Nino's Italian Restaurant

"Nino’s might not win any awards for innovation, but they’ve been around for more than 50 years, so their formula is obviously working. The menu here is focused on comforting classics that are well executed, like a giant bowl of tasty spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna al forno, and veal saltimbocca. The dining room, with giant curved booths and white tablecloths, is an old-school red sauce restaurant setting that families, dates, and nostalgia-chasers flock to. And Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra provide background noise while twirling creamy fettuccine onto your fork." - nina reeder, jacinta howard, juli horsford

"Located on Cheshire Bridge Road, Nino’s is a classic red sauce restaurant that’s been serving pasta dishes in Atlanta for over 50 years now. Keep it simple with spaghetti and meatballs or lasagna or order the fettuccine with shrimp and scallops tossed in Pernod and saffron cream sauce. There’s also the classic veal parmesan." - Missy Frederick, Beth McKibben

"Located on Cheshire Bridge Road, Nino’s has been doling out old-school red sauce pasta dishes in Atlanta for over 50 years. Keep it simple with the spaghetti and meatballs or the lasagna or order the fettucine with shrimp and scallops tossed in Pernod and saffron cream sauce. There’s also the classic veal parmesan. Reservations highly encouraged." - Eater Staff

"When you want a big bowl of tasty spaghetti and meatballs in an old-school, Italian-American restaurant, the only right answer is Nino’s off Cheshire Bridge. Yes, there’s a cute bar area up front (a new addition to the 1968-built restaurant) with bright yellow booths and blue tiles, and it's just fine to start here with a limoncello spritz. But long-time fans of Nino’s (that’s us too) have a nostalgic attachment to the original dining room where giant corner booths, white tablecloths, Frank Sinatra tunes, and pictures of Italian landmarks make us feel like we’re in 1970s Hoboken. Much of the menu is unchanged from when it first opened, with comforting, respectably good classics like lasagna al forno and creamy fettuccine with shrimp and buttery scallops. Food Rundown Bruschetta This toast snack comes to your table automatically as part of their free bread service. The tomatoes are fresh and the hint of garlic adds a little kick of extra flavor. It’s free, but we would pay for it if it wasn’t. Calamari You'll see calamari on the menu of nearly every Italian restaurant in Atlanta. And while these little squid rings might not be our favorite, they're good and make a nice warm-up for your meal. So get them. The breading is light and the marinara sauce to dip them in has a nice spice that makes things more interesting. Spaghetti & Meatballs You might feel cliche ordering this, but fight past that feeling because this is one of Nino’s best dishes. The plump, tender meatballs are the star of the show. You only get three, but we’d gladly eat 13. Fettuccine Alla Michela They aren’t pulling any punches here. This saffron cream sauce is standard but tasty and pairs well with the scallops and shrimp hidden beneath thick, al dente fettuccine noodles. Pollo Villa D’este Skip this. The white wine mushroom sauce has a nice thick consistency but it doesn’t taste like much." - Juli Horsford

"Vintage, Italian-American cuisine is alive and well at Nino's and Alfredo's (2 different Italian restaurants on the same block). These Cheshire Bridge Road institutions have been serving up that old-style, heavily cheesy, tomatoey cooking for more than 40 years. Although seemingly a little dated, the throwback low ceiling, dimly lit dining rooms will make you feel like you're in a scene from The Godfather. Come here for classics like veal saltimbocca, lasagna al forno, chicken cacciatore, and eggplant parmesan. The desserts are all homemade and ridiculously tasty as well. Like many Cheshire Bridge restaurants, there's a serious cult following. Go to both and choose a team." - Dear Elouise