This is a solid 4 Star place! Â A nice non-corporate place to grab a couple drinks or some awesome Sangria on mill.
The beet salad was super yummy, light and refreshing, a perfect summer meal. Â I couldn't resist trying the pizza and the other reviewers are correct the Fungi one is great, I added prosciutto to it and the saltiness of the ham mixed well with the earthiness of the mushrooms - YUM!
The sangria was perfect, service was quick and spot on!
As a guy that lives in Tempe, I spend quite a bit of time on Mill Avenue. I love this place! It is hard for me to eat less than twice or three times a week here. The roast beef sandwich for lunch is on point and you can't go wrong with the porco pizza at night! The service has been extremely friendly and knowledgeable as well!
Review Source:This was reccommended to me by a friend. Bruschetta options are wonderful and I enjoyed getting to try different styles. Food quality was great. Also had a really good waiter. Friendly and helpful on food selection. The alfredo with proscuitto was delicious. A bit salty but only a little needed to fill up. Skillet cookie with mint basil ice cream was amazing!!!!! I would go here again and reccommend!
Review Source:My husband and I were at the Tempe Arts Festival around lunch time, and I spotted La Bocca. Â I had it mentally bookmarked for quite a long time, so I was excited to finally try it. Â I was somewhat disappointed.
While I appreciate the pretty people that work there, those pretty people might want to carry a pretty pen and write down an order. Â We had the bruschetta, which comes with 4 selections, a pizza, and two drinks. Â So that's kind of a lot to remember. Â When I asked our server if he was going to remember all that, he smirked as if to say "I am a professional lady." Â
Our bruschetta came and was average overall. Â The roasted garlic was anything but roasted. Â It was sliced and did not even remotely have the sweet, caramelized flavor you expect. Â It was cooked enough to not knock you over, but still retained the firmness of raw garlic. Â Since the bruschetta took quite awhile, I was not concerned that our pizza order was taking even longer. Â However, our server came by and asked if we needed anything else and I asked about the pizza. Â Deer in the headlights stare. Â No real apology, just a head shake that told the whole story. Â His aversion to ink now resulted in another 20 minutes or so to get the pizza.
I will say the "sicily" pizza was really good with schreiner's sausage, parmesan and goat cheese, and sundried tomatoes. Â Nice bit of char on the crust. Â If in the area, I would come back for that. Â Only I will write down the order myself.
Some friends and I decided to meet up for Happy Hour and La Bocca won our pick for new place to try out. Â I was happy that there was parking basically right behind it so that I didn't have to walk too far from my car (you know me and my stilettos!) Â The girls at the host station were friendly and greeted me right away, my friend already had a table though so I was able to walk right in.
Our server came over very quickly to take our drink order and tell us about happy hour. Â Unfortunately for us the things we wanted (Sangria and the Orange Blossom Martini) were not included in the special. Â We decided to get them anyway and were glad we did as they were both delicious. Â The third member of our group showed up at that point and ordered herself a sangria as well.
Both of them ordered salads (caesar for her and caprese for him) but I wanted something with a bit more sustenance so I asked the server for his recommendation. Â He said his favorite item was the Bocca Trio pizza which had tomatoes, pepperoni, salami, sausage and olives. Â It sounded good and I figured my friends would need something more than leaves and seeds to tide them over so they could share mine.
The caprese salad should have been called a caprese plate because what came out was not a salad. Â It was good, but it was about 4 basil leaves and then some mozzarella and tomato. Â I would consider that more of an appetizer than an entree salad so he definitely shared my pizza. Â The caesar salad was what you would expect and she seemed to enjoy it. Â My Bocca Trio pizza was very good which was bad because my friends didn't take as much to share as I'd hoped and I was left with most of it when we finished. Â I will definitely be coming back to La Bocca again and I can't wait to try some of their other offerings.
Oh La Bocca... Since my discovery of this place over a year ago I have visited a solid  dozen times. Why? Because it simply excels in almost every category.
The wait times have never been lengthy for me, granted I usually try to avoid dinner rushes unless I'm equipped with a reservation. Service tends to be on the quick side. Well organized and knowledgable, the staff here will guide you well into your first meal experience with ease. Extensive wine lists covering various regions and styles will entice you to indulge a bit into a drink or two. Be careful though as the wine can quickly rack up your bill!
The decor is incredibly well done. Beautiful paintings and alluring photographs have been meticulously placed with astoundingly careful consideration. The furniture gives an oddly successful blend of casual elegance which translates itself into a nearly unmatched ambiance. Old classic movies are often projected onto a wall near the bar, something intriguing to me as I have never seen such a thing in a restaurant before. Thankfully the sound is muted on the movie and purposes itself only as an intelligent use of visual oddity. Great touch. For looks alone you cannot find much better in the Tempe area.
Appetizers here are very well done. The Bruschetta is an absolute MUST! Do not leave here without getting your table at least one platter of the delicacies. Oh my are they good...
Pizzas here are made in your standard artisan style. The Sicilian is the best, but maybe I only think so because of my natural gravitation to anything goat cheese. You can't really go wrong with the pizza, it's a solid artisan pie with typically great flavors and cooked to perfection. Only one time has La Bocca let me down, and the manager was quick to fix the issues with the food. Hardly a bad experience really.
Being the calzone fiend that I am, it was only a matter of time before I tried one. Usually a hit or miss at most restaurants, I can only thank the food gods for teaching whoever the chefs are how to make a great calzone. Luckily it's in a build your style as well so you pickier eaters can be satisfied too! Highly recommended and my favorite thing on the menu next to the bruschetta.
Bills can get up there in price. Be prepared to spend around $15-25 a person depending on drinks.
If the recently trendy wine/bruschetta bar is your thing try La Bocca. In my opinion it trumps Postino's in almost every category, a great feat as Postino's is certainly no easy competition.
Oh, La Bocca, you had me at hello. Â Almost as soon as I sat down (it's seat yourself at lunch time) I was greeted by a friendly waitress with a refreshing glass of ice water. The water was delicious; it seemed like it was filtered and there was also a thick slice of cucumber floating on top that was crisp and fresh. That was some really great water and I very much appreciated it since it was 100+ degrees outside and I had walked there from my office on Rio Salado.
After some pondering, I decided to go with a garden pizza. The pizzas are personal size but they probably could be split by two people if you got a salad or appetizer to go along with it. I ended up eating the entire thing myself because it was so delicious! I loved every bite of it! The veggies tasted very fresh and they were allowed to shine since the sauce was no tomato sauce... just some truffle oil and small amount of balsamic on the arugula. The blue cheese had a bite to it but there was just the right amount so that it didn't overpower. I do agree with some of the other reviewers that the center of the pizza was just a tad soggy, but I believe it was natural moisture from the roasted veggies. The pizza was not greasy at all. I thought the crust was the perfect balance of wood-fired crisp with a pleasant chewiness.
The service was great thru the whole meal and I really liked the decor and atmosphere. Overall, just a great first impression. I will definitely be back for lunch and hopefully happy hour so I can sample some of their wine list.
This is a neat place to come and hang out, have some wine or beer with friends and lounge. The atmosphere is great with various conventional tables, booth tables, coffee table and chairs/couches, and outdoor seating all available. It is low lit and has an old movie playing silently in the background.
The server was really friendly and helpful. While I was disappointed they didn't have a gluten free menu or at least gluten free options, he was more than willing to check out the meats, hummus, and other delicious options on the plates we ordered to see if those were were naturally gluten free.
They usually have some type of happy hour special, last night it was half off a bottle of wine which myself and three other friends enjoyed. We also ordered a bruschetta plank, the Mediterranean plate, antipasta plate, goat cheese and pear salad, and salami pesto pasta. My friends enjoyed the pasta and said it was great, I tried the toppings from the bruschetta and was able to eat anything from the two plates and the salad (- the bread of course) Everything was amazing. Its hard to say what we liked best because each item was so unique and flavorful.
The price was not bad for four people to go out and have wine and dinner. Our bill was around 80.00.
Overall, definitely a place you should try if you're in the area. Great lounge to just go and relax with friends.
La Bocca is a cute place to go on a date night or ladies night. The atmosphere is great, with the dimmed lights and city vibe. The bruschetta is great paired with their red sangria! The pear salad and any of the pizzas are great as well. I love that this place is easy to walk in and sit down and order without much of a hassle.
Review Source:Not a typical collegey pizza joint (not that there's anything wrong with them) that you would expect on Mill ave. This Urban wine bar has a definite upscale, adult feel to it. I stopped in to have a drink while I waited for Ubreakifix to fix my phone. I didn't eat but I did have a delicious glass of the red sangria. The service was attentive and all staff was moving at all times. You could tell it was a well run establishment. I will return to try some of the yummy looking food that was paraded past me as it made its was to lucky diners.
I just really liked the look, vibe and feel of the place and hope I get an opportunity to return real soon.
Happy Hour Review:
We came for the Tempe Arts Fair,<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/tempe-arts-festival-tempe#hrid:mFf-pIdZ8gGArDYHL4-YgA">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>  but decided to checkout the Happy Hour at La Bocca.  For the last three years, this restaurant and it's Chef Julian Wright is all anyone can talk about.  It feels like Phoenix's New Times writes about him at least once a week. LOL
AMBIANCE:
Mill Avenue continues to change with the times and reinvent itself -- something we like! Â We chose to sit outside and people watch since it was still early. Â Inside the restaurant has a modern 1940s feel which is really very nice.
CLIENTELE:
Here's an interesting category. Â Mill Avenue and the restaurants are a mixture of older college kids from ASU (21+), along with Alumni of all ages. Â You also have people like us who just like the vibe of the area.
MENU:
They've made some changes in their Happy Hour menu, but everything is still excellent! Most items from the bar are $3.00 during HH, that also includes shots. Â So it really is a watering hole. We really like their Rojo Sangria, and it's a very reasonable at $22.00 for a 750 ml Carafe, btw.
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Flaboccapizzeria.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F12%2F2012-WINTER-WINE-LIST.pdf&s=35fe1a72a14eab7b8783e0fce67118261716ce82b40b9852b68c4cdd9d4a7d6e" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://laboccapizzeria.c…</a>
SERVICE:
Is a tag team affair, but our server Alex was outstanding. Â He stayed on top of things and came back to check in from time to time. Â When we mentioned Yelp, he told us how customers have written some very nice reviews about the restaurant and one had even mentioned his service. Â Well Alex, here's your second nod. Â You were great, and we would come back to your section anytime!
FOOD:
The food at LaBocca is mostly Italian with some tweaks to the concept. Â A good example is their Harvest Chop Salad for $8.00 which we enjoyed. Â There's a nominal $2.00 up-charge for the split, but it was subtle and very nice. It had a light Dijon mustard vinaigrette dressing, over tubetti pasta, romaine lettuce, bacon, tomatoes and some blue cheese. Â It was delicious and the blue cheese was very mild, almost Gorgonzola-ish. Â
Next we had their famous Margarita pizza was $9.00 (see photo). La Bocca is known for their pizzas. It was made with some crushed San Marzano tomatoes and mozzarella. Â It also had a rough cut of basil leaves on top. Â We liked it a lot, but also enjoy the pizza at Pomo's on Scottsdale Road for the real Neopolitan stuff.
For dessert we shared each others -- Tiramisu $ 5.00 (photo) and Fresh Mint Chip Ice Cream $6.00. Â A nice ending to a wonderful meal.
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Flaboccapizzeria.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F02%2Flabocca-urban-pizzeria-lunch-dinner-menu.pdf&s=bb41a479686e74f9baa12660961d7c34654e313d3a9f60cbc3dd46b77ec8814f" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://laboccapizzeria.c…</a>
PRICES:
Our bill came to $52.00 after taxes, but before gratuities. Â It would have been less if we kept to the HH wine list but the carafe of Sangria (photo) was too good to pass up.
Enjoy! Â We'll be back.
I guess people do really like them on Yelp!
Ambience and delicious Italian cravings is definitely the reason to stop in here.
When we entered the restaurant was dimly light but had a romantic, trendy, upscale vibe. We were torn between sitting inside or outside but ultimately chose the patio seating because the weather at 9:00 night was too perfect to pass up. We also got to gaze at walkers as they passed.
The tables had cute candles lit which emphasized the romantic atmosphere as well. There was couches with coffee tables to lounge and eat if sitting at a table isn't your thing.
Menu here is very simplistic but divine. After reading reviews of the bruschetta appetizer we had to try and I must note it was delectable. My favorite was the pesto with roasted tomatoes on top. Each piece was constructed with care and flavorful. We shared a pizza with garlic, basil, roasted tomatoes and pepperoni and it was extremely fresh and I loved the brick oven quality of it.
Service was courteous and insightful for explaining different items and drinks on the menu. I highly recommend this as a date night spot.
Excellent experience all around. I can't add much that hasn't already been said, except to point out that when I asked for a substitution in my meal, the waiter didn't even blink and it was prepared just like I asked. Many restaurants won't be flexible in the kitchen.
I ordered the Med plate as my meal, and it was definitely more than enough! Every part of it was delicious, including the sauteed mushrooms I asked for as a replacement for feta (no cheese for me). My husband couldn't stop talking about his pizza, and he devoured the whole thing, which was unusual for him.
I will gladly give this restaurant 5 stars if we go back and the wonderful experience proves repeatable.
My wife and I had a really great time. We were on vacation for the weekend and will be coming back in a couple weeks. This place is very modern, dimly lit inside. We sat outside where you can eat or relax on some couches they have set up.
The bruschetta was AMAZING! You choose between 4. They come in a fairly big size compared to other bruschetta. Highly recommend trying the pulled pork bruschetta. We split a flatbread too which was ok, but the main event is the bruschetta. Can't wait to come back here during our spring training visit.
3.5 stars overall - nice wine bar on Mill Ave., slightly tucked away from the general chaos on Mill. Great ambiance, good service, good wine list, decent food.
$14 starter plates are large, meant for splitting 3-5 people (cheese, Mediterranean, salumi plates available). We polished off the Mediterranean - hummus was fantastic, Â as were olives. Flatbread was on the chewy side (microwaved?), and baba ghanoush was rather unauthentic, oddly watery.
$12 bruschetta is a steal (!) but vaguely reminiscent of Postino.
Would recommend visiting for the wine bar.
I came in here for lunch during the work week and found it to be a nice place to get away from work for a little while...open patio, big floor to ceiling glass windows, nice lighting. Service was pretty good, not the fastest to get food to your table but that's because the fresh yummy pizzas need their time.
The Harvest Chop salad is really yummy (love pasta in my salad!) and filling. The pizza crust is soft and springy and gets a blistery burnt crust, which I really like.
I visited La Bocca on the recommendation of my brother, who works nearby and has enjoyed it. Â Our waitress suggested the bruschetta planks and pizza, so we split one of each. Â I love that you get to choose the four bruschetta you get on your plank; when I visit next time, I will probably have the beet/goat cheese/honey one for all four choices, as it was incredible. Â We also really enjoyed the pesto. Â We chose the Sicily pizza and found it wonderful. Â
We were fortunate to visit during beautiful weather, and ate on the patio. Â There's a fun vibe here, with lots of happy people enjoying the food.
It's hard to believe this chic wine bar is bang in the middle of the Mill Ave $2 beer mayhem.
Food is good, wine list is extensive, service is friendly, but, it's something else that makes me a regular here - their Truffled Mushroom pizza.
I have to declare that I am not a salad person and I would pick meat over veggies in a heartbeat, BUT, this pizza is heaven on a flatbread. The balsamic vinaigrette tossed fresh spinach over crumbled goat cheese tease your taste buds with the right amounts of tang and mush. The flatbread and the mushrooms play their part in taking you into a food coma with every bite.
My hubby savors the precious moments when this pizza melts the hardcore carnivore in me to a thing of the past. The only place where sharing my pie is never an option, and, boxing it up even more so!
On another note though, it's hard to believe their pastas come from the same kitchen. They are awful. Rest of their pies are mediocre at best. The bruschettas are divine. Yes, they are as good as Postinos minus the long wait and with better service. Olives are locally sourced and served nice and warm. Perfect for a winter date night on the patio.
Nothing at La Bocca was bad, but if a restaurant puts "pizzeria" in its own name, my standards immediately go up.
I ordered a pizza with figs and ricotta, but if you don't tell them directly to leave off the red sauce, they won't (even though nobody ever in the history of the world has ordered a fig and ricotta pizza with tomato sauce.) My companion ordered a vegan veggie pizza, but didn't finish it. Compared to the other options on Mill Avenue, especially pizza, this place is definitely A-OK in my book. It just doesn't pack the punch necessary to qualify as a place worthy of specializing in pizza.
I consider myself somewhat of a pizza aficionado, and this place has 3-star pizza in my book.
The service was ssuuuuuuper slow and ssuuuuuper unfriendly.
The prices were not outrageous, but I would not consider it "worth it."
Nice decor and atmosphere though.
With so many trendy pizza restaurants around, especially in Phoenix, you really gotta be on your pizza and customer service game, and this place didn't cut it for me. Â Not awful... but I'm going somewhere else for a pizza and wine dinner.
La Bocca has 309 reviews as of the date I am writing this . . . so what can I tell you that is different and unique about this Urban Pizzeria and Wine Bar to make you want to try it . . . if you haven't already? Â
I have to admit I never have eaten one of their pizzas, nor have I ever had a glass or two of wine here. The first thing I ordered on my first visit was their Heirloom Beet Salad. I love beets and never buy or cook them at home. Most restaurants, that do serve them, have absolutely no idea how wonderful and versatile they can be, nor how to prepare them properly.
I understand that everything else they serve is excellent . . . but I may never get a chance to try any of them. I will continue to eat the Heirloom Beet Salad until they remove it from the menu, or until I totally burn out on it! Â Naught! Doubtful, very doubtful.
One of my all time favorite restaurants!
The food is amazing and you have to have their sangria (white or red- both are great!)
Their food is adventurous but not over the top- great place for foodies to go.
It's a great atmosphere too! No matter where you sit it's great- the bar, at a table, or on their loungie couches. Â It has a great vibe and is a great place to go on a date, meet up with some girlfriends, or start your night at!
This place hovers between a 3- and 4-star rating. I saw the Groupon for La Bocca and didn't get it, because I'm not a pizza fan for the most part unless it's truly amazing. After dining there, I couldn't help comparing it with La Grande Orange Pizzeria: both boast gourmet pizzas and fancy appetizers with similar price points. I personally prefer LGO's pizza because of the better/thinner crust and higher-quality cheese.
La Bocca's wood-fired pizza -- for the record, the porco/pulled pork pizza -- did not give me the bubbling cheese impression when it first came out; instead, the cheese was stiff and lukewarm. Also, the pork pieces were scantily and unevenly distributed, hardly meaty at all. So don't mistake the porco pizza for a meat lover's heaven. The pulled pork was certainly porky (= greasy) but not juicy or flavorful.
On a side note, La Bocca's leftover pizza slices did not make a satisfying meal the following day -- the reheated dough was rock-hard and inedible. On the other hand, LGO's leftover pizza was still delicious 3 days later.
As for its famed bruschetta appetizers, I saw the appeal but didn't get it. We got prosciutto, pesto, garlic, and ricotta bruschettas. My reaction: Mehhh. They were filling (admittedly lots of carbs) but far from something I would go back for. They taste quite the same to me and the bread wasn't my favorite.
If you want to make good bruschetta at home, here's a recipe:
1) sourdough crisps (from Costo)
2) goat cheese
3) fig jam
4) Assemble 1 + 2 + 3. Voila!
Maybe I'm spoiled by easy-and-yummy bruschettas I can make at home, I was definitely not impressed by what I spent $12 for in La Bocca.
We also got the sangria. A lot of alcohol for its price; also a lot of syrup.
I agree La Bocca is a nice place to hang out with my ASU friends and a good alternative if I don't want to drive to LGO. It would be even nicer if I have a groupon to get a couple dollars off the bill. But it lacks the finess I was looking for in an outstanding pizzeria. Nice, but mediocre in my book.
P.S. valet parking good for 2 hours if you park in the garage nearby.
A group of us went for a birthday dinner because of a Groupon that was purchased.
I am a FAN.
Two of us from the group went back for lunch less than two weeks later and the ambiance was just as accomadating for a conversation between the two of us as it was for a dinner with six friends.
The food is delicious. I recommend the Roasted Garlic, Goat Cheese and Arugula bruschetta.
They have 1/2 of glasses of wine during Happy Hour as well.
This is for sure becoming one of my favority cozy spots.
I've been to La Bocca a few more times since my original review. The pizza is still great and competitive with the other great brick oven pizza joints in the area.
The big feature in this update is the ice cream cookie. This dessert resembles the fabled pizza cookie at Oregano's, but is undoubtedly better. First of all, the ice cream is of excellent quality and comes in a couple unique flavors (provided by Sweet Republic). We had the mint ice cream, which had bits of mint leaves and chocolate chips in it, leading to an amazing fresh flavor (like an ice cream mojito). Second, the cookie was baked perfectly and had a large amount of chocolate in it. The warm cookie dough and chocolate had such an excellent flavor. Lastly, the dessert was reasonably sized for two people to share and indulge in the great flavors, but without over doing it. I wouldn't go here again without getting this dessert.
While slightly more expensive than most pizza places in Tempe, their pizza are made with fresh ingredients and are extremely flavorful. They are very generous with their herbs and spices. The pesto and tomato bruschetta is very refreshing and tasty.
If you are not stuffed after their delicious pizza, I highly recommend trying their cookie and ice-cream dessert. The cookie is served soft and warm right out of the oven, exactly the way you want to eat a cookie! The mint ice-cream goes really well with the chocolate chip cookie, especially with the fresh mint they add to the ice-cream.
A great place for a casual get-together.
Ok, this place rocks! Â Fantastic all around - the atmosphere, price and of course the food all hit the bullseye.
We had the fig bruschetta appetizer, salad, and pizza (made our own). Â The appetizer was amazing and you should definitely get it! Â
The pizza was also great (we ate a few other places and this easily beat everytthing else). Â
Do yourself a favor and go there!
Guys, skip applebees, this is where to take a lady. It's not expensive, there's delicious bruchetta and salads disguised as "trendy" "light" food, and great drinks. It's very laid back and the service is very accommodating and fun. Here you'll see small groups of girls/women dining, and a multitude of couples. I definitely recommend the bruchetta and grab a glass or two of wine.
They have a large screen playing movies (last time I was in it was playing Lebowski...so PLUS!) and the whole ambiance/design/decor what have you is relaxing, rustic, and unique. A great place for lunch or dinner. They also had some good tunes playing. Very urban rustic casual...if that even makes sense. check it out!
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