Vlad V.
Yelp
I stopped by Anzios Italian Restaurant for dinner on a Wednesday evening. Located in not the best part of town, I didn't have much trouble finding a spot in their complimentary lot. After walking in, I was seated at a table.
Ambiance (3.5/5): Anzios tries to recreate the Italian experience through Tuscan, rustic decor. The thing is, they're all decals. So, while it's fake, the restaurant doesn't look bad. And it does take things up a notch from your typical neighborhood Italian restaurant. There are tables, booths, and a few tables at the bar.
Service (4.5/5): It took me quite a while to be greeted after I was seated. To the point that I had decided both what I was going to eat and drink, and was starting to get bored. Luckily, the waitress apologized for the wait, and after that, she was friendly and attentive. Really, everyone I interacted with fit the bill. My waitress did the little things to make up for it. She brought me a refill before I asked. She was efficient. And she grabbed the WiFi password for me when I asked. All in all, pretty much everything I expect in a service experience.
Drinks (N/A): I had a strawberry lemonade, so not a lot to write home about. They do have a full bar, but I didn't pay a lot of attention to the list as I was there solo on a Wednesday evening. The strawberry lemonade was good though. There were small pieces of strawberry in there, and it was just the right level of sweetness. Most places like Anzios just have your typical soft drinks. Anzios takes it up a notch.
Food (3/5): I started off with the toasted ravioli appetizer which was a tale of two cities. You can either do the cheese, meat, or combo ravioli. I went with the combo as I love both. The cheese ravioli was delicious. The melted cheese inside paired so nicely with the fried ravioli and the flavorful marinara dipping sauce (served warm). On the other hand, the meat ravioli were overcooked and dry. Good portion size though.
For my entree, I did the combination platter which comes with three of their most popular dishes: lasagna, fettucini alfredo, and chicken parm. Plus, your choice of a house or Caesar salad and garlic bread or French bread. I went with the house salad which comes with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and your choice of dressing. I chose Italian. The salad wasn't as fresh as I would have hoped. As far as my combo, the chicken parm was my favorite. The chicken cutlet was crispy and there was melted cheese on top. On the other hand, the fettucini Alfredo was lackluster and tasted like something I could make with store bought cheap pasta sauce. The Alfredo sauce lacked flavor. The lasagna was so-so.
So, as you can tell, some dishes are a hit and some are a miss. The garlic bread was good, and when you take it all together, it was a lot of food. I was stuffed and still had leftovers. I would give Anzio's a second chance. Maybe you just have to know what to order.