If I could give Lo Coco's 10/5 stars, I would! We have been going there since I was a kid, and before that my parents used to go, first to the original location, then the one on Shattuck in Berkeley, though I only know the one in Berkeley. When my wife and I were dating, that was our main date place of choice, and we went countless times. And throughout it all everything was always amazing. The food was delicious, especially the sauces, and the ambiance and service was top notch! Cozy but not claustrophobic, works equally well for an intimate date, or a family birthday! Get any number of amazing dishes (I'm partial to the ravioli, and my wife loved the eggplant Parmesan), or split an incredible pizza. But the two true best parts in my opinion are the sauce (which applies to so many dishes), and the bread sticks! My wife and I moved out of Berkeley almost ten years ago now, and I hadn't been back to Lo Coco's since, but recently I went again with my parents. I was pleasantly unsurprised to see that it was still just the same high quality and friendly homey place I remembered, and the food was still so good! And the people I remembered were still there which spoke volumes to it being a great place, and again, not surprising since it's family owned. And with everything in the world getting so much more expensive, I was pleased to see that for the caliber of food they have, Lo Coco's was still very reasonable. Seriously, I can't recommend this place enough, especially if you like really good authentic Italian cuisine. read more

We truly enjoyed our experience at Lo Coco! Our host was attentive and helpful throughout the evening. The wine selection is modest, but we enjoyed the wines we tried. I absolutely LOVED the pizza crust, thin but not flimsy, with a wonderfully light, puffy edge. The tortellini was also delicious. I definitely ate more than I needed to, but somehow didn't feel overly full or bloated, and still had room for the freshly made tiramisu! Despite it being a busy night, the noise level was surprisingly comfortable. Quiet enough to enjoy a conversation, but lively enough to create a great atmosphere. Overall, a wonderful dining experience. We'll definitely be back! read more

Lured in by the raving reviews. First impression was that this is a popular restaurant suitable for families and dates. I mean they've been around for like 50 years now. I'm not too adventurous so I can only speak for the pizza. The pizza was heavier on the crust, which made it just a little bit awkward to fold. The overall pizza itself was still kinda thin. Flavor was decent. Price was a bit on the higher end. Love the bread though. Fresh out and went well with the olive oil. Not sure why they offered me a second one then didn't bring it :( maybe it's one per table but oh well. read more

See all

The Italian in laws for those of us who don't have a Nona at home to cook for us ! :-) Awesome selection of hand made pasta dishes compliment great pies and calzones read more

My friends and I were craving for some yummy Italian food. With a quick yelp search, we found this restaurant. The place was full but the server was gracious enough to get us seated in the outdoor area. We ordered the michelangelo pizza and the pesto ravioli. The ravioli was filled with sheep milk cheese and we couldn't wait to try it out. They offered some complimentary bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The bread was delicious. The food came out pretty quickly. The pizza was cooked to perfection. The flavors were bursting in the mouth. There were adequate vegetables on the pizza, which was appreciated by us. The pesto pasta was tasty too. The pasta itself was super soft and tasted fresh. The sauce was not overpowering and was well balanced. All in all, we had a great time! The food was authentic, yummy and fresh. We will definitely going back again. read more

See all

This may be my favorite Sicilian restaurant in Berkeley. The bread they serve is warm. That's important. The house red wine in a carafe is most pleasing. The mixed vegetables are the best. The vibrant colors and cooked to perfection! When is the last time one got excited over veggies. The meatballs are a must. You get two although they may of seemed slightly smaller than last time I was here. Again if it's to be served warm it better be and it was. I chose the tortelli Campagnola. I was not expecting this to be so wonderful. I've never experienced this entree before. The tiramisu not only was enormous but darn good. Service was good. Who I perceived as the owner was in hyper drive. I love this place. On the smaller size for interiors but well worth patronizing. No reservations accepted. read more

See all

Overall, I have no major complaints and the staff were all very friendly and attentive. I was just not very impressed with the food, given the prices. I had the Fettuccine Alaska ($28) that was just very...basic. Both in appearance and taste. The cream sauce wasn't very flavorful, and adding parmesan cheese on top didn't make too much of a difference. The smoked salmon didn't taste that high quality either. Not that it was bad, but it was simple enough where I feel like it would've been easy enough to just make at home for a fraction of the price. read more

Lo Coco's - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

We ordered the Palermitana pizza and added pepperoni, Ravioli with pesto and the Bolognese pasta. Everything was delicious, tasted home made and fresh! The staff were friendly and accomadating. read more

See all

Been coming here because of my husband for almost 10+ years and it the best Italian food. Very flavorful, hand-made pasta, the staff are really attentive and nice, and I just love the Italian small restaurant feel to this place. It makes me feel like I stepped into Italy. My favorite is the gnocchi pesto and my hubby always gets the steak. When we have family visit, they get the broiled salmon. All amazing. We've had their pizza numerous times and yes it's a heavier crust but it's still pretty thin and very delicious. Plus I'm a sucker for bread so honestly the pizza crust is delicious. I've been to other "popular Yelp" Italian restaurants and they're filled with oil, grease, and "fluff". This family owned restaurant always uses fresh ingredients and hand-made pasta and you can't beat that (big portions too and their bread is to die for). read more

Lo Coco's - Steak - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Amazing Italian restaurant. We had dinner on a warm day, and the restaurant was hot, so they moved a table outside for us. We had mussels to start and then the special, Tortelli Campagnola, Fettuccine Campagnola, and pizza. The food was fantastic, and the service even better. Definitely a place to visit. read more

We came here on a whim around 5pm on a Friday night. They were so welcoming right off the bat! Our food was excellent, the free bread was a nice touch, and the attentive staff were great. The spaghetti noodles were perfectly cooked and the gnocchi was soft like little pillows. We can't wait to come back. The kind and family-like staff really made it so nice. read more

Lo Coco's - Pesto Gnocchi con Pesto Creme - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Lo Coco is my favorite. Great Italian food and lots of pizzas to choose from. The ancient grain pastas are wonderful. Best of all is the friendly staff. Try the EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA with a Side of Meatballs, my favorite, or PAPPARDELLE PORCINI, yum. read more

I was introduced to this restaurant when i was a wee lad by my Sicilian grandfather. I still think its the best pizza in town. I make pizza and pizza ovens for a hobby. I cook. Why is their food so good? It just is. Ill keep working on my style. Delish. Love the staff! Thanks for existing Eric W read more

This was my first time at this location and I loved it! The space is so quaint, the staff are so nice and all the food was AMAZING as to be expected! I love the Piedmont Ave location, but now I think I might have to go between the two! read more

Great !!! beautiful delicious food I'm sure was made with love Great presentation that when you look at it you know is going to taste sooo gooood read more

Insanely authentic and delicious Italian food! Very much family owned and super cozy inside. Our waiter was so friendly and gave us great recs for our dinner! He also threw in a full bottle of wine + extra meatball on the house. The meatballs were the best I've ever had! And the pasta was absolute perfection. I will def be back! read more

Lo Coco's - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Prefect spot for great Italian food! Food melted in my mouth - Pasta was amazing, with perfect sauce and perfectly soft meatballs. Lively environment, with many customers so make sure you get there early. Waiters were friendly and answered my questions about the menu. read more

Lo Coco's - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Truth be told, Jamie W. and I have walked by this always crowded spot dozens of times, and while I knew it would be good based on my historical pizza gluttony at the Piedmont Avenue location, we also knew it would be carb central, so we kept walking, that is, until we were feeling in dire need of familiar comfort food on a cold, brisk evening. Go early. It opens at 4PM, and I'd suggest getting here before 5 unless you're willing to wait in the small side room that looked like the elevator for the Empire State Building. We started our dinner by sharing a Focaccia Bread (photo: https://yelp.to/OP-Jkb54NO) the $18 Sautéed Seasonal Vegetables straight from the farmers' market - broccolini, cauliflower, mushrooms, romanesco, and cherry tomatoes (photo: https://yelp.to/jWTfA8IZAt). A nice healthy start that segued to our individual pasta orders. Jamie had their signature dish, the $17 Tagliatelle al Sugo with a couple of their huge Meatballs (photo: https://yelp.to/npYLdmdog-). It was a simple fresh pasta, very thin, covered in tomato sauce. Light but given heft by the moist meatballs. I went for the more luxuriant $27 Pappardelle Bolognese (photo: https://yelp.to/4z7SAfimVU). Famous for the eight-hour stewed beef and pork shoulder ragu that coats the noodles, the pappardelle was velvety good providing a highly carnivorous delight. You would think we would've been fully sated by now, but we decided to indulge in the $13 slice of Tiramisu, a delightful housemade confection, surprisingly light (photo: https://yelp.to/tuk4dJFmUt). The crowd was out the door when we left. Yeah, go early. FOOD - 4 stars...true homestyle cooking, good size portions AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...constantly crowded SERVICE - 4 stars...attentive server TOTAL - 4 stars...definitely need to stop more often...but early RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u read more

See all

This is such an amazing Italian restaurant I've been going here for so long and I really love the pizza and the Linguine con sugo is great. I know people who work there and it has a great atmosphere. read more

Lo Coco's - Linguine con sugo - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

We've been coming here for years. The food, the service, it's all amazing!! Tiramisu is always delicious too!!

The best! Homemade pasta, family, excellent! True Sicilian food. Great family run restaurant!! read more

I have been coming here for years and it definitely holds a special place in my heart. I always come here with my dad and we order the number 9 pizza as our appetizer. We grab a slice and then have the rest boxed up to take home. Then we dine family style and pick a pasta or two and the fried calamari if they have it. It's a very small, quaint restaurant and they do not take reservations so be prepared to wait if you catch them on a busy night. read more

Lo Coco's - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Every dinner I have a Lo Coco's is lovely. The food is delicious, the service is excellent, and the ambiance is lively, charming, and cozy all at once. This is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Berkeley. read more

Absolutely love this place. Cozy vibes, super friendly service, and the food is always amazing. Honestly, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu--everything hits. The pasta is next level, made with high-quality flour imported from Italy, and you can really taste the difference. A total favorite and an easy repeat spot. read more

Tortelli Bolognese my go!! 6hr beef/pork shoulder ragu soooo tasty it's amazing. The Pennoni alla Norma just as good. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. These folks know exactly what they're doing. The service is fast and attentive. I definitely recommend to check them out. read more

Lo Coco's - Tortelli bolognese (top). Norma (bottom) - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Very excited to see they use ancient grains for their pasta! It's so much better for the gluten intolerant. The service was excellent; everyone was both friendly and helpful. I'll be back! read more

homemade baked cannelloni was incredibly comforting and filled with delicious ricotta cheese. I had a wonderful dinner experience

Their pizza is consistently excellent... delicious crust, which is on the thin side, but more generous on the edges. My one (minor) frustration was with the person who initially took my phone order and didn't know the difference between their different pizzas and wound up putting in the wrong order. Luckily, I double-checked and then called them right back to correct the mistake, which they were able to do, thankfully. read more

I really liked this spot. It was hot and crowded when we went but the food and service were spot on. They seem to rotate the servers somehow (like everyone waits on every table) but it works. Little duplication but not much. Our food and service was very good. We will be back. read more

best italian food in berkeley. run by a super cute family. gets deservedly busy at peak times!

Friendly staff, excellent food, and the new acoustics make the noise level better. Best pizza in town.

Been coming to Lo Coco's for 27 years. The food is always delicious and Frank and his family are always super warm and welcoming and take wonderful care of you. It's a place full of fantastic aromas, tasty red wine and lots of love. It's a treasure. But let's talk about the pizza. I've probably eaten fifty to sixty of them. I love the Sorrento, salami, mushroom, green onion. It's classic pizza. Not wood fired Neapolitan, but classic pizza like I had as a kid but much better. Best eaten at the restaurant when it's fresh out of the oven. The crust is so good you'll eat it all. None left on the plate. So why I ask you, is this pizza not on top 10 lists for Berkeley? Major oversight. I will say it. Best pizza in the Bay Area. I hope to eat 50 more. read more

Hard not to go to Berkeley without stopping here for some amazing Italian food. There is never a time where I don't order enough food that I can't take it home. It's that good. Service is amazing all pizza great other Italian dishes never had a bad one Service is always fantastic read more

We started with a huge chef salad which comes with pepperoni on it. The salad was good but the additional pepperoni was probably overkill. We also had a Lacoco special pizza which was very good and a Bolognese, which was also very tasty. They don't take reservations so it was a bit of a wait at 5:30 in the afternoon on a Friday. Once we were settled in, the service was very good and our waitress was quite friendly and helpful. The primary drawback at Lacoco's is that it is very small and the noise level is exceedingly high. That can distract from the experience just a little bit. read more

Cozy atmosphere, classic Italian delicious food, and very quick service! My partner and I dined at Lo Coco's on a Friday with no reservations (not sure if they do reservations), and we were seated within 5 minutes. Service was very friendly and some of the reviews mentioned that it was too cozy, but we came in an hour before closing and it didn't feel stuffy at all. We ordered the ravioli with pesto and classic pasta with a red sauce and a meatball. Both dishes were incredible, I was particularly in love with the meatball as it had a melt in your mouth texture, it was so good we forgot to take a picture! I also loved the ravioli, it was one of the best pesto sauces I have ever had. We wanted to get a cannoli but unfortunately they had ran out, so next time we go we will be sure to arrive a little earlier. read more

Lo Coco's - Ravioli 3 Cheese con Pesto Creme - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

myself and my husband went on our one date night in six months to Lo Coco , and we were so very happy we chose there. The food was absolutely delicious. My husband got a pizza, and I got the Tortellini al pesto. It tasted like the noodles were Homemade and the pesto sauce was the freshest and best sauce I've ever had. It seems to be family run. We met the mother and her son and daughter who, I am assuming, are the owners of the restaurant. They were about some of the nicest people you could meet. We somehow got accidentally skipped on the waiting list, and not only did they comp us for our glasses of wine and our dessert, but they were very apologetic. We had a wonderful experience and we will definitely be going back. read more

This family run neighborhood spot on Shattuck was a pleasant discovery. With great service and delicious food it is popular with the local and boasts of quite a few regulars. The pizza menu was extensive and considering the pizza base is what made them famous it is a must try. A large pizza is enough for 2 share comfortably. We also tried their handmade ravioli which was scrumptious. They have quite a few hand made pasta options. Thor tiramisu was also delicious. A must visit for some delicious Italian food and they do truly make you feel Welcome here. Parking was available easily on the street. read more

See all

We enjoyed a nice date night here. The pizza and steak came out perfectly and we couldn't have asked for better service! Can't wait to come back and try other dishes read more

I looooooooove this restarant. I live in Berkeley, so I have been to many restaurants in the area, and this is my favorite. The customer service is really good. The food tastes delicious. Our waiter was so friendly and gave us extra bread on the house-we love, we love!! read more

Holy shit this place is bomb!! Next level food. I'm talking flavor orgasm in your mouth. Me and my guy gave been here twice and both times we tried new dishes and as simple as they are, they are surprisingly insanely tasty. Get the ravioli! Who would think the seasonal veggies would be sautéed so perfectly with just the right seasoning to make even a veggie hater turn lover. I mean, you can get a cheese pizza and it will still knock your socks off. I can't pick a favorite dish because they've all been so good. I've never been this amazed at Sicilian/Italian food in my life. Oh and the house red wine and tiramisu are FANTASTIC! Service has been great and they are super friendly. Will be coming back many more times. Grazie! read more

Lo Coco's - Eggplant pizza (Giovanni #15) - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California