Di Roma Cucina

I’m a total foodie and have worked and managed in the food industry, so I appreciate the dining experience while also recognizing when there are some systemic issues at restaurants, i.e. not one-​time problems. This was our first visit to Di Roma.
We arrived at 1:00 with baby and toddler looking forward to some great 4.5 star, highly-​reviewed food and a pleasant lunch. We were surprised to find ²⁄₃ of the tables set up for a painting class (which happens one Sat. per month), but they quickly brought us a table from outside and we sat down. That’s when things unraveled. After 20 minutes of no service, menus, water, etc. I got up and hunted down menus myself. We ordered, and I asked if there was complimentary bread – the hostess/​server said they’d bring it, but we got it 15 min later because the cooks burned the first batch. (Ever heard a hungry baby screaming? Not easy to keep them happy.) Appetizer came by the 1 hour point ($ 10 for 12 small rings of calamari? Way overpriced or underportioned…$ 5 would be reasonable.) We had to ask for water, and still no silverware by then.
At this point I asked to speak to the manager and shared in detail that our first experience was not going well and that I hoped she could turn things around. She said it was our hostess/server’s first day, in her mind explaining the lack of attentiveness and long wait for food. (Apparently I had grabbed the dinner menu not lunch, so the cooks had to prep our «dinner» orders from scratch – the cooks should have taken one look at our orders and told the girl to re-​take a lunch menu order, though many items we ordered overlapped anyways.) I showed the manager an obviously rare splinter I’d gotten from the chipped underside of the table when dragging it to give the disruptive painting class clearance, and she actually *laughed* inappropriately instead of apologizing profusely for not only that small (painful) nuisance but all the other oversights. (Note: profusely is the ONLY appropriate response for a food service manager at times like this – not lukewarm or vague. I’ve done it many times and it doesn’t cost oneself anything to be very, truly sorry.) She offered 50% off our bill, but did not take ownership of the problems: she, the manager, should not have put a girl on her first day waiting tables, but shadowing or hostessing. It was not the girl’s fault she was unprepared to handle customers – this was a training flaw.
The lunch was really disappointing, and I love Italian food. Chicken piccata, the rave of many Unilocalers, was decent but nothing special. Sides of sauteed veggies were *burned black* on all plates (no chef should EVER send out burned food – they should either cut off the burned parts if short on time or, even more ethical, remake the dish. Training needed). My fettucine alfredo was about $ 12 without any meat, just pasta and sauce; it was sadly bland, though it’s so easy to make it flavorful – more salt, pepper and parmesan. I added «homemade» meatballs to the pasta for $ 3.50, and I received 3 small meatballs that tasted similar to the cafeteria variety with B-​grade meat – again, price/​value mismatch.
The painting class of about 30 people did not order food (they sipped wine only), so they should not have impacted the kitchen flow; in contrast, the cooks had a mostly empty restaurant when it came down to those ordering from the menu. The microphone and loudspeakers are just too disruptive for diners (reminded me of a county fair grandstand) – I’d definitely move the painting class to non-​open hours, e.g. mornings, esp. if even my staff were too distracted to do their jobs (and not just the poor hostess on her first day).
There are many things the management could do both front-​of-​house and in the kitchen to avoid such disastrous dining experiences. If this happened under my management I’d have comped the entire meal and felt incredibly sorry for my staff’s missteps, expressing it genuinely – humor would NOT have crossed my mind. Had the manager responded professionally, I would have given them two stars. I hope they can take these suggestions as ways to improve all around.

Food was very good! Enjoyed the pizza and angel hair pasta. It was a cute little place, but, atmosphere needs help. The dining room has all the charm of a laundromat. The lights were blazing and sound was bouncing everywhere. When the clamor died down, it was evident that the restaurant was playing the WAVE radio station, commercials and all??? Next time, I’ll get the food to go.

This is by far one of the finest family-​owned restaurants with the freshest and beautifully prepared eclectic fare in the South Bay. Don’t wait to experience the culinary artfulness of Tony and his rising star chef son Kyle. One taste of the Gyro sampler or plate or mouth-​watering chicken piccata or grilled salmon and you will be coming back again and again. The portions are so generous and prices unreal, that you can’t eat at home for much less and the loving preparation will have you swear it’s mama’s home cooking on steroids. Jessica runs the show with a warm, friendly smile and capable air. Just don’t get there after 7:30, the place rolls up the sidewalk on the early side until they start attracting the late-​night crowd.

Best Italian and Mediterranean food I’ve ever had! I will never go anywhere else to get this type of food, the presentation is out of this world the chef definitely out does himself with every dish, the people that work there are so friendly, and inviting. Also the food is affordable and you definitely get more than what you pay for. I call the food portions there MAN SIZE! And the Tiramisu is home made and wow, very tasty and delicious. my tummy is a happy camper as well as my taste buds. LOVE THIS RESTAURANT
Must go to place!

Firstly, for vegans:
The linguini with marinara is vegan! And it was delicious!
Maybe just mention before ordering that you’re vegan so they don’t put any cheese on top. :)
I didn’t ask if the bread was vegan or not but they put a piece on my plate so I just assumed it was… I’ll be making sure it is next time.
I didn’t ask for any other vegan options so I’m not sure about the pizza crust.
Other than the vegan side of things, the food is amazing! I believe they make their own pasta because our waitress, Paige, who was super nice, said the pasta is fresh. It seemed like all the ingredients they use are top notch and like they really put love and care into each dish.
Everything was presented beautifully.
They also make their own tiramisu (not vegan, but my dads favorite).
All in all it was a great experience, majorly tasty food and wonderful customer service!

Amazing food! Hands down the best Italian food in the South Bay! You would never know that this hole in the wall existed as its kinda tucked away and does not have the best signage. I was very surprised by how little customers were there!
They serve fresh bread and everything we ordered was scrumptious! We started with the impeccable caprese appetizer (thick balsamic vinegar, good quality olive oil and delish shavings of Parmesan sprinkled on top of tomato and mozzarella). The angel hair pasta and linguine Alfredo were made to perfection! My husband, who normally does not like chicken piccata, loved their chicken piccata I ordered.
Our waitress was fabulous! She was super friendly and warm, normally she doesn’t work weekends and she was filling in.
Will definitely be going back!

This place is a hidden gem. Like wow. Tony is the chef and owner. He is supper friendly. Comes out and greets you at times. Their food is undervalued. Amazing gourmet dishes. Everything is damn good. The Turkey Sandwich is to live for. Sounds simple but how it tastes is amazing. You must eat there.

Love they’re sandwiches, salads everything is delicious I always happen to get the garlic chicken sandwich its to die for only thing is I wish they didn’t close during the day for the lunch to dinner transition so watch what time you try going

Great neighborhood sit down Italian joint. On this trip I ordered the pasta Alfredo which was tender and so flavorful. People /​Service is always friendly and prompt. Parking is convenient and the atmosphere is wonderful for an enjoyable lunch date with friends or quick lunch meeting.

Found this place on Unilocal for a short notice date night with my beautiful wife. Quiet, not crowded on a Friday night, friendly and quick service, and delicious food. We’ve since been back with family for another great and delicious experience. I’m not a big pasta guy so I ordered the chicken rancho sandwich. So good and had 2 meals out of it. Wife has had the pesto chicken pasta and the chicken piccata. My wife is a fantastic cook so we’re not easily impressed. Both times we have been. We’ll be back. As fat as prices go, the same or cheaper than Olive Garden across the street. The food and atmosphere is just better.
And we checked in for free cheesecake both times.

I went here after a 5 hour hike (where my fiancé and I had just been engaged) looking for some killer sandwiches and we got just that. Impressive in size and the bread was well toasted. 3 sandwiches, the sub, the chicken pesto, and the gryo wrap were all great. Steak fries are just right too. Crispy and fluffy.
Also we had our dog with us and Jessica helped set up a table outside so we could dine in instead of having to order take out. She poured our dog a bowl of water and even provided a celebratory dessert. Totally great with the service there.
Restaurant and bathrooms are well kept and very clean with plenty of parking.
Also the prices here are very reasonable for the amount of food you get.
Thank you Di Roma Cucino for being there for our celebration!

I attended a networking mixer here today. I have been in Torrance for 3 years and did not even know this gem was close to me. The food that we had was great. I can’t wait to go back as a patron to truly enjoy what they have to offer. Great job!!!

Di Roma is bright, airy, clean and inviting. They just opened their wine bar which makes it a wonderful place to stop in for a glass of wine and some of the best eggplant flat bread/​thick crust pizza I’ve ever had! Charming, warm and friendly staff. Can’t wait to try some of their other items. A true South Bay gem.

What a great hidden place in Torrance. This Italian place is very nice inside and has a wine bar. The menu consist of Italian and Mediterranean Style food. The employees and staff are very nice and friendly. The pasta and pizza are handmade and fresh. Great food and fast service!!! Benissimo!!!

Excellent food! Great severs! Great owners ! Thanks Aurulio Matuchhi for introducing is!

As good as a 5 star restaurant food and service can be.
I went there 3 – 4 times before putting this review
I normally don’t post reviews for restaurants
But this guy’s were so good every time I come here I thought they deserve a 5 star.

A genuine hidden gem!
My grandma recommended me this place as her sister ran into it a few weeks ago, raving how the pizza and pasta were handmade and very fresh! I was a little skeptical because there were such a small number of reviews but decided to take a chance (gotta visit those small gems once in a while!). I was thoroughly surprised with the food and service as I had a great experience here!
We ordered the linguini alfredo, pizza pollo, and the roma steak sandwich,. The linguini alfredo was great but a bit greasy as the alfredo sauce was a little heavy. The linguini noodles themselves were great as they were handmade and perfectly chewy. The pizza pollo also was very nice as well as I loved all the toppings! The only thing I would complain about the pizza is the fact that there was no base sauce. I could taste a light garlic sauce, but a tomato base one would have been more flavorful. Best for last, the roma steak sandwich was the winner! The roll was perfect and was very soft. And, I loved the filet mignon as it was perfectly marinated and was well matched with the sauteed onions and mushrooms. A great sandwich, which I wouldn’t mind eating any day!
Service was very friendly here but a bit aloof. The restaurant was pretty empty despite that we went around 12:30pm. I noticed that a lot of the customers used the delivery service, but I was little surprised to see how empty the restaurant was. I did like the décor as it was very relaxed and simple.
I do wish the best for Di Roma Cucina! I hope to come by more often to get that roma steak sandwich again, but I hope that local people in the neighborhood realize this hidden gem soon!
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I absolutely love how they offer free cheesecake with a check in. it was plated with chocolate and strawberries & was a sweet end to the meal.
We ordered a spicy sausage pizza, which delivered great taste and a nice portion. Sometimes italian restaurants can go for small sizes, but Di Roma offers a great place to come for pizza.
For pasta, we had the pesto pasta with angel hair noodles instead of linguine, and my goodness that is some TASTY pasta. It wasn’t too salty, and had a nice amount of authentic pesto sauce. It comes with a garlic bread, which is toasted and seasoned well. I expected it to be soggy but it was crisp and nice to eat with the pasta.
One downside: we ordered Chicken to be added into the pasta for 4.00, and it was super dry. I didn’t really want to eat any of it because it didn’t compliment the meal.
We came about an hour before closing time, but the service was still excellent. The waiter was pleasant, and did a great job of making sure we were okay and refilling our waters.
In general, I would come back here.

Check in and get a free cheesecake slice!
Di Roma has excellent burgers and gyro plates. The owner often works in the kitchen and they deliver a quality product. I also really enjoy the caprese plate with tomatoes and mozzarella.

Check in to Unilocal and get a free piece of cheesecake! The Caprese appetizer was very delicious and filling. Never had it with sundried tomato’s but that was a great addition!
The spicy sausage pizza was enough for two and the Ceasar salad was great because it was not drenched in dressing (but can with a side of dressing for those who love to drench it).