Il Giardino

Peaceful atmosphere with calm music.fast service. Freshly made ingredients. Lots of flavor without all the grease and bloating!

First time I came I got beef bolognese. It was alright, not much seasoning and salt so first impression of food not great. Second time I got the daily special which as a fusilli pasta with chicken and chipotle sauce and let me tell you it was AMAZING!! Totally satisfied my pasta craving.Service was awesome and quick, resataurant was clean, and lighting was pretty.Overall would come again just for the daily special (they have it often)!

My husband picked up dinner for us. He got a pesto pasta and I got the lemon caper chicken with pasta. Portions were good and everything was fresh. Now my chicken dish didn't come with the pasta he requested which was a huge let down since he paid for it and tipped. Besides that I found out the dish did not need pasta it was perfect the way it was. It was soo delicious .. chicken was moist and flavorful. The lemon caper sauce was addictive and the veggies were cooked perfectly. I honestly enjoyed the dish so much I will totally be sending my husband back for it.His pasta was okay a little on the bland side and the garlic bread was not good at all. I would skip on it.

I visited this spot because another USC professor had recommended it to me and said the pasta was great! And she was right. Every time I've had pasta here, the flavors have been unique and delicious and the pasta is very solid. The dishes are simple yet always good.Il Giardino is located in USC Village and has indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a full menu of pasta. There are set dishes or you can build your own. They also have specials often! The service is quick and the clientele is mostly students. I've been here several times and I haven't been disappointed.

The fast food concept for DIY pasta is such a great idea for a university setting. I've tried 3 of their sauces: the rosé, the creamy mushroom, and the aglio e olio. All three were no exaggeration very delicious. Their gnocchi and tagliatelle were also very fresh and tasty. I love their complimentary herby bread as well.

I really wish Yelp had a decimal system. Not all 4 stars are the same. Not all 5 stars are the same. If we had a decimal system, I would give this place a 4.7 stars. I'm giving this place 5 stars because this place does almost everything right. As you enter this restaurant, there's a pasta maker making fresh pasta, the menu prices are exceptionally cheap for what your getting. I got the Spaghetti Mare (Seafood pasta) for $14.99. For me the portions were perfect, but I don't eat that much. So I can see someone who has a hearty appetite being unsatisfied with the amount of food. My only complaint about my meal is the noodles were a bit on the softer side, I prefer my pasta to be al dente, however, freshly made pasta can't be made al dente (firm) due to the nature of fresh pasta. Only dry pre-packaged pasta can be made al dente, so be warned as you come here.

The past 5 times I've ordered the daily special which is fusilli pasta in chipotle sauce with chicken and asparagus. The chicken always has this smoky taste and for the price, it's huge and worth it! I always eat half of it and save the half for dinner. It also comes with bread. Service is okay..kind of slow. But it's at the village so I'm sure they get pretty busy.

The pasta is decent. Nothing completely stands out. It's practical for a college campus, and I always enjoy it, but nothing special.

Decent spot for some quick Italian grub if you're near or on the USC campus. I will say there are probably better food options overall, but the price and portions here aren't bad, and there's definitely a convenience element to dining here. I also feel like it never gets super crowded here, which is definitely a plus.I like how customizable the pastas here are, and they really do have a range of options for noodles and sauces. I just oped for the Penne Gamberi, probably out of laziness, and it was honestly pretty tasty and came with a decent amount of shrimp. My friend got the special, which was a Salmon Spaghetti. The sauce was tasty, but noodles were clearly overcooked. The bread that the pasta comes with is really delicious and soft, and I found it was the star of the meal.

When I have pasta cravings and no time to cook, I come here. BEST SECRET MENU ITEM HERE = EXTRA SAUCE added to any dish (for free!) Definitely do that so every bite will be well coated and super saucy. They make every order fresh and the pasta is delicious. I usually get the tagliatelle bolognese (very meaty with rich flavor) but today tried the penne gamberi (shrimp) special -- not disappointed! Comes topped with lots of shrimp cooked just right. You can substitute the pasta and add a different sauce to any of the specials. I swapped rotini and added pink sauce and it was super comforting, creamy and flavorful. Also - this team hustles! I came in one day behind what seemed like the entire USC swim team and they pushed out the pasta super fast and still quality. Hope their hard work is recognized and well compensated.