La Rocca ITALIAN RESTAURANT and BAR

Everything is amazing! I moved to Wellen Park in October and this is my italian go to! Nicole is awesome and I need the fettuccini alfredo in my life. Bruschetta is a must. I

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

This Italian restaurant is a hidden gem. Husband and wife run this great establishment. This was are first time eating here and it was fantastic. Everything is made to order. The flavors were spot on. This was the last night before their summer shut down for 2 months. I can’t wait to go back and try some Veal dishes in September. Nichole was very knowledgeable on the menu items. She was a pleasure answering our questions. Chris knows how to prepare great dishes. I wish I would have taken some pictures as the presentation of the food was amazing.
Definitely a must try if you have never been there. Thank you for making our meal not just great but a great experience also.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Bruschetta

We had read some of the negative reviews and went in with this in mind.
We were met by Nicole who gave us a nice booth, without reservations, on a Friday. The place was filling up so we felt fortunate.
The tables had nicely ironed, white table cloths. Wow! In this part of Florida, unless you are in Sarasota or parts of the other coast, the only place I’ve seen a table cloth is at home!
I asked for a very cold martini and was pleasantly surprised by a chilled glass, even with my partner’s Stella. Details!
We started with the shrimp cocktail, the chilled fresh, shrimp were served on English cucumbers with a tangy, homemade cocktail sauce. The presentation was beautiful, in addition to being delicious.
We were swerved homemade bread, warm and sliced ( who wants to be served a chunk of bread and a steak knife to cut ourself!) , Nicole also served us complimentary bruschetta, very flavorful without being over powering, served on toast points! I would definitely order this again.
We had the Veal Parmigiana and Pasta Bolognese.
The veal was the best we’ve had in Florida, tender, flavorful, melt in your mouth! It was served with the most amazing red sauce! The veal had a light layer of cheese (not the usual obnoxious layer of mystery cheese) and was served with thin spaghetti. The red sauce had so much flavor, not acidic and not with quarter sized chunks of garlic. I couldn’t help myself, I had to sop the extra sauce on the plate with the warm bread.
The Bolognese was that, rich, yummy, served with the same thin spaghetti, not the usual “meat sauce”.
Both meals were served piping hot which added to the appeal!
We ended the meal with cappuccino, Chardonnay and the most decant pistachio ricotta dessert. Creamy, light and delicate!
The entire meal was out of this world! Fabulous service and the prices were incredibly reasonable!
We will definitely be back, again and again!
Thank you for a delightful experience!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Amazing experience! Food was 10/10 absolutely no complaints. It was our first time coming to this restaurant and we will definitely be coming back. The decor of the restaurant showed the beautiful true Italian culture and the food was the best and most authentic Italian food we’ve had:)

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Food is always exquisite!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Such a wonderful meal. Great service!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recently visited. I have been to italy many times, and this this place seems very authentic. Yes, its not fancy, but that's exactly how they look like in italy. The food, yes, its authentic and italian, just like what you would get in italy.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

It’s a decent restaurant for the area but definetely needs an upgrade to its interior. Super run down building and the actual space and white table clothes don’t help much. Food and service is ok .

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 3

Service: 3

We visited to celebrate a friend's birthday. Our group consisted of 6 couples. Reservations were made in advance so they were accommodating to our group. The menu consist of traditional Italian food, nothing extraordinary, but all prepared properly and cooked to perfection. The decor seemed a little dated but was clean and welcoming. There was a talented man playing electric guitar as dinner music when we visited on a Friday night. I found the prices to be a little inflated for the type of dishes that were offered. Our server, Alex, was personable, informative, and an effective waiter. All in all, a pleasurable experience.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 5

We decided to stay close to home and try La Rocca. When we walked in the restaurant the reaction was like a “deer in headlights” type of reaction from the staff because we didn’t make a reservation.
We were seated and we’re not in a hurry. We relaxed and enjoyed the company and great music that was playing.

The food came out slow. That’s okay because it’s ALL homemade!
We will be back again this time with reservations.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4

Was a bit longer to wait, because we were sooooo hungry, but when food arrived- OMG !! OMG!! That is the best Italian food ever! So so so recommend! Please visit! It is really great!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Very disappointed in portion size compared to price its not worth it $$. And it took 40mins from time we placed the to go order. And its a shame because it had good flavor. This was our first and last time. As to you're reply Too bad it was moved around I was looking for the rest of the pasta. And you're small cup of soup that's suppose to be a bowl so laughable.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 2

Chris the best cook and his wife Nicole is so awesome best food in town

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

If you’re looking for authentic Italian that tastes home made and served by wonderful waitstaff- this is the place for you! Everything was wonderful and worth it. Definitely the hidden gem of North Port.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Dined here a couple of days ago and it was absolutely top-notch. Easily the best pasta I’ve ever had. The negative reviews make no sense—this place delivers on every level.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5