Cossetta Italian Market

Cossetta's has always been the same. From when I was a little kid and all the way into my thirties; it's probably the most consistent restaurant experience in the entire Twin Cities. The pizza isn't terrible--unless you're a snob and are expecting some sort of gourmet experience on the basis that all of your pizza knowledge is based around all of the ""gourmet"" joints around the metro--and like the restaurant, it's taste has stayed the same for as long as I can remember. That says quite a bit about the quality, regardless of the lack of some of the more ""high-class"" ingredients. Their pastas, and especially their sandwiches, are a knockout. The Italian Heroe is so rich and fantastic that you may shed a tear or two after you've finished your last bite. Cossetta's has always been chaotic and bustling. The seating has always been crowded, you need to be comfortable around strangers; the staff has always had the St. Paul-style, Chicago-like attitude and if you can't handle any of that, it's probably a good idea to stay away. The devil-may-care attitude bubbling from every corner is actually charming if you're not some high-strung crybaby that has a nervous breakdown if a staff member isn't constantly at your beck and call or if any little thing not going the way you want it to is enough to ruin your whole evening. I've seen a lot of complaining about a lack of authenticity of the food and that makes me laugh. Hard. This is a real working-class Italian American, family owned grocer and restaurant, that serves real, traditional, working-class Italian American foods. Sausage and peppers, anyone? Just because you have a different idea on what Italian food is and should be doesn't make this a bad place for everyone else. In closing, if you're not some uptight goofball and you're looking for a place that blares the good ol' Italian standards over the speakers while you enjoy eating, relaxing and being yourself in a non-pretentious environment, look no furher than Cossetta's. Pros: Good food, St. Paul attitude, great ambience, free parking. Cons: Service is not for the uptight, crowded if you're not into that. more

All the girls that work there, are NOT there to JUST serve you food... if you catch my drift, so be prepaired if your man is left unattended for too long. Secondly their pizza is not AUTHENTIC, PunchPIzza is a lot better choice for real italian style pizza. SO just remember the *hot food* section is nothing at all like real italian food, but their market/deli section does have a good imported selection from italia. But come on, don't try to tell me that BACLAVA is italian!... more

Anyone looking for no frills, reasonably authentic Italian cuisine could do worse than Cossetta's. Anyone looking for a minimally acceptable level of service and a coherent seating plan should go somewhere, anywhere, else. The parking attendant was confused. The first restaurant employee we encountered was visibly irritated when we did not know what we wanted to order after 20 seconds, the second employee was busy chatting with a co-worker when we needed his assistance. Dio mio. The cashier spoke not one word during our entire transaction, but did helpfully point at a sign when we had a question. Thanks so much! Most of the tables upstairs are so close together that one table being used will essentially preclude the adjacent table from being used. Clearly, the location is saving this place from well-deserved oblivion. When we departed we wondered if we had encountered a single Cossetta's employee who even pretended to care. No. No we did not. Ci vediamo. Pros: Nothing comes to mind Cons: The food was OK, everything else was pitiful more

Yep its busy somtimes but they move the line at a good clip. I go for pizza and salad at least once a week, always good always fresh (try the Cossetta salad its awesome). The prices are good ( I can't knock a slice of pizza about the size of my head for under $4.00). On my last visit I went in the market for the first time, this is something that everyone needs to do. It was like walking in a time machine to and old school meat and grocery corner shop. I am kinda a food geek and still have never seen a number of these products (these guys are not messing around). Their selection of olive oils has to be the largest I have ever seen. Spoke with a female staff member she was friendly and seemed to know her stuff. I picked up a few items but plan on coming back for more when I search out some good Italian dishes for home. Pros: pretty cheap, awesome market Cons: N/A more

This place was great! I loved it and would recommend it for anyone and everyone.....they were very fast and friendly. My dish was very satisfying! So, keep up the good work! Pros: .. Cons: . more

If you're looking to get out of Minneapolis then go check out her sister St. Paul. RUN don't walk over to Cossettas Italian food for a bite! This place will engulf you with its aroma and you will be brought right back to the early days of when Mr Hill himself probably used to dine here. (its been around since 1911)Venture around the staircase, grab a tray and get ready to rumble! You will find a VERY large menu board with tons of stuff to choose from. They have killer monthly specials and the food is VERY Reasonable! I went for an Entree, the Lasagna Al Forno which came with Mostaccioli con ricotta and Garlic bread for 8.99 it looked way too good to walk away from. So as I worked my way down the tray line I saw about 7 people working and prepping the food they were tossing dough for pizza... wait? Pizza? Yup you can get it by the slice so.I went hog wild and got a slice of Pepperoni Pizza for 3.65 and noticed a filled to the BRIM Cannoli for 3.65 AND a Ice Cold Bottle of GrainBelt Beer for 3.61. So my buddy and I worked our way upstairs with our food which smelled so dang good I couldnt help but take a bite out of my pizza on the way up the stairs.. that crust is amazing.. soft yet crunchy its gotta be all in the tossing! YUM! So i worked my way into my Lasagna like a kid opening a gift at Christmas first slow then like a wild animal. The garlic bread was freaking awesome. full of garlic, warm and cooked just right.. I started forking my Mostaccioli and it was amazing.. I almost went downstairs to get more but then remembered I had this pizza slice the size of my plate so I attacked that pizza which went well with the ice cold GrainBelt and then onto my favorite part.. dessert.. That Cannolli was HEAVEN Full full FULL of Mascarpone Cheese filling and the pastry crust was perfection... I was sad to see it go. And I was sad TO leave.. I will definatly be back to this amazing place. Dorothys mom Sophia would have been dang proud! See Bart aren't you glad you went? Pros: You get what you pay for! Heck of a lot of food! Cons: No Tabasco.. I like everything spicy. Thats about it though :) more

This is my 1st review and my first time to Cossetta's. YUM!!!! GO!!!! EAT!!!! Just had dinner tonight, tried something I don't usually like-sausage. The Sausage and Peppers sandwich was phenomonal. Peppers, sweet and onions seasoned! Very Good Also, tried the Combo pizza slice. Sausage, Mushroom and Peppers, this pizza is great wish I didn't live so far, far away in Uptown. But will be taking several trips here in the future(Hi Joel). At the end of our delightful meal, I decided to try the gelato. I have just one question. Why do they put it in that little to-go container with a lid? It NEVER made it to the car. In the end just go and eat, I'm sure all the people here who have complained don't have a clue what food is outside the paper bag. P.S. The staff was VERY helpful and friendly, especially Rick who appeared to be management. Pros: Inexpensive, Clean, Variety Cons: Too much food---LOL more

I saw that the reviews were so-so, so I decided to try anyway. Boy, what a sad experience. The food was really bad. Check out chewy pasta and sauce that seemed like it had been frozen or canned and then thawed. Not my style. My dining companion had a sandwich that quite literally had a ladle full of oil dumped on it. Now, I know the difference between oil and aujus, and this was oil. We pretty much ignored the service, as we knew it was going to be terrible anyway. Well, they lived up to it. I have never seen a bunch of people less interested in their jobs. I won't waste my $$ again, and I urge you not to either. There are too many really good places out there. more

The food is great. The vibe is always one of excitement. The old building and city neihborhood give the place a feel all of its own. I take out-of-towners there a lot and they all say it is awesome. For those that like the Olive Garden, you needed a better imagination as a child. Pros: No fuss Cons: Very popular place more

I wanted to see who won cheap eats, and I can't believe it was Cossetta's. Who calls a oily sandwich for 8.99 plus 1.50 for pop PLUS tip cheap? I don't know if the term ""cheap eats"" has changed, but I don't think this is it. I know lots of places to get a gourmet sandwich plus drink for under 10$$. more

We went to Cosseta's on the recommend of a friend-boy did she get an earful after we were done! (just kidding) but seriously this place is awful. The worst thing was that there were so many people to serve, and the line people just stood around. Lots of people got mad and left, so that was good. I think the way they have it set up is just wrong-maybe if they had it totally separate it would work better. I am not a big fan of ""cafeteria"" dining anyway-I think it takes away from what people are looking for when they go out. The other thing is the way the servers slop the food in plastic trays-for 9 to 11$$, I would like an actual plate, thanks. We spent SO much $$, for four it was almost 60.00 after drinks and tip. I thought this place got the award for cheap eats. Bummer...no way would I go back here again. more

Arrgghh...wish I'd read the reviews before eating here. This place is really bad. I tried to think, ""what really makes a good dining experience?"" For me, it is the food, first. Well, this food was awful. Greasy, expensive and not authentic. Then comes service. That is where Cossetta's really fails I think. The staff seem to feel that they are there just to waste some time. The place is dirty, the staff joke with each other instead of helping the customer, and worst off all they act like the customer should be grateful to be eating there. If you ask me, it should be the other way around. I don't expect waiters to swoon over me, but there is some truth to good customer service. If you don't have customers, you do not have a business. Last, environment. This joint is dirty, loud, and crowded. And I don't mean it was full of people. The tables are jammed in next to each other and there is no where to walk. I almost dropped my food on someone's head while trying to navigate to a table, because I tripped on a chair. C'mon Cossettas! Can't you see what your customers are saying about you?? more

Waited over an hour in line for the sandwiches part of the restaurant. Got to the counter and people at the beginning just looked bored and didn't ask to help. Got more down the line to where the pastas and hot sandwiches were and only one gal (of the 5 behind the counter) asked what we wanted. I said a cold hero sandwich, she said they should have asked me for that down at the beginning of the counter. She pretty much had to beg this one gal to make my sandwich. Nice, didn't mean to inconvienence you!!! Then the pricing is insane - $1.50 for a CAN of pop - that is NOT good pricing. Finally got our food and had to trek up the stairs (with napkins and garbage all over them). Found only one table that wasn't occupied - still had stuff on it from previous customer. Had to ask a busboy leaning against the wall looking bored if he could clean it up. Finally sat down - very cramped, pretty much sat on other people's laps next to us. Not a good environment for conversation - very loud and lots of people. Food was incredibly greasy and messy. I cannot think of one good thing about this place except the parking lot was close. Yikes! Pros: Parking Cons: Prices, Service, Environment more

This place stinks! My food was dripping with grease and I hate that! I will go elsewhere next time, even tho this was close to the Excel where the game was. My girlfriend was mad at the counter lady because she asked for no sauce, and the lady put some on anyway. Instead of giving her a new meal, they just tried to scrape it off. She asked for no sauce because we read the review awhile ago that said they put pork dripping in the sauce. I asked just to make sure, and they sure do. I guess I don't care, but my girlfriend did. Kind of out of date/style. Seems like they just don't have what it takes anymore. more

I took the recommend of a friend to go here, but it was a bad one. I was disapointed that the staff was not very nice, and they all seemed to be too busy to take care of the customer. I was also disapointed in the reviews that called this a cheap place to eat. I just don't think that 10.00 a person plus tip can be considered cheap. I know that there are more expenisve places, but that is not cheap. The food was very oily. Not just greasy, but oily. And this was not the pizza. It did not look good. I also wish they had more choice with regard to entrees. They only had two, and neither sounded good to me. I would not eat here again. There are better places to spend my $$. more

Ok, there are two schools of thought about Cossetta's. One is that a noisy, crowded place is a good time. The other is that a noisy crowded place is a nightmare. I happen to like to talk to my dining partner. If I want to go to a rocking club, I will go there. If I want fine dining, I need a quieter place. If Cossetta's food was decent, I would probably tolerate it. However, the food, simply put, is crud. Expensive crud. You could make this in your home and it would taste 100% better. I think their store might be ok, but hey, I can shop at another market and not have to have the bother of going downtown. I was taking friends out to dinner, and honestly I was embarrassed that I took them to this place. They gave me the look like, ""Is this really what your town has to offer?"" We ended up at another spot which was authentic, quieter and really quite lovely. Too bad about Cossetta's-clean up your act. more

Been going to Cossetta's since 1986 and this place has definately changed. Used to be fun with good food at a fair price...and pleasant staff. The last 4-5 times I've gone there over the past two years, it's been overly noisy, the staff rude and impatient, the food greasy, portions smaller and just no fun. Now I tend to favor buying fresh meat, cheese and pasta from their deli side and taking it home to fix instead. Pros: Good pizza, parking ok, deli Cons: Rude staff, overly noisy/rushed, food can be greasy at times and expensive more

I will keep this very simple and to the point, although I could go on forever. There was a line out the door and down he block. The process you need to go through to get food is crazy. There was one person making salads and the line for this had 80% of the people waiting to get food. There were 3 cooks on the ""hot food"" side standing around doing nothing! I was going to get a salad and decided I would skip the wait to get a sandwich, I asked the ""hot food"" cook for a sandwich and they said I need to order it from the one person making salads. I saw a manager and asked him how was it that he had all of these people in line waiting for food and they had one person making salads and cold sandwiches and 3 guys standing around doing nothing? And, if I didn't mention it.... the place was packed! His response, ""I pull people off the line to slow down the process because there is nowhere to sit if people move through the line quickly"" I have been in the hotel/restaurant business for 17+ years and I have never heard of such a ridiculous excuse in my life. What if people wanted food to take out? Why don't they have better signage to guide people through the process? After moving here from the East coast, people told me this was the place to go. I will never go back again. When you pack people in like that your customer service skills begin to lack. They have the market pretty well covered, but eventually their process and lack of service will catch up to them. Someone will eventually challenge them in the market and succeed if done right........ more

I am so mad!!! I went here to take my dad out to dinner for his birthday. When I called ahead to see if they had handicapped facilities, they said yes. Well, the only place to sit was upstairs. That doesn't really work for someone who is physically challenged. When I tried to talk to someone about it, there was no caring at all. They told me to wait for a table. This might work if we hadn't already gone thru the line and gotten our food. We ended up eating most of out dinner just waiting for the magical table. What a joke-this place is cruddy at best and hurtful at worst. PS. The food tasted like sawdust. more

I remember being taken here as a child, and loving it. Now, I am thinking it has gotten new owners but they made it worse than it used to be. Sloppy service, lots of noise and packed in like sardines in a can. No way-(I can't believe I am saying this) I'd rather eat at Olive Garden. Pros: Nothing I can think of Cons: Sloppy service, loud, crowded more