My friends recommended this restaurant to me and I had a great time. It's a hidden gem in…read moreCarrollwood. My group and I tried the cheesy bread that was just okay. The pepperoni and monte cristo pizzas and were so good! I love wood fired pizza. We also tried a few of the pastas and they tasted authentic. I'd definitely eat here again. The service was welcoming and friendly. There's interior and exterior seating. They had tv screens playing of places in Italy that was a nice touch.

Went in with high hopes given the 4.5 rating, but unfortunately this visit fell short…read more Service was a real issue -- our waitress took our order and then seemed to disappear for the rest of the night. No drink refills, and we had to flag someone down just to get our check and to-go boxes. We started with a Caesar salad after finding out the octopus carpaccio (which we were excited to try) had run out -- the salad was fine but pretty unremarkable. We also ordered the Montecristo pizza with burrata, which looked great in theory, but the burrata was not evenly distributed -- piled onto one side, leaving the rest of the pizza bare. The crust itself was floppy with no real flavor -- no standout sauce or seasoning. Honestly, I think I could make a better pie at home on my Gozney. Our friends weren't impressed either -- the lasagna was underwhelming, and the cheese pizza they ordered (with a request for extra cheese) came out with no extra cheese at all. Disappointing overall, especially given the price point and the reviews. Might try again someday to see if it was an off night, but not in a rush to go back.

Oh my gosh, the food was amazing!! We went for the first time for a friends birthday dinner and…read morewere blown away! They were super accommodating and reserved a table for our larger party. They only have 4-top tables so they pushed 3 together for us but there was plenty of room to do so. The inside was very cute, I love the candles on each table, just sets the right vibe. Right off the bat, the extensive wine selection was hard to choose from but we did make our choices. They brought us out different types of breads and dips (olive oil and sun dried tomato spread) which were delicious. We ordered the bruschetta appetizer and for someone who doesn't love tomatoes, I had a whole piece, it was so good! I ordered the meat ravioli with meat sauce and it couldn't have been better. I can't imagine ordering something different next time as I already want it again! A couple of people ordered the fettuccine alfredo which was finished table side in a giant cheese wheel of Parmesan. The chef was so nice and he did amazing job. They brought us cannolis for the table and wrote happy birthday on the plate for our friend. I thought that was the sweetest thing ever!

Very cute little Italian restaurant. The owners said they are from Italy! It is small and cozy but…read morealso large enough that we couldn't hear other peoples conversations. We went for a birthday and the left a little birthday card on the table, so sweet! They had a good selection of wine and drinks. The food was delicious! I tried I bite from everyone in my party and I can't even tell you which was the best! The fettuccine in the Parmesan wheel is a must do experience. The beef ravioli was delicious as was the lasagna and fettuccine carbonara! At the end of our meal they brought out complementary cannolis for everyone at our table and light a candle for the birthday girl! I will absolutely be going back. The restaurant is located in a little strip mall so off the beaten path but plenty of parking!

What an incredible dining experience! From the moment we walked into Esposito's Italian Restaurant,…read morewe were treated like family. The level of service honestly reminded us of Bern's Steak House--professional, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. Our server, Alvaro, was outstanding. He was knowledgeable about the menu, made great recommendations, and was attentive without ever being overbearing. Paul greeted us when we arrived and checked on us throughout dinner, which made us feel truly valued as guests. We started with the Caponata Siciliano "Bruschetta Style," and it was the perfect way to begin our meal. It came with 4 pieces of bread, we couldn't resist eating 2 of them before the photo. For our entrée, we had the Tortellini alla Panna, which was rich, creamy, and absolutely delicious. We ended the evening with chocolate, pistachio, and strawberry gelato, and were pleasantly surprised with complimentary cannolis--a thoughtful touch that made the night even more special. It's rare to find a restaurant that delivers both exceptional food and equally exceptional hospitality. Esposito's exceeded our expectations on every level. We highly recommend it and will definitely be back!

Food was delicious! I had the octopus salad and it was wonderful would definitely go back again for…read moreit. The garlic rolls were delightful and my hubs loved the arancini although I personally didn't prefer them. We also got some sort of mozzarella fried bread slices and it was okay- tasted sweet. Our server was wonderful! I really enjoyed his satirical humor and honesty of the menu. I remember back when this restaurant was Carmel and you could still see the bones of it. The restaurant is deceiving bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside. I enjoy how one room was dimly lit for a more elevated dinner essence while the other section of the restaurant was brighter. The music was fun and I actually knew lots of the songs! This was a last minute birthday dinner for a relative and I'm so happy we were able to be accommodated and enjoy what Esposito's had to offer for my first visit.

Came here for brunch on a Sunday. Arrived around 1030am. Plenty of parking in the lot. I was…read moreexpecting a wait since they do not accept reservations but we were able to be seated immediately as a table of 4. During our meal, more people came in and it was busier. Great and quick service! I ordered the Southern Benny. I didn't remember seeing this as an option on the online menu but in person it was on the menu. Comes with two poached eggs over biscuits and ham. I ordered with a size of fingerling potatoes. Very good! Personally I would have preferred another meat instead of ham.

We did brunch today. Haven't been here in a while. Pizza,smashburger, salads and some of the salads…read morewere the non brunch items. Food came out and presentation good, but wasnt super hot. The food was warm/ room tempbat best. It wasnt busy so I don't understand the temperature on things. Our server was good and helped us out. Drinks were fast and good. Bridget brought one of our drinks and made us feel special. She was a joy. Open kitchen and all the staff was busy doing things, checking on tables, side jobs, making it nice to see people appreciating their jobs.

MAKE A RESERVATION....You will need it…read more Piccola is a very small place. A few tables. And you need the reservation to get in as people do go all the time. The chef is the owner and even takes the order. The assistant cleans, and serves and handles the rest. Like stepping into an Italian family kitchen to see what is on the table for the night. And with the special menu of the evening, it is like you are stepping into the kitchen. With a reservation for 6 we were lucky to have the table. It is a BYOB so bring what you might want to go with the meals. A red wine is a good idea. As for the specials, it was varied. There are many options to have that are not on the menu. Even that is small. The chef does tell you what was the specials. He answers the questions and does describe what he is thinking. For 6 of us this gave us good options. Several were ordered, and some traditional was selected. We started with appetizers. Tomatoes and mozzarella was always a way to start. Classic. Mixed with a green salad and some extra cheese it is a good way to go. Garlic bread was a complement. We also had the rice balls stuffed with a small meatball combo. This is typical in certain regions of Italy, and each are different. It had a special sauce to top it and more bread. The sauce was good enough as a dipping sauce for the bread without the rice ball. As we ate the apps we drank the wines. Truly typical for an Italian meal. When the entrees came out it was time to shift things around. These entrees were a good size and freshly cooked. You can see the chef in the kitchen cooking each meal. This is a home kitchen. We had a few specials. One was the duck on the couscous. With the frech sauce and herbs it was amazing. It is not how you expect to have duck. It was definitely not Chinese. This was a fresh duck cooked and aged so that the flavor was ideal. The portion was large and the aroma amazing. Also had to have a very traditional pasta carbonara - pasta mixed in a garlic cream sauce with onions and pieces of bacon. A bit of peper and grated cheese helps. It is an old simple idea what what is always made in a family. There was also pasta bolognese, and even a pasta with sliced rib steak in a mushroom cream sauce. Very different. Once the meal was finished had to have espresso and dessert. The espresso was made the old way in a pot I still have on a the shelf and use. As for the dessert, we did have a lemon cake and a cake made with pistachio that was ground and had flavor that was not expected as a cream in a cake. It was exceptional. As the waitress mentioned, these cakes come from a bakery in Italy and are delivered. The taste and sweetness are typical of Italy and not of the US. Very Italian. The food is great. It is fresh, tasty, has a flavor and style that is unique to the chef. He can make a great meal that you will enjoy. It is typical but with a twist. The portions are a good size. The price is perfect. Bring your own wine and step inside. It is like being in someone;s kitchen. And make that reservation!

We've been coming here for a long time under william's ownership and we always loved his style of…read morecooking. Today we learned that he is taking a break. A whole new menu but didn't include any of william's classics. No duck salad, no clam linguini or spicy seafood pasta or any other williams items on the menu. The pastas we ordered (seafood with sundried tomatoes and gnocci with lamb) werent bad but not even close to what we had before. Disappointing. Sadly I dont think we'll be back until william come back. Also, the pastas we ordered (under specials menu--did not have a price, but each pasta was $50 each which I think its very high for pasta we had)

We used to go for special occasions (Mother's Day, birthdays, etc.) but hadn't been in quite a…read morewhile. My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Friday, and they chose Iavarone's. Christian was our server, and the evening couldn't have gone better. The food was perfectly prepared and was all delicious. After the meal, we were presented with a special complementary dessert. Bravo!!!

Previous dining was exceptional and do I brought 10 people for my 70th Birthday last night…read more While the food was excellent and warranted a 5 - the service was horrible and a 1 would be a push! The waitress was rude and condescending throughout dinner service. I was embarrassed. We ordered 7 appetizers to share. Which were great but the empty dirty plates sat. The restaurant was not busy as we had a 5:15 reservation. I had to ask her to clear the table. She responded with the process and policy of doing so after dinner orders were taken. We still needed time to recheck menus surrounded by dirty plates. My husband asked for bread and was told they don't provide bread until after the entree orders are taken, further elaborating that people eat bread and don't order an entree, Seriously! We ordered and the dishes were cleared, except for 2 of our party and bread was brought. She asked the guests to pick up some food that fell off the dishes to help her clean the table. I don't understand customer service or dining experience when the guests are lectured on restaurant policy. I paid the 700 bill, and they auto generated a tip for horrible service. We normally would have ordered a few after dinner drinks - but were disgusted with the lack of attention and service. I will never go back!

I have been to this restaurant several times and had great experiences typically. Unfortunately…read morethis time had a few issues. I will start with the good. The food quality and flavor is excellent. I love the bread with olive oil served before the meal. I ordered veal and it was also excellent and the pasta is delicious too. We ordered the Romano pizza as an appetizer and it was ok. Unfortunately our food took a loooooong time to come out. The pizza probably took 30 minutes. We asked for the salads to come out at the same time but again had to wait. My salad had no dressing on it so I had to ask for it which they did send out. The meals again took quite awhile to come out. I will say our server was friendly, but the kitchen just took forever with everything. I will definitely come back because the food is so good. Hopefully this was just an off night.

Service is excellent and their wine selection is decent. They are limited in pastas, so I opted for…read morethe bucatini (it's one of my favorite). It was a more dense than I'm used to and this pasta had an odd taste. The salad was delish, as is the bread, which is accompanied by an olive oil and tapenade.

This is your neighborhood hangout. Good Italian eats. And…read morecared for by a fun staff. They have daily drink specials and quality Italian cuisine.

Huge portions, delicious food, excellent service all at an affordable price. We enjoyed a quiet…read morelunchtime salad and pasta meal. Their hot & fresh baked mini Italian loaves with butter & parm will melt in your mouth!

Amazing food and service. Came here for lunch with my boyfriend and the servers were so friendly…read moreand polite. Food came out fast and fresh. Would definitely recommend their Alfredo! Will be coming back for dinner soon!

Enjoyed the linguine scampi and curry soup, good service, cozy environment…read more With traditional table setting