Lomeli's Italian Restaurant

"We stopped in unplanned to Lomeli’s, and had a nice meal that was tasty and not terribly expensive. Both my girlfriend and I had fettuccine Alfredo with chicken, and garlic bread, which is brought to each table with dinner. The food was seasoned very nicely - while the Alfredo sauce could have been a little richer and thicker, it was better than a lot of places we’ve tried. And the chicken was seasoned perfectly, enhancing the overall flavor of the dish. The garlic bread was spot on and very good. The ambiance of Lomeli’s is what threw us off just a bit. This place has been in a strip mall since the late 1970s, and has just about zero curb appeal; there aren’t even windows. As we arrived, it looked like maybe the restaurant was closed and its space boarded up, it looks that plain. However, there were a lot of people waiting outside and there is a door in the façade - super odd frontage - so it was apparent that the restaurant WAS open. And seemingly popular. Inside, the restaurant is cozy - it’s tiny. Expect a wait if you show up at peak meal times. There are booths and tables (mostly booths) that are decorated with homey touches - framed artwork, hanging spices, herbs, and vegetables (plastic). The weird thing is the music - rather than Italian music or even something appropriate like Sinatra or Dean Martin, we listened to a completely random soundtrack that consisted of New Order, Dolly Parton, Sam Cooke, Joy Division, and Diana Ross. I know…weird. However, none of the music sucked; it was just… random as hell. The staff were all very nice and welcoming to us, despite it being very busy. While we wouldn’t go out of our way to drive a long distance to go to dinner here, we’d definitely stop in again if we are in the area, and do recommend it to others looking for a place to eat in the Gardenia neighborhood!"

"We've been coming to this restaurant for a very long time and I love it cuz the food and the service is amazing. But the last time I went the food servings were smaller than usual. But the prices were still the same. Every time we leave this place we always leave with leftovers but this time we still left hungry. Which makes me a little sad cuz this was one of my favorite Italian restaurants but they don't serve that Italian portion anymore"

"Definitely a hidden gem!!! The entrance itself is very enchanting because it feels like you are opening into a new world because there a door in a wall as if it’s not supposed to be there. Food here is amazing! I personally absolutely LOVED pizza here especially for my son. Most of pizza joints that I’ve gone to was too salty. Here, it’s less salty enough for me to recommend my son for many pieces. Staff here are very professional! They don’t come too often where you feel annoyed but they stop by enough for me to feel cared for. Suggesting all families to visit here!!"