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Ratings and reviews

RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

Details

CUISINES
Italian, Pizza
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly
Meals
Dinner, Drinks
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meals, features, about

Location and contact

Hollywood
0.9 miles from Hollywood Walk of Fame
Reviews (109)
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106 results
Traveler rating
70
22
8
4
2
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Time of year
LanguageEnglish
Traveler rating
70
22
8
4
2
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All reviews cheesecake shrimp scampi family style east coast food is excellent hollywood
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Reviewed July 10, 2023

We ordered delivery because we couldnt go in person. The food was delivered by a 3rd party service but was delivered quickly and hot. This is by far my favorite restaurant in LA. We ordered meatballs of course, mozzarella and Chicken Parm. Was delicious. Cant...wait to come back. Wish I could get in to the one in New York since I live on the wast coast and the Vegas one is closedMore

Date of visit: July 2023
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Reviewed December 21, 2022 via mobile

Hip Hip Hoo-RAO's to this stunning Italian eatery in Hollywood. My East Coast friends turned me on to this restaurant a few years back and after my multiple visits, this place is a WINNER! The food is excellent and the staff is always knowledgeable and...attentive at the bar or at a table. The serene patio area in the back of the restaurant is a pleasant discovery. The chicken parm (off menu), linguini and clams, shrimp scampi and cod dishes are must gets. Like the dinner, the the best way to end this review is with ONE WORD-cheesecake (get it!). Cheers!More

Date of visit: December 2022
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed September 6, 2022 via mobile

Just had pasta - was very tasty but unenthusiastically served and expensive for what it was. $15 for valet when you can street park was a rip off IMO especially if you are only there for a quick meal.

Date of visit: September 2022
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Reviewed May 22, 2022

Having eaten at Rao's NY many times, and Rao's Las Vegas w=before it closed, we were anxious to try Rao's LA. It did not disappoint. The manager, Patrick, greeted us, got our wine bottles opened, introduced us to our server, Gabby and was incredibly charming...and personable. Gabby is phenomenal. She has a terrific sense of humor, and took care of our "family-style" dinner request. The food was as good as NY and Las Vegas, so kudos to the chef(s). We can't wait to go again.More

Date of visit: May 2022
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Reviewed February 25, 2022

I always wanted to go to Rao's in NY, which is impossible, so I was happy to find out that they have one in LA. Food was awesome, staff was super friendly and welcoming. We sat outside on a cold night but there was plenty...of heat lamps, so the atmosphere was super fun. Will go back.More

Date of visit: January 2022
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Reviewed December 29, 2021

Solid well-run and popular Italian restaurant. Good value and lovely food. Only problem is that we were recommended not to walk to the restaurant at night and couldn't get a taxi to take us home. So our waitress volunteered - service above and beyond! Much...appreciated.More

Date of visit: December 2021
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed September 17, 2021

This place is as good as good gets for restaurants. The setting alone is worth a visit as you are teleported from an industrial area of Hollywood to NYC once inside featuring a setting you'd normally find in the East Village, NYC or Mulberry Street...in NYC's Little Italy. The delicious smells just smack you in the face the moment you walk in while simultaneously being made to feel welcome by the hostess and managers. The customer is treated so well here which is such a noticeable difference from most LA-based restaurants where you're often just a number. The menu is filled with RAO's favorites (which will soon be yours) and caters to all tastes and dietary needs. I always enjoy the fresh fish as they prepare it oh so good. The pasta and sauces here are all perfect in every way. Service is old school in that they actually care about you and your experience - and it shows. RAO's is my go-to Italian restaurant in LA. Patrick the manager is the best in the business and helps ensure you have a great experience every time you dine here. Easy valet parking just outside the entrance or often you can find street parking (be sure to read the crazy LA parking restrictions, however) and be sure to make a reservation. This location is a lot easier to score a seat than its NYC sister however that just means we in LA just haven't caught on yet. I understand they will be moving to a new location as the area around becomes too studio-industrialized however I know they're here for a year plus so be sure to stop by.More

Date of visit: September 2021
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed August 21, 2021

We got takeout from here during our visit to LA. First off the clerk let us leave with only half our order. Thank goodness we checked it in the car and realized that most of our order was still inside, so we went back. The...food was ok but the meatballs- really that is the reason to love Rao's- did lose a bit of their excellence when packaged up for takeout--- I know that's not the restaurant's fault necessarily of course. I'd recommend eating in for the full experience and the best meatballs.More

Date of visit: July 2021
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed July 11, 2021 via mobile

This restaurant tries very hard to look like somewhere the Sopranos or Sinatra would hang out in. Maybe they try a little too much. It's charming. The staff was nice. Our server Marco was right our of central casting and he was wonderful. The food...was good. I can't say great, but good. The pastas were good. The bread was very good. The caprese salad was very disappointing. The “hoeoom” tomatoes were.... Frozen. Huh? I didn't get that at all. I would do back, but I would skip the tomatoesMore

Date of visit: July 2021
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed April 16, 2021

Wonder twin manager duo on severe power trip - will make up rules, harass you, will threaten you, will only give you a 1/2 pour of your cocktail (but still charge you full price), will only give you a 1/2 order of your desert (but...still charge you full price) & will make your dining experience so miserable that you'll consider devoting your life to telling your story so that they don't do it to someone else too. To save time and space, I'll bullet point all of their atrocities. 1. Tried to shoot me in the head with their temp gun despite me telling them not to and explaining how rude, mannerless and classless that is. 2. Seated us at our requested table but then refused to lower wind screen (like we've done 10+ times previously) due to their inability to read & comprehend health code rules. She claimed she couldn't put a screen WITH HOLES IN IT down because of needed airflow. It's a screen, that air clearly passes through but it breaks the wind. 3. Tracy the incompetent manager refused to move us out of the wind/cold 48 degrees but luckily our nice server found us a warmer table. 4. Tracy continued to stalk our table despite us asking to be left alone. 5. Tracy brings the health department document over, thinking that she's won but really she simply exposed herself. My husband is an attorney and read it and tried to politely explain to her that she's completely wrong in her interpretation & she then continued to argue with him telling him that he's wrong. Not possible. She has now engaged in the unauthorized practice of law. 6. Tracy sends tiny Patrick to our table to kick us out, claims things "aren't working out". He's correct, they weren't but not because of us, it was because of THEIR strange tyrannical behavior. We request that he call the police so that we can file a report against them. He shivers and runs away, he knows what they've done. 7. My husband's drink comes out 1/2 pour, his dessert comes out 1/2 order. We get a bill for our full meal despite the theft of food/drink & ruining our meal. 8. Tracy and Patrick stalk our table 6 times while we're sitting quietly trying to eat. Tracy even tells us that WE'RE rude and stands directly next to the exit to harass us one more time on the way out. What a hit job. Feels like someone paid them off to harass us for some unknown reason. I hope whatever they got for it was worth it because we'll never return as long as the wonder twin destructive duo is in charge.More

Date of visit: March 2021
Helpful?3  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed February 10, 2020

We were promptly seated and shown to our 2-seater booth. It was a very tight fit in their booth, much more so if we had been weight-challenged. The seats and back of the booth had no cushioning, and it was quite uncomfortable. Next time I...will opt for a table. Bread was served and it was absolutely delicious. We had the Fritto Misto as an appetizer and it had excellent, non-greasy and tender portions (the only negative was the piece of cod which was bland and totally unseasoned). One of us had Linguini Clam Sauce and it was very tasty. I had the Fiochette which were ravioli fashioned into little “purses” – a nice presentation, but quite colorless – I would suggest a bit of chopped parsley to give it color. The Fiochette had a bare hint of pear along with the ricotta filling, but overall I found the dish underwhelming. Its sage and brown butter sauce was just too bland. For dessert, we tried their cheesecake which was true New York on a dish – outstanding! Service was pleasant, although at the end of the meal the check was delivered with a plop on the table sans comment, another silent plop after my credit card had been processed. What’s with that? A nice older gentleman came around to all of the tables and bantered a bit, but it would have been nice if he had introduced himself by name and role (I asked the server who he was, and found that he was the maître d’). We will return to try other menu items.More

Date of visit: February 2020
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Reviewed January 19, 2020

If you are looking for traditional Italian food - highly recommend going here. Great service and huge portions.

Date of visit: November 2019
Helpful?3  
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Reviewed January 1, 2020

Great atmosphere! Loved the food and the service was fabulous. Will definitely come here again and recommend it to friends. Can't believe it's been in my neighborhood for so long and I somehow missed it!

Date of visit: December 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed December 1, 2019 via mobile

Like it’s NYC counterpart...only the weather is better! The food, waitstaff, ambience equally as good. A true Italian celebration of food!

Date of visit: December 2019
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Reviewed August 17, 2019

Big celebration dinner with my lawyers, Booby G and Omar. We beat Charles Schwab in court. Best place for booze and meat! Say hi to Gabriel the bartender...my angel😎

Date of visit: August 2019
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Questions & Answers
Ask a question
A1471MGsarahd
April 22, 2019|
AnswerShow all 3 answers
Response from JBjeffreyl | Reviewed this property |
Sure, they have a Bar, O.K. for service- and depending on the day of the week, try for the Front Room-
1
Vote
939jenc
November 30, 2018|
AnswerShow all 2 answers
Response from JBjeffreyl | Reviewed this property |
No, this is an adult resturant- but, for our kids, we could always order an appetizer size, or share what we got-
0
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RAO'S, Los Angeles - Hollywood - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Rao's

Yes, Rao's offers takeout services.

Yes, Rao's offers delivery services.

Rao's is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travelers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4
  • Atmosphere: 4.5