This is one of those neighbourhood type spots that locals in the area like going to. I stopped by here on a rainy weekday afternoon and it's just the kind of comfort I needed. For apps I was initially gonna go with the calamari but the lady near me said GET THE MOZZARELLA STICKS. lol... I should've just gone with the calamari. The sticks were fine, just wouldn't order again. Love that entrees come with a generous hunk of bread and a salad with a delish vinaigrette. I got the shrimp Alfredo and it had a bunch of plump, sweet shrimps. The Alfredo was garlicky and I loved that they had a parm shaker where I could dump cheese at my discretion. Would come here again to try their other pastas. No frills spot but still very cozy. read more

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We were greeted at the door by the nicest person. The warm cozy atmosphere made me feel like family. When she came over to take drink orders she assisted us by sharing her favorites category. I went with her suggestion of shrimp scampi which was the best I ever had!!! The flavor was top notch not just a basic wine and butter. This served with the angel hair pasta, salad and heavenly garlic bread was a meal to remember. read more

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First time last time. Total waist of money. I understand that this is a mom and pop Italian restaurant, but there was nothing redeeming about the food or service. To start, the service was crap. They had no emotions and were all just very monotone like they were doing us a favor by being open. As for the food, I gave one star because it was just edible. The bread they brought out was stale bread with garlic and a minimal amount of oil. The salad, was at least cold. However their vinaigrette dressing which was loaded with sugar still had sugar granules which coated the salad. For our main course, my wife got the shrimp scampi, and I got their Zuppe De Pesse. I can tell you right off that they used frozen seafood. It had almost no flavor and everything was hard. You know when you reheat cooked shrimp and it's just hard. Well that's how the shrimp was in both dishes and my other seafood in mine. The white sauce or garlic sauce what ever they call it, was bland and just something to coat the pasta. As far as ambience or at atmosphere. There was none. Dull, with no energy inside. Just people eating food because there's not a lot of options. read more

Bella Cucina Italian Family Restaurant - Shrimp, scampi, hard shrimp, and no flavor in the sauce. - Italian Near Me - Sun City Center, Florida

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My first experience exceeded my expectations. Everything turned out great. They brought out bread out first thing which was excellent. The salad and dressing was very good. I ordered the chicken Parmesan and it was probably the best I've ever had. Highly recommend this restaurant with anyone living or visiting in the Sun City Center area. read more

Great food Excellent service Reasonable prices Been there several times and never disappointed read more

BELLA CUCINA I consider myself somewhat of a Italian food connoisseur having served an eight year NATO tour of duty in Italy during my military career. Several months ago I returned on vacation for two weeks to Italy and not much had changed in the culinary field. As such, I am often disappointed when trying out a new Italian restaurant. From the spelling mistakes on the menu to the tasteless dishes I am served I often wonder if I expect too much. Such was not the case when a friend of mine invited me to dine at Bella Cucina Italian Family Restaurant in Sun City Center, FL. As we parked and approached the non pretentious restaurant entrance I was pleasantly surprised with the aroma that greeted me as we entered. A large crowd was already seated as we were escorted to our table. Written on the wall was the saying, "May all who enter as guests, leave as friends." We were no sooner seated when a basket of bread coated with olive oil and herbs was brought to the table. After the first bite I was trying to figure how I could take what would be left of the bread with me when I left. I ordered a salad and a plate of Rigatoni ala Vodka with Italian sausage and went back to the bread basket. I observed the family staff waiting on and serving each table in a real customer friendly way. At one point I observed an elderly veteran who was struggling to stand as he prepared to leave after finishing his meal. Our server Gino rushed to his assistance putting his arms around the veteran and helping him to his feet. I became distracted when my pasta arrived and saw the size of the serving. I now realized why so many of those leaving were carrying take out containers. The salad was so tasty I inquired about the dressing and Gino shared the ingredients with me. I was happy to see that I could take the almost full plate of Rigatoni and sausage with me when I left. It was truly an Italian serving. I was sorry to notice as I prepared to leave that there was no bread left to take. We had eaten it all. The family members, Gino, Dandan and Jamie learned well the secrets of excellent Italian culinary meals from their parents and I look forward to working my way through the menu. read more

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After 2 years living in the area we tried Bella Cucina for lunch. Service was great. The owner waited on us and she was the sweetest person. My wife got the layered eggplant and upon the recommendation of the owner I got the Philly Cheesesteak. The house salad was fresh and balsamic dressing was excellent. The garlic bread they bring out was great (maybe could have been warmed up more). The Philly was spot on with peppers, onions and chopped steak. My wife really enjoyed her eggplant. It was very tender and not bitter at all. We will be back. read more

If you are looking for an old school family run Italian restaurant then this could be for you. Wife and I went for late lunch/ early dinner today - if you like garlic you will love the garlic bread, I had the chicken parmigiana with side salad ,chicken was tender, hot and came with side of angel hair pasta . Wife had chicken bruschetta salad which she enjoyed very much. Gina and Carol did a great job as our servers. The place was clean but could use a little updating. Overall good experience read more

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Expensive Italian bar food. The worst. If you really like Italian food stay away. $17 Italian Sausage (with salad) was little chopped up sausage (Cmon!) Its bar food. read more

Great food Excellent service reasonable prices. I don't understand why all the restaurants are closed no Mondays

Cute family owned restaurant with authentic tasting food and great service. Portions are generous and the quality of their food is reflected in the taste. The complementary garlic bread is amazing. I could eat that alone. read more

Just left this restaurant after a quick lunch. I cannot recommend it. My family, friends and I will stay away for the time being. First problem: The only beer this place sells is bud lite in a can. That's a non-starter and I should've just left right away. Next issue: The spaghetti and meatballs wasn't good. The sauce was bland and the meat was dry. Just no good. Lastly, the service is great. The blond waitress with the pretty smile could not have been nicer. Just skip this place for now. read more

We love this place.. Family operated, awesome food, and plenty of it, wonderful, friendly staff. It's like stepping back in time, very comfortable, such a great place.. read more

Hours, food, say they take reservations but just yell, Neeeext! lol My chix parm was burned, hubby's ravioli, tasteless. Boxed wine and Bud Light is all they had for alcohol. read more

I had an absolutely wonderful meal at this restaurant. There was nothing that we had as a group that wasn't delicious. You get garlic bread and olive oil as an appetizer, and I had the lobster ravioli, which was more than enough for me... The service was outstanding. The server overheard me saying that I wanted to get the cannoli, but I was too stuffed for all of them and she brought me a single one for free which she had just made from scratch by the way. All of the staff were very friendly and courteous and with so many delicious options on their menu. This will absolutely not be the last time and there. read more

Food is good,people very nice, just wish they would fix it up a bit, it's depressing. So much they could do with the place. I get delivery, but don't go there to eat. read more

I had the mussels spicy and they were perfect served over your choice of pasta. You can make a meal out of the garlic bread with olive oil. It seemed they kept filling the bread up and we kept eating. The dinner comes with a very nice salad with balsamic vinegar dressing. My meal was $28.00 and well worth it. Our server was very attentive. Enjoy! read more

Old school Italian. The kind of food I grew up with. Can't wait to go back. Had the Grouper with angel hair pasta. Big portion and it was delicious. read more

This was a spurs of the moment late lunch/early dinner during a visit to Sun City Center, FL. Service was excellent. Quick and courteous. We ordered spaghetti and meatballs and chicken parmigiana. Both came with a house salad (amazing balsamic vinaigrette) and the best garlic bread I've had in years. Our dinners were amazing! Homemade taste, so good. The only negative, and this is minor, they charged $2/each for a glass of water. Only reason I took off a star, was because the restrooms were not very nice. read more

My wife and I have maintained a 4-Star rating for Bella Cusina for a few years until now. Unfortunately the 4-Star has been losing brightness for awhile. It's finally time to let them simmer down to a well deserved 2-Star rating. If we actually ate inside, a 1-star rating would be generous. This is why we have always ordered our food to-go. Last night we were told our simple take-out dinner would be ready in 30 minutes. We were the only ones waiting out side at the time when I placed our order. Thirty-minutes passed and no dinner. Add three inquiries it. While other people came and went with their take-out dinners. Obviously we fell through the cracks. Finally at 60-minute. They called our name, yeah. Finally at home, our dessert was missing and both our dinners were barely warm. Our meals must have been ready in 30 minutes then sat somewhere in the kitchen for another thirty. My dinner was dry and barely had any tomato sauce on it. My wife's Lemon Chicken was dry and barely had a lemony taste. Sadly, our take-out dinner's have been losing their appeal for the last year. Their salad dressing is half sugar. "Who eats a spoonful of undissolved sugar that's in their salad dressing cup?" The real tragedy here is, Sun City Center's restaurant choices are severely PATHETIC!! All the Fast food places suck except for Subway. The two disgustingly-dirty Chinese restaurants aren't even places to consider unless you like having diarrhea. The only other restaurant in SSC is German. It's a Five-Star German restaurant with a great selection of German Ales. Have you ever seen the crappy interior inside Bella Cucina? I can just imagine what their kitchen looks like. read more

It seemed a bit overpriced for the food but I did like how they accommodated for a large after church family get together. I might consider going again and giving them another chance. I like supporting family owned businesses. read more

I loved this place! The owner was lovely! The food was great and the wine was exception!

I went in one day with a friend and we did not have reservations. The place was brimming with people. The hostess found us a table, anyway. But, what really impressed me was that I was caught in a pickle and needed to place a catering order quickly. They got me my rigatoni vodka order the next morning. And, everyone loved it! read more

They don't always do take out. Frequently out of menu items. It's an effort to deal with them. Mostly, the Italian food was just OK and over priced. Its not hard to find good Italian food reasonably priced nearby. read more

Atmosphere - The restaurant is located in a strip mall and the interior is reflects this. Nothing fancy, but appeared to be clean. There were lots of 2 and 4 tops, but we did not feel cramped. Service - we were greeted promptly and warmly. Our server was pleasant and attentive. Food - I ordered the Chicken Francais and it was excellent! It was tender and the flavor of the sauce was great. The portion was huge too. I notice that the prior reviews were not as complimentary and I am surprised. I love Italian food and have dined at virtually every Italian restaurant in the area. The only area Italian restaurant where I have enjoyed my meal more than Bella Cucina, is Cafe Italia, which is quite a bit more expensive (but well worth the $). Value - I consider this dining experience to be one of the best values I can recall in the 5 years that we have lived in the area. read more

Bella Cucina Italian Family Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Sun City Center, Florida

Very good food great service. We had chicken Parm very yummy we would go again it is close by and excellent service and food

We haven't been here in years, and we so happy to have re-discovered this gem in a little strip mall. You don't go here for the atmosphere, as it's a Mom and Pop type diner atmosphere, but go for the great service and food. The menu has a nice selection of salads, sandwiches, pasta, and chicken and veal dishes. I ordered the rigatoni with chicken and it came with a side salad and garlic bread pieces. The portion was HUGE and I ended up taking half of it home. The meal came hot and tasty. The sauce was good and there was plenty of chicken throughout the dish. Service was exceptional. I have been in places with more servers who didn't do as good a job as the one server here did as she waited on every table. Will have to keep this place in our rotation. read more

Bella Cucina Italian Family Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Sun City Center, Florida

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Their food is just not that good...which is unfortunate. Fair on service and atmosphere. Nothing to write home about for certain.

This place doesn't look like much from the outside, or even the inside, but the food and service was amazing. The servers and owners were checking on us frequently, and making sure our drinks were always filled (the wine was amazing!). They even brought out ice cream for our kids without asking. We will definitely be here often. read more

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CONSISTENCY and GREAT VALUE! Been coming here for many years when I come to visit my mother who lives in Sun City Center. The service is excellent, food is tasty and portions are generous. I had Chicken Parm and my mother had the Chicken Francese. When a restaurant serves their salad COLD and I mean COLD it makes me so happy. Well the salad here is cold, fresh and a great way to start the meal. read more

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Excellent Italian food. Good & good size glass of house red wine. Typical ambiance for a family restaurant, excellent service with good menu selection & good prices. read more

Authentic, huge portions and wonderful service. I didn't want to post this so it would stay out local secret but they deserve more.

The food and atmosphere definitely gives you a close knit Italian family vibe. The owner and staff were so pleasant and remembers our names while saying good bye as we were leaving- nice touch. The portions are huge! And the food is tasty. Will definitely be coming back, and recommend that others make reservations before they come to reduce the wait, as this place seems to always be packed for dinner time! read more

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This is such a cute little hidden gem in Sun City Center. We have made a few attempts to get here and missed. One time we walked in and there was a 30 minute wait because they had a performer singing Italian songs. People were at their tables singing and waving their napkins. We had another engagement and were time pressed otherwise we would have waited. We tried the Eggplant Parm, Chicken Francese and stuffed mushrooms. All were delicious. I requested capers be added to the Chicken Francese because I didn't see Chicken Piccata on the menu. The portions were perfect. The meals also came with tasty bread in garlic and oil and a side salad. This will be my new go to for Italian. It saddens me they are closed on Sundays and Mondays. read more

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We just moved to the area and were happy to see an Italian restaurant nearby. Got takeout for lunch yesterday as we did not want to chance eating in until we had tried the food. Ordered a cold sandwich, a hot sandwich, and a lobster ravioli entree. The cold Italian combo sandwich was not like anything we have encountered before. It was made with 2 slices of boiled ham, 2 slices of salami and some chopped lettuce and diced tomato. It was edible but not an Italian combo. The hot sandwich was chicken parm and it was not even edible. The chicken was diced in tiny pieces and cold but severely over cooked. The sauce was horrible. The frozen lobster ravioli probably did not contain any lobster, and the vodka sauce was from a jar but not edible. The shrimp was overcooked and chewy. The entree came with a house salad that consisted of slightly brown iceberg lettuce, one slice of cucumber, and a half slice of tomato. A slightly stale dinner roll was also included. We spend $60 and all but the cold sandwich went in the garbage. The worst dining experience we have had in Florida. read more

Food and service is great Bread and olive oil with any entree Reasonably priced A little hidden gem!

Tried it again. same horrible food and lack-luster service. Rude waitress! They should not be in the restaurant business.

The food is really good and the service is adequate. What would make them even better and allow them to stand out would be to improve the Italian-theme atmosphere and to get the staff a bit of training on how to serve and interact. STOP BRINGING FOOD TO A TABLE AND ASKING WHO HAD WHAT. That is your job to know who ordered a particular item. Get RID of Pepsi! Check our Ferrero's in Parrish; they have it dialed in. Don't get me wrong - we'll be back for sure regardless as the food is good and we hate the franchise crap food options that are abundant in SSC. read more

This is a family owned business. No frills, just good old home town Italian cooking in action! Very nice meal at a good price made fresh. Closed Sunday & Monday and the are only open till 7pm cause everyone is headed home to watch Wheel of Fortune. Come check them out! read more

First time we tried to eat here, it was a no go as the restaurant had been rented for a private party. Which helped confirm the reviews we had read were valid. So we said OK and came back the next day. It was the right decision. As we looked over the menu, the waitress brought out some hot fresh garlic bread sitting in olive oil and Parmesan cheese. You could see the small pieces of garlic coating the top of the bread. I ordered the lasagna and my wife ordered the layered eggplant based on the waitress's recommendation. Both meals were excellent. The only drawback was that they were large enough that there was no room left over for dessert. A house salad came with each entree. I wish I had remembered to buy a bottle of wine at the liquor store just around the corner. read more

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