We (my family) loved this place... good service and quality of food and best rigatoni I ever had!

We tried to get in 2 times but couldn't due to wait times being long, but the wait was worth it. It's cozy, the service was great, intimated and overall good vibe. The food was DELICIOUS. Definitely recommend the sourdough duck bread and meatballs. Great experience and will be going back. read more

Rocco's - Wine Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

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my family and I arrived at Rocco's late last week. the service was amazing. the hostess and our server were very friendly making us feel right at home. My nonna made really delicious pasta and since her passing I have not come to a restaurant that could ever come close- until now. the lighting and coziness of the restaurant was great. will come again read more

We had the best family outing to celebrate my spouse's birthday at Rocco's. The food and service were 10/10. Beef carpaccio - yum. Rigatoni with vodka sauce - add the sausage if you are freaky. The bolognese - molto bene. A good cannoli; I prefer the cannoli from Homeslice. It's both fancy and not? The interior is romantic and sexy but not stuffy. The most wonderful part? They treated our kid like a person - engaged with him and were incredibly kind to him. Like, it feels weird to say that - but I expect people to get it. Usually kids are ignored? The butter noodles with parm were delicious (of course). Our son was in a great mood - silly sweet excited - and it made for a wonderful experience together. (Kid's moods can be particularly unpredictable.) Casey, our server, was gracious, quick, and helpful when he spilled something while grabbing for a cannoli. It's been a while since we've had such a lovely evening. Thanks y'all! read more

So, we tried to get on the waitlist at 5 pm (as we thought this was the only option). It was not available. We show up at 5:48 pm and I go in while my husband and kid try to find parking (less than a mile from where we live). The hostess acted like I was dense when I said we couldn't get on the waitlist. She said, "Yeah, we've got a 2 hr wait. Do you wanna get on it?" Is this place so popular the waitlist fills up like a Taylor Swift concert? Is their pasta magical? I wanted to like it since it's in our hood, but we will likely cross that one off our list indefinitely. read more

We happened upon this place after office chair shopping nearby and wanting dinner at like 4:30 PM on a Saturday. Little did we know the gem we were about to discover... APPETIZER: Fried Mozzarella. WOW Amazing! My husband and I ate up every gooey bit of cheese with the perfectly seasoned crust. The marinara that accompanied it was delicious. I haven't allowed myself to eat that much cheese in one sitting in awhile, totally worth it. PASTA - RIGATONI: My husband got this but he opted for the gluten free pasta (maybe thinking it would be lighter as does less carbs now). It looked great and he said it was good but he kinda wished he had ordered the "real" pasta. I being a native New Yorker knew better that at this type of joint you massage your current dietary guidelines because whatever pasta comes out of that kitchen as intended is probably gonna be darn good. I was right... PASTA - LUMACHE: I have never had anything like this - the combo of the small shell shaped pasta, the slivers of mushrooms, and the perfectly portioned bits of crispy salumi versus the squash were in great balance. I could have used a tad less salt on this one however I suspect the fontina cheese in the buttery sauce was bringing that extra layer. Still, at times I found my eyes gently closing as I chewed so I knew this was some sweet sweet pasta. And it was actually al dente, yay! SERVICE: Even with the initial rush hub bub we were kindly greeted and seated. Our server kept on top of our water - sign of great service, keep guest hydrated - and checked on us just enough we felt attended too but not so much that we were constantly interrupted. Solid balance. We did not venture into wine or desserts, our meal was efficient but tasty. I happened to be sitting by the chef owner was at the bar and told him this was the best Italian food I've had in Austin (been here 5 years) and I meant it. Look forward to going back and trying the other dishes which I'm sure will be fantastico! read more

I was a little worried about there being a long wait since they don't accept reservations. However, we dined on a Wednesday and the wait was only about 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes, we checked back in with the hostess and she mentioned she had texted us, but we never received it -- so our wait may have actually been a bit shorter. I'd recommend checking back in about 10 minutes before your quoted time, just in case. I absolutely loved the vibe. The low ceilings and warm atmosphere made me feel like I was back in Chicago during the winter. The tables are close together and it's a bit loud -- and we loved that. It felt lively and cozy. The food was incredible. We started with the fried blue cheese olives and they were dreamy. Next was the Caesar salad, and it was so good I would honestly order it to-go for dinner. It's far from a basic Caesar -- definitely worth ordering. The portions are huge and perfect for sharing. The rigatoni was creamy, perfectly seasoned, and absolutely delicious. And the cannolis -- there are no words. Even though we were full, we made sure to polish them off. In addition to our meal, we ordered a bottle of sparkling water and with 20% tip, the meal was only $47pp!! The entire meal felt perfectly authentic, and Rocco's is one of the very few Italian restaurants in my book that truly holds that torch. Thank you Jacob for being a great server! I can't wait to go back! read more

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530pm on a saturday was no wait. Dark but lively vibe. Arancini and fried mozzarella were average. Fried olives were good apps. The menu is fairly limited. Orrichiette with sausage was a tad salty. Big chunks of sausage, pretty tasty. The pasta was fresh but overall average. Chicken parm was tough and not great. Service was good. Would return since nothing was standout. Casey's snowball spot is walkable for dessert! read more

Love love love that they added a waitlist you can join before making the trek over. Trek is short, but parking is difficult and I personally don't love the place next door ;) Service was fantastic, and food was delicious! Only docked a star because I can't recommend every single thing we got. Hits: -Beef carpaccio (need bread with this, order it!) -Caesar salad (their take has a lot of cheese nibs) -lumache Misses: -Arancini (something was just off.. maybe the peas texture?) -mafaldini (would have loved a charred brussel) Must get next time: -orichiette -rigatoni -sour dough bread (didn't get this time... major regrets) read more

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A friend selected this place to meet before a play at nearby Sterling Stage theater. The lot was full so I drove around and found a street parking. Fortunately, since they don't take reservations, a couple of our friends got their early to get our name on the wait list so we could eat and make our show on time. We really enjoyed the food, service, and wine. We had a mishap with one of the dishes as it was supposed to be vegetarian and it had meat in it. They made a fresh dish without meat but our vegetarian friend almost ate some of the sausage they had put into it and likely delivered to the wrong table! Be prepared that it is very noisy and the eating area isn't very large. They also only serve wine and a couple of beers (i.e., no cocktails). A couple got some wine at the bar while they were waiting before I arrived. We also ordered a bottle of the Super Tuscan for the table, which we really enjoyed. Everything was really good and I wouldn't mind finding myself eating there again. read more

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Visited Rocco's for a birthday dinner around 8 p.m. on a Saturday and was quoted a 1.5 hour wait time for a table for four outside (no availability inside). We were surprised and happy to discover that it only took a little over 30 minutes for a table inside. We split everything family style and really loved all of the food that we tried and our kind server. We started with Rocco's Caesar salad which is probably not the healthiest Caesar salad but is definitely my favorite due to its prolific quantity of large pecorino cheese chunks, garlicky breadcrumbs, and bright, lemony flavor. Next we tried Noni's meatball which was topped with a massive scoop of whipped ricotta, and crunchy, nutty arancini which came in a pair. For our main courses we selected the lumache, casarecce, and orichiette pastas. Each pasta had its own delightful flavor, but our unanimous favorite was the lumache with its sweet corn, cloves of black garlic, savory chanterelles, and crispy salumi. We paired our meal with a bottle of Grignolino wine which paired perfectly with everything. We ended the night with an order of cannolis (came with four) that we asked the server to add a candle to for our birthday girl after seeing it done at another table. They were sweet and crunchy with a balanced cream filling. We will be returning to Rocco's for its excellent Italian fare and friendly employees. A few things that I wish were different: - The waitlist. Rocco's doesn't take reservations so for those of us in South Austin it's a bit of a gamble to drive up and see how long the wait is. For me, this also means I need to plan a backup option when I visit. - The lighting. I understand mood lighting, but this place was DARK. So dark we couldn't fully see what we were eating (almost like an accidental dining in the dark experience). - The music. I love a good jam, but I also love hearing when my friends speak. The music felt like it was getting louder the later the night became, like I was eating in my Italian cousin Rocco's basement. I'm not sure that's the vibe they are going for. read more

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Service was great and the food was delicious. Overall highly recommend this spot - the burrata salad could use something sweet to contrast that would be my only critique! read more

Rocco's - Wine Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

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FABULOUS. from the food to the hostess to the waitress, loved it all!!!! 10 stars. Carpaccio and the cappelletti spritz were the highlights.

The pastas here were all very very delicious! The pastas lean on the pricier side though and don't necessarily feel worth it, but everything is definitely very tasty and the overall ambiance is very nice! read more

OVERVIEW: Quite frankly one of the best meals I've eaten in Austin in a while, from a newer restaurant! The vibes are cozy and home-y, the menu is small but mighty, and the caesar salad was a top 3 for me. One of the best caesar salads I've ever had! I will definitely be returning. For 2 people, 2 glasses of wine, bread, salad, app, 2 entrees, and dessert, it was $140 before tip. QUICK FACTS: - Parking? Yes, a small shared lot with the neighboring brewery/bar. Not a ton of spaces so best to get there early. - Reservations? So far, no - walk-in only but you can join the waitlist. - Happy hour? So far, no. FOOD RATINGS: - Sourdough bread (4/5): Loved the heirloom tomato jam. The bread itself was classic but nothing extraordinary. - Meatballs (5/5): Delicious red sauce. I would argue their red sauces are better than any others. Loved the scoop of ricotta on top! - Caesar salad (5/5): Best caesar salads I've ever had! I personally prefer the breadcrumbs over croutons, and the additional cheese nibs were so yummy. Not a ton of anchovy flavor so you may be disappointed if you love a strong anchovy caesar, but perfectly dressed and balanced! - Rigatoni (5/5): Beautiful glossy sauce. You can add protein to it, but we opted not to since we ordered the meatballs. This was our favorite pasta of the 2 we ordered. - Lumache (3.5/5): This was interesting. A classic cream sauce but the squash added a weird touch. I liked it overall but probably wouldn't choose it again. - Cannolis (5/5): I'm not even really a cannoli fan but these were delightful! 4 mini cannolis and you can opt for all 1 flavor or mix. We had pistachio and mini chocolate chip! read more

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We stopped in yesterday around 5:30, there was about an hour wait but there is a great wine bar next door to kill time. The coziness of the restaurant was wonderful, service was also great. The Caesar was sooooo good, seriously amazing. I loved the rigatoni and the orachette. Would definitely come back soon. read more

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Finally got to check this place out, and it is so cute. The interior and design is so cozy. The service was fantastic. The food and fresh pasta was very good. The menu rotates every so often, so I'm excited to go back to try seasonal changes. We tried the fried mozzarella and whipped ricotta on sourdough appetizers, the luchame and rigatoni with vodka sauce mains, and the dessert cannolis. They also have salads. I like a short and sweet menu. If you don't eat pork, almost all their meats/bolognese involve pork, but they can make anything vegetarian and it was still delicious. It can be quite loud and the lighting is quite low, which is nice and romantic for some, but just a note if you're taking anyone a bit older. You can get on the waiting list online ahead of time, or they have a wine bar next door where you can wait as well. Great addition to Airport Blvd. read more

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Pasta is delicious! No reservations - only walks in - we got there around 5 (opening) and were able to be sat quickly but there can be wait once it's full since it's not a huge place A little dark but cute inside Overall it took around an hour for the bread, salad and two pastas to come out Service was ok, it was pretty busy so to be expected No cocktails which sucks for me personally but plenty of wine though The rigatoni was delicious - great sauce and ricotta cheese in the center with some basil We also tried the orchiecette pasta - with the sausage and zucchini - incredible - both were perfect to try together since so different The sourdough bread was a bit tough but the ricotta cheese on the side is delicious The Cesar salad is also really good - plenty of cheese!! read more

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What a little slice of Italy! This place has a smaller menu which I appreciate. They make fresh pasta and got my pasta fix from a restaurant. (I make a lot of Italian at home). We started with carpaccio - simple and delicious. I asked for a a few pieces of sour dough bread that was warm and then topped it off with the tasty meat and parm...I want more. Maybe I'll ask for a little more olive oil next time but it doesn't need it'. I just want it. Ha My friend had the winning dish of the night. The Malfadine. Holy hell I should have ordered myself one to go. The flavors were perfect and every bite was satisfaction over and over. I couldn't stop eating his dish. I had the rigatoni that was topped with a fresh tomato sauce and a dollop of ricotta. I ate almost every bite. Good potion sizes. This place is very small and inside gets a little loud but it's also romantic and intimate. We chose to sit outside since the weather wasn't a million degrees. If you can get a reservation great, if not I recommend showing up when they open because by the time we left the place was packed. Rocco's - thank you! I will see you again, and again! Even if I order take out. read more

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I was absolutely blown away by my experience at this restaurant. The food, the ambiance/atmosphere, & service. The food was absolutely divine!!! A 10/10 experience and will be back I didn't catch our servers name (she had short blonde hair) but she was an angel, just such great energy and one of the best servers I've ever had. I don't usually leave a restaurant with such a strong good impression thank you Rocco's and see you soon! read more

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My friend was really craving Rocco's so I came here for the first time the other night. It definitely has a neighborly feel, although I think it's a little too dark inside. Between two of us, we shared the following: Sour Duck Sourdough (4/5) - the crust was a little tougher/crunchier than I normally like, but I appreciate that it came with a tomato jam for a contrasting slightly sweet flavor. Caesar Salad (3.5/5) - It was a well-tossed Caesar, but I was missing a strong anchovy flavor that I prefer in my Caesar salads. I do prefer the bread crumbles over actual croutons, but the pecorino chunks were a bit too much. Noni's Meatball (4.5/5) - Good juicy meatballs, and the ricotta was a nice touch to balance the marinara sauce. Lumache (4.5/5) - I liked the balance of the sauce in this pasta dish, it was rich and flavorful but not too heavy. I feel like I could've done with less squash, and more mushrooms, but that's just my personal opinion. Having squash, mushrooms, and salume in a single pasta dish felt unnecessary. Overall, I found this to be a nice experience. Portions were large, a good spot to sit at the bar with a friend or even by yourself for a dinner. read more

Rocco's - Caesar Salad - Wine Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Very cute neighborhood Italian spot. Limited parking but you can always find street parking in the neighborhood. There was an hour wait when we put our names down at 6pm on a Friday night so we grabbed a drink at the wine bar next door. It's a small place packed in with people so it was very loud inside with the chatter from all the other tables. Our food was delicious and the portion sizes were generous. Our server was great, she even brought us 3 arancini balls because we were a party of 3 people and the dish is usually served with only 2, so incredible of her!! This spot will definitely become a staple for me. read more

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Everyone is talking about Rocco's and I get it. It's definitely a great addition to the Austin Italian food scene. But let me start with why Rocco's gets only 4/5 stars because it comes down to two reasons: no reservations and no cocktails. These are just personal preferences and so it keeps it off my 5 star list. These food though? Fantastic. Fried blue cheese olives are fantastic. Chopped Cesar salad was tangy and delightful with big chunks of fresh Parmesan, and don't get me started on the fried mozzarella - amazing. We had three of the five pastas on the menu: the cacio y Pepe, bolognese, and à la Vodka and they were all exceptional. Great service and a lovely atmosphere round it all out! read more

They seriously don't let you in until they open. Besides that the food is delicious. The meatball appetizer and lasagna are ample servings. It small interior fills up quickly. Service was attentive and pleasant. read more

This place is adorable! I love the grandma's 70s basement vibe and I really enjoyed the food and wine alike. We had the rigatoni, fried mozzarella, cacio e pepe, the meatballs, and orecchiette, ranked from favorite to least favorite. I normally love orecchiette and I did like this one, but it was an interesting riff on it with far more meat than actual pasta and the "little ears" as the literal translation of the word goes we're more like big ears. The sausage was also very very zesty, which I don't dislike but more so than I've had in the past and it caught a few people off guard. My only complaint is that it was very loud even without music on in the restaurant. In fact, at a table of four, the people sitting across from each other could not even hear what the other was saying. And then partway through they turned on some music too. My recommendation is that the creates some kind of insulation to absorb the noise whether that's on the ceiling or some kind of dividers to break up the space. It's just so cute but it's challenging to go with friends if you can't speak to one another. read more

I am loving on some Rocco's right now. It's rustic-Italian fare with flair. Yeah, I know what I just did there, and so do you. Big smiles. They're only open in the evenings Wed-Sun (5-9 pm and 5-10 pm Fri & Sat). Let's talk about the cozy setting with dim lighting and cane back chairs to provide ever so slightly a glimpse of a joint in Italy that only the locals would know about. The food-BANG! The vodka sauce rigatoni is the stuff dreams are made of. No lie. Flavor POPS. Portion was large enough to share with my boyfriend and so we did. The meatballs with whipped ricotta are everything and more. Like seriously, OMBalls how it all melts in your mouth. Service was undeniable. Amazingly friendly and fast. Our server was the bees knees. Can't wait to get back. read more

Overall a very good experience. Well curated wine list. Apps were unique featured fried olives stuffed with blue cheese, arancini and house baked bread with whipped ricotta and tomato jam. Pasta entrees well executed. Good version of cacio de Pepe. Cannot help but mention a number of things that made the experience unnecessarily challenging. Lighting level made it near impossible to read the menu. Using larger font on menu would help. Olives. We're fried to crispy texture but were difficult to eat with picks provided. Pasta shape served with cacio de Pepe was difficult to wrap onto fork. Bucatini would be better. Addressing these issues would be simple to do and improve the overall experience to 5 stars. read more

another great experience at rocco's! came here for my 9th wedding anniversary dinner and still hits!! tried the bolognese this time and that might be my new favorite. staff was sweet and lovely and we enjoyed a nice date night read more

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To start, great appointed atmosphere. The walls and seating give an "old" charm. Bartender was friendly, hostess was superb. Food is delicious. read more

Rocco's - Drinks. - Wine Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

Rocco's is such a welcomed gem off of Airport. ATX doesn't have enough delicious Italian food, well Rocco's is helping change that overall. Very nice decor inside, bathrooms are swanky. Great job putting seating outside and not having it feel like you're sitting in a parking lot. The main dishes were unreal last night. Photos attached, bravo! read more

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not sure why the reviews are low but I see this as a very solid italian spot! the deep fried blue cheese olives were unique and tasty, yummy friend mozzarella. I also LOVED the caesar salad (had chunks of parm in it which i thought was a nice touch) and the cavatelli pasta was delicious! I also tried to vodka one and thought it was so good but preferred mine more due to the meat and other added ingredients! I definitely would come back - the inside was dark and cute, nice music, parking lot. definitely a good add to the food scene here read more

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There's a new neighborhood Italian joint in North Loop! And I love it. No reservations, but if there's a wait I found a lovely wine bar right next door. Rocco's has a small covered patio on the front, and cozy seating inside. The delicious smells immediately hit you when you walk in. When we were seated, we automatically ordered the Sour Duck sourdough and 2 Diet Cokes. The bread was served with a tasty tomato jam and smooth butter. The sodas were served in cold cans, interesting aesthetic but still crisp! The fried mozzarella are in huge triangles and pretty thick, be careful they will fill ya up! The caesar salad was perfect. We ordered the rigatoni as well as one with white sauce, crispy sausage, zucchini and peppers. The noodle shape was very unique and perfectly al dente and when the server described it, I knew I had to try it. I loved my experience here and I will definitely be back since this is in my neighborhood, and the prices are very reasonable here as well! read more

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If you're looking for delicious, no-frills Italian cooking in an intimate setting, this is it. The arancini is what you'd expect from a fried cheese-filled risotto ball. The rigatoni was perfectly cooked and the creaminess of the ricotta combined with the crunch from the breadcrumbs made it a delectable eat. The casarecce was delicious as well, but I found it to be too salty the more I ate it. We came right at opening so there was plenty of space, but as other reviewers have noted, it does get really loud once the place fills up. You're also practically elbow to elbow with your neighbor. Service was attentive and there is a small parking lot, but it's shared with the new wine bar next door. read more

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Food was a mix of mediocre and bad. The Bolognese tasted like plain tomato sauce on pasta, and they charged $2 for a tiny cup of Parmesan. The arancini was awful -- thick, tough crust with a mostly hollow inside and a gluey blob of cheese. The cacio e pepe was different than usual but actually pretty good. Ambiance and service were average. Overall, disappointing read more

This restaurant completely missed the mark on Italian cuisine. We started with the sourdough bread, which arrived cold and tasted like basic grocery-store bread, served with butter and jam that were honestly unpleasant. It set the tone for the rest of the meal. Next were the meatballs. While they came out piping hot, they were completely bland--no seasoning, no depth, no flavor whatsoever. Our third course was the orecchiette with sausage, and unfortunately it was the worst dish of the night. The pasta was hard and chewy, and again, there was absolutely no flavor. The dish was wildly off balance and not enjoyable at all. I would never return to this restaurant, even if the meal were free. Considering this is from the same chef behind Sammie, the difference in quality is shocking. This place doesn't come close and frankly shouldn't even be compared. What we were served didn't resemble Italian food in any meaningful way. This is my boyfriend review Hungry Man, microwaveable ready food, not even suitable to be called Italian. Have you recent burned your tounge or lost your sense of taste due to COVID, then this is a restaurant for you. Be prepared for plate temperature of luke warn mixed with cold bites, with no flavor in their meat or insta-ready pasta. I feel bad for Italians that have to eat this. read more

What was ordered: - sour duck sourdough - Caesar salad - rigatoni pasta - lumace pasta Great spot for a nice (but not crazy expensive), romantic dinner. Went on a random Monday and I snagged the last table! So keep an eye out for that, prepare to possibly wait. All of our food was amazing, the dishes came out at the perfect time. Very laid back/helpful waitress. Overall has a great time and would 100% go back. I just wish there was an option to add some protein on any pasta dish, and maybe another dessert item or two. read more

If you have a website that doesn't specify what your closing hours are, and if you don't have a phone number such that we can call to ask what time you close, and if you don't reply to emails that ask what time you close, then what are you doing being in the service-oriented restaurant business? How can you care so little about getting customers in the door? While Rocco's updated its website to add their closing times after we told them that their closing times weren't on their website, they chose to leave us in the dark and not reply to us to tell us what their closing times are -- and they chose to not thank us for bringing this self-defeating, glaring website error to their attention. Since Rocco's ghosted us, our party of five ate elsewhere that night -- at a fabulous new place on South First. Some day the Austin restaurant scene will get soft and then restaurants like Rocco's, who seem to have a culture of disregard for their customer, will surely falter. Two of us eventually ate here on another night -- which I agreed to do only because my friend wanted to try it. The dining room is lovely. Parking is ample. Staff is nice. And yet we won't go back. read more

Horrible service. After we closed out and tipped Kathryn (the manager) came over and told us the wrong check was given to us so now we need to pay $100 more. The initial check was correct so as a table we were very confused. She was extremely rude and did not want to help us understand the situation. She was mean and condescending. I would hope no restaurant has a manager that acts this. I hope the management can rectify the situation. No table should feel this type of unprofessional behavior when dining out read more

Rocco's - Wine Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

One of the worst dining experiences of my life: 1. Incredibly loud. There is no way to have a conversation. Tables are jammed together to get max diners seated. 2.Bowls of pasta (only one choice had meat sauce) are $25-$30, meat on pasta is extra. Expensive for a BOWL of PASTA. 3. No ice served in drinks. Only beer, wine and Italian soda available. 4. Do not take cash, only credit cards. 5 .It took 45 minutes to get appetizer and another 30 minutes after that to get entree. Asked for bread twice and it arrived w/entree and was extra cost. The $30 bowl of pasta was good but nothing special. read more

Rocco's is a cool looking place. We arrived early and had a great table. The Caesar salad was very good, but then the wine and bolognese got there. Mediocre would be generous. The wine was barely drinkable. The pasta was the sort of thing you might find in a college lunchroom. I tried to imagine if anywhere in Italy would serve something like that but couldn't. Give it a pass! read more