So my son and his gf just moved in the area we were looking to go out to eat with them. Everything we had was very good. The service was good. The portions are huge! We started with the Burratta with the melon and prosciutto, crostini and the arancini. Both were excellent. Then we had the chicken rollentini, the coconut chicken, the chicken saltimbuca and the nonnas penne. Everything was tasty. The drinks were good. I had the cantaloupe martini, hmmm nothing cantaloupe about it other then the color! They could have put a sliver on the glass! They had it, because it came with our crostini! read more

La Lupa Ristorante - Arancini - Italian Near Me - North Haven, Connecticut

Food: 4.5 stars Price: 4 stars Service: 1 star Lovely place and has a nice casual vibe that can be dressed up for a date or down for a nice family meal. They do have a kids menu & a variety of options on the menu so even the pickiest eater can find something they'll like. The food was great but service was non-existent. Unfortunately, no information from the server about the specials, and sure enough, the thing I settled on was out. Nothing about the bread service or veggie dish that came out first. The order came out at the wrong time, the server never came back to refill drinks (we flagged down someone else who then seemed to take over our table [thankfully]) and overall he was a bit rude. I was extremely disappointed because it was my mother's birthday and it was such a bad experience that it took the fun out of it. A couple years ago we came here and had the same server and had a similar experience. Unfortunately, Marko is a subpar server. The food that we got was great; you will NOT leave hungry. We all ate and have leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Definitely try the meatball app, and the veal francese will not disappoint! read more

Food - below average Service - average Ambiance - excellent Went with a large group of 20 people. There was live music for ladies night and it was a fun atmosphere. The food looked way better than it tasted. HUGE portions. The bread was awful. I ordered the pasta fogiole soup and the orzo was mushy. Pastas and entrees were standard. Nothing special except for the size. Overall 6.2/10 read more

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First time. We arrived early for our reservation and were seated right away. Waitress took our drink orders while waiting on others to arrive. We asked for bread which was delicious. It was served with a mix of raw onions and peppers in oil. Never served this at an Italian restaurant before and found it weird. Didn't quite go with the bread. I ordered chicken parm which was great. My side pasta was a waste, not flavorful at all. Disappointed that I wasn't offered grated cheese and when I did, it was freshly grated. My husband's meal came with cold mashed potatoes. The two others in my party thought their chicken was dry and the marsala sauce not good. Our waitress was nice but not attentive enough. While not the chef, she didn't seem interested when we mentioned issues with our meals. Said the one dessert was on the house, compliments of the manager, who never came over. Not a great first visit but might give it a second chance read more

La Lupa Ristorante - Pork chops with cold mashed potatoes - Italian Near Me - North Haven, Connecticut

I want to like this place so badly. It's close to home and I have come here many times before, but the service has been awful. I couldn't get a server to bring me my drink order if I was on fire. Going on 15 minutes, sitting here with empty glasses and spicy food. I can't get a server to even notice us. This is not the first time we have sat here being ignored. read more

La Lupa Ristorante is an upscale Italian restaurant with a gorgeous bar area. This was our first time here, and we were celebrating my wife's birthday. They started us off with homemade warm Italian bread served with marinated onions, olives, and peppers. My wife ordered the eggplant parmesan, and I had the veal parmesan. Both came with a side of pasta. Portions were huge, and the food was absolutely delicious.The birthday girl ordered their house made tiramisu which happens to be one of the best we ever had. The food, service, and ambience was outstanding. read more

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Pretty good overall. Would definitely recommend coming here. Service is good and the restaurant is clean. The veal was good as well the sausage. Feel like they definitely draw a large crowd and overall I was pleased. read more

I hate to badly review any establishment, restaurant or otherwise, on one visit. Even the best places have a bad day. But I think you would have to pay me to go back there. People who were obviously regulars were greated warmly. The kitchen was running very slow - took us over an hour to get our food. During the time the staff - I think one was the owner but not sure - went over to tables and speak with the waiting customers. We were left by ourselves, had to flag down the waiter to get more water. When the food came there were huge portions of below average Italian. Not bad, but certainly not good, and not at all worth the horrible service. The portions could have been 1/2 the size and still generous, if it was worth eating at all. There are so many better places within a few miles, I dont see why I would give them another chance. read more

Food: exquisite well prepared art form. A gastro experience that is beyond your wildest dreams. Service: excellent timing perfect, wait staff must use telekinesis to read your mind before having to ask. Meals served hot without delay. Ambiance: : clean almost sterile, low level ability to talk reasonable and focus on your guest. read more

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We were hyped up for pizza but got into New Haven too late on a road trip to go where we had planned, so ended up here since it was near our hotel. But what a happy accident! The restaurant is unassuming, in a strip mall. We walked in and were greeted so enthusiastically, which was so nice after a long drive. They seated us immediately and handed us a long list of specials. We were so excited to see squash blossoms on the specials menu, since they are so seasonal and delicate. We ordered those, and some cocktails to start. I loved that they had negronis by the batch. My negroni was great. The squash blossoms were okay-- they used a really thick batter to deep fry them, rather than a tempura style, and mozzarella cheese instead of ricotta. They tasted more like mozzarella sticks than squash blossoms, which was a little bit of a bummer. We ordered pizza and a pasta for our entrees. Our server said he had to go back and check if they were 'still making' pizzas, which was surprising-- it was only 8 pm! Luckily they were, although what I got was a cheese pizza when I had ordered margherita (they are two separate items on the menu). My partner ordered the sausage and broccoli rabe penne dish. We were astounded at the portion sizes-- but the quality was also there. We enjoyed both dishes immensely and were so grateful to have leftovers to enjoy for lunch the next day. It's so expensive to eat out (or eat at all!) these days, so a generous portion size is nothing to take for granted! We would happily eat here again if we were in the area. read more

I stopped in on a Saturday about lunch time to book their back room for a business meeting in July. I decided to have pizza for lunch and the oven wasn't hot (usually about 4-4:30). Arturo the owner got the pizza oven going at 12:30. I was so grateful. I've been to La Lupa serveral times (see other pics) always wanted to try the pizza. The brick oven pizza was hot and AMAZING. Go check it out but go closer to 4-4:30 so the oven is HOT and ready for you. I also got some shrimp cocktail and the shrimp are big and very tasty. No picture because I ate them before I remembered to take the picture. LOL Costomer service is such a lost art these days but I want to thank Arturo, Lynelle and Onela for the EXCEPTIONAL customer service. read more

La Lupa Ristorante - Pizza 1/2 pepperoni and have cheese. AMAZING!!! - Italian Near Me - North Haven, Connecticut

Our last two visits to La Lupa were not up to their usual high standards. Last September we sat in the dining room with a party of six, and the service was very slow, which caused the entrees to not come out timely. Two entrees were very late getting to the table. I'd normally not care so much, but we had out-of-town guests with us, to whom we raved about this place. The most recent time we sat in the bar area and ordered off the bar menu, which has drastically changed for the worse. I don't know that we'd return. Pictured is our caprese salad, a Happy Hour special, for $12. I'd be embarrassed to serve this. read more

La Lupa Ristorante - Italian Near Me - North Haven, Connecticut

I met a friend for dinner tonight at La Lupa. I ordered the beet salad and chicken on top. Also a side of spaghetti. The side of spaghetti was literally an entrée not what I expected way too much food. Everything was mediocre. The chicken was not hot and the beets were huge size pieces dinner was edible, but not very appetizing read more

La Lupa Ristorante - Italian Near Me - North Haven, Connecticut

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HUGE disappointment. We had reservations for inside, but when we arrived there was no room. Their answer was, they screwed up. So they sat us outside. Everything was bland. My pork chop was as dry as the desert. The mashed potatoes tasted like nothing, the vegetables were barely steamed rock hard and cold. Chicken cutlet zero seasoning bland. We waited for over an hour for our food. I had to ask the waiter, how much longer which I never do. We took no leftovers home, which we also never do either. It was just so terrible. O yea. 6:30 reservations, main course came at 8:30 I don't even feel like they cared. For prices like that I expect better. Never going back. read more

Excellent service and food. Ordered meatballs and mussels for appetizers the portions were huge. For entree we got rib eye steak and zuppa de pesche they were both delicious A++ read more

Excellent food and very attentive service! We had over 75 ppl for a funeral luncheon...I was never without a drink or asked if I needed anything...staff is very friendly too read more

The restaurant offers a large bar area as well as a dining room. The drinks and the food are always great and fresh! The staff is attentive and the portions are insanely huge! They always offer an array of specials! Will definitely be back! read more

La Lupa Ristorante - Italian Near Me - North Haven, Connecticut

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Had a wonderful dinner at La Lupa , Had the Smoked Pork chop dinner . Wonderful dinner the pork chops because of the smoked nature have the taste of Ham steaks . Really enjoyed the polenta sides and spinach . read more

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Nothing like al fresco dining on a beautiful summer day with some fabulous Italian food! This was my second trip to La Lupa in North Haven and definitely won't be my last. They start you off with some fresh in house baked Italian bread and a bowl of olives and fresh vegetables so good (I am sure there's an Italian word for it but I am Polish so forgive me). The waiter then tells you ALL the specials for the day which is generally pretty expansive and I am amazed at their memorization! This time I ordered the Cacio e Pepe. The portion was huge and the flavor was amazing! Fresh ground pepper and parmesan over pasta it's a healthier alternative to Fettuccine Alfredo. Draw back is you have to know what this is to order it. The menu lacks a description. read more

La Lupa Ristorante - Cacio e Pepe - Italian Near Me - North Haven, Connecticut

Went here Saturday night.... What a disappointment! 25 minutes at the bar waiting for drinks. Seated at our table and waited 20 minutes for our waiter. Waited another 25 minutes for our appetizer. Buster gave an attitude. Tables were comparing wait times. Dinners were being served half a table while the other half waited for the rest of their party to be served. At this point, we were there from 6:30-8:30! Got the check and left!! For LaLupa... An explanation, an apology, a free drink, something could have made it better for us to stay because the food is usually good! Or... Stop taking in more customers if you don't have the staff to serve them properly! read more

The service was terrible. There were flys buzzing around all through dinner. The waiter never asked if everything was okay. Will never go back. read more

Haven't been for a wile, food changed a little. Maybe another shot in the future. The people are nice, the place it comfortable, nice decor

*Response to the business owner* I absolutely loathe business responses like this, it shows you're taking absolutely no accountability, which is likely why these problems exist in the first place. It's not my "taste preference" or "judgment" that your seafood was not prepared correctly, it was -literally- as chewy as bubble gum. That is objectively not how seafood should be. What IS subject however is your judgement that your prices are in line with anybody else's. Not even in Italy or NYC did we pay over $30 for noodles and butter. "Economic situations," shouldn't mean passing the buck on to your customers. It's added insult to this entire situation that you could not simply apologize and say you're going to do better in the future. Rather, your reply denies ANY wrong doing, and says IF there was actually something wrong, which you chalk up to my personal taste, that it was my job to correct it. As though you are assuming there was even an opportunity to have done so. This would have required our waiter being present at some point during our meal, which did not happen. Our waiter, who we believe to also be the manager, never even filled up our water again, much less checked in on us. He did not come back by our table after dropping the plates off until he dropped the check off, and at that time he took our still full plate away without so much as a question as to why we didn't touch it. During our experience, there were no employees visible, not even at the front door. There was a customer that came in to grab a pick up order and that stood at the front waiting for way too long until someone saw them, and that was only due to bringing out the other tables dishes. The employees were all in the kitchen chatting and playing the entire time we were here. At the point our check was dropped off, even if we had voiced our concerns, it would've been way too late by the time a second dish would have come out. This is beside the fact we didn't have faith that would've even been offered. To your point, what should have happened is our waiter should have sufficiently checked in on us at some point during our meal to ensure that our glasses were full, and that our meals were satisfactory. If this would have happened, we could have explained at that time that it was inedible and could have discussed options. Not 30 minutes later when dropping the check off. I implore you to seriously consider how, as the voice and public face of a business, you take and utilize feedback from customers. It is natural to be defensive when met with criticism. But if there was a definition for how NOT to properly utilize feedback, it would be this example. Most people are looking for a simple apology and a promise to do better. That's all I was looking for, and to advise other customers about our experience. I hope you do better, your customers deserve it. read more

La Lupa Ristorante - Don't be fooled, this was inedible bubblegum like seafood - Italian Near Me - North Haven, Connecticut

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This restaurant is a great local option for some Italian food. I rarely go out for Italian food because it can so easily be made at home for much less. Prices are a little high, but the portions were sizeable. Food was good. I was here with a group of people. We were able to make a reservation ahead of time. The restaurant was also flexible, as half of us were running late. There were so glitches in service, but it was also a busy weekend night. Overall, enjoyable experience. Would definitely return in the future. read more

La Lupa Ristorante - Italian Near Me - North Haven, Connecticut

Walked right in on a slow Sunday afternoon and got seats at the bar which was pretty empty, lucky for us. The pizza oven was in front of us and smelled so good. Waitress was excellent. Homemade pasta was on point. Reserve wine list was great. We will be back. read more

Quick service. Generous portions. Clean. Fancy linen tablecloths. We had the soup of the day and shared a grilled octopus appetizer and were so full! Two glasses of wine and two desserts. $80. Worth the trip! read more

La Lupa Ristorante - Escarole soup - Italian Near Me - North Haven, Connecticut

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Where Hugo, we go!! Our server Hugo, was extremely personable and welcoming. Everyone at this lovely restaurant worked as a team and we lacked for nothing. The mood is reflected off the huge illuminated coliseum mural which gives this space an old world elegance with a relaxed feel. Dress up, or dress casual, they have a more formal dining room as well as a bar area with high tops. We sat in the main dining room where the tables were donned with white tablecloths and cloth napkins along with comfortable chairs. I would have liked the lighting to be a bit dimmer to add the warm ambiance. WARNING: HUGE PORTIONS AHEAD... proceed with caution and an empty stomach! The specials all sounded marvelous... and my mom-in-law chose the surf and turf selection. But, I'm getting ahead of myself... Hugo brought out some delish crusty, fresh Italian bread served with a veggie relish. I asked for butter, which would be nice to serve with the bread initially. We tried not to fill up on the amazing bread! Next came apps: we chose the beet, arugula, goat cheese and almond salad which was beyond fabulous! It was big enough for the 3 of us, and we didn't even eat it all! I highly recommend this delightful refreshing salad!! Hugo advised us to only order one, and he was right! We also got the arancini which were 3 huge rice balls in a light crispy coating served in a pool of marinara and dusted with Parmesan... mmmmm! Will we have room for our entrées??? Next came out the main courses: the surf and turf was incredible, as my table mate described it! And she gave my hubby and I a taste of the steak which was tender and juicy. Hubby ordered the veal, did I mention these portions are humongous?? He received four pieces of veal dressed with tomatoes and peas along with mashed potatoes and a broccoli/zucchini medley. I opted for the spaghetti carbonara... the platter was big enough to feed a family of 4! I worked on it but barely made a dent! It was creamy and savory but I would have liked the meat a bit more well done... yet it was still quite tasty! I had to fashion a white "surrender" flag for my mound of pasta since I wasn't able to finish it! Here at La Lupa, they are always standing by, ready for the patrons to ask for take home containers, which we did!! The wine selection is extensive and we chose the Malbec which paired nicely with our meals! Considering the plentiful portions, the prices are reasonable and fair! I would absolutely return to enjoy another fine dining experience. La Lupa, meaning she-wolf, is something to howl about!! read more

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Just Wow. I randomly stopped here on a road trip and I am so glad I did. I ordered the avocado salad to start and the lobster ravioli as my entree. When I tell you the sage sauce was perfect, I really mean it. I can't believe Connecticut has such a gem, hopefully they open up in NY lol!! read more

La Lupa Ristorante - Lobster Ravioli and salmon Picatta - Italian Near Me - North Haven, Connecticut

If you value large portions over flavor this is the place for you! In an area with so many Italian restaurants, this restaurant needs to step up their game. Let me be clear, this is a 2 star review and not 1 star because the restaurant itself is beautiful. The food flavor is not. This meal with 3 people unwillingly over 2 hours to complete. We were starving for the first hour and no, it was not busy. There were 3 other parties in the dining room. The meal started off rocky. I ordered the chicken Marsala and my two family members ordered the carbonara and the chicken Francese. Being in an Italian restaurant we wanted Italian food. We learned upon ordering that the two chicken dishes came with vegetables and potatoes. We asked to substitute pasta and were told no, there would be a 10$ up charge and they would not recommend substituting. Last I checked a side of pasta wasn't an outlandish request in an Italian restaurant and shouldn't cost an additional 10$ to our already 27$ meals! That was strike one but, we assumed all would be ok as long as the food was good. The food finally came over an hour later. The portions were huge! You could eat this meal for 3 days and still have extra. The presentation was nice and appealing. I cut into my chicken and ... bland. No flavor, no rich wine flavor, no bold mushroom flavor, no taste of any seasoning in site. I was eating chicken with bland gravy over lackluster mashed potatoes and salted steamed vegetables. But I had a thought, maybe the pasta was good! I was offered a bite of the carbonara. It tasted like cream and pasta, and nothing else. Though the flavor was disappointing, the compliment I will give is that the pasta was cooked perfectly. We were never asked how the food was by any of the staff or we might have shared. We were eventually asked by a bartender (we weren't in the bar) if we wanted anything else. We ordered dessert and what a mistake that was. When I say I had the worst cannoli I have had in my entire life, I am not exaggerating. I'm not sure what type of brown speckled cream they used but, it was not cannoli cream. I took one bite and that was enough. The waiter came back (finally) with our check. I shared that the cannoli was awful. He replied with "oh" and a shrug. We paid and left. I had enough. I can say without a doubt this is the worst Italian food I have had in Connecticut that I can recall and I, nor my family will be returning. Just to note, one family member already refused to come with us to this restaurant because he had a terrible experience with the staff service and the meatballs in his spaghetti and meatballs tasted like fish. Neither of which was remedied. read more

The prices of their entree specials (which are not listed outright) are outlandish and warrant the food to be far superior than it is. I do not expect a $44 entree of risotto with shrimp to be salty - yet it was. The red snapper livornese was okay, but for $38 it should be amazing. This is also the second time we've been overcharged for drinks. This time it was only $2 because their register has only one button for both martinis and wine, even though the martinis are $10 while a glass of wine is $8 (with respect to their early bird menu 12 - 5pm). The time before that, we were charged $100 for a $40 bottle of wine we ordered. Shame on us for not noticing until after we left the restaurant. On a positive note, the service is very good and I enjoy the ambiance in the bar area where there are high tops at which to sit. read more

I recently visited your restaurant , eager to indulge in your veal francaise. On our arrival, I was greeted warmly and seated promptly. However, my dining experience took an unexpected turn when I requested to substitute the standard side of potatoes and vegetables with pasta. To my surprise, the waiter informed me that there would be an additional charge for the side of pasta. While I understand that some restaurants may charge for substitutions, will say your portions size are large but maybe make them a more reasonable size so you don't need to charge so much. My veal was 34.95 which is inline with what I pay at other restaurants in the area but with the veal over the pasta it 45.00 which was very overpriced. Nevertheless, I proceeded with my order, hoping that the quality of the food would justify the unexpected expense. The veal itself was decent cooked but the sauce was very bland sauce and pasta was over cooked that complemented the tender meat. However, any enjoyment I derived from the meal was overshadowed by the feeling of being overcharged for a simple substitution. As someone who frequents Italian restaurants, I am accustomed to paying a nominal fee for substitutions or additions to my meal. Typically, this charge ranges from $4 to $5, which I find reasonable given the extra effort involved for the kitchen staff. Therefore, I was taken aback when I received the bill and discovered that I had been charged a whopping $10.95 for a side of pasta. In terms of ambiance and service, La Lapua fared reasonably well. The restaurant exuded a cozy atmosphere, with dim lighting and rustic decor that enhanced the overall dining experience. The staff were polite and attentive, ensuring that my needs were met throughout the meal. However, the exorbitant charge for a simple substitution left a sour taste in my mouth, detracting from an otherwise pleasant dining experience. Also I didn't like that there was no pricing on special menu and after the pasta incident I wouldn't order anything without asking the price. In conclusion, while La lupa offers a decent selection of Italian dishes and provides satisfactory service, I cannot overlook the excessive charge for a side of pasta. As a loyal patron of Italian cuisine, I believe that such practices are unjustifiable and reflect poorly on the restaurant's commitment to customer satisfaction. Therefore, I would hesitate to recommend your restaurant to others until they reassess their pricing policies and strive for greater transparency in their dealings with customers. read more

Another fantastic meal Monday night! The Lobster Legacy was unbelievable! Great service and food, as always, awesome. Fried Calamari was light, just the way we love it read more

Just had lunch today at La Lupa and got the short rib with risotto special - holy cow I was blown away. It was a huge dish with a lot of food. The risotto had a white cream sauce (mushroom base) and the short rib was very tender. I will most definitely be back to get this dish again! read more

Massive portions of great food. Service was fantastic. From the young lady who took our reservation, to the hostess, waiter and bus help; great, friendly service. We dined on their patio area. Very happy about everything. Look forward to returning! read more

We were a party of four for dinner tonight. Food was OK. As I was eating a slice of bread, there was a clump of some type of cotton thread or string embedded in that slice of bread. I brought it to the attention of the waitress who brought it in back. After that discovery, no one ate their bread. I am surprised that manager didn't come out to explain this or apologize. I only found out when I asked the waitress as we were leaving. She said it was from a dish cloth (yuk) and that person is now aware. Not the best communication for good customer retention. fyi, I am from Wallingford CT, CA. read more

Was pretty shocked on the food based on the reviews. The fried calamari was obviously freezer burnt before it was cooked. It was so dry and hard that it crumbled in our fingers. The Delicata pizza was pretty but enough to feed 10 people. And the shrimp fradiadlo came out as 3+ lbs of pasta. Prices are very high for the quality of the food. Listened to staff eat right next to us the entire time. When we explained what was wrong with the calamari, we got an attitude and were talked about the entire time, multiple kitchen staff came out and stared. read more

La Lupa Ristorante - Delicata Pizza Dinner - Italian Near Me - North Haven, Connecticut

A solid 3.5, but I'll round up to 4 for Yelp purposes. My husband and I made reservations on a whim after being recommended to try it out by friends and we came this past Friday night, 6pm. We were promptly seated when we arrived. We had been so excited to finally get out alone together, we don't get this opportunity often. We split a bottle of Malbec, it was a great start. Our friendly waitress rattled off an extensive list of specials, no clue how she remembers them all daily. We started with the Arancini and the Meatballs Fra Diavolo. The meatballs were great with just the prefect amount of heat. The rice balls were underwhelming and alright. For an entree, my husband had the Tagliatelle Bolognese that came with a scoop of marscapone. He loved it and the quantity could have fed him for 2-3 meals, so much came home with us. My entree was one of the specials, the crab and lobster ravioli in a brown butter sauce, topped with shrimp. The shrimp I felt were way overcooked and the sauce was bland. Nothing about it really blew me away, it was just ok. Perhaps we'll be back as service was great, next time we could order totally different items. read more

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Enjoyable experience checking out La Lupa with a good friend for happy hour. We ordered delicious cocktails along with rice balls and four cheese pizza. I also ordered the beet salad to go which was very large. I wish this had more salad to go along with the generous portions of beets, almonds and goat cheese. Our server Sarah was friendly, attentive and helpful! read more

La Lupa Ristorante - Italian Near Me - North Haven, Connecticut

The food here is very good! I'm honestly not sure why this restaurant wasn't packed! Plus the portions are huge! Even my sangria was extra big - yum! Everything was very fresh; lots to take home for another meal. The inside was clean and a tad on the "fancier" side with no booth seating. The bar area is big too. My only complaint is that it wasn't until the end when I heard a waiter seat a new couple that I heard there were specials. No one told them to us which I was disappointed about, but I was also stuffed having enjoyed my meal, so I wasn't as upset as I could have been! read more

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Our first time at La Lupa. It was recommended so we were excited to try it. We arrived at 5:45 and were served our entree at 7:15. Appetizer and salad took 45 minutes. The food was okay, not a lot of flavor in the tomato sauce or the grilled octopus with broccoli Rabe and canelli beans. Service was slow. There was maintenance going on at the bar so it was a mess. The prices were high enough that the restaurant/bar should have been pristine. I saw two tables go to the front desk to ask for their check. We won't be back. read more