We are season ticket holders for the Mets and have been looking for a place to go to for dinner post game. Park Side came highly recommended by family and Mets staff. Unfortunately we were disappointed, not so much by the food which was good but not great, but by the staff. When we go to a place of business/restaurant we expect to be greeted in a welcoming, friendly manner. The hostess was anything but - acted like we were bothering her. We were seated upstairs in a nice quiet room where apparently the waiters go to die because after taking our drink order and bringing our drinks we never saw the waiter again. We had to order our food from a food runner who was pleasant but really had no idea about being a waiter. We were never told the specials, available dressings for our salad or asked if we wanted another drink. We felt like we were invisible for all the service we got. Plus, at the end we practically had to beg for our bill. I actually did something I have NEVER done in a restaurant - I left no tip and wrote on the credit card slip "Service was terrible". We were hoping this would be our go to place when going to CitiField but not after this experience. read more

So I have been coming to PArkside for a few years now & it has been one of my favorite Italian restaurants for a while. The food is delicious and very inexpensive, the homemade wine is too die for and they have the most fantastic artichokes on the planet. The food is great but the service is really lacking. When i first started coming to this place the service was on point. You were served by an attentive waiter who was never to far From your table to fulfill your every need. However the past few times i have been here its just gone downhill. First off let me start off by saying that i believe when i first started dining here the wait staff were professionals, now it seems as if the placed is filled with bus boys parading around as waiters who are on a huge ego trip.The waiter we had at dinner last night was so bad he actually ruined our meal. We had to practically beg him to take our drink orders bc he would take one drink order, then run away from the table. When he came back with the first drink he quickly ran away and we had to practically yell across the room for him to come & take the rest of our tables. At one point my friends & I felt like just walking out after appetizers. After our appetiZers were cleared from the table we didn't see our waiter for over 20min. This would have been fine but we did not even put our entree order in yet. When my bf said jokingly to him "we thought u went home" the waiter nastily replied well u r not my only table I have over 30 tables to wait on. Um excuse me I don't care how many tables u r waiting u disappeared for 20min. We didn't even see him in the entire restaurant. Just apologize and take our damn entree order. At this point my appetite was ruined and I didn't even eat my main course. The time before this one when i came to dinner with the same group of friends, the waiter brought my friend the wrong dinner & when she tried to correct her order the waiter told her "no this is what u ordered". She doesn't even eat the type of fish they brought to her bc she does not like it and so why would she order it. But no apology, no offer to correct the mistake. Is it too much to ask for a business to treat people who r giving them loyal patronage with respect? This has been a favorite for me and plenty of my friends for so long but I am done with this place. There r too many great restaurants in NYC to put up with blatant disrespect & shoddy service. read more

seated by the skylight for brunch, food is really great, bread basket cornucopia, great stuffed mushrooms, pork chops and pasta!

This is the first time I am reviewing this restaurant after having been here countless number of times in the past 5 years. I can only say I have nothing but positive things to say about this delicious restaurant! In the 5 years I have been here, it has ALWAYS been extremely busy and extremely hard to make reservations on the weekend, the day of. I highly recommend their baked clams, sauteed mushrooms, calamari, and crabcakes for the appetizer. Their crabcakes are the best crabcakes I've ever had and I've been to many many restaurants. I also recommend their penne alla vodka over their bolognese (although the bolognese is also good). My brother has had the rack of lamb- mind you, we don't eat lamb, and even he said it was really good. So for someone who doesn't eat lamb, he decided to try it and said it was not gamey at all. I highly highly recommend this place to anyone who likes Italian food! Can't wait to go back again soon. read more

We have been at this place for a total of 5 times. Every single time has been a great time except for this last time on Christmas Eve. I understand the restaurants are busy and from time to time there is a wait but I do mind being pushed around in a very very small confined area with my 8 1/2 month pregnant wife and family. None of the staff offered us a chair and I felt like Charles Barkley boxing everybody out bumping into my wife. If they know that waiting for a table is a regular thing I think it would be a good idea to improve the waiting area. They have been there for years I am sure they can dump the dough on some renovations. After waiting for 25 minutes for our table after our 7p reservations we finally sat down and waited a good 10 to 15 minutes for a menu. Our party which was a table of 7 ordered one appetizer to share for the table. This is something we previously ordered and was great. It took about a half hour to get this one appetizer and it came out luke warm. In the meantime a huge bread basket and sausage and cheese was brought out which is delicious.. We had to ask the waiter for a wine list 4 times and never got a wine list. After waiting for an hour with no service we asked the bus boy for the house wine which was terrible. Then our plates and a empty appetizer platter stayed on our table for 45 minutes until we had to get up and ask twice to have the table cleared. I understand that it is christmas eve and restaurants get busy, but the wait staff stands around and joke around and doesn't seem to be concerned about being attentive even after it is brought to their attention that our basic dinner needs are not being met. I don't want to get the guy fired so we didn't want to talk to management You would think that he would just get that we are continually asking him for basic things and he would go out of hiss way to make things better but he didn't. after getting up and asking if we could have the dishes removed from our table twice they were finally removed. Now we wait over 25 minutes for out entrees to come and 6 of the 7 plates came. And after getting up yet again to get the waiter the 7th plate comes out and the lobster looks like it was sitting under the sink for 6 weeks. My previous visits have been great, this last time on Christmas Eve really gives me reservations of whether or not I would want to go there again. Parkside will not miss my business and there are plenty of Italian restaurants in New York and management doesn't seem to care about all the bad reviews about the customer satisfaction and the negative comments about the waiters. All the negative comments that I've seen all point out the poor service of the waiters. To get back to my dinner on Christmas Eve, when we brought anything up to the waiter he would reply yeah couple of minutes, couple of minutes. At one point he actually gave my father lip and spoke back to him several times for negligent service. This made us ask for the check while we were eating and leave mid meal and no Christmas dessert. We were in the restaurant a total of 3 1/2 hours. Hope that managment sees this and corrects the problem for our next visit. One posive: is the grilled veal chop is awesome! read more

I couldn't wait to take my family to this restaurant after reading the many reviews that gave it sooo many stars. Well, I will tell you it was beyond awful, the food and the service. We had 6 o'clock reservations, early for a week night. The place was pretty empty and yet they placed us at a table in a corner, far away from the rest of the patrons, (actually, it worked out good for us because we had our 14 month grandson with us and there was a door leading out to their "garden" (not really). Anyway, the waiter was rude and often hard to find, in fact, after quite a while I had to ask another waiter to find him. The food, AWFUL...appetizer, cold antipasta, eh...tasteless...crab cake, again, no taste. Eggplant rolatini, another tasteless, absolutely tasteless dish. Entrees, oh boy, wicked. My son was the only one who had a decent meal. He had the Filet Mignon, which he said was good. My daughter-in-law had the chicken parm, flat, like a pancake, and again, tasteless. The sauce wasn't even good. I had the rack of lamb, cooked ok, but again, boring and tasteless. Now, my husband ordered the Veal Spiedini, which when he ordered, the waiter said, "good choice"...oh man, it was AWFUL!! I consider myself a "foodie" and like pretty much everything, if it's prepared well, well, I saw that he ate two bites and left the rest so I tasted it and I actually spit it out in a napkin. Within two hours my husband got sick. What a shame. I know food is subjective but this was just bad food. Period. read more

christmas holdiay is a great timeat thi retaurant ofcourse the wine is sooooooo good i have to ask everyone "what time is midnight mass" the waiters are great and if you like consistancy you willfin alfredo it has the ambiance and class of a 5 star restaurant and from the time you sit down you willl be catered tofor water drinks bread vegiesmeal opinion desert coffee like the good old days when going out to eat was a night out on the town thre is music and worldy people with memoriesof sports figur marilyn monroe room and customers who are loyal have name plates made for them to make their evening special. our goal is toget a name plate one day. deserts are amazing and the restrooms which women are very particular about are beautiful. if you go to parkside people engage in business as well as relaxation so you may network with new people you meet a ddoctors lawyers and many professionals frequent this delightful place. be sure toorder the tira misu..my favorite meals include the lamb chop artichoke steak and lobster read more

it's a really good experience if you have a reservation. even though it's pretty big, it's fully booked. no way to get seated on Fridays & Saturdays before 9:30 even 10:00 pm. Food is excellent and seafood is delightful. I went there many times and i never found anything to dislike. nice atmosphere, good wine, good food and nice people around. the waiters are experienced, mostly Italians and they behave really like waiters and not like trainees. read more

Came here for a reunion of old Queens friends. We came from near and far and most of us haven't been here in a very long time. Everything was fine until our food came. Two of us ordered the pasta special which was fettuccini with a crab meat sauce. When the meal came, they substituted the fettucini for some kind of ravioli dish. Instead of our waiter letting us know in advance that the chef ran out of the original special, they just gave them this ravioli dish. When we complained, they took the meals away, asked what they would want instead and it took a good 15 minutes for them to bring them their meals, meanwhile everyone else had their dinners. I have to say that the waiter was very apologetic and claimed the chef never told him he had run out of the fettucini, Everyone else was very happy with their meals and other than this issue, service was very attentive. It will be a long time before we return. Really wish I was able to give it 5 stars, but because of this issue, only 3 is deserving. read more

What do I have to add to all these great reviews, by now you probably already figured out that this is another of my top four Italian restaurants in New York. This is a very professionally run place with great food, good wine list, friendly atmosphere, and professional staff. During the weekdays at lunch it's mostly the power lunch crowd from the surrounding area, along with those in the know. At night during major sports events in Flushing Meadow Park, don't be surprised to see both the anchors and technical staff of those covering the baseball, and tennis events at the stadiums. In fact, in olden times some family guys used to spend their time inside, while the Feds checked out their plates in the parking lot. Or so rumor has it. Once while eating dinner a big strapping guy noticed that my wine glass was empty. He told me that he was leaving, and then put an expensive half empty bottle of Barolo on my table. In Italian that's what is called "Simpatico". So take your friends out to lunch and your honey out at night, and learn what good food and service, and big nicely spaced tables were like, "back in the day". And if you take a little stroll and have room for dessert both the Corona Ice King, and the new Timmy O's Frozen Custard (49-07 104 Street) is not too far away. "OH GOD, I ate too much, and I can't get up"...... read more

BUG IN FOOD; AWFUL MIXED DRINKS; VERY LITTLE AIR CONDITION. I've been going to the Parkside for ten years usually on Wednesdays or Thursdays -- once every two months. SADLY to say this Saturday night was a 100% miss fire. FIRST, it was packed and while waiting at the bar, I order a Sidecar which was horribly mixed...when at the table, I ordered an Apple Martini which was just as badly mixed. SECOND, when we were seated, the enitre dining room was extremely warm (granted it was a very hot day/night) but it was an unpleasant dining experience. THIRD, and most disgusting, there was a "live" bug in the salad. An actual crawling bug. How disgusting is that? Although this was a bad dining experience, my past dinners there were superb. I will chalked it up to an off night for the Parkside. Will be going there only on weeknights from now on...will not make the mistake of going there on a Friday or Saturday night. read more

Absolutely stellar restaurant! The food, atmosphere and service are all A+++++! And I'm not a very big fan of italian food but this place converted me. Anything myself or my family has ever gotten there we have loved from the salads to penne aka vodka to chicken Francese to shrimp scampi to veal parm and eggplant parm and so on. The meat bread and bruschetta are amazing. The desserts are great. The staff is so helpful and nice and courteous. They are always asking how things are and your water is never empty. I have been just with my husband and with a. Group of twenty. Always an amazing experience. I even got engaged there! It's a nice place. Guys should def wear a jacket on a Saturday night. You absolutely need reservations. Have gone there so many times for thanksgiving and they had thanksgiving food and their full menu which is great. The Marilyn Monroe room upstairs is great for a private party. It's a must try. If you live in queens and have never been you should be ashamed of yourself. Quintessential restaurant....if anyone ever opens a restaurant, consult with these guys and your restaurant will run like a well oiled machine like this place. Not one negative thing to say. Even the bathrooms are nice. They have valet but if you don't like doing valet you can almost always find a spot right around the bend. read more

Had numerous meals at this New York Institution and I'm always a big fan. Started with a drink in the barb that was stiff x2. Enjoyed that completely. The Garden Room is the best venue within the restuarant but beware even with a reservation you might have to wait awhile for a table if your firm on the Garden Room. Service is super tight and be sure you can fully rely on the bus staff to keep that water glass filled, get you the check, more sauce or whatever you desire. I say this that although the waitstaff is is a crack unit they can get distracted working many other tables. Unlike many other restaurants it seems the bus staff here carries the ball when the waiter is otherwise occupied. All in all wait staff high end and professional, The meal starts with a diverse bread basket, very solid in all respects. They also drop a cheese meat bruschetta plate. All fresh and great. Ordered baked clams which was top shelf and full of flavor. Fried calamari was excellent as well. Appetizers were super solid. I had chicken parm which was well above average. linguini and clams one white one red was a hit and Veal Parm was a thumbs up. restaurant has its own unique vibe and mystic which I can't really put my finger on. iTs a good thing. Park Side hums and is full of people crowding the front entry and bar area. Everyone's in a good mood drinking and Chomping at the bit to get their table. It's like a routine that goes on week after week decade after decade but it's all good. I will surely return again and look forward to my next evening at Park Side in Corona. It's a real winner. read more

Five star restaurant hands down!!! As someone who grew up in the restaurant business, and a family of chefs, and is also fortunate enough to have eaten in some of the finest restaurants around I can tell you with out a doubt Parkside's food just blows my mind! We were there last night and ordered the baked clams, veal Parkside's special,filet of sole and garlic shrimp and each and every bite of everything we ordered was not only fresh but also cooked to perfection. Your sauces are also the key to making outstanding dishes well I can assure you that the reason they put such a generous bread basket on the table is because you will want to mop up every bit of the sauce as well! The Veal special and that sauce is to die for!!!! We live in Manhattan were there is no shortage of restaurants and some very amazing restaurants at that but Parkside gives them all a run for there money!!! Hats off to the chef, staff and the owner for an outstanding restaurant. read more

I will not be back. I have enjoyed the food at Parkside for many years with my family following Mets games. However, yesterday's experience there has led me to choose to never go there again. My wife and I arrived there without a reservation at 6:50 p.m. The matre d' promised us a table in "ten minutes, no make it fifteen to be safe." After 45 minutes of waiting at the bar with nary a word from him (despite several visits to the bar to seat others) I went to the front desk to see if there was a table in our future. I was told "one more minute". Five minutes later, he came by and seated another couple that arrived sans reservation 30 minutes after we did. We waited another five minutes after that. Having faced up to the fact that as only semi-regular guests we would not be getting a table until it was convenient for the maitre d', we made our way out of the restaurant despite his protest that "it won't be much longer . . . the check is on the table." Yeah, right. An hour wasted but a lesson well learned. In a city full of great Italian restaurants, I can certainly afford to go to one which cares about its customers. read more

I'll be very honest w/ you guys, I had reservation for 9pm and we were there 5min to 9pm. they had us waiting for 45 min and everytime i used to ask when our table was goimg to be ready the hostess would give me a look like i was there for free food. my friend's fiancee who twisted her ankle couple days before that horrible night, was carrying a cane but none of the employees offered a chair. finally when we've got our table the waiter had an attitude. i guess he had a long night since they were so busy. now if i wait 45 min for my table and bad service but if the food is great i would forget verything else. the pizza place on the corner of my house has better food than this restaurant. the food is average, no need for 45 min wait when you can get better food in any other restaurant. I do have something positive to say about this place...valet parking is pretty good. thank god it's like they know people want to leave that place ASAP!!! read more

food was good but the service was slow had to wait a long time for food and a very long time to get the check

Went to Parkside on 8/14. The place is very nice on the eyes when you walk in, warm and cozy. The staff is dressed nice, the place has the old school feel. The food: I love the bread basket because they put lard bread in there, which is something I can't get in Nevada. Delicious. Our fried calamari was a little rubbery, but the marinara sauce to dip in tasted like cheap, jar sauce. The baked clams were excellent! They sauce on the bottom of the plate was a meal in itself when we mopped it up with the bread. Our entrees included veal parmigiana, which was tasty but the veal wasn't so tender. My wife had chicken piccata. She said the chicken was tender and tasty but did not taste like Picatta sauce. I've had several friends who regularly go to Parkside tell me it must have been an off night, because it's usually excellent. Having been in the restaurant business, I understand that restaurants do have off nights. Overall, Parkside is a very nice place to enjoy dinner and despite the few hiccups we would definitely try it again. read more

We made a reservation for Saturday night at 8:30 for 4 people and we were already treated poorly before even stepping foot in this place. I feel so sorry for the restaurant but even more sorry for the owner because he clearly doesn't understand what good food or service is. We had dinner and brought our friends and we were embarrassed by the awful food and service. We wanted to impress them by taking them to a nice "Italian" restaurant and that wasn't the case. The food was awful, bland, and the presentation was a joke! The minestrone soup tasted like it came straight out of the can. The friend calamari was very soft and the pasta was mushy! The chicken tasted like it was cooked 3 hours before and was tough. The waiter didn't speak a word of English and never even asked if we wanted more wine or dessert. The only good thing out of the meal was the bread basket and that's because they don't make the bread. The dinner was a complete waste of money. I don't understand how a restaurant t being open over 30 years and the owner I'm sure being in love with his place so to speak doesn't realize how much bad shape it is in. I hope the owner figures out a solution to the food soon. I am Italian and we have been to many Italian restaurants and know good quality food and this place was a huge disappointment. We will not be returning. read more