This was our first time there. We went on a Tuesday night for my birthday dinner- total of 6 in our party. We were seated promptly. We only saw 2 other couples and 1 private party there the entire... More

This was our first time there. We went on a Tuesday night for my birthday dinner- total of 6 in our party. We were seated promptly. We only saw 2 other couples and 1 private party there the entire night. Our server was very nice and refreshed our drinks continually during the dinner. However we were never offered in bread and after asking twice in a period of 15-20 minutes they did bring us some bread with hummus. It took 1 hour from the time we sat down until we received our food. I think that is a long time. We did not order anything complicated.. 2 people ordered fettucini alfredo and 1 child ordered cheese pizza and the other 3 ordered pasta. I personally think 30 minutes is okay to wait on food but I think 1 hour is extreme (especially when it was not busy). I would not recommend it to anyone that has small children, is in a hurry or is very hungry. I expect more from an upper scale restaurant when I spend that kind of money- I expect a better experience. It was so slow that we ended up taking our dessert home with us because we were afraid of how long it would take to actually get it. Food is excellent but the cooks need to do better or they need more help! Pros: Great food Cons: It took a really long time to get our food.
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My office has their Christmas party here every year. We usually have random appetizers and an open bar. The food is always unique and delicious! This past Christmas, we had duck confit and tuna... More

My office has their Christmas party here every year. We usually have random appetizers and an open bar. The food is always unique and delicious! This past Christmas, we had duck confit and tuna tartar in what looks like a little ice cream cone. The prosciutto wrapped shrimp ($11 appetizer...JUMBO shrimp) is also a great choice! The chocolate martinis are done very well! Daryl and I decided to eat dinner here after going the mall tonight. I had a $25 off coupon, so I figured what the heck! Daryl had the shrimp and grits (of course) - $15. He said it was good and he liked the big pieces of andouille sausage. I ordered the Grilled Veggie Plate with Fresh Fish (Grouper) - $25. The grilled veggies were awesome! It was an entire plate filled with eggplant, zucchini, squash, red, green, and yellow peppers, red onion, and tomato with balsamic drizzled on it and chunks of goat cheese. The Grouper was placed on top. The fish could use a little sprucing up with some sort of seasoning. Or maybe I should've gotten it with the salmon, but the vegetables were really good! Their complimentary bread is like a thinly sliced toast and served with hummus. My favorite! We decided to share a dessert...the Chocolate Bomb ($7). It was a round dessert with an Oreo Crust Bottom, a layer of chocolate mousse, a layer of peanut butter mousse, and chocolate ganache on the outside. It was the bomb diggity!! It was like a really large peanut butter cup with oreos smashed into the bottom. I would go back again and again just for their signature dessert! The wait staff was excellent! The owner even came over to check on us to see how we were doing. It was a good dinner! Pros: great staff, good food, awesome desserts! Cons: somewhat pricey, tables too close together
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Hello to the Tavola Rossa guests, My name is John Fox. I am the Bar Mananger at Tavola Rossa Restaurante Italiano at 5300 Homewood Banks dr. Raleigh, NC. I would like to take the time... More

Hello to the Tavola Rossa guests, My name is John Fox. I am the Bar Mananger at Tavola Rossa Restaurante Italiano at 5300 Homewood Banks dr. Raleigh, NC. I would like to take the time to thank every single one of the regular guests who frequent our establishment. I encourage everyone who lives in Raleigh and the surrounding areas to take the time and stop into our restaurant to see what you are missing. I have personally met a lot of people who have returned time and time again to receive what has been told to me as,"outstanding food and service." I would not say this about your "run of the mill restaurant." I have worked in this business for 20 years and can honestly say i will never tire of the food on this menu. I should know, I eat here every night that i work... That is saying a lot of the quality of food that is served here.. My General Manager Russ is the most gracious person to the customer that i have ever worked for and he will bend over backwards to facilitate the needs of your dining experience. We have an extensive wine menu(and some wines that aren't on the menu). Just ask Russ or myself for a tour and or tasting. This is really the jewel that is waiting to be discovered city wide. Come see for yourself. Thank you all again for a great 2008. We hope to see you all in 2009. John Fox Pros: Food, srevice, and ambience Cons: Not enough seats in house
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Nice location, nice atmosphere, but I won't be back because they automatically put in their tip (at 18%, mind you). I refuse to give business to restaurants who assume tips are a right and not what... More

Nice location, nice atmosphere, but I won't be back because they automatically put in their tip (at 18%, mind you). I refuse to give business to restaurants who assume tips are a right and not what tips are supposed to be. I went without water for a while -- why should the waiter exert himself to give water when his tip was automatic? I wanted coffee but couldn't find the waiter in time, and when I did, it was too late. Why lift a finger if tip is automatic? The tragic thing is, I'm a excellent tipper and I, in most cases, would tip more (20 to 25%) than if tip is automatic. Pros: GREAT ambience, nice location, open & airy Cons: Automatic tip, food didn't taste that good
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This was our first and last experience at this restaurant. We decided to try it out since it was close to Crabtree and we didn't want to eat at the mall. After getting our food I noticed a small one... More

This was our first and last experience at this restaurant. We decided to try it out since it was close to Crabtree and we didn't want to eat at the mall. After getting our food I noticed a small one crawling on the wall right next to my daughter. As soon as I pointed that out to her I noticed a full sized one right next to me on the wall (we were seated at a table for 2 pushed right up against the wall). After jumping up and getting the waitress's attention I noticed another one right on the table next to my plate. The waitress quickly picked up our food and moved it to the table across from us. She joked about leaving the door open today because of the warm weather and also mentioned they sprayed today and that probably had something to do with it. I was surprised that no manager came by to introduce themselves and apologize or anything. We ate some of our food, but neither one of us really felt like eating after that and did not finish our meals. The waitress then came by and offered us each a free dessert because of what happened, but we declined. I assumed she would take something off our bill instead, but she did not. That would have been the very least a good restaurant would have done. We paid the bill and again no one even apologized. We walked out and even the hostess at the desk was not paying attention and didn't say anything as we left. This was not a cheap restaurant and no one seemed to really care very much about what happened. I urge you NOT TO EAT HERE.
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We have been to this restaurant several times and it has always been a good experience. The service is good and the food is tasty. The manager ( Russ) has always made good wine recommendations. We... More

We have been to this restaurant several times and it has always been a good experience. The service is good and the food is tasty. The manager ( Russ) has always made good wine recommendations. We recently went to Tavola Rossa for my birthday. When we mentioned it was my birthday the owner made sure it was a special evening for us. An evening that started out as just a routine birthday dinner ended up as a great night out. We really enjoyed the owner . He is quite a character! This restaurant is off the beaten path; which means the wait time for a table is often short. It's worth seeking out. Pros: Easy parking, friendly service Cons: Location is difficult to find.
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We had a reservation for a large group during lunch hours and were completely underwhelmed with our experience. There were only two waitresses on staff during lunch where our group could have used 2... More

We had a reservation for a large group during lunch hours and were completely underwhelmed with our experience. There were only two waitresses on staff during lunch where our group could have used 2 waitresses alone. When we arrived, the chairs were set so closely together there would have been no comfortable way to eat. When we asked for another table, the manager made it seem like we really inconvenienced him, while the rest of our group just had to stand there as he lectured us. The room we were in (and the entire restaurant) was hot and humid. Our drinks remained empty quite often and the waitresses were not in very good moods which only hurt the service more. The food was good, once it came out, but we had to ask to have our plates cleared, ask for the desert menu, ask to have our drinks refilled, and ask for the check. Pros: Big room for groups, location Cons: Understaffed, poor service
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Coffee and Contacts is a networking group for women and we have held two Lunch and Learns here. The owner and staff were very accomodating and the food tasty, They set us up in a private room and... More

Coffee and Contacts is a networking group for women and we have held two Lunch and Learns here. The owner and staff were very accomodating and the food tasty, They set us up in a private room and provided very good service to the 40+ women in attendance. Depending on availability and how much space we need we will go back again. Pros: Private Dining area
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My department had lunch reservations at Tavola Rossa to welcome new members to the team a few weeks ago and what was meant to be a pleasant lunch became ridiculous. We had reservations for 14... More

My department had lunch reservations at Tavola Rossa to welcome new members to the team a few weeks ago and what was meant to be a pleasant lunch became ridiculous. We had reservations for 14 people, and when we arrived we had to wait for 10 minutes to get the tables set up. There was no one else in the restaurant, and this should have been done prior to our arrival. The service was slow and our waitress seemed very disinterested in taking our orders. We sat outside in the warm afternoon sun for about 15 minutes before our drinks were brought out to us. Again, there were no other patrons in the restaurant. When our orders were taken and the food was ok, not at all worth the prices. We had to ask many times for little things: straws, napkins, and to-go boxes. It was just an unpleasant experience. Also, due to the size of the group, tip was included in our bill, which is understandable, but in checking my account later revealed that I was charged a different amount than I signed for at the restaurant. I guess I should have taken the fact that no one else was there at lunch time as a hint. Find some where else to go. You can get so much more for the same cost elsewhere.
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I went there a while ago, and the food was average, the service was ok, but overall i was not very happy. I also had the unfortunate experience of meeting the owner. He was a very unkind man, and... More

I went there a while ago, and the food was average, the service was ok, but overall i was not very happy. I also had the unfortunate experience of meeting the owner. He was a very unkind man, and did not take into effect anything that was being said. I had to hunt down my waitress multiple times just to get service, and when I was finally helped it was given to me with an attitude. I would recommend this place to no one, the ownership is awful and really does not know how to help anyone. Pros: None Cons: Ownership, staff, food
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