Caffe Macaroni

This place is great. Felt like an Italian grandma was cooking for me (which isn't far from the truth!)

Squid ink seafood pasta (5/5)
Panna cotta (3/5)

FOOD
Was very pleasantly surprised with the pasta dish. The sauce was super delicious and the seafood was plentiful. The seafood from the shrimp, to the mussels, to the clams were cooked perfectly. The pasta was a perfect al dente. The sauce was so delicious I mopped up all of it with the bread they gave.

The dessert was a bit more disappointing. The flavor of the panna cotta was excellent, however the cherry syrup was too artificial tasting and honestly reminded me of cough syrup. And once I bit into the sugar syrup dunked cherry on top it was game over - my entire palette was ruined. A shame really. Next time I'll get the tiramisu!

SERVICE
The man who served me was your classic Italian uncle through and through. Very kind and attentive to everything I needed (I think he may have owned the place). Could not have been happier with the service.

AMBIANCE
I thought the inside of the restaurant looked a bit dingy and outdated. However, the outside had a nice seating area and that's where I chose to dine. Overall, not a great date spot if you're looking to impress, however excellent spot if you're looking for a no frills Italian joint.

We were out for an overdue date night and decided to have dinner here after having tried it over 10 years ago. We remembered it being quaint and aunthentic...and it's still true today.

We were seated in a corner which gave us a little bit of privacy in the small and cute interior space. It was raining outside so when the server offered us water it was slightly hot/warm which we felt was super thoughtful.

We ordered the Cesar salad, linguini and baby octopus pasta. The Cesar salad was delicious, creamy and I could taste the hint of anchovy. Loved the al dente-ness of my linguini pasta and flavor of the clams and mussels together in the light sauce. The baby octopus pasta had a rich tomato flavor with a little kick that we used to soak our bread into.
For dessert we ordered the tiramisu which tasted like layers of pillows with a drenched thin layer of lady fingers...yummm.

It was the perfect ambiance accompanied by delicious and authentic Italian food.

Not bad. Service is pandering-tourist (lots of "Prego"'s). Tagliere was a mixed bag - some meat was coarsely cut, but some was quite good. House pinot grigio by the glass was abysmal. Meager portion of fennel salad. And pappardelle dressing was more beef than wild boar, but the noodles were sublime. Outdoor seating was pleasant.

A very tiny inside Italian restaurant. We sat outside and enjoyed the great service. Dishes were portioned and priced well to allow a diner to try multiple items. Enjoyed the Burrata, Carpaccio, Sicilian cod special and Tiramisu.

Happened upon Caffe Macaroni on our way to another dinner when visiting our son in SF. Looked like a quaint Italian restaurant and we wanted to try it. Glad we did. Small restaurant with only a few inside seats and an outdoor heated sidewalk patio. Mario and Stephanie are the best! They make you feel welcome and like you're at a family member's home. The food was delicious! I had the spaghetti and meatballs. So good. The meatballs had good flavoring and cooked to perfection, the sauce flavorful and did not over power the pasta. Husband had the pappardelle and son had baked pasta. There wasn't a bite left to take home. Had the panna cota for dessert and it was decadent. Dreaming about our next visit. Ciao!

Tiny little Italian restaurant that had great service and food. The seating was a little crowded so if you have a large group and want something more spacious this might not be the right choice for you.

I got the lasagna Al forno and it was absolutely delicious. There's so many places to try in this part of town but I'll definitely be back if I'm craving some good lasagna

Been hitting a lot of old school places lately. This certainly is one of those.

I've known about to this Columbus Ave. institution since a famous columnist for our local newspaper talked about the "power people" dining here for lunch, likely often to wheel and deal (talking City Hall).

Fast forward thirty years and it looks the same in my eyes except the addition of the dining parklet. Coming here around noon on an overcast Friday late morning, the gentleman at the door offered me a sidewalk two-top table. The inside looked small as I remembered so I had no qualms about it. As he ask my drink preference (water), he left a menu sheet while I noticed the taped QR code photo which linked me to the regular menu.

When he returned with bread and a olive oil, garlic, and basil mix and my water, I ordered my meal. I started with the Cesare Romana (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=VUkjV8Jq11mJUUKwESWzBA&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q), described as Romaine, egg yolks, anchovies, mustard, and parmagiano; the portion is generous and the greens nicely dressed. I will order this again. From the specials menu, I tried the pappardelle (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=s1F2HdxJ5jJqSBG3yRwfGg&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q), listed as fresh ribbon pasta with wild boar and beef ragu with peas and fresh ricotta. I was a bit apprehensive as I am not a big ricotta fan (reminds me of cottage cheese). Guess what, it was pure perfection. The noodles were tender with a slight chewiness. I was worried about the wild boar making this gamey but it didn't. And the fresh ricotta gave this a richness, adding another element of flavor, besides the sweetness from the peas. I used the bread to clean every last drop of the sauce and ricotta. Portions wise, it was perfect with my meal probably two bites over satisfied.

There were two parties in the dining structure, a couple at one and four guys at the other table. As I ate, a couple ladies took a table on the other side of the entrance while a gentleman and his dog sat at the table next to me so definitely dog friendly here. Thanks to Dario. for the pasta recommendation and for meeting all my needs. Another lady helped in clearing my dishes and refilling my water glass. A very satisfying and delicious meal and I will be back. Wish you were open for weekdays for lunch.

This is a small, amazing, Italian place where I fell in love from my 1st visit. The owners were very nice and friendly. Typically, Italian dishes are not my 1st choice, but I would definitely visit this place as soon as I have a chance to visit SF again. I shared some dishes with my colleagues, and my main dish was Risotto Pescatore (seafood risotto) - I loved all of them!! I hope the owners are doing well until I visit the place again! They are lovely people!

I've wanted to eat here for so long. Every time I passed by they were closed until last night. It's off the beaten path of North Beach which I prefer. There was way less foot traffic for sidewalk dining.

I had the wild boar ragu with pappardelle and it was delicious. I loved the addition of the peas and the cheese.

Service was good. Not overly attentive but just attentive enough.

I docked them a star because they added fresh ground pepper to my dish before I had a chance to say no. Please wait one second for your customer to answer the question and if you're going to put anything on my pasta, make it freshly grated Parmesan!

My friend and I shared the burrata appetizer and it was delicious. If I ordered that on my own, it would be a whole meal because it was so big. The pesto on it was delicious, as were the cherry tomatoes.

All in all, a good time. I would definitely go back. So glad they were open and I was still in town to enjoy it.

What an awesome place - tiny as all get out so get there right at open or sit outside!

Food was amazing and the owner waits the tables .

I had the Ceasers Salad and Spaghetti and meatballs and both were awesome!

Make sure you try the Tiramisu best I have had in a long time.