Luca Cucina Italiana

I’ve been dining at Luca for years, and I always enjoy the food. My favorite is penne pasta with carbonara. The sauce is stellar. The plate is big, and it’s easily enough for me to eat half and save the other half for lunch the next day, but it’s hard to keep from eating the whole thing in one sitting!
Every once in a while I’ll get the consommé to start with, especially on a cold day. It’s light (of course) and flavorful.
One thing has changed for the better since I’ve been going. The woman who often staffed the front of the house could be unfriendly and even a bit rude, though that didn’t deter me. I just figured she was trying to do everything by herself and was maybe a bit overworked. In the last 6 – 12 months, however, they’ve changed out and expanded the wait staff, and the overall experience is much better. The food has always been great, and now all of the people are pretty great, too.

I ordered gluten-​free pasta and they told me it only came in penne which was fine. But when they brought my meal out, it was not penne. So I asked if this was the gluten-​free and they said no. They brought me a new dish, but honestly, what if I hadn’t been paying attention and was celiac? So, that’s kinda scary. The waiter also seemed to be completely lost and really bad at interacting with us. Slow to take our order, confused about what we wanted etc. The place is also really small and the tables are crowded (seats maybe 15?). We walked in a family of 6 was coming in with their three children who did not know how to behave. So, the place was filled with the screams of their child… Not an ideal dinning experience. The food was pretty bland and tasteless. And they didn’t even bring us any bread. Is this even an Italian place?

Really good classic Italian joint. Carpaccio was fresh flavorful. Carbonara was light and rich. Bolognese was bright and hearty. Tiramisu was delicious. Atmosphere warm and welcoming. Definitely coming back.

I had a divine meal here. we spent 30.00 a person for dinner with tip, dessert, cappuccino and appetizers included. I think that’s a great deal! Now at first I will admit the exterior is unassuming and restaurant is just tables with minimal décor however the food is so amazing! I am still thinking about it and tasting how yummy it was. Alfredo and vodka sauces and pastas were perfection! Had a chicken milanese which reminded me of my mothers cooking. Tiramisu was just so authentic and delicious. Everything was fresh and homemade. Parking was a breeze. I can’t wait to come back my mouth is watering!

You get what you pay for… Luca’s had always been a nice place to go for a quick inexpensive but solid Italian meal. The menu is simple and you can pair your pasta with a sauce and add toppings. You order at the counter and the service was friendly. Unfortunately when we went back last week we found it not quite the bargain we thought it was. First, you can no longer order at the counter. There is table service now but still only 1 waiter for the whole dining room. This person also is the food runner, the hostess and answers the phone. No wonder she was not in a good mood, she was being asked to do too much and really was not very good at it anyway. It took 20 minutes to order, even longer to get water or glasses of wine. These glasses sat empty for quite a while after they finally did get delivered and we drank them. One of our party of 3 ordered the penne with pomodoro sauce ($ 9) and added meatballs ($ 5). When it came, the 2 meatballs were miniscule. Like 1 oz each. It was a joke. That meal came to $ 14, there should be some kind of value. We complained to no avail. We ordered another side of meatballs for $ 5 but still it was probably 4 – 5 oz of total meatballs for $ 10. That adds up to a very un-​satisfying plate of penne and meatballs for $ 19! They did not really care…“That’s the way we do it” said the waitress. I emailed the business to let them know this but beyond a cursory «sorry», no other offering to resolve this lame experience. Buyer beware… this place seems like a bargain… but you get what you pay for.

And in fact, three years later, I have in fact never been back.

Some of these reviews seem like they came from people who were expecting Corso or Dopo or something super fancy. One of the best things about this place is the grandma’s kitchen vibe of the whole operation. Its tiny, they don’t really have a host at the door or a waiting area, and they just crank out pasta with delicious sauces. It’s unpretentious, comforting, and fun. Stop being so freaking harsh, people.

Open letter to the manager Luca Rocci:
We were dissatisfied with our meals and feel your restaurant can do much better:
1. The Spaghetti Carbonara was not traditionally made and lacked flavor tremendously. It appeared in the name of «healthy» «organic» that the fat + flavor from the bacon Carbonara sauced was drained away. The Spaghetti Carbonara hardly had any sauce retained on the plate. The Spaghetti Carbonara sauce had almost «zero» bacon flavor.
2. Luca’s pasta dishes give you a choice of meat including bay shrimp and prawns. We chose the Bay Shrimp. The Bay Shrimp were smaller than even most miniature shrimp cocktail shrimps available. There was not even that many of these little sized shrimps on the plate. The shrimps had no flavor. I could have consumed the entire plate of these shrimp at one time and not be satisfied and have practically no shrimp flavor in my mouth. Please either remove the Bay Shrimp from the menu, replace them with regular sized non-​prawn shrimp, or make a better explanation on the menu of what you are getting. Additionally, the sauce choice was Alfredo, which typically has a «cheesy» flavor and there was none.
3. The Minestrone soup was not made in the traditional way we were used to getting at fine Italian restaurants our whole life. There was no pancetta or sausage meat in the Minestrone soup at all. Was the meat removed in the name of «healthy» once again (as that is not the first thought on our minds eating at fine Italian restaurants)?
4. The Cannoli desert was tough and should have had a more tender consistency.
5. We were charged for coffee refills. If you are not aware by now, it is a Berkeley tradition to give free coffee refills. Any Berkeley local knows they can get the best coffee in town with free refills at Fatapples, Homemade Café, and a number of other local Berkeley favorites. The waitress charged us continually for refills without even a mention of a «no refill» policy. This policy has to change as good coffee is expected in Berkeley and Fatapples has already set the bar. Charging $ 2.50 for each additional refill is gouging.
6. In Italy many of the Pasta and vegetables are already organic. But also in Italy they don’t drain away the flavorful juices in the name of «health». Italian food for many Americans has choices that aren’t so health conscious, that is the traditional way, and that’s what we love about the food (It’s like binging at a family gathering).
7. The business hours posted on Unilocal and their website are not accurate. On Sunday the hours are 12:00pm — 9:30pm and not the posted 9:30am — 9:30pm. I’m not sure of what other inaccuracies exist Saturday or during the week.
Luca Cucina Italiana has a nice «homey» feel to it. We really wanted to make your establishment our new local Berkeley favorite, but we just can’t unless adjustments are made.

What wonderful and delicious restaurant ! Everything we ordered was amazing. The Ceasar salad is one of the best I have had in a very long time and the gnocchi with the gorgonzola sauce was so good and tasty it was like rolling around naked in velvet… it was that yummy!

Best ravioli I’ve ever had! I’ll definitely be back again and again.

This place is great. Amazing food, the prices are soooo reasonable, no pretension. Just good authentic flavors and a warm neighborhood feel.
Had the pasta do del giorno, a seafood and arrabiata combination, the minestrone and house made tiramisu. Delicious!

oh how I wish it were 5 stars. This sweet little restaurant is a short walk from my house and pasta is my favorite food. And, indeed, our eggplant and spaghettis and salads were lovely but I was unable to appreciate them because our server was overwhelmed. Simona (sp?) was bravely and efficiently trying to handle the work of 2. She was kind to everyone but I could see the stress under her calm manner. It overshadowed the dinner; I will not be returning.

We ordered from here last night and to be honest this place is totally overrated. The portions were incredibly small for the price we paid, the pasta didn’t taste fresh and I don’t think they even got our sauces right. The only redeeming thing was the garlic bread which was too oily anyway. Overall pretty disappointing for me, especially being an Italian girl from the east coast.

Accidently bumped into this place while my partner and I were on a tortilla run. (We get our La Finca tortilla’s from Mi Ranchito market across the street!) The restaurant was surprisingly affordable. I got the Pomodoro spaghetti for $ 9 and my partner got the eggplant lasagna for $ 11. Garlic bread was $ 5 for two big pieces. The best part was the coffee — not sure what bean they use but it was delicious. The only complaint was that the waitress mistakenly placed our original order after we told her to cancel it and put in a new order. She was new and was foreign — Italian? so maybe she got confused.
Also, some of the customers were really smug and annoying. (Sort of what’s expected when you eat at a nice Italian restaurant… a couple of them were wearing sunglass inside… smh)
Food: ⁸⁄₁₀
Presentation: ⁹⁄₁₀
Value: ⁸⁄₁₀
Customer Service: ⁸⁄₁₀
Cleanliness: ¹⁰⁄₁₀

I truly don’t understand the haters. This is not a Michelin star restaurant. As an intimate, casual Italian restaurant with a solid, somewhat traditional menu, though, it excels! The focus is clearly on the food, and my visit last night was stellar. Came in with a friend, who is Italian on his mothers side, and he’d recommended it. I had the penne with Bolognese and two meatballs. I don’t mind smaller portions — it was completely appropriately sized. Started with a Caesar salad with anchovies (perfectly crafted). Garlic bread was crunchy and not overpowering. That honestly could have been better. But not really complaining. Plenty of food! I was VERY full at the end and I’m not some skinny 90-​pound chick. The seasoning, the al dente pasta… all really excellent. I’ll be back for sure.

A friend and I stopped in to try this place out as we love small cafes. The second we walked in it was as if the waitress didn’t want us there. She was rude, snooty, and seemed irritated/​sarcastic with everything she had to say. It seemed like she didn’t want to serve us. We had gotten our food and as soon as she walked away she had began combining to a chef very loudly about my friend and I ordering, and asking questions about the menu. She was extremely unpleasant and seemed to have no patience with any of the other customers as well.
We did not finish our meal here as it was excruciatingly uncomfortable. I feel the chefs probably work hard at there craft, and should maybe hire someone that makes there customers want to eat here time after time. I wish I hadn’t wasted $ 40 on such a terrible experience.

This place serves very good Tiramisu and high quality pastas.
The service was 3.5 star, and we loved the foods!
For the first comer, try to order Tiramisu and Carbonara.

«Where do you want to eat? Anywhere is good.»
«How about ABC?»
«Hmmmm… no, not that.»
«How about XYZ?»
«No, let’s look around and see what else there is. Why don’t you pick? Anything is good with me.»
After driving around Berkeley for half an hour trying to decide where to eat (and having all my hole-​in-​the-​wall walk-​down-​memory-​lane choices rebuffed), I was resigned to a grumpy dinner at a place not to my liking. When we finally decided on Luca (and having to make yet another U-​turn to get there), I was all but hungry anymore. We pulled up, and on the outside, the place was very unassuming. Inside, it was no Buca di Beppo, and I sat down, prepared to be underwhelmed.
I’ve been turning pescaterian, so without much ado I settled for the salmon. I started to look around the place while my kids took their time being indecisive, and the sparse décor started to grow on me. I read the little blurb about Luca, and turned to watch (presumably) him at work in the open kitchen. My mood was still a little sour, but it was getting better.
Then our food came out. My salmon was so beautiful I wanted to propose marriage. One bite and I was ready to skip the proposal and walk right down the aisle. The unassuming man in the unassuming kitchen inside this unassuming restaurant with the unassuming décor was apparently putting magic in his plates. The potato (which I’m not supposed to eat because I’m on a low carb diet) was just the right texture, and lightly seasoned.
Then I sampled my families’ dishes. I guess «sampled» is a polite way to say that I consumed large amounts of their food. The penne carbonara was so rich, so… bacony! My daughter’s bolognese sauce was thick and meaty. My wife’s pasta del giorno came with jumbo shrimps that were the most jumbo I’ve ever seen, and were just the right amount of done — al dente, not stiff and dry like most shrimp I’ve had at restaurants. Oh, and the arrabbiata sauce had quite a kick! Not spicy-​melt-​your-​pants-​off kick, but just the right amount to tease your tongue with a tingle and leave you wanting more.
Can you tell we liked Luca’s?

I’ve been going there once a week and I just can’t get enough of their pasta!
They are all really good with great sauces.
The service is really good, food is always really tasty and desserts are also good if you’re in the mood for it.
As an appetizer I recommend the garlic bread! It’s so delicious!!!
:)

Took my girlfriend here for our 33^rd month anniversary!
My girlfriend ordered Lasagna and I played safe and ordered the most popular dish on Unilocal — The carbonara (Thanks Unilocalers!).
Turns out, my girlfriend loved my carbonara so I instinctively told her that I’m desperately craving for lasagna and so we switched dishes after a few bites (she ate my carbonara and I finished her lasagna).
Sadly, after having a few bites of the carbonara, the only thing in my mind as I munched down my lasagna was how good the carbonara was and how I’d much rather eat the carbonara.
My girlfriend was happy, so it was a successful date.