Riccio's Italian Restaurant

Just found out these guys closed for good after 62 years. They had great pizza. A truly hidden gem in town. Hate to see them go but 62 years is a good run. Congrats Riccio's on your success.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4

Best pizza ever !

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: My Favorite Pizza, Garlic Knots

Great Italian dishes and pizza. Go to Italian neighborhood restaurant.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Eggplant Parmigiana with Angel Hair Pasta and Marinara Sauce, Garlic Knots

The Alfredo sauce is not good. Greasy and separated. No flavor besides grease. The marinara sauce had big chunks of raw garlic, not roasted nor cooked in the marinara, just raw garlic.

Drove Thur a rain strom to pick up an order ( 1 white pizza w/o onions but add pepperoni ..1 med pizza with mushrooms and pepperoni)
$ 35.00 what I got was NO WHITE PIZZA just a reg one with pepperoni.
Very disappointing. We used to go there every week with friends NOT anymore. Catherine Scoggins

Riccio’s is a locally-owned, family-friendly, second-generation American-Italian restaurant that has been serving the Charlotte area since 1962. It’s the kind of spot that feels like home, perfect for weekly family dinners. Located in South Charlotte, this cozy gem is tucked away off Pineville-Matthews Road (Hwy 51).

My friendly server, Chris, has been a regular since 1991. His attentive and polite service made the experience feel like fine dining. General Manager Shawn, who has been with Riccio’s for 17 years, mentioned that the chef has been with the restaurant for 11 years. With such a dedicated team, it’s clear that the ownership and management know what they’re doing. The music vibes, featuring artists like Eric Clapton, added to the warm and inviting atmosphere.

The menu offers a variety of options, including pastas, soups, salads, veal, chicken, and fish entrees. They also have New York-style pizza, with sizes ranging from a 9” to a 16”. For dessert, they offer cheesecake, tiramisu, cannoli, and Italian lemon cream cake, though these are not made in-house.

As a first-time visitor, I opted for some classic dishes to see if Riccio’s would become a regular spot for me. To start, I ordered the meatballs, which were perfect and reminiscent of a meatball straight out of Nonna’s kitchen. Chris mentioned they are made fresh each morning. The meat lasagna was next, served piping hot in an oven-baked dish. It was a huge serving, loaded with meat, pasta, sauce, and ricotta layers, topped with a delicious layer of mozzarella. It easily made it into my top 3 lasagnas.

The eggplant parmigiana, served with angel hair and marinara sauce, was also a standout. The eggplant was thicker than I usually prefer, but it was expertly prepared, lightly breaded and fried, then topped with marinara and cheese before being baked. It’s definitely in my top 5 for eggplant parmigiana. The angel hair pasta, however, was a bit too soft for my taste; I prefer it more al dente. The marinara sauce had a sweet kick with a strong garlic punch.

The pricing is very reasonable—two adults can dine for around $40 and leave completely satisfied. I will definitely be returning, curious to try their New York-style pizza. Who will be joining me on my next visit?

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Service here was good, but the food was disappointingly average. I had the spaghetti with meat sauce and my friend had the chicken parm, which came recommended by our server. The portion size is large, so you won't leave hungry, for sure. The garlic knots were pretty good, though. I probably wouldn't choose to eat here again.

Wheelchair accessibility: There is a ramp here, but I don't think the doors open automatically. If they do, I didn't notice the push button.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Garlic Knots

Riccio’s has been there for us since we moved to South Charlotte 16 years ago.
I am really glad to see a neighborhood independent restaurant be in business for so long.

It may not be the fanciest or most innovative cuisine but it is a very reliable option.

… really like their Chicken Parm!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Half Pan Chicken Parmesan, Garlic Knots

Pizza still solid, but what happened to the knots??!! No garlic, oil and spices? And a sauce where the garlic was so chunky (still good), but what happened?!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Garlic Knots

We usually get pasta dishes when we dine in-- my wife loves their eggplant, and I get clam sauce most often. This last visit we decided to try the eggplant pizza. It was wonderful. It will definitely be part of the conversation when we are trying to decide what looks delicious next time.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Eggplant Parmesan, Pesto

The side salad was very small for the price with tasteless lettuce and tomatoes. The garlic knots were just hard dough balls with no garlic flavor, and the meat sauce on the pasta was flavorless and watery. I will not be ordering from your restaurant again. It was disappointing.

My friend and I walked in on a Thursday evening and were greeted by a friendly host and server. Quaint atmosphere, classical music and plenty of seats. Complimentary garlic knots were great and nice to munch on before our dinner. I enjoyed my carbonara, though my friend thought her tomato sauce (lasagna) was a bit on the sweeter side. Reasonably priced wine 7/8$ per glass. Thank you, we will be back!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Garlic Knots

coming out of bklyn/ny in 2010 we were going over to a few Italian restaurants. I know the food is not as good as N Y. BUT why is riccio's food portions smaller and pricerer then portofino in my opinion?

Riccio's website shows that they are Open until 8pm. Order said it would be ready at 5:15pm. Paid online and received confirmation that order was received. Store is closed. There is no way to cancel an order and get a refund through their website or Toast. Extremely disappointed that they do not have their website reflect the actual open hours. They shouldn't take payment if they are not open and using a 3rd party (Toast) to process online orders.

Service: 1

Fantastic!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5