This place should not be called pestos, it should be called "Garlics" or "Wow That's Garlic!" ( just know, I love garlic as if it is the answer to a prayer) Anyway, this is not a chain, it is a mom and pop Italian/American style place. Think of it as a sup'ed up Olive Garden. This IS midwestern comfort food style Italian. Which means lotsa cheese. And while I don't think they "house make" the pasta-dough or noodles (not Albano's or such) but they have some great sauces and if you like garlic well brother, have they got some garlic for you:) The garlic and macadamia nut sauce is unique and wow does it pack a FLAVOR. And last but not least THEIR GARLIC CESAR DRESSING IS ADDICTIVE. I am not kidding, I have been going in and buying a pint or a quart container once a week or two. I put that stuff on salad sure, but dip a slice of pizza on it WOW or on their Italian beef. They have standard frozen fried calamari but they doctor it with their own hand dipped doe and it is at least on par with most Midwest mom and pops. The only fresh squid is main and Lincoln. read more

This is seriously the best restaurant around! Noah was our waiter and was amazing and helped us with all the recommendations! We will definitely be back! Go here! It's a hidden gem!!! read more

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New ownership hasn't changed this place. It was as busy as ever. So busy that we almost had to eat outside but at the last minute a table in bar opened. Perfect! The Sea Bass was good and so was the Parmesan Crusted Filet. Not the typical looking Filet though. Oh well. Ambiance is what it has always been. read more

Had dinner at Pesto's tonight. Per our choice, we sat the bar and had fabulous service. Angie and Ayesha were our servers and they were awesome. They were able to answer any questions we had and offered their opinions on different menu items. The chicken and shrimp dinner was outstanding as was the spaghetti and marinara. Looking forward to trying a few other dishes on the summer menu before they disappear. Pesto's never disappoints! read more

Arrived a little early on a Friday. This place is always busy! We were seated right away. Bread and dipping oil always a hit. The salmon salad on the spring menu was delicious. Perfect really. Hubby had seafood alfredo. Plenty for leftovers. Our server Kylie was quick and attentive. Love the Italian atmosphere and music playing in the background. We don't come often but enjoy when we do dine here! read more

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Some of the best bruschetta I have ever had. They have a wide variety on their menu for all different tastes. There is also a large variety of dessert options. Our server was very attentive and friendly--a great place for a fancy or casual meal. It can also accommodate large parties if you call ahead. read more

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Easy FIVE Stars This restaurant is clean and so nicely done for Christmas. Our service was EXCEPTIONAL. And the food... Omgoodness. Super YUM. Get the breadsticks. You won't regret it. But note. If you order the breadsticks you won't get the breadsticks that come with your meal. We didn't realize this until after we had left. My husband ordered the Sicilian Sampler and I got the Seafood alla Vodka. Both just so tasty. And dessert... Get It. This was just a fabulous experience for us. I cannot wait to go back. There is a lot for parking. read more

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Had heard very good reviews and can confirm the excellent service and food that can be had. The calamari was chewy but good. The ravioli appetizer was very good. Neither is a low carb option. Tried the veal parmesan was very tender and the angel hair pasta was very al-dente. The vodka chicken was very good. One of the highly recommended options. The white sauce entrees are just not one of my personal favorites. Desserts are really great. Tray of options are brought out - these are real food options. Nice touch, very compelling. Guess I'm going to have to work that off this week. But worth it. Will See you here soon. read more

Meh better places around a notch up from olive garden at the end seems like Aldi stuff extra hot drink r ok but cheap liqour.also long wait if no reservation read more

Wow. Great service, delish food, lovely atmosphere. We had salads, pizza, steak, spaghetti & meatballs, and 2 chicken dishes. All wonderful that day and as leftovers the next. And the desserts--holy cow! read more

Pesto's Italian Restaurant - Parmesan crusted chicken - Italian Near Me - Valparaiso, Indiana

Service: we were greeted promptly and seated right away. We had reservations but may not have needed it as it was an early dinner. Our server was named Cable and he was professional and courteous. He was quick with our drink order and appetizer. He provided some suggestions on the order and he was spot on. Food: My wife ordered the scallops combined with angel hair pasta covered in a roasted garlic sauce. I had the Seafood alla Vodca on fettuccine with asparagus. Our appetizer was the bruschetta. All of it was fabulous. I would recommend it all but especially the appetizer if you like garlic bread. Ambiance. Loved the atmosphere. Somewhat dim and cozy. Beautiful jazz music could be heard throughout. Overall, this restaurant did not disappoint. It was a fantastic place to eat. I would recommend arriving to dinner earlier rather than later if possible... and make reservations read more

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Always great service and good food just don't get seated in the bar area if you actually want to talk to the people your there with

Pestos is a consistent place to visit for any occasion. The service is always quick and friendly, the food is delicious and affordable. They bring you bread with oil before every meal. Always have leftovers with each dinner. Highly recommend! Good vibes for a date night or dinner with a group of friends! read more

Pesto's Italian Restaurant - Seafood Alfredo - Italian Near Me - Valparaiso, Indiana

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The food is pretty good. The service is astounding! And the ambiance is fine. My husband and son love the vodka chicken. read more

Pesto's Italian Restaurant - Another wonderful meal at Pestos!! - Italian Near Me - Valparaiso, Indiana

The restaurant is comfortable and quiet in the bar area. Service has always been outstanding and host staff is great at reservations. My husband just loves the pork chops better than mine. The bread that comes out with Italian oil is superb. I usually get a veal dish that is tender and remarkably. Pestos' has become are go to favorite restaurant. read more

The food is very tasty. I had the lobster ravioli in a lemon dill sauce, it had great flavor.

My wife and I went for a mid-afternoon lunch. Had the Seared-scallops on angel hair pasta with salad and my wife had seafood Alfredo with meatball soup - all excellent. Our server was April U who was excellent, very friendly and made a very well crafted Manhattan (up). Sat in a booth in the back room where it was quiet. Very enjoyable and we will be back. read more

Went here for a relative's birthday. Had the garlic chicken and it was magnificent. Finished with tiramisu. The waiter was very thoughtful and quick with refills. The menu and dessert options were all very good. The prices were also very reasonable. I strongly recommend. read more

Last night we had the pleasure of eating at pestos's our waitress. Ashley was amazing. The food was absolutely delicious. It was just a very enjoyable evening. I highly recommend pesto's. We came home with four doggy bags. It was truly amazing. read more

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I really enjoyed the spaghetti at this place. The noodles were tender but still had a nice bite, and the sauce tasted fresh and homemade. The portion was just right, and it felt like a really comforting meal read more

Pesto's Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Valparaiso, Indiana

I had the seafood ala vodka? One of their specialties. The lobster had a bitter taste, I wondered if it was old or bad. My wife said they should add some mozzarella cheese to the lasagna to make it taste better read more

A supersized portion of tasty lasagna - Garfield would be all over this place. A fairly standard restaurant vibe, but friendly, courteous service. read more

Not sure how the dine in is, but if you're looking to get takeout, save your money and take it to lousy private equity owned Olive Garden. Not sure where to start, but I'll start by saying the french fries were the best part. All 12 of them that they gave to us. Aside from the rationed french fries the pasta was subpar at best. I could've cooked better pasta at my house with all the ingredients from Aldi for a 10th of the price. Not even the bread was good. It was so soggy and gross. Also not sure I've ever seen a vodka sauce that was not red. It tasted like it came out of a cream of mushroom can for some odd reason. I think the final straw for me was the abysmal tiramisu that cost nine dollars. Nine dollars for a 2" x 2" slice of tiramisu cake not even real tiramisu. Just moved to the area and wanted a nice dinner for my family, but looks like I will not be going back. Please do better. My pregnant wife is upset. read more

My grandson loves pasta and recommended we eat here before our beach walk. He chose well. We walked in on Friday during lunch. It was not very busy. Our server was attentive and very efficient. In fact, the entire dining experience was five stars. We both ordered the chicken alfredo lunch special. The meal was more than enough because we had snacked well on the bread that comes with every meal. My only complaint was that the vinaigrette was too vinegary but we were hungry, so we ate it anyway There was plenty of chicken in the sauce. I had a side salad and my grandson had the cheddar broccoli soup. It was a tad salty and the broccoli was finely chopped. We will be back read more

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Our daughter and son in law chose Pesto's for our daughter's birthday dinner. We live out of state, so were not sure what to expect. The friendly concierge had us at a table promptly, and our waitress was quick to greet us, give menus, and take our drink order. She went over the night's specials, and came back promptly with drinks and bread& olive oil. The menu selection was very good. The prices were very reasonable. We were impressed with the prompt food delivery, too. All our selections were nicely cooked. And...dessert! A very excellent tiramisu is available and we recommend it! Our waitress added a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the birthday girl'. Good food, good prices, good service. We would recommend Pesto's! read more

I want to thank Pestos. My dessert order was wrong and they fixed it no problem. I was very rude on the phone to the lady and should have not been that way. I appreciate the customer service and the lengths they went to fix the issue. read more

I haven't been in Pesto's in several years. So o was pleasantly surprised with their level of service and the quantity and quality of their food. The breadsticks are amazing with a little Alfredo on the side. The drinks were crafted with skill and very tasty. I'd highly recommend this place for some Italian comfort food. read more

I've been going to Pestos for decades. My favorites are the Cajun grilled chicken, grilled chicken salad, and pesto-crusted salmon. My favorite appetizer is bruschetta. They also have great breadsticks and pizza. They also have lots of yummy martinis. My only issue is they need to remodel. The have never updated the decor and it is really dark. The 90's called and want their decor back. read more

The atmosphere is so beautiful. The servers and waiters are very polite. The food looks delicious. My favorite food is the Vodka Chicken. The wait for getting a table is usually short. It is a very relaxing Italian restaurant. I also love the lettuce salad and red vinaigrette dressing. Another favorite of mine is the Stuffed Squash Pasta. I really enjoy the flavor of the food. I even had some of their dishes ordered and served at a party. read more

Arrived at about 5:00 pm on a Friday evening. Needed a table for two and was seated immediately. A couple of larger parties were waiting at that time. I loved everything I had at Pesto's. Started with warm and crusty Italian bread dipped in herb-infused balsamic vinegar and oil. It was delicious! I wanted more but had to save room for my minestrone soup and seafood alfredo. Both were the best I've had, and I'm not exaggerating! The shrimp were large and exceptionally tender. Although I was full and ready to take half of the meal home it was hard to stop eating! The entire meal was phenomenal. Prices and service were great too. My dining partner had the Sicilian Sampler and a salad and loved his meal as well. Definitely going back soon! * Edited to add - If we were going to be later or had more people in our group I would opt for reservations next time. Many were waiting to be seated when we left, but it is well-worth the wait. read more

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Pesto's is amazing and has been for many years. I just attended a wedding that the restaurant catered and the food was excellent as was the service. Definitely a "go to" in Valparaiso! read more

I've been to a lot of excellent restaurants and this is one of the best I've ever tried. I had the seafood allá vodka and it had huge chunks off lobster meat, shrimp and the tenderest scallops I've ever had. They were soft as butter and the whole thing had so much flavor. The chicken and artichoke soup was so flavorful and my wife's lunch portion of Chicken Parmesan was massive and tasted great. The server was also excellent. We live eight hours away and I would make a special trip just to eat here again. read more

Plenty of parking. Comfortable spread out seating. Nice decor. The food was great and the proportions were generous. The servers were pleasant and helpful. I saw many people taking left overs home. Large variety of food choices. Recommend it to everyone read more

The food was bad and there was also a bug not big but u can see it. The food was amazing tho but no all of it I had the pasta and I thought I sawed a Sedona but it was the big instead. I hated this restaurant the service but good but I don't blame the severs the manager was just yelling at her workers she tried to keep it quiet but we overheard cause she was right next to us. We woudl never eat here again cause of the way the manger was treating her severs and workers! This is the worst restaurant I been to and I hope the waiters find somewhere else to work at cause this is just horrible also as the waiter was serving us we could tell she was tired and annoyed by her manger. I try not to say bad things about about restaurant but this was over the top for me please don't go here it was very bad and not a pleasant welcome. read more

Pesto's is the full package !!! A little loud at times, but always workable Food, drinks & service have always exceeded our expectations. Reservations are recommended. read more

The food and ambiance was below subpar. Service was fine but my Dad actually got physically ill from the food. Luckily, my mom and I just stopped eating it. Never going back! You'd be better off at Fazoli's eating frozen food. read more

Hands down the best restaurant in Porter county . Always impeccable service , great food and lovely atmosphere . Anything from a sandwich to Lobster ravioli and more ! It's possible we moved to Porter county so we could be closer to this place . read more

This review is a long time coming since having started eating here 12 years ago, from time to time. This is one of the best Italian restaurants in the region for hearty portions, affordable prices, and a cozy atmosphere. The noise level does go up when the crowd comes but I've never had a bad meal here or bad service. It's always good! I've tried different things on the menu; filet on the specials, salmon, various pasta dishes, and my fave being chicken piccata. It's not on the menu but they will make it with the capers because they have the veal version listed. My husband likes a dish that used to be on the menu, tortellini piselli, and they will still make it. The desserts are always good and the cocktails, like a limoncello martini. The pesto tomato bread is highly recommended. The salad with their signature creamy basic dressing is good with darker, crisp greens and black olives that many don't use in a salad. They will serve you a huge hunk of warm bread with a garlicky, herbed dipping oil too. This is definitely a staple in the region and one that always provides a good experience and a full belly. read more

Worst Chinese food ever. Didn't even have chopsticks. But the peaches n' cream Italian soda was to die for. Highly recommend.

I wish I could give 0 stars. I've been going out to eat for 30 years and I have never experienced staff so rude and ignorant as they are at this place. They claim to be family owned and operated but my god they are a family of rude rude nasty people. They all claim to be a "manager" as welGail and Joan take the cake for rudest of them all. Please don't waste your hard earned money on this dump. read more