We came here for a family dinner to celebrate our grandfather's birthday and honestly, I'm still thinking about it two hours later. Our whole family can't stop talking about how good everything was. That says a lot. First, the space. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, and the acoustics are genuinely impressive. My grandfather wears hearing aids and he had zero trouble following conversation all night. That's rare and it meant so much to us. We had a reservation and they sat us early, which immediately set the tone. The bread and bread oil kit they bring out? Do not skip it. Just trust me. We had kids with us and their food came out so fast I actually laughed. Our food followed shortly after and the pasta was truly exceptional. Just genuinely high quality, generous portions, and completely worth every penny. We were shocked at how affordable the bill was for what we got. Our server Envy was an absolute gem. Friendly, attentive, and so kind. But honestly the whole staff was like that. Other servers who weren't even in our section came over just to joke around with our kids. The table was never cluttered. A dirty dish sat in front of us for maybe ten seconds before it was gone. I travel for work domestically and for pleasure domestically and internationally and can say that Bar Lino is the only flawless restaurant experience I have ever had. Flawless from start to finish. We will be back. Bring everyone you love! read more

Excellent meal. My wife and I enjoyed everything we ordered. The drinks too! Inviting space. Modern and well kept. Service was great as well. Great first visit. We will be back! read more

Came by just before 8pm on a Friday and there were lots of full tables but we were seated promptly without a reservation. They give you olives & bread to start which was very soft & doughy (how I like it) but a little over salty. The food came out extremely fast and piping hot! The chicken parm was cooked perfectly with a good crunch on the edges. The pasta was perfectly al dente and the portion was huge. The bolognese had a delicious flavor but a bit of a smaller portion comparatively. Service was good but could've been a bit more attentive throughout the meal for refilling water, etc. but no big deal. Will definitely be back here when I'm craving Italian! read more

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There's a mural on the back wall at Bar Lino on Atwood Avenue in Johnston. Black background, white type, Italian town names stacked and scattered across the whole thing. Sant'Angelo. Napoli. Fondi. Itri. That last one matters. That's where Joe and Esther DeQuattro's family recipes come from. That's the promise on the wall. Joe and Esther have been building serious Italian restaurants in Rhode Island since 2002. Pane e Vino on Federal Hill. Massimo, also on Federal Hill. Bar Lino is the newest, and they've built something that has no business looking this good in a Johnston strip mall. Red leather barstools, black tile floor with white cross inlay, globe pendants, warm light, a full liquor wall. Walk in and you forget where you parked. Start with the meatballs. Two of them, in sauce, with a dollop of ricotta on the plate. Tender, dense, moist all the way through. The sauce and the meat came from the same place of intention. Sunday dinner The ricotta cooled things down just enough. Get these. We went for the grandma pizza. Fior di latte, pepperoni, black olives added. It arrived on a sheet pan looking exactly right, cut into squares, edges golden. The crust looked like it would crunch, somewhere between focaccia and Pizza Hut visually and in its golden brown texture, but it didn't deliver in either direction. The sauce soaked into the dough. The cheese separated from the top. The pepperoni carried the pie, crispy-edged and punchy, and did it well. The grandma pie has four versions on the menu. The one with pink vodka sauce and roasted garlic might be worth the next visit. If I come back again I am probably going to shoot for a chicken or veal parm because I think they probably do an excellent version of that based on all visual cues. Service was professional and well-timed. There when you needed them, gone when you didn't. read more

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This is a very large restaurant and bar with a modern ambiance. Based on our visit, I would say it's a clear favorite with the locals. The bar area is large with lots of seating both at the bar top and many high top tables nearby. Booth seating is also available in the bar area with tables in a dining room on the opposite side of the restaurant for families. The menu is large and offers apps, pizzas, sandwiches, pastas, entrees and dessert. Full bar with beer on tap. Our waiter was very friendly and capable. Everything was very clean. For ambiance, this place has it going on. A basket of focaccia, olives and oil were brought to the table. The bread was very soft and the oil has a nice body. We ordered a 'suppli' appetizer. Suppli is a Roman 'street food': a hand help item, small enough to get two or three as a snack. These suppli are quite large. It's an interesting take on the original and definitely a 'knife and fork' appetizer. Wouldn't repeat order this myself. My dining companion ordered the Carbonara. They bring it to the table with a raw egg on top of the dish which makes a nice 'photo op', but isn't really how the dish would be prepared by Nonna. The guanciale was not cooked 'crisp' and the pasta was cooked soft vs. 'al dente'. The carbonara sauce was tasty. The pizza Margarita was a nice presentation. The sauce is not made with San Marzano tomato so the flavor is not there. The Caesar salad lettuce and dressing were fine. They offer it with a piece of anchovy on top if you like to eat those. It's your choice. The shaved cheese on top did not taste very good at all. I thought it might be my taste buds so I offered a piece to my companion and they confirmed it was 'not good'. They have the ambiance down 100% and the service was very good. Presentation of the food seems to be more important than creating authentic Italian cuisine. It's clearly loved by the locals and I'm sure they won't mind my not returning. Just wanted to let you know; don't expect the 'real deal' from the food. It's American-Italian cuisine so if that is what you are looking for, you will most likely very much enjoy this spot. Bathrooms are gender neutral. Parking is shared with other businesses in the strip mall. Wait to be seated by the hostess. read more

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Another amazing meal at Bar Lino! For starters, the bread and olives are the best!!! We ordered pink past with shrimp and lasagne, both were delicious. We also got a Caesar salad. Atmosphere was perfect, able to talk with no problem. Our waitress was friendly and she was prompt with all the food and drinks. read more

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Nice, modern dining area and bar. Lots of options on the menu, the bread is very good, soft and flavorful. They have a lot of appetizer options, including the arancini. We also have gotten drinks here, which were good. They have deals on drinks such as Martini Monday. Super friendly staff. Definitely a favorite! read more

Bar Lino Ristorante - Bread & oil - Italian Near Me - Johnston, Rhode Island

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My first visit to Bar Lino won't be my last. Everything, the food, service and atmosphere were excellent. The hostess greeted our party of 3 cheerily, quickly directed us to our table and within a minute or two, Angie, our waitress, greeted us with a smile, warmth and a basket of bread and olives. She 'sold' the peach Bellini drink special so well we ordered the whole bottle vs. individual glasses! Angie was happy to help us choose Eggplant for an appetizer large enough for us to share; we were not disappointed. We also shared our dinners, choosing Pappardelle Bolognese, Braised Short Rib and because Angie was so enthusiastic about that day's dinner specials I ordered the pumpkin ravioli special, a wise choice. The 6 ravioli were scrumptious; they were topped with pumpkin seeds and toasted pancetta and in a creamy brown butter sage sauce. The short rib was tasty served with a creamy polenta and the bolognese was delicious though a little saltier than I prefer. Make no mistake though, we ate almost everything and the rest went home for leftovers. All our food was served fresh and hot. The vibe is modern Italian and lively, it was a busy Wednesday night. The service was exceptional; everyone staff member kept busy. Bar Lino's menu has so much to offer with numerous beef, fish, chicken, meatless and gluten free options, so I'll need to make repeated visits to try all the dishes which appealed to me. I suggest you give this restaurant a try. My guess is you'll want to make more visits too. read more

Visited this past Saturday afternoon. We ordered the eggplant parmesan appetizer and the fried calamari. The calamari was completely overcooked and rubbery, but they made us another one, which was much better. The eggplant parmesan was some of the best I've had. We ordered 2 of the lunch specials, which was a great deal. $15.95 for a smaller portion of food, soup or salad, and a cannoli. The pink vodka sauce was very good, as was the pappardelle with bolognese. When my braised short rib over polenta came out, it was jiggling like a jello mold. I instantly knew it was going to be very fatty. I wasn't wrong, unfortunately. The demi-glaze on it was wonderful, but the polenta was tasteless. It was mentioned earlier it was my birthday, and they were very nice to bring out a complimentary dessert you see in the picture. Great Italian food, great sauce, but not sure I would try anything other than that again here. read more

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Food was delicious ! Service was fast and accurate. The ambiance was family oriented but also a cute date night.

I went to Bar Lino Ristorante for brunch. I saw that they had good online reviews so I wanted to try them out. I was surprised that they didn't have a brunch food bar. They had a dedicated brunch menu as well having the entire menu available. The food came out very quickly. I ordered the crab Benedict and it was delicious. It definitely was a surprisingly great breakfast and very filling. The service was on point! Our server was quick and knowledgeable about the menu. The bathrooms were very very clean. I liked the fact the brunch didn't last too long. My buddy that was visiting ordered chicken dish but I totally forgot what he ordered. He said the chicken was delicious but he wasn't a fan of the pasta. I will admit, I found very quickly that he is a VERYYYY PICKY EATER. I can't do that again... so if anyone knows a good place for me to try and would like to grab lunch somewhere in New England. I'm open to ideas. read more

Bar Lino Ristorante - Eggs Benedict with crab with breakfast potatoes - Italian Near Me - Johnston, Rhode Island

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I really enjoy this restaurant but on Mondays from 4:00 to 6:00 pm all appetizers and Espresso martinis are 1/2 price!! I ordered three appetizers: the crabcakes, broccoli rabe and sausage, the egg eggplant stack with balsamic glaze, and an espresso martini (all items were full size). My total bill was $22. Of course, I took some home for leftovers but come on, how can you beat this price? Everything is truly delicious, but you must sit at the bar, which is very large, to take advantage of this wonderful happy hour. It's probably going to be my weekly ritual now because it's just so good.!! read more

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We went for Easter. I kinda feel cramped in this restaurant. The food was ok. I just don't feel the vibe in there. The waitress and guy giving out water were super nice. This is my second time trying it and I have the same rating. Not impressed read more

We finally got here for the first time and we will be back. We had an early reservation ( you definitely need a reservation!) and got right in. In fact, we were early. We sat and out waiter, Noah, came right over and was very good through out our dinner. The place is large, with a huge bar that always seemed full, even early! By the time we finished our dinner and were ready to leave, it was busy and all tables were full. No apps, but I had a delicious sparkling sangria, and my husband had an Italian beer. We had some delicious focaccia bread. I ordered chicken Parm, and I am still eating it 3 days later, that's how big it was. It was delicious! The red sauce was delicious!! My husband had a decent size piece of lasagna. He said it was delicious, the ratio of meat to cheese was right on. The parking lot is huge. But like I said, you definitely need reservations! We'll be back! read more

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The restaurant is huge and cozy inside. The ambiance is definitely Italian and casual intimate. The calamari was light and very tasty although I do wish there was more of a crisp. The Chicken Piccata - although the capers were not whole you could taste them in the sauce. The Gnocchi were made in house and the Pink sauce was delicious. The service was attentive and full of suggestions. She was pleasant- Emily kudos to the great service. Overall a great experience I will def be back. read more

Bar Lino Ristorante - Calamari - Italian Near Me - Johnston, Rhode Island

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The food was amazing and the complimentary warm bread with EVOO was delicious and we got a second basket! Unfortunately the only thing I have pictures of is the amazing drinks we had. Check this place out. You won't be disappointed. read more

Bar Lino Ristorante - Lemon drop martini and special martini of the day. - Italian Near Me - Johnston, Rhode Island

Came for lunch special --had pasta with meatball, salad and a cannoli. Meatball-singular--small, bready but decent. Ragu sauce very heavy--but good. Salad was very good. Friend had chicken wings--smeared all over his face--he loved them. They raved about their cannoli --it was good. read more

Everything about this meal was exceptional. First, the interior is beautiful in an understated way. Awesome light fixtures, very open, nice exposed brick. Second, the food was superb. You can tell the chefs hail from the motherland! We started with I burrata because I can never turn down burrata, and this one was so good - not just the cheese, but the freshness of the tomatoes and the flavor of the pesto, just a bomb of deliciousness. We also got the penne vodka with sausage - nice little kick to it - and Grandma's Pizza Pepperoni MVP. We were told it had a little heat (jalapeños and hot honey), but MAN that was the most spice I've had in RI on a pizza! I loooooved it. It's that kind of goodness where your lips are tingling and your nose is running but you have to keep eating. Lastly, we were there with my 10 month old, and they were very kind and it seemed like a kid friendly place, even though...I don't recall seeing other kids. My son got to try burrata for the first time and he gives it a 10/10. I'd definitely go back. read more

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We had the best service this afternoon. Emily was so accommodating and cheerful. We sat at the bar for appetizers and drinks, which were perfect, after a day of antiquing nearby. Emily made the end of our day feel so special. Can't wait to return! read more

Wow it is great! Jennifer our server was great and had great information. Sangria and drinks were very tasty. It was busy but not super noisy. Everything was great including the eggplant stack, the short rib and veal saltimbocca. Try it. read more

Tasty pizza and excellent service! Their mushroom ricotta pizza was one the best around! Great for a date night or girls night out! Pretty big bar and it's nice to have a spot outside of the city but still right off the highway! They helped us celebrate a birthday and we're so welcoming and warm! Will definetly be back to try more pizzas! read more

The atmosphere was nice and comfortable. The staff were all very nice and friendly. The menu was a bit confusing which made it hard to order. So I just went with the eggplant parm with Macarori and my husband went with the chicken parm with spaghetti. The waiter brought bread, when I saw the little bowl I thought it was roasted garlic in oil but much to our surprise it was green olives with pits in them. We love green olives so not big deal. I was surprised there was no butter with the bread, but we waited until we got our meal. The pasta was cooked perfectly aldante! My eggplant was good and my husband's chicken parm was very good. We will go back again and try something else. read more

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Very nice outdoor appearance lined with planters of flowers, nice touch as it's in a Strip Mall. The interior nicely flowed into the inside. Crystal our waitress was so fun and informative. I had a side or of 3 meatballs with ricotta in marinara sauce. It was quite good, my friend ordered the parpadelle w. bolognese sauce. Not as good. Sauce was on the sweet side. I saw a cheese pizza come out that looked great. I'm going to give it a try on my next visit or take out. read more

I've been here several times, usually in the afternoon. Emily and Anna are fantastic! always pleasant and ready to make suggestions to enhance the dining experience... "do you like hot honey?". I do now! "how about some pepperoni on your pizzete?". don't mind if I do! lovely, clean restaurant with nice staff. read more

This is one of the newest restaurants in Johnston, RI where the old Brewed Awakening building used to be. It's in a very busy area. They did an amazing job remodeling and the restaurant has a black and red modern Italian theme inside. I ordered the pink vodka with chicken, chicken Parmesan, and pepperoni pizza. I liked the pizza the best of the 3. The pizza was thin, soft, and chewy with a nice kick to the pepperoni. The pink vodka and chicken parm was a good sized portion. read more

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Overall I think Bar Lino did a great job redoing this space and making it super eye catching. Our waitress was friendly and the drinks were great. I just didn't love the food. The pizza was the star of the show for me. We ordered the pink vodka pizza and it was delicious. I got the rigatoni for my main dish and it just wasn't super flavorful and felt like I was paying way to much for pasta that was not homemade. I think fresh made pasta would have really elevated the dish and I would have felt totally okay paying a higher price. Parking was easy in their lot and the location is super convenient right off of the highway. read more

Bar Lino Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Johnston, Rhode Island

Kristen's pick was Bar'Lino Pizzeria in Johnston. It's a nice looking restaurant inside. The staff were very friendly and attentive! The food and drinks were all delicious. They give some focaccia with olive oil and some green olives. For appetizers we got wings and eggplant and then a Margherita pizza. #pizza #wings #drinks read more

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Very pretty restaurant. The food was really good. Meatball sliders were amazing. Tomatoes with burrata great. Seared tuna very good, however, a little well done for my liking, but a very good dish. Ordered lasagna, didn't really like it. It was very dry and overheated. The cannoli trio was so very good. The drinks were plentiful and delicious. Unfortunately, we went in and the only seats available at the bar were by the service bar and kitchen door. Not a big deal, unless you want to hear the staff complain all night about other patrons. ( remember it's Johnston. Everyone knows everyone so the person you are speaking of is probably a friend, relative or acquaintance, as was the case.) If I was to say one thing, it would be go to the restaurant just sit somewhere else. read more

Great big bar. Apps are 1/2 priced at the bar until 6:00, yes even on Fridays. I was solo so next time Ill bring the hubby so we can try some! Ordered the chicken saltimbocca-Delicious with a capital D. Foccacia was great too. I was weary of ordering an entree when you tend to think of this place more as a pizza place but I am glad I made the leap of faith. Nice large dining area. Service was quick, efficient and not overbearing. Will be back-maybe this weekend! read more

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Absolutely Delicious!!! We stopped in for Happy Hour and what a feast we had! Meatballs, Eggplant, Broccoli Rabe, Crab Cakes, all appetizers and I still cannot decide what I liked the best!! And the bread... it's incredible! The restaurant is cosy, but spacious with high tops, tables, booths and a nice bar. Plenty of parking is available. The staff were all very professionally attentive. I'm looking forward to returning very soon! read more

Really good Italian food. The pizzas taste very authentic and are reasonably priced. I also love their selection of Italian wine.

This is such a hidden gem! Plenty of parking and same quality food as federal hill!! Everyone who works there is so nice and accommodating. My 1 year old son is treated like royalty. We love the pink vodka sauce, as well as the chicken parm. You must start with calamari and fried eggplant. The cannolis are delicious as well! We even had some of our meal catered for Thanksgiving and it was incredible. read more

Not only was the food excellent, but our server Junior was top notch! I would come back just to be waited by him. He treated my family and I like he would his. Very attentive and has such a pleasant personality. Will definitely come back! Thank you Junior! read more

Bar Lino Ristorante - Mezze Rigatoni Pink Vodka Sauce - Italian Near Me - Johnston, Rhode Island

Our party of four were looking forward to this evening and to be honest: we were underwhelmed from a (A) Service (B) Food perspective. However, the ambience is great / cool vibe. Food: OK / Fair - Not Terrific. Definitely other options (outside of PVD) that offer better and more flavorful offerings. Service: OK / Fair. Waiter started off good, but faltered at the end. Few specifics: (A) Ordered Glass #2 of wine, while still eating dinner. Glass #2 of wine did not arrive until after meal was packed-up in To-Go Containers. Patron made the comment: "If the order was not sent to the bar, don't worry about it." Server went to the bar and retrieved Glass #2 - Either: (i) How long was it sitting there (ii) Take the queue and cancel it. Two parties had take-home food. Only one of the party's food was placed in a bag. Had to ask twice for a bag; finally had a very pleasant food runner, bring us a bag. Drink: Basil Gimlet was ordered - Too Much Lime - overpowering. All-in-all: underhwelmed. Set your expectations accordingly. If you value your dining out experiences, as we do -- re-calibrate expectations and / or consider other options outside of PVD. The experience was not congruent with the total value of our check. Thank You. read more

Fun atmosphere with live music several nights. The staff is very friendly. The Caesar salad is a must and the short rib dinner is fantastic. Been going back a few times now and still haven't tried the pizza because the focaccia is so good and there's too many good things on the menu. So far have tried the sesame tuna and the squid ink frutta di mari. Both were delicious! Only negative so far is the tap water. Definitely get bottled. read more

Wasn't feeling it. Other food maybe good, but the pizza was lousy. Very skimpy on the sauce, and it was very mushy. On the expensive side price wise and the pizza wasnt that big. People were friendly and it seemed nice inside. Don't plan on being able to make a left turn coming in or out of the shared parking lot. read more

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First, they were out of eggplant stacks. They could give me an eggplant panini or eggplant pizza, but there was no eggplant for the appetizer? I could give this place a 0 and a 10 t the same time. The antipasto was great. i loved it, that would get a 10. But the pizza, would get a 0. If I could give it a negative it would be about a -20. I like thin crust, but this was so bad. I picked up a slice, I had the crust in my hand and the remaining 3/4 of the slice flopped down, dumping the topping back on the tray. I had to use my fork to flip the drooping slice back over itself so I could bite it. No taste, really bland. The topping was still laying on the plate. I ate that separate, not the way it should be. They need to learn how to make a thin crust that is crispy enough to hold the toppings. My recommendation, get the antipasto and a drink and then leave. Nothing else on the menu was available or good. Better yet, go somewhere else, this place is not worth the trip. With so many good pizza parlors in RI, get one somewhere else. Won't go back! read more

2/20/26 -went to Bar Linos this evening for dinner. Had a reservation for 6:30pm. Met by our waitress.. Myself and a friend ordered our meal. When my meal arrived it appeared uncooked. I brought the food to my mouth and it had an unusual smell. When I placed it in my mouth it had a tainted, spoiled taste. I called over the waitress to explain my concern and she grabbed the food back never apologized, never called over a manager and just brought back another piece. I was unable to eat it for fear this piece too was spoiled/bad. At the end of the meal when she brought the check, she replied "you weren't complaining, at all, I tried a piece of your chicken and it had a funny taste and was bad" This was one of the worst experiences I have ever had at a restaurant. This was my first time and will definitely be my last. read more

Bar Lino you have literally set the bar!! I love this spot, the atmosphere is fun they have music on certain nights and 1/2 price martinis on Sundays! I got the chicken and vodka and it was cooked perfectly with excellent flavor! They have a separate gluten free menu which is awesome since my daughter can't have gluten, they provide gluten free bread and oil for the table, we did order the GF calamari and it was excellent, my daughter got the GF chicken parm which was also amazing I actually would choose it over the non GF option, service was great it was a busy Sunday but everything came out timely, well done bar Lino we will be regulars here read more

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Ummm... this place at first glance doesn't appear to be high end at all since it's in a plaza, but behind the storefront facade is an amazing Italian restaurant. My husband had a delicious gluten free veal Parmesan dinner that he said was cooked perfectly. I had a mushroom and caramelized onion pizza that was tasty too. Our bartender steered us in the right direction and made us top notch drinks. Great spot for dinner! read more

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