Rose Pistola

09/26/06

Overrated, overcrowded and overpriced!

by aew124 at Citysearch

What a disappointment! I am new to the SF area and went here on a recommendation from my "relocation expert." The service was terrible and stuck-up, the food was mediocre at best and the prices were too high for the quality of food served. I would have been better off with a bag of penne and jar of Ragu. We have had many great meals in SF so far and this is at the bottom of the list.

• Pros: Good people watching
• Cons: Food, service, price

03/20/05

Servers need experience

by tuesdaylu at Citysearch

I continue to be surprised at the repeated amateurishness of the service.

Upon ordering a second, and different glass of red wine to try with my entree (I'd already had one with antipasti) the young lady poured the new wine into my old warm glass which still held the very last sips of my first wine. I politely asked for a new glass, and she seemed dumbfounded that I would not want to mix two different wines or reuse the same glass. This was new to her.

I noted a lack of sophistication in just about everyone who helped us. It was not bad attitude, it was a case of inexperience and obvious discomfort. I also do not feel that the price levels are justified. The Cioppino is good but tastes like what I make at home - decent but not unusual. It's $29 for a single smallish portion.

• Pros: ambience
• Cons: service

03/31/03

Average

by tertiarydog at Citysearch

Good Italian wine list. Some waiters good; some average. Octopus salad a plus. The sardines were not very good. The steak was average; very fatty cut and not the finest steak on the market, despite its price. The pizzas are no where near NYC standards and are pretty much resembling bad cracker crust with weak sauce and froo froo California toppings.

• Pros: some appetizers
• Cons: long wait time, ding bat maitre'd, average food

02/17/03

On a rainy Saturday night...

by wjk44 at Citysearch

...our party of 9 was seated in the rear, where the noise was less along with the arm and leg room. (The reservation was not easy to come by.) Our waiter was friendly and knowledgable, as was the wine steward. Highlights were the polenta w/gorgonzola along with the salted sea bass -- I thought it was overpriced, but found it VERY succulent. It wouldn't be my first choice for a group that large, but I was a guest and thoroughly enjoyed the company I was with. It's a different kind of Italian...

• Pros: unique Italian, friendly service
• Cons: overpriced, valet parking a must

02/12/03

Good Food, but Overpriced...

by jfewless at Citysearch

The menu was pretty diverse and the food was good, but I felt it was on the pricey side. A dinner for two with a bottle of wine can easily reach $100...I know of much better restaurants in the city that demand that price or lower for a comparable meal.

12/03/02

Interesting Italian

by gradstudent at Citysearch

The only thing that I remember was the butternut squash which was awesome. If you want to try atypical Italian dishes that aren't pasta related then go here. The waiter recommended us not to get the pasta, which seemed strange for an Italian place. The seafood was great. But overall nothing particularly struck me. Average quality for that price.

• Pros: interesting dishes
• Cons: price, small portion

07/23/02

Used to be great, but no more

by davequ at Citysearch

Ate here by recommendation of a North Beach local a few times 3-4 years ago and it was excellent. They used to serve a pasta with Ligurian sauce (shellfish) that was to die for (gone from the menu now). Lately, it seems to be resting on its old reputation. The last time (a year ago) it was mediocre, over-rated, & definitely overpriced. Rose Pistola is not the first restaurant in the world to suffer this fate. I would like to see them return to their old standard of quality, but I can't afford to wait around for it to happen. This is now a good place to take someone that is easily impressed.

• Pros: North Beach location, Still good ambience
• Cons: Overated and expensiv, Help is mediocre/rude