Cafe Italia

Reviews 7

A

A Private User

this is NOT great Italian. I am from Chicago, born and raised in a predominantly Italian neighborhood and this is not even a good imitation of Italian. Husband I went last night with another couple. Other gentleman and I had lasagna, hubby and other lady had some chicken dish. Salad was some torn leaves of romaine, a few carrot shreds, and a tomato quarter. Dressing was bottled. Bread was not authentic Italian, room temperature, and served with plastic packets of butter. No olive oil for dipping, no garlic butter, nothing. Lasagna came--it was ONE (maybe two) lasagna noodles,(10inches by 6 inches worth?) sprinkled with ground beef (no, not sausage or pork), tons of mozarella cheese, drowning in bland marinara sauce. I was offered fresh ground pepper and offered Parmesan from a dish. must have come from the plastic can in the back. No fresh ground Parm? Unbelievable. Now the chicken dishes. Doesnt matter what the exact dishes were, they were supposed to be different but looked the same. Chicken was pounded about 1/8 inch thick, was sprinkled with several mushrooms, and (again) drowning in a white/mushroom sauce. Side of regular spaghetti with marinara included. Our bill was $30 per couple. We ate about $4 worth of food. My husband came home and ate a sandwich since he was still hungry. Patrizios in Highland Village, Baris in Flower Mound, heck, even Salernos (whose sauce I dont care for) offers you a much better meal with much more food for a much better price.

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WI

William White

This is a restaurant where we dine regularly...and I can assure you, if you enjoy Italian food, you wont be disappointed. The staff is very attentive and friendly and the atmosphere is pleasurable. Most first timers that come in, cant believe it is a BYOB establishment...which makes it even a better deal for those of us that are "regulars" at this place. The one thing I would suggest if you want to eat here on Friday and Saturday evenings...is to get reservations. Yes...they actually take them, and it makes it much easier to get a table. Without reservations, expect a 30-40 minute wait on prime evenings. What is good to eat here? Well, I have personally NEVER had a bad or even mediocre meal at Cafe Italia...everything has ALWAYS been top notch...so explore their menu and their daily specials...you wont be disappointed. So why just four (4) stars? Quite frankly, it comes down to the establishment / building itself. It does seem a bit "packed" on Friday and Saturday evenings...and there isnt an area to wait without impacting some of the dining patrons. If they could only expand or add a waiting room, they would get five (5) stars. I know that may seem petty, but that is how I see it. This place is still the best BYOB Italian restaurant in the area...so give them a try...just dont take up my seat when I am there eating!

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JO

Joanna White

I AM A VERY BIG RESTAURANT FOOD CRITIC. I REVIEW EVERY LOCATION I VISIT BECAUSE I FEEL AS IF ITS MY DUTY TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITYS BY LETTING THEM KNOW WHERE TO SPEND THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY. SO HERE I AM GIVING THIS RESTAURANT I VISITED ON 05/21/17 A FIVE STAR REVIEW BECAUSE THEY DESERVE EVERY BIT OF IT. THE FOOD WAS BEYOND OUTSTANDING. I WISH I WOULD HAVE REQUESTED TO SEE THE COOK TO SHACK HIS HAND. THE ATMOSPHERE WAS AMAZING MORE ON THE ROMANTIC SIDE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A BIT LOUD DUE TO THE TABLES BEING SO CLOSE TOGETHER. IT WAS NOT OVER CROWDED AND I WENT AROUND 7:15PM ON A SUNDAY EVENING. MY SERVER NAME WAS ADAM HE WAS VERY NICE NOT TOO OVERBEARING AND VERY ATTENTIVE. BTW IM ONE OF THOSE THAT DONT THINK ITS MY DUTY TO GIVE TIPS ANYWHERE I GO YOU HAVE TO BE BEYOND OUTSTANDING TO GET A TIP FROM ME. & ADAM WAS JUST THAT HE WAS A LAYED BK TYPE OF GUY *I LIKEY* MY FOOD CAME OUT IN THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF TIME. EVERYTHING WAS FRESH AND EXTREMELY TASTEFUL I ORDERED THE FILET Mignon WITH A SIDE OF BUTTERFLY SHRIMP. I WAS A BIT SKEPTICAL WHEN I FIRST PULLED UP TO THE RESTAURANT BECAUSE I HAD NO IDEA IT WAS WITHIN A SHOPPING CENTER. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS LOW BUDGET FAMILY OWNED. EVERYTHING WAS OUTSTANDING THANK YOU ADAM AND THE COOK.

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MI

Mitchell Austin

Just made it home from Cafe Appetizer. Way ahead of you on the pizza idea but none was for sale at said restaurant.Silly for me to think so at an italian establishment I know. I laughed when I got my food. I told my child I must have gotten his plate. . 7 leaves of green for the salad which I expected from experience.. And my 24.95 salmon was equivalent to 3 Mc.nuggets. 2 small spoonfuls of rice nicely decorated the side and 4 broccolli florettes(not spears and yes I counted) Dont mean to sound so negative but when I am hungry I tend to get impatient and grouchy and its A RIP OFF!!!!! Oh my blood pressure. :) Not to worry, I stopped at Target and am heating me up a Red Baron(not barren like my dinner plate was this evening) deluxe pizza as we speak.(5 bucks) Stay away unless you want to get extremely disappointed. And have something ready to eat when you get home. This place is a joke.

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TR

Tristan Renfroe

I had an amazing experience at this restaurant. My boyfriend and I showed up 30 minutes to close after driving 45 minutes to get to grapevine. The staff wasnt upset by that nor did they mind they mind that we ended up staying a extra 30 minutes after close as well. The waiter was incredibly fast at bringing the drinks, bread, and food. After we ate, we met a different member named Nick who gave us a dessert on the house! Then, to make things so much better he showed us some magic tricks! We expected the tricks to be the cliché tricks youd see from the movies, but no! His tricks were absolutely astonishing with no logical explaination! Id definitely recommend going to this restaurant to anybody! Definitely ask for nick and his magic tricks as well because they make the experience unforgettable!

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VI

Vidar L

Let me preface this by saying I am a very modest reviewer. This place is one of the best Italian restaurants I have ever been to. From the service to the food and atmosphere - this place scores the max on all. The owner, Nick, personally welcomed us as first time visitors, and even performed some impressive magic tricks, at the request of a group of regulars at a neighboring table. Fantastic food. The Chicken Arrabbiata was so good it nearly made my wife cry tears of joy, as it reminded her of a dish her mother used to make. The lasagna was perfect, and well sized and proportioned with both sauce and meat. All in all, we will be back SOON. This place is a hidden gem in a jungle of overpriced and overhyped restaurants in Southlake and Grapevine. Absolute must-visit.

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AH

Ahmet Sakiri

By far the greatest Italian restaurant Ive ever had the pleasure of dining in. The staff was very cordial and attentive. As for the food? Simply the best. My favorite appetizers are the stuffed mushroom (they are drenched in this amazing sauce that you can use as dip for the bread), and calamari (a must have). The manager, Nick, is an incredible host! I came with my family here and he did some impressive magic tricks that the kids, and adults, all loved. If you are a fan of sea food, then you must try the seafood combo! I love this place and would highly highly highly recommend it to anyone whose looking for a great ambiance, phenomenal food, and an impeccable experience! I wish this app would allow me to give more than 5 stars.

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