We enjoyed our meals here. The server did an excellent job and they have decorated the inside to make you think that you are in Italy. Over all it was an excellent experience. read more

The Italian Grill - We are in a booth waiting for our dinner to arrive. - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

This place is a JOKE. The so called fire has prevented them from re-opening?? Website has not been updated in-forever. read more

Casual, but very popular, Italian spot with a large menu of very delicious food! Both a bar and dining area, but when I came on a Friday night both were packed! I got a personal-sized pepperoni pizza, and it was incredible! One of the better pizza's I've ever had. It was very large as well Servers were a little overwhelmed with the amount of patrons, but they were still very friendly and our food came out quickly. The owners come around to greet every table as well. Complimentary bread, + mini donut for dessert, that were delicious read more

Love this new place with new ownership. You can tell they are new and have some kinks to work out but the food is good, so it's worth it. Highly recommend the salmon picatta. Very flavorful and filling. We also enjoyed the meatball appetizer. You can tell a good Italian restaurant by their meatballs and this place is delish! The ricotta on the side is a good touch. We ended the night with some fried Zeppole and they were so good they melted in your mouth. Will definitely be back! read more

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We are very impressed with the new owners vision for this restaurant. Our dinner was delicious with generous portions and beautifully presented. The restaurant has a bar area and a dining area. The prices are within normal range or a little less! The service is very attentive. The two owners were present and actively engaging with customers and monitoring food and service. We were told they planned to have a piano soon for dining ambiance. As a foodie, I highly recommend you visit this restaurant soon. read more

The Italian Grill - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Nice modern ambience at the Italian Grill. Although servers were a little inexperienced they were pleasant and helpful. Food was a notch above 3 stars. The veal piccata was good, lasagna was a large portion and heavy on the cheese. Chicken Saltimbocca was good although we asked for veg with no peppers and received peppers in the veg mix. It was quickly changes for broccoli rabe that was heavy in garlic. Pizza was excellent but Calamari had a slightly fishy flavor. I would still recommend and will return. read more

Last night, I ate the Salmon Piccata. Although, there was a plethora of capers, the entire plate with the homemade pasta was delicious. Salmon was grilled well. The bread arrived warm/hot. I appreciate Italian restaurants that serves their bread warm to hot. Waitress was amicable and provided extra Parmesan cheese. Next time, maybe I'll try the veal. And I will take veal platter suggestions from the Italian Grill. read more

Excellent food, wine, service. Great staff both here and at Neat. Can't wait for it to reopen however we love Neat too.

Had an amazing meal, and even better service at The Italian Grill. Went here with my Mom as soon as our 3 hr flight landed from New York, and this is just as good if not better, than most Italian places in NYC. Highly recommend if you're from NY/NJ area. Despite the restaurant being extremely busy on a Saturday night, the owner, Rob, was extremely hospitable, and always checking on us if we needed anything. His daughter, Alyssa, was our server and she was on top of everything the whole night. Huge pours of wine were amazing. For our food we got calamari for an appetizer, Penne alla vodka for our entrees (the sauce is amazing), and they brought us courtesy zeppoles and limoncello shots at the end. Even before they brought these out for us, I already had a great meal. Will be coming back again around Christmas time when we're back from NY! read more

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Our first experience was 10 out of 10! I was able to reserve a table for 4 via Open Table, kudos for that. When we arrived we were greeted by a distinguished gentleman who promptly seated us to a lovely corner table. The place was busy buzzing, the ambience was welcoming. Service was excellent! Our waitress Wendi took our drink orders, and explained the dinner special and some of her favorites & recommendations. We ordered Lasagna, spaghetti/meatballs and two of the specials (Tri color pasta, w/ chicken in a creamy pesto sauce). All entrees Fantastic and piping hot! Wendi was an absolute delight and ended our experience with complimentary Zeppoles! What a wonderful dinner for last minute planning on a Saturday night! read more

It had been many years since we ate here. But a friend said it had changed under the new ownership, and as I trust my friends, I decided to give it a chance. The place still has the look and atmosphere of a local restaurant. We ordered the Chicken Francese which I really liked as the garlic gave the lemon a run for taste. My wife prefers a stronger lemon presence. Regardless, the chicken was good. We also ordered a Suprema pizza to take home along with a Meat Stromboli to take home.The crust of the pizza was just as we both like it, crisp with some chewiness to it. They loaded the pizza with sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, and green peppers. The Stromboli was huge and filled with meat and mozzarella. And yet with all that filling, the Stromboli crust was light, allowing all the flavors to come together. Without a doubt, we will return to try some of their other offerings, but come Fridays, I have a great place to order a takeout pizza. read more

The Italian Grill - Meat Stromboli with sauce on the side - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Under new Ownership!!! This place was so good. I've been to Italy and had the freshest pastas and pizzas, so I am often not impressed with most places. This was not the case with The Italian Grill. They were super accommodating of my food allergies offering gluten free pasta, they even are working on a cauliflower crust pizza, which was not on the menu but I was able to get my hands on one, it was amazing. They also have an excellent wine selection. My siblings got the calamari, pastas, pizza, bruschetta and raved about it all. They bring you fresh bread with a flavored oil that is so delicious, I couldn't have the bread but did dip some of my pizza crust in it, sooo good! I also had the shrimp scampi and the butter and garlic flavors were perfect. The owners are so kind and always checking to make sure that you are happy with your meal, many of the recipes have been passed down within the family making them extra special I found out. They are also constantly working on new foods and improving the space as they only took ownership in the last year and reopened in March of 2021. I will be going back next time I am in the area! Full disclosure I asked the manager to send me some food pics because we scarfed all ours down before I could grab any photos to post to this review. I'll make sure to get some next time But these are photos of some of the specials they have offered. They offer a special every night read more

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I ordered the Chicken Parmigiana and I just didn't get that wow factor. The service/employees seemed very friendly and treated us well. The restaurant/ambiance was very nice and because of that I will go back to try their food again. read more

Authentic Italian. This was a find for us. Full bar, ample seating in the bar side or dining room. Friendly and inviting wait staff. We shared the Bruschetta and enjoyed a very flavorful onion, garlic, tomato on a toasted crostini with balsamic glaze. Perfect start to our evening of dinning. Manhattan and Cosmo were great. Luxardo cherries in the Manhattan not maraschino, nice. Small Caesar salads were flavorful,and not your typical. They have a homemade Italian bread served with the chefs secret blend of Italian herbs and spices from with olive oil that was amazing. Don't overdue here save room for your entire. Pasta Puttanesca - spicy was excellent with a light red sauce. Chicken Marsala was another wise choice and equally delicious. We shared a tiramisu finishing with an espresso and cappuccino. We were treated to their homemade zeppole. Rob the owner greeted us on our way out and introduced us to the chef. We will be back and recommend The Italian Grill to locals and snowbirds. You will not be disappointed. read more

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A pleasant atmosphere with good service and moderate prices. However, the food was just okay. The calamari was the star- tender, crispy and not oily. The chicken piccata was flavorful but heavy coated with flour making it slightly mushy and gummy. The veggies were cooked a little beyond Al dente. The blue cheese salad dressing was flavorless. The complimentary zeppolis were heavy and 'dripping' with oil. Friend enjoyed the grilled salmon, another had chicken scarpariello which she enjoyed after ordering a side of spaghetti to balance it. Pricier but far superior ( in my opinion) for Italian food is La Violetta in Sarasota. read more

We dined there tonight for dinner with another couple. Atmosphere is nice,, casual Italian theme. We had a late lunch so we weren't extremely hungry. We ordered a bottle of wine and decided to split a Chicken Piccata entree. It was bland in flavor and the Chicken portion was very tiny. Would have complained if we weren't with new friends. When the bill came they had overcharged us for the wine. Waitress stated that prices had changed and refused to do anything about it until I found the menu that stated the price I had seen when I ordered from. They still overcharged me a few dollars and we just let it go. Based on bland flavor, portion size, etc we won't return. There are many better Italian restaurants in Sarasota. read more

Ate here on Thursday evening with a group of 4. Musical performer was uncomfortably loud, so we asked to be seated in the back room that was more conducive to conversation. Female server was pleasant and attentive throughout the meal. My wife had spaghetti and 2 HUGE meatballs. I had spaghetti bolognese, a sausage/peppers appetizer, Caesar salad and butternut squash soup. Everything tasted terrific and I was stuffed, but still had enough room for limoncello cake for dessert. We all enjoyed our dining experience and several people, including one of the new owners, stopped by the table to inquire if everything was satisfactory. We intend to return again on our next trip and try some different menu items. read more

Love this local spot in Osprey. You get a great portion for the price, even for lunch I always leave with food for later. I love the chicken parm. read more

We decided to try this restaurant during Savor Sarasota. We were pleasantly surprised with the authentic Italian dishes. We ordered off the Savor Sarasota menu. The standout component of both our entrees was the sauce. Excellent. Doug, our waiter , was very upbeat and helpful. He made our dining experience very enjoyable. The restaurant was comfortable and they played great music. We'll go back to try their wood fired pizza soon! read more

Under new management-just happened to drive past and stop in. Busy place on a Friday night. Staff were very friendly. Margherita pizza, meat stromboli, spinach calzone, pasta Bolognese, and their warm bread with garlic oil are all excellent! Everyone enjoyed their meal. We'll be back before our vacation ends. read more

The Italian Grill - Margherita pizza - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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In search of Italian food on our way from Venice to Sarasota, we made the choice to stop at The Italian grill. Conveniently located right on the 41, with plenty of free parking in the little strip mall. It started with our Yelp search for a restaurant and after that, our choice was set in stone - there was a 15% off coupon when you check in on Yelp. Be sure to take advantage of one of those Yelp coupon offers. Good deal! My dinner started with an appetizer, Margherita pizza. It was delicious, made with fresh tomatoes incorporated into their home made tomato sauce. Caesar salad was fair, but nothing special. Homemade bread with olive oil dip was totally satisfying me as I waited for my meal. Our server was friendly and attentive. She quickly brought out my main course, the veal Saltimbocca accompanied by green beans and polenta was tasty and well prepared. The owner of the restaurant also checked on us to make sure we were satisfied. Bottom line - This tamiami Trail restaurant was a good discovery for us. Salute! read more

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Food is great and awesome give you a lot of food they give you and chicken Parmesan is a plus it's real chicken Parmesan and not that baked meat. All the other food is delicious as well but my favorite thing is chicken Parm so and pasta it comes with and it comes with a small salad, which is pretty good for the price not that it's not too expensive , food is very good. I give it a five star. read more

Food is very very good, service , fast and friendly , ambiance is pure Italy. Enjoy !!!

Food was incredible. Our waitress Wendy was so kind, attentive and funny. Can't recommend enough!!

Food is fantastic and by far my favorite place to get Italian in Sarasota. The staff and owner are terrific and very warming. Highly recommend read more

I'm a fan! We were visiting the area back in November, and we went back again last weekend. The first time we were there, we learned the history of the restaurant. I was impressed. Authentic and real ingredients is all I can say! From their pizzas, salmon piccata, and even a classic spaghetti and meatballs it's all fresh and made home made. Their recipes were delicious and very memorable. The sauce on our pizza was so tasty and the cheese was melted into the sauce. On the service side, the restaurant was busy and the entire staff was helping out each other which I appreciate. We have enjoyed our experience, and we will be back. read more

The Italian Grill - Dessert options - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Under new management since last year so yelp check in discount is no longer accepted! This was confirmed by the new owner. Overall very great service, my in laws have been coming here for years and the food has always been amazing. Our server was very accommodating and always available when needed. I had the seafood pasta and I usually have left overs but not this time, I ate it all. My husband had just regular pasta and meatballs and oh boy those meat balls are gigantic. They are at least 3 times the size of an average meatball. We got there just in time before the bog dinner rush because since new management this place is getting more popular. They have a nice wine selection too. read more

It took over an hour and a half to get my order and when I got it every single thing was wrong and half of it was missing but yet they wanted $70 for a shit experience. This place can shove that where the sun don't shine. read more

Food and service was great! My family and I ate in one night and ordered take out another. We loved it! read more

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I have been to the Italian Grill a few times through the years. It was always a good reliable place. Went on feb.of 24 .They have really stepped up their game. A new look ,service was great and everyone loved their food. Place was packed and now I know why. read more

We used the to come here a lot when our kids were little. They had paper table cloths and they gave the kids crayons to draw on them. The portions were huge and priced proportionately. However, we came back in the early 2000's and had planned to split a plate and found they had started to charge $4.50 for a second plate, so we decided not to return. Fast forward to 6/22. We decided to give them another try and ordered our favorite dish, Penne alla Vodka to go. $18.95 plus tip and we got it home and couldn't believe how small the portion was. Not only that, but gone are the pees and ham that used to be in the mix. We ended up making spaghetti because we were still hungry. Thinking that I may have been overcharged, I spoke to Frank, the manager, on the phone tonight. He was very nice and said they may have used a smaller container and to give them another try at no charge. We did, and with the same result. Tasty, but it's only pasta and sauce and is extremely overpriced and a small proportion. We will never return. read more

Service was great. Ambiance was OK. Food was terrible.Maybe Chicken Franchise is not their thing.

Amazing food! Love the people as well, service is great and people are very friendly! Inside was perfectly decorated and very lively. Had a great experience at the Italian grill, will certainly come back. read more

The overriding sense is that The Italian Grille (TIG) owners do not read its own reviews, and appear to care less about responding to its customer's concerns as reported (and repeated) in Yelp! and other online venues, and most certainly to us in person. This is a hit-or-miss place that the reviews and our experience suggest needs to pay attention to the "miss" reviews, yet TIG keeps repeating the same mistakes. We thought very carefully about awarding two stars, but the staff's and owner's condescending responses to our concerns made the difference. When we sought the opportunity to speak to ownership after another particularly disappointing (this time, insulting) experience, we received nothing but excuses and were equally insulted by the owner(s). A service business that does not empathize with its customer is not a service business, and in particular, a restaurant that leaves a "bad taste" with the customer is certainly missing the mark. We've dined at TIG a half-dozen times, and since the first time, we've decided to give the restaurant a "pass" and "give them another chance" simply because we have dined there for convenience. TIG is within walking distance of home, so we WANT to LOVE this place as a "neighborhood favorite". Yet, TIG consistently finds ways to disappoint. The food is "good enough" to invest in dining out, but for those who are cost conscious, best to check the menu before you go, so as not to be surprised by the much higher than expected prices. The owner-managers seem to occupy an oversized footprint in the space: they conspicuously take up bar and table seating for their own dining, drinking and convenience that most restaurants offer as a priority to patrons. They create a "party" atmosphere centered on their own socializing that isn't for everyone...folks coming to focus on their own table might feel a bit put upon by the back-slapping nature of the greeters. This is an extroverts' experience. An owner described his relationship to TIG to us as, "my hobby" (his excuse to not take customer concerns seriously). He reinforced this attitude when we pointed out that he had occupied a prime four-seat table for himself (he was eating a pizza there) rather than offering that table to customers. His response: "I have to eat, too!". In our years in restaurants, the staff didn't occupy the prime dining room real estate: the customers did. There are a number of out-of-the-way and less desirable tables in this awkward floor plan that are mostly empty (for good reason) that the owner or staff might occupy. So far, this review has been about the place's/owner's and employee's attitude of "I'm here for me" rather than "I'm here for you" sense of entitlement. Now, briefly about the food: good, with perhaps worthy aspirations, but not great. Whoever is cooking has a better service mindset and attention to quality than the frontmen. This is the expected (but certainly no more) range Italian-American menu with no additions that might surprise or delight. We've tried a different menu item each time for a simple reason: no item yet has suggested that we want to order it again. The bartenders appear to take pride in the quality of the drinks they make: they are good! But that pride also prevents them from understanding the customer's concerns. (Another hit and miss aspect of the place). The TIG location is in a 4-lane highway 41 strip mall across the road from a gas station...not the most romantic, and not anywhere near a lovely view. Given the location, they've made the best of it: the interior design and decor is comfortable, while the seating arrangement is awkward due to the dominance of the bar. The entry/area bar has a (senior citizen) "singles bar" vibe that must be traversed if you are not seeking that atmosphere. The rear dining room seems distant from any personality, but might be a good choice for a large family dinner. For those who prefer to dine seated at a barstool, or who are going to drink at a bar rather than dine, or who might consider the taste of their drink more important than the quality of their food, TIG's bar-centric atmosphere may be for you. For you, TIG may be worth a visit. We will be surprised if this owner-management (trickling down to bartenders and servers) self-reinforced attitude survives summer off-season with full-time locals-only patrons willing to put up with being taken for granted and even taken advantage of, enough to pay the rent. Elsewhere, unfortunately, is where we're going from now on. Until we are convinced by a management or ownership change and new reviews that evidence LISTENING and a customer-centric focus, our recommendation is to respect yourself, and dine elsewhere. Bottom line: we can all get the same or better quality and more varied menu, preparation and presentation at a dozen other places nearby, without the condescending attitude or the insults. read more

I've never done this before but I simply couldn't leave my last review as it stands. This used to be one of my favorite places, we used to go all the time when it changed hands, but it has gone downhill big time. If you're lucky you'll get one of the original waitresses and the more professional owner. If not you'll get the arrogant younger Italian waiter who, in partnership with the older restaurant manager, are rude and think they are doing you a favor, along with the owner with a superiority complex. They give you this little pastry at the end. Ours was completely burnt black, not brown, totally black, black, black. We don't even eat them, but I couldn't believe they even put it on the table, it was insulting to serve that. After getting no reaction from the waiter, and thinking they would care, we asked for the manager. Big mistake, the manager was totally unapologetic, told me everyone asks for our chef, he is the greatest, he's from Italy. Basically refused to apologize, defended the waiter for bringing it out like he was their family. So much for the customer is always right. Asked to talk to the owner, think this owner is usually back of house. Yep, now I know where all the arrogance stems from. Was sarcastic, insincere and frankly rude. I asked him if he'd even looked at what was served. He said yea, it was "sort of brownish". Nope, black and burnt, he'd never looked at it or he couldn't have said that. He treated us like we were lying...,unbelievable, we thought he'd want to know his staff were serving burnt food, but guess not. He acted like because they are provided "free" then it was OK to serve them burnt. Honestly, it's built into your profits so nothing is "free". These folks are New Yorkers, that's who they are interested in serving, not locals. During season they are happy to just serve their northern visitors. We decided to give them another try, they had a singer in the tiny bar next to the dining area. Might as well of eaten in the bar the music was so loud. And fighting your way through the old drunken ladies dancing on the way out is no fun either. Sad as the food is ok, although it has done downhill, prices have gone up, while the portions have gone down. They also "hide" the pizza menu nowadays, so you have to ask for it if you want pizza. I think they should rethink their newer staff and customer service. read more

The Italian Grill - Chicken Francese - Fabulous - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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The restaurant was busy and our food was 'next up' several times per our waitress! Our waitress, Alexa, was more interested in 'gabbing' with customers at another table than seeing that her other customers were being taken care of. Service was terrible and even when we attempted to pay our bill, she, again, had to stop and converse with the others before running our card! No matter how good the food is, the service leaves a blemish on the evening. read more

We had a wonderful experience! Food was amazing and Tina our service was awesome! We will definitely be back next time we are in town!

We just had a very bad chicken piccata, it was tough and when we told the mgr he said they use best ingredients. Also, they charged us for it. We will NOT be back Service was good too bad for them, try other places This is definitely a once and done, too many good restaurants here. read more

While the food is good, the portion sizes have decreased and decreased over the years. Once upon a time, this was my favorite spot, but now there are better options elsewhere. read more

We have always loved this restaurant and sent many customers there since the new owners took over but last night 2 food items were not up to par and I am so disappointed. The best pizza in all of sarasota county except for last night . We ordered the margarita pizza and sandwich tomatoes came out and we're not cooked. They were barely warm. I had their margarita pizza in the past and they used a smaller (Roma?)Tomato which was cooked under an oven seasoned well....wonderful. My husband was really looking forward to the Chicken Marsala.. the sauce was thick and very dark brown, chicken was overdone and very bland. We had guests and didn't want to send anything back since we bragged about the pizza and food. The Caesar salad with anchovies was out of this world good!!! I am told they make their own dressing. I will give it one more try and hope it's back to normal. read more