The ambiance is great and the waiting staff is very friendly and professional. The dinner was outstanding and I loved the calamari. Will definitely be back again, this was a great experience. read more

Michelina's, without a doubt, has the best food of any Italian restaurant in the Phoenix metro area, if not the best food of any restaurant period. The Oysters Michelina are amazing. Make sure you dip the bread in the sauce! The fried calamari is done perfectly and is served with Michelina's marinara sauce, which is so good you can just dip bread in that too! All the parmigiana dishes, veal, chicken and eggplant, are outstanding and served with linguini in marinara sauce. The fresh fish putanesca (sometimes halibut, sometimes sea bass) is served over linguini and is delicious. If you want to eat healtier, get the grilled Escalar served over fresh spinach. It's awesome. My wife doesn't like fish but she LOVES the escalar. I saw another reviewer say the escalar was bleh. She must have drank too much wine that night. Best grilled fish of any kind I've ever had. Michelina also makes her own italian sausage from scratch. Try the sausage and peppers over pasta. Wow. If you like it hot, ask for it hot and she will gladly make it spicy for you! I can go on and on because over the years, I have eaten everything on the menu. I can honestly say I have LOVED every meal I have ever eaten at Michelina's. And with Michelina's great food, you also get Brad's great service. Brad is the best waiter that has ever existed in the Phoenix area, if not on the planet. Ask anyone that knows him or knows of him and I am sure they will say the same thing. For dessert, the zabaglione (a creamy italian custard over fresh berries) and the tiramisu are to die for and are both made from scratch by Michelina. Is it expensive? Well, if you are used to getting the $10 special at the Olive Garden or some other chain, then, yes. But, I took my wife and daughter to the Cheescake Factory the other night and dropped $100 and my wife and I went to Pappadeaux's a couple weeks ago and spent $90. And, we do not drink anything stronger than Iced Tea. Both times, on our way home, we said "We should have gone to Michelina's". The bottom line is that the prices are very reasonable. Do yourself a favor. Next time you want to go to a chain and spend $50-$100, go to Michelina's instead. You will be glad you did! read more

After seeing so many 5 stars on Yelp and craving some good italian food, Michelina's was a no-brainer. Arrived right on time with a 6:30PM reservation and they took us the moment we arrived. The place looked nice with white tablecloths and beautiful fresh flowers throughout. We sat on chairs that were so comfortable that we felt the owners really considered their customers' comfort. We ordered a house chianti which was delicious and were provided a bread basket that had the most delicious bread. I don't know for sure but it might be from Noble Bakery. We made a mix of olive oil, salt and pepper on our appetizer plates and had a dunk-fest with that great bread. All entrees come with a salad which was fresh and had the most delicious balsamic-based dressing. I'm not crazy about balsamic but this dressing was really good. It took about 1 hour for us to get our entrees but we realized that home cooking along with the crowd made for a slow turn-around. Hubby ordered Halibut Puttanesca, one of the special ,which was accompanied by a little pasta. I ordered the Chicken Sorrentino which also came with pasta. I have one word for both dishes. UNDER-SEASONED. My husband was silent while eating... that means one thing... either it is so delicious he can't stop eating... or he is trying to cope with an unsatisfying dish. So I asked, how is your halibut? He said OK. So I asked a more meaningful question: Would you order it again? To which I received a quick, NO. I asked to taste his dish. I thought the puttanesca sauce was good although a little vinegary. The halibut was almost without salt. I might even venture to say that it had no salt. Saltless halibut takes like nothing. Any food without salt is tasteless. Either the cook thought that the capers and olives might over salt the dish or s/he is cooking for people with high blood pressure. I really hate tasteless fish. My dish suffered from the same ailment. The chicken had no salt, the eggplant in it had no salt. Only the proscuitto in the dish had any salt. Did the cook think the proscuitto's saltiness would be imparted to the chicken and the eggplant? Not so my dear, not so. So I ate the pasta which accompanied my dish and that was it for dinner. Glad I ate bread at the beginning of the meal as well as the salad. You might say I had a vegetarian meal. The Service provided by Joe was spot-on. Otherwise, it was a disappointing meal for both of us. read more

Michelina's - Halibut Puttanesca--saltless! - Italian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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What a sweet little surprise. Adam and I just loved it. Everything is homemade and it is a very romantic spot

I cannot even begin to tell you how angry I am about my experience here. My family is Italian from NY and I drove almost an hour to try out this place because of its reviews. We pulled into a dark divey parking lot, next to an appliance part store. We walked in and my first thought was that they were busy, so that's good right? The decor is sterile and outdated, no music and in need of some warmer inviting ambiance. We were told it will be would a few minutes since we didn't have a reservation, although there were still tables open, so we waited 10-15, no big deal. We finally get sat, and a lady brought over water and bread. We looked over the menu and planned what we were going to order. The waiter finally came over 10 minutes later and got our drinks and told us the specials....then walked away. We waited another 15 minutes for him to return which never happened. By this point, I have been here over 30 minutes and felt like we were absolutely being ignored and judged on purpose. Btw, the server was an older gentleman, gray hair. I own a business, if one of my employees treated a guest like this I would be embarrassed. I would not recommend this place...ridiculous customer service. read more

Very good food. Love the bread, salad and stuffed shells w/alfredo sauce. The complimentary after dinner drink is pretty awesome too. Great spot. read more

Michelina's - Veal Parm - Italian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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was here for a family get together and everything from the food to the service was excellent I had never heard of this place before my dad picked it so we all met there there was nine of us and the waiter was excellent I never really got to talk to him so I don't remember his name but the waiter the owner everybody I would definitely be back this is an excellent place The food was fantastic too read more

I have been to Michelinas a couple times in the last 6 years or so. Both times the food was very good. Last time I had the eggplant Parmesan. Very tasty and a generous portion. My husband had their seafood pasta which he said was delicious. The only reason I am not giving it 5 stars is because of the steep prices. It's not very often I spend more than $20 on a vegetarian dish. Hence why I only went a couple times. But the service is great and the atmosphere is classy and romantic. It is a good place for a special occasion. read more

On a trip to Arizona we looked for an Italian restaurant and scored a big hit !! Probably a nice a dinner as I have had in years. We were able to enjoy our cocktails and not be rushed to place our order. Excellent salad; outstanding Banfi (from Italy) wine; the veal parmigiana was to die for!! The Owner / Chef was the perfect host ... the complimentary after dinner drink was a plus. The prices were reasonable, the service terrific and the dinner was great. read more

I had heard a lot about this place to start off with, but it is definitely one of those "Gotta experience it to believe it!". It definitely lived up to its reputation with the most AMAZING oyster plate I have had in a long time! It was stuffed with shrimp, spinach and topped off with some WONDERFUL sauce that drove me absolutely crazy for the place. Mind you, it's only Michelina herself cooking for, on a Friday night, over 30 people easy, as far as i could tell. At the end of our dinner, she came out and introduced herself to ALL her customers to make sure everything was tasted up to par. How many cooks will do that every night? To say the least, I will definitely be seeing her soon and enjoying those DELICIOUS Michelina's Oysters! read more

3 words: DON'T GO HERE!!!!!! Only because I am being selfish and don't want everybody to go here. The place is great. Everytime we go there the food and service is great. The cocktails are great. Great. Great. Great. read more

There are few places in this city which can truly transport you to the country of culinary origin and Michelina's does just that. Michelina is the owner and chef (if you couldn't tell by the restaurant name) and she made it her personal duty to meet us with every dish she prepared and ensure its taste to our delight. She cooks all of the food and even hand picks and prepares the flower arrangements that are placed throughout her restaurant. She was born and raised in Southern Italy and knows her Italian cuisine (I know this because she took the time to simply chat with us; her passion for pleasing her customers is palpable). I will have a hard time enjoying everyday food after now tasting true quality. This is a fantastic place where my wife and I will be enjoying dinners for many years to come. read more

Michelina's - One of the whites we tried which was amazing. - Italian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Todd was an amazing server! For anyone who visits Michelina's, get Todd as your server! He will absolutely take care of you and your party! Coming back here for sure. read more

Don't let the location put you off. It's in a run down, dinky strip center, but the restaurant itself is very nice. The staff was very friendly, professional and attentive. The food was also very good. Our group had the salmon, veal Marsala and Lasagna. All were very tasty and included salads. They don't have a kids menu, but my 8 & 10 yr olds had no problem finding something they liked on the menu. Portion sizes were just right, except for the Lasagna which was huge! Prices were on par with similar nice restaurants in Phoenix/Scottsdale area. read more

Michelina's is my favorite Italian restaurant in Phoenix! Completely authentic with no modern twists. I love the red sauce and the chicken parm is incredible! read more

One of our favorite places! The food is consistently excellent and the waitstaff friendly and attentive. Not unusual at all for Michelina to visit with the diners and ask how their food is. It is in its 25th year and is located in a very non-descript center which boasts a palm reader and small appliance parts distributor, but don't let that fool you. Once you walk through the door, you are transported into a very well-designed space with great ambience. Several of the waiters have been there since the beginning, and if you are somewhat regular, they may even remember your favorite beverage!! I would suggest leaving young children at home - I'm not aware of a specific kid's menu but I'm guessing most people dining here probably prefer their dining experience to be sans little ones. It's a great date place, but also a wonderful place for larger gatherings. On New Year's Eve, they have a prix fixe menu which is awesome and very popular. You can be notified of special events such as wine tastings throughout the year, too. Excellent all the way around. read more

I'm trying to like this place. Signora DiSibio seems wonderful. However, they have no bar which is just ludicrous now days. One waiter and man he is killing it. No wonder he's been here 20 years. He's too nice, too suave, not genuine at all! Ordered the halibut. Big portion! Bread fantastico! A bar would do wonders for this place and they have the room with a little work! Just met Michelina. Seems like a lovely lady! A little after dinner drink complimentary. Amaretto, s creme de mint and white something! Molte buono! They need a bar and happy hour and open at 4pm. Buona notte! read more

Did a takeout dinner from Michelina's. I need to stop driving by this restaurant. The mall is nothing special, but the food is. We ordered chicken parmesan, the Chef's combo, and spaghetti & meatballs. All came with a nice dinner salad, bread & the food was delicious! read more

Everything was delicious! The chef and owner even came out to introduce herself. We will definitely be back.

In town from California for kids sports and staying in the are and looking for Italian food. Amazing food and great service!! We had some menu items and a special. Great bottle of wine (a special). Followed another review so advice and got the tiramisu for dessert-well worth it!! Definitely worth the trip! read more

Absolutely delicious! Had a wonderful dinner and cannot wait to return. Such a great find in this neighborhood. Michelina personally greeted each table to ask about our experience. She and her staff were incredible. We will be back soon! read more

This place is over the top good, owner was even around after dinner. Her son Joe works the weekends and is top notch, family pride shows throughout. Just go! read more

Okay...... The only reason I did not give five stars is because of the desert. Everything else was perfect. We loved the decor the feeling we got there everything was great. The food was outstanding we had to travel quite a ways to get there it was well worth the travel. We ordered the desert that everybody talk about on yelp the custard. We think it might've been the day before's custard because it was watery at the bottom. We would not let this from stop us from going back. Our waitress was very well spoken and was very informed. Made us feel very welcome and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Funny we read a lot of stuff about Brad the waiter and she ended up being his stepdaughter she was a great waitress too. Feel bad I have to get four stars because of the desert but I have to be honest for my fellow yelpers. read more

Awesome as usually. Sea Bass was cooked to perfection and my wife's tenderloin and shrimp was delicious.

We have visited Michelina's many times over the past many years and it is truly one of our favorite Italian restaurants in Phoenix. The beautiful floral arrangements greet you overwhelmingly. Michelina makes all of her own pasta and the seafood is fresh and delicious! She is in the kitchen every night and if you like oysters, you must try the Oysters Michelina, they are off the charts. Brad and his other servers make you feel at home right away and have cheerful conversation with you at the table. The specials are always delicious and if you like osso bucco, you MUST try it here! This is a genuine, local, privately owned restaurant that is a blessing for this area. Michelina's is a hidden gem for sure. read more

This place had great reviews so we had to check it out. I had the spaghetti and meatballs with cream sauce and it was heavenly! We also had the pasta pomodoro which was also perfectly prepared. The house salad had house made dressing and only served to make us sure that we had chosen well. The woman who owns the place is Italian and makes everything fresh, (I don't know if she makes the pasta or not). Server was very gracious, informative and speedy. House wines were a very good choice and they didn't skimp on the serving size. A very good choice and would be my favorite Italian place if I lived in Phoenix! read more

Very authentic Italian food. It has been established for many years. The taste in every dish is very good. I had the salmon with fettuccini. My friend had the angel hair pasta with red sauce and chicken. The desserts were exceptional. I believe the cheesecake is one of the best I have ever had. Just angelic. I will drive to eat their homemade cheesecake. The mango sorbet dipped in white chocolate was delicious as well. read more

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I've been coming for a couple decades occasionally here and there. The wait staff were friendly. The appetizers leading up to the main course were fantastic, and my folks loved the wine. I had the sea bass that evening as it was recommended by the waitress. It was boring and i asked if they could replace it. The waitress said i ate too much despite leaving 80% of the dish on the plate. I asked for a manager (which i now know they do not have) but someone else explained that they cannot replace dishes unless something is wrong with it. I understand where they're coming from with this policy, but at these price points ($50-$70 per person) i was expecting to be taken care of here a bit better. I took a chance on a recommendation and it didn't work out, and when i expressed that disappointment I was told to kick rocks. I'm thinking I'll start taking my money somewhere else if they won't swap out a bad recommendation, even if there are no technical errors with the dish. I really was expecting better at the price point being paid. read more

I've lived in the neighborhood, less than one mile away from this restaurant for over 20-years and I don't know why I never went here. But just last week my entire family went in and I could not be happier we did! The food was excellent. It may not have been five stars but four for sure. The service however and the overall experience was the best I've ever had anywhere! You feel like you are eating in Michelina's home kitchen and you are. Everyone who works there takes a tremendous pride in the restaurant and what they do. Everyone who works there is very, very good at what they do. It's a restaurant operated with love instead of profit in mind. A great value. We will be back over and over again. read more

Super friendly, very delicious. We've been coming here for years as a special occasion option. Don't let the strip mall put you off, it's lovely inside and we love the food. read more

Michelina's decor is fantastic and romantic. Filled with big bouquets of fresh flowers and warm lighting. Hands down the best ossobuco in Arizona. I had the Ossobuco special and my fiancé had the filet medallion. Michelina's will now be our regular dining place. read more

We had a party of 9 and were seated promptly at our reserved time. Our waiter and wait staff were attentive, friendly, and courteous and every item we ordered was amazing. We had the Caprese Salad for an appetizer. We ordered lasagne, eggplant parmigiana, brasciole, tortellini pesto, and salmon and each one of us was delighted by the quality of our food. Everything was brought out at the same time and it all was the proper temperature. Our desserts were delicious too. Highly recommend this gem of a place. read more

We absolutely LOVED Michelina's!! Don't let the location distract you. So warm and inviting the minute you open the door! Wonderful staff. Chicken Parmigiana was amazing. Everyone loved their meals! The liqueur at the end of the meal was the perfect touch!! Can't wait to go back!!! read more

This was my first time here. The service is top notch! My water glass never empty. I had the green lipped muscles in white sauce for an appetizer. It was absolutely delicious! My mom ordered the bruschetta. It was also delicious. I ordered the special veal osobucco, which was also scrumptious. Mom ordered the angel hair pasta with grilled chicken. She said it was delicious. I will definitely be back to try more menu items. I highly recommend reservations. It fills up fast! You can useYelp to make reservations. An hour before our reservation I received a text asking to confirm or cancel. Very convenient. read more

Love this place. Great, simple menu very good food and long time staff. Love the location too, as it's not stuffed into some snobby-ass, attitude filled part of town where you're forced to deal with crap people. read more

Michelina's continues to be a Phoenix "go to" for fine food, warm atmosphere and wonderful service. We all had the specials which were swordfish, halibut and filet mignon. Each was delicious and perfectly seasoned and cooked. As usual, Michelina visits our table to say hello, how is everything & thank you for coming. She makes the dinner feel like you're at her home. Food cooked by her with love and served by her long term staff as if they were her family. Thanks again. read more

Great service and food. Smaller place but makes you feel like you're home. Our server brad was amazing, very knowledgeable!

I don't how why or how it took so long for me to find this place, but wow! My family came here for my wife's birthday dinner. Everything was so fresh and the flavors were out of this world. We started with the bruschetta, which is as good as any you will find. Entrees included the veal peccata, lamb chop, salmon, stuffed peppers, sea bass and cioppino. No one at the table was disappointed. Finished with the best cappuccino I've ever had. Staff was friendly and attentive, and Michelina herself came out to talk with us for a while. This place is top notch, and we are already looking forward to going back and trying something new. read more

Eating here brought our family so much joy. The attention to detail in the food and the service was superior. Everything is homemade and it shows. Flavor, texture, seasoning--all perfect. My daughter's ossobuco was amazingly flavorful and fork-tender, rich, but not greasy. My husband's sea bass was beautiful, and my veal Marsala was delightful. The sauce work is incredible. Marsala was velvety, puttanesca was lively and bright. All of this amazing food was outdone by a scene-stealing fettuccine Alfredo side. We all agreed that the simplicity of the sauce was elevated by the fresh fettuccine's texture. This was simply the best that we have ever had. The portions were exactly right, I was full and satisfied without a sad take home container, and we even found room to share a zabaglione and have espresso. The restaurant is not inexpensive, per se, but given the quality of the food and service, it was an exceptional value...We can't wait to come back! read more

We ate at Michelina's 12/8, top floor . several had seafood - seabass, flounder (a special), and halibut These dishes were truly outstanding, some of the best we've had in a long, long time. Service was spot on despite a full house. A bit noisy on the top floor (aren't they all anymore?), but settled down when a few tables emptied. we had a nice visit with Michelina, which was a bonus. Would highly recommend this restaurant, especially for it's seafood dishes. Marvelous! read more