A total surprise (in the best way!) Walked in on a whim and discovered Urbana's newest 'you definitely need a reservation' kind of place. We walked into Vesuvius Italian & Wine Bar at 7pm on a whim, no reservation, because... Urbana. You just don't need one here, right? Wrong. This place was PACKED and honestly, I love that for them. We were quoted about an hour wait, but then the manager swooped in like a hero and let us know a bar table was opening up with no reservations behind it. Five minutes later, we were seated. Immediate win. We kicked things off with Dante's drink special of the day, a dangerously good strawberry vodka + elderflower situation that was fresh, slightly floral, and just the right amount of indulgent. 10/10, would order again without hesitation. The vibe? Energetic, modern, and buzzing. We ended up chatting with the table next to us (who are clearly regulars) and got a full rundown of what to order. Always a good sign. We leaned into appetizers for dinner (my favorite way to eat), and everything delivered: * Beef carpaccio: light, fresh, perfectly balanced * Tuna tartare: bright, flavorful, nice pop of grapefruit and beautifully plated * Arancini (rice balls): crispy, cheesy, comforting, and exactly what you want * Cream of crab soup, because Maryland... and yes, absolutely worth it! My husband went with the gnocchi in basil pesto, which was rich, pillowy, and full of flavor (and I definitely stole more than a few bites). Service was exceptional. Our waitress, Katie, was fantastic! Attentive without hovering, warm, and clearly part of a really tight, well-run team. You can tell this place has great leadership and staff synergy. And yes... Dante lives up to the hype. Only note: the bread. They serve soft, fluffy rolls (which are good!), but this menu is just begging for a rustic, crusty Italian loaf to really round things out. All in, this place completely exceeded expectations. It's elevated without being stuffy, lively without being chaotic, and clearly already building a loyal following. Urbana... you've officially got a reservation-worthy spot and we can't wait to go back for seconds! read more

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This is a fairly new spot, and the décor is beautifully done, modern, clean, and thoughtfully put together. The food was good overall, and the service was excellent, attentive, friendly, and efficient. That said, the layout really took away from the experience. The tables are extremely tight, and space is very limited. We actually had to send our appetizers away before we could finish them because the table simply wasn't big enough to hold everything at once. At one point, we were stacking bread on top of our main dishes just to make room. The spacing between tables is also quite close, making it difficult for staff to move around comfortably, and you can clearly hear every conversation from the tables next to you. While the food and service were strong, the cramped setup made it hard to fully relax and enjoy the meal. Hoping they can improve the layout, because this place definitely has potential. read more

Urbanites (the local folk of Urbana) love this place. They go on about how it's the best Italian food they've ever tasted... But then again they can be found six cars deep at the local Micky D's at 1am on a Tuesday It's American Italian food, it's not really Italian. I suppose it's not bad, but if you want real Italian food then head on over to Tempo Di Pasta on Church Street in Frederick. But it's likely to be the most popular 'Italian' in Urbana. Not that it has much competition. The food is good, you could do with more bang for your buck in quantity, but the quality is there. Service was.... Well it's being many years that we had to wait in the entrance for our table to be ready. More so when we had a reservation. Last time this happened we were asked if we wanted a cocktail etc before we could be seated. Not here. It felt very casual sit down dining. Also I don't like wait staff staring over us as they wait for the tables. Please stand somewhere else. Likely to be back, but we'd hit up Tempo Di Pasta before. read more

We have been to Vesuvius a handful of times already, and each time our experiences have been consistently good. The food has been delicious and good quality. We have ordered the shrimp gondola for appetizer, which I highly recommend. So far, we have ordered and tried the branzino, seafood zafferano, chicken Parmesan, and Chianti short ribs and so far every dish we have tried has been fantastic. The customer service has been friendly and accommodating. The ambiance is casual, upscale, and the restaurant is beautifully decorated with deep blues, orange, and gold. There's a large bar with plenty of seating and outdoor patio. We love coming to Vesuvius each time and love the local vibe. read more

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A great dine-in experience! Our waitress was super friendly and helpful. Enjoyed my Steak-and-Eggs from the brunch menu. Definitely will come back in the future. read more

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New Italian restaurant that my girlfriends and I tried. Located very conveniently off of I-270 in Urbana. The cocktails we ordered were Cafe Mezzanotte, Ischia Velvet, and The Soma Smash - all were excellent. For antipasti, we tried eggplant rollatine and lasagna Fritta - both good but preferred the eggplant. There was freshly baked bread on the table, however, they took it away once our entrees arrived. Disappointed with that because a few of us were looking for it For the main entrees: 2 of us ordered the seafood zafferano, a shrimp scampi, choppino, gluten free pasta chicken Marsala, fettuccine carbonara, Caesar salad with grilled salmon, gnocchi mamma Mia in pesto sauce! All the gals - enjoyed it!!! Portions were pretty good that half of us had leftovers! Dessert - the birthday girl had her HBD song sung and an ice cream, and the girls all shared a crème brûlée. OVERALL: food (especially the freshly made pasta), company, service and ambiance - EXCELLENT. I will come back again - maybe for lunch or on a different day where there's not a crowd. Heads up: First, I highly recommend reservations especially for a bigger group (we were 8) especially on a Friday night. Very crowded, many people waiting to be seated. Second, the space is a little small though beautifully decorated - the noise can get very loud that my watched sent me loud noise notification while we were there. Third, there's plenty of parking but be careful due to entrance is in close proximity to a Popeyes drive thru. read more

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We have been to Vesuvius several times. Love everything about it. The servers and staff are well trained, the food is always consistently good, and it's a great go-to in Urbana. I've been there for dinner with friends, lunch with the ladies and for Happy Hour. I highly recommend Vesuvius! read more

Vesuvius Italian and wine bar - Appetizers on the patio. - Wine Bars Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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The food was excellent. I had eggplant parmesan, and my wife had the Chilean sea bass. Portions were large, enough for lunch the next day. The service was also excellent. We liked the decor and the vibe. We added this restaurant to our list of favorites. read more

Food was good and tasty, service was excelent.Bryan was ure server, very helpful Definitely we are coming back, for a group bigger thank 4 I highly recommend to call ahead. Nice location with plenty of parking. read more

Vesuvius Italian and wine bar - Chocolate - Wine Bars Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

We had the pleasure to have lunch here yesterday. They have only been opened for last than 2 weeks. Everything went pretty smoothly with one hiccup which was addressed immediately. Service was wonderful and food was delicious. The restaurant felt bright and vibrant. We were served infused fruit water and complimentary bread shortly after seated. We ordered the grilled octopus to start. Perfectly cooked and delicious. For entrees, we got: - mussels fradiavola (an appetizer)- big portion, delicious, a kick but not too spicy - chicken vesuvio panini- all the flavors marrying together- each bite was a perfect bite - chicken parmigiana panani- (opted without any sides)- solid - tortellini genovese- this was the hiccup- it came out almost cold- however, the owner was at the front of the house, was very apologetic and got a new one made quickly. And offered a dessert on the house. Overall, a great experience and looking forward to our next visit. read more

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Very pretty restaurant. Perfect for a date night. The Service was so amazing g we had a big party. Audrey and Kai do so good! They were very attentive. The food was great! The only thing we didn't really like, the A/C wasn't on. It felt better outside! read more

My first time at Vesuvius Urbana and I already know I'll be back and a huge part of that is because of Kyra! Kyra was honestly one of the sweetest waitresses I've ever had. From the moment we sat down, her energy was so warm and genuine. She kept checking in on me and my boyfriend, not in an overbearing way, but in a way that made us feel like she truly cared about our experience. You can tell she loves what she does. She recommended an alcoholic drink for me, and it was SO good, literally perfect. Between that and the amazing food, everything was already great, but Kyra took it to another level. Her personality, attentiveness, and kindness made the whole night feel special. She also convinced me to get dessert, and I'm so glad she did--we got a lava cake to go and it was 100% worth it! If anyone deserves Employee of the Month, it's definitely Kyra. She made our first visit unforgettable! read more

Vesuvius Italian and wine bar - Wine Bars Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Absolutely love. The service is top notch, food is delicious, decor was stunning and cocktails were so creative. My husband and I stopped for their happy hour after work and sat at the bar. We ordered the soma smash, dirty neo martini, the shrimp, beef carpaccio and misticanza salad. 10/10. We'll definitely be back read more

Vesuvius Italian and wine bar - Wine Bars Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Nice atmosphere, good service. The complimentary fresh, soft bread had a good olive oil mix. Starters: Cream of Crab soup was well done. The Marcello Flatbread had a perfect spicy sauce with flavorful meat. Penne Troisi came with a nice spicy rose sauce. Sadly, the filet mignon tips with it, were overcooked, and lacked any flavor. Fettuccine Alfredo had perfectly fresh cooked noodles, but the sauce itself was very bland. The music playing throughout the restaurant was Latin; a bit odd for an Italian restaurant. It's an ok restaurant; a little pricey for the overall quality. Would rather drive another 10 minutes and go to Manalu- for the same price you get a better Italian atmosphere and food (and they play Italian music for your dining experience). read more

Vesuvius Italian and wine bar - Penne Triosi - Wine Bars Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Great food and friendly staff. I love their appetizer bread. A little bit pricey. I'm glad they are in our local area.

Ambience was great. Food was superb! Went for lunch as a trial at this new , only 2 weeks old, establishment. From the grilled octopus as an appetizer to our entrees. The saffron sauce on my seafood fettuccine was divine. My husband had the linguine vongole, the broth was terrific. Cocktails were also a hit. Service was excellent! We will be returning, and perhaps when we return the patio will be open for dining!!! read more

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The food was great and not too heavy, with a great presentation. The service was excellent, we were checked on very often and well taken care of. The ambiance and aesthetics of the place were very pretty and good vibes. read more

Vesuvius Italian and wine bar - Tiramisu - Wine Bars Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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Did not disappoint. Service was on point. Food was amazing. Great flavors on all dishes we chose. Will definitely be back. So glad this is a new addition to Urbana area. read more

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The food was great, and our server, Serenity, was amazing! She was friendly, attentive, and made our experience even better. We had a wonderful time and will definitely be back! read more

Finally an excellent Italian restaurant right in Urbana! We went for Valentine's Day and all I can say is WOW! Everything was excellent. Drinks. Food. Dessert. Chef's kiss! The only issue is that they've packed lots of tables into that small place and it's a bit noisy and feels crowded. But once the warmer weather hits and they can open the outdoor seating area, hopefully that will improve. If you haven't gone yet, you must. You won't be disappointed. read more

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Close to home. Very unique food. Much better than those infamous name brand restaurants in terms of food, service, and atmosphere. Price was very reasonable read more

First time going. The place looks nice, but I care about the food overall. EOVV with balsamic and garlic dipping for the bread. Oil is really good. The bread is an afterthought. It is the bun bread you have at Thanksgiving to soak up the gravy. Not Italian at all. My wife liked the veal but she was buzz'ed so take it for what is worth. I had the Lasagna which I always do the first time going to a new Italian place. Thoughts. It was only okay. Portion size was fine but the sauce/gravy was boring. No seasoning so I add salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, and pepper flakes. Still nothing special. Not that I ordered it, but an Old Fashion for $25 made from Woodford Reserve is laughable. Overall, meh. Better places in the Frederick for Italian. read more

Brand new place in Urbana and I promise you will not be disappointed! All the food, especially the flatbread pizza, was the best I've ever had! Drinks were amazing. The place was packed so definitely get a reservation. Very cute Italian type decor but it was loud. That doesn't bother me but for some people it might, we were seated near the bar so that might be why. Everyone was super nice and ready to help and get anything you needed. We will be back!! read more

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2nd time visiting and again superb service are delicious food! Quint! Wine selection is tasty.

Best Italian food in Maryland. Even better than Italy. Maria the manager is awesome and Giorgio is very friendly. Service is great but the food are amazing. Haven't had anything bad, everything is good. read more

I've been here twice in a week, for dinner then for lunch with 2 different sets of friends. I had delicious guanciali pasta ( a special) for dinner with the Vesuvius spritz. (Best summer cocktail ever!) & good service from Fatima. Today's lunch (grilled octopus app) was over the top delicious & perfectly cooked. My seafood Zafferano was so good- perfectly cooked seafood & saffron sauce & the you must have it V-spritz. The best part was our server Will. Very attentive, fun & great sense of humor. I'll be back, but only when Will is working! The outdoor area is so nice but umbrellas for the sunny tables will help. We had a table in the shade. read more

Great first experience, nice to have a mid/upscale Upcounty choice. Drinks as well as the meal we're on point.

Had a delicious lunch today in this recently opened restaurant. Decor is very pretty and service was excellent. We will definitely be back! read more

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The seafood pasta and cocktails were exceptional--fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. The service was attentive and professional, contributing to an overall outstanding dining experience. The restaurant was impeccably clean, and the décor was elegant and inviting. I highly recommend this establishment and look forward to returning. read more

My wife and I went here last night for our anniversary, and it was terrific! The food was delicious, the staff were so friendly and hospitable, and the ambience was perfect for the mood we were looking for. Would definitely recommend to friends and family! read more

Family of 7 tried it last weekend for the first time. All loved their dishes and our server was fantastic. Lost one star because of one thing: sub par cream of crab. Not good. Everything else was fantastic. read more

Made a reservation and showed up 15 min early, was escorted to our table immediately. Server was prompt and efficient. Service was attentive and all our orders were correct. Food was hot and plentiful. Drinks were cold and refreshing. Definitely recommend. read more