Pasta Pomodoro Cucina Italiana Restaurant in Huntington Beach, Calif.

Huntington Beach, Calif.--Pasta Pomodoro in Bella Terra mall next to the 405 Freeway in Huntington Beach offers Italian faire that includes traditional favorites, and the popular full bar. With competition nearby such as Buca de Bepo, you have to put your dining options in the context of having choices in one spot. In addition to this restaurant, there's Kabuki, The Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen, King's Fishhouse, Pei Wei, and many others.

So, with several solid Italian restaurant options in one general vicinity, what would make you try this restaurant over another? People like the vibe, the decor, the bar, the atmosphere, and many rave about the food. While the reviews are all over the board (we've had tasty meals,) consistency is the issue with this restaurant. Bella Terra mall is a revamped Huntington Beach mall. Sometimes the crowds can be massive and people can lineup to dine in the restaurants, especially on a Friday or Saturday night. With that in mind, I surmise that Pasta Pomodoro goes through a lot of staff changes, and has a challenge in fine tuning its recipes and service to a consistent level. That best explains why some can have an excellent dining experience and others don't.

The company has grown rapidly in several years and now has restaurant locations throughout California as it's veered beyond its Bay Area base. I actually tried it my first time with a friend when we met in San Jose at Santana Row. We had a nice meal, as I recall. The ambiance was its strong point. Attending the launch of the Huntington Beach restaurant, appetizers were on the menu and they were quite good. I went back and dined at the restaurant and found it was again, not disappointing.  While I prefer the salads at Buca de Bepo and California Pizza Kitchen, I would not hesitate in taking family and friends to Pomodoro.

What's great about the restaurant is its location right next door to the Century 20 theaters. You can practically keep an eye your movie showing and watch the people come out the door when  a movie is over, providing your cue to pay your bill and head for the door.

West Hollywood
7100 Santa Monica Blvd #150
West Hollywood, CA 90046
323-969-8000

Woodland Hills
21600 Victory Blvd
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
818-340-2400

Sherman Oaks
14622 Ventura Blvd #112-115
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
818-501-7400

Burbank | Burbank Town Center
201 E. Magnolia Blvd. #276
Burbank, CA 91501
818-559-1300

Manhattan Beach
401 Manhattan Beach Blvd
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
310-545-5401

Irvine | Oak Creek Center
5789 Alton Parkway
Irvine, CA 92618
949-654-1100

Huntington Beach | Bella Terra Center
7811 Edinger Avenue #110
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
714-897-8062

Laguna Beach
234 Forest Avenue
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
949-497-8222

Newport Coast
21133 Newport Coast Drive
Newport Coast, CA 92657
949-759-1303

Orange | Village at Orange
2214 North Tustin, #B
Orange, CA 92865
714-998-3333

Corona
510 Hidden Valley Parkway #101
Corona, CA 92879
951-808-1700

Redwood City
490 El Camino Real
Redwood City, CA 94062
650-474-2400

San Bruno | Bayhill Center
811 A Cherry Ave
San Bruno, CA 94066
650-583-6622

Sunnyvale | Cherry Orchard
300 W. El Camino Real #G
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
408-789-0037

Castro
2304 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
415-558-8123

Noe Valley
4000 24th Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
415-920-9904

Laurel Village
3611 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94118
415-831-0900

Irving
816 Irving Street
San Francisco, CA 94122
415-566-0900

Cow Hollow
1875 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
415-771-7900

North Beach
655 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
415-399-0300

San Mateo | Bay Meadows
1060 Park Place
San Mateo, CA 94403
650-574-2600

Pleasant Hill
45C Crescent Drive
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
925-363-9641

El Cerrito | El Cerrito Bart Plaza
5040 El Cerrito Plaza #E1
El Cerrito, CA 94530
510-225-0128

San Ramon | Bishop Ranch
146 Sunset Drive #A-3
San Ramon, CA 94583
925-867-1407

Union City
32216 Dyer Street
Union City, CA 94587
510-429-1991

Vallejo
163 Plaza Drive
Vallejo, CA 94591
707-557-6100

Emeryville | Bay Street
5614 Shellmound Street #236
Emeryville, CA 94608
510-923-1173

Rockridge
5500 College Avenue
Oakland, CA 94618
510-923-0900

San Rafael | Montecito Plaza
421 3rd Street
San Rafael, CA 94901
415-256-2401
 

Mill Valley | Strawberry Town & Country Village
205 Strawberry T&C Village
Mill Valley, CA 94941
415-388-1692

Novato | Vintage Oaks Center
140 Vintage Way , Ste G1-5
Novato, CA 94945
415-899-1861

Milpitas | McCarthy Ranch
181 Ranch Drive
Milpitas, CA 95035
408-582-0160

Camden Park
2083 Camden Avenue
San Jose, CA 95124
408-371-2600

San Jose
1205 The Alameda #30
San Jose, CA 95126
408-292-9929

Santana Row | Santana Row
378 Santana Row #1130
San Jose, CA 95128
408-241-2200

Evergreen
4898 San Felipe Road #150
San Jose, CA 95135
408-532-0271

Roseville | Renaissance Creek
3984 Douglas Blvd #100
Roseville, CA 95661
916-773-4027