From the very moment we were greeted by the parking attendant, to our entry greeted by the owner, Scott Phillips our visit was blessed. We were waiting on a few other members of our party and invited to relax at the bar with fabulous service and excellent excellent treatment. The warm environment of this family restaurant was like getting a warm hug on getting a cool rainy day. (It was!) Owner, Scott, took time in telling us a bit of the history while we enjoyed a couple drinks at the bar. A few minutes later, our friends joined us, and we were seated at our table. Our seasoned server, Mary Lou, answered any questions we had and gave us fabulous recommendations. She made sure she paid attention to us, but did not rush us in any step of the process. Our entrées included two orders of lasagna (made from a 60-year-old family recipe), an order of eggplant Parmesan, and an order of clam linguine with white sauce. All of us also ordered a side salad. Salad came out promptly and delicious! Followed by our entrées, beautiful, and looking so ready to be eaten. Every bite was fabulous, and the warmth of the environment made this meal truly seem like sitting around someone's family table at home. With hardly any room left, all four of us ordered dessert to go. This was a first for us, first time in the restaurant, first time in little Italy in Cleveland, Ohio! And finally, our first time to ever say this will not be our last time because we will be back, and will bring more friends!! read more

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Last month we visited Cleveland for very first time and decided to visit Cleveland's Little Italy. Guarino's restaurant was the absolute worst Italian restaurant our family has ever visited and I know because I'm Italian! This restaurant was a dark and dingy with one toilet and a tiny sink as the only bathroom for the entire restaurant. The decor was dated with rickety furniture. The barely functioning light sconces were very dusty with cobwebs. My Nonna triped once and almost triped twice on the old worn carpeting that had several large holes. It was a safety hazard and should be taped down. The food was also well below average. There was no bread offered to our table of five. The appetiters and drinks cost as much as the entrees. Although we all ordered entrees, on the check/bill they charged us an extra $4.00 per person share fee (adding an additional $20.00 onto the bill) because we took a bite of each other's food. I guess they watched us while we ate and then decided to price-gouge, taking advantage of us as we tried to support their business. This was creepy and weird. Eating there was a terrible experience for us and a bad memory of our first visit to Cleveland. Guarino's restaurant wasn't crowded, at all, and in hindsight that should have been a big clue but we stayed. We regret eating there. Upon leaving we saw so many other lively and crowded restaurants that had much better energy. read more

Love the back patio, such a charming area. We really enjoyed the Italian wedding soup, lasagna, and chicken piccata. Service was great. We loved it so much that we are hoping to have a private event in the back patio this fall (just waiting to get in touch with them to reserve it!) Update -- we went back and forth trying to get in touch with someone about private event booking (email, phone, in person) and after weeks we decided to go with another restaurant. Don't recommend for private events. Very disorganized and poor communication for that. read more

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s a general rule, I don't bother reviewing restaurants with a lot of reviews, but this one is somehow getting underrated on Yelp. Yes, we had to wait 20 minutes. Yes, it's older inside. But the owner and staff are really nice and we had a great time. As for the food: yum. If you want traditional Italian food, head in. Standouts were eggplant Parmesan and fruita de mare pasta with red sauce. Bottle of wine was fairly priced and good. If you're visiting Cleveland, little Italy is a must-go and this restaurant is a great place to start. read more

Guarino's Restaurant - Fruita de mare with linguini - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

We started with cocktails. I believe it was called the Isle of Capri and the other was a lemonade type drink with vodka. I had a glass of Montepulciano wine. We all were happy with our drinks. All three of us ordered the lasagna, which has a recipe that's been around for 60 years. My sister and friend really enjoyed theirs, while I thought it was okay but would have preferred a meat sauce instead of just marinara. That is why I took off a star. My sister and I shared the lemon cake for dessert, it was delicious with a capital D! We sat outside, which was wonderful; I loved seeing the trumpet flowers on the vines, that came from the "old country". The history of the place is fascinating, be sure to read it on the back of the menu. The free parking in their lot was a huge bonus. Our server was excellent--attentive without being intrusive. read more

Guarino's Restaurant - Lasagna 60-year-old recipe - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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"Guarino's Restaurant" is a great place. It is a multigenerational establishment as I am part of a multigenerational family that enjoys patronizing them. I must first address the reason I almost gave them 4 rather than 5 stars. It has nothing to do with the quality of food... it is consistently excellent. It has nothing to do with the service... I always feel well taken care of by the entire staff. The reason may sound a bit silly but, 2 things bothered me. One is: I really miss the pavilion style roof that use to be in the garden patio. Two: I love the patio in almost any weather but the yellow jackets are everywhere. They will not leave me alone... nearly drove me inside today. Just sayin'... I know they're picky reasons but they bother me. However, that said. If you enjoy consistently good Italian food. In an establishment that has been there forever. With experienced, friendly staff. And MOST importantly, their own parking lot, continuously monitored; ya, a guy sits out front (that's like GOLD on the hill). "Guarino's is the place for you. Go, enjoy, mangia! read more

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Very reasonable prices and perfectly sized menu with plenty of food and drink options. Lovely cozy home like restaurant with its own parking lot next to it and free valet parking. Scrod with vegetables was the only low carb option in the menu save for salads but was good. Well oiled veggies and not dry cod in good portion for $20 is a good deal to me! The appetizer prosciutto olives were very flavorful. The joe lato cocktail was delicious. Creamy lemon flavor and sweet but not cloyingly so. read more

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Guarino's is so convenient it's becoming my favorite restaurant in the University Circle area. Why? They have a private parking lot just for patrons. No more trying to find parking and squeezing into a spot. Food is very good. I have stopped twice with out-of-town friends mid-afternoon for their Antipasto and fried mozzarella. Everyone says it hits the spot before heading home for dinner. Excellent staff at this family restaurant. Patio is nice tho we sat inside this old fashioned Italian decorated place. Full bar. Single restroom. I don't think this is wheelchair accessible. Call them to find out. read more

Guarino's Restaurant - Antipasto and fried mozzarella with marinara. We ate the green olives!! Nice afternoon snack. - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Old-world interior, good coffee, going back for the calamari again soon! They have their own parking lot which is a huge plus, be sure to tip the attendant! read more

We stopped in for dinner because every other place packed. We walked right in behind a walk-in of 3 and both parties were sat immediately. Should have been a clue. Service was adequate but slow. Place didn't look so busy so unsure why. Wife enjoyed her drink, I had canned beer. The Marshall appetizer had a very thick hard crust, but was edible. The red sauce on the side was very tangy, like it was a day from being old or was left in a can too long. Wife ordered a pizza which was very subpar in general. Crust was thicken almost biscuit like? Round cut sausage versus crumbles, which we prefer. I had the brasciole. Tough, salty, but edible. Pasta it sat on was very watery. Relaxed environment with comfortable seating. Won't be back, expect more from "Little Italy " read more

Guarino's Restaurant - Pizza - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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I appreciated that we could dine earlier than our reservation, but the mairte d' forgot to assign a server to our table. We had to sit for a while. When we got ou server, things began to happen. We shared an eggplant and artichoke salad. When the bill came, I noticed we were charged $4.00 to divide the salad on to two dishes. I failed to ask that the blue cheese be left off. Fortunately for me, there was not a lot of the cheese. If I were a blue cheese lover, Ice.'d be disappointed. My wife's eggplant parm was tasty and accompanied by a generous portion of pasta. I had lasagna. It was a generous portion and had an excellent red sauce. The garlic bread was tasty as well. The room was dark and decorated with red brocade wall paper making for a pleasant ambience. Having their own parking lot is a big plus as well. read more

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Excited to have lunch at this historic restaurant in Cleveland's little Italy. There were many special decorative touches that created an inviting atmosphere. We did not have a reservation and were seated quickly. Our server was friendly and helpful in explaining the different menu entrees. I enjoyed the cheesy garlic toast and chicken piccata. My family enjoyed their meals, too. I would recommend to anyone in the area. read more

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Classic Italian Restaurant in Little Italy. The evening started out right with Complimentary Valet parking. The restaurant was definitely old but the food, service and overall experience was second to none. Everything was amazing. Our party of six each ordered something different and from the Lasagna to the Veal or Chicken, everything was delicious. read more

The maître d' graciously accommodated us at a very busy time, which immediately set the tone for a wonderful evening. One of the things that truly sets this restaurant apart in Little Italy is that they provide parking for their guests. They even allowed us to park well over an hour before our reservation, which gave us the gift of strolling through Little Italy and enjoying the neighborhood before dinner. What a treat. The food was exceptional. My husband ordered the lasagna, a 50-year-old family recipe, and it was spectacular. I had the chicken piccata, a dish I'm quite particular about since it's a favorite in our household, and I was genuinely blown away. I only wish I knew their secret. The calamari was another highlight. As someone who has lived on the West Coast and appreciates fresh seafood, I can be hard to impress. Their calamari rings were tender, never chewy, with a light, delicate breading that was perfectly done. We loved every minute of our experience and will absolutely be back. read more

It's been a while since I've been to Guarino's restaurant! We walked away, so happy that we ordered the Italian wedding soup and lasagna!! Out of all that we ordered, we've decided that those 2 were honestly the best and we will come back just to get those! read more

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The patio is really pretty, I was being swarmed by bees the whole time but that not their fault. The servers are incredibly nice and thoughtful. The food is always good and remind me of my family's Italian food. read more

Guarino's Restaurant - Chicken Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Really cool old old restaurant and beautiful patio. I do think it's the best patio in Cleveland at least that I've seen. It was really hot and sunny but they got more umbrellas for us. The Joe-lato drink is my new favorite alcoholic drink, creamy and lemony. The Alfredo was great but I think I'd try something different next time. But I'd definitely come back!! Very very nice and professional workers too! read more

Guarino's Restaurant - Joe-lato - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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This place os great and really authentic. The atmosphere is is fun and light. The Frutti de Mare in oil & garlic is amazing. Desserts great and wine list is well done. Also I met my doppelgänger read more

Guarino's Restaurant - My doppelgänger Frank - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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Came in for appetizers and a drink. Such a nice atmosphere! Food that we had-fried mozzarella and antipasto plate, were quite tasty. read more

Guarino's Restaurant - Beer and appetizers - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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Great place to go Had Mary Lou she was great Drink were great , Apps awesome,and food was amazing Service was awesome Great Italian Restaurant Thanks Scott read more

Guarino's Restaurant - Italian Lemonade - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Tasty antipasto, very authentic Italian food. Perfectly breaded veal. My husbands lasagna was great, al dente pasta. Maybe a little less sauce on the lasagna itself. Other than that, great food. We would come back without hesitation. Service was good, not busy at the time we were there. Ambiance was very old timey. Definitely speaks for the story behind the restaurant itself. Definitely try it! read more

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I'm giving it an extra star for the super friendly waitstaff and I absolutely loved this old ambiance! It is worth visiting just for that...and the very nice patio. The worst dish was the caprese salad -- the tomatoes were orange and hard and this was in July. The lasagna was very good. Hard to beat my mom's but it was good and worth a try. Our other pasta dishes were pretty average-- sauce was a little too strong tasting.. But all in all a very nice meal. read more

Apparently this is the oldest restaurant in Ohio, established in the early 1900s. The ambience was classic Italian restaurant. We were fortunate to get seats out in the garden, which was amazing. The piano player was a nice touch, offering up some entertainment while we dined. We started with the calamari and the bruschetta, both of which were solid. The bruschetta was kind of so it yourself, with bread and the toppings provided together. My wife had the lasagna (60 year old recipe) and it was very good, solid mix of flavors. I had the Futti di mare, which was great. Mussels, shrimp and calamari. My daughter had the gnocchi and loved it. And my son had the pizza, which he thought was 'mid' thinking that it would be a regular pizza (with sauce and all) but it was tomato, cheese and basil. Only complaint was the variety in sizing of dishes: the gnocchi serving was considerably smaller than my Futti di mare while the lasagna was HUGE. The pizza was smaller than I would have expected. read more

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Outdoor patio was beautiful and spacious. Wine -- very weak poor for $14 a glass. Go with the bottle. Food -- good deal on lasagna! Caprese could have had much fresher tomatos. Eggplant parm feels like it came from a buffet. read more

Guarino's Restaurant - Eggplant Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Service was excellent. Patio was beautiful with enough shade on a hot day! Indoors hasn't changed in years, very old school and traditional. Got the Caprese salad. Pesto on it was excellent. Ordered the Santino style personal pizza to go. Husband said it was good. read more

Guarino's Restaurant - Caprese Salad - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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My wife and I had a fantastic meal at this beautiful patio/restaurant, Since we're both vegetarians, we started with a caprese salad with vine ripe tomatoes, followed by truly excellent cheese ravioli and an unbelievable pasta primavera with perfectly cooked al-dente vegetables in a well-balanced yummy marinara sauce. Solid Italian wines by the glass completed the meal. A wonderful and sweet waitress, nice piano player and cordial and attentive manager made this a great night! We'll be back! read more

Service was excellent and personable. Sta at the bar while waiting for a table and order some drinks and appetizers. The mozzarella appetizer had stretchy cheese and the bruschetta tomatoes were fresh. Then for dinner we sat in the Patiño area during the winter and it was cozy and intimate. They had space heaters as well. They food was very good. I got the lasagna and that 60 year old recipe is no joke. Overall, best experience I've had at an Italian restaurant in a while! read more

Smelled amazing like fresh garlic knots coming out the the oven the cannoli was great and they had a live music and over all the service was good and 5/5 starts I would recommend. read more

Guarino's Restaurant - Good quality cannoli and recommend after a good day. - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

We REALLY liked this place. Completely unpretentious...a good thing. Even though we were in ASTROS gear, lol, we were greeted well and the service was super friendly. Really enjoyed the Food...my son-in-law especially liked the Lasagna and the Veal Parmigiana I got was great. The pasta was nicely cooked. Honestly, it felt very home-like (my wife and I are both Italian, so we feel we have some knowledge of the cuisine). Overall, we definitely will come back when we come back to Cleveland! read more

Always good food and accommodating owners. Free parking lot next store. Great area to sit out in almost any type of weather.

Back again for the lasagna today. Yum. Great server. Frank in parking lot always nice& accommodating. Loved walking afterwards to Presti's for a few treats for my morning coffee. Thank you Guarino's. read more

Went for lunch today after celebrating a Browns win last night. We were quoted 30-40 minute wait, but at most it was 10-15 minutes. The ambiance made me feel welcomed and at home. We were greeted by what I believe was the owner and got a little bit of history about the location, great touch! Service was friendly, accurate and quick. The food was perfect. Some of the best lasagna I've had and the sauce took me back to some that my grandfather used to make. We got the lasagna, chicken marsala, cheesy garlic bread and meatballs. We left full and in agreement that we would be back on our next Cleveland trip. read more

Guarino's Restaurant - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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We stopped in here for a light dinner during the Feast so we could sit and get some drinks. We sat outside on the patio. The caesar salad was awesome and a huge portion. I share the lasagna with my mom and it was really good. The flavors were great. The kids had some calamari and it was nicely fried and not chewy. Others had the fettuccine alfredo which is something I never order and it was heavy but still really good. We tried the limoncello cocktail and my mom liked it so much that she bought a bottle. The owner stopped by our table and he was very friendly. And I have to give a shoutout because one of our party realized the next day that she lost her wedding ring and she thought it was at Guarino's. She called and they were able to find it so thank you so much for that! read more

Twelve ladies lunched here on a very busy Good Friday. Reservations suggested. The tables were set up. Service was excellent. The staff were friendly. Everything we ordered was fresh and very good...the Caesar salad, the Wedding soup and Bruschetta, Caprese, Rigatoni. The menu has all price points. The noise level was not loud. The covered patio was nice and busy, too. The extended patio was not set up, yet, but is another option in good weather. There was full bar service. Guarino's is Cleveland's oldest restaurant, and is located in Little Italy. It has a private parking lot which adds to its popularity. read more

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Started the meal with their bread and an order of calamari. All rounds and it was very good. We asked the waitress what was her personal favorite dish on the menu, and without hesitation, said she has the veal parmigiana at least 3x per week. So we both ordered the veal parmigiana! It comes with penne pasta but I asked for Angel hair which they readily accommodated. It was authentic and delicious! The restaurant has great parking, excellent service and the ambiance of what an old school Italian restaurant should feel like. Highly recommended when you're in the Little Italy area of Cleveland and want tasty Italian food. read more

My wife decided to give it a try since it is one of the oldest restaurants in Cleveland. It has an old school charm which I love. The food is very basic Italian with really good sauce. I had the chicken parm which I thought was pretty good. My wife had the ravioli which she said was ok because the raviolis were not fresh. They are one of the few places in Little Italy that has a valet parking lot. read more

This remains one of my favorite restaurants in Cleveland. There is a reason they have been in business for 100 years...the food. If you are looking for authentic style lasagna, it is great. The eggplant parmigiana is a close favorite. read more

Food & service were good on 8/23/25... keyboardist made it a wonderful evening on the patio... restaurant was jammed but we were in no hurry (50ith Anniversary) and the food came hot! read more

I tried the lasagna because its recipe is 50 or 60 year old, even though I don't like lasagnas. My plan was, the salad will fill me up; I will take a few bites of the lasagna then take it home to recook it. I ate the whole thing! I simply could not stop until it's all gone. It does not even look fancy, just tastes good! read more

Friday February 26th, Tony and I went to Little Italy to eat at Guarino's the oldest restaurant in Cleveland. They opened in 1918. The street is very narrow and crowded. They have a parking lot but its very tight also We went inside, it was very dark and slight romantic for the middle of the afternoon. The hostess greeted us immediately and took us to the second room. We were seated in the corner. We ordered our drinks I went with soda and Tony had a Miller Light. They also gave us iced water and some bread with oil & balsamic vinegar. It was delicious but I would have enjoyed some butter. Waitress was very busy and very rude!!! We both ordered the Spaghetti and Meatballs and the bread with butter and Romano cheese with marinara sauce. The food arrived without the bread so we had to wait longer for the bread, but it came out wrong, 10 minutes later with bruschetta. So the owner put them in the house. We had a nice meal, it was very filling!!! To be truthful the noodles tasted like old dish water, it was a little off putting but the sauce and meatballs were good. Personally I would not go back again, too many other restaurants to try out. I hope your experience is better than ours!!! read more

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