Let’s get something straight: Sorrento’s Pizza House isn’t a contemporary Italian restaurant. It’s an American Italian restaurant - a crucial distinction. It shares the idea of Italy, sure, but what you’ll find inside is where centuries of culinary heritage went on spring break in America and never looked back.
This LA south shore, San Pedro iconic pizza restaurant - complete with two entrances (one for takeout, one for dine-in, like it’s guarding two separate realities) - is where marinara meets melted cheese in quantities that would make a Tuscan grandmother faint and a Staten Island uncle cry with joy.
The pasta? Bottomless, slightly overcooked, watered down - yet somehow still comforting, especially if you’re a sane, tough, slightly overweight male with a love for garlic, sauce, and portion sizes large enough to threaten your personal space. You won’t find spaghetti Alfredo or “marinara sauce” in Italy—because they simply don’t exist there. Nor would any self-respecting trattoria serve a plate of carbs drenched in a gallon of oil, capped with a cheese avalanche, and paired with what looks like a Vatican-sized garlic donation on three-day-reserve bread.
But you know what? That’s the charm.
Sorrento’s isn’t about authenticity - it’s about American-sized abundance. It’s where Italy’s modesty and elegance were tossed into a family-sized salad bowl and whacked with a bottle of ranch dressing until it tapped out. And that’s fine. Italians who came here didn’t just bring food—they brought resilience, appetite, and a deep respect for surviving long workdays, which somehow translated into: “Let’s feed everyone like they’re unloading cargo ships for twelve hours.”
So yes, call it Italian the same way Elon Musk is African American - technically true, but let’s not get carried away. Sorrento’s is big, bold, saucy, loud, and weirdly healing. It may not be a taste of Italy, but it’s definitely a flavor of America with a heavy Sicilian accent and a fork in each hand.
And if you're still hungry after that garlic bread? You're...
Read moreBefore I proceed with this review it gives me great pleasure to tell the public my family has been a customer of Sorrento's for over twenty years! They are a Italian food based operation much more than just Pizza! Sue and her team maintain a high volume of take out to their existing customers! The staff is very hard working and operations gives total transparency! The choice of pizza for this review was Margarita with added sausage. The true meaning of my investigations is when things happen regarding orders and communication that result in the customer not being completely satisfied! My experience after resolution has determined that Sorrento's provided great service and the highest grade of italian pizza possible! There was communication issue related to ordering over the phone that was following my many phone calls for R&D of a particular pizza that was searching for, but difficult to find. The ingredients used for the pizza served is very expensive and may have resulted in my business for that purchase as a negative profit! So it gives me great pleasure to show my thanks for making everyone! Thank you Sue for making the decision to go above and beyond a mistake that was of neither parties fault! For fine Dining take out make Sorrento's one of your choices during the week! Thank you everyone working there for a great job! Updating pictures as we...
Read moreI’ve been coming to this restaurant since I was five years old and I’m originally from San Pedro born and raised. I’ve been going to this restaurant for a long, long time. I’ve always had great customer service until today which was really out of the ordinary August 7,2025 I ordered the lunch meal and because it had meat, I don’t eat meat, and I wasn’t aware that it had meat thinking that it was only marinara sauce and marinara and meat and the raviolis as well as I asked the waiter if there’s something else I can get, I told him I just take a salad I would be happy with that. He said now he was going to get in trouble because I won’t eat the raviolis. Which had eaten it and in the sauce as well…. How is he going to get in trouble that doesn’t make any sense he’s not a child me either or the owner of the place and I guarantee The Owner is not goingg to get mad if I can’t eat meat and how is he going tonget in trouble? Would I recommend this place to eat? Yes, would I be coming back? Absolutely not Sad to say the customer service and Sorrentos used to be awesome. I’m not no longer going to be a customer there any longer, specially with the waiter who I had.!!!!! beware if you are vegetarian or vegan, they don’t say on their lunch menu that there’s meat and all foods that they offer for lunch...
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