Ca'Dario Goleta — Restaurant in Goleta

The best kept secret in the Goleta valley. Absolutely the best pasta and veggies in town. Always fresh baked Italian bread on the table with the real virgin” olive oil and balsamic, accompanied with the fresh grate parmigiana from the importer. Besides the fantastic selection of California and direct Italian imported wines, they got the best Italian beers on tap. Don’t pass up the appetizers, the Romana Cesar salad is fantastically, chopped and dressed, (right down to the croutons, and cracked pepper) always order the capreese , the organic thick sliced sweet tomato’s, topped with the fluffiest Buffalo mozzarella, capped with a leaf of grown there basil , and the lightest sprinkle of oregano. Garnished with the lightest zippyest olives imaginable, (yes there is such an olive) [it sounds like the simplest but they make it majic] . (Ask for more oil and balsamic) for a sharper tap. The soups are always fresh (if they don’t have it ....it’s cause they sold it all.) always ask about the specials, and don’t shy away from the fresh fish selection because it is........ “Calamari” “meatballs” “porterhouse” . Expect the service unexpected, they know how to serve people there, like you’re family. Come to eat, relax and enjoy ,then don’t forget the tiramisu, with the coffee Americano. Or a desert wine (Make reservations on a weekend or if there’s 4 or more) (expect them to speak Italian if you do) (when your done thank Mickey, and the staff, cause you’ll remember the experience) il mio italiano...

I've eaten here maybe 7-8 time over the past few years, with about as many times delivered. It has been fairly hit and miss. I have enjoyed the pizzas, and if I stuck to that, I'd probably be happier. I've not enjoyed much else venturing down the menu. My biggest complaint is the complete lack of flavor in some of the dishes. The linguine clams were actually bad; I finished my plate but did not enjoy it. The sauce tasted like saltwater. The spaghetti and meatballs were dry, the risotto bland, and the caesar salad was akin to something a fast food place would serve. Again, the pizzas, I recommend those, so it's not all bad, and it's primary the reason I've gone so often. The service was a little slow, but I don't really have a complaint. My biggest issue with this restaurant is the value of it. The prices are quite high for what you're actually getting. The quality of food simply does not match the cost (e.g.,~$20 for a thin slice of eggplant with cheese and sauce and no pasta, $40 for chicken parm and no pasta - no substitutions). For those prices, the food needs to be excellent, and well, it falls short. I keep wanting to give this place a chance and find something besides pizza on the menu I enjoy. However, if there were any other Italian choices in Goleta, I would...

I have tried to support this place as much as I can over the years, because we need some good restaurants on this side of town. The food IS consistently good here.

But I have had it with the greediness! I ordered their Tortellacci pasta tonight 'to go' for dinner, and this is what I got.

I put my hand in this picture for size reference. And my hands are quite small! This was a TINY leftovers size tin that was only about a QUARTER full.

It is ridiculous to pay $30 for an entree, and to still be super hungry after eating it. That's the bottom line here.

It took me about 5 minutes to eat this little bit of pasta (the tiny bites of ham seem like just a garnish), and no bread or anything came with this meal. (It's actually a huge stretch to call this a meal.)

I know prices are high everywhere, but $30 for an appetizer size amount of PASTA is way over the top. And I am still so hungry.

You may have just lost a loyal...