Baraonda Cafe Italiano

I'm not sure what these other reviews below are talking about. I went here with a group of people, and everyone's pizza was floppy and soggy on the bottom. The only way to eat it was to fold it over like a pizza roll I guess. Our service was terrible, and the server was actually very rude and in fact untruthful as well. He even raised his voice at me at one point when bringing 2 extra plates that I had asked for (because we were all sharing)...when he came to the table with the plates, he raised his voice and asked ""is this necessary."" I also asked him if the ceasar salad was big enough to share. His response was ""it's a starter size""...ok, what does that mean. He clarified by saying it was small, and he wouldn't recommend splitting it. The ceasar salad came (note: after all of our pizza came) in a heaping bowl big enough for at least 3 people to share. I have been a server for many years, and while you are supposed to ""up-sell"" (obviously, the more you sell, the higher your tip is), you are not supposed to lie to your customers. Overall, this was not a good experience, and I certainly will not be back any time soon if ever. more

YOU MUST GO HERE if you are downtown Atlanta!! It is the best Italian Food I have ever eaten! There was a small wait when I went but we got in in about 5 minutes or so. It was great!!! The best food and good drinks. VERY inexpensive: 2 appetizers, 3 entrees, 4 drinks and a desert for $89!!!!!! Pros: Great food. Great prices. Nice service, Good Drinks Cons: You might have to wait a bit. more

My date and I dropped in on Baraonda on a last minute decision, and I'm so glad we did. We were instantly pleasantly surprised by the cozy atmosphere. The interior was very dim, but extremely rich and inviting. My only ""complaint"" is that the music was too loud and really didn't quite fit with the atmosphere. It's a great place for a date, except that the music is way too loud to talk over. I loved the way the restaurant was set up, with the bistro style seating and the brick pizza oven in the back. The food was absolutely delicious; all of the dishes are made of simple ingredients but seem to be on the more authentic side (I'm not a huge fan of more ""modern"" Italian food). They have a HUGE selection of pizzas, but fewer pasta and meat/seafood dishes. We were greedy for dinner this night, and each ordered a pasta dish as an entree and shared a pizza. My date ordered the spaghetti with vegetables, which was very good; the veggies had rich and robust flavor. My penne checca was great as well; you can't go wrong with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil! Pasta was all cooked perfectly al dente, which some places get right and some places don't. We also ordered the Cafuncella pizza, which seemed odd at first, with its toppings of pink sauce, mozz, brie, and prosciutto, but it was SO good! I highly recommend it. All in all, I'd definitely go back to Baraonda if I ever have a pizza craving. I just wish they'd turn the music down just a little! more

Before an outing to the Fox, a group of friends and I went to Baraonda. Every one of us left satisfied. The food is great, as is the atmosphere. Highly recommended. more

We met up with some of our friends here early on a Saturday evening, around 6 pm. The restaurant wasn't crowded, and we got a table right away. We ordered a bottle of the house Cabernet, which was $20, and very nice. We each ordered salads - the house salad was tasty, but had obviously been dressed quite some time ago, as the greens were limp by the time it got to the table. My friend's ceaser salad had an unusual dressing, more like mayonaisse than traditional ceaser, as it had no tang to it. Our table ordered 3 pizzas, one pasta dish, and one lassagna. The pizzas were tasty, although rather soggy towards the center. The pastas and lasagna were very good, and portions were about right. Overall it was a good meal, but not fantastic, and the prices are certainly reasonable given its location. Service was always attentive and friendly. Pros: Good pizza, inexpensive but good wine, good service, 2 hr free parking at Georgian Terrace Cons: avoid salads more

If you are looking for New York style Pizza, this is not the place. It tasted alright, I just cannot refer to it as pizza. more

Great pizza restaurant near the Fox. Good service, excellent location and authentic pizza. Great place to... more

My hubby and I dined here Friday night. We arrived after the dinner rush around 9pm and were promptly seated. We dined on riesling wine, calamari, caesar salad, pizza and pasta. We were amazed at how fresh and tasty everything was as well as the unbeatable prices. We enjoyed the three scoops of Italian gelato for dessert, the lemon and vanilla combination was delicious. We took our time, enjoyed our meal and the outdoor seating. After dinner, we strolled around Peachtree St. and saw the sights. We will definitely return here again and again. Pros: Delicious pizza, Great prices, Free parking at Georgian Terrace, Cons: Long wait times during dinner rush (just come before or after) more

I've been there twice now because I believe in second chances. That's it for me. Service terrible both times. I was there for dinner the first time and the second for lunch. There is such great food in Atlanta..skip this place for your own good. Pros: It is close to work Cons: The service is terrible!!! more

My husband and I are always looking for good italian and we have finally found it. Great service and wonderful romantic lighting Pros: Great Service and quick service Cons: Parking may be crowded more

I have never in my dining experiences ever found a restaurant that valued their customer less than Baraonda. This was our first and last visit. We were a party of 3, this is important. You cannot make reservations for less then 6. The gentlemen recommended that we come approximately at 5:50 - 6pm to beat the crowd. We were there at 6pm, our name in at 6:10pm and were told we would be seated in 20 mins. No mention that because we were an odd party (3) it may take longer to be seated. If we had known that, we could have made a decision to go elsewhere. Of course, theater people are pouring in. My husband checked 3 times to see how we were on the list, because it was loud and thought we might not hear our name. We were constantly told soon, our name would be called. One hour later we are still waiting, while we watched parties of 2 and 4, that came in after us, being seated. Apparently if you have an odd number in your group, it doesn't matter where you are on the list, it must be a table to fit 3. They obviously do not welcome odd number parties, it must be something about that fourth chair empty that will drive them crazy, empty seat no $. Consequently, we had a show to get to at 8pm, so by 7:10pm we walked out and went to Broadway Diner and had to hurry to eat. It wasn't fine dining, but it was a 10 compared to this place. It doesn't matter how good the food is if they don't respect you or your time to make it nice wholesome experience. Very disappointing. Cons: They don't respect odd number parties, 3, 5, 7 etc. You will wait a long time. more

We stopped in before seeing the Nutcracker at the Fox. We were seating promptly, and I was amazed at how large this restaurant really is. We sat on the patio which was heated. The calamari was lightly fried and very tasty. We each ordered pizza and were not dissappointed. Our server was very personable and attentive. This is a great place to catch a bite before a show at the Fox or just for great pizza. Pros: Great wine list and pizza Cons: Nothing! more

Went with a large group in town for a conference and was disappointed after hearing about how great this place is supposed to be. They crammed us around a couple of tables and acted offended when we asked for more space. Food wasn't great...asparagus soup was bland and risotto was too salty. There are better Italian places in town that I'd go to before returning here... Pros: close to the Fox Cons: disappointing food and service more

Food...GREAT! service...GREAT! Ambiance...GREAT! I loved this place and they know how to make you feel comfortable and relaxed...Food selection was outstanding... Pros: ambiance Cons: can get a little pricey, but worth it more

Loved this locale... great ambience for a date, double date, or group event. Wonderful food and good wine. Definite must! more

We always stop in at Baronda before a performance at The Fox Theater. The sevice quick, and the woodfired pizza's are terrific. Split an antipasto, which is yum, with a glass of vino from the nice selection. One of the best pizza' in the ATL. We go even if we've not going to the theater. Cozy, NY vibe. Pros: Excellent Woodfired Pizza's, Near The Fox! Cons: Parking Can Be Tricky, If Driving! more

It was a little annoying to be kept waiting in the lobby till our party was all there, especially because the restaurant was not busy. Think about it -- we could have been sitting at a table, having a drink and an appetizer while we waited. No problem, though; we saved a few bucks. Pros: unobtrusive, but attentive service and delicious food Cons: Waiting for party to be complete can be annoying more

Had a wonderful dinner here last year - came back with high expectations. First, we were seated in the ""newly completed dining area"" - this is basically a rectagular room with no windows and minimal decor. A large party was in the back of this room and they were quite loud (the acoustics of the bare room didn't help), so we asked the hostess to reseat us in the ""old' seating area. The hostess seated us at a nice 4 top table near the windows. Our waitress came over to our table and informed us that we were at a table that was normally for a party of 4, and asked us to move out of her section! She was not in the slightest bit polite - clearly she was miffed by the prospect of missing out on the extra tips that two more diners would have brought, her demeanor was surly and unprofessional. We looked around the dining room - the rest of the tables were wedged VERY close together - our impression was that the owners had simply decided to maximize profits at the expense of repeat business - so we left. BTW - 30 minutes later we had a great italian meal at ""Pasta da Pulcinella"" (1123 Peachtree Walk) - where we were welcomed with genuine cheer - - Pros: maybe the food is still good - but there are MUCH better options Mid Town! Cons: Unprofessional wait staff, horrible seating ergonomics, new dining area poorly designed more

Terrific pizza - with great (and quick) service. I don't know how I didn't dine here more often until recently, but am happy I re-discovered it. Pros: pizza, price, service Cons: $15 corking fee is high more

This is by far my favorite italian restaurant for the price. The food is wonderful, fresh, and full of good flavor. the pricing is very very reasonable and service was fast and friendly. outdoor patio is very nice! its a must visit place-walk or take a cab, parking is frustrating Pros: Food!! fresh-service was very fast and attentive Cons: parking more