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Sodini's Green Valley Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
510 Green St(between Grant Ave & Bannam Pl)
San Francisco, CA 94133
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
(415) 291-0499
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
391 reviews for Sodini's Green Valley Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"...side is that they don't take reservations so you need to..." In 13 reviews -
"Dressing on my house salad was SUPER garlicky but delish." In 20 reviews -
"the ambiance superb (dim lighting, Rat Pack theme." In 10 reviews
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- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
391 reviews in English
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Review from Tyler H.
Bay Area
5/17/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I'd say this is the best Italian restaurant in the city. Outside of Europe, I haven't had an Italian dinner this amazing. The service is great, and the menu will literally melt your face off.
Try the pesto--either on gnocci or ravioli, but it's the brightest green you've ever seen. I'm almost certain it could glow in the dark, and it's one of the best dishes I've ever had. -
Review from Jennifer D.
Somerville, MA
5/17/2012
One of my new favorite places in San Francisco. Was visiting for a long weekend, and Sodini's was recommended as a solid Italian place to go for my last night in town. As soon as I walked in the door, I knew it was a great suggestion. Best hospitality I've ever experienced. I walked in alone, and although it was fully crowded at 7pm on a Monday, the bartender, Ana, immediately found a seat for me at the bar. She poured me a drink quicker than I could order it, and soon found me a cozier spot at the other end of the bar where I'd have more room to order food. The waitress who took my order asked for my name, and by the end of the night we were saying our goodbyes as if we'd been friends for years (ok, the wine may have helped haha). Overall, the best dining experience of my vacation. Oh, and the Veal Parmigiana was pretty kickass as well.
Great food, drinks,and people. I'll definitely be heading back to Sodini's on my next West Coast trip :) -
Review from Jefferson L.
San Francisco, CA
5/9/2012
Mark Sodini, owner since ~1990, and bartender will take good care of you.
Food:
Classic Italian.
Service:
Best of North Beach hospitality.
Decor:
Sinatra humor abounds on the walls - "I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good ad they are going to feel all day." -
Review from Michelle K.
Rancho Cordova, CA
5/23/2012
We are total regualrs at this place! the owner knows us by name, and is so friendly!
Great food and atmosphere! Love evrything! -
Review from Kari A.
Chicago, IL
5/17/2012
A solid meal. Cute, unassuming spot in NB. Nothing unusual or out of this world, just good, quality food. Funny quirks -- on the menu you'll see their wine selection: 1. Red 2. White. And they don't serve dessert. Would defn return.
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Review from Anita H.
Derby, KS
4/19/2012
Asked about 30 locals where to go for good italian and we decided on this place due to the reviews. SO GLAD WE DID!!
Family Owned, Homemade, Cool Atmosphere, Exceptional service from Ana (bartender) and our server! Don't miss the house salad as the dressing is insanely good and the server offered to split it for us (when does that ever happen?) Best Chicken Piccata with Fettuccini pesto ever tasted.
If I knew how to add pictures, I would! -
Review from Mara Y.
San Francisco, CA
5/6/2012
Just had an amazing meal here. The calamari was incredible! I got the Seafood Linguine which was filled with fresh seafood, has huge portions, and a delicious sauce. I highly recommend this place!
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Review from S. M.
San Francisco, CA
3/24/2012
Sometimes I get so tired of eating foo-foo Italian food in SF and just
want some plain ol' angel hair pasta and meat sauce..
Sodini'a had it! All the traditional dishes....YUM.
Huge bar almost the same size as the restaurant.
The restaurant is small as heck but seems like its always packed...
So, if that doesn't speak for itself, I don't know what does!?!
Cozy little place with great servers~ -
Review from Flower V.
Mill Valley, CA
4/29/2012
I love this place! We stumbled on this place after trying to eat at Sotto Mare, Sotto was closed so we walked a block and saw this place. We were so hungry by this time and the smell coming from Sodinis was so amazing that we just about ran in and requested a table. Once we walked in we instantly loved the atmosphere! Friendly staff and amazing food!! I got the ravioli with pesto sauce and my husband got a seafood medley pasta. Once the food arrived we knew we choose well! Huge portions at a very reasonable price! We have come back a couple times and it is always good! Great service, great atmosphere and great food!!
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Review from Z C.
San Francisco, CA
3/3/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Great food at great prices. The portions are pretty generous too. I always feel like the places in North Beach a little off Broadway have way better food, prices, and ambiance. There is usually no wait or a very reasonable one.
I've gotten their clam and garlic pizza both times I've been and I'm drooling just thinking about it again. -
Review from Kevin M.
El Sobrante, CA
3/12/2012
The food is very good and the service is awesome. Such nice people, great ambiance, well made cocktails, and very fair prices. I would totally go here again.
Its not your typical commercial, touristy Italian place in north beach and its pretty romantic. Can get a little noisy if its a busy night but, overall its a great place.
Try the gnocchi w/ pesto. Super tasty! Also the cannelloni is really good. You cant go wrong!
Oh, and don't ask for a desert menu. I didn't read the sign outside and i asked out waitress and i got a comical "did you read the sign, NO RESERVATIONS, NO DESERT!"
I will definitely go back here!
Cheers -
Review from Billy M.
Brooklyn, NY
12/29/2011
Friends took us here for dinner. Typical little Italy joint. Their motto is no reservations, no decaf, no desserts. Should have added no good.
Food was typical bad Italian, pizza was terrible--tasted like they took it out of the freezer section of the supermarket, lasagna was boring, pesto gnocchi was over-sauced. Pretty much what you would expect from a tourist trap.
Would never go back or recommend this place to anyone. Left hungry because the food was so bad it wasn't worth finishing. Two stars because the service was good and the waitress was nice. -
Review from Joe J.
San Francisco, CA
1/11/2012 2 Check-ins Here
HAIKU REVIEW:
Comfortable as-is:
Head-spinning drinks by Ana;
Old-school style pastas. -
Review from Heidi M.
12/15/2011
To me, Sodini's is like the ex you call late at night, when you've had a bit to drink, even though you don't really actually even like that ex, and you always feel a little dirty and disappointed with yourself once you leave his place... Let's see. I used to come here pretty often with friends and coworkers. This was our go-to place to stuff our faces before drinking entirely too much. I feel they handle groups very well. The waits for a table were never too bad, even with large groups, and the service was cheerful and just attentive enough.
The portions are generous, the prices are fair, and the food is OK. They have a few dishes that they're known for (and which are already adequately reviewed on Yelp), but most of the menu is just so-so. They have an extensive wine list which includes quite a few inexpensive options.
So why am I not a fan? The food is really mediocre, even compared to the restaurants in this touristy neighborhood. It seems like every time we eat here, at least one person in the party feels ill afterwards... on that note, the last three times I've been here, there were mice running around the dining room, under the tables while we ate. It would have been funny if the staff wasn't so nonchalant about it (guess it happens all the time). They were actually kind of cute but... wow. Each time I go here, I promise myself I won't again, but then I end up in North Beach with friends, a couple of martinis under my belt, and into Sodini's I go... -
Review from Chris O.
12/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great service old style, felt a bit like family being here. The wait wasn't too bad and I thought all of the food was damn good, my gf had the pepper steak and I had a linguine with a creme mushroom sauce and some spinach on the side mmmm
I would also like to note they were really nice and didn't charge us a corkage fee for some wine we brought in, that was very cool of them and I'll be back! -
Review from Jim D.
10/10/2011
Sodini's is a very cozy Italian restaurant on Green St in North Beach with Rat Pack pictures all over the place. Imagine the movie "Good Fella's" and you are walking into a restaurant and everyone knows you. The place was crowded. We visited at 6:15pm on a Saturday night and 5 minutes later a half hour wait prevailed.
The pasta dishes run the price of $12.95 to $18.95 with the meat dishes running more. I ordered the lasagna and while the sauce was very good I felt that it was lacking meat and spinach. They made up for it with lots of cheese which I could give or take. Very good Italian food but the dressing on the salad is primero, it is enough for two people to split and the waitress highly recommended it.
I didn't have wine but it appears they have an extensive wine list and a fully stocked bar. Peroni's were $6.00...Ouch!!
Sodini's serves all of the Italian favorites and the service was excellent. -
Review from Rodney A.
San Pablo, CA
3/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
My bestfriend wanted to try this restaurant and when I heard it was family owned, I already was anxious to try the food. The service and food was spectacular! I will DEFINATELY return to this restaurant!
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Review from Kim U.
San Francisco, CA
11/7/2011
Usually it's my husband who is super enthused about Italian food, but I loved my experience at Sodini's. We went on a Saturday around 9 and waited maybe 20 minutes, the bartender was friendly and the restaurant has a great old school, jazzy vibe.
I tried and loved both salads we ordered, the caesar and caprese. When I read other reviews I thought, 'how good could the salads really be?' So, so good. They put red onion on their caprese with yummy fresh mozzerella and I don't think I've ever had better caesar dressing!
I had the linguine with clams and mussels as my entree, not usually a fan of red sauce, I thought this dish was delish. It had good amount of seafood and garlic -- yum.
Hope to be a repeat customer next time I'm in north beach for din! -
Review from Zane L.
Los Angeles, CA
4/23/2012
the best old school italian food in north beach....the knocchi in a creamy tomato sauce..an the drinks are killer..great help..great service if they are busy ask to eat at the bar.
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Review from Bernard mickey W.
San Francisco, CA
1/10/2012
The moment that I walked in the place it was magic .... The ambiance was amazing ...The Bartender greeted me right away and the way she did it was humerus, witty and welcoming all in one.... I sat at the bar because that's were my dinner partner had sat ... if you live in San Francisco and you don't go there you should be ashamed of yourself. I would suggest that you take a date, friends or family.
The food was great there was a perfect amount of dressing on my house salad and it was abundant but not to much ...
i had Linguine and Meatballs ... It was very good but there are a lot of things on the menu that I will go back and try ...But It was a very good start .....
I like the hand written checks that's just OG dude..... and that's how the place is. You do feel that you are in mafia movie , well it is an Italian place..... -
Review from Joi B.
7/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Hey, Lady, the Tramp called. He wants to try again, this time at Sodini's Green Valley Restaurant. And you're both gonna love it!
But, instead of spaghetti, I suggested that you order the manicotti. Sure, it's not as romantic as sharing spaghetti, but Sodini's baked manicotti is so perfect (the crucial crisp edges!), you'll never even think about twirling those strands again.
So, this is what I'm talking about! Straight-up, old school Italian American fare done right and down right delicious.
Romantic? As hell!
Check it:
--ambiance, just as you'd expect and it seems like it's been there forever, two intimate rooms, one with a bar, incredibly cozy, with all the Italian accoutrements we're so familiar with, including the ever-present framed black and white shots of patrons.
-checkered table cloths (well, maybe they were white linens. Doesn't matter cuz they were red checkered in spirit).
-no sugar in the sauce, no need, cuz your sugar is across the table from you!
-the perfect glass of Chianti... better yet, share a bottle! You deserve it.
Great food. Friendly service. An outdoor patio if that's your thing. It ain't fancy by any stretch, but you can't buy romance, Lady! -
Review from Anna J.
San Francisco, CA
2/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
Hmm...our panini turned out to be a toast! It was not a bad tasting toast, but it was definitely not a panini. Maybe they had run out of the right kind of bread???
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Review from Jenny B.
San Francisco, CA
10/5/2011
Two words to describe Sodini's :
Mark and Ana
Why? Service with a smile and they never let your glass get empty ; )
My favorite restaurant in North Beach!
Why? Their delicious Caesar salad and mouth - watering chicken carbonara. . . .!
Best old school vibe around town. -
Review from John F.
Houston, TX
8/21/2011
The Gnocchi are like "little pillows of love"
I seem to be stuck on these every time we visit....but have tasted food off of friends plates...and found EVERYTHING to be delicious!
They don't take reservations....so get there early....or plan to stand around for awhile in the cramped bar area by the front door....
ALSO....You can bring your own wine...but they charge a $15 per bottle corkage fee.... -
Review from Kathy S.
6/3/2011
I think I follow the right people on Yelp ;)
I decided to take their advice and come here instead of the Stinking Rose/ Steps of Rome. We called in advance and was told we didn't need reservations for a Thursday night and we were seated within 20 minutes.
Their sourdough bread isn't anything special but their olive oil is spectacular! Don't taint it with their basalmic vinegar! Their wine is excellent! Valpolicella.
I opted for the angel hair pasta and asked for it arrabiata with meat. It tasted home made and traditional without risking being "simple" or bland. I felt a little bit like Julia in Eat Pray Love, savoring every bite and I finished it ALL! Even the garlic bread that the dish comes with (doused in butter but in a good way)
Yes, the artwork in the bathrooms adds a lot of character ;)
Would be nice if they had freshly grated parmesan but this place isn't "fancy" like that.. nor does it pretend to be!Listed in: TOP 10 dinners (in order)
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Review from Stacey C.
8/28/2011
OK, I don't get it and I am going to get killed for writing this review.
Waited 50 minutes for a table for 2. The bar staff were so great though and we actually chose to wait longer so we didn't have to sit at the crappy 2-top that came up first.
My co-worker, a San Fran native loves this place. Insisted I go. I thought it was fine. Had spaghetti and meatballs, which is my true test of an italian joint. My friend had tortellini (which I must say, he loved).
I thought the spaghetti was mediocre. The meatballs were tough. The sauce was completely uneventful.
The atmosphere on the other hand was great. Super old italian place with all of the history.
Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing?
LOVED the bar and wait staff. -
Review from laura f.
8/13/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Sometimes I think its a coin flip whenever you go to north beach - I'm still afraid of running into some overpriced tourist trap where the food come out of a can. But you don't have to worry about that here. I had the penne with carbonara sauce and it was SO good. There was so much of it (and since it was rich) I had enough to eat for lunch on another day. The service was great and since the guys ate quickly I wasn't able to try anything else, but they licked their plates clean.
I really enjoyed my meal here - and I definitely won't hesitate to come back. -
Review from Stefan K.
Seattle, WA
1/13/2012
We were walking thru North Beach one night, and we decided to stop in at Sodini's. They had just turned off their lights because it was a slow evening, but we decided to go in anyway. We came in on Elvis' birthday, and of course they were playing Elvis music! Very nice atmosphere and friendly staff. I got the 12" #1 pizza. 12" might seem small, but its bigger than you'd think. I'm writing this review a week late, so I can't remember all the extra witty things I was going to say about Sodini's, but you should check it out anyway. It's good stuff.
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Review from Ivania A.
San Francisco, CA
5/7/2011
I've have never written yelp review before, but I always come to the site to browse and check in on what's good and what's not. This place has the honor of getting my first review, but I'll try to make it as short and simple as I can.
THE PROS:
*The food was good. I custom ordered the Linguini with pink sauce and garlic steak fries. Neither didn't disappoint. Sadly, thats where the pros end and is where all of my two stars are going to.
THE CONS: (This might take a while to explain, so saddle up)
*The service. It took about 40 mins for our food to come out and about half hour to get our checks AFTER we were done with our food. The place was about half full, so not a full house.
Where to begin... It started off nice, as we were seated and greeted by a lovely lady who began to take our orders shortly after. Before ordering, we specifically told the waitress that we wanted separate checks for our orders. She stated that she would take our orders and divvy it up afterwards, which seemed simple enough.
What she failed to mention was that they only allowed one card per table.
By the time our food arrived and had to pay, we were crunched for time and had to leave. I flagged down another employee (He was working the bar at the time, but gave me the impression that he was the manager) who seemed rather annoyed at the fact that we had three separate cards. I tried to explain to him the situation, but he immediately saw me as an annoyance and quickly proceeded to give me an attitude, saying, and I quote, "This is why we have ATMs around the corner". Much confusion ensued as I tried to understand his frustration but *never* have I been so rudely treated by a restaurant employee, let alone the manager.
OVERALL:
My first experience at Sodini's was left feeling sour and maltreated. We were ignored by the staff, and when we finally got some acknowledgement, it backfired. The manager (or whoever he was) was rude, and insisted on starting an argument. I don't plan on returning based off of this experience.
What ever happened to "The customer's always right"?
So anyway, unless you have lots of time to spare and have plenty of cash (or have one card per table), come here. -
Review from Sarah T.
West Palm Beach, FL
11/30/2011
Great spot to carb-load! We stumbled in this place in the North Shore of San Francisco. It is loud, packed, and all that but it had a great old school atmosphere and is in the heart of San Fran's Italian neighborhood.
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Review from Johanna S.
San Francisco, CA
11/27/2011
Had the pesto beef tortellinis for lunch. The food was tasty and loved the old school SF ambiance the place has- dark wood, only one TV, no laptops. The waitress and bartender were friendly and attentive. Plan on coming back next time it rains to enjoy the food and the cozyiness.
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Review from Anastasia E.
Berkeley, CA
4/29/2011
I have always wanted to eat a real authentic Italian meal. Not the fancy "California Cuisine" type, but the kind you envision a grandmother making in an old-fashioned kitchen.
Sodini's was all that and more. First of all, the wait staff seemed quite familar with my then boyfriend (Nick Calvanese aka Nicky the Barber) and now ex (I found out he is a pathological liar and unfaithful sociopath.), He was probably bringing in several other women at the same time he was bringing me there. We were seated at the "Frank Sinatra" booth in the corner. The ambience was like the Italian restaurants I remember from my childhood; small and intimate, red checked clothes, beautiful wooden bar, pictures of famous local Italians, etc. etc.
The wait staff was warm and friendly. It reminded me of the t.v. show "Cheers," where you could feel if you became a regular patron, you would make you feel like part of a big, happy, well-fed family!
The waitress brought us a complimentary plate of the house cheesy garlic bread which I thought was fabulous and Nick (whom the rest of this review I will call "Ick" complained about it and the waitress who thought to bestow it on us.
Ick got the house calzone (which is made with a crepe) and I got the ravioli with tomato sauce (I was trying to be "good!") Omigod, it was sooooooooo wonderful, trying to be good was a silly thing to worry about when you are eating really delicious food.
All in all I would say:
restaurant: A wonderful treasure, an A+
boyfriend who took me there: A dirtbag, F -
Review from Camille R.
San Francisco, CA
9/13/2011
GET THE LASAGNA!!!
Cute little place in North Beach with great and attentive staff.
Dressing on my house salad was SUPER garlicky but delish. I asked the waitress to suggest a light and sweeter red wine, and without even taking a second to think, she knew exactly what to bring me, and I loved it. My boyfriend ordered the lasagna. The cheese on that thing was absolutely unbeatable. It is a MUST if you dine here. -
Review from Shawn F.
Culver City, CA
12/19/2011
I'm into the service as much as the food . So for me , the service was as good as it gets .... helpful , fun , enthusiastic servers including the bartender who gave my gal a full pour of the house red which was great . The food was excellent especially the house salad and the Penne Al Forno (very cheesy) . I had the chicken parmisiagna which I enjoyed entirely . We will be back prolly every time we come to "the City" .
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Review from Anita W.
Los Angeles, CA
8/1/2011
I tried this restaurant a few nights ago on sat night. The service was pretty good- they gave us a seat about 30 minutes in (while other restaurants was taking about an hour) and quickly served us some bread and took our order.
But even though the service and ambiance was good, the food was just okay for me. My friend and i ordered the gnocci and it didn't seem like the hand made ones that i usually enjoy in LA, the seemed all too uniform and machine made.
But the bruschetta was pretty good. I recommend that -
Review from Leslie G.
San Francisco, CA
7/31/2011
Italian is my first pick when I go out to eat, and I was more than happy to run into this place.
Their portions are huge, but more important - all contain fresh ingredients and are filled with flavor. They're also generous with the alcohol quantities. The overall ambiance is cool, and they have nice music playing in the background.
I would recommend any of the pasta dishes, depending on your own taste... I tried a few that were all good, so just take a chance and you won't be disappointed. -
Review from Sam A.
San Francisco, CA
11/14/2011
You want Italian food - the kind you know and love.
You don't want to take a chance, you don't want to gamble - you just want a guaranteed delicious dinner.
Go here. Order the gnocchi. Either kind.
Or, order any noodle, with the tomato cream sauce.
I promise, you will be pleased. -
Review from Seth L.
Sacramento, CA
11/7/2011
I ended up at this restaurant by mistake, and it turned out to be a great mistake! The food was spot on (linguini and clams, lasagna, minestrone soup, and house salad all recommended), the atmosphere was great and the service was good but not great. I would definitely make this a hang out.
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Review from Rosanna T.
San Jose, CA
12/29/2011
I am surprised that this restuarant in North Beach does not have more reviews! We came here on a Sat. night and was surprised that it closed so late! I grew up in North Beach and was never a fan of Italian food because every Italian restaurant was the same to me. However, I really fell in love with this restuaurant because it was very charming. We ordered the pesto gnocchi, margarita pizza and chicken parm. The ingredients tasted very fresh and light, which I liked! I loved the pesto gnocchi:) The service was excellent. I will definitely return if I am craving Italian and in the neighborhood!
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Review from Niniane W.
Mountain View, CA
Updated - 3/13/2011
I had the beef ravioli again, and it was not good. It tasted like it came out of a can.
The butter was almost melted for the free bread.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/7/2011
The sign says "no reservations, no decaf, no desserts". I like the sassiness!
Service was very fast.… Read more »
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