During our stay in St. Joseph, we made reservations to check out one of the town's new Italian hot spots. Being used to Kansas City staples like Garozzo's and Cascone's, we were excited to give it a try, but unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to the high rating hype. ​ ​The Atmosphere & Service: The space was clean and the waitstaff was incredibly warm, nice, and welcoming throughout our meal. ​Drinks & Extras: They have a great wine selection! However, keep in mind they don't have a full physical bar, so non-wine options such as beer and spirits come from a can. Bread is also a separate purchase and doesn't include an olive oil dipping sauce nor did they bring out or have any fresh ground pepper or parmesan cheese which is a bit of a sin with our meals. Note: I did get a pepper shaker, but it poured heavy like a cheap bottle of wine... Lucky for me. I'm a pepper fan. My Entree: I tried their signature Tagliatelle pasta with meat sauce. While the flavor was definitely there and the pasta was cooked just past al dente (which I didn't mind), the sauce was quite runny on the plate. ​The Price: Very reasonable--it definitely won't blow a hole in your wallet! ​The Verdict: ​While the hospitality and prices are great, the food just missed that "chef's kiss" quality I was hoping for. It's a nice spot, but overall it felt a bit overhyped compared to top-tier Italian dining. read more

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Went out for a special dinner for my birthday. Started with the Tuscan Pork & Beans. It was served piping hot. It had nice decent heat from the red pepper flakes. Wish we had just one more piece of garlic bread to eat with it! It was exactly what I was expecting. The pasta carbonara had a nice meaty flavor throughout from the guanciale. My husband loves meat so he added an Italian sausage which it really did not need. But I'm glad he did because the piece I stole from his plate was amazing with the tastiest char. I want to go back just for a side of Italian sausage. As for the wood fired lasagna... it was good. I saw reviews where people said it was the best they've ever had. I can't say the same. When the description says sweet marinara or sweet red sauce, believe the sweet part. This sauce is SWEET. It's definitely oriented for those who eat and love a lot of sugar. I personally think if it had a splash of béchamel on top to counterbalance the sweetness, it would be better, but that would totally change the dish. I'd DEFINITELY try their white lasagna anytime if they ever have that on special. The pistachio butter Panuozzo Dolce is pretty much exactly how it looks. Think of the pistachio butter just like peanut butter in texture. It's just green instead of brown, and tastes of pistachios instead of peanuts. It's wood fired dough and the pistachio butter. I think it needs some whipped cream on top to jazz it up. I'll try the tiramisu next time! I appreciate the decent priced bottles of wine. One thought on the decor (which is pretty cool), is that it would be really nice for those patrons sitting facing the big black wall, hanging some big black framed mirrors would be fabulous so we have something to look at besides our table mates. We will be back. read more

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Emi is a fantastic spot for great Italian! The service was prompt, friendly, and incredibly accommodating from the start. I ordered the gnocchi, which is normally listed with a meat-based sauce, and the kitchen happily substituted a marinara for me instead. The dish was absolutely delicious--the sauce was rich and flavorful, the gnocchi was cooked perfectly, and to top it all off, it was served inside an incredible bread bowl! A friend got the salad bowl with ham which was huge. Truly a standout meal and wonderful service all around. read more

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Amazing service, great vibes and the food was incredible. I just returned from Italy 2 weeks ago and this made me feel like I was back in Rome. Loved it and St. Joseph is lucky to have such talented chefs! read more

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This is one of my favorites in St Joseph, classy, unique and also intimate space to have dinner! The food is amazing and the staff is attentive. I really appreciate the attention to detail in their food. Makes you feel like you're in the big city eating here. read more

EMI Ristorante - Wine Selection is good - Italian Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

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The food, service, and ambiance was amazing! We went for our Anniversary and was very pleasantly surprised! They even had an Anniversary card for us that all the staff had signed and hand written message inside! Nice to have a nice local restaurant like this in town! Such a great experience! Highly recommended! read more

EMI Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

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AMAZING! The food! The service! The atmosphere! The family! Loved everythingSo fortunate to have this fine dining establishment in St Joe! We wanted to relive our Italy trip from last Fall - and the food and wine brought us back to Italy read more

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Amazing food and wait staff were great! We had pizzas,pasta with sausage and meatballs and carbonara. The carbonara was a little bland but everything else was delicious. read more

Ate here this evening was very disappointing! The menu is pretty limited and kinda pricey for the portion sizes. We ordered the lasagna cuz thought it looked good! But when ours got to the table looked nothing like what the two tables next to ours lasagna looked like. There was little to no meat and mostly just sauce that was so overwhelmingly sweet I couldn't even finish it. You get nothing with your entree no bread or anything. If it wasn't for the service I probably would of gave it zero stars! Our waitress did a great job and the atmosphere was ok place is small and seating is very close quarters and was very loud with people trying to talk over each other. Will not be back! read more

What a fun night with EMI! Wonderful food and the BREAD was SO delicious! Worth the money, we had it the next morning too! The staff is mostly family and just incredibly done pasta! Its a must do in St Joe! read more

EMI Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

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We went to this restaurant for a birthday celebration for my wife. The workers in the restaurant were incredibly friendly and nice. They did their best to be accommodating in most things. The dining room was overly dark and there was a depressing vibe that was overwhelmingly black. It left a lingering odd sense of depressiveness and pretentiousness. The food seem to be prepared with high-quality ingredients. The pork and beans appetizer was excellent and the highlight of the meal. The red sauce was so sweet as to be comparable to candy and was inedible. However, one person in our party thought it was amazingly good. The bread was consistently burned, not just slightly charred from the pizza oven. It was so burned as to have large portions inedible and only tasting like charcoal. The carbonara was far more plain than any I've ever seen though not terrible. The pizzas were largely burned like the bread. The corn and ham pizza swam in water, making it too soggy to eat. This is a restaurant that I could selectively order something and be OK but I will never suggest returning to. read more

Well they switched up and now it is similar to going to a regular restaurant at least regarding not pre-paying for your meals. They opened up the menu and offer ehhhh about 10 options. Everything was fine. Server was great. The entrees don't come with a side. Salad is extra, even bread is extra. No Caesar option. We did get the garlic bread...they should so offer something to dip it in. Like an oil, parm, balsamic mixture. The lasagna sauce was excessive and super sweet. The Alfredo was light and small portioned. Not cheesy at all. It just tasted like noodle. I did not recall this from past visits, but this time it seemed super loud. I'll still rate it high. I know they take pride in this place and will work out any kinks. read more

Came to celebrate a birthday and so glad we did! The service was great, the atmosphere is modern and sophisticated, and the food was delicious! We had a variety of pastas, the cheesy breadsticks, the marinara breadsticks (app), tiramisu, a cherry dessert pizza, and a cannoli. Everything was absolutely delicious! All made fresh and reasonably priced. Those who had the tiramisu said it was, without a doubt, the best they had ever eaten! read more

True Italian flavor. Great atmosphere - so delicious. We will definitely go back. Can't believe we are lucky enough to have this in Saint Joe. read more

Great local Italian that is made from scratch and nice environment! Service was also great! Reservations required