Get Quotes Contact Us Sign In
Website
Call
Rocco's Catering We do NOT share ANY individual information! Rocco's Cafe is named after Rocco Coscarelli, who emigrated from Northern Italy in 1920. Rocco ran a successful restaurant for more than twenty years at Mission & Geneva; the key ingredients were quality, quantity, and personality.
Services
My husband and I were so excited to find out that Jimmy's grandson has opened a resturant named Rocco's honoring his grandfather's work. Growing up, Rocco's, on Mission St., S.F. (Excelsior District) was a family favorite for my husband's family, my family and then our favorite place to eat until the restaurant closed.
1 Tbsp. Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisp together until thoroughly mixed. Now pour your homemade dressing into an old Wine Bottle or Carafe which has been thoroughly washed and place your own label on the bottle with the date and enjoy!
Rocco's cuisine is based on authentic, home-style Italian food. Chef Don Dial is proud to offer the freshest and finest ingredients available, reflecting his commitment to quality, originality and impeccable service. We take pleasure in working with you to create a menu which reflects your specific requirements and personal taste.
Reviews (45)
Write a Review
Felecia Rollins
Jun 26, 2022
This is a hidden gem! OMG the food was absolutely authentically delicious! The atmosphere was warm and the service was spot on. This is a spot you want to put on your list.definitely a must visit!
Karen K.
Jun 18, 2022
We went here as it was on Drive in Diners and Dives, and listed online for San Francisco gems. The service was fast and our server, Kimberly, was engaging with great suggestions. We had the Sauteed Prawns Gamberoni over Linguini, Chicken Parmesan, and Tiramisu for dessert. Everything was delicious! We would go back.
Lucy A.
Jun 17, 2022
Good food, generous portions. Nice service and relaxed ambiance. 8/10 and a must try diner when in the area! Clams over linguine is top notch.
Lynette K.
Jun 16, 2022
Deliciouso. you really have to check this place out. i think you will be pleasantly surprised. it's that best kept secret. now, i will share it with you
Bart Van Oort
Jun 07, 2022
The fish & chips with sweet potato fries and caesar salad on the side was really really good, loved every bite of it! I sat right at the bar and they have an open kitchen so you can see all the food being made. If I ever return to San Francisco, I'll definitely return here too!
Roger H.
Jun 07, 2022
I'm as much of a regular as I can be from Boston and am so glad Don Dial has weathered the pandemic. Come on back everyone, the food is every bit as fabulous as it always was!
Kirsten Stephenson
May 24, 2022
"Rocco's Cafe is named for Rocco Coscarelli who immigrated from Northern Italy in 1920" adapted from the menu. Serving breakfast, lunch, gourmet coffees, and spirits, Rocco's has been serving the patrons of SOMA in San Francisco since 1990. While walking home this morning, I stumbled upon this gem. I was immediately drawn in by the delicious smell from the street.

I was delighted to enter into a collections of vintage decor, oldies music, and an open concept kitchen for a true diner vibe. I was immediately greeted by the waitress who was friendly. I had the French Toast and a latte which was delicious. The portions were generous and I left very full. Overall I truly loved everything about this place. I especially love it's close to my house. I will definitely be back! This Italian lady can't wait to try an entree.
Livier M.
May 22, 2022
Omgggg I was shocked by how good this place was! My friend picked this place out and I didn't bother To look it up so when my food arrived I was Already underwhelmed by the minestrone soup. But listen, that was probably the best minestrone soup I've ever had! After adding a little pepper and some pepper flakes I wished I had grabbed a bowl Instead! I'm also really picky about my Caesar salads and it turned out to be really tasty with some bread. I usually like to eat my salads with bread as like a tortilla and it was a 10/10. Would definitely return.
Michael B.
May 19, 2022
Running an errand for work in the city so I stopped here to have breakfast. Really cool little place that had a great atmosphere. Really like the nostalgia, lots of history here. Loved the music. The server Camille was super nice and did an amazing job. Will definitely come back here again.
Primo G.
May 05, 2022
Great place. Not what you'd expect. Came in late and they happily accommodated us. Tons of great food at great price.
Jack G.
Apr 18, 2022
Rate : 9.5 I love being in the Bay Area and eating all types of wonderful dishes and this is one of many exemptions, and I'm a sucker for pies as well. Let's get to the reviews. Reviews: "Sauteed Chicken Marsala" Sauteed in Marsala wine, mushrooms, tomatoes and a little cream. Your choice of side dish, " Blackberry pie with ice cream " Fresh blackberrys made with a home made pie crust with drops of raspberry puree and creamy vanilla ice cream A must go to in the Bay Area.
Oscar Gonzalez
Mar 19, 2022
Best Italian food I've ever eaten. Expensive as hell but worth it. I was literally licking off my plate at the end to get more of that mushroom sauce.
Al L.
Mar 14, 2022
After seeing Rocco's on CheckPlease!, I had this SOMA institution on my to-try list. But who would think that you would come to this part of town for home-style Italian food instead of North Beach. Chef Don's grandfather, who had a successful restaurant, passed down his recipes to Don who opened Rocco's as a tribute to his grandfather and to continue his delicious dishes.

So I finally got to try Rocco's as a friend had a Saturday birthday luncheon. Our party of 11 was seated by the entrance. There are nostalgic pictures, newspaper articles, album covers and pics of celebrities that have dined here. The menu had breakfast and weekend specials and their regular entrees, sandwiches and pastas. Our host ordered appetizers for the tables that included Homemade meatballs, Deep fried calamari, Garlic bread and French fries.

My favorites were the meatballs, which consisted of two large meatballs in marinara. They were moist and flavorful. The calamari were crispy and came with a tomato based sauce for dipping. For my entree, I ordered the Chicken piccata with penne in marinara for my pasta. It consisted of three pieces of chicken breasts in a lemon white wine sauce topped with capers.

The chicken was moist and tasty. I had a taste of the Chicken marsala. The chicken was in a marsala wine sauce with mushrooms and tomatoes. I enjoyed the taste of the sauce on this dish more than the piccata as the marsala gave the dish a nice, light sweet taste. Other dishes our group had included Spaghetti and meatballs, Linguini and clams in red sauce and Sauteed prawns Gamberoni over linguini.

They were all happy with their dishes. Given that the restaurant was full, service was attentive, plates cleared and water glasses and coffee refilled. Glad I finally get to check Rocco's off my list. A nice casual place serving tasty homestyle Italian dishes at reasonable prices in SOMA. If you're in the area, give Rocco's a try.
Frank S.
Mar 02, 2022
Can say enough nice about Roccos's. Its a stable place with everything I can ask for; great staff, super food and someone always ready to greet you with a smile
Michelle O.
Feb 26, 2022
We had another delicious dinner at Rocco's on Friday night. It's a casual place and they now have plastic barriers between tables for Covid safety. I love the warm atmosphere and kitschy decor, including framed photos of local celebrities and sports stars lining the wall. The Italian-American owner seated us and though we didn't have a reservation, were seated promptly around 7:30pm.

It was nearly full, so happy they bounced back after the pandemic. Started with the dungeness crab bisque soup special, which was hearty and full of crab. I had the linguini with clams white sauce, which was super good and filling (brought half home). There were about 6 clams in shells and the rest unshelled. Husband had sauteed calamari over pasta in red sauce which he loved. Finished the meal with blackberry pie with vanilla ice cream topping, which was light and tasted homemade. Service was very good, friendly and prompt. Parking wasn't too hard, but the neighborhood can be a little rough. Definitely consider this place if you are near SOMA.
Timothy Schlueter
Feb 16, 2022
Great atmosphere. Great service. The best marinara sauce I've had in a while. Just rock solid old school Italian. And the boss is a really nice chap, came over to chat.
Ariel M.
Feb 05, 2022
My First time here and it won't be my last time. The food here was great, I had the polenta sticks and chicken parmigiana (didn't get a picture of the chicken, I was too hungry). They had very good service, had two nice waitresses one tall lady with tattoos and the other one was a guy (both very sweet and made sure if we were okay). I will definitely return back on our next visit to SF!
Joannie N.
Jan 25, 2022
Perfect experience. Great food, great smells, lovely family owned business. Felt like I stepped back in time where people care about each other. Had French Onion soup that was perfect and some incredible shrimp dish. I'll be back!
Ariana Q.
Jan 14, 2022
What a great place for breakfast! Came here twice this week. Wish I lived nearby so I could return! Friendly staff. Neighborhood feel. Amazing omelets. Yum!
Kelly Scott-Poritz
Jan 03, 2022
This place is kinda weird, there are all these little things about the place that made my husband and I feel uncomfortable and unwelcomed. There is an older man walking around maskless the entire time, I think he was the owner. He kept staring at my husband and I, making us feel unwelcome. He went out of his way to talk to everybody around us but would walk by and stare at us.

It was like he expected us to cause a problem or dine and dash. The service wasn't great, the waitress was fake nice to us, but ignored us a lot. It took a long time to order our food and we were never asked if we wanted anything to drink, just given glasses of water when we first sat down. The only person who I felt did a great job was the guy walking around making sure everyone had water, and bread baskets.

He was really nice and checked on us more then our server did. It took 30 mins after our food was ordered to get our food. About 20 mins after we had ordered, our server came by to tell us it would be out shortly, but never asked us if she could get us anything while we waited. 10 mins later we finally got our food, and honestly, not worth the wait.

Nor was it worth the prices they are charging. The two stars are for the bread and oil we were given when we first sat down. That was really good, and the man filling our water and check on us. Otherwise, I would give the place nothing if I could.
Beth R.
Dec 28, 2021
Recommended by a bar patron at the Intercontinental Hotel when we asked the bartender for breakfast places that had local color. Rocco's hit the spot. Lots of wall decor to enjoy everywhere you looked. Breakfast was good - even tho there weren't a lot of diners, it was a bit of a wait - but the coffee was delicious and we had time to read the walls. HB had the hamburger patty with poached eggs, potatoes and English muffins with fresh raspberry jam. I had the veggie frittata with sauteed broccoli, peppers, onions, squash and cheese along with potatoes. Very good!
James F.
Dec 11, 2021
Empty tables but for a bigger booth and said had to wait or counter which is hard on a handicap person. Not pleased at all
Eric Y.
Nov 21, 2021
As long as I have been working at the County Jails a few blocks away, Rocco's has been THE place to go for lunch and even early dinner, and especially the restaurant for special occasions. Oh, breakfast and or lunch, the food is absolutely awesome. For breakfast I can not recommend the frittata enough, just order it. The pastas will knock you out, and literally everything else is amazing. Service is amazing and everyone makes you feel very welcome. Highly recommended.
Alex H.
Nov 14, 2021
Great service and excellent food!, you can dine in now and it's very safe since they installed screens to separate tables, so don't be afraid to go and have a good bite, did I mention that food is delicious?
Bre & Apos A. C.
Nov 12, 2021
The chicken marsala and the Italian sausage, green peppers, onions, penne w/spicy marinara simply do not disappoint. The flavors are well-balanced and complement each other so well! Ordered the garlic bread, but really didn't need it. Plain french bread would have been more than sufficient. Plan on ordering these 2 entrees under the catering menu for the Christmas holidays! Hoping Dungeness Crab season is generous this year to complete the dinner!
Melanie Ngo
Nov 11, 2021
There was very only 2 server The food took took too long to get The Italian owner good but the employees does not seem too happy to serve customers Make sure you eat something first. Service will take about 20min 30 to 45min to get food on the customers table
Pete R.
Nov 04, 2021
Save yourself time and money and find a different restaurant, everything on the menu is frozen, even the gnocchi and ravioli is frozen, chicken frozen, prawns frozen, fish frozen, even the bread for gods sakes is frozen, nothing here is fresh. Why go out your way and pay for overpriced frozen food. Everything is thawed in buckets full of water. The pasta is precooked and stored in canola oil. Reheated pasta sauce, soup, stored in non food safe buckets. They have a mice problem, just dont eat here
Oksana C.
Oct 30, 2021
Amazing and beautiful place! Great food and wine! I ordered calamari and it was very tasty. I enjoyed the food and wine very much. Excellent customer service! I had a very good experience and highly recommend this place.
Helen L.
Oct 17, 2021
To the lady who mumbled under her breath to the effect why i asked for regular table than eating at the bar "your taking a table from regular customers". I heard your words. You don't like walk-ins apparently. To the bubbly waittress, thank you for being you! First, you made me feel welcome. You apologize for not getting my order because you were busy.

You offered me bread while waiting. Thank you. You got my order quickly. You were fast. I had warm bread with olive oil with minced garlic. My half Cesar's salad was nice and cold. I was offered grind pepper. My clam linguine with 6 clams and lots of clam bits, was very creamy. Wish i had room for blackberry pie. I ate quickly and left so you can have your table. Hope you have great walk in business. By the way i saw you put a couple in the back table without mumbling.
Matt A.
Oct 11, 2021
Best hidden Gem in San Francisco! Don't miss out on this place! Killer Italian food!
Sf Bluejade
Oct 11, 2021
Old north beach tranplanted in Soma. One of the waitress is overworked, bad vibe. The other is fantastic. Welcoming and very efficient. Food was on point. Old fashion italian dishes. Great jovial atmosphere. Transparent dividers.
Brea Rachelle
Oct 03, 2021
Got into town early for Folsom and needed to grab some breakfast. Rocco's staff was ready for all the leather clad guests, and were super nice to us! Perfect spot to eat before Folsom, their menu has a bit of everything!
C. P.
Sep 30, 2021
Owner was very rude. Commenting how gentleman in wheel chair can't hear or see. Very disrespectful. When we asked for a split check, be came out threw it on the table. We asked for it split again. He said the math was simple then proceeded to do it wrong. When we asked who he is was we were informed he was the owner.
Kristin Leigh M.
Sep 20, 2021
So happy we finally were able to try this place! I'd had it bookmarked on Yelp for quite some time, but haven't necessarily always been in the neighborhood. I had a light lunch - a bowl of the minestrone and a salad. The minestrone was quite possibly one of the best I've ever had! (Note: it is not vegetarian, but neither am I, so I don't care.) With the salad, it's like our server read my mind. I'm a huge lover of parmesan cheese; without my asking, she brought over a little bowl of it for the salad.

If you're getting a salad, perhaps ask for the dressing on the side. The ranch was good, but a little overwhelming for me. My husband had the marinated chicken sandwich. I tried a bite, and it was very flavorful. Soft drinks are canned, just FYI. Great decor. Loved looking at all of the signs/photos on the wall. Will definitely be back! 2021: 19/100
Julie K.
Sep 17, 2021
Really good portions - hearty flavors - home-cooked comfort food vibes. Recommend the meatballs, and the bolognese sauce. Surprised by how good the blackberry pie was - favorite new dessert! Service was friendly and polite. Having just moved from New York, I'd definitely recommend this spot when you need to satisfy your Italian food cravings.
Mo G.
Aug 25, 2021
Don, the owner of Rocco's, is aggressively racist. This isn't the first review to point this out, and I'd be surprised if it was the last. Pre-Covid, we had a reservation for 3 to eat cioppino. It's important to note here that these reservations are made specifically to eat cioppino--- making a reservation is to guarantee your plate.

My friend and I are both Black women, and I remember my excitement to share a local dish with an east coaster. When we arrived at the restaurant to meet the 3rd person in our party, the vibes from the owner were immediately off. We showed up ahead of our reservation time but were inexplicably forced to wait, even as we heard other parties with later reservation times than ours being promptly called and seated.

We ended up waiting for around an hour. When we were finally called to be seated, the owner inserted himself between us and the seating area and confrontationally told us that they were out of cioppino, and only had two left. My friend and I shot each other a look. The way he relayed this information to us was as though we were the ones responsible for it being all gone, as though we were being scolded.

If you know, you know. We sat at our table and our server, a lovely woman, came to take our order. We told her we'd come for the cioppino, and she asked us if we wanted 3. Thinking maybe there'd been some kind of miscommunication or mistake, we told our server that we'd love 3, but if that was somehow an issue, no problem, we'd work it out.

As she went to the back to put in our order, she was intercepted by the owner, who demanded to know what we'd ordered. After she told him, he came bounding toward us, red-faced and shouting in the middle of the restaurant about how he'd told us there were only two left. It was hostile and antagonistic -- and the look on our server's face said it all.

It was the pitiable look of a person trying to give us a rushed, silent, apology that would go unnoticed during her boss' tirade. We received our two cioppino allotment, and all the while my girl and I kept our eyes glued to that little kitchen window, watching the orders come out. We already knew what was to come. And sure enough, 20 mins go by and another cioppino appeared in the window and was promptly served to a different diner, a white woman who we'd observed being seated after us. Again, our eyes met knowingly. Needless to say, we won't be back. If you're non-white, I urge you to reconsider eating at this spot. Same for if you're white and you care about basic human decency.
Francis G.
Aug 25, 2021
The best place to have breakfast or lunch, bravo to the nice cooks and chefs, I am a retired chef, and the speed and the quality of food they give you at a fast pace, it is so great, I was seating at the counter because with the covid, I was with a friend and we had great mimosas and Rocco's speciality, we were please to the max, tasty good portions, fantastic, the taste of basil and the polenta it is my favorite, you will so happy and with a full stomach, I am french and I really love this place, plus I used to work for the rich and famous so the pictures on the wall brought me back so much memories! keep on trucking guys, Dios Bo tec pot el trabajo, hasta pronto, muchisimas gracias a todos los cocineros. I will be back.
Yj Baek
Aug 15, 2021
Great atmosphere with beautiful vintage decorations! Staff was friendly and food was great as well! Definitely will be back to this restaurant when I visit SF again
James B.
Jul 31, 2021
First time there but won't be my last saw the show on Driveins Dinners n Dives and just had to come in and try the chicken Marsala was delicious Don't judge the book by the cover as inside is very nostalgic with pics and history on the walls
Rosemary M.
Jul 22, 2021
Stopped in Saturday July 17th, I ordered the 12 oz. Grilled Rib Eye Steak Sandwich w/ Carmelized Onions & Blue Cheese w/ Fries 23. Got to tell you.this had to be the best rib eye sandwich I have ever had in my life! The bread is a old style San Francisco sourdough roll. The Caramelized onions with blue cheese were to perfection not to mention the steak of course. That's it! That's all you need in this delicious sandwich! I've ordered twice just this week! So glad I re visited Roccos on Folsom again. It's been a while. This place is a San Francisco icon and now I remember why! Thank you chef!
Carolina A.
Jul 21, 2021
Rocco's Cafe, a wonderful experience, the food is delicious just perfect. very good service and we will definitely return on our next visit to. San Francisco, thanks for existing.
Andrew B.
Jun 04, 2021
We knew exactly what we'd have for lunch as soon as we spotted the daily specials posted outside Rocco's Cafe along Folsom Street -- white corn chowder! It's the best!
Joe Smith Joe
Apr 26, 2021
Rocco's is back with the best Italian food in San Francisco and needs you to come back soon and pack the place! We went for lunch on our 12th anniversary and it was like going home again!
Ant Wirjo
Jun 28, 2020
Great Italian spot, with super friend service staff and delicious food. We tried their Garlic Bread, Caesar Salad, and Ravioli with Meatballs (forgot to take photos cause I was too hungry). Highlight was definitely the meatballs, portion size was surprisingly big for an extra $2-3 and they were absolutely delicious!
Joe Schaefer
Sep 09, 2019
These photos are from two separate days. We were looking for a great breakfast place, and breakfast was so good er came back the next day. But since we're on vacation it ended up being around lunch. The lunches smelled/ looked so delicious we ended up getting them. The exact quote from the owner, "if it's on the menu, it's good". He was right.