I've only eaten her three times and I've never been disappointed. The service and food have always been great. It is located across from the USA Mitchell center and is small enough to pass by and you'll miss it if you're not paying attention. A great place for a romantic dinner. Be sure to call ahead for reservations. read more

Via Emilia is a fantastic family-owned Italian Restaurant in a town lacking of good, local restaurants (thought Mobile's restaurant scene looks like it's on the rise in recent years). Great place for a date or nicer dinner with friends. Food is delicious. Food: "Try the veal, it's the best in the city". Really though, probably the best Italian food in the city. There's a chalkboard menu that changes night to night as ingredient availability changes. I've had the veal and the triggerfish - both perfectly cooked and seasoned. There's probably a little more butter used in these dishes than back in the mother country, but it's to good effect and not overused. The pasta dishes are perfectly cooked as well. Atmosphere: There are only a few tables in one small room and the lighting is dim without being too dark with Christmas lights on the inside. It comes off with a real classy touch and an old-school NYC Italian restaurant feel. If it weren't for the Michell Center hovering in the background like the Death Star, you just might picture Michael Corleone shooting Sollozzo with the gun planted in the bathroom. It's perfect for us! Service: Don't remember a thing about it, which is exactly how it should be. Final thoughts: Best Italian in the city - don't miss it. read more

Always excellent cuisine! Via Emilia is certainly one of my very favorite local places...always fresh with excellent presentation and warm reception! I have tried most items on this delightful menu...it's difficult to choose my favorite! I have to say that I particularly enjoy the Eggplant Emilia...a fabulous dish of eggplant topped with cheesy shrimp and cheese!! read more

The chicken parm alone is worth the trip! Don't forget to make a reservation though because I've never seen them not busy!

Absolutely WONDERFUL!!! And curbside service during COVID19 was wonderful! We had spaghetti and eggplant!!! Perfect

Food was amazing. I cannot say enough how delicious the food was. Restaurant was adorable. Can't wait to go again!

We love Via Emilia. It's the best Italian food in the Mobile area. We always get the shrimp and scallop geonese. We are super thankful for the curbside these days, too!! read more

Did I really eat at the same restaurant as these people?!? I'm usually not a harsh judge of character, but I had really high expectations of Via Emilia and I was sorely disappointed. :( Went there last night and got seated promptly and was told the menu was on the chalkboard. The lighting was bad and it was hard to see what was written, even with 20/20 vision. Our server came promptly and took our drink orders and handed us delicious warm bread with olive oil. My husband decided on the chicken marsala and I wanted Italian sausage with linguine instead of the polpettone. I was told this would be no problem so I still felt pretty confident waiting for the meal. Our food came in a reasonable amount of time and I look down on my plate and see not Italian sausage, but LINGUICA. At an Italian restaurant. Can't pull the wool over my eyes, there is no mistaking that paprika taste in the sausage I got. I'm sure most people would've eaten it with no problem but I found that particular sausage unappealing with the linguine to say the least. My husband's chicken marsala however was quite delicious and wish I had ordered that instead. I wanted to end on a good note so we ended up splitting a tiramisu which was decent. Not the best I've ever had but still pretty good. If I decide to give this place another chance I'll update my review. In the meantime, I am still on a quest to find good Italian here in Mobile. :( read more

I wanted to be able to give this place 4 stars. Or even 5. Really I did. I'll compromise with 3 1/2. Nothing was bad about our visit, but for the price, it didn't rock. Or in the words of my hubs, "it was good but there was nothing orgasmic about it." He hit the nail on the head! First of all, I highly suggest reservations on their busy nights. Which judging by our visit was Saturday at a minimum. We were relegated to the "non reservation" courtyard area on this mildy chilly night. So I never really saw the inside, but the whole ambience really could have used some cheesy Italian music piped in over the speakers. It was strangely quiet. Loudly quiet. The food was overall good. I despise the chain Italian places so I really, realllly wanted to like this place. Fried green tomato appetizer was The Bomb. Huge portion and they knocked it outta the park. Nothing Italian about them, but YUM! I had the shrimp and scallop fettucine chalkboard special and it was delicious. The shrimp had a slightly, what I call, iodiny taste to them...aka, not as fresh as I'm used to, but still good. Hubs had the much Yelped about chicken marsala. It was meh. Very black peppery, sort of bland. We've had better. Service was slow. Don't be in a hurry. Their bread is really good though, so it helps you ease the pain of waiting. Expect to spend $25/person and that is possibly just for the main course. Give it a try though - it just wasn't as great as I expected. read more

Was in town on business and an employee at my hotel recommended this place. After seeing the ratings on Yelp, my coworker and I decided to give it a go. This place is super small and we lucked out and got table since it was a Monday night. First word of advice would be to make reservations! Wasn't totally impressed with the atmosphere, rather cheap looking and outdated plus I was served a glass of wine in a glass that still had the last patron's lipstick smudges on it and food particles stuck to it...FAIL! The servers were just barely pleasant and I can bet it's because they're bumping into one another all day because the place is so small! Okay now let's get to the reason they still deserve my 3 stars...I had the Eggplant dish minus the shrimp and cheese while my coworker got the same dish with the works. It was phenomenal and the homemade pasta was amazing!! Highly, highly recommend it. This restaurant could easily get 5 stars if they clean up and modernize a bit!! I'd give them 3.5 if I could but you get the gist of what I'm trying to say. Go there with an expectation for good food! Oh yeah the food takes a while to come out but that wasn't a big deal given the food tastes freshly prepared. I'd go back. read more

Drove past here and just had to stop. It very much is hidden away but also stands out among all of the chain restaurants. Inside is a bit fancier, and you can see some of the fresh made options, outside on the patio is more low key but in its own way romantic. Items rotate regularly and are posted on a white board. Since I was sitting outside, I had to awkwardly get up and hover over another person's table to see it. It wasn't very neat, so I was really unclear with what the options are. Obviously printing menus everyday might be a challenge but maybe there is a better solution. The food is made to order so it takes a bit of time, but once I got my parm crusted pork, I could tell the helping was generous. Also, the homemade bread is amazing. On the downside, it is a bit more expensive, but you can tell the food is quality.!Definitely worth it if you feel like something other than a chain or BBQ! read more

The food is great, and the people who serve are so welcoming. This place is a must have. read more

Via Emilia - Sunday brunch - Italian Near Me - Mobile, Alabama

This is where we chose to have dinner for our Valentines date. It was cozy and relatively intimate for our dinner date. I chose the crab and shrimp au gratin, my wife had the eggplant parm with shrimp and vodka sauce. The food was very tasty and presented well. You could tell that it was made fresh and not in an assembly line kitchen. The prices for the entrees were comparable to other places of this caliber. If you are in the area and want a nice sit down and relaxing sinner give this place a try. read more

Great restaurant! Very low-key and intimate. Can tell they focus on the quality of the food. read more

Via Emilia - Veggie frittata, with a side of bacon! - Italian Near Me - Mobile, Alabama

Service and food were exceptional and they are very respectful to their customers needs! Awesome fine dining with great ambience and superior customer service! read more

I stopped in to eat and my first impression was that it didn't look like a very cleanly environment but I didn't want to judge the place from that. I was asked if I had a reservation, and I didn't, so I was seated on the patio, which was nice because inside looked really crowded. A few minutes later, I was brought some bread, which had a bad flavor. Then the waiter brought me my drink and took my order. As I waited, I could see them preparing food through the window. . There was an older guy who I noticed first handling some food with his bare hands, which I thought was his, it wasn't. Then another guy comes into view and appears to be buttering bread which he's holding in his bare hands. Then the pair begin preparing a dish together, it was fascinating to watch. If I'd seen either of them was their hands as I was watching, I'd have been fine at this point. Then the younger guy appeared to have stepped on something, then used the tongs in his hand to remove it from his shoe, holding it up where I could see it. Then just kept using them. Moments later, my food arrived, but I had to tell the waiter what I'd seen and how I was no longer interested in eating here. I offered to pay for the bread and my drink, and he told me not to worry about it. It was pretty disappointing, because it looked like it was going to be one of those special little gem of a place to go. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in Mobile. The service is great and the food reminds me of my trip to Italy. The prices are a little high for a college student but if you go at lunch it's perfect. Ian is my favorite waiter he is perfect so I try to go whenever he is working. You get so much food so I always have leftovers but I am dying to go back and try one of their deserts. Tiramisu is my weakness. *Edited* I went back and finally had the tiramisu. There was a lot of cocoa powder on top, my boyfriend choked on it a little bit, but underneath that it was delicious. read more

They claim to make the noodles onsite. It's not like I'd stick my head into the kitchen to check that out, but the noodle dishes are fantastic! I've only come for lunch a couple times so far. But I'll definitely be back when I get the chance. If you like Italian food then this is the best in the area that I've ever run across. read more

Last night I had the pleasure of dining at via Emilia and it was amazing! Our waitress promptly greeted us, suggested wines and even let us sample a few before we decided to purchase a bottle of one of her suggestions. We (myself and 4 other girlfriends) shared an appetizer of fried green tomatoes. I had an apple salad with feta, pecans and a homemade vinaigrette on a bed of spinach as well as a Cajun style pizza with red sauce, shrimp, connecuh sausage, onions, peppers and hot sauce it was slap ya momma good! Everyone's food looked delish and everyone said that it was. I will be back, I plan to make this place a weekly stop! read more

The eggplant Emilia was amazing. It was so flavorful. The fried green tomates were very delicious. The crawfish bisque was so creamy and rich, muy rico. The key lime bread pudding was on point. read more

For Mobile, this is as good as it gets! My guy and I went there last night for a certain celebration and it was well worth the haul from midtown to the University area. We started with the incredibly soft and savory bread they bring out, moved onto the homemade gnoochi, that had cheese in it maybe (YUM) and then inhaled our entrees. The prices suit the food here. The flavors are beyond what I expected and we'd return back here in a heartbeat. We're just sad it's taken us a few years to actually visit this fabulous Italian delight. read more

If you are a fan of the 'famous crab soup'... then you will get a closer one here... The Crab & Corn Bisque - i preferred without the corn kernels in it was a treat. The cream of the soup melted in my mouth. My husband had a chicken marsala, and to its credits it was made how exactly it should be. The mashed potato had that perfect cheesiness to it. I had Chicken Cannelloni. The roll was delicious and yum. The chicken had the right kind of spices. The place has a home - turned - restaurant look and the menu was written on the board. It was hard for us to peek from corner tables. We had to take a pic of the menu in our phone and order. The lighting was good for dinner but poor for reading. We had our seating indoors, so the noise was irritating. I should have preferred outside tables. Food is amazing and authentic. If you are focused on amazing food and can compromise on ambience and noise, Via Emilia is a choice. My stars are just for food ! read more

Food was decent, but the service was aweful. People came in way after we did and got their appetizers 15 minutes before we did ( we had soup and salad) Main course came out 10 seconds after our soup and salad. Won't be going back. read more

Went Friday night and only thing I enjoyed was the bread and oil mixture. Ordered chicken Parmesan and was not served my food until 12 minutes after everyone else received their food At my table. Chicken crust was burnt and spaghetti sauce what of it was bland and no taste and Olive Garden sauce which is below par would have been better. Service was good and young lady was very apologetic about food being delayed. Very disappointed. Have been several times and always decent Especially the lasagna is my go to. Seemed staff was overwhelmed with to go orders as they all kept running in and out of the restaurant delivering food to cars outside. read more

A little late - but we came here for Mother's Day brunch and had a quite perfect experience. Everything we delicious and came out promptly. I got the crepe and it was insanely good. Don't be intimidated by this being a fancy place. It's fancy but lots of food and definitely a bang for your buck. read more

I have not written a review for this little place in a very long time although we frequent it regularly. This is a flashback to days of old. It is small and you need a reservation. The service is personalized and our server was a lovely lady who went out of her way to be sure we had everything to our liking. The menu is on the wall, the dishes are unique and just "wonderful". It is northern Italian and in the mid-price range. From the salad to the deserts it is a dining experience. I had the eggplant and I highly recommend it however my wife's pork dish was equally unique and a dining experience (a lot of tasting at the table). This is different from the high end dining of Daughins and more like an Osmans in that it is something to experience and "get hooked on". I highly recommend it for a leisurely evening of gastric delight. enjoy!!! read more

This was actually a very funny story. So I went here with my friend I think last year. We did not know how pricey this place was cause we wanted to eat at a place close to campus and it was right next to the university. So we went in literally when it opened and they were like "Do you have a reservation?" And we were like oh no and started to leave and then they brought us back saying its okay we have room for you. So we went in cause that was nice of them. So then we sat looking at the prices a little panicky and my friend was like lets split it a plate and then said no we can't. Cause we are broke college students accidentally stumbled on a really nice place. Haha eventually we split a plate. And I feel like they knew about us the moment we came in, cause when we got our orders I thought it was like small amounts of food cause we split a plate but it was a full size plate of food. And they were soooo nice! The price was still the same as the split plate too. Me and my friend got full. And the food was REALLY good! So I say this is a wonderful place with nice people and next time I go there with a lot more money. This was my story. read more

We pulled into Via Emilia not knowing if they were open or closed (never been). We received a warm welcome and a very thorough description of the menu from our waiter. The restaurant is cozy with little seating options, but the Chef is amazing! After preparing our meals he delivered them personally to tell us what they were and how he prepared them. The entrees were delicious along with the desserts. This is by far one of our favorite Italian joints!! read more

Excellent excellent amazing food. We had brunch here and we enjoyed the pancakes and French toast. Everything authentic. Highly recommended.

I've been so many times. The food is really good but the same ditzy waitress is there all the time. The service is bad. We know the kitchen is small and that the food will take a while, but we waited 30 minutes for our check. They need a new waitress and maybe more than one. Lunch is a good deal, but you have to have lots of time. It can take a long long time. read more

My favorite restaurant in Mobile. I have been going for over 20 year. Get the Eggplant with Vodka sauce.

I decided to try this restaurant based on a review in Lagniappe. Not all is as bad as my rating indicates, but what is bad, IS BAD! If cleanliness is important, choose another restaurant. The waiter was working outside of his normal duties, he usually works in the back, and it showed. I'll give him credit for trying. First, he only wiped our table to clean it from the last patrons. He didn't clean it, just wiped off the debris with a dry towel. OK, we could live with that. Much later, he brings out fresh bread, wrapped in a dirty towel. The towel had oil stains on it. It appeared he took someone's basket of bread, dumped their bread, inserted new bread and brought it to our table. The service was very slow, the place was packed. I noticed my wife making a funny face as she stared at my glass of tea. Oh yeah, we were not given straws with our drinks. I seldom use them, but my wife never drinks in public restaurants without them, except this time. She pointed out that there was a fresh imprint of purple lips on my glass. I don't wear lipstick, and if I did, it wouldn't be purple. DISGUSTING! We pointed it out to a waitress, not our waiter, but he was no where to be found. She made a half-hearted joke and brought out a new glass of tea with straws. No apology, and of course she didn't offer to comp the drinks, or anything else. The food was delicious. My wife had the eggplant Emilia, while I had a pork dish. I will not attempt to spell it. It was also very good. The eggplant was outstanding! We also had roasted artichoke hearts, which were ample and delicious, as an appetizer. It did not appear to be going well for this business on our visit, so others may have a better experience. We heard the waitress at another table comping a couple on some of their meal because of mistakes made. The other couple didn't seem very happy either. I didn't think to check and see if she was wearing purple lipstick. If you desire great food in an unclean atmosphere, this is your place. It just isn't mine. Sorry. I hate to give a bad review for a small restaurant. The chef knows his business, but I think he may be the owner, and the owner probably needs to be managing, or hire a competent manager to see these kind of mistakes never happen. I don't think the kitchen is large enough to handle larger crowds. read more

I met a couple friends for dinner here last week. The food was good. The ambiance is great for a romantic dinner, although The night we were there it was SOOO loud we couldn't even hear each other talk because of a rowdy birthday party. But they do have outside seating which is what I would prefer in good weather, and if it's after dark, even in the summer it's cool enough to enjoy the patio. I had the chicken Marsala. Yum. I will be back. read more

Wow, this place is awesome!! Very small and intimate, great for dates or small groups. Menu isn't extensive which makes ordering easier but you can't go wrong with any choice. I had the shrimp and scallop Geonese and it rocked I haven't seen scallops that big in a long time and the pesto sauce had me wanting more. My girlfriend got the eggplant Emilia which was also delicious. Our waiter was nice and answered all of our questions to the T, but the other servers didn't seem very interested in helping us, that's the only thing that kept me from giving 5 . Be sure to make a reservation a few days in advance because seating is limited! read more

Best advised, the $$ range is $11-30 per person and this is on the higher end of about $16-30 per person. So, a little more expensive that we were expecting but it was absolutely worth it. My mom, boyfriend and I went here for dinner tonight. The host asked us if we had reservations and we said no (didn't know it was that kind of place) so we were seated in the courtyard which was very nice and had a fish pond. My mom ordered the Eggplant Emilia, boyfriend ordered the Eggplant Emilia sans shrimp, and I ordered the Chicken linguine alfredo, all came with squash and green beans as the side. Boyfriend and mom loved theirs, saying Eggplant had nice crust and wasn't soggy, and I loved mine. It had the best Alfredo sauce I've ever had. It took a while for the food to come but considering how good it was and that there seemed to be only one person in the kitchen it was all worth it and we weren't really aggravated by it. I would love to come back here again. read more

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Our first trip here was last Saturday night for dinner with friends. As you may or may not know, it's a small place so we decided to sit on the patio. The weather was perfect so that was fine. We went with a Caesar salad to start and it was great. My wife ordered the eggplant parmasean with shrimp and I ordered the pasta with meatballs, they were both excellent. The couple that was with us really enjoyed their entrees as well. We'll definitely be back. read more

This place is amazing!!!! Meals made fresh and it feels like old world Italian. We love this place!

This is one of our most favorite restaurants in Mobile. The food is consistently delicious! Eggplant Emilia, Veal Piccata, and Chicken Marsala are our favorites. read more

The food here is delicious! We got the ricotta pancakes, pesto chicken sandwich, and the roast beef sandwich. Everything tastes homemade with quality ingredients. Worth the money for sure! Service was great and they made sure that our food was hot when it came out! We will be back! read more

This is a great place to have a nice romantic dinner. Outside seating is great. I recommend making reservations ahead of time. Food is fresh and amazing! Great wine selection and service as well. read more