Boccali’s

Overpriced. In my experience the customer service was very BAD (the last time I went here the server hit me in the eye while removing the umbrella from our table and thought it was hilarious. I’m not kidding. This really happened and I never went back) The food’s not that great, everything I’ve ever had here is smothered in cheese and just generic tasting. If you want to sit outside and see beautiful Ojai there are much nicer places to dine.

Great location and atmosphere. Waitstaff was pretty lackluster. Pizza soggy and doughy… All the toppings slid right off! To be fair though the veggie toppings were very fresh. Maybe next time?

Such great pizza and fun atmosphere.

I got the eggplant salad — delicious and super fresh!!! They understand that good ingredients are everything. The meatballs were INCREDIBLE! Perfectly seasoned and not hiding behind mounds of salt like most meatball dishes. My husband says the spinach raviolis were quite good. They make all their sauce on Wednesday and we came for lunch so it wasn’t ready yet, which was the only bummer. The service was excellent and very friendly. Also, lovely small town ambience. I will definitely come here again.

Ok…4-stars bc I haven’t had the famous strawberry shortcake yet… I will update when I do! But until then… we love this place. The outside patio is amazing and has a beautiful east end view. Pizza, salad and wine is our typical order. The crust and flavor of the pizza is so good!

Came on recommendation of friends…1^st time here.
Naturally, the recommendation was based on the pizza… and I thought my 4 star rating was accurate for the pizza.
The toppings are incredibly fresh, yet the crust while very fresh is just so-so…too much flour? Plus the bottom was a little thin and thus it burned a little getting the edges done. So…4 stars.
The strawberry shortcake… just don’t miss it!!! 7 Stars! The berries were very sweet and this was February 12^th! Worth the drive by itself!
(The wait staff? Just OK. And even though they were staffed for Friday night on President’s Day weekend — we were here at 2 30PM — they still weren’t terribly attentive. Two other customers kept bobbing and down asking for this and that… they just were impatient — but the staff did a LOT of standing around.)
So…4 stars… and it is still a nice day out!

I’d been here years ago and wanted to try it again, so I did. Not worth it. Waited 20 mins for a simple sandwich. In the meantime, I saw waiting staff arguing and kitchen staff openly eating whilst working in the kitchen. My order was «To-​Go», meaning I should at least get offered some plasticware and a napkin… apparently not here.

I live near the Oak View location. The Ojai Location, esp outside under the trees, perfect… except when noisy Harleys drive by (cops don’t enforce noise nuisance laws for outdoor diners, I guess). Wife likes them less than another Ojai Pizza place or two, says the sauce is more red bell pepper based than she’d like. What I can’t believe is that no review the I’ve seen has mentioned the Tomato Salad. Seasonal yes, like the strawberry shortcake, but between you and me it’s Even Better than that, or ANY dessert. And don’t forget their tomato festival! This family does a superb job. Love them!

I loved it !
My boyfriend and I drove two hours just to here.
It was worth it .
The waitresses are all kind and it’s very clean.
Great costumer service

Have been coming here for years!!! It’s always consistent. If it’s busy might be awhile to get a seat. Service can be slow on those days but it’s all worth it for the food. I love the lasagna with meat sauce and you can never go wrong with pizza or really anything. It’s all good haha they have a small beer selection but it’s still good beers they have on tap. Always will be a favorite spot in Ojai!

Tried this place recently after moving to ojai.
Need to start by saying that being of Italian heritage I am somewhat picky… but mainly just have high expectations when it comes to classic dishes.
Unfortunately I was not happy with this place, so don’t want to bash them, but wanted to share my experience nonetheless.
Nice location on the outskirts of ojai, and has that small family restaurant feel that most good Italian food places have… weird corny paintings and photos on the walls, which is also common to good old school Italian food spots:) but the food was lacking pretty badly
For starters, it is a very limited menu… no cannelloni or chicken parmesan ?
We got chicken alfredo, and my gf got eggplant parmesan… both dishes lacking seasoning and flavor, and overly oily… basically both the marinara and alfredo sauces were both poorly done… south of the border cooks need to know that finely chopped basil needs to go in marinara, not just parsley sprinkled on top of dish as a garnish… and a touch of salt goes a long way
The dessert saved this place from getting only one star… the strawberry shortcake is rumored to be awesome, but was out of season when we were there, so we got apple cobbler… it was fantastic, very nice strudel layer and seemed like fresh apples… but usually a red flag when the most notable dish somewhere is dessert… photo of cobbler attached
Words of wisdom to owners/​managers — you need to try the food coming out of your kitchen and you will understand my bland flavor profile comments.

This place was recommended by several friends in Ventura… drove all the way out there past downtown Ojai only to find the place closed and under construction. One would THINK they would post this on their website to save people a long trip!

This place is lovely!
My husband and I went here on many recommendations.
I’m so glad we made the trip up there. We received a very nice warm welcome, we made reservations but didn’t need them for a Wednesday night. We ordered the pizza, lasagna, garlic bread, Cesar salad .It was delicious!!! The strawberry shortcake was out season but a wonderful apple pie cobbler was just as good. Our waiter was very nice, sorry didn’t get the name. I love the quaint red and white checker curtains.
They have old pictures on the wall that I liked. They have a nice seating area outside with heat lamps. We will Defiantly be back.

We love this place hidden on the outskirts of Ojai.
Everything they offer is great.
Do not miss the Strawberry Shortcake when it’s in season!
So yummy!

Staff is super accommodating and helpful. They serve big portions for a reasonable price for the location. The scenery is quite lovely. With so much great service and such a pleasant location I think this is defiantly a good place for dinner in the area. After I suggest going for a walk at Meditation Mount or one of the several other trails.

We were there last night with friends
the service was phenomenal
The server was Jeff, terrific service, he was very nice and had a great sense of humor when we were joking around with him
The food good was very good so if you like Italian food this is the place to go
The price was good
We highly recommend this restaurant

Hands down freshest ingredients… so much so you can taste it in every bite! We have been coming to Boccali’s since 1996 when their small, pumpkin farm was written about in Sunset magazine. Small, local food joints are my passion… I managed 1 for years and know good, farm fresh, food when I taste it.
Each and every year, we make the trek (so faaaaar right?!? laughing) from Santa Barbara up for our families annual Boccali’s Pumpkin & Pizza Tradition! They no longer have punks in the upper field, and sure, the weekends are now crazy with the punks and fantastic Haunted Hayride. BUT… the pizza and Strawberry Shortcake are always… ALWAYS on point! Not a failed pie or crap customer service in almost 20 years.
Like I said, they DO get busy… so be patient… you want fast, then I suggest you hit Piza Hut (good grief i almost couldn’t type that :(…ick)

I think I’m the only person in Ventura County that does not care for Boccali’s, I find the pizza to be soggy and lacking the robust flavors I enjoy when noshing on a pie, the Combination pizza is so loaded down with fresh produce that I might as well be eating a salad. which all in all might not be a bad idea.
Bocalli’s restaurant is located at the East End of Ojai and is surrounded by a beautiful backdrop of the Ojai Mountains, lush trees shade the seating area outside and it has become the favorite place to have engagement parties, wedding receptions, and birthday celebrations.
As much as they are known for their fresh ingredients, they are also known for their strawberry shortcake, I don’t know how many times I’ve had friends or family say they went up to Bocalli’s just for dessert.
The positives are that they use fresh produce and herbs for seasoning, they have their own line of wine, a beautiful local backdrop of the Ojai Valley, they have a pumpkin patch which is always a plus during the fall months.
But would I eat there again? Only if my family or friends forced me too which is exactly why I’ve eaten there in the past.

Bottom Line: A cool little place to stop to hang out and have a pizza
Wife and I were up in Ojai for our anniversary, exhausted after a daunting trek from Santa Barbara… by car… and needed some pizza. We picked this place and gave it a shot.
The patio is lovely so we sat outside and ordered a pizza which was I would say just about down the middle of the road. Nothing amazing — not bad. The service was a bit slow because it was crowded…
We had heard all about this strawberry shortcake so we ordered it. I was a little surprised to find out it was just strawberries on a biscuit — yummy for sure but worth $ 8 … meh — you decide.

Food was good. We ordered the garlic bread with mozzarella cheese and a medium pizza. Taste wise, it was very delicious, but the pizza was very weak in structure. You couldnt lift it to eat it like a regular pizza. I had to eat it with a fork.
The staff was amazing. Other staff members who weren’t my waitress offered help without asking for it.

**I USED TO WORK HERE**
–THEY DON’T TAKE CREDIT OR DEBITCARDS–
Why the bold headline? Well I hope that catches your eye, and also, I think I have some better insight to the place. The second bold line? This catches a lot of people off guard, so make sure you have cash.
I worked at Boccalis for five years as a server. I got a free meal everyday and you know what? I never got sick of it!
The amazing thing is how this very popular restaurant has basically three cooks at a time, which is astonishing how much food they turn out. Anyway, to the review:
FOOD:
The meatballs are hand-​made, fresh, and delicious. Their meat-​sauce is flavorful and full of great ingredients. I recommend all of their dishes, except for the Pasta Primavera. However that is a personal preference because it’s a lot of veggies, but the customers seemed to enjoy it.
The pizza? Not my favorite, but I enjoyed it. I recommend going light on the toppings because the toppings are very fresh, which means they have a lot of moisture. More toppings = more soggy.
PRO TIP: Order thin crust, light sauce, well done. The pizza will come out crispier and not nearly as soggy. Sometimes the pizza has a bit too much sauce for my taste. Remember, go light on the veggies to avoid a soggy pizza.
Lemonade is fresh squeezed on site so give that a try :)
DESERT:
Strawberry shortcake: You must get this.
In winter, Apple Cobbler: I’m not a fan but people seemed to really liked it.
They also sell ice cream which is strangely not on the menu. They have hagendaz (speling?) cups, and bars.
SALADS: Are o.k., the «Traditional» is the best for variety. Order dressing on the side, sometimes it comes on too heavy.
WHAT I WOULD ORDER: Start with a basket of cheesy-​garlic bread. Split a Pasta Carbonara with an italian sausage on top, and finish with a short-​cake.
SERVICE:
Great of course ;) Actually sometimes we got pretty busy and overworked but mostly I would say it was decent.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS: I have fond memories of working at Boccali’s and it’s the most popular place in Ojai for a reason. Great.
PS: See if you can dine on «the lawn» during summer, where you can eat on grass under oak trees. Nice atmosphere.

This restaurant was high on our list of places to try in Onai, because of the cute looking red checker table cloths and lawn with wine tasting, and the good looking food. Sadly, the spaghetti with meat sauce was too salty to enjoy, with an odd flavor in it that didn’t blend well. The salad was also salty. Lastly, a rude lady behind the counter said that we couldn’t sit in the chairs at the counter while we waited for our table. It was hot outside, so we stood huddled in the corner while the «decorative chairs» sat empty. Strange.
We’ll give the other location a try, but this one wasn’t worth the visit.

This restaurant

Casual Italian eatery with cute outdoor seating, felt fresh and peaceful to be by the wineries. It gets chilly but there is an ample amount of heated lamps.
The food didn’t really stand out to me. My chicken and gnocchi left something to be desired, the consistency of the gnocchi tasted a bit off and overall it was on the bland side. I did enjoy my friend’s ravioli with pesto, though.
Shared the apple cobbler dessert and that may have been my favorite part of the meal!
Unfortunately they were unable to accept credit cards at that time because their Square account was not up and running or something.
Seems like they have been around for a while, they have that family-​run local town favorite vibe, so while I wasn’t blown away, it may still be nice to stop by for some comfort food if you’re already in that area.