Beautiful restaurant and great service but I am not a fan of the food. A lot of people like it I'm just not one of them! :)

I think I've had everything on the menu...more than once. One of the restaurants I look forward to visiting when I go back home. Consistent with service, quality, and experience. After we'd been away for years, I chose to have my bridal shower luncheon at Rastrellis because I knew they could handle delivering excellent service and delicious food at the same time...and they delivered! Amazing time was had by all. Pasta is classic and always cooked perfectly. Pizza is crisp, but has good chew with fresh toppings (memorable, to say the least). The salad bar is always immaculate (which is important for any buffet style dining) and is replenished often with fresh, healthy choices. I can't say enough great things about Rastrellis and wish there was one in South Carolina. If you're in the area, definitely check it out! read more

I love it here! The staff is always great, the food terrific, & the salad bar is to die for! This will always be one of my favorite places!

We went in and were immediately greeted... and that was the extent of the positive experience. We asked about adding a side salad to our sons kids meal and was told it was $5 to add a side salad to the meal. We then asked why it was more to add a side salad to a kids meal than an adult meal and was told that it was out of her control. When we asked for the manager, the manager Diane came over extremely hostile and wasn't even willing to offer to drop the price down to the same as the adult add on. Instead she decided she would rather lose a $50 check and rudely and forcefully asked us to leave. Awesome service (not!!!). I also especially love the way that a restaurant owned by a retired teacher and her husband wants to discourage parents from feeding their kids vegetables. read more

I rarely take the time to write reviews but after my last visit of several in the past couple months I have to say this place is my favorite restaurant in Clinton. Most likely out of the greater northern IL, eastern IA area. I've traveled all over the midwest and different parts of the country. I cover a large area for work and have tried every kind of restaurant, bar, buffet, fast food chain, pizza place, etc.. under the sun. I believe Rastrelli's is under-estimated for what they are and like a best kept secret that I don't want to get out. I actually don't want more people to find out about it because I don't want to wait 45 min to get in like some other places in town. A friend and I agree that while the salad bar is small, it is truly one of the best salad bars in a 100 mile radius. I haven't tried the whole menu but the salmon and spaghetti is always excellent. Their Sunday brunch is amazing. Another under appreciated, (most likely to be over-looked) aspect that I was thrilled with last visit was actually the fountain pop. Fountain pop is more often than not screwed up by restaurants and chains. Often watered down or odd tasting. What I had last visit to Rastrellis was the best Pepsi I think I've ever tasted. Why? I don't know, but somebody there knows how to set the machine right and I loved it. I'm also happy with the wine selection offered. Pricing is a bit high once you start including drinks but I'm one that usually opts for quality and will pay if it's worth it. Not everyone will share the same philosophy. I think you'd have to be a difficult person in general to find a reason to complain about this place. I don't know what set the bar for the complainers but I wish they would share with me the fantastic restaurants that are better. read more

I grew up in Clinton and to this day I believe this is some of the best food I have ever had in my life. I have since moved from Clinton but no matter where I visit, the food and the service is simply unmatched. Rastrelli's is a family owned business and treats their customers as well as the community as members of the family. They are deeply committed to the greater good and development of the community and pride themselves on fantastic quality of food and customer service. This is an incredible place and if you are looking for incredible food that will leave you always craving more than Rastrelli's is the place for you! Amazing family and an amazing restaurant. read more

I grew up eating Rastrelli's and it's one of my must visits whenever I'm back in Clinton! The menu is great... pasta, pizza, sandwiches, and varied entrees at great prices and made with quality ingredients. The salad bar and bread are great with any meal and you can even buy a few loaves of bread to go! I would recommend the mostaccioli with the meat sauce since it's my personal favorite but you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Clinton is lucky to have a well-run, locally owned restaurant like Rastrelli's... read more

Overall only slightly above average. We started off by having to make a decision between being seated on having to order off the menu of having the buffet. Everyone in our party of four had to either order off the menu or have the buffet, no mixing allowed. This put us off quite a bit. So we ordered off the menu. All entrees came with the salad bar which was very nice, 5 stars. The bread was not authentic Italian bread, one star. Parmesan cheese was good though. Limited draught beer menu, domestics only. Entrees were average, nothing special. Service was inconsistent, from having to wait for our cocktails to serving the entrees while still finishing our salads. Other times plates were removed promptly when finished. Prices were average to reasonable. read more

Just you Rastrelli's fans wait until you have a problem with your order.... Then you'll see why I cringe to even give them one star! When my appetizer and dessert wasn't delivered with my pizza, they had to make a second delivery (no biggie). But once the appetizer was delivered with no sauce, I thought I'd give them a call. The response was that they would make a third delivery with a side of sauce (while the rest got cold and nasty). No thanks. The kicker was when I wanted to make a substitution on one of their pizzas, I was abruptly told, "No!" When I discussed this with management, their response was that they had come up with this perfect combination and any subtractions, additions, or substitutions would destroy "the end product". As if these pizza makers in Clinton, Iowa have an elite, sophisticated palate unknown to mankind! Arrogance and snobbery is never attractive! Unlike most successful restaurants around the country... At Rastrelli's, the customer is NEVER right! It will be a cold day, you know where, before I go back! read more

Pizza, famous salad bar, BURGERS!!!! All of it is so delicious. The family has been eating here for years.

This place has been here for a long time. The food is excellent at a fair price .. My wife usually gets the sampler and I order some sort of pasta dish , all the food is very good along with a very good salad bar and the bread is good too,with fair prices this is a great place to enjoy an excellent meal. Many steps above your average pizza joint read more

Best pizza ever! I remember loving it as a kid and still do today. Great atmosphere and wonderful family restaurant!

Let me echo many other reviews...Sunday Brunch is an amazing experience and value. Friendly, attentive staff. Delicious breakfast options, including made-to-order omelettes or frittatas. Lunch options are less comprehensive...they could benefit from the add of a vegetable or starch choice. But that's a minor quibble from a picky eater. Come hungry for breakfast and you'll leave happy. read more

Rastrelli's is a great restaurant with many menu options. There are great pasta options, as well as a fantastic salad bar, but the pizza may be the best of all: it cannot be matched! One of my uncles used to drive from Chicago to Clinton just to get Rastrelli's pizza. Now he is able to have it sent to his home, which of course, he does. It is a family favorite and is the best place to eat in Clinton and the surrounding area. read more

Yes, this is a "landmark" restaurant and all of the "north enders" seem to think this is the place to go. I'm married to a north ender and have had to go here for family get-togethers too many times. There are lots of people who love this place, it's my best friend's favorite! I DON'T GET IT. Every single thing I order from the menu is shockingly horrible, and I'm not a picky eater. This is the only restaurant I feel this way about. I'd rather eat pasta from a can, a fast-food burger, or a Jack's cardboard pizza than order anything from this place. Time and time again, I have this same reaction, and over 20 years. I really want to like it, but I just can't. The sauces seem to have a burned flavor that I just cannot stand. What's up with the "great salad bar"? Do you people not get out much? Those chips are coated in flour and taste like it. The bread ... so many people rant and rave, bring some home, bring it to a party that I'm at, etc. It's just no biggy; get some bread from the grocery store freezer and warm it in the oven and it's just as good, if not better. The rest is just salad like any other standard place. I ended up on this site, why? Because here we go again, I have to return for a family get-together!!! I'm looking for their hours! Typically, I play "full," and carry it home to the garbage. Sometimes I protest: Anywhere EXCEPT Rastrelli's, and I mean anywhere!! read more

If I could give it zero stars I would. We visited from out of town to take my grandmother out for her birthday. The food was fair at best, the service horrific, and the management weak. The service was slow (despite it being a fairly empty restaurant on a Saturday night at 7:00). The waiter couldn't get our drink order right, didn't know the menu, and was just generally lacking in ability. We asked upon ordering if the mushrooms were fresh - he lied and said yes - they were actually canned. My father ordered the ravioli and they brought him fettuccine. When he pointed out that he'd ordered ravioli and not fettuccine it was as if the waiter didn't even realize that he had served the wrong item. What waiter at an Italian restaurant doesn't know the difference between ravioli and fettuccine??? His correct meal didn't come out until everyone else was done eating and the manager insisted that he still had to pay for his meal as per company policy. While this used to be a great place to eat it is no longer. Make your belly happy by choosing somewhere else to eat dinner. read more

A good Italian place in Clinton. Food is basic but good and served in large portions. They offer "petite" sizes of most of the pastas, and for me, the petite lasagna was more than enough. Good salad bar and friendly staff. My only complaint is the wine pricing/portions. $11 for a smallish glass of Chianti is a bit much. Buy the bottle for $27, even if you end up leaving some of it! read more

This is one of my families favorite restaurants located in Clinton, Iowa. We are always greeted immediately upon entering. The service is friendly and professional. The food is delicious and reasonably priced. They can accommodate all types of dining; intimate, family and business. My family and I have never left hungry and we are always looking forward to our next visit. read more

The atmosphere was family friendly and the staff was helpful. The cuisine, however was no better than when the original menu (they used in the fifties or whenever this was first opened) was conceived, perhaps when people did not care about diabetes. I have had more authentic Italian food at the Olive Garden. If you like having salad from a salad bar from the 1980's Wendy's, then you will love theirs. If you have lived anywhere outside of Iowa, especially in bigger city with a lot of meal options, then you will be very disappointed dining here. read more

I grew up in Clinton and Rastrelli's has been a long-time family favorite. I generally enjoy the experience and the food on most occasions. I have had a couple of occasions where the bar staff was not exactly pleasant during functions I have attended (weddings, etc), have sometimes had to wait a long time for cocktails or drinks, and have had entree brought out before I even got to finish half of my salad. This happens at a lot of places, though, so I am willing to overlook it most of the time. It isn't exactly what I would consider authentic Italian but it is pretty delicious. I have only had a couple of complaints in the past, mostly about having raw garlic all over my plate, but it was a long time ago. The bread is not authentic Italian but its delicious. The pizzas are wonderful with a nice crispy crust. I love the new healthier choices and have tried a few of them. They were delicious. This is always a welcome option for me! The buffet is almost always wonderful. My only complaint there is that I have seen very undercooked hard boiled eggs on the bar on many occasions, so beware! The homemade croutons are far too oily for me but family members say they love them. Absolutely love the bread pudding! You never see this anywhere else around here. This place will always be a favorite and though the service is not always timed great, the staff is friendly and accommodating and I appreciate that! read more