The Rundown: Local Italian chain with friendly service, a decent setting and some solid flavor profiles - but some recipe improvements could be made. The Review: Parents were in the mood for Italian, wanting to try somewhere different we settled on Papa Lozzi. I appreciate their being open for lunch! The interior was had a relatively intimate feeling setting and had a classy bar - though the massive empty area in the back was kind of odd. Not sure if they were remodeling or if it's used for something else but I'd recommend perhaps putting up a curtain wall or something as it detracted from the experience if you were seated near the back. Our server (Brandon I believe was his name) was very attentive and catered to substitution requests (like adding a side of pasta, and adding cheese and pepper to the bread dipping sauce) with ease. The bread was nice and crunchy, and the dipping oil pairing was a nice and classic touch. I love soup and was hoping for some Italian wedding but the soup of the day I understand changes and this visit was Stracciatella. I've never had it before (it was described as "Italian egg drop") and it was a nice light soup. Personally I'm a fan of stock, but I would certainly be open to ordering it again. The strange (and amusing?) thing was the decision to use large table spoons for the soup cups. It took up about half the size! An interesting choice. For the main entree I decided upon puttanesca. They weren't kidding around with the chili flakes and it was a bit spicy for my taste but the overall balance of the olives, anchovies, all blended together perfectly and created a lovely flavor profile for the sauce. I definitely would recommend! Another in our group got lasagna and I'm not sure what it was but the sauce was incredibly bland. Perhaps some salt and pepper? Garlic? Not positive but it was not a dish I'd recommend. I still cannot tell if they did or did not claim to make their own pasta (read mixed info, including on menu). It did not taste homemade so there was that to be aware of in case anyone is hopeful for that crafted taste but it was cooked perfectly. Overall, it's nice to see a local Italian restaurant in the area. While some items shined and others were disappointing, I do think it's worth giving them a visit if you're in the mood for an independent restaurant experience. (Oh and a note - they offer 10% discount for cash purchases.) read more

Papa Lozzi Italia - Cup of Stracciatella soup. With a large spoon. - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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This time we didnt feel like going out but wanted some good Italian food, so we ordered online for takeout. The website was very sluggish and wouldn't process our order, so we had to call to get it processed. I ordered chicken parmigiana and a Caesar salad. The chicken parmigiana was prepared in the most unusual way, it was put between 2 pieces of pita instead of on top of pasta. I didn't want the pita, so I had to pick it off which wasn't easy as all the cheese had stuck to it. As a result it was very dry with very little sauce, it tasted good, but not what I wanted. The pesto penne was really good, salad was fine. We also got a caprese salad, but the cheese was too salty and the balsamic had a muted flavor. Disappointed with this experience unfortunately. read more

Overall, this is a solid spot for filling pastas and pizzas. It won't blow your socks off, but it's a great family dining option for dinner out. The price is a bit expensive for what you get, though. They also have a full bar. I came with a large party, and the servers did a great job accommodating us. They pushed together several tables, and the restaurant wasn't very packed, so we were well taken care of. We ate four pasta dishes, the spinach salad, and two pizzas family-style. It was enough for 8 adults. I highly recommend the carbona and the pizzas. However, I would not recommend the spinach salad. It was a bust. We ordered it for the goat cheese, but the dressing tasted like smuckers jelly. The rest of the food was solid. Good portions. I didn't feel too heavy afterward. Something that detracted from the experience was that one of our tables kept nearly collapsing every time anyone put any amount of weight on one side. When we told the server, she just shoved a door stop under one of the table legs.... I mean, I think you should just get another table at that point. The atmosphere felt kind of run-down when she did that. Overall, I give this spot a 4 because the service and the food are good, but it's your average Italian restaurant. read more

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I am going to give Papa Lozzi a solid 3, no more no less. Straight up on the scale of authentic bs Italian American, this is not authentic, it is old style Italian American. Pasta with meatballs and chicken on a bed of linguini Italian American, so I am using that perspective for my review, as I always do for fairness. Service. Impeccable if a bit slow. Very friendly and lovely gentleman. Didn't catch his name but I really enjoyed him working with us. Ambiance is casual strip mall Italian American. Yet cozy, so good. Food. I had the chicken mushroom marsala with broccoli. It was good! Daughter one had the mussels marinara and it was good. Daughter two had the gnocchetti and that did not have much flavor so thumb down. Bottle of prosecco was really good and extremely cold so good. As I said. Solid 3 stars. read more

Great customer care and excellent food! The owner Alex Lozzi is an amazing Chef and his dishes are full of flavor. I highly recommend you visit read more

Papa Lozzi Italia - Chef Alex Lozzi, Ozzie Fernandez and his family. Me and mine - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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OMG 1st time here.... My 1st question when in any Italian restaurant is... Are your meatballs homemade... YES these are and they melt in your mouth. The pasta dishes we had were outstanding. I will return and try their pizza , Becka( waitress) told us some of her Favs and suggestions. read more

Great location in Waterford with plenty of parking. Nice little Italian restaurant with good pizza. We ordered the special which was the spinach ravioli with Gouda cheese sauce and we added grilled chicken. It was delicious. The sauce was a little salty but it was still yummy. The pizza was good as well, fresh and the crust was perfect. They gave you a nice fresh bread with some oil, balsamic and a little Parmesan. Our waitress, Melissa, she was very sweet and attentive. We needed some hot water for a baby bottle and she brought it out right away. For dessert, we got the crème brûlée and the tiramisu. I'm not sure what happened to the tiramisu, this is just my opinion, there wasn't a lot of mascarpone and it had a different taste to it. I'm not sure if it was all the stuff that they put on top of it like the powdered sugar and the chocolate sauce but it didn't taste right in my opinion. I would not order it again, but my husband said the crème brûlée was good. However, I did like the chocolate covered strawberry that they put on top of each dessert. That was a nice little touch. Will definitely be back since it's so close to home, to try other things. If you are in the area, you should stop in if you want some good Italian food and try it for yourself. read more

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STAY AWAY! Service was friendly, food was awful. I cannot remember having a pizza worse than this one. Nothing like photos previously posted here (see my photo) - dough was bad, cheese was meh, and there was no sauce (!!!), only slices of tomato. I just read a 1-star review here and their pizza looked much better. We also had a pasta that was super overcooked. read more

Papa Lozzi Italia - Margherita pizza - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Who is writing these glowing reviews? Bots? Family & Friends? Can't be real customers. I visited Papa Lozzi during what should have been the height of lunch hour at 1pm on a Saturday... not a single customer in the middle of the crazy busy Waterford Lakes shopping plaza which should have told me to run. Based on the reviews I decided to give it a shot anyway and boy should I have listened to my cautious side. I ordered really easy stuff, spaghetti and meatballs with extra sauce and a slice of cheese and pepperoni to try their pizza. Positive stuff first. Staff was friendly, military discount (never expected, always appreciated) and food came out very hot (but maybe because it was microwaved?). Took about 30min to get my food even as the only person there, The pasta was dry even though I asked for extra sauce. The sauce was basically just thin plain tomato sauce from a can with no spices or flavor. The meatballs were tiny and flavorless. Not served with a side salad, It was served with burnt bread with nothing to put on it, no butter or oil and spices or cheese. The pizza slice was thin, small and clearly conveyer belt cooked like dominoes but if it's possible it was not even up to that awful quality. Most of the food fed my trash can, it was that bad. I ordered to go and asked for plastic ware but was told they don't have that there. So I got to go to another restaurant and ask them for plastic ware to eat this places food. Stay away, awful place, I guarantee it won't be open much longer. read more

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I have to admit, this place is the real deal when it comes to Italian food. The special of the day was scallops diavolo, this was probably one if the best Italian dishes I have ever had. It a bit pricey, but how how can you put a price on excellent food. I also would recommend having that calamari appetizer. Try this place if you want a treat for a beautiful dinner. read more

The food in this restaurant is very authentic. My favorite dish is the chicken Marsala. It comes with veggies and roasted potatoes but I ordered it with rigatoni pasta instead. The restaurant is small but cozy and rustic. The tiramisu was my favorite part! It tasted home made! The servers were so nice and gave us great recommendations too! read more

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The food was delicious. Best Italian in Orlando heck maybe anywhere. Service was great. The owner personally greeted me. read more

Papa Lozzi Italia - Risotto with Shrimp and Scallop - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

I wanted to like it as the service was very friendly but the pasta was overcooked and very watery.

Great pizza. I ordered takeout sausage and mushroom well done pizza. Superb pizza! Crispy and chewy crust. Sauce had chunks of tomato and not overly sweet and plenty of it. Good amount of mushrooms and sausage. The salad was very fresh with a creamy lemon dressing. Unfortunately it was not salad I ordered that was to have radicchio, arugula, and endive.1 star off due to service. I waited over 10 minutes after promised time even though I went later than expected. I had to ask for an update and the waitress became a little perturbed with me for asking. Disappointing with the wait (I think they forgot about my order) and the giving me spring mix instead of the specialty salad I ordered and they never said anything but still charged me the same amount. read more

Papa Lozzi Italia - Tricolor salad with lemon dressing - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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Small place in a strip mall but very tastefully done inside. Kudos to creating a great atmosphere. I was actually was between a 3 or 4. What they did well they did very well but the things that needed improvement really bothered me personally. We arrived and were greeted promptly and shown to a nice clean booth. The server arrived promptly and offered us the specials in great detail and answered any questions. He informed us that the chef was from Rome. We got some wine and soft drinks that arrived promptly and placed an order for the bruschetta. We were then brought some bread and oil for dipping. So far it was great. The bruschetta was very well done. I have never had it that the sides were blacked and it was very difficult to even bite let alone try and cut it. Our main course arrived and the portions are very very large. I noticed that most everyone was leaving with a to go box after their meal. The price may seem slightly higher than you would think but remember you are likely to get 2 meals out of it. The chicken parmigiana was OK but I have to say I was disappointed in the carbonara. I can't be sure but it seemed like they added cream. I know some recipes call for it but I was hoping for the more traditional recipe, especially since the chef was from Rome. There was nothing wrong with it but it reminded me more of a carbonara sauce than just the straight up egg, onion and pepper. We were too full but did get a tiramisu to go since everyone commented how wonderful it was. And I agree! I will likely go again and maybe try the pizza since the pasta was not what I was hoping for. I say give it a shot. Very nice with excellent service read more

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The Best Italian Restaurant we have been to since traveling to Italy! Freshest Scratch Made in all of Orlando! We just celebrated our 36th Anniversary and our server Cali could not have been more wonderful! Chef Lozzi actually came by to wish us a happy anniversary!! What a surprise! We recommend Papa Lozzi Italia to anyone who wants the Best Italian food Ever! PS Chevy Chase Loves this place too! read more

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We stumbled on to this place by accident . It's in our strip plaza that has lots of restaurants. They're unusual bc they also have a full bar. The new server Macy was really nice and made us want to return . I had the gnocchi and husband had lasagna . They were both really tasty . The pasta was homemade and you could taste the difference. They have a nice wine list with a wide variety of price points. They also have a full bar , yay for Aperol Spritz. It's a good location , right across from Waterford Lakes Town Center. read more

Chase you down until you love me... Papa Papa Lozzi. It's time to update my review because I am once again, Gaga about this place. We've been here a few times since things got back to normal (whatever that is) and each visit has been pretty darn good and better than the last. Although I miss the original lasagna with like 10 layers of noodles, the new one is a pretty good replacement if you're a meat lover. Their salads are elegant with quality ingredients. They have these amazing Risotto specials. And the fish dishes are cooked perfectly to the point where you can eat the tail. Desserts are equally as good. Thanks to all of the excellent servers and excellent cooks that may be young and fairly new. You showed more professionalism and PMA than other places we've dined with the so called veterans of the service industry. We appreciate you! My bad Poker Face hopefully shows my gratitude. I like the fact you can make a reservation (via another app) so you don't have to worry about showing up to a long wait for a table. On a Friday night, that limits where we might venture out. I may be adding the onto the regular rotation. I'll be back for the puttanesca! I never get to order it though because you always have a special I want!!! read more

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My favorite Italian hidden gem in the UCF area! It is a small authentic Italian place that you need to try! The service is always so quick and friendly. They also offer free fresh bread with oil and balsamic vinegar. For starters, we decided to get our favorite dish which was the beef carpaccio! I love the truffle oil sauce on it, which I feel like ties the dish together. The beef is incredibly tender and I love the salad + fresh parmesan that fills the dish. For entrees, my two favorite pastas here would be the penne pesto and carbonara. The pesto is very fresh and tastes homemade. Definitely one of the best pesto sauces I've ever had :) For the carbonara, the sauce is very creamy and always filled with pancetta. We decided to substitute rigatoni instead of spaghetti which I feel like makes the dish taste even better! Overall, this is such a authentic Italian place that more people should be aware of and check out. Hands down one of my top Italian places in the area :) read more

Papa Lozzi Italia - beef Carpaccio Di Manzo - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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Great service and food! When we visited the restaurant, we were greeted by our super nice and attentive server Chino and immediately seated. The restaurant was nice and clean. And looked like a nice place for dinner with family, friends, or even a date night. There were many tempting options to choose from the menu, and we decided to order the calamari, cozze al vino, ny strip steak, and the fish of the day. The calamari was the best we had ever had! I especially loved the fried squash and mushrooms that come with it. I would come back just to get this again. The steak was done perfectly and topped with a delicious brown sauce and mushrooms. But if I had to choose between steak and fish, I must say, the fish was divine! (I know because I snuck a tiny piece of it from my mother's plate, haha). It was nice and crisp on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside. Overall, we had a wonderful experience and would certainly be back. read more

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I made a reservation in person yesterday for tonight (Feb 14th). Arrived a little early knowing that today is busy in most places. We were not greeted as the front desk was empty, after 10-15 minutes we got shown to our table and were told that a server will be with us shortly. Was proceeds from there is another 25 minutes of waiting with more people being sat but no server shows up. The worse part was getting tend to after all others before us. We left after receiving water and a basket of bread since the appetizer we ordered was not available. After that we made another reservation to a different Italian restaurant where we are now. Hopefully the experience will be better. read more

Went with my husband and daughter. The food was very mediocre. In addition, there's a VERY loud sports bar next door and it felt like we were inside the bar instead of having dinner. read more

We met up with my boyfriend's family for dinner at Papa Lozzi on a Sunday evening. His niece loves pasta (good taste!), so she liked the sound of this place out of all of the ones we were thinking of trying. We arrived not long after they opened for dinner and there was no wait. The dining room is very cozy and has a nice ambience. Our server was very friendly and willing to answer any questions about the menu. I chose to try the penne alla puttanesca since I've never had puttanesca before and thought it sounded good. I also ordered a cup of Italian wedding soup. My boyfriend ordered lasagna as did his sister. Others ordered pesto pasta, rigatoni, and the battered fish they had as a special. The Italian wedding soup was tasty. It didn't have as much pasta as I'm used to, but they didn't skimp on the meatballs at all and those were tasty. It had a flavorful broth and was good. I loved the puttanesca! The pasta was perfectly cooked and the sauce tasted very fresh. The capers and olives were really good and nothing was overpowering. I'd definitely order it again. I tasted my boyfriend's lasagna and thought that was delicious as well. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their meals and prices are very reasonable with large portions. Overall, this is definitely towards the top of Italian spots in town I've tried so far and I'd definitely return. read more

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Go! Go now, lol. Went here for a birthday dinner with family and EVERYTHING was amazing. I had the duck risotto. Which lets just talk about that combo.. DUCK. with Risotto! How creative. The duck was crispy skin, cooked perfectly medium. The risotto was rich, creamy and so flavorful with the zucchini and roasted red peppers. The parpadelle with shrimp was definitely a close 2nd favorite for me, I almost ate my friends entire meal, lol. The pork osobucco just melted off the bone. The sauce was flavorful and it came with a side of pasta tossed in the sauce from the pork. The kids had pizza. And while that seemed like the simplest part of the meal the arugula pizza was delicious. The mozzarella was fresh! We also had the calamari, but it got ate so fast I didn't get a pic, lol. This entire meal was amazing. The service was fantastic. Everyone was so sweet. We bought our own cake to celebrate and forgot candles, they found a candle in the back for us and did a great job making us feel special. It's a cute little spot and I can't wait to come back again soon! read more

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Took my family for Mothers Day. We had a party of 6 that we reserved and were accommodated with great service. The food was amazing and very authentic. The mood and feel with appropriate music made the experience very relaxing. We will be back. read more

Had the pasta Alfredo with chicken. Food was good with shareable portions and a decent price.

This was very average. I ordered from Uber Eats and between the time it took the restaurant to prepare it and the driver to find their way around town, it took over an hour and a half to arrive to me. This was forty five minutes over the original time. Since I waited so long, I was expecting the Pizza to be hot, it was barely luke warm and they skimped on the ricotta that was an additional charge. I was not impressed and will not be reordering from this restaurant. If you want great pizza in the Oviedo area, order Fratellos! They are top notch. I would have but they were closed on the day I ordered. read more

This family owned restaurant is a hidden gem. It is located in a line of strip shops in the Waterford Lakes Town Center, but offers delicious home-cooked Italian meals at a great price. They have daily chalk board specials and make their own fresh pasta and pizzas. read more

Chino was an amazing host!!!! We came here with everyone from work to do a dinner and Omg I have not had Italian food in so long because I always seem to not like the food but this has been the best Italian food I've had ! Calamari was fresh, sausages were delicious one of my favorites and let's talk about the pork and pasta omg super tasty and a lot of food for one person but I tried to eat it all. the pizza and dessert we're amazing ! I will definitely be returning and on top of that I checked in and received a 5% to use for my next visit! read more

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What was even better than the food, was the service. Wow absolutely outstanding service. Danny was by far the best server we have ever experienced. Super friendly, super attentive, and absolutely knew his stuff! The food was very delicious and extremely fresh! The calamari was crispy and fried perfectly! Everything was just phenomenal. We will definitely be back! Wish the bruschetta was toasted a little less, but overall very good! The pizza was also very delicious! The perfect size! The risotto... OMG. It's the best I've ever had! Beyond delicious and would highly recommend!! read more

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It was fine... service was good and the food came out fast. We ordered two drinks, a glass of wine and a paloma, and were told they didn't have the wine we wanted or the ingredients for the paloma so we had to choose another option. The bread they give you was super small and sort of burnt. The calamari was good because it also had some fried veggies with it, but the calamari itself tasted frozen. The carbonara was good, but the star was the chicken piccata. It came with pasta which was fine, but the chicken was well seasoned and super tender with the great lemon butter sauce. They also mentioned that all of their pasta was homemade, but then up charged $2 on each plate for "homemade pasta". Confusing. Sadly, we probably won't be back. read more

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This was the first time I dined here and I can say that it won't be the last. Fresh "from scratch " pasta and pizza. I had the "Italian egg drop soup" which was delicious. Also the pizza with tomato, mozzarella and basil was scrumptious with the thin crust. Thank you Abbey for introducing us to your new dishes and your friendliness. read more

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I admit I haven't yet had the chance to enjoy dining here in person but the takeout is fantastic! I always get the homemade pasta anytime I order and you can absolutely tell the difference. They always get my order right and it always arrives steaming hot. It seems like a family friendly classic Italian environment and I can't wait for the chance to dine in. read more

I finally stopped in to this restaurant after hearing quite a bit about it. The good news is that I finally tried it, the bad news is...well, read on. First, my go to dish in an Italian restaurant is veal parmigiana, which is not on their menu. So I chose their zuppa del mar, a seafood and pasta dish. Price wise they are a little high. Nothing outrageous, but a bit high. However, they bring you a few slices of bread with olive oil, but no salad. I could understand if this was a high end Italian restaurant, but this is certainly not. You are seated at uncomfortable, cheap booths, no table cloth, they even had a little sign on the table asking to join their text club. This should be treated as what they are, a family orientated Italian restaurant and growing up in Jersey, your entree came with a basket of bread for the table and a salad. I will say that the people next to our table got the calamari appetizer and it did look good and a good sized portion. My dish was an ok portion, but the seafood was a bit rubbery from overcooking. I am glad that I tried here, but I honestly cannot see myself returning. read more

Papa Lozzi Italia - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

I thought the inside was done well and decorated nicely. We were greeted right away and seated at the front with our larger party. Both of the kids were hungry and a little tired so we ordered some buttered pasta for them right away. We also ordered the caprese and the beef carpaccio. Both came out pretty quick and the kids enjoyed it. Their pasta was cooked well (as should be expected). I had the tortellini farciti (spinach and ricotta stuffing). They were in a butter sage sauce and it was really good and I enjoyed the right amount of extra flavor the sage added to the dish. I wanted a glass of the Moscato wine, but they happened to be out that evening so I didn't make another selection on this visit. read more

The food wasn't good. Very poor quality. Most of the staff was drinking at the bar with kitchen gloves still on. There were people going in and out of the kitchen with their street clothes on who didn't even look like they worked there. We found this very unsanitary. Our server trying her best. She was very good for what she was given to work with. read more

Small, plainly furnished restaurant in a shopping center. The most bland Italian food I've ever had. I seriously couldn't tell the difference between their tomato sauce and Campbell's soup -- except the Campbell's is probably spicier. Waitstaff is friendly, portions are large, but the food was mediocre at best. read more

Yummy yummy yummy. This restaurant is a scratch kitchen. You can taste the fresh ingredients. Service was great! read more

Papa Lozzi Italia - Margherita Pizza with spinach - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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Coffee was old and too strong. Requested Splenda, got sweet n low. Veal di Vitello was almost 1/2 thick, very tough and chewy for $26, plus no capers and not lemony. We ordered a side of pasta and marinara. $9 for 20 ziti noodles was a bit much. My meal was too cheesey so I ordered extra marinara, 1/2 cup was $3. $62 for a meal we did not like. Will not go again. My Husbad is Italian and did not like the food either. The server Joaquin was very nice. read more

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Came here near closing last evening. Not sure if they would seat us but they welcomed us in. The young lady waiting on our table was gracious, friendly and very helpful in assisting us with our selections. The bruschetta was a tad hard but still tasty. All of our entrees were delicious. The pasta bolognese, the mahi, the pizza oh and the salmon special were full of flavor. The red wine she suggested was very good as well. We will return next time we are visiting our boys- and they live here and now have a new spot for great Italian food. read more

Papa Lozzi Italia - Fried Calamari Gamberi - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida