Fred B.
Yelp
As I do with all new to me restaurants, I read reviews, and if available, detailed info about the spot and its owners. In the case of Fratelli's, the caustic comments of one reviewer caught my attention.
In two reviews a month apart, he wanted to know why they called this an Italian restaurant, which in my mind leaps to exactly what is an Italian Steakhouse? Turns out this is the epitome of an Italian Steakhouse, even if several of the owners are of Greek ancestry!
On the back of the large Italian immigration in the early 1900's, restaurants catering to Italian tastes (pastas, pizza) were opened, especially in lower east side of Manhattan and the near south side of Chicago! As the Italian offerings grew in popularity with non-Italian Americans, these restaurants came under pressure to serve the hunks of red meat so loved by them - the Italian Steakhouse was born - you classify as such by simply serving classic Italian dishes as well as steaks.
I have heard much about this steakhouse and its broad menu, including a number of classic Italian dishes. I don't completely trust steakhouses that try to do too much, though admittedly the venerable Ryan's here in Winston has pulled this off for years!
This place opened about 10 years ago in the spot that housed one of the locations of Staley's restaurant - one of Winston's earliest upscale restaurants, evolved into a local chain - followed a few years later by Sam's Gourmet (best salad bar EVER, Market Street West would be next - both had great bread and sardines) - both places I still miss!
But on to the subject at hand. I had not been to this restaurant before, but the opportunity arose recently - special occasions for family members are cool!
On our visit, we ordered several apps - Steakhouse Bacon ($14.29) - Million Dollar Bacon at First Watch - $5.99 for FOUR strips), Calamari ($15.49), and Onion Rings ($14). Obviously little here is inexpensive, so the value aspect will take a hit, even if the quality is there.
The entrees we chose were the 12 oz Ribeye ($44.99), the Lasagna ($20.99), and the Chopped Steak ($20.99). All items came with a Fratelli Salad and a side, raise to a Premium Side for $1. We swapped out 2 of the Fratelli Salads for a Caesar and a Greek, so we could try some different items.
We chose the Brussel Sprouts, Jumbo Loaded Baked Potato, and Asparagus. While we waited for the food parade to begin, we enjoyed our Adult Beverages, and they were soon joined by the Bread Service with a seasoned dipping sauce - spoiler alert, that very well may be the two best items of the entire meal, seriously!
The apps leaked out of the kitchen in a relatively slow drip, which was not a problem on this occasion since we intended on sharing - another time perhaps a party foul!
Now to the apps - the Steakhouse Bacon is an overpriced joke at $14.29 - a single slice of bacon, thick or not, I don't care how you choose to sauce it, or put a small amount of crostini and cheese with it. No return!
Calamari was simply ok, would rather have that at Village Tavern, pricing is similar, cut and breading is better. Onion Rings much the same, refer you to the ones at Davie Tavern. These 2 are not at all bad, but the quality doesn't support the price! The salads were ok, with the Fratelli's salad being a bit too sweet for me!
So we move on to the entrees - and our mixed bag continues, all of it haunted by the pricing! The Lasagne was good, the steak was also good, though a bit overcooked, while the chopped steak was dry and lacked flavor. The sides were ok, with the sprouts being the clear winner.
All in all, the food was average to good, but at these prices that falls more than a bit short of a good experience! One of the repetitive themes in a number of reviews was the expression "hit or miss", hard to argue with after this visit.