The shrimp and lobster scampi was the best I've ever had. So so good, amazing food with great service. My wife said it felt like she was receiving a hug from the food. It made her smile read more

We came here for the first time yesterday and I thought the food was great. We were seated right away. Our server came in greeted us. She was very nice and pleasant. The restaurant was busy in the kitchen was backed up, so there was a little bit of a delay, but the manager did take care of us by offering us a comp salad. We had this Sicilian meatballs as an appetizer the house salad that you entrées we had was the rigatoni Bolognese and the shrimp oreganatta. Both pasta dishes had good flavor, a little bit of spice as well as the meatballs in case you were not a spicy fan. It did have a little bit of a kick. We would come back again. read more

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By far one of the best Italian spots I've ever been to in my life, and that says a lot. The food is always amazing. I highly recommend the pork chops as well as the shrimp and salmon Milanese risotto. I come here. Any chance I get in the service is great as well. It's a nice place for a birthday dinner or a date night very intimate read more

Cards on the table, I didn't know Lugano's from Adam when I first walked in- I had been browsing for local Italian since I moved to Cary, looked through their menu, and decided to visit on more of a whim than any real research into reviews or recommendations. I am also a really picky bastard when it comes to Italian food, having lived in Houston, TX for roughly 30 years and developed an interest in cooking pasta dishes. Lugano's ambiance reminds me somewhat of several chain restaurants in a good way- refined, but not snobbish. Bread and drinks were good- coke, and focaccia(?) bread with parmesan and herbal olive oil. Standard fare for many Italian restaurants, but a good first impression nonetheless. The Calamari was exceptional. Lightly battered with a good sauce for dipping, and a light buttery flavor I can't exactly place that was very addictive in the breading. The star of the show, however, was the fettuccini with lobster, which my server graciously garnished with black pepper and shredded parmesan. Just the right level of spice and sauce, impeccable flavor. The apple crostata I had for dessert was good, but in retrospect I should've held off on the appetizer or had a lighter entree to fully appreciate it. Definitely would recommend, 5/5. read more

Delicious 10/10 food, service and ambience. The perfect place for a a girls dinner or a date night. Lovely inside, we had a personal window table, perfect for date night. The service was amazing, everyone was kind and professional. Defiantly recommend, I plan to return! read more

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Excellent spot for a date night! Very nice ambiance and the food is excellent! They usually have some great specials as well. The bruschetta is a must-have. Service is decent. I've been many times and will be back again! read more

Lugano Ristorante - Bruschetta - Italian Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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5 stars to Lugano! Service: We had reservation for 8 and when we arrived, the hosts were ready to sit us immediately! Our server was perfect. He checked in on us just the right amount of times, refilled our drinks without us even noticing haha, and was very in tune! Food: The complimentary bread for the table was addicting. It had a hint of rosemary that was to die for. Two of us got Stromboli's -- I got the chicken picante and it was excellent! The cheese tortellini with pesto is excellent as well as the chicken Marsala! The bombolini is a fried cinnamon dough that tastes like a churro from heaven. Honorable mention to the ceasar salad that wasn't stingy on the Parmesan. Ambiance: It's dimly light with dark brown furniture, so I'd call it "moody" if you will. The vibe pairs well with a glass of wine and is perfect for a date night. I don't think I heard any music which is good thing because it can get crowded! I will say if you are hard on hearing try to avoid rush hours lol! Overall: I think this is a great place to take anyone! Parking is super accessible which is a huge plus for me, if not a necessity. The prices aren't too bad for the quality and portion! Go try Lugano! read more

Grabbed dinner from here recently and had an OK time. First, we didn't have a reservation, but they immediately seated us, which was nice. Our first server (more on that later) came by shortly after we sat down and gave us the drink menu. There was a decent selection of cocktails and bottled / draft beers - I ended up getting the pilsner and it was A-OK. A lot of the options on the menu looked pretty good, but eventually I settled on the lobster corn chowder as an appetizer and the penne sardi as my entree. My wife got a small Caesar salad as her appetizer and then the fettuccini with lobster as her entree. The complimentary bread was pretty darn good, although I kind of wish they provided more than two pieces at a time (maybe four?). My soup soon arrived and it was a pretty good portion size and reasonably tasty, although I've had better elsewhere. My wife's Caesar was very good, though (I sampled it!). I was kind of surprised at how long it took for us to receive our entrees - at least 20 minutes after our appetizers arrived, or maybe even longer. Anyway, my penne sardi was decent but nothing extraordinary. My wife's fettuccini was pretty good, although I thought the sauce tasted a little too much like wine for my liking (she was a fan, though). As we were wrapping up our meals, a second server came by and offered to box up our food, which was nice. I always like it when they do it because I'm worried about spilling everything as I dump it into the to-go box :) We then waited a long time, and eventually the server came back with our boxes and a dessert menu. We weren't super hungry so we asked for the check, and then we waited another long time until the first server (!) came back and gave us our check. Apparently they were sharing the section or something? It got pretty confusing and everything felt very delayed. Overall, my wife really liked her dinner here but I was a little more lukewarm on things. The prices were reasonable considering the classy ambience and the quality of the food. I just wasn't blown away by anything that I ate, unfortunately. I would definitely consider coming back, but I'd try something different next time :) read more

Lugano should be considered the top rated restaurant in Cary. The resy reservation makes it super convenient. We celebrated my birthday recently there - the service, the ambiance is all great. The food options are awesome. We're vegetarian and I am glad we have so many selections to choose from and they are always willing to accommodate changes. Their toast rewards program makes it want to keep coming back. I do have minor suggestions I think the affogato could use a little more ice cream and little less espresso. read more

Revisiting Lugano and it was yummy. I went for a leisurely weekend lunch with my Mother-in-law. I appreciate the half & half menu option when I don't want a whole plate of pasta, but I get some nice veggies also. Everything was fresh. read more

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We came into town to visit our son at NC State and take him to dinner. We are not familiar with restaurants in the area so we used YELP to look around. We found Lugano Ristorante and decided to give it a try. We were seated quickly. Our server was very attentive and friendly. Our son got a salad with chicken and said it was delicious after eating cafeteria food for a couple months now. Our daughter got the lobster fettuccine and it was also delicious. My husband got a meaty pizza that he enjoyed and I got chicken marsala. The chicken marsala was very tasty with mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach that had a little kick to it! The focaccia bread was a nice addition to have while we waited for our meals. The ambiance was nice but a tad loud but it didn't bother us. We will definitely return because there were so many things on the menu we wanted to try! read more

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This place is awesome! The food was delicious, the service was top notch and the ambiance was perfect for a romantic or a family meal. It's authentic and comfortable. Took our grandkids out for dinner while in town. Our servers Ashe and Brooke were attentive and knowledgeable. The kids menu had plenty of options for discerning little palettes! Lots of choices for us, too. We opted for the bruschetta as a starter, a house salad for our second course, and the lasagne bolognese for our main course. We were looking forward to the tiramisu, but the kids put an early end to the meal. We will return and highly recommend you try it for yourself. You won't be disappointed. read more

I've lived in Cary for quite some time now When I first moved here I tried Luganos and was not impressed. Food was average. A friend of mine told us to try it again So we did. The first three times were amazing. We always sit at the bar and the bartender on the weekend is great. She makes a great drink and is very friendly. We had the eggplant parmigiana and it was very fresh We also had the shrimp oregano with pasta and it was great. The second time we had the eggplant parmesan the pasta was dry. The second time we had the shrimp oregano it wasn't like the first time. It was drier. Yesterday we went for lunch We had the eggplant parmigiana again. This time the eggplant was very thin and the pasta was super dry. It came out with baked cheese on top. I think it was over baked. I had the Italian wedding soup. It was just ok. More celery than vegetables and the meatballs were not that seasoned. The broth was a tad salty and flavorless. I also had the Caesar salad. That was very tasty and fresh. I had a glass of red sangria. It wasn't good. It wasn't house made as they said. It tasted like a sweet wine and it had a bar lemon and lime wedge with a maraschino cherry. No fresh fruit at all. I wouldn't call this sangria. If you're going to charge $13 for a glass of sangria at least make a batch of it with fresh fruit. Unfortunately the consistency is not there. I believe there is more than one chef that prepares the food. I will not be going back for dinner anytime soon But I will sit at the bar for a drink and maybe a salad. read more

I'm no expert in Italian food, but I'm fairly certain that there can be diversity when it comes to making sauces. I think this is Lugano's pitfall when it comes to their food and experience. When I walked in for the first time, Lugano had a warm and inviting feel to it. The dining room was buzzing, I was definitely impressed. Lugano's appetizers continued to get my hopes up. First off, their focaccia and olive oil may have been some of the best I've ever had. The bread was warm and airy and the herbs lifted it. We also got some calamari and a Caesar salad for the table. Both were done fairly well with the portions being exceptionally generous. My only complaint was that the batter on the calamari didn't stick so well, but the squid tasted fresh and the sauces complimented everything. The main entrees were when the tides of the meal shifted a bit. While glancing through the menu, there was a theme that I noticed regarding the pastas - they all had cream sauce. Tortelloni - pesto cream sauce. Lasagna Bolognese - three cheese alfredo. Rigatoni - touch of cream. Ziti - lobster cream sauce. Most of all the specialty pastas was a cream sauce, which I found to be rather disappointing. Don't get me wrong, I like alfredo as much as the next person, but my stomach on the other hand has more issues with it. For our table, all of the cream pastas meant that we were in for a heavy meal, with some potential consequences thereafter. I got the Ziti al Forno. Flavor wise - it was pretty good. I really liked all the meats in it, but I really could only eat half. I also got to the try the capellini alla Melanzana (has fried eggplant) and the Penne Sardi. Again, I was a bit put off by all the cream in the dishes, but I would say the Penne Sardi was the best. The eggplant was a bit disappointing, it was super thin and didn't have much substance to it. My mother ordered the grilled pork chops and she wasn't a fan of that dish. The crust on the pork wasn't super appetizing and the demi-glace overpowered all other flavors. Overall, I think Lugano is a great restaurant for a nicer meal out with the family or a special occasion. If I'm looking for some really good Italian food, I might look elsewhere. I will say, I came back with a friend and had some decent chicken parmesan for lunch. Want to know the kicker to that? It also had cream in it. What happened to a good old fashioned tomato and basil sauce?? read more

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Came here on a Saturday night with reservations and we were seated within a couple of minutes. Restaurant was very busy. Staff was attentive in restaurant was very clean and spacious. The Merlot was very smooth and the cappellini was full of flavor. Bread came out warm and fresh read more

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I was impressed with my first visit to Lugano's. A friend of mine highly recommended this restaurant, so we decided to have dinner here. The restaurant has multiple table and booth seating options. The hostess was very understanding when we asked to be seated at a table instead of a booth. Our waiter, Greg, was absolutely awesome. He was attentive and offered details about some of his favorite menu options. I chose to order the Lobster and Shrimp Scampi. When I say delicious, I mean what I say. I could eat this dish once a week. The seafood was just right and the sauce was flavorful. To wrap up my first visit to Lugano's, I orders the cannolis. The ricotta filling was tasty and the cannoli shells were crisp. It's a great item to have as part of the dessert menu. I can't wait to go back to try another menu item. read more

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I arrived here at 7:33pm on a Tuesday night. I made a 7:30pm reservation to celebrate a birthday. After entered, there were 3 people at the host stand and we sat promptly. It was a little busy but not crowded and there were several open tables. The first thing I noticed when were sat was that it was somewhat noisy. Maeve, our waitress, came over at 7:36pm to introduce herself and bring the cocktail menu. We got waters to started and ordered calamari appetizer at 7:38pm. At 7:42pm, Maeve brought compliments bread, which was warm and tasty. The calamari appetizer arrived at 7:46pm. It came with a warm traditional marinara sauce, and a homemade Italian salsa that was cool. The marinara paired with the calamari. The Italian salsa tasted OK, but for me, it didn't pair well with the calamari. Personally, I think it would have been better if it was warm, considering that the calamari was. We both got a glass of wine. They ordered theirs at least 10 minutes before I did. Both of our drinks came at 8:01pm. It took a little while to receive them, but our waitress did let us know that ahead of time. However, it didn't seem so busy with that would be the case. I ordered the Ziti Al Forno and other person ordered the fettuccine with lobster. When our food came, it was HOT, through and through. My pasta was amazing and honestly one of the best pasta I've had. The lobster cream sauce was amazing and flavorful. With the appetizer and bread, we didn't finish our food and got it boxed to go. We did receive and look at the dessert menu. Originally we were going to get the Lemon Panna Cotta but a waiter hyped up the Bombolini, which we ordered at 8:44pm. We received it at 8:53pm. From the description, we were expecting donut shaped dessert but it was more so shaped like a potato wedge. We enjoyed it! The ice cream, however, seemed a little flavorless, which I wasn't fond of. Overall, pretty great experience and i definitely plan to return as I want to try the a shrimp and salmon dish they have. Attentiveness of our waitress was inconsistent with moments where it was great and other moments where there was an extended period before returning. I will note teamwork seems to be highlighted as several people came to the table throughout our visit. The restaurant was clean, including the bathrooms. They have a full bar and ample dining and waiting space. When I made the reservation, I added a note that we were celebrating a birthday. It was unfortunate that it wasn't recognized. I know some restaurants may not give a "birthday treat" but a simple acknowledgment would've been nice. read more

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We went to Lugano a few months back with my parents, in-laws, and baby girl and had a great experience! Lugano is fairly upscale, but still laid back. We went around 4pm, so it was not busy yet. I wish I recalled our server's name; I do not but he was great! Knowledgeable and very friendly! They have a fairly extensive drink menu and I opted for my usual: Cabernet! They bring you out warm, fresh bread with olive oil. Yum! The menu is very extensive, and delicious! We ordered a plethora of yummy dishes: Iceberg Wedge Salad, Spinach Salad, Roasted Beet Salad, Sicilian Meatballs, Stuffed Mushrooms, Pepperoni Pizza, Chicken Parmesan, Eggplant Parmesan, Lugano with Chicken, Fresh Catch Special, and Rigatoni ala Bolognese. The wedge salad was fresh, and enough to share. The Stuffed Mushrooms were some of the best, if not the best we have ever had! So delicious! The meatballs were amazing, our little girl absolutely loved them. I ordered the Chicken Parmesan and it was also amazing, perfectly cooked and flavored, not too breaded. My husband ordered the fresh catch special and was able to get it dairy-free, which was great! Everyone else loved their dishes as well! The only thing we didn't love was the pizza, although flavorful, a bit too salty. Additionally, for our toddler's kid's meal it was a small portion of spaghetti, however, it comes with a drink and ice-cream. I would possibly try a different kid's meal next time. We enjoyed our visit at Lugano and would definitely go back! read more

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Enjoyed a wonderful meal here with friends. Our server Greg, was amazing and took great care of us and made sure we were happy. I ordered the eggplant parm served over creamy, delicious pasta. The dish was cooked just perfectly and the eggplant was sliced nice and thin with a golden crust. My friends enjoyed their meals as well. Luganos makes amazing bread with just the right hint of rosemary. This was served warm with butter and a dish of olive oil for dipping. If you haven't dined here don't delay. It's comfortable and inviting. For desert we tried the apple crostata. This was wonderful too. read more

Lugano Ristorante - Apple crostata - Italian Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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I love local places and was happy when my cousin chose this place over the national chains. The food was outstanding and the wait staff customized upon request. The elders in our party all had the lobster and shrimp scampi but opted out of the polenta cakes in favor of pasta. I had the fettuccini with lobster and the lobster sauce was amazing. My cousin opted for the shrimp and grits and found it quite different from the traditional recipes featured in the south but enjoyed it none the less. A fitting dinner for our last night in town. read more

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Very elegant, romantic Italian date spot. We went for a family dinner and were very impressed with the service and vibe. Our waitress, Gabby was super nice. We started with the stuffed mushrooms, then for an entree I got the spaghetti and mushrooms and partner got lasagna. The CHEESE on the lasagna was unmatched and perfect. Spaghetti had great flavor, and the mushrooms were great as well. The focaccia and garlic olive oil at the beginning were sooooooo good. This will be our new Italian place in the area, for sure. read more

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I like Luganos. I've been here twice and enjoyed the food and the ambience. Although it's not a fancy place (it seems family friendly), there's a classiness about the decor and lighting that seems a step up from some other Italian restaurants. Both times I've been here the Staff have been friendly and the hosts at the front door greeted us on the way in and thanked us on the way out. I'm tropically a red-sauce guy, so I got the eggplant parm. Delicious. The pasta that comes with it is cooked well and the sauce is tasty. There's plenty of eggplant, which also is well prepared. Unfortunately, after the salad I had as appetizer (more on that later), I was full and could only eat about a third of the entree. Staying in a hotel with no fridge or microwave meant that a lot of it went to waste. I was sorry about that; it would have been an excellent leftover. My partner had Chicken Marsala, which they enjoyed. Had the same issue with leftovers. For an appetizer, I had the wedge salad. It's an oversized (it seemed like half a head of lettuce) with a nice amount of onion, tomato, bacon blue cheese and delicious dressing. When the Staff put it on the table, I gasped at its size. She said "yes, we have big portions here." We also tried a soup. It was also very good. I do think the place is a bit pricy, but since we did have lots of leftovers (enough for one more meal each of delicious food), I can't really complain. read more

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I'd heard a lot of good reviews about Lugano. I tend to not eat out at a lot of Italian restaurants, but I thought I'd give it a try. The atmosphere can be described as inviting, yet classy. A little but dark inside, but not snooty or over the top. I took a seat at a high round bar table and jazz music was playing over the speakers, setting a relaxing mood. Food wise, the pork chop entree was ok, but really salty, especially with the gorgonzola sauce on top. I would not recommend this one. But they have an excellent creme brulee with actual vanilla bean, it's more than just vanilla extract. Definitely check this dessert out. Server was friendly and engaging, not robotic, which I always appreciate. I was consider returning, but I'd probably change up my order! read more

My good friends planned a beautiful birthday dinner for me. The atmosphere was perfect ,table was very nice ,food was as always so very delicious and service was excellent. Tku Lugano's for a perfect birthday dinner read more

I came here for a company dinner and was pleasantly surprised with the food. We ordered a variety of appetizers including the calamari, stuffed mushrooms, bruschetta and lobster bruschetta. The Lobster Bruschetta was my favorite by far! My classic martini was also made perfectly. I ordered the Sea Scallops and was amazed by the presentation as well as the flavors. Although I did not have the blood orange martini it was definitely a hit at the table along with the pumpkin spice martini -not pictured. The restaurant was beautiful inside and the servers were prompt and helpful despite our big party. I had the crème brûlée to end and it was absolutely delicious! This is a great Italian restaurant that I would definitely visit again. read more

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Atmosphere was out of this world, the absolute best bruschetta I've ever had. Weight staff was wonderful. We had cheesecake and cannolis for dessert. The coffee was great. I cannot say enough good about this place cannot wait for my granddaughter to go and try the bruschetta if I could give it 10 stars I would. read more

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The small caesar salad was large and of good quality. The bread was pretty stale and the lasagna bolonese fair at best. I am disapponted.

Colin was such a superb waiter. Everyone in my party of 11 were very happy. Gluten free bread was delicious. I had a Beet Salad. There are many gf options - even 3 desserts. Someone had macaroni and cheese and they loved it. Bruschetta was amazing with such good flavors. We'll definitely be back. read more

Lugano Ristorante - So nice - Italian Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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Great food. Service has gotten more responsive on Sundays. Weekdays still need work. Thanks for striving to get better read more

Lugano Ristorante - Love your drink specials throughout the week, particularly Sunday and Thursdays! - Italian Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Parking: plenty of parking space and was located with other businesses around the area. Food: bruschetta was good. Got the chicken marsala and was flavorful and delicious. Mashed potatoes and spinach were a great compliment to the chicken. Service: service was slow because it was a busier night so it took awhile to order food. Also asked for a plate to split the food and they wouldn't allow extra dishes to be given out. Ambience: definitely a larger Italian restaurant, and was crowded. There was a bar area and a wine room which was a unique touch read more

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I was in town visiting family and we came here for dinner because it is my Aunt and Uncle's favorite. I am gluten free and the staff were super knowledgeable. They don't have a printed gluten free menu but the waiter was able to point out everything on the menu that can be gluten free (which is a lot of it) and got me gluten free bread--which look like the pizza crust brushed with a garlic and oil sauce but was no less delicious. the atmosphere was dark, intimate and romantic. It would be really good for a date night. I got a seasonal cocktail and the daily special which was halibut over risotto. It was amazing. I will certainly be back. I see why it was recommended. read more

Lugano Ristorante - Apple Butter Old Fashioned - Italian Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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I went to Lugano's tonight with my sister and two nieces. I have the best Italian food I've had in the Triangle area. The service was phenomenal! There was a mixup when we were seated and we didn't get a waitress for a while. The manager gave us appetizers to make up. Then our waitress, Brooklyn, was so good and knowledgeable. I definitely plan to come back. The service was phenomenal. read more

The staff was very accommodating to our large party. Food was fantastic, and service was on point. Definitely will be back and will recommend to others! read more

I've been here twice! I'm a pasta lover and honestly the food was just okay. The first time I tried the rigatoni and last night I had the lasagna. I wouldn't order either of them again. My husband had chicken Alfredo and had mixed veggies added in & he loved it. My lasagna was very very dry, almost as if it had been sitting all day & then warmed up once the order was placed. - I couldn't even finish the meal. The lasagna was not picture worthy, I should have sent it back. The bruschetta was delicious and so was the complimentary bread. The inside is nice and our waitress was polite. Ambiance is nice for date night or dinner get together with family/friends. read more

Lugano Ristorante - Rigatoni - Italian Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

First time trying tonight and my meal was so good. I placed an order for pick up and it was ready as soon as I arrived. The staff interaction was minimal but quick and it's a really gorgeous restaurant. I'm not sure why I've never gone before but I'll definitely return. I had the salmon and shrimp entree with risotto and it was piping hot once I got home and so delish. read more

Great food, lovely atmosphere and wonderful service by Antonio. The homemade focaccia bread is delicious to start, chicken Parmesan was one of the best I've ever had! read more

We just don't visit here enough! Lovely atmosphere and excellent service! Thank you, Kira! For the pick two I chose the lobster fettuccine and minestrone soup. Both were delicious and portions perfect for lunch. The sauce in the fettuccine is a bit spicy tho, so be warned. My spouse enjoyed the capallini in a creamy tomato sauce. For dessert the creme brulee is divine and the cheesecake is very good and dense. Don't sleep on this place, it's too good to pass up! read more

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Two of us came here for the first time to celebrate my birthday. Very nice atmosphere, both booths and tables, nice smooth jazz playing but not too loud. We were seated quickly and given menu's which was smaller than I expected yet had good selections. Our waiter was Maleek and he was very kind and helpful. Note: this place does not make their pasta, but everything else is. We started with super good bread and olive oil. Yummy! I had rigatoni that had a meat sauce and lots of sausage. Fresh Parmesan cheese was on top. Very good. Mom had the lasagna and it was a huge serving. She loved it. For dessert she had the bread pudding and I had the apple with ice cream and caramel sauce. Both came out warm. Again, very good. We enjoyed our first visit and plan to return. Lots on the menu I want to try! read more

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We ate here for a business dinner & the food was phenomenal! I am not a huge fan of Italian, but this place made me. I enjoyed the chicken Marsala. If ever in town again I'll definitely be back! read more

The food was very good - the only down fall was the risotto it was undercooked and salty. The polenta cakes and salmon were so good and so was our waiter Daniel. read more