Abruzzi

One of my top ten restaurants in Humboldt County, one of the few places that doesn’t seem to have extremely high staff turnover. Order anything, it will be good. Great bar and nightly specials. Service does suffer a bit when they’re busy, but that’s pretty typical in Arcata.

Overall Service was fairly good. Our server was very friendly and somewhat prompt. Our daughter got the shrimp scampi. It was not good for a child’s palette at all. The white wine used to make the sauce must have gone bad, because the noodles seemed to be sitting in a watery vinegar. The other two dishes my husband and I had were mediocre at best. Definitely not worth the $ 77 for two entres and a kids meal, with no drinks.

Terrific place! The atmosphere is laid back yet lively, with young and very knowledgeable wait staff, oak tables and chairs in a basement — just off the street — location. The food is fantastic. A friend from Sonoma and I (new to Eureka, moved from Marin County) had dinner there last night. We each had the steelhead — she ordered it as listed, with citrus risotto — and I had mine with polenta. Salads came first, and while they didn’t look special, they were! Super fresh greens and a wonderful house dressing. Then the entrees were served, a good portion of steelhead cooked to perfection. Both the risotto and polenta were delicious. We did all but lick our plates. Spumoni for desert was two big scoops of chocolatey and rich true spumoni. Chris, one of the owners, came to our table and was charming. Can’t wait to go back!

Me and my husband are on our way to Crescent City and we stopped by for dinner. The Brussel sprouts, risotto and carrot bisque were a winner:) We will definitely go back again. The staff were also very courteous.

I’m not a local, just here on business but because of work I have dined at many Italian restaurants in many cities. This is the really deal. Great food prepared in an open kitchen, everything is fresh and creative. Also very knowledgeable and friendly bar tenders, this is cocktail heaven if that is your thing. Generous wine pours. Perfect date spot if you like a more quite traditional setting (the complete opposite of SALT, which has fantastic food, in terms of atmosphere) Prices are a little high but you get what you pay for.

Just your average everyday Italian restaurant. Nothing major to write home about. The food and service was good as expected.

I came in here on a busy weekday night; the hostess told us it would be a 10 minute wait (which is no time at all) so we decided to have a drink at the bar while we waited. The staff is so on top of things that our table was available more quickly than the time allotted. Our sever was phenomenal and was courteous, even when it looked like she had a full section she always made sure to come and check in with us!
Now on to the food. The jasmine cocktail looked interesting so had I to try and it over exceeded my expectations. The clams are the best that I have ever had, slightly spicy but so full of flavor. The steelhead was cooked perfectly and the pasta never disappoints.
I have minimal criticism. First is the portion sizes, slight meager for the price of the entrée. The only other minor complaint is the décor, for a fine dining experience it would be nice to decorate accordingly. In spite of that this place is wonderful and I look forward to coming again!

Phenomenal. Went here for my birthday & couldnt have asked for a better dinner. The cheese plate was incredible, & we split a salad & creamy carbonara chicken pasta dish that I can see myself reminiscing years from now. Chocolate cake was disappointing & the restaurant itself is huge & a bit noisy but overall, ambiance is deece.

Stopped in for dinner on New Years Day on a visit to the area. Food was very fresh – my boyfriend and I got the trout and an eggplant parm. The squash purée with the trout was delicious and the trout was very tasty. The tomato basil soup is a must. Excellent time. Very nice servers as well. Wish we had room for dessert! Next time!

Ended up here for happy hour, which was just excellent. Got the escarole and yellowfin tuna carpaccio which was just phenomenal, and the drink special spritzer. Really great service, kind people, and an amazing experience overall!

The food is great but the service is very poor. Around Arcata this is my fav. Restaurant. It’s the best steak in town and I always go there when I have friends or family who come to the area.

Phenomenal dinner, I ordered the Filet and it was cooked to perfection and melted like butter. However, my partner ordered the Pork and though it was a nice presentation it tasted like the sauce that they smothered the pork with Log Cabin maple syrup or some other very cheap syrup. It was less than desirable to say the least. Excellent drinks and service and all around great atmosphere though! Definitely returning :)

Walked here for dessert last night & it was incredible!!! The bartender was overly helpful & picking a wine to go with what I had been drinking already earlier in the evening. Then watching him make drinks was a show in itself!!! The flourless cake was over the top incredible! Next date night we eat HERE for more than just dessert!

Wow, we are camping in Patrick Point State Park, and stopped at Abruzzi for happy hour, before buying ingredients for camp dinner. We did not make it to the store, because the food at Abruzzi was so good.
Happy hour is amazing. I had a pint (a whole pint!) of woodchuck cider. We had kumamoto oysters, with three sauces, steamed clams in broth, a locally sourced plate of salad greens, a plate of deliciously sauteed brussell sprouts, and a chilled melon soup (with prosciutto). The accompanying bread (with olive oil and vinegar) sopped up the clam broth. Then we noticed that the pastas were all house made, so we had to try a plate.
Wow, the spaghetti was round and al dente with real taste, the three big meatballs were home made and this evening, included buffalo, and the marinara was perfect. The setting was ideal, a small low lit basement place, with beautiful jazz in the background. What could be better?
And we made it to sunset at the State Park, where we saw the green flash at sunset!!! As good as it gets.

Highly recommend Abruzzi if you are looking to have a nice dinner in a cozy settling. Perfect location for locals, near Arcata Plaza. Intimate space with great service and selection. Full bar with local beers on tap. Got to try a variety of their pastas and it as all delicious. This is definitely one of my go to places when we are hosting visitors.

The food and the atmosphere are both amazing. Pretty pricey, but worth the money. The cheese board is one of my top five desert island foods and everything I’ve ever tried off the menu is perfectly prepared and exceptionally delicious. We went tonight for dinner and were surprised to get really poor service.
We ordered water & drinks quickly, only to have our waitress disappear for over 15 minutes. We could see our drinks sitting on the bar, waiting to be brought out. We were eventually able to flag down our waitress– she did not apologize, but instead blamed it on the fact that they were training a new bartender and the drinks weren’t ready yet. The bartender at this point was within view, not making any drinks, just waiting for orders & wiping down the bar. She then went over to the bar, chatted with another waitress for about five minutes, then brought us the (no longer cold) drinks that had been on the bar the whole time. We had similar problems after dinner when we waited for 20 minutes after declining dessert to get our check. There were other small issues, ie no chatting from the waitress, no offer of Parmesan or drink refills.
The food was divine, but hard to feel good about dropping $ 100 on dinner for two when the service is erratic at best. It didn’t appear especially busy, but guessing there were staffing issues tonight? This was not representative of the service we usually get here and this was the only time we’ve eaten here when a manager didn’t check in to see how everything was. In fairness, there were two other servers working in our section and they appeared to give their tables exceptional service. Just not our night maybe. Still, this is usually the place we choose for special occasions because of the price point. I’ll now be hesitant to come here and risk marring a special day with poor service– especially because there are so many good options nearby. We’ll probably eat next time at Brick & Fire, Folie Douce, Three Foods, Renata’s or Crush– all super delicious and so far, always give great service!
If we do come back, I’ll update this review with whether the poor service today was just a fluke.

Came in on a whim last night, July 8^th, around 7pm. Despite how busy it seemed, we were able to be seated immediately. Our server, Ashley, helped us pick out a bottle of wine that fit both of our palettes. She was knowledgable and very kind.
We started with the Cheese Board and the bread appetizers. The bread was unheated, and came with butter and an olive oil/​balsamic vinegar plate. The Cheese Board was delicious! It came with fontina, gorgonzola, and double-​cream brie cheeses, a truffled honey, candied walnuts, and about 6 crostini. The crostini were perfectly seasoned with salt and pepper, and tasted fresh. The cheeses were yummehhh. I wish there had been a few more crostini to match the amount of cheese. The plate is just right to share between two people.
For our entrees, we chose the Pesto Linguini and the Eggplant Parmesan. The pesto tasted very fresh. I appreciate that all of the pasta is handmade upstairs by Pasta Luego. The Eggplant Parmesan came with two crispy, breaded eggplant pieces on a bed of marinara spaghetti. It was a huge portion! Both dishes came with a large pile of fresh parmesan on top, which I loved. We both practically licked our plates clean. Aaaand then we ordered dessert. We got the Dessert of the day: their Affogato Chocolate Paradiso with vanilla bean ice cream and sea salt. It is essentially a slice of their dense, thick, creamy chocolate paradiso cake topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and sea salt, and when Ashley brought it to the table, she poured a shot of espresso around and on top. My belly screamed, «No! Stop!» with every bite, but my taste buds encouraged me through. So gooood!
Overall, Abruzzi offers a more elegant atmosphere than most restaurants in the Arcata area, complete with knowledgable, reliable service and tasty dishes.

Found this place on google after looking for Italian places in the area. We walked in and were greeted by several staff members which was very nice. We were asked if we had a reservation (which we did not) and were seated right away.
We started with the cheese board and bread/​olive oil appetizers and both were delicious.
I got the The Rum Situation and my friend got the Lavender Lemon Drop for drinks. The Rum Situation was tasty and heavy on the rum so if that’s you’re thing (like mine) that’s where it’s at. The Lavendar Lemon Drop was good but not for my personal taste.
For dinner I got the Fillet Minon, my friend got the spicy sausage dish and my mother got the pesto linguine. They were all amazing! Prices were definitely reasonable as well.
Keely, our waitress, was awesome and very nice. She recommended several drinks and told us in detail about dishes.
Overall, I would come back here on the way through California. Definitely recommend stopping by!

I’ve stayed in Arcata a number of times over the years as I traverse the California coast and visit the redwoods. I live in Los Angeles, where we certainly have our share of excellent Italian restaurants. Abruzzi’s offerings are certainly competitive, and I highly recommend this restaurant to travelers who wish to dine on carefully prepared cuisine. In addition, Chris provided me with the best table for solo diners in the house and pointed out where I could plug in my devices. That coveted table even has a light strong enough to illuminate the solo diner’s reading. My server, Ashley, was delightful. Everyone on board from kitchen to the floor seemed to be functioning well as a team, which contributes to a positive ambiance.
I started with the kombucha squash ravioli in brown butter… three ravioli for ten dollars. Delicious! Then moved on to the soup of the day, a creamy carrot-​fennel with a kick of heat and drizzled with balsamico. For the main meal I chose the ruby trout, butterflied and grilled, and served over a divine concoction of leek, chard, cannelini bean, and fresh herbs. I’ve just finished the leftovers for breakfast, which prompts to report in this review. To top it off I splurged on their very yummy tiramisu for dessert. Also had a couple of glasses of Montepulciano red. And in the end, they called me a cab.
I can’t recommend Abruzzi highly enough for the discerning diner.

I had a wonderful meal at Abruzzi between Christmas and New Year’s. As a walk-​in and single diner, I chose to eat at the bar. It was an excellent choice, as the Sunday bartender, Alyssa, was superb, balancing knowledge of product (both food and wine), with the right amount of professionalism and personal attention. I ordered the spicy sausage fusili al forno, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I will definitely come back to Abruzzi the next time I am in town.