Rocco's Neighborhood Joint

Rocco’s on Airport is a fantastic new addition to the Austin food scene. The space has a great energy—lively but not overwhelming—and it already feels like it’s going to be a neighborhood favorite. Nick, the chef (formerly of Sammie’s), is not only incredibly talented but also warm and passionate about what he’s creating. That personal touch shows up in the food and in the overall experience. Service was attentive and welcoming, which is impressive for a restaurant this new. The dishes we tried were excellent. The orricchietti and the bolognese were true standouts, rich and flavorful, and the meatballs with ricatto were nothing short of amazing. While the burrata pasta with peaches wasn’t to our taste, the rest of the menu more than made up for it. What’s frustrating is seeing people rush to drop harsh reviews in the first week. Restaurants need a moment to hit their stride, and the fact that Rocco’s is already delivering at this level speaks volumes. We’re excited to see how it grows—and in the meantime, it’s absolutely worth a visit.

We had a great meal here. We started with the fried blue cheese olives, meatballs, and bread. Everything was great but the meatballs were really standout. For dinner we split the rigatoni (pictured) and that was also delicious. Somehow we made room for dessert and got the cannolis - if you have room, go for them :) Overall the was a great experience - it’s a cozy but fun place and even though they don’t take reservations, there is a wine bar right next door that you can go to for a drink, while you wait.

In a city like Austin that’s short on casual Italian spots, Rocco’s is a welcomed new addition to the neighborhood. We started with the arancini, stuffed with risotto and peas over a bed of red sauce, and the meatballs, served as a trio topped with ricotta. You have to try their Caesar salad with chunks of parm as well! For pasta, we tried the casarecce with bolognese, the lumache with summer corn, pancetta, cheese, and chanterelle mushrooms, and the rigatoni alla vodka. Everything was fresh and house-made, though I found the casarecce a bit salty and wished the meatballs had more flavor. That said, the rigatoni alla vodka was my favorite in Austin. The cannolis were excellent as well!

What a wonderful new restaurant for Austin! Given some of the harsh reviews, we were a bit hesitant to give Rocco's a try, but since Sammie's (especially in the early years) was one of our favorite restaurants in Austin, we decided to make the drive out of downtown to give Rocco's a try. As traffic was the usual Austin mess, on the drive I mentioned to my wife that I didn't think I would ever make the drive again as traffic is such a hassle and walking to downtown restaurants is such a pleasure. The bad news is that we will definitely be making the drive again multiple times. The great news is Rocco's is a new standout favorite for us for Italian dining in Austin. Red Ash, Sammie's, Gina's on Congress are all delicious; though, to our surprise, Rocco's is a new favorite for us. The arancini are the best we have had in the USA. Clearly fresh ingredients, masterfully prepared and the marina sauce is phenomenal in how fresh and authentically Italian it is! We love arancini, and we tend to order it whenever it is on the menu ... anywhere. In the USA, we are almost always disappointed. Osteria Mucca in Portland is one of the few other Italian restaurants where we've had authentic, delicious arancini. We were talking over dinner at Rocco's and concluded that the only arancini we have had that we liked better than Rocco's was Gabriele Bonci's Pizzarium's carbonara arancini. We also thoroughly enjoyed the lumache with Texas sweet corn, black garlic, chanterelle mushroom, crispy salumi & parmigiano. The mix, character, and balance of flavors were exceptional. The rigatoni with vodka sauce, ricotta, basil, and sesame garlic breadcrumb was also outstanding. We ordered this as the lumache alla vodka at Sammie's is a favorite. We hoped Rocco's take would be as good and, to our surprise, it was even better than Sammie's. Service was excellent and adept at adjusting to our preferences, answering our questions about the menu, and in making recommendations. The atmosphere is well done and was a bit of a pleasant surprise for us given the location. The interior vibe could easily be mistaken for a family run spot in Parma or Colle di Val d'Elsa. The space is well utilized with tables more tightly grouped together which, in our view, adds to that authentic atmosphere. We loved it! Congratulations to Chef Nic Ford and the entire team at Rocco's!

Rocco's is a new scratch Italian restaurant located right off of Airport Rd. It's designed like you are stepping into a cellar or basement. Rocco's is for walk-ins only, so arrive early or be prepared to wait. For their size, they have an ok wine selection. From a food standpoint, it was good but not great. The meatballs were packed full of flavor and the whipped ricotta was the perfect accompaniment. The Cesar salad was loaded with cheese and had a hint of lemon, but it was extremely salty. We overheard the table next to us make the same remark. We tried the casarecce bolognese and the vodka rigatoni. We were split on which we preferred. They both were cooked perfectly al dente and weren't very heavy. Overall, Rocco's makes for a great date night but comes up just short of a couple other Italian restaurants in town.

Retro 1950s-1960s Italian restaurant with dark wood paneling, pictures of the family on the wall, small lamps on the table and even the menu has that bygone vibe. Food was excellent comfort food with friendly service. I’m from Jersey and I felt right at home.

Easily some of the most memorably delicious pasta I have had in the US. And super friendly service. You can’t go wrong with any pasta on the menu, they’re all gems. My first plate was so good I had to order another and scarfed that one down just as fast. Will come back.

Probably some of the best service I have had in Austin. Our water glasses were always full and we didn’t have a dirty plate on our table for more than a minute before someone cleared it. It has a great atmosphere and makes for a great date night spot. We weren’t blown away by the arancini or the pasta, but the Caesar salad and Nebbiolo were great. We would 100% go again and explore different food options.