I came here for a company dinner. I had the filet and it was delicious. I have not had as good a steak in a long time. The 3 star rating is for the service. We were long for SO unnecessarily long. From the time we walked in to getting an order in to receiving the check, it was pretty much a miserable waiting game. It was a weeknight and they honestly weren't that busy. We had more than one server hopping around to help us and it was confusing. Everyone at the table enjoyed their food, however. The bread was also good, but took forever to get refilled. Although I did enjoy my food, I don't know if I would come back due to the wait and the service. It was really not worth the frustration. There are other places with good food that you can get in and out of without the trouble. read more

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We visited for the first time to celebrate a special date night. Upon arrival to the shopping plaza, follow through the walkway past DryBar and you'll find Toscana nestled in the courtyard. It's close and intimate inside, although a little noisy when full. Our reservation was for 6:15 which seemed to be the start of their dinner rush as it quickly filled up around us. The food was delicious from start to finish and I did take a star off because the service was not as superior as I expected given the ambiance and price point. It took a while for someone to come over after we were seated and our eventual waiter very well may have been the manager. However, once we did order, our food came out quickly. We enjoyed the Fritto and split a Caesar salad to start, both were delicious. For entree, my husband enjoyed one of the specials that was Pasta Digorno that had very large shrimp and Italian sausage. I enjoyed the Tagliatelle. Both were in a light red sauce and perfect balance of pasta, sauce, and accompaniments. We finished off our meal with both the tiramisu and crème brûlée. Highly highly recommend the food if you're looking for a special place to celebrate or enjoy a romantic evening. read more

Outstanding Italian restaurant tucked away in the SouthPark area. Quite pricy, but excellent food. Classy without being pretentious. Very good service, friendly staff, and overall a good experience. Will definitely be back. read more

It has been years since I have been to Toscana, but after reviewing the 2017 Restaurant Week menu, I knew it was time to return. Needless to say Toscana did not disappoint and again deserved 4 stars...why not 5? Unfortunately we had a new waitress and service/amount of time in between courses and are bill definitely could have been better. With that said, let me tell you about the restaurant and food. Toscana is a beautiful restaurant with attention to quality and service! We had 7:00 reservations and were seated immediately. The restaurant and bar were packed, which is always a good sign! As I mentioned above this dinner was during the 2017 Summer Restaurant Week so we had a limited, but a unique menu for this event. Note: Toscana does allow customers to order from the full menu as well if you are not interested in the Restaurant Week options. Several restaurants do not offer this. We started with the mussels and mista and panzanella salads. I loved the Panzanella, fresh tomatoes and cucumber with a light dressing and basil was my favorite. Others loved the mussels. For the entrees, most stuck with the Risotto of the day, a garlic risotto with lobster, shrimp and fresh peas, it was amazing. I had the Parmesan Crusted Halibut, the fish special of the day, which might have been one of the best cooked fish I have ever had. The entrees truly did not disappoint. And, finally we ended the evening with Tiramisu, Cheesecake and a Chocolate Torte, all delicious as well. After this experience I will not go as long as I did before returning to Toscana. I actually want to go back tonight and order from the regular menu, everything was that good! read more

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We had such a wonderful meal and experience at Toscana - I really look forward to returning! I was with a group of 7 people and we started at the bar for drinks and they served homemade chips. These chips were great! Light, crispy and not at all oily. Once our entire party was there, we were seated in a backroom which was private and allowed us to enjoy our evening together. Everyone ordered drinks (with the exception of me ... I'm pregnant!) Fresh italian bread and a white bean tapenade were brought to the table. Our waitress was so kind and kept drinks flowing all night. She was really patient going over the specials and gave us plenty of time to pour over the menu to decide what to order. Everyone split appetizers, we ordered the following: -Calamari (large) -Bruschetta -Carpaccio (can't comment, but the table seemed to enjoy it) -Proscuitto e Burrata (again, couldn't eat this either, but it looked amazing) The calamari was light, not at all oily and so fresh! The bruschetta was fresh and flavorful. Everything was presented beautifully. The waitress let us know that we could choose any two of their pastas as well as a meal if we couldn't make a choice on just one. I had already decided I would be getting pasta because when it is homemade it is my favorite. I ordered the ravioli and the buttera. Unfortunately, I wasn't in love with the ravioli - I thought the filling was a little granular. But the buttera- mmm - it was fantastic! So creamy and the Italian sausage was cooked to perfection. For dessert - espressos and aperitifs were had around the table over dessert. At this point I was so full, but I managed to take a bite of the chocolate torte. It was very creamy and almost mousse like. I look forward to many wonderful meals here in the future! read more

Top notch. Service, food, cleanliness and elegance. Can't wait for it to be warm enough for the courtyard sipping aperols and imaging a warm Italian street cafe. One of the most delicious meals I've had in a minute. Order the Mare! Everything was delicious. read more

Toscana - Close up cuz it was that good - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Updating my review from 3 stars to 4! Second experience with a different waitress was a lot better :) she was kind, attentive and the food was delicious and timely as well. read more

We had a private party in the back room last week for my husband and everything was perfect! Service was on par and quick, food was so good, and we really enjoyed the appetizers that were recommended by the manager. Thank you Toscana! read more

The restaurants is very nice. The staff were great and attentive. The manager personally catered to us. His name was Chafik El Maghri. He made us feel warm and welcomed. He helped us choice the best dishes. The food was so yummy. We went for restaurants week and to celebrate my girlfriends bday. I would recommend this place to friends and family. Thank you for excellent service. read more

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Is it possible that I could have an even BETTER experience than my last 5 star review for this place ? Why, yes I can ! We arrived for our girl's night out on a Thursday night. No sassy hostess in sight, so we're off to a good start :) We started off with the lovely, complimentary white beans and bread. We all got the butternut squash soup with goat cheese sprinkled on top as our starter. The way the goat cheese added a rich dollop of creaminess was really special and tasty. The cheese just melted in your mouth with each bite and was really yummy. Next I had the Mare (linguine with scallops, lobster, shrimp, mussels and clams in red sauce). O.M.G ! You MUST get this ! It was to.die.for. I had remembered to tell them to cook the pasta further than al dente this time and I really, really enjoyed it. The other gals got the ravioli, gnocchi, and branzino. Everyone liked their meal. Next we all got one of their housemade desserts and we each tried each other's dessert. I got the meringue puffs with strawberry and blackberries with housemade whipped cream and strawberry reduction. It was light, crunchy, and sooooo very good. 2 ladies got the chocolate mousse torte with ganache. This was so dense and rich, they couldn't finish it. One got the cheesecake. It had a slight lemon flavor and was less sweet, which I really liked. We had excellent service by the manager of the restaurant. We really enjoyed our meal and when I got home, I told my husband we have to go back again soon to get that Mare for dinner and try another one of their desserts ! read more

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They will speak Italian to you if you let them...I so miss Firenze!! I was surprised for an amazing birthday dinner at this fabulous establishment. The inside is nice but not too stuffy. We had reservations and were immediately seated. We mentioned to the hostess as we were seated that we just returned from Italy and she asked if we spoke Italian...why yes, yes we do, a little bit anyways. So when our server arrived to the table, he greeted us in Italian and continued to speak Italian to us the entire evening. We ordered our meals "Italian style" ordering a primo then secondo and always ending a fabulous meal with a cafe/espresso. We had another event to attend, so we skipped the antipasta but will certain make our way back for more. The Chianti wine of the day was fantastic! We had the pasta della giorno which was a wonderful cetellini noodle with the most tender beef brisket and pecorino to garnish. Then we enjoyed the sea bass with spinach, fingerling potatoes and the most delicious salami slices. Not too much of anything! We then had the tiramisu (may be one of my favorites) and the vinsanto with cantucci (biscotti). I thought the vinsanto was quite weak, almost a watered down flavor. The biscotti was very good. We ended with an espresso. I would recommend this restaurant for a nice intimate dinner but also for a small gathering of friends. It would also be a great place to enjoy drinks and share several antipasta dishes. Everything looked so wonderful and it's nice to know such a great place exists in Charlotte. Buon apetito! read more

Toscana - Tiramisu was wonderful! - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Food was awesome and service fantastic The Wait staff super professional Would definitely go back ! read more

Authentic quality Italian in Charlotte which is rare and hard to find. A bit on the expensive side but I think that's what inflation has done to dining in America! read more

This has been one of our favorite Charlotte restaurants for years! The food is consistently great - delicious and high quality. We also love the beans that come with the bread. The ambiance is inviting and comfortable. The staff is always very accommodating. It does get busy so a reservation is recommended, although you can occasionally find an open table or sit at the bar! read more

I use the word adore alot.. so i will say J'adore Toscana! Seriously, some of the best lunches and dinners I have had in Charlotte have not been at Del Frisco, Ruth's Chris, Morton's (though I have enjoyed them also) but at this quaint little hard to find spot... I see someone said the service isn't good, this can be seen both ways, I love the staff there. They speak italian for the most part and struggle a little with communicating, but let me tell you, every time we came in, they knew i took sparkling water instead of flat and the little girl who never said a word to me EVER in all the time I had been going there never failed to automatically brine me my cappuccino at the end of my meal, as if she was reading my mind.. the menu is small, but the risotto and frittata change daily... my fave is the Rigatoni Buttera and the Bow Tie Pasta dish... the frittata when I am trying to be good about protein and the caprese is TDF! The hostess there actually recognized me when she was working over at M5 and was happy to see me there too :) It is a tiny dining room, but on sunny days you can sit in the courtyard.. the frito misto is yummy to start and share and the bean/oil dip for the bread that they provide is SO YUMMMY! As a foodie, I really adore this little gem.. it reminds me very much of Europe, even the staff being a little scattered now and then doesn't bother me because that is SO truly italian. in italy they just close the restaurant when they feel like going home or having their own lunch or dinner.. lol.. i guess it is all part of the experience to me.. and they really are nice people... don't be put off by the language barrier, flash a nice smile, you will get one in return.. read more

Toscana - Rigatoni Buttera, my fave - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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I am giving this restaurant a one star review because of the long wait times, terrible food with high prices, and racism we felt. Wait times: For such long wait times, this restaurant is not worth it. My family and I spent an hour at the bar waiting for a table, just to end up having to wait another hour for food. By the time the food came, we were famished. Food & Prices: Coming into the restaurant, the food prices seemed insane. We assumed that the high level of crowd and high prices would mean the food was high quality-- and boy, were we wrong. First off, the appetizers came with the meal, instead of staggering the wait. One of the appetizers we ordered, Crispy Potatoes with Rosemary, which sounded amazing on the menu, looked something out of McDonalds. For $9, one would expect some sort of seasoning or dip, rather than fried potatoes thrown on a plate. The other appetizers we ordered, asparagus and bruschetta, were average but definitely not fulfilling the high price. Next, the entrees. Practically just boiled pasta and a couple of veggies, the pastas were below the standard quality we would expect for pasta at a restaurant. Don't bother with the expensive $25+ entrees, as you will be severely disappointed. Racism: Safe to say, IF YOU ARE BROWN DO NOT GO. My family and I were treated terribly the entire time. We assumed that it was bad service in general, but it was just us. Looking around, everyone else was treated much better than us. When we complained about the potato's, our waitress practically scoffed at us and said "What? You want me to take it back?", with such terrible attitude. We were taken aback, and didn't send the food back. Throughout the night, we had to practically break our backs to get a waiter's attention while other tables had waiters checking in on them every 10 minutes. On top of that, at the end of the night, we asked for to-go boxes and they gave us the boxes and a grocery bag. Now, we didn't think much of this, until we noticed an older white couple also asking for to-go bags. When they asked, the waiter took their plates and packaged the to-go bag in a nice white paper bag for them. Interesting that we were treated so differently when both parties are paying customers. Overall, it's safe to say we will never be coming back to this place again. Please do yourself a favor and do not waste your time and money for terrible food and service. read more

Had a phenomenal lasagna and the appetizer was delicious. My companion had an awesome frute del mare pasta and salad that we shared. Highly recommend. read more

Best Bronzini topped with crab and avocado -sat outside by the pan fountain and enjoyed the sun, good wine and great company. Started out with crusty bread and white bean olive oil spread, then followed up with Caprese salad made with fresh mozzarella. My husband had the capellini which was awesome and freshly made. Hard to get in here for dinner-lunch was a perfect substitute. Upscale/causal dress, adequate parking, $$$. read more

Toscana - Sunny CLT lunch by the outdoor fountain. - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Toscana is absolutey one of Charlotte's finest. My wife and I are very particular about most things, especially restaurants. Ambiance and excellent food is always our prerequisite for an evening out. Toscana is always consistant and always exceeds our expectations. We have been to Italy many times, and being at Toscana allows us to feel like we are back in Italy. Everything is authentic, fresh, and seasoned perfectly. The staff is well trained, the drinks and food come at perfect times, and always warm and cooked perfectly. The Manager Mr. Chafik El Maghri is the best. He knows who we are, knows what we like, and always spends time at our table sharing his friendship and desires to make sure our evening is everything we expect and want. I have referred to many others Toscana, and 100% of the time they respond with "thumbs up, way up".... Last night's dinner at Toscana was as usual, OUTSTANDING!! Glenn Laiken read more

We went here during Queens Feast and were very happy with all our choices. Despite being full service was quick and attentive, even helping with personal recommendations when we asked. Interior is small and when outdoor seating is not being used reservations are definitely required. Wine selection is pricey. I noticed some guests brought their own bottles so that might be something to check out. I am looking forward to returning and trying out some more of the menu, read more

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weekend night was crowded and loud. Osso Bucco pretty good. Overall prices out of control. Makes you believe there is a shortage of everything. $25 corking fee, totally mental. Won't go back. read more

good food, service at bar was quick and wine selection was ok. a little pricey for drinks but overall was a good meal.

Great service. Best filet I have been served in Charlotte. Atmosphere reminded me of Rome.

We had a reservation on a Friday night but we were seated in the darkest, farthest corner of the restaurant, barely able to see our food and hardly ever saw the waitstaff, except when the kitchen door swung open. The food here was the highlight, not the service or atmosphere. The burrata salad was very good but the arugula salad had very few poached pears and little goat cheese. The carbanara and pollo medici were very good. Maybe we just hit them on an off night. Our previous visits were much better. read more

Absolutely amazing. Fritto, Prosciutto e Burrata, lasagna and shrimp carbonara were perfection...as always. There is no better staff (or martini) in Charlotte. Cheers Ryan! read more

Overall it's just not a good value for your money. Slow service even though we were some of the only people there. I'm all for a long leisurely meal, but keep the drinks flowing and water filled. Also, I found it very odd that people are sat right on top of you when the place is mostly empty (due to the fact that we ate early in the evening). Not one of the four top were impressed by the meal; most were completely disappointed. read more

Fantastic Italian experience, a bit on the expensive side, $60-65 for the most affordable bottle of wine. Service staff was very quick and polite. Really appreciated the free desert for my partner and I's anniversary. read more

Hands down my favorite Italian spot in Charlotte. It's tucked away and cozy and intimate inside and honestly the service can't be beat. Get the Buttera, one of my favorite pasta dishes ever. I have dreams about it, it's that's good! Already can't wait for my next visit. read more

Excellent service and high quality fare. Intimate setting, good wine list, mostly Italian but not all. One of our favorite places.

Great bar and atmosphere. Friendly staff. Clear safety measures in place. Great olive oil, bread, calamari and everything that comes with it! We'll be back. read more

I worked with a chef, calamari was his favorite cuss word, he would be dead serious and yelling in his Italian accent, "ohh calamari!" "Oh, calamari!" was what I wanted to yell when I ate at Toscana, it is a true Italian restaurant, not a wanna be, down to the tall, dark, European waiters. This restaurant is a hidden little gem in the Specialty Shops at the Park (gag, what a lame name for shops.) I ordered linguini with shrimp, calamari, clams, mussels & cherry tomatoes. Pretty tasty and for $13, not a bad deal for a pasta dish enough for two and loaded with seafood. My lunch partner in crime had rigatoni with sausage & peas in a tomato cream sauce. You can't go wrong with anything with heavy cream added! They have a small express lunch menu for $13, including soup or salad, lunch special and a tea/soda. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon. read more

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Toscano has been serving up wonderful and authentic Italian food for over 10 years and I love authentic Italian food! I have enjoyed many great meals here at lunch time and at dinner time as well. Toscano is an excellent escape for lunch if you want to get away from the loud & obnoxious crowds. And, at dinner time, the ambivance is intimate and somewhat romantic. When the weather is not blazing hot & humid, they have a wonderful little patio tucked in the middle of the Specialty shops which I think should qualify as one the best patios in Charlotte. This place is nothing like the big chain restaurants. It is not Americanized-Italian food served in ginormous, family-friendly portions. If that is what you are looking for, skip Toscano and head over to Maggianos instead. It is not inexpensive at dinner but for me, it has always been well worth the splurge. It is a small restaurant and I cannot imagine going here with a group of more than 4 people. To me, it is at it's best when the restaurant is not too busy (i.e., not during restaurant week) and for smaller, more intimate dinners. Lunch entrees are typically in the $10 - $12 range with selections of various appetizers, salads, paninis, pastas (including some freshly made in-house), and chicken or fish with fresh vegetables. Dinner entrees range from $16 - $26 and offer a wide variety of pastas, meats, seafood, and chicken dishes. Of course, at dinner you'll want to start with one or more of the wonderful appetizers as well. They have a nice selection of wines by the glass or by the bottle - even if you are not an Italian wine afficienado, ask your server for suggestions for they have some really nice Italian wines. I like to start with a glass of Prosecco before dinner and then switch to something that complements my meal. After dinner check out the dessert menu for the after-dinner drinks such as Moscato. read more

It's bad when the owner has to come around an apologize to every table in the place for the one 10-top that has no understanding of "inside voices"! That being said... The food and the service by Ryan was really good. I would definitely go back, but I might call and ask beforehand if there are larger parties booked. If so, I would go on another night. This restaurant is beautiful and has great outdoor seating in nice weather, but small inside for a large (noisy - shrieking women - party). read more

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My daughter and i ate here in December 2020 and had expected more from the experience based on other reviews. We were seated promptly with our reservation and noticed the the restaurant was very full but some measures were in place for COVID. Service was slow, our server was busy and not interested in pleasantries as he walked up and asked "do you want something other then water " drinks took 10 minutes to arrive. The food was good but not exceptional. My daughter ordered the $40 pasta& lobster which came with about 3 oz of lobster. Nothing was terrible but there wasn't anything exceptional either. For a $150 dinner with 2 people I expected more. read more

Amazing atmosphere! Great food- great service! So many options on the menu and everything we ordered was amazing. If you are looking for great Italian food, this tucked away gem is a must! read more

I'm torn with my rating of this place. I really wanted to love Toscana. But several things just don't let me do that: 1) Toscana is small and when full, it's so loud you can barely hear others in your party talking. That's not my idea of a nice dinner out. 2) The menu is too similar to Positano (closed for over a year), and Luce. But the prices are higher. Why don't you set your nicest restaurant in the group apart by offering a truly different menu? And two items our group ordered were nothing special (snapper and lasagna). Only my hubby's mare (a high-end version of seafood linguini) was worth getting again. 3) Service was extremely slow, and our server was not very attentive to our group. Again, it wasn't what you would have expected from a high-end restaurant. I much prefer Luce over Toscana, and will likely never return here for the reasons I mentioned above. If you decide to go, definitely go early to beat the crowd. And try the mare if you like seafood. read more

Yet another unfortunate experience at Toscana. Really unsure if I will return to what used to be one of my favorite spots for high-end Italian food and dining experiences in Charlotte. About 3+weeks ago, I went in person to make reservations for a special birthday celebration, asking that our reservation be for a table in the back room so it would be quieter. Upon arriving for dinner recently, we were taken to a table in the middle of the restaurant near the very noisy bar area. I mentioned that we had requested a table in the back room and the hostess indicated that a family with young children had come in for dinner and asked to be seated there so their children could run around and be noisy while the parents ate dinner. The hostess indicated that she would be happy to seat us in the back room, but upon walking back there, it was what the hostess indicated. Unbelievable that parents would do that at a high end restaurant like Toscana, but even more unbelievable that Toscana would allow that - including basically "closing" off the back room from other guests who could have enjoyed a nice evening in a less than noisy bar atmosphere. Service (waiter was Ryan) was solid, but the food (albeit the prices are on the higher end) the quality is in no way reflective of the price point. One last point, it felt as if we were being rushed throughout the dinner - as soon as you took the last bite of your food on your plate (and often while food was still on your plate), servers (who seemed to be hovering over our table) would ask (or simply do so without even asking) to remove your plate, thus giving the feeling of constantly being rushed through the meal. One of the things I truly enjoyed about dining in Italy, was the relaxing meals that would last several hours. So although Toscana is trying to give the feeling of dining in Italy, the experience of a relaxing meal, the quality of the Italian food and so much more is clearly missing the mark. Such a shame that Toscana has declined in its past status of a great Italian dining experience and that the Conte Group has let Toscana drop to this level. read more

My 2011 rating remains at 4 stars. This place has great food and service. I am actually shocked at a couple of these reviews indicating the food was poor quality. May have been an off night, Chef not there, not sure. I have tried everything on their menu and found 95% of the entrees to be excellent. The other 5% were good. Excellent wine selection, fun crowds, the place rocks for me. Many people recommend this establishment to vistors coming to Charlotte. Good price/value relationship. read more

This place would be four stars as far as the pasta taste, but because of the cleanliness and attention to detail, I rated it 3 stars. Noisy, Noisy, Noisy! I would wait to be seated at an outside table before I sat inside again. The ladies Bathroom was disgusting. I attached pictures that show the lack of attention to detail. Bread - Is dry and unappealing! (Get the chips instead) My friend said the bread is the Italian kind you find in Italy. The kind that crumbles. They served it with beans. You can request real butter, which only semi helped. I would order the zucchini appetizer. Never a disappointment! The pasta was incredible!! Best so far in Charlotte. The sauce is delicious! They put just the right amount. The pasta itself was a little all dente. I will be back just for the pasta!!! I highly recommend Toscana for this reason alone!!! The drinks were made nicely! Hendrick, Gin-a-tonic and the Pinot Gregio. Recently my friend ordered the Scallops with couscous. She said if she wasn't starving, she would have left it on the plate. Not tasteful. Clams with Angel hair pasta - My friend said it's get new favorite dish!! - She said she might start ordering this from now on. It was that good!! Our pasta order: Buttera tubular pasta- italian sausage and sweet peas in a tomato cream sauce $19.95 *minus sausage & peas + buffalo mozzarella cheese Positano penne pasta- sauteed shrimp, zucchini and cherry tomatoes in a garlic and white wine sauce with pecorino cheese $21.95 *minus shrimp & tomatoes read more

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One the best Italian restaurants I've visited in Charlotte, Toscana is tucked away in the back of the SouthPark Specialty Shops, like a secret villa waiting to be discovered. And discover it you must, because the restaurant's classy, dimly lit interior may just be one of the most romantic dinner spots in the Queen City -- with food that's as wonderful as the setting. My wife and I dropped in recently during Queen's Feast, and were thoroughly impressed by the wine selection, the service, and just about every aspect of the meal itself. We started slow, with a pair of salads that paired perfectly with the warm bread and bean dip we just couldn't get enough of. For our entrees, we split the Eggplant Ravioli and the Pollo Farcito, which were both absolutely wonderful. The ravioli were busting with flavor, and the chicken tender and delicious. My only complaint was that both were gone too quickly. But paired with an amazing bottle of Barolo, it all added up to one of the most memorable meals I've had in a while. For dessert, I tried the outstanding Tiramisu, while my wife enjoyed the Chocolate Torte. If I could give Toscana four-and-a-half stars, I absolutely would -- the disappointing portion sizes were the drawback. But we'll definitely be back for another go. read more