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    Rocco's

    3.9 (61 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Rocco's Photos

    ROCCO'S ATMOSPHERE

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    Cannoli
    Quin T.

    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!

    Marine
    Mariel T.

    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)

    menu
    Aruni G.

    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.

    Lumache
    Kelsey D.

    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.

    Kay D.

    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!

    Cannolis
    Kara M.

    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!

    caeser salad
    Cassidy H.

    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.

    Lumache
    Abby K.

    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.

    Michelle V.

    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!!

    Carpaccio
    Jenn C.

    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.

    Tiffany L.

    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!

    Caesar Salad
    Steven L.

    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.

    Sour dough bread with whipped ricotta, Cesar salad, and arancini

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    24 days ago

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

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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.

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    Ask the Community - Rocco's

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    I was less enthusiastic about this establishment than was my dining partner, Steve W…read more On a Friday night, Gino's was less than 1/5 full ... So other people might share my point of view. However, there was really only one objective thing wrong with Gino's on 51st street. Everything else was a matter of personal taste. Personal tastes can vary in what one wants to see in an American Italian restaurant. * * * The only objective fail was a fried calamari appetizer. The fry job was not good and the calamari were tough and not too tasty. People don't go to Italian restaurants just to get fried calamari, even though it is a common enough appetizer. * * * The one objective WOW WOW WOW was their chocolate cake. Steve W and I split one of these babies. It is kept in the refrigerator and served ice cold. The stuff is totally addictive. No matter how the rest of your meal goes, The chocolate cake will atone for all sins. * * * Now for the matters in dispute. The big question is do you like your American Italian tomato forward or tomato restrained? I grew up in Boston in the 1950s and 1960s where all the Italian food was tomato restrained. This included the famous Italian houses in the North End and our family's favorite, Simeone's in Cambridge. The recipes at Gino's could have come out of any those establishments. This explains Steve W's vigorous thumbs up. * * * American Italian in Philadelphia is tomato forward. Boston has evolved into a tomato forward town although exceptions do exist in particular houses. After I graduated high school and went out in the world, I discovered tomato forward. (Including, in Manhattan, a Legendary Spaghetti Caruso which was tomato forward with chicken livers. Sarah Vaughan was singing gospel to the diners. Now THAT was one meal I will never forget!) Once I discovered tomato forward, there was no going back. Whenever I cook Italian, I cook tomato forward. Whenever I encounter tomato restrained, I go "That's Nice, Dear." * * * Steve W.'s chicken parmigiana and my cioppino were both tomato restrained. I make a killer cioppino myself (although I have been bested by more than one West Coast seafood establishment.) Cioppino needs to be tomato forward all the way - and when you get down right to it, totally heavy-handed with the tomato. Needing tomato was especially important at Gino's where the seafood was on again off again. (Scallops and clams were legitimately superb. The shrimp like the calamari, not so much.) So I enjoyed part of my meal. * * * Fortunately, Steve W. is a dazzling conversationalist with a wealth of knowledge about a wide range of topics. So the dinner was marvelous, when I thought less about my food and more about the ideas he was putting forward. And there was that cake. So as a total experience, the night was five stars. * * * However, if you are going without Steve W., Then watch yourself on the menu. Something like an Alfredo or a Piccata might be a better main dish call. That - and be sure to order dessert. (Heh heh)

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    Lolo quickly became our go to spot for a good glass of wine. We know that they'll always have a…read morebanging selection of wines at the bar and bottles for sale. The staff can always help point you in the right direction and are super nice. Some of the glasses can be $16+, which is why I also love that they have the "house" selections for under $10, which are also always good. We've even been part of the LoLo wine club which id recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about wine, and you get a cute tote bag, a win win. Depending on the day we will hang out inside or outside, both equally enjoyable. It's always a nice time at LoLo!

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