What an amazing little spot! We were in town for the night and turned to Yelp for a dinner review. After we saw the photos and read the reviews we knew we had to give it a try and are so glad we did! It was crowded, but we were able to get a table in the corner. The tables are cramped, but with the atmosphere, it wasn't terrible. We were greeted almost immediately and our drink order was taken. It didn't take us too long to decide what we wanted due to seeing the photos beforehand. We ordered a bowl of wedding soup, chicken parm, and the little Italy sampler for one. The side salads that came with our meals, the soup, and fresh bread came out almost immediately and already exceeded our expectations. The salads were loaded with cheese, tomatoes, croutons, and pepperoni. The salad bowl was huge and one of the best wedding soups we've ever had. A little bit later our meals came out - oh my gosh - huge! The sampler was enormous and enough to feed a small family! Gnocci, stuffed shell, lasagna, ravioli, rigatoni, and spaghetti with meatball the size of a softball, all completely covered in sauce with a side of garlic bread. Everything was beyond delicious and the lasagna was probably the best I have ever had. My husband got the chicken parm which was absolutely incredible! Needless to say, we were stuffed and I took over half of my meal to-go! The only thing that was lacking was the service. I was out of water since my salad and our server did not refill it until after we were done with our meals. She dropped our food and didn't come back until we were done eating. Other than that, everything was great and we highly recommend!
(4)
Stacey K.
We're in town for a short time and found ourselves in need of a quick takeout meal. I don't like to patronize chains, so we looked up a local place to order pizza and settled on this restaurant. The staff was very nice and the restaurant itself is charming, but I can't say the same for the pizza. The crust is bizarrely sweet, which is a very off-putting flavor along with the sauce and cheese. We found it almost inedible. I wondered at first if possibly a mistake had been made but after reading a few other reviews it seems like this is their normal crust. The crust would be fantastic for some kind of dessert tart, but does not work as a pizza crust. I would return to this restaurant to try the pasta, but would not recommend the pizza.
(2)
John K.
Had about 50 minutes to eat before having to leave for an appointment. Waitress told us it would be 20 minutes for food to come so we ordered. It took well over 30 minutes so we had to eat very fast. She was only server there at the time although it wasn't too busy at the time. Small interior but huge portions. Sauce is a little sweet for my taste but still very good. I will definitely go back.
(4)
Cathryn L.
I absolutely love their pizza. It's a thin, sweet, flaky crust always cooked to perfection. I'm a huge fan of the peirogie pizza with onions. It's pizza crust, mashed potatoes, butter, onions and cheese. I think it's even better the next day. Their tomato sauce is smooth with great flavors of fresh tomatoes and Italian seasoning. The restaurant is clean, but small. Be prepared to wait as it's all cooked when you order it.
(5)
Mina B.
I had to try this place because it's family-owned, has a long legacy, and is very cute. The interior isn't remarkable by any stretch - it's cramped and worn out - but the building has history and is what it's supposed to be - a small town cafe. Most of the other diners at lunch time were locals, and a group of about 9-10 women of various ages arrived soon after, apparently from or as part of a bridal shower. A couple of them were related to the owner, who I believe is the granddaughter of Rosalie. Everyone was friendly. Our server was a nice young woman who had a lovely smile and sense of humor. As this was late lunch for a hungry family of four, we went all out for carbs and ordered garlic bread, a large pepperoni pizza and the Little Italy sampler. We loved the garlic bread.The pizza was interesting - it wasn't what I thought it'd be - it was rectangular and reminded me of a deep dish pizza, but it definitely wasn't Chicago-style. The sauce was sweet and heavy with loads of cheese. The sampler was likewise interesting - five different pastas loaded onto a large oval platter and slathered with a thick, sweet tomato sauce. I think we were all surprised by this paradigm shift in our Italian dining, but we were not dissatisfied. My daughter thought it was cool to discover a different "interpretation." I liked it okay and would give it 3.5 stars if I could. I'm biased and probably ruined by all my travels to the extent that I know what I want in pizza and pasta, so unfortunately I'm set in my ways in this regard. While Rosalie's didn't hit it for me, I would still highly recommend it to any visitor to Ligonier because the food has a lot of character and heart.
(3)
Joseph K.
This secret-recipe pizza is simply amazing! Should I be in a position to choose, it would certainly be my last meal. It is good hot, room temperature, and straight from the fridge. I hope this isn't oversharing, but cold Jioio's pizza and milk is probably the best breakfast ever.
(5)
Jim D.
The spaghetti is really good. The sauce is perfect and you get a giant meatball with the spaghetti along with a side salad & garlic toast. They also brought some good bread & butter. My wife had the cheese ravioli. There was 4 of them & you get one of those big meatballs with it too. My daughter had spaghetti also and that came with a big meatball. There was so much food that we have enough for lunch the next day. It was like my grandma was there bringing food until I exploded. If you are driving through you should go here to eat.
(4)
Nicole M.
Some of the best Italian food around! Started going to their old location in Benscreek near Johnstown and fell in love with the food especially the pizza! It is to die for! So light and crispy with a sweet sauce. Their meatballs are amazing too! This location is a little small but that doesn't take away from the quality of the food. Every thing is fresh and made to order. I highly recommend it!!
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No 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.
Amanda B.
What an amazing little spot! We were in town for the night and turned to Yelp for a dinner review. After we saw the photos and read the reviews we knew we had to give it a try and are so glad we did! It was crowded, but we were able to get a table in the corner. The tables are cramped, but with the atmosphere, it wasn't terrible. We were greeted almost immediately and our drink order was taken. It didn't take us too long to decide what we wanted due to seeing the photos beforehand. We ordered a bowl of wedding soup, chicken parm, and the little Italy sampler for one. The side salads that came with our meals, the soup, and fresh bread came out almost immediately and already exceeded our expectations. The salads were loaded with cheese, tomatoes, croutons, and pepperoni. The salad bowl was huge and one of the best wedding soups we've ever had. A little bit later our meals came out - oh my gosh - huge! The sampler was enormous and enough to feed a small family! Gnocci, stuffed shell, lasagna, ravioli, rigatoni, and spaghetti with meatball the size of a softball, all completely covered in sauce with a side of garlic bread. Everything was beyond delicious and the lasagna was probably the best I have ever had. My husband got the chicken parm which was absolutely incredible! Needless to say, we were stuffed and I took over half of my meal to-go! The only thing that was lacking was the service. I was out of water since my salad and our server did not refill it until after we were done with our meals. She dropped our food and didn't come back until we were done eating. Other than that, everything was great and we highly recommend!
(4)Stacey K.
We're in town for a short time and found ourselves in need of a quick takeout meal. I don't like to patronize chains, so we looked up a local place to order pizza and settled on this restaurant. The staff was very nice and the restaurant itself is charming, but I can't say the same for the pizza. The crust is bizarrely sweet, which is a very off-putting flavor along with the sauce and cheese. We found it almost inedible. I wondered at first if possibly a mistake had been made but after reading a few other reviews it seems like this is their normal crust. The crust would be fantastic for some kind of dessert tart, but does not work as a pizza crust. I would return to this restaurant to try the pasta, but would not recommend the pizza.
(2)John K.
Had about 50 minutes to eat before having to leave for an appointment. Waitress told us it would be 20 minutes for food to come so we ordered. It took well over 30 minutes so we had to eat very fast. She was only server there at the time although it wasn't too busy at the time. Small interior but huge portions. Sauce is a little sweet for my taste but still very good. I will definitely go back.
(4)Cathryn L.
I absolutely love their pizza. It's a thin, sweet, flaky crust always cooked to perfection. I'm a huge fan of the peirogie pizza with onions. It's pizza crust, mashed potatoes, butter, onions and cheese. I think it's even better the next day. Their tomato sauce is smooth with great flavors of fresh tomatoes and Italian seasoning. The restaurant is clean, but small. Be prepared to wait as it's all cooked when you order it.
(5)Mina B.
I had to try this place because it's family-owned, has a long legacy, and is very cute. The interior isn't remarkable by any stretch - it's cramped and worn out - but the building has history and is what it's supposed to be - a small town cafe. Most of the other diners at lunch time were locals, and a group of about 9-10 women of various ages arrived soon after, apparently from or as part of a bridal shower. A couple of them were related to the owner, who I believe is the granddaughter of Rosalie. Everyone was friendly. Our server was a nice young woman who had a lovely smile and sense of humor. As this was late lunch for a hungry family of four, we went all out for carbs and ordered garlic bread, a large pepperoni pizza and the Little Italy sampler. We loved the garlic bread.The pizza was interesting - it wasn't what I thought it'd be - it was rectangular and reminded me of a deep dish pizza, but it definitely wasn't Chicago-style. The sauce was sweet and heavy with loads of cheese. The sampler was likewise interesting - five different pastas loaded onto a large oval platter and slathered with a thick, sweet tomato sauce. I think we were all surprised by this paradigm shift in our Italian dining, but we were not dissatisfied. My daughter thought it was cool to discover a different "interpretation." I liked it okay and would give it 3.5 stars if I could. I'm biased and probably ruined by all my travels to the extent that I know what I want in pizza and pasta, so unfortunately I'm set in my ways in this regard. While Rosalie's didn't hit it for me, I would still highly recommend it to any visitor to Ligonier because the food has a lot of character and heart.
(3)Joseph K.
This secret-recipe pizza is simply amazing! Should I be in a position to choose, it would certainly be my last meal. It is good hot, room temperature, and straight from the fridge. I hope this isn't oversharing, but cold Jioio's pizza and milk is probably the best breakfast ever.
(5)Jim D.
The spaghetti is really good. The sauce is perfect and you get a giant meatball with the spaghetti along with a side salad & garlic toast. They also brought some good bread & butter. My wife had the cheese ravioli. There was 4 of them & you get one of those big meatballs with it too. My daughter had spaghetti also and that came with a big meatball. There was so much food that we have enough for lunch the next day. It was like my grandma was there bringing food until I exploded. If you are driving through you should go here to eat.
(4)Nicole M.
Some of the best Italian food around! Started going to their old location in Benscreek near Johnstown and fell in love with the food especially the pizza! It is to die for! So light and crispy with a sweet sauce. Their meatballs are amazing too! This location is a little small but that doesn't take away from the quality of the food. Every thing is fresh and made to order. I highly recommend it!!
(5)