were all okay, so it's a little nicer than fast casual. Oh, they also have a nice sized patio where you can sit and people watch if you need a break from shopping.

Overall, next time I am at the Block, I would definitely be partial to coming back here. (:

Buffalo Chips are not what you would expect and absolutely delicious!

Pros:
~I haven't really seen reviews here for their sandwiches, which are the best thing there, in my opinion. Their deli meat and cheeses are fresh and yummy
~Pizza is good, but not like total NY style, which I think people expect. Their sauce is good as is the crust.
~Bisque sauce for the "choose your own pasta" thing is the sauce to choose for your pasta. It's a pink sauce and I give it two thumbs up!
~I like their fried zucchini dipped in ranch. Their ranch rocks, and I consider myself to be a ranch connoisseur or ranch snob!
~As I first mentioned....Buffalo Chips! They are addicting, especially dipped in their Ranch salad dressing. They get a little spicy, buffalo sauce style, if you eat a bunch. They are pretty cheap for an appetizer.

Cons:
~This location is not as good as the Brea and Whittier restaurants for sure.
~The wait time is to long for the "fast casual" concept they are striving for
~As with all Lascari's eateries, their pasta is their weakness. For being an italian place, you would think that their sauces would be great. They are just OK.....if that.
~Salads are just ok. BBQ Chicken Salad is one that I get every once in a while and I like it.