I had an AMAZING dinner at Mezzo Italiano! The restaurant itself has a very cozy, homey vibe. I loved the pink light fixtures. To start, my partner and I split a Caesar salad that had a delicious, lemony Caesar dressing. I ordered the Chicken Parmesan for my entree, and it was perfect. Seriously one of the best dinners I've ever had. I'm not usually a tomato lover, and I often find myself scraping excess sauce off of my Italian dishes. Here, I found myself scraping my plate trying to get more sauce on my chicken. It was incredible! My partner had the lasagna and let me take a few bites. It was also great!! Very flavorful. Victoria is the best! She is seating guests, waiting tables, and cooking the food. And doing it all flawlessly! Can't recommend this spot enough. read more

Mezzo Italiano - Caesar Salad - Italian Near Me - Cambria, California

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I went to Mezzo Italiano with my mom a few weeks back and it definitely left something to be desired. I work in the food service industry and the quantity of food we received was nowhere near the cost of any of the items, even with the price spike in the cost of tomatoes. The garlic bread was a ciabatta roll, sliced in half and then cut into thirds. There was no binder of any form in the meatballs so unfortunately, they fell apart as soon as you touched them with an eating utensil. Additionally, the portions were extremely small, the marinara sauce was lacking flavor, but the mushroom sauce was actually pretty good! Overall, I think the owner is biting off a little more than they can chew doing both the cooking and the food service. I know I'll probably get a negative response from the owner in regard to this review but what can you do! This is my honest feedback! read more

The minute you walk in your transported back to a 1950 postmodern vibe... imagine the light shining through pink carnival glass and that is the ambience visual when you walk in has a quirky vibe, which is by design. This is a quaint small restaurant with 18 seats inside, so you really need to make a reservation. What impress me was the fact that every meal for the most part had a vegan option to it in the restaurant it's more than happy to accommodate. They even have a two bite policy. If your food is not right within two bites, let them know and they'll fix it how many restaurants offer that ? This is Italian food with the California twist as they like to call it. It's enjoyable food If you keep an open mind. The owner and head chef is Victoria and Scott was our server who was very friendly and helpful. if you're vegan and visiting Cambria and you're hungry... and, If you are looking for something different... come check out Mezzo Italiano. read more

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The food was highly under seasoned and overpriced. Bowl of cavatappi pasta with marinara sauce for $18. I added a meatball for $6 which was the size of a quarter and overcooked. The service was fine. The restaurant is very small so you will definitely know the table next to you. . read more

Food was lovely. Fresh ingredients, and a bit of a spin on the the traditional flavors. Features lots of fresh and organic ingredients. * Chicken Soup -- Nice, home made taste. Organic chicken, fresh veggies. * Caesar Salad -- Very good. Fresh, crisp romaine, lemony dressing, grated Parmesan, perfect crostini. * Chicken Parmesan -- Nice hearty dish. Organic chicken, perfectly crisp exterior, tender juicy inside, melty cheese. Pasta with choice of sauces -- puttanesca recommended by our server Scott was excellent. Marinara base, good heat, capers for tang. Fresh mixed veggies on the side. * Rolioli -- Basically a giant ravioli filled with ricotta-pesto cheese. Choose your sauce. To be different with this dish, we tried the butternut squash sauce which was delightful. Buttery and creamy. Features a selection of organic Italian wines and beer. Smallish dining room, and a few outdoor pet friendly tables (but only one with a real heater). Scott our server was friendly and awesome with his recommendations. read more

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Took 30 minutes for the food to come out. Chicken parm charge $6 extra for pasta and $11 for veggies that suppose to come with it because the portion is more for 2 years old. Recommend go to a fancier restaurant for the same price and better portion. So the lady waitress is the owner. Other reviews said she fight back to customers instead of take it for improvement and have weird vibe. She does have some kind of vibe that is off putting. Not every bad reviews are to hurt you intentionally but to open your eyes for growth. read more

Great meal. Everything we had was good, meatballs, eggplant parmesan, chicken parmesan and garlic bread. Small place but it wasn't crowded the night we were there. Small menu but enough choices. Good service. Recommend making a reservation. Four and a half stars. read more

We were very very excited to try Mezzo, as we had heard it was delicious. However, we didn't realize that children under 10 were not allowed (which is very understandable and we would have loved to come back as a couple alone). Upon arrival, an older woman greeted us with, "Um is that a baby? Yeah, no kids under 10." With a roll of the eyes and as if we were a burden to even come into the restaurant. There was nobody there except for one other table, and the entire strip had a wait time of about 1 hour which is why we had hoped we could come in. Overall, extremely disappointed in the professionalism and won't be coming back. read more

I've given this review a lot of thought. As an elite member, my goal is to provide constructive comments to the business owner and helpful facts to those choosing a place to enjoy a meal. I want small business owners to succeed. This is a cozy small dining room. Food is Italian with a California twist. No pizza here. This establishment has these notes on the menu: No children under 10 Minimum check $50 Two bite guarantee - if something is not good, notify server after two bites and they will fix it. This might be uncomfortable but the owner wants you to do so. Our meal - Bruschetta was outstanding - heirloom tomatoes heavenly. The veggies served with our pasta were amazing - clearly farm to table. We had lasagna & raviolio. The sauces were overly reduced, very salty. Victoria, the owner shared with the dining room that she was short handed, cooking and serving as well. For this reason, we did not bring up complaints because it was clear there were staffing challenges that evening. She is to be commended for her hard work. We will go back when we visit Cambria in the spring. The mushroom appetizer sounds wonderful. Ambiance was fine. Eclectic & kitschy. I am firm on one suggestion- we came to the restaurant after a day of wine tasting. Montepulciano house wine was good. This is Central coast wine country - please consider serving the wine in wine glasses! read more

Just got into Cambria after a long day of driving and decided to order take out from here. BIG MISTAKE. We ordered the lasagna which was bland as ever. And their rolioli which was not only bland but like a strange overcooked, hard rolled pasta thing? The thing was so hard it was almost inedible. We also got the garlic bread which was very small but okay. Our total for the three items was around $72 so I was expecting a generous portion. WRONG. There was barely any food!! And because the rolioli was hard and practically inedible, we had to get a second dinner. Waste of money. Don't recommend. read more

Mezzo Italiano - Lasagna (Small portions and bland) - Italian Near Me - Cambria, California

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We had a lovely dinner at Mezzo on our last day visiting Cambria. From what we saw of it, Mezzo Italiano is a small restaurant that feels like you're eating in a family living room. (There might be more to the place but we didn't look around.) We were there really early for dinner service, so we were the only customers there until we were checking out. Obviously, we got great service! They offer online reservations which might be a good idea during busier hours. There were some yummy vegetarian/vegan items on the menu and everything we ordered was wonderful. read more

Food ranked with the best vegan food we've ever had at a restaurant. The owner is very charming and friendly and the atmosphere has an eclectic charm and coziness that is really fun and inviting. read more

I never write reviews. But, my husband and I were so enamored with this place, I had to say something. It feels like you walked into your favorite friend's house. My husband loved the lasagna and I loved the meatballs with creamy porcini sauce. We will be back. read more

Who needs a traditional turkey dinner when you can have Italian perfection instead? We decided to ditch the stuffing and cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving and ordered takeout from Mezzo Italiano while visiting Cambria. Best. Decision. Ever. First up, the lasagna. It was so good, I'm 90% sure the chef sold their soul to perfect that homemade sauce. The side veggies? So fresh, they might've been plucked from a garden out back while I waited. Then there was the chicken parm. Juicy, crunchy, and still warm after takeout--basically the unicorn of chicken dishes. We paired it with marinara this time, but the puttanesca is already calling our name for round two. Oh, and the Caesar salad? Who knew lettuce could be this exciting? If salads could win awards, this one would have its own trophy case. Honestly, everything was spot-on. If this is what Italian takeout tastes like, I might just forget how to cook at home. Compliments to the chef for ruining Thanksgiving dinner forever--because now I'll only want theirs! read more

We enjoyed Mezzo for probably the fifth time this weekend. It changes a bit every time we go but we always have great meals there! My only comment is more Rollioli. It's so good and I could eat a portion 3x the size :). We also had the meatballs and chicken I enjoy the owners comments below they are hilarious! read more

Adorable restaurant. Service was excellent. Victoria went out of her way to make our party of eight feel welcome. The vegan mushroom soup was a 10/10! Spectacular! Flavor depth was complex. Also highly recommend the Caesar salad. The dressing was fresh and the remain thieves were crisp and don't forget the garlic bread. All of our pasta dishes were spot on, and I loved my meatballs. Overall, an excellent experience with a great vibe. read more

In addition to the cozy setting in a beautiful town, this restaurant had a truly unique and delicious menu. We enjoyed everything we tried, especially the mushroom starter and garlic bread! The vegan ice cream was extra special. We also appreciated the attentive and personable service. Can't wait to go back! read more

The best Chicken Parmigiana I've ever had, the Caesar salad was fresh and delicious, the chicken soup was homemade and amazing! The restaurant is run by the owner who is also the chef -- it's really a remarkable little restaurant, you don't go here for fast service -- you go here for the food, ambience, and very good wine as well, wonderful!!!! read more

Went in for dinner and left before being seated. Very strange smell in the restaurant and gave off a weird vibe to us. Just didn't have the same feel as most of Cambria. read more

We came here on a recommendation and we were so happy we did. We had a reservation but we were able to get in 30 minutes early. We started with the bruchetta which was wonderful and the ricotta was so fresh. My husband had the Eggplant parm with punttanesca sauce and said it was fried perfectly and it was the best Eggplant he'd ever had. I had the chicken parm with polenta and marinara. It was absolutely delicious. The polenta was baked perfectly and the chicken tasted like it was fresh (unfrozen) and you could tell it was organic. Both dishes came with fresh steamed veggies and let me tell you they WERE fresh and cooked so simply but cooked perfectly and full of flavor. This is a small resturant and decorated in an eclectic style including animal print ts which I love. Service was wonderful and prompt. We would highly recommend! read more

It was late when we arrived in Cambria, so I'm not even sure if outdoor dining was closed or not allowed. We walked in, smelled the wonderful aroma from the kitchen, and decided to order dinner here. The food was extraordinary! But, let me say first to get it out of the way that the Focaccia bread was more like pita bread. The lady who took our order made it sound so good, and it smelled so good in the restaurant that we agreed to add it with our order. What a bummer! However, it was nice and warm, so I still ate some of the bread. It was okay, it just wasn't what we expected. Damn it, my expectations were high since I walked into the restaurant and smelled the delicious aroma! The Beet Salad, which I freakin' accidentally deleted my pic of it, was amazingly tasty. I shouldn't be surprised since beets are naturally sweet. But with the feta and housemade vinaigrette, the salad aroused my palette. The breaded Eggplant Parmesan was still hot when we got to our hotel. It comforting and delightful at the same time with fontina and Parmesan as well the slightly sweet marinara sauce over the pasta. Overall we had an excellent meal on our first night in Cambria. Woo hoo! More food adventures coming up in this seaside village! read more

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I normally won't leave reviews, but I am still really sad about the price we paid for the quality of food. So while the food was all edible, the portions were extremely small and it's what I would expect of myself if I made Italian food. We got a pizzette, two entrees, and some rolls and it cost us over $100. We went to a local Mexican spot the next day, same thing, plus two beers $53. Look I'm not saying don't eat here, people enjoy it, but if you're trying to get the best flavor for your buck, consider other options. Also, and I'm really sorry if I offend you, the rolls were terrible. I do not recommend. I'm not sure if they were gluten free or not (they weren't marked as such). And I didn't see a posting on the menu or near the entrance that they have a two bite rule (if they say they do, I'm sure we just overlooked it). We would have taken that up. I'm really sorry to leave this review, I'm not trying to be a dick, I just don't want someone to feel sad about blowing their dinner budget on this restaurant. read more

Mezzo Italiano is one of the best restaurants in Cambria. The food, ambiance and service are out of this world. If you come expecting Olive Garden quality food then Mezzo is probably not in alignment with your expectations. They are organic & offer gluten free & vegan if that is your preference. My favorites are crimini mushroom appetizer, Caesar salad & eggplant parmigiana. Be sure to make a reservation so you don't miss an opportunity to experience this absolute gem on the Central Coast. read more

Mezzo Italiano - Wine tasting - Italian Near Me - Cambria, California

Our dinner was like sitting in someone's home and being treated to the best of Italian home cooking imaginable. From start to finish, Victoria made sure we understood what was on offer, explaining everything with a pleasant and welcoming demeanor. Then as each dish arrived, we smacked our lips with delight to taste such divinely prepared courses that felt like dining at a friend's home in Italy. By the end of our meal, we enthusiastically embraced Victoria as if a new friend and only regret that we live so far from Cambria that we can't make it back here every week. NOT TO BE MISSED. read more

Every dish we ordered was delicious, and every ingredient is perfect. The server was very friendly and forthcoming, and after we ate the cook came out to tell us about her food and restaurant. It's very cosy for a small party. read more

We stumbled upon this place after a long day. We were welcomed kindly and the service was fantastic. The ambiance was fabulous, intimate, and had very personalized aesthetic which I deeply appreciated. The decor and music was so cute and brought a wonderful feeling. The garlic bread was heavenly! I ordered the 7 layer lasagna and it was delicious. My boyfriend ordered the chicken parm and it was breathtaking. We also enjoyed the lemon blueberry cheesecake and the vanilla gelato, both were very tasty! The house white was perfect for my taste! This place is great for a date night and we were so lucky to have gotten seated with no reservation. Highly recommend making a reservation so you don't miss out! Victoria, the owner, came to our table to check in with us and was very pleasant. We would love to come back here! read more

Mezzo Italiano - Beautiful bar area3 - Italian Near Me - Cambria, California

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The best chicken Parmesan I have ever had! Guarantee you will love it! We will definitely make it a point to come here every single trip we make to San Simeon & Cambria. read more

This tiny restaurant was pretty delicious! They had several vegetarian options which were great and the server was really nice. We shared the bruschetta and I had the chicken Parmesan. It was all delicious and freshly made. We shared the cannoli at the end of our meal. This little restaurant was great and I'd highly recommend it! It kind of gave me Twilight vibes read more

Mezzo Italiano - Chicken Parmesan with pasta and veggies. - Italian Near Me - Cambria, California

The service and food were excellent! The best vegetables I've ever tasted and a dessert I will be dreaming about for some time!!

We LOVE this place! The eggplant with polenta and spicy sauce is soooo good. We also had an exquisite Meyer lemon cheesecake with raspberries and walnuts. To die for! Everything I ate was gluten free. This is our second time at this restaurant and we will be back for sure. Don't be swayed by the quirky vibe inside!! Sure, it's different but the food and service is excellent. read more

We only saw 2 parking spaces on the street that was odd. Walked in and it was warm and musty smelling. Didn't get a good look inside as we had a dog, so we were seated on the covered deck. This would have been great except for all the cob webs and leopard print material window covering. Should have left at that point. Caesar dressing has too much lemon.. noodles were over cooked on the lasagna and the sauce one note. Adding herbs would have been nice. Garlic bread was good. read more

I had dinner here tonight and it was excellent. Ceaser salad, garlic bread, pasta with marinara and a meatball. Very tasty, however I stopped eating so I would not get too full for dessert. I was in town for 5 nights this was one of my favorite dinners. read more

This restaurant, delivered caring, attentive service with lots of helpful menu advice. The food tasted fresh, healthy, well thought through, and delicious. We finished every bite! read more

What a nice experience we had! I drove my family last night from Paso Robles (I, myself, drove in from Los Angeles that same afternoon) to see the Cambria Christmas lights everyone was raving about. Unfortunately, it was taken down. I didn't want to feel like we drove all that way for nothing so we drove past a few open eateries and we came across this one that my mom wanted to try. Upon walking in, we were greeted and told that we had just made the cutoff time for eating indoors. Their indoor can only seat about 12 in a small space (adds to the charm), so we sat at some funky cool-looking bar table. We ordered the lasagna with a meatball on the side, a pepperoni "pizzette" (small pizza) and we're told it takes 20-30 minutes to arrive, which we don't mind as we know making food from scratch and/or good preparation takes time. The server was very kind to us and once she brought the food out, we were delighted to see how good it looked. We were impressed with the quality and my mom noted how delicious the marinara was. We also ordered the lemon honey cheesecake which sounded like an interesting idea, but after a while weren't a fan of the after-taste. We were asked how it was, but we weren't sure what it lacked or what we would change so we said "everything was great", lol. All in all, it was a nice experience. The wait times allow for a nice chat with the family, and the service made us feel welcomed, even near closing. read more

Mezzo Italiano - Lasagna w/ a side of meatball. - Italian Near Me - Cambria, California

Strange customer service. My husband, young daughter and I came in tonight very early. There was one party in the restaurant with many open tables. The owner (or a waitress?) took one look at us and said she couldn't seat us tonight due to all the reservations. It was curt, without apology and lacking explanation. When we were leaving, we saw a sign that said the restaurant isn't suitable for young children. While I can't comment on the food, we felt very unwelcome and were so happy to find another warm, welcoming Italian restaurant down the road! read more

A cute and quaint little restaurant! I sat at the bar and absolutely loved the vibe of this place, the bar top is gorgeous and hand crafted by the owner Victoria. The vibe of the restaurant is very intimate, very homey feeling. It only seats 18 so it's small but I really enjoy this type of atmosphere. This is my second time here and both times I thought the food was fabulous, very clearly fresh ingredients. I will certainly be back on my next visit! read more

Mezzo Italiano - Beautiful bar top and cozy lighting - Italian Near Me - Cambria, California

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We stopped in last night, to cap off the first day of our road trip, and Mezzo did not disappoint. The hostess waiter was great. And very personable. The food was even better. The owner/chef even came out to say hello. I'd definitely recommend this place. And would even come back!! read more

Weird vibe inside. When we arrived with no reservations only one table was occupied. The waiter wasn't sure to squeeze us in. There were 4 tables empty. Caesar salad had very tart dressing on it and small portion. My husband's pasta wasn't cooked all the way. We waited for 45 minutes to get our dinner. Very slow. Disappointed. read more

Lucked out and got a table without a reservation, on a holiday weekend. Excellent, food and service.

Headed to Cambria for the weekend and decided to try this place. My wife and I were amused by the interaction between Mark and Victoria on Yelp....so we had to try the Caesar Salad. We also got the pizza with meatballs and salami, another one with pesto and their homemade lemon cookie and vanilla gelato ice cream sandwich. With respect to the salad, it was incredible! We actually prefer the lemon flavor over the typical anchovy standard Caesar. My wife and I shared it, but after her second helping, I finished it. She NEVER has a third bite of something, but tonight liked the salad so much that she was planning on it. Oops. My bad. Back in the doghouse I go. Both of the pizzas were very good. As a picky Italian, I rarely like the red sauce over the one I make, but this was very good as were the homemade meatballs. We finished this great meal off with homemade vanilla gelato sandwiched by two fresh, homemade lemon cookies. It was the perfect mix of sweet and sour. Of course after the "salad incident", I watched my wife (like a dog watching his master eat hoping for the last crumb), until she did give me the second half of this great dessert. All in all, Mezzo will be on our "must eat" list the time we head to Cambria again. read more

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