We settled on this place as a last minute celebration dinner for my youngest, who loves pasta. I don't. I was happy I could order non-pasta items. My oldest thought the meatballs were rather small for $8.50 additional, but they were good and high quality. She also felt her pasta was overcooked. My eggplant was light and a large portion. I really appreciated being able to taste the vegetable instead of cream and cheese and breading. It just had a light layer of melted mozzarella and a fresh tasting red sauce. The kale was perfectly cooked. My in-laws got the same with pappardelle and cardinale and enjoyed it. Husband got chicken parm with veggies and loved the potatoes. We will definitely be back. I don't mind the no frills setting. They were so gracious and generous. Room for improvement: The Parmesan in the shaker on the table tasted like sand. read more

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As an east-coaster on the west coast, there's something about an Italian joint in a brick building that brings a tear of joy to my eye. Simply put: homemade pastas, cozy atmosphere and phenomenal chicken piccata sliced so thin you'd think it's carpaccio, maron! Try the meatballs, the pappardelle and the cannolis read more

Luca Cucina Italiana - Leave the gun, take the cannolis - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Hands down the best Italian food I've had in years, maybe ever! Perfectly cooked pasta on all our dishes, which is not as easy as it sounds. The sauces are incredibly well balanced and so flavorful. Run- don't walk -over and eat there! Chef Luca is making food that you want to eat! Also, the prices are great & the service staff are knowledgeable and friendly. (and no, I'm not a friend or family member- just a local who loves good food) read more

While visiting Berkeley, our brother brought us to this restaurant as we were craving Italian food. The restaurant is small, but cozy and inviting and staff are extremely friendly. Each of us ordered something different and all enjoyed our meals very much! The chicken parm was huge! The carbonara and gnocchi were scrumptious. I assume because this place is small and likely family owned, the menu was a little limited. There were a few items we were hoping to order, but were not on the menu (calamari and wine). Overall it was still a great experience and I would recommend visiting if you are in Berkeley. read more

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I'm embarrassed to admit that I have yet to set foot into what I'm sure is probably a charming pastaria on San Pablo off University in Berkeley. I have only taken advantage of the food delivery this restaurant offers, and really liked the food they've prepared. I didn't want to let my physical absence prevent me from praising their dishes, or more accurately, their boxes. The $9.50 Sautéed Chicken Livers appetizer was assembled with the mushrooms, onions, and white wine sauce melding well together (Photo 2). The combination made the aromatic flavor of the livers stand out in a good way. This was followed by the $18.50 Pappardelle Bolognese, a surprisingly light blend of ground beef and pork, soffritto, and pomodoro sauce mixed with the thick pasta (Photo 3). They allow you to choose your pasta, and the al dente pappardelle is my favorite. It came with a side of Sautéed Broccolini which was a well coordinated complement full of flavor on its own (Photo 4). I should get off my arse and pay a visit here, shouldn't I? FOOD - 4 stars...well executed Italian, keeps warm en route AMBIANCE - n/a...just delivery so far SERVICE - n/a...look forward to it TOTAL - 4 stars...certainly good enough to visit RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's my collection of places l've tried and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u read more

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o this is place is a gem. its no nonsense and they don't serve alcohol but the pastas are on point. you feel good eating the food here

The fresh pasta noodles were extracted as we watched. Sauces are flavorful without a lot of salt and delicious. The only drawback was the noise level on a busy Friday. Easy street parking. read more

A very pleasant neighborhood restaurant with good ambience and service. The food was delicious and reasonably priced. Will definitely return! read more

Went back recently with a visiting family member, after not having been for a long time. Ordered the gnocchi and the lasagna. This was, hands-down, the worst gnocchi I have ever tasted. It was overworked to the point of inedibility. I did like the creamy tomato sauce we got it with, though. The lasagna was also not my fave--no crunchy bits on top! read more

Should've taken a closer look because things were a bit more expensive than they seem. The prices are for the basic pasta.. protein add-ons tacked on another $8.50. The food tasted fine... Just a little displeased about the true cost if you want the full pasta meal. read more

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From a quick glance, the menu looked very affordable with all the regular pasta dishes being under $20. However, a majority of the options are just a plain sauce with no additional toppings. For carnivores like me, I'll have to add an additional $8.5 for some meat in my pasta, which pushes the price to mid $20s. The food was quite delicious and hit the spot for my creamy pasta craving, but since the price was no longer considered cheap, overall, the food would just be average for the price. read more

Luca Cucina Italiana - Tagliatelle + gorgonzola + pancetta - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Love this little hidden gem! Neighbor favorite for sure! Family friendly and delicious food!

I was shocked after a meal at Luca's to see that they have a 3.8 rating. I've had the blessed opportunity of eating out most of my life and Italian is by far one of my favorite. This is a 4.5 star rated restaurant and completely undervalued by Yelp reviews. You won't go wrong with any of the dishes! Looking forward to returning to Berkeley in the near future and trying a new dish. read more

What a wonderfully authentic Italian spot in Berkeley. It's open for lunch and dinner and it's a delight. Lorena is a charming and excellent hostess. We ordered delicious salad (caprese and Caesar salads) and the lasagna and pasta with tomato cream sauce). We tried the meatballs and then and their tasty sauce was to die for. Even the bread and butter was excellent. Will definitely be coming here more and more. read more

Wonderful dinner! Small restaurant with open kitchen. Caprese salad. "Sauteed greens" that night was a big plate of kale that was perfectly sauteed and had whole cloves of garlic. Yummy. And some homemade meatballs. Loved it! read more

I ordered pasta and garlic bread. I received tons of garlic bread, but only about a quarter of a plate of pasta. It tasted good, but seriously, you can't afford to give me enough pasta for a full meal? And not only did the skimpy pasta plate cost me almost $20, the bread costed another $20. read more

Best pasta dish I've had in a while! The dish came out piping hot which I loved, and the pasta was very delicately thin. The sauce was light and the sausage had so much flavor to it. I could have happily enjoyed another bowl of the pasta dish. The service was very fast and it may look like they don't have a lot of seating but shortly after we came in they seated a party of thirty! As we were leaving everyone in that party was being served steaming hot food. read more

Luca Cucina Italiana - Pasta Sausage & Pepper - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

I kid you not! This meal was absolutely perfect. I had bolognese and my husband had the lasagna. We split a Cesar salad that was the best salad I've ever had. I think Cesar dressing is hard to master. The lettuce was fresh cold and crispy. The pasta sauces were perfection. The amounts very generous and the prices are spot on! 57.00 for two beautifully mastered dishes a salad and drink. It doesn't get any better. Do yourself a favor and give this little place a try. Amazing read more

Fast service, homey environment, delicious & authentic food, what more could I ask for? We absolutely love Luca Cucina and have recommended it to all of our friends for any pasta cravings. Pasta is always al dente and I love how we can customize the pasta + sauce choices. Their tiramisu is delightful. read more

Luca Cucina Italiana - Vodka - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

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We went here last weekend with a group of 9. The restaurant was about to close in 30 minutes and they quickly accommodated us. The waitress here is an absolute sweetheart! The restaurant doesn't serve alcohol so we ordered our sodas. We then ordered our food and the food started quickly coming in. My eggplant Parmesan was to die for. Based on all the other plates on my table I could confidently say that mine was probably the best one. My cousin ordered a chicken Parmesan with Alfredo sauce and the pasta with Alfredo as well. They made a mistake and made it with their red sauce but quickly fixed their mistake. I noticed their Alfredo sauce on their pasta dish was a bit runny. My husband ordered the chicken Marsala and wasn't a big fan of that either because he said that it seemed to lack seasoning and was a bit sweet. I got the seasoning comment from a couple people at the table. I loved mine as it was perfectly seasoned and I'd definitely go back here for the eggplant Parmesan dish. read more

Luca Cucina Italiana - Eggplant Parmesan with potatoes and veggies - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Shocking at how crowded this restaurant was for how terrible the food is. All of the pasta dishes at our table were bland and flavorless. This place is not even close to authentic or charming. Pasta is not fresh and was overcooked, chicken parmesan was chewy with a side of flavorless spaghetti sauce, Cesar salad dressing was not made with fresh anchovies and garlic. And there was no fresh parmesan cheese offered to the table. Going out to Italian food in the bay area is nearly impossible, but this experience was by far the worst. And for the service; I had to ask our waitress for our water to be refilled more than once. I do not recommend eating here for "authentic" Italian food. I am Italian and grew up eating home cooked Italian meals and this place was embarrassingly bad. I am seriously confused about the 4 star reviews. read more

Wishes do come true! I've been wishing for Luca to resume his amazing lunch offerings and it was worth the wait. Drat the pandemic, but so happy to come out of it to a sweet local restaurant with absolutely delicious food. That meatball sandwich was supremely wonderful. Thank you Luca! read more

The food was exceptional in every way -ingredients, presentation, creative and traditional recipe ideas. The physical space was nice and open with effective sound dampening so conversations are easily heard. Service was professional and friendly. Not cheap but worth it for special occasions.. read more

I love Italian food but this place disappointed on several levels. First of all it's a very small place and the noise level was rather high. Also, we did not know it is totally alcohol free. Nothing wrong with that, but we do like a glass of wine with Italian food. The food wasn't bad per se it's just that I and my 2 friends have had tastier Italian food. The prosciutto in my Tortellini was very dry and not at all appetizing. My friend's Lasagna was meh and the third dish had something called bay shrimp which looked very undercooked. Again, food wasn't that bad but I'm sure there are better Italian restaurants in the area. Won't be back. On a positive note the service was very good. read more

Nice little Italian restaurant on the corner of Addison and San Pablo. I've been here multiple times and have always had a great experience. There's a friendly staff who checks on me often (but not too often!). Has a cozy interior to help add some warm ambiance to my meal. I usually get the penne pasta with pesto sauce and a side of roasted potatoes. Both are very tasty and I would recommend them. read more

Luca Cucina Italiana - Penne Pasta Pesto - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Luca is hands down one of the best Italian food spots in the Bay Area. Anyone who leaves a bad review is either deranged or works for a competing Italian restaurant. Chef Luca is straight from Italy - talk to him for like 30 seconds and you will clearly see. Standards like chicken parm and Italian sausage are great. What sets this place apart is the mixture of Northern Italian cuisine with more typical Italian american food. The greens and roast potatoes that come as a side on many dishes are amazing. The salads particularly the Beet salad is soooo yummy there is never any left. Lobster ravioli, lasagna, any pasta with vodka sauce or pesto and a protein are great. The meatballs are better than any other meatball Ive ever tried. The eggplant parmesan is so light, with a crispy exterior and perfectly cooked inside that is soft but not mushy. I have been coming here since it opened. It's Family friendly, the kitchen usually turns out your food in less than 20 minutes and the hostess are kind and attentive. This place is so good I had it saved in my phone as OMG Italian for the first couple years because everything I ever ordered at first bite I would say OMG it is so good. read more

I did not like the prices, the food, or the fact that I could not have wine with an Italian dinner. The bathroom had a urine smell to it. Nasty. I didn't want to use it, but had too!!!! Yuck. I will never go back. read more

8 dollars to add chicken and then only get three 1x1 inch pieces is ridiculous. 22 dollars for a meal should at least fill you up.

Tried this neighborhood place on a Tuesday night. Food is good but atmosphere, service and portions are lacking. The barebones service was most disappointing. Was hoping to make it a regular neighborhood spot. read more

Came with a large group for a friend's birthday; one of the party members made a reservation ahead of time which was a good idea. Pasta was decent, comparable to Pasta Bene in Berkeley on Telegraph. Service was decent as well and they brought dishes out quickly. Portion sizes could have been larger! Wish they had wine or drinks, but they had signs indicating this was the case. Was not a fan of the extra $4 charge for meat on all pastas, but makes sense because inflation is definitely a thing :/ read more

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The food was delicious! The salad was a pretty big portion I think I only ate about half so it's definitely good to share. I added meatballs to my pasta I guess I wish for the price I got maybe one more meatball but either way it was good. Service was excellent. I feel like the hardest thing was deciding what to eat because everything seemed so good...especially watching them cook the fish. Just means you gotta come back lol read more

We were eager to return to Luca after a lovely meal pre-pandemic...sadly the food quality has severely declined. -Chicken Marsala and Chicken Piccata are each a few sad very thin little silver-dollar sized pieces of basically dry chicken without more than a thin sheen of the delicious sauces one would expect, could hardly taste the difference between the two -- both flavorless and disappointing. -Arugula and Beet salads are basically the same: Decent portion of arugula, but then one has some grated parmesan (fine) and the other a few very tiny pieces of beets sprinkled on top (not a beet salad at all). -Service friendly but unprepared -- had to wait staring at salads until forks could be provided. -Giving stars for the generous serving of delicious greens with the chicken meals. Cannot recommend; luckily there are many other way better Italian restaurants. read more

Waiter was super friendly and helpful! I got there as soon as it opened so was helped very quickly. The pasta is on the more expensive side and is $7.5 to add a protein. I asked to make it a cream sauce and it was really yummy but it felt like the noodles were a bit overcooked read more

Luca Cucina Italiana - Bolognese with cream added - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great authentic Italian Food. I love this place!! Love watching them cook too!! I order to go too have a glass of wine and watch them cook

I've always loved coming to Luca as Ive lived around the corner my whole life. As of recently they switched servers and ever since the service has been horrible. Ive tried to give them the benefit of the doubt but the last time I came the young lady has brought me soup with her fingerprints along the rim. I never had a refill on my water, was missing silverware even thought they brought out our food. This was a particularly busy day but we waited 25 minutes for the bill, we tried flagging down our server but she seemed busy organizing the cutlery and standing waiting for plates. In the end I went up to the register and asked to pay as we were running late. I still love the food, have no complaints and will come back in hopes the serve gets trained better or I have the male serve who's been there for a long time. read more

Food quality was disappointing. The dishes lacked heart. Pasta quality was poor, carbonara wasn't properly emulsified, the bolognese was lackluster with a watery sauce that could've come from a jar and wasn't properly cooked through. Every dish was so heavily covered in oil to make up for the lack of quality. Highly disappointing meal -- didn't even finish our food -- and the quality is a very bad value for the price. For the same price range, go to Lo Coco's in Berkeley where the owners are Italian, make their own olive oil, and serve homemade bread and pasta. read more

We paid $50 and got very little for it . Ridiculously small portions for mediocre food. I recommend eating somewhere else, Berkeley has plenty of Italian restaurants that are higher quality and provide better value. read more

Luca Cucina Italiana - $50 for this much food. - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

The food is amazing! The service is quick and the owner is so sweet. If you're looking for authentic and tasty food you found the spot in Berkeley . Luca's is not only delicious but the price is right. Homestyle feel but also filling. Don't sleep on Luca Cucina Italiana ! #foodcoma read more

Quaint little Italian restaurant. Friendly and attentive servers. We got the Caesar salad (7/10), Pasta Carbonara - Sauce was not as creamy or thick as we were used to (7/10) and Pasta Panna (8/10) nice cream sauce. I like the fact that you can choose your pasta: linguine, pappardelle, fusilli, penne, spaghetti, tagliatelle, whole wheat pasta. Friends got the Gnocchi (8/10) and Chicken Luca (8/10). Can get a tad noisy. But overall, good place read more

Wow! First time ordering food here and unfortunately to-go because I thought it was busy! I wish I had taken myself out to dinner solo here because the rush was over for them. So I would have been eating in peace and quiet lol But OMG please tell the owner that the cook is amazing! Whomever it was thank you! I ordered the vodka pappardelle with prawns and tiramisu because I'm a fan of always trying tiramisu's! My dinner and dessert did NOT fail! I shall be back for my birthday, thank you for cooking such delicious pasta! I look forward to trying many more items on your menu! Love love love! read more

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