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The food was good, but it wasn't blown away as I was expecting, especially considering how hard it is to get a reservation. I'd heard so much about the garlic bread, but I honestly thought it was just okay. We ordered the broccolini (which was very cheesy), the arugula salad (also very cheesy), the vodka pasta, chicken Parmesan, and the linguine with clams. The linguine was good, but I wish it had a little more seafood than just clams. I'd say the dishes I enjoyed the most were the chicken parmesan and the vodka pasta. The cocktails were actually really good, and I appreciated that they had spritz-style mocktails too. The restaurant itself is cute, cozy, and has a nice atmosphere. Overall, I'm glad I tried it, but I can't say it was necessarily worth the hype.
Really loved my time at Donna's. Came here for my sister's birthday dinner and it was amazing. The hostesses and our server were fantastic. Appreciated o how our server recommended some of her favorites on the menu. Definitely try the arugula salad if you want to change it up a bit from the usual Caesar salad. The garlic bread was a hit! It was a great mix of buttery on the inside and crispy on the outside. Chicken parm and fusilli was also sooo good! I'd recommend to do family style and share so you can try more of the menu items. The interior is very clean and beautiful. The lighting is a bit dim but it adds to the vibes of the restaurant. Will definitely come back!
Donnas was absolutely perfect! The ambiance reminds of if literal small Italy cafe vibes, very intimate. Our server Hannah was absolutely kind and sweet. Definitely would come back again! Garlic Bread (5/5) I honestly don't say this lightly, but this is probably the best garlic bread I have ever had in my entire life. The outside was crusty and crispy and the inside of the bread was to die for. Super soft and warm with oogey, gooey buttery-ness with each slice. There are small garlic pieces inside, but that's what explodes the bread with amazing flavor. If there's anything you need to get, it's the garlic bread for sure. Caesar Salad (5/5) Also an amazing starter! I love how each bit of lettuce was coated with cheese, so every single bite had some love in it. Croutons added a nice crunch for texture. Solid to begin your meals with. Chicken Parmesan (5/5) Size was large, so please come hungry! The chicken was breaded perfectly and the sauce wasn't too heavy at all. Everything paired so nicely with each other. Basil added a nice aromatic touch to the dish without overpowering it. Amazing meal.
This has to be my new favorite LA restaurant. Every dish I had was amazing, even the dessert. I was pleasantly surprised by the chicken parmesan and linguini & clams pasta. The caesar salad was also made really well. The service was friendly and quick. It's a super cute vibe inside too! Parking can get tricky since it's all street parking, but not too bad.
An LA staple for a reason- long wait time/hard to get reservations, the service is great, and the ambiance is very LA influenced. Photo ops in every corner! I would suggest this place only for smaller parties because how little space there is inside. We got the garlic bread, calamari, vodka, lasagna, seafood lemon pasta, and pesto pork pasta ??? Not sure the name and the food was good! This place is most definitely for cheese lovers- everything had SO much cheese it was a bit overwhelming. Probably won't be back because of their limited selection of pastas- really wanted to see more variety but felt it was a little lacking and the pasta was just good, not great.
Getting reservations here felt like getting concert tickets for a popular artist. Reservation slots drop at 10am, 28 days in advanced. Within minutes, tickets for Saturday night were completely taken. Crazy! So much hype around this restaurant and for the most part, it did actually live up to it. Garlic Bread - Heavenly. A crunchy exterior with a soft buttery finish in between every slice and topped with parm shavings. This was definitely my favorite out of everything we got! Arugula Salad - Dressed perfectly with a tooooon of cheese on top. My type of salad! There was enough acidity in the dressing that the cheese wasn't too overpowering. Meat and Cheese Plate - Assorted meats and cheeses with olives and artichokes. All the cheeses were rich and the meats were sliced thinly. The portion of the plate as a whole was a little on the small side though. Fusilli Alla Vodka - The flavor was good but it honestly tasted like I could've made it at home. I was expecting a more rich creamy sauce with a handmade pasta. My hopes were extremely high for this dish since this is the one everyone gets. It wasn't bad by any means, it just wasn't what I was expecting after seeing all the great reviews on it. Pan Seared Branzino - Comes on a bed of green sauce. The branzino itself was seasoned and cooked perfectly. The sauce felt a little out of place. A little too herby. It comes deboned. Patatas - Generous portion of crispy large potatoes with a delicious bed of aioli. Cannolis - Comes with 3 fun sized cannolis of differing flavors. Strawberry, chocolate, and I'm forgetting the other flavor. A fun take on your classic cannoli. My least favorite was the strawberry shortcake. It had the concept of a cannolis but just didn't hold up well and was more like cheesecake. The chocolate was the best. I did enjoy the toppings on either side of the cannoli for an extra crunch. Rosina - Perfectly balanced cocktail. A little sweet with enough tartness to not make it overpowering. Service was great, the interior of the restaurant was cute and homey, food came out quickly - overall, a very good experience. The hype around this place made my expectations extremely high, and although they weren't all met, this was still a meal I would definitely come back for.
If you want to try Donna's you need a reservation! This place gets packed but it's a great little restaurant with a cool vibe in Echo park. The Caesar salad and garlic bread was phenomenal, enough to make us come back just for the "appetizers." They were exactly what everyone had said they were going to be. The fusilli was also very good, not too spicy and the perfect mix of tomato/creamy. The chicken parmigiana was solid and it was huge! I don't think I'm the best critic of the chicken parmigiana since I rarely order at other restaurants but I had to try it since it was what everyone talked about. The flavor was great, but I could do without it and just order the Caesar, garlic bread, and fusilli
Excellent dining experience! From the moment we're seated to the great food and service we received it was overall a super pleasant evening for us. For each and every food that we had, none was disappointing. The tiramisu was perfect. 10/10 we'll be back here for dinner if we can get a reservation.
A friend had a recent birthday and I told her to pick a restaurant for her birthday dinner. I've never heard of this place since Echo Park isn't exactly familiar to me but after seeing their menu, I was looking forward to trying them out. Reservations were tough to get, so she booked out a month in advance with alerts in case something else came up earlier. Nothing ever changed, so we had our 5:15p reservation on a Wednesday (they open at 5p). Before the day, I have to say their customer service was top-notch; I had reached out to let them know that it was for a birthday (since I knew the birthday girl didn't call this out herself) and if they accepted cash, and someone got back to me within an hour after I left a voicemail. They also reached out regarding parking suggestions in the area for that day since there was a Dodgers game which was greatly appreciated. We left earlier, and made it with 5 minutes to spare. Hostess desk is crammed up front right at the door, so there will be a lot of activity as you enter. She was very friendly, and led us to the dining room behind this area against the wall. This was a smaller space, but it already had several parties seated and they only opened 15 minutes prior. Still bottles of water were placed on the table, so we were able to pour ourselves which I liked. On our table tonight: -Squash Arancini ($8) -Garlic Bread ($16) -Fusilli Alla Vodka ($25) -Chicken Parmesan ($36) -Side of Spaghetti (Aglio Olio or Marinara, $13) I was a fan of the arancini with the hint of sage. The talked-about garlic bread was pretty good; it was potent towards the middle of the pre-cut slices where I could only finish one (and I love garlic bread). I tried some fusilli before the ricotta and chili oil was mixed in, and I would consider getting this for myself another time. Aglio Olio, although just a side portion, was enough of a main dish for myself and the chicken parmesan was okay, but I'm not the biggest fan of this dish in the first place. Cheese was abundant on the arancini and the garlic bread (and from what I could tell, some of the salads) but this can be put on the side as the party next to us did if you don't want to be overwhelmed with all the cheese. Dessert was cannoli's ($14), and they let us sub another chocolate for the lemon ricotta. You will get charged for the birthday dessert, but they did add a candle. To get to the restroom, you have to go through the back bar area which also has some tables, so I can see why reservations are a must here even though they will accept some walk-ins. Service here was friendly and accommodating. We enjoyed our time here at Donna's, and I'm glad to have tried an out of the way restaurant (well, for me at least). Would be happy to return!
First time dining at Donna's and I'm glad we were able to get a reservation. The restaurant is quite small and located in echo park along sunset, so you can entertain yourself quite a bit exploring the neighborhood waiting for a table. The food is extremely flavorful and worth venturing to the neighborhood to enjoy. It was Sunday, so I passed on a cocktail (I know, boring). The stuffed peppers contained cheese and garlic and soaked in olive oil. I never had a peppadew pepper before, and they are very tiny! However, the flavor is robust and it makes a good starter. The garlic bread is legendary with butter and garlic baked in and topped with Parmesan. It's very filling so be careful. Cesar salad was solid and also topped generously with cheese. The pastas are delectable and there is quite the variety to sample. Fusilli alla vodka was rich and as good as it gets. Good old spaghetti and meatballs was anything but boring. The meatballs were an explosion of flavor. Veal piccata was very tart and heavily soaked in liquid. I might not order this next time. For dessert, panna cotta was very striking in appearance with strawberry and basil--very rich. Tiramisu was ok. I definitely would like to return to sample other dishes. How to get a reservation is the question.
Wow, this is one of the few places in LA that actually lives up to the hype. The food was great especially since everything came out piping hot. The meatballs were probably the best I've had in a long time, and the pasta was cooked perfectly. Simple dishes, but so flavorful and well executed.
I came here for dinner and was pleasantly surprised. To start we got the Caesar salad. This was very refreshing. We also got the calamari. This was delicious. I loved the two dipping sauces it came with and the calamari was perfectly fried. Definitely recommend both dishes. Then we got the fusilli vodka and the chicken marsala. The fusilli was absolutely delicious and I would definitely come back for this dish. Unfortunately the chicken marsala was not that good. The sauce was this off putting sweet taste and my sister and I did not like it. The chicken was incredibly tender though. For dessert we got the chocolate torte to share and this was incredibly dense and rich. Super tasty. Overall I would recommend this place and besides the marsala dish, everything else was delicious.
So far this is the best pasta I have eaten in LA! I have been to some places that have been listed as the best and (to be honest ) they didn't compare to DONNA's. Lets start from the beginning - We didn't have a reservation ( for 2 ) so we walked in and was greeted by the friendliest person ever. She stated she would put us on the wait list and it would be approximately 45 min - 1 hr for a table. ( No problem!) We went to the bar next door and sat at the bar for a drink or 2 or 3 until our table was ready. We ordered our first round.. and maybe half way through our drinks....I received a text that our table was ready. It must have only been about 15-20 minutes. We went back and were sat that the bar area ( nice and cozy). Our server ( HANNAH ) arrived with her bubbly personality and gave us a run down of everything! We ordered drinks ( and browsed the menu. When HANNAH came back...we were ready to order 1. Garlic Bread 2 . Ceasar Salad (to share ) 3. 1 order of Lasagna 4. 1 order of Chicken Parm w/ a side of Spaghetti and red sauce. Every dish was sooooooooo good. Hannah brought us some chili oil as a suggestion ( which we took ) and it elevated our pasta dishes! I never thought of putting chili oil on pasta but here we are! Man...by the end I was stuffed ( even had leftovers for lunch the next day )!! Here comes HANNAH again as she slyly drops off the DESSERT menu.! I am a sucker for Tiramisu but I was way to full to get any sweets. After declining the dessert, HANNAH brought us two small glasses of Limoncello to top off our night. As a recap...FOOD WAS GREAT and the SERVICE WAS AMAZING! The only critique I will give about this restaurant is that it holds reservations for AMEX card holders ! Boo! But other than that......I cannot wait to go again!! read more
I got lucky and scored a reservation after several days of setting an alarm for 10 am, when the reservation times open on Resy. We arrived right on time for our reservation at 5:15 pm on a Sunday night in September. There was already a long line going out the door when we arrived, but we told the staff that we had a reservation and were seated immediately. There is a lot of residential street parking in the area, but no valet. Our server brought us waters and menus immediately after we arrived. She was friendly and gave us great recommendations. The vibe in here is intimate and trendy. They have two rooms with different decor, and I liked the look of the back room a bit more, but we got seated in the front. We shared five savory dishes between us, including the Caesar salad, broccolini, calamari, lasagna rollatini, and spicy vodka fusilli. Everything we had was delicious and flavorsome. The food definitely reminded me of traditional Italian restaurants in NYC, and was somewhat heavy. We really enjoyed our experience here and look forward to coming back. read more
If you're having trouble getting reservations, go an hour and half before you want to be seated, put your name down, and go next door to Bar Flores for a drink. This place is SO good and worth the hype. The staff are way too nice and everything on the menu is delicious, but if I had to narrow it down for the perfect order: Garlic bread Stuffed peppers Fusilli pasta (pork ragu and spaghetti were also great, just depends what you're feeling. Fusilli if I had to pick one). Chicken Parmesan (lasagna also great, but chicken parm if I had to pick one) Haven't tried the desserts besides for the olive cake (which was delicious). The Caesar is also great if you have to get a salad. read more
1 year ago
My boyfriend & I walked in this past Sunday at around 5:30 and were not expecting to get a table. The hostess let us know Sunday's are the best days to walk in, thankfully we were seated within 20 minutes. We ordered the mushroom arancini, garlic bread, fusilli ala vodka, & the chicken parm. All dishes were so so delicious. We live in Ventura and I definitely think it's worth the drive to come eat here. read more
7 months ago
Come 30 minutes before they open to eat here. When they opened their were probably 30 people behind us and still a few ahead of us. Yes, it was a Saturday night, but can't recommend it enough cause it is SO WORTH IT! The atmosphere is like a small boutique italian house, even with coming in as a walk-in we were sat quickly and ordered with ease. We don't usually drink, but the cocktails here are beautiful and so we decided to get two. I personally didn't like them, but still unique and detailed drinks. If you have seen pictures of Donna's food the one thing you see is the Spicy Fusili, Garlic Bread, and Tiramisu. We got all those and more, so let me explain how good the food is... Appetizers: We started with the meatballs, garlic bread, caesar salad, chopped salad, stuffed peppers, and bruschetta. Yes it was only 3 of us and yes we did eat it all and more. The garlic bread is the best I have had. I love that is equally cheesy and garlicky, the oil and cheese makes the middle soft and pillowy, while the edges are crispy. I 100% recommend putting the meatballs on the bread or ordering another one for entrees. Shockingly both salads were perfection. First, the caesar could not have been done better, the sauce had was creamy and covered every piece of lettuce, but wasn't soggy. Covered in parm and homemade croutons to top. Second, the chopped salad had so much complex flavors of spicy, acidic, salty, and sweet with the cheese and salami. I personally did not love the meatballs, my parents loved the bruschetta, and the stuffed peppers are a good small app to get some food on the table quickly. Entrees: We got the Spicy Fusilli, Lasagna Rollatini, and Veal Piccata. By far the best was the Spicy Fusilli, the pasta was a slightly past al dente which I prefer. The sauce had both a nice sweetness and spice. The ricotta and spicy peppers on top added a new layer of creaminess and extra spice. The Rollatini was smokey and we did not like at all. If you get the veal piccata order a side of olio pasta. Finally, got the crispy potatoes which were just not crispy enough for me. Dessert: Finished with the tiramisu which has this salted cream on top similar to salted egg in japanese teas. I added a extra layer of cream which I loved. Overall: Donna's is almost impossible to get a reservation, but come early and you will be rewarded. The spicy fusilli, garlic bread, salads, and tiramisu are a must get! I understand the popularity and also not too expensive as all this food was only $205 which comparing to other LA restaurants is insane! read more
10 months ago
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To be very honest, my first trigger giving Donna's a try was the article calling it out as one of the hardest spots to make reservation in town. I did witness it from how fast all spots got taken right at the moment they were released 4 weeks in advance right at 10am (now you know the tip, you're most welcome!). Reaching the venue, I could kinda understand looking at the limited seats the cute petite venue carried. Regardless, it was well designed with classic Italian touch in the decoration which I was so pleased of. If you thought of walk-in, you might wanna come early right at the opening time or better wait closer to the closing time; otherwise expect the long wait. The service was surely top notch with super friendly and responsive servers. Being first timer, I did my little research on their signature dishes and I followed the crowd picking Fusilli Alla Vodka and Chicken Parmesan. The first dish was 9/10 with al dente pasta perfectly cooked in the luscious spicy sauce featuring whipped ricotta, chili oil, and pecorino romano. The creaminess was well balanced with the spiciness , just making you want another spoonful of it. I was initially bit skeptical given it didn't come with any meat, but now I tried it I would surely said YOU WOULDN'T WANNA MISS IT FROM YOUR ORDER. We intentionally ordered Chicken Parmesan as the second dish to not miss any of the meat-based one and turned out we made flawless choice as this came as perfect pairing to our pasta. It might sound simple that the dish was basically sizable chicken cutlet topped with mozzarella, pomodoro, and basil; but the combination of flavors was definitely delightful. The tanginess from tomato-based sauce truly complemented the cheesy touch, and I loved how the chicken was just juicy and tender yet the batter was crispy. Would rate this 8.5/10. Wouldn't add more and making this TLDR, but I could definitely picture myself coming back real soon. The Lasagna Rollatini would be the next one on my list!! read more
9 months ago
2 years ago
Caesar, bomb. Garlic Parm, bomb. Fusilli ala vodka, bomb. Service was excellent. Very attentive and stopped by multiple times without interrupting mid conversation. Ambiance is in line with Italy. Loved that they had an open bar in addition to the wine collection. Chef's kiss We'd come back again. read more
Invited here by a friend and so glad we went! Amazing classic Italian food. Everything was a hit. And the restaurant is beyond cute! Great date spot. Great girls night out spot. I would just suggest going in a large group so you can try lots of things! read more
2 years ago
Donna's is an absolute gem and totally worth the drive for me from Ventura County to DTLA! It's very hard to get the reservation but if you arrive before they are open at 5, they can get you in. Just Order the items in the pictures, you'll go home satisfied and happy! Can't wait to go back! read more
1 year ago
The food was a 4. They tell you it's family style but definitely not more like taste portion for family of 5. Most of food was good except for the Lasagna. That was very bad. Service was great just hard to hear them speak. They pack you in like sardines. Very noisy due to it being crowded in a small space. Ambience did remind me a lot of Italy. The decor was more authentic to Italy. Only one restroom for men and women. Probably would not go back. read more
I would give this place more stars if I could! I love Donna's - one of my top fav spots! Love their Fusilli All Vodka (best known dish) !! Literally melts in my mouth- so yummy and creamy and delicious! Tried a salad that was provided as a special that evening. Different but refreshing. Everything is literally so good here. def a must try: Garlic Bread - insert drooling emoji here Shrimp scampi - tasty! My soul is always content when i leave here. It's so damn Good! Parking: street parking/ meter parking/ valet. Reservations: not needed but recommended. They leave half of their tables for walk ins(hence why it's hard to book because the tables go fast). I would suggest to get there an hour or two, yes that's right to make sure your one of theee first people when they open if you don't have reservations. Book your next dinner once your there because you'll want to go back! Donna I love you! Lol read more
2 years ago
Heard a lot of great things about Donna's, so I was super happy when a friend got a reservation! I believe its the same owners as Bar Flores and Lowboy next door, so of course the vibes and decoration were immaculate! Kind of like a chic grandma core. We tried the garlic bread, fusilli alla vodka, and the linguine with clams! I'm personally not a huge fan of al dente pasta, and luckily for me, the pasta is a smidge past that. I greatly enjoyed the fusilli, especially putting it on top of the garlic bread slices, almost like an open faced sandwich. I think by itself, the garlic bread could be more garlicky and the crust was a bit too overbaked, but if you're pairing it with a pasta, it's absolutely wonderful. Service was also super friendly, and we got treated to non alcoholic limoncello shots as a digestif/palate cleanser after our meal! Overall, I think I just read too many reviews of this place and kind of expected more, but the food was still yummy, just not mind blowingly so. It was a wonderful dinner though, and I would definitely go back (if I remembered to get a reservation haha). read more
Had this place on my list for the longest time and my boyfriend took me for my birthday dinner! The ambience is cozy and beautifully curated. The decor is homey and a dimly lit, intimate setting for smaller groups. We started with 2 glasses of barbera d'alba and garlic bread. Everything came out as ready. We ordered the fusili vodka, lasagna, and chopped salad. Nothing really stood out from this meal. Maybe my expectations were too high for this place but definitely not worth the hype and long wait to get a resy with the service and small portions. read more
2 years ago
FINALLY I WENT TO DONNAS! Thanks to a friend of mine for looking for reservations for us we finally were able to see what's Donna's is about and I'll say.... The hype is real and i definitely will return! The location isn't friendly if you want to drive here so you should Uber depending where you're coming from. It's silver lake for crying out loud you should know what a nightmare parking is... Anyways! The hostess, the bussers and the waitress were all so sweet, efficient and were helpful when it came to the menu. I let my friends order since they've been there before and everything we ate did not disappoint! Also the tiramisu was the best I've ever had! Definitely come to Donna's if you want some new new Italian spot to try read more
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I've been to Donna's twice and both times left full and happy! It's a tiny place that fills up fast, so a reservation is highly recommended. Even the bar countertop is by reservation only (although they do allow for a limited amount of walk-ins). You must start with the garlic bread. A small, warm, sliced loaf oozing with garlic butter and topped with a generous shaving of parmesan cheese. Next up were the meatballs, which were delicious. For entrees, we tried the chicken parmesan (pretty large portion) + a side of pasta and the fusilli alla vodka, which was topped with a whipped ricotta. I really liked it, just wished there was more of it. We also had the lasagna rollatini, which was tiny, but very rich, so in retrospect, perfectly sized. My favorite part was the tiramisu-- by far, the BEST I've ever had. Ever. Creamy, decadent and with a slight saltiness, it was absolute perfection. Wonderful service as well! read more
2 years ago
Always a pleasure visiting Donna's. Reservations are highly recommended! If you don't have a resy you should show up an hr early- yes an hr; there are coffee shops in the area. I have visited Donnas a few times now and they never disappoint. The vodka pasta, meatballs, broccolini, and garlic bread are my fave. Tried The Agrumi pasta for a change and it was very refreshing, definitely worth trying. Their service is pretty fast and attentive. The drinks are also delicious. Donas is very small restaurant but perfect for date night dinner or a girl dinner. If you have a large party GET A RESY! read more
6 months ago
Food was excellent. Going back for more! All dishes could be shared. The flavors were delicious. The ambiance and the restaurant is so cute and cozy. read more
5 months ago
we arrived at 4:45 with no reservation and there was 3 parties ahead of us. once it hit 5 they were allowing those with a reservation inside and after they let the first 3 parties in they told us they could get us seated in 10 min. once we were seated we ordered the garlic bread, cesar salad, and vodka pasta. the best vodka pasta i've ever had! small little restaurant but didn't feel too crowded. read more
Tried Donna's for the second time and loved it even more. Our drinks were great--we tried the Amalfitano and the Cherry Cherry. Also loved their side of zucchini. So simple yet SO incredibly delicious. I would eat zucchini every day if I could prepare it the same way! read more
2 months ago
Reservations: Available on Resy 14 days in advance at 10 am but they do take walk-in's too. Arrived around 5 pm for our 5:15 pm reservation and there was a loooooong line out to door to the front of Lowboy (the bar next door). So we waited in line and thank goodness one of the hostesses came out to ask if anyone had a reservation, upon which she told us we can just go to the front and check in. Phew! So if you have a reservation, skip the line and check with the hostess. Ambiance: Dim and cozy - great for a date night. Service: Service from our server was prompt but the dinner service itself was a bit slow for us. By the time we got here, I was really hungry and as we had ordered a salad and two main plates, I was eagerly waiting for the salad to arrive only to my dismay that all the tables around us got their plates upon plates of food first. When the salad finally arrived, we cleared that salad like we hadn't eaten in days! Food: Delicious! Okay, I understand the hype now. Everything was really tasty. What we had: Tonnato Caesar Salad: The only salad I love and order at a restaurant is Bestia's little gem Caesar salad with breadcrumbs and Donna's Tonnato Caesar salad rivals it. Served with little gem lettuce (so it's got that crispness and sweetness) and itty bitty sized croutons (for that just right crunch that doesn't rip the roof of your mouth) and lots and lots of shaved Parmesan. The plate looked more like cheese with salad vs. salad with cheese - ha! So good and definitely recommend! Lasagna Rollatini: "Tini" or tiny would be right. This dish was petite sized and can be shared among two people max. I was expecting more like lasagna pinwheels bit it was more like pappardelle pasta rolled up with ragu sauce and cheese and then baked. Also really delicious! Chicken Parmesan: For $30+, this was the portion you'd expect and Donna's delivered. Definitely something to be shared among 3-4 people. Crispy and delicious with enough sauce slathered on it. Unfortunately, wished the dish arrived fresh and hot so you get that oh-so-satisfying cheese pull. Oh well, the flavor did not disappoint and was also delicious! Pro-Tip: If you like to enjoy your food with some spice and heat, they have this Calabrian chili condiment thing. Ask for it! Overall, a solid 4.5/5 spot and will out this on my list of places to come back to! read more
1 year ago
Food: 7/10 Service: 10/10 Ambiance: 7.5/10 The garlic bread, bolognese, & campanelle were all pretty good! Honestly, i was expecting to be amazed given the reviews. I don't think it meets that hype... it was good, but nothing too special. We were lucky enough to walk in & be seated right away at the bar. The back room where the bar stands is super homey, dimly lit and cute but sooo tiny so you are squished intimately with others. Everyone we interacted with was very sweet and to the point. Parking was easy as there's a lot of neighborhood & street parking. I'm glad I had it, but I don't think I'd go out of my way to visit again compared to other italian spots that are easier to get in read more
Donna's might be my new favorite Italian place! The food and drinks are amazing, and so is the service! We didn't have reservations so we waited about 45 minutes and sat at the bar. Our bartender was super knowledgeable and we loved the cherry cocktail that he recommended! The garlic bread was probably one of the best garlic breads I've ever had! I love that there was garlic butter in each slice. The vodka pasta was also probably the best I've had! It was too good I couldn't even take a picture. Their Calabrian chili oil is amazing on the pasta and the chicken parm! read more
3 years ago
I've been seeing Donna's pop-up on list after list, so I decided to give it a try with a couple friends. I chose the restaurant pretty last minute and checked if there were any reservations the day before, but there weren't any; however, they do allow walk-ins, so that's what we ended up doing. We showed up around 7:30pm on a Saturday night and the wait was about 1.5 hrs. We put our name down and hopped to another spot for a drink and an app. Just before 9pm we headed back to Donna's and were sat at a lovely booth. I LOVED the decor, ambiance and music they were playing, everything was so quaint and aesthetic. I really felt like I was in someone's house. Caroline helped us out that evening and did an amazing job! We started off with a round of Caffe Martinis to get the night started. Then we looked over the menu, decided on what to order and by the time the drinks got to our table, we were ready! We chose quite a few items and asked Caroline if there was anything that we left out that we needed to try and she directed us to the Shrimp Scampi. I'm so glad she did because that ended up being one of my favorite dishes of the night! Here's what we got: * Garlic Bread * Shrimp Scampi * Tonnato Cesar Salad * Meatballs * Fusilli Alla Vodka * Lasagna Rollatini * Pan Seared Branzino * Broccolini * Patata * Tiramisu The items we chose pretty much came out in the order I listed them, coursed by category. I definitely have favorites, so here we go. First off, the Garlic Bread and Shrimp Scampi are MUSTS! Please DO NOT sleep on these items and PLEASE dip your Garlic Bread in the Shrimp Scampi sauce and thank me later! I also really enjoyed the Lasagna Rollatini - it felt like a lighter way to do this dish, but it did not skimp on flavor. Although the Fusilli Alla Vodka is one of their most popular dishes, I wasn't a huge fan. It was extremely salty. Lastly, the Tiramisu was to die for! Amaro-cognac cream...UGH! Chefs kiss for sure! And sip on that Caffe Martini while you're enjoying this dessert! There are definitely some dishes I want to come back for and some new ones I would like to enjoy! Highly recommend making a reservation for this place, unless you're willing to wait a long time. But I assure you, it's worth the wait! read more
I didn't have a reservation but arrived a few minutes before opening to join the line of walk-ins. I was able to put my name down for a party of 3, but there was an hour and a half wait, which I expected. So we went right down the block to bar Flores to hang out while waiting. It wasn't too bad! The table was ready in about an hour and 20. Walking into the dining room was like walking into an upscale Italian grandmother's house. The cute festive decor, intimate lighting, and nostalgic 60's/70's/80's music all help create the classy but cozy and homey vibe of the place. Now the food!! GARLIC BREAD: if a garlic bread and a cake had a warm, cheesy baby. Crispy outside, fluffy inside... it's trending for a reason! This is what all garlic bread babies want to be when they grow up. CAESAR SALAD: we've had a lot of Caesars and this is a good one. So crunchy! FUSILLI ALLA VODKA: this is a great one!! This is a recipe I make all the time, and I have a lot of trouble finding one of these in a restaurant that I like as much as my recipe. However, this one really impressed me! Donna's cheese makes a big difference here. Our server warned us that it was particularly spicy right now because this season's peppers (winter 2023/2024) are extra spicy ones. They were right! I had to do without the extra chili oil on the top. Spaghetti and meatballs: huge meatballs and perfectly al dente spaghetti. I wasn't a huge fan of the meatballs, but I'm also not a big meatball person. This one was my least favorite dish out of the ones we tried, but I still really liked the al dente spaghetti and red sauce. TIRAMISU: MUST GET!! We are not tiramisu people -- I would even call myself a little tiramisu hater -- but we ordered it anyway because of the rave reviews. I was so impressed! So light! Creamy! Not too sweet! I actively dislike tiramisu when it is heavy on the coffee and alcohol, but this one was perfect. We devoured it in 35 seconds. Best classic tiramisu I've ever had. At the end of the meal, we were surprised with adorable teeny shots of limoncello (non-alcoholic except for those who ordered alcoholic beverages)! Everything was definitely shareable. Portions were not huge but not tiny either. Although it was a bit too loud to hear my family at our table, Donna's really deserves the hype it's gotten. Fantastic dinner. Feels like it belongs in New York. read more
Donna's seems to be super popular and it wasn't easy to score a reservation. I wanted to find what all the fuss was about so I got a reservation on a Saturday after a few attempts. First off, parking can be a bit challenging. There is no valet; so, it's basically street parking. There was a small public parking lot about a block away but it was full when we got there. We ended up with a street parking spot about 1/4 mile away. Not a big deal but diners should plan for this. The space inside was cozy, aka small and tight. The wait staff was very friendly and attentive. A couple of our party of four ordered a couple of cocktails. They noted that they were decent but not spectacular and portions were small. As for the food: The super popular garlic bread was definitely worth the hype. A must order. The Patata, which was crispy potatoes (purple and regular fingerling varieties), with chilli aioli were also fabulously delicious. The spaghetti and meatballs was a decent dish. The fresh pasta was al dente and the guanciale in the meat ball really came thru. The chicken parmigiana was just ok. And the pomodoro sauce for this dish and the spaghetti could've used some seasoning other than salt and was quite acidic. In fact, at least 3 of us got heartburn an hour later probably because of this. I can't remember the last time I got heartburn. The lasagne rollatini was a disappointment. The dish was surprisingly small. The pasta was way over cooked and mushy. Plus, other than saltiness, there was much of any other flavor with the bolognese. Overall, I'd say the food was ok but didn't quite live up to its popularity. read more
5 months ago
6 months ago
10 months ago
Drinks: Limoncello, Amaretto Sour, Cherry Cherry & Italian beer. We all loved our drinks!!!! 10/10 Apps: Garlic Bread & Meatballs, 14/10!!! Literally want to eat it every day Food: Fusilli Alla Vodka, 12/10! So bomb!!! Chicken Parm, 12/10!!!! The crispy corners were the best! Rigatoni Bolognese, 8.5/10!! Super good, just a little sweet for me! Broccolini, 12/10! Such a good lemon flavor & perfectly grilled! Dessert: Cannolis: 10/10!!! So delicate & the plain one was my absolute fav! The strawberry custard 5/10. Service was top tier & the ambiance was perfect! read more
10 months ago
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Ask the Community - Donna's
How's the street parking situation?
Get there early. Usually drive around and find street parking. Hasn't been an issue.
Do they have vegan options?
I dont recall specific vegan items listed but perhaps you can read their menu online. I read it before I arrived and knew what I wanted to order. The pepoers, cesar salad…
Reservations needed for Bar seating?
So u need reservations for every seat..bur here is the trick...arrive at 5pm when they open. They can seat u
Is there gluten free pasta?
I don't recall any gluten free pasta on the small menu. Perhaps a quick call to the restaurant resolves the mystery or pull up the menu on line.…
Is it reservations only?
The website explicitly says they have tables for walk-ins. Also, reviews note waitlist can be long.
Do they have any vegan options?
My suggestions would be to modify the chopped salad by removing the salami and cheese. Same with the arugula salad you could just ask for no cheese. The marinated olives and seasonal giardiniera seem to be vegan as it is.
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Donna's - italian - Updated July 2026
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