Arooji's Wine Room

Had an excellent dinner at Arooji's Wine Room last night. We started with the stuffed mushrooms and the stuffing was very creamy and the mushrooms were aromatic and flavorful. We moved on to a Caesar salad which had a nice tangy dressing and fresh romaine. The lasagna that my wife ordered was massive and delicious. She has leftovers for days! The chicken parm that I ordered was also a huge portion. The chicken was tender and juicy and the spaghetti was cooked nicely. The restaurant was dimly lit and romantic. While we're not big wine drinkers, they definitely seemed to have an extensive list of options. We'll definitely return for another taste of Tuscan goodness!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Delicious Italian food! Loved my Seafood Pasta special!! It was the meal of the night. 😍 It was a heaping bowl filled with shrimp, clams, and mussels over pasta. Everything was delicious. Compliments to the chef!

Good calamari and we began with a band but our main courses were terrible. My husband ordered the veal and I ordered the chicken Marsala. Both were rubbery. My fork could not get through the veal. The plate looked like, I went to so retirement diner. Very disappointing. The owner must have given up. I would not go back. It is shame because I went to their other location many many years ago so I remembered it fondly. This one will close soon enough.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 5

Had a great experience at Atooji’s Wine Room. My Book Club picked this place and it was a great choice! They put us in this little room in the back and our service was stellar. They gave us complementary bread with olive oil/olives to start. That was a very nice touch and it was delicious. They had a pretty extensive menu and a really nice wine list. I had the Caesar salad salad which definitely had homemade dressing and it was very fresh and flavorful. I also had the chicken Parm. I subbed the spaghetti for penne à la vodka. I was in the mood for it. The pasta was al dente and the chicken was crispy and had a decent amount of sauce and cheese on top. I thought it was great. You could pay your bill with Toast at the end instead of waiting for your credit card. I thought the prices were reasonable and I would definitely go back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Wonderful time and very accommodating to our wine club. Excellent pairings with fantastic courses.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Superb in every way.

Fabulous food! Waiter staff was a little slow, but the atmosphere, the friendliness of the staff and THE FOOD more than made up for lack of speedy service. We had a group of 7 and it was a wonderful experience. We asked them to make a dish that was not on the menu and they hit it out of park. Authentic Italian food with a medium price point. Every meal we ordered was fantastic including rack of lamb, gnocchi, shrimp with risotto, chicken alfredo, Fetticini bolganese, plus many appetizers. Quality of the experience was 10/10. Recommend!

Fantastic food!! Great service!! Chill vibe!! We took another couple and they cannot stop raving about their experience!!

Been a regular for many years. Fantastic food and wine, fantastic staff, and always a pleasurable evening.

Place is dead and after 10+ minutes I walked out due to not being greeted after being sat down.

Ambience are good but the seats are stained and stinky. Food is not that good. I ordered stuffed mushrooms and Gnocchi creamy pesto pasta. Both the dishes are saltless and pasta sauce doesn't have pesto flavor.

Located in the Promenade on Providence shopping center, Arooji’s Wine Room and Ristorante has been serving Tuscan-inspired cuisine for over 22 years, making it a long-standing spot in Ballantyne’s dining scene. With murals throughout the dining space, the ambiance leans into a rustic, old-world charm that complements their Italian menu.

I stopped by for lunch on a Sunday when only the lunch menu was available, which mainly featured soups, salads, sandwiches, and pastas. One thing to note is that their pastas are not made in-house. Fresh bread with oil and balsamic vinegar is served, a nice touch before the meal.

When trying a new Italian restaurant, eggplant parmigiana is usually my go-to. While the lunch menu only had it in sub form, my waiter, Joel, who was great and checked in at appropriate times, was able to accommodate me with a lunch-sized portion of the dinner eggplant parmigiana plate with spaghetti.

The red sauce leaned more acidic than sweet, which some may prefer, but the eggplant itself was roasted and baked rather than fried, resulting in a mushy texture. It was difficult to distinguish where the eggplant ended and the sauce began. I also didn’t see any mozzarella on top, just a light sprinkle of Parmesan. I know some Italians prefer it that way, but I wasn’t sure if that was intentional or just an oversight. The best way to describe this dish would be a roasted eggplant caponata without the capers and olives served over spaghetti.

The spaghetti itself was cooked correctly, and there was plenty of sauce to coat the pasta. But overall, this style of eggplant parmigiana wasn’t my preference.

One unexpected observation was the men’s restroom setup, which was a bit puzzling. There were two toilets, but one was out in the open instead of enclosed in a stall. Not sure about the logistics there.

Since Arooji’s is a bit of a drive for me, I would need some convincing to return. Nothing was bad, but it wasn’t my ideal style of Italian food. That said, I was told their lasagna and house-made meatballs, which are only available at dinner, are worth trying. If I do come back, that’s what I’ll be ordering.

I have been coming to Arooji’s for many years now and have usually walked away happy. This last visit may actually be my last. Prices have increased substantially, food was mediocre, the restaurant was worn looking and dusty, but the biggest disappointment was the service. We had a waiter who has been there for a long time. Several of us ordered wine and one friend ordered a soda. He pressed her about ordering wine, she made a joke/laughed it off, he pressed her again, she finally said that she’s a recovering alcoholic, AND HE PRESSED HER AGAIN about finding the right wine for her. Completely inappropriate, bordering on disgusting, behavior and absolutely no reason that it should have gone beyond him taking her order for soda. The rest of the staff was great but, overall, it feels like this place has really gone downhill. Other Italian restaurants in the area are providing better food at lower prices with a much better atmosphere and attitude.

The food was delicious! My daughter, SIL, niece and I had a super girls night! The waitstaff was perfect and our table was ready right on reserved time! We can’t wait to go back!

A mystery. Outstanding ambiance, looks and feels like nice casual cafes we ate at in Milan and Tuscany. Once inside can't believe it's in an outdoor mall in NC. Friendly service. Chicken marsala with mushrooms as good as it gets. Hearts of palm salad not on many menus but was delightful. The customers seemed to be enjoying a relaxed, quality dining experience without the pretense of a fancy place or buzz of a large busy place. The mystery-why was it only half full on a Friday night?

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5