This place hasn't changed much in years. Basic fried/sautéed fare, with an emphasis on veal. Offerings are fresh and ample. Weird, baroque/rococo furnishings make it a change of pace. The funky antipasto bar is now replaced by fresh salad served with each meal. Occasional weekend entertainment. Spinach and feta stuffed mushroom caps came with a broiled cheese topping. Very nice. Bruschetta was fresh but fell apart too easily. Ordered shrimp scampi but got four or five over-grilled, shell-on, tough and chewy individual shrimp next to spaghetti pasta! Weird but tasty. The quiet, near-empty dining room made a nice change from the noisy atmospheres in most other restaurants these days. The waiter/manager was solicitous and friendly. Rum cake is always on the menu but sometimes unavailable. Worth a visit at least once if you're in the area. Valet parking is very convenient in the congested Chevy Chase environment. read more

Go! If it's open, don't hesitate! The food, the people and the restaurant are all so great. The portions were quite large for a lunch though, so I suggest sharing it family style. read more

A classic Italian restaurant with wooden castle like furniture and nice decorations to complete the style! We came to hear the live music starring Dr. Bunning which was wonderful. :) If you're in the mood for jazz, it's fun! Unfortunately, we came on an evening where the service was below par. We were surprised that many people who arrived much later were getting their food before us. Perhaps our order got lost in the shuffle?! It took more than an hour and 20 mins to get our food. We took our food to go which had lovely flavors. Crab stuffed mushrooms: yummy and rich! Frutti de mare: lovely flavors Broccoli with lemon: good but doesn't travel that well. Recommend coming a bit early for live music nights and to make a reservation. read more

See all

Went into Alfio's for a quick pizza. Very quiet during the week, pizza was good. Very old school, Mediterranean decor!

Ordered delivery. Called first to ask questions. The worker was helpful in giving recommendations. The food came quick, was hot, and was delicious! read more

Their gently fried sliced zucchini is my forever favorite appetizer. Over the past 2 years of living here the quality of main dish offerings has suffered due to a drop-off in dine-in diners. Their tomato sauce no longer has a fresh-today zest and texture. It is the live music offerings that keeps Alfio's viable. read more

Popped in here as we were looking at condos today. They just opened, so was quiet. Although, the happy hour crowd started to roll in while here. It has an old school feel to it. Service was great! Attentive and super nice, even when he got busy. Calamari and pizza were great. Beers ice cold! Pretty good deals for Happy Hour. Come try! read more

See all

Went here for lunch before heading out of town with a work group. Was a little concerned due to lack of dinners in the restaurant. But food and service were excellent! Old school ambiance read more

It is a very quaint place with rustic style and enjoyable things to see. The live music was fun and the atmosphere was electric. However, the service was not up to par, though we found out there were 3 people working. It was confusing why larger parties were served before us and after they ordered. We ended up leaving with our food, which was very good, however it took over an hour to get our food. I stepped out to take a phone call for about 15 minutes, and the food still didn't come. Overall an ok time, but the service was not very good. read more

See all

This place is much bigger than it appears from the outside, although it never seems busy. . It's location tucked inside a Friendship Heights apartment building holds a bar area up front and several spacious dining rooms. They advertise live music several nights a week. The menu consists of the usual Italian / Italian American fare, to include chicken, fish, beef, pizza, sandwiches, etc. I had the veal parm, which was decent. It came with a nice sized salad and bread as well. Service was prompt and courteous. read more

Alfio's La Trattoria - Veal parmesan - Italian Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

See all

Located on the ground floor of the Willoughby of Chevy Chase condominiums, Alfio's La Trattoria offers traditional Italian fare in large portions at reasonable prices. The restaurant has been around since the 1960s. The space has a number of rooms suitable for small drop-in parties and larger formal gatherings, and live music is offered (for a charge in a separate space) on Saturdays. There is also a small bar space with both a bar counter and high top tables. A staff member greeted us upon our arrival and opened the door for us. I believe the staff person doubles as the valet. While there was no host stand clearly present in the entrance area, a staff member did greet us and offered us our choice of tables in the front dining area. The service was quick, and the food was good. The house salad was simple but tasty, and the chicken dish I ordered (pictured) was savory and moist. I look forward to trying other dishes here in the future. read more

Alfio's La Trattoria - Chicken Alla Diavola (half a charcoal grilled, boneless pressed chicken, spiced with fresh oregano, lemon, and virgin olive oil) - Italian Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

We live just down the street from Alfio's so I wish we were more impressed. The Italian food is pretty run-of-the-mill in every way - flavor, preparation, presentation. For much of the year there is live music in the back dining room in the evenings. We went once but haven't returned. The restaurant charges a $10/person "entertainment charge" that really disincentivizes just dropping in while walking home from other Saturday-night activities. If they just had a 1-drink minimum instead, we likely would have been in there 5-6 times by now! We've heard from long-time residents that Alfio's was a different, more-popular animal in a bygone heyday. Covid, though, turned it into a mostly-empty shell. With smart management and marketing Alfio's could probably be revived. Without it, I think the place is doomed to subsist on take-out orders from the residents of the apartment building in which it exists. read more

It you want your typical Italian fare, this is the place to go. Nothing to write home about though. There is live music on Saturday nights which is really cool, but they charge $10 per person. Sometimes we are coming home from another event and want to just pop in for one drink and some music, but don't want to pay an extra $10 per person on top of the already pricey drink we buy. It would be cooler if they did a 1 or 2 drink minimum instead. read more

I ordered the Bolognese and Lasagna via Door Dash. This food is horrible so bad I wouldn't feed this to my dog. The food didn't taste fresh, unseasoned and poor quality. You can tell their was zero love in the preparation of this garbage. If I could give zero stars I would. Just terrible!!!!!! read more

Alfio's La Trattoria - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

The only unfortunate thing in this review is that I only have five stars to give Alfio's. The food and service were excellent, the ambiance a bit tongue-in-cheek, and the overall experience wonderful. First, if you don't like 1970's type restaurants, stop reading. It reminds me of places in NYC when I was a kid -- great restaurants with great people. I ordered a Capri salad, and ziti bolognese. The appetizer was amazing, The beef sauce was excellent, and the portions were large. They served hot bread and butter. My fiancé ordered Manicotti, and we both got excellent desserts. The waiter Marco, who was incredible, capped it off with a limoncello after dinner, which was amazing. The bill was very reasonable, and we left very happy. Won't be our last time. In summary, next time you go to Friendship Heights, stop by Alfio's. You'll be glad you did. read more

The interior is so old and dingy. Ceiling beams paint is chipped and peeling. The furniture and decor is creepy. Most importantly, the food is so bad! Chicken Marsala consisted of a dry piece of meat that was floating in what looked like a canned soup, and pasta with a blob of red sauce on top. Who serves Marsala with red sauce all on one plate? The wine list is pathetic as well. I don't remember what was the last time I felt so disgusted after visiting a restaurant. Service was okay. One waiter, but he tried very hard. Live band was great, but we didn't want to stay a minute longer than we had to. read more

The last time we ate there, we weren't as pleased with the quality of our food. We had an inexperienced server who made several mistakes. We sincerely hope that this was a one-time lapse. It has been one of our favorite Italian restaurants for decades. We sometimes attend on Saturday to enjoy the bands. (We have some friends who occasionally play there read more

2 stars Went here to see jazz performance with my friend and it was meh. They also had open mic and some ppl had no business being on the mic. Service was mediocre to say the least. If i have to flag a wait person down for a menu, to order and to ask for a damn napkin, i wont be a happy camper. Desserts: strawberry shortcake was mehhh it tasted like it came from whole foods which is across the street from this restaurant. Would i come back probably not. They can keep their fancy mirror and sink lol read more

Alfio's La Trattoria - Whats left of a strawberry shortcake lol - Italian Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

See all

Nice neighborhoodrestaurant with amazing space and reasonable food. Service is unbelievable. read more

See all

For over over 25 years I ate here at least twice a month. I was there last night. The food is improved. The service is still excellent in downtown Bethesda. The atmosphere remains kind of dark. It would highly improve this place if someone updated and brightened the interior. Bathrooms are tight and might be hard for wheelchairs. *A great outdoor patio.Parking is free valet. read more

never go here. I was a regular until their pasta made me sick and I ordered plain pasta with nothing on it. when the bill came Marcus charged me $17 for plain penne pasta. with nightingale on it!!! not even butter. I will never return. Ever. For life. I asked the wife of an owner as I walked away and she ignored me. Not an honest place dude. go anywhere else. I are here because of location. and I liked bartender Tim. I WILL NEVER RETURN. EVER. Eat her = get robbed. $17 for plain pasta. Cool. Do you. Get robbed. read more

We ate there on a recent Friday evening because we had heard about the music they host. The restaurant, which is on the ground floor of a large apartment building in Friendship Heights across the street from the GEICO parking lot, was largely empty apart from the room in which the band was playing. We found the food mediocre, and overly salted. My wife had manicotti with a side of spinach: the spinach was excellent, but manicotti was too salty so my wife could not eat it. I had veal parmigiana (it was OK) and minestrone, which was thin. The wine list was reasonable. The MUSIC was truly excellent, and is the only reason why this review is three stars instead of two. Come for the music, but not for dinner, would be my suggestion read more

Alfios is the best we go all the time and we had my husbands 30th birthday there, it was perfect! The staff are all wonderful people!

a rare gem: a true neighborhood establishment that feels like a real life "Cheers" The staff will quickly become friends, and the food is excellent. You'll come for the food, perhaps the convenience, but you'll come back again and again for the staff and clientele. The thin crust pizzas are excellent, fyi. Most restaurants today are overly corporate, no soul. Going to Alfio's is like stepping back in time, in a good way. read more

The best pizza and the best tiramisu I've had in a long time. Looking forward to going back when I'm in the area again. read more

So the decor looks straight out of the '70's. So there is still a salad bar--that said a salad bar sort of is great. So it's located in an apartment building off the beaten path. So even at my age, I bring the average age of patrons down by East twenty years. I haven't had good red sauce Italian in DC since AV closed. Alfio's isn't luxe but for red sauce Italian ...the food is great. The veal saltimboca and Milanese are wonderful And you get the salad bar. And the decor grows on you...like dining in a period piece movie....say Goodfellas. read more

What happened tonight? We ordered food to be delivered and it was not at all worth the money. The minestrone soup was WAY too salty and it bore no resemblance to the basic minestrone soup that one finds at all Italian restaurants. The Alfio's salad was 99% iceberg lettuce; better to make your own at home. My friend got linguine and that was pretty good. It's nice that they deliver right to your door, so perhaps will try something else on their menu at some point in the future. Please work on your minestrone recipe, very disappointing. read more

Real people. Real Music. Classic Italian menu. Great music at this menu with traditional food in a classy but homey Italian environment.

Most likely they are warming the food from frozen. Gnocchi was gummy and the mozzarella was waxy, thick, and tasteless. A steak ordered medium was well done and chewy. Total cost for 4 people, $180. Ouch. If you must go support a friend and their musical performance, come full and just order some wine. Service was good, but the food was not. read more

This place is way overpriced. $10 for a piece of tiramisu? You'd think you're eating at a restaurant with 2 Michelin stars or something; but quality of the food compared to the price is ridiculous. The pasta seems to be some frozen out of the box pasta. If you go only to listen to live music it's ok. Not authentic Italian food. Wouldn't recommend it at all. read more

Very tasty. Loved the THIN crust white pizza with a bit of pesto on top! Nice authentic style salad bar, great dressing. Cute, very old school. Not a young place but feels nice, a bit cavernous and sweetly Rome like Italian. 3,5 read more

This place is a hidden gem. My husband got the stuff cannioli and he ate it up so quick. I had the chicken parmigiana. Let me tell you this chicken parm was full of delicious flavor. It was a little dead so it felt cozy at the dinning area. They have happy hour specials at the bar and a menu with good options. The salad was delicious as well. One of the best vinagretas I've had. We ordered a tiramisu for dessert. Let me warn you. Don't share it. I could eat two after dinner lol. We will be back again. The service was also good. The lady was attentive enough but also gave us space to enjoy our meal and have a wonderful conversation. Thank you for the great food and service. read more

Loved this classic neighborhood favorite! Excellent, attentive service, old country like decore, and delicious seafood pasta delicious. Terrific prices. Sorry happy! read more

twice i have ordered a carry-out pizza and it wasn't ready or they told me they had delivered it to someone else. the 2nd time the pizza was only 2/3 complete. i called the next day to complain and they acted like i was wrong, were rude and did nothing to compensate me. i'm done ordering anything from alfio's, which is a shame because i live close by. read more

We had a slightly larger group (8 adults) and a reservation and were seated right away. We watched as about 200 people got off of buses (97 of whom were teenagers apparently) and went in before us as we parked which was slightly concerning. However, they must have a great, sound-proof room for large parties because we couldn't even hear them. I'm also impressed with their staff because we were still very well taken care of and our food came our promptly. I called before coming because their gluten free menu isn't online. They were helpful and let me know that they have gluten free pasta available. I ordered their Fettuccini Alfredo (with gluten free pasta) and added chicken. I really liked my meal and look forward to returning here in the future. It wasn't too loud so my grandparents could hear our whole party and be engaged in the conversation. read more

Awesome place!!! Food is amazingly good, very flavorful, rich, tasty! Not the regular "pasta filled menu", very home-like cooking, the menu doesn't remind a bible lol, though the variety is good. The interior is really nice and clean, great tasteful decoration, music loud enough not to be overwhelming and disrupt a peaceful conversation. Highly recommend! read more

Alfio's La Trattoria - Flounder - Italian Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

See all

Very kindly, food is delicious excellent service, and we really enjoy the sundays musical

Salad bar is fresh but basic. Could add more fresh veggies and artichoke hearts and other italian specialties. Refused to sell a half caprese salad for a solo diner: regular order is 6 slices. Would it kill them to do 3 for half the price? House wine selection only by the glass which is inexcusable in this day and age. The house cab was warm and too fruity: must be pretty cheap bottle. I had veal parmigiana which was average. No veggies with it. Just spaghetti. I travel for work regularly and like to patronize independent restaurants but won't return here. read more

Alfio's is now offering a jazz series. We had made 6:15 reservations, expecting to eat before the 7:00 show. We arrived early to an empty restaurant and were left cooling our heels, our presence totally unacknowledged by the staff. At about 6:30, we were lead to the dining room/lounge where we were to eat and hear the Chuck Redd Quartet. We sat. And sat. Not even water (Tap water. No choice offered.) until we had been sitting for a good 10-15 minutes. There was maybe one server who made occasional appearances in the room. Much later -- I lost track of the time -- our order was taken after the clearly totally untrained waitress had initiated what proved to be a futile search for a wine list! She said they had a cheap chianti. Beggars can't be choosers, so cheap chianti it was. Dinner came with a salad bar. If the poor service doesn't embarrass the management, the salad bar should. It proved to be a culinary afterthought that couldn't pass muster in an elementary school cafeteria -- iceberg lettuce with some sorry olives, carrots, string beans slathered with canned tuna, and some diced fruit. The meal, which lingered well into the concert, was better than the service had led us to expect. One of our number -- an experienced foodie -- declared her veal dish one of the best of its kind she had ever had. And the jazz was good. The MC suggested that the jazz series is undergoing growing pains, at least obliquely acknowledging some of the service-related shortcomings. The jazz and acceptable entrées salvaged the evening in spite of THE worst salad bar and some of the worst hospitality and service I've ever encountered. read more

The worse customer service ever.. followed by terrible food. I came with 5 other guests and we were applaud by the service and food. The seafood tasted old and when we brought it to the server's attention, he yelled at is stating that the food is good. We asked for the check and he added the items that we asked to be sent back -- which were not touched after the initial tasting... Same yourself time and energy and find another restaurant!! read more