Gusto Handcrafted Pasta & Pizza

"We don't come in often, but we love dining at Gusto's. We came in today at opening and enjoyed cocktails, appetizers, and dinner during Happy Hour. We shared the garlic bread with marinara sauce and the caesar salad. For dinner, husband ordered the chicken parmesan, and I ordered the beef short ribs with rosemary mashed potatoes. Yum! We've never had a bad meal here."

"There's not other way to put it, but Gusto's was simply amazing (will say amazing a lot in this review). The bread was nicely warm and paired very nicely with the provided tapenade. The clam chowder was oh so creamy and smooth. Not an ounce of grittiness at all, the clam cooked perfectly and seasoned just right. I paired it with the bread provided and it added an element to the already flavorful chowder. My wife ordered the chicken parmigiana and the sauce paired very nicely with the chicken and the hand made noodles (which were amazing!). I had the artichoke ravioli, and I decided to add shrimp to it as an extra add on. The raviolis were the best I have ever tasted hands down anywhere. The cream sauce, cheese and the very smooth texture of the perfectly cooked ravioli was out of this world. Even though the shrimp was an add on, the seasoning and flavor of it paired perfectly with the ravioli. This was hands down the best dish I have had in a long time (and probably the best pasta dish I have ever had). Definitely will come back here whenever we vacation in Monterey. A must try place as they have tantalizing, mouthwatering looking pizza and calamari."

"Hear me out... All their pastas and lasagnas have a Chef Boyardee taste, simply repackaged as family diner quality Italian food. I know they make their pizza dough and pastas in house; but there's just not enough flavor to go around. We were shocked considering their reviews on Yelp. But also, a lot of food is overrated in touristy areas so there's that. It's hard to get a lasagna I don't care for but theirs is overcooked noodle with barely any sauce. None of that hearty tomato flavor. Their noodles all tasted either overcooked (spaghetti) or undercooked and harder to chew (like the seafood pasta). The seafood pasta was super boring with no flavor. No mussels, clams, nada. Nothing stood out. Not the service, the food, nor the ambience. I do not recommend."

"In the area I've tried pizza at: La Bicyclette in Carmel, La Luna (also Carmel), Folktale Vineyards (Carmel valley), Vesuvio (also in Carmel). GUSTO BLOWS THEM ALL AWAY. If you want real, chewy, crisp good pizza, this is the spot. Not a *cute* neighborhood like Carmel, but the pizza is stellar."

"Every aspect of our dinner was fantastic! 12 guests and everyone loved their drinks and their food! The restaurant staff was very accommodating of our late-booked and large party. From appetizers to pasta to fish, the dinner was superb. The restaurant is quite small so be sure to call ahead and make a reservation. Also, do not be put off by the fact that it looks like took over an old Perkos or Denny’s. This is definitely a case of “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Service was great starting with drinks at the bar all the way through dinner."