Luisa’s Pizza And Pasta

What an unexpected delight to walk into a truly authentic Italian bistro with a genuinely Italian homemade menu! The food is amazing! The owner Luisa herself will treat you like one of her family!
I can’t wait until we can visit again!

Great food. Make a reservation Luisa almost bit my head off when I told her I didn’t have one the day before Valentine’s Day but bless her heart she let us all eat there anyways! Ordered carbonara and let me tell you it was the TRUTH!

Oh my goodness. If you want fabulous Italian food, and a charming owner, this is your spot. We had 5 for dinner. Between us we had gnocchi with vodka and pesto sauce, lasagna, chicken ravioli with Luisa sauce and spinach cheese ravioli with vodka sauce and seafood with squid ink pasta. For apps we had calamari, pizza and caprese.
Calamari, very lightly coated, not greasy or chewy. Delicious! Caprese was good, pizza was okay. Onto entrees, all the sauces are amazing! Gnocchi was light and melted in your mouth. Raviolis were good size and filled with tasty goodness. My nephew left nothing of the fish and pasta to taste. The lasagna was said to be the best he ever had.
Will come back every time we are in San Francisco!

Luisa’s is an AMAZING find. Hidden between soda popinskis and encore karaōke, you might walk right past it without realizing. It’s small, intimate and unassuming. Exposed brick walls, a wine rack behind you and a bottle of Chianti on every table, it feels like it came out of the Italian restaurant in lady and the tramp! Luisa herself always seems to be there. Whether she is cooking or on the floor entertaining her guests, her presence makes this place such a beautiful gem. The gnocchi is hand made by luisa and literally melts in your mouth. They are like heavenly little pillows of deliciousness. It’s delectable. Not to mention her home made tiramisu. Made with amaretto of course!
Will definitely be back. And I will tell all of my friends.

If i could i would rate it 0 stars, extremely surprised at how this place received positive ratings! We’re on holiday in San Fran and we went in two hours before ‘supposed’ closing time at midnight, we even asked to make sure that they were still open, Luisa acted nice and friendly in the beginning however as soon as we sat down we were told to hurry and order as she apparently kept the kitchen open just for us, in addition when we decided to order just 2 dishes to share between the 4 of us she started going on about how we wouldn’t even order her handmade garlic bread and she’s gonna have to pay her chef extra and how she kept the kitchen open for us etc. In summary we were just met with extremely rude service and attitude and then chased out by it which completely ruined our whole night. DO NOT GO THERE.

Got chased out 2 hours before closing time because I’ve only ordered one main and did not order her «hand made» garlic bread… Don’t even know how this restaurant got 4 stars at Unilocal… Will never be back again!

My fiancé and I were looking for a nice Italian restaurant to share our first night in SF and happened upon this diamond in the rough. When we entered we were immediately greeted by a friendly waitress and escorted to our table. On the way however we were warmly greeted by the owner, Luisa, who made us feel right at home. The ambiance of the restaurant was very authentic, quaint and makes you feel like you’re sharing something special. We took Luisa’s advice and ordered the papadelli with meat sauce and lasagna and were not steered wrong! The food was absolutely incredible and the service we received was phenomenal!
Most definitely returning for another meal!
Highly recommended!

We were surprised by the high rating. The marguerita pizza tastes like tomato soup since it was overflowing with tomato. No basil either which was weird. Also had a spaghetti carbonara that was very heavy — dunked with cheese and pasta sauce. Note that real spaghetti carbonara is meant to be a clean and simple dish.
Both items were fairly pricey, too, almost $ 20 per person. On the date of visit, it was marked as 1 dollar sign on Unilocal,so we were surprised. It’s not very authentic and food took awhile to be served. I suppose it could be worth it if you are buying by the slice (which is takeout only).

This happens to be the best italian restaurant in San Francisco. Luisa is wonderful and the food is fresh made. Pappardelle to die for

First and foremost, Luisa is a pure gem! She is so adorable and comes and talks to every table. She is the best reason to come to this restaurant. such a lovely character. And pretty much the only reason for the 3 stars.
The food was just meh… I was super dissapointed, because I had read good reviews on Unilocal.The meatballs were super hard and cold. As if they were re-​heated up again and not cooked fresh. which is interesting since it took over 20 minutes just for out appetizers to come out.
My boyfriend and I ordered 2 different pasta dishes. They were good, but nothing that you would have to have. Very homemade style.
All in all its a place to try out because Luisa is a sweetheart.

I feel bad giving Luisa’s Pizza and Pasta a relatively poor rating because the owner is very friendly and well meaning person, and our waitress was very sweet, but to be honest I did feel disappointed by my meal. I ordered the seafood ravioli and felt that my meal had very small portions for the price, and did not find the flavor to make up for the high price. I’d estimate that I received 9 pieces of very thin ravioli for $ 19 before tax/​tip. The establishment itself is a simple brick lined narrow building that is kept at a fairly dim, candle-​lit level. There is also a bar here in the front of the restaurant.

4 & ½ stars: 4 for the food and ambience… and 5 for Luisa, the owner and hostess.
Luisa is such a sweet, charming, and fun loving person. She gravitates from table to table and spends a fair amount of time with each of the patrons to get to know them and tell them a bit about herself. She’s truly remarkable… at 86 and going strong. She’s been in the restaurant business since 1958 and makes her own bread, pasta, and desserts.
All the food we have was really good… but having Luisa sit and chat with us made the evening magical.
Among the dishes we had and really liked were…
Chicken parmesan
Seafood with squid ink pasta — my personal favorite
Linguini con vongole
Pizza margarita
Tiramisu
Tartufo (vanilla ice cream wrapped in chocolate ice cream… with an outer layer of chocolate)
If you want to have a slow, relaxing dinner and spend time with Luisa and make dinner your evening event, this is a great place to spend your time. If you’re pressed for time, you’ll be better off dining elsewhere.

We used Unilocal to find this place while we were on vacation. We went on Christmas Eve and the place was quite empty. The restaurant was very quaint and it was playing Christmas music. Very nice.
I had the homemade gnocchi with pesto sauce per the waitress’ (and other Unilocalers’) suggestions. It was good… not the very best I have ever had, but very good. The other dish we shared was the meat lasagna. I thought it was great… I would definitely order it again.

Disclaimer — walked out before we could even order tonight, but do we really need to wait 20 minutes to be helped? That’s all I can say about this place. Oh, and the staff at the awesome bar next door — where I ran for a backup location — said this place was whack. No. Just no.

First and foremost, Luisa’s serves MORE than just pizza and pasta.
My boyfriend had the gnocchi with pesto and vodka sauce and I had the chicken parm with penne pasta. The sauces were unlike any other sauces we’ve had before. Don’t leave without ordering the tiramisu! The ingredients are so fresh and decadent.
But beyond the food (which was amazing), the hospitality and stories that Luisa shared with us are what will have us returning for more, before flying back home.
Don’t think twice and check out this place!

Really unacceptable the pizza was awful and they were yelling at a person who took at slice into the bathroom. What’s odd is they made her buy a slice before going to the bathroom, even though she intended to buy a slice. I have a video of it which I’ll remember to upload at some point.
Even if you buy a pizza apparently they make a big deal out of using the bathroom.
Walk one block down Polk street to get a better pizza. The other pizza places are nicer as well.

Holy pope Jesus! Everything here is orgasmic! Came with a fun group of people and we had a little of everything. My favorite was the calzone with the sausage and mushrooms. But the sauces. THE SAUCES! The vodka sauce, marinara sauce, and pesto were all too good for words! Everything is made from prime ingredients with love by Luisa herself.
I just wish Luisa would adopt me and make food for me all the time.

Best pasta in town!!!
Carbunera is perfect and the lasanis is divain… perfect al-​dante.
Termiso close to perfect.

As some other folks mentioned, the food was pretty good, but the service left much to be desired. We went to dinner on a Saturday night during Thanksgiving weekend, so it wasn’t very crowded. However, it took an hour to get our bruschetta. Bruschetta is some chopped up tomatoes on pieces of bread. It should not have taken an hour. Needless to say, our main course took over an hour to get. I got a Cannelloni di Carne, which was good, but left me hungry after the meal (there were two pieces of Cannelloni). At one point, a waitress broke a number of glasses. It was on the floor for about 20 minutes before someone swept it up. As it was near the entrance, some guests walked over it.

Five of us dropped in on a Thursday night, 8:30 or so. A very pleasant server made room for us, and offered several suggestions. All were very good! Gnocchi with both pesto and vodka sauces, delicious. (Could have been served a little warmer though.) Chicken parm was good (I like mine better, but still enjoyed it!) Bolognese and lasagne got thumbs up. Desserts (tiramisu and cannoli) very good. This is not a modern, trendy spot… more like the neighborhood mom and pop you hit on a weeknight. If you’re staying in a nearby hotel, take a short walk. Worth it!

Louisa I forgot how good the food was because you were the best part!
Ciao Bella!

As you can tell by my profile I don’t write many reviews but I just had to write one about Lucias. Like one of the other reviews said «the service was SO bad that it feels like you’re on one of those awful hidden camera shows. You have to laugh about it»
So my boyfriend and I arrived at 815 and ordered right away. We got two salads that came out pretty quick and weren’t bad. Typical Caesar salads. We also ordered two pasta dishes that took over an hour to come out, the food was decent nothing special though. Two tables had sat after us and had gotten their food. And finished. We’ve both worked in the service industry so we figured that the server just forgot to ring it in since it wasn’t that busy in the restaurant. As soon as we finished our meal we asked for our check. Of course, the server forgot about us so we had to ask another employee. Finally our check came and thank goodness my boyfriend looked at the bill (it was WAY more than we expected) because she decided to charge us for the most expensive bottle of wine on the menu that we never ordered or received.
Lastly, we had the pleasure of meeting Lucia… Wow. She was a peach. She was in the back micromanaging her staff and YELLING at them like a crazy person. It was so uncomfortable.
I wish I didn’t have to give it a star but hey that one star can be for the laugh my boyfriend and I had out front.

Luisa’s Pizza and Pasta is a charming, romantic little hole-​in-​the-​wall that embodies so much spirit!
My husband and I were looking for delicious food that we could enjoy before a concert one evening. We looked on Unilocal to see what was open at the time within our vicinity. Luisa’s came up in our search and we began our trek in that direction.
We did not have a reservation, but I would highly recommend making one. The thing about this restaurant is that it is very small. There are only about 5 tables in the back portion of the restaurant, and the front of it has a bar and just a few small tables. Making a reservation will just put your plans in stone, and you won’t have to worry about missing out on the experience.
Luisa is the owner of this restaurant, and it turned out that she was working the night we visit. Apparently she tries to be there everyday! How old is she, you ask? She is in her late eighties. I am personally going to school for Gerontology (the study of aging), so I was completely and totally enamored by her charm and spunk. Not only was she well dressed, but her spirit was just as beautiful. She was energetic, had an adorable sense of humor, was polite, flirty with my husband (compliments were flowing), and is still very active in organizing her menu. She even cooks in the morning! The gnocchi and ravioli that we ended up ordering were all hand made… by her.
Luisa was able to get us a table for two– thankfully we arrived early into the dinner hour and beat the rush of crowds. She sat down with us and we talked for a while. I had all kinds of questions for her about the restaurant and such. She explained the menu, and the options my husband and I had since we are vegetarian.
We ordered a spinach ravioli dish and a gnocchi dish that came with a delicious creamy sauce. Once our orders were placed we hardly had to wait at all. Our food came out within about twenty minutes, and in the meantime we enjoyed not one but two glasses of red wine.
The lights were dimly lit and the restaurant in itself was cozy and charming; you become submerged in what feels like authentic Italy. Beautiful. Our experience was amazing, the food was delicious, and Luisa was an angel. I cannot wait to come back in the future simply to visit with her again.

The food was delicious! We got the gnocchi with vodka and pesto sauce, Spinach and cheese ravioli, garlic bread, and tiramisu.
We especially loved the vodka sauce (on both dishes) and tiramisu. TIRAMISU.
Great food and great service :)

There is something seriously amiss about this restaurant. What happened on this occasion has never happened to me… we had to walk out!
The situation was broadly ‘We had booked for three and arrived on time. We waited and approximately ten minutes passed before we were met. There was a feeling of chaos in the place’.
Even though the restaurant was not full, perhaps 30% or thereabouts no table was ready for us to sit at. Hastily two tables were pushed together with some used plates and cutlery. We were then just left and until a person appeared who pro ported to be in charge came and spoke to us. I think she said her name was Luisa and she said a waiter had not turned up so we would just have to wait… no apologies, no sense of customer care or any endearing behaviour.
While we patiently waited were able to overhear her being exceptionally rude to two well mannered people who were waiting for takeout. They said they had ordered their takeout pizza over an hour prior. They had been waiting at the front for some twenty minutes and we understood she had told then some time earlier that their pizza was only a few minutes away. Then when Luisa asked again what they were waiting for, she requested them to provide their order number. Instantly, she said it had never been received and then told them it was entirely their fault that the order had not been received and would they like to place and order. If you don’t just leave and they left. I do not ever think I have never heard a proprietor or staff member in any restaurant being so unnecessarily rude, so un caring and so lacking in accountability.
We were being tolerant however «the straw that broke the camels back» was when she told us they were out of many food ingredients and provided us with a hand written list of what a few ‘dishes’ that were on the menu… indeed it was nearly illegible to read however it was night for serious rations!
As we left we were joined by another couple, and meanwhile we left other seated customers were complaining about their ‘lack of service…‘
I could have been forgiven for thinking this was a new episode of Fawlty Towers however John Cleese does have style and Emanuel has some endearing features… sadly this was live and the sad face of the staff member was unforgettable.
I frankly do not believe many of the 5 star rankings particularly those where this there only one or few reviews; moreover I am inclined to being strongly convinced that most the regular Unilocalers have it right.
It is always disappointing to have write so negatively however I feel compelled by my ethics and integrity to share such a terrible experience with others.
In summary do not go to this place.

FOUR STARS FOR THE CARBONARA. seriously so good…
i didnt like the meatballs or pizza as much as tony’s in NB, but i’d come back again for the carbonara. we were the only table (of 2) in the restaurant on a wednesday evening, so that was interesting. friendly enough service. didnt like the wine very much but it was affordable…
CARBONARA