This is a gem from the past. I think the last time I was there was 1980, I moved away & just returned a couple years ago. They changed the entrance from days of old but the interior is still cool. Service was top notch, not too creepy but there when needed. The food is ITALIAN! It is good- seriously good. Eat here if you want good food at a good value. Only complaint was the wine pour seemed a bit stingy. read more

The Ghost in the Machine: A Study in Youth and Enigmas at Rastrelli's In the heart of Clinton, Iowa, Rastrelli's stands as a sprawling monument to local tradition, a place where the weight of history is palpable in every dining room. However, a recent visit suggests that while the walls remain steeped in heritage, the current operation is being steered by a remarkably green crew. The waitstaff and floor team are almost exclusively young, possessing an earnest but unpolished energy that seems to operate in a vacuum. Management was entirely invisible, a phantom presence that left the youthful staff to navigate the complexities of a large-scale dinner service without a seasoned captain at the helm. This lack of professional oversight leads to a breakdown in the basic choreography of service. The tables here are notably small, a logistical challenge that became apparent when steaming plates of hot pasta arrived while our salad trays still occupied the limited real estate. It is a fundamental error in pacing that a present manager would have corrected with a single glance. Furthermore, for a house that prides itself on its Italian roots, the absence of vinegar to accompany the olive oil for the bread was a curious and disappointing omission. The staffing model remains equally baffling. Our waitress seemed to be burdened with nearly every occupied table in the room. We were fortunate that the evening was not particularly busy; had the dining room been at capacity, the system surely would have buckled under the weight of such an uneven distribution of labor. The most surreal chapter of the evening, however, was the appearance of the "orange dish"--a neon-hued confection studded with marshmallows. When we sought clarification, the staff--notably, not the chef--explained that this enigmatic staple is prepared en masse every morning. It is a dish that feels like a spirited, mid-century potluck survivor, an orange enigma that remains the most bizarre part of the Rastrelli's experience. "Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire." -- Gustav Mahler Rastrelli's remains a cornerstone of the Clinton landscape, but the current fire seems to be flickering under the weight of an absent management and a disjointed service rhythm. While the youthful staff is to be commended for their effort, the establishment would benefit greatly from a steadying hand to guide the basics. If this dispatch from the Clinton culinary scene was useful to you, please leave a like or comment below so I can keep writing these reviews for your education, preparation, and enjoyment. read more

I took the Lasagna home and reheated it, horrible. So it didn't make any difference if it was served barely warm in the restaurant. Two bites and the rest of it went in the trash. That was the waste of $15 bucks on an entree. I can't believe these are the original old family recipes and ingredients, I just can't imagine that it is. My wife's $15 entree was another fail at the restaurant. Three bites and left the rest behind. BTW after were seated we saw a table of 4 seated. They all ordered burgers. I'll leave it at that. They need some better management and soon. As it is we would never return. read more

Terrible how this place has gone downhill. Mediocre is the best I can say , outdated , poor service ....was it sold out of the family ?? No pride in ownership that I could tell . Sad read more

Wife and I went in for a dinner date and this was our experience. I have been there twice before and was not impressed with the food, but i thought I would give it one last chance. I will be brief... We tried to different types of red wines hoping to purchase a bottle, but both were young and not worth it. We then ordered some mixed drinks. I ordered a dirty gin martini, and it was too dirty. We ordered an appetizer of calamari and it came out with some terrible marinara sauce, no lemon wedges and the server didn't come back to check on the app until we were done. I ordered the New York strip medium rare, and my wife ordered cheese tortellini in an olive oil, garlic sauce. I could tell it was once previously frozen in a light marinara sauce. The steak came out, medium with ZERO seasoning. Literally just grilled and then finished in a pan with nothing. I was left to put table salt and I refused and just asked for a box. We did try their "famous Salad Bar"and we mean famous". I had to look through the wilted, wet, chopped Romain and finally decided I was not gonna risk getting sick so I just stuck to some old-fashioned pasta salad that looked like someone brought to a barbecue. Paid $83. All you have to do is just try a little. I know this isn't gonna go very far since most of the town thinks they serve good food, fair enough, but in my opinion, not worth it. Nothing personal against the people of this lovely town. read more

The food is delicious. We love their Wednesday night chicken take out. Oh so good. Great value.

I don't know if it's just that the people of clinton have never been outside of the Clinton Area or what but I am befuddled at the high reviews of this place. Husband ordered lasagna; I ordered the Baked Moscotti but what we got was a cheese and marinara scavenger hunt with a Where's Waldo? level of difficulty--except Waldo was the noodles, and he never showed up. The bread basket was more bland than bruschetta--cold, doughy, and tasted like someone whispered "yeast" at a raw lump of flour and called it a day. Our waitress was lovely (the only grate part of this meal--shoutout to her), but $65 for two people to essentially split a bowl of melted cheese and red sauce? If you're looking for authentic Italian, keep pasta-ing this place by. read more

My husband and I walked into Restrelli's Saturday Jan 24th around noon. No one spoke to us! There were maybe 5 people eating. 3 people that we could see working. We made eye contact and they would quickly look away. We lasted about 7 minutes and the vibe was just odd. So we left and still, no one said a word to us. Very strange! So we drove down to the Candlight and had a wonderful meal read more

Service was great, salad bar was nice, food took over an hour and a half with a mostly empty restaurant. Food was worse than the frozen stuff you get at the grocery store. Definitely not worth the $70 price tag for the two of us. read more

We love their pizza and salad bar. The pasta dishes are delish as well. The pizza we always order is thin crust and loaded with spicy sausage, mushrooms, black olives and cheese. Menu offers plenty of choices - we enjoy this hometown landmark! read more

I mean....for Clinton this is a five star restaurant. But it's meh. Service was good, I'll give them that. They start with bread and oil. No vinegar which I thought was weird, but the bread is really good. The portions are HUGE. I got the petite and it still felt huge. Not a lot of vegetables on the menu, which is expected of a midwestern restaurant. They do have a "world famous salad bar" which is super tiny and a small buffet of iceberg lettuce....it was pretty disappointing. I don't think anyone at the table ate it. Food was good. Nothing super special or flavorful, but it wasn't the worst meal I've had in the area. read more

We like their salad bar and personal pizzas,but we ordered a vegetable pizza and it wasn't even cooked when we got it...the vegetables were crunchy and the cheese wasn't even melted!! It was terrible,no staff came to see how we or our food was,or we would have had them actually re-cook it,no one offered our money back so we just left read more

Road trip....Indiana to Clinton, Iowa!!Outstanding food and service in Clinton, Iowa. We ordered the delicious Lasagne bolognese and meat tortellini. Both were steaming hot and full of flavor. The portions are very generous. The menu selection is full and the service is prompt and friendly. We took several pizzas, fresh homemade bread and of course, the signature cabbage salad for take away. Can't wait to get it home. read more

Rastrelli's - Lasagne and Meat Tortellini! And 6 pizzas to take home! - Pizza Near Me - Clinton, Iowa

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Very good restaurant. Had a decent salad bar that comes with your dinner. Dinner portions are large and I liked the bread. Only problem is the service. Very slow but nice people. read more

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Such a disappointment the food was awful and strange unidentifiable spices in the pasta dishes. Our table had 2 fettuccine Alfredo orders, one w chicken that was rubbery and nasty. We both have opened a bottle of sauce and had better. Pasta was nothing special. The other order was wild mushroom ravioli, presentation was great did not expect all the extra fresh white mushroom slices, but again the flavors were not good. Too much garlic, strong green onion and parsley that was mixed with other vegetables and none of the favors complemented each other. It was awful. Bread was good, salad bar was good so long as you stayed away from their salads they appeared to make, the bread pudding was a huge NO. Atmosphere and wait staff were fabulous. But the kitchen "chef" help needs to go. We won't be back. It's a shame to see what used to be a great place decline to this level. read more

My Mom & Dad LOVE this place. She always reserves the large banquet room for family parties and functions. The service is always top notch, the food is great, and the owners always chat with us. When we go there just for dinner it is always a good atmosphere that is relatively quite and non commotional. The French Onion Soup is my FAVORITE. The salad bar is small but packed with a good selection of items. I do not understand why there are some negative reviews. The place is awesome. read more

I have been eating at this restaurant for over 50 years. Over the last 20 years or so it just seems to keep sliding down hill. I just ordered pizza for take out. I asked questions that were just ignored by the person on the phone. I was also charged for a half and half pizza despite it saying right on there menu no charge for 1/2 & 1/2. So we are now up to over 50 dollars for 2 pizzas. If they tasted like they used to it would be so worth it but I am afraid that quality is long gone as well. It is just sad I don't know what the answer is to fixing it but kind of feels like after this long nobody really wants to fix it read more

Second time here! Pizza, yes! Thin crust and great sausage and I never say that. Chicken Marsala was slightly sweet but a great balanced flavor. French onion had a bit too much salt but that is pretty normal. Wish we lived closer! read more

Rastrelli's - Marsala very good and not too sweet. - Pizza Near Me - Clinton, Iowa

Food was great and priced good. Portions were plenty and salad bar. Fast service and pleasant surroundings.

Simply the best sausage on earth. I would recommend this spot that has been a staple of Clinton for decades.

There are several entrances, we didn't know about the side entrance so we parked on the street and went in the front. We were there kind of early for dinner so they were not busy at all, however they sat us in a small room up a couple steps next to a very loud family. I understand putting the customers close make it easy on the servers however it made for a very unpleasant dining experience for us. That family asked to be seated on ground level to avoid the older lady with a cane having to navigate the steps but the hostess told them loud enough for us to hear the 2 steps should be ok for her to go up. The restaurant was decorated beautifully and appeared clean. They had a sign up with the soup of the day however that soup was not available the server said they ran out of that earlier. Our server was very nice but not attentive at all. I asked about their wine options to which she said she was sorry she was not old enough to serve alcohol so she was ask a coworker but nerver had anyone come talk to us about it. Our daughter ordered an appitizer and a soup but they were brought out after our meals were served. The dirty salad, bread plates and empty bread basket sat on our table the whole time we ate our entrees. The salad bar was very nice with a wide variety from fruits and vegetables to prepared salads. There was a friendly lady making sure it was kept clean, fresh and full. I would have felt better had she been masked and had on gloves but that was not how she was. I understand masks are not mandatory in Iowa however with Covid being on the rise masks for servers would be a good idea, however none of them wore them. The pasta was very fresh and cooked perfectly, it was fresh hot and very balanced. The soup was warm and ok. The cheese sticks were fresh and house made they were very good, they were hot and had a nice cheese pull, the marinara they were served with was very good and paired well. The chicken was house made, it was hot and crunchy but the crust was very salty. The mashed potatoes and gravy were not good at all, they both appeared to be your average instant so I would suggest maybe sticking to the Italian dishes. read more

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For Italian food in Iowa, I'd say it's pretty damn good. I had the Lasagna and was better than any I've had at Olive Garden. Salad bar is awesome with a lot of choices to choose from!! That homemade Bread is on point!! So YES, highly recommended. read more

Great local establishment for many years. Food was hot and portions are generous. Nice salad bar as well.

The Italian I grew up with and still love. Daily specials are always good bet. Service is always great. Pizza like none other THE BEST

Had a spicy shrimp pasta in red sauce tasty and well prepared. Service very attentive. The salad and spaghetti bars had a good variety. Wine reasonably priced. Theme room is worth the wait. read more

Seafood ravioli, fresh bread and the salad bar are top notch! I could have eaten just the salad bar!

I have been coming to Rastrelli's for over 60 years, or however long it has been open. I remember both Pete and Ida And their three sons. They make the best cabbage salad and pizza Around. I have never found anything that comes close to either one. But they also have a menu full of other wonderful choices. Their cherry cokes are to die for and they make them homemade. read more

I have eaten at Rastrellis since I was in Jr high school when it was a small place. The food was home made by family you could taste the love. If you lived in Lyons you never ate any other pizza. Pizza hu yuck. The pizza,out of the world!!!! I e lived all over the country. When gone,I only missed Rastrellis pizza?!!it's the best on the planet?!!! If I want to show off to out of Towner's? I take them to Rastrellis.youll never be sorry with anything on the menu I've tried it all I've been going there since 1965,it's just as good now and tastes that great Italian home made greatest I give it a ten star rating can't get any better read more

This is Clinton's go to Italian restaurant. A nice little family owned restaurant which had been operated for many decades. The lay out of the facility is unique. The decor and overall inside could use a make over. The food itself was above average for a local Italian joint, but not authentic. Will return again. read more

Rastrelli's - Seating - Pizza Near Me - Clinton, Iowa

Walking in Rastrelli's, you sense a genuine peculiarity about the place. It's old school, dated and weathered. The distinctive wall murals demand your attention, as you constantly look over your shoulder. A place stringent with rules and regulations. 'You can have this, but only if you have that...no compromise or deviation. But none of that should really matter in a place known for pizza; Rastrelli's is apparently trying to reinvent the 'wheel'...uh pizza. I didn't see it on the menu, but Rastrelli's offers a 'tasteless' pizza. Kudos, because that's hard to find. read more

Rastrelli's - Old School - Pizza Near Me - Clinton, Iowa

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I'm happy that their buffet is back. The food is always nice and fresh. So much to choose from. The waitress was very attentive and polite. I love this place!!! read more

My favorite spaghetti dinner here in Clinton Iowa. the pizza is pretty good too. the all you can eat salad bar is also a good choice

Took my lovely wife out tonight. We don't frequently go to this establishment but needed a change of pace in this world of burgers and mex food. I ordered my favorite item Wild Mushroom Ravioli. It occurred to me as I frantically ravaged this plate that this entree would be my last request on death row if I was had ever deserved such a punishment. Yes! It's that good. I thought about taking a picture of this beauty but you'll have to take my word it was a sight to see. I've included a pic of my satisfaction for your review. First let me say that with the quantity of mushrooms in this thing you'd expect it to be, well, fungieee. It is not at all gamey like other wild caught delicacies. I'm not sure whom they send out to catch these little bastards but hats off to you sir. You have an eye for the prize. I especially enjoy the dried tomatoes as it gives a chewiness that compliments the soft ravioli and mushrooms. The sauce is extremely flavorful with a proper oil to acid ratio and all the zest of Italy. If you've ever put something in your mouth that knocked your socks off, that came out wrong! This is equally that good. I can't say thank you enough for a satisfying meal. Nope, I'm sober as a drunk nun. read more

Rastrelli's - Empty plate of deliciousness - Pizza Near Me - Clinton, Iowa

Awful! Came back into town for Mother's day. Staff was rude. Deals canceled for holiday. Refused to honor advertised specials. Manager belligerent. Called my mom on the phone & yelled at her. I had my wedding rehearsal dinner there 20 years ago in October 2001. This level of behavior is ridiculous! It is unnecessary to be this unfriendly. Where are the Midwest values I grew up with. Never, ever going here again! Neither will any of my giant family! I strongly recommend you go somewhere else! read more

Very good pizza spaghetti and a salad. Bar was wonderful. Thank you very much great staff.

This is a nice little restaurant for the Clinton area. The restaurant itself is unique inside. It is divided into several rooms each with its own "theme". The place itself is due for a refreshing makeover. The food was average for an Italian establishment but not necessarily bad. I though the prices were somewhat high for the food that was provided. The service was adequate. read more

Nearly everything on the menu is good. I personally prefer the buffet. You get seated in one of the back rooms. Quiet and relaxing. Beautiful inside. Plenty of food. Their pasta is the best you'll have anywhere. So is the sauce. Fresh homemade bread. I don't like thin crust pizza. But what I had here was delicious. And an eye pleasing salad bar to go with it. I skipped my diet for one night. Apologies to my doctor. From the hostess to my waitress and everyone else. My friends and I were treated great! I'll happily be making a return trip to downtown Clinton for dinner at Rastrelli's. read more

The food is not as tasty any longer. Prices are quite high. The last time I had the pizza I had to soak up the grease with a napkin. Their homemade bread is their best feature! Their salad bar is ok, but the bread pudding isn't nearly as good as it was pre Covid 19. Servers are friendly and attentive and the ambience is ok. read more

Awful. Food was just dismal. The cook staff and management should be embarrassed at what they bring to the table. Waitress forgot my drink, then took at least ten minutes to run my check. The place looks very run down and tired. read more

Excellent family environment! Great spaces for large gatherings or small intimate setting. Our family has been coming here for years! Salad bar and personal pizza for $10.95! You can't beat that! Great service and awesome food! You can't go wrong with anything on the menu! Wether you're looking for a night out for dinner or take out, they will not disappoint! read more

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