I can't believe I have lived in Sarasota as long as I have and only now found this gem of a restaurant. My wife and I had the most enchanting evening and simply can't wait to return. First impression, plenty of street parking directly in front and as we entered we noticed a truly beautiful outdoor patio, nicely landscaped, centered around a beautiful outdoor stone fireplace. When the weather cools we will look forward to enjoying that. As it was a bit warm outside we chose an indoor table. The interior is beautifully done with elaborately detailed tray ceilings, soft colors, soft lighting, a really lovely bar, and a quiet luxury throughout. We were greeted by the host Bob, who we later learned is a partner/owner, and we were seated immediately. Our waitress Holly was fun, engaging, attentive and eager to please without ever being overly present throughout the night. She set the tone by announcing that all wine was $10 off per bottle and all signature cocktails were $10 each. We were informed these values are expected to be offered at all times during low season (not just a happy hour). We found the wine and cocktail pricing to be extremely reasonable even without this extra offer. Holly also volunteered that the kitchen would happily split any appetizer onto two plates and we were also welcome to order just a half salad or half Caesar salad if only one of us wanted one. For the waitperson to offer this without even being asked, we felt the spirit of hospitality was off to a great start as it was obvious the restaurant is prioritizing customer happiness above all else. The menu, which you can review on their website, was full of enticements that had us vowing to return so that we could sample more and more offerings. We settled on a half house salad (excellent), a pasta fagioli (unforgettably good) one of their signature dishes, "Chicken Our Way", and Rigatoni Bolgnaise. The chicken dish was simply out of this world, very lightly breaded and beautifully glazed with a wonderful sauce. The table next to us, having driven up all the way from Northport, politely demanded to know what the dish was as the aroma graced their table. The Rigatoni Bolognaise was as fantastic as any dish we had while travelling through Italy; the bolognaise sauce was unquestionably made from scratch in-house and was as delicious and as authentic as it comes. As we were dining, a woman entered who had the essence of an owner; she went from staff member to staff member, and from table to table, checking on every employee and every customer to ask how things were going. When she stopped at our table, she introduced herself as Beverly, the host's partner. She stayed with us for quite some time showing a genuine and personal interest in us. We were not just a customer to her; we were clearly a new and valued acquaintance. This level of Mom-and-Pop personal service is very hard to find today in Sarasota--and it makes all the difference in the world. We can't wait to go back to see Bob, Beverly and Holly again as they truly made us feel like family. And we can't wait to try more of their enticing dishes. You simply MUST sample this restaurant and see for yourself. I fear though that if too many people discover it, the restaurant may grow and change. I hope that doesn't happen, because it is perfect right now, in this moment, exactly the way it is. read more

We took take out on their Wednesday special of a sandwich with a garden salad for $16 and the Disco Fries for $6.00. Packaging was excellent. There were about 4 tables so plenty of room for more guests and the bar was empty. The sausage and peppers sandwich was flavorful per my husband. The sausages are not sliced but cut making the sandwich a complete mess. The bread is not made to hold the sausage. I had the chicken Marsala sandwich. Again had a huge issue with the bread being useless. The mozzarella was on the bread but none on the chicken. The Marsala sauce was bland and minimal. Would not get this again. The disco fries were not making me happy. Basically thin fries smothered in gravy. Where was the cheese? The gravy was also bland and we ended up tossing most of them out. The restaurant itself is nice with darker colors and clean. Prices on the regular menu are pricey and after trying their sauce I can see why it was empty. Personal peeve, Italian dish that doesn't include pasta as a side option when clearly they have pasta in the menu is wrong. read more

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Offer of free dessert drove us back here; not really, just wanted to hit the restaurant before heading North for the Summer. Pazzo was not crowded and Deliah took good care of us. My chicken Milanese was breaded chicken with arugula and tomatoes plus Parmesan cheese on top( very good) My carrot cake was moist and tasty. Overall, a nice dinner experience. My wife had the sea food pasta and enjoyed her entree as well. Generous portions and good flavorful food make this Italian restaurant a very good value. read more

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Dropped by Pazzo last night for the first time -- will definitely go back. The food was great (I had the chicken penne pasta alfredo) and the service was exceptional. read more

Excellent food and service in a very charming & relaxing setting! The bread & oil, salad & pasta all were outstanding!

Our meal at Pazzo was absolutely phenomenal and our server McKenna was a darling. I can't wait to return!! This is real authentic Italian and on Sunday they have a special sunday sauce that was incredible. Everyone at the table couldn't get over how delicious the vodka pasta was and the portions are INSANE. Food is excellent, service is excellent and the decor is adorable- especially holiday themed right now. Will become familial regulars. read more

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Date night took us to Pazzo last night, and wow, where to begin! Our server, Lexie, was new to the restaurant but was a pro! She was quick to provide suggestions, and was quite possibly the most attentive server I've ever had! We started with the mushrooms oreganata (special) and swooned! I could've eaten a whole order by myself! Followed by a house salad (half portion which was still an incredibly generous portion) and Caesar. Finale was linguine with clams (asked for Fra Diavolo!) and chicken Marsala. Note - it was incredibly hard to settle on entrees - there were so many things we wanted!! read more

Stopped by for dinner when visiting. Welcoming staff, great outdoor patio, my two daughter's food came out substantially quicker than anything else, but I'm assuming it was done after noticing they were young. My wife thoroughly enjoyed everything, to me it was meh, wouldn't be high in my list to return. I found the dish I got, a prosciutto and cheese rigatoni dish, to be under whelming, maybe it was my dish choice that threw me off. read more

This place is by far one of the best Italian restaurant in the Sarasota area. Starting with Jennie who is the ambassador of the restaurant. She made sure our party of 13 was well taken care of. The food was tasty and plentiful and the service was spot on. This was our 3rd time going here and it keeps getting better and better. Highly recommend. read more

Dinner for our party of 6 was unreal! Samantha our server helped make this yummy restaurant one of the best Italian places we've had in a while. Bottles of wine were flowing and nothing our table ordered did not disappoint. If ur in Sarasota for vacation or a night out, run don't walk to this gem!! read more

Pazzo On Orange - Veal parmigiana and lasagna - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Will return. Dark wood and granite (?) decor on a lovely street. It has indoor and outdoor sections. A big fireplace outside. Love their thin stems and water tumblers. ... but then the server gave us different glasses the second run: dull and thick. If I knew I would not have ordered another drink. Ok, I went to the bar and asked for a thin stem. Like their spicy olive oil a lot. We've - arugula salad w/ Shiitake mushrooms - eggplant rollatini - clams in white - mussels in red with raw garlic and pungent wine sauce... and I took the sauce home - can't take me anywhere. Are they New York Italian? No sure: is it Little Italy Italian or Arthur Avenue in Bronx Italian? In any case, their food is delicious. Thanks for deciding the salad. When they brought the hot food, they warned us that the plates are hot ... in fact, non of the three are hot, not even warm. I thought the eggplant rollatini would be thin and small that I can finish it all as an appetizer. Wrong: three large and fat piece: a little too 'meaty'. After one I felt I'm full. We're too full to try their dessert. Next time. The busy girl (?) is pleasant, warm and cute. Rushing home to watch the rest of Super Bowl! read more

CHECK YOUR BILL !!! We are long time regulars at Pazzo, unfortunately we won't be going back. They have started adding 3% to the bill if you pay with a credit card, I usually never really look at the itemized bill, but when I had seen two different totals, I questioned our waiter ( who was great ) he explained they add 3% if you use your card. I paid it, the food is a 6 out of 10, not the best in Sarasota, but decent enough to go back, a solid 6 or 7. But this charge is nothing more than a money grab, Pazzo now makes sure they squeeze every dime out of your pocket when you are there. At a time where people are somewhat struggling to make ends meet, at a time where you get ripped off at the gas station, the supermarket, the insurance company, everything is expensive. So, you plan a night out to treat yourself and your family, and now Pazzo decides because you didn't bring cash , you need to pay more??? No morals, no integrity, no community goodwill. Just a money grab. You can have them, clearly pazzo does not consider the cost of doing business, so they make their problem your problem. It's what's wrong with the world today, and Pazzo is leading the way. Congratulations Pazzo you win...you lost a great customer, but you made an extra $9.00 ..... read more

We ate there New Year's Eve with kids and grands. Wonderful food, excellent service and ambiance. We also ate there recently and ate outside on the terrace. Another wonderful experience that didn't disappoint! Highly recommend! read more

Our first time at Pazzo. Went to dinner on NYE at 6pm. Restaurant was fairly busy but had lots of open tables. We opted to sit outside under the lights. The restaurant next door had live music that was beautiful! Greeted quickly with water and bread service. Love the hot chili oil on the table for the bread! Bread was warm, not sure if it was homemade but it was good! There were no NYE specials. We started with the fried calamari which was delicious! Perfectly crisp, lightly fried and hot! Came with two delicious sauces, I loved the lemon butter sauce. I'm sad to say after that I was underwhelmed. I had the orecchiette pasta, which despite having chicken, sun dried tomatoes and broccoli it was just blah. No real flavor or taste. The sauce was a chicken broth oil sauce. Honestly I was very disappointed. I had to put quite a bit of salt and the hot chili oil on it to really taste anything. My husband loved his chicken parm, as it came with two big pieces of chicken with lots of cheese. Probably could have used a bit more pasta to go with all that chicken. Not sure if the pasta was homemade but that would have been nice to know. They only had one dessert option, a set of three cannolis. It was delicious but was really hoping for Tiramisu. It was a nice place to try but probably won't be back. read more

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Food is excellent Service is great Great ambiance Will be going back very soon. Wonderful on all levels read more

The Food is simple and Amazing! Also the best Pizza in Sarasota! Staff is great always make you feel Welcome and the best outdoor space in Sarasota with a Fireplace and live music on certain nights... Highly recommend. read more

food and atmosphere great and there was live music that was very enjoyable. the service was friendly and professional but a little slow. it was also on the warm side read more

Food was great! Bartender was great! People were great! But!!!!! They could loose a few tables to make your dining experience more pleasant. The tables are literally packed on top of each other. I could smell what the tables behind me were eating. read more

Great Italian food and service and entertainment Sammy J on Wednesdays singing Sinatra and friends was added bonus

Went for lunch as soon as they opened. Sat outside with our party of seven including three small kids. The staff was very accommodating and split entrees for the kids (there is no children's menu). We started with baked clams that were excellent-save your bread to dip in the garlic sauce. The pizza is perfect- thin and crunchy crust -best we've had in the area. The sandwiches were huge and delicious. The short Rib Sandwich meat was tender perfectly seasoned and served on seeded Italian bread. Caesar salad side was generous with shaved Parmesan and great dressing. We can't wait to come back for a kid free dinner. The patio is beautiful with string lights and an outdoor fireplace. read more

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Great ambiance. Great drinks. Did not eat dinner, but entrees looked and smelled fabulous.

I was going to write a 5 stars review on this restaurant about my experience here last night, describing how the food was good and the team friendly in a very busy night, adding to my review that I had to witness a pathetic show from a lady screaming to an employee because of some split checks. She even told the poor server: "We are not going to take care of you!", screaming at her. I open the app and I find 5 reviews talking about it! Get a life people! The manager did good to send these people away, they don't deserve any better treatment. Anyway, going back to real stuff: food is very good and service friendly. I will definitely be back when I'm in town. PS we are in 2025, do people know zelle or cashapp exist to avoid split checks wait?? read more

Today was the beginning of the take out only lunch from Pazzos on Orange. We have dined for dinner at Pazzos many times. The lunch for my wife and myself was a flawless roast beef sandwich with mayo, hot peppers, tomatoes and the best mozzarella cheese here in Sarasota. Don't forget to enjoy this delicious sandwich and be greeted by the owner Andrew! read more

THE best Italian restaurant in Sarasota. Just WOW. Had the eggplant rollatini appetizer which was just like Nonni used to make. The Broccoli Rabe and sausage was perfectly prepared with a Neapolitan presentation. Postres included homemade tiramisu, cheesecake, and an assortment of others that are not to be missed. Giving my highest rating. read more

excellent food great service friendly staff neighborhood gem in the very cool rosemary district read more

All 3 were great!! Personnel, food,friendliness Will definitely return in the very near future! Owners are personable- even if they like the Yankees! lol! Great spot and needed in that area ********^ Everyone needs to go read more

Had a wonderful dinner at Pazzo last week and going back tonight. We ordered the home made mozzarella (delicious), shrimp parm with spaghetti, the best I've had since leaving NY. Hubby had the spaghetti with meatballs, very good. Portions are a good size had leftovers for lunch. read more

Pazzo On Orange - Shrimp Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Had a great experience at pazzo! We got the vodka pizza, chicken franchise and mesclun salad, all were delicious!! Paired with a bottle of white wine which was very affordable compared to downtown restaurant (we aren't super crazy wine people though and are usually fine with anything). Will be back! read more

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BEST ITALIAN FOOD IN SARASOTA ... its is so charming and the outdoor patio feels European in a way .. wish this was up in New York because I would be a regular. The sauce and meatballs are unreal and the Orchietto pasta dish was very good! read more

Tried this place on a whim. What a great find. Really good food ( I'm Italian and really picky about eating out in Italian restaurants) Nice wines. There was music the night we were there ( Wednesday ) We ate outside on the enclosed patio area. It was private and very comfortable. Great service too. I'd definitely recommend and will absolutely go back. read more

Busy night, great weather-so was patio slammed. Our party of 5 showed up on time for our reservation (which was made w/o requesting outside dining.) Somehow these rock stars made it happen for us, and served up some awesome meals! Italian done right/ Give it a try ! read more

This new arrival on the Sarasota scene we stumbled across is a must to eat at if you like Italian Cuisine. Fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella (made at the restaurant), with Prosciutto is a must starter. Chicken Francese oh my tender chicken the sauce was amazing and the good old proof of a good Italian Restaurant is how was the Lasagna. Lasagna is spot on. Just updated this post with the cheesecake WOW not had this at any other place since my favorite meal at a Michelin star restaurant in Madrid Spain. read more

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Food was delicious. I had the Orecchiette pasta but with sausage and broccoli rabe and it was delicious and my friend had their "chicken our way" which was also delicious. We had desert which was a flourless chocolate cake that was out of this world. The service was great and the atmosphere was m lovely as we sat outside by the fireplace and there was a live musician playing nice music! read more

The food here is good, but unfortunately, that's where the positives end. What should have been a pleasant dining experience was completely overshadowed by some of the worst customer service and management behavior I've ever encountered. The staff seemed overwhelmed and disorganized, which made for long waits and plenty of frustration. Rather than owning up to service mishaps and working to make things right, management was dismissive and condescending. Instead of addressing concerns professionally, they chose to escalate the situation by publicly berating customers and writing defensive, tone-deaf replies online, as you can see in their responses to reviews. Reading their replies, it becomes clear that this establishment would rather argue with paying guests than reflect on their own service shortcomings. Good restaurants know how to handle feedback with grace--not with petty, defensive outbursts. It's a shame because the kitchen deserves better leadership. Until management learns how to accept criticism without hostility and treat customers with basic respect, I would strongly caution others to think twice before dining here. read more

Chelsea was our server . Fantastic job ! Everything was perfect . There were 6 of us and we didn't have anything negative . Food and desserts and wine was amazing . read more

Just don't eat here. There are plenty of other Italian restaurants in Sarasota. Dolce Italia, Speaks Clam Bar St Armands, Cafe Gabbiano, just to name a few. You'll have better food, and much better service. read more

Everything was great - eggplant parmigiana was so good and the farfelle pasta was very good

outdoor atmosphere and cockails were great. Food was just average. Calamari didn't have much taste and pizza was just ok. Will definitely be back though to explore other menu items and give it another shot. read more

Good food with reasonable pricing. Our server was Samantha and she was excellent. On a beautiful less humid Sarasota evening the courtyard is perfect. read more

First time at Pazzo on Orange and we had an excellent time. Our dinners were great and everyone made us feel like we were regulars. We had the chicken parm and the chicken piccata, excellent. read more