Some friends recommended this restaurant so we gave it a try. My wife and I had the chicken francese. Absolutely wonderful! The other party we were with ordered the chicken parm and the haddock francese. 2 magnificent dishes! All meals were perfectly prepared and the service was great. Nadine was knowledgeable, friendly, and upbeat. The owner, Joanne, was very sweet and it was east to tell that she loved what she was doing. The great meal, and a couple for cocktails, made the evening a pleasure. We shall definitely be returning! read more

Was driving through the area with a baby when we decided to stop here on a whim. They were very accommodating without a reservation, happily brought over a height chair and the entire staff was so friendly! The home made cavatelli was fantastic, my chicken parm was fantastic. Loved the art all over the place, amazing smells emanating from the restaurant. Will be back to try the veal next! read more

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I went here for my birthday dinner wonderful SERVICE they surprise me with a piece of tiramisu cake at the end of my dinner, not requested by my fiancé that was with me so it was a very nice surprise for all parties involved lol I had the pink sauce with penne and sausage. The whole dish was very flavorful We got fresh Italian bread And my fiancé could not stop eating there fettuccine Alfredo We did not have many leftovers an the portions are very kind We will definitely be back read more

Armondo's Villa Tuscan Grille - pink penne and sausage with fettuccine Alfredo and cutlets - Italian Near Me - Schenectady, New York

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Ordered chicken parm and chicken francaise. Waiter asks us if we would like to order a side dish for an additional $3. We declined. Apparently, the entrees are now a la carte. Paid $25 for a piece of chicken that came with only a side salad. Our friends ordered the same, however, his salad came with a live earwig crawling through the dressing. The only thing they comped him was his $5 beer. He didn't get to eat the salad- should've offered a free dessert at the very least. Will not be returning. Do better- the pasta should be included read more

Armondo's Villa Tuscan Grille - Chicken Francais- Not worth $25 - Italian Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Have been there several times. It's our "go to" when we want a good Italian meal. Nice atmosphere, staff is very friendly and food is great!

I really like it here, but it is hard to get in and sometimes they have an attitude on the phone when you try to call and order takeout. Other than that, I really like their pasta dishes. read more

Food was delicious, the portions were HUGE, service was great! Will definitely be back. Shoutout to the mouthwash dispenser in the women's room haha read more

Great place for a family meal. Food is pretty good and service is quick. Menu has a huge variety of traditional Italian dishes. Antipasto was great and everyone was able to share the food. Very generous portions. read more

Love this restaurant. Service, Food and Ambiance were all perfect. We will return soon.

I LOVE their family meals for take out. I wish they opened earlier! I love in house & take out!! Food is excellent, service too notch & its a wonderful family friendly restaurant. I've been a customer since, hmm, 50-ish years!! Thank you Armodo's Tuscan grille!! read more

I dined during the holidays with a party of six. The chicken Parmesan eggplant Parmesan chicken Marcella with cavetelli were outstanding. There is an up charge for their homemade noodle, which is worth it. The only rub is if you get the sauce that is on your entrée on your pasta. There is also an up charge. The red sauce come standard no up charge. Based on the market pricing in the area, it is mostly a fair pricing. There is no happy hour at the bar however a bottle of wine is relatively reasonable for the table. Cocktails $10. Make reservations well in advance and tell them you don't wanna sit near the door nor the kitchen. Only because this is a cold weather area. It is almost like dining with a neighborhood Italian family. The food is very good. read more

I decided to give Armondo's a second chance since a friend loves it so much. I grew up in Rotterdam around italian families and love a really good, flavorful italian restaurant/italian cooking. I find Armondos inconsistent with flavor and their tomato sauce is super bland and disappointing. The first time I went I had the braciole. It was dry and not tender, the sauce was bland and did not compliment the braciole at all. Last night I decided to get the favorite chicken parmigiana and again, was so disappointed by the lack of flavor in the tomato sauce. The parmigiana was a generous portion, and the breading cooked nicely. But the sauce on both the pasta and parm was lacking flavor. Could not taste garlic, and it lacked any herb flavor of oregano and/or basil. Maybe people love a bland sauce, but I do not. My friend had the steak tagliata and I tried that. It was delicious and flavorful, unlike the chicken parmigiana. When I go to an italian restaurant I want a sauce that dances on my palate, full bodied flavor, enhanced with herbs and garlic. The basic tomato sauce is just that. Tomato sauce with maybe some salt and pepper and thats about it. Not for me. I prefer other flavorful italian restaurants in the 518, and miss the days of Roman Villa (previous to Armondo's). They say you can't go home again. In this case it's true. In terms of the service, we had to flag people down for parmesean, for filling out water glass and no one ever came by to make sure we were satisfied with our meal. All in all, at best I give it a fair. read more

The food was very good. The service was excellent My only complaint was there were very few selections for vegetarians It's a small neighborhood establishment with a warm friendly feel read more

Unfortunately this review does not reflect the food or ambiance of the restaurant. I had an unpleasant experience when I called to make a reservation at 1pm on 10 15 2024. The woman who answered the phone was quite short and a bit rude. She stated the restaurant closed at 9pm on Friday which contradicts the website posting of 930. I politely asked again if I could make a reservation and she replied No we are closed and hung up the phone. Too bad because we wanted to try Armandos after the proctors theatre show! read more

Armondo's is a wonderful Italian restaurant. The atmosphere is lovely although I did feel a bit cramped. I would be more comfortable with a few less tables. Service was exceptional. Our waiter was attentive but not overbearing. I am old school and like when they wrap up your leftovers instead of you doing it yourself. All meals were delicious. I had the chicken parm and it was the gift that kept on giving for DAYS!!! I will definitely be going back to try different dishes! read more

Want some authentic Italian cuisine than you need to visit Armondo's. Normally we do have reservations when going out however last night was a last minute decision. The restaurant doesn't open until 5pm, pulled up at 550pm and the parking lot had a lot of cars already. Walked into the main dining room area and it was mostly full. After a few moments a hostess greeted my husband and I. We said we have two, she asked if we had a reservation, unfortunately no. She said umm we don't have anything open, I said anything at the bar area? She said wait a minute, I'll see. Lucky for us a table had just canceled, got sat within a few minutes at a high top in the bar area. We didn't care as the food is fantastic. Sat for about 5 minutes before being greeted by the waitress which was understandable as every table was full and the 10-15 bar seats were all taken. Soda $2.50, Manhattan was $11.00 (which is priced good). Ordered the Utica greens (these are on the spicy side just fyi) shrimp cocktail, which came with 3 shrimps but someone snagged one before the picture (the cocktail sauce is also spicy ), for mains: pollo E gambereti and fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. Dinners do come with salad and fresh bread. Everything was so delicious . More than enough to eat for dinner and mostly everyone was leaving with a doggie bag, that's if you didn't bring your empty stomach. The place doesn't disappoint for wanting to fulfill your appetite. Service was great, not the waitresses fault however it did take a little while to get our food, assuming because the place was packed and the kitchen is on the small size. We were in and out within 2 hours. The owners I believe also run/own Grano in schenectady on State St. The menus are similar but both offer a different experience. read more

Armondo's Villa Tuscan Grille - Shrimp cocktail - Italian Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Delicious it's like eating in someone's home. Armando is a fabulous chef. Joanne is the ultimate hostess. It's a wonderful place to have dinner. It's a little loud, but I recommend you give it a chance. Keep up the good work everyone read more

Megan was exceptional, helped us coming off a long road trip get a great meal. The staff and the food were exceptional. Made us feel welcome and never rushed us even though we closed the place down. Thank You read more

Great staff. Great service. Great food. We had the stuffed steak and chicken marsala. Both were over the top so good . Can't wait to come back here again. read more

Armondo's Villa Tuscan Grille - Menu - Italian Near Me - Schenectady, New York

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Two stars because waitress was very vice. Took my 90 year old dad with brothers and sisters, 6 total, out to dinner. I'm not sure why people on Yelp give good reviews. Starting with the dated interior, nothing seems to have been updated since I was there last 20 years ago, men's room a disgrace. The food, an Italian restaurant one would assume would base their dishes around a fantastic red sauce. The sauce was flavorless, it should be the star of the show. The pasta was hard, not al dente hard, way undercooked. Two other dishes cold, not even warm. My main issue, I was not hungry so I shared a bowl of pasta and we were charged 7.00 on top of the 22.00 actual cost. I understand the business may not want a couple of 2 to cheap out sharing, we were a party of 6 spending almost 200.00. Money was not the issue, just a tacky money grab. Back to Cannails going forward. read more

All ways the best. Food and service great ambiance. One of the staple restaurants in the area

Not happy the two meals of chicken parm cutlets was dried out over cooked .. won't visit that again

One of the best Italian restaurants in the area. Comfortable and cozy. Never disappointing! Great portions, authentic preparation, and terrific service. Partner and manager Joanne makes the experience feel like home every time! Popular so make a reservation early! read more

Amazing take out family specials! The gentlemen even helped me to my car with the food b/c I had my 2 year old with me. You don't find service like that anymore :) read more

Locals recommend this place ? Horrible experience trying to make a reservation by phone Got put on hold 5 times Finally got through with a reservation And the food was a huge disappointment!! Blah & yuck Service was ok ? Why do people recommend this place read more

1st time here and what a wonderful experience. With no reservations on a Friday night the fabulous hostess got my wife and I in still, and the place was packed. Then on to our great waitress Bailey who took care of us. Now on to the food which was absolutely fantastic. We will definitely be back. read more

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The owner stopped by to ask how our meal was and we exclaimed AMAZON!! It really was nothing short of amazing. The service was perfectly timed, our server was so friendly and attentive. The food is craveable and we can't wait for our next visit. read more

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The food is here amazing and there's a wide variety! All the servers, bartenders, etc. are all so friendly and do everything they can to help. If you don't make a reservation you have to get there right as they open, they are extremely busy. read more

Everything Is Outstanding !! Absolutely A Must Try . If You Love Italian Food , After This Experience You Will Love It Even More !! read more

My family and I made a large catering order for a baby shower. We usually love the food, but we were very disappointed. We ordered a tray of lasagna and it was basically "lasagna soup" it was so messy and looked absolutely terrible! We also ordered the "tortellini" in vodka cream sauce and we received penne in vodka cream sauce. I'm not sure what happened since we ordered straight from the catering menu from the website. Everything else was okay but we were definitely disappointed in this order and will most likely go elsewhere for our large functions. read more

Wonderful food. Excellent service. You know it's good when you see the family involvement and their care for customers. A must go.

The food is absolutely amazing. This hidden gem is highly recommended if you're looking for authentic Italian food. Fresh, unique and great customer experience. You must make reservations in order to get in the experience, but I promise is worth the wait. Highly recommend doing sharing-plates due to their portion size, this will leave room for dessert, their banana cream pie is a must. Enjoy! read more

Went tonight with some friends and had the haddock Francis... excellent! Meals come with salad and either pasta or potato and a vegetable. Service was again fantastic by the staff. A job well done Armando's! read more

Swung by Armando's for Restaurant Week tonight. Legend has it, that Armando was the head chef at Cornell's for years. Eventually the owner sold the restaurant to a new family. She and Armando continued to work there until she was asked to move on. So Armando opened his own place, hired her to work with him, and they now are the dynamic duo of Rotterdam. With that out of the way, let's now get into what makes Armando's worthy of a 5-star review. First and foremost, the staff is great. They were friendly, attentive, and we felt at home right away. It was the kind of experience when you never wondered where your waiter was, and you always had a fresh glass of water. AND the food was absolutely spectacular! We both started with the Mushroom Risotto, which had a strong but not overpowering mushroom flavor combined with a pancetta finish. It was a very memorable appetizer. Both of us really loved it and we'd come back for this baby alone! Next we had the Italian Wedding Soup. You know those places that serve soup that feels thin, canned, and anemic? Well this isn't one of those places. The soup had lots of mini meatballs, had a hearty flavor, and warm and comforting. Dare I say that it was super-meaty and flavorful -- and I don't use those terms lightly. I was expecting the third course to be a snooze-fest because it was rigatoni. But I was wrong of course. The meat sauce was sweet and yummy, had little carrots, and the pasta was aldente. Simple and well done. Nuff said. For my fourth and final course, I had the Coquilles St Jacques (scallops and mushrooms in a cream sauce) and I nearly lost my shizzle! The scallops were cooked perfectly and the sauce was great. Really well done and delicious. I'll definitely be back for this as well. Overall, this was a great experience and I highly recommend Armando's to anyone who is looking for a quality and memorable meal. By the way, our waitress Nadine was polite, professional, but really cute and funny the whole time. She was a joy to be around. She told us that they do a Four Course Meal for $20 every Tuesday and Wednesday. So make a reservation with friends ASAP! read more

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Food was delicious. Best Utica greens around. Make sure to get reservations if you want a table

The entrance was a little confusing bc they have tables for take out orders right at the front door and it was hard to get past people cashing out due to the space. We did not have a reservation so we were offered a table for 1 hour or to sit at the bar. We chose the bar since it wasn't busy. The bartender was very friendly and personable but did get busy towards the end of our stay. Unfortunately I did not enjoy my meal, however it wasn't the restaurant's fault. I branched out to try something new and was disappointed but the food of the other people in my party was delicious. We will probably be back but it won't be a staple in our dinner options. read more

We've eaten at Armondo's twice now and are real fans. The food is excellent Italian fare and the service is great. Last night we ate at the bar which is beautiful. I love their Cacciatore. The sauce is amazing. I was still eating the sauce after being done with the chicken! My husband had another chicken dish that I forget the name of. It was egg battered. He said it was excellent. I highly recommend the greens and beans - broccoli rabe with cannellini beans. read more

Armondo's Villa Tuscan Grille - Eating at the beautiful bar! - Italian Near Me - Schenectady, New York

While traveling through the Albany area, we enjoyed a delicious Italian meal. This is a hidden gem! Due to COVID, I called ahead to inquire on availability of indoor dining. A reservation was suggested and I was able to reserve a table for three in 30 minutes on a Thursday evening. The Calamari Marinara appetizer was the perfect appetizer to split. I enjoyed the Veal Scallopini served over spinach while my husband enjoyed the Cavatelli with red sauce. My daughter-in-law enjoyed the Penne with red sauce & added artichokes to her dish. A side salad was included with each meal as well as fresh Italian bread basket. Ambiance was perfect for a very relaxing dining experience. The staff was outstanding. We will definitely be returning to this quaint Italian restaurant when in the Albany area. read more

A nice Italian place in Rotterdam NY. I had the bracciole which was huge with a salad and a side order of linguine. The bracciole was huge And delicious as was the salad and pasta. My wife had the homemade cavatelli and meatballs and really enjoyed it. All in all a great meal read more

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I wish they had a way to make reservations online, like through their website. Otherwise, terrific!