While I lived on the West Coast, I was a restaurant Writer for the LA Times and restaurant consultant. Moving to Ohio, we were searching for some exceptional restaurants and discovered a great one, the Milano Café, in Lima, Ohio. We were served a crisp green salad. We were impressed with the quality and size of the salads since it was included with our dinner. For my entrée, I decided on the Filet Mignon with toppings of Gorgonzola Butter and Sautéed Mushrooms. The toppings were extra and worth every cent! The steak was juicy and prepared to perfection, and I savored every bite. I also ordered a side of Fettuccine Alfredo with mushrooms, which were great compliments to the filet. A well thought out wine list was paired with menu selections. My husband ordered Wild Mushrooms Fettuccine. The pasta was cooked just right, and the sauce perfectly complimented the Wild Mushrooms. . read more

Friendly staff, accommodating kitchen, and definition mom and pop traditional recipes! Will always recommend

When arriving we were seated immediately and our order was taken within minutes.. we ordered a veggie pizza and a bottle of Chardonnay. The pizza was phenomenal.. thin crust a hint of garlic and tons of fresh veggies.. eggplant asparagus mushrooms and a touch of basil.. a true experience! Don't miss out on this pizza!! read more

We just tried this restaurant for the first time! EXCELLENT! The sangria was perfect, and the veal was tender. We appreciated the intimate atmosphere, and they server was kind and attentive. FIVE. STARS. read more

Milano Cafe - Italian Near Me - Lima, Ohio

Got the family 4 pack fish dinner to go during the Stay-at-home order. Fish was delicious and there was plenty of food. Girls out front handling the orders were working very hard to get everyone served. read more

We went for the oyster buffet that was advertised. The service was good. The food was ok. We wished the buffet was better attended. A lot of out of food items and need someone just wiping up little spills around dishes that happen at every buffet when people are serving themselves. Also, do not shuck all the oyster at once. The things like fresh shucked should be what I wait for not the soup, fries, Rockefeller, and shrimp. Also no mussels that were on advertisement and labeled. Also, we made reservations and got tiny wall seat in Bar area???Over all OK! read more

Good environment but food not very good for price. Had a center pink meatball and asked the server if their meatballs have pork in them. She said no it's just beef. Owner stopped by a few mins later and told me it was a pork/beef mixture. It was so raw in the middle, couldn't eat it. read more

Although Milano is unpretentious when viewed from the outside, the food is quite good and the service is great. Moreover, when I left my glasses in the parking lot, they not only found them, but shipped them to me at their own expense. read more

Was disappointed with the food. Ordered veal piccata. The house salad was somewhat aged but served with a cup of blue cheese was a positive. The house dressing was fair. But by far the veal was the worse part of the meal. It was heavily breaded and too thick for piccata. The lemon and capers were not able to be found and overall the meal was bland and lacked flavor. I added squeezed lemon and it helped a little. The pasta also lacked flavor. I ordered a cannoli for dessert. The filling was a little dry. But the cannoli itself was thick and over fried. I came here by recommendation of my hotel clerk and when I saw her upon return I told her the meal was not up to her hype. I would not return. read more

Zero stars. We arrived at 6:45 pm on a Monday evening. No one was waiting to be seated. No one was working front of house. We had waited 10 mins. then a waiter walked by and said someone would be with us soon. There were others dining so we know it was open. We waited another 10 mins. with no contact from anyone in the restaurant. At this point we left. No one beyond that waiter even acknowledged our existance. read more

We met my parents here for a late Sunday lunch. (There are not a lot of non-chain options in Lima, which is a halfway meeting point.) The restaurant has a small lunch buffet on Sundays. The food was average with the pork cutlet being the best thing in the buffet. They give you a mini cannoli at the end of the meal. Since they are not my typical dessert choice and I don't have them often, it was good. Our server was very attentive, which made the dining experience enjoyable even if the food was only average. read more

Great food and even better live music with Kevin Ashba and Spaz. Wonderfully relaxing to hear authentic musicianary!!!!! Definitely coming back! It's so nice to have both fine dining and live talent of this caliber! read more

Milano Cafe - Italian Near Me - Lima, Ohio

Wow! Just absolutely the best Salmon, the best Lamp Chops my husband & I have ever eaten, just perfectly prepared! Service was outstanding, but the food was simply amazing!!! read more

Frank and the gang know how to take care of their customers. My family goes to Milano Cafe at least once a week and especially during lunch time. The lunch menu has great options to choose from and at great prices and a great selection. They also have an extensive wine list and great cocktails (and one of the few places that offer craft beers) If you are visiting Lima and are looking for a fun environment with good authentic Italian cuisine, this is the place to go. read more

Owner and staff are very friendly and it's all about the food. A regular stop for me when I'm in Lima. Last visit, Veal Florentini which was great. You always leave there knowing you'll be back again. read more

My brother and sister in law just moved to Lima and we went to dinner at Cafe Milano. Fantastic service. Awesome food. Terrific entertainment on Saturday night. Can't say enough good things. If you are in Lima I promise you can't miss this! We will be back. Many times! read more

We have driven by the place several times and always said we needed to stop. We tried it last night and now we can say we have. The food had a lack of seasoning. Everything tasted the same, bland. Way over priced for what you get. I will say the staff was friendly. read more

We went here for our Easter dinner. Very pleasant and nice people. I had chicken Marsala and would not recommend it. My husband had chicken parma and it was also bad. I tasted the ravioli and pesto and they were flavorless. I will say we did not do the brunch which was chicken and ham...maybe we should have. I would not recommend this place. Salad was good. read more

We ate there last night 12/15/2017 and the food wasn't very good. I had the lasagna the sauce was very salty and the lasagna noodles weren't cooked all the way through. The salad was wilted and you could tell it was made in the morning or earlier than that. My party of 7 got there at 6 ish and the services was great. To bad the food wasn't. I'm not from Lima so maybe I was expecting more. But $20.00 for sub par food is a lot. They weren't that busy, it was clean. Christmas dinner with co-workers will be at a different place next year. read more

Our theatre fraternity, NOTFA, booked a banquet room at Milano Café for Saturday Jan 5. We had many requirements and some changes to our schedule. but the staff was patient and accommodating. The room was clean and tastefully decorated. The seating was arranged to allow everyone to eat at the same table. The food, which is always super, did not fail to please. Many of our Associates took boxes of left-overs home with them. The evening was highlighted by Frank and his highly professional staff. read more

If you would enjoy fanatic Service and the best Italian food in Ohio A wonderful atmosphere at an affordable price This is a place you have to try read more

I've been staying in Lima for 10 days now and this is the best place that I have eaten at. All of the other restaurants around here seem to be chains. The Milano Cafe has great pasta and salad, and the bread they bring you to start (for free) is incredible. It has cheese and garlic on it. The service wasn't the greatest, but honestly I can excuse that for a delicious meal in a place that lacks good restaurants. read more

The best way to describe this place is a diamond in the rough! My boyfriend and I arrived around 930pm on a Friday night. The atmosphere was clean and somewhat romantic but laid back. The staff were very friendly and attentive! We began with the calamari in a sauce consisting of olive oil, lemon, parsley and pepperoncini and it was heavenly!! I ordered a chicken dish topped with marsala sauce with a side of vegetables. My boyfriend had angel hair pasta topped with shrimp, calamari and scallops. Both of our dishes came with salads with their house dressing and we both said yes to bleu cheese on our salads. Their dressing with bleu cheese and kalamata olives blended together beautifully on the salads. Our entrees did not disappoint. My chicken was fully cooked yet still moist and the vegetables were cooked perfectly being not raw and not soggy but nicely sauteed. The angel hair pasta with shrimp, calamari and scallops was so good that I was picking off of his plate. Our entire meal was $50 not including tip. They provide both pricey and cheap items on their menu. This entire experience was fantastic and we will be coming back! read more

We live in Utah, so going to Milano's is a sometime thing, but we've been there 4-5 times over the years. Whenever we are in Europe, and we are there a lot, I go out of my way to eat pork, veal, and chicken because the European version of each of these is far superior to what we get stuck with in America, but Milano's veal comes closer to what veal is supposed to be than we have ever found anywhere else in the USA. read more

Last week was my first visit to Milano's and yes, I am now a fan. A one star deduction because it seemed to me nearly every entree included mushrooms...mushrooms, mushrooms everywhere and on everything. Being a hater, my options were rather limited. But the chicken parm was mushroom-free and was excellent. Dad ordered the lasagna (alas...mushrooms included) and said it was better than the Casa-Lu-Al. Mom had a bowl of vegetable soup (looked good, if you like that kind of thing) and a baked potato. Soup was reported to be excellent. Our server was attentive and all of our food was piping hot...I mean straight from the oven without delay. Decor is nice, maybe slightly outdated but Milano's is a nice place and I recommend it. read more

Awesome food and service see my check in for more information. Check out the wine menu as well. Very affordable wine prices

My husband and I had dinner here and were happily surprised. Milano Café has a nice variety on the menu, offering steaks, seafood and pasta. I had the Seafood Palermo while hubby had the fried shrimp. The seafood in my dish were cooked nice and crispy but not overcooked and had a nice lemon, garlic flavor. Nor was it over done with too much butter or oil. the sauce was just right. Hubby's shrimp were nice and large with a crispy coating. We also enjoyed the side salad and bread. Our server was very polite. He was young and inexperienced but, he was pleasant and attentive. We will definitely be back. read more

Easily my favorite restaurant in Lima. I've never had a disappointing meal. The service is prompt and courteous. The prices are reasonable. They have a nice bar with seating at the bar or tables. I highly recommend the pasta and meatballs. read more

We are an Italian family and drive an hour and a half from Columbus, Ohio to eat at the Milano Cafe. I first found the Milano Cafe on a business trip. My co-worker and I went and just really enjoyed it. We wanted someplace that we could not eat at in Columbus and the Milano Cafe came highly recommended by the locals in Lima. A month later, I took my Italian husband back there for our anniversary. The owner, Frank, came out and offered to make my husband a dish that was not on the menu. We fell in love with the pizza sauce and the food was wonderful! We told Frank about my Father-in-law, critical Italian man that will not eat at a restaurant again if the food and service is sub-par. "Call me before you bring your Dad, and I will make a great family meal for all of you!" So that is what we did last Friday night. Grabbed the Italian parents, called Frank so he could start cooking, and drove the hour and a half up to the Milano Cafe. Frank did not disappoint! We had salad, with dressing that beats anything we have ever tasted, the cheese bread was perfect. This was just the surface. Next came the homemade meatballs and of course we had a bowl of the homemade pizza sauce to dip everything in. We had chicken Parmesan, Rigatoni, the seafood pasta, lemon chicken, fennel sausage with peppers onions and potatoes, fettucini alfredo and finally my Father-in-law said "I'm full". (He never says that!) Frank had really out done himself, and Joe, the son, was as personable as they come. I reccommend this restaurant to anyone from in town, out of town and out of state for that matter! Thanks Milano Cafe! We will be bringing the Uncle's next, that will be the true test! PS- ask for Brandon, the waiter, when you go. He has the inside scoop and is the best waiter in town! read more

I grew up in Lima, Ohio eating Milano's food and I eat there every time I'm in town! They have, hands down, the best sauce and homemade meatballs I have ever tasted! I have lived in NY for the past 20 years and have eaten at some of the best Italian restaurants in the city, including Patsy's and Il Mulino's in Manhattan, Gargiulo's and Bamonte's in Brooklyn, Dominick's and Mario's in The Bronx, and Rao's in Harlem. None of these restaurants even come close to touching Milano's sauce and homemade meatballs! Every time I visit Lima I look forward to two things, seeing my family and eating at Milano's - some times I even stop at Milano's before I go to my parents house! My favorite dishes are, of course, the spaghetti with homemade meatballs and/or homemade Italian sausage, the homemade lasagna, and the pasta Vesuvio. If you don't see what you want on the menu, just ask for Frank because he can probably make it for you! So if you find yourself in Lima, Ohio and want to try the best sauce outside of Italy, stop in at Milano's for generous portions, reasonable prices, friendly staff, and great service - you won't be sorry that you did! read more

The food is sub-par and incredibly overpriced. The last time we went there, we went with a large group. I ordered the Pasta Vesuvio, which is an angel hair pasta with shrimp and scallops. I only ordered it because it came highly recommended by the waiter. When it arrived I was highly disappointed. I had ordered the full portion while the person next to me had decided to split hers with another diner. I was very angry to see that our portion sizes were exactly the same, however, she had paid half price for hers. My food was dry and flavorless. The pieces of scallop were minuscule and the the shrimp were few and far between. There was not any kind of sauce and there was just a lump of pasta. While there, I also sampled the swordfish (incredibly dry and overcooked) and the chicken Parmesan (once again, dry and flavorless). For 18 dollars, I expect much more in both portion size and flavor. The service was average, and the decor was mediocre. Overall, I expected much more and was highly disappointed with my experience. The quality of the food is terrible and it is way overpriced. read more

I frequently dine out at several restaurants, but love locally owned establishments. I find the food selection, presentation, taste, and service is not even close to chain restaurants. I often order things that are not on the menu, and especially enjoy Milano Cafe because Frank and his family have always made this possible over the years. I have had both King crab and snow crab, prime cuts of meat, and authentic Sicilian pasta dishes made by the family. His son Joey often cooks the meals I enjoy today. I cannot say enough about the servers and staff who have worked for him both in the past and present, some over a decade or two. I think its wonderful that my server (Sue) and favorite bartender (Missy) not only recognize me, but remember food selections, beverages, and even what salad dressings and food particularities I have. There are not too many restaurants that I would dine alone at. When I go to Milano's even though its a "party of one" I never feel alone. Although all of this is great, what is even better is I realize I'm not the only one who gets this service. That's why I keep going back. read more

I eat at Milano's once or twice a month and it is my favorite restaurant. Last night I had the NY strip, med rare. It was cooked perfectly with the fats charred crisp on the edges, just like I like. Smothered in caramelized onions and Gorgonzola, zucchini and broccoli on the side. $24 bottle of Malbec and side salad with their house dressing. Very yummy to my tummy. Also, yummy, lamb chops, ribeye, seafood salad. I usually get the seafood salad or a steak. The tennis ball sized meatballs are the bomb. Plus the icing on the cake is the great customer service with friendly, knowledgeable waitstaff and a manager on duty who will always stop by your table and say hello. I read through these reviews and I have gone here over 20 times since moving to Lima a couple of years ago with my kids and my friends and this place is always on point, that's why I can't believe some of these reviews??? Of all the times I have gone, consistent delicious food good service. Best in town. read more