What looked like a tiny hole in the wall placed delivered some of the best tasting Italian food I've had! The food was so flavorful and delicious. I recommend adding grilled chicken to the antipasto salad. The staff were very kind and open to substitutions. The food came out fast. If you're looking for a casual, quick, delicious Italian lunch- this place is for you! read more

Difranco’s - IMPOSSIBLE MEATBALL - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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People seem to love this small Italian restaurant, but it came up short for me. The best thing about our experience was that they have a good selection of gluten free dishes on the menu. My son-in-law was happy about that. Now for the reason I won't be back. You order from the counter, which is fine. The thing that put me off was that they charge extra to use your credit card. Yes I know credit cards charge them and they want their customers to pay for that. (Shame on credit card companies!). But our order came to close to $100.00 and who carries that much cash? So that brought up the total. Then of course tip on top of that. No service to speak of except somebody physically carrying the food to the table. No checking back. Three of us ordered eggplant parm with spaghetti. It came with generous portions in two separate dishes. The pasta had a grainy texture that I didn't enjoy. The sauce needed to be brighter. The eggplant was almost too salty to eat. I just didn't enjoy my meal. A dry slice of bread (no butter) came on the plate too. I sopped up some sauce with it but it wasn't quality bread. I guess I was put off by the extra charge for the credit card and from there it was downhill for me. The gluten free dish was the best one, I guess. It was carbonara with penne pasta. read more

Difranco’s - EGGPLANT PARM and SPAGHETTI - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Absolutely awful Italian meal. And coming from an Italian family, though it doesn't matter, it was pretty obvious. Let's start with my salad, which was a mixed green salad with shrimp. First of all the Bass salad was all lettuce with three sliced canned black olives. Not a whole olive three slices of one olive. Maybe three or four sliver of red onion. There's almost no dressing and it was absolutely bland. I ordered it with shrimp because I'm trying to stay heart healthy. In fact, usually when people order salads they are trying to eat healthy. When my food arrived, the shrimp were on a separate plate literally sitting in a half an inch of butter. They were obviously sautéed or prepared to shrimp scampi. I had to take some napkins to squeeze out the copious amount of butter that was on the shrimp. Not withstanding the unhealthy nature of it, and all the years I've had shrimp on a salad. I have never had something as strange as shrimp scampi as the topping for a salad. My son got the penne, vodka pasta. A dish he orders very regularly from restaurants. Like others have commented, it was very bland. The sauce did not stick. The bread that was included was the most basic uninspiring tasteless bread that could've been provided. For the record, I picked this place against my son's wishes. The ambience and reviews seemed like this was going to be a great restaurant. And while we were waiting for our food, I could not stop raving on the atmosphere and what appeared to be a great kitchen. However, obviously my experience was the polar opposite. With so many great restaurants around I would stay away. read more

Very friendly service, meticulously clean storefront and good menu. I picked up two entrees for lunch - Shrimp Diablo and Chicken Parm with spaghetti. Both came with white bread. Now, I have eaten here several times and it has been better than today. Today, the noodles were overcooked and not al dente. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and the chicken parm was great. I have always thought the bread here was extremely subpar. It is not toasted, buttered and is pretty bland and tasteless. If they could upgrade the bread, it would make meals there so much better. Good red sauce. Nice counter cashier. read more

Difranco’s - Shrimp Diablo and CHICKEN PARM and SPAGHETTI (1) with subbed fettuccine noodles. SHRIMP DIABLO SHRIMP - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Was in the mood for some pasta so decided to stop in. Service was quick during lunch time. What we swallowed on the go: *CAPRESE SANDWICH WITH SALAD: Mozz was good and the veggies were fresh. *FETUCCINE: Tasty *DESSERTS: The cannolis were sooo yum! The cookies were good too. The food we had was really good. We would come back to try out more items! read more

Went out on a trip to denver was trying new spots to eat and found this spot downtown thought italian food would be a good start... let me first say the environment was not it at all bathroom was the only nice addition food was very low tier didn't remind me of no italian cooking just a want to be restaurant the waiter was this short women who smelled and didn't fit the attire and was clearly putting a persona on didn't seem like she even enjoyed her job seemed as if she was more stressed out about life and wanted to quit on the spot or find any reasoning to blow up on anyone present very uncomfortable unpleasant place would never recommend. Terrible. read more

Came by mid-afternoon for a late lunch/early dinner. We were hungering for some old-style Italian food. And we found it! It's a bright order-at-the counter place, but don't let that fool you. The staff was very friendly and made us feel like we might have been at any first class restaurant. On Tuesdays they have Penne for a Penny (buy one penne pasta, get another for one cent). I had the Vodka Penne, spouse had Red Sauce Penne. Both were excellent and exactly what we were looking for. We finished it off with some amazing Ricotta Cookies that were fantastic. I have to go back just for those (and maybe try something else on the menu)! read more

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Excellent little service counter stop. You walk in and order, find your seat, and wait for Italian deliciousness. Everything is fresh and flavorful. Really, it's white tablecloth quality at a quick-serve price. My favorite meal is the Caesar salad, followed by the burrata with ciabatta and basil pesto, then finished with the pizza logs. It's a lot of food, but worth the nap. read more

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I love this place!! It is so cute and the service is amazing!! The food is incredible as well. They often have really great deals. I can't wait to go back!!! read more

Difranco’s - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

The Breakup: One epic fail can ruin a long term relationship and sadly I am no longer committed to DiFranco's. On a recent Friday night, when it was not at all busy, I showed up to pick up a carry out order. Unfortunately I observed a violation of basic food safety - the staff was not on their A game and thus hygiene standards were disregarded. I arrived and was promptly greeted and told that my order would be ready shortly. No problem whatsoever so I took a seat which had a direct view of the kitchen. Yup. When a restaurant has an open kitchen you better believe that everything is going to be observed by guests. The person that greeted me took a phone call, placed an order at the register, and then proceeded to go to our order and start garnishing it with parm and parsley without gloves or washing his hands. The phone rang again, he picked up the call and used his bare hands to finish completing our order while continuing to talk on the phone. Anyone grossed out by this? I was. Of course this might make sense if he was the only employee and trying to do all the jobs - still not acceptable but a forgivable mistake. What dumbfounded me was that there were two other employees in the kitchen, one was obviously a cook, both focused on their mobile phones and not supporting the person who was interacting with customers. The other employees just weren't aware. I understand everyone needs a break and all that, but take your mobile phone time away from the kitchen FFS. Once our order was packaged I spoke with the employee and let him know what I observed - I did this away from the register because there was another person picking up an order and wanted to communicate what I saw away from another guest. I got an apology, but I stated that wasn't good enough and that they needed to do better. They did not offer to remake the order. A couple of side notes: the new owner must be aware that this failure cannot be tolerated. This breaks trust in how I perceive other standards are being handled as well. Is the walk-in organized and rotation of food put in place? Do employees wash their hands after toilet breaks? It's really unfortunate that this long term relationship has to end. Sometimes there are deal breakers and I'm unsure what DiFranco's can do to win me back. read more

Difranco’s - Excellent spaghetti carbonara and a tasty pork and beef meatball. - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Hate to leave a bad review, but the portions were so small I felt the need to. Skimpy on any meat that you order as an add-on to your pasta as well. "Buy one meal get one free" deals are not what they seem... you just receive the size of one meal split into two portions. The food was good, but equivalent to other independently owned Italian restaurants in Denver. read more

GARLIC BROCCOLI, MEATBALL, and ANTIPASTO SALAD were super delicious!! My daughter ordered the chicken Alfredo and she said it was the best. The owner and staff are super friendly, we are grateful we stumbled across this place while visiting Denver. We will be back! read more

Difranco’s - GARLIC BROCCOLI, MEATBALL, and ANTIPASTO SALAD - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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The gluten free Alfredo and sub were amazing. The meatballs are super moist and flavorful. Portion sizes were great. A cute little place with friendly staff. 10/10 would recommend read more

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I love the food and ambience. But 2.7% "credit card service charge" plus 5% "carbon farming service fee" is verging on dishonest pricing. read more

Difranco’s - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Food: wonderful handmade pasta, chicken parmigiana that makes me salivate in memory and one of the two best Caesar salads I've had. Snag their amazing deal on Wednesday date night (two salads, two mains, two desserts and a bottle of good wine for $65!?!?) Service: everyone here is always sweet and helpful. It is a deli counter but it makes you feel special when you dine in. Ambiance: always a great soundtrack and cheery/ clean vibe. I always appreciate their tasteful Xmas decorations, too. read more

Difranco’s - Date night deal! - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Very friendly and efficient. Great service great food. Ordered a crazy amount of food and was not judged at all didn't even make a face ! Highly recommend for a laid back Italian meal read more

The service is good, the people are friendly! We ordered a red wine and it was delicious read more

Difranco’s - Red Wine - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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5 Stars -- A Must-Visit Italian Gem in Denver! DiFranco's Italian is everything you want in a neighborhood spot--cozy vibes, kind and welcoming staff, and food that tastes like it came straight from an Italian kitchen. The service was exceptional from start to finish. The staff made us feel right at home and clearly take pride in what they do. My friend is gluten-free and was blown away by the options--not just the pasta, but a gluten-free cannoli! That's nearly impossible to find, and she said it was absolutely delicious. DiFranco's is clearly thoughtful about dietary needs without sacrificing flavor or quality. I had a fantastic meal as well--every bite was fresh, flavorful, and made with care. Whether you're local or just passing through, DiFranco's is a must-try. One of the best Italian meals I've had in Denver! read more

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Probably these best Italian I've had living in Denver the last 7 years. We heard about DiFrancos through our Passport Book, so we made a reservation since there are about 10 tables in the restaurant. When you walk-in you go to the counter and they will hand you a menu and you go to a table. Once you decide on what you will order you place your order at the counter. We ordered the pizza logs to start and boy they didn't disappoint!! Pepperoni wrapped around mozzarella cheese and then fried. We wolfed these down with the marinara sauce. I could have ordered another plate of these bet held off. The carbonara and spaghetti were delicious. You can tell it was made there just how the noodles had a certain type of texture. The pasta was amazing and the sauces didn't disappoint. I did buy 3 ricotta cookies sorry no photos but they were delicious. Again I should have bought at least 3 more to snack at home the next day. The service was great. They came out to make sure your food was good and they did ask how we heard of their restaurant. They do very little marketing and rely on reviews, word of mouth, and the passport book. If you want homemade Italian I can't stress enough DiFrancos. You can park in the garage for easy parking and not needing to pay for it. read more

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Everything was absolutely delicious. We loved the eggplant parm, bison bolognese, and garlic broccoli. Staff were kind and helpful. 10/10! read more

Difranco’s - EGGPLANT PARM and SPAGHETTI GARLIC BROCCOLI GARLIC BREAD SEASONAL PASTA - BISON BOLOGNESE - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Gluten free pasta, bread, AND cannolis--need I say more?! As soon as I mentioned having Celiac disease they immediately assured me that the food is prepared separately and they take extra precautions to avoid cross-contact. The chef even came out to check on me and was so nice! For a casual, counter-service restaurant I wasn't sure what to expect, but the food was delicious! My date had regular pasta and also said it was excellent. read more

Difranco’s - Vodka penne pasta - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

What a great place. Kind staff amazing home cooked food great location. Just good. If you want authentic Italian cuisine that you can taste the love. Go here. From Canon city read more

Listen. Stop what you're doing. Put down that sad frozen dinner and sprint (yes, sprint) to DiFranco's because this place just ruined pasta anywhere else for me. First off, the service? Impeccable. Like, if Michelin stars were given out for kindness and timing, these folks would have a constellation named after them. I felt so taken care of I half expected them to tuck me in for a nap after dinner. Now let's talk food: The meat sauce -- absolutely criminal. If comfort had a flavor, THIS is it. Deep, rich, melt-into-your-soul levels of good. Honestly might ask them to bottle it so I can use it as perfume. The gluten-free pasta -- excuse me?! This isn't "good for gluten-free," it's just GOOD. Chewy, saucy perfection. Witchcraft. I demand answers. Stuffed shells -- these little cheese bombs should come with a warning label. So. Much. Cheese. (Translation: heaven.) I blacked out halfway through and woke up smiling. By the end, I was plotting how to move in upstairs so I can smell garlic and sauce every day like a cartoon character floating toward a pie on a windowsill. DiFranco's isn't a restaurant. It's a life event. Go hungry, leave changed. read more

Came here with some friends for a casual dinner. My carbonara was very good and I appreciated the use of good ingredients like homemade pasta and guanciale. The restaurant is fairly small and you order at the counter before taking a seat. This is an easy place to miss in my opinion due to the location but I thought it was much better than many Italian spots I've tried in Denver read more

Perfect little spot for some delicious Italian food. The everything has great flavor and the environment was very welcoming. The staff was super nice and inviting. read more

DiFranco's is a local "Foodie Find" in the area. Do not let the ambiance prohibit your dining experience. The majority of the menu is made in-house, from scratch and/ or curated for the restaurant. Handmade pasta and sauce had enthusiastic approval from our Italian travel companion. Executive King was informative and freely shared the history and vision of DiFranco family recipes. Burrata cheese w/ curated sourdough loaf and basil pesto for an appetizer. Spaghetti and meatball w/ fresh pasta and sauce. House Rose to compliment the meal read more

The food here is SO good. Everything. Subs, salads, dinners, deserts. They perfect all. Authentic Italian tastes, captured. Owners and staff are all very friendly and helpful. Not a whole lot of options on Lincoln in this area. This is my choice for Italian. read more

Difranco’s - Meatball Sub!! Sauce is delicious, meatballs, huge. - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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I have never left a review in my life and I think it's kind of lame. Difranco's is THE BEST pasta place in all of Colorado. Never have I had better wine, pasta or bread and they have Celiac friendly options for my girlfriend. Absolutely goated best vodka penne in Colorado read more

Got takeout and enjoyed their chicken parm, garlic bread, and 2 penne for a penny deal. Chicken parm was pretty good and we enjoyed that. It came with 2 cutlets. Garlic bread was also good, it was a good price for a few pieces of bread. Honestly the disappointment was the penne vodka, it barely had any sauce on it with some tomato chunks. Definitely request double sauce unless you like dry pasta. Honestly I'd request 3x sauce that's how dry it was. Maybe I just got a bad batch and it doesn't speak to DiFrancos as a whole. Not sure I'll return anytime soon but not a bad option if you're in a pinch. read more

I'm not sure what the fuss is about. For $60 or more, you get a small, disappointing portion of mediocre Italian food. To start, you'll have to order at a counter, as there's no waitstaff. Young staff members will bring your food out, but they won't offer any assistance. I had to leave my meal just to wait in line for water. Maybe leave some on the table. My biggest issue is the overwhelming noise. A group of six people sat near us, and I couldn't even have a conversation with my family. It's a shame. read more

Came here to visit from Texas. Best Italian food I've had in a while! Great customer service. read more

Difranco’s - stuffed shells - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

One of Denver's hidden gems - we've been back a few times in the past weeks and the quality, service, and price are beyond most or all Italian options in Denver - house made pastas and the sauces are out of this world, if you haven't been, put it on your list! read more

Simple menu but huge success. Everything is made to order, fresh and some of best Italian I have had in a long time. Red sauce is outstanding and egg plant was to die for. Can't wait to go back. Nothing fancy, but the food was the best. 5 stars for sure. read more

If you're on Lincoln street in Denver you have to try DiFranco's. It's the best Italian food in Denver by a long shot. Super friendly staff, quick service, amazing food. 5 stars all the way. read more

Difranco’s - Stuffed Shells with meat sauce - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I really liked the pizza but the chicken Parm sub sucked. It was so bad. it tasted like the chicken had been reheated in the microwave and the bread was like cardboard. read more

Ordered three items for delivery and upon opening the package when we wanted to eat, discovered two of the items were wrong. Chips advertised as included were missing from a sandwich. The extra charge for sausage for a pasta order was missing. Nice thought to refund me $10, but didn't really impress me with customer service. Food was only so/so. I would never recommend. read more

Best Italian restaurant in Denver. Chicken parm, vodka penne, and house wine are all delicious. Locally owned with great service and a cozy upscale atmosphere. read more

This is an ok place however a bit to pricey. I have been here several times out of convenience. Their pasta is great but the pizza rolls or other concoctions just doesn't have the flavor and quality as expected. It feels like they could do so much better but they are missing better ingredients. They also needs a better ventilation system as every time I have been there I smell like a kitchen. Even the windows when they are busy are full with condensation. read more

Difranco’s - Inside - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Fun for a fast casual Italian place! You order at the counter but food and drinks are brought to your table. Love that there's a free parking garage next door. Tried the carbonara, spaghetti chicken Parmesan, and a few appetizers (garlic bread, garlic broccoli and meatballs). Everything was delicious and we left very full and happy read more

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When I first encountered this deli, I loved it. The Hells Kitchen sandwich was delicious and huge. This was close to 3 days of deliciousness. It's been a couple years, but I ordered this sandwich and it's anorexic now. It's about a 1/4 of what it was and it showed up on the wrong bread. The bread to filling ratio was so disappointing. I hope you can revert back to the original sandwich someday. read more