5/5 You really can't go wrong with anything at Rocco's. Start with the sourdough, beef carpaccio, and Caesar salad -- all are absolute must-orders and a big reason this place has become one of Austin's most popular Italian spots. The pasta is consistently excellent across the board, but my favorites are the rigatoni and mafaldine. Every dish feels thoughtfully prepared, and it's the kind of place where you'll already be planning your next order before you leave. One thing to keep in mind: the wait can be long, so it's worth getting your name on the list before heading over. If you're looking for great Italian food in Austin, I'd put Rocco's near the top of the list. I'll definitely be back. read more

The food was great but the service was subpar. To eat I had the Malfaldine cacio e pepe, roasted asparagus, morel mushrooms, pecorino & lemon $29 + $8 for shrimp, so nearly $40. Pricey but delicious. I also had the sourdough bread which was great. My friends had the Rigatoni, fried olives, and Caesar salad all of which were delicious. It was my friend's birthday and we had a large group dinner planned to celebrate her and she left quite disappointed with her experience and won't be coming back. We called to make a reservation and were unable to, and when we showed up and got added to the waitlist we were told that they would not seat us until the entire party was present and that they could not seat our entire party together, instead we would be at all separate tables. Since friends were 15+ minutes late stuck in traffic she had to call them and tell them they could not come anymore due to the restaurant's policy. They wouldn't allow us to order appetizers until we were ready to order everything. They took the order of the other table in our group after the birthday girl's table (our table with the birthday girl had fewer people) and served them way before the birthday girl. They didn't offer any kind of dessert or wish her happy birthday at all. I don't see myself coming back to a restaurant with so many strange rules and lack of quality service. 3 stars because the food was really good but it ruined my friend's birthday. read more

Rocco's - Malfaldine cacio e pepe, roasted asparagus, morel mushrooms, pecorino & lemon $29 plus $8 for shrimp -delicious - Wine Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great spot! We went on a weekday pretty soon after they opened, and they filled up quickly. Service was super helpful and friendly, and the parking was easy for us. I ordered the rigatoni and really enjoyed it! My husband also really liked the chicken parm special. Not pictured, but my friend got the meatballs and loved those as well. The restaurant is cozy, and next time I'd want to try the cannolis! read more

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One cuisine I don't normally go for or even like much of is Italian but boy am I glad we tried this place. Service was good, our waitress Sasha (according to receipt) was very attentive, friendly and over all great. The food was amazing. It came out fresh, not warm... HOT. I could not get enough of it. The sauce was my favorite part, I can't wait to try more things on their menu. We also loved the ambiance. Good music, lighting and ambience, overall cozy. Would definitely come back. Chef back there needs to know they're chef-ing it up, beast mode. read more

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Back for a 2nd time and nom nom nom nom! Rocco's satisfies my Italian cravings! Each of us got a different dish and none of them disappointed! We stopped at the wine bar next door while we waited for our table to be ready. This place gets packed quickly so join the waiting list online before you go! The lasagna is enough for four people. lol portions are generous, wine kept flowing and staff was attentive and friendly! If you get a chance go support this awesome local restaurant. They make pasta in house which is a bonus in my book. Very few Italian restaurants in Austin make me feel like I made the meal myself and this is definitely top on my list! read more

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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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BEST CEDEAR SALAD EVER! I don't know if we were particularly hungry, but we ate it so fast! The bread and meatball's were great appetizers and my personal favorite was the spicy rigatoni pasta. The service was wonderful and it is a great date night scene! It reminded us of an intimate new york restaurant. Will definitely be back! read more

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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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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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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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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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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

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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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

Best Italian place ever!!! the lighting, the food, the ambiance, the service, is all so bomb, I've been here 3 times and it has been so consistent, they have the best Caesar salad ever and the rigatoni is sooooo good, my only thing i would say is i wish they had more space inside, more parking available, or even another location read more

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

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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Excellent service, vibes, and food!!! Would highly recommend for your next upscale casual date night.

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

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

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

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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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

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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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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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

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

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

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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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

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

Delicious. Wonderful, attentive staff. A little cramped inside but it's a jovial experience. I highly recommend the rotini with vodka sauce.

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