Insider Pages Reviews for Caesar's Italian Restaurant

5 Stars: One of SF's Best Italian Restaurants (by Smitty101)

Smitty101 — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:00:00 GMT

Walking into Caesar's,you get the feel of stepping back in time as you stroll through the white marble entrance and long bar. White table cloths and neatly dressed staff add old world charm.

1 Stars: Nice Restaurant Gone Bad (by RRMM)

RRMM — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 02:00:00 GMT

Some plates are decent. Some like the Ossa Bocco are terrible. Wine is very, very overpriced! Complaints to the waiters are greeted with a dumb smile but without any satisfaction. Management is oblivious. This is a perfect example of an old SF restaurant that has outlived its clients and market and has not accommedated new trends. They are operating on past success orchestrating future failure.

4 Stars: The best choice for a family dinner. (by Olga B.)

Olga B. — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:41:00 GMT

This was my daughter's choice for her birthday celebration. Our family of 6 females could not have chosen a better restaurant. We ordered ala carte and the food was delicious, typical old fashioned Italian. Our waiter, although the youngest one there, was very helpful and attentive. Although I am Italian I am also allergic to garlic..Iian, our waiter, was able to take care of my problem very effectively. With many years of restaurant eating I have never had a better waiter.The vibes were great throughout the restaurant and contributed to a very successful family celebration. If you are looking for good unpretentious food and a good time this is the place for you. Also, you are not rushed through your meal so that tables can be turned over. We were able to stay as long as we wanted, taking family pictures, talking with our neighboring family group and just enjoying a great family night out..

2 Stars: Very slow service (by stephanie f.)

stephanie f. — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 22:06:00 GMT

I had heard great things about this place. The one and only time I was in here it took them forever to seat us even though we had a reservation. When we finally did get to order it took almost an hour to get our food. When it did come one of our entrees was missing. They apologized but it took another half an hour for that one to come out. Needless to say he got his meal to go as the rest of us were done eating and he was quite upset.

4 Stars: a classic (by T .)

T . — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 20:07:00 GMT

Caesar's Italian Restaurant is a classic among native Italian San Franciscans. I remember it being awesome when I was a child. Now it is starting to loose a bit of it's luster and the service has become hit and miss. The food still remains consistently good.

4 Stars: Great Italian Food (by Mary E.)

Mary E. — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:14:00 GMT

Want really good Italian food - this is the place to go -
they can do small parties or large parties - the service
is Great no matter how many people are in your party -
the food is Great and there are many food choices on
the menu - will go back!!

5 Stars: BEST ITALIAN FOOD IN SAN FRANCISCO (by BrunoGloriaGalli1)

BrunoGloriaGalli1 — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 02:00:00 GMT

Bruno & I have been loyal patrons of Caesar's Restaurant for over 40 years. We've had all our parties there with everyone raving about the food & the amount you get. Over the years the food has remained the same,DELICIOUS....From the time you enter the restaurant to the time you leave you are treated like family. We haven't had 1 bad experience eating at this wonderful establishment. We recommend this restaurant to anyone who is very hungry & want fabulous Italian food. If you come to San Francisco & miss eating here it's like you missing a ride on the Cable Car or not seeing the Golden Gate Bridge. This restaurant is San Francisco's BEST Italian restaurant. No other restaurant comes close to this one.
Thanks for the many years of wonderful food, great parties & being treated like family. BON APPETIO!!!!
Bruno & Gloria Galli

5 Stars: WHERE ITALIANS COME TO EAT ITALIAN !!! (by Ronald M.)

Ronald M. — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 20:37:00 GMT

One of the last of "Old San Francisco" restaurants, with waiters still in traditional tuxedos. Top quality food at reasonable prices, you will never go wrong here or leave hungry. The fish, steaks, and pasta are to die for, nobody in the city does it better. The seven course meals are the best deals in the city. This is the place WHERE ITALIANS COME TO EAT ITALIAN, I have observed fishermen right off the boat come in and eat. With Frank, Dino & Sammy music playing in the background , you would expect to see a few "Wiseguys" in this joint.

3 Stars: OVERRATED!! (by foodlvr323)

foodlvr323 — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 02:00:00 GMT

After reading several great reviews on this restaurant, I decided to take my father out to dinner with my family to celebrate Father's Day. First of all, the food took forever to come out. Grant it, it was a Saturday night and they were busy, but we literally waiting an hour for our entrees to come out. The soup, salad, and antipasta that came out w/their 7 course menu were tasty (nothing out of the ordinary); however, the entrees were SOOOO disappointing. The veal piccata was dry and bland. The chicken parmigiana (their special for the evening) tasted like any other chicken parmigiana. Their ravioli was doughy and tough, and tasted like it was frozen and not fresh! The osso bucco that the waiter "highly recommended" as a customer favorite was soooo average!!! Last but not least, their tiramisu, which is something I must order everytime I eat at an Italian restaurant was, by far, the worst tiramisu ever. It was dry and cakey and no espresso/rum flavor to it!! Very disapppointed in the food considering many reviewers wrote such high praises about the place!

5 Stars: My Favorite Italian Food Ever!!!!! (by korischneider)

korischneider — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 01:00:00 GMT

I am not a local, but have been eating at Ceasar's for more than twenty years. The first time I went there, my boyfriend and I stumbled on it and were hungry so we checked it out. Not much to look at from the outside, but we were astonished at the quality of the food. Their pasta noodles are the freshest, most melt-in-your-mouth delicious creations on earth! The fetuccini alfredo is to die for. I live in the Sacramento region and whenever we have out-of-town guests we make a special trip to Caesar's. Of course, I have bragged about Ceasar's forever, and I whenever we take visitors there, they are not disappointed. Even my husband's second-generation Italian mother was extremely impressed with the food. Everyone always wants us to take them back there when they visit again. Truly a TREAT!

1 Stars: Warning, Will Robinson!! (by sf_joe)

sf_joe — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 01:00:00 GMT

Tonight was probably the worst night out to dinner that I've had in years. We arrived early to meet a group While we were trying to explain that we were with a group but we didn't know who's name the reservation was under, my partner tried to look at the reservation book to see if he recognized a name. The hostess slammed the book shut and gave us a dirty look. That was the best part of the evening. We had ordered the complete dinner so we had little control over what came to the table. After the disgusting pigs feet were taken from the table. I was brought my entree that was supposed to be filet mignon. I'm not sure what it was but was most definitely not filet. It was a very tough cut that could have been potroast. It wasn't even the right shape to be filet. Be warned. Go elsewhere.

4 Stars: Wonderful Italian food (by tamstrat)

tamstrat — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 02:00:00 GMT

I loved this restaurant!!! We were promptly seated and the waitstaff was excellent. The Italian potroast was to die for!!! There is nothing fancy nor pretentious about this restaurant but the food is excellent. A must for anyone who loves good Italian food.

4 Stars: A real treat among the tourist traps. (by boatingbob)

boatingbob — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 01:00:00 GMT

Others commented on the "brown, gravy-like sauce" on the pasta. They should educate themselves on Italian cuisine. Italy is a large country, and not everything looks like it comes from Chef Boyardee. The sauce is a traditional, albiet pasta sauce, and is just fine on it's own merits.

The cioppino is unique. rather than a stew swimming in broth, it is a generous portion of crab, prawns, and mussels served on a plate over a robust sauce. The seafood is fresh, and the kitchen 'nails' it. It is an atypical presentation, but is carried off well.

The service is informative and professional, and not surly. I suspect those who complain of poor service expect not only ot be served, but entertained. Come on, tourists, this is a restaurant, not Teatro ZanZinni!

This is an easily overlooked restaurant. If you go to the trouble to find it, you won't be disappointed.

4 Stars: Landmark (by suzyr707111)

suzyr707111 — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 01:00:00 GMT

Italian restaurants have changed alot over the years. they've gotten fancier; more refined and more expensive. As a SF native, i'm drawn back to Ceasar's for a number of reasons: first, the food is always good, family-style italian food. the atmosphere is relaxed. there are very few restaurants in the Bay Area you can go to anywhere and just relax with friends and kids, have some cocktails, eat and talk and laugh for hours. The bar is great to hang out in until your name is called. The dining room has remained unchanged for years and that's how we like it. We came with our parents and grandparents, brought our friends and keep coming back with our own families. San Francisco has changed alot but Ceasar's hasn't. Buon appetito.

5 Stars: HAIL CAESAR! (by eating4)

eating4 — Sun, 12 Jun 2005 02:00:00 GMT

THE BEST FOOD EVER! LONG LIVE CAESAR!!!!!!!!! I love the food, the wine, the service, and the company. I feel like im really in Italy.

5 Stars: Locals (by oberlin)

oberlin — Fri, 27 May 2005 02:00:00 GMT

A previous reviewer says he saw "a few locals" eating here. Is he kidding? Nine out of every ten diners at Caesar's are locals. It isn't an overpriced tourist trap but a popular community favorite.

I brought a friend of mine here for lunch and she was stunned and surprised to find what she called "the real San Francisco" still here and still thriving in spite of so many changes to the City in the past quarter of a century.

"Real San Francisco" eats at Caesar's because the food is authenically Italian and no one will hustle you to finish your meal and go just so they can turn the table over.

If you want to be seen somewhere chic, go elsewhere. If you want a relaxed dining experience eat at Caesar's.

3 Stars: Average Italian Fare off Pier 39 (by vassariggy)

vassariggy — Sun, 22 May 2005 02:00:00 GMT

I've been here twice with friends. There always a few locals eating, as well as tourists escaping Pier 39 and the wharf. Meals a not expensive: you'll get more for your buck here than on the pier, but not as much as in other sections of town. The food is generally good: I love the pasta and meat sauce they serve prior to your entree. If you want a quick sitdown lunch in this neck of the woods, give it a try, but you'll find better and more authentic over in North Beach.

5 Stars: Where the Italians Eat (by mrs_bracegirdle)

mrs_bracegirdle — Thu, 12 Aug 2004 02:00:00 GMT

I have been eating at Caesar's for almost twenty years now and have never had a bad experience. The pace is leisurely, the food abundant and the atmosphere very family friendly.

The petrale is a special favorite of mine. It is a golden, tender treat. The Italian pot roast is as good as it gets if you like a juicy piece of beef. All the pasta sauces are authentically Italian...no pails full of tomato puree glopped over everything on the plate. Osso buco is available some days. You can't find that at the Italian chain. And the fat little sausages served with pasta!

My mother taught me to eat where the "natives" eat and avoid the tourist traps. Caesar's is the real thing. It's a great favorite with the Italian community. No wedding shower or baptism is complete without a big, noisy party at Caesar's.

1 Stars: Customer (by rosanner)

rosanner — Tue, 01 Jul 2003 02:00:00 GMT

We were very unhappy with this restaurant. We are used to a tomato flavor sauce for pasta, and this sauce tasted more like a brown gravy lacking flavor. The spaghetti was overcooked (including meatballs). The service was not friendly and prompt at all. Our son and daughter in law were with us, and did not like their food at all. I asked for tomato on the salad, but did not receive any. We are not complainers, so we left a good tip and paid a fairly high price for nothing.

5 Stars: Delicious Family Style Italian Dining (by mirandas)

mirandas — Sun, 24 Nov 2002 01:00:00 GMT

Whether you go here with your whole family or only you and your romantic partner the experience is amazing. It's great italin fodd family style. The first time I ate at Caesar's was with my boyfriend and after having a drink at the bar we were seated and enjoyed a romantic cozy dinner. Then when dining with a group of 15 around christmas, the service and food was great and we never felt rushed to leave. I definately recommend the experience for old and young alike!

5 Stars: Real-Deal Italian (by tiddleypush)

tiddleypush — Mon, 12 Aug 2002 02:00:00 GMT

Caesar's has the kind of wide-open atmosphere that would seem equally suitable to festive extended-family dining and cinematic machine-gun fire. Fortunatley, only the former prevails.

You want Italian? The place is owned by Johhny Brattasani, and names like Matteo, Luigi, Primo, Angelo and Marcello abound. Excellent pasta, paticularly the porcini and pesto dishes. Big meals. Old-school bar up front.

If you find it disheartening to eat Italian food while surrounded by WASP posers, then Caesars might be the place to check out. Si parla italiano, as the sign says somewhere on the wall, next to numerous shots of Frank, Tony, and the boys. Brattasani's no interior decorator, but he knows how to run an Italian restaurant. SF institution. Old school.