Aldo’s Ristorante & Bar
14109 Winchester Blvd, Los Gatos, CA, 95032
Aldo’s Ristorante & Bar Menu
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Antipasti
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Insalata
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Zuppa
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Panini
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Pollo
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Pesce
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Carne
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Pasta
Diabetics at McDonald's
Most burgers served at McDonald's are low in sugar but there are several burgers which are high in sodium. You must choose burger options which are low in sugar and moderate in sodium content. You can also avoid extra dressings or cheese over your burger to control diabetes at McDonald's.
Foods to Avoid for Diabetics at McDonald's
Diabetics will find many tempting food items at McDonald's but most of these food items are also high in sugar or sodium. Diabetics must skip desserts and shakes at McDonald's to avoid sugar spike. You should also skip all McCafe drinks except a few containing low sugar and fat-free options. Besides the drinks and beverages, you should also avoid bacon-based and sausage-based burgers and sandwiches to limit your sodium intake. Diabetics should also skip the sausage-based salad options available at McDonald's.
Food Suggestions for Diabetics at McDonald's
Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad
Nutritional Facts: 350 calories, 12g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 4.5g), 1070mg sodium, 27g carbs, 6g sugar, 6g fiber, 37g Protein
Egg McMuffin®
Nutritional Facts: 300 calories, 11g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 6g), 760mg sodium, 30g carbs, 3g sugar, 2g fiber, 17g Protein
4-piece Chicken McNuggets®
Nutritional Facts: 180 calories, 11g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 2g), 340mg sodium, 11g carbs, 0g sugar, 1g fiber, 17g Protein
Kiddie Cone
Nutritional Facts: 45 calories, 1g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0.5g), 20mg sodium, 8g carbs, 6g sugar, 0g fiber, 1g Protein
4-piece Chicken McNuggets® Happy Meal
Nutritional Facts: 180 calories, 11g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 2g), 340mg sodium, 11g carbs, 0g sugar, 1g fiber, 10g Protein
Iced Latte
Nutritional Facts: 90 calories, 4.5g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 2.5g), 65mg sodium, 7g carbs, 7g sugar, 0g fiber, 4g Protein
World Famous Fries®
Nutritional Facts: 230 calories, 11g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 1.5g), 160mg sodium, 29g carbs, 0g sugar, 3g fiber, 3g Protein
Healthy Meal suggestions for Aldo’s Ristorante & Bar
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Antipasti
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Insalata
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Zuppa
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Panini
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Pollo
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Pesce
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Carne
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Pasta
High Blood Pressure at McDonald's
Most burgers at fast food joints contain a high amount of sodium. You must keep your sodium intake in check if you are suffering from high blood pressure. McDonald's offers a wide range of burgers based on your diet preferences. Choose the right burger and avoid French fries at all cost while dining at McDonald's.
Foods to Avoid at McDonald's for High Blood Pressure
Avoid Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit Burger and Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles at McDonald's as both these burgers are high in sodium. Skip extra cheese and avoid French fries if possible as they are too greasy and can add to your sodium intake. Also, avoid all types of sausage-based burgers or sandwiches at McDonald's to limit your sodium levels.
Food Suggestions for High Blood Pressure at McDonald's
Side Salad
Nutritional Facts: 15 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 15mg sodium, 3g carbs, 1g sugar, 1g fiber, 10g Protein
Filet-O-Fish®
Nutritional Facts: 390 calories, 19g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 4g), 560mg sodium, 38g carbs, 5g sugar, 2g fiber, 17g Protein
Baked Apple Pie
Nutritional Facts: 240 calories, 11g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 6g), 95mg sodium, 35g carbs, 16g sugar, 4g fiber, 2g Protein
Vanilla Cone
Nutritional Facts: 200 calories, 5g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 3.5g), 95mg sodium, 32g carbs, 16g sugar, 4g fiber, 2g Protein
Americano
Nutritional Facts: 0 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 10mg sodium, 0g carbs, 0g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g Protein
Coffee
Nutritional Facts: 0 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 20mg sodium, 1g carbs, 0g sugar, 0g fiber, 2g Protein
Apple Slices
Nutritional Facts: 15 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0 g), 0mg sodium, 4g carbs, 3g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g Protein
Visit below restaurant in Los Gatos for healthy meals suggestion.
High Cholesterol at MCDONALD'S
Cholesterol is the biggest concern for people visiting McDonald's, especially people suffering from high cholesterol. You can order chicken or egg burgers instead of ham or cheeseburgers to maintain your cholesterol levels at McDonald's. In addition, you can also try the salads and opt for drinks that low in sugar.
Foods to Avoid at MCDONALD'S for High Cholesterol
Bacon-based items are often too greasy and high in bad cholesterol. If you are concerned about high cholesterol, then you must avoid all bacon-based burgers and salads. Also, skip the Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Tenders to keep your cholesterol levels in check. You must also keep sausage-based items at bay when dining at McDonald's.
Food Suggestions to Maintain Cholesterol Level at MCDONALD'S
Side Salad
Nutritional Facts: 15 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 15mg sodium, 3g carbs, 1g sugar, 1g fiber, 1g Protein
Egg White Delight McMuffin®
Nutritional Facts: 260 calories, 8g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 4.5g), 780mg sodium, 29g carbs, 3g sugar, 2g fiber, 16g Protein
McChicken®
Nutritional Facts: 410 calories, 22g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 4g), 590mg sodium, 39g carbs, 5g sugar, 2g fiber, 15g Protein
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
Nutritional Facts: 140 calories, 5g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 2.5g), 125mg sodium, 22g carbs, 12g sugar, 1g fiber, 2g Protein
Hamburger Happy Meal
Nutritional Facts: 480 calories, 16g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 5g), 680mg sodium, 62g carbs, 21g sugar, 3g fiber, 22g Protein
Cappuccino
Nutritional Facts: 120 calories, 6g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 3.5g), 80mg sodium, 9g carbs, 9g sugar, 0g fiber, 6g Protein
Yoplait® GO-GURT® Low Fat Strawberry Yogurt
Nutritional Facts: 45 calories, 0.5g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 30mg sodium, 9g carbs, 5g sugar, 0g fiber, 2g Protein
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.
Q & A for McDonald's
When McDonald's first opened?
McDonald's began its operations by converting food and drinks stand called "The Airdrome" into first McDonald's restaurant.
When does McDonald's open?
McDonald's opens daily at 5:30 AM and stays open until 11:00 PM.
Which McDonald's is open 24 hours?
Unfortunately, there are not a single McDonald's which operates 24/7.
Where's McDonald's near me?
There are over 13,905 McDonald's outlets in the United States itself. You can find a McDonald's nearby with the help of our Restaurant Listings directory.
When McDonald's start and stop serving breakfast?
McDonald's starts serving breakfast at 5:30 AM daily until 10:30 AM.
When McDonald's start and stop serving lunch?
McDonald's starts serving lunch at 10:30 AM from Monday to Friday and 11:00 AM on Saturdays and Sundays. Happy Meals are also served during lunch hours.
Will McDonald's bring back the McRib?
McRib is back at McDonald's since October 2018.
Will McDonald's bring back spicy McChicken?
McDonald's in the United States has no plans currently to bring back the Spicy McChicken.
Will McDonald's bring back the Grand Mac?
McDonald's doesn't serve Grand Mac currently and there are no plans to bring it back anytime sooner. You can always try the Big Mac if you have a large appetite for burgers.
Are McDonald's milkshakes gluten free?
Yes, all flavors of McDonald's milkshakes are gluten-free. Nearly all beverages served at McDonald's are gluten-free.
Are McDonald's burgers gluten-free?
Unfortunately, McDonald's does not serve gluten-free burgers. All the buns and other ingredients such as fried chicken patties, grilled chicken patties, beef patties, sauces, condiments, etc. contain gluten.
Are McDonald's Apple Pies vegan?
Generally, Apple Pies are prepared using shortcrust pastry which contains eggs. However, McDonald's Apple Pie pocket is vegan-friendly as it is both dairy and egg free.
Are McDonald's Veggie Burgers vegan?
Veggie Burgers served at McDonald's are purely vegan. Just remember to skip the sauce as the sandwich sauce contains egg.
Are McDonald's Milkshakes vegetarian?
Yes, McDonald's milkshakes are 100% vegetarian and don't contain any meat product.
When did McDonald's introduce McCafe?
McDonald's McCafe was introduced by McDonald's as a separate coffee chain in 1993. The café also served great bakery and pastry besides offering a great variety of coffee beverages.
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About McDonald's
McDonald's is the largest American fast food company with over 37,855 outlets spread across 100 countries. Primarily known for hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and French fries, McDonald's menu also serves chicken dishes, breakfast products, soft drinks, wraps, milkshakes, and desserts today. The restaurant chain introduced smoothies, salads, fish, and fruits on the menu to offer healthy food options at McDonald's.
The restaurant began its operations in 1940 in San Bernardino, California, United States. The name of the restaurant comes from its founders Richard and Maurice McDonald. The siblings started the food business as a hamburger stand which was later converted into a restaurant franchise in 1953. The first Golden Arches logo was also introduced in the same year.
Healthy Food Options at McDonald's
McDonald's was highly criticized for its unhealthy food options. Being a renowned brand and a popular fast food chain, McDonald's decided to revamp its image and decided to serve healthy food options. Most of these healthy food choices were salads, smoothies, fruits, and fish items.
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Address :
14109 Winchester Blvd
Los Gatos, CA, 95032 - Phone (408) 374-1808
- Website https://www.aldos-ristorante.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
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c b.
Great service, great food, great location. We live in Redwood City and drive down to Aldo's. Love it, never had a bad meal, cocktail, or service.
(5)Rachel C.
Kid-friendly! Only place in the south bay where the squid ink pasta has any flavor (rather than just being black.) The chocolate souffle isn't really a souffle, but it is fine. Service is efficient and attentive.
(4)Harvey B.
Went here on Friday for the first time with a group. I was surprised at how good the food was. I had a bowl of Chowder and the Pollo Sorrento. Both were quite good. I think what impressed me the most was that the vegetable (broccoli) served with the main dish was so tasty. I've found that vegetables served with main meals are often an afterthought and not well seasoned. Not the case here! Also, the portion sizes are quite generous and price is very reasonable. Service was also appropriately attentive. Good place, would definitely go back!
(4)Sherry C.
Came here for dinner on Father's Day and our party ordered from both the regular and special menus. For appetizers we got the antipasto Misto - Combination of cured meats, roasted vegetables and mozzarella. Said that it serves 2 but more like 4. Also the calamari fritti - which is really nicely cooked that's crispy on the outside and so succulent. From the special menu we had the smoked pork chop. A thick cut of pork chop that's cured and smoked to perfection. One can tell that i's slowly smoked as the meat is incredily tender and juicy. Soooo good! We got the pappardelle special with lobster and bay shrimp in a vodka cream sauce. The bistecca Florentine-style rib eye steak was also really well-seasoned and cooked to a nice medium rare. The Scaloppine al jovanna was substantial in portion smothered with a rich cream sauce with porcini and truffle mushrooms. Other dishes we had were Spaghetti del Golfo (spaghetti in tomato sauce with seafood) and rigatoni paesani which is a rigatoni pasta with sauce, ricotta cheese and basil. We closed the meal with tiramisu. The restaurant was busy with a positive energetic vibe. It offers a full bar and the staff was delightful and attentive.
(5)Karen r.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place! I've been here several times and Aldo's never disappoints. I am a firm believer that service is just as important as the food, and both are outstanding! We've had many different dishes -- appetizers, pastas, meats, desserts, and loved it all! The ambiance is warm and friendly. Aldo, the owner, treats every person like a family member. The waitstaff is excellent: knowledgeable, attentive and professional. The timing of dishes was impeccable. This is the perfect place for a casual family dinner, a date, or whatever you want. Highly recommend.
(5)Sylvain B.
It's a 3.5. They has a nice outdoor seating, very good for business lunches. Great roasted garlic oil in bread while you are waiting for your starter. I had pastas: Cavatelli. Rich sauce (slightly over salted) very good Italian sausage, well seasoned. Food is 3.5. I rate t 4 because the service was great. Very nice atmosphere and table dressing. They have a full bar.
(4)Shawn O.
I met a client here for lunch on a Thursday. It was nearly empty around 11:30, but half-full by the time we were done (around 12:45). The overall food quality is good. I had a salmon salad. The salmon was cooked just right and the salad was fresh. The downside was the service. It was mediocre and inconsistent. I had to ask twice for a refill on my water. At the end of the meal, my client ordered a coffee. It was lukewarm and you could tell it came from a pot that had probably been sitting out a while. We let another server know. He was apologetic and brought a new cup, but our actual waiter said nothing when he brought the bill. The food here is good, but expensive for what you get. At this price level, the service doesn't match the food.
(2)esther f.
I love Aldo's . I wasn't really fond of Italian food until I came here. My favorite customer ( John Albanese) would always talk about this place and I finally had to come here to see if it was really good. It is exactly what he said, it's great food, good service . Thank you John .
(5)Evan R.
This is possibly one of the worst Italian restaurants I've ever visited. Do NOT go here. I went to their Los Gatos restaurant because it's close to my new home, hoping it would be better than their Los Altos location (which is equally horrendous). It's not. I started with the worst Caesar Salad I've ever had. Come on, how do you f*%# that up? Next I had a piece of chicken that was way overcooked, made worse by the eggplant on it that was far undercooked. I told the waiter and they brought me another dish. This time the chicken was cooked fine but still the sauce was uninspired and the eggplant was chewy and undercooked. Little things were the waiter's lack of attention to us and his wine recommendation, which was piss poor. Considering how expensive this place is, I'd expect a waiter who knew the wine list. The ambiance of the restaurant is very nice, so I suspect that's the only reason people go there. I on the other hand will never go again.
(1)Kelsey T.
My boyfriend and I went on a whim for a celebratory dinner. We ordered the calamari, and he had the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. I have the (I wasn't to call it Milanese for lack of a better word) thinly cut steak with a mushroom sauce! Everything was incredible! Portion sizes were large, and reasonable for the price! It was flavorful and well seasoned! We finished it off with cannoli! Absolutely to die for! Will definitely be coming back
(5)Michelle C.
All the food we had was really good. The owner comes by every table to say hello. Makes you feel special. Like we're in his house and he's welcoming us. I really like that. Wish that more places did that. Beware of the question, "Would you like soup or salad?" It's a trap! Not included with your main course. The way our waiter asked, it sounded like it was included. Order what you can eat and afford.
(5)Jessica P.
The food is definitely better than many Italian restaurants in the area. However, when we did not order drinks, our server lost interest. The shrimp dish was nice although the shrimps were not grilled. The red sauce was delicious and mild and went well with the risotto. The appetizer with cold salmon was nothing to rave about but was just all right.
(3)Michelle M.
One of my favorite Italian places to eat. The service is amazing and I love the owner Aldo. He makes sure to make you feel welcome every time you come in to eat.
(5)Joy F.
We started my sister's Bachelorette Party with dinner at Aldo's. They gave us a long semi-private table and our waiter was wonderful. We had a great time with our friends, the food was exceptional, the staff was attentive and fun, and it was a memorable evening for my sister. Ohh and the Carpaccio is a must!
(5)Alyx F.
Hm, mediocre at best. The food was not good - tried about 7 things on the menu (pastas, starters, wine (blegh), dessert) The staff was friendly - that definitely helped the experience and is the reason for 2 stars. Prices - too high for what you are getting.. this is like an overpriced Olive Garden.
(2)Kaye T.
Good food, horrible service. Must try: penne el salmone, spinach salad, arugula salad. Too salty (tried before): cheese ravioli. *Fiance and I were greeted, seated and got water. +1. *Fiance and I waited for about 15 mins to order. -1 *Server was not very enthusiastic. Looked miserable. Did not ask how we were doing, but was greeted by the manager instead. -1 *Food was great, huge amount. You can tell the food was fresh and water was filled constantly. +1 *Bill came with unreadable handwriting (literally looked like hieroglyphics, so i couldnt figure out my total). Found out I was charged $60 and manager blamed it on their calculator. My bill should've totaled to $40 only. Wtf, right? I don't mind a $5 difference, but $20???? *Our waiter completely disappeared? -1
(2)Jenny C.
Went here twice in one week because the food and service was THAT good! My friend and I were served by Jesus who has been working at Aldo's for over 30 years! His customer service was over the top. It was our first time eating there, and he helped us go through the menu. Pointing out which dishes were his favorite. I decided to get a pasta dish and my friend got a chicken dish. They were both delicious! He even brought out another small dish with penne pasta covered in marinara sauce to show us the difference in taste between pesto sauce and marinara. I liked my dish better than that small dish he brought out (which was complementary btw). He also mixed vinaigrette with oil, garlic, and Parmesan cheese for our bread which was delicious! He made our experience amazing! Our second visit to this place was also great! This time we ordered alcoholic drinks and shared the chocolate molten cake dessert. If you're looking for larger drinks and larger desserts, this place isn't the place to go. Part way through our night, the owner literally sat down right next to my friend to say hi to us and ask us how is everything. He's super friendly and is very charismatic and speaks Italian (so I guess he's Italian lol). Overall, my experiences gets 5/5 stars for the food (dish size was good and filling and delicious), 5/5 stars for customer service (everyone was super friendly and helpful, 5/5 stars for the atmosphere of the restaurant, and 3/5 stars for the dessert (size too small but still delicious!) For sure I'm coming back to this place!
(5)Garrett T.
The appetizers here are great especially the prosciutto wrapped shrimp. I had the ribeye for dinner and was very disappointed. It lacked any kind of flavor, partly my mistake for getting steak at an Italian restaurant. It was a nice restaurant, I sat outside and they had fires going. I would go back to try the pastas but I would avoid getting the steak.
(3)Rachel H.
Love this restaurant. Parents had the best time, thank you to Aldo for being such a gracious host, you made their trip here to the Bay Area amazing.
(5)Tammy T.
1st time I'm here, but this is the 3rd for my boyfriend. The service is very nice and the food is so yummy, I'll be back for sure, thank you for taking such good care of us.
(5)Susie F.
Aldo's has great food. The menu is nice because it isn't too large. We get good service sitting at the bar. The only thing about this place that is less then great is their bread. But I'm not supposed to eat it anyway.
(4)Jill V.
Nice atmosphere, parking can be a challenge depending on time of arrival. Food was pretty good.
(3)Byron L.
The word here is nice. Salmon has nice flavor and is fresh. I said no shrink give me more scallop but I got only four pieces of scallop on my dish. That seems to be the normal count so I don't know what happened. In any case the scallop was a bit burnt and some of it was chewy. Salad greens were tasty as well. House wine is nice. Cappuccino was nice also. Dessert was nice also.
(3)Jacqualyn E.
OMG is all I have to say! Not only was out service out of this world, servers name was Aaron, but quality of food was amazing. I honestly am the pickiest person ever, especially when it comes to service and food, I have high standards. If you want quality service, outstanding service this place is recommended. A great night for family,friends, or date! Try it out
(5)Laura B.
Came here on a Saturday evening (6:00 reservation) for a birthday dinner. It was packed inside and a little loud but nothing to be irritated about... Until the live music started. After that I had to yell just to talk to the person next to me! And on top of that there was an older man at the table next to us who started taking off his dress shirt then a drunk woman came running up and spun it around above her head. I'm sorry, I thought I was at a nice Italian restaurant, not a strip club. The waiter was quick to take our first drink order however slow to bring them out. He couldn't even bring them out at the same time. There was a good seven minutes between the first drink out and the last drink. Once food orders were taken our apps came out in decent time. We ordered the calamari and bruschetta. Both were good. Dinner not so much. I enjoyed my gnocchi dish however others who got the seafood pasta and lasagna thought it tasted like spaghetti-o sauce. When we ordered our second round of drinks they took so long to come out that when they did, we forgot we ordered them! During dessert the waiter asked if we were interested in lemoncello. We ordered 4. Again waited so long we had to ask another waiter about them and he brought them out, not even OUR waiter. Before we ordered anything that night we asked the waiter to split our bill and told him who would be on each bill. When it came time to pay he brought us one bill then wrote out how much each person owed. When he came back with the receipts he wrote the tip and total in for us! Um excuse me?! Too bad for him the total on one receipt was $10 less because he couldn't do the math correctly. The only good thing about this place was that the owner came out to our table (on his own will) and asked how everything was. He visited a lot of tables which I thought was really great. Too bad everything else wasn't. For the loud, obnoxious experience along with the slow service and over priced, mediocre food, I will not be back here or recommend it to anyone.
(2)mary ann f.
I just love Aldo's, it's right around the corner from my home and very convenient for us. There is plenty of parking because it's located in a small strip mall. The food is predictably good every time and the cost is reasonable, love the Caesar salad and the daily specials. The bread is so tempting, I usually tell them to take it away so I'm not full when my meal arrives.
(4)Teddy H.
Food was really good. It cam out fast. Service was also great. Got seated immediately and food cam out quickly. My only compliant is the prices were a little high, but not higher than any other Italian Restaurant.
(4)Dave N.
Aldo's has a decently extended menu of pastas that all sound good. I tried their house lasagne with a glass of house Chianti at the convivial bar. The lasagne itself came out pretty quickly and it was generously portioned and full of big chunks of meat. It was delicious, and would make a large meal for just about anyone, especially if you start with a salad. The flavors were good, and the bartended offered to sprinkle fresh ground parmesan on top. The only minor caveat was that the lasagne itself wasn't quite hot enough. It did taste very freshly made, but I think they could've left it in the oven to warm up just a wee bit more. By the time I finished eating it, was getting a bit cold and I ate it pretty quickly. Other than that, it was a satisfying and fairly priced dinner experience. I would go back to try some of their delicious-sounding rigatoni dishes. The diner next to me had the spaghetti and meatball and it looked huuuge and delicious.
(4)Patrick L.
I hadn't been to Aldo's in a few years, but went today for a little holiday luncheon with my friend. I was instantly impressed at the warm and inviting atmosphere inside - I guess I had forgotten since my last visit. Quickly after we were seated, fresh bread along with dipping balsamic & olive oil was delivered...WITH roasted garlic cloves bathing in the dreamy mixture! Oh boy, I love roasted garlic! Not only did I go on bread/carb overload, but I ate every last clove of garlic! I figured since I was suffering from a cold, my wife wasn't going to get anywhere near me for a kiss anyway, so eat up! I ordered Tagliatelle all'Aldo...a wide pasta with nutmeg, parmesan cheese and roasted pine nuts in a cream sauce for $13.50. This is one of those dishes you'd never make at home and only eat on special occasions - crazy rich, super-fattening and DELICIOUS!!! My friend had a wonderful looking dish with prawns and gave it high marks. Service was friendly and efficient - made for a nice lunch. Added bonus: Firestone DBA on tap (but who drinks at lunch?) I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch today...Aldo, do me right on my next visit and you'll earn the coveted fifth Yelp star! 4.5 stars - thank you!
(4)Jessica C.
Aldo's is my favorite spot for a date night, so romantic. True Italian food that tastes excellent. Large portions which you can spilt. Ask for a lemoncello my favorite and helps me relax. They also have a man that sings in Italian and makes the night even more romantic.
(5)Michael J.
I travel all over the world and these were the best lobster raviolis I ever had. I had a bite of my friends pork chop and it was prepared with excellence. It had a great taste to it. Very unique and delicious. The service was excellent. I look forward on my next business trip to eat at Aldo's.
(5)Tisha Dee H.
Love this place!! It's my go to for Italian after a long day at work or for a romantic night out with a date. Amazing wine selection, good ambiance, nice little bar area to mingle and of course, the food is excellent. The portions are large and the entrees are consistently awesome! But this is real traditional style Italian food, so if you're used to the Olive Garden thing, this place may not be your bag. So if you have friends or family in from Italy, this is where you wanna bring them as they will feel right at home here. I said it before and I'll say it again, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place!!! :)
(5)Mike K.
The place serves good food but the prices are too high. I came here with a friend and we each had pastas. I ordered a seafood pasta and it was quite good. But not over $20 a plate good. Good food but you can find better value for great pasta
(4)Lucky B.
I've been to Aldo's twice and it gets a 5 on the dessert alone. I've had and shared a few but we got the chocolate soufflé both times; the chocolate soufflé was awesome. The main course was fine. I think I could have made better selections. This Italian restaurant is worth checking out and make sure you save room for dessert!
(4)L W.
Busy Fri night place, ok food. Parking can get tricky. My guy friend commented that the male staff are nicer, better servers than the female staff. I thought he was joking until I experienced it myself. Try to book a table in Jesus' section - he is the fun & best waiter!
(3)Cindy N.
My family went to Aldo's on Saturday night. I had the rib-eye steak with a side of artichokes. Excellent! The kids had spaghetti and meatballs. They loved it. The music was so fun and some of the customers were clapping. Very nice evening.
(5)Nicole L.
First time to visit Aldo's. I'm telling you now to pick up your phone because you are not going to be seated without a reservation. I did call about 3pm for a 7pm reservation for 5 persons. The service was excellent. I ordered the Risotto and House wine. Perfect combination. I did add prawns because I wanted something more that just Italian rice. Overall the speed of service was great. The wait was friendly. I will definitely go back to Aldo's.
(4)Amy D.
Aldo's is a solid choice for good Italian food in the South Bay. I rarely eat at Italian restaurants since I usually leave disappointed, but this wasn't the case with Aldo's. My friend was able to make reservations for a party of 8 for a Friday night at 6:30pm and only had to call a few days in advance. Reservations are highly recommended for weekend nights since the restaurant was full when we got there. I got to try: -Mozzarella Caprese (Fresh Whole Milk Mozzarella w/Sliced Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, $9): Yum- the mozzarella and tomatoes were really fresh, and I liked the olive oil they used. I just wish they gave you more basil with the dish. -Insalata della Casa (Mixed Baby Greens w/Cucumbers, Avocado, Red Onions, Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Olives, w/a Dijon Mustard Dressing, $6.75): Good, but nothing special. I liked the dressing, but wished there was more than 1 slice of avocado. I wasn't that hungry, which is why I ordered the salad, but probably wouldn't get this again. -Cavatelli (Ricotta Cheese Cavatelli Pasta w/Sausage, Spinach, Tomato in a Garlic Olive Oil Sauce, $17.50): Pretty good. I loved that the cavatelli was cooked a perfect al dente, and I loved the sausage in this dish since it was so flavorful. I really liked this when I tried it initially, but fell in love with the rigatoni when I tried it after, so I would order that over this dish. -Rigatoni Paesani (Wide Tube Pasta w/Sausage, Basil, Fresh Ricotta Cheese in a Tomato Sauce, $17): Delicious, and a must order! The Rigatoni was cooked a perfect al dente, and the Paesani sauce was delicious. Once you eat this dish, it makes the others pale in comparison. -Vitello Pizzaiola (Sautéed Veal w/Capers, White Wine, Olives in a Tomato Sauce, $19.95): Good, but I'm not a huge fan of the texture of veal (too soft/tender for me) so I probably wouldn't order this again. However, it's one of the better veal dishes I've had. Overall, I will definitely be back to Aldo's in the future for their Rigatoni Paesani. Service was attentive, and the only criticism I have is that I wish they gave you a little more quantity wise for the dishes. There is a good sized parking lot in the plaza they are located it, but the lot does get really full during the dinner rush.
(4)Reen B.
I enjoyed the service and ambiance here. The food was just ok, nothing special. We got seated right away around 7:30. There was live music, a trumpet player performing which was nice. We received cold bread (leftovers perhaps? i noticed it was supposed to be a loaf but had 2 different types of pieces instead) with dipping oil. I ordered a glass of red wine (Zinfandel) and enjoyed that. Between two of us we ordered shell pasta with chicken and the Tony special (penne with chicken and tomato sauce). There wasn't much flavor so I had to add Tabasco sauce.. Service was good. May return to try something else.
(3)danielle s.
I try to come here once a month for my italian cravings. Ive never had a bad dish here you really cant go wrong... I always get the Tagliatell Al Aldo(SP) its basically a nutmeg alfredo with pine nuts... Very rich but hard to stop eating. The Desserts are also killer here. The service is amazing and are always friendly. Ive never had a bad experience here other than I gain a few pounds each and every time. They serve their bread with roasted garlic in EVOO (I ask for extra garlic)... So good just make sure your date is eating it too!
(5)Tina N.
Aldo's, yep not the shoe store. An Italian restaurant. Ordered: - Bread and Garlic with Olive Oil - Pollo con Porcini $18.50 - Specialita di Barbara $19.95 - Crepes Nutella with Vanilla Ice Cream $8.00 Tina's Tips and Tantrums - Total of $50 for two - Ignored when we walked in.. Front guy was talking to a couple, he didn't acknowledge us at all. - Hostess lady seemed busy and almost left without seating us too, but she was nice enough to let us choose our own table, which made up for the other guy - Small restaurant with dim lighting - My friend and previous reviews absolutely love the bread and the special garlic olive oil dip - Flies in the restaurant? Landed on me and all... :( No bueno, but only one that was evident. - Joe? The manager/server was wonderful. He made everything arrive quickly and definitely made up for the shortcomings - The pasta was delicious with sautéed chicken with porcini mushroom sauced with mustard cream. Reminded me of the gemelli at Pasta Pomodoro. - Specialita di Barbara was alright. Grilled salmon, scallops, and shrimp topped on spring mix salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. A little too much I might add. Grilled salmon was tiny, but grilled a little bit too long. - Best way to end the night. Crepes Nutella was tasty and chocolatey! A soft and creamy crepe filled with vanilla ice cream with hot nutella sauce and toasted almonds on top.
(3)Boris G.
My favorite family style restaurant. Excellent service and food and wine.
(5)Tomomi S.
Year after year, I come to Aldo and never disappointed. Service is amazing, very smooth, personable and professional and food is very satisfying. I come here for dinner with my husband, I bring my out of town friends visiting the area to Aldo, and my coworkers, neighbor anybody who I want to have a great meal with friendly atmosphere. Aldo is like my little black dress - I can bring anybody at anytime and I never get disappointed. Tried a glass of wine from today's special menu. $13/glass but it was worth the price. I checked on the whole bottle price later and turned out $13 was actually cheap. I usually feel ripped off after ordering either glass or bottle of wine at restaurants but not here.
(5)Jess G.
Came here last night to celebrate a birthday. Our waiter, Jesus (chuey) was super helpful and cheerful. Prices are above average but you get what you pay for. Will definitely come back for another occasion/craving!
(5)Me M.
The food is okay. For the price I would rather go to A Bellagio in downtown campbell.
(3)Siobhan F.
Great date spot. My boyfriend took me here because it's the Italian place his family loves and I had never been. The food was pretty good and I was able to get a shrimp dish that didn't originally come with pasta, to come with pasta. The service was decent, but nothing super super memorable. I would go back again if I had a huge hankering for pasta and everywhere else was booked up, but I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to chow here.
(3)Kim N.
I used to work near here when it first opened. Silly me, I never went. Now coming back to it after all these years, it seems like it hasnt changed much. That maybe true for the style of food to. Now some people may think that's a bad thing but in some cases it's a snapshot of a point in time, and Im glad I caught a glimpse of it not too long ago. I've been doing a lot of modern regional Italian over the last few years and it was interesting to come sit in an old school type Italian American joint. Shared the following with a group of folks: * Prosciutto e Mozzarella Prosciutto San Daniele with rugola and fresh mozzarella cheese * Carpaccio Raw beef sliced thinly with extra virgin olive oil, parmesan cheese, lemon, capers, and celery * Calamari all'Arrabiata Prawns sautéed with mushrooms, green onions, and tomato in a spicey brandy sauce * Jovanna Special Veal Scaloppine with porcini mushrooms, truffle paste and touch of cream * Squid Ink Pasta with seafood * Rigatoni Paesani Wide tube pasta with sausage, basil, and fresh ricotta cheese in a tomato sauce Everything was solid. I was a little surprised actually. Well when you do something well and you've done it for years, why change when you have an audience for it. I was very happy with the veal and calamari in particular because how well they were executed. The cooks pay attention. The service at first is not totally friendly but they warm up to you. I'd say you get a sense of little Italy here even though it's in this weird island of border or Los Gatos and Campbell
(4)Robert N.
Went there with a group of 30 place was very accommodating dispite our large group. We had excellent service throughout the meal and everything was very delicious and flavorful. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for Italian food. We were served with a prior arranged menu and every serving dish that came to our table left empty. Great lamb chops, pasta sides, shrimp everything was just wonderful.
(5)Chi N.
I love love love the Gnocchi Biancanove here. I never really liked gnocchi before coming here but I am now a big fan. The gnocchi is soft and pillowy and the blue cheese sauce is amazing. I never liked blue cheese before but I love it in this dish. It is heavy so you may want to share this entree if you have a small palate like I do. The garlic, olive oil dipping sauce they give you is also delish. The garlic is so soft that you can just spread it like butter onto your bread. My boyfriend takes me here on special occasions so it's a special place to me.
(5)Steven E.
Great place. Hidden gem. Have never had one bad dish, staff is so friendly and Courteous. Every time I go its like having dinner with family. I recommend this place to all my friends. When ever i want a good meal that will never disappoint i go to aldos
(5)Lil B.
The Mozzarella Caprese is soooo good! The bread and oil/garlic dip is awesome! The Tortellini alla Tommaso was just OK - it tasted like maybe it was microwaved. Too much cheese also. I like cheese ordinarily, but this dish came with what seemed to be a big honkin' thick slice of fontina cheese thrown on top and then microwaved. Weird. The Penne Campagnola is very good. So is the Timballo de Rigatoni. The service isn't bad and the atmosphere is nice, price seems average.
(4)Rosie W.
2 stars strictly for my main dish. When a waiter suggests a dish that he believes is better than the one you ordered, you'd think the dish he has in mind would be similar to the one you ordered. This was not the case with me (and I didn't even ask for a suggestion). I came to Aldo's with a dish in mind, one that I saw on Yelp. It was creamy, thick, tomato-y and it was over penne. It was exactly what I was looking for. The waiter who helped us suggested another dish on their menu with casarecce pasta. He said the pasta is better, even drew a picture of it for me. I asked if it was creamy, like the one I showed him and he confidently said yes. So of course, anyone would believe him right? He works there so he should know the dishes. I wish I went with my original order because the dish that came out was nothing like the picture and what I had in mind. The pasta also wasn't what I had in mind. Casarecce pasta is very thick and even chewier than rigatoni. Thinking about it now, why would he suggest such a dish for me? It was way off. Also, the sauce wasn't creamy! It was tossed in oil, garlic, and tomatoes. I was disappointed when he brought over the dish, so I asked him to make it creamy. I didn't need him to remake the dish, but I wanted the sauce to look like the picture. He came back with a sauce that had tomatoes tossed in more oil and garlic. THAT'S NOT CREAMY! By then, I really didn't feel like explaining myself again. I just sucked it up and ate my meal. The dish wasn't bad, but I would've never ordered it. As I was walking out, I saw someone eating a plate of lasagna and it looked delicious. Creamy was what I was looking for! I think i'd be back to give this restaurant another try and not get persuaded by the waiter. My first impression surely wasn't the greatest. We ordered the bruschetta as an appetizer. It was really light and flavorful. I really enjoyed that dish. The garlic dipping sauce that came with the bread was also unique. It had whole garlics in there with oil and some other spices. Great ambiance and the service was great.
(2)Alfred P.
Definitey over rated...pasta portions are small and the totellini is packaged. I don't believe they make their own pasta either. Ths place is all fluff with no substance. The food is adequate italian at best...i think this place and the chef may have been better in the past but it appears now they've lost their way.
(2)Juan M.
That's my firts time here and probably the last one,because service is bad as the food include take like one hour the food and just we order fish (fish take between 5 or 10 min to cook) they give to us brocceta,they not give any explanation why the food came late,just put the plates on the table and walk away REALLY
(2)Candice Setareh S.
Love this! A local favorite! The cafe version of this place has faster service too! If u didn't like it then u didn't order well, get the lasagna and they Alfredo!
(4)Randy L.
As a frequent diner at Aldos I feel qualified to comment on the restaurants' consistency. The food is always prepared perfectly and the staff is supportive of any personal preferences or substitutions for the dishes. The staff has been consistent for many years and they have an amazing knack for remembering names and even culinary preferences! I love how the menu evolves over time but maintains the 'favorites'. the "Sofia Special"and the "Basa Filet" are long-time favorites. The dessert crepes are a real nice punctuation to a wonderful meal. Aldo also makes his own lemoncello. this dessert drink is a must! Aldo (owner) will be seen regularly mingling on the dining room floor and running back to the kitchen for supervision. There is a warmth in spirit in the environment and definitely an opportunity for culinary adventure.
(5)Rô M.
Superb. This is my fiance's and I date night get away. He does not stray far from the Lobster Raviolis and Clam Chowder. The Clam Chowder is by far the best we have ever had. Yes, better than Alioto's on the wharf in SF. The wine selection is wonderful and the deserts are to die for. This is a must try!
(5)Dorothy K.
Never disappointed!! Was introduced to this restaurant by a friend about 6 months ago and have been here three tims now. I've had the fresh rabbit with mashed potatoes and it was very good. The fish cooked in wine and butter so yummy and their pasta with smoked cheese. Will go back several times more. Service is always friendly and helpful.
(4)Jessica M.
Oh Aldos...how you let me down. My last meal out with B's grandparents was at Aldos. I had previously had a few good experiences and some major YUM nights so I was like... YES...lets eat here. Sadly...I was I guess just lucky with ordering what I did because this last time I changed my order...and BAM...it was horrible. B changed what he usually got and HORRIBLE... all around...it was terrible. I ordered a pasta with lobster and shrimp. It was on the specials menu. The lobster came in the shell and the shell was split but it was so overcooked that you COULD NOT GET IT OUT OF THE SHELL AT ALL!!! The shrimp were tiny shrimp...more like salad shrimp and tasted fishy. I was so sad...so disappointed and the service that night was as well...terrible. I understand it was busy and crammed but they seated us in the loudest possible area with no room between tables with me and a baby ... and there was that whole front side...just off the patio that was much more open and quiet...would have been a lot nicer. I should have asked to be moved...but *sigh*..oh well. Sorry Aldos... review goes down...taking away 2 stars.
(2)Anastasia B.
Sometimes you can get a good server at Aldo's. Sometimes you can get a great server at Aldo's. The one constant is the delicious authentic food! I have been to Sorelle and to Bellagio, and I keep coming back to this place. Their seafood salad, risotto, and marinara pasta are excellent. The "crepes de lo chef" dessert is fantastic! I would recommend this place to anyone 100%. Aldo's has been my number one Italian restaurant for years. If you have not gone - you should! Please call to make reservations - they DO get busy! Also they have live music on certain days that just adds extra to the authentic ambiance of the place!
(5)Gregory S.
I do not know how many years we have been driving by Also's and saying: Why don't we try that place? Last night we did and we are hooked. We asked to be seated outside which, in spite of being next to Winchester Blvd, was a pleasant experience. My first impression was almost uncomfortable. Everyone seemed to be speaking Italian; they place was full of regular customers that knew all the waiters; and all the menu items had Italian names. How was an old farm boy from the Central Valley going to survive here? Aldo's is a serious family place. Seated at the table next to us was two families, four adults and four boys (ages 5-7). The boys kept us entertained the entire meal much to the embarrassment of the parents. I assume that you can have a nice quiet dinner here too. My wife ordered a penne dish. Every bite melted in your mouth with an explosion of tastes. I ordered pollo sautéed in a wine sauce with artichokes and tomatoes. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. The vegetables were prepared to perfection. I might even consider eating something with squash in it next time. We finished the meal with chocolate fondant cake and cannoli. $50 plus tax and tip for two.
(5)Sun J.
Average Italian restaurant. Too fatty and not enough flavor for my taste.
(3)Serena S.
Ate here last night. Had a large party of 15 people, 4 of them kids who only ordered pasta with sauce, but our wait for food was 1 1/2 hours! We got there at 6:15pm with reservations and didn't get served food until 7:47pm. Crazy!! Also ordered wine from the bus boy and he never gave the order to the waiter. When we finally got the food, it was mediocre. Not worth 1 1/2 wait. So disappointed.....wasn't even comped anything after our long wait.
(2)Julia C.
The food was fabulous and our server was wonderful. Maybe it was the fact that it was the day before Mother's Day and was crowded, but it took forever for our food to get there. Appetizers were quick, dessert was quick, but it was about 25-30 min to get out food after ordering. Will be back but probably on a less busy night.
(4)Cristina G.
This Italian-family style restaurant has never failed us! We've been going there for over 8 years and we have yet to taste a bad meal or receive bad service. Staff is great, gracious and accommodating, ambiance traditional, cozy and elegant. Their lobster ravioli and tortuffu gnocchi are amongst our favorite pastas, delicious! Also, the best rib-eye steak we've ever had is served here! Chicken Marsala, another favorite. Love the consistency of this restaurant.
(5)Dmitry D.
One of the best Italian restaurants ever. The quality of food is great. You have several options to be seated in more quiet area. Very nice atmosphere and dining experience.
(5)Cheri H.
This was my second visit and I hope my last. Their idea of marinara sauce is an awful joke. We ordered drinks from the bar when we sat down and the Greyhound I ordered was mostly alcohol. It was undrinkable. I had to send it back and have them add more juice. We had the bruschetta and it was just ok. The bread was soggy within a few minutes; they should have toasted it longer. I had the Tony Granato Special and my daughter had the Penne alla Amatriciana and they used the same sauce for both. She was convinced she received the wrong order because the sauce was awful and nothing like she expected. I have eaten a lot of marinara sauce and this was nothing at all like I have ever eaten. My daughter has traveled to Italy and she never saw anything like what we were served. The chicken in my dish looked like what is used in a Chinese restaurant in the mall. Also, the Tony Granato Special reads "sweet, fresh basil". When the dish arrived it had 3 tiny pieces of basil that I could see so I asked for more. My sister had the salmon and she said she enjoyed it. We ordered desserts: the chocolate molten cake which my daughter enjoyed, the cheesecake which was still frozen when served and the crème brulee, which was cold and had some sort of soft brown topping, not the crunchy caramelized sugar I expected. The best part of the meal was the bread served with garlic oil. The ambiance had a lot to be desired. We arrived when they opened, 5pm on Saturday and it started to fill up fast. Our server and no personality which is fine at Applebee's but at a fine restaurant I expect a little more. The only person to thank us as we left was the young man who cleared our table. The crowd was exactly what you would expect in Campbell. There are many restaurant s in the area that has much better food. For the money we spent I could have had a great meal at Opa or La Pastaia.
(2)Natalie S.
I came here with my grandparents to celebrate a birthday. The margaritas were great and so was the food. My grandparents are regulars and knew our waiter who was friendly and attentive despite it being a busy night. I'm looking forward to my next visit to Aldo's.
(5)Brian B.
Odd little restaurant in Los Gatos/Campbell. It's really nice inside, but feels out of place as it's in a small strip-mall like shopping area. This is pretty typical of Silicon Valley... The menu has a lot of seafood and a lot of red sauces. I found a couple white sauces on the menu, and went for the gnocchi (which was a white sauce). It was quite good.
(3)Austin M.
Treated a client to lunch here today. First rate service from a very professional waiter and the veal scaloppine was cooked & seasoned to perfection. It was my first time here and I really enjoyed this place.
(5)Ca W.
OMG! What a dining experience! Had their special tonite - the pork chop .... That was exquisite! Also the rigatoni! We had that with their chianti and our experience was enhanced by the Italian singer, the great staff, and the food was incredibly good! Excels in ambiance! Wow!!!! We enjoyed it so much we ordered Cannoli and cappuccino!
(5)Donna G.
I have eaten at this over-rated and expensive restaurant twice and both times I have been very disappointed with the meal. I recently ordered a specialty dish, Veal Cannelloni, that was highly recommended by the waiter. I kept trying to convince myself it was edible but it truly seemed like it was stuffed with canned dogfood! My date also tasted one bite and afterwards told me it seemed like dogfood to him too. I should have returned it at that time but being as I was with a group of people on a timeline, I decided to just let it go. However, after thinking about how bad the meal tasted (especially for the $19 charge for the entree), I decided to call to talk to the manager the next day. My intention was to politely let them know the meal was distasteful and that they should sample the meal before the waiter raves about it. The staff member who answered the phone promised management would call me back after I explained the situation. The manager never called so I have continued to call everyday for a week to convey the poor dining experience, thinking they might want to pull that special dish from their menu (or at least listen to my complaint). Each time I call, I keep being told the manager will call me back, yet I never get a call back. The last time, I said I would definitely post a response on Yelp with my disdain for the meal and unacceptable customer concern if I didn't hear back from management. You can guess that management never called. Their unconcern and arrogance has convinced me I will never go back. I also don't feel the ambiance inside the restaurant is anything special either, but the food is way overrated! Some of the other reviews say the "food is okay, nothing special", but my meal was downright disgusting. Maybe other meals are good but the manager should be aware if they are serving a meal that is so distasteful in appearance and taste. Very disappointed with the meal and management!
(1)Francesco P.
beast italian restaurant in town
(5)Pillowsblanket S.
We came here for a birthday celebration. The food was okay, but the prices created an expectation of excellence. We ordered the Cesar and caprese salads. The Cesar was delicious and while the caprese salad had great mozzarella, the tomatoes were terrible: under ripened and flavorless. I ordered the salmon, which was cooked perfectly but could have used more spices/herbs than just salt. My girlfriend ordered a pasta dish that came with canned stewed tomatoes on top. This was disappointing. Paying $25 for a pasta dish, you expect that the key ingredients to be fresh. The bottle of Pinot Noir that we ordered was fantastic. I think the main problem for us was that the cost of the food was not justified from what we received.
(2)Raphael D.
Didn't like it, food was good but not great. Pretty expensive for what was in my plate. I hate when they take my plate seconds after I finish it, the waiters looked in a real hurry all night, very annoying. Won't go back.
(2)Dale B.
The food was just ok. I had lasagne and it was cold in the middle. The sauce wasn't to my liking either. Service great! Atmosphere good. I'm hoping I got them on an off night.
(3)Howard B.
Date night perfection. Aldo made us feel like guests in his home. Seated quickly. (Don't count on that always. This is a busy restaurant and we went at 7 on a Tuesday. We were lucky tonight). Service was quick and precise. We ordered salads and main dishes. Salads arrived quickly. Very fresh and flavorful. Our server noticed that I was thirsty and was emptying my water so she gave me two glasses at a time. Our dinners arrived and both were very flavorful and the portions were perfect. I had a mushroom tortellini and it was fantastic. After our dinners, Aldo stopped by our table to check on us and suggested the perfect desserts. Overall a very nice evening. My expectations were either met or exceeded. I recommend this restaurant and if you read this and decide to visit, say hi to Aldo. Tell him you heard about Aldo's from Howard on Yelp!
(5)Richard N.
Bulletproof..... Pros: Warm, Italian atmosphere. Good portions. Reasonable prices. Cons: Food needs a bit more quality control Suggestion: If ordering fish, get it "fresh" to avoid the possibility of frozen Ratings: - Overall: 3 - Food Quality: 3 - Food Quantity: 4 - Menu Selections: 3 - Cost: 4 - Value: 4 - Service: 4 - Wine List: 4 - Atmosphere: 4 - Parking: 5 Aldo's, at the corner of Winchester Blvd and Knowles near the northwestern edge of Los Gatos, has been around a long time. My wife and I had a few dinners over the years, but never really paid attention to things until I began to Yelp. See how Yelping can change your life! We, and 2 other couples, had tickets for a local music concert and needed a restaurant for dinner. The women in our group went to Aldo's Cafe in downtown Los Gatos for a couple of lunches during the past few months and thought the "big" Aldo's would be nice for dinner. Overall, they were right. It was 5 PM on an early Saturday evening. Aldo's just opened and the place was almost empty, but the atmosphere seemed festive since Christmas was less than 4 weeks away. Decorations streamed from the vaulted ceiling, holiday songs played gently in the background and the staff appeared to have an extra bounce in their step ( or maybe it was simply toward the start of a long shift ). The stage was set for an enjoyable time. However, the first red flag appeared when one of the guys in our group, a semi-retired dentist ( or "SRD" ) known for being a tad persnickety opened his linen napkin only to find it was shredded at the seams. We wondered "was this napkin served at lunch to a Great White Shark?" I'd say they got maximum use out of that one. Anyway, we gave our drink orders and decided on plates of fried calamari for the table. They were fine...nothing special, but respectable. Five of the 6 people chose a salad from among the 5 selections on the menu. Mine was a "Positano", essentially mixed greens, shrimp and calamari. It was bigger than expected - a good thing - with a ton of seafood...at least for a regular salad. One other had a "Positano" and 3 had the Caesar and "Della Casa"...lettuce, vegetables and mozzarella cheese. No complaints were heard. But the second red flag began to fly when that same SRD received his minestrone soup. It was watery. His wife sampled the soup to make sure he didn't complain for the sake of complaining. He wasn't. It tasted like diluted broth with some vegetables. My entree was Pollo Sorrento...baked chicken breast with eggplant and mozzarella cheese in tomato sauce. Very good. My wife had prawns with garlic, lemon, basil and tomatoes in a white wine sauce. It was good, "but nothing special". Two others had chicken dishes which they liked and one person had a bowl of mixed seafood...the kind where many bibs come in handy. It was okay, but lots of work. By the end, she said "I'm so sweaty I need a shower" and wasn't kidding. A third red flag was unfurled by...guess who. Yes the SRD! His entree Calamari alla Arrabiata...calamari with vegetables in a spicy tomato sauce...arrived lukewarm like cold fish on a red slab. The server promptly apologized and returned 10 minutes later with the dish. It was almost hot, but sort of inedible. Our friend, the SRD, said "it's as if they took frozen calamari and reheated it". Service was friendly and attentive. Baskets of warm bread with small dishes of garlic and oil were replaced as needed and other small requests handled promptly. Since our group needed to stay awake for that local music show...no mean feat when you're approaching or over the hill...we skipped the wine list and dessert menu. Both had attractive entries and were tempting, but fear of falling asleep and adding on more pounds won the day. Since the 3 couples split the bill, the cost for my wife and I...including tax and tip...was about $82. Not bad for a good amount of reasonably tasting food in an attractive setting. However, tell that to the SRD. One week after the meal, he told me "I had fun with my friends, but put that meal out of my memory". As we rose from the table and surveyed the boisterous crowd of families and middle-older age couples, the third guy in our group said "this place is bulletproof. There's nothing you could write to change that". Not that I really want to. It's a solid 3 star restaurant in a neighborhood with very few other places to eat.
(3)Stephen F.
Great restaurant. One of our favorites (I'm Italian, and I moved here from Manhattan, if that matters) 1) They serve the bread with oil that has roasted garlic and crushed red pepper. It needs a shake of salt, but is incredible. 2) Bruschetta, which I usually think of as a dish you can't mess up, is out of this world. Soaked in olive oil. In a good way. 4) Buffalo mozzarella and Prosciutto app also very good. Served on arugula. 5) My wife always gets the rigatoni paesani. Very good. 6) Gnocci Tartufo is excellent - truffle cream sauce. I usually as for fettucini instead of gnocci so it is not too heavy. 7) When they have veal canneloni, order it (usually a special). Amazing. 8) Veal dishes in general very good. They don't bread anything. So, if you like Parmisiano style, this isn't your thing. Try the stuffed veal. Desserts are great. I get the limoncello tartufo. Zabaglione is out of this world. Jesus ("hey-Zeus") is the best waiter in the world. Ambiance could be better. But, I sitll love it.
(5)Gina C.
We tried this tonight because we always drive by and wanted to see how it was. We arrived around 6 on a Saturday and there was no wait. The service was always nearby, but we never felt rushed. We shared the special heirloom tomato salad, which was amazing. I had the gnocchi ( they had 2 kinds, so the server suggested I get half of both) , it was realllly good. Actual dumplings, not rubbery like at other places. My b f had the stuffed veal and he really liked it. They had a live singer, Pasquale, who was really talented so that was a bonus. By the time we left there was quite a wait, but again, we were never rushed. Great service, great food, great entertainment, great atmosphere, reasonable prices. We'll definitely return. We also noticed that most customers there were regulars, which is a really good sign!
(5)Jason D.
My wife and I went here the other night. We went on a Thursday night at 5:30 thinking they'd be pretty slow. Wow, they were hopping actually with lots of folks there. The meal was good. Carpaccio was great, veal was great and creme brulee was also great. My wife got the polenta and it tasted kind of bland, but I'm not a polenta fan myself anyway. Aps, mains, drinks and desserts came to about $90. All in all, a good night. I'd go back.
(4)Ms. M.
Just recently ate here around noon with a friend...When we walked in, it wasn't that busy but we waited for a long time before we got our food! Never been here before so I didn't really know what to order so when the waiter came up to us to take our order, I asked him what is popular and what tastes good? He suggested "Sofia"... Well, "Sofia" entree was really tasty and creamy, a bit salty but tasty! The reason I am giving it 3 stars is because 1) my friend and I waited for over half an hour to get our meal and 2) The bread they had given us wrapped in a towel was cold, stiff and crusty. Don't they wrap the bread in a towel to keep it soft, moist and warm? Nevertheless, I would still come back to order "Sofia" again but next time I would request for a 'warm' bread. :)
(3)Sal E.
Well I decided to revisit Aldo's due to two different coworkers raving comments for this place. Though the food was still excellent, and the portions were a lot better, the waiter was even worse than the last time!! Unfortunately Aldo and/or a manger was nowhere to be found for a busy Friday night I was told that he is really great and that I should have spoken to him the last time I visited this restaurant and was disappointed. After being seated and the bread & delicious olive oil dip served to us, it was an unusual wait to even be greeted by our waiter. Then once he took our order we NEVER saw him again for the rest of the night!! What!!! Not even once to check to see how everything was????? The four of us had appetizers, salads, and entrees and then waited a long time to get the check. So long that I went up to the hostess stand and waited for 5 minutes for them to keep after our waiter to add up and hand them our bill! Still no Aldo The bus person Hector was wonderful. Service oriented, on the ball, cheerful attitude, went above and beyond. What is with this Bay Area of California??? When it comes to waiters, does anyone have the proper training & drive to actually SERVE customers?? I just don't get it! From Manresa to Steamers, from Igatti to Aldo's the standard for waiters is so below par than anywhere else in this country that I have ever seen!!! I guess from this point on there is going to have to be a conditional standard for eating out for me. First is to check with the manger/owner to see who is their best/#1 wait person, and second would be to order the food to go if the manager/owner is not available.
(4)Bonnie K.
Yes Aldo's is our favorite. I made reservations for four to celebrate my husband's birthday but told 8 others to call the restaurant directly if they wanted to show up and join us to surprise the birthday boy. The restaurant handled this excellently and called the day-of to confirm the number in our party. The table was set-up in a quiet location, as we had asked, and our server Luciano was a gem. We all enjoyed his sense of humor and great service. Oh and the food was fabulous too! My girlfriend (who knows) said the Jovanna veal dish was the best Veal she's ever had. Thanks Aldo's! You never let us down!
(5)Jessica W.
If I keep recommending this place to people I SHOULD have a review online for it, right?! Here's my first "Quickie" review: GET IN HERE! It's GREAT! The ambiance fits you like a glove right down to feeling like you are part of Aldo's gregarious Italian family! Always a big grin at the front door welcoming you in. They can point you to the bar or find you a seat somewhere you will feel at home. The Patio... a booth... or a big round table to share with your friends! The food can't be beat! Bring your bellies EMPTY because you will need all the space you can get. You gotta have the following & feel free to split it up over a series of visits if you must! ha Antipasti: Procsuitto e Mozzarella Carpaccio (Yes, it's yummy! Raw beef & all) Mozzarella Caprese (I make it at home now too) Bruchetta (grab you spoon cuz you will be SCOOPIN up what falls!) I haven't messed around wasting space in my tummy for any salad yet, but my friends have and they are packed with taste! Gnocchi Biancaneve (with Bleu Cheese!!! OMG I love Bleu Cheese!!!) Pollo Ortolano ( Me loves Artichoke Hearts & Chicken together, mmm) Tiramisu is great! They usually bring out things you NEED to have towards the end - so be prepared! Even after having a bottle or 3 of their EXCELLENT Wine Selection - you will STILL have to partake in the after dinner Limoncello shot! It's authentic & delicious - Enjoy!
(5)Sam C.
Amazing Italian food. Staff is very attentive and professional. Old style charm. Great for date or big night out with family. Truly great food.
(5)Tom K.
Went with the wife for the third time. Food was just OK. Veal stuffed with prosciutto was over cooked and not much flavor. Prawns in garlic and tomatoes was also just OK. But the NOISE LEVEL WAS UNACCEPTABLE. We were in the small side room to the right of the entrance and couldn't even carry on a conversation. I realize this is not the restaurants fault but it sure ruined our quiet evening out. Next time we'll go to La Mason Du Cafe in the same parking lot. Been there before and it's much quieter and not much more expensive.
(2)P G.
My first time there tonight and it was a great first impression! The drink at the bar was delicious. The warm bread and olive oil mixture was addictive. The Mozzarella Caprese was mouth watering. The Lobster Ravioli was satisfying. The Torte Caprese was to die for! Nice restaurant, great waitress, courteous waiters. No complaints!
(4)Lisa N.
My new favorite authentic Italian restaurant! Everything is sooooo good. Service is perfecto!!!
(5)Real D.
You won't be disappointed at Aldo's (either the large restaurant or the "Deli"). The food is great and the people that work there are so friendly and helpful. You feel like part of the family at Aldo's and they will take very good care of you. If you can, be sure to meet Aldo - he's such a nice, personable man and he will make sure you have a great experience. BTW, the San Jose Sharks have their pre-game meals at Aldo's ... so you know it must be good! What are you waiting for?!? Go to Aldo's! :)
(4)Howard B.
Very disappointing, as I was hoping to find another solid Italian restaurant in the neighborhood. My wife and I both had seafood dishes and found them deplorable...her shrimp was on the edge of being spoiled ( far from fresh...methinks these guys are cutting corners) and the (Dang! The obvious name is eluding me!...you know, the Italian rice dish...got it! rissotto...duh)was tasteless! My dish, which was supposed to be a medley of seafood, was overwhelmed by too much NOT FRESH calamari (not only too large pieces but some disgusting) and suffered from a single shrimp and other shellfish that also didn't taste fresh. The good news is that the sauces were decent and the bar knew how to make a solid cocktail. All in all, with the terrible warehouse ambiance, my recommendation is to AVOID.
(1)Sherrie Rose M.
We went here for a friend's birthday dinner. The service was impeccable, they were only disappointed in me and my husband because we did not order wine or other alcoholic drink. Luciano was our server and he was a very sweet, older Italian man. The olive oil garlic dip for the bread was delicious. We shared the prosciutto and melon which was delicious. Nice thick slices of prosciutto. I had the gnocchi with truffle paste and cream which was delicious. My husband was happy with his stuffed veal dish. They had a live saxophonist, which made for a higher noise level, but the ambience was nice.
(4)diana r.
I read the reviews below and was somewhat unsure about Aldo's, however my Italian coworker recommended Aldo's, so after hearing an Italian say that the food here is good, I had not doubt and decided to give it a try. I had been warned that I needed to make reservations because there was constantly a long wait. So I did, I called a few days before to make reservations. We showed up on Saturday evening and the place was poppin! They had a full house. The crowd was pretty mixed: families, couples, large parties and there was a guy playing live music. We showed up early and they accommodated us right away. We were seated and no later than 5 minutes we had bread and garlic and oil on out table. Since it was pretty early in the evening we decided we would start with a cocktail. Their drink menu is pretty good, lots to choose from. I opted for a Peach Cosmo. Not bad! Again, since it was pretty early we also wanted to start with an appetizer. Calamari was the popular choice. The calamari was on point! (As my friend Alana boo would say.) Fried perfectly, great seasoning and the sauces we pretty good. I was very impressed with the appetizer. As far as main courses, the menu has a large selections of fish, chicken and beef dishes. I tend to be a chicken eater and thankfully there were plenty of things to pick from. My " friend" ordered a nice stake with veggies on the side. I ordered a yummy and savory chicken dish called Pollo Ortolano, it is sautéed chicken breast with artichokes, fresh tomato, and herbs in a white wince sauce. So yummy! Needless to say by the end of the night I was super full, no room for dessert ... Boo! As far as the prices, well they are average for a nice sit-down dinner, nothing too crazy...! There is just one thing that they could work on, they have a guy that sings and he is fun to watch... but they need to turn his mic down a bit. It was too loud and it was kind of hard to keep a conversation going without raising your voice. Other than that Aldo's is a keeper! Great place.
(5)Paul K.
Went with a group of friends expecting something special given the prices and the fact that this is a specialty Italian Restaurant. Sadly the place disappointed everyone at the table. Let us start with the fact the bread they served with dinner was the same variety as featured at chain restaurants. That chewy crappy tasteless variety. Gee, you're an Italian Restaurant. Think you might figure the bread thing out. Now lets move onto my Caesar Salad. The dressing was good, but again, a Caesar should be a marque item. They served some type of cheese they use on their pasta dishes. No decent Parmesan. Really!! Figure it out guys. Buy some decent stuff. That makes a good Caesar. To top it off, they use those crappy premade bag croutons. Almost laughable. Move on to my Steak. Just to make it short. Overpriced, lackluster, and not deserving of a restaurant promoting themselves as a top Italian shop. Gee I should have ordered the Spaghetti and Meatballs, but it was something like $18.50! Really. Wow. That must be some really special dish. I'm not here to try and put these guys our of business, and I know the owner to be a very good guy working his butt off to try and keep his shop busy and full. My strong message to the nice owner. Please make yourself relevant by matching your dishes with the quality and flavor deserving of such a fine location and perceived reputation. Get away from your Olive Garden ingredients, and knock them out with decent bread, a true Caesar with homemade croutons, fine quality Parmesan cheese. Go to your vendor and up the quality of the meats, and my goodness. Sample your own food and ask yourself, would you pay what you charge for what you present??
(2)Brian D.
It's ok+plus! The bar is cool.Will write more later.It is Los Gatos so it's not going to be real cheap if a budget is an issue for you!
(3)Jeff K.
The only reason I would give 2 stars is because the place used to be way better a year or so ago. We used to go there on various occasions and both food and service were excellent. This time, however, extra large and extra crappy portions. No taste whatsoever. Risotto is sort of tricky to cook but when you do it with the wrong rice it just ends up like a pile of glue on the plate. On the other hand I always thought it was relatively hard to mess up any type of fish you could get in a restaurant, but they have mastered that too - can be used as example for bland and undercooked in the dictionary. (and I do love sushi and all kinds of raw fish.) Not sure how they have managed to make it so tasteless. The good thing is that their prices have appear to have gone down somewhat. My wife and I remembered the place as kind of pricey but tonight we managed to get away with about $100. On the other hand nowadays if you see a Tiramisu for $5, which is approximately 9 square inches in size would you even try it? Well, we did not see it before we ordered but we could not have much from it. At least the Hershey's chocolate syrup all over the plate was authentic but it just did not belong on the plate somehow. As to the service - I guess we were entirely out of luck or perhaps they knew what they were offering and did not bother to stop by and ask if we liked it. Just collected the almost untouched plates and brought the check. The only thing we could actually finish tonight was the bottle of Syrah and we actually liked it. It is a pity because it used to be a good place. We used to go there for birthdays and other parties ...
(2)Theresa B.
I have never ever ever enjoyed eating out for Italian food until we started coming to Aldo's. Their gnocchi (Both the truffle and the blue cheese), lamb chops and tiramisu are made perfectly...and totally make going out for Italian food something I now look forward to! I love this place. It's warm inside, there's a fireplace, there's always a lot of people, the servers and quirky and funny and it makes for a great enjoyable dinner spent with good friends. *Tip: Ever since getting the meals mentioned above, I've never gotten anything else because they were so darn good and I can't stop myself from ordering them again and again, so take that into account with this review!
(5)Robert B.
Five of us have been going to lunch on the first Friday of the month since September of 2011. Only four of us were in attendance today. This is a great Los Gatos restaurant with a wonderful menu and service to match. Two of us had the Caesar salad with chicken and it was OK. One of us had ravioli and the other spaghetti which were awesome. We were able to get a booth without a reservation and were well taken care of. Don't hesitate to go...we will be back. Aldo was not in because of being under the weather...he takes pride in satisfying his customers.
(4)Bethany B.
I attended an event at Aldo's. The food was good but the service was terrible. It was a business lunch that ended up taking over 2 hours. I ended up taking my dessert to go. I did enjoy the location, decor and food.
(3)Uy T.
Reviews for this place seem pretty polarized, but this place ain't too shabby. Went here with my extended family during a winter break. I found the service very personal and the food pretty good. I guess we ordered Aldo right things. Oh ho ho. I did enjoy their gnocchi, which was a bit on the starchy side, but the flavor was good. My veal ravioli also fared well. Not amazing, but enough savoriness to make me finish the last bite. Also had a taste of my little sister's pasta, which, again, was flavorful enough to keep it interesting. As for appetizers, the bruschetta was fine (I've had better, but this place isn't bad). Gamberi Marinati was a combination of salty, sour and cheesy that worked very well together. Our server was an older gentleman, and treated us like guests at his house. He joked a bit, and handled our wishy washy women who wanted wine and then didn't want it and then wanted it with aplomb. Also, this place can get pretty crowded. Would recommend to someone who's trying to find a new Italian place.
(4)Scott P.
For me, Aldo's has been hit or miss... I know people that rave about this place; but so far, I have not been terribly impressed. The first entree I had from Aldo's was the Gnocchi Biancaneve (gnocchi in a blue cheese cream sauce). Pretty good and the gnocchi had a nice homemade quality to them. However, my second entree, Penne Campagnola, was one of the worst pasta dishes I ever consumed. It was very basic: plain penne, flavorless chunks of chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and some very dead arugula. All combined into a very bland, dry dish. Not sure why this is an entree: did not suit my taste and was inferior to what I would make at home.
(2)Andrea T.
I love this restaurant. But when I decide to come here I always have to go with my mother because she's a regular and the whole staff, including owner knows her very well. I'm a teenager, so obviously I may not dress in the attire the staff respects enough to give me and usually my boyfriend if not with my mother the great service I get with my mother. Luckily, the restaurant now knows a specific waitress that I never seem to get her name will never wait our table. She's rude, forgetful, and just an over all horrible waitress. My time here are two very different experiences. With my boyfriend we usually got this horrible waitress that would take forever in getting our drinks, and always seemed to have an attitude like she woke up on the wrong side of the bed or just totally hated her job. The last time I went here with my boyfriend to sit down and eat here was April 16, 2011. Since then we do take-out. With my mother, we get excellent service. The whole wait staff always sees how we're doing, even the owner comes and says hello if he's not busy. So, lesson learned: Not with mom, do take out. Don't have to worry about getting horrible service. The food on the other hand is how this place gets four stars for me. I love their food. Their bread and olive oil roasted garlic dipping is so good, I always ask for extra when I get take out. I always get the Penne Campagnola. I love love love this dish. Penne pasta, chicken, sun dried tomatoes, and arugula. It's in I want to say a white wine based sauce that I want the recipe for. I always get extra arugula and tomatoes though because the chicken to veggie ratio is always not the same. The chicken are cut up into large bite sized pieces, but it's always dry, so I need a lot of the sweet chewy texture of the sun dried tomatoes with it, or the sauce dripped wilted arugula with the chicken to really bring moisture with the chicken. The penne is always perfectly cooked, and it's completely soaked up with the delicious sauce I can't get enough of. Their tiramisu is yummy, but I can live without getting for dessert. The size of the cake they give you now is a lot smaller then before but they want the same price for it. So, if you're a tiramisu fan, you won't have enough to eat. It's not as good as the Penne Campagnola because I can't even remember how great it was. I'm not sure if they still do this, but they did have open mic night on Friday nights with an Italian guy. It gets super loud when he's there because he's on an amp, plus the noise of the kitchen, the people, and staff, it's loud and ruins the romantic atmosphere. If it's busy, be sure to know it's going to be loud with people enjoying themselves with alcoholic drinks. And if you get the bad luck of sitting at the chair tables not the booths, it's a tight squeeze.
(4)Sandro C.
The only reason why I'm giving this place a 4 star rating is that they are closed on SUNDAY!! I dont know about you, but most people like to dine out on a the weekend afternoon or evening. Aside from that, their food seletion and taste is fantastic. Prepared just the way you like it. We love ordering the Lobster Ravioli's! AAAA++++
(4)sha s.
I would give it 3.5 stars if yelp allowed that. One thing that strikes you as you enter the restaurant is its ambiance, 4 stars for that! We went on a weekday evening, the place was half full, we were seated quickly and the waiter assisted us immediately. A little too soon I guess for my taste, because we were not even settled in our seats when he started doling out his questions, he was polite, but still.. I'd like some space when I go to a restaurant. And the worst part was that after he rushed us in the beginning of the meal, he ignored our table when we really need to order the rest of the entree etc, and get the check! It was not like the restaurant was full! So I don't get the erratic behavior. Now the food itself, we were 2 vegetarians at the table and shared everything came up to $40 with tip. For starters we had Bruschetta, which was really good, a little on the heavier side than some of the bruschetta's I have had in other places, but tasty nevertheless. Each table gets bread and garlic infused olive oil, our bread was cold when served - we did not mind, but I would have preferred a warm serving. Our second order was a Minestrone soup - it tasted almost like a Vietnamese cabbage soup with some stray zucchini and carrot and BIG pieces of potatoes and greasy oil floating on top, taste wise it was passable, but did not taste anything like Minestrone. For entree we Gnocchi with truffle sauce, it was very good, but trust me when I say one person cannot eat it alone, the Gnocchi was cooked well, not too chewy and sauce was very creamy and rich, but had a decent flavor. There was no depth to the dish though, tasted same -same through out.. not enough herbs, but it was just more than passable. Overall, a good place to sit and talk, but too expensive for what the food and service offered are.
(3)Abbas D.
I always drive past Aldo's and decided I should finally try their food. The service was good and fast but the food lacked quality. For appetizers we ordered the calamari and the bruschetta. The calamari was mediocre and the bruschetta was probably the best thing I had all night. I had the Penne Campagnola and it really wasn't that great. It was dry and lacked sauce. My sister had a few bites of the risotto and she hated it. Not sure if I will come back and give them a second chance.
(3)Marcos B.
What can I say...it is my home away from home. I can be far from the bay area and as soon as I land the first place I like to go to dinner to welcome me home is Aldo's. The portions are generous, the food is tasty and dependable, and the drinks are strong. A good night for me is a gin martini, followed by veal ripieno or the Sophia special, rounded out by zabliogni with a cafe correcto to end the night. With a homemade limoncello shot the end the meal. Truly my favorite place. Aldo has done a great job to make this place comfortable and enjoyable to be at for a good long dinner with conversation. You can tell from the dull roar of all the guests laughing and enjoying themselves. Plus if I want to hang out with my friends who I haven't seen in a while all I have to do is pull up a seat at the bar and sure enough someone I know is going to show up. That's the beauty of Aldo's!
(5)Sima S.
I think Aldo's a cute little Los Gatos Gem. The food is great, the staff is extremely sweet and treat you like family and the prices are very reasonable. This is the perfect lunch place. It is usually not too crowded.
(5)Jenn J.
My family and I adore Aldo's Cafe in downtown Los Gatos. My husband and I often drive by the one on Winchester and wonder what it's like. So, tonight we decided to check it out. I'm currently pregnant and like to eat early so we were there a little after 5pm. Point being, it was not busy. We were greeted by a friendly hostess, but were severely disappointed in our waitress. She never said a formal hello, nor did she smile, nor did she check on us. The food was late, and she did not apologize. My husband used to be a server and has always understood the restaurant business's. We thought maybe she had a bad day, maybe her dog died...but, whatever it is...she ruined our experience and we will not return. I asked to speak to the manager. Not to get her in trouble, but to basically make him aware that though the quality of the food is quite amazing, the horrible (blond) waitress is the reason why we will never come back. He responded that she gets many complaints about her and is on her way out. I guess that's supposed to make it better?
(2)Rachele A.
This is my husband's and I go to spot for a night out. For the quality of food, service, and price we just havent been able to find a better restaurant. Our must have items include: Beef Carpaccio -amazing, love the cheese and great quality olive oil Bruschetta - perfectly seasoned Gamberi Marinati - prawns with goat cheese. My husbands fav Veal Scaloppine Special - to die for (cream, mushrooms, truffles, veal, need i say more?) The owner, Aldo, is always mingling with the guests and makes everyone feel welcome. We also love that this place doesnt take itself too seriously. You can come casual or dressed up and feel at home. Overall, a solid restaurant with food that I crave for weeks after visiting.
(5)Jennifer c.
Have been here several times and have yet to make it to an entree. The apps and salads are so good and so large and the desserts are so amazing that I just haven't had room for a main course. Priced really well and the drinks are HUGE and strong! The only reason that they are getting four stars and not five is that last time I was in I asked for Elena a server I had several times who is GREAT. I was sat in a different woman's section (long dark brown pony tail) who seemed like she couldn't be bothered. I don't know her name because half way through our meal she just stopped coming by all together and the bus boy and other servers took over our table. After a while Elena walked by a couple of times and noticed we weren't really getting serviced and thankfully took over. Really love Elena's service and have met the owner several times.
(4)David L.
If you'd like Olive Garden quality food at double the price, you can give this place a shot. The food is mediocre at best and over-priced for sure. It's a clean, and relatively modern restaurant with a bar and good service, but the food is blah. So don't bother...
(1)Mark V.
This is our go to place in Los Gatos for great southern Italian comfort food!! Favorite dishes are the antipasti misto, rolini, the bone in rib eye and the lasagna!! Aldo is generally on site. His staff is friendly and treats you like family!
(5)Armen T.
Words cannot describe how much I love this restaurant. This is truly authentic Italian food and their bruschetta is the best I have ever had--and I lived in Tuscany a few years ago. The only people who aren't giving this place 4 or 5 stars probably came here thinking they'd get spaghetti and meatballs or some other Chef Boyardee crap. This is real Italian food, done by a real Italian family (I went once on my birthday and our waiter regaled my family with stories from his home outside of Napoli), and it's really really delicious. A part of me wants to write a 5,000 word review describing how wonderful Aldo's Ristorante is, but I will follow the wisdom of Shakespeare when he said "brevity is the soul of wit" and simply say one sentence: Aldo's is the best restaurant in Los Gatos and absolutely one of the best Italian restaurants in the Bay Area.
(5)M. E.
The best Tortellini this side of Rome and Aldo is always the consummate host. i was tempted to order the Pork chop but gave in to my pasta craving..but many people had the chop and it looked delicious.
(4)Student R.
This restaurant was terrible when my boyfriend and I went a few weeks ago. Yes, we went in 30 minutes before they closed, however service is service. First, the hostess was rude and sarcastic when we asked politely if they were still seating; than the waitress asked for our order without first offering beverages and a welcome greeting, and than our food was worse than Chef Boyardee. I ordered the meat lasagna and my boyfriend ordered spaghetti with meatballs. Both had the same sauce which tasted like it came directly out of a can with no seasoning, and the meat was also unseasoned and tasted bland. Not to mention the Coca-cola was flat. We did not bother with dessert. The price for the meal was too expensive for what we were served. We will never go back here again.
(1)Cynthia G.
My husband keeps taking me here, but frankly, I don't know why. Most of our experiences over the last couple of years have been lousy. Last week was the worst - we arrived during working hours for a quick lunch. Our seating was immediate, and our waiter was friendly. However, the food was absolutely terrible and took over 20+ minutes to arrive, making us late to our appointment. I ordered a chicken & eggplant dish. They pounded the chicken so thin there was no moisture left in the chicken and it was dry. The eggplant was sliced so thin there was no taste, and the pasta sauce was bland. The haricot vert were undercooked to be partially raw. My husbands sandwich was so terrible, he took one bite and put out it to the side of the table, stating he lost his appetite. It was supposed to be a grilled chicken sandwich and instead was a cold defrosted chicken on a standard processed bun with minimal ingredients. To their credit, they took off his sandwich off the total, but I left half my meal on the table and we won't be going back anytime soon.
(1)Ramona L.
A friend and I went to Aldo's on recommendation for a singer that was performing. We made reservations a few days in advance. We were promptly seated when we arrived but were not happy to be seated at a table in the back corner behind the stage stuffed in behind a plant that hung over into my friends hair - yet another occurence of women being given the worst seat in the house. We asked to be reseated and were told that this was 'the only table for two" available and that all the other tables were reserved and were for parties of 3 or 4. Despite that we also had reservations too, the hostess refused to move us to any of the many other empty tables. The entertainment started and was so loud we couldn't carry on a conversation. We saw that there were small tables at the bar and moved there. The music was still absurdly loud - more appropriate for a concernt venue than a restaurant. The prosecco was good, as was the mozarella in the caprese, didn't expect much with regard to the tomatoes since they were out of season, my risotto al limone was flavorful and bright, my friend enjoyed her polenta with seafood. Meanwhile, at least 3 of the other tables 'for 3 or 4' were given to couples. My friend complained to the hostess, and got excuses but no consideration. The coffee was weak and dessert was not even offered, nor 'can I get you anything else?', so we paid the check and left. The food was decent but overpriced for the quality, the singer was very good but much too loud, and given our treatment as second-class citizens, I would not go back.
(2)Keith U.
I am rating Aldo's two stars not one because the food is pretty good but overpriced and two, the bartender and some of the staff are fantastic. Several of my friends go to Aldo's weekly for dinner so there must be something to be said as they are really into good service and good food. That being said, the last two have been nothing short of ridiculous. I brought my family to eat after a long day. We had reservations and still had to wait 25 minutes to be seated. After a long wait for our entrees, I saw and the entire restaurant heard our server drop one of our plates at the service line. Instead of coming out and explaining what happened we had to wait an additional 15 minutes while they redid the dinner. So by the time we were finally served(40 minutes from ordering) it was melt down time for the kids. I have worked in the food service industry and I was very disappointed that no one came to explain the mishap and offer some complimentary appetizers or at least some soup of something for the kids. When I asked the server about it, he made up some excuse at which point I called it out that they dropped our dinner and were remaking it. The entire restaurant saw it. He disappeared and the manager came back and apologized and offered to comp us dessert. A nice gesture but a little too late. Vowed never to go back. Fast forward, my friends come in town and beg to go to Aldo's as it was their favorite place. We put in our names for a table, were told 20 minutes. One hour later, we ask and are basically dismissed that they will call us when they have a table. No explanation, no apology. Poor form Aldo's. You would think the hostess's own the darn place. REALLY???. So we ate dinner at the bar. Nice... So for me, I would rather eat Chinese take out from a box then expose myself to "the experience", only my fault if I go back for more punishment.
(2)Jen G.
We were looking for a quaint Italian bistro on a Friday night. As Aldos was nearby (and got good reviews on Yelp), we decided to give it a try. Fail. We sat on the patio, which was pretty quaint. (Although the pack of drunk cougars hitting on waitstaff and generally being obnoxious didn't exactly create an appealing ambiance.) We ordered a delicious Amarone ... the wine was the highlight of the night. Everything else was downhill. Food was bland and uninspired. The Caesar tasted like its dressing was from a bottle. My pasta was over-sauced and my spouse's lobster special rather bland. The food was overpriced and the quality middling at best. The waitstaff was friendly and attentive, but not particularly helpful. (I guess it's hard to make good recommendations when the food sucks.) Don't think we'll be going back. It's like Olive Garden-quality, for 3x the price. It's a no-go, Cap'n. Too bad too as we love locally owned neighborhood restaurants.
(2)Mike V.
Came by after work to meet some friends. Hung out at the bar n had a drink & socialized Bartender was patient and quicky made our drinks - np there! Got to our table took a bit to order ordered an appetiser for all to share (the combo?) backup waiters came back n asked about parmesian waiter took our order... and never came back The bus boys did more work than the waiter the bus boys filled our waters, asked if we wanted cheese, asked how we were doing, etc at one point we had to ask the bus boys to get something for us... service... meh my tube pasta with sausage (forgot the name) wasnt the best... ok in terms of filling but I can go to Cheesecake Factory and get better pasta and for cheaper too! only fitting if youre in the area and dont want large crowds...
(2)Dave C.
We went on a Sat night and it was packed. Picked the polenta con funghi appetizer - huge portion, even for 2 people, but it was just ok. Probably wouldn't order it again, even though we like polenta. I had the Sofia special -- chicken and sausage in a creamy mustard sauce. It was awesome and I'd probably get it again on a future visit. My wife had the Rigatoni Paesani, which was ok, but nothing special. I probably would've given it a 4 star rating except that our entrees came out right after the appetizer. We were probably less than half done with the appetizers and then, "Here's your entrees"... Waiter said that it was because they had a really big group and they didn't want to have us waiting. Still not appropriate.
(3)Linda D.
I have been eating at Aldo's for years, and have always been happy. The menu is varied, the food is very good, and it is served piping hot. They are flexible with additions and subtractions (add chicken to a salad, serve dressing on the side). The wait staff is very professional and the service is speedy. The restaurant is well decorated and very clean. My only request would be that the music be turned down, and the TVs removed.
(5)Rick P.
My dad's name is Aldo, so you know I had to give it a try.... First, love how the majority of the waiters are Italian. As a first generation Italian, it w=made me feel like I was eating with family back in Lucca. The most important part - The Food: All-in-all I give it a 3/5 Star. Not exactly like grandma's, but def. above average. If you are an Olive Garden type (went once and was disgusted and ashamed. Italian??not so much) save your $ and go to Aldo's.
(3)Katie Anne N.
Went here and was seated outside, which was pleasantly nice. The waiters there are very nice and attentive. I was surprised they didn't have any type of linguine with white wine sauce on the menu (my fav), but I went ahead and chose the lobster ravioli. Pretty tasty. I had the tiramisu for dinner. THE BEST I've ever had. Perfect in every way. Apparently a lot of the SJ Sharks hockey players come here...makes sense.
(5)Mario L.
I took my fiancee here on a Monday night for our 7-year anniversary. I'd never been here before, but was in the area and we didn't have a lot of time for much driving. Even though it was late and on a week day there was a pretty good size crowd. The food was quite good. I had chicken breast and she had gnocchi. Both were delicious. It would have been a five stars...but minus 1/2 for mediocre service and another 1/2 for the high price of everything on the menu.
(4)Justin L.
Awesome food! Excellent service. A+
(5)Alex A.
The food was really good here. I ordered a boring dish to share with my 2 year old but I had a chance to try everyone elses and was impressed. Am looking forward to go back.
(4)DJ N.
Went here for a friend's birthday dinner. Large group dinner. We love Italian food. Half the group is Italian. We HATED this place. I wish I could say something nice, but all conversations about this place start and end with : THEY SERVED US IMITATION CRAB MEAT!! Are you kidding me?? I cannot believe they used IMITATION CRAB MEAT in one of their house specials (Seafood Risotto). Also, many of us ordered shrimp dishes and were thoroughly disappointed with the baby shrimp in each of the dishes. We thought that they might have run out of shrimp until we saw the staff devouring jumbo shrimp (we stayed until closing time). This was RIDICULOUS. I cannot believe the audacity of this place. I would give them 1.5 stars because the waiter was nice and sang our friend happy birthday. However, this place does not deserve the benefit of the doubt....at all. Don't waste your time or money here. IMITATION CRAB MEAT!! WTF!!
(1)Sue S.
My husband and I were in the area and decided to stop at Aldo's as we have enjoyed this restaurant in the past. I was served my perfect cocktail (Cuba Libre) and we then ordered dinner. When my second cocktail arrived I returned it as they used an inferior (well rum) liquor and requested a new one...our waiter then retrieved the bartender and they returned to our table and stated they used the same liquor (Bacardi Light) as the first...categorically stated - this was NOT Bacardi. (It seems they wished to argue?)The bartender then served our dinners (I'm not sure why) but if we cannot trust them to make a cocktail and then "fib" about it, we became concerned so we just paid our bill and went home to eat. I have also informed the NY ladies that Aldo's is no longer our venue for get togethers and the clients I will be meeting with tomorrow...Aldo's is off the list. Shame on Aldo's for deceptive practices.
(1)Caterina V.
Just an update! I still love this place and now with the new renovations Aldo has done, the atmosphere is better than ever. On a hot day like today I stopped by for my favorite desert and to chat with my favorite bartender! Happy eating!
(5)Lo C.
I've been here twice and each time I was amazed. The first was last year with my Aunt. I had this pasta dish with just nutmeg cream and no meat. It was so delicious I wanted to take a bath in it. And we stayed so late we watched the kitchen persons clean and they were so clean and i swear I could've tossed my pasta on the walls and licked up the sauce without any fear. The most recent was on 10/27/10 for my cousins birthday. We had about 15 people and the waiter was so nice. I had a pasta dish with sun dried tomatoes, spinach and chicken. Appetizers were Calamari (MMMM) and Bruschetta (MMM MMMM!). I wish I had tupperware to sneak some home for later. haha My cousin who luckly sat next to me had the Steak. It was so huge! It was 20oz of meat and inbetween grunts of gusto he gave me a bite and I regretted my delicious pasta. usually with any steak I want A-1 sauce ( i know, i know) but this was cooked to perfection with seasoning that didn't need anything else. I was hoping he'd go to the bar to check on the Giants game so I could cut off another ounce but he didn't. lol Everything was great. Well, I did have the cream puffs which were eh, but I tasted my cousin's Italian Lemon Icee and ohmg that's what I'm getting next time.
(5)Tulu M.
The 1 star is for the nice server who wasn't responsible fir the awful food. Want a Caesar salad that hasn't even had an anchovie waved over it? Go to Aldo's. If you like your ravioli gummy, undercooked and full of tiny rubber shrimp and grainy lobster much, go to Aldo's. I've past this place for years and finally decided to try it for the first - and last - time. Big waste of $60.
(1)Mai Y.
So many good things to say about this place. The thing that stood out the most - the most piping hot food I've ever had. I actually had to blow on each bite so I wouldn't burn my mouth. Our waiter was amazing. My dining companion and I were both in the mood for specific things, neither of which were on the menu. Our waiter asked what we wanted, and it was made to perfection. Outstanding service and exceptionally fresh, high quality food.
(5)Leona B.
My husband and I had take out from Aldo's tonight. It's been a while since we've been there, but tonight's dinner reminded me how much I love it there. Tonight we both had the Sofia Special and salads, which were phenomenal! Over the years I've tried several different items on the menu and have never been disappointed. On top of that, they have such a great atmosphere - delicious 5-star food that you can enjoy in a comfortable environment.
(5)Dean G.
After having a bad experience at another restaurant down the street, just before i came into this place on Saturday night, i was surprised at the service and the speed of the food coming out. Calamari - Was very good, for frozen pieces, but a little greasy at the bottom. Served with a cocktail sauce that could use a bit more horse radish in it, and a tartar sauce as well. Veal Scallopini - Was delicious, nice fresh flavors to the dish, but only four pieces of meat, could of easily eaten another 2 pieces =) Chocolate Souffle - was disappointed in this dish, it was really a flourless cake with a chocolate lava center to it, it was still a good dish, just not a souffle by any means. The first give away was it came out in less than 5 minutes after I ordered it. I will being going back here for sure for future meals, and introducing the place to some friends as well.
(4)Annie P.
Came here last night for dinner. The restaurant itself wasn't too packed. Theres a bar and there is also tables outside. Pretty comfy restaurant. However, the food they serve for dinner and lunch for some reason are not cooked the same. I order the same thing (different time of day) and uhh....it never tastes the same. For example, I order the Gamberi al Vino Blanco with linguini for dinner and it comes out delicious! Not over bearing at all...but when I order it for lunch OMFG can you say butter pasta!?!? I couldn't even get it down. It was gross. I'm only giving Aldo's 4 stars because usually when I dine in they are wonderful. The food is wonderful and the service is usually great. One more thing, the garlic oil they serve with the bread is to die for. It has chunks of garlic cloves in it and its just so yummy!!!!!!!!!! I love it. Nomom. Over all, go because the food is authentic :) But go for dinner!!!!!
(4)Hylary L.
Went here a few weeks ago with my husband for lunch. The food was still pretty good, but the service was S-L-O-W! We had to flag down our waiter multiple times to try and get our drinks, more bread, check, etc. I took away a star because of this bad experience and will likely not go back.
(3)Michelle C.
I've only been here a couple times, but each was met with a pleasant smile and a great Italian accent. The dishes are always delectable and accompanied by something from the bar, if not a glass of wine. This is a great place for a date, a family or even a party.
(4)Miss Bonnie B.
After two weeks in Europe, you would think we would be pasta'd out. However, I'm a hardcore carbaholic and ended up really craving the succulent al dentes of Italy. In particular, I was feening to relive our delectable meal in Florence at Za Za Trattorie (our best meal in our WHOLE trip!). Anyhow, after yelping tartufo sauce (truffle sauce) in San Jose, we found our way to Aldo. Aldo stood up to par and we were able to relive our experience in the boot shaped country. We shared the Caprese salad; I had the Gnoochi Tartufo, and He Says (after some hesitation) ordered the Ribeye. We were both puddles of contentment! Garlic Oil & Bread - A great way to curb the hunger pains and stretch out the tummy. Caprese - The salad was a large portion and served with a good amount of basil (yes!). We are a bit off but I like to add balsamic vinegar to this dish. I enjoy the added acidy. In Rome, the waiter gave us a dirty look for doing this... However, Aldo was most pleasant about it. Goochi Tarufo - I'm in love with this sauce. This is however, a very heavy dish that ought to be shared... as it is NOT good to reheat the next day. Still, I'd order it in a heartbeat as the flavors are not to be missed. Ribeye - Simple and Satisfying. He Says is still talking about this steak. It was gigantic but he devoured it... It also comes with potatoes and a side of pasta w/tomato sauce. This entrée does not play! The service was great and we enjoyed their hospitality as much as the food. Btw, to credit the authenticity of this spot is all the Italians that frequent this place. It's a nice venue, family oriented... but also with a full bar. Hmm... maybe we should make some reservations for this weekend... He Says : After going to Florence for our honeymoon, I had the BEST steak there. I didn't think I'd find a place that would taste that good in the Bay Area but I definitely found one at Aldo Ristorante!! Bottom line, the steak here is tasty and a great deal. They even included a side of pasta w/ marinara sauce which was really tasty. Bottom Line : Florence food in Los Gatos. :)
(5)matt c.
Hands down best Italian food in the South Bay, perhaps even in the whole Bay (hear that North Beach?). Been going here for years. Aldo is authentically Italian, as is almost everyone who works there. No Italian-American garbage food here, it's completely authentic. Aldo makes a point to make you feel at home, and if you come with even the slightest of regularity, Aldo will know your name. It's not a typical greaseball Italian restaurant like all the others. The decor resembles that of large villa in southern Italy, not a dark, depressing mafia hangout in New Jersey. I've never been to a restaurant that is rock solid every single time - other than this one. Yeah its pricey, but its completely justified. You won't find a place quite like this anywhere else. Awesome wine and liquor selection. Full bar, too. Come on SJ Sharks gamedays and half the team will be there for lunch after the morning skate. If you don't think this place is one of the best restaurants around, you need to get your face checked.
(5)Aaron L.
One of my favorite spots in the south bay for authentic Italian food. Great service, a great wine list, and a wonderful menu makes for an incredible evening. Try the "Aldo's Martini" - wow.
(5)Judy K.
Won't make this long as I know everyone is busy... !. Food is fine (not cheap, considering the rather suspect ambiance)...but that issue would not stop us from going back. 2. What prevents another trip to Aldo's is the terrible service that we experienced...to wit: All four of us agreed that our waiter was rather arrogant from the "get go" and not friendly at all. BTW: we always strive to be nice to wait staff as we know how hard that job is perform. It took an hour after appetizers to receive our meals and one entree was missing because "he forgot to order it"! Anyway-it showed up eventually-yippee! He was left a 20% tip because we are wimps about confrontation..so will write a passive-aggressive bad review instead. Anyway, the good news is the ladies bathroom was clean...an important item. For excellent Italian food and MUCH better service, try Fontana's-yes it it a little more expensive, but way worth it.
(2)Dung N.
I love Italians! I mean...I love Italian food! We came here for dinner on Valentine's Day. The place was packed with couples left and right. Definitely not the spot to go if you're alone on Valentine's Day (note-to-self). My date had trouble finding a place but this one worked out perfect. The restaurant wasn't too big so it was nice and cozy...but tables were far enough away from other patrons so we don't eavesdrop. They had nice Italian instrumentals playing in the background which really set the tone for this romantic evening. When I looked at the menu, it took me forever to pick what I wanted to eat because I had to read the description of everything since the names were all in Italian. Duh! Our waitress came back twice and twice I was not able to make up my mind, so we gave her our drink orders. The strawberry daiquiri was strong at first, but it started tasting good after you get used to it. For dinner, I went with the 'salmone affumicato' and he had the lobster. I don't know why but I thought it would come with sides or our waitress would at least offer some, if any. The salmon was tasty, but it just felt kinda lonely not pairing it with anything. The lobster, however, was so small. He literally finished it in like...three bites. For dessert, I wanted the creme brulee but they ran out! Instead, I ordered the hazelnut mousse. It was...mouthwatering. It made me forget all about the creme brulee. Overall, very cute little spot.
(4)Richard J.
Having lived half a mile from Aldo's for 10 years, I was excited to finally try it today. I went for lunch, and the service was excellent. Atmosphere and selection were great. My server was very attentive, and I always had soda and water. Fresh cheese and pepper were provided instantly when my food came out. The caesar salad was excellent. I ordered the penne campagnola which was a treat. One of my biggest complaints with pasta dishes normally is a lack of meat. At Aldo's this was not the case. Everything was seasoned to perfection, and my food came out at the right temperature. The profiteroles were very good as well. The only reason that I'm not giving out five stars is that our food did take a really long time to come out. One of my associates had to leave for her next appointment before her food was even served unfortunately. If we hadn't been in a hurry, this would have been a perfect experience. Highly recommend.
(4)Katie L.
My boyfriend and I have been coming here for years. It's the best local Italian hands down. We love the homemade bread! I've never ordered something I didn't like. If its really busy, sometimes the service lags, but the servers are all very friendly. This place is great for a group as well.
(5)Larissa B.
We've been here twice now and both times we've been pleasantly surprised by the great service and great food. This last time I had the house salad and the shrimp in brandy sauce, both which are great. Waiters were there when we needed them, but not when we didn't. We got the impression that everyone really took pride in working there. The first time we were there, the chef came to our table to see how everything was. Definitely a better experience than a chain restaurant where everyone's just punching a clock.
(5)Tracy L.
Can we say gnocchi? Then can we say gnocchi in a black truffle cream sauce? Then can we say veal? And then imagine veal in a black truffle cream sauce. Or in a pink and green peppercorn sauce. Or veal however which way you like it because they know what they're doing with the veal. Instead of a pasta side of who-knows-what, ask to sub for the gnocchi in black truffle cream sauce. Roll your tongue a bit. It's called gnocchi al tartufo. Oh baby. Oh baby. I don't eat italian outside of home (except for Original Joe's downtown really late at night), but Aldo's is WORTH eating. Because they do's in rights. Mmhmm oh yeah. Price points about $20-25/person? Noms. Is all I'm sayins. Hiccup. Truffle. (Oh, and they have homemade limoncello- and it be STRONG.) giggles and hiccups, over and out. -LadyLeet
(5)Karen C.
I love Aldo's!! I eat here often. I love the anti-pasta platter and the Rollini di Melenzane to start with. I'm a big fan of the specials and my favorite regular pasta is Conchiglie alla Nerone - Pasta shells with sausage, bell peppers, and artichokes in tomato sauce. The staff is great and Aldo is usually around making the rounds and saying hello to the customers.
(5)Tanya C.
I love Italian food so we go exploring around the neighborhood in search of good Italian places. Aldo is awesome. The food is fantastic and the service is very good. My husband is Italian and they actually have staff that speaks Italian...how refreshing. I love the fish they have, as well as Sofia dish...a little warning everything is so rich. Come hungry and have a glass of wine and make an evening out of it. You will truly enjoy the place.
(5)F P.
Let me first advise you to check your glass and what could possibly be floating or swimming in it...with that said, the food is way overpriced for what it is, the sevice was suspect at best until of course...the incident... don't know why this place is rated so well... :(
(1)John P.
My niece's school was having some kind of fund raiser at Aldo's, so being the good uncle, off I went. My small group was seated right when we got there. We immediately hit it off with our waiter, who was joking with us all night long. I had the Calamari dell'Arrabbiata, which was perfect; fried squid rings in a spicy tomato sauce, served with roasted veggies. It's hard for me to eat Italian, with all the carbs, and this dinner left me with enough on my carbohydrate budget to get dessert. It was really, really good, too. My companions also seemed to be enjoying their entrees, and were having fun joking back and forth with our waiter. As I said, I had space for dessert, so I indulged. I had the Zabaglione served over strawberries, and an espresso. The shot came first, and was great. The crema was thick, the taste of the coffee was very strong, an expertly pulled shot. The Zabaglione was to die for, thick, sweet (but not cloyingly sweet), and the sliced strawberries were huge and perfectly ripe. We also had a poached pear, which I didn't try, but everyone else thought was excellent. This was a fantastic dining experience. I'd recommend to anyone for any occasion.
(5)Vivi N.
I go to this restaurant at least once a week - I know, a little pricey for lunch, but for their tasty thin crust pizzas and yummy pastas, it's worth it. Their sauces always taste freshly made instead of made the night before or pre-made, and the staff are very friendly. They've also had the same specials listed for the past few months and they don't list prices so just ask so you don't get sticker shocked. Regardless, you can't go wrong with any pizza, salad or pasta dish.
(5)Michael S.
My wife and I went to Aldo's at 5:00 p.m. on this past Thursday for dinner. We arrived at the same time as one other couple, just as they opened. We were seated immediately and our drink order was taken right away. The drinks arrived promptly and our orders were also taken right away. Ceasar salad and garden salad were just fine. My wife ordered spaghetti and meatballs and I had a pasta cavatelli (sausage with pasta) that was on special. The cavatelli was outstanding. The food was served hot and the cavatelli was tasty. The spaghetti and meatballs was just average. My wife expected a better spaghetti sauce at an Italian restaurant. By the time we left it was very busy. The service was excellent. The atmosphere went from quiet to active but never too loud. Overall a good dinner.
(4)Shea S.
After reading some pretty decent reviews, my boyfriend and I decided to try Aldo's on a Friday night. We were both a little tired but the live music woke us right up. It was SO FUN! There were large parties celebrating birthdays and people dancing. The atmosphere was lively and warm. They had great music and the best part about this place is that we just couldn't stop smiling at all of the things going on around us. The service was excellent. I was concerned because of some of the reviews I read previously (Myka C.) so I was expecting the worst. I will admit that it wasn't super-fast but we were not in any hurry. Our server was helpful and attentive. Our drinks were never empty! He had the lasagna and loved it. Yes, it does have hard boiled egg in it but that just added to the texture in my opinion. I had one of their shrimp dishes and thought it was delicious. A very generous portion of prawns and a delicious tomato based sauce with veggies on the side. Our $60 tab was a great deal for dinner and great entertainment! I really think this place is great and I will be going back again soon.
(4)Rocker K.
This place is overrated and so is the bread that so many other people have raved about. It's dry and doesn't taste fresh at all. The oil is just olive oil with a few garlic cloves in it. The service is terrible. The waiter barely spoke any English and our food took almost an hour to get to our table! Granted, it was a Saturday night when we went about a month ago, but we have never in our life waited that long for our food. We didn't order anything that took a lot of time to prepare. My husband ordered the lasagna and I got the sole with lemon sauce. I admit the sole was very good and so were the potatoes and vegetables that came with it. My husband didn't think the lasagna was that great. Also, we got an anti pasta appetizer which was OK, but not really that great. I could make a better platter at home with cold cuts from the market. This place serves more upscale Italian food like Risotto and other fancy dishes. They don't serve pizza or chicken parmigiana here. So if you have kids or just don't like fancy food or seafood, this isn't the place for you. The service was so slow and so bad that we didn't leave a tip. We're never going back there again. The food there is overpriced. Our bill came out to $60.00 for the two of us and we didn't get any alcohol. It's too loud and crowded as well. I don't get what all the hype is about. For those of you who want to check this place out despite my honest opinion, they're closed on Sundays just so you know.
(2)Daniela J.
Amazing menu, great service! Really authentic Italian foods and desserts with a great atmosphere. My favorite beer is Peroni and they carry it on draft! Highly recommended!
(5)Dennis D.
This place used to be spot on but last night it was definitely off. Great ambience and setting, but we were there for the food! The waiter recommended the halibut. It was cooked well but did not have any flavor what so ever. I can cook much better in my kitchen. My friend had the shrimp which had good texture but a weird flavor. How can you mess up shrimp? The waiter would not waive the corkage fee so we obliged and did not purchase wine from the restaurant (that was the plan). Over all this place just trys to hard to be "Italian.".....without good food. Is that even possible?
(2)Frank W.
Have been a frequent patron of Aldo's over the years. It's grown like a fine wine into a really good Italian restaurant. The ambiance is casual and service is very friendly, including a personal visit from Aldo himself to our table to see how we were doing. The bread is quite good, although I've had better, and you have to be careful not to stuff yourself on it before the real meal arrives! Their appetizers including calamari, bruschetta and tomatoes caprese are very palatable. Their wine selection is more than adequate, though not spectacular. I have eaten many of their pasta dishes, and would highly recommend the canneloni, lasagna, penne siciliano and paisano. Fish and poultry are also quite good. I've never eaten any of their meat dishes, as I don't usually do that at Italian restaurants. The only negative I have is that their service can be slow at times, especially when they are busy, which they seem to be a lot these days.
(4)Pancho P.
Bleh, nothing special. I really wanted to check this place out because I looked up on Joshua D.'s review of businesses that were interested in participating in the Little Italy area of San Jose that they are trying to get going. So I called made a reservation just fine which was nice. Got there 5 mins early, had to wait maybe 20 mins which was expected. I understand that a reservation doesnt mean you will be seated at that time. The hostesses kept reassuring me that my table was coming up which was nice. They had nowhere to sit though to wait which was odd. There was a bar (I dont drink) with a ton of kids in it sitting at tables with martini glasses. Good going parents! We did get a really good table though, a big booth for 2 people is always nice. The bussers were very good. They were probably the nicest people in the place. The server didnt really show much personality, didnt ever check up on us to see how the food was. The bread that came out to start it off was ice cold.... cold bread is nasty sorry. Hot bread is the best. Took awhile for the food to come out which was ok since the place was busy but I honestly could make food of the same caliber at home. It was cool though because my rigatoni came with some spaghetti noodles, and fettuccine noodles on surprise. It was like finding a curly fry mixed in with my regular fries! I was so happy! Not really, but it was funny. The dish was supposed to have eggplant in it, and it had maybe 2 pieces tops. The dish wasnt bad by any means, but I personally don't feel it was worth the wait. We went out for a nice night and this joint fell a little short but was still decent. I think with a friendlier server I would have given 4 stars but it wasnt there. If you are a server you have to be able to work the tips, that is where your money comes from. Former servers (like myself) always go out ready to tip big because we know the job is a pain. Would have given a big tip with the right service but it just was not there.
(3)Shalee S.
Overpriced. The service was good and the food itself was good but nothing to get excited about. $16.50 for three large meatballs and about a cup of spaghetti seems like a lot to me. For a weeknight out it was more than we would want to spend and the food isn't special enough to come on the weekends.
(3)Ryan B.
Food: 4 stars. We started with the bread and olive oil/garlic dip and it was okay. The bread was cold but, the garlic/olive oil mix is pretty tasty. Next we ordered an appetizer of calamari and an appetizer of prosciutto and mozzarella. The prosciutto was delicious and came on a bed of argula which complimented the meat and cheese nicely. For dinner, I ordered the blue cheese gnocchi which was yummy. The gnocchi was well cooked. It was firm but not too soft. The blue cheese wasn't overwhelming which I imagine could be easy to do considering blue cheese's strong taste. This is 4 star Italian food for San Jose. It's not the best I've had but its certainly a top pick for San Jose. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their entrees except my mom who had ordered the salmon ravioli. This is where this place earns its 2 star rating. Service: 1 star. We had come here for my 30th birthday and, well, I was quite let down. It started when were seated and it took our server almost 15 minutes to finally make it to our table. When he finally made it to the table he asked whose birthday it was and I raised my hand. He then gave a flippant, "okay". (More on this later). Throughout the appetizers and up until the entrees came out he was doing a good job and checking in on us regularly. My mom received her salmon ravioli and didn't like it. Not wanting to make a scene, she let it sit for a while and didn't eat it. We all tried it and the consensus at the table was that the salmon was old/bad and the raviolis tasted like cat food. We decided to send it back and flagged down our server. When he arrived, we explained to him that we didn't want it and he apologized and said he would take it off the bill. We all finish our meals and finally the bill comes. But it's not our server bringing the bill but a different server. We ask where our server is and she responds, "He left." Okay. Didn't even say goodbye? We open the bill and the salmon ravioli is still on the bill. We flag down the girl who gave us the bill and explain to her what happened and she takes the bill to the back. Then, the manager comes out in his street clothes and explains to us that, "We're sorry we said we would take the salmon ravioli off the bill and we didn't but if you order a desert, we'll put a candle in it for you since its your birthday". Really? So, we're paying for the meal we didn't eat and now if we order and pay for a desert you'll grace us with a candle??? Because it's my birthday??? Sigh. What a disappointing meal. Ambiance: Its nice. Well lit. I'm a Sharks fan so it's nice to see all the Sharks memorabilia on the walls. The paper place mats are a bit tacky.
(2)Clover M.
My husband and I have been going to Aldo's on a regular basis for several years. I worked in the restaurant business for ten years, so I may have a different perspective than some of the other reviewers. One one occasion, the service was slow but other than that, we always enjoy this restaurant. I only eat bread when I go out, and Aldo's is wonderful. It is so worth the splurge. It seems like the trend is to try to invent the next over-the-top dish, which I find does not always actually equate with good food. Aldo's serves consistently good food, and the portions are more than adequate. The rack of lamb is my favorite -- perfectly seasoned so as to enhance the flavor of the lamb -- not overpower it as many restaurants do. My son-in-law was not happy with a dish (nothing wrong with it, just not to his liking), and it was replaced without questions. The atmosphere is comfortable, the decor pleasing, and the restaurant is clean. Aldo's is always an enjoyable experience, and I have never been disappointed.
(5)Catie A.
My rating does not reflect this, but our waiter sucked. And it wasn't just our table. The tables around us were having issues with him forgetting drink orders, not explaining dishes very well and just general neglect. The rest of the wait staff was friendly and attentive and they were the only reason we left a decent tip. I'll start with the good part. The carpaccio. We love carpaccio and good carpaccio is very hard to come by, but Aldo's was delicious. Capers, lemon, argula, olive oil- the whole thing was just amazing. Also, we enjoyed the bread. It's a traditional soft, white Italian loaf of bread and the dipping sauce with roasted cloves of garlic was very tasty. If we had stopped there, this review would've been 5 stars. Now on to the not so good. My husband ordered the meat lasagna and I ordered the lobster ravioli. First, the lasagna has chopped up egg in it. Did you read that? CHOPPED UP EGG! That was a surprise that was neither welcome or tasty. The sauce was salty and lacking in flavor. It's as if they opped a tin of tomato sauce, added a bunch of salt and then put that on the lasagna. Not delicious. My lobster ravioli was good, but was it $22.95 worth of good? No. It was fine. The champagne sauce was a bit too thick and uninspired, the baby shrimp on top was a nice touch, but they were overcooked. The sauce overpowered the delicate taste of the lobster in the ravioli, which was really too bad. We were going to get dessert, but after waiting for 20 minutes after our plates had been cleared away for our waiter to reappear, we decided we just wanted to go home. Maybe it was an off night, the kitchen was running painfully slow, if we're feeling generous we might give Aldo's another shot.
(2)Matt L.
The Yelp review states "Kid Friendly". It is not. First, there are no high chairs (clue #1), second no kids menu (clue #2), third ordering adult entree to split with the kids (potential $2 split charge) makes this place not kid friendly. Atmosphere is not even date-worth. Weird decorations which do not look very Italian. Music was more like Tejano pop, not that I am against that but it is not classic Italian music. The food? Ordered the blue cheese gnocchi. Very different from many Italian menus. It was above average, but not a "must eat". Overall, I will not go back.
(1)C. R. B.
I have been here for lunch several times now. I just got back from having lunch again today. Again I am pleased with the food and service. They let me order something special because it wasn't on the menu (veal and mushroom ravioli), it came out just as delicious as I had hoped. The soup was great, as well as the artichoke special! The server was fun and adorable. The ambiance is warm and welcoming, reminding me of an old Italian family restaurant, something that would belong in Little Italy in New York. The food is reasonably priced I feel, especially for being in Los Gatos. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for good wholesome Italian food. I find the service and food to be better than Maggiano's on Santana Row personally and not as bland like By-The-Bucket.
(5)Matt K.
4 stars for food - when they finally got my order right 2 stars for service - please see below... I had high hopes for Aldo's, which was highly recommended from a trustworthy co-worker. The experience started out ok and quickly took a turn for the worse. Walking in with no reservations during prime time, we were expecting a wait so having drinks at the bar was no problem. After awhile, I went up to the hostess stand to ask about how much longer and a very nice hostess, who just moved here from England, happily helped me and was very polite. We were quickly seated after that...and this is where things went down hill. I felt like our waitress was incredibly rude and cold to use. We just sat down, what did we do? After that, she mixed up my food order and when I politely asked for what I wanted she kept insisting I had ordered what she brought. Myself and the others at the table assured her that I did not, but she insisted I did. (*shakes head) Anyway, once I got the Parpadelle Special that I ordered, it was quite good. Good flavor, nicely prepared, and the parpadelle was perfectly cooked. The olive oil with garlic dipping sauce that came with the bread was delicious! i will have to say, the halibut that was ordered was over-cooked and dry...not impressed with that one. Overall, I could potentially give Aldo's another chance because I don't want to penalize the entire restaurant for 1 bad waitress when everyone else was very nice. I would like to go on a night that isn't as busy.
(3)cherry w.
I work right next to this place and i pass by it everyday. It always seems like its packed. So one day i decided to get some take out and got the fried calamari and clam chowder. It was awesome. The calamari was a huge portion which i actually had to eat in two sittings. The clam chowder was a little on the watery side but was still pretty good. After having take out on Thursday, Friday we decided to eat at the restaurant. It was very packed and we didnt make a reservation so we had to wait about an half hour. Which was fine but we ended up sitting at a small table by the bar since reservations are first priority. We didnt care where we sat we just wanted to eat because we were starving. Once we sat down they brought us the soft bread with the roasted garlic oil. Thats the best bread that we have ever had in a restaurant. They took our drink order quickly. We sat there a while looking over the menu and and no one came to take our order. Finally Aldo walked by and saw that we werent being helped so he took our orders and he was so nice. Once again we had the fried calamari which came our i can say less than 5 minutes since he took our order. The calamari was even better eating it there since it was so hot and crispy. i ordered the chicken penne with arugulas and sundried tomatoes and my friend ordered the meat tortelinni. My plate was good except it was a little on the salty side but the portion was so big i took more than half home. He ate all of his food and loved it. We ordered dessert. i got the tiramisu and he got the chocolate tortufo? both were very good. You cant go wrong with chocolate and coffee. Over all dinner was good. Love the calamari!! I just cant get enough of it. Dessert was great. We will definately come back here again but next time i might order something else more on the lighter side.
(5)Irene R.
It's really disappointing that a good quality of food restaurant, becomes unsatisfactory because of its poor service. Quite honestly, the busboys were much of a better server. The waiters seem to favor "men in suits" during lunch hours.
(2)C J.
I had my first visit to Aldos last night. It was OK, but nothing special. Prices and food quality are mediocre. I paid around $15 for my pasta, which a little mushy, a little salty, and all the ingredients in the sauce had become so blended together it was little more than tomato sauce. OK, but a little pricy for something that doesn't stand out of the ordinary. We also got Bruschetta, which was slightly burned. Two other members of our party were more pleased with their choices, I tried the cannoli and the cheesecake for desert (Cheesecake at an Italian restaurant?), and both were very good, so that helped me feel a little better, but I'll rate Price and Quality as a 3 overall. Service was also a little meh. I can see why people don't like the service. The waiter made a sarcastic remark when nobody ordered drinks (just water), and then later made a sort of annoyed look when a 4-year-old in the party asked for a hot-dog (there was no kids menu and kids ask strange things). But I don't come to to make friends with the staff, so it really wasn't a big deal to me. On the plus side, our water glasses were refilled often, and the food came reasonably quickly. Maybe slightly slow, but we weren't in a rush. I never felt neglected, and certainly didn't feel like they hovered. Ambiance is pretty nice. It's nice and spacious inside, wasn't too loud or too quiet, and was nice and clean and new. Probably a 4+ for ambiance. Menu options were decent, but without a kids menu, and without any specials it felt a little limited. I didn't feel like there was much out of the ordinary on the menu. 4- for selection. Overall, I'll rate a 3 because I was disappointed with the food quality, the service was mediocre, and the price didn't help me feel better either. But I can easily see myself raising the rating if I have a better experience with other menu choices on another visit.
(3)Graydon M.
The food was good but not great. It was about on par with a decent chain restaurant. What wasn't on par were the prices and portion size. The food was way overpriced. They should either cut the price in half or double the portion. My preference would be cut the price. At least now I know how the owner can afford all those Ferrarri's he's pictured with in the lobby.
(2)Bill B.
I went on a whim...didn't even look at the Yelp review before going here. It's close and I didn't want to go to Frankie, Johnny, Luigi's Too (FJLT) in Westgate. Good, solid, home-cooked Italian food. Using FJLT as a comparison I'd say that this places is more true-Italian. Nice veges served with both of our entreés, and the main course wasn't lost in piles of gooey cheese. Nice. Overall, I thought the place was nice, casual, but not inexpensive unfortunately either.
(4)Dan K.
What I like best is the staff. Aldo brings his servers from his hometown in Italy and it gives the restaurant a homey Italian feel. Be sure to ask for the homemade limoncello after dinner. He makes the best there is in this area. His food can be a little rich for Italian food, though. Definitely a great place to go in Los Gatos with a large party.
(4)Sue Ann M.
I don't know why this is not the ONLY restaurant that I go to have a nice relaxing moderate priced meal. I live in walking distance to this place, and sometimes I forget how good it is. Can I say the food and the atmosphere take me right back to my days in Tuscany? Must Have's: Antipasti - Mozzarella Caprese Dolci-Crepes dello Chef or Chocolate Souffle I cannot wait to try everything on their menu. They offer daily specials as well. SO GOOOOOD!
(5)Kitty M.
Ok, so here is the usual conversation in my house: Me: Hey honey I'm on my way home from work, do you want me to pick up something for dinner on my way home? Him: No, I think we have something here Me: (I swear we don't) Ok see you in a few Once I get home..... Me: There is nothing to eat Him: Well, then let's go out Me: Where? Him: Aldo's Me and the Him have been going to Aldo's since we started dating, and I have been going to Aldo's since it was a cheesy looking restaurant on Main St. Sometimes we sit at the bar, other times it is with parents and friends in a booth. We always get nice friendly service and Aldo always stops by for a chat. Oh and by far- the best Limoncello.....hands down.....I have a bottle of the homemade hooch in my freezer as we speak My usual fare- lots of soft bread with garlic in olive oil and the basa filet or some sort of fish special (the brandy salmon last year was unreal) oh and usually I wash it down with a gigantic dirty martini on the rocks Seriously the food is always good - if you like decadent and rich my dad is a huge fan of the lobster ravioli or the Vitello Ripieno Veal stuffed with proscitto and mozzarella cheese in a Marsala wine sauce with mushrooms Dessert is good as well - tiramasu done to perfection, crepes filled with ice cream and Profiteroles with evil thick custard inside, topped with chocolate sauce....Im drooling on the keyboard as we speak Aldo's also hosted our rehearsal dinner on the patio.....30 of us had the patio to ourselves and it was fabulous. All of our guests raved about the large food portions and great service Molto delizioso!
(4)Anmari K.
Huge disappointment tonight: bland dishes and poor service. Where have the good quality food/service gone?
(1)Wayne P.
In my opinion this is one of the best italian places in town. You'll have to go to North Beach in San Francisco to find a better place. The food is excellent. I would recommend the Pollo con porchini. It is a chicken dish in a brown sauce with mushrooms and vegetables. The pasta dishes are good as well. My daughter orders penne with spicy bolognese (this is not on the menu, but they always whip it up) The service is top notch. They make you feel like part of the family. Try this place you will not be disappointed.
(5)Dorothy M.
My husband and I usually do take out here and they are very amenable to this. From the bread to the main dishes to the dessert, they are well packaged, hot if applicable, and fresh. We commonly order the polenta con funghi which never disappoints and I like the penne fillipo. Dine in service is adequate, but nothing special. The weekend live music tends to get the place crowded; one reason we prefer take out. We've met the owner and he is one nice person -- he loaded us up on bread one evening and gave us a complimentary dessert. Overall, this is a fine restaurant worthy of a stop or in our case, frequent take out.
(4)g h.
Food is still great. On my last visit the service was great and the food was wonderful. The one bad thing is that one of the owners friends was walking around like he owned the place, he was rude to a friend of mine and I. So if some random guy walks up and acts like he is a big wig find out who he is first, I don't want to take a star off because it isn't the fault of the restaurant. I will mention it to Aldo, he makes table visits and is very personable.
(5)MARTY C.
We have gone to ALDOS the last two Saturdays and love it. More than friendliness of the owner and the fact that he approached each table just to say hello was very impressively. Its on our list if go to places
(5)Stacy C.
best pasta i've ever had. i always get the smoked salmon penne dish. they let me sub in tagliatelle noodles (so i can twist it). the pasta is perfectly cooked every time, i'm talkin about that Bite in the center that makes every forkful worth it.
(4)Maya F.
Randomly stumbled upon this place with my bf and it turned out to be one of the best reastaurants ever. Interior was gorgeous, perfect date spot. Service was fabulous, food was outstanding. I got the squid ink linguine seafood pasta and was the best pasta dish I ever had in my life. Oh hell ya
(5)Jonathan M.
The wife and I decided to try Aldo's for our anniversary dinner, mainly because my wife likes this place and it's walking distance from our house. I called in advance to make a reservation and let them know it was our anniversary. I also reminded them when we arrived. We were seated and our waitress, who was very quiet and hard to understand (I don't think English was her first language) seemed very cold and unfriendly. She never smiled or acknowledged our special day or checked up on us during dinner. As for the food we started with a salad and had the Salmon special and a chicken pasta dish with sun dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil. The food was good but not good enough to overcome the miserable service. Most places offer some form of complimentary desert when celebrating a special occasion but we were not offered anything. This is the 2nd time I've been here and have had the same server twice. I highly recommend they replace this person if they want to increase repeat business. There are too many better run Italian restaurants such as A Belagio, Frankie/Johnie/Luigis, Georgio's. Heck I get better service at Buca Di Peppo.
(1)Jon A.
Decided to try Aldo's in the quest for good italian food in the San Jose / Los Gatos area. The restaurant is very nice and bright, with high ceiling and cozy decor. Definitely shooting for upscale and myself, the wife and our two kids were slightly under dressed for the Saturday evening "date night" crowd. Oh well. On to the experience... The hostesses and wait staff were friendly and we were quickly seated in the mostly full restaurant. Bread and drinks were quickly served as we purists the menu. There wasn't a kids' menu, and the entrees were all $15 and up, with most hovering around $18. Not too bad for the adults, but kind of a bummer for the kids and my wallet. My son had the seafood pasta ($18) and my daughter the penne with chicken and sun dried tomatoes. Both were very nice portions of pasta and were delicious. Of course we took half of each home with us. My wife had the chicken with artichokes in a white wine sauce and I had the chicken with eggplant in tomato sauce. My wife was very pleased with her meal, I was a little less so. First, I am on gluten-free diet and I asked if they had a gluten free menu and was told they didn't. Second, my chicken, which I asked prepared w/o flour, was good but not great, and came with a couple pieces of broccoli and potatoes. Nice but not worth what I paid for it. All told it was about $100 (before tip) which is similar to a good meal at Bucca di Beppo, who has a gluten free menu and IMHO is a better restaurant experience with kids. Not sure if I'll be back or not.
(3)E W.
Caprese salad in December should be disgusting but, in August, it should not use unripe grocery store tomatoes. Rest of the menu was about the same- sounded good, but complete failure due to cheap ingredients and boring taste. I used to work close to here and, at first, it was a place to go for lunch. After a few tries, none of us would go, even if the company was buying. Servers only seem to care about regulars. But I couldn't even get my water glass refilled. I laughed when I saw this on Check Please Bay Area (the two other people hated it).
(1)James K.
I went last Thursday with my coworkers (about 15 of us) for a "going away" party...i'm always a little skeptical about service with huge parties b/c i'm well aware that they're getting their 18% gratuity regardless..and i've had some pretty bad service with huge parties..granted, it's not easy work to serve a big party but it doesn't excuse horrible service.. --however, the service here was quick..food came out at a decent pace..some people had to wait a few minutes more give or take, but the dishes were coming out steadily every 3-4 min, which isn't bad --I had the pollo ortolano..it's basically a chicken breast in wine sauce along with artichokes, baby carrots and green beans...the sauce was wonderful, chicken flavorful and vegetables perfectly seasoned and tasty --my boss ordered a few appetizers..not quite sure what the exact name of it was but it consisted of various meats such as hams, salami..not bad --what blew my min was the dessert menu...they have an extensive dessert menu...I had the hazelnut mouse..it had a wonderful presentation and was just yummy to the tummy --overall, I was pretty happy with the dining experience..i'm curious to see how the service is with just a small party but i'm sure it's just as solid..I would definitely come back here in the future
(4)Greg B.
"La buona cucina" or good cooking! After several luncheon's, I am convinced. Offering flavorful authentic dishes with friendly attentive waiters is the winning recipe. Hard to find good Italian food in the South Bay but this place delivers!
(4)Rose T.
Great italian food =) This place is down the street from my work, and my co workers and I love this place. Their pastas are great, but my fave is this delicious salad I always get, Insalta della casa salad...I tell them to add bay shrimp! Yummm! The restaurant isn't that big, but its clean and comfy. The only reason why I'm not giving it 5 stars is because sometimes the staff can be just a little rude. Not always, but the last 2 times we've gone there, our waiters kinda had attitudes.
(4)joyce h.
We eat here once a month with a club (and there are several clubs that use the small meeting room at the front of the restaurant near the patio). Always: a salad. Sometimes: salmon. Frequently: calamari. My husband likes the rib-eye, and we've noticed that lots of people order that and the lasagna for dinner. The staff here is A-1+ -- friendly, not pushy, informed about ingredients, and helpful to our meetings. Decor is appropriate; menu is extensive. Portions can be huge. If I had to explain why I give Aldo's 4 stars instead of 5, I'd just say that the prices seem a little steep for the area, the food service closes too early on weeknights, and it should be easier to find vegetarian items on the menu. However, what is there is excellent ... Oh, and the music ... I could just sit and listen!
(4)Denise C.
I love this place. Food is consistently good
(4)Dominique K.
Awesome food, great services, good prices. If you ever want a quiet and nicely decorated ambiente to have lunch/dinner, this is the place to go. Have been there about 10 times in the last 3 months and were always highly satisfied. Usually order some food for dinner too when having lunch there to extend the joy.
(5)lee s.
We ate at Aldo's a couple of weeks ago and found it to be one of the worst restaurant experiences we have had in a very long time. The service was oh so slow and the food, well I'll explain. I love risotto but the risotto here was like mush and had NO TASTE. Just horrible .My wife's dish was was just as bad. I will never go there again. I wrote a letter to the management about the entire experience and never heard from them. LAST TIME FOR US.
(1)Kevin S.
After eating there for a second time I have lowered the rating, the service was excellent. The server provided great suggestions and really engaged with the table, made us feel relaxed and welcome. But the food was just ok, over cheesed the lasagna, which is hard to do in my book. The restaurant is overpriced for "just ok" food.
(3)P G.
Can't believe how many people this place seats when you pull up and the parking lot looks absolutely full! The bread and roasted garlic they serve is out of this world! My husband (who eats just about anything and is very forgiving) got his favorite soup, Clam Chowder. He rarely has a bad opinion about any food item, let alone clam chowder. Well, he was not at all impressed with his soup. Felt it was a watered down version of something out of a can and felt some of his can versions was way better than Aldo's. My husband then got the lasagna and was shocked when this huge chunk of pasta and meat came out. Shocked in a good way but once he started in on it, he couldn't get past how much meat was in it and not in a good way! He said it was actually quite dry. I got the spaghetti del golfo because I love seafood. It was ok, sauce was nothing to rave about. It had one scallop, two mussels, one prawn, one clam as far as I could tell, and a bunch of calamari rings. If that's the case, they should advertise it as a calamari dish with a little variety of other seafood. We have eaten here in the past and the meals were ok. I've had several friends say recently how much they love Aldos so we thought we'd try it again. Not much improvement but you won't have a horrible meal, just not a great one.
(3)angie p.
This place is my new favorite restaurant. It is the real thing, in terms of Italian food. I was expecting this to be a nice Italian family restaurant, but this place has excellent food. It is suited for families, couples and friends. We sat on the patio, which seemed to be full of couples. The food was exceptional. We had the prawns with mint, the calamari, the rib eye and a chicken with artichokes and a wine sauce. They do make and blend margaritas, but they aren't on the menu. The dessert was the best, but I was too full to eat it. It was a crepe filled with ice cream and covered with mandarinetto, an orange sauce. Seriously, the best dessert I have ever had. We have found a new favorite and will return!
(5)Lesli V.
I travel to San Jose often from Reno to see my beloved Sharks play. We generally eat at Pasta Pomodoro, whose food I really like. A friend convinced me to try Aldo's on our last trip because many of the San Jose Sharks list it as their fave. I love ya boys, but I really question your taste! First of all, the ambience is nil. Sure, there's a nice patio and a clean, bright dining area with your requisite unimaginative Italian decor, but its not nearly as warm and inviting as Pasta Pomodoro. OK, OK the service here is WAAAAAAY better than Pasta Pomodoro, or anyplace else I have eaten in recent memory. Wow, I mean these guys just wont leave you alone! It was great. The food, however, was overpriced and not good, save for the dessert, which we thoroughly enjoyed---try the Hazelnut Mousse if you must go. But, back to my entree. I ordered fettucine with a parmesan cream sauce with nutmeg and pine nuts. Not only was it bland, my noodles were a solid, pasted together mass! I had to cut them apart with a knife. I really should have sent them back. And for sixteen bucks, which, granted, is not the end of the world, one would expect decent flavor and proper preparation, as well as, I dont know, maybe a little sprig of a garnish or a nice plate or something. My friend had a Caprese salad, which was quite large and fresh with massive hunks of delicious mozzarella and fresh basil, with unripe, supermarket style tomatoes. I will agree with most other reviewers that the bread and olive oil was delicious, although our bread was curiously chilled. No Sharks were to be seen and the so-called collection of Sharks memorabilia in the so-called lobby was dismal, I have more interesting Sharks stuff myself. If you are going to a Sharks game and want Italian food, stick with Pasta Pomodoro, they're close to HP and even though the waitresses are not so friendly, the food is awesome and the atmosphere much more fun, with interesting decor and a really inviting fireplace in the evening.
(2)Natasha O.
The best Italian food you can find outside of Italy. Aldo is Italian and runs his resturant at a five star level with three star prices. Absolutly one of my favorite resturants in town, a must if you have never been!!!!
(5)Christina D.
We come here only for the Tortellini Alla Tomaso. Meat raviolis in a creamy Alfredo sauce with pieces of ham and covered with mozzarella cheese. OMG delicious. My husband and my favorite dish. We can't bring ourselves to order anything else. The restaurant is always busy but we've never had a problem getting seated right away. We're fans. The one and only complaint I have is one time we went after Thanksgiving and I ordered a slice of pumpkin cheesecake to-go. I could not believe the thin little sliver I found in the box for $8! SMH.
(4)Mary H.
The food was decent but nothing to rave about...my friend had minestrone she was disappointed in but my radicchio salad was delicious. Pastas were okay. Be warned they close in the afternoon! We went for a late lunch and we're not told they would be closing until we had already put our order in. When we tried to cancel the order because we didn't want to be rushed, they said we could stay but then that translated into no service. Overall probably would not return.
(2)Fred E.
This place has great food and great service. I had the grilled salmon with vegetables. This review is not so much about the food, but about the great staff. I was having lunch here on Thursday with a friend when a man was seated across from me. He started with verbally abusing the host who seated him and continued to abuse the food servers, wait staff, and other customers. One of the customers mentioned how great his drink looked and he verbally abused him. The staff was cool, collected and civil and treated this sad little man with respect he did not deserve. Bravo!!
(5)John S.
NOT real Italian food. Ordered the veal and it felt like it came from a microwave tv dinner with fake mashed potatoes. I could've paid 3.50 and gone to a taco stand, and I'm sure the quality would've been alot better. The wine was decent and waiter was nice. At least my date was fun.
(3)Allen G.
For such snooty and arrogant service, one'd expect the food to actually be decent. Having given this place multiple chances, it always disappoints. Mediocre at best.
(1)Claire G.
Basic Italian in a strip mall.... Not great. Tried it for lunch and had the poisitano salad with calamari and shrimp, heavy on the balsamic olive oil dressing, hubs had the chicken Caesar... Boring. Basic Italian bread and olive oil dip. Each had a glass of wine, bill $68, don't waste your $ here there are way too many great restaurants here in Los Gatos.
(2)Sarah L.
The selection of food and the servers over here are great. I loveee their pasta dishes- especially the creamy ones. My favorite appetizer is the bruschetta with fresh mozzarella and greens. The mozzarella is so fresh and so good. This place is perfect for families, romantic dates, etc. it could be a somewhat fancy place, but at the same time it can be a completely casual place. My family and I like going here occasionally because it's right down the block! I would definitely recommend this place.
(5)Marlene M.
The food was very good and the dessert was good too. Our server and Chef was very helpful with my specialty foods as well. They totally accommodated my Paleo food choices, I asked for certain foods and they helped me out. They served very quickly and all were very friendly.
(4)K N.
We go to Aldos quite often but yesterday our lunch was very disappointing. Had an unfriendly waitress. My Mediterranean salad was NOT fresh. I asked for prawns on my salad like I have done several times in the past and unpleasant server stated "That will be $2.50 EACH extra." Are you kidding me???? I told her that was not the case in the past and she firmly replied, "Well, then that was a mistake on your server's part." Seriously? All 4 times? I ordered chicken instead and it was thin and dry. Hoping this was just a fluke because they will be losing a valuable customer.
(2)Frances P.
Not sure how good the food is but I'm turned off by one phone call. I planning a birthday party for my brother. We have a big group and I saw on their website saying they have a fixed price for large party. So I called to ask for the detail. The girl said she would fax the menu over. I said I didn't have fax and asked if she could send an email. She said "my boss is TOO busy So he won't do that". Wow! That is good enough to tell how the service would be at that place. I rather go to some place else where they are willing to answer my question.
(1)Angela A.
It's obvious that most of these reviews are 100% fake. Aldos is an amazing resturaunt great food great service. I have been going to Aldos for years with my family and friends,I have never once had a problem. Everything I have tried on the menu has been fantastic, please do see for yourself. A word of advice being polite to staff at a resturaunt never hurt try it sometime. Cheers!
(5)Monica L.
4.5 Stars!! We saw this restaurant being reviewed on TV so we finally decided to try it. We loved it! The bread and roasted garlic for the appetizer is really delicious and we gobbled it up quickly. We both enjoyed our dinners and were pleased with the freshness of the food. I am a pretty picky eater of Italian food at restaurants since I grew up with an Italian Mom..but Aldo's was really great! We can't wait to go back and try other entrees. The servers and wait staff are very friendly and knowledgable of the menu. The ambiance was nice and overall we had a really great time. I can't wait to go back again!
(4)Joyce L.
Dinner here at 5:15 on a Monday night is quite different I am sure from dinner here at 8 on a Saturday night. Unfortunately for me, I dined here in the former situation after work. This placed was packed by 6PM...with families with little children and/or older folks. The menu offered quite a variety of foods plus a page of specials and a separate wine menu. I skipped on the wine (I was with work folks and heading on to a work function after dinner), but indulged in the prawns with cream sauce. (Everything is written in Italian so I cannot remember the actual name of the dish.) It was quite delicious with the prawns (10 of them!) cooked to perfection. The dish was accompanied by a medley of cubed potatoes, green beans, and petite carrots. My meal including tax and tip was about $25. Well worth it. The only reason I didn't give this place 5 stars is because it was too crowded (read: noisy with many children). Otherwise, this place is classic.
(4)NANCY Y.
Excellent food. Excellent service. Couldn't ask for more. Very satisfied with this place and will come as often as we can! Thank you!!!
(5)Anna D.
We visited Aldo's for the second time last Friday, and I'm sure we'll be visiting again. Very yummy food, good drinks, not an overly long wait on a Friday night with no reservation - all in all a good experience!
(4)Judy E.
Superb Southern Italian restaurant. We have had some of the best steaks, lamb and other meats here - better than many steakhouses. The pastas are sublime. The gnocchis and polenta are very decadent. Just as good, but much lighter, are the vegetarian tomato-sauce options, like the rigatoni with eggplant, mushrooms and peas. When you arrive, you are always warmly greeted. The room is very pleasant. Then you get the best Italian bread in the South Bay with superb garlic and olive oil. It's hard to resist filling up on that! There are great choices of wines. Try the Cabernet Sauvignon from Sicily. Leave some room for dessert. Those are excellent too. The lemon snowball dessert is very refreshing after a big meal. We went for small birthday dinner with friends last night, (a Monday - guess we were lucky as there were no loud children), and it was a wonderful experience. We had a terrific feast, and the service was perfect.
(5)Michael M.
OMG!#%*$%..Who puts hardboiled eggs in a meat lasagna! It's like I couldn't help but think they had eggs that were going to go bad so they hardboiled them. Then didn't know what to do until someone said why not add them to the lasagna. I mean come on, if this was your grandmas recipe someone should have slapped her. I really felt like I was on a bad episode of kitchen nightmares just hoping for Gordon Ramsey to come popping out the kitchen shouting "SHUT IT DOWN"! Let's face it, anyone can pour tomato sauce from a can and add salt to it but someone needs to tell the owners of Aldo's that doesn't make it Italian. The décor is confused between sports bar and 1980's Italian restaurant. For the life of me I don't understand why restaurants think it's nice to scatter 20 year old magnum wine bottles around the place to collect dust and look all gross with rotting wine inside. I mean if this is the way you treat wine one can only imagine how you respect food. It just baffles me how this place can have 4 stars. I'll never be back.
(1)Irascible C.
What a pleasant surprise for Italian food! Family owned and PRESENT. Atmosphere is sort of rustic charming with a high ceiling, maybe could have been a little less bright overall. Our waiter complete with Italian accent was attentive and not obtrusive. Oil with roasted garlic and fresh bread was very flavorful and nicely done to get the juices flowing. The Chianti was the right wine for the table and went with everything. Let's talk about the everything: the table had Minestrone soup and the house salad or Insalata della Casa. The Minestrone looked good and hearty, and the diner was happy with it. The salad was very flavorful with just the right amount of dressing. The entrées were... For complete review visit: irasciblechef.com/aldos-… The menu itself was flawed with a few spelling mistakes that seemed like the cause was lost in translation. Something about it was charming--when usually it's like a fork piercing my eyeball! My guess is that great food and service can overcome and make me forget how important spelling is. The food was fresh and nicely presented--we were also complimented with chilled Limoncello--a lemon flavored liqueur from Italy--helps with the digest... Nice touch! --iChef
(4)David L.
Took a college friend (an inspirational yelper whom I would like to become one day and didn't want to let down with my choice of restaurant) and her high school friend here for dinner. Made reservations over the phone for 7:30 and were seated promptly. The whole atmosphere of the place is homey without sacrificing class. My friends absolutely lOVed the roasted whole garlic/ garlic bits in olive oil and bread they brought out for us. Between then 3 of us we had the lobster ravioli, risotto with sausage (i forget the name), and a vegetarian white wine linguine. Portions were large and overall taste was impeccable, the lobster in my ravioli was fresh and delectable. Yum! My friends loved their entres as well which is saying something as my experienced Yelper friend has very high culinary standards. The waiters were friendly and helpful, but their service was a little brisk and we felt a little rushed at times. A little nit-picky I know, but that's the only thing that kept this Yelper from handing out 5 stars. In all, awesome place to take family and friends for a warm ambiance and authentic mouth watering Italian food!
(4)Bryant T.
I've heard about Aldo's many times on the radio station I listen to (it's an AM station and I will not disclose which one it is), but I've been compelled to try it. In my head, I always imagined a small warm cozy establishment with Aldo coming out to greet everyone (perhaps he did initially for us); instead, I entered a very spacious and well placed, dimly lit environment. My dinner partner and I had the penne siciliana and the Jovanna special. Both dishes were very tasty, but my partner told me the texture of veal was not as soft as it should have been and I kind of agree (I don't normally eat veal) the tomato sauce to the penne siciliana was rather acidic from the tomatoes. Despite being an uncrowded dinner time(approx half the tables filled at the time), I felt like our waitress could have been more attentive to our needs. We left full and content, and hopefully we will come back to try more dishes.
(3)Julie R.
I have eaten at Aldo's many times. Each time has been great. My favorites and recommendations (forgive the spelling) gnocci tartufo (way rich, we split a half order for an appetizer) shrimp appetizer with mint pollo con porcini (to die) for dessert either the chocolate cake (i forget the name, but it is out of this world) or the crepe with orange sauce top it off with outstanding house made limoncello (only one if you want to remain clothed: remember Danny DeVito on the view? and that was the next day) Service can be touch and go, but is usually adequate at the least and friendly as well. Aldo is a doll as everyone knows. I like the family atmosphere it is good to see big families together and I enjoy it and bring mine too.
(4)ron v.
Went there on a recent drive by to look for a new place....FOOD is excellent prices are fair for the quality of food given relaxing atmosphere and great service....
(5)June O.
This place is not so fancy place that I wouldn't choose for special occasions, but I've been visiting here for regular dining. They usually have warm atmosphere and good quality of foods & service. You will start with soft, moist bread and roasted garlic oil. It's SO delicious but be careful not to eat too much at this time because you'll ended up with a full of doggy bag. Last night, we stopped by for a light meal. We had *artichokes appetizer - long stemmed marinated (not too sour or not too sweet) artichoke with tomato, basil, garlic and olive oil * Penne Filippo - AL DENT pasta (which is so difficult to find in these kind of Italian casual restaurants around here) with black olives, capers, anchovies, in a spicy tomato sauce, a bit too salty though.. Try their Spaghetti del Golfo with penne; they go really good with a savor of seafood. * Jovanna Special - veal Scaloppine with porcini mushrooms, truffle paste and touch of cream. Rich (to me, a little too much,I prefer Scaloppine di Montagna which is also veal but sauteed with white wine, capers, garlic, and fresh herbs), but veal was so tender. I know how we dine might be a little different from other people, because we usually enjoy drinking and dining like as Tapas style (share all foods a little by little for long hours.) I was surprised the waiter guessed right our ethnicity by the way we order. We were the last customer but they didn't rush us and gave us friendly and pleasant service as always. I don't know why but we got on the house Limoncello shooters once, unfortunately it never happened since then but still I love the people here:)
(4)Dusty E.
I've eaten here several times, and the food and the service have always been superb. Tonight we split a Caesar salad, as we always do, but this time it was even better than usual - I do think it was quite possibly the best Caesar salad I've ever had (except for the croutons, which came out of a box). The pasta is always perfectly al dente. Try the Sofia Special - it is delicious!! Love the atmosphere, too. It's a bit noisy, but it's a festive noisy. We keep coming back because it's one of our very favorite restaurants.
(5)cristina s.
by far the best italian food I've had :0 love aldos and their bread with garlic olive oil is amazing!
(5)KC C.
I've been to Aldo's a few times and they serve authentic Italian cuisine. Prices are great, bartender makes awesome drinks, food is really good, portions are delightful...you can't really go wrong. Try to make reservations b/c it's always busy.
(4)Jill D.
Mediocre food, when it arrived it was lukewarm and bland. The "cherry" on the evening was the small *cockroach* in my water glass... They apologized and refunded our money.. Better luck elsewhere
(1)Vivian G.
This is my husband and mine favorite restaurant for our each special occasions. They give you roasted garlic in olive oil for your bread at your table instead of olive oil and balsamic vinegar alike other restaurants. And they will bring more roasted garlic when you ask for it. I think this is the best Authentic Italian food around here. We always get a salads for both of us and two entrees and one pasta to share, one bottle of Aldo's house wine and two dessert around or under $120.00. And service is always really good.
(5)Larry W.
I have eaten here 30+ times, so now for the review. You judge a restaurant not by one visit but many, as for this gem our family and friends are lucky to have it close to home. I have never been disapointed with a meal here always very good food. We go to Aldo's with large groups and i always ask everyone how was thier meal, always thumbs up from kids to adults. The wait staff is great with kids and l see young kids helping the wait staff when it quites down, just the best. This place hit the nail on the head with the location-food-vino-&-wait staff. Please keep this the great restorante that it is. I will be back another 30+ times.
(5)Katt C.
I honest don't see what the draw of this place is...I have made better Italian food at home, from scratch! The server was almost unintelligible with some accent, slurring and apparently hard of hearing because she kept asking to repeat what we said, and then got an order wrong. The soup looked like it was out of a can, huge chunks of veggies, instead of nicely diced, as if it were prepared fresh that morning, definitely looked mass produced The pasta we had was disappointing, it looked so good on the menu but in real life it was bland, and average. Again, I have made better pasta at home and have eaten at MUCH better places than this. And on top of all of THAT? I shared the cost with 3 friends and asked for a specific amount to be charged on my credit card, and they charged an additional 20% on top of it! We had already added in the 20 dollar tip! Clearly people haven't eaten fine Italian food before, and this is as good as it gets for them...more power to them, I won't be back
(1)Gigi W.
Aldo's service was good but we were not that impressed with their food, a bit pricey considering the food and ambiance. We had a green salad, grilled salmon and lasagna. Their selection of wine is ok.
(3)Kalipo K.
Love Aldo's! When I want great italian comfort food in a place where the people make me feel like family, I head to Aldo's. Wonderful food, great service, fine drinks and desserts. Full bar-try the lemoncello. Occasional live band. Good for large groups. Can be a bit loud. Plenty of parking in the lot. It's a stand alone restaurant not far from the cinema in Los Gatos or Campbell.
(4)Tony B.
My girlfriend and I went here for dinner tonight. The first thing I noticed is that the decor and the ambiance was not nice enough for the prices in the menu, which ranged between $15 to $25. The service was good, and the wait staff were friendly and attentive. I was feeling like a good basic dish, so I ordered spaghetti and meatballs, which was a special tonight. It was not very good, plain and simple. the sauce was bland as were the meatballs. Overall just not very flavorful. My girlfriend had a caesar salad and minestrone soup. The salad was pretty good, but the soup was not. the vegetables were undercooked and the broth was a little too watery for my taste.
(2)K R.
Pleasantly surprised! Great, authentic Italian recipes. Fresh pastas and sauces. The bread and olive oil was addictive and divine. Nice selection of desserts and cocktails. Service was warm and attentive. I'll be back to try more of their menu!
(4)Jan B.
I truly enjoyed my dining experience at Aldo's...excellent veal...melt in your mouth good. Service was fine...and attentive but not obvious. At the end of or meal they gave us complimentary home made limoncello...mmmm so good! I will definitely be going back.
(4)Joshua D.
Aldo's is one of the most authentic Italian Restaurants in the South Bay. From hiring some waiters from italy, to the very authentic Italian Menu, to the Italian Beer recipe's from Pompeii Italy. This place is a must visit.
(5)Daniel C.
Aldo's was fantastic! We had a large group event for lunch and the food was excellent. Because of our large group, the food was served family-style and we had four entrees: a ravioli filled with mushrooms, a penne pasta with eggplant in the sauce, chicken with a mushroom sauce, and bass in a white wine sauce. The bass was the best entree and I highly recommend it. The two pastas were very good and I would get them again. The chicken flavoring was not quite to my taste but I had plenty of other choices. The biggest reason for the full five-star rating is that all of the staff was very nice and attentive on a day (Saturday) when the restaurant isn't even typically open for lunch. Bravo, Aldo's!
(5)Rosavida C.
Service was shoot-myself-in-the-head slow. Table for 5 and four of the dishes were a bismal. My dish, not half bad but so painstakingly simple I'd wished we'd just opted to stay home and make it ourselves. [Chicken, artichokes, tomatoes, and spinach sauteed in a white wine sauce with a side of string beans and potatoes. I'm still on a quest to find exceptional Italian food on the West Coast.
(2)Barbie G.
One of the best places in the area. Fresh food, great staff. Aldo is from Italy and some of his family also work there. Having lived in Europe and having eaten often in Italy, this place is right up there with Pino's restaurants in Campbell (La Pizzeria, A Bellagio's). if you want something not on the menu, no problem.
(5)Vicki M.
One of our favorite places to go for a delicious Italian dinner! However, I do have to say that I usually order the Basia Sole with veggies on the side. LOVE IT! It is by far one of the best fish entrees I have ever had. Light, flaky, lemony.....just yummy. Also, I enjoy the eggplant appetizer. I could lick that plate clean. My husband is crazy about the Lemoncello there. They make it themselves. We have taken several friends there, including business dinners, and people love it. We have always been seated promptly, had very attentive service, and they are so friendly. But, the food is great and trust me, I am a very picky Vicki.
(5)Joe P.
Went here because we drive by it all the time, and I finally looked it up on Yelp! and saw that people like it. I had the Lasagna, and it was great! . Very filling... Had to carry the rest home. I didn't try it, but I heard they have a homemade Lemoncello that is out of this world. I'll have to have to get his next time.
(4)Christina W.
WOW!!! I just went there for the second time and it was just as good as the first time!!! First of all the wine, bread and roasted garlic before the appetizer and entree's was amazing. Then our appetizer, entree and dessert were even better. They had a wonderful singer performing which created an "italy" vibe and our waiter, Ivanno, was so authenically italian, we felt like we were actually IN Italy! We will defintely be coming back for more:)
(5)Patrick R.
food is delicious and the service is really good good vibe from everything in the restaurant
(4)Art V.
I admit I was skeptical. Any time you hear a restaurant advertised so much on AM radio, you wonder why they need to try so hard to get people in the door. Well, I finally broke down and gave it a try and was pleasantly surprised. The restaurant was packed when we arrived for our reservation. A band was playing at one end of the restaurant, and the staff was friendly. The bread w/ garlic and olive oil was fantastic. I ordered the lasagne which was good, but I was a little disappointed in the rather light and uninspiring sauce. My girlfriend was pleased with the lobster ravioli. Both were very large portions. By the time we were finished, there was a very long wait for a table. I am giving this 3 stars for now. I will most likely return and try something else before raising/lowering my rating.
(3)Cathy O.
A colleague of mine took me here for lunch. He is Italian & said this is one of his few favorite Italian restaurants. Service was great. They kept coming back to check on us. The food was delicious. Not sure if they have a lunch menu or lunch sized portions though (or lunch prices for that matter). But I'm not really complaining. I had the swordfish, which was one of today's specials. It was very nicely seared and cooked. It was HUGE. It sat on a bed of yummy tomatoes and some mozzarella balls. On top was an arugula salad. There was a nice sauce that encircled the entire dish. Totally worked for my non-carb diet. I was very happy and my colleague was very happy with his seafood linguine as well. As I said, excellent service. This is not really a place I think my age group would normally walk into, perhaps it's how the outside looks. But it was delicious. One of my company's VP's loves this place too so I went in having good expectations. I would go here again.
(5)Rose S.
My folks love this restaurant, but I just don't taste what they taste. Every time I've been here the food has been so bleh. I had rabbit the other night and it tasted OK, but it took forever to pick the meat off the bones(almost not worth ordering; such a messy hassle!). The vegetables were good, but the sauce on the rabbit was bland. Their tiramisu was so minuscule for the price. The only good quality about this place was the service.
(2)Dottia B.
Aldo's is great if you want to be in a great atmosphere with fun people- good place to have a cocktail then have dinner. I love the profiteroles :)
(5)Marianna S.
Delicious food here. Service varies, but the food is always consistent. My favorite items (I don't remember the exact names): - Timballo de rigatoni: tube pasta in a tomato sauce, with eggplant, peas, and mozzarella cheese. - Rollini (or something like that): An eggplant appetizer - eggplant stuffed with TONS of cheese and topped with tomato sauce. - Ensalata de Casa (house salad): greens w/ fresh mozzarella, avocado, tomato, red onion, and some great dijon dressing. - Clam chowder -- their clam chowder is really really good! For dessert, I love the dessert that starts with a Z...it's simply strawberries in this white sauce (not whipped cream though). Very light and tasty. Also, the bread and olive oil & roasted garlic they serve is delicious!
(4)Angela W.
I've only eaten dinner here once... but I think once was enough. The food was definitely edible but I was surprised to see how packed the place was considering the prices. I noticed a disproportionate number of birthday celebrations to regular patrons. I kept thinking, what the heck?! Sure, it was good... but was it "birthday dinner" good? Nah.
(3)Michael B.
My wife and I really like this place. I don't know why it's not packed all the time. The food is wonderful, the location for us is great, and the people there are really friendly. A must go for good Italian food and great atmosphere.
(4)l c.
we had a great recent experience here. the negative reviews seem pretty odd since we had a good time and found the food and service quite good. we were greeted warmly, seated immediately for our reservation and our server made contact right away. highlights: * roasted garlic in herb olive oil for the foccacia type bread * spinach salad ( very large portion) in a delicious dijon dressing with big chunks of goat cheese. the salad was lightly dressed and not overpowered by the dressing which so often happens * the taglietelle, which they make FRESH, was perfectly al dente and the light touch of nutmeg in the sauce was excellent. * we had veal scallopini which was very tender and nicely lemony * also had a veal dish stuffed with cheese and proscutto in a fabulous sauce with mushrooms * both entrees came with yummy potatoes and crisp green beans and carrots we took a bit long with our salads, but they timed our entrees perfectly and they were served hot and fresh. what could they do better? we had asked to split the pasta and serve it with our entrees. they just plunked down the plate and left it to us to help ourselves from the plate with a fork. splitting it for us and plating it on salad plates would have been appreciated. all in all, a great meal and we will be back to try more dishes
(4)Aly A.
My kids are 10 and 14, and sometimes picky eaters... I asked them where they wanted to have their last "summer lunch date with mom" yesterday, and of course they picked Aldo's! We rushed to get there before they closed for the afternoon, just making it in before they shut down the kitchen. The three of us had DELICIOUS dishes. I can't even remember the full names, but we were all eating of each others' plates. My son had the pasta with Alfredo sauce with nutmeg and pine nuts in it. The 14 year old boy described it as "Heaven on a Plate." I wanted to order one to go for lunch for today, but as soon as our food was done the kitchen shut down. Despite technically being closed as we finished eating, the wait staff continued to bring us drinks and bread and ask if everything was ok. We tried to finish fast, (while also savoring every delicious bite) but did not feel pressured from the staff to get out. It was a nice relaxing lunch, I appreciate them for letting us take our time for our last lazy late lunch before school starts... Thank you!!!
(5)Elise H.
Delicious food, fun atmosphere. They even sang Happy Birthday to my boyfriend in Italian!
(5)Christopher Y.
Off the hook! All the wait staff and cooks are straight from the motherland. No wonder everything was so authentic. Definitely a place you will need to map quest in order to find, but well worth it. Tried everything from the calamari, the soup, the penne and salmon, and proscuitto and melon. All of it was good! Will be back for sure.......a must try...
(5)Gary F.
Going for more than 10 years and both my wife and I have never had a bad meal here. We really enjoy the food and the staff is wonderful, most have been there since we first found the place - especially fun is Luciano who always makes us laugh when we are in and treats us like "family".
(5)Maria C.
the service was good. waiter was very sweet and helpful and checking up on us constantly. it's a little pricey when the food is just alright (a little too salty/saucy for me -- but i'm picky about that). too bad because i really like the atmosphere (which is cozy and sweet), and our server was so sweet. i would come back again though.
(3)Marisa B.
Aldo's is one of my absolute favorite places - period. I love the food, the people, and the atmosphere. Aldo is the real deal, always comes and makes sure everything is ok. I've easily eaten here 50 times, and have NEVER had a bad experience. Brought lots of people from out of town here too, and they all love it. It's a family place, I take my 10 year old daughter (it's one of her favorite places too) and she took her entire class last year for an end of school event. We love Aldo's!!
(5)C L.
My husband and I decided to go there one week day for lunch. We had the chef's special (lamp chops / fish). The food was great, service was wonderful but I do find the food a bit over priced. Given that said - we would definitely go back again though, but the chef's specials we ordered were $25 a piece and we could probably find cheaper dishes. The place is also kid friendly. We saw a lady with a 4 year old boy wakling in and they were greeted with crayons and such. The waiters also had a nice friendly conversation with the boy. This is very helpful as we have young kids and will need to find kid-friendly places to take them once they are ready.
(4)Geri M.
This is one of my favorite restaurants. It is located on Winchester Boulevard right off of the 85 freeway. Caddy-corner is Netflix. It is highly recommended that you make a reservation. Otherwise, you might not get in. Every dinner is busy. So, reservations during the week are recommended. It is a favorite hang out for some San Jose Sharks players and sometimes a few NFL football players, coaches, and their families have dinner. It is a very private and intimate restaurant. It is a not a sit down in a 1/2 hour dinner and leave. Children are very welcomed. It might be a challenge for those who have little ones under 2, but who does have little one or who has not been 2 years old before. The management and the service staff are wonderful. Very polite. The appetizers are great. Pace yourself. The main meal are good portions. I recommend not sitting out on the patio unless it is in the summer or unless you are immune to being cold. If you are looking for a big bar area, it's not. It reminds me of someone's bar in their home. Very intimate and small. There is not waiting area. Again, make a reservation.
(4)Shauna B.
3.75 STARS I've been to Aldos before and I was always disappointed with the food. We decided to have dinner there last night. When we arrived, the place was hoppin! It was loud and fun. What a great atmosphere. The bar was packed with happy people laughing and enjoying a game! We made reservations so we were seated quickly. I loved our waiter. He was from Italy. I'm Italian so I loved that I could practice my Italian with him and he insisted that I only speak in Italian. Any whoooooo the food....ok here's the deal, last time I went there 4 years ago on Mother's Day the food sucked. The food was overpriced and they gave small portions and the taste of the food was not up to par. Ok so last night I saw a different Aldos. The food came out piping hot and the portions were good. I ordered the blue cheese gnocchi. They were great. I would have liked a hint more of blue cheese but they were pretty darn good. I also ordered the caprese salad. It was fresh and yummy. Once again, a heaping portion. My husband ordered the artichoke chicken dish, he said it was the best he'd ever had. The portion size was big and the veggies were fresh. It was great. Our friend ordered spaghetti bolognese. It was not on the menu but don't be afraid to ask them to make something special for you. Once again, it came out piping hot (I like hot food) and a nice big portion. We finished our meal off with the Tiramisu and some spomoni ice cream. Both were incredibly good. All I can say was, great food and great fun. I loved the atmosphere, our waiter and the food was great. I just hope it stays this way!
(4)Shawn L.
Ok...besides the free lemonchello shots after the meal with Aldo himself, this is just great Italian food. Did anyone say Veal?!?!? As my friend calls it..."Meat Pudding" Do you have a snobby Italian food fan, bring them here, they will not be disappointed!! The Italian accents are for real as all the wait staff is from italia....Ciao Amore!!
(5)Charles C.
I had been to Aldo's previously a few years ago, and didn't have any complaints which brought me back this weekend to try it again. Boy things have changed. We drew the short end of the stick and received the worst waitress ever. We received service from THREE other waiters while our waitress stood talking to the bartender. When we left, we didn't want to make a huge deal but we politely commented to one of the waiters who asked us if everything was good. We said that our waitress was terrible, and that we received more help from the bus staff and other waiters. He told us to come back next time and that it'd hopefully be better. Why he thinks there's going to be a next time after that service and response I can't even begin to fathom. The food tasted fine, or so we thought. Both my girlfriend and I returned home and two hours later we were keeled over in agony. I will never visit Aldo's again.
(1)cindy w.
Aldo's is one of the *Best* Italian Restaurants I've been to in a long long time. Location: Easy access, near Silicon Valley, Hwy 17. Ambiance: Casual, but elegant. They have an out door patio area. Service: Impeccable!!! They treat you like royalty and your server comes by to check on you at every course. The owner walks around to see how the customers are enjoying their meal. They even gave us free Tiramisu for dessert. My recommendation is to order: 1. Appetizer: Calamari (the best I've had in a long time) 2. Main Course: Lobster Ravioli (if they have it on the special menu) or Sophia Special (pork sausage, chicken, and portabella mushroom sauteed in a red wine sauce (on it's regular menu) 3. Dessert, everything is very good. The food, ambiance, service....all just *Perfecto*
(5)Neil M.
We've been going here since it moved from downtown. In all the years my wife and I have enjoyed it tremendously and know that we can entertain friends and family at Aldo's because we've decided we've never had a bad experience there. The veal dishes area all excellent the lobster ravioli special is a favorite.
(4)Ryan D.
The food here is I would say the best around that strip of Winchester. Environment is great (both indoor and outdoor seating). Service quality is generally good. - Fast to-go orders - Good parking Cons - It closes after lunch and before dinner, so it'll be inconvenient for people who do late lunch
(4)Boyd B.
Aldo' la s è l'unico posto per il pranzo della corsa pre-F1. Porti a Ferrari la buona fortuna la notte prima di una corsa. Va Scuderria!
(5)Bryan F.
Been driving by this place forever and finally decided to give it a try. The hostess was nice and seated us right away, the waiter was pretty good as well, atmosphere nice too. But the food...first was the salad that was supposed to be Dijon Vinaigrette, it was like dry lettuce with a very light dusting of plain vinegar, we could not eat the salad. Then came the Clam Chowder soup, it was so watery that it was like thinned down milk with a few bits of this and that thrown in, no clams that I could find. Taste was bad! Then came the Steak, it had some kind of rub on it, sort of like 1/8" of salt/spices caked on the outside, it was almost like eating pure salt, I could not eat it. My wife had the Spaghetti with meat balls. The meatballs were HUGE which in itself was unappetizing to my wife. She loves Spaghetti but could not eat more than a few bites, the meatballs tasted really weird, sort of like spoiled meat but I think it was something else, can't put my finger on it. The place was full of regulars and usually that is the sign of a good place to eat. Maybe our taste buds need further development to appreciate this cuisine, but just don't set your expectations too high if you decide to give Aldo's a try.
(2)YL L.
This is a not a trendy place, but has a nice cozy atmosphere. Whenever we go, it seems like most of the customers are my parents or grandparents age. I love the bread with the roasted garlic olive oil, but that's cause I love roasted garlic. I have to say I always order the same thing--the mushroom risotto with truffle oil or something. I love risotto and I love truffles, so I'm a happy girl when I come here. I have also ordered their gnocchi once, also with truffles, which I enjoyed as well. But my husband has tried a couple of things, and while he enjoys it, I just think they're okay.
(3)Lisa L.
Aldo's is a place I go as often as I can, the food and service is dependable.I just recently had the opportunity to join a girl party with twelve other women, It was opera night,and we had a couple of Birthday girls.Everyone was there to have fun. This is the place to have fun,good music,great food,and Aldo greeting each table as you were a personal friend, Aldo knows how to put on a party.
(4)Bill M.
I've only eaten here once, but enjoyed the experience. The menu has good variety. Among our group of 8, everyone seemed to enjoy their dishes. Portions of the entrees were good, though several including myself commented on an excess of salt. With lunch prices between $12 - $20 for an entree, I won't be coming back on a frequent basis.
(4)Leo G.
One of the best kept secrets in the Bay Area! This place is great! The ambiance, the fact that you can show up on friday or saturday night and be seated right away! The food is delicious, to me there's nothing better than the Gnocci Tartufo. I highly recommend this place, great customer service, fair prices, and great food!
(5)Donald W.
Four of us entered Aldo's when they opened at 11:30 AM. We were the first ones in. The order was taken promptly. Three of us received our entrees at 12:40 PM. The fourth person received his entree at 12:45 PM. The people at the next table were served at 1:15 PM. Be forwarned that uinless you have three hours to spend on a lunch, go elsewhere for lunch.
(2)Richard A.
The atmosphere is nice and lively, but the lasting memory of Aldo's is an overabundance of salt. I had the Veal Parmigiana and my wife had a seafood pasta dish. Both were oversalted. The soup and salad were o.k. and the bread was good, but service was slow and we had long waits between refills of our iced teas. It could be the kitchen had an off night, but it will be awhile before we try Aldo's again.
(2)dominique f.
first time for lunch.good martini.good pasta .good salad good price /value
(5)D M.
For Valentine's Day, we actually celebrated the day before to beat the crowds and because we were traveling to LA, the next day, my family and I decided to try Aldo's. We had a reservation for 5pm and were promptly seated. The atmosphere was nice and we chose to sit in a booth. To start, we had the Caprese antipasti, which is my absolute favorite! I actually converted my son into enjoying it...he's only 11. My husband got a bowl of minestrone, which he enjoyed. I also had a glass of Brut, sparkling wine, which was also very good. The bread with the garlic, olive oil, and basil was awesome!!! If you don't watch yourself, the bread could become your meal!! For my entree, I got the grilled Salmon. The salmon seemed a little over cooked at the bottom, as if it were on the grill too long on one side. It came with potatoes, green beans and carrots, which were well seasoned. My husband was a bit disappointed...he got the Lobster Ravioli, which didn't have enough flavor for him. My son enjoyed a half portion of a dish with seafood and spaghetti. For dessert we all shared cheesecake with chocolate genache. I appreciated that it was not overly sweet, like many cheesecakes I've had. The other downside to our experience was, we noticed that our waiter had a different section than the one we were sitting in, therefore, we did not get a great deal of attention.
(3)Cameron Y.
Considering how prolific so-called Italian restaurants are in this country, it's rare that any really stand out, at least for me. Aldo's is charming, authentic, and, best of all, delicious. I was impressed at the authenticity of the menu, with such cliche dishes as chicken parmesan and pizza nowhere to be found. My initial impression was that it's on the pricey side, but by the end of the meal we all agreed that it was worth a little extra. I was interested in risotto, and the only risotto they had was a special that day, and it was a seafood risotto. I don't eat shellfish, and the server was extremely helpful, and offered me several alternative risotto choices, and I settled on chicken and sausage. The bread is fantastic, and the garlic olive oil they bring you to dip your bread in is one of the most amazing things I've ever tasted. They serve it in little bowls with whole cloves of garlic soaking in the oil. My risotto was stupendous-flavorful, and rich without being overwhelming. The sausage and chicken was in the form of large pieces, which I enjoyed. I ended up taking half of the risotto home and eating it the next day, and it was just as good as the night before.
(4)LAYLA K.
My husband and I went to dinner here with friends this weekend. I have been here before and probably would have rated it higher as I've never had anything here that I didn't like and the service has always been good-until this weekend. To start, we arrived on Saturday night at 7:45 without a reservation and were told by one of the two hostess that we would have to wait 25 minutes for a table. Not a problem, we expected to have a bit of a wait. Hostess #1 told hostess #2 to write down our names and left. Gave #2 our name and told her that the bar looked crowded and that we would be standing right outside. We waited about 20 minutes and went inside to check the table status and I was told by hostess #1, who was now "huffy", that since we had left they gave our table away. She said that they had searched the entire bar area for us. I told her that we had told hostess #2 that we would be waiting outside, and if they had looked up they could have seen us through the window in front of her. She told me that it didn't matter and they had a table for us anyway. Actually it looked like they had several tables ready at that point and the hostess apparently just felt the need to vent about something. Very unprofessional. Our waiter arrived fairly quickly to take our drink order, but then we didn't see him for another 15 minutes. We received our salads quickly after placing our food order but didn't see the rest of our meal or anyone to get us a drink refill for a half an hour. Our food was brought out by a different server who we had to ask to get us more drinks. He said he would get our waiter who arrived 10 minutes after that. After bringing us our refills we didn't see him again until after our plates had been cleared and he brought us the desert menu. At this point everyone else in our section was gone! I am obviously very dissappointed with the service we received this weekend, but I am still giving the restaurant 3 stars because the drinks (when you can get them!) our great, I've never had any dish there that I wasn't completely pleased with, and the live music they had this weekend, while a bit on the cheesy side, was fun and provided a bit of distraction to all of the terrible service.
(3)Marc M.
The bread was really good. There. This place is not very kid friendly, despite people calling it a family restaurant. Back when I was still carnivorous, I ordered the Chicken Something, and I don't remember it tasting very good. My chicken was really dry and the asparagus was over buttered. I believe the mashed potatoes I ordered were decent, and the chef or owner came to our table. Later I learned he had recently got out of prison. Maybe it was just my meal, but I did not find this place the least bit exciting. We also had to wait forever to be seated. If you're looking for good italian in San Jose. Try Il Fornio (spelling?) downtown. If you're in Los Gatos there's a place called Vittorio's. Maybe Aldo's is better, but I am not going to back to find out.
(2)michelle m.
Okay, so I love me some Italian food and I think that this place has some of the best Italian food I have ever tasted. I used to live near this place (which, good or bad, is kinda in the middle of nowhere) and thought I would give it a try one night. I was not expecting such yummy-ness! My fiancee had the gnocchi with truffle sauce which was amazing. I ordered a basic spaghetti with vegetables dish and was quite impressed! I am no food critic, by any means, but I do love food more than the average person and am pretty picky by most standards. The waiters are very nice and keep me refilled through dinner (very important). The bread is great, it is usually not busy, and the atmosphere is relaxed. Best of all, I have never had to wait more than 5 minutes to be seated. The only complaint I have is that Aldo's tends to host private parties pretty often and it would be wise to call ahead just to make sure you aren't turned away at the door.
(4)Vincent R.
I have been to Aldo's many times and every time is a treat. He is a great host and the best is when he comes by your table to drop off some home made cannoli or his home made lemoncello. His fish of the day and veal are so good and tasty. The gnocchi is amazing also. I recommend this place to all my friends that want some great Italian food. It is a bit pricey but remember, you get what you pay for.
(5)sean c.
service was ok, not great. Linguine w clams and shrimp was above average, veal in brandy sauce was not good at all. Very bland. Bread with garlic and oil was good. Atmosphere was OK. Unlikely to return - there are better places for the same money or less
(2)J T.
Went here for the first time last night with a group of people, and I liked the comfortable atmosphere (another review noted it's not like a Santana-Row restaurant, and thank God!). They had live music, which was nice, but made it kind of difficult to talk. The place was busy, but didn't have that frenetic feel some restaurants have. Like it's a race more than a meal. Our table ordered a few appetizers, and I tried the calamari, which was very good (crisp, not soggy), and the polenta, which was sort of bland, but that's polenta for you. I ordered the lasagna, which came in such a huge portion even I couldn't finish it - my husband did (food never goes to waste around us!). The pasta was thick and chewy, which I like in lasagna, and the sauce had a nice subtle flavor, and was not too rich. It seemed to take a little while for the food to get to us, but I think maybe it was due to the number of people in our group. Their wine selection was decent, and they even had a sauvignon blanc that wasn't half bad.
(4)