Best Italian food ever!! Great service. Strip exterior but beautiful interior. Will definitely go back!!

We went here for a mother days meal last Saturday night. We arrived on time and were promptly seated at the table. At this point we were left alone for 40 minutes. No drinks, not even water. When we finally caught the attention of our server, I raised the point that we'd been waiting a long time without anyone even talking to us. The server then got snarky at me and said I needed to get over it. The food was great but after the experience with the server, I wouldn't grace this joint with anything but a 'get over it'. Spend your hard earned elsewhere folks. read more

We've been to the Ca'Dario locations in Santa Barbara and Montecito several times and were happy to find this one in Goleta when we needed dinner ideas close to my sister-in-law's house. We went on a Sunday at 6:00 with six adults and three children under three. An unwieldy party, for sure, but I was still kind of surprised at how obvious it was that the staff was not happy to see us. There was this palpable attitude like Ca'Dario was an upscale restaurant where one should think twice about bringing children. This struck me as a little bit laughable--the restaurant was in a giant suburban strip mall; there was a giant TV hung over the bar. Every other table we saw had either children or old people or both. The service wasn't outright hostile, but it was definitely off. There was a straight-up dirty fork at our table, which I took to the bar when I needed to order a drink and couldn't get anyone's attention. We also asked for a smaller fork for our three-year-old and were told there were none available until I asked whether they had any disposable flatware that they gave out with their pick-up orders. The plastic fork was an obvious solution that allowed our kid to eat his pasta without further complaint. The food and drink were good, on par with what we've had at the other locations. I had a glass of white wine and the linguine with scallop, asparagus, and truffle, both from the list of daily specials. They were solid. I also shared a burrata appetizer with my husband, which was great. I've never had a bad dish from Ca'Dario. It's a reliable place for a satisfying plate of pasta. We eat pretty often at the Ca'Dario in Montecito, which is both more elegant and less evidently hostile to children. The Goleta location was fine, but I don't feel a compelling need to go back. read more

Could have EASILY been 5 stars. Gonna bash a manager. Just keep reading... But first! I would like to say the whole experience here in general (up until incoming bash)was top-notch. I went on a random Tuesday night with my 8 year old. The service and attention she personally received were kind and very much appreciated. Sometimes, it's hard to find nicer places that treat kids like they aren't just appendage of their parents. The food was amazing. We ordered the quail and house soup. It all started going a little sideways with dessert. I will say the lava cake was delicious, but we ordered it specifically for the lava appeal. Kid was so full at that point and wasn't even pushing for dessert. She was going to pass on anything more altogether until the lava cake was mentioned, so we went for it. Upon cutting into it to reveal the gooey molten center, we were met with a very moist, but a very much solid, inside. Kid was disappointed. I got our servers' attention the next time she walked by(made sure we didn't eat the dessert aside from the initial taste test) and politely explained the situation. She was great and took our plate to the kitchen. The next thing I know, I've got the manager plopping the plate back down in front of us, and flashing the menu, exclaiming that "while it may seem like it was a lava cake, *lava* is actually just the *kind* of chocolate, so it's not actually the kind of *cake*." Uum. That's a weird way of phrasing, "We over cooked a batch, and I don't want to lose money on a $14 dessert." Due to not wanting to embarrass my extremely non confrontational child by pointing out the bullshit directly TO Mr. Insulting Doo Doo Head while in a fairly close quarters and crowded restaurant.....and since we very much enjoyed the previous atmosphere.....and REALLY not wanting his creepy epstine island vibes(sorry, but skeezy-stuffy-bullshitter-that-thinks-hes-getting-away-with-blatant-dumbassery fits that bill...) around me any longer than necessary, I chose to, instead, smile and send him off. I then started to (only a little louder than normal...) converse with my child on what a lava cake is, how it's made, pics and articles off Google, and how some people just choose the wrong speech before knowing their audience. I will be back. I will order that lava cake again. And if it's molten, and if Mr. DDH is working, you bet your ass I'm sending it back and speaking with him about undercooking baked goods read more

Ca' Dario - Goleta - QUAGLIE ARROSTO - Italian Near Me - Goleta, California

My husband and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Ca' Dario in Goleta last Monday evening. Our menu selections were delicious and beautifully presented. Our server Madeleine was exceptional; attentive, gracious and professional - such a delightful experience to have a great meal and perfect service! We love Ca' Dario Goleta and also Ca' Dario downtown ...Thank you Dario for sharing your restaurants and dedicated staff with our community for so many years! Nina and Fred Meyer read more

Solid meal, but nothing too noteworthy. Came here for a graduation celebration and ordered the calamari, rigatoni pomodoro, and the special seafood pasta. The calamari was surprisingly crisp and light and it came with some delicious tarter sauce. The rigatoni pomodoro was nothing special, but was exactly as described so not too many complaints here. The seafood pizza was for the table and we got half with cheese and half without, which they were able to accommodate. The crust was pretty thin and soft but taste wise the pizza was pretty good. The only reason why I did not give 5 stars was due to the service. While our waiter was fantastic, the food took a long time to come out and our meal ended up being well over 2 hours. I didn't think it was busy enough to dictate that long of a wait, but YMMV. Overall, some pretty unremarkable Italian food, especially since Tre Lune is just down the street. I probably won't be back but it was good in the moment! read more

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A total of 9 of us dined in. We decided to check this place out because of the Yelp reviews. Once we arrived the staff wasn't welcoming which is such a bummer because it will definitely determine the ambiance to the environment. Unfortunately we found a hair in our salad. No one cared and possibly even questioned it. The manager didn't even approach us to apologize nor try to compensate us for this disgusting inconvenience. We felt like more of a nuisance because we were a big party. Our waters weren't filled. We paid. Hefty bill of over $400. I had to verbally ask for the salad to be taken off because our waiter didn't have common sense to do it on his own ‍ This place doesn't seem sanitary and I almost went out of my way to give the manager on site a good piece of my mind but I decided not too. I didn't want to work myself up. Here is a picture of the hair on my fork that was in my salad. read more

Ca' Dario - Goleta - A picture of the hair I found on my fork - Italian Near Me - Goleta, California

Our most recent visit was on a Wednesday and it was packed! There was a huge group of 20+ people set up in the middle of the restaurant, but luckily there's a lot of seating and with our reservation were sat quickly. We picked the Margerum Rosé from their extensive wine list (one of my favorites) and split a salad which seemed small compared to the huge entree portions. Both of our meals were delicious and we had leftovers for lunch the next day! Our servers frequented the table despite the crowd but we had to ask for water a few times. Overall great experience! read more

Ca' Dario - Goleta - Lombata di Vitello - Italian Near Me - Goleta, California

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I enjoyed my experience at this restaurant. The service was amazing and my pasta was delicious as well!

Whenever I am craving Italian food in Goleta, Ca Dario is always my choice, and not just because it's the only nice Italian restaurant in town. There are several other establishments in Santa Barbara or Solvang, but Ca Dario is always quite satisfying and does not make driving further out of town worth it. I think my partner and I have already visited the restaurant 3-4 times in the past year, and we are always very happy with our visit. First, the house wine is really delicious and the portions are generous. Also, there is rarely a long wait unless you go on UCSB's move-in weekends (and they do also take reservations). The service is always very friendly albeit pretty slow. The ambiance is upscale yet classic, great for a date night but also not so posh that I feel uncomfortable visiting in my jeans. As for food, all of the pastas, pizzas, and appetizers have been quite delicious, no matter the protein or sauce. Even the free bread is really delicious, even though their tiny sauce bowls make getting to the balsamic vinegar really difficult. The only dish I have ever ordered with a disappointing result was the carpaccio, which was supposed to come with a horseradish sauce but had no taste of horseradish, just plain mayo. This sauce did not complement the carpaccio at all, and I was quite turned off by it. Overall this is a great restaurant choice for all the occasions: date nights, when guests are in town, or when I feel like wearing my biggest pair of leggings and stuffing myself with carbs until I can't breath= the best kinda night. read more

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The ravioli was fantastic! The ribeye was cooked perfectly but the flavor wasn't all there. We ordered the Cadario merlot and it was VERY good! We will be returning! read more

Ca' Dario - Goleta - Ribeye - Italian Near Me - Goleta, California

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Ca'Dario Goleta is our go to dining experience in Goleta. Their food is always fresh, fast, and delicious. I'm partial to their pasta bolognese, but they have great pizzas and usually a risotto special that is fantastic! We always are greeted warmly, we have taken large parties there frequently, and we enjoy the wait staff - some of whom have been there for years. They have some of the best outdoor dining in Goleta, which is surprising, given their location. read more

AMAZING FOOD!!!! Our server was AJ and he was really friendly, giving us very good recommendations and was really friendly. I really liked the ravioli, it was really tasty and came out in a timely manner. The service was great, consistently getting refills and extra bread. 10/10 experience and will definitely come back read more

Food is solid, ambience is very Goleta-esq for an Italian restaurant. I do prefer their Montecito location but can't complain. They have a bottle of La Fiorta Brunello that you can pair with just about anything. Service felt a little rushed, but the wine made up for it. read more

Some of the finest discoveries happen by chance, and chance is exactly what led us here. After scavenging for a nice dinner around Goleta we found Ca' Dario Cucina Italiana and gave it a go. What we did not expect, however, was the subliminal back patio ambiance and the excellent customer service we received. Like they say about being transported to a different location, the decor truly teleported us away. Now to the food. The food was amazing. They carry quite the variety of dishes which is impressive during these COVID times. The specials available definitely did not lack specialty. As a pasta lover, especially the made-from-scratch al dente kind, there was something here for everyone. I spent a decent amount of time indecisively pondering what to select. Alas we had the instinct to decide after finding a new favorite Pinot. Sometimes the best nights are the random nights. To me it was an amazing night discovering a new favorite location for quality Italian fare and customer care. I suggest making reservations for the back patio location, aside from that, come with an empty stomach. You will not be disappointed. read more

My go-to pizza place. Someday I'll actually order something else. But for now, I enjoy their pizzas very much. Service is great.

Unbelievable food and customer service! We were fortunate enough to get Tristan as our server and Felipe as the chef for the night. The food was simply perfect. Our pasta was aldente and the seafood was fresh The environment was nice and peaceful, perfect for a romantic night We look forward to continue going! read more

Ca' Dario - Goleta - Nice environment in the back - Italian Near Me - Goleta, California

I think ca Dario has a sweet spot for me and my husband because we have had many special dates here. It's amazing how inside it feels nothing like the actual location. The food is always great and the pasta is amazing! The best gnocchi I've had. I recommend for a special and yummy dinner. read more

The food tasted horrible. The pizza was bland, the pasta here tasted like chemicals. Also the calamari was dry and fries were frozen!

Because they allow dogs, it became 3 stars. The food quality needs to improve. The service was good, the ambiance was good however outdoor patio seating had too many flies and yes they came when food came so I had to swat away flies while eating a not so good Branzino. You know I love Branzino so I eat it everywhere. I love whole fried crispy fish. This fish was not crispy and without the sauce, couldn't stand as fresh fish on its own. That's sadly, bad fish. We also always order for the dogs, we give them pizza etc, but they didn't even want the cheese pizza from here. So be warned, if you are used to high end Italian, this will disappoint. It was however very cheap eats compared to my usual meal. They need to get rid of the patio flies that swarm the patio. read more

Ca' Dario - Goleta - dogs on patio - Italian Near Me - Goleta, California

This is a fancy, upscale Italian restaurant hidden in a shopping center that you wouldn't expect. The service is prompt and friendly and the decor is fancy and modern. Be prepared to spend some money here, because the prices are sky high. I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs and my boyfriend ordered the tortellacci allá panna. My portion of pasta was pretty big, and definitely worth it for the price. The sauce was flavorful, the spaghetti was Al dente and the meatballs were good! The tortellacci was delicious as well, however it was a pretty small portion for a $30 dish. The flavors in the dish, however, were very good and flavorful. Overall, this is a good date night restaurant due to the fancy atmosphere and delicious food, just be aware that the dishes are pretty pricey. read more

Maybe ordering it was the wrong time of the day or wrong day of the week. Whatever the case--ordering the lunch menu calamari was THE WRONG thing to do. The Overall experience for our birthday occasion was great because of the company I was in. Armanni who is our server was very pleasant, and was very helpful answering all of our questions regarding menu choices. My suggestion is if possible, sit inside because the ambience is very beautiful and you won't get attacked by the flies like we were on the outside patio. If there was an option to give my experience a 4 1/2 rating I would. The calamari just wasn't right. read more

I found this place on a Yelp search for dog friendly places. They have an outdoor patio and all patrons and staff fawned over my friend's 9 week old Siberian Husky puppy. The server even brought over a bowl of water for the dog. :) This was my first time at this location. It's set in the corner of a strip mall but the interior has a warm ambiance and the outdoor patio is delightful with Italian music piped in! It was interesting that we walked in and asked to be seated in the patio but the manager immediately said "We're full out there." When he saw our puppy, he said "Oh ok, we will seat you outside" and we went to the patio, where there were several open tables. Other tables were seated outside shortly afterwards. We both had salads- mine was the Spinaci con pancetta e uova - a spinach salad with boiled egg, bacon, parmigiano, and balsamic dressing. Yummy! My friend got the Insalata di pollo arrosto with baby lettuces with roasted chicken, garlic croutons, grated parmigiano. The service was very good, and the atmosphere was inviting. Their extensive menu has a wide range of appetizers, pizzas, sandwiches, egg dishes, and first and second Italian courses. I've been to Ca Dario in Santa Barbara, and know that these are all very tasty. I'm glad I tried this location -a plus is that there is lots of parking- and I will be back! read more

Pros: Service Gorgeous tables Relatively quiet atmosphere Cons: We wanted to sit outside but the "heaters weren't working" Food was quite bland (not seasoned at all) Ordered multiple appetizers (again not seasoned) leek soup was terrible Italian sauce should have some texture but it didn't -- it was clearly strained or blended like enchiladas sauce (beyond awful) The small amount of "olive oil/basamic vinegar" wouldn't mix if our lives depended on it. We wondered if it was real olive oil since it had no taste to it like real olive oil does. Probably unhealthy seed oil. The busboy constantly wanted to take away our plates when not finished Summary: We will not be returning even though our server was great. The food is not good. If a customer has to salt/pepper "Italian" food so much to taste good, the food being served is not of quality. The "three chefs" preparing the food should be terminated. Anyway, I wish this establishment was better but it's not. Unfortunately, we left disappointed. read more

We recently had a rather large and boisterous family gathering on Ca'Dario's beautiful outdoor patio. The staff was lovely, and put up with our chaotic, bordering on semi feral group. They brought extra maraschinos for my nephew's Shirley Temple. They were patient with our repeated requests for additional time on placing our order since everyone was so distracted catching up that they kept forgetting to look at the menu. The food is always absolutely delicious (get the spinach/ricotta ravioli in brown butter and sage). I have never had a bad meal here. The purpose of our gathering on this occasion was honoring my mother in law's life after losing her last year. Covid and other life events had prevented us gathering before this. When the staff found out, they brought the whole table a complimentary aperitif to toast her life. Absolutely above and beyond. Every member of the staff we interacted with was unfailingly pleasant, actually seemed to enjoy their jobs and took pride in making our evening special. read more

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I did not like the food and they messed up an order of mine. Not sure if our server brought it up the manager, but if they did he decided not to give us a refund or talk to us at all. Poor service starting from the top. read more

Absolutely horrible and disrespectful service. Had a reservation for 2 at 7pm. The hostess told us "the previous party has been here super long so we don't have a table" and told us to sit at the bar to order food and when a table became open we would be moved. We were there for nearly an hour while several groups of 2, 3, and walked in and where immediately seated while we were passed by. So rude so disrespectful, I wonder if I had been a white middle aged individual like the othe people who came in if we would have been seated? literally never going to this place again -apart from the microaggressions genuinely who takes reservations and doest fulfill them?? Did they know watch Seinfeld?? Absolute bullshit read more

An Open kitchen is always a winner with me. It's on stage and you know this place is proud of its culinary art. The head chef was on point and meals came out quickly on to the counter proving its finely honed kitchen team work system was in place. Non verbal nods and fancy footwork seemed to be happening all night long as the kitchen crew tossed pans of beautiful garlic olive oiled pasta and pizza dough into the air. I was seated in the front row as the kitchen crew and head chef danced and danced and cooked the night away! Hard work was put into my beautiful al dente seafood spaghettini with red sauce and secondi of lAmb chops ! We ended our wonderful experience with their home made tiramisu ! I would return here if I were in town again ! read more

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Great Italian food! Service- Average Ambiance- Amazing! Margarita Pizza- Best ever!! COME HERE!!!!!!!! read more

Overbooked and even with an early reservation, could only seat us outside on a blustery day. Manager was unaccommodating and barely apologetic. Very disappointed on our anniversary. The restaurant was practically empty at the time. read more

I had been craving the Quattro Stagioni Pizza from Ca' Dario for months and I finally caved. It was worth every single bite. Usually it comes in 4 quarters with artichokes, olives, ham and mushrooms in each, but I asked if they could mix it up and they were happy to do so. They service was wonderful and I cannot wait to be back. Thank you! read more

Ca' Dario - Goleta - Quattro Stagioni Pizza - Italian Near Me - Goleta, California

Went here for first time. We are out of town family Of 5. Service is fantastic! Food is "mid" overall ... Actual best part Was the kids pizza ... All other pasta dishes were "ok" read more

First problem: table cloth was completely dirty!!! See picture. Second problem: lipstick mark on glass! See picture Cleanliness is definitely not a word in their vocabulary. Food was OK. But this place needs an inspection!!! read more

Ca' Dario - Goleta - Lipstick mark on glass - Italian Near Me - Goleta, California

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Excellent food, very friendly staff, clean and bright place. Amazing wine selection. Everything on the menu is 5 star - we will be back! read more

Ca' Dario - Goleta - Italian Near Me - Goleta, California

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Having moved from Downtown SB to Goleta, I was worried about losing ambiance and quality for convenience. The staff was all incredibly friendly, and gave excellent recommendations. They also offered to split a soup between myself and my husband! The restaurant has a cute interior with a patio both out front and behind. The patio in the back is by far superior, as the restaurant is in an older strip mall in Goleta. In addition, there were some tools inside the wine pantry that were visible from our table and detracted a little from the ambiance. The food was excellent and light. I highly recommend the prosciutto wrapped asparagus, as it the texture was perfect and flavors were so well balanced. All the pleasures of pasta and none of the heavy sleepiness. Overall, this is a great option, and if you're coming on a weekend or special occasion make sure to get a reservation so you can get one of the tables at the back of the restaurant! read more

Ca' Dario - Goleta - Italian Near Me - Goleta, California

Truly enjoyed my time here. The staff is super welcoming. Our server recommended the Ravioli which was the perfect start to my afternoon. Perfectly made with sugar and brown butter. The table settings are of fine dining atmosphere. This place is a hidden gem in the middle of Goleta, not far from the airport. I would definitely recommend this place. Lasagna was pretty tasty as well. read more

Ca' Dario - Goleta - Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Goleta, California

This is the BEST place for lunch in Goleta. Food is the most consistent and delicious. Chuy is a service and manage who makes your experience the best it could be. He is attentive and professional. I will only bring my client lunches here. Chuy only works Mondays which is a disappointment. He should work everyday with how he treats his customers. During lunch the salads here the best I have had in Goleta. The white table cloths and service are top notch! read more

Convenient location in a boring strip mall near a laundromat. Free parking, yay! The disconnect between the location and the elegance of the dining is notable. I choose this place for special occasions. I have repeatedly been given courteous service beyond expectations. There is a vibe of gratitude here, like they are truly happy to have you there. Food is delicious. I love their ravioli. Crusty bread is perfect. Nice wines. I really enjoy dining here! read more

Service was horrible. The parties after us got their food and we were never acknowledged after waiting 30 minutes. We felt neglected!

Normally Ca'Dario makes pretty good Italian. My favorite is Olio e Limone, but Ca'Dario is the only choice for Italian Italian in Goleta. The togo I had last night was not as good as the dine in experience I had in the past. I was super happy to see the huge portion size of the frittura mista, but sadly all the seafood, especially the shrimp were over fried and dry. The rib eye and the beans were flavorful, but had too much char and cooked more done than I would have liked. The brown butter sage ravioli is great as usual. The pancetta wrapped white asparagus was too stringy. It shouldn't have ordered white asparagus out of season. My order came with a bottle of free viognier so that was a big plus. read more

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