Branci’s Caldo Pomodoro

We made an effort to go to Brancis Caldo Pomodors, looking forward to a awesome italian dinner with good service. NOT!!! The waiter talked so long about what he liked and his life at home, that he forgot our drink, didn’t bring garlic bread to the table, which is to be delivered with your drink. We did order an appetizer, which we never got, our waiter never came back to get our order for dinner. The surrounding tables felt so uncomfortable with our service, they tried to intervene and get us help. We chose to leave as the beer was being delivered and they had the audacity to charge us for the beer! We never got an apology or an attempt to make us stay. We went next door to Vigiluccis and had wonderful, quick service with the best pasta I have ever had. Will never return to Caldo Pomodors when there is a restaurant of the caliber of Vigiluccis right next door.

Quaint Italian restaurant located in the heart of Carlsbad Village. Bill, our server, made us feel very welcome and was very attentive and professional. The complimentary garlic bread was very flavorful and came with their homemade marinara dipping sauce. We had clams and mussels in a clear garlic sauce which was to die for. My chicken chopped salad was heavenly and hubby’s linguini bolognese was delish. If I had not been to Rome I would have given this five stars. We will definitely be coming back.

This place is amazing!!! loved the garlic bread and I ordered the meatball with pasta. FANTASTIC!!! this is my new favorite italian restaurant.

I first came here because it was the first stop on the Carlsbad Food Tour. We had garlic bread w/​marinara sauce and an appetizer of baked artichoke hearts with kalamata olives and melted cheese. The food was awesome, so when I planned a date with my husband in Carlsbad last night, I was sure to stop in.
Last night we ordered an antipasto platter that had roasted peppers, a chopped artichoke medley, salami, prosciutto, and a delicious chopped salad of diced cheese, fresh basil, sun-​dried tomatoes and olive oil. The appetizer sampler came with garlic bread (it’s the best garlic bread I’ve ever had) and it was all absolutely amazing! I paired it with a split of their imported Brut and I was a happy girl.
Both times we’ve come here the servers have been very polite, friendly, and professional. The food that we’ve had has been amazing, and I can’t wait to come back to have some pasta!

We were in the mood for Italian food so we set out to go to Vigilucci on State Street in Carlsbad one of our favorites. Unfortunately, they were closed for a private Christmas party. So we decided to try Branci Caldo Pomodoro which is a couple doors down from Vigilucci’s. They told us all of their pasta was homemade. I ordered the manicotti, it was described as a crêpe. It’s been my experience that a crêpe is a thin, not thick pasta. I asked our server and he confirmed that it was indeed a thin crêpe. He said all of their pasta was homemade. I was disappointed because it was a thicker pasta that tasted quite starchy to me. My husband had linguine with meat sauce & homemade sausage and he thought it was pretty good.
The one thing that’s really a turn off to me is they ALWAYS have a waiter standing in front offering samples of their garlic bread & a 10% off coupon. I asked our waiter if that brought them much business, he said yes, about 80% or more. They’re located on a corner and have outside dining with heaters. I love outside dining so that was another reason we decided to try it. During the course of our meal two men who appeared to be homeless & drunk came into the outside dining area & opened the basket containing the garlic bread samples and use their bare hands to help themselves. One of the waiters saw this happened and said to them «here let me help you with that» and gave them a couple more samples and send them on their way. To my dismay the next couple that was offered samples were served from the same basket that these men had their dirty hands in.
I give them a three-​star because it not bad, just not great. There are too many other good restaurants in the immediate area to choose from. I’m sure we won’t go back. However, if the things I mentioned don’t bother you, you might want to give them a try. Their portions are good size and the garlic bread really is delicious. Our waiter was very nice and very accommodating.

It’s a tie between the best marsala and service I’ve ever had since I’ve moved to California… Bill & Daron made us feel like we were the only ladies they were waiting on in a busy busy world. We felt so special! Thanks guys!

We stopped by one Saturday looking for something for lunch after being in the Village and shopping at some of the stores. I had read the reviews for Branci’s and wasn’t expecting much. However, we were pleasantly surprised.
The young man who was outside trying to stir up business not only knew the menu; he was able to speak to his audience and entice us to try the place! He was successful. My husband had the Meatball Grinder and I settled with the Italian Wedding Soup and Salad lunch. Everything was full of flavor! The service was excellent, very attentive, pleasant and took pride in what he was doing! Made us want to return!

Food was really good. After reading a few reviews I was a little worried. Especially the head waiter comments portion. We got the head waiter but he kicked us to the curb when we ordered water & no drinks. We got Colin. Totally new waiter. Such a good nice young man. The tables around us loved him as well. Ask for him when u come here & I’d suggest coming. Would have been 5* but the shrimp scampi had to be returned cuz of way to much salt. Great atmosphere. Garlic bread is awesome

I have been going here for ever. The place is old, run down, greasy, doesn‘t matter. Some of the richest, flavorful, most delicious italian iv‘e ever had. A bit pricey but I will say worth it. A lot of Italian in the village, I will say Caldo is my favorite.

We were looking for pizza, when we found Pizza Port was over capacity due to construction, and decided to come here. The food was just okay, except I have no idea what was going on with their pizza crust. We couldn’t decide whether it was something gluten-​free, or ravioli dough that had been re-​purposed as a crust, but it certainly was not bread. If the service had been better I’d give the place 3 stars
…but I’ve never been so insulted by any restaurant. Ever.
After being seated with our 2-​year old, we are «asked» to move because another group had phoned in and specifically requested that table. We were moved to a dirty table that required us to stand around and wait while it was cleaned.
The individual who made the request was very aggressive, despite apparently being the head waiter. We suspected this because he kept ordering other staff TO STOP SERVING US AND DO OTHER THINGS. First, the young lady asking about our water was interrupted mid-​sentence and told to go clear another table. Then, our waiter who was busy asking us about drinks and appetizers, was angrily told he had food up, prompting him to walk away. Which honestly we should have done at that point. If this hadn’t already been our 2^nd restaurant of the trip, or if we hadn’t had our young one with us, we would have done so.
This aggressive behavior on the part of the head waiter clearly had a very negative effect on the rest of the staff; they all seemed on edge, and were constantly forgetting things. I couldn’t tell if our waiter was totally incompetent or simply suffering from an abusive boss.
In either case, he forgot our appetizer. He forgot the garlic bread that went with the appetizer. He forgot a 3^rd plate for our table. And so on. We certainly will not be going back there.

This is a wonderful place in which to enjoy the atmosphere and super friendly and attentive staff. I didn’t give it 5 stars because I feel like the portions are extremely small for the price. The food is yummy, but far from qualifying as anything spectacular. If you want something that feels genuinely authentic, with sweet servers definitely come here!
PS. Their garlic bread is amazing and they are generous with it!

Savor a taste of yesterday.
We come here every year when we visit Carlsbad. The food snob in me want to go 3* but the romantic and traditional side of me says 5*. Maybe I spend too much time in gastro-​new american-​snobberies. But every year they win me over and I am reminded of why I come back.
A few things to consider before going in based on my observations over the years.
The service will be slow at times and you will wait. They will forget things and service and even the food (especially sauces) will vary and be different every time. You may get annoyed at the pace and differing experiences. But the service will be charismatic, spirited, and even entertaining at times. And that is unique and helps create the family atmosphere of the place.
(I think of Bill who always makes you feel at home and provides a charismatic and charming service.)
Appreciate what it is. It is an old school and traditional dining experience and savor the extra time to catch up with loved ones and enjoy the company. View the quirks and variances and inconsistency as homey, what you would get with a meal prepared at home with the family. And that is the key to this spot is it’s a family dining experience. I feel like these places are tougher to come by as traditional places close down in favor of organics, gastropubs and new american.
So you can say this place is outdated. And many antiquated places go to the wayside. But sometimes I yearn for, and I think everyone could use, a taste of yesterday. And this place delivers the goods and is why its a 5* tradition for me and the family.
And of course the quickest way to a Unilocalers heart is when they remember and even go above and beyond to honor your Unilocal or other social deals.
Now to the food!!!
Meatball — baseball sized! And one of the best ever, moist and juicy with lots of fresh herbs, a must get! Tip, you can get one as a side and share, makes for a perfect small plate. And try it with the spicy marinara.
Osso Bucco — if they have it as a special get it.
Chicken/​veal parmesan and the chicken marsala are also good choices. I think I remember the picatta being good.
AND DO NOT LEAVE without trying the spicy marinara sauce it is out of this world. You can get it on any dish and I could spend a whole post just talking about how that is made. From scratch with something like 80 different herbs and spices and cooked down for days.
Muawhh and bon appetit!

This place definitely captures the tourists coming to Carlsbad because of it’s location. Be aware though prices are inflated for what you get (at least $ 5-​$ 10 more than what it should be for many dishes that only include white flour dough and sauce). Even the menu has that somewhat touristy and non-​authentic (but Americanized) vibe. The food isn’t bad but to me the price no way justifies. I hate to say it but it’s a little tacky of a setup as well :/​. Feels like an Italian restaurant on a Carnival cruise ship.
I’ve been a Carlsbad local since 1998… and if you want to gander other options I would go to New York Pizza (they do other things besides pizza if you want… family run and very authentic… and in downtown Cbad as well) orrrrrrrr Spirito’s (on Diner’s Drive In’s and Dives… more authentic, cheaper, family run and hands on). Don’t let the meals’ high profit margins nab you!

This is our favorite place in Carlsbad for dinner! The food in wonderful and the service is phenomenal! I’ve ordered many different plates and it never disappoints. Justin is an incredible server who is always great with my 3 year old son. Fran, the owner is also a super sweet man and extremely friendly. You honestly cannot go wrong with this place! Love love love :)

I’ve been waiting to write this review because I wanted to give it a fair shake. Three of us were wandering Carlsbad Village looking for a place to eat on Saturday night. We happened upon this Italian restaurant where they were handing out 15% off coupons. So we decided to check it out… can’t beat 15% off, right?
Once we opened our menus though we realized how expensive the food was… eek. So the three of us agreed to split two pizzas rather than order individual meals. I was planning to order a chicken marsala or something similar but it was $ 25. The pizzas we ordered were specialty pizzas (bianco and chicken) and were about $ 21/​each. The two pizzas were delicious and the perfect amount of food for us and we had about 2 slices left to take home. We did notice they don’t serve pizza on holidays. They brought out garlic bread ahead of time and you should know there are no refills on sodas.
We sat outside on the patio which overlooked the street… GREAT people watching. The service was excellent. The server was funny and we had a great rapport with him. It was our fault we didn’t look at the prices BEFORE we went in so I can’t fault the restaurant for that. Just be prepared that your meal will be expensive. The 15% off coupon only applied if you were paying cash. Otherwise it was 10% off. So read the fine print.
I gave it 3 stars because I’m not sure the food was good enough to justify the price.

Long, but please read if you are actually considering coming here. Of all the Italian places I have been to, this place was the worst one.
1. The «fresh bread» they serve in the beginning is just garlic bread you get from Von’s and make yourself — except you could probably make it better/​fresher at home. It was flat and stale because it had been sitting out for a while — the crust was hard, while the garlic side was so oversaturated with oil/​butter that it was very difficult to eat.
2. We were sitting outside and they had an employee standing in front of the store, distributing said nasty garlic bread and offering 15% to anyone that would please please come inside to eat. Who does that when there are customers right next to you? I don’t want to hear your desperation due to the fact that you’re actually doing terribly while I am sitting there trying to pick something off your menu. It’s amazing that management had that idea. LOL
3. The calamari was just ok — too much breading which got soggy because it wasn’t fried enough, calamari itself was pretty chewy.
4. I got the linguine with clams & mussles — oh my god. It was so disgusting. What I had served to me was a literal pile of undercooked linguine sitting in a pool of clam water. Not clam juice no, this was water and it had NO taste, as you would expect if you use water for your pasta sauce. It was so fluid that none of it actually stuck on the pasta, so there was literally no taste to the entire dish. The clams and mussels were so gross I only ate one (was gonna spit it back out but tried to be a lady and all). They were completely old, mushy, you can taste how it had been frozen for a very long time. The whole dish was inedible. Glad I didn’t get anything else like meat or fish — if you can mess up a pasta this bad, I don’t even want to know what you can do to more complex dishes.
5. The other two dishes at our table were similarly gross. The seafood pasta with red sauce was so bland, again. The seafood in it was so gross, again. The other dish was a creamy pasta which had slightly thicker sauce, so that was the best plate of the night. However, I would rather eat Spaghettio’s than come back here ever again.
6. Dessert? No thank you, get me the F out of here.
I know this is a harsh review, but I see it as morally wrong/​insulting to serve such terrible food when you claim to be «amazing». Do you think I’m an idiot who will just eat anything because you said it was «your favorite»?
Also the handouts while we were ordering and eating, what was that all about? What year is this? If you want to attract more customers/​grow your business then do something actually meaningful, like hiring a satisfactory chef and reinventing your menu, using better ingredients, maybe some social media. Bottom line is if you don’t change the food, nothing else you do really matters does it? You can hand out as many garlic breads as you need, but your food still sucks and you’re gonna go out of business.
Anywayyyy. then I went home and made a bomb ass pizza and guess what? It was amazing.

I’ve been coming to this place for years it’s amazing
The chicken marsala is super tasty

Excellent place for an evening dinner. The food selection and quality is excellent. I’ve eaten for lunch as well the only downside is from the time that you order until the main course comes out is a bit lengthy! I recommend ordering a soup or salad if that is your choice. The staff is wonderful very attentive to your needs and not pushy. Wonderful place for a date. I didn’t try any of the wine but the list is pretty good a few good imports and some great domestics as well.

My Italian grandparents would be stunned to see how Americans have embraced Italian food. My Nana would not make pizza because she thought it was low class (read: too Italian). We had Polenta only when there was no meat in the house. Today pizza is on every corner, and polenta is haute cuisine. With just flour, water, tomatoes, olive oil, and some easy herbs, you have the bold but approachable flavors of Italy that appeal to almost everyone.
If basic, simple Italian food is made expensive like it is here at Caldo, it feels less Italian and more, I dunno, French. I had gnocchi with marinara, and my lovely Signora had linguini with marinara. Add 1 antipasto appetizer and 2 glasses of house wine, the bill was $ 70 even after Unilocal’s 15% check in discount. It was good, but not as great as $ 70 would demand.
Some have a torrid culinary romance with gnocchi and real Italian food. Me included. You can pay serious coin for special preparations of the stuff, like say if the olive oil was crushed by Luciano Pavarotti while singing The Barber of Seville. I just didn’t hear any music at Caldo Pomodoro, although the location in downtown Carlsbad can seem as charming as Napa. –1 for cost.

I’m embarrassed to say this was my first visit. No excuses we are just hooked on another Italian restaurant and that has been our go to place for years.
Caldo Pomorado is a true testimate to stepping out of your routine.
With out of town friends we enjoyed appetizers on the patio recently.
We were blown away by the crazy goodness of the food.
Be careful if you are trying to avoid bread. Seriously the best garlic bread ever. Like my mama used to make! The smell makes it ridiculously hard to ignore.
We had the meatballs. Big and juicy. Spiced just right. Great sauce.
We had a meatball expert with us who highly approved.
The mushrooms smothered in cheese were a favorite.
The artichoke hearts in a savory sauce was awesome and that sauce was perfect for dipping that crack (highly addictive) bread in.
We will go back again… very very soon!