Franco's will always hold a special place in my heart. One year ago, I wrote my first review after…read morefalling in love with this restaurant, and somehow it's only gotten better. Even though my boyfriend and I recently moved to Florida, Franco's was the very first place on our list when we came back to Los Angeles for a two-week visit--and it instantly felt like coming home. Walking through the doors, we were greeted like family, just as we always are. We brought my boyfriend's parents and grandma for the first time last Wednesday, and they haven't stopped talking about it since. They're very picky about their food, so the fact that they LOVED everything truly says it all. This time I tried the Chilean seabass, and wow--"incredible" doesn't even begin to describe it. Perfectly cooked, buttery, and full of flavor. And their holiday pumpkin spice cheesecake? To die for. I'm still thinking about it! Over the past year, Franco's has become more than just a restaurant for us. The people here--the family who runs it and the regulars we've met--make every visit feel warm, genuine, and unforgettable. We've created memories here with friends, with family, and now with my boyfriend's family, too. No matter how far we move, Franco's will always be our #1. It truly is my favorite restaurant of all time. If you're in the area, don't walk--RUN. You'll be treated like family, fed like royalty, and you'll leave already thinking about your next visit.

The service was lovely... more like hospitality, absolutely wonderful. We were seated right away…read more Place is cozy. Tables no booths. I can tell they have a lot of regulars. Food was tasty! One of the best cheese pizzas I've tried.

This restaurant has the most amazing food I have ever eaten in my entire life. The service was…read moreamazing, the ambiance was amazing, I will 100000% recommend this to anyone wanting to try a new food spot in California.

10/10 Calamari Fritti - I really loved this calamari! It's such a great mix of different pieces,…read moreand it's clearly high quality. I'm definitely ordering this again next time. It also comes with two different sauces that are both incredibly flavorful and compliment the calamari perfectly. 10/10 Papardelle Vodka -This is truly the best pasta in all of the land! It's rare to find a dish where the sauce, the pasta, and the protein are all this high quality. Everything is literally perfect. 10/10 Complimentary Bread -I love that this restaurant serves complimentary bread! It's so freaking good and the quality is amazing. It comes with an oil and vinegar dip that pairs perfectly. Honestly, it's hard to stop eating it. Don't fill up too much before the main course! Cost - Calamari $17.00, Pappardelle Vodka $22.00 (Before taxes and tip).

Yelp reviews were spot on…read more A little tricky to find as it's in an outdoor shopping mall, top floor. Went early(5:30ish) since I've been traveling all day. Bread w/ oil & vinegar... light and very tasty Had the Shrimp Rose which was absolutely delicious. Had a strawberry lemonade to drink. Probably the best I've had anywhere... refilled for free. Really didn't have room for dessert, but the strawberry sorbet was just too good to pass up. Service was excellent as well. Attentive, but not intrusive... Korean Italian is an interesting take, but it absolutely works.

Came here for Mother's Day and was really hoping to be seated on the main patio, but we were placed…read morein the secondary patio because they said dogs weren't allowed on the main patio -- even though our dog was in a covered stroller, and their Yelp page states that pets are allowed. Unfortunately, the secondary patio only had one umbrella, so it became pretty hot and uncomfortable during the meal. The food was decent and reasonably priced, but overall pretty average. The servers were friendly, though service felt a bit slow and unorganized. After our food came out, no one checked on us for the rest of the meal. Overall, the experience was just okay. I'd consider giving it another try on a different day without the dog, but it's not at the top of my list to revisit.

We came for an early dinner and I got the squid ink tomato sauce pasta…read more It was a cozy little spot with good service and the meal came with salad and a roll. Salad was refreshing, roll was nice and warm, and pasta was bomb. Would definitely come back.

Really cute and neat Japanese flavored Italian restaurant - small place with really dimmed light…read moreduring the night. Inside looks like maximum occupancy about 20. And service was really fast , order taken and food served within 5 minutes. The restaurant provided its in house bread, fresh and yummy. Tried both red and Japanese style white sauce, personally really liked the white Japanese style sauce. The red sauce lacks flavor and blandly tomato, also the spinach inside didn't seem to mix well with the sauce. The price is reasonable and overall 4 stars. Recommended for friends and family , also family with carb / pasta cravings.

What a great find! Born in raised in Anaheim but moved to NorCal 16 years ago, so coming back for a…read morevisit and discovering the coolest Italian family restaurant made the trip! Yelp reviews brought us in but the food, the vibe, and Lisa and her family will bring us back when we're back in town. And the music was perfect which makes the vibe too cool. We started with fried artichokes that were perfect, not too much breading and the artichokes were trimmed so you didn't get those tough leaf pieces (pet peeve!) but I would've liked a better sauce than ranch dressing like a lemon aioli or even a creamy light pesto-but I digress and they were fabulous! I had the fresh-made pappardelle bolognese special which was awesome and my son had his favorite pepperoni pizza. TIP: always look at the specials first but I got the feeling looking around that everything is good. I truly struggled with the menu for 10, ok 20 minutes because I wanted EVERYTHING! Seated right next to the kitchen was awesome as I saw all the food come out and was wrapped in fab food aromas making my choice harder. The cheesecake my son ordered was exceptional and our server gave him the works: caramel, chocolate and strawberry sauces and my boosy affogato was great and even though the were out of the biscotti, Lisa's son brought me a pirouette which was very sweet. I'm an espresso snob and this espresso had a smooth, almost sweet, smoky finish that sang to me, so to speak. Folks, if you live in the vicinity, run don't walk and go score some awesome food! Established in 1991, I was ashamed that this was not on my radar before I moved but they're stuck with us now! Go! Manga!

If I could I would give this place 100/10…read more Mike is the owners son and one of the best waiters. He is a wealth of knowledge about all the food and drinks. Must try - the appetizer platter, fettuccine Alfredo, calzone and anything with the marinara sauce. I like the artichokes as well. Great value for the portion of food they serve All the staff work together as a team. The decorations and seating area are very nice. Remember to do random acts of kindness as it will make everyone feel wonderful Happy Yelping, please follow me for more awesome reviews

Happy Bday to our friend Toya. This is one good day here eating good food. Everybody really enjoyed…read morethemselves. By the way, our waitress Natalie and the manager Patrick were amazing.

Went here to celebrate my birthday w/ my boyfriend! Our servers name was Roberto, & he was…read morefantastic! On point with drinks, recommendations & making us feel special! Thank you so much, food and drinks were AWESOME!

DELICIOUS! Was…read morecraving pizza and packing so I actually had this delivered. Ordered an Individual Cheese pizza and a Cannoli (always looking for a good cannoli!). It arrived and looked so good, I forgot to even take photos for this review. The pizza was so good and flavorful. It was just cheese and is a top tier pizza! The cannoli was good! I've had better but it was good! I'm writing this review hours later and not even hungry, but craving the pizza just thinking about it. Yum!

Good food. Nice size servings and great prices. I come here…read moreregularly to pick up dinner. Parking might be a little difficult to find though.

Delicious food. Marlow was an amazing server. Very attentive and helpful. She made my first…read moreexperience here a great one. Overall look of the establishment is very comfortable and unique. I will definitely visit again.

My husband made reservations on Sunday for Mother's Day and it was wonderful! I was surprised this…read moreplace wasn't packed for a busy holiday but the service was nonetheless top tier. We were greeted with a smile and were taken careful from the beginning to the very end. My husband and I shared the Cesaer salad and the fresh Parmesan was *chef's kiss*. We also ordered two pasta dish that were both unique and delicious in their own ways. I ordered the spaghetti nerano with a side of grilled chicken and my husband ordered the pappardelle genoese. It paired perfectly with each other because each dish can get overwhelming after a few bites. Our son of course shared our meals but also had a side of delicious crispy fries! We ended the night with a chocolate and hazelnut gelato. Both were rich in flavors! Our wonderful server also brought out two deep friend bread filled with Nutella and that took me into a ratatouille moment! Definitely can't eat more than one if you're watching your intake. Overall the restaurant looked beautiful on the outside and cozy on the inside! Definitely will be back!

10/10. Vibes, food, and service. We took my son here with…read moreour friends and I was almost nervous based on how fancy the place seemed but the staff was extremely outgoing and friendly, making sure we got coloring pages, kids cups, and even gave him a dessert after our meal. Truly the best pizza and parppadelle wagyu pasta I've ever had. And I kid you not, one of the best iced teas as well. I can't wait to come back next time I visit long beach!

I loved Marlena for dinner so much that I had to come back for brunch. I'm actually not a fan of…read morebrunch or breakfast foods in general, but I had a feeling that Marlena could change that. I got the biscuits and gravy, lemon ricotta pancakes, and breakfast pizza. The biscuits and gravy were SO GOOD, I just wish they gave me more! I might've been in a food coma all day though. The biscuits are very buttery, and the gravy is very thick, so it's a decadent and heavy breakfast for sure. The lemon ricotta pancakes were light, fluffy, and bright. I enjoyed them a lot compared to a classic pancake. The breakfast pizza was awesome. Charred pizza crust, topped with hollandaise, good bacon, and few leafy greens to make you feel better about yourself. I enjoyed everything with a fresh orange juice mimosa and thoroughly enjoyed my brunch by the bay.

I would give the food 4 stars but bumped it up to 5 because of the customer service. I'm not…read morecertain if he is the owner or the manager, but someone walked around asking each table how they're doing, and stopped and welcomed me for my first time eating there. That was very much appreciated. This is a fun casual spot in 2nd and PCH shopping center, so you get 90 minutes of parking free here. You order at the counter, and they bring you the food pretty quickly after. You can eat inside or outside, both are lovely options. You basically pick your pasta type and sauce, so it's kind of a create-your-own-dish. They also have weekly specials and a few other specialty dishes on the menu. I will say, the lasagna looks to be the dish to get. The person next to me ordered it and the dish was massive. Looked delicious! I got the pappardelle bolognese. Pappardelle is my favorite type of noodle, and they make a great pappardelle here! Perfectly toothy. The noodles themselves were 9/10. The bolognese didn't have the deepest flavor I've ever tried, but it was solid. I loved the beautiful plate that my pasta was served in. I would definitely come back here. It's great to "make your own dish". It's a fun spot right along the water as well.

Still 5 stars, absolutely perfect meal. It's such a great vibe for a date night. It's cozy,…read morecomfortable, not overly pretentious given how good the food is. I've eaten here a few times and the food is always exceptional. I have to call out that we had the focaccia, and I am a massive bread snob, and it was PHENOMENAL. Not greasy at all, gorgeous crust, fluffy interior, drizzled with a nice quality olive oil and served with a marinara I wanted to bathe in. Service is exceptional as always, the gals working were truly so sweet. We'll be back soon, this is truly such a gem.