Lino's
Italian restaurant · Rockford ·

Lino's

Italian restaurant · Rockford ·

Classic Italian-American dining with red sauce favorites, pizza, gelato

pizza
italian food
lasagna
house salad
great service
great atmosphere
fettuccine alfredo
chicken parmigiana
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Lino's by null

Information

5611 E State St, Rockford, IL 61108 Get directions

$20–30

Order delivery
See Menu
Usually a wait
Restroom
Accepts reservations
Popular for dinner
Dinner reservations recommended

Information

Static Map

5611 E State St, Rockford, IL 61108 Get directions

+1 815 397 2077
linos815.com
@linosrockford

$20–30 · Menu

Features

•Usually a wait
•Restroom
•Accepts reservations
•Popular for dinner
•Dinner reservations recommended
•Cozy
•Romantic
•Trendy

Last updated

Jan 11, 2026

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Family-run for decades, Lino’s is a love letter to classic Italian-American dining—red sauce favorites, pizza, steaks, and house-made gelato in a throwback space. A frequent pick in regional roundups, it’s the city’s go-to for nostalgic Italian feasts.

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Lino's

Isaac M.

Google
We came in and got seated instantly. The waiter (MICHEAL) came and introduced himself and got started on the drinks. He told is that the pizzas were really good. And that the cheese came from the Amish nearby. We got a pizza, my wife got lasagna and I got a baked cod. The pizza was better than he said and my added it has the perfect crust crunch. The cod was absolutely delicious and my wife enjoyed the lasagna... definitely an amazing place to try. It's one my wife and I will be returning to.

Michael B.

Google
I’m more excited to write this 5-star review than any other I’ve done! Lino’s has been a Rockford favorite for over 50 years — I know because I worked there 53 years ago when I was 14, The family that owns Lino’s is absolutely wonderful. They recently catered my grandson’s wedding rehearsal dinner, and the food was amazing — everyone loved it! I can also vouch for dining at Lino’s over the years; the food, service, and atmosphere have always been top-notch. We’ve had nothing but great experiences there.

Dan E.

Google
Chloe was an awesome server, very attentive. Food was terrific such a great value. I had the chicken saltimbuco which came with a salad and ice cream. The jazz band that was playing when I was there, was terrific.

Crystal

Google
Wonderfully crafted cocktails! I love how their drink menu changes with the seasons. Most recently I got to try the Blackberry Lemon Drop and it was delicious! I also got the BBQ chicken wing appetizer as an entree. The wings are the best wings around! Very tender with a flavorful and sugary BBQ sauce, they are perfection. Also I love getting the baked cod, pizza, and special salad on other occasions. Very nice staff and great atmosphere inside as well.

KC C.

Google
Decent experience...server was very kind & polite, but was forgetful. Bianca pizza was great, Veal was dry and the chicken alla Francia was dry. Wings with spicy BBQ came out as buffalo sauce...the sharing bowl of salad was great as was the Gelato

Dillon V.

Google
Linos has become my home away from home. Since I moved to Rockford, Charlie and the entire Lino’s team have welcomed me with open arms. Not to mention the food is ALWAYS fresh and delicious. Highly recommend the Fettucine Vodka. Jessica is an expert when it comes to wine, Destiny is a wonderful bartender, and Charlie knows exactly what he’s doing when it comes with the direction of the business. 10/10

Annette S.

Google
ALWAYS incredible homemade (tender) pasta. The red sauce is simply perfect, and the bread is just right! The house salad always sounded a bit bizarre, so always just got lettuce instead. This visit, we got adventurous and were pleasantly surprised! Also, first time for gnocchi. WOW! Melt in your mouth goodness! Should have known both would be good after being on their menu for decades! We’ve personally been enjoying their food (pasta and pizza) for over 40 years. Always busy and fresh. Friendly hostess and servers! Reservations are wise and keep your wait time to a minimum or none at all. Open dining with booths and tables as well as little private booth areas. Plenty of parking and private dining room available for large group gatherings. A Rockford GEM!

WJ

Google
Loved the decor, the service by Megan was too notch*. We had pizza, and it was really good. * As a diabetic, I ordered the 'sugar free" ice cream for dessert. First issue, looked . like it came from a school cafeteria in a little 4 oz cup. Then I was taken back when Megan asked if I wanted a spoon with it. The ice cream was good but I wasn't sure if was sugar free and @ $4.25 for 4 oz, hmmmm. Upon testing my sugar level, I pretty much confirmed it, my level was 25 points higher than normal. In closing, I intend to go back for the food, but not the over priced ice cream.
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Michael B.

Yelp
I'm more excited to write this 5-star review than any other I've done! Lino's has been a Rockford favorite for over 50 years -- I know because I worked there 53 years ago when I was 14, The family that owns Lino's is absolutely wonderful. They recently catered my grandson's wedding rehearsal dinner, and the food was amazing -- everyone loved it! I can also vouch for dining at Lino's over the years; the food, service, and atmosphere have always been top-notch. We've had nothing but great experiences there.
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Amanda M.

Yelp
We decided to check out Lino's as out of state guests because my daughter's teammate's family wanted to try it out. We did arrive one hour before closing, and you could tell staff were...irked. Specifically our server. So that was a bummer and put a little damper on the mood. The inside of this restaurant is really neat. Love the decor and the immersive Italian experience. We ordered a cheesy bread, which I forgot to take a photo of and I didn't try, but my husband and daughter liked it. Everyone's meals came with a house salad that had an oil and vinegar dressing, seasoning, eggs, and sausage in it and that was a crowd favorite. My husband and I shared the pizza that had meatballs and banana peppers. The cheese was AMAZING and so were the toppings. The crust could have been a little crispier, but it was still good. The consensus of the table was that everyone's pasta dishes were okay. One person had the lasagna because it was highly recommended and they thought it was mid. Another's lasagna wasn't hot. Some people thought maybe they just ordered incorrectly. Another crowd favorite was the ice cream at the end. The majority of our group had the spumoni and they agreed it was delicious and different than anything they've ever had.
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MaryAnn B.

Yelp
Walk into a Tuscan village with homey frescoes and decor. Very popular restaurant and easy to see why with Italian setting, good prices and nice wine and cocktail list. Service speedy and accommodating. Wish my server would have made it clear about what pasta and salad came with my dinner. Got an unexpected upcharge to my salad order. Otherwise, generous meals of pasta, pizza, entrees which came with salads, bread, dessert! Nice choice for dinner. Made a reservation for our group.
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Seth B.

Yelp
After trying two different tables, neither of which were suitable for people our size (large), our very patient waitress showed us to a booth that was just right. I started with creamy toasted ravioli and my wife got a salad as an appetizer. For the main course, I got very tender veal parmigiana with mostaccioli and red sauce and my wife went for cheese ravioli. both of us enjoyed everything. When we were done, we had wonderful spumoni. All in all, it was a great dining experience and we will be back.

Kathy N.

Yelp
Always A+ What's not great to say, about Lino's!? Always, consistently great, satisfying Italian cuisine. Best for Me!
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Dan O.

Yelp
Nice family owned restaurant with good food and good atmosphere. Always nice and accommodating.
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Andrea G.

Yelp
We moved from the Chicago area about a year prior over to Rock Falls Il. We have been looking for a pizza that compares. We ventured into Rockford in search of a simple, thin, tavern style pizza. We found Lino's. Damn good in comparison to what we came from. Thabk you for the great service Kelsea. We enjoyed sitting at your bar having good conversation.

Susan F.

Yelp
We had a welcome dinner for our son's wedding guests - 75 people. We couldn't have asked for a better experience! The atmosphere, food, SERVICE was perfect! We had a family-style pasta dinner and pizza - salad was incredible! Thanks to everyone at Lino's for a perfect evening!!!
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Gary M.

Yelp
Have been going to Lino's for many years. We now enjoy the new location as well. Never had a bad meal. Mostly pizza but everything is yips. Special salad to die for oh and great service.

1965cree

Yelp
Ordered take out. Picked up, had the. Place in back of SUV. Get home and discovered they gave us the wrong soda. Not really a big deal, but it was diet. Don't like diet soda. Called the restaurant, manager said we could come back and exchange it. Seriously? Like we want our food to get cold. Then she asked why we didn't say anything when we picked up. Told her that we had it placed in the back. Silence. Then she said well, I guess I could give you a refund of $2.50. Which is nice but damn, how unprofessional to make it sound line it was our fault.
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Davis P.

Yelp
When I think of Lino's, I think of a Rockford staple. I think iconic. Lino's has been a restaurant that I tell everyone about if they want great Italian food. They have pizza, pasta, chicken parmigiana, etc... all delicious things Italian. The service was wonderful. Usually you would need a reservation since they do get busy but today my Fiance and I were lucky to get in right away without one. The service was great as usual. The wait staff is pretty nice. I've never had any complaints when I dine in. The ambiance is your typical Italian decor but it gives you that feel like you are in an Italian town. Especially when you walk in and see the beautiful water fountain. Overall, Lino's is a go to for great Italian food, great ambiance and service, and now a go to for great gelato as well.
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Kaizamar F.

Yelp
Exploring food in the area on a business trip and ran across this spot. Good food, great service, and a nicely decorated restaurant. Server was very helpful and gave us suggestions. Price point was good. Food tasted good and came out quickly. I had the New York strip with Alfredo fettuccini. It was well made and tasted good. We tried the rainbow sherbet for desert as it's an illinois staple and it was good as well. The house salad was different it came with sausage, egg, and balsamic, but didn't disappoint.
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Meagan M.

Yelp
If you're going to Rockford, you know you're going to need to stop for pizza at the classic Lino's. They have two locations, and have great takeout service where they bring the food right to your car in the parking lot. We called to place our order over the phone, and the girl who answered it was extremely helpful in getting our questions answered by the chef in regards to what was gluten-free and cow-dairy-free. Updates: the meatballs do have gluten from the bread crumbs and they do not (yet) have goat cheese or vegan cheese, but maybe that will change sometime in the future. They do have gluten free crust available for the pizza and a gluten free pasta noodle available for any of their pasta sauces. They are famous for their pizza, and allow you to split a pizza in half so you can get different toppings on each side. For our group, we went with one half pepperoni and the other half sausage & mushroom. Their classic tomato salad is also delicious and filling, with hard boiled eggs, sausage slices, cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, cucumbers, cabbage, carrots, and Italian dressing. For takeout, they ask how many people will be sharing the salad, and then they put all of your servings in one large catering tray. Full of flavor, I recommend always getting a side salad with your pizza for some balance.
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Charlie B.

Yelp
Very nice wait staff. The water tastes horrible, and that was the first bad sign. SpaghettiO's tastes better than the chicken parmesan. I've never had chicken parmesan without a coating on it. I don't even think it was pan fried. The house salad was wilted and warm. Terrible food.
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Melissa W.

Yelp
Stopped by Lino's when going to an ice hogs game. They did not disappoint. We ordered chicken Parmesan, veal Parmesan, pizza, a glass of wine, and spumoni ice cream, and Keylime gelato. I would say I'm an incredibly picky eater, and all plates were cleaned. Price was beautifully cheap compared to what I'm used to and the food was amazing, would be back great job Leno's. On top of that, we had not only a manager, but a chef, and our server come to check on us And they were packed.
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Anthony M.

Yelp
Haven't had Lino's since college 25+ years ago...but it did not disappoint! Great crust and awesome sauce...the slight browning on the mozzarella was awesome too! topping were fresh with great flavor. And service was top notch.
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Joe R.

Yelp
Ok... I have been putting this one off for quite some time. I am biased due to the astronomical amount of memories and experiences in this business. Full transparency, over the years I have had birthdays, anniversaries, group parties, and my own wedding reception here. That being said, here is my (not really) short, sweet, and honest review of Lino's (on E. State). Sat at the bar on a weeknight with live music. I love the vibe and comfort level. Ordered the festa meal for one and wine. I know I'm fat and I won't apologize! Soup was minestrone and not really worth the stomach space. Next was special salad, pizza and garlic bread. All were fantastic! Next was the pasta plate of mostaccioli, tortellini, and ravioli. Pure starchy heaven on a plater. Sauce is very good. Next was the main course of chicken parm. Here is my only issue of the evening. If you order the meal only, you get a choice of potato or pasta. With the festa meal, they will only give you the potato. I BEGGED for spaghetti because the baked potato is gonna get tossed. I know some are thinking I'm weird but ain't no room for a baked potato when eating parm with red sauce. They gave me the spaghetti in the end because I must have looked like I needed more PASTA! Love you bartender I won't name. After all this comes spumoni ice cream and a coffee. All in all I love this place! The prices have come up significantly but most places have. As always, form your own opinion and try Lino's yourself and EAT LOCAL.
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Sherri J.

Yelp
We love dining in. The waitresses are pleasant and enjoy all the pasta and the fish fry. My favorite lasagna in the world is at Lino's. We love ordering online and picking it up in the drive thru. It's so quick and easy.

Keith O.

Yelp
Best pizza and salad around. We love this place. We are in Wisconsin but we make sure to visit when we can. You will not be disappointed.
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Ken S.

Yelp
Went New Years eve, people standing outside waiting for opening. We got right in and were seated. Our waitress was very attentive and brought the food right out. The meal was very good, based on past reviews saying portions were quite large, we found them to be ok size not large. We would go back and try other items on the menu
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Ron V.

Yelp
Took our family here for our annual Christmas visit to Rockford. We had five of us and we all ordered either the tortellini with meatballs, spaghetti with meatballs or Lasagna along with the house salad with dressing and blue cheese on the side. The bread they served is really good. We were seated in a very nice little alcove room, very private. Our waitress was good but she forgot to mention if we wanted the blue cheese for the salad....we had to go out and flag her down to ask her to bring us the cheese. Not a problem, but with the enclosed room you're not really noticed. A couple of our group thought the salad needed a bit more dressing. The sausage on the salad is always great. I called to verify our reservations about 35 minutes before our reservation time just tp]o make sure they had it. Good thing I did as they did not have it down(I had made reservations about a month ago by calling in from SC). They put us down for 6:30PM and we were really surprised that we were seated immediately upon entering! Had a great meal and rook home tortellini and spaghetti leftovers. Even had several Spumoni ice creams for dessert .
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Sandy W.

Yelp
I really enjoy the food and ambience of this restaurant. I usually order the breast of chicken alla Francais. It comes with the special salad, a side of pasta or potato, then a scoop of ice cream and a cup of coffee for dessert. I suggest like the spumoni.

jim n.

Yelp
First off told great Italian restaurant, food decent, but server smelled like she bathed in perfume. Got our salads, not even halfway done, here comes the meals, no plates for bread, never checked if we needed water, seemed annoyed when asked to take meals back till we were done. Lotsa busboys standing around, doing not to much, but standing. As far as I'm concerned never go back, service not good.

Darlene N.

Yelp
Server had heavy cologne. No plates for rolls. Is this a rockford thing? There are many restaurants in this area do not provide them. What? Putting my bread on a table?? No! Server brought dinner, even though I wasn't finished with my salad. I told her to take it back until I was done with my salad. Where was the waitress to check on this? No one checked on my husband's water. There were at least 3 bus boys. Is this not their job. We received a gift card for 75.00. Nice person didn't want to take it for payment. But I asked her to take. Because we will never be back. Food was adequate. Nothing special. I don't like chain restaurants. This one is just the same as them. I'm happy to get rid of the gift card... never again. Sad.
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Lucia R.

Yelp
Great ambiance. Megan T was my server and she was great! Friendly and attentive. The pizza bread and fettuccine alfredo with chicken were delicious and good-sized portions. You'll definitely be able to take leftovers home!

Alan F.

Yelp
I had the worst platebof food i can remember at Linos. I ordered veal piccata. The veal ( not sure if it actually was veal) came literally floating in some yellowish liquid that had a skin on top. I asked the waitress to take it back and pour off the liquid. She removed some. The meat had been cooked in the liquid which had no seasoning at all. Veal piccata typically has lemon juice, capers, and white wine. This had none of any ingredients. Only good point was the service.
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Tamika T.

Yelp
Everything the atmosphere, the food, the people. they have music is lovely, the decorations, a place to go to.
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Warren C.

Yelp
Was in Rockford over the weekend. Stopped at Lino's. Half pepperoni, half sausage. Well done. This is "Rockford style", the first time I've had it. Pretty similar to Chicago style and I imagine thats what its inspired by. What supposedly distinguishes this style is a thicker thin crust and a lot of cheese. Place was packed on a Sunday night and we had to wait 20 minutes for a table. So seemingly a popular joint. The crust was thicker than the ideal cracker thin crust of Chicago style. However, it was no thicker than a lot of North Side thin crust, which is often too thick IMO. The flavor of the crust was good and buttery. Sometimes thin crust this thick has a bready or flour flavor. There definitely was a lot of cheese. The make it inhouse and it was excellent, but I think there was too much. Although the crust was crunchy at first, after about 5 minutes it began to get soggy and soft because of all of the moisture of the toppings. Sausage was fine. Nothing special but not bland at all.

Ryan Thomas M.

Yelp
good food, but every time we go the food is 10-20 mins late for pickup time and we have to wait. then on top of that, always have missing items.. they need to slow down and do better with order preparing double check your order and plan ahead of poor timing.
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Dewayne F.

Yelp
Amazing.great taste,great people, great service.nothing but good.Thank you and looking forward to dining in and or carry out again.
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Morris N.

Yelp
The restaurant gets very busy on weekends so definitely make a reservation. The inside is casual and inviting. Our server was swamped but provided great service and was very attentive. The menu has a good variety of entrees and everything is reasonably priced. The pizza was excellent with homemade sausage and fresh mozzarella cheese. We will be back to try more of the menu.
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Dave W.

Yelp
Wow.... utterly disappointed. Got the Lasagna, and I can honestly say that Stouffer's is 20x better. There's no meat in it, and they charge $4 for a meat sauce. It was more like a "sweet sauce". It could have been used for dessert. $27 for a piece of Lasagna and a salad. Luckily it came with a scoop of chocolate ice cream. The ice cream was about the same amount of sugar as the sauce.

Christopher R.

Yelp
Tried it for the first time and was impressed' Consider splitting a meal between 2 people or carrying half out - portions are HUGE
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Jeff N.

Yelp
50 years of excellence! Beautiful dining room, not overdone. Here's what we enjoyed Chianti Sausage and peppers Toasted ravioli_amazing House tossed salad Chicken Marsala Veal parmigiana Combo plates of two pasta, lasagna, fettuccine Electric atmosphere the Friday night we were there. Loud of local regulars and large holiday parties. Server was busy busy but efficient Solid 5!
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Ron R.

Yelp
I love linos, love the house special salad, they ussually serve family style and the layout is very unique. Intimate seating areas as well as room for larger parties. Great place for wedding receptions.
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Marqual T.

Yelp
Love this restaurant, I've eaten here plenty of times throughout the years. Not only is the service top notch the food is incredible. I love the scenery and decor, the pizza is always my favorite as well as the chicken parmesean. My favorite restaurant in Rockford hands down

Sandra P.

Yelp
Always busy and for good reason. My families favorite is the Chicken Parmigiana and Pizza. The special salad is great too.

Luis M.

Yelp
Just make it at home, food taste like a t.v. dinner. The manager was nice offering accommodations but I just wanted to pay for my food and never come back.
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Kevin S.

Yelp
Stopped here for dinner with the fam before a Icehogs game and we loved it! Pizza was great service was perfect, we can't wait to go back.
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Pat K.

Yelp
Junk Italian food. The red sauce has so much sugar that it tastes like they poured an entire 5 lb. bag in the pot. I couldn't eat it. It was that sweet. Told the waitress and she just shrugged. Never again.
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Myrah B.

Yelp
Laura was very disrespectful and rude. I explained that I didn't know the lasagna didn't have meat in it, and I didn't like it. She then said I was wrong and she's Italian and they never put meat in lasagna. Then I asked her name and she said Jill. Wow!!!

Ayline P.

Yelp
I'm on a work trip from San Diego and I will try to not be as harsh since I know this is a small town. The service was really good and I came here after seeing many great reviews. However, it might just be because there aren't that many restaurant in this city. I got fettuccine alfredo with shrimp which comes with salad, bread, coffee, and desert all for about $20. Although this was a good deal, restaurants that don't have good food tend to do these types of deals to get clients in, which limits them on the quality of food. The pasta portion was huge and the quality was not there. It tasted like the pasta I cooked when I was in college. Bottled sauce and that's it, no flavor. I'd rather eat less portion but better quality for the same price...I'd even pay more if the portions were smaller and better quality.

HeCoversMe V.

Yelp
I haven't tried it yet but it looks great and I'm gonna check it out! Love the name reminds me of the catholic guy Lino Rulli
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Anu S.

Yelp
Amazing Italian food- very filling . Great customer service . It is one of my favorite restaurants.
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Amanda W.

Yelp
Always a favorite of my family's. Pizza is amazing. I made my wife try it after she took me on a date to their little side restaurant of Gelato Joes. Loved the gelato as well! We got pizza and they gave us information for the Italian market/Pasqua, which we also tried out. I thought they would had more selection but always love getting pizza and cannolis to go!

Marc C.

Yelp
The meatball and pepper pizza was awesome. We ordered 2 pizzas The value and quality was awesome. Service was great and friendly
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Joel C.

Yelp
Best Pizza and salads in town. Normally get the special to go. On special occasions it's worth sitting in the restaurant, just make sure to get your reservation well in advance. the place is always packed out on the weekends, so be aware of the crowd, but the atmosphere and food is worth it.
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Anna L.

Yelp
Excellent waitress with great service, attentive,terrific fried cod,special salad,mostacholi & dessert. Huge portions & enough for another meal. Very busy & longer wait at 7.

Sam D.

Yelp
Ann old favorite for generations, food is great, weekend need reservations for sure. Ambiance is old Italian. Enjoy!!