This restaurant was very good the first visit and we had shrimp Damon combo. The second visit the same dinner went from 21$ to 31$ per plate. I was so unhappy with very mediocre service and way overpriced food. Never again I will not be screwed over and abused there ever again. Maybe that's their methodology, sure seems as a scam, two people and the bill was over 90 bucks and had no drinks, just a ceaser's salad added I wonder if they think they're in San Fransisco lol Angels Camp holy mole! All done with Cuscos read more

Such a cute and cozy place. The food was just delicious. We ordered bruschetta which I highly recommend. The mushroom polenta was great. The cheesecake was homemade and truly good. Such a gem. I have tried many different Italian restaurants around the globe and this one is on the top of my list. read more

When the outside weather is near 100, it is a pleasure to escape into a cooler place to have dinner. Not tonight at Crusco's. The room was cooler, however, being placed by the front windows, and being required to wear upscale casual did not help. Seemed very hypocritical when our server had multiple piercings all over her face. The service was horrifically slow. When was the last time you went to an upscale Italian resteraunt and did not get bread with your meal? Our bread came halfway through our dinner, and only because we inquired. The calamari appetizer was small and the cocktail sauce was more like ketchup. The two chicken plates that we ordered tasted like Costco frozen chicken breast, and frozen premade noodles. The food as a whole was not bad, just not worth the upscale pricing. If I was sitting in a diner, or at a buffet, I would not feel the same. UPDATE: Two of the four of us became ill later that night. The only common food between us was the chicken and the creamy custard dessert. We will not be returning anytime soon. read more

This restaurant is a wonderful Italian restaurant in downtown Angels Camp but since Covid the restaurant has been closed. We truly hope this restaurant will reopen in the future as it is a special experience in Angels Camp read more

Mediocre food, cheap wines on wine list and they do not allow even allow tastes before you order - the most stupid policy I've ever heard of in my life. The entrees all lacked flavor, seriously low on salt, pepper, garlic - anything to give them flavor. The only moderately good item was the creamy polenta. The focaccia was microwaved to warm it and dry within a few minutes. The menus were literally sticky with an uninteresting and tired mix of offerings. This place needs a Restaurant Makeover by Chef Robert Irvine! Will not return unless it starts getting 5 stars from well respected Yelpers. read more

Utterly delicious, especially after a day of spelunking and sweltering heat. Crusco's is open late, and service is attentive and extremely helpful. Everything we ordered was just perfect. $5 for calamari?? No way!! The calamari was one of the best that I've ever had, which was quite surprising. The Crusco Special pasta that my boyfriend had was composed of really basic ingredients, but the flavor was excellent. It exemplified simple yet superb food. My filet of steak was tender, though the polenta was a bit bland. Everything was fresh. Oh, and of course, the panna cotta was divine. Yum, I can't wait to be back. A very romantic, intimate dining experience. Perfect for couples, not so much for families with kids. Casual. Did I mention delicious?? :) read more

See all

I wanted to like this place. Other people like this place. I found the pasta sitting in water and not properly cooked (too crunchy--and yes, I've eaten pasta in Italy and I know what al dente means.) They also used jarred garlic in all of their food--and lots of it. I don't think it's possible to make delicious homestyle Italian food without fresh garlic and herbs. Unprofessional wait staff exhibited various behaviors that took away from the experience (fighting with owner, complaining to customers, talking about their personal problems, not looking tidy and food-service ready, ignoring customers while doing all of the preceding). My husband had tons of business meetings there because the other party loved the place--but he dreaded every meal there. read more

This place is not bad at all. While the food options in nearby Murphys are more plentiful and perhaps a bit more trendy, Crusco's is still a good place to get a meal. My meal -- beef tenderloin topped with crab, polenta and vegetables -- was delicious. The beef was cooked perfectly. My veggies were a tad underseasoned, but with some salt, the dish sang. Our kids split a penne with alfredo sauce, but the alfredo was a tad on the watery side. The pre-dinner foccacia was fresh and delicious. Our only complaint was after we were seated, we waited 15 minutes before finally going to get a menu from the bar. Someone saw us do that, which prompted a server to come to our table finally. I would say if this hadn't happened, this place would get 4 stars from me. read more

We decided to take a ride to Angels Camp and have lunch at Crusco's today. Delightful family owned and run Italian Restaurant. Gina, the owner's daughter was a delight. I had the Crusco Pasta. Penne, mushrooms, capers, marinara with housemade Calabrese sausage. A fresh salad accompanied along with homemade warm focaccia. Robert had a full Caesar Salad. Thoroughly enjoyed. Pannacotta for dessert. Light and creamy. Delicious, reasonable, authentic, attentive service. We'll definitely return. Mangia e salute!! read more

Crusco's - Italian Near Me - Angels Camp, California

This restaurant really missed the mark everything on the menu was named in Italian so anything you order you're pronouncing wrong which is very off-putting. Yes, we know your an Italian restaurant we can tell by the tacky decor. Our server was very nice, not very aware of the menu items and didn't fill water glasses, but quite nice and she was the best part of our visit. The food was all packed 'costco' frozen section food. Premade ravioli and tortellini. Pregrilled sliced and frozen chicken. Sauces where all from a can. Wine was all screw top which was a waste with an outstanding winery across the street! If you have the option to eat in Angles Camp hit the Mexican restaurant next door or drive to Murphy's. read more

See all

We ordered burritos here one chicken and one asada. They were really good! We would absolutely come back again when in town! Delicious food!

The lamb with garlic mashed potatoes and veggies is very good! The food is wonderful here and the servers are friendly. The cappuccinos are also wonderful here. I only wish they included the little biscotti cookie with the cappuccino and that would of made it perfect. We come here when we're in the area. We love the food here and they are welcoming and friendly! read more

Family owned & operated, warm & inviting, aroma of garlic & Italian herbs, & baking bread, Andrea Bocelli in the background. My kind of place, where everything on the menu looked tempting. I went with the Special:: Lasagne ai frutti di mare Layers of pasta, bechamel cream sauce, sea bass, clams, crab, scallops, spinach, cheese ~ finished with garlic prawns So delicious with a Morgan Pinot Noir & fresh-baked bread. Server Tina suggested Kahlua Chocolate Mousse, which was heavenly. I enjoyed meeting & talking with friendly locals. There was convenient parking on Main St. & also in the back of the building. read more

See all

Came here for a late family dinner after a warm wonderful day of snowboarding at Bear Valley. Very traditional and great variety of tasty Italian dishes. I also appreciated the selection of local wines. We were looking forward to the homemade cheesecake but unfortunately they were sold out as it's a popular item. Great service and ambience great food and wine is also a plus! read more

Living in a small town you don't have the luxury of many restaurant choices. But Crusco's has big city taste! The good is always delicious and cooked to order. The service is top both hands. They know us by name. We enjoy our visits each time! read more

I can't say enough great thIngs about this restaurant!!! The food was great but the owners were AMAZING!!!! We were welcomed in with smiles and great conversation and we left with hugs and advice on where to go on adventures. Also.... if I can recommend one thing to eat, ask for celestes favorite dessert. You can thank me later. read more

My friends and I were on our way back from caving and we were famished. After crawling through the belly of the earth, we needed some serious comfort food and boy did we find it. The place itself is lovely with an authentic Italian charm and romantic ambiance. The servers are friendly and welcoming. I was delighted to hear that the chef is the owner of the restaurant, the chef is only there a few days a week so I was excited that we happened to visit on a night when the owner was in the kitchen. I got the Fettuccini Alfredo, salad, and polenta appetizer. The pasta and polenta were delicious, and they went perfectly with the free table bread which was fresh foccacia. The panna cotta dessert was also very yummy. read more

Great food. Great service. Never sure what to expect from a small town but food was amazing, every bite tasty and flavorful. Didn't care for the wine I picked but food made up for it. Service was good, funny banter from the employees and they looked like they loved their job, which reflected in their service. Can't wait to go back. read more

See all

Food was good. Portions could be a little bigger it is Italian food...lol. The panacotto was awesome. read more

Came in last night again. Perhaps it was because it was late on a Sunday night and it was slow? Our service was definitely better. We ordered a steak with mushrooms and the lamb chops. Both dishes seriously impressed us. The fresh focaccia was delicious (again). Much better experience overall. So glad I came back. (I still think it's a bit pricey though lol) read more

We hope they open back up! Cruscos Has always had amazing food and a great dining experience every time. Miss them.

First time and it was wonderful. The Pollo alla Pomodoro was very tasty. The Chicken Special had a full breast. Very filling. The carrots had a delicious herb blend on them. The salmon was flaky and tender. Then dessert was delectable: Panna Cotta for me and Chocolate Mousse for one of my friends. And Mark was a great waiter. I'll be sure to teturn soon. read more

Today, my hubby and I had lunch at Crusco's Italian in Angels Camp. It was our first time there. The place is cozy and nice, with instrumental music playing. It is a family-owned restaurant. The waitress is the daughter of the owner. Lunch started with mixed greens salad with homemade dressing. Hubby had a pancetta burger, It was fresh and cooked decent. He asked for medium well. It was a little on the pinker side, but still cooked and flavourful. I ordered the Penne alla Siciliana. Penne pasta with grilled eggplant, capers, and red pepper flakes. A little spicier than I like, but the dish was flavourful and the pasta cooked well. Dessert was a kahlua mousse for hubby and an Italian cream pudding (can't recall the name) for me. Both desserts were delightful. Hubby finished with a cappuccino, which was smooth and yummy. Total bill was $57, including tip. Perhaps a little pricey for lunch, but the food was good, the atmosphere was nice, and the staff was friendly. it would be a nice evening date place. read more

See all

As I was traveling to San Andreas for a fundraising event at the Performing Animal Welfare Society (pawsweb.org), my group and I wanted to find out the best restaurants in the area. We stayed in Angels Camp, and through Yelp we saw that Crusco's got great reviews, in fact rated #1. We couldn't wait! We were greeted warmly by a gal who took us to our table. I liked the ambience of the restaurant. All seemed well. Our waiter came to our table in no time, and he also told us he was the owner. I asked him if he was Italian, he said no I'm Irish. Nothing wrong with that, but this was an Italian restaurant. I ordered the prawns appetizer, which another person in my party did, and the third person ordered a salad. The waiter/owner brought us what was advertised as homemade focaccia bread. It was stale, dry and had the appearance and consistency of wonder bread. The dipping balsamic combo of oil and vinegar tasted more like just vinegar. When the owner came back with our appetizers, I asked him for fresh focaccia as what he gave us was stale and dry, and he looked at me with "that look", and said, "This is fresh, I made it this morning." To which I said, "it must have been sitting out all day then." He grumbled and took away the stale focaccia and brought back "fresh, warm out of the oven focaccia." The appetizer's were OK, very subtle if any seasonings. I would have liked it more if it was warmer, even hot. My mother who ordered the salad said it was very good. When the owner came by to take away our appetizer plates, I asked the owner if he would please make my entrée hot, and again I got "the look", but he said he would make sure. The entrees arrived, looked good, and mine was hot. The other 2 in our party ordered the chicken and polenta, but my mother asked for garlic mashed potatoes instead of the polenta, which by the way I should also mention earned us "the look" from the owner when he wrote down our order. I took a bite of the prawns and spaghetti, and it was not just lacking in flavor and seasonings, it was downright awful. I wondered where the " white wine sauce was." I had a few more bites, ate the 4 shrimps on the top (for $20.00) and called it a night. My mother ate less than half, and said there was no flavor, no seasoning. Our third friend in our party stated the polenta looked and appeared more like grits. It was white and runny, not like real polenta which is solid and yellow. At this point, we realized there was no use in saying anything to the owner. We'd had enough of his looks and grumpy facial expressions, and we realized he wasn't going to get it, nor did we think he would even care. One of his staff came by and asked if we wanted to take home the leftovers ( none of us even ate half on the plate), and I told her no, it was terrible. The owner came by, gave us our check, and we left the money on the table. As we were leaving, we again saw the very nice gal who had warmly greeted and seated us, and I told her that this was the worst meal I had ever had, and that the owner was grumpy, defensive, and frankly arrogant. read more

Looking for a quaint Italian ristorante in Angels Camp. Crusco's is the only choice! Celeste is the Chef and owner, along with her husband. Dining with Celeste and her husband is like coming into their home, and being welcomed and seated at their table. I took my sister there last night, at her recommendation, it was amazing, we heard the specials, and once I heard Duck Confit, I was sold. It was fantastico! Succulent, delicious, served over Cannellini beans with with just the right mixture of greens, and a sweet hint to accent the dish! We had a wonderful Amarone wine to complement the whole dish. Bellissimo! read more

We took a Sunday drive and found this little town. Stopped here for lunch. My husband had the Crusco Pasta with soup and I had the Chicken Polenta special and salad. Both delicious. Friendly excellent service. Food came out hot! Glasses constantly filled. We are Italian and don't eat Italian out too often and we're pleasantly surprised. read more

Nice people. But the owner ought to be ashamed for charging high prices for absolutely mediocre fare. My pasta w/ Italian sausages tasted like Hamburger Helper - and it was $17! The calamari was not much better. Tasted like Calamari you'd get at a gas station. I realize there's not many options in the outback, so they're offering something better than Dominos. But charging haute cuisine prices is just mean. read more

Best food we ate in the area of Columbia... The chicken and salmon were cooked properly. Service was acceptable...Only complaint might be the need to go light on the salt. For 2 entrees and a cup of cappuccino, the tab was a bit under $25. read more

We were told this was the best authentic Italian food in the area, maybe it is but I was not impressed. Average small slice of lasagna for $18, and average Italian bread and I left there still hungry. Dinner for my wife and I came to $68 and we didn't even have a cocktail or wine. Seating in this place is so tight I practically had to use a shoe horn to get out of my seat. The staff was efficient and courteous however it took like 23 minutes to receive our order. I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

Walking into Cruzco's, it was very clear that they want to present the image of an upscale Italian restaurant. It was even more clear after looking at the prices on their menu. I was pretty amused that my friend and I independently decided on the same thing for dinner: pasta with crab meat (can't remember its name). It was $20. After placing my order, I walked towards the bathroom in the back of the restaurant to wash my hands. The bathroom was clean, but it did not look like it was attached to an upscale restaurant. In fact it looked rather ordinary, not the least bit ornate. It reminded me of a bathroom I would find at a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco's Chinatown . When I got back to my seat, there was a plate of bread at our table. The only positive thing I can say was that it was unlimited. I always expect outstanding bread at an Italian restaurant. It was just okay. Then my dinner arrived. I could barely taste what little crab meat there was mixed in with the pasta. It was more bits and pieces of crab rather than chunks of crab. But the portion size was good, and I was glad to see there was not a pool of oil at the bottom of the bowl. The dish was just okay, but I didn't feel it was worth $20. read more

Today the Queen, Princesses and I were in Angels Camp after spending time at Mercer Caverns doing the tour and mining for gem stones. We were shopping and realized that we were hungry about 2:45 pm (15 minutes prior to lunch closing for the restaurant). Gilbert (Gil) ushered us in and was very warm and welcoming. We had an ordeal getting seated (our issue not his) and then settled in to order. We had a light appetizer of Calamari, pretty well prepared, the sauce was standard for this dish, yet it was welcomed. The princesses ordered Fettuccine Alfredo and waited patiently, the Queen had one of the specials of the day and raved about it, I had the Gorgonzola Burger and it was great. The Cesar Salad prior to the entree was standard fare, but the croutons were to die for. Gil was a gracious host, his daughter was a great server and the wife was wonderful in the kitchen. When leaving we all vowed we would return, as it was very much the surprise dining experience of the day! read more

We had a ceaser salad to startoff and there was barely and dressing on it. Ordered a lasagna and it seemed like they were running a little low on meat and sauce because all I tasted and saw was pasta and cheese. We also ordered a spaggetti which was pretty bland ( even pregos taste better ) . The third dish was tortellini with some white sauce which also seemed watered down and bland. The service was lacking and the waiter was only there to take our order. Getting the check took forever and nobody came to take our credit card. The restaurant wasn't even busy at the time, about 4 tables. read more

See all

Came to Angels Camp for a weekend getaway. Saw the review of fellow yelpers, so, thought that we give it a try. Loved it! We had the bruchetta and the calamari for appetizer. The bruchetta was not your typical bruchetta with basil and tomatoes This one is purely cheese with slices of fruit on top. Alittle salty, but pretty good. Calamari was really good. Not too chewy, but flavorful. We had 5 adults and so ordered a number of different entree. Florentine was realllllly good! Crusco has really good home-made sausages. Aglio Olio was ok. Tortellini was ok. We also had dessert. Orange and mango cheese cake, which has little pieces of mango. Not as heavy or sweet. Really aromatic. Chocolate truffle torte. Was alittle sweet, but perfect with the fresh strawberries. Will definitely visit again, if we're around the area. read more

Nice people and ambiance...just don't try the soup. I ordered the Cioppino,it was served on an under cooked bed of rice. The sea food stew incuded, breaded calamari obviously thrown in as a frozen sea food after thought. The crab was not cracked, and included a portion of the crab body...not very appealing or eatible. Loved the wine... Lorraine Merlot. read more

WORST RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE I have had in my life. I went to eat with my special needs' brother during vacation, upon arriving we asked if we could bring food in because his diet is very limited. The host was sympathetic and said yes. In the middle of our dinner, the owner of the restaurant told us that it is against their policy to allow food in, the host was wrong to do so, and it will not be allowed next time. She had no understanding for our situation and made us very uncomfortable because we already ordered, interrupting our dinner to prove a point. We were forced to eat in and pay this restaurant that we were not welcomed to, and when we tried to have a respectful conversation about why we had my SPECIAL NEEDS' brother bring in food and how we felt it could have been handled in a much more civil manner, she had no remorse and acted as if we were imposing on her. My family has never felt so disrespected, and I cannot express the frustration and defeat I felt due to the attitude and actions of the owner. I cannot leave a worse review. I would rather recommend McDonald's. read more

The food is not that great (better to go a couple miles to Murphys) and the people are some of the rudest I have ever encountered. I was walking by one day and wanted to eat, the door was unlocked so I started to walk in (not realizing that they were having some kind of staff meeting) and the man (I'm pretty sure he was the owner) physically pushed me back out the door saying over and over "we're closed"!!! I had eaten there before and the food was ok, but I would never eat somewhere that would treat people like that! If you want Italian food go to Angelo's in Murphys (fresh pasta, great people). read more

We made reservations for 5:30 p.m. on a beautiful Saturday evening. It was a good thing too, because this place is packed by 6:30 p.m. on the weekend. Diego was our server and he was so refreshingly nice. He has the best smile! For apps we started with the Bruschetta which was absolutely divine. The Gorgonzola cheese was so creamy and delicious. I love the fresh focaccia bread with oil and balsamic for dipping. Bread is my weakness. I decided to go with one of the specials. Spaghetti with clams in a wine wine sauce with red pepper flakes. I was in heaven. This dish was so amazing. The clams were tender and fresh. The sauce was perfectly light and lemony. For my beverage I chose the Pinot Grigio - Fontana Candida, Italy. So smooth and refreshing. I'm so in love with this wine that I'm going to BevMo to see if they carry it. The ambiance is classy with rich burgundy and plum tones. The staff is so warm and friendly that they make you feel like you're at home. I believe it's safe to say that this is by far the best restaurant in Angels. read more

Food was amazing. My daughter and I ordered a prawns appetizer and then the Cuzco and a Mediterranean pasta. We highly recommend those dishes. Although, the service was a lacking. After being seated, we had to wait almost 10 minutes to get water and even the menus. After that, we had to wait again for awhile to order our food and drinks. And again, we had to play the waiting game for our food to arrive. Our servers hardly came over to check on us and we had to ask for refills before getting any. We got there at 7:30, and left at 8:30. It took us less than 20 minutes to actually eat our food so the rest was all waiting. Also, at one point the chef came out to ask every table how the food was. However, she decided to skip us. We don't know why we were treated like this but we got the impression that we were not wanted there. read more

I went here towards the end of March with my family. We had been hiking all day and were in need of a great Italian meal. Enter: Cruscos. It was warm and had an intimate feeling. The entire time, the service was incredible. We got to meet the owners, both husband and wife. They made us feel extremely valued and gave lots of suggestions for things to do in the area, as we were just vacationing in Angel's Camp. Out of the 4 of us, all of our plates were licked clean! Sign of a good meal. Highly recommend to anyone in need of a good meal after a long day! read more

Yummy, this was a very special lunch. I ordered the Crusco's. Made by the owner of the restaurant, a lovely Italian mother...oh the flavors were superb. Husband ordered a cranberry/turkey sandwich, delish.... Gave her lots of compliments! The ambiance was old world Italian... read more