This was the first time that we have ever been disappointed. The smelts order was small and tasteless. The veal Parmesan was not up to par. I've had much better in the past. read more

Authentic Italian food. I can't recommend any one dish, because no matter what you order it's going to be authentic and delicious. Cocktails are very good also. read more

Always a delicious Italian feast when enjoying lunch or dinner at Mike's Kitchen!!! So many home-cooked Italian and seafood specialties!! Everything is cooked to perfection and always delicious! Prices are reasonable & portions are large enough that you will end up bringing home enough food for another meal! I highly, highly recommend Mike's Kitchen!!!! read more

So underrated because it is hard to Find!! Italian cooking like grandmas on a Sunday!! Their sauce is fresh and perfect!! read more

The best hidden gem in RI!! One of the best Italian restaurants in RI!! You can't go wrong with any food item. I love the chicken parmigiana. read more

this place rocks! food is homemade, delicious and plentiful. Hesitate to spread the word of this gem. I don't want to wait in line

Great food great service great price . No frills ... Highly recommend this place for lunch ! read more

Mikes kitchen - Polenta with meatball and sausage - Italian Near Me - Cranston, Rhode Island

Don't be fooled by this little gem! Located at a VFW post, it's one large room, but the food is abundant and delicious! We had a large party & every meal was phenomenal. I can't wait to go back and try every item on the menu. Service is quick and almost invisible, yet you always have what you need. Note: the bar has a separate tab for drinks. The restaurant and bar are both CASH ONLY. read more

Omg the stuff artichoke is to die for, can't wait for my daughter to come in from SC to try it. Amazing how everyone's waiting at the door to get in. I can see why read more

Great, consistent food in huge portions Family style and familiar faces Long waits and usually sub-mediocre service The Tabor-Franchi VFW Lodge doubles as a restaurant of plenty. Given that, however, you are NOT HERE for the ambience, friend. It's heaping helpings of delicious Italian-American food, and not much else. Prices are very fair; merely for good food and lots of it, they'd be a steal, but combined with wait times and nary a single person in the place particularly concerned with your customer satisfaction (a nice young woman named Paula is an exception), I'd say it nets back to simply "very fair." Be prepared - you'll pay as you go with alcohol, and it's cash only throughout. If surefire, never-fail recommendations are your only game, wipe your waited-too-long frown off with the polenta and meatballs...no appetizer, bread, or anything else, really, because you'll want to save room for the platter on its way. And even if you're normally a member of the Clean Plate Club, you might end up requesting a to-go container anyway here. If it's your first time, map it before you go, and watch for sudden moves from old fogies in the parking lot. If only for the sake of your taste buds and growling belly, you should put it on your list to give a try. read more

Mikes kitchen - Italian Near Me - Cranston, Rhode Island

The red sauce has almost no flavor.... Veal parmesan was said to be "real" which i do not doubt but "freshly prepared" should have been a question... Place was jumping and price was good. My mom was with me and mid meal she said, "i could have made this better at home." The special she had also advertised "lobster tail." Her plate only had a half of a lobster tail... Not ok in Rhode island. The staff was nice and did a great job but the food was "so-so" at best. read more

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The worst food we've had since moving back to RI two years ago. My husband ordered the crab cakes. They tasted of the oil they were cooked in and the marinara sauce that came with it was awful. I usually eat healthy but wanted cheese ravioli. The sauce on the ravioli was lousy. I could have bought ravioli and put Rao's sauce on them and it would have been better. Then I ordered a meatball because I couldn't eat the cheese ravioli. Same awful sauce and not good. My husband ordered the stuffed sole. It was fair to bad. The veggies that came with it seemed out of a frozen package. I've never had potatoes that were so greasy and fried. Usually the potatoes are decent. I don't know how there are so many good reviews for this restaurant. read more

What can I say? The reviews are all right. Went to Mike's Kitchen with a work group of 20. A few people were a little skeptical, as was I. I decided that in order to determine whether this was truly a good Italian place, I would order the pasta and meatballs. A good meatball is very hard to come by. The pasta and meatballs was good, I just wish it had a little more flavor. The texture of the meatball was perfect! It was so soft, it practically melted in your mouth. The prices were average. I believe my pasta and meatballs was $12-$13. I will definitely go back. I'd like to try the chicken parm. read more

Mikes kitchen - Italian Near Me - Cranston, Rhode Island

Always excellent and good service. For over 20 years I have eaten the same meal everytime I come here - Linguine Napolitano! Perhaps the most perfect pasta dish ever made! read more

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The waitress, Robin, was amazing and helped me with my dietary restrictions. Everyone was friendly. I had polenta and Rabe, and it was an amazing experience. read more

Food is excellent. Real Italian cooking. No ambiance but best home made Italian cooking ever. The food was even better tasting when the original Mike the chef was alive. He was a people person where he would come out of kitchen and greet his patrons. They the patrons including I all loved Mike. read more

Simply the best, staff and food. The polenta is epic!

I came here on the recommendation of a friend and it was a good experience. A few things to note: Cash only and any drink aside from water will result in a separate tab from the bar. I kept it simple and just had water. The eatery is located inside a VFW Hall, so it's a very open concept with a number of tables in a large area. Service was friendly and efficient. Another waitress who was serving other tables ended up chatting with me for a bit...so a friendly staff here. I had the eggplant parm grinder and it delivered. This is home style Italian cooking. The kind of stuff your Italian American grandmother would make. It's not old country; it's a blend of some old, with some new. You really should give this place a try. It's not a typical restaurant, it has a great mix of clientele and it's a nice atmosphere. read more

Not sure why I'm just discovering this place now! The food is delicious authentic Italian. No frills. Old school. They do have a bar ($5 glass of wine) and it is run apart from the kitchen, therefore there is a separate bar tab from food tab as location is an actual VFW Hall on the corner of Atwood Avenue and Randall street in Cranston. Good prices, large portions. A big "seat yourself" sign welcomes you at the entrance. I had the eggplant with spaghetti on my first visit and the eggplant sandwich with fries on my 2nd visit. Both were delicious! Sauce was perfect, pasta cooked perfectly al dente. The roll was slightly hard on the outside and perfectly soft on the inside. Others in my party had the chicken parmesan. All had rave reviews! Minus one star for wait staff. I went on 2 recent occasions- a Wednesday night at 5 and a Saturday afternoon at 2. The bar service staff swooped down on the table immediately, basically while you are taking it all in and taking your coat off (both times). They do not explain the separation of bar and food tabs so note this going in. She will ask you to pay or start a tab. That piece was a little strange, but understandable. The waitresses are minimally friendly and uninformative. There was a slight greeting and we were not asked "is this your first time here" or "do you have any questions about the menu". I have had staff at a diner more sincere and welcoming. Just my thoughts. I highly recommend, truly worth a try. Note the place fills up quickly. We arrived at opening for dinner on a Wednesday and found a table easily. By the time we left the place was almost full. We had lunch on a Saturday around 2, the parking lot was completely packed. We found a table and the place was clearing out so it worked out well. Mikes is closed on Sundays and they close between lunch and dinner a few days. Try and enjoy! read more

Best chicken Parmesan in the state! Nothing beats their service. We love Mikes, it's our go to for all family dinners!

Great Italian food in a setting you would never have guessed. I've had many dishes - all cooked to perfection - great marinara sauce, excellent parmigian choices, and seafood. If you are looking for fancy, upscale then this isn't for you. It is cash only, separate bar tab, and with the tables and chairs you feel like you are at a cheap wedding. BUt if you want quality Italian dishes you can't go wrong with Mike's. read more

I brought three friends to Mikes last nite. None of them had ever been there, as usual, the place was packed but we waited for a table. All agreed the wait was worth the GREAT food, amassing service and all around wonderful evening. The calamari appetizer was claimed by everyone as the best ever and the entrees exceeded our expeditions. You just can not go wrong at Mikes. read more

There's no place like Mike's. Located in a VFW hall in Cranston, it's Southern Italian diner food, or 1950s home cooking, in a 1950s cafeteria setting. Despite this - or perhaps because of it? - the place is nearly always packed. There's no pretense, no fancy shmancy, and for a lot of folks, probably as close as they can get to what they remember from going to Nonna's for Sunday dinner. The red sauce is a bit too sweet for my taste and pasta is clearly from a box. But it's fine really, and portions are generous and if you're into saving the earth, bring containers with you because you will surely be taking leftovers home. Prices are higher than they used to be but still very reasonable. I do eat here occasionally when I don't feel like dealing with driving and parking in Providence. It's perfectly OK if you don't expect too much. read more

Owned by a Veteran, located in a VFW. The menu is large and the food is delicious every time! The staff is friendly and quick, just recommend getting there early as it fills up quickly. Highly Recommend! read more

Absolute best calamari in Rhode Isand!! Service is great, consistently good food, good prices and fast service.

Sat down asked the waitress to send the bartender over 20 minutes later still don't have a drink. I went to the bar. Bartender asked me if I have a table I said yes she will be there in a minute. I went back to my table instead of coming to me, she goes to the people that came in after me and get their drink order first Then she says she has a system. Her system sucks. I would not give her any of my money. You can get better service at McDonald's. I will not be going back there again if you'd like to wait for your service or your food then that would be the place to go. My buddy bragged about this place was so looking forward to it. Big let down !!! read more

Deliciousness. ANYTHING (and everything) you order is going to be fantastic. Portions are generous, so come with friends to share and try different dishes. Cool scene at the VFW, have a glass of wine (you pay for booze separately), sit back and enjoy the relaxed ambiance. It's an all cash facility. Great food, good wine, great people! read more

Mikes kitchen - Crispy fresh Calamari and hot peppers #drool - Italian Near Me - Cranston, Rhode Island

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Not good tonight:/ come to mikes every summer and it has gone down hill. The chicken parm had little flavor, and the fish Florentine wasn't good either... just tasted like spinach really. No cheese flavor. Not a fan. Will come back eventually but not soon. read more

Mikes kitchen - Artichoke - Italian Near Me - Cranston, Rhode Island

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Mikes Kitchen is still one of my favorite Italian restaurants. I first read about it in Road Food years ago. The old wall menu is gone but a few specials are hung up and pulled down when all served. There is a new menu with all the classics. Always check for the hours this is a VFW Lodge. The drinks come from the Lodge bar and are billed separately, bring cash. We tried two of them this trip, squid in a garlic wine sauce with black olives over our choice of pasta and baccala zuppa with polenta. The squid was cooked until fork tender in a light flavorful wine sauce. There were plentiful rings and tentacles and lots of black olives. The baccala ( dried cod) was served in large pieces cooked in a luscious tomato sauce with sun dried tomatoes and onions. All of this was over great squares of creamy cheesy polenta. We also ordered broccoli rabe cooked tender in garlic infused olive oil. The portions were enough for four people. Squid and olives over linguine baccala zuppa over polenta. read more

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Ok so I will never be hungry again. My kids had a half order of spaghetti and didn't care for it. To me this means it's homemade. I had chicken parm which was awesome. We also got polenta and sausage. Polenta was unbelievable. Don't expect frills. Expect a breakfast diner feel, a lot of noise and some excellent food. read more

Polenta. 5 stars. Mike's Kitchen is a townie Italian-American joint in a VFW that happens to have DA BEST polenta eeeevvvveeeerrrrrrrrrrr. Seriously. Nowhere else in the USA have I had better polenta, Michelin/James Beard caliber restaurant or otherwise. It's doubtful that I've had better polenta even in Italy and I've probably spent more time there than most self-identified Italian-Americans. Oh sweet, jiggly, soft but firm, perfectly cooked, awesome polenta. The other stuff on the menu will likely meet expectations if you're the type of eater that loves straightforward hearty Italian-American food. Pro tip: Ask for the wild mushrooms on top (off menu item). read more

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Probably the best chicken parm you will ever have. So delicious. Best hidden gem you will ever find! Always busy so you know it's good!

First, i would like to point out a few things. The V.F.W. owns the liquor license. The V.F.W. rents the kitchen and eating area to Mike's Kitchen. There is a server for alcohol and soft drinks who works for the V.F.W.. If you are not asked if you would like a drink, I know not a usual situation, just go to the bar and ask for the server or better yet just get your drinks. Again, I know not conventional, but wait or drink, up to you. Mike's Kitchen hires the servers for food and water. Confusing, I know it can be, but most nights you get very good to great local Italian food. Very fresh seafood and some of the best fried squid(with tentacles). All the squid Mike cooks is very good. You can always ask Mike's servers to get the drink server to come take your order. One last thing, you pay the bar server for your drinks when served. You pay for your food when done. One server for drinks, another server for food and water. If this is an issue than don't go. It's different than most. I have been going to Mike's since he opened, My memory fails me, I think in the late '70's and early'80's. Has every meal been perfect, no, but the vast majority of times the food was great. I got what I was craving for and it was prepared at a high level. In almost 35 years only twice was I disappointed and both times Mike fixed the situation. It was one of the most difficult dishes to prepare for a restaurants, Mike's stuffed chicken breasts, it is a whole stuffed breast with cheese and Italian ham. Dipped in a eggs and herbs and fried then baked. Every other time I ordered Chicken Mike it left me wanting more. There are lunch specials and daily specials on the wall near the bar. The lunch specials are a great value and a good way to try different dishes. The are too many meals for me to list them all. They were always served hot and flavorful. Very fresh seafood and delicious parm dinners and parm sandwiches. My last visit was Good Friday 2015. I never had the baked scrod in all these year. I asked the server what fish Mike used, the response was scrod. I didn't want to make a big deal but there is no species of fish called scrod. It's a food service term to describe a boneless, skinless fillets of white flaky fish. Well, I am glad I finally tried it, it was absolutely delicious. Very hot, very light crackers and bread crumbs. Baked in butter and lemon. It was cooked perfect, moist, flaky, tender, with no taste of fish what so ever. A slightly sweet tasting fish which soon was complimented by the lemon, butter, and crumbs. My bet is it was Cod. I got a side of potatoes roasted with olive oil, onions and spices. I love them. The onions along with the olive oil make them very tasty from roasting. You could have also had veg of the day with the potatoes or pasta. Well, sorry, but I have enjoyed Mike's for many years. If you are in the West-side of Cranston I would give Mike's a try. Sunday and Tuesday closed at night. Tuesday open for lunch. Right next to the Atwood Avenue softball field. Gustare! read more

Mikes kitchen - Baked Scrod on Good Friday 2015. Comes with side of pasta or pot. and veg. Not shown, sorry newbie. - Italian Near Me - Cranston, Rhode Island

i love tripe ( not your every day meal and harder to find) mikes gives the old italian style and it doesn't get better (anywhere) although i will say angelo's on the hill is just as good mike gives you a bigger position and mikes give you quantity!!! read more

Fabulous Down to earth authentic Italian food! Like mama made in her kitchen so good generous portions. You want wine and cocktails you order from VFW waitress and pay her, food is a Mikes waitress and it's paid separately. The polenta is to die for so creamy cheesy garlicky yum! Bacala is really good. Try the octopus I'm not a big fan of octopus but it is so delicious tender and yummy. We always eat there then take more food home with us. The waitresses are nice and efficient, very casual homey feel. Never disappointing. The only problem is that their food spoils you and you compare all Italian food with it. So so good. read more

Mikes kitchen - Italian Near Me - Cranston, Rhode Island

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It's been 23 years since I have been here at mikes. We decided to come here out of the blue. The place looks the exact same. The tables, decors and menu is the exact same. I ordered the seafood diablo and she had the tripe. Let me tell you, I was very disappointed when the dish came out. It was a regular plate, 2 lobster claws, half of a small lobster tail, 2 scallops and 1 shrimp. Tsk tsk. Back then when I had this dish it was so big it was enough for 2 people. It came out on a huge black shell like dish and also with mussels, clams and more! Should of went to federal hill like old canteen. read more

Mikes kitchen - Menu - Italian Near Me - Cranston, Rhode Island

Went to Mike's Kitchen with my cousin last night and had a great time. I started going to Mike's years ago with my Dad, who was a probation officer and worked next door in the old Cranston Police Station, and we would always have a great time. My dad and the owner were friends so he just made us something special and it was always great. We went there last night because I am moving out of RI and I wanted to have a authentic Italian dinner with my Cousin George, yep same name, and we were not disappointed. As my cousin said this is good old "Italian Peasant Food" and there is not disrespect in saying that. Both he and I are 100% Italian and we grew up eating the very food Mike's cooks. The other thing that make this place so special is that it's in a VFW building with tables, chairs and table cloths. Oh yeah and a map of Italy on one wall. You buy the food from the waitress and you buy your drinks from the bar. Cash only. I love and will miss this place. Very good memories and I am sure that I will not find something like this in Seattle. read more

Fantastic Italian food, service ambiance is family style. Awesome!!!!!! I recommend 100%!!!

I grew up in RI and left for California years ago. Whenever I come home to visit family I make my trip to "The Post" aka Mikes Kitchen. IMO the best italian food anywhere. Its a slice of life, its in a VFW hall, it's not fancy, the waitresses are older than the liberty bell and have an attitude, its cool, its Rhode Island, I love it. If you go in there expecting white table clothes and for them to kiss your ass you will be disappointed. If you go in knowing they don't need you, the service will be cranky and its cash only you will be treated to the best food Rhode Island has to offer and it's CHEAP! Think of it as dinner theatre, its Wicked Pissa! After writing this review I think I will go tonight and get the veal rollatini and clams casino. Better than the North End, Better than Federal Hill. Enjoy! read more

Food is just barely OK and the prices are high. The wait is long and the service is terrible. Miserable old waitstaff that never comes back to check and see if you need anything or if everything came out OK. Stingy meat portions on everything from the subs to the pasta dishes. Bread is chewy and terrible and dining room is a VFW. Dirty and rundown on its best day. Much better quality and service at Buca Di Beppo, Carrabbas or even Olive Garden. Not a place to waste your money. read more