Agrodolce Osteria

I’ve been meaning to try this place for a while. Overall a good experience, but not excellent. I’ll break it down though: Food was generally good - but not excellent. Appetizers were generally all on point. Pastas could have been more al dente. I’d get the Ragu di Maiale again, though it felt like it could use more seasoning. I wasn’t impressed by the Bucatini chi Finucchiede, but that could have just been me. Pork shoulder was worth getting. Deserts were great. I enjoyed the lemon sorbetto - which I though was flavorful, but not overly sweet or sour. Cannolis we’re also really good. I think with a little tweaking, this could get to a 5/5. I wish I could give the food a 4.5! Service was a little slow. There was probably a 20 minute wait before we got our final fish. In fairness, I think the place was busy and short staffed. Atmosphere was great. The out door patio is really nice. Lots of heat lamps. There was live music. And - it’s a dog friendly patio! Overall, great experience. Everyone was super friendly. I’d definitely return.

Once a good restaurant, Agrodolce's food quality and ambiance has deteriorated materially since my last visit 18 months ago. The first warning was the pungent odor of sanitation fluid as I entered the restaurant. The smell even permeated the eating area to some extent. I ordered calamari to start, which tasted vaguely of an unclean cutting board or hints of cleaning fluid. Not sure how to describe it. The pasta I ordered, in a light tomato cream sauce, was an oily mess. Nothing light about it and not sure where the tomato went. The pasta was under cooked; kind of chewy. The vanilla ice cream we ordered for desert seemed like it had been left uncovered in a tub overnight, it was stale. It had the remnants of a cherry embedded in it, clearly not for decoration. The only "highs" were are the restaurant's prices, meaning over priced if the pun wasn't clear.

Since I came back from Italy I have made it my mission to find good, affordable Italian restaurants in the Bay. This one was truly amazing! The pasta was fantastic and the desserts as well! The staff is friendly and the ambiance great (there was a great jazzy band playing outside.) The food did take a while to be served but they fixed the issue by giving us complementary desserts. I’ll definitely be coming back

I reached out to Agrodolce on an extremely last minute basis to inquire about a luncheon for approximately 50 people following the memorial service for my mother in law. My mother in law had very hood taste, as do our friends, so it was important to our family that the gathering provide - at minimum - a pleasant ambiance and a full meal with drinks. I reached out to “typical” spots like Lake Chalet (view, experience with events/groups, easy to find, etc.) They wanted $2k just for the room, and an $8,5k minimum for food and drinks, not counting tax and tip. This would have ended up being around $250 per person for a 90 minute luncheon with very average food. In the midst of our deep grief, because we love the food and people at Agrodolce, I just put in a call to see what might be possible. Angelo, the owner, IMMEDIATELY understood our sad situation and our needs. The restaurant isn’t even normally open for lunch but he agreed to bring in his staff to open it. He waived any room fee. We were able to offer their famous melanzane roll, green salad, and a beautiful plated lunch (guests could choose from a menu of 8 choices) entree, wine, cocktails and beautiful mini canollis for our guests. They lit the fireplaces for us, provided a table for us to put sentimental items and photos of my mother in law, and provided their usual impeccable service. Our family will never forget the Agrodolce family and how they made a BEAUTIFUL afternoon for us in honor of my late mother in law, on almost no notice, and did so in such a kind and caring manner. I cannot say enough about the entire staff and especially the people who executed this flawless, warm, healing and delicious gathering for us. When we hit the age that our kids are getting married, we will absolutely be reaching out to them again. Meanwhile, it remains our favorite for Italian in all the East Bay for both the fabulous food and the wonderful people who bring it to us.

Absolutely phenomenal meal and service. Each course was better than the next, top notch staff and beautiful atmosphere. One of the best places to dine in Berkeley, with a large (15+) group or just a few. Real Italian hospitality at its finest. Ask the story of the car parked in front, you won’t be disappointed. La dolce vita, enjoy.

We are regulars at Agrodolce because this is the best Italian Sicilian food in the East Bay. We had our New Eve dinner with our son here, and everything was splendid. Delicious antipasti, fresh pasta, moist salmon, watermouthing lamb. The wait staff is always busy and energetic, and Angelo, the owner, always caring for all customers. This is an actual family-style Sicilian restaurant, and we always love the experience here. Highly recommend!

I’ve been meaning to try this place for a while. Overall a good experience, but not excellent. I’ll break it down though: Food was generally good - but not excellent. Appetizers were generally all on point. Pastas could have been more al dente. I’d get the Ragu di Maiale again, though it felt like it could use more seasoning. I wasn’t impressed by the Bucatini chi Finucchiede, but that could have just been me. Pork shoulder was worth getting. Deserts were great. I enjoyed the lemon sorbetto - which I though was flavorful, but not overly sweet or sour. Cannolis we’re also really good. I think with a little tweaking, this could get to a 5/5. I wish I could give the food a 4.5! Service was a little slow. There was probably a 20 minute wait before we got our final fish. In fairness, I think the place was busy and short staffed. Atmosphere was great. The out door patio is really nice. Lots of heat lamps. There was live music. And - it’s a dog friendly patio! Overall, great experience. Everyone was super friendly. I’d definitely return.

Once a good restaurant, Agrodolce's food quality and ambiance has deteriorated materially since my last visit 18 months ago. The first warning was the pungent odor of sanitation fluid as I entered the restaurant. The smell even permeated the eating area to some extent. I ordered calamari to start, which tasted vaguely of an unclean cutting board or hints of cleaning fluid. Not sure how to describe it. The pasta I ordered, in a light tomato cream sauce, was an oily mess. Nothing light about it and not sure where the tomato went. The pasta was under cooked; kind of chewy. The vanilla ice cream we ordered for desert seemed like it had been left uncovered in a tub overnight, it was stale. It had the remnants of a cherry embedded in it, clearly not for decoration. The only "highs" were are the restaurant's prices, meaning over priced if the pun wasn't clear.