Got a pizza from Roccos for dinner. Fast service. Tasted great with quality ingredients. I will try some of there daily specials. Very clean and organized front of the house. I was greated promptly and felt welcome. Good atmosphere. Stop in for a daily special or happy hour. Cheers! read more

Let me start by saying, I really wanted to like this place. The vibe and ambiance were great, the prices were reasonable, and the house wine was honestly excellent. Unfortunately, that's where the positives ended for me. I arrived around 5:30 PM on a Saturday and was surprised at how empty it was. There were only three people at the bar when I arrived, and maybe a dozen total by the time I left. With the atmosphere, pricing, and huge menu selection, I expected it to be much busier. I ordered the Veal Saltimbocca. The flavor was decent, but the portion size was disappointing. The attached photo shows the entire veal portion -- a very small gray medallion that felt completely out of proportion to the dish. When the main protein is that limited, the value just isn't there. What really concerned me, though, was a food safety issue I witnessed. One of the servers dropped a to-go box on the floor and walked past it multiple times without picking it up. Eventually, a shift lead picked it up and placed it directly on a prepared table setting with silverware, a plate, and a napkin. About a minute later, the box was thrown away -- thankfully -- but the contaminated table setting remained in place for guests. That kind of cross-contamination is hard to ignore and honestly overshadowed the rest of the experience for me. I genuinely wanted to enjoy this restaurant, but between the disappointing portion size and the careless handling of basic sanitation, I left understanding why it wasn't busier on a Saturday night. read more

Rocco's Italian Kitchen - Veal Saltimboca - Italian Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

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This place was great. A lot of people complain about the noise, but we sat outside and didn't have an issue with that whatsoever. It was awesome seeing them come out and harvest from their herb garden for garnishes and whatever they needed. My lobster ravioli was delicious, and the cheese pizza was great too. The standout dish, though, was the calamari, it was just perfect. The breading, the fry, and the cook on the squid were all spot on. We will definitely be coming back! read more

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We have tried over and over again to like Rocco's, and at this point, we're done making excuses for it. Let's start with the positives: bartender Shaddai is great, and Chef Tony's original recipes are excellent. Unfortunately, that's about where the positives end. The rest of the menu is, quite frankly, disappointing. The quality and consistency simply aren't there. But the most disturbing experience was with our drinks. We ordered Tito's, and what we were served was WATER instead of Tito's vodka. The bottle said Tito's, but there was water in our drinks. To make absolutely sure there wasn't any mistake, we ordered two additional shots of Tito's. Everyone agreed that what we had originally been served was indeed water, not vodka. If a customer orders and pays for Tito's and is instead served water, that is completely unacceptable and raises serious ethical and potentially legal concerns. Customers should be able to trust that what they order and pay for is actually what they receive. What made the situation even worse was Cathy, the owner. Not only did she fail to resolve the situation appropriately, she didn't even apologize for serving us water instead of the vodka we ordered. That is absolutely unacceptable. An owner should be the first person to take responsibility when something this serious happens. Cathy clearly has no idea how to run a restaurant, and it shows. A restaurant is supposed to care about its customers, its food, its drinks, and its reputation. Instead, our repeated experiences have been disappointment after disappointment. We have given Rocco's chance after chance because we genuinely wanted to like this restaurant. But there is a limit. Great bartender Shaddai and Chef Tony's excellent original recipes cannot make up for a disappointing overall menu, poor management, and an owner who couldn't even offer an apology when we were served water instead of the alcohol we ordered. read more

We went here on Monday night for the magical dining experience that they were offering! The restaurant is so unassuming from the outside but when you walk in it is quaint and well decorated. The service was phenomenal as there was two servers working and they were both very attentive. Daniel was extremely nice and courteous. Appetizers were the Caesar salad. We got the filetto al Gorgonzola which was so tender and great flavor and sauce ratio. I tried the butternut squash ravioli which had a sun-dried tomato and olive oil sauce which was perfect so as not to take away from the ravioli flavor! We tried the three desserts which were all so delicious. This place has been in winter park for 20 years and we will definitely frequent it again. read more

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My friends in Bradenton suggested this place for dinner as they had been here previously. They talked about the large portions of food. The Pasta menu included both "piccolo" (a smaller individual portion) or a "classico" (Mama's Italian portion-abundant and hearty) as selections. Other items were a set price. Rocco's is located in a strip mall-like plaza with plenty of parking available. When we walked in, the place was mostly empty around 7:30pm on a Saturday night (which usually isn't a good sign). We were greeted by the manager and led to a table for the six of us. Our waitress was pleasant and took our orders promptly. Fresh bread and olive oil was provided for dipping. Some of us ordered the Italian Wedding Soup and it was amazing! I specifically asked the server if the soup also came as a "cup". She said yes. When it arrived, it was huge. It was served in an oversized "cup" (see picture). The person that brought it over said "We only have one size." So, a cup is NOT your normal "cup". I guess the server was not aware of this situation. To its credit, the soup was filled with meatballs and was deliciously seasoned. Very good! I ordered the Short Rib Gnocchi al Limone ($26.95). It was very lemony, which drowned out the taste of the gnocchi and the short rib. The short rib was just shredded meat. I was disappointed to say the least and could not get the lemon taste out of my mouth through the entire meal. The Linguine and Clams ($28.95) was not a hit for one of our guests either. Those who ordered lasagna or pasta were satisfied with their choices. The house Italian salad is included with all entrees. However, they must make the salad one size as it was barely enough for 5 people, and the 6th person was left out at first. We had to ask the server for another bowl. I doubt I will come back here again, but maybe for those individuals that like big portions of pasta and a good soup, they might be pretty happy here. read more

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Advertising totally false about Friday night dance nights to generate customers. Events say "Dance Night."1st Friday: Flashback Disco Night, 8 PM-12 :00AM." Went there and all Latin, for about first hour on first Friday of September and left after 3 Bachata songs. Hustle is my thing but not Latin. My wife called me later and said they finally played a hustle song but I passed after bad vibe from initial music. Don't go here if you expect 2 or 3 hours of hustle. It does not happen. read more

I went there with my parents the first week in August. They had been raving about the place. The service was very slow, but I attributed it to the fact that there only seemed to be only one waitress on for the entire restaurant. When we did get the food, it was excellent. At the end of the meal, my father asked for an espresso and I asked that the check be split between two different debit cards (my mother's and mine). It took forever for the waitress to come back. My father said the espresso was terrible and was actually watered down coffee. When he told the waitress, she said that they didn't have an espresso machine, and the cook said to just add more water to the coffee. The next day, I noticed more money out of my account than there should've been. I checked, and the waitress had charged both of the split checks to my debit card instead of splitting it between the two. It was truly disappointing because my parents love this restaurant and had been looking forward to taking me there during my visit to see them. read more

Father's Day dinner. Huge portion of spaghetti bolognese with broccoli. Delicious and seriously, my take home portion will be another wonderful dinner. My wife thought the clams on her linguini with clams were tiny. Service was excellent. read more

Food was great! Once we got it. Cook was outside and washer had been waiting for the food. This is the second time of bad customer service. We have several airbnbs in the area, no way we could recommend this place to our guest. Tried to call, no one picked up and voice mail was full. Horrible customer service. read more

We went to Rocco's Italian Kitchen for the first time last night for the Valentine's Day Eve Couples Celebration Dinner. The multi course meal was generous and each item was delicious. The prosecco was divine, and the complimentary after-dinner amaretto offered and shared with the owner was a surprise delight. Thank you to all of the servers, kitchen staff and entertainment for making it a wonderful evening. Thank you as well for the fabulous wall mural decorations that brought us back to fabulous journeys and unforgettable adventures we have made to Venice, Rome, Campania, Umbria and Tuscany. read more

Rocco's Italian Kitchen - Diane and John - Italian Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

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Good service pasta was not al dente and overcooked. The veal in my franchese and my brother's parmigiana was tough and mine had a weird taste compared to all other veal franchese I have had. My brother ordered a Cesar salad and got a regular sales with Cesar dressing. Wife ordered Hawaiian pizza and it was was undercooked that the crust was doughy. Wont be back. read more

been to this restaurant a couple of times I have to say that the second time was better than the first Unfortunately, the place is so noisy. You can hardly talk to the people you're with. Many of us who live in Bradebton I just dying for a decent restaurant. I don't know what you can do to change the noise level, but we probably won't be coming back anytime soon although it is fun to go sit in the bar it's a little quieter. However, that only works for two people, maybe four tops. read more

This one took us by surprise! Googled Italian when we finally agreed to what we both wanted... so I've seen this place open up by my UPS where I do all my Amazon returns. The outside is very deceiving. You walk in and it is such a big beautiful restaurant! And the food, it were blown away. From the bread, to the meal, we were very happy with our experience. It was delicious and such a great experience. Our host Maddie was an exceptional server and made our experience that much more lovely. Will definitely be back again. The Italain Eggrolls were so good!! read more

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My husband ordered the two lobster tail with linguine. Linguine was bland, no seasoning. Lobster was overcooked...rubbery. We waited and hour for our entrees! Will not be going back. read more

My wife and I visited Rocco's for lunch last week. My wife had an Eggplant Panini and she said it tasted great and a salad. I ordered a meat lovers pizza which was cooked to perfection. Unfortunately I can't remember our server's name but she was nice and was patient and understanding explaining the menu and the daily specials since this was our first time there, but wouldn't be our last! read more

Food was amazing and service was also great. I tried the lobster ravioli and it was delicious. Drinks were okay nothing extra special. in general a little bit more expensive than some places but worth the tried. read more

Rocco's Italian Kitchen - Lobster raviolis 5 - Italian Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

Recently had dinner at Rocco's, our third visit. Each time we were not disappointed. Was pleasantly surprised on how good the pizza was on one visit. We had the eggplant dinner on our second and third times which we shared and still had leftovers, even with the smaller portion. Prices are reasonable. They have great happy hour specials and a rewards program as well. PS I also get Delta points here . We will continue to frequent Rocco's and would recommend to others who have not yet been there. read more

The food is just amazing. Nice atmosphere and live music! Try the chicken cordón blue because it has prosciutto instead of ham! read more

The best pizza in the area. Then, I left my AMX card there and no problem getting it the next day!

The food is the reason for this rating. The pasta primavera had no flavor and canned vegetables, the only fresh veggie was the broccoli. The lasagna was cold in the middle. The meatballs tasted like thy were microwaved. The service was great. The waitress and manager offered to replace the meal, unfortunately, we had to be somewhere be by a set time so they removed the pasta primavera from our tab. read more

Waitress was great. Food took an unacceptable amount of time. 2 pizzas and a salad. The salad came and had a very large hair in it. Pizza was undercooked and whole slices didn't have cheese on it. Now I know why there were so few people on a Friday night. read more

Stopped in this past Tuesday after seeing a new menu update on Facebook. Was there at 5pm to take advantage of happy hour specials. Tried ordering a sub sandwich which was listed under bar sandwiches on the posted web site. Was told it was only served at lunch. When asked to please show me on the menu where it said "lunch only". Could not show me. We paid for drinks and left When I contacted the owner I was told I came in after 6pm which meant could not get happy hour prices. Not good customer service. Owner only had to look up my credit card bill to check the time stamp to see I was telling the truth. Will not return. read more

Went on a Saturday at 12:15 for lunch. Only one server who is also the bartender. We asked for the lunch menu but were told she was told she could not offer the lunch menu on weekends but she could on some weekends, depending on what they tell her when she comes to work. So guess you need to call first and ask if you can have the lunch menus during lunch. Ordered a pizza which was a few short steps above a frozen pizza. Prices are too high for the product. read more

Not my favorite pizza .. nothing special about . Ordered sausage , olives and " peppers " - assumed green peppers but got peperoncini Custom pizza is only one size - large ! By using Slice ( for delivery) total $34.99 . Pricey for a mediocre pizza : / read more

Food was very good. Live music was enjoyable. Service was professional. I would recommend it highly. read more

Brought my daughter in for lunch today and everyone was so kind! She is learning Italian so the waitress even took time to show her how to pronounce several items on the menu. The space is bigger than I expected and very clean. Several people came by to see how our lunch was (we split a massive Margarita pizza and took some extras home). Excited to come back soon with the whole family! read more

Rocco's Italian Kitchen - Big Pizzas! - Italian Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

Burning it to the ground and building a new restaurant. Salad was not good. All the mozzarella sticks came as empty rubes with no cheese. The food might have been a 3.5 but was not hot enough and the service was terribly slow. read more

Yikes. Bland pasta, soggy pizza, not stellar service. Ridiculously high priced, even for how giant the portions are. I would absolutely not recommend this place and will not go back. We didn't even bring home leftovers. read more

Rocco's Italian Kitchen - Everything we left. Not worth brining home. - Italian Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

Delicious food and great drinks in a lovely atmosphere. The staff are very attentive and kind. And the owner is very personable, making us feel like we were part of the family. We will be back. read more

Pizza and caprese yummy lunch, great drinks. Great service at the bar. Thoroughly enjoyed our lunch!

Wow. Had reservations for 27. Poor waitress. The only one for entire restaurant. Placed food and wine order after 45 minutes wait time. Wine delivered 40 minutes later. Had to ask for to go box for food that arrived 3 hours after arrival time. From 4:45-7:45. One of our party members ordered small white pizza. Received her bill and food not delivered. Manager NEVER assisted waitress nor came to apologize. Worst experience ever. I'm spreading the word. read more

The food was acceptable, and the atmosphere was pleasant. There were some improvements that could have been made, but overall, it was satisfactory. read more

So, my first impression of this restaurant, reminded me of New York City and even Italy! Which we travel to annually. So we KNOW italian food pal... I even took a video of the place, because I was that impressed. The server was very kind, so I cannot even say anything negative about the guy at all. The salad came out, was decent, and the bread was pretty tasty. I was praying that the main entree' was going to be fantastic, because there was literally noone in the place. I have to say, that is by far some of the worst wannabe Italian food I've ever had in the entire state of Florida. Probably in my life time. I'm sorry... who in the hell do they have in the back making this food? Mr. Magoo or Fred Flintstone? Because the food was lousy. I ordered the chicken piccata, and the chicken was undercooked, it was saturated with at least three sticks of butter. The freaking chicken look like it was floating in a pool full of algae. And who serves mashed potatoes with gravy on it on a plate with chicken piccata? Only in the south right? You never-ever serve mashed potatoes with gravy and chicken piccata. It doesn't go! How about serving potato croquettes, or offering a vegetable with it or even linguine? But first you gotta get the recipe right! The way they made this chicken was horrible. It tasted like rubber. I'm sorry! I don't normally go on these websites to degrade anyone, because this is someone's business. But you got to hire someone that knows what the hell they are doing. Especially when you're charging mid-town Manhattan five star restaurant prices! C'mon...! And furthermore. You have to teach your servers what is a 6 oz vs a 9 oz glass of wine. I got charged nearly $18 for a 6 oz glass of wine and it was only 4 ounces. read more

Service was good, food was ok, but price is crazy. Looked at our bill more closely when we got home. Watch when you order drinks! A grey goose martini was 12.60(I'm ok with that). Then added 3.15 to add olive juice and olives. Knob creek old fashioned was 12.00(ok with that too) then they added 3.15 as an old fashioned. Also, had a $10.00 off and they gave us 1.51(not sure how that works) Sneaky if you ask me, turned us away from going back! Lesson learned. Check receipts very closely there! read more

Extremely Disappointing Experience - Poor Food, High Prices, and Rude Management We came in as a party of 8, excited to enjoy what we hoped would be a great Italian meal. The restaurant was nearly empty, with only one other table seated, so we expected timely service. While our waitress was polite and professional, the food took an extremely long time to arrive. Given the high prices, we had high expectations -- and unfortunately, the experience didn't come close. I ordered the $54 filet, which came with roasted potatoes and broccoli. The steak was ordered medium and came out well done. The vegetables were absolutely inedible -- bland, overcooked, and just plain awful. My mother ordered a chicken dish that was completely raw in the center, topped with nothing more than melted cheese. Everyone else at the table had pasta, and not one dish had flavor. The tomato sauce was so watered down it was closer to soup than a proper sauce. We asked to speak to the owner, who had introduced herself earlier and said to let her know if there were any issues. She never came to the table -- instead, we saw her outside smoking cigarettes and drinking wine while all of this was going on. She never acknowledged the situation once. A male manager came out instead, and instead of trying to resolve the issue professionally, he was defensive and rude. My food and my mother's were eventually taken off the bill, but they still charged her $4 for a tea she wouldn't even drink. After the checks were dropped off, other members of our party also asked to speak to the manager about their poor experience. When my 15-year-old daughter politely clarified something during the conversation, the manager basically told her to "shut up." That was completely unacceptable, and at that point I had to step in. I've been a server in the same restaurant for 19 years, and there is absolutely no excuse for a guest -- especially a child -- to be spoken to like that. The manager ended up discounting one more meal but never returned to the table. As we were leaving, we noticed him and several staff members sitting at the bar, all staring at us as we walked out. It felt childish, petty, and hostile. Save your money, your time, and your dignity -- eat literally anywhere else. This restaurant is overpriced, flavorless, and completely unprofessional from top to bottom read more

Rocco's is a family-oriented restaurant that makes you feel like you're having a meal, not just a dinner. You feel like you're part of an adopted family. Cathy, Jonathan, Nicole, and the entire staff will make you feel this way even if it's your first time. I have to say that the Chicken Marsala is exceptional. It's one of those meals that you can't order everywhere because you'll just be disappointed. This is something I feel like my grandmother made for me. I cannot stress enough how everyone on the staff is of the same mindset and are friendly & accommodating. It's my go-to place in Bradenton and I highly recommend it! P.S. ​ They also have a very accommodating humidor for the cigar aficionados to smoke on the outside deck. Feel free to enjoy a cigar and port wine after a wonderful dinner. Mark read more

Rocco's is a truly great find in Bradenton! I ordered the chicken piccata with extra capers, and it was wonderful. My son and his girlfriend had dinner with me and loved their pasta dinners too. We also really enjoyed the family style salad that is part of every meal. The staff couldn't be more friendly or accommodating, and they are down right fun. The restaurant is great for a small group dinner and also big enough to accommodate a large crowd. Its also very easy to get to the restaurant and parking is a breeze. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. We've been back 3 times! read more

Do not eat or order takeout from this restaurant. We live close by and decided to give this new restaurant a try. We ordered Chicken Parmesan and Chicken Picatta. Both dinners where supposed to come with a salad. We brought it home and opened the bag and found out that there was no salad and NO CHICKEN in the "Chicken" Picatta. We called and were told that they were sorry and to come back. We drove back and got the missing chicken and salad. Once we finally sat down to eat, I have to say, the food was NOT good! The chicken was dried out and tough and the salad had brown pieces of lettuce in the mix. UGGGGH!! Never again!! read more

Food not good and VERY expensive. Not worth the price Lasagna was splattered all over the plate. Clams in red sauce had no flavor. Sat under a blue light that made food look awful. Oil for bread was just that no spices. Sax player was good but loud. Service was ok. Would not go back. read more