Piccolo

Oh noooooo! Please say it ain’t so! Another one of my spots closed! I loved their food and the owner was so nice and pleasant, every time we went there! I still give Piccolo 5 Stars!

Well, never thought I’d see the day, but this place has closed its doors. Whenever a business I have patronized closes, I sometimes like to write an obituary for or eulogize said business.
Word is that the owner sold the business. Why? Not sure. If you call their number, you’ll end up hearing the owner, on the answering machine, say that the business is closed for good and thanking the customers for their patronization.
What I liked about this place was that the owner was the dictionary definition of customer service. The minute you walked in the door he greeted you and was always hospitable and friendly when it came to interacting with you, whether you were placing your order or he was bringing your food to you or anything else in between.
You also could tell that he put a lot of time and energy into the preparation food. Most items, to my knowledge, were cooked to order and the owner partook in a lot of the cooking himself.
It wasn’t perfect. It was a bit small and could get very busy, but compared to Chelokababi across the street (and I’ve been coming to Chelokababi since I was young) the food and the customer service here were both definitely superior.
It’s a pity that they’re gone and I will miss them. I don’t know if the owner decided to retire or what, but I wish him the best.
4 stars

Piccolo was one of the absolutely best Persian places I have ever gone to for kabobs and other stuff, and realizing it has closed makes me honestly feel like a piece of my life went missing. I understand it is time for the owner to move on, but I am absolutely shocked because I don’t know how I am going to find another place to replace Piccolo — NO other place in the area or Silicon Valley I’ve been to can compare to the deliciousness and excellence that was offered here!
EVERYTHING was very good here. The prices were very reasonable, and the kabobs were the MOST tender and juicy I have ever eaten. I normally don’t take onions in my food, but Piccolo offered ones that I could not resist to eat. Kabob plates came with a charred tomato and moist onions with some green herbs, and would always be an amazing compliment to whatever meat you ordered. They also gave a pack of sumac and plentiful of small cut lavash pieces.
The owner was also extremely nice — one of the nicest owners I have ever met. I saw him sometimes offer a generous box of rice to people in need.
Piccolo, you will be sorely, sorely missed. But best of wishes to the owners in their future!

SO sad that this place is closed! Called after I drove by on a Monday and saw their front door open because normally they are closed on Mondays. No pickup, but I listened to a message where the owner said that their doors were closed and he thanked all of his loyal customers. :(

Food was great! Had the Khoubideh & Kabob Wraps as well as an order of Falafel. Everything was tasty.
Service was good; they brought the Falafel out first as apps, after asking if that was alright.
Overheard that the owner is retiring after 35 years so probably the first & last time to eat here. Glad we decided to stop by.

Was in the area taking daughters to concert at Levi stadium. Stopped here because of great reviews. Awesome chicken kabob cooked perfectly great portions, good yoghurt, excellent salad and rice. Wish there was another location in Pleasanton!

The best Persian food with 100 miles of San Jose. Great people, great food, great place. Go there eat!!! Smile then eat more.

Great Persian food. You get great quality for the price you are paying. But it’s still not super cheap. 2 entrees 2drinks 35 $.
Otherwise the food is great. Tasty. Small business so the owner knows how to keep his clients. Forget about the stews (horrible as a persian) but yes on every grilled and bbq item.

Delicious and wonderful place!
I’ve done take out and eaten in here — you can tell they care about the restaurant and want you to enjoy the food.
Some of the food we’ve ordered: 107 (vegetarian– LOVE), 404 (beef and lamb varieties), dolmas and hummus. All were savory and well-​prepared.
Great, clean place to grab a bite or meal in a simple and open restaurant run by kind people who truly care about your experience.
Credit cards over $ 10, saw groups of 1 – 6 people, to-​go and eat in at basic clean tables.
Have eaten here three times in the last month alone.
My first experience is below to show how they are courteous, quick, and kind. Since then we’ve been back twice to dine in and each time has been nothing short of absolutely pleasant.
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I live around the corner and was craving dolmas so I rushed in just before closing. I asked only for things that were likely to be pre-​made because coming in last minute and asking for something cooked-​to-​order (and staying when it’s obviously closing time) is rude. The man, who gave off the impression of manager or owner, kindly greeted me and took my to-​go order.
I asked for dolmas, hummus, and whatever he could recommend. He suggested #107 a cooked eggplant, egg, tomato, garlic dish. It was AMAZING. It was warm, made of eggplant, and something you’d eat with pita and way better than a babaganoush.
He asked me to wait at an open table for a few minutes, then personally came over to invite me back to the counter when my meal was ready. He was polite, used my name, invited me back again and thanked my for my patience. I didn’t even need to be patient, it was quick and friendly service.
Really glad this place is in the neighborhood!

Mediterranean food tends to be great, so I was quite disappointed with the food here. Not that it is bad, but under average.
I am never into minced up eggplant dishes and the Mirza Ghassemi reaffirmed my conviction. Gimme some umami!
The dark meat Chicken Kabob was a bit dry.
The Koobideh (Minced Beef Kabob) almost tasted a bit spoiled.
As much as I love mom and pop shops, I won’t be back unless the food taste better.

I came to Piccolo (not to be confused with Piccolo from DBZ) for some Mediterranean lunch action. GF and I weren’t sure what to order, everything here sounded so good! We settled on splitting a chicken wrap and the BBQ ground beef kabob plate. That ended up being a good choice. The wrap is a bit on the smaller side, so not quite enough food for one person. However, the plate is ginormous, and combined with the wrap we came out stuffed like a turkey on Thanksgiving. Five thumbs up from me.

My favorite little Persian restaurant in the area. This is a clean place with good food and friendly service. The kabob dishes are off the hook! My favorite is Chenjeh kabob. It’s by far the best in the Bay Area.
Pleasantly surprised with the quality of meat and generous portions.

We tried a variety of dishes including the wraps, kebabs, stews, and hummus. The food was delicious with some deliciously fluffy rice. The meats were tender and seasoned well. I was very pleased with the service. The man that served us was so kind and gracious. Great spot!

I’ve passed by this place innumerable times without going in. Yesterday I was craving Middle Eastern food and decided to give it a try. I’m really glad I did.
I ordered the chelo kabob e chanjeh (grilled beef) with rice and salad, plus five falafel balls. The beef was very tender and not too heavily seasoned. The chunks of meat were generous in size. The salad probably could have used a little more dressing, but it was still satisfying. The falafel balls were enormous. I had been used to the falafels at other restaurants, and when I was told that the falafel balls were $ 1 each I was just a little shocked. However, these are easily 3 times the size of those that you get at Falafel STOP or Falafel’s Drive-​In, so it’s well worth the price. In addition, the falafels are served with tahini and other sauces, so it’s practically a meal in and of itself.
The gentleman who served us was exceedingly friendly and cheerful. The restaurant itself was quite small but bright and inviting. Service was fast.
So in summary, for a first impression I was very happy with my dining experience at Piccolo. I will certainly be back again very soon.

Really not sure why one review said the double koobideh here is $ 2 – 3 more then chelokababi across the street. Not true. Here it’s $ 9.99 and there is $ 11.95. Last night I ordered from both places. Originally I was just going to get chelokababi for my hub and son, and a salad from the habit for me, but changed my mind last minute while my son was getting a haircut next door. Plus the owner said it only takes 10 minutes.
Ordered the double koobideh and ½ salad,½ rice. Did the taste test at home to compare the 2. Lucky for me, I ordered here because the meat for my hub’s takeout was bad. Sour and foul smelling.
Piccolo’s food was great and I shared mine with him since his was inedible. He just ate the rice from there and the kabobs from here.
Service was fast, friendly, and we also got some lavash bread along with napkins and utensils. We got pita bread (not traditional), and no utensils/​napkins from the other place.
Will be coming here for Persian takeout next time

Such juicy and tender beef! I ordered the koobideh with half rice and salad. The ingredients are very fresh and the meat was cooked perfectly. The BBQ tomato is very tasty too.
To top it all off, the owner is seriously the nicest/​friendliest restaurant owner I’ve never met. He was very generous with the lavish bread and also have us lots of raw onion by request. Prices are also very affordable and the portions are big! We will definitely be back.

How can you NOT love this place?
Although this joint is located in a strip mall, the service is first class.
If you have meetings in Cupertino and are looking for an alternate food fix, Piccolo gives you spice.
Trusty Unilocal saves me again. Ordered the 401, koobideh, and Its served with rice and salad. It’s filling. I swear. Eat ¼ of it and take the rest home.
Don’t forget to ask for the special homemade hot sauce. It’s GOOD. I wouldn’t be surprised if people steal it from the tables. Special shout out to the owner, he takes pride in his food and friendly customer service.

My goodness this place is great. Boyfriend and I came for lunch and both ordered the chicken kabob with basmati rice and grilled tomato. It was a simple yet delicious meal and I couldn’t have been happier. The meal also came with complimentary lavash.
My one note though is that the hot sauce could be better. Or at least a bit more special. I definitely tasted tapatio in it so I have a feeling (I could be wrong), that it’s just a bunch of hot sauces mixed all together. Wasn’t bad though!

Good food in a casual environment. I had the vegetarian combo platter which came with falafels, salad, yogurt sauce, and an egg and veggie soufflé. The falafels were not crispy, but was moist on the inside. It had a lot of good flavor.
Our table also received lavash bread with raw onions and butter. We weren’t sure how to eat it, but we used them as a part of the main entrée.
Our waitress was also really nice and asked how we were doing throughout our meal.

I don’t easily give away 5 stars! BUT GREAT GREAT GREAT EXCELLENT SERVICE in this very small, local, mom-​and-​pop-​shop establishment and also delicious food worth every star that I put on this review!
I was starving as I was driving home after a run and a massage session. I browsed on Unilocal what was around/​nearby and I found Piccolo. WHAT A GREAT FIND!!!
The restaurant is small, there were only about 6 tables and the setting was very casual. Most people who came were people who work nearby and order takeouts.
I ordered the combo plate that came with koobideh (ground beef/​lamb kabob) and chicken kabon served with saffron rice, grilled tomato and chopped onion. I also ordered the «eggplant dish» that was stirred fried with tomatoes and eggs. I must say that the koobideh was not the best I’ve had (it was good but it was not meaty enough, I think they put flour and eggs into the meat mixture). The chicken was juicy, very juicy and moist, tasty!!!
The serving was pretty generous. Smaller stomach can certainly eat the plate in two to three meals. I’m a big eater so I actually shamelessly devoured everything that I ordered hahahahahaha~!
They only had an older man working as the cashier (and also took the orders) and a woman waitress to serve the front of the restaurant. They got busy because it was during lunch time BUT the old man didn’t forget to go around each table to check on the customers! The lady waitress always refilled my water (three times!) and also checked on me several times. I felt very taken care of, so happy!
The prices for the plates are in the $ 10 to $ 15 range but the wraps were very very cheap, like around $ 6!!! and the portion was huge (I peeked at other tables who ordered the wraps).
I will certainly come back again if I’m in the area. If you’re around, you should too and help support the local businesses! especially those with great customer service!