Luciano Ristorante Italiano - La Cantera

This place was never on my radar. But during my Christmas shopping I stopped by twice. Both times Gisselle was my server. Great service pizza was surprisingly very good. Solid wine selection and they have Affogato which is rare to see on the menu. Pricing is really reasonable if you just grab a slice, wine, and dessert. This place has definitely become a go to for me.

Luciano Ristorante Italiano at La Cantera is a wonderful spot for anyone craving authentic Italian cuisine. The restaurant offers a welcoming dine-in experience with plenty of seating, making it ideal for both intimate dinners and larger gatherings. The menu is filled with classic Italian favorites, and both the pizza and pasta options stand out. The pizzas are crafted with a perfect balance of crisp crust, fresh toppings, and rich flavors that make each bite memorable. The pasta dishes are equally impressive, prepared with care and showcasing traditional recipes that highlight the essence of Italian cooking.

Nice day out and decided to sit outside at Luciano. I was seated immediately and no wait at all. I ordered the Arugula salad with chicken. You can choose your protein or go without. My hostess was nice as well. Thanks.

Absolutely loved eating here after leaving six flags. Service was AMAZING and very respectful! The food was excellent and the pasta was very accommodating for those with newly removed wisdom teeth! I had the Ravioli and was very pleased. Server deserves a raise🚨🚨🚨🛵

Pizza and Caesar salad were delicious! The shrimp Luciano lacked a lot of flavor. The chicken parm was cold but looked like it came right out of the oven so we could tell and taste that it was reheated. Our server was polite.

We were walking around the mall when we decided to stop by for some evening drinks here before dinner with our friends. The bartender Jen recommended their drink specials and let me just say they were great! Since we were only doing drinks, she offered us some bread, which was a perfect pair. One of my friends got a chocolate cake which was also very rich and moist! The restaurant had a nice ambiance, friendly staff, and Jen was very sweet and attentive, so we will definitely ask for her again to try any new recommendations! Overall the experience was great and the restaurant smelled wonderful so we will definitely be back to try some of the food out!

Appetizers to our table in under 10 minutes. Our server Jose was great and kept our drinks full and refilled. The food is amazing. The pizza crust is crisp on the outside and a delicious chewy inside. The pasta is great. Probably the best margarita pizza I’ve ever had. If I could give 6 stars I would. I 10/10 recommend this place when you’re in La Cantera.

Extremely poor bar service with the manager in building and not only witnessing but allowing the poor service to continue. Went in for a quick drink and was greeted by the original bartender whose service convinced me to get another drink and an appetizer. I wanted to get more drinks but bc of a shift change the original bartender asked if it was okay to close out my tab under her and if i needed anything else the new bartender would be able to help me out. I agreed because of the great service. I sat for about 15 mins after the shift change, New bartender didnt ask me once if i wanted anything, left my empty glass and plate in front of me the whole time. The whole 15 mins i stayed i was the only person at the bar. Manager was in the building at the host stand the entire time and would go back and forth between there and the bar and literally speak with the bartender while i sit in front of them. Bartender prioritized conversing with the cook over serving a customer and the manager allowed it at face value. Very bad look, Kona Grill is across from this place, try there first. Food is also not that good for that quality of service. Read the low reviews of this place and remind yourself of the hundreds of people who have had a bad experience here but have not written about it. If they did would the restaurant honesty be at 4 stars overall…doubt it.

Service was quick and tentive Ambiance was laid back. Food was delicious. We ate outside right when it opened. The bread was fresh and their dipping oil was good. Wish we had more bread .. by we I mean me. I wish I had more bread. Lol. My spaghetti was delicious and it was quite a bit. The sweet tea was good as well. Over all experience was great and the food was delicious and filling. Would recommend

We visited Luciano's for a quick lunch after shopping around the mall . It was such a beautiful day that we decided to sit on the alfresco sitting just outside the restaurant . I ordered the calzone which was a bit dry but flavorful and very filling while my husband order the Stromboli and he appreciated it for being so satisfying and filling . I also ordered the mango lemonade which is pretty good on a warm day . Service was on point and attentive . We live nearby the Shops at La Cantera and we will be back .

Food was decent. Lasagna came cold but they made it right and brought us another lasagna that was hot. Pepperoni pizza was really good and fries! Good service and attention to details. Waiter was attentive and on point. Well come back in the future!

5 plus stars!!!! Pasta and bread tastes fresh, excellent wine selection. The best Eggplant Parmesan in try own!!! It is a little pricey but worth it. One of the two best Italian restaurants in town. One member of our party is a VERY picky eater, he ordered spaghetti and meatballs and commented it was better than any other Italian restaurant in town. Service was prompt and ambience was intimate and very family friendly. We are looking forward to cooler weather so we can eat in the patio.

The chicken Alfredo is top notch! I love the Italian feel of the restaurant as well. The hosts are very friendly and accommodating!

Sophie was a wonderful wait staff. The eggplant parmigiana was excellent. The gelato with Nutella was great! Highly recommend!!

My family had an amazing dinner here. Such a cute place and the service was great! There were so many amazing dishes to choose from and the wine list was impressive as well. We chose the shrimp Luciano, lasagna, and pizza. All were outstanding! Can't wait to go back and try more dishes!

Food was perfect, service was perfect. Went for my grand-daughters birthday so we had a large party. Servers were on top of everything.

Everything was pretty good. the food isn't amazing but average. I'd say the peso pasta was 4.5/5, garlic bread is 5/5, the calamari was 3.5/5. The sauce wasn't that great if i'm honest. The service was great, the waiter remembered everything perfectly. The tables were clean and comfy. The space is decently sized.

We've been to Italy several times and this is the closest thing to real Italian food we have found in SA.

We stopped while traveling for work, was greeted by our waitress. Very friendly and helpful. We had the bruschetta which was average. It could use little more flavor, but was a filling appetizer. We ordered a salad and lasagna. I asked for bread and Alfredo dipping sauce. The bread was homemade and delicious. The Alfredo sauce was watery and runny, no taste at all, disappointing. The lasagna was very good, with real meat. Tasted fresh. The restaurant and bathroom were very cleaned and smelled fresh. Seems like a friendly neighborhood place.

The ambiance is nice. The food was flavorful, reasonably priced and delicious. Our server, Chase, was very attentive. Our drinks never went empty and he checked with us often. We watched the manager working hard to help servers, clear tables and make sure everything was running smoothly. We will definitely be back to try more of the delicious options on their menu!!

Best pizza in town! We love their cheese blend. We even had leftovers for the next day.

Went for a late lunch 2pm-ish on a Saturday after my friend and I had attended a Nordstrom Beauty event at noon. We were pretty starving as our previous plan was to have brunch at Kona Grill at 10am but for some reason they were closed when my friend tried to enter at 10am? We decided to kill time and eat later on so we had enough snacks to hold us over until after the Nordy event. I decided on the 12" Parma Pizza which had Prosciutto, Arugula, Cheese and some small tomato bits. My friend ordered the Penne Rustica. We placed our orders around 2:14pm and my friend's order arrived within 10 minutes. My pizza came 30 minutes later!! Our waitress, Josie said it was taking a bit longer and apologized a couple of times. She could probably see my friend almost finished with her Pasta. My friend was starving but polite enough to pace herself and was willing to share some with me. I thought it was odd because another friend and I came a few weeks ago and ordered a large meat pizza that came fairly quickly?? As far as the pizza, I looked at it and paused and asked the waitress if they could cook it longer because the 2/3 of the crust wasn't even brown nor was the bottom. It actually looked amateurish with a pile of shaved cheese on top of the prosciutto and arugula? There was a lot of crust showing as well? It was as if the cook baked the cheese top crust, then put the prosciutto slices and a few Arugula leaves then pile it with more shaved cheese? Josie took my pizza and came back saying they'd have to cook another one if I wanted it cooked longer so I said "Nevermind. I'll just eat it." She said "Are you sure?" I said "Yes, it's fine." I was starving and wasn't going to wait another 30 minutes for a 12" pizza. We could've just gone to Grimaldi's but thought this would be faster. Not this visit... Look at my Piero's PizzaVino restaurant review. That's how a Prosicutto/Arugula pizza should look.

Came here for cheesecake on a Sunday night. Despite it being near closing time, we were seated and ordered fried zucchini and penne alla Lucianos. Both were delicious. Although I wanted the cheesecake, I figured I would order the tiramisu as well. Overall, everything was amazing and the service was even better.

Short, sweet and to the point on this review...average pizza, average service and average environment. Nothing stood out as more than that.

Located in the heart of La Cantera, my family stopped by here unplanned because we were shopping and walked by. We were greeted promptly and I was surprised to be seated immediately on a beautiful Saturday evening. We had an avocado salad, penne with pink sauce, and chicken alfredo. Food came out quick, service was fantastic, and we all enjoyed our meal. In and out yet still considered a nice but casual Italian joint. Very pleased with our visit!

The food was delicious and definitely very filling. I asked the server to split a plate in the kitchen and I was not told about the $2 split fee before hand. That type of communication would have been great to receive beforehand.

The food was amazing and the wait time was NOTHING! (It probably was because nobody was there it was LATE) The place had a nice cozy vibe also!

My partner and I went to this place for a quick lunch and got seated immediately. We ate on a weekday and there was only 2 other tables besides us. That said, the food was decent, the service was okay. We got the Mac and cheese bites that were pretty good, the sauce it was served with was pretty tasty. Then we got the buffalo chicken ranch pizza to share; kind of pricey for just okay food. The sauce on the pizza was very sludgy and we both just ended up eating the crust with the sauce from the bites. If you're wanting something for a quick bite, there's a Chick-fil-A about 20 feet away.

Came here for a work lunch. The restaurant doesn't accept reservations but we're able to accommodate our party of 10, no problem. Luckily it wasn't overly busy around 2:30 in the afternoon. Good location right in the heart of La Cantera mall and has good ambiance with the lighting and decor. Our server was nice and did a good job with a large table. We got some apps - fried calamari, Mac n cheese bites and garlic bread - all of which lacked flavor. I got the Quattro pizza which had 4 quarters of toppings - pepperoni, sausage, prosciutto & mushroom. Although a unique pizza, it was also lacking flavor and the topics themselves weren't as exciting as I'd hoped. It was still good, but nothing to write home about. I didn't have dessert but several options on the menu that looks tasty.

I can't really complain about my experience except that it's just the same experience as anywhere else I've been. It offers nothing special or more unique rather than just a pizzeria in a busy shopping center. On a positive note the quality of the ingredients were very fresh and the prices are a bit on the expected high side. The bread they started us off with was amazing. I was expecting and Italian experience, but it was a typical American experience. Didn't offer an experience that draws me back here.

Good service (Jose) Good food, super tasty! Elegant venue, and it feels cozy. Friendly stuff.

The pizza was delicious and the service was good once the staff figured out who our server was. The ambiance is busy but family friendly.

Yes. Yes. And yes. This is on my top 3 favorite places to visit in the Rim/LaCantera area. I have been here twice and I just knew they could not top the first visit. We had a blast the first time and the young server was amazing with my twin grands. Fast forward to the second visit and let me tell you. It was even better. I'm going to assume the owner (a very nice lady) set us up by the door for our larger party. Allowed my mother to charge the battery to her chair and it was kind of in the way but she didn't make a fuss about it at all. Neither did the employees. (You can just tell when they are annoyed by something)... again the server was excellent. Very patient with the babes and everyone ordering. If you want to take your family to a great place that has great prices and the most excellent service, this is it!! Without a doubt. I will dine here often.

I enjoyed this Piano at the bar. The bread is fresh and light however, I wish there was a bit more Turkey. My meal came quickly, within 5 minutes of, less. There is seating both inside and on the outside patio. The atmosphere is upscale casual with a sense of having Family Pride. You will also discover a wide selection of wine by the bottle both House Label, as well as others. My server tonight was Raina who is very sweet make certain everything is the way you like it. I'll be back again.

The service and food is amazing! You don't have to ask for refills they instantly give you another drink when you're almost done with it. The constant communication if we needed anything was the best, always there if you need them or anything! I recommend coming here, don't be surprised if your wallet is empty when you walk out. Very expensive but worth the food!

The food was pretty decent but our waiter was great. I would definitely go back but possibly order something else. It's weird to say but I prefer the booth in the mall rather than the actual restaurant. I ordered a salad, buffalo ranch chicken pizza, meatballs, and the macaroni bites. I probably wouldn't order the salad or the mac bites again as they tasted below average.

Service was pretty good. Food honestly was average. Love the bread and oil and the avocado salad had good flavor however everything was delivered at once including the entree which kind of ruined the experience.

Went for lunch and got seated right away. No WiFi. Ordered house Pinot Noir but did not like it$8. Ordered Meiomi Pinot and as usual loved it but it was $12! Ordered 12" supreme pizza and oh it was so good! I could only eat two slices. Took to slices to a friend and saved two slices fir later. Waitress very nice and patient. Good team work from all staff.

Our waitress was nice, but the pizza was one of the worst pizzas I've had. It was extremely oily, soggy, wet and as soon as I picked up a slice, everything came off. They were nice enough to make me a new one, but it literally came out the same way, maybe a little less soggy. I lied and said it was fine because I was starving, so we ended up just taking it to go. Seems they just make it this way.

Strolling La Cantera and we decided to try out the other pizza place Luciano's. Upon arriving on a Saturday afternoon wasn't too busy with the nice weather we decided to sit outside. Let's rate the service, at first the waitress took a while to serve us our drinks in which the star falls off there. Our waitress over the course of the visit improved however in the beginning service was lacking to get our drinks in. After a while the waitress made for frequent visits in which there was improvement there. Now the food, we ordered the meat lovers which made the best sense given the prices of the pizza here. Our fire oven cooked pizza came out pretty good however I was disappointed in the ingredients such as the ham quality the best was the pepperoni. The salad was good however there is a surcharge to request a second plate to share with my wife so we shared the entire salad back and forth. Overall the service was ok and the pizza was alright had better at the other place, the salad was superb!

(See each slide) Sometimes, the best plan isn't planned but one you discover along the way. Not sure if you agree, but in the times we're now living in, service of all kinds has become a bit robotic. Rules first, no smiles, and little eye contact. Tonight, I was blessed with some old school passionate service that felt like a warm blanket on a cold night. We decided to just go to LaCantera and kick it. Few places long wait times so we stumbled across Luciano's walking around and gave it a shot. So glad we did! My son had the Meat Lovers 12" pizza, wifey had the Creloa Salad (Shrimp, Spinach, Gorgonzola Cheese, Olives, Walnuts, W/ Balsamic Vinagrette) and I decided on the most delicious Meat Calzone with Ricotta Cheese I've ever had, period. Everything, I mean EVERYTHING, was #sogood Best part of the night though was the warm service we got from fellow east coaster, Rosa, Manager of lucianolacantera. Not exaggerating, I literally walked away feeling like I had an Italian dinner at Rosa's cool house. She was so darn warm, on point and gracious. We were greeted within seconds of sitting and the connection never left. We all know those special nights when we go out and have amazing service and walk away feeling like you almost made a friend. Well, in the restaurant business, that's gold! But in these times we live in, that's just beautiful Thanks Rosa! (Psst...owners of lucianorestaurants she deserves a BIG RAISE!!!) We'll be back!

My family and I were just there . We got seated and were told the server would come to our table. We watched the servers walk by us and not once came to our table for 30 minutes. Not even to offer us water. I would hope that most restaurants would even offer water but for 30 minutes after being in this heat, we were ready to just leave.

Hiyah. Over nighting to San Antonio since Hurri Dorian stole my S. Beach vaca. How bout a slice od pepperoni pie? Don't mind if we do. This is located in a gorgeous open shopping area...upscale. This means rent is high for vendors. That said, slice was the equivalent of a 6 inch personal but no more than 6 oz. At $6 that is meager but understandable. Flavor wasn't that of woodfired though. More like just above Digiorno. Nice clean space with great service so maybe a full pie and they may have upped the game. Solid 3 star.

Atmosphere was gorgeous but the pizza was nothing to write home about. The vanilla latte was actually pretty tasty.

Do not recommend going on your birthday. Surprisingly, it was NOT good service and the food and drinks were okay. She didn't even get a simple Happy Birthday when we told the host and waiter. We've been before on a normal day and was hoping for better service on a birthday, nope! We will never return.

So, this place is just ok, but because it's such a staple for me when I come to SA, I have to go here. The food isn't particularly great, but it's not bad. I do want to know what kind of sauce they use for their marinaras because it tastes off to me. Marinara shouldn't be that sweet...at least, I haven't had a sweet marinara like that except at Lucianos. Also, their meatball sub isn't a sub. I def wasn't expecting a panini type sandwhich to come out, but regardless, it was good. Subbed the chips for a salad to help me feel a little bit better about eating something so heavy.

We came here with my family in April for a weekday dinner. I wish I could remember the exact items we ordered but they were all pasta items. Everything was excellent! Our server was attentive and prompt in getting our food out on time. Our food tasted great! It's really nice inside- a great place for family dinner or date night with your special someone. I would highly recommend this Italian joint if you're craving Italian food (:

It was pretty busy for a evening at 5 pm. We got the four cheese pizza and arrabbiata pasta. The pasta was awful. No taste. The pizza was the only saving grace. Soooo good and flavorful. The 12" was enough for two people. The olive oil they served tasted weird with the bread. The bread was soft. Also our food was sitting on the counter and no one brought it over until our server came. We literally watched it get cold on the counter. One star only for the pizza. Our sever was rarely to be found so service wasn't that great either.

Our waiter was nice and observant. We sat inside but where we sat, we felt the layout was a little awkward. We ordered pizza and it was ok, kinda bland. Hopefully it was because they were busy. The peach lemonade was super good though.

I've been coming over to this Luciano's because it has the closest tasting pizza to what I've had since I lived in Italy. Today, they changed the way they make it. The parmigiana looks like thin noodles when they used to put shaved parmigiana and the crust was so thin it had wholes in it burnt throughout the whole pizza. Not what I expected or wanted. Today, I'm disappointed and just wanted to say why change something that wasn't broken.

Pros - offer indoor and outdoor seating - when I asked for room temperature water our waiter brought us 2 water bottles free of extra charge - we ordered a large pizza and it was more than enough for the two of us! They were quite generous with their toppings - the host and waiter were both super friendly and accommodating. We brought our baby in the stroller and they made sure to find a spot that was comfortable for us and our baby! - easy to find and ample parking (part of the La Canterra shopping complex) Cons - the seating was a little close together so you can easily hear neighboring conversations. It was also a little too dark inside for my liking - it's a little pricey here, if I could pick I'd rather eat Pizza Hut pizza since it's cheaper and they have stuffed crust!

So first time at this place and I was not impressed. Ordered some garlic bread which could have been easily confused with a large crouton. The garlic bread could have been significantly better if there was some marinara sauce. My entree was blah at best. Simple dish. Fettuccine Alfredo. They biscall took the pasta out of hot water dripping wet. Placed it in a dish. Then added the sauce. Because the pasta was wet the sauce turned to a watery soupy mess. Not very good. The house special penne was equally unimpressive and lack luster. Slice of pizza was bland and ehhhhh at best with very little sauce and greasy cheese. Sadly this was better than the pasta but that's not saying much. Especially for $3.50 for a slice of pizza. I know of places where a slice is a buck and a pie is $5. Certainly not worth the time. There a much better places out there.

Mostly when I think pizza at @theshopsatlacantera I only think Grimaldi's but that's totally unfair because @lucianorestaurants is too good to be forgotten! I love stopping in for a slice and a glass of vino! They have a lovely little patio and they are also one of the stops you can make for a #sipandshop to-go cup! Service is top notch and there is never a wait! If you haven't been, give it a go.

The wife and i had a couple of errands to run and after the errands we decided to get a little lunch... just so happens there was a restaurant withins arms reach so we decided to hit Luciano's I ordered the Eggplant Parmesan and the with ordered the Chicken Caesar Panini. We both LOVED our choices. Eggplant Parmesan: Even thought it was on the Appetizer menu, it was enough for a small meal. It was about the size of a good piece of Lasagna and it came perfectly cooked. Loved all the Mozzarella cheese that oozed out when I cut it open. Chicken Caesar Panini: This was like having a Chicken Caesar salad between two pieces of panini bread. Definitely enough to fill you up! Highly recommend Luciano's when you at The Shops La Cantera!! Great food and Great Prices... OH and let me not forget.. Their Cappuccino is SPOT ON!!

Dinner tonight was fantastic. Loved the outdoor seating under the big tree. Wait staff could have been a bit quicker and more attentive but the food was amazing. We started with fried ravioli that was cheesy with the crust having a real nice spicy bite to it. Next was small Mediterranean salads. Loved all the extra green olives with the balsamic vinaigrette was spot on and very delicious. Then we settled on a 12" supreme pizza with jalapeños added. Loved the crust and it was lite on the sauce, just the way I like it. Definitely will be back to try additional items soon.

Italian food is one of my favorites. This restaurant is located in the middle of La Cantera Mall. They have indoor and outdoor seating. Service was great. Food was great. We ordered the Mediterranean Salad, shrimp Penne, and a large pepperoni pizza. Everything was awesome. We will be back.

Best customer service. Jen is the best bartender and the food is amazing hands down. I got the Turkey panini and it was delicious.