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Salvatore Cucina Italiana
Categories: Restaurants Italian Restaurants Seafood Italian, Seafood [Edit]
27001 La Paz RdSte 390
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
(949) 859-4572
- Offer valid for dinner only
- Not valid for specials or on holidays
- Not valid for takeout or delivery
- Promotion lasts for 1 year from date of purchase. After that period, your Certificate is redeemable for the amount you paid. Only 1 Certificate can be redeemed per person. Up to 10 Certificates may be purchased as gifts for others. Must be used in single visit. Gratuity not included, please tip on full value. Not valid for takeout or delivery. Not valid for the purchase of alcohol. Not to be combined with other vouchers, coupons or discounts. Subject to the Yelp Deals General Terms.
- Reg. Price $25
- Discount 40%
- Savings $10
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 11:30 am - 2 pm
Tue-Sat 5 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
62 reviews for Salvatore Cucina Italiana
Review Highlights
"The 'complete dinner' is the best way to go."
(in 14 reviews)
"This place is hidden I mean extremely hidden like James..."
(in 3 reviews)
"love the pasta, and the ciabatta are great too."
(in 16 reviews)
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62 reviews in English
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Review from Scott H.
Mission Viejo, CA
10/18/2011
People writing bad reviews of this place are most likely from out of town and biased because they live in downtown areas. This place is FANTASTIC. I have been coming here (typically once a month) for the last 7 years and every single time it has been amazing. People complaining about the prices are absolutely retarded. starting at $9.95 for a main course, coffee, desert, a salad, soup and bread being expensive?? You guys are absolutely stupid in the head. If you think thats overpriced then go to Mcdonalds and get a large number 5 which comes out to almost the same price. Morons. Food wise the only thing I would change is the salad (not a fan of salads anyways) other than that this place is fantastic with solid servers, nice food and a small eating area that makes me feel like home.
Complete dinner FTW -
Review from Bob L.
Irvine, CA
11/28/2011
Wow, how does this place stay in business??? One of my top 3 worst eating experiences of MY LIFE! Everything from the appetizer, salad, entree, to dessert was absolutely terrible...how do you screw-up a simple dinner salad?
Do NOT eat here even if it is FREE. In fact, even if they paid me I would not eat here! -
Review from Amy O.
Lake Forest, CA
9/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is super hidden, within a group of business buildings where you would typically find law firms and such. You could miss it if you don't keep your eyes peeled.
When I go to an italian restaurant I expect my portions BIG. Like, I'm so full i wanna puke, big portions hahaha. But this italian restaurant didn't fulfill that. We got the complete meal deal which sounded good because it came with soup, salad, the entrée, dessert and coffee. It was actually a pretty good deal but we were a little disappointed when we got our two little slices of bruchetta, two dinky breadsticks, and a sad sad amount of salad on a big plate. The soup we got was good, and finally the entrée was at least a good size. I got the gnocchi pasta while the bf got the angel hair with marinara, both were good and standard, nothing extraordinary. Of course he scarfed it down, leaving him to prey on my food.
I like eating like a fatty at italian places and having enough leftovers for the next day, but no such luck, my leftovers didn't last till the next day.
Their dessert and coffee were pretty good though. That didn't disappoint. I loveedd the panna cotta that I got to try from my bf and the affogato, even though I cant say that ive tried enough to really be an informed critic on that. But either ways, yum!
Food and service were both okay, would I come back again? Maybe... I think I'd rather go to peppinos instead. Haha -
Review from Tony C.
Santa Ana, CA
2/4/2012
This is my second time going here and I was not very impressed. I only went because I bought a Groupon a long time ago and didn't want to waste it. I didn't like the fact that they didn't allow me to use the value of the Groupon ($10) that I paid for toward every thing on the menu. They said I could not use it towards any specials including their $9.95 pasta that many people like. The problem I had with this is that I was not receiving any discounts by using my $10 Groupon because I paid $10 for the Groupon. Anyways, besides the $9.95 pasta special the prices are not that great for the quality of the food they serve. The food is decent... some of it taste like it came from a can and some taste authentic. If they put more effort into the presentation of their dishes it might feel like a better value but I paid $18 for veal that was just slopped onto my plate next to some pasta. The service was nice but I'm not to fond of the atmosphere of the restaurant. The size of the restaurant feels to small for the amount of tables they have and many tables are really close together. Overall, I would not drive out of the way to go here. I was passing by otherwise not worth the trip. If your a local then it might be a good spot for some everyday Italian.
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Review from Denise A.
Laguna Niguel, CA
12/13/2011
I only ate here because I bought a groupon. Deal sounded too good to be true. Watch out for the fine print in the coupon. i believe the place is still in business due to its business savvy coupons, but the food is so so. too expensive for small portions. the dessert tiramisu was good however. location is not ideal though. i would not come back even if i got a coupon from the establishment.
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Review from Vince A.
Costa Mesa, CA
12/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
"Eh" is the best word I can think of to describe it. It's not horrible, and the food is palatable, but nothing that there is that great. It's located in quite a large retail center, and the decor is very stereotypical. They got the name right, but their food is a bit overpriced for what you get.
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Review from Kelly P.
Mission Viejo, CA
9/27/2011
Worst place ever! Completely overpriced, not to mention that the extra $ you pay for an entree comes with crappy hard burnt bread, pathetic salad, terrible soup and coffee and dessert. Okay I just wanted
a simple spagetti mea with nothing else. No choice they said. This is ALSO the case with kids meals. They serve them the same "extras". Okay my 5&7 y.o don't care for minestrone soup, salad, crappy brushetta. All they wanted was spagetti with butter. Even that was drowning in butter. Pretty freaking bad when your kids look at you like, "really?". Do Not Go There!!! -
Review from Andrea T.
Irvine, CA
7/16/2011
The food was nothing special, but the reason I would NEVER EVER return to this establishment is I received a bill for $191 when I should have paid $121. I am not that much of a bill checker, and since there were 4 of us, and we had wine, and were laughing celebrating birthdays and anniversaries the waiter probably thought with all our jewelery and NY accents we would never have checked the bill. But we did, we were over charged for everything, and the owner Salvatore had left for the evening, leaving our waiter in charge to close.
Little does Salvatore know, that this waiter can not be trusted! He is not only stealing, he is greedy and stealing as much as 50% of of the bill. He was smug when confronted with the overcharge, and it didn't seem to matter to him whatsoever. He pockets $70 and that included charging the higher old tax rate before July 1st with the 1% rollback, he claimed he didn't know anything about and added an 18% tip on the full amount he charged us for. This may sound petty, but this was a $70 theft and I would NEVER return to this resturant!!!!!!! -
Review from Ben B.
Mission Viejo, CA
1/7/2012
I didn't have any problems here. Thought the service was good. Maybe a bit pricey, then again it's a fancy cuisine.
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Review from Alan L.
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
11/2/2011
This place is disgusting and the food is some of the worst restaurant food we have ever eaten. We specifically asked if the pasta was fresh and was told that it was. When it arrived, it was just a pile of very average pasta covered in tomato paste - no taste and terrible texture. When I spoke to the waitress about it she said it was fresh boiled from dried pasta - NOT the same thing. We ordered veal and got thinly sliced tough beef they were trying to pass off as veal. Then they added an 18% service charge for just the two of us, not mentioning the gratuity was included in the bill. You just can't believe the reviews that say it is "spectacular" - it's an old, dirty place serving simply awful food.
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Review from Rod K.
Coto De Caza, CA
5/27/2011
The only reason that I gave this restaurant one star is because you can't give zero stars. What a HORRIBLE place!
The food is downright disgusting -- their marinara is just a bunch of paste. Yuck!
I ordered halibut over angle hair with marinara. I asked the waiter to be sure they don't over-cook the halibut. I told him that I don't like it when it's over-cooked, hard and dry. He said that there's no problem because the poach the halibut. OK.
So how did it come out?? Hard as a brick and dry as the desert. So I called him over and told him that the halibut was over-cooked, hard and dry. He told me that it can't be, because they poached it. So I said, "Then they over-poached it -- it's hard and dry".
Then he proceeded to tell me that the more you cook it, the SOFTER it gets. I asked him if he thought I am an idiot. I told him that when halibut is raw, it's very soft, and it firms up when you cook it, and when you continue to over-cook it, it becomes hard and dry.
He simply stood there shrugging his shoulders. He didn't move. So finally I picked up my plate and handed it to him and told him that I'm not going to eat it, especially since I'd made sure to tell him I didn't want it overcooked.
He reluctantly took the plate and walked away. Then he came back out of the kitchen and asked me how long I wanted them to poach the halibut. How should I know? I'm a doctor, not a chef. I don't ask my patients how they'd like me to treat their problems. A chef should know how to cook it so that it's cooked, but not over-cooked.
The bread was good, but I doubt they bake it there. Everything else was horrible, including the deserts.
This is the worst restaurant I've ever posted about on Yelp. -
Review from Tim W.
Lake Forest, CA
10/31/2011
My Significant and I enjoyed a wonderful meal here Saturday, compliments of a gift certificate from my birthday.
I must say, Salvatore's is a hidden diamond!! It is so romantic, homely, and friendly. Salvatore actually met us at the door and checked in with us at the end to see how our meal came out. Not only was the food absolutely spectacular in flavor, but the portions and additional plates (soup, salad, desert) were very fulfilling. The staff was very attentive, providing water and coffee fill ups and other services; but they were not intrusive at all for our romantic evening.
Ok, the location is on the NW corner of La Paz/Margeurite. This is an office complex. When you drive in, you will find building in tiers. The first tier has a Thai restaurant. Behind it, up a tier, is Salvatore's. What struck me - as I didn't see the restaurant sign right off, is the number of people coming and going from a dentist's office -- on a Saturday night. CLUE! Dentist is right next to restaurant, and that sign is actually more visible. -
Review from Veronica W.
Huntington Beach, CA
7/31/2011
This place deserves 0 stars.
Chef Boyardee could've have done a better job. I am so sketched out by the food at this "restaurant". DISGUSTING.
This restaurant was so atrocious that I do not want to waste any more time or energy even writing a review for it.
Worst dinner of my life. -
Review from KELLY P.
Mission Viejo, CA
7/14/2011
Not only are they overpriced, they have bad service and bad food to boot! We wanted some quick takeout and found this place after we just moved to mission Viejo. Our first mistake was that we ordered online. I went to pick up our order at the assigned time and when I told the owner he looked shocked and pulled my order (that hadn't been cooked) off the fax machine and walked away. After a long wait and no apology, I schlepped back home with the food. It tasted like an over salted TV dinner and you could tell that they had microwaved it. Needless to say we won't be back.
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Review from buchi b.
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
9/15/2010
A horrible idea to come to this place!
Found the location via Living Social advertisement. According to Yelp, the reviews were not bad.
When seated to order and indicated the Living Social deal, we were told that we could not get the plain spaghetti. "No problem, we'll get the pollo parmesan, and some meatball appetizers"...but wait, nope, can't get the appetizer with the deal either. "Okay, cancel the pollo parmesan and give us the spaghetti with meat sauce and meatball Complete Dinner and an order of cheese garlic brea. That's permitted with your Living Social Deal right?" reply "Yes"
think again...the order comes out as VEAL parmesan AND spaghetti, meat sauce and meatballs.
"Sir i think there is a mistake..."
reply "There is no mistake."
Ended up paying an extra $25 for an extra meal that we didn't want, and on top of that it wasn't even the pollo either.
Horrible service, from the Owner, and the food tasted like it came out of a Chef Boyardee can.
Really dislike leaving bad reviews, since almost all food is good, but I will never return to this restaurant again.
2 thumbs down, save yourself some trouble, just pass this one by. -
Review from Bill S.
Fullerton, CA
11/29/2010
Old School Italian in Mission Viejo. Tucked away / hidden off the main road too.
Feels like some other part of the country....a bit rustic.
I had good old fashion spaghetti w/ meatballs. The pasta was cooked perfectly.....the sauce was just right (and a good amount too......nothing worst than when you don't get enough sauce and then you have to ask for extra)
oh ya and then the price......Bread, Salad, pasta, and icecream for 10 bucks. LOVE IT! -
Review from Karen W.
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
7/28/2011
This place looks like it hasn't been redecorated since 1972. The food is not very good, I had the seafood risotto, it was way too salty to be enjoyable. I did not refuse the food but told the owner, gave some excuses about it being because the seafood is salty - well rinse it better first.. The service was good, however.
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Review from Mayumi T.
6/15/2010
I recently ate here for a birthday party after hearing about the incredible "Complete Dinner for $9.95"
The complete meal for $9.95 is only the plain pasta ( Angel Hair, Spaghetti, Linguine, Fettuccine, Penne, Rigatoni) with Marinara Sauce. Add $1 for Alfredo Sauce or Pink sauce. Add $2 for Meat sauce or Pesto sauce. If you want something that's not so plain, you'll have to pay more.
The "Complete Meal" comes with bruschetta, Italian specialty soup, salad, entree, coffee, dessert.
Everything tasted like it came from a can. The salad was really plain and the dressing was horrible.
The soup starter was really bland and the pasta tasted like it was cooked by Chef Boyardee. The only thing good was the dessert. -
Review from OC R.
Mission Viejo, CA
8/17/2011
My husband and I came here last night and the food was delicious! I think the various reviews depends on what you order since they have a large menu option. I got the RIGATONI PASTICCIATI and I enjoyed it. I'm not a big fan of marinara sauce (had that on my first visit) but I love the pink sauce:) It's a dish I'd order again. Husband got the RISOTTO CON POLLO. We both tried each other's dish and I liked mine more since I was craving pasta and he liked his dish, but the risotto was delicious too. Portions were huge so we didn't finish...they will be our leftover lunch for today. It's a family owned restaurant in Mission Viejo, not a franchise, and offers complete dinner menus starting at $9.95...definitely worth trying. They offer discounts up the wazoo...at http://www.restaurant.com, yelp promotions, and on their website http://www.salvatore38...
They have a good selection of small plates/appetizers for $2.50 that we didn't get to try since it was just the 2 of us and we both ordered complete dinners, but we'll be back to try more dishes.
BTW, this is our 2nd time so we didn't have trouble finding the restaurant, but it is hard to find your first time there. It's in the same plaza as Diho Siam on the La Paz side, hidden amongst the office building. Hope this helps. I really like to give credit to small business owners and Salvatore Cucina is unique and offers a huge dinner. Bruchetta, bread stick, soup, salad, entre, coffee, and dessert. The service was wonderful too. -
Review from Liz Riley R.
Irvine, CA
7/16/2011
Found this through groupon-now
It was a little hard to find, tucked away, but WELL worth it!
I sampled the appetizers, the ricotta with pesto was amazing.
My husband ordered a meal which inclued soup AND salad PLUS dessert AND coffee.
Glad we went without the kids, probably not easy to go with littles ones, but the food was AMAZING! -
Review from Steven N.
3/24/2010 1 photo
This place is kind of hard to find if you don't know where it is located. For the past 8 years, I've driven by this place when I go to my favorite Thai chain, Diho Siam. And just about each time I've taken the back route off of La Paz, I say to myself, "Salvatore Cucina Italiana must get no business at all with this location" Well 8 years flew by and I finally gave them a whirl.
When I walked into this Italian Kitchen, I saw the 70s. This place could use a Gordon Ramsay's make over. I was greeted by friendly staff and sat down next to the only other people there. That was a table of grandma types of ladies. I looked over the menu for a minute and ordered the $9.95 Lunch RIGATONI PASTICCIATI - Spicy pink sauce, mushrooms, provolone & ground meat. This came with soup or salad and one bread stick. I chose salad cuz the soup was split pea.
The salad came out fairly quickly. Standard salad. Nothing too special about the lettuce or the Italian dressing. The single bread stick was nice and toasted. It was kind of cool looking to me because it looked like a mini baguette. My pasta came out shortly after. It was piping hot and I decided to wait for it to cool down. It was also a fairly generous portion size. After waiting a couple of minutes I dove into my meal. Even though it tasted spicy, it was also quite sweet at the same time. It was like sugar was added like they do in many jarred sauces you get at the grocery store. I'm not saying this was jarred sauce, but it was off a bit to me and tasted just okay.
I'll probably won't be back. Not even for their famous complete dinner special at a low price of $9.95 for soup, salad, pasta and dessert.Listed in: Calling all Guidos, Mission Viejo
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Review from Evelyn K.
2/15/2010
My mission was to find a restaurant that would please guests who know Italian food. Found this restaurant on Yelp and perused the reviews...a mixed bag in terms of reviews. I decided to chance it and was pleasantly surprised.
What I ordered was the Penne Con Pollo: penne with chicken, red pepper (non-spicy) and mushroom baked in alfredo sauce. I thought it was very good. The entree came with sides: bruschetta, a minestrone soup, salad with creamy italian dressing and breadsticks. I could have skipped the sides, the entree in itself was filling and I ended up with leftovers. Coffee and dessert are also included after dinner. I decided not to go for dessert as I was full. There is an option where you can order the entree a la carte for a dollar less if you want less food.
Our waiter was very good and our guest had a pleasant chat with the owner in Italian. He thought the restaurant was great. 4.5 rating.Listed in: South Orange County's Finest
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Review from Chase A.
Tustin, CA
1/8/2009
This place is a tiny little hidden Italian oasis!
HOME OF THE COMPLETE DINNER!
$9.95 gets you! Drum roll please!
Bruschetta
Italian Specialty Soup
House Salad
Your Entrees (Your Choice)
Coffee
Dessert (Choose from 11 Different Desserts)
This place is totally a place you find out about through word of mouth. This place is hidden I mean extremely hidden like James Bond Style! You basically crawl in through a wall and Poof! your transported into little Italy!
The food here is good! and the price goes without saying is AMAZING!
My Favorite Italian restaurant in Orange County hands down! -
Review from Marc N.
Huntington Beach, CA
6/30/2010
I love this place - old school at it's best. The owner is great. The food is consistently tasty.
it's top lunch destination for us here at work.
the gnocchi is great. love the pasta, and the ciabatta are great too....
I would recommend Salvatore to anyone. -
Review from patti f.
1/27/2008
I have eaten here 3 times, and I always had a great dining experience. The restaurant is located in a random business complex, so it kind of looks like you are going to the dentist or doctor. Once you go inside, the restaurant is very dimly lit and it has a cozy/romantic feeling to it.
I found this restaurant from http://restaurant.com, and I was excited to find that they have such reasonable prices. You can get a "complete dinner" that includes bread, soup, salad, pasta, AND dessert for about $15 or less. What a deal.
The angel hair pasta is delicious! My sister is a pasta-addict, and she agrees that this restaurant has great pasta.
Try going to the website before visiting the restaurant. They usually have coupons/discounts available. -
Review from Jorge C.
Laguna Niguel, CA
6/20/2011
The food was okay. It is great that they offer a complete meal. The service fell apart once the owner left. The waiters seemed inexperienced. The rating is due primarily to the service or lack thereof. One of four dishes (lamb) was sent back to the kitchen which was promptly replaced with another dish of our choice. The meat ravioli was good.
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Review from Matthew D.
Mission Viejo, CA
6/23/2009
I'm not sure why this place is getting such great reviews, perhaps it has changed a lot in the 3 years since I tried it. I was on a mission to find good italian in Mission Viejo and this wasn't it. Service was a bit slow but that isn't why I rate this poorly. Freshness is key in good Italian food. Fresh pasta, fresh sauce, fresh veg, fresh bread.
To start, my salad was clearly washed in an industrial salad rinse that most large, bad, chain restaurants like Olive Garden use. I know this because I am mildly allergic to the preservatives in the wash which makes my stomach gurgle and churn. Good, fresh tomatoes and lettuce bought that day shouldn't need that preservative rinse.
My pasta was clearly not fresh. The cheese tortellini tasted as if it had been a dried, store bought tortellini. I found dried bits of cheese inside the undercooked, tasteless rounds of pasta. Worse, the sauce tasted like it came out of a jar. It was bland, orange, textureless and provoked well repressed memories of Spaghetti O's from age 8.
My friend's Risotto was not made with the proper risotto, arborio rice. It was made with some cheap, short-grain rice like calrose so it did not fry well and the texture was mushy. The vegetables on her risotto were clearly frozen. They had the bland, consistent taste and texture that betrays a bag of mixed frozen vegetables. Each bite was a mushy, mix taste of pea, carrot, corn, lima bean flavor no matter particular vegetable you picked.
If you're looking for good, classic Italian food, try something like Sarducci's in Capistrano, Antonello in Costa Mesa, Spadra in Fullerton. If you're after cheap, slightly americanized but fantastic Italian try Roma D Italia in Tustin. If you want something close by, drive a couple blocks up Marguerite to Nirvanna Grille. The menu isn't all Italian but the Caprese, Risoto, Ravioli and Capellini are all infinitely better. -
Review from Teresa R.
Fremont, CA
10/11/2011
This place is amazing! I am from the San Francisco bay area, here on business and find the food here better than ever imagined. Service is friendly, atmosphere is not too loud, food in the first bite of main course totally mouth watering. I ate here solo and enjoyed myself. It was hard to find, look for suite 390 I believe. Totally worth it!
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Review from mary f.
Long Beach, CA
7/3/2007
This place is amazing. The food is really fresh and tasty. The place is really cozy and you instantly feel right at home.
The 'complete dinner' is the best way to go. They were really flexible and let me customize my spaghetti to my liking. The waiters were very attentive and friendly. Like Anna D. said, the portions are just right - you don't feel like you are overstuffing yourself but you can still take some home. -
Review from Mike M.
Redlands, CA
6/9/2011
My wife and I were travelling through the area and stopped into this restaurant before going on to a concert nearby, we were greeted by the owner Salvatore and he was most kind and spoke with us for a number of minutes. Salvatore answered all the questions we had about the menu items, he was most kind and very interesting to speak with.
The meal was quite wonderful with large servings, we both went home with leftovers in hand. Everything was great from the soup and salad to the wine, main course, and dessert!
If you ever find yourself near this restaurant, stop in and enjoy the food and company! -
Review from Alex G.
PRINCE, NY
1/1/2010
This is a nice little family joint with a cozy dining room. This would be a good place for a date that isn't too shmancy. In terms of both food and service, it is very consistent.
They give you the whole meal deal for a decent price: breadsticks, lil bruschetta, soup, house salad, and dessert come with every entree. All of these items were decent, nothing to write home about, but hey, they're complimentary.
We had the gnocchi and ravioli. Both were quite good. Also, we had the mussels for an appetizer and the sauce on the mussels was the highlight of the meal. We chowed the mussels and then sopped up the sauce with the bread.
The only criticism I would have for this place is the fliers under the table glass and on the table. We're already in the restaurant, no need to continue marketing to us.
This place is definitely in my repertoire, when I want a quiet and decent Italian option. -
Review from Jennifer H.
Los Angeles, CA
11/11/2008
Yelp came through as I craved Italian during the recent visit to OC.
What we got was a traditional Italian meal. All entrees include soup, salad, dessert and coffee. My friend and I both ate only 1/3 of our pasta dishes to save room for dessert. The sauce on my seafood pasta was yummy!
Love the decor and the main dishes. Lots of wine choices. We noticed lots of families on a busy Sunday night.
Not five stars b/c the restaurant has a hard time keeping up when it gets busy. Go early, before 6.
This place is hidden. Its neighbors include dental offices. -
Review from Martin T.
Foothill Ranch, CA
6/26/2010
This place has been there for 20 years
My first time was there today
If you go on their website and you can print off a 20% off coupon
All the Dinners include
Soup
Salad
Main Course
Desert
Coffee
Price was really cheap
Food was ok for the price
The Owner was nice
I will return but there is better Italian in the area for a higher cost -
Review from Joel J.
San Clemente, CA
6/24/2009
First off, realize that this place is hidden but if you manage to find it, you will be transported to a low light, romantic feel ambiance of Italy. The interior is breathtaking, considering that in a moment you were in business plaza, shaded amongst the trees of La Paz.
Mr. Salvatore is a true gentleman. He is an extremely kind business owner who gives to the community. I've had the opportunity to work alongside him as he provided free dinners for various schools and their students in which my business serves.
He shows great class and genuinely cares about the experience his guest receives. -
Review from Hion L.
Fullerton, CA
11/19/2010 1 Check-in Here
Salvatore Cucina is the epitome of hidden gem. I can definitely vouch for the hidden. Along with a few other eateries it is located in an office park where you would expect Drs., lawyers, and CPAs. The complete meal deal is what the locals rave about. For under 10 bucks you get a salad, soup, your choice of pasta with sauce, and dessert. It doesn't get more recession proof than this.
Some may call it cozy, and others may call it cramped, but there is no doubt that it is a neighborhood place where there are many return customers. I think that when I was eating my pasta, I got some sauce on the back of the guy sitting at the table next to us - that's how cozy it is.
Starting with appetizers, these are more like small plates, or tapa style, where for a reasonable price, around $2.50, you get a little sampling. I emphasize the word little here. We ordered garlic bread and literally got two slices of baguette like bread with garlic butter. Disappointing would be an understatement. I'm not even sure with these two slices that even a smurf could be satisified with. The Italian sausage was decent and much softer than I expected and a mild sausage at that. The sauce that it comes with it was incredible and I don't necessarily mean it in a good way. Depending on your tastebuds, it may be good or bad thing, but as one other reviewer mentioned, it tastes just like Chef Boyardee. I found this amazing in that I have never seen a restaurant create a sauce that mimics this flavor. I personally loved Chef Boyardee - in first grade. I started to giggle at the dinner table the moment I had this and my fellow diners were in wonderment as to why. The meatballs were ok, nothing out of the ordinary. The perfect spherical shapes made me wonder if they were hand-made or pre-packaged. The meatballs and sausage were also tepid in the center - so that means they were refrigerated or frozen.
But all of this seemed inconseqeuential as I drank my DOC chianti. This is the official designate chianti from the Chianti region of Italy and you can taste the difference. It is a simple young Italian table wine that has wonderful fruity notes. What it lacks in aging and complexity, it makes up for in its light simplicity. They have a selection of several different kinds also. It is a head above the kind that is served with straw bottom on the bottle that poses as chianti - very harsh and watery. Ifyou don't see the DOC designate with a black rooster on the bottle, it is a poser.
The gnocchi had a good firm texture. The mushroom fettucine was very creamy albeit very standard. Lasagna was nothing special. I thought the best dish at the table was the spaghetti with clams in a white wine sauce. The clams were plentiful and tasty. The white wine sauce did not over power the dish but gave a good accompaniment to the spaghetti, which was cooked perfectly al dente. The simplicity of the dish reminded me of the food I had in Italy.
Desserts were also decent. Tiramisu was the definite star of our table, but I opted for the cannoli and it was decent too. Overall, I would say that it is a value driven place. Sure, it may not have knck your socks off mind blowing Italian food, but for the price I have not seen much better. I would take it over Olive Garden any day. -
Review from R W.
Irvine, CA
8/31/2009
Since other reviewers have already mentioned the location, etc I'll skip over that and get to the nitty gritty :)
Since until recently even I didn't know about this place (my sister and me found it quite by accident one day) I have eaten here three times so far.
First, Salvatore himself greets you and his is a man that is friendly, down to earth and a true Italian. Very charming man who cares about each customer that comes into his restaurant.
Admittedly, one of my quests for quite some time has been to find a ultimate Fettuccine Alfredo. Sounds simple enough to some but for some reason it has alluded me. Either sauces were too heavy or too thin, not enough flavor,etc. Perhaps because I compare every Fettuccine Alfredo with a fantastic one that I had in Los Gatos at Steamers (the best one ever).
However, back to Salvatore's. The three times I have eaten there I confess, it's been for the love of the Fettuccine Alfredo! I still haven't' brought myself to order anything else.
The first time my sister ordered the Con Mozzarella and Prosciutto and I ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo. My sister said hers was good but I didn't take a taste she offered. I shared some of the Alfredo since there was more than enough, she thought it was great and finished it off.
Another visit: My husband had the ravioli but I did not care for the pink sauce (that's what its called). This time he actually shared with me! He also commented that he prefers my homemade marinara sauce but that he did like the ravioli.
My mother (took her there for lunch once) also had the Fettuccine Alfredo and she was won over by it.
Actually we always seem to go for lunch and get a side of the Italian soup which is really good. Never been for the basic dinner where you can get a full course meal starting at $9.95 which includes dessert.
For the money (very reasonable) I would say its worth a try. If I can mange to order something other than the Alfredo next time, I'll update the review :) Personally though, I will be staying away from any dish with the pink sauce. -
Review from David E.
Aliso Viejo, CA
9/3/2011
The food is decent but is designed more for "eat to live" vs. "live to eat" people. You will leave with a fully belly when doing their complete dinners but you will forget what you ate on your drive home. The desserts are okay but they are CLEARLY the mass produced versions shipped to Italian restaurants around the country. As a result, items that shouldn't taste "frozen" will taste frozen. My favorite thing about this place is the location (old ass office plaza) and the dated traditional interior. I wish I had more positive things to say but the food simply isn't remarkable or even close to it. But hey, the entrees are a step up from Olive Garden so it isn't all bad.
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Review from Coelie A.
Washington, DC
6/19/2007
What a HIDDEN gem!! So, this is where the best and most authentic Italian restaurant in all of Orange County hides out. At the intersection of Marguerite and La Paz Rd, it is tucked away in the corner of a small office park, where a large sign reads, "DENTISTRY" and a neon-lit OPEN sign barely casts a light on the words, "Salvatore Cucina Italiana." I can't believe we found it.
Once inside, you'd think you transported to Naples, which happens to be where the owner is from. This is quintessential Italian. Everything is homemade, even their incredible desserts (Tirami Su, Affogato all'Amaretto or Cannoli anyone?). The "Complete Dinners" include soup, salad, brushetta, your entree, coffee AND dessert, and with a myriad of entrees to choose from, these Complete Dinners start at just $9.95!!! http://www.salvatore38...
Go to their website and there are plenty of opportunities to win/earn gift certificates. I earned mine just by referring a friend. If you love Italian food, then you just found your new favorite place. -
Review from Stacey E.
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
12/15/2010
It's as if Denny's went Italian. The food lacks any kind of flavor, and they actually used frozen veggies in their pasta primavera. Folks, it's not a deal if the food sucks.
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Review from Carol S.
Foothill Ranch, CA
2/11/2009
You can't beat the price! A complete dinner with soup salad and desert.
I never order desert but since it was included I ate some Tiramisu.
Dinner was good. I brought home enough spaghetti/meat sauce to have at least 3 more meals.
Small but quaint. Smells Good too.
