If you want Italian food or Argentinean food, go elsewhere. Very slow service too. Bathroom in bad shape

O.M.G. delicious!!!! Ordered to go for my office. They did take awhile to make it, had to wait 45 minutes but oh my gosh was it so worth it. THE EMPANADA! Soooooo amazing. I cant even describe my mind right now. Just mind blown. So glad I tried this place for the office read more

My bf and I frequently walk past Pasta Connection because it's between our apartment and the gym. It's become a running joke between us because I refuse to go here. He says I'm being a snob and maybe he's right. It's an awkward rundown building with an awful picture of a baby with pasta on its head and $3.99 specials advertised on the walls and neon signs. But people on yelp love it and there's a coupon on their website for buy 1 entrée, get the 2nd one 50% off (I can't be that snobby if I use coupons, right?). So one night he finally convinced me to go, moaning and groaning the whole way. We walk in and I'm immediately floored by how crowded it is. We have to wait for a table?? At Pasta Connection? We are soon seated and the next thing I notice is that there are two large tables of mostly white guys in their 20s-30s in business attire thoroughly enjoying themselves. I was expecting the grandmas and the families, but young boisterous people with presumably enough money to eat anywhere else in Costa Mesa? Here? Yes, it has the dusty knick knacks. Yes, it has a tv at the empty bar. Yes, it is unsure what it wants to be. And, yes, it will never win awards for décor. But the service is really attentive and the food is fine. To take advantage of the restaurant having food from Argentina, we order empanadas for an appetizer. They're meh, taste like they're frozen from Costco. Not that I don't love Costco's frozen food, but not what I want at a restaurant. Bf gets the fettuccine paglia e fieno, comes in a cream sauce with mushrooms and sausage. It's alright. I get the agnolotti romano, also okay. Not bad, not fantastic. $35 for two, includes tip. So, I will admit that I was being meaner to Pasta Connection than was warranted. (My bf would be upset if he saw that I gave it 2 stars.) But if I want Italian for dinner in the area, I would pick Nick's, Il Dolce, or Romano Cucina over this place. read more

I'm not too fond of Italian or Argentine food and came here with friends based on some coworker's suggestion. I really liked the decor and feel of the establishment - very home-y and mom and pop. We got there around 7PM on a weekday and were greeted immediately. Everyone who worked there were nice and accommodating. I loved the serving of bread and butter pre-meal and throughout the meal. I got a plate of spaghetti and meatball because I was too scared to try other things, hahah. I mean, this was my first time so why not go for a safe bet?! To my surprise, it was delicious! Noodles tasted very fresh - everything tasted very fresh! I would go again if I'm ever in the mood for real authentic Italian food! read more

The BF and I came here for an early dinner and we weren't disappointed. We have eaten at the Pasta Connection in Orange, and were excited to see this one just down the street from our house. The dinner menu consists mostly of Italian items w/ some Argentinian items as well. The food is really down to earth (not too glamourous, not too dressed up) and the portions are big enough for two meals. For starters, we ordered an empanada and a house salad. The empanada was good (although I still like the Empanadas Place better), and the salad was fresh. For our meals, I had cheese ravioli w/ a pesto-marinara combo sauce. It was full of flavor! The BF ordered linguini w/ red sauce and a bunch of different seafood. He loooooved it. For dessert we tried this cake that was basically white cake w/ peaches and carmel inside and was covered with merinque pieces. It was very good, but very sweet. Prices are very reasonable for the amount of food. I think this might be our new local Italian place. Yay! read more

I visited Pasta Connection for the very first time a couple of weeks ago. Everyone seemed to rave about their complimentary bread and sauce. I wasn't blown away. Reminded me of standard oil, vinegar, and pesto. Be sure to ask for the dressing on the side when getting the dinner salad. Mine was drenched in dressing. I was willing to ignore it, but I went back another time, and they served it the same way. My bf ordered their stuffed ravioli with marinara, and it was delicious. The sauce was flavorful and zesty. I found myself stealing half of his dinner! I ordered their linguine with clams. The pasta was stretchy & chewy. I prefer my pasta al dente, so this was not my cup of tea. I went back for the gnocchi night and loved it. I ordered my plate with their pink sauce which was just perfect. I reheated the leftovers later that night, and it was even MORE delicious. Overall, it's a nice place to grab a causal bite. The service is prompt and friendly. Get to know the menu, and see what tickles your fancy. read more

I've been to both Pasta Connections locations several times and as far as good pasta and sauce goes, either one of the Pasta Connections are my favorite! There's a homemade quality taste to their recipes that I love. My favorite is their ravioli and from there I choose either red or alfredo sauce depending on my mood. The alfredo is the best I've ever tasted. It's rich and creamy and so fresh that it's the kind of sauce that will separate if it's left to sit for too long. Mmm Mmm! I've also tried their buttery sauce and that was wonderfully indulgent! I've never had anything from here that I didn't like. Their portions are pretty huge. That's another reason I like the ravioli, because it's a more reasonable size and I don't waste as much food. But the noodles will be a lot of food! Their salads are good, but they won't wow you. I've gotten a couple when I ended up here and was just not in the mood for pasta and I was pleased with them. Their fried calamari is pretty good too! I love the little dipping sauce they bring out for their breads. It's a wonderful topping! Either one of the Pasta Connections is a great place to get really delicious pasta that will leave you feeling gloriously fat and sassy! read more

Great family owned restaurant with homemade meals. Never frozen. You can taste the freshness. Love love the lasagna. When I order to go always a seat at the bar for a cold one while I wait read more

Pasta Connection - Oh what a week. - Italian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

This is all for the service that one can expect there. I was born in Argentina, but been in this country for most of my life. I imagine that at Pasta Conn. thinks that an Argentinian would expect their style of service, slow with no efficiency since most Argentinians probably wouldn't notice since they are running at the mouth while waiting, but this is The United States and we look for somethig better. This afternoon I was there lunching alone and waited from 20 to 30 minutes without having been offered a menu. Somewhere in that time, someone asked for my drink order and got it quite soon, but then.............and then...........well I left. Now I've been in busy restaurants, but really! Oh, by no means was this an isolated incident. I've been there early for breakfast and the sole waiter fumbled all around with no rhyme or reason like, well, he had never been trained. I love the food there since few restaurants serve Argetinian fare, but I am seriously considering never going back. Oh, and yes, I did attempt to pay for the coffee, but they did compt it for me. read more

I had eggplant lazania and carbonara(not on the menu). read more

Pasta Connection - Italian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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This is my first time there and it was awesome. We had a party of over 20 people and the staff was excellent. This really is a family environment. We had a LOUD baby with us, but everyone seems to be okay with it. The staff was extremely nice and courteous.Upon arrival, (I haven't even stepped in the door yet) and the staff pulled up a high chair for our baby. Onto the food....I ordered the #14 Spinach Fettuccini w/ sausage. The pasta was excellent, however, it was lacking in the pesto. Asked for extra pesto, and it was delicious!! Hubby ordered the #17 Tutto Mare. I had a bite, and it did not disappoint. Will definitely be back to this place. The fact that they make their pasta fresh daily sold me. You don't have to dine in to enjoy their awesome fresh pasta. They also sell by the pound. Now...what to order the next time I'm there..... read more

Seeing bad reviews about this place has me skeptical, because with my overall experience of almost 25 years coming to this place since when it was originally opened in front of triangle square NOT ONCE have experienced a problem. This is NOT a luxury dinning restaurant. I think people get confused or mislead. It is a family owned business owners are from Argentina & Michoacan. Its main focus is flavor and quality of their food. If you are a high maintenance person this place is not for you. Their service is great and they are passionate in serving their customers. We will continue coming here. read more

To start, the pasta here is ridiculously fresh. I'd challenge any restaurant to try to beat it. It's unreal. I'll take you through our courses. First up, the bread. Normally I'd skip mentioning the bread, but it's worthy of talking about. Baked fresh and served warm with chimichurri- so, so good. Some of the entrees come with a house salad. I wasn't sure of the rhyme or reason here, as some entrees did and other comparable ones didn't. Kind of annoying, as some in our party were working on salad while others weren't served one. The stracciatella was phenomenal. The obvious table favorite for us was the fettuccine alla fantasia (Alfredo with spinach and egg noodles alongside peas and Italian sausage). The serving size was very generous and I left uncomfortably full. In other dishes made with marinara, we found the sauce had an interesting tang to it. Some loved it, others not so much. I wasn't a fan, so I'll stick to the Alfredo or pink sauces. The gnocchi was another favorite--made in-house and perfectly plump. We'll be back! read more

We love this place! We live nearby and often go for their breakfast, which is pretty standard. But it is their dinners which are amazing! They make all of the food (including pasta) fresh on site. It is heavily seasoned, especially garlic, so be prepared for that. They have a garlic oil they serve with the bread that is amazeballs! We haven't had a dish we didn't like. read more

I've been coming here for years they have Amazing food and great service. The chimichurri they make to put on the bread they give you is really good. By far my favorite place to go for hand made pasta dishes. Their homemade Pesto is amazing as well. read more

I am a breakfast enthusiastic and I must say everything from here has been delicious! Yadira was so polite and she gave great recommendations! I cant wait to try their pasta, it will be my first time not eating pasta from a plastic bag lol read more

I LOVE their spinach ravioli. In fact, I don't think I've ever ordered anything else there. I have been going here for about 4 yrs.

Brought the family in for Easter breakfast. There were no lines, the service was good, and you can't go wrong with their food. Best of all, their prices are reasonable. We didn't get to try it but they have empanada Tuesdays. read more

You would probably never, ever, ever find a Soprano here -- the place isn't fine dining, plus it's pretty far off the New Jersey Turnpike (but pretty close to the Costa Mesa Freeway) -- the Pasta Connection serves pretty good pedestrian fare for an Italian place. My favorite is the #18 -- lots of veggies, decent pasta. Some of the other normal dishes (Spaghetti and meatballs, for example) I would avoid because they just don't do these dishes well. They always have good size portions so you never leave hungry. The biggest complaint that I have about the place is that some off the dishes come off soggy, like the didn't drain the noodles well enough. read more

I've only eaten here once, and our dinner for two went fairly well. I had the churrasco steak, with an extra helping of delicious chimichurri sauce on the side. You can dip anything in this stuff and it'll taste so much better. My girlfriend had a pasta dish, and she enjoyed how you can select your dinner from the pictures on the table. This isn't the most well-kept restaurant we've ever visited, it seemed on the verge of being ancient, but the staff was friendly, and it had a family-style vibe to it that we liked. Ignore the "world's greatest pastrami" sign outside and the picture of the kid with the pasta on his head -- this is a place to get well-prepared Argentinian meat dishes and decent to average pasta. The prices were very decent, and all things told, we had a fine time. Not upscale dining by any means, but a good place to get a meal during the week if you're not going out on a date to impress. read more

When I was in culinary school, my classmates and I would go here a few times a month. It was just a given to go here since we got out of class late and it was down the street. The food is HEAVY and rich and starchy and salty. I mean, it's not bad but it's not super good either. My friend would purge the food a lot of times driving home because it was so rich, yet she'd continue to come back... that has to count for something, right? They have a lot of choices, so that's a plus, but it all seems to come out looking the same. I like their chimichurri a lot. Their service leaves quite a bit to be desired but it's laid back and kind of like stepping into a hole-in-the-wall back alley place in Italy. read more

Had a late breakfast here on the weekend -Yeah! they serve breakfast until 1:30PM everyday!! I had 1 pancake and a side of House Potatoes... Wow! their pancakes are HUGE! I don't know how anyone could eat more than one...And their house potatoes were awesome. We need to return for dinner -I could see their fresh pasta displayed in their deli case... yummm... read more

Pasta Connection - House potatoes... Yummm... - Italian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I've only been here for the $3.99 breakfast special (3 pancakes, 2 eggs, and 2 bacon or sausage.). Fills you up, cost great, short wait time. My room mate and I come here for the breakfast at least once a week. We call their pancakes "crack pancakes" they're just so addicting and delicious. read more

Well, where do I begin. So after one bad experience, decided that I would try them one more time. What was I thinking. I did a take out order and had a question on a charge that I wasn't aware of (keeping in mind )that I was over charged to begin with. When I questioned about still being over charged the server which I had asked about the charge came up to me and threw, yes threw the money in my face and said here if this will make u happy. What??? I couldn't believe it. The owner was there and I brought it up to her attention. I told her that if she keeps ppl like this guy take care of her business she is going to lose her restaurant. Ppl don't go to establishments to get treated like shit. I can't say we will see what happens because I will never go back. Good luck with your restaurant. read more

This place is pretty freaking small, but it adds to the intimate atmosphere. On a Wednesday night at 8 pm, my friend and I were the only patrons in the dining room. It did, however, start to fill up moderately later on. The calamari fritti was great! The accompanying marinara sauce was heated and added such a wonderful tang to the salty crunch of the calamari (tentacles included - my favorite part!!). I had the fettuccini alla fantasia, which was OK. The pasta was fresh (you can tell), so the texture of the dish was amazing. And I love peas, so that was another great addition. Overall, though, it could've done with some sea salt and fresh cracked pepper (both of which were not on hand). My friend had the linguini tutto-mare, which had a heady aroma. If you like garlic and seafood, this is the dish for you. The tomato-based sauce was incredibly deep and flavorful. Wonderful. The service was nice. The waiters were attentive and polite. Good enough for me. read more

Food is worth the wait. Where else can you get authentic Argentine-Italo food in OC? The pricing is good for the portions. Expect to spend about $25 for two people. Highly recommended. read more

Unfortunately this restaurant is going into my one and done list of places to eat by my house. It was the closest place I could find, but sometimes its better to drive a little further than risk a new place. I tried the chicken parmigiana with the side of spaghetti and marinara and the mozzarella marinara as an appetizer. The prices were decent and they claimed to have fresh pasta which I do love when it is done right. The pile of spaghetti that I got was a clump or mush, it was over cooked and it surely was not made to order. On to the sauce, it did not have all that much flavor to it and it had chunks of what I hope was onion which I am not a fan of. It is a texture thing in that I do not like crunchy items in my past sauce. Most sauces are cooked so well that the onion disintegrates and just adds the flavor. Being from the east coast, NY to be exact, I have never seen this appetizer which is basically fried mozzarella topped with sauce. It is more like a giant mozzarella stick and seems like a shortcut to the original mozzarella stick. This is now the second place I have found this. Maybe it was my choice of meals, but if their main pasta sauce doesn't do much for me, nor does the Argentinian menu items I can be pretty sure that the to-go menu I picked up will not be needed anytime in the near future.....I guess I can hope that Luggattis re-opens somewhere in the HB CM area. read more

I've been going here for more than 20 years (I'm not that old), and was absolutely gutted when I found out that the place had gone out of business (or so I thought) when I returned from a 4-year work stint in the Bay Area. You cannot imagine my delight when I drove by the place, by happenstance, a few weeks ago. i literally turned around, drove back, and went in for a meal. The dining room, the decor, and a few other minor details don't scream "great meal" but give it a chance. The menu hasn't change and the quality is still amazing. I'm the kind of guy that eats the same one or two things on a menu once I lock into a favorite spot. And I can honestly say, I've never once left in a state that of anything other than pure contentment. read more

We have eaten here 3 times and I'm just not impressed. First time, raviolis with red and white sauce. Probably my fav out of all of them but wasn't wowed by it. Second time, breakfast - ordered the eggs Benedict. Meh, not impressed. Third, ordered the chicken Alfredo pizza. I'm so confused with this one because the picture I saw looked like it was cheesy (like a pizza should be). Our pizza was more saucy than anything. As a matter of fact, we had a hard time figuring out if there was any cheese on the pizza at all. No flavor and had to eat with a fork. We probably won't be back. read more

My fav for weekend breakfast , but I do have a dish I love for dinner too, like Pampa steak ...reasonable price ..

Pasta Connection is a casual restaurant serving hearty Italian/Argentinean fare. It's family owned and authentic. They have a large menu. Honestly, everything is great there. If you go as a couple, I recommend sharing the smaller sized antipasto salad (which is quite large) and the Romano Agnelotti. The latter is very filling. The antipasto salad has a very nice and light creamy italian dressing. They make their own pasta. You can buy some frozen, and take it home to make yourself. Just toss it into boiling water for a bit. My other half and I ventured there for Valentine's Day yesterday. It was packed, and there was a gentleman playing the guitar. It was very pleasant and conducive to good eating and good conversation. The staff is always very friendly and welcoming. This is a unique and special place in Costa Mesa. read more

This is an old hidden Gem of Italian food right here in Costa Mesa. Lovely atmosphere, comfortable seating great service and delicious food tastes like grandmas home cooking. Love this place. read more

This is a small family restaurant and they make their own pasta! Breakfast here is great. Sundays are always busy. The service is awesome and the pricing is decent. Highly recommend! read more

Well, I'd driven by the sign with a little kid with a bowl of pasta over his head for years. I'd been to this place once when they were still in their smaller location just a block or two down the street but this was my first venture into the somewhat larger spot across the street from my friendly neighborhood Toyota dealership. I walked around to the back/parking lot - that's where the customer entrance is located and looked at a near empty restaurant at 12:30pm on a Monday afternoon. There was one other couple at a booth - I chose one for myself near the front window. After a few minutes a server, dressed all in black, asked if I'd like anything to drink - a large glass of water was all I needed while I looked over the menu. I opted for the turkey melt with a side of sweet potato fries - exactly what you'd expect to find on the menu at Pasta Connection, right? I supposed I could have gone with pasta - but I was livin' dangerously. The young man took my order, left to check on his other guests, then chatted with the woman behind the bar. I made a phone call. As I finished it up my food was ready - how's that for timing? The turkey melt was hot, tasty, and filling. The fries were nicely seasoned. Just a bit sweet, just a bit salty. It took a little too long to get/pay the check - but that's the only knock against this fine establishment on a very ordinary lunch hour. I'd definitely come back again to get connected to some of their pasta. read more

If you don't pay attention, you'll miss the grapes overhanging outside the main entrance. Yes I picked and ate them! Had the seafood soup and it was light and fulfilling. Pasta lovers you gotta check this restaurant out. read more

There empanadas are really good I also thought there breakfast was delicious too have not had any of there pasta but I'm looking forward to it! read more

The BEST pasta, good portions and super friendly! San Remo is delish! Always love my usual Aglio Olio and the Empanadas are muy bueno! Quaint dining area, but we usually do take out. read more

Got our food to-go and it was warm and perfect. The staff was really nice and gave us extra bread with our meals. This place is a great low key spot to get food. Would definitely recommend trying it out if you are in the area read more

We were visiting an Aunt in the area. We took her for breakfast and everything was so good. Their cheese home fries for breakfast were exceptional. So crispy not to cheesy. Prices are to die for. We came back for dinner and the dinner was exceptional!!! The calamari was so crispy and the empanadas so good to start. The past so good especially the spinach ravioli. I added some of the basil garlic spread to it. OH MY! All pasta was wonderful. Wish we lived closer to return as regular customers. Again the prices were wonderful too. read more

Costa Mesa location is closed. If you had the benefit of eating their lasagna, then lucky you. If not, they have a second restaurant up in orange, but I've never tried that one. Hopefully just as good. read more