Jackie D.
Yelp
When it comes to reviews, I'm either hot or cold. 5 stars or 1, but this restaurant exemplifies the meaning of FIVE STARS. Wow. Just wow.
They say there are steps to greatness ... okay maybe they don't, but the first step that showed me this place was going to be awesome started with a step ... literally. While waiting for a table, I decided to have a seat at the bar (There is a step stool to get to the very high chairs, no kidding) The young man came over to tell me the table was ready. He saw my little 5''2 tall body was about to miss that step stool and he took hold of my arm and made sure I didn't fall.
My dinner partner and I have not only been friends for decades, but we have also consistently gone to new places on a regular base. Al an' Ruben's was my choice. Our waitress Roy ( I think) was a seasoned professional. She didn't show one bit of annoyance at my dinner mate when she couldn't make up her freaking mind what she wanted. Roy was patient and pleasant despite the busy place and late hour.
We ordered Reuben balls. They were awesome but so big. they didn't look as big in the picture. They are Reuben sandwiches formed into a ball and deep-fried. We each had one, because looking around, I could see how big the portions were.
The salads were the perfect size and the homemade dressings????? I could have drunk them.
Then came the entrees. My dinner mate ordered the Veal Parm and I wanted something I couldn't get elsewhere and I ordered the Steak Piazziola pasta. I got a taste of the huge portion of Veal and it was amazing, crispy and the veal tender. The steak cubes in my pasta were tender and the marsala tomatoie sauce was out of the world. The noodles were cooked to my perfection. I don't like el dente, I like them a bit softer and this is the way it was.
The portions were so big, after the salad and appetizer, I barely made a dent, but took it home. I also took home a slice of cake, butter pecan and it was so good. I gave my granddaughter a taste and she ate half.
Can we talk about the price? No one mentions it, so I will.
The cost was unbelievably affordable for what we had. one adult beverage, one non alcohol, an appetizer, a veal entree, a pasta entree and two desserts. $70. With the leftovers, you can not beat that. Easily they could open in Pittsburgh and charge so much more.
The service and food makes this place ideal. I don't care that it took me 45 minutes to get there. I will be back.