I've been wanting to try Mama's Meatballs for a while, so I was excited to finally go. Overall, it…read morewas kind of disappointing, but the food itself made up for it in someways It took 15ish minutes for anyone to take our drink order. The bigger issue was at the end we paid with a $100 bill and while counting the change in front of us, the waitress set some of the money aside for herself as a tip without even asking. We were planning to tip don't get me wrong but that felt really rude and made us not even want to at that point. When we asked her , we got weird looks which made it uncomfortable. She started off nice, but once it got close to closing, her attitude definitely changed and it felt like she just wanted us out. I get that I've worked in food service too! but it still didn't feel very professional . Also, this was my first experience here which turned out to being a huge disappointment.. Honestly, I'd probably just do takeout next time.

My hubby and I were in SLO for one night and were really in the mood for Italian food. We'd walked…read moreto Giuseppe's (very crowded and loud and I hate sitting on high chairs - I like my feet on the ground when I eat!) but it really didn't smell good so we hoofed it over to Mama's Meatball. Ohhh what a difference! The nose doesn't lie. Our wonderful server, Carla, brought us a plate of garlic knots, which were so welcome as we were very hungry! We ordered the appetizer meatballs, which were as fluffy as clouds and so flavorful - served in a beautiful fresh marinara we dipped the garlic knots in. We also shared the Barbabietola salad, which I want to recreate at home but I doubt I could make as delicious a dressing. I always love to try gnocchi when I can and I was over the moon with these - lovely and fluffy and drenched in the same wonderful marinara as the meatballs - smooth and rich with just the right amount of acid - with a thick layer of mozzarella, ooey and chewy at the same time. My husband chose the Cavatelli Alla Norcia, which was as delicious as he'd hoped it would be. As hungry as we were, the portions were very generous, and we wanted to try dessert, so we opted to bring our leftovers to eat later, and ordered the tiramisu. We were surprised and delighted when Carla returned with a little cart and assembled our dessert right in front of us! (I won't give details - spoilers!) Everyone who took care of us was friendly and warm. We didn't feel rushed but the service was efficient and we were fed and done in very little time. I wish we lived in the area because I'd love to try everything on the menu - especially the pizza, as a nearby table ordered one and it looked *beautiful*! We will definitely come back when we're passing through SLO again!

Best Clam Chowder I'ver ever had. Best Ravioli I've ever…read morehad. WOW oh WOW!!

My wife and I have always enjoyed the delicious food and drink at Giuseppe's... it's a little…read morepricey, but always worth it. Tonight we popped in for an after dinner cocktail and some desert, and we sat at the bar... well, amazingingly delicious cheesecake and gelato! However, we noticed that while we ordered a small/single scoop of gelato we were charged a large price.  Now, not much of a cost difference, but we were curious why we were charged the price of a large when we ordered the small. When we asked our bartender he explained that when you order a "take out" it's cheaper than when you order the SAME desert as a sitdown patron... then he compared it like this... "If you order a bottle of wine as a walk-in customer and you take it to-go it will be one price, but if you order a bottle of wine while dining then we charge you a corkage fee." Hmmmm... that really doesn't track with us.  First, IF I order a bottle of wine I better not be charged a corkage fee UNLESS I bring my own bottle of wine.  Second, was this bartender trying to suggest that we were getting some sort of EXTRA service because we were sitting down and ordering a dessert?... and, if so, what was this special extra service we were being charged for??  Seems to us that if we ordered a to-go then we'd also be getting the container, the to-go utensils, and the bag... all which cost a small bit of money to the restaurant... but if we order in then we are served our gelato in a little metal dish, with metal flatware, which is retained by the restaurant... and the only "additional" cost would be the washing of said dish & flatware.   Well, when we highlighted the comparison of "corkage fee" to dine-in desert price and the bartender THEN said that that was just what he thought, but that he could talk with the owner (who was in) and let us know.  Initially we said no... we were just wondering... but the bartender brought it up two more times that he would ask the owner, so we eventually said sure.  Fifteen minutes passed with no sign of the owner and that particular bartender never returning to share any info one way or another. Honestly, it was not that much of a concern to us initially... we were just curious. But when we where told a "story", then realize the bartender was just making crap up, then told he would check on it, and then we were never communicated to again... well, that is just VERY POOR customer service. Before we left we changed our 23% tip to ZERO%. We believe that an establishment can have any policy they want... and, while we'd appreciate to know up front pricing differences, we can roll with that.  What we DON'T like is being BULLSHITED and left hanging. Please don't make s*@t up, let alone not following up with what you say you'll do. Very souring to an otherwise enjoyable evening. Anyway, thus our review... and the likelihood of us returning is very pretty slim.

Ordered this for takeout so it wasn't as crispy and hot as we imagined it would be fresh but still…read moredelicious to enjoy. It is a bit pricey for what you get. Parking is pretty bad especially during peak hours so expect to circle around multiple times or find street parking elsewhere. We ordered: -Bee Stang, Detroit style (5/5): Despite the name the honey wasn't too pronounced - it was mainly the spice. This is a pretty garlicky pizza and the ricotta texture and taste was on point. The thick and crispy crust of the style was also a standout for us. This was my favorite of the 2. - Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza, Neapolitan style (4/5): My bf's favorite pizza of the 2. Love the thin crust and flavor which was distinctly meaty with tomato sauce to cut through. It could have used more toppings for the price and it was also slightly burnt on the edges of some of the crust so we couldn't enjoy it fully. Also the slices weren't evenly cut through but luckily it was easy to split it apart. Overall very enjoyable meal and a nice date night vibe inside. Would definitely come back if we're in the area.

Solid 4.5 stars In town for a comedy show. Luckily my buddy…read morewas familiar with SLO & their fine eating establishments. Open airy industrial vibe. Helpful staff guided us with their patron favs. Started with: 1) meatballs: flavorful & tender (probably added panade). Marinara nicely balanced. Pistachio pesto added a nice nutty accent. Great dish. 2) mixed berry salad: spring salad greens with plump fresh berries. Pinkish berry vinaigrette was nice. Tasted similar to a 1,000 isle type dressing. 3) three pea pizza: buddy doesn't like goat cheese so ordered it on the side. Crust was great, veggies fresh & colorful. It really needs the goat cheese though. Otherwise it lacks dimension. I was able to sprinkle on my pieces. Made a world of difference. 4) bee stang: crust had crisp edges. Middle got a bit soggy from toppings. My NYC buddy loved the ability to fold it in half though. Great overall flavor. The hot honey added just the right amount of tang/tart. Tasted as good as it looked.

This place was amazing. The shrimp and sausage penne was one of the best pastas I've ever had. The…read moregarlic bread and meatballs were great appetizers and the caesar salad was also good. They also have a great wait staff. I'd recommend making a reservation or be prepared to wait. We showed up at 5:11pm (they open at 5pm) and we had to wait 40 mins on a Saturday night for a party of 3. Glad we made the decision to wait, because it was worth it!

Good food and service offset by lousy acoustics…read more We both had the beet salad which was tasty and nicely presented. The wife had roasted eggplant and I had the pork saltimbocca which were both tasty and generous in the portions. I noticed that a fair number of people took take-away boxes as did we. What threw things off was the terrible acoustics. All hard surfaces in a fairly small space meant that the any conversation anywhere added to a very high noise level even when the restaurant was only 2/3 full. And when people left towards the end of the night the musak was even worse, no clarity whatsoever just noise. It was difficult to carry on a normal conversation without leaning in to hear each other. We'll go back again, but just making sure that we sit outside.

I had completely forgotten about this place, and I'm so glad I found my way back. This is easily…read moreone of the best Mediterranean spots in SLO. If you're craving great kabobs, a classic fresh salad, or creamy hummus, this is the place to go. There are plenty of paid parking spots nearby, which makes it convenient. You might have a short wait, but it's absolutely worth it. Delicious food and totally hits the spot every time.

This pains me, but I must report that their gluten-free pizza is close, but it is NOT CELIAC SAFE…read more It used to be, so it was an awful surprise last week when I developed the tell-tale signs of being "glutened" & couldn't eat solid food at all for a three days, and then only rice for three more. I'm 80% okay now, 9 days later. That's a steep price for 2 slices of a small pizza. My family & I love this place so it's a loss. Just a word to my fellow Celiacs, I don't trust their kitchen. Whatta bummer because that artichoke pizza of theirs was my all-time favorite pizza. Petra, please inform your staff that takes orders and add it to your menus. It means the world to us when restaurants are honest about their gf options & cross-contamination.

Simply delicious…read more Professionally prepared. So fresh and balanced. I can't see how it could be any better. Also tried the fried squid legs-so perfectly cooked. Tender and battered well. Service staff was efficient and friendly. We always enjoy the atmosphere here, whether table or sushi bar. Try the sake with your meals, if you can ;)

Ordered: - Lunch Special Chirashi with Tofu and Pickled…read moreCucumbers (5/5): Most worth of all the lunch specials, probably the best chirashi I've had at this price. Loved the variety of the cuts including scallops and some other unique cuts that we didn't recognize. The way the rice was prepared was a standout too. I did find a fish scale in my bowl though which was unfortunate. - Lunch Special Salmon Roll + 5 Nigiri (4/5): Solid generously portioned fish on the rice, but nothing else wowed us. Still satisfied. Nigiri included Tuna salmon, amberjack, yellowtail, and golden eye snapper. Overall (5/5): Came here on Friday for lunch and was seated after a short 15 minute wait - it was a lot busier than we expected! The parking lot was pretty small and full so we had to find metered parking nearby as the nearby parking structure was also closed. Service was good, though it was a bit hard to hear over the noise and music. The sushi felt super fresh and we loved the portion sizes - we were pretty impressed and we hope to return if we're ever in the area!

The food was delicious and service was impeccable. While visiting Morro Bay I wanted to dine at a…read morenice restaurant with quality food and came across Buona Tavola on yelp. The food matched and surpassed the rave reviews. One of the owners or managers informed me that I have the option of asking for half orders, which was wonderful. This allowed me to try different foods on the menu without feeling overwhelmed, and I was able to enjoy my Tartufo Italiano Al Cioccolato at end of my meal. Everything tasted delicious and the owner/manager made sure I was happy with everything. There was a bit of a wait for each course to arrive, but I appreciated that because it allowed me to rest after each course. It also made the dining experience relaxed and pleasant, without feeling like I needed to shove the food down my throat and get out. Overall it was a very pleasant experience. I will definitely return here next time I'm in town.

Was hoping for a great experience after hearing so many good things about this place. The menu…read morelooked amazing and was excited to determine what out of everything that looked so good we were going to order. Started off with the clams and mussels dishes. Flavor was great and there weren't many that were served that weren't open. Prior to that they delivered an olive dip for the bread. The bread was delicious but some good olive oil would have been perfect for what was served. Next up was the pumpkin and ricotta pasta. Flavor was good and probably the best of what we ordered. Last dish was the steak with mushrooms which was a special. Ordered medium rare and has to send it back since it was over cooked. We rarely send stuff back but this was way over medium. Overall this place left me not thrilled with the experience and food. Our busser Hugo was amazing and on point and should have been serving instead of the staff we did see serving. When we told the manager they ignored our comment. Disappointed for sure. Not sure I'll give this place a try again.

Food is excellent our waitress was exceptional Did nave a…read moreslight problem with my reservation

Excellent food and service! I highly recommend this restaurant if you're looking for Italian…read morecuisine while in Paso Robles.

This place has easily become our second home in Paso Robles. We try to make it in every time we're…read morein the area. Huge shoutout to Emily and Ivan, they take care of us every single visit and make the whole experience feel personal. I always start with the scallops. It's something I look forward to even before I set a reservation. The specials are consistently insane and we try to order them whenever we can, but the standard menu holds its own just as well. Everything we've had has been excellent and the consistency is what keeps us coming back. The ambiance is also a big part of why we love it. It's very intimate and perfect for conversation, which makes it just as good for a relaxed night out as it is for a special occasion.

We had reservations after a whole day of wine tasting!…read more The meal was delicious and portioned well. We enjoyed the truffle over many selections; they weren't overpowering. The poached egg polenta was a great start, creamy and flavorful. The agnolotti was slightly sweet with the corn and savory with the cream. The sea bass was a little more fishy tasting than expected but good nonetheless. It's a small quaint place yet quite packed indoors and outdoors on a busy Saturday night

Mistura completely blew me away. In a world where so many restaurants serve the same predictable…read moredishes, this menu felt creative, authentic, and unforgettable. Every dish we tried was spectacular. The standout for me was the El Misti Ceviche -- unlike any ceviche I've ever had. It was beautifully presented with a hot rock in the center and packed with incredible flavor and texture. Absolutely phenomenal. The smoked chicken wings (Alitas) were another surprise hit -- crispy, smoky, juicy, and somehow NOT fried. You can really taste the attention to detail in every bite. We also tried salads, the Señor Lomo (filet), and desserts, and every single dish impressed us. The chef here is a rock star. You can feel the passion and originality throughout the entire menu.

Enjoyed our anniversary dinner here. First time at a Peruvian restaurant and it was a good…read moreexperience. Cosmo was our waiter and he had a great attitude. He gave a lot of information. We were treated with champagne glasses for our anniversary which was so sweet. Had the dragon lake cocktail which was tasty. It was not strong of tequila or too sweet. Then had the strawberry basil margarita and that was delicious. Started with the yucca sticks and croquettes. It was delicious and reminded us of our wedding. We shared some shrimp tempura sushi rolls and a half dozen of oysters. Then we shared the special which was a Peruvian style branzino with shellfish. It was a lot of food but it was good. The environment was spacious. A little loud near a large table of men but we could still hear one on other.