I grew up in Youngstown but now live in Connecticut. I had wanted to eat at Yosteria for the past year and a half, so knowing I'd be in town on Friday, June 12, I asked my niece to make reservations for 6:00 PM. We were excited and really looking forward to the experience, especially since almost all the reviews are top notch and the venue itself looked cozy and unique. Unfortunately, our experience was nowhere near top notch. Frankly, it has continued to bother me. So much so that when I saw Alex Zordich, the owner, the next morning at Golden Dawn, I considered saying something. I didn't. He was there enjoying time with his family. But back to the review. We arrived at 5:55 PM and were promptly seated. The menu looked wonderful, the wine selections were intriguing, and the meals at the nearby table looked fantastic. We couldn't wait to get started. By 6:17, no one had been to our table. Not to say, "I'll be right with you." Not to ask if we wanted anything besides water. Not even a simple "Welcome to Yosteria." I finally got up and went outside to ask if perhaps no one realized we were sitting in their section. It honestly seemed remarkable that nobody noticed we didn't have a server. Another 5-10 minutes passed before someone finally came to the table. There was no explanation for why we had been overlooked, but we let it go. Things happen. We ordered wine, and when the waitress brought it, we ordered appetizers. She didn't ask about our entrées, but again, we were trying to be patient and go with the flow. Meanwhile, a party of six was seated next to us. They were immediately greeted, drink orders were taken, and they were served their meals before we even received our appetizers or had the chance to order our entrées. (They left long before we were finished with our meal.) By that point, my brother-in-law, who is an insulin-dependent diabetic, was dealing with low blood sugar. He had sugar pills with him, which helped somewhat, but by 6:45 -- with not even our appetizers served -- things were becoming serious for him. Once the appetizers finally arrived, they were very good, so we were still hopeful. We eventually had to flag down the waitress in order to place our entrée orders, which we finally did around 7:00 PM. Ultimately, our meals were served and we were able to wrap things up by 8:15 according to the time stamp on the bill. We did not order dessert. We just wanted to leave. The waitress said she would comp our desserts, but we declined. She insisted and suggested us take it home. So, we relented. We ordered the tiramisu. We nearly laughed out loud when she brought ONE. I am laughing even while writing this. For the horrible experience we had, the restaurant comped us ONE tiramisu that we didn't ask for or desire in the first place. That is funny and not what one would expect from what others regard as a fantastic restaurant. You would think SOMEONE from management would have come to the table to apologize or thank us for our patience. You would think that someone would have said thank you for coming in when we left. Nope. Didn't happen. Did they think we didn't care because we weren't pitching a fit? I honestly don't know. I am not a mind reader and can't speculate of someone's motivations but regardless, we left a 20% cash tip. It would have been 30% if someone would have cared even a little. Overall, the food was OK. The meatballs and the potatoes were over salted, which is unusual for me to say because I like salt. The pizza was good. The focaccia was good. The roasted Italian sausage was very good. The Pasta Alla Norma was good but better the next day. Bresaola and arancini were good. So, folks at Yosteria, if your goal was to get us to never come back, you have succeeded. If that was not your goal, then I don't know what to say. I left your restaurant sad and disappointed. I don't think if I were the owners that is what I would be shooting for. By the way, the YO VINA Zin was good. I was going to buy a couple bottles to take home but I was so over it by 8:20 read more

Second time here as we loved it so much last year! Abby was a great server, very professional and attentive. And personable... We had the Gnudi with brown butter and sage again as it was so amazing last time. Had a refreshing fennel and orange salad and a delicious eggplant Parmesan too. Dessert was the millefoglio which was very light and yummy... All in all, fabulous meal!!!! And ambiance is casual .great experience. read more

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What an unexpected delight! We arrived late into town for the night, with few options, but of course near the college there were a few options. The staff was great and sat us indoors on the hot, humid evening...we had the place to ourselves. As we ordered, we were advised that the food in some cases was served 'family style.' We made our selection and were absolutely delighted with each choice...we cleaned our plates! Highly recommend this gem, def would return or recommend if in the area. read more

This restaurant is a hidden gem! My wife and I celebrated our anniversary on June 12th and what better way to have a great dining experience than to eat at YOSTERIA. The food and service was fantastic. It's a house converted to a restaurant. So unique and different than your typical average Italian restaurants here in town. I love the different regions of Italy on the menu. If you're looking for something different than your typical chain restaurants, try YOSTERIA! You won't regret it! read more

YOSTERIA - Italian Near Me - Youngstown, Ohio

My wife asked our server if they make espresso martinis, and she passively aggressively said no, they only have italian cocktails. Then, my pizza came out and there was a bug baked into the cheese, and I was so enraged that I couldn't even say anything. Our waitress was also pretty much non existent in serving our party of 8 read more

Our server was amazing! She was friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout our meal. She had a great attitude, checked on us at the right times, and made our dining experience enjoyable. The service was fast and professional. Thank you Jessica for the excellent service--we'll definitely be back! read more

Great little Italian restaurant in Youngstown, Ohio. We made reservations for a friday night . While this restaurant is small , they try not to overcrowd the diners with reservations as a must . Some patrons were lucky enough to be seated without reservation at the small bar area, but that is not a guarantee . However, reservations here are a guarantee and the experience was great . This is a casual dining experience inside a home built in the1920's. Our waitress was kind, attentive and informative . I felt like a relaxed guest in a home that wants you to have a good time and enjoy spectacular food. We had the pistachio lasagna, pasta Alla Norma , pizelle fritte napoletane , arancini , insalata caprese , sfogliatella and all was delicious . We will be back to try the pizzas and more ! Make a reservation and come on in and experience for yourself. read more

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Make sure you make reservations. Don't just pop in. And don't expect to leave full. This isn't a place to eat. It's a place to have drinks and enjoy unique Italian small plate/appetizers. read more

First of all I would like to say that we have enjoyed Yosteria in the past. Unfortunately someone dropped the ball big TIME. I called on July 12 at 3:37 PM for reservations for July 18 at 5PM for 8 people(Inside dinning). I called again this morning to adjust the reservations to 10 people attending and left a message. I was called back at 11am and informed that I had NO RESERVATIONS and could not get anything to substitute until 10pm. To the Owner or Manager, I would seriously think of a way to get our Business back. read more

good thing the food is good.... don't ask for an espresso martini tho because they will smugly inform you they only do ITALIAN COCKTAILS!!!! (i guess they aren't familiar with espresso's origin??) italy btw)) :-) read more

Worst service I've ever experienced. The food was average at best, but the service was truly disappointing. Most of the waitstaff were rude, dismissive, and came across as arrogant, making for a very unpleasant dining experience. Management should be paying much closer attention to the quality of their staff, as the level of customer service is well below acceptable. read more

We tried Yosteria without any actual firsthand recommendations. The food was wonderful. Prices reasonable. We'll be back.

I came into town from TN and was supposed to meet two friends here. None of us had tried it and I thought it looked incredible. We made reservations and unfortunately my friends decided to cancel because of the weather. I was pretty disappointed because I was looking forward to eating here. A day later I realized that maybe me and my family could have dinner here. A bunch of my family was in town for different reasons and it had been a while since we'd all been together so I thought this would be the perfect place to celebrate but wasn't sure we could get in on such short notice. By the time we figured out who all would be part of the dinner it was Friday morning and we were hoping to eat there Friday night. I tried to do the online reservations but the only option it was giving us was 9 or 10 pm. That wasn't going to work so I emailed them telling them the situation and seat count (9 adults, 3 kids, 2 babies) The owner messaged me back almost immediately and said he thought we could do it and asked for my number so we could chat. He said they would be able to fit us in if we came right at 4 and left by 545 because of all the other reservations that would be coming in. I said that would work. We got there right at 4. The table was ready. We all had tried to take a look at the menu beforehand so we kind of had an idea of what we wanted to order. They tell you that everything comes out as shareable plates. My aunt disagreed with that when she saw and tasted the lasagna. She said she could eat that whole thing herself and her husband could eat two but because we had so many people and ordered so many different things it really all was shareable. The food comes out as it's ready which I thought was great because you got to pass around one or two things and then there was a break and time to chat and then something else would come out. If everything came out at once i think it would be overwhelming and chaotic. The first thing to come out was the focaccia bread. It was warm and absolute perfection. We ordered one with peppers and oil and the other marinara. Everything was so good. Other menu items we had at our table were the meatballs, lasagna, the chicken, some kind of eggplant and noodle dish, bresaola, the gnudi, caprese (everyone at the table was confused by how incredible the tomatoes were. Probably the best tomatoes I've ever eaten. And this is the middle of January so idk if they have an indoor garden or what but they were magical) oh and someone ordered a cheese pizza which I had a slice of the next day and it was lovely. We also ordered tiramisu and sfogliatella. They were both awesome. The sfogliatella was warm, as if it had just come out of the oven. I don't think one thing came out that we didn't like. Everything was awesome. The service was wonderful. She was there when we needed her but not hovering or constantly checking in and disrupting conversations. I was so happy things worked out the way they did and I got to experience this amazing place with my family. We had a great evening filled with some of the best food, lots of laughter and wine. We were out by 530. The entire evening was perfect. Id recommend this to anyone looking for somewhere to eat in Youngstown. Thank you Alex for fitting us in. We all had the best night! My one aunt said if she lived nearby she'd be there every night read more

Food was absolutely divine and authentic. Service was fantastic too! We will be back.

What a GEM of a restaurant! If you are up for an adventure and are in the mood for exceptional Italian food with a wait staff that completes the experience, you must try this hidden treasure! Don't let the industrial off-beat neighborhood fool you... ist's a cute little house on it's own island of sorts... Did someone say Meatballs?! Holy heavens were they good... and the marinara sauce could be the finest this side of the Mississippi! Don't even get me started on the pizza... and you'll want to dip it in the marinara sauce, along with just about everything else, too! Wednesday is $10 off a bottle of red wine and the 2020 Liscone (Chianti) paired nicely with our meal. Overall... I'm definitely going back to feed my Yosteria addiction! We drove 60 miles to get there and don't regret it...Thank you for a great experience! read more

Birthday dinner for my son was fabulous as usual. They all loved everything. The pizza Gnudi, pistachio lasagna, calamari, meatballs, facacia bread, peppers and oil. Everyone loved it all and the Yo Vino was superb. read more

From out of town, so didn't know what to expect. Place had great ratings so we checked it out. Having not been to Italy, I am assuming that the items were authentic. Although they offer many items that we are used to as red sauce Italian-American, this joint is way different. I am not going to attempt to use the actual dish names, but the bread, olive oil and pepper appetizer was so good, I could've just eaten that. Arincini (sp) rice balls = awesome. Eggplant - really good. Quattro formaggi - light crust, very tasty. Service was lightning fast. Place was dark and intimate. Only request is menu font a little bigger. Really cool place. Would give a 4.5 if I could. read more

Yosteria serves the most amazing food I have had anywhere in the world including Italy. The cuisine is authentic and absolutely delicious. It is hands down one of the best places to eat, and the atmosphere is second to none whether you are dining inside or enjoying the backyard setting. Everything about this place feels special. Alex, the owner, truly goes out of his way to make you feel welcomed and taken care of. Highly recommend. read more

YOSTERIA - Family seating for outdoor dinner. - Italian Near Me - Youngstown, Ohio

We were in town (from Pittsburgh) for a concert and came across Yosteria. It was very busy and they could have easily turned us away but the owner personally greeted us and found us a table so we could still get to the concert on time. This feels like a such a sweet family restaurant. The food was AMAZING. We had the pizza special (sausage and ricotta), meatballs, and focaccia. We couldn't get enough - everything was perfection. We were already talking about making the 1.5 hour drive just to visit again. read more

YOSTERIA - Pizza - Italian Near Me - Youngstown, Ohio

We love everything about this restaurant! The food is always outstanding and the staff is very accommodating and attentive! Support this local establishment, you won't be disappointed! read more

The food is the best I had in Youngstown. The pizza was FANTASTIC. The Calamari was the best I have ever had anywhere, and I live in the Bay Area, so I have a lot of Calamari fresh from the ocean. Everything was incredible, including the service. Thank you for an awesome night! read more

The good: The food is every bit as good as people told me it was. The attention to detail in every dish is so impressive. I won't tell you what to eat, just pick a few things and enjoy. The not so good: It's dark. Like, reeeeally dark. One half of the place is brightly lit, the other half is a bat cave. A modest proposal guys, a little light isn't going to hurt the ambiance. Noise. My word the noise. For about $30 you could have some pieces of cut plywood covered in a dark carpet sample and hang them on the walls. They would deaden the sound enough to make it tolerable. And because it's so dark nobody would even notice. The food is why you come here. The service is great, too. The ambiance is sh*t, but it's Youngstown and the ambiance pretty much everywhere is sh*t, so you might as well go to the place with the best food. read more

This was our first visit to Yosteria. We had a wonderful experience. The charm and character of the restaurant was remarkable. We ordered from recommendations of the owner and the dishes were amazing. This is definitely on our list of favorites. Looking forward to visiting when the weather warms up to enjoy the outdoor dining area. read more

The food is authentic Italian, absolutely delicious with generous servings that are shared family style. No fish selections but multiple vegetarian selections are available Alfresco seating and indoor seating are available Wine and cocktail selections are ample Highly recommended read more

Went for the first time and we were not disappointed. We started with an order of bread, peppers and oil, onto the 3 huge meatballs in red sauce, finishing with an Italian dessert. read more

YOSTERIA - Thinly sliced dried beef with cheese and a light coating of lemon on top. Yummy - Italian Near Me - Youngstown, Ohio

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Owner is awesome, great food and service, pizza was great and non traditional. Will be back again!!!!

Had a wonderful meal last weekend! Clever concept, comfortable setting, attentive staff. Started with the house wine (yum) and kept on ordering! The dishes are special and delicious! Love the nod to family heritage in the menu and the deco. Wish we lived closer and this was our neighborhood osteria. read more

YOSTERIA - Italian Near Me - Youngstown, Ohio

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Awesome!!!!! You'll be thrown off by location, exterior and the first room you walk into but don't worry! We sat in a quiet, dimly lit back room. There aren't many entree options. Prepare to share small plates with the table instead. We got 2 pizzas, focaccia bread, Gnudi and the meatballs. It was too much food for the 4 of us! Everything was delicious! Service was great which we needed since the menu is in Italian! We will definitely be back!!! read more

Food was delicious! The outdoor setting was so fun. Perfect for a spring or summer outdoor dinner. Will definitely go again!

The food and service were amazing. The authenticity of the cuisine and ambience was like being in Italy. We met the owner who was very gracious. We will absolutely go back. read more

Well we went to Youngstown for a Joe Bonammasa show at the Covelli Center and looked for somewhere close by. We stopped and they looked very busy, I ran in and the guy behind the bar said you'll be out in plenty of time. Went out got my wife to park and headed back in. We were just looking for a quick dinner but it was wonderful! I had the gnudi, she had the eggplant parmigiana and we shared an order of meatballs. The food was incredible we have already talked about going back just for the food, that says a lot since we live an hour away on the closest route. The food is worth the trip, sadly there was one closer but it didn't survive for some reason, it was in Sharpsbugh which is closer to us but not anymore. read more

In an area loaded with good pizza options, Yosteria stands alone. Our family has tried virtually every item on their menu and all are excellent. The fried calzone is amazing. read more

The pear pizza is so delicious. I have never had a peach pizza it sounded crazy but it was delicious. I would tell you to try the pear pizza you will be nicely surprised. read more

Total gem! The food is outstanding, the atmosphere is incredible. The staff enhances the entire experience onto another level. An absolute must try and you will be hooked! read more

Love this place the food is delicious the meatballs are to die for and the atmosphere is really nice and relaxing can't wait to go back.

Yo, Esterra has good pizza and good service. Also good wine downtown by Youngstown State University.

FAB-U-LOUS! This kid can cook. I guess all that time training in Italy worked. Great new location "in the hollow". Can't wait to see it.

I'm not sure why Yosteria doesn't have 1000+ reviews all 5 star. This was my first time having their pizza. I contacted them early in the AM asking if he could have 12 half sheets ready by noon so I could offer lunch to my employees. Without hesitation he was on it! Walked in and they were done just on time. The service was awesome from the moment I walked in. I ordered all off the options he had available. Every single piece was perfection! The sauce is one of its kind in the Youngstown area. You will only have it at Yosteria. The fresh chunks of tomatoes almost made you feel like you were in Italy. Thanks again! You will be seeing me again! read more

Absolutely Delicious!! The dough and sauce are incredibly fresh. My new favorite!