Cute ambience and excellent service. The food, however, is a bit overpriced considering the quality. Groupon brought us here and groupon will have to bring us back because I don't consider this Italian food worth full price. Boyfriend and I both got the fixed price menu and to be honest it wasn't worth the $25. For appetizers, I had the stuffed mushrooms and he had calamari. Both decent. House salad was just bagged salad (although the vinaigrette was excellent). We both got penne a la vodka with proscuitto and it was mediocre.
(3)
Jr F.
I am never going back to this place. It really had potential, but there was no ambiance whatsoever. Fake flowers, really? Cold bread? Wow bro. Also, I don't want to hear Queen, Sting, and 80's bands while I eat my cold lasagna that I paid $18 for. Ever heard of Frank Sinatra? Seriously. Cold Lasagna. The bathroom was atrocious. Used napkins on the floor, pubes on the toilet bowl and no tissue paper. That's what I want to see before I eat. The "paintings" on the wall had bad water damage and the mirror above the sink had water stains. Clean the bathroom much? Our waiter was nice and cordial, but the food was subpar for what we paid for. I liked calamari, but everything else was not at all what you expect from an expensive Italian restaurant. There's an Olive Garden across the street, go there instead of this dump.
(1)
Ariel B.
The lobster ravioli was great. I wasn't a big fan of the fried calamari because they didn't have much flavor. My boyfriend got the chicken parm and it was pretty tasty. The entrees came with salads. Service was great. We didn't have to wait long for our food. I would definitely recommend this place if you're in the mood for Italian.
(4)
Mallory D.
I am so glad I decided to get the groupon for Fratelli's as it was a wonderful find. For an app we got fried mozzarella. They were fine-just your basic mozzarella stick essentially. For dinner I got penne in vodka sauce which was delicious. They offer huge portions here, and even without a groupon it's a great deal. They also have a pretty solid wine list. Lovely place in center city for quality Italian food.
(4)
BA B.
The food is really good if you don't mind it having been cold and reheated. I have a bad habit of looking at my food to the point it's unappetizing, and to keep it brief, I don't have to stare long at this stuff before I'm turned off. There is something suspicous about the caesar dressing, but that may be my personal taste. The wait staff is very nice though and I can dig the music. The place is typically very quiet, lots of space if you want to bring a large group. Overall I'd say the place is maybe a step and a half up from Olive Garden.
(3)
Mike D.
I tried making reservations at another Italian restaurant but they were booked. Actually every place I called was booked. A doorman at the hotel I was staying at said he could get us a table at Fratellis. I took my daughters and my wife and we went there. Service: Good. Atmosphere: Good to Nice. Appetizers: very good. Salad: very good. My main course was pasta with scallops. The scallops were bad like they were rotten/gone bad. I'm surprised I didn't get sick. If your in central Philly and you want good Italian food make reservations ahead of time at Maggianos. Don't spend your money at a place like this and be disappointed like I was. I gave it 1 star because the appetizers and salad was truly good, if you do go, stay away from the main course choices.
(1)
Gar L.
The food is pretty average. If you are in the area and your looking for a nice italian resturant, you might want to pass on this place.
(3)
Anony-mom C.
My sister and new brother in law hosted their rehearsal dinner here. It was walking distance from the Union League where their rehearsal was. Cute little place, and our server was great. The salad, eggplant parm, desert and wine were all great. The desert was the best tiramisu any of us had ever had (we couldn't stop talking about it!). I would recommend this place for sure.
(5)
Ali O.
Great sandwiches!! Service can be unattentive but the food and value are worth it. Best for lunch.
(4)
Abby W.
Needed a convenient Italian restaurant in center city. Checked Groupon and found a GREAT deal on this restaurant. Despite the mixed reviews, the menu was so varied that I decided to give it a try and am I ever happy that I did! Our party ranged in age from 18 to 93, and everyone loved their meals. First, I couldn't get the time I wanted, so I called and a helpful Greg allowed me to change the time although my request wasn't available on OpenTable Second, I somehow miscalculated the number in our group and reserved for four when we were actually five. Again, not a problem when my mother showed up first and told the hostess we were to be five. We were given a large enough table without incident. Finally, Dawn, our waitress, was also friendly and accommodating. We all ordered different things: ravioli, spaghetti, the salmon salad, the eggplant parmesan (this was mine and very tasty). All were delicious and if the plates weren't cleaned (most were!) the rest are going to be dinner on another night. Thanks, Fratelli's! We will be back when we're in town again.
(5)
Peter K.
Great Italian restaurant in Philadelphia.
(5)
Deeksha S.
Breaks my heart. I used to love this place. Their food was decent. Until my last two experiences here were horrible. This older lady who seated us, was super rude. She pretty much told us , do u really want to eat here ? Coz then I can try and seat you. I was like "whatt?" Then our server was just obnoxiously rude to us. They tried to rush us. We wanted to order an appetizer and then look at menu for main course. But the server pretty much was like "I will just come back when you know what you really want" Sadly to say, even though their food is not bad, I am not returning to this place ever. Their food is not worth dealing with bad service.
(2)
Erica A.
Simple meal. Good place to grab a quick bite after shopping.
(3)
Rosa C.
Fratelli's Italian Bistro was a nice little restaurant with great atmosphere. It was not as antiquated as I expected it to be and was quite modern. My friend and I ordered the Bruschetta for our appetizer. It was DELICIOUS! I've never had any bruschetta like it- the balsamic glaze was the cherry on top. We both enjoyed it very much. The pastas we ordered weren't too out of the ordinary- fettuccine alfredo with chicken for her and the special spicy italian sausage pasta for me. I will note, though, that the portions are very large! The wine was also pretty standard. The service was great and pretty quick. Overall, I enjoyed my dinner at Fratelli's. I would definitely pop in if I was in the area again, but I don't think I would go out of my way to make a second visit.
(3)
Tricia D.
I ate here yesterday. It was Restaurant Week in Phila. When we got there there were two people at the bar and two in a booth. It was 6pm. We were there to enjoy dinner, talk and relax. Our server Justin, kept coming over, we felt like we were being rushed with our selections.There was no line waiting to get in. We no sooner finished our salads, the plates were taken away and he came right back with our dinner, literally within minutes. My son and I looked at each other. When we initially sat down I ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio. I had asked the server what was the house wine and he named 3 or 4 Pinot Grigios. When he mentioned Santa Margherita, I said I would like a glass of that wine. Now on the inside of the menu it states that a glass of wine is $8.00. When the bill came, it shows that the one glass of wine was $16.00. I was under the impression that my glass of wine was going to be $8 house wine. When the server came to collect my credit card I asked him about the charge. He said " yeah I know, um I thought about telling you about it but I didn't. It was a more expensive wine. Is that going to be a problem? Um like I said I was going to say something but I didn't". And with that he walked away. I could not believe that he actually said that and the rest of the evening "is that going to be a problem" kept resonating with me. Now I know restaurants usually double or triple the cost of a bottle of wine. I know for a fact that this bottle of wine in a Pennsylvania liquor store costs $21.99 and I am being charged $16 for a glass. I think Justin was very unprofessional throughout the evening and with how he addressed the situation. Total lack of customer service, no apology offered, no offer to adjust the bill. Our dinner was hot, but was mediocre at best. I have had much better. Based on this experience, I will not be back to this restaurant.
(1)
Larissa A.
I recently had dinner here on a quiet Sunday evening, the place was basically empty so our party of four was seated very quickly. The staff was fun and helpful and very personable. Food was decent, tasty Italian, but nothing too different and exciting. I had the gnocchi with the Gorgonzola walnut sauce and it was very bland, which is odd for a Gorgonzola base, but it was still ok. The real standout in our dinner was the canoli's and tirimisu we had for desert. YUM!
(3)
Kristen C.
Went here with my friends on a fun day in philly. We chose it over Olive Garden, and it was a nice restaurant. I really liked the atmosphere of the restaurant, and granted, the service could have been better, but I ordered the margherita flatbread and the rest of my friends all ordered pasta. While the food took a little longer than I hoped it would to prepare, there was free bread and the waitress wasted no time in bringing out more free bread for us when she noticed we had eaten all of it. We all enjoyed our food. I have to admit that the food was a little bit pricey, but I would probably go back if I could. If you're looking for something a little less pricey, there happens to be an Olive Garden across the street from Fratelli's.
(3)
Will S.
Hands down the worst Italian food I've ever had! Not sure why anyone would give this place a good review....they must be used to eating dog food. Waiter was very nice and good stuffed mushrooms....that's it, the rest was terrible.....tasted like a TV dinner, maybe worse. Go to Olive Garden across the street, the food is way better and it's half the price.
(1)
DP F.
Absolutely amazing!!!!! One of the best Italian meals in the whole world!!!! Danielle was our server and she was great!!! We will definitely return. This place is a gold mine.....
(5)
Bonnie K.
Great caesar salad and excellent margarita flatbread. All ingredients were fresh and tasty. I ordered delivery to my hotel and am pleased with this choice.
(4)
Shauna J.
To be more precise, this rating should actually be 2 1/3 stars, which is only because I had a salmon salad which was decently priced and yummy. Our waiter, as another review mentioned was tactless. He repeatedly questioned my friend's choice of wine and offered us dessert about eight times before he finally got the hint. Our bread, also as mentioned in other reviews, was cold and the butter was so hard it ripped the bread. Since I only had a salad I cannot expound upon the quality of the main menu, but I wasn't impressed enough to return.
(2)
Voltaire R.
Simple terrible And over priced. Over confident wait staff who thinks they deserve your money, rude and not welcoming, this place needs a tune up. Way too expensive. Only go if you buy the groupon, not worth it otherwise !
(1)
Susanna L.
Mehhh. Came here for lunch with a friend because I bought a groupon and was craving italian food. The place is pretty nice overall. Friendly waiters. The food is meh. The bread and butter they brought out was cold and tasted old. The salads i didnt care for. The appetizer we got -the calemari and the raw salmon was yuck. The calimari was so chewy and it tasted quite old and overcooked. The salmon was just not fresh... the pasta that we ordered wasnt too bad though. Not anything out of the ordinary. But good. The portion sizes are huge. So take some home and have leftovers (:
(3)
Selina J.
Excellent food, service and ambiance! Mike Fin our waiter ROCKS! Thanks for a great time!
(5)
Britt W.
The service is hit or miss. The food is one step up from Olive Garden.
(3)
Jeannine F.
I wanted to try a new place in the city and I am always up for Italian. I bought a groupon for this place and thought we'd give it a try. We went at 830pm on a Friday. The place wasn't busy but had a decent amount of guests. The hostess was friendly and we were seated right away. The server came quickly for intros/drink order etc. Staff was very friendly and attentive. I had a glass of wine (not bad), my BF had a makers mark old fashioned. We noticed there were gnats in his drink and notified the server. Quickly they fixed the drink and apologized and removed it from the bill. (They mentioned because of the sweetness, and the makers mark not being very popular, etc bugs sometimes get in there. I could've done without that info.) For the app we ordered the mozzarella ... Mozzarella sticks. Nothing exciting. For dinner, he ordered the gnocchi, I ordered the macaroni with 5 cheese (or something along that line). Food took a while to come out. Staff checked in periodically and apologized while refilling drinks. Dinner was served in large portions but nothing particularly great about the dishes. We ordered tiramisu and cheesecake to go. Dessert was ok. While we waited for the check, we saw a roach walk across the floor. :-( Prices are comparable for the area but I've had better from Olive Garden. Overall the place looked nice. Staff was friendly and attentive, but I will not be returning.
(1)
andrew c.
Stay away. Seriously. We came in at 5:30 on a Friday and the place was empty except for one other table, which we were sat directly next to. People next to us were obnoxious and smelled like the perfume counter of a department store, but I'll let that slide since it's not entirely the fault of the restaurant. Our server was friendly but not very knowledgeable, and appeared to be high or drunk. The food was awful, our kid got a chocolate milk that was clearly not mixed (just a glob of chocolate syrup in the bottom of a cup with no lid). Bread was cold and gross. Calamari smelled like the Boston fish market on a hot summer day, salad tasted like dirt. Entrees were glorified microwave meals. Pasta was awful, marinara was somehow even worse; extremely greasy and just tasted awful. I've had a better meal from McDonalds. There's an Olive Garden across the street, and a Dunkin Donuts around the corner- you can better food from either place. The entire place was a total disappointment. Bathrooms were disgusting too- you're probably better off taking a leak behind a trash can in the subway. Cliff notes- this place is awful. Stay away.
(1)
Brielle A.
ordered salmon aurora -- sounded great in description with a lobster cream sauce. I had it delivered to my office to lunch-... salmon wasnt cooked badly.. but the sauce was regular tomato sauce & not much of it. Noodles were completely dry w the salmon underneath which was had a light coating of sauce. the side salad was the best part of this 22$ meal + delivery. Not worth the money.
(1)
Anrenee R.
Ordered eggplant parmigiana at recommendation of server over the gnocchi. It came with bread and the house salad. The bread was room temperature with rock hard, unspreadable butter. Salad wasn't bad. The eggplant parmigiana itself was about average. I've had better and worse. It just seemed soggy and bland to me.
(3)
Blair W.
Wow, where do I start? Do I start at the excellent service or the phenomenal food? We came in a group of four and we were greeted warmly, our waitress refilled our water consistently, refilled our bread, came over to our table and checked on us several times, and accommodated our every needs. I ordered the ravioli and I was extremely pleased. A good portion size and savory taste with each bite. We used a Groupon and she patiently worked with us and walked us through everything. Moreover, it was our two best friends' birthdays and she surprised us with two free tiramisu cakes with candles. We left happy, satisfied and excited to return again.
(5)
Jess D.
This was by far the worst Italian food I think I've ever had. Please just go across the street to Olive Garden and you will have a better experience (and I do not like Olive Garden so this is saying a lot). First of the ambiance of this place is just slightly more upscale than your local pizza dive. The tables and floors are filthy and the servers are inexperienced. The food was just absolutely disgusting. We started with the calamari and it was overcooked, rubbery, and tasted like it was frozen (not fresh!). The salads were next and they were soaked in dressing so much that we didn't even try to finish them. Our entrees were made with cheap ingredients and did not taste fresh. Two of us got sick within 5 hours after finishing our meal here. Needless to say, we passed on dessert. The food was ridiculously overpriced and the service was not great. I will never be back and I will be sure to spread the word about this place. I felt like I was ripped off entirely.
(1)
Casey B.
This is another place that I definitely wouldn't have tried without a groupon. As far as service goes, our waitress wasn't very friendly. Then again, it was about 2 degrees outside, so I wasn't in the friendliest mood either. We'll chalk it up to winter crankiness. Two friends and I ordered three dishes to share: Penne alla vodka Chicken battuta w/ potatoes and asparagus Spaghetti with red sauce & meatballs Each entree/pasta dish comes with a side salad, which I definitely appreciate, but the pastas were just OK. The penne vodka was better than the spaghetti. The chicken came in one of those wanna-lick-the-plate-sauces, and the portion was generous. Overall, I don't think I'd come back here. There's too much good italian food to be eaten elsewhere.
(3)
Scott H.
Wow! A great server was icing on the cake! Thank you Samantha for suggesting the Sherry Vinegarette salad dressing - that was definitely a treat! And the Spaghetti Pomodoro with meat sauce was excellent - maybe the best i've ever had! Need a good wine choice? Get a bottle of 14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon. Nice!
(5)
Rupal P.
Let me begin with this - Our waitress was D-R-U-N-K Now, four of us got there at 9PM, and were quickly seated within 5-10 mins. Good. Next, our waitress comes by and starts speed talking through the specials, as she switched between staring at the ceiling and squinting her eyes close and open. She also reeked of alcohol. We ordered our food: 1) Fiery Mussels - My friend LOVED them 2) Apple Walnut Spinach Salad - We all thought it was great 3) Eggplant Rolatine - I really liked it; the marinara sauce is rich in flavor is so is the stuffing. 4) Margarita Flatbread - My friend, who is an extremely picky eater, loved it. 5) Sangria (Red) - We did not like it. It was watered down red wine, with no signature taste of its own. Eh...I've MADE better. Finally, as we are winding down our dinner: We ask the waitress if we could split our checks based on what we got. She stares at the ceiling and then us for a good 2 minutes, till my friend asks "would it just be easier for you to split it 4 way?" She just jumps on that suggestion before my friend could finish talking, and walks away. She brought back our bills, and forgot 2 of our cards. When I asked her for mine, instead of going back to check, she tried to check the folder which she gave me, as if I were lying or blind. She went back and brought back ONE card. I ask her again, where is my card. She starts staring at the ground, as if looking for it somewhere along her path to our table. What the...? Note for the manager at Fratelli's: Please make sure your staff is not miserable working there, or happy enough that they don't have to be drunk at work. It was hard for us friends to enjoy our reunion while this circus was in play.
(3)
Vince C.
Great consistent food (have only had lunch there though) and great friendly servers. Sandwiches are great and portions are big, especially for the prices.
(5)
Joan M.
My friends and I were trying to find a local bar to hang out during our last night Philadelphia. Most of the bars were extremely full, so we decided to walk down towards Chestnut. During the night stroll,we notice this restaurant bar was still open and decided to walk inside. We only ordered drinks, no food. Our server, a young lady with long brunette hair (can't recall her name) was very friendly and easy to get along with. She made sure which drinks belong to who and if our orders were correct. The beers, wine glasses, and several shots we order were not overpriced!!! Also, we were able to meet the owner of Fratelli's, John! He was extremely friendly as well and has a great sense of humor. We were all able to have a conversation with him and share portions of our experiences visiting Philadelphia. My italian speaking skills were a bit rusty, but John and I were able to have a decent conversation for about 5 minutes in italiano! The vibe of this place was very laid back and welcoming. I would come back here again for drinks and hopefully have a chance to try their Italian dishes. Thank you John for the AWESOME hospitality during our last night in Philly!!
(5)
Norm A.
Great for a business lunch or evening date. Outdoor seating, small, intimate bar area, open floor plan with high ceilings. Outstanding salads and pasta dishes. Daily specials. Great little Philly spot within walking distance from City Hall and other touristy sites.
(4)
J.Cie S.
I went there with a friend after couple of hours of shopping and we just wanted some Italian food (pasta and cheese). All the other restaurants in the area has a 45min to 1hour wait, so we settled with this (bad sign!). Where shall we start? The food runner brought out bread, and it is colder than my water. So I asked them to heat it up, and I was informed that if I wanted hot bread, I had to ask for it. What kind of logic is that? Later, bread came back toasted. Then we ordered fried cheese, it's got no stretch at all. And we shared a pasta for our main course, it was still hard in the center like it has been in the freezer for the last decade. I had never thought a restaurant could mess up pasta and cheese, and this place really surprised me. Never again.
(1)
Lori W.
We enjoyed our meal experience @ Fratelli's. The food was good-decent Italian even if not splendiferous--but more than anything it was the pleasant service that would invite us back again. We had a lively toddler that was welcomed even after spilling a full cup of chocolate milk and interrogating the waitress. The wifi was free and ambiance welcoming. Nice place to sit down.
(4)
Lea T.
Fratelli's has a nice location off of Broad Street and next to Macy's, but overall this restaurant is stereotypical food and pricey for the quality of both the food and service. I would never go to the Olive Garden across the street, but Fratelli doesn't impress me either. There always seems to be a Groupon voucher running for Fratelli and I have come here twice with that promotion. Sadly both experiences have left me wishing I had gone somewhere else to eat. The fried mozzarella sticks (seemed frozen), ahi tuna, and stuffed mushrooms (bland) were nothing special. The pasta dishes and entrees were large, but the sauce left must to be desired. They use boxed pasta here which just makes the price point confusing. For dessert the flourless chocolate cake and tiramisu were also forgettable. Our server, however, left a lasting impression on my party as she greeted our table she started to tell us how hungover she was from going out the night before...*crickets*. No one really knew how to respond except to give her our order. She wasn't the worst server I ever had, but clearly she needed some more training or to work on her etiquette around customers. I will say that a big positive was that we didn't have difficulty redeeming the Groupon, but I'm guessing that is because most customers don't frequent this restaurant without a deal....
(2)
Jay Z.
Food was average, nothing special. Services was crap. Waitress have the expression of not wanting to be there the entire time. Had a fruit fly in my friend's soup and she did not apologize or anything about. Will not come back, even if it was free.
(1)
Kathie S.
I've been here a few times, last night being the most recent visit. It's a nice little Italian Bistro with some pretty decent food. Every time I've come here I've used a Groupon; without them I don't think I'd have come b/c it's pretty expensive and there are so many other really good, authentic Italian restaurants in the area. But with the Groupons we've gotten pretty good value, and I've enjoyed my meals. I've read some negative things about the service here, but our servers have always been great, no complaints there. I had the chicken marsala last night, not the best I've ever had but not a bad version, with lots of mushrooms and large portion size. They let me substitute the potatoes and veggies for the pasta, which I appreciated. My main gripe about last night's meal was the salad - although the dressing (Balsamic) was good, I wish they'd put more in it than just lettuce and a few halved cherry tomatoes. My cousins got the chicken Battuta and the tilapia - both looked pretty good, although I didn't actually hear how they liked their entrees. I had a lemon creme brulee for dessert, and that was very good. In the past I've gotten the pre-fixe chicken parm with calamari as an appetizer - the parm was really good, the calamari was just ok - it definitely wasn't fresh, and was a bit rubbery. This is a solid Italian restaurant with a nice ambiance, fairly average food and good service, at least in my experience. Some other reviewers have compared it to the Olive Garden, but I think they're better than that. However, with so many other good Italian restaurants in the city I wouldn't return without the Groupons. As long as they keep offering them, I'll keep coming back, though.
(3)
Michael M.
We are here because of restaurant.com got us a free certificate. Food is not cheap and quality is just okay. Coming back would not my first choice.
(3)
Tina F.
I got the $100 worth of groupon for $45 , had it for a few months and decided to try out the restaurant before the Groupon expires. We got the avocado crab salad which was one of the best salad I've had. The size is very good, the amount is perfect for two. We also had the fried calamari which was okay. For entree I had the Chili pepper chicken pasta, I didn't really like it. The pasta was too hard. I wouldn't recommend the place, I wouldn't go back.
(3)
Amanda P.
Service was SLOW. The restaurant was practically empty yet they sat us directly next to a family instead of giving us any space. The host said he would get our son crayons but never did. Nothing we ate was worth the $100 spent (3 adults 1 child) only reason I'm even giving two stars is because the waitress was at least smart enough to not ask if we wanted dessert until our young son was away from the table. Needless to say we won't be returning.
(2)
Jack R.
Great food and great service. Would definitely recommend and go back.
(4)
Nick J.
I came here for lunch, craving some good classic italian food and this is just what the doctor ordered! We sat outside and started off with a cocktail, the moscow mule which they just introduced to their menu. It came in a copper mug and I thought it was very refreshing. I skipped out on an appetizer and went straight to a lunch special. I got the spachetenni which are pasta filled sacks of fontina cheese and prosciutto. They tasted so fresh and paired with a fresh basil sauce. This plce had good service and totally worth it for the fresh pasta!
(4)
Magne S.
I only write reviews for places that i REALLY like and places that i REALLY DISLIKE and this place was the really dislike. Came here during restaurant week for a friends birthday. I had brought my own ice-cream cake and 24 candles (my friend was turning 23) and asked the lady if she could please put 23 candles. (to be continued) app: i got the calamari. I have had many, many calamari plates from different restaurants and this was probably the worst. Olive Garden makes them better and I'm not even trying to be funny, they do. I also got the caprese salad. I was expecting beautiful red tomatoes with a nice piece of mozzarella (i asked for all sauces on the side). The tomato was cooked & gross, the mozzarella was the size of a circle made from my thumb and index finger & they put the sauces on top which I asked for them not to do. main course: i got the penne vodka with shrimp. This was half decent. Shrimp was the only good thing I ate all night and I couldn't even enjoy it for a long time because there were 4 pieces. dessert: my favorite part of the entire meal which is pretty sad because its the one thing they did NOT make. Also, they put 10 candles on the cake. Theres just something wrong here. Its way TOO expensive for the quality of this food. NO GO. Sorry.
(1)
Hagana K.
Kind of a strange restaurant next to fogo over on Chestnut. It has the unmistakable feel of a chain restaurant, but I'm not sure it actually is. Apps from the prix fixe were just ok - the crabcake had way too much filler, and the calamari was a bit overcooked and rubbery, although I strangely like my calamari somewhat overcooked, so no complaints there. Portions are huge. Chili Chicken rigatoni was really good, but I probably had about eight bites and took the rest home. If their menus were paper and said Olive Garden you'd never know the difference. Except, you know, no free endless breadsticks. Our server Casey was great though, five stars for service. She figured out pretty quick we weren't the serious dining types, and we had a good casual time throughout dinner.
(3)
Michael T.
Great food great atmosphere, took a date here for dinner and we loved everything! The Stuffed Mushrooms were amazing 10/10 in my book and my dates as well, and for the main course I had chicken parmesan, cooked to perfection and the spaghetti was prefect! My date had the veal marsala, could not ask for any better it tasted amazing! The atmosphere was great for us and the server was amazing she was there when we needed her but was not intrusive at all and helped make the night just that much better!
(5)
Elizabeth S.
Server was great! The food was not amazing. If you want a quick bite that isn't awful and good service go for it. It's hard to go wrong with pasta. Bread was definitely awful tho!
(3)
Wayne D.
I am feeling generous giving one star rating. I usually don't even bother with bad reviews because I never return myself to these restaurants. My experience was like a scene in kitchen nightmares and I was waiting for Chef Ramsey to come out and close the place down. I think the owner was sitting next to me at the bar, dress in I don't know what drinking a high ball. 80's music was playing, and the flat screen had some mature audience show on - I only said something after a woman starting pole dancing - asking if this was appropriate for dinner. They changed it to the Giants Phillys game. I ordered Fettuccine an got Linguine noodles that were uncooked and hard - there was even a row of about four noodles that were stuck together - obviously frozen and did not break apart in boiling water. The shrimp tasted as if they were freezer burned and a few were not cooked all the way through. Obviously not fresh. The Alfredo sauce was just weird the seasoning was all wrong and it was salty. The bread was absolutely awful - not sure what it was but nothing I have ever experienced before. A friend of a server came and sat on the bar and was offered a beer but he instead asks for a Sex on the Beach and started flirting with the waitress with sexual innuendos. A server asked if he could go buy cigarettes and did a roll call to the kitchen who needed cigarettes for the cigarette run. The bartender server did a good job - her drinks were good - she did forget to bring me a water (I was the only customer sitting at the bar beside the owner and the Russian friend). For the cost I would never consider going to this restaurant again.
(1)
Amara M.
This place is so unbelievably awful in so many ways. I went with a coworker a couple of weeks ago in a snowy day. We walked in and it was completely desolate. We seated ourselves and waited until someone came out. We ordered teas at first - my mug came out with lipstick on it. Then we ordered our meal and my raviolis were still frozen in the center. For the price I'm surprised they don't make fresh ravioli. They tasted store bought. Then my coworker offered to pay bc she had received a fratellis gift card - we were told she couldn't use it because their system was down for months. Which was absolutely shocking that they would sell a gift card a week prior to someone. It doesn't even make sense. How could you sell a gift card but not take it if the system is down? We asked to see the manager and were told that the managers only work until noon ? So absurd. Will never go back. I only gave it a 2 because our server was still very kind and attentive.
(2)
Chris K.
We had a long lay over in philly last year so I planed a trip in the city for dinner and drinks. We found this place on Yelp and they had a deal going so we gave it a try. I ordered the pasta al Forno and the wife ordered chicken Parm. We also had a nice bottle of wine and a order of bruschetta to start. It was amazing! I have very high standards of Italian food and they were most definitely met that evening at Fratelli's.
(4)
Tony M.
I don't understand why this place got negative reviews. The wait staff is super friendly and helpful and my scallop/salmon/muscle linguini dinner (special) was amazing. Def have to get the "Irony Pinot Noir" to complement your meal. It's the best wine I had in a while for only $33. Regardless I had a great time and and excellent tasting dinner :-) thanks
(5)
Marc W.
Very accommodating, very friendly, and absolutely delicious. John in particular treated us as guests - just an excellent Italian dinner in a terrific location.
(5)
Casper M.
My date and I sent back most of the food :( The veal marsala was oily, and not in the good way with nice olive oil. Even the bruschetta was drowned in balsamic vinegar. I realize this is an Italian place, but we asked for a Margarita, and they said they could make it. Waiter came back with a pint glass of tequila and orange juice. They should just say they don't make it then.. Service was good but they need new people in the kitchen.
(2)
Jaya D.
Friend was looking for seafood and got this recommendation from the hotel for "the best of both worlds - Italian and seafood". Overall I wasn't impressed. I had the eggplant parm on the waitress's suggestion...not a lot of flavor and overpriced. The salads were good, house made dressing. But overall the quality of the food doesn't warrant $20-$30 an entree.
(3)
Janek J.
We have generally enjoyed the service/food at Fratelli's over a long period of time. The other night, not so much. The waitress knew us and was, as usual, very pleasant, The kitchen sent us another table's food, which was immediately corrected. The waitress offered us dessert as compensation. It was a hot night and we were eating outside. We didn't touch either of our salads. We asked to take home the salads and half our meals, declined (free) desserts. At home, we discovered about three lettuce leaves in the box that should have contained two salads--obviously not OUR salads. The next day, I emailed the restaurant. No response.
(2)
Joe W.
Had great lunch; crab and avocado salad was stunning and overflowing with prime clump crab. Friend had Panini so large he took home half (it came with salad). Groupon made the deal excellent. The service was friendly and kept us informed admitting she made an input error causing delay. Unsweetened ice tea was real tasty and always refreshed, But for lunch, get a smaller menu to serve quicker I don't have over an hour every day to leisurely lunch. Fast casual. Fratelli's has the food quality; they need to focus. Too many choices.
(4)
Julie F.
The food was good, not great. The service was good. Wouldn't get the cannoli again but the pasta was good. Nice atmosphere and not terribly crowded.
(4)
Joia M.
Pros: The chilli chicken rigatoni is fantastic. Its an absolute must-get, it haunts my dreams! The flourless chocolate cake was also divine. Friendly service, nice atmosphere. Cool bathroom. Cons: The bread was totally unappetizing. Thin, dry, etc. No olive oil was provided. Also, the prices were just high, two people dinner came to $75. Maybe that's not bad for that part of town, but definitely out of my price range if I didn't have a groupon. Meh: The mozzarella fritta was pretty decent, but wasn't that different from the standard mozz sticks anywhere, and kinda pricey at $9.
(4)
April L.
I went to this place thru a Groupon deal. When my family and I went in, the male waiter (the one with spiky hair) gave us the lunch menu instead of the dinner one. He was constantly rolling his eyes at us. I felt that he was really unprofessional and didn't want our business. When my dad ordered his entree, one of the sauces was "wasabi aioli" and he suggested to my dad to get that. I was shocked. Did the waiter suggested that because we're Asian? Afterwards, he also got our orders wrong. When I told him that, he actually sighed at our faces while rolling his eyes at us. He even said it was because he heard us wrong. Really? Because when we ordered, we actually said it and pointed at the menu at the same time. And when we were about done with our food, he just put our check on our table. When I looked at the check, it was full price instead of the Groupon deal discount. I did called beforehand for a reservation telling them I have a Groupon deal and they said it was ok. So I have to flagged down this guy again telling him we actually have a Groupon voucher. He again rolled his eyes at us. I'll never go back to this place again. The food was good, but the service was horrible.
(1)
Amy R.
This was one of the only places that we could find on a Saturday night that didn't have a 1 hour+ wait. The food was good...I don't know why, but hey, I'll take it! I don't remember specifics about most of the food I had, except that the soup I had - I believe it was mushroom or asparagus soup - was really great. I'm not from Philly, was there on business, so I likely won't return, but it's not because of the food or the service. Great place!
(4)
Walter G.
The food was amazing!!!! The best parmegiana I have ever ate!!! The price was in our budget (using a groupon we spend 40 for 2 including the groupon price). Definitely we will return again! Highly recommended!!!!
(5)
Julie S.
I cannot speak highly enough about my first experience at Fratellis! This place was amazing (food, service, experience). My girlfriend and I sat outside, which was nice. We were greeted by a very down to earth waitress that immediately developed great rapport with us. We chose our meals from the $25.00 prix fixe menu.... Which was a pleasant surprise that they offered something like that on a Friday night. For our appetizers we got fried calamari and stuffed mushrooms.... Amazing. Highly recommend the stuffed mushrooms. Second course was a pretty standard dinner salad, but we both got the balsamic vinaigrette which was delicious. We found out in conversation that they actually make it in house. For dinner my friend got the penne alla vodka which was absolutely to die for. I actually preferred hers over mine but mine was great too. I got a beef tortellini in a Marsala cream sauce, interesting spin on the Marsala sauce, loved it. For drinks, hahaha they kept them flowing, we got a couple bottles of wine, and each got the espresso martini which was spectacular (not too sweet, which I like) and a couple espresso shots (with lemon zest slither as any good Italian restaurant should). But what I especially loved about this experience was the special attention one of the owners Johnny gave us. He was so nice and accommodating, checked on us a couple times and was chatting us up a little (but NOT in an annoying "leave us alone kind of way"). Something interesting is that the two owners are brothers... You can feel the family run business vibe in the place too, which was fun. This is a very laid back, yet nice restaurant, great food, amazing service and it even seems like they treat their employees well too. Overall, highly recommend this Fratellis.
(5)
Margarita T.
Fratelli's is my go to for a nice lunch, it's on the more affordable side and it's not a chain (aka Olive Garden across the street). The service is always amazing, very attentive and good at recommendations. My favorite eats have been: Venetian Onion Soup (one of the best onion soups imo), Sausage Stuffed Cremini Mushrooms , Avocado Crab Salad, and Chicken Valdostana.
(4)
Jen M.
Pretty good! The wait service is good, fast, and knowledgeable. The wine selection could be better. A little sad that there weren't a few more vegetarian options. The tomato sauce was a little too salty for my liking, but that's about average.with restaurants like these. The bathroom, however, is the only reason I'm giving this place anything less than four stars. It was disgusting. No hand towels or dryer. Lots of empty toilet paper rolls all over the place-- I am very hesitant to go back for this reason. Also, I don't like going to nice restaurants and seeing TVs with sports games on them.
(2)
Ozzie L.
This food was Ok at best, but the reason i liked this place was because of the bartender. Danielle was fun and friendly that if it wasnt for her I would be giving this place a lower rating. She made the overall experience a pleasant one.
(3)
Beau M.
Food was good, not great, overpriced for what you get in my opinion. Fast service and friendly, portions were a really good size.
(3)
Morgan B.
This place does not even deserve one star. To start off with, the waiter had no interest in being there and had a I-don't-care attitude. When he went to go pour water in my sisters glass he reached across my fathers face with half of his body, almost spilling on my sister and her phone. On to the food. The complimentary bread was cold as if it was just taken out of the fridge, and the butter was rock solid. I ordered a glass of wine that the waiter suggested and it tasted cheap and was overpriced. For dinner I ordered the yellowtail tuna that I was told was grilled sushi style, meaning the inside was supposed to be raw. It was over cooked, giving it the taste of tuna from a can. It also said it came with grilled fresh veggies, when in reality it came with 4 thin slices of zucchini. My sisters ordered the chili pepper chicken rigatoni and the chicken Marsala, the rigatoni was hard so my sister sent it back, he brought out a whole new dish and the pasta was even more undercooked. Not only was the pasta undercooked, but they had obviously tried to add an Italian flare, which ended in a mess. It was way too spicy, and the menu didn't even mention that it was spicy. The chicken Marsala was over cooked and dry; it was nothing impressive. My father would never complain about a meal but even he said his pasta Diablo was no good. The waiter noticed I was not touching my Tuna and took it off of our check. He said that we could get a desert with the money from the tuna. I ordered carrot cake for dessert which, to my surprise, was actually pretty good, but I wouldn't go back for it. Overall, this place was over priced and the food was just not good, by the end of the night even the waiter could see that we were unhappy with all the food. Would never bother returning unless there was a new chef.
(1)
K. B.
Another place I'd never try if not for Groupon. This is why I love Philadelphia... We got to eat at a great little restaurant in the middle of center city on a random Wednesday evening. Restaurant is right next to Fogo, across from 10 Arts and a block from McGillins. And yes, McGillins belongs in the company of the other 2. I digress. The inside reminds me a lot of the center city Mexican Post, which is not a bad thing, just a little deja vu'ish (sp?). I will agree with another reviewer, this place does not need TVs at the bar. They are a little incongruent. Our waiter was great, offered suggestions, and wasn't snippy about the Groupon. I got a chili chicken pasta and she got the grilled tuna. Both very good. Only issue is that I believe an Italian place serving pasta should have enormous portions for the $17 I'm paying. Its pasta... Like $1/lb, tops... aka I shouldn't be able to clean my plate. Oh well. All in all, I shall return. Solid 4 stars.
(4)
Nickki D.
I've only eaten in once or twice - I usually grab a to-go order from the bar. Danielle, the bartender, is wonderful. She's pleasant, courteous, attentive and quick. Food comes out speedily and well packed for travel. My favorites are the fried mozzarella, petite crab cakes and the apple walnut spinach salad, though their specials do not dissappoint either. The food is always in large portions. Conveniently located off Broad St, a short walk from the Walnut Locust stop. Love it and eat there a few times a month. Defintely check it out!
(4)
E R.
Excellent wait staff and delicious food.
(3)
Nick C.
Horrible. Just horrible. Just walked out a few minutes ago after my girlfriend took a sip of her Malibu & pineapple and pulled a rather large bug out of her mouth. It was made all the more terrible when we told our waitress and she responded with "oh, it was probably just a fruit fly"...WHAT!? There was no apology. Nothing. We watched her tell the manager and he didn't even look at us as we left. Horrendous. Where the hell is John Taffer to rip these people a new one? Never go to Fratelli's. Walk down a block and take a right and go to The Corner. We're eating here now and it is both cheaper AND bug-free.
(1)
Dave K.
The dining area was about half full on a Tuesday night and yet the wait for the food was incredibly long - over an hour for the entrees. I must have contemplated several times making my way across the street to the Olive Garden to get me some Tour-Of-Italy along with some free salad and breadsticks. As an app, the warm crab cheesecake is can't miss. For entrees, the Tuna Livornese was passable with an ice cream sized scoop of linguini. My fellow diners enjoyed the Salmon and Lobster Ravioli. However when it was all said and done, the wait just killed the dining experience.
(2)
ana m.
I really enjoy this restaurant. I came here with a Groupon and have been back several times. They have a great happy hour drink and appetizer specials, that alone is worth coming here. I love the bruschetta and the dressing on their house salads. I've enjoyed all of my meals here. Right next to Macy's, great location. It's pricey, so if you are looking to save money, come with a Groupon or during their happy hour.
(5)
Ron S.
Firstly I want to say the meals my son and I had were good. Contrary to se reviews the noodles are freshly made the veal Marsala was very good and my son was pleased with the spaghetti and red meat sauce. The atmosphere was pleasant but commercial ( as would be expected a block from city hall). Now the wine list was minimal and did not show respect for good Italian wines. The list of entrees is small and, from my perspective, the chef showed limited imagination on what an Italian restaurant should present. My recommendation; good choice for lunch, and okay for dinner if you like a menu of familiar and traditional Italian meals.
(3)
Jill R.
We tried Fratelli's for dinner mid-week while in town on business. Coming from the South, I wanted some good Italian food while in town since it's hard to find (in non-chain form) where I'm from. While I would have loved to try some of the other well-reviewed places in Philly, my dining companions were not so adventurous. They wanted chain food. We compromised on Fratelli's and it hit the spot for our varied group. Just good simple Italian food. Was it the best Italian I've ever had? No. I would call it similar to some popular high end Italian chain restaurants. But it was solid, and pleased everyone in our group.
(4)
Robert B.
We has a restaurant.com certificate and had a party of 5. The servers were kind and the atmosphere was trendy. I had an Italian sandwich lunch special. My wife had a grilled sandwich lunch special and my mom had a grilled chicken salad. The kids had kids meals (burger and chicken fingers w/ fries.) Our food was delicious and the drinks were always full, which goes a long way in my book. We truly enjoyed our meal and thank the establishment for a great lunch. Oh!, we also booked our table on opentable.com and they had our reservation and table waiting with no issue. Kudos to them. We would return, again.
(4)
Olesya P.
Well, we came here just because of the groupon deal, $25 for $50. Place looked ok, nothing special. Waiter was extremely annoying. He told me that I had something on my face, like a food, or so. My bf found it extremely offensive. They brought bread that was cold, and butter that was hard. It would be better just to put bread to the microwave just for a little bit. Also, the quality of food was not good considering the price. I would put this place together with AppleBee's, based on food quality. Also the waiter basically made us buy a dessert which was $9. Also, I asked if they had hot tea, and he said yes, and just brought it. I did not want to order because I drink tea only with some desserts, and after hearing the dessert menu options I did not want tea. We end up paying extra $20 even after groupon deduction. I would not come back. There too many good places to eat in Philly to spend your time and money for this place. Do not come here!
(2)
Toni J.
Went here last night with a Groupon. The restaurant is really pretty and everything look brand new. Our waitress was friendly and really attentive. Also the food came really fast AND was so good! I would definitely be back without a groupon.
(4)
James A.
Good, solid, big-city Italian. Ravioli, Chicken with Pesto, a nice glass of Chianti, and a piece of tiramisu. Not re-inventing the wheel, but it's a very tasty wheel as is. The server, Casey, was wry and witty and droll and perfect.
(4)
Kristen L.
Made my co-worker sick from tuna at lunch. Decor is average, bathrooms were messy.
(2)
Daniel D.
The food was excellent and the service was great. Nice little restaurant nestled on a busy street.
(5)
Brenda G.
On May 8, I dined at Fratelli's as one of a group of about 40 "women of a certain age" from Hadassah, a Jewish women's charitable organization. The food, service, and just general upbeat energy of the restaurant and staff has compelled me to post this review. From the moment I entered to a courteous and cheerful welcome, to the speed of taking and delivering my drink order, to the professional service of the staff, and of course, to the totally yummy food (I had the eggplant parm - delish and hot- thank you!), I was pleasantly surprised by this simply delightful dining experience. I will be back with friends.
(5)
Jimmy A.
Frattelli's was great, went to celebrate a birthday and everything was delicious. I had the lobster ravioli and the sauce that it came in was very good, we also had the crab crusted tilapia and the seafood fra diavolo and all the seafood was very fresh and the portions were nicely sized, the only thing the wasn't great was the tiramisu, the taste was ok but the portion was pretty small and overpriced
(4)
Spencer H.
The bruschetta is so so bueno....A must have when your in philly...Yooooo trust me check it out..:p
Very friendly service, delicious crab crusted tilapia. House salad was pretty meager, but that's just a minor complaint. I will come back!
(4)
Chris B.
Excellent food and service, would definately return
(5)
Andy P.
Went because of a groupon. Bread was amazing, lobster ravioli was probably the best I've ever had, good service, overall ambiance was great. Will definitely go back, even without the groupon it would be worth it.
(5)
Michael S.
Honestly, the best meal I've had in town. Do not miss the chile pepper chicken rigatoni or the Lobster ravioli. Excellent dishes!!
(5)
Maria E.
My husband and I had a wonderful dinner at Fratelli's. Service was excellent and the food was wonderful. I had the capellini with crab and my husband had the chicken Marsala both cooked to perfection. We will definitely go back.
(5)
John R.
Very good food...reasonable price. Fun the 3 courses option for $ 25. Will go back...
(4)
Mary M.
Good food, and good service, our waiter was extremely friendly and helpful..mis named as a bistro though, the atmosphere is very open and cold, almost like a sports at that serves Italian
(3)
LISA H.
went last night, seated very quickly, service was great, waitress had good recommendations. i had the $25 pre-fixe menu, which was a good value, crab cake was good & vodka penne was good. My husband had the Special jumbo diver scallops with mango sauce, which was amazing and cooked perfectly. Had the house wine Pinot Grigio at $7 a glass, great deal. Also, we purchased the $30 yelp gift certificate which made the prices more reasonable, as they are slightly on the higher end. However, i'd prefer this over the Olive Garden across the street from it. All in all, i recommend it!
(4)
Karen T.
Great food, good service. Love the authentic rustic flavor of the dishes. We will be back
(5)
Danielle C.
Went at 8 pm on a sat night with fiance an got seated right away which was great the food was Amazing .. We spilt a drink on accident they replaced it and cleaned it up no problem the wait staff wAs good over all 5 stars will def b coming back :)
(5)
Joe T.
Our party of six dined at Fratelli's before a concert at the Kimmel Center. I had a Caesar salad and the butternut squash ravioli which was a special that evening. The food was well prepared and very tasty...not quite excellent but certainly very good. Everyone else in the party also enjoyed their dinner. Service was professional and prompt. I would definitely return and certainly recommend Fratelli's.
(4)
Jennifer R.
My family was heading to Philadelphia for Thanksgiving weekend and saw a Groupon for Fratelli's and decided to purchase one. We tried to get in on the Friday night at 6:00 but they told us that we needed reservations and if we chose to wait, it would be about a 45 minute wait. We decided to pass and went back on Saturday for lunch. We had a very positive experience. Our waitress was lovely. The lunch entrees were a nice size. I had the chicken parmesan which was really good and my husband had fish which he enjoyed very much. Our three year old had a hamburger and she seemed to enjoy her meal as well. The restaurant was pretty and it was in a good location. Next time we are in Philadelphia, we will definitely go back!
(4)
Robert H.
Food was good and our waitress was particularly helpful
(4)
Caroline E.
Meh, it was okay. You've got so many better options in Philly. I wouldn't worry about checking out this one.
(2)
Gerald W.
With the coupon is was a stupendous deal, even without it, it would have been terrific. My wife and I shared a roast Caprese salad and a Fettucine Alfredo. Both were delicious and easily enough to share. They also shake a great Martini! Out server, Casey, could not have been nicer or more efficient. It is convenient to all the theatres in the area and we will definitely be back!
(5)
Lauren L.
Went here for a nice family dinner while in town. The restaurant is cozy with a nice atmosphere. The food was good, the usual Italian fare, nothing we had was terribly special, but I would recommend it for dinner for anyone looking for a decent, not too pricey place to eat. All was good for us except the service. Our waitress was loud, rude, very lax, and when she first came over she stared at us while we gave our drink orders and then said she needed coffee and made us repeat our whole order. Everything took a really long time to get there. When we got our food, the others in my party were hot, but my ravioli was cold all the way through. I signaled our waitress over and she looked right at me and then went outside to serve the outside guests. We waited over 5 minutes for her to come back and take the food back to warm it up. Another 15 minutes later, she had a remade plate, which is nice and it was very good. But when we were having our plates cleared, there were two (of 12) ravioli left on the plate and the waitress scolded me (20 years old, not jokingly in the least) telling me the chef had to remake it for me so I should eat it all. I didn't even know how to respond to such unprofessionalism. She then went and stood outside and talked to a table for a good 15 minutes before coming back to take our check. I was very caught off guard afterwards and angry about the disrespect for the rest of the night.
(2)
Donna V.
Delicious food, generous portions, friendly service. Gnocchi with Gorgonzola cream waas memorable. A good choice for theater goers - walking distance to the 'Avenue of the Arts' venues (Academy of Music, Kimmel Center, etc) and prices not as stratospheric as most of the restaurants on the Avenue of the Arts.
(5)
Grant M.
Italian restaurants smell like Italian restaurants. This place does not smell like they are cooking anything. Nicely decorated yes, ambiance no. We called late on a Friday evening and were able to get a reservation one hour later. We arrived at thirty minutes early and asked to be seated when they had an open table. we had a drink while we watched several empty tables sit empty. The hostess checked with one of two men (that appeared to be brothers/owners) but we were required to wait. The drinks were strong pours and priced high. Promptly at our reservation time we were seated (still several empty tables throughout the place). My wife ordered the Chicken Parm with pasta with a sage butter sauce. She said the only flavor on her plate was the sage butter sauce and the chicken tasted as if it were frozen. My lasagna was bland and had very little sauce. The busboy cleared the table but did not tell the server that there were obvious problems with the meals.Worst Parm ever! There is an Olive Garden (not high on my list) across the street and this place must survive on the folks that don't want to wait in line for their dinner. The quantity of the food was large the quality very small. The two brothers were more interested in the basketball game on the tv than what was going on in the restaurant.
(1)
Dan F.
Food was extremely subpar for the price. Slow unattentive service
(1)
PA19124 0.
Took my family here for mothers day (7 people, two small children). First off, children's menu....seriously? $7, I guess it isn't a bad price but they brought the kids out entirely too much food. I knew the place was pricey but was hoping for a family feel like growing up, I expected over sized entrees. The prix fixe menu isn't bad for the price. But we had a reservation at 8, which you CLEARLY do not need, and by 8:40 I actually had to go ask who our waitress was so we could order. This place was more than half empty, no competition to the fogo de chao next door. Probably bad placement and the lack luster food doesn't help. 20 bucks for chicken parm? It was a large piece of chicken but it was just breaded in plain bread crumbs and fried. The sauce doesn't stack up enough to NOT season your chicken. They have NO DRINKS. Unless you want wine or alcohol, there is nothing they can offer you except water. I asked for drinks for my 3 year old nephews, they offered me cranberry or pineapple (WTF). The calamari was chewy, unacceptable if this is supposed to be a legit italian eatery. I got the chicken battutta, which had SO much potential, except again nothing was seasoned. 3 halves of potatoes though? Seriously? The pasta dishes my family ordered had enough angel hair to feed a small army. I don't get the point of the cold hard bread they put on the table with the cold hard butter. Couldn't heat either of those up for a minute??? The menu is SMALL , and that may be giving it too much credit. They don't have a desert menu, but if you ask they actually do have desert. We paid $9 for a slice of cheesecake. The tiramisu was small and soggy. And whoever filled the cannolis should probably stop trying. Looked horrible. The kitchen closes at 9, but they stay open until 10. Definitely gives you the feel of a chain restaurant or diner. The total bill was 225. I still can't justify the 32 per person price for this place. ALL WE HAD WAS WATER!!! It's really dark, almost hard to see the menu. The food wasn't bad overall, but I definitely feel like I overpaid for everything. Including parking. They don't have valet, but fogo's will be happy to do it for you for 25 big ones. I agree with the last guy, hit up the olive garden across the street. Definitely more bang for your buck over there. They had a half price gift card on groupon, should've seen that as a warning sign instead of a deal! Oh and don't forget they automatically add 20% gratuity to the check. Chick definitely didn't deserve a $35 tip!
(3)
John S.
Food and service were OK, but nothing to write home about.
(2)
Rebecca Z.
We ordered food via DiningIn.com and were not disappointed! I had the penne vodka with chicken. The pasta was cooked perfectly! There was a delicate ratio of pasta to sauce, which balanced the meal perfectly. Another member of my party had the crab crusted tilapia. It was real crab meat, very little filler, the fish tasted fresh and was cooked superbly! It was accompanied by fresh, crunchy asparagus and roasted red potatoes. I cannot speak for the recurring bread problems listed by other reviews, ours came delivery. It was fresh and soft on the inside with a delightful crusty outside. I would like to visit the restaurant and try more dishes. We will definitely return!
(4)
Kathy H.
We chose Fratelli's for its proximity to the Kimmel Center. Our waitress was very accommodating by helping us stay on schedule to make the show. She was just the right blend of helpful, but not overly intrusive. The food was good. We would definitely go back again.
(3)
Ann M.
we enjoyed our food, the server was professional, the atmosphere delightful.
(3)
Steve R.
We bought a Groupon for the new Fratelli's the week it opened but just got to use it last night. It was a Sunday night at about 6:30 and the place was nearly empty - Maybe about 6 tables full. We had been to the ORIGINAL Fratellis at 17th and Spruce in the 1980s and it was good. This place isn't. They offered a 3 course price fixe menu for $25 - so it was fully covered by our $50 Groupon. It gave you a choice fried calamari, stuffed mushrooms or mini crab cakes (Each of which was priced at $11.50 on the regular menu), a mixed greens salad (which is included with ALL entrees anyway) and a choice of about 7 entrees - mostly chicken dishes like Chicken parm as well as Salmon with linguini and garlic and oil. The Veal dishes on the menu were in the $22 range and the Chicken Parm etc were $18.50. Not exactly cheap. We went for the price-fixe. I had the calamari that was HUGE portion - enough for two - but heavily breaded. My partner had the mushrooms. THREE mushroom caps filled with sausage - very small for menu price. The salads were mixed greens with TWO sliced cherry tomatoes on each plate. I ordered the Chicken parm which was HUGE but - again heavily breaded and it tasted overcooked. Came with spaghetti in a tomato sauce that reminded me of Olive Garden - which, BTW, is directly across the street! (and much cheaper). It had a gritty taste. My partner went for the Salmon which appeared to have been frozen and somewhat dried out. It was topped with cream sauce. Her pasta was linguini which was WAY undercooked. Tougher than al dente. So the food really surprised us as the Fratelli name - and even the old Italian Bistro on South Broad Street was decent. Out serve was great and apologized when I mentioned the over breading - but it wasn't her fault. An odd moment happened just before we left. Two men came in and asked for a table. The hostess went to sit them near us at a table recently vacation. One of the men pointed to the other side of the room - where a few tables were occupied but plenty were empty and asked "Could we be seated over there?". The hostess said "I'm afraid not, those are reserved". The man commented under his breath "Really?". Bad start already. It's hard to believe but both my dining partner and I agreed that even with a Groupon, we would rather have eaten at the Olive Garden than the meal we had there! (and at OG you get unlimited salad so even if food disappoints, at least you can depend on that.) I guess I know why it was empty when the neighborhood was busy with tourists.
(2)
Sam P.
Ate here on a Wednesday night, they were not busy, wait staff was attentive, pleasant. The food was on par with mediocre. We went here because we had a living social deal. Mussels were plump, clean, sauce was nothing special. Chicken valdastano was terrible. There are too many great restaurants in Philly to consider going back here. Good luck.
(2)
Dante T.
Amazing food, great setup, beautiful interior.
(5)
Tom R.
I had dinner there 3 times, the first was wonderful, it was an off night and we were the only people there. The second night, I had the seafood fra diavlo and I asked for it to be extra spicy, I got the red pepper shaker instead. the seafood wasn't fresh, it had an odor to it and I was suspect eating the leftovers the next day. I tried it for a third time, thinking it may have been a fluke and had the Talapia with crab. It was tasteless and mushy, frozen and should have been used in the deep frier, not as fresh fish. the crab was a ground up mush meal, tasteless, that seemed to have imitation crab in it. You know the telltale red dye that they use. The Ceasar's salad was the dark green part of the leaf, not the crisp part of the lettuce and when I asked for cheese, I was expecting shaved chips, I got the shaken table cheese for pasta. I have to say that the waitstaff is helpful, it's not their fault the food isn't up to par and I left a decent tip each time but was tempted to stiff them.
(1)
Caitlyn C.
I really loved this place. I bought Groupon and was so pleasantly surprised. We sat outside and our server Samantha was incredibly attentive and sweet. We had the stuff mushrooms, calamari and lobster ravioli. Every part of the dinner was delicious. I consider myself a bit of a foodie. And I would highly recommend this place!!!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Validated Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar 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.
Christine D.
Cute ambience and excellent service. The food, however, is a bit overpriced considering the quality. Groupon brought us here and groupon will have to bring us back because I don't consider this Italian food worth full price. Boyfriend and I both got the fixed price menu and to be honest it wasn't worth the $25. For appetizers, I had the stuffed mushrooms and he had calamari. Both decent. House salad was just bagged salad (although the vinaigrette was excellent). We both got penne a la vodka with proscuitto and it was mediocre.
(3)Jr F.
I am never going back to this place. It really had potential, but there was no ambiance whatsoever. Fake flowers, really? Cold bread? Wow bro. Also, I don't want to hear Queen, Sting, and 80's bands while I eat my cold lasagna that I paid $18 for. Ever heard of Frank Sinatra? Seriously. Cold Lasagna. The bathroom was atrocious. Used napkins on the floor, pubes on the toilet bowl and no tissue paper. That's what I want to see before I eat. The "paintings" on the wall had bad water damage and the mirror above the sink had water stains. Clean the bathroom much? Our waiter was nice and cordial, but the food was subpar for what we paid for. I liked calamari, but everything else was not at all what you expect from an expensive Italian restaurant. There's an Olive Garden across the street, go there instead of this dump.
(1)Ariel B.
The lobster ravioli was great. I wasn't a big fan of the fried calamari because they didn't have much flavor. My boyfriend got the chicken parm and it was pretty tasty. The entrees came with salads. Service was great. We didn't have to wait long for our food. I would definitely recommend this place if you're in the mood for Italian.
(4)Mallory D.
I am so glad I decided to get the groupon for Fratelli's as it was a wonderful find. For an app we got fried mozzarella. They were fine-just your basic mozzarella stick essentially. For dinner I got penne in vodka sauce which was delicious. They offer huge portions here, and even without a groupon it's a great deal. They also have a pretty solid wine list. Lovely place in center city for quality Italian food.
(4)BA B.
The food is really good if you don't mind it having been cold and reheated. I have a bad habit of looking at my food to the point it's unappetizing, and to keep it brief, I don't have to stare long at this stuff before I'm turned off. There is something suspicous about the caesar dressing, but that may be my personal taste. The wait staff is very nice though and I can dig the music. The place is typically very quiet, lots of space if you want to bring a large group. Overall I'd say the place is maybe a step and a half up from Olive Garden.
(3)Mike D.
I tried making reservations at another Italian restaurant but they were booked. Actually every place I called was booked. A doorman at the hotel I was staying at said he could get us a table at Fratellis. I took my daughters and my wife and we went there. Service: Good. Atmosphere: Good to Nice. Appetizers: very good. Salad: very good. My main course was pasta with scallops. The scallops were bad like they were rotten/gone bad. I'm surprised I didn't get sick. If your in central Philly and you want good Italian food make reservations ahead of time at Maggianos. Don't spend your money at a place like this and be disappointed like I was. I gave it 1 star because the appetizers and salad was truly good, if you do go, stay away from the main course choices.
(1)Gar L.
The food is pretty average. If you are in the area and your looking for a nice italian resturant, you might want to pass on this place.
(3)Anony-mom C.
My sister and new brother in law hosted their rehearsal dinner here. It was walking distance from the Union League where their rehearsal was. Cute little place, and our server was great. The salad, eggplant parm, desert and wine were all great. The desert was the best tiramisu any of us had ever had (we couldn't stop talking about it!). I would recommend this place for sure.
(5)Ali O.
Great sandwiches!! Service can be unattentive but the food and value are worth it. Best for lunch.
(4)Abby W.
Needed a convenient Italian restaurant in center city. Checked Groupon and found a GREAT deal on this restaurant. Despite the mixed reviews, the menu was so varied that I decided to give it a try and am I ever happy that I did! Our party ranged in age from 18 to 93, and everyone loved their meals. First, I couldn't get the time I wanted, so I called and a helpful Greg allowed me to change the time although my request wasn't available on OpenTable Second, I somehow miscalculated the number in our group and reserved for four when we were actually five. Again, not a problem when my mother showed up first and told the hostess we were to be five. We were given a large enough table without incident. Finally, Dawn, our waitress, was also friendly and accommodating. We all ordered different things: ravioli, spaghetti, the salmon salad, the eggplant parmesan (this was mine and very tasty). All were delicious and if the plates weren't cleaned (most were!) the rest are going to be dinner on another night. Thanks, Fratelli's! We will be back when we're in town again.
(5)Peter K.
Great Italian restaurant in Philadelphia.
(5)Deeksha S.
Breaks my heart. I used to love this place. Their food was decent. Until my last two experiences here were horrible. This older lady who seated us, was super rude. She pretty much told us , do u really want to eat here ? Coz then I can try and seat you. I was like "whatt?" Then our server was just obnoxiously rude to us. They tried to rush us. We wanted to order an appetizer and then look at menu for main course. But the server pretty much was like "I will just come back when you know what you really want" Sadly to say, even though their food is not bad, I am not returning to this place ever. Their food is not worth dealing with bad service.
(2)Erica A.
Simple meal. Good place to grab a quick bite after shopping.
(3)Rosa C.
Fratelli's Italian Bistro was a nice little restaurant with great atmosphere. It was not as antiquated as I expected it to be and was quite modern. My friend and I ordered the Bruschetta for our appetizer. It was DELICIOUS! I've never had any bruschetta like it- the balsamic glaze was the cherry on top. We both enjoyed it very much. The pastas we ordered weren't too out of the ordinary- fettuccine alfredo with chicken for her and the special spicy italian sausage pasta for me. I will note, though, that the portions are very large! The wine was also pretty standard. The service was great and pretty quick. Overall, I enjoyed my dinner at Fratelli's. I would definitely pop in if I was in the area again, but I don't think I would go out of my way to make a second visit.
(3)Tricia D.
I ate here yesterday. It was Restaurant Week in Phila. When we got there there were two people at the bar and two in a booth. It was 6pm. We were there to enjoy dinner, talk and relax. Our server Justin, kept coming over, we felt like we were being rushed with our selections.There was no line waiting to get in. We no sooner finished our salads, the plates were taken away and he came right back with our dinner, literally within minutes. My son and I looked at each other. When we initially sat down I ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio. I had asked the server what was the house wine and he named 3 or 4 Pinot Grigios. When he mentioned Santa Margherita, I said I would like a glass of that wine. Now on the inside of the menu it states that a glass of wine is $8.00. When the bill came, it shows that the one glass of wine was $16.00. I was under the impression that my glass of wine was going to be $8 house wine. When the server came to collect my credit card I asked him about the charge. He said " yeah I know, um I thought about telling you about it but I didn't. It was a more expensive wine. Is that going to be a problem? Um like I said I was going to say something but I didn't". And with that he walked away. I could not believe that he actually said that and the rest of the evening "is that going to be a problem" kept resonating with me. Now I know restaurants usually double or triple the cost of a bottle of wine. I know for a fact that this bottle of wine in a Pennsylvania liquor store costs $21.99 and I am being charged $16 for a glass. I think Justin was very unprofessional throughout the evening and with how he addressed the situation. Total lack of customer service, no apology offered, no offer to adjust the bill. Our dinner was hot, but was mediocre at best. I have had much better. Based on this experience, I will not be back to this restaurant.
(1)Larissa A.
I recently had dinner here on a quiet Sunday evening, the place was basically empty so our party of four was seated very quickly. The staff was fun and helpful and very personable. Food was decent, tasty Italian, but nothing too different and exciting. I had the gnocchi with the Gorgonzola walnut sauce and it was very bland, which is odd for a Gorgonzola base, but it was still ok. The real standout in our dinner was the canoli's and tirimisu we had for desert. YUM!
(3)Kristen C.
Went here with my friends on a fun day in philly. We chose it over Olive Garden, and it was a nice restaurant. I really liked the atmosphere of the restaurant, and granted, the service could have been better, but I ordered the margherita flatbread and the rest of my friends all ordered pasta. While the food took a little longer than I hoped it would to prepare, there was free bread and the waitress wasted no time in bringing out more free bread for us when she noticed we had eaten all of it. We all enjoyed our food. I have to admit that the food was a little bit pricey, but I would probably go back if I could. If you're looking for something a little less pricey, there happens to be an Olive Garden across the street from Fratelli's.
(3)Will S.
Hands down the worst Italian food I've ever had! Not sure why anyone would give this place a good review....they must be used to eating dog food. Waiter was very nice and good stuffed mushrooms....that's it, the rest was terrible.....tasted like a TV dinner, maybe worse. Go to Olive Garden across the street, the food is way better and it's half the price.
(1)DP F.
Absolutely amazing!!!!! One of the best Italian meals in the whole world!!!! Danielle was our server and she was great!!! We will definitely return. This place is a gold mine.....
(5)Bonnie K.
Great caesar salad and excellent margarita flatbread. All ingredients were fresh and tasty. I ordered delivery to my hotel and am pleased with this choice.
(4)Shauna J.
To be more precise, this rating should actually be 2 1/3 stars, which is only because I had a salmon salad which was decently priced and yummy. Our waiter, as another review mentioned was tactless. He repeatedly questioned my friend's choice of wine and offered us dessert about eight times before he finally got the hint. Our bread, also as mentioned in other reviews, was cold and the butter was so hard it ripped the bread. Since I only had a salad I cannot expound upon the quality of the main menu, but I wasn't impressed enough to return.
(2)Voltaire R.
Simple terrible And over priced. Over confident wait staff who thinks they deserve your money, rude and not welcoming, this place needs a tune up. Way too expensive. Only go if you buy the groupon, not worth it otherwise !
(1)Susanna L.
Mehhh. Came here for lunch with a friend because I bought a groupon and was craving italian food. The place is pretty nice overall. Friendly waiters. The food is meh. The bread and butter they brought out was cold and tasted old. The salads i didnt care for. The appetizer we got -the calemari and the raw salmon was yuck. The calimari was so chewy and it tasted quite old and overcooked. The salmon was just not fresh... the pasta that we ordered wasnt too bad though. Not anything out of the ordinary. But good. The portion sizes are huge. So take some home and have leftovers (:
(3)Selina J.
Excellent food, service and ambiance! Mike Fin our waiter ROCKS! Thanks for a great time!
(5)Britt W.
The service is hit or miss. The food is one step up from Olive Garden.
(3)Jeannine F.
I wanted to try a new place in the city and I am always up for Italian. I bought a groupon for this place and thought we'd give it a try. We went at 830pm on a Friday. The place wasn't busy but had a decent amount of guests. The hostess was friendly and we were seated right away. The server came quickly for intros/drink order etc. Staff was very friendly and attentive. I had a glass of wine (not bad), my BF had a makers mark old fashioned. We noticed there were gnats in his drink and notified the server. Quickly they fixed the drink and apologized and removed it from the bill. (They mentioned because of the sweetness, and the makers mark not being very popular, etc bugs sometimes get in there. I could've done without that info.) For the app we ordered the mozzarella ... Mozzarella sticks. Nothing exciting. For dinner, he ordered the gnocchi, I ordered the macaroni with 5 cheese (or something along that line). Food took a while to come out. Staff checked in periodically and apologized while refilling drinks. Dinner was served in large portions but nothing particularly great about the dishes. We ordered tiramisu and cheesecake to go. Dessert was ok. While we waited for the check, we saw a roach walk across the floor. :-( Prices are comparable for the area but I've had better from Olive Garden. Overall the place looked nice. Staff was friendly and attentive, but I will not be returning.
(1)andrew c.
Stay away. Seriously. We came in at 5:30 on a Friday and the place was empty except for one other table, which we were sat directly next to. People next to us were obnoxious and smelled like the perfume counter of a department store, but I'll let that slide since it's not entirely the fault of the restaurant. Our server was friendly but not very knowledgeable, and appeared to be high or drunk. The food was awful, our kid got a chocolate milk that was clearly not mixed (just a glob of chocolate syrup in the bottom of a cup with no lid). Bread was cold and gross. Calamari smelled like the Boston fish market on a hot summer day, salad tasted like dirt. Entrees were glorified microwave meals. Pasta was awful, marinara was somehow even worse; extremely greasy and just tasted awful. I've had a better meal from McDonalds. There's an Olive Garden across the street, and a Dunkin Donuts around the corner- you can better food from either place. The entire place was a total disappointment. Bathrooms were disgusting too- you're probably better off taking a leak behind a trash can in the subway. Cliff notes- this place is awful. Stay away.
(1)Brielle A.
ordered salmon aurora -- sounded great in description with a lobster cream sauce. I had it delivered to my office to lunch-... salmon wasnt cooked badly.. but the sauce was regular tomato sauce & not much of it. Noodles were completely dry w the salmon underneath which was had a light coating of sauce. the side salad was the best part of this 22$ meal + delivery. Not worth the money.
(1)Anrenee R.
Ordered eggplant parmigiana at recommendation of server over the gnocchi. It came with bread and the house salad. The bread was room temperature with rock hard, unspreadable butter. Salad wasn't bad. The eggplant parmigiana itself was about average. I've had better and worse. It just seemed soggy and bland to me.
(3)Blair W.
Wow, where do I start? Do I start at the excellent service or the phenomenal food? We came in a group of four and we were greeted warmly, our waitress refilled our water consistently, refilled our bread, came over to our table and checked on us several times, and accommodated our every needs. I ordered the ravioli and I was extremely pleased. A good portion size and savory taste with each bite. We used a Groupon and she patiently worked with us and walked us through everything. Moreover, it was our two best friends' birthdays and she surprised us with two free tiramisu cakes with candles. We left happy, satisfied and excited to return again.
(5)Jess D.
This was by far the worst Italian food I think I've ever had. Please just go across the street to Olive Garden and you will have a better experience (and I do not like Olive Garden so this is saying a lot). First of the ambiance of this place is just slightly more upscale than your local pizza dive. The tables and floors are filthy and the servers are inexperienced. The food was just absolutely disgusting. We started with the calamari and it was overcooked, rubbery, and tasted like it was frozen (not fresh!). The salads were next and they were soaked in dressing so much that we didn't even try to finish them. Our entrees were made with cheap ingredients and did not taste fresh. Two of us got sick within 5 hours after finishing our meal here. Needless to say, we passed on dessert. The food was ridiculously overpriced and the service was not great. I will never be back and I will be sure to spread the word about this place. I felt like I was ripped off entirely.
(1)Casey B.
This is another place that I definitely wouldn't have tried without a groupon. As far as service goes, our waitress wasn't very friendly. Then again, it was about 2 degrees outside, so I wasn't in the friendliest mood either. We'll chalk it up to winter crankiness. Two friends and I ordered three dishes to share: Penne alla vodka Chicken battuta w/ potatoes and asparagus Spaghetti with red sauce & meatballs Each entree/pasta dish comes with a side salad, which I definitely appreciate, but the pastas were just OK. The penne vodka was better than the spaghetti. The chicken came in one of those wanna-lick-the-plate-sauces, and the portion was generous. Overall, I don't think I'd come back here. There's too much good italian food to be eaten elsewhere.
(3)Scott H.
Wow! A great server was icing on the cake! Thank you Samantha for suggesting the Sherry Vinegarette salad dressing - that was definitely a treat! And the Spaghetti Pomodoro with meat sauce was excellent - maybe the best i've ever had! Need a good wine choice? Get a bottle of 14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon. Nice!
(5)Rupal P.
Let me begin with this - Our waitress was D-R-U-N-K Now, four of us got there at 9PM, and were quickly seated within 5-10 mins. Good. Next, our waitress comes by and starts speed talking through the specials, as she switched between staring at the ceiling and squinting her eyes close and open. She also reeked of alcohol. We ordered our food: 1) Fiery Mussels - My friend LOVED them 2) Apple Walnut Spinach Salad - We all thought it was great 3) Eggplant Rolatine - I really liked it; the marinara sauce is rich in flavor is so is the stuffing. 4) Margarita Flatbread - My friend, who is an extremely picky eater, loved it. 5) Sangria (Red) - We did not like it. It was watered down red wine, with no signature taste of its own. Eh...I've MADE better. Finally, as we are winding down our dinner: We ask the waitress if we could split our checks based on what we got. She stares at the ceiling and then us for a good 2 minutes, till my friend asks "would it just be easier for you to split it 4 way?" She just jumps on that suggestion before my friend could finish talking, and walks away. She brought back our bills, and forgot 2 of our cards. When I asked her for mine, instead of going back to check, she tried to check the folder which she gave me, as if I were lying or blind. She went back and brought back ONE card. I ask her again, where is my card. She starts staring at the ground, as if looking for it somewhere along her path to our table. What the...? Note for the manager at Fratelli's: Please make sure your staff is not miserable working there, or happy enough that they don't have to be drunk at work. It was hard for us friends to enjoy our reunion while this circus was in play.
(3)Vince C.
Great consistent food (have only had lunch there though) and great friendly servers. Sandwiches are great and portions are big, especially for the prices.
(5)Joan M.
My friends and I were trying to find a local bar to hang out during our last night Philadelphia. Most of the bars were extremely full, so we decided to walk down towards Chestnut. During the night stroll,we notice this restaurant bar was still open and decided to walk inside. We only ordered drinks, no food. Our server, a young lady with long brunette hair (can't recall her name) was very friendly and easy to get along with. She made sure which drinks belong to who and if our orders were correct. The beers, wine glasses, and several shots we order were not overpriced!!! Also, we were able to meet the owner of Fratelli's, John! He was extremely friendly as well and has a great sense of humor. We were all able to have a conversation with him and share portions of our experiences visiting Philadelphia. My italian speaking skills were a bit rusty, but John and I were able to have a decent conversation for about 5 minutes in italiano! The vibe of this place was very laid back and welcoming. I would come back here again for drinks and hopefully have a chance to try their Italian dishes. Thank you John for the AWESOME hospitality during our last night in Philly!!
(5)Norm A.
Great for a business lunch or evening date. Outdoor seating, small, intimate bar area, open floor plan with high ceilings. Outstanding salads and pasta dishes. Daily specials. Great little Philly spot within walking distance from City Hall and other touristy sites.
(4)J.Cie S.
I went there with a friend after couple of hours of shopping and we just wanted some Italian food (pasta and cheese). All the other restaurants in the area has a 45min to 1hour wait, so we settled with this (bad sign!). Where shall we start? The food runner brought out bread, and it is colder than my water. So I asked them to heat it up, and I was informed that if I wanted hot bread, I had to ask for it. What kind of logic is that? Later, bread came back toasted. Then we ordered fried cheese, it's got no stretch at all. And we shared a pasta for our main course, it was still hard in the center like it has been in the freezer for the last decade. I had never thought a restaurant could mess up pasta and cheese, and this place really surprised me. Never again.
(1)Lori W.
We enjoyed our meal experience @ Fratelli's. The food was good-decent Italian even if not splendiferous--but more than anything it was the pleasant service that would invite us back again. We had a lively toddler that was welcomed even after spilling a full cup of chocolate milk and interrogating the waitress. The wifi was free and ambiance welcoming. Nice place to sit down.
(4)Lea T.
Fratelli's has a nice location off of Broad Street and next to Macy's, but overall this restaurant is stereotypical food and pricey for the quality of both the food and service. I would never go to the Olive Garden across the street, but Fratelli doesn't impress me either. There always seems to be a Groupon voucher running for Fratelli and I have come here twice with that promotion. Sadly both experiences have left me wishing I had gone somewhere else to eat. The fried mozzarella sticks (seemed frozen), ahi tuna, and stuffed mushrooms (bland) were nothing special. The pasta dishes and entrees were large, but the sauce left must to be desired. They use boxed pasta here which just makes the price point confusing. For dessert the flourless chocolate cake and tiramisu were also forgettable. Our server, however, left a lasting impression on my party as she greeted our table she started to tell us how hungover she was from going out the night before...*crickets*. No one really knew how to respond except to give her our order. She wasn't the worst server I ever had, but clearly she needed some more training or to work on her etiquette around customers. I will say that a big positive was that we didn't have difficulty redeeming the Groupon, but I'm guessing that is because most customers don't frequent this restaurant without a deal....
(2)Jay Z.
Food was average, nothing special. Services was crap. Waitress have the expression of not wanting to be there the entire time. Had a fruit fly in my friend's soup and she did not apologize or anything about. Will not come back, even if it was free.
(1)Kathie S.
I've been here a few times, last night being the most recent visit. It's a nice little Italian Bistro with some pretty decent food. Every time I've come here I've used a Groupon; without them I don't think I'd have come b/c it's pretty expensive and there are so many other really good, authentic Italian restaurants in the area. But with the Groupons we've gotten pretty good value, and I've enjoyed my meals. I've read some negative things about the service here, but our servers have always been great, no complaints there. I had the chicken marsala last night, not the best I've ever had but not a bad version, with lots of mushrooms and large portion size. They let me substitute the potatoes and veggies for the pasta, which I appreciated. My main gripe about last night's meal was the salad - although the dressing (Balsamic) was good, I wish they'd put more in it than just lettuce and a few halved cherry tomatoes. My cousins got the chicken Battuta and the tilapia - both looked pretty good, although I didn't actually hear how they liked their entrees. I had a lemon creme brulee for dessert, and that was very good. In the past I've gotten the pre-fixe chicken parm with calamari as an appetizer - the parm was really good, the calamari was just ok - it definitely wasn't fresh, and was a bit rubbery. This is a solid Italian restaurant with a nice ambiance, fairly average food and good service, at least in my experience. Some other reviewers have compared it to the Olive Garden, but I think they're better than that. However, with so many other good Italian restaurants in the city I wouldn't return without the Groupons. As long as they keep offering them, I'll keep coming back, though.
(3)Michael M.
We are here because of restaurant.com got us a free certificate. Food is not cheap and quality is just okay. Coming back would not my first choice.
(3)Tina F.
I got the $100 worth of groupon for $45 , had it for a few months and decided to try out the restaurant before the Groupon expires. We got the avocado crab salad which was one of the best salad I've had. The size is very good, the amount is perfect for two. We also had the fried calamari which was okay. For entree I had the Chili pepper chicken pasta, I didn't really like it. The pasta was too hard. I wouldn't recommend the place, I wouldn't go back.
(3)Amanda P.
Service was SLOW. The restaurant was practically empty yet they sat us directly next to a family instead of giving us any space. The host said he would get our son crayons but never did. Nothing we ate was worth the $100 spent (3 adults 1 child) only reason I'm even giving two stars is because the waitress was at least smart enough to not ask if we wanted dessert until our young son was away from the table. Needless to say we won't be returning.
(2)Jack R.
Great food and great service. Would definitely recommend and go back.
(4)Nick J.
I came here for lunch, craving some good classic italian food and this is just what the doctor ordered! We sat outside and started off with a cocktail, the moscow mule which they just introduced to their menu. It came in a copper mug and I thought it was very refreshing. I skipped out on an appetizer and went straight to a lunch special. I got the spachetenni which are pasta filled sacks of fontina cheese and prosciutto. They tasted so fresh and paired with a fresh basil sauce. This plce had good service and totally worth it for the fresh pasta!
(4)Magne S.
I only write reviews for places that i REALLY like and places that i REALLY DISLIKE and this place was the really dislike. Came here during restaurant week for a friends birthday. I had brought my own ice-cream cake and 24 candles (my friend was turning 23) and asked the lady if she could please put 23 candles. (to be continued) app: i got the calamari. I have had many, many calamari plates from different restaurants and this was probably the worst. Olive Garden makes them better and I'm not even trying to be funny, they do. I also got the caprese salad. I was expecting beautiful red tomatoes with a nice piece of mozzarella (i asked for all sauces on the side). The tomato was cooked & gross, the mozzarella was the size of a circle made from my thumb and index finger & they put the sauces on top which I asked for them not to do. main course: i got the penne vodka with shrimp. This was half decent. Shrimp was the only good thing I ate all night and I couldn't even enjoy it for a long time because there were 4 pieces. dessert: my favorite part of the entire meal which is pretty sad because its the one thing they did NOT make. Also, they put 10 candles on the cake. Theres just something wrong here. Its way TOO expensive for the quality of this food. NO GO. Sorry.
(1)Hagana K.
Kind of a strange restaurant next to fogo over on Chestnut. It has the unmistakable feel of a chain restaurant, but I'm not sure it actually is. Apps from the prix fixe were just ok - the crabcake had way too much filler, and the calamari was a bit overcooked and rubbery, although I strangely like my calamari somewhat overcooked, so no complaints there. Portions are huge. Chili Chicken rigatoni was really good, but I probably had about eight bites and took the rest home. If their menus were paper and said Olive Garden you'd never know the difference. Except, you know, no free endless breadsticks. Our server Casey was great though, five stars for service. She figured out pretty quick we weren't the serious dining types, and we had a good casual time throughout dinner.
(3)Michael T.
Great food great atmosphere, took a date here for dinner and we loved everything! The Stuffed Mushrooms were amazing 10/10 in my book and my dates as well, and for the main course I had chicken parmesan, cooked to perfection and the spaghetti was prefect! My date had the veal marsala, could not ask for any better it tasted amazing! The atmosphere was great for us and the server was amazing she was there when we needed her but was not intrusive at all and helped make the night just that much better!
(5)Elizabeth S.
Server was great! The food was not amazing. If you want a quick bite that isn't awful and good service go for it. It's hard to go wrong with pasta. Bread was definitely awful tho!
(3)Wayne D.
I am feeling generous giving one star rating. I usually don't even bother with bad reviews because I never return myself to these restaurants. My experience was like a scene in kitchen nightmares and I was waiting for Chef Ramsey to come out and close the place down. I think the owner was sitting next to me at the bar, dress in I don't know what drinking a high ball. 80's music was playing, and the flat screen had some mature audience show on - I only said something after a woman starting pole dancing - asking if this was appropriate for dinner. They changed it to the Giants Phillys game. I ordered Fettuccine an got Linguine noodles that were uncooked and hard - there was even a row of about four noodles that were stuck together - obviously frozen and did not break apart in boiling water. The shrimp tasted as if they were freezer burned and a few were not cooked all the way through. Obviously not fresh. The Alfredo sauce was just weird the seasoning was all wrong and it was salty. The bread was absolutely awful - not sure what it was but nothing I have ever experienced before. A friend of a server came and sat on the bar and was offered a beer but he instead asks for a Sex on the Beach and started flirting with the waitress with sexual innuendos. A server asked if he could go buy cigarettes and did a roll call to the kitchen who needed cigarettes for the cigarette run. The bartender server did a good job - her drinks were good - she did forget to bring me a water (I was the only customer sitting at the bar beside the owner and the Russian friend). For the cost I would never consider going to this restaurant again.
(1)Amara M.
This place is so unbelievably awful in so many ways. I went with a coworker a couple of weeks ago in a snowy day. We walked in and it was completely desolate. We seated ourselves and waited until someone came out. We ordered teas at first - my mug came out with lipstick on it. Then we ordered our meal and my raviolis were still frozen in the center. For the price I'm surprised they don't make fresh ravioli. They tasted store bought. Then my coworker offered to pay bc she had received a fratellis gift card - we were told she couldn't use it because their system was down for months. Which was absolutely shocking that they would sell a gift card a week prior to someone. It doesn't even make sense. How could you sell a gift card but not take it if the system is down? We asked to see the manager and were told that the managers only work until noon ? So absurd. Will never go back. I only gave it a 2 because our server was still very kind and attentive.
(2)Chris K.
We had a long lay over in philly last year so I planed a trip in the city for dinner and drinks. We found this place on Yelp and they had a deal going so we gave it a try. I ordered the pasta al Forno and the wife ordered chicken Parm. We also had a nice bottle of wine and a order of bruschetta to start. It was amazing! I have very high standards of Italian food and they were most definitely met that evening at Fratelli's.
(4)Tony M.
I don't understand why this place got negative reviews. The wait staff is super friendly and helpful and my scallop/salmon/muscle linguini dinner (special) was amazing. Def have to get the "Irony Pinot Noir" to complement your meal. It's the best wine I had in a while for only $33. Regardless I had a great time and and excellent tasting dinner :-) thanks
(5)Marc W.
Very accommodating, very friendly, and absolutely delicious. John in particular treated us as guests - just an excellent Italian dinner in a terrific location.
(5)Casper M.
My date and I sent back most of the food :( The veal marsala was oily, and not in the good way with nice olive oil. Even the bruschetta was drowned in balsamic vinegar. I realize this is an Italian place, but we asked for a Margarita, and they said they could make it. Waiter came back with a pint glass of tequila and orange juice. They should just say they don't make it then.. Service was good but they need new people in the kitchen.
(2)Jaya D.
Friend was looking for seafood and got this recommendation from the hotel for "the best of both worlds - Italian and seafood". Overall I wasn't impressed. I had the eggplant parm on the waitress's suggestion...not a lot of flavor and overpriced. The salads were good, house made dressing. But overall the quality of the food doesn't warrant $20-$30 an entree.
(3)Janek J.
We have generally enjoyed the service/food at Fratelli's over a long period of time. The other night, not so much. The waitress knew us and was, as usual, very pleasant, The kitchen sent us another table's food, which was immediately corrected. The waitress offered us dessert as compensation. It was a hot night and we were eating outside. We didn't touch either of our salads. We asked to take home the salads and half our meals, declined (free) desserts. At home, we discovered about three lettuce leaves in the box that should have contained two salads--obviously not OUR salads. The next day, I emailed the restaurant. No response.
(2)Joe W.
Had great lunch; crab and avocado salad was stunning and overflowing with prime clump crab. Friend had Panini so large he took home half (it came with salad). Groupon made the deal excellent. The service was friendly and kept us informed admitting she made an input error causing delay. Unsweetened ice tea was real tasty and always refreshed, But for lunch, get a smaller menu to serve quicker I don't have over an hour every day to leisurely lunch. Fast casual. Fratelli's has the food quality; they need to focus. Too many choices.
(4)Julie F.
The food was good, not great. The service was good. Wouldn't get the cannoli again but the pasta was good. Nice atmosphere and not terribly crowded.
(4)Joia M.
Pros: The chilli chicken rigatoni is fantastic. Its an absolute must-get, it haunts my dreams! The flourless chocolate cake was also divine. Friendly service, nice atmosphere. Cool bathroom. Cons: The bread was totally unappetizing. Thin, dry, etc. No olive oil was provided. Also, the prices were just high, two people dinner came to $75. Maybe that's not bad for that part of town, but definitely out of my price range if I didn't have a groupon. Meh: The mozzarella fritta was pretty decent, but wasn't that different from the standard mozz sticks anywhere, and kinda pricey at $9.
(4)April L.
I went to this place thru a Groupon deal. When my family and I went in, the male waiter (the one with spiky hair) gave us the lunch menu instead of the dinner one. He was constantly rolling his eyes at us. I felt that he was really unprofessional and didn't want our business. When my dad ordered his entree, one of the sauces was "wasabi aioli" and he suggested to my dad to get that. I was shocked. Did the waiter suggested that because we're Asian? Afterwards, he also got our orders wrong. When I told him that, he actually sighed at our faces while rolling his eyes at us. He even said it was because he heard us wrong. Really? Because when we ordered, we actually said it and pointed at the menu at the same time. And when we were about done with our food, he just put our check on our table. When I looked at the check, it was full price instead of the Groupon deal discount. I did called beforehand for a reservation telling them I have a Groupon deal and they said it was ok. So I have to flagged down this guy again telling him we actually have a Groupon voucher. He again rolled his eyes at us. I'll never go back to this place again. The food was good, but the service was horrible.
(1)Amy R.
This was one of the only places that we could find on a Saturday night that didn't have a 1 hour+ wait. The food was good...I don't know why, but hey, I'll take it! I don't remember specifics about most of the food I had, except that the soup I had - I believe it was mushroom or asparagus soup - was really great. I'm not from Philly, was there on business, so I likely won't return, but it's not because of the food or the service. Great place!
(4)Walter G.
The food was amazing!!!! The best parmegiana I have ever ate!!! The price was in our budget (using a groupon we spend 40 for 2 including the groupon price). Definitely we will return again! Highly recommended!!!!
(5)Julie S.
I cannot speak highly enough about my first experience at Fratellis! This place was amazing (food, service, experience). My girlfriend and I sat outside, which was nice. We were greeted by a very down to earth waitress that immediately developed great rapport with us. We chose our meals from the $25.00 prix fixe menu.... Which was a pleasant surprise that they offered something like that on a Friday night. For our appetizers we got fried calamari and stuffed mushrooms.... Amazing. Highly recommend the stuffed mushrooms. Second course was a pretty standard dinner salad, but we both got the balsamic vinaigrette which was delicious. We found out in conversation that they actually make it in house. For dinner my friend got the penne alla vodka which was absolutely to die for. I actually preferred hers over mine but mine was great too. I got a beef tortellini in a Marsala cream sauce, interesting spin on the Marsala sauce, loved it. For drinks, hahaha they kept them flowing, we got a couple bottles of wine, and each got the espresso martini which was spectacular (not too sweet, which I like) and a couple espresso shots (with lemon zest slither as any good Italian restaurant should). But what I especially loved about this experience was the special attention one of the owners Johnny gave us. He was so nice and accommodating, checked on us a couple times and was chatting us up a little (but NOT in an annoying "leave us alone kind of way"). Something interesting is that the two owners are brothers... You can feel the family run business vibe in the place too, which was fun. This is a very laid back, yet nice restaurant, great food, amazing service and it even seems like they treat their employees well too. Overall, highly recommend this Fratellis.
(5)Margarita T.
Fratelli's is my go to for a nice lunch, it's on the more affordable side and it's not a chain (aka Olive Garden across the street). The service is always amazing, very attentive and good at recommendations. My favorite eats have been: Venetian Onion Soup (one of the best onion soups imo), Sausage Stuffed Cremini Mushrooms , Avocado Crab Salad, and Chicken Valdostana.
(4)Jen M.
Pretty good! The wait service is good, fast, and knowledgeable. The wine selection could be better. A little sad that there weren't a few more vegetarian options. The tomato sauce was a little too salty for my liking, but that's about average.with restaurants like these. The bathroom, however, is the only reason I'm giving this place anything less than four stars. It was disgusting. No hand towels or dryer. Lots of empty toilet paper rolls all over the place-- I am very hesitant to go back for this reason. Also, I don't like going to nice restaurants and seeing TVs with sports games on them.
(2)Ozzie L.
This food was Ok at best, but the reason i liked this place was because of the bartender. Danielle was fun and friendly that if it wasnt for her I would be giving this place a lower rating. She made the overall experience a pleasant one.
(3)Beau M.
Food was good, not great, overpriced for what you get in my opinion. Fast service and friendly, portions were a really good size.
(3)Morgan B.
This place does not even deserve one star. To start off with, the waiter had no interest in being there and had a I-don't-care attitude. When he went to go pour water in my sisters glass he reached across my fathers face with half of his body, almost spilling on my sister and her phone. On to the food. The complimentary bread was cold as if it was just taken out of the fridge, and the butter was rock solid. I ordered a glass of wine that the waiter suggested and it tasted cheap and was overpriced. For dinner I ordered the yellowtail tuna that I was told was grilled sushi style, meaning the inside was supposed to be raw. It was over cooked, giving it the taste of tuna from a can. It also said it came with grilled fresh veggies, when in reality it came with 4 thin slices of zucchini. My sisters ordered the chili pepper chicken rigatoni and the chicken Marsala, the rigatoni was hard so my sister sent it back, he brought out a whole new dish and the pasta was even more undercooked. Not only was the pasta undercooked, but they had obviously tried to add an Italian flare, which ended in a mess. It was way too spicy, and the menu didn't even mention that it was spicy. The chicken Marsala was over cooked and dry; it was nothing impressive. My father would never complain about a meal but even he said his pasta Diablo was no good. The waiter noticed I was not touching my Tuna and took it off of our check. He said that we could get a desert with the money from the tuna. I ordered carrot cake for dessert which, to my surprise, was actually pretty good, but I wouldn't go back for it. Overall, this place was over priced and the food was just not good, by the end of the night even the waiter could see that we were unhappy with all the food. Would never bother returning unless there was a new chef.
(1)K. B.
Another place I'd never try if not for Groupon. This is why I love Philadelphia... We got to eat at a great little restaurant in the middle of center city on a random Wednesday evening. Restaurant is right next to Fogo, across from 10 Arts and a block from McGillins. And yes, McGillins belongs in the company of the other 2. I digress. The inside reminds me a lot of the center city Mexican Post, which is not a bad thing, just a little deja vu'ish (sp?). I will agree with another reviewer, this place does not need TVs at the bar. They are a little incongruent. Our waiter was great, offered suggestions, and wasn't snippy about the Groupon. I got a chili chicken pasta and she got the grilled tuna. Both very good. Only issue is that I believe an Italian place serving pasta should have enormous portions for the $17 I'm paying. Its pasta... Like $1/lb, tops... aka I shouldn't be able to clean my plate. Oh well. All in all, I shall return. Solid 4 stars.
(4)Nickki D.
I've only eaten in once or twice - I usually grab a to-go order from the bar. Danielle, the bartender, is wonderful. She's pleasant, courteous, attentive and quick. Food comes out speedily and well packed for travel. My favorites are the fried mozzarella, petite crab cakes and the apple walnut spinach salad, though their specials do not dissappoint either. The food is always in large portions. Conveniently located off Broad St, a short walk from the Walnut Locust stop. Love it and eat there a few times a month. Defintely check it out!
(4)E R.
Excellent wait staff and delicious food.
(3)Nick C.
Horrible. Just horrible. Just walked out a few minutes ago after my girlfriend took a sip of her Malibu & pineapple and pulled a rather large bug out of her mouth. It was made all the more terrible when we told our waitress and she responded with "oh, it was probably just a fruit fly"...WHAT!? There was no apology. Nothing. We watched her tell the manager and he didn't even look at us as we left. Horrendous. Where the hell is John Taffer to rip these people a new one? Never go to Fratelli's. Walk down a block and take a right and go to The Corner. We're eating here now and it is both cheaper AND bug-free.
(1)Dave K.
The dining area was about half full on a Tuesday night and yet the wait for the food was incredibly long - over an hour for the entrees. I must have contemplated several times making my way across the street to the Olive Garden to get me some Tour-Of-Italy along with some free salad and breadsticks. As an app, the warm crab cheesecake is can't miss. For entrees, the Tuna Livornese was passable with an ice cream sized scoop of linguini. My fellow diners enjoyed the Salmon and Lobster Ravioli. However when it was all said and done, the wait just killed the dining experience.
(2)ana m.
I really enjoy this restaurant. I came here with a Groupon and have been back several times. They have a great happy hour drink and appetizer specials, that alone is worth coming here. I love the bruschetta and the dressing on their house salads. I've enjoyed all of my meals here. Right next to Macy's, great location. It's pricey, so if you are looking to save money, come with a Groupon or during their happy hour.
(5)Ron S.
Firstly I want to say the meals my son and I had were good. Contrary to se reviews the noodles are freshly made the veal Marsala was very good and my son was pleased with the spaghetti and red meat sauce. The atmosphere was pleasant but commercial ( as would be expected a block from city hall). Now the wine list was minimal and did not show respect for good Italian wines. The list of entrees is small and, from my perspective, the chef showed limited imagination on what an Italian restaurant should present. My recommendation; good choice for lunch, and okay for dinner if you like a menu of familiar and traditional Italian meals.
(3)Jill R.
We tried Fratelli's for dinner mid-week while in town on business. Coming from the South, I wanted some good Italian food while in town since it's hard to find (in non-chain form) where I'm from. While I would have loved to try some of the other well-reviewed places in Philly, my dining companions were not so adventurous. They wanted chain food. We compromised on Fratelli's and it hit the spot for our varied group. Just good simple Italian food. Was it the best Italian I've ever had? No. I would call it similar to some popular high end Italian chain restaurants. But it was solid, and pleased everyone in our group.
(4)Robert B.
We has a restaurant.com certificate and had a party of 5. The servers were kind and the atmosphere was trendy. I had an Italian sandwich lunch special. My wife had a grilled sandwich lunch special and my mom had a grilled chicken salad. The kids had kids meals (burger and chicken fingers w/ fries.) Our food was delicious and the drinks were always full, which goes a long way in my book. We truly enjoyed our meal and thank the establishment for a great lunch. Oh!, we also booked our table on opentable.com and they had our reservation and table waiting with no issue. Kudos to them. We would return, again.
(4)Olesya P.
Well, we came here just because of the groupon deal, $25 for $50. Place looked ok, nothing special. Waiter was extremely annoying. He told me that I had something on my face, like a food, or so. My bf found it extremely offensive. They brought bread that was cold, and butter that was hard. It would be better just to put bread to the microwave just for a little bit. Also, the quality of food was not good considering the price. I would put this place together with AppleBee's, based on food quality. Also the waiter basically made us buy a dessert which was $9. Also, I asked if they had hot tea, and he said yes, and just brought it. I did not want to order because I drink tea only with some desserts, and after hearing the dessert menu options I did not want tea. We end up paying extra $20 even after groupon deduction. I would not come back. There too many good places to eat in Philly to spend your time and money for this place. Do not come here!
(2)Toni J.
Went here last night with a Groupon. The restaurant is really pretty and everything look brand new. Our waitress was friendly and really attentive. Also the food came really fast AND was so good! I would definitely be back without a groupon.
(4)James A.
Good, solid, big-city Italian. Ravioli, Chicken with Pesto, a nice glass of Chianti, and a piece of tiramisu. Not re-inventing the wheel, but it's a very tasty wheel as is. The server, Casey, was wry and witty and droll and perfect.
(4)Kristen L.
Made my co-worker sick from tuna at lunch. Decor is average, bathrooms were messy.
(2)Daniel D.
The food was excellent and the service was great. Nice little restaurant nestled on a busy street.
(5)Brenda G.
On May 8, I dined at Fratelli's as one of a group of about 40 "women of a certain age" from Hadassah, a Jewish women's charitable organization. The food, service, and just general upbeat energy of the restaurant and staff has compelled me to post this review. From the moment I entered to a courteous and cheerful welcome, to the speed of taking and delivering my drink order, to the professional service of the staff, and of course, to the totally yummy food (I had the eggplant parm - delish and hot- thank you!), I was pleasantly surprised by this simply delightful dining experience. I will be back with friends.
(5)Jimmy A.
Frattelli's was great, went to celebrate a birthday and everything was delicious. I had the lobster ravioli and the sauce that it came in was very good, we also had the crab crusted tilapia and the seafood fra diavolo and all the seafood was very fresh and the portions were nicely sized, the only thing the wasn't great was the tiramisu, the taste was ok but the portion was pretty small and overpriced
(4)Spencer H.
The bruschetta is so so bueno....A must have when your in philly...Yooooo trust me check it out..:p
(5)Freddy P.
I'll sum up my experience in sentences that are short and to the point. Friendly hostess. Seated immediately. Service was ok, nothing special. Cold pumpernickel sliced bread and cold butter to start. App sampler had undercooked calamari. Mozzarella sticks were like pizza shop quality. Salad was good. Balsamic vinaigrette. Lobster ravioli was good. Her crabs and pasta dish was too spicy and not enough seasoning. Creme brûlée was ok. Mousse was extra sweet. All together with a glass of wine and 2 beers it was $102. Thanks for groupon!, it was $50 off. Still too much. We won't be back.
(1)Reb M.
Very friendly service, delicious crab crusted tilapia. House salad was pretty meager, but that's just a minor complaint. I will come back!
(4)Chris B.
Excellent food and service, would definately return
(5)Andy P.
Went because of a groupon. Bread was amazing, lobster ravioli was probably the best I've ever had, good service, overall ambiance was great. Will definitely go back, even without the groupon it would be worth it.
(5)Michael S.
Honestly, the best meal I've had in town. Do not miss the chile pepper chicken rigatoni or the Lobster ravioli. Excellent dishes!!
(5)Maria E.
My husband and I had a wonderful dinner at Fratelli's. Service was excellent and the food was wonderful. I had the capellini with crab and my husband had the chicken Marsala both cooked to perfection. We will definitely go back.
(5)John R.
Very good food...reasonable price. Fun the 3 courses option for $ 25. Will go back...
(4)Mary M.
Good food, and good service, our waiter was extremely friendly and helpful..mis named as a bistro though, the atmosphere is very open and cold, almost like a sports at that serves Italian
(3)LISA H.
went last night, seated very quickly, service was great, waitress had good recommendations. i had the $25 pre-fixe menu, which was a good value, crab cake was good & vodka penne was good. My husband had the Special jumbo diver scallops with mango sauce, which was amazing and cooked perfectly. Had the house wine Pinot Grigio at $7 a glass, great deal. Also, we purchased the $30 yelp gift certificate which made the prices more reasonable, as they are slightly on the higher end. However, i'd prefer this over the Olive Garden across the street from it. All in all, i recommend it!
(4)Karen T.
Great food, good service. Love the authentic rustic flavor of the dishes. We will be back
(5)Danielle C.
Went at 8 pm on a sat night with fiance an got seated right away which was great the food was Amazing .. We spilt a drink on accident they replaced it and cleaned it up no problem the wait staff wAs good over all 5 stars will def b coming back :)
(5)Joe T.
Our party of six dined at Fratelli's before a concert at the Kimmel Center. I had a Caesar salad and the butternut squash ravioli which was a special that evening. The food was well prepared and very tasty...not quite excellent but certainly very good. Everyone else in the party also enjoyed their dinner. Service was professional and prompt. I would definitely return and certainly recommend Fratelli's.
(4)Jennifer R.
My family was heading to Philadelphia for Thanksgiving weekend and saw a Groupon for Fratelli's and decided to purchase one. We tried to get in on the Friday night at 6:00 but they told us that we needed reservations and if we chose to wait, it would be about a 45 minute wait. We decided to pass and went back on Saturday for lunch. We had a very positive experience. Our waitress was lovely. The lunch entrees were a nice size. I had the chicken parmesan which was really good and my husband had fish which he enjoyed very much. Our three year old had a hamburger and she seemed to enjoy her meal as well. The restaurant was pretty and it was in a good location. Next time we are in Philadelphia, we will definitely go back!
(4)Robert H.
Food was good and our waitress was particularly helpful
(4)Caroline E.
Meh, it was okay. You've got so many better options in Philly. I wouldn't worry about checking out this one.
(2)Gerald W.
With the coupon is was a stupendous deal, even without it, it would have been terrific. My wife and I shared a roast Caprese salad and a Fettucine Alfredo. Both were delicious and easily enough to share. They also shake a great Martini! Out server, Casey, could not have been nicer or more efficient. It is convenient to all the theatres in the area and we will definitely be back!
(5)Lauren L.
Went here for a nice family dinner while in town. The restaurant is cozy with a nice atmosphere. The food was good, the usual Italian fare, nothing we had was terribly special, but I would recommend it for dinner for anyone looking for a decent, not too pricey place to eat. All was good for us except the service. Our waitress was loud, rude, very lax, and when she first came over she stared at us while we gave our drink orders and then said she needed coffee and made us repeat our whole order. Everything took a really long time to get there. When we got our food, the others in my party were hot, but my ravioli was cold all the way through. I signaled our waitress over and she looked right at me and then went outside to serve the outside guests. We waited over 5 minutes for her to come back and take the food back to warm it up. Another 15 minutes later, she had a remade plate, which is nice and it was very good. But when we were having our plates cleared, there were two (of 12) ravioli left on the plate and the waitress scolded me (20 years old, not jokingly in the least) telling me the chef had to remake it for me so I should eat it all. I didn't even know how to respond to such unprofessionalism. She then went and stood outside and talked to a table for a good 15 minutes before coming back to take our check. I was very caught off guard afterwards and angry about the disrespect for the rest of the night.
(2)Donna V.
Delicious food, generous portions, friendly service. Gnocchi with Gorgonzola cream waas memorable. A good choice for theater goers - walking distance to the 'Avenue of the Arts' venues (Academy of Music, Kimmel Center, etc) and prices not as stratospheric as most of the restaurants on the Avenue of the Arts.
(5)Grant M.
Italian restaurants smell like Italian restaurants. This place does not smell like they are cooking anything. Nicely decorated yes, ambiance no. We called late on a Friday evening and were able to get a reservation one hour later. We arrived at thirty minutes early and asked to be seated when they had an open table. we had a drink while we watched several empty tables sit empty. The hostess checked with one of two men (that appeared to be brothers/owners) but we were required to wait. The drinks were strong pours and priced high. Promptly at our reservation time we were seated (still several empty tables throughout the place). My wife ordered the Chicken Parm with pasta with a sage butter sauce. She said the only flavor on her plate was the sage butter sauce and the chicken tasted as if it were frozen. My lasagna was bland and had very little sauce. The busboy cleared the table but did not tell the server that there were obvious problems with the meals.Worst Parm ever! There is an Olive Garden (not high on my list) across the street and this place must survive on the folks that don't want to wait in line for their dinner. The quantity of the food was large the quality very small. The two brothers were more interested in the basketball game on the tv than what was going on in the restaurant.
(1)Dan F.
Food was extremely subpar for the price. Slow unattentive service
(1)PA19124 0.
Took my family here for mothers day (7 people, two small children). First off, children's menu....seriously? $7, I guess it isn't a bad price but they brought the kids out entirely too much food. I knew the place was pricey but was hoping for a family feel like growing up, I expected over sized entrees. The prix fixe menu isn't bad for the price. But we had a reservation at 8, which you CLEARLY do not need, and by 8:40 I actually had to go ask who our waitress was so we could order. This place was more than half empty, no competition to the fogo de chao next door. Probably bad placement and the lack luster food doesn't help. 20 bucks for chicken parm? It was a large piece of chicken but it was just breaded in plain bread crumbs and fried. The sauce doesn't stack up enough to NOT season your chicken. They have NO DRINKS. Unless you want wine or alcohol, there is nothing they can offer you except water. I asked for drinks for my 3 year old nephews, they offered me cranberry or pineapple (WTF). The calamari was chewy, unacceptable if this is supposed to be a legit italian eatery. I got the chicken battutta, which had SO much potential, except again nothing was seasoned. 3 halves of potatoes though? Seriously? The pasta dishes my family ordered had enough angel hair to feed a small army. I don't get the point of the cold hard bread they put on the table with the cold hard butter. Couldn't heat either of those up for a minute??? The menu is SMALL , and that may be giving it too much credit. They don't have a desert menu, but if you ask they actually do have desert. We paid $9 for a slice of cheesecake. The tiramisu was small and soggy. And whoever filled the cannolis should probably stop trying. Looked horrible. The kitchen closes at 9, but they stay open until 10. Definitely gives you the feel of a chain restaurant or diner. The total bill was 225. I still can't justify the 32 per person price for this place. ALL WE HAD WAS WATER!!! It's really dark, almost hard to see the menu. The food wasn't bad overall, but I definitely feel like I overpaid for everything. Including parking. They don't have valet, but fogo's will be happy to do it for you for 25 big ones. I agree with the last guy, hit up the olive garden across the street. Definitely more bang for your buck over there. They had a half price gift card on groupon, should've seen that as a warning sign instead of a deal! Oh and don't forget they automatically add 20% gratuity to the check. Chick definitely didn't deserve a $35 tip!
(3)John S.
Food and service were OK, but nothing to write home about.
(2)Rebecca Z.
We ordered food via DiningIn.com and were not disappointed! I had the penne vodka with chicken. The pasta was cooked perfectly! There was a delicate ratio of pasta to sauce, which balanced the meal perfectly. Another member of my party had the crab crusted tilapia. It was real crab meat, very little filler, the fish tasted fresh and was cooked superbly! It was accompanied by fresh, crunchy asparagus and roasted red potatoes. I cannot speak for the recurring bread problems listed by other reviews, ours came delivery. It was fresh and soft on the inside with a delightful crusty outside. I would like to visit the restaurant and try more dishes. We will definitely return!
(4)Kathy H.
We chose Fratelli's for its proximity to the Kimmel Center. Our waitress was very accommodating by helping us stay on schedule to make the show. She was just the right blend of helpful, but not overly intrusive. The food was good. We would definitely go back again.
(3)Ann M.
we enjoyed our food, the server was professional, the atmosphere delightful.
(3)Steve R.
We bought a Groupon for the new Fratelli's the week it opened but just got to use it last night. It was a Sunday night at about 6:30 and the place was nearly empty - Maybe about 6 tables full. We had been to the ORIGINAL Fratellis at 17th and Spruce in the 1980s and it was good. This place isn't. They offered a 3 course price fixe menu for $25 - so it was fully covered by our $50 Groupon. It gave you a choice fried calamari, stuffed mushrooms or mini crab cakes (Each of which was priced at $11.50 on the regular menu), a mixed greens salad (which is included with ALL entrees anyway) and a choice of about 7 entrees - mostly chicken dishes like Chicken parm as well as Salmon with linguini and garlic and oil. The Veal dishes on the menu were in the $22 range and the Chicken Parm etc were $18.50. Not exactly cheap. We went for the price-fixe. I had the calamari that was HUGE portion - enough for two - but heavily breaded. My partner had the mushrooms. THREE mushroom caps filled with sausage - very small for menu price. The salads were mixed greens with TWO sliced cherry tomatoes on each plate. I ordered the Chicken parm which was HUGE but - again heavily breaded and it tasted overcooked. Came with spaghetti in a tomato sauce that reminded me of Olive Garden - which, BTW, is directly across the street! (and much cheaper). It had a gritty taste. My partner went for the Salmon which appeared to have been frozen and somewhat dried out. It was topped with cream sauce. Her pasta was linguini which was WAY undercooked. Tougher than al dente. So the food really surprised us as the Fratelli name - and even the old Italian Bistro on South Broad Street was decent. Out serve was great and apologized when I mentioned the over breading - but it wasn't her fault. An odd moment happened just before we left. Two men came in and asked for a table. The hostess went to sit them near us at a table recently vacation. One of the men pointed to the other side of the room - where a few tables were occupied but plenty were empty and asked "Could we be seated over there?". The hostess said "I'm afraid not, those are reserved". The man commented under his breath "Really?". Bad start already. It's hard to believe but both my dining partner and I agreed that even with a Groupon, we would rather have eaten at the Olive Garden than the meal we had there! (and at OG you get unlimited salad so even if food disappoints, at least you can depend on that.) I guess I know why it was empty when the neighborhood was busy with tourists.
(2)Sam P.
Ate here on a Wednesday night, they were not busy, wait staff was attentive, pleasant. The food was on par with mediocre. We went here because we had a living social deal. Mussels were plump, clean, sauce was nothing special. Chicken valdastano was terrible. There are too many great restaurants in Philly to consider going back here. Good luck.
(2)Dante T.
Amazing food, great setup, beautiful interior.
(5)Tom R.
I had dinner there 3 times, the first was wonderful, it was an off night and we were the only people there. The second night, I had the seafood fra diavlo and I asked for it to be extra spicy, I got the red pepper shaker instead. the seafood wasn't fresh, it had an odor to it and I was suspect eating the leftovers the next day. I tried it for a third time, thinking it may have been a fluke and had the Talapia with crab. It was tasteless and mushy, frozen and should have been used in the deep frier, not as fresh fish. the crab was a ground up mush meal, tasteless, that seemed to have imitation crab in it. You know the telltale red dye that they use. The Ceasar's salad was the dark green part of the leaf, not the crisp part of the lettuce and when I asked for cheese, I was expecting shaved chips, I got the shaken table cheese for pasta. I have to say that the waitstaff is helpful, it's not their fault the food isn't up to par and I left a decent tip each time but was tempted to stiff them.
(1)Caitlyn C.
I really loved this place. I bought Groupon and was so pleasantly surprised. We sat outside and our server Samantha was incredibly attentive and sweet. We had the stuff mushrooms, calamari and lobster ravioli. Every part of the dinner was delicious. I consider myself a bit of a foodie. And I would highly recommend this place!!!
(5)