April 17, 2026 I went with my parents tonight to the Adriatic Restaurant (Washington Street), Salem, MA. We've started having dinner out twice a month and this was the most recent experience. I had gone online to the NORTH SHORE DINNING PAGE on Facebook and asked people about their experiences with the restaurant in the last two days and here's what people said: "great, tender meatballs", "great eggplant parmigiana", "very good experience". .... And what we found out is that they were right. Those things were all true! Now.... As to what we ordered: I got the grilled octopus. It was the only partial miss on the menu. Arugula just doesn't make a very good sauce and it was a pretty bad base for what would otherwise might have been a great appetizer. My mother got the Caesar salad. It was good. It's a hard thing to screw up. My father ordered the meatballs. They were amazing and delicious - just like Facebook promised. The tzatziki sauce was good. Maybe not as good as mine, but good nonetheless. So dinner.... Mine was the Chicken Saltimboca. It was so good that I'd bathe in the sauce they make with it. I loved eating forkfuls of the chicken with bites of the mashed potatoes. That was really luxuriant. My mother had the Eggplant parmigiana and she wiped out the entire plate. She loved it. My father.... Beef tenderloin tips. Maybe cooked slightly too much, but delicious. He wiped out the plate. To drink.... I was out of the hospital and recovering from brain tumor surgery, so I had the hard cider (3.5% BV), my father had the Peroni (Italian) beer, and my mother had the Bud light. I tasted the Peroni and liked it very much. The hard cider had almost no sweetness to it. It was dry as a higher end brut champagne.... Which actually set off the meal really nicely. My tastes weren't clashing and that was good. Our waiter, Sean, was great. Ask for him! We left a $32 tip, so the bill came to $197.85 read more

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Unfortunately, this was one of the more disappointing experiences of our trip to Salem. The restaurant's policies felt unusually strict and, in our experience, were not consistent with the much more reasonable policies we encountered at other restaurants throughout Salem. That alone made the experience feel unnecessarily difficult. Unfortunately, the service was also very slow, and the interaction with the manager was particularly disappointing. She came across as rude and unwelcoming, and the overall dynamic between the manager and the staff made it seem like there was a real culture of fear rather than one of teamwork and hospitality. It was uncomfortable to watch. We understand that restaurants get busy, especially during a busy weekend in Salem, and we are very understanding of delays when the staff is doing their best. What was frustrating here was the combination of the inflexible policies, slow service, and the way we were treated when concerns were raised. There are so many wonderful restaurants in Salem where we had much better experiences. Unfortunately, based on our experience, this is not one we would return to or recommend. read more

Enjoyed our first visit! We sat on the outside patio, they had heaters so it kept you toasty while you ate and people watch. We enjoyed the food and the service was great! The pumpkin ravioli was a great way to kick off the fall season! We would eat here again. read more

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This was a nice refreshing stop after wandering around Salem. The food was pretty good - got to try swordfish for the first time. We ate outside and it was the perfect atmosphere. My biggest issue was that soft drink refills weren't free, and the glass was small - like the same size you'd get a mixed drink. read more

Adriatic Restaurant & Bar - Italian Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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This restaurant was good! I got the chicken parm which was around $28 and it was juicy, no complaints. It was served with a green sauce that was delicious. The service was nice and efficient. The ambiance appears fancy which I'm not usually a fan of, but I felt very comfortable here. It was inside and outdoor seating, which had a nice balance of casual and fancy. I would return again for a nice dinner date :) read more

Adriatic Restaurant & Bar - Chicken Parmesan Bolognese Tagliatelle - Italian Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

We went here as we heard they had good Italian food. We ordered the fried calamari, it was drenched in salt , it was difficult to eat and thought the main course would be better ( we had high hopes). We then ordered the cavatelli w sausage which had no flavor at all, we asked for a new dish, the salmon which was burned w no flavor ( unless we are calling burned fish a new flavor). The saving grace for the salmon was the sauce on the side and again none of the vegetables had salt ( I assume because the calamari had all of the salt). We also ordered the chicken saltimbocca... terrible except for the carrots which was the only thing in the plate that was seasoned. All of this food was $100.00 and it was terrible. I don't recommend this restaurant but instead recommend going to a different or any other restaurant. read more

My date and I enjoyed our night here, especially the halloumi cigars and cauliflower soup. I loved my mocktail, the Holiday Paloma. The ambiance is great. Low lights and not too noisy at all. The bar has one TV on the far side and I'd return to sit there and probably stick to smaller plates. Unfortunately his shrimp scampi wasn't flavorful and everything came out extremely hot. Besides that, a great spot with reasonable prices. read more

Adriatic Restaurant & Bar - Halloumi Cigars - Italian Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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First of all, Salem is a delight. The Adriatic is conveniently located on a busy corner.. it is welcoming and fun to walk in and be able to see the passing visitors.. The menu is fantastic.. Mediterranean specialties, beautifully prepared and presented, and fabulous service. We were a large party of 10.. but each course of our dinner was remarkably promptly served .. Highly recommend!! read more

My friend and I sat down here around noon during a very busy weekend in October. They have not only an outdoor patio area but plenty of seats inside. My friend and I both got the caramel apple mule which was a fun spin off of a Moscow mule but with caramel apple flavors. We decided to split a few appetizers between us and a margarita pizza. The arancini balls were okay. I thought they had too much breading and not enough cheese inside that makes them gooey and delicious. The lamb chops were seared the perfection and seasoning was on point. The block of feta cheese, tomato and other herbs were great complements to the lamb. The margarita pizza was fresh, thin crust and also very delicious. A nice little lunch with great service from our server. read more

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This restaurant is super cute and we got seated immediately even though Salem was very busy with multiple restaurants having very long waits. The service was also amazing. However the food is very lackluster. I ordered the pesto but it was so bland that I could have convinced myself it was Mac n cheese - there was just no pesto flavor at all, very cream heavy. My boyfriend got the eggplant parm and said it was just okay / the flavor was not impressive or interesting. We both also got drinks (the witches brew and the spiced pear and they were phenomenal!) We probably wouldn't come again but it's good in a pitch. read more

The food was decent - not wonderful, but average Italian. The service was slow. Staff appeared to be nervous around management and manager was rude. Gratuity automatically added and not accommodating to check splitting for a small group. read more

What a night! Came here last night for Salem's Restaurant week. We started with the oyster mushroom app and the scallop app. Both were delicious. The scallops were so tender. And the oyster mushroom had great tingly flavors and textures. Neither were heavy! Mains: Hubs got the meatballs and I got the halibut. Both cooked perfectly and seasoned well. Finished the night with great cocktails and smiles. Connor our bartender was delightful and great with suggestions. How we have missed this place in three years of living in Salem is beyond me! We already have plans to invite folks here! Well done Adriatic! read more

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My family and I had dinner here on the evening after Christmas around 7. It wasn't too busy, and we got a table pretty much to ourselves in the back area where the larger tables are. I had a delicious espresso martini and for apps I tried the arancini and picked off my sister's caesar salad. They were both alright, but the caesar could've used more dressing and I didn't love the flavor of the arancini - just a bit bland. For my entree I had the shrimp scampi. This also really lacked flavor, and I was yearning for more tomatoes. The service was great and our waitress Leanna was attentive and super sweet. They had clean bathrooms and ample parking out front and around the block. However, the food wasn't memorable, and I don't think I'll go out of my way to return. read more

adriatic restaurant and bar is a good place for a nice ambiance & vibe, and decent, healthy food. they have a few dishes that are very good, but most don't have a ton of flavor like you'd expect from a mediterranean restaurant, so when they change their recipes or take the great items off the menu, it's noticeable. service has always been great, but they could add a bit more flavor to their dishes. i was disappointed to visit on 11/3 and they had no bar menu available, due to them removing it for the month of october. it's november now and they didn't offer to bring it back, just said it may be back in a couple weeks. nor did they have the leeks, ricotta & mushroom ravioli. i tried their chicken parmesan for the first time, it was a much smaller portion for the same price as another guest who had ordered the eggplant parmesan and received nearly double the portion, if not more. usually when you order chicken parm from anywhere, they give so much that you have to take it home; not here. very small portions of pasta, sauce is a bit sweet (not my favorite), and it does come with two chicken cutlets that are good but i was disappointed overall. they could also improve their wine by the glass selection. chicken parm 5.8/10 i was informed they only offer fried calamari now and took the grilled calamari off the menu for awhile, which i've been waiting for them to bring back. a couple years ago, they mentioned they change the menu during october because the tourists complain the calamari is not fried, but there are locals who are willing to come year round for certain dishes. they should be mindful of the loyal, local regulars as well. i'm not likely to come as often as i have. ambiance: 5/5 food: 3/5 drinks: 3/5 service: 4.5/5 adriatic restaurant & bar: 3.6/5 read more

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Who doesn't love Italian food? I know this girl does! We(my sister & I) were ready to slay our food like a dragon. Chris our waiter was sweet like sugar & didn't skip a beat. We decided to sit outside (it was a beautiful day & plus we wanted to be seated right away only outside seating was available asap). We kicked things off w/ lamb lollipops(tomatoes,feta cheese,cucumbers,cheese,pickled onions,olive,mint oil) & a basket of bread (carb heaven) for the table. For my entree,I chose the chicken parmesan(tomatoes,mozzarella,homemade rigatoni,basil oil) & my sister chose the rigatoni bolognese(homemade rigatoni,bolognese ragu,Parmesan). The lamb lollipops were cooked to perfection. Cosi buono (so good in Italian)! It was savory & tender. The flavor was flavoring! The bread was hard & cold (very heartbreaking b/c I love me some bread).My chicken Parmesan hit so hard I almost got knocked out. The sauce was very flavory & the rigatoni was fresh! I was disappointed in the chicken it was soggy on the top & kind of burnt on the bottom(like the chef was distracted watching TikTok vids). If it weren't for that it would be perfecto. I sampled my sister's bolognese & it was delish. It was your traditional ragu but w/ a twist(rigatoni not the flat pasta). It was very meaty! We decided to skip on dessert b/c there wasn't much of a selection. We weren't digging any of the options. Overall, gr8 vibes,amazing pasta/sauce,dreamy lamb lollipops, & Chris made my pasta heart skip a beat from the wow level service! read more

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Came here during my annual trip to Salem. My sister and I decided to sit outside so we could be seated faster, and the weather made it totally worth it. Our server, Chris, was great very friendly, attentive, and on top of everything. We shared three dishes: the chicken parmesan, the rigatoni bolognese, and the lamb chops appetizer (cooked medium). The presentation on the lamb chops was really nice and they tasted good, but the portion was a bit skimpy compared to ones I had in the past. The bolognese was delicious, it paired well with the chicken parmesan. The chicken parmesan had good flavor, especially with the fresh rigatoni, but the bottom crust had a strange texture that made it less enjoyable than it could have been. We also ordered the bread, which cost $3. While most places serve bread for free, it was warm, fresh, and honestly worth it. I would definitely order it again.. Overall, the food tasted good, the service was excellent, and sitting outside was a nice touch. A few small critiques, but I'd go back especiallyy with Chris as our server! read more

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I have had good and okay experiences at Adriatic. The food is delicious and has great flavor. Most recently, I noticed that the service has gotten much better than prior visits. Adriatic has a decent amount of seating (indoor and outdoor). read more

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The appetizer and entrees were average and overpriced. Service was okay but it took a while to get refills. Also refills of soda were not free and we were not told otherwise. The dessert was the highlight read more

Lucky choice was rewarded with quality food. We had a lobster pasta, grilled brocolini loaded with garlic, grilled cauliflower with yogurt sauce and lollipop lamb chops, which were delicious The pasta was loaded with lobster with a tomato cream vodka sauce and had slices of yellow squash and pomegranate. Very good. Everything was well made and presented, and the vegetable dishes were solid. My only quibble is that they did not have any specials and apparently never do. For a restaurant celebratring their 14th anniversary the next day, who am I to tell them what to do, but would be a nice change for the next 14 years. Our waiter was excellent! read more

Adriatic Restaurant & Bar - Lobster ravioli - look at those chunks! - Italian Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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Came for lunch during the week, it was nice and empty. The service was ok, but host/manager I would assume, was extremely helpful and knowledgeable on gluten free items. They have gluten free pasta so it was very easy to fine options to eat if you're gluten free. Food was excellent. The ambience was nice and peaceful. read more

Amazing service, yet again, from all the Dan's and Sean !! Gluten, onion, and gluten allergies accommodated!! An amazing birthday spent at Adriatic :)) read more

I hadn't been here in years. They updated the decor and atmosphere. Very inviting. The menu choices were varied. Despite reviews saying portions were small I found this to be wrong - full servings and excellent flavor. We'll be back. read more

The food was okay, nothing special for the price. Olive Garden tastes better ( in my opinion). The soda is not free refills which would have been nice to know, it was also disappointing because it was flat and tasted weird. Not to mention the small glasses were filled to the top with ice! Kinda ridiculous, the refills also took about 10 minutes. The service was slow and I'mnot sure why, it wasn't busy when we went. The desserts are tasty, the one thing I would recommend here. I enjoyed the view and atmosphere. Overall it's just not worth the price for the food and service. read more

Super calm Italian restaurant in the middle of Salem and walking distance from the Essex area so it's quieter. It was a good place for dinner during Halloween weekend when everywhere was just nuts. I got the spicy salami flat bread which was delicious. Our waiter was friendly and entertaining. Sodas are not free refills btw. It was $4 to refill my coke. read more

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If you're looking to step just outside the busy downtown area, this is a great choice. Especially if it's a warm day. Great ambiance with the option of sitting inside or out. The meals are well crafted and plated. read more

The moment we walked in, we were pleasantly greeted by the host. Once we were all seated, our server, Chris, came over and also wore a warm smile. He brought water and a bread basket, and two olive oil/balsamic vinaigrette saucers. It was a table of six, and we all enjoyed our entrees. I had the tuna over couscous entree, and it was delicious, but I wish it had come with a side vegetable. The large plate had room enough for a few sliced zucchini/summer squash and carrots medley ;) My husband had the chicken saltimbocca and our friends had eggplant parm, chicken ceaser, and salmon entree, which all looked very yummy. Let's just say, we all belong to the Clean Plate Club!!! On our way out, the manager wished us a wonderful evening, and I told him I was going to write a 5-star review and return to this wonderful restaurant. Oh, I had their new ginger martini & it was de-lish, too! read more

Located close to the heart of downtown Salem, I think this would still be considered downtown, we were able to get a reservation here on a Friday night, which was nice because Salem in October can be extremely busy. We went for our anniversary, they sat us at a nice table, Service was extremely friendly and attentive. Food was pretty good, my husband got the Bolognese which he said was pretty basic, but was good. My pizza was a little gooey underneath, but crispy on top, but it was fine. They have a full bar and easy to find location. read more

Adriatic Restaurant & Bar - Italian Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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I went with some friends mid October. I know October is very busy in Salem but the hostess has such an attitude. After standing in line for over 30 minutes, we asked for a table for 5 outside. The hostess asked if we would be eating or just drinking cause we had to have dinner to sit outside. I have never heard of such a thing. We were going to eat but found her so rude that we left. We chose not to patronize an establishment that made us feel uncomfortable. read more

Absolutely loved this place. The manager Dan or Danny boy. And our fantastic waiter Patrick. They made this night so awesome. Great food. Excellent service. Friendly atmosphere Thank you. Marianne. (Grandma) read more

Incredible service and amazing food. Our group of 6 had an incredible experience here for a girls trip to Salem. We had the salmon, cavatelli, shrimp risotto, and penne primavera and it was all delicious read more

Adriatic Restaurant & Bar - Italian Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

The food is okay. You will not be blown away. It's nothing special. The dishes are very simple. They're made like your grandma might make them. You won't find bold flavors here. I'm upset that everybody recommended this place, and that it was such a let down. The prices of the food don't match what you get. It's far too expensive for the quality. It's not bad quality, it's just not great. We won't be coming back. I will say the ambience is great. It's dimly lit and well decorated. And the service was fantastic. read more

I loved the drinks, especially the pumpkin martini. The food was decent, the lobster roll could have been better, but otherwise I loved the outside patio and the salem experience. Service was also good. read more

Adriatic Restaurant & Bar - Salmon - Italian Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Believe it or both I took a couple of deep breaths before writing this review of our terrible experience at Adriatic. Have you ever seen the Seinfeld episode where Jerry says, "You see, you know how to *take* the reservation, you just don't know how to *hold* the reservation. And that's really the most important part of the reservation: the holding. Anybody can just take them." (Arms flailing overhead.) Despite making a reservation a week in advance, confirming it TWICE and showing up 15 minutes before the slated time, Adriatic decided to pivot and go first come, first served. It doesn't really matter to this restaurant if they shaft regular customers - the tourists who got here first are most important. "Made a reservation over a week ago? Oh, I'm sorry. You weren't here two hours early to hold your table, so you're out of luck." Well, let's see how well that goes over when the tourists are gone and the locals all decide to go to, oh, ANY OTHER RESTAURANT IN SALEM. In all seriousness, after being gieven a hard time about our reservation, we were finally offered a table in the bar. We truly were bumped by people who walked in ahead of us. It was pretty disheartening to see multiple four-tops being taken up by parties of two, when we made a reservation for four far earlier. Shame on Adriatic for not honoring reservations that were kept and met on time. (Srsly, go to Bella Verona or Blue Fez, both hidden gems, same price point, far more respectful of the reservation process.) Our server and bartender did their best, but everything was really slow. One would think that a local restaurant would understand how to find staffing during a local parade event, but sadly, Adriatic can't seem to get it right, even after all these years. On the plus side, it's the first time I've sat in the interior of this restaurant where there weren't fruit flies buzzing around, so that is an improvement. In the past, I've been censored by Yelp for allegedly not being in the restaurant, so I took a photo of the receipt as proof that I'm not a bot. read more

We just attended my friends rehearsal dinner for her wedding here, and my oh my 11/10! Food was top tier I got the steak and so did a lot of others it was perfectly cooked, I tried the chicken too was amazing melted in your mouth. For having a big group with the rented room, the service was quite literally the fastest I've ever experienced. Appetizers out constantly then bread, salads, entree came not long after. Drink service was incredible too they were so attentive! Our server was Haleigh and she was so on top of her game I'm so impressed by not only the restaurant overall but by Haleigh, thanks so much for making our night! Will see you again soon read more

Yelp is sleeping on this restaurant! The indoor/outdoor patio was lovely. Great ambiance. We shared the arugula salad - ingredients were fresh, large serving for two. My fiance loved it, personally I thought the vinaigrette could use a little more citrus, and perhaps more pepper. Nonetheless, it was very fresh and enjoyable. The main entree's were INCREDIBLE. Food plating 10/10. I had the Leet / Ricotta ravioli. It was a perfectly balanced dish, offering the warm pasta feeling but not too heavy on your stomach. My partner had the eggplant Parmesan. Sauce was flavorful, with a proper amount of parm cheese, eggplant was crispy and well breaded. One of the best we have ever had *chef's kiss* Overall, 10/10 experience here. Highly recommend, we will be back!! read more

Adriatic Restaurant & Bar - Leek Leeks and Ricotta Ravioli (Half eaten, but worth documenting since they don't have many photos) - Italian Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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Incredible meal. Had the Halumi cigars and the shrimp risotto! Top notch food, everyone at our table was happy with their meal !

Went to Adriatic last night and absolutely loved it. We started off with 2 appetizers; the toasted pita bread with 3 dips (tzatziki, babaganoush, and muhammara) and the zucchini blossoms which were stuffed with lemon ricotta. Both were delicious. The waitress was super helpful and sold us on both specials. We ordered the lobster and cavatelli special and the halibut special and both were to die for. We sat outside and enjoyed our dinner and drinks. Pics are blurry since I didn't want to disturb others with the flash. Would definitely recommend and will visit next time we are in town. read more

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We stopped in here on our first day in Salem kind of by accident. It was pouring and everywhere in town had a 3 hour long wait. We found this place that had the smallest line at the door and decided this was it. The patio doors were open which was odd given the rain but also how cold it was. We waited in line for about 40 minutes prior to getting inside the door and thankfully we noticed 2 seats available at the bar. We sat down and were greeted by a very nice bartender who offered us menus and advice on what to order. We ordered some Shipyard pumpkin ales which turned out to be the theme of the weekend for us. It comes with a cinnamon sugar rim! We also ordered a flatbread and the hush puppies. The restaurant definitely has white table cloth fine dining vibes, but with the hoards in town for Halloween weekend, they definitely adapted appropriately with butcher paper table toppers and quick service. Our food was incredible and it was fun watching the staff have to adjust from fine dining mode to everyone at the same time mode. Our bartender was very busy and at one point she was absolutely gassed. She kept checking on us but really we wanted to make sure she was good to go. She maintained a smile the WHOLE time, like you'd never know she was struggling at all but I could tell how much work she was putting in when this place very clearly doesn't get this kind of crowd 11 months out of the year. Everyone did a really great job. Kudos! read more

Nate was our server, He is new here and we were his first guests he had ever served. When we walked in 2 nice young men were running the front. They were polite, and we got a table right away. We didn't care for the table that we were sitting in. It was in the middle of the room and the room was loud with activity. It was also a great crowd of people. We wanted something a little bit more quiet. I noticed that the adjoining room only had one party sitting there so we asked if we could sit in the other room. Kiara our initial server was very sweet and said, of course no problem. we went from sitting at a two top table to sitting at a four top table, which I thought was great. My husband ordered a beer. I ordered a dirty martini with kettle one vodka. I had asked that the martini be very cold when I received it but it was above room temperature and I actually had to add ice to make it cold. I know this was not Nate's fault but the bartender. I got fresh mozzarella tomato and they're fresh mozzarella and tomato flatbread but actually it came out as a pizza . My husband got chicken Parmesan. We both agreed everything was excellent! My Caprese was actually with Burrata mozzarella but I wanted Fresh, they had no problem changing it for me. And the ambience is beautiful. The food is really good. The bathrooms are clean the service was excellent from when we walked in the door until we left. We didn't get dessert, but we did get a double espresso with Sambuca . Nate, our waiter was kind, charming and professional and personable. We will definitely be back here! you definitely get what you pay for. Front of the house: 5 Ambience: 5 Service: 5 Food: 5 Bathrooms: 5 read more

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Went here on a Saturday night to grab some dinner and were very shocked to see that it was pretty much empty. We ended up sitting at the bar and chatting with the waitresses and the owner pretty much the whole time to get some tips about what to do in the area and what to order on the menu. They gave us some great ideas for our vacation. Thank you! As for the food, we ended up ordering the chicken souvlaki, a chicken taco, and the cevapi. All were very tasty, but the cevapi was the standout and really the reason we decided to try this restaurant in the first place. The beef links were short, almost like lincoln logs but super light and airy and full of flavor! The homemade bread was light yet absorbed any of the grease from the beef and provided a great pillow for the sauces to sit on. Also the ajvar pepper spread is probably one of the best sauces I've had in a while! It also worked pretty well on the chicken souvlaki. This is definitely the thing I would recommend getting. Super filling and satisfying. The owner also gave us a rundown of the specialty beverages. Super interesting to get a little more perspective on the Balkan beverages, and know what we should be trying for authenticity. Overall, great experience at this restaurant! It helped that we were the only ones there and the waitresses were super friendly, but the food also exceeded expectations. Definitely want to go back again on our trip, but there are so many other places to try with all of the recommendations we were given. read more

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