We were in no hurry so we decided to take our chances at a sit down restaurant on a Friday night during the pandemic. I didn't really expect great service. What a wonderful surprise! The place was packed and the servers were very busy. We got seated right away and our drink orders were taken. We couldn't decide what we wanted so we asked the server's advice. We ended up getting the bake Mostaccioli. It was delicious! Leo was running around checking on everyone. He seemed to know nearly everyone. When he stopped by our table I mentioned that I used to live in Oelwein. We discovered that we had mutual friends. I told him that I had learned to make meatballs from them. He came back a few minutes later with a couple of meatballs for us to taste. We admitted that his meatballs were better than mine. He also brought us a sample of sausage. I felt like we were family! It was a wonderful evening with awesome food that was honestly the best I've ever tasted in a restaurant. I would absolutely recommend Leo's to anyone who likes authentic Italian cuisine! Marilyn Kruger Lincoln, Nebraska read more

Group stopped during Ragbrai along with around 25,000 other participants. All the locals we spoke to said this is best place in town. They were correct. Because of the deluge of people in town, menu was taken out only and was choice of lasagna and a calzone type sandwich. They ran out of the lasagna just before we got to front so friend ordered food while I secured a cool spot to sit upstairs in bar. ALL of the staff were incredible and friendly. Bartenders were awesome and we put them to task. Several rounds. The "pizone", aka calzone was very good, fresh baked bread loaf with sauce, meat and cheese baked into it. read more

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Planned this stop on my 6,000 mile summer food tour for the "panino" which sounded unique and read some sites saying it was a must try in Iowa. Arrived excited as I saw the menu had fried gizzards and also deep fried angus steak cubes. I ordered both and the panino. The gizzard breading immediately made me think of long John silver fried clams oddly enough. The steak was flavorful but a bit on the tough overcooked side. The panino ended up being a slightly thinly filled pepperoni roll with meatballs added which was slightly a downer. Had to ask for my refill as the waitress while nice seemed to be working the kitchen as well. Waited about 15 minutes to get my check from the time I took my card out and put it on the table. On paper it was cool...but nothing wowed me enough to recommend. read more

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Excellent Baked Mostaccioli and Pasta in a Bread Bowl!! Good sized portions and friendly staff made it a great time! Enough for even me to take some home for the next day! read more

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This place was a welcomed surprise! The food was amazing. You could tell it was homemade and made with care and pride. We saw tons of people getting food to go so you can tell the locals love this place. If you're in town give it a try! read more

No trip to Oelwein is complete without dinner from Leo's - and our recent trip during the COVID-19 pandemic was no exception. Usually we dine in - include a bottle of wine with our meal - and enjoy one of the many fine pasta dishes. Family favorites include the Tour of Italy, Manicotti, Ravioli, Italian Beef, Fettuccinie with shrimp and scallops. Also shared pizza and drinks with friends at Generations. The pasta dinners are what I would call "old world" Italian. Mike's red sauce must be Grandma Leo's recipe with a touch of Mama Tresino's thrown in - slightly spicy and delicious. For this meal - we called ahead and ordered the baked mostaccioli, chicken alfredo bake and spaghetti and meatballs. Mom wanted me to share her mostaccioli - but I hadn't had the chicken alfredo bake in such a long time - I declined. We asked for no salads, but extra bread. Meal was ready in 20 minutes - pick up was easy. Everything was delicious - and we had enough leftovers for lunch the next day. Writing this review has me planning my next trip to Oelwein so I can have the Italian Beef - no - the manicotti - actually - how about adding Eggplant Parmigiana to the menu? That would be a winner. read more

Good food! Great service! Nice clean atmosphere. Server was very friendly. Owner even came over.

Ordered to go via Door Dash. Our pasta looked nothing like the image online and was the size of a toddlers lunchable. The "garlic" bread also looked nothing like the photo and just had melted cheese on some rolls with no garlic. Would not recommend. read more

Leo's Italian Restaurant - "Garlic" bread - Italian Near Me - Oelwein, Iowa

Showed up for drinks with the family while my mom went to mingle with her classmates of '83. Was upstairs in the bar. Great live music, though it was a little loud with the music and everyone try to talk. Ordered 2 reds apple ales, and a captain with diet coke. Ales were great, captain was made with coconut rum. When brought to the attention of the bartender (who made it in the first place) he rolled his eyes, and said he made it right and walked away. I told him he needed to make a new one. To that he sighed and rolled his eyes again, then proceeded to make the drink, holding up the bottle to show me he was mixing it right. I may be 21 but I do know the difference between coconut rum and spiced rum. I don't appreciate being treated like an idiot when I ask someone to make a drink again when I am the one paying for it. It was busy and I get that the 3 bartenders were probs a little overwhelmed especially with their usual guests, plus the class of '83 meeting up there considering the class had like 200 people in it, but I did not appreciate the attitude Also hours are incorrect on here. Left the bar at 11:20pm and live music was still going and people still drinking. read more

Food is decent, but the alredo tastes like bland noodles with milk. 3 out of my 5 items were incorrect and my cesar salad was missing. That's not acceptable because the last check is the most important and only takes 15 seconds. read more

I loved this place the minute I walked in the door. The smell of their fresh baked bread and the walls covered with the history of Leo's was so welcoming. I ordered Chicken Alfredo Bake and I was not disappointed. The serving size was enough that I had two more meals at home. Leo's is one of my favorites. read more

Excellent food with awesome service. A smaller restaurant but very comfortable. We didn't have a long wait from when we ordered our food to when we got it. Huge servings of food. Quality and quantity of food reflects the prices. read more

Came in to the area from Minnesota, not sure if that had to do with the fact that we were treated less important than others in the restaurant since we weren't from the town, and ordered a pizza to go. I had to call 4 or 5 times before I stopped hearing a busy signal and got someone to answer the phone. I ordered a pepperoni and onion pizza for pick up and honestly wished I would have known there was a Casey's in town because there pizza is far better. The hostess asked if she could help me with anything and when I said I had a pickup for Krystal she said okay and walked away from me to check on a table leaving me standing there all alone not sure what was happening. She finally came back with my pizza, barked out my order total, took my money, and said thanks(her thanks was pretty insincere.) The pizza was terrible, tasteless, and bland. Not sure if the person making the pizza missed the sauce because it was incredibly dry. Had the hostess offered parmesan and red pepper flakes it may have been tolerable. Next time I'm on town I'll be heading to Casey's instead. read more

Took my girls there before volleyball practice. We got there about 4:30pm and ordered right away. Girls all got salads & fettucini alfredo. I got the chicken bruchetta sandwich. We did not get our food until after 5:30. It was just okay. The alfredo seemed gritty and the kids left more than they eat. (My kids love pasta so it was disappointing) I have to say sandwich was great though. Overall take aways: Pricey food, subpar service and a long wait when there are minimal tables. read more

It's pretty good for a small town like Oelwein aka Lil' Chicago! The bar upstairs is really nice!

I'm gonna break this down into bits so it's easier to get through. I order the manicotti, side salad and tiramisu for lunch. They were just opening for the day so you'd think the food would be amazing. For the prices of it, you really do get a lot of food. It certainly is worth it in terms of amount. HOWEVER, when I took my first bite of the manicotti, a very thin, watery tomato juice splashed out under my fork. I know Italian food, I love Italian food and a good marinara should not be watery, it should cling to the pasta. It was still good tasting though. The ricotta filling was fantastic, nice browned mozzarella on top, and a good amount of the sauce in general. The main dish gets 4 stars. The side salad is a completely different story. With any of the dishes, you get either soup or salad, pretty standard. I figured I would go with a house salad, something crisp and cold to balance out the heavy comfort of the pasta. This is my most regretted decision today. The "salad" was a bowl of sad looking, wilted ice burg lettuce with a single slice of cucumber, a single slice of onion and a single slice of bell pepper lying on top with a cup of ranch dressing. It was disappointing to say the least. I love a good salad with my pasta and this was not it. 1 star. Anyone who likes tiramisu knows what a good tiramisu tastes like and what a sub-par tiramisu tastes like. There were a few little things off with Leo's tiramisu. For one, I'm not sure that they actually used mascarpone cheese in the tiramisu. It tasted vaguely sweet and more like whipped cream than anything. The lady fingers were so soaked with espresso that it actually was dripping cold espresso when I took a bite. For anyone who doesn't know, the lady finger cookies in a tiramisu are supposed to be cakey and coffee-y, these were very much mush with a strong coffee taste. I will give them props for their use of espresso though. Even though it was a little much, it had a strong presence which is more than what I can say for Olive Garden. The tiramisu gets 3 1/2 stars. read more

Slow service, rude staff. Forgot my order, rushed to make it before my group finished, in which they failed. Noodles came out undercooked, the dish as a whole was luke warm. Will not be back solely because I can get better Alfredo from a Walmart instant meal. read more

Simply they are inconsistent one day it good next its stomach roulette. Over priced for what you get. Serves is poor.

My first visit to my in-laws' hometown. Excellent meal. Pizza had great thin crust. Spaghetti and meatballs was awesome. Very impressive beer list (canned/bottled), even with some local choices. Waitress Esther was a delight. I hope we can come back some day. read more

Visiting from out of town - great choice for a salad or comfort food! Take out ready and we'll packed!

We have been at Leo's before, but until a few days ago it had perhaps been 2 or 3 years. We were satisfied. I actually started out a bit suspicious after reading some of the previous reviews. Server was excellent and food was really good. We cut our portions in half and had the take-home portions for dinner the next day. Only complaints I might have (and they are quite minor) are that food could have been served just a bit hotter and salad lettuce could have been cut up a bit smaller. Maybe it is just me, but I don't enjoy having to cut salad with a knife and fork. Otherwise, very satisfactory. read more

When Covid first started. I called and ordered a pizza from here. I wasnt very far from there so i walked down. I whipped out my phone. Sat down on the sidewalk and proceeded to wait the 20 minutes needed to prep the food. About a minute late Mr.Leo himself walked out and insisted that i come in and wait instead of waiting in the hot sun. And when i came in and sat down. They gave me a free soda. Very kind staff here. A small gesture. But something i'll never forget. read more

Leo's is delicious food and wonderful wait staff. The homemade bread is amazing the chili is perfect the lasagna is so cheesy and flavorful. And if you decide to just snack they have the best gizzards and ranch. read more

I love eating at Leo's! They had the old standard Italian foods, made lovingly and served with a smile. The staff is local and long-time, and seem to love what they do. Leo's has lots of items that are the kind you remember after you are gone, and return to try again, like the bread bowl chili or pasta, the yummy ravioli, and the onion rings. And the pizza? Great! They even have anchovies. Leo's is right across the street from the local theater, so you can make a night of it in Oelwein. And the bar, upstairs has great live music. "Like" their Facebook page, and you'll get all the details. read more

Saturday May 6th, after my daughter's graduation from UIU in Fayette, 16 of us went to Leo's to celebrate this major accomplishment. They couldn't promise we would all be together downstairs, but we could go upstairs as they had more seating. (they don't take reservations on the weekend. ). so we go upstairs, and the staff pulls some tables together for us. We proceed to order drinks/appetizers. The waitress comes back and apologizes as the computers shut off half way through the order, so only half of us get our drinks/appetizers. No big deal, we order again, and she brings them out. We then order dinner.. and wait. and wait, and wait. Food comes out, some of it was right, some of it was made wrong.. and again 4 of us don't get our meals. She again states that computers were shut off, half way through, and she would place the orders again. 3 of the 4 meals come out.. one doesn't.. We wait AN HOUR for 2 pc broasted chicken meal before she finally comes back, crying, and saying neither the manager or the kitchen will make this meal, as it wasn't on the original ticket, and the computers are down again. She was fighting with the manager, asking the manager to come speak to me. The Manager, Janet, refused. I then went downstairs to find Janet myself. I asked her if she had a minute, and she told me she didn't. (she had no idea WHO I was or why I was asking to speak to her, although, I believe she had an idea.) I insisted that she had a moment, and started speaking to her about our situation upstairs. Janet, moved into the hallway, as she didn't want her customers to hear. She told me she was too busy with the 5 tables that she had to come upstairs and talk to me (our waitress upstairs had our six tables, plus the rest of the tables upstairs, and seemed to be able to wait on them just fine). She also complained that she had been there since 8 am and didn't really care if I got my meal or not. She would "comp my meal" (which is fantastic of her, since I never go it). The owner came over and made every excuse in the book for not getting my meal. No apology, no what can we do to help you, can we get you something else." Tried walking away from me 4 different times. We had 16 people upstairs that ordered drinks, appetizers and a meal... And we were treated like we didn't matter. If you are in the Oelwein area, I would suggest going ANYWHERE but this place.. They do not care about their customers, they do not care about their wait staff. They are horrible, horrible people. When your waitress is crying because management won't come up stairs to apologize to a paying guest for not getting them their meal, there is a serious issue with a business. Busy or not, your customer's deserve your attention. read more

The best spaghetti and Italian sausage! The bread is great and the side salad is perfect with delicious ranch! I love this place!

I love Leo's! We've eaten there since I was a kid and almost always had a great experience. There's been a few not so good waitresses here and there but usually they're great. The food is always good and you never had to worry about a reservation. The prices are reasonable and even though I usually have to drive a little further to get there, it's the best restaurant in this area and I'm glad to do it. read more

Very nice place. The atmosphere is a bit more American than Italian. The beer list was impressive but they don't have everything listed. We had the Special pizza. It was loaded with toppings. The crust was a nice crisp thin crust. read more

Best Lasagna in the world!!! Their pasta and Italian sausage is also great!! Their bread is delicious!! Great food, friendly people.

Yummy! Great for date night in this small town! Nice atmosphere and try the soup and bread bowl, so good!

I am a very big fan of their Blooming Onion and also their bread. I was really excited to try their Spaghetti and Meatballs but was very disappointed. Sauce was very watery and it didn't have much flavor. Also their chicken tortilla soup wasn't very good. Would maybe go back and try something else. read more

Just had the best pizza ever! They are celebrating 95 years in business. We have had their pizzas for many years it's always a treat when we are in this area to have a Leo's pizza. They are very authentic in all their pasta dishes as well. Well worth the stop. They sell their Italian bread-the real deal . read more

We had the buffalo chicken pizza and the chicken margarita pizza. Both were fantastic! We also ordered bruschetta as an appetizer which was also delicious! The service was just as great as the food. Cute clean bathroom, too! read more

I ordered the Tenderloin, and needed an extra bun because the tenderloin was so big!! Janet was our waitress (awesome)!! Would highly recommend it to anyone who lives close to Oelwein, or if you are just passing through! The pizza is also phenomenal! read more

Leo's is a great local business. But I must admit that I was really disappointed with not only the meal but the price as well. For $36, I got two plates of pasta. OK; I get that but the dish (chicken alfredo) was AWFUL. The chicken breast was one of those which comes already cooked and FROZEN and just required heating up. Perhaps I am being unfair because I am comparing their food to Luigi's, another Italian place here in Oelwein (no longer open). I am a value diner and I am not going back to Leo's because I actually feel robbed. If the food was good, it would have made all the difference. I am so disappointed. The portion of Pasta was very small as well. I know I am in the minority with this evaluation. I took the order home because had I ate there; it was so bad I would've gotten up and left. For the first time in my life, I am angry about BAD FOOD. This experience has me really angry. I don't expect to get everything or even great food but I at least expect descent food. I wish I could get my money back. There are similar reviews to this on the VERY BOTTOM of this page. For whatever reason; Yelp is hiding these negative reviews. read more