Gambino’s Italian Cafe — Restaurant in King City

Who knew delicious Italian food existed in a sleepy strip mall in King City? Gambino's is a gem!

Pastas and pizzas are the name of the game here, and all of the ones my friends and I have tasted so far have been delicious.

The giant deep-fried ravioli appetizer is ginormous, crispy, and tasty. Definitely a good app to split among friends.

I had the penne and meatballs, since it was the only dish that might possibly be able to be made without dairy (or at least not as much dairy), and it was truly delicious. I often judge Italian restaurants by their meatballs, and the ones at Gambino's are huge, housemade, and full of flavor.

My friends ordered one of the pizzas, which was a hit, and the La Estate Pasta and White Wine with Lemon Cream Sauce, which were also well done.

Prices are about right for the portions you get. Pasta portions are huge here - like, American super-sized portions. You'll have enough leftovers for a whole second meal the next day and they will be just as tasty!

Service started out rocky. Our waitress on this particular night was a little surly and we kept trying to win her over with kindness; I think she finally warmed up to us? But the owners are awesome people, and Janelle (one of the owners) is amazing. She was bouncing around chatting with all of the guests. She seemed to know quite a few of them and if she didn't, treated them as if they were old friends. She and the other server that night made the place buzzing with warmth. It definitely has an intimate neighborhood hangout vibe.

This restaurant is 21+ because of the gambling machines on one side of the restaurant. There's a half-partition separating the dining area from the machines, and when the restaurant is full, you can't hear the machines. We went on a Friday night and it was packed, so it was almost like the machines weren't there. But, I imagine if it's not as busy, the sound from the machines would be more pronounced.

They have a small selection of beer and wine, and the house wines for $6 are a pretty good deal.

Don't be fooled by the location and unassuming exterior. Gambino's is a great neighborhood spot for pizzas and pastas. And if you have kiddos, while they can't dine in, you can order food to pick up...

Cute little place with absolutely amazing food in a strip mall. What a great find. Everything was wonderful! We started with the garlic parmesan potato crisps which were indeed crispy and garlicky and so yummy! What a great start to a meal. I got the half Caesar salad with lots of yummy grilled chicken & fresh grated parm. It was so tasty though a bit over-dressed and was plenty big for me. The croutons, which I would normally just remove: incredible!! You have to try them to know what I mean. We had the Scarface Capone pizza with Canadian Bacon, Pepperoni and Italian Sausage. It was cheesy and delicious. I’m not sure, but it had the look of a pizza cooked in a pizza oven. Really very nice. We also had the spaghetti with meat sauce which was quite tasty, well seasoned and served with garlic cheese bread - so, so good! Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, was exceptional including the service. We went at opening at 11am and were the only patrons at that time. I believe we were served by the owner’s daughter who couldn’t have been more patient to 1st timers with questions and she was so friendly! She did let us know they get very crowded in the evenings but they do accept reservations. She suggested next time we try the fried ravioli which is 1 one large deep fried ravioli filled with cheese and served with marinara sauce. Since all the dishes we tried were amazingly good, we will be back to try everything else on the menu including that fried ravioli! I very highly recommend Gambino’s to anyone looking for a moderately priced, comfortable Italian restaurant with great tasting Italian food. 21 & over only because they have Oregon...

Destination dining has come to King City, Oregon! This new little Italian restaurant has a great chef/owner. We went for an anniversary treat. My husband got pork medallions that were perfectly prepared. My penne pasta and chicken in a white wine lemon sauce was wonderful. We split the signature dessert, Deconstructed Cannoli, which is great. My husband is a retired pastry chef and culinary school instructor and he loves good cannoli. So he was fascinated by this original concept, beautiful plate presentation, and yummy execution. (full disclosure, hubby's old school and asked the chef to hold the gastrique, so we didn't have the full experience, but if you, too, are old folks, you may like it his way, which is a little less adventurous and modern).

The bill for these top-priced menu options was remarkably reasonable. The Lunch and Happy Hour menus are very affordable. The clever lunch special includes a lotto ticket. There's a small, well-stocked bar. And yes, there's a gaming section behind a partition, which is a draw in little King City, and undoubtedly helps pay the rent while keeping dining prices on par for this neighborhood. The dining room is comfortable, well-appointed, and intimate. The ambiance and service were lovely.

So, go, folks, now! They don't have a line out the door yet, waiting for a table, but I expect they will...