I've been to Russell's probably three times total. I'd say two out of the three times it was pretty good. The last time there, we were very satisfied with our dinners. We got Veal Chop and Fra Diavolo. Both were excellent. Russell's is definitely a local place with a lot of regulars from around town. The dining room decor is a bit dated but the bar is a lot more modern, and while the food was good, the service seemed a bit off each time we were there. Long waits at times. The menu has a lot of reasonably priced items, but our bill just seems to come up on the higher side for dinner. But, I guess that depends on the entreé or specials. Russell's has been around a long time and I think it will be around a lot longer. The food is good, but there is just nothing overly special there. I mostly enjoyed it, but as it is a drive for me, not something I will constantly go out of my way for. read more

Russell's Restaurant - Veal chop - Italian Near Me - Scranton, Pennsylvania

Terrific food, nice atmosphere and very attentive surface. Definitely a five out of five!

Really great food and drinks and great service also very friendly dinners. New York strip, prime rib and pork mignon are incredible. Stuffed long hots very good as well. Everything is very fresh and made to order. read more

Excellent Italian food from steaks to pork dinners to all kinds of great tasting pasta dishes.

This restaurant is a hidden gem. I LOVE their food and cocktails. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming. The staff is excellent and very knowledgeable and attentive. I adore the Salmon Deborah, so good, fresh and tasty. read more

Five star staff Five star food but four star rating. Menu is a bit of a throwback but always delicious. One of our go to places for an evening out/date night. Can't recommend enough you will leave with a smile, wonderful meal and having had a great evening. read more

It's around the block from my house and I don't get there as much as I used to or as much as I would like. Last night had their special Shrimp and Scallop Risotto and as with all their food it was delicious. They squeezed us in without a reservation on a Friday night, very appreciative. read more

Food is good but so is every Italian restaurant, nothing really makes it special besides the fact their appetizers and main course take 2 and a 1/2 hours to make. Don't bother going if you have plans at night because you won't make it, they didn't care the slightest either. The waitress said "Oh I'm so sorry" which didn't do very much for me. Besides that, don't even think about coming without a reservation, especially if you are a kid. If you look under the age of 21 with no adults, they will sit you in the back corner under the air conditioning. So yeah food is decent but service is God awful. Would not recommend going if you are young. read more

What a great old school joint - part Italian Spaghetti House... Part Supper Club. Everything was fantastic from the Dirty Martini to the spicy calamari and the prime rib. I'm often hesitant to order the prime rib... but boy howdy nothing to worry about here - it was a stand out! I also ordered one of the famous salads - can't remember which one - also fantastic. But here's the thing it was a great salad not a menu afterthought - but well played part of the menu. Desserts were tempting but I was stuffed and satisfied. read more

What a nice surprise..after last week at Tiffany's disappointment. Made reservations for 5pm. They had none other than 8pm. Too late for us. Nice menu. Italian with other nice choices. My husband had the Manhattan clam soup. He said nice kick very good. Cajun salmon he said was excellent, so much so he wrapped it up and saved for home. I had the Russell salad, arugula with shaved Parmesan on top mixed in balsamic dressing...AMAZING! Simple but super. Then I had the pork mignon. Sounds different but it was worth the choice. The sauce was a bit salty but yummy. Cream sauce with sun dried tomatoes and hunks of roasted garlic. Excellent! The service was a bit slow but we were the third customer. The waitress was attentive and apologetic for the wait. The place could use a facelift. Plate on the walls as decor. Pictures crooked and old. Didn't have a martini list. Definitely patrons frequent the place. At one point we did see the waitress walking around with a bag of buns. Probably from National Bakery. They handed us one bun with tongs. I don't think Covid is a concern for them. Everyone was masked but every table looked like it was ready for seating. I can't say they were to be filled but nothing was taken out to spread out. Aside from that good food !!! We will be back!! read more

Russell's Restaurant - Strawberry crunch cake - Italian Near Me - Scranton, Pennsylvania

See all

Definitely not practicing social distancing which made me and my family feel unsafe and u protected . The staff is spread thin which resulted incredibly slow service, and long wait for your food and drinks Food is mediocre at Best. I think Angelos is much better run establishment. read more

Staff is friendly, and the place has an awesome family run energy to it. These guys love what they do, and they're great at it. Menu has options for everyone and the prices are reasonable considering the portions. No one has left this place hungry. It's Scranton's best Italian for sure. Chocolate Chip Cannoli is among the best I've ever had. Paired great with the espresso martini. read more

Went there for New Years Eve....reservations were for 7:30, we were seated at 8:45!! Waitress was not waitress material. Waited for another hour for our food, BEYOND ridiculous!!! Walked out of the restaurant at 11:15!! NEVER again!!! Food was really not worth waiting for ...very disappointed!!!! read more

This is a loyalty Restaurant. It's not about the food or service bc if it was they wouldn't be in business (just saying) First and Last time here. I know good food and I know good service. This place has neither. Took over an hour for appetizers. The fried calamari was overcooked, which makes it inedible. Salad with house oil Italian balsamic- lettuce wilted and no balsamic to be tasted. Main course: shrimp - chicken strips roasted red peppers with capers in a white wine lemon sauce Came out cold but that wasn't a shocker. Sauce was full blow lemon favor (lips will pucker) needless to say not great. But the baked potato was nice and hot. Sooooooo they had that going for them read more

Russell's was good. Very personalized service was a highlight - we did not feel rushed at all, and had a nice meal, with lots of wine, and lots of food. J. Lohr cab - good price point, and a good wine. First of all, the antipasto is amazing. They marinate the cheese, olives, artichokes, in some special balsamic mixture that makes every thing taste so much fuller. Tuna on the antipasto was unique, but also marinated in delicious. The large plate seemed endless, and I think the four of us left a few artichokes behind. My main course was the Eggplant Parm, and the portion was a full eggplant. Lots of breading, and lots of cheese. Cheese ravioli was also good, and added sausage was a bonus. Sadly they were out of black tie cake, but our friends reported that it's amazing, so will have to go back. read more

I agree with the other reviews indicating that there is nothing special about Russell's but there is nothing inherently wrong. The food is fine. The service was bland. The wallpaper is horrendous. It was my friend's 40th birthday and she has been going to Russell's since she was a child. The waitress seemed like we were a hassle since we debated dessert and when I said the birthday girl needed cake, she sighed and said she would come back when we decided. There were three tables in the place! We ordered our cake. It was the worst cake I ever tasted - whipped cream icing on a layer cake of white and chocolate cake. It was called chocolate tuxedo cake. That is a very liberal description of what could have appeared at a picnic. And we were charged for the cake - not a problem but so tacky. She did put a candle in cake so that was exciting. It was really a let down. I've heard about Russell's for years. It's a run down little place and everyone there seemed unhappy to be working there - not a place for celebrating. read more

Absolutely disgusting! My place of employment made a reservation, months in advance, for a party of about 40 people. Besides the service being ridiculously slow... here's the scoop... the sewer backed up. There was 3 inches of sewage water in the kitchen. It was pouring out onto the dining patio and bar area. My co-worker was told that the public restrooms were "out of order". The credit card machine was down and the owner wanted patrons to write their credit card info down on their bill. I will never return to Russell's, ever again. read more

Russell's Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Scranton, Pennsylvania

Pretty sad when it takes an hour to get an order of garlic bread. If you want to stay 3 hours to eat dinner this is the place for you if you want average food. There are far better places in the area for dinner and have the rest of the night. Plus service was subpar at the best. read more

Family-feel, friendly service, nice ambience, amazing food. You can't go wrong. For three people ordering an appetizer, 3 entrees, and 4 drinks, it was $135 with tip, which for the quality and portions of the food is totally worth it in my opinion. Be warned, the menu is gigantic and the list of the day's specials our server rattled off was even bigger- it was so hard to pin down something when it all sounded so good! Quick rundown of the food: -Appetizer: we split the Arrancini which was essentially a heavenly, moist ball of rice and cheese in a bowl of their delicious homemade tomato sauce. To-die-for. I would order like 3 of these next time just for myself. -Entrees: the two other people in my party got the Sole special, which came in a Grand Marnier glaze topped with halved green grapes. I ordered the Scallop & Shrimp over Linguine in a Pinot Grigio sauce topped with cherry tomatoes. The opinion on the Sole was that it was cooked perfectly and fresh, but a little sweet with the Marnier sauce. My linguine entree was fantastic & plentiful. The sauce was perfect and they didn't skimp on the seafood- huge, buttery, and delicious. Our entrees also came with a salad and it was a nice touch- leafy romaine with blue cheese crumbles as an option (yes, please!) -Bread basket! You've gotta give it up for those restaurants that still give you baskets filled to the brim with breadsticks and italian bread with butter packets. Love it. Overall, I'd love to try something on the actual menu that's not just a special of the day. read more

This restaurant is fantastic from the dirty martini, eggplant tower appetizer (perfect red sauce not sweet), then the lemon sole mueniere was fresh good sized serving absolutely delicious light and seasoned just right. Our waitress was very professional and even met the owners whom definitely ensure top quality and freshness. I will return for sure. read more

The food was solid. My husband and I both had the nightly specials. My chicken with mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes in a white wine sauce had the perfect balance of flavors and textures. Definitely recommend this place. Our server wasn't quite as attentive as I would have hoped and after one particularly long absence, he returned smelling like cigarette smoke. Other than that, a great experience and a great meal. read more

I like Russell's but it is the epitome of my problem with food here in Scranton. It's just fine. I mean, I don't have anything to complain about but there is nothing I would right home about either. My family and friend continually tell me, and as I've sampled around a bit find this to be true, that Russell's is at the top of the food chain around here. Like AV, I'm underwhelmed. If there were better restaurants in the area I wouldn't go back to either, but it seems like this is what we have. Service is consistently good. My last meal here was with a party of 26 and I was really impressed with how well a group that size was attended too. All that said, I would pick Russell's over most everywhere else. read more

It was terrible. Service was slow and inattentive. My dinner was cold potato was undercooked and my pork was dry. My wife's dinner was worse and the sauce tasted burned. We were very disapointed read more

The appetizers are unbelievable. Try the sausage stuffed mushrooms very unique. I had the NY steak with the light cream sauce. This steak rivals Ruth Chris any day. This is the best steak house for counties around. My dinner mates had the sea bass and loved the texture and citrus flavors. I can understand the impatience of the other reviews but this place is a must eat when in town. read more

Pleasant surroundings...waitress super# Food yukky..served rank spoiled clams. Twice..... Salmon.crabmeat dish unedible. read more

Russell's is hands down my favorite place in Scranton! I've been here many times and the food never disappoints. The atmosphere is super cool, old school Italian (reminiscent of Peter Luger in NYC), but the menu is ever evolving and freaking delicious. Last night I had the halibut special and not only was it fresh and tender, but the presentation made it even more decadent. My husband had seafood angel hair pasta with homemade marinara sauce (well, everything is homemade but the sauce is totally yummy) and our friend enjoyed the salmon au poivre - amazing! Needless to say, we all ate too much! read more

Russell's Restaurant - Halibut entrée - Italian Near Me - Scranton, Pennsylvania

Excellent atmosphere and food. They make each dish by hand so it may take longer than fast food but well worth it. I recommend the pork chops. Also excellent drink choices. I had a whiskey sour and it was superb. No sour mix and cheap whiskey it was the real deal. Parking a big plus as is outdoor area. read more

A superb dinner! Cajun Salmon was scrumptious- cooked to perfection. Our friends had pasta with vodka sauce and were very pleased. The atmosphere is warm, staff was attentive which made our Dinning experience even more memorable. We'll be back, there was so much to choose from. read more

I recently had dinner with my parents at Russell's to celebrate my mom's birthday. From start to finish, everything was fabulous: the service, the quality & flavor of the food, the portions, and the reasonable prices. Our waitress, Kristen R., is an absolute professional. She's familiar with the menu, was very helpful in making recommendations, and she has a magnetic personality. We felt like we were guests of honor for the evening --- and based on the happy customers surrounding us, I infer that she makes all of the guests feel as if they're getting the most personalized service. In my opinion, quality service is just as crucial as quality food, and Kristen is, again, the epitome of professionalism and hospitality: warm, charming, witty, knowledgeable, and efficient. To start our meal, we had salads that were fresh, cold, and crisp. My mom had a cup of the chicken soup, and she absolutely loved it. Excellent flavor of the broth and generously stocked with chicken, veggies, and noodles. As for our entrees, they were dynamite. My mother and I each had the filet mignon, and my father had the prime rib. Mom and I agree that the filet was one of the best we've ever had, perfectly prepared and exceptionally tender; while she ordered a regular filet, I went with the filet mignon au poivre. The sauce was divine. If I'm being honest, I could have died happy eating an entire bowl of the cognac cream sauce. Amazing. And with my father raving about the prime rib, I couldn't resist having a bite. It, too, was incredible. The beef was beyond tender, and the flavor was out of this world. We each had sides of pasta, and the sauce was a wonderful blend of hearty and zesty without being overly spicy. Great balance of flavor, and a great consistency. We will most certainly be back! read more

2-3 for the food we had. 1 for service but she was new. Adorable old place with great outdoor seating. I'd go back to have the arugula salad again & try chicken or fish but this New Yorker found the pasta, red sauce and vodka sauce very bad. Also they should properly train staff. Our waitress had no idea how to open a wine bottle and didn't know the difference between clams on half shell and steamed clams. These mistakes are hard to forgive but I don't blame her I blame the management. The live music was nice and bartender was great. read more

Kiss of death, once again horrible. Slow service, bad food. Took 90 minutes to get our meals. Medium done prime rib was pure grey leather. Worst I ever had! Run for the hills and avoid this place. 2nd straight trip here with a bad a experience. read more

The "Best" Italian Home Style Food you could ever eat. I know, I've had the fine pleasure of eating Russell's sense 1984. A Calabrian Style Food, that brings back Family style Dinners. A tear rolls down my Cheek when I remember Russell Sr., standing in front of a Stove in his Kitchen pouring his Heart, and Soul into each Dish. He was Taught by his Father, as Russell Jr., was taught by his! Waste no time, or money in other Restaurants. Enjoy the mouth watering Dish's of Russell's, you'll be grateful that you had his Food! And lets not forget that Russell's was Voted the "Best" Italian Restaurant in N.E. & Central Pennsylvania! I'll miss my Old Buddy Russell Sr., but his Son Russell Jr. is serving Fine Food as his Father taught him to care for his costumers by giving them a Great Meal! read more

Absolutely the best Italian food in NePa. Delicious and large portion. The thing about this place is that the food is always been consistently good handed down from grand father to grandson. And institution in Scranton/Dunmore. Every time I visit northeastern Pennsylvania we try to eat there. But make reservations because he gets very crowded on weekends. Recommend the chicken strips and garlic and butter or the specials. Incredible pasta and desserts. read more

I love Russell's restaurant. Owned and operated by a local family for many years, it has a comfortable, hometown vibe. Perfect for an evening where you want a delicious meal over a bottle of wine with close friends and family. You can't go wrong with anything on the Specials board, and the manicotti is my classic favorite. read more

The waitress was very nice, but it took quite a long time for her to take our orders after we were seated. We had a group of eight, with reservation made in advance, the restaurant was not crowded (a lot of empty tables) yet we were given a small table and felt crowded trying to eat our food. The food was at best, adequate. Certainly not worth the price which was expensive for food that was not very good. I was disappointed and will not return. read more

Everything is always delicious. Old world style Italian cuisine with an edge. The owners are friendly. The staff is great seasoned servers that know their menu. The bartender is the best mixologist I've ever seen. Very comfortable atmosphere. The vodka sauce is to die for. read more

Wow absolutely outstanding food! I'm somewhat of an Italian snob and I am in love with their food! Huge portions,Rich flavors. The antipasti for two we couldn't finish. So much food! The chicken piccata was so flavorful. Highly recommend read more

Russel's is the premiere spot in NEPA for fine Italian dining. Their pasta is great, chops are awesome, steaks are even better. I always get my steaks and pork chops "Cajun Calabrese" style, which is amazing! Highly recommend! Great friendly staff who definitely know how to make their customers feel appreciated. read more

My favorite restaurant and definitely the greatest Italian food in the area- best prime rib hands down. Everything on the menu is great and have never had a bad experience. Portions are huge and service is traditional and professional but friendly. Their Black Tie cake is amazing. Highly recommend Russell's!!! read more

This is a great Italian restaurant and the best in Scranton. The food is always top notch and the waitresses are always friendly. The atmosphere is also very comfortable. I recently had wild mushroom and spinach ravioli for an appetizer and they were delicious. For my entree I had scallops and shrimp with linguini in a Pinot Grigio sauce which was equally delicious. For dessert I had a fantastic slice of homemade Cannoli cake. My mom had Cajun salmon with Swiss chard and white beans and she also raved about it. This is a must try restaurant in Scranton! read more

See all