Hi, I had to write after reading some of the other reviews. My husband and I go here an average of once every 1 1/2 wks to 2 wks. We had actually boycotted it for a while, as the bill made a point of identifying the "Onorato tax" on my husband's wine purchases, and then we found them on a list of those restaurants not paying the tax (i.e., CHARGING it and LAYING BLAME, but not actually PAYING). That situation has since been rectified, and we're going again. One user had commented on bad service (a review that was sequestered -- I forget the term that Yelp uses, but you had to put in a CAPTCHA code to see). I have to admit, on occasion, we have had or observed less than stellar service. I waitressed for years, so I differentiate between being new, being overwhelmed, and being bad. I'm VERY patient with the first two, and have little patience for the third. Given that we go so often, those who we have seen who have been truly bad, we don't usually see a second time. Others we have seen stay for a long time, and they are very good -- remember our drinks, remember when we were there last and make us feel welcome, without being overbearing (some places, when you start to go a lot and the servers recognize you, they start to get too familiar and it's hard to have a private conversation -- never the case here -- nice mix of being friendly, but not hovering and chitchatting). The food is homey, we rarely have to wait, and if we do, it's rarely more than 20 minutes. On a few occ'ns, our food took a while, but we've never been unhappy with what we have gotten. The bread (Mancini's???) is delicious and they are generous with it. We have never had a complaint with anything we've had, although if they are out of bread, the rolls don't do too much for me. The housemade balsamic vinagerette is delicious. I crave it sometimes. All in all, the vast majority of times, our service is good to excellent, as is our food, for what it is (strombolis, salads, burgers -- GREAT burgers, etc.). Service on occ'n is lacking, but as I said, we don't usually see bad servers back again. If there was an option, I would have given this a 3 1/2 out of 5. It's convenient, comfortable, reasonably priced, good basic menu prepared in a good basic way, rarely a wait time, and generally above avg. service. When we are deciding where to go for dinner, if it's been a bad day or a bad week, this is usually my preference, as it's comfortable, food is good comfort food and it's a quick in and out.
(4)
Emily L.
Went there for lunch on a Wednesday. We had the restaurant to ourselves, which was fine by us with an active toddler. I got the steak salad (minus cheese and fries on the side) and thought it was great. The house made balsamic dressing was really good. My husband and SIL shared the 8 layer lasagna and thought it was decent. Not the best but definitely not the worst. All in all, we had a nice a meal and will definitely go back again.
(4)
Darlene A.
We were here Saturday for dinner. We tried to go Friday night, but was told the grill was closed so they were only serving pasta & pizza. (My boyfriend wanted a burger.) Now, mind you, it was only just after 9p, & they were open till 2a. Appetizers was ok. We're not big provolone fans, so the cheese sticks - or rather fingers! - were ok. The marinara sauce it came with was excellent though. We both opted to get the chicken noodle soup with our meal. The soup didn't look like what we were used to, & smelled a bit rancid. So we didn't eat it. When our entrees arrived, my boyfriend was disappointed that he had more meat sauce than angel hair pasta. And, the sauce was not the same as the one we ate with our cheese sticks. However, my seafood alfredo pasta was just as good as I remembered it. So, I was very happy. We were surprised that we were the only ones there on the restaurant side. So, it was nice & quiet.
(4)
TL C.
It was not bad, but definitely not worth the price. $75 for three people for a couple chicken parms and lasagna. Food- Lasagna was okay, took a bite of my friends, not terrible but nothing to write hoe about. Chicken parm was very good! Not drenched in sauce, very nice light crunchy and flaky breading, very good. We got fettuccine on side for the chicken parm, it was okay a little bland, but i have certainly had worse. I went here without reading other reviews because we were traveling and it came up on siri and we wanted Italian. I can say, reviews about the hard bread were spot on, man how can you go to an Italian restaurant and not get some good bread!? Very disappointing. Probably the least desirably thing were the fruit flies all over...not appetizing at all. If they cleaned up the place and got some fresh bread it would go a long way, and give a little more value for the prices. At those prices, we should have needed to take a doggy bag, like old school Italian restaurants with big old mom style portions.
(2)
Dave R.
I was here Saturday evening 10/4/14. I orded Delmonico Steak, mushrooms & potato & salad. Ever since, I have been having momentary flashbacks of how great everything was! Huge tender steak done to perfection with large Portobello mushroom pieces & with a bourbon demi-glass I think. More than worth the price with exquisite attention to detail. Not to mention the service & servers are engaging & bend over backwards to accommodate. Really a diamond in the rough of Monroeville.
(5)
Amanda P.
Don't know why all the hate for this place. I came here because I got a just pay half deal 15 for 30. I was very very pleased. We ordered chicken parm and fetuccini Alfredo. The chicken parm was perfectly cooked, very tender, and flavorful. The Alfredo was great as well. Perfect balance of sauce and noodles, not drowning. It only could have used a little fresh cracked pepper. The service was great, no complaints there. I will be back!
(4)
Kathleen L.
Food is ok. Overpriced especially considering you can smell cigarette smoke seeping in from the bar. A little more attention should be taken to the cleanliness of the carpeting in the dining room and the floor in the bathrooms.
(1)
Rob F.
This would be a decent place to go for lunch, I ordered the cheese steak. It was alright except for the fact that it wasn't put together with much care, like the cook really didn't care how it looked or if all the meat fell on my lap. Service was par along with the atmosphere. The restroom was a little sketchy, but I've seen worse. The prices seemed a little high for what they were serving ($8.00 for a grilled cheese.) The hot turkey sandwich is apparently awesome. I read some of the other reviews about cleanliness in the dining room. It seemed decent. Not immaculate but not filthy by any means. My favorite feature is the Italian style decorations offset by a freaking disco ball hanging from the middle of the dining room ceiling. It makes you want to get down while you enjoy your french fries smothered in gravy. I gave this place an extra star just for that.
(3)
Tammy F.
Tolericos might be a better place to go hang for the bar, however i the 3 times I've eaten there I wasn't impressed. For the price of the entrees didn't speak money they charge. I had the scallops once and they tasted like beer...I don't know why but I didn't like it. The dining room is cute tho
(2)
Debra H.
Service was great. Food was awful. Everything was raw. Zucchini was a grease pit. Seafood had no taste. I came because a coworker recommend it. I won't be back.
(1)
Jenna W.
The service is top notch and the food is always consistently great. Their reuben is my favorite in Pittsburgh
(5)
Becky Z.
Tolerico's is a great Italian restaurant. One can either sit in the casual bar area or their dining room. A banquet area is also available. Their dinner menu includes traditional pastas, seafood/chicken entrees, salads, and soups. Their lunch menu has burgers, pizzas, and sandwiches. Make sure to ask for BOTH menus if you want the best selection. I don't understand why they don't include everything on one menu. Despite this, just about everything is delicious. My favorites include their pizzas, wedding soup, and pasta with their homemade tomato basil cream sauce. Entrees come with a side soup or salad and unlimited freshly-baked bread. Portions are huge, so either go with a large appetite or be prepared to go home with a doggie bag. Service is friendly, but can be rather slow.
(4)
L L.
This was by far the worst dining experience I have had in a long time. They were short staffed and no one came to our table for over 15 minutes. I had to ask someone to send over our waitress. When someone came over she got our water and then asked another waitress to take care of us, who sighed heavily and said she had too many tables!!!! We got our salad, without any bread. When I again had to ask for bread she brought out 4 rolls that were as hard as a rock! I had to ask.....AGAIN.....for some soft bread. Wow..... My husband ordered shrimp picatta for $18 and there were only THREE shrimp over heavy mushroom sauce. No one ever came over to ask how our food was or to refill our water. They had a duo playing and singing in there which was way overkill for the size of the room. No wonder they offer the Clipper Double Deals. I guess thats how they get most of their business. I will never go back again, coupon or not!
(1)
A M.
This is the same ownership that used to have that wonderful "divey" Rosecliffe across from the old post office in Monroeville. Why oh why must you give in to the temptation to pasteurize and lose all your charm by moving into a strip mall and becoming just another strip mall joint for the masses? I miss the character of Rosecliff lounge. Anyways, I've been here a couple of times and was here today with Ray and Trocon. This place is run by the Tolerico family who not only owned the restaurant mentioned prior, but what's cookin at caseys and casey's pub. It's located in a strip mall behind the Monroeville mall. It's a relatively big restaurant with a main entrance and bar to your right with booth seating and tv's and a dining room to the left. The dining room is what you'd expect a few booths, plenty of four tops, plain generic decorations and a fake fireplace. The service has always been good here and the prices are reasonable. Yesterday I ordered the Roast Beef sandwich with chedder cheese and fried onions. I substituted vegatables for fries and added a side of haluski. I was very pleased to see haluski as a special on the menu. THe haluski itself was kind of meh'. It was somewhat cold and underseasoned, neverthe less I like egg noodles and cabbage so much that I couldnt' help but finish it. The veggies were of the same quality you'd buy at Giant Eagle frozen. The sandwich looked good when it was brought to the table piled high with sliced roast beef on a warm toasted bun. However, upon further inspection the cheese was like cheese whiz, I mean literally it's the stuff you pump onto your hotdogs at 7-11. It kind of ruined the sandwich. I'm not sure if it's always served this way or they just ran out of real cheese. Trocon and Ray got the fish sandwich. I sampled the fish it was flavorful and not overcooked. The serving was large, but not bigger than your head large which you come to expect form a western pa. fish sandwich. The prices were good. I think all of the entrees were about $8. I'll go back again, but I wouldn't make a special trip for this joint.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No 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.
Mary M.
Hi, I had to write after reading some of the other reviews. My husband and I go here an average of once every 1 1/2 wks to 2 wks. We had actually boycotted it for a while, as the bill made a point of identifying the "Onorato tax" on my husband's wine purchases, and then we found them on a list of those restaurants not paying the tax (i.e., CHARGING it and LAYING BLAME, but not actually PAYING). That situation has since been rectified, and we're going again. One user had commented on bad service (a review that was sequestered -- I forget the term that Yelp uses, but you had to put in a CAPTCHA code to see). I have to admit, on occasion, we have had or observed less than stellar service. I waitressed for years, so I differentiate between being new, being overwhelmed, and being bad. I'm VERY patient with the first two, and have little patience for the third. Given that we go so often, those who we have seen who have been truly bad, we don't usually see a second time. Others we have seen stay for a long time, and they are very good -- remember our drinks, remember when we were there last and make us feel welcome, without being overbearing (some places, when you start to go a lot and the servers recognize you, they start to get too familiar and it's hard to have a private conversation -- never the case here -- nice mix of being friendly, but not hovering and chitchatting). The food is homey, we rarely have to wait, and if we do, it's rarely more than 20 minutes. On a few occ'ns, our food took a while, but we've never been unhappy with what we have gotten. The bread (Mancini's???) is delicious and they are generous with it. We have never had a complaint with anything we've had, although if they are out of bread, the rolls don't do too much for me. The housemade balsamic vinagerette is delicious. I crave it sometimes. All in all, the vast majority of times, our service is good to excellent, as is our food, for what it is (strombolis, salads, burgers -- GREAT burgers, etc.). Service on occ'n is lacking, but as I said, we don't usually see bad servers back again. If there was an option, I would have given this a 3 1/2 out of 5. It's convenient, comfortable, reasonably priced, good basic menu prepared in a good basic way, rarely a wait time, and generally above avg. service. When we are deciding where to go for dinner, if it's been a bad day or a bad week, this is usually my preference, as it's comfortable, food is good comfort food and it's a quick in and out.
(4)Emily L.
Went there for lunch on a Wednesday. We had the restaurant to ourselves, which was fine by us with an active toddler. I got the steak salad (minus cheese and fries on the side) and thought it was great. The house made balsamic dressing was really good. My husband and SIL shared the 8 layer lasagna and thought it was decent. Not the best but definitely not the worst. All in all, we had a nice a meal and will definitely go back again.
(4)Darlene A.
We were here Saturday for dinner. We tried to go Friday night, but was told the grill was closed so they were only serving pasta & pizza. (My boyfriend wanted a burger.) Now, mind you, it was only just after 9p, & they were open till 2a. Appetizers was ok. We're not big provolone fans, so the cheese sticks - or rather fingers! - were ok. The marinara sauce it came with was excellent though. We both opted to get the chicken noodle soup with our meal. The soup didn't look like what we were used to, & smelled a bit rancid. So we didn't eat it. When our entrees arrived, my boyfriend was disappointed that he had more meat sauce than angel hair pasta. And, the sauce was not the same as the one we ate with our cheese sticks. However, my seafood alfredo pasta was just as good as I remembered it. So, I was very happy. We were surprised that we were the only ones there on the restaurant side. So, it was nice & quiet.
(4)TL C.
It was not bad, but definitely not worth the price. $75 for three people for a couple chicken parms and lasagna. Food- Lasagna was okay, took a bite of my friends, not terrible but nothing to write hoe about. Chicken parm was very good! Not drenched in sauce, very nice light crunchy and flaky breading, very good. We got fettuccine on side for the chicken parm, it was okay a little bland, but i have certainly had worse. I went here without reading other reviews because we were traveling and it came up on siri and we wanted Italian. I can say, reviews about the hard bread were spot on, man how can you go to an Italian restaurant and not get some good bread!? Very disappointing. Probably the least desirably thing were the fruit flies all over...not appetizing at all. If they cleaned up the place and got some fresh bread it would go a long way, and give a little more value for the prices. At those prices, we should have needed to take a doggy bag, like old school Italian restaurants with big old mom style portions.
(2)Dave R.
I was here Saturday evening 10/4/14. I orded Delmonico Steak, mushrooms & potato & salad. Ever since, I have been having momentary flashbacks of how great everything was! Huge tender steak done to perfection with large Portobello mushroom pieces & with a bourbon demi-glass I think. More than worth the price with exquisite attention to detail. Not to mention the service & servers are engaging & bend over backwards to accommodate. Really a diamond in the rough of Monroeville.
(5)Amanda P.
Don't know why all the hate for this place. I came here because I got a just pay half deal 15 for 30. I was very very pleased. We ordered chicken parm and fetuccini Alfredo. The chicken parm was perfectly cooked, very tender, and flavorful. The Alfredo was great as well. Perfect balance of sauce and noodles, not drowning. It only could have used a little fresh cracked pepper. The service was great, no complaints there. I will be back!
(4)Kathleen L.
Food is ok. Overpriced especially considering you can smell cigarette smoke seeping in from the bar. A little more attention should be taken to the cleanliness of the carpeting in the dining room and the floor in the bathrooms.
(1)Rob F.
This would be a decent place to go for lunch, I ordered the cheese steak. It was alright except for the fact that it wasn't put together with much care, like the cook really didn't care how it looked or if all the meat fell on my lap. Service was par along with the atmosphere. The restroom was a little sketchy, but I've seen worse. The prices seemed a little high for what they were serving ($8.00 for a grilled cheese.) The hot turkey sandwich is apparently awesome. I read some of the other reviews about cleanliness in the dining room. It seemed decent. Not immaculate but not filthy by any means. My favorite feature is the Italian style decorations offset by a freaking disco ball hanging from the middle of the dining room ceiling. It makes you want to get down while you enjoy your french fries smothered in gravy. I gave this place an extra star just for that.
(3)Tammy F.
Tolericos might be a better place to go hang for the bar, however i the 3 times I've eaten there I wasn't impressed. For the price of the entrees didn't speak money they charge. I had the scallops once and they tasted like beer...I don't know why but I didn't like it. The dining room is cute tho
(2)Debra H.
Service was great. Food was awful. Everything was raw. Zucchini was a grease pit. Seafood had no taste. I came because a coworker recommend it. I won't be back.
(1)Jenna W.
The service is top notch and the food is always consistently great. Their reuben is my favorite in Pittsburgh
(5)Becky Z.
Tolerico's is a great Italian restaurant. One can either sit in the casual bar area or their dining room. A banquet area is also available. Their dinner menu includes traditional pastas, seafood/chicken entrees, salads, and soups. Their lunch menu has burgers, pizzas, and sandwiches. Make sure to ask for BOTH menus if you want the best selection. I don't understand why they don't include everything on one menu. Despite this, just about everything is delicious. My favorites include their pizzas, wedding soup, and pasta with their homemade tomato basil cream sauce. Entrees come with a side soup or salad and unlimited freshly-baked bread. Portions are huge, so either go with a large appetite or be prepared to go home with a doggie bag. Service is friendly, but can be rather slow.
(4)L L.
This was by far the worst dining experience I have had in a long time. They were short staffed and no one came to our table for over 15 minutes. I had to ask someone to send over our waitress. When someone came over she got our water and then asked another waitress to take care of us, who sighed heavily and said she had too many tables!!!! We got our salad, without any bread. When I again had to ask for bread she brought out 4 rolls that were as hard as a rock! I had to ask.....AGAIN.....for some soft bread. Wow..... My husband ordered shrimp picatta for $18 and there were only THREE shrimp over heavy mushroom sauce. No one ever came over to ask how our food was or to refill our water. They had a duo playing and singing in there which was way overkill for the size of the room. No wonder they offer the Clipper Double Deals. I guess thats how they get most of their business. I will never go back again, coupon or not!
(1)A M.
This is the same ownership that used to have that wonderful "divey" Rosecliffe across from the old post office in Monroeville. Why oh why must you give in to the temptation to pasteurize and lose all your charm by moving into a strip mall and becoming just another strip mall joint for the masses? I miss the character of Rosecliff lounge. Anyways, I've been here a couple of times and was here today with Ray and Trocon. This place is run by the Tolerico family who not only owned the restaurant mentioned prior, but what's cookin at caseys and casey's pub. It's located in a strip mall behind the Monroeville mall. It's a relatively big restaurant with a main entrance and bar to your right with booth seating and tv's and a dining room to the left. The dining room is what you'd expect a few booths, plenty of four tops, plain generic decorations and a fake fireplace. The service has always been good here and the prices are reasonable. Yesterday I ordered the Roast Beef sandwich with chedder cheese and fried onions. I substituted vegatables for fries and added a side of haluski. I was very pleased to see haluski as a special on the menu. THe haluski itself was kind of meh'. It was somewhat cold and underseasoned, neverthe less I like egg noodles and cabbage so much that I couldnt' help but finish it. The veggies were of the same quality you'd buy at Giant Eagle frozen. The sandwich looked good when it was brought to the table piled high with sliced roast beef on a warm toasted bun. However, upon further inspection the cheese was like cheese whiz, I mean literally it's the stuff you pump onto your hotdogs at 7-11. It kind of ruined the sandwich. I'm not sure if it's always served this way or they just ran out of real cheese. Trocon and Ray got the fish sandwich. I sampled the fish it was flavorful and not overcooked. The serving was large, but not bigger than your head large which you come to expect form a western pa. fish sandwich. The prices were good. I think all of the entrees were about $8. I'll go back again, but I wouldn't make a special trip for this joint.
(3)