I went here to try Heat Waves fried chicken sandwiches, and left a life long customer!Absolutely the best fried chicken in the county! The hot was actually too spicy for me, which I rare and I loved! The fries we got was a meal on its own; it was so delicious with the seasonings they had on the fries! Last but not least the mack and cheese is the best Ive ever had. I imagine its the type of mack and cheese jeff bezos or Bill gates have when they ring a bell for it. It was seasoned amazingly with the best cheese blend. You need to come here and try them out!

This place was really low key. We had great service and great comfort food! Their deserts and coffee are wonderful! Super great quality and portions. Just wow.

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED !!! Italian lunch was NYC “Little Italy” comparable, dietary issues were gladly accommodated by preparing entrees from scratch, prepared by Chef Rudolfo and served by Brother Miguel. Dessert selections were spectacular, I wanted one of everything, however will have opportunities to try them all, on subsequent visits.

I had penne puttanesca and my husband had braised short ribs with penne. They are both delicious. I also had tiramisu the tiramisu is okay I have tasted better but its not bad. overall its good eat. Service is okay too.

First time my boyfriend and I visited, my first time trying a panini and so glad we did! Excellent service! The owner was sweet enough to take a pic of us! Will be returning. Highly recommended!

We sat outside at Rudolfos Cafe on Lighthouse in Pacific Grove and had a delightful lunch. The menu had great choices of salads, sandwiches, and pasta. Then we had a choice of flavors of gelato with delicious cookies and pastries for dessert. A perfect vacation lunch in a great beach town that made us love California. Table-side service was fast and friendly. A fun experience.

Very nice surprise! Really enjoyed the pasta(4 different dishes that were all delicious) and the Italian background music. Nice relaxing lunch. Service was great also!

Pastries are delish!! would have given 5 stars but they need to REALLY WORK on their customer service.NOT friendly whatsoever,very blunt and standoffish

We stopped by just for dessert. Customer service was amazing! We took home a delicious cup of blueberry cheesecake gelato and a piece of absolutely amazing chocolate cheesecake. We plan to go back next time we are here for a visit.

Pleasant but marginal service. Had to ask for cream, sugar, napkins. Response was tardy even though it wasnt crowded. Prices a bit on the heavy side. Food was good.

Food was overall tasty, but staff was rude and did not make anyone in our party feel welcome. Quite the opposite. Bummer of a dining experience when everyone at a table is looking at each other like, what did we do wrong, everytime there is a communication with staff.

Extremely good food and dessert. Reasonably priced as well. Highly recommended

Rudy Ponce, who was the brainstorm behind the Heatwave popup and the fabulous chicken sandwiches in Monrerey, teamed up with his brother Miguel and Dad to open Rudolfos. Took over the previous Favalora restaurant space in PG and to keep in touch with the locals kept a lot of the same wonderful entrees. (Even Mr Favalora). The food was fabulous- fresh, authentic and unique! All desserts n gelato, homemade, try the Pistachio cake yummmm. I had the eggplant parmigiana, tender eggplant, cooked just right with lots of cheese, the way I love it. Maxx, my son, had ravioli and Larry the lasagna. Our friends had the anchovies n capers pizza and couldnt rave enough about it! Jocelyn was our server and tho busy with lots of other tables, kept our food and drinks filled and very attentive. Definetly going back again, and again😁. Thank you Rudy for the wonderful dinner experience! Youll do great

So delicious! Ate here twice in 1 day due to everything being so delicious! From the salads to the pizza and pastas, with a party of 6 no one was disappointed and the service was on point. Definitely coming back next time in PG

Excellent place for a casual meal or dessert. We stopped by for coffee (which was good, they use Lavazza), and my mouth started watering as I looked at the menu. The owners were very friendly, so we ended up coming back later for lunch, and we werent disappointed! I had the braised short rib ravioli, which was delicious. My wife had Tuscan white bean soup and salad, which she enjoyed, and my daughter had a turkey and cheese panini on really good bread. I was tempted to get gelato afterwards (the flavors were all right up my alley), but I was way too stuffed!

The chicken sandwiches they serve on Sunday are exceptional!

This is seriously the best spaghetti bolonese Ive ever had. 😋 And the atmosphere is super chill and effortlessly classy. 👌 I highly recommend.

Friendly staff, delicious food fir reseasonable prices

Super good service, and pizza. Nice selection of desserts.

We came one night for pizza and came back the next day for pasta. Everything was sooo good! Excellent thin crust pizza, garlic bread to die for and delicious pasta (we tried the butternut squah ravioli and the porcini ravioli). To top an excellent meal we had gelato and a slice of peach pie. Great for the whole family!

Previous owner Adriannas Cafe was better!

The soup was delicious. The coffee was hot with full flavor. Perfect.

We got into Pacific Grove a little late and it so happened that this Cafe was open. It was nothing short of amazing with their hardy portions and refreshing iced tea. If it wasnt for my exploratory nature, Id eat there every meal!

Very good Italian food

Great little cafe with pizza, Paninis, gelato and wines by the glass.

The location is perfect for a Cafe. They have indoor and outdoor seating. A lot of parking down the street. The food is great if your looking for a quick sandwich, pasta dish, salad, or a personal sized pizza. Their flavors dont disappoint. I dropped a star only due to the atmosphere. The workers and owner are nice, but the place was quiet with quiet interactions. Ill go again but try to sit on the patio to enjoy the street view. Thanks Cafe Ariana.

Long wait for a sub-par lunch. It took 30 minutes to get 2 paninis when we were the first ones there. Other guests that arrived after us were also becoming impatient. Not great, not sure how its rated so high.

Incredible food with live jazz! Whats not to love?!

I went here after a bike ride (during Covid-19) nice seating outside and excellent food and service. I had such a delicious Pesto Chicken Panini! I can’t wait to go back.

Pizza was of food court quality and Alfredo sauce awfully salty, flavorless and clumpy. On the upside, our server was sweet and helpful, mushroom ravioli fragrant and filled to the brim and their gelato looked irresistible. However, we weren’t able to enjoy it since we were rushed out by someone who our server referred to as a manager. We visited midday and were the only customers when my toddler tried to wander around the parklet dining area, and that brought us our first warning from that supervisor lady. In a few minutes he climbed under an empty table, and that got us another not-so-sweet warning again. We left immediately with a bitter aftertaste, instead of an ice cream cone in each hand, as planned.

Better than expected Italian food, but not excellent. Service was OK, and they forgot part of our order.

With New Owners New Name I have Been There Once. Tho Disapointed What I wanted They only Serve on Sundays.

Food was very good. I would prefer ordering at the table rather than inside, especially given the price point. Off-sidewalk seating was nice and heater was available.

Great service and excellent food!

Ambience is really nice and the place is really specious keeping the simplicity with deliciousness of food... just a perfect blend for a fine evening...

It is not my favorite spot. Service was ok. Food is in my opinion just ok. My son likes their soup. I had their Solo Vendura Pizza there wasnt enough sauce and veggies on the pizza. I ordered the pizza for the eggplant topping which was scant and very thinly sliced. Most of the pizza consisted of cheese and arugula. My son had gluten free cheese pizza. Which was loaded with cheese and not enough sauce. Great for cheese lovers that need to eat a gluten free pizza. They do offer Gluten Free Pizza and Pasta.

I used to love coming but one particular visit, the owner was extremely rude to my elderly parents. Please don’t support the cafe. Just really awful service.

Good food poor package for to go

Nice patio for outdoor seating, coffee was good. Panini was crisp outside and delicious.

NICE DINNER ! My wife and I were enjoying a 7 day vacation in Pacific Grove in early October. After a fun day riding our bikes along the coastal bike path we thought a nice dinner would complete our day. We had been missing our weekly fix of Neapolitan pizza back in Solana Beach so we thought this cute Italian place ( pizza on their menu ) would suit us. After parking our car close by we walked into the outdoor dining patio ( no dine-in due to covid restrictions ) and a lovely server named April welcomed us with open arms. We were offered a table right beside a blazing heater...my wife was happy with that ( it was 55F) ! Menus were brought out plus glasses of cool water courtesy of April. The co-owner Marie came out to greet us....and told us they ( with her chef husband Vino ) have been running the restaurant for over 20 years. I wasnt blown away by their craft beer selection but settled on a Lagunitas IPA. My wife and I ordered a pizza each....they looked to be thin flatbread style pizzas ( not wood-fired ) so we could probably get through one each....at least I could ! My wife chose the American Pizza ( sausage, pepperoni, olives mushrooms & red onion ) while I decided on the Napolitano Pizza ( capers, tomato, anchovies, oregano ) one size only - 10 inch. My ice cold IPA arrived in a tall elegant glass and tasted fine. After not too long April our server brought out both our pizzas..they looked lovely ! Very seldom if ever do I add anchovies to our weekly home made pizzas because my wife wont eat em...so this was a bit of self indulgence on my behalf this evening. April grated some parmigiana on our pizzas and we thought they tasted pretty decent. As I said earlier they were a flatbread pizza..very thin crust but overall decent flavor with good ingredients. I walked inside to check out the dessert options and gelato won the day. While inside I met with Vino the charismatic co-owner & head chef....a true Sicilian and in his early 80s he told me. Nice guy ! I ordered a Mocha Almond Fudge Gelato for my wife ( her fav ) and I chose Pistachio....it had contained lots of pistachios. So we chilled out and enjoyed our lovely gelato desserts. Wonderful attention from our server April and the owners are a charming couple !

Food was good, decent prices, dog-friendly (in stroller).

Absolutely one of the best.

Awful customer service. Very rude. We were super polite. Lady acted like it was a problem that a customer walks in.

Good food, good service

The best Italian we have had on the coast. Super good. Affordable. Friendly people and delicious gelato!!

The staff here are amazing! They are welcoming, knowledgeable and will make you feel at home. The food is delicious! Definitely try one of their super fresh homemade pizzas. You wont regret it, plus the prices are very low for that area. If you have the chance to stop by dont pass this place up.

Takeout bakery and coffee are available here. Its very nice place

The best thin crust pizza ever....fresh ingredients with cheese not overwhelming other flavors...not like pizza franchise.

This is our favorite restaurant in PG! Great pizza and pasta. The food is made with love and service is always friendly. This restaurant is run by the sweetest family. If youre from the Carolinas, they have Cheerwine! We love to come for date nights here since their prices are super affordable.

Great environment, great coffee drinks, great pizza, amazing gelatin. Staff will get to know you. Family owned and operated. We go here from time to time and they always ask how we are and remember us. If you want a cafe in a beautiful place, with incredible food options, this is the cafe for you

Very good food, I wanted just a little bit more on my plate. Definitely will come back

Friendly, family-run Italian restaurant. Order at the counter. Nice selection of salads, pastas, panini sandwiches, soup, coffee and desserts including gelato! Prices are reasonable. Located across from the Holman building in Pacific Grove.

Excellent as always! It has been several months since they have added different pasta dishes. All I can say is delisioso! ☺👍

Great pizza, crust is unbelievable cooked to perfection! Salads are wonderful perfect combinations. Friendly great service, Brenda is wonderful !

I ordered the minestrone soup with the house salad. I also ordered butternut squash raviolis with garlic butter sage sauce. I got olive oil for my bread. My friend ordered garlic bread and gnocchi.

Food is ok, not really special.

Stopped in for coffee and a pastry...this is worth the stop. Really gorgeous setting. Coffee, wine, beer, soft drinks, gellato, and gourmet italian sandwiches...this place has it all. We didnt have an appetite when stopped by but we are putting this on our list to eat lunch here.

Nice mom and pops joint verry clean and nice place for Italian

We happen to work a couple of blocks from here. Food is always delicious, cafe is clean. They also serve Gelato for those with a sweet tooth. We eat her often.

Best pizza place in PG. Prices are good, food always pleases. Dogs are welcome on the patio. Clean restrooms. Good beer and wine. We always end up at Café Ariana.

Great food, pizza, staff, and setting. Cute little place.

Wonderful. We arrived at closing time and were graciously invited in to eat. Excellent food and great customer service

Great food and atmosphere

Great little cafe with good pizza and sandwiches. Very affordable

Good for coffee, paninis, salad, cup of soup, gelato. Stays open in the afternoon, when a lot of neighboring restaurants close for a couple of hours.

Really great sandwiches/paninis!

Great food and great service. I love the pizzas and panini!

One of my very favorites .. love the food, the outdoor dining, and the staff.

Small owner operated eatery. We had very good individual pizzas

Lots of food for the money,worth it.

This was such a lovely and quaint place, and well priced food of high quality. I loved my chicken and gorgonzola pizza. The toffee brittle and sicilian creme gelato was so delicious. If I am ever back in the area, I will be returning to this enchanting café.

Wonderful atmosphere! Great Panini and pizza

Just stayed for a coffee. Staff is amazing; food looked great.

Over priced... but what is not in California

Friendly staff and I love the pizza here. Not only Italian style, it is like eating pizza in Italy.

Excellent wine and gelato. Definitely try the panini gelato; its like a stuffed pocket of warm delicious crust with your choice of gelato and topping!

Mama Mia.....!!!Spaghetti with meat balls is mouthwatering

Good pizza...good service...yummy gelato!!

Food was just ok and service was lacking.

Good panninis and free cookies!

Food and people were great

Went for the gelato, pretty good

Amazing loved everything

Great place to hangout

Great pizza!

All perfect