Barbarella

Review summary

1. S

   Steve

   Orange County

   60 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   60 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   We have been to Barbarella many times. We both really like the Pasta Al Forno. However, this time we were a little disappointed as it was overcooked which caused the sauce to actually break down. Our server was very friendly and attentive.
   

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2. C

   Crystal

   San Diego

   5 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   5 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Only reason this doesn’t get a 5 star is because I felt like we were packed in like sardines. I think if place removed a couple tables … it would be much more enjoyable.
   

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3. H

   Hope

   San Diego

   5 reviews

   2.0

   5 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 2

   Despite having reservations, we were seated in the back room, even though there were plenty of open tables in the main area. The back room lacked atmosphere—no music playing—making it so quiet that we felt like we had to whisper to avoid being overheard. We ordered the martini served in an ornament, but it came in a whiskey glass and was only half-filled. For $18, it felt overpriced and disappointing. The bolognese we tried was good but wasn’t served very hot. Like the martini, it also seemed overpriced for what it was. Overall, it wasn’t a great experience, and I wouldn’t rush to go back.
   

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4. D

   Dean

   New Mexico

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Good people food. Great place for the dog to join! Good canine menu too.
   

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5. J

   Jayci

   San Diego

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   My boyfriend and I went for a date night and had a wonderful time. The restaurant was decorated for Christmas, it was stunning!! I had the ricotta ravioli and my boyfriend had the armericano pizza, which we both pretty much devoured. We had the apple crumble for dessert, which was delicious. I had two Christmas themed cocktails. The service was great. The bussers were so quick to grab our dirty plates out of the way, and were friendly. Our server was also very friendly and made sure we were taken care of. I will definitely be returning!
   

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6. M

   Marshall

   Austin

   11 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   11 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   I ordered the chicken parmesan with spaghetti. Prices were a bit higher than my expectations but the quality of the food, wine and service were good
   

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7. R

   Rena

   San Diego

   2 reviews

   vip
   2.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on November 16, 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 1

   Under new ownership. Totally different experience than what was once. Made reservations for 6 and they didn’t have our reservation although I reconfirmed prior to arriving. I asked for indoor seating and they found a table in a back dingy overflow patio. Service was poor, food undercooked and charm of what this place once was was gone. Barbara made the restaurant charming with her warmth and personal touch throughout. She will be missed.
   

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8. T

   Teresa and Troy

   Central Coast

   1 review

   vip
   3.0

   1 review

   Dined on November 11, 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 4

   The food was very good and the ambiance fun and funky. No problems getting reservations and we were seated right away. The reason we gave this review three stars was because of the service. Three tables arrived after us, between 15 min to 1/2 hour after. We ordered salads and bread. They ordered pasta and meat. All orders came out before ours and no bread arrived. When we reminded the waitress of the bread, she didn't say "I'm sorry, I'll put it in." All she said was "My bad. I didn't enter it." Made no sense why it took two salads twice as long to arrive over pasta and meat to tables with larger parties.
   

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9. S

   Steven

   San Diego

   7 reviews

   vip
   1.0

   7 reviews

   Dined on November 3, 2024

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 3

   Had been to Barbarella many times over the years and always had a wonderful time, so I thought it would be a great place for my girlfriend and me to celebrate our dual birthdays last night. Man, has the experience gone downhill. The hostess was nice enough and said "Oh, it's your birthday" (no "Happy Birthday"), with no acknowledgement from the server or anyone else for the rest of the evening. Truth be told, I don't generally expect anything extra for a birthday celebration, but a little smile would be nice. From here it really went downhill...the server was not friendly, was challenging to understand and I had to ask her if there were any specials, as she clearly wasn't going to proactively offer them to us. She also didn't check on us at all...seemed like she was just going through the motions. The calamari was a very small basket which tasted good enough, but was not worth anywhere near the $20 price. The wedge salad was fine, but nothing special. Finally, the mushroom risotto was horribly undercooked, with no mushroom flavor. Was so sticky it was actually challenging to eat. We each enjoyed a glass of wine, which was fine and a good value, and when we ordered an additional glass to share, what we received was clearly an under pour (the initial two glasses were generous pours, which is why the split glass looked so skimpy). I was too frustrated by this point to say anything, so just paid the bill and left. It looks like others' experiences have still been pretty good, so I was hesitant to write this review, but after many years of wonderful meals at this charming restaurant, I guess I expected a lot more as we were celebrating our birthdays.
   

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10. C

    Chris

    San Diego

    26 reviews

    5.0

    26 reviews

    Dined on November 2, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    Had a great experience at Barbarella . We hadn’t been there in a while but we wanted to take our son there to see the great Halloween decorations that they are known for. But the food and service were even better than the decorations . We had Chicken Parm , Ravioli and our son had pasta off a kids menu that had many selections . We had Nicole as our server who was great . All the servers were dressed as Halloween characters . Can’t wait to go back when the Christmas decorations go up or before to Barbarella .
    

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