The remolded space looks fabulous. For only being open 6 weeks our experience was amazing. Fresh pasta tasty cocktails and our server Michelle was perfect. I love that McKinney has another great restaurant. read more

Enjoyed the lemon ricotta Agnolotti tonight at Centro. It was very good. Wait staff was excellent and ambiance lovely.

As we walked in, we were amazed by the vibe. Very cool decor, moody lighting, and exposed brick walls. The place was super cool and inviting. Very nice entrance. We chose to sit at the bar as it was later in the evening and it seemed like they were already in full swing for a Monday evening. Our bartender was very welcoming and made us feel right at home. He started us off with waters and drinks, and came back presently to take our dinner order. My fiance had the Cacio e Pepe, which was an amazing pasta with fresh cracked black pepper. She is vegetarian, and loves her pasta, so this was right tin the zone for her. I had the Filet. I asked the bartender about temps, because every restaurant seems to be different. Usually I order it Rare Plus, since it seems like ordering something Medium Rare these days will ensure you get it medium well or worse. The steak came out Medium. Not even close. So...by this time, our bartender was swamped with server tickets from the restaurant and was not even capable of checking in on us and the food. I maybe sat there for 3-4 minutes while I waited. Luckily the manager came by (his name was Grant and he was very accommodating) and asked us how our food was. I showed him my steak and he agreed it was overdone and offered to fix it. I thanked him and waited while I watched my fiance finish her meal. One of the bus-boys (or food runners maybe?) brought out three strips of Focaccia bread. The bread had a great flavor, but it was cold. Maybe I'm spoiled, but there is nothing more decadent in a proper Italian restaurant than warm focaccia bread. Once the refired steak came out, my glass of wine was gone. I cut into the steak while Grant was watching. Here's the deal. I'm super critical of steak. I ran steakhouses when I was in my late 20's and I know steak. This was better than the original, but it was still on the medium side of medium rare. Not close to Rare Plus. And if there's a sure-fire way to ensure that you piss off the kitchen? Send your steak back for a 3rd time. See what happens. It's never good. I sucked it up and ate the center-most parts and put the rest in the to go dish for the dog. I did finally get a second glass of wine when our bartender recovered from all the service bar tickets. Overall, I like the place. It had a super cool vibe and was exactly the kind of place I enjoy. They'll need to step up their game on the food the second time around. I know they can do better. We shall see. read more

Dinner w/3 friends. Our 1st time @ Centro. First of all our waitress, Emily was so sweet! We all loved our food. I got the chicken parm. It was so delicious! I think it maybe my favorite of all time. We had the calamari & brussel sprouts for apps. Both very yummy. By the time we finished our dinner, it was packed. The decor is upscale and tasteful. I look forward to returning. read more

Wonderful food and excellent service! We had the jalapeño soup, Caesar salad, and the chicken parm. It had just the right amount of sauce and luscious cheese. The flavors were bright and yummy. The tiramisu was one of the best that I've had. Thank you, Layla for taking such great care of us! read more

We had a big dinner oarty here the night before the Texas/OU game a couple weeks ago and I meant to post a review. The food and service was amazing. Fresh pasta is such a delight! We recently got back from Italy so I have a new appreciation for great and fresh pasta and Centro hit the mark. I asked the waiter if it was fresh and he took me back towards the kitchen where they have a window where you can actually see them making the pasta! read more

Everything was amazing, especially the homemade pasta! Marcus, our waiter, was awesome! He checked on us frequently, without being intrusive. All four of us were very pleased and will return. I recommend this restaurant for its ambience, staff, food and service! read more

Food tastes like TV dinner, start with the calamari and you'll see what I mean. Service is terrible. The ambience is really nice, it could be a really nice restaurant in the perfect location, unfortunately that won't be the case. read more

I brought a group of friends here on a Friday night to celebrate a birthday, based on a great experience I'd had previously. Things started off fine, but unfortunately the night didn't go as smoothly as we had hoped. It took a very long time to get our drinks--not necessarily the server's fault, but she also didn't check in with us at all during that wait. One friend ordered a second drink shortly after her first because of wait time and was brought two(unprovoked). Throughout the night, multiple servers tried to take drinks away before we were done with them, saying they needed the glasses, which felt rushed and a bit awkward. One friend ordered a salad that was supposed to include artichoke, and it arrived with just three small, sad pieces. When she politely asked about it, the waitress was noticeably snippy. My husband ordered the same dish he'd had before, this time with meatballs ( knowing the portion wasn't huge to start) but when it arrived the pasta portion was even smaller with the added meatballs. I did enjoy my spinach and mushroom pasta. When the checks finally arrived, one guest who had received a third drink she didn't order was charged for it. Again, when she brought it up, the waitress was short with us. We also weren't told that gratuity would be automatically added to each check (we were a party of seven with (5) separate checks, so we understand it's policy--but it would've been nice to be informed upfront, especially since we didn't catch it on the menu). Overall, this visit didn't live up to our first experience. We had high hopes and had raved about this place to our friends, so it was a bit embarrassing. As downtown locals, we were hoping this could be a new go-to spot in our rotation, but sadly, the service and experience this time just didn't measure up read more

Centro - Italian Near Me - McKinney, Texas

Yet another over-priced restaurant hoping to capitalize on the charm of being on the square. My wife and I went for lunch, and we were completely disappointed on every level. Server was nice enough but not very good at explaining anything and seemed totally inexperienced and awkward. I ordered an "artichoke & arugula salad" - which was a total soggy mess; pitiful. The artichoke was unrecognizable and were like slivers of artichoke stalk. My entre of "campenelle bolognese" was dry and tasteless. My wife ordered some short rib brunch special that arrived with 2 eggs on top. She told the waiter that the menu said nothing about being served with eggs and his response was basically - "I didn't know it came with eggs either". Both entrees were only lukewarm. No one ever asked - "how was everything", which is probably a good thing. Bad enough that the food was barely mediocre, but also very over-priced in addition. We won't be back; but we are also disappointed that this was so far below expectation. read more

This restaurant was amazing. From the moment you walk in, through your entire meal, the service is wonderful. The atmosphere is nice. Feels upscale. The food is delicious! The teramusu is..wow! Arlenne was knowledgeable and just a delight. read more

Loved it! The ambiance, the service, and the food was delicious. I had the red fish and it was delicious. We also got some sautéed mushrooms and broccolini on the side and the portions were great. Looking forward to coming back and it being a staple in downtown McKinney. read more

Visited Centro for the third time in three weeks and each visit has been well worth it. This week Will was our server. He did a first class job of explaining the dishes to us and attended to our needs exceptionally well. Highly recommend Centro....and my wife considers that the burrata here is the best that she's had in the USA. read more

We went to this place by chance when another restaurant that we wanted to go to was closed early. We were very pleasantly surprised! When we walked in, we were greeted warmly by both the hostess and the owner. Our server was top-notch and attended to all of our needs. I thought the food was terrific!We got a salad, spaghetti and meatballs, dessert and a glass of wine. The ambience made me feel like I was in a much more expensive restaurant than where than the one we were in! We will definitely be making a trip back. Way to go! read more

Our group of 7 came for a 6:30 reservation and were not served entrees until 8:45. The wait staff & manager are very inattentive. Our waters were empty most of the night, we were never given a status on our food and why it was taking two hours, we asked for our check when the food was served and thank goodness we did because it took forever to get to us and to get our cards back. They also added an automatic 20% tip for our group of 7. After complaining to the manager, she gave us free desserts - which were average. The wait staff argued multiple times in-front of customers. The salads are tiny - do not order as an entree. The flat iron steak was very chewy and not enjoyable. The spicy vodka pasta was served lukewarm. The meatballs were fabulous! We were able to walk out of the restaurant at 9:17pm. Will not return. read more

I'm a tough customer and I was impressed! Been years since I've seen the type of service we received.

My husband and I have dined here 3 times, hoping it would improve...have dropped over $300. The restaurant is beautiful. On our most recent visit we dined early (dinner). The singular bathroom trash can was overflowing and paper towels were all over the floor. The menu selections and food are average at best (disappointing). The mussels had a great sauce but they are small in size. I tried the artichoke salad which originally was with toasted hazelnuts but they forgot the artichokes. The meatball appetizer was very salty (and I love salt). The pasta at each experience was over cooked by at least a minute or two, definitely not "Al dente". The focaccia bread is like a sponge- the consistency of white wonder bread, not airy and crisp. They NEVER offer an oil & balsamic dip for the bread and they NEVER offer fresh grated cheese with the meal. Half of the menu is not Italian at all. 32$ for 6 oz of Gulf red fish. Steaks are tiny. No stuffed pastas, just one ravioli dish. The menu is very limited and does not offer much to choose from. The al la carte chicken is an airline cut which is difficult to eat with any sauce because it is bone in and women do not like eating bone in chicken because it is messy. Over $3 for one shrimp. They call them U10 but not so sure that is accurate. We do not recommend this restaurant. A bit pretentious and does not deliver on the quality. Fontina restaurant on Virginia is family owned, larger portions, better prices and quality. read more

Great service, Ambiance and food. Located at the best location in downtown McKinney.

After multi visits I have found the food quality and service to be a consistent high standard. It's my go to Italian in McKinney. The decor is elegant. The waiting and bar staff are exceptional. read more

Centro has delicious food, fresh made pasta, great atmosphere and attentive service! Basil (yes that's his name) did a great job as our waiter and Connie was so kind to honor our seating requests! We love this place! What a great addition to downtown McKinney! read more

In the former Harvest space on the McKinney Square, Centro has turned the tables on decor and ambiance. The bar is up front with a great variety of quality and well-crafted beverages. Walk to the back of the space and see them creating fresh pasta and other dishes. We've been there several times now and always find fine service and food. My favorite surprise is their calamari. I'm usually not a fan, but these are like the perfect beer-battered onion ring. I love them! Other appetizers and entrees are equally wonderful. Looking forward to our next trip to Centro on the Square. read more

We were excited to try this new Italian restaurant for my best friends bachelorette dinner. Great ambiance as we walked in. We were greeted kindly and it seemed like we would have a great dinner! Plot twist - our food took 2 hours to come out and my pasta was cold. My friends steak was chewy and not edible. The waitress and manager were fighting in front of us. You could cut the tension with a knife - not the steak. We were given no apologies. The waitress seemed to be avoiding us throughout our wait. The manager was very dismissive but offered free desert. We would have rather had a discount or free appetizers at the least. We had many issues with our checks. We will sadly not be returning. read more

Amazing food and ambience for a nice date night out or dinner with friends. All pastas are homemade and nice bourbon roster.

My wife and I thought we would try lunch and a new place in downtown McKinney to celebrate our anniversary. Atmosphere and decor was very inviting and comfortable. The food was subpar at best! My wife ordered a hamburger and it came out almost raw. They did prepare a new one, but that came out black and hard like a hockey puck! I ordered a parmigiana chicken sandwich, but I think the chicken left for the day. The manager did remove the cost of the hamburger, but the damage was already done. She indicate they have new kitchen staff members and they are still learning! It's our understanding that the owners own two other established restaurants.Here is a suggestion... maybe get a few members of these restaurants kitchen staff to train the kitchen staff at the new restaurant! The waiter was professional, hospitable, and apologized regularly, but he didn't prepare the food! We were really looking forward to going into this restaurant, but at the end of the day it was overpriced food that was not very good. $80.00 for a bad lunch is a bad look. I don't see us coming back anytime some. read more

Just about every critique in every review of this restaurant was true. The calamari were bland, the mussels were not fresh, nor were they fully cooked. I had the pasta with the short rib, it's the smallest portion of short rib. The plate costs $28 and they barely give you any pasta or short rib. My wife had the spinach pasta and added meatballs. I don't usually send things back to the kitchen, but my wife is pregnant and the meatballs were rare (and that's being kind.) they brought another plate out with the meatballs still rare (raw, you could see they were still pink inside.) I spoke to the manager who stated they checked the internal temperature and the meatballs were fully cooked. He must have been mistaken. None of the dishes were planned well and the flavors were not cohesive. Additionally, for the price you're paying, there was no care about the presentation. Service at the bar was good, this restaurant's only saving grace to be honest. The ambiance is excellent. Probably to make up for the low quality food and barely decent service. I would not recommend this place to anybody. I definitely will not be returning to this restaurant. For what it costs, you can go to Harvest or Rick's and get much higher quality food and superior service. I expected more from a restaurant like this on the square. read more