Guarduno's is THE BEST Italian restaurant in all of Orange County! Every menu item is made with Italian love and you'll keep coming back for years like we have! tanto amore read more

Just nothing to it The owner is very nice but the food is far to be desired We tried a couple of pasta dishes and salad and they were mediocre read more

Cute, cozy spot with great service! I had their Arrabbiata with homemade rigatoni, garlic bread and a side salad. Everything was delicious! For dessert, pumpkin cheesecake to go! I am definitely glad I opted to try the cheesecake, it was amazing! Looking forward to trying other items on the menu. read more

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Their food is always amazing. I love their service and they're so nice and their ambience is ecstatic.

Based on how many positive reviews this place has, I can only come to the conclusion that the people serving our food and the cooks preparing our meals INTENTIONALLY made our dishes with anger and hate in their hearts like their boss just gave them the butt-chewing of their lives and they want to ruin the restaurant's reputation. Server, an older lady, seemed like she was having a really rough night. Disengaged, serving soup instead of ordered salad, seemed personally offended that I sent food back, basically wrote us off. Had to flag another staff member for our check. Not quite certain how they managed to so royally mess up a simple plate of sauteed vegetables, but they did. Took one bite and sent it back. Server didn't even care enough to ask if anything was wrong with it. But literally EVERYTHING was wrong with it. The vegetable medley was not sauteed. It briefly touched a lukewarm surface for about 30 seconds, vegetables were still raw, as were the crushed/diced garlic and herbs. vegetables were drowning in a tepid pool of oil and water. I've had better plates of vegetables by microwaving one of those $1.50 steamer bags In the frozen food section and hitting it with a bit of salt and pepper. My wife's Pollo Limone was a virtual crime against humanity. The pasta with marinara as a side to her lemon chicken had the flavor profile of canned crushed tomatoes and NOTHING ELSE. The lemon mushroom caper cream sauce was bitter and sour as if it was spoiled. She left 75% of her plate uneaten. Not a single person cared to ask why so much food was not only uneaten, but emphatically declined when a to-go container was offered. The only way this meal might possibly be worse is if we wake up a few hours from now and spend the middle of the night within arm's reach of the toilet. An utter and complete failure on every level by them. read more

So my family came down for my son's graduation from college. Came across Garduno's. This is a little very homey place. Julie, our server, was amazing. We told her we had not been there before so she was so kind to explain everything. She told us specials and made some suggestions. Now onto the food. I started with a salad and the rest of the family had minestrone soup. I had pollo lemone with pasta covered in the same sauce. My stepson had the same. My mom had lobster ravioli. Mine was absolutely delicious. At the end, we decided to have a piece of pineapple cake. Please stop by if you are ever in town. You will not regret it. Amazing food, great ambiance and the best staff out there! read more

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We have been going to Gardunos for decades & the food never disappoints. My favorite is Chicken Marsala & the Chicken Lasagna is out of this world! I highly recommend this restaurant and the owners are wonderful. read more

I came here yesterday with a couple of friends for lunch. I chose this place because of its proximity to Sidecar Doughnuts. Our plan was to indulge in doughnuts and coffee after lunch. We were pleasantly greeted inside by Mark the owner. After a little small talk about the LA Dodgers which was inspired by my friend Mike's La Dodger t shirt. Mark lead us to a table and gave us a little history about his restaurant and went over the menu. His lovely wife came over to greet us and take our drink order first then returned to proceed taking our orders. My friend Mike ordered the Rosa sauce with Fusilli pasta and chicken. While Bang ordered the Rosa sauce with Fusilli pasta and sausage. I ordered the veal with the lemon, butter and caper sauce. Along with a side order of garlic bread. I enjoyed my entree and tried theirs. Overall I enjoyed all the food. They were a little nick picky about their pasta even though they said it was good it wasn't as good as another italian place Nick's in Costa Mesa which closed down. Mark surprised us in the end by providing a free slice of their pineapple cake. Boy was it was delicious. It had pineapple, coconut, orange, and tasted similar to pineapple upsidedown cake. This was the highlight of the meal. The restaurant is medium size with some ambiance. There is some outside seating. Overall the food and service was excellent and i would return and recommend. We didn't end up going to Sidecar Doughnuts because we were completely satisfied at lunch. read more

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Delicious authentic Italian food. Service is friendly & fast. Don't forget their desserts too!

After coming here nearly 30 years, I am surprised I have not reviewed it yet. Menu doesn't change much but why should it!? It has always been solid and consistent it terms of taste and that is primarily why you go out to eat, right? I have always appreciated the simple process of being able to pick your pasta and then pasta sauce. Garduno's has a family vibe, because it is a family business! Mark and Julie are the sweetest people and my hat goes off to them for staying with it this long. There are cream or cheese in the sauces but vegetarian options are possible. If you are vegan I suggest the pomodoro. Garduno's is a place my adult children now consider one of their solid performers if they want to never be disappointed. read more

Amazeballs! This restaurant has moxie! Order your food custom in your own dish or they will prepare it in a pan for you. Garduno's gets it right. Fresh ingredients from start to finish! Take a ride on the Italian express ment for take out or entertaining at home. The occasional sandwich is great, but options are amazing! Can't miss with Garduno's! read more

Inside, it gives that cute little classic Italian family own restaurant. They have good and friendly service . The food was also delicious read more

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Thanks Mark and Julie Garduno! For over 30 years you have made many of our family celebrations extra special. Mom's 87th was no exception! This time we chose to pick up our party meal: salad,(with the best dressing on the planet), yummy garlic bread, meat lasagna and your out of this world pineapple orange cake. Everything was just so perfect, from ease of ordering, to well packaged and friendly pick up. Mom said it was the best lasagna she has ever had....and her grandmother was born and raised in Sicily! We love you guys, and we love eating inside your darling restaurant,(mmmmm carbonara), but your catering is also amazing!! You are definitely an asset to our community and we so appreciate you! (Wish I would have taken more pics of the fabulous meal!) read more

Simply Beautiful and Delicious. Thank you Julie the owner here and chef for making such a Fantastic lunch today. I really had a great time learning about the history of Garduno's Italian restaurant open since 1988. With so much love and care in every flavorful bite you can taste the freshness and perfectly seasoned pasta sauce. I chose the Frutti de Mare to highlight the Delicious salmon and seafood in every bite. The eggplant sandwich was equally as good today. Finally the pineapple cake was astounding. Great cappuccino to go with the cake. Enjoy the beautiful sunshine of life today. We will definitely come back for more amazing Italian favorites on the weekend. Have a wonderful day. read more

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I have wanted to try Garduno's for years! I have driven by this spot so many times and I decided it was finally time. We were seated right away. Unfortunately we were stuck with the table right next to the door and it was a lil cold. We were greeted promptly by our server. He was warm and welcoming. He told us their specials which all sounded delish. We both decided to pick a pasta off the regular menu. What I like is that you can pick any noodle and you can add additional chicken/shrimp if you want. I got the alfredo and was in love. I usually get a bolognese, but I wanted a white sauce. The bf got a bolognese and he loved it. Had mushrooms which he liked. My alfredo had tons of chicken which was great. Both of our pasta dishes came with either a salad or a soup. It's just a simple salad but so bomb!!!! The dressing was great. I only remove a star because the table was really close to the table behind us so it was a tight squeeze and also we were right next to the door so it was cold. The food also takes quite a bit to come out, and they didn't seem to be so busy. I heard one of their employees complain it was super busy. It really wasn't. Lol. Parking is ample. I would come back again. read more

Garduno's Ristorante - Alfredo Pasta - Italian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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La cucina della Nonna e del Nonno? Delicious and we will be back for more home cooking from scratch! Ciao! read more

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This wonderful family owned restaurant just keeps bringing me back. We have been going here for 25 years and tonight reminded me why. Thanks for being here to serve us your terrific authentic recipes! read more

I got a $50 gift certificate from a friend and used it last week! I have NEVER been so disappointed! I ordered 2 entrees and an appetizer. Fussilli with Alfredo sauce and I added Chicken and Shrimp to it! $3.50 more for a couple of pieces of Chicken and $9.50 for 4 Shrimp and the Shrimp still had the tails on! REALLY???? The Alfredo sauce had no flavor at all, didn't taste ANY Parmesan in it! It was HORRIBLE! And for the price, $20.95, $3.50 plus $9.50 for the added meat. $33.00 for a AWEFUL meal! The Lasagna was ok, however , I have had MUCH better! The Calamari was soggy and had no flavor, either! Our overall meal was $80.00, RIDICULOUS! Had we eaten it there, I would have sent it ALL BACK, but I picked it up! I will NEVER recommend this place to anyone! The free side salad was the best part of the dinner! Oh, and small portions also!!!!!!! Save your money! read more

Garduno's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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My wife and I have been coming here for several years now and we have never had a meal that we didn't completely enjoy. The food is wonderful, especially the lobster ravioli, and the service (thanks Julie!) has always been nothing but great. Love the quaint homey decor inside, and if you have a dog, you can eat out on the small patio with your dog. We travel up from San Diego frequently and we make it a point to stop here for either lunch or dinner. Just wished we had found Garduno's a long time ago. read more

We got a couple catering orders for their delicious Eggplant Parmesan and Veggie Lasagna. Both were outstanding! Everything was ready when we came to pick up, in fact we were talking to the owners and decided to stay for a glass of wine while we chatted. Lovely ambiance, great small town atmosphere. Highly recommend for a meal and their catering menu! read more

I got the Vongole( in angel hair pasta)to go! It was delish. The server was super sweet & friendly. I will be back soon :) read more

Garduno's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Well, second time around was just as delicious as our first experience! Hats off to the chef, to the family that runs the restaurant and to the staff! We tried new dishes, the chicken mushroom lasagna and spaghetti with meatballs in the Rosa sauce. Both came with a choice of soup or salad with an incredible homemade dressing. We also ordered the garlic bread and a slice of pineapple cake which completed our meal. We really had too much food but it warmed up the following day for another great meal. The pasta is incredible! The sauces are flavorful and plentiful. I enjoyed sopping up the sauce with the bread that was added for each meal. Also, if you order take out for a large group, you can bring in your own dishes and they will make meals in your own baking dishes.so cool! If you don't feel like cooking, grab some take out from Garduno's!!! read more

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This restaurant has been in our community for so long, it is where we went for all special occasions in our family from when I was 10 yrs old up until my 30's. We moved a few miles away so have not been in a while. Finally went for dinner on Sunday and we couldn't believe we let so much time pass. The food was just as amazing as it always has been. It's so important to support restaurants like these that have stood the test of time and have been a huge part of the community for so long. Everything has changed so much on little old 17th street it's so nice to see this restaurant still booming. read more

Garduno's Ristorante - We got the special lobster ravioli, linguine with clam sauce, and angel hair with basil and tomato. - Italian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Food is always freshly made. Pasta is homemade and melts in your mouth. Can mix any pasta with any sauce on the menu. Family owned.

If I told you what kind of Saturday afternoon my husband and I were having, you wouldn't see us ever walking into this place, let alone "researching" good Italian food in this area of Newport Beach/Costa Mesa. The ONLY reason why we stopped here was because our car was having a tire issue, and we desperately needed it to be looked at by a mechanic nearby. (It was SO loud inside the car; it was making a VERY NOISY WHOOSHING sound.) Anyway, I digress. GARDUNO'S RISTORANTE IS, by far, THE BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT along Newport Beach Blvd. Period. Let me give you a rundown of what we had to eat: ~ Mozzarella cheese wedges with a creamy tomato sauce on the side ~ Cheese tortellini in alfredo sauce ~ Lobster ravioli w/o shrimp in a pink sauce (one of the specials that day) ~ Tiramisu ~ Cannoli Our meals came with homemade [Italian] bread and house salad with a creamy garlic dressing which was SO GOOD that I wanted to lick the plate. I could go on and on about the meals, and how the wait staff was so friendly and accommodating, but I won't. You HAVE to visit this establishment because it's mom-and-pop owned, and they've apparently been in the area FOR MANY YEARS. By me telling you this, you should be heading down to Garduno's RIGHT NOW. "Capisce?" read more

I find this restaurant to be a hidden treasure in Costa Mesa. The owner of very friendly and the food is amazing. There house made salad dressing is to die for. I've never had anything like it. The food and deserts are on pointe and don't forget meatball Mondays. Always happy here read more

I am always on the lookout for small family owned restaurants. Iso wanted this restaurant to be very good. Unfortunately, the food fell short. The Princess and I started with fried calamari. Perfectly breaded and fried. Decent size order. The "gravy" fell short. The tomato sauce lacked spice, which is typically expected for the dipping sauce. Strong tomato flavor, but no spices. I surprised by the overwhelming tomato flavor that was not balanced by heat or oregano or basil or garlic. Our entrees came with soup or salad. We opted for one of each. The house salad was fresh and crisp. The dressing was surprisingly well spiced, after the under spiced tomato sauce with the Calamari. My soup was homemade and very good. See me happily eating. Note my left hand covering the tomato sauce that dripped on my shirt from our course. My wife had Angel Hair with clam sauce. Whole clams and chopped clams. Somehow, we were disappointed. I had Lasagna with meat sauce and a side of spaghetti and marinara. Again, the sauce was too was under spiced and overwhelmed by way too much tomato. The accompanying Italian Bread was not warmed and the butter was too cold to allow spreading without destroying the slices. Hence, my 3 Stars. Our waitress was very nice. She happily served our "Check-in" free Cannoli. Homemade and very good. Old style small Italian Restaurant Ambiance. Semi open kitchen. The chef looked like he was also the owner.. read more

Garduno's Ristorante - Joe out with the Princess enjoying Lentil Soup. - Italian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Went in for lunch at Gardunos. The meatball sandwich was great!! The service was good and the food came out fairly quick. The food was hot and great taste. The seating is inside or out. Easy parking and all at a great price for what you get. I recommend this Italian restaurant to everybody looking for some great Italian food. read more

Garduno's Ristorante - Meatball sandwich. Excellent!!! - Italian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

BEST CANNOLI I'VE EVER HAD. Also 5 stars for the lobster ravioli with the biggest shrimps I've ever had, 5 stars for the Marie Antoinette pasta, and 5 stars for the pumpkin cheesecake topped with 5-star whipped cream. read more

This is an amazing restaurant the home made dressing is super super delicious..just go here for the food

I love the Rosa Sauce ! The pasta is made fresh. Another great dish is the Cioppino, it's wonderful. With great flavors in the broth and lots of seafood. Last visit we got 2 servings because Hubby won't share. Family owned so great service. read more

I've been enjoying this little gem of a place for 24 years. I moved from Newport Heights to Huntington after discovering Garduno's and don't get there often, but it nevers disappoints. Delicious flavorings in their sauces/sausage and freshly made pasta. I make my own pasta and Tiramisu, but their's is outstanding. The Orange Mandarin cake, their own creation, is superb. Quaint and cozy feels so Italian! read more

Lived in the area for a couple of years and went in tonight for dinner. Sadly, very disappointed! I ordered the Alfredo pasta with chicken. The sauce tastes like straight butter with no cheese but thick at the same time. Served to us lukewarm with a salad from a bag. Service was good though and no wait.....the inside decor is cute and ambiance is very quiet. read more

GREAT Italian restaurant!! The owners are totally hands on and so sweet! Their lasagna is the best! Quaint interior. Homemade tiramisu too!!

This place is a small hidden gem in the city of Costa Mesa...Amazing food and wine! It's a must to come and eat and visit when you're in Orange County. read more

This is truly a great micro restaurant. The staff is incredibly friendly and the chefs make some AMAZING food. This is not a chi chi place. The restaurant looks "dated" but it's just part of the charm. It reminds me of an Italian grandmother who opened a restaurant that just makes great tasting food. The bread served with the meal is fresh and I could have had that as just my dinner and I would have been fine. The lentil soup was good. It had nice chunks of veggies in it which I thoroughly enjoyed. We split the mozzarella fritta and boy was that delicious! The cheese was crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. The sauce that came with it was sooooo good we had to use the bread to soak it up and eat it. For an entree, I went with fusilli with porcini sauce. It was excellent. I wish I had had room to order dessert! . read more

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Family of 4 waited 20 minutes for a table. After being seated for another 10 minutes where servers walked past us multiple times without stopping or any acknowledgement we decided to leave. We have been to this restaurant before and the food was good. This time poor service. read more

Solid spot. Cheese ravioli was great, red sauce was flavorful, rich and had hints of wine. Only downside I wish there was more ravioli in the serving. Gnocchi with alfredo was great. Dressing for the salad was great, so flavorful. Good bread. Ask for oil and vinegar with it. Would return. read more

The service was good but the food not so. The portions are big so I guess you can say it's worth the money but the lack of flavor would make it not worth the price. The salmon special was too watery, the gonocci, according to my sister, said tasted store bought. The lasagna had two flavors, sour on one side and salty on the other. When you cut into it under the sauce and cheese there are a ton of whole small tomatoes and burnt pieces. Maybe the chef wasn't having a good day that's why it our food wasn't that good but if he was in a good mood I'm sure it would have been better. read more

Garduno's Ristorante - Meat lasagna - Italian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

This place cannot handle a holiday or a busy time. Everyone is old and unavailable for incoming business. If they don't have a heads up, no can do. It's a shame. Their motto is, if faced with an obstacle- we are closed!!!! read more