Came to celebrate an anniversary with my in-laws and we had a fantastic experience. Not only was the food and service top notch, shout out to Danny A., our server, but the small details, like water glasses filled before we arrived at our table, added to an excellent experience. Will be back when the occasion calls for it. read more

This is our go to Italian restaurant in Wilmington. We have taken several friends there over the years and they all have also loved it. When we attend event at the Wilson Center we always go there first. read more

For starters we ordered a shared Caesar Salad, and we made that clear to our server as to how we wanted to enjoy it. It came in one plate with no plate for sharing. Upon reminding the server we wanted to share, she took it back to the kitchen to separate into two plates-There was a clear $2.00 charge for salad sharing that we understood. The salad was incredibly OVERDRESSED. There was too much garlic (pungent), too much dressing (sopping), and an overabundance of Parmesan cheese pieces. My husband pulled most of the cheese off and put on a side plate. One other thing-my cold salad was served in a warm bowl. I understand this is more likely to happen when the restaurant is busy and the dishwashing is trying to catch up with the serving. However, we were there for a 5:30 pm seating! Then the meatballs arrived. Meatballs are a favorite of my husbands and they have been ordered as an appetizer of his around the World. They looked good. But they were served with a very hot dish with very hot sauce and the internal temperature of the meatballs was tepid, at best. I get that it is necessary to microwave some items on menus as diverse Italian restaurants often have to do to make all of the timing of the meal work out. However, when each meatball is $5.00 apiece, they should be consistently warm/hot throughout. Then there is the taste. They were NOT even tasty. We worked through one of them together, but opted not to take home the two remaining for leftovers. And I LOVE leftovers. There was nothing meaty about the meatballs. Although we had planned to enjoy two entrees (lasagna and chicken parm), we elected to cut our losses and leave without the full dining experience. Our waitress was friendly, but didn't bother to have a manager speak to us or offer any kind of compensation for our disappointing experience. This was our second visit here, as we travel to Wilmington often and LOVE Italian cuisine. Unfortunately, there will not be a third. read more

Probably the best cocktails we have had in Wilmington thus far with the blueberry mojito and strawberry (smash?). Gluten free pasta was great! They have spaghetti and penne available. Hugeee pasta portion. read more

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Third time my husband and I have eaten here, left disappointed. We got the bruschetta as an appetizer. The tomatoes tasted too sweet and the mozzarella shredded on top was reminiscent of the cheese that goes on top of a pizza lunchable. It seemed like they were rationing the crostini since it was cut extremely thin and was soggy within 2 minutes of serving. My husband got the Funghi pasta, it was severely under-seasoned. Had to ask for salt to bring the food alive. If a dish costs $25+, it shouldn't need additional seasoning. I got the ravioli which was decent. The tiramisu for dessert was the only thing we were impressed with. We used to love coming here for vacation, we were not impressed this time. read more

Food not that good, service was terrible and the drinks were super weak, I went for the first time and it will be my last, horrible experience read more

I am not one to write bad reviews but I'm extremely disappointed with my experience and feel others should be aware before making plans here. We had a reservation booked and were called by the host just 45 minutes before our scheduled time and told it was being canceled due to a "booking mistake" and that they didn't have room. Thankfully I answered my phone and wasn't shunned at the door. At that point, we were already on our way. I had even taken my kids out of school early to make it in time. This was supposed to be a special visit -- it's one of my favorite restaurants, and I had been talking it up to my kids all day. We looked over the menu together, checked out photos, and they were genuinely excited to finally go. That excitement quickly turned into disappointment. What made this even worse was the complete lack of accountability or effort to make it right. No attempt to accommodate us, no alternative solution, no gesture of goodwill -- nothing. Meanwhile, their own policy charges customers $25 per person for cancellations within 24 hours. Yet when they cancel on you last minute, apparently there's no standard held on their end. Canceling on a family 45 minutes before a reservation -- when they're already en route -- is simply unacceptable, no matter how good the food may be. Unfortunately, great food doesn't make up for poor customer service and a lack of respect for your guests' time. read more

First time at this restaurant and we were very disappointed with the service. Our waiter, Logan was very unfriendly, and never offered us cocktails to start our dining experience. As we were finally enjoying our cocktails, he came back at least five times to take our orders. At the end of our dinner, we were finishing up our cocktails and he came over and said he had people waiting for the table and we could take our drinks outside to finish. Unfortunately, we had already paid the bill and given him his tip. We were a table of four and don't think we overstayed our welcome. When you are spending $200 a couple, I think two hours for a nice dinner is expected. read more

I loved this restaurant. The atmosphere was nice but the service and food were absolutely the best. The staff was knowledgeable and friendly including the bus staff. The bruschetta was light and delicious. I had the spaghetti and meatballs. I have to say after moving to NC from Connecticut 4 years ago this was the first real Italian food I have found. The sauce was perfect as were the homemade meatballs. Included in the dish are three Italian sausages and the fresh made pasta was great. If you love Italian food don't miss this place. read more

Ambience was 2/5 Service 3/5 Food 0/5 Management 0/5 Tables laid out to maximize space, not to create optimal atmosphere. Service was slow and had to ask multiple times for refills on beverages. The waiter was friendly but evidently inexperienced. Appetizers: bruschetta was okay; fried calamari had breading that was overcooked and crunchy Salad: romaine wedge salad was okay Main course: 2 of 3 party members felt the food quality was poor. I ordered their signature homemade pasta with clams, shrimp, and fried calamari. The worst cooked pasta I have EVER had in my life (not exaggerating). The pasta was so undercooked that I could sense the flour texture in my mouth. The pasta was so undercooked that it absorbed all the wine sauce from the bowl so the entire dish was extremely dry and salty. I also almost broke a tooth from biting into a shell piece or rock from the broth. The taste of the dish was just way off. Could not point my finger on it but it was not good. A party member had the lasagna which had scant cheese, minimal taste and was again very dry with scant sauce. She was very disappointed and unimpressed. I asked for the manager/owner to complain specifically about the unacceptable quality of the undercooked pasta and he was rather dismissive and did not even offer an apology or explanation. He brought out a bowl pasta and expected me to just dump it the bowl and mix it up (did I mention there was no sauce in the bowl due to the dry pasta above?). I requested the pasta dish to be removed from the ticket and he rudely greedy to do so. I do not write negative reviews but the experience was so bad I had to write one. Hope this helps others. read more

We attempted to book for my bachelorette trip, however, they informed us that our reservation was not valid. We used Open Table and put a card on hold. The hostess was not helpful and basically told us that sucks sorry. They said they were informed of the issue but aren't going to fix it. We had booked it 4 days in advance. So disappointing and rude honestly. read more

Girls night out and we thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of our experience. We noticed the dishes appeared to be on the large side so we ordered 3 dishes for the 5 of us to share. It was the perfect amount of food. Our server was attentive and helpful with questions. read more

Tarantelli's - Butternut squash ravioli, penne all vodka and shrimp linguine with chili - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

I rarely leave reviews, but this experience warrants one. We came in to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday and expected a great evening. Shortly after sitting down, we clearly informed our server of my shellfish allergy. Despite this, when our food arrived, I was served an entirely different dish than what I ordered--and it contained shellfish. I notified the server once he came back to our table because a different food runner brought it out to us initially. (about 5 min) The server said he would fix it. After a few minutes, I decided I no longer wanted the replacement dish. The server responded that it was "almost done" and later suggested I could take it to go. I declined, as I was uninterested in leftovers after the initial mistake. (Wasn't excited about leftover fish. Again, allergic to SHELLfish, not fish) I want to be fair: I understand mistakes happen, especially when restaurants are busy. I still tipped on the original bill and even went out of my way to find him again to give him another additional tip after noticing he had a UNCW sticker on his book--my sister attends UNCW and is also in the service industry, so I appreciated his generally positive demeanor and had a soft spot for a college student out here doing his best. What stood out to me though was that no manager ever came to our table to acknowledge or address the allergy-related mistake. It felt as though I was expected to resolve the situation myself, despite the seriousness of the error. Then the experience became *more* troubling when I briefly returned to the restaurant to use the restroom and overheard the server using vulgar language while speaking about the situation to another coworker or manager on duty. They both were laughing and calling names at the situation. That moment stayed with me and ultimately led me to write this review. Food allergies should always be handled with care and professionalism, and situations like this should involve management. I hope this feedback helps improve training and accountability moving forward. read more

The service and ambiance are in a class by itself. The food is great for the area, but I'm not a fan. My wife enjoyed it and for the experience, it was worth the trip. read more

Tarantelli's - Olive oil & bread - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Just wow! We ended up doing this as takeout so cannot speak to the atmosphere or service if you dine in at the restaurant but judging by their food alone it's a must visit. Yummy! No hesitation to order from them again read more

The food was amazing! For appetizers we ordered the meatballs, which were phenomenal. I ordered the lasagna my husband had the chicken Parmesan. We both were very pleased with our food everything was fresh. The bartender made me a special mojito with coconut and pineapple juice. She made it specially for me bc I like those flavors and it did not disappoint. Dessert was coconut cake with custard filling it was one of the best coconut cake Ive ever had. Also our server Gavin was very nice!! The restaurant was cozy and nicely decorated. read more

Went once and thought the service was terrible. Pretencious employees with basic food. Go to Roko or Freddie's for Italian

dined here over the weekend it is an comfortable and attractive place which obviously is very popular. There were 4 of us so we kind of shared a few things We had the fried calamari along with a margarita pizza for our apps , veal Marsala over fresh tagliatelle and chicken parm over tagliatelle the pasta is made in house which was a nice touch. The fried calamari appetizer $23 was way over cooked and was like chewing rubber bands and honestly should have never left the kitchen the 12" pizza $27 was just dry and tasteless with not enough sauce or cheese none of us cared for the tomato sauce on the chicken it tasted like a very commercial canned product the veal was tasty desert was tiramisu and mini cannoli trio both were top notch and were the highlight of the meal. We had much higher expectations for this place after reading reviews and were let down especially for the menu prices. Our tab for 2 apps 2 dinners, 3 cocktails, 2 deserts and 2 cappuccinos was $285 including tip. The service was polite and attentive and we were not at all rushed. read more

We had reservations and checked in a little early. We were seated a few minutes after our reservation time. Immediately after sitting we were given water which was nice. Our server came and took our drink order while we looked over the menus. We decided on the cheese wheel pasta and flank steak. While we waited in our entrees we were served bread and oil. My husband said the bread and oil was bland (I didn't try it). The cheese wheel was quite entertaining since it was prepared table side. The noodles were hallow to allow more sauce to absorb the cheese. My husband and son loved the first few bites but then said it became too cheesy for them. Both said it started to taste only like cheese and salt. If you love Parmesan this is probably for you. I am guessing I probably would have loved it but I am on a low carb diet so I resisted. The skirt steak was amazing and the broccoli rabe was the best I've ever had. My food was expertly seasoned and cooked perfectly. I absolutely loved my meal!!!!!!! I wish I had gotten a better photo. It came out blurry (I was trying not to be obvious when I took the pic since the dining room is very open). It was a little loud in there and the way the tables were positioned it felt like if you were starting at another table. . . Our server was great and extremely helpful. read more

Tarantelli's - Brad and oil - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Food was fabulous and our server, Connor, went above and beyond. When the hostess said she didn't know how to call a cab for us because she only knew about Ubers, Connor stepped up, ordered us a cab to go back to our hotel. I hope management takes note of this. read more

I would not recommend this place to anyone. Our group made this reservation 4 days in advance. When we arrived, the hostess informed us that our reservation never went through and they have had this happen before, despite us having a screenshot of the reservation. Instead of providing an option of service, we were told they could not accommodate us for 2 hours and we would need to eat in 20 minutes if they could find us a table. We were also told we would be charged if we accepted a 2+ hour wait but didn't stay. Honestly horrible service. Being from 5 hours away and on a holiday weekend, we were basically given no options. We were really looking forward to trying this place to celebrate a very special occasion. Sadly, they even told us they have had this happen before and they won't do anything to fix it. I will not be recommending this place to anyone visiting. I would however recommend Elijah's though-10000%!!! read more

Being from MA, our Italian comparison is the Boston North End. Our second time here over the past few years and we like even more than our favorite North End restaurants. Great sauce, homemade pastas, bread, sausage, meatballs, fungi pasta dish, drinks, service and atmosphere. Bring back the zeppole. read more

Tarantelli's - Homemade pasta, red sauce, meatballs, and sausage - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Ambiance was good, but ... homemade pasta was far from good, disappointing for any price range. Appetizer was good though. Overall unsatisfactory experience. I know they tried, but it seems like they just don't have the knowledge/training/guidance from the management on what creates an enjoyable dinning experience. This was my first review, and the third and last time dinning at the restaurant unless they improve. read more

Went to Tarantelli's with a group of 10 for a bachelorette. The service was quick, make sure to make a reservation in advance. The pasta was great! Not all of the noodles are homemade, but if you ask they can substitute the homemade noodles into any dish! (Don't think they do this a peak times) The filet mignon bruschetta was the best thing we had! read more

Tarantelli's - Fillet mignon, bruschetta - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Great for a nice dinner out. Most entrees were $30-40. The service was great. It was a cute atmosphere. Dim lighting We got the spaghetti and it comes with sausage and meatballs. We asked to substitute the pasta for the homemade noodles. They were delicious, but during high peak times they don't do substitutions. The filet mignon bruschetta was amazing. It is balsamic based and soooo good! We also got seasonal veggies and they were delicious. A mix of peppers, asparagus, spinach, zucchini, and squash. read more

Tarantelli's - Filet mignon bruschetta - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Went there today. Looking for a place to relax and have an appetizer. The hostess asked if I had a reservation. I said no. So I walked to the bar and saw a lonely seat. But the Hostess said I needed a reservation. There was no one there. She was rude and obnoxious . Not friendly at all. Being a local influencer. I will be reaching out to all my social media contacts. So triv read more

Italian in a Great place, Served by Josh, we sat out side and they had heaters and the drinks were wonderful the day was very nice and the horse drawn carriages were going by. We shared a Cesar salad and it was very good, lightly dressed with the bread service, which was fresh and hot. We then had our main courses, I ordered the Fettucine Con Salsiccia E Salvia Fritte and the wife had Pappardelle Al Funghi Porcini E Panna both were very good and the servings were so large only to discover from Josh at the end of the experience that smaller portions could have been ordered. All of it was very good ( Not excellent) the salt flavor on both dishes was just a tad over what it should have been. The 2 things as areas of improval would be have your servers ask the guest Half or Full portion, I know it is probably a sales tactic (as it is not obvious) but .... #2 have your chef's taste the food, to insure quality so it tastes of quality not Salt. Other than that I think we would go back read more

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I had never been to Tarrentelli's before, but friends said the food was wonderful, so I made reservations for myself and a companion. I arrived on time and was told to wait until my guest arrived, which was fine. But when we were finally seated, it was at a high-top table I didn't request. I asked to move to a standard table and was told we could--but only for 90 minutes, as they'd need the table for another party. At a fine dining restaurant, being given a time limit before we even ordered was jarring. We typically enjoy two bottles of wine, several appetizers, entrées, dessert, and tip very well. But feeling rushed, we each ordered one glass of wine and skipped starters and dessert entirely. Oddly, half the restaurant remained empty throughout our meal. The staff seemed rushed and hovered near the hostess stand, creating an awkward energy. Still, the food was excellent--the best part of the night by far. The kitchen deserves praise for delivering well-executed, flavorful dishes. Before leaving, I asked to speak to the manager. I was told the owner was in. When he came over, I politely asked him to sit or come closer so I wouldn't have to speak loudly. He declined, visibly annoyed, and repeated that the time limit was due to OpenTable errors and high cover counts. He acknowledged the hostesses were inexperienced. For someone who has dined in a broad spectrum of restaurants--from Michelin-starred landmarks to hidden neighborhood gems--this was among the least welcoming service experiences I've had. My ex-husband, an editor at one of the country's top culinary magazines, once told me that true fine dining isn't just about the food--it's about how the guest feels from start to finish. read more

Have wanted to try Tarantellis since we moved down here. Finally made it last night when my son was in town. Staff was very nice, helpful, professional and courteous. Restaurant is very nice with lots of exposed brick. The four all had something different. Wife had scallops with farro risotto, son had gnocchi with shrimp, daughter had pasta with creamy mushroom sauce and I had a similar dish but mine had Italian sausage and sun dried tomatoes. Everything was excellent. I highly recommend this place. read more

Tarantelli's - Pasta with sun dried tomatoes, Italian sausage and a Mushroom cream sauce. - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

We went on a Saturday night and couldn't get in without a reservation, so we made a reservation for the following night to celebrate my mom's birthday. We arrived a few minutes early so we were told we could wait in the bar. After being shuffled around a few times and waiting beyond our reservation time, we were seated for our three hour meal. Although everything took a while (they were packed, which seems to be the standard here!), all of the food was worth the wait :) we both thoroughly enjoyed our pasta and steak dishes! And the hostess even gave us a nice little booth in the corner for our birthday celebration. Overall, there were great vibes at this place. The carrot cake special was a nice addition at the end of our meal! We will be back the next time we are in town! read more

Tarantelli's - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

True Italian deliciousness! Spectacular food. It's pricey, but worth it. The owner & staff are friendly and offer great service. Definitely a wonderful place to go for a special occasion. I haven't had anything there that I didn't love! read more

Nice atmosphere Good food Good service Considered the go to place for Italian in Wilmington It's good but there are others just as good You can't get in without a reservation read more

Tarantelli's - Grouper special - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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So much for local summer. Even though their hours are posted they are open until 10 PM don't arrive last 830 PM or two hostesses will tell you they are not seating any longer. Why they need two employees manning the station to say that is insane: anyway. Locals don't go. read more

I was looking forward to eating here but it fell short. Food was okay, nothing to write home about and service was sub par. We made reservations and were seated outside right on time. Our server was not very friendly and didn't even let us know what the specials were for the night. Plus side, the portions were large. read more

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While staying nearby for the evening, we came here for dinner, since it was within walking distance and the reviews were really good. Since we made reservations literally the day before, the only seat we could get was at the bar at 7:45PM. We got there about 20 mins early and the space they reserved for us at the bar was available, so we were promptly seated. Our server was the bartender and she was very friendly and helpful. They make nearly everything in-house and their menu looked amazing and very appetizing! We started with their tenderloin bruschetta which was tasty. The meat was perfectly cooked in it and the sauce was tasty. We then moved to a house salad, which I liked, but the dressing was a little tart. Next course was their spaghetti and meatballs, which we ordered half sizes of. I got mine done with Calabrian chili added and the flavors were really good, but they didn't put enough pepper in it, so it wasn't very spicy. BTW - Their table bread is amazing! The olive oil it comes with has a roasted garlic clove and rosemary in it, which offers some really nice flavors! They have a somewhat decent wine list, nothing extraordinary and slightly over-priced. They make cocktails too. The vibe is decent, but it's too bright and loud, they should make it a little more cozy and intimate. Overall, we enjoyed this dinner and would recommend them. read more

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We LOVED this restaurant! I was craving lasagna, and this meal did not disappoint. I also tried the skirt steak my friend got and it was 20/10. I wasn't a huge fan of the topping on the steak, but that's just my taste buds (she loved it). The two cocktails we received were also great and refreshing for the summer. The restaurant overall was pretty cute. Definitely get reservations in advance! We had reservations at the bar, but honestly, after being there, I'll definitely try to get a high top next time. Also good to know - when we got there at 7:30, the outside tables were in the shade, so don't let being outside stop you! The bartender/waitress was also super nice and gave us lots of recommendations to try. I can't wait to go back! Definitely recommend for a girls night or a nice date (those high tops looked romantic lol). read more

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Make sure you book reservations! The restaurant gives great Italian vibes, authentic Italian dishes and delicious drinks. We started with blueberry mojitos, which were great. We were given bread and oil while we reviewed the menu (Ask for balsamic! Makes it even tastier). We ordered the Spaghetti al Formaggio Parmigiana for two, what a fun experience. The cheese wheel was brought to our table and prepared in front of us. The spaghetti and meatballs were very good, a little rich for me, but my husband and inlaws loved it! We also enjoyed limoncello martinis with our meal - the best I have had outside of Italy! read more

Tarantelli's - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

You must. Get. The cheese wheel pasta!!!! I've gotten it several times with many different out-of-town visitors and they want to come back in town just for this dish!! Not only is it unique because of the tableside service, the flavor is absolutely to die for. I'd also recommend the wagyu bruschetta and charcuterie board. Definitely decently sized portions especially given the cost!! read more

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We love this restauraunt. Everytime we are in town we make a reservation. Great food, great customer service and great ambiance.

Food and service was amazing! I ended up taking the pasta home because it was a lot! I absolutely loved this place. We sat outside because the weather had been perfect! Would come again! read more

Tarantelli's - Lemon Basil pasta, Wagyu steak, mashed potatoes - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina