It's been a few years since I last visited this restaurant. Recently, I had family visiting in town, and someone they know suggested they try out the restaurant and the food. When we arrived, it all came back to me--how rude the service was and that the food wasn't anything special. Being optimistic, I thought, surely that was a few years ago, and the bad experience has to be better now. But no--the waitress who waited on our table was rude from the moment she walked over. She didn't even greet us with a hello. Instead, she immediately asked, "What do you want to drink?" Wow, okay. Maybe a hello first? The food was brought out without napkins, and then she was gone. The restaurant was busy, and the ambiance is typical low-budget Italian--nothing fancy. Expect packed, close tables and no elbow room. read more

Pros: Columbus mainstay! Wonderful service Loved the pasta sampler with soup or salad, spaghetti, meatball, gnocchi, ravioli, lasagna or sub one with fettuccine alfredo (which I did) - huge portions! The red sauce had a touch of sweetness which I enjoyed There's self service popcorn the the bar area Reasonable prices Cons: They were super busy so wait time was about 30 min on Saturday night Stuff is super sauced so ask for less if needed No meatballs in the Italian wedding soup Pro tip: Visit at lunch time for smaller portions and cheaper prices. Will probably have an easier time getting seated as well. read more

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We ordered Cesar Salad, Pepperoni Stromboli and Italian Sub. Italian sub was very good. Stromboli is better at Luna Pizza Kitchen on Hutchison Ave. Service was excellent and Stephanie Anderson made you feel that you are a regular customer there, even though, it was my first time there in 46 years. She is a good soul. Ambiance was was very welcoming, eventhough we were the only Indians there. Will definitely go there again. Try it. Food 4 stars Service 5 stars Ambiance 5 stars because of welcoming atmosphere. read more

This old school Italian restaurant is a Columbus/Worthington classic. For many locals it's THE place for Italian or pizza. The hand made food comes in large portions so expect to have a to go box. I suggest the big sampler. Ravioli, spaghetti and meatball, gnocchi and lasagna that comes with a big side salad or soup plus hot bread sticks. All the food is A+ The decor is old school with a lot of brass decor. Most nights the place is busy and you may have a wait but they try to get you in quickly. The staff are always friendly and fun. You won't be disappointed with this local institution. read more

Villa Nova Ristorante - The side salad was generous - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Looks like a nice local family style restaurant and bar. We had high hopes for the pizzas that we got to-go. Yes they were fresh but the cheese tasted off. Great bar prices and daily specials. Staff is very friendly. read more

Villa Nova Ristorante - Bar specials - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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This place is truly a little slice of heaven on earth and just like it was from when I went as a kid in the mid 80s. Get the sampler so you don't miss a thing. read more

Hubby and I went for lunch right when they opened. Our service was excellent and the menu is extensive. I ordered the veggie pizza which was delicious. Hubby ordered a meatball sub which he also enjoyed. The atmosphere is very nice casual with tons of copper kettles all around the restaurant. read more

Villa Nova Ristorante - Copper kettles - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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I always drive by Villa Nova and see the crowds so I know it's a popular spot. Came with my dad, had great friendly service. Disappointed by the lack of gluten free option. We did get a gluten free pizza that was really yummy, but I don't know that I would come frequently just for that. Happy hour is only on the bar area. Eclectic decorations. Definitely a place to check out at least once. read more

Villa Nova Ristorante - Gluten free pizza - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I always go to Villa Nova Ristorante for Lasagna and on Tuesday Nights after 4 pm for the large one-topping pizza for $12 to pick up. I had a Spumoni while my friend had Vanilla Ice Cream with chocolate sauce. The Spumoni was delicious and perfect for after dinner from the great Lasagna that Villa Nova has. I rarely get dessert, but when I do I will get the Spumoni at Villa Nova Ristorante. I have never been disappointed in their great service to me and other customers there. The ambiance is the same with the tea kettles around the restaurants. read more

Villa Nova Ristorante - Spumoni - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Felt very cozy and homey. It was packed when we went. Definitely get the fried ravioli ! I was skeptical about the cajun pasta but it was really good and saucy throughout. Even better the next day. Will definitely be back. read more

Nice, casual Southern Italian restaurant that looks like is very popular with the locals. Menu had lots of Southern Italian entrees, Pizza and sandwiches. Good crowd on Wednesday evening. Was seated promptly and they took my drink order and brought over some breadsticks. Ordered the Wednesday special, Chicken Parm. Came with a choice of salad or soup. I got the Caesar salad. Very good. Probably could have used a little more dressing but it was sufficient. The entree came out rapidly with linguine and sauce. Portion size was good and tasted great. Probably in and out in about 30-40 minutes. Enjoyed it- not gourmet, just solid, tasty food. read more

Although we got carry out the vibe of this place seemed very cool. We got a pizza and it was delicious. It's a thinner crispier crust and they aren't afraid to top it with what you tell them to if ya get what I mean! Would definitely visit again when in town in the future. read more

Came in on a Thursday night for an early dinner, around 5:30. Was lucky to have got a table. Line out the door when we left. This place is really bumping, and the staff does a good job moving you in and out quickly. The atmosphere was that of an old Italian parlor. Not too elegant, but not a dive either. Started with the Italian Cheese, which was nothing more than fried Pepper Jack cheese curds. I think they were previously frozen, not made from scratch. My daughter had the pasta carbonara and I had the chicken Parmesan. The Carbonara was OUTSTANDING. Bacon gave it a nice Smokey taste. Super rich, and a ton of it! The chicken parm was also good, smothered with cheese, but I question if the chicken pattie wasn't previously frozen and not made from scratch. It was formed just too perfect in the dish. The pasta sauce was delicious and really hit home with what I wanted. Server was a bit inattentive, as I was half way done with my meal before she brought back the red pepper. She was also a bit of a complainer, as I was asking questions about the history of the place and was told there are newspaper clippings I can read in the entry way, which she has never read because she is just toooooo busy when working. Whah, whah, whah is all I heard. read more

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Solid place for dinner but not understanding the massive hype around Villa Nova. Parking lot is atrocious, so plan ahead to be frustrated beyond belief there. Service was fine - our waiter barely said hello and if he said his name, I didn't hear it. Food was decent - 100% this is not homemade sauce or if it is, it is based on jarred/tinned pasta sauce. It had that sweet, almost tin flavor which is not my favorite. Lasagna comes out swimming in the sauce and smothered in cheese. Gnocchi and ravioli were fine. My son inhaled his plate of noodles so that was great. Loud and busy, and maybe if we were from here or grew up eating here, we'd like it more? We'd come back if someone else wanted to be here but not our first choice in the future. read more

First time visiting this Columbus institution. Straight up red sauce Italian restaurant. And the sauce is good! I had the sampler, with spaghetti, lasagna, and an assortment of ravioli and gnocchi. I couldn't stop eating! I made it through everything but the spaghetti, which I took home with a couple of extra meatballs. Service was friendly and professional. Atmosphere was good mot loud - just lots of friendly conversation. Over half full on a Monday night! Basic solid Italian! read more

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Thoroughly average family-owned Italian place. The building is a neat throwback to restaurants of years past, and the atmosphere is nice; it's not too loud even when busy. If quantity of food is something you value in a meal, you'll be happy here, but quality is middling at best. The sauces are on the bland side, and the breadsticks are either bone dry or so drenched in butter they're like eating a sponge. Even some chains in this price point have them beat on taste, and they can't hold a candle to some of the other local Italian establishments. Villa Nova is maybe worth a look if you're really hungry and prefer a milder meal, but it's not a place I would find myself recommending to out-of-towners. read more

I ordered a carry-out dinner shortly after school was out for the day (about 3:00pm or so). My dinner portion looked like a lunch portion and they forgot my breadsticks. I was very disappointed in what I received (salad and dinner). I've ordered from and eaten inside several times over the years, yet, this time I was VERY disappointed. Even a day waitress remembered me from a nearby store where I worked years ago and asked how I was doing that day. read more

SUPER popular spot, apparently a neighborhood favorite for generations, and HOPPING on a recent Saturday night. I was lucky to find parking, and that the VERY large group I met up with had made reservations. Check their extensive menu out ahead of time... They offer all the Italian "standards," along with a number of tempting culinary surprises. I went back and forth a few times, changing my mind on pizza, pasta, or something else, and finally went with the veggie lasagna, which came with a house salad. Both were ok, not exactly "earth-shattering," (remember, I'm STILL a bit of a NY food snob, even after 20+ years here in Ohioooooo) but good enough. The food was 3+ stars, good but not quite mind-blowing, but the service was WONDERFUL. Wish I got the name of our AMAZING waitress, who handled our large group like a true PRO. I don't think I've ever gotten better, more friendly, helpful and efficient service EVER in this large a group, ESPECIALLY on a busy weekend!!! Bravo!! Be sure to check this place out if you're in the area, and don't miss their HUMUNGOUS collection of brass cookware!!! :-D read more

Villa Nova Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Friendly staff. The times I have been here our servers were pretty good. I have been here enough to formulate a review. The food is just average given the current price point. There might be better value at lunch but dinner was lacking in portions and flavor and overpriced for what you get. The soups are good. Bread sticks are good if fresh. The appetizers are almost entrée price not worth it given the small portion. The entrees are hit and miss. Sauces are somewhat bland. The pizza is just okay. The casual mom and pop shop vibe and decor of the place is what brings their established clientele here. read more

Amazing food and service. Casual atmosphere that can get a bit nosier on a game day.

Wow! It's been probably 15 years since we've been here. And now we are ready to return! Service was very efficient. One young lady seemed to have the entire front dining room. Sheoved from table to table welcoming guests, taking orders, delivering meals and keep drinks filled. Bread arrived at our table first. My son jumps in because he just left practice and he's hungry. So one else had a chance to try a bread stick My son ordered Seafood Alfredo served with shrimp and scallops. This is one of his favorite meals. The portion was generous but the seafood was not, in my opinion The sauce was creamy and rich. He would order it again saying the scallops were delicious. The large pasta came with a side salad or soup. He selected the house made Italian Wedding Soup. Our option did not include meatballs but there was plenty of chicken in the soup. There was not much spinach in our serving which we appreciated. This was a definite order again item! Hubs ordered a white pizza. It was loaded with garlic and topped with cheese. The olive oil base was perfect on the house made thin crust. Another order again item! But a warning - the garlic really is strong. I ordered the chef salad. Mixed green salad, turkey, ham and one hard boiled egg. I orderedine without tomatoes and without American Cheese It was a good salad with several dressing choices. I ordered the house made Italian The bowl was the same as the side salad with the extra protein. Next time I'm going to order the grilled chicken breast and a side salad. read more

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I love Villanova but I was disappointed they have changed their pizza crust. The 1 star isnt for anything but the new pizza crust all other food was excellent. Your pizza had always been thin & crispy. It was the typical Columbus style pizza crust since the 70s that I personally remember. Its just so different now. Its a fluffy soft doughie crust and not the thin cracker crust you have served for decades. You have great food and now mediocre pizza. Please bring back your old crust. read more

Villa Nova Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

The food at Villa Nova was phenomenal. It isn't authentic Italian food but the food is still amazing. They give you very large portions and the prices are extremely reasonable. The restaurant has a huge menu with a variety of selections to choose from. The service was good. The restaurant was packed and busy so the service was slow, but our waiter was very nice. He was so patient with answering our questions and explaining items on the menu. The ambiance was very family-oriented. It is a large dimly lite room with a bunch of tables. It is a great place for families and kids. I love how there weren't any televisions in this area. However, on the other side of the restaurant is the bar and I believe they have tvs on that side if you want to watch sports. read more

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Homestyle adjacent Italian food that's quite affordable. Is the food going to change your life? Nope but will you leave with a filled stomach, sure will. I have been in Columbus just shy of a decade, have lived just around the corner from Villa Nova for most of that, and only in the last year have I found myself visiting Villa Nova. This always busy spot is surely well loved with a full parking lot. Daily specials are listed on the board as you enter. To the left is the restaurant seating and to the right is the bar.  Bar is fairly comfortable, with swivel backed bar height chairs and hooks under the bar to hang items. Lighting is dim but somehow seems bright enough for the space despite the time of day. Happy hour extends until 9 on Mondays. There's always popcorn and sometimes a pizza to snack on in the bar area. Drink prices are approachable. House wines can be gotten in a glass, half carafe, or full carafe. Bartenders have always been attentive, quick, and friendly. Pasta servings are multiple meals huge. Bread sticks are best when hot. Cheese marbles are always melted and browned nicely. The fried ravioli are just what you expect them to be. Crispy and melty, nice when dipped in marinara. Italian sub sandwiches with banana peppers & onions are made even better if you ask for oil & vinegar. Looking for something a little different, check out their taco pizza. Beans as the sauce, ground beef, lettuce, diced tomatoes, a whole lot of shredded cheddar cheese with taco sauce on the side. Seems odd at first but it's just a perfect creation. read more

Villa Nova Ristorante - Bar at Villa Nova, comfortable and small. Jukebox in the back corner. - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Excellent. The staff was very busy with a large crowd, but the service was swift, friendly and efficient. The food was great. Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

I've been going here since I was 15,and I'm now 53. Sauces and meals and remained unchanged, which is awesome. Quality & Service never disappoint. I highly recommend trying it, if you haven't. Chris C. read more

Food has gotten progressively worse, service is awful at best as they continue raising prices. HAD been going here for over 30yrs but they have gotten so bad we don't even go any longer. Only giving one star because unable to give less. read more

Service was fast & friendly. I had dinner with 3 friends and we all got our correct order and everyone was pretty satisfied. One friend was a bit disappointed that her Caesar salad didn't have fresh ground cheese on it. I ordered manicotti with Italian Wedding Soup. Both were good but I was disappointed that my Italian Wedding Soup didn't have any meatballs. Also, the manicotti were big enough that I was able to have one for lunch the next day! read more

Villa Nova Ristorante - Manicotti - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Definately an authentic Italian restaurant, ambiance very antiquated in a good way. We ordered our food online, process was very easy. The portion sizes in restaurant were much bigger than the carry out portions, and it was a lot less sauce than normal. Front entry way was super tight and there were a lot of people there, a sign for carry out being at the back of the restaurant would have been helpful. Overall experience was good - but not the best! read more

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Been going for decades, best Italian food around, my favorite is the veal parmigiana. We live in Cleveland for the last 30+ years, always stop when we're in Columbus. read more

I've been here a handful of times, and I always have a good time at Villa Nova. It's an old school Italian-American restaurant (my friend calls the decorating style - Grandma's living room) with a solid menu of cheese and red sauce favorites. I will say - skip the take out and dine in here. The times I've ordered takeout, the same dishes I love at the restaurant are just OK. Lately, I've been coming with my Yelp bestie (best Yelpie?) for pizza and I usually manage to talk him into a Hodge Podge, cause I love fried veggies. And their ranch dressing is pretty awesome. During the pandemic, they had sangria, but now, I usually get a glass of the Lambrusco. I didn't know what that was, but the bartender recommended and it's a bold sweet red. Yummy with pizza! We have our pizza order down - mushrooms on all, onion on my half, and either sausage or bacon on his half. And there is usually not any left. Crushed red pepper for me. It comes out hot, with a good cheese:sauce ratio. I also really enjoy the chicken parm. Plenty of cheese and good breading on the chicken, but, like i said, it didn't hold up quite as well for takeout. And brave the crowds, this place fills UP, especially on the weekend! Both the bar and Granny's living room are hopping. read more

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I have been to Villanova over 100 times in my lifetime. This time, my husband and I got a young server, who did not even tell us his name. He had glasses and bad posture. He was extremely anti-social and unprofessional. He barely interacted with us, which is unlike the culture at Villanova I have experienced previously. The food, as always, was amazing. Although, our server forgot about us and we had to wait for our food for over 40 minutes. This server should be talked to. I am disappointed that he was even hired because of his personality and lack of social skills. read more

Ten min wait to be greeted by our server on a Weds. No table bread?? Don't order the garlic bread with cheese. It's two SLICES of bread from an Italian loaf cut into thirds. 8 dollars. Soup slopped all over the bowl and plate. Salad is bagged mix with croutons. No veggies. read more

Villa Nova Ristorante - This is how soup is served - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

This place is exactly what it looks and sounds like. It's pure Italian-American comfort food. If you like that, you're going to get along with Villa Nova. I ordered the sausage cacciotore. The entrees all come with a salad, so I started there, and it's exactly the sort of salad you remember from childhood -- iceberg lettuce, some croutons, etc. Like Olive Garden but a little healthier. I had actually never had cacciotore before, so I didn't know what to expect, but I enjoyed my meal. Hearty, hot, flavorful. It was a little messy, but good pasta should be. There are some easy tweaks they could make, especially to the salad, that would push this place into 5-star range for me. But it's exactly what you expect it to be and I'm come back here again, so I'm resting at 4-star for now. read more

We love Villa Nova and consider going when we want comfort food and/or Italian. Villa Nova has a homey feel and service has always been good in our experience. After a long couple of days of travel and a visit with a loved one at the hospital, Villa Nova was the perfect choice for dinner. When you arrive, be sure to check out the specials on the white board just inside. We both ordered the cold snap short beer, $5 for 12 oz served in a frosty mug. We also both ordered the spaghetti special. This is a lot of food for $14! Soup, salad, breadsticks, spaghetti with a sausage link and a meatball, and ice cream (spumoni was great)! Everything was delicious and come highly recommended. Enjoy! read more

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What can I say Villanova's been there forever? Everybody knows the food is wildly good. Inside it's old-school Italian all the way. I love your spaghetti and meatballs, the wedding soup is fabulous. My husband gets a sample plate with like three different things I believe. You don't have to believe me when I tell you how good it is drive drive by the parking lot it's always full. And my nephew says to tell you that the spaghetti and meatballs are wonderful. read more

This place has been on our list to go for quite some time, and we never got around to it. Wow - were we disappointed to not have come sooner. As soon as you walk into the restaurant, you immediately notice the older decor. Don't let this throw you off. We were seated immediately on a Friday night at 7pm, and started with the Chicken Wings appetizer. The wings were tossed in their Boom Boom sauce which seemed to be a creamy Thai chili sauce. It was incredible. For our entrees, I ordered with Chicken Parmesan and my wife order the off the menu Pasta Nova dish. Both dishes were excellently prepared and reminded you of old school Italian comfort food. You need to try this place. read more

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Great service and great prices! The food was very tasty- we had a Caesar salad, mozzarella sticks, pasta, and an Italian sub. All for less than 40$- what a deal! The inside was clean and decorated to look like Italy. Would recommend! read more

Villa Nova Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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What is about 11 of us and a little baby my little great granddaughter, have reservations so we got in right away. We were noisy, but the service was great. Everything ran along just fine. The food was delicious and our waiter was handsome. He look like John Travolta or definitely come here again. read more

Villa Nova Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I've been going to Villa Nova for years! The vibe in this place is always welcoming, and the staff makes a conscious effort to remember you and what you like to order. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu! They do have daily specials most of the time and post them on the white board when you first walk in. If you like tacos and pizza, they have an excellent taco pizza option!! A small is plenty for one person, it's loaded!! The pan pizza is great if you like a thicker crust with a pleasant crunch! read more