Great , fresh food that you can't get otherwise. Comfortable dining experience. Local establishment with a niche menu.

NO PIZZA!!!!!!! Cool place inside but coming from DC, Philly or any other populated area this restaurant wouldn't exist. This is fancy dining for the people of Lancaster. 7 dishes other than small plates (3) on the menu. I didn't travel 2 hours to eat grilled chicken. Why eve have the oven want a waste. Not saying it might not be good food but not worth the hype. read more

Great food, no waiting, goes the extra mile. Fresh ingredients and takes the time to do it right. Good service. Will be back.

Food was very enjoyable, great atmosphere and excellent bartender! Fun group of people in the bar. read more

LUCA - Manhattan - Italian Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

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I reviewed this place last 5 years ago. It continues to be a culinary power house in Lancaster. Everything we had was exceptional. I cannot ding it in any way on food. But as a big diner around town.... We waited awhile to get our reserved table-- especially with no real waiting area that was awkward. They said... the other party will soon be departing--- so timing of reservations too tight? In terms of dining...The time between appetizer and entree was REALLY LONG. We looked longingly at others getting food... it was REALLY LONG. Service was ok but not exceptional. For such a long wait.... Maybe offer us some bread, a cracker? Or anything to give us hope we might soon get entrees? We did get appetizers so not getting bread or any other table item was surprising--particularly with the exceedingly long wait. (Glad 4 of the 5 of us got apps since we would have been even MORE starving!!) My appetizer special with zebra tomatoes sounded awesome and every bite was delightful but surely more than 4-5 tiny tomato wedges could have been offered. Tasty but not worth the price for the tiny tomato portion. Especially with so much delicious sauce. It's a wonderful restaurant but it's always very crowded, very loud, and the upper seating area is hot AND loud. I'd accept these things without reservation if I didn't have these other dining disappointments. I think this place has wonderful food, but honestly if a friend visiting asked for a recommendation-- I'd point them elsewhere. My pizza was so tasty, as was my colleagues' pasta. We just found the dining experience really lacking compared to elsewhere. read more

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Solid Italian restaurant in Lancaster. I started my meal with the House Made Focaccia ($6), which was basically just normal baked bread. I got the Gnocchi ($21), which was a bit too mushy/soft but the overall flavor was great and I really liked the corn in there, which was nice and sweet. In addition, I tried the Salsiccia Pizza ($20), which was pretty good but nothing too special. The prices were decent for this kind of food at a place of this level of niceness. The interior is very nice with an elegant and clean look. I sat in the patio seating area out front, which is also nice but I got several mosquito bites. It was quite busy on a Saturday night, and we waited 20 minutes for a table. The staff were pretty friendly and the service speed was decent. Overall, if you are looking for an elevated yet casual Italian restaurant in Lancaster, Luca could be a great option for you. read more

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Cute little Italian restaurant in Lancaster, PA, which has interestingly become a hot spot for top notch cuisine. Restaurant is neat, but very, very crowded with tables right on top of each other. The place could also stand to use some sound dampening. Overall though, it's still cute, but it could use some improvements. Service was decent, though honestly, room for improvement. If they were aiming for the "we'll see you at the start and barely see you again," kind of atmosphere that is common in Italy, they nailed it. Server was nice enough though, when he was present. Food was incredibly good. We started off with some homemade bread and the burrata, and both were incredibly good. The burrata was smooth and creamy, and the accoutrements were on point. For dinner, we ordered two pizzas and two pasta dishes, then did the family style thing. Both pizzas were very, very good, and the crust was top notch. Pizza was perfectly cooked. The pastas were also absolutely amazing, with the gnocchi light and fluffy and the tagliatelle scrumptious. The sauce in each was worthy of licking the bowl, and had it not been I had saved some extra bread to wipe the sauce with, I probably would have. I have no shame when it comes to food. Overall, the place really needs some sound dampening, and the service was okay, but the food makes up for the downsides here. Definitely a place I will go back. read more

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Make reservations if you come here! Since we didn't have a reservation, we were put on a wait list for the outdoor patio which is on a first come first serve basis. It wasn't overly hot so the patio was lovely which had an umbrella shade. My only issue is that when you dine outside, especially if you are at a table on the other side of the wall with their landscaping, there are bugs! The menu changes and the selection is not huge. We ordered the tagliatelle bolognese , bianco-rosso pizza, and the wood-roasted half chicken. The pasta was good- it's freshly made! The pizza flavor I chose ended up being similar to a regular cheese pizza. There are other flavors too which might be worth trying. The pizza is delicious- the breading texture is soft and fluffy but also crispy. The cheese and sauce was very tasty. The wood-roasted chicken is very spicy. The chicken is moist and you get half a chicken so it comes out huge for 1 person! The warm side dish of vegetables that it comes with is really good. It has just the perfect mix of dressing/sauce. The place is pricey it the food is good. read more

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My family and I ordered takeout from LUCA, and it did not disappoint! Though takeout availability will depend on how many reservations they might have a night, we were advised to try on Wednesday or Thursday rather than the weekend when there's a little more time. I called on a Thursday around 4:30 pm, and they had all our orders ready for pickup by 5 pm! We ordered... - Squash blossoms appetizer: These were deep-fried but so fresh and delicious. My only recommendation to elevate this further is to perhaps consider stuffing it with something like a housemade ricotta, but it was excellent nonetheless. - Gnocchi: This was a real highlight and stood out from the crowd! They tasted fresh and handmade, not too sickly creamy. Incredibly flavorful! - Fusili: I loved how fresh the pesto on this was! It's a simple dish, but a perfect summer pasta! - Bianco Rosso Pizza: As I have family members who like a simple pizza, I think this was a good alternative to the margherita. The cheese and tomato choice really complemented each other well! - Zephyr Pizza: Wow. We didn't expect this to be such a favorite, but the zucchini and squash blossoms on this were sooooo good! It becomes a surprisingly great vehicle to the cheese, keeping the pizza too oozy and delicious when you bite into it, and the vegetables seem to absorb all the rich flavors. I highly recommend this one! - Salted caramel budino: YES!! I would've loved to have this all assembled in the restaurant for the dine-in version, as they separated all the ingredients for takeout. But even then, this was a delightful finish to our meal! I can't wait to come back for the opportunity to eat in person! read more

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Just moved to Lancaster area and came to this spot, let me just say.. WOW!! Steak was so delicious and tender .. melted in my mouth with all the flavor one can ever ask for in a steak. Bolognese was also spectacular. Ambience and service was also on point. I also recommend their tiramisu. read more

Food, service, ambiance were all amazing! Only tough part about dining there is the parking situation as it's primarily residential. Their gnocchi is the best! read more

A group of 8 adults made a reservation a month in advance to have dinner here. Our table was ready when we arrived and the waitstaff were prepared for us. They balanced leaving us alone but yet being attentive and serving us wonderfully. I never felt interrupted by the server as she navigated the group with great skill refilling drinks and delivering foods. The group ordered a variety of foods and each was excellent. We shared appetizers, tasting our way through some great offerings. I often order items with the restaurant name on them - if they screw it up, shame on them. I ordered the Luca Chicken and it was phenomenal. We were there 2.5 hours, never rushed, drinks were refilled, food was delicious, and we would return. read more

Wonderful dinner at Luca. It's a great space, in a fairly residential neighborhood with plenty of street parking. The restaurant itself has nice indoor and outdoor seating and high ceilings with good light. We came with the kids and although they don't have kids menu they can do kids pasta and a plain kids cheese pizza. They were both very good. For the adults we had the focaccia, burrata and tempura snap pea appetizers. All delicious. I had their version of an old fashioned and my wife had the special drink which was a peonie spritzer. Both great. Main dishes we definitely over ordered but everything looked so good and, indeed, it was. We had the gnocchi which was tender and served in a delicious lemony butter sauce with ramps. And the tagliatelle in a bolognese sauce was also really good. For pizzas we had the piccante which is their take on a fancy pepperoni with hot honey which was fabulous. And the asparagi which was a white pizza with prosciutto and different cheeses. Very good but very filling. We took the equivalent of an entire pizza home. Regardless, all around delicious meal. We'll be back for sure! read more

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The cheesy stuffed flatbread was out of this world good. For real get it. The wild bird bolognese was really delicious and my bf got the fish which he enjoyed. We did feel the price is a bit high overall, like the pasta didn't stand out that much and there is not a huge selection of dishes, I would've like to see other options (there was a lot of pork dishes). Anyway, overall I'd come back to check out their menu when it changes but it's not a regular dining place for me. read more

Another fabulous meal here, and the food and service are top-notch. Always a go-to place when we're visiting Lancaster and looking for a special, delicious meal! read more

Food was delicious but shockingly small portion. We got the hanger steak entree and it was a 6oz piece. For comparison, the night before we went to Cork and Cap and had a 14oz New York Strip for the same price. Go here if you want to leave hungry. read more

This place is a hidden gem in the city! Met some friends here for a dinner and had the most amazing time! The honey truffle was spot on! My gnocchi dish was pretty good but the chicken over cabbage was to die for! Ambiance is pretty cool. Kind of small inside but makes it more intimate my opinion. Server was so nice too! read more

LUCA - Italian Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

An amazing restaurant in Lancaster PA. Highly recommend, they use organic locally sourced ingredients. Ingenious combinations of these ingredients in all their dishes. My wife and I had the following and each was delicious, Asparagus Focaccia Burrata with rhubarb jam Lions mane mushrooms Little gem salad Beet Mezzaluna Pork belly The buildout is really nice, you can sit at the bar, sit on the patio, or the dining area, they even have a separate room for large parties. The alcohol drinks were refreshing, and they have a nice selection of wines. The service was exceptional all the way around. We even got an impromptu performance from some ladies dining on the patio. Reservations highly recommended every day of the week, they get busy. The chefs bar and the patio is open for those of us without reservations. Enjoy. read more

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Modern Italian cuisine place with trendy decor, slick seats and tables, ambient lighting, a bar with wide selection of alcohol, and a gorgeous open kitchen with built-in pizza oven and wood fire grill place for cooking. Very noisy during peak hours (which is literally the entire dinner hours till close). We were seated at the high tables right in front of the open kitchen; could feel a lot of heat coming from the grill and the oven. Not so hot as to intolerable, and could appreciate their efficient and professional kitchen. Server was patient and attentive. Food----we waited for more than 20 minutes for the three dishes; I imagine the kitchen timed the dishes so that all of them could be served together, especially the pizza and the strip loin which took quite some time to cook. Tagliatelle with Bolognese sauce: pasta was perfect al dente, sauce had generous portion of meat that was minced nicely, and tasted rich with tomato and white wine flavor. Also came with generous portion of cheese that was melted to the right spot to intermingle with the sauce. A great pasta dish. Pizza---had the piccante pizza. Pastry was patiently grilled to perfection, no wet and doughy feeling at all. Topped with a lot of salty and soppressata salami. Cheese added to the exciting flavor. Strip loin---from what I saw, the cooking method seemed to be a combination of roasting on a steel plate on a fire grill and additional searing in a pan on a stove top. The result: perfect medium rare steak, crispy outside, the middle part packed a lot of juice and tasted tender, even the sinew and the fat literally melted in the mouth. The garnish added a refreshing taste to the fatty beef. Overall: unbelievably amazing food for the price: $30 per person (tips included) for three stunning dishes. Please understand the pace of the kitchen, be patient, and wait for your dishes; they are worth the wait. read more

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LUCA is one of my favorite restaurants to visit in Lancaster and I look forward to going there with so much excitement every time. WHAT WE ORDERED: -Drinks: Espresso Martinis (literally THE BEST) -Appetizer: Burrata - creamy mozzarella, persimmons, smoked prosciutto, extra virgin olive oil -Entrees: Gnocchi - roasted mushrooms, toasted garlic, thyme, taleggio crema, truffle, aged pecorino -Bianco Rosso pizza: mozzarella & pecorino cheese, savory tomato sauce, garlic, evoo, LUCA profumo read more

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Managed to snag an outside table on a lovely evening. Food was exquisite. Service was warm and attentive. The spring pea appetizer was incredibly delicious. 2 different pasta dishes were both top notch. Lovely tiramisu for dessert. We left very happy indeed. read more

Luca is an adorable restaurant. A friend and I stopped there when we were visiting Lancaster for a conference and were so impressed by the food and service. Our waitress was extremely knowledgeable on drinks and food menu items as far as explaining the ingredients and what things would taste like. We were blown away by the food- it was so fresh and unique. I would definitely make the trip up to Lancaster again just to eat here again. So delicious!!! read more

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My fiance and I have eaten at Luca a few times in the previous couple of years and the experience has been pretty consistent. We went to Luca for our Valentine's Day date this year and I would overall rate the experience as average to slightly below average based on the cost of the dinner. We shared an appetizer, each ordered one non-alcoholic cocktail, and our entrees. I had three Halibut and she had the Spaetzlie di Elsa. Each of those meals were really nice and probably worth the price, but I wouldn't say the value was overwhelmingly high. For $87 plus tip it was fine, I expect pretty good food for that price and that's what we got. Really, what keeps this place from getting 4 starts is the service, as each of the last two times she and I have eaten at Luca the wait time for our entrees has been close to an hour after ordering. To their credit, they did give us a free side this time, which was good. Overall, it's what I would expect given the cost and the service has sucked the last two times we've eaten there. read more

We have been to Luca over 20 times and it's historically been our favorite restaurant in Lancaster. The past two times we went, in particular the most recent, the food quality has gone down. I ordered the beef spiedini, it's simply a kebab of hangar steak, medium rare. It was served to me beyond well done and I could not eat it, however the crazy $30 price was still charged. They did offer to recook it, but it took almost 1.5 hours to be served and I declined not wanting to wait for who knows how long. Not sure if we will go again or not, but I would highly avoid any of their meat options and stick to the pastas (pizza is no longer available). read more

LUCA - Overcooked Beef Spiedini - Italian Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

So very disappointing. I was super excited to find this place for dinner after a Sight and Sound show yesterday in Lancaster. We were seated rather quickly and after a few minutes, given water. Then, we ordered a drink and over 15 minutes later, it arrived. Super excited to have an oil washed gin martini. I have had oil washed spirits in the past and they're not often on menus. However, the drink was not "oil washed" but seemed as if oil was stirred into the drink as there were multiple blobs of oil on top of my drink. I sipped some, but it became difficult to drink as I was literally drinking oil. I could have easily finished a good drink and then another as the wait was so very long for our food. The waitress, however, never checked on us. We finally waved her down to ask about our food (I'm good with waiting for food that is made to order, but this was exceedingly long plus no check ins). I rarely get pasta out as we make it at home, but I was super excited to try the Bolognese. I was especially hungry after the very long wait. Immensely disappointed in the over salty Bolognese. Additionally, the gravy seemed to have an acrid taste. It was overcooked at a high temp and you could taste that, not the low and slow deliciousness it should have been. I realize that since we cook good food at home, I'm especially critical. Anyway, I would have returned it and tried something else, but our waitress never came back so long that my husband completed his entire meal, we ran out of water and we finally had to flag her down for the check. No coffee or dessert; by now, I just wanted to leave. Very lackluster experience and I would never return. Very disappointing as it had such great potential. Beautiful restaurant but if the food and service isn't good, that doesn't matter. read more

We made a reservation for 6 of us on a Friday evening. The ambiance was cute and our server was very attentive. We were seated immediately and they brought waters while we were reviewing the menu. Most of us opted for cocktails - I had the negroni bianco which was a lovely yellow gin drink served with a lemon twist. I definitely am a fan. I do wish it was served in a highball glass with a massive ice cube because it was a bit strong, but its easy to make do when its tasty. We ordered the focaccia, burrata, crostino and octopus to start. Our server pointed out the focaccia only came with 4 pieces and suggested two orders - but when they arrived they were HUGE. We totally could have done with one order. They also were a bit burned and really hard to bite. And - the burrata came with nothing but the tiny little ball of cheese. It was delicious, but we totally wished she suggested TWO cheeses and one bread. The crostino was the hit at the table - it was slightly smoky. very cheesy, and omg so delicious. And... the octopus was forgettable. For entrees, we all ordered pasta - either the lobster ravioli or the gnocchi. We also had a side of the gem lettuce and radishes. I didn't care of the radishes but the gem lettuce was absolutely delicious. My ravioli was a bit disappointing. I mean, it was cooked perfectly, but the flavor just felt muted and it was such a small portion compared to the other pastas. Overall - it was a relatively delicious night out and we'd recommend this spot for others in the area. read more

Love LUCA....just miss being able to get a pizza there! Food is always great...fantastic ambience and attentive servers. We love to sit at the Chef's table and watch food being prepared! read more

Back in town for another birthday. I can't speak highly enough of Luca's This time the staff is was made the night extra special. My dad had accidentally booked an outdoor reservation (not realizing you picked indoor vs outdoor) and a few people in our party don't do well in the cold. The staff 1) went out of their way to make outdoor spot as warm as possible for us while 2) finding a way to work seating inside that was covid compliant and fit our party of 5. Long story short they made INDOOR seating available for us. For the birthday guy, because we didn't get dessert, our waitress got a round of Prosecco for the table. As always the pizzas were amazing, the pasta was a hit, the abondanza was a hit, and most importantly the drinks were delish - no one tried something they didn't enjoy. Covid precautions: gloved & masked employees, temp checks, and patron tracking. read more

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I highly recommend sitting at the bar. Ty was the best bartender and I'd return just for him!

So glad I don't live in Lancaster. I would probably be at this place every single day. I'm usually not a huge fan of wood-fired pizza because, let's be honest, most of them taste alike. My husband really wanted to try it so I was for it. Here's what we ordered: -Margherita pizza: VERY good. I've had plenty of margherita pizzas but this one was super flavorful. Simple yet packed with goodness. Best when hot! -Piccante pizza: This one surprised me. SPICY! but in a good way. Very complex with the ingredients but it looks so simple! This one will sneak up on you. In one bite you will get the taste of the alllll the ingredients of this pizza (read the description on the website!) Talk about a party in your mouth. -Crispy Potatoes: When I tasted the potatoes alone I though, eh. But that roasted garlic-vinegar aioli... YUM! The sauce and the potatoes are a perfect combination. I ate those room temperature and they were still delicious. Order them, please! -Salted Butterscotch Budino: this is a dish that's probably served and eaten best at the restaurant. As you can see from the pic when ordering to-go they separate everything and you assemble it at home. I had no clue what to do so I just put everything together lol. The butterscotch pudding was just okay, but I did enjoy the contrast of the sweet and salty along with the mascarpone. Seemed simple but very gourmet. I'll have to try this again when dining in to get the full experience. -Peroni Beer: my husband said this complimented the pizza perfectly. If you're looking for a nice pair for these pizzas, this is it. Overall amazing experience. My only negative would be that I wish they had wings on the menu. A pizza of this caliber deserves some really amazing crispy wings! We called and ordered our food. It took about 30 minutes for them to make everything. They have specific pick-up times so you can't just call and order and they have it ready in a certain time. We ordered at 6:30p and their next pick-up time was at 7:15p. Just a heads up. We will be back! read more

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Amazing food. Amazing ambiance. Perfect date spot! And the waitress was so accommodating and helpful with the menu. Service is best in Lancaster read more

LUCA - Gnocchi - Italian Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Much overrated, this restaurant does indeed have ambiance and good service; but people go out to dinner because they want to EAT, and that's where this place falls short. The first thing we noted was that they too pizza OFF the menu. That's right, no more pizza at all. That is now the specialty of a sister restaurant, elsewhere in Lancaster. The next thing we noted was that nothing on the menu is actually Italian. It's not terrible, but it's not Italian, either. There are a lot of creative dishes, and that may be what you're looking for. We were looking for Italian, and did not find it here. read more

Excellent appetizers, food, drinks and desert. Would've liked to try everything on the menu!

Loved the atmosphere and let's not talk about the food! Overall my family and I had a beautiful time and meal

A fantastic experience all the way around. This is a vibrant neighborhood restaurant and a Lancaster gem with outstanding cocktails, great food and exceptional service. Can't wait to return. read more

$50, pre gratuity, for 8 tiny ravioli, 4 stuffed squash blossoms, and a bottle of San Pellegrino. This once delightful restaurant is now entirely overpriced. Unless it's on the company's dime, I'd visit one of Lancaster's other independent and much more reasonably priced restaurants. What happened, LUCA?? read more

Best meal I've had since returning to Lancaster two years ago. Service was perfect. Space is hip, modern, but cozy. read more

The food is delicious and the wait staff is very friendly! The only thing is that we had a reservation at the time they opened and they did not unlock or let anyone in until that time. Not necessarily a bad thing, it was just odd as most of us who showed up like to be early. read more

Luca has never disappointed. I love having a casual place with such good food nearby! My friend and I started off with carpaccio and fritto misto. The server noted a special that night was oysters, and we couldn't say no to that, too. Everything was perfectly done. The seasoning on the oysters was spot on and left me wishing I'd ordered two plates! The pasta here is made in-house and you can tell. I ordered the cacio e pepe and I hadn't had such a good rendition of that dish in a long time. Dessert was their version of a zeppole. It was light and crispy and fluffy on the inside, everything a good zeppole should be. I highly recommend Luca and can't wait to go back soon! read more

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Tip: I reserved online, I would do so. It was very busy even when I thought it would not have been. Honestly the best Lancaster restaurant experience I've had in a while. Was meeting with my friend on a Thursday night. Our server was quite attentive and gave us everything we needed. The food was wonderful although the portions where small I knew that going in so that did not bother me. I got the swordfish balls. Our water was well stocked and the server was on point. I got a Cannoli for dessert, pretty good although I've never had one before. Overall food was great. I enjoyed a long conversation without bother and the temperature was perfect. The room was clean, open, and pleasant. A perfect environment for a nice fall evening. I really enjoyed it and will be back again. read more