This is my second time coming here. We were celebrating a birthday and the service was amazing. Our…read moreserver helped us with all we needed for the cake and he was very attentive with our plates. The music at the restaurant is nice and the food was just amazing. The best plates we had was the calzone, which was HUGE, and the lasagna. Even just the normal American pizza had an amazing taste. Additionally, we tried a wine cup and let me tell you, it was so delicious.

This place is a hidden gem. The wait staff was so courteous and welcoming. The definitely knew…read morethe daily specials and knew how to make it sound just as delicious as it probably was. If one person is not helping you, then another person is quick to ensure you are being helped. Plenty of seating inside and the ambiance was perfect. More impressed by the monstrous brick oven but food was moving constantly. The food was also amazing. I forgot the name of the seafood dish that I had bust it was perfectly served in a breadbowl and tasted like a fondue. The mix of small scallops, tiger shrimp, and fresh lump crab meat was to die for. The baked seafood rigatoni was also amazing. The sauce was perfect and creamy and the seafood was once again fresh. We will definitely be back.

We met a friend here, each driving an hour and 15 minutes each, a midpoint between us. What a find…read more A Saturday afternoon found Pistarro's busy, but not overly so. It's retro with exposed brick walls and large screen televisions. Our server was very sweet, personable and professional. (I'm so sorry, I forgot her name.) We shared appetizers, calamari, fried perfectly along with eggplant Parmesan. Both winners. For entrees, I had the meatball hero, stuffed with well seasoned and sauced balls of deliciousness. My wife had the gyro served in three pieces of pita (on a taco stand). Not only spiced well, but NOT the usual mess with tzatziki sauce and cut chopped tomatoes spilling everywhere. Our friend had the salmon and he was impressed. For dessert it was gelato for two and I had the affogato. Sinful, the whipped cream seemed to have a little more sugar than normal, but it made the dessert that much more decadent. If you live in Frederick or are just passing through...recommended.

Came here on a Saturday night without a reservation. We were sat at the pizza bar in plain view of…read morethe pizza making operations. Oddest part was while we sat there - there was a 2 top table free almost the whole time we were eating. So - we could have easily been waited on in a normal setting. Nice place overall - different areas to sit, outside dining, etc etc. Service however was atrocious. It may be the fact they don't have enough people in the wait staff, but our waitress was as absent as it gets. Asked for a refill, took forever - after ordering appetizer it would have been good to then put in our entree order - but wasn't until the pizza came out 25 min later that we could do that. Asked for bread, she remembered after our entrees came out 45min after ordered - 4 small cubes. You would think when you're struggling at waiting on a table, you'd try and make up for it. Pizza was good. We got a Margherita pizza - standard and fresh as we watched them make it. For my entree I got the penne vodka and added a meatball. Lol. No sauce on that meatball and it was cold. Flavor was good on entree. The next time the waitress came back I begged for the check - to which we paid and got out of there as "quick" as we could. Food 4/5 Service 1/5

We were in Frederick to see the Carroll Creek Lighted Sailboats and stumbled upon Massi through…read moreGoogle--what a perfect find. The moment we walked in, the staff made us feel welcome. Everyone was friendly, attentive, and genuinely warm. The restaurant itself feels like an old house converted into a cozy dining space, giving it a relaxed, family-dinner vibe that's hard to find these days. The food? Incredible. They had fried calamari on the menu, but we asked if they could grill it instead--and they happily did. It came out perfectly tender and delicious. The linguini with white clam sauce tasted exactly like something an Italian grandma would make--simple, comforting, and deeply authentic. And the Veal Massi with fresh mozzarella? Absolutely out of this world. Rich, flavorful, and unforgettable. We left full, happy, and already planning our next visit. Highly recommend this gem in Frederick!

Saturday evening dinner while in the area. Parked the next block over and walked in. We don't have…read morereservations but we were given a tip to come around 6:30pm for a table of 2. We took a table in the rear enclosed patio area near the bar. To start we ordered the meatball sliders. Two come with an order and they were good. I liked the toasted slider rolls, the tangy sauce and the spiciness of the meatball. Recommend cutting it in half to eat it without it flying out of the roll. Overall a good start. I ordered the gnocchi primavera which really wasn't in the traditional sense - as the vegetables were puréed together into an orange sauce. Had a good flavor and was served with burrata. Starters and entrees came out very close to each other which wasn't a bad thing. We also added a margherita pizza to share which looked weird - but tasted great. Nice crisp to the crust and thin. I usually think of a doughier crust with this kind of pizza but still good. Dessert was the fudge cake - rich in flavor, adding a coffee. Overall - would have loved to sit inside and get that experience but still good considering we didn't have a reservation. Our waiter - younger guy out back we good, though at times we leaned on the other bartender to help get refills.

Great food, great service, great environment, one of our favorite places to eat on special occasionsread more

He food was wonderful. Our waitress was not the best. She only checked on us once. Didn't offer to…read morerefill drinks. Didn't offer dessert. She seemed overwhelmed.

This was my second time visiting Il Porto, and I'm really glad I decided to give it another try…read more The first time I came, I honestly wasn't impressed and didn't think I'd return. But after hearing good things, I figured it deserved a second chance -- and this time it delivered. I ordered an apple martini, which was really tasty, and the fettuccine Alfredo with added chicken and shrimp. The dish initially came out with just shrimp, but when I mentioned the missing chicken, they handled it kindly and quickly. They let me keep my pasta and brought out a nicely grilled piece of chicken topped with Alfredo sauce. It ended up being very flavorful and satisfying. My friend ordered a sausage pasta dish and thoroughly enjoyed it -- he said it was very tasty. He also had two smoked old fashioneds and really liked them. The restaurant was pretty empty when we arrived, but it still had a cozy atmosphere. The only downside was that staff members were having a very loud conversation in the dining area, playing music, and even watching something on a phone at one point. Since there weren't many customers yet, it stood out more. I'd suggest maybe keeping that to a back area or lowering the volume while guests are dining. Overall though, this visit changed my mind. I would absolutely go back.

My girlfriend and I stopped in on a Saturday night before going to sample the many beverages of…read moredowntown Frederick. The service wasn't bad and we were one of 3 tables at the time. A majority of the stuff was huddled at the bar on their cell phones watching videos and showing each other while the bartender was eating olives out of the jar. The bread was ice cold with packs of individual butter, which left a lot to be desired. The food was very average at best. The bolognese was really just ground beef and sauce and not a traditional bolognese. The spaghetti and meatballs wasn't bad but was just covered in too much sauce. The tiramisu was good but it doesn't taste like a traditional one. It has a lot of cinnamon and was covered in a lot of cocoa powder. Overall, the experience wasn't anything great.

Our first time here. Came for an early dinner with no reservations. Gave us a table on the covered…read morepatio. The food and the service were great. The table was not. It was a warm day out and the patio area was stuffy and kinda hot. And the table was on a 10% slope to one side. I measured it. We asked for another table and they said their only alternate table was in an area that was just as warm. The food was good...

The Ricci is easily one of my favorite date night restaurants…read more I have had mixed results with getting the correct food sent out first-time but overall dishes are as described and good quality. Always delicious, and delivered fast (maybe too fast?). My biggest compliments are to the waitstaff and management. After three visits I have always been respected and treated well by the staff. However, the restaurant is fairly cramped due to its size. And on a busy night you can receive uncomfortable corner tables or be inches away from the table behind you. Its saving grace is its beautiful bar seating (next to their giant pizza oven) and outdoor patio.

Such a gem, this place! I've driven by this corner leaving downtown MANY times and we finally had a…read moremoment to grab a meal. At Tempo Di Pasta, the food and staff were just amazing. Their pasta is made in house and it's deliciously fresh. Perfectly cooked. The ambiance was just a cool vibe. Food Pictured: Ravioli di Funghi (wild mushroom ravioli, tomatoes, fontina sauce, parmigiano (v)) Arrabbiata with Campanelle pasta (shrimp, spicy Pomodoro sauce, scallions, lemon bread crumbs) Bucatini Nero with squid ink (bucatini, calamari, octopus, shrimp, pomodoro sauce, calabrian peperoncino)...I ate it ALL and I'm still full. Bread to grab that sauce

Fantastic and authentic. Tiny restaurant with limited hours -- This is probably the best Italian…read morefood in the area. The ingredients are fresh, the service is friendly and gregarious, the food is delicious and exceptional. I have enjoyed several different dishes on multiple occasions now and can say without question that this food is exceptional and rare outside Italy. Everything in this space is authentic, from the relatively short menu to the service it is a treat to have such an excellent meal for what amounts to a very good price. No question, in Frederick this is consistently the best Italian food served with care and pleasure. I have not had a single issue with anything over perhaps 6 dining experiences here. It is an absolute pleasure to enjoy a lovey glass of wine with the outstanding pasta dishes! If Fredrick needs anything, it is more small and outstanding restaurants like this where quality and value are in harmony.

Visiting family and they said I'd love this place. We decided to order in and were told about a…read morehour wait for delivery. I was pleasantly surprised that the food came in about 30 minutes. Pizza was amazing, nice sized slices and I LOVED their pepperonis. Also ordered a Philly & enjoyed it. Full of flavor, great portion. We ordered 5 fries and were cracking up at them being placed in a pizza box. Work smarter not harder, am I right? LOL Overall a great experience. Would definitely eat here again!

This is some of the best pizza in this area. I love it too much! The prices are perfect the service…read moreis excellent. And it's a nice clean dining room. If I go too often I know I'll regret it. I'm trying to not eat too much. And I really don't have any control when it comes to pizza.

Honestly super underwhelming. Agree with the others that have rated the place as mid. It's hidden…read morein urbana that's before all the new developments. Cute outdoor patio and that could be a nice space. The inside is normally decorated restaurant space. The service wasn't too bad, attentive at first and then she disappeared for 10 min and then took our orders. Afterward she didn't even bother to ask how the food was, if she did I would've told her how disappointed I was with the dish that was recommended as, "oh you can't go wrong with eggplant parm! It's great!" Needless to say that it was an overpriced mush of a dish. There was no texture to the dish. At first sight it looked like a generous helping of food, about 6 pieces of eggplant with spaghetti. However, there was no texture to the deep fried eggplant, no crunch, no flavor, disappointing. Spaghetti was normal, nothing special. The pizza. Not shown, was also disappointing. There's so many other better options close by, prob won't come back.

This places has such mixed reviews that we thought we would give it a try…read more The verdict: Overpriced mediocre Italian and overall, an underwhelming experience. This was the most I have ever paid for eggplant parm ($25) and I've have only not taken the leftovers one other time in my life. The pasta that was served with it was spaghetti ...and did not taste freshly made (but maybe others were referring to a pasta of the day?) Go about eight minutes more north to Manalu's. This place was depressing on all accounts.

A new find for us as we explore the area of our new home near Clarksburg. This place is in a small…read morestrip mall near some local farms. When we walked in we were immediately greeted and were able to choose our seat. We opted for a custom pizza with mushroom, caramelized onions, and sausage. The crust was thin and super crispy, just how a like it albeit a tad burnt in some spots (but I think that's unavoidable with brick oven places). The caramelized onions gave the pizza an interesting sweetness and the cheese to pizza ratio was spot on. We also got a Hot Pastrami sub, which, if you don't like horseradish then this isn't for you. Horseradish flavor is definitely strong but also they did not skimp on the pastrami. Part of the bread was also burnt but the texture was still that nice combo of crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. We did bus our own tables but the service staff behind the ordering counter was really nice and offered to walk us through the menu. I saw pics of the baked ziti which looked amazing but unfortunately they no longer serve due to not enough orders. Definitely recommend checking this place out if you're in the area and craving pizza!

I had a great first experience at Laurienzo Brick Oven Cafe. From the moment we walked in, we were…read moreinstantly greeted by the staff, which made us feel very welcome! The place itself has a really cozy vibe--dim lighting, colorful décor, and everything was clean and well put together. We ordered a medium pizza, half pepperoni and half cheese, along with wings, all for a very reasonable price--and it was absolutely worth it. The pizza quality was outstanding: crispy crust with a slight char from the wood-fired oven that really elevated the flavor and it just tasted really fresh compared to a lot of other places I've tried. During our visit, Linda came by while we were eating and was incredibly friendly, polite, and charismatic. She made sure we had everything we needed and created a very warm, welcoming experience. You could tell she cares about the customers and the people she works with! Overall, everything--from the food to the atmosphere to the people--was excellent. I'll definitely be coming back again!