il Vinaio

Highly recommend this restaurant; it's my favorite in the entire Phoenix metropolis! It has never disappointed. Attached is a picture of the hatch green chili burger; it was to die for! The indefatigable owners, Cameron and Cindy, have been great friends for years. I'm sure you'll find something on their menu to become obsessed with!

Had a great dinner with friends before a show at the Mesa Arts Center. I had been wanting to try this place for awhile and am glad I did. The atmosphere was cozy, the waitstaff very attentive and the food tasty. Lots of great wines as well. I especially liked that they had vegan options. We definitely will be back

The food was amazing. Most of the menu is available gluten-free. They were so accommodating. Highly recommend, delicious and cozy.

We recently hosted our wedding dinner at this venue and it was pretty bad. The servers were all great and had positive energy but despite pre ordering 80% of the meals the service was slow and there was little to no organization. It took almost 3 hours to serve everyone. As the bride, I was served (almost) last and when I asked for a cup of water was told I'd have to get a foam cup because they ran out of glassware. The food was very inconsistent with some friend feedback stating it was too salty and other stating flavorless. I will say the recipe for the shrimp pasta might need to be reconsidered because the lemon flavor was overwhelming making the pasta almost inedible. The owners are lovely people and the price was right which is why we selected this venue but they just are not equipped to handle a "large" crowd. I used quotations because I am not certain I define 50 people as large when the rest of the restaurant may have only had 15 people on the other side. On a side note, we went a couple weeks before the event to taste some of the food. We ordered 2 entrees and enjoyed them to some extent but the owners sat in front of us drinking wine and carrying on. I was thinking they'd at least offer us a glass considering we paid full price for a tasting and we booked an event. They even gave one of the services a glass right in front of us. Just a bit off putting. Overall, I was thankful to just find a place at such short notice but if I could do it over again I would have rented larger place and had in home catering.

Me and my husband both had a great time here we had the chili shrimp for the appetizer was delicious. I had the lemon chicken linguine, which was the best lemon chicken I’ve ever had. My husband had the steak. He said it was tasty and cooked well. If you’re a wine lover you’ll love this place. Every server was working hard. Great atmosphere

Service and food was outstanding. I walked into this restaurant after a awful Day I had and left with a smile. The two owners who served me and were so Friendly and personable, they really made my night so much better. They had a wide variety of some of the best wine I have tried here in Arizona. Staff is very knowledgeable about the food and drink they serve. All the dishes are made from scratch. I had the chicken Parmesan, along with the Sweet chili shrimp which were both phenomenal. This is a must try! This is my new favorite spot in Mesa, I will be back.

I’m not one to leave reviews but unfortunately I had no choice on this one. We had a reservation at 7pm on February 15th. We were greeted by the nicest gentleman and were seating fairly quickly. The waters were brought over fairly quickly but then we noticed it took about 10 minutes to get our drink order taken which wasn’t a huge deal. Our male server came over and took our drink order and we let him know that we were ready to order our food (multiple of our menus were different from other ones we had). He started to take our food order and got through 2 out of 4 of us when he was interrupted by a lady with wavy hair that was a lighter color, i’m assuming the manager. She told our server that there was food that was ready to be taken out and made our server stop taking our order and take the food out. We then watched this same lady walk away and do absolutely nothing. Our server then goes and grabs the food and serves the other table. I have NEVER had this happen while eating at a restaurant. We as a group decided to go to olive garden and leave at this point. The server came back and he apologized for how it happened and we let him know that we were not upset with him one bit and understood that he was ordered to stop taking our order. As we were leaving, I went up to the lady and let her know that it was highly unprofessional of her to do what she did. She then stated that she should not have taken the table of 6 and that they were slammed. There were 4 tables in the building that were occupied. 2 of which were the male servers and 1 of the tables i did not see anyone go up to them in the short period we were there. I then let her know that we saw her do nothing after she insisted our server take the food and that she could have taken the food herself. She apologized and i informed her that we would be leaving. Please review the cameras around this time to see exactly how everything played out. i would never recommend my friends to this place due to the actions from this lady. Maybe she was having a hard day but it was not okay with how we were treated. Just to preface, our male server was not the problem and seemed very busy. This lady seemed to not be busy and not helpful in the slightest. I hope someone gets this poor guy more help and not the same help from this women. Thank you

I tried the Antelope burger. It was excellent. I can’t say enough great about this place. The food is cooked perfect to order and the owner and wait staff are the best. They work together as a team should. If you are wanting a formal atmosphere for date night I would recommend them. Casual attire is welcome.

Years ago, we peeked through the window here on a Saturday night and saw only one table seated. Naturally, I assumed, "Welp, must not be that good," and we headed to Main Street instead. Fast forward a few years, and I've heard enough people swear by this place that I figured it was time to give it a proper shot. Walked in... and once again, not a single table was occupied. Déjà vu. The vibe? Definitely old school. The layout is a bit odd, and it looks like it hasn't changed since the late '70s or early '80s. That said, our server was fantastic--quick, professional, and friendly. We started with the bruschetta trio. It was tasty--each version brought something different--but they were a little heavy-handed with the butter. The complimentary bread and butter, on the other hand, could use a flavor boost. Kind of bland. For mains, I had the chicken parm and my wife got the Pasta Vinaio. The chicken was flavorful but a bit tough; the red sauce was solid. I actually preferred my wife's dish--it was richer and more balanced. The manager stopped by and made some friendly small talk, which was a nice touch. Overall? Nothing mind-blowing, but definitely a solid meal. We'll be back to try more--it feels like one of those places that grows on you.

Pre race day carbload took me to II Vinaio with my coach and few of my teammates. It was perfect spot for big group 10 of us and tasty carbs night before big race. II Vinaio is located right in the heart of downtown Mesa with all other restaurants and bars. I enjoy the inside nice and has it own sense of personality. Not often go back of the restaurant little open bar area. The menu is pretty straight forward Italian fare. Lot of ur classic dishes, nice wine list, and nice diversity. I ended up going with go to pasta bolognese. It was delicious! Nice sauce, hearty, and generous portion size. Service was five stars. She was very attentive for big party. Not problem splitting all checks for us. Solid Italian spot. If running Mesa half or full marathon highly recommend II Vinaio.

We recently hosted our wedding dinner at this venue and it was pretty bad. The servers were all great and had positive energy but despite pre ordering 80% of the meals the service was slow and there was little to no organization. It took almost 3 hours to serve everyone. As the bride, I was served (almost) last and when I asked for a cup of water was told I'd have to get a foam cup because they ran out of glassware. The food was very inconsistent with some friend feedback stating it was too salty and other stating flavorless. I will say the recipe for the shrimp pasta might need to be reconsidered because the lemon flavor was overwhelming making the pasta almost inedible. The owners are lovely people and the price was right which is why we selected this venue but they just are not equipped to handle a "large" crowd. I used quotations because I am not certain I define 50 people as large when the rest of the restaurant may have only had 15 people on the other side. On a side note, we went a couple weeks before the event to taste some of the food. We ordered 2 entrees and enjoyed them to some extent but the owners sat in front of us drinking wine and carrying on. I was thinking they'd at least offer us a glass considering we paid full price for a tasting and we booked an event. They even gave one of the services a glass right in front of us. Just a bit off putting. Overall, I was thankful to just find a place at such short notice but if I could do it over again I would have rented larger place and had in home catering.

The food was so dang good. We got the bruschetta, which you can mix and match, and I loved that. My friend got the salmon and mushroom risotto and she ate it all because it was so good. I got the Vinaio pasta that has a lemon sauce and goat cheese and it was delicious as well. The Spritzes are only $5 and they were amazing as well! Service with Kevin was wonderful and you can tell the restaurant has been here for a while. Not dated, but just an older building. I will definitely be coming back!

This is a weird review bc when I ate dinner here, the food was so good, I have celiac and was able to order shrimp fettuccini, a fig bruschetta and a nice glass of wine. The place was not busy and service was fine. I told my sister how great it was so she picked it for her bday brunch for 9 (we had a reservation so they knew we were coming) and the service left a lot to be desired and again not very many people in the building. We didn't get menus or water for quite awhile. We finally got drinks and my sister was able to have 2 "all you drink mimosas". We all ate in shifts and some of us only had some of our orders and some had no food, I ordered GF pancakes that were sort of cooked and awhile later my over cooked bacon showed up. My friend's regular pancake showed up in a messed up pile. It was not a great experience. I felt bad for the waitress bc she did the best she could w whatever was going on in the kitchen or lack of staff. If I go back it will only be for dinner. I will note everyone who had eggs Benedict did enjoy their meal.

Me and my husband both had a great time here we had the chili shrimp for the appetizer was delicious. I had the lemon chicken linguine, which was the best lemon chicken I've ever had. My husband had the steak. He said it was tasty and cooked well. If you're a wine lover you'll love this place. Every server was working hard. Great atmosphere

It is our go to place for dinner. Shrimp Risotto is awesome. Good wine list and steaks for Irene

Nice family owned restaurant and wine bar in the heart of downtown Mesa. I moved to the area recently and discovered this gem. Il Vinaio means "The Wine Merchant". I can see why as they have a pretty large selection of wines here. Il Vinaio is an American wine bistro with Mediterranean influences that serves, lunch, dinner and brunch on the weekends. The restaurant itself is pretty charming with a nice casual atmosphere to it. We ended up having a large party for dinner here one night to celebrate a birthday. Even though the service was great, I think we overwhelmed the staff here with how big our party was on a quiet weekday night. But overall food came out hot and the people here were very nice. I enjoyed my Linguine Bolognese and White Sangria.

Cameron, You are untruthful. My review was accurate. Not sure how you stay in business by being dishonest and aggressive with customers. Maybe you should take constructive criticism so that you can improve.

I can't tell you how many times I drove past Il Vinaio and didn't stop in. Today was the day! We had Sunday brunch: blueberry pancakes, a prime rib omelette special, and a Cuban sandwich. Everything was delicious, especially the Cubano. I'll go back just for that! Our server, Val, was excellent. It was clear she had pride to work there. Val chatted with us about the food, history, and overall positivity in the business.

Sorry Cameron, your customer service is lacking and you and the restaurant would benefit from constructive criticism. I did respond to your email after you replied to my previous review to give you more details and never heard a word. I don't give bad reviews to those who don't deserve it and you seem rudely defensive, which isn't a good look. There were barely any people in that restaurant. Tables open all over the place, even though the sign on the door said full without reservation. We were there plenty early so we were not in a hurry thankfully, but when it takes 20 minutes to even get waters there's something wrong. Full details of our experience can be found in the email I sent in response to yours. Also, anyone who reviews your restaurant is more than capable to do so. You might as well just flat out ask those who won't give you 5 stars to not review at all because you're basically intending to hide the truth.

What a great experience... We walked in with absolutely no expectations. A very underrated little gem and the owners were so nice. The food was absolutely amazing. I really can't say much better things about this place.

Visited here for the first time and couldn't have enjoyed ourselves more. The food was absolutely plentiful and delicious. The owners Cameron and Cindy even gave an explanation of how they created each dish. The wine was fantastic and the wine and food menu gave us so many choices we will have to go back for more! Can't recommend this place strongly enough!!

Updating to 1 star after the owners rude response to my review. I understand you may think both dishes were good, but we barely touched either of our meals and shared our feedback with our server. We were told sorry you didn't like it and handed an $80 bill. I simply stated for $80 I could not recommend your business. If I had finished my meal and told you the food was bad I understand not working with the customer to make it right, but our server took almost two full plates off our table (did not offer to remake, did not offer a discount,etc.) We live down the street and were really hoping to like your restaurant but after seeing how you treat customers who pay and tip well (I tipped at least 18%) we most definitely will not be back. We went down the street to pedal haus and ordered from a food truck that was half the price and twice the quality. Your wine club members were very loudly talking politics and saying some really awful things about the other political party which does not add to ambiance one bit. Due the lack of music or any sort of sound I was forced to listen to their entire conversation! We could not get out of here fast enough!

We had reservations before a concert. Never been here in 20 years . We ordered a caprese appetizer and it took over an hour to be served. There were hardly any people in the restaurant even though the sign on the door said they were sold out for the evening. We finally got our appetizer after an hour, which consisted of a buratta ball and 3 tomato slices so I am not sure what took so long. We only had a half hour before the concert. The waiter said the kitchen was backed up. But there was hardly anyone in the restaurant. I was so confused. He offered to cancel our food, so we did. Paid the bill and left. Hungry and mad , we were off and will never return.

We just had the most wonderful meals! Tasty Vinaio bruschetta to start! Our main dishes of shrimp scampi, vegetable pasta and chicken saltimbocca were excellent! Everything tasted wonderful and was beautifully prepared and presented! I enjoyed a glass of the house white wine- a nice light, delicate white that went well with my meal. Our server, Teena was very attentive and took special care, along with the chef and manager coming out to take good care of our diner with a shellfish allergy. They all asked good questions and checked several times during the meal to make sure all was fine. We had a table with couch seating, which was fun and comfortable. This is a cute, clean and caring restaurant. The restrooms were clean and cared for. All in all we had a wonderful meal and experience and highly recommend this restaurant! Bon appetit!

We had a 4:30pm reservation. When we arrived there was only one table in the back room (every other table was open. They sat us right next to the door in the walkway so we asked to move tables. The hostess wasn't capable of making that decision on her own and had to go ask somebody in the back. After a considerable amount of while, she came back out and moved our table. I've never seen such an incredibly slow process. After we were seated, we still felt like the two employees we had interacted with while there were both pretty negative so we decided to leave. I had been there once before, but definitely will not go back.

A hidden JEM! The mimosas are unlimited! And they use fresh raspberry puree(optional) but I loved it! Brunch is so unique here! It's like the 80's are back! So many different choices here too! The wine selection is amazing ! The owner chef does all the cooking and his amazing wife is the bartender! It's a must try! Prices are amazing!! Please try !!

My girls and I love to look for new brunch places and are super glad we found Il Vinaio. If you buy an entree you get unlimited champagne for $16 on the weekends. So of course we tried it and the food! Oh my!! So homemade and delicious!! Not to mention the owners are adorable and extremely kind!! We are so coming back!! Come in and show your support!

We went for a Saturday breakfast and it was delicious! Thanks to the revitalization efforts in downtown Mesa the place looked like it was closed or under construction but it's open and beautiful inside. Lots of stain glass windows. I had coffee and the traditional eggs benedict for breakfast but opted to have green chilies and avocado added. We are going back. This place is a wine bar/restaurant and we know we want to come back to try one of their dinner nights where they pair the recipe with the wine. Exceptional service and food.

Wish I could comment on the food. It never came! The waitress, by her own admission, forgot to put our entree order into the kitchen. There were 3 wait staff. Ours, obviously forgetful. Another young man who was obnoxiously skipping around the restaurant. The third had a bottomless glass of wine going behind the bar for herself. Fortunately we couldn't wait for our food because we had a musical to get to (The Cher Show....incredible!) The Snickers bar and popcorn at The Mesa Arts Center was our date night dinner.

I used to work in Downtown Mesa which is where I met the owners of this fine establishment. I know them personally and professionally and I enjoy both their company and their food. A better restaurant you will not find. James Hutton

What an outstanding experience. I took my girlfriend on a date here. Cameron and Cindy, the owners were so charming. The food was exceptional. The wine pairing was stellar. We were delighted. We will be back.

Went there on a whim and had to try "the best burger in AZ." Did not disappoint. Service and food were great. Will definitely come back!

This is a wine bar that also offers a few Italian dishes. Slooooow service. Long delays for food and long wait to settle the bill after running my card. I Asked for salad dressing on the side but salad came to me drenched. They didn't have any pesto or any soda pop the night we went. We barely made it to the show at the arts center even though we skipped desert and reserved 2 hrs in advance. If you are going to a show at the arts center, allow at least 2.5 hrs even though it's just up the street. I take no joy in a negative review, but we took visiting friends there and frankly it was embarrassing. Maybe it was just a perfect storm of mishaps that don't happen all the time, but all I can say is that our experience that night wasn't good. We didn't complain or send food back because we didn't want to cause further delays that would make us late.

The food was delicious and service was great! Love the ambiance too. Has some nice character and different dishes. You gotta try the fig bruscetta!

This was the worst brunch I've ever been too. 2 hours to get food out for our table of 13. They didn't bring out everyone's food, when we canceled orders they said too bad it was already made and we had to pay for it still. Service and owners kept saying there is only one cook and that the chicken clubs are why they took so long to make anything. It's a Saturday morning and we are the only table here. Completely unacceptable. Highly recommend going anywhere but here. Terrible service, basic food, rude owners.

Second time I've come to this goof restaurant and they've said they're functionally closed for lack of staff. There are literally three cars of customers here. Ok you win, goblins.

I'm really baffled why this place has such good reviews. I had looked to see if they accepted reservations online, but I couldn't find any way to on Yelp or their website; so we rolled the dice. When we walked in the host/server asked us how many, I said 4. Quick on the server's heels was the manager. She asked if we had a reservation. I said no that I couldn't find a place to do it online she replied, "You have to call". Would be nice if their website indicated that. She then proceeded to tell us they were short staffed and would try to squeeze us in. I looked around the restaurant and there were 2 tables with people. We should have turned around right then and there and walked out. Our server took us to a table near the kitchen. A few minutes later there sounded like an argument between the manager and the chef. Again, we should have got up and left. We went ahead and ordered thinking all the reviews that ranted and raved about how good the food was would make up for the weird start. Sadly, the food was just meh. Very bland and nothing special, but on the expensive side The lobster Mac and cheese was horrible, especially at $23. I would never go back here again!

My husband and I went here for a date night tonight and had a marvelous time. Good food, great wine, and even better company. The owners are kind, down to earth, sweet people who we genuinely enjoyed meeting. We can't wait to come again soon.

My boyfriend and I went to this restaurant tonight and Cindy treated us very rudely! Upon entering and asking if we had reservations, which we did not, she basically yelled "it'll be a 30 minutes wait!" The way she said it and looked at us was extremely rude. I do not appreciate being spoken to in this way. I will NEVER return to this restaurant.

Attended a beer dinner featuring Chapman Crafted from Orange CA. Meal included 4 courses paired with 4 beers. Owner/Chef described how he enjoys creating dishes that go well with the beer and it was all delicious. Nice and relaxing atmosphere, along with great service. Would highly recommend attending future dinners that pair beer and wine as the quality and price are perfect.

Really sad I hadn't found this gem before now! Wonderful food and service. Loved the gluten free options. Our server was very knowledgeable and made great recommendations - she seemed passionate about the food and wine pairings.

Had a pleasant dinner at Il Vinaio following a show at the Mesa Arts Center. This isn't really a restaurant you'd come to for the atmosphere as it's fairly basic and lacking personality. The service was good. Our food was okay, but nothing special....the bruschetta was the best part. I'd come back again, but it wouldn't be my first choice as there are other Italian restaurants in the area that I prefer.

This was my first time at Il Vinaio and I found the service from Teena, the server, to be excellent even though the restaurant was quite busy that evening. The chef did an amazing job of making the Chicken Romano dish I ordered and the caper berries he added to the chicken dish were more than delicious. Cindy, his wife was also amazing and helpful that evening. Overall, the restaurant was a delight and a place to eat and share a meal with friends. And the food is exceptionally good and delicious! Such a special evening meal!

Our pre-theater dinner at Vinaio was extremely disappointing. Our server indicated that we should order both our appetizer our dinner at the same time because "the food comes out very slow as it is cooked to order" . Although we felt we had plenty of time before our show we did so on her recommendation. But the food came out extremely fast. So fast our dinner beat the appetizer to the table! We ordered a chicken pasta dish Chicken Vinaio (house specialty), and the chicken was so tough and chewy we could cut it with a knife! The chicken may have been cooked in a microwave or something. When we mentioned this to our server, she told us "That is why I gave you a steak knife"! OMG! We couldn't even eat it. We weren't offered an alternative dish or anything. The bruschetta was fine, but the potato and risotto were not hot. Food, atmosphere, ambiance, service definitely not fine dining or even close. A disappointing experience.

Good food, good people! Enjoyed our first visit here. Great menu. We had the Salmon and Filet Mignon. Both were so good. Salmon was so tender. Try the loaded mashed potatoes or twice baked potatoes! We will be back next time we are in the area.

Fantastic food, a beautiful building and service couldn't be better Best burgers and Italian food in Arizona plus a great wine list and quality craft beer An absolute must visit if you are in the Mesa area

We were the only ones in the restaurant when we went for brunch, but the ambiance was great! The restaurant has great light. The wood furniture felt very comfortable and homey. The service was excellent, and we found the menu options very customizable. It almost felt like we were at a bed and breakfast where we had a personal chef! We definitely enjoyed our meal and would recommend this restaurant to others.

My wife & i came in on a Thursday evening to celebrate a birthday, as she is gluten sensitive and they have amazing broad range of gluten free options, the food and service were amazing. First time here and the ambiance of the place was phenomenal, they gave us a free dessert for the birthday. We will definitely be coming back

We just moved into neighborhood and am so happy we have such great place with scratch made food with local ingredients throughout their menu so close! The beer selection is great and local. They had a lot of wine options that looked interesting but I am more of a beer person. I got the bruschetta and it was awesome! My husband normally wouldn't eat bruschetta but it looked so yummy he gave it a try and actually loved it! I am looking forward to many more experiences here!

Just read his response, you can see how angry he is. I do feel bad for his wife - yes manager/co-owner/hostess/server - she wears all the hats. Though I mentioned how she treated the other server, it was mild in comparison to how she had just been yelled at by him., and I'm sure she was rattled by that. I gave it some time to post my review because I didn't really want to hurt her:, but then I had another friend tell me they went there and experienced something similar. He's having some rage problems, and I hope he gets the help he needs. I hope they can retire and live in peace if it's become too much for them. But meanwhile, I felt like it was important to share the review so others could avoid such an experience.

If you're looking for a nice enjoyable place for dinner this is not the place to go. This was my first time at this restaurant. After reading some of the reviews I thought this would be a great place to go to bring my date. I believe the chef might be part owner. And we listened to him berate the staff loud enough for customers like myself to hear. We won't be back.

The food was great and the atmosphere was cozy! Service was good and everyone was friendly and attentive.

My boyfriend and I went to il Vinaio for the first time on Father's Day. I am celiac, he is gluten intolerant, and we were excited that they had a large gluten free menu. We told the waitress we were both GF and asked for GF menus. We also talked to her about being GF free before ordering. We ordered the GF Classic Bruschetta for an appetizer and GF beer. About halfway through the second piece of bruschetta, I started feeling like the bread was not GF. We called the waitress over and sure enough, she did not order it GF. Consuming gluten if you are celiac can be life threatening so this was not a simple mistake! She apologized and said it was because she was so busy but it was only us and one other larger table in the entire restaurant. The service was slooooow and I started feeling pretty sick so we asked for our entrees to go so we could go home. She apologized again and said she would comp the bruschetta which should be expected. Although they have a large gluten free menu, be very careful if you eat there and confirm with each dish that it is, in fact, gluten free. I normally do ask, but this time, I assumed the waitress understood and was fully aware. Never again! For entrees, I ordered the spinach and fig salad and my boyfriend order the mussels with GF pasta. Both dishes were very underwhelming and neither of us finished them. Such a disappointment on a special occasion! We definitely won't be back.

Best summed up as good priced specials, but overpriced entrees for the quality of the food. Nothing was really great, but not bad either. The kinda place I'd take my older family that don't care for robust flavors. Just not for me.

Good food, great staff and wine list. Often has good specials and dinners. Location good for Mesa events

Ate dinner with 6 in party. All of food was horrible. Chicken overcooked--lobster and Mac mushy. Sauces watery. Plus the restaurant itself with so dirty. Would NEVER recommend only nice thing about it was kind waitress.

best place fing ever. if i could give it more stars i would. food was amazing both regular and gluten free. our server, luke, was amazing, loved him. the owner came out and went in depth about questions we had!! desert was above and beyond. can't stop thinking about the crème brûlée cheesecake.