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    North Italia

    4.0 (165 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

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    NORTH ITALIA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Upscale
    Moderate noise

    Recommended Reviews - North Italia

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    Pete M.

    Friends!!! Just arrived and I'm already impressed!!! I typically frequent the camelback location, but wanted to try something new!!!! So, we came here. The dining experience went well, the food was very good, hit, and flavorful. The service was very good also, and our server Alicia took great care of our party. The environment was so upbeat and everyone in the restaurant was just plain happy. Really positive vibes, cool friendly people. Then, my whole experience took a nose dive. I had over half of my pizza left and the rest of my part also had leftover food to take, so our server came and brought cool red boxes and a pizza box for me that was quite large. I asked for a red smaller box, and she went in her way. Alicia returned with a box and I put my food in it, and due to it being dark, I didn't notice......the box was filthy! It was covered in a thick layer of dust (dirt) outside and inside. This box came from somewhere where it was not protected. I engaged the manager on duty who expressed concern, looked at my box, apologized, and took it away. I saw him head to the side bar area, grab all the boxes, and walk towards the kitchen with them. The disheartening thing was this....they took my food away, that was in a dirty food box, and I was given my receipt to pay for it, even though more than half my food was taken away and thrown away. I paid, over 50$, only for my leftover items to be thrown away. Now, I have the means to pay, but wouldn't someone think to at least offer a discount for the experience of having one's food items thrown away? I ended up paying and tipping, without expressing any concern and left. The dirty red box experience really put a damper on the entire experience. No discount, nothing....just a bill for the full amount and I had nothing to take home. I guess that's how customer service works nowadays, and leadership was engaged in this situation. Grace: F- for dirtiness and unsanitary conditions. UPDATE: I responded to the business owner: Juan from Guest Services called me and we had a productive conversation. Thank you Juan for your great attention and empathy towards the situation, I appreciate you.

    Spicy Rigatoni Vodka
    Amanda K.

    We got in late and wanted some pasta and found this place. Parking is a bit confusing as it's on ASU's campus. We had ordered online, food took a little longer than what the estimated time. Our bill came out to $72 for 2 pasta's and the garlic bread. My husband for the spicy rigatoni and he said his was good. And I got the Ricotta Cavatelli it had a lot of lump crab and the shrimp was huge, it had a little kick. The garlic bread was delicious! Definitely a place to check out!

    banana caramel butter cake
    Sierra H.

    new north italia location next to asu! nice dark ambiance perfect for a girls night or date :) food is always great, my favorite was the strozzapreti and the seasonal butter cake!

    Bolognese (House Specialty), Trottole Chicken Pesto
    Isaias F.

    North Italia is about a 10 minute drive from our office, so my team and I decided to grab lunch here today. We made a reservation for 11:30AM for about 10 people. We arrived a bit early, but they had our tables ready to go. Upon being seated, our waitress quickly came up to offer us water while we waited for the rest of the team to arrive. We were also given ample time to decide on our orders. Since this was my first time at North Italia, I decided on the Bolognese (House speciality) pasta. I also added meat balls (it only comes with meat sauce). I also shared some of the White Truffle Garlic Bread and Prosciutto Bruschetta with my colleagues. Everything tasted great! My pasta had the right combination of sauce, meat, and pasta (mind you, I did add meatballs, but still). The meatballs were really good and really filling - chef's kiss! Overall, the service was excellent. Our waitress made sure we had everything we needed and topped off our drinks as necessary. She did a great job with our large party. If you go here, make sure you park in the ASU parking garage on Packard Dr. The restaurant will validate your parking for up to 2 hours.

    Truffle bread
    Farrah A.

    Love North Italia. Their gluten-free pizza is what I usually order, but this time, my dining companion (Mrs Gretel Y) insisted I try the truffle bread. YUM. Def not gluten-free but warm, fluffy, and rich! I also tried their yellowtail crudo for the first time. Never noticed this on the menu and so glad we ordered it! We also ordered the branzino. It's my go-to, along with their organic red wine by the glass. Great service, nice big patio... great location.

    Crispy Eggplant Parmesan
    Gabi M.

    I've been to a handful of North Italia locations and can attest that it's consistent in terms of overall experience, service, and food. It's always a safe bet! So when this new location was suggested for a dinner meet-up amongst friends/colleagues, I was all in to try it! As others have mentioned, the parking situation is a bit confusing. I ended up parking in a garage that was right across from North, but supposedly it was not the one that they validate for. Oh well. Once I made it in, the experience was mostly smooth. We enjoyed zucca chips as an appetizer (my fave), followed by a simple salad to share (we wanted to get our veggies in). Next up was eggplant parm (me), the honey hot pizza (Bailey) and the lump crab & shrimp cavatelli (Gretel). We were all pleased with our orders although Bailey's request for a side of ranch took multiple asks and a really long time to fill. We finished with the seasonal buttercake (gingerbread), which was a perfect sweet treat. I'd return for sure but beware of the parking and maybe avoid during busy times on campus.

    Sunday Night Lasagna
    Candii B.

    I have previously visited North Italia in the Arcadia area and it is definitely one of my favorite restaurants. This was my first time at the Tempe Novus location and it did not disappoint. The interior is very sleek and modern, the restaurant itself was clean and organized. Mood lighting set the tone for the night as I was celebrating my partners birthday. For drinks i ordered the Espresso Martini, which was perfect. Creamy and not too vodka heavy. For food we ordered the Roasted Fingerling Potatoes as something to snack on while we waited, and for entrees we ordered the Spicy Rigatoni Vodka and the Sunday Night Lasagna. The rigatoni vodka is definitely my go to choice when I come to North Italia and was delicious. I also snuck a bite of that lasagna and whew, I will be getting that for myself next time. Since we were celebrating a birthday we got a dessert on the house and went with the Maple Glazed Bomboloni's which were perfection. Maple and apple goodness. Our server Lily, was absolutely great and very stylish might I add! I will definitely be returning to this location to check out the brunch sometime soon!

    Margarita pizza- Tie dye style, Sicilian Meatball or Chicken Pesto Garlic Knot Sliders, and the Tuscan Kale salad
    Abbie M.

    Absolutely love this new location! Such good food and drinks, a lot of items are great portions for sharing!

    Kids Pasta  It had no leaf... i am disappointed and i think olive garden is better
    Amaya B.

    Olive garden can do a much better job. There was no leaf on my pasta, and no garlic breadsticks.

    Anfeca A.

    Perfect place for happy hour! We were craving a good Aperol Spritz, and North Italia did not disappoint. The drink was perfectly balanced -- light, refreshing, and just what we needed. Parking was easy, with the choice to valet or park nearby and take a short walk to the restaurant. We happened to arrive during happy hour and couldn't pass up the board and bottle deal for $44. You can choose between red or white house wine and either a chef's board or a flatbread. We opted for the meat and cheese board, which came with whipped ricotta, prosciutto, assorted cheeses, fresh bread, and other tasty bites -- the perfect pairing with our wine. The large outdoor patio made the evening even better. As the sun set, it created a beautiful backdrop and warm ambiance. Even though the patio filled up quickly after we arrived around 4:30 PM, our service remained friendly and attentive. We never felt rushed -- just relaxed and happy to soak it all in.

    Braised short ribs
    George E.

    In Tempe, looking for a good meal on date night. The Novus area is blowing up as a hip and new hot spot. There are several great options and North Italia years ago was a delicious choice. The restaurant chain was sold by Sam Fox a few years ago. The interior is sleek, clean and a high energy vibe. We had reservations and were seated on time. The grilled bread with olive oil, grana pardana and herbs was our first choice. It was bland, not much taste and appeared more toasted rather than grilled. 3/5. The seasonal vegetables contained dates, cauliflower, butternut squash, brussel sprouts, pecorino, regular, white balsalmic and chicken. The salad was very busy, lots of accutramonts but not a refined salad taste. It appeared to have ingredients that were just thrown together. 3/ 5. Our final selection was the braised short rib lumache with grana padano crema, horseradish gremolata, and herbs, arugula and breadcrumbs. The short ribs were very salty but tender. If half the salt was removed, it would of been eatable. 3 / 5. Years ago, North Italia was a shining star. That is not the case today. A change in ownership has not been good for diners or your palate. The mussels with grilled bread were legendary, but not available today. It is sad to says, North Italia has gone south with food quality. It is a real disappointment. I guess it will be sometime till I give North Itala another chance. So sad!

    Tortelloni al Pomodoro
    Christine B.

    We love the North down in SanTan but came to this new location for two reasons: it was closer for our son and the Restaurant Week menu enticed us in. This glittery new area has a North, Flower Child and Blanco with valet parking if you'd like. We chose to park in the Novus Place Parking Structure. Here came disappointment #1: apparently North will validate you for two hours but we didn't know this and paid the $8. I don't think it would be difficult for a server to ask you once during dinner if you need parking validated. We sure would have appreciated that. The great thing about Restaurant Week is trying three courses at a new place. The Little Gem Caesar was very good. It was a large portion of fresh greens, grated grana padano and very tasty croutons. For my main course I had the Tortelloni al Pomodoro. It's a simple dish done well and not as large of a portion but I still enjoyed it. Disappointment #2 was huge though. The reason we'd all come in was for the advertised butter cake dessert which was supposed to be amarena cherries, chocolate sauce and pistachio gelato. They just decided to change it to a pumpkin flavor with pepitas even though Restaurant Week wasn't over yet. We all were super bummed!

    Our server, Malina.  Rock star.
    Rich S.

    Large place. Lots of room we choose outdoor seating (less noise). Even in 100° heat, the patio fans kept us comfortable. Staff super professional and friendly. Reservation was honored promptly Started with the Butternut Squash Soup- OMG! The boss had the Caesar salad (yes you can get a half). Fresh, light and crispy. Choice 1. Sunday night lasagna. Meaty, flavorful with the braised short rib. Hard to describe, but didn't feel "heavy". Choice 2. Vodka Rigatoni. A little spice and heat. Chunks of sausage. Rich sauce, and a slow, mild after-burn. Both 5 star. The trouble started with the dessert menu - how do you choose? We landed on the Brookie Sundae. The food, and ambiance is well worth the trip. Malina helped move it from a dinner to a dining experience. Highly recommend. Our server Malina. Rocked it.

    Short rib lasagna!

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    A great luhch!! Food, service, ambience... it has it all!! We shared the artichoke and a margarita pizza! Both super yummy!!

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    Ask the Community - North Italia

    Does this place have a dog friendly patio?

    yep!

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    Drop Dead Gorgeous

    Drop Dead Gorgeous

    4.2
    (89 reviews)
    0.8 mi

    Gotta luv the changing vibes in Tempe!!! After a great dinner experience celebrating an anniversary…read moreat Filthy Animal, we slid over to Drop Dead Gorgeous to relax, chill & take in some more craft cocktails. Anytime you're dealing with a speakeasy, you feel like a VIP, and that's how we felt that evening. What a great way to close out the night, as the vibe and decor are what I'm all about. Do plan ahead with reservations. Our Server from FA & Bartender here hooked it up for us with a special toast and celebration for our anniversary!! VIP Treatment with the 70's to 2000's vibe. Looking forward to my return.

    I really wanted to love this place. Let me set off with the positives. The decor, the DJ, the…read moreseating ambience, and overall just vibes are 100%, 5/5 out of five stars. The chicken tenders were fire!!! What is lacking on this occasion was service. The server that we had was so unattentative. I have never been in a cocktail lounge in my life and had to beg for drinks. Our server would wait until every drinks was made for all of her tables before bringing out drinks. It was ridiculous. She was nice but seemed high. I ended up only having 2 drinks. We would have ordered more but they have 90min max seating and we didn't event get drinks for the first 30min. No exaggeration. Also one of my drinks I had to send back. My apple martini tasted like soap. It was like they did clean the glass after giving a soap bath. No bueno. So they need to get their service to match the vibe of a true cocktails lounge. Yes it is a 70s vibe but doesn't mean the lackadaisical style service. I would come back and try again. The music, the atmosphere and the food was good. They gotta get these cocktails together and service. We ended up walking to nearby competitors and that was money lost for DDG.

    Photos
    Disco Ball Entrance on the left.  DJ booth behind.
    Disco Ball Entrance on the left. DJ booth behind.
    Interior
    Interior
    Table seating

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    Table seating
    Society

    Society

    4.3
    (554 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$$
    Romantic vibe
    Kitchen open late

    I genuinely cannot WAIT to come back to this place. From the second I walked in, the atmosphere…read morefelt so classy, elegant, and elevated without being pretentious. It's the kind of restaurant that makes getting dressed up feel exciting and worth it, and I absolutely loved that about the experience. It felt like such a perfect date night spot or place to celebrate something special. The servers were also extremely attentive the entire night. Everyone was friendly, professional, and made sure we had everything we needed without ever feeling overbearing. The service honestly matched the upscale atmosphere perfectly and made the whole experience feel even more polished. And OMG... the food. SO SO SO SO SO GOOD. Like genuinely one of those meals where every single bite makes you pause for a second because it tastes that incredible. I got the chicken orzo along with the lime icebox cake for dessert, and both were absolutely amazingggg. The chicken orzo was phenomenal. The lemon flavor throughout the orzo was bright, fresh, and flavorful without being overpowering, and the tomatoes were the PERFECT addition because they balanced everything so well and added a little sweetness and freshness to the dish. But the chicken... wow. The chicken was perfectly crispy on the outside while still being super juicy and tender inside, which is honestly hard to do. Every component of the dish worked together perfectly. Magnificent is genuinely the best word for it. And the lime icebox cake was the perfect ending to the meal, refreshing, creamy, flavorful, and not too heavy after dinner. Honestly, I'm sitting here craving the food again just looking back at the pictures I took. This is definitely one of those restaurants that sticks in your mind long after you leave.

    Our waitress was very kind and knowledgeable about gluten-free options (I have celiac disease),…read morewhich I really appreciated. The restaurant itself is very cute and clearly designed for photos, which matches what I saw on their Instagram. Service overall was fantastic. The food, however, was just okay. I ordered the burrata and fig plate and was told they'd replace the bread with apple slices. I received five very small slices of apple, and when the plate was set down the waitress said she'd get more if needed. I later noticed I was charged $2 for an additional five slices, which together didn't even amount to half an apple. Ironically, the bread that comes with the dish would have been far more substantial. The burrata was fine, but nothing memorable. My friend ordered the chicken and brussels sprouts and didn't even finish it before having the plate taken away. The flourless almond cake was the star, a bit salty on its own, but with the ice cream and whipped cream it was a delightful combo which were the highlight. Overall, this is a great spot for cocktails, ambiance, and photos, but the food is fairly mediocre compared to the setting.

    Photos
    Society
    Beautiful wall art near restrooms
    Beautiful wall art near restrooms
    Society

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    Alter Ego

    Alter Ego

    3.9
    (247 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    Fun place with outdoor and indoor seating. We came in for a Saturday brunch and it did not…read moredissapoint. I actually Yelp'd it prior to going and the menu I saw a pic of in Yelp is no longer the brunch menu. When I asked about a substitution they did not hesitate and the chef was all over making me my meal! The service is also really great here and everyone is super friendly. They offer, breakfast, brunch on the weekends, lunch and dinner so I would get over and try!

    I've been here a total of four times prior and never had complaints. Today was different. I…read moreunderstand the changes of seasonal menu but I just seem like the recent menu had no main concept. My boyfriend got the pizza and it tasted as if it were a frozen pizza. I got the bang bang shrimp and it was good (6/10). The problem that I have is the pistachio gin fizz was an absolute no! I am a HUGE fan of pistachio and gin so immediately I had to get his drink but it was beyond mediocre. Are we drinking only syrup??? My last complaint is the coconut tres leches dessert.... Do we actually know how to make tres leches or we just naming desserts however we want? Just curious. It came out super hot, steaming more like a molten cake. As a Hispanic woman, I was expecting a creamy moist cake to celebrate my graduation but this was not it as well. Last but not least if the bald manager with the orange shirt wants to eat in the back of the kitchen, not the problem I get it (I work at restaurants) HOWEVER shoving your two index fingers into your mouth to get your debris out was my last straw. Like I said I like this restaurant and never had problems but today felt like a fever dream there.

    Photos
    Banh Mi Bowl
    Banh Mi Bowl
    Front desk, lobby. Nice place to read and chill.
    Front desk, lobby. Nice place to read and chill.
    Ego' Cado Toast

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    Ego' Cado Toast
    Filthy Animal

    Filthy Animal

    4.2
    (454 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$$

    This was the only steakhouse I visited in Phoenix, so I might be a little biased, but I can…read moreconfidently say this was my favorite meal of the entire weekend! From the moment we arrived, the restaurant had such great vibes. There was also a subtle, almost secretive animal theme throughout the space that added a really cool touch. The hostess and waitstaff were incredibly friendly, attentive, and accommodating. The drinks were good, but the food was definitely the star. The milk bread was absolutely delicious, and the pibil dumplings were also really good. My only complaint is that they only came with three pieces, which felt a little expensive for the portion. The beef tartare was another standout. It was delicious on its own and paired really well with the banana chip, which added a nice contrast in texture and flavor. I would probably skip the white oak grilled skewers, though. They were pretty burnt, and unfortunately, they didn't really stand out to me compared to the other dishes. The ribeye was cooked to absolute perfection. We asked if they could prepare the two halves of the ribeye at different temperatures since my wife prefers her steak closer to medium, and they were more than happy to accommodate us. They even comped our milk bread because it took a little longer than expected to come out, which was a really nice gesture. Overall, an excellent experience from start to finish. Great atmosphere, fantastic service, and some really memorable dishes. Definitely recommend checking this steakhouse out if you're in the Phoenix area!

    We had brunch here, it was okay. Aesthetically displaced is lovely, but it is right in the heart of…read morecampus. It was not busy and we had great service and an excellent seat.

    Photos
    Private Dining Room
    Private Dining Room
    Pibil Dumplings
    Pibil Dumplings
    Milk bread

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    Milk bread
    Blanco Cocina + Cantina

    Blanco Cocina + Cantina

    4.3
    (115 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$
    Catering service
    Takes reservations

    I had a Fox concepts gift card that I've been trying to remember to use for such a long time. I was…read morelooking to use it at one of the restaurants I had not yet been to. Blanco seemed like it would be a good choice, however I enjoyed it more than I anticipated. Sitting at the bar, service was pretty good. The bartenders were busy making drinks at times, but overall were attentive. The queso was delicious! We started with the appetizer sized serving and the chips were very good with a thick texture and good crunch. We saved some of the queso, intending to use it for dipping with the mixed grill fajitas we split. I will put that queso on anything, it's tasty! On the mixed grill fajitas platter, the carne asada was the item we enjoyed the least. The shrimp was definitely my favorite. Perfectly juicy and grilled, and had a great sauce over the top, it's labeled as spicy but I didn't find it to be too spicy, it just had a good flavor. The chicken was very juicy and then the steak was okay. I would definitely come back to try the short rib tacos, as other reviewers said were pretty tasty. Blanco reminded me of yummy Tex-Mex restaurants I've had in Texas, although its description is Sonoran Mexican food. Maybe it depends on the dish ordered. Either way, both are delicious food styles. And my rating reflected my overall enjoyment of the green chili queso, fresh chips & salsa, and juicy shrimp. I think the difference between 4-5 stars for me, comes down to having a nice ambiance, attentive service, and some items standing out. My cocktail was decent, however I wouldn't order that particular margarita again, I don't love mescal but I keep trying drinks that have it because I do like cocktails that have a note of the mescal flavor not the predominant taste. I did check with the bartenders before I ordered it and let them know, they said it's mild mescal taste, but I think it was pretty strong. We had missed happy hour by coming in 530pm, it ends at 5pm. I'd like to come back next time for HH. And thank goodness they are smart enough to provide free 2 hour parking in the Novus garage close by . That makes so much sense for customers. Some reviewers said the restaurant doesn't have any parking options besides valet. That isn't correct, just park at the appropriate garage and ask the staff for a validation ticket to scan when leaving.

    Amazing food! Had the chips and salsa and the cheese crisp with chicken tinga added on. Cheese…read morecrisp was HUGE and perfect for me since I am a picky eater. Salsa was fresh and chips were warm and well salted. Service was excellent and ambiance was casual and friendly. Went before graduation and we will be back! Thanks for being apart of my fiancés special day.

    Photos
    Blanco Cocina + Cantina
    Blanco Cocina + Cantina
    Blanco Cocina + Cantina

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    North Italia - italian - Updated August 2026

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