Cialuzzi’s

I was a loyal customer of Cialuzzi’s from 1996 – 2010. We loved the atmosphere, the music (Frank, Tony, Luciano), but most of all we loved the food. It was, and still is, the best pizza in the South Bay. Because we were such loyal customers, we decided to return after the 2010 remodel and give the new Charlie’s a try. Once was enough, and we haven’t dined in since.
Several other posters have commented, and I echo their sentiments, that this remodel has alienated customers that came to love Cialuzzi’s. The delightful, intimate ambiance has been replaced by loud big-​screen TVs with all manner of broadcast sports. The service has certainly taken a nosedive; We used to know the wait staff by name, but the folks there now seem more concerned about turning tables than making you feel at home. The place is a cacophony of noise and light, and it’s impossible to have a peaceful meal. They have kept part of the old, quiet restaurant across the front desk, but it’s only separated by a curtain, and there’s always a crowd.
I will continue to patronize Charlie’s for their pizza, but I can’t stand eating in a place where I can’t hear myself think. Sorry Charlie!

I’ve been back a couple of times, and now that I’m used to the new set-​up, it’s growing on me. I would actually give it 3.5 considering the atmosphere and service, but Unilocal still hasn’t come around to that. The linguini and clams is still the best pasta dish I’ve ever had anywhere. It used to be good before they re-​vamped the menu, but now they’ve added fresh whole clams, and it’s really amazing. I still wish it wasn’t as loud and cold in the bar section, but luckily the food is still good and happy hour is a deal.

Charlie”s, formerly Cialuzzi’s) used to be my favorite local Italian place. It felt local, good food, reasonable prices, cozy.
Charlie
remodeled and expanded and changed the name to Charlie’s. I went for the first time after the remodel.
It is now a very loud sports bar on one side and a very loud restaurant on the other. Used to have a very nice Italian feeling with warm walls and murals. Now it is all black and white. And, of course, the prices have gone up too.
Used to be you got a choice of soup or salad with your entrée. No more. Now eveything is ala carte. Used to be you got a big basket of wonderfully buttery, garlicky, cheesey garlic bread. No more. A small basket of very dry garlic bread.
Used to be you could get a carafee or half caraffe of house wine, reasonably priced. Now you get a very small amount by the glass with the little decanter so you can pour it in yourself.
Charlie sems to have gone upscale. The problem with that (in my opinion) is that there are a number of very good upscale Italian restaurants in the South Bay. There are not too many wonderful, casual restaurants any more. So glad Old Venice has reopened in Manhattan Bech because that is where my Italian food money will be going except maybe for a special occasion.

Charlie remodeled an outdated local Italian restauarant named Cialuzzi’s into a more hip sports bar/​pizza hangout — Charlie’s — A New York Italian Joint. The transformation did wonders, out with all that dated furniture and 70’s look and in with 12 flat panel TV’s surrounded by dark wood industrialish décor. One can’t help but feel the excitment walking in on a Sunday afternoon and hearing the patrons cheering and talking trash while watching all 12 TV’s fired up with every football game going on. Charlie’s definitely not a quiet romantic place to take a date, but if you want football and have a beer…
So how about the food? We ordered the 12″ Cialuzzi Combo with a side of Arugula salad. If I had to describe Charlie’s food in one word it would be fresh. You can taste it in the salad and you can taste it in the pizza. Let me start with the best part of the meal, it was the fresh and delicious topping. Great sausage and pepperoni topped on a sauce light on the tomato sauce — just the way I like it. The medium thin crust was good but I didn’t think it was great — not enough crisp and not enough chewy.

The big disappointment was the salad or should I say how they handled the problem with the salad. A plate of fresh arugula with thin slices of romano cheese. Perhaps the arugula was too fresh — by the time I got to the bottom of the plate I was left with quite a few arugula leaves that had previously been part of dinner for some hungry insect. I pointed this out to the waiter and he took it across the room to someone who I assumed to be Charlie. I saw the waiter pointing to the ABC (already been chewed) leaves and saw Charlie looking at where the waiter was pointing and nodding his head. They said a few word to each other then each headed in a different direction — and that was all the consideration that I got. The waiter never mentioned it again, no one from management (not even Charlie) came by, no apology — nothing. The waiter just gave me the check (with the salad still on it) and said thanks. F it, it was a Sunday afternoon and it just wasn’t worth the trouble.
Next time? Next time I want come up behind an insect in the food chain, I’ll go to my backyard.

Best pizza in the south bay by far. So glad this place has reopened.
Love walking down, ordering takeout and enjoying a beer while watching games and waiting for my food.
Love the new redesign, but i’ve only eaten in the bar area. The other side might have noise issues, but the pizza is worth it. So darn good.
This place rocks.

My second favorite pizza in the world! (The first is Pie Pizzaria in Salt Lake City). This is an authentic New York pie that doesn’t taste like Sbarros nor taste like a West Coast pizza trying to approximate a New York pizza. Charlie, the owner, is a New Yorker who brought his New York sensibility and pizza style with him – both are welcome additions to the South Bay.
The seafood risotto is also delictable, being likely the best risotto I’ve had. It’s full of shrimp and scallops, both of which tasted so fresh. It’s garlicky, cheesy, memorable.
The lasagna is also very good as are his red sauces generally. The garlic bread is also a treat. The white pizza is also a unique offering and a delicious experience if you can pull yourself away from the traditional pepperoni I love so much here.
The fettucine alfredo can use some work with the sauce being inconsistent and a bit bland at times. So many restaurants have trouble with alfredo sauce, often with it tasting like warm milk. Cialuzzi’s does alfredo a step better than that but it has definite room for improvement.
It’s good to see Charlie expanding into neighboring real estate to give the place a much-​needed expansion, especially since they are almost always busy. The service can be a bit hurried and a tad brusque as a result. But other than one bad experience with service here that’s never really been a huge issue.
If looking for a great pizza in the Southbay, this is the only place you need to know. For tasty Italian pastas, there may be a few in the area that are better – but I haven’t found them. I have had better Italian elsewhere, but if in the Southbay this is a nearly-can’t-go-wrong kind of eatery.

Great Italian food in Redondo Beach.
Hands-​down the BEST fettuccine alfredo we’ve had since moving to LA a few years ago. The pasta is fresh and the sauce will make you cry it is so good.
They also have a great meatball sandwich.
Definitely stop in here and try it out. Yummmmmmmm.

Sorry Charlie. I have been a loyal customer for years but I think the place is sliding downhill.
We ordered twice for this month. Once on a take out and once on a delivery. Both times the orders were botched badly and the food well below standards. This has happened a few more times over the past year and I thought give it one more chance. However, enough, I’m giving up.
I can always order from one of the big chains if I want cardboard pizza and the wrong order. I pay more for your quality. A lot more. I expect the best. Once you provided that.
I hope things get better. I still crave my Chicken Parm from you. It once was sooooo good. Please meke it happen again that I open that pizza box and have that thin New York Slice ooze with flavor as I take that first too hot bite at the risk of pizza mouth.
Please Charlie.

We have lived on the west coast for 10 years and FINALLY found an Italian place to frequent… Charlie, the owner, hats off to you cause this place has got it going on. The pasta is cooked to a perfect aldente and both the red and white sauces are WOW!
Nice job on the salad as well. Crisp greens and lovely tomatoes with a tangy Italian dressing… looking forward to the expansion as it will definitely become our new watering hole.

For sometime now my Dad has been telling me how good the pizza is here. So tonight we decided to go. We ordered one white pizza which is a cheese combo of whole milk ricotta, imported romano, mozzarella and fresh garlic, olive oil, parsley and black pepper. We also tried the Cialuzzi’s Combo which is Pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, onion, bell pepper, and olives. The white pizza was delicious. It was cooked perfectly and the crust was firm. The Combo pizza was good but I think the grease from the pepperoni or the moisture from the veggies soaked into the crust making it a bit soggy. Overall they were both good tasting pizzas and I plan to go back.
The place is small and quaint and the waitresses are pretty friendly. It gets crowded and loud after 7pm during weekends so if you don’t want to wait for a table I would suggest coming early.
Also I don’t think the restaurant is adequately staffed for how busy it gets. We had to wait a longer than usual to be given our take home boxes and the check. Its not like the waitresses were slacking; they were just very busy tending to all of the customers.

I agree with the other Unilocalers who said that this place has terrible customer service.
I stopped in a few times and was treated as if my money was not green.
A couple months back I stopped in to get some dinner. I asked the lady if they carried a Pesto Pasta and was told yes and I asked for a to-​go order and the lady said that they were closed. I looked at the clock and I still had 15 mins left on their posted hours. I said well it says 10pm and the lady said «sorry but we already shut the kitchen down (in a snotty voice)».
Recently I was with a friend and I figured I would try a round 2 for the Pesto Pasta. I stood around patiently as guest who came in behind me were seated. Finally after about 5 – 10 minutes an older gentleman asked if I was ready to order. I said yes sir, I would like to get the Pesto Pasta. He said sorry but we don’t have that. I told him I was told that they do and he said they offer it sometimes but not tonight.
I walked out with a plan to never return.
If you want Italian Cuisine for a good price for a good portion I would recommend driving down to Lawndale to Hank’s Bistro — 14 406 Hawthorne Blvd, Lawndale 90 260

While not New York City, it is New York style. The perfect restaurant for someone missing their New York style pizza. The portions are large. You can split the 18″, a large salad, and an entrée between four people with leftovers easily.
The décor is warm and friendly, and the place is bustling, so the friendly wait staff are always on the move. It makes you feel like New York City, without the gritty.
Free delivery, too!

Mmmm… Italian. Not so good for my diet, but SOOOOO good for my tastebuds.
Cialuzzi’s is my favorite local Italian joint. I’ve only ever come here for dinner, but had my first lunch experience the other day.
I’ve never had the pizza — the siren song of the delicious pasta entrees draws me in every time. I’ve tried a few of the baked pasta dishes (stuffed shells, pasta al forno), the pasta pomodoro, and the spaghetti with meat sauce. The meat sauce is interesting here — it’s made with roast chunks of meat rather than the ground beef you find at so many other Italian places. The pasta al forno is like a treasure chest of pasta smothered in golden mozzarella cheese, with jewels of sausage and meatball mixed together. So good!
The garlic bread is great, especially if you get the Insalata Capresa and top the bread off with the tomato, cheese and dressing. Their desserts aren’t too shabby either!
If you’re in the area and you’re craving Italian, stop by this place — you won’t regret it!

I was introduced to Cialuzzi’s by some local friends who are native New Yorkers. I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve really known east coast transplants claim to have found pizza that’s actually as good as what they have in NYC. Made with the freshest ingredients — this pizza was incredible! I also had a «small» salad which was very fresh, loaded with toppings and a very decent portion for a «small.»
Luckily we were there in the early afternoon so it wasn’t as crowded, but I know that place gets packed at night. I found the owner to be very friendly and the service was just fine. They’re very accommodating and I can see why it’s a local hot spot.

While the food is good and service is friendly, it’s the ambience that earns this place four stars. It’s a true neighborhood Italian place with a warm and comfortable feel, though the small space can be very loud.
This is a red-​sauce Italian place, and the pastas dishes we had were satisfying. Pasta was nicely cooked al dente and the garlic bread was very good. The sauce tasted freshly made.
Service is personable here — don’t expect upscale professionalism — and it adds to the general friendly feel. Look around the restaurant and everyone seems to be having a good time. The very small space means that you’ll have to lean in to have a conversation. If possible, opt for a booth by the window, as they are a bit quieter.
The solid food and nice feel make this strip mall red-​sauce Italian place a find…

Ambiance: Cozy pizza joint.
Service: Up and down. The owner can be a little moody sometimes, especially if the Yankee’s aren’t doing well.
Food: As far as pizza goes, It tops my list. I strongly recommend you eat it in the restaurant, since every time I carry out or have it delivered it just isn’t the same… Kind of like a Krispy Kreme donut straight off the production line.
Favorite’s: The Cialuzzi special.
Avoid: I tried the pasta once: it was mush. I might have had it on a bad day, but not willing to repeat it with such good pizza available.

Me no like!
The pizza was just blah, Pizza Hut pan pizza has more flavor. The chicken parm dinner was dry and no big wow. Service was not with a smile and very slooow.

A five star experience.
How could I have lived so close to this restaurant for more than 3 years & never thought to give it a try…
It’s across the parking lot from Albertson’s, not a fancy location by any stretch. The exterior is unexciting, too.
But the inside was much cooler than I expected, see the photos. There were fresh flowers on the tables & murals on the walls. Even the ladies room had a vase of fresh flowers. The place was very clean overall.
Best of all: Jerry Vale background music turned up rather loud, the way I like it. It was even piped into the bathroom. «Was it dreams ago my heart felt this glow?»
I had been having a lousy day. A lousy entire weekend. Let me explain: I got a high ceiling in my home office, and over my desk is a battery-​operated smoke alarm. The ceiling is so tall that it takes a very tall ladder to reach it. I paid my handyman, about a year ago, to bring his big ladder over & put long-​life batteries in all my smoke alarms, because it’s such a hassle to reach them to change a battery.
He must have missed the one in my office.
Why is it that these things never start chirping during daytime hours when their batteries run low? It’s always at 3am.
That’s what happened. It chirped for 5 damn hours in the middle of the night Friday, then it stopped. I had no ladder tall enough to reach it so I laid awake awaiting the next chirp. They came every 15 seconds or so.
When it finally stopped at 8am I figured the battery was dead and I could hold off until Monday to deal with the sitch.
Wrong.
It did the same thing in the middle of the night last night, Saturday. If I’d had a shotgun, I would have blown a hole in my office ceiling to take out that effing thing.
Today I borrowed a tall ladder & took down the offending smoke alarm, but considerable damage had already been done. Two nights without sleep made a wreck out of me. By the time I hit Cialuzzi’s, I needed serious comfort food, damn the calorie content.
And I needed Jerry Vale more than I realized. Romantic music lifted my spirits. It was beautiful. Sung in both English and Italian, alternating. I floated away.
«I’ll be seeing you, in all the old, familiar places. I’ll be looking at the moon, but I’ll be seeing… you…»
I even ordered an appetizer, as if my thunder thighs needed it, something to take the edge off my extreme hunger as I waited for my pizza. My appetizer was was technically a side dish: spinach sauteed in fresh garlic & olive oil, sprinkled with Romano cheese. It was served steaming hot, and the spinach was not oily or overseasoned… it was perfect.
It was as hot as Jerry Vale.
Suddenly I was happy. Tired, but smiling.
Just when I finished the plate of spinach, the pizza arrived. I had ordered the Jersey, extra-​thin crust, with sausage & onion, the smallest 10″ size. It looked big, see photo. Damn it was good. Perfectly cooked onions, delicious sausage, great crust, tasty.
My server was a delight, btw. Very friendly, and she cared that I liked my food. She checked on me frequently as I sat at my little corner table. I had only water to drink, so my tab came to $ 16 without tip. I brought half the pizza home. It’s calling to me now from inside the fridge.
«It’s my heart you own, so I’ll wait alone, my darling…»
*sigh*
burp
: D

I think Cialuzzi’s serves the best Italian food. I would have given them 5 stars but their service is not 5 stars. Service is hit or miss here. They are either very friendly towards you, or you feel like your being snubbed. Maybe it’s just the Italians being well, ITALIAN! But heck, I still go back because their food rocks. Mind you, I haven’t tried their pizza only the main entrees.
I guess if you want someone to be super duper nice to you, you should eat at Olive Garden or someplace like that. Cialuzzi’s is not a chain restaurant. Far from it. It’s authentic food, although priced on the higher end.
I usually order the chicken parmigiana and have never been let down. Yes it’s small but thats nice. Not every restaurant needs to be Cheesecake Factory in size. If you want open space, go someplace else. If you want good food, eat here. Period.

The perfect night in the home of Mr. and Mrs. F:
1. One Large Veggie Pizza from Cialuzzi’s with mushrooms, onions, chopped tomatoes and peppers
2. 2 liter bottle of soda and a large glass with ice
3. Netflix of The Soprano’s — season 5 disk 2 (we’re making our way through the series)
Three hours and three episodes later the pizza was gone, the pizza box was sitting on the coffee table open and empty, bottle of soda tapped and two well fed Italian former NY’ers were very, very happy. (and wondering, what’s going to happen with Johnny Sack and the NY crew? I’m glad Tony wasn’t arrested and poor Adrianna-​getting whacked and all, though she was a rat…)
p. s. I knew this was a five star pizza the second I walked into the place and the owner says, «I gotta turn down this music, its loud ’cause I got excited-​it was Jerry Vale.» Jerry Vale, ahhhh… grandpa would be proud.