Lo Coco's

Cozy Italian restaurant in North Berkeley with great service! There was a good selection of pizzas, salads, and pastas. The interior is on the smaller side with a cozy feel. My friend and I ordered a combo pizza and the norma pasta to share and we both had enough left over to take home. Didn’t feel like it was especially unique or a “wow” factor, however.

The pizza is pretty bready, so the personal size is a lot. It's pretty decent pizza.

The food here was soo delicious!! We ordered the Ancient Grain Cheese Cannelloni and the Pennoni alla Norma (with Pennoni subbed for a very nice, soft Tagliatelle). The crepes in the Cannelloni were just the right amount of crispy, the Sheep milk ricotta had a very nice unique flavor, and the tomatoes were so well cooked and flavorful. Everything worked together so well! And the eggplant in the Pennoni alla Norma literally melted in your mouth leaving just the flavor of pure eggplant goodness. Paired with a very nice tomato garlicky sauce, and the very soft pasta noodles, it was also a very comforting dish. My girlfriend and I were both very impressed with both dishes! The serving sizes were also enough to leave us very filled after both dishes, and the prices were appropriate for the quality and amount of food. Being vegetarian, I was very happy to see the wide variety of vegetarian options as main entrees on the menu. At many places, I've found that the vegetarian options are basically the non-vegetarian options with meat removed, but the vegetarian options here all felt like very complete and intentional meals designed to be had as is. The service was also phenomenal. Our waitress was very nice and was patient in giving us recommendations. And at the end, one of the other ladies gave us a very passionate and interesting lesson on the history of Sicilian cuisine and how it is influenced by so many different cultures!

I had thought we went to Lo Coco's to get the Lasagna, because it's the best in Crazy Town! I had to do a favor for my pal Tuba Joe Greenfield...the favor was taking his 40 year old sister, Tootie out to lunch! On a date! Jeez! Why do I always get stuck in the mud! Well, I picked up this gal up in El Cerrito and told her we're going to Lo Coco's Italian Restaurant ..because the Lasagna is Amazing! Anyway...we call Joe, Tuba Joe because he weighs in at about 300 pounds, and I'll tell you what, his sister Tootie is a cool 350 it was all she could muster to get into the truck. We got on our way to Lo Coco's and tells me she's a Vegan! I thought she was joking...she wasn't, and then she started telling me what she expects me to eat while we dine together. Well, I told her straight up..Look, I can take you home or I can drop you off at the feed and grain store and you can get a bale of alfalfa. I took her home, and called Tuba Joe and he laughed for 10 minutes. Anyway...that tubby Tootie had me all spun around and backwards, so much so.. I thought I was at Lo Coco's having Lasagna, and it's a good thing it was such an Amazing Lasagna because it made the day perfect. 5 stars ☆☆☆☆☆

Hands down my favorite Italian restaurant in Berkeley. It feels like someone’s Italian Grandma is in the kitchen because this food is made with love. It’s all classic Italian dishes, no frills and super seasonal. All of the pasta is homemade and perfectly cooked. I highly recommend the ravioli con sugo. It’s simple but so comforting and perfectly executed. You honestly can’t go wrong here though. The bread was incredible and the cannoli was perfect. If you have to get only one thing though, get the meatballs. Better yet, get one on your pasta. 🍝 Lococo should be your next stop for a cozy, classic, and quality Italian spot, it’s so good! 🤌

I absolutely loved the pesto ravioli. The sauce and the pasta were both incredibly delicious.

Simply great local Italian place. I’ve gone regularly for years and it has only gotten better. The staff are beyond friendly and welcoming. The food is delicious, simple and authentic. I’ve eaten Italian from high to low and grew up with an Italian nana. I love Lococo’s. This place never fails.

This place is phenominal—a classic, solid Italian-American option within the "Gourmet Ghetto" of Berkeley. The entire place was quite busy, yet the service was gracious and attentive, and our dinner was served promptly without being rushed. There are many different options from pasta to pizza, and there were several from among which I had trouble choosing. I had the tortelli bolognese, and I would have it again tomorrow were I heading back to Berkeley. Just know that when you go, it may be a very popular spot that evening.

Hard not to go to Berkeley without stopping here for some amazing Italian food. There is never a time where I don't order enough food that I can't take it home. It's that good. Service is amazing all pizza great other Italian dishes never had a bad one Service is always fantastic

We came here on a whim around 5pm on a Friday night. They were so welcoming right off the bat! Our food was excellent, the free bread was a nice touch, and the attentive staff were great. The spaghetti noodles were perfectly cooked and the gnocchi was soft like little pillows. We can't wait to come back. The kind and family-like staff really made it so nice.

The best! Homemade pasta, family, excellent! True Sicilian food. Great family run restaurant!!

Insanely authentic and delicious Italian food! Very much family owned and super cozy inside. Our waiter was so friendly and gave us great recs for our dinner! He also threw in a full bottle of wine + extra meatball on the house. The meatballs were the best I've ever had! And the pasta was absolute perfection. I will def be back!

Prefect spot for great Italian food! Food melted in my mouth - Pasta was amazing, with perfect sauce and perfectly soft meatballs. Lively environment, with many customers so make sure you get there early. Waiters were friendly and answered my questions about the menu.

I have tried many of the dishes and all are great. My favorites are the Eggplant Parmigiana, the Pappardelle Porcini, Pennoni alla Norma, and we always order the house wine and meatballs.

Tortelli Bolognese my go!! 6hr beef/pork shoulder ragu soooo tasty it's amazing. The Pennoni alla Norma just as good. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. These folks know exactly what they're doing. The service is fast and attentive. I definitely recommend to check them out.

I have been coming here for years and it definitely holds a special place in my heart. I always come here with my dad and we order the number 9 pizza as our appetizer. We grab a slice and then have the rest boxed up to take home. Then we dine family style and pick a pasta or two and the fried calamari if they have it. It's a very small, quaint restaurant and they do not take reservations so be prepared to wait if you catch them on a busy night.

Truth be told, Jamie W. and I have walked by this always crowded spot dozens of times, and while I knew it would be good based on my historical pizza gluttony at the Piedmont Avenue location, we also knew it would be carb central, so we kept walking, that is, until we were feeling in dire need of familiar comfort food on a cold, brisk evening. Go early. It opens at 4PM, and I'd suggest getting here before 5 unless you're willing to wait in the small side room that looked like the elevator for the Empire State Building. We started our dinner by sharing a Focaccia Bread (photo: https://yelp.to/OP-Jkb54NO) the $18 Sautéed Seasonal Vegetables straight from the farmers' market - broccolini, cauliflower, mushrooms, romanesco, and cherry tomatoes (photo: https://yelp.to/jWTfA8IZAt). A nice healthy start that segued to our individual pasta orders. Jamie had their signature dish, the $17 Tagliatelle al Sugo with a couple of their huge Meatballs (photo: https://yelp.to/npYLdmdog-). It was a simple fresh pasta, very thin, covered in tomato sauce. Light but given heft by the moist meatballs. I went for the more luxuriant $27 Pappardelle Bolognese (photo: https://yelp.to/4z7SAfimVU). Famous for the eight-hour stewed beef and pork shoulder ragu that coats the noodles, the pappardelle was velvety good providing a highly carnivorous delight. You would think we would've been fully sated by now, but we decided to indulge in the $13 slice of Tiramisu, a delightful housemade confection, surprisingly light (photo: https://yelp.to/tuk4dJFmUt). The crowd was out the door when we left. Yeah, go early. FOOD - 4 stars...true homestyle cooking, good size portions AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...constantly crowded SERVICE - 4 stars...attentive server TOTAL - 4 stars...definitely need to stop more often...but early RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u

I looooooooove this restarant. I live in Berkeley, so I have been to many restaurants in the area, and this is my favorite. The customer service is really good. The food tastes delicious. Our waiter was so friendly and gave us extra bread on the house-we love, we love!!

Don't miss this deliciously, well run dining establishment. All the five star yelps are true, my mom & I were blown away by the quality of food, and excellent teamwork of the entire staff. Frankie, and his adorable sister Christina ensure a delightful visit, providing much attention to detail for each customer that enters through the front door. The environment is super clean, and the customers were all enjoying each bite of tasty food. We loved the pizza, ravioli, meatballs, salad, wine, pale ale, etc.. Be sure to order the tiramisu, it was an ample size to share, just as the other dishes. The food is served piping hot, we are now customers for life, after receiving such warm hospitality. We are so pleased to have discovered an eatery that we can depend on for amazing food, and superior service.

The food was nothing but mind blowing and exquisite! The service was so amazing they offer some small talk if you want and are always eager to help you and make sure your visit is rememberable and amazing! The vibe was so cool and had pictures of Italy and many maps. The food was so authentic and the vibe felt like a busy restaurant in Italy! Looking forward to our next visit!

Such a great little spot. I believe it is family owned, but the wife of the owner was working when my boyfriend and I came in for dinner and she was so delightful. The workers are also very patient and helpful. It feels like you're sitting in their home and you're watching them prepare the greatest meals for dinner. A favorite spot for us now, highly recommend going in smaller group since the place is quaint but its intimate in a great way!

My favourite Italian restaurant in the Bay! The food is always amazing. The workers are very nice and the inside is very cute!

Cozy atmosphere, classic Italian delicious food, and very quick service! My partner and I dined at Lo Coco's on a Friday with no reservations (not sure if they do reservations), and we were seated within 5 minutes. Service was very friendly and some of the reviews mentioned that it was too cozy, but we came in an hour before closing and it didn't feel stuffy at all. We ordered the ravioli with pesto and classic pasta with a red sauce and a meatball. Both dishes were incredible, I was particularly in love with the meatball as it had a melt in your mouth texture, it was so good we forgot to take a picture! I also loved the ravioli, it was one of the best pesto sauces I have ever had. We wanted to get a cannoli but unfortunately they had ran out, so next time we go we will be sure to arrive a little earlier.

No wait for a table at 6pm, they were 3/4 full. Water and menus promptly brought to the table. A server came and announced a special, a breaded swordfish, which we ordered. Another server brought a plate of olive oil and one piece of bread (for two diners). The "bread" an index-card sized piece, was not foccacia, (maybe pizza dough?); it was ok....the olive oil was great, very fruity. We ordered a couple glasses of red wine (sangiovese and millami). Both were good, but the Sicilian red was better (rounder, more full-bodied). We had the "summer" caprese, which was excellent; a perfect heirloom tomato with mozzarella and basil, drizzled with oo. Entrees were the aforementioned special, a breaded and grilled swordfish with a linguine pasta; a very generous and delicious portion of fish and pasta. Also ordered was Giovanni's special pizza (eggplant, garlic and basil). The crust was excellent, the pizza delivered on the eggplant and garlic, but the basil consisted of one leaf decorating the center....more basil please! We opted for the tiramisu and cannoli for dessert. The tiramisu was a generous portion, tasty; but still partially frozen in the center. The cannoli was a disappointment. Though the ricotta filling was fresh, there was nothing in it, just plain ricotta in a thick chocolate shell, which was not a pleasure to eat. A lone sliver of candied citrus peel perched on one end, with a scattering of chocolate chips and chunks, dusted with confectioner's sugar. Sadly, that cannoli fell far short of the quintessential southern italian treat I was expecting, I ate half then left the rest. Lo Coco was doing a good business; it was loud when we arrived, tables turned and it was still loud. Enough so that we were leaning over the table to hear each other during the entire meal. Perhaps it was our seats (one side was bench seating with a tall partition)? If the room is that loud everyday, my sympathies go out to the staff!

This is my favorite restaurant in Berkeley. The owners take such pride in the preparation of the food. The ancient grain pasta is so delicate and delicious.Christina recommended it and we were grateful to heed her advice. Lococo's is a warm and inviting place where you feel a deep satisfaction at the end of your meal.

Smaller but quaint establishment. Service was great. Both the hostess and waitresses were great in helping with food and drink selections. They were very patient, knowledgeable and helpful. Food was great, the pesto tortellini, meatballs, and the sausage and mushroom pizzas were delicious and fresh. Definitely one of my favorite spots now! Must visit!

Amazing food and wine! Especially loved the pizza! The dough in the pizza is especially delicious!

Always GREAT! Can't be beat! Might be equaled but never beaten. The pastas are always served hot and their pizzas are a special piece of heaven. Attentive service and the family owned and operated business understands flavor. I'd marry the chef and tell my husband to move over--and he is the nicest man, I'm sure he'd understand. He loves it too!

Lovely experience, delicious, authentic food made with care, and the kindest server ever who brought is a sample of a pasta dish that he had recommended, as well as a lovely surprise cannoli even when we hadn't ordered dessert. Thank you so much--you're right, the Ancient Grains pasta was amazing (not like anything I've ever tasted in the way of noodles), and I will definitely recommend Lo Coco's to anyone seeking a casual, cozy, yet elegant place to eat good Italian food. Thank you!

Ordered the 6 cheese pizza and other pasta dishes. Bread quality is on par with other good italian places sampled. Pizza superior to pasta here. Would definitely return

First time and great experience, authentic Italian and cozy atmosphere. Sasha was our server and he was on top of everything thank you for an bday amazing dinner!

Great service and staff. There was a mix up with our order and they totally made up for the mistake by giving us additional food. It's cozy and the food was delicious. I highly recommend this Italian restaurant. You won't regret it.

Delectable desserts. We didn't order food because we had eaten elsewhere. Hazelnut gelato and cannoli were amazing!

This family run neighborhood spot on Shattuck was a pleasant discovery. With great service and delicious food it is popular with the local and boasts of quite a few regulars. The pizza menu was extensive and considering the pizza base is what made them famous it is a must try. A large pizza is enough for 2 share comfortably. We also tried their handmade ravioli which was scrumptious. They have quite a few hand made pasta options. Thor tiramisu was also delicious. A must visit for some delicious Italian food and they do truly make you feel Welcome here. Parking was available easily on the street.

This place is one of the great Berkeley standards, and you will be treated not only by the food, but also by the hospitality of the staff who are like welcoming you into their home. The dining room was busy and bustling, very popular, but we were treated so well! Ambiance is warm and welcoming. Have the tortelli! Have the Alla Norma! Have a pizza! You won't go wrong.

Everything was outstanding. Greeting at the door,wait staff and recommendations, food, vibe, etc. I had the special (linguine with clams, mussels and calamari) and my wife and friend had a pizza and salad and I shared a salad with my buddy who had egg plant Parma. Everyone raved about their dishes. Lo Coco has been at the Berkeley location 41 years!!! Only thing you should be aware of is they don't take reservations unless your party is 6 or more. We arrived at 5:30 on a Sunday and the place was full and stayed full.

Lovely neighborhood Italian restaurant- one of our favorite family and friend spots. The food is always delicious and the owners and staff welcoming. We truly love Lo Cocos. A Berkeley treasure

Holy shit this place is bomb!! Next level food. I'm talking flavor orgasm in your mouth. Me and my guy gave been here twice and both times we tried new dishes and as simple as they are, they are surprisingly insanely tasty. Get the ravioli! Who would think the seasonal veggies would be sautéed so perfectly with just the right seasoning to make even a veggie hater turn lover. I mean, you can get a cheese pizza and it will still knock your socks off. I can't pick a favorite dish because they've all been so good. I've never been this amazed at Sicilian/Italian food in my life. Oh and the house red wine and tiramisu are FANTASTIC! Service has been great and they are super friendly. Will be coming back many more times. Grazie!

Lo Coco's kept us fed through the pandemic via takeaway (combo pizza, linguine sugo, and one of the salads covers two meals+ for us) but in-person dining with the great service, ambiance, and delicious food right out of the oven was sublime. The warm bread with excellent olive oil was a great start. We split the veg salad and shared the pappardelle bolognese and the tortelli sugo (note: tortelli does have meat, which we're good with, but really liked that the server made sure we noticed that) with a half carafe of wine. We had leftover pasta and were so full we had to take our dessert home with us - tiramisu - highly recommend. The leftover pasta heated back up nicely as a side for our dinner the next night. Lo Coco's is really special and I just love it!

After we moved to Berkeley. We drove past this sister location of the Piedmont store for way too long . Parking was no big deal. Food was even better than we remembered. Blessed this location stayed in business despite pandemic and low unemployment. We will be back every few weeks

This is a restaurant that does the little things right and made a most positive impression on me. I had a little dinner (had three items ) the other night. The bread was delivered first. It was hot.....not just warm. I ordered their house red wine which was really good. The server said it was a good one when taking the order. My main entree was pappardelle bolognese. It was smallish in quantity but like the bread we had was hot too right out of the kitchen. The quality of what I had was good but given the temperature of the product leaving the kitchen made it memorable. When was the last time if ever you experienced this? Also the service was really good. It was nice to see they had an abundance of help in this facility. Often times it's the opposite.

I would first like to loudly state..this is a Sicilian Restaurant. Things are slightly different from the typical Italian, but very good! The location is small and quant, staff friendly and really looks to attract locals. My friend ordered the green salad and she was wishing for a bit more- she felt the vinaigrette was great, but wanted olive, green onion vs. just lettuce and tomato. The bread was delicious- warm, crunchy outside, soft inside. I ordered the Eggplant Parmigiana- eggplant was thinly sliced, not horribly breaded and the Sugo sauce was ON POINT. LOVED THIS DISH. My hubby ordered the Napoletana Pizza- now this is what I call pizza! Crunchy and soft crust, olives, mushrooms and again...THE SAUCE!! My toddler loved the pizza. I removed one star because they were out of the cannoli... so sad. OH, one last thing, the olive oil had a lovely flavor, almost lemon like hints. Will def return and hope to get my hands on that Cannoli.

Lo Coco's specializes in Sicilian food, and they do it very well. The menu is solid and reliable. I haven't found any of the dishes really memorable, but they are all well done and satisfying. This is a neighborhood restaurant, not destination dining. It's family owned and run. -'and they're very nice people. Solid wine list, including some Sicilian choices. On the downside, it's a bit cramped, and they don't take reservations. Service is good, but when it's busy the waitresses can get a bit harried. But they always deliver.

Food is delicious and service was attentive without being intrusive. We hadn't been in a few years but very consistent and just like we remembered. Yum!

Food was ok not great. I was disappointed because an Italian friend highly recommended this restaurant. Staff wasn't welcoming. Felt like we troubled them.

At lease once, every week. Great pasta and pizza, when I think about pasta , this is the place I go. Always meat ball , meat sauce with hint of truffle, eggplant all taste good

I give a 5 star for food. I recommend the stake dish.customer service was great. Everyone was great and making sure we had everything we needed and ambiance . Definitely recommended

This is the best Italian food in the Bay Area! Everything is absolutely delicious. There isn't a single bad dish on the menu. The staff is very friendly and attentive. It's usually pretty busy on a weekend evening, so be sure to come early. The restaurant itself is in a very small space and you're often elbow-to-elbow with the table next to you, but I've never had a problem with it. I'm always amazed at how the servers are able to navigate around such a packed space. Try the pesto ravioli or any of the pastas with homemade sugo sauce, the meatballs, all of their famous pizzas, and, especially, the giant serving of tiramisu!

Delicious food! The service was great! The wait time was not too bad. We will be eating here again next time we are in the area.

Amazing homemade Italian pasta, we tried the homemade ravioli and tortellini in all 3 sauces (pasta, tomatoe and cream) and it was absolutely delicious. They also served us homemade bread and we got the house wine at a great value. This place will be a regular.

This is a cozy neighborhood spot with excellent service and delicious food. The service was attentive and thoughtful and the ingredients are fresh and we all agreed it's the best Italian food we've had in a long time. A hidden gem - highly recommend!

Went to The Greek Theater for a show and this was our dinner pick before the show. I am not a big fan of Italian food but this place rocked the cuisine. I did my thumbing through the Yelp food pics and the pizza caught my eye. I knew pizza was going to be heavy especially before a show, but it looked soooo good. I said "oh I will take half of this home" ...nope, it was freaking amazing! The little burnt crust and chard pepperoni made it taste so good. Left the crust, so that I did not fall a sleep at the show. The rest of our clan really enjoyed there meals, great place.

Great Italian food with the emphasis on southern Italian and food from Sicilia. It is a family run restaurant and the service is great and friendly! It is great for small family dinners. They have a nice table set up in the front with room for the kids

A neighborhood gem. Food is authentically delicious! Love the family vibe and service. Don't miss out on their pizza and pesto dishes.

Fantastic Italian food in a beautiful setting. Pizze, pasta, desert, service all 10/10 A cool, old-school family restaurant

We've tried many, many times to eat here but it's always a very long line and they do NOT accept reservations (very challenging) so we arrived on a recent Saturday afternoon at 4pm knowing full-well that they don't open until 4:30. We brought our own spiked seltzers to pass the time and the management did not mind one bit, in fact at about 4:15 or so they brought WATER and BREAD (&butter) out to us to help slake our appetites. After some very pleasant small -talk with the owner/chef and the very nice wait person we were able to order a light supper (it was a very hot day) : a caprese salad (variation: not Buffalo Mozzarella but Burrata) and a light Scallops and pasta which was FANTASTIC in flavor without being heavy on sauce. Our meal was delightfully improved by our Rose. In all, a perfect-if light- meal on our very rare date-night (and 24th wedding anniversary). We can't wait to go back, even if we might have to wait in line!

Always great food, cooked in the traditional ways. My mom is Italian and very picky, this is her favorite restaurant.