Guicho’s Eatery

Hidden in a corner of El Camino next to a 7 – 11 store you will find this place of whatever it is for it is of what it wasn’t was of something of that it should be.
Of what sounded good at this time had to be the Farfalle but unfortunately in this case my pasta was by far the most flavorless thing I’ve had in a long time as it was pretty much just plain noodles, and a few scraps of chicken with some sun dried tomatoes in between each dissatisfied bite a tasteless substance.
To be straight up honest with you I was at Costco earlier today and the pasta sample I was given there was by far tastier than anything my wife or I had here tonight as she didn’t enjoy here dish either.
Their pasta dishes came with a piece of garlic bread as well sadly this was the only thing either of us had that we some what enjoyed because it actually had a taste to it.
It’s been quite a few years since I’ve been here and from what I remember then you would call in your order because they were pretty much just a counter to pick up at but they’ve some how grown into a bigger space that I won’t be coming back to as all I really got tonight was some boiled noodles!
Overall terrible food and a over extended wait time on a simple phone order I don’t see how they stay open as there’s a ton of other delicious Italian places in San Clemente go there instead!

Still the best place to eat in town! Every time i go in i wish i could order the whole menu!

I have eaten here for the last 12 years and every time the food is amazing, I am a very satisfied customer and highly recommend Guichos!

Guichos is amazing! Especially the chicken chop salad and cheese tortellini. They have even expanded their store for more seating.
The only issue is the timing of orders being ready. When they say an order will be ready in 20 minutes; it is often done in 35 minutes.
Overall, the food is stupid good!

Awesome Italian food. We were visiting from Phoenix, saw the Unilocal review, and stopped in. Great food. Lite and fresh. I would recommend to anyone wanting a quick delicious meal.

Can’t say enough about Guicho’s and their amazing menu. Each delicious item is prepared with excellence and high quality ingredients and every time we order they accommodate our picky eaters in our family. Fabulous and fast!

Food is excellent, but I get tired of the long wait on the phone to order, and then it’s never ready when they say. 25 min is usually more like 40min
The «other» Italian takeout down the street has almost as good of food and way better and faster service
And now… The finally called my order up, only to discover they forgot part of it Still waiting

The food here is amazing. We always get take out. Have had a few different dishes and none has disappointed us. The gluten free options are nice. The fennel salad is different and a fav!

This place has the best eggplant sandwich I’ve ever had. Meatball subs are my sons favorite. Cashier is always super nice. I order for take out and pick up later. Very good quality. I’d recommend a try. Much better than Subway for sure. You get what you pay for.

Love places like Guichos. They are family owned and it shows in the quality of their food. They have some yummy italian specialties. We like their tortellini and sandwiches. The crème brûlée is really good too.

I really love this place but maybe they should hire ppl that actually care about having a job! The 3 girls that worked there stood around yapping the entire time while the cook was the only one working. To top that off they tended to two customers who showed up & ordered after me while my food sat on the cold counter waiting for one entrée. Over all food was great but girls get it together, @ least try to look busy when the place is busy.

Great fresh, takeout, local restaurant. My favorites are the chopped salad and turkey sandwich but everything is delicious.

Would love to give more stars but based off the level of service and wait time I can’t. The food is good… nothing great… just good. It’s more American than Italian. Pasta is not homemade… it’s boxed pasta.
My biggest complaint is the wait. Both on the phone and in the restaurant. I called and was immediately placed on hold. No one ever came back on the phone. After nearly 20 minutes, we decided just to drive over and order. We were second in line, then when it was our turn we were told we had to wait while they helped people in the phone. After another 5 – 10 minutes they took our order and we were told it would be 35 — 40 minutes for our food. We only orders sandwiches, so I’m unsure what could possibly take that long.
When I talked to the young woman about my experience she told me there would be no way they would ever have someone on hold for that long because the phone makes sounds to remind them. No apology was given… That’s all we really wanted.

The food was mediocre at best. Ordered the Fett with shrimp. Four shrimp in the whole dish. Also received a nice cold and old piece of garlic bread. Save your time and go somewhere better.

Is this considered 4 – 5 star dining out here? I wasn’t impressed, Unilocalers when you give a place an average of 4.5 stars I expect an awesome place. Usually I’m in agreement with you but here I disagree.
I’m personally going to chalk this disagreement up to location, maybe the food out here is more hum drum and therefore receiving higher marks based on that (San Clemente, that’s right I said it.)
OK, so the place does have a small view of the ocean from one seat in the restaurant, which I had thankfully. While my friend and I had lunch the place had a handful of people in it and wasn’t busy by any means.
Food came out in a slightly above average wait time (20m+) with slightly below average food, but the one female employee that took our order/​served us was pleasant.
My sausage sandwich was OK, cooked pretty good but no real pizazz. No sauce, just sausage with onions and peppers on a toasted big bun. My friend ordered pasta, which he said is just okay. Which I find interesting because he’s not a picky eater, and usually always has good things to say.
Long story short, you’ll never see me here again, I don’t recommend you go, drive further in LA, or go back to SD, this place is no way 4.5 star material!
Happy eating!

Whenever I eat here I get sick, I’m not sure what the deal is. Also… Last time I had the Scampi pasta and it was very dry. The hearts of palm salad was mushy and I wish this place wasn’t so bad! The concept is good, but you roll the dice when eating here.

The eggplant sandwich is delicious. It is my all time favorite. The bread is very fresh, the flavors in the sandwich are earthy, spicy, sweet and it all comes together beautifully. The salad on the side is always fresh and the dressing is simple and light with flavors of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I have been coming here for years and this sandwich never disappoints! If you are looking for food with high, quality ingredients from recipes that obviously have come from someone with years of cooking experience, then you have come to the right place.

I usually just get take out here. It’s not bad. Spaghetti’s good. Garlic bread is not bad. The meatballs in my spaghetti were not hot, though :(and I pretty much ate it right away. I think it could all use a little more seasoning/​flavor. Kinda bland.

Disclaimer: This review is based upon the meatball sandwich only, but it’s so good it deserves its on post. :)
I live in SD so unfortunately I only get to eat here when I have to drive through San Clemente, but every time I do I stop here for a meatball sandwich. It’s really a work of art and the time and effort they put into it is noticeable. The to-​go box they serve it in even makes it feel like a present. A really great meatball sandwich is so hard to find, and this one is up there. You must try it.
I’m sure one day I’ll try one of their other menu items (they look delicious too) but till then I’ll keep enjoying this sandwich on my rare visits.

I have lived very close to this place for several years and have tried it a number of times and have been underwhelmed every time. It’s not that the food is bad, it just has no flavor. At all.
I have tried several menu choices over the years and ran into the same thing each time. Meatball sub? Blandest meatballs I’ve ever had. Marinara covering them was ok but couldn’t make up for flavorless meatballs. Linguini Alfredo? Perfectly cooked pasta covered in flavorless white sauce. Not «subtly flavored», just flavorless. Same thing each time I’ve been there. Most recently my fiancé wanted to try it over my objections. She noted the same thing: the pasta was cooked well but the sauce was bland.
Presentation is fine, service is acceptable (i.e. nothing to either praise or decry), but flavor just isn’t there.