For years I would sit over at the Kangaroo and order pizza or a sandwich from Fav's but never wrote a review. Figured I could only do that after actually sitting in the place and eating a meal there. Which I finally did last night. All due to it raining and not wanting to mess with carrying dinner over to the kangaroo! First thing I noticed, is the wine is very reasonably priced. Bottles for $14 to $18? Love it! Tried the Zin, very jammy, decent but not the best zin I ever had. But getting a drinkable bottle of wine at a restaurant now a days for less than $25-$50 in unheard of! We got the special of baked ravioli and the baked Baked Tortellini RoseMarie. These both come with some great bread and a basic salad. I want to know where the bread is coming from, it was great. As was the dipping oil. The dinners were good, nicely done and lots of good baked cheesey goodness. Not overdone. Things are pretty basic here, but on a rainy night with some decent wine that fit the bill perfectly. Regarding the past takeout things I never reviewed, I like the white pizza and the Stromboli. Both are well worth getting. Serve was friendly if a little crazy, but we got what we ordered. Only minor quip is we never knew how much the special was price wise. Love the little outside seating, especially when it is nice out. Fava's, the long time survivor of main street, they've been there forever, longer than I've lived here, so give it a try if it has been a while.
(4)
David S.
Fantastic ! You would never know it's as good as it is . The food is EXCELLENT !!! We had the lasagna . I will say it was probably the best restaurant lasagna l have ever had. No kidding.......... The service was excellent and our dinner came in a timely manner. This is a must try
(5)
Roger N.
This is a small place in downtown Bradenton with a handful of tables inside and outside. It is family owned and there are many homemade dishes on the menu. I've been here 4 or 5 times and every time was a good experience. The staff is friendly and the food is phenomenal, especially for the money. This particular visit, I had the homemade manicotti. It was 10 out of 10 good. Try it, you won't be sorry.
(5)
Sara S.
Cute, casual, little Italian place downtown Bradenton with outdoor seating, good food and nice staff. What I like about the place is that they don't complicate the meals and it's priced right ($5-$14). The menu items are simple, not overly fancy, and taste right. They serve pizza, pasta, stromboli, cold and hot subs, etc. They make some delicious bread too. We've had pasta there and a deep dish pizza. Don't expect your traditional deep dish pizza (Chicago style). It should be called a deep bowl pizza. It's good though.
(4)
Jeff P.
Wonderful service, great food! Think.. High class pizza joint with a street bistro feel. Highly recommend for the business traveler staying in the area.
(5)
Abdel O.
Delighted to have discovered this place whilst visiting South Florida Museum. The Steak and Cheese was excellent. My little one had a 9" thick crust pizza with slices of tomatoes instead of the regular sauce. Delicious and big enough that we had a bite or two. Great location, good food and excellent service.
(5)
Kelli L.
This is a very small restaurant. Service was very slow for us with infrequent and we were only one of 4 tables at the time. We shared a pizza and a strombili. Both were good but the strombili was definitely the best! Very good! Prices are maybe a little high but I would say probably average for this type of Italian bistro.
(3)
Anthony G.
Fav is now a fav of ours. This evening my wife and I along with two of our best friends went to Fav for the first time. The staff immediately greeted us as though we were nightly regulars. The chicken wrapped in prosciutto was delicious as well as the side of pasta. A more then acceptable wine list is available starting at 14.00 a bottle. The dipping oil and bread is so good you definitely ask for another basket. My wife is a pundit of pizza and a great baker so she knows her stuff. She ranked the Fav pizza one of the top two in the area. The atmosphere is warm and acoustically structured to allow easy conversation. Our server Ken is someone you feel you have known all your life within 5 mins. He was attentive and informative while having just the appropriate amount of table side interaction. We recommend Fav
(4)
Alexandra S.
Their wraps are delicious! I can't wait to try their subs cause I hear the bread is amazzzzing.
(4)
A P.
Have visited many times since that one night and it has been consistantly delicious everytime!
(4)
Lauryn L.
This place is great! Maria and Mike are very warm and welcoming. The food here is always excellent, my personal favorite is their steak and cheese which comes in two sizes and is to die for. The bread they make in house is some of the most delicious and their pastas are always exceptional.
(5)
Frank R.
Great place for anything that's Italian , but have best philly cheese steak sandwiches and meatball Parma sandwiches and oh yes pizza both Chi cargo and traditional
(4)
Jennifer M.
Dude, the wine only comes in bottles! But not to worry: If you can't finish it (that wasn't a problem for us), they'll cork and bag it for you to take home--or to your next destination! ;-) For wine, especially imported wine, the prices were quite reasonable. As to the food, it was delish! We ordered bruchetta, and a pizza margharita and the linguini with marinara sauce to enjoy with our wine, which was an Italian negroamaro--a fruity wine in the style of a pinot noir. The perfect way to spend a summer night dining on a patio! In hindsight, I think we closed them down and made the staff stay longer, but no one said anything or made us feel rushed.
(5)
LA A.
Great little place! Very reasonable prices, always friendly and efficient service. They actually do most of their pasta homemade which is rare these days. The $14 bottles of wine are icing on the cake. So far we've done sandwiches for lunch and 2 pasta dishes for dinner that have been very very good. The dinners come with homemade bread and salads which makes them very well priced. As you can tell we're a big fan. The old building adds a cool atmosphere.
(4)
Amy T.
This is only our 2nd time here; the 1st time we thought it was fabulous. This time we weren't as impressed. The place is adorable, the staff is very friendly, and the prices are excellent. Maybe it was me, but the sauce tasted too acidic and not flavorful. The Stromboli was ok. We will go back because it may have just been an off day or maybe it was us. Just not as fab as the first time.
(3)
Susan D.
There are two types of good Italian restaurants; the fine dining fancy trattoria (sp?) and the nuthin' fancy neighborhood good eatin' type of place. Fav's definitely falls into the latter. And this was just fine for me and my husband Rick as we stopped in after the Pirates/Twins game. We started off our meal with a little goat cheese bruschetta antipasti. Now I've had goat cheese before, but never as a bruschetta. Suffice to say this was a great introduction. And as for my main course I went for the sausage and peppers over fettuccine. Mmmm! Rick went for the three cheese manicotti, which he totally praised. And because there's always room for dessert, I went for the tiramsu soaked in espresso. I mean dessert fills those cracks and gaps between bits of digesting food in my tummy. Fav's is a friendly little place with great inexpensive food. You owe it to yourself to stop in and try it.
(4)
Kathy D.
I'm not sure why or how others could have rated this place as the best Italian food ever...it is far from that. The sauce was canned, the roasted red peppers from a jar, the sausage was tasty but cold. I would say its passable at best.
(2)
Chris T.
First time here. What a great little spot. The food was amazing. Its a family run establishment. We were a party of 4. We ordered pizza, spaghetti, lasagna and I had the special pork chop with gnocchi. All of it was excellent. The bread before our meal came with an amazing oil and herb mixture. We will definitely be back.
(5)
Mike F.
TO: Jim M. - Gainesville, FL - FAV's is a fast paced place and you are the exception to the rule on service. It;s loud in there. They are all busy preparing food. If you would have noticed they have 3-4 people all busy making food the entire time, 1 waitress and someone covering the register/cooking. As I say to many people, why did you not speak up and tell someone there about your experience?? They always take care of their customers. The Food is GREAT! Love the personal deep dish pizza - try it my way w/Pepperoni and Feta Chese! YUM!
(5)
Laura C.
This tiny little restaurant tucked in discretely on Main Street in Bradenton is one of the best finds in town. We have eaten here many times and have never had anything we can complain about! The specials are definitely just that...special. This is where the chef gets to practice his fancy restaurant talent by making goat cheese and spinach ravioli or homemade gnochi with sundried tomato sauce. Everything is homemade. The bread basket with dipping oil? Both homemade. The pizza crust, homemade. My favorite is the Bradenton Deep Dish personal pizza. Not what you'd expect with a deep dish, but excellent in its own design. The worst part is the limited seating. There are 7 or so tables inside, with and additional 5 or so out in the "hall" and 4 large tables out on their covered patio. They fill up fast at mealtime, so get there early or plan on waiting. Parking is on the road, and with more small restaurants opening up on Main Street now, it's harder to find a spot close, but there is plenty of parking within walking distance. Love this place and thinking we really should eat here more often. Thankfully it doesn't look like they're struggling to stay open, so we expect they'll be here whenever we find a parking spot close enough for this handicapper to walk there.
(5)
Annah J.
This is one of my favorite places to eat while downtown. They have fantastic stromboli's (it's usually what I get everytime I go there because it's so good!)! It's a small place but they have seating outside in front and on the side. The service is always good, even when it's a pack night.
(4)
Jim F.
We always get good food and great service. Nice location downtown.
(4)
Jackie P.
Favs is a great family owned place with really good food and service. Prices are great too. They will always change menu items to your request which is nice. Never had a bad experience.
(4)
Brian S.
I shall return when in the area again. One of the smallest Italian restaurants I've tried, with about a dozen tables (half being pleasantly al fresco). Meals are made to order, so you should not be in a rush. Service is friendly and attentive, and the meals are tasty. The garlic bread smelled great but we didn't try it. The lunch menu (at this writing) consists mostly of PIZZA, SALADS, STROMBOLI, and SUBS (hot or cold); priced from $4 to $14. So you can expect lunch for 2 to cost about $20-$30 with drinks. See - favsitaliancucina.com A small, moderately priced, dinner selection is offered after 5. As if this date, the County health inspection shows better than average cleanliness. Closed Sundays
(4)
Eric G.
One word: Stromboli! nuff said.
(4)
stephanie H.
AMAZING steak sandwhich. Great pizza. Wonderful service. Super affordable
(5)
Jason F.
First off, sorry to hear of prev post Jim who was ignored, the staff was very friendly and accessible although the waitress did get hung up a little too long at a table with waiting plates under the lamps for her to deliver. Aside from that, the food was good, fresh and had an authentic "homemade" taste and presentation to it albeit with too much Garlic. I love Garlic so trust me, the dishes are very heavy with it. Can't speak for the pizza, which I hear is good, but of the three dishes we had, Manicotti, Lasagna & Ravioli's, the prize went to the Manicotti (Cannelloni really or Manigot if you will). Lots of blended italian cheeses buried under a zesty gravy err... tomato sauce, topped with what is most likely mozzarella but tasted like provolone to me, softer and not as salty as a mozzarella should be. Workable italian fare in a fun downtown main street setting.
(3)
Mister C.
Good pizza to go, great value, cool location. Got a solid pepperoni pie, but the white pie was worth recommending.
(4)
Tony L.
Mike and Maria, on site owners and cooks! House made mozz, pasta, bread, dipping oil, the list goes on. Refreshing to have a place where REAL cooking still happens. Thank you Favs!
(5)
Angie S.
I was looking forward to eating here. Here is how it went. It is a cute pizzeria type place. My small party ordered a pizza and a Capreese tower salad. I saw it pictured on Yelp and had to try it. Our server was friendly and promptly took our order. Our pizza pie and my salad had arrived within a few minutes of ordering. The capreese looked lovely. It had homemade layers of mozzarella, tomato and pesto. The bottom of the plate had oil and balsamic...yum I couldn' t wait. As I introduce the first forkful in my mouth, I am surprise by the exaggerated amount of salt in this item. I proceeded to taste each item individually and was saddened to find the mozzarella was OVERLY salted. I informed the server who informed the person behind the counter. They agreed it was too salty. They replaced it with another but again....the salt was wayyyyy too much. I returned it once again and this time just opted to have a slice like everyone else. There was nothing special about the pizza. It was just OK. As we were leaving I noticed the bill was itemized without a total. I did a quick tally in my head and paid in cash. When I receive the change, I noticed I was overcharged. I proceeded to informed the server who spoke with the unfriendly lady behind the counter (lady you need to smile the customers! You smile for the picture on Yelp...hmmmm) The server returned with my correct change and was very apologetic. The server was a very nice woman. This place is lucky to have such a great lady working for them.
(2)
Brett M.
A great little family-run restaurant. The staff is always nice and they have the best Stromboli in town! They will even deliver to the Lost Kangaroo Pub across the street!
(5)
Kathy G.
Absolutely delicious! Friendly staff, amazing chef, very reasonable and scrumptious! Mom had the Shrimp Scampi Appetizer special. Perfect plump, well seasoned,juicey Shrimp! The Manicotti is the best I've ever had! I will be back
(5)
Alex B.
Just ... not good pizza. At all. I work locally to Fav's, so I tried it when I was in the mood for pizza when I moved down here. It was pretty bad, but some coworkers love their stromboli - so I figured I'd give it another try. It took almost a year to forget how bad it was, but I'm forcing pizza down again tonight. Flimsy pizza (and not in the good NY-style way), flavorless - you name what you don't want on a pizza, and you get it here. Can't say anything about the rest of the menu, but stay away from the pizza.
(2)
Agatha M.
Worst food ever, employs were very nice and service was prompt to bad food was not good.
(1)
D J.
I've been teetering between 3 or 4 stars but hopefully I'll go back so I can update my review. I stumbled upon Fav's during lunch hour & decided to try it out because the prices seemed reasonable. Well, this little Italian treasure is very intimate, in a not so fancy kind of way. They have a few tables inside, few tables on the patio, & I think there was one or two small tables in the "hallway" of the mall area. I wasn't greeted by anyone when I walked in so I asked a guy who was cleaning a table where to sit & he responded "anywhere". But before that as I was minding my business reading the menu I heard a loud scream & someone yelling "Oh my God...are you okay...Oh my God!" Then a guy who was cooking (I'm assuming one of the owners says " What happened, what happened!" I found it odd that he never came from behind the counter. But thankfully the women who was just viscously attacked by their chalkboard left without a scratch. Seriously she was fine! I choose my table & the friendliest waiter came over & took my order. But I truly was disappointed to see an ashtray on very table outside. That's so disgusting & inconsiderate to those who have children or those who don't smoke. Anyway, I had a small salad & a slice of cheese pizza. It was a decent lunch for $6. Stop by if you want a quick bite to eat or like inhaling smoke or smelling like cigs . I want to go back to try other menu items but refuse to be subjected to second hand smoke.
(3)
Tony A.
We drove around hoping to find something to do in Bradenton and stumbled upon this great restaurant. We ordered the goat cheese bruschetta (spl?), pizza and cannoli for dessert. The bruschetta was excellent and the pizza and cannoli were delicious. Our server was great. If we are back in the area again, we will definately stop in. For us really the only reason to go back to the area. Wish we had a place like this in south Florida.
(5)
Andrew M.
Great little restaurant. We ended up here after another restaurant we wanted to go to was closed. They have wonderful homemade bread to start. Had a nice chilled caesor with homemade dressing. We then shared the 12 inch house Stromboli which was incredible. The dough was wonderfully crunchy on the outside and soft and light on the inside. Great prices, excellent service, fantastic food.
(5)
Dawn Marie B.
I work across the street from this restaurant and eat here at least once a week and I love eating here. eating here. They are very popular and busy during the lunch hour, so sometimes service is rushed, but they are always nice and helpful. They allow me to order a steak and cheese with no bread (dietary issues) and put it in a bowl or dish for me with lettuce and it just makes my day.
(5)
Jim M.
What a horrible experience. During my one day in Bradenton,I walked in to this restaurant and was completely ignored. When I asked if I could place a take out order, the young woman behind the counter replied, "What do you want?" I told her and received no response. No one spoke to me while the order was being prepared. When it was finished she rang up the order and asked for payment. No thank you, no have a good day, nothing. The veggie wrap I ordered was nothing special. Iceberg lettuce with a few other things mixed in. I decided to sit at one of their outside tables. Throughout the meal not one employee said a single word to me. The food was barely adequate and the welcome was completely missing. Don't waste your time here, it's bad for the digestion!
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : No Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
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.
Matthew T.
For years I would sit over at the Kangaroo and order pizza or a sandwich from Fav's but never wrote a review. Figured I could only do that after actually sitting in the place and eating a meal there. Which I finally did last night. All due to it raining and not wanting to mess with carrying dinner over to the kangaroo! First thing I noticed, is the wine is very reasonably priced. Bottles for $14 to $18? Love it! Tried the Zin, very jammy, decent but not the best zin I ever had. But getting a drinkable bottle of wine at a restaurant now a days for less than $25-$50 in unheard of! We got the special of baked ravioli and the baked Baked Tortellini RoseMarie. These both come with some great bread and a basic salad. I want to know where the bread is coming from, it was great. As was the dipping oil. The dinners were good, nicely done and lots of good baked cheesey goodness. Not overdone. Things are pretty basic here, but on a rainy night with some decent wine that fit the bill perfectly. Regarding the past takeout things I never reviewed, I like the white pizza and the Stromboli. Both are well worth getting. Serve was friendly if a little crazy, but we got what we ordered. Only minor quip is we never knew how much the special was price wise. Love the little outside seating, especially when it is nice out. Fava's, the long time survivor of main street, they've been there forever, longer than I've lived here, so give it a try if it has been a while.
(4)David S.
Fantastic ! You would never know it's as good as it is . The food is EXCELLENT !!! We had the lasagna . I will say it was probably the best restaurant lasagna l have ever had. No kidding.......... The service was excellent and our dinner came in a timely manner. This is a must try
(5)Roger N.
This is a small place in downtown Bradenton with a handful of tables inside and outside. It is family owned and there are many homemade dishes on the menu. I've been here 4 or 5 times and every time was a good experience. The staff is friendly and the food is phenomenal, especially for the money. This particular visit, I had the homemade manicotti. It was 10 out of 10 good. Try it, you won't be sorry.
(5)Sara S.
Cute, casual, little Italian place downtown Bradenton with outdoor seating, good food and nice staff. What I like about the place is that they don't complicate the meals and it's priced right ($5-$14). The menu items are simple, not overly fancy, and taste right. They serve pizza, pasta, stromboli, cold and hot subs, etc. They make some delicious bread too. We've had pasta there and a deep dish pizza. Don't expect your traditional deep dish pizza (Chicago style). It should be called a deep bowl pizza. It's good though.
(4)Jeff P.
Wonderful service, great food! Think.. High class pizza joint with a street bistro feel. Highly recommend for the business traveler staying in the area.
(5)Abdel O.
Delighted to have discovered this place whilst visiting South Florida Museum. The Steak and Cheese was excellent. My little one had a 9" thick crust pizza with slices of tomatoes instead of the regular sauce. Delicious and big enough that we had a bite or two. Great location, good food and excellent service.
(5)Kelli L.
This is a very small restaurant. Service was very slow for us with infrequent and we were only one of 4 tables at the time. We shared a pizza and a strombili. Both were good but the strombili was definitely the best! Very good! Prices are maybe a little high but I would say probably average for this type of Italian bistro.
(3)Anthony G.
Fav is now a fav of ours. This evening my wife and I along with two of our best friends went to Fav for the first time. The staff immediately greeted us as though we were nightly regulars. The chicken wrapped in prosciutto was delicious as well as the side of pasta. A more then acceptable wine list is available starting at 14.00 a bottle. The dipping oil and bread is so good you definitely ask for another basket. My wife is a pundit of pizza and a great baker so she knows her stuff. She ranked the Fav pizza one of the top two in the area. The atmosphere is warm and acoustically structured to allow easy conversation. Our server Ken is someone you feel you have known all your life within 5 mins. He was attentive and informative while having just the appropriate amount of table side interaction. We recommend Fav
(4)Alexandra S.
Their wraps are delicious! I can't wait to try their subs cause I hear the bread is amazzzzing.
(4)A P.
Have visited many times since that one night and it has been consistantly delicious everytime!
(4)Lauryn L.
This place is great! Maria and Mike are very warm and welcoming. The food here is always excellent, my personal favorite is their steak and cheese which comes in two sizes and is to die for. The bread they make in house is some of the most delicious and their pastas are always exceptional.
(5)Frank R.
Great place for anything that's Italian , but have best philly cheese steak sandwiches and meatball Parma sandwiches and oh yes pizza both Chi cargo and traditional
(4)Jennifer M.
Dude, the wine only comes in bottles! But not to worry: If you can't finish it (that wasn't a problem for us), they'll cork and bag it for you to take home--or to your next destination! ;-) For wine, especially imported wine, the prices were quite reasonable. As to the food, it was delish! We ordered bruchetta, and a pizza margharita and the linguini with marinara sauce to enjoy with our wine, which was an Italian negroamaro--a fruity wine in the style of a pinot noir. The perfect way to spend a summer night dining on a patio! In hindsight, I think we closed them down and made the staff stay longer, but no one said anything or made us feel rushed.
(5)LA A.
Great little place! Very reasonable prices, always friendly and efficient service. They actually do most of their pasta homemade which is rare these days. The $14 bottles of wine are icing on the cake. So far we've done sandwiches for lunch and 2 pasta dishes for dinner that have been very very good. The dinners come with homemade bread and salads which makes them very well priced. As you can tell we're a big fan. The old building adds a cool atmosphere.
(4)Amy T.
This is only our 2nd time here; the 1st time we thought it was fabulous. This time we weren't as impressed. The place is adorable, the staff is very friendly, and the prices are excellent. Maybe it was me, but the sauce tasted too acidic and not flavorful. The Stromboli was ok. We will go back because it may have just been an off day or maybe it was us. Just not as fab as the first time.
(3)Susan D.
There are two types of good Italian restaurants; the fine dining fancy trattoria (sp?) and the nuthin' fancy neighborhood good eatin' type of place. Fav's definitely falls into the latter. And this was just fine for me and my husband Rick as we stopped in after the Pirates/Twins game. We started off our meal with a little goat cheese bruschetta antipasti. Now I've had goat cheese before, but never as a bruschetta. Suffice to say this was a great introduction. And as for my main course I went for the sausage and peppers over fettuccine. Mmmm! Rick went for the three cheese manicotti, which he totally praised. And because there's always room for dessert, I went for the tiramsu soaked in espresso. I mean dessert fills those cracks and gaps between bits of digesting food in my tummy. Fav's is a friendly little place with great inexpensive food. You owe it to yourself to stop in and try it.
(4)Kathy D.
I'm not sure why or how others could have rated this place as the best Italian food ever...it is far from that. The sauce was canned, the roasted red peppers from a jar, the sausage was tasty but cold. I would say its passable at best.
(2)Chris T.
First time here. What a great little spot. The food was amazing. Its a family run establishment. We were a party of 4. We ordered pizza, spaghetti, lasagna and I had the special pork chop with gnocchi. All of it was excellent. The bread before our meal came with an amazing oil and herb mixture. We will definitely be back.
(5)Mike F.
TO: Jim M. - Gainesville, FL - FAV's is a fast paced place and you are the exception to the rule on service. It;s loud in there. They are all busy preparing food. If you would have noticed they have 3-4 people all busy making food the entire time, 1 waitress and someone covering the register/cooking. As I say to many people, why did you not speak up and tell someone there about your experience?? They always take care of their customers. The Food is GREAT! Love the personal deep dish pizza - try it my way w/Pepperoni and Feta Chese! YUM!
(5)Laura C.
This tiny little restaurant tucked in discretely on Main Street in Bradenton is one of the best finds in town. We have eaten here many times and have never had anything we can complain about! The specials are definitely just that...special. This is where the chef gets to practice his fancy restaurant talent by making goat cheese and spinach ravioli or homemade gnochi with sundried tomato sauce. Everything is homemade. The bread basket with dipping oil? Both homemade. The pizza crust, homemade. My favorite is the Bradenton Deep Dish personal pizza. Not what you'd expect with a deep dish, but excellent in its own design. The worst part is the limited seating. There are 7 or so tables inside, with and additional 5 or so out in the "hall" and 4 large tables out on their covered patio. They fill up fast at mealtime, so get there early or plan on waiting. Parking is on the road, and with more small restaurants opening up on Main Street now, it's harder to find a spot close, but there is plenty of parking within walking distance. Love this place and thinking we really should eat here more often. Thankfully it doesn't look like they're struggling to stay open, so we expect they'll be here whenever we find a parking spot close enough for this handicapper to walk there.
(5)Annah J.
This is one of my favorite places to eat while downtown. They have fantastic stromboli's (it's usually what I get everytime I go there because it's so good!)! It's a small place but they have seating outside in front and on the side. The service is always good, even when it's a pack night.
(4)Jim F.
We always get good food and great service. Nice location downtown.
(4)Jackie P.
Favs is a great family owned place with really good food and service. Prices are great too. They will always change menu items to your request which is nice. Never had a bad experience.
(4)Brian S.
I shall return when in the area again. One of the smallest Italian restaurants I've tried, with about a dozen tables (half being pleasantly al fresco). Meals are made to order, so you should not be in a rush. Service is friendly and attentive, and the meals are tasty. The garlic bread smelled great but we didn't try it. The lunch menu (at this writing) consists mostly of PIZZA, SALADS, STROMBOLI, and SUBS (hot or cold); priced from $4 to $14. So you can expect lunch for 2 to cost about $20-$30 with drinks. See - favsitaliancucina.com A small, moderately priced, dinner selection is offered after 5. As if this date, the County health inspection shows better than average cleanliness. Closed Sundays
(4)Eric G.
One word: Stromboli! nuff said.
(4)stephanie H.
AMAZING steak sandwhich. Great pizza. Wonderful service. Super affordable
(5)Jason F.
First off, sorry to hear of prev post Jim who was ignored, the staff was very friendly and accessible although the waitress did get hung up a little too long at a table with waiting plates under the lamps for her to deliver. Aside from that, the food was good, fresh and had an authentic "homemade" taste and presentation to it albeit with too much Garlic. I love Garlic so trust me, the dishes are very heavy with it. Can't speak for the pizza, which I hear is good, but of the three dishes we had, Manicotti, Lasagna & Ravioli's, the prize went to the Manicotti (Cannelloni really or Manigot if you will). Lots of blended italian cheeses buried under a zesty gravy err... tomato sauce, topped with what is most likely mozzarella but tasted like provolone to me, softer and not as salty as a mozzarella should be. Workable italian fare in a fun downtown main street setting.
(3)Mister C.
Good pizza to go, great value, cool location. Got a solid pepperoni pie, but the white pie was worth recommending.
(4)Tony L.
Mike and Maria, on site owners and cooks! House made mozz, pasta, bread, dipping oil, the list goes on. Refreshing to have a place where REAL cooking still happens. Thank you Favs!
(5)Angie S.
I was looking forward to eating here. Here is how it went. It is a cute pizzeria type place. My small party ordered a pizza and a Capreese tower salad. I saw it pictured on Yelp and had to try it. Our server was friendly and promptly took our order. Our pizza pie and my salad had arrived within a few minutes of ordering. The capreese looked lovely. It had homemade layers of mozzarella, tomato and pesto. The bottom of the plate had oil and balsamic...yum I couldn' t wait. As I introduce the first forkful in my mouth, I am surprise by the exaggerated amount of salt in this item. I proceeded to taste each item individually and was saddened to find the mozzarella was OVERLY salted. I informed the server who informed the person behind the counter. They agreed it was too salty. They replaced it with another but again....the salt was wayyyyy too much. I returned it once again and this time just opted to have a slice like everyone else. There was nothing special about the pizza. It was just OK. As we were leaving I noticed the bill was itemized without a total. I did a quick tally in my head and paid in cash. When I receive the change, I noticed I was overcharged. I proceeded to informed the server who spoke with the unfriendly lady behind the counter (lady you need to smile the customers! You smile for the picture on Yelp...hmmmm) The server returned with my correct change and was very apologetic. The server was a very nice woman. This place is lucky to have such a great lady working for them.
(2)Brett M.
A great little family-run restaurant. The staff is always nice and they have the best Stromboli in town! They will even deliver to the Lost Kangaroo Pub across the street!
(5)Kathy G.
Absolutely delicious! Friendly staff, amazing chef, very reasonable and scrumptious! Mom had the Shrimp Scampi Appetizer special. Perfect plump, well seasoned,juicey Shrimp! The Manicotti is the best I've ever had! I will be back
(5)Alex B.
Just ... not good pizza. At all. I work locally to Fav's, so I tried it when I was in the mood for pizza when I moved down here. It was pretty bad, but some coworkers love their stromboli - so I figured I'd give it another try. It took almost a year to forget how bad it was, but I'm forcing pizza down again tonight. Flimsy pizza (and not in the good NY-style way), flavorless - you name what you don't want on a pizza, and you get it here. Can't say anything about the rest of the menu, but stay away from the pizza.
(2)Agatha M.
Worst food ever, employs were very nice and service was prompt to bad food was not good.
(1)D J.
I've been teetering between 3 or 4 stars but hopefully I'll go back so I can update my review. I stumbled upon Fav's during lunch hour & decided to try it out because the prices seemed reasonable. Well, this little Italian treasure is very intimate, in a not so fancy kind of way. They have a few tables inside, few tables on the patio, & I think there was one or two small tables in the "hallway" of the mall area. I wasn't greeted by anyone when I walked in so I asked a guy who was cleaning a table where to sit & he responded "anywhere". But before that as I was minding my business reading the menu I heard a loud scream & someone yelling "Oh my God...are you okay...Oh my God!" Then a guy who was cooking (I'm assuming one of the owners says " What happened, what happened!" I found it odd that he never came from behind the counter. But thankfully the women who was just viscously attacked by their chalkboard left without a scratch. Seriously she was fine! I choose my table & the friendliest waiter came over & took my order. But I truly was disappointed to see an ashtray on very table outside. That's so disgusting & inconsiderate to those who have children or those who don't smoke. Anyway, I had a small salad & a slice of cheese pizza. It was a decent lunch for $6. Stop by if you want a quick bite to eat or like inhaling smoke or smelling like cigs . I want to go back to try other menu items but refuse to be subjected to second hand smoke.
(3)Tony A.
We drove around hoping to find something to do in Bradenton and stumbled upon this great restaurant. We ordered the goat cheese bruschetta (spl?), pizza and cannoli for dessert. The bruschetta was excellent and the pizza and cannoli were delicious. Our server was great. If we are back in the area again, we will definately stop in. For us really the only reason to go back to the area. Wish we had a place like this in south Florida.
(5)Andrew M.
Great little restaurant. We ended up here after another restaurant we wanted to go to was closed. They have wonderful homemade bread to start. Had a nice chilled caesor with homemade dressing. We then shared the 12 inch house Stromboli which was incredible. The dough was wonderfully crunchy on the outside and soft and light on the inside. Great prices, excellent service, fantastic food.
(5)Dawn Marie B.
I work across the street from this restaurant and eat here at least once a week and I love eating here. eating here. They are very popular and busy during the lunch hour, so sometimes service is rushed, but they are always nice and helpful. They allow me to order a steak and cheese with no bread (dietary issues) and put it in a bowl or dish for me with lettuce and it just makes my day.
(5)Jim M.
What a horrible experience. During my one day in Bradenton,I walked in to this restaurant and was completely ignored. When I asked if I could place a take out order, the young woman behind the counter replied, "What do you want?" I told her and received no response. No one spoke to me while the order was being prepared. When it was finished she rang up the order and asked for payment. No thank you, no have a good day, nothing. The veggie wrap I ordered was nothing special. Iceberg lettuce with a few other things mixed in. I decided to sit at one of their outside tables. Throughout the meal not one employee said a single word to me. The food was barely adequate and the welcome was completely missing. Don't waste your time here, it's bad for the digestion!
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