Pasta Pomodoro

The last SF location of this kid-​friendly pasta chain CLOSED yesterday. The Noe Valley store closed in 2014 (lost lease). Now the nearest locations are in San Bruno (not as good) and Emeryville (never been there).
Seems like both stores had problems retaining their waitstaff, because on almost every visit (3 – 5 times each year) I’d often see a new waiter in training. Also food quality and menu changed a bit after the ownership change. For example, the green dipping sauce (for breadsticks) looks different, although it tasted the same. And the bistecca (thick steak) was usually great, but was later discontinued. Over the years, many new menu additions like the lasagna, were underwhelming. On the other hand, favorite dishes like baked polenta with crispy sage, and butternut squash ravioli were always good. Even though I don’t like every menu item, I’ve never experienced any bad food here, the pastas I got were always perfectly cooked al dente, and service was pleasant.

They’ve been on a slow decline for years. Ever since the guy of Super Duper Burgers sold this chain to someone else. I just received an email from Pasta Pomodoro and this location is now closed.

Been here many times!
For the quality/​price ratio …
this place was not bad
In the age of SF pasta price pushing past 10.
This one of goto places for
Q/​P = Quality/​Price
HELL, it may not taste like
The one I paid $ 24 for a pasta dish.
It was not bad.
So … when I see 1 star .
. put the silver spoon back and get real

SO MANY BUGS! There were so many fruit flies, we spent the dinner waving our hands around like animated Italians. And the last straw was when we received a bottle of warm Chardonnay. At least the breadsticks were good.

Lots of bugs flying around. And keep flying to the food. I can’t enjoy the food. They changed cooker & management everything. So many bugs flying around, can’t believe it!!! Don’t come here to waste time!

I have been to Pasta Pomodoro many times and last night was my last time. The restaurant has changed and just isn’t the same. Looking around I noticed the ceiling has bad damage and does not look safe at all. Also, the chair cushions are all beat up and their service has gone down. After we were seated it took about 10 minutes for someone to even approach our table. We both ordered fettuccine alfredo and it was served without the cheese they normally sprinkle on top. We had to ask the waiter to bring some but it was a bit of an inconvenience waiting for that while our food was getting cold. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the complimentary bread and pesto sauce-​yum.
It’s a shame because this was a go-​to place for me and the boyfriend but we both have decided not anymore.

Not what it used to be. This location is terrible. My whole family got food poisoning and traced it to the caesar salad with shrimp. Called the manager to let them know so they can check their food. They said that a lot of folks eat that but they will take the salad off the bill. Not the kind of response I thought I should have gotten. Will never go back.

Ew. This place was awful on all levels. I’d rather eat at Apple Bees for an entire month straight than come back here. I know its a chain — so I wasn’t expecting much at all, but thought to try it out on a Sunday since I’m always passing by. If you don’t mind multiple nats and fruit flies circling around you while eating dinner, then by all means, go! This particular thing freaked me out. The food was also awful. I had the chicken pesto and the chicken was red and gross looking, pasta was way too hard. My dates vodka sauce didn’t taste anything like actual vodka sauce should taste, but more of a weird smokey flavor. It was also super freezing inside, I had to keep my winter coat on during the whole meal time, and the waiter came by only after having to flag him down a few times. Save yourself and go down about a mile to Dino’s!

This location is closed without any notice. Love Pasta Pomodoro’s many dishes, bread with dipping oil, their salads etc. always did take out. Phone still rings without announcement that this location is closed. Dark inside, no sign out front. What the heck happened here? No other locations of this place in the city. :(

This Pasta Pomodoro is not what it used to be. The service is not great. Managers, servers, and the hostess are not friendly. It’s like they forgot they work in a service establishment.
The food was mediocre as well. Pastas were not fresh nor was their sauces. Most of the food was bland and lacks flavor.
When I called the manager a few days later about a problem, the manager was not helpful nor empathetic with the situation. In felt like he took the manager role just for the extra pay, but not actually acting like a manager.
The only decent item was the bread and pesto sauce they serve you when you sit down. Everything else sucks…

Went to this pasta pomodoro yesterday for a casual dinner with friends. The food was pretty good. You get exactly what you would expect at a lower end chain restaurant. The complimentary breadsticks are very good and so is the pasta with tomato cream sauce. This pasta pomodoro stood out among others that I have been to because it is nearer and more modern which definitely made it seem much nicer. Although it was very clean and sharp throughout, the bathroom was pretty gross and dirty. It definitely needs some work. I would recommend this place in a bind but it is not very good nor is it native San Francisco food. I have no major complaints about the place but I definitely would not say that the food was fantastic. It just felt like another chain restaurant similar to California pizza kitchen. There are so many other original hip and trendy restaurants in the area there is no reason to waste time and money here.

What is with the flying insect invasion, and the flies stuck on the canvas print? Am I the only patron who noticed? Pretty repulsive. I waited over half an hour to be seated and even longer to be served. When our meal came, we were unable to eat together as a family because we were all served at different times. The food was expensive and mediocre. The wait staff was overwhelmed. Maybe short staffed? Very apologetic. Still between the unsanitary conditions, long wait and mediocre food it was a pretty horrible experience. We were visiting someone at the hospital and next time, I’ll be sure to go somewhere else. One star for the waiter who I could see felt bad.

Flavor of food is as expected but my son’s portion was about ½ of what he is normally served at other Pasta Pomodoro restaurants. Service was extremely slow. I had to ask for more hot water for my tea and more bread as I was only given 2 small slices of French bread. No server ever came back to check if we needed anything else or bring my son his dessert By FAR, the Pasta Pomodoro in San Bruno has much better service as well as larger portions.

Service was decent. But the food was horrible.
1. The food was expensive for what it was worth.
2. The pasta and spaghetti tasted old and bad.
All in all, not worth coming.

One of my little ones is staying at California Pacific Medical Center down the street, so I thought I’d get a break from hospital food and order take out.
The online ordering was very convenient and easy to navigate and complete. I ordered Penne Arrabbiata with Italian Sausage an garlic bread that was said to have s spicy sauce with it. It also allows you to order silverware and Parmesan cheese to be included with your items which I did.
I arrived about 5 minutes early for my order and was greeted very quickly and both people at the front were very friendly. The restaurant appeared clean and inviting. My order was ready to go when I arrived and checkout was friendly, quick and efficient.
My food was just ok. Arrabbiata sauce should be spicy, this sauce had good flavor but really had no spicy to it. The Italian sausage was also just ok. The garlic bread was delicious! I wasn’t impressed with the spicy sauce so didn’t eat it. The meal came with the Parmesan cheese and silverware as requested. The silverware was just a fork, and since the Italian sausages were whole and not cut, it was a little difficult to eat. I’d suggest that they include a knife in their silverware kit if meat is in the meal.
Overall, I had a good experience at this location, the ambiance and the people working I encountered were great. The food was just ok.

Came here around 4pm on a Wednesday and it was empty. Granted, I came in at a weird time and it was a business day.
The Gemelli was the waitress’s favorite but it was bland to me. Had to add a bunch of salt to add some flavor into that dish. The only thing I really liked was the focaccia bread and the dip, even though I preferred balsamic vinegar with olive oil. Place isn’t bad, but it isn’t the best either.

I used to adore Pasta Pomodoro way back in the 90’s when the business started in its first restaurant in my then neighborhood, North Beach. It was all about fast, cheap and cheerful. Fresh portions and consistency. It is still mostly about these things — minus the consistency.
In the process of growing, expanding and then downsizing, the restaurant’s menu has altered in kind. I miss many of my old favorites such as pasta puttanesca and a polenta appetizer with caramelized sage, and the caprese salad has seriously downsized.
Still, despite a few changes for the worse, I enjoy dining at PP’s 6^th and Calif. outpost. Good service most of the time.
The last time I went for lunch, I really enjoyed the capelllini with arrabbiata sauce and shrimp. I was relieved since the previous visit was a bit disappointing — a watery chicken marsala landed on my plate that time around.
The other highlight was the focaccia accompanied by a rich pesto and olive oil dipping sauce.
Wine selection was varied and featured some good values. Great, casual, family-​friendly atmosphere with a menu that is hit or miss at times.

When I came here with my co-​workers, the servers took about 45 mins to bring out our food after we ordered that we had to ask for to-​go boxes before we got a chance to take a bite. Super slow service.
I usually order the same thing, which is the portobello penne. It’s usually really good. But this time I ordered the shrimp Ceaser salad which cost me $ 17. I had the salad to-​go, so when I got back to the office, I noticed that there was barely any dressing! So I had a dry Ceaser salad with shrimp. It wasn’t $ 17 worth. Major rip off!

Pleasant looking place just steps from my friend’s door. They sell food.
That’s about everything I liked about this particular pasta pomo…
It was loud and crowded. It was expensive and oh so snobby for a not so high end chain restaurant. It was bland and mediocre.
It was so convenient but I doubt I’ll be back. I’m happy to fight over parking at some another SF restaurant that offers taste or value or both. rather than come back here.

When I’m in the area, I prefer to grab lunch from Beautifull a block away (curry tofu salad!) but I saw their affordable lunch set priced at $ 12 which includes a full size entrée and a salad.
The caesar salad is well dressed and I love the nutty taste of the parmesan shavings. The Capellini tre colori is simple but satisfying: asparagus, cherry tomatoes and olive oil with garlic chips. I got free bread with a delicious pesto sauce too!
Service was great considering it was a busy lunch hour with half the restaurant taken by hospital employees who work across the street. Not bad for a chain restaurant!