I grew up in Minnesota but have lived all over the US and traveled all over the world for business and pleasure. I say this to establish I've eaten at hundreds of restaurants. The food here is good and I recommend it to many. When I get back to Minnesota I usually eat here at least once. read more

I would have loved to come into a welcoming environment. But instead was left with complete disappointment in humanity. When I was sat, I ordered just water to begin. A few moments later I was brought just a giant glass of ice, no water. The owner has specially brought it out to me. When I asked the owner why I received this, he said "you look like one of those illegals, here's some nice cold ice for you". Once I began to leave. He began to break down a box and create his own signs, he then followed me outside and began to protest. What a waste of space. Never getting my dollars again read more

Bello Cucina - Italian Near Me - Saint Joseph, Minnesota

I'd give it a negative 5 if I could! I ordered a shrimp and scallop dinner. It was extremely fishy tasting and I told the owner Jason who said he wouldn't do anything about it! Wowza!!! I would never eat here again. Then on top of it they charged an $8 fee to use our credit card! Cheapo! Disgusting I will never eat here again EVER!!! Unbelievable! I eat at very upscale restaurants and this one is an absolute NO!! Yuck he said I ate half my entree. No I ate most of the noodles and left the majority of the shrimp and fake lobster. I tried to be polite and not say anything initially but it was so disgusting I would never have brought any of the leftovers home. I eat shrimp and scallops all the time at fine dining restaurants in AZ and this was disgusting. Shrimp is always my favorite but I would give a negative 5 for taste and poor management by the owner Jason! We spent $163 at his restaurant and he wasn't willing to do anything about his disgusting shrimp/fake scallops entree! Beware of this place! Ugh read more

Bello Cucina - This was the shrimp and fake scallops entree that I ordered that was extremely fishy. Disgusting - Italian Near Me - Saint Joseph, Minnesota

Read the menu, it will tell you that you can get food poisoning eating there. They gave it to me with an age steak and asparagus. Vomiting and diarrhea 5 hours after their meal. Never sick before. Your recourse is nothing, you can report it to the county health department, but they'll just call the owner, and he'll say you are sick from something else. Unless a group of you get sick, it's just your tough luck if you ate there.. The owner could care nothing about the customer who gets sick eating there. read more

We went here for our anniversary dinner and we really enjoyed it! The flavor of our dishes really stood out to us! The waitress was nice and service was fast! I also liked how it felt nicer and was busy too! Will go back again soon! read more

Bello Cucina - Crispy Chicken Milanese - Italian Near Me - Saint Joseph, Minnesota

See all

Excellent customer service and the food is always amazing. I've been to Bello Cucina occasionally and their menu is very expansive with something for everyone. I have gone for date nights and love being seated outdoors when the weather is nice, it's a really nice seating area. I highly recommend the Lobster Mac N Cheese (I order it with no bacon), their Bang Bang Pow and Chicken Parmesan are also both delicious. If you like pizza, they make a great margherita pizza as well. The customer service has also always been really great, with very friendly staff. From my many experiences at Bello Cucina, I have nothing but positive feedback from me and my family members. Give it a try for a delicious Italian dining experience! read more

See all

The atmosphere in ambience is definitely run down was not enjoyable. They brought the appetizer out which was stuffed mushrooms and you could tell that they were frozen they were mushy and pretty tasteless. Did then brought my dates salad out and my food didn't come out from their 25 minutes and when it did I couldn't cut the chicken breast because it was tough so I flipped it over and it was burnt to a crisp on the bottom. I asked to return the dish for a more appropriate chicken breast and they said that's the way it is. They offered us a free dessert. I don't need desserts. Never going back there again. Gross. read more

Ok, so I was VERY on the fence about taking a date here after reading all the reviews here on Yelp. But this was a place she chose and wanted to try. Making the reservation was quick and easy. I also inquired about accommodating a dairy allergy. (Which seemed to me to be a tall order for an Italian joint). The hostess assured me that many selections could be made to order in a way without the dairy. Come the night of the date we were promptly seated. The wait staff was attentive. We did have a bit of a hiccup when mentioning the dairy allergy to the waitress. She didn't think we could be accommodated after all and wasn't sure why we were told that, but was cheerful about it and said she would ask the chef. When she returned she did offer a few dishes that would work. The food was good and came out promptly. The prices were reasonable for what we had. I think the ambience lacks a bit for a date night. Maybe dimmer lights or better separation for the tables? I felt like we were basically on top of the table next to us. Maybe remove one for more space? But overall a pleasant experience. Wouldn't mind going back. read more

Food was fabulous! Atmosphere was great but the food!!!! Our server was attentive and very helpful when I was having a hard time deciding... (typical) The owner/Chef takes great pride in what he serves. read more

See all

This place had a great $ 11 All you can eat pasta bar with fresh salad and garlic bread . It was very good mostly loved the rigatoni boulanaise in red sauce had a black pepper kick but not over powering. The decor was very comforting like walking through the Tuscany landscapes with terracotta reds . Red encourages appetite btw.... Waitress was very helpful but not overly in our face etc . Will be going back but getting something from the expansive menus. The owner is also the chef .... read more

Bello Cucina - Italian Near Me - Saint Joseph, Minnesota

AYCE crab. Salad had a tomato Butt in it I asked the staff "what's this He said "that's just the end of the tomato" Some of the crab had frost at the knuckle. Veggies with it were grade "B" at best frozen carrot, cauliflower and broccoli medley. Mine had no florets of any kind. I politely asked if there was a vegetable alternative and was told no. One person had Ossobuco and it was reheated dry like almost Jerky. Horrible. This place has gone downhill. sad read more

-5 stars if possible: Horrible customer service. Ordered a cocktail and once it was brought out the waitress informed the bartender had never made it before. Took a sip and it was undrinkable. Asked if it could be remade and they said no and informed the drink would not be compensated. The OWNER proceeded to come out and tell us it is not being compensated. After telling him we would not be returning after being treated this and he said "good I do not care!" No wonder other locations for this restaurant have closed! read more

I went here with 3 friends on a Friday night a couple of weeks ago. We arrived earlier than our reservation and were seated promptly. The bar to the right looked really nice and fancy. The restaurant side isn't too big but you don't feel like you're sitting on top of your neighbor. I look forward to the outdoor seating area to be opened with the warmer weather. They brought fresh bread and olive oil to our table. I ordered a pizza and my friends got various pasta dishes. Overall, everyone enjoyed their meals. I will say though that I'm disappointed in the vegetarian pasta dish options. I only saw the tortellini as an option. You would think there would be a veggie pasta dish but everything seemed to have chicken or bacon. I enjoyed the pizza but would have preferred something else. We were celebrating my birthday which was the best day but they said they could only give a dessert on your actual day so I was bummed. I also think our waitress was annoyed that we stayed so long after our meal was over. I would give them another chance but the prices are pretty steep and that's something to consider. read more

See all

Poor service, hostile environment. We ordered the artichoke dip with ciabatta bread. When it arrived 3 of the 5 pieces were burnt. I requested the 3 pieces to be remade and that was when I was told by the server that I obviously don't understand cooking because that's how it's supposed to look. 3 out of 5 pieces burnt? If that's how it's supposed to be why are not all 5 pieces burnt? Sorry I didn't order charcoal flavoring with my artichoke dip. When I asked for the 3 burnt pieces to be remade it became hostile so I said we're done. Please bring me the check for the drinks. She tried to charge me for the appetizer we never touched and threatened to call the police if I refused to pay. So I looked up the number and called them for her. Never tried any food. The drinks were delicious but I would not recommend this place due to the hostile attitude of staff. If you look at other reviews it seems to be hit or miss however tonight was all miss. read more

Bello Cucina - Burnt ciabatta but was told by the server that I obviously don't understand cooking because that's what it's supposed to look like - Italian Near Me - Saint Joseph, Minnesota

Very nice place! food was good but the service is very very VERY slow! If you don't mind waiting this is a pleasant experience. The atmosphere is pretty but they are understaffed for sure. Our waitress Michelle was lovely and offered good suggestions. We are Italians from NY so we are definitely picky ;) Otherwise it was a very pleasant evening. P.s. My son & his gf love loved the food! read more

Shrimp & Shrimp and Scallops with Ginger Alfredo -good meal .. Nice service etc etc .. Even on a Wed evening good idea to call for reservations .. On a this "SUNNY" evening the first part of June read more

What a pleasant experience! I came as a part of a large group (10+) and here's some more about our experience: Wait time - I was the first to arrive, but they seated us right away and let us wait a long time for our other guests to show up. Very friendly. Setting - It's pretty loud in here, and kind of crowded. Even though they had made extra space for our table, I still felt very much on top of other tables. Food - Good enough. I got the lobster Mac and the lobster wasn't great by any stretch of imagination, and the mac was just alright. Kinda disappointed in that as an entree. However, the appetizers and dessert are great. Would recommend the bruschetta and the desert nachos. Service - Lackluster. The wait staff is young and nervous, it made it a little uncomfortable at times. They'd benefit greatly from having a mature wait staff who can speak on their alcohol menu. All in all, not bad. I see why it is rated 3 stars, and wholeheartedly agree. read more

See all

We were just there tonight 4-13-24, the food was good but the service was probably the worst I've ever experienced. We got sat at a table and it took at least 45 minutes for the waitress to serve us but we had to flag another waitress down to let her know we weren't get anything. I had to go to the bar and order my drinks and sat back down .Sat back in our booth waiting to be served. The server really wasn't having it because she did get chastised from my wife about poor service. Long story short I'm 50 and been too many restaurants and this was the poorest service we've ever received. Unfortunately we will be going to Olive Garden read more

The food used to be great and the service, but ever since the owner or manager or whoever started getting political and said masks weren't allowed and basically went all in on conspiracies backed by 45, literally the place went to crap. The food sucks and so does the service. This used to be our favorite date place and now it's off the list. Fix the food and service! And if I want to mask up, that's MY choice. Ugh! read more

Went for an early dinner at 4:45PM. The hostess asked if we had a reservation, and we didn't. She said ALL the tables are reserved, both indoor and outdoor seating!!! Hard to believe but alright, won't be going back! read more

Very disappointed by the service and the follow up provided and the situation tonight at our dinner. What should have been a fun girls night out was very distracted and misdirected!! Never felt like this was handled at any level of the three people we spoke to at the organization- server, manager or the kitchen staff our group spoke to, When someone in our group tried to speak directly to management it was even worse. What was one of our favorite places to go has now become the bottom of the list. Sad that a few poor employees can ruin an entire experience. I sure hope the owner finds some different employees soon. I definitely would not recommend!!! read more

Back again, same great experience. Happy hour with 1/2 price drinks to start. All food choices were excellent. Stuffed mushroom appetizer, spaghetti and meatballs, and tonight's special smoked prime rib. All delicious, same great service as last time. Still worth the drive for us and look forward to out next visit read more

Requested to sit outside, host put us next to the alley even though there were tables available in better locations where we didn't have to look at bird shit while eating. Glass of white wine came out not chilled but room temp - had to put ice in the glass just to drink it. We ordered salad and soup before the main dish, but they brought out the main course pretty much at the same time even though we asked to have them separate. Table bread had no flavor, even with their cheap olive oil. Perhaps request some balsamic vinegar for it. We thought we would try the mozzarella stuffed breadstick (came out over cooked and yup, like the Chevy commercial). The breaded chicken in the milenase entree was hard as a meteor. I mentioned it to our host who was walking by, who went to get the waitress....waitress definitely couldn't hide her disdain attitude towards us after I told her "what seemed to be the problem." Thankfully, the reheated version they brought out to us next was not over cooked and tasted as it likely should have the first time around - sauce was a little thinner than it should have been but this was the least of any issue with this place. Overall, we will not be visiting again. Surprised? It is unfortunate, it's a nice location in St. Joe for a happy hour (make sure the beer is cold) but the attitude from the waitress and ignoring us the remainder of our meal, especially paying $12 for a glass of warm piss, puts this place in the category of "I'd rather eat an Olive Garden." If you do have to go here for a work lunch or your wive's friend is throwing herself a surprise birthday to up her tick tick views, just order the old fashioned spaghetti - it seems like this would be a dish they can't screw up - however, ya just never know until ya know. Best of luck to ya! read more

See all

We really enjoyed our meal... great food and great service! Two of us follow a gluten free diet and they were able to provide lots of GF options. We'll definitely be back! read more

We came to eat here last week, was really excited to eat some higher end Italian food as it's all I crave while I'm pregnant, and my husband is Italian. Upon the first bite I was immediately disappointed, it tasted very bland and cheap. As someone who has worked in the restaurant industry it was very apparent that the food came from Sysco. Even if the food were to have been decent, it still would've been impossible to enjoy because we could hear the chef yelling at his employees in the kitchen. Obvious Bello Cucina does not havegrasp of what authentic Italian food should be, nor do they seem to treat their employees with respect. This is a business I will not continue to support. read more

At 6 pm on 12-27-23, we went to celebrate my birthday at Bello Cucina. After seated, we waited over 20 minutes with no service. I finally asked a server for a beverage. Her response, " I'm sorry, you're not my table". We left shortly after and went elsewhere. I had a $50 gift certificate. I have no motivation to ever go there again. I was extremely disappointed! read more

Just finished eating at this restaurant. Customer Service Is POOR (Sub-Par at best). The second I walk in, the hostesses get into a short debate about which one wanted to seat me. Seriously, it's not debate. If I have a customer arrive at my place of business, I am going to greet them with confidence and ensure he, she, or they (group) feel valued, and treat them as if they are in my own home. I get seated outside (at my request). The hostess leaves, I review the menu, and I sit and wait for my waitress for over 5 minutes (NOTE: This restaurant was not near busy as it's capacity capability suggests and I arrived around 5PM on a Friday afternoon) meanwhile 4 other table's around me had food and drink delivered to their tables. I finally had to flag one of them down and ask her to send my waitress. Waitress finally arrives, no introduction, no "I'll be your sever this evening, my name is J. Smith, can I start you out with any specials today, or perhaps a drink to start you off with in case you require more time to review the menu?" None of that (even her attitude was complete malarkey...I'v had better customer service at DMV...and that sucks) was portrayed. Order is placed, and not 5 minutes later my meal is delivered. I paid $18.00 for a small portion of angel hair pasta and burnt bacon bits. I recently returned from Europe after living there the past 3 years. During that time (admittedly) I was spoiled with legit Italian food in Italy, and let me tell you Joe consumer, in Italy you could have gotten 2 orders of the same plate I had, and paid the same or less money for the quantity that was received at this place. In short...the quantity does not match the price, so don't overspend if you don't haft to. You probably have a better shot at getting more bang for your buck at a more well-known Italian restaurant in the area. Scenery / outside conditions: It is OK. The bushes with people walking by on the street and the view of the early 20th century looking cathedral across the street gave off a real European vibe...which I liked. however; the location is a poor choice. It is literally right next to what I would guess to be the busiest intersection in downtown Saint Joseph. Loud motorcycles, supped up trucks, and constant flow of traffic wizzing by...it is not as peaceful or romantic as one might imagine as they see it from the outside. I might be a stickler here, but again, for that kind of money...the food had better be darn good - it was average at best. Props for the fresh bread, and the plethora of options available on the menu. Generally a waiter / waitress comes to your table during the meal and asks how everything is...that did NOT happen - I don't care how fast she thinks I ate...at least acknowledge it with a "wow...you must have enjoyed that, leave any room for dessert?" Something. It was quick I'll bring you your check experience, no eye contact, no offers for desert...nothing! Don't waste your money folks. It is a overpriced non-consumer friendly establishment. read more

I want to give this place a great review because it "should" be the best restaurant in St Joe, and it just isn't when it comes to service and consistency. I have been their several times, and some times it is great, but most of the time it is underwhelming. The service seems to always be veryyyyy sloowww, which is a bummer. Also, why is there no bread at the beginning of the meal? It's an Italian restaurant! That would probably help with the slow service issue. read more

My husband and I were taking my daughter and her boyfriend out for dinner. We got there on a Thursday at 5pm. Met the hostess who would not seat us because we did not make a reservation and our whole party wasn't there yet (they were not busy, majority of the tables were open - it was 5pm on a Thursday). We sat at the bar, the bartender was not friendly - "WE" had to ask her if we could get a drink and she never mentioned it was "happy hour". Once served, she never came back to check on us. Approx 10 minutes later my daughter arrived and we were seated (no one came into the restaurant during that time so we should have been seated). Our server is worth a mention - his name was Logan. He was "awesome" at his job, he re-made my husband's drink from the bar because it didn't taste good (if the bartender would have checked on us, she would have known). The service and food was good. Pricing on the meal was fair, again the food was good. Not sure we will go back - if we do, we will make sure we will make a reservation to avoid the woman at the bar. read more

My daughter and I went to Bello Cucina this evening, as we usually go for Tuesday nights. There must have been new bartenders, as we had to ask for silverware and a napkin. Our bread stick came out way before our food, which we decided to split. Our chicken was burnt; had to cut off the black burnt area. The people next to us was given bread with the oil; we had to ask for it. Very poor service tonite; nonetheless, we did not leave a tip. Very poor service. One would think that they would have given us some sort of credit for the burnt chicken we received that we could not eat. So disappointed!! read more

So good! Me and my daughter came here after a long day at work. We enjoyed a couple glasses of wine, had amazing spinach artichoke dip, and pastas! Our waitress was great! My daughter even forgot her purse and they safe guarded it until we could come get it the next day! I definitely recommend this place! read more

This was bad. I don't like to write bad reviews because I know how impactful they are the the business, but this was baaaad. My meal was inedible and I am not convinced it was actually Mahi Mahi that was served to me. Service was fine, on par for what I expect from a central MN small town, but the food was baaaaaaad. Ambiance was weird. There were rope lights wrapped around their exposed ventilation system and the restaurant was humid (in March) and warm, uncomfortably warm. read more

We were with a party of 5 that had a reservation. Half of the party's food was 20 minutes after the rest of the group. My meal was included and still came out cold. They brought an extra salad to the table and left it, so I ate it while waiting for my food that I ordered. I ordered a breadstick that I did not get and the staff made a big deal about the salad I did eat, while my party ate their meals. Our drinks were not refilled. 20 minute wait for a drink from the bar after 2 reminders. 20 minute wait for water after 1 reminder. The rest of the waters were never refilled. The "manager" only focused on the salad and not the overall poor service and food delivery. We were directed to an "owner" who was extremely rude and aggressive. He walked away after stating he did not have time for us. I actually feel bad for our poor server after meeting that man. I can't imagine how poorly the staff is treated if the customers are treated this bad. I used to love this place and none of us will be back to support this kind of business. read more

We've eat there three times in the last six weeks, I tried different entree's each time, all were excellent and the Osso Buco I had last night was to die for, half the price I've paid else where. It appears the Bill of Right's on the door and some of the owners personal comments about terrorist organizations melted a few snow flakes, read the menu for your self and the prices are vary reasonable, wait staff may change with school seasons and vary but our service was great. ALL the wait staff wore masks and sanitized tables as they are required each time we have been there, and all the friends we have invited there said they would return, especially for half price wine day. Jay read more

Disappointed. The food used to be above average, but the last time there (February) it was not good at all. Bland is a good word to describe that last meal. And no bread basket anymore. Was going to try them again now when I learned about their "wear a mask, no service" attitude, so I called to verify. It sounds like they are no longer quite so vigilant about people wearing masks, but it's still enough for me to say I don't need to eat here anymore. Workers are not required to wear masks. If they don't care about my health, then I can't trust what goes on behind the scenes, either. I did see the owner's extreme right wing rants on social media that someone below noted, and it's true. While he has every right to voice an opinion, I also have the right to not support him financially. As I said at the top: disappointed. read more

horrible slow service order took forever then it was wrong order no bread no salad no explantion. never come hete again! totally over rated read more

Our friends, my wife and I were out for dinner to celebrate one of our friends Birthdays. As we awaited our appetizers the light above our booth suddenly became a spotlight bright enough to be obnoxious. We spoke to staff who told us another table had requested brighter lighting. We asked why they had priority but no answer. We asked for the owner who came to our table and was one of the rudest people I have met. In my 50 plus years of travel, I have eaten around the world and have never had this type of experience. Needless to say we left when we finished our appetizers never to return again read more

Went in on a Saturday at 4pm. Restaurant was not busy. My wife an I are greeted at the hostess stand asking if we had a reservation. We clearly did not, there was no mention of needing one on the website. Then before we even entered a sign lit up the window stating immediate seating. So we left. After reading reviews clearly dodged a bullet. The owners appear to respond to one star reviews blaming customers on Google. I would not recommend this place because I can't, but from what I saw and read. You'd be better off going elsewhere. read more

My wife had dinner about a week after restaurants were allowed to re-open. Our meal was excellent, so was our service. Our food took nearly an hour to come out but they offered us a free dessert due to the long wait. That's great. However, we didn't feel safe from the Caronavirus because Bello Cucina had an established no-face mask policy for the staff and a sign posted on the door explaining why they thought NOT wearing face masks was a better policy for them. The Bello Cucina staff had to reach over us to serve our food and clear the plates, without face mask present we were all at an unnecessary higher risk of transmission from each other. Unfortunately, we won't be returning anytime soon because we didn't feel safe there. I felt the owners of Bello Cucina were making a political statement by not requiring staff to wear face masks. In fact, they were in violation of the state health directive for Covid-19. It appears the owners are putting their politics of freedom = choice over the safety of the customer's and staff's health. read more

I had a great lunch there today. Good service, good food. However, they had political propaganda regarding the Minnesota governor's race on the counter off to the side behind the host area. Why bring politics into a restaurant/business? Why irritate half of the population? I called and talked to the owner. He was respectful, but ornery and stubborn. If he is going to bring politics into the restaurant, I will vote with my money and take it someplace else. Won't go back. I don't care about his spot on the spectrum, keep it out of the restaurant. read more