Really enjoyed the food here. Everything tasted fresh and well prepared. The pasta was delicious, the hanger steak was full of flavor, and the peach bruschetta was a nice touch. Even the drinks were great. Would happily visit again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stephen Stehlin
I know it may seem wild to pay for bread and butter, but trust me, once you taste it you will understand why. Get the bread and butter. And then come back here and thank me when you do. And if you don’t like it for some reason, it’s not because of INIZIO, it’s probably bc of you. So take it as your hint to look in the mirror.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cassidy Starr Barnes
Always get the ceaser and vodka pasta! Always delicious, a must!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kevin Schott
Awesome Italian food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lindsey R
We had reservation and arrived a bit early. Our table wasn’t ready, which was completely fine. We were told the bar was full, but that we could stand off to the side in the entry and someone would come take our drink order. The bartender who assisted us was lovely, and we enjoyed our drinks while we waited. While we waited a couple came in asking if they could sit at the bar and they were told that they were completely booked for the evening and that they couldn't sit at the bar or get dinner in a rude way.
Once seated, our server came over without introducing themselves and immediately asked if we were ready to order, despite one person in our party not yet having arrived. After everyone was present, we ordered drinks and asked for a few minutes with the menu. The server returned several times asking if we were ready, which felt rushed, especially as we were catching up and reviewing a fairly involved menu.
We ultimately ordered all of our courses at once and requested the meal be paced over three courses. Our first starters - olives, house-made pickles, anchovies, and fresh house-made cheese -were excellent. Second course we orded the mussels, and winter salad to share. The mussels were good, the salad was okay. The pasta courses were disappointing. The cacio e pepe was bland, overcooked, and lacked any real flavor. The mushroom pasta was similarly underwhelming, with no earthy notes. The butternut squash pasta was the standout among the mains. We had wine rather than cocktails; the Montepulciano was fine. There was a small mix-up with my second glass, but it was corrected promptly.
However, around the hour-and-a-half mark, the service noticeably shifted. It became clear that the restaurant enforces a 90-minute table limit and books back-to-back seatings. Given that this was a three course meal and we spent over $300, the experience felt rushed and transactional. We skipped dessert entirely because we felt pushed out the door.
Overall, while the appetizers were strong, the rushed service and underwhelming pasta made this a disappointing experience for the price point. Italian dining is typically meant to be relaxed and lingering, and this felt like the opposite. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t return because of this.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Katie
Called at 6:30 on a Saturday to try and make a reservation for a month in advance. First of all, I had to call 8 times before anyone picked up the phone. Then, the hostess tells me they can only accommodate parties of 7. There’s no way you could figure out 2 additional chairs over the course of 1 month? Very annoying.
Service: 1
Pauline Brownschidle
Delicious food made with fresh season ingredients.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tara Ambrosia
The best Italian food and drinks !! Have been here several times and always fantastic and unique.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kate McNeal
Especially loved the butternut squash cappellacci!
What a disappointment. Party of five, first time checking it out. The appetizers were hanger steak bites (they were nice), strawberry salad (decent, pretty simple can be had anywhere) and bruschetta which were interesting and would recommend. The problem was in the cocktails, the main dishes, the desserts and the lack of decent service from our main waiter. He was inattentive to put it mildly. Two martinis (one dirty with olives, the other up with olives) and the second had no olives. The martinis themselves were poor. I don't know what happened but I've ordered the drink many times other places and this was just bad. The olives? Look at the picture. Absolutely disgusting. They tasted like they were bought from Tops (Mt Olive??) and had been sitting around for far too long. The mains were cacio e pepe with crab and steak which was recommended by the waiter. I should have known better. The noodles were done well, no doubt. The dish was so bland, the crab almost non-existent. Another member got mushroom gorgonzola with shrimp. The shrimp were tiny and sparse. The sauce was watery. The desserts were cookies and peach cheesecake. Please see photo for cheesecake. It tasted artificial and a complete embarrassment of a dessert. Italian restaurant without anything Italian on the dessert menu?? No tiramisu?? At least do what you have right. And nope, the cookies tasted like stale gas station fare. Won't be going back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
̇
One of the most authentic Italian meals you can get in Buffalo. $6 spritz’s were sooooo nice and the food was amazing. My only critique is that I wish the risotto was a little more firm.
BR R
Why did my server just comp my date’s drinks off of our bill? He dropped the check at the table, looked at my date, smiled and said “I took your second drink off the bill”. Did not look at me at all and walked away.
When I went to complain about this to the hostess she told me “well, actually, he’s the manager.”
This restaurant is a joke and this guy needs to be fired.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Laura Valley
First time at INIZIO. Will definitely be back soon. Each and every service person was warm, kind, and professional. The extras for our anniversary were greatly appreciated - prosecco and cookies. And the food - wow! Even better than my friends told me. So glad we ordered the bread - best ever! We also had Cacio e Pepe, Ragu Bolognese, and the hanger steak bites, which were all out of this world! Absolutely fantastic experience. A new favorite restaurant :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rosenda Belmonte
Had dinner reservations with a friend on a Friday evening and everything was great! Shared the strawberry salad and bruschetta, which were very filling and delicious. Had the mushroom pasta with added chicken for my main dish, which again was delicious. I was already so stuffed from the shared apps that I had plenty of leftovers to take home. Friendly and accommodating service, ac vent was dripping and they moved us without a problem.
Really enjoyed the food here. Everything tasted fresh and well prepared. The pasta was delicious, the hanger steak was full of flavor, and the peach bruschetta was a nice touch. Even the drinks were great. Would happily visit again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I know it may seem wild to pay for bread and butter, but trust me, once you taste it you will understand why. Get the bread and butter. And then come back here and thank me when you do. And if you don’t like it for some reason, it’s not because of INIZIO, it’s probably bc of you. So take it as your hint to look in the mirror.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Always get the ceaser and vodka pasta! Always delicious, a must!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Awesome Italian food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had reservation and arrived a bit early. Our table wasn’t ready, which was completely fine. We were told the bar was full, but that we could stand off to the side in the entry and someone would come take our drink order. The bartender who assisted us was lovely, and we enjoyed our drinks while we waited. While we waited a couple came in asking if they could sit at the bar and they were told that they were completely booked for the evening and that they couldn't sit at the bar or get dinner in a rude way.
Once seated, our server came over without introducing themselves and immediately asked if we were ready to order, despite one person in our party not yet having arrived. After everyone was present, we ordered drinks and asked for a few minutes with the menu. The server returned several times asking if we were ready, which felt rushed, especially as we were catching up and reviewing a fairly involved menu.
We ultimately ordered all of our courses at once and requested the meal be paced over three courses. Our first starters - olives, house-made pickles, anchovies, and fresh house-made cheese -were excellent. Second course we orded the mussels, and winter salad to share. The mussels were good, the salad was okay. The pasta courses were disappointing. The cacio e pepe was bland, overcooked, and lacked any real flavor. The mushroom pasta was similarly underwhelming, with no earthy notes. The butternut squash pasta was the standout among the mains. We had wine rather than cocktails; the Montepulciano was fine. There was a small mix-up with my second glass, but it was corrected promptly.
However, around the hour-and-a-half mark, the service noticeably shifted.
It became clear that the restaurant enforces a 90-minute table limit and books back-to-back seatings. Given that this was a three course meal and we spent over $300, the experience felt rushed and transactional. We skipped dessert entirely because we felt pushed out the door.
Overall, while the appetizers were strong, the rushed service and underwhelming pasta made this a disappointing experience for the price point. Italian dining is typically meant to be relaxed and lingering, and this felt like the opposite. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t return because of this.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Called at 6:30 on a Saturday to try and make a reservation for a month in advance. First of all, I had to call 8 times before anyone picked up the phone. Then, the hostess tells me they can only accommodate parties of 7. There’s no way you could figure out 2 additional chairs over the course of 1 month? Very annoying.
Service: 1
Delicious food made with fresh season ingredients.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The best Italian food and drinks !! Have been here several times and always fantastic and unique.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Especially loved the butternut squash cappellacci!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great birthday evening!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
What a disappointment. Party of five, first time checking it out. The appetizers were hanger steak bites (they were nice), strawberry salad (decent, pretty simple can be had anywhere) and bruschetta which were interesting and would recommend. The problem was in the cocktails, the main dishes, the desserts and the lack of decent service from our main waiter. He was inattentive to put it mildly. Two martinis (one dirty with olives, the other up with olives) and the second had no olives. The martinis themselves were poor. I don't know what happened but I've ordered the drink many times other places and this was just bad. The olives? Look at the picture. Absolutely disgusting. They tasted like they were bought from Tops (Mt Olive??) and had been sitting around for far too long. The mains were cacio e pepe with crab and steak which was recommended by the waiter. I should have known better. The noodles were done well, no doubt. The dish was so bland, the crab almost non-existent. Another member got mushroom gorgonzola with shrimp. The shrimp were tiny and sparse. The sauce was watery. The desserts were cookies and peach cheesecake. Please see photo for cheesecake. It tasted artificial and a complete embarrassment of a dessert. Italian restaurant without anything Italian on the dessert menu?? No tiramisu?? At least do what you have right. And nope, the cookies tasted like stale gas station fare. Won't be going back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
One of the most authentic Italian meals you can get in Buffalo. $6 spritz’s were sooooo nice and the food was amazing. My only critique is that I wish the risotto was a little more firm.
Why did my server just comp my date’s drinks off of our bill? He dropped the check at the table, looked at my date, smiled and said “I took your second drink off the bill”. Did not look at me at all and walked away.
When I went to complain about this to the hostess she told me “well, actually, he’s the manager.”
This restaurant is a joke and this guy needs to be fired.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
First time at INIZIO. Will definitely be back soon. Each and every service person was warm, kind, and professional. The extras for our anniversary were greatly appreciated - prosecco and cookies. And the food - wow! Even better than my friends told me. So glad we ordered the bread - best ever! We also had Cacio e Pepe, Ragu Bolognese, and the hanger steak bites, which were all out of this world! Absolutely fantastic experience. A new favorite restaurant :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had dinner reservations with a friend on a Friday evening and everything was great! Shared the strawberry salad and bruschetta, which were very filling and delicious. Had the mushroom pasta with added chicken for my main dish, which again was delicious. I was already so stuffed from the shared apps that I had plenty of leftovers to take home. Friendly and accommodating service, ac vent was dripping and they moved us without a problem.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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