This classic Italian restaurant is definitely one of the better options if you're looking for good food on Catalina Island. We came here for a quick dinner before our ferry back and were seated right away. Here's what we got: Steamed Clams ($19) These clams were so tasty in the garlic butter sauce! The portion size was perfect for sharing and everyone loved them. Gnocchi Al Pesto ($22) The gnocchi was soft and pillowy and they were delicious in the creamy pesto sauce! Creamy Carbonara ($23) Solid carbonara with a good amount of bacon and parmesan slices on top. Spaghetti & Meatballs ($25) The spaghetti was good, but the meatballs tasted too herby and weren't as tender. Overall, this ended up being my favorite meal during my visit to Catalina Island. Our waiter was friendly and personable and the food came out fast. I would come back again. read more

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Jack's Trattoria was a little confusing to find because it operates as a casual, family-friendly diner for breakfast and lunch called Original Jack's Country Kitchen. So just a heads up, follow the signs for Original Jack's and you'll discover it transformed into an Italian restaurant for dinner after 5p. Jack's Trattoria had availability and we were warmly greeted when we arrived. There are booths for families, a counter for breakfast service during the day, and tables that can accommodate larger groups. The restaurant serves generous portions of food and I highly recommend splitting dishes if you can! We split the Gnocchi al Pesto ($23), which was plenty of food for the two of us with a side of Caesar salad ($17). The Caesar salad was a huge serving with toasted croutons, but the dressing had a strong lemon flavor that was not our favorite. My daughter ordered the Fettuccine Carbonara ($22) and barely made a dent in the HUGE plate of pasta. The Carbonara was rich and flavorful, but I'd again suggest either sharing the pasta or having kids order off of the kid's menu. Kid's Menu offerings include Spaghetti with Meatballs, Fettuccine al Fredo, or Buttered Noodles. Overall, this restaurant provides generous servings of solid Italian food with the "island markup" prices we come to accept in Catalina. Jack's Trattoria is a solid option if you're craving Italian cuisine, but just keep in mind this would likely be rated more like a 3.5 in comparison to other Italian restaurants back on the Main Land. read more

My group sat down this past Saturday for dinner. Atmosphere was absolutely excellent, service fantastic, and portions were pretty sizable. We definitely enjoyed our appetizers, our pastas were OK as well, we had a carbonara that the sauce was not the right texture exactly but still tasty. We also split a chicken picatta, which was pretty dang good, flatbread and bruschetta. All things considered. It was a great experience. read more

Arturo our server provided excellent customer service. The food was hot and tasty. Arturo took the time to explain the daily specials and offered us many different options. I would definitely come back and eat at Jacks again. Thank you for the great experience. read more

Jacks Trattoria - The pesto chicken and flatbread were amazing! - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

We are in Catalina Island for the dat today, never been here and we came to explore. Dinner time came and while there are many options on the island for food, we decided to try Jacks. We were greeted and seated immediately, our waiter Oscar had excellent recommendations and promptly helped us. The restaurant has that older family restaurant feel, pictures on the wall, and Frank Sinatra playing. We order Caprese for appetizers, cup of soup, salads. Linguine Scampi, Creamy Carbonara and raviolis. read more

5 star Catalina score, 3.76 Mainland score. Expectation management is key here, they knock it out of the park on some things and falter on others. Service is very great, pacing was a miss, and food was overall pretty good Lasagna: 9.8/10, better than most of the upscale restaurants I've been to! Bruschetta: 5/10 Minestrone soup: 5/10 read more

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This little diner offers traditional breakfast during the day and Italian food at night. The island was poppin in anticipation of a big New Years Eve party and we were lucky to get a table after a long day of travel and hotel drama. I had forgotten my glasses and the menu was not easy for me to digest so I discussed the vegetarian menu items with my server. I could see that there were 2 vegetarian dishes on the menu, pasta with sun dried tomato and gnocchi pesto and I was torn between them and I asked if there was any ravioli. I was in luck and they had a special with ravioli, sun dried tomato, asparagus in a creamy garlic tomato sause. This was a giant portion and in my opinion the best pricing in Avalon. Our waiter was great, however service was a bit slow due to a large crowd. I would recommend Jack's! read more

More amazing experiences! So happy Jacks Trattoria is here and thriving. The food is phenomenal and the service is consistently excellent. We love the ambiance of the ocean nearby and gentle Italian music playing in the background. Feels like Tuscany! read more

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The staff was friendly, attentive, and accommodating, which was the best part of our visit. Unfortunately, the food was disappointing. The pasta was overcooked and soggy instead of al dente, the Caesar salad was bland and lacked flavor, and the calamari had a dry, crumbly coating with a surprisingly small portion. The prices were also higher than many other restaurants in Avalon, making the meal feel like a poor value. Like most restaurants on Avalon, they did not offer tap water. They only serve bottled water for a fee. Great service, but the food didn't meet our expectations. read more

Oscar was our server tonight . He was amazing , knew the menu like the back of his hand . Was very understanding to all our questions . We will definitely come back the food was amazing great prices and just overall an amazing experience. If you are on Catalina and want to have a nice dinning experience, come here and see Oscar !! 10/10 read more

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The food and service was perfect. Great wine and beer selection. I will definitely come back.

Our taxi driver on the island recommended Jacks Trattoria to us! He told us that it's usually a breakfast spot but they turned into an Italian resto at night. I honestly wasn't expecting much when I got there. The waitress was super friendly but a bit forgetful (she forgot my soda, and she got our wine bottles mixed up) and frazzled, but I guess understandable since we were a larger group. We were all super hungry so we got the caesar salad to share and 2 baskets of garlic bread. The garlic bread was so tasty that we ended up getting another basket. I got the portofino linguine and honestly it was SO good and flavorful. The pasta was cooked al dente. I loved all of the ingredients in the pasta (sun dried tomatoes, asparagus, garlic). It was so garlicky (I love that). I was a big fan! The portion size was quite large too so I ended up taking half of it home. Also, it comes with 2 pieces of garlic bread. The food was so good... definitely would return when I'm back in Catalina! read more

Excellent food, Great Service If you are in Catalina Island, try Jacks T restaurant. read more

Would rate this a 4.5 but we'll bring it up to a 5. Found this place through Yelp. The inside is very nice and cozy with warm lighting and Italian instrumental music. The interior is clean and comfortable. The service was quite nice as well, as the server made sure our food was good and even answered some of our questions about the island. The food itself was actually really nice. The best thing was the steamed mussels that wasn't overly salty and had a nice sauce to it. The portofino linguine also had a really nice creamy sauce. The spicy penne however was not very good as it kinda tasted like store bought sauce with some chili flakes. The other disappointing thing was that they didn't have water but only bottled water for like $2.50..? The bread was heated up very nicely though. The filet mignon was also not bad. If you're looking for some decently priced and good tasting Italian food during your time on Catalina island, come here! read more

Jacks Trattoria - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

I've had Jacks Trattoria a few times and it is one of the best hidden gems here on the island. The pastas are great! Their mozzarella appetizer is a must!! The serving sizes are large along with very fair pricing which can be difficult to find on the island. Personal favorite is the ravioli. read more

The food is delicious. All 4 of us loved our entrees. It is far superior to the other Italian restaurant in town. The service is warm and friendly, helpful and doesn't rush you. The ambiance could be a little better, but when not the Trattoria the place is Jack's regular breakfast restaurant. Who needs ambiance when you have excellent food and service? read more

Had a great experience here. Relaxing vibe, great food and nice people. Would 100% recommend for a dinner on Catalina. read more

Food was great! Service was great! Ambiance was terrible. It was so bright in the restaurant, we almost walked out. The room was lit up like a diner. It had a weird vibe after dark. read more

The steam mussels are great,fresh and flavorful,and definitely use the bread to soak up the soup ,it's absolutely delicious ! If you are interested in their pastas,make sure you ask the server to make it Al dente right away,because my languine del mare came out too saggy. For fried calamari,the breading is too flaky,falling off from the calamari as soon as I touched it. For drinks,if you order mostly sea food or pizza,their Bellini is great to pair with,it's the right amount of peach taste yet strong enough. Overall the FoH service was excellent,very attentive and friendly.Its the kitchen team that needs improvement. read more

OMG!!! The clam appetizer and add spaghetti noodles is amazing! I can't handle big clams and these were nice and small and the broth was to die for dipping the garlic bread that comes with in the broth was so good and satisfying.!!!! This was a highlight of the trip for sure!!!!! You got a light garlic. I also asked for some cheese and they brought me a ramekin of big thick slices of Parmesan. It was so good!! read more

We know Jacks from breakfast - so amazing!!! Tonight we went there for dinner (Jacks Trattoria) and were amazed that it wasn't crowded. We started with the fried mozzarella as an appetizer. DELICIOUS! Not your average fried mozzarella at all. I chose an appetizer as my main meal - steamed clams.class. Brian ordered his favorite - chicken parm. read more

Jacks Trattoria - Clam steamers w/ garlic bread, chicken parm w/ veg & mashers - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

Yes, it's a retro dinner by day and yes, the service and food was amazing. We had the lasagna, and a spicy pasta dish and the flavors were perfect. We will definitely be back. read more

Jacks Trattoria - Lasagna and spicy pasta. - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

Excellent service and food. The swordfish piccata was delicious. Great addition to the island. We will be back!

The mismatched signage and decor is totally not representative of how amazing the food is. It shows as a traditional American diner but the Italian dinner via Jack's Trattoria is amazing. Highly recommended. read more

Jacks is a hidden gem! We got the calamari, lasagna & chicken parm and everything was fantastic. The vibe is super welcoming and our server Oscar took great care of us. It's rare to find food & service this good on Catalina and especially being on the affordable side. We're definitely coming back every time we're here! read more

Jacks Trattoria - Lasagna and chicken parm - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

Food and service were amazing. I Highly recommend steamed clams ANY of their pasta dishes ....and of course you have to save room for their tiramisù . We will be back . read more

I wasnt expecting much since it's known as a breakfast place but it was awesome! Even my picky kids loved the spaghetti and meatballs. Service was great, food was delicious. read more

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Lasagna was amazing, service was top notch. Don't let the cafe look scare you away, this is very good Italian food! Go enjoy it!

This is a total scam "restaurant". If it can be called a restaurant. I don't even understand who in their sane minds would give this hellhole more than 2 stars. They take advantage that people normally visit Avalon, CA once or twice in their lives to serve the worse quality food at the most expensive price possible. Food from this scam business will take 30 minutes out of your lifespan, I recommend to stay away from it. read more

Highly recommend Spaghetti and Meatballs. Recommended to me by an older gentleman and didn't disappoint. Don't forget to pair with glass of Chanti. read more

Traditional Italian. Still in a diner, but it was well done with great service from Natalia.

I would highly recommend the mozzarella marinara for an appetizer. so good!! the wine is good and the chicken pasta is good. will definitely come again read more

Dinner was delicious, Esmeralda was a delight. She made really great recommendations. 10/10 will be coming back.

The food, service, and unique ambience were very nice. First time on the island and would definitely recommend. Esmeralda was fabulous.

The lasagna was excellent! My husband had a chicken tequila dish that was exceptional! Highly recommend.

The food is tasty and the service is great! I changed the order of my wine choice when the first choice was already poured, and they accommodated my second choice without extra charges. The atmosphere is great with classic Italian music in the background. I recommend this restaurant. read more

Amazing food as well as service! We walked in because we wanted a nice dinner and it was delicious pasta very good portions, very affordable prices I think it's a gem on Catalina island!! read more

The food was amazing! The service was also amazing. All of the servers were really nice, they even gave me extra garlic bread because my mom's meal was kinda salty. The interior is pretty nice and clean. Overall, this place was amazing read more

The best dinner on the island - period. Avalon is not a great eating town, but there are some serviceable places to get full. By day, Jacks is a pretty good diner and has been for many years. But they've recently opened at night with an Italian menu that includes some absolutely outstanding items. Their salmon: perfect. The lasagna: exceptionally good. The clams: ditto. Even the garlic bread was excellent - not oily but rather crisp and flavorful. We live here and have eaten everywhere: this is the best food going this summer. read more

Best restaurant meal we have had in Avalon in quite some time. My husband had the lasagna and said it was the best he has ever had. The sauce was amazing. I had the salmon and it was cooked perfectly. It came with broccoli and mashed potatoes although I was told I could get rice or pasta if I preferred. The lemon sauce on the salmon was the perfect amount. It did not overpower the fresh taste of the salmon and there was enough to dip my broccoli in for added flavor. We had the garlic bread. I could live off that bread. It seemed like it was freshly baked. It was not too oily and the garlic flavor was delicious. We ended the night with a fabulous dessert. Our waitress, Natalia, was friendly and attentive. Our only problem is the food was so good we could not stop eating it and now we are beyond full. I highly recommend Jacks Trattoria. Prices are inline with other island restaurants but the food is better, it is less crowded, and, Jacks is locally family owned as opposed to company owned. read more