Loved this place. Friendly staff and excellent food. The Italian combo was the best I've had in a while. It's on the expensive side but quality comes at a price and if you want a cheap sandwich go to Mikes or Jimmy John's. This place is the real deal. They have tables you can sit and eat at which gives it the old school Italian vibe. read more

Tony's Colonial Food Store - Italian combo - Italian Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

They have a lot to offer for a price. The deli area is large with meats, cheeses, olives and other prepared foods. You can dine in if there is a table available. There are only three I think. Lots of pastas, flours, herbs, Moka pots in a few sizes, espresso cup sets, gift items, olive oils, balsamic vinegar, etc. for sale. Parking is on street, pay at kiosk or use a parking app, or in a paid lot. read more

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Tony's did not disappoint! This is an old school Italian grocery and deli. The products on the shelves are thoughtfully curated (I am still thinking of a certain olive oil container). The hot and cold deli counters offer a wide variety of Italian options - everything looked delicious! I opted for a prosciutto, mozzarella, and fresh basil sandwich on focaccia. The saltiness of the prosciutto with the creaminess of the mozzarella was perfectly balanced. And the whole fresh basil leaves just enhanced the flavors. Don't forget to check out the small dessert case by the register! The pistachio cheesecake with ricotta was worth the trip! Again cannot recommend this store enough, you will not be disappointed! read more

Tony's Colonial Food Store - Cold deli counter - Italian Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

Great little market with excellent sandwiches and deli style take out food. The quality of items here are really top notch. The cheese selection is particularly awesome. The only real downfall is it tends to be a bit pricey, but you definetly get what you are paying for. read more

Here's the thing about hidden treasures - sometimes they hide in plain sight. Tony's Colonial isn't some trendy pizzeria with a neon sign and a waitlist. It's a 72-year-old salumeria, one of those timeless Italian deli-markets where tradition isn't just a word they throw around on the menu. Most folks hunting for the best type of a style of pizza in Providence would cruise right past it, their Yelp searches missing this corner of culinary heaven entirely. Their loss. And this corner of Atwells is one of those places that matters, where time and tradition were never sacrificed on the altar of convenience. Tony's Colonial sits there with its brick face and that confident green awning, holding its position like an old boxer who still knows how to take a punch and dish it out. The surrounding neighborhood might change, but Tony's stands firm, a cornerstone in a world that's forgotten how to slow down. Step inside, and you're somewhere else entirely - somewhere better. The ceiling stops you first. Colanders in riots of color hang there like some kind of hardware store constellation, each one catching light and throwing shadows, creating this accidental masterpiece that no designer could have dreamed up. It's the kind of touch that only happens in places where function and time collide, creating their peculiar poetry. Some interior decorator would probably call it "kitschy," but they'd be missing the point entirely. The deli counter stretches into forever, a museum of meats, where they slice the prosciutto so thin it practically dissolves on the paper. Behind the glass, it's a geography lesson in Italian abundance. Olives swimming in oil and herbs, cheese that's been aging since before your kid was born, salami that brings you right back to Sunday afternoons, newspaper on the table, and vinegar peppers in oil. And your grandfather telling you for the hundredth time that they don't make it like this anymore... Turns out he was right. That prepared foods section... a Renaissance still life come to life, in colors that would make an expressionist painter weep with pride. The negotiations here are serious business: "No, no, a little more. No, a little less. Perfect. Actually..." The place moves like a tarantella - people weaving between shelves stacked with the kinds of pasta and cookies that taste like fond memories. It's a symphony of commerce and conversation that's been playing on repeat since before anyone can remember. Time does something different here. Minutes stretch and fold like somebody's nonna working dough, especially when you're hungry and the smell of that pizza is starting to drift over. Providence has changed - hell, everything's changed - but in here, you can still find something true. A place where food is memory and culture and family, all wrapped up in brown paper and tied with string. Then they call your name across the store like a Sunday dinner bell. There it is - your tomato pie on a silver serving tray (foil-lined, because some traditions can respect the health code) that's been on hand since Saturday Night Fever played at the Elmwood Twin Theater. Here, at one of the four little tables wedged between the aisles, we're about to discover what made someone stake their reputation on this pie. The crust holds the middle ground - not thin, not thick - except where it billows up around the edges into these beautifully puffed borders that beg to be torn into. There's a light crunch when you bite in, then this perfect chew. They've hit it with just enough olive oil to make it interesting without turning it greasy. It's a tasty crust and would be delicious all on its own. But the sauce - this is where things get real. It's thick, herby, and unapologetically tomato-forward, with these little chunks that remind you that actual tomatoes died for this cause. Take the best Rhode Island pizza strip you've ever had, upgrade every ingredient to imported, top-shelf quality, then imagine it as a proper pie cut into six large, rectangular slices. This isn't really a pizza strip - this is a pizza strip's Ferrari-driving, Tuscan-villa-owning cousin who summers on the Amalfi Coast. That's what we're eating here. It's like someone finally cracked the code on how to elevate street food without losing its soul. This is party pizza that got its MBA but still remembers where it came from. One enormous slice of lasagna and a half dozen meatballs sealed up in plastic containers later, I pause at the door. Emmanuelle and the Last Cannibals isn't playing on the other screen at the Elmwood Twin anymore. While DoorDash drivers circle the block and fast-casual spots down the street promise "authentic" from an iPad menu, everything here still runs on personal service and perfect timing. Outside feels a little too modern after that experience, a little too new. But that's fine - I know where to find the real thing when I need it. read more

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This is a market that is truly a pleasure to be in. I have been going here since I was a student at Providence College 35 yrs ago, then as now, Tony's is unrivaled in their authentic Italian provisions. The deli is as good as there is anywhere, same can be said of their prepared foods, accompanied by bread that barely makes it to the car when you leave. All while being tended to by a knowledgeable, friendly staff who seem to know they work some place special. The italian sand. is to die for as is the mozzarella and prosciutto sand. If you like wine biscuit's their's are as good as Palmarie's were; try the white wine biscuits they are delicious. If you like the absolute best food for yourself, and your family, and friends come here, you'll see I'm spot on. read more

What a walk back in Italian history and culture it is to stroll through Tony's and shop imported and deli foods! Reminded me of going in there with my grandfather, so, so long ago. A true legend of a store! read more

This place is the real deal. Got a great sandwich and they have so many additional packaged goods. Worth checking out.

I stopped in here after an epic walk around the neighborhood. I bought some rosemary ham, Some Swiss cheese and a small Italian roll to make a sandwich for my airplane ride in the morning. I must say, the ham was out of this world delicious! The cheese was a perfect accompaniment and the bread (with a mustard aioli) was perfect. The young man behind the counter who sliced my deli products is an absolute artisan in the slicing/wrapping art! Perfectly (and I mean PERFECT!) sliced ham, not too thick or thin, cheese the same....packaged beautifully. That is having expert slicing experience and absolute pride in your job. I'll be back on Tuesday and will tell him in person! The kitchen will make you a variety of delicious food to eat in at one of the little tables. Fantastic! read more

Great service great food you gotta be connected to eat there, the Italian sangwich forget about it delicious, I call the get you whacked sangwich read more

Tony's Colonial Food Store - Food - Italian Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

Picked up a half dozen sandwiches and a pound of Tony's salad - all delicious. Not inexpensive , but you get quality ingredients. Staff was friendly. Picked up some Calabrian chili sauce , should have also gotten some pasta and Olive oil. Will be back when I have time to peruse the shelves ! read more

The real deal... They make the best Italian subs along with take out food..... Their Italian biscuits are the absolute best! The white with sugar on top and the red ( my favorite)... There is nothing there not to love.. The service is excellent! Everyone there has a smile on their face and quick to help you......Ambiance is great! Hopefully they remain open many more years..... read more

The Italian grinder reaffirms the theory that whatever is #1 on the menu is a good pick. The service was great. There are indoor and outdoor tables, the latter providing better photo lighting if it's sunny. The dazzling array of packaged foods ranging from figs to anchovies almost had me canceling my RISD Museum trip. read more

The best Italian supplies. You can get a bunch of fresh meats, cheeses and deli items at Tony's. If you love genuine Italian goods, you can choose from olive oil, cookies, olives, flour, pasta, etc. They also have fresh baked bread that sells quickly throughout the day, so arrive early. It's really a pleasure to walk in and feel like you are in a small store in Sicily or Tuscany. Friendly staff. read more

Tony's Colonial Food Store - Street view - Italian Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

Quality is really good over here. My friends and family love this place so much. They have one of the best figs preservatives ever! Their imported goods from Italy can be incredible. Prices are the only issue. The people are to the point here. Providence has so much Italian heritage you can feel the vibe. read more

Everything savory here was amazing! I ended up getting an Italian grinder, since everyone who worked there insisted that I do so. I'm glad I did, because that made me one of the best grinders I've ever had! Every meat that they used was packed with a punch. The use really nice balsamic vinegar as a dressing. The bread is soft, it's sturdy, and tons of yeast and malt flavor. The veggies were fresh, and everything just popped. Don't skip over the prepared deli items! You can order by weight, so if it's not busy, ask for a small medley of things. I got mixed olives, mozzarella in small cherry size balls, stuffed cherry peppers, and mushrooms. All of it was fantastic, especially the high quality olive oil they use. The cannoli was terrible. I'm convinced that they rely on sciolas bakery, but they were unfortunately closed for several days at the moment I was there (due to a fire) . The cannoli was hard, the filling felt overly thick and starchy, and the taste was flat. I have a feeling it's not like this all the time, but unfortunately it was a bummer for me. My friend ordered it and not me, so I wasnt as upset as he was. When the staff is speaking Italian, with Italian news playing in the background, you know its as authentic as it gets! They have a lot of stuff youre not going to find at your local grocery store. There selection of olive oil and balsamic vinegar is quite impressive and all from Italy. Probably the best meal I had while in Rhode Island. Hands down. read more

A truly amazing store that values their customers. Great Italian products. Wonderful staff. Warm environment. Will be back many times more. Thank you for the great service! read more

Open since 1952, this is a great place to go for Italian provisions, such as olive oils and pastas; as well as freshly cut meat, grinders, and house-made cookies. The store is small and long, stacked to the brim with all you need to make a delicious Italian meal at home. The staff is super nice and the line can be long (because there's one register) but it moves at a relatively good pace. read more

Tony's Colonial Food Store - Meat counter - Italian Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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I enjoyed my first visit in a very long time, fantastic array of Italian products HOWEVER, the prices are eye popping! Maybe some of the imported products are justified but there was a lot that I could buy elsewhere for much much less$$$$ read more

The food and service were excellent. That being said you need to take out a second mortgage to eat here. Italian sub 19 95. Just say 20$$ For a sandwich. The chicken parm is outrageously expensive also Like I said really good food good service. But you have to sell a kidney to eat here read more

I've walked past Tonys Colonial so so many times, and finally stopped in! They are similar to some of the other prepared food/Italian deli type establishments on Atwell's ave, but seem to have a much more expanded selection of olive oils, vinegars, olives and wine. They also have a beautiful and inviting cheese counter and appear to make some of their cheeses in house! Right near the register there was fresh bread for sale. Nice! Will definitely return and spend more time looking around in the future! read more

My first time getting food from Tony's was through Too Good To Go and I was so impressed with the food that I went back the next day. The chicken cutlets were so good... I needed more. Very friendly staff, feels very family oriented, which I love. They have a lot to offer and even have a table or two inside if you'd like to enjoy your food there. read more

Tony's Colonial Food Store - Italian Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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Buyer beware. Husker sampler sold me 2 bottles of wine & some cheese claiming it was all at a great price which the owner seconded at the register. Got home and checked out pricing and found out paid over twice as much. Never going back. read more

The quality of the prepared foods is outstanding. The chicken cutlets are the best I've ever had. Great deli and cheese counters as well. The staff really know what they're doing and do their best to accommodate requests. There are many pastas and other items imported from Italy that you can't find anywhere else. read more

Went looking for an amazing Italian restaurant in "Little Italy" and found mom and pop AMAZING instead. This is not checkered linen table cloths, this is just plain homemade, fresh everything! From off the chart anti-pasti to veal and chicken Marsala to pistachio canoli's....crazy good. Tony and momma are still there, and have been for 60+ years. So ambience versus amazing food!? We will be back. AND if Johnny is on deck with wine and cheese....you need to pay attention!!! read more

Outstanding sandwich. Super fresh bread. Sweet old lady at the checkout. A number of intriguing grocery options

Nothing too special .. not in the same league as Venda's or Roma's, comparing the chicken parmigiana sub. However I may be implicatedly biased but the fact that everything is way OVERPRICED! read more

The best Italian grocery store and deli anywhere. My family has been coming here for decades, even well before I was around. Yes, things are priced a little more but this isn't nearby grocery store ingredients made to order, this is some of the best imported Italian food you will find. read more

Super friendly staff and a LARGE selection of items for a corner store. Reminds me of being back home in Brooklyn. Ready made food was yummy and the store itself was clean, bright and full of foods! read more

Wow! This is the SPOT. So authentic, staff is so friendly. The food is amazing. I would definitely recommend stopping by if you want a real Italian experience. read more

Tony's Colonial Food Store - Italian Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

This is a fantastic authentic Italian Deli on Federal Hill in Providence. There is are Italian grocery items and kitchen items for sale, as well has the prepared foods and sandwiches made at the deli. We went in on New Year's Day at 11 AM and we ordered two sandwiches for lunch. We ate at the tables and watched the New York, New Year's Day Parade. The sandwiches were amazing. The Italian was stacked full with high quality Italian cold cuts on fantastic hard bread. I want another! The chicken cutlet was also on a hard roll with just the right amount of rabe and provolone. The chicken was cooked just right and the rabe was not bitter at all. Also, it is good to know that they are now serving beer and wine when requested. read more

Tony's Colonial Food Store - Italian grinder - Italian Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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This is like being at home in Queens. Some of the deli stuff is a little meh, but you cannot beat the selection of Italian grocery/specialty items. It's honestly worth it just to go in and make the loop and get an Orangina. The cheese selection is good, and they carry all the holiday things that it's impossible to find here--like *quality* Pannetone, not this dried out nonsense the grocery stores put out for a week in December. Go for the vibes, stay for the broccoli rabe. read more

Woooooow. Talk about going dooooooown. We loved this place. Food was always plentiful, delicious and expensive. As their sign says "you don't mind paying when it's quality". Well, news flash. Your stuff is NOT worth what you are charging. $6 for a load of Italian bread. Please! And then to tell me "it's a good price". Yeah. For you! The prepared foods case looked horrible. Stuffed shells looked like they were from a few days ago. The eggplant rollatini looked so depressed. Last year, even during Covid, when we were here it was awesome. This trip was horrible. So horrible, I don't think I'll be going back. Wanted to update my review so I remember not to spend my money here. Try Costintinos a block away. They had so much more selection, a very friendly staff, and not nearly as expensive food. read more

Tony's Colonial Food Store - My goodies, $130 well spent!! - Italian Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

One of The nicest Italian delis in the Federal Hill neighborhood. If you are looking for a hard to find Italian food item you will most likely it here. They have an a big selection of Italian dried pastas some of which are very difficult to find elsewhere. The selection of cheese is very good and they will grate it for you if you want some for your pasta. The lunch meat selection is full of all the Italian classics. You can have a sandwich made on some of their fresh baked bread or make a meal of some of their prepared items. The stuffed peppers looked especially delicious. I purchased an olive assortment which could not have been better. The bread pasta and cheese made for an excellent dinner that night with a nice glass of Italian red. read more

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If you know anything about Atwells Ave. in Providence, this is the street you come to in order to do your Sunday grocery shopping of fresh Italian ingredients. There are a few choices for small Italian shops ... but its not like it used to be for our gradparents where you'd make a stop at the butcher, the bakery and the market. Now even the small markets have everything. Colonial Market is sadly likely in the wake of Venda, which is a large Italian market a block or two away. Venda is 3 times the size or more and offers a better selection in terms of more item choices. However, I like the sausages at Colonial market better ... especially their hot Soppressata. I usually stop at Colonial first to buy my sausages, cheeses, cold cuts, etc. because I feel that they are of better quality than Venda. Colonial also has a small selection of wines at fantastic prices which go perfectly with your meal. After I am done shopping here ... I then go to Venda to buy homemade pasta, fresh Italian bread and other goodies that Colonial doesn't carry. I will admit that I don't care for the canoli or zeppoles at either Colonial or Venda. I go across the street to the bakery to get those which are fresher and tastier. However, a nice soppressata sausage and a hunk of pecorino cheese from Colonial is the best you'll find outside of Italy, or at least NYC. Stop here first for cheeses and deli because it's the best you'll find. Very old school and reminiscent of a little Italian grocer from NYC in the 1950's. read more

Overpriced. I bought a box of dry pasta from Roma for half the price Tony's Colonial was selling. Same type of pricing for all their food. Stay away. Lots of other options available on Atwells Ave. Also they had a half price sale on their gnocchi which was expired last February.!!!!! read more

BUYER BEWARE! Tony's has always been my go to for sandwiches, prepared food, cheese etc. while the prices are on the high side, the quality is always great! However, recently I was in need of a large quantity of spaghetti & meatballs for a family function so I decided to order from them since they have a "catering" menu. I ordered a full pan of spaghetti & meatballs, as well as 2 loaves of Italian bread. I needed to feed 15 so I asked for 30 meatballs. When I arrived to pickup the order, I was charged $330!!! FOR SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS! While everything was delicious, I later found out (after calling) that they charge by the pound for the meatballs AND THE SPAGHETTI. I'm blown away that they find it acceptable to charge by the pound for cooked spaghetti with sauce. Talk about inflation! I will never order catering again. I'll stick to sandwiches. read more

Ambiance was great food excellent need to get their address and have some items shipped to me

Food was good but way overpriced. Especially on door dash. When I get a chance to visit the establishment in person, I will update the review if they end up being cheaper in person. read more

Horrible customer service This is not the first time I'm buying food there. I went today to my regular sandwich and I was over charge.when I asked why it was I asked the lady to add me extra Mayo...guess how what they charge my of extra Mayo? $3.5 when I said to the owner that I'm not think it's fair so charge $3.5 for extra Mayo she said "don't come if you think it's not fair" And she was the owner! Never again ! I'll NOT recommend this place to anyone i know! read more