My family ate here before going to a show. The food is delicious. It was a little warm in the restaurant, I think there may have been an ac issue. However, we all enjoyed what we ordered. I had the chicken piccata- one of the best I've had. We also sampled desserts. The white chocolate bread pudding is delicious!! read more

My Husband and I went to Effina's after church, as we did often. I usually ordered the Caprese Chicken, as that was my favorite on their menu. But I was hungry for a steak, and I ordered a filet, cooked med. What I received was some cut that had gristle in it. Very hard to cut, and it was undercooked rare. The server offered to send it back to cook it a little longer. But why would I want the same unknown cut of steak cook tougher. I declined. I ate the sides paid for a 36.00 steak. On our way out, I spoke to a manager. His response was, basically the same. Not I'm sorry, it was "we could have cooked it a little longer" This was a horrible cut of meat, definitely not a filet. Unfortunately this is our last time we will eat at this place of business and with the attitude I will never recommend this restaurant to anyone. read more

Place an order today for pick up and this is what we got. Wasn't so good today. Not sure why it was overcooked. read more

Effina's Tuscan Grille - Pepperoni and chicken calzone - Italian Near Me - Jacksonville, Alabama

I've eaten here before and the food is very good. Tonight's dinner was no exception! We came from about 20 minutes away to have dinner and it is always worth it. We got seated right away and the staff were very welcoming. We noticed our Atlanta Braves game had started and I asked the bar tender if we could watch it on the tv while we ate and she was very friendly to change the channel for us. We had some bread delivered to our table with olive oil and our drink order was taken and brought to us quickly. The temperature was cool inside despite 90 degrees outside and the dining room was clean. We ordered our food and didn't have to wait too long before it was delivered. The food was hot and tasty and everyone agreed that we were glad we came to eat there. We finished our meal and made our way home. Everything was great and we will be back! read more

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The food is always good, typical Italian restaurant. Service is good and the waitresses are always very nice and attentive. I like the decor of the restaurant, looks very nice. read more

Good atmosphere and 80's music. There's a small dining area and a loft for rentals. A smallish bar greets customers as they enter although tonight there were no patrons sitting there. I was seated promptly at a small table and shortly thereafter a plate of homemade bread and a dish of olive oil, garlic and other seasonings was delivered to my table. I ordered a beer from the tap and an appetizer of mushroom ravioli. There were several large pieces, each one provided a couple of bites. They were sautéed in olive oil and had the obligatory sprinkle of herbs on top. I found them to be succulent and earthy in a warm kind of way. There were (I hate to say it) almost too many ravioli in this dish. I wanted my appetite piqued but not satiated. I did however eat all of them in between bites of bread dipped in the olive oil mixture and sips of ice cold beer. The main entree arrived after a reasonable time. I ordered the ribeye steak atop mashed potato's and grilled vegetables on the side. Presentation is top notch. The steak had a good crust of seasoning and pan searing. The potatoes were creamed and had chives on them. The steak was cooked exactly to my request of medium. The vegetables were delicious and the potatoes were good although the taste profile was slightly different than what I expected them to taste like. They have the slightest hint of something tangy in a pleasant way. Maybe it's dill. The veggies consisted of summer squash, zucchini, mushrooms and onions. Light seasoning and grilled to a nice finish. I did notice that the potatoes by themselves were slightly too salty but when paired with the veggies and a bite of steak, it made the perfect amuse bouche. Pretty close to perfection especially in Alabama. As I sit here enjoying this delicious repast and listening to the soothing sound of AC/DC belting out, "Have a Drink On Me", I believe I will. I would definitely recommend that anyone in this area or any of you destination motorcycle riders make it a point to stop by and try it for yourself. read more

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Pretty quiet for a Saturday night. We had the upper level to ourselves. As expected, service was friendly and efficient. Pretty dining area. Our party of 6 especially recommends the calzone. Others ordered pizza, lasagna as well. My burger was okay, cooked medium as requested. Prices are reasonable. read more

Sat at the bar. Good service. Ordered a glass of wine. Would have liked it a little cooler. As for my meal, I started with some mozzerella sticks. Not bad. Good taste. Warm and cooked all the way thru. Ordered a pizza - well done. Not bad. Better than the normal dominos and pappa johns. Longer it sat on plate soggier it got. But overall not too bad of a joint. Good place for a quick and easy Italian joint read more

incredible food oh my gosh listen, you aint ever had no italian food like this. try the olive oil and garlic tortellini and please try the bread pudding. tell the chef i love him. but, the music doesn't match the vibe at all..... pretty odd. also mehh service. read more

Effina's Tuscan Grille - Italian Near Me - Jacksonville, Alabama

Food, service, and ambiance were all superb!!! Pasta rigatoni and pork chops special: Were delicious as well as peanut butter pie and bread pudding!!! read more

I ordered a shrimp po boy with a side of garlic Parmesan pasta. I received pasta with olive oil only and a dry shrimp po boy without sauce and burned bun. I reached out to them with photos to be told they will speak to the chef. read more

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had to make an account just to leave a review. ive been here several times and have been nothing but generous seeing as ive worked in the food industry and know how it can be, but there is no excuse for a bad experience almost everytime. the staff is extremely unprofessional rude and lack the skills to work a customer service job. they will mess up your order then tell you you have to pay again for them to fix it. seeing from other reviews this isnt the first nor last time this place ran by under age entitled college kids has acted this way but for the sake of those who actually treat others well when going out to eat and dont deserve to be treated this way just because YOU hate your job, maybe employe people who you would want to represent your restaurant. read more

Ordered a calzone when they had it on special. The bread was ok but it was just cheese inside. They do give you one small 1/4 cup of sauce but I ended up using it all after a few bites. The pizza sauce was also odd, it was more like diced tomatoes that would go in a salsa. Only a few pepperonis inside. They should relabel it as cheese inside bread calzone. read more

Effina's is a really good place for pasta, pizza, and Italian-inspired dishes. One of my favorites is their shrimp scampi pizza. I recently went during COVID and they're offering post dine-in and takeout. I ordered a personal-sized shrimp scampi pizza and a chicken parm sandwich and was told it would be ready in about 20 minutes and that they were only accepting cash, no cards (maybe their system was down?). When I got to Effina's, I put on my mask and went inside to the bar to pick up and pay for my order. I'm guessing because they were only accepting cash, everything was rounded to a while dollar because my total was $21 even. When I opened my pizza, I noticed it looked a little different than the last time I had it. Previously, the toppings were cooked into the pizza a little more whereas now, they seem to be added after the pizza is done. It also wasn't as seasoned and there wasn't as much scampi sauce as normal. The pizza was still good, but didn't live up to my previous experiences. My mom said the chicken parm sandwich was really good; the portion of the sandwich and side of chips were large. read more

Effina's Tuscan Grille - Shrimp scampi pizza (personal-size) - Italian Near Me - Jacksonville, Alabama

Great staff, wonderful selection of food choices for our group of 13. Very accommodating especially for Sunday Fathers Day

I didn't know what I've been missing all these years!!! Soon after Effina's opened we had a less than stellar experience or two.... Well it tastes like times have aged this restaurant PERFECTLY!!!! I 'bit the Bullet' yesterday after looking at reviews & somewhat hesitantly ordered a meal to-go..... Oh good lord am I happy I did!!! The Chef salad was spectacular, the tender, moist Filet perfectly cooked rare w/ Voo Doo sauce on Angel Hair pasta & roasted veggies was simply 'to die for' !!!! Calamari, lightly dusted, tender and crispy fried as good as I've ever had...ANYWHERE!!! Sorry, no pics... couldn't stop eating! Now I'm mad at myself for time & miles wasted traveling distances over the years for food not nearly this good, I mean it!!! I can't wait to try the Shrimp Gambino... that's on my list for tomorrow.... Well done Effina's.... and forgive me for my past transgressions......My debit card'll have skid marks all over it before I'm done with y'all!!!!! read more

I bought a large cheese pizza with sausage and pepperoni. When I picked it up and looked in the box it barely had any cheese on it. When I asked if they can make me another correctly I one correctly with the sufficient amount t of cheese they refused. They said they would only put more cheese on it and melt it with the original pizza. So I just got my money back. Very disappointing. Also they charge a gratuity to pick up. read more

I came to this restaurant several years ago and loved it. Being from New York I didn't think the food would be good but it was great. I enjoyed everything I ordered. So naturally when I returned to the area I knew this restaurant would be a must on my to-do list of things I wanted to accomplish. I was not disappointed. I brought several members of my family with me and they too were pleased with the food and promised to return several times over. read more

This is a beautiful restaurant - big, old repurposed building - very warm and well decorated. We had a very large group (about 30) and were seated upstairs, which was perfect. Our waitress was amazing - I could have sworn the girl had wings. She seemed to be everywhere at once and was always sweet and happy to help. The food was amazing - and what a great value. The lasagna was unbelievable - very good sauce, not too much (or too thick) pasta and very well put together. There was enough for two meals for me. The fettucine and beef tips was also very good - cooked perfectly and well-seasoned, the sauce that accompanied it was very good. Fried artichokes - yes - a delicious appetizer, and it made me wonder why someone hadn't thought of this before. They were delicious. Unfortunately, Effina's is a bit out of the way for me - but it's the best Italian restaurant I've been to in a very long time. It beats Brio's and Romano's Macaroni Grill hands-down. I can't wait to go back. read more

Effina's Tuscan Grille - One lonely little fried artichoke heart. I snapped the picture as fast as I could - really! - Italian Near Me - Jacksonville, Alabama

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We love Effina's. Wide variety menu. Pizza is always delish. We love their soups. They oftentimes have daily specials, also. Would like to see more wine selection. The staff is always friendly and helpful. Atmosphere is nice and clean. Happy that we have an Italian restaurant in Jville. Highly recommend. read more

I love Effinas Tuscan Grill. The food and service are amazing. I highly recommend reservations, as they are extremely busy on the weekend. Also, if you aren't able to climb stairs, ask for downstairs. I prefer the Effinas in Jacksonville, but the one in downtown Anniston is OK. Be prepared for very large portions. Shrimp Gambino is my favorite dish on the menu. The atmosphere is nice, but a little loud. Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

We've had decent (not great) meals in the past, but this one was the worst and perhaps the last. The spaghetti bolognese tasted like jarred spaghetti sauce with ground beef. I've made MUCH better at home. The 14-oz ribeye was well done on the edges and almost raw in the middle, with at least 6-oz of fat that needed to be trimmed away. It's like going to someone's house who can sort of make a decent meal, but not really. The only good thing about the meal was the oil for dipping what tastes like loaf bread. I feel awful about choosing this place for my birthday dinner -- I need a do-over. read more

This place SUCKS! If you're not going to wear a dress don't come!!!! They weren't busy and I went in and it took 1 hour to even come take our order! read more

Had a very pleasant experience here for dinner. Alabama isn't known for good Italian. We lived in New York State for several years and you can't beat the Italian restaurants there. But Effina's was quite good. The place is clean, nicely decorated and the staff was wonderful. The meatballs were pretty good. I am guessing they put some Italian sausage in them which isn't my choice, but still good. The chicken piccata was excellent. I was very pleased with the prices. We will definitely return. read more

Yummmmmm! I ordered a custom calzone and it was absolutely delicious. Probably one of my favorite restaurants in the Jacksonville area. Great price on the calzone - I had 4 toppings and I believe it was around $10 before tax. Our waiter was extremely courteous and checked up on us several times, refilling our drinks and asking if we wanted more bread. Will be back when I'm in the area!! read more

Effina's Tuscan Grille - Calzone - Italian Near Me - Jacksonville, Alabama

I thought Effina's was good. We were in town for a high school band competition on a beautiful Fall Saturday. By the way, the JSU marching band is outstanding. We had a party of five, and we waited about 20 minutes for our table. We had beers and watched college football on a small tv at the bar. I ordered Veal Parmigiana and a side Ceasar's Salad for dinner. The salad was average. The dressing was good, but I thought there was a little too much. Less dressing, fresher lettuce, and some crunchy croutons would be my modest suggestions. The Veal Parmigiana was okay. The veal was very thin and the breading somewhat overwhelmed the meat. And, my piece seemed a bit over fried, slightly burnt. The highlight of the entree was the angel hair pasta and marinara sauce. I thought the pasta and sauce was excellent. It was good to find a sit down Italian restaurant in this small town. I would definitely come back again, but would probably try a pasta with bolognese or marinara sauce. Or the Voodoo pasta sounds pretty good. read more

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Horrendous The pasta was overcooked and mush. The fish was not fresh. The creamer curdled. The picata sauce tasted like turkey gravy. This is not Italian food. read more

Really I am mixed about the restaurant. I want it to be something nice that we can have our family enjoy. Unfortunately the details are not there. Either cater to the college kids or be a nice restaurant. Management needs to figure it out. Disappointed. read more

My husband and I went out for a quick early date at 5. He ordered a salad and pasta. I ordered an olive and mushroom calzone. 30 mins later we dont even have his salad. We ask and are given a salad with no apology or explanation. Our food comes out and my calzone has unmelted cheese, uncooked mushrooms and is cold in the center. I tell our waitress who takes it away. 15 mins pass and my husband is done eating I get my calzone back. At this point our quick date is dragging on and I'm starving. While eating half of the calzone I find jalapeños. We tell our waitress we'd like to speak to a manager. She walks off and comes back saying, "Oh, I'm the manager." ??? ok? We explain and she says she needs to go ask the kitchen? I thought you were the manager? Whatever go for it. She comes back and says that they won't take it off the ticket despite being cold and having jalapeños. She tells us the kitchen went through the rest of my food and there were no more jalapeños. So at this point we're paying for not even an entire meal that was incorrect and we don't get to take the other half of it bc the kitchen has dismantled it. Calzones aren't hard, customer service isn't hard....both are too hard for Effina's. read more

Well I'll start this out with I love your food however tonight was my first experience with take out. Wow not cool!!!! No signs that say take out over here so I waited for the hostess to finally come to the podium where she told me to go to the corner of the bar where the bags were. I went to the corner, the waitress prepping another to go order seemed to be confused about it. In the meantime the bartender was serving drinks where I had to move each time she needed out. The waitress finally ask my name and I told her and that I was there for a take out order. She continued working on another to go order instead of getting mine that was there and ready, getting cold. Ok now I'm getting a little upset. Finally the bartender told me I could sit at a chair there at the bar. The waitress continued working on the other order... 5 minutes have gone by and my food waiting on the counter was waiting on me but no waitress to give it to me. Hint: if you have a customer in front of you and their food is ready, you take care of them first... shame May have to rethink your restaurant due to your workers and their attitude. Gave her a 15% tip she didn't deserve!! Sad... read more

This a very charming spot and the food was delicious! The best part of our experience was our server Harvey. She is smart, funny with a bit of sassy!! Highly recommend! read more

Great food every single time! Consistently Effinas comes out with great food . We love to get the calamari, a pizza and "special plates". Really Crowd the table with good food and feast !! Love y'all! read more

Excellent food and service. I got Baked Rigatoni and my husband got Cheese Tortellini with marinara and added meatballs. So delicious. Caesar salad was great too. But... it was 91 degrees in there! I looked at the thermostat. I was sweating. I guess I'll have to get to-go next time, at least until Summer is over read more

This restaurant is not what it once was. Our order was delayed by miscommunication between the kitchen and servers. When the food finally arrived, the lettuce in the salad was wet/watery and the vegetables with the chicken Marsala were so scorched they were completely black. read more

I have eaten Italian all over the world, including Italy. I had the marinara wild mushroom ravioli with salmon, superb!!!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. read more

Great spot for a casual meal of a fancy dinner. The voodoo pasta is amazing. Pizza isn't too bad either.

Best Calamari and grilled shrimp and pasta. Field greens salad is also great. Not fancy inside but that's fine

We were not expecting greatness after reading previous reviews but greatness is what we got. One of us got the beef tips parpadelle and a Caesar salad and one got a special which was halibut, polenta and green beans. Both meals were delicious! The sage butter halibut was one of the best fish entrees we had ever had. read more

Excellent meal after a long ride on the Chief LaDiga Bike Trail! We had the steak dinner special and the red snapper special. Polenta was creamy and delicious, probably made with half and half. Best grilled asparagus I've ever eaten. The fresh zucchini squash mushroom medley paired very well with the fish. Our entrees were seasoned and cooked to perfection, matching the overall good vibe of the place and waitstaff. A little pricey but the meal made for some awesome leftovers! read more

Effina's Tuscan Grille - Tuesday night ribeye steal with pappardelle noodles and asparagus! - Italian Near Me - Jacksonville, Alabama

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I don't claim to know some foods better than others just because I live in Chicago, but there is something to say about the many choices of locations and styles from that little sexy boot country overseas, and brother, Chicago has LOTS of those choices. Its small but has an upstairs I did not venture to, but the decor is not bad. Not as memorable as California Grill but this place has a bit of class to it. While they were not sure about some basics, (bread with oil but no parm?) we asked and they kindly oblidged but with very odd looks! The food and choices were nice for a small southern resturant up against big city reviews I have done for said Boot furnished cuisine. I started with a Mista, not bad, could use some more fresh tomatoes and while not a caprase it sufficed. The main meal was very good and so was my friends, I had filet and he had chicken parm, both good basic choices that should not be hard to mess up but the meals were very good and we finished them whole. (add the shrooms but the steak was cooked exactly as ordered) As you can see in the pics the portions were not a big issue. Some places have huge meals, knowing this was not one of them gave me room for chocolate cake, a MUST as it was truly unique and very good. While its hard to make major errors in basic italian cooking, its also hard to get a lot of things done very well and take away a point for no cappuccino, and its a solid 4, go and enjoy, but note, beer and wine only, the license for more is too clostly for the owners. read more

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