I love North Italia no matter where I am. So when we were a little late on the uptake for a Mothers Day dinner rezzie I was hopeful North would have a spot for us and they pulled through! This location is at the Encantada so there's plenty of free and abundant parking although it appears they also do valet. We ordered a few things: 1. The truffle bread. Omg this is one of my favorite things here. The bread is so fluffy and the truffle with that ricotta, mmm! Delightful and perfect for sharing. 2. The prosciutto and arugula pizza. Very tasty and great for sharing as well. 3. The rigatoni alla vodka. This was my first time ordering pasta here and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This and the pizza made for great leftovers. 4. The chefs board. This was okay. It's their version of a charcuterie board and it was honestly just kind of mid for the price. My only nit is the service which as expected on a holiday was pretty slow. read more

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The menu looked great, but didn't deliver. Ordered the branzino but they substituted Red Snapper that was o over cooked, the skin was left on one side and literally burnt scars all over with the burnt vegetables was so overbearing none of the other flavors service was good but he talked way too softly for the loud room. Could not hear which I supposed is why I never received my salad which again looked wonderful. Others in our group appeared satisfied hence the 3 stars. But the fish was a 1 star Disappointiment read more

The food is good but not as good as it once was. the customer service was ok, The ambiance of the people that seem to go here is so uppity and pretentious that I don't think I want to come here anymore. The "guests" lol I don't mind paying 100$ for pasta dishes for two people. For my hot date but dang! humility goes a long way. Maybe because it's in this random side of town. Some of the staff tonight were very scatterbrained. read more

It's a nice place with a great patio. It has good happy hour drinks. The Old Fashioned is so tasty with the hazelnut. The food was the problem. It is extremely over seasoned. Our tongues were burning after the Caesar salad- way too much lemon, pepper and salt. Then came the cacio e Pepe pizza- COVERED in crushed red pepper and pounds of cheese. It made the pizza so heavy. It reminded me of Pizza Hut. Italian pizza should be lighter. Even the crust was salty. When the waiter asked - red pepper or cheese- I thought he was stating what was on the pizza lol Service was good. Drinks were good. Go for happy hour drinks. Skip the food. read more

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Busy Friday night and the wait was about 30 minutes. We asked if we could get a drink at the bar and the nice gentleman looked inside and said there were 2 seats at the end of the bar that we could take. As we walked in to grab them it turned out there was only one seat. That man saw this and quickly gave us a table in the bar which was totally unexpected and appreciated so we made it our spot for dinner. North is very busy and quite loud. Service was very, very slow. Took about 30 minutes to get our first cocktails and another 10 for the Arancini we ordered at the same time. An expiditor was soon on the run and quickly bringing dishes out and getting cocktails refreshed for guests. Greatly appreciated! Drinks were delicious and the Arancini with pesto aioli was incredible. Unfortunately with the wait, our appetites had waned by the time our entrees came out so we ate a bit and packed it to go home. My husband really liked his lasagna and my strozzapreti was very rich and creamy (2 characteristics of a dish I don't usually enjoy) and very tasty. The pine nuts on top add a delicious layer of flavor. I've been to North for lunch when it was much more manageable time wise and think I'll stick to the midday meal. Delicious food all around read more

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Our first trip to North, interesting experience. There is A LOT of judgement that goes on in the La Encantada shopping area. With that said my review. My son and I came here after work, unplanned, as we had to stop into Tommy Bahama for some fragrances. The hostess was nice, she advised that it would be about a 30 minute wait and that we would likely be seated outside (more thoughts on that later). After we were called the hostess acted surprised and said "oh, they are putting you inside". We went in, large open floor plan, first thing noticed was many open tables, maybe reserved, but I thought the 30 minute wait odd. Our waitress arrived quickly and took our drink order. She explained the different types of pizza and her favorite. She also went over some of her favorite dishes. We ordered the "pig" all meat pizza with hot honey, the strozzapreti, a chicken spinach dish with mushrooms in a Parmesan sauce and toasted pine nuts, and the spicy rigatoni vodka. Our pizza was served as an appetizer as that is how we ordered it. It was nice with a savory sauce, for an "all meat" pizza it was lacking a little meat. The crust was nice and stayed chewy and did not dry out in minutes like most crusts do. After the pizza my son mentioned that he felt a little out of place as he was getting glares from other patrons. It might have been that we are covered in tattoos and comfortably dressed in shorts and t-shirts. Our main dishes came out, lukewarm not pipping hot. The rigatoni vodka was filled with sausage and panchetta. Very good flavor nice al dente rigatoni. The strozzapreti was flavored with shaved garlic and the chicken and noodles were well cooked, but there was zero savory to it. I think the chef just missed the "pinch of salt". All in all a well done dinner. I would love to go back but I don't think we will as we are not the type of people that dress up to show we have money, however we are the type of people that don't look down on others because of the way they look. read more

Love this place for lunch, dinner and service. The only bad thing I have had is the shrimp scampi. which was in a water sauce instead of butter sauce. Truly surprised me and my friends. But everything else good and staff delightful. I do not send food back. I am not a take the wife out for her birthday' diner. I am also not a big eater and there is always enough on the table to fill me up. I realize that occasionally one can have a bad dish. Happens at home also. read more

We came to North Italia to celebrate my friend's birthday and had such a great experience! They seated us in a private room, which made it feel extra special. The waitstaff was incredibly attentive the whole evening and made sure everything went smoothly. We started with the bread and the zucca chips--both were perfect starters and disappeared quickly. I ordered the farm Italian salad, and it was so fresh and delicious. The peppers added the best little kick of flavor. Such a wonderful night with great food, atmosphere, and service. Definitely recommend North Italia for any celebration or just a night out! read more

North Italia - Farm Italian salad - Italian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Perfect place to have brunch with family, the food had so much flavor, the service was great!you get your food fairly quickly! read more

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Service was attentive before seated but after that not at all, wait staff appeared disorganized. Had to flag someone for order each time. Food arrived after 45 minutes. one entree cold and they "ran out" of our choice and substitute was unrecognizable as menu item. read more

I went here Friday night after yoga in the courtyard at Long Encontada. I had a group of nine and made reservations prior. We were able to be sat within 5 to 10 minutes. It was a pretty busy night, but our friendly server kept the mood light and kept us updated on our wait times for food. I ordered zuppa chips as an appetizer, which is zucchini. They were really good, especially with the sauce that came with however there were so many broken pieces and small bits that were difficult to eat as they kept getting lost in the sauce. I would recommend they give less of the small bits and pieces. I also ordered a pasta, but instead of the sausage, I got short rib. It was really good. Everyone at the table enjoyed their meals. Lastly, I just want to say that Sean M. whipped up our group separate tabs so fast, we were in shock. It was literally the most carefree, easy breezy group meal checkout I've ever had at a restaurant. I don't know if North has made it easy for their servers to do so, or other restaurants just make this process difficult.... All I know is this is how it should be. In addition to that, the ability to pay your tab by the QR code on the receipt was a godsend! Again so easy, painless and fast! Great meal but like other reviews have mentioned, not very vegan friendly. I am shocked at the menu I saw after seeing so many complaints that date long ago. It seems the restaurant chain has not paid mind to these opinions. That's disappointing. read more

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Lackluster dinner experience at North Italia. One of our pasta dishes arrived cold, and we were there on a weeknight so no obvious issues with busy/short-handed staff. The location and space is really well put together and convenient, so hopefully they can get back on track with their menu offerings in the near future. read more

I rarely leave bad reviews, but run, don't walk, from this restaurant. I don't mind paying premium prices for an excellent restaurant - this is NOT that. It took 2 hours to get food - the people next to us arrived after us and had eaten & left before we even got food. The food was mediocre at best. My daughter described her meatballs as tasting like CAT FOOD. My son's pizza was served burnt so they said they were remaking it - it arrived as we were leaving. But, after bad service & food, what really annoyed me was that our server overcharged on several items. I hate when people take advantage like this. Watch your bill! read more

Disappointed. Had a reservation for 5 at 6:15. We were promptly seated which was nice. We ordered at 6:25, I ordered the chicken parmigiana. After about a half an hour went by. I was told by the server they had ran out of the chicken parmigiana. I then ordered the spicy rigatoni vodka. All of our meals then arrived at 7:40. Over an hour after being seated. Several water glasses at our table were emptied and not refilled. So service in my opinion was poor. Once served the food was actually very good. Restaurant was busy, yet service was poor. read more

North Italia - Spicy Rigatoni Vodka - Italian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

The seasonal vegetable salad with salmon I had for dinner was one of the best salads I've had in town! The roasted veggies and goat cheese paired so well together and the salmon is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I think this place is overpriced, but the food is yummy. The service was okay, the server did let us know the kitchen was behind, and it took at least 40 minutes for our food. We were not in a rush so it was fine. Definitely make reservations, they were BUSY! read more

North Italia - Grilled Branzino - Italian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Stopped by for lunch after a visit to the Apple Store at La Encantada. Initially, I was going to get a pizza, but then I saw the spicy Italian grinder, which looked really good. The sandwich is amazing, made more so by the freshly baked and toasted bread. read more

North Italia - Spicy Italian Grinder - Italian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

We came for a nice brunch & were excited to try out the Sonoran restaurant week menu. The staff were all very friendly, however we did feel like our order was forgotten or perhaps just took much longer than others once we ordered. We got the pollo fritto & Tuscan hash with shredded chicken, as well as the banana coffee cake. At one point we received meatballs "courtesy of the house" which was very nice - my husband loved them (I have a food allergy so didn't want to risk a bite). While food is always consistently good here - the prices ($12 for a mocktail is a bit steep) & slowness of our meal makes it a 4/5 for us. read more

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We decided to order takeout since staying nearby. We ordered few items and it was ok nothing to brag about. Pricy for the quality. Service was good for takeout. Ambiance looks busy. read more

North Italia - Italian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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I had a great brunch here on my birthday. North Italia has such a festive atmosphere that it felt like a celebration without even telling anyone. The polenta and poached eggs were delicious! read more

North Italia - Poached Eggs & Polenta* - Italian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

I really have enjoyed this restaurant in the past but was so disappointed with my service yesterday. Recent reviews seem to point to this trend so I'm guessing this is a reflection of restaurant leadership. I had made a reservation for 6:00 was not seated until 6:20 PM. The hostess was stressed. Once seated, our waiter didn't bring drinks or take orders for food until 7:00 and we received our food which was kinda cold at 7:50PM. The entire part of the restaurant we were in seemed to be abandoned by the server. It was busy, so I get having to wait a bit but it was really bad. On top of it, it didn't seem to be acknowledged by the server for any kind of apologies or service recovery. This place is no longer worth visiting and I was disappointed with the quality of our food. Go across the street to Vivace if you want a better Italian experience. read more

The selection on the menu is mainly for eclectic tastes. Not sure how you can have an Italian restaurant without bringing some kind of bread to the table. Also, the appetizers do not sound very appetizing It took us 3 tries to get the sweetener for my tea. The only reason for the one star is the restaurant looks really nice read more

Had such a great evening here! Honestly, the best Italian restaurant I've had in Tucson yet! Service was great, Jack was very attentive and was able to give us pointers and was very informative about the menu! Our reservation was at 8:30, but we were able to get in at 7:30 when we got there! Usually there is a really long wait, but today was not bad at all. I loved the pasta that we got, it was the Lumache alla Norcina and it was delicious! It was cheesy and slightly truffley but not too much! It was probably my favorite thing that we got! The espresso martini was fabulous as well, later than a typical espresso martini, which I liked a lot! We sat outside in the covered patio and it was a perfect evening to do. So, the weather was spectacular! I would definitely be back to try more items on the menu!! read more

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I came with a group for dinner on Saturday night and sat in the bar area. Service was really slow this time--I'm wondering if they were short on servers. The My Verona cocktail was too bitter for my taste, and while the New Italian Spritz was better this time, it was still very dry. I also wasn't a fan of their prosecco by the glass, and I found the Barolo to be really dry as well. On the bright side, I absolutely loved both the Tuscan Kale Salad and the Chicken Parmesan--they were delicious. Next time, I'd love to try the kale salad with salmon on top. read more

North Italia - Borolo, New Italian Spritz and My Verona - Italian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

I tried North Italia for the first time for my birthday and it was a great experience. My husband and I made a reservation and they seated us right away. Our server gave us some wine recommendations, but did recommend the most expensive ones.... He did seem flustered at the beginning, but calmed down through the meal. Our food was delicious and worth the price. The atmosphere of the restaurant and decor was very welcoming and inviting, but was overall a little loud. read more

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First I will say our server was excellent and worked on getting us the private room before the place got super busy. We arrived at around 5pm after my brother's wake on a Friday. There was 11 of us. I am very thankful they moved us into the private dining area because we needed to be with our family and decompress from the first day of services for my brother. The appetizers that we ordered were the meatballs and bruschetta. Both were delicious and just enough to tie us over till our meals arrived. Once our meals arrived we all were pleased with our dishes except for my husband. He ordered the spicey rigatoni. Well it was like the entire salt container fell into the dish. No joking. We asked the waiter to take it and try it in kitchen. Immediately a manager came in and apologized to my husband. Of course they served him a new plate and all was well but most of us were almost finished with our dinners. Overall a good first try for my immediate family. A few of my family members have been return customers and love it. When we left the place was packed and probably at least 30 people waiting outdoors for a table. read more

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Love the Ambiance, food and drinks! Coming back for sure ! My type of place brining the whole family next time read more

North Italia - Italian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

My wife and I went to North to celebrate our anniversary. It was easy to reserve a table for us on Saturday through the website. Our server, Jack did a great job. He was attentive without hovering. He helped my wife choose a glass of white wine that she greatly enjoyed. We split a roasted veggie salad and had the pomodoro tortellini and the spaghetti bolognese. Everything was delicious and we even got to choose a free dessert for our anniversary. We chose the blackberry butter cake and that was amazing. The crunch of the brûlée crust with the tartness of the lemon and berries paired so well with the buttery cake. For us, North is a great place for a special occasion. read more

North Italia - Blackberry Seasonal Butter Cake - Italian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

My friends brought me here for the first time, it was about their 7th or 8th time here, they keep coming back and now I know why! We got the zucchini chips and house made bread for starters followed by divine pesto pasta. They also had lots of mocktail options which were delicious and refreshing. You could tell the food was fresh as it was filling you didn't leave feeling too heavy! The service was quick, our waiter and the rest of the staff frequently checked in on us despite being so busy. And a fly flew into my friends food and the staff and kitchen immediately made her a new one, no questions asked! The ambiance is very classy. A little fancy & perfect for an outting or day night! I will be coming back soon! read more

North Italia - Chicken Pesto no chicken - Italian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

2/14/25 Well, another mixup! My husband tried making a reservation earlier today and was told that they no longer take reservations. We thought we would go early and take our chances. When we arrived, they asked if we had a reservation! After we explained what had happened, we were treated very well by Zoe. We've been customers since 2005. I can't sit out in the cold so we were seated in the lounge area which is fine by us. They seated us at a table for six! We said we would gladly share. Fortunately, we offered our seating to 3 other people who were booted from their table because they didn't have a reservation. All in all we had a great time. Thank you Zoe and Matt our server. read more

North Italia - Italian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Have been many times.There food is really good . Can have an off night occasionally but most of the time they are spot on with decent well prepared Italian offerings. Chef Lorenzo read more

New York City Prices for Tucson -located in La Encantada It's a great location, and the ambiance is always enjoyable. The outside garden like seating is very nice. For the many times we've been there we've received average service. Never really enjoyed hostess staff don't find them to be friendly they act like you should be so privileged to be there. Again this isn't NYC and even if it was we 9x out 10 have much better service and food. The is good for Tucson but just now your paying for the location and ambiance over the quality of the food and service. For example: White truffle garlic bread $17.5 delicious yet over priced /Black Mediterranean mussels$19 Very good over priced Crispy Eggplant Parm $16.5 okay prefer thin slices of eggplant but sauce was good over priced and their Spicy Reggitoni $24 NY price for and average dish. I find there are better options for Italian food in Tucson and much nicer service and definitely better on your wallet read more

We loved our waiter John, he was so delightful and took care of us so well. The food was delicious, we had the shrimp scampi and mussels to start. And we ordered entrees but I unfortunately don't have photos. So delicious and we sat outside it was so nice. We forgot to mention we don't eat pork and felt bad but had to send it back. And he was so sweet and didn't make us feel bad at all. If I came back I would hope he was our waiter!!! read more

North Italia - Espresso martini with Makers Mark - Italian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Came here for Christmas eve dinner. Had a reservation, thankfully we were able to get in earlier than scheduled. Our server, started off slow but got better as the night went on. I was a little upset because it took them 25 minutes to get me a glass of wine ( don't know why, even tho the waiter said it was because they were behind at the bar, but, there was nobody there, baffeling! ) Anyway, the food we ordered was very good! I had the Spicy Rigatoni Vodka & my husband had the new sausage fennel dish. We also had the zucca chips as an appetizer which we both loved! And we are not zucchini people! We ended the night with some very tasty raspberry sorbet & pistachio gelato As for the atmosphere it is always busy & very festive! read more

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Food was great. The focaccia bread was tasteless and stone cold. Waiter was terrible,, unhelpful c, rude. The place was crowded Avery noisy read more

Not only did North serve us great food, they helped pull off one of the most memorable days of my life. North is my girlfriend's favorite spot and where we had our third date. I planned a "greatest hits" date day where we revisited our first dates and ended the night at North so I could ask her a very important question. I showed up earlier to meet with the managers Zoey and Chase, handed them one of three disposable cameras, and gave them a Polaroid of an open diary: our first photo on the left, the ring box on the right, and the words "Will you" written across the page. The plan: bring it out with dessert. Chase executed perfectly. It took my girlfriend a second to realize what the picture meant... then I hit her with an inside joke of ours, I handed her a ring box...that held a Snickers mini. She laughed (and maybe considered killing me). Then I gave her a second Polaroid that had the real ring in the box. My knee hit the floor, the real proposal started, and Chase somehow filmed and snapped photos at the same time like a one-man media crew. Later he emailed me the video, and I can't wait to see what shots he, Zoey, and the team took with the disposable camera. I told them to have fun and surprise us, anxious to see which photos we will share at the wedding. Beyond the proposal magic, our server Emma was outstanding. I used to live, eat, and breathe the restaurant life, so I don't say this lightly... she nailed every customer-service detail. Great conversation, spot-on recommendations, refills before we even thought to ask, just an absolute pro. And of course, the food...still as good as ever. For anyone wondering: she said yes. I'm seriously grateful to everyone who helped make the night perfect. We'll be back often. Thank you Zoey, Chase, and Emma for such an incredible experience. You all have redefined what excellent service looks like. read more

My son and I love dining at North Italia. He takes me there often and we enjoy meeting nice people at the bar and the food and specialized cocktails fit for royalty. Bartenders are brilliant and ever so sweet always. read more

Fried calamari and squid ink pasta Seafood was yummy! You can't really mess up fried calamari. Appetizer portion was big enough for 8+ people. First time trying squid ink pasta, super yummy. It definitely has a little bit of spice to it, but nothing crazy. Generous portions that they split for you if you ask! (Picture is 1/2 portion) Service was great, super sweet staff. Cute place! read more

North Italia - Squid Ink Tonnarelli - Italian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Popular place on weekend night. Glad I had a reservation. Was beautifully handled for a reservation for 1, which is tough these days for a popular restaurant on a Friday night. Was seated outside with my dog at a table with a fire pit in the center, which was welcome as the sun went down. It's a great spot for a party of 5-6 to sit around the fire and enjoy Al fresco dining. Patio is def dog friendly. Trying to eat very low carb, so worried about finding something at an Italian restaurant filled with good looking pizza and pasta offerings. No worries ... started with lentil soup and an arugula and avocado salad that had a very light but tasty lemon vinaigrette dressing. Delish. Moved on to a main entree of a grilled Branzino filet surrounded by root vegetables, that were a bit underdone, hence my 4 vs 5 star experience. Made up for it with a side of glazed beets with ricotta that honestly were the star of the whole evening. They are a worthy side dish. Really nice by-the-glass and bottle list of Italian reds and whites. I was able to find a lovely Barolo. It was offered by the glass (5oz), the Terzo (50cl or 8oz ... very authentic Italian pour) and by the bottle. There's some construction at the upscale center the restaurant is located in, so traffic was a bit of a snarl at 5 pm when I arrived, and parking was solidly full everywhere near the restaurant. I had to park at the other end of the center and walk about 20 minutes to get back to the restaurant. It was worth it. A great family or date night spot ... and even works for this old man and his dog. Give it a try read more

Nice ambience. Good food. Very good service. Fair prices. I recommend this spot. Easy to reserve online read more

North Italia - Hot Honey & Smoked Prosciutto, Squid Ink Tonnarelli - Italian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Oliver offered great hospitality while keeping our allergens his top priority. Plenty of gluten free and pescatarian dishes/ mods available. Recommend the burrata with the gluten free bread, everyday. Service was incredible, food was delicious and drinks were awesome. Hosts at the door incredibly sweet and cleared off a booth for us at our request! read more