VIA UNO Cucina Italiana & Bar

We had a Father’s Day lunch here. The waitress Sonia was very friendly, happy and accommodating. She was prompt and knowledgeable. She gets full five stars for service.
Now about the food. So for a party of 5 that includes 2 kids our bill was a whooping $ 225. Jeez that’s a lot. When I am paying that much I am expecting top notch food. Here is meal description.
Mom ordered gnocchi — it was decent nothing out of ordinary. Had to add peppers & salt to give it some flavor. In fact she originally wanted to order a pasta in Alfredo sauce … But the restaurant doesn’t do Alfredo sauce and I am surprised why ???
Husband ordered some nice chicken dish which had prosciutto rolled into it and we wanted that to be taken out. Again not possible as the chicken was kept pre rolled. Hmmmm … If I am paying $ 25 for a dish it better be prepared fresh and to the order.
I ordered risotto — it was nice but tad bit low in seasoning and the balance of flavor a was missing .
My Son ordered a pizza with pepperoni and cheese and sausage. It came out with that and bells peppers as well which would have been nice if it was for a grown up but for a kid nope — it doesn’t work.
We were in a rush and did not have time to return the order especially for the pizza otherwise we would have .
Also for a party of 5 they charged us gratuity at 20%. Hmmm not good. I let it slide as my server was good.
I don’t recommend this place and would not revisit.

Great food in this restaurant I really liked it went there with my family and they loved also, and I want to celebrate my b-​day in this restaurant…

Arrived at 9:05, door was locked. Sorry we’re closed. Really. Checked on line opened until 9:30. We drove there from Santa Cruz.

I have nothing good to say about this place. The food is blah, no seasoning, no garlic, very plain. Tiramisu was bland. Bread was stale. Over priced. We were charged $ 30 more than what we should have been charged and brought this to the attention of the server .
Sonia was not a good server, as she forgot drinks and included herself in our table
conversation and made inappropriate comments. VERY DISAPPOINTING!

Wow, nothing less than 5 stars! Born and raised in Italy, this is the real deal!!! Food is great and the pizza the best in the bay area! Massimo is a great host and you can tell when the passion and pride of what you do shows!!!

One complaint: the bread that they served to start the meal was dense, nearly tasteless, and stale. You would think that an Italian restaurant would serve good fresh bread. The rest of the meal was typical of an Italian restaurant. Ambience is fair with a TV in view over the bar and a rather cool feel to the place.

Came here for a work event and was treated very well by staff. They have a very nice wine room in the back for private parties. I thought it was pricey however, and did not like my dish — Capricciosa pizza. Salads were very small. I think it’s more of a high end place that perhaps focuses on presentation, but not impressed with price or food.

Delizie del mare was very blah. We were expecting more of a ceviche type thing. But it was a bunch of small shrimps on a bed of arugula topped with some canned corn…
The gnocchi was disappointing too. I’ve had better gnocchi from Trader Joe’s. The ravioli had a good presentation not as much taste. The drinks were good and the staff is very friendly. I wouldn’t recommend the food though.

I’m very disappointed!!!
I liked this place e so mach and today I have ordered main dish «ravioli».I got just 3!!! peaces on the plate!!!
It looked like an appetizer even for a small person like me!!!
Chief spoke with us and tried to convince that it enough calories!!!
Vary sad… Instead of trying to make up for us they even didn’t suggest desert menu…

Very nice. A special touch is their sun dried tomato dipping sauce for the bread.
Friendly and family friendly.

Incredibly friendly owner /​staff (it’s a family affair). They were so welcoming, extremely talkative and sweet. :)
We had a bit of an unusual experience as we came on a holiday, so not all of the regular menu was available, and they were not able to accommodate that (even for a simple dish they already had ingredients to). That said, I’d be more than willing to return on a normal day to try the stuff we missed out on.
Apps:
1. Calamarata — sautéed calamari
2. Stuffed eggplant (*I would pass on this*)
Entrees:
1. Pizza Via Uno — half calzone
2. Pizza Margherita
Good food, lovely atmosphere. It transports you to another place encountering people like that.

Buono autentico. Have had a few dishes there, all solid 4s. Pizza is definitely not ‘heavy’ (a la glopped on cheese, heavy toppings), but not ‘margherita’ style… right in-​between.
One odd note… I ordered a pizza to pick up:
VU: «OK, 5 minutes, sir»
Moi: «5 minutes!!!»
VU: «Yes, 5 minutes»
(goes right out the door, gets there in 6 and it is already waiting for me)
Hmmmm… now THIS is AUTHENTICO !! Napoli, Napoli, Napoli…

A spur of the moment decision to try take out at Via Uno and we were delighted.
Pizza Calebrese was very good with fontina cheese, sausage and mushrooms.
Pumpkin gelato and flourless chocolate cake a pleasant surprise.
Well worth the $ 30 check.

Another wonderful restaurant in the greater bay area partially owned by someone from the Calabria region. Came here on Valentine’s day and had a great time. We had no reservation and called ahead – due to a big traffic jam on 92 they had openings.
We had a late lunch and came here moderately hungry. We split the following: bruschetta, green salad, the Pizza Via Uno, and ended it with a Tiramisu. Everything was really good and I enjoyed the unique presentation, texture, and flavors of the Pizza Via Uno.
Our waitress was very nice and the owner very welcoming.

This review is long overdue. I love this restaurant and consider it an unknown gem in the Bay Area. It must be quite popular among locals, because on my visits it seems that the owner knows every other diner — many on a first-​name basis. And eating here I can I can see why: the food is great, the staff charming, easy-​going and attentive, and the atmosphere relaxing and fun — making it casual while also perfect for a memorable date. This place is a must-​stop, whether you’re merely meandering along HWY 1 or making a special trip. And the prices are more than fair for the meal quality.
I’m a fan of every dish I’ve tried. This is bright, spicy, elevated Italian cooking — dishes so good and approachable that I’ve actually tried (multiple times) to recreate some for my own table. Favorites include:
* Not sure of the menu name — perhaps it’s the Calamarata — but a must-​try is Via Uno’s version of what I know as calamari in umido, or squid braised in tomatoes with red chili with a big fat thick slice of oven-​toasted bread. This is the perfect zuppa for a foggy San Francisco day (which is almost every day). Total comfort food.
* House-​made bruschetta: Thick-​yet-​oven-​crispy forno-​baked bread topped with authentic bruschetta: tomatoes, basil and garlic. Well balanced and tasty.
* Fusilli Calabrese: The pork shoulder ragu is splendid and the pasta cooked perfectly. This dish is rich, slightly smoky and completely satisfying. Lumberjack food (if Italian lumberjacks exist ;-)
* Branzino alla Griglia: I’ve only ordered once, but somehow the fish was cooked perfectly while it also coming out sparkling hot. And the lemon sauce and fennel purée were exceptional. So good. If you’re looking for a light dish, you can’t go wrong here.
* Great pizza — but know that it’s thin crust, forno style. No thick, gooey sweet dough here. I’m a pizza girl and could eat it every day, but I’m particular. The crust needs to be thin, crisp and hold that perfect amount of almost bitter char — and the toppings need to be high quality and used sparingly. This said, I believe the owners know their pizza and know it well. From the Margherita to the Capricciosa (tomato sauce with mozz, prosciutto, artichoke, mushroom and olive) and my absolute favorite — the Napoletana (tomato sauce, mozz, anchovies and olive) — each one is top-​notch.
* Tiramisu is HUGE but oh my goodness so light and fluffy that you don’t feel guilty. Not to talk anyone out of other desserts, but this one is great to split between two and up to four guests. It’s the ideal combo of creamy and coffee and chocolate, but not heavy nor gloppy. Amazing.
In a nutshell, a great place for anyone who cares for an Italian meal prepared well, with quality and with love. I always leave full and happy. Will come back again and again.

We go to Half Moon Bay about twice a year to camp and whenever we go, we always make it a point to eat at Via Uno. The food is always fantastic.
We belong to a camping group and this time around, when we booked our reservations for ten diners, they were more than happy to accommodate us despite the fairly late call.
However, what impressed us the most was how they voluntarily assigned us their private room with no extra charge and the service was absolutely attentive, personal and very professional.
Thank you Via Uno and I’m bummed I didn’t make it back the next day for that anchovy pizza.

I had such high expectations because of its reviews at Unilocal.I’ve been passing by this restaurant million times and after reading the good reviews, I’ve decided to have a family dinner here.
We ordered 5 different dishes, we didn’t like any of them. I always like at least 1, but boy was this place bad. Pizza was anything but good, authentic Italian experience? Seriously? Whoever wrote that review has never been to Italy or a real authentic Italian pizza place!
I’m extremely disappointed with this place and it was just a bad experience. Servers were slow on top of the bad food and this place is quite expensive for the bad service and food.

Via Uno is a great spot off the highway. We went at opening and had some initial kinks with some servers not showing up but they made up for it quickly. We enjoyed everything we ordered but I especially liked the half calzone/​pizza. The crust was crispy yet soft and held up well considering all of the ingredients oozing out.
Spaghetti con Polpette
Spaghetti with wood oven-​roasted meatballs
Pizza Via Uno
Specially prepared half calzone & half pizza… all in one pizza! Half calzone with tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella, ricotta, sopressata; Half pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, mushrooms, black olives, basil, olive oil
Calabrese Pizza
Fontina cheese, Italian sausage, mushroom

I cannot believe how terrible our experience was here. We decided to grab dinner to wait out the traffic and were excited to get some great Italian food, but were sorely disappointed. We had spent the day by the ocean and went in to wash our hands in the bathroom and they had no soap dispenser in the women’s restroom and a broken one with no more soap in it in the men’s restroom. When we notified the staff, they didn’t do anything. I asked a different staff member and she apologized by only brought the broken soap dispenser from the mensroom to the womens bathroom. Like, really?
We ordered a pizza, a pasta, and burrata. The burrata was okay, but was not a great bang for the buck and came with very little things to eat it with, which is what normally makes the appetizer come together. The pasta we got was their homemade pasta and it literally tasted like they smeared tomato paste over some pasta they threw together really quickly. The pasta noodles were stuck together and very thick and weren’t even cooked through all the way. When we brought this to their attention, they just said, yes, we cook our pasta al dente. But it literally was not cooked through… we just ate the meat that was in the dish, which was literally 1 rib with the tomato paste smeared onto it.
This was the most disappointingly expensive dinner that we have had in my recent memory. I have been to their sister restaurant mezza luna and don’t remember it being so bad, maybe it was a fluke from the kitchen, but needless to say, we will not be giving them a second chance.

CALZONE PIZZA (spelling might be off)
This place is amazing. Right off HWY 1 near Cowboy Surf shop, we came here for a birthday party and sat in the outside portion. We were loud (group of 15) but the accordion guy did happy birthday to our friend, the drinks were great, and the entire place was a «good loud» meaning laughing, smiles, and good conversation.
It was one of the best dinners I have had in a long time on the coast.
Thank you!