The chicken picatta and bread is out of this world. Also, the mushrooms was amazing. Jacques was awesome and provided great service for us. Thank you! read more

Ok, if you have kids and are eating in Santa Barbara, hit this place. Solid choices on the adult menu and great prices and options for the kids. It's not a place with the most amazing food, but when you balance price, portions, service, ambiance, food choices, etc., I think this place deserves high marks. Everything tasted fresh and cooked to order. I got the "Roma" which is. Capellini with tomato and kalamata olive...great presentation and complexity but lacked overall flavor. My wife's bolognese was decent. Someone in our group got the lasagna and loved it read more

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Had a really fun night there with my kiddos. Colorful, fun atmosphere, and casual. Great kids menu prices.

Walking along State Street the aroma of garlic wafted through the air and led us to Pascucci for a late lunch on a Sunday afternoon. There were open tables on the sidewalk patio so we decided to eat outside and people watch. The house garlic bread was delicious and the blackberry Italian soda I ordered was a refreshing accompaniment during our short wait for our food. I ordered the Italian cobb panini (which the menu emphatically states is a sandwich served on a bread roll that is not pressed or fried). It consisted of grilled chicken, tomato, lettuce, bacon, avocado and gorgonzola cheese. It came with a wonderfully fresh side salad. It was a delicious sandwich. All the flavors melded perfectly together and the gorgonzola gave it an exclamation mark. Service was attentive and friendly. Prices were reasonable. Eating a meal next to the sidewalk of State Street on a beautifully warm afternoon can't be beat. read more

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Pascucci is a long-standing sit down restaurant that moved to the 500 block of State just as Covid hit, which is great because the 500 block is where all the action is right now. They have a nice parklet - like all the delicious surrounding restaurants - and the whole block feels like a European Square in Amsterdam or Vienna. The service is consistently good, the furniture has charm, and the prices are reasonable for SB. It also has a legit kids menu and a casual vibe. SB has plenty of iconic restaurants, but only one place in town serves iconic bread. The bread is an absolute masterpiece, both for its crispy, cheesy flavor and the amazing consistency with which it is produced. While bread is a great start, Pascucci also follows that up with solid pasta dishes and sandwiches. I have tried many dishes, so depending on my mood I'll have the Pasta Pascucci, the Capri, or the Sienna - though the menu does change occasionally. I also love the Italian Cobb panini. This isn't handmade pasta, but it's a solid spot. read more

Pascucci - Pasta Pascucci. - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Friendly, attentive service, pretty awful food. The presentation of the baked brie and roasted garlic was humorous. The rosemary cream sauce on my pasta dish was interesting. Absolutely nothing we tasted even remotely resembled Italian food. read more

great food, service was quick and friendly , cute little Italian place. Came to visit santa barbara and went to yelp for help on lunch ideas and it came out with this place. Very pleased, will be back! read more

Pascucci - Chicken Parmigiana Sandwich with salad - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Short wait to be seated, food was good and homemade. A convenient spot for Italian food on Main Street. read more

We were waiting for a table on state street and felt like Italian so it was between two restaurants, ended up getting a seat here first. It was really loud and dark but still cute ambiance. They follow the covid guidelines well and the waitress we had was very nice. LOVED the freshly squeezed citrus juice, and the garlic bread was a bit hard but very garlicky which we enjoyed. My moms vegetarian portofino was good and full of veggies, the bellagio was very creamy and flavorful but a bit too creamy for my liking. The Caesar salad was also good but not amazing, which was how we felt overall about Pascucci! read more

Pascucci - Bellagio, Portofino - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Their customer service is great, I can say that with confidence. They're always pretty busy, likely due to their location and ambiance. If you're on state street and want some Italian food, definitely give Pascucci's a try. I have been here a few times and never leave disappointed... But I give them 4 stars because their food isn't necessarily fantastic. It's good, but definitely not 5 stars good. read more

The staff were really nice and I feel bad, but the food was really bad. Meatballs were inedible, mushrooms had no flavoring and the chicken was hammered. read more

Great service and lovely ambiance. Food is very nice. My family really enjoyed this place. I've been coming for years and it never disappoints. read more

Came here for a quick lunch with my daughter and dog after a little shopping downtown. It wasn't too busy since it was early in the afternoon on a Friday, which was great. They have patio, inside and outdoor seating, so plenty of tables. I ordered the pascucci pasta that had fettuccini, chicken, shrimp in a Cajun Alfredo sauce. So delicious and the portion was big! I got my daughter daughter a kids cheese pizza that came with six slices and was decent sized. The garlic bread was amazing as well! read more

Mmmmmm. Ice cream sucks. Beer fine. Saw no one. Bye no one. Don't bother. Sometime they say your review is a little short but that's all you've got to say about some place like this... read more

Pascucci - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Oh man, used to love this place but I can't make excuses for it anymore. I don't recommend it in any capacity whatsoever. The location is great but the charm is fading and no longer makes up for the mid food and TERRIBLE service. There are simply way too many great places to eat in SB to give this place your business. A comfortable AVOID. read more

I've been eating at Pascucci for many, many years. I remember when it was in a smaller location in Paseo Nuevo. The old location didn't have the character and charm of the new spot but it did have the same great food at good prices. For me, this spot is perfect. Right on State St. Nice atmosphere, a bit romantic and the price is nice. I don't think you can find another meal this good in S.B. at this price point. The Pasta Pascucci is excellent. Shrimp & chicken in a spicy tomato cream sauce over linguini. Mmmmmm. $14.99 for dinner or $13.50 for lunch. read more

Pascucci - Walking south on State St. - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I went here after it was recommended from a friend. The place is very nice. The walls and the interior are a little outdated and aren't the cleanest. Also, the restaurant is very dark and it makes it hard to take quality pictures. My friend and I order the same dish. They have a really good menu that comes with salad, entree, and dessert for 24$. We both picked the same deal. I got the chicken piccata with fettuccine on the side. The server was also very patient and kind. The reason I give this place a 3 out of 5 is because it's a semi outdated and the food isn't the greatest. Italian food cculd be phenomenal if it were to be authentic to what is in season. Overall, I enjoyed catching up with my friend, and the deal of food we got for the price. read more

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Located on State St. across the street from McConnell's Ice Cream. They got patio seating small circular tables where they allow dogs. Inside has that authentic Italian decor, Great place to take for big parties. We got there on an off time so worked out for us, got very prompt service. Basket of garlicky bread infiltrated our noses. Ordered: Antipasti: Mozzarella di Bufalo - perfect balance of mozzarella/tomato, drizzle of balsamic vinegar and topped with chopped garlic, basil and few capers just enough to burst in your mouth when you bite into it. Entree: Milano-comes with spinach linguine w shrimp in a cream sauce but it lacked something. Bit to bland Penne Alfredo Piccante w Shrimp- this dish comes with mushrooms and it was perfect Siena-this dish is their spin on " chicken marsala" and comes with "breaded broccoli" let's just say it's a complete fail. No part of this taste like chicken Marsala. The broccoli is terrible. Don't try it! The chicken wasn't good, broccoli was a mash, like baby food. I actually just asked for a different plate. (This a new item on their menu) Went and got Penne Alfredo Piccante w Chicken instead They server was kind enough to not charge me for it. Overall service was great. Food was good. Ambiance was nice read more

15min to get water, after the water 10/12min to get bread, another 10/15min after receiving the bread..we get the check and NOT, any of the wine or appetizers we ordered and of course we didn't see the entrees either. But yes..please follow me as I and my party walk out and ask if we paid lol, paid for what my guy? Gotta give service to receive compensation right? Or am I wrong? read more

Inviting looking restaurant right on State St. Assumed we couldn't go wrong... but we were. Staff and general service were great, very attentive and kind. The first odd thing we noticed was how fast the food came out, like McDonalds fast! Both of us had dishes with Alfredo sauce... And the Alfredo sauce seemed like water. The chicken on both dishes did not seem seasoned in any way... And also felt like a mushy boiled chicken. Im no expert on how to season Italian meals, But both dishes were extremely bland. I used salt and pepper and it didn't help. I'm not a picky eater at all, but this was a really poor experience. My guest felt fine after eating there, but I unfortunately was up all night. I'll spare those details. So many great restaurants especially in this area of Santa Barbara, but if you're looking for great Italian, plenty of other options. read more

Yesterday my partner and I had been at the Santa Barbara Orchid Show and then wanted to grab a bite to eat before heading back to Los Angeles. We took a long slow stroll up and down State Street and I kept saying, "There used to be a great Italian restaurant somewhere on the west side of the street that I always enjoyed." At the end of our stroll--there it was! Pascucci! And again a great meal/experience was about to be had. My partner had a Godfather Margarita and I enjoyed a Bulleit Old Fashioned. Then on to appetizers. We looked across at the next table, saw that they were enjoying 2 dishes so we inquired--the Roasted Garlic with Baked Brie (with Pears) and the Marsala Mushrooms. We had to get both--Yum! Big thumbs up to both dishes. For entrées we enjoyed the Spaghetti Bolognese and the Eggplant Parmesan (that comes with a side of Fettucine Alfredo). Both were delicious. Might I add at this point that all of the portions are quite sizeable. Note: You'll likely be taking a doggie bag home. Outstanding value for the price!!! Very reasonable! We wrapped up the enjoyable meal with the Cheesecake and an Apple Crisp (of course, with ice cream). Overall, an outstanding meal/experience to a delightful day. The server, Silvano, was engaging and attentive without being overbearing. As were leaving we stopped to thank the Owner, Laura, who was gracious and appreciative of our stopping in. Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a great tasty, filling meal in a charming setting (both indoor and outdoor seating). read more

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Great food, great service, and great price. The menus is huge and it's hard to decide. I got the Spaghetti Carbonara and the wife got the Ravioli Sampler. It was good! Highly recommend this place! read more

Pascucci - Pasta menu - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Came here yesterday in early evening. Asked the woman server to sit and she says "pick a table" so we sat just outside within the patio. After sitting for over 10 minutes with no water, no "I'll be right with you guys" we literally stood up and left due to no service. Went and ate next door at the Cruisery and got IMMEDIATE service. Too bad heard this place had good food but this was unacceptable. read more

My rating of Pascucci is as indifferent as this once great restaurant has become toward the needs/wants of its customers. It is truly sad to see a favorite go down hill. Here is my short list of gripes and dinner hasn't even been served yet. 1. By 7pm they are out of more than one of their specialty dishes including favorite... eggplant parmigiana. 2. Half of their heat lamps are broken... the other half do not work because Pascucci is busy or too cheap to buy propane... really. 3. It is 30 minutes after we sat down and still no garlic bread has been served. 4. We still do not have silverware or napkins. 5. The large pizza is puny (see picture) 6. Every special request by my party of 6 was done wrong.... no dressing on the side... wrong pasta with main dish... cheese on top of dish we asked for no cheese... 7. The neglect and disregard for customers extended from the table to the bathroom! No paper towels and no toilet seat covers... what gives? For me, eating at Pascucci tonight was like watching a cherished friend slowly lose a battle against a terminal illness... truly sad!!! I only have 7 words for the owners of Pascucci... "Wake up and get your act together." P.S. A year ago this was a 5-Star restaurant... read my previous review... sad! read more

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Do yourself a big favor and skip this place. The service is the worst I've experience in Southern California. Our waiter was rude and made us feel rushed. I ordered eggplant parmesan extra crispy- it came out as a brown pile of mush with a very odd flavor. The fettuccine Alfredo is totally bland and flavorless. The chicken parmesan that my sister got was ok (on par with something from the frozen food aisle), and the chicken piccata that my other sister got was also flavorless. When I told my waiter that I didn't like the eggplant, he said "what's wrong with it?" And I told him it was the taste and texture. He *scoffed* and said "well, the same guy has been preparing it for over 30 years." He had been rude the whole dinner, but since I told him about the eggplant he hasn't returned to our table. The one good thing here is the garlic bread- it's actually delicious. read more

Pascucci - Mushy, bad tasting eggplant parm - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This. Place. Is. Amazing. I got the ravioli sampler and let me tell you - I've been dreaming of a restaurant offering a ravioli sampler for my entire life. The bread is absolutely amazing too - my boyfriend and I crushed like 6 baskets, no joke. Excellent flavor and service, quality authentic food. Nothing compares!!! read more

Pascucci - Roasted Garlic with Baked Brie - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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My husband and I dined here one evening during our visit. It was during Covid, so we did have to eat outside, but that was OK. It was a Friday night, so it was very lively. The service was fast and the staff was friendly. We didn't have to wait long for our food. This has earned them the two stars I'm giving, otherwise it would be one. They serve complimentary garlic bread, but unfortunately, ours was stale. I ordered the Bellagio which is a bowtie pasta with sun-dries tomatoes and smoked chicken. The pictures on yelp looked amazing so I had to try it. Unfortunately, the smoked chicken flavor was very overwhelming. The strong flavor wouldn't allow you to taste the other flavors in the dish, so I was disappointed. It looks great, but it wasn't. The table next to us had also ordered the dish and I overheard them say they didn't like the smoked chicken either. Maybe the "smoked" chicken needs to go? My husband had the spaghetti bolognese with meatballs and it wasn't good. The meatballs were very small and the flavors were mediocre. It just tasted like spaghetti with tomato sauce on it. There wasn't really anything special about the experience. read more

Pascucci - Bellagio Pasta. Looks good, but the smoked chicken was really overwhelming. - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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We were quickly seated on a Saturday night. I loved how attentive they were to our table and always asked if we needed anything else. The food came fast enough as well. My dish was the Bellagio which was amazing, I love bow tie pasta. The bread was great and even better with Balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I will be coming back soon! This is a gem in downtown Santa Barbara! Perfect drunk food and amazing wine. read more

The restaurant just needs to be closed down once and for all. Enough of scamming the customers with lowest quality Italian food for years. The menu items descriptions such as the steak are highly deceptive. The steak says "wrapped in pancetta" but really it's just sprinkled with bacon bits appropriate for a cheap baked potato. It also smelled rotten. My daughter asked more sauce and cheese on her pasta they up-charge several dollars per item request without telling you. Then they saw my wife and daughter sharing one bite of her salad and up charged for "splitting" the salad. Beyond disappointed and disgusted with this establishment and their tactics. read more

Food was terrible save your money lol, service was great though and our server was very kind and attentive

Terrible food. Couldn't eat my ravioli. Will not be going back. Place felt really dirty.

To start with, the food was okay. The service started off okay as well, but then it was super slow. Took about an hour to get our food, we had a pretty big group, but the restaurant was pretty empty aside from 2 other tables that had no more than 3 people in them. We all had asked for our bill, it took another hour or so to get it. Service could definitely be a lot better. read more

If you're going to Pasucci, AVOID Silvano the server at all costs. Before I get to my horrible experience with Silvano, let me discuss the positives. The food was great, the free garlic bread even better, and the wait to be seated wasn't very long. This would have easily been a 5-star review raving about my new go-to place whenever I'm in town, but Silvano ruined it. Silvano served me a meal, and upon taking a bite, I realized it wasn't what I was hoping for and had asked to switch it. When I asked for a meal swap, Silvano decided to press me on "what was wrong" with the meal. I followed up and said I didn't expect it to be a lemony grilled chicken with marinara sauce, I thought it would be breaded (as I ordered the Chicken Parmigiana). Then, Silvano proceeds to smile and laugh, insinuating that I was being ridiculous, arguing with me about the taste of the food. After some back and forth, he settled with a "fine, what do you want". I wanted to be easy, so I just asked for a full plate of Fettucini Alfredo (the Chicken Parm comes with a half plate of it). So he brings it to me and I thought the problem was solved. Then the bill comes and he still charged me for a meal I never ate, and when I asked about it, Silvano again gave me an attitude, approached the table, and said "well there was nothing wrong with it". If there was nothing wrong with it, why would I send it back? It wasn't what I was expecting so I wanted something else. At this point I was so irritated that this guy wanted to fight me on, first the way my food tasted, second why I wanted to change it, and third on why he insisted on charging me for a meal I didn't eat. I straight up told Silvano, I have never been to an establishment where asking for a meal change was such a big issue. He went and asked the owners and they approved my request, but for this guy to double down and argue with me was just ridiculous. Please, go here and enjoy the great food, just avoid Silvano as your waiter at all costs, unless you want an argument with your meal. read more

After my latest visit here my last review from 2011 is in dire need of an updated one. I've been coming to Pascucci's for many years and as time has passed by the quality of food has not necessarily gone downhill but the consistency has changed. Just take a look at my pictures from over the years and you will see the difference. If you frequent this place you know the main thing everyone looks forward to when dining here is the garlic bread. Yes it's a simple thing but I remember looking forward to this treat while waiting for my main meal. The bread used now has changed and it's not the same. The bread is not as soft and buttery or cheesy as it once was. Lately it's been too hard, dry, butterless, and reduced in size. Who can screw up a simple thing? I really wish you guys would go back to the original bread from back in the day. The pasta dishes are decent but seem to lack flavor. They aren't as tasty as I remember them to be and are mediocre rather than outstanding dishes. Especially for $13.99! They've cut back on ingredients and the sauce doesn't taste the same either. Take it from someone who used to love this place and I've had the same dishes over and over such as the Cortina, Sienna, Pasta Pascucci, and the Belagio. These dishes were my go to because they had so much flavor and were delicious! Not sure if they've changed chefs or what but the quality and flavor are definitely lacking. The customer service here is hit or miss. On my latest visit our waiter was ok but he didn't check on us as often as I felt he should have, and the restaurant wasn't busy at all so I don't know where he was when he wasn't tending to our area. The tables use to have parmesan cheese and I didn't see any on the tables in our area so I asked the waiter for parm and he comes back with a small plate of shaved parm. I was thinking WTH? Not that freshly grated parmesan isn't bad but a simple shaker of parm is what I was expecting. It's the little things I'm used to that I miss here. Overall if you're in the mood for Italian I wouldn't say avoid this place but don't expect to be Wowed by it. Prices are steep and portions are smaller than what they once were. I will continue to come here upon my sons request because he enjoys this place and I can't turn down his request. read more

Pascucci - Pasta pascucci - Fetuccini Alfredo with chicken and shrimp in a spicy cream sauce - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Really cozy vibes in a restaurant that's in a pocket of downtown! I always passed by this store but never bothered to look in. It's bigger than it looks. The atmosphere felt like someone's living room. Some of the furniture was oddly arranged (like the half-circle seats by the bar) but I liked the busy ambiance. It was packed when we went on a Saturday night, but cleared around 8:30. I got the salmon and lemon-herb pasta. It was interesting! I don't often eat my pasta with this sauce but I enjoyed it enough. It could've used more seasoning. We also tried the Milano, chicken parm, and Pasta Pascucci. The chicken parm tasted exactly how it should. The Milano reminded me of a more garlicky alfredo. You can't go wrong with it. The Pasta Pascucci was good too. It says spicy but it's not actually spicy. For dessert, we had tiramisu. The bread was S O G G Y. Like a really wet sponge! As in, the texture felt gross in your mouth. I enjoyed the cream part of it but I don't recommend the tiramisu at all. All in all, I think I had a mediocre pasta experience. The wait was pretty long, the food was at an expected price but not really worth it, the bathrooms were gross and I think I can make better pasta at home. It was a nice experience to go out with friends though! read more

Food is decent, not great. service was lacking server had to be called several times to the table and never checked in with us even though it was pretty empty 4pm on a Wednesday. They should offer fresh grated parmesan not the cheap powder stuff you get a takeout pizza joint. Grade C read more

Give it a miss! Stayed the night in Santa Barbara and my daughter wanted Italian. This place looked good, we were wrong. We got seated at a table in the 'courtyard' which looked like a storage space. There were no other tables to move to. Took ages for someone to take our drinks order.....at this point we should have left! The 'garlic bread' was inedible. The shrimp badly cooked, the pesto pasta not great. My daughter enjoyed hers and it was cheap'ish so I guess you do get what you pay for. We love tiramisu, which was on the menu but we didn't want to stick around for desert. read more

TLDR: Bad food, worse service, 75% comp for 98% uneaten entrees. My mistake for choosing pseudo-Italian cuisine. The shrimp and chicken piccata were genuinely gross, but the bruschetta was good. I politely told the waitress, an older heavy-set white lady, "This is totally not your fault, but this really isn't for us". My partner and I had eaten about two bites each, and we were obviously not trying to free-load a meal. The waitress was immediately defensive, telling us that "Nothing is going to taste right after eating garlic bread and bruschetta" which is especially funny because those were our appetizers. She told us we could only get our entrees comped if we ordered something else, we looked at the menu again, but didn't want to order something else because the food was bad. She ended up comping the entrees 75% and we paid full for the bruschetta (Fair because it was alright); that would have been totally fine if she wasn't so rude! Instead of politely informing us that she had to charge us partially and that she was sorry we didn't like the food, she told us how there was nothing wrong with the food, how our entrees were the second best sellers, how the appetizers we ate prevented the food from tasting good (LOL). That was not needed and extremely unprofessional. I understand having to pay for part of the entree because even though it smelt off and tasted like vinegar, they served it to my partner and I with nothing "technically" wrong. I work as a server and I know what it's like to have food turned away (It's uncomfortable), but as a customer there is a right and wrong way to do it and I did it as cordially and polite as any one should. Unfortunately, I was not treated with the same respect. read more

The food was really delicious and the server was so nice. The ambiance overly catholic but I liked the velvet chairs. The clientele was so weird you had a guy in a white tank top, a girl who looked like an escort at another table with a kid in loafers, a women who was an ambassador from the film festival that was either extremely drunk or spraked out...not exactly family-friendly but the tiny human like the pizza and ate the entire thing so that's a major win. read more

Atmosphere is just delightful. Felt like I was in a beautiful European cafe. Food came quick and was delicious. Never have had a bad meal here. Service on the other hand wasn't terrible but not fabulous. I feel like the waitress really didn't love her job. I will be back. read more

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