A timeless classic place. Always a great feel good meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Julia Daum
My family has been coming to the Pines of Rome for decades. They have always treated us with such kindness, care, and amazing food. The white pizza and red pizza are absolute classics and can’t be beat. The meat ravioli is so delicious that my dad has ordered it every single time for the past 40+ years. I will always be a happy customer of the Pines of Rome and would recommend it to anyone!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
E A
Good food and amazing rum cake. The service was very so so.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Siete
Lunch on a Monday. Very transactional experience overall. Receptionist was busy on the phone and had asked to take any seat. Took a little while for the server to acknowledge with a menu. Craved soup and pasta fagioli was the only option; warm and a little bubbly from the re-heating. Asked about the spaghetti carbonara if this was traditional, I didn’t get a straight answer. I took a chance and my carbonara was instead cooked egg white, spaghetti and “ham” with a generous amount of oil. Ham tasted a bit off, overall very disappointing for the price point.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Jacek Ciesluk
Cold old bread. I’ve had better calamari and marinara at Olive Garden. I’m pretty sure house salad was iceberg lettuce. Service slow and no one has taken my plates away in 10-15 minutes . I feel like I’m in a diner and ordered Italian dishes. Less than mediocre. I just got my shrimp on spaghetti. The waiter did not clean off my table. I took a picture and attaching here. Wow. The spicy marinara is simply the same sauce I got with the calamari plus red pepper flakes.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Karla Urbina
This restaurant is deeply disappointing and in serious need of TLC. To be a five-generation family-owned establishment and show so little care for the interior or exterior is truly shocking. The ceiling has exposed plywood in several spots, and the dining experience felt unsanitary: the oil, vinegar, and hot pepper flake containers on each table appeared dirty, as if they hadn't been wiped down in ages.
We stopped by during the Taste of Bethesda and decided to try it since we were in the area. The pizza was probably the best item we had, but I would not recommend anything else.
For appetizers, the fried zucchini was lightly battered but completely unseasoned. Just as other reviews noted, the bread was cold, though soft. Our Pasta Fagioli Soup was also bland.
The service was equally concerning. When our hot pepper flake container completely broke through the bottom, we flagged down a passing waiter. He simply shrugged his shoulders, continued to his table, and later came back to pick up the broken item. Our main waiter eventually came over, apologized, and offered a fresh order of zucchini, but we declined since no one enjoyed the first one.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Tess
Took 1 hour and 15 minutes to be served a pizza and a salad, and NO, It was not worth the wait!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Everett Hitchner
My all time favorite Italian restaurant. The white pizza is outstanding as are all the other dishes I’ve enjoyed. Highly recommended!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eddie K
Haven’t updated my review in over 12 years but have been back countless of times. I’ve read the owner is selling this place and retiring, so had to make a stop just in case. Been coming here since the 80’s, while I miss their original location, glad they stayed in Bethesda. My brother found this place when he was working at NIH.
My favorites are definitely their large white pizza with fontina cheese. This is what they are known for so make sure to get that. My parents and my wife always get their clams with linguine in white sauce, while I rotate between their fish specials, soft shell crabs, sweet sausage and chicken cacciatore. Prices are reasonable and service is fast. This is a Bethesda legend!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Collin Marshall
The cannolis are horrible small expensive and runny. The pizza was good overall - feel robbed over the cannolis though
If i could give it less than one star i would. The service started ok but then went down hill. The bread and butter came out both were cold. The waiter come along and asked what kind of drink my husband said tea i didnt have time to respond and the waiter was gone. Before i could order a drink. We ordered an appetizer and our food. The appetizer came out it was probably the best thing we ate. About halfway through that i was finally able to flag the waiter down for a drink. When the food came out we definitely weren't impressed he got shrimp diavola and i got eggplant parm. His food was very bland with huge chunks of tomatoes and a few over cooked shrimp. Mine wasnt bad we asked for a box and our check and it took about 29 mins to get those and while waiting i witnessed 2 employees coughing and continuing on with their work. That food was no where near worth $70 and i have a compromised immune system not washing hands after coughing is very unhygienic.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Fried Zucchini
Victoria Liwush
Here Is a photo of my chicken parm aka chicken Milanese w a slab of cheese under the salamander and a dollop of sauce. Enough said.
Ellie Gg
The best Northern Italian Restaurant in all of downtown Bethesda! We’ve eaten there for over 40 years and still has the best white pizza with fontina cheese, grilled flounder and shrimp Parmesan. Five stars all the way!!! ❤️
Christopher
We haven't visited POR in a very long time - they were on Elm the last time we were there. While always known for the White Pizza, we decided to try something else for lunch. The food was almost 'horrible' - first of all, a basic dish like Fettucine Alfredo - has no 'protein' options! To add shrimp, one had to order a jumbo shrimp entree, to the tune of $26 (4 pieces) to accompany the pasta on the side! Also, no chicken options! What restaurant on the planet doesn't offer GRILLED CHICKEN? It is a 'restaurant staple'! We were offered bread at the start of our experience - the bread came cold & untoasted - but the kicker is that it was served with foil-wrapped butter packets that were FROZEN...no possibility of spreading on the cold bread. Wow! The service was sub-par...the atmosphere was drab...there was absolutely nothing inviting about the place. It is safe to say we will not return.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Diran Jalkian
My family has been coming here for the last 40 years. The food has always been the best . I’ve not eaten anything on the planet that tastes like Pines … ON THE PLANET!!! ❤️❤️❤️💯
A timeless classic place. Always a great feel good meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My family has been coming to the Pines of Rome for decades. They have always treated us with such kindness, care, and amazing food. The white pizza and red pizza are absolute classics and can’t be beat. The meat ravioli is so delicious that my dad has ordered it every single time for the past 40+ years. I will always be a happy customer of the Pines of Rome and would recommend it to anyone!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good food and amazing rum cake. The service was very so so.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Lunch on a Monday. Very transactional experience overall. Receptionist was busy on the phone and had asked to take any seat. Took a little while for the server to acknowledge with a menu. Craved soup and pasta fagioli was the only option; warm and a little bubbly from the re-heating. Asked about the spaghetti carbonara if this was traditional, I didn’t get a straight answer. I took a chance and my carbonara was instead cooked egg white, spaghetti and “ham” with a generous amount of oil. Ham tasted a bit off, overall very disappointing for the price point.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Cold old bread. I’ve had better calamari and marinara at Olive Garden. I’m pretty sure house salad was iceberg lettuce. Service slow and no one has taken my plates away in 10-15 minutes . I feel like I’m in a diner and ordered Italian dishes. Less than mediocre. I just got my shrimp on spaghetti. The waiter did not clean off my table. I took a picture and attaching here. Wow. The spicy marinara is simply the same sauce I got with the calamari plus red pepper flakes.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
This restaurant is deeply disappointing and in serious need of TLC. To be a five-generation family-owned establishment and show so little care for the interior or exterior is truly shocking. The ceiling has exposed plywood in several spots, and the dining experience felt unsanitary: the oil, vinegar, and hot pepper flake containers on each table appeared dirty, as if they hadn't been wiped down in ages.
We stopped by during the Taste of Bethesda and decided to try it since we were in the area. The pizza was probably the best item we had, but I would not recommend anything else.
For appetizers, the fried zucchini was lightly battered but completely unseasoned. Just as other reviews noted, the bread was cold, though soft. Our Pasta Fagioli Soup was also bland.
The service was equally concerning. When our hot pepper flake container completely broke through the bottom, we flagged down a passing waiter. He simply shrugged his shoulders, continued to his table, and later came back to pick up the broken item. Our main waiter eventually came over, apologized, and offered a fresh order of zucchini, but we declined since no one enjoyed the first one.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Took 1 hour and 15 minutes to be served a pizza and a salad, and NO, It was not worth the wait!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
My all time favorite Italian restaurant. The white pizza is outstanding as are all the other dishes I’ve enjoyed. Highly recommended!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Haven’t updated my review in over 12 years but have been back countless of times. I’ve read the owner is selling this place and retiring, so had to make a stop just in case. Been coming here since the 80’s, while I miss their original location, glad they stayed in Bethesda. My brother found this place when he was working at NIH.
My favorites are definitely their large white pizza with fontina cheese. This is what they are known for so make sure to get that. My parents and my wife always get their clams with linguine in white sauce, while I rotate between their fish specials, soft shell crabs, sweet sausage and chicken cacciatore. Prices are reasonable and service is fast. This is a Bethesda legend!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
The cannolis are horrible small expensive and runny. The pizza was good overall - feel robbed over the cannolis though
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 2
Restaurantji Recommends
If i could give it less than one star i would. The service started ok but then went down hill. The bread and butter came out both were cold. The waiter come along and asked what kind of drink my husband said tea i didnt have time to respond and the waiter was gone. Before i could order a drink. We ordered an appetizer and our food. The appetizer came out it was probably the best thing we ate. About halfway through that i was finally able to flag the waiter down for a drink. When the food came out we definitely weren't impressed he got shrimp diavola and i got eggplant parm. His food was very bland with huge chunks of tomatoes and a few over cooked shrimp. Mine wasnt bad we asked for a box and our check and it took about 29 mins to get those and while waiting i witnessed 2 employees coughing and continuing on with their work. That food was no where near worth $70 and i have a compromised immune system not washing hands after coughing is very unhygienic.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Fried Zucchini
Here Is a photo of my chicken parm aka chicken Milanese w a slab of cheese under the salamander and a dollop of sauce. Enough said.
The best Northern Italian Restaurant in all of downtown Bethesda!
We’ve eaten there for over 40 years and still has the best white pizza with fontina cheese, grilled flounder and shrimp Parmesan.
Five stars all the way!!! ❤️
We haven't visited POR in a very long time - they were on Elm the last time we were there. While always known for the White Pizza, we decided to try something else for lunch. The food was almost 'horrible' - first of all, a basic dish like Fettucine Alfredo - has no 'protein' options! To add shrimp, one had to order a jumbo shrimp entree, to the tune of $26 (4 pieces) to accompany the pasta on the side! Also, no chicken options! What restaurant on the planet doesn't offer GRILLED CHICKEN? It is a 'restaurant staple'! We were offered bread at the start of our experience - the bread came cold & untoasted - but the kicker is that it was served with foil-wrapped butter packets that were FROZEN...no possibility of spreading on the cold bread. Wow!
The service was sub-par...the atmosphere was drab...there was absolutely nothing inviting about the place. It is safe to say we will not return.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
My family has been coming here for the last 40 years. The food has always been the best . I’ve not eaten anything on the planet that tastes like Pines … ON THE PLANET!!! ❤️❤️❤️💯
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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