Pasta Cucina

The food tasted like those frozen dinners that you buy in the market. This has been the worst experience! That’s how terrible the food was.

I went to s special event here where they reserved the whole restaurant and catered it.
We had salad, a cheese and berry tray, crackers, dinner roles, mashed potatoes, lasagna, steak, a creamy chicken and rice, carrots and asparagus. All amazing
They also provided a stocked dessert table and open bar! !
I was extremely Impressed with this place. First time but will definitely be back to try regular menu! !

The service is good, the food is not bad. The last time I came here I had the chicken/​artichoke dish which was great, this time I had the lasagna bolognese, way too much fennel — it was like having lemon seeds throughout the lasagna, they were «popping» as I chewed. My salad was also more white than green. When I think of a salad, I think of a green salad. (Personal choice of liking leafy greens, not the iceberg stems only). Others’ salads looked better than mine though so maybe it was flukey. Algis — the best waiter — thanks!

I don’t drink champagne so keep the bread sticks flowing, ahhhh, got to love this place!
I, my brothers, my boyfriend, and this little gem are the equivalent to a fun-​filled, not to mention tasty evening. The ambiance alone is super nice, very chic. The food is delicious, and the prices that go along with them you can’t beat. On an «I need to stick within the confines of my budget» kind of day this is the spot to hit up. Olive Garden will always be ‘Olive Garden’ but I think Pasta Cucina will be my replacement for quite some time; sorry their Bolognese topped the hell out of OG’s… I give them 4 stars because no place is perfect and leaving room for improvement can be a positive challenge where all businesses are concerned. One should always be striving for better I think! I’ve seen this place packed on some nights, and I’ve seen it the complete opposite which I like personally; in and out without a 45 min wait time I’m with it! (Grrrrr @ OG). I can go on all day about PC, but only your taste buds will be the determining factor as to (1) how long this place stays in business, (2) what the future ratings will be to keep the business flowing. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed. If you are blessed to have Aaron as your waiter all the more better, he is great!

I had a coupon for this restaurant so thought I’d try it out. It’s located in the local’s casino Texas Station. The interior is nice, with a combination of tables or booths.
Service was very good with an attentive waiter. Unfortunately, the food was absolutely bleh. Eggplant parmesan had NO flavor, no seasoning, just like eating wood. It was on a bed of spaghetti which was dry and also utterly lacking in flavor, spices or even garlic. A friend had the fettucine alfredo which apparently was okay, but nothing special at all. I had hopes for the dessert (Tiramisu), but it too was underwhelming, bland, like eating nothing. Weird! I’ve had better tiramisu from the grocery store. This is a shame because it’s a pleasant place. Not many diners in the place (maybe word has gotten out that the food isn’t the best). Nor is it the worst. Just «meh». Prices are okay and portions are fairly large so at least you have leftovers for more «meh» dining at home lol… The Tiramisu was overpriced at $ 5.99.
I probably won’t be back again, even with a coupon. Again, it’s not a «bad» place, it’s just not a place you’re gonna do anything other than eat a forgettable dinner.

Based on the other reviews I read, I must have gone to the wrong restaurant. We had reservations for 8 pm on a Saturday night and there was only one other couple there. Even so it took 10 minutes to get service and that was only after I got up to find a server. Our server never checked on us after our meal was presented, never made any suggestions and basically ignored us.
There were 7 of us and only two people finished their meals. Mine was so over salted I couldn’t eat it. Had our server come by to check on us, I could have told him. Ive had bad food before and bad service before, but never both at the same time.

Texas station’s Pasta Cucina just got a new chef and it shows. The staff are very friendly and efficient.

Ask and yee shall receive! The waitress Michelle and the hostess remembered us from our last visit. Last night, the food was delicious– not over salted as our previous visit! I thank the hostess for making a point to speak with the kitchen!
Service great, food great– Need I say more! Try it! Good job, Ladies!

Took no time to be seated because it was not crowded. I was helped promptly. The bread sticks with the dipping sauces were very good. I ordered their pizza and it was baked to perfection, crispy and large. This was the first time I have been to the restaurant and my experience was very good.

Never ate here before so dont have previous to compare to .
It was ‘ok’.
Service was good.
Had reserves but didnt need them — Seated promptly on arrival — only 3 other tables occupied.
Server took cocktail order. was surprised no one brought us water. Then when server brought cocktails had water too.
Breadsticks and 2 sauces — marinara and alfredo to dip. Breadsticks were warm — had salt/​garlic pieces that stuck to fingers that would not wipe off easiy on napkin — required finger licking.
Appetizer was their Antipasti Plate — Bruschetta, Zucchini Fritti, and Mozzarella Frita. Would not order again.
Husband had Lasagna — he said it was good — «Olive Garden» type so nothing extraordinary.
Based on a review I read, I ordered Lobster Canneloni — would not order again — very salty. Had decent flavor but only 2 discernable mini-​pieces of lobster.
Offered coffee, desert which we declined.
The wait staff doesnt seem to realize how loud they are when they are ‘behind the curtain’ to the kitchen. We could hear everything. Also there seemed to be more staff than needed — there was not much activity during the hour we were there and when we left there were still only 3 other tables occupied.
Received bill — jeez a vodka martini costs $ 11 each — they werent even Belvedere just house martini.
Would not go back. Sorry

If you like to go out to dinner to be ignored by the hostess and the wait staff then I highly recommend this restaurant. We waited 10 minutes for the hostess to appear at the desk. When she finally appeared she was on the phone and did not even acknowledge us. After several minutes on the phone she finally hung up and seated us.
We then waited another 10 minutes for our server to come to our table. Every part of our meal was slow and the quality of food was sub standard. It took an act of God to get our water glasses filled as well.
Given the state of our economy don’t waste your money at this establishment.

Food is a bit bland. Atmosphere is good. Our waitress was nice but she would stat talking so loud every time she would come to our table. We watched people next to us almost jump out of their seats after she scared them. Desert was really good, I did look and taste like it was made fresh on premises.

We came to this restaurant for years as the San Lorenzo. It has had its ups and downs, the new menu is good — but most important, the service and the food are very good. Our waiter was Algis, probably the best waiter that we have ever met — anywhere, very professional, very cool! The food was good, right temperature, good taste. Dixie and I each had a chicken and pasta dish, the pasta was done right, flavorfull sauce. We had the salad, the new soups are not as good as they used to be. The bread sticks are warm and soft — but not like the breads that San Lorenzo had… they should bring back the old bread offerings. Overall — nice! Thank You!

This is the third time my family has been to this resturant. We live in California so we make it a point to come to the Palace Staion to eat there. The food is awesome! and the house salad omg so tastee. And the prices are so unbeliveble cheap for what you get. And the sevice FANTASTIC!!! our waiter was awesome, and the hostess was also polite I just wish they had a Pasta Cucina in my town!!!

I heard about this place from my parents, since my uncle and aunt took my father here for his birthday. Apparently, my uncle and aunt stopped by here before church a few months back and the food wasn’t so great. However, there are some things in life you give another chance to and this place was one of them. My relatives came back here this month and discovered a whole new restaurant. Recently remodeled and also revamped the recipes for their menu. It’s like a Restaurant Impossible episode and walking in after they’re done.
My relatives won’t go here almost every single day after work, if this place wasn’t exceptionally consistent with their flavors. My uncle absolutely Loves their Linguini and Clams. He can eat this every single day if he could. They also dined here when I went, but with all their church members and even the pastor. My aunt wouldn’t even dare bring my father here for his birthday or church members to embarrass themselves if this place wasn’t great. So for those reasons alone, I ignored the low star ratings and wanted to try this place for myself and go by my experience, instead of others. I’m SO glad I did. Even my brother that just drove from CA and had my leftovers was telling me this is some good pasta, where is this place? Honestly, the location/​casino is a two star, but this restaurant itself is a hard bright five stars in my book of good eats.
My parents and I were greeted by Luigi Perez, the GM of Pasta Cucina. He opened the doors and we were promptly seated in a cozy, lime color booth. I loved our U-​shaped table and the finishing gloss gave it a soft touch to its exterior. Even the seat was comfy and not sunk in, where you shrink five inches or so. Our server, Jay warmly greeted us and asked if we wanted anything to drink and if we would like to start with any appetizers. He recommended a few and we chose the Calamari.
Here’s what we tried:
Complimentary Breadsticks — Fluffy and soft. goes great with any pasta dishes that you want to dip and soak this bread in… especially the Seafood Linguini’s Sun-​Dried Tomato Broth!!! Yes!
Appetizer — Calamari Fritti
Hand breaded calamari quick fried and served with marinara sauce and hot vinegar peppers. *I was quite impressed! So light and tasted so fresh, I forgot it’s even fried!!! The sliced vinegar peppers are such a great addition to this appetizer. There was a nice acidic bite, which combined with the thick, delicious marinara sauce made this a wonderful start to a memorable meal. The sauce had red chili flakes on top, which gave it a flavorful kick! Couldn’t help, but dip dip dip some more to get the full effect! YUM :)
Entrees:
Lobster Cannelloni — Light pasta stuffed with lobster and mascarpone cheese.
Baked in a tomato, cream sauce and served with parmesan croûton. *My Father ordered this entrée on his birthday and ordered it Again when we went. I don’t blame him. I had a bite and it was all over. The sauce reminds me of a flavorful fettuccine sauce, without the overpowering richness of the cream. The lobster and cheese were a hearty filling that was just delightful to indulge in. My Father cleaned this dish up and left nothing behind.
Chicken Marsala — The traditional favorite with button mushrooms and sweet marsala wine, served with linguini. *The chicken was ever so tender, the sauce had the perfect blend of butter, olive oil, Marsala, and spices. I like that it comes with linguini that my Mother says it reminds her of tasty jjajangmyeon. (Korean noodle dish) The texture of the pasta was al dente and together made a marvelous dish.
Seafood Linguini — Shrimp, clams, mussels, calamari, and salmon sautéed and finished with sun-​dried tomato broth. *It was tantalizing to see. the portion was beyond generous in seafood and pasta. The aroma, itself was mouth watering! I was just happy to look at this grand masterpiece of pure food beauty. Sexy and this dish knows it! I couldn’t wait to dig in and my first reaction was silence. It was so good, I wanted to savor this wondrous moment just for the sake of pleasuring my taste buds. Oh… YEAaaaaahuuuh. Astonishing flavors, the broth was heartfelt tranquility… I sighed every time I finished a bite. The pasta was cooked perfectly! Loved the texture. I couldn’t be more happier with what I ordered and I was so tempted to order one maybe two. three to go: P In Linguini World… this one. ROCKED!
Dessert — Tiramisu *Another generous portion and the thickness was joyously made. Even the bitterness of the chocolate syrup went well together with this creamy, lightly sweet dessert.
Service was excellent. The GM stopped by a few times to check up on us to see if everything was okay and how our entrees tasted. Our server, Jay was easy going, friendly, funny, and made our experience fun. Our busser was attentive in taking away our plates or when refills were needed. Even the hostess thanked & wished us a good night. Sunshine smiles and happy tummy are what we left with: D

My lowly expectations for this meal were realized. The restaurant was not busy, but everything from start to finish seemed to take a little too long. We were served warm garlic bread with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, but the bread was too salty. The lobster ravioli in a tomato cream sauce ordered by Ann was a bit too al dente while my eggplant Parmesan entrée was heavily breaded thick slices of undercooked eggplant. The only savings grace was I used a $ 10 off coupon from the Las Vegas Advisor.
A rating of 1.5 would be most accurate.

I really don’t like giving lower star ratings, but wow… sometimes it just can’t be helped. Pasta Cucina here at the Texas Station was in a word, underwhelming. After being seated I just wasn’t even close to impressed. I should have known something was up because on a Friday night the place was near empty, with maybe only 4 – 5 tables being occupied at the time. Spider-​Sense failed me!
The place was set nicely with great ambience and warmth. But none of this was used to the restaurant’s advantage. After being seated by the friendly manager we proceeded to wait… and wait. My lady and I did hear some light arguing in the back of the house involving why the couple that just came in (us) was seated at our particular table. Seems our waiter was hoping it would stay empty until closing so he could promptly leave right when the restaurant closed. I being a good sport disregarded hearing this to try and give him a chance. I know the feeling of wanting to go home after a long day at work. We waited for nearly 20 minutes before our waiter came out to greet us, with me pretending we didn’t hear him talking about us prior. He gave us a wine list (which was average at best) but we passed on it and asked for an ice water and iced tea. Again, we waited. About 15 minutes later we received our drinks and the menus. Strike one!
The real reason we decided to try here was because Station Casinos was touting Pasta Cucina’s 2 for $ 20 menu, with 11 entrees to choose from. I would have never gone to this place otherwise to give it a shot. So call me surprised when we receive our menus there is no 2 for $ 20 option to be found. I inquire about this and I get a look from the waiter as if I’m a cheapskate. I am, but there’s no need to be rude to me! Our waiter takes the regular menus from us and replaces them with a smaller one that has the 2 for $ 20 entrée specials on it. Funny thing is that because the entrees were on the cheaper side we wanted to order something from the appetizer section of the regular menu to treat ourselves. Our waiter didn’t even bother asking if we still wanted to see the regular menu. The smart thing to do would have been to bring out BOTH the regular and 2 for $ 20 menu and let us choose. This guy thought we were foolish and wouldn’t even know they were running specials. Hello! There is a big billboard plastered right outside the casino’s property! Strike two!
The last straw for me was the food itself… so bland and boring! No inspiration with the cooking. I could have cooked this same exact food myself at home! No joke! Our 2 for $ 20 menu entrees came with soup or salad and breadsticks as a starter. The breadsticks were a bit of a joke, warm but very reminiscent of those from that ‘Olive’ place. Same shape too! Forgettable for sure. Pasta Cucina’s house salad though was horrendous. The other unnamed ‘Italian’ place had a much better salad! Veggies were on the limp side and the dressing was watered down with not much pop. Sad.
Our entrees didn’t fare much better. I had the porcetta pizza with mushrooms and artichoke hearts. The crust was cracker thin which was nice and crispy, but the toppings were scarce and overdone from sitting under the oven or the heat lamp too long. Seriously, the small sprinking of toppings didn’t give me much to go on, and the sauce and cheese were lacking in flavor and quantity. A real let down. My lady’s chicken parmesan fared a little better but barely. The portion of food was much more acceptable, with two large chicken breasts, and a good serving of spaghetti and marinara. The spaghetti was okay but could have used more sauce and some salt and fresh herbs. The chicken parmesan itself was unimpressive since it really tasted like it came frozen instead of made fresh. The breading was soggy in some parts and actually nearly blackened in a couple spots along the edges from overcooking. I couldn’t get past this because really, who likes burnt breading? Covering it with sauce and some cheese doesn’t make the burnt taste go away. I flipped the chicken over to check and sure enough, over dark edges. This was strike three for me! We were out of there ASAP.
Our waiter didn’t bother keeping our drinks refilled, I had to ask him after they were sitting empty to fill them back up. We had quite a bit of leftovers from both entrees and asked for some to go boxes. Our waiter proceeded to take our food to the back and pack them up. At this point I was totally turned off from Pasta Cucina and just wanted to get out of there. I paid and even though I had some lackluster service from our waiter, I left him a 20% tip anyway. I take our leftover box and drive home. An hour later I’m hungry again. I open up the box and guess what?! Our lovely waiter only packed up my leftover bland A$$ pizza! No leftover chicken parmesan! Pasta Cucina is a B-​U-​M-​M-​E-​R. Avoid!

The ambiance is nice, but the food was just meh.
Calamari: I usually try to get my date to tell me a good long story once the calamari arrives so that I can eat it ALL while he’s talking. Not so here. We each ate a few bites and left the rest. I NEVER leave calamari on the table! It was just not good.
Main dishes: Nice portions! But nothing spectacular when it comes to taste. I had the chicken cannelloni and it was a bit dry.
Wine: Decent selection.
The prices are great if you’re on a budget, and the ambiance is nice if you’re trying to make it a date night. But if you’re looking for basic American-​friendly Italian, Olive Garden will give you the same menu with a better taste.

My brother wanted to come here for Christmas… and I must admit, I had my doubts. I had already been to the Pasta Cucina at Aliante a while ago and remember it not being so hot. How could the one at Texas Station be any better?
Well I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised when we walked into the restaurant. It was very beautiful inside and had an old school feel– it was full of booths that were a mod green and the half-​moon shape that I imagine the Rat Pack to be kicking it in. There was also plenty of interesting art on the walls. It definitely got me started on the right foot.
They start everyone off with breadsticks and that makes me very happy. My belly + carbs = smiles. Are they the greatest breadsticks I’ve ever had? No. But they must have been pretty good considering I had a couple of them. They keep olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the table if you feel the need to dunk your sticks.
We ordered the Antipasti appetizer which included 3 fried zucchini, 3 fried mozzarella, and 2 tomato bruschetta. Everything was very well executed and flavorful, and not only came with the typical marinara but also some yummy alfredo for your fried foods. Bonus points!
Next up, I had the house salad with the house dressing. The salad was large and the vegetables were fresh. The creamy tomato dressing had a lot of flavor without feeling too heavy like some creamy dressings tend to do. I really enjoyed it (I know, it’s a salad but I like my veggies) and recommend it.
So everything up until this point had been really great and that left me feeling good about the main course. But then we waited. And waited. …and waited. Were they picking my husband’s eggplant from the garden? Were they still flying in my brother’s shrimp? I’m not quite sure what the deal was, but I’m guessing our food was just sitting in the back waiting to be brought to our table.
I had the manicotti which was filled with cheese and spinach. It would have been pretty good, but I think it had been sitting in its little serving dish too long– the pasta was pretty chewy… almost crunchy. My husband had the eggplant parm. I do not recommend this at all. The eggplant was swallowed up in the thickest layer of breading known to man. You could hardly even see the eggplant hiding inside, let alone taste it. To top it off, his pasta had dried out (sitting around in the back?) and didn’t look very good. My brother had the seafood linguini and said he liked it.
We finished the meal with the chocolate decadence cake and a slice of cheesecake. While the chocolate cake was really good, the star of the desserts was by far the cheesecake. It had the perfect creamy texture and it tasted great. I just wish it had a tiny bit more strawberry sauce and whipped cream.
I’m pretty torn on this place. It is a really nice looking restaurant and would make a great date spot, but the consistency of the food was off. Almost everything we had to eat was great, but the most important thing (the main course) was not so good. If you’re going to cook something right at your restaurant, shouldn’t it be the main course?
The price is pretty right here, the service was really good, and the restaurant itself is beautiful. If you are in the area, I would say give it a shot.

Pasta Cucina is the replacement for our beloved San Lorenzo, the Italian offering at Texas Station. Apparently, the expression «If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it» must be Greek to the powers that be — not English. Not even Italian.
Strike One: We tried to come here a couple of weeks ago, but at 9:05 pm we were five minutes too late. In Vegas, baby? And, Holy Heart Failure, Batman! — the $ 10 coupon we had was going to expire in a couple of days. «No problem», said the manager. «Whenever you come back, we’ll take it.» Ha! Tonight’s manager finally agreed to accept it, but only after grilling us so thoroughly about that other manager, whose name we never got, that he made us feel like cheats and liars.
Strike Two: Gone is the beautiful Tuscan ambience, with its rustic walls and elegant décor. The booths, tables, and layout are the same, but it’s now more generic English Clubroom, more dark wood. Not bad, but not as pretty. What IS bad is that the comfortable chairs were replaced with smaller, open-​back back-​killers. One of these chairs housed an enormously obese woman two tables away, and the chair looked like it wasn’t going to make it. The old leather chairs could’ve held two of her.
Strike Three: Our server, Autumn, was by far the pushiest waitperson we have EVER encountered, from here to Reykjavik, and far beyond. From the moment we sat down, she hammered away at us, trying five times — before, during, and after the meal — to get us to refill our wine. As we finished our entrees, she asked if we’d like a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc. When it wasn’t the wine, she was pushing the cocktails. When we declined appetizers, she soldiered on, enumerating every appetizer on the menu, with a description of each. They were all there on the menu — did we look illiterate? But wait. There’s more! Desserts, each one described in painstaking detail, then the coffees. I was hoping that the review I was drafting — with the characteristic Unilocal Red emanating with such precise resolution from my iPhone — would be a warning to her. But nooooo. And as we walked out, I saw what one of their coffee cups looked like — the size of a Starbucks espresso (I know it wasn’t espresso, ’cause I asked the woman who’d ordered it), and I sure was glad I passed on it — for two reasons, the second being that it probably infuriated Autumn even more :) All through the meal she kept checking on us, but it didn’t come off as genuine concern. It was always with a smarmy undertone that clearly conveyed her thinly-​veiled displeasure with our small appetites.
By now you must be wondering about the food. After all, isn’t that what it’s all about? Admittedly, I can only judge the food comparatively. San Lorenzo was Italian (the food, not the Saint), and so is this place. The menu is virtually the same as before, at least the entrees, since we never order appetizers unless we’re with others. And the entrees were mostly decent. But: my husband ordered a dinner salad, and it was mostly iceberg lettuce. The fabulous bread that we always ate too much of is gone, replaced by white bread soft breadsticks that, though served warm, were reminiscent of Pillsbury. The entrée portions are smaller. Before, the entrée covered the plate, and the linguine was served in a separate bowl. Now there’s less of each, on one plate. I had Chicken Caprese, which was sauteed and topped with a chopped roasted red pepper sauce, artichoke hearts, and mozzarella. I had to dig hard to find the cheese; the roasted pepper topping was flavorful, but the chicken under it sat in a pool of water and was totally devoid of taste. To my palate, it could have been tofu. Hubby had the Chicken Piccata. Same chicken, different sauce, which he liked. Lemon and capers can’t be all bad.
Would the food have been better if someone else had waited on us? Maybe. But dinner in a restaurant isn’t just about the food, it’s the whole experience. And this experience left a somewhat bitter aftertaste.