Caesar’s Italian Restaurant

Man this place. The memories. I know it’s been closed for almost 3 years now but I wanted to leave a Unilocal review in honor of this place. I grew up in the South Bay but my grandma was from the city. I had been going to this restaurant as long as I was alive. We would make special trips here to get the full course meal, with like 7 or 8 courses. It was amazing. You were always treated like family and my grandma and grandpa seemed to know everyone in it. It was a restaurant from a different time that no longer exists anymore.
This place was an institution. It represented what San Francisco cuisine was about, and the culture of the old city. But the old city is no more, and it’s sort of sad to see that part of the city go. It’s what made me move to the city and what millions loved about San Francisco. I hope some of these old places will stay around. Don’t get me wrong, i still love the city, I just miss those little parts that have gone away.

I came here for a holiday dinner and the servers were outstanding. We had a large banquet table (seated about 40+ people) and I had three children with me and we were perfectly attended to at all times. Usually with large groups it’s easy for servers to forget something but there were enough servers and all courses were served promptly to all guests in a timely manner. They even had time to make sure our drinks were properly filled and they made small talk with our kids. Seriously, they left nothing to be desired in a server. They were all very friendly, professional, and knew what they were doing. The food was really good as well. I liked how everything including the food was kid-​friendly, low key, not too pretentious or snobby yet still had good quality comfort Italian food. The restaurant was clean. It did not feel crowded although our group was rather large. I would highly recommend this place for large groups.
Gratzi mil!

It’s sad to see it close because Matteo and Luigi were the two main people behind the scenes here. Luigi pass couple of months ago and that’s were I think it started til now. Together both of them made it happen for many generations of families to have one of those exceptional meals in North Beach area.
When ever I call I ask for Matteo sometimes really busy and I just get there myself. Once he spotted me it was like an old buddy from high school kind of scene. When I first met Matteo and Luigi both are so funny and business like. My table was always near the kitchen swinging doors easier for me to see who’s trying to sneek up on me and larger group would be the family table in the private party room facing Bay street. Thanks for all the memories and Matteo what ever you do from here on whether fishing, retiring, or another business I hope you the best and success.
Grazie millie!

:(
Just :(
After being in biz for 56 years, Caesar’s is closing their doors this weekend.
Ah…memories.
My fondest, longest memory of this place was coming here for dinner when I was around 7 years old. Not that I have a great memory in general, it’s just that the whole fam went after returning from Reno on our yearly vacation at xmas time.
What I remember from that visit? Well, my mom was a 1^st generation Italian, loved cooking etc. She was a visitor to all the old North Beach haunts when we lived there, North Beach Restaurant, Fior d’Italia, Le Felce, New Pisa, etc. On this particular occasion, through bleary eyes, we all scoped a cockroach that was crawling up the wall behind her. Knowing her the way we did, we knew if we mentioned it, she would shriek something fierce and demand we leave, so, we all held our tongue while noshing down on our 7 courses.
I was last there about a year ago, and, completely forgot to review the place. Same old charm, same old bar, same old food — i don’t mean the in a bad way. Always wholesome, always tasty, always filling.
I’ll miss one of my fav spots from my youth. Thanks for the great memories, Caesar’s!
Ya feel me?

Sigh. It’s always sad to see old school San Francisco staples close their doors due to declining business. Today is their last day after 56 years: (
I’m glad that we happened upon this restaurant and got to enjoy their famous 7-​course meal before all of the last minute chaos of «going out of business frenzy.»
Where were you all before?
That 7-​course meal (which the menu specified that you could not share :) was a belly filler, and such a bargain! A great way to cap off a day of walking around Fisherman’s Wharf.
Hopefully someone will take over the space who will still keep an old-​style vibe, serving good Italian food at great prices.

For decades, I’d wanted to try Caesar’s, always thinking «I’ll make it there.» Finally, a group of us decided to celebrate a birthday there and a reservation made. Within hours we found out Caesar’s was closing at the end of the month. Wow, we thought, we’re making it just in time.
Everything looked promising in the beginning. We were seated early. The waiter seemed a bit distracted but we didn’t give it much thought. Everyone ordered the full 7-​course dinner. Plenty of good bread on the table. The salads came promptly followed by a plethora of antipasti. We couldn’t believe the number of plates that were put down — cherry tomatoes and mini mozzarella balls, marinated mushrooms and sliced black olives, calamari ceviche, mixed bean salad, salami, potato and green bean salad. We also had an order of fried calamari. After we made a significant inroad into the many dishes, soup was brought out followed by penne bolognese.
After the pasta, the meal went southward. We waited a while and started to wonder. Our waiter came by and checked on us. Re-​confirmed a few of the entrees including the one that needed to be split. Then he came by again and told us the kitchen was running behind. He did offer drinks for the table but most of us already had enough. We saw other tables get served their entrees and started to wonder/​tried to remember if those diners skipped the 7-​course and that’s why their entrée orders came out sooner. I’d heard that things could be a bit slow but this was getting ridiculous. Was the kitchen backed up or did our order get lost?
Finally, the entrees arrived. They weren’t bad but definitely not spectacular. I had the Osso Bucco while the rest of the table had the Scalone Dore, Grilled Pork Chops, Combination Seafood Platter, Brochette of Prawns and Scallops and the Crab Cioppino. The requested split dish was not split in the kitchen but the waiter brought a plate with it. Small consolation. We had waited so long for the entrees, most of the table was cranky. And to make matters worse, two sides of meatballs never arrived.
The ice cream and coffee came promptly but by then the table was just grumbling since it was well over 3 hours since we had been seated. Well, I guess I can say I did eat here once. Unfortunately, even if they were staying open, I don’t think I would be returning for another meal.

If dress code is an issue, or requirement, to get good service, then post a sign. At entering, it took 5 minutes to get someone to acknowledge us. I know I «look» like a thug, but don’t let my good looks fool you.
Once we were sat, the place started getting busy. The waiter was great! Seemed a bit off, but friendly and attentive.
The food: Waiter said it was prepped wrong, so they had to redo half the order. So, after a little wait, seemed long due to the beer, food came out nice n hot. Everything tasted great! Only had the A La Carte, 7 course meal seemed excessive.
Overall, decent atmosphere, ok service, but a bit pricey. I would go back, with reservations and a different look, and see if service is better. This is why it’s only getting 3 stars, for now.

I know, I know, it’s an institution, which is why we wanted to check it out. Look I’m from NY and I went with a pal from Connecticut. Apparently she liked it more than I did! We know about Italian American food and this was sort of what I was hoping for. Not gourmet, but just good hearty style food.
Our party of 5 was seated on time, and getting reservations was no problem, I can see why. It’s cool in that cheesy old school way, yes. But what’s not old school is lipstick on your ‘clean’ wine glasses, the waiter trying to transfer the wine from the dirty glass into your new glass, taking forever for the food to come, our server being awol all the time, and just sub-​par food!
The best part was the décor, the people watching (lots of loud, boisterous families!), the $ 11 carafes of house red, and the anti pasta that came with the dinner special, which is enough for 2 people to share, btw. This is not for the sodium free crowd or the faint of heart.

Classic, old style Italian restaurant. Don’t come here if you’re in a hurry though, the service is not that fast but get carafe, some good convo and hang in there. Just don’t stuff yourself on the free bread!
The 7 course meal was a bit much for my belly to handle, but their house salad was fine and I ordered a side of the meatballs. The balls weren’t bad! You get two large meaty orbs to devour on your plate, full of flavor and sauce. I’m more of a ground turkey/​pork fan, and these were beef, but I enjoyed them anyway.
I love the atmosphere — half tourist, half local trying to kill time before or after a show or errands. I mean, why else would you be so close to the wharf– by choice?
Standard American fare, friendly waiters, good for groups, moderately priced and an all around good time. It’s kitsch at its finest and I was lucky enough to sit under the tree strewn with rainbow lights. Such ambiance! ;-)
I’d go back just for the antipasti — that squid and those marinated mushrooms were yummy. Good olé comfort food, parmesan and wine — that makes me happy.

I’ve seen all sorts of good reviews for this place and it didn’t look too expensive, so I figured it would be a good place to take a group of people for a friend’s birthday.
We went in at 7:30 and service was so slow that we didn’t leave until after 10. A couple of people did order the 7 course meal so that may have been what slowed service down, but the restaurant wasn’t remotely busy at the time — there were maybe two or three other tables there. The server himself was all right but tended to disappear for long stretches of time, and was not all that attentive. One person in our group kept trying to order things and got continuously passed over.
The food was subpar. The appetizers were the best thing that came out and got our hopes up for the food, but it was all downhill from there. Linguine with clams in white sauce was all right except for the gritty sand from clams that weren’t well cleaned. They brought out this free pasta dish that had a «meat sauce» that was terrible and nobody at the table ate. Unfortunately, it looked — and I suspect tasted — much like Fancy Feast.
That’s fine for free pasta, whatever, but unfortunately it’s ended up being the same sauce on one of our group’s entrees. Entrees were lukewarm and all the pasta (free and the entrees) was completely overcooked which is one of my biggest pet peeves. An Italian place should know how to cook pasta.
The portions were large but nobody wanted to take any leftovers home, and it was getting so late into the night that even the people who ordered the seven course meal just waved off a couple courses so we could leave.
I’m very disappointed that we chose this restaurant for a special occasion. The prices aren’t high but the food just isn’t worth it anyway.

So noisy I couldn’t hear the people at my table, food tasted alright but was not worth the price… and it made me sick later.
Puking penne = no fun.

Borderline touristy since it’s right near the wharf, but I have to say, based on food alone– my delicious lasagna — deserves 4 stars. They obviously know how to make Italian food!
They also gave our parge party of 12 a free small plate of pasta each, since the food was taking too long. So nice of them!
This place is inexpensive. Good for families.

For my 1900 review I’m writing about Caesar’s Italian Restaurant — old school place that’s been in SF for a long time, first time eating there. It was on KQED Check Please.
It’s on OpenTable so booked a table just a few days before eating there. No problem with that. Called to say I was running late & lady said it was fine. I got my 100 pts — cool.
Valet parking in front of Caesar’s is $ 6. There is Public parking in the North Point parking lot — not sure if it’s free or pay.
FREE tap water — small glasses.
FREE bread w/​butter — boring, cold bread. Nothing special about it.
I picked Baked Lasagna seven course dinner $ 26. Seven course dinner includes: salad (Italian dressing), assorted antipasti, vegetable soup, pasta meat sauce, entrée, coffee or tea & dessert (vanilla, chocolate, sherbet or Spumoni ice cream).
Salad — some iceberg lettuce w/​carrots, beets, & bowl of beans. Average.
Antipasti — some salami, eggplant, mushrooms, potatoes, pickled veggies — ok
Vegetable soup — The waiter pours it tableside into your bowl. Boring cucumbers, zucchini, red broth. Blah.
Pasta meat sauce — about ½c of pasta w/​meat sauce — average.
Baked lasagna — one big square w/​tomato-​meat sauce. Just ok. Not a lot of cheese inside, same boring meat sauce as the other pasta dish.
I picked Spumoni — green ice cream w/​fruits & nuts. I liked it.
I picked Tea — Superior Classic Tea Orange Pekoe tea bag w/​slice of lemon & some hot water. ok.
B. got Al La Carte fried seafood platter w/​some potatoes & green beans. He said it was ok ³⁄₅.
Women’s bathroom: On the left of the one dining room. 2 toilets/​1 sink.
Overall, just an ok place. Good enough for tourist. Gets noisy & slow service when busy.

I love Caesar’s Italian Restaurant! This place is Old School. I’ve been coming here since I was a little girl. This place is still the BEST Family Style Italian Restaurant in San Francisco. If you are missing some Italian home cooking, you have to come here.
The 7 course meal reminds me of the big family dinners. You get more than you can handle, but look forward to the next dish. I try so hard to make it to the entrée, but by that time — I’m usually full.
I think I wasn’t thinking straight when I decided to go all 7 rounds, but I wanted to impress the big guy with a big Italian Dinner without the family dinner, lol. Are you ready? Manga, Manga!
1.) House Salad with Creamy Italian Dressing
2.) Antipasto Dishes: three bean salad, calamari, salami, potato salad, grilled eggplant. They bring out tons of dishes, pretty quickly the table is covered with them.
3.) Vegetable Minestrone Soup, my fave — reminds me of my grandma’s. Ask for Parmesan, it’s necessary.
4.) Pasta, a side order of Rigatoni with Meat Sauce. I almost couldn’t make it through at this point, but I had help. :
5.) Your Main Entrée with it’s sides! At this point I’m full but ordered the Meat Lasagna. Laine ordered the Chicken Parmesan, the special of the Day. That was good too. My Lasagna was very good, creamy and the meat sauce is really tasty. I was already stuffed and took the rest to go. The Lasagna was really great the next day. :)
6.) Once you have made it through, you are rewarded with scoops of ice cream. Pick from Raspberry Sherbet, Vanilla, Chocolate or Spumoni.
7.) And Coffee. We were not really in the mood for coffee, but I always remember the after dinner coffee in my family. I think it’s to balance the Food Coma you fall into.
All of the Family Style Dinners are based on your main entrée, from about $ 25. to $ 35 per person. Incredible value if you consider the amount of food served. :)

New Year’s is about celebrating the old, welcoming the new and cherishing the family.
Caesar’s is an old institution that opened its doors to San Franciscans in 1956. If it is traditional Italian cuisine you want and the famed San Francisco dish, Cioppino, Caesar’s is the place to go.

I was finally able to try Caesar’s when fiancé’s sister and her husband took us to dinner here for fiancé’s birthday. The future brother in law is second generation Italian. Caesar’s is his Italian parents and «nonna’s» (Italian for grandmother) restaurant of choice for family get togethers.
Fiancé’s sis whispered as we were sitting down, «you come here for the food and ambiance, not for the service.» Sure enough, Caesar’s is packed and loud with multi-​generational families – mostly Italians but diverse enough with Asians and other non-​Italian families. «Godfather «would have been happy to bring his la famiglia here.
If you want to practice your Italian, this is the place to do it. The place was loud with Italian dialects spoken all around us. Fiancé’s sis pointed out the staff who are from the old country who barely speak English but has been working at Caesar’s for decades.
Caesar’s is indeed old-​school from the décor, immigrant restaurant staff and traditional Italian cuisine.
The waiters wear black and white tux.

As much as I wanted to try the Cioppino, they were not serving it that night. Future in-​laws suggested that we go for the $ 35 Seven Course dinner. And for $ 35 per person, you will get plenty of delicious fare to get you stuffed:
1^st Course: SALAD of lettuce, tomato and onionwith Italian dressing.
2^nd Course: ANTIPASTI of calamari salad, garbanzo bean salad, grilled eggplant (caponata), cured ham, etc.
*The dishes were fresh and delicious. Future bro-in-law’s told us his nonna made these dishes for the family every Sunday. I could dine on these small dishes alone! I could not stop eating the garbanzo bean salad, caponata and calamari salad.
3^rd Course: A small dish of PASTA WITH MEAT SAUCE.
*I ate around the meat sauce since I am a pescetarian. I would say that the sauce was very flavorful and definitely NOT Chef Boyardee’s!
4^th Course: A delicious bowl of lite MINESTRONE SOUP.
5^th Course: Choice of main dish.
*Fiancé chose GRILLED LAMB CHOPS which he requested as well-​done. It came to him medium rare. He said it was still delicious, not gamey and very tender.
*I had the GRILLED SEAFOOD PLATTER. My meal came with a skewer of plump prawns and very tender scallops with spinach and potatoes. As simple as my meal was, it was surprisingly very good! I had to take half of it home since I got stuffed from eating the antipasti, salad and soup.
6^th Course: SPUMONI.
*You get to choose from their dessert menu but the spumoni was a great way to end this nice Italian dinner.
7^th Course: COFFEE
OVERALL:
Service was polite and not so bad. This was a leisurely dinner and you might have to flag your server down once in a while. They leave you alone but not forget about you. You will still get your water refilled and your dishes on time.
They even gave my fiancé an amaretti flavored cheesecake with a candle in it for his birthday dessert. Rich and delish!
I have traveled to Italy and have had the pleasure to eat well in Rome and the Umbrian region. Caesar’s is indeed authentic, traditional and old school. The dishes are not as delicious as what I had in Italy but at Caesar’s it is about tradition. The dishes were simple, fresh and light – not the heavy, cheesy, Italian-​American that is standard in the US.
On our way out, fiancé’s sis spotted BUGIE COOKIES for sale at the counter. She said their nonna made these Italian sweets. I grabbed a couple of boxes for $ 6 each and gave one to her as a thank you present for the nice dinner treat. Bugies I found out later are fried dough sprinkled with powdered sugar. Delicious but not diet food!
Thanks future sis-​in-​law and future bro-​in-​law for a delicious dinner.
3.5 Stars rounding up to 4 for a venue that values family tradition.

I’d give this place a solid 3.5, but I’m going to round up because it’s a long-​time establishment with such great family history.
We saw Caesar’s on «Check Please» a few weeks back, and because they mentioned the traditional 7-​course Italian dinner here, I was naturally curious! We went with a couple friends and all ordered up the 7 courses. Three of us ordered the seafood combination platter and one ordered the osso bucco.
My meal consisted of:
* Course 1: Salad with Italian dressing (loved the dressing, just the right amount, mmm!)
* Course 2: Anti-​pasta (lots of vegetable dishes and some cured ham, loved the cooked celery, calamari salad, garbanzo bean salad, caponata)
* Course 3: Pasta (ziti with meat sauce was a meal in itself, the flavoring of the sauce was right on!)
* Course 4: Vegetable soup (simply made and oh so delicious!)
* Chianti (perfect with my meal)
* Course 5: Seafood combo platter (fried fish, scallops and calamari, steamed vegetables — it was a-​ok, probably not the best choice on the menu, plus I was getting quite full at this point from the above courses, my friend enjoyed her osso bucco)
* Course 6: Spumoni (this was a highlight, gotta order the spumoni as you can get vanilla and chocolate ice cream anytime!)
* Course 7: Coffee (a nice decaf was a good cap to the meal)
My bf commented that the dining area reminded him of Italian restaurants he used to go to with his family on the east coast — it is very homey with closely placed tables, very family-​oriented, lots of old pictures on the wall of family and San Francisco through the years, very charming. The service was a-​ok, they have the timing of the 7-​course meal down! They bring you all the dishes with just enough time in between so that you can enjoy your meal and digest (at least a little) between courses.
I completely enjoyed myself! Grazie!
7-​course meal+chianti+tax+tip = $ 45

Given, I went here for a work event.
Nothing special — think Capp’s Corner with an extra room. Pretty much the same genre — super old school, autographed Frank Sinatra records on the wall coupled with Dean Martin photos, picnic table cloths, horrible lighting, and that very awkward room flow.
I will admit it was a dinner for maybe 50+ guests, so I expected quality to come down. But nothing to write home to mom abuot.
Salad was somewhat old — had the brown along the edges. The anti-​pasta was decent — just plain jane, which included grilled eggplant, olives, tomato salad, mortadella, etc. But nothing was out of this world.
Ravoli was Chef Boyardee special, but it was decent. Steak was well prepared — medium rare, good New York Strip. I was lucky to try some salmon, which was OK. The chicken piccolo, I hear, was lack-​luster.
The only cool thing I thought was the bar. It had a nice spread. Felt like Buena Vista Café on Hyde street. Spacy, comfortable, nice bartender. Can’t complain. So if you’re looking for a quick night cap, it’s doable.
The waitstaff was wonderful — attentive, quiet, focused. Barely noticed them at all, but everything was served well.

Dined here at their banquet room, as a part of dinner event with 60+ people. The food was just OK. Nothing to be impressed about. The service was great and the servers are quite friendly, though.
There had to be something wrong with the banquet room. I had such a hard time conversing with people who are sitting across the table. I was constantly shouting and trying to read lips during the whole time. The noise level were so annoying, and I thought it was worse than the tunnel between West Oakland Station and Embarcadero Station on BART.
On the contrary, the dining room seemed to be less noisy. But I highly doubt I’ll go back there.

If you ever wonder what it was like in your grandpa’s lodge, the kind Fred and Barney used to go to get away from Wilma and Betty on «The Flintstones» when they were members of the Royal Order of Water Buffaloes, well, wonder no further. You can live out your fantasies of being the guest of honor at a Rotary Club banquet by coming to Caesar’s. the biggest throwback to a 1950’s-style social hall that I’ve ever seen in this city. Quality-​wise, the food is definitely at the banquet level. So is the noise level. It’s like eating in the middle of Grand Central Station terminal.
«Warehouse» is the first thought I had when I entered the place. They actually had mirrors on the wall that were supposed to look like windows. Curtains were painted on the beams. Naugahyde booths. Paper bibs for the crab legs. All the chintzy touches are here because it’s Caesar’s, goombah. Jamie W. and I came here on Friday since we didn’t feel like waiting at Houston’s, and I seem to recall that this eatery was praised on an episode of «Check Please! Bay Area». Granted the recommender was a silver-​haired dandy wearing a white turtleneck, but what the hey? He looked trustworthy.
Well, service was hectic. I don’t think the hostess ever looked at me as she muttered «How many?» and then looked immediately at her table map (see photo… nice perm!). We both decided to try their seven-​course dining extravaganza. I went for the $ 29 Osso Bucco meal, and Jamie ordered the $ 25 Ravioli plate. I didn’t know the routine, so the waiter just kept coming with small plates. First up was the paltry green salad ladled thick with some kind of creamy dressing. Along with it came a bowl of chickpeas, kidney beans and onions marinated in lemon and olive oil, which I assumed I was supposed to spoon over the salad.
But then he also came with slices of mortadella. Oh, but here comes the cherry tomatoes with mozzarella cheese balls and then a mix of calamari and button mushrooms. No complaints, but we were both getting kinda full from all of it. The steaming minestrone soup came out next in a big silver bowl, which was then ladled into our bowls by the waiter. By the time I dipped my spoon in, he was already back with the penne in ragout sauce. This was getting ridiculous because I didn’t have room left for the osso bucco itself. It turns out that wasn’t such a bad decision since it just wasn’t that good compared to a place like Stelline in Hayes Valley. The meat was rather dried out despite all the chunky tomato sauce poured on top of the shanks.
Only one of the shanks had any marrow, which was a major bummer, and I barely ate two of the three shanks on the plate. Jamie could barely touch his ravioli since it was virtually the same as the penne he just had. Feeling bulimic, I excused myself only to return to see a parfait glass filled with spumoni with the green dye streaked throughout. I licked it up, maraschino cherries and all. Ugh. We were so full I could barely move from the table, Meanwhile, the restaurant was packed with families, senior citizen groups and beer-​bellied paisans looking for a little amore. If you want to eat yourself in a coma, Caesar’s may fit the bill if your idea of good eats is assembly-​line Italiano.
FOOD — 3 stars… I think Fred and Barney would have liked the chow here if they threw in a brontosaurus bone
AMBIANCE — 2.5 stars… Kiwanis club chic with the echo chamber of an airplane hangar
SERVICE — 2.5 stars… automatic pilot would be a generous appraisal
TOTAL — 3 stars… if quantity trumps all, then go, my porky paisan, go!

During a recent lunch, someone asked about authentic cioppinos in the city and only two immediately came to mind: a) Little Joe’s and b) Caesar’s. With this thought firmly in my mind, I gathered some friends for a casual Friday get-​together. It’s been a while since I’ve had the famed Crab Cioppino, served Tuesdays to Fridays. When reading the specials and the price, I thought the numbers were transposed as it was only $ 23.00 the last time I had it, but crab is out of season right now so I should have expected it. Here is what I had:
Appetizer
Manhattan Clam Chowder — This is my preferred version as the New England version (creamy) is more commonly found. Just the right balance of okra, chopped clams, and potatoes with a tangy flavor. Great on those cool foggy nights. — $ 4.50
Fried Calamari (shared) — Golden brown fried calamari pieces, large chopped rings that came to the table hot. The flavor was good, but it would have been better if it had a mix of the other pieces (tentacles and such). The server also forgot to bring either tartar, cocktail, or marinara sauce. I requested marinara sauce as the squid pieces quickly cooled, hoping that the warm sauce would hi-​lite the flavor. Success. — $ 13.00
Pasta — A small plate of rigatoni in a delicious meat sauce comes with every fish or meat entrée. Be sure to generously sprinkle their parmesan cheese on this… It was so good that we considered asking for an extra side order to share. — free
Entrée
Crab Cioppino — A large heaping bowl filled with mostly dungeness crab pieces, mussels, clams, and calamari in a tomato broth; two large garlic bread slices accompany this order. Not for diners who expect to exclusively use utensils as you’ll need to battle the shells to enjoy the luscious local trademark crabmeat. The shelling bowl came in very handy as the pile barely fit the bowl for two orders. — $ 32.00.
Dessert
Fried Bow Ties (complimentary) — A family style plateful of deep fried batter covered with powdered sugar. Being stuffed from overindulging on the garlic bread and regular bread, I only ate two pieces.
The dining room was about 80% full, but their private party room was packed. The service was very homey, but a bit slow due to the high volume of customers; it was a mix of tourists, couples, local families, and small groups like ourselves. The servers were good about refilling the glasses, with the minor glitch being the calamari sauce issue. The bread initially came cold/​hard, but, when we requested hot bread, the waiter quickly brought some. The owner walked the room to make sure everything was okay with all the diners.
If you get a craving for cioppino, this place definitely delivers, but be prepared to pay for it.