The butterbean hummus is one of the best appetizers in Oxford! Love the meatball and the Caesar Salad, too. Tarasque is consistently good. After reading some of the negative reviews, it's obvious they were made by people who never stepped foot in the restaurant and had political issues with the owner. Their physical descriptions of the restaurant are not close to being accurate and methods of service are inaccurate. I have no issues with bad reviews but do know most of these are completely false. read more

I personally loved this place. There people ordered. The rigatoni, the linguini and the shrimp pasta. My rigatoni was excellent. The meat was so tasty and had plenty of flavor. Portions are sharable. The staff was SOOO friends and helpful. Everyone was busy but so polite and nice. The other two dishes, they said didn't have much specific flavor. The shrimp was small size and the pasta was cooked well, just didn't have any seasonings that stood out. The hummus was good and flavorful. The bread was great too. Just those two pasta dishes lacked distinct flavor. I will return I just won't order those two items. Check this place out. It's worth a stop. read more

Tarasque Cucina - Menu - Salad Near Me - Oxford, Mississippi

We visited a couple of weeks ago while visiting our son at Ole Miss. the energy of the kitchen was infectious as we ordered! Such hustle. The smell of such goodness was out of this world. Servings were enormous. We sent the boy home with leftovers for days. I had a wide noodle pasta and the giant meatball. So good. The other meals at our table were also outstanding. The staff went overboard to be kind and helpful. Anyone on here who says otherwise is lying. read more

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Went for a college visit and stopped here with my son based on good reviews. Not impressed. Food was mediocre at best. Thought it would be more authentic Italian but was not. Tasted like someone who put a meal together from an Italian recipe with no good flavor. Staff working the counter were nice. read more

Food was barley warm we got it and tasted like it had sat for a day. Macaroni and pasta was overcooked.

I am happy to report that Oxford has a really good Italian restaurant. I had dinner here earlier this week and enjoyed every minute of it. It is a small restaurant inside with seating for maybe around 25 diners? It also has outdoor seating that will seat more than that if the weather is cooperating., We were fortunate that our party of 5 was promptly seated and we decided to go family style with our choices. We asked for two large orders of their bread at $10 each, two orders of fried mozzarella caprese for appetizers and then three orders of the pappardelle bolognese for $18 each, With 5 of us we hoped that would be enough food. Boy were we wrong! The homemade bread arrived first on two platters. It was a lot of bread to say the least and it tasted very good. You want this bread. It was warm and had plenty of shaved cheese on top with parsley. Then the other two items arrived at the same time about 15 minutes later. The plates of fried mozzarella caprese (sorry no picture) were delicious with the fresh tasting tomatoes and fried cheese. Get this. You won't be disappointed. Finally when the pappardelle bolognese arrived we all realized we ordered way too much food. The 3 bowls had a lot of content in them. The pappardelle pasta with its big ribbons of pasta was plentiful with plenty of the bolognese sauce. This dish was delicious and very comforting. The meat in the sauce were steak bits I believe and just added to the pleasure. It was a fine tasting pasta dish. Table service was warm and friendly. Two reasons I am giving a 5. One is the taste of the food. All 3 items we ordered were excellent in taste. The food quality here is high. The second reason is price versus quantity. After finishing, some of our party took home the leftovers. Lucky them. We had practically one full order of bread left and one entire bowl of the pasta. The pappardelle bolognese, for example, at $18 is more than enough for two people to share and have a some left to take home. If it just two people dining get the small order of bread for $4. In other words the portions here are huge and prices very reasonable. Sorry budidn't take enough pictures. Oxford is fortunate to have Tarasque Cucina. read more

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I live in Virginia and the bolognese this restaurant crafts haunts me in the best of ways. Every year, I make the pilgrimage down to the restaurant and am greeted like long lost family. The staff cares so much about their people, their customers, and their food. And it shows. I recommend the pit stop to anyone passing through the area and am envious of those locally who have such a place in their neighborhood that they can visit regularly to get their fix of great Italian food and a warm welcome akin to home. read more

We've been to Tarasque several times and have always had a wonderful experience. The staff is lovely and very knowledgeable about their offerings. As someone who has worked in the food service industry for over a decade I can't help but be extra observant about the cleanliness of restaurants. They have an open kitchen that is extremely clean and well maintained and all of the employees appear to take food safety and hygiene seriously. The food is always excellent. Ingredients are fresh and everything is perfectly seasoned and cooked. The boiled peanuts, capellini puttanesca and bolognese are some of our favorites. Tarasque is in my opinion the best Italian place in Oxford. read more

As always great food. Love everything I have tried on their menu. Our go to place for carry out

What a wonderful place to eat! I got the spaghetti with the big meatballs and it was perfect. The hummus was delectable. We also got the Caesar salad, so crispy so refreshing so flavorful I cannot wait to come back read more

This is a hidden gem in the back of the strip center. Friendly service, great recommendation. They are quick with great customer service. Order at counter but they service table. The food was absolutely fabulous. We got the butter, bean hummus with bread but had to add a side of the amazing bread, so yummy! We also got the kale salad it included beets so pretty and tasty! The Pappadella Bolognese was so delicious, along with the giant meatball, tge sausage penne pasta was so good with a little kick. Cute place, inside and outside dining! Its BYOB but there a liquor store in front you can buy your bottle of wine of choice! Love the food! read more

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Oh my. We haven't had a total fail at a restaurant in a very long time, but this was pretty bad. We had high expectations based on reviews from two places. I'm guessing that these were family/friend reviews. Let's start with ambiance. Dark and uninspiring, no need to say more. They barely tried with cheap finishings. Staff. Lacked personality, good manners and basic hygiene. We understand that people have bad days. But all three people we had contact with? Not a fluke, you have horrid staff. Rudeness from each one. Maybe teach some classes on how to pretend to like your job. Food. We can generally overlook the above two if the food is stellar. This was embarrassingly bad. I was embarrassed for the owners. I had the fettuccine. It was watery and lacked any flavor besides butter and milk. No garlic??? My husband had the rigatoni. He complained that it was dry, with half the pasta undercooked, half over. Not even sure how you achieve that besides using old, leftover pasta with fresh. We were going to order desert, but didn't want to waste our money after the trash we were already served. I did let our server know that both of us weren't happy with our meal, and I made it clear that we weren't looking for a freebie by complaining. That garnered an eye roll from our server. So, if you want to gamble with your money on a meal, here's your chance. Our bill was over $80, the only thing worthy was the alcohol. read more

Great food! Generous portions! Friendly and efficient staff! One of my favorite places to eat! read more

The best Italian in North Mississippi!! The staff is always so friendly and welcoming. It truly feels like you're dining with family.

Fabulous place. Delicious food and service is excellent. We love the owners who go above and beyond to satisfy their guests.

Excellent food. One of the best restaurants in Oxford. I love big bad breakfast too. If you are eating in Oxford go to one of the good ones - they need our support. read more

Full view to kitchen as soon as you walk in - lots of high energy. I am a picky eater, but always something for me on that menu board! Unusual Caesar salad. Servings are large - we usually split a pasta. Lovely courtyard for outdoor dining. read more

Do not recommend this establishment. The food is overpriced and underwhelming. Much better places to eat in Oxford.

Food and service is horrible! Food came out cold. Waitress was rude and didn't fill drinks!

My friends and I went there on a Friday night before a football game. The place was packed! The owner let us know it would be a long wait (I think 2 hours). She apologized very sincerely. We went to another restaurant, but I appreciated her honesty and kindness. I plan to return. The food looks great! read more

Talk about a hidden treasure! In a town full of good restaurant options Tarasque boasts a fabulous, fast and friendly atmosphere. The menu is not only creative (and delicious) the vibe is fun and welcoming. From the moment you walk in the door you see chef John at work in the open kitchen jamming to his tunes and setting the tone for the super helpful and eager to please staff. Eat here, dine here, get the whole experience. You won't regret it! Claire B read more

As always, while on vacation, I prefer to find and support independent, privately owned gems that may be off the beaten path. Tarasque Cucina is right off the Ole Miss campus, tucked away in a shopping mall, but it feels a world away. The menu changes constantly (per their FB and Instagram posts), using fresh, in season ingredients. While the rest of Oxford is serving VERY similar fare, Tarasque is in its own league. On this particular evening, I enjoyed butterbean hummus, a Caesar salad, and the chef's-special, fried green tomato parmesan. Delicious! Where has fried green tomato parm been all my life? How was no one else thought of this? The gods have spoken! The interior is simple and non-assuming, but the outside patio is where it's really at! Again, despite being tucked away at the back of a mall, it doesn't feel it. There are also two patios to the front, but i enjoyed the one to the side of the restaurant (the string lights drew me in!). The service was amazing... I think the team each takes care of every table, because I had multiple people look after me and wanted for nothing! ProTips: -This place is BYOB, and there's a liquor store right in front of it (convenience for the win!). -Order at the counter, then be seated for your meal to be delivered to you. -Reservations aren't available but there wasn't a wait early on a Thursday afternoon. -The food is plentiful but "doggy bags" are available -Take a tiramisu with you for the following morning's coffee. You'll thank me later! read more

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I'm extremely picky. This place is amazing. First of all, walk in and expect to be greeted with lots of smiles and happy faces. I truly appreciate good customer service and these folks excel at this. I'm guessing we have done take out or eaten in here 10-12 times. Their pastas are excellent. Big serving sizes. My husband thinks their chicken Parmesan is excellent. Went this weekend to eat in and got the butter bean hummus. I'm hooked. It was excellent. We went back tonight and got it for take out. It's the best! We got the extra $3 serving size of bread to go with it. Also love the Radacchio salad. Excellent. The spinach salad is good. But we added tomatoes and goat cheese. Too plain without the addition of extras. LOVE this place. Don't go when I'm in town, I hate to wait and this is one of my favorites. read more

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This is a small but mighty Italian restaurant in Oxford. Hidden back behind the liquor store (super convenient since the restaurant is BYOB) the seating is mostly outdoors. The patio area is quaint, decorated with string lights. It's always seemed peaceful whenever we have been eating here despite being right off of Jackson Ave. They don't have a huge menu but the quality of the dishes is great. The owners are very friendly. I've never had a bad time dining here it's one of my favorite places for a date night or catch up with friends. read more

Very quaint - good was amazing Service was good considering how busy they were the night I was there. read more

Have eaten there several times. Hidden gem of restaurant! Worth the wait. Everything we have tried is very good!

This place is fun!! Simple menu with amazing taste! We sampled different pastas with the chicken parm and giant meatball! The service is terrific and it's BYOB! read more

Food is very good We pick up quite often but now that weather is nice, enjoy sitting outside there read more

Food is delicious, price is fair. Inside ambience could use a little improvement. But food quality makes up for it.

Yes, just yes. We had a seasonal walnut crusted trout and capellini puttanesca!! Best red sauce ever!!! Heck the bread was even outstanding.... Just go. read more

We try to enjoy Tarasque as often as possible. The food was excellent!! Always enjoy the butterbean humus! Soo good! We enjoyed a special treat of an 'extra' Caeser salad! It was delicious and we will be ordering it in the future. Service was fast and checked back with us several times during our meal as we sat outside and enjoyed the almost fall evening. read more

Terrific patio. Great meal. I had the pappardelle bolognese which was wide WTH noodles and a terrific meaty red sauce and a simple mix (salad) with greens, shaved fennel shaved cheese and a lovey lemony vinaigrette. The only downside is ,as a visitor to Oxford who is here in a hotel room for one night only, there was no alcohol served. It's all BYOB, which is terrific if you're a local and can grab a bottle of wine to accompany dinner. But otherwise, perfect. read more

Tarasque Cucina - Pappardelle Bolognese - Salad Near Me - Oxford, Mississippi

This is real Italian pasta! Reminded me of the pasta dishes I had in Rome. Aka, don't expect a ton of salt and fat like American Italian food. Expect balanced, fresh, delicate flavors. 100% recommend the mussels and the monster meatball with the bolognese. The linguine was delicious as well. The owner was incredibly nice and interactive with everyone! I appreciate that a lot in a local business. The rest of the staff were kind and helpful as well. The only reason I am not giving 5 stars is because they serve their garlic bread cold/room temp. I am a firm believer that all bread is meant to be eaten warm at the bare minimum, to bring out the flavors and to fortify the texture of the bread. We used the bread to mop up the white wine sauce from the mussels because we felt bad sending it back / they weren't able to warm it for us. It was fine but I'd pass on it unless you like cold bread. read more

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I love the food. Bolognese is my favorite with a giant meatball. No place better to get takeout.

A friend's tip led us here in a rush to arrive before closing on a Thursday night. Your GPS will tell you that you have arrived in front of Kiame's Liquor Store. Look for the residential looking building behind with only a tiny sign on the door. The food is great, small plates vary with seasonal & local produce featured. We tried the mushrooms & a caesar salad which was unique, more of a coleslaw made with caesar components. Very tasty, but different. Our pasta selection was capellini puttanesca, a thin spaghetti with a light tomato sauce in a very Northern Italian style. We topped it off with an aptly named MONSTER meatball addition which was excellent. Food portions are HUGE so look to share or take home when ordering. Food was great, service was friendly and excellent. Highly recommend this dining experience. read more

Tarasque Cucina - Tabletops recycled from bowling alley wood lanes- tribute to historic Kiame's bowling alley once located across the road. - Salad Near Me - Oxford, Mississippi

Absolutely delicious Italian cuisine! It's worth the wait for a table. The staff and owners are incredibly friendly and welcoming. It's our favorite spot in Oxford! read more

After waiting 30 minutes for our food, our two entrees arrived. The linguine with shrimp is my favorite at TC and is usually excellent. While the pasta and sauce were up to standards, the usual plump juicy shrimp had been replaced with much smaller overcooked shrimp. Really not worth eating. read more

Amazing food. Quick service. Friendly staff. The restaurant is small but amazing! You will not be disappointed. read more

We stopped in late on a busy Friday night of an Ole Miss Home Game weekend. The staff welcomed us with open arms. They knew we wouldn't sit until near closing time but promised us the full experience anyway, and they over delivered. We dined on meatballs, sausage, shrimp, spaghetti with chicken parmigiano, pappardelle with bolognese. All of the food was fresh, hot, delicious and plentiful.. They even took the time to place a candle in a cream puff as we all sang Happy Birthday! All of the servers were smiling, full of suggestions for our dietary needs and so attentive. We appreciated everyone accommodating the crazy New Yorkers that closed the place. Enjoy! read more

Best hummus made with butter beans, incredible bread covered in parm, delicious Caesar salad, linguine so delicious. One of the best meals out I've ever had. Wait staff is kind and treats you like family. It's pretty loud inside the restaurant, but you won't want to talk because your mouth is stuffed with best ever goodness. read more