Excellent service, food and drinks!! I have been here on so many different occasions and over approximately 20 years and this establishment does not let you down. The food is astounding and true to Italian standards. If you aren't as hungry bka greedy as me, you'll definitely be taking some food back home because the servings are well proportioned. Seasoned through and through and fresh Fresh. When you're hungry for Italian don't do yourself a disservice, just order from LaStrada periodt read more

Absolutely the best restaurant in west Contra Costa County. Service is always spot on! Thank you.

We came her for a birthday/baptism celebration and had the back room and bar area to our party. Loved the setup and the servers were great and timely. We were able to choose from a menu of steak, salmon or roasted chicken that came with bread service and Caesar salad. Everything was great. I enjoyed the steak cooked perfect and was able to sample the salmon and that was delicious too. All in all my family and I enjoyed our dining experience here. read more

I can't say enough good things about this place. We started going here about a year ago. They were having an anniversary special, I had wanted to try them out for a while, and so we went. It was the beginning of a foodie love affair. ;-) We eat here on a regular basis and none of us has ever not liked our order. We've tried everything from the simplest spaghetti and meatballs to their cooked-to-order ribeye, and it's all delicious. It looks good too. Sometimes Italian food doesn't photograph well, but at La Strada the plating is as good as the taste. They also have some super yummy cocktails on the menu and they don't seem to mind substitution requests for picky eaters. Speaking of which, they also have a decent kids' menu, and our kid loves going there. read more

I am not one who will eat Italian at any restaurant for two reasons. 89% of the time I feel that pasta is over priced and that I can recreate the dish at home for 2/3's of the value. Secondly, the carbs aren't worth eating if the pasta tastes like a boxed meal. I have to hand it to a restaurant who can handle either catering or a huge party and still produce quality service and food. My church planned an appreciation ceremony for our pastor & tied it in with his birthday too. We were in pretty deep; about thirty or less of us in the back room. Where we were seated was perfect for his surprise. The restaurant dropped the curtain to conceal us on one side as they showed him to his seat. Was he surprised? Absolutely. As soon as he was seated and made his rounds to say his hello's the servers brought out the appetizers and bread. The servers were extremely attentive and ready to clear up empty plates as the salads were next in line. Again, soon as the salads were finished, plates were cleared and our main course was brought out. There was not one moment the servers were not at our side though the restaurant was packed. One flaw was the cook gave us polenta versus the mashed potatoes that was on our party menu. But they quickly fixed that and brought out bowls of mash. The food was tasty, service perfect, and the memory from everything that tied in together was priceless. read more

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* I did take out I didn't eat inside * The food was great, I got a chicken alfredo and my hubby got the pizza. The pizza looked so bomb and that's coming from someone who doesn't even like eating pizza. Definitely will have to come and sit down to eat here next time to see what the ambiance is like but in terms of ordering delivery, the food came pretty fast and was still warm. I didn't expect to get bread and butter so that was a nice surprise! Def a must try! read more

Huge space for a large gathering. The staff is pretty awesome. Took my mom for her birthday & she loved the food, the service & the total vibe. Very authentic & reasonably priced. read more

Alan and I had come here pretty regularly until the pandemic. Today Lori, Terry and I met here for lunch. It was Lori's choice. They were already seated when I arrived. There was a verbal menu of specials as well as the regular menu and specials. I had been thinking about a Caesar salad until I saw the sampler on the antipasto menu, which had calamari fritti, bruschetta and caprese salad. It's the kind of thing I love for lunch, lots of different tastes. I ordered hot tea, which came in a propper teapot, w/ milk and sweetener as requested, a definite improvement over my last couple of tea experiences in restaurants. Lori and Terry will tell you what they ordered in their reviews. We were brought a basket of bread and seasoned olive oil to start. My plate was delivered first and after waiting I started, w/ their encouragement. The calamari was crisp yet tender, accompanied by a ramekin of tartar sauce , one of marinara and wedge of lemon. There were two pieces of bruschetta which were topped w/ a flavorful mix of chopped tomato and seasonings. The tomatoes in the caprese were disappointingly flavorless, the kind of tomatoes bred for shelf life rather than flavor. In addition to the named items there were a couple of hearts of palm, slices of pickles, some lettuce and a couple of pepperoncini. In all it was delicious and I would order it again. The women at the adjacent table asked about it as they were leaving and agreed they would order it next time. Both Lori and Terry were pleased w/ their meals. Our server was friendly and very patient. She offered us the dessert menu but none of us had room for dessert. We lingered at the table and never felt rushed to leave. read more

Food is great, bread is the best! Came for my Grandmas birthday, great service, I am going to make sure I tell everyone about this gem of a place! Also the prices are very reasonable and it is very home family style! 10/10! read more

Best polenta ever!! My family loves eating here. Delicious clam chowder and the chef is very accommodating to dietary needs! They went over the top to blend my moms chowder so she could eat it (can't chew) read more

Back in the day, when I lived in San Francisco, I used to hang out with a lot of the old Italian restaurateurs and chefs. Those guys are all gone now, but their grand style lives on. It's been around for quite a while and just keeps getting better. If you want to feel like you invented a time machine and went back to those days, try a visit to La Strada. You don't even have to pay for bridge tollx and parking! read more

Kudos to this Italian restaurant located in the midst of San Pablo Ave! Never would have thought that such a cute, family-styled Italian restaurant resides here in San Pablo. Our server was really nice & had a great sense of humor. The restaurant itself is pretty large. There are about 3 different dining areas, separated by a few step of stairs. There is also a bar area in the middle of the restaurant, which is a bit odd.. if you're looking to grab some bar bites & a cocktail/ wine, you'd have to walk through an entire seating area to get to the bar. We got a bottle of an affordable cab (23$), a sampler plate, shared a cioppino, and a rib eye. Sampler plate was OK, calamari rings just looked to perfect and rubbery, i didn't give it a try. It also came with a few slices of artichokes, they were delicious - doubt they're fresh since It came out in an off white color & was just too easy to eat for it to be a fresh artichoke. But otherwise, still delicious. BUTTT, the cioppino was DEEEEEE VINE. I was super shocked to find a SF created dish in San Pablo! The cioppino came out hot, flavorful and full of seafood surprises-large scallops, large shrimps, a few salmon & cod pieces, some crab, lots of mussels& clams, and chewy calamari pieces. A large garlic bread slice to soak up the juices too. The rib eye, was unremarkable. It tasted like something I could have made at home from a piece of meat I got from Luckys. Mashed potatoes were good & the creamed but not creamy spinach was also good. Would def come back if I'm in the mood for cioppino & don't want to drive down to North Beach to get a bowl. ZERO corkage fee too, by the way. You're welcome. read more

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Went here for first time. No wait, good service, refilled water often, atmosphere was pleasant... but food was underwhelming. Bruschetta was off. The bread was not toasted well, the topping tasted like canned tomatoes, just plain. My eggplant dish was OK, but the sauce was basic and nothing special. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't good either. My girlfriends penne was undercooked and many were stuck together. A large amount of garlic was used, but not roasted, toasted, fried, or anything first, so it just didn't bring out the flavor. She usually is good at picking out amazing dishes, but when she gave me a bite of hers, I didn't want anymore. In the end, we didn't finish our appetizer nor her main coarse and we didn't even want a box to take it home. Service was good, but better food can be found for sure. read more

It's amazing food, service, and ambience. I have been going to La Strada for many years and it is never let me down.

Always enjoy the family ambience of well established Italian restaurant. Everyone knows each other and warmly greeted. It's hard to not over order, so enjoy and take some home. The warm focaccia bread is just SO good. read more

Had lunch with friends and all six different dishes we ordered were very good. Dessert (three to share) was also really tasty. Limoncello gelato was a big hit! read more

First, (if at all) the hostess just asks if you are vaccinated - no request to show proof. Was escorted across empty restaurant to a specific table - table next to us marked reserved. Half way through our meal a couple seated at reserved table. Too close - if this was "their" table (appeared they were regulars) why were we seated so close? The bartender came out to ask how their drinks were. He had mask underneath his chin the whole time he spoke to them. He spoke about how the restaurant almost "didn't make it" and he didn't work for months. Bartender isn't fully vaccinated, was a "denier." Tried to finish our meal as fast as we could. Just starting to feel comfortable enough to eat out. Trying to support a local business. Find it ironic as patrons we are required to be fully vaccinated yet the people who prepare our food and drink are not. read more

Everything was so Delicious I'm so happy i came here great service ambiance was so nice Happy Holidays read more

One of my favorite Italian restaurants in the whole Bay Area. I host many events here the service is wonderful the atmosphere and ambience is everything the food is always on point. If you have never gone here it's a must read more

Short and sweet food was good. I had the crab sandwich and it was pretty tasty. First time. Would I go again and try other dishes yes I would. read more

We stopped here Saturday 10/9/21 on a late evening after returning from a drive up the coast it was either barbecue or Italian.... glad we chose here, we got impeccable service even with the restaurant closing in an hour! Our service was on point from the time we entered and the hostess seated us until we left the building with happy, satisfied tummies!!! My eggplant Parmigiana was amazing and my family enjoyed their shrimp/chicken fettuccine respectively; the Caesar salad was the best I've had in a while so I'm gonna go with the salad dressing has to be made from scratch yummy and don't even get me started on the hot toasty complimentary bread!!! I'm not even exaggerating the picture doesn't do it justice and will be returning again soon read more

La Strada - Eggplant parmigiana, cheesey polenta, buttery sautéed Brussels, carrots, squash - Italian Near Me - San Pablo, California

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Came here on a Saturday night. The atmosphere is pleasant. The host was kinda rude she told us to follow her then told her co-worker " i dont know why they are following me" . She started Looking for seats for me and my standing family like we hadnt called for a reservation. The waiter didnt seem happy either. I was asking for a drink, and thinking. He didnt have patience and walked away. The food was ok, ive had better italian food at macaroni grill. The cheesecake was good but it was smudged when i got it, Not real classy tbh. read more

La Strada - Tasty cheesecake, just as long you eat around the finger smudge - Italian Near Me - San Pablo, California

My husband and I have been going to this restaurant for the past couple couple years. We have enjoyed all the dishes we've ordered. Tonight not so much. I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs. I could only eat half. Way too much garlic! Instead of enjoying a blend of flavors it was garlic forward. It had a strange flavor too that I couldn't identify. I couldn't taste the tomato flavor at all. My husband ordered lasagna. He couldn't identify what was off but he also stopped eating his meal halfway through. He is keeping his and hoping it will taste better tomorrow but I am throwing my dinner away. read more

I've always wanted to try this place and today I was finally able to with my daughter. We both ordered chicken fettuccine; hers was Alfredo and mine was pesto. The food was really good, but the reason why I decided to leave a review was because of the service. Our server was kind and attentive from the moment we sat down. We never had to ask for water refills because he came around as soon as he saw we were low. He also refilled our bread basket without us asking. It didn't take too long for our food to come out either. As soon as we were done with our salad, our entree came out in perfect timing. He checked in on us enough times to make sure we were okay but not too much where it was bothersome. Normally we would grab dessert somewhere else but we decided to stay and order dessert there since we felt like we were being taken care of. We eat out often and majority of the time it feels like it's a huge inconvenience when we'd ask our server for basic things, so coming to this restaurant and having them be on top of everything made it a great experience. Would definitely come back here again. read more

La Strada - Italian Near Me - San Pablo, California

Always a favorite when craving for Italian cuisine. They never disappoint with the linguine with clams, and the specials are delicious!

Lambs chops are sooooooo good! And the wine selection is also amazing. Such a wonderful space always a pleasure coming here.

La Strada brings me back to Italy; what a great dining experience! Yesterday was my first time and I truly enjoyed my meal. Admittedly, one of the best Italian restaurants in the East Bay. Now, it's nothing fancy from outside but once you step inside the restaurant, our hostess made us feel like we were part of the family. The décor was minimal. We were quickly lead to our table and served complimentary bread and olive oil soon after. Our server arrives and asks if we wanted any drinks. My friend and I ordered the San Francisco Sunset and the Italian Margarita. Both drinks were really good and had the right amount of alcohol, big kudos to the bartender in the back! La Strada is an Italian restaurant that serves delicious pasta, sandwiches, and pizza. The dishes were delicious but my favorite was the Pesto Gnocchi and the BLT sandwich with fries. One slight turn off was the utensils and the wine glasses were filthy, but the server had no problem changing everything on our table. Make sure you look out for any dirt on your glasses; not cute at all! Our server continuously checked in with us. Very attentive but not overly so. The portions of the food were perfect. This place is absolutely perfect for a date night, this will simply blow them away. One thing is for sure, you are definitely not leaving out of here hungry! I really enjoyed coming here and do hope to return very soon to try more items on the menu. read more

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Great service and better food... My wife and I got seated pretty quick. The server brought over water and the menu right away. They brought us a cut up baguette with butter after the water. He took our order and within a little over 13 minutes our order was placed on our table. We both had the halibut and it was excellent. I'd recommend it to everybody who wants a nice meal with a nice ambiance... read more

Delicious food, nice atmosphere, and attentive service. There were even some vegetarian selections :)

Not sure how this place gets a 4 star? I'm glad this is my first and last time. I was here to celebrate a special day, but was left with sour taste of service, quality of food, price, it was overall major thumbs down. Why did it take our food 1 hour to come? What greek salad does not have feta cheese? Why offer surf snd turf with no turf? Why does beef lasagna taste like can meat? Seriously, frozen stouffer(sp) taste better! Why charge 22.00 for under 10 piece of crab ravioli? Why did our waitress fail to acknowledge my friend sitting across from me? Luckily my child was with me and he was acknowledged. But no thank you.. taking my business elsewhere. If I'm not mistaken and I hate to pull the race card..but got me thinking why did it take so long for our food? Is it because we're not White... ? Almost want to make it a one star. read more

Been living in the area most of my life. Never been tempted to try it untill yesterday. Honestly a gem! Authentic atmosphere, friendly service and hot&delicious food. Lots of seating, plenty of parking and a bar at the rear! This time around i got the Alfredo prawns was so insisting dived into the food and didnt take a picture. Next time craving italian food this my stop read more

La Strada - Appetizer , yummy &very aromatic - Italian Near Me - San Pablo, California

This is one of my favorite places. Their creamy polenta can't be beat. I even pick it up for cold winter nights. Service is quick and friendly. I am never disappointed and I have tried just about everything on the menu. I've also tried their other location in American Canyon, equally yummy. We also got excellent to-go service during COVID, gotta appreciate a place that can pivot. read more

La Strada - Calamari Fritti - Italian Near Me - San Pablo, California

Wow, what a hidden gem this place was! Doesn't look like much on the outside, but on the inside is a simple, yet romantic and elegant place to get some delicious italian food. Wife and I had a great time here, and I'd definitely come back. Bread was served with garlic and oil, plus they have a decent wine selection to start off the night with, plus some sangrias and italian sodas. I had chicken alfredo (clique I know!) and my wife had beef ravioli. It was delicious, all of it. Zero complaints. Waiter talked me into some coffee at the end of the meal, and a tiramisu cake. We weren't even remotely hungry, but everything tasted so good, I just had to have it! Two entrees, a coffee, dessert, and two wines cost about $70. Not a bad deal at all. Great place for a date night, highly recommend! read more

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I went here for a second time to see if the customer service had improved. I took my friends out for dinner and drinks! Luckily I made a reservation this time so there was no wait. The gentleman who checked us in was a bit rude from the start. We were told happy hour was only at the bar which wasn't stated anywhere. Luckily thy had a Valentine's week special and we were there for the day they gave complimentary champagne. We still ordered some wine and appetizers despite not being able to do the happy hour. The portions here are quite large so we shared two entrees. Our waiter seemed to be gone for almost all of our meal. So much that the person who checked us in stopped by to ask how things were. We asked if he could get us water or notify our waiter and he said not a problem. Ten minutes go by and I see the gentleman again with no water pitcher. As he walks by I say, "Excuse me, would you please notify our waiter to please bring some water?" He mumbled and grumbled and then I saw him telling the waiter and he ended up pouring our waters with such attitude. The food is quite delicious here, but the service is beyond poor. Maybe it'll be just take out from now on if that. Previous review: I wasn't sure if the wait would be worth it. We waited for 45 minutes however, this was the Thursday night after Christmas. That's why we gave them some extra patience, not to mention the food smelled amazing and the reviews looked quite good as well. It was a bummer that we were told 15-20 minute wait and then it turned into 45 minutes. There were plenty of tables open but the restaurant was highly understaffed. I wish they would have just given an honest wait time so we could make that decision to wait or leave without investing so much time. They could have easily made the wait easier by providing a little appetizer on the house and offering some waters. Luckily the food came out timely and was quite delicious. We went with traditional pastas to try out how good the Italian restaurant was. I'm Sicilian and it can be so hard to find a good Italian restaurant with fresh ingredients including the pasta itself. We started off with the bruschetta and found it lacking a bit of flavor. Just add a little of the garlic oil on top to add flavor and it was perfect. The side salads were incredible! I didn't know that I could be impressed with a side salad but I surely was. The Caesar dressing is light, tangy, and rich. Then the main dishes came out. Chicken fettuccini Alfredo and pesto gnocchi. My goodness it was pure heaven in pasta form. The flavors were spot on. The chicken was juicy, flavorful, and had a nice golden brown. The gnocchi was soft, fresh, and that pesto sauce was a beautiful pairing with these fluffy pasta dumplings. The gnocchi portion was the largest I've ever had and I was quite surprised. The pricing and portions are generous. They provide complimentary corkage service which is amazing since they don't have quite enough reds by the glass. The most disappointing part of our meal was the dessert and lattes. The lattes were more like cafe ole (coffee with steamed milk and foam). The latte didn't taste like it had espresso. The tiramisu was soggy and tasted a day or two old. I blame this on holiday week and would love to try again when it's busy season. I will definitely be back to try this place at its peak time. Truly delicious read more

My waiters were great the last three times I came. They served me quickly. I came during their anniversary, too. The place was so busy. You had to make reservations. I do that all the time now. I am having salmon with lemon dill. A little salty for me. Served hot. read more

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Okay. I just got home from eating here and I am still upset. The food is fine and always has been. Tonight's service was unacceptable. It started out fine. But, as soon as our food was delivered NOTHING. The wait staff / waiter, disappeared. He did not offer the parmesan cheese when the food was delivered, 25 + minutes went by and not a single " how ya doin'" or " Are your meals okay?" ..."can I get you anything else" ..." Would you like another beverage?" .... NOTHING. I do not care if it was New Year's Eve or any other special night - you do not ignore your customers or treat them any different than you do any other "regular" night. What has happened to the service industry? Here is another "small business" I have supported but can't anymore. Sad - another restaurant I will not frequent of suggest to family or friends. read more

First time at La strada and most definitely not the last! Arrived at 8pm on a Saturday with no reservation my husband and i were seated right away. Great food fine Italian ambiance as good as it gets in San Pablo, table was wobbly but my husband made a quick fix & placed a few packets of sugar under the table lol. I originally ordered the shrimp scampi but after giving it thought after our server placed our order i kindly asked him to change my order to the rack of lamb. Our server was very quick to update my order & was very accommodating. Our server Albano was great he suggested a great wine pairing with my meal which i loved! The lamb was delicious perfectly cooked. I'm giving it a 4 star because my husbands chicken parm had somewhat of a canned tomato taste to it. I had higher hopes for The bruschetta but it was ok. Overall like i said i will definitely come back to la strada & i recommend anyone in the San Pablo area. read more

La Strada - Home Made Pesto Gnocchi - Italian Near Me - San Pablo, California

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Great food and service. This is a very nice restaurant with a nice atmosphere. The servers are very friendly and pleasant.

La Strada is a solid Italian restaurant. There are a few things that totally shine! The service and politeness of the servers and wait staff is wonderful. I usually come here with my former boss and a coworker. We stay for a LONG time. They always come by and fill our water glasses and offer more drinks. We NEVER feel rushed and that makes our visits very enjoyable. Here are some of the highlights from the menu... POLENTA- omg. Creamy, flavorful, buttery, delicious. Honestly, it goes with everything. If you like polenta- get this. You will not be disappointed. Also, would make a great vegetarian meal with some marinara on top and a side of spinach or a salad. SHRIMP FETTUCINE- delicious, creamy, rich. Shrimp were cooked perfectly. Tender, not tough, pasta was perfectly cooked- not soft and not super al dente. VERY filling. GNOCCHI- soft pillows of heaven. Wonderful with the meat sauce. Tasted like home. Filling, rich, and their meat sauce is the perfect balance between meaty and a nice rich tomato flavor. My co-workers get surf and turf and they have no complaints. Meat always cooked to their liking..tender...succulent. 100% A+ For great Italian food in a nice, clean atmosphere with great staff, this is a good place to go! read more

One of the best things about being a responsible adult, is the ability to treat my Grandma out to eat. So this last Sunday I took her to La Strada for lunch. At 12pm the place wasn't crowded and we were quickly and warmly greeted. We started with a basket of different types of bread and flavored oil. The breads were soft and fresh and the oil was delicious. Although they offered up butter, we stuck with the infused oil. We both had started salads. Mine with blue cheese and hers with italian dressing. The salads were of decent size and were a great way to start our meals. Well that and the bread. We then got our entrees. I ordered the Homemade Gnocchi with two sauces. Thats right they let you mix their sauces. I choose the pesto and ragu. My Grandma got their Scampi Special of the day. It came in a white wine and garlic sauce accompanied with vegetables and polenta. Both of us really enjoyed our dishes. I was really happy with my homemade pasta and my Grandma liked her dish so much that she finished the entire plate. Next we decided to go all out and order dessert. We ordered the Tiramisu and Creme Brulee. Both desserts were decadent and as with everything else totally worth the money. The food at La Strada was all delicious. The wait staff were not only friendly but on top of their service game. I would definitely come back. read more

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