Pomodoro

***CLOSED***
Another one bites the dust.
First Zeke’s, now Pomodoro.

I’m so glad I finally gave this place a chance! I’ve lived near Pomodoro for over four years, and I never bothered trying it out, because it looked like an Olive Garden-​type of restaurant– certainly not somewhere that would have quality Italian food. I must have walked past it a thousand times and kept on going, thinking to myself «Ugh, I may as well get Italian food from Target.» After all, this place is, literally, downstairs from Target.
But, one night, the boyfriend was craving spaghetti, and we decided to give up on driving to find a «good» Italian restaurant, settling for Pomodoro, since it was within walking distance. We went there almost as a goof, but we were surprised with the wonderful service, very reasonable prices– and the food was tasty, too! It’s too bad that I ignored this place for so long.
They have all the standard Italian-​American restaurant dishes you could want, like meatballs (which were very good!), pizza and pasta dishes. During our date, the boy actually said that this was the best Italian food he’s had in L.A. While I think that’s taking it a bit far, I do think this place is a nice little gem to have around. Give Pomodoro a shot. You may be pleasantly surprised.

I had written a review of this restaurant and then they changed the menu on me! DOH! My previous review was action-​packed and glowing! Unfortunately, the new menu is less than impressive, as far as I’m concerned. I’m sad to be taking a whole star away from what was once a local lunch favorite of mine.
Call me unadventurous, but I’m a creature of habit. Call me old fashioned, but I believe that if people are ordering and paying for certain items, you should KEEP them.
The good news is that they haven’t taken away the focaccia and pesto/​oil dip. This is an excellent introduction to Pomodoro, and probably one of the most exciting parts! But that’s where it starts to become a less than amazing experience. I once enjoyed brown rice risotto with zucchini and some bacony-​type meat… a chicken panini deal on focaccia with soup, among other delicious things. Now, with the new menu, I’m not particularly inclined to keep this at the top of my list, or to suggest this place to friends.
One thing I will say, and I hope you’ve read this far: the service is always WAAAAAAY above what you should expect from a restaurant outside Target. The manager is always around, always smiling, and the servers are so cool. Not so laid back that they’re lackadaisical. No; simply chill while maintaining a level of professionalism. PERFECT, in my opinion.

20% SAG discount Tuesdays and Thursdays! Boo-​yah. Makes sure to bring your card because they don’t advertise this one!!!

Friends and I were going to a small theater near by, we needed to eat first and decided on Pomodoro. My first time and it was good.
SERVICE: Was prompt, attentive and friendly. Our server did a good job of keeping on top of drinks and other requests.
FOOD: I decided to go lite and ordered the Tortellini Soup (chicken broth, beef & pork tortellini, braised beef & spinach) and the sautéed brussels sprouts (onion, garlic, sage). The soup was good, it was really nice to have the little cubes of beef along with the tortellini. The broth had an «odd-​ness» to it, but I suspect it was due to the fresh spinach. As much as you are probably turning your nose up at the Brussels sprouts, they were actually pretty darn good!
My friends had the lasagna, Bolognese, butternut squash ravioli and others. I was able to taste the Bolognese and lasagna, and both were VERY good!
Overall Pomodoro was a nice surprise. A little nicer then I was expecting with good service and very good food!
I’ll definitely need to go back!

Needed a quick pasta fix and had walked by this place a hundred times, so I figured I’d give it a shot. Ordered the capellini with pomodoro sauce and chicken, which came out to ~$ 15 and came with bread. The bread was actually really good, but the pasta dish tasted a bit like something you might find at Olive Garden or such. It was good, just not great. I’d recommend this place if you just want some quick, easy Italian – just don’t expect to have your mind blown.

We came here on a weeknight around 6pm to get dinner. The place was pretty empty, maybe because it was raining, but the service was good. There is a lot to choose from on the menu. I had a Caesar salad and pasta with eggplant and cheese, and my husband had a steak salad. They start you with free bread, which is always nice, and it was tasty. The meals themselves were good as well. The only real snafu was that the waiter must have misheard me when I ordered, and the food runner brought out something different that what I ordered. So I had to wait for my dinner to come out again, though thankfully it wasn’t a long wait.
The prices are good, the service is good, and so was the food. Nothing special, and there are a ton of Italian places on LaBrea, so I will likely check some of those out before returning here. But if you are in the area and looking for food, I would definitely recommend Pomodoro.

I live close by, and am accustomed to Pomodoro being the type of restaurant that tries a sort of understated chicness. Not trendy, but a stark alternative to «pizza & pasta» eateries, and enough panache to always attract a large crowd into every one of these dimly lit upscale noodle-​houses I have eaten in.
It is probably because I know what I’m getting into that I haven’t been to one in years. Also, the carbs.
But, as fate would have it, cruising the streets with my roommate, with both of us hungry, we settled on this place, seemingly out of random. Turns out it was also half bottle Wednesday, and we were very nicely «persuaded» into buying one. For some strange reason, we downed a whole bottle but ended up only paying half of a half. Not too shabby.
The strangest thing about the entire experience was that we entered the restaurant at 15 to 8, in one of the most densely populated cities in the United States (I read wikipedia more than the bible), and yet it was absolutely empty. Like, zombie apocalypse empty. It made me wonder if there was a terrorist alert I didn’t get the memo for.
I was scared that there was something wrong with this place. And there was. It received a «B» rating by LA county. But it didn’t matter — the food was pleasantly surprisingly good, with a pleasantly surprisingly good waiter. I would expect to find the same type of quality at a place that would charge $ 15-​$ 20 for my chicken parmigiana, when I got away with a small order and a side caesar for $ 14. Oh, and free warm bread with pesto by the plateful.
I just returned from there tonight, on a Saturday night. I was relieved that it wasn’t ghost-​town empty like the last time we were there, but it was still at 40−50% occupancy (maybe I’m a people person), so I don’t know what the deal is (and they got their «A» health rating back). But maybe that’s a good thing: easy free 1-​hour parking with no hassle underrated Italian food. A rarity in Los Angeles.

It’s true what others are saying. The service here is beyond excellent. Our waiter showed the perfect level of attentiveness, and the manager even came over to see how we were enjoying the meal. But the place was fairly empty for a Saturday night…
Sadly, the great service is not matched by the food quality. I had the butternut squash drizzled with balsamic, which is one of their fall specials. It had way too much oil on it – and it didn’t taste like olive oil. The other dishes we ordered – the margherita pizza and fettuccine alfredo – were very mediocre. They weren’t so bad as to be offensive, but also not as good as you would expect for the price. The bread sticks and pesto dipping sauce were delicious, but that’s not what I was paying $ 50 for. On a separate occasion, I had the butternut squash ravioli with sage, which actually tasted much better than the dishes I tried on my most recent visit.
We might try again since this place is so close to home. But as for now, I’d say that this place charges Olive Garden prices for food that’s way lower in quality.

I looooove Pomodoro! Delicious, quality food at a great price. The service won’t disappoint either — very friendly and attentive staff. I have been coming here for years and have tried a lot of things on their menu, both for lunch and dinner… and all of their food keeps me coming back. My favorite is the lasagna — one of the best lasagnas I’ve tried! I’m not a huge sausage fan so I ask for that to be taken out and YUM, it’s amazing. My other favorites are: butternut squash ravioli, fettucine alfredo, pesto capellini pasta (I add chicken), and the 4 cheese pizza.
What I also like about Pomodoro is that they have a «lighter fare» menu, so if I haven’t been to the gym that week I will try to make myself feel better by having their Healthy Chicken (whole wheat pasta w/​chicken and zucchini), steak salad (the steak is cooked perfectly and I love the gorgonzola and balsamic), or some farro with chicken or veggies. What’s great about these dishes is that they’re tasty but won’t break the belt. I’ll also order from this part of the menu if I’ve had too many breadsticks with their salsa verde (green pesto dipping sauce) — the salsa verde is SO GOOD. I almost want to drink the bowl lol.
They have a nice wine selection too, and I like how you have 3 sizes to choose from depending on how much you want. Don’t forget about their happy hour! It’s a great deal. OH and don’t forget about dessert; if you have room you must try the Panna Cotta or the Tiramisu… mmmmmmmmmm.

This was a favorite lunchtime spot for my daughter and I when I was off on Fridays and she’d sometimes stay home «sick». We’d go either before or after a run to theTarget or Bevmo in the same center. From the array of pastas, to pizzas and salads and sandwiches there’s nothing bad on their menu. Their portion sizes aren’t huge but you won’t walk away hungry either. They do tend to vary the menu some seasonally which is keeping with their drive towards authenticity, but thereare some dishes that are perrenial.

I tried this place just recently. I liked their food!
The restaurant is very small and can be very loud, but food and atmosphere is very enjoyable!
I ordered grilled veggie anti pesto and gnocchi in tomato sauce with veggies and cheese.
Both were great! The tomato sauce of the gnocchi had really nice taste.
I did not know why we had not tried this place until recently. Especially we sometimes go to the saffron ice place just next door.
Well, now we know Pomodoro is pretty good. We are definitely coming back:)

1. Service is great.
2. Bread sticks and Verde sauce (pesto oil) is great.
3. Marinara sauce tasted and looked like tomato soup only a tad thicker.
4. Gemeli with sundried tomatoes and chicken (chunked all white meat) is decent.
5. Asparagas risotto was tasty but rice was a bit too chewy for my taste.
6. Caesar was under dressed, chicken lacked seasoning, but lettuce was fresh.
All in all, we won’t be returning. :(

I like Pomodoro. I go to the one in WeHo and I’ve been to the one in Burbank too. The waitresses are always attentive and I like their outfits.
They start out by serving a yummy warm bread with a side of green sauce (not pesto, but it takes like vinegar and oil and it’s green).
I usually start with the caesar salad which is just the right size. It’s a pretty simple salad, romaine lettuce, caesar dressing, shaved pecorino cheese, and garlic croutons.
My favorite dishes are the Gamberi (giant shrimp in a chunky, spicy tomato sauce served with toasted bread) and the Penne Portobello, which is penne pasta, mushrooms, grilled chicken, Italian sausage, in a creamy garlic sauce.
The parking at the West Hollywood Gateway can be pretty congested at times, but you get an hour free and the second hour is $ 1.50.
Try it out the next time you’re in the area, I’ve never had to wait and the food is solid.

Our office order delivery a lot. Among the delivery places we’ve had… this ranks top 3. We ordered a bunch of stuff, chicken, tortellini with light cream sauce, just a whole bunch of stuff. I really like it all. Don’t know how the restaurant is but at least for delivery, this place is solid.

Awww Pomodoro. Brings back memories of living in San Francisco. Yeah it’s pretty much a chain restaurant marked by stark cleanliness, standard bread and pesto, and always cute and friendly waitstaff.
My friend had the lasagna. It was good but a little greasy. The half order was a perfect size as it filled her up completely. My other friend had the ravioli, the basil was cooked to perfection. And the butternut squash was very delicious. I had the capellini pomodoro. As always the chicken was tender yet juicy a perfect complement to the the tomato sauce. All in all, pomodoro never fails to disappoint.

My wife and I have driven by this place so many times… Have always thought we should try it, especially after having had it up in SF, and actually enjoyed it. Since we had to make a stop at Target, we figured we’d give it a shot.
After sitting down, couple of gross things were that both of us had to peel the menus off of the sticky tables. If that weren’t enough, my wife actually had to peel the sticky menu apart. Then the 5 minute wait before we were finally even acknowledged. Then a few more minutes before we got our drinks, our bread etc… All I can say was that it looked like there was only 1 waitress working the whole area, along with the help of the hostess. Maybe someone called out sick?
Food wasn’t too bad. Small servings, especially for someone who got done running 7 miles a bit earlier. I wasn’t looking to stuff myself, but I’m not necessarily on a diet either.
The waitress, while a bit slower to get things for us, was actually very nice, and made sure everything was attended to. Hopefully they have enough staff, and clean off their tables and menus next time.

I decided to change it up and try some of their other dishes. The Ravioli Zucca and the Tortellini alla Panna were both savory dishes, but they both somehow reminded me of the Sausage McMuffin. I don’t know what it was in the pasta that tasted like McD’s sausage. They were good, but I’ll stick to my Healthy Fish Pasta.
The bread has gotten yummier. Freshly heated focaccia with pesto sauce FTW~
Also loved the mango iced tea.

There are so many pros and cons about this place that make me want to give it 2 stars, but the dog-​friendliness does an Emeril and kicks it up a notch.
Basically, I’ve come to the obvious conclusion that Pomodoro is to Italian food what Chipotle is to Mexican food. But for some reason, I don’t remember it tasting this funky the 1^st time I had it in San Francisco over 10 years ago.
I had lunch here with a friend who has a toddler and they were as accommodating with the child as they were with the dog… spoken like a true dog lover, eh. They brought out a high chair and a bowl of water for the respective guests.
I ordered the misto salad, the ravioli with ricotta and spinach in the pomodoro sauce, and an iced tea. My friend ordered the chicken caesar salad. While we waited with our drinks, our waiter brought out a plate of focaccia bread and some kind of olive oil with lemon juice and spices, which was the best part of our meal. My friend, the toddler, myself, and Penguin all partook of the tasty focaccia. My friend liked his caesar salad noting that it had the right amount dressing, just enough, not drowning in a saucy mess.
My meal, on the other hand, was not what I expected. The sauce tasted like a salty tomato paste with some basil tossed in and I wished now, in hindsight, that I would have sent it back for the gorgonzola one. But being a non-​waster of food, I cleaned off my plate. Thank goddess I ordered the appetizer portion.
Since this was the first visit in a long while, I won’t totally discount this place as serving crap. I would come here again simply for the fact that I can have an ‘okay’ meal and ‘okay’ service while Penguin hangs out. She kept sticking her snout at the edge of the table, too. That’s gotta count for something. If she hadn’t been, I would say that Pomodoro has a problem.

I would give 1 star for this place if the service weren’t good.
The Goods: Parking is easy, Price is reasonable, the staffs and servers were very attentive and friendly (and fast).
The Bad: I went there on a Friday night around 8pm. Wow, only 7 tables in the entire restaurant were filled. I went there b/​c my friend suggested the foods in the same chain restaurant in SF were GOOD! So with some suspections, I decided to sit down and try.
Wow, this must be one of the worst foods I haven’t had in YEARS!
The Breads — warm and comes with the olive oil but it was too hard n dry.
Appetizer — We ordered the shrimp with tomato sauce — man, that was soooo sour! the sauce was nothing but sour. Bleh it boosted my stomach acid level up.
Main course — we ordered Penne Portobello — Its certainly dry and lack of taste. But its better of than this Rosemary chicken that we ordered. Its DRY, Hard, lack of taste and I have to say, I have never put so much salt in my dishes. I wish I can came up with a better word for this plate but yea, I guess my broccoli tastes OK. Thats about it.
I think for an Italian restaurant to survive, they must have some sort of special sauce or something to attract its customers.
I have also learned a lesson that if the restaurant is empty or 80%+ empty during peak dinner /​lunch time, THINK TWICE BEFORE U GO IN.