The Pizza takeout was exactly what I ordered. It had fresh plentiful ingredients and was delicious…read more The Staff was courteous and informative . This is now our go-to place for Pizza in the area. We will definitely be back to try more dishes in the restaurant section.

Great food, large portions, friendly staff. The ownwe came over to talk to us. Very personable. A…read moregreat place to get Italian food at a very reasonable price.

Splendido!! If you find yourself in Emerald Isle, and you like world class Italian food you need…read moreto check out Il Cigno Italiano. I live locally and can confirm this is a place locals go, it's been a couple of different restaurants over the years, all have been great but we hope Il Cigno is here to stay. If you read my reviews I try to provide data and facts and set expectations. Service / Price - I have been to the restaurant no less than 20 times and the service and people are great! Our last waitress was really fun, even though the place was at mid vacation season madness. I would recommend getting reservations for sure and give yourself time to park. It's very limited. Price, you are going to one of the best restaurants in Swansboro, that has a great wine list and world class chef cooking for you...it's not a sports bar. Expect to pay minimum $18 to $22 per person on average before alcohol. Ambiance - the palace has a fantastic back porch looking out into the White Oak River. If the weather is nice and you can get a back porch seat, it's worth it. The inside is pretty much the same it's been for years, however it's not a bad thing. It's a great combo of old beach elegance (means laid back, but you can dress up or down, have a nice romantic meal or a family dining.) The bar is pretty nice to sit and have a drink or wait for your table. It's not a sports bar, so maybe not the most ideal place to watch a game. Food - it's all good. I have to recommend the eggplant meatsballs, and I don't really like eggplant. They are absolutely fantastic. The only issue is they only give you 3 per serving, which is a little mischievous on Il Congo's part .... it makes you buy to appetizers if you have a normal party of 4. Their salads all good, the house Halibut special is amazing, and my personal fav the Tuscan Salmon. It's just all good! If you are vacationing, go, you will be glad you did.

I didn't expect an Italian restaurant in a small coastal town in North Carolina to be THIS GOOD. We…read morelive out of town, and every time we come to visit, we make sure to stop here (or order takeout after long days on the beach). HIGHLY recommend the Penne Quattro Formaggio. Best pasta dish I've ever had. The chicken Parmesan is also delicious (and ginormous).

we had the mozzarella sticks and the hawaiian pizza very…read moretasty and loved the friendly service. definitely recommend and we will be back

Had our first pizza from Panichelli's today. Ordered the thin and crispy supreme and it was…read moredelicious. The service is also excellent. I highly recommend. I don't understand why River Bend residents don't support them more.

The positive atmosphere is felt immediately because the staff seem to really enjoy their job and…read moreare pleased they serve some wonderful food! We were 8 family members varying in ages and everyone spoke highly of their choices. The service was so spot on you'll need to experience the pleasure and pride they take knowing you're going to have a great experience! With a full menu there's something for everyone to enjoy. Nice atmosphere. We really have no suggestions other than keep up the same momentum

First time trying. Got the Italian sub and spaghetti with meatballs. Sub was good, they were out…read moreof provolone so had to sub white american. Spaghetti with meatballs was really good. My only comment its a little pricey ($20 for spaghetti). Service was good and place is cute with neat outdoor seating

We were a little anxious because of some negative reviews. We ate here several years ago and loved…read moreit. We still love it. Service was attentive, the wine list extensive, the menu seductive and the portions impressive. Chef Paolo stopped by to confirm I wanted spicy marinara, as it is, indeed, "spicy." MI had the Pescatore Alla Sorento (see pic). The platter is filled with clams the size of my fist, calamari, mussels, monster shrimp. In other words these are premium ingredients chosen, not frozen. Served over pasta in a delightful marinara full of tomato chunks and spices to titillate. Most people would prefer the sweet marinara. My partner had the lobster ravioli, served in a delightful cream sauce. It was divine. It is a challenge to cook such a medley of seafood and get it all right. The large clams and shrimp need to be cooked to the right tenderness, but, by then, the small clams and mussels are rubbery. Hence 4 stars. But, despite others' experiences, we were treated very well and the food is authentic. Given the quality and care that went into each dish the prices were very reasonable. We will be back, for sure.

Easily one of the worst and weirdest dining experiences of my life. Before our entrées even…read morearrived: The waiter mixed some oil and balsamic together in a display of pageantry for the warm bread he would bring us. He then forgot our bread for half an hour, wouldn't let my wife look at the wine menu and chose a cheap prosecco for her... and put a cherry in it?... and then the antipasto appetizer we ordered was just a bunch of canned foods and warm deli meats dumped on a plate for $22. Wife ordered veal, I ordered chicken, and what do you know, we both get chicken! We send hers back to get the veal and we hear from the dining room the owner and cooks and waiter SCREAMING back and forth at each other in the back about it. My chicken, which was very dry and overcooked btw, is boxed up to take home by the time her veal arrives. And what do you know, presentation has gone out the window! They dumped all of the ingredients onto a plate and made veal soup! The vibe was the kitchen was angry we returned the dish and threw the dish into the plate. Finally, my wife can eat her veal (soup?). But oh wait, they've taken her silverware when they cleaned up our appetizer plates. Another 10 mins pass. She finally gets a knife to start eating. The waiter apologized and offers her another glass of wine and she accepts, thinking it'll be on the house considering the disaster service we've had, but it goes on the bill! The veil reminded her of "smashed fried chicken. and it was dry." Finally we say let's get outta here and ask for the check. The waiter offers dessert; just the check please. The waiter says, are you sure? We have a few really good specials you should try. Just the check please. He turns the leave, and then looks back over at my wife, "just imagine you are at home later, about to watch a movie, wouldn't some cake just hit the spot?" The bartender starts hollering about how good the dessert is, my wife says no thank you, just the check. At this point my wife just looks at me and starts laughing. I laugh too. We both laugh. I do not tip. We head home with leftover veal soup and talk about how I must write my first bad yelp review in the car ride home. Tl dr: The food sucked, the service was worse. + 1 star for good bread, half an hour late.

Just had the Greek salad with Chicken. Fantastic salad and large as well. It was more of a…read morechopped Greek salad which tasted fantastic. Definitely worth reordering.

Went there once because its a bit of drive. However its a hidden gem Very limited seating & zero…read moreambiance but service was stellar. The foodOMG! Amazing taste! Better than little Italy in Cleveland.

We had a night in New Bern, NC and looked for a place to eat after we ended up in downtown after…read moreshopping around. We tried their chicken Caesar salad, wings and a half pizza - buffalo and a margherita. They were delicious! The pizza was absolutely delicious and reminiscent of New York style pizza. Service was amazing and friendly. The restaurant is bigger than you would think from outside. There is limited parking in their small lot.

The pizza is great, when you walk in you definitely get a homey feeling but I love a brick oven…read morepizza and this is exactly what you get when you are going. I can't say anything in service because I ordered Togo but I will be back

Had a fiftieth wedding anniversary there and celebrated Father's Day here. Homemade pasta is…read morefantastic. Every part of our meals was great, atmosphere, cleanliness, service, and the food. Try it, you will walk away full and happy.

Bestie and I swung by for an impromptu lunch of Italian food on a weekday, as she had been here…read moreonce before and raved about it. We were promptly seated after ogling the dessert case (next time I'm taking something sweet to go) and our server brought out 2 slices of bread. No silverware or napkins. Just bread. I mean I could've easily licked my fingers clean after tasting that pillowy soft bread but still. The bread had was warm and flavored with a little olive oil and Italian seasonings, and was phenomenal. I mean I honestly don't know how they got a crispy yet soft crust, along with a soft pillowy inside. I probably could've wolfed down at least 4 slices had I not ordered pasta. Bestie and I both ordered what she had had previously, the three four cheese tortellini add meatballs. The tortellini and the white sauce were so delicious that I couldn't wait to cut into the meatballs! Unfortunately the meatballs were cold in the middle so I had to cut them up into small pieces in order to let the hot pasta and Alfredo sauce warm them up. Hey we all make mistakes right? The flavor and texture of the meatballs were pretty good tho once they were heated through. As I finished up my meal I bit into something hard and when I took it out of my mouth it looked like a small piece of wood. I wasn't going to complain but my bestie called the server over to alert her, who said it was a pine nut. I'm not sure why there was one random supposed pine nut in my dish but whatever. Maybe they were just having an off day. I'll give them another try next time we are back in New Bern.

Great food & quick, friendly, attentive service. My wife said the server was so sweet!…read more Normal size Stromboli was HUGE with quality, fresh ingredients. My wife had grilled chicken sandwich & enjoyed. Fries were fluffy inside and yummy (though I stole half from my her since they were so good ) Don't miss the dessert (cannoli & gelato, tiramisu, cakes). Service was quick & bathrooms clean to make a quick pit stop off of 64/13. Was told they've been here since 2002 - so don't let the small number of reviews or MIA website link worry you . They are here and terrific!

this place is amazing. it's a cute little restaurant in the middle of nowhere. the inside is so…read morecute. it's nicely decorated and it's always so clean. everyone who works here is nice and friendly. everyone has patience. the food is the best part. the pizza is amazing, the super sub is my absolute favorite thing to get and it's one of my favorite foods. bruschetta is amazing, fries are amazing, and the pasta is amazing. my boyfriend and i went on a date here and he said the cheese ravioli with alfredo sauce is one of the most yummy things he's ever eaten

Food was good and service was good. We love angel hair noodles and these were great! The garlic…read morebread was a little bland and nothing special but we loved everything else.

We are visiting from out of town on Christmas vacation at this restaurant. It is amazing. It's…read moredecorated beautifully, elegant, and festive for Christmas. Christmas music is playing and service is a wonderful. The food is great. I recommend this place for your next visit.