Rocco's Café

This is a really cool space. There's a very good selection on the menu, the portions were well sized, and the vibe of the entire restaurant is friendly. The server lost track of us a little bit, with our cup of soup coming out right before the entree and no follow up to see how we were doing. We had to ask for the bill so we could leave well after we had finished. I feel like there was new staff that the server was looking after, so that could have been the reason.I look forward to going back.

was decent but didnt think anything too special. we wanted to try it as there were raving reviews + lots of generations to its name - but thought it was overpriced. surprisingly there was also barely anyone there on a friday evening for dinner time

My first few visit to Rocco's was October 2018 and it was amazing! I went back three days in a row during my San Fransisco stay. My most recent visit was 10/10/2024. I was a little taken back as the menu was different and was told by the waitress the owner changed. I came in for the meatballs and French toast from the old menu. BUT I stood in my seat and gave the place a shot. The ambiance was a romantic setting so take her!!! And that's the cleanest kitchen I have ever seen! You can watch them cooking your meal from almost anywhere you are seated! Our waitress was amazing! Shot out to her! Can't remember her name Knew the menu very well and gave great recommendations. I also noticed she spoke fluent Spanish and was great to the other workers. Love that! I ended up ordering the Creamy Lemon Ricotta Rigatoni and added some chicken per our waitress' recommendation. I was flabbergasted of how amazing it was! That fried breaded chicken I paired it with the Paysan Zabala Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. Perfect!!I took a shot in the dark and asked our waitress if the French toast was on the breakfast menu and IT IS! She even gave me the breakfast, lunch and brunch menu to take a look at! Toward the end of our meal the chef approached our table and started chatting with us! To our surprise the new owner! Michael took the time to check on us and ask how the food was. The sweetest guy! And! And! He said he would've made the French toast for me if I would've asked! Michael challenged me with trying his tiramisu and another fabulous dish!!! Of course I had some great expresso with it as well! We have a few more days left here in San Fran BUT I plan on dropping back in if time permits! I did send some other co workers to Rocco's as well and they ALL let us know immediately at our morning meeting how great it was! Best of luck to Rocco's and its new owner Michael!

Although dated, and hard to find parking, it's a clean and fun atmosphere. Service was not over the top but got what we asked for and that's enough. The sourdough french toast with berries and whip was perfect for any french toast connoisseur. The frittata was probably one of the best I've ever had!

Love this Italian place in Soma :) the calamari was good portion size. Really tasty and fresh and crispy. The eggplant parm was so tasty and cheesy. The shrimp omelette was such a delight and surprisingly so good with the marinara sauce. Didn't realize you get an additional pasta on the Side if you order an entree dish. The bowl of soup is included. Would definitely come back !!!

Came for late night dinner service and surprisingly the restaurant was still packed towards the end of the night. We were greeted immediately and got seated right away. The place was quite dim creating a relaxing atmosphere, which allowed me to fully immerse myself in the dinner experience and enjoy my meal. I also couldn't help but notice the array of photos and signed celeb posters scattered throughout the walls, giving it a true Italian restaurant feel.We were given a complementary basket of bread and butter after our server took our order. I ordered a half portion of the chicken marsala with fettuccine, which was still more than enough for myself. The sauce and ingredients complimented the pasta very well. My boyfriend ordered the clams in white sauce with fettuccine. Great portion of clams.Our server was friendly and checked in with us multiple times during the night. It seemed she was the only server that night, so big props to her!Overall, this is a great spot for authentic home-style Italian food. It's no wonder this spot has been featured for years!

I went for lunch, and Rocco's has casual vibes and standard fare you would expect at an Italian spot.It looked like only one server at lunch, but there weren't too many diners and plenty of seats available, so service was still great.The soup I got looked like it had exploded a bit in a microwave with how the sides were dripping with slightly dried out liquid. It didn't affect the taste and I was fine with how it looked since it came out hot. The bread is nothing special, but I appreciated the generous amount of butter to go with it. The half order of the chicken parmesan was a lot for one person. The full order must be a sharable plate if the size of the half portion is anything to go by.It's a perfectly fine place for lunch if you're close by. I wouldn't go out of my way to get here.

Stumbled upon this place while waiting for friends. The calamari and tiramisu is so good! The place is nice and cozy and the menu looks really good. Service is nice and helpful and lots of tables for groups. Portions are big and snooping around the other tables, the pasta looks amazing! Place closes at midnight too! Must come back to try more food.

I actually have eaten here many times. This is one of my favorite places to eat at. I decided to come back here onne more time. My food tasted great. The food came out nice and hot and was cooked to perfection. The service was very friendly and the ambiance of the place was excellent. I highly recommend eating here and do not forget your credit card if you come here because they don't accept cash . I wish I could give Rocos 10 stars.

Sometime in mid-January, I stumbled upon an IG post from a sandwich staple in my work neighborhood about the ownership and management change here. I was out of town for the following week plus so I didn't have an opportunity to check this out until early February. On a recent Friday morning, I decided to call and order lunch. When I asked for my 'usual' meal choice, I was told that it was no longer on the menu. Given this, the lady who took my order helped me to pivot to another similar item which happened to be the special for that day. I drove up around noon to pick up my order, finding a parking space just a few doors down. Bringing my takeout order back to the office, I started with a cup of minestrone (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=zjajoqO12AProDl0tSEuLw&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q). The portion is generous for a cup and paired very well with the sourdough bread that came with my meal. For my main meal, I had the clams over fettuccine in white sauce (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=WmjiPMm66x_e9HtyJxk6Dg&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q); it was a bit creamier than I like and, being fettucine instead of linguine, this is on the heavier side. The flavors were good and I could only finish half along with that minestrone for lunch. When picking up my meal, a young gentleman helped me with my order and was very cheerful, helpful, and enthusiastic in telling me about the menu and their hours. I believe that he is likely the chef and/or partner in the business. I am saddened that the menu is pared down some though the plus is that they are open late nights to catch the post bar crowd flow. I'm glad that the chicken Marsala is still there and disappointed that I was unable to get my linguine with clams in red sauce (add mushrooms). Being a neighborhood spot near my workplace, I will come in as things get less busy in the office. Thanks, Michael, for introducing me to the new rendition of Rocco's.