Fraschetta BYOB

We stopped in on a Thursday evening in February for dinner prior to seeing a show at the Ardmore Music Hall. I had originally left this review for Avalon Bar and Bistro because that’s where we thought we were and where we intended on going but just found out we were actually at Fraschetta. The doors to both restaurants must be side by side. Funny tho because we were wondering why it was BYOB but called a wine bar. We did not have a reservation but were seated promptly in the upstairs dining area. Again, thinking we were at Avalon Bar and Bistro, we were confused about the BYOB so we drank the water that was offered at the table only. We never even thought to ask the server. We shared the eggplant appetizer, shrimp risotto and branzino special. The food was delicious. Our server was friendly, professional and attentive. The atmosphere was easygoing but also sophisticated. Perfect for a date night or a fun girls night out. Prices were comparable to other similar restaurants we have been too. This was an overall very good experience even tho we were not where we thought we were lol!

My friends and I were so happy with our dining experience at Fraschetta. Despite it being a busy Friday night and the restaurant was packed, our servers were friendly, attentive, and made sure we were well taken care of throughout dinner. Between the 11 of us, we ordered a variety of appetizers, entrees and dessert and everything was so yummy! We did family style but the squid pasta and creme brûlée were my favorites! Will come back again for sure!

Just got done eating an amazing meal here! Walking into Fraschetta, I didn’t know what to expect…BUT I will tell you this, I was pleasantly surprised… For starters, Gnocchi alla Romana…Polpette…Frittelle 👏👏👏 Next up, Squid Ink Linguini and House Special Shrimp and Scallop Risotto 🔥 and last but not least - for dessert: Affogato and Biscuit Peach Cobbler ❤️ I never knew this place existed, but now that I know…I will 100% be back 🫶 Thank you all to of the friendly and attentive staff and owners —- you all made my 40th Birthday Bash UNFORGETTABLE 🙏

The food is delicious. Bread and pasta are made fresh. The gnocchi and crab and corn fritter appetizers were delicious. Ordered Lobster Ravioli from their weekly special and I've been wanting more eversince.

Tried a new restaurant last night. From Craig LaBan's list of recommendations. Nice little place in Bryn Mawr called Fraschetta's BYO. Very friendly staff; possibly family owned and managed. Good service. Anne was the hostess and was very knowledgeable, friendly, and sweet. Chris was our waiter and did a good job on a busy night. A little noisy. Definitely a place to try again! Some items kind of snuck up on me insofar as I thought at first they were a little bland or unremarkable, but they kept getting better as I ate more of it. Not sure I can explain that. My fritter appetizer was terrific with a little spicy note. The salted caramel panna cotta definitely started off slowly but was a comforting delight by the end. My pappardelle with mushrooms was very good, but I tried some of Evan's pappardelle bolognese and it was phenomenal!! Definitely would recommend and would give 4 1/2 stars if I could.

We had an extremely disappointing experience at Fraschetta last night. It had been a few years since we had been to the restaurant, and we understand it’s under new ownership. Unfortunately, despite the fact that the food continues to be good, we may never return to the restaurant. We made a reservation on OpenTable for 8:30pm. We arrived at 8:35 and waited for about 5min for the table to be ready. Within 10min of sitting down, the wait staff approached our table and told us that we had to put an order in within the next 5min because the kitchen was closing. We took that in stride and provided our order. Dinner came and we were enjoying our meal with friends. After the main course, we ordered dessert and proceeded to linger over dinner the way any patron would in any restaurant. There were three full tables on the second floor including ours at that time. At roughly 10:20 the restaurant threw all the overhead lights on to make it known they wanted us all out of there. In all my years of dining, I have never had a restaurant chase its customers out in that manner. Every patron on the second floor looked at one another in disbelief. It felt like we were being chased out of a fraternity party. We decided to ignore the rude signal and continue our meal and conversation. Shortly thereafter, one of the restaurant employees approached our table and asked us to wrap our dinner up because they were closing. This was less than 2hrs after we arrived. Under no circumstances should a restaurant offer an 8:30pm reservation in a fine dining establishment if they aren’t comfortable with the patrons being there for two hours. It truly was one of the weirdest restaurant experiences we’ve ever had.

We came with a part of 11 and we were so happy with the service and the food. Everything was so delicious! It’s definitely a gem on the main line- a byob with amazing food and service. A rarity in our community for sure ❤️

This place is the epitome of a perfectly executed dining experience. From the time you walk in, the attention to detail is impeccable. The ambiance was so lovely - dim, romantic lighting, with just enough spotlights to enhance the food and table tops. The service was 10/10. From the moment we arrived, the staff was attentive, knowledgeable, and extremely professional. The owner, Phuong is incredibly sweet and walked us through the menu with detailed recommendations. Water glasses were never empty, and the pacing of the meal was spot on- not rushed, but also never a long wait between courses. The food was PHENOMENAL. The pappardelle with forest truffle mushrooms was creamy, rich, and perfectly balanced. The pork tenderloin stuffed w/ prosciutto was PERFECTION and packed with flavor. It was paired with garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed greens which were excellent compliments to the pork. The crab and corn fritters served over whipped lemon ricotta was a religious experience and a must-try. Fraschetta’s exceeded my expectations in every way. It’s the perfect setting for a romantic dinner, a celebratory dinner, or even a casual girls night out. The true definition of what a restaurant should be, from start to finish.

I went to Fraschetta on New Year's Eve. It opened more than 10 years ago, but I had never been before. I was going to go with a friend (who likes this restaurant), but she ended up being unable to make it so I went with a few family members. Fraschetta was good in moving the time of my reservation, despite the restaurant being very busy. When we came, one of the busboys - a nice young man, who was working hard - got us seated promptly despite the restaurant being crowded. We sat downstairs. They start you off here with some fresh bread and oil, which was very tasty. For my appetizer, I got the octopus. It was a few pieces of octopus and they had a nice bite to it (not very chewy) and flavorful. For my entree, I went with the Cotoletta di Pollo - breaded chicken breast topped with arugula, tomato and mozzarella cheese. I thought they were a bit heavy with the amount of arugula, but the tomato's and mozzarella cheese were very fresh and tasty. The restaurant was nicely decorated for the holidays. I liked how one of the deer heads on the wall was decorated with a Santa hat. There is nearby parking across from the Ludington Library. It's a two to three minute walk and it wasn't too bad even though it was raining - just beware of puddles. The wait staff is very nice here including our waitress, the manager and another waiter that told us to have a great night. Very kind, helpful and nice. Altogether, I would recommend Fraschetta. The food is great, the wait staff is nice and it's in a location in Bryn Mawr!

We had dinner across the street and saw this restaurant walking back to the parking lot. It looked small and inviting, so a few weeks later we went with friends to celebrate 2 birthdays. Boy, was I glad we were seated upstairs as the downstairs dining room seemed quite loud. One thing we loved about Fraschetta was that we could bring our own wine. Also, the menu appeared to be traditional Italian. We decided to share the Polpo or Mediterranean octopus salad which turned out to be quite small and only had one strand of octopus on it. The Insalata di Prosciutto was also small and didn't appear to have much prosciutto. Sadly, although there were 4 of us, there were only 3 house made meatballs or Polpette. I think small was the theme of the night because when I received the fish special, a cod I believe, it was a tiny piece only about 2 inches long. I asked our server about it, thinking there was a mistake (there wasn't). Fortunately, everyone else had a good-sized dinner and seemed to be enjoying them. The Pappardelle al Cinghiale (wild boar) was delicious as was the breaded chicken breast. Plus, we were able to get 2 desserts with candles and "Happy Birthday" written on the plates which we loved. Fortunately, the restaurant refunded some of my dinner, which I appreciated.

This place is the epitome of a perfectly executed dining experience. From the time you walk in, the attention to detail is impeccable. The ambiance was so lovely - dim, romantic lighting, with just enough spotlights to enhance the food and table tops. The service was 10/10. From the moment we arrived, the staff was attentive, knowledgeable, and extremely professional. The owner, Phuong is incredibly sweet and walked us through the menu with detailed recommendations. Water glasses were never empty, and the pacing of the meal was spot on- not rushed, but also never a long wait between courses. The food was PHENOMENAL. The pappardelle with forest truffle mushrooms was creamy, rich, and perfectly balanced. The pork tenderloin stuffed w/ prosciutto was PERFECTION and packed with flavor. It was paired with garlic mashed potatoes and sauté greens which were excellent compliments to the pork. The crab and corn fritters served over whipped lemon ricotta was a religious experience and a must-try! Fraschetta's exceeded my expectations in every way. It's the perfect setting for a romantic dinner, a celebratory dinner, or even a casual girls night out. The true definition of what a restaurant should be, from start to finish.

We went to the Bryn Mawr Film Institute this afternoon to see Boys in the Boat (great movie) and hopped next door to Fraschetta for dinner afterwards. It's the first time we've been back since COVID so it's been awhile. The food was excellent as was the service, very friendly experience overall. Polpo - octopus with arugula salad, fennel, orange - 4/5 Polpetta - meatballs on polenta - 5/5 Pappardelle with wild boar sauce - 4/5 special fish with collard greens - 4/5 chocolate tartine (with warm center, vanilla gelato) - 5/5 We remembered why we came before - the food and the service. We also remembered why we haven't gone back sooner - it's quite loud inside, cacophonous even, especially on the first floor, despite their efforts to soundproof a bit with the fabric rectangles on the ceiling. I forgot to request a table on the second floor which i recall being quieter, so next time we will do that!

A favorite restaurant for us. A great BYOB with great Italian food! Some of our favorites are the gnocchi appetizer, cinghiale (wild boar) pasta, meatball & polenta appetizer and the main course specials with seafood. The restaurant has a very warm ambiance, especially with the original artwork by a local artist.

We arrived here at 5PM on Thursday afternoon. We parked on the opposite side of Lancaster Avenue and walked across to the storefront. We were the first ones in the restaurant and immediately greeted by the friendly and knowledgeable staff. They were informative and helped us select delicious menu items for our meal. From the entrees to the desserts, everything tasted excellent. I particularly enjoyed the Fritelle and Tiramisu. It was a memorable way to celebrate my birthday.

A smaller and intimate Italian restaurant with amazing great food. A BYO which is great as you can take your favorite bottle of wine. The service is impeccable. They recently added some beautiful art work (for sale) by a local artist. All-in-all, a great find in Bryn Mawr for a total dining experience.

I give this wonderful restaurant 8 Stars - Yes, it's that good! The food was excellent. Ann, our server, was fantastic. She provided excellent service. My sisters and I love her. She was fun! Kudos to Phong for providing an excellent meal in a comfortable and cozy setting. We will definitely be back very soon with mom and dad!!!

Great food and service, loved everything we ordered here. The specials are always amazing, worth trying. And don't skip dessert!

We had an extremely disappointing experience at Fraschetta last night. It had been a few years since we had been to the restaurant, and we understand it's under new ownership. Unfortunately, despite the fact that the food continues to be good, we may never return to the restaurant. We made a reservation on OpenTable for 8:30pm. We arrived at 8:35 and waited for about 5min for the table to be ready. Within 10min of sitting down, the wait staff approached our table and told us that we had to put an order in within the next 5min because the kitchen was closing. We took that in stride and provided our order. Dinner came and we were enjoying our meal with friends. After the main course, we ordered dessert and proceeded to linger over dinner the way any patron would in any restaurant. There were three full tables on the second floor including ours at that time. At roughly 10:20 the restaurant threw all the overhead lights on to make it known they wanted us all out of there. In all my years of dining, I have never had a restaurant chase its customers out in that manner. Every patron on the second floor looked at one another in disbelief. It felt like we were being chased out of a fraternity party. We decided to ignore the rude signal and continue our meal and conversation. Shortly thereafter, one of the restaurant employees approached our table and asked us to wrap our dinner up because they were closing. This was less than 2hrs after we arrived. Under no circumstances should a restaurant offer an 8:30pm reservation in a fine dining establishment if they aren't comfortable with the patrons being there for two hours. It truly was one of the weirdest restaurant experiences we've ever had.

Just had such a great Valentine's dinner with my sweetie here. Friendly greeting and service, great lobster ravioli and ossobuco, and a long-stemmed red rose. Love this place.

Food was great and the service was awesome. Will recommend to friends and others . Definitely a rare restaurant with great food . They also have a second floor and a TV for events or a quieter area if you need it and away from the crowd .

We had a horrible experience. A very loud party of six who had too much to drink. The food was mediocre. We've been here several times but not recently. Food has gone downhill and the noise level (poor acoustics) made it an unpleasant experience.

Good to excellent authentic Roman food. A nice little place, each city should have a gem like this place. Not fussy and and a warm staff. BYOB

Came here for a second time to meet my grandmother for dinner. We debated going somewhere else at first, but had such a great meal the first time that we decided to come back! Fraschetta only has 12 tables, making an intimate atmosphere perfect for a nice dinner. The menu is relatively stable, but they have new specials often for those who like variety. You cannot go wrong with any of the pasta. It's all homemade and you can ABSOLUTELY taste it. They have an ample selection of dishes for vegetarians and pescatarians. We got the Pappardelle ai Funghi and Rigatoni alla Norma, which were both excellent! Our waitress was helpful and friendly - which was extra notable given that she was the only one for the whole restaurant. Our meal was the perfect pace as well - the food came out quickly, but was not rushed. I'm sure we'll be coming back again soon!

Had a very nice meal here for my wife's birthday. Family is the word that I would use to describe our experience and that mad it great. Between the hostess, waiter, waitress and chef it seemed like everyone was related and they were all delightful to be around. The meal itself didn't disappoint. Our shared apps were great and my Lamb shank was absolutely fantastic. My wife's pasta with crab was also excellent and the two deserts were tasty as well. The decor is nice but the place isn't large so get a reservation. Of yeah ... and BYOB is always a plus

Food and service were great, this was our 2nd time going, definitely recommend a visit

Food was amazing and the service was great!! Def recommend for a date night out or a celebration! Definitely will be back!!

Ate upstairs, which was less noisy than the main dining room downstairs which was at capacity. The hostess sat us quickly. Great atmosphere! Nick, the waiter, was informative and pleasant. Beverly had the grass fed beef strip steak with fried truffles. Truffles are like gourmet french fries. I had grilled salmon, octopus, shrimp, served on a bed of garlic, mashed potatoes with lemon. VERY SATISFYING!

Not what it once was..not sure if new chef or owners. Upstairs felt extra cramped. Food was mediocre. Lamb was dry/overcooked. Salads dressed poorly.

We met up with another couple and had a nice table upstairs not was perfect for conversation, the server was helpful in explaining the specials that evening, and the food was fresh, flavorful, and excellent. It was a bit noisy later in the evening because of a larger group, but we didn't mind. They were having fun!

Not going back. The food was hit or miss, the prices are high and the service was like molasses in January. We shared a charcuterie appetizer which was great. The cheeses were excellent. The only part that underperformed was the bread cubes, which are a shape that is virtually useless except for salad croutons. The problem was that it took the kitchen a half hour to get it to the table. As for entrees there were a couple of pasta dishes that had excellent pasta, but weak sauces. One was the Norma. It is possible that it had been introduced to eggplant, but it cannot be confirmed. The biggest disappointment of the evening was the osso bucco. It was less a lamb shank than a lamb bone. There was more meat on the shank bone on my Seder plate. Also, it was clearly sitting under warming lights for a while since the soft polenta had formed a skin. You may ask why I didn't send it back. Well at that point we'd already spent an hour in the restaurant. Much longer, and I would have had problems with my medications. I'd read nice things about Fraschetta, but it was a disappointment. We won't be back.

Cute place for a intimate dinner. Food portion was good and presentable. Had the crab and corn fritter along with the gnocchi as appetizer and the special lobster ravioli for the entree and it was "chef's kiss" delicious! Flavorful and Generous amount of crab meat as well. Their crème brûlée was also good. I'm not a big sweet person and it was the prefect level of sweetness for me. Service was nice and friendly and food came out fairly quick. They also have a upstairs for private parties too. Will go again for date night!

Phenomenal food and service. Pasta dishes were served to perfection as were the entrees. BYO and both server and hostess were very kind and attentive.

Made reservations for 6 pm Valentine's Day - didn't turn out well. Seated in the downstairs room for 80 minutes and no service. No bread or explanation of delay. Couple next to us left after they had been there for an hour and a half. When we left, there were four or five other couples sitting at tables with no food. When I asked, staff was courteous & explained a tech difficulty in getting the orders through to the kitchen.

Fraschetta is a Roman/Italian restaurant. This restaurant actually has a Roman born Chef Gianluca Demontis who creates traditional and contemporary Roman dishes. He has the ability to transform simple dishes into something tasteful and elevated with fresh, seasonal ingredients, and the menu offers a variety of seafood, meats, and homemade pasta as well as vegetarian and gluten-free dishes. This is a good restaurant to really show the residents what authentic Italian/Roman food is. There are so many Stereotypes against Roman/Italian food here in the dorms like pizza and pasta is the only dish they eat. This restaurant has more than just pizza and pasta that's of Italian descent for the residents to try.

We had a great experience the first time we went to Frashetta. The meal was amazing and so was the atmosphere and the service. However, Tonight we had reservations and when we arrived there were other people with reservations waiting for someone to seat them, and as we waited more people came in and there was no host/hostesses , and after waiting for 15 min without anyone acknowledging us, we left and went to another restaurant .

Strike three.... Gave it one more shot and horrible. Never again. Food was worse than the service.

We went tonight for Mother's Day . Restaurant is small but two levels. We chose for BYOB. The menu is divided in three appetizers and salad , pasta course and main course. They did have three specials. We started out with a large cheese and meat plate however it was boring.... not a huge amount of selection didn't have too much flavor. Would have loved some authentic salty prosciutto, even the olives didn't have much flavor. We had two salads one arugula and Parmesan with lemon and oil. Very basic nothing special and easy to make at home. The second had citrus, fennel and olives . The fennel had zero kick to it. It obviously was not Freshly prepared or sliced it was prepared ahead and dried out quite disappointing. We chose the salmon, and shrimp dish which was good salmon prepared well, two people chose chicken dish ... much like a chicken cutlet with arugula and fresh mozzarella. Looked beautiful but was begging to be salted. One person had the steak frites. They like their meal. The other had a special pasta made with saffron , crunchy pancetta and sweat peas . The pancetta was neither crispy or edible it was tough and chewy. The pancetta was thick sliced. We also ordered the amatritiana pasta was meh very blah. I wanted some heat to come out of this dish not even spicy. Word to the wise the bread comes and just basic Olive oil on plate , no spice or seasoning. We asked for cheese and pepper to add some flavor. Overall great service ! Food temperature just ok, most of the dishes lacked some basic flavor which I feel could have been Easily fixed. Not rushing back and one of our party did say "one and done". Better luck next time !

Our meal at Fraschetta was rather disappointing last night. This has been a go-to place although I haven't been in about 6 months. Main complaint is the loudness of the room. We were dining with friends, and had to strain to hear & be heard. It seemed much noisier than in previous visits. That said, the food was good although not as consistently excellent as it had been. The gnocchi with mushrooms - still awesome! My Pappardelle with shrimp was good, not great. I ordered a side of sautéed spinach, which was basically awful (tough stems, greasy, no garlic....). My husband reported that his Salmon was delicious. Our waitress was quite good, attentive and personable. Bottom line, though, is that I won't return soon because of the loudness of the room.

Went for a lite dinner after a movie, it looked promising and relatively affordable for a Bryn Mawr restaurant. We had the charcuterie appetizer, which was frankly not very good, the grilled veggies weren't fresh tasting, the meats where so-so as were the olives, although the cheese was good. For mains, I had the Pasta Matriciana and my partner had the Papardelle. My pasta was overdone, and the sauce mediocre, thin and lacking in proper spice balance, although it had a generous amount of pancetta. My wife's Papardelle lacked something, again mostly in the spices and the way the pasta was prepared (overcooked IMHO). They have potential, and it's nice to have options right next to the Bryn Mawr Film Institute, but IMHO they need to up their game in the kitchen and the pasta and other ingredients that they are sourcing. On the positive, the service was good; prompt and courteous. Ambient noise level was moderate to high.

One of the best places for Italian on the main line- I really enjoy the cozy vibe of the restaurant and the focaccia is always fresh. It can get noisy at times, but I never find it too loud. We always start with the Fritto Misto for an appetizer. The homemade pasta is fantastic, but I'm a bigger fan of their Cotoletta di pollo. It's incredibly tender and is topped w fresh arugula, mozzarella and tomato.

This sweet spot is delightful. The entrance is close to The Bryn Mawr Theater and parking is across the street and available if you don't come too late. I ordered the Caesar Salad and clams vongole. It was delicious with a touch of fresh cheese, yum. My friend, Fran, had a different seafood ribbon pasta and said hers was very good, too. The service was prompt and the staff lovely. The lighting soft and welcoming and the restaurant clean. It is a BYOB so grab a bottle of your favorite and head on over! Mary Jane Hurley Brant

Ordered curbside for myself tonight because I wanted something new. Very impressed. The man who took my order over the phone was very helpful. Even recommended some dishes to try. I went with the bucatini all'amatriciana because he said rheir speciality was Roman cuisine. Anyway pleasantly surprised that pasta was homemade! Nice and chewy. Spicy tomato sauce with nice chunks of pancetta. I ordered the "deconstructed cannoli" dessert which was also very good. Excellent first impression.

I love this restaurant. The service was swift even though we were with a group of 8 and we spend ages talking before ordering. We mostly ordered all the specials for that evening some much variation and nothing to rich or heavy. After the 6 day power outage in Bryn Mawr the cozy atmosphere at Fraschetta was just what we needed. THANKS

Finally, Italian food nearby that's not only edible, it's delectable. I feel compelled to write a same-day review after eating there tonight because I was perusing the other reviews after-the-fact (and I mean, ALL the reviews, not recommended especially) and felt compelled to respond. We went in just after 5 without a reservation on a Monday night and were seated immediately (+1) by an appropriately friendly hostess. I noticed there was bench seating with that sort of communal vibe along one wall, which I hate (-1), but we were placed at a solo table next to another wall so that worked out. I really like the decor - some review commented snarkily that it looked homemade but to me it seemed thoroughly premeditated if not professionally interior(ly?)-designed. Our waitress was prompt with the menus, the hostess brought us our own pitcher of water (+1) and refilled the pitcher once during the meal. I noticed the other waiter explaining the menu to his table which our waitress did not do but I don't particularly need help reading or deciding so that's not really a criticism, just an observation. A busboy came out and offered us oil along with a bread basket of mixed sourdough slices and warm foccacia (+1). Our food came out reasonably quickly after ordering and at appropriate intervals (+1)...almost as soon as the first set of plates were removed our meals arrived. The starters were both delicious, as were the mains (+1). I was limited in my selections because I don't have a very adventurous palate as far as things like sweet breads or liver go, but I will definitely be back to try more things and bring my family to celebrate the arrival of a new culinary offering in the area. As we were leaving it was filling up, and I can definitely believe it would be annoyingly noisy anytime beyond 6:30, especially with all the deaf geriatrics BYO being drunk. But who's fault is that? It's not glamorous, but my dining-out life is very calm and quiet because I regularly behave like a geriatric myself - eating right around 5pm seems to be the happiest hour. ... I don't know where the people eating at this trendy but basically hole in the wall Bryn Mawr spot have been eating their Italian food all along, but the places I can think of in the immediate vicinity leave MUCH to be desired. There was that time I got stretchy cold calamari at that one place, and then there's that other place that shrunk their menu and wait staff and inflated their prices over the last few years. If you have complaints about service, noise, or prices, you'd better not go to the other few selections either. All that being said, can you really expect a small start up in Bryn Mawr to have a flawless opening and perform at 100% from the word go? Any new place, I don't care who's in charge, has or should have kinks that need working out. I've never been to a restaurant opening night or waited on a red carpet to get in somewhere but I would be more reserved in my judgment than some here if I did. Do yourself a favor, disregard the negative reviews and go see for yourself. It's not downtown, it's not Manhattan, and it's certainly not Italy, but it is really good food worth the price tag and the trip, especially if you're already local.

Ordered pappardelle alle olive ---- it was obviously reheated instead of freshly cooked! Reheated pasta at a restaurant! Unbelievable. Very unhappy and definitely will not return.

Food is amazing, have gotten take out and dined in before. I always get the pasta alla norma. Only comment and reason for the 4 stars is that I really wish the portions were bigger when ordering takeout cause the container is very small. Otherwise, great experiences.

I had a birthday dinner for 20, and leading up to the night of the event everything was going very well. I had never been to Frashetta, and was doing this sight unseen, however, Nick was very communicative and attentive to my concerns and needs. The night of the event I arrived early to set up and work on the seating as I was not sure how the table layout was going to be. There were 2 connected rooms upstairs, and it was 90 degrees in both. They had a portable AC in the back room, and the windows open in the front room. I was told initially that I could set up the wine, liquor, and birthday cake tables in the front room and the back room would be set up with one long table. As we started setting up the front room I was informed that they may need to use part of the room for overflow seating if they get busy downstairs. At that point I opted to consolidate in the back room as I did not want to ruin the experience of those they seated upstairs by having my group standing, drinking and mingling while they dined. After moving everything into the back room, about an hour before the dinner was to start, it was only slightly cooler so I went and checked the AC unit and it was at in fan, not cool, so I set the unit to cool and hoped it would get below 80 degrees before my guests arrived. At this time I was told I was able to use the front room, they would not be seating anyone upstairs. I then moved everything back into the front room. It was 20 minutes later when the owner approached me and told me Nick had overstepped his bounds and if I wanted to use the front room the cost would increase by 150%. 150%!!!! I obviously declined and moved everything back into the back room. Unbeknownst to me, Nick quit right then and there, and was not to be seen at all during the night. He then texted me an apology the next day apologizing for what the owner had done. To make matters worse, They ruined the birthday boys dinner 3 times. You have been warned.

As soon as we arrived, we were overwhelmed by the fragrance of huge lilies that were lining the wall in mounted vases. I have allergies to fragrant spring flowers such as these and had a headache within minutes. We overheard the tables next to us talking about the overpowering smell as well. Even if I didn't have a personal aversion to the smell of lilies, who wants to smell such a strong floral scent while you are eating? I was really surprised by this decor choice. Food was fair at best. Salmon and shrimp were highly under seasoned. Mashed potatoes were delicious, they had some type of citrus pop in them. The manager (?) was not very pleasant and didn't have a welcoming vibe when we arrived. Service was ok, several meals (ours and other tables) were taken to the wrong place or the orders were not correct, but the servers were friendly, polite and likable. Definitely wouldn't return.

It's been two months since I ate here and I'm still dreaming about their semolina gnocchi with goat cheese and truffle oil. So good. Very different from potato gnocchi but the textures and flavors were rich and smooth and salty and oh-so-good. The rest of the food was pretty yummy (I had quail and my partner had oxtail ragu pasta) but not as special as the gnocchi. Very lovely byob with excellent service. Our waiter was charming.

Fraschetta used to be better in most respects. It has become very loud- so loud as to be not only hard to converse, but painful at times. The food is good, with some dishes like the gnocchi being excellent. But I felt the food quality dropped a bit since my last visit some months ago. The service was very good- no complaints there. But overall, I was disappointed.

I'm going to give this place another shot. Tonight was clearly not their night but I'm optimistic. Felt like the boss maybe wasn't there?? Our main course looked and felt like it sat under a hot light for about 25 minutes. Staffing was way off, by admission, only 1 waiter who was AMAZING and hard working but clearly overwhelmed. Bread late, no water refills, missed ordering opportunities. And the music...loud Ariana Grande, etc. while we eat Roman/Italian? Bizarre evening. Dessert was the best panna cotta I've EVER had, and salad was lovely. Was so eager to escape the music and chaos by dessert we kind of rushed out.

I don't know why this place believes that they are serving traditional Italian food. You simply can't salt and pepper a dish and call it seasoned, not to mention the food tastes like it had been frozen for weeks. My biggest problem was not the food because at least that was palatable, my issue was with the staff, all of whom smelled of cigarettes, and I'm pretty sure I saw the taller middle aged gentleman with the glasses in the back telling on his phone while puffing away. If your customers are entering through an alleyway it's probably best not to stand by the dumpster smoking. Bon Appetit

Huh? I've read some of the less than stellar reviews on this place and wonder WTF. Fraschetta is a hit, as far as I am concerned. This is authentic Roman cooking, trust me, I know ;-) I have to preface by saying Melograno is one of my favorite Philly BYOB's (see my list of Fave BYOB's) and this new Main Line addition follows in their footsteps... including, but not limited to, the transposition of one of their excellent servers, Melissa, who took care of us Saturday evening. We sat upstairs, not noisy, plenty of room, large windows, and servers were all around, the decor plain, eclectic and tasteful. Although the lighting was being adjusted at least 5 times through our meal, it made for a few jokes at our table. The food was wonderful, as expected (I don't pay attention to YELP reviewers who have less than 3 reviews in 3 years, some people are just miserable motherfuckers and you just have to learn to live around them). The bread was excellent, a couple pieces of Italian with the desired crispy crust, and a couple pieces of salted focaccia with the GOOD olive oil, that was one of my previous dislikes at Melograno, the less than flavorful olive oil. Apps: The crispy sweetbreads were just that, crispy and tender at the same time, with surrounding texture-complimenting, thin sliced onion compote. Also the stuffed zucchini blossom filled with a wonderful soft cheese served on paper thin slices of fresh zucchini, again, the balance of taste and textures rise to the foodie quest. Entree and Pasta: Grilled, tender, moist (I love not-dry fish) swordfish served atop white beans, so wonderful yet simple. Luca doesn't throw 50 flavors at you in one dish, just a couple so you can focus on simplistic brilliance. The rigatoni carbonara with the home made lamb-belly pancetta, the cheese clinging to every al dente bite was very good also. Dessert: Chef's grandmother's recipe for the Ricotta cake with pine nuts, I believe they were, was a wonderful, homey finish to a very good experience. Somebody please smack those complaining Mainliners upside the head, the ones who don't get this place, and wake them up to authentic Roman fare and tell them to stop stereotyping. Sheeesh!

As a recent transplant from Manhattan and a former resident of Italy, Fraschetta is a breath of fresh air from what I've found as the usual Italian restaurants on the Main Line: massive, deathly quiet, geriatric , replete with over-garlicked Italian-American red sauce fare and soggy, overcooked pasta. Fraschetta is a truly authentic Roman trattoria, and by far the best authentic italian food on the Main Line and among the best in the Philadelphia area. By authentic, that includes intimate (critics would say small and overly informal) and lively (critics would say 'loud') . It's not a place for a business dinner or a quiet chat, it's for a lively, fun meal with family (including children) and friends. if you don't like that, please don't go and ruin the ambience for the rest of us. The owners Luca and Rose make you feel like you are eating with family (though I would note the restaurant does lose something when Rose is not there to greet people). As for the food: The single most important thing I can say is that the pasta is cooked perfectly al dente, something impossible to find elsewhere in this city. The menu more broadly is faily tipica Romana, with some innovations. There are notable standouts on the menu: the fiori di zucca (cheese-stuffed, flash fried zucchini flowers), the gnocchi appetizer over mushrooms, the house salad misticanza which is perfectly crisp and dressed with a citrusy and salty dressing, the bucatini amatriciana is wonderful, as are the braised whole artichokes. The brodetto of abbachio (baby lamb stew) is deceptive, with a subtle marrying of earthy and beautifully braised lamb with sweet, velvety tomatoes. So, I dismiss the naysayers as those who either want a quiet spot, or who miss the perfect subtlety and authenticity of the food. Either way, all it means is a slightly easier chance to get a reservation in what is already a routinely packed guestbook.

Tiny and loud, but the food is worth it. Cash only, and BYOB. Last minute on a Friday night and the best I could get was a 9pm reservation. That was a blessing in disguise because when we got there, the place felt a little cramped with not one seat open, and, as others have mentioned, it was super loud, although I didn't feel I had to shout. We chose to sit at the front window counter but were offered and moved into a comfortable table by the time our apps arrived. As people left and no one filled the empty seats, the place felt cozy and the noise level dropped. Now the food. YUM! We shared the porchetta as our appetizer. It was small, but extremely tasty and we had plenty of food coming, so that was fine actually. If you've been to Italian feasts in the area, you would not recognize this as the familiar porchetta sandwich, but it was sliced and plated with a balsamic reduction and pine nuts. First course we diverged. He ordered the linguine with clam sauce which he loved and I got the pasta special, a hand cut pasta with fava bean pesto. I wasn't sure what to expect, but was not disappointed. The flavors were fresh and popped. Our main was shared, a pork tenderloin dish. Very tasty, but I could have stopped at the pasta. The pork was tender and served with a little mash that was surpisingly light.

[Sounds like we were there on the same Saturday night 10/20/13 as the irate 1-star review from John K below, but had a very different experience...] Based on LaBan's very positive 3-bell review, four of us went for dinner at Fraschetta on Saturday for the first time. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/20131006_Authentic_Roman-style_cuisine_on_the_Main_Line.html I thought all the food was uniformly good to very good, and the service was friendly and attentive (an ex-Melograno server, who admittedly recognized one of us as a regular downtown). However, there was a bit of a wait for our secondi as the restaurant filled up and the kitchen probably got backlogged. Portion sizes seemed perfect to me, and definitely not what I would call skimpy (in fact we took leftovers home). We had 3 shared apps, 4 primi, 4 secondi, two shared desserts, and a couple of coffees, which came to $61/person, not counting tip, which seemed reasonable. I can see why the reviews here are variable, which did cause me some initial concern, since they serve pasta made in-house from scratch, extremely al dente, and generally lightly sauced. This may not appeal to some who prefer their pasta more well-done and drowned in sauce. I'm not saying you are wrong if that's what you like, but to each his own... [Actually, it may in fact be a little too al dente for me.] I will definitely go back, although Fraschetta is not quite in the same league as some of our downtown favorites, like Modo Mio for example (I can't compare it to Melograno, since I've never been). But still very good for the 'burbs. Interestingly, Philly Mag's Victor Fiorillo wrote in a short blurb that, although he generally liked the food, it was so noisy he will never return. We had an early 5:45PM reservation, but even later when it was completely full we didn't find the noise level too excessive and were able to carry on our conversation without having to yell (certainly very energetic, but not out of line with many of our small BYOBs). Again, this may be something some customers are not used to, or won't tolerate, but it's pretty much SOP at a lot of small BYOBs downtown. http://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/2013/10/10/eating-fraschetta/ Unfortunately, for BYOBing, their stems are not very good, but fortunately we brought our own. Also, it's annoying that they don't seem to have a website (and so I won't be able to accurately describe the dishes we enjoyed), and it took me a while to figure out that they use Rezbook, not OpenTable, for reservations. For some reason the moderators won't let me add the reservation link to the business profile, so here it is: http://rez.opentable.com/reservation/start/6767 A nice looking space, with a decent amount of room between the tables, so we never felt too cramped and could fit all our glasses and bottles on the table. On-street parking was easy, but we had an early res so YMMV. Also, THEY DO ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS (this must have changed since most of the reviews below were written).

I think "dislike it" might be too harsh- another star conveys that "it's okay" and that's not accurate either. Would I go back? Not by choice, but would agree to go with a friend. Here's why: As other's have written the service is poor. Slow and dismissive. My wife asked a couple questions about food preparations and the waiter couldn't have looked more impatient. An odd sight was the hostess sitting at a table to have her full dinner- including a stemware filled with red wine left behind earlier in the night. Of the 6 dishes we tried, only 1 I thought was okay: meatballs & gnocchi only because the red sauce was tasty. The meatballs were slightly dry. The dishes that failed - Sweetbreads: overly dense texture and didn't look fried to order. Also had slightly cooled by the time it got to the table - Mushroom & Parsley: tasteless - Sea Bass: Fresh, yet tasteless - Fried Artichoke: didn't seem fresh - Stewed Octopus & Capers: way too salty and slightly fishy I would tolerate the food if the service was good. Heck, I could tolerate the service if the food were good. As it stands, both are sub-par so I feel no motivation to return. ps- I didn't find it overly loud, but we came at the end of the night so the room wasn't quite full.