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Ciao! Osteria & Lounge

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121 N. Salem Street
Apex, NC 27502

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(919) 363-8350
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Ciao! Osteria & Lounge - Apex, NC
Reviews
( 21 )
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( 3 )

Best

Seriously, do not know what restaurant the last posting went to, but it was not this one. Pros: Great specials, great service, great food Cons: menu needs to be changed up...

Worst

We enjoyed our first experience at Ciao several months ago very much.. However, our experience tonight was not good...not sure if the extraordinary review resulted in Ciao staff n...

Won't be back 2/23/2009

My husband and I ate at Ciao in December 2008, we will not be going back. This was a high priced ($100 with drinks and dessert), bland meal with bad service. Dinner started off well, I do have to say that their salads are tasty. Unfortunately the meal went down hill from here. Our server was MIA for most of the night except when it was time to serve the food or ask 30 seconds later, how it was. Our entrees were undercooked (me with chicken) or overcooked (hubby's steak). We then made the mistake of ordering dessert. I didn't know you could make a bad Tiramisu but I'm not kidding when I say it tasted like gasoline. Enough said, we won't be back. Reading other reviews it sounds like they do have some good nights. If you go, I hope yours is a good experience. Pros: Prompt seating Cons: Service, entree, dessert more
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Wonderful 11/20/2008

Seriously, do not know what restaurant the last posting went to, but it was not this one. Pros: Great specials, great service, great food Cons: menu needs to be changed up some more
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Never Again!!! 11/9/2008

I don't know who is writing some of the reviews for this place but it is definately not worth your time or money. My husband and I went based on the reviews and were stunned at how different our experience was. The food was bland and overpriced. The service was average. The atmosphere was depressing. One of the worst dining out experiences we have ever had. We should have known what we were in for when we walked in on a saturday night and there were only 2 other couples there. The place was a ghost town! I hope the owners read this and improve their game because we really enjoy downtown Apex. Cons: Boring overpriced food. Cold atmosphere. more
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Excellent 10/17/2008

Excellent service and food! We thought the ambience, food, and service were all fantastic! Try Ciao out! Pros: Service, food, ambience more
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good for Apex if you want Italian 9/23/2008

I would recommend this place for the atmosphere and bar. If you live in Apex and want to go somewhere close, this is a great place for Italian. However, the food we ordered was good, but nothing spectacular or especially great. I got a pasta and my boyfriend got a chicken dish; we both got salads and glass of wine...presentation was nice, but, for the price it was just good. My BF was put off by the hostess/waitress because she was very gruff towards the other staff members. It didnt bother me too much, but she did seem a bit on edge. Pros: ambience Cons: nothing great stands out more
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DELICIOUS! GREAT SERVICE! 9/11/2008

This is a gem in Apex! The service is awesome and the food even better! David was our server. He was professional and very helpful! Thanks for a lovely evening! We will tell our friends and wish you the best! Pros: Delicious Food, Great service, Beautiful decor more
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Mouth Melting Meal and Excellent Wine! 9/3/2008

We had dinner at Ciao Saturday night and had an amazing meal. The Woozi and Mista salad were so wonderfully prepared! My husband had the Grouper and couldn't stop talking about it. We were so happy to come to Ciao after a recommendation made earlier in the summer. Thanks to all the friendly staff and the Chef! Pros: Food, Service, Atmosphere Cons: more outdoor seating (although the sidewalk prevents that) more
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BEST Service and Dinner! 7/18/2008

Had a bad experience with Peak City, so they led us to Ciao! There were 6 girls going for drinks and dessert. We were practically thrown out of Peak City, so when we walked across the street we were not in a sparkling mood. We sat upstairs and they were busy. I explained to the waitress when we arrived that we just wanted a drink and dessert. She was fine with that. Made our experience delightful. We ended up having several rounds of drink, she knows how to make a AWESOME martini, apps, split a few entrees and dessert, which the waitress said ""happy birthday, compliments of Ciao"" the best Tiramisu ever!!. Everyone should walk right on by Peak City and Head straight for Ciao!!! Pros: Excellent service, excellent food, Exceptional restaurant!! more
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Great cusine, even better service 5/18/2008

This place is great! Not only was the food amazing, but the service, wow!. I believe her name was Lacey, she was polite, charming, and full of life. After a long day of traveling from New York City where I work as a food critic it was just what I needed. The filet was perfect, and the scallops were better than most places I've been to on the coast. I hope when I return to the area not a thing has changed. more
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Perfect! 4/26/2008

We ate at the Ciao! last night and had an absolutely fabulous meal. This is our 6th visit and the food has always been cooked with perfection! My favorite is the Mista salad and penne pasta with salmon in white sauce. My husband always has the lamb and devours it as if it's his last meal. Hats off to everyone at Ciao! Pros: Fresh, well prepared food, friendly staff, ambiance more
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Nice atmosphere in quaint Apex 4/18/2008

I've been twice now, I love the atmosphere of Ciao. Neighborhood restaurant, exposed brick, the old building etc. The consistency of the food needs some improvement. First visit everything was great, pasta was cooked perfectly, fish tasted good, the tiramisu was excellent. Second visit I had pasta (penne I think) with salmon in a cream sauce. The pasta was way overcooked, limp, tasteless. The entire dish was really kind of bland. We had arrived kind of early on a Saturday night, we were the first table seated in fact. So the bottom line is I like the prices, the full bar, the servers, but hope that the next time I go the food will be up to the test. more
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Authentic Italian 4/6/2008

The lamb shank was the most authentic tasting meal I have had in a long time. It was just like I had in Italy. The ambiance was incredible. We sat upstairs, it was a little on the warmer side, A/C was waiting on a part, but great. My martini was outstanding. The bartender was spot on when she made our martinis. She even delivered them in person. The waiter was great also. Kudos to the service we received. We also had the shrimp lemoncello which was incredible. Top rated kitchen. Cook really has an incredible grasp on cooking. As the night went on we watched the bartender and waiter work together. They were a great team. They seemed to have a system that worked so well. Besides getting a great meal, we had the best service in a long time. Keep up the good work. Pros: great bartender, great waiter, great cook, EXCELLENT meal more
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Simply the best 3/15/2008

I can not say enough about this place. It is simply the best. I had the grouper romano and it was great. The service was also great. I was prompty seated and waited on. I got two for the price of one when waited on. Krisha and Jerrad waited on my wife and I. They were an incredible team and made my dining experience one I will remember. I can't say enough about the food and staff. Not only was my meal the best, the way that they worked was impeccable. Two thumbs up for this place and the incredible team work displayed. Pros: great food, impeccable staff more
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Excellent Food and Service 3/4/2008

We have been to Ciao 9 times since they opened. The beginning was a bit shaky, however, the place has really blossomed into a gem! We had a beautiful dinner last Saturday night. We sat upstairs. It was crowded and service was good despite the crowd! All of our meals were perfect! Hats off! We'll be back again! Pros: Food, atmosphere, service Cons: crowded on weekends more
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Great food! Great atmosphere! Great Waiter, Louis! 2/24/2008

We had eight in our party and every dish was good to terrific. The zucchini fritti was heavenly as was the calamari. Shrimp were just slightly over done in the pasta dish but I think the pasta was so hot it may have over cooked them on the way to the table. The risotto was wonderfully creamy! Prices were reasonable. I would suggest they need a second bartender on busy nights, although our gal was terrific. They need to begin to use fresh ingredients in their martini's, not mixes. Our waiter Louis was very accommodating and friendly. This is our new favorite place! Pros: wonderful atmosphere, terrific waiter, Louis Cons: not great martini's. a little noisy more
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Best Service I have ever had, wonderfull food, great atmosphere 2/19/2008

We ate at Ciao last weekend, we sat upstairs. Our waitress Jerri was very accomidating, she knew all about the wine list and helped us pick out a wonderfull wine. Then we had alot of questions about the menu, she answered each question with patience and detail about the items on the menu. I had the spagetti pescatori and my wife had the grouper romano. The food was excellant and just as Jerri described it. What I loved best about our server is when she talked you could see the passion in her face about each and every item. It was if she loved the food and the place, which made us very excited to eat there. The atmosphere upstairs was great, it was quit even though it was busy and the lighting was just right. I will definatly be returning and telling my friends about this wonderfull place. Pros: Service Food and Atmosphere Cons: None more
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GREAT PLACE TO BE 2/10/2008

This is the best out of the way place to go. We didn't have reservations, a must on the weekends, and were happy we waited. The grouper romano was awesome. The hostess and staff were tremendous. very accommodating and polite. Our waitress, Krisha was great. She was very professional and extremely accomadating. This was our 3rd time to the restaurant, and the best service yet. Keep up the great work!!!!! Pros: awesome food and service Cons: nothing more
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Just Awesome 2/8/2008

I do business around the triangle and been to several restaurants. Was told about this hidden gem.... I was so glad I went. They were busy, didn't have a reservation, had to wait about 15 minutes. The food was beyond anything I have had. Service was superior. Waitress was great, forgot her name, but she had a Ukrainian name. This is a must go for authentic food. Reservations HIGHLY reccommended. Pros: Excellent service, excellent food more
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Very Happy! 1/21/2008

We have been to Ciao several times and were there on the night the review came out. It was packed! They were short staffed, and not prepared for such a turn out. Despite that, the wine was fantastic and the food perfect. We had the grouper romano, mista salad and the creme brulee for dessert. We enjoyed the atmosphere as always. Hats off! Pros: food, wine, atmosphere Cons: short staffed for crowd more
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Bad experience second time around 1/19/2008

We enjoyed our first experience at Ciao several months ago very much.. However, our experience tonight was not good...not sure if the extraordinary review resulted in Ciao staff not being able to handle increased crowds. Caeser Salad was dry with not enough dressing, Scallops were cold and undercooked, and the final straw was creme brulee which had a soggy topping ...it had not been freshly ""torched"" for sugary crispness. While we were given a 10% discount for our problems, it seemed no one really understood what we were saying when we explained the problems. It's so disappointing to know a restaurant we thought would become one of our favoriites, doesn't seem to be able to deliver consistent quality. more
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Menu for Ciao! Osteria & Lounge


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Editorial

  • Enjoy savory Sicilian and Mediterranean cuisine in an elegant and romantic setting at Ciao! Osteria.

  • 4/28/2008 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Mon-Fri 4:30pm-9pm Sat-Sun 4:30-10pm
  • Payments: American Express, Visa, Cash, Master Card, Discover
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