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Half-off all bottles of wine Wednesdays
A selection of italian wines and local favorites…
"This place was delicious! I kept eying everyone's meals through the window as I walked up and down the hill and I'm glad that we stopped…" read more »
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3.5 stars, actually.....The wait staff is always friendly and helpful, the food is good (and priced fairly), on and on....... my only complaint is that it sounds like the dirty dishes, flatware, pots and pans are actually THROWN into the dish bins or sinks, right next to the dining room. Man, they make a racket back there! I wish they would use paper plates, rubber dishes, or at the very least, pass out decent earplugs.
Other than that, it's a warm, convenient, friendly place to get a simple Italian-influenced meal at a fair price.
Larry
Did you know that Tuesdays are kids eat free night? I didn't. Not until after I was starving and we committed ourselves to a table. The noise level was pretty high, but I ordered a carafe of Pinot Noir and ignored it.
What really bothered me was the girl sitting next to me with her shoes off, cross legged on the padded bench. Is this reasonable of me to be bothered? It's not like her feet were near my table. I just think some habits should not be done when you are out, save them for home.
I should have come on 1/2 off bottle of Wine Wednesdays or Pizza Special Thursday instead. Pasta Pomodoro has deals every day of the week.
I gave it 4 stars because they are consistently good and the service is decent. I ordered the cod special pasta dish which was light and good. It could have used a little bit more umph, but that's just how I like it.
This place is decent. It's not the best Italian restaurant in SF, but for from the worst. They're food is always good and they're fast w/ your order.
However, I don't come here very often anymore. When I do, it's for take out only. Why? Because it is not okay to allow your children to misbehave in public. I don't know who came up with that. But why do some parent think it's okay the their children to run through the tables at any restaurant? I get that Noe Valley is runned by children and dogs. That's fine OUTSIDE. But it's never okay to grab silverware from someone else's table. It's never okay to crawl around under your own table or anyone else's. That's why children have parents. You know? Big people who are supposed to teach them what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior.
I can understand that babies will grab at anything that catches their eye. But school age children really should know better. Kids who are allowed to misbehave are the ones who later end up throwing tantrums in the grocery store or kicking mommy because they can't have so-and-so.
Now, after MY rant I have to say when I order from Pomodoro I usually get it to go. That way I won't have to smack someone for allowing their kid to grab things for our table.
I wanted brunch, and all the other brunch places had lines... it was noon or one ish on Saturday morning... I saw some empty tables outside in the sun and a sign that they have brunch, and decided to try it. I'd been to the castro branch before, for dinner, and it was just ok. They now have full brunches including some egg dishes and some french toast. After some confusion where the hostess told me I could sit outside then forgot about me, the service was really friendly. They even carded me which was nice :) I had a cup of tea, a yummy bellini, and the special zuchhini scramble... also, the fried toast bread thingie that they gave me while I was waiting was really good. I would come back here again, especially to just sit and read in the sun alone in peace and quiet. What a nice breakfast!
I've been a long time customer who had brought you a lot of business. I was disappointed when you closed the Market/Castro venue in San Francisco. I've continued to support your establishment by dining at Cow Hollow and Noe Valley. It seems like there's a problem with just about every visit lately. Today the waiter took my order and said he'd return with the bread. He brought my salad and drink, no bread. I waited and waited. He had forgotten to bring the bread to the person sitting next to me, too. When he realized that he brought him bread...me, still none. He brought my entree to the table and I asked for bread. He said, "Oh, sorry". But, still no bread. It finally arrived when I was done.
The same thing happened with another server a few weeks ago. What's the problem with bringing bread?
On my last visit, I sat for quite a while before I was waited on, when a wait person, who was on break with her family noticed that I had not been attended to. The meal was fine. But, then I waited for a long time before I got my check. This was also at the Noe Valley location.
Last week I went to the Cow Hollow establishment with a friend and we both ordered the mussels. What a disappointment. They were small and barely edible because you couldn't get what was there out of the shell. We did mention this and the waitress apologized. Service hasn't been a problem at Cow Hollow.
On another visit to Noe Valley I ordered the verdure. There was something very wrong with the brussel sprouts. They were hard and had a bad taste. One of the locations forgot to return my loyalty card. I know that I can just give my phone number and have the points added to my card. But, I was too frustrated to deal with it.
I know there are more pressing things these days. But, I spend good money and expect a more satisfactory time.
This shiz is GOOD. I got a huge yummy lasagna with pancetta and it was less than $7. Beer selection could use some help. Appetizer with the oil and pesto is d-lish!
WOW, VERY COOL PLACE TO EAT BRUNCH. This restaurant is nestled in the heart of Noe Valley right on 24th Street just down from Whole Foods (formerly Bell Market). They have a terrific, Italian-themed Brunch menu with at least one "American style" plate for you folks who can't get enough bacon and eggs in the morning. I highly recommend Pomodoro's redux on Eggs Benedict made with english muffins but with delicious sausage, mushrooms and grated cheese. Moto bono! Also, try the flank steak -- cooked to my requested medium well perfection on a very busy Saturday. The mimosas are, of course, a must. Nice atmosphere, a little crowded and cramped but worth the wait, for sure.
I am not sure what's happening but Pasta Pomodoro is not what it used to be. I am a customer since the Castro location first opened and have been pretty happy most of the time, specially with the service.
Today I had a terrible experience. This guy with long brown hair was so f**ing rude, he didn't find it necessary to introduce himself, left us wait for ten minutes at the table that the manager himself had wiped poorly (it was still sticky). When I asked about the scones (What kind of scones do you have today?) the waiter stood there with his hands on his hips, answering, "berries" .. like "what the heck do you think scones are made of?"
When another cute and friendly waitress came out to realize that they had already taken the order (I guess they were either tag teaming or on something) she was supposed to bring us bread and wipe out the still sticky table. After 5 minutes I had to go tell the manager that I was waiting with silverware in my hands for 5 minutes for the waitress to wipe the table, to which he sends out the rude waiter, who gets there, says no words, like "sorry guys to make you wait" and make sure we at least got some bread... and wipes the table with an attitude like no other.
At that point I had it and I told the manager that in 12 years, I never had such a crappy, unaccaptable service, to which he simply stared at me, clueless. I wonder if Adriano Paganini still owns this place. There seems to be much less care in service and detail.
Adriano, era proprio una vergogna oggi!
Horrible service today! I don't know who my server was: the clueless but friendly young woman or the rude young man with the horrible attitude. The so called manager was no help at all and made a joke about smoking crack while seating me and my roomate at a dirty table. We left after being there for 30 minutes with no food when the rude young man finally came out to wipe the table, jerking our glasses around and not saying a word.
When we walked by later after having brunch at another place our unused juice glasses were still sitting on our sad table.
THESE PEOPLE DON'T CARE AT ALL!!!!!!
Iv'e loved this place for years but I.M.O. if this is the way it's going now it's not gonna be around much longer
Surprisingly yummy. I haven't been to a PP in a long time, and I have to say that I was impressed by how good my Bolognese was. Perfectly al dente noodles and a delicious beef/pork sauce - uh, what? And only $9? That's crazy talk. There could've been a little bit less oil/grease, but I can forgive.
Sat outside, in the sun.
Waiter brought us glasses of wine (available in 3 sizes).
The appetizer plates we ordered were yummy.
We sat in the sun sipping and noshing, chatted and people-watched until the sun went away.
Did I mention the sun?
Ugh! So I was already very disappointed that the Pomodoro on Market Street closed. That was our usual Italian casual comfort food hangout and we loved the staff.
Tonight we felt that same hankering for familiar pasta dishes and a nice glass of Barbera so we ventured over the hill to Noe Valley, the nearest Pomodoro outpost. While Noe Valley may be just a couple of blocks away, it clearly exists in a completely different universe.
First off, Noe Valley is much more kid-friendly, I get that. But we weren't prepared for the full-on pre-school crowd that overran the place. It was an ear splitting scream fest. It never let up. Not for one second.
Okay, while the restaurant can't do much about that, they were completely responsible for the busboys crashing every stack of plates and fist full of flatware into a bin as loudly as they could. Seriously, we were on the far end of the dining room and it was ear-splitting there. The final kicker was the telephone ringer set to "Wake the Dead". I may sound like cranky old man with a hangover here, but seriously, go in and check it out. These are environment killers that the restaurant CAN control and chose not to. Another person in my party called it "Stupid Loud".
The service was okay - pleasant and perfunctory. The Castro crew were a lot friendlier, but again, this is a different crowd. We were okay with the food too, but didn't really hit the comfort spot I was going for.
Scenario: Blind date with a girl who works in Noe and we saw the place as we were walking bye. I have been here a couple times before.
Product: The food here is always delicious. Most recently I had the risotto and it was dilectable. Oh so creamy, not soupy or crunchy or anything weird. They have some italian beers that are decent. Nothing like stout or porter, but the darkest one they have is good.
Service: Service is always attentive and the food comes out quite fast. They'll box stuff up for you to take on the go as well.
Atmosphere: OK, here's where I start bitching. It's Noe Valley, so you better be ready to deal with strollers, little kids running around crazy that climb all over the seats and take your silverware, tiny dogs, big dogs, joggers, clueless people who just stand around blocking the door like tourists before their seated, and more... It's SO noisy inside; luckily they have outside seating with heaters in case it's a little cold. You may have to park a block or so away since parking is not great. But it's within walking distance of the J and a bus (48 I think). If you want to bring a group I would say max at 6-8.
Uniquity: The unique and tasty dishes are well worth a visit. Risotto, butternut squash ravioli, etc. Deal with the noise just once, or come on a really nice weather day and sit outside, but definitely check out the menu and some of the interesting fare they offer. Ciao!
Nice place to sit outside, people watch, and catch some sun. The first time I came there, the spaghetti was awesome... the next time it was good.. the last time the noodles were still too hard.
I love their bread and dipping sauce.
I'm a big fan of this place. Not Pasta Pomodoro's in general, but this place in particular. I've been to a few of the other ones...this location is consistently better than the other ones. It has:
- tasty food (it's better here than at the other places i've been to)
- friendly, courteous, and competent service, even in the face of a restaurant full of yelling kids
- clean and well-lit
- fast
- good prices
A word of warning: being in Noe Valley, this restaurant is usually at least moderately full of kids, and jam-packed with them on the kid's night. This is a huge plus for me, since I have a toddler, and it's one of the reasons I like to eat here. If you are looking for quiet and romantic, or even if you are just a kid-hating scrooge, this may not be your restaurant. But if you didn't know that already, you're hopeless anyway.
Its alright, Its ok, sometimes I eat at Pomodoro anyway.
Nothing great, but all is good, especially if you are in that Noe hood.
Variety of seating.... at the bar, tables indoor & out.
For the bite by bite commentary...see the other reviews.
Service is usually good.
It was Saturday afternoon. We wanted a simple, no-fuss meal and didn't feel like embarking in a culinary adventure. Chain restaurants are the obvious choice and there weren't many in Noe Valley. In fact, Pasta Pomodoro was the sole chain coexisting with the other authentic mom-and-pop establishments around the bustling downtown area.
Contrary to popular belief, the Gemelli - pasta with cream sauce, grilled chicken (hold the sundried tomato) wasn't half bad, and (while it's nowhere close to Frjtz's Sukhothai mussels) neither were the steamed mussels in white wine sauce.
That said, I would not crave for Italian food. Authentic or otherwise.
Not in a million years....
I have to say that I like this place because it IS middle of the road. It is hard to find places in SF sometimes that have entrees less than $20 with a comfortable sit down atmosphere.
The service was good. It is refreshing to get a nice meal (lots of good flavors and variety)- with wine for under $50 a couple.
I will return.
Staff was great, the bread and dip was way too yummy and dinner was really pretty good. Table and bench was a little crumby so cleanliness is what brings it down. For a chain, this is a good choice.
Our once popular "go-to" is now a "gone-from."
For that I thank a revised, difficult to decipher menu with such pretentious, irrelevant graphic crap as bin numbers and choked selections. Let your friendly and competent servers learn the bin numbers so all I have to do is choose a wine with a name.
Your only hope for a decent meal here is a sympathetic cook and a veteran server who was around when they offered such items as the yummy "Firenze"and savory "Napoli" omelette on a simple, two-color, well designed menu.
Seven or so of these classic dishes have been supplanted by a scant selection of four choices for brunch, the best of which is two rubbery eggs embedded with a few turds of sausage in a little tin pan that looks like a failed attempt for a cub scout merit patch on a Father's Day camp out.
For the love of Bolognese, fire the loser who ruined your menu and regain your status as a solid stand by.
/rant
I'm not much of a fan of Italian food, but once in awhile it's alright. I actually stopped in for a bit of late brunch and was surprised by the ridiculously small selection - I believe four choices?
Being half-starved and more than a little hungover, I settled for the broiled sausage and egg deal. While the showcase was nice, the sausage itself was nothing more than simply Italian sweet sausage covered in two broiled eggs, potatoes on the side. The eggs were overcooked to a fault - and on one of the eggs - a piece of melted plastic? I dunno, but whatever it was, it was inedible and slightly creepy.
Service was slow (and I was there rather late in the afternoon, 2-3 PM), lots of time would elapse between full glasses of water, server introduction and order-taking, and during my visit, some poor guy actually fell out of a chair that broke under his weight (and no, he was not fat).
The food was unspectacular, but the ambiance, or rather the people-watching entertainment was alright which is saving this place from a one-star-rating death.
Yes, I know, you are asking 4 stars really? Here is why, the food is decent, the service (at this location) is fast and friendly, it is near home and a big plus for me is that they seem to be open when its late and I am in need of a last minute dinner. It is very family friendly, there are always families with kids when I come here, but kids don't bother me. We were all kids at one point weren't we? So there it is, 4 stars for for this joint!
You've been to one, you've pretty much been to them all. Was pleased to come back and find that my favorite dish which was once removed from the menu is back on! I guess they're serving weekend brunch now too. But not for me thanks, I'll have the Penne. Sadly, I thought it was undercooked. Not sure if that counts as Al Dente, but to me, it was severly undercooked.
Other than that, service was good, location is great. A good place for a Sunday lunch with the kids.
SF Food Inspection Score: 88
I don't care what anyone says, a restaurant that is tasty, inexpensive, and helps the community is a 5 star for me.
The service is always top notch, the food is very comforting and flavorful, and there are very few restaurants in the city that will serve families with small children and not give you shit for it.
I always have and always will love Pasta P Noe Valley.
As much as I'd like to hate this place, I just can't. The two times I've been here have been spot on. Seriously, this may be the best $10 lunch or $12 dinner in Noe Valley. They also have a brunch menu that features 5-6 $8 dishes, and, with coffee, they come in at $26 for two, with tax and tip. And there's no wait for seating!
While the preparations are not exactly spot-on Northern Italian, the service is super-nice, and they're super kid-friendly. I'll be back, especially with larger groups, because these guys have a handle on things. Not flashy, but super-comfortable.
I've lived in this neighborhood for almost two years and finally ventured into PP today. Took a table outside for a lunch in the sun. Nice touch. Ordered the baked rigatoni special that came with a generous side salad for less than $10. Score! Took a to-go menu since I decided we need to frequent here more often. So many nice entrees and salads to choose from. Sorry I ignored you for so long PP!
I was really happy with my quick experience at Pomodoro. I went in and ordered dinner to go for my husband and I and for the most part the staff was friendly. They were pretty quick getting the order cooked and they have a neat discount card system. The food was good but not worth writing home about :)
Good, inexpensive restaurant chain serving decent touristy Italian.
This is one of the few chain eateries I do indulge in the several instance I've had a specific craving for their bread and other easy pasta dishes. I'm a little snobbish at times, only because I cannot justify paying $25 for a plate of pasta that cost them about 50 cents or even less since they pay for it in bulk.
However, when my friends and I are looking for something quick, cheap, and good, we will leave the Castro to hit this little joint staffed by very nice employees who are quick on their toes. The ambiance is warm and inviting, especially during those rainy cold days in Noe Valley.
One of the few chains I like and it's right here in my neighborhood :)
Ah Pasta Pomodoro. I eat here more than I should for a couple of reasons.
1. Outdoor seating for me and my dog
2. Friendly staff - who know my dog well enough to say hi to her first ;)
3. Reliable menu with just enough of my favorites to keep me satisfied
I do have to agree with Kristina R. that their brunch menu is dismal as of late. However, having complained about this I was told that many of my favorites can be made up off-menu anyway. So at least the staff are accommodating.
The reality of this place is it's well done italian-for-americans, great for families (yes it's loud during dinner rush hour, but it's noe valley - stroller city), and great to catch up on reading weekdays at 1pm if you get the chance.
Prices are a bit higher and I have been going less as a result, but it's reliability and outdoor seating keep me coming back!
color me surprised. like really surprised. with a gaggle of italian places to choose from, we found our way to pasta pomodoro on a beautiful evening in noe valley. surprisingly this was the only place w/ outdoor seating on 24th. we got a nice lil spot outside and ordered our food.
for apps, she got the caprese salad and i got the beet salad. her salad was good but not great. my beet salad was very good w/ the beets cooked and seasoned just right. the accompanying greens and vinagrette did much to bring the nice beet flavors.
for mains, she's been craving for the capellini as of late and she finally got it. she was happy and w/ the nice portion size there were some nice leftovers. it may have been a bit heavy on the garlic side but that's OK. i got the butternut squash ravioli w/ fried sage and brown butter. this was a surprisingly good dish. the ravioli was cooked well and the squash filling was nicely seasoned. one draw back was that there was TOO much brown butter. people can say there's no such thing as too much butter but i think i found the limit w/ this dish. i just scooped up the excess and put it to the side.
for dessert, she got the flourless chocolate cake and she thought it was OK. i got the fresh berry parfait which was very refreshing and nice.
it was a nice evening w/ surprisingly good food. i don't think i'll have such a heavy bias against pasta pomodoro anymore. it's not bad at all!
While the food and service are both pretty good, and the prices decent, I just can no longer get past the fact that this place is ALWAYS filled with screaming kids. I have two of my own (who have always been pretty well behaved in restaurants) so I'm far from anti-kid. What I do not appreciate, though, are the kids who are yelling, jumping, banging forks and kicking the tables -- without mom or dad even looking up from their plates of pasta. I guess they think their darling little Noe Valley munchkins are adorable to everyone -- eh, wrong! Please, people, control your children! While I can't blame this on the restaurant (the servers often look as disgusted by this behavior as I am) I can suggest that if this kind of thing would ruin your meal, don't go there. Even my own kid, who is only nine, advised that next time we go, it should be late enough to be after these kids' bedtime!
I'm a fan of butternut squash anything. Well, maybe to be more specific. butternut squash food. I like the butternut squash food, and the butternut squash ravioli is delicious here. (did I say butternut squash enough there?)
This isn't exactly the "to-go" place when you have a special occasion or are looking for something exciting. That being said, it's a good place to have around when you just need a decent place to eat on 24th street. The staff is friendly and attentive, and serve up some quality food.
I came here last to catch up with some old friends from my childhood neighborhood group (yes, the good old potrero hill!) We all enjoyed our dinner and left with good memories of the place.
Of course Pasta P's is a chain restaurant - so it's not SUPER authentic or anything like that...and there are some really crappy Pasta P restaurants around...but I think this one is one of the BEST run. It's clean, fast & the food is yummy for what it is. If you want something reasonable in the Italian food area that isn't crappy like Olive Garden (YUCK) go here, the food is quite yummy - sure it's predictable but it's good food for a good price. Sometimes it does get crowded here, and at times it's packed with families & kids (I do wish the place was a bit bigger), so I would never wait more than 20 mins to eat here, but when it's a quick turn around to get seated and we're in the area and want something we know we'll enjoy that's not too expensive this is our spot...it's a great Pasta P's
I'm one of those freaks who just really likes chain restaurants. I love Chilis, TGI Fridays, Chevys and what not....pasta pomodoro is no exception cuz I love it too! Maybe it isn't authentic but i'm not italian so I don't really know authentic pasta...but their pasta is GOOD.
When i'm hungover at work on a Saturday morning and don't feel like eating a salad from Barneys I order from here cuz all the yumminess in the sauce and those carbs soak up alllll that alcohol from the night before. It's great! The penne portebello= MMMM...ok I hate mushrooms so I request no mushrooms and they never have a problem with it and it tastes amazing! And even if you like mushrooms i'm sure its jsut as bomb with mushrooms as well.
I don't really like eating at the restaurant cuz yeah the baby population is out of control (what do you expect it's Noe Valley) but they are always prompt with take out orders and the staff is always very sweet.
I don't feel as though this particular restaurant is like all the other Italian restaurants in the city. Their food taste fresh and authentic, even though for all I know, they could be serving TV dinners!
... They're really not.
But honestly, their food is amazing. Great for a first date with someone special, or for those special occasions - like an anniversary. I recommend the french bread with the pesto sauce. God, how orgasmic.
This is where Noe Valley families come to feed their toddler spawn.
That is the first thing you should know about coming to this location. No matter what night it is, no matter what time; there is a 75% chance you will be seated next to a family of four, half of whom are under the age of 4 with a table slathered in pasta noodles. Hey, this doesn't really bother me but it may bother you...especially if you don't do well in close quarters with small children....other people's children...and adults who have their own parenting methods (which may include "ignore your small child as he throws temper tantrum in crowded restaurant").
In any case, I've been coming here for years and I really love the consistency. I've never had a bad meal here. It's a casual environment and a great choice if you want a cost-effective, decent Italian meal. About 6 months ago I noticed an update in the menu (perhaps this was in the transition from "Pasta Pomodoro to simply, "Pomodoro"). If you're looking for something a little quieter, I would recommend Noe Valley Restaurant down the street.
The Marinara sauce on my pasta tasted like ketchup. 'nuff said.
1 star for convenience.
I have lived on Noe Street for a few months now and pass by Pomodoro at least once a day, often tantalized by the garlic smell if in path of the right wind at the right moment. However, I'm not a huge Italian fan and believe in spending my money on food that is going to suprise me with delight.
I never expected that Pomodoro would do this, but it did a few weeks ago! We finally gave in and went to Pomodora out of laziness and...... *nods head* OK, Pomodoro, OKayyyy! Yummy complimentary bread and garlicy dipping oil - my heart is already won over. I ordered the lasagna bc for a weird reason I was craving meat (extraordinarily rare) ....squisito!
Jenna had the Malfaldine and claims that it is the best pasta dish she has every had. She's italian and loves food more than anyone I know, so this is a big statement.
Bravo.
For people with toddlers: the last two times we came here, we had to wait 20 minutes+ to get drinks and bread with food coming 10 minutes later. We always came because it was quick, and decent but something has happened lately to make it quite slow.
I love this place.
The waiter/ess/es are golden. I usually come in here in the middle of a walk with my (between 4 month old and 20 month now) nephew. We would pay the bill first so we could leave if he became polly-pissy-pants and the staff were great - always helpful always understanding and GREAT coffee.
The food is really great for the price and i love anywhere that offers me bread with balsamic.
gold gold gold i say
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