My husband and I chose this restaurant from Google reviews and a recommendation by someone who lives local. We love Italian food and were here to celebrate our Anniversary. Once in the door, we stood and waited for someone to greet us. A gentleman was talking to another gentleman at the entryway. No one was ahead of us waiting to be seated. Eventually, the gentleman saw us and acknowledged us. We we quite surprised to see a dog tied up on a leash as if it belonged to the person seating us.We were then seated. Menus were thrown on the table and we were sat close to a large group. Our server, Jeremy, was polite and took our order. We received my wine and salads along with a basket of bread in a timely manner but then sat for an hour before Jeremy stopped by our table to apologize for our food being delayed. There was a back up in the kitchen, he explained. We were okay but then waited another 20 minutes before anything came out. Thankful our food finally arrived, we were not wow'd by the flavors. I genuinely do not ever like to post negative reviews but was surprised something wasn't comped when the meals took so long to come out. I was very disappointed.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Anita D
Food was pretty good, but too expensive. The pictures make it look like a really nice place but no... it's a tiny cafe style restaurant in the end of a strip mall with a size made more for a quick coffee than a high priced Sicilian/Italian place that wasn't any better than an Olive Garden. Too cramped to be enjoyable and the wait staff, other guests and owners walking back and forth in the little aisle, with only enough room for one person, left them brushing against me, and the breeze they left as they blew by over and over and over, it was annoying. I'm sure my food collected all the dust and dander they left in their wake. I went to wash my hands and when I came out of the bathroom I had to move over and wait out of the way for the rude gentleman that was helping wait tables... Maybe because letting your guest, or a lady, go first must not have been how he was trained or raised. I think it was the owners or son.
I went in around 4 pm and was the only person there for a while. The waitress I had at first must have been fairly new. She was cool, but before I even got my entree she was sent out to go get something from the store for the kitchen. There were no other wait staff available yet so I was left with the rude no personality guy that made me move for him waiting on me. At one point the little old lady running the joint came down the aisle and decided to blow her nose as she passed my table while I was eating my salad, and I felt the wind off it...grrrrr I almost got up and left. Like I mentioned, I was the only one in there and she blew her nose over my food as she walked by. Yuck. I was so disgusted I almost called her out on it too. They had been posting for a job opening multiple times so I wanted to get a real feel of the place, and the food, before I applied. and learned quickly they were a miserable group of people. Not my vibe at all. I ordered the wild mushroom ravioli dish which came with salad and bread. It claimed to be a marsala sauce but it was thick and tasted more like mushroom Alfredo sauce. It was still good and the portion was satisfying. Due to the price and the small location and neg energy of the place, I will not go back. I probably would have tipped better if my original waitress had stayed. To her I apologize but Lurch wasn't getting my money. Never make your patrons move out of the way for you when you are charging over $25 per plate. That's McDonalds behavior. Seems like some local regulars were coming in as I was wrapping up.
I suggest if you want to eat here just be prepared it's small and there's a lot of movement going on and the people aren't happy to be there, which spills over into your food. I left feeling full but not positive. A restaurant is a SERVICE industry position. So save your frowns and misery for when you are on your own time not when you are SERVING the people paying $30 just for a salad and some pasta.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Scott M
We went here two times and really liked it but the third time we were served very bad mussels. They had an extreme fishy/rancid aroma. I don't know how that can leave the kitchen! Where are the standards and basic safety? If that is not bad enough, when I returned it the waitstaff were talking about us, gossiping, all within earshot. It was so insulting and offensive. I was going to stay and order something else but not when the waitstaff is treating us like that! They acted like we were being unreasonable customers. We could have gotten very sick. Goodbye.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Wakko G
I had the eggplant parm with pasta it was sub par. I honestly could not think of any redeeming qualities about it or the pasta. The sauce was oily and ran right through my system. I would have rather had Angelo’s frozen Italian food.
The bread was good and served hot.
My friend had a meatball sub. She picked at the meatballs.
The waiter was excellent. Because the place was not busy at all.
In the middle of the day the dining room was so dark it is a great atmosphere if one wants to carry out an affair. And there were so many items on the walls I wondered who was dusting them all.
We could not figure out why it had such a good review from USA today.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 5
Judy Mitchell
my recommendation is not to order food during dinner...you will wait for 1 hour after you placed the order only to wait another hour once you arrive to get it.
the food was BLAND..fettuccine Alfredo with chicken cutlet....:where's the chicken??..obviously they ran out an served shredded chicken that had NO FLAVOR....
bread pudding was hard and dry..I mentioned it to the staff and was told..oh just micro wave it..it'll be fine..at least your food is hot: ?!? We waited 2 hrs to eat!..while continuing to tell me...it's worth it! lol..no it wasn't.
This used to be a great place to eat..now it seems to be over rated based on past reputation which is suffering....
JoAnne Tyler
My husband took me to Casa Benedetto's for my birthday very recently. How did I wait so long to get here!?!? It's been right up the street from me for years now ~ so many years of missing out on this most delicious Italian food! Such a welcome when the door was opened for us and being greeted inside. Our waitress, JoJo was over the top friendly and full of descriptive information of the food. Great portions, so we enjoyed the leftovers the following day. I can't wait for my next visit!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
CHARLENE DUNTON
I'm giving the benefit of post hurricane or new persons in the kitchen; I spent $80 on take out tonight; No self respecting grandmother from Tuscany to Sicily would serve the pig swill that I was served ...
Glenn Steinberg
Everything was great....
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Eggplant Rollatini, Caesar Salad
Julie Payton Mortgage Team
What a great place. Food was wonderful and authentic and the service was excellent. So glad we went.
john stanzione
Driving from New York to Saint Augustine Beach we stopped at the restaurant for dinner. We were overwhelmed with the freshness and delicious dinner we had and the staff was outstanding. Will make sure we return on every trip to Saint Augustine.
We've had the pleasure of eating here a few times. Food was excellent and large portions if you're a hearty eater. I've had Chicken Parmigiana and my husband, baked Ziti dish (or something like that) They also have good daily specials and appetizers. We both thought the food was great. The atmosphere is "old school" Italian, that you can generally only experience up north. Love the feel, love the ambience. Definitely recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kurtis Jones
10/10: The food, atmosphere, and customer service were excellent. Can't wait to go back!
This was the best Italian food I’ve ever had! Our server, Carrie, was absolutely wonderful - attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu. But the real star of the show was the food. I ordered the Chicken Parmesan with Pasta Fagioli, and oh my goodness, it was love at first bite! The flavors were rich and authentic, the pasta was cooked to perfection, and the portion sizes were generous. I've had my fair share of Italian food, but this was hands down the best I've ever had. Carrie's excellent service and the restaurant's delicious cuisine made for a truly unforgettable meal. I highly recommend this place to anyone craving authentic Italian cuisine!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salad, Chicken Parmigiana, Pasta Fagioli, Meatballs, Caesar Salad
Awilda Cirino
Food was great. Will definitely go back when I’m St
My husband and I chose this restaurant from Google reviews and a recommendation by someone who lives local. We love Italian food and were here to celebrate our Anniversary. Once in the door, we stood and waited for someone to greet us. A gentleman was talking to another gentleman at the entryway. No one was ahead of us waiting to be seated. Eventually, the gentleman saw us and acknowledged us. We we quite surprised to see a dog tied up on a leash as if it belonged to the person seating us.We were then seated. Menus were thrown on the table and we were sat close to a large group. Our server, Jeremy, was polite and took our order. We received my wine and salads along with a basket of bread in a timely manner but then sat for an hour before Jeremy stopped by our table to apologize for our food being delayed. There was a back up in the kitchen, he explained. We were okay but then waited another 20 minutes before anything came out. Thankful our food finally arrived, we were not wow'd by the flavors. I genuinely do not ever like to post negative reviews but was surprised something wasn't comped when the meals took so long to come out. I was very disappointed.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Food was pretty good, but too expensive. The pictures make it look like a really nice place but no... it's a tiny cafe style restaurant in the end of a strip mall with a size made more for a quick coffee than a high priced Sicilian/Italian place that wasn't any better than an Olive Garden. Too cramped to be enjoyable and the wait staff, other guests and owners walking back and forth in the little aisle, with only enough room for one person, left them brushing against me, and the breeze they left as they blew by over and over and over, it was annoying. I'm sure my food collected all the dust and dander they left in their wake. I went to wash my hands and when I came out of the bathroom I had to move over and wait out of the way for the rude gentleman that was helping wait tables... Maybe because letting your guest, or a lady, go first must not have been how he was trained or raised. I think it was the owners or son.
I went in around 4 pm and was the only person there for a while. The waitress I had at first must have been fairly new. She was cool, but before I even got my entree she was sent out to go get something from the store for the kitchen. There were no other wait staff available yet so I was left with the rude no personality guy that made me move for him waiting on me. At one point the little old lady running the joint came down the aisle and decided to blow her nose as she passed my table while I was eating my salad, and I felt the wind off it...grrrrr I almost got up and left. Like I mentioned, I was the only one in there and she blew her nose over my food as she walked by. Yuck. I was so disgusted I almost called her out on it too.
They had been posting for a job opening multiple times so I wanted to get a real feel of the place, and the food, before I applied. and learned quickly they were a miserable group of people. Not my vibe at all.
I ordered the wild mushroom ravioli dish which came with salad and bread. It claimed to be a marsala sauce but it was thick and tasted more like mushroom Alfredo sauce. It was still good and the portion was satisfying. Due to the price and the small location and neg energy of the place, I will not go back. I probably would have tipped better if my original waitress had stayed. To her I apologize but Lurch wasn't getting my money.
Never make your patrons move out of the way for you when you are charging over $25 per plate. That's McDonalds behavior.
Seems like some local regulars were coming in as I was wrapping up.
I suggest if you want to eat here just be prepared it's small and there's a lot of movement going on and the people aren't happy to be there, which spills over into your food. I left feeling full but not positive. A restaurant is a SERVICE industry position. So save your frowns and misery for when you are on your own time not when you are SERVING the people paying $30 just for a salad and some pasta.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
We went here two times and really liked it but the third time we were served very bad mussels. They had an extreme fishy/rancid aroma. I don't know how that can leave the kitchen! Where are the standards and basic safety? If that is not bad enough, when I returned it the waitstaff were talking about us, gossiping, all within earshot. It was so insulting and offensive. I was going to stay and order something else but not when the waitstaff is treating us like that! They acted like we were being unreasonable customers. We could have gotten very sick. Goodbye.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
I had the eggplant parm with pasta it was sub par. I honestly could not think of any redeeming qualities about it or the pasta. The sauce was oily and ran right through my system. I would have rather had Angelo’s frozen Italian food.
The bread was good and served hot.
My friend had a meatball sub. She picked at the meatballs.
The waiter was excellent. Because the place was not busy at all.
In the middle of the day the dining room was so dark it is a great atmosphere if one wants to carry out an affair. And there were so many items on the walls I wondered who was dusting them all.
We could not figure out why it had such a good
review from USA today.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 5
my recommendation is not to order food during dinner...you will wait for 1 hour after you placed the order only to wait another hour once you arrive to get it. the food was BLAND..fettuccine Alfredo with chicken cutlet....:where's the chicken??..obviously they ran out an served shredded chicken that had NO FLAVOR.... bread pudding was hard and dry..I mentioned it to the staff and was told..oh just micro wave it..it'll be fine..at least your food is hot: ?!? We waited 2 hrs to eat!..while continuing to tell me...it's worth it! lol..no it wasn't. This used to be a great place to eat..now it seems to be over rated based on past reputation which is suffering....
My husband took me to Casa Benedetto's for my birthday very recently. How did I wait so long to get here!?!? It's been right up the street from me for years now ~ so many years of missing out on this most delicious Italian food! Such a welcome when the door was opened for us and being greeted inside. Our waitress, JoJo was over the top friendly and full of descriptive information of the food. Great portions, so we enjoyed the leftovers the following day. I can't wait for my next visit!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I'm giving the benefit of post hurricane or new persons in the kitchen; I spent $80 on take out tonight; No self respecting grandmother from Tuscany to Sicily would serve the pig swill that I was served ...
Everything was great....
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Eggplant Rollatini, Caesar Salad
What a great place. Food was wonderful and authentic and the service was excellent. So glad we went.
Driving from New York to Saint Augustine Beach we stopped at the restaurant for dinner. We were overwhelmed with the freshness and delicious dinner we had and the staff was outstanding. Will make sure we return on every trip to Saint Augustine.
Restaurantji Recommends
We've had the pleasure of eating here a few times. Food was excellent and large portions if you're a hearty eater. I've had Chicken Parmigiana and my husband, baked Ziti dish (or something like that) They also have good daily specials and appetizers. We both thought the food was great. The atmosphere is "old school" Italian, that you can generally only experience up north. Love the feel, love the ambience. Definitely recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
10/10: The food, atmosphere, and customer service were excellent. Can't wait to go back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Parmigiana, Eggplant Rollatini
Carrie was amazing!
The food was delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was the best Italian food I’ve ever had! Our server, Carrie, was absolutely wonderful - attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu. But the real star of the show was the food. I ordered the Chicken Parmesan with Pasta Fagioli, and oh my goodness, it was love at first bite! The flavors were rich and authentic, the pasta was cooked to perfection, and the portion sizes were generous. I've had my fair share of Italian food, but this was hands down the best I've ever had. Carrie's excellent service and the restaurant's delicious cuisine made for a truly unforgettable meal. I highly recommend this place to anyone craving authentic Italian cuisine!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salad, Chicken Parmigiana, Pasta Fagioli, Meatballs, Caesar Salad
Food was great. Will definitely go back when I’m St
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Veal Parmigiana, Rice Balls, Meatballs
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