we were disappointed. Not nearly as good as it used to be. the spaghetti sauce was scorched. the shrimp didn't seem fresh. they should have paid me to eat that spaghetti sauce. not going back read more

For those of you who don't like hiking across the parking lot to go to the men's room, GET OVER YOURSELVES!!! They at least went to the trouble of remodeling it. With that said, I go to a restaurant to eat good food, which this restaurant has in abundance. The salads are a little bit spare in ingredients, but not in amount, and the house dressing is really good. The steak and chicken are really good, tender, moist, and very flavorful. The fettuccini Alfredo and the baked spaghetti were wonderful. I grew up in an Italian neighborhood in Chicago and this came off as it was... Textbook rustic Italian fare and excellent indeed. They also have really good wines from a vineyard in town. These are NO slouch operations. Come on in and enjoy. It's really good, really friendly, and you will like it. read more

Dinner was very good tonight. Enjoyed the small sirloin and Italian fries. Service was excellent but was a little slow in the restaurant this evening. I will return to my usual dinner of fettuccine and chicken breast next visit. My husband and I love this place and after all the changes over the last few years the family run business is back on track! read more

Stopped in on the way back from Tulsa and glad we did. Lauren was working our table and did a great job! She made some solid recommendations and the food was excellent. Busy but not too loud. A very pleasant experience! read more

The ultimate in so many ways-- ultimate comfort food, ultimate illustration of family culture and community, ultimate vibe of a small-town mom and pop business run by locals tied to the Tontitown heritage, and original, authentic Italian food that lives up to it. It's a staple in the Tontitown, AR area and a place I've frequented many times. Arguably some of the best spaghetti dishes you'll find anywhere. This one is hard to beat. read more

New menu since my last visit. I like the new create your own combo. Good fast and attentive service. Always good. Keep ip the good work read more

Venesian Inn - Menu front - Italian Near Me - Tontitown, Arkansas

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1. Lost me at having to walk across parking lot to another building to use men's room. 2.Waitress forgot what we ordered. 3. Ice berg lettuce only for a salad with bland Italian dressing. 4.cold, rough overcooked shrimp scampi with cold pasta. 5.bland marinara sauce, tough fried chicken for chicken parmigiana. 6.The bread was good 7.Paying was a pain read more

It's been a while since I've been. I usually go to Mama Z's. From what I remember the food was alright but not worth the drive,

This restaurant charges higher prices than are posted on the menu. Plus they charge you for water! What a rip-off! I have eaten at this restaurant for 30 years, but this was only the second time since the unofficial end of the pandemic. The first time, May 7, 2021, I thought the bill was higher than it should be, but I wasn't in any mood to think about it. The second time I paid closer attention, and ended up boiling mad. I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs, #4 on the menu. Price on the menu was $12.20. I didn't get a bill, the waitress simply brought a credit card machine to the table. I was charged $15.17 total, including tax, without tip. I asked for an itemized receipt, and discovered I was charged $13.20 for the entree, plus $0.50 for water. I brought this to the waitress' attention, and she said, "Oh, we have a sign up front that says prices are subject to change without notice. So it's legal." WTF? I lit into her pretty quickly, and simply ended with that I have never seen this kind of deception in a restaurant. Ever. I walked out before I got too mad to control myself. So if you decide to eat there, make sure you ask the waitress what the current charges are for what you are ordering. But for sure, the food is really not worth it. Not what it used to be. read more

We went for dinner with my grandmother who said she used to go during her college years and she said everything tasted the exact same--so so good! We loved chatting with the owner and hearing about the history and traditions. Can't wait to go back, but will just try to not eat the day before in preparation to get full on the best fried chicken (my grandmother's words!) and spaghetti sauce. Thank you thank you! read more

We have been coming here our entire lives and were so glad to have the dining room open again!! We got there just before a big rush and were immediately seated and greeted by the always friendly staff. Started with their famous soaked salad (I got a large one), and I am fairly confident it will be the first course at the feast we have in Heaven when we get there. It is the most simple and tasty dish. Love it! I had the Special and my wife had the spaghetti. Both were awesome as usual with the signature homemade pasta and meat sauce and the extra crispy fried chicken. It was our daughter-in-law's first time there and she had the chicken ravioli with alfredo sauce and really liked it. But her favorite was the salad. The only disappointing part of the meal were the rolls. Normally these are the second best part behind the salad but these were very dense and dry--not like the famous beer rolls we grew up on. Hopefully, we just got an off batch tonight. Looking forward to putting this back into our regular local dining rotation. Glad the family was able to keep this going and make it through the pandemic. We so appreciate this historic restaurant. Service was spectacular. Iced tea was strong and plentiful as it should be. Keep up the great work!! read more

Venesian Inn - Famous soaked salad (I added the pepper :) ) - Italian Near Me - Tontitown, Arkansas

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I've been coming here since I was a little girl-over 30 years. The food is amazing. Service is great.

I am stunned that I am the first person to review the Venesian Inn. This place has been around since Moses parted the Red Sea. My guess for the lack of reviews is the average age of the person eating here is mid 60s. Probably not your typical Yelp user. I ate here once in the mid 80s when I was a teenager. Got the steak which back then seemed to be of mythical size and flavor. I remember standing in a long line waiting to get a table. Even though I lived in NW Arkansas in the early 90s, I never made it back to the Venesian Inn. So I made it back to the famous Venesian Inn last fall (2011) when I was in town for a Razorback game. I had to see if it was as great as my faded memory recalled, and to check it off my adult bucket list (yes, I know, I'm pathetic). Well, the restaurant looked the same and it still had a long line out the door. Most of the patrons were senior adults. As far as I know, they do not take reservations so you better get there early or you will be waiting in a long line (first come, first serve). The bottom line is the Venesian Inn is one of those local legends that will always draw large crowds. If you love steak then you will be very disappointed. I have had better quality cut of steaks from Wal-Mart. Sad but true. My teenage memory was severely flawed. The Itailian food is okay. If you are expecting Chef Mario Batali quality then you will be very, very disappointed. Your parents and grandparents will probably love this place but for the rest of us, you can find a better steak and Italian food elsewhere. read more

Did not have a good experience at Venesian Inn. Was seated near kitchen and had a strong smell of bleach from a bus cart stationed next to our table. Food was average. Prices are decent. read more

My husband started coming here in 1953! This place is an absolute institution. Every time we come to Fayetteville we end up eating in Tontitown eating their steak and spaghetti and onion rings. The rolls are homemade! Fabulous! read more

I have loved this restaurant for many many years! We were so happy to see that the new owners offer the same great food but I've added a few new interesting items We enjoyed the onion rings, the wonderful salad, the spaghetti, the fried chicken, and of course, the wonderful yeasty rolls!!! read more

Great food , great service , reasonably priced , family friendly , casual atmosphere and family owned . Excellent value . Ask about their fresh frog legs special . read more

I ordered the small sirloin and spaghetti along with a side of fries. The steak was so thin and tough I could not chew it. The sauce on the spaghetti tasted of can as opposed to the homemade sauce they advertise and it was cold when I got it. This place used to be a huge go to and it has seriously gone down hill. read more

So yummy! Been around for years and just a great place to take the family. The rolls are amazing too!

Been a fan of Venetian Inn for decades but tonight they missed the bar. Ordered a simple meal to go by phone at 6pm, told the order would be ready in "20-25 minutes"; got there in 40 minutes, ordered hadn't even been made yet. Wouldn't complain but the gentleman also waiting with a toddler had the same experience. If they aren't going to make the takeout meal until you get there, why bother ordering ahead? Wish I hadn't paid & tipped before I got my order. Customer care goes a long way. read more

Went to Venesian Inn tonight and will not go back. Over an hour for food that was not the same & cold . The kicker was the rolls looked & tasted store bought. Owner was confrontational when questioned about quality. Been going for 40 years and I can say this will be my last. There is better food across the road. read more

Best Italian food around in my opinion I ordered full order of spaghetti n meatballs it comes with a Italian vinager dressing with homemade rolls so delicious girlfriend had the fried shrimp n fries very clean inside decent prices must try waitress was very polite read more

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A long time family and childhood favorite that I introduced my kids a while back. The spaghetti and eggplant parmesan were solid and enjoyed, the salad is a great starter. My only critique was the fried chicken. It was warm at best, over crispy and dry-honestly disappointing. The homemade rolls are always great, but again not very hot. If you're looking for solid spaghetti, lasagna, eggplant parm then you can't go wrong. Just be careful on the chicken-it can be hit or miss. read more

Great homemade pasta, fried chicken, salad & rolls. Salad is simple iceberg lettuce with homemade dressing (needs salt & pepper). Not a very good wine list. Red sauce is sweet & alfredo sauce has just a hint of garlic. Service is contingent on how busy they are, which on a weekend evening- line goes out the door. No bar to sit at so I would go early. Most entrees have the option of half orders. read more

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Let's just start by saying this was probably the worst steak of my life. Their sign outside advertises for pasta and steak but it was the driest and most plain steak I've ever had. The French fries that came with the meal tasted like undercooked potatoes with no seasoning (not even salt). I felt like I was in school eating a hot lunch that wasn't good. Their salad was just a pile of lettuce with nothing else. My spouse ordered the small fried chicken and spaghetti dish, which was super bland and had no flavor. The fried chicken tasted like boiled chicken that needed a lot of TLC to be better. Also, we were charged for waters? I've never been charged for a water from a restaurant until I came here. Prices were high for the quality of food. Definitely will not be back here. I only am giving it a two star because of the family we were with made it better. read more

This is one very funky little place. It's Deep South meets Italy. It's like Paula Deen and Massimo Boturro are fighting over what to serve so they compromise and each chef gets to put one thing on your plate. On the menu is Fried chicken and spaghetti. Most of the entrees are some kind of fried chicken with pasta. Great thing about this place is everything is made from scratch, even the pasta. The pasta is divine. The fried chicken is cooked perfectly. Bad thing about this place is their are no veggies on the menu. You do get a side salad that consists of iceberg lettuce only, and a very oily house dressing. Also the food was extremely heavy. It needs something lite to balance all the heavy food. read more

Melissa went above and beyond excellent customer service for us tonight! The food was delicious & the service was phenomenal! Thank you!! read more

Went here for lunch and wasn't sure it was going to be a great experience right when we walked in. As we walked in absolutely no one tried to make any attempt to greet us even though there was a lady sitting down behind the counter working there. She would not even make any eye contact. I decided to just grab a seat and see what happens. There was another group of ladies on the other side of the restaurant sitting around drinking coffee and talking about absolutely nothing in particular. Finally,after more than 5 minutes, one of them got up and wandered over to our table. Our server actually turned out to be pretty nice and friendly and we were able to place our order. I started with some onion rings. They are not your typical onion rings where they are processed in a factory in God knows where and then shipped frozen to be fried up by robots. These were hand breaded and they were fresh. These are the kind of onions rings that I will drive a ways to get and don't mind paying for. The onions had a nice snap in the chew and the breading was nice and crunchy without being greasy. Definitely 5 stars. I ordered their special and that is two pieces of fried chicken and some spaghetti with chicken ravioli topped with their marinara sauce. The fried chicken was really good. It was not overcooked at all and the breading was nice and crispy. When I get fried chicken, I want crispy skin and this definitely had that texture. The pasta was equally as good. I don't know a lot about pasta and marinara but this pasta was perfect cooked to me. The chicken ravioli was excellent in the dish and with the addition of marinara it really added another level of flavor to the pasta. They also bring out some rolls and they are pretty good. Our server said they came right out of the oven and they were definitely hot. My initial reaction to the rolls was that they are yeast-y but I love that about bread. Our server gave us a couple to take home so I thought that was really nice of her. As I was paying the check the lady behind the counter that would not make eye contact with us as we walked in rang us up. She took my bill and then asked if I wanted to add some gratuity. Since I was paying with my credit card, I told her I would add it when I get my receipt. She told me in a rude way that they don't do it like that and I had to add my gratuity before I signed my receipt. Weird. Since we had great service once it started I made sure to add 20% gratuity to my bill for our server but, I would not tip the lady that rang us up a penny. She really needs to work on her customer service skills. Very unfriendly, unhelpful, and uncaring. This place is still a 5 star joint if you can get past the lady sitting behind the counter because the food and service was excellent. read more

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I hate giving poor reviews, especially to a local business that's been around and a favorite of so many for so long. I was really disappointed with my experience here and will not likely return again. The atmosphere is what you would expect from a local dive restaurant. Somewhat outdated, but not unpleasant, although my wife didn't agree with me on that point. The service was decent, but I noticed that the server had too many tables. The food, was the most disappointing. The salad was a plain pile of iceberg lettuce that was tossed with their own Italian dressing. I should say it was more like it was marinaded in nearly seasoned vinegar and seemed to have been sitting in it for a long while. It was obviously prepped before hand and reminded me of my grade school cafeteria. I had two bites and couldn't take any more. For my entree, I ordered my standard test item for an Italian restaurant ... Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo. The chicken was fine, but the noodles were clumpy and it was so over-sauced with blandness ... a smothering of sauce, such as I have never seen before. I ate about a third of it and left it behind. read more

TREMENDOUS service, even better food. Everything is homemade, and sure tastes like it too. Will definitely be back to try the rest the menu.

*Food; The food here was surprisingly very good. Ingredients are fresh and everything was homemade. The large scrumptious beef & veal Meatballs and delicious Buttertopped Old Fashion Rolls are the stars here. Their Spaghetti is covered with a rich hardy bolognese sauce that is yummy. Eggplant Parmigiana was yummalicious. The Lasagna was below so-so. I would not order it again. The dinner salad lacking. Plain Iceberg lettuce tossed in their house Italian dressing (oil & vinegar). We sprinkled our salads with Parmesan & Pepper to give it a umph. ;) *Service; Slow to be seated, it's a small place. You must go to front desk to add your name to a list. Friday & Saturday night expect a minimum hour wait or more. Waitress was slow to greet us but once she did, she was on point from there on out. Friendly, fast with drinks, appetizers, salads, meals and rolls, even fill ups. Bravo! *Note; This is a very noisy restaurant. NO BOOTH seating. Table & chairs only. Wood Chairs are uncomfortable. Tables for 4 are at an angle which means the 2 people in the isle will be bumped and hit often throughout meal. Very tight cramped quarters. No privacy patrician between waiting area and dinning areas. So be prepared to be leered at by hungry ravenous people eagerly waiting for you to hurry up and leave, lol, seriously. *Decor; Dated, worn but clean. *Price; Average *With all that said, I will go back on a weeknight. Plus the Meatballs & the Rolls are to die for,jk, nothing's worth dying for. But next time I'm trying the Fried Chicken because it looked really really good. read more

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Went here last night with a friend and had the chicken and spaghetti combo. I like their spaghetti with meat sauce, the pasta tastes homemade, the sauce is just a little tangy and just a little sweet. All in all its a decent place to eat. The chicken was crisp and fried perfectly, I had to pay a little extra to get only white meat, otherwise they give you a thigh, leg, and breast. I got two breasts and a wing, I don't eat wings, so I left that untouched, but the breasts were very good. The real star of that meal was the appetizer, we had the sampler with the fried ravioli, cheese sticks, and onion rings. The ravioli was forgettable, the cheese sticks were ok, but the onion rings, they were what brought my review from a 2 star to a 3 star. They were terrific! I would go there for the onion rings alone. Don't expect some outstanding, write home to mom, give up all other chicken and spaghetti places you now frequent, amazing meal when you come here, because you will be let down. Expect a down home, decent meal, not over the top pricey, but not cheap filling meal. It was good, but I've had better. read more

The portions are so huge! My friend and i would go here before a race and load up on carbs the night before (No science to say this works). It is a very traditional eatery. They make their own pasta on site and you really can taste the difference. It has a very country feel to it and certainly worth the visit. read more

Great huge portions of food. Much flavor in the pasta. Small hometown environment. Really enjoyed the waitress and everyone was extremely friendly. Menu doesn't have many vegetable options so beware. The salad was very interesting. The chicken was seasoned very well and paired well with the spaghetti. Definitely would come back if I visited here again? read more

Gosh where to start?! The rolls? The homemade pasta? The meatballs? Or the excellent service? All are absolutely phenomenal. If you go you have to ask for Ms.Holly, she's the best! The Chicken Parm is out of this world! read more

Wonderful place for families! Kids eat free Tuesday nights! 2nd oldest restaurant in northwest Arkansas for a reason! Amazing quality food, portions are perfect, price is unbeatable for the quality/quantity you receive, and customer service is on point! read more

I love their spaghetti and meatballs. So good. I've gotten the half portion and while that is more than enough, I love it so much I have to get the full meal so I can have leftover multiple times. Sometimes it has just a hint of spice which makes it so good! Their service is good. Not great but good. You sit in pretty close quarters with people which makes the atmosphere kind of loud but not bad. read more

Well anyone that lives in this area, knows how the rolls can pass for desert as well and a compliment to the dinner. Always love going here as a treat. Everything is delicious and the ambiance is def Italian, old school. read more

The Lasagna is pretty good. It's better than the spaghetti and the burgers are pretty good too.

I am a fan of the Venesian Inn for nostalgic reasons. Growing up in Springdale it's one of the few restaurants that's been around all my life and still going strong. I seem to recall that this place had a reputation for having terrific rolls and being a place you bring your own alcohol into. That having been said, it is telling that although it's always been an option for me and my family, I probably haven't eaten here more than a dozen times over the course of my entire lifetime. Why is that? I haven't thought about it before now, but I guess the answer is that I never really enjoyed the atmosphere. It was always crowded (and I know that's a good sign) and loud and the crowd seemed to be made up of locals that knew each other and this left me feeling like a bit of an interloper. If not that, at least a bit of an imposter because I never could get caught up in the hoopla that this was supposed to be a great place. It always just seemed average to me, and if given the chance I would always travel down the street to Mary Maestri's. I prefer Mama Z's, but again, I'm a fan of this place because it has such staying power and it's a tribute to the Italian roots of the Tontitown community. read more

Venesian Inn - Historic Photo of the Venesian Inn - Italian Near Me - Tontitown, Arkansas

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