It's always heartening when you hear about a place - through the digital "grapevine" - and it turns out to be as good as you'd hoped...maybe even a little better. The Basil Margherita 12" pie I had for lunch today was EXCELLENT. Their lunch specials - also available on the weekend - include pasta dishes and pies, including a drink (soda or iced tea), for $12.99. You cannot beat a deal THAT good these days, particularly when the food is so delicious. The cheese and gravy were really good, but that pizza dough was something special. I'll return for the penne alla vodka because it is a favorite of mine. I don't know if the pasta is homemade (my preference) but I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to Chianti's. You will too. Bravo! read more

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This was our first time at Chiantis and I would rate it pretty average Italian, but I'll also touch on a few things that set it apart. I have a dairy allergy (I know, going to an Italian restaurant isn't ideal for that), and our server, Arie (spelling may be wrong), was so knowledgeable and accommodating. She quickly pointed out a few dairy free dishes and made some suggestions for modifications. She also brought out garlic knots and mentioned they were not cooked with butter but rather oil and large chunks of garlic. Delicious! Even our 8 month old loved. I ended up going with the spaghetti bolognese. Portion was large but the flavors were pretty standard. My husband got the chicken parm and he said the same. A good chicken parm, nonetheless. They have a nice kids menu. My older son got the chicken tenders and French fries and buttered noodles. He loved it all! My husband took him to the bathroom at one point and said it was pretty gross and dirty in there. They may just need to do a little cleaning. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars but I'd really give it more 3.5 if I could. Not sure if we'll be back, but it was worth checking out! read more

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This was my first time at Chianti's, and unfortunately, I was highly disappointed. What was supposed to be a family dinner for five turned into a frustrating experience after I mistakenly arrived at the Sanford location, not realizing there were two locations. Me and my daughter decided to stay because they were closing soon (45min). I ordered a kids' mac and cheese for my two-year-old, and while feeding her, I noticed something black in the food--it was a bug (see photo). I immediately notified the server, who was clearly overwhelmed with a large party of 30. Her only response was to offer a replacement, which I appreciated, but as someone in the hospitality industry, I expected the item to be comped as well. Not only did they bring out another kids' plate without removing the disposable tablecloth that had the squashed bug on it, but I had to roll it up and remove it myself. That alone should have warranted more attention from the staff. About 10 minutes before closing, a different server approached me as if I was holding up the kitchen--when in reality, it was my original server who had disappeared to bill out a party of 30 and never returned to take my order. After the sarcastic remark from the male server and sitting there staring at a smooshed bug, I completely lost my appetite. I ended up just requesting a chicken breast--opting not to order the full chicken parmesan entree--and specifically asked to be charged as if I were ordering an extra breast. When the bill arrived, not only was the kids' mac and cheese still on it with no discount, but I was also charged for a chicken parm burger meal, which includes a side I never received. When I questioned the charge, the server offered to "drop some fries" as a quick fix. At that point, I was ready to go but accepted the fries just to feel slightly better, even though I had no intention of eating them. There was no apology from a manager, no acknowledgment of the bug in my child's food, and no real effort to make the situation right. I paid the $40 bill for our meals, but I won't be returning. The Sangria was also very mediocre. My family enjoyed their meal at the Longwood location, if I decide to come back it will be to that location. read more

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Looking for some incredible Italian food in Sanford, look no further than Chianti's. We have visited several times as a group and the food has been wonderful each time. The dining room is small with little space between tables. Definitely not what I expected during a pandemic. The waiters are friendly although not very attentive. Be forewarned, the wine is very expensive and two glasses will run you close to twenty dollars. We had a long wait for food so we drank & debated for several glasses, surprise! Dessert is a dream. You can get the world's best cannolli here. I'm not kidding. The richest creamiest mind blowing treat around! I guarantee we will be back again! read more

First time stopping in and talk about a cozy place with excellent food I had the veal parmesan and my wife had the chicken Parmesan Such great flavors and the garlic bread was on point . Service was amazing and friendly. Highly recommended!!! read more

This was a recommendation from a local and it was spot on! Some of the best pizza in all of Florida. Our server was top notch and had all of the good recommendations on the menu. She kept up on all of our refills and was great at his job!! Highly recommend the garlic knots!! Would recommend to anyone in the area looking for a great spot for pizza and a drink. read more

Low key Italian restaurant in a popular shopping area. This review is specifically for their lunch. And speaking of lunch, the specials they have are excellently priced for the amount of food they give you. Huge lunch selections. That said, we went around 3pm on a Tuesday. There was only one other table and only one server working at the time. He was patient with answering questions and we didn't feel awkward or rushed. He let me order a lunch sized portion of the Chicken Piccata which wasn't on the menu. Our drinks were kept a full and he was attentive without being overbearing. The food itself is above average but not exceptional. The Chicken Piccata was hot, fresh, and very flavorful. My only issue was that the piece of chicken was very small and thin compared the the amount of pasta that came with it. This was the lunch sized portion so it may be different for dinner. My wife ordered the margarita pizza and if was one of the better ones I've had. Very fresh ingredients. All meals come with garlic rolls which are pretty average but tasty nonetheless. Overall a 5/5 for service and atmosphere and 4/5 for the food. We will back again to try dinner and some desserts. I recommend this place for anyone looking for an affordable Italian lunch. read more

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Wow! My new Italian favorite! A small, family owned vibe with the best food I have had in a long time! Four of us went and each ordered something different and each of us left with an additional meal from the leftovers. I had the sweet Marsala but instead of with steak medallions had chicken. Huge plate of food but so very flavorful! I ate more than I should have but I didn't want to stop. Didn't like the bread knots but if it's complimentary, you can't complain! Would have been better as a fluffy loaf and dip in oil and herbs and garlic. No matter what you order it all looks amazing and so I can attest to the eggplant parm, lobster ravioli and chicken parm. But that sweet Marsala is unreal- So so so delicious!!! Will be back soon! read more

Took the family here last night and I certainly did not disappoint!! We had salads and individual pizzas, Delicious! Mark was our server and did a great job making our rare family outing fun and enjoyable. The atmosphere was pleasant and perfect for a family or a date! We ordered the pepperoni pinwheels to go, for football today!! read more

This place catered my wedding on May 10, 2025. And we could not have been happier with the food for our cocktail hour and our dinner. We ordered their steak marsala with their amazing marsala sauce. We also had chicken piccata and many other items. They were amazing. The price was right, and they did such a professional job, and I got compliments from all of my guest saying how good the food was and that was very important to me that people had a good meal at our wedding. read more

If you want delicious Italian food look no further than Chianti's. Located and Sanford and in Longwood. They offer a variety of Italian foods. They also offer barbecue pork that is slow-roasted for over 20 hours! Everything on this menu is amazing my favorite is the chicken parmesan. Currently I'm taking a class in Sanford and Chianti's caters the class each Wednesday so I have been able to try the chicken parmesan the slow-roasted pork, meat loaf, pizza, pasta and salad and of course the garlic knot bread. Everything has been cooked to perfection and not over seasoned! So what are you waiting for go get you some! read more

Chianti's Pizza & Pasta - Chicken parmesan with pasta and salad. - Italian Near Me - Sanford, Florida

Nope! I'll never come back here again! I've been talking about coming here for a while too because it's a convenient location that I've passed multiple times. And the reviews were good but I don't understand how. Maybe my standards are higher than others when it comes to eating out and ordering pizza. The inside looked very nice- they make it look like a fancy Italian restaurant. I got 2 pizzas to go- 1 gluten free and 1 cheese. The total was $30! I'm amazed at the expensive price of pizza in the area but anyway ... the pizza was the size of a spiral notebook- both pizzas! They're pretty much personal pies. I thought 2 pies would feed my family but we had to make extra food because of the size! Beyond that, the slices were SUPER THIN, like paper. I'm not even kidding. If you buy their pizza, just hold a piece of paper next to it. They seem to use real cheese and sauce and the taste wasn't bad but for the price I paid, I was very disappointed in what I got. read more

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The food is (and was) outstanding when we dined there last night. We have never been disappointed by the food here! We both had the chicken francese with linguine. The garlic rolls were delicious, as always, and come with the meal . The entree comes with not one but two generous slabs of thin, breaded chicken. The white wine butter sauce is delicious! We were both filled after each having one chicken slice, so we'll eat the rest tonight, with some of the remaining linguine and garlic rolls. The setting is lovely and there isn't a lot of noise; the service was excellent!! Best of all, the prices are very reasonable. The wine selection is good, and their prices as reasonable as well . All in all, we'll continue to dine here, even though it's 20 minutes away by car ( we live in Deland). Frank and Debbie read more

You must get the Italian wings for an appetizer! I wanted to go for calamari or Fried mozzarella but they were out . I did not regret getting the wings . They were juicy , crunchy and the batter is similar to a mozzarella stick . Very flavorful batter and they give you a marinara sauce but it's better without it honestly . We got lunch special :vodka and a cheese pasta. Checked in thru Yelp and for a free cannoli and it was incredible; great filling. read more

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We drive by this restaurant lots of time. We stopped in to try it. I was little worried when we went in. Well we got the menu $5 for a salad with a purchase of dinner. Wow better be an excellent salad. My lady order special stuff shells $29. She ask for spinach $4 extra that's a $1 a leaf. I had chicken parmigiana $19. Look like a big breast but it was on top of all the spaghetti. The food was good but pricy. $58 with tea and Pepsi. read more

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We came by for lunch on a whim and I am really impressed. It was a late lunch so not busy, we were sat right away and our server (Kerri) was phenomenal. Helpful, but not overbearing and very timely with clearing plate, bringing refills and checking on us. My husband and I split a small pizza and chicken parm. Both were so yummy. I really enjoyed both dishes and will come back. We also checked in and got the free cannoli which was delish! The only thing I would ding them for was the music being way too loud as we were yelling at each other, but next time we will just not sit in the booth in the back closest to the speaker! read more

Chianti's Pizza & Pasta - Italian Near Me - Sanford, Florida

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My wife and went to Chianti's for our Christmas Eve dinner. The restaurant Is small and quaint inside. The server seemed like he could have been the manager was really awesome. We ordered a bottle of wine, and my only complaint would be I wish they had a couple more options, but I get it. The caprese salad we had was super tasty. Then my wife had eggplant parm and I went with Veal Marsala. The eggplant was crisp and then had a great red sauce. The veal, is the first veal I have had in years, was super tasty, but that Marsala was fantastic. I was full but left room for the lemon cake and a canolli to take home. They seem to have had lots of regulars coming in, and I understand. read more

They have a pretty extensive gluten free menu. The largest I have seen for Italian food. Hubby had lasagna and he says it was very good and large enough portion to eat for lunch the next day. My daughter did not love the shrimp scampi, too heavy on lemon for her liking. She did enjoy the cannoli though. The tomato vodka sauce I had on the GF noodles was different, it had small cubes of ham I think it was and much thinner of a sauce than how I make it. Wait staff was very friendly and helpful. read more

Hey, it was ok when you're starving! I asked the server if they peel the eggplants before cooking. I ordered eggplant rolotini. Again, it was good. But the cook kept giving me dirty looks from the kitchen. It was so weird. Not to mention he looked like he should be working at Denny's. Certainly not Italian!! Don't know what his problem was but I have no desire to go back. Italian restaurants around here are such a joke and are money sucking places. $24 for eggplant rolotini is a joke compared to what it cost them. The female server was so nice. I spent $75 for 2 people, no drinks and one $14 appetizer. Left $100 on the table and left. Never go back. read more

The food, which is what makes a restaurant, is decent, however the Minestrone Soup is no more than tomato sauce and vegetables in a bowl so that is a bit disappointing. The pasta is good, though they did get linguine and spaghetti confused in the Spaghetti and Meatballs. The Cannoli was okay. Nothing too exciting and the filling was kind of gritty. Not the best I've had. The ambiance here is not that great. The dining room is a bit crowded and harshly lit, with a direct view into the kitchen making anything the chefs or prep staff say easily heard by anyone in the restaurant. The wait staff here is GREAT which is the only thing keeping this review afloat. They were very attentive, willing to fix and issues, and they got the bill right at the end. I would recommend this place if you're looking for wonderful wait staff serving mediocre food in a unimpressive establishment. read more

First ordered the linguini and clam sauce. 15 min later they tell me they don't have it so I was forced to reorder. That was my mistake. I should have just left. So I got the chicken Marsala which was more like soup with barely any noodles because you know how expensive pasta is. Absolutely the worst Marsala I have ever had. The drink cups taste of detergent like they were not rinsed properly. Overall terrible dining experience. read more

Have been there three times now at the Sanford location, my girlfriend and I enjoyed it everytime, good service, good food, and very reasonable price. I prefer the filet and broccoli dinner! read more

While I'm not Italian, I've dated some and this is like eating at their Nonna's house! This is Love food masquerading itself as Italian food. Their garlic knots are glorious and for us GF peeps, their pasta and pizza are tasty and flavorful...which is something not normally said of GF food. This is a go to place for a wonderful meal and anything that was ordered was delish....great experience and wonderful service. read more

Our waiter Tate was great. Very good food. The only negative was the discovery of a long black hair in my napkin that contained my silverware. Was praying I would not find any in the food. read more

Stopped at Sanford location last night after the Asian Light Festival. Have missed dining there since my move. Service was spot on, as always. Very attentive Chicken gorgonzola special was amazing.. Little heavy on the subdried tomatoes, but easy to pick them out. Mini meatballs did taste like they came from Sysco. Loved their seasonal hat chalkboard painting. Wish I'd taken a pic. Whoever does those is super talented! Chianti's is always my first choice when in the Sanford mall area. And they even have a catering/event center next door, so you can treat all your friends and family to their delightful food!! read more

Outstanding quality food. Large portions and good service. I just wish we lived in the area to frequent here more often. My wife had the marsala filet medallions and I had the stuffed shells with bolognese. Steak was cooked perfect and the pasta was al dente read more

I really wish I could give this more stars.... Maybe a 3.5 option would be nice. The pizza flavor is absolutely spot on and delicious. Great, great food. The issue is, their staff. Not the friendliest group of people in the world. In fact, I called to place an order to go 15 minutes before they opened and the first thing they said was we aren't open for another 15 minutes. He finally agreed to take my order but not without some complaining first. Then, when I got there at 7 minutes AFTER opening they had just stuck my two pies in the oven. And this is just one instance. I've eaten inside and the server was way more attentive to tables with women than me. I'm talking two tables coming in after me and they get excellence service and their food before me. Meanwhile, I'm trying to wave this guy down just to get a drink refill. Not impressed with their service at all. But if you want a great pizza..... Get it to go and place your order during working hours. Not 5, 10, or 15 minutes before they open..... Because they will make you wait for having the audacity to call them early. read more

I have been looking forward to trying this place but sadly I regret it. Don't waste your money! The Mediterranean salad is served with bland dressing. When ordering a side of ranch, the portion size is very small and worst of all the dressing is watered down. The garlic knots are stale tasting and the tea is way too strong. The lobster ravioli was drowning in red sauce and there was no lobster in the ravioli. Save your money and eat elsewhere. read more

This place is just so- so. Maybe we caught them on an off night. The value for the price just wasn't there.

Super people, super food. Far more than a pizza parlor. A gem not far from home with a most pleasant atmosphere and good service, I to know Chianti'a through meals they catered, and that drew me into their restaurant. read more

I've been eyeing this place for awhile. I finally decided to order on a very hot day that I decided to treat myself. I called ahead to order and they were very nice in trying they help me figure out a sauce I could put on my ravioli that didn't have wine. They went above and beyond. The issue I had was when I went to pick up my food, NO ONE in the kitchen had their mask on properly. It was only over their mouths. If one person didn't have it on right fine, but to work in the kitchen and no one has it on right made me uncomfortable. I felt unsafe. Seeing this spoke volumes that this was their culture/norm and maybe didn't understand how infectious disease (aka COVID) is spread. One sneeze and everyone is endangered including the people who are eating the food! During this pandemic consumers of restaurants are taking a chance in eating any place that is not home. I feel restaurants needs to be extra concerned and diligent in their care when handling other's food. The manager came out with her mask on properly and kindly refunded my money. She explained that the kitchen staff pulls down their masks "temporarily" to take a breath... I totally understand that (I work in an emergency room!), but to have 100% of the cooking staff with their noses out for the duration that I was waiting for my food was disheartening. The manager made no kind of apolog, which I was not particularly waiting on, but it would have been nice if she would have acknowledged the error. Instead it felt like she didn't understood the importance of having their masks on both nose and mouth. This practice of just covering the mouth must be their everyday work environment . Anyway I would try again. This time I will not call ahead. Hopefully I walk in and they will be up to speed on how to stop the spread of infectious disease because I really wanted that ravioli! read more

The service was wonderful here but the food was pretty mediocre. My daughters vodka pasta was ok, my veal piccata was so chewy I couldn't get through it, and the garlic knots could kill a dozen vampires. I would not recommend read more

Food was good, the Server was in such hurry to get us out of there. Nobody else in the restaurant at the time, so we had to ask him can we sit here & chat, while having our lunch, he finally agreed. Otherwise he was trying to hurry us out. It was a little crazy. read more

Not a fancy place, but serves great Italian food. Very generous with the garlic knots, and the chicken parm was absolutely fantastic. Keep heading back there whenever I can. read more

I happened to be in the area of Sanford for a business meeting and needed a place for lunch. Yelp said that they offered dine-in and it was close to my location so I and my associate made the trip. I was originally fearful that it was not open, based on the signage and appearance, but not wanting to backtrack and try another chain restaurant, tugged on the door. To my great surprise, and maybe that of the nearby table, it opened. We masked up and went in. The waitress, Liz, was very friendly and appeared with the menus, getting our drink orders. She disappeared with them while we chose our sandwiches from the menu. I had a chicken parmesan, which was everything I thought it would be, although with the appetizer of garlic knots (which were the bomb), the sandwich and fries turned out to be a more than sufficient serving size. If I'm in the area, I would definitely give them a shot for a quick bite of decent Italian food. Liz helped the process out quite a bit with her friendly and attentive manner. At the close of our lunch, she informed us that she was headed home with a migraine. With the level of service she provided, I would have never known. Kudos to both the restaurant and to her. read more

Ordered a load of food online for a party. Food was done in 20-30 minutes. Staff was incredible

The first time we visited Chianti's we were coming in from an out of town trip and found it on Yelp. Now we stop in frequently! Chianti's has my favorite alfredo sauce. So I usually order the chicken Alfredo here but any of the pizzas are a win as well. When the restaurant is not busy, the kids can go back and make their pizzas. My kids just have the best time doing this. I am a huge fan of the garlic knots. Some people find them too garlicky because it almost burns there is so much. But I LOVE them! They are my favorite of anywhere I have had them. We like to do their $8.99 lunch specials that come with your drink during the week. I love the warm family feel you get in the restaurant. They have a great menu variety and the staff is always so wonderful. read more

Very nice waitress, cheese pizza came out pretty quick and tasted great! Got a Chocolate Mouse cake to go and it's very yummy, thank you(: read more

Chianti's Pizza & Pasta - Chocolate Mousse Cake - Italian Near Me - Sanford, Florida

3.5 star food, 5 star ambiance and service. Chianti's isn't the best Italian I've ever had, but it's definitely good stuff. They do get packed on weekends. I've gone for both dine-in and take out and had a much better experience dining in. For take out, we'd ordered a pizza and it was just alright. Their food is definitely best eaten fresh. It's definitely a place I would visit again. I had the minestrone soup, which was different in flavor and ingredients from most I've had before though it did contain all the basics. It was flavourful and hearty. I was also pleasantly surprised with the serving size. My dining partner went with a simple pepperoni pizza, which judging from the fact it was quickly demolished, was probably pretty good. That said, the price for a 12 in personal one topping was a bit on the high side. I was impressed with the service, especially for how busy they were, serving a large party for what looked like a rehearsal dinner. They had a tonnnn of staff and all were pitching in to make sure all the customers were well taken care of. Their desserts are top notch as well. I was a little confused with the zeppoli though- it was thoroughly delicious but it's not what I've gotten when ordering zeppoles anywhere else I've ever gone- a classic zeppole is deep fried dough covered in powdered sugar, usually served in balls, relatively large servings too (6-12 an order). This was a deep fried dough shell (larger than a traditional zeppole), filled with cannoli filling and covered with granulated sugar and chocolate sauce with whipped cream on the side. It was decadent and delicious, but this one would definitely benefit from a menu description, as I can definitely seeing others being confused! Will return here to try more of the pasta dishes. read more

Walmart frozen pizza is better. I don't mind a thin crust but this was cracker thin and under cooked. Your margarita pizza is a disgrace also. read more

Chianti's Pizza & Pasta - Italian Near Me - Sanford, Florida

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