Great food Very friendly staff and fast service…read morePlace looks small from outside but has enough space for large groups Definitely recommend

Food was good, nothing super special but all tasty and cooked well. Our table of 8 ordered 3 of the…read moredaily specials (spaghetti di mare, long cod and short ribs) which were all fresh and enjoyed. Staples like the chicken Marsala and linguine vongole were good as well. Prices were also very reasonable which is much appreciated these days! Best part was the service - Roberto and the bussers were lovely and attentive. Good Italian food is hit or miss on the East Bay corridor so we are happy to find a place halfway for everyone coming from Berkeley and Cupertino to have a good meal together.

We had an excellent experience at this restaurant last night. The restaurant is beautifully…read moredecorated with Italian art. It has a small, cute patio. Our waiter, Alex, was attentive, efficient, and friendly. He made helpful suggestions, and accommodated substitutions without hesitation. The food came out hot and delicious! The tiramisu and bread pudding were awesome. I highly recommend this restaurant!

Complimentary focaccia bread and spread - delicious. Love the spread…read more Beef Carpaccio- it was alright. Pasta Bolognese- our friend loved it. Butternut squash ravioli with brown butter sage - our vegetarian friend loved it. Fruiti Di Mare - a brothy noodle dish, reminded me of Bouillabaisse. I like it but my husband prefers a thicker sauce. It contained mostly mollusks, squids and shrimps I didn't see any fishes at all. The shrimps and squids were overcooked, dried and tough. It's a no no for me. Desserts: Cheesecake- not bad Chocolate Lava cake - not bad Bread pudding with Rum and Raisin - too dense and no traces of rum or raisin whatsoever. Probably our least favorite Tiramisu- delicious!!! The sauce on top was outstanding. I would return just for this.

Best Italian spot in Hayward! I love this place their food is always hot n fresh and you'll always…read morereceive the best service. The style of the restaurant is open with lots of seating I personally love sitting closes to the window. All their pastas are incredible! The Bruschetta was super fresh and they include the perfect amount of balsamic vinegar on it! Keep note there's only street parking.

I had order food delivery. It was delivered ahead of schedule, hot and followed instructions. Kudos…read moreto the delivery person. The order consists of spaghetti and meatball and calamari fritte. The calamari was hot and crispy and especially nice when dipped in the tartar or cocktail sauce. Included with the food was a French bread and olive oil, balsamic vinegar and peppers. The spaghetti and meatball was a good value with a couple of sliced meatballs. The sauce was on the lighter side. Overall, the portion was appropriate and value was good.

Walked in on a Saturday night with no reservations around 6:30 and was seated right away for a…read moreparty of two. We ordered the brussel sprouts, Venetian aracini, summer special with swordfish, and rigatoni bolognese. The brussel sprouts were tossed and coated in parmesan cheese. The pieces were crispy without feeling heavy and paired nicely with the chili aioli. The aracinis were delectable. The filling was creamy, but the tomatoes provided freshness to the dish. The swordfish is plated on top of basil pesto risotto. Never had swordfish before, but this had my tastebuds dancing. The piece of fish was decently sized, marinated and moist, although the risotto can get a bit heavy. The pasta was cooked to al dente, and there were chunks of meat throughout the dish. Solid plate of pasta. Came out already topped with parmesan cheese. Some of their menu items are a part of a pre fixe menu for $55 thats offered in the afternoons Monday-Friday such as the salmon, short rib, and chicken piccata options. There is a bar area located deep in the restaurant. The servers were attentive and checked up on us and refilled our water several times.

I have been waiting years to visit Paradiso. From its previous location to the current one, it just…read morenever seemed to happen. But this birthday, it was absolutely meant to be! Not only did I find rock-star parking right in front, but we also had a reserved table by the window. It could not have been a more perfect birthday lunch. Parking is on the street, and spaces can be tight in that area. If you find one, snag it and be happy you did! Paradiso has a lovely menu, but I chose the $55 prix fixe lunch, which included an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. I ordered the mussels, chicken piccata, and tiramisu. The mussels were absolutely delicious. This was my first time having them in a red sauce, so I was trying to be careful because I did not want to get it all over my birthday outfit! The broth was rich, flavorful, and so good that I wished I had more bread for dipping. But I made it do what it do! The chicken piccata was also delicious, especially with all those capers. My only criticism was that the chicken breast had not been pounded thin enough. The center was very thick and reminded me more of a chicken breast prepared for a sandwich. I left that thicker portion, but the thinner, properly pounded part was amazing. I received a special birthday dessert, which I shared with my companion, so I took the tiramisu home along with my leftover chicken. Let me tell you, that tiramisu was absolutely delicious. I would return just to order it for takeout! Our table also shared the crab and avocado salad appetizer. It was beautifully presented and delicious, but at approximately $27, I did not feel it was worth the price. Then again, Paradiso is not necessarily where you go when you are overly concerned about the cost, so keep that in mind. I was also underwhelmed by the focaccia. Four pieces cost $4, and I did not think it was worth it. With a prix fixe meal, I feel the bread should have been included. One thing to be aware of is that ordering the prix fixe lunch results in a 20% automatic gratuity being added to the entire bill. This was not clearly explained beforehand. It was not a major issue, but it was important to know when it came time to determine whether an additional tip was expected. The service was excellent. Our server knew it was my birthday and was attentive, accommodating, and never made us feel rushed. Each course arrived only after we had finished the previous one, so we were able to relax and enjoy the experience. The ambience was curious. It was an open space and is very loud. Other conversations were easily overheard so probably not a good place to go if you want a quiet meal. Overall, I give Paradiso 4.5 out of 5 stars. I am so glad I finally had the opportunity to visit, and I would definitely return.

This restaurant is located in this small complex by Starbucks and the old closed down Lucky's (I…read morebelieve). There aren't many businesses in this complex so there's always plenty of parking. I inside of the restaurant was small but had plenty of tables. It was a slow day on that weekday early dinner time. We asked to order our items for take out. We waited not too long as I remember. How was the food? Fried Calamari- for only being a couple minutes away I wonder why the calamari was already almost cold when we ate it. It was pretty disappointing. Maybe they just had it in the box while they waited for the rest of our order. I don't know. Flavor was good. Pizza Primavera - It was good, I was okay with it. The pizza dough wasn't my favorite but it was fine. White Pasta - I honestly don't remember what the name was but it was an item my bf ordered. This was terrible. Like there was too much roux to make the bechamel. It tasted of flour. Not much salt, not much of other flavors. Not enough milk and cheese and butter. He took a bite and put it down. Overall, glad we tried it but we might not be coming back. With the economy now, it's disappointing when the food is terrible for how much we pay for.

It seems like this place may have changed ownership recently since what we got was not at all…read moresimilar to the other photos on Yelp. Came here on a weekday for dinner and it was mostly empty. We got the chicken parm and the margherita pizza. With the margherita pizza, the dough was obviously bought premade and frozen. It was dry and hard as expected from a premade frozen pizza dough. Not sure if the whole thing was bought frozen. There was generous amounts of cheese with one sad basil leaf of each quarter. One positive thing I can add about the pizza is that the cheese does have a satisfying flavor, giving me a nostalgic flashback to school lunch pizza. As for the pasta, the chicken has a strange taste (maybe too strong on a vodka marinade?). There was way too much sauce for the amount of pasta, and it had a very light and bright flavor, not terrible but definitely lacking depth and any nuances of aromatics or herbs. The chicken was not breaded and instead grilled. Servers were attentive, but seemed to have a lot of staff mostly standing around.

No exaggeration - I had the best cocktail of my life here. I ordered a strawberry lavender gimlet…read moreand oh my. It was such a layered drink. I'm usually a two drink gal but I only needed one this day because I enjoyed sipping on this so much. I went during the day so it was pretty empty but the vibe was still right. They played good music and the bartender was friendly. I'll definitely be back.

This is my favorite local bar! Not only do they make bomb drinks. They have a variety of craft…read morebeers, ales, IPAS my favorites have been the sours they have. I love sours and they're hard to find at local bars and if they don't have one I usually still find a bear I like! Very friendly service chill and inviting. I love that it's lowkey here and they have first come first serve seating booths.

The Calabrian steak and shrimp had a lot of sauce which I liked and was tasty overall. I just wish…read moreit was spicier but my spice tolerance is high. Spaghetti and meatballs is hard to mess up so it was good, that's my favorite type of noodle dish in general. Minestrone soup was delicious but had a lot of beans in it. It'd be twice tastier with meat but it specifically states it's a vegetarian dish. The chicken gnocchi soup was my favorite soup though, very flavorful and not too soupy/creamy. I was getting full so I didn't eat as much of the gnocchi but they were a nice addition. Fettuccine with fried shrimp fritters and meatballs sauce - the noodles and meat sauce was good but the fried shrimp fritters, I wouldn't get again. The fried part was easily coming off and when I mixed the noodles, only the shrimp part was left. Cocktails were yummy and not expensive. Our waitress was very nice and she provided a lot of everything we requested: napkins, butter, utensils. And at the end, she gave us a bunch of chocolates to take home. Overall a fun experience, I wish it were closer to my home in Oakland. I'd go a lot more

Came here on a Sunday afternoon. It was pretty packed, lots of people waiting in line. We needed a…read moretable for two and were seated in about 15 mins. I ordered the Calabrian shrimp and steak pasta. It was pretty tasty but as you can see from the photos, the sauce to pasta ratio was off. I wish they provided more noodles in my dish. The steak and shrimp were well cooked. I have a pretty high tolerance so the dish was only mildly spicy to me. My partner ordered the endless pasta with meatballs and spaghetti. The portions for his dish was huge. Meat sauce was good. Also ordered the pasta e fagoli and minestrone soup. Satisfied with both soups

Absolutely wonderful experience here for a last-minute birthday dinner…read more We didn't have a reservation for a Saturday night, but did not have to wait around 5:45pm for a party of 2. There is plenty of seating inside, by the bar, and outside in a heated patio. I ordered the spaghetti del Trabocco, as I love seafood and pasta, but have food intolerance to onion and garlic, which has always been challenging for me when going to Italian restaurants. However, the waiter informed me that this dish has no onions or garlic at all! I have never yet encountered a pasta dish with no garlic/onion and was beyond exhilarated that I would be able to order this dish. My husband got the lasagna, and we both ordered drinks. The drinks came out within a few minutes, along with yummy bread, vinegar and olive oil. The entrees took about 10 minutes to come out but they were well worth the wait. The scallops in the spaghetti were so soft, the shrimp were large, and the pasta was cooked to perfection. One of the clams was slightly salty but it did not ruin the dish. My husband enjoyed his lasagna as well, noting it was fulfilling. The best part of the night, was when I asked for a tiramisu to celebrate my birthday. Having tiramisu cake on my birthday holds personal sentimental value to me. Apparently, when the cook isn't busy, he'll come out and sing Happy Birthday to you! The cook was busy when my cake came out about 10 minutes after we finished our main dishes, but the waiter came to sing instead and he was wonderful, topping off the night to say the cake was complimentary. I was almost brought to tears by the gesture. The tiramisu was delicious, devoured too quick, even my husband approved, and I have been thinking of it ever since. I am so appreciative of how they made my birthday dinner a wonderful experience, the service, and the delicious food. Would definitely recommend and come again.

So I have held off doing a review for a long time because I was conflicted and just recently sort…read moreof figured out why. We have popped in here a lot over the years. Drinks and appetizers are great at the bar. Bartenders are nice. I think I had a cioppino or sea food stew once that was also really good. All the food coming out of the kitchen looks great. But here's the rub I finally figured out after talking about this place with my partner multiple times. There is tension in the air, a lot of it. Walking in you can feel it. Not sure where it's coming from since the owner, Gino I think, seems like a pretty nice and chill guy and interactions with him are always good and I see him interact with the staff in a positive way. So why the tension? Where is that coming from? Regardless, I don't need that tension and anxiety on my resume or in my tequila. For some reason I really wanted this place to be sort of a nice hang out and place to always go. Just hasn't panned out that way. We'll still go back at times and test the waters. Just not going to be one of our regular haunts. People seem to love it more than I currently do so there must be something there. Rounding up to 4.

An iconic old style Italian Market & Deli that's makes up some tasty sandwiches. Located on "the…read moreBoulevard" in Castro Valley, this long time deli is our go-to place when visiting my wife's home town. Thr inside is one big market containing whatever Italian food item you might possibly want. Only a couple of small table inside to eat at and none outside makes Luca's an order and take out place, but their sandwiches are definitely worth it!

If you're looking for comforting, generous portions of classic Italian staples right in Castro…read moreValley, Lucas is a solid local go-to. Lasagna: The highlight of the meal. It arrives rich, heavy, and properly layered with plenty of meat, ricotta, and melted cheese. The marinara sauce hits the right balance--savory with just enough acidity to cut through the richness. Total comfort food that easily leaves you with leftovers for the next day. Eggplant Parmesan: A very close second. The eggplant is sliced well and cooked until tender without getting soggy, which is always the real test for an eggplant parm. The breading holds up nicely under a heavy blanket of melted mozzarella and sauce.

The food is always good here. But today it was beyond great. The papas bravas are absolutely…read moredelicious . Also the short rib Benedict The arepa instead of the English muffin is genius. Kudos to the chef . Service was good everybody is friendly and helpful. And the place is beautiful.always clean Beautiful paintings and furniture. I wish the coffee cups were little more bigger My wife and I drink a lot of coffee and we feel bad for the waiters. They have to refill it like six times at least. Overall a great place to enjoy delicious food with your loved ones

It was our first time to dine at Casa del Toro Wonderful Dining Experience at Casa del Toro!…read moreMy wife and I had a fantastic dinner at Casa del Toro in Hayward! From the moment we arrived, everything was excellent. The food was fantastic, the ambience was beautiful, the drinks were spot on, and the staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming. We started with the Trio Ceviche, which was delicious and beautifully presented. My wife had the Paella, and I ordered the Short Ribs--both were absolutely fantastic. Everything was plated beautifully and served quickly without feeling rushed. We also had the pleasure of meeting Miriam, the restaurant manager, who went above and beyond to take care of us. Her warm hospitality really made our evening special and turned a great dinner into a wonderful overall experience. We're already looking forward to coming back and trying more of the delicious dishes on the menu. Casa del Toro is definitely one of our new go-to places to dine! Highly recommended!