I wish they would bottle they're fra diavolo sauce. The slightly chunky texture let's you know they've used fresh ingredients. Just enough punch from the spice to keep you coming back until the plate it clean. Some of the best spicy marinara I've even had.
(4)
Scott H.
Good place for a date. It's not too loud or packed.
(3)
Dorothy B. R.
Nice intimate restaurant just off Main Street. Very good food and pasteries.
(5)
Donna L.
There are two Balzanos, just so you know One is a Resturaunt and one is To Go Resturaunt is nice but sometimes has a crowd so if the to go has what we want we get that and chow Down the street from one another, just a few feet Their red sauce is delicious because it's sweet Chicken Picatta is scrumptious and filling But you can only get it at the Resturaunt while milling Around here we go very often You should get Old Forge pizza which is just cheese, sauce and onions Also the cookies are a definite hit This is a family Resturaunt you won't forget. Manga!
(4)
Emir L.
Great place to eat. Baked ziti was on point and the staff is nice and attentive. The prices are very fair too. The portions are perfect too.
(5)
Mandy H.
We went up to visit my little Italian food loving brother at Bloomsburg and decided to take him to Balzanos for dinner on a Friday night. The place is pretty big and has a stage set up for live music. For dinner my mom got the stuffed shrimp, my brother had the rigatoni bolganese, and I had the chicken piccata. Now I will preface this by saying that I am a spoiled Philadelphian with not only access to tons of delicious Italian restaurants within a 2 block radius of my house, but I'm also lucky enough to have homemade Italian cooking at my disposal on a regular basis. My brother loved his rigatoni and my mom enjoyed her stuffed shrimp, but I was not love with my chicken piccata. It had a tall pile of mushrooms and was in a lemon-caper sauce making it a cross between chicken Marsala and chicken piccata. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't what I was expecting and I'm really not a fan of mushrooms so that was kind of not what I was looking for. However our server was very sweet and was helpful with explaining where to park for the fair that was going on that weekend and service was quick. Next time I'll have to try something in red sauce and see if that's more to my liking.
(3)
Joyce C.
Under new management. Menu only slightly changed. Quickly seated by a friendly weight staff. Food took forever but both entres were average/good. We would go back. We ordered dessert to go then was told one was compted due to the delay. Cheese cake and cream puff were ok. Ricotta cookie was much better.
(4)
Alanna B.
Balzano's used to be really good, but I was not pleased with my visit this time. The best thing about my meal was the oil and herbs/spices for dipping the fresh bread. Ordered Chicken Marsala - chicken overcooked and the marsala was like drinking chicken broth. Marsala sauce is suppose to have a consistentcy of gravy or at least something thicker than chicken broth. Orderd Gnocchi with Mr. B's sauce. The Gnocchi was NOT authentic. It was not potato based. It literally was pasta dough cut into tiny square - that is a dumpling. Authentic gnocci is heavier made with potato as well. Mr. B's sauce had too much sugar in it. Where's the garlic? Ordered meatballs and my non-authentic Italian mother could have made better meatballs. Again, where's the garlic? the flavor? I should have went to Rose Marie's - which was booked solid that evening -- even at 4:30pm. I would only order Pizza or Stromboli from here. Not my entrees.
(2)
Peter A.
The staff was helpful and friendly. The food was tasty and normal portions (so many places nowadays gives oversized portions). My stromboli had uncooked parts, but they were quick to apologize and try to make it right. I would definitely return.
(4)
Jessica B.
Ate here today with my boyfriend for lunch and was very happy with my meal. I had a chicken Cesar salad - was okay with the price once I saw the serving, massive with a ton of very flavorful chicken. I had the sea food soup with it and my only complaint was it was more of just a shrimp soup. Very good tho regardless. Was disappointed we couldn't have mixed drinks tho because no bartender was present but the drink menu was in sight ...? Ended up getting a glass of wine and my boyfriend was happy to find troges on the beer menu.
(4)
Angela G.
Excellent service, amazing fresh bread. Mr. B's wine is SUPER sweet, though. So unless you like Red Cat, I would opt paying the 3 dollars extra for a house merlot or something. I found the red sauce to be too sweet for my liking, but my date enjoyed it. The meatballs were good, though. The cappelletti soup was more like chicken noodle with cappellettis, not your normal broth with meat pasta. It was decent, but I was hoping for the standard. The alfredo pasta was very good, though - you can tell they use real cheese (Locatelli, even - good job!) and not the jarred stuff that some places use. I'd go here again!
(3)
Gregory K.
This review is for a rehearsal dinner we had the night before my wedding at Rolling Pines. We wanted a vegan meal, and Toni Ann from Balzano's went over something like six iterations of the menu with me, and was very gracious as I kept adjusting and tweaking it to fit our needs. The food ended up being out of this world! Stuffed tomatoes with rice, lentils, and thyme was my personal favorite, but everyone (including the non-vegetarians) were raving. If you're planning an event and trying to find a veg-friendly option, definitely consider Balzano's.
(5)
Michael M.
Feel bad having to write this but I must... I hope the owners take it as constructive criticism... Dropped my daughter off at Bloomsburg Universiy today and my wife and I were hungry so we decided to have dinner before we left town. We used Yelp to find Balzinos which had a number of reviews and 4 stars. The reviews were mainly from locals. Now I understand we are spoiled when it comes to really good Restaurants coming from Philadelphia but this was not a good eating experience in any standard. First when we walked in it had a really nice atmosphere, was clean and the staff was very nice. That is were it ended. I ordered the calamari fritte, Mr B's linguine with his "special sauce" and meatballs and sauteed spinich. My wife ordered the Caprise chicken with balsamic vinegar. First we were served bread with garlic infused olive oil. The olive oil was soaked with jarred minced garlic and was so strong it was pungent. I am a fan of fresh garlic and love it. This was just plain foul. The calamari came out soggy, white and undercooked. In addition the breading had zero spice not even much salt and all I could taste was a strong taste of flour. Then came my linguine with the special red sauce. I was excited to finally taste something decent but as so as I put it in my mouth all I could taste was sugar. It was so strong it buried the red sauce which had not a shread of tomato tang. It was so sweet I could not even eat it. I shared it with my wife to see if I was crazy and she confirmed the overwhelming presence of sugar. Next came the sauteed spinish. As I peered into the dish all I saw were copius amounts of yes minced garlic from a jar. It was soaked in the garlic so much that I could not even seperate the spinach from the garlic. It was literally laced throughout the spinach. My wife's chicken dish was the same being laced with minced garlic from the jar and although she made her way through the chicken she could not eat any of the garlic from a jar laced pasta. This meal was so bad I joined yelp to one let the owners know they must stop in with the perverse amounts of garlic from a jar. Use fresh! Also, what is with so much sugar in the red sauce? it is gross! As well to warn fellow diners...
(1)
Alex C.
I have loved the food here for years but I am never going back. Since the move to the new location the service has been horrible on five different occasions. Tonight was the last straw. I don't mind waiting on a Friday night to sit but they cleared out the lobby of people that arrived after our small party of three. When this was explained to the owner I didn't receive an apology, but instead was told she just got there and was really busy. If your bartender is taking names for seating follow it. Better yet, actually hire a hostess to avoid angry customers.
(1)
ME K.
The new restaurant is very spacious. the Mr. b wine is nice. But there isn't too much that set this place apart from other Italian places in the area.
(3)
Cody R.
Had lunch here not too long ago, and was quite impressed. I got a simple Italian Sub, nothing too fancy, but it was quite tasty. They have a great reputation for their pasta and pastries, and it's well deserved! It's a small establishment, so it makes for a great place for a date, or business lunch. They also cater, and do an awesome job!
(4)
Michael A.
I have never actually eaten in Balzano's, so once I eat there I will update my review. This review is based on their Thursday-Saturday late night delivery menu from 10:00pm-1:00am. I should not be eating late at night, but I am glad to know Balzano's is an option for 3 nights of the week. I would say it is far more superior than your average delivery options in Bloomsburg. I decided to give it a try when one of their late-night delivery menus appeared in my mail box. I asked my roommates what they knew about the restaurant and they said it is the best Italian in Bloomsburg. Being so Italian that I bleed Marinara, I decided to give it a try and see if they were right. My first Bloomsburg pizza experience was at another near by restaurant, and it was good, but not up to my standards. Last night I logged on to Campusfood.com and decided I wanted to try Balzano's Pizza. I ordered a large Pizza with Pepperoni. The promised time was 45 minutes and it came in exactly 45 minutes. The driver was also friendly. I opened the box and was amazed by the amount of pepperoni on it. The other local pizza place I had previously ordered from had pretty sporadic pepperoni, this pizza was covered. I have also had the pleasure of having their Chicken Cheese Steak, which was delicious. I will order again and again.
(5)
Crystal D.
Reservations for 6pm. Seated at 6:45. Wouldn't do separate checks. Had to go to bar for drinks because waitress never took drink orders. Stuffed shrimp was delicious. Pasta was cold. I thought Mr. B's sauce was too sugary. Not impressed with the service. No apologies...was told they were "doing the best they can".
(1)
Kevin R.
Balzano's is a very small Italian restaurant. On weekends when college is in session, it can get kind of busy. The tables are on top of each other so don't expect to have a private conversation. The service is top notch and so is the food. Mr. B's Sauce is the best red sauce that I've ever had. I am a big fan of the veal parmesan with penne and Mr. B's sauce. And the serving is huge. They also serve pizza too. And just like everything else, it is great. This is by far the best restaurant in Bloomsburg.
(5)
Jonathan K.
Outstanding as always. This was our first trip to the new restaurant and it didn't disappoint. Plenty of elbow room in the new place. There seems to be a large staff, which makes for some good individual attention, and all of the staff seemed extremely friendly as well as knowledgable. A request to order a plate with a personal twist was not a problem to them. My order came out quickly and was incredible. The serving size was generous and absolutely delicious. The salad with House dressing was great, as was the complimentary fresh baked bread. This restaurant really is wonderful, excellent food brought to you by wonderful staff. Moving to a bigger location didn't take any of the attention you received at their old quaint location, it actually enhanced things.
(5)
Ariel Y.
Delicious spinach and artichoke dip! I am a huge fan of sweet wines so Mr. B's wine was perfect for me and comes at an affordable price of $3. Service was a little slow is my complaint. We had to track the waiter down to get refills for our wine but the waiter was very friendly.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Average Good For Dancing : Yes Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes 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.
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.
Katie M.
I wish they would bottle they're fra diavolo sauce. The slightly chunky texture let's you know they've used fresh ingredients. Just enough punch from the spice to keep you coming back until the plate it clean. Some of the best spicy marinara I've even had.
(4)Scott H.
Good place for a date. It's not too loud or packed.
(3)Dorothy B. R.
Nice intimate restaurant just off Main Street. Very good food and pasteries.
(5)Donna L.
There are two Balzanos, just so you know One is a Resturaunt and one is To Go Resturaunt is nice but sometimes has a crowd so if the to go has what we want we get that and chow Down the street from one another, just a few feet Their red sauce is delicious because it's sweet Chicken Picatta is scrumptious and filling But you can only get it at the Resturaunt while milling Around here we go very often You should get Old Forge pizza which is just cheese, sauce and onions Also the cookies are a definite hit This is a family Resturaunt you won't forget. Manga!
(4)Emir L.
Great place to eat. Baked ziti was on point and the staff is nice and attentive. The prices are very fair too. The portions are perfect too.
(5)Mandy H.
We went up to visit my little Italian food loving brother at Bloomsburg and decided to take him to Balzanos for dinner on a Friday night. The place is pretty big and has a stage set up for live music. For dinner my mom got the stuffed shrimp, my brother had the rigatoni bolganese, and I had the chicken piccata. Now I will preface this by saying that I am a spoiled Philadelphian with not only access to tons of delicious Italian restaurants within a 2 block radius of my house, but I'm also lucky enough to have homemade Italian cooking at my disposal on a regular basis. My brother loved his rigatoni and my mom enjoyed her stuffed shrimp, but I was not love with my chicken piccata. It had a tall pile of mushrooms and was in a lemon-caper sauce making it a cross between chicken Marsala and chicken piccata. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't what I was expecting and I'm really not a fan of mushrooms so that was kind of not what I was looking for. However our server was very sweet and was helpful with explaining where to park for the fair that was going on that weekend and service was quick. Next time I'll have to try something in red sauce and see if that's more to my liking.
(3)Joyce C.
Under new management. Menu only slightly changed. Quickly seated by a friendly weight staff. Food took forever but both entres were average/good. We would go back. We ordered dessert to go then was told one was compted due to the delay. Cheese cake and cream puff were ok. Ricotta cookie was much better.
(4)Alanna B.
Balzano's used to be really good, but I was not pleased with my visit this time. The best thing about my meal was the oil and herbs/spices for dipping the fresh bread. Ordered Chicken Marsala - chicken overcooked and the marsala was like drinking chicken broth. Marsala sauce is suppose to have a consistentcy of gravy or at least something thicker than chicken broth. Orderd Gnocchi with Mr. B's sauce. The Gnocchi was NOT authentic. It was not potato based. It literally was pasta dough cut into tiny square - that is a dumpling. Authentic gnocci is heavier made with potato as well. Mr. B's sauce had too much sugar in it. Where's the garlic? Ordered meatballs and my non-authentic Italian mother could have made better meatballs. Again, where's the garlic? the flavor? I should have went to Rose Marie's - which was booked solid that evening -- even at 4:30pm. I would only order Pizza or Stromboli from here. Not my entrees.
(2)Peter A.
The staff was helpful and friendly. The food was tasty and normal portions (so many places nowadays gives oversized portions). My stromboli had uncooked parts, but they were quick to apologize and try to make it right. I would definitely return.
(4)Jessica B.
Ate here today with my boyfriend for lunch and was very happy with my meal. I had a chicken Cesar salad - was okay with the price once I saw the serving, massive with a ton of very flavorful chicken. I had the sea food soup with it and my only complaint was it was more of just a shrimp soup. Very good tho regardless. Was disappointed we couldn't have mixed drinks tho because no bartender was present but the drink menu was in sight ...? Ended up getting a glass of wine and my boyfriend was happy to find troges on the beer menu.
(4)Angela G.
Excellent service, amazing fresh bread. Mr. B's wine is SUPER sweet, though. So unless you like Red Cat, I would opt paying the 3 dollars extra for a house merlot or something. I found the red sauce to be too sweet for my liking, but my date enjoyed it. The meatballs were good, though. The cappelletti soup was more like chicken noodle with cappellettis, not your normal broth with meat pasta. It was decent, but I was hoping for the standard. The alfredo pasta was very good, though - you can tell they use real cheese (Locatelli, even - good job!) and not the jarred stuff that some places use. I'd go here again!
(3)Gregory K.
This review is for a rehearsal dinner we had the night before my wedding at Rolling Pines. We wanted a vegan meal, and Toni Ann from Balzano's went over something like six iterations of the menu with me, and was very gracious as I kept adjusting and tweaking it to fit our needs. The food ended up being out of this world! Stuffed tomatoes with rice, lentils, and thyme was my personal favorite, but everyone (including the non-vegetarians) were raving. If you're planning an event and trying to find a veg-friendly option, definitely consider Balzano's.
(5)Michael M.
Feel bad having to write this but I must... I hope the owners take it as constructive criticism... Dropped my daughter off at Bloomsburg Universiy today and my wife and I were hungry so we decided to have dinner before we left town. We used Yelp to find Balzinos which had a number of reviews and 4 stars. The reviews were mainly from locals. Now I understand we are spoiled when it comes to really good Restaurants coming from Philadelphia but this was not a good eating experience in any standard. First when we walked in it had a really nice atmosphere, was clean and the staff was very nice. That is were it ended. I ordered the calamari fritte, Mr B's linguine with his "special sauce" and meatballs and sauteed spinich. My wife ordered the Caprise chicken with balsamic vinegar. First we were served bread with garlic infused olive oil. The olive oil was soaked with jarred minced garlic and was so strong it was pungent. I am a fan of fresh garlic and love it. This was just plain foul. The calamari came out soggy, white and undercooked. In addition the breading had zero spice not even much salt and all I could taste was a strong taste of flour. Then came my linguine with the special red sauce. I was excited to finally taste something decent but as so as I put it in my mouth all I could taste was sugar. It was so strong it buried the red sauce which had not a shread of tomato tang. It was so sweet I could not even eat it. I shared it with my wife to see if I was crazy and she confirmed the overwhelming presence of sugar. Next came the sauteed spinish. As I peered into the dish all I saw were copius amounts of yes minced garlic from a jar. It was soaked in the garlic so much that I could not even seperate the spinach from the garlic. It was literally laced throughout the spinach. My wife's chicken dish was the same being laced with minced garlic from the jar and although she made her way through the chicken she could not eat any of the garlic from a jar laced pasta. This meal was so bad I joined yelp to one let the owners know they must stop in with the perverse amounts of garlic from a jar. Use fresh! Also, what is with so much sugar in the red sauce? it is gross! As well to warn fellow diners...
(1)Alex C.
I have loved the food here for years but I am never going back. Since the move to the new location the service has been horrible on five different occasions. Tonight was the last straw. I don't mind waiting on a Friday night to sit but they cleared out the lobby of people that arrived after our small party of three. When this was explained to the owner I didn't receive an apology, but instead was told she just got there and was really busy. If your bartender is taking names for seating follow it. Better yet, actually hire a hostess to avoid angry customers.
(1)ME K.
The new restaurant is very spacious. the Mr. b wine is nice. But there isn't too much that set this place apart from other Italian places in the area.
(3)Cody R.
Had lunch here not too long ago, and was quite impressed. I got a simple Italian Sub, nothing too fancy, but it was quite tasty. They have a great reputation for their pasta and pastries, and it's well deserved! It's a small establishment, so it makes for a great place for a date, or business lunch. They also cater, and do an awesome job!
(4)Michael A.
I have never actually eaten in Balzano's, so once I eat there I will update my review. This review is based on their Thursday-Saturday late night delivery menu from 10:00pm-1:00am. I should not be eating late at night, but I am glad to know Balzano's is an option for 3 nights of the week. I would say it is far more superior than your average delivery options in Bloomsburg. I decided to give it a try when one of their late-night delivery menus appeared in my mail box. I asked my roommates what they knew about the restaurant and they said it is the best Italian in Bloomsburg. Being so Italian that I bleed Marinara, I decided to give it a try and see if they were right. My first Bloomsburg pizza experience was at another near by restaurant, and it was good, but not up to my standards. Last night I logged on to Campusfood.com and decided I wanted to try Balzano's Pizza. I ordered a large Pizza with Pepperoni. The promised time was 45 minutes and it came in exactly 45 minutes. The driver was also friendly. I opened the box and was amazed by the amount of pepperoni on it. The other local pizza place I had previously ordered from had pretty sporadic pepperoni, this pizza was covered. I have also had the pleasure of having their Chicken Cheese Steak, which was delicious. I will order again and again.
(5)Crystal D.
Reservations for 6pm. Seated at 6:45. Wouldn't do separate checks. Had to go to bar for drinks because waitress never took drink orders. Stuffed shrimp was delicious. Pasta was cold. I thought Mr. B's sauce was too sugary. Not impressed with the service. No apologies...was told they were "doing the best they can".
(1)Kevin R.
Balzano's is a very small Italian restaurant. On weekends when college is in session, it can get kind of busy. The tables are on top of each other so don't expect to have a private conversation. The service is top notch and so is the food. Mr. B's Sauce is the best red sauce that I've ever had. I am a big fan of the veal parmesan with penne and Mr. B's sauce. And the serving is huge. They also serve pizza too. And just like everything else, it is great. This is by far the best restaurant in Bloomsburg.
(5)Jonathan K.
Outstanding as always. This was our first trip to the new restaurant and it didn't disappoint. Plenty of elbow room in the new place. There seems to be a large staff, which makes for some good individual attention, and all of the staff seemed extremely friendly as well as knowledgable. A request to order a plate with a personal twist was not a problem to them. My order came out quickly and was incredible. The serving size was generous and absolutely delicious. The salad with House dressing was great, as was the complimentary fresh baked bread. This restaurant really is wonderful, excellent food brought to you by wonderful staff. Moving to a bigger location didn't take any of the attention you received at their old quaint location, it actually enhanced things.
(5)Ariel Y.
Delicious spinach and artichoke dip! I am a huge fan of sweet wines so Mr. B's wine was perfect for me and comes at an affordable price of $3. Service was a little slow is my complaint. We had to track the waiter down to get refills for our wine but the waiter was very friendly.
(4)