Piccolo's Italian Restaurant

Rating Scale #1 - The Food. 5 Stars I have been eating at Piccolo's for a long time (well over 10 years) and finally decided that something had to be said. First, let me say that the food is GREAT! My wife is in love with the Shrimp Raffaelo (same as Shrimp Paesano and less expensive). I almost always order the Veal Marsala with a side of sauteed mushrooms and have never been disappointed. Every dish is terrific. I give the food 5 stars!! You cannot go wrong with anything on the menu! Rating Scale #2 - Staff and Service. 2 Stars (generous) 2 visits ago we arrived at 5:30 and had no problem being seated without reservations (I actually have NEVER made a reservation and never had a wait to be seated). Tuesday (2/14) I thought it might be busier than normal so I called to see about reservations. The owner rudely told me I don't need one, just come in, then hung up on me before I could insist upon a reservation. I called back and the phone went unanswered. We arrived at the restaurant at 5:40 PM and proceeded to wait almost an hour for a seat while at least 6 others came in with reservations. 4 were seated immediately, 2 others waited 30 minutes for a seat. When I inquired as to when we might get seated the owner (again, rudely) told me I should have called for a reservation. When I told her I called her for one she just walked away in mid-sentence. Once we were seated everything went great. Our waiter was great! I'm just glad we weren't at the table on either side of us as they were forgotten. Both tables just placed their orders as we were finishing our meal. The 2 themes I heard most while waiting for out table were: ""I called for a reservation and she wouldn't take one"" and ""Why did you take our reservation if you won't honor them?"" If the owner spend as much time making sure the restaurant ran smoothly as she does tallying the waiter's checks it would be a more more pleasant place. Go for the food, drink some wine and try to ignore the rest. I rounded my overall rating to a 3. more

The food at Piccolo's in amazing. Although the atmosphere is not impressive, the food more than makes up for it. I have been lucky enough to travel quite extensively and it is the best I have had in a long time. Definately the best in town so far.\r The only downside really is the staff does not seem welcoming. They act like they could not care less about your patronage. Not to the point of being rude or anything... just indifferent. \r Try the Orange Roughy Raffaelo. Its addictive. Pros: The quality is outstanding. Cons: Staff is not very friendly. Not mean, just not friendly. more

While the atmosphere here is kind of strange, the food really makes up for it! I can't say enough about the food! The seafood is amazing and the pasta is the best. My entire family looks forward to eating there every time! We love it and if you're over the top friendly with the staff they'll be pretty nice to you. Pros: Amazing authentic flavor, fair prices Cons: old building more

I have been eating at Piccolos for several years and their food is always wonderful. Its family owned and the location is pretty small. They are not the friendliest staff but I have always been treated well. This is by far the best Italian food I have found in the San Antonio area. I recommend the Chicken Parmesan or Ziti Sorrentino. Pros: best italian food in SA Cons: not the best service more

A handsome, innovative young chef builds on family recipes handed down over generations. The wine list is new and reasonable. The decor is funky, but the food is the attraction. Pros: Best Calamari Fradiavolo in US Cons: flimsy flatware more

This family owned and run restaurant features the best southern Italian food in South Texas. The chef, the founder's son, trained in the old country and in New York before taking over from his Dad, who passed away in 2008. He has added his own touch to the family recipes, to good effect. This is where local political, religious, business and food industry leaders come to eat Italian food. It's not fancy, just the best. Pros: Freshly prepared sauces more

Decided to join my co-workers for lunch at Piccolo's, as they raved about the food. This was my first visit and I was not impressed. The service was abrupt and non-attentive, reminiscent of the ""soup"" person from Seinfeld's. We were only offered a lunch menu (okay - can deal with that) but once we ordered she was gone. We never had an opportunity to order anything to drink and settled for the water we were served. One of us ordered the Chicken Parmesan which he said was good but that evening meals were much better. My other friend & I ordered the Shrimp Rafaello; which was 3 shrimp in a too heavy butter garlic sauce and which must have been sitting for awhile as the sauce had begun to congeal (yuk). The salad was mundane - Romaine Lettuse with a non-discript dressing and one half slice of tomato hiding under the lettuse. The garlic bread (more like biscuits) was tasteless. I think they forgot the garlic. Our water glasses were never refilled either. They had a steady stream of customers but not such a crushing amount that they were too busy to get it right (which is no excuse anyway). I'm not sure I can give this restaurant another chance. Cons: Terrible Service, mundane food more

Piccolo's is a family owned restaurant, meals are all authentic, freshly made daily, everything from scratch, seafood is all fresh from a market. The price is not bad for the amount of time they spend preparing the meals. Better than ANY other so called ""italian"" restaurants. This place is a must go! Pros: EVERYTHING Cons: NOTHING more

ALL I CAN SAY IS WONDERFUL FOOD BUT THE WORST SERVICE EVER! THE OWNER NEEDS TO TAKE SOME CUSTOMER SERVICE LESSONS. OR I GUESS MAYBE I SHOULD EAT THERE EVERDAY AND BECOME A REGULAR CUSTOMER AND GET SPECIAL TREATMENT LIKE HER OTHER ""REGULARS"". SUCH A SHAME...HERE'S A TIP...DON'T SAY YOU ACCEPT RESERVATIONS IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HONOR THEM! Pros: GOOD FOOD Cons: WORST SERVICE IN TOWN more

Absolutely exquisite creations! I've eaten there several times, and tried almost everything on the menu, with the Veal Pizzaiola and any of the Snapper creations top on my list. Meal times are a bit slow, but it is stated as such on the menu and is definitely worth the wait! Pros: amazing food and ""like-family"" atmosphere Cons: none! more

I have eaten here all my life, while I have tried all the other fine eateries San Antonio has to offer, Piccolo's consistently gives me a great meal and I don't mind waiting for my food when crowded. The orange roughy, mussels (when in season) and Lasagna are the best in the city. Make sure you get the the spicy sauce it has more kick. Also have an espresso and slice of cappuccino pie to end you perfect meal. more

I just went to this establishment last weekend and I am going again this weekend. It was a bit pricey but the food was well worth it. This was hands down the best Italian food I have ever had, It beat Paesanos, Olive Garden, Zios, Italiano Resturante. I thought that the location was a little questionable, because its not located on the best side of town and it is a little bit of a hole in the wall, however looks can be very decieving in this case. My boyfriend had the red snapper and I dont eat fish, but this was very tastey, my dish was a chicken dish and I ate all of it... once again that never happens. We had the shrimp appetizer and it was very good. Next we will try the clams. The service was friendly and prompt. We waited a little while in between each dish but it gave me time to chill and talk and make room for the next arrival, when our wine glasses were empty they were refilled right away, and my waiter said.. do you like sweet.. ah ok white zinfindel, I LOVED IT, best wine ever. To end I think that if your looking for a real homelike Italian restaurant than you need to come to Piccalos, you wont regret it. Take a first date, very intimate. Pros: Good food, good service, romantic, great wine selection Cons: I dont have any... the bathroom was a one toliet bathroom. that sucked more

I have to agree with one review that the creamy didn't have quite the garlicky bite that its Paesano's counterpart does (however it is still tasty, with a nice carmelized edge). Several of Piccolo's appetizers are a bit pricey and sometimes lacking in viewable food (i.e. clams in wine sauce appetizer -- littlenecks are more appropriate for a pasta or mixed dish than alone -- at least use mussels or cherrystones). The scallopini is nice taste-wise, although puny. Dishes with tomato sauces are also wholesome, but sometimes buried in the stuff -- a simple correction. The restaurant was cozy (dim with quiet acoustics) for a romantic evening -- the waitstaff less likely to 'hawk' the table than at other establishments (although, I have run into one waiter who was a bit hesitant even to refill a water glass). Although somewhat inconsistent, I would return to Piccolo's for a night out. Pros: tasty, varied menu, cozy and subdued, fairly value priced Cons: inconsistency, some puny appetizrs, mediocre wine selecti more

havng grown up right around the corner I have eaten here many times. Small, quaint place with great ""italian family atmosphere"". Portions are plentiful and price is right. more

Waitress advised that owner was original cook at Paesano's. She suggested snapper Piccolo as superior to Snapper Paesano. Fish was a bit mealy and the sauce was too buttery, without the nice garlic bite of Paesano's sauce. My husband had the same sauce on veal and enjoyed it. Inadequately segregated smoking section. Smoke from one group permeated entire room. Flatware was of poor quality (not unlike Paesano's). Ambiance poor in that the lighting was to bright and the music to loud. A couple at another table protested having a 15% gratuity added to their tab (just two people). No grautity was automatically added to our tab. Wine price by bottle reasonable. We dined Friday December 27 at about 9:00 PM. No crowd. We will probably give it another try as it is convenient to our northwest location. Pros: convenient, no wait, good wine prices Cons: smokey, poor ambiance, pricey for quality more