We tried Rocco's on a Sunday evening after visiting with a friend in the area...purely based on the excellent reviews on Yelp. Â There was definitely not any disappointment. Â The atmosphere was very romantic as described and the food was full of flavor. Â Although we were stuck eating at the bar as we did not have a reservation, it still ended up being a great experience as the staff was very friendly and attentive. Â Given this place appears to have become very popular in the area, I would strongly recommend a reservation.
Review Source:We've been meaning to try this relatively new restaurant in San Clemente for a while. Â Loooong story, but ended up here on Thanksgiving night. Â Rocco's saved our Thanksgiving! What a cozy, romantic, yummy, and friendly restaurant! Â Our food was absolutely delicious, the ambience perfect (adults only in our group), and the owners and staff so wonderful. Â I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant for an adult night out, and can't wait to return and try the regular menu.
Thank you, thank you , thank you for saving our holiday dinner!
Some restaurant owners "get it". Â Rocco "got it".
We have eaten here several times and each time it is a lovely experience. Our favorite location in San Clemente, the charm and personal touch keep us coming back. The pork chops are tender and worth the trip. The snails are delicious, when available. The service has always been personable even when extremely busy. It does get toasty should it be busy, which is my one critique. However, you will enjoy seeing the chef create his dishes first hand. Definitely worth a visit, but definitely make reservations on a weekend.
Review Source:Soooo delicious! The decor and ambiance is average but nice and the waitress service is good, but stoic. However, the food is amazing and I highly recommend it. Rocco the chef does all the cooking nearly single handedly and the results are superb. The escargot was something new for me and I'll admit, a little intimidating. But I loved it so much I'd order it again and again and recommend it to anyone. The parpadelle with vodka sauce was the best I've ever had. The risotto with filet mignon, champignon mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and arugula was rich and nutty- perfect for fall. I will be back and I highly recommend you try this place next time you are looking for a meal prepared with care, authenticity and above all flavor.
Review Source:My husband and I tried this place for the first time last week and absolutely loved it! The food was amazing and the wine was great! The ambience was cozy and warm. Everyone was laughing and talking and it felt like family.
The owner came up and shook our hands, and we drank our wine together and had a causal conversation.
We are definitely going back. :)
WOW!!!! This deserves 5 plus stars!!! Rocco's was a fabulous dining experience all the way around. i had to find a place for my mothers Birthday and found them on <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FRestaurant.com&s=0aab4cbd731f3d3b0d1453050d3abc56a8c80bd214e25469c7555b750dca8a51" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Restaurant.com</a>. I called and they were very accommodating in taking my reservations for a quiet table which we got. We started with the Escargot. delicious!!
I had the Salmon topped with penko Crab meat crust with a champagne butter sauce that was delicious, the rest of my party , the Large Grilled Shrimp, the Veal, and the Chicken Saltimbocca, each plate served perfectly, not one miss. they loved it. I had bites of their dishes. OMG they all tasted delectable. Â The service was great!!
This is what you expect when you go out and dine. Very hard to find in South Orange County. If you don't give this place a try you are missing out. If you love Salmon you HAVE to try theirs!!
The night started out great with the wine, ambiance and the appetizers. the empanadas and the caprese salads were great. Â It's a very cute and small restaurant. You can see the cooks prepping in the kitchen.
Dinner, however, is inconsistent. My risotto aurora was cooked with too much wine....(actually way too much wine). Not sure if they are known for the paella...but one of our friends ordered paella and it was too salty to swallow, so the chef made a new plate of paella. And the new plate of paella actually tasted like my riosotto that was soaked into too much wine. The paella had too much wine in it.... Then my friend bit into an under-cooked raw shrimp... we informed our waitress again... She denied the shrimp being half raw and took the plate back to the kitchen. They didn't charge us for that plate, but they also didn't admit the shrimp was half raw.
Left a bad taste for us...
I have lived in San Clemente a very long time and while I like most of the restaurants I have to say that Roccos is the true gem of the city. It has a great menu, very personal service, superb food and just a wonderful atmosphere. The wine selection is broad and the waiters and bartender know what they are pouring and can give you great advice. The specials are always worth trying and despite many visits and many recommendations I do not know one person who was disappointed and not thankful for the tip. Â My only reservation about writing this review is that it is a place I love to think is a local secret that should remain that way.
Review Source:Been meaning to go here for about a year. Â Finally went for the first time last night and was really hoping to LOVE it. Â Like the menu theme and it was very cute inside (although smaller -- and louder -- than I expected). Â Good that we made reservations because they were very busy. Â We were given one of the two smal tables in the back corner by the restrooms. Â We had called ahead and found out their corkage fee was $10 (which is great) and brought a bottle of wine to have with our dinner. Â Love reasonable corkage fees. Â We ordered ahi tuna appetizer, caesar salad, filet mignon, and salmon (one of the specials). Â The amuse bouche we received was bite size cornbread that had been pan fried (think tater tot). Â Server was nice, but not terribly attentive; no big deal. Â Ahi tuna was very good and tasty. Â Salad -- skip it -- unremarkable. Â Filet mignon was ordered medium rare but came fairly rare, which DH liked but I did not. Â It was tender and nicely cooked. Â Salmon special was nice but it wasn't special enough to order again. Â Both mains came with mashed potatoes (very good) and sauteed spinach (which was over salted). Â Food was good but not as good as I hoped. Â Our biggest issue came with having to wait at least 45 minutes between the salad and the entrees. Â There was no bread or anything to help pass the time and the server never said "sorry, or it's coming soon". Â by the time the entrees arrived we had already drank the whole bottle of wine and had virtually no food to go with it (ahi tuna doesn't add up to much). Â It was at least 1:30 from the time we were seated till we got the real food -- our entrees. Â We would've ordered extra appetizers or something if we'd known it would be so long. Â The whole place was also very very warm throughout the evening. Â Bottom line, we liked it but didn't love it.
Review Source:What a find! Â Had a lunch there with 5 good friends yesterday. Â Service was attentive, but the food was the star. Â All of us got different things and raved about each dish. Â The crabcake and the ahi appetizers were out of this world. Â Spicy, but not too much with party in your mouth flavor! Â Try the Venezuelan dishes--they are magnificent.
A small, but adequate wine list and priced very well. Â And speaking of prices, we thought it was the '80's. Â Luncheon entrees start at $6 (and end at $10) and the appetizers were in the $5 range.
We chatted up Rocco after lunch. Â He is passionate about his business and food and it shows. Â He's got some marketing work to do (his website is still under construction after a year), but don't let that slow you down. Â A gem of a place in San Clemente.
Great apps, soup and salad and very good service. Cool little spot. Entrees were pretty good. We had the homade pasta in vodka sauce, which was probably the best of the three, linguini with clams and the filet Maxwell. Clams were ok but the filet was a bad cut and really tough. We all said we'd go back though. They also brought us a cheesecake for our friends bday that was really good. Borderline 3.5 but you just can't mess up a filet that bad and get 4 stars.
Review Source:I seriously love this place. Â The service is sooo friendly and the atmosphere is charming!
I could have sworn I wrote a review about this place ages ago, but I can't find it. Â So let me share my recent experience.
Last night I came with a couple others we REALLY enjoyed everything. Â My hubs and I both ordered a glass of Malbec and our friend ordered a glass of Chianti. Â We started with the Tuna Tartar and it was wonderful! Â Not what you expect at all. Â It was savory, creamy, and pops of pine nuts. Â Super delicious! Â Then we had the awesome amazing Rocco's take on Seafood Paella, which I didn't order, but have had and love it! Â I ordered a large flat noodle pasta dish with Prosciutto and added shrimp...very good. Â Perfectly balanced. Â My husband ordered the Salmon with mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. Â The Salmon portion size was very generous and so was the sauteed spinach...soooo good!
Over all, this place get my 5 stars! Â It was such a great night with great food, great atmosphere, service, and friends!
Had an impromptu dinner with friends tonight. Â What a wonderful surprise Rocco's was for us. Â The international flair was wonderful, the prices are solid, the service is great and the vibe is fun. Â Oh yeah, and the Chianti is awesome too!
I strongly recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, laid back experience with great food. Â We sat at the bar and had great conversation. Â At times we actually felt like we were in Europe. Â Â
The highlight for us was the beautiful yellow lab that sat at the front door with his head poking in the door, as he watched his owners have dinner. Â Such a fun, light hearted vibe. Â All 4 of us are big fans!
Hits and misses, this is how I would describe our experience. First the hits.
The waiter was really good. Â Enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and really seemed a fan of the restaurant. Â
Another hit was my dinner - Al Pastor marinated in pineapple. Â Extremely tasty and tender although the portion size was a bit stingy. Â The black beans were really good as was the rice.
The misses. Â My wifes paella was a plate of rice with small bits of fish and meats. Â Not at all the paella I have enjoyed in other restaurants. Â No saffron taste, not enough substance. Â
Another miss was the bartender who apparently is responsible for serving wine even to the tables. Â I had a glass of a very decent Malbec and ordered a second. Â She came over to pour and at about two-thirds of a glass the bottle ran out. Â No problem she said, I will open another and be right back.
Well, she never returned leaving me with a $10 glass of short pour. Â Really annoying particularly when I looked over to see her chatting on the phone.
Finally, the acoustics are enough to kill you. Â The voice of some shrill pitched women bounced around the room like a beech ball. Â Overall, the volume level given there were no more than 20 people in the place was really annoying.
So overall, the food seems promising, the waiter was amazing but other factors mentioned above worked against making me want to return anytime soon
I don't normally spend much time in SC but decided to try Rocco's last week since we'd be near there to get the girlfriend's taxes done (wee!). So we found the place, eventually found a parking spot and sauntered in to find a restaurant barely bigger than my apartment. That sort of intimacy can usually go one of two ways but luckily for Rocco's it made for a very home-y vibe and a great experience.
We ordered the Chicken Saltimbocca and while we waited were served some of the arepas, which were delicious - basically like eating the exterior of a corn dog dipped in a nice, spicy mustard. When the Saltimbocca arrived, the smell alone nearly did it for me. It was served with mashed potatoes and spinach and covered in a brown gravy-like sauce. Oh man... every bite I took was absolute heaven. The Saltimbocca was prosciutto and fresh mozzarella wrapped inside a chicken breast, which was perfectly juicy and flavorful. The mashed potatoes were perfect in texture and flavor and I couldn't get enough. I'm not a huge fan of cooked spinach, but I could've eaten more of theirs. Absolutely delicious.
And the service was fantastic. Despite being busy, our waitress was perfectly sweet and attentive. All-in-all a truly fantastic evening and I can't wait to go back.
Dinner here is great. South American and Italian classics. Home-made pastas and don't forget to ask about the off-menu desserts. The tres-leches  cake (when it's available), will make you cry... it's that good!
But here's the best part: Lunch. Lunch at Rocco's is probably one of the best deals in town if not the entire county. $5 for a giant plate of beef or pork tacos or a handful of excellent sandwiches and $7 for a big bowl of seafood cocktail loaded with shrimp and fish and octopus... I love octopus... droool.
The service is friendly too.
I'm usually not one to hand out superlatives, but this place earns them all with flying colors. I've gone there at least once a week since they opened and have never had a bad experience. Everyone I've ever taken there has become an instant fan.
Conclusion: Don't walk... run to Rocco's.
Very good!!! Â Be adventurous and try the Latin influenced foods. Â The empenadas are like pizza rolls from God! Â Their Ropa Vieja is very good.
Overall I found their Italian items good, but not great. Â Unless you are willing to drive up to Redondo Beach, this is one of the best Cuban experiences. Â Be carefully this is a very small space so arrive early or late.
My wife and I went this past weekend for a date night. Â Food and service were both excellent. The dining area is very small and this adds to the nice/cozy atmosphere. The Chef/Owner included a complimentary appetizer that was very good. Â A gentleman playing guitar added to the ambiance.
Review Source:Do not confuse this restaraunt with "LA Rocco's Pizzeria" as they are two different places entirely.
We had this restaurant cater some food for a company meeting and it was a winner all-around. Some items could use a bit more seasoning and the price can be a bit much, but the staff was very friendly.
I do not recall the names of all of the food items, as they was ordered for us, but I will describe what I can.
The Salad contained a nice soft dressing that had a good combination of flavor. It was tossed with egg and tomato to provide a light healthy salad to start your meal.
The Seviche was a bit "watery" or "runny" compared to traditional seviche but was had some delicious contents. It could have used a bit more flavor to combat the ever feared "rubber" taste. The chopped octopus tentacles, whole baby octapus, shrimp, tomato made for a good eat. This dish seemed to be lacking ZING! but overall had an interesting composition.
The Pulled pork sandwich had some pesto sauce added that brought in an explosion of flavor and made the meal very enjoyable. I have to admit I ate two of these they were so good! Because it was seasoned to my taste this was favorite part of the meal.
The restaurant itself is an open, cozy place to eat, with a classic, welcoming bar. I love the open-air kitchen environment with only glass separating you from your Chef.
Another great find from <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FRestaurant.com&s=0aab4cbd731f3d3b0d1453050d3abc56a8c80bd214e25469c7555b750dca8a51" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Restaurant.com</a>. A friend and I had a fantastic dinner here last night. Everything was perfect from the ambiance, to the service , to the food itself. We started with the caprese (the mozzarella was delicious) and a couple glasses of wine. My friend had the special- a pasta with shrimp and broccoli, I had the broccoli soup (super flavorful and spicy). We enjoyed everything, and were especially impressed with the quality of service. (Thanks Sam!) They even had an acoustic guitar player in the corner, making this the perfect spot for a romantic evening! Highly recommended.
Review Source:My husband and I wanted to like this place sooooo much! We sat at the bar both times and the bartender was really friendly and helpful. Unfortunately the food just didn't deliver. Overpriced for the quality. First time we split a caprese (that came sans balsamic so we had to ask for some) and the paella. It was under-seasoned and lacking in any real flavor. We figured it had just opened and they were working out the kinks so we gave it a second chance. This time we shared crab cakes (didn't even finish them - marginal) and a pasta dish. The pasta sauce tasted as if it could have come from a jar. I wish I could be more complimentary, but it just didn't work. I hope things improve! Would love to have another good place to put into our rotation around town, but until I hear from someone else they had an incredible, amazing, mind-blowing experience I'm not willing to take another chance.
Review Source:Nice find!  We think this is a new restaurant  since we hadn't seen it a few months ago but we stopped in 3 weeks ago and had a great meal and wine....we went back this past weekend and everything was GREAT - that's TWO visits - TWO home runs! Â
The Chef there Rocco comes out and will talk to you and make recommendations if you like - he told us everything is made fresh daily and it tastes like it.
We had the Crab Fettucine, Rack of Lamb, Soup and Salad with Wine and the bill was very reasonable.
This place is on our 'Go Back' list.
Happened on this gem one Sunday. The wife and kids and I sat down and ordered some wine.
We tried a number of different items. Everything was great. Even my picky kids went to town. They also got a kick out of watching Rocco, the chef/owner do the cooking.
All in all a great way to end the week.
Found this through <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FRestaurant.com&s=0aab4cbd731f3d3b0d1453050d3abc56a8c80bd214e25469c7555b750dca8a51" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Restaurant.com</a> and had a nice dinner for two. We only ordered two entrees: daily special crab fettucine and their rack of lamb. Both were very good and prepared nicely by the chef/owner. The atmosphere is quaint and they still act somewhat new since it's only two months old. They start you with a free traditional cornbread appetizer with a chipotle aioli which was very nice. They don't offer a large menu but enough to keep you interested. We'll be back next time we're in San Clemente.
Review Source:We found this place by accident and during the first couple weeks it opened. Â We were so pleased, because it has become our local favorite. Â This place is incredible. Â Excellent wine list, delicious food - lunch and dinner! Â And the service is fantastic! Â The owner and chef (Rocco) makes everything fresh and you can see the kitchen from your table. Â
We've had appetizers (ahi, calabrese, caprese, soup, salads) and entrees (pasta dishes, salmon, paella) and everything has been just incredible. Â We've had some crazy and over the top dinners and we walked out of there feeling guilty -- the prices are so reasonable. Â
$5 for lunch - sandwich and salad. Â You just cannot beat that.
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