Incredible, delicious, flavorful. Everything we ordered was amazing. Outstanding service with a super cool open kitchen. Highly recommended this place. read more

Francesca's Italian Kitchen - Italian Near Me - Vero Beach, Florida

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The sign outside says made from scratch, I can assure you that is not the case. We ordered penne vodka, and tortellini bolognese which was fine but definitely boxed pre made pasta. The service was slow and seating inside was tiny, 5 tables only. And on a windy day which happened to be today made their outside seating a terrible idea. It's a fine meal overall, definitely not made from scratch more of Olive Garden. read more

Gagged and appalled. Came here on mother's day and my mother's branzino was bad. She politely asked to send it back and replace it after just one bite, and the young waitress (teenager seeming, possibly in her 20s) was forced to act as a middle man while the manager refused to come out and speak to us, speaking only through the waitress. He told her to tell us we'd have to pay for the sour food AND whatever other meal we liked. When my mom, on mother's day, said she didn't want to order a second meal if she'd have to pay for it, the manager had our waitress tell her that now he WOULD comp the branzino, but my mom wasn't allowed to order something else ?? I've never been to a place with such mid food that had the audacity to also have bad service. Shoutout to the waitress who was trying really hard to still offer a good experience when the manager was setting her up to fail. Brave choice if you read this and still choose to come. read more

As always, Kenny provided great service. That accompanying amazing bruschetta and lasagna this evening was the perfect meal for the two of us on such a hot evening.. as always this lasagna would make the most proud Italian grandma weep... he definitely brought this home! We highly suggest Francesca's and also a reservation as they do get busy! read more

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The sign out side said Italian Food made from scratch. I've never been to Italy so perhaps I don't know what authentic Italian food should taste like. So judging solely on things i could compare to.. The sauces tasted store bought like they came out of a jar. It seemed like the ravioli was boiled separate and dumped into the sauce without draining the fluid. Sauce was watery and lacked flavor. It just did not feel like the dish was put together with care or effort. A kid can put together this dish for an after school snack for a lot cheaper. The lobster ravioli had some crunched bits inside which i assumed were garlic but wasn't sure. The butter nut squash was sweet and had a good flavor in the filling, however the sauce had a runny water/oily consistency and the shrimp tasted like it came from the frozen food section and was warmed enough just to not be frozen anymore. Tight sitting inside but a comfortable environment for a small group, conscientious location if you're staying on vero beach. But at this price point I do not recommend. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the free bread... it was FREE!!! Rating Value(price for quality): 1/5 Customer service: 3/5 Freshness: 1/5 Convenience: 4/5 L2R (likely to return): 0/5 9/5=1.8 read more

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I'll start w the good, we ate outside & the sea air had a very pleasant March wind. The wine was good. That's it! I should have read the reviews b4 we went. Being our last night in town we decided to go Italian by the sea because why not? Place advertised menu prepared fresh/ made from scratch and they're by the ocean so surely, they will have some good fresh fish prepared Italian style? Server acted the entire time like she couldn't wait (see what I did there?) to go home. First surprise was the menu offered very little in the way of Italian/ fish dishes. Calamari appetizer was meh. Wife ordered the shrimp scampi, her review...meh. I ordered the sea bass and YOU F-ING CANT TELL ME THAT WAS A PIECE OF SEA BASS. Note to owner: this is bad. Serving what was more likely a piece of Tilapia and trying to pass it off as sea bass...is bad. I was so hungry I ate it anyway- while planning my review. Honestly, I have never had this happen to me b4 so how does one complain after having eaten the evidence??? RUN from this place. read more

The people that are writing these good reviews, are they ok? The appetizer pizza should state that it is the size of your hand, smaller than a personal pie. It's equivalent to free bread that I've gotten at better restaurants. We're from NYC and do not mind paying for overpriced food HOWEVER, this is just not it. I don't care if it's because this place is beachside, poolside, any side; it is wild. I've been here before in the past and the pizza was a normal size. Beyond average overpriced food. Sauce was watery (as other reviews have mentioned) and lacking flavor. The pictures on the website are deceiving, use caution when dining here. Our waitress was super friendly and understanding, that's what the second star is for. read more

Francesca's Italian Kitchen - Smallest $17 pizza - Italian Near Me - Vero Beach, Florida

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We came here for the first time after hearing about this restaurant last trip down to Vero. The spot is very small in the inside, more of like a cafe shop feel. We ate outside which was really nice and we enjoyed it a lot. Service was great, he didn't rush us. The food service was really quick. We like to have a whole dining experience and didn't have that here. For appetizers we had one of the bruschetta which was tasty but I thought expensive for the amount you got, with no protein. The entrees were really good, but I thought the size was small for the price. I had the lasagna which was really tasty. One person in our party had the seafood risotto which was delicious as well. For dessert we had a cannoli which was huge and fresh. We will give it another try in the future. read more

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I was excited to go back to Francesca's as I have enjoyed their food before. Unfortunately I was served one of the most expensive and worst plates of pasta of my life. The sauce was soupy, portion size was small, and the pork undercooked...giving the entire plate an unappetizing flavor. When I asked the server if I could try something else...he said only if I pay for another plate. This small amount of pasta and a glass of wine put me out $40...I had no intention of risking more on someone so poorly prepared. read more

Francesca's Italian Kitchen - Pasta Amatriciana - Italian Near Me - Vero Beach, Florida

My friend had a hankering for gnocchi so we decided to try Francesca's Italian Kitchen being it was close to our resort. We made a reservation and arrived a few minutes early. Chris was both our host and server. We were a group of four. One had wine and the remainder of us enjoyed water or a Sprite. My friend with the craving and I would've loved a mocktail or Shirley Temple, but the restaurant doesn't have a full bar. My friend ordered a pesto Alfredo dish and swapped the pasta for gnocchi. Lucky for her, this was permissible because the Chef didn't take too kindly to my requested revisions. She was content with her dish but didn't eat the leftovers which speaks volume to me. Because the dish I desired (due to my requested revisions) was frowned upon, I ordered the penne with chicken and mushrooms. One in our group ordered the same entrée. This dish featured some very tender chicken breast, perfectly cooked pasta, and fresh mushrooms. It wasn't more than average but it hit the spot. The final member in our party ordered a side salad and meatball trio. Her meatballs looked delicious and she said these were. She said the salad was fine and she liked the vinaigrette: I added a side Caesar salad to my meal and felt the same. It was fine: it consisted of shredded lettuce, two small pieces of bread, and a dressing that mimicked store bought dressing. The best part of our meal aside from the attentive server was the cheesy bread and marinara appetizer! The bread was baked to perfection with the perfect amount of cheese. In summary, our experience was fine and the meals were served as ordered. I wouldn't rush back but I don't have any complaints. read more

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Small inside tables are outside overlooking street and parking lot across from park that's on the ocean but u can't see the ocean . Service good although we had to ask for bread but guy was pleasant enough. No draft beer bottles only and expensive wine. I had white pizza my favorite but was very bland. Hubb had pasta and chicken he said very bland that was his words not mine. If searching for good Italian I'd keep searching. We are in vero it's season these places are busy with tourists.. no matter depending on how hungry you are but we live on Hutchinson island much better restaurants although they are very busy as well. We also tried driftwood inn Waldo's it was packed.. read more

We wife and I dined at Francesca's tonight. We had high expectations based on the reviews. We had reservations at 530p but arrived early. We requested outside seating but it was trying to rain so we were sat inside initially. The restaurant is not very large. When you enter you are met immediately by the greeter. She sat us directly in the path of the door where patrons stand and wait to be seated. When we requested to be sat somewhere else they moved us directly to the right of the greeter desk. The tables were incredibly small. And if the weather had not improved I think we probably would have left. But our waitress asked if we wanted to risk outside and we happily said yes. We were shown to the patio. We ordered water to drink and my wife ordered Diet Coke. All soft drinks come in bottles and were $4.00/bottle. Water was complimentary. The menu said everything was made fresh daily. For food we ordered the mozzarella fritters, Caesar salads, Vitello Saltimbocca Calabrese, and Prosciutto and Beef Stuffed Tortellini. - the mozzarella fritters were not bad. They were fresh but the sauce was thin and overly sweet. - It's really hard to mess up a Cesar salad. The menu said "everything fresh daily" so we expected fresh Cesar dressing. I would be shocked if it didn't come out of a bottle. We were also asked what kind of dressing we wanted on our Cesar salad. It was on odd question to us considering Cesar salads are named for the dressing. - The menu also had a vague hint of bread "when it was available." It seemed strange to place that phrase on the menu. The bread was hot and crispy but again it did not seem house made. - The tortellini dish was unimpressive. Bland and boring. I've had better sauce from a bottle. I couldn't find the prosciutto. The pasta seemed from out of a bag. It was not great. - Same story with the veal. It was boring. It was under seasoned. The pomodoro was just bad. It again was watery and unimpressive. Overall this restaurant was unimpressive. Be mindful when you read reviews because all the OpenTable reviews are good. Yelp reviews were also above average. Our meal cost us $120 and it was just not good. The one good thing at the restaurant was our waitress. She kept our glasses full and was very polite the whole encounter. read more

Francesca's Italian Kitchen - Vitello Saltimbocca Calabrese - Italian Near Me - Vero Beach, Florida

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First time visit..last time visit. It's quite hard to mess up Italian food but this restaurant managed it very well. The menu is pricey so it's expected the food and ambience to be worthy of paying. Cutlery delivered wrapped in paper napkins, ice tea delivered in a bottle of commercial Pure Leaf Tea, Diet Coke delivered in a bottle. Didn't expect diner experience. Bread promised but not served until entrees. In most Italian restaurants some mixture of olive oil is provided with bread. None here. Cocktail menu offered five choices and it's believed the Cosmos ordered were prepaid from a mix. The food rating is mixed. Some dishes were okay (okay is not $28-$30 okay). The Bolognese was more tomato juice than tomato sauce and accompanied by mystery meat. The food might have been helped with fresh grated cheese but, alas, none offered. Very disappointed since we'd been looking forward for a while to a new and pleasant experience. read more

We really enjoyed this restaurant. Tiffany, our server was so kind and professional. She recommended three of her favorite dishes, I ordered one of them (ravioli montovani) and my husband ordered another (lasagna). The food was delicious. The homemade bread was outstanding, it had literally just come out of the oven. We do not eat much but we each had a glass of wine. Tiffany told us we could take as much time as we wanted to finish our wine. If we in the area again, we will definitely have dinner here. read more

Went with a party of 6. Everyone was very happy with the dishes they got. The pizza, subs, pasta dishes, salad all were delicious. Service was outstanding. We even took home orders to go. We will be back. read more

Very rude staff. One of our 2 meals had to be remade because they did not cook it as ordered. By the time we got the second meal the first one was done because it took 20 minutes. When asked for some extra sauce we were told it would be an extra charge since we already got some. We mentioned that it would be nice to have some concession for having to wait for the second meal. Instead,Tiffany told us not to come back (which we won't). Note on the attach they show pets allowed but they gave us a hard time for having a Service dog on the porch. Definitely not a business I would support ever again! read more

Francesca's Italian Kitchen - Italian Near Me - Vero Beach, Florida

We had dinner at Francesco's tonight. I ordered the salmon. It was tough and dry. The owner insisted that Norwegian Sal is tough by nature. He came out with the vacuum packed piece of fish that he said was Norwegian. Who comes out with vacuum packed piece of fish in a restaurant. My friend had the risotto and the shrimps in the risotto were way too salty. The calamari was extremely mediocre with no lemons on the side and heavy breading. All in all the restaurant was not good. The waitress brought the bill to be signed while all the dishes were still on the table. read more

Amazing Pizza! The pasta is not bad but the Pizza was very very good. The service was GREAT!!! Very Nice Place!!!!!

Second time coming back and the food was outstanding as usual. Small and casual restaurant where everything is prepared to order. Server was very friendly. read more

Great Food! The owners are wonderful people! Very Friendly! The pizza is so wonderful!

Mediocre at best. Uninspiring presentation lousy customer service and cardboard under the cheese cake. No need to go back. overall a great disappointment. read more

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Food was amazing and quickly served. Meatballs were the best ever. Sauce was also amazing. Server was very nice. Sat outside and it was nice and quiet. Here on vacation and will be back again next time. read more

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Walked in and we were lucky enough to be seated right away. I ordered the penne with meat sauce and it was good, not great, but better than Olive Garden. Our server was friendly and nice, and had a great attitude. Unfortunately, the food took forever to come out. It took forever even for us to get bread, and we started questioning if it was even coming. Once we got the bread, it was doughy and undercooked. Overall okay, but probably would not come back. read more

Went with great optimism, but on entering the overall feel of the room disappointed slightly, there was a slight disinfectant smell to the room which had too cool and white a look for an Italian restaurant in the evening, but maybe things/styles are different in beach resorts? We chose to sit outside, despite the cool air, and the heater made it tolerable. Servers all pleasant. We each ordered wine, arancini, side salad and pizza, all to share. Because we hadn't ordered an entree, we were not served bread( someone could have tallied the amount of our order and seen we were spending "enough" to merit bread, so we chose to pay for bread. Arancini a little cool in center- reheated not enough? The salad seemed to have Italian vinaigrette vs the balsamic we requested, and the pizza was small and fine, a nice crust. The meal was fine, but not memorable or special. read more

Sitting outside was very pleasant! The service was quite good and the food was amazing!

Massimo runs a great restaurant! All dishes are freshly made and or excellent quality. He makes everything to order. Francesca's is a very good option. Prices are reasonable and the ambiance is a good balance of Vero casual. The outdoor patio has been an outstanding addition. We frequent when we are in town and is a good go to for quality Italian. read more

Very poor dinner the veal was extremely tough and couldn't eat it. I told the server and she did not offer to bring anything else out to replace the meal. When they brought the check, I asked if they could remove the veal entrée and she said no. The other 4 meals where pretty good. read more

Subpar Italian with terrible management/ chef. We came for dinner and sat on the patio. Our server was friendly. One of our dishes (penne with chicken and mushrooms) was awful! After one bite we asked if we could exchange for a different dish. The chef said we cannot get another dish and we have to pay for the nasty penne. We asked for more bread and did not receive. The restaurant was also weird about giving napkins. I hope the friendly server gets treated better than we were there. Do NOT recommend. read more

I don't know who is rating this whole in the wall that looks more like a doctor's office that an eatery! Myself and my wife & my 17 year old! I happen to be a chef for many years I never return food say I wasn't good I just don't eat it & won't return. My son had the pasta carbonara which he usually loves he said it tasted like spoiled eggs I tasted it it was horrible! My wife had the seafood risotto undercooked and cheesy and my veal was like chewing on my Italian leather belt. My wife after 2-3 bites said to the waitress I don't like this it's undercooked. The server starred at it for 30 seconds so awkward & weird and said I can't take it off your bill or offer you anything else not like she wanted anything after that. The food & customer service is horrendous I've never experienced anything like it & hopefully won't ever again! Stay away from this place the owner and his staff are toxic horrible horrible people read more

Food service and ambiance were all great. We took a table for 4 outside. It did appear that there were no smaller tables outside so I'm not sure what a couple on a date would do if they wanted to eat outside. The place was busy, very table booked. Staff was young but attentive and the food and wine selection was great. read more

The interior dining is very small with minimal ambiance. Literally tables bordering the front door and hostess stand. Outside a bit nicer. The food was good. The Alfredo sauce was outstanding. The marinara sauce was a bit bland and watery. Pasta was cooked great, pesto was tasty and the eggplant was perfectly tender. Chicken in the dishes was a bit underdone. But overall tasty. The service wasn't great. Not rude but also not friendly. Little attention to details, dishes sat on the table and had to wait for needed services. read more

Francesca's Italian Kitchen - Eggplant Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Vero Beach, Florida

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The inside eating area is small, but they do a good job of space utilization with the table set up. I would definitely have a reservation. They do have an outside eating area as well. The service started out good, however by the end we had to ask for more water and he seemed to just disappear. We started with the calamari which was very good. It had a very light batter and came with a side of marina sauce. I got the chicken parmesan and my wife got the eggplant parmesan. Both came a side of pasta and we added a house salad ($4). Everything was cooked and seasoned just right. The sauce was not heavy, but added just the right flavor to the meal. read more

Well I'm a natural skeptic. But when I heard of this little Napoli-inspired restaurant opening, I decided it was worth trying, especially since I happened to meet the owner's mother Regina earlier in the day. Well call it my lucky day! I am very very impressed with Francesca's little Italian kitchen. And that is what it feels like: family run, tiny, three generations of relatives working hard to serve up some of the very best, good old fashioned, simple Italian comfort food that I grew up on. The meatballs were simply outstanding. I know it's a cliché, but it's true: they were just like my grandma used to make. Deep, rich flavor, honest and simple. As was the eggplant Parmesan: Perfectly breaded, sautéed and baked with deeply flavored Parmesan and sauce. And a word about the sauce....it is the real deal, over-the-top delicious and made from scratch with that amazingly intense tomato flavor that no jar sauce could ever replicate. I was so full but could not resist taking a little bit of Francesca's home with me, so I ordered a Sicilian pie to go. Now I get to enjoy more tomorrow and the next day...if I can get it to last that long! While there I met the owners Carla and Massimo (and their children, and an aunt and a mother in law). Massimo is from Calabria, Italy and was professionally trained in Europe. I wish this nice family all the best--they are off to an amazing start and the packed house inside is testament how word around town is spreading fast! read more

Francesca's Italian Kitchen - Italian Near Me - Vero Beach, Florida

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Francesca's Italian Kitchen offers decent service, but rather run-of-the-mill food. The pizza was so-so, the worst part about it was the dough. It was just mediocre at best (and this is being extremely kind). Honestly, I could buy better dough at Publix. Italian food is usually very simple. There are only a few ingredients and the cooking style is a straightforward approach. What makes Italians so incredible is the passion that is put into the cooking, the preparation of these wonderful dishes. Francesca's Italian Kitchen does not seem to have that passion. read more

The food is good here, not great. The State Stix are good but pretty overrated and expensive for the size. The portions are small and the prices are high. Also reluctant to make some menu adjustments. Server was good but had to ask permission from the chef for any variations. read more

Something happened to this place - was here last year and it was very good - Went this year on Saturday night late - Hostess gave me would be an hour or more - Think she was fending off more folks for as soon as I said OK and sat down to wait a table was ready. From status of tables clearly there was going to be many openings soon. Last year I had the veal parmigiana so this year ordered veal scallopini with side salad. Salad was a dish of only chopped up iceberg lettuce drowned in what I suspect was bottled Caesar dressing - not edible. The veal dish was very tough peices of something floating in a waterey no flavor liquid that took much knifing to break up into bite sized pieces. My waiter was OK but the rest of wait staff was very unprofessional with noisy carrying on with much loud laughing etc. Suggest avoiding. read more

Excellent Everything is freshly made. Nice quaint atmosphere. Highly recommended. Definitely will return. read more

Pizza, how it used to be. Hand-cut toppings. No processor-cut nibblins' toppings. The pizzas are fully loaded. Toppings and sauce are the main ingredient, not the crust. Dine in, enjoy your pizza onsite. Pizza is better, when it doesn't come from a box. All else was fabulous. The delicious meatball appetizer, the fresh loaded salads, and the delectable tiramisu. This is an establishment to bookmark. read more

Great location but food is just OK, and kitchen service takes forever. First and last time I come here.

We ate here for our wedding anniversary last evening and everything about the experience was wonderful. Our server was genuine and attentive and made solid recommendations. The meatballs deserve every accolade they've previously received. The arancini were also delicious, but in hindsight, I should have had a salad instead. All the pasta and cheese in this meal warranted the crispness and coolness of a salad. Next time. He had the house cheese ravioli because it's a thing with us and I had the butternut squash ravioli with sage butter. Both outstanding! House bread was perfect. We'll be back. read more