Testa Barra Kitchen & Cocktails

I recently celebrated my birthday at Testa Barra with a group of 18 women, and it was absolutely perfect! The atmosphere is incredible—warm and welcoming, yet stylish and fun. The cocktails were not only gorgeous but also delicious, and the food was simply outstanding—both in taste and presentation. Every dish looked like a work of art and tasted even better. The staff was amazing: super friendly, attentive, and organized. Even with such a large group, they managed to split all the checks correctly without any issues. Our food came out quickly, and our server even made sure to let us know that gratuity was already included in the bill. It was a flawless experience from beginning to end. Everyone in our group loved it—it was unanimous. I’ll definitely be coming back again. Highly recommend!

All I could say is wow. The food was a 10/10. our server Bradley was very attentive, observant, and helpful!! One of the best services I’ve experienced. Thank you for making our night!

Testa Barra is always a great experience! The food is always high quality and the staff is so kind and enthusiastic. I often just get a salad and fries, their fries are so fresh and a perfect combo of crispy on the outside and pillowy on the inside. All of the dishes I’ve had from salad to fries to pasta are fresh, well seasoned, and delicious! My most recent visit was to celebrate a birthday in our party, which we indicated on the reservation. They had a Happy Birthday sign on the table and all of the staff treated our birthday guest so well. I highly recommend this restaurant for your next special occasion or nice meal.

Wonderful service and food. The miso glazed salmon was great, and I would totally order the “catch me açai” cocktail again. I wish I remembered our server’s name because he was great!

We’re from Dallas and had a blast in Detroit last night! We went for dinner with a group of friends (11 of us). We tried their famous Smoky Old Fashion Drinks, and let me tell you, they were absolutely delicious! The bar trolley brought them right to our table, and they made them in the most amazing way. We also ordered some appetizers like Bruschetta and Calamari, and for the main course, we had Salmon, chicken, and pasta. The main chef, Michael, even came over to ask for our feedback twice. It’s no wonder this restaurant is packed with birthday parties and events - it’s got a great vibe, fantastic customer service, and mouth-watering food.

Our absolute most favorite place. Delicious food prepared by a chef, incredible ambiance, and a staff that has become like family to us. It’s our regular haunt and we can’t wait to see the specials each time we come in. Owners know how to make a patron feel valued.

Been here a few times. The first time was great, and with each return it's been getting progressively unpleasant. My last visit was a party of 8. When the waiter was bringing things to the table he was tossing it or setting it in places unreachable. The food was great and in my opinion better than the first visit. The only thing that made it unpleasant the past few times was the services I've been getting.

Fantastic Brunch & Dinner Spot! We loved Testsa Barra brunch! Chicken tenders for the kiddos. For the adults, we ordered breakfast nachos (waffles, cheese, short rib, and a fried egg) and the carbonara flatbread—everything was delicious. Our server, Bailey, was excellent, providing great service even when one item didn’t come out as expected. Brunch was great, and dinners have been just as good. Highly recommend!

Wonderful, chic, yet not pretentious place right here in North Macomb. The inside looks welcoming cozy yet classy and semi fancy too. Lots of high end decòr without going over the top. My wife and I enjoyed a bit of a date night and began here for a few drinks and tried their charcuterie board, which is a popular option for us to dive into a few cocktails and tasty cold eats that can stIll build good appetite. So the bartenders have that classy big city knowledge and personality without the rush or edginess you may not rather have. She let us sample any drinks we were unsure of and she knew how to think of good recommendations of libations based on our preferences and wanting to try something new. The charcuterie board had a generous helping of tasty prosciutto (for some reason my wife didn't like that cut but I loved it). The salami and selection of cheeses as well as a sweet fig spread was on there too. The presentation was definitely something to behold, like in a mountain form. I'll upload a picture. Next time if we go with another couple we will also order the calamari which looks fantastic. The meals here also look very good and I'm psyched to actually do dinner here one day in the near future. The suspense will have to build until then. Two thumbs up and highly recommend so far!!

Loved it here!! Pizza portion was gigantic for a low price ($16), and tasted incredible. Fig and balsamic vinegar paired so nice with the goat cheese and greens on top. Slightly sweet but still savory enough for a filling meal. Couldn't recommend this option enough. Want something more filling? We also tried the salmon.. this was seriously the best cooked salmon I've ever had. Puts other establishments to shame. It was served with this delightful carrot based sauce... wouldn't have known it was carrots if I didn't read it on the menu. Delicious. Service was quick, friendly, all that I could ask for! Only downside I'd say is location and decor. Located up in Macomb township, this inside of a strip mall next to a vape shop and gym. Parking lot is large enough you will not have issue finding a spot. I'd recommend getting a reservation though

Edit: We were contacted not once, but twice last night (the same night of incident) by not only the owner, but a chef as well. It is very obvious that they deeply care about their restaurant, as they had taken the time to apologize and read their reviews; It's touching and I think it speaks volumes about their character and commitment to a higher standard not only for the restaurant, but for the community in which they serve. Again, I believe the short comings we experienced with taste and pace were likely due to the kitchen being backed up rather than something Anthony did or didn't do and all was out of his control. Anthony was very personable and well informed about the menu items too. Upon reflection this morning, I'm beginning to think last night was just a rare occurrence in this restaurant and though unfortunate, life goes on. I've raised my rating to 3 as it was still just an ok experience, but the immediate contact and concern was touching and I do think they meant well by it. We will try again another time and hopefully it's a better tasting meal and overall experience! Wishing you all the best and thank you for reaching out to myself and my husband to hopefully resolve these issues for future guests. ******************************** Original: Came in for our anniversary and to try a new restaurant that we had heard mostly good things about, but wanted to see for ourselves. We were greeted by the hostess as she was seating another group and then promptly seated at a high top table (though it literally was just a couple of feet by the door/hostess stand...I felt like we should have been interacting with all that people who came in while waiting/staring at us as they waited for a table lol...like we were in the way of the door if that makes sense? The hostess came by a few minutes after seating us and after drink order was taken with a rose, as she must have seen a note on the reservation that we had come in for our anniversary (should she have known or checked before seating us, yes, as we had one of the first reservations of the night, but not too big a deal). Our waiter (Anthony) was very nice and well versed in the menu items. The decor was nice and good flow, but unfortunately those are the only good parts from our visit... I had the recommended/award winning salmon that our waiter had suggested and it was served with broccoli; the broccoli was mainly stems and undercooked and while the ginger sauce on the salmon was good, the salmon itself had the skin left on it and the edges were hard as a rock/over cooked. My husband had a pasta with sausage (forgot the name), but they did in fact leave out the mushrooms as per his request. He said it was ok, but just missing something. Service is extremely slow for a 5:30 reservation on a Wednesday! I don't believe this to be Anthony's fault at all, rather it seemed like a kitchen issue/backed up? Whole restaurant experience is just missing something and unfortunately we left unimpressed and not wanting to try dessert. If I'm being honest, it was disappointing after hearing about their "award winning chef" and it kinda ruined vibe of the night--over priced/over hyped for what you'll receive and the slow pace didn't help matters. Afraid to see what the environment/pace would be on a weekend!

Had such a nice dinner this week. The lasagna was so fluffy and creamy. The shrimp were big and the cocktail sauce - I need your recipe!!! The horseradish in it was just right! My salad was huge as well. Definitely enough for two ppl. Service was prompt. And I love the way the restaurant looks. Cozy, swanky. Always a good time!

Definitely adding to my list of go to places! What a treat! I order the ragu conchiglie, my husband ordered the shrimp scampi and a friend ordered the figa biga, all were outstanding. The prices were on the higher side but the portions were very large and the leftovers were just as good! The service was good, not great but the ambiance was spectacular. We sat at the bar while we waiting for our table and the bartender was great!Highly recommend!

Happy hour! Great server and delicious Marguerite pizza. The remodeling of the interior has a great vibe. The music added to the ambience.

Testa Barra is a VIBE! This place is so cool. It doesn't make you think you're in a semi rural part of Michigan. It's in a strip mall but they've done a wonderful job outfitting it into a swanky cool semi upscale place. The service was PHENOMENAL! From the moment I walked in the door I felt welcomed. No one was at the hostess table but a young man cleaning tables quickly acknowledged me and came over to greet me. I chose to sit at the bar and there were about three to four different bartenders of which all interacted with me in service and collaborated very well together. The menu wasn't overwhelming but certainly had seemingly intentional selections that were interesting in their composition. I ordered the Guilty Vegan Pasta adding the arrabbiata sauce which was AMAZING. There is apparently a semi Ghost kitchen of a restaurant called Orro operating in the restaurant with a separate menu. The menu also had some intriguing options like an extremely fresh made guacamole served with circular tortilla chips that added a nice flair. The final course was a coconut milk panna cotta topped with cinnamon and golden raisins and it was simply scrumptious. The restaurant brings a unique big city flair to Macomb County/Shelby township. Testa Barra is definitely worth the drive. Great place for all types of occasions. I couldn't commend the staff enough! They seem to really enjoy one another and it shows in the service they deliver.

Visited on a late Friday night and we were quickly seated. Our server recommended the limoncello Mules which were bright and citrusy. Started the meal with an appetizer of arancini- the vodka sauce is delicious! We then opted for a pizza and settled on the Figa Bigawhich was packed with flavor. I would definitely love to come back and try their brunch menu on a weekend and explore more of their signature cocktails.

Dined here twice this week! The Michael Agnello wine dinner event was 5 stars. We were greeted with Champagne, browsed jewelry, nice spring side salad, tasty chicken puttanesca, and delicious chocolate crème brûlée pot. Also paired with the Scrooge drink and Bononza Cab. Service was attentive. Event room was cozy and decorated for the holidays. It was lovely hearing from the entire Baldwin family and their history. A step above would've been if they walked around to ask how everything was. Last night we tried our luck to dine in the dasher room with our toddler. We got a floor table, which was fine for us. We got the kids pizza but were super disappointed that he never got the bombolino. I forgot to remind the waitress so I'm hoping they'll make up for it and give him 2 next time. We got the Scrooge drink again - it tasted different than at the wine dinner. Not as good but served in a bulb which was cute but I think it ruins the effervescence of the Champagne. I questioned if Champagne was in it at all. We also ordered an Old Fashion. For dinner we ordered the Chicken Saltimbocco dish. It was not as good as the wine dinner chicken dish I had days earlier. It was also missing mushrooms which the waitress had corrected. The wine dinner version had nice large flakes of Parmesan. This evening's chicken had none. I'm not sure what to expect if I order this again in the future. Waitress was really busy and checked in frequently. Only downside was that missed bombolino which I'm hoping we'll get double if we decide to come back!

Always great food and service!! Tried a pizza for appetizer this time . Will try something new next time .

Such delicious food. The staff and service is great here as well. I love the decor in this place too. We also went when there was live music, which was a nice touch.

Testa barra is always a treat. We absolutely love their pizzas and the short rib is phenomenal. Great cocktail selection.

The last time I was here, I had angel hair pasta with lobster tail. It was served with a blush sauce that was not very spicy, but just enough. A generous lobster tail on top finished it nicely. They have great drinks, bartenders and a sheik atmosphere

Excellent food and great cocktail selection. I am a big fan of Testa Barra and have been going there since they opened. Excellent service, friendly staff, and overall a great experience during each visit. Plenty of parking out in the lot too which is a great feature.

Came with a group of friends on a Saturday night. What a nice place. Very clean and well kept. Service is wonderful. Food was delicious. The interior design is quite unique. The live music was a perfect touch. Such a cool atmosphere.

I went here for mothers day and they were out of lamb shanks by 4 pm which disappointed my mom a lot but everyone ended up loving their food anyway. The vegan pasta dish was even a hit for my sibling! I got the vodka pasta dish and it was delicious but the cream brulee was so good, I wish they gave us more because it was expensive for such a small amount. Overall, I thought this place was ok. I didn't love how the tables were so close together because I felt too close to the other parties of people.

Still dreaming about the meal that we had at Testa Barra Kitchen & Cocktails on Saturday... Dan went with the lasagna. It was amazing as usual. I tried something new for me here- Rigatoni ala Vodka. It was sooo good and I'll definitely be ordering it again. We ordered some wine and the spicy ghost cocktail (I love that they put fresh jalapeño in the ice cube) Our server was the best and gave us recommendations for next time. The manager came over to check on us. The service is always above and beyond here and the food is incredible. We still need to make it in for pizza sometime!

The food is well prepared and presented wonderfully. Service is second, the weight staff is adaptive as well as the bus staff. The upscale atmosphere is always inviting and friendly

I haven't been here in a while. Menu change and WOW!! Chicken parm was so GooD!! Servers were on the ball and presentation was awesome. Blain was great as well.

Don't get me wrong, the place has a very cool vibe. What's disappointing about this restaurant Is there inconsistency of food and service quality. I've been here before where the food and service is absolutely wonderful, and then weeks later I've come back on the same day in the same time frame and ordered the same food choice, and it is a completely different experience. I religiously order the dippy eggs brunch item, and each time I order it, it is prepared differently. It is so frustrating. I've ordered the Nutella beignet bombs and sometimes I have fruit with them and other times I do not. I order a mimosa and sometimes it's a generous poor, and other times it is not. It's really unfortunate because I have had good food at this establishment, it just depends on who's working I guess ...

Went here with my mom over the holidays and we were very impressed with the ambience, the service and the food. I still think about how good the apps were!

What I love about this place is every element is always 5 stars. Including the service. We dine here as often as we can afford and it's worth every penny. My daughter got the "girl dinner" with lobster and says it should be added permanently to the menu. Looking forward to our cooking class!

Another nice meal. I had the Lobster Angel Hair and husband had the Branzino. I thought my dish was beautiful but very mild in flavor. I loved the olive tapenade with the Branzino. Now that we're home, I'm wishing we'd had desert. :)

I feel like I am being very generous giving Testa Barra 3 stars... The food is nothing special. The sweet potato fries looked good, but had so many huge chunks of brown sugar stuck to them, they were basically inedible. The waiter took it back to the chef and the owner came out making a big deal about it, but then still charged us for them. Another time, I ordered a pizza that they delivered to our table basically raw. Even the waitress was mortified that someone had brought it out to us in the condition it was in. They did remake it this time and took it off the bill, which was nice. I really wanted to like this place but after multiple visits, in which I have been disappointed every time, I do not feel the need to ever go back.

What an excellent experience! The food was outstanding. Rob our waiter was very informative and knowledgeable about the food choices. Meet the owners son and everyone was so friendly. Definitely going back.

Always amazing!! We love coming and here and love the live music! Staff is always friendly and the place is always up to par

The food is top notch, service is fantastic, ambiance is very cool. Great date spot, or a great nice dinner spot.

I really enjoy my dinner a lot. The host and server we had were so lovely and kind to us. I like coming here once a month a nice treat.

The Baldwin Group is a family of fine restaurants. And it is run by a wonderful family. Testa Barra is by far my favorite. When you dine there, you are treated by the family, like family, I am a long time supporter of their restaurant. Tonight, we began with their newly imagined, vegetarian-friendly arrincini. It did not disappoint, loved it paired with the vodka sauce. Next came a charcuterie. It was delicious; right down to the wonderful beemer cheese offering; a Gouda from Holland rich and flavorful. Our entrees were pasta bolognese, pork medallions, and pasta Ala vodka. All were plentiful and prepared to perfection. Chef came out to the table to insure our happiness with the meal. But, we weren't finished. Dessert was crème brûlée, and the cheesecake of the day. Seriously? What more could a diner require? Additionally, our service was very professional and we were well taken care of at every turn. The cocktails were exceptionally well prepared, and they stock my favorite red, Gaja, as a matter of course. I will always return to Testa Barra. It is "home" to me. The Baldwin family excels at hospitality. Book early. Go often. I've never been disappointed. Easily, the best restaurant in suburban Macomb County.

Amazing service! Great ambiance! Yummy food! We were visiting from out of town and saw all the positive reviews here. Definitely lived up to it and more. Server was so friendly and welcoming to us!

This place is absolutely awesome, the food is amazing and the service is even better. I had no idea it was such a hidden gem. There is a ton of very cool decorations in here too. The bar is very nice and the bathrooms are super clean. I will be back as the lasagna was really good!

Food is delicious. Lots of gluten free options. The restaurant is run very well and is decorated for the holidays.

We enjoyed the food and the service was outstanding! Good selection in the menu and almost all things I could've gotten and been happy eating I'm sure.

Delicious food, great atmosphere! I love this place every single time I go. Thank you!

Mediocre food, horrible horrible horrible service. Long wait times on the simplest of asks (water, bread/oil). And this is when the place was not busy at all. Rude staff, wrong orders, forgetting to bring main entrees to multiple members in my party of just 8. Never again

Service is top tier! My wife and I are regulars and come once or twice a week during happy hour and the food never disappoints. To add, the drinks are amazing and the bartenders are very knowledgeable. It's a hip/modern atmosphere that you can either dress up or down for. Worth checking out!

One of my favorite Italian restaurants with a modern flare in ambiance, flavor, and presentation, and satisfying craft cocktails. Darwin took exceptional care of us and was so personable. He suggested we start with the arancini- definitely need to order that again. OMG. So cheesy and topped with the most delicious vodka sauce! We also had the calamari, absolute staple at testa and JBaldwins! The pasta alla vodka is another one of my faves- creamy vodka sauce, salty pancetta, just fantastic. The main hit of the night was the margherita pizza. Testa's pizza is a MUST, but now they offer Roman-style crust which is absolutely AMAZING! It's fermented for 3 days, resulting in this fluffy inside with a crispy, slightly salted crust... WOW. For dessert we had the seasonal pumpkin cake, which I will be having dreams about and we just couldn't settle on one so the raspberry cream cheesecake was taken to-go. Made a delightful evening treat Absolutely fantastic place for a date night or bringing the fam. Kids even get to start with their own pizza dough ball to make!

Fabulous evening with great food, friends and drinks! Solid 4 rating for this nicer dining establishment. Serves traditional Italian and some American cuisine with a solid wine and cocktail menu! Arrived a bit early for our reservations and they were able to seat us quickly. Thankfully, we were not in the "naughty corner..." (IYKYK) Hostess was super bubbly and friendly. We felt like we were taking to one of our adult children's best friends - very personable. Our server Paul was dynamite. He checked in on us very frequently and delivered good service throughout. For our table of 6 enjoyed several beverages. - Split a bottle of Gavi di Gavi wine (Italian Cortese) - rating 4.25 - bottle of Daou Cabernet which is a nice, value priced cab - rating 4 - Evening special cocktail called "City on Fire" featuring local whiskey and handmade mixers. It was smoked table side by Paul using a bourbon barrel stave. Nice table side presentation. The drink was tasty! - rating 4.5 Dinner included: - Calamari: light coated strips with briny sauce featuring capers, lemon, etc. Very tender, albeit a tad salty. Rating: 4.1 - Mushroom Risotto: special feature Chanterelle mushrooms. I did not taste this, but two at my table raved about it. Rating 4.25 - Ragu with house made pasta: GET THIS! Hearty dish with a very flavorful Ragu meat "sauce". Rating 4.25 (wish it had pappardelle) - Rigatoni with vodka sauce and blackened chicken: very flavorful and rich. Garlic forward. Pasta seemed a bit past al denti and I would liked if a bit more saucy. Still, the flavors were rich and enjoyable. Blackened chicken was a tad on the overcooked side. Rating: 3.8 - Other dishes enjoyed by our table was the shrimp scampi w/ spaghetti, and the lemon chicken. - bread service with the focaccia was very tasty. This restaurant uses garlic liberally, which I love! 4.25 - tiramisu: Generous portion of well executed tiramisu. Traditionally made and enjoyed by all. - Gelato : GET THIS! salted Carmel gelato was spectacular! Rating: 4.5

We went to Testa Berra on a weeknight, and made reservations. We were seated promptly when we arrived. They asked whether we would prefer a booth or a table, which I appreciated. The restaurant is beautiful and has interesting light fixtures and decor. It's kind of half industrial, half warm wood/lights The menu is awesome. There's a lot of things to choose from, and many things that are new & different as far as flavor combinations & textures etc. We decided to order a few small plates, one main, and a dessert. We chose the mezzaluna, the gnocchi frito, and the calamari small plates, and the lasagna bolognese to share. The mezzaluna was good, but I don't think I'd order it again. The pasta was fresh and chewy but I wasn't a fan of the vanilla. The gnocchi frito was amazing. Crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, the garlic butter and accompaniments were excellent with it. The calamari was outstanding as well. Perfectly cooked, the beurre blanc sauce was awesome and I especially enjoyed the scallions with it. The lasagna was pretty good, though we both felt like it lacked garlic and onion and wished it had more. We ordered the Neapolitan cheesecake for dessert. The texture was really good, it was very rich and I enjoyed it. The service is really my only negative. It really wasn't very good. Our waiter was at his other tables often, but it took us almost 20 minutes to catch him and ask for our check. We also had to ask twice for boxes, as well as for our dessert. I think this may have been for 2 reasons. First, the table location. It was against a wall that backed up to one of the server areas, so it was sort of hidden. (It also made it noisy, and because the servers were in and out you felt a lot of bumps, etc. on the wall. Not a huge deal, but worth mentioning). Secondarily the other tables were ordering alcohol (which we were not), so I think that factored in as well. Overall the food was excellent and we would return.

Excellent service!!! Bartenders amazing! They are attentive, they suggest drinks, they are friendly!! Best ever! Love coming here!!

I ordered the chicken lemon ravioli. Not hot !!! Not WHITE MEAT. Not seared. yuk!! Another dish ordered, was the chicken dish with the mushrooms and spaghetti noodles. The chicken was WHITE MEAT and excellent!! WHY MAKE ANY OTHER CHICKEN? Salad had WAY TO MUCH DRESSING!!! EASY FIX.

My girlfriend and I decided to stop and get some dinner here the other day, it was awesome! Our waitress was very attentive & had a smile the entire time. Our food came out steaming hot ( which is a big deal to me ! ) and our drinks were awesome!

The modern take on Italian cuisine is pulled off so well here. The ambiance is classy and trendy with an upbeat vibe. The staff is professional and welcoming. As for the food, you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. They do not have your stereotypical Italian dishes (chicken parmesan, spaghetti and meatballs, etc.) which to me is a breath of fresh air. Also, for a place that isn't specifically known for its pizza, they sure know what they're doing. Pricing is fair for the quality you're getting, and you will not leave hungry. Testa Barra is one of the best Italian restaurants in the area.

My husband and our 2 daughters thought this would be a nice restaurant to go to... besides the fact we waited at the host stand for 15 minutes the host came up with a nasty look and asked us "what do you want" we said we would like to dine in she told us they close in 10 minutes . The time we came in was 7:00. totally disappointed in this experience...

Coming to Testa Barra is always a wonderful experience! It's right across the stress from the house, service is always so friendly/knowledgeable, their music is fun, and the food of course knocks it out of the park! I cannot come here and NOT get the ragu conchigle! The goat cheese melts so nicely in the shell pasta, but the lamb and short rib they use in it literally just falls apart and melts in your mouth... it's amazing! The meatballs and arancini make for super flavorful apps! No matter what you order from here you can't go wrong! I

The food and drinks were amazing. Our server, Parker, was phenomenal. He gave spot on recommendations and was a huge help with all my allergies. Highly recommend!

I have taken my wife for a date to the Testa Barra. I had the Lamb Shank. The dish was absolutely delicious. It reminded me of the similar dishes one has at those London neighborhood pubs. But here we were in Macomb and the meat dish was amazing. Staff was outstanding. Our waitress was pleasant, helpful and cheerful. She did care about us enjoying ourselves. Place is right at 22 and Romeo P. Amazing ambience. It is a good place to take your date out. Classy. Now, I did not sit at the bar, but had a good view of it. Very well stacked. High class. I highly recommend Testa Barra

I've consistently had good food and service here. Busy and a lot of activity, but not so loud that you can't have a good conversation. The enclosed patio area where they host Oro is good if you're looking for a relatively quiet location.

It was our first time here. We live 1 1/2 hours away. The drive was so worth it. We had a wonderful meal. Our waitress was terrific!. We will make the drive again.