Zia Marie is a pillar of Virginia Beach restaurant culture. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming despite it typically being pretty crowded. The cheat code is to sit at the bar and enjoy the full menu, ambiance, and fun bartenders. I'm a fan of Zia's marinara sauce and most recently had their great chicken piccata for the first time. This is a go to for locals and visitors alike. read more

The restaurant itself is cozy and has a nice atmosphere, definitely a nice spot to enjoy dinner. Although the staff were busy they were attentive which I appreciated. We started with the calamari and that was actually the highlight of the meal. It was crispy, well seasoned and paired with marinara. On the other side the main dishes were disappointing. The chicken parm tasted a bit stale and the lasagna was tough to get through, the cheese had a rubbery texture that made me feel like i was going to choke at one point. On a positive note my son enjoyed his pasta, so it wasn't a complete miss across the table. I really wanted to like Zia Marie but the food didn't hit the mark for me--especially for classic dishes that should be comforting and flavorful. read more

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I took a chance after seeing the bad reviews and soon learned I should have not wasted the gas going here. The food was below average. The waitress disappeared and it wasn't even busy in there. The vibe of the place was snooty great neck older women that keep turning their heads to give you mean looks while they eat with their old husbands that pay and I'm thinking why are you all so mad because this place is not it at all. read more

5/5 - Still Amazing After All These Years! I first ate at Zia Marie about 11 years ago when I was visiting Virginia Beach for a half marathon, and it left such an impression that when my friends came down to visit recently, this was the place I wanted to take them. It's the only spot I remembered having truly great Italian food in the area -- and I'm happy to say it's just as good (if not better) than I remembered! The staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming, and even though the restaurant was busy, they stayed on top of everything and made sure we were well taken care of. I highly recommend starting with the roasted garlic appetizer -- perfect for sharing -- and the stuffed eggplant is absolutely phenomenal. Honestly, it's the kind of dish you think about long after the meal is over. Zia Marie has officially become a regular spot for me again. Great food, great service, and such a warm, local vibe. read more

Zia Marie is a fabulous place to grab delicious Italian food! We ended up going here on a Monday night & it happened to be wine night. We got a normally $60 bottle of wine for only $30! To start you receive complimentary bread. We also ordered the goat cheese plate & calamari. Both were fantastic and more than enough to share with our group of 4. Entrees were delicious and I'd definitely try a few more off the menu in my next visits. I had the chicken parm- others at my table ordered the chicken Marsala, lasagna, and shrimp alla vodka. Allll the entrees were delicious, sauces well seasoned, and the meals were hot. Dessert is a must- especially since they're made in house. My personal favorite is the cheesecake. One of the best I've ever had- the crust was perfection, as was the filling! Our friends had the tiramisu and espresso martinis to finish, no complaints about either!! Holly was our waitress and she was absolutely the best!! She was friendly, attentive & offered great recommendations! You can tell that many guests enjoying the restaurant come in to dine with her specifically. She provided great service that made our visit that much more memorable & enjoyable! read more

Zia Marie - Fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon for wine Monday! - Italian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Absolute gem and a must-visit if you're in the mood for mouthwatering Italian food that feels like a warm hug from Nonna herself. The cozy, inviting atmosphere is perfect for a date night, family dinner, or just treating yourself with your friends-- which is exactly what I did! To kick things off, I ordered the Roasted Garlic with Goat Cheese. It comes perfectly paired with olives, red peppers, roasted tomatoes, and crispy crostinis. It's the kind of appetizer you can't stop eating but also can't stop raving about and it's perfectly shareable (though I may have hogged most of it). For dinner, I went with the Linguine Bianco (white clam sauce) and decided to add broccoli -- because why not balance indulgence with a little green? Every bite was a beautiful harmony of garlicky, briny, and buttery goodness. And, of course, what's dinner without a glass of red wine? Their selection is spot-on, and it made the meal feel even more indulgent. What truly makes this place special, though, is the people. Bill, the owner, is always mingling with customers, making everyone feel welcome and appreciated! If you're in Virginia Beach and looking for a meal that hits all the right notes, Zia Marie is your spot. Just go. Let's just say my taste buds are still doing a happy dance. read more

Zia Marie - Linguine Bianco (add broccoli to it, you won't regret it) - Italian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

I have never had a worse meal at an Italian restaurant than I had at this place Olive Garden is gourmet compared to this place Hideous wine in very small glasses, don't go! read more

The food was delicious, staff and service was excellent and fast (for a sit down fancy restaurant). The mood and atmosphere of the restaurant was fancy but homey. It seemed like a great restaurant for locals, but as a tourist 10/10. read more

My wife and I went out for Valentines dinner. Yes, I know.It's the worst day to go out for dinner. However we had a very nice experience. We had reservations so we did not have to wait to be seated. They set us right next to the fireplace which was the romantic setting for 2 people, but by the end of the meal you're both overheated, and actually had to set back from the table. The service was ok we hardly saw our waitress which doesn't bother me most of the time. At the same time when we did want something it was hard to find her. Once again that was to be expected on Valentine's day. So i'm not saying the service was bad but it could be better. We started out with the calamari. I did not take a picture because it looked like all the other calamari You will be served at any restaurant. It was a bit salty for my taste and a marinara sauce was unremarkable. Tasted like it came out of a jar. The next two courses made up for it though. I had the salmon over a bed of parmesan risotto and asparagus. The initial bite I got was fantastic. The salmon was seasoned to perfection and it had a bit of a smokiness about it. I couldn't tell where it came from until I took a closer look, and it was from the asparagus that appeared to be cooked over a grill with a little bit of chardedness. Once again. That was fantastic. I have to say the risotto was the best I've ever had super creamy lots of flavor but not heavy. To end the the meal for desert I had the Affogato which a scoop of vanilla gelato and you pour the cappuccino over the top. I mean where can you go wrong with vanilla gelato and cappuccino. Overall, this is a really good experience, and we will definitely be back.I will just ask not to be seated right next to the fireplace. Please check out Zia Marie if you visit for vaction or if you are a local. You will not be disappointed. read more

Zia Marie - Fireplace (ambience+) - Italian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Went with friends on our visit to Virginia Beach. As usual the food and staff were great. This time I got the lasagna. Two nice pieces of lasagna covered in cheese and a great bolognese sauce. Others got the stuffed eggplant that they really enjoyed and spaghetti with white clam sauce. Great wines and drinks. Our waitress was great. read more

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The food was outstanding. The garlic and goat cheese tray is out of this world as is the mushroom appetizer! We enjoyed the Chicken Marie, the Chicken Piccata and a Margarite pizza. Delicious! The Drinks were tasty and the affogato was Devine. Service was excellent! Please go check it out! read more

Much better than recent reviews made me expect. Wife and I had dinner with friends on a Friday night. We had a reservation, and were seated promptly. Server took a few minutes to come to the table, but once she checked in, we never waited long for anything. We had appetizers - toasted ravioli was okay, fried cheese was good to very good - and pizzas. The margherita was very good, and we also had a white pizza that was tasty. The recent reviews had me with low expectations, but I was very happy with service, quality, price, and speed. We'll be back for pizza and fried cheese next time we need a Friday after work meal out of the house. read more

We eat here quite a bit. Usually just the two of us but when we bring the family, we order several dishes and eat family style! We found that the food seemed better at this location compared to our visits to their older location. Some people seem to complain that the noise level is loud but it doesn't bother us. The service can be slow at times but I have to say the FOOD IS WORTH THE WAIT. I am originally from Chicago so I have to say are THE authentic Italian food in the area. Our absolute favorite dish that we always order is the Shrimp Ala Vodka!! The shrimp is cooked perfect and tender and the sauce and pasta is superb. We also like the veal chop parmigiana, fried ravioli, and fried mozzarella. Their caprese salad is huge enough to share. You can never go wrong with their spaghetti and meatballs. Their red gravy is so good! They will have a different kind of cheesecake each time we visit and of course our favorite cannoli. You will get bread with butter but we love dipping it in olive oil and Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. They have a large wine list and delicious cocktail menu. Also, they are just as generous with their takeout dishes as they are if you dine in! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Make reservations! read more

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The best saltembuca on the planet. Oh my. Every time, over the top. Service was EXCELLENT. It is too noisy but that's a small price to pay. Absolutely delightful. read more

Went Christmas Eve. Place was very busy, had raviolis with meatball. Meatball and sauce were great! Service was good, sat in bar so was served by bartender. Food took a little while but it was Christmas Eve! Server was very attentive! read more

EVERYTHING!!!! It's soooo wonderful! Never a bad meal, EVER!!!!!!!!!! Be hungry!!!!!!!!I need to make a reservation!!!

Dined here on a Saturday night with a 7pm reservation for 4 people. We were happily greeted and seated immediately. The restaurant was full and the place was bustling. The noise level was a little high as there was a large group gathering in the back of the restaurant. This was not disruptive at all. Our server was prompt and attentive. She met all our needs including decanting the wine bottles we brought with us. The food was excellent. We started with the Roasted Garlic with Goat Cheese appetizer. It was delicious and a great starter to the meal. I had the Chicken Marsala which is my go to choice when it's on a menu. It was flavorful and the chicken was nice and tender. Everyone else at the table was pleased with their selections. These were the Shrimp Fra Diablo, Stuffed Eggplant, and Veal Saltimbocca. Clean plate club for most everyone! We topped off with desserts that included the cannoli and the Neapolitan with a chocolate shell. I can't remember the specific name for that one, but wow, it was so good! It was my first time dining here with friends who love the restaurant. I would definitely dine here again without hesitation. read more

I made reservations for my daughter's 18th birthday and we were seated towards the back left. The table felt too small for our group, more suited for four people, so we asked the server if we could move. She said no, explaining that those tables were for reservations. I mentioned that we had made a reservation, but she insisted we couldn't switch. We decided to stay since my daughter really wanted Italian food. Unfortunately, while my daughter was sitting with her back to the panel, we noticed a large water bug crawling on her. My husband dealt with it and informed the server, but all the manager offered was a free cannoli. We didn't want anything else from there. I paid for our drinks, and while we were waiting, we saw two more roaches. I will NEVER go back. read more

The service is really outstanding. We found out she's been working with the company for 17 years. She was absolutely fabulous.. I will absolutely recommend this restaurant. The calamari was so good and I'm from San Francisco. LOL And the drinks are amazing. Love my martini. read more

Zia Marie - This was the calamari - Italian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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We visited Zia Marie on a Friday night and had made reservations so we were seated immediately. They weren't super busy when we arrived but I was glad to have had the reservation for 7:15 PM. The ambiance is appropriate for families or a casual date night. We each ordered a glass of Chianti and split the fried mozzarella for an appetizer. The mozzarella was quite good but the red sauce was the real winner. I ordered the penne with shrimp and vodka sauce and my husband had the same but with the marinara sauce from the fried mozzarella. We were both impressed with the large portion size and the huge shrimp that came with the meal. I ended up taking over half of my meal home--it's a lot of food! My only real complaint is that they leave the grated Parmesan cheese and chili flakes sitting in an open bowl on the table and don't change it out when a new customer is seated. I don't know if Covid has just made me a little crazy but the thought of using cheese that was sitting under someone while they talk and laugh with their friends/family just didn't sit well with me. Our server brought us a fresh bowl so that was an easy remedy. I think we'd come back but not before we try the other Italian places in the area. We are still searching for that "cannot be missed" Italian restaurant in the area. read more

Zia Marie - Fried mozzarella - Italian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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This is my absolute favorite Italian place to go to because of the veal saltimbocca. Their Chianti wine was absolutely fantastic for our one year anniversary... we will most definitely be back. We sat outside on a beautiful 75 degree day and only thing I would recommend is spraying some weed killer and gardening some to give it some fresh plants. Overall, server was very attentive (my boyfriend needed his coke refilled multiple times and she was very quick to take care of us) I'm happy we sat outside only about 2 or 3 flies Food was delicious. Order the mushrooms if you love mushrooms Veal saltimbocca is wrapped in some type of prosciutto which it's delicious and salty with cheese smothered on top. five stars easy! read more

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Chicken Parm was over cooked with dark brown almost black edges and dry, pasta with meat sauce was dry with very little sauce. Old fashion was $22 which is ridiculou! read more

Overall not that great except the goat cheese appetizer... I hate to review this restaurant so low because I was genuinely very excited to eat here especially for Mother's Day but I do not know what all the talk was about... The service was so so, our server wasn't personal, She didn't give much personality or anything then a few sentences. She was just pretty. She also gave us dirty looks when asking for togo boxes. The hostess also weren't very welcoming as they should be except one hostess/busser who was extremely helpful and sweet.. The food was so under seasoned and bland. I ordered the shrimp Alfredo and the canned Alfredo sauce from raggu tasted better... barely could taste any fresh Parmesan, garlic or even salt and pepper.... The dish looks good and looks like it's garnished well but it tasted otherwise. The appetizer was really good and I would definitely go back just for the appetizer though. Overall I wish my experience was better. Hopefully with this review they will make changes & train their employees better. read more

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Went here because my mom was visiting and we thought we'd finally try it out--big mistake. We got seated at 6 PM and ended up waiting OVER TWO HOURS for our food. By the time it finally showed up at 8:15 (yes, seriously), we were so fed up we told them to just box it all up--we didn't even get to eat at the restaurant. And to top it all off, they couldn't even be bothered to comp our $24 cheese platter as an apology. We basically paid $150 for a carryout meal after sitting there for two hours with no explanation, no urgency, and clearly no care for their customers. Absolutely unacceptable. Never again. Left $0 tip that was me you're welcome. read more

Food was amazing. I ordered the portabella mushrooms appetizer, and the stuffed eggplant and it was just as delicious as I remembered it being . Service was excellent. Server was very attentive and accommodating. Ambiance was nice . The only thing was that with everything they already have on the table plus our food and drinks , things got a little tight I'll definitely return , its my favorite Italian restaurant to eat at. read more

We just had the best time at this great Shore Dr spot! Holly was our waitress, she was beyond fantastic! Food is top tier if you're looking for a good Italian spot, but the expansive wine list really makes it; So many great options if you're a true wine lover. This was our third time coming back to this place and we love it more each time. read more

This was our first time visiting Zia Marie's. The food was absolutely delicious. We had eggplant parmesan, linguine with red clam sauce, and lasagna Bolognese. Every single dish was delicious. The service was terrific and the prices very reasonable. Highly recommend you try it! read more

First time visit. Atmosphere was cool and inviting on hot summer afternoon. Service was great. Warm and welcoming. We ordered goat cheese appetizer that took quite a while to come out. Unfortunately the bread was very hard. Cooked to almost burnt, and I suspect using stale bread to begin with. Also roasted garlic was over cooked and a few cloves were hard. The server offered to replace but we said no as I knew our entrees would soon be arriving. Husband had tuna which he enjoyed and I had stuffed eggplant which was very good but at that price point should have come with pasta. It's was ok overall but I don't think we'll return. read more

How have we not eaten here until now?!? We decided to have a staycation close by and was staying on shore drive so we decided to try this restaurant for dinner. I was able to make reservations online and was seated once we arrived. We opted for an early dinner and to my surprise the restaurant was pretty packed and got even more busy as we had dinner. This is definitely a hole in the wall, locals spot. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. Upon looking at the wine menu. I noticed that they had the wine we usually order from my favorite Italian restaurant in Richmond. This was a good sign because I hardly find this wine on any other menu. We ordered a bottle and was excited for dinner to come. We got fresh bread and butter and we also ordered the roasted garlic with goat cheese appetizer, this appetizer was as very good and huge. More than enough for 2 people to share. I ordered the veal Marsala because I'm always looking for a copy cat of my fave in Richmond. My husband got the eggplant parmigiana and the kiddos got pizza. When our dinner came out I couldn't wait to dig in. The first bite of veal Marsala won me over. It tasted like my fave!! It's definitely the Marsala wine they use which gives it a distinct sweeter flavor. We were all happy with what we got and was so full we couldn't even get dessert. My new favorite Italian restaurant in this area!! So glad we got to try this restaurant after all these years. read more

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Everything was fantastic!! We started with the goat cheese appetizer which was perfectly paired with everything else on the plate. We ordered lasagna bolognese and chicken piccata (extra sauce) and it was incredible, the chicken was cooked perfectly and sauce was so delicious!! The homemade cheesecake was a satisfying ending. I highly recommend for a date night or a family dinner, we will definitely be back!! 5 stars!!! read more

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Been here a few times and another great service and meal. The atmosphere was welcoming. I had the Veal Saltimbocca with a side of pasta aglio (ordered as a side) recommended by our server since I haven't tried either before and it was so delicious, Im putting it on my ordering lists. My wife got the chicken Marie and thought it was also very good. She chose the roasted red pepper with mozzarella and loved it, I didn't like it so much with the peppers, but still decent. They have a huge drink selection, and our drinks were on point. As a side note, I love that they make their own pasta. read more

Went here last night with my Wife, and it was Great! My Wife ordered the Chicken Marsala, and I had the Chicken Parmesan. We had the House Salads with our Meals. The Waitress brought us some Fresh Baked Bread, and it was to Die For! We could not believe how Fresh it was! We Knocked that off real Fast, and then 5 minutes later, our Salads came, and even though they were Small Salads, they were Pretty Big! After that, our Orders arrive, and the Portions were Huge! We barely finished about half way through, and gave up! LOL! We then for some reason ordered the Tiramisu, and it was EXCELLENT! We had no trouble eating that at all! YUM! This is going to be our new place for Italian Food for now on! YUM! read more

Zia Marie - Menu of Zia Marie. - Italian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Talk about a huge let down. I have not been to Zia Marie even though I live just a few miles away. There has not been strong word of mouth and I've watched the reviews hover around 3.5. On a rainy Sunday night I decided to give them a try take-out. Those friends that would say a carry-out order is not fair game are incorrect in my opinion. An experience is an experience. I called them at 630, was put on hold a few times then finally given to the person they said was "in charge" of carry-out orders. Order placed, info gathered and a time frame of 30 minutes provided. Anything more than thirty minutes I would have moved on. The location is in Chick's Beach proper on Lookout Road that runs along the water. The area is dotted with a few other area restaurants and a grocery store beside them. It's a quaint area that I call home since I live in the area. Parking is a challenge for all the businesses, but they do have a lot of their own. When busy it's not big enough to accommodate a full restaurant. On this evening it was busy and I had to wait for a spot to open. At the 25 minute mark I went inside and paid to get ahead of my order. The waitress offered me a water at the bar as I waited and that was appreciated. The small bar is situated as you walk in and the dining room to the right accommodates possible 50 tops. The atmosphere has some amount of outdated charm with dim lighting, low ceilings and panel walls. Table and chairs cozy enough you can hear your neighbors conversation even had its cheeky allure. Every table I saw had customers and it appeared clean. My order of spaghetti & meatballs and chicken parmesan was paid for at the 30 minute mark and I waited another 15 minutes until finally who I assume was the manager came over and asked what I had. Then the mistake was discovered that they had been sitting on plates under warmers for at least 5 minutes. It took another 5 minutes to get my order prepared. I overheard the manager tell the waitress that she failed to punch in "to go" on the ticket. If there was an apology I missed it. The bill with tip $34. Total time 50 minutes or so when 30 minutes promised. Pick up is not an exact science and the place was busy, however the screw up of approximately 10 minutes was there's. Home in 5 minutes. The plastic containers the food was placed in were sturdy and the lids sealed down tight to keep hot. I really liked that, but unfortunately the food was luke warm. A loaf of bread cold and tossed. My son reported his chicken parmesan was ok, but only ate half. My spaghetti & meatballs got off to a rough start with a long hair that was pulled off from the lip of the inside container. I was hungry enough to justify the hair did not come into direct contact with all of it and worked around the area. The sauce had a foul taste and the meat seemed low quality. It was a disaster of a meal that I did not finish. Time ordered 630, time meal tossed 740. If your considering Zia's read the reviews and you will run away. But if you're looking just for a little bit more comedy then read the not recommended reviews. read more

My husband and I have a soft spot for this place since we had our rehearsal dinner here. We were really looking forward to coming back since it's been a while, but unfortunately, our experience was 10/10. We were sat in this corner booth where it felt like it was colder than the outside temps. We could feel a breeze by our feet and legs as if there was a hole or window by the wall. We had to keep our coats on the entire dinner. Our waitress was not attentive to us - I asked for more bread, never got it - we never got side plates, had to ask another server for more water and wine. Other tables were getting their food before us. She even tried to charge us 2 bottles of wine when my husband ordered 2 glasses of wine. And when we asked about the charges, she immediately reacted which led me to believe it wasn't necessarily an accident. I'm still giving 4 stars because the food was still great. Hopefully the experience was just this one time with this one waitress. read more

Have not been to Zia Maria's in quite a long time. It was always good and wanted to go before they moved to their new location. It was my wife's birthday so I took the opertunity to take the family out for dinner. She wanted to have Italian and this turned out to be good decision, we really enjoyed ourselves. Wait staff was very friendly and attentive and the food was excellent. We started off with the warm Italian bread, then the Portobello Mushrooms and Ensalada Caprese. For dinner we all got something different and everyone was pleased with their choice. My dish had a little too much sauce for me but how can knock them for that. My brother was especially pleased with the Shrimp Alfredo, he said it may have been the best he has had. This has always been a neighborhood gem and we hope it does not lose its charm and quality at their new location. If there is one negative for the current location, it's a little noisy. Everything in the space is a hard surface with little or no sound absorbing materials. Hopefully, they have consulted and Interior Designer or Architect about acoustic finishes at their new location. We look forward to eating there. #eatlocal #buylocal read more

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VERY VERY LOUD!!! The staff was very friendly and all that, but it was just so crowded that it took them over 20 minutes just to finally acknowledge we were there. The bread & goat cheese salad were good, but the chicken parmesan was burned & dry, and the pasta was not flavorful at all. It's definitely missing a little sugar and wasn't "saucy." I didn't dare return it as I would have never seen my dinner again probably. I was literally counting the minutes to we could get out of there due to the noise. Not sure I would go back, but maybe for an early happy hour before it got crazy crowded, and maybe try something else...? Sorry! read more

I drove all the way down from DC to celebrate my moms birthday at Zia Marie's. It is (was) one of her favorite restaurants where she celebrated her 30th, 50th, and a lot of other birthdays in between. I made the reservations in advance, and upon arrival we were given one of the least desirable tables in the back right under a cold air vent. After asking the hostess if we could change tables (in a pretty empty restaurant), I was told no and that those other tables were already booked up. That doesn't make much sense to me but ok... Don't get me wrong, the food was great but the overall experience tainted the food. Pretty much all of the staff were young teenagers wearing gym/workout attire instead of professional clothes (or even jeans). They weren't friendly and looked bothered when we arrived. Our waitress was decent but for a restaurant that has been phenomenal in the past, we were greatly disappointed. In the past, they've always boxed the food in the back but instead our to-go boxes were thrown onto the table and we were told "here's your boxes". Maybe they have new owners or maybe because of the growth, the small details that they were famous for are now being over looked. With tons of restaurants on the beach, we will probably be choosing a better one next time. read more

The service was great but the quality of the food is not great- I've had better meals at an airport - the portions are huge but I would prefer to never see the food again, so no benefit for having leftovers . We were seated in between large parties and the noise was not well contained - hard to hear anything. I would imagine that it's a good place to feed a large family on the cheap- especially young children who sometimes prefer bland food with very little flavor or authentic taste. Wine was served in a small juice glass? Blah despite it being below average- it's busy and was difficult to get a table !! read more

Had dinner at the bar. Great service from the bartender despite the fact that we witnessed a couple leaving without paying right after we sat down. The bartender went on about her job in a pleasant manner. It was a busy night but the food was awesome. Came out hot and delicious! We had the Mushroom appetizer. Lasagna, shrimp alla vodka and a slice of pineapple upside down cheesecake to go. Everything was delicious. Ambiance is great in their new spot! read more

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We avoided this place for almost three years because of the reviews. What a shame. This place is great! The food is so good! We have gone here twice in the last eight days. I ordered linguine Blanca both time because it is so good. There are so many clams in this dish. My Husband got spaghetti and meatballs the first time and chicken parmigiana the second time. And he said both were very good! Their drinks...so good. One of the best Pomegranate Martinis I have ever had. The Caprese salad is good and fresh. Bread is good. Service has been very good, both times. This isn't a fancy place, but it is nice. It has a small bar inside that always looks busy. We will keep going back. read more

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