Boccali’s Pizza & Pasta Restaurant in Ojai, A Roadside Gem
Somewhere along East Ojai Avenue, sandwiched between the foothills and a two-lane road that feels like it was built for a more unhurried era, sits a place full of love of cooking and a passion for farming – earning repeat visits since 1986. Boccali’s pizza & pasta is the kind of Italian restaurant that does not advertise itself loudly. It doesn’t need to. Word of mouth, loyal regulars, and four generations of the Boccali family have handled that just fine.
What Makes Boccali’s Worth the Drive
The menu at this family-owned Italian restaurant is grounded in family recipes traced back to DeWayne Boccali’s grandfather, who made the trip from Lucca, Italy to Santa Barbara in 1898, and today the recipes reflect that heritage and the produce that comes from the Boccali family’s own Upper Ojai farm, picked daily during the growing season.
Hand-tossed pizzas, house-made pastas, pasta primavera, and fresh salads make up the core of the menu at Boccali’s Pizza & Pasta. Lunch service adds hot and cold sandwiches served with green and pasta salads on the side. But if you ask anyone who has made the drive to the Ojai Valley for dinner, the thing they bring up first is almost always the Strawberry Shortcake.
The Famous Strawberry Shortcake
Available February through October, Boccali’s mile-high strawberry shortcake has collected rave reviews for nearly four decades. It is a seasonal dessert, so you should order it whenever you find yourself in the neighborhood during those months.
A modern twist on the original classic, the Strawberry Shortcake Orange Blossom Stack from California Wines, was inspired directly by this iconic dessert and a visit to Ojai.
Pair it with a glass of sparkling rosé or Muscat and call it the best decision you made all week.
California Strawberries Are Always In Season
The strawberries at the heart of that shortcake come from a state that grows approximately 90% of all US-grown strawberries, on about 34,000 coastal acres. Over 300 strawberry growers farm five distinct regions of California, including the Oxnard area just south of Ventura County, where many multi-generation farming families grow both organic and conventional berries.
Every California strawberry is hand-picked to ensure quality, and during peak season, plants are harvested as often as every three days. The season runs year-round here, which is something worth knowing when you are planning a Ventura County road trip at any point on the calendar.
Plan Your Visit
Boccali’s is located at 3277 E. Ojai Avenue in Ojai, California. Great service and a patio with oak-covered lawn seating and scenic views of the Ojai Valley make this a destination worth building a road trip stop around. A glass of wine from the Boccali Vineyards list is sure to round the experience out nicely.
Hours of Operation
Sunday: 11:45 am – 9 pm
Monday – Tuesday: 4 – 9 pm
Wednesday – Saturday: 11:45 am – 9 pm
Call ahead: 805.646.6116
If this is your first time, order the shortcake. If it isn’t your first time, you already know what to do.