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Pasta Paradiso - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
One Market PlzSan Francisco, CA 94105
Neighbourhood: SOMA
(415) 618-0477
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
21 reviews for Pasta Paradiso
Review Highlights
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"...was pretty darn good, thick sauce and noodles, carb heaven." In 3 reviews -
"this is my favorite place in the food court." In 4 reviews -
"...to get here is actually the polpette (meatball) sandwich." In 3 reviews
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21 reviews in English
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Review from Mariela D.
San Francisco, CA
7/19/2010 1 Check-in Here
I had my doubts about this place because my experience with food court Italian has been bad (think Sbarros and heat lamps). But Pasta Paradiso actually makes your food to order, so you get the freshness of a restaurant with the speed and low cost of a food court. Your pasta comes with a small side order of bread with little butter packets. You can add a side salad and drink for $3 more (I think). I love the pasta with canadian bacon and rose sauce, but my second favorite is the penne pasta with italian sausage and red peppers.
I don't like the vinaigrette dressing they use on their salad, but that's just my opinion. -
Review from Alison B.
10/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Definitely satisfied my craving for pasta when I came here for lunch. Good portion size, price was standard for a quick lunch in the area. Nothing to write home about, but I would come back again if I was in the mood for pasta.
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Review from Ynot T.
San Francisco, CA
My experience with this eatery at One Market Plaza has been very mixed but there is an odd consistency to this madeness. This is owned by the same Pasta Paradiso people on Spear Street so this is like a satellite location. The service here is slow and sometimes it's understandable other times it's just down right obnoxious like the experience I had yesterday. I ordered #26 on the menu a plain grilled chicken breast meat sandwich I was number 64 and this was for eating in. I was there before many people and #69 was called before I was. How did I know I was there before everyone else because everyone else received their food and I was the lone soul waiting for his.
The other gripe I have with this place and this without a doubt is not a fluke, the portion sizes at this location when it comes to sandwiches has always been smaller than the Spear Street location. The chicken breast you get in your sandwich is about half the meat you would get at the other location. The slowness and quantity of the food really killed it for Pasta Paradiso at One Market Plaza. They still however have a comparable spaghetti and meatball meal that is consistently good. -
Review from matt m.
San Francisco, CA
9/28/2007
CARBS! CARBS! CARBS!
I'm not usually one to eat Pasta for lunch, but this week has been a different story with the energy burning weekend ahead (see Drue C's review of Cafe Bene). My co-worker recommended the garlic chicken pasta here, so I gave it a try.
And because I've been a little piggy this week, I got the Bruschetta as well. It came as two pieces, all olive-oiled up & loaded with diced tomatoes.
The pasta itself was pretty good--Fusilli, olive oil, basil, fresh mozzarella, chicken and GARLIC.
Plenty of that.
I'm glad my clients can't smell my breath through the phone. Ok...who am I kidding, I have barely been on the phone all day.
For mall/cafeteria style ordering & pickup, this place actually tastes better than some sit-down Italian restaurants I have visited in the city.
More Pasta reviews soon to come...Listed in: FiDi Sustenance
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Review from Michael M.
San Francisco, CA
2/20/2008
Well, to be exact, 2.5 stars for some very average pasta.
I've been finding the right day to go here. Being a bit cold, and I was a bit hungry, I thought today was the day. I pass by their sister location on Spear, but I wanted speed, and came here instead.
I ordered the Fettuccine Carbonara, which was supposed to have eggs, bacon, and cheese. Well, in order to make this correctly, you have to temper the eggs so they don't come out "scrambled" when making the sauce on the hot pasta. Well, that's what looked like came out. Scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon. Not the thick sauce that it should be. Now as for me, I've never been able to do that right either, but here, I suppose they should. I like my pasta tender, but here it was more al dente, which if that's to your liking, you're in luck! (Somebody around there parts may scold me for liking tender pasta, but that's me.) So a big fat "EH" on the pasta.
I ordered the combo with Cesar Salad, with a drink, costs $3 extra. The dressing was of the creamy variety, which is fine. But it has a slightly tart, acidic taste to it. Creamy and a bit sour really don't go together well in my mind.
If you're in a hurry, this place will get you in and out fast. Hence, 2.5 stars for very average pasta, but 1/2 star added for speed.
It should be noted that portions are big. So big that I couldn't finish everything ... maybe half or so.
Now that I've had my fill of pasta, and am very full .... I bid you good-night while I sleep under my desk. They provided an Emergency Survival Kit on my desk complete with blanket and rations for 3 days.
And for some of you ... yes it's an actual new review and not just an edit. :-PListed in: My Lunch Spots
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Review from lesley c.
San Leandro, CA
9/29/2011
Way too expensive! The service was what I did not like, waitress had attitude and I felt like it was a foo foo place not welcoming.
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Review from Yun C.
San Francisco, CA
9/29/2011
My bad. I ordered a salad. I asked for the strawberry artichok and chicken salad. It sounded delicious on the menu description and looked good on their daily sample display! However, my chicken tasted just like the ones on the display ... air-dried, stiff as cardboard. The crumbled cheese was also gooey looking. Bleh, I couldn't even finish half.
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Review from Marco C.
San Francisco, CA
1/3/2008
When you're in the mood for pasta, this is probably one of the best, quickest places to get hooked up. They have a wide array of pastas, from spaghetti to ravioli, as well as some solid items like meatball subs.
Speaking of meatball subs, Pasta Paradiso offers the best in the Market and Embarcadero area. It's solidly meaty with a good thick sauce on a toasted focaccia bun, and it comes with a little salad too, which is a nice touch.
The fusilli pavarotti, with a sauce chock-full of roasted vegetables, is also excellent. Pasta Paradiso tip: you can actually get any pasta with any sauce, even if that particular combo is not on the menu. Try asking for "ravioli pavarotti." You'll enjoy it.
The pasta comes with some really good, crispy Italian bread too. I don't know where they get it, but I wish I did -- I'd just buy some to eat at home. It's that good. -
Review from Jason B.
2/16/2008
Five stars for a small chain restaurant in San Francisco? Yep. The chicken sandwich on focaccia alone is delicious and above-average alone, and when you add in the generous side of greens at no cost, we're in solid four star territory.
The fifth star comes from the service. I asked for my sandwich no mayo, and the order taker inquired if I also wanted to no dressing on my greens. Nice gesture, and since I didn't even know I was getting greens, probably would have come away disappointed had I not been asked. Nice extra effort, and with the good food, a five star lunch spot in my book. -
Review from Elisa L.
San Francisco, CA
11/2/2008
Honestly, I feel that I am a very generous person. I've given this place multiple chances as I work very close to this area. The first time I tried this kiosk I had a creamy garlic spaghetti. Sounds delicious right? WRONG. I knew it was going to be a basic pasta but at this place basic means a container of boiled spaghetti and virtually no sauce or flavor. I also ordered their garlic bread. What can go wrong with garlic bread??? Well their garlic bread is more like pita bread that is hard and tastes like cardboard.
The next time I went back I decided to give it another chance because of such a bad experience. I ordered the crab salad (which was actually good). The problem is when I went to pay I realized my receipt was charged at least a 1-2 dollars more than the menu listed!!!! I asked the woman at the front and she said to me that people have said that to her before but they have changed the prices and she would not honor the price listed on BOTH the giant boards. She said I could cancel my order or be charged whatever she chose to charge me. That is completely illegal. I have no idea where to report them.
DO NOT SUPPORT THIS BUSINESS!!! -
Review from ikeb i.
San Mateo, CA
4/10/2007
I got the Crab Cake Salad to go and they were quick with the order (much appreciated as my lunch break was running long....)
I recommend it... that is, if you prefer your salads completely drenched in dressing & covered in olives. =P -
Review from Leslie L.
San Francisco, CA
6/10/2009
This is a pretty good place for a quick hot lunch for under $10. Nothing fancy, but it is definitely the best place in this food court (don't even get me started on the joke that is "360 Degrees Gourmet Burritos" - the name itself is already trying too hard; just call it what it is: a wrap!) (And yes, I am competing for most punctuation marks in a single sentence.)
They have good variety in terms of types of pasta, sauces, and ingredients. They also have salads, including one with crabcakes that looks good, but I have yet to try it. My favorite thing to get here is actually the polpette (meatball) sandwich. It comes with a side salad and, like most of their pastas, is enough food for 2 meals - score! -
Review from La C.
San Francisco, CA
10/29/2009
Yep A-Ok!
Went here for lunch with a group of coworkers. I wanted to be 'good' and got the Salad #2 option, chicken breast, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and balsamic dressing. It was a nice size and decent tasting. One of my coworkers ordered the fettuccine and another spaghetti, huge portions and included bread with butter. I was lucky to score a bite of the fettuccine and it was pretty darn good, thick sauce and noodles, carb heaven! They seem to have many options and prices that run under $10. There was plenty of seating available and its part of a food court so if your party doesn't want pasta they have many other choices. I would definitely return again. -
Review from Matt H.
San Francisco, CA
1/18/2010
I go here whenever I need carb fix or I want to go super-healthy because of their salmon & veggies meal. The latter is a slightly higher priced, longer to make, and smaller portions, but still tastes really good! For my carb cravings, I usually get the garlic pasta, which sometimes can come out heavy on the olive oil, but I'm just glad they aren't covering it with butter... On the days they have the seafood risotto AND I want a super-heavy lunch, I get that. There's tons of sauce in that one, so be prepared to be full, but it's sooo good.
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Review from Joyce Man H.
San Francisco, CA
12/15/2010
ok this place is just sucky. the $7.50 pasta could have been made by a 5 year old. it's just pasta, sauce, and some heated up sausage and mushrooms. they advertised pine nuts and there weren't any. lame. don't go here.
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Review from Xander S.
San Francisco, CA
12/22/2006
Consistently delicious. Fair prices. Substantial portions. Cooked to order and always quick and piping hot. I love the penne arrabiata with chicken. Very nice and inventive salads and specials. Patricia is the cashier and if you are nice, she will give you a free cookie on the house. There is also a sitdown restaurant version of the same place further down Spear St near Howard.
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Review from Ken B.
Phoenix, AZ
8/4/2009
Just got back from lunch here....feeling very....very....sleepy. Essentially, it's large pasta portions with generous amounts of sauce/meat for under $8 or so. And it tastes good! Definitely the best place in 1 Market for lunch. I got the Penne Rustica...grilled chicken, tomato sauce, and mushrooms mixed together. Time for a nap.
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Review from Andrew T.
El Cerrito, CA
5/19/2009
i LOVE hitting up "one market plaza" for lunch, during the week. and they, literally, are open ONLY during lunch hours on weekdays. this is my favorite place in the food court. they have plenty of options to choose from. they have just about every type of pasta dish. my favorite is probably the chicken fettuccine alfredo. i even liked the turkey lasagna, even though im not a big turkey fan. the only dish is didn't like too much was the fettuccini carbonara, because they used ham instead of bacon. prices are very reasonable for FiDi(about $7 or $8 a plate). and the portions are HUGE. definitely a good spot to check out...
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Review from Stephanie D.
Alameda, CA
4/23/2009
We normally hit up the local restaurants in the FiDi but today decided to stay in. Glad my coworker found this in search of something new other then the usual in-house catered lunches. Contacted Pasta Paradiso for our staff of about 16, they were more then gladly to accommodate us with individual orders opposed to catering tray sizes. Faxed in the order the day before, received a confirmation call the same day, & they delivered on time. The food was decent and we'll probably use them again. Our order included gnocchi in tomato sauce, fettuttine carbonara, roast pork loin, seafood risotto, lamb chops, grilled salmon, fried calamari, fried ravioli and a few others I know I'm leaving out. Everyone enjoyed their meals. Everyone had pretty good sized portions. What surprised all of us were the prices. What a great deal! Nice to know they're around for those days I'm wandering around wanting something other then a quick sandwich or salad for lunch.
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Review from Jason B.
Los Angeles, CA
4/27/2010
Pasta was way overcooked - and it wasn't even busy at the time. In-excusable.
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Review from Peter W.
San Francisco, CA
8/9/2010
okay pasta
