First time at Frugatti's, and I had a lovely time…read more The staff was kind and welcoming. Our server was friendly and kept things fun for us as well. He was very attentive, helpful, and gave us a nice dining experience. 5 star staff, for sure! We were celebrating 2 birthdays in our family, and everything went wonderfully. Our waiter was polite, gave birthday wishes to them, and the experience altogether with a party of 8 was lovely. The bread they brought out was warm and tasted delicious with butter. I also recommend trying the bread with some olive oil and red wine vinegar. It's super delicious! I had Alfredo pasta with the ricotta ravioli. I switched out the meat sauce (that comes with the ravioli) for the Alfredo sauce. My favorite part of this dish has to be the ravioli. It was a bit oily, but the flavors were great. I shared the chocolate cake with my husband, and we enjoyed it. While it was rich and sweet, it was a bit too sweet for us. However, with a glass of milk or even some coffee, it may help with the rich chocolate taste. I had an Arnold Palmer, and it was good. I may be a bit picky, but there are some lemonades at restaurants that I don't really enjoy (ie- the Minute Maid Lemonade) because of the after taste, which this Arnold Palmer had. However, the balance of the ice tea made up for it. On a Saturday night, the restaurant can be noisy and busy. However, we really enjoyed the ambiance of the location. Their decor, the stones on the wall (in the photo attached), the lighting, the chandeliers, etc were all very lovely and tied together the vibe of the restaurant. I definitely recommend if you're looking for some authentic Italian cuisine! Would come again for sure.

We were advised by friends to go here for dinner while passing through Bakersfield. Best advice…read moreever!!! Upon arriving the staff was welcoming. The food was better than Mom's--don't tell her. Our waiter Stephanie was great. We had such a great time we made reservations for our return trip. This time we were blessed to have Andrew as our waiter/bartender. He was the absolute best!!! Great entertainer, host, and waiter. Oh yeah, the food was great again. This is our go to now whenever we pass through Bakersfield. Just for info we need a Frugatti's in Santa Rosa. Absolutely the best!!!! Well deserved 5 star.

It was my wife's and I's first time trying La Piazza and it didn't disappoint. Kinda…read more The atmosphere and ambience were great, slightly dark, intimate, yet cozy. Great as a date night spot or the casual evening out. The service was great, attentive and friendly. Ordering was quick and efficient. Drinks and appetizer came out quickly until we had to wait for our mains. Didn't time it as we were still enjoying our evening but we waited an extended amount of time. Needless to say we weren't the only ones waiting. With the wait aside we absolutely LOVED our mains! The Gnocchi in the pink gorgonzola sauce was amazing! The gnocchi were soft, pillowy, and cheesy. The sauce was creamy with a sweetness from the tomato sauce with a slight acidity. Highly recommended. The ravioli rustica was delicious. Perfectly cooked ravioli were stuffed with spinach and cheese and sauced with a creamy sweet pea puree. All topped with slivered almonds, which added a nice nuttiness to the dish. Needless to say we cleared the plates. Dessert was their special pistachio tort. A flourless pistachio cake topped with rich chocolate ganache and more crushed pistachios. Rich and decadent. We also ordered their Crème Brûlée. Creamy, smooth, with a slight sweetness. The burnt sugar was perfectly torched with a great crackle. Would order again. A great experience nonetheless. Will definitely add to our rotation for date nights.

I wish I had read El J.'s note before coming here on Mother's Day. La Piazza added a 20% surcharge…read moreto the bill, which felt like a blatant cash grab rather than a reasonable holiday policy. If a restaurant is going to add that kind of charge, it should be clearly disclosed upfront before customers order or make reservations. Unfortunately, the experience did not come close to justifying the extra cost. The steaks were badly overcooked, the food was mediocre at best, and there were large flies throughout the restaurant, which made the meal even more unpleasant. I understand that Mother's Day is a busy day for restaurants, but being busy does not give a business a free pass to surprise customers with excessive charges or deliver poor food and service. The 20% surcharge felt unfair and left a very bad impression. I willnot return, and I would strongly recommend that customers check their bill carefully before paying. SHAME ON YOU FOR SCAMMING CUSTOMERS

This was our first time eating at Mamma Mia and it will not be our last! We met another couple who…read morehad arrived before us (they called and rsvp'd same day) and we didn't see them inside. We were so wrong - this place looks quaint and cozy at first glance but it opens up! After getting sat down with our party, the server took our drink orders and we ordered a mushroom satchel plate for the table. We ended up ordering another plate for the table. Plates were gone before I could get a drool worthy photo. Our drinks came and they were delicious. Like seriously, I'd like to take a moment to remember our drinks. Okay back to it. The entrees came and everything was so good. It was such a nice time to talk and eat and talk and eat. Such a pleasant place!

They have the best fillet mignon in Bakersfield, prove me wrong…read more I always order the meatballs as an app. Love the sauce. Solid bar staff. Great server staff all very good and very attentive. Make a reservation they are very organized Their pasta is great but the chicken, steak and pork chops are the best in town.

Pizza was okay! Came for a birthday party. The place is very basic inside but has clean restrooms…read moreso that is a plus. They do not sell alcohol, fountain drinks only. The person working the register was very nice and friendly. He accommodated my cousin during the party. The place has a 59 person capacity inside. They had a small bounce/play house for the kids indoors, board games, and other kid games. The kids were very interested in all that. Pizzas were very big in size. The flavor was good but nothing special in my opinion. Idk about prices because we were at a birthday party. I would eat it again if that is what was being served but I wouldn't go out of my way to just go there if I could choose. Give them a try for yourself not bad.

Good food, abnormally large pizzas, good drinks what else could you ask for. Also everyone their is…read morepretty friendly and it is a great environment

This is a different restaurant, reminds me of a pizza parlor where you order upfront and you select…read moreyour table. The pizza is delicious and lasagna is good. It looks like it's a mom and pops restaurant.

I was in the mood for some pizza that wasn't from a chain, I thought Giovanni's would satisfy that…read morecraving. First, I have to mention that Giovanni's is, literally, a mom and pop operation. The couple that run this restaurant are extremely sweet and kind. When we arrived at the restaurant, they were a bit busy and the food was coming out a bit slow because there was a large party ahead of us. The waitress/owner was very apologetic and kept our drinks full and the baskets full of delicious bread rolls while we waited. When our pizzas came out, both owners brought them to us and were very sincerely sorry about the delay. The pizza itself was not very good. It reminded me of pizza you'd get at a buffet or cafeteria. We tried both the pepperoni and combination pizza, they were both lacking in flavor. The middling pizza aside, everything else was fantastic! Their pineapple fried rice was a delicious treat with all the flavors mixing together and elevating the dish. Their carrot cake is still delicious as well. Parking was ample and the restaurant was immaculately clean and well maintained. This place still has that charm that would make for a great date night. I went the other route and took a bunch of noisy kids... still charming! The only thing keeping this place from being perfect is their pizza, everything else is fantastic.

My favorite local spot to eat. Everything on the menu is worth trying. The servers are great, the…read moredeli staff is awesome too.

Luigi's is a landmark restaurant in Bakersfield. It's a place where people come to eat, drink, and…read morecelebrate. It's always busy, and always bustling with people having a good time. What can I say that hasn't already been said? If you've never been there, then just go! You might have to wait to get in, but it's worth it. One of my favorites on their menu is The Luigi's Wedge Salad. A small one is a great bargain, and it's not exactly small. It's the perfect combination of lettuce, Prosciutto, onions, avocado, and cherry tomatoes in a delicious creamy basil salad dressing. Make sure and ask to have it chopped, and get a side order of pickled tongue to top it all off. It's a combination made in heaven. The Luigi sandwich is also another real favorite. Match it with a Peroni on tap, and just sit back and enjoy life. The patio out back is a great place to dine too. Every single person who works there is as nice as can be, and the deli next door is stocked with lots of fine foods and wine, and they have an excellent selection of various types of bleu cheese. Needless to say, Luigi's is a real fave.

We spent several days in Bakersfield and loved it. We wanted to have one last meal there so this…read moretime we went with Italian at Uricchio's Trattoria. We loved it so much, not only did we dine there, we ordered a bunch of food to go and drove it home to heat up and eat the next day. The next day food was just as great as when we ate there. It just has wonderful dishes. Founder by Nick Uricchio, and his son Steve they opened Uricchio's Trattoria, clearly a family affair. Sadly, Nick died some time ago. He was the nicest guy and always had a smile on his face. His nick name was Papa Nick. He always said hello to the customers and was just a doll. Go in his honor. It is just as great as when Nick was there. Steve is usually there to greet you and he is wonderful. Uricchio's Trattoria offers a great selection of appetizers, soups (a must) and entrees to satisfy anyone. They have fresh seasonal dishes prepared with care from Executive Chef Raphael Hernandez who has been there forever I think. Parking is easy. Make a reservation, you want to do that. It gets crowded. We have been there without one before and loved sitting at the bar and eating. Anything with shrimp is great. All of their pastas are great. We loved their spaghetti and meat balls. Their vegetables are made right. They don't consider it something just to toss on your plate. They are al dente and so great. Their Linguini pasta with shrimp, scallops, clams and mussels in a tomato basil marinara sauce is my favorite and they have the best salads and desserts. It is a must stop in Bakersfield. The place is beautiful.

This review actually breaks my heart to write this. I LOVED…read moreuricchios. I owned a downtown salon and would recommend my clients and friends to go there for dinner. My husband and I did date night there often when we were dating. The owners were so sweet and knew of Me. I moved out of Bakersfield 6 years ago. I was visiting my parents in Bakersfield two weeks ago who had never been to uricchios and I couldn't wait to take them to dinner there! I called ahead the day before and made reservations for myself, my mom and dad, and my husband. We sat down and the place was empty on a Saturday, just a couple tables occupied. My mom ordered a Cesar salad and it was warm! We waited an hour and 15 minutes and our food never came out. No one came and gave us an update but we kept getting sent numerous appetizers "on the house". Sodas were watered down. Bread was mediocre. Finally after an hour and 15 minutes we got up and left. Whatever was happening in the kitchen was not a good sign! They appeared to be struggling despite being not busy at all. I have never been more disappointed in a restaurant, my husband and I had to get in n out on the grapevine for dinner. I was so embarrassed that I even recommended for my family and my husband to do a dinner at uricchios, much less RAVED about it. I'm so sad what has happened to my favorite bakersfield restaurant, but all good things come to an end. I won't ever be back

Part of the fun while in a different town is to try local restaurants. I did that while in…read morePorterville, CA. I dined at Don Vino's. It's an Italian restaurant with Italian and Mexican dishes. It's located in the heart of the downtown Porterville. The downtown is the cutest with its charming brick sidewalks and modern street lamps with an old fashion look. The restaurant has a secure back parking lot with an entrance. Or you can enter from the front, the street parking is angled lots so no parallel to parking fussiness. They were are able to accommodate large parties if you make reservations in advance. My large-ish group were even able to get separate checks. Appreciate that. Our waitress did a great job handling our table and her other tables. We were immediately served our drinks and complimentary focaccia bread and olive oil n vinegar was brought to the table. I ordered the chicken parmigiana ($20) and requested no mozzarella cheese on top. The waitress informed me that there is some parmesan cheese sprinkled on the spaghetti noodles. Very attentive of her to ask. The plate and food came out hot. The chicken filet was thick but all so tender and moist. Nice amount of breading and without the mozzarella on top just like I requested. Excellent. The serving size was ample. The spaghetti sauce was tasty with a touch of sweetness. Not harsh tasting at all. The noodles were cooked to a perfect doneness. Having a HFCS aversion, I forgot to ask about the sauce but I had no effects. So I'm going go out on a limb and say the sauce has no HFCS.

After my subpar experience at The Palace, I was looking for a new place to have dinner with friends…read morewhile in Porterville. Hoping for a place with good drinks and great food. One of them suggested we try Don Vinos as they have a decent bar area. We went on Friday evening and it wasn't a little busy but not so much that it was obnoxious. Also, even though it was busy, our waitress was on it. As soon as we sat down, she brought over menus and took our drink orders. When I asked about what kind of margaritas they had, she informed me which ones were made with fresh in-house squeezed juice. They all sounded amazing but I opted for the standard with fresh squeezed lemon/lime juice. Our drinks were brought to us not 5 minutes later and then we gave our orders. We ordered the chips and guacamole as an appetizer for the table. It was brought out shortly after we ordered it and was a good portion for 4 people. However, I just wish the guac had more salt as it was a bit bland. For an entree, I opted for the Chili Verde Pizza, which seemed to be the perfect item from this place (an Italian themed restaurant with several Mexican dishes). And, oh man...was this amazing. They use the chili verde sauce as the sauce for the pizza, which is brilliant. Also, the pork had just enough spice. All of my friends and I enjoyed our entrees except for one: A friend of mine had ordered the Fettuccini Alfredo he had on a previous trip to Don Vino's but told me that the new preparation was different from his last time having the dish and it was not as great as before. Other than that, we all finished our dishes and were satisfied. I definitely recommend Don Vino's as a must go in Porterville. The only things keeping me from giving it a 5-star review were the guac being a bit bland and the consistency of dishes being a bit off for my friend. Also, if you don't like super loud restaurants, this might be a skip as the acoustics in there are loud. Other than that, the servers are attentive, the drinks are delicious, and the food is good.

Tony's Pizza is my go-to when craving pizza. This place is a no frills place but their pizza is…read morefire!! Tony's Pizza is located in a strip mall type area so parking is plentiful. Walk up to the counter, place your order and wait for your number/name to be called. It's great for large parties and TV's located throughout the restaurant. Staff is friendly and quick getting your order ready. Expect longer than average wait times on Friday nights or Sunday's. They do charge a credit card fee. If you are in the moody for great pizza, give Tony's Pizza a try. I ordered a medium Tony's Combo with jalapeño's and pineapple (don't judge..lol) and an order of potato wedges. My total was about $41 (expensive? Yes, but I like good quality pizza).

Wanted something different other than eating fish for lent. So I order a medium pizza from Tony's…read moreand they had a veggie pizza with tomato, olives, onions, green bell peppers, mushrooms and spinach. Honestly I haven't had pizza with any spinach on it before but once I got it and taste it not bad. The service was quick got it before noon and didn't wait that long. Tony's is always a hit when I order plus it's near by me if you want some good pizza come to Tony's Pizza.

Omgosh! I i cant recommend this place enough!! The food is so good and savory. With very authentic…read moredishes that are fresh! Ive had the chilliquies, menudo and the chili renello. Its definitely worth our stop off the 99 drive!

This place should be much more famous. We stopped here on our way from LA to Yosemite with the kids…read morebegging for McDonald's. They complaned that they don't want Mexican, that the menu is in Spanish and that, well, it's not McDonald's. We were able to convince them to try the taco, rice and beans. Once they did they were hooked. They kept ordering more and asked if we can get to go orders for later. We (the adults) had the popusas and sopes. Honestly, the best Mexican food we ever had!