My boyfriend and I decided to support a local business for take out tonight, I had never heard of this restaurant before so we decided to give it a try, it was phenomenal. We will definitely be back :) read more

The Mama's really good spaghetti and meatballs pasta was not "Really Good." Hardly any sauce, and the sauce was really boring.

Sat for 15+min. and weren't even acknowledged for a drink order. Not nearly enough staff.

Nice atmosphere, great food, poor service! Let me start by saying THE FOOD IS DELICIOUS (husband had pasta with vodka sauce, mom had seafood chef's best, and I had manicotti; kids pizza was surprisingly good too!) What brings the stars down was the AWFUL SERVICE! When you are about to walk out at every stage of a restaurant experience, something is wrong! It took 15 minutes to get water, 45 to get our meals, 30 after that to get the check and boxes - which we had to flag down the host for! In the two hours we were there, our waters were refilled twice. read more

Was craving lasagna and read so many good reviews thought i would try it out. Ordered to go on a friday around 5pm. Lasagna was terrible, stouffers makes better. Sauce was bland, noodles WAY overcooked, had this meat in the sauce that was suspect and the cheese tasted old. Never again. Don't know how they have gotten so many good reviews. Only saving grace was the bread, fresh and hot but they gave no butter with it. read more

This is my go to place for Italian in the area. They have the BEST Lasagna I've ever had. I also like their egg plant parm. It's a quite place and we've never had to wait long for a table. read more

This is one of my favorite italian places in Tampa. Dont let the exterior fool you, once you go inside, it looks like a romantic little italian resturant. The food is beyond amazing! I always order the lasagna, its made perfectly. We loved this place so much, we hired them to cater our baby shower party. Food is a little pricey, but once you taste it, you'll understand why. No need to go to a big fancy schmancy Italian place for authentic italian, just stop by Italian Kitchen and cafe! read more

We got the lasagna lady night ! So good full of cheese and meat homemade sauce and bread cannot wait yo try other entrees work every penny

Great local Italian restaurant. Great service & the food was incredible! I had the Signature Dish () and my friend also raves about the Baked Ziti. The appetizer bruschetta was also killer read more

Italian Kitchen & Cafe - Bruschetta - Italian Near Me - Riverview, Florida

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The service and menu options were outstanding. I believe it's family owned and lays right in the heart of Riverview. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there while on date night with my fiancé. The "fettuccine Alfredo there way" was top 3 I've ever experienced. Great prices and amazing atmosphere. read more

We were craving Lasagna and wanted to try a new restaurant. This place had decent reviews so we decided to come in and try it. As soon as we walked in we noticed we were the only one there and that there were dead bugs on both of our plates. Didn't take much for us to become uncomfortable and leave. read more

Italian Kitchen & Cafe - Bug on plate - Italian Near Me - Riverview, Florida

Awesome food! Don't go starving however as everything is prepared fresh. You will have a 30-45 minute wait before your dinner arrives. It is worth the wait! read more

I have been back a few times since my last review. The food remains fantastic and some of the best Italian food I have had in Florida. The service was much better and is significantly improved. read more

I have past this place so many times , even if I stopped at Sweetbay's next door I never even noticed it. My friend mentioned it the other night so I went online and checked it out and it got decent reviews but I was still hesitant myself , a good Italian restaurant in Riverview?? Not that its a bad area but just nothing you would expect to find here and in a strip mall to boot. So my friend ordered something off the menu for take out. I personally do not like this practice , you lose so much of the flavor and experience of eating it there, pizza is one thing but a entree takeout, I avoid doing, My take on it also is , for that matter I can make it myself for 1/2 the price and double the portion. My Sicilian Grandmother and Nep Mother taught me well and most food I can cook fairly well, of course not anywhere of a chef caliber but I never had any complaints. She ordered the Signature Dish which consisted of grilled chicken tossed with pancetta, sauteed mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes & spinach in their signature alfredo sauce. Sounded good but I figured I'd let her be the guinea pig and see if its worth eating. The guy who answered the phone had an somewhat heavy Italian accent , a very good sign. To me, that's like going to a chinese restaurant and seeing other chinese patrons there, that's "usually" a good sign that the food is very good. I have the say I was very impressed with the place nothing what I would expect to be in Riverview, the guy once he heard my Italian last name we chatted about where I was from yadda yadda , so I was impressed when I left there. ( this may seem like I am leading up to a big let down ) Came back to my office and gave a taste and I was very impressed even in take out form it was very good. Even the bread that came with it was good, Yes I am very picky about the bread too. , Was it the best? , no but It was the best Italian I have tasted in this area or at least this part of the Tampa area. I have friends who rave about Buco in Brandon, are you kidding? to me that's like a upscale olive garden and even that's not saying much. Yes I am biased but I know there are much better options out there, if you want Italian, your better off going to a good authentic Italian rest. If you go there and don;t see Italians there, I suggest you don't go. Just as I would be leary about going to a Sushi place owned by Greeks. So if your in the area and looking for some good Italian cooking check this place out , from preliminary findings its a hidden gem in Riverview. I will check this place out soon and give a updated review from dining experience and other menu options. Heads Up: If your headed south on 301 its about 1/2 mile south of Fred's Market on the right side, it comes up fast and its set back located on the north side of the SweetBay shopping plaza. If your heading north, its on your left side just after you pass Dunkin Donuts. read more

What a great find. Old world Italian flavor in both the food and the atmosphere. Had a luncheon with the girls at the Italian Kitchen and everyone of us loved the food we ordered, fresh, flavorful, not salty like many of the chain restaurants. This is real Italian. Fresh baked bread with dipping oils. Great friendly service too. We'll be back again and again. read more

Called them at 7:15 on a Monday to see if they were open, they said yes at least for an hour, we showed up 25 min later and the door was locked and staff ignored us standing outside reading the hours saying they were open til 9. If you want to close say so, don't have me drive 20min to find out. If I try them again I'll comment on the food. read more

Food is good but the incredibly poor and rude Service will cause me not to return to this restaurant. If you come to this restaurant, be prepared to be talked down to and treated as though you are an inconvenience to serve. The waiter must be a part of the family that owns this business because He would likely not be there otherwise. read more

For a hole in the wall place the food is amazing! The atmosphere is GREAT! I absolutely love this place!

I have been here twice and have had wonderful food both times. The calamari is the best I've had anywhere. It was deliciously fresh and tender. The eggplant Parmesan was amazing as was the Land and Sea dish with the lemon butter sauce. read more

Let me start with the positives. This little restaurant doesn't look like much from the outside, but it's very cute and quaint on the inside. Our server was polite and friendly. He kept the soda refills coming, and did a good job overall. However, this is where the praise ends. I went to this restaurant because I was in the area and wanted some Italian food. I saw the four star average reviews and figured it would be tasty. Be warned. It is WAY overpriced, and the food wasn't even good. The mozzarella sticks looked and tasted like the frozen ones you buy at the grocery store. They were $7.99 for five small sticks. Not worth it. Then came the entrees. Everything on the menu had cute names and sounded delicious. My husband ordered Chicken Parm, and I had the Baked Ziti. It was awful. I mean... not good at all. His chicken was "ok," but not crispy on the outside like parm should be. Mine didn't have the brown, bubbly, cheesy top you'd normally see on baked ziti. The mozzarella cheese was barely even melted. The sauce tasted like it came from a jar. It was weak and not very flavorful. I had about five bites and didn't even take my leftovers home for the kids. Save your money and go to Olive Garden instead. I like to support local businesses, but this was an unpleasant dining experience. Let me say again, it was ridiculously expensive and the food was just BAD. I seriously left there wishing I'd gone to McDonald's instead. read more

Very good food! Served fast, nice atmosphere. I had the Romeo and Juliet. My wife had the Sinful Signature Dish. Both were very good. My 5 year old had the mac and cheese and loved it. No Kraft here... good mac and cheese. We'll be back. read more

The food here is good but nothing too crazy. I'm not sure if the prices have changed at all since I was there a few years back, but this place was really overpriced then. The atmosphere is nice, but being in a grocery store plaza it's smaller than your average restaurant. I would go back, but only if they've lowered their prices. read more

I was feeling adventurous one day and in the mood for Italian food one day. Look up a few places on yelp and this hidden gem popped up, I decided "let's try it out". Pulling up to the strip plaza, where they're located, all I could think was, the last time I went to an Italian place in a strip mall was the last time I had good authentic Italian food, I was stoked. I walk in and am immediately greeted and sat "wherever I'd like", my waiter was very polite and attentive. I ordered a sangria and it was delicious, so much so that one turned into three. I was brought fresh bread while I waited for my meal, they offer butter and that oil stuff with the herbs at the bottom that's always delicious to dip said fresh bread into. Then my food came out, the scampi, oh my goodness what a delicious dish, I'm used to scampis being heavy and having a lot of cream in them, this one was fantastic, perfect taste, the pasta and shrimp were cooked to a freakin T. Then, my favorite part, the dessert, I had already looked up this place so I knew I'd be getting that chocolate mousse brownie and it was so delightfully airy with some heavy chocolate-y-ness from the brownie, I could probably eat about 4, probably my top 3 favorite dessert at a restaurant, anywhere. I work at the Cheesecake Factory so for me this is big. I also got to taste the tiramisu which I learned is made in house and it was fantastic, I would easily go back and order both desserts so I wouldn't have to pick just one. Then the owner can't by towards the end of my lovely experience and asked how everything was, we chatted for a little and he let me know his restaurant was available for larger parties and dinners of any type. I will probably be returning for my birthday and I am very much looking forward to it. THIS RESTAURANT WAS MARVELOUS!!!!!!! Do yourself a favor and go eat here. read more

The food is so good! But the service is so horrific it ruins it. Get it as take out. All the pastas and the calimari is awesome. The service is so bad that I have been sitting here for 20 minutes waiting for them to realize that they already took my card. Seriously. Choose take out! read more

Coming from an Italian family, I crave the authentic constantly. The Italian kitchen and cafe has such an amazing staff and such great food. Beautiful interior design as well read more

Great little place for good Italian food. We go once or twice a month great atmospher, great ssangria and home cooked great Italian. Worth the trip read more

For a small restaurant in a strip mall near a supermarket this place is delicious! Absolutely love the food and it has never been a disappointment. It is a quaint clean place with good service. Would definitely recommend! read more

Italian Kitchen & Cafe - Italian Near Me - Riverview, Florida

I've dine out at many Italian restaurants but this one was very unsatisfactory. I'm from out of town visiting family and I wanted to treat them for dinner. I called this restaurant and asked if they made linguini and white clam sauce and they said it wasn't on the menu but they could make it. So I ordered that and 2 spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, Greek salad and chicken fettuccine Alfredo which I think any reputable Italian restaurant can make without a problem and calamari. The linguini and white clam sauce and chicken fettuccine seamed like they were revered. The linguini and white clam sauce was thick as if it were to be Alfredo sauce and the chicken Alfredo was not thick at all. The chicken was frozen because it is as hard and chewy. I can't vouch for the rest of the food with the exception of the Greek salad which was good but I wish it was chopped and not placed a whole pieces. Honestly, it was the worse $120 with tip I have ever spent. read more

This business has the absolutely worse customer service. First, we waited at the reception area and no one came to seat us. I finally went to the bar and the waitress told us we could seat ourselves. After waiting for about 10 minutes, she finally brought us an menu. We waited patiently for about 20 minutes. the waitress clearly walks by us waiting to be served and proceeds to clean the table right next to us instead of taking our orders. I couldn't take it anymore and just left. However I sat outside of the restaurant and watch ed two different couples walk in and immediately be seated and served wine! Fortunately for them, they didn't look like me. You don't have to serve me, or take my money. I get it and will spread the word. read more

Best restaurant we have discovered in the Riverview/Brandon area! We have enjoyed eating here a few times and found the food to be amazing, very reasonably priced and the service very friendly. We have always found ourselves almost alone in the dining room - uncertain if we've just been there at off times or if their business is just that slow. read more

My goodness! The pleasures of Italian food. A marvelous atmosphere, and a beautiful decor and authentic food. You got to love the tiramisu. Two thumbs up. :) read more

Last Friday I and my wife with another 10 retired friends ate dinner at the restaurant. It was our second visit. We were glad that we had arrived at 5 pm because soon many other diners had entered the restaurant. We found the menu to have a wide variety of Italian dinners at a variety of prices. We knew that the size of the servings were large and so we asked to share. There was no charge for sharing, which is considerate of retirees who often want a smaller dinner due to salt, carbs, fat content, etc. that are part of eating out and we wish to minimize those factors. The wine was good, the warm bread and oil was resupplied and we all found the experience worth repeating at a future date. read more

Service was excellent. Food fantastic. Portions were great and the flavor! Wow. I don't like to eat Italian food in restaurants because I am Italian and want it authentic. The chef is Sicilian and really knows what he is doing. We will be regulars from now on. Grazie Mille read more

I love this place the food is delicious and it's authentic Sicilian Italian food prepared and cooked by actual Sicilian Italian chef's. It is my favorite spot in South Florida to eat Sicilian Italian food. It is a gem in the rough. read more

Not a fan. The food was not fresh. The chicken was premade and tasted like rubber. The calamari was bland, frozen, store bought rings. My friend ordered his meal based on the type of pasta (cavatelli) and he got angel hair, which he hates. He was not told there would be a substitution and it was terribly over cooked. The sauces for all of our meals was bland and we couldn't figure out what anything was. It was like our food had an identity crisis. If you want good Italian food try Cafe Italia on Big Bend, too bad we couldn't get reservations that night and ended up here instead. We should have stayed home and cracked open a can of chef Boyardee. read more

Tried the Romeo & Juliet...no way this was homemade pasta! Very bland :( was hoping this would finally be the Italian place I've been looking for...unfortunately not. read more

Service is OK - Last time we were here there were only 2 other tables and 2 waitresses working, and we still waited quite a long time to order - so long that my husband had to actually flag the waitress down and say, "Um, can we order now" Food is OK - The "pink" sauce is yummy (combine red + alfredo), but I am fairly sure they don't make their own pasta on-site, especially not the stuffed ones, such as tortellini and ravioli. Ambiance is nice. Parking is easy. read more

Great Italian food made locally! We've been back several times. Every dish we've had has been excellent! The service can sometimes be a little slow. Everything is made fresh, which is part of the reason, but they could also use more staff at times! read more

One of my favorite places to get good Italian food locally. Great customer service and a nice environment.

Food was passable, unremarkable. Unfortunately the waiter was entitled and nothing close to gracious. He acted like he was doing us a favor, taking our order. Myself and 2 of my girlfriend's stopped by for an early dinner, there was a large party making thundrous noise, hard to talk. Won't return, sad cause it has potential and we need non chain restaurant s in Brandon/Riverview. read more