Cafe Italia

Absolutely horrible experience. The waiter and manager were extremely rude and haughty. We had a group of 10 but 2 extra people showed up. Even when other diners offered us extra chairs, the manager said they couldn't add them to our table because "other people had reservations for those tables" after the people sitting there were done. They weren't nice about it; they didn't apologize; they were simply rude. So 2 people from our group had to leave. Yes, the restaurant actually ran diners away. Then the waitress proceeded to hover over the table the entire meal and rushed us out of there. And guess what? The extra chairs remained unused the entire time we were there. When one member of our group mentioned to the manager how disappointed she was with the way we had been treated and the fact that there was not any reason for the two people to have to leave because there were indeed extra tables and chairs, the manager actually followed her out of the restaurant and began yelling at her and telling her how it was her fault because our group had extra people and their restaurant could not be expected to accommodate us. Yes, you read that right. The restaurant manager followed a customer to the parking lot to yell at her. Of course, this man never did comprehend that the real issue was the lack of customer service, the attitude, and the rudeness, which his behavior only made worse. Needless to say, I will never go there again and I will tell everyone I know what happened. more

But watch the service! I've visited Cafe Italia near historical Grapevine for five years and think I can give a neutral review. First, the owners/staff seem to be of East Euro/Baltic State descent so when dealing with the staff, be strong and smile - tell them exactly what you want. Let them know you'll take care of them. Note to Owner if he reads this review: Always have your waitstaff ask if change is needed - I don't intend to give an $18 tip on a $62 bill. See? That's what I mean about being aggressive with the waitstaff -- tell them exactly what you want when it comes to your plans - we're going to take our time tonight, if you don't mind. Be commanding in a diplomatic way. Food? It is all very good - I enjoy the specials of chicken or veal. I tend to avoid the seafood - tell them if it's not fresh, you will ask them to take it back - Like I said, be in command. The house salad is just OK - has more of a Russian style dressing that is unusual in this area. Yes, this place bustles and hustles on the weekends, which is why my first order of advice is to be commanding about what you want - then you will enjoy. Weeknights? Much more relaxed although I don't know if the sometimes frenetic waitstaff knows the definition of relaxed. Dress? Anything goes here - I've seen jeans/polo shirts to dresses and blazers - just wear what you enjoy. Wine - don't hesitate to bring your own in a coller and your own glasses. Overall - Recommended if you have the cajones to be polite but aggressive with staff to ensure your dining pleasure. more

Good: The food is excellent. It is just like home cooked Italian food that I used to get at the local Mom and Pop restaurants where I grew up in Cleveland. I had the chicken rollatini which was fantastic. One of my dining companions had the sea bass with a pesto based cream sauce which he loved. Another had some raviloi which they always get when they go to Cafe Italia. The bread is the the old 1960's white bread, heated in the oven so the crust is crispy with the feathery bread inside. Squishy and Fantastic. Bad: Not big enough. Sometimes you have to wait in a big crowd by the door to get a table. But this is a converted fast food place, so foyer space is limited. As in, there is no foyer. In my opinion, you can't say anything bad about the food. It is what it is. Old fashioned Mom and Pop style Italian hearty food! And the ambiance is dark and dim. But really can be romantic.. Improvements: Add on a few more dining rooms to the old location on NW Hwy. There may not be room in this Taco Bell/converted to Cafe Italia venue. Which is a shame. But you sometimes tend to feel crowded here.. Other: People need to stop trying to compare this place with haute Italian cuisine. Cafe Italia isn't about that. This place takes you back to the 1960's. When American palates were not so sophisticated in the artesian breads and the 30 different kinds of olives. In the 1960's the old chianti bottles were used for candle holders. And the place was so dim you could hardly see the menu. With hearty peasant sauces. This is Cafe Italia. Even though the owners are from Yugoslavia or someplace. They get it right. more

I went to Cafe Italia with some friends for the first time and was pleasantly surprised. It was fantastic. Very homey casual with great food. It's BYOB, so you can bring your own wine and enjoy and great dinner without breaking the bank. Service was also excellent. Highly recommended. more

A group of girl friends and I met at Cafe Italia to celebrate a birthday. We had heard wonderful things about this place and noticed that the parking lot was full all the time. We went planning to spend a long evening of good food and wonderful conversation. Unfortunately, our evening was not what we expected. We were rushed from the very beginning. The waiter came over to our table every 2-3 minutes asking us if we were ready to order an appetizer. Finally, we ordered one so that he would leave us alone. When the appetizer was served, he began coming over every 2-3 minutes asking us if we were ready to order our main course. We did not want to order too soon in fear that our food would come before we were finished with our appetizers. After we ordered, the food was brought out and the appetizer plates were not even cleared. We had to stack them in a corner of our table ourselves and eventually they were cleared. The food was good, but it was not by ANY MEANS "excellent." I would say that Dal Italia's food (on Precinct Line by Walmart) is "excellent" - we should have gone there, right?? - I wish we had!). Honestly, it was the SERVICE that ruined our evening. The waiter cared more about turning over our table (it seemed) than letting us have a nice, relaxed evening. Our evening was about the dinner - a long dinner - and long conversation. We are four moms of young children who rarely get to have a full, uninterrupted conversation! If you want a REALLY QUICK meal, quick service that is much less than personal (I've NEVER had this experience at an Italian restaurant - usually it's the opposite - the service is part of the wonderful experience), and you are in a rush to get to a movie or just go home - then go to Cafe Italia - or a fast food restaurant. However, if you want a nice, relaxed restaurant experience, do not go Cafe Italia! You will be rushed to the point of impoliteness and, like the four of us, will never go back. more

Cafe Italia is so popular that they have opened a 2nd restaurant on Grapevine Highway down by Grapevine High School. Authentic Italian food prepared in a fine manner, to go along with great salads and a fine list of appetizers. Very cozy and a little romantic on the inside makes it a great place to take a date or loved one. more

This Italian restaurant is out of this world - delicious! A friend took me there for my birthday lunch yesterday & we split the lunch-portion (large portions!) of tortellini a la Anthony (with fresh mushrooms & artichokes in a creamy red sauce) & it just melts in your mouth! It was the best ever! Superb dinner salad & fresh baked bread as well. Great atmosphere inside too - doesn't look like anything special from the OUTSIDE, but inside is GREAT and very charming. It's also BYOB which is nice! I highly recommend this & have added it to my list of favorites! more