Claudia was our waitress and was welcoming, knowledgeable, and efficient. I couldn't have another piece of fish so we went here to try FL Italian and a cheesesteak (crazy, right? A PA person having a cheesesteak in FL). I judge the bread first. Took one bite and my husband said, this bread HAS to be from DE or Philly. Sure enough, the bread dough is flown in from Philly! The meat was plentiful and delicious. If you want a REAL cheesesteak come here!!! We also tried the meatball appetizer. I asked the owner (Anthony) about them because they were just like my friend's Italian mom's meatballs. Tender and obviously not fried. The real kind. The last item we tried was the bolognese. Amazing. Good meat, not cheap junk like so many fake Italian places serve. The gravy has an ever so slight touch of spice to it...(?red pepper flakes, Anthony?) just like NJ Italian. So. Yes, you can get legit Italian food and a really good cheesesteak here! We did not try the pizza, but it looked like good thin crust pizza. Next time. Thank you Anthony for an excellent meal and Claudia for taking care of us. Go Birds! read more

Just a great experience every time I go. The staff, servers & owner makes this place feel like home away from home. Salads are fantastic. Wish I could speak about the entire menu but I always get the same thing....beef cheesesteak! The chicken cheesesteak is also excellent in the bites I've stolen. The beef cheesesteak is the best I've had outside of Philadelphia. The bread is from Philly. (Pro tip: if the bread is not from Philly don't bother ordering the Philly cheesesteak). The owner is from Philly & brought his passion for his favorite Philly cheesesteaks that he grew up eating with him to Sarasota. I travel to Sarasota frequently to visit family & always make plans to go here. My family has raved about other dishes but for me the order is simple....beef Philly cheesesteak with "side" Caesar salad (which is large and absolutely fantastic as well). Until the next time.... read more

Fresta’s - Beef Philly cheesesteak - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Sat at the bar today and ordered the philly cheesesteak with onions and peppers. Good service by Kelly. We split it and it was amazing, very hot with oozing cheese and so tasty. The fries were seasoned and average. Best cheesesteak in the area. Will be back soon. read more

Fresta’s - Philly cheesesteak with onions and peppers and a side of fries. - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Very welcoming staff. Anthony really knows his pizza craft! Best in Sarasota! Who says? Try it! read more

Fresta’s - Fresta's Pizza is outstanding! Simple cheese, well done. Anthony is the maestro with the Pizza oven! - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Service was outstanding! We went about 7"6:30 on a Friday night and there was no wait. Lots of great items on the menu to choose from. My husband got the works pizza and said it was amazing. I opted for the lasagna and it was also great! Soooo cheesy! And the portion was huge. I ate half and brought the rest home. We are only in town for a few days but are going to go back and try the Philly cheesesteak sandwich. We heard other patrons talking that it is delicious! read more

Man, I am SO happy that Anthony decided to open a REAL Phila quality pizza, Cheesesteak, Italian food restaurant right here in Sarasota. He brought his knowledge of all that makes Phila Italian food Great. Great Cheesesteaks, Great pizza, Great wings, Great pastas and so much more. I am certain that I'm going to be a regular here. The pizza is thin and crispy, the Cheesesteaks feature Cooper Sharp cheese and seeded rolls. The house salad has a fantastic Italian dressing. I can't wait to come back to try so many more things on the menu. Philly's loss is Sarasota's gain. Come check Fresta's out. You won't be disappointed. read more

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Twrrific joint for Cheese Steaks! Great pizza too. Their service is great and atmosphere is good too. No complaints at all, just a really solid place. We'll be back for sure! read more

Fresta’s - Burrata board - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Good food clean restaurant combined with good service and a great owner! Plenty of parking available and they have carry out services as well! read more

Well this Philly native says Fresta's lived up to the hype! We had to try the cheesesteak and were very pleased with its legitimacy. Cooper Sharp and onions on a seeded roll reminded us of home. The fries were great too, crispy and well done. The restaurant itself is large and inviting; we'd even try sitting at the bar on a busy return visit. Many menu items looked enticing; it was nice to see long hots on there too since they are somewhat unknown in Sarasota. The service was friendly and efficient. We'll be recommending Fresta's to other folks and coming back soon for sure. read more

Fresta’s - Philly Cheesesteak and fries - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

I went here today for lunch based on the reviews that I've been reading about their Philly cheesesteaks. I was very happy to see that. It was not too busy when I got there. The whole restaurant was clean. Parking was easy and I was greeted immediately upon entering. I had a busy afternoon, so I got my food to go, which honestly took a little longer than I expected. I ordered a slice of pepperoni pizza, which was absolutely delicious. It was very New York style as I had to fold it in half and trap the delicious orange grease as it slowly leaked in the crease of the fold. And of course I ordered a Philly y cheesesteak. That was absolutely delicious. You rarely see a Philly cheesesteak where where there's more meat than bread, but these guys did it. The steak meat was tasty and seasoned perfectly, loaded with cheese and onions, and was an absolute delight. I will definitely be going back with my family to try other items on the menu as I was so impressed with The items that I got today. read more

Fresta’s - Philly Cheesesteak - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Pizza was amazing. The Philly was incredible. Could not choose so got both. Great decision!! read more

Fresta’s - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Despite the superb reviews, I wasn't thrilled with our meals. The chicken Milanese salad had a very thin, rather dry piece of chicken on top of an otherwise ample fresh salad. The chicken cheesesteak was just ok. The service was pleasant and attentive. The ambience was nice. Perhaps we just ordered the wrong items. read more

Philly steak was amazing. Everything is fresh, beer on tap cold, friendly staff. Also had garlic knots which were good but would prefer more garlic and Parmesan. More like a roll than a knot but tasty. read more

Fresta’s - Philly Steak - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Not impressed with their famous Philly. Overpriced if they ask if you want it with everything that means you pay extra for onions,peppers etc $1.00 ea So it's a $20 sandwich. Service was good Place was dead at 12 read more

Food was truly amazing! Only complaint, the restaurant was uncomfortably warm. Service and ambience were perfect!

Been hearing all the chatter online about their cheesesteak so I had to see if the hype was real. 10/10.... Would highly recommend. Never been to Philly or NJ but this was by far the best cheesesteak I've ever had. Also had the meatballs and pizza, both very solid. I'd go back to try other menu items but it'd be hard not to order the cheesesteak again...... read more

Our sandwiches were really good. Philly steak and cheese and chicken cheese with fries. Can I say the bread on these was amazing Ashley our bartender said they bring it from Philadelphia. Fries were cooked perfectly crunchy but not overcooked. Service was very pleasant and the restaurant was clean and welcoming. The restaurant was surprisingly quiet for being full and all dishes looked delicious. They could use a fuller bar. All said we would return. read more

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Being from Philly this place hit it on the nose! The cheesesteak was great and had Cooper Sharp and a seeded roll! (IYKYK). Cheese was melted throughout not on top, chop was good (although i like mike less chopped it was still delicious!). I actually had it 2xs. The first time i had it delivered and it was so good so i had to try it fresh. Didn't disappoint!! Pizza was perfectly cooked and tasted amazing and the Italian sub was perfect. We also had the veal parm and my wife said it was "ridiculously good". I'm so happy I found this place and i've told all my Philly friends about it...the ones who have tried it are raving and the ones who have will definitely rave! Can't wait to go back! read more

Fresta’s - cheesesteak - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Visiting from Arkansas we tried this restaurant out. We ordered the fig and pig pizza and the veggie pizza. Both were good choices. Delicious! And btw the crusts were browned perfectly and not burnt as some prior reviews had mentioned. Another dish was Gamberetti, a spicy shrimp and pasta plate which was also excellent. After enjoying the complimentary garlic rolls with marinera we all had left overs when we left for us to enjoy later. And our waitress was great and attentive. Would definitely recommend this restaurant. read more

This place is delicious!!! The food is so tasty and the owners work so hard to build their reputation!! They have authentic Italian entrees as well as a south Philly flare including cheesesteak hoagies! Please help support this family owned business. read more

The food was just OK. I've had better cheesesteaks from other places. Asked to switch the cheese from Coopers to Provos, they said sure, no problem - They left the cheese off. Paid for extra onions - nope, not there. The pizza was just OK, but we have a lot of really good pizza in the area. I wasn't greeeted when I came in despite 3 employees standing around talking to each other. Some lady came from the back to greet me and find out what I needed. Besides service being very slow, they add on a service charge when picking up take out. Hate to say it as I know many like this place, but they did not earn my money, and I will not be back. read more

Food !!! Alfredo off the charts . Cheesesteak , pasta amazing .the prices are great .I would highly recommend this place to anyone.

Thanks Michelle, Jessica and Ashley for another great visit. Ordered a pork grinder, outstanding. The spinach raves gave the pork a great little kick also. Sitting at the bar is great being to watch a sports event and have a couple Tito's. Thanks ladies! read more

OMG. One of the best cheesesteaks I've had. One Par with the top spots in Philly...D'Allasandro's, Angelo's and Skinny Joey's. The sandwich was meaty and chopped to perfection. Topped with cooper sharp and fried onions. I'll be back to try the pizza and pasta for sure. Great Sandwich and Great Service Great job Fresta Team read more

First time here, and won't be back. You'll get faster service, and better quality at a lower price at Carrabbas's or Olive Garden. VERY disappointed. After reading wonderful reviews on LWR Foodies group, we went for lunch. Took 40 minutes from time of placing our food order to delivery to table. One server, and obviously, one cook. Never had such horrible curdled fettucine in my life. Pasta $20 + $6, no bread, no salad included. Not worth it. Hubby's Gnocchi was over cooked and mushy and had canned mushrooms, not fresh. Wine at $11/glass was overpriced. Salad was over drenched with house vinegarette dressing. Didn't anticipate spending an hour there for lunch. TG we're retired. We do not recommend this establishment. Way too many other delicious, reasonably priced, and better kitchen service than this place. read more

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A must try! Delicious. We ordered a personal cheese pizza with mushrooms & pepperoni. As well as chicken parm panini (no bun) with side salad. Side salad had so many delicious ingredients, very flavorful. We found our pizza spot for sure! read more

Fresta’s - Chicken parm panini (no bun) with side salad. Personal pizza with pepperoni & mushrooms. - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Amazing pizzas! We each got a personal pizza. The waitress did tell us they were on the larger side but we were happy to each have leftovers for lunch the next day! We had the garlic knots as an appetizer and for just $5 these were a great deal! We also had their Caesar salad which was all fantastic. Great find for pizza just a few minutes from the Sarasota airport! Will come again! read more

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Absolutely the best authentic Phillie cheesesteak ever. We always bought our cheesesteaks in Philly and thought they were the best. Fresta's menu is very complete and offers a great variety of real Italian food. My cheesesteak was delicious and was better than I have ever eaten. The staff is on the ball, helpful and accommodating. I'm quite sure we will be enjoying many more meals there. read more

I was skeptical. I've been disappointed so many times.... A good Philly cheesesteak in Florida... I moved here 4 1/2 years from Bucks County and I only found one place that had very good cheesesteaks and they just went out of business. So when we went to Fresta's on Saturday and the buzz was about the cheese steak, I had to give it a try. I was blown away. It was delicious. I had mine with Cooper Sharp. The roll and quality of meat were excellent. The place is really cute and absolutely immaculate. The wait staff was terrific. Everyone was so friendly. We also had the meatballs and Burrata very tasty and my friend had the Bolognese, which she also enjoyed. I'll definitely be back! read more

Fresta’s - Philly cheesesteak - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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It was recommended to me to try this restaurant from some people that I had met by my community pool. We are all Italian and so I thought this recommendation would be good. Apparently not. I watched the owner pick up the dirty kitchen mats and throw them on the cart to be wheeled to the back while the dust and dirt flew all over where the food was being prepared. He then proceeded to start sweeping, but when he received a pizza order, he started to make the pizza. He did not wear gloves. He did not wash his hands. I will not frequent this restaurant again. The Board of health needs to reassess them. The food was mediocre at best.. read more

The First time I walked in they treated me like a long time local. I had a nice cold IPA and I brought my pizza and tiramisu home. Im telling you....from a guy, like me,from New Jersey ...this pizza passes the test. Delicious .a nice and crispy crust and a personal touch only the owner and the fine staff could give you. Thank you very much.! Here's a picture of 160 miles an hour after I have a full belly of good pizza :- read more

Fresta’s - That's me enjoying my pizza that this fine establishment cooked - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Cheesesteak is the best ! Hands down flavor Cheese meat and perfect to split with another person. 1/2 sandwich is packed. Delicious

Everything went perfect. Employees/service, food, atmosphere, were perfect. Happy to have a little Italian restaurant there again. Food was absolutely delicious. Plan to meet friends there next week. read more

This was our first time here and absolutely loved it. We had our two adult sons with us to share the night. I had the lasagna and it was delicious. It was a huge slice and couldn't eat it all! My husband had the Pasta Louie and said it had delicious flavor. For dessert we had the cannolis and the tiramisu. Both were very good!! Our sons enjoyed everything and said they couldn't wait to come back and try the pizza and "grandma's cake" for dessert. Definitely recommend and we will be back! read more

DId you ever want to keep a secret ? This restaurant is so good, I want to keep it a secret. Today I tried the Italian sub and the Sunday salad. They were both outstanding! Love this place! read more

We enjoy pizza but want very low carbs so we have been buying pizza and scraping the toppings off of the crust. Fresta's owner says he will make our pizza in baking dishes without crust for our future visits! So, if you want low carb no crust but pizza, ask! read more

Great cheese steak. Good people and ambiance. Glad to have found ppl posting about this place

I was picking up my wife's soup from "Outback Steakhouse" while waiting I noticed Fresta's sign across the parking lot so I looked them up (on Yelp) they had great reviews about their Cheesesteak, so I walked in and ordered one! It was phenomenal, very relaxed atmosphere the staff was really cordial and efficient. The cheesesteak was great a generous portion, reasonably priced and service was quick!! I'll definitely be back in the near future! read more

Amazing food. hidden gem. great service and people. best Philly cheese steak in the area. Great wine and drinks read more

We ordered a couple of things to go. They were just OK. I was also disappointed that the bread was just some stale old bread, and not garlic bread... c'mon, you're an Italian restaurant!!! The restaurant seems nice and clean and the bartender was nice enough. read more