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

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

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

I'm not impressed. While we were waiting for our table I witnessed a girl making a tray of waters. Her hands touched the ice and she stuck her fingers inside a few of the glasses to rearrange them on the tray. Every waitress except one was wearing yoga pants and large sloppy t shirts. It took 50 minutes to get our food. We were offered bread 5 times. We received a basket of cold rolls and it looked like one of them had already been physically opened by someone. The butter pats sitting on the table had open ones, used ones, and garbage in the basket. Witnessed the bus boy clean up after guests left. He used the same towel with no cleanser on it from table to table. My husband had the shrimp scampi. The shrimp was cooked well, but wasn't seasoned. The pasta in his dish was luke warm at best. I had the chicken parmesan. It was just ok. I've had better many other places and it upset my stomach. Our waitress didn't check on us or ask us how we liked our food after waiting 50 minutes. She plopped the ticket on the table and disappeared. The cashier asked us how everything was. My husband said ok, and I said "eh." She thanked us, and that was it. Didn't even try to inquire. It's also worth a mention that the space is tight. One waitress repeatedly put her whole hand on our table and one time sat a beer on it to squeeze by. Didn't say anything either time. All in all a huge disappointment on my and my husband's Anniversary dinner. Was really looking forward to it because we never get out. We would have been better off at a chain. This used to be phenomenal. Not anymore. read more

Horrible. Bad atmosphere. Loud, hard wooden chairs, fluorescent lighting, and dirty.... not to mention they have no men's bathroom!? We ordered 4 dinners and two came with salads. The salad was warm wilted iceberg lettuce served with Italian dressing and stale crackers. Then 1 hour and 10 minutes later we got our dinner. Over cooked bland dry fried chicken and weird tasting spaghetti. Just awful. Even the fries were bad. Who messes up a fry!? Waitress was good. That's all I can say. read more

We went during the grape festival. The place was half empty and seemed to be focused on to go orders at the bar. we ordered meals and two to-go meals. we got our salads and breads, and then watched while our server stood talking to her friends at the next table for 25 minutes while diners who came after us were served they finished the meals and when we asked our server (who never once checked on us because she kept her back to us while chatting about nothing with her friends) if she's coukd check on our food, she threw us a dirty look and then turned back to her conversation. she then got our food with its lukewarm (at best) pasta and said "we are busy. there's a festival". at least half the tables were empty. we had to ask for to go boxes because it took so long and she never brought our to go orders. we had to ask the hostess and then the manager for our to go food. Nobody seemed to know we had ordered it. they finally brought it and stuffed us on Both orders with the bread. We will not go back because of how we were treated and the hateful attitude of the server. Go no somewhere else to eat Italian. It's not worth the abuse. read more

First time here and I loved it! I can't believe I waited so long to go, I've been missing out! The food was so good and fresh! I had the #19 that has lasagna, fettuccini alfredo and chicken Parmesan and it was all amazingly good!! My husband got the fried chicken and spaghetti and loved it as well, the cheese sticks for an appetizer were great and kid and adult pleasers. I love the home like friendly charm and will definitely be back! read more

Was eager to try this place based on reviews and word of mouth. I had the special which consisted of spaghetti, chicken ravioli, and fried chicken. I didn't think any was amazing. It was good but nothing special. The dinner rolls and softened butter were excellent though. We also got the cheese sticks as an appetizer. They were good but again nothing special. I was particularly interested in the fried chicken and was honestly disappointed in it. I like it crispy and juicy, this wasn't crispy or juicy. It was advertised as spicy as well and I didn't taste any spice. The waitress was very good and recommended the chicken parmigiana. I should've listened. I might go back just to take her advice. read more

Wow. Simply Wow. The food is great, the staff is great, and the atmosphere is just like home (with more tables :) )

We went for my husband's birthday on 3/11/16. When we walked in I was a little disappointed at the ambiance. We ordered calamari and it was excellent! Then the salad came and was basically lettuce with Italian dressing. When the sampler platter I ordered came it was hot and smelled delicious. The chicken parm was divine, the Alfredo melted in my mouth, and the lasagna had distinct flavors a of basil, fennel and oregano. The bread was a large pull apart roll soft and perfect for sopping up the sauces. My husband ordered shrimp on pasta and said it was wonderful. The shrimp were huge and tender, cooked perfectly. We had to get a "to go" box and took a piece of tiramisu with us for later. It was so good! They also serve wine from the local winery! So I would recommend homemade pasta here for sure! read more

AMAZING! We loved the atmosphere and just could not get enough of the authentic homemade Italian family-style food! The bread was simply delicious and followed by the Sampler which was filled with Fettuccine, Lasagna, and killer meatballs!! It's a must visit! read more

Venesian Inn is one of a handful of Italian restaurants in tiny Tontitown, AR, settled by Italian immigrants over a century ago. The ambience is friendly and casual--think home cookin' cafe, not Italian steakhouse. It can get busy on a weekend night. The food is good, but not incredible. Feels more authentic and fresh than, say, an Olive Garden, but not the kind of cuisine you'll be dreaming about tomorrow night. It will definitely scratch that itch if you're hankering for some Italian food, or if you've got a big appetite. There's a nice variety of pastas, portions, and prices on the menu. The men's room is a separate building out behind the restaurant--not a huge deal, but unusual. It's unheated, but they put up a space heater when it's cold. Venesian Inn has been around for decades; my mom and I were both camp counselors in the area 40 years apart, and we both have fond memories of weekend dinners here. read more

If you want a steak go somewhere else. If you want fried chicken its so so. But, if you want lasagne, spaghetti or ravioli this is the place for you. Decent prices and good service. read more

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I love this restaurant. If I am anywhere in NW AR I will go here to eat. Today we were in horrible traffic and anxious to eat before a concert. The service was superb and super fast! The fresh pasta I perfect. Mine was so good that I asked for another serving to take back to the hotel to eat later. read more

Love this place. The chicken and pasta is very good. Always friendly and servers go out of their way to make you feel at home.

I can't believe this place only has 11 reviews! Lol I remember as a little girl the line being out the door to this place every weekend! I love the food one of few places you can get authentic Italian food. I love the chicken and spaghetti but it's always so much food I could never begin to finish it. But thank heavens it's still good warmed up Bc I always take it with me. The spaghetti and meatballs are delicious also. Every plate looks amazing here but I pretty much stick to the same dishes. Growing up in Tontitown I've had just about everything but I'm not much for change so I will continue to always get the same thing read more

Are you kidding me, this place as awesome. I had the spaghetti and chicken and it was amazing. The wait staff is what put this place over the top. While I was there a lady was having an issue that might have been medical and they helped her above and beyond what was required by a waitress. Simply awesome! read more

The service gives this restaurant the 4th star. Out of the 4 of us- my husband was the only who loved the spaghetti. Both my kids preferred the chicken and I enjoyed the rolls and salad- but none of us loved "everything." The service was impeccable. read more

great,and classic,hard to find a better place for the real thing

The Alfredo with fried chicken is some of the best in NWA! I would also highly recommend the cheese sticks as an entree, and the sweet tea is always fresh. read more

YUMMY! It's been around for years. Definitely among the best Italian restaurants in Tonitown.

Not as good as mama Z's. The sauce is similar, but the rolls were crumbly and a bit stale. The salad was not nearly as good as mama Z's either. With all of that said, their meat sauce and their meatballs are really good. If you just want to good bowl of pasta with meat sauce, not a bad choice. read more

Have been enjoying Venesian Inn for over 40 years. Their steaks are thin, but have good flavor. Great Italian food. Good onion rings. Good wait staff. Highly recommend! read more

What a great place! I had the lunch special which was two pieces of fried chicken (I suspect pan fried) with chicken ravioli and spaghetti and meat sauce. This came with a salad and a roll. The salad was strictly an iceberg affair, nothing else. This lettuce was soaked (I believe that is the term) in an oil and vinegar type dressing with a strong garlicky flavor that was excellent. I'm nit a big salad fan but I really enjoyed this. The chicken was great. It would have been easy to have eaten four or five pieces alone. In this case the crispy two pieces were a breast and wing. Nice and crispy, not too greasy, just right. The chicken ravioli was underneath the spaghetti and meat sauce so it was a little hard to get a good look at it. It was quite good. The filling was sort of puréed chicken. I suspect the large sheet (that's what I really think it was) of ravioli was made from the same last as the spaghetti. It was a perfect al dente', although maybe slightly on the chewy side for some. The meat sauce was fantastic, I loved. Frankly, next time (and there will be a next time) I'm planning on trying a chicken or veal or whatever parm because I suspect that sauce with that chicken crust and some cheese would be an incredible combo. The roll was a large lite wheat cloverleaf affair. Somewhat sweet and served with a dish of bitter and honey on the table. It serves as a nice dessert. I really enjoyed my meal and could recommend this place to anyone. The only thing I wished I had was some nice crusty garlic bread to have at the sauce with. Maybe I can figure some out for NEXT TIME...... read more

The lasagna here stands with the best I've ever eaten. The house salad is simple, but perfect. The yeast rolls are something that everyone seems to anticipate for their next visit - awesome. The atmosphere is very simple, and is like stepping back to 1947. It hasn't changed in the four decades that I've eaten here. This is a local business of true Italian heritage. You can eat at Olive Garden or Carraba's in any of the larger towns, but if you've eaten Italian in NW Arkansas, and it wasn't the Venesian Inn, you've cheated yourself. read more

I'm not sure why this place has so many good reviews, I can only guess they have a good following because they've been in the community for a long time. I went with my hubby and a family friend because this is where he and his wife of 28 years went on a date well before they were married. I don't think the menus have been cleaned since then, the plastic covering was disgustingly dirty and sticky, even the paper beneath the plastic was stained with spilled food and drinks from years gone by. Our server was friendly enough but very slow with refills of tea and coke before our meals arrived. During the long wait for our meals, we had only dry saltines to nibble on. I had the Alfredo with chicken, the Alfredo sauce was too thick and bland, the chicken had been under the heat lamp far too long so it was very dry, and the noodles had sat too long and/or were over cooked. My husband had the shrimp scampi and was pleased with the flavor of his meal but felt the portion was small. Our friend had the homemade spaghetti with meat sauce and said the noodles were undercooked and dry and the sauce wasn't all that great. My first drink order was Diet Coke but it was so flat and syrupy, I asked for tea instead. The tea was bitter, as if the tea bags were left in the jar too long. Overall, not worth the money at all. I will not go to this place again. read more

I've been in the Springdale AR area for work for 3 months. The locals kept telling me about this place so I finally gave this place a try and I'm so glad I did. The pasta is fresh. The fried chicken is the most succulent, juicy, perfectly seasoned chicken I've ever had. Probably in the top 3 on my best fried chicken list. The portions are huge and very fairly priced. If your ever in the NWA area, I highly suggest you stop and enjoy some down home Italian food. read more

Rudest people. Went in restaurant to eat. Several employees walked by and never greeted us or said to have a seat. Lady at register ignored us for several minutes talking to someone else then rang up ticket for someone else then looked at us and went back to talking to other person. Don't have to eat there to know it's not good. read more

Best Italian food in Northwest Arkansas. Limited menu, but what they serve is outstanding.

Spaghetti is the best around. The rolls are to die for. The best Italian food in NWA! A hidden gem.

Signs says open til 2:00 but don't waste your time driving there since they close when they choose. Called to talk to VERY RUDE employee that basically told me to go elsewhere. Don't waste your money on a place that has zero customer service and really doesn't care about their resturants reputation. Wouldn't recommend to anyone! read more

One of my favorite places to eat in NWA. Always great service and solidly good food. Order the onion rings and fried ravioli with a side of ranch and marina for dipping! read more

This restaurant is one of the BEST overall restaurants that I have ever eaten at! When you walk in you automatically feel that you are back "home". It is very casual and cozy and the people treat you like family. The food was all fresh and homemade...may I say absolutely delicious!!!! We had soaked salads to begin with. It was very basic, but fantastic! I had the Fettuccine Alfredo and my husband had the #9 steak with spaghetti. I can not say enough about both! The noodles and sauce on both were to dye for, and along with the dinner we got these HUGE homemade rolls. There was sooo much food to eat and we could not stop! If you are looking for wonderful food and service this place is a must go. It is located deep into Tontitown, but definitely worth the drive. Go there hungry. We left so full, and had plenty to take home. This has become one of our favorite places to eat! It is family owned and you feel like family while you are there!! =) read more