If you're looking for a world-class dining experience tucked right into Central PA, LUCA is the…read moreabsolute gold standard. Since opening its doors in the summer of 2016, this West James Street gem has been marrying Old Country Italian traditions with the incredible bounty of Lancaster County agriculture. It's no surprise they've caught national attention, earning a James Beard Award semifinalist nod for their culinary excellence. Even culinary icon Alton Brown has sung the praises of the team behind this kitchen. The atmosphere is buzzy and warm, anchored by the beautiful glow of their wood-burning hearth. To kick off the night, you have to dive into their incredible beverage program--specifically the amaro selection. Their curated bittersweet herbal liqueur flights are unmatched and provide the perfect, authentic start to the meal. As for the food, the menu is a masterclass in balance: Little Gem Salad: Do not skip this. It sounds simple, but the crunch of the lettuces paired with a flawless lemon-garlic dressing, shards of grana padano, and crisp house croutons ruins all other Caesar-adjacent salads for you. Carpaccio: Melt-in-your-mouth tender, perfectly seasoned, and beautifully presented. It showcases their commitment to high-quality sourcing. Wood-Fired Octopus: Impeccably charred on the outside while remaining incredibly tender on the inside, avoiding the chewiness that trips up lesser kitchens. Gnocchi Amatriciana: Absolute pillows of perfection. The handmade gnocchi holds onto the rich, savory, and slightly smoky Amatriciana sauce beautifully. Olive Oil Cake: A phenomenal finish. It's dense yet moist, perfectly sweet, and lets the fruity notes of a high-quality extra virgin olive oil shine. Note for pizza lovers: While LUCA used to sling their famous wood-fired pies at the main restaurant, they actually moved their entire pizza operation to focus on it full-time. If you are specifically craving their incredible blistered crusts, you'll want to head to Pizzeria LUCA, their second location over at The Crossings (Christopher Place). It's a bit more casual but carries the exact same ingredient-driven ethos.Five stars all day. Make your reservations weeks in advance--you'll need them!

Dined here recently with our family. The menu offerings are eclectic and different than other…read moreItalian establishments in the Lancaster area. The good: The food was very delicious. We enjoyed our wine, olive appetizer and entrees. I got the ravioli and my wife enjoyed the guinea hen dish. The portions here are not large, so it's good to get a few dishes. The ambience in the side dining room was nice and much easier to converse in than the louder, main room. Our server was very knowledgeable and excited about the menu. The not so good: The wait between our appetizers and entrees was nearly an hour. We had another event to get to and were somewhat pressed for time.

Really, really, not good. Ambiance was horrible…read more It was attached to a bar, and was very low class.

Nice chill place if you're a regular. But if you're someone who doesn't frequent there every week…read moreand they don't recognize you. Be ready to wait for a drink! The bartender clearly plays favoritism with the regulars. I waited 35 minutes for one cocktail after she (the bartender) looked at me 4 times and continued to serve people who just walked in!

5/5 for Value…read moreCleanliness Service Options/Menu Perfect spot for a family or friends. They keep the customer top of mind.

This place is a little strange to navigate on the first visit…read more.. Tables no table service although someone brings you the food. My wife had the spaghetti with sausage and it was good I had the Italian Trio which was a disappointment. Nothing was hot and I was expecting more of a pounded chicken cutlet vs. a thick chicken breast. Actually tasted like it was bought that way...and dropped in the fryer. Either way not sure if we will return but at this point being new to the area will still be looking for that weeknight Italian BYOB.

Had a reservation for 8 and were seated within ten minutes. My party of four all ordered cocktails,…read morebut only one person really liked their drink. I'd say stick to wine or beer. The appetizers we ordered, however, were delicious! We had the caprese, which came in a wonderful pesto, and the scamorza had a great smokey flavor. I also really enjoyed my pasta dish, although others in my party weren't too satisfied with their mains. I had the sweet potato gnocchi, which came with tender duck, crispy brussels sprouts and a rich sauce. Our server was wonderful and we loved the live piano player! Overall, I'd say the cocktails were a miss, and the two appetizers were the star of the night.

We had a large private dinner party of 15. It was the most amazing experience we have…read more ever had. The food and service was absolutely first class. I would highly recommend Lombardo's as one of the best restaurants in all of central Pennsylvania.

delish! ! Best Waiter ever. Thank you Frank…read more From the moment you walk into this establishment it's the wafting reminiscence of grandmas kitchen !! Then i saw those amazing martinis! Honestly I will be back over and over again

Please hire a front of house manager or have your current one present to assist the host staff…read moreduring the busiest weekend of the year, please. We had a reservation for 6:00 today, got there early, and just left 45 minutes later because I'm not confident in their ability to deliver quality service tonight. My six-year-old wanted to treat me to dinner. You are one of the only gluten free restaurants we can take her too. Now she has one less.

Great costumer service! Wonderful family friendly atmosphere. Owner and wife kept coming over to…read moreask how the meal was and how they could serve us better. Food was amazing. My husband and I had the manicotti and the chicken ziti. Portion size is larger than I thought and the prices are reasonable. Our meals also included a house salad and garlic knots. Everything was made quick, fresh ,and tasted wonderful. Overall my husband and I walked out paying $26. You really can't beat the price. Highly recommend this restaurant if you are in the area.

We just happened by here one day on a visit to Lancaster, and we really liked it. If this…read morerestaurant were anywhere near the DC area, we would be regulars. There were nice toppings to choose from, and both pizzas were very tasty.

Great food .. good service .. clean bathrooms..... It's…read morebeen a long time since I've been there ....but it not because I found fault with anything .. They have a large area for larger groups for birthday parties and anniversary parties or what ever you need ..

You are a captive audience at this place if you are flying I guess…read more Here is my suggestion and humble opinion, there is no world in which this is italian food, a pre-breaded food service chicken patty and some canned sauce atop poorly drained spaghetti does not chicken parm make. (and if you look at pics here of the chicken parm dish in others reviews you'll see the patties are uniform in look which means they are pressed food service patties) Change the name to something like "Ironstone" (just rearrange the letters on the sign) drop all the alleged italian food and you are golden. Burgers look great, sandwiches look good, my wives salmon was ok, just please you have no business selling italian food.

First of all wow! Service was fast, multiple employees checked on my group. Food was amazing. I…read morebelieve it was the manager but they gave us complimentary cannolis! Great experience, perfect spot for date nights and family gatherings.

Going here is like dining with family! We've be going here for over ten years now, they all know us…read moremostly. The fettuccine Carabba is my go to dish, our favorite waiter is all of them! They take good care of your needs like extras. Most of all the food is delicious!

I've watched the nice lady preparing a line of sandwiches one day, took great care in each of them…read moreand the presentation was excellent! Today I got the Dutchman. Blend of sausage and onions and cheese. Delicious!! While eating I got to converse with some kind people while enjoying my lunch. God bless.

This place was great!! Order a sandwich that was recommended from staff and it did not disappoint…read moreme the meatball caprese was one of the best ones I've had in while. Stand was clean, employees were nice and I'll deff be back when In the area.

I got thot the cheese steak pizzaiola....very disappointed. No cheese but advertised cheese, just…read moredry meat‍

Very good pizza. We got cheese, Sicilian and a garden. So not really anything that would keep me…read morefrom ordering again, but I'm used to heavy Sicilian pizzas and this was more airy if that makes sense. Again I had no issue with it and overall each slice is lighter, making the lunch hour not so sleep inducing but yes the dough is bit airy. Came on time even with a large order