Been here multiple times and it never disappoints. Very good spot for Italian food in downtown Anchorage. My mother comes from an Italian family in NY, and she really enjoys the food at Orso's. Hopefully that explains everything ya need to know. Go check em out! read more

Well, I started a review here three years ago. All I remember is that we paid $8 for two deviled eggs and our waiter dipped like halfway during our dinner. I put them at 3 stars. Came December 2022. Still three stars. Came for my friends birthday. The waiter took awhile to greet us then he took another forever to take any drink orders. By the time he came to take our drinks we had decided what we want for an app and our entrees. Our app we did the sampler. Calamari, fried ravioli, and beef tips. The calamari was cold and floppy. Not a crisp in sight. Also the lemon slices looked just like the calamari pieces and had breading on them so we mistakenly ate them too lol. It was not good. The ravioli were good but not hot either. The beef tips were not melt in your mouth like the waiter said and came with polenta. We ordered drinks. I had the NUOVO AMORE. It was a dessert drink and was basically a shot of baileys with cream. My friends got the lemon drop and another similar fruity drink. They were ok. I got the chicken fettuccini. I would not get it again. The pasta said it was fresh Ak pasta company but it did not taste like it. Was tough and adding spinach to the dish is so basic it's like a filler. My dish was only $29. Another friend got the seafood spiral pasta and hers was cooked the same a bit underdone. And hers was like $49 just because it had two scallops, halibut, and two clams in it. Was different then how they remembered it. Two other friends both got medium filet mignon and they were pretty red inside. I would have made them cook it longer if I were them. The garlic butter on top and the mashed potatoes were good though. I would get a steak and say "a little pink" next time. The waiter was nice but he felt rigid and like he was rushing us. Our check was very hefty with all the $50 entrees and the drinks we got. It was awkward he took the receipts after we were done signing them and stared looking at them right in front of us like "let me see my tip" My friend got a free dessert even with a candle in it. The chocolate tort and then we got the lemo custard too. I took 1 bite each and I was good. The chocolate tort had a lot of coco powder on it and it has that dry bitter taste. My opinion there are way better options then this to have dinner and none of the entrees are unique. You can get them most anywhere downtown. I won't be back any time soon. Btw, the water glass were like shot glasses but a bit taller. Not very much water and when he refilled them halfway through dinner filling our glasses emptied the bottle they put on your table, he did t refill the bottle lol. Small tho gs make a difference. Give us real water glasses! read more

Orso - Fettuccini Alfredo - Italian Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

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Not for locals. Went before and it was really good. Went today and a huge chunk of fish raw in the middle. The waiter said the manager would give me my soda for free $26 lunch and it was horrible. Definitely do not go in the summer. Seems like they think everyone's a tourist and probably won't come back. Doubt if I will either. They only wanted to sit people in the high bar area in the lounge since the tables were full. Save yourself the frustration of Parking and the expense for less than mediocre food read more

My ratings for this place is 3.5 stars. I made 8:30 PM reservations for this place for dinner after of day of excursion and were really looking forward to the dinner. After reading the Yelp reviews were really excited to try this place. We ordered seafood skewers with couscous, catch of the day with polenta, salmon with vegetables and chicken pasta with Alfredo sauce for entree and for appetizers we ordered seafood bruschetta, crab cakes and some other bread. The appetizers were great but we barely were done or rather still working on our appetizers that they brought the entree, here we felt a bit rushed. My entree was barely warm, halibut with polenta, and the polenta wasn't creamy but dry. I shared my concern with them, they told me they will get me another and by the time they brought my food all my friends food were done and this time my fish was overdone and dry and polenta was the same, however it was warm. The salmon and the skewers too felt like they were prepared and were sitting in the kitchen while we were finishing our appetizers. However, the skewers and pasta tasted good. I just requested for my food to be packed, and decided to skip the desserts. The ambience is pleasant but I wish I had a better experience. read more

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I had a feeling this place would be good then I walked by so I made a reservation. The chefs creations are amazing! Beautiful presentation and delicious food with fresh ingredients and a lovely atmosphere. The service was great and everyone was friendly. I highly recommend ! read more

We ended up here on accident because the place we wanted to go had a 1.5 hour wait. I was glad to have my meal here non the less! The price point is a bit higher than I expected, but overall I was pleased with my cashew crusted Alaska rockfish pictured here. It was fresh and delicious. Service was attentive for the most part but it did take us awhile to get our servers attention to pay. It definitely seems like servers and runners work together so that is helpful. Overall, good food and decent service! read more

Orso - Cashew crusted Alaska rockfish - Italian Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

On a quiet, Wednesday night, we enjoyed attentive service and outstanding food. I had grilled halibut, salmon, and scallop skewers with a light, lemon couscous and grilled vegetables. Truly delicious and perfectly prepared. My husband had crab stuffed shrimp with pasta. Alas, his food wasn't hot, which he would have preferred. Still, he said it was flavorful. The ambiance was spacious and warm at the same time. We could easily talk and focus on our table and conversation. We will be back when we are back in Anchorage. read more

This place is quite pricey so buyer beware. Having said that, if you're looking for a romantic place for a date or a nice place to celebrate a special occasion, this may be it. Definitely get the bread with the cheese, olives and tomatoes mixture. Yum! The non alcoholic sangria is so good! The chicken parm with pasta did not impress me unfortunately but the filet mignon was decent. Dessert was not mind blowing but satisfactory. Service was kind and attentive. And the bathroom has heated seats, nuff said. Enjoy! read more

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Decided to celebrate a college graduation here on a Sunday evening. We arrived just after they opened. We were immediately greeted and seated. Our waitress was Rebecca and she was awesome. The food was really good as were the drinks. I opted for the crab stuffed white shrimp. It was fresh and full of flavor. My drink was so good I ordered two, lol. I even got carrot cake to go. Everyone enjoyed their food. Time and money well spent. read more

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I am not giving the restaurant, food, or the ambiance of the restaurant a 1 stars; because that actually was a 10/10 5 stars! I am giving the SERVICE a 1 star. We had the slender tall white male waiter, since the moment me and my boyfriend sat down there was some type of hostility. I had ordered the Reindeer Mule that had ginger beer, cranberry juice, lemon juice and club soda in it. I ordered the drink without the ginger beer and the waiter tells me it would just be cranberry juice and lemon juice in it. I was confused because the menu said it HAD club soda in it, so I asked him and told him the menu said it had club soda in it also. This man has the audacity to look at me and in the most passive aggressive way tells me " well I have never seen them make it that way" . Mind you I was looking at this drink menu since we were waiting to be seated.. so I KNEW it came with club soda. But somehow was talked to like an incompetent child that didnt know what she was ordering... Moving onto the food we ordered our food and got our appetizer. Right after finishing he asks if he could get us new silverware, we both said yeah sure, why not right. Our food came and our waiter never came back with our pitcher of water and silverware. Mind you I saw this man look up at the waitress bringing our food and I had looked at him also because he was peeking over the curtain thing separating the back with the tables and he quickly zooms away after noticing I peeped him. He had taken our water pitcher and silverware and I don't know if he was expecting us to eat with our hands or something but by the time he took our plates from appetizers and when our food got there it had been around a good 6-7 minutes (enough time to bring both of those back) and he had no bother to even bring our silverware our water pitcher. This was the most unprofessional, rude waitress EVER! Completely unacceptable how this waitress did not know 1 out of the 2 non alcoholic drinks that was on the specialty drink menu. The way me and my boyfriend were treated was completely out of pocket and so so rude! Other than that food was amazing and the restaurant was AMAZING!! read more

Service was great, food was good. Loved the vibe, low lights and groovy music. Salmon was a bit overcooked but the veggies were perfect. read more

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I've lived in Anchorage most of my life but never eaten here until this week. I don't think I'll be back soon either. The service was great, and the food was good, but the prices and serving sizes are severely out of touch. My steak was cooked heavily on one side but barely seared on the other, very lopsided but could still be considered medium rare, I guess. I got about 4 tablespoons of mashed potatoes with this steak for $55. My wife's fish and rice dish was $46 and wouldn't have fed my 7 year old on a good night. All in all the meal was ok, I guess I just expect a little bit more when I'm spending this much money on food. read more

This was one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. It took 1 hour to get a kid's meal, 45 minutes for the appetizers, and 1.5 hours for the main courses. We ordered few dishes, two of which were served without sides. After the food arrived (and the kitchen closed), we were told the sides weren't available, yet we were charged full price. Some dishes also came with ingredients we had specifically asked to be removed. Drinks arrived late, and we were charged for "bread on the house" that was supposed to make up for the delays. Service was terrible--servers were hard to find, and it took over 20 minutes just to get someone's attention. Overall, it was a frustrating, poorly managed experience. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to anyone. read more

This restaurant is located in downtown Anchorage, so be aware of finding decent parking near the restaurant. Also, reservations are always the best way to go (just in case). I really do love Orso's..the restaurant is nice and the service is friendly and consistent. I came here for my pre- birthday dinner with friends and the hubby, and everything went smoothly for the most part... I arrived a little later and they wouldn't seat my friends unless I was present, I don't see what the big deal was if only half of the party was there and we had a reservation. So I wasn't very happy with the seating hostess. Once we arrived, my friends found a table in the bar area and it worked just fine..thankfully our waitress was pretty awesome! The food and drinks were really good..so it did compensate for the earlier inconvenience (sorta). Anyways, I ordered the old fashion and it was mixed correctly and really good! I loved it and MANY more after it. I ordered the lamb and husband ordered the steak..holy Toledo...the food was perfect!! Thinking about the lamb is making me want it again and NOW! Overall..we did have a great time..they offered a complimentary desert for my birthday..which I didn't get..no biggie..I was pretty happy with how the night ended. read more

Orso - Orso Lamb Shank - Italian Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

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I'm so glad we went to Orso. Start to finish, this was one of the best dining experiences I've had. We were in town before one of the busy seasons and the restaurant never filled on the evening we went. Our server was fantastic. She provided thoughtful recommendations, and confirmed the dishes we chose. Calamari misoto: I was searching for good calamari on this trip, and Orso delivered. There were a mix of rings and tentacles that were lightly battered. The calamari was very tender, and arrived to the table while still hot. Fried slices of lemon accompanied the dish, adding a welcome depth to the typical acidic accent of the lemon. Fig walnut salad: Generous amounts of tender fig and spinach accompanied the creamy, slightly tangy goat cheese and small cubes of pear that seemed to melt when eaten. Oslo bucco: Richly flavored, fork tender and moist, the lamb was delicious. There was no gaminess. The creamy polenta sat in a jus along with pickled red onions that were slightly sweet, olives and tomatoes. Oatmeal stout carrot cake: Moist, dense and rich without an over seasoning of spices. Tiramisu: The dessert was served quite cold which seemed to add a refreshing quality to the richness of the coffee and brandy. Pro tip: Portions are generous. Two of us shared each of the dishes and we could barely finish them all! read more

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Their calamari was on point and probably the best I've ever had. My server was very nice and knowledgeable. He knew his menu like the back of his hands. Knowing that that was my first time in Alaska, he also took the time to recommend me a few spots that I could go after dinner. read more

Orso - Calamari - Italian Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

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We happened upon this place as we were walking to lunch, and decided to make dinner reservations. They were able to seat us when we arrived at our reservation time. They seemed to be a bit short-staffed and while it did take a few moments to get our order going, we were not in a rush nor starving. After some clarifying questions on the menu options and specials, we placed our order. My only complaint on the food was the marinated olives, they were not great. Outside of that, the entrees were OUTSTANDING. I had the fish special, which is apparently a rare occurrence of this type of salmon. I had a bite of my kids' meals, and honestly if all children's menus were up to this level of quality, I would probably order from it. Our server was very friendly, and accommodating. read more

It was okay overall. My main issue was the waiter took quite a while to get to our table and it wasn't even busy. The food was okay. read more

Orso - Italian Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

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Stopped in for dinner on a Tuesday night in the early spring. We were in town for business and this place was in walking distance from the hotel. We made reservations and were seated in a booth. The booth was comfortable and lighting was just right. Our server was outstanding. She was helpful, attentive, and patient; taking time to answer all our questions on the menu. To cut to the chase, this was one of the best meals I have ever had. I ordered the ORSO old fashioned cocktail for starters along with the calamari. The old fashioned was wonderfully spiced with cherries soaked in Jim Beam and was generously filled with Maker's Mark. The calamari was tender, lightly breaded, and just delicious. Some of the best I've ever had. We split the fig and walnut salad. It was perfectly delicious. The combination of figs, candied nuts, juicy pear pieces, and drops of balsamic was incredible. Seriously, one of the best salads I've ever had. We also shared the braised lamb shank (ORSO osso bucco), which was tender and delicious. The pickled sweet onions and olives that accompanied it were just great. To top it off, I had the tiramisu for dessert. It was lightly chilled, rich, and delicious. *GOLD STAR* read more

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Food and service, 5 stars! I went to Orso on a Wed night, no reservation and the wait was about 1.5 hrs. So we went to the bar/lounge area and sat down. Our waitress Rachel, hard working lady! Very attentive even though she was super busy and running around the whole time. We ordered a bunch of food and all of them were tasty! Full of flavors! Highly recommend if you are around the area! read more

Orso - Italian Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Dined here several years ago while on a trip to Anchorage. We were excited about a nicer meal. Overall a little underwhelming but food was fair. Felt overpriced for the mains. Shank was quite greasy. I see the appeal but expected higher quality out of the dishes and everything was too salty for me. I noticed they have re-opened so I'm curious to return if I'm in town again to compare. read more

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Great food & service! Menu changes are always appreciated! They keep it fresh. An anchorage icon! read more

Delicious, homestyle cooking with friendly service to match. A really impressive wine list with great prices. Everything we ate was flavorful and perfectly prepared. Highly recommend for a satisfying, tasty meal in Anchorage without any fuss. read more

Overpriced and underwhelming, with everything on the menu priced above $40. The salmon chowder lacked texture, resembling a blended smoothie rather than a hearty dish. To top it off, it didn't come with crackers, and they charge $8 for bread. Nothing about this place stands out--you're better off heading to Texas road house. read more

Delicious, creative food and great service. The restaurant was very busy the night we visited (3rd week of May). I recommend making a reservation. read more

Orso - Crab stuffed shrimp - Italian Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

We Waited an 1 hour and no food. They did not even finish making the food after an hour. We had to cancel for the Harry Potter concert. Would not recommend at all (Instead of Yelp it should be help I need food) read more

Nice atmosphere but I think the food was just okay. Maybe it was an off night nice people have said it's a good restaurant. We had the seafood skewer sampler, salmon, halibut, some random assortment of appetizers and desserts. The main entree was honestly just warm and not hot liked you'd expect. Dessert was probably the best: carrot cake, tiramisu and risotto crème brûlée. I hope our dinners were just an off night and beyond had a better main entree experience read more

I made a reservation at Orso weeks ago. When we arrived on time we waited 15 minutes and then were seated in a back room, no windows, seriously overheated. And I mean seriously. I was ready to start shedding clothes. We decided to leave, but on the way out I saw a table in the bar and we took it. Very pleasant. But the wine refrigerator was broken (apparently for the second time) and our server did not tell us this. Instead we ordered wine and learned halfway through our mains that they could not provide it. We ended up with a very mediocre wine by the glass when we were well through our meal. The food was good. Our server was charming. But this restaurant would benefit from new management. I know we're tourists, but for pete's sake make an effort. Three stars because I'm a nice person. read more

I haven't reviewed Orso's before but this is my 5th time going here and haven't had a negative experience. Presentation of all the dishes were nicely done! I was hangry so I didn't take a picture of every dish.. but all were so Tasty and flavorful. My pasta wasn't as hot and saucy as I had expected, slightly dry.. perhaps waited under the light waiting for the rest of our tables orders to come out together? But overall delicious. I picked at my husbands lamb which was cooked to perfection perfectly and the meat was the fall of the bone kind! Chowder is always a fave and could never go wrong with that. Amazed with the selection on beverages and settled for the AK Gin Flight for $15! I'll have to come back again to try the AK Vodka Flight now. Our server was friendly, fast, and very attentive, hostess was as well. Restaurant decor is rustic, lots of wood and natural materials. Fell in love with the wine cellar on the first floor. The bar is very open and inviting. I'll definitely be back. read more

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To start off, I called in at 2:45 for an order of chicken Parmesan and they let me know that they don't start making dinner until five so they offer chicken Parmesan sandwich but without any pasta... So since apparently they can't make a special order, even if I pay extra I order two orders of the famous pesto ravioli... If you look at the pictures, you'll see that these people either don't have a brain in their heads or don't care or their management is terrible because they didn't even put the sauce in containers so when I opened my two containers The ravioli was soggy and soaked in two separate sauces combined so I didn't even get to make a choice as to which sauce I wanted to use when I ate my appetizer. For $24 and I left a six dollar tip when all the guy did was answer the phone and hand me a box. He didn't even bother to check what he had made and in his defense he probably just assumed that the kitchen would make the order the way it's supposed to be. Anyway, so I go in and I show them what's wrong and he asked me if I want to have the order re-fired? Of course I don't. I just drove from South Anchorage all the way downtown to sit here for another 20 minutes so that they can do their job correctly? I'm just so glad that I checked the order before I pulled away from Orso. read more

Orso - Ravioli thrown in a box with two different dipping sauces becoming one because they didn't bother to put the sauces on to go containers. - Italian Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

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This place is amazing! Lives up to the hype!!! Appetizer, entree, and dessert were all FANTASTIC! Marsala Glazed Tenderloin Tips were mouth watering!!! The meat was SO juicy and fresh and the polenta was such a surprisingly flavorful addition. Wild Alaska Sockeye Salmon was cooked so so well. They know how to mix flavors. Polenta again here with squash was super savory. The panacotta here is also rich and creamy! Loved it!! read more

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Had salmon for lunch and halibut for dinner. Both were great tasting. Highly recommend the pistachio orange halibut dinner special. Best fish dish. It will not disappoint you. read more

Came to Orso as our other (cheaper) options dwindled. There was a long wait, but we found an open table for 4 in the bar. Worked out fabulous as we had the most amazing bartender/waitress, Jamie. Loads of personality and went way above and beyond to be sure everything was perfect! We also had bartender/waiter Josiah. He was equally fabulous with loads of genuine personality! Most of the table had wine, but I went with the gin flight of martinis. Perfect choice for me and I really enjoyed Jamie's recommendations! We passed on apps as we had some at a previous stop. For the dinners we had: Osso Buco. A 10 out of 5 LOL. Winner as the group favorite! Fall off the bone lamb with loads of flavor and complimentary sauce and sides! Prosciutto wrapped Halibut: 5/5 tender halibut with perfect spice and sides for every bite. Harissa spiced halibut with mango salsa: 5/5 the spice and flavors on this dish make for a perfect bite every time! If you get a tiny bit of each item, it is a perfect marriage of flavors! Cashew crusted rockfish: 2.5/5. Sadly this was voted down by the group. While the fish and accompaniments were good, the coating on the fish was so thick it overpowered everything. Including the "buttery" tasting fish. It was a steep price, but the food, service and drinks did not disappoint. We went into this venture knowing what we would pay so we did not rate it less stars because of the price. Did I mention the AMAZING Osso Buco?? Forgot..... they have heated toilet seats! BONUS! read more

Orso - Loved the art to the right and thought the person that drew the bear logo with pens did a great job! - Italian Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

OMG! What a delicious evening! While we thought we had a reservation we were happy to find seats in the bar area. We tried the two different martini flights and the trio of appetizers. It was fun trying locally distilled spirits and will look for a couple of them in our local liquor stores. The trio of appetizers was excellent! The beef tenderloin bite were tender and beautifully seasoned. The calamari was the best I have ever tasted! I usually skip the squiggly parts but they were exceptional!!! Tender and succulent! We would come back to Anchorage just to eat here again! Maybe even get a reservation... read more

We hadn't been to Orso since 9/18/2001. Yep, right after 9/11 happened. We were celebrating our third anniversary that first time 23 years ago. This time we brought our youngest daughter here for her last dinner in town before she goes back to school. Why was it a four star review and not a five star? The dinner was really good, the appetizer flight is a definite recommendation! The service was good aside from our server not recognizing my daughter and I were still eating but not actively in the motion of eating. The bussers were a little intrusive trying to get plates while we were eating. I get it, they want to flip the table. All of that being said, I was really excited to go to Orso for the Tiramisu! In the past, The Brewhouse and Orso were owned by the same owner and whenever we visited Brewhouse I would order the Tiramisu from Orso and it would get brought over, so f'ing delicious!! After Covid, the businesses were longer owned by the same owners or something because you can no longer order tiramisu from Orso when you dine at Glacier Brewhouse. That was a long back story. I ordered tiramisu tonight and one of the layers was still frozen!!! So, the four stars is because they ruined my memory of their tiramisu. The restaurant interior is very warm and relaxing. The toilet seats are warm, if that's important to you. read more

The food was amazing! From the crab cakes to the Beets and Blue salad to the delicious bread! The flourless brownie with ice cream was the perfect ending. Dusan provided the best in Serbian hospitality. read more

Fantastic seafood and exceptional service. Great atmosphere. We are visiting Alaska from Canada, and we went to Orso to try authentic Alaskan food. We were delighted with how flavourful and well presented it was. Highly recommended. read more

Orso is one of THE names in the Anchorage Eatery Community. Though being closed for the duration of the pandemic they are back and better than ever. Fresh, Rich, Tasteful and Upscale are the words that come to mind. The king crab was so fresh and fatty, cooked perfectly with the right amount of citrus punch. The bread yeasty and warm with fresh whipped butter. If you want to show someone you care with food, take them for a dinner at Orso. read more

Orso - Italian Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

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Location- excellent, food-outstanding, customer service-great Yes much better then Sullivan's read more

Ambiance was a bit boring as a traditional steak house, and food was okay. I didn't think it was memorable.