Omg!!! I had the best dinner last night! We had the Veal Piccata and Veal Parmesan and they were both excellent. For an appetizer I had the lobster bisque and it was the beat I've ever had. Our waiter told us that it takes them three days to make the lobster best because they use the lobster shells first and then go from there. read more

We always have excellent service and great food every time we visit. Thank you for being so awesome read more

Pascone's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - University Park, Florida

Pascone's is a fave for special occasions or bringing out-of-towm guests. The food is delicious and plentiful. They have a monthly Chef's Special which has been very good whenever we have tried it. You truly get what you pay for. The service is always first class and every customer is treated as important. The restaurant has a classy feel to it. The piano player adds to the ambiance It is tucked away in a mall area, slightly hidden. We also enjoy sitting at the bar, especially for Happy Hour. Gets busier during "season" but we go any time of year. read more

We're more than pleased with several food offerings, great service and hospitality. We usually ask for Anthony who is a great server. My favorites are their veal piccata or the Chef's monthly specials. You won't be disappointed. Say hello to the owner, Judy, when you arrive. She's usually at reception. read more

Pascone's Ristorante is our favorite restaurant by far!! The food is always delicious, the wait staff always professional and friendly, the ambiance is beautiful, Alan's piano music adds so much to the evening and the owner Judi is always there to welcome guests. It is a treasure!! read more

I recently attended a dinner for 36 women at Pascones. I am addressing a previous review as I feel it was a misrepresentation of the evening. We were seated in a beautiful private room and had 2 attendants. The water and bread baskets were refilled as soon as they became empty. Cocktails were flowing and the waiter continually was checking to see who needed more. Salads were out in 15 minutes of being seated. The food came out hot and based on what you ordered ie eggplant first, pasta, then chicken parm. There were 36 people so NO everyone did not get there dinner at the same time, but it was all out within 30-45 minutes of being seated. It was fresh, hot, and HUGE portions. Nothing was pre-made and sitting around. The service was impeccable for an event that size. Since items were pre ordered and people sat where they wanted the waiter did have to ask who had what salad. No big deal. The owner. Judy, was so gracious and constantly in the room checking to see how the evening was going and if we needed anything. She also assisted in getting everyone individual checks cashed out. Yes, an 18% gratuity was added but that is common practices for tables over 6 people. It was my first time there and not my last. I have told everyone how delicious the food was and what a great event this was. It you want delicious authentic Italian food with huge portions for a reasonable price, this is the place to go. Thanks to the owner and staff for such a pleasure able evening read more

The food was great. The service, however, was absolutely atrocious. I went last night with a large group. The waiter kept bitching about a salad and who ordered it - to the point it delayed our food coming out by at least 30 min. At some point, the restaurant should just absorb the cost of the salad instead of trying to guilt a group of 33 people for who ordered it. You have the damn list of what we ordered ahead of time! Really piss poor customer service. My dinner came out so late that most of my table was already finishing when I started. Then the debacle with the checks. After 45 min of waiting for my check, I finally asked our waiter (who also complained about being called into work) for the check. He had only done one table out of three and told me I was going to have a lengthy wait. This is totally unacceptable. I pre-ordered both my salad and entree before I even set foot in the restaurant. Why so damn long to get a check? They finally changed their process where the waiter input the checks at one station, and we paid at another. I did not appreciate being charged a hefty tip which he did not deserve as well as a credit card convenience fee. What could have been a spectacular evening left a bad taste in my mouth (pun intended). I won't return and would not recommend this place for large groups. It's evident they can't handle it, even though it is a lovely room. I had heard great things about this place but just not good for groups. There should have been more wait staff and bus staff for 33 people. They were totally unprepared for us. read more

We spotted this restaurant while at the shopping center for another reason and decided to give it a try. It was busy and loud but luckily were able to score an indoor table without a reservation. Our server was right over for drink orders. My choice for dinner was easy, Pascone's Spaghetti Polpette. This is spaghetti with their special chuck brisket blend meatballs. I like trying dishes that include the restaurant's name. It didn't take long at all for our food to arrive. I dove in, focused on twirling those noodles. My food was good. It didn't stand out as anything too special but it was certainly a good meal. A couple of negatives I guess was we didn't get bread. It looked like most tables got a basket we didn't, don't know why. We also didn't get offered grated cheese, would have been nice to have a little cheese topping my spaghetti. There was a sign at the hostess stand stating there is a 3% service charge on credit cards. I'm ok with that as long as it's disclosed. The interior looked very nice, there's a bar, and they have outdoor seating. Parking is convenient. read more

Pascone's Ristorante - Pascone's Spaghetti Polpette - Italian Near Me - University Park, Florida

I really struggled between 3 and 4 stars, as I have been to this restaurant a few times and each time I come away thinking I must have liked it more the last time I went. If you want good drinks and wine, etc. this is a good place. If you want really good Italian place, I don't think I could recommend this one. One of the worst meals I have had in a long time was the spaghetti carbonara- the amount of salt in that dish was unreal, and I'm a person who will reach for the salt shaker before I even taste some foods, but I'm glad I didn't this time or I would not have been able to eat it because, as it was, it was barely edible. My last two visits started off poorly as well. The hostess, the same person both times, a lady with long brownish blonde hair, just ignored me and my friends as we stood at her stand. She would walk away, come back, fuss with the menus, talk to other people, but totally ignore us. Last night was our most recent visit and I had two out of town guests with me, and she did it again, and finally, the smaller lady, who might be an owner, came over and greeted us and sat us. Our server was fine, he kept our drinks filled and checked on us often, but nobody in my party really enjoyed their food. The chicken parmagiano was a little chewy and all the breading came off of it. My friend enjoyed the roasted chicken, and his wife said her veal picatta was good, but not great. In previous visits, I had the linguini with clams and that was always good, but I specifically brought out of town guests to this restaurant hoping everyone would enjoy their food and the service, and it was sort of embarrassing for us. I don't know if I'll go back. I live in Palmetto, and I just don't think it's worth the drive when there are other decent Italian restaurants around. read more

A group of 10 women from my neighborhood had Dinner at Pascone's recently and we were all very pleased with our meals, service , and ambiance. The portions were generous, really enough for 2 meals, in my opinion. Yes I would recommend this restaurant for special occasions. It was a little pricey in my opinion. read more

Best Italian cuisine in Sarasota! Locally Family owned & operated. The veal piccata is amazing & portions are generous. Fairly priced for the excellent quality & freshness. Judi & her staff know how to do it right. You will not be disappointed. Easy parking & access. The ambiance & entertainment makes it an even better experience. read more

The restaurant is loud like a pizzeria with industrial ceilings, a long booth along the back and tables squeezed in the middle making 3 rows leaving no-one, I mean none at all of privacy or intimacy. The high tops by the bar seemed more appealing. So no points with us for ambiance. We began with the Caprese salad and it was 3 large pieces of sliced tomatoes with generous portions of Burrata cheese, fresh basil and a mild drizzle of oil and balsamic vinegar. The salad looked nice but not as refined as we would have expected. The thinner tomatoes, maybe slice 4 with the same on cheese might have been better. The portions are reasonable for an Italian restaurant but the taste is not. I ordered the Lasagna Bolognese and it was huge, presentation was great, unfortunately, taste was not. There was a very pungent taste in the sauce that overpowered the red tomato sauce. We couldn't figure out the spice used but it truly ruined the dish. I really couldn't move past it and wasn't able to eat the meal. My husband got the Rigatoni a la Vodka with Sausage and Eggplant. He said the sauce was good as was the sausage. However, the eggplant was sliced extremely thin and was heavy breaded, making it terrible to eat. Also, the rigatoni was not his preferred pasta for it was too heavy for this dish. The service was acceptable but lacking on the details that would have elevated them. For example, salad comes out, waiter says working on the bread. Asked server for fresh pepper. No salt or pepper at table. Had to wait a bit while drinks were served to another table and order taken from another table- while we stare at salad. Almost done with salad, 2 pieces of bread appear with an oil and balsamic garlic dipping sauce. Finish salad and bread, request more bread. Bus server kindly brings us fresh bread but no more dip. No refill provided. Dinner arrives, request fresh cheese. Waiting, waiting, food runner appears with fresh cheese. Also need to note, hostess has an interesting approach, for she stands in middle of the 3 rows, stares at diners, while scratching her underarms. That was so weird to watch! Let's then Add 3% to the tab for credit card payments. No where is it advertised or told to diners that there would be an additional fee for card payments. For these prices, we truly expected so much better. Nothing impressive and with all the options in this area, we will not be back. read more

Pascone's Ristorante - Lasagna with Bolognese sauce. - Italian Near Me - University Park, Florida

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What a disappointment, saw them next bww. Try something new. Menu was expensive. No bread to start off with. No salt and pepper on table. No pizzas unless you sat at the bar. Friend had "half a chicken ". 2 thighs and a drumstick. With carrots and gnocchi. Bland chicken Can't add salt cause there wasn't any. I tried the chicken. Tasted bad. Almost like it sat out all day. Felt sick eating it. I got the lasagna. Looked homemade. Taste great. read more

Just remember to ask for Chateau Breaund a week before you go. Ask for Marcus the waiter- he never forgets and will pamper you read more

Excellent food! We lived in Italy and the food is amazing! The chef studied in Italy and the owners parents are from Sicily! read more

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Amazing Italian food. I've been wanting to try this place for a while and finally took my aunt there the other night. She was born in Sicily and I lived and traveled in Italy for years, so we know good authentic Italian food. We both had the veal piccata and it was divine! Staff was super friendly and attentive. Pretty traditional decor. Will be back. read more

After shopping everything was closed. They did not turn us away HUGE POINTS for that considering it's Christmas Eve and we did not have a reservation. Our waiter was absolutely amazing the customer service is impeccable. It's very classy and clean inside. The food is delicious. I've wanted to try this place for a while and we just accidentally got lucky. So for this being our first time here and on a Holiday I am very impressed and I will be returning and recommending this place to friends and tourists. Great job Pascone's you have a fantastic establishment and staff!! read more

Pascone's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - University Park, Florida

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Went for what was advertised as 4 course lunch and fashion show for a friend's birthday. The menu offered 4 options of which you chose 1 and a dessert for $35. 15% was going toward a local animal rescue. My chicken was delicious, if the menu and advertisement had read choose 1 of 4 options I would have understood. The lighting was poor and reading the bill difficult. Had I been able to see it better I would have tipped a bit differently. Instead the waiter apparently decided he deserved more and more than doubled my tip. It's extremely doubtful I will return. read more

3% charge for using a credit card? Oh well, Take it out of the tip. Maybe if they can't get servers to work there they'll stop being such a greedy and arrogant establishment. We've yet to see a restaurant ADD a 3% charge for using a credit card. It's called the cost of doing business. One customer stated a $2.00 charge for ice in a cocktail. You may not like my review but evidently I'm not the only one that feels that way. Look at the other negative reviews. BTW we've have visited and also feel your food is lacking and needs more seasoning. You should try and improve your recipes instead of being so defensive, arrogant and rude to your customers. You probably only barely survive because of the snowbirds that don't know good food from bad. read more

Excellent service! Friendly and attentive. Very nice patio area to enjoy the evening. Very good selection of excellent wine options. Great regular water. Excellent Chicken Parmesan! The chicken was crisp when served. Plenty of Parmesan and wonderful tomato sauce with chunks of tomatoes. The substituted Fettuccine Alfredo accompaniment was also excellent - plenty of very flavorful sauce and perfectly done noodles. The Snapper Francaise was also perfectly prepared, though noticeably smaller than on previous occasions. Excellent sauce with capers. The risotto accompaniment was also a perfect balance to the fish. read more

Pascone's Ristorante - Snapper Francaise - Italian Near Me - University Park, Florida

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Food is excellent. Wait staff is amazing. Owner is onsite making sure your dinning experience is perfect Highly recommend. Eat there frequently. Delicious read more

Food was generally good, but WAY too much garlic. Service was very good. Ambiance was OK. read more

Food, atmosphere and the waiter were all excellent! Was a great date night place. Will be back

We arrived a little early for our Saturday evening reservation and were promptly greeted by the observant proprietor at the front desk. She seated us in a side room window table, but where we couldn't hear the live music played by the usual entertainer keyboard player in the main room, and were within the smaller side room where all the diners were inundated by the shrieking intermittent screaming vocal outbursts of an infant member of a large nearby dining assemblage nearby our table.. The server (Karim?) introduced himself and brought waters and chosen libations. After dipping served warm bread basket slices in oil and vinegar , we placed our preferred orders after listening to Karim's suggestions . Food entrees were slow coming out of the kitchen on a busy Saturday evening. Entrees looked nice and were warm. One of two ordered chicken dishes were tender and delicious. Salads looked dry, but were tasty and satisfactory. The spaghetti and meatballs were average and not rated as good as suggested. Ambience of the side room improved after the large family with the shrieking infant toddler departed. The room was well appointed/ decorated and pleasant for conversation at our table. Service- inconsistent, varied between a male and a female servers. It appeared to be a busy booked restaurant on a Saturday night, but attention to our table was not consistent, orders were slowly brought out from the kitchen by servers, water glasses were not filled unless requested patiently. Leftovers from one of our party were not brought out until after a long wait and when finally brought to the table didn't appear to be from her plate in matter of quantity or contents! We often dine out in this era of rising prices, lower serving sizes and labor shortages in a higher density of dining options in the area marketplace and feel this experience was average and below our previous experiences at Pascone's. This was a little disappointing from our expectations from previous positive experiences there. read more

Only OK - overpriced. Food average. Many other better Italian places to go to here.

First time visit here. My wife and I were at UTC and decided we were both craving some good spaghetti and didn't want to go to one of the chain places at the mall. Found this place and walked in just as they were opening at 4:30 pm. I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs and she ordered the lasagna. Both were AMAZING and the portions were huge! They make the meatballs with ground brisket and, no exaggeration, they were the best I've ever had and the sauce was over-the-top good, as well, and the noodles tasted like they were freshly made. The ambiance is definitely upper scale so it's a great place for date night or special occasions. We finished off the meal with an espresso and the tiramisu for dessert, which were both also really good. Looking forward to coming back and trying some of the other entrees on the menu. They have carbonara, which is probably my favorite Italian dish so I'll definitely give that one a try. I highly recommend this place. The service was really good, as well. read more

Best amazing authentic Italian food just ask any customer you see ! The food here is outstanding with amazing flavor. read more

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Always one of our favorites, food is good the only complaint is they don't change the menu very often. Service by Marcus is always the best.

Food was great and service was excellent! We had a great time! We had the caprese salad as an appetizer and it was amazing read more

Pascone's Ristorante - Caprese salad, highly recommend - Italian Near Me - University Park, Florida

If you're looking for a nice italian place this is it! Came here in the middle of the week to celebrate a birthday and was pleasantly surprised. Outstanding service from Kerem who serves everyday. A little on the pricier side but the plate portions absolutely make up for it. Great wine selection and would recommend for any special occasion!! read more

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The place is very old school Italian, excellent ambiance and our waiter was entertaining and provided tremendous service. The food was excellent from the cooked mussels to the pasta and steak. Wine selection was solid, great reds. Decent price. Will come again. read more

Very good happy hour selection, pizza was amazing Pasta fasol good. Staff was friendly ,service great nice ambiance comfy booths in the bar area read more

My wife & I tried Pascone's in Sarasota for the first time on Thursday 8/3 at 6:15. Upon walking in we were impressed because it was pretty full and there was a man in the corner of the main dining area playing very soft piano music on a keyboard. Our server came to us fairly quick once we were seated. The menu is complete with the usual Italian favorites which included our favorite of veal piccata. The dessert menu is very good and I would recommend the almond croissant bread pudding or the lemon cake. read more

This was our first visit to Pascone's, but it surely won't be our last. We were graciously met by the owner/hostess and seated quickly. Our server was Mark (who we remembered from his place of prior employment) and he did a fine job all evening. I had the Shrimp Scampi and it was delicious -- I loved the buttery garlic olive oil sauce on the Angel Hair Pasta. The shrimp was perfectly prepared. Other members of our party complimented the Veal Parm and the Halibut special. We shared a nice red wine -- Conundrum -- which is a product of the Wagner Family famous for their Caymus flagship brand. I'm always pleased when a restaurant doesn't gouge me on wine prices, and this bottle was offered at slightly less than 2x wine store retail. There was a pianist playing familiar popular music, but did so softly enough to never interfere with the table conversation. I'm searching around for negatives and can only come up with two. First, the inside atmosphere, while very nice, isn't as intimate as I would have liked and the outdoor dining option is uninspired. Second, we waited quite a while to be served our entrees-- about 45 minutes from the time we first sat down. Both of these are so minor when compared to great food. read more

Had a great meal there with friends in December so I ordered a pizza and salad for pickup tonight. When my hubby went there, he was told that he had the wrong place, that they don't do takeout on weekends. I confirmed to him that I ordered through their website, so he went back inside and the manager (?) told him that he saw the order and refused it. No phone call, text, or email to let us know, even though he had all the info. They should shut off online orders if they have no intention of accepting them. read more

Best Italian restaurant in Bradenton hands down. Very authentic taste and experience. Great selection of wine Definitely our new go to Italian spot in town read more

Pascone's Ristorante - Ravioli, Caprese salad - Italian Near Me - University Park, Florida

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2.5 Disclaimer: youngest person in the entire place Not authentic Italian food. No specials and pasta is not home made. Pear soaked salad... lettuce is straight from the bag with soggy pieces in it. Eggplant parmigiana is good.... However the breading so dry and chunky. Ricotta cheesecake didn't seem fresh and they didn't have espresso... again... overall not happy but I am a millennial foodie so my expectations are higher than your average 65+ crowd. Sorry Pasconies , you are great for the older crowd where everything is salty and tastes the same. read more

I ordered the eggplant parmigiana! Probably one of the most amazing dishes ever! The dish was so good I could lick the plate! The server Marcus was Devine! He made the experience one truly to remember. For desert I indulged in the croissant bread pudding which was also lick-able! Go get some yumminess! read more

Food is delicious, my husband raved about his shrimp scampi and I loved my caprese salad and pizza. Device was excellent, Markus was very impressive and attentive. Live keyboard player was a nice feature. Located in a strip mall off University Park read more

Our dinner January 27, 2024 was a big problem and the owner had zero interest in responding to us. I spoke the owner and she did not have the courtesy to call me back after she said she would speak with her chef and call me that same day. It's now two weeks later and "no call". Our bill was $400. and we respectfully requested some type of adjustment due to the fact that two of our nine guests got very sick...throwing up... that night after dinner.It's surprising and unfortunate that Pascone's has no interest in their loyal clients. This is the height of arrogance. There are several italian restaurants in the area that would certainly be more responsive and demonstrate their interest if they received a call intended to provide facts about our very sad experience. This is worth keeping in mind if someone is considering Pascone's. read more