The service was fantastic. They only have about a dozen tables but you don't feel crowded. The martini specials were chefs kiss. But the food oh the food was the star of the show. The lasagna has short rib meat in it and it was beyond delicious. My husband had the braciole and he said it tasted close to his grandmothers. read more

Pasqualone's Ristorante - Braciole - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Been here three times throughout the past three years. Everyone has been great, and the owner always thanks us and sees us out. I recommend calling for a reservation as they're typically pretty full. But there has been one open table the first and third time we were there. The specials are where they're at. They're always different and we rarely order from the menu. The fresh pasta is delicious! Great texture and great sauce. If available, I highly recommend the pork shoulder lasagna. read more

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The small intimate dining room was the perfect size, the volume of the music was perfect, the service was impeccable. The servers themselves were knowledgeable and happy to be there and the food... The food was off the hook! 38 years ago when I was a very young man, I worked two summers at Monaco's Palace and Dave was the head chef there. He set the bar very high every single night. He was always a gentleman first and foremost, a professional, and I could see that every single plate that went out was important to him. It was clearly evident last night that he has raised those standards even further. A chef owned restaurant is one thing, a chef actually making every single dish in his restaurant is unheard of in Central Ohio.. Pasqualone's is now in our permanent rotation! read more

A birthday dinner to remember. The intimate setting. Personal service with great attention to detail. Delicious food that took me back to my grandfather's meals. We had the burrata, chicken parmesan, the special pasta of the night, a chicken thigh & Italian sausage dish with a white wine sauce, the lemon sorbet and a cappuccino to close it out. Then a cannoli as a gift from the restaurant and serenaded by the others in the dining room. Truly a special night, can't wait to go back. read more

Pasqualone's Ristorante - Chicken Parmigiano - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

A strip mall by a bowling alley, sign me up! Is probably not what you are thinking. This place is reservation only, and you have to call them....on a phone. It's worth the work! This place is old school and I love it! When I walked in for my reservation the Owner/Chef popped out from the kitchen and said "Good Evening Mrs. Wilson" because well, we were the only reservation at that time. Really impressed my friends lol. We picked the day before Thanksgiving to dine out with friends we hadn't seen in a while. This is a great place for a small group to sit and talk (and be heard) without being rushed. Restaurant was 60% full? Fantastic full premium bar, great wine list and helpful servers. Just top to bottom great food and service. From the menu, it seems like a limited selection of standard Italian fair. Order from the specials, they are chef recommended and always fantastic. Even the basic spaghetti + meatballs is great! Entres $30-50 which is really pretty reasonable. Just me but, I would love more vegetables on the menu as sides with my pasta. Most meals do come with soup or salad. Great for small group (less than 10) but not sure how many they would take honestly. You will get fantastic service, great food, in a nice quieter environment. Looking forward to going back in the new year! read more

Amazing food!! Intimate atmosphere, great service. Best lasagna I've ever had by far ( and that's why I've ordered at every Italian restaurant I've visited). Great cocktails and dessert as well. You need to try this place. PS: plenty of leftovers even better the next day! read more

Wow Pasqualone's Ristorante was incredible! Delicious food. Service was great. I loved the mural on the wall which made for a very quaint ambiance. We went for my father in law's birthday dinner. We started with a bottle of wine and the mussels. We kept having them bring us out more bread because it was so good. We also ordered two of the stuffed meatballs. Fantastic! One would be plenty for two people. The server heard that my wife and I were planning to split two meals and took the liberty of having the chef split it for us. That was very nice of them! The lasagna and tortellini were both out of this world. If I had to choose, I would probably say the lasagna was the best meal of the evening. We finished with the espresso gelato and cannolis which were also great. And to top it off we had a limoncello gelato brought out. Everything was delicious. We will most certainly be back! We are already planning on this being our possible Christmas Eve dinner! read more

Wow, what a sweet spot this little homey Italian place is! We decided to go here for my dad's birthday and everyone loved it. They only take reservations, no walk ins, so make sure you call ahead. The staff is all super kind and they loved greeting fellow Italians. It is super small and quaint inside only holding about 2 10 tables. The drink menu is pretty large and every meal comes with a small salad. The bread is great and they are generous with it. We started with the stuffed meatball which was superb and the mussels. I split the tortellini and the lasagna with my husband and both were fabulous. If I had to pick, I think I liked the tortellini more, but I'm a sucker for a white sauce. We also had cavatelli, gnocchi and chicken parm at our table and everyone loved their dish. For dessert we had a few cannolis (please don't skip out on this, perfectly crunchy and filled deliciously) and some gelato. We tried the cappuccino, limoncello swirl, and stracciatella. Our server was an absolute treat, and didn't rush my big family, who loves to visit at dinner. While the outside is a little suspect, please do not skip out on this absolutely top notch spot! read more

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My wife and I's favorite restaurant in Columbus. Life's special moments are always spent with its amazing staff. A restaurant that gets around by word of mouth (the traditional way.) Known for their veal specials, my wife swears by their veal loaf. I personally have never had the veal, but always leave satisfied. With it being traditional Italian food, portion sizes are on the larger side. Truly a diamond in the rough. read more

My girlfriend and I went to Pasqualone's in Columbus Square last evening. To say that we were blown away would be an understatement. From the time we walked in the door, a gentleman in the kitchen looked up and said greeted us. (There's a door so you can see into the kitchen from the foyer) I later learned it was Dave Pasqualone himself. We were promptly shown to our table and within a few minutes, a gentleman by the name of Chris introduced himself and told us what the specials for the evening were. Everything sounded great but my girlfriend picked the saccettini with the amatriciana sauce and I had the veal scalopini with a small side of saccettini. The meal was PERFECT! You could taste richness of the homemade saccettini stuffed with cheese. I was told that the pasta for the lasagna noodles are made on site which is used for the saccettini. The veal scallopini was so tender, I could cut it with a fork. Not too many capers, the right combination of butter, white wine and lemon. My girlfriend's amatriciana sauce (she was kind enough to give me a taste of two) had a little bit of a bite to it but not too much. It was mouth watering. We finished off the evening with a homemade cannoli which was superb. Towards the end of the evening, Dave came out into the dining room and personally greeted each table. We learned that Dave was the head chef at Monaco's Palace on Cleveland Ave many years ago. They always had wonderful food. To find this gem of a restaurant in Northeast Columbus, in a part of town where many restaurants come and go each month or year, is like finding a needle in a haystack. This quiet little Italian restaurant is tucked away in an unassuming strip mall that was incredibly popular in the 80's and 90's and has been churning out delicious homemade Italian dishes for over 20 years. We will definitely become regular patrons of this gem of a place. Thank you Dave, Chris and the other members of their staff to make a date night with my girlfriend a memorable experience. read more

We really liked the food but had a real issue with the service. Forgotten requests, not telling us about up charges - "would you like a side of pasta" was $15 for a small side of plain pasta) and having to grab servers for simple requests like refilling water. Waitedwith finished plates for 1/2 hour before anyone approached us about packing up leftovers. Were charged for 3 beers when we only ordered 2. We were there for 2-1/2 hours and skipped dessert which we would have loved to have had but didn't want to linger another hour. It was expensive Italian food and we'll return to Lola and Giuseppe instead because they've never disappointed us like this visit did. read more

The photos don't do these meals justice, as the lighting isn't very conducive to pictures -- but it is conducive to an enjoyable, intimate dining experience! Pasqualone's is a bit of a hidden gem in the middle of a strip mall. Upon entering, we were greeted not by someone at a host stand, but by the chef himself, who stepped out of the kitchen and immediately greeted us by first names (since you have to make a reservation to go there-- they are small and only have about 12 tables I believe?). We entered the dining room which was cozy, close seating but not cramped, with delightfully kitschy / old-school murals of brick facades or Italian countryside on the walls. The server was friendly, funny, and incredibly knowledgeable about the food and wine, and rattled off a number of impressive specials before giving us the typical menu as well. We went for the veal marsala, which was delicious with its creamy sauce, and the lasagna, which had both marinara and Alfredo sauce and short rib. A stand out might have been the escargot we ordered as an appetizer: it was perfectly broiled and covered with crisp breading and cheese. I have had escargot in France, and this was better! Wonderful date night, and it also feels great to support a local small restaurant that doesn't have a corporate feel. read more

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Is it fair to be more critical of an expensive restaurant than a mid-priced or inexpensive one? I think so. For a dinner for two that cost $190 (including the tip), I expect near perfection. First, I think they kind of forgot about us as we were a table of two in the corner. After we noticed that some folks who had come in after us were already getting their bread, my husband signaled someone and then we finally got ours, too, and his wine - which I think they also forgot about. He should've gotten that right away. It didn't have to bake. Then he got his Escargot which was bubbling hot and smelled delicious. Our salads came - nice and fresh but too salty for my taste. We both enjoyed our entrees (veal parm and a side of spag for him; a special of little pasta purses with a meaty sauce for me) but mine arrived lukewarm. His was nice and hot so maybe mine sat around for a while while they finished his. At some point he ordered more wine and then coffee and dessert and he was very happy but I felt like the experience left a little bit to be desired - especially considering the price. One thing I don't like at all is that the waiter rattles off the specials (and there are a LOT of them) and later on the desserts at light speed. It would be way better to be able to read them and think for a minute or two. It's a very comfortable small restaurant and my husband loves it but I don't. read more

Pasqualone's Ristorante - Pasta dish "little purses" special - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Come hungry and be prepared to be blown away. Reservations are a must for this special place. Small. Intimate. Inviting. You never would guess from the outside what a great place this is. Greeted at the door by the owner (in his apron since he is also the chef). Went to our table and were greeted soon by his son. Warm smiles, very friendly, sit back and relax. The list of daily specials is almost as long as the menu. Sea bass for one, lasagna (made with short ribs) for others. "Little purses" dinner for one more. Salads are great. Bread was phenomenal. The mozzarella appetizer was just like friends had experienced in Italy. Can't say enough good things. Just try it. read more

Just passing through late on a Sunday evening. Pull into the parking lot and the place is packed. Wow! Must be a good place to eat my wife says! Park the car walk in and we are quickly greeted and seated in a booth with an amazing atmosphere surrounding the restaurant. Our waitress "Veronica" quickly greeted us pleasant and up beat. We we asked if they had aperol spritzer she said yes. We said two please ! My wife ordered the ziti. I ordered the veal both delicious meals! If you are a local or just passing through you won't be disappointed if you stop in at Pasquale's and order your favorite Italian dish. . Bon appétit read more

Pasqualone's Ristorante - Baked zeta with meat sauce - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Very good Italian food and service. Rather small so not many tables and little privacy. There is a small outdoor eating patio so in summer that is nice. read more

What an absolutely charming and delicious dining experience!! My husband and I are hospitality industry professionals each of us for over 20 years. Husband wife owned...she's a doll of a woman and the husband cooks everything with such love!! Small quaint environment-super cozy!!! All the food was a delight! Our server, Matthew was super knowledgeable and very accommodating! Our 4 year wedding anniversary was a delight! It was reasonably priced but exceeded in every way! 15/10 Chefs kiss! read more

Loved everything about this place. The food and drinks were amazing. I find myself wanting to return

A great experience from start to finish! Intimate dining room with an old school quality service you can't find anywhere. Started our meal with a appetizer of veal stuffed meatballs which were amazing! The red sauce is really nice. I had the lasagna special. Get ready for this... has a layer of pulled pork and a layer of fettuccine Alfredo! Sounds odd but was amazing! I ended the meal with a dark chocolate triple something desert. He described it so beautifully I had to try. It did not disappoint. I enjoyed the service and atmosphere as much as the delicious meal read more

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Service was great as well as the food. The restaurant is small and I would recommend a reservation. I happened upon this place while in town for business. I would recommend giving it a try if you are in the area. read more

I don't live in the area, but heard wonderful things from a friend. Word of mouth beats it every time!!! I made a reservation and actually spoke with the owner and chef. Dinner was impeccable! I was so impressed with the service and quality of food. The server was terrific and knew the food and drink menus, as well as the numerous dinner and drink specials by heart! I was extremely impressed with this unassuming gem!!!! read more

We had a family dinner here this past weekend. The food was ok but they were not transparent about the price for family style dining. The bill was astronomical!!!!! So outrageous and we could not reason with them about it. not worth it for the price and the owner would not make it right. Will never eat there again just on moral standing alone. $1200.00 for 9 people. Bar bill was included ($150). and they charged us for one too many drinks. 4 simple entre's. We did the math about 20 times and can't figure out where they came up with that number. My mother's Italian is much much better. read more

Clean restaurant, great atmosphere. Friendly staff, amazing food. We love this restaurant.

Overall a nice dining experience and I wasn't disappointed at the time but later conclude that they committed an unforgivable "sin" (more about that later). In town to visit our daughter and she was so excited to take us here. She and her sister had been here a few months before and completely bought into the romantic notion that this quaint little restaurant in a run down strip mall actually served "the best Italian in CBUS". It's a sentiment shared by many other, Columbusians (I don't know if the folks of Columbus refer to themselves as such). We did get a warm welcome, though the waiter seemed somewhat arrogant and judgey. (I don't get that, with waiters or those in the service industry). I had looked up the restaurant on Yelp prior to our reservation and noticed there was quite an inflationary increase in their prices. You always have to wonder if it's in fact an increase in overhead or just plain greed. Anyway it was very noticeable. There was complimentary bread and it was very good. They have some nice cocktails featuring bourbon. In fact our table was right next to a buffet with liquor on it, and they had a decent selection of spirits. We started with the escargot and the antipasto, which featured a delightful arrangement of cured meats and cheeses. It's really the first time I've had decent prosciutto in the states (apparently, so they say, the food is all imported). Like most things swimming in butter, the escargot was great. We all had the house salad with a vinaigrette, not the best dressing but I like it. I ordered the bone-in veal, it was covered with some delicious glaze or something. I'd never had veal before but knew that it's known to be lean and tender, and it was. I had ordered it medium rare but it came medium well. I was gonna ding them on that but later read that chefs prefer to cook it medium well for some such reason I cannot explain. Even though it wasn't cooked to order it was very good. The waiter said something about "gnawing it to the bone", which I had every intention of doing. My daughter got the ravioli or tortellini (some stuffed pasta) with a creamy white sauce, no it wasn't Alfredo or at least they didn't call it that, and it was very good. At this point you may be wondering why this is a 3 star rating, it seems like we've just had a wonderful meal. That's because I didn't tell you what my wife got. Spaghetti with meat sauce and some Italian sausage. Yup, plain ol' spaghetti with meat sauce! As I was devouring my veal chop, I noticed my wife had stopped eating. She was into it maybe a 1/5 of the way and the fork and spoon were already retired. I asked her how her meal was, her reply, "meh". That "meh" was a colossal overstatement. I mean spaghetti with meat sauce, isn't that Italian 101? You'd do better by boiling come noodles and pouring some Kroger Brand tomato and basil sauce right out of the jar. Really. The sauce may have been good but the noodles had the consistency of the spaghetti you get out of can from the great Italian chef, Boyardee. I'm not kidding. It was reminiscent of the "spaghetti" I got from the chow hall during basic training. Anyway that's why they're getting 3 stars. Honestly the spaghetti was so bad I'd not feel guilty giving them 2 stars. This transgression was unforgivable. Lol. We ended with some cannoli which was divine and the waiter did give me a free shot of Weller Antique. In all honesty besides the spaghetti Pasqualone's is a solid 4, maybe 4 1/2 stars for an Italian restaurant. read more

We really enjoyed Pasqualone's. The family are friendly, the dining room is quaint and intimate, and the food is very good. As noted, it's very small and popular, so GET A RESERVATION. Prices are a little higher, as you might expect from a small, authentic, high quality restaurant. DO NOT BE FOOLED by the location - this is a really good restaurant. read more

Wow! I'm surprised I did not hear about this place until recently. It really is a local gem that's hidden away off of Cleveland avenue. Based on the reviews here, we had made reservations (although probably not needed at 8PM on Thu. night, but it is a small restaurant, so be safe and call them in advance). From the moment you enter the restaurant, you feel that this is the real deal. The owner greets you cordially as you walk in and you just get the feeling that this is a family run restaurant. For drinks we shared a bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir that was recommended by the server. It was excellent. Light and wonderful without any of the pebbly after-taste that I don't like in many of the Pinots. For appetizers, we got the escargot and the meatball (which were specials of the day). Both were good, but I was more partial to the meatballs. For dinner, I got the veal loaf topped with a mushroom sauce and stuffed with Prosciutto. It was heavenly --- exactly what I was looking for! I also sampled some of other dishes from the family. The chicken gorgonzola special with pears was a very large dish, and my wife barely went through 1/4 of it, but it was delicious as well, although the sauce was a bit on the heavy side. The lasagna with slowly cooked pork (12 hours according to our server) was amazing as well. The flavors of the pork complemented the lasagna perfectly. Again a very large dish. The veal special was veal that was flattened and rolled and stuffed with Prosciutto. It was good as well, but I would say my least favorite of the four. For dessert we shared the Cannoli (okay, so it wasn't as good as the ones in Sicily, but still by far the best I've eaten in Columbus), and another dessert which I can't remember (it came in a glass with chocolate), which was also very good. As others have remarked, this is not an inexpensive restaurant, but in my opinion, it is worth the indulgence. The service and the food are top notch, as is the ambience and the music. It is indeed a special dining experience, which brought back some great memories of Italy. read more

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Being Italian American I look forward to eating pasta. This restaurant did not disappoint. Amazing service nice atmosphere and authentic Italian food. Highly recommend. read more

One star is generous! We went here once as a couple, and it was incredible. We went with family members and they talked us into family style... nine of us only getting small portions of "family style" pasta, and chicken and seven drinks... (btw, they charged us eight). The bill was $1300. It was embarrassing because we had talked the restaurant up so much to our family and humiliating because of how awful they treated us! We will never ever go back again! We just got totally scammed. I I don't think chicken is that much more expensive in Ohio...do you? read more

I have no complaints about the service. The waiter was friendly and attentive enough. The rolls were delicious, but the butter so hard that it was nearly impossible to spread. The salad was a bit of a joke. A very small amount of greens with two little tomatoes and the salad dressing was bitter. I didn't finish after the first two bites. I ordered the Chicken Parmigiana. I said yes when the waiter asked if I wanted some pasta with my chicken. I ordered the penne pasta. At the time I thought it came with the meal. The meal came out in a timely fashion, so no complaints there. The chicken was fine, but not amazing, the sauce was thin with very little flavor. There was a small portion of penne pasta on the plate. Again, nothing special. Tasted no different than a boxed penne. Then the bill came- they charged me $12 for a small side of penne with less than mediocre sauce in addition to the $31 for the price of chicken. The place looked clean enough, the table settings were nice, and wait staff was very nice. However, overall, I think this place was highly overrated and seriously overpriced. read more

Don't be fooled by the location - this is a classy Italian joint staffed by some of the most professional people in the business. Expect a dimmed-light elegance with top-notch service...for the most part. First, this place screams family service. You'll get the rundown of the daily specials - which are mouthwateringly described by the head waiter - but from other pics, it seems like the specials are an everyday thing. Still, it felt authentic to get the well-rehearsed spiel. We started with the antipasta and stuffed meatball. Both were semi-disappointing, but for different reasons. First, the antipasta - it wasn't freshly sliced or anything special outside of the melon, pros di parm and two cheeses. The mortadella, cappicola and salame were basic cold cuts. For 20 bucks, eh. The stuffed meatball was amazing though - complete veal stuffed with cheeses, meat slices and topped with buffalo mozz. So why just okay? I paid 13 for that, but got 2 veal meatballs that were equally delicious for 7. So for value? Eh. Get the 2 meatballs. I went with the lasagna and my friend went with the chicken parm. He got gnocchi amatricana (which didn't come with the dish) as well. Overall, the lasagna was unique and a definite hit. Pork shoudler lent an earthy toothiness that screamed grandma's kitchen while the layer of fettuccini alfredo was an inspired addition. From what my friend said, the sauce was a miss. I can see that as it was sweet with little notes of seasoning on my end as well. But the beer was served in frosted glasses, the rolls were piping hot and the chef came out and said hi - all amazing pluses. On the downside, the time between service interactions was grueling and the prices probably had the atmosphere priced in. Worth it, though. Overall, a very, very strong Italian spot, especially if you're looking for a romantic evening (was with my friend so it got awkward once it was all couples lol). Go for the food - you won't be disappointed (unless you're a San Mar tomato fan - they use plum). Just know you'll be there for a while. Otherwise, brilliant experience. One star off for the wait between interactions and for the sauce. read more

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Amatricana sauce was really fresh and good. Had a nice spicy kick. The other menu items looked good , veal looked good but the gnocchi was so tough. I almost sent it back honestly I bet they would've wanted to know - maybe it was just an off batch. But I almost couldn't eat it. I would come again but order differently read more

Amazing! Most quaint and perfect place. Amazing service. Hoping it stays low key but would deserve to blow up

Please be aware when you dine. We were out of town guests with a family and were looking forward to this dinner. The waiter and owner pushed family style dining without telling us the price. Mediocre pasta and chicken dishes and the bill was north of 1250$ including tip. No bottles of wine or beef. 8 drinks. we were scammed and David the owner did it with no remorse. We called and tried to reason but his response was "next time you come in we will take care of you". Well sure.....Whatever read more

Excellent food, ambiance, and service. Nice for a special occasion or out-of-town company.

Absolutely delicious. The chicken scarpello is one of the best dishes we have ever had. Our kids loved the lasagna and spaghetti. The lobster ravioli was very tasty and we cleaned the plate! Wonderful service and many specials. Reservations only as everything is made from scratch by Chef David! read more

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HIDDEN GEM. Delicious food, quaint and excellent service. Lots of heart goes into the food here. We were in Italy this summer and I'm not sure I've found anything similar to caliber of the food we ate until we came here. This will be a regular restaurant for us now! read more

amazing experience. excellent service. everyone needs to check out this awesome restaurant.

Home cooked Italian food. Braciole was delicous with lots of meat and fresh mozzarella. Lasagna was excellent, again lots of meat (pork shoulder) and fresh mozzarella. Good dining experience. Friendly staff. Owner and chef, I believe, greeted us at door. read more

Great service, the food is amazing, I had the lasagna and it was some of the best lasagna I've ever had, they have great decorations as well. read more

don't let the strip mall turn you away!! the workers are so friendly and make sure you're satisfied! huge wine selection and lots of specials that are not on the menu (don't worry, they'll tell you all of them!) every ingredient in the lasagna contributes to an amazing taste! who knew that pork would be that good in lasagna? the bread is warm and is a great tool to mop up the delicious sauce. the star of the show was definitely the sauce- it tastes very similar to when my italian mother spends all day making it. for dessert, we tried the cannoli and lemon gelato. cannoli was flavorful and gelato was perfect! it's an expensive meal but between the authenticity, atmosphere, taste, and portions, you'll be making this a must-visit when in columbus! read more

Pasqualone's Ristorante - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio