Po Pazzo
Categories: Nightlife, Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Little Italy1917 India St
(between Fir St & Grape St)
San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 238-1917
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Music: Live
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: Outdoor Area/Patio Only
20 Reviews for Po Pazzo
Love the seafood fest appetizer, love the filet mignon, love the piano bar, and love the drinks. I'm a fan.
This place came highly recommended to us, so I was really looking forward to it and we really wanted to like this place, we really did.....but besides the soup, EVERYTHING came up short. Maybe it was a bad night, who knows, but it was a big letdown. First the good: Lobster Bisque. Nice chunks of meat, great flavor. The atmosphere and design of the place was very nice as well, and the wine list had a large selection to choose from. Now everything else: The hostess seemed really preoccupied with her phone, and the valet guy scraped the back of my car on wall. No damage, but the noise got everyone's attention. We started off with the Calamari, which ended up being very tough. They did offer to exchange it with something else, but I let it go since I had the bisque already. I ordered the 18oz Bone-in Rib eye Sicilian Style; dusted with Seasoned Italian Breadcrumbs and Broiled. The flavor was good, but what was supposed to be a 18oz steak, ended up looking like 8-10oz instead. I know things shrink, but this was nowhere close. I got a side of the Shoestring Potatoes seasoned with Parmesan Cheese and White Truffle Oil as well. The top layer of fries had the cheese and oil, but once you passed that, you were eating plane old $7 frozen french fries. We also ordered the Osso Bucco, which was very dry, and the Risotto that came with it barely had any flavor either. The bill was just shy of $150 for 2 people, but for that price range and atmosphere, I was very let down. Everything seemed very thrown together. I would give this place a second chance, but I am in no rush to go back.
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The food was absolutely amazing here. I was blown away, however the server that we had could have been a little more attentive. my cut of steak was supposed to be a 8oz but i know cuts of meat and it was definetely like a 5oz before it was cooked. Fortunbately it was so good that it didnt really matter. There wine selection is really impressive too.
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Just wanted to say how impressed I was. Myself and three friends were there last week and enjoyed a delicious dinner. We had a variety of different dishes that were great. The thing that gave it that little extra something was the head chef Nino came around to the tables to see how things were. He was very friendly and it just completed the experience
We started out with the oysters rockelfeller and they were very good! Next the lobster bisque Soup and it was amazing. I had never had chunks of lobster in lobster bisque soup before.
After the soup and appetizer I was looking forward to our main course, but unfortunately they didn't hit the mark. I ordered the prime rib and it was covered in sweet onions and gravy. I don't think I have every have gravy on a prime rib before and I hope I don't again. My wife ordered penne pasta with sun dried tomatoes. There wasn't much flavor at all to her dish. Very disappointed in both main courses.
My dinner came with a dessert, but what I didn't know was there wasn't a choice in dessert. He just dropped off a blah strawberry neopolitan that we only were able to stomach a couple of bites of each.
Moral of the story: eat the soup
I have visited Po Pazzo Bar and Grille on a couple of different occasions and each time I have left there more than satisfied with the food and the service before deciding to write a review.
You walk into Po Pazzo and its nicely decorated but not overdone, its unique, but yet classy at the same time without being snobbish. We walked in and were seated immediately as it was still early for a Friday night. The waiter was very attentive and got our drinks right away. I started out with a Cosmopolitan for a drink and let me tell you, its got quite a kick. We received some bread and some sauce to snack on while waiting for the appetizers and it was excellent.
I ordered the Steak House Salad. It doesn't look like a big salad, but it is by far one of my favorite salads to order when I got out to eat. It was only a couple of minutes after I finished my salad when my main course came out, so it was perfect timing. My main course of the evening was the Lobster Ravioli- it is to die for- the sauce, the lobster, everything. If you are wanting the perfect combination of seafood and pasta, then look no further, this pasta is amazing. I have yet to try the steak here because of my insatiable appetite for their Ravioli. I have yet to try their dessert there- I'm usually pleasantly full by the time the waiter brings out the dessert tray but I hope to try one soon. This is by far one of the best restaurants in Little Italy for their food and service. If you are not a fan of live music, you might not be too crazy about going here on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday so I would recommend another day. Recommendations are advisable if you plan on having dinner on a Friday or Saturday after 730 as ir does pick up after that time. So check out Po Pazzo a be a little crazy!
According to their menu PO Pazzo is supposed to mean 'a little crazy'. To tell you the truth it kinda was crazy in there. The restaurant is themed so that you are provided with entertainment during your meal. Too bad the music was so loud I couldn't hear my pal, Lisa. (Waves!). And I am partially deaf due standing by the speakers, one too many nights at the clubs. Haha.
We started with the shrimp cocktail. The appetizer comes with 4 large. However, one of the shrimps were not de- veined/ de- shelled properly. So we didn't eat it. A huge -1 star for that one. Cause we love us some skrimps!
For the entree I ordered the petite filet with creamed spinach on the side. (Beware the steaks run from 35~40 ish. Sides are an additional 7-10 dollars). Unfortunately, the steak proved to be a big disappointment. The menu boasts that it is pretty much oven seared with juiciness locked in. Yes, the steak was juicy. But the outside was more burned, and I ordered it medium. - 1 star because I love me some steaks!
LA has way better steaks for the same price.... Very tragic indeed.
If you get the creamed spinach as a side, spread it on the bread, yum! For some variety, place the bruschetta tomato mix that they give you for bread on top of the creamed spinach and bread! I love multi- tasking sides!
Pros: The decor was nice, looked really swanky and bougie.
Cons: The prices are a little on the steep side, since the steaks come a la carte. The food is eh. And the water cups are really weird shaped. I kept on thinking I was going to drop the glass.
Tab for: shrimp app, chop salad, glass of wine, petite filet and side of creamed spinach $75 pre tax.
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One word...cockroaches.
We were seated for dinner on a Friday night. Our experience was bad all the way around. Here is a summary:
-Seated and placed drink and appetizer order
-Placed dinner order (bottle of wine and appetizers had not come yet)
-Got dinner (cancelled appetizer order, told waitress we would wait to eat until we got our bottle of wine, came about 10 minutes later)
-Finished dinner, ordered espresso.
-Waited 20 minutes for espresso, while waiting cockroach runs up the side of the wall.
-Watch as all patrons that see the cockroach freak out, this includes us.
Pay bill tell Manager about cockroach, he says "oh, um, sorry?"
Never, ever, ever, going back.
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This restaurant is not quite sure what it wants to be when it grows up.
Is it Italian? Is it a steakhouse? Is it both? Is it a live music venue? All of the above? Something else?
I know this much: when the music is playing, it is loud. VERY loud. The steaks are ok and the rest of the food is also ok.
The decor is chic and hip and attractive except for the paintings of the owner along the wall. Are you kidding me? "You're so vain..."
It's too expensive and it has a personality crisis. If the food could match the decor (sans the vanity paintings) and the music was toned down just so, well, we may be onto something.
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Joe, the owner of pretty much all restaurants on India street, is always sitting outside. His maroon Mercedes S series is always, always parked illegally in the handicapped section next door. He.is.always.there. Even the staff are members of his family.
He micromanages but that's why everything is so damn good at Busalacchi's. The italian dishes are authentic and more upscale than rustic. They also have American dishes fused in there..but those are great. Especially the fries! Oh my dempsey...the shoestring fries are so good it's almost insulting to call them "fries".
Their wine list is so good that if you just tell the waiter what you want, they'll most likely have a bottle of it for you "Montepulciano Brunello..riserva 1997!" done.
Veal medallions are always delicious...and I swear they sneak in dopamine in their marinara sauce. It is mysteriously and undeniably the best marinara sauce in the world.
Just, go here. Okay? And yea, it's in SD, but don't you dare wear rainbows here, I'll fly my ass back to shove them up your
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This place puts Ruth's Chris and Morton's to shame!....The steaks are amazing..worth every penny...Great atmosphere..I felt like i was in New York...check this place out!
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An amazing place for a date or dinner with friends. The kind of place you can also go alone for a nice dinner and drink at the bar.
This is an Italian Steakhouse. It's my second favorite place to get a steak. In fact, I'm not really sure if their Ilatian food is any good because everytime I go there, I have to order the steak. Try it Sinatra style with grilled onions, mushrooms and tomatoes. I love this place-especially when someone else is picking up the bill. If there is a drawback it is that the pariking can be hard to find down there.
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I love Po Pazzo, sit at the bar and enjoy 2 really nice man crank out some tunes. The bar is always so festive, everyone is in a great mood. Fun, fun, fun.
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In a word, uninspired. I suspect that it's possible to have a good dining experience here, but I have yet to. I have nothing specific to complain about, except a serious lack of focus.
It's pretty inside. They have decent live entertainment. The food isn't bad. The service is forgettable, but not horrible. The location is enviable, but it seems that they put more energy into their valet parking than they did when the developed their theme.
Overall, just a slightly overpriced "miss", in a neighborhood that is crying out for a "can't miss" dining experience. Po Pazzo comes far short, but not for lack of (over)trying.
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Update: After spending an evening out in Little Italy, my wife and I decided to give this place one more try. Complete repeat of prior lame experience. Terrible band playing the "San Diego SuperChargers" song (not once, but twice) between crappy covers of Kool and the Gang hits. The food was a complete miss, and even the flatware, silver, and glassware was "odd". Not one more dollar.
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Try "Bone-in Rib eye Sicilian Style" ! Yummy! The service was excellent and helpful, top-notch. Only one issue here may be finding a parking spot.
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Overpriced. I got watery lobster bisque there that I had one bite of./ The seafood platter for 2 at $48 is a good deal but sometimes some of the seafood on it is a little old. For instance, you want the crab shells to *snap* when you crack em, not bend.
Beautiful ambience. Very nice bar and wine selections. Live music in the bar on the weekends.
The hostess for some reason acts really stuck up. Save it, lady!!!
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Because I've written an Italian cookbook, a lot of people ask me what my favorite Italian restaurant is, and I usually tell them Po Pazzo in Little Italy. But although at its best it rises to the top of the pack, I've also experienced some only middling meals there. It's a noisy, very hip urban ambiance with music on weekends that you may find hard to hear over the din of the crowd...but a simple dish like Spaghetti with Grandma's Sunday Sauce is the best in San Diego, and that's what I usually order when I go there. The sauce includes ground beef, short ribs and sausage and is so authentically Italian you'll think you're in Sicily, where the Bussalachi family originates. This is definitely a splurge, but when the chef has a good day he's really cookin.
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Best steaks in town...great bar..just a fun enviornment to be on thursday, friday, and saturday...a great hang out for the Little Italy area. Love this place!
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We went there with high expectations and we were not disappointed. We had the lump crab seared ahi appetizer. It was a little crazy but it was very fresh and good.
My wife had the halibut--just ok--that's why the 4 stars.
I had the spaghetti with meatballs--I would've rated it 5 stars. They included a braised short rib and an italian sausage. The noodles were cooked to perfection--al dente but not too al dente.
The Tiramusu was unbelievable. Very spongy cake with great creamy flavor. I would definitely go back.
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