Villa Tronco Italian Restaurant

Old School Red Sauce Italian. Was surprised how good the food was coming from someone who has great choices from the Boston area. Big Portions, Quality ingredients and Great Staff. Can’t beat the prices either… Will definitely eat here again if I ever make it back to town. Wednesday night needs a reservation so you know - we were able to eat at the bar and tables were filling up every minute - Definitely Recommend…

Villa Tronco is an amazing Italian restaurant located in the heart of downtown Columbia. The atmosphere makes you feel at home inside, especially the accommodating staff. I started with the fried mozzarella, very good with a nice sauce to match. The Chicken Marsala entree was delicious on top of a hefty portion of linguine. Don’t forget to try their famous cheesecake for dessert.

I have been to Villa Tronco twice now. The first time is not the focus of this review, as it was fine, aside from them giving me a different drink than I ordered. I went a second time with a group of 6, and was very disappointed. To start, our reservation was at 6:30, which we were right on time for. We were told our table wasn’t ready, and ended up waiting 30 minutes until we were finally sat. To make up for it, we received 2 appetizers on the house, which was not enough for a party of 5 whatsoever, as each plate had 4-bite size pieces - not every guest could have one of each. We ordered cocktails, which came about 20 minutes later. At this point, it’s nearly an hour since the reservation was supposed to start. Drinks were not top tier taste. Salads came out 30 minutes after ordering, chicken which was ordered on pasta did not come until we had to ask, and one guest was charged for a $20 pasta dish no one ordered. Had to ask for a side of vodka sauce for the penne, because it was dry, which we ended up still getting charged for? Service could have been a lot more attentive, especially with how the evening started. I will give props to the water re-fillers. They were amazing and prompt. Other than that, the whole meal should have been compensated. Was quite disappointing.

Pretty standard Italian fare, meaning fine food at too high prices justified by a nicer than average interior. Veal wasn't seasoned noticably and pizza was not impressive. I've had significantly better for significantly less money. Service was not notable in any way. Pictured is Large Combination Pizza.

I ate here for the first time today and fell in love with the classic look and feel. The owner was very polite and friendly, the Chicken Marsala was good, but it was the desserts that were absolutely amazing. The Amaretto Bread Pudding was a MUST HAVE, and the cannoli’s were AMAZING. Definitely a must try next time you’re in town.

First visit. Seated promptly as we had reservations. No problem with parking at 5:00 pm Thurs evening. Server Nikki review menu and was initially attentive. However, once food was served, she never came back to inquire about our meals. The veal was tough and dried out. Chicken lacked flavor and although requested light on pest for Seafood Pesto, it came with Alfredo sauce only. Expensive dish for small amount of seafood served. The bread sticks were disappointing. Expected good Italian bread at this level of dinning. The venue was dark and tired looking. A disappointing evening.

The food and drinks were great, highly recommend. Our waitress was also good despite it being busier!

Best Italian restaurant by far in the Columbia area! I’m very picky with my Italian food especially coming from up north and was absolutely blown away by the amazing food. Great quality food and customer service. Our waitress MT is such a ray of sunshine and helped us with any questions we had and recommended some yummy drinks and she was amazing! We came for my mom’s birthday dinner and we most definitely will be back again! 5 star experience all around! My dish that I had below in the photo was the chicken villa tronco! Absolutely delicious!

My family of three visited Villa Tronco on a Saturday. Parking was easy at the lot next door or the public parking garage nearby. We made a reservation for 5:30 but arrived a bit early and were seated immediately. From the pictures, it looked like tables had cloth tablecloths and it was a brighter restaurant. We were seated at a booth in the back and it was VERY dark. There were cloth napkins but no cloth tablecloth. It wasn't a problem, but definitely not what we saw in the pictures. The ambiance of the restaurant was nice, but being seated so close to other patrons made it quite loud and I was often distracted by conversations of other people seated nearby. It wasn't very "private". We were brought bread and drinks very quickly and placed our orders. We ordered the kids pizza, the chicken piccata, and the lasagna. I also added on the side salad for an additional price. There was a $4 charge to add pepperoni to the kids pizza. The kids pizza was good, but had a very thin crispy crust that my son wasn't a big fan of. The chicken piccata was delicious. The lasagna was good but not the best I've ever had. We looked at the dessert menu but opted to get something nearby at a bakery. We paid about $80 for the three meals, one beer, and one drink. Overall it was a nice restaurant that I would return to again, but wouldn't say it was the best Italian food I've ever had.

Villa Tronco is an old-school Columbia restaurant, but the cuisine is tasteless. (We recently tried VT again in hopes that it had improved; sadly, this was not the case). If you are looking for freshly made pasta, homemade desserts, artisanal breads and authentic Italian recipes, then try Angeline's or Portofino's in Charlotte, NC. Villa Tronco's decor is still dark and dated. The Chicken Parmesan & Veal Piccata were bland/ underwhelming. The presentation was not visually appealing, either. The only bright spot was the prompt service at Villa Tronco.

Old school Italian style restaurant. Cozy atmosphere. Pizza was very good, thin crust. So nice to get bread and butter with a meal without additional cost!! Delicious chicken Parmesan. Red sauce was amazing. Staff was very friendly

Such a disappointment! Thing's definitely were not up to what we were use to there. First of all we were a party of 9, ( 6 adults and 3 children) Celebrating 2 birthdays.. meals were a total disappointment with watered down no flavor sauces, the antipasto had very little on them and my goodness the cheesecakes were cut so small the 3 pieces could have equaled 1 serving. Did I mention the gelatos were served without spoons, by the time the spoons came the desserts were melting. There was no excuse for such a poor experience we had. Since we have been here before and always raved about it, well let's just say we will never be back.

You know? 7 years later I can really appreciate Villa Tronco more. They're not trying to be fancy- just comforting. Sometimes it's really nice to go inside of a really dark restaurant on a cold night and eat chicken parm. The breakdown: pros: - the Italian Eggroll's were phenomenal. One of the best things I've had - period. - chicken parm melts in your mouth - tomato sauce is just perfect. Sweet, but not too sweet. - bread is oddly good. - it's pretty cheap. $23 for chicken parm is unheard of at most Italian Restaurants. cons: - none. With older age comes wisdom. Sometimes I just want a good, quality chicken parm that's not going to be $200 with the final bill. This place is classic and will take you back to a simpler time.

I called my order in and the food was amazingly delicious. It seemed like whoever made my pizza, made it with care. All the ingredients were fresh and the thin crust-well it was sooo good. Also everyone who helped me, from the young man and women at the front, to the man who came out the back and opened the door for me were so nice.

What went well: * Great service. Our server was attentive, patient, and friendly. * Delicious veal parm. Generous plate! * Cozy booth. Ideal corner table for an intimate birthday dinner for four. What I disliked: * Busboy's cologne was so strong that I couldn't taste my food each time he came near our table / refilled our waters. This is a problem. * Freshly cracked pepper and shaved parm not offered...which seemed odd for an old school Italian restaurant. * Bread pudding fell flat; tasted like butter and vanilla extract. Nice little spot, but for finer Italian dining, I prefer Di Vino Rosso.

FANTASTIC! They have a great wine list and the food was amazing. Will be back for sure!

A family owned restaurant that has been in Columbia for over two decades serving a variety of Italian fare for both lunch and dinner. The standard menu is small and straight forward yet you can expect a lengthy array of specials to see to the list. This evening we ordered exclusively off the specials menu, splitting between us the trout and fried green tomato caprese salad. Portions were hearty providing more than enough to feed us both. Staff is friendly making you fresh just like you are dining with family. Dining room is quaint and because of its small size can get a bit noisy. Looking for a special treat, try planning to dine during an upcoming Thursday when they have live opera performers

We were greeted and sat right away. The interior is old (a certified historic site) but very well kept. Lovely Italian music plays throughout the restaurant. I ordered an espresso martini to drink. It was wonderful. I got the chicken parmigiana and my husband got the linguine and meatballs. For dessert we ordered tiramisu. Everything was fresh and delicious. We will definitely be back.

We, me and my two friends did not receive a warm greeting. We were asked if we had reservations? We were honest and were going to leave if reservations were required. WE were then told to "follow me? by a woman who assumed was the hostess. The busboy was confused about how many people were at the table---when it was clear three people sitting directly in front of him. One of my friends was greatly offended. We ordered drinks and an appetizer which was really good. However, the waitress spoke in a very condescending manner to one of my friends. She asked him questions as if he never dined in a restaurant in his life. I then, decided to speak with the waitress and she then acknowledged me and continue to serve other tables. I requested the manager, and she sent over a very young man who was very apologetic---he never asked what was my issue, he seemed very nervous and stood very far away from me-----he then offered to take money off the check; which was approx. $30.00. When he returned my check; no money was taken off for the insulting behavior of the waitress. My party and I moved to the front of the restaurant and now the manager apologized again and zeroed out the check---for some reason he thought we ate three entrees which we did not. An older man, we assumed was a manager or a maybe the owner of the restaurant---attempted to make small talk---however, he never asked us; what was the problem----he seemed to not really care if WE the customers were unhappy. Don't worry, WE won't return. If you are wondering...my party and I are African-Americans and the staff at Villa Tronco were Caucasian minus the bus boy. Treat ALL customers properly; without customers restaurants don't exist.

Always a wonderful experience. I've loved this place since I was a teenager back in the 80's and it has remained consistently excellent and classy.

Oldest Italian restaurant in Columbia. Family owned. Very extensive menu. If they don't have it, you don't want it.

We went with friends to celebrate a birthday last Friday night. Had seating in a nice room by the bar. Villa Tronco has been a long time favorite of ours but it seems like we get the Villa Tronco Chicken every time since it's so good. I'd heard their pizza was supposed to be good so I ordered the house special pizza this time. I was very disappointed. The crust was very dar on half of my pizza and very flimsy, like it had been soaked in oil or something. You couldn't bite off a piece as it was almost like wet cardboard. The other half seemed to be crispy and would hole the toppings in place without dropping. My friend felt the same way. My wife ordered the VT Chicken and that was great, as always. We also ordered a side salad which was good. There were other orders for a clam linguine, Shrimp and scallop with Alfredo sauce. Both of these were good. Food was good with exception of the pizza. Service and atmosphere are very good. The pizza was so bad I had to drop my ratings to a 3.0 for this visit.

Finally went after 24 years in Columbia.. yes, that's on me. Not gonna lie, it's on me for not trying out this GEM earlier. History of the restaurant is cool. Food is even better.. I had the pancetta and broccoli soup which was amazing. The bread was delicious. I asked the waitress what she would recommend, she fired off about half the menu and specials..I settled on the villa tronco chicken. As Italian dishes go I was very impressed with the presentation. Artichokes were delicious. The dish blended very well on flavors.. I'm looking forward to returning and burning through the rest of their dishes which I suspect will be so delicious..

Off the jump the service was top tier.. the wife and I attended March Madness and game ended early .. we showed ended up being early for out reservation .. they allowed us to enter early and sit at our table before the doors opened ... started with the Calamari... it was served piping hot out the grease. Wasn't too bad for my personal taste I would have like a little more seasoning. The dipping sauce was too much of a mayo base if that makes sense. For my entree I ordered the seafood pesto ... the waitress loaded me up on the Parmesan cheese.. the dish was great ... the pesto is missed with Alfredo and cheese .. mussels , scallops, and shrimp were cooked perfectly ... the dish was also plate perfectly ... for desert we order the caramel apple bread pudding with caramel gelato .... The bread pudding was not my fav .... BUT this here gelato was SLAPPING.... Dope dining experience overall s/o to our waitress Candace she was amazing

This is a family owned business that has been in Columbia since 1940. The owners and staff are overwhelming in their support. They do a great job to provide attention to their customers. While there are some reviews that indicate the customer would rather go to a chain Italian restaurant, I would suggest you go here to support a local business that has been going strong for over 80 years. We will be back again soon!

A year later and this is still one of my favorite places to eat and have a cheat day we were late to our reservation and I felt so bad but they were still able to seat us. Our waitress was so sweet with our table of 5 and I had no idea they had a kids menu but thank goodness they did for my daughter. I ordered the raspberry lemon drop martini and it was so good ! The sourness of the raspberry lemon and the sweetness of the sugar rim was a perfect combination. We ordered fried oysters which was one of their specials tonight along with steamed mussels and calamari for appetizers. The oysters and calamari were fried perfectly with good seasoning and the sauce had the perfect flavor to compliment them. The steamed mussels were cooked perfectly, soft texture and tasted so well with the butter. I ordered the creamy seafood pesto like last time and it was better than I remembered. The flavor was amazing from the pesto sauce and the ocean flavor of the shrimp, scallops and oysters. Only thing I hate is having shrimp in my pasta with the tail on. Please take those off the scallops were cooked perfectly though. It was probably my favorite part. My bf got pesto linguine with lamb chops and his lamb was cooked perfectly as well I think it was a perfect meal. They did not miss tonight. My daughter is super picky and she ate her linguine with meat sauce and she tried calamari for the first time and loved it. I'd say tonight's experience was a 10/10

Best Italian restaurant I've been to in a long time. We went for date night after passing by and seeing a couple eating out front. It looked amazing and tasted even better.

We had a meal at Villa Tronco last night. The meals were not good. I had Pasta Primavera with chicken. The chicken was not good. Very dry and the vegetables were over cooked. My friend had a fettuccine with shrimp and the sauce was too thick. No alcohol was purchased and the two plates cost $57. We will not return.

It's a wonderful family owned and operate restaurant. They serve authentic Italian cuisine, it is delicious! This restaurant was started by their family to make food for the soldiers who were homesick got Italian food, they were use to in NJ & NY, who were training at Ft. Jackson. I've been eating there for over 30 years, was introduced to them, by one of my customers. So thank they are still serving people in Columbia! Try it, I guarantee you will love it!

Outstanding. Great food and ambiance! Loved the old Italian feel East to get a reservation

Columbia gem! amazing history with fun staff. the food was so good- reminded me of mt family's home. I love being there and can't wait to go back.

I ordered delivery and it was wonderful. One of the best still open villa Tronco Italian food. It still after all these years worth the money. Thanks. C. T.

The food, ambience and service were tops. We are Cajuns from South Louisiana, so we know our food. We were in Columbia for the LSU football game. We split the veal piccata. It was to die for. Delicious. They have a broad and varied wine selection. Even the owner came by and visited our table. We will definitely come back on our next trip.

I visited Villa Tronco in a food tour of Columbia and was super excited as we entered. Unfortunately I was disappointed with the food selection of Italian egg rolls, which were okay but a strange choice for a classic Italian restaurant. Fortunately the tiramisu made up for it and was made perfectly!! I rated 4 stars because it was probably the selection of food more than the quality of the restaurant that left me disappointed. I would love to visit again and try something else!

No matter how many newer Columbia offerings we sample, we always look forward to a return visit to Villa Tronco. Their Italian cuisine is some of my favorite. No matter how much I venture to some of their more creative and innovative cuisine, I always look forward to a return to their standard lasagna and other staples. We love this Columbia standard that always gives a great "hometown" feel.

This is our go to date night restaurant. Great food service & atmosphere. Make sure to get reservations due to its popularity on weekend nights.

Service was good. Everyone was friendly and helpful. The food was fine. The drinks were good. At this price point i am looking for better than average food.

Everything was excellent,Food,Service and Ambiance. I also enjoyed reading about the history of the restaurant!!

This place is as close to authentic, Italian grandmas cooking as it gets. This is real deal Italian which is hard to find in the south. Coming from a family with their own Italian restaurant, it's hard to top, but this place exceeds expectations. The owners and staff are friendly and the atmosphere is comforting. Highly highly recommend. Edit: MUST TRY: anything with red sauce, homemade cheesecake and the tiramisu!!!!

Very romantic restaurant! I came here for my third anniversary and it was the perfect spot. The complimentary warm rolls were a nice touch and the pasta was fresh and delicious. Plenty of vegetarian options. Staff was attentive and polite. The owner was available to check in and say hello. Bathrooms were very clean with nice soap. I hope I can return soon!

So far the best Italian food in the COLA! This was on my foodie list for a while, so finally I tried it. I made a reservation, because the book out fast. The hostess was kind and quickly took us to our seats, waitress was on point the whole night. The owner introduced himself and made sure we were good the whole evening, I really like when a business owner takes pride in their businesses. The place is very charming and it sits on a back corner, lots of free parking in the weekends if you plan accordingly. I loved the setting and it really had a Italian feel. Ive eaten at plenty of Italian restaurants in Italy so I was very impressed. The food was good and the service was awesome. This will be my spot for yrs to come, and any guest that come into town who want Italian food. Pics coming

How funny. It was a rainy first night in Columbia and we wanted to go Italian. researching Yelp! we picked this cozy restaurant in downtown. It is located in a small building adjacent to a former fire station, which is now part of the restaurant. To our surprise, we had been here three years previous with friends that we knew in Chicago. Same place, but with Covid, tables were more spread out. It was like seeing an old friend. Nikki was our superb wait person and she walked us through the menu. Good solid Italian dishes. Plenty to choose from. Decent wine lists with half bottles and by-the-glass options. Nothing fancy...just good food and service. We split a side salad ($4) which was a nice light Italian oil and vinegar dressing on it. A bottle of good Chianti wine rounded off our table and made the wet night go away. I had the veal piccata ($24) which was a bit tough, but flavorful and a decent portion of linguini to go with the veal. Wife had a special, eggplant rolletini ($23). This was quite a heavy dish with thin slices of eggplant fried and wrapped around ricotta cheese, on top of linguine and covered with a rich marinara. Very yummy, but between the two of us, the richness and quantity of it were more than we could finish.

It had been far too long since I dined with Villa Tronco. It's not hard to see why this is SC's oldest restaurant (1940). The menu is a delightful pairing of fantastic specials (like the dijon encrusted cod pictured here) and timeless classics that haven't changed (like the pizza, which is great as an appetizer). The ambiance of live music from inside and the fantastic weather outside were the perfect accompaniment to my stellar meal. I will be back often - maybe even before I finish typing this revie...

Small quaint establishment with quiet charm. I had the eggplant and it was amazing. Thoroughly enjoyed it and the sauce and amount of cheese was just right. The chicken parm was ordered as well and it was very nice.

Going to Villa Tronco is like sitting down at your Nonnas kitchen table - it's delicious, comforting, and you'll always have some to take home with you. I've never had a dish here that didn't immediately make me roll my eyes and "Mmmmmm" as my tastebuds were overwhelmed. The staff is friendly & very knowledgeable of the dish preparation, the ambiance will calm & comfort you, and the food will have you wanting to order more even though you'll be stuffed. If you don't have plans to visit Villa Tronco tonight.... Why not?

The music, ambience, and service was great. However, the food was mediocre. Very bland. Not really Italian cuisine.

The service was good, the food was ok and the ambiance was ok. The company was the best part.

I had high hopes for this restaurant, I really wanted to love it but it sadly missed the mark. Nothing was bad but nothing was great. Split a lasagna and fettuccine Alfredo with chicken, guest with us also had the linguine with red sauce and meatballs. Drinks were great but took a while. Go for a drink and app perhaps want to still love it!

My first dining experience with Villa Tronco was memorable and enjoyable. Old-school atmosphere and feel of the old country in Italy, where I have spent several vacations in city and countryside. Wait-staff was very nice and were hard-working. The owner dropped by to say hi and we talked for a few minutes. Food was very tasty!. I would go back.

We planned a dinner with family and we had a great space in the restaurant. The food tasted good however rolls were hard and all of our food was lukewarm. No one came to check on us and we didn't make a fuss because we were just glad to have family time. With food and drinks we spent $350 for 7 of us...they need to monitor their food service.

Great food and service. Looked small from the outside but inside was very old school which I loved. The wife and I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the ambiance. I recommend going on date night.

Egg roll appetizer, meal, and oh boy that cheesecake..., all excellent! Service and ambiance on point! Great place to dine!

The oldest restaurant in in Columbia to my knowledge converted from an old fire station or something along those lines. Recently stopped and got a nice slice of tiramisu for desert after dinner. Would recommend reserving a table here for a meal especially if more than three.

Seriously the best Italian food in the state. You can't go wrong no matter what you order. Fascinating history, polite staff, romantic atmosphere. Do yourself a favor & eat here.

Wonderful spot for dinner with an intimate group! I stop by if I ever get the chance.

Just off of main st in downtown Columbia in an old fire department building you'll find the best Italian food on this side of the Atlantic. The service is top notch and the wait staff is very knowledgeable on the food they are serving. I had the Italian egg rolls and the Fettuccine Alla Tronco with shrimp. Both were fantastic along with the soft bread rolls and house salad. I recommend Villa Tronco to anyone looking for a nice place to enjoy very good Italian food.

Never eats fazolis for all the obvs... You want better then Fazoli's for your Italian then this is the place. And seriously for the money spent your money is best spent anywhere else..