La Barra

La Barra truly upped Riveside's restaurant game. The food is solid Italian with an emphasis on highest quality ingredients and some creative dashes like adding fennel pollen to a pizza. The service is adequate and relatively attentive. Some servers are overly solicitous but my sense is they are trying their hardest. The bar area is great and if you are a solo it is great to eat at the bar. The tap beer selection is good and mostly local. I am shaving off one point for noise. The restaurant tends to be noisy when packed. That is fine and to be expected. But they have the background music up so loud it actually interferes with a table's ability to talk. It is pretty bad and sometimes makes the whole meal a chore. I have sometimes chosen another restaurant simply because I know how noisy La Barra will be.

Nice cozy and low key spot. Had their calamari and polenta with braised rib, which was amazing. For entrees, tried the Lemon Chicken, Fettuccine Alfredo, and the 14oz Rib Eye... Place was great, service could be a little be better not to say it wasn't good..

Only had carry out. Pizza was really good. Crust had a nice crisp to it. Sauce was tangy. Lots of cheese. I enjoyed the pizza.

La Barra in Riverside is a great meeting place. The menu is diverse so there’s something for everyone. I’ve eaten here dozens of times and have never been disappointed. Give it a try!