50 Best Italian Restaurants near Ellenton

“The food and service were great.“

“Great pizza buffet all u can eat always going home stuffed lol!!!“

“4.9 Stars! Anything on the menu is good. I was there with a very large group. we all enjoyed our meals. the service was phenomenal. prices were reasonable.“

“Food was amazing. Got us in right away. Great service. Would recommend to any of my friends. 🥰“

“What a gem! Beautiful decor, excellent food and exceptional service. Our waitress Angel was top notch - she's very knowledgeable on both the menu and wine pairings. We went with everything she suggested and were not disappointed. Highly recommend!“

“It’s been a few years since I’ve eating at Carrabba’s. And today I was reminded why it was my favorite restaurant years ago. The food was amazing, but even more important, the service was excellent. Lexii took such good care of us. We didn’t have to ask for a thing. She proactively anticipated our every need and was so sweet. My daughter said she gets 100 stars. We’ll def start coming more often.“

“Just finished a lovely dinner with family at this special place. Everyone loved the food. Fresh and flavorful. The meatball appetitizer was delicious, from the salad to the dessert we enjoyed it all. The best Italian suisine has to offer. Highly recommend you take a trip to Palmetto, just over the bridge, to this lovely old home and enjoy what tastes like home cooking.“

“We were there last evening for dinner. This location is much smaller than the one at UTC. Difficult to carry on a conversation even at a small table. Food was good and service was as well. Very busy and noisy for a Wednesday evening. We prefer a more intimate experience, as well as excellent food.“

“Fabulous experience!! Great service and amazing food! Highly recommend!!!“

“Went to dinner with family at the Carrabba’s on University. Teddy was our server and we was phenomenal. Service was prompt, he was attentive without hovering, and when we had a little mishap by way of a spilled glass of Sangria he took care of us immediately. Alex was our bartender and he’s got mad skills with a dirty martini. If you’re at this restaurant ask for these young men… You will not be disappointed!“

“Been looking for a good pizza ? place and I found the best pizza ? place ever I give it 10 stars if you are looking for a great place for pizza please try this pizza“

“Loved this place! Thank you for taking care of us!“

“Amazingly fresh and delicious food, an adorable, cozy atmosphere, and wonderful, personable owners, including Oliver. 🐾 Can’t wait to return!“

“Really enjoyed our meal tonight. Came in after we have lost some of our favorite Italian locations. Food was excellent! great portions and quality. we will be back!“

“Absolutely our favorite restaurant! The owners, staff all make you feel at home. The service, food, wine, music and atmosphere is perfect. Scarpino’s is definitely are GO To Spot, whether by ourselves or hosting company. Be sure to check it out! Ciao, Ciao!“

“Food so good menu changes weekly“

“Very friendly staff, especially Hannah. She is always smiling and is very efficient. You can tell she loves her job by the way she treats her guests! Piesanos is one of our go to restaurant's for that reason and not to mention the great tasting food!“

“Best chicken Marsala in town! It’s amazing, very flavorful and huge portions! Excellent!“

“Went there with my wife as a dinner date and the food was amazing. We both agreed that we will be going back there in the future“

“My total dinning experience was amazing. The only thing they should change is the music, it's an Italian Reztsurant it should be Italian music“

“I used to love this place but it has changed. The garlic knots were fantastic but the ziti was cooked noodles with I think canned tomato sauce with no cheese and not baked. The waitress was friendly but the kitchen staff just seemed to mingle about. Plenty of parking and easy handicapped accessible. Price was more than what the food was worth.“

“This place is a find!!!! Located in a strip mall it's easy to miss it but wow! GREAT food and service. Felt like I was in a small restaurant in Italy. We had the Bianca pizza. It was one of the best pizzas I've had. Next time I'll try one of their pasta dishes ; they all looked wonderful. We went there our last night on vacation. Would have definitely gone back had we discovered La Norma earlier !!!“

“My husband and I ate at Ferraro's on January 28th at 5:15pm. Our waitress was Ronnie. She was a good waitress but we would have liked her to smile. She acted like she really did not want to be there. On the other hand, Emma came over to our table to check to see if we had gotten all our food and if we needed anything else. She had a super personality and I personally asked if she was an assistant manager. She said no. She went over to several tables to check to see if they were happy with everything. Emma made our night. We are glad that you have a person like this who enjoys work working here. Our compliments to Emma!!!! Food was delicious as usual.“

“Great food, and the service was exceptional, best lasagna I’ve had in a long time“

“Excellent Pizza! Fast and friendly service! Our family really enjoyed dining out at Rico’sPizzeria!“

“The overall service use to be amazing at this Olive Garden. We have come here several times over the years and this is the worst front staff I’ve ever experienced. I checked in and was told it would be a 15 minute wait and told them that I had people coming but instead of seating us after 25 minutes passed I came up to ask the pregnant hostess if they were waiting for my party or something because we’ve been waiting and she was like oh yeah yeah we are without so much as looking at me or apologizing for the wait. There were several of them up there that were just laughing and joking around unprofessionally and the pregnant hostess was eating up there talking with the other ladies at the podium while they ignored us. She disappeared completely for several minutes and after 30 minutes I asked a girl who showed up if we were going to be seated because my party was waiting. She said she would check because she just got there. She went to find the pregnant hostess and told her we were waiting 30 minutes and my daughter overheard her denying it. I’m just not used to that at any restaurant. If you tell me 15 minutes and it’s not busy in there then we have better be seated whether we are waiting for people to arrive or not. It put me in such a terrible mood that I wanted to leave but thankfully our waiter came right away and was amazing. He was very attentive and kind and I felt he deserved a good tip. What made me write this review was when we left there were a gaggle of women at the front with the pregnant hostess and we all noticed that they just stared at us and didn’t say the usual thank you have a good night. No one bothered to politely open the door like they have always done for us in the past. You just knew that they we’re talking bad about you. If this is what this Olive Garden restaurant is turning into then I have to stop coming. I don’t know what’s up with those women but this is their place of work not a place to gossip and bullshit about their life or talk shit about their paying customers who are there to be treated with some measure of respect and kindness when they are out with their family for dinner. I hope a manager sees this review and addresses this issue of plain rudeness. We are also not white and so obviously white people were being treated better and seated immediately. By the way, our pregnant hostess was black but for some reason thinks it’s ok to be rude to us. If this ever happens to us again, a complaint will definitely be filed to your corporate management or the BBB. I will not tolerate this behavior in front of my family.“

“We ordered Pizza and it was delicious!! The service was great!! Sophia made us feel welcome and was very pleasant. She must have visited our table 6 or 7 times making sure we were doing ok.“

“Attardi's is the best pizza place in Sarasota, and I'm Italian and am picky. And, for you West Virginia's who miss your state's famous "pepperoni rolls" - Attardi's has them, and they're as good or better than any you can get in the Mountaineer state. George the owner/chef has amazing attention to detail, cooks everything perfectly with the finest ingredients. He's a perfectionist (you can tell by watching him). This place is a gem. Just Fyi.“

“The food is great and you get a lot! Niki, Ashleigh, Linda, Debbie and Hakan are super servers. A very friendly place. Only one thing…bring back the ICEBERG lettuce for the salads!“

“Everything was excellent. First time trying your place and we will be back.“

“Visiting from Pennsylvania. We love the food. The atmosphere. would recommend recommended highly.“

“Best pizza I've ever had.“

“Delicious Pizza 🍕. Will definitely come back. Great prices and friendly staff“

“Outstanding. First time customer. Fabulous across the board. I’ll be back. Again .... outstanding.“

“Staff was amazing 🤩 Customer service is number one!!!!“

“Michelangelo Pizzeria Cucina isn't just a restaurant; it's a heartfelt family. I feel so profoundly grateful to this incredible establishment for the love and kindness they showed my son, Finn, during his time with them. From the moment he started working there, he was welcomed with open arms by the owner, the manager, and the entire staff. They treated him like one of their own, fostering an environment filled with camaraderie and joy. Finn cherished every moment of his time at Michelangelo's, especially as he worked his way up to the “slices” position from bussing tables. At just 19 years old, he had been working since he was 16, and of all the places he joined, this was where he truly felt at home. Their generosity was boundless—they consistently provided us with free food on multiple occasions, and their warm-heartedness shone brightly during Finn’s Memorial Celebration at Bayside when they offered us free food to honor his memory. It was these selfless acts that made an indelible mark on our hearts, showcasing the kind of extraordinary people they are. I’ll never forget the evening of August 6th, just three days before Finn passed. I had the privilege of watching him work while enjoying dinner with my daughter. Sitting in the booth, I observed him taking orders, pulling pizzas in and out of the brick oven, and calling out orders with such grace. The way he juggled so many tasks with a smile on his face filled me with pride. I even managed to sneak in a few pictures, moments I will forever treasure. Thank you, Michelangelo Pizzeria Cucina, for being the supportive family Finn needed in a workplace. Your kindness, generosity, and community spirit have touched our lives deeply. We will always hold you close to our hearts. With heartfelt gratitude, Kyra, Luke and Family“

“Really nice restaurant with authentic Greek cuisine, portions were tasty and a good size, wonderful atmosphere and excellent service. We will definitely be back.“

“I absolutely love their Penne Al Vodka with Chicken, Greek salad, and of course pizza! Fast friendly service. We order at least once a week! A must try in Bayshore“

“EVERYTHING! MY FAVORITE RESTAURANT!“

“Best pizza Ive had in Florida. Great job.“

“Amazing Chicago style food will keep coming back!“

“Don’t go solo. I was seated in a corner used for extra chair storage away from the main part of Restaraunt. No one else at 2 tables. Plenty of empty tables in main part. Made me feel like I had BO oh well. Plenty of other places where they let you sit with everybody else.“

“Yummy and such big portions.“

“We love ordering from Hungry Howies and order from there about once a week. The staff is always friendly and prompt and food is excellent. Just one slight problem tonight, we ordered a Italian sub and chef salad with Italian dressing, well today we did not get the dressing with our salad. Good thing we have dressing at home, so it’s not really a big deal. I just really enjoy their Italian dressing. We always enjoy their food and will continue to!!!“

“Amazing pizza! Nothing close even compares.“

“We’re from out of town(North Fla) and stopped in for the first time last night. We’ve passed through this area a few times, and I’ll admit the exterior gave us a a little pause, but we are so glad we didn’t pass it up! The food and service were genuinely fantastic! Our server was incredibly attentive, and we noticed every server treating their tables with the same energy; friendly, engaged, and on top of things. Portions were generous, and the prices were very fair, IMHO. The music was at the perfect volume. It wasn’t packed, but it definitely wasn’t empty either. For a Saturday around 5 PM, the wait time for our food was totally reasonable. Overall, we were really impressed with our visit! We’ll be back every time we’re in the area, and we already recommended it to our family in Siesta Key, South Sarasota, and Bradenton.“

“Love Jets, thanks for another great pizza 🍕 !“

“We had a genuinely great experience at this Hungry Howie’s location. While the surrounding area may look a bit rough, the restaurant itself was sufficiently clean and welcoming, and the food did not disappoint.

The pizzas were cooked to perfection, and the gluten-free crust was absolutely dynamite—easily one of the best we’ve had. Everything we ordered was fresh, well-prepared, and satisfying.

That said, the true star of the show was Donna, the hostess and server. Her service was beyond attentive—friendly, personable, and genuinely welcoming from start to finish. She made us feel valued as customers and elevated the entire dining experience well beyond our expectations.

As a small, constructive note, a bit more attention to the cleanliness of the flatware would be appreciated, but this did not detract from an otherwise excellent visit.

We don’t eat here very often and usually opt for carryout, but this experience has absolutely made us reconsider. Between the quality of the food and the exceptional service, we’ll be dining in far more frequently. Highly recommended—especially if Donna is working.“

“Great vibe, friendly staff, tremendous pizza! I look forward to eating here again.“