Salerno

Best home-made pasta I've ever had. Braised lamb ragu is my favorite thing here...and fried green olives. Excellent service. Can't wait to visit again soon. Please don't close becuz of Covid.

Very good Italian food. Excellent service (from Jesus). Tight table layout. Booked on Open Table to guarantee seating. Very busy on the weekends, so definitely book ahead (don't plan to go there without a reservation before 8 PM).

I ate a delicious gnocchi 5 cheese. After a month I went back to taste it again. The staff were attentive and friendly. I wil be back again

I just dined here recently since I heard it came under the management of Chef Pirozzi, and I must say what a transformation! The restaurant has definitely expanded and feels much more open and airy than the previous Salerno's. In addition the decor is just lovely and full of beautiful details. Service was just excellent as well, everyone was very welcoming and attentive. But I must say the real star was the food, absolutely everything was delicious! Will be back again soon!

Great small eatery with outside space also! Fabulous menu items..fresh fish and amazing pastas and apps! All food we ordered was great..

Exquisite food and Friendly service. Awesome experience!

This Italian restaurant offers a fantastic dining experience. The staff is exceptionally nice and friendly. The food is incredibly delicious, and the desserts are simply phenomenal! Although the place was a bit crammed, it didn't take away from the overall positive experience. The cleanliness of the establishment adds to its appeal. A great spot for delicious Italian cuisine with a welcoming atmosphere.

Rosabell M.

This Italian restaurant offers a fantastic dining experience. The staff is exceptionally nice and friendly. The food is incredibly delicious, and the desserts are simply phenomenal! Although the place was a bit crammed, it didn't take away from the overall positive experience. The cleanliness of the establishment adds to its appeal. A great spot for delicious Italian cuisine with a welcoming atmosphere.

Katia

I ate a delicious gnocchi 5 cheese. After a month I went back to taste it again. The staff were attentive and friendly. I wil be back again

P Thao

I just dined here recently since I heard it came under the management of Chef Pirozzi, and I must say what a transformation! The restaurant has definitely expanded and feels much more open and airy than the previous Salerno's. In addition the decor is just lovely and full of beautiful details. Service was just excellent as well, everyone was very welcoming and attentive. But I must say the real star was the food, absolutely everything was delicious! Will be back again soon!

David Keil

Great small eatery with outside space also! Fabulous menu items..fresh fish and amazing pastas and apps! All food we ordered was great..

Shashwat Kadam

Exquisite food and Friendly service. Awesome experience!

We went for the first time yesterday before Pageant of the Masters. We were in a hurry for reasons out of our control, and they were great about getting our food out in time to enjoy on their front patio with a nice bottle of Italian red wine. They have umbrellas and heat lamps, but we didn't need them; the weather was perfect. I'm vegan so I ordered the Capellini al Pomodoro, but substituted it with the spicy sauce from the Rigatoni Arrabbiata. It was SO good. My husband had the Wild Mushroom Agnolotti, and that was also delicious. The other dish ordered was the Pesto Gnocchi, also so good! Every other place on Forest had at least an hour wait, but after all, it was a Saturday evening during the Festival of Arts. Thankfully someone recommended Salerno. We're definitely going back. Price spent reflects the wine. Next time, I'll try to make a reservation just in case!

Outstanding food & service! Would definitely recommend and we will definitely return. Love the local family atmosphere! You can definitely share dishes family style, if you wish to try a variety of things/portions are abundant.

One of the best dining experiences my family has had! The food and the staff were incredible. I have a gluten allergy and they took great care of me and keeping me safe while still delivering amazing food. I would HIGHLY recommend.

4.5 True Score! The lamb was perfectly tender and the noodle was perfectly al dente. The rib dish was mild but still flavorful and the meat was super tender. The chicken parmigiana for me was good but not amazing, and the calamari I thought was a bit overpriced for the portion size. Otherwise, I would recommend this Italian restaurant quite highly for the consistency of quality ingredients and rich flavors.

This has been one of my favorite local spots for the last 15 years. I would get the spaghetti and gigantic meatballs as a kid. It seems like they have elevated their pasta immensely on a recent visit. The Bolognese and Alfredo were delicious. The portions are generous so we barely had room for dessert.

sun shine

We went for the first time yesterday before Pageant of the Masters. We were in a hurry for reasons out of our control, and they were great about getting our food out in time to enjoy on their front patio with a nice bottle of Italian red wine. They have umbrellas and heat lamps, but we didn't need them; the weather was perfect. I'm vegan so I ordered the Capellini al Pomodoro, but substituted it with the spicy sauce from the Rigatoni Arrabbiata. It was SO good. My husband had the Wild Mushroom Agnolotti, and that was also delicious. The other dish ordered was the Pesto Gnocchi, also so good! Every other place on Forest had at least an hour wait, but after all, it was a Saturday evening during the Festival of Arts. Thankfully someone recommended Salerno. We're definitely going back. Price spent reflects the wine. Next time, I'll try to make a reservation just in case!

Cora Anderson

Outstanding food & service! Would definitely recommend and we will definitely return. Love the local family atmosphere! You can definitely share dishes family style, if you wish to try a variety of things/portions are abundant.

Lindsey Deutsch

One of the best dining experiences my family has had! The food and the staff were incredible. I have a gluten allergy and they took great care of me and keeping me safe while still delivering amazing food. I would HIGHLY recommend.

Kevin Sewell

4.5 True Score! The lamb was perfectly tender and the noodle was perfectly al dente. The rib dish was mild but still flavorful and the meat was super tender. The chicken parmigiana for me was good but not amazing, and the calamari I thought was a bit overpriced for the portion size. Otherwise, I would recommend this Italian restaurant quite highly for the consistency of quality ingredients and rich flavors.

Alexander Olson

This has been one of my favorite local spots for the last 15 years. I would get the spaghetti and gigantic meatballs as a kid. It seems like they have elevated their pasta immensely on a recent visit. The Bolognese and Alfredo were delicious. The portions are generous so we barely had room for dessert.

Made reservations wanted to sit outside, was seated inside, a table of 4. Service was very good. Food was delivered in a reasonable amount of time. Portion size was good. Wine selection was good.

Been dining at Salerno's for over 20 years...a lot has changed since the beginning of my Salerno's experience. The food is good - price pt.$$$ has changed, as well as the menu. Try them 4 yourself -

Was good but pricey for what I got. Had the lobster ravioli. If there was lobster I did not taste or see it beyond the cheese filing. Yet still tasty. Small portion compared to others I dinner with.

Great European side street bistro vibe. The master chef was present and friendly. Food is tasty! Neat place. Slightly cramped seating, but 'when in Rome' so it goes....very fun.

Salerno’s was recently sold and remodeled. The homey look of panels, soft lighting, and lots of pictures has made way for a brighter, uncluttered look. Each person’s opinion on this change may differ but, more to the point, prior reviews may be outdated. When planning a meal here the diner should keep in mind that this is Laguna Beach and therefore the place is small and can be a little cramped feeling; however the reservation system has worked very well for me. One simply leaves a message and gets a call back to confirm. The quality of the food varies. The presentation and taste is OK but not any better than what you might obtain at a larger Italian chain, now that those places are serving real greens too. When we asked about the cheese types in the dishes neither the server nor the cook new the answer. This implies that the items are purchased premade. I think it is important for a chef to know the food. The portion sizes are a little sparse for my selections, but I don’t order meat dishes so that may or may not be applicable to those. I would suggest that the items I order are inexpensive to make and require a little more to give the same hunger satisfying feeling. Therefore the meatless dishes really should include a little more to satisfy the diner. The entre price is at the $20 or more range, but then, you don’t go to a Laguna Beach Italian restaurant to get a bargain… or a good parking spot. The service is… ambitious. That is to say, every time I go the server seems to be trying their best to keep up and show legitimate interest in you but is just a little overwhelmed by some inefficiencies in the floor plan and headcount. They can’t fit more servers, but they can’t seem to keep up either. A better method of getting the food from the kitchen to the servers without having to travel through the hallway would be good, perhaps the tiny little bar should be removed to support the food service. My rating is lowered based on the lack of wow in the food and service, forgiveness is given for the close proximity to fellow diners and cost given the location. It is raised based on the good natures of the servers despite the challenges, the fact that the food is descent enough, and it continues to be a good place for dinner for two. I am sure to go again.

Very good Italian food. The lamb chops were cooked perfectly. The vegetables that came with the meat were so-so. The pasta is really good. Recommend the black tagliatelle pasta. I also recommend themamma Mia meatballs. I do not recommend the salmon octopus carpaccio. They gave us very tiny slivers of salmon and octopus. Not worth $20. Overall it was a good restaurant

Incredible pesto sauce served with the bread. Smoked duck is very good; it is served with sauteed spinach that is so good! Nice ambiance and wonderful, attentive service. Wine selection is good, but somewhat overpriced. Enjoy!

An intimate dining room in the center of town and just steps from the Pacific ocean. The fried calamari was a a great starter and I recommend anyone of the traditional dishes like their Bolognese or speghetti and meatballs. The wild boar gnocchi was a favorite but the short rib pappardelle was a strong contender. An authentic Mediterranean experience!

This review is more like a 4.5/5. This is a popular spot on a Saturday night. The interior is small and well decorated. We started with the calamari which was solid but the breading was a bit loose, the flavor was there though. Our service also brought out focaccia with a pesto/olive oil dip. I had the farfalline rose and the sauce was perfect. Fantastic dish. The others in my party had the filet mignon salad and the buccatini. I heard no complaints. Our server was attentive and checked on the table a few times to make sure we had everything.

It's got to be one of the loudest restaurants in Orange County... the brick walls and the small tables make it very intimate and if you're into that type of a atmosphere it is great! I would recommend sitting at the bar... at least you can speak side by side and have a little conversation. But you will want to go here because the food is amazing... everything we tasted was fresh, high-quality, handmade and really delicious. Thinking back on the menu there are at least 12 things that I still have to go back and try. Think more red sauce southern Italian family-style then upscale northern and more refined dining.

Megan Madeo

This review is more like a 4.5/5. This is a popular spot on a Saturday night. The interior is small and well decorated. We started with the calamari which was solid but the breading was a bit loose, the flavor was there though. Our service also brought out focaccia with a pesto/olive oil dip. I had the farfalline rose and the sauce was perfect. Fantastic dish. The others in my party had the filet mignon salad and the buccatini. I heard no complaints. Our server was attentive and checked on the table a few times to make sure we had everything.

Joe V

It's got to be one of the loudest restaurants in Orange County... the brick walls and the small tables make it very intimate and if you're into that type of a atmosphere it is great! I would recommend sitting at the bar... at least you can speak side by side and have a little conversation. But you will want to go here because the food is amazing... everything we tasted was fresh, high-quality, handmade and really delicious. Thinking back on the menu there are at least 12 things that I still have to go back and try. Think more red sauce southern Italian family-style then upscale northern and more refined dining.

Good food, decent ambience. Small patio. Menu is large, perhaps too large, but it includes an option for most everyone, including those seeking something different. I had the wild boar gnocchi, which was very tasty, although the arrabiata sauce could have been more spicy. Generous portions. Fairly priced. Poor service (had to send someone to get the wine we ordered from elsewhere, no water refill, staff was overall less than polished). Dessert was decent overall, the basil mint sorbet was very good in particular.

Authentic recipes prepared impeccably, though the service could use some improvements. Thankfully, every dish tried by our large (Italian) party was scrumptious and well-prepared, which made the overall experience great and Salerno a place I could recommend when looking for real Italian dishes at a moderate price point.

Chris Schutte

Authentic recipes prepared impeccably, though the service could use some improvements. Thankfully, every dish tried by our large (Italian) party was scrumptious and well-prepared, which made the overall experience great and Salerno a place I could recommend when looking for real Italian dishes at a moderate price point.

Max Heintel

Good food, decent ambience. Small patio. Menu is large, perhaps too large, but it includes an option for most everyone, including those seeking something different. I had the wild boar gnocchi, which was very tasty, although the arrabiata sauce could have been more spicy. Generous portions. Fairly priced. Poor service (had to send someone to get the wine we ordered from elsewhere, no water refill, staff was overall less than polished). Dessert was decent overall, the basil mint sorbet was very good in particular.

We have been to the restaurant multiple times over the past 2 years on vacation and love the food. HOWEVER ‘‘tis evening ordered a Caesar salad as well. It came out with Bib lettuce not Romaine and a minuscule amount of dressing if any. I asked for more dressing. Both mine and my wife’s were the same. Returned to the table with possibly a teaspoon in a small cup. I asked for more and I was told I would be charged for additional dressing. I left the salad which was not inexpensive. No apology or adjustment. Although pasta is great the salad issue was poorly handled.

The atmosphere was romantic. Our waiter was amazing. I ordered the lemon cello pasta with shrimp and calamari. It was very good. My boyfriend ordered the egg plant parm. He was disappointed. He was hoping it was layered eggplant which it wasn't. It was sliced egg plant. He wasn't too happy. I told him to send it back. He wouldn't. I'd hoped they'd have given us a complimentary dessert or a break on the bill they didn't. The best place for eggplant parm hands down is basilico in huntington beach. I won't eat it anywhere else. I told My BF next time order something usual lasagne ect. I've been burned on egg plant parm on another Italian resturant in laguna. Same thing thin dry slices. I'll try the short rib pasta or ciopinno next time tho I've had cio on fisherman's wharf SF so that's hard to beat. It's a good local resturant decent prices.

Jillian Deen

The atmosphere was romantic. Our waiter was amazing. I ordered the lemon cello pasta with shrimp and calamari. It was very good. My boyfriend ordered the egg plant parm. He was disappointed. He was hoping it was layered eggplant which it wasn't. It was sliced egg plant. He wasn't too happy. I told him to send it back. He wouldn't. I'd hoped they'd have given us a complimentary dessert or a break on the bill they didn't. The best place for eggplant parm hands down is basilico in huntington beach. I won't eat it anywhere else. I told My BF next time order something usual lasagne ect. I've been burned on egg plant parm on another Italian resturant in laguna. Same thing thin dry slices. I'll try the short rib pasta or ciopinno next time tho I've had cio on fisherman's wharf SF so that's hard to beat. It's a good local resturant decent prices.

Have dined here many times. We really looked forward to our dinner and booked a month ago. Our experience was very sub par and we were very disappointed. I am sure Chef Pirozzi would not have been please. Bummer

Food was ok ok. Eggplant parm crust was old and tasted bad… Service was not good. Asked for bread 3 times still they did not bring it. Only thing I liked was minestrone soup Very pricy for the quantity of the food you get .

The food is absolutely delicious! The service was horrible, the server just threw the water and the plates on our table so hard it shocked us.. When we were done she just set the bill on the table and walked away not even a thank you!! So on a hundred and twenty bill for four she got a 5 dollar tip which she shouldn't of gotten even that. To bad great food but won't go back!

V S

Food was ok ok. Eggplant parm crust was old and tasted bad… Service was not good. Asked for bread 3 times still they did not bring it. Only thing I liked was minestrone soup Very pricy for the quantity of the food you get .

I don't recommend this place. We where hungry and were looking forward to Italian food. But the portions were super small and the prices were super high. If you are hungry, you really should visit another place. My review in short words: Expensive, Crowded, Scanty

We were having a lovely experience until my daughter got up to use the restroom and we noticed several roaches in the kitchen/back. Left immediately. Only a matter of time before someone gets really sick

The service here was horrible. We came at 4pm, we were the only table. After the waitress brought our orders, she did not check on us once. No water refill, not even looking in our direction. The bus boy walked by, we asked for water refill, he looked confused "oh you want water?.." he filled one glass, and asked if anyone else needs water. You see 4 people with empty glasses on a hot day, of course we do. The waitress was either playing with her ear piece or playing on cell phone, avoiding looking at us. So we walked to the counter where the waitress still was on the phone not looking at us. We had to tell the bus boy we are waiting for the check. Even then, the waitress walked past us, then came back 5 min later and started offering more food or dessert. Just oblivious. No check, no apology for waiting. Do not come there, save your time. If we did not tell the bus boy to give us the check, we would probably still be sitting there. The food is very average and expensive.

We came here with a reservation on a Friday night and waited about 45 minutes for a table. The food wasn’t that Vegetarian friendly, and was t worth the wait. The location is nice.

I wish I could give this place a -10 star rating. I made a reservation to take my kids out for a well deserved dinner. We got to our reservation a little early and the two hostesses barely looked up to great us. We were informed that we were early--- and we should "walk around town". Apparently, we looked liked tourists. A family of 3 children with one black woman--- how could we be from the area- Laguna! We walked around and returned and again met with a cold tone of "You will need to wait for your reservation time." Meanwhile, others without my skin tone where being seated. At our reservation time, I walked up to the hostess and asked if it was now finally time and she said that "I'm sorry we must missed another reservation ahead of you." I told her thank you and walked away with my kids. It was disgusting and painful to be reminded in the most despicable way that somehow we were less than others. I don't care how good the food is here, I WILL NEVER RETURN TO THIS RESTAURANT. If you are a decent person, you wouldn't support such an establishment. I am a professional woman and have owned my own business and could never imagine such an appalling treatment of guests.

It breaks my heart that this restaurant has new ownership, who ripped the beating heart of the place apart, but still kept the name in the hopes of luring people in. We went once under this new ownership. We'll never return again. Salerno's is dead. This new thing is not Salerno's. It's a muted, dull fabrication. The food is downright awful. The serving staff is pleasant, but the new owner swaggered over to "chat" after we had received our food, only to realise that none of us were liking it, or him, and he ran away. Smartest thing he could have done. What a sad, sad day for the once-great home of the most delicious dishes. They live only in my memory now. This new creature of a restaurant is nothing like the old.

Service was slow. When me and my friend got our food, it didn’t look very appetizing, and they tried to make it look better by putting decoration (flowers) on them. When it was time to pay the bill, I told the waiter to split the bill in half so I could pay half and my friend could pay half. They didn’t. Instead, they charged me $64.14 (Which was the total price for the food we ordered) and took the rest of my friends cash which was the half she payed (We both were supposed to pay around $34). Do not go here, this place scams your money!!!

Stephanie Baldwin

Service was slow. When me and my friend got our food, it didn’t look very appetizing, and they tried to make it look better by putting decoration (flowers) on them. When it was time to pay the bill, I told the waiter to split the bill in half so I could pay half and my friend could pay half. They didn’t. Instead, they charged me $64.14 (Which was the total price for the food we ordered) and took the rest of my friends cash which was the half she payed (We both were supposed to pay around $34). Do not go here, this place scams your money!!!

I never leave a review especially negative one, but this time I have to. We were seated next to the window.. No one cared for us. No server refilled water or even asked. We had to wait 40min for food at Friday night...No spoon, knife were provided even after food was arrived. I brought a guest, and was so disappointed. Food was generally good.

I'm speechless with how absurdly bad it is here. For 140 comparing price points to osteria la bucca in Hollywood. This is a far cry from that. Our waiter was checked out during service. Wouldn't provide wifi even though there's guest wifi. He forgot the bread for the first 30 minutes, and then also they didn't have ingredients for their cocktail menu. Calamari was barely fried and stacked onto of ice berg lettuce...the pasta for 30 dollars is mid at best. Trust me. Avoid this place at all costs. If there ever was a Nonna cooking there...she's long passed and whoever is running it obviously doesn't care.

We had reservations for an outside table at 8pm for my wife’s birthday. The hostess was very nice and helpful. She cleared a table outside and seated us. Twenty plus minutes later after asking the hostess if we could get service and order drinks. She apologized and after another ten minutes we had a waiter come. We ordered some wine but after several more minutes we told them we were going elsewhere. He had still not turned in our wine order. He could have cared less. We ended up at Romeo Cucina that turned out wonderful. Service and food there was spectacular.

My husband and I chose Salerno’s to celebrate our first Valentine’s Day as a married couple based on the strong reviews. Unfortunately, our experience did not reflect those reviews at all. Despite having a reservation, our seating options were either directly on the curb, where traffic and exhaust were blowing toward the tables, or at an indoor table packed so tightly between others that it was difficult to even move without bumping into neighboring guests. More importantly, after placing our order, we waited 45 minutes with no food, no glass of wine, and no communication from staff. No one checked on us. No one acknowledged the delay. We were given no reassurance that our order had even been placed. Meanwhile, multiple parties seated after us were served their meals. We understand Valentine’s Day is busy. We are patient people. But being left without service or communication for that length of time is unacceptable. We ultimately left without ever receiving our food. A simple acknowledgment or update would have changed the entire experience. Instead, we left disappointed and unfed on what should have been a meaningful evening. I hope management reevaluates how reservations and kitchen capacity are handled on high-volume nights so other couples don’t have the same experience.

Ji Kim

I never leave a review especially negative one, but this time I have to. We were seated next to the window.. No one cared for us. No server refilled water or even asked. We had to wait 40min for food at Friday night...No spoon, knife were provided even after food was arrived. I brought a guest, and was so disappointed. Food was generally good.

boosh dingo (Booshdingo)

I'm speechless with how absurdly bad it is here. For 140 comparing price points to osteria la bucca in Hollywood. This is a far cry from that. Our waiter was checked out during service. Wouldn't provide wifi even though there's guest wifi. He forgot the bread for the first 30 minutes, and then also they didn't have ingredients for their cocktail menu. Calamari was barely fried and stacked onto of ice berg lettuce...the pasta for 30 dollars is mid at best. Trust me. Avoid this place at all costs. If there ever was a Nonna cooking there...she's long passed and whoever is running it obviously doesn't care.

Dan Fordyce

We had reservations for an outside table at 8pm for my wife’s birthday. The hostess was very nice and helpful. She cleared a table outside and seated us. Twenty plus minutes later after asking the hostess if we could get service and order drinks. She apologized and after another ten minutes we had a waiter come. We ordered some wine but after several more minutes we told them we were going elsewhere. He had still not turned in our wine order. He could have cared less. We ended up at Romeo Cucina that turned out wonderful. Service and food there was spectacular.