Super fun place to bring kids. Pasta is only ok but the pizza is super bomb! I like the rotating taps and in house ice cream shop

Wost anti pasta salad ever. NO HAM, NO ONIONS, Only 2 Mushroom slices and three black olive slices Basically paid OVER 10 dollars for a head of lettuce. So disappointing!!! read more

Hard to go wrong with anything from Donatelli's! Pizza, pasta, apps, it's all delicious !!

Way overpriced for what you get. It's really not that good, just okay. Very average. Hard to believe the prices are higher here than at some very good Italian joints on the LES in NYC. Kitchen staff is way too loud. read more

Fun little Italian spot in White Bear. Food is great and the overall vibe is enjoyable. I didn't wait too long to receive my order. Their Beef Stroganoff is amazing however you can only order it on a Friday. If you're in the area this is an excellent restaurant to go to however personally I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here. read more

Needed to place an order during business hours and no answer. Called multiple times with NO answer. If you need to place an order or contact the store, expect to be disappointed. read more

Donatelli's was a fan favorite. Not only was the customer service absolutely impeccable, but the pizzas were quality made, and my residents at Frost English Silver were 100% impressed. And they aren't so easy to please... but Donatelli's won them over with a simple cheese and a simple pepperoni pizza. I am looking forward to dining in and trying their pastas next! read more

It smells like heaven when you walk into the place (which, is located in an unassuming suburban strip mall). You are quickly whisked away to your table (if there is no line ahead of you -- good luck). I found the food to be adequate, but not all the rave that Guy Fieri made it out to be on the episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives that highlighted Donatelli's. I ordered the baked mostaccioli with meatballs. It was pretty good but not as good as the same dish at Degidio's in Saint Paul. The sauce itself was very good, but the meatballs were small and mealy -- like the binder had not fully set. If you want a GREAT meatball, head into Saint Paul and go to Degidio's. We were sitting in one of the many side booths which are nice if you want to attempt to have a normal conversation, but the noise level is still quite high when the place gets to full capacity. The booths have very high backs, which make it somewhat difficult to catch your server's attention when you eventually run out of beverage (you will). Overall, a good place to eat, but not a great place to eat. It does not live up to the Food Network hype. read more

If you think this place is great, you don't know great Italian food. It isn't terrible, but you won't get a taste of the old world here. Food is "supposedly" fresh, but flavors leave you wanting more. I would recommend staying away from the steak and alfredo sauce. A couple things that rub me wrong about this place: 1) They increased all their prices after being on DD&D, which to me is a slap in the face to all their former customers that kept them in business prior. But I guess it makes good business sense... 2) The higher prices don't reflect the quality you'd expect Instead of being a place that took pride in their food, they took pride in their publicity and to me are now something of a "tourist" attraction. So much hype it can never live up to expectations. Time to resume the quest for the real deal... read more

I have a new appreciation for Donatelli's after last Friday's personal experience. So, my mother passed away quite suddenly a week ago. She and my Dad had just been to Donatelli's a week and a half before her death. She liked the place. So, after her funeral last Friday, our family decided to go to Donatelli's in remembrance of Mom. The place was really busy, with free pizza and bread samples being served for those who were waiting for tables, and kiddie cocktails being served for the kids. We ordered three pizzas - a sausage/red pepper/pepperoni combo, their signature white sauce pizza, and a Canadian bacon and pineapple. They were all delicious as usual, with their crisp, yet not burned crust, and gobs of mozzarella. The server was the same waitress who had served my Mom and Dad previously. She was so friendly to my Dad. She even offered us free dessert, on her. We had a cake waiting for us back home, so we didn't take her up on it, but we were all touched by the thought. It's things like that that create special memories and make you realize that there's more to a restaurant than good food. Donatelli's, thank you for a memory we'll cherish forever! read more

I try not to take my dining tips from a TV personality with too much peroxide in his hair, but when we watched Guy Fieri visit this place, my husband marveled at the meatballs, and, well, I can never turn down a good bowl of pasta. So, when a bunch of us went up to Minnesota, we checked it out. It seemed like a good value. Glad we did. The meatball sandwich was made out of the same garlic toast that was on the side of my bowl of straw and hay, and the portions were huge enough for us to easily make it both our very late lunch and very early dinner. One of us ordered the butternut squash ravioli that I want to check out next time -- I simply cannot say no to house-made pasta. Please note that, when you order gelato, the portions are just huge. One scoop? Try two and a half. I'm not exactly complaining, though. Going again. And again. Will probably not go for baked pasta dishes, though, because I don't think that's the best use of the components. Give me a good pasta and a good sauce anyway. I was eyeing the meatballs on my husband's plate through the whole meal. read more

I'll admit that my boyfriend drove me here in a flurry one night because he saw it on the Food Network, and it was apparently so delicious looking he couldn't go another night without eating there. And boy, am I glad he did. Our waitress was friendly, and actually brought us an additional order of Italian Dunkers because she thought the chef was skimpy on the first one. I ordered off the kids menu (Lasagna) and was still unable to finish my food. Boy got the Baked Mostacholi (spl?) and his first thought was "Is this just a bowl of cheese?" I would suggest fasting the day before, because this place gives you so much delicious food. And you will want to finish it. read more

The food here is always amazing, with lots of flavor. I'm a fan of the pizza and the bleu bacon burger. I also usually get their "hot chips," with a few extra sides of their red sauce, which is the best I've had just about anywhere. I'll echo what a few others have said about the service. When it's good, it's second to none, but when it's not good, it can be downright irritating. Some of the staff are great, and others seem to disappear the moment you need them. The prices have risen considerably in the last few years, and while quite good, the food just doesn't seem to justify it for our family. We used to eat there almost every week, and now only go a few times a year. Still, the food is GREAT, and the ambiance is something to behold. Plus, they have dishes here that you just can't get anywhere else. read more

The Good: Red Sauce, Big Portions, Free Cheese Bread (while wanting), Reasonable Prices, Great Service The Bad: Gigantic Unfocused Menu, Quantity over Quality The Ugly: The Pink Panther Decor (not a deal breaker for me but I wouldn't take a first date here) The Verdict: If I am in the mood for Italian and in the area I will be back to support this Mom and Pop shop, I just wish they focused their menu a bit more and had more quality fresh ingredients. read more

My family used to eat in at Donatelli's every week. It was our go-to place for pizza. The food is good, but not great. Most of the servers are terrific and the service is typically quick. For the last couple years, we have mostly done take out, and the results are uneven. Deep dish pizzas can come out perfect, or with a tough overcooked crust, basically a 50/50 shot. Most of the time the food is ready when they tell you it will be, but when it is not - and I don't mean 5 minutes late, I mean 20 or 30 minutes - do not expect the staff to be the least bit apologetic about it. read more

Out doing a little holiday shopping and starting to get HANGRY.....I asked the husband to look on his phone and select a new Italian place that would be on the way home. He found this legendary place. I remembered hearing the name but other than that not much else. He knows enough by nowthat i am going to ask him what my Yelp peeps say before I try a new place. HAHA.... He assured me it had some solid reviews. We had to wait for a table but they let us purchase some adult beverages and gave us some free samples so we seriously did not mind. I love the Christmas Pink panther decor and the cozy little Table booths. Very good for conversation. The menu is huge! I really begged my husband to share a meal with me but he would not. So I ended up eating my delicious salad and packaging my veal parm to come home. The wine glasses are very thick and utilitarian which takes away from my enjoyment of the wine. I like a fancy glass---it makes a difference. This is very east coast Italian like you would get if you were invited to dinner at any Italian families home. It is not fancy at all. I though the prices were perhaps 2-3 dollars more than they should be on most of the dinners. They have ice cream, gelato, tons of take out options and cannoli and I did not get to try it as I was full---but a flourless chocolate torte that you can bet I will be going back for sometime.... read more

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Great Italian food! This place as been a White Bear Lake staple for over 40 years! Even though they're always busy, you get great fast and friendly service! For the food, I could write a novel... I really haven't had anything on the menu that was sub-par, and I've been eating here since I was a kid. The pasta and sauces are always robust and delicious, the dunkers/Italian fries are awesome and the pizza is top notch (love the heart-stopper) - the menu is really diverse and expansive so even the pickiest eater will be happy. But the reason for this review is the Spinach & Roasted Garlic Tortellini with Grilled Shrimp & Pesto Cream Sauce.... omg it is to die for! I'm not sure if this is a newer dish on the menu or if its been on it forever, but needless to say it is unbelievable! The creamy pesto sauce with spinach and garlic is delightful - it's such a nice creative blend with shrimp that tastes delicious and has a dense consistency. It was a truly remarkable dish! read more

Pizza! I love the thin crust and mountain of toppings under the cheese. We order out this pizza everytime we're back in White Bear and it's definitely a local favorite. We get the garbage pizza with pepperoni, sausage, green peppers, onions, and green and black olives and of course the more basic ones for the less adventerous. They also have really good turnovers (aka calzones) and dunkers, french bread smothered in melted mozzarella cheese dipped in marinara sauce (a staple quick fix meal in my family). The dining room is cozy and usually pretty full. read more

Being new to White Bear, I have been on the lookout for a good pizza joint. I have to say that my first trip to Donatelli's was awesome. We ordered a deep dish "Heartburn", and after the very first bite - I was hooked. The toppings were generous, the cheese perfectly gooey. I was really impressed with the food options too. You can pretty much find anything, plus they serve alcohol, and I am told they have fantastic ice cream. The service was good, at first, but then it was like our waitress went on break or something, because we sat in the booth for 10 minutes waiting to get our pizza boxed and the check. The pizza prices are a little steep, but SO worth it. I will definitely be going back, and back, and back..... read more

Great food. Our server was really nice and offered my sons a free taste of ice cream from their ice cream counter. The pasta was great, I was disappointed that the mostaccoli wasn't a bigger portion for the $15 price tag. The bread was excellent. Overall, we will return to this restaurant in the future. read more

I used Donatelli's catering service for a group that turned out to be 300 people. It was definitely the easiest restaurant to work with, the food was fabulous and the price was extremely reasonable. Thanks to Chris and Trish and their wonderful feeding team!! read more

Ordered icecream in a pint to go. The teenager filling it did not use gloves. In fact, no one making icecream dishes used any. The teenager kept whining, "I'm just so sticky from doing this, I just hate this." I'm sorry I'm giving you money for your paycheck. read more

We arrived at 4 pm only to be told that a party reserved the table at 6:30 pm...not a problem for us at all. We were told repeatedly that we'd need to leave before 6 in case the party showed up early. This was the same scenario for every single table in the bar area even though Happy Hour is advertised everywhere! At 6:05 pm, the server said, "we need to kick you out, the party has arrived". No problem, we left but continued to catch up and visit in the lobby. After 6:30, we noticed the table we departed was STILL unoccupied. We were flabbergasted that customers who were NOT there were treated better than the paying customers who WERE there. We inadvertently complained to a Donatelli's out of state and they too were appalled: I am not positive, but I believe you may have contacted the wrong restaurant. We are in White Bear Lake MN. We don't do Happy Hour and I would be stunned and shocked if one of our servers would ever say that. Let me know if I am incorrect on that, because if I am I would very much want to discuss it. That is unacceptable. read more

Well been going here for many years and generally good but hav had problems. Tonight they gave our take out order to someone else. Had to wait to b redone and next round wrong too. All the time our hot food sat, getting cold. They didn't care. Didn't apologize. Didn't seem to care. Hope owners read this. If i were u , never leave before checking ur order is correct..! read more

Got the Cajun Alfredo, was pretty good, slightly better than Olive Garden but no Andes mints. Kitchen is loud and servers are all nice. 6.9/10 read more

We recently bought our first home in WBL and I figure that Donatelli's will be our new pizza place, so we checked it out a few weeks ago. We ordered a pizza for pick up, sausage & green olive, pan crust. I'm really more of a thin crust girl but hubs is a deep dish guy so we compromised (especially since they don't have a deep dish option). The pizza was good, didn't seem to be anything special to me. I'd definitely like to try the thin crust option next. I also perused the menu and they have a LOT of options! I saw a number of dishes I'd like to try. Thankfully, now that I'm practically a neighbor, I will! read more

Chris and Trish were so easy to work with leading up to the day of our wedding. They were very accommodating to our needs and requests. The wait staff and the food made our wedding incredible. We had so many guests come up to us afterwards and compliment us on our choice of caterer. The staff moved quickly and efficiently to set and clear plates and dishes. We had absolutely no issues serving buffet food while trying to keep everyone safe. We were able to pick up the leftovers the next day as well, so we got to enjoy the amazing food the week following our wedding. I can't say enough good things about the bruschetta, sous vide chicken, the roasted vegetables, and the tortelloni. All items were wonderful choices. Thank you so much to the Donatelli's Restaurant crew! read more

We eat Donatelli's very frequently! We can't get enough. The menu is diverse and all so yummy! The staff is amazing and so personable. Don't forget the tasty ice cream! read more

I spent the first 18 years of my life in Mahtomedi and for as long as I can remember, Donatelli's was near the top of the list of places to go. And seriously, if it's between Donatelli's or that pizza you can get at the Wildwood Bowl, it's pretty obvious which one is the right choice--Donatelli's, hands down. It's close to the White Bear/Mahtomedi border so you're usually assured of running into people from both sides of the lake and with so many menu options, you can get much, much more than just pizza from this restaurant. I've tried a few of the pasta dishes and salads as well and have never been disappointed. I also appreciate how little the decor of this restaurant has changed. They have made some obvious improvements over the years, but the dining room has basically remained the same for a very long time. Things change and people get older but, coming here makes me feel like maybe I'm not as old as I think I am because when I look around, it feels like the exact same restaurant I used to come to when I was kid. I dig it. read more

This review is for catering::: I ordered the catering for my elopement wedding reception from here...sight unseen and taste untasted completely based on one relative's recommendation and an episode on a food TV show. I'm a little crazy. It was delicious and the fella they sent to help serve the food was a gem. Manicotti with meat and cheese was awesome! Also the Alfredo pasta and the spinach tortellini (I didn't get any but everyone raved!) . Since then, we've stopped by a couple of times for food and pizza and everything on the menu has been tastetastic. read more

This place is awesome. Donatelli's is always on our 'must eat while we are visiting' list when we go up to Minnesota. If you happen to be lactose intolerant you will have a real bad time at Donatelli's. They put enough cheese on most dishes to clog the arteries of an Elephant. It's the exact opposite of healthy food, but damn is it good. I am pretty happy I don't live near this place because I would likely weigh 756 pounds. Give or take 5 pounds. If you don't mind indulging in some heavy, cheese-filled goodness on occasion, you shuold definitely swing by Donatelli's. I can't imagine how you could leave there unsatisfied in any way. read more

Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum! My fiance and I went to Donatelli's to try out their catering menu for an upcoming wedding. We were blown away. Often times, you find that "pasta is just pasta", but Donatelli's is a little above this common phrase. We had their famous red pasta dish--which impressively was featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives". It was delightful. The taste is familiar--like mama's cooking, but unique enough that I knew I couldn't make it at home. The salads blew us out of the water and the garlicy spinach tortellini... can I just say Mmmm. As a caterer their prices and services seem about on par with what we have been seeing... But as a friendly Sunday afternoon stop for lunch--GO! It is amazing!! read more

The gluten-free menu has a great selection. I tried the gf fries and twisted mac and cheese, both were delicious. Our server was fantastic and the atmosphere was fun. Highly recommend. read more

Donatelli's has always been a great supporter of the White Bear Lake community and it's time to give them some well deserved kudos. Yes, Donatelli's was fortunate enough to be covered on the Food Network's show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Good for them - They deserve it! The food is OK+ ; nothing that makes me cry out in gustatory bliss but I definitely appreciate the love that goes into each and every order. I try to order stuff I don't typically make at home; their baked spaghetti pie comes to mind and was pretty darn good! Enough for 3-4 people and after splitting it with my daughter, took most of it home. By the way, their packaging of the leftovers is surprisingly good and I can see why they do such a great take-out biz The best asset of Donetelli's is the people that work here; everyone is so welcoming - treating you like neighbors that any ?? about the food is quickly overshadowed. If you have been a good boy or girl this year, treat yourself to the hot fudge cake dessert....OMG, its chocolate nirvana & crazy big so get ready ! read more

UPDATE!! Pasta menu conquered and it is deeee-lish! The Smoked Mozzerella Ravioli is verrrry good! The sauce has a little kick and the chicken was done just right, not too dry! The Pizza Turnovers are also superb - with a crispy crust that pushes them over the top of all other turnovers/calzones I've ever had! Fettuccine Alfredo was great as well! Ohh...and try the Blend red wine that they currently have - it's phenom! read more

Geez this place is great. I sampled the pizza (the best pizza in Minneapolis next to Punch) and the ballyhooed Mostaciolli. The stand out for the pizza is really the sauce. My father who I've never heard praise a restaurant couldnt say enough (or eat enough). The sauce was likewise great on the Mostaciolli (the same)? But the pasta was truly a stand out. If you've never had fresh made pasta (as they do). You *must* try it. It is much better than non-fresh! Highly recommended! read more

I have always came here, however sadly they have gotten worse and worse the staff and the quality it just isnt what it used to be :( Very sad, to say but I would not recommend this place for a family or anyone, unless the other choice is taco bell. read more

Wow, great food and portion sizes were hearty! Had a side salad (huge) and the Heart stopper, it was fantastic! We live an hour and a half away and I'd drive up just to eat there again! Pretty great they had samples of pizza and garlic toast for those waiting! See you again someday Donatelli's! read more

This is a go to restaurant for my husband and I. They have a great gluten free and I've never gotten sick eating here (celiac disease). The rolls they found are amazing.The waitstaff works hard and does a great job. I would live to give this restaurant a 5. Unfortunately I can not recommend the ice cream. They clearly mark which flavors are gf. But the chance of cross contamination is high. The gf ice cream tubs are kept behind gluten filled flavors. Also, the girls working the front have an attitude. If you can pay your server the experience is great. read more

Best restaurant I've ever been to. Hands down. Staff is AMAZING. Food is even better. Steve and his crew are doing it right!