Scalessa's "My Way" Old School Italian Kitchen

Scalessas is the real deal. They are truly living up to the “old school Italian” name. I come from a large Italian family and Scalessas has my seal of approval. Everything we had was phenomenal. Our waitress Angela was so warm and friendly, she felt like my loving Italian aunt, she took great care of us. The risotto balls were incredible - crisp on the outside and rich with creamy cheesy goodness on the inside 10/10 The eggplant parm and chicken parm were so good, absolute highlight of the meal. Both were quite obviously hand breaded and made fresh. They do not skimp on the sauce (gravy) whatsoever so if you like that, this is the place for you. The parms come with a side salad - average run of the mill lettuce, cucumber, and tomatoes tossed in Italian dressing. Also comes with a side of ricotta filled gnocci which were also good and again you can tell they’re homemade. They are known for their meatballs so we had to try those as well. To be completely transparent I’m not sure if I can say these are the best meatballs I’ve ever had. There was a certain flavor that was very forward but I can’t figure out what it was. Nonetheless, absolutely a good meatball. Homemade bread - average, nothing bad about it. Wish it came with olive oil for dipping Cannolis- delicious - made with pizzelle waffle cookie for the shell which is unique and the filling has chocolate chips Overall - a fantastic delicious dinner and even better service - the staff seem to truly have a passion and dedication to their restaurant.

Absolutely loved this place. My buddy and I came here to have a little friend catch up session. The food was great, the service was warm and friendly. Overall had a lovely mom and pop shop feel. The meatballs also were giant which was cool. All the food was tasty. The pasta and sauce were certainly homemade too. I’d absolutely recommend this place and come again

I have no words. Without a doubt, one of the best - if not THE best Italian restaurants I’ve been to. We ordered the meatballs as an appetizer, broccoli rabe, and I got the fettuccini Alfredo as my entree. The food just melts in your mouth. I’d give 20 stars if I could!!

📍 1836 N. Lincoln St., Wilmington, DE 19806 📅 Visits: January 25, 2024 & September 25, 2025 Scalessa’s is one of those neighborhood Italian kitchens that wins you over with warm service, hearty classics, and portions so big you’re guaranteed to leave with a box. If you are visiting and can’t take leftovers with you, highly recommend sharing a meal. Comparing my two visits—first in January 2024 and again today in September 2025—the consistency is impressive, with new highlights that make a return worth while. An additional note, you can walk to Scalessa’s easily from the Brandywine walkway along the river from downtown. About a 2 mile walk from downtown along the scenic trail. ________________________________________ Atmosphere • 2024: Cozy, family-style feel with limited seating inside. A perfect “hidden gem” vibe for locals. Love the pictures and tributes to Sinatra and The Rat Pack. • 2025: Same intimate space, but busier and livelier tonight. Outdoor tables and a fire pit added a nice touch, though the rainy weather kept most people inside. Would like to be able to hear the music be a little louder to enjoy it. The walls had just been painted and new flooring installed, so all the pictures and memorabilia will be going back up shortly. ________________________________________ Starters • 2024: No appetizer—straight to the main course. Lunchtime and we were walking w miles back so we did not want to overstuff ourselves. • 2025: Began with the risotto balls, a special. Absolutely massive, golden on the outside, creamy inside, served with ricotta and marinara. Easily sharable. ________________________________________ Salad • 2024: Crisp romaine, cucumbers, tomatoes, Parmesan, and Italian vinaigrette. Simple and refreshing alongside the heavy entrée. • 2025: Nearly identical. ________________________________________ Main Entrées • 2024: Chicken Parmesan with gnocchi—a giant breaded cutlet covered in marinara and mozzarella, served with a hearty side of gnocchi. Comfort food at its best. • 2025: Ordered the Chicken Parmesan with gnocchi again. The chicken was just as tender and cheesy, but the gnocchi seemed lighter and more delicate this time. A subtle refinement that elevated the dish. ________________________________________ Dessert • 2024: No dessert. • 2025: Treated myself to the Chocolate Butter Cake—a decadent mix of cake and brownie textures, gooey but not overpowering, with whipped cream on the side. A must-try finish to the meal. Easily can be shared. ________________________________________ Service & Experience Both visits featured attentive, friendly servers who paced the meal well. In 2025, I appreciated being asked whether to hold the entrée until I finished the appetizer—thoughtful touches that show they care about the diner’s experience. The owner stopped over multiple times to check to see how the meal was. ________________________________________ Final Thoughts Scalessa’s remains consistently excellent between visits. 2024 introduced me to their unforgettable Chicken Parm and gnocchi, and 2025 added the risotto balls appetizer and chocolate butter cake, making the meal even more indulgent. Next visit I am going to venture out and try something different. Not sure what yet, but looking forward to it. ⭐ Rating: 5/5 (both visits) – Dependable, hearty, and delicious every time. If you’re in Wilmington or passing through on I-95, Scalessa’s should be on your list. #Review #Resatuarants #Wilmington #Delaware #Italian #Food

Absolutely fantastic Italian restaurant. Our server, Angela, was awesome and very kind and informative. I ordered eggplant parm with gnocchi and salad, and my family ordered chicken parm with gnocchi, Italian wedding soup salad, and the cheese ravioli. For our appetizers, we got the risotto balls with their famous meatballs. Not only was it delicious, but the portions were very generous. All of us had to take half of our meals home. 10/10 I recommend to anyone looking for a place that ticks all the boxes. We will be back for sure.

Food was amazing. Had the meatball appetizer. Then for dinner the salmon special. The server was on point and made us feel so welcome. Will definitely be returning now that I know about this gem of a place!

My fiancé and I happened to stumble upon this when looking for food, and we are so happy we found this place. The food was absolutely amazing, we sat outside and enjoyed the nice weather, and had fantastic service. We highly recommend! They only make ravioli on the weekend and definitely plan on coming back specifically for the meatballs and the ravioli!

Was looking for authentic Italian dinner on way home from Camden and didn’t want to go to Philly City Center in rush hour on Friday. Found this gem on Google and glad I did. This “neighborhood” restaurant was a truly great find. Rich and his staff were so personable and friendly. Happy to go over the Daily Specials and answer any questions regarding the menu. We had Garlic Bread and Meatballs for Apps. These meatballs (2 huge ones) were amazing and the Ricotta Cheese that accompanied them had a slightly sweet flavor that perfectly paired with the meatballs. Such a lovely taste. I ordered the Veal Parmigiana. It was a very substantial portion and was accompanied with Gnocchi with tomatoes and not sure what else. The Lasagna is a huge portion and is smothered in sauce. I chose the fresh-brewed unsweetened with lemon for my drink. We were so full and each of us took half of our meals home, as well as dessert. I ordered a Cannoli and ate it after I got home. It was very flavorful. I truly enjoyed the whole dining experience, and felt that the prices were on-point. I appreciated that we did not feel rushed to leave and were able to take our time and enjoy our meal. We will definitely be back!! Anyone on 95 looking for a stop-off to eat, this is your place. They also serve subs and have tables with umbrellas outside. Also, I recommend arriving early for dinner because they do fill up quickly.

We loved everything we had! The sauce, meatballs, gnocchi, etc.... We will definitely be going back.

The best Italian food in the state of Delaware. When I first went there, I was excited to hear them call the sauce "gravy". That's the real stuff! I grew up near a heavily populated Italian community and my mom learned to make a lot of authentic Italian foods. Scalessa's is just like that. Food for the soul! We get take out there quite a bit and never had a bad experience. I recommend This place to everyone! Keep up the good work! Wishing you guys the best!

Scalessa's "My Way" Old School Italian Kitchen - Then & Now 1836 N. Lincoln St., Wilmington, DE 19806 Visits: January 25, 2024 & September 25, 2025 Scalessa's is one of those neighborhood Italian kitchens that wins you over with warm service, hearty classics, and portions so big you're guaranteed to leave with a box. If you are visiting and can't take leftovers with you, highly recommend sharing a meal. Comparing my two visits--first in January 2024 and again today in September 2025--the consistency is impressive, with new highlights that make a return worth while. An additional note, you can walk to Scalessa's easily from the Brandywine walkway along the river from downtown. About a 2 mile walk from downtown along the scenic trail. ________________________________________ Atmosphere * 2024: Cozy, family-style feel with limited seating inside. A perfect "hidden gem" vibe for locals. Love the pictures and tributes to Sinatra and The Rat Pack. * 2025: Same intimate space, but busier and livelier tonight. Outdoor tables and a fire pit added a nice touch, though the rainy weather kept most people inside. Would like to be able to hear the music be a little louder to enjoy it. The walls had just been painted and new flooring installed, so all the pictures and memorabilia will be going back up shortly. ________________________________________ Starters * 2024: No appetizer--straight to the main course. Lunchtime and we were walking w miles back so we did not want to overstuff ourselves. * 2025: Began with the risotto balls, a special. Absolutely massive, golden on the outside, creamy inside, served with ricotta and marinara. Easily sharable. ________________________________________ Salad * 2024: Crisp romaine, cucumbers, tomatoes, Parmesan, and Italian vinaigrette. Simple and refreshing alongside the heavy entrée. * 2025: Nearly identical. ________________________________________ Main Entrées * 2024: Chicken Parmesan with gnocchi--a giant breaded cutlet covered in marinara and mozzarella, served with a hearty side of gnocchi. Comfort food at its best. * 2025: Ordered the Chicken Parmesan with gnocchi again. The chicken was just as tender and cheesy, but the gnocchi seemed lighter and more delicate this time. A subtle refinement that elevated the dish. ________________________________________ Dessert * 2024: No dessert. * 2025: Treated myself to the Chocolate Butter Cake--a decadent mix of cake and brownie textures, gooey but not overpowering, with whipped cream on the side. A must-try finish to the meal. Easily can be shared. ________________________________________ Service & Experience Both visits featured attentive, friendly servers who paced the meal well. In 2025, I appreciated being asked whether to hold the entrée until I finished the appetizer--thoughtful touches that show they care about the diner's experience. The owner stopped over multiple times to check to see how the meal was. ________________________________________ Final Thoughts Scalessa's remains consistently excellent between visits. 2024 introduced me to their unforgettable Chicken Parm and gnocchi, and 2025 added the risotto balls appetizer and chocolate butter cake, making the meal even more indulgent. Next visit I am going to venture out and try something different. Not sure what yet, but looking forward to it. Rating: 5/5 (both visits) - Dependable, hearty, and delicious every time. If you're in Wilmington or passing through on I-95, Scalessa's should be on your list. #Review #Resatuarants #Wilmington #Delaware #Italian #Food

We looked for a new place to check out for lunch while stopping in Wilmington last week, and found an absolute gem in Scalessa. From the fantastic food, to the warm and helpful server, to the Sinatra-themed, cozy ambiance, Scalessa provided a memorable experience.Best meatballs I can remember and THE best wedding soup I have ever had. It's too bad the neighborhood association blocks them from BYOB, but their other location in Pike Creek has full liquor service. We'll be back!

Great food. Great intimate, Italian ambiance. Awesome spot. Nice people/service. My aunt always bring me here when in Wilmington.

We stopped in on our way to Newark from KOP. Angela our server, was kind, friendly and very helpful. Suggestions were spot on. Food was outstanding, super hot and really fresh. Ambiance is great. Portions are hearty. Will definitely stop in again when on travel for business. Looking forward to it. Jeff & Donna from Pittsburgh

The staff at this restaurant was very friendly and attentive. It was much smaller than I expected and the music and interior were both Sinatra themed, which I really enjoyed. I had the Eggplant Parmesan and it was really tasty especially the marinara sauce. I can see why this place has been in business so long. We really enjoyed our meal.

A local favorite of mine! Fresh made pasta is incredible. I usually rave about their Brussels sprouts but mixed it up today with the Broccoli Rabe and it did not disappoint! Chicken Scalessa with gnocchi in Blush sauce was amazing. Already dreaming of having my left overs (helloooooo portion size!!!). Service is always great. Cute outdoor seating!

Scalesa's has earned a coveted 5***** s from this gal! Wow. The food here is authentic, drool worthy,and far superior to that "other infamous" overly hyped Delaware Italian row home establishment. We over ordered and don't regret it one bit. Sampling the meatball appetizer with ricotta. The sauce was superb. The balls easily broke down with just a fork and melt in your mouth delicious. Chicken parm crispy, moist and topped with the freshest of mozzarella. My only disappointment was no bread served with the meal but the entrees themselves were some of the best Italian dishes we've had. The restaurant was small and had dining outdoors as well. Three TVs had classic DiNero movie playing. Our server was through and explained the menu and specials. A definite treat. One that will have us going to DE just for the meal.

Had to satisfy my craving. Grandma's Sunday Gravy will have you coming back. Wifey got the veal parm and she loves it. Great friendly service and atmosphere. A must try.

Meatballs, gnocchi, lasagna, chicken parm...everything on this menu is amazingly delicious!!! Will definitely come again!

Saw great ratings on Yelp so my wife and I went for lunch. Ratings were accurate, this place was great. Authentic Italian food. My wife had a meatball salad - sounds strange but it was a meatball and a italian salad. I had a meatball sub. It had amazing meatballs but also some chunks of meat. Sauce was just right. Temperature was perfect. I'll be back for sure.

We live in N Wilmington but come here for lunch your amazing cheesesteaks, subs and to die for porkette w broccoli rabe. Tonight we came for dinner take out and tried your eggplant parm. What a surprise that your side pasta was gnocchi!!! Delicious, non-heavy pillows. Wonderful red sauce. What a delight!! Also got a side of your broccoli rabe - which is the best; perfectly cooked with sliced perfectly cooked garlic!! Friendly staff too.

We have to hit this place every time we're in Delaware. The food and service are fantastic! I cannot get past the Porkette with Broccoli Rabe, long hots & sharp provolone, it's is absolutely delicious. My husband got the chicken parm sandwich this time and it was fantastic. If we lived nearby this would be a staple for us. Highly recommend!!

A friend recommended Scalessas to us, and they did not disappoint. Our server Rich was amazing. There is a homey, family feel to this little Italian restaurant. The food is absolutely delicious, fresh, and all homemade. We ended dinner with their lemon butter cake and continued to be impressed. We can't wait to go back and try more things on their menu.

I had the Eggplant parm with gnocchi...outstanding. The sauce was bright and fragrant the Gnocchi's were like pillows.

We had the meatball appetizer and it was amazing. I had the veal parmigiana and that was delicious. The wife had eggplant parmigiana and I tried that and was also amazing. We tried the homemade cannolis and they did not disappoint!!! This place was awesome and would recommend it to everyone!! Thanks for the great food.

Wonderful food and service! The staff was really understanding as they accommodated our large party and made us feel at home. We really appreciated it as we had a couple of kids and elderly guests in our party. Everything we ordered came out very hot and delicious. I didn't get a picture of the gnocchi as that dish disappeared almost immediately. If we didn't have so much food already, I'm sure we would've ordered more. My personal favorites were the veal parm and Philly cheesesteak. So full of melty cheese and super tender! For dessert we had cannoli -- a must have. TBH Scalessa's one of the best Italian restaurants I've personally been to. It's so cozy and old school at the same time, that I'd love to bring a friend with me back here. 10/10 would recommend for date night! Quick tip: the restroom wasn't working when we visited, so in case that's an issue, there's a gas station and cafe nearby that has facilities.

I'm usually a skeptic when places have such a high rating, but this place did not let down. From the moment I walked in the hostess was super friendly and attentive. The ambience is that of a small town Italian restaurant . The food was delicious. No complaints.

Do not sleep on this place! Amazing food and a great family atmosphere. The food was outstanding!!! The owners brother was a gem! Thanks for a great dinner. ~ Tulsa

Found this place while passing through town, and so glad we did! Chicken piccata with gnocchi, meatball salad, and rigatoni with Sunday sauce were all out of this world. Our server, Angela, was just as wonderful. She is so kind and really made it a special meal. We will definitely be back.

I really enjoyed the 3 cheese gnocchi Great atmosphere Delicious food Friendly service

Delicious meatballs.... Service fabulous and FREE pizza! Small friendly place with some tables outside. Owner here being very engaging with customers. Good luck in Pike Creek! Sure to be a success!

We were just here for the first time last Summer. We came back for more 2 months ago, and i was happy with the Meatball Salad. Meatball Salad was delicious and big in portions. The vibe and people here are so cool. Melissa was our server, and she got a good tip. Lots of good menu choices. Food is less expensive. We will be back around again maybe in the summer.

Great experience - owners that really care and are hands on. Truly family style Italian food with plenty of special hand made dishes.

Great takeout but it's so cute wish we could've eaten outside. Service was fast and friendly.

What a find! Lovely neighborhood gem, we stopped in coming home from a road trip for lunch. We will return for sure! Yelpers, I found this place while we were driving and your reviews where exactly on point. Your reviews are what made me choose this place, and I ordered everything I saw appearing on yelp multiple times: meatball salad, chicken Scalessa w/gnocchi in blush sauce, butter cake. Holy. Moly! My wife & I split everything, still took the entree home. So much food. The meatball salad was devoured, I forgot to take a pic. But the pics on here are accurate. I had to twist her arm because she did not understand meatballs with salad. I did not either, but everyone said you had to have it so I followed along. I am glad I did. Not gonna try to explain it, just get the meatball salad. You must! I don't know why the most delicious garlic bread ever is a special, but if they happen to have it while you're there, get that too. The chicken was amazing. With that crab cream sauce. I think the gnocchi was the biggest surprise, it's not traditional potato. It's made with some kind of cheese. These pillows melt in your mouth. It's completely insane. Everything was just delicious. Then the butter cake, that is homemade and comes out warm. I put myself in a food coma, lol. Totally worth it! Our server was fabulous, I didn't catch his name. The ambience is really cute, they had the Godfather on the TV and an homage to Frank Sinatra all over the walls, which suited me well because I am a fan.

Porchette Sandwich Chicken Parmesan Sub Eggplant Stack All delicious. If you come here and don't get the Porchette sandwich you'll definitely want to come again. It was amazing!

Found this place from TikTok and didn't disappoint. Excellent recipes and preparation. Best meatball app I've had. Butter cake was really good too.

Everything thing was outstanding, so glad I found this place on Yelp,,, don't hesitate go check them out!

It's such a cute place with good food! We were visiting Neumor estate and got hungry! We found this on Yelp. The owners are super sweet. The meatball salad sounds like an odd combo, but it was really good, and I cut down on my carbs. My husband said it was the crispiest eggplant he has ever had!

Good food. Service is good. Know what you want ahead of time to make your ordering a breeze

Just went for the first time tonight. We WILL be back!! excellent food, service, Hugh, homemade portion's. Angela was a fantastic server.

Dinner was fantastic. Portions were huge. Staff was friendly. I'm definitely going back. Love it. Oh and parking is very manageable.

Great spot in Wilmington. Family owned, neighborhood spot serving up fresh made Italian food, so good! Super friendly service in a quant dining room. Highly recommended.

I can't say enough good things about this place! I celebrated my birthday with family at their new location in Pikes Creek. The atmosphere is welcoming, classic and stylish the food is amazing!!! My 4 year old grandson kept saying " Wow" with ever bite. My 31 year old son said," this is probably some of the best Italian food that I ever ate!" We enjoyed the meatballs and Brussel sprouts for appetizers. Chicken Scalessa and pasta dishes for dinner. Then we finished with butter cake and cannoli's! The food was out of this world! The service was excellent too! Can't wait to return!

I stopped in for a quick lunch. They don't use frozen patties here; everything is fresh and homemade. The meatballs were huge, about the size of baseballs, and the gravy tasted just like mom makes. The four cheese gnocchi melted in my mouth. I loved the decor. The staff was friendly and knew the menu well. I asked what else I should try on my next visit, and she recommended several delicious options.

Scalessa's is my absolute go-to for excellent Italian take out. It's as good as being in Brooklyn and everyone seems happy & nice. Every dish on the menu is delicious!!!

Great food, friendly people, good prices , good hrs , authentic food ,good service , small but homey atmosphere

The food, the service, the ambience, everything was just amazing! From the minute we walked in the door, we were attended to and waited on with impeccable service! The food was absolutely amazing. Everything from the appetizers to the main course and the dessert was yummy! Would return over and over again!

It was the last day in Wilmington for my partner and me and we stopped here for lunch after reading some good reviews.  We started with the meatball salad.  The veggies were fresh (crispy romaine and cucumbers, they took the time to use and slice cherry tomatoes instead of beefsteak, black olives, a pepperoncini and sprinkled with parmesan...this is tlc!), meatballs had a higher ratio of meat to filler/breadcrumbs and the ricotta was smooth and sweet...we highly recommend this dish and you wont get this anywhere exactly like this! We also shared their cheesesteak with mushrooms.  The sub roll was slightly toasted and not the kind you get in most places...it was thinner with less volume of bread, which made the meat, cheese and mushrooms the stars! We also ordered an italian sub to go...this thing is huge and feeds 2 people.  The roll was soft and filled with salami, cappocolo, ham, prosciutto, provolone, lettuce, tomato, and hot peppers.  An amazing sub! Bottom line, the service was fast and the food was outstanding...we would be weekly visitors here if we were locals!

The food is so so good! The smell of the place is so inviting! Scalessa's is a very clean place! The atmosphere says come anytime! The staff people are so nice! I love going there whenever I get a chance! Try it! You will like it!

So good that I'm drooling just thinking about it. I absolutely loved the calamari with the red sauce, which has perfectly roasted sweet red pepper with balsamic vinegar over it. My friend didn't like it as much because it wasn't as crispy, but I didn't mind it. I also loved every single dish we had here. My favorite was the crab dip over the fried chicken (forgot the name) and the side of gnocchi that came with it. The Philly cheesesteak was better than the one in Philadelphia. Can't wait to come back!!

This is a great place. We keep going back! Everything is great and authentic. I showed this place to a friend and he keeps going back as well

Great, unassuming, little corner joint with good food and nice people. Bummer it is closed on Sundays.

Cheesesteak and Chicken Cutlet hoagie were both amazing. Very small but quaint atmosphere; but prices were a little steep.

Stopped here for lunch with my boys. Truly the best Italian food other than my nonnas and my moms. I had rigatoni's with pork and sausage. It was out of this world. My son had gnocchis which were homemade and delicious. Hobby had downtown chicken, which was also very very good. Can't wait to return and try other Italian delicacies on the menu. Best ever.

Seriously blown away but how amazing this little spot was. The 2 waitresses working were killinnnnnn it!!!!! They were on POINT. Quick with everything and so nice, had great recommendations and really knew their stuff too! Food was amazing. We got the Brussels & the meatball app. The Brussels were a little tooooo crispy for us but flavor was good. The meatballs were soooooooo good, it was the sauce for me though!!! They give a little plop of ricotta too with that. So glad we got that app! I got the spinach ravioli special it was in a light blush type of sauce with spinach and tomatoes on it. Wow. I actually never order anything like that but the waitress recommended it and it was to die for! Huge raviolis too, great portion. My husband got the porkette "loaded" he said it was great too! He couldn't finish it and only ate half it was hugeeee! So good, the broccoli rabe there is exactly how broccoli rabe should be!! We also got a garden salad which was simple but amazing. Dressing was great!!! It is a little bit of a smaller place, so it did get a little hot but that could've been the pasta sweats we had lol. Love this spot, a new favorite of ours for some authentic good homemade Italian. We will 100% be back here!!!!! Already thinking of what we will get next time!

It's so hard to find authentic Italian food anymore. The meatballs are soft just like my nonna used to make. I just tried the Limestone location, and I was very happy to see ample parking! I had the Veal Scalessa and it was huge! Plenty of food for at least two meals. The veal was pounded nice and thin. It came with gnocchi, which literally melted in my mouth! What a delightful treat! I had asked for a bit of bread, and they brought me out garlic bread! Literally felt like I was sharing a meal with family.