Where is the Best Italian Food in Austin, Texas?
5+ stars for food, 2 stars for frozen deep-fried appetizers. 4 stars, overall. 🙂 Our meal was stellar! The staff was awesome, and the environment intimate and friendly. However, I’d stay away from the fried appetizers. You can tell that these are bulk frozen cheesesticks and ravioli. A friend’s father works as a restaurant supplier, and I’m 90% sure he’s got boxes of identical cheesesticks and ravioli in his deep freeze. Everything was great, and I highly recommend it!Pros + Rich sauces, right-sized portions, friendly staffCons – bulk frozen appteizers
Have had a calzone and the Stromboli, love the dough and they are large! The only thing I have a complaint with is they need to have a “special” or something as I like onions, green peppers, pepperoni etc and there is no way I am paying extra for each ingrediant so what starts at about 7 dollars ends up about 11-12–that is too much. Can get a special at other places, where they do charge a bit more, but honestly, one is not using more ingrediants, just less of each. Other than that I would probably eat there more often.Pros + Good good crust on Calzone and StromboliCons – Over priced once you add additional items.
We go to Ciola’s at least once a week and consider ourselves resident “regulars”… we don’t go for the food, although we do eat a lot of the time we come in. (best cesear salad in town, hands down.) Sit at the bar- we have fantastic service at the tables, but the bar staff is the reason we chose to go there half the time. Lonnie, the sarcastic, and Chanel, the sweet girl-behind-the bar will take good care of you! Drinks are great, atmosphere is dark wooded, velvet curtained, and fantastically tavern-like. Baseball memoribila lines the walls, and in the late afternoons/early evenings, the bar is filled with the “boys club” of the local golf courses emptying out 12:00 tee time players. They all seem to gather at Ciola’s at the end of the day, to have a cocktail or share an appetizer. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin crone in the background, and you get the feeling you are in another time. The seated portion of the restaurant is non-smoking, and if you prefer it, I recommend the c-
If you enjoy tomato paste and garlic you will love olive garden. The only thing going for it is the fresh grated cheese and of course the salad. The tomato sauce is just thick, disgusting paste with garlic sprinkled on the top. Don’t waste your money here.Pros + sevice was okCons – crowed, not enough parking, expensive
I’ve been going to visit Bob, Gino and Tina for as long as I can remember. My father has been their contracted handyman since I was 8 years young. I went to high school with Tina and last night I was at the birthday party of Jasmine Brown whom was a long time waitress there before she became a mother. To keep it simple, this is a family restaurant. Ginos’ inviting smile and firm handshake is almost always followed by a question about my family and how things are going. I think the same CD has been on rotation since the opening of the latest location, yet I never have to listen to it due to the chatty waitstaff or the witty laughter at the bar. Their slogan “Your home away from Rome” hit’s the head on the nail! I have nothing to say about the food because it speaks for itself. Flip a coin, let it land on the menu and fate will leave you full, cheery and heartfully satisfied. If you’ve never eaten there, it’ll just make my wait for a table that much shorter! -jamie estrada-Pros + The
