Delicious food and cocktails (especially the pizza!) Great customer service. Highly recommend!

The food and the service were ON POINT! Our server was attentive and so nice. We sat on the patio for a beautiful evening. The meal started with bruschetta which was unique (hint: it doesn't come with tomatoes!) and still it was one of the best I've tried! The hubby had Cacio e pepe pasta (he loved!), son had the Stretch Armstrong pizza with the same cheese as the bruschetta (that was already a win) and I had the MOST flavorful and perfectly balanced cannelloni. We also pre-ordered the chef's special gelato and it was too much for the 3 of us, but ... A neat experience nonetheless. As a vegetarian family, we would Hands Down return on our next visit to Charleston. read more

Melfi's - Bruschetta (no tomatoes!) and still uniquely delicious. Amazing bread and the cheese was.... chef's kiss fantastic! - Pizza Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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This place is top-notch dining with stellar service and great food, and an old-world vibe, but not old-fashioned. The food continues to stand out. Their Arancini in marinara is simply the best with very tender pieces of rice wrapped in the light crust - and make sure to grab a slice of bread because you do not want to lose any of the marinara. The burrata was not as tasty. It was watery and flavorless, not creamy and a bit salty as expected. I was also not a fan of my pasta - underdone and gummy mass all stuck together - but those two things were minor, an off night. We tried 3 desserts but the Budino was our favorite! All and all a lovely evening with great service in a beautiful setting. Lots of love for Melfi's!!! read more

Melfi's - Arancini - Pizza Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Honestly the food was amazing. The service was where things fell apart. The manager (blonde woman) said she put in a free "dessert" for an overly long wait time and generally apathetic staff. What was funny was how she got caught in her lie when the dessert was not comped at the end after she claimed she already did everything and there was a mistake with it coming out. I would definitely recommend this place once this manager is out or they get their ducks in the row. Good was great and the doorman Sean was amazing. Sean was the only part that was truthfully enjoyable when it came to staff. The manager is the reason this is a 2 star review. read more

Ambiance was nice!! But probably the best thing about this restaurant. Service was fine, no complaints there. The food was just so subpar for the price. My friend got the Bucatini Cacio de Pepe and the flavor was good but it was extremely heavy and the bottom of the plate was just a layer of oil. I got the Mafalde bolognese and it did not have enough sauce. It was very meaty - which some might enjoy! But the flavor is almost entirely "meat" as opposed to some of the savory tangy / sweetness and flavor I usually expect with a bolognese. Apparently they make their pasta in house and the noodles were very good. All in all I think you're paying to feel fancy! The food can easily be made at home to the same caliber. Very cute cozy feel but IMO overpriced for the food & a limited menu. read more

Hands down some of the BEST italian food I've ever had. Insanely delicious salad, pizza and pasta! The staff is friendly, kind and accommodating. Beautiful restaurant and will for sure be back!!! read more

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I love Melfi's sooo much but I do have to take off a star unfortunately. I came here recently for my birthday dinner - resy was at 7:30 and we weren't seated until 8:15 We could see the people at the table just sitting there (they paid etc) and since it's a nicer restaurant I would've thought that they'd go over and tell them to respectfully wrap it up but they just let us stand out in the cold...they offered us drinks while we waited and we thought they were complimentary since we were still outside but they ended up on the bill lol. They gave us two appetizers but they weren't that apologetic to their reoccurring customers! Anyways....I come here for the stretch Armstrong pizza which is so delicious. The ambiance is a fun, upscale Italian vibe. read more

Melfi's - Stretch Armstrong - Pizza Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Looking for something besides seafood and thought- good Italian? Heck yeah- this absolutely wonderful restaurant off the beaten path serves up authentic Italian. Don, who was our waiter, was very attentive. We highly recommend him. The Caesar salad was the best we have ever eaten. Not drowning in dressing- crisp and a bit spicy. Artichoke hearts - fried, but so lightly. No breading and very light and tasty. Would have ordered another one! Finishing off with the Osso Bucco over risotto- so very tender and flavorful. No knife needed. Go there!! read more

Melfi's - Pizza Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Amazing food. We also had the pizza which was amazing. Thin crust and good flavor. The wait was long but the service was great and the manager even came out to apologize. Will be back there soon. Amazing vibes outside dining area read more

Melfi's - Spicy salad - cocktails - Pizza Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Really great dinner!! Came here with a friend and her boyfriend for dinner. We really enjoyed the zucchini sticks! We shared the gnocchi, pasta in red sauce, and the mafaldine in meat sauce. The pasta all seemed homemade and the server was very nice. Would return! read more

Six of us had a fun dinner here. We were disappointed that there was no bar to wait to get a drink. So we went elsewhere for a drink and came back until our table was ready. We started by splitting a pizza which they the did not cut the number of pieces according to the number at our table. Disappointing. I ordered the Cacio and Pepe and was disappointed. It was one big clump. I hardly ate it. The branzino looked amazing and I wished I had ordered that. The place was loud. read more

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yummmm place was amazing and great vibe!!! Tuna appetizer was delicious!!! Zucchini fries yummmmm great service totally enjoyed

Dined in at Melfis for dinner. Service was beyond excellent food was delicious we tried all the pizzas and the stretch Armstrong was definitely the winner we tried all the pastas and they were delicious as well. Such an amazing restaurant and evening. I definitely recommend read more

Melfi's is a classic Italian restaurant serving fresh pastas, salads, main entrees, and thin crust pizzas. The environment at Melfi's is sophisticated and clubby. There are table linens on all of the tables which makes the dining room feel more upscale. There is a suggested dress code of no flip flops or hats but that's what makes this place feel reminiscent of the old Italian restaurants that I can recall dining at in New York City. A nice long wooden bar lines one side of the restaurant. There is also a small pizza counter where patrons are able to view the chefs cooking in the two wood burning ovens. Our server David was instantly likeable and delivered fast and friendly service during our entire meal. It was a special occasion- My Birthday- and as it was noted on our Resy booking --- David did not fail to make us feel special and ended our dinner by dropping off a plate of amaretto cookies ~ complete with a birthday candle! Nice touch! I was set on ordering the "Sort of Spicy" Caesar Salad and had a craving for a basic pasta dish with marinara sauce and the kitchen made it happen. Popular dishes when I inquired are the Rigatoni Bolognese, Linguine with Clams and the Bucatini 'Cacio e Pepe'~ all classics! Three types of pizza styles and three main entrees are available, but remember it's quality not quantity!! All delicious!! read more

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Service and atmosphere were great. Very cozy. Open style kitchen. Seating at the bar. Limited menu, but the food was delicious. Started with the Burrata and a ricotta based dish for the app. The pizza is thin crust and the pasta Paccheri with duck ragu was delicious highly recommend. read more

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If you want an intimate dinner - the is snot the place - it is super duper (duper!) loud. When we first got there they said our table wasn't;t ready - there is no place for a party of 7 at the bar, so HOT tip - go across the street through the small parking lot and there is a wine bar on the right. The room is very pretty though, and our large table of 6 did have a cool booth by the door, though I could only hear the 2 people I was next to (barely). My friends and family mock me for my love of ice and cold cold drinks. When I saw on the menu "Charleston's coldest martini" - I was sold, yet skeptical. I work in advertising and was hoping they would deliver on this pretty bold promise. When my husband makes me a martini - I send it back if there are no ice crystals on top. This one sadly did not deliver, not even really that cold...sadness abounded. In my 11 days in Charleston - I had several colder martinis. On to the food, The table split a meaty pizza - though they refused to cut it into 8 pieces (which is a pretty easy request). It was however delicious, and one of everyone's favorites at the table. Also to split was the stracciatella (cheese) toast - Also great, but difficult to cut and split. 3 of us at our end of the table split 2 things - the osso buco - FANTASTIC, and the cacio & pepe. The taste on the pasta was on point, and enjoyable, but the pasta was all one big clump and hard to separate (Did it sit under the heat lamp too long?) 3 of us at the table all got it and it was the same for all of us. read more

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Food was very good but the serving was skimpy and price was too high .. spaghetti with about $.25 worth of protein for $35 just as a little bit too much... Service was good and atmosphere was good. read more

Awesome experience at Melfi's with John (from Manhattan!). Italian is definitely a more difficult food to find quality of in Charleston, but Melfi's hit the spot. We were a group of 6 so ordered pizza to share as an appetizer, with pastas for entrees. The entrees were perfectly sized for one. A few of us had leftovers because we had pizza for the app. John as our server was a class act and lovely. Super attentive and helpful. I will say there are a few cons -- there is a no baseball cap policy, so for out of towners, definitely be careful and aware. They will ask you to take it off. For price, it's definitely pricier than other Italian options (indaco for example). When you add wine bottles, etc you can run up a tab so just be mindful depending on what you're in the mood for. read more

Melfi's - Rigatoni - Pizza Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Some of the best pizza and pasta I've ever had. The Stretch Armstrong was delicious and the bolognese pasta tasted homemade and hearty. We will definitely be back! read more

I've been eager to visit Melfi's for a while, and recently my friend and I heard about their collaboration with blackbird offering free pasta--count us in! We walked over and, as expected, the place was bustling, but the promise of free pasta made the wait worthwhile. We ended up sharing two incredible dishes, and they were nothing short of amazing. Throughout our meal, we kept saying how eager we were to return and indulge in more of the menu. We will be back! read more

Melfi's - Pizza Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Lord have MERCY this place was TO DIE FOR!!! We tried a ton of food. The Burrata with Grilled Peaches and Prosciutto was insane. Both my date and myself thought, "how good can Burrata and prosciutto be? We've had that a million times." Boy! We were proven wrong. We also got the Snapper Crudo which is something I'll be dreaming about for days to come. Light, citrusy, and fresh- it was to die for. For entrees, my date got the Osso Bucco which was cooked to perfection with a perfectly done risotto. I got one of the pastas (can't remember the exact name) and it was truly great, but the Osso Bucco was by far the winner. For dessert (also cannot remember the name), we had some sort of berry compote with cream and breadcrumbs as well as the tiramisu. Both were amazing!! Our server took great care of us. Even when I didn't like the drink I originally received, he made it easy to swap out. I can't recall his name but it was a man with a large beard. Give him a raise!! Thank you to Melfi's and their staff for an incredible meal and we hope to return soon. read more

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We had a great dinner Saturday night, food, service, and atmosphere were all excellent. We will be back.

First the great things: Friendly service; a lovely comfortable and inviting environment; terrific bar service; and an interesting and well-thought-out menu. Now, the bad: inconsistent quality of the food. The stracciatella & olive oil bruschetta is really quite good. However, both pasta dishes we had were a disappointment. The cacio e pepe was dry and really lacked an emulsified sauce. The mafalde (with a bolognese) was oddly tasteless. In both of these cases, the sauces were the problem. The pasta itself was cooked properly. These are easy fixes in back of house. So, with a little effort/refinement, this place would really be a standout. read more

Melfi's is absolutely positively worth the hype! We knew it was going to be good and we were still amazed and excited about this meal. We both agreed the best dish was the duck pasta, our second favorite was the crudo but we were pleased with everything. Our server was both attentive and helpful. He answered all of our questions honestly which is so refreshing!! We sat outside on a summer day but due to the covering and fans, we were still quite comfortable. Don't let another moment go by without making a reservation to Melfi's. It's top notch! read more

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Always a big fan of Melfis and we finally went in for their lunch service. The Mrs Melfis pizza is a star!! All of the favorites too like the Caesar salad and pastas available during lunch as well read more

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My favorite Charleston restaurant. Great vibes/decor, smaller menu but everything is so good. Love the fernet options. Can't beat ordering a pasta and pizza and sharing it. read more

First time at Melfi's and sadly it will be my last. Service was great, no complaints but several misses. - no bottled water, only tap - no cold glasses for bottled beer - out of bottled beer except NA - snapper tartare tasted very fishy and drowning in oil, over seasoned - wood-fired sweet peppers were ok but again drowning in oil - Osso bucco well done, flavor good but way overcooked - Cacio E Pepe never a bad choice at any restaurant but $31??? Can make this at home for a few dollars Nothing special, just wasn't impressed, better choices in the Charleston area. read more

Great service but it's very loud. We had the bruschetta with burrata which was delicious. The we had the Osso bucco with a creamy risotto which was our favorite. The third dish was the pasta with duck ragu which was nothing special. The pasta was undercooked and there was little duck and tomatoes. The pasta needs to boil about 1 more minute to reach al dente and it needs more sauce with meat so it has enough flavor. All three portions were very quite small. read more

This was one of the best meals I've ever had. Everything was wonderful. We are only here for 4 days and we had such a good meal here last night that we are coming back again tonight. Service was impeccable and the ambiance was absolutely perfect. Definitely worth the hype. read more

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Best restaurant I have been to all year. Amazing food, great service and and great vibe. It was amazing. The food was awesome. read more

Melfi's - Cacio e Pepe - Pizza Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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We sat at the grill bar which had a glass partition looking toward the wood fired ovens. Suggestion: get a seat near a window, or at the bar. We started with the Arancini which is fried cheese with lemon zest and marinara. Tasty, but I'll skip it next time. Then the Sort-of Spicy Caesar Salad. Delicious. Once I finished that, and an Italian Gin & Tonic (Italian lemon-infused gin and jack rudy tonic) I was full and could have left. But we still had the Steak Florentine (cooked in a wood burning oven with crispy smashed potatoes, roasted garlic, and seasonal vegetables "110 for 2 + P P L" is actually enough for three light eaters. It was delicious, although not the absolutely best steak I've ever had, the preparation was multi-flavored and delicious. The Milanese waitress said it was authentic as a steak in Florence, Italy except that the cattle are different there so the beef has a different flavor. read more

A nice Italian place for good food and drinks. We were very happy with everything. The service is authentic and pleasant. The food portions are excellent for sharing! read more

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The wine list is nice & the cocktails are on point. The thin crust pizza was probably my favorite dish. That wood fired oven makes all the difference! It gave New York Italian vibes. No shade, there's just a difference between Italian, and NY Italian. The restaurant itself was lovely and charming, but several dishes needed tweaks. One lacked salt, another the pasta was undercooked, etc. read more

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Food and service are always excellent, love the vibe as well. But... Please bring back Mr. Wally!

Simply delicious! I definitely recommend getting the caeser salad, it has a little kick to it. Also the cacio e pepe was so good. We sat at the bar so it was quick service. Such a fun place to celebrate a birthday or anniversary! read more

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First of all, they ask us for reservations when the place had multiple tables available. Anyways, they don't have a lot of options on the menu apparently the menu changes at 5 pm, so if you go thinking you can eat meat, then, my friend, you will have to wait after 5 pm. We order arancini for appetizers, not a fan. They gave us bread with oil; that was really bad. The oil tasted flat, not flavored at all. We also ordered a pizza called Stretch Armstrong for $27 imagine getting a cracker with pizza sauce and ricotta cheese on top, semi-cold; that's what it tasted like. Anyways, the reason we visited here was because it was the only Italian restaurant open for lunch. At the end they gave us almond cookies that looked and tasted like dog cookies. Also, you have to pay for the parking across the street. I don't recommend this place. Service was okay, we tip well because it was not her fault that the food did not compare to most Italian restaurants. read more

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Delicious food. Delicious drinks! Great service. Our server was very knowledgeable on the menu. Made great recommendations. The food came out hot and fresh. Appetizers and entrees were spaced out. We were sat in the patio area. It's decorated very nice. The fans kept the bugs away. Spaced out well. We were too full to get more than one desert but the raspberry sorbet was delicious! Great anniversary dinner spot (: read more

Melfi's - Complimentary champagne for our anniversary dinner - Pizza Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Melfi's is by far my favorite Italian restaurant in Charleston!! This time, I sat on the outdoor patio for the first time and it was lovely. Sometimes, I find that sitting outdoors leads to slower service but that was definitely not the case here. Our service was quick and our server was very kind in providing details about each dish we inquired about. We ended up getting the Rigatoni and the Duck pasta, and the Stretch Armstrong pizza to share. The raspberry sorbet was a delicious dessert. Everybody left full and happy! read more

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Best pasta!! The service was good too! The bread was not great but overall will definitely be back! read more

Melfi's - Pizza Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

It's excellent. Period. The ambiance is great. Honestly, when I'm eating Italian I want there to be little light. It feels more authentic that way, right? The staff is always amazing. Give me everything with burrata and the cacio e Pepe is perfection. Parking can be tough, but this little pocket of restaurants is worth it. read more

Melfi's - Pizza Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina