Yikes, we too were fooled by the yelp rating of this place, but the food here was not good. This will be last time I will try strip mall Italian here in Austin. My husband ordered the butternut squash ravioli, and it was inedible. Tasted more like blueberry crisp then a savory ravioli entree. He returned it and got the shrimp fettuccine alfredo and the waiter was quite gracious about it, which is why I am giving them two stars not one. We will not be back. read more

This is a small business that is truly dedicated to presenting authentic Italian food. Everything is delicious and it is located near Mopac on Southwest Parkway! read more

My husband and I stopped here for a quiet dinner. Well, it wasn't quiet at all. The musicians were in another room and still so loud that you could not comfortably carry on a conversation. The food... We started with the Bruchetta. It was flavorful yet the bread was warm but not toasted. We both upgraded from the regular salad (included with the entree) to the Ceasar salad for an additional $2. The tiny salad came as nothing more than chopped romaine, a few croutons and bottled dressing. We were not impressed. My husband ordered the Fettuccine Ragu and I ordered the Chicken Marsala. Both were served piping hot and in a timely fashion. The quality of the food dishes was mediocre. The serving dishes were lightweight plastic and the utensils were the same low quality. I expected a better quality of food and atmosphere at this neighborhood spot. The meal cost $50...no wine or other ordered beverage. The service was great. read more

See all

Save yourself go somewhere else - I didn't finish my food 1 st time ever - I paid and left cut my losses.

Placed an order for delivery. The delivery was through Uber and it came promptly when the food was still warm so that was a plus. I ordered the Eggplant Parmesan...which to its credit did taste good. However it was such a tiny portion I couldn't believe I paid $14 for it. It was two very slim rounds of eggplant roughly 2.5" in diameter and .5" thick together with maybe a half a cup of sauce/cheese. We also ordered the Drunken Linguine. The picture was a white sauce which is not accurate and I assumed as much when I read the ingredients. It arrived purple which was fine. However the red wine was so overpowering to the rest of the ingredients that it just tasted like wine noodles. So literally red wine drunk noodles, not a saucy drunken noodle like you'd expect. Both dishes came with a side of bread which was panini pressed and was rubbery after transport. Since it all arrived warm, I don't know how much better it would have been on site either. Overall disappointed. read more

Tried this cute little place for lunch today. Love the general space, and the chicken fettucine alfredo was delicious-my friend's meat lasagne looked so good i might have to get that next time. Because oh yes, there will be a next time. read more

SO GOOD!!! Pizza and Ravioli were amazing. Its BYOB so we brought a bottle of wine and listened to the live music they had there. Great experience, great service, and GREAT food!! Highly suggest it. read more

This place is fantastic! Excellent service (appears to be family-run), good selection of dishes, and amazing desserts and baked treats! I'm always surprised to never have to wait for a table - this place is a hidden gem! read more

I live right down the street from Vespaio, but *this* is my favorite Italian restaurant in Austin. I just had the crostini di polenta, and I'm still dizzy with happiness; that was spectacular. I've eaten there half a dozen times, and every time I'm shocked by the utter delightfulness of whatever food I try; crepes, pasta, dessert, sausage... I'm from Chicago; I missed great Italian food a lot; not anymore. read more

Well I was in the midst of catching up on review writing and about to review this place. Well all the other reviews took the words out of my fingers. Family owned and operated by a real Italian immigrant family which should tell you it's mouth watering. A cute little cafe tucked away in a sad little strip mall on SW parkway. The best tiramisu I've ever ordered off a menu! Oh and it's BYOB! I love BYOB places for so many reasons. So if you want real delicious Italian that won't sodomize you for a plate of pasta this is the place to go. read more

I was hesitant to write a review on this place for fear of the local secret being made public. But, it looks like the secret is out. This place easily earns 5 stars. I had the lobster ravioli and it was unbelievable. The woman behind the counter (maybe the owner) made me feel like I was an invited guest to a home-cooked Italian meal. I give you my word that I will be back this weekend. read more

Found this little Gem while in town on business. My son and I came here for dinner, shared a bottle of wine, ate some beautiful food and ended with a cappuccino! Love this place and will be back!! Owner is super sweet, service was amazing! read more

This place is a total diamond in the rough. It's off the beaten path on Southwest Parkway..which is fine by me, very close to home :) I love the atmosphere, and the owners are so inviting they make you feel like you're in their home. The food is good, desserts are amazing, and the coffee is soooo good. It's a great place to take kids for lunch or have a nice dinner with your someone special. They have live music and the best part? You can bring your own beer or wine. read more

I work right near Milano Cafe, so have been there for lunch a few times. I would have to say it is just OK. The first time we had cannelloni and the Milano Salad. Both were good, but not special. Another time we had the marsala chicken and tried to have the Milano salad again, but were told after we paid that they were out of it. I asked them to put together something close to that salad, it was really the reason we came back. So, we got a mediocre salad and dry chicken marsala for $20. I probably won't be back, even with the almost perfect location. Austin just has too many great restaurants on offer. If you're in the neighborhood, I would recommend Craig-Os at Mopac over Milano cafe. read more

We've driven past this restaurant a million times and always wondered but never stopped... until tonight. Guys' night out with my 9-year old son. We were greeted by the owner, a very friendly and welcoming gentleman who sat us and made us feel right at home. Our server, Marley, was equally friendly and took amazing care of us. My son got the penne with butter and said "this is the best butter ever!" I had the special (shrimp and langoustines in garlic lemon volunteer sauce) and it was excellent -- great flavor, served hot and a generous portion of both seafood and pasta. We finished with chocolate mousse and carrot cake and both were, as everything, delicious, fresh and generous. Quit driving past this hidden gem, stop in and enjoy a great meal! 5-stars!!! read more

Alright I've lived in the neighborhood across from the Milano Cafe since it was opened. I was very excited to see a nice little Italian joint opening up for two reasons: 1. its a new alternative to the Subway next door and 2. It's Italian, I absolutely love a simple plate of ravioli or a plate of bruschetta, insalata mista and pizza. Overall I was very excited for the new development and I've really wanted to see this place be good. BUT... Now I give most restaurants at least two chances to try something new each time and being that it had been a while since the last time I'd eaten at Milano and it was rated so high, I was honestly surprised so I gave it a third try. So what did I think: 1. The owner was very proud as always. And selling his new high ratings hard. 2. Looking at the Menu I was thrown for the prices. I had forgotten how overpriced it was. To pay $14 for a plate of thick ravioli that I ordered at the counter is a little excessive. 3. I order the bruschetta, $7, and it was way under seasoned, bland. It looked nice but the bread was soggy. 4. I also ordered a simple pepperoni pizza. I asked if it was an authentic italian thin crust pizza and Sammy said, "Of Course. Real Italian NY pizza." Well he was right, I got a NY "like" pizza sans the authentic Italian. Pure crap sorry to be blunt. 5. The live music is pathetic. As bad as the music on the site, http://www.milanoaustin.com/ 6. The free salad is lettuce. Just lettuce so don't get your hopes up. 7. For the time it takes to get your food I'd be more comfortable it it was at least a sit down join with waiters but you order at a counter and take a number. Now I know I'm coming off very harsh but after I read such rave reviews, and heard the owner talk up his food so much I got high expectations. I've noticed some people who are giving such rave reviews are also comparing this to Olive Garden and Mac Grill. So if that's what you're used to then go to those places. I hate to say it but Milano Cafe is a sad excuse for an Italian Cafe. read more

I've had several great experiences here. The family is Italian and Albanian and the restaurant is run well. The Italian food is very Italian rather than Italian American. So, I'm thinking the folks who didn't like the food are unfamiliar with European food, in particular food from the Northeasternmost part of Italy and around the coastline to the east. The owner buys the food every day. It's organic if at all possible. I've never had a bad meal there. The sauce has been excellent. The cheese is real cheese (not the artificial Sysco garbage at most restaurants), the pizza crust is made from freshly made dough, not from a mix. My husband actually turned me on to the place. He works nearby and would come home talking at length about this amazing food. It took me forever to strong-arm him into taking me there, but I haven't looked back. The place is open all the time. The interior is modern and spacious and the live music they occasionally have is great. The food comes out so fast at lunch. I couldn't believe that such a fresh salad could come out in 10 minutes! The pizza is enough for a person, but you can share a couple of plates comfortably. If you like the Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill or some of the giant chains, this place will probably not suit you. You may not know that Italians don't serve everything covered in red sauce like the chains have trained you to believe. The sauces are not prepared by chemists in a factory in New Jersey and will have the imperfection of being made daily (which I find exciting). The ravioli are made, the lettuce is lettuce and the cucumber is cucumber. They use salt, pepper and lemon; in short, they serve Food that has been made, not assembled. Eat here. If you enjoy food more than chemistry, you will enjoy it. read more

I dream of their food ! Though I live in Round Rock, I have made a few trips to this place. MIlano cafe is a breath of fresh air admist the olive gardens and other italian chains. Amazing food, great friendly and feel at home atmospheare, happy smiling faces serving you, BYOB and complimentary iced tea and lemonade. What else do you want ? This place feels like one big happy family :) read more

I really enjoy myself every time I go there! It is small and personal, but because of the acoustics in the building can be very loud, which is fine by me because I'm not there for romance and privacy. It is set up wide open, a bit crowded, with a neat modern feel. Food- great!!! Especially desserts, always save room! And I love that I can just buy some wine at the place next door and drink it with dinner without paying a fortune per glass like most Italian joints. Service isn't the quickest, but they don't staff heavily given the size of the place so don't go if in a terrible hurry. read more

Came here for lunch and it was quite delicious. You order at the counter, then take a number. I had the spinach ravioli with an alfredo-y sauce and yes, it definitely tasted freshly-made. The sauce looked a little too buttery/greasy but that's maybe why it tasted good. I didn't realize there were also pizzas on the menu so I gotta try that next time. The seating is a little weird because there are only 5-6 tables to eat on and the rest of the place is a lounge for you to use your laptop in, but not necessarily the ideal eating seats. The people who worked there were nice too. read more

Went shopping at Barton Creek Mall on a Saturday and checked out yelp to find a place to eat nearby. Milano came up with great reviews and it was right off Southwest Parkway. Don't let the shopping strip store front fool you, Milano is legit. We ordered the Spinach Ravioli and the Fettuccine Carbonara. The Carbonara had a really delicious smokey flavor to it from the Bacon that they used. It was a bit more creamy than I would have liked in a Carbonara but still delicious. The Spinach ravioli was equally good. The prices at Milano are a few dollars too high I feel but the complimentary tea/lemonade makes up for it. You fill it up yourself so it's basically unlimited. If I lived closer to Milano I'd definitely try some more pasta's. read more

I love this place. They are closed on Sundays but will open up for a private party. Kids eat free on Monday and Tuesday with the purchase of an adult meal. Food is good. Price is good. BYOB (I recommend the convenience store next door over the King's Liquor next door)! It's ok...everyone brings a bottle of wine here. read more

Food was blah. Salad was wilted and in some cases rotten black mush,and when we called to complain because we had ordered take out they didn't care. I'll never go back read more

This review is based off customer service and not the food (as we never had the opportunity to try it). Last night I went to Milano for the first time at 7:15 (Friday night). We were seated immediately and given water by the lady who sat us. We waited for 20 minutes for someone to come to our table and take our wine/appetizer order. No one ever came by or acknowledged us so we walked out. I have worked in the restaurant industry so I understand Friday nights around 7 can be busy but we were one of 4 tables. 3 different waiters served the 3 tables around us multiple times, made eye contact with us often but no one ever stopped by. Very disappointing. read more

I'm now fully convinced they have the best freaking pizza in Austin. My current favorite: Pepperoni with basil. Simple, clean flavor. Not too light, not to heavy. And the crust. Oh my god. So perfect! The guy imports his flour from Italy because he says he couldn't find any American flour that worked as well as Italian. So insanely legit. It just doesn't get any better than this! read more

Pizza in Austin has been a bit of a sore spot in it's lineup. Eastside Pies and Homeslice from what I gather seem to have think crispy crust which seems to be popular. I wanted a place that seemed casual and not over hyped so therefore crowded, more personal and slightly intimate. I decided on Milano's Cafe, I liked the reviews I read. BYOB is fun for the customer, maybe not for the owners, and I wanted to try it. The location is in my opinion, terrible. Hidden on Southwest Parkway in a strip center, you better know it's there or you will miss it. The place itself is pretty small. My party of 8 couldn't be accommodated even if we decided to go outside. The outside seating consists of one table. But we were patient, we enjoyed the complimentary lemonade and iced tea, we made a quick trip down to the liquor store in the strip center and bought some wine (no corking fee) and with little time a large party left and we were quickly seated. My buddy talked to the owner and discovered he is Italian and Albanian, which is influenced on the menu. Mostly your Italian staples with some pleasant twists. Drunken pasta, a gorgonzola sauce that was quite tasty and some wonderful pizza options. Everyone enjoyed what they ordered. My somewhat hard to impress friend said the pizza we both had was some of the best he'd ever had. I thought it was a bit salty but tasty all the same. Kind of heavy on the onions in the Greek salad which I don't care for onions but I enjoyed the dressing so much that I picked off some and ate through enough. Finally, the desert I think was from a fresh delivery service, but the Tiramisu was frozen, tasty but frozen. It's supposed to be cafe style, so you order and seat yourself, the food is brought out to you. The decor is nice and simple. When I went there were two guys playing guitar and singing covers. Over all this place was solid, I recommend it and would try it again if I was in the area or if they opened one up North as the owner mentioned he might but I'm not going out of my way to eat there again. read more

Stunning food. I love it great food and pasta. Butternut squash ravioli is amazing. Good prices. read more

I really like this little Italian place on SW Parkway. I live close, so it's really convenient when I want a good cup of coffee or some delicious food. I've been a few times just for that purpose and it's a great alternative to the big box coffee shops in Austin. They really know how to make a good espresso. The place is situated in a strip mall, but has a nice European decor with a few modern tables and chairs on one side and some comfy couches on the other. They also have a few tables outside which remind me a little bit of Satriale's meat market on the Soprano's. The food is always really delicious. I've had a few panani's and bruschetta, all of which were great. Had that great homemade feel to them. Never had a full meal here, but I presume the food would be really great as well. Currently they are BYOB and have free Wi-Fi. I really like to come here, relax, and hang out. Cool place and nice people. read more

An unexpected pleasure, all was over the top fresh and prepared beautifully. Walked next door after we ordered and got our brew quicker than any waiter can bring it! read more

This place is one of the best kept secrets in Austin. The recipes are 4th generation authentic Italian recipes passed down over the years. I also love how family oriented Sam is. Just about everytime we have gone there his family is there just hanging out. It's very old school Italian, but in a good way. The veal and tiramisu are the best I have ever had. Great prices as well. We had our rehersal dinner here and it was just wonderful. Sam and John customized a menu for us, and took really good care of us. Support local businesses!!!!!! read more

Food is good but service is horrible! Never asked once to refill my drink. Slow on a slow night - no excuse. I can't even find the server as I type this to get the check and leave. This horrible service is not up to Yelper standards! And the place has no character when you walk in- it is like they furnished the place from a surplus office sale or something. read more

Wonderful food and excellent service! We had the calamari, linguini di mare, and tortellini Gorgonzola. Good was super delish! Now we're getting dessert from their amazing selection! We will definitely be coming back! read more

We have been going to this restaurant for 3 years. We loved the location, the food, the friendly service and the ambiance. It was BYOB with no uncorking fee. Our favorites were the Beef Cannelloni, the Florentine Manicotti, and the Crostini di Polenta. We went recently and were very disappointed. They no longer have the Beef Cannelloni or the Crostini di Polenta. The prices have gone up and it is no longer BYOB. This restaurant serves small portions for the price. They also serve a very small (and I do mean small) salad. It always did this, but with the prices higher, it no longer seems worth it. read more

We love this place! Great food, plenty of parking, convenient location, great service. I assure you, I've not been paid for this review. I am Italian and from New York. I know good Italian food. This place is FANTASTIC. The owner is very nice and friendly (and from Italy). The wait staff has always been good. We have eaten here MANY times because it's close to home. We've had the butternut squash ravioli, penne bolognese, lasagna, chicken parmesan, spaghetti and meatballs, eggplant parmesan, cheesecake, tiramisu, red velvet cake and carrot cake. Without exception, everything has been very good. Calamari, bruchette and caprese appetizers have all been good. Yes, it's a LITTLE pricey, but it's worth it. PLEASE try it out and make up your own mind. I have no idea why some people have given poor ratings. I'm not sure what they were expecting. This place is great, authentic Italian food. read more

Great food, amazing customer service and funky little tucked away spot. The owner really enjoy his business and customers. It's nice to go somewhere where they take pride in each transaction and experience. Mom-n-pop restaurant that charges more than others but delivers on experience and a pleasant dining experience. read more

A cute little eatery with very good food! My wife tried the risoto con pollo & I did the fettucine ragu (sausage & mushrooms with a tomato creme basil sauce). We also had a margarita pizza for an appetizer. Nice crust & really tasty. 8" sizes only. Both dishes were really good! Service left a little to be desired but they did have 2 large (10-12) parties. We'll go back! read more

Bland bland bland. This place has so much potential but misses the mark. I think the chef needs to learn more about seasoning the food. I was really surprised at how bland the food was. I was hoping to make this a regular date night place for the hubby and me, but no such luck. The red velvet cake was pretty good, though. read more

Great food and service. The carbonara was amazing. They now sell their own wine and beer so no more byob!

The best food and attention we could ask for? Sami and Gigi are great proprietors. Unlikely, but if you if ever have any concerns, they will make things right! South Austin is lucky to have this great Italian cuisine. read more

I was shocked that this small Italian place in a strip mall was this delicious. The staff is extremely friendly, has wonderful daily specials and everything tasted fresh and authentic. I had a lobster ravioli, reasonably priced and a salad, which dressing and vegetables were quite fresh. Try this place and you'll like it! read more