This Enigmatic, Slightly Vulgar Restaurant Has Pleasant Hill’s Best Takeout Pasta

PLEASANT HILL, CALIFORNIA – When my son asked me the name of the restaurant where we had ordered our pasta dinner, I had to pause for a moment. After thinking for a second, I came up with, “Stuff that Nonna says.”

Close, but not quite right.

The restaurant is actually called S#*! Nonna Says (yes, that’s the exact name, with the pound signs and all to obscure the real four letter word).

It’s a bit of a provocative, slightly vulgar name, likely intended to immediately catch the attention of people scrolling online.

There’s a reason for that—S#*! Nonna Says is a virtual restaurant that appears to operate exclusively on platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats.

That aside, they delivered some of the best pasta dishes we’ve ordered in the Pleasant Hill area. We tried them as part of our Cozy at Home series, which highlights restaurants in the 925 that deliver tasty meals to your door during the chilly, rainy season.

The Restaurant

It took a fair amount of Googling to figure out what’s happening with S#*! Nonna Says. It seems to be a virtual kitchen run by New York Pizza and Pasta, a popular sit-down pizza and pasta place in Pleasant Hill, California.

At least, the two restaurants share a street address.

It’s possible that New York Pizza and Pasta wanted to create a unique brand for their online presence. Or maybe they’re partnering with another provider to share their kitchen.

We couldn’t find much about the name itself, but since Nonna is a term of endearment for a grandmother in Italian, it seems to be an homage to one of the restaurant owner’s, or perhaps aslightly outspoken grandparent.

Whatever the name’s origins are, it wasn’t that which got our attention—it was the pasta dishes.

The Food

We originally discovered S#*! Nonna Says while scrolling through DoorDash, looking for new food options. Their homestyle, often vegetarian, pasta dishes stood out.

These aren’t fancy or overpriced pastas. Keeping with the name, they feel like the kind of thing your Italian grandma might make.

Fettuccine Alfredo, spaghetti Bolognese, and other classics make up the bulk of the menu. It’s not innovative fare, but when you’re just trying to order noodles for your kid or comfort food on a cold evening, you don’t necessarily need square pasta or truffles.

We ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo, spaghetti with red sauce, Bolognese, and several other dishes. Everything was delicious—my son compared it favorably to Eataly, one of our favorite Bay Area Italian restaurants.

The fettuccine was extremely creamy, with noodles cooked perfectly. There was just a hint of garlic that added depth without overwhelming the dish with cheese and cream.

The tortellini also stood out, featuring tri-colored noodles filled with cheese and topped with a generous helping of marinara sauce. That was the dish my kids devoured the fastest!

Other staples, like spaghetti and meatballs, were solid offerings too, though not quite as impressive as the other pastas.

Items at S#*! Nonna Says are reasonably priced by Bay Area delivery standards. A large portion, easily enough to feed two people, runs about $17-$22, delivered. With the feast we ordered, we had leftovers for two days.

The Verdict

Sometimes, the trend of ghost kitchens feels a bit impersonal—anonymous restaurants, often owned by large conglomerates, offering food that doesn’t connect to a real-world place.

In this case, it’s refreshing to see a local restaurant behind the virtual brand. They’re clearly having fun with the name, and the food itself speaks volumes about the success of their strategy.

It’s also great to see lower-key comfort food available via DoorDash. S#*! Nonna Says makes a fantastic weeknight dinner option for busy families who want something that feels homemade without spending hours cooking multiple pasta dishes.

You can order from S#*! Nonna Says on DoorDash. And don’t forget to join our free 925 News newsletter to stay updated on other awesome restaurants in the 925 area!