I just received a "compliment" tonight under the "You're Funny" heading from an individual named Leonardo M. concerning my review for this restaurant. The "compliment" stated in whole: "I guess your review was meant to be funny. Frozen pizza and Birdseye frozen vegetables? Iceberg lettuce?Italian from San Francisco? You may have been in Olive Garden or better yet Buca di Beppo. My mother is from Naples and my father from Sicily. We've spent time in both places. Maybe Italian food in SF has been too Americanized over the years. Sorry you had a bad experience?" This Leonardo character has no reviews, no Yelp friends, and just started on Yelp this last September (2013). A person with such stats wouldn't have any business or interest making a comment like that to me unless he was the owner, so I'm going to address this "compliment" to me as if I came from the owner. So, no Leonardo, I wasn't trying to be funny. Yes, I got a warmed-up frozen pizza for my entree and a tiny salad composed of iceberg lettuce for an additional $5. My wife's mediocre meal had tasteless frozen vegetables on the side. That's not funny. You know what the sad thing is? You didn't even try to make it better. My family and I get one of the worst Italian meals of our lives, and all you felt motivated to do was insult me and my taste in food. I grew up on restaurants like Westlake Joe's in Daly City, Bertolucci's in South San Francisco, Banchero's in Hayward, and a host of incredible Italian cooking from the North Beach area of San Francisco itself. If you went to the owners of these restaurants and told them that their food was "too Americanized compared to yours", you would either end up with a spiffy pair of cement shoes, or at least with a horse's head on your pillow next to you the morning. Okay, NOW I'm trying to be funny. If this was just an off night, and you wanted to show me how good your food really was, you could have seriously apologized to me. You could have invited my family back, served us up a wonderful meal, and I would have been back here on Yelp telling everyone to never mind about the previous bad review. I would have been HAPPY to do that. But no, you decided to insult me instead. That's a shame--far more of a shame than just serving me a bad dinner. All I can say now is that it appears that bad taste goes far deeper in this restaurant than just the food. UPDATE 1/30/14: The morning after I put up this review update, I received two more "compliments". The first was by a man named "Robert K." from Chandler, someone who has no Yelp friends and about 40 reviews, who thought enough about what I wrote above to call me a "butt-hurt little child" at 6:27 am. A response from Leonardo came about an hour later (and his name mysteriously changed to "Leonard"). He claimed that he wasn't the owner--just a "patron for several years" who never had that kind of experience at Lo Cascio's. I won't buy that story any more than I'll buy food at this restaurant again. UPDATE 12/6/14: By this point, I have received a total of five messages, "compliments", and even a counter-review, all negatively responding to this review and its previous incarnation. Apparently back in September of 2013, another reviewer named "Denton S." from Tempe wrote a review for this restaurant where he called me a "condescending jerk", reacting with outrage because I had the temerity to call the bread "not authentic." Again, another sock puppet Yelp account--one review and no other Yelp activity. Thankfully, the review went straight into the "not recommended" section. Another communication I got even seemed to imply that I had some kind of deep-seated anger issue, and with a "namaste", tried to tell me that my bad review was somehow harmful to my emotional and spiritual well-being. Phew! Look guy, I don't give bad reviews because I'm mean at heart--I give them because a business gives me bad service or a bad deal for my money. You gave me and my family a sucky meal for $60+ bill, and for the past couple of years, you and/or some friends of yours have been finding ways on Yelp of insulting or belittling me because I gave your business a one-star review in return. If my negative review were the only one, it wouldn't mean much. However, my bad review Is one of a number of them from some quite upset people who disliked your food, your service, or both. That's not my fault--it's yours. Bad reviews are feedback telling you what you are doing WRONG. It's supposed to tell you where and how you can IMPROVE what you are doing. Instead of doing that, you send me multiple messages calling me a jerk and a tool. You sent it to me, and now I'm posting about it here for all to see. Hope it's been worth it to you.
(1)
Bryant S.
Don't start by saying you have $3.50 wine. Awful. Don't serve me toasr with a center piece of can diced tomatoes and call it bruchetta . Tomato sauce no seasoning awful. Bread not sliced. And veal was as tender as a retread. The only thing home made here is the mess they made.
(1)
m c.
The significant other (henceforth referred to as SO) and I had read positive reviews of this place and decided to try it out after a 'study date'. When we arrived we each had backpacks in hand because I am somewhat paranoid about leaving valuables in my car. I was not particularly hobo-sexual this evening, but homeless or not if I have money to spend at your establishment you should suck it up and treat me the same as the next guy; I digress. The hostess informed us there would be a wait for a table even though there were clearly a plethora of neat and tidy tables ready to accommodate us. We sat in chairs in the entryway by the hostess stand and waited patiently for several minutes. This was fine for the first 10 minutes, but after that one of the servers came and asked the hostess if we were waiting to be seated. She remarked to him something along the lines of, "oh no, they're fine." Which is roughly akin to, "Fuck that guy sitting over there waiting, he'll never get a table!" At this point I realized that I'd been had and would never regain that 10 minutes of my life, ever. This rating is aimed squarely at the older blonde lady working hostess table. She can kiss my hairy, lice-ridden ass. That's right, my ass is so hairy that lice can not only live on it, but also thrive. (While my ass is that hairy there are no actual lice living on it. That was an empty threat meant to sensationalize my request.)
(1)
Kristi D.
Eh, not a fan. I'm actually surprised by the majority of the reviews I've read. I'm going to preface this by admitting that we decided to stop here after spending most of the afternoon at Papago playing darts and dodging meth heads. Lot's and lot's of beer was involved but trust me when I say that alcohol in no way impairs my judgment when it comes to quality food. If anything I'd say I tend to be more forgiving. The decor is dated and kitschy. I'm all for quirky and authentic when dining...I can even appreciate sketchy if it's done right. This was more on par with a typical chain Italian place complete with cheesy piped 'That's Amore' type music. The server struggled a bit to open the bottle of wine (I was NOT DRIVING MOM) and never smiled. The service wasn't awful by any means, just awkward and a little funeral-esque. The food was okay. Not terrible but nothing standout. The salads were boring and dressed very heavily as if they were ashamed themselves of how boring they were..... 'if I close my eyes and shroud myself in ranch dressing maybe you can't see how uninspired I am.' meh.. My entree (veal maybe? crap, I can't remember) was a little tough, pretty bland and flavorless. My dates pasta dish looked decent but I didn't try it so I can't really comment. I believe he said 'it's good' with the side to side head bob. Coming from him, I translate that as unimpressed, so there you go. The fried zucchini was just that. Reminiscent of my chain steakhouse server days. Yes, it was fresh and not frozen but that is hardly a big deal. Let's be honest, the ONLY place that should be serving frozen zucchini better also have a fucking drive through and as we've already established, ranch dressing is the devil's concealer, masking any imperfections so ya.... who knows if it was any good. All in all a pretty mediocre experience. I'm officially on the lookout for tasty Italian as Lo Cascio didn't really satisfy. Maybe next time.
(2)
Kris N.
Came it because it was across the street from my hotel. I ate at the bar. Much more laid-back that the front restaurant, but the kitchen is the same. Good eats. Good enough that I went back another night on that trip.
(3)
Krissy H.
We were not impressed. When we came in the lady seamed nice tell she asked if we has reservations .we said no is that a problem ?she didn't answer us .she was very put off because we didn't have any .over half the tables were empty.I had pesto and pasta very bla. My husband had cannoli the meat in it tasted bad.there house dressing is pretty much oil with a splash of vinegar.
(1)
Mac B.
Very crisp lettuce and great service. We liked the hot bread. Very quiet. Would bring anybody from the office could come here and enjoy a nice quiet lunch for sure. We had salads and I could lettuce was like they just come from the grocery store is very crisp my girlfriend loved it!
(5)
Stephen A.
If you are ever in the mood for casual, yet excellent Italian dining, I would wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant. I remember the very first time my old boss and mentor took me to this place in what seemed like eons ago, and how impressed I was with their food then. The spaghetti, the ravioli, and the eggplant parmigiana are as good now, as they have always been. Their dinner loaves are freshly baked, and the butter just melts on. And the spinach egg drop soup is wonderful. Everything is just absolutely appetizing. What a wonderful Scottsdale (south) / Tempe gem, and every person that I have brought to this place just comes away in awe. They never thought that they could find such a sublime place around these parts. It just south of Continental on Scottsdale road as you travel south. Not too far from Skysong Center. It's easy to just drive on by if you don't know the area, and aren't paying attention. But it is definitely a destination that you don't want to miss if you're looking for great Italian food and you're in the vicinity.
(5)
Elle A.
Delicious!! They serve warm crusty bread, that's should be enough to come back. Ha. I've tried this place twice. The first time I ordered cheese ravioli with Alfredo sauce. So delicious and the portion was huge. I could not finish enough. You get salad with your meal. I liked that it was an actual crips green salad and not from a bag with iceberg lettuce. The second time I came here, I was still impressed. Horde red the chicken Marsala and my checkin was juicy, tender, and of course delicious.
(5)
Rob G.
Simply the best Italian food in the Phoenix area. I've been going here for years and have never been disappointed. Every item on the menu is delicious! Lo Cascio is a family owned restaurant and the owner always greets us like we were family.
(5)
Grace M.
I've been craving good Italian food, not a franchise, and am so glad to have found Lo Cascio's Italian Restaurant. The Italian music created a nice ambiance. We arrived at 6 pm, just as they were finishing their early bird menu. Our waitress was wonderful, she explained that the early bird menu was just a slightly smaller portion than the dinner menu which was fine with me! 2 small loaves of hot italian bread came out for starters. I started with the spinach soup which was wonderful, then had the eggplant parmigiana with pasta and red sauce. The sauce was excellent! My husband had salad and chicken parmigiana with pasta. We finished the meal with a piece of tiramisu, a perfect ending to a great meal.
(4)
Olivia R.
Excellent family own hidden gem in Arizona! Had the mozzarella starter and followed by the chicken parm with zucchini! Delish! Can't wait to come back to AZ to visit this restaurant!
(5)
Kristy M.
This place has delicious, authentic Italian food, excellent service and a darling ambience. I would give them six stars if I could Yum!!! I have eaten here twice this week.
The food was good. We got the chicken parmesan, chicken Fantasia, ravioli, and some other pasta dish that I can't spell (haha). They serve fresh baked bread that tasted good, although I would personally taper off on the sesame seeds (overpowering). The salad was very simple.
(4)
Tristian N.
my waiter is the only reason im giving 2 stars. he tried his best but the food plain sucks. I orders spaghetti and meatballs, He told me (im sure he is forced to) the soup was house made as well as the noodles. the noodles are NOT HOUSE MAD, and the soup was canned soup with extra stuff added.
(2)
John C.
We dined Saturday night at Lo Cascio's and had a great evening. The restaurant was busy so we had to wait 15 minutes for a table. The decor is a traditional Italian restaurant theme with table cloths and candles on the table. Italian music added to the ambiance. Our waitress (Kelly) greeted us and we ordered some wine. The menu has all the Italian favorites that you would expect including pizzas. We both ordered spaghetti, one with marina and primavera vegetables and one with meat sauce and a side of meatballs. Soup or salad and bread came with the meals. We had the salads and they were fresh and the homemade bleu cheese dressing was terrific. The food and service were great. We will make reservations next time and will certainly add this to our short list of favorite restaurants.
(4)
Chuck H.
Delicious. Great prices. Great staff. Love it. I would eat here every day. The bar in the back has great service also.
(5)
Steve S.
Oh what used to be. Not a good experience tonight. The place had a weird warm/humid feel/smell to it. Brought out entrees without the pasta sides so we had to wait for the pasta side dishes while entrees sat on the table - bizarre - this place has been there forever, you would think they know better. All 3 of our pasta side dishes were so overcooked the pasta was mushy - nasty! I told the waiter to take it away. He did offer to replace it, but I said no. They did not take the pasta off the bill - I had to ask for it to be taken off. Not a good experience and will not go back - I'd rather go to Carraba's at this point. Used to go here all the time, but will not go back - way past it's prime. What a shame.
(2)
Jill L.
Delightful italian restaurant, great service, amazing food...small and friendly atmosphere...highly recommend you stop by and give this family restaurant your business!
(4)
Martin G.
visited for dinner tonight. Quick service, reasonable prices, good food. Had Chicken Parm so I'm not pushing any boundaries, but I enjoyed it and would go back. Standard red sauce Italian, just what I was expecting and what I wanted to eat. My only complaint was that it was dark in there! Couldn't really see what I was eating. Not a huge deal, but I'd prefer at least enough light to tell whether I'm putting pepper on my salad or not.
(4)
L B.
Visited again recently on a Saturday evening. The food, as usual, was really good however the serving sizes are becoming more and more scant. Ordered chicken picatta which was very tasty but only included two chicken breast medallions. I can't believe that the price of wholesale chicken breasts is particularly dear since Sprouts is selling it for 1.77/lb retail, this week. Similarly the lasagna was also quite a small portion. Menu prices are not particularly low which might lead one to believe the portion sizes should be more abundant. Unfortunately, no need for doggie-bags anymore.Service was excellent.
(3)
Kristy S.
My boyfriend and I decided to try here since we were looking for a new place to eat on Friday night. When we showed up we were asked to wait, even though the restaurant was half empty, but we assumed maybe some wait staff had called out. when we were seated and we ordered, they brought out the bread. It was nice and warm, but one of the loaves was on the edge of being burnt and they both had sesame seeds on top that reminded me of those bread sticks that you get in cellophane wrappers. We had both ordered the house dressing for our salads, but it turned out to be oil and vinegar, which would have been fine except one salad had all the oil, which was bitter, and one had all the vinegar. Also, the salad was half a handful of romaine, 2 onion rings, 2 small black olives, and a tomato slice. Then our dinner showed up. I had gotten the Manicotti and my boyfriend had gotten the Cannelloni. The red sauce on top tasted like it was tomato paste from a can that was watered down and the sauce on mine tasted like someone had added extra sugar. I could honestly taste the aluminum in the sauce. The noodles were soggy, and my boyfriend said that his tasted reheated. I did discover someone had put slivers of garlic under the melted cheese on top, because they weren't fully cooked. As for the service, our waiter would ask questions and then leave without hearing the answer and they brought us small pitchers so we could refill our drinks, then forgot to bring more when those pitchers ran out.
(1)
Steph P.
I had passed this place many times and was always interested, so we stopped in for dinner one Friday night. It was very average. The salad was really small and mostly just wet lettuce, the bread tasted store-bought, and the meals lacked great flavor. It was quick, our service was fine, and the price was reasonable. I have no reason to go back, though.
(3)
Ali C.
This place....Wow. Okay, so after work my friend and I went on a dining adventure. We decided Italian and we were using the yelp finder deal and everything that popped up was just....No. We drove by here, flipped around and decided to duck in here to check out the menu. As we walked up we were confused as we still couldn't find the yelp for it but we walked in. The hostess gave us menus and as I asked if they use chicken stock in their Alfredo she went over to what I found out was one of the owners. They do not use chicken stock. Our soon to be waiter popped over to tell us everything in the place was made as you order from scratch.....I nearly died of happiness. We debated over many things and settled on fettuccine alfredo and my friend had meat tortellini with meat sauce. We both enjoyed our food immensely. It was amazing. We then had tiramisu that pretty much had us wanting to order another round even though we were completely full and ready to be rolled out of the restaurant as ball shaped humans. Our service was nice, he was helpful. The owners whom I met upon leaving, because I popped over to gush about their restaurant were also complete sweethearts. I will be back! Addiction list, this type of place is what you're made for! Oh! Also! I was informed all their soups are made with vegetable stock! Hooray for vegetarian friendly!!!
(5)
Edd V.
Been here several times since 2008. The plce doesn't change. Always reliable excellent food and service. Try the Linguini with clams.
(4)
Heather C.
First visit 3 stars, second visit 2 stars unfortunately. I don't doubt the pasta is still A-OK, but I have to knock them down for their entree-sized salads. I ordered a Caesar with chicken. The addition of the chicken bumped the price of this jewel up to $12.95. While plentiful, the romaine was so drenched in dressing, the crispness of the lettuce was lost. The chicken was mediocre at best, certainly not worth the 5 bucks to add it. A shame because the dressing was pretty good. My husband ordered the Antipasto per Due. With back olives, artichokes, ham, salami, provolone, and anchovies, it should have been a hit. But again, drenched in vinaigrette. Also the meats and cheese were just thin slices, nothing of exceptional quality. At $14.95, this was a miss. We also ordered bruschetta, but I had forgotten all their bread is sesame seed "sub rolls." Better bread is a must. While I might consider Lo Cascio again, I'll stick with pasta. If you see me carry a duffel bag inside, I brought my own baguette, too.
(2)
Travis S.
Horrible food, horrible service! We paid for our salads and drinks and left it was so bad. The server told us, after being seated for just under an hour, that they were out of manicotti. On a Saturday night at 7:00 pm, this place was out of manicotti. That was the last straw. This was after I had picked olive oil & garlic instead of pesto for my tortellini because they were out of that too. I was charged almost six dollars a piece for the pathetic excuses for salads and told, "but I didn't charge you for the garlic bread." We had sent that back after it showed up extremely over done and having a horrible taste. So I guess I was supposed to be grateful for not having to pay for that! Our server was a space cadet and my iced tea didn't get refilled until I said something after waiting 30 mins. for the server to notice. I don't normally write scathing reviews, but this place is worthy. I paid sixteen dollars for the worst dining experience of my life and left hungry!
(1)
Marisa B.
The husband is the excellent cook and the wife runs the restaurant while the son runs the bar. They are straight from Sicily & you can't order wrong everything tastes great! I have been coming here for 25 years. Great ambiance in the restaurant for a date or in the bar if you are looking to be more social and watch sports.
(5)
Karen L.
Pros : Great server, friendly, attentive, engaging. Atmosphere pretty inviting, a little romantic even. Nice water fountain outside (we sat in front of it inside, good seat) Very warm comments of gratitude when you leave. ( I really appreciate this and it is an excellent way to conduct business) because what I wasn't that thrilled about is so soon forgotten that my thoughts are strangely enough on a conveyer belt of considering going back, and I would. But the Cons are Wheres the pork? I ordered Fettucine with ham, mushrooms and garlic. The ham was shaved and it was a 1 slice shaving if that , (on the slimmest setting) this was torn and tossed in my pasta, maybe the person preparing it was hungry and did a one toss for you, one for me and then the last toss ended in their favor. Honestly it was meager. It did have good garlic flavor though but still could have had more shrooms. Overall, this place is on the pricey side for what you get but when I consider the overall experience it was A-ok.
(3)
Marie M.
Great Italian food, great price. That's really all you need. Wine selection is okay but they have SOMETHING that will pair well with what you are eating no doubt. They have great specials and great happy hour. I have even taken my kid for pizza and she loves it! Service and staffing has always been good as well. That's as important as the food and specials!
(4)
Kelley T.
We love Lo Cascio's! Service and food is always great (we prefer to it in the bar). You can't beat $4 spaghetti on Sunday. My personal favorite is the spaghetti win pink sauce...., its to die for. It's a great family owned place and much better than any chain restaurant in town.
(5)
Ivy t.
We started with the bruschetta and order the ravioli with spinach and red sauce. The veal was a little bland and the spinach egg drop soup was ok. but it was yummy. Service was greatl. Super helpful with suggestions.
(3)
Jessica R.
Dining at Lo Cascio was a horrid experience. To the restaurant's credit, the staff was pleasant and friendly. That's all I can say that was positive about my evening. The food wasn't even mediocre in quality. The salads were nothing more than a large plate of romaine lettuce leaves with one tomato wedge and two black olives. The pasta had a disproportionately small amount of sauce to go with the huge plate of overcooked spaghetti noodles. The marinara sauce itself was very generic, the only reason it had any flavor at all was due to the overabundance of garlic they packed into it. The two meatballs in my spaghetti and meatballs came on a separate plate, covered in what seemed like canned tomato paste. If you don't mind generic tasting Italian food this place would be fine, except they don't charge generic prices. At around fifteen dollars a plate, I would hope for a little more quality in the food that is served. Then there's the issue of the restaurant's ambiance. My boyfriend and I dined in the bar so we could watch college football. There was one patron at the bar who farted, gargled his alcohol like it was mouthwash, and made loud, repugnant, comments like "this shot tastes like vomit." I understand that's not necessarily the restaurant's fault and in a bar people tend to be a little more rowdy. However, the bar was serving the full dinner menu and this repulsive behavior happened right in front of the bartender who said or did nothing as disgusted patrons tried to eat dinner. I'm sure you can imagine how hard it would be to eat within the proximity of a man who was passing gas incessantly. As a full time student who also works full time, I don't get a lot of evenings out. I believe you dine out for a good meal as well as a fun experience. Lo Cascio failed miserably at both of those things. The check was around fifty dollars and for that I left feeling grossed-out, frustrated and ripped off. I will never risk one of my evenings out at Lo Cascio again.
(1)
Tami G.
$4 spaghetti in the bar every Sunday is awesome. It's hard to find good spaghetti anywhere unless it's in your, or a family member's kitchen. However, for $4, my husband and I found ourselves here almost every Sunday when we lived right down the road. Plus, the bread that is served with the spaghetti is AMAZING. We now live in Casa Grande, but whenever we find ourselves in Tempe/Scottsdale on a Sunday, we always stop and eat. The bartender (the only one I've ever seen in the bar) is an awesome guy who doesn't play favorites and gets you your food and drinks as quickly as possible. I've only eaten in the restaurant area once, but I remember it being more upscale, very dimly lit and very quiet compared to the bar. Although I don't even remember what I had, I recall not leaving unsatisfied so I'd denitely dine there again. This place is definitely worth a visit to decide for yourself!
(5)
Holly R.
A hidden gem in south Scottsdale, Lo Cascio serves up some of the yummiest Italian food around. Their bread is always fresh and their sauces are delicious. They have some of the best fettucini alfredo I've ever had. And the portions are very large, I always have leftovers. Their caesar salad is really good but they can go a little heavy on the dressing in my opinion. If you like it light, let them know. Lo Cascio also has really good dessert, some they do seasonally. And you can't beat Mama Cascio wearing her big Martin Scorcese glasses. Love her! Get ready for some heavy duty and delicious Italian food if you go here.
(5)
Kirstin E.
I am completely blown away by all the less then 4 star reviews! I have been going to Lo Cascio's for a good 10-12 years and I have never once had a bad experience here. EVER. Yes the decor is out dated, but really does that effect your eating experience that much? Me thinks not. And I honestly love the "kitschy" music piped through....since when was Sinatra kitschy? The hubs, a friend and I all went this past Saturday night. We got there about 7:30 and the parking lot was PACKED! When we got inside we were asked if we had reservations, we told them no and they sid it would be a few minutes. No big deal. We waited maybe 5 minutes. Our waitress was sooo friendly and helpful. We all had questions and were going back and forth on what to get. The fresh bread loafs are always a favorite. The soups always change and are terrific. For starters we got the Mozzarella Marinara and the Calamari Fritto. The mozzarella is a MUST! Seriously it will change the way you view fried mozzarella for the rest of your life. I promise. I ordered the Gnocchi with pink sauce. OH MY! The gnocchi is made fresh in house and you can tell! Little pillows of heaven! The pink sauce was top notch. Hubs had the veal, and ate every last bit. He said it was amazing. I would not know as I passed on trying it. Our friend got the Fantasy Chicken (I think that was the name) It was sooo light and totally outstanding! We also all got cannolis and coffees at the end, great way to cap off a tasty meal. So for 3 meals, 2 apps, 3 desserts, 3 coffees and I think 5 glasses of wine hit the table our total bill was only $168. I honestly thought it was going to be well above $200 the way we got down on that dinner. This is one of my all time fav italian places to hit up. And love supporting mom and pop places.
(5)
Angela S.
Took my nephew here two weeks ago and it is now his favorite restaurant... Two weeks later he is STILL talking about it! Even at 11 he is somewhat of a meatball connoisseur and he very readily will tell you that Lo Cascio has the best! Best red sauce in town... HANDS DOWN! Definitely a place to splurge the extra calories! We were in early and ordered off of the "early bird" menu... lower prices, closer to lunch size portions... but honestly... still SO much food that I still took half my chicken parm home! Service was absolutely flawless... so very polite and attentive. Not overbearing like some servers can be! Will definitely be going back!
(5)
Erin C.
Love this place. I've eaten in the restaurant up front once, but I usually eat and drink in the bar in the back. The bar in the back has really great happy hour and daily specials ($3 glasses of wine all day every day! Can't beat that). The food is delicious, homemade, and never disappointing. The service is exceptional. I highly recommend.
(5)
Ted K.
I love love love love love this place. Completely smitten. I have been here 4 or 5 times in the last month. I'm going back again. Soon! You can either sit in the main restaurant which has a classy old world feel to it or you can sit in the back bar which is separate. The price is a bit cheaper in the back bar but the portions are a little smaller I think. My Dad was in town from NJ. I took him here to the main restaurant. He had a Veal Parm plate. Now my first reasons for love is the marinara sauce. A bit sweet but so so so good. He felt the Veal was one of the best he had and cooked perfectly and he has it all the time back on the shore so that says something. Apparently the owners are originally from Italy and the family home makes from scratch, all the pasta and sauce etc. It is so apparent. In the ba,r the bar keep are really cool people, and act like friends just hanging out cooking for you and looking to help you get drunk if that is your thing.. But here is the #1 reason for my love: The Linguini with Clam sauce. White or Red. Some of the best I ever had. My mom used to make this at home and I have rediscovered it. It was missing from my life and I forgot about it. Now we have reconnected and I am much happier. Red or White this is the best dish I have had in a LONG time. Simply outstanding. Its a love thats gonna last...
(5)
Maitrayee B.
My boyfriend and I went to this restaurant for Valentine's day. We had reservations, and were made to sit in a not-so-private table (thats why the four stars). The bread (some kind of white bread with sesame seed crust) was warm, fresh and tasty. The spinach soup with egg white and chicken broth was comfort food, and tasty. We had the Chianti on their menu, which went very well with the Veal Marsala. The marsala was very very well done--kudos to them, and the portion size was just right. I forget what the name of the dish (veal dish) that my boyfriend had but that was also amazing. We finished our dinner with a chocolate torte with pear and connoli--yumm!! The two of us are very impressed with the food and we will almost certainly go back soon.
(4)
Chris K.
People keep suggesting this as a great Italian place, and we keep going, only to talk about our disappointment later. The decor is typical small-Italian place: fairly kitschy scenery, with the wait-staff in ties and cummerbunds, which is a bit odd as it isn't a fancy place by any means. We've been there 3 times now, and every time there is an older lady with a cane (she seems to be the manager or owner) hovering around. Never has she approached us, and seems to just concentrate on harrassing the staff. Our waitress this last time rudely interrupted our conversation every single time she came to the table. The salads are ok, nothing special here. The bread is quite good (and plentiful - small whole loaves instead of pieces). The food is mediocre: I've tried the pasta (spaghetti & meatballs), Italian favorites (lasagna), and the "specials" (it was so unspecial I don't even remember what it was). My wife had the gnocchi this time, which was a bit tough. They wanted to charge $3 to do half pesto and half alfredo sauce for her gnocchi, regardless of the fact that the pesto sauce was $2 MORE than the alfredo on the menu! In fact, thats pretty much the best description: the food is bland and overpriced. Their red sauce seems unseasoned and the meat sauce had little meat in it. I just see no reason to ever go back, unless it's a friends choice, and then I'd do my best to talk them into a great Italian, like Il Posto.
I'm surprised to read some of the other reviews here... I'm from New York and know good Italian when I eat it. This place IS good Italian. The Veal Parm and garlic bread both stood out, and I loved the sauce... something I don't often find myself saying. The pasta fagioli was also quite delicious. Of course, I think the home made tiramisu was probably my favorite, though I'm a sucker for sweets. Good service, good authentic atmosphere, and a few tacky signs and menu reminders give off the charm you'd expect of a great, neighborhood Italian place. All in all, we left around $50 with an appetizer, two entrees, and dessert. And we felt like we got the "great" birthday dinner we were in search of.
(5)
Nicholas B.
My girlfriend and I went to have some drinks at the bar. We ordered pizza and had an amazing time. Bartender was super friendly and we are definitely going there again. Loved the neighborhood bar feel.
(4)
Sarah L.
I agree with Johnny S. - I too am surprised that this place isn't busier. However the food is well balanced, fresh and authentic. Their minestrone is the best I've had. I love fried zucchini and while I wouldn't typically order it at most Italian places, we did here and it was FRESH! Not the thin/frozen pieces you find at other places. I also love that they have Birra Morreti, you find Peroni at a lot of places but not Morreti. I've had a few different entrees and both have been fantastic. Cannelloni was my most recent and they ground the meat fresh and made the white sauce to order...you can tell by the flavor. I will frequent more often now that I just found out about their 4-6PM extended lunch pricing!
(4)
Cher T.
I REALLY don't know how to rate this place... I'm giving it two stars because I seriously HAVE experienced better. Let me explain. My friend and I, after wandering around for nearly an hour searching for somewhere to eat, our quest ended (or atleast we THOUGHT it was going to end) at Lo Cascio's. We entered a very quaint and fancier than it really ought to be little italian place. There was a young couple, a middle aged couple and a three top already enjoying their meals. We sat down and tried to figure out what to order. The service was so-so. Nothing great. but we ordered anyway, I ordered the gnocci with tomato sauce and sausage. My friend ordered the speghetti and meatballs. We had different soups before our meal and were served the soups along with our teas. My bean and pasta soup... was not good. It was seriously a bowl of pinto beans with some pasta in it. No spices, no veggies... nothing but pinto beans and baby macaroni. wtf?? My friend's minastrone (yeah I know it's mispelled!) wasn't that great eaither. No complaints, but no rave reviews eaither. We had hoped the entrees were going to be better when... "What the HELL do you mean you won't serve me another drink?!?!" A shout from the middle aged man who sat with (I'm assuming was his date) a small petite blonde woman. The server tried her best to get the man to settle down, the more she tried to calm him down - the angrier the bastard got. He got to the point where he was yelling and screaming at her and even stood up and got in her face. the male busser who served us our teas, watched while hiding behind a drink station along with one of the cooks. Another male. We watched in sympathy as the poor waitress was being bullied by this guy... it took EVERYTHING for me NOT to get up and kick this guy's ass! "Remember where you are!! This is scottsdale! If the cops show up, they're gonna throw us BOTH in!! and let his ass go free!!" was the words I needed to hear... seriously. I wish Scottsdale Police would quit being so racist. Finally when he had his face in hers, I said fuck it. "WHERE IS YOUR MANAGER?!" I asked to the entire room. The busser came and he said that the three-top next to us were the OWNERS!! An elderly woman and her husband and brother... owned the damned resturant and were now staring into their soups and drinks trying to pretend the entire thing wasn't happening. No body was going to defend this poor girl. I started to get up, fuck it TAKE ME TO JAIL! Yes... I really do get that hood. I'm sorry - I'm not your average yelper... I have and will probably cut a bitch (again). and FINALLY the elderly woman, with her neckbrace and casted arm (seriously! I'm not lying) got up and tried her best to calm the man down. I was appaulled. I never seen such an outburst like that since... the LAST time I ate in Scottsdale! (haha! I just realized that!) But even then, the manager intercepted right away and took care of the rowdy customer... in this case, I really think the owners would have let this guy get violent with her. I know violent men and I know how they work... and this guy was on the edge. we called the busser aside and asked for our check for the food that we were served and not the food we ordered. They gave it to us along with a coupon for 20% our next visit. I vowed to give this place another try. Seriously, it wasn't their fault. No one WANTED this guy to become a jerk. He chose that and sometimes it's not right to fault a restuant on the behaviors of its customers. and that guy was loaded! and obviously had one too many, the waitress was just doing her job. but it was NOT okay for the owners to let her get abused like that... EVER! I have even seen executive chefs come out of the kitchen and calmed customers down (ANOTHER time I dined in Scottsdale! haha!! errrm... I'm noticing a theme!) but I never seen a bunch of scared ass pussies look the other way like that. so for that, this place loses major stars.
(2)
Johnny S.
Whenever I want to take my wife to a romantic Italian restaurant, this is the place. You will typically be greeted by one of the owners of the restaurant and the service is always first class. My wife and I have had some of our most memorable dining experiences at Lo Cascio's. Every time I go, I'm always shocked that Lo Cascio's does not have a line outside with patrons clamoring to get inside for this authentic southern Italian food. I come from a southern Italian family and am extremely picky when it comes to Italian food because, as far as I'm concerned, my grandparents did it best. Lo Cascio's feels like I'm eating at my Italian grandparents house again. The red sauce is clearly prepared fresh and an authentic southern Italian treat to say the least! We come to this place as often as possible and have tried lots of items: My Favorite? The fried mozzarella marinara appetizer. Simply the best dish of its kind. The waitress always replies, "Excellent choice!" Bruschetta appetizer comes with fresh baked bread and is absolutely delicious. Pizza appetizer - Last time we went they had a special extra thin small pizza that was out of this world! The pizzas here are incredible as well! Skip pizza hut or that other crap, and pick it up here for cheaper! Italian Sausage and Peppers - I don't know exactly what they call it, but it's great! The sausage is among the best I've had and the dish was perfectly cooked and tasty! Meatballs - I always get a side and never come away disappointed. Be sure to have the fresh parmesan topping it off! Cheese Manicotta - One of my favorite dishes, the ricotta is out of this world and always cooked perfectly I can go on all day about how great this restaurant is, in fact I signed up to yelp to get more people to check this place out! You will love it!
(5)
Anna M.
Went in yesterday for a quick lunch. I have never been here before, the person I was with wanted to try it. We were the only people in the restaurant at 12:00pm. The decor is a bit old school and the music is down right annoying. The server was friendly and brought the water out quickly. The bread is a hogi type bun covered in sesame seeds. Hmm..I cannot decide if I liked it or not. I decided to order a simple spaghetti with meat sauce and I added one sausage. I figured it was a good way to test the quality of an Italian restaurant. They have to make good spaghetti right? Well not exactly. The pasta was cooked correctly, but the sauce had a funky taste. The meat in the meat sauce tasted burnt or extremely over cooked. The sausage was served on a separate plate all alone. It looked a little x-rated. My friend actually laughed out loud at the sight of it. The flavor of the sausage was fantastic. It was defiantly the best part of the meal. This place is OK, but there are other Italian restaurants in the area that I like better.
(2)
Brenda B.
I love this place ,have been eating here for years, anything I have tasted from my dinner companions plate ,as well as my own has been very, very good. On my last visit , my I phone slipped between the seat and the wall , didn't realize it until it was too late to go pick it back up. I called up on the next business day , and they pulled the booth from the wall to look for my phone , my hat is off to them for excellent food and honesty.
(4)
Kathleen S.
I am with some of the others in not understanding these poor reviews. I am from Rhode Island and Italian food is at our fingertips, and in Arizona, there are few and far between authentic non chain Italian restaurants. I feel that although ambiance is important, I didn't see anything wrong with Lo Cascio's. There were no cheesy paper protectors over a linen table cloth, and there were no paper place mats with several business names, so not sure what the issue was there. And as far as the music....I would be annoyed too if I had to work there every night, but again, it only added to the atmosphere. In my opinion, some of the best Italian food does not come with yuppie atmosphere. For the appetizer we had the fried mozzarella which my husband and I enjoyed very much. The marinara poured over it was on the chunkier side and I loved it because it tasted just like a sauce an old Italian friend of mine made. It was perfect. I had eggplant parmesan for my entree, and it tasted just like NYC Italian. The eggplant didn't have the shit fried out of it, and it had the finest light coating just the way I love my favorite dish. And my husband had veal milanese which was out of this world. It was in a sauce of lemon and wine, mushrooms and artichokes. I also want to mention, we had the most Attentive waitress that I have ever had. Her name is Katie, and she was very sweet always asking us after each course if we needed anything and how everything tasted. We will definitely be back here, we live down the road now in our new home and I am very happy there is a great little Italian restaurant nearby. I am also happy I didn't let the negative reviews scare me.
(4)
Randy M.
I came with a friend because I've driven by a couple of times and it looks like a cute place. It's got a quaint "authentic Italian" look to it--the owners actually hail from Sicily. The food is pretty good, too. Nothing to write home about, but good, decent Italian. The one exception? The calamari. Fantastic. Worth the somewhat high price (although you do get pretty large portions). Here's the problem I have with this place, though: it tries too hard. The waiters look like they just rented their tuxes from Al's Formal Wear. The music playing in the background was what you would expect to play in the background of an Italian Restaurant in a bad movie. Think "That's Amore" and "Mambo Italiano." Is there some kind of XM radio station that only plays music for Italian Restaurants? If I worked here I'd want to slit my wrists after listening to that stuff for a couple of days. But again, decent food. If you like the kitsch, the atmosphere is good too. And there's a cute little patio with a great view of the bodega across the street.
(3)
Michael B.
Good ambiance and great service. It is hard to find great Italian in the valley. I rank this food as a 7/10.
(4)
Ryan C.
Great neighborhood joint. We are addicted to their deep dish pizza. The bar is a friendly place to catch a game or have a cocktail. Limited beer selection on tap, but that is really my only complaint (and, really, that is only in the bar - which is detached from the restaurant). Definitely worth trying!
(4)
Shannon F.
My boss and I decided to stop in for lunch and give this place a try....I wish we kept on going down the road....we waiting about 5 minutes before we were finally seated. Our waiter was good at first, brought us hot, fresh bread that was pretty good but when he brought our appetizers of grilled mixed veggies, my boss practically choked on a staple! How the hell does a staple end up in an appetizer??? When we showed him, he argued with us that it wasn't a staple but part of the metal scrub brush his dishwasher uses....like that makes it better!! The little Italian lady at the front acted like she could care less, the waiter continued to argue with us on what the piece of metal REALLY was...I really think these people either have sh*t for brains or just don't care....either way, EAT AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!
(1)
Velika L.
Lo Cascio is the cutest little Italian restaurant. My sister and I went for an early dinner before heading to Gammage for a Broadway show. We were just in time for the Early Bird specials (smaller portions at a discounted rate). I ordered the Eggplant Parmigiana and my sis got the Penne Bianche (penne pasta in an alfredo sauce with vegetables). She subbed the Penne for Fettuccine instead. Everything was delicious! The bread was to die for! It was so fresh. The creamy Italian dressing served with the salad was yummy. The waiter was very attentive, friendly and nice. I wish I lived closer to this restaurant!
(5)
Ken C.
So mediocre its not even funny. small salad with salty bland dressing. The red sauce tasted like from a can(not even a jar) Then My chicken marsala arrives and im astounded at the small portion. 3 small pounded flat pieces approx 3" squares. They could not have weighed 2 ounces in total It was laughable. I could have put them together in 1 large bite. Any one who likes or raves about this place most likely loved high school cafeteria food and ha d a Mom that rarely cooked
(1)
Anne W.
I had heard good things about Lo Cascio, had heard that they were voted "Best Italian restaurant in Scottsdale" and when I walked in and saw the old Italian couple walk out from the kitchen I thought I was in luck! Wrong. The food was WAY over priced, and not that great. Maybe I'm just used to (spoiled by?) MY old Italian grandma's cooking, but what I ate was not all that fantastic. Not "Best in Scottsdale" fantastic. I live in Scottsdale. My Italian cooking is better. We ordered from the "smaller portions" menu, and while it WAS a perfect sized portion, it was not worth what we paid for it. Also, they put sesame seeds on their bread. Sesame seeds in an Italian restaurant?? Why? Italian bread (GOOD Italian bread) is delicious without adding anything. Their bread had a soft crust (again, covered in sesame seeds for some reason) and the inside was on the mushy side. Not the hard crusted, spongy Italian bread to which I've always been accustomed. One thing I did like about this restaurant was that instead of serving you a side of pasta with your entree, you have the option to sub it with fried zucchini, which I did, and it was pretty good. Although it's hard to screw something up when you bread it and fry it. Bottom line, we won't be visiting here again.
(2)
Michelle A.
This is authentic Italian food and it is good. The owner is older but friendly woman and her husband is the head chef of the place. Pasta is made fresh daily and everything is good quality........need I say more? My favorites here are the spaghetti and meatballs, Chicken Picatta , and the Chicken Parmesan. The early bird menu is nice if you go and eat before 5:00 p.m. the portions are just slightly smaller and about $4-6 dollars cheaper. I would not recommend this place for New Year's dinner since it is a special menu they make up and one dish costs $50! I went a few years ago and ended up walking out after I was seated. I was not paying $50 for a piece of lasagna and a salad. No way! other than that this place is a hit for good Italian.
(4)
Georgia R.
Lo Cascio's has been around fo-eva. I used to eat here all the time when I was in college (but only when my parents came to visit me- the rest of the time I was too po') and whenever I'm in the area now I still do. It's owned and operated by the cutest Italian family from Sicily. I love Italian restaurants that are truly run by Italians, it just makes the food taste better. Could be all in my mind. Who knows. The interior of the restaurant is cute, and it's a very casual place that works well for everyone...Families with little children, couples, friends and the list goes on. I love their ravioli, cannelloni and gnocchi. If you go early though, you'll get their tasty food for much less. You have to eat between 4 and 6 though to get the discounted prices. Otherwise your entree will cost you anywhere from $10 and up.
(4)
Mark W.
I wasn't sure whether I should write this review because I have a healthy fear of being whacked. Three co-workers and I sidled in one day and our first impression was that we were eating at a front for the mob. We felt less than welcome when we entered and none of the people by the cash register cared to acknowledge us. Begrudgingly, we were given a table. The furniture was something out of an old folk's home. Everyone squeaked into their seats. We weren't sure whether we belonged, and then we noticed that the only other patrons were old folks. My friend ordered pasta and paid extra for meatballs, actually, for one whole meatball. What I ordered was very forgettable. It took a while, but we finally got our food, which seemed odd as it was quite plain and entirely unremarkable. We split the bill with one person paying cash and the rest using credit cards. It took over ten minutes to get our cards back with receipts, which was odd as we were the only people left in the place. The waitress admonished us for making her life difficult. I pointed out that my card had my picture on it, and was told that was part of the problem. Immediately, upon returning to the office, we all checked our bank accounts. We were all charged for our meals except for one of my co-workers who was charged for all four meals, even the one who paid cash..
(1)
Tim B.
Love this place! The food is fantastic.
(5)
Rhonda J.
Lo Cascio is a nice little Italian restaurant within walking distance of my home. If it was not so close I probably would have never noticed it. I go for the "Early Bird" dinners between 4-6 when you can get smaller portions for great prices. Everything I have had so far has been good and the staff is very friendly.
(4)
Ericka S.
This place was directly across from the hotel we were staying at and we got a 10% discount for being hotel guests, so we figured we'd give it a go. The service was excellent, the food was tasty, and it was inexpensive. I'd definitely eat here again if I was in the areal
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Romantic Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
Matthew D.
I just received a "compliment" tonight under the "You're Funny" heading from an individual named Leonardo M. concerning my review for this restaurant. The "compliment" stated in whole: "I guess your review was meant to be funny. Frozen pizza and Birdseye frozen vegetables? Iceberg lettuce?Italian from San Francisco? You may have been in Olive Garden or better yet Buca di Beppo. My mother is from Naples and my father from Sicily. We've spent time in both places. Maybe Italian food in SF has been too Americanized over the years. Sorry you had a bad experience?" This Leonardo character has no reviews, no Yelp friends, and just started on Yelp this last September (2013). A person with such stats wouldn't have any business or interest making a comment like that to me unless he was the owner, so I'm going to address this "compliment" to me as if I came from the owner. So, no Leonardo, I wasn't trying to be funny. Yes, I got a warmed-up frozen pizza for my entree and a tiny salad composed of iceberg lettuce for an additional $5. My wife's mediocre meal had tasteless frozen vegetables on the side. That's not funny. You know what the sad thing is? You didn't even try to make it better. My family and I get one of the worst Italian meals of our lives, and all you felt motivated to do was insult me and my taste in food. I grew up on restaurants like Westlake Joe's in Daly City, Bertolucci's in South San Francisco, Banchero's in Hayward, and a host of incredible Italian cooking from the North Beach area of San Francisco itself. If you went to the owners of these restaurants and told them that their food was "too Americanized compared to yours", you would either end up with a spiffy pair of cement shoes, or at least with a horse's head on your pillow next to you the morning. Okay, NOW I'm trying to be funny. If this was just an off night, and you wanted to show me how good your food really was, you could have seriously apologized to me. You could have invited my family back, served us up a wonderful meal, and I would have been back here on Yelp telling everyone to never mind about the previous bad review. I would have been HAPPY to do that. But no, you decided to insult me instead. That's a shame--far more of a shame than just serving me a bad dinner. All I can say now is that it appears that bad taste goes far deeper in this restaurant than just the food. UPDATE 1/30/14: The morning after I put up this review update, I received two more "compliments". The first was by a man named "Robert K." from Chandler, someone who has no Yelp friends and about 40 reviews, who thought enough about what I wrote above to call me a "butt-hurt little child" at 6:27 am. A response from Leonardo came about an hour later (and his name mysteriously changed to "Leonard"). He claimed that he wasn't the owner--just a "patron for several years" who never had that kind of experience at Lo Cascio's. I won't buy that story any more than I'll buy food at this restaurant again. UPDATE 12/6/14: By this point, I have received a total of five messages, "compliments", and even a counter-review, all negatively responding to this review and its previous incarnation. Apparently back in September of 2013, another reviewer named "Denton S." from Tempe wrote a review for this restaurant where he called me a "condescending jerk", reacting with outrage because I had the temerity to call the bread "not authentic." Again, another sock puppet Yelp account--one review and no other Yelp activity. Thankfully, the review went straight into the "not recommended" section. Another communication I got even seemed to imply that I had some kind of deep-seated anger issue, and with a "namaste", tried to tell me that my bad review was somehow harmful to my emotional and spiritual well-being. Phew! Look guy, I don't give bad reviews because I'm mean at heart--I give them because a business gives me bad service or a bad deal for my money. You gave me and my family a sucky meal for $60+ bill, and for the past couple of years, you and/or some friends of yours have been finding ways on Yelp of insulting or belittling me because I gave your business a one-star review in return. If my negative review were the only one, it wouldn't mean much. However, my bad review Is one of a number of them from some quite upset people who disliked your food, your service, or both. That's not my fault--it's yours. Bad reviews are feedback telling you what you are doing WRONG. It's supposed to tell you where and how you can IMPROVE what you are doing. Instead of doing that, you send me multiple messages calling me a jerk and a tool. You sent it to me, and now I'm posting about it here for all to see. Hope it's been worth it to you.
(1)Bryant S.
Don't start by saying you have $3.50 wine. Awful. Don't serve me toasr with a center piece of can diced tomatoes and call it bruchetta . Tomato sauce no seasoning awful. Bread not sliced. And veal was as tender as a retread. The only thing home made here is the mess they made.
(1)m c.
The significant other (henceforth referred to as SO) and I had read positive reviews of this place and decided to try it out after a 'study date'. When we arrived we each had backpacks in hand because I am somewhat paranoid about leaving valuables in my car. I was not particularly hobo-sexual this evening, but homeless or not if I have money to spend at your establishment you should suck it up and treat me the same as the next guy; I digress. The hostess informed us there would be a wait for a table even though there were clearly a plethora of neat and tidy tables ready to accommodate us. We sat in chairs in the entryway by the hostess stand and waited patiently for several minutes. This was fine for the first 10 minutes, but after that one of the servers came and asked the hostess if we were waiting to be seated. She remarked to him something along the lines of, "oh no, they're fine." Which is roughly akin to, "Fuck that guy sitting over there waiting, he'll never get a table!" At this point I realized that I'd been had and would never regain that 10 minutes of my life, ever. This rating is aimed squarely at the older blonde lady working hostess table. She can kiss my hairy, lice-ridden ass. That's right, my ass is so hairy that lice can not only live on it, but also thrive. (While my ass is that hairy there are no actual lice living on it. That was an empty threat meant to sensationalize my request.)
(1)Kristi D.
Eh, not a fan. I'm actually surprised by the majority of the reviews I've read. I'm going to preface this by admitting that we decided to stop here after spending most of the afternoon at Papago playing darts and dodging meth heads. Lot's and lot's of beer was involved but trust me when I say that alcohol in no way impairs my judgment when it comes to quality food. If anything I'd say I tend to be more forgiving. The decor is dated and kitschy. I'm all for quirky and authentic when dining...I can even appreciate sketchy if it's done right. This was more on par with a typical chain Italian place complete with cheesy piped 'That's Amore' type music. The server struggled a bit to open the bottle of wine (I was NOT DRIVING MOM) and never smiled. The service wasn't awful by any means, just awkward and a little funeral-esque. The food was okay. Not terrible but nothing standout. The salads were boring and dressed very heavily as if they were ashamed themselves of how boring they were..... 'if I close my eyes and shroud myself in ranch dressing maybe you can't see how uninspired I am.' meh.. My entree (veal maybe? crap, I can't remember) was a little tough, pretty bland and flavorless. My dates pasta dish looked decent but I didn't try it so I can't really comment. I believe he said 'it's good' with the side to side head bob. Coming from him, I translate that as unimpressed, so there you go. The fried zucchini was just that. Reminiscent of my chain steakhouse server days. Yes, it was fresh and not frozen but that is hardly a big deal. Let's be honest, the ONLY place that should be serving frozen zucchini better also have a fucking drive through and as we've already established, ranch dressing is the devil's concealer, masking any imperfections so ya.... who knows if it was any good. All in all a pretty mediocre experience. I'm officially on the lookout for tasty Italian as Lo Cascio didn't really satisfy. Maybe next time.
(2)Kris N.
Came it because it was across the street from my hotel. I ate at the bar. Much more laid-back that the front restaurant, but the kitchen is the same. Good eats. Good enough that I went back another night on that trip.
(3)Krissy H.
We were not impressed. When we came in the lady seamed nice tell she asked if we has reservations .we said no is that a problem ?she didn't answer us .she was very put off because we didn't have any .over half the tables were empty.I had pesto and pasta very bla. My husband had cannoli the meat in it tasted bad.there house dressing is pretty much oil with a splash of vinegar.
(1)Mac B.
Very crisp lettuce and great service. We liked the hot bread. Very quiet. Would bring anybody from the office could come here and enjoy a nice quiet lunch for sure. We had salads and I could lettuce was like they just come from the grocery store is very crisp my girlfriend loved it!
(5)Stephen A.
If you are ever in the mood for casual, yet excellent Italian dining, I would wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant. I remember the very first time my old boss and mentor took me to this place in what seemed like eons ago, and how impressed I was with their food then. The spaghetti, the ravioli, and the eggplant parmigiana are as good now, as they have always been. Their dinner loaves are freshly baked, and the butter just melts on. And the spinach egg drop soup is wonderful. Everything is just absolutely appetizing. What a wonderful Scottsdale (south) / Tempe gem, and every person that I have brought to this place just comes away in awe. They never thought that they could find such a sublime place around these parts. It just south of Continental on Scottsdale road as you travel south. Not too far from Skysong Center. It's easy to just drive on by if you don't know the area, and aren't paying attention. But it is definitely a destination that you don't want to miss if you're looking for great Italian food and you're in the vicinity.
(5)Elle A.
Delicious!! They serve warm crusty bread, that's should be enough to come back. Ha. I've tried this place twice. The first time I ordered cheese ravioli with Alfredo sauce. So delicious and the portion was huge. I could not finish enough. You get salad with your meal. I liked that it was an actual crips green salad and not from a bag with iceberg lettuce. The second time I came here, I was still impressed. Horde red the chicken Marsala and my checkin was juicy, tender, and of course delicious.
(5)Rob G.
Simply the best Italian food in the Phoenix area. I've been going here for years and have never been disappointed. Every item on the menu is delicious! Lo Cascio is a family owned restaurant and the owner always greets us like we were family.
(5)Grace M.
I've been craving good Italian food, not a franchise, and am so glad to have found Lo Cascio's Italian Restaurant. The Italian music created a nice ambiance. We arrived at 6 pm, just as they were finishing their early bird menu. Our waitress was wonderful, she explained that the early bird menu was just a slightly smaller portion than the dinner menu which was fine with me! 2 small loaves of hot italian bread came out for starters. I started with the spinach soup which was wonderful, then had the eggplant parmigiana with pasta and red sauce. The sauce was excellent! My husband had salad and chicken parmigiana with pasta. We finished the meal with a piece of tiramisu, a perfect ending to a great meal.
(4)Olivia R.
Excellent family own hidden gem in Arizona! Had the mozzarella starter and followed by the chicken parm with zucchini! Delish! Can't wait to come back to AZ to visit this restaurant!
(5)Kristy M.
This place has delicious, authentic Italian food, excellent service and a darling ambience. I would give them six stars if I could Yum!!! I have eaten here twice this week.
(5)Faridah S.
Nice Restaurant, But Not Quite On The Mark...To be honest,I had to struggle a bit to get to three stars I was really excited about heading to Lo Cascio's the other evening. I had friends who had been there a few days earlier who just loved the food, and swore it was their new favorite place to eat - so I decided to stop in. I went fairly early on a week night to avoid a crowd, so there weren't very many diners. I liked that because it suggested that the kitchen had plenty of time to focus on each dish that they prepared. I was seated immediately, and brought fresh water with lemon. I had reviewed the menu online before arriving, but still took time to reconsider my options before ordering the Linguini Puttanesca (black olives, green olives, tomatoes, onions, capers, anchovies, and fresh basil sautéed in garlic and olive oil over Linguini). Although literally only a moment before, a server had asked the table next to me whether they wanted the regular or Early Bird portions, my server informed me that I was too late for the Early Bird portion. I decided not to make a big deal of it, but I suppose you have to be a regular to be accommodated in that way. That's a little backwards to me, because being accommodated is generally what drives me to become a regular... Regardless, I settled in to wait for my meal. Bread was first to arrive. It was hot, and covered with sesame seeds, which was a nice touch. The butter was soft, and easy to spread on the warm bread. The salad arrived next, and was fresh and crisp. After a bit, my Linguini Puttanesca arrived. To begin with, its appearance was not inviting. 1/2 of the Linguini on the plate was completely plain and dry (no moist sheen, just dry). On the other side of the plate, there was a nest of Puttanesca on top of linguini that at least looked like it had been near the sauce inplaces. For balance, the amount of sauce wasn't sufficient for the amount of linguini on the plate. A drizzle of olive oil over the entire dish might have helped. All in all, there wasn't sufficient sauce/oil/moisture for the linguini and the overall appearance wasn't very appetizing. The Puttanesca that was present looked and tasted good, although it could have used a bit more olive oil to distribute everything more evenly. I finally just cut across the plate through my pasta, pushed the dry portion to the other side of the plate and abandoned it there. I had to work to distribute the sauce over the remaining pasta in order to enjoy it, but it was good. I would like to have eaten more, but unfortunately the sauce ran out before the pasta did. A light toss of all of the pasta in olive oil, or a drizzle of olive oil over the entire dish to start with would have produced the dish I anticipated. I suppose that the thing here is to stick with the menu items labeled "Mama Lo Cascio Favorites". I may go back and try that one day. This time, I had to struggle a bit to get to three stars. For the price, this was just barely an average meal. I left unsatisfied and generally disappointed.
(3)John B.
The food was good. We got the chicken parmesan, chicken Fantasia, ravioli, and some other pasta dish that I can't spell (haha). They serve fresh baked bread that tasted good, although I would personally taper off on the sesame seeds (overpowering). The salad was very simple.
(4)Tristian N.
my waiter is the only reason im giving 2 stars. he tried his best but the food plain sucks. I orders spaghetti and meatballs, He told me (im sure he is forced to) the soup was house made as well as the noodles. the noodles are NOT HOUSE MAD, and the soup was canned soup with extra stuff added.
(2)John C.
We dined Saturday night at Lo Cascio's and had a great evening. The restaurant was busy so we had to wait 15 minutes for a table. The decor is a traditional Italian restaurant theme with table cloths and candles on the table. Italian music added to the ambiance. Our waitress (Kelly) greeted us and we ordered some wine. The menu has all the Italian favorites that you would expect including pizzas. We both ordered spaghetti, one with marina and primavera vegetables and one with meat sauce and a side of meatballs. Soup or salad and bread came with the meals. We had the salads and they were fresh and the homemade bleu cheese dressing was terrific. The food and service were great. We will make reservations next time and will certainly add this to our short list of favorite restaurants.
(4)Chuck H.
Delicious. Great prices. Great staff. Love it. I would eat here every day. The bar in the back has great service also.
(5)Steve S.
Oh what used to be. Not a good experience tonight. The place had a weird warm/humid feel/smell to it. Brought out entrees without the pasta sides so we had to wait for the pasta side dishes while entrees sat on the table - bizarre - this place has been there forever, you would think they know better. All 3 of our pasta side dishes were so overcooked the pasta was mushy - nasty! I told the waiter to take it away. He did offer to replace it, but I said no. They did not take the pasta off the bill - I had to ask for it to be taken off. Not a good experience and will not go back - I'd rather go to Carraba's at this point. Used to go here all the time, but will not go back - way past it's prime. What a shame.
(2)Jill L.
Delightful italian restaurant, great service, amazing food...small and friendly atmosphere...highly recommend you stop by and give this family restaurant your business!
(4)Martin G.
visited for dinner tonight. Quick service, reasonable prices, good food. Had Chicken Parm so I'm not pushing any boundaries, but I enjoyed it and would go back. Standard red sauce Italian, just what I was expecting and what I wanted to eat. My only complaint was that it was dark in there! Couldn't really see what I was eating. Not a huge deal, but I'd prefer at least enough light to tell whether I'm putting pepper on my salad or not.
(4)L B.
Visited again recently on a Saturday evening. The food, as usual, was really good however the serving sizes are becoming more and more scant. Ordered chicken picatta which was very tasty but only included two chicken breast medallions. I can't believe that the price of wholesale chicken breasts is particularly dear since Sprouts is selling it for 1.77/lb retail, this week. Similarly the lasagna was also quite a small portion. Menu prices are not particularly low which might lead one to believe the portion sizes should be more abundant. Unfortunately, no need for doggie-bags anymore.Service was excellent.
(3)Kristy S.
My boyfriend and I decided to try here since we were looking for a new place to eat on Friday night. When we showed up we were asked to wait, even though the restaurant was half empty, but we assumed maybe some wait staff had called out. when we were seated and we ordered, they brought out the bread. It was nice and warm, but one of the loaves was on the edge of being burnt and they both had sesame seeds on top that reminded me of those bread sticks that you get in cellophane wrappers. We had both ordered the house dressing for our salads, but it turned out to be oil and vinegar, which would have been fine except one salad had all the oil, which was bitter, and one had all the vinegar. Also, the salad was half a handful of romaine, 2 onion rings, 2 small black olives, and a tomato slice. Then our dinner showed up. I had gotten the Manicotti and my boyfriend had gotten the Cannelloni. The red sauce on top tasted like it was tomato paste from a can that was watered down and the sauce on mine tasted like someone had added extra sugar. I could honestly taste the aluminum in the sauce. The noodles were soggy, and my boyfriend said that his tasted reheated. I did discover someone had put slivers of garlic under the melted cheese on top, because they weren't fully cooked. As for the service, our waiter would ask questions and then leave without hearing the answer and they brought us small pitchers so we could refill our drinks, then forgot to bring more when those pitchers ran out.
(1)Steph P.
I had passed this place many times and was always interested, so we stopped in for dinner one Friday night. It was very average. The salad was really small and mostly just wet lettuce, the bread tasted store-bought, and the meals lacked great flavor. It was quick, our service was fine, and the price was reasonable. I have no reason to go back, though.
(3)Ali C.
This place....Wow. Okay, so after work my friend and I went on a dining adventure. We decided Italian and we were using the yelp finder deal and everything that popped up was just....No. We drove by here, flipped around and decided to duck in here to check out the menu. As we walked up we were confused as we still couldn't find the yelp for it but we walked in. The hostess gave us menus and as I asked if they use chicken stock in their Alfredo she went over to what I found out was one of the owners. They do not use chicken stock. Our soon to be waiter popped over to tell us everything in the place was made as you order from scratch.....I nearly died of happiness. We debated over many things and settled on fettuccine alfredo and my friend had meat tortellini with meat sauce. We both enjoyed our food immensely. It was amazing. We then had tiramisu that pretty much had us wanting to order another round even though we were completely full and ready to be rolled out of the restaurant as ball shaped humans. Our service was nice, he was helpful. The owners whom I met upon leaving, because I popped over to gush about their restaurant were also complete sweethearts. I will be back! Addiction list, this type of place is what you're made for! Oh! Also! I was informed all their soups are made with vegetable stock! Hooray for vegetarian friendly!!!
(5)Edd V.
Been here several times since 2008. The plce doesn't change. Always reliable excellent food and service. Try the Linguini with clams.
(4)Heather C.
First visit 3 stars, second visit 2 stars unfortunately. I don't doubt the pasta is still A-OK, but I have to knock them down for their entree-sized salads. I ordered a Caesar with chicken. The addition of the chicken bumped the price of this jewel up to $12.95. While plentiful, the romaine was so drenched in dressing, the crispness of the lettuce was lost. The chicken was mediocre at best, certainly not worth the 5 bucks to add it. A shame because the dressing was pretty good. My husband ordered the Antipasto per Due. With back olives, artichokes, ham, salami, provolone, and anchovies, it should have been a hit. But again, drenched in vinaigrette. Also the meats and cheese were just thin slices, nothing of exceptional quality. At $14.95, this was a miss. We also ordered bruschetta, but I had forgotten all their bread is sesame seed "sub rolls." Better bread is a must. While I might consider Lo Cascio again, I'll stick with pasta. If you see me carry a duffel bag inside, I brought my own baguette, too.
(2)Travis S.
Horrible food, horrible service! We paid for our salads and drinks and left it was so bad. The server told us, after being seated for just under an hour, that they were out of manicotti. On a Saturday night at 7:00 pm, this place was out of manicotti. That was the last straw. This was after I had picked olive oil & garlic instead of pesto for my tortellini because they were out of that too. I was charged almost six dollars a piece for the pathetic excuses for salads and told, "but I didn't charge you for the garlic bread." We had sent that back after it showed up extremely over done and having a horrible taste. So I guess I was supposed to be grateful for not having to pay for that! Our server was a space cadet and my iced tea didn't get refilled until I said something after waiting 30 mins. for the server to notice. I don't normally write scathing reviews, but this place is worthy. I paid sixteen dollars for the worst dining experience of my life and left hungry!
(1)Marisa B.
The husband is the excellent cook and the wife runs the restaurant while the son runs the bar. They are straight from Sicily & you can't order wrong everything tastes great! I have been coming here for 25 years. Great ambiance in the restaurant for a date or in the bar if you are looking to be more social and watch sports.
(5)Karen L.
Pros : Great server, friendly, attentive, engaging. Atmosphere pretty inviting, a little romantic even. Nice water fountain outside (we sat in front of it inside, good seat) Very warm comments of gratitude when you leave. ( I really appreciate this and it is an excellent way to conduct business) because what I wasn't that thrilled about is so soon forgotten that my thoughts are strangely enough on a conveyer belt of considering going back, and I would. But the Cons are Wheres the pork? I ordered Fettucine with ham, mushrooms and garlic. The ham was shaved and it was a 1 slice shaving if that , (on the slimmest setting) this was torn and tossed in my pasta, maybe the person preparing it was hungry and did a one toss for you, one for me and then the last toss ended in their favor. Honestly it was meager. It did have good garlic flavor though but still could have had more shrooms. Overall, this place is on the pricey side for what you get but when I consider the overall experience it was A-ok.
(3)Marie M.
Great Italian food, great price. That's really all you need. Wine selection is okay but they have SOMETHING that will pair well with what you are eating no doubt. They have great specials and great happy hour. I have even taken my kid for pizza and she loves it! Service and staffing has always been good as well. That's as important as the food and specials!
(4)Kelley T.
We love Lo Cascio's! Service and food is always great (we prefer to it in the bar). You can't beat $4 spaghetti on Sunday. My personal favorite is the spaghetti win pink sauce...., its to die for. It's a great family owned place and much better than any chain restaurant in town.
(5)Ivy t.
We started with the bruschetta and order the ravioli with spinach and red sauce. The veal was a little bland and the spinach egg drop soup was ok. but it was yummy. Service was greatl. Super helpful with suggestions.
(3)Jessica R.
Dining at Lo Cascio was a horrid experience. To the restaurant's credit, the staff was pleasant and friendly. That's all I can say that was positive about my evening. The food wasn't even mediocre in quality. The salads were nothing more than a large plate of romaine lettuce leaves with one tomato wedge and two black olives. The pasta had a disproportionately small amount of sauce to go with the huge plate of overcooked spaghetti noodles. The marinara sauce itself was very generic, the only reason it had any flavor at all was due to the overabundance of garlic they packed into it. The two meatballs in my spaghetti and meatballs came on a separate plate, covered in what seemed like canned tomato paste. If you don't mind generic tasting Italian food this place would be fine, except they don't charge generic prices. At around fifteen dollars a plate, I would hope for a little more quality in the food that is served. Then there's the issue of the restaurant's ambiance. My boyfriend and I dined in the bar so we could watch college football. There was one patron at the bar who farted, gargled his alcohol like it was mouthwash, and made loud, repugnant, comments like "this shot tastes like vomit." I understand that's not necessarily the restaurant's fault and in a bar people tend to be a little more rowdy. However, the bar was serving the full dinner menu and this repulsive behavior happened right in front of the bartender who said or did nothing as disgusted patrons tried to eat dinner. I'm sure you can imagine how hard it would be to eat within the proximity of a man who was passing gas incessantly. As a full time student who also works full time, I don't get a lot of evenings out. I believe you dine out for a good meal as well as a fun experience. Lo Cascio failed miserably at both of those things. The check was around fifty dollars and for that I left feeling grossed-out, frustrated and ripped off. I will never risk one of my evenings out at Lo Cascio again.
(1)Tami G.
$4 spaghetti in the bar every Sunday is awesome. It's hard to find good spaghetti anywhere unless it's in your, or a family member's kitchen. However, for $4, my husband and I found ourselves here almost every Sunday when we lived right down the road. Plus, the bread that is served with the spaghetti is AMAZING. We now live in Casa Grande, but whenever we find ourselves in Tempe/Scottsdale on a Sunday, we always stop and eat. The bartender (the only one I've ever seen in the bar) is an awesome guy who doesn't play favorites and gets you your food and drinks as quickly as possible. I've only eaten in the restaurant area once, but I remember it being more upscale, very dimly lit and very quiet compared to the bar. Although I don't even remember what I had, I recall not leaving unsatisfied so I'd denitely dine there again. This place is definitely worth a visit to decide for yourself!
(5)Holly R.
A hidden gem in south Scottsdale, Lo Cascio serves up some of the yummiest Italian food around. Their bread is always fresh and their sauces are delicious. They have some of the best fettucini alfredo I've ever had. And the portions are very large, I always have leftovers. Their caesar salad is really good but they can go a little heavy on the dressing in my opinion. If you like it light, let them know. Lo Cascio also has really good dessert, some they do seasonally. And you can't beat Mama Cascio wearing her big Martin Scorcese glasses. Love her! Get ready for some heavy duty and delicious Italian food if you go here.
(5)Kirstin E.
I am completely blown away by all the less then 4 star reviews! I have been going to Lo Cascio's for a good 10-12 years and I have never once had a bad experience here. EVER. Yes the decor is out dated, but really does that effect your eating experience that much? Me thinks not. And I honestly love the "kitschy" music piped through....since when was Sinatra kitschy? The hubs, a friend and I all went this past Saturday night. We got there about 7:30 and the parking lot was PACKED! When we got inside we were asked if we had reservations, we told them no and they sid it would be a few minutes. No big deal. We waited maybe 5 minutes. Our waitress was sooo friendly and helpful. We all had questions and were going back and forth on what to get. The fresh bread loafs are always a favorite. The soups always change and are terrific. For starters we got the Mozzarella Marinara and the Calamari Fritto. The mozzarella is a MUST! Seriously it will change the way you view fried mozzarella for the rest of your life. I promise. I ordered the Gnocchi with pink sauce. OH MY! The gnocchi is made fresh in house and you can tell! Little pillows of heaven! The pink sauce was top notch. Hubs had the veal, and ate every last bit. He said it was amazing. I would not know as I passed on trying it. Our friend got the Fantasy Chicken (I think that was the name) It was sooo light and totally outstanding! We also all got cannolis and coffees at the end, great way to cap off a tasty meal. So for 3 meals, 2 apps, 3 desserts, 3 coffees and I think 5 glasses of wine hit the table our total bill was only $168. I honestly thought it was going to be well above $200 the way we got down on that dinner. This is one of my all time fav italian places to hit up. And love supporting mom and pop places.
(5)Angela S.
Took my nephew here two weeks ago and it is now his favorite restaurant... Two weeks later he is STILL talking about it! Even at 11 he is somewhat of a meatball connoisseur and he very readily will tell you that Lo Cascio has the best! Best red sauce in town... HANDS DOWN! Definitely a place to splurge the extra calories! We were in early and ordered off of the "early bird" menu... lower prices, closer to lunch size portions... but honestly... still SO much food that I still took half my chicken parm home! Service was absolutely flawless... so very polite and attentive. Not overbearing like some servers can be! Will definitely be going back!
(5)Erin C.
Love this place. I've eaten in the restaurant up front once, but I usually eat and drink in the bar in the back. The bar in the back has really great happy hour and daily specials ($3 glasses of wine all day every day! Can't beat that). The food is delicious, homemade, and never disappointing. The service is exceptional. I highly recommend.
(5)Ted K.
I love love love love love this place. Completely smitten. I have been here 4 or 5 times in the last month. I'm going back again. Soon! You can either sit in the main restaurant which has a classy old world feel to it or you can sit in the back bar which is separate. The price is a bit cheaper in the back bar but the portions are a little smaller I think. My Dad was in town from NJ. I took him here to the main restaurant. He had a Veal Parm plate. Now my first reasons for love is the marinara sauce. A bit sweet but so so so good. He felt the Veal was one of the best he had and cooked perfectly and he has it all the time back on the shore so that says something. Apparently the owners are originally from Italy and the family home makes from scratch, all the pasta and sauce etc. It is so apparent. In the ba,r the bar keep are really cool people, and act like friends just hanging out cooking for you and looking to help you get drunk if that is your thing.. But here is the #1 reason for my love: The Linguini with Clam sauce. White or Red. Some of the best I ever had. My mom used to make this at home and I have rediscovered it. It was missing from my life and I forgot about it. Now we have reconnected and I am much happier. Red or White this is the best dish I have had in a LONG time. Simply outstanding. Its a love thats gonna last...
(5)Maitrayee B.
My boyfriend and I went to this restaurant for Valentine's day. We had reservations, and were made to sit in a not-so-private table (thats why the four stars). The bread (some kind of white bread with sesame seed crust) was warm, fresh and tasty. The spinach soup with egg white and chicken broth was comfort food, and tasty. We had the Chianti on their menu, which went very well with the Veal Marsala. The marsala was very very well done--kudos to them, and the portion size was just right. I forget what the name of the dish (veal dish) that my boyfriend had but that was also amazing. We finished our dinner with a chocolate torte with pear and connoli--yumm!! The two of us are very impressed with the food and we will almost certainly go back soon.
(4)Chris K.
People keep suggesting this as a great Italian place, and we keep going, only to talk about our disappointment later. The decor is typical small-Italian place: fairly kitschy scenery, with the wait-staff in ties and cummerbunds, which is a bit odd as it isn't a fancy place by any means. We've been there 3 times now, and every time there is an older lady with a cane (she seems to be the manager or owner) hovering around. Never has she approached us, and seems to just concentrate on harrassing the staff. Our waitress this last time rudely interrupted our conversation every single time she came to the table. The salads are ok, nothing special here. The bread is quite good (and plentiful - small whole loaves instead of pieces). The food is mediocre: I've tried the pasta (spaghetti & meatballs), Italian favorites (lasagna), and the "specials" (it was so unspecial I don't even remember what it was). My wife had the gnocchi this time, which was a bit tough. They wanted to charge $3 to do half pesto and half alfredo sauce for her gnocchi, regardless of the fact that the pesto sauce was $2 MORE than the alfredo on the menu! In fact, thats pretty much the best description: the food is bland and overpriced. Their red sauce seems unseasoned and the meat sauce had little meat in it. I just see no reason to ever go back, unless it's a friends choice, and then I'd do my best to talk them into a great Italian, like Il Posto.
(2)Amber E.
I'm so surprised that this place has good reviews (the negative ones I expected). My fiancé and I ate here a couple years ago, but it was so bad, I want to do a public service and warn others. #1) So overpriced. 2) The food was mushy and tasteless, like bad nursing home food. 3) it's sad when the bread is the best part of your meal. 4) The "salads" we got were pretty much just a hunk of iceberg with a couple onions on it. 5) My fiancé will eat anything, and I mean anything, and when the waitress asked how the food was, all he could muster was an 'eh' , yes it was too bad for words. I'm not a fan of The Olive Garden but I would eat there ten times over if I had to pick between there or this place. Save your money, and eat something truly delicious such as North, Chelsea's Kitchen, Los Sombreros...heck, anywhere but here. I tried to give this place zero stars, but it would not let me.
(1)Andrew V.
I'm surprised to read some of the other reviews here... I'm from New York and know good Italian when I eat it. This place IS good Italian. The Veal Parm and garlic bread both stood out, and I loved the sauce... something I don't often find myself saying. The pasta fagioli was also quite delicious. Of course, I think the home made tiramisu was probably my favorite, though I'm a sucker for sweets. Good service, good authentic atmosphere, and a few tacky signs and menu reminders give off the charm you'd expect of a great, neighborhood Italian place. All in all, we left around $50 with an appetizer, two entrees, and dessert. And we felt like we got the "great" birthday dinner we were in search of.
(5)Nicholas B.
My girlfriend and I went to have some drinks at the bar. We ordered pizza and had an amazing time. Bartender was super friendly and we are definitely going there again. Loved the neighborhood bar feel.
(4)Sarah L.
I agree with Johnny S. - I too am surprised that this place isn't busier. However the food is well balanced, fresh and authentic. Their minestrone is the best I've had. I love fried zucchini and while I wouldn't typically order it at most Italian places, we did here and it was FRESH! Not the thin/frozen pieces you find at other places. I also love that they have Birra Morreti, you find Peroni at a lot of places but not Morreti. I've had a few different entrees and both have been fantastic. Cannelloni was my most recent and they ground the meat fresh and made the white sauce to order...you can tell by the flavor. I will frequent more often now that I just found out about their 4-6PM extended lunch pricing!
(4)Cher T.
I REALLY don't know how to rate this place... I'm giving it two stars because I seriously HAVE experienced better. Let me explain. My friend and I, after wandering around for nearly an hour searching for somewhere to eat, our quest ended (or atleast we THOUGHT it was going to end) at Lo Cascio's. We entered a very quaint and fancier than it really ought to be little italian place. There was a young couple, a middle aged couple and a three top already enjoying their meals. We sat down and tried to figure out what to order. The service was so-so. Nothing great. but we ordered anyway, I ordered the gnocci with tomato sauce and sausage. My friend ordered the speghetti and meatballs. We had different soups before our meal and were served the soups along with our teas. My bean and pasta soup... was not good. It was seriously a bowl of pinto beans with some pasta in it. No spices, no veggies... nothing but pinto beans and baby macaroni. wtf?? My friend's minastrone (yeah I know it's mispelled!) wasn't that great eaither. No complaints, but no rave reviews eaither. We had hoped the entrees were going to be better when... "What the HELL do you mean you won't serve me another drink?!?!" A shout from the middle aged man who sat with (I'm assuming was his date) a small petite blonde woman. The server tried her best to get the man to settle down, the more she tried to calm him down - the angrier the bastard got. He got to the point where he was yelling and screaming at her and even stood up and got in her face. the male busser who served us our teas, watched while hiding behind a drink station along with one of the cooks. Another male. We watched in sympathy as the poor waitress was being bullied by this guy... it took EVERYTHING for me NOT to get up and kick this guy's ass! "Remember where you are!! This is scottsdale! If the cops show up, they're gonna throw us BOTH in!! and let his ass go free!!" was the words I needed to hear... seriously. I wish Scottsdale Police would quit being so racist. Finally when he had his face in hers, I said fuck it. "WHERE IS YOUR MANAGER?!" I asked to the entire room. The busser came and he said that the three-top next to us were the OWNERS!! An elderly woman and her husband and brother... owned the damned resturant and were now staring into their soups and drinks trying to pretend the entire thing wasn't happening. No body was going to defend this poor girl. I started to get up, fuck it TAKE ME TO JAIL! Yes... I really do get that hood. I'm sorry - I'm not your average yelper... I have and will probably cut a bitch (again). and FINALLY the elderly woman, with her neckbrace and casted arm (seriously! I'm not lying) got up and tried her best to calm the man down. I was appaulled. I never seen such an outburst like that since... the LAST time I ate in Scottsdale! (haha! I just realized that!) But even then, the manager intercepted right away and took care of the rowdy customer... in this case, I really think the owners would have let this guy get violent with her. I know violent men and I know how they work... and this guy was on the edge. we called the busser aside and asked for our check for the food that we were served and not the food we ordered. They gave it to us along with a coupon for 20% our next visit. I vowed to give this place another try. Seriously, it wasn't their fault. No one WANTED this guy to become a jerk. He chose that and sometimes it's not right to fault a restuant on the behaviors of its customers. and that guy was loaded! and obviously had one too many, the waitress was just doing her job. but it was NOT okay for the owners to let her get abused like that... EVER! I have even seen executive chefs come out of the kitchen and calmed customers down (ANOTHER time I dined in Scottsdale! haha!! errrm... I'm noticing a theme!) but I never seen a bunch of scared ass pussies look the other way like that. so for that, this place loses major stars.
(2)Johnny S.
Whenever I want to take my wife to a romantic Italian restaurant, this is the place. You will typically be greeted by one of the owners of the restaurant and the service is always first class. My wife and I have had some of our most memorable dining experiences at Lo Cascio's. Every time I go, I'm always shocked that Lo Cascio's does not have a line outside with patrons clamoring to get inside for this authentic southern Italian food. I come from a southern Italian family and am extremely picky when it comes to Italian food because, as far as I'm concerned, my grandparents did it best. Lo Cascio's feels like I'm eating at my Italian grandparents house again. The red sauce is clearly prepared fresh and an authentic southern Italian treat to say the least! We come to this place as often as possible and have tried lots of items: My Favorite? The fried mozzarella marinara appetizer. Simply the best dish of its kind. The waitress always replies, "Excellent choice!" Bruschetta appetizer comes with fresh baked bread and is absolutely delicious. Pizza appetizer - Last time we went they had a special extra thin small pizza that was out of this world! The pizzas here are incredible as well! Skip pizza hut or that other crap, and pick it up here for cheaper! Italian Sausage and Peppers - I don't know exactly what they call it, but it's great! The sausage is among the best I've had and the dish was perfectly cooked and tasty! Meatballs - I always get a side and never come away disappointed. Be sure to have the fresh parmesan topping it off! Cheese Manicotta - One of my favorite dishes, the ricotta is out of this world and always cooked perfectly I can go on all day about how great this restaurant is, in fact I signed up to yelp to get more people to check this place out! You will love it!
(5)Anna M.
Went in yesterday for a quick lunch. I have never been here before, the person I was with wanted to try it. We were the only people in the restaurant at 12:00pm. The decor is a bit old school and the music is down right annoying. The server was friendly and brought the water out quickly. The bread is a hogi type bun covered in sesame seeds. Hmm..I cannot decide if I liked it or not. I decided to order a simple spaghetti with meat sauce and I added one sausage. I figured it was a good way to test the quality of an Italian restaurant. They have to make good spaghetti right? Well not exactly. The pasta was cooked correctly, but the sauce had a funky taste. The meat in the meat sauce tasted burnt or extremely over cooked. The sausage was served on a separate plate all alone. It looked a little x-rated. My friend actually laughed out loud at the sight of it. The flavor of the sausage was fantastic. It was defiantly the best part of the meal. This place is OK, but there are other Italian restaurants in the area that I like better.
(2)Brenda B.
I love this place ,have been eating here for years, anything I have tasted from my dinner companions plate ,as well as my own has been very, very good. On my last visit , my I phone slipped between the seat and the wall , didn't realize it until it was too late to go pick it back up. I called up on the next business day , and they pulled the booth from the wall to look for my phone , my hat is off to them for excellent food and honesty.
(4)Kathleen S.
I am with some of the others in not understanding these poor reviews. I am from Rhode Island and Italian food is at our fingertips, and in Arizona, there are few and far between authentic non chain Italian restaurants. I feel that although ambiance is important, I didn't see anything wrong with Lo Cascio's. There were no cheesy paper protectors over a linen table cloth, and there were no paper place mats with several business names, so not sure what the issue was there. And as far as the music....I would be annoyed too if I had to work there every night, but again, it only added to the atmosphere. In my opinion, some of the best Italian food does not come with yuppie atmosphere. For the appetizer we had the fried mozzarella which my husband and I enjoyed very much. The marinara poured over it was on the chunkier side and I loved it because it tasted just like a sauce an old Italian friend of mine made. It was perfect. I had eggplant parmesan for my entree, and it tasted just like NYC Italian. The eggplant didn't have the shit fried out of it, and it had the finest light coating just the way I love my favorite dish. And my husband had veal milanese which was out of this world. It was in a sauce of lemon and wine, mushrooms and artichokes. I also want to mention, we had the most Attentive waitress that I have ever had. Her name is Katie, and she was very sweet always asking us after each course if we needed anything and how everything tasted. We will definitely be back here, we live down the road now in our new home and I am very happy there is a great little Italian restaurant nearby. I am also happy I didn't let the negative reviews scare me.
(4)Randy M.
I came with a friend because I've driven by a couple of times and it looks like a cute place. It's got a quaint "authentic Italian" look to it--the owners actually hail from Sicily. The food is pretty good, too. Nothing to write home about, but good, decent Italian. The one exception? The calamari. Fantastic. Worth the somewhat high price (although you do get pretty large portions). Here's the problem I have with this place, though: it tries too hard. The waiters look like they just rented their tuxes from Al's Formal Wear. The music playing in the background was what you would expect to play in the background of an Italian Restaurant in a bad movie. Think "That's Amore" and "Mambo Italiano." Is there some kind of XM radio station that only plays music for Italian Restaurants? If I worked here I'd want to slit my wrists after listening to that stuff for a couple of days. But again, decent food. If you like the kitsch, the atmosphere is good too. And there's a cute little patio with a great view of the bodega across the street.
(3)Michael B.
Good ambiance and great service. It is hard to find great Italian in the valley. I rank this food as a 7/10.
(4)Ryan C.
Great neighborhood joint. We are addicted to their deep dish pizza. The bar is a friendly place to catch a game or have a cocktail. Limited beer selection on tap, but that is really my only complaint (and, really, that is only in the bar - which is detached from the restaurant). Definitely worth trying!
(4)Shannon F.
My boss and I decided to stop in for lunch and give this place a try....I wish we kept on going down the road....we waiting about 5 minutes before we were finally seated. Our waiter was good at first, brought us hot, fresh bread that was pretty good but when he brought our appetizers of grilled mixed veggies, my boss practically choked on a staple! How the hell does a staple end up in an appetizer??? When we showed him, he argued with us that it wasn't a staple but part of the metal scrub brush his dishwasher uses....like that makes it better!! The little Italian lady at the front acted like she could care less, the waiter continued to argue with us on what the piece of metal REALLY was...I really think these people either have sh*t for brains or just don't care....either way, EAT AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!
(1)Velika L.
Lo Cascio is the cutest little Italian restaurant. My sister and I went for an early dinner before heading to Gammage for a Broadway show. We were just in time for the Early Bird specials (smaller portions at a discounted rate). I ordered the Eggplant Parmigiana and my sis got the Penne Bianche (penne pasta in an alfredo sauce with vegetables). She subbed the Penne for Fettuccine instead. Everything was delicious! The bread was to die for! It was so fresh. The creamy Italian dressing served with the salad was yummy. The waiter was very attentive, friendly and nice. I wish I lived closer to this restaurant!
(5)Ken C.
So mediocre its not even funny. small salad with salty bland dressing. The red sauce tasted like from a can(not even a jar) Then My chicken marsala arrives and im astounded at the small portion. 3 small pounded flat pieces approx 3" squares. They could not have weighed 2 ounces in total It was laughable. I could have put them together in 1 large bite. Any one who likes or raves about this place most likely loved high school cafeteria food and ha d a Mom that rarely cooked
(1)Anne W.
I had heard good things about Lo Cascio, had heard that they were voted "Best Italian restaurant in Scottsdale" and when I walked in and saw the old Italian couple walk out from the kitchen I thought I was in luck! Wrong. The food was WAY over priced, and not that great. Maybe I'm just used to (spoiled by?) MY old Italian grandma's cooking, but what I ate was not all that fantastic. Not "Best in Scottsdale" fantastic. I live in Scottsdale. My Italian cooking is better. We ordered from the "smaller portions" menu, and while it WAS a perfect sized portion, it was not worth what we paid for it. Also, they put sesame seeds on their bread. Sesame seeds in an Italian restaurant?? Why? Italian bread (GOOD Italian bread) is delicious without adding anything. Their bread had a soft crust (again, covered in sesame seeds for some reason) and the inside was on the mushy side. Not the hard crusted, spongy Italian bread to which I've always been accustomed. One thing I did like about this restaurant was that instead of serving you a side of pasta with your entree, you have the option to sub it with fried zucchini, which I did, and it was pretty good. Although it's hard to screw something up when you bread it and fry it. Bottom line, we won't be visiting here again.
(2)Michelle A.
This is authentic Italian food and it is good. The owner is older but friendly woman and her husband is the head chef of the place. Pasta is made fresh daily and everything is good quality........need I say more? My favorites here are the spaghetti and meatballs, Chicken Picatta , and the Chicken Parmesan. The early bird menu is nice if you go and eat before 5:00 p.m. the portions are just slightly smaller and about $4-6 dollars cheaper. I would not recommend this place for New Year's dinner since it is a special menu they make up and one dish costs $50! I went a few years ago and ended up walking out after I was seated. I was not paying $50 for a piece of lasagna and a salad. No way! other than that this place is a hit for good Italian.
(4)Georgia R.
Lo Cascio's has been around fo-eva. I used to eat here all the time when I was in college (but only when my parents came to visit me- the rest of the time I was too po') and whenever I'm in the area now I still do. It's owned and operated by the cutest Italian family from Sicily. I love Italian restaurants that are truly run by Italians, it just makes the food taste better. Could be all in my mind. Who knows. The interior of the restaurant is cute, and it's a very casual place that works well for everyone...Families with little children, couples, friends and the list goes on. I love their ravioli, cannelloni and gnocchi. If you go early though, you'll get their tasty food for much less. You have to eat between 4 and 6 though to get the discounted prices. Otherwise your entree will cost you anywhere from $10 and up.
(4)Mark W.
I wasn't sure whether I should write this review because I have a healthy fear of being whacked. Three co-workers and I sidled in one day and our first impression was that we were eating at a front for the mob. We felt less than welcome when we entered and none of the people by the cash register cared to acknowledge us. Begrudgingly, we were given a table. The furniture was something out of an old folk's home. Everyone squeaked into their seats. We weren't sure whether we belonged, and then we noticed that the only other patrons were old folks. My friend ordered pasta and paid extra for meatballs, actually, for one whole meatball. What I ordered was very forgettable. It took a while, but we finally got our food, which seemed odd as it was quite plain and entirely unremarkable. We split the bill with one person paying cash and the rest using credit cards. It took over ten minutes to get our cards back with receipts, which was odd as we were the only people left in the place. The waitress admonished us for making her life difficult. I pointed out that my card had my picture on it, and was told that was part of the problem. Immediately, upon returning to the office, we all checked our bank accounts. We were all charged for our meals except for one of my co-workers who was charged for all four meals, even the one who paid cash..
(1)Tim B.
Love this place! The food is fantastic.
(5)Rhonda J.
Lo Cascio is a nice little Italian restaurant within walking distance of my home. If it was not so close I probably would have never noticed it. I go for the "Early Bird" dinners between 4-6 when you can get smaller portions for great prices. Everything I have had so far has been good and the staff is very friendly.
(4)Ericka S.
This place was directly across from the hotel we were staying at and we got a 10% discount for being hotel guests, so we figured we'd give it a go. The service was excellent, the food was tasty, and it was inexpensive. I'd definitely eat here again if I was in the areal
(4)