Well... I think Miss J. is a much better writer than me 'cause she nailed this one right on the head. Something was just off about this place. Indeed, the valet is ridiculous (although we did not need to pay on a Friday night... just a tip) and the waitstaff was pathetic. The one thing that Miss J. left out was the unbelievably ridiculous dessert cart they had to manhandle around the restaurant. The thing made Noah's Ark look like a dingy. It probably took 2 or 3 redwoods to get enough wood to build it. Worst of all, they serve you the dessert right off of it. It's been sitting by the front door and then lugged around the place for hours sucking up everyone's sneeze particles and then, wham! You get to enjoy your lovely tiramisu served right off of it. My Penne Bolognese was pretty good though. Perhaps a pretty pricy at $18, but tasty nonetheless. The search for decent, affordable Italian in the area continues... read more

The food is good but very overpriced, Ordered a dish of black risotto which had a half a lobster tail, shrimp, muscles and clams. Did not see any muscles or clams. They gave me two shrimp and a meek at best half lobster. All for $ 35.00 It was good but not worth the money. My wife's dish was similar good, not enough food and over priced The biggest flaw at this place is the waiter service. The waiters are not professional. I think they are friends of the owner who he imports from Italy and gives them a job with little training. Case in point. When I received my check I promptly put the gift cards I had, the remaining money and the tip in the receipt book and closed it and set it to the side of table I was in rush to leave however, it sat their for 25 minutes unattended. I finally got up to give it to the woman who was running the front check in area, as my waiter disappeared. As I was walking over, another waiter, not my waiter said I will take care of this for you. He brought back the receipt and said thank you and have a good evening, Remember he was not my waiter. As I got up and walked out the door; the door flew open and my original waiter flew out into the parking lot and accused me of not paying for the bill I walked inside with the owner and everybody standing around I said to them that the bill was paid and it was sitting on the table for 25 minutes with nobody to take care of it. I made sure I was loud so that everybody could here the disgust in my voice at the terrible service and experience I had just been put through. After everything was settled I left in disgust and I will not be back. Please do not go there the place is expensive and not very well managed.. This is not some out door cafe in a rural area of Italy where that kind of behavior and service are the normal. Go to Toscana's in Lansdale, Bacco in North wales, Both are much better Dino Verrillo read more

Food is good, service is good, but that desert cart has to go! I mean I would never order desert from a cart that sits by the front door where everyone breathes on it. Just saying read more

Ate at Buona Via last night. We were a party of 5. Pasta dishes were fantastic, great atmosphere, if you're looking for quiet, may want to avoid a weekend. Celebrated a birthday, desserts were delicious. Waiter was outstanding, attentive and personable. Love this place! read more

Came with 4 coworkers tonight. Don't know what the deal is with parking but definitely not enough for the size of the restaurant. Really liked the decor and our waitress was very knowledgeable, friendly and prompt. Food was just ok. Most of us ordered apps; I had the calamari. The marinara was very good with a bit of heat but calamari was not very good and many pieces were tough and rubbery. I had the veal with shrimp which came with Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes which are my two favorite veggies. Sadly both were disappointing. Brussels had a bitter almost metallic taste and potatoes had a chalky texture. Sauce on veal was nice as were the shrimp but veal was paper thin and overcooked. Others at my table had the lobster ravioli and steak which looked really good. read more

We need a good Italian restaurant! This isn't one of them. Very expensive and the food was mediocre. They charge an exorbitant amount for childrens meals here, so leave the kids at home. I wasn't impressed. The food had little taste and for $90 for two adults one child, it's not worth it! read more

Great happy hour specials! They provide complimentary bruscetta and crostini type of appetizers during happy hour. We have gotten a few apps before and everything is always good. I especially like the calamari! Service is great, big parking lot and convenient location. We'll be back! read more

We had a lovely dinner here last night. For an appetizer, we had mussels- they were awesome. Cooked with sausage and peppers & onions. House salads and entrees were absolutely delicious. Steak, pasta, veal, and salmon. Everyone raved about their meal. The server was attentive, but not intrusive. We will be back, for sure. read more

I think the food here is very good, if a bit pricey. I have had their lobster ravioli and loved it. Their bruschetta is also very good, as are the Caesar salads. I haven't been here for quite a few months so I can't remember very many details but I did quite enjoy it. Tip: Check out their web site. When I went a few months ago there was a gift certificate you could print out online and bring in to the restaurant to save some money. I am not sure it is still there but it's worth a look. read more

A few weeks ago, my mom stopped in for a meal on her own. The staff treated her far worse than they treated other, non-single, customers. When she pointed this out to the waiter, he said sarcastically, "well the next time you come, I will sit with you so you don't have to sit alone." The food is mediocre. The only exception is the deserts which are rich and delicious. read more

It's a pretty nice looking place on the outside and the inside. Unfortunately the service is slow and the blond waitress is kind of rude. Scallops were undercooked although the sauce was tasty. They stuffed us in the upstairs room which was small and stuffy, while there was a really loud DJ playing downstairs for a party. Will not go there again. If you want pricey small undercooked portions in a loud atmosphere with poor service this is the place for you. read more

I have been to many lunches and dinners at Buona Via, and while it appears to be a favorite of many of my co-workers, I just cannot agree. If I was judging the food only, it would definitely be 3.5 stars: it is quite tasty, and reasonably priced. I have had the Farfalle alla Vodka, Spinach Ravioli, and Mushroom Risotto, with no complaints. As a matter of fact, the Risotto was quite good and I strongly encourage giving it a try. But it goes downhill from there. The staff can be very helpful or you will never see them: the inconsistency depends on when you go and who you get. The dining room makes an attempt to be fancy Italian, but the two story bar with flat screen televisions next door takes away from whatever ambiance it was trying to cultivate. I feel it is too pretentious and inconsistent to warrant 3 stars, but I am sure it will get there. I think Buona Via is having an identity crisis: it just needs to figure out which path it would rather take and stick to it, rather than trying to please everybody. read more

I have been following the owner (Sal) for over 20 years. Good food and atmosphere. Being the fact that Sal grew up along the coast of Italy the fish is always good. If you are looking for a good place to grab a drink after dinner they have a great selection of wine. Give it a try you wont be disappointed. read more

First time here for brunch. We had 15 people and arrived at 1245pm. There was no one at omelette station...there was no carving station just some old meat in a pan...no bagels or bread of any kind. The shrimp were floating in a bowl of water?????? read more

I don't understand all the negative reviews of this restaurant! They have always had consistently great food and the service has always been good! We went there for my husband's birthday tonight and they went out of their way to prepare a beautiful table outside for us and the food was delicious! They have also always supported my charity which is greatly appreciated! read more

Penne Bolognese. That is all. Amazingly simple. Wait staff were personable, funny Italian guys. Will be back.

The filet was amazing! I have been to a lot of places recently and always ended up sending back my steak/food. Let me just say sooo yummy, mash potatoes so creamy , steak melted in your mouth and seasoned perfect! While I wasn't thrilled with the service,could have been a little more friendly. We (11year old, & hubby) all really enjoyed our food and the atmosphere. We will definitely be going back!! read more

So we are here with a reservation and we we waiting for approximately 15 minutes and never got seated. Instead we decided to go to the bar and eat where it took another 15 to 20 minutes before someone paid attention to us. People at the bar were so angry they were all leaving. The bartender was very nice and I truely felt so sorry for her. She was seriously busting her butt. What the heck, get more staff. I was so disappointed. I felt like they were totally disorganized. How do you run a business like this? read more

I went to this resraraunt, not by choice, but for someones birthday. And I will NEVER go back. The appetizers were okay, but my meal was horrible!! Worst I've ever experienced at a restataunt. I ordered shrimp and scallops with balsamic dressing. All I could taste was burnt from the grill and the shrimp were very very very well done. Absolutely disgusting! I do not reccomend this restataunt to anyone. read more

We were really excited to try Buona Via as our friends had enjoyed a meal two weeks earlier and convinced us to go again with them. When eight of us arrived, a table was not ready, even though we had reservations. We were seated within ten minutes, but that was the last thing that went well that evening. Service started out attentively, but when they were taking dishes away before we finished what was on the dish (and got annoyed when that was pointed out to them), the waiter chose to have as little contact with us as possible. We were never asked if the food was ok (out of eight of us, one had a terrific meal, six had OK meals, and one was totally dried out and inedible). We were never offered dessert, even though they were taking a tray of amazing looking desserts around on a cart. Guess I'll never find out if the desserts were as good as they looked. read more

Arrived at 5:15, served dinner at 6:10. Poor service, food was fair but nothing to brag about.

Italian restaurants are usually not my first choice picks... but I came here with my extended family back in May. I was pleasantly surprised by this restaurant. Our big group got several different appetizers/entrees... from salads to chicken to oysters... and everyone seemed pleased with their choices. The menu is on the pricier side but worth a try if you want Italian food for a nice occasion, date night, or just because. read more

Stopped in for quick drinks and apps and was not impressed as a first time patron. You figure the service would be decent seeing as the bar was not busy at for 6PM on a Saturday and two folks tending to it, but guess again. We were lost in translation with one bartender and never really saw the other. We did an order of oysters (so-so), calamari (cold and flavorless), clams casino (not bad). Sub par service and food on a quick visit is enough for me to not want to even think about dining here. read more

I'm updating my review as I'm more than a little upset about something. We made our Easter reservations here with my parents & kids who have never eaten here. IN A NUTSHELL: -We made a 3:00pm reservation as my parents had an evening show to attend in the city & my kids returned to school the next day. -"Ok 3pm, 6 people" -Unfortunately strep throat hit our house Easter morning. -Follow up call to change # of people in the reservation -"ok 3pm , from 6 people to 2" -3pm Easter Sunday my parents arrive to be told the "Easter Brunch Buffet" which no one ever told us existed, is over at 3:00!!! & they are not permitted to order from the regular menu !!! WHAT???!!! WHY WOULDN'T ANYONE MENTION THIS WHEN ACCEPTING A RESERVATION FOR 3:00???!!! My folks had to shove some food in their mouths & were home within 45 minutes. Completely ridiculous that not once did anyone mention this!!! Then I believe an Easter dinner buffet was coming out at 4:30 or something-?? Idk -the whole thing stinks! Customer Service anyone? Common courtesy or Common sense apparently aren't on the menu.. read more

This place is amazing! Great food, very friendly staff and fast service. I will deff keep coming back here.

Very good food. Nice semi fancy spot. When my food came I thought the portion was very small but after eating I was plenty full. Great spot for a nice date night read more

Went for lunch with a group of people. I highly recommend this restaurant. The staff was friendly and competent. There were great menu selections and the food was really delicious. Everyone commented on how much they enjoyed everything they ordered. read more

Buona Via has to be one of my all time favorite Italian restaurants. Probably the best fillet I have ever had, done to perfection. And the grilled calamari is amazing. The valet, while not necessary, is an added touch and is free---so---I really appreciate the extra effort they have made. They go out of their way to make the evening special. We stopped in last week for a wine tasting during Happy Hour and tried the crabcake sandwiches. They were also great. The hostesses and our server were attentive and friendly. Wine selection is huge. I give this place five stars. Can't wait to go back. read more

My family has a tradition of dining here every Christmas Eve after church- I've been here over 20 times and the food and service are alway great . Last night - however was just horrible- being Christmas Eve ... they were terribly over booked . We were seated immediately as my reservations were made well in advance- we were offered a table at the door which had three different types of chairs around it - two bring patio furniture. This beautiful linen table cloth- fine dining establishment had cheap folding tables and patio furniture for their guests - all decked out for the holiday . This second option offered was to sit at a pop up table in the bar . My suggestion-DONT OVER BOOK .Our waiter was absolutely the worst - he was so busy chatting with other diners it was over AN HOUR before we got our bread - the sangria I ordered was sour and brown - I've never had brown sangria- I sent it back - too which our waiter inferred- I had an aversion to " brown drinks". He ran by our table after an hour and asked if we needed anything- I wanted to say my food or some bread but he never stopped to wait for an answer. We flagged down another waiter and asked for some bread - our food came out after 80 min - the person bringing our steaks put all plates at the wrong places - I got the wrong dinner 3 times - I was the only one who ordered chicken . The food was amazing but unfortunately the people who wanted medium well steaks were given medium rare and vice versa . Our waters were dry for over an hour - so I got up to speak to who I believe was the manager. He apologized and told us he would keep an eye on the table . But the meal was over by that point We ordered and had coffee- the manager later offered to take the dessert off the bill - the waiter never once apologized. He got a 15% tip - I'm usually more generous. Sadly we won't go back. We will start a new tradition at a restaurant that attends to their customers. The service was so horrible- It ruined the night . read more

Our family just had Thanksgiving buffet at Buona Via and I have to say it was the worst holiday meal we have ever experienced. Starting with the Turkey, the white meat was dry, the dark meat was like leather. The ham was disgusting fatty. The salmon was like a little brick. The sweet potato cubes were hit or miss, some soft, some hard as rocks. The only side that passed for good were the mashed potatoes. Whoopee. Then the desserts, right out of Costco. Horrible. I have had cake and pies at Chinese restaurants better than this. Then there were the soft drinks. The waiter brought iced tea that was flavored. We didn't want flavored. So we asked for a Diet Coke. It had that bar tap taste that was putrid, with no carbonation. We asked for ginger ale, same issue. The coffee and tea were passable. Then they had the balls to charge us in full for the soft drinks on top of the $32.95 buffet fee. Needless to say, don't ever go to one of their holiday buffets. You will be very sorry. read more

Never went back. We had a family party at this place and met several times with the owner to confirm the menu and bar, and beverages. The staff was unorganized and nothing was ready as promise. The wine was chosen by the owner, the champagne was not what I wanted and refills of drinks were served and billed when not ordered. Soda was suposed to be included and I was charged including refills . End result, i got screwed. Upon bringing it to the owners attention, he offered nothing to fix the situation. As an italian I don't consider the food great and it is very overpriced. I have never gone back and am booking my next party elsewhere where the food is good and I have dined and done my reseach. About all you will get out of this restuarant is a nice building. read more

Buona Via has good ambiance also the food was delightful. The waitress was below average. It was as if we were a bother to her. Perhaps beneath her class of people (although we were all formally dressed). My wife and I were being treated to dinner by good friends. Even my Italian friend treating us felt somewhat uncomfortable( I'm glad he was paying). Poor demeanor, not by everyone just by her. I wish I had gotten her name. We were there 4/8/2012. read more

I drive by this restaurant often. I was excited to go call to get a reservation assuming they would be booked on a Friday night. To my surprise they were not and a reservation was not needed. The bar side music was loud nd filtered into the restaurant. At our table they lit the candles and told us about the specials. I ordered the lasagna. It tastes exactly like the chef boyardee micorwables. It lacked cheese filling and spices. it was noodles stakcked over noodles with a light meat sause ove top for $18. Now my husband had the swordfish. We both found it to be dry and a bit over cooked. He did how ever enjoy the aspargus and the mashed potatoes. Which was $28 We also got a salad. Which if you want a salad it's a la carte. It was ok. The $10 calamari was ok as well. We requested a sprinkling of parmasean cheese to add some flavor. They have a dessert cart that they wheel out. The cake was not moist due it sitting out for God only knows how long. The wait stall was nice. we enjoyed the ambience but for a total of $82 (no drinks). I would have preferred to go to Olive Garden. read more

We stopped in for an hour on Valentine's Day (that's all we had during sports practice). It was nice. Parking was fine. No valet issues we read about. it wasn't crowded. service was pleasant. we had soup and salad appetizer and some wine/beer. very pleasant for why we were there. however, we hated the televisions in the bar. it's not a sports bar. it's supposed to be a higher-end italian? and the piano/music was fine except way too loud so my husband and I had to shout. we didn't do dinner although it looked like it might be loud as it was just one large room. it was winter so we didn't see what hte upstairs and deck was like. read more

We had never been here before, and decided to try something new last night. So we ended up at this restaurant. The decor and ambiance is wonderful, but is not worth it. We are never going back after I got sick here last night. Throwing up until midnight...not my idea of a great time. Not to mention that the prices are WAY too high and the portions are tiny. My husband ordered ravioli and got FOUR pieces of ravioli on his plate. It's not like they were big raviolis, either. They were normal, 1-1.25 inch square raviolis. He is a huge guy, and four pieces of stuffed pasta are not enough for him. read more

We were there for my daughter's and husband's birthdays family dinner tonight. Amazing food, outstanding service , by far the best overall experience in a long time! If I could give 10 stars, I would! Thank you , Buona Via!! read more

I order for pick up. The manager or owner was extremely freindly but the host on the phone was another story. Not that she was nasty but it seemed like she wasn't well trained. I,asked for baked clams and for clams casino which comes with bacon. My wife loves baked clams but does not like bacon at all. She was very disappointed with that. The pasta was very good thou. Prices were too high. I have eaten at a lot of Italian restaurants before so I know how much certain food averages out to be. I give this place 3 stars because food was good but not great. I'm would have ranked it power but the owner/ manager was so nice he bumped it up by one more star read more

This was one of the worst dining experiences that I have had in recent memory. We chose to go here with a group of friends after an event. First of all we were a large party. So we realize they had to do some work to accommodate us. However the hostess was rude from the start. She never even escorted is to our table. She told us to go sit and we didn't know where in the dining room we were placed. After waiting 15-20 minutes finally our server comes over and asks for drink orders. Now you may think that on a weekend evening they were busy and that's what caused the delay. But they couldn't have been more dead. There were only 4 tables filled in the entire place and an empty bar area. I will give them credit for the food. It was tasty but the poor service and attitude will ensure I never return. read more

We went to Buona Via tonight after 8 years. Great food. We enjoyed the food but not the service. I ordered Chardonnay and received Pino. When I brought to our waiters attention, he said that he wasn't a bartender. Service waiting for dinner didn't exist. Had to wait at least ten minutes to get his attention to order a drink. At one point, he put his finger up to have us wait. Oh, while he was reading specials, he went to another table. Arrogance has no limits!! The restaurant wasn't busy. read more

We waited at least 10 minutes before anyone came to the table to introduce themselves as our waiter. We were brought out the wrong salads, which were switched for the correct ones but no one apologized for the mistake. Our credit card was massively overcharged, so good thing we look at the bill before signing anything. The mistake was corrected but all these things amounted to an experience in which I will not be returning anytime soon. read more