Seeing as I am named Alexander I'm not surprised that a restaurant which shares my name is fantastic. I have eaten at Alexander's several times and the food and wait staff have always been spot on. My favorite dish is the Mafalda Alexander (Mafalda pasta, sausage, and a tomato cream sauce). They give you an un-eatably huge portion which is fine by me, it makes a great lunch the next day. Also, I think the decor and prices make this a great spot for a date night. One minor flaw is that the only parking is metered street parking. It's usually not a problem finding a spot relatively close, however I have run into issues in the past.
(4)
Sam F.
This place is perfect if you've had a rough day and want to go somewhere to have a relaxing, homemade dinner. The people there treat you like family and the food is awesome. You can buy make- your-own pastas and the tomato sauce is the best!!! The fried ravioli entree is really yummy too. The only thing I can say as a semi-"ehh" about this place is that they don't have just a regular meat lasagna! The appetizers are really good, but for instance if you order their provolone sticks, it only comes with three. Not exactly enough to share with another person. They give you complimentary bread to start though. The Abby Alexandra's Angel Hair entree is very good as well. I should also mention that their proportions are huge! I always have leftovers no matter how hungry I am walking in. All in all, this place is a gem. The people are soooo friendly and it's a really enjoyable environment to be in. Great for a casual drink, a nice dinner with your family or even a lo-key dinner date. The food is awesome and it's well worth a trip to this area of town if you don't live close.
(4)
Sarah E.
I was a little surprised by the lackluster reviews for Alexanders on here. I've only been there once, but I was quite pleased with the experience. From the second I entered the restaurant, I was greeted in a very friendly manner. Service to my table was also prompt and amicable. There is quite a bit of variety on the menu, and the prices are reasonable. I had the Tortellini Verde and my friend had the Mafalda Madison (thankfully I was able to sample this a bit too). I thought both were flavorful and tasty. Granted, I'm not an Italian food connoisseur, but it was definitely comparable if not better than other Mom & Pop Italian places I've been to. It certainly blows Olive Garden out of the water, but perhaps that goes without saying. I will definitely go back!
(4)
Shanna C.
I really wanted Alexanders to be great - like a hidden gem in a sea of Big Burritos and high-priced Shadyside Italian joints. Well, it was well priced, but the food was just... okay. They didn't go that extra mile to make it great. I had the blackened ahi tuna salad - the tuna was fantastic, but the dressing came in a plastic condiment cup with a lid and the tuna looked real lonely on some standard dark salad greens. Pasta portions were generous... but again, not fantastic. Joe Mama's actually has better pasta. Half-priced wine by the glass - also generous. However there was lipstick permanently imprinted into the glass I got. The bar looks really nice and the dining room was more like a living room painted warm colors and filled with booths. I really wanted to like it. But I also wanted to comment on how the stellar review from an unknown source underneath the glass table top to read while you dine made it feel like some substandard tavern. I wanted to tell the waitresses screaming across the dining room to quite down because I can't hear the strangely out of place pop and rock music coming from the quality sound system over her asking if her customers want coffee with the dessert. I wanted a nice dinner at a beautiful restaurant. I got an OK one in a wonky dining room. If they take a step back and consider what they could do to make the place better, I think they can get there. However, that's not likely to happen without new management.
(3)
Dean J.
Solid American Italian food that's not making a pretense of being anything else. The service was incredibly friendly, the food was well thought out, as promised, and in ample portions. Half price wine on Monday and Wednesday. Will be headed back.
(3)
Jr A.
This review is for the banquet facility. My family had a special event in their party room this past weekend. The point man a the restaurant was Jim and he could not have been nicer or professional. He told us he wouldn't be there the day of the event but he made sure another employee, Dave, knew of our special needs. The event went off smoothly and we could not have been happier with the food, service and price. A great restaurant to stage an event
(5)
D S.
The food - bruschetta and fried ravioli apps, side salad, 1/2 order of aglio olio, and rice pudding - was pretty good. The aglio olio and rice pudding were the best parts of the meal. The service was good. Everyone was friendly. The interior could use some sprucing, but, all in all, it was good Italian food. I'll be back for the half-priced wine!
(4)
Britney T.
The food here is authentic and FILLING! Each table has a nice setup complete with oil & vinegar to start out with when the fresh, fluffy white Italian bread is brought to your table. The gnocci is one of my favorite things, main course-wise, but a lot of people seem to like the bolognese. My favorite dessert is the Tiramisu. They also offer a side house salad which is also really good (they use dried cranberries and candied walnuts, mmmm!!!). I'm not a huge fan of wedding soup, but Alexander's has one of the best.The mac n' cheese is fabulous as well. Everything here is. Nothing is done cheap. The atmosphere is dimly lit and romantic, I suppose, the bartenders are sweet and conversational, and the servers are timely, polite and very friendly. They have outside seating available, weather permitting. Decent drink specials and a variety to choose from. Alexander (the owner) is such a nice guy, he goes out of his way to make the customers happy. I feel like I'm at home here. When I go back to Pittsburgh, this may very well be the first place I visit!
(4)
Matthew Lee C.
Alexander's is an extraordinary family-owned old fashioned Italian restaurant. Highlights: Homemade rice pudding, tiramisu. Sorry, desserts first. The bread is fresh and is served with oil, vinegar, and parmesan cheese. Traditional antipasto is delicious and made to suit the size of your party. For appetizers, the fried ravioli and calamari fritti are to die for. Entrees: the cream sauces, red sauces, and the pesto are all delicious but my favorite is the Marfredo Sauce, a mix of marinara and alfredo. The Marfredo goes really well with sliced spicy Italian sausage. PS. The service cannot be beat. It's one of the friendliest restaurants I have eaten in. I used to go there often when I was a student living in Bloomfield.
(5)
Trish I.
Had veal romano, it was excellent, some of the best veal I have had in a restaurant in years. The pasta was also very good, I chose the Gorgonzola sauce, also very good. The waitress was very friendly and the cost was reasonable.
(5)
Denise L.
Seat yourself in the back.... Only one server/bartender from 2-4:30 pm.... But good service regardless....fried ravioli was good.... Meatballs ok... Chicken rissoto was delicious....chicken eggplant parm was fried....( just to give a heads up)....lemon bar is very sweet( but good). Carrot cake yummy....1 dessert is enough to feed 2! Discounts for upmc family house guests..... It started raining and the manager offered to drive us back to family house when we asked to call a taxi... Great service for a good price.... Definately would recommend!
(4)
Megan H.
Very average Italian food. If you're looking for a pasta+sauce experience, it's pretty boring. Eggplant parm was a little better than average. But all in all, not any more exciting than what I can make for myself with a jar of sauce and box of pasta.
(2)
Thomas C.
I used to work near Alexander's 10 years ago and it was consistently good, so we decided to go there on Valentine's Day for a nice meal. As it turned out, the service and meals were a disaster. In fact, I have not seen service that bad in years. We ordered the "make your own pasta" and the meals were unlike anything I have ever seen from an Italian restaurant. Not only were the dishes not correctly prepared based on the order, but bland and something you might see from a frozen microwave dinner. The waitress and general manager were lost with how to make things right. They were fumbling idiots who made no effort to suggest or substitute the meals. I was not impressed with the management and staff. We literally scavenged what we could from our meals, paid the check and got out of there. How many times have I left an Italian restaurant hungry? 2-14-2011 was the first time. Beware of this place, its not the same as it was back a few years ago.
(1)
Sarah S.
I'm kinda sad to see any bad reviews of Alexander's on here. But come on people, who can actually write a review of an ITALIAN restaurant when they've only eaten the tuna or a hoagie? PASTA is in their name, so you should probably try the PASTA before commenting on something that isn't their SPECIALTY. Sorry for the sarcasm. I've been going to Alexander's for years, and I can't remember ever getting a bad meal. I love that you can pick what kind of pasta you want, what sauce, and the toppings. My favorite is the marfredo sauce. It is spaghetti sauce mixed with alfredo sauce. So freakin good!!! My only "issue" is that they never seem to add enough sauce on your pasta, but you can ask for some extra on the side and they bring you a little bowlful. It's perfect!!! I get hot sausage on top (which isn't too spicy) and broccoli (which is always steamed just right, so it's not limp). The bread always comes with olive oil and parmesean cheese that you can dip it in. I love that. We always get a carafe of their Chianti. It seems to go really well with the pasta. And lastly, the price is right. Why pay $20 for a plate of pasta? Alexander's agrees. With wine and 2 dinners, we get outta there for under $50. Not bad. This is an all-around good italian restaurant. Sorry to the haters, but this place blows Joe Mama's outta the water!!!
(5)
John H.
Disappointing. The food was below average and the service was ok. We were expecting a lot from this restaurant but it definitely did not deliver. Pasta was not homemade and sauces mediocre at best. Wine selection is very weak. The outdoor seating is a redeeming quality.
(2)
Colleen C.
I went there recently with my family, and the food was good overall, but the service was rude. Upon arriving there, we asked if there was a place to hang our coats, and were told it's "a little hard to get to"; and that was it, so we crammed them into our booth. Corkage fee was charged for the wine we brought (since the wine list is practically nonexistent), which we completely expected and appreciated that we could bring our own wine; but our waiter took the cork out of the bottle and set it down on the table and walked away. WOW. For $10 per bottle, maybe he could have actually poured it into our glasses? The restaurant ran out of bread that night, we were told. The salad came with the dressing in disposable plastic cups on the side. Really? I think Eat N Park has a better dinner salad than this! Most Italian bistros ask if you'd like ground pepper on the salad, but this wasn't an option, so it was pepper from the shaker on the table. We had one dessert for a birthday in our group, but our waiter never asked anyone else at the table if they wanted to order dessert or coffee. Since the appetizers and entrees were good, I may give 'em another chance, maybe for lunch, but I am truly blown away that Alexander's was Post-Gazette's Reader's Choice Award winner for Best Italian in 2008, which is very proudly displayed in several places.
(3)
Katherine P.
Went yesterday for my parents 30th anniversary. We went for a late lunch so the restaurant was empty when we arrived. Our waiter was fabulous! He was very attentive and wanted to make sure the experience was wonderful for my parents. We started with wine and apps, and I loved the fried zucchini. It wasn't overly breaded and were were able to split it between six people and not worry about not having enough. I ordered a Malfada pasta with feta spinach and sundried tomatoes and it was excellent! It was the perfect portion and spiced wonderfully. My parents each got chicken parm and devoured it. All in all a wonderful experience and we will definitely return.
(4)
Morgan D.
Living in Bloomfield, I was excited to finally try some authentic, excellent Italian fare. Unfortunately, I hadn't had much luck so far at Pleasure Bar (okay food), or D'Amico's (awful food). I've had more consistent, tasty Italian at the Olive Garden, which is sad. So I decided to give Alexander's Italian Bistro a try. We stopped in tonight, a Saturday evening. The place was pretty much full and we didn't have a reservation, but we got seated after just a few minutes. The tables are packed pretty tight and you can see the servers dancing around each other precariously. The decor is charming without being all tacky like other local Italian places...I love the beautiful backlit stained glass panels that open the space up. There is a nice little bar area in the front with a smaller bar food menu and a couple nice TVs...we'll have to check that out soon. Mr. got the Eggplant Alexander, I got the Mafalda Alexander. The eggplant was nice and crispy, not mushy inside like eggplant parmesan can often turn out. It was very rich and definitely two meals worth of food. My pasta was excellent. The noodles were flavorful on their own, and cooked freshly and perfectly. I like the mafalda noodles, which aren't too commonly used in most Italian places. The sauce, a mixture of marinara and alfredo, was tasty and not overpowering. The spicy Italian sausage was soooo good...just the right amount of spicy, tender and flavorful. They give a pretty large basket of bread that is moist, fresh, and flaky. We got the tiramisu for dessert, which was pretty good. It's hard to find real tiramisu anyways so I give them credit for having it. The ladyfingers were a little bit tough to cut with a spoon but they were good, and the cream was very good, not too sweet. A nice finish to the meal. Only downsides...no soup or salad included with the dish, those are extra. Our server was nice enough but kinda disappeared when we were finished with our food...we waited around a good 15 minutes for her to come back and wrap Mr.'s leftovers and ask if we wanted dessert, then another 10 minutes after finishing dessert for her to come back with the check. This is one of my top pet peeves. Alexander himself (I'm pretty sure anyway...) stopped by the table at the end of our meal to ask how everything was, which is always a nice touch in my book. Everyone working there seemed like they must be family, but not the type of family who dread working for the family business, which is nice. We'll definitely be back.
(4)
Elizabeth M.
From the outside of the restauarant I was hoping for a cute, quirky place. Unfortunately, it was a very underwhelming, boring, and forgettable meal.
(2)
Pavan M.
So a friend and I went to Alexander's because it was the closest restaurant to his place and we didn't feel like driving on the snow-covered roads. I didn't have high expectations - I thought I would get standard Italian fare with nothing special while also probably paying too much. From the get go I was wrong! The decor and ambiance isn't upscale but it also isn't terrible. It feels like a down home, mom and pop type of restaurant. It sort of reminded me of a place that Tony and his crew would eat at in "The Sopranos" - good food and cool ownership. When we entered, it looked like the owner was chatting it up with some regulars. Seeing us, he warmly greeted us and introduced us to our waitress. Before I get to the food a note on the service. Our waitress was great - super friendly, helping us with any questions, and checking up on us during our meal just enough to feel taken care of but not intrusive by any means. I could tell this wasn't her first rodeo. The food was spot on. Along with our menus, we got a basket full of fresh Italian bread and butter. The bread was standard white but it was moist and tasted very fresh. But you know how it is - don't fill up on bread! Perusing the menu, they had a lot of variation which I love - chicken marsala, spaghetti, etc but the chicken parmigiana sandwich was calling my name. It came on hearty bread strong enough to hold the sandwich and not fall apart. The best part was the chicken which was crispy! It came with what tasted like homemade sauce and cheese. It's a simple meal but very tasty - you bite into it and first get the slightly sweet sauce and cheese then the hearty chicken. Mmmm. The sandwich was around $9 and it came with fries. A very good and hearty meal. I look forward to trying some of the other options at Alexanders the next time around!
(4)
October R.
I'm not really a big fan of going out and eating Italian since many of the pasta dishes prepared at restaurants seem like they came from the frozen section of the local grocery store, I can do that at home and save some money, thank you very much. Alexanders is very different. You can tell the sauces are all freshly made and there is a great selection of them. I recommend the Gorgonzola basil cream sauce. The menu has all the classic Italian favorites and the Specials menu always has mouth watering seasonal items on it as well. The whole family can enjoy Alexander's. Great Italian food, very reasonable prices and huge portions make this our go-to Italian eatery.
(4)
Kiersten S.
I'm sorry, this place is simply not good. Unfortunately, it is yet another example of poorly made Americanized Italian food. Too much cheese, too much butter and cream, and quite possibly the worst bread I have ever consumed at any Italian restaurant in my life. Someone had to go out of their way to find bread this flavorless and awful. It's already a travesty that it's served to me before the meal, but to put it on my sandwich! I'm actually offended for Italians, and bread. Yes bread, this is not your best. The eggplant Parmesan served to my mother was soggy, covered with an absurd amount of plastic Parmesan cheese swimming in a bland sauce. My fathers pasta, cream and cheese. Contrary to popular believe, this is not traditional Italian! This is what some would refer to as, terrible and heavy. And the cannoli? Words could not describe my disappointment. I'll admit it, I'm already an Italian food snob. I cook tons of Italian food for myself, family, and friends, and I only use the highest quality ingredients and go about preparing my meals in traditional southern Italian ways. I've had phenomenal Italian meals at the few great Italian restaurants in this city, so whenever I get the opportunity to eat at another "Italian" joint, I'm heading in with high expectations. Is this what Italian food in Pittsburgh has come too? Seeing other similar Italian places in Bloomfield, I'm sad to say...yes. I'm actually slightly upset even writing this because the waitstaff is charming, and I hear the owners are great, but to pass this off as representative of Italian food is an injustice. If you want a truly great Italian meal please look elsewhere.
(1)
darren l.
Very good but not spectacular. Charming small place in 'Little Italy' Bloomfield. Usually can get seated any evening and this place has a nice assortment of menu choices. The 'senators peppers' which is an appetizer of sauteed peppers, garlic, EVOO, and tomatoes is really tasty and flavorful without being too spicy. This is a pick your pasta then pick you sauce kinda place. Service is fine. House salad dressing matches the greens perfectly. Alexanders is food allergy friendly and they have GLUTEN-FREE PASTA! But this is not an over-the-top place, but then again, the prices are not over top either. Recommended.
(4)
Brittany W.
Great food and great service! The Maffalda Alexander is FANTASTIC, I've ordered there many times for dinner for the family, and the family style servings are gret for gatherings and meetings. They also have a GREAT salad with candied walnuts and dried cranberries that is to die for! Definitely a must have when ordering there!
(4)
Iliana C.
OMG THIS PLACE IS AMAZING! Okay, the ambiance is cutesy and romantic. Upon arrival you are given a bread basket with HUGE Texas sized bread. I wasn't such a big fan because it was so soft that it seems to deteriorate while holding it. Little too messy for my liking. The bruschetta was not your typical bruschetta and honestly I would not recommend it. The Caesar salad is really a pity. Although it looks like a Caesar salad it doesn't taste like one since the lettuce, croutons, and dressing are all so flimsy. It hardly tasted like anything. So why am I giving this place a 5 star review? Because the pasta is amazing! The best pasta I have ever had! Now I know why people with Italian mothers/grandmothers scoff at places like Olive Garden where they don't make their own noodles. What a difference it makes. The menu offers you a large selection of noodles (gluten free available) and sauces to choose from. I had the marfredo (mix of marinara and alfredo) and I was dying over how good it was. My girlfriend, who has an Italian family, had the aglio aoli (sp?) and she was also dying over how amazing this was. DO COME HERE but don't waste any of your time with the appetizers or bread. Save your appetite for the pasta! I didn't get to try the deserts but next time I want to try their tiramisu since all the deserts are also made on site.
(5)
Penelope F.
We stopped in on a Tuesday afternoon. Service was very friendly. Ambiance is super comfortable. Food was great, the chicken pesto asparagus salad was amazing. Heavy on the pesto but that's what I love! Had a Blue Moon and it made an excellent early dinner.
(4)
Michael H.
Not real Italian. When there's a crab dish on the menu and you don't let your customers know this there's a problem. Imitation crab meat at an Italian restaurant doesn't fly. I was hoping for some good Italian while out of town and was truly disappointed. The bar service was extremely friendly about my compliant and did remove that dish from my bill. My entree was pasta and shrimp. I haven't paid $20 for a dish of pasta and 5 large shrimp in a long time. Don't worry but I won't come close to this restaurant again.
(1)
Marlena H.
I went here for a first date and I have to admit I was quite surprised. I wasn't expecting the food to be as good judging by the dining room (though it was a pleasant surprise to see fresh flowers). It wasn't a super fine dining atmosphere, but you definitely get quality and delicious food. Our server brought us a loaf of bread to take home at the end of the night (shocking). The service alone (not to mention the food too) is enough to bring us back.
(4)
Dana K.
Portions, food, & service were top notch. It was 2 couples and 5 kids. The restaurant is a bit cozy, but we were incredibly pleased with everything. There was plenty of room in the bar while we were there. There is a parking garage right next door & there was a decent amount of on street parking available.
(4)
Amy R.
We originally decided to go to Alexander's for an official dinner for a seminar speaker, expecting 15-20 people to come. So I talked to the manager and he set me all up, despite the fact that I was calling only 3 days before the dinner. He was so super nice and wonderful. We wound up only having 5 (who passes up free food?) but it was still a lovely dinner. The waitress was really helpful in suggesting the best things to get. I agree about the bread...it was just 'meh'. We didn't get an appetizer, but the homemade salad dressing (ranch) was very (very) good. I got the special for that night - fresh veal, and it was so so so good. The waitress said it would melt in your mouth, and it did. I also got the marfredo sauce on malfada pasta as my pasta side, based on other Yelp reviews of this combination and it was also quite good. Overall, great food. I would definitely return.
(4)
Sheila S.
A friend took me here for the best gnocchi I have ever eaten. We both chose the gorgonzola basil sauce; I added sweet baby peas and she added broccoli. We ate and ate and took home enough for dinner - it reheats really well. Clearly, whoever made that gnocchi is not a novice! Wine was half price since it was a weeknight, and the house cabernet was delicious. Service was stellar and the atmosphere is fantastic. I'd go regularly if I lived in Pittsburgh.
(5)
Mary Lou B.
Looking at all the other reviews about this place, I wondered if we actually went to the same place. I thought it wasn't very good. I had the Eggplant Alexander which consisted of a bunch of soggy fried eggplant with a ton of cheese melted on it. I've made much better at home. My beloved had veal Parmesan. Which was dry, overcooked and lukewarm. Did we catch them on a bad day? I'll never know because I don't think we'll return.
(2)
Kristen H.
I've lived in the area for over three years and I must have passed this place hundreds of times but last week was the first time I dined here. I totally regret having passed this place up! The problem is, this place is across from Silky's which I know and love, and based on the exterior I assumed this was a very expensive restaurant geared towards the 50+ crowd. It *is* nice inside, but when we dined here I was in sweat pants and not an eyebrow was raised. Full disclosure: I was dying at the end of a long urban hike, and we were right next to Alexander's and I told my friend I would hate him forever if he did not buy me pasta RIGHT.NOW. :) Alexander's totally hit the spot. It was so good! I was really surprised! I had the chicken bruschetta and it was DELCIOUS. I'd had the same item at Del's a few weeks ago and Del's cannot hold a candle to Alexanders. My chicken breast was only slightly seasoned which is a sign of a good, confident chef. The chicken was delicious and perfect and came out tasting like well seasoned chicken, not salt. It came with a side of pasta in any sauce I wanted from their lengthy list of sauces. I chose penne in gorgonzola cream sauce. The gorgonzola sauce was extremely strong. VERY cheesy. I like gorgonzola, but it was a bit strong for me--although it was still very good. My friend had a spaghetti and marinara in the marinara was incredible. You can tell its made on site. It was excellent. Our entrees came with side salads which were very good, and there was bread nad oil on the table for dipping although we didn't get into that too much. I will def be back, and if you havent tried alexander's, I recommend it. Its good, and you're not going to go broke eating here.
(4)
Jade T.
Nice and solid 3.5-stars for some solid AmericanItalian food! Service was really really friendly and the portions were really generous. It doesn't compare to your top-rated traditional Italian joint because that's not what it is. It's really more of an unpretentious mom and pop spot, with consistent hearty meals. Great stop for lunch or dinner, and cozy family atmosphere. We ate, we laughed, and had a very relaxed meal with coffee and dessert at the end. Drinks were refilled seamlessly and leftovers carefully packaged. Would definitely come by again!
(4)
Jinna C.
This place is small and cozy. We came here on a Sunday night and the restaurant was not busy. Our waitress was friendly and not pushy since we took a while trying to navigate the extensive menu options! I ordered the tortellini. The dish was rich with the ricotta cheese and the creamy sauce. I finished only about half the dish. The flavors were good but it got to be too much after a while. The portion was also huge which may also have to do with my ability to finish it. We also ordered the veal parm with pasta. The veal was cooked nicely. The meal came with 2 pieces of veal and a nice portion of pasta with marinara sauce. I liked it better than the tortellini. That dish didn't have anything left at the end of the meal! For dessert we ordered the ice cream with candied nuts and the tiramisu. Both very good! The tiramisu was not too sweet and a nice portion to end the meal.
(4)
Jonathan E.
solid 4-star restaurant. my wife took my sister/bro-in-law here as part of a night on the town. +1 for street parking on the side of the building. +1 for being very attentive to us, especially when we walked in. +0 for dated decor. too many mirrors. could use an update. -1 for small tables. we were crammed in like sardines. +1 for a giant LOAF of bread for the table. pretty crumby. literally--there were lots of crumbs. +0 for a $10 corking fee. we brought our own bottle. +1 for GREAT marinara sauce. +1 for GREAT gnocci. +0 for good cavatelli. it was much more al dente than we expected. +1 for good portion sizes. +1 for a live vioinist that walked around. he took requests and was quite talented. +1 for honoring our 15% off coupon that we got for signing up for their e-mail list. recommended!
(4)
Tom R.
This was a nice family Italian restaurant. Food was very good, and service was excellent. Our server was a young lady named Mieke, and she really added a lot of pleasure to the dining experience. We would certainly go back to dine here again.
(5)
Mark D.
Very nice classic Pittsburgh neighborhood Italian. Best choice for hearty, simple popular Italian dishes I took my parents there for dinner and we all enjoyed our meal. My mom loved her chicken parm. My clam sauce with whole wheat pasta was absolutely perfectly al-dente. Salad is fresh with a very nice balsamic vinagrette. Wedding soup was a bit salty, but otherwise perfectly fit my conception of what wedding soup should be. Dad had the tortilla soup (I know; odd choice) and he liked it quite a bit. Standout item was the beans & greens which were very fresh. Service was excellent. Atmosphere is a bit dated and very Pittsburgh, but if you are looking for decent American Italian at good prices with good service, highly recommend.
In my opinion, this place is a bit overrated and overpriced. I've heard very mixed things about this place, and after going in a couple of times for a happy hour I decided to get dinner one night. I didn't really know what to expect because the menu online listed dishes but no prices (as a side note: I HATE when restaurants do this!). I don't mind paying $15-20 for a good dish of food, but the quality of the pasta and sauces are totally average. I could boil a $1 box of pasta and $2 bottle of general marinara sauce at home and it wouldn't taste much worse than this food. It's definitely nice to go out for meals, particularly at a place like this that has such a well lit inside and a soothing vibe- however, I simply didn't think the quality of the food was good enough for the type of restaurant it strives to be. Furthermore, I found the people who work there to come off as a bit pretentious about the food and drink selections. In general, I would say the food and staff are a bit off putting and I wouldn't recommend this place to friends who have never been here before. However, if you go, definitely try the happy hour, which is one of the better ones in Pittsburgh *half off appetizers and drinks. Plus, wine is half off on Mondays and Wednesdays, which I would assume are their slower nights.
(3)
Mina M.
I have been coming to Alexander's off and on for almost 25 years. I think in all that time I have only had one meal that was below par. Pretty good average I'd say. I went the other night with my adult daughter. I had the calamari with pasta, a cocktail ( yum, yum), and a garden salad. The salad was very fresh and arrived promptly. The cocktail was strong but great. The calamari arrived quickly and was piled so high on the plate I could barely see over the plate! It was served on what tasted like fresh tomatoes over the pasta. It was so good I couldn't stop eating it, even after I was full. My daughter had the salad too with linguini and clam sauce. It was loaded with clams. They were tasty and not rubbery. She suspected they were canned but since they were tender it was okay. The sauce was fragrant too, not fishy. Our server was super efficient and polite. She kept up with us without being intrusive. The decor of the restaurant has been updated a bit over time. It's cute. A bit too bright for an Italian restaurant if you ask me, but I'm from New England where Italian places are all dimly lit. Overall, a wonderful, easy going, friendly neighborhood place to go to relax over some good food and drink. Have a few laughs without a tv interrupting your dinner conversation. You have to sit in the bar for that. Take your mom. Take the family. Take your husband when you can't stand another night of cooking. Just go it alone and who cares about anyone else?! Just have fun eating some really good food that tastes like someone cares.
(4)
Ray C.
I had a wonderful experience at this restaurant bringing 8 out of town guests from across the country. The food was outstanding and the wait staff is very accommodating. Alex made a special effort to make sure our time there was enjoyable. Good authentic Italian cuisine at a very reasonable price.
(4)
Paul D.
Just went to Alexanders Italian Bistro , Boy What a Treat ! There should be another Star for this place. The Food was excellent , the wine was very good and the deserts were to die for. Ok maybe I might have had a little too much wine.,But I was very impressed. The staff was very attentive , The Italian bread was fresh and plentiful, And I had the Angel hair spaghetti with Hot peppers and hot sausage. My friends had seafood selections. Espresso for everyone after the Tiramisu Deserts ! YUMMMMM ! I would Recommend Alexanders to anyone who enjoys fine Italian food. ( PS its not a chain restaurant ) Parking was plentiful too. I LOVE Mom& Pop places. Very clean & cozy. More Wine Please ?
(5)
Teresa T.
Stopped in for dinner on a Sunday night at 7pm and Alexander's was about half full. We decided to go simple and stick with the Pastabilities. I choose the Bolognese with penne (~$12) and mushrooms (extra $1.50), while my husband ordered the Marfredo with farfelle ($11), sundried tomatoes and hot sausage (extra $4). Bolognese was solid though lacked mushrooms and my husband's dish was tasty too though the hot sausage was bland, it needed salt. Portions are huge, mine was easily two meals. Italian bread or rolls (not warmed up) w/ butter balls comes with the meal and there is EVOO on the table. For dessert, we ordered the chocolate chip cannolli which came with two - we enjoyed them but it pricey for the size $7. Aside from the dessert, the meal was reasonably priced. Service was consistent with other Yelpers' reviews - really, really friendly. We liked our waitress. Because there were no mushrooms in my dish, she was suppose to take it off our bill but forgot so ended up giving a cash credit. Also I ended up packaging my Bolognese home since I couldn't eat it all and she asked if we wanted the rolls too and wrapped my pasta in saran wrap for the trip home to prevent any sauce spillage which was a smart move since we had walked here. One comment though would be on the decor. You walk in and the bar area somewhat has a modern feel but then once you go into the dining room it is like you are warped back into time. There is just a lot of visual stimulation - over the top - that just doesn't go together. Overall though, Alexander's just gets it done - nothing fancy w/ home style food and great prices and service. We'll be skipping other Italian places in the area and will be back again.
(4)
Joe K.
Alexander's is good, solid Italian food without any pretentiousness. Their menu is large, but not outrageously expansive like a lot of other local Italian restaurants in the area. There's a nice selection of Italian favorites, plus you have the ability to create your own past dish (choose your pasta, type of sauce, and add-ons). I've been to Alexander's several times for lunch and always enjoyed it, so I decided to take my girlfriend there for dinner on a recent night. When we entered, we were warmly greeted by the staff and asked where we wanted to sit. We sat in the front of the house/bar area so I could keep an eye on the Pirates game. While there, I overheard an older lady complaining that her dish was less than stellar. The server and the manager agreed with her assessment and offered to make her anything else on the menu to make her happy. I've always been pleased by the pleasant, accommodating nature of the staff when I've visited Alexander's; it's truly a strong point of the restaurant. I ordered the pork osso bucco with garlic risotto, while my girlfriend went with chicken parmigiano. We opened with bruschetta toast. It was a nice start. The tomatoes were fresh, and the taste of balsamic vinegar gave it a little pop of flavor. I then had their wedding soup, which is always enjoyable. It's full of meat and has just the right level of saltiness to it. My girlfriend was pleased with her garden salad; in particular, she enjoyed the flavor and texture added by walnuts and cranberries. The pork osso bucco I received was huge. Unfortunately, the flavor was not as big as the size of the dish. The pork was tender and properly cooked... the garlic risotto, not so much. It was just kind of bland. Together, the dish was fairly tasty, but not something that I would order again. My girlfriend was pleased with her massive serving of chicken parmigiano and pasta. It was good, but the breading was a little soggy because it was doused in sauce. Somewhere during the course of our dinner, the manager walked from table to table, and asked every group if they wanted a loaf of Italian bread. I suppose that they had a lot of extra bread and were giving it out since the night was winding down. I heartily accepted- their bread is delicious. Little things like this are why I love Alexander's. If you're looking for some tasty Italian food served in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere, you can't go wrong with Alexander's. Just stick with the pasta, and you'll be happy.
(4)
Sally M.
I wasn't really a fan. In fact, this may hae been some of the most sub-par Italian food I've had (it seemed very touristy), and it was definitely my least favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh while traveling there on business the past few months. Cute ambiance! Cute neighborhood! Friendly local wait staff! But kinda touristy & uninteresting food pairings / ingredients.
(2)
Bennett R.
Loved it! I was not too excited about trying to eat healthy at an Italian joint, but went with friends. I was impressed at how many healthier options they had, if that's what you're in the mood for. Or pig out on a hot plate of carbs and dairy with a side of italian sausage. My friends and I split an order of beans, greens and tomatoes. I regret the sharing part, it was so outrageously delicious I wanted it all to myself. Next time I'm getting my own. In the spirit of healthy eating, I went with a salad, which was big, fresh, and just what I wanted. If you like salad, you're set. If not, the pasta my friends had looked great too. You can get gluten free or whole wheat pasta for an additional charge if you like. My boy friend had angel hair with alfredo, our friend had linguini marinara with fried calamari. The waitress was very pleasant, and kept her cool even though she had the pleasure of serving this merry band of drunk, vicious old queens. Now I would have been sold on the service and the food, everything I tasted was great. But the two pasta dishes weren't all that hot. Somewhat warmer than warm, they said. My friend let the waitress know but wasn't unhappy enough to send it back, even though the manager was adamant they could remake the plate in no time. (I work in a customer based industry and I know first hand, nothing can be worse than an unhappy customer who isn't willing to let you fix the problem after they bring it to your attention.) So at the end of the meal, he offered to buy us a round of drinks instead. Smart guy - offer a couple of drunks some free liquor, and all is forgiven. He took an almost great meal and made it great for them. Sadly, I was driving so didn't take him up on the offer. So - great food, beans and greens, lots of choices, beans and greens, good service, and beans and greens. If it were closer to home I'd be ready to move in.
(4)
Claire S.
This is my go-to for good, unpretentious, Italian-American home cooking. Alexander's is the place where the locals go for an inexpensive meal. The dining room is small and decorated to look like an Italian trattoria. The menu has all the basics, tons of pastas, different sauces, meatballs, parmigiana, etc. The bread is from (I'm pretty sure) Mancini's which is an old Italian-American bakery in the city. Come as you are: jeans, Steelers jersey, college sweatshirt, what have you. The service can be a bit flaky, but everyone is quite nice. Just relax. If they mix up an order they'll make it right. I love the wedding soup here and they make awesome chicken piccatta. I also like how they serve the meat and pasta dishes separately on small plates, instead of dumping everything together on a big dinner plate. For dessert they make a real tiramisu with lots of rum, and also really good rice pudding. One warning: it is really easy to overeat here. I eat lightly during the day if I know I'm going to Alexander's for dinner.
(4)
Eric G.
In my opinion, this place is a bit overrated and overpriced. I've heard very mixed things about this place, and after going in a couple of times for a happy hour I decided to get dinner one night. I didn't really know what to expect because the menu online listed dishes but no prices (as a side note: I HATE when restaurants do this!). I don't mind paying $15-20 for a good dish of food, but the quality of the pasta and sauces are totally average. I could boil a $1 box of pasta and $2 bottle of general marinara sauce at home and it wouldn't taste much worse than this food. It's definitely nice to go out for meals, particularly at a place like this that has such a well lit inside and a soothing vibe- however, I simply didn't think the quality of the food was good enough for the type of restaurant it strives to be. Furthermore, I found the people who work there to come off as a bit pretentious about the food and drink selections. In general, I would say the food and staff are a bit off putting and I wouldn't recommend this place to friends who have never been here before. However, if you go, definitely try the happy hour, which is one of the better ones in Pittsburgh *half off appetizers and drinks. Plus, wine is half off on Mondays and Wednesdays, which I would assume are their slower nights.
(3)
Paul D.
Just went to Alexanders Italian Bistro , Boy What a Treat ! There should be another Star for this place. The Food was excellent , the wine was very good and the deserts were to die for. Ok maybe I might have had a little too much wine.,But I was very impressed. The staff was very attentive , The Italian bread was fresh and plentiful, And I had the Angel hair spaghetti with Hot peppers and hot sausage. My friends had seafood selections. Espresso for everyone after the Tiramisu Deserts ! YUMMMMM ! I would Recommend Alexanders to anyone who enjoys fine Italian food. ( PS its not a chain restaurant ) Parking was plentiful too. I LOVE Mom& Pop places. Very clean & cozy. More Wine Please ?
(5)
Peter B.
One of the last great Italian institutions in the city. The best part is that the food is awesome these days and they make an effort to keep the decor and the menu fresh. There are very good reasons why Del's is gone and Alexander's is still here. The pesto and the bread (both made fresh every day) are my favorite parts and are definitely crave-worthy. The grilled asparagus is also quite impressive given how simple it is, but I'd agree with Pepin in saying that the best food is ordinary things prepared extraordinarily well. I'm an epicurean 23 year old with Italian grandmothers so I think I have an idea of what's good. Alexander's is good for dates, family dinners with just the right amount of class, and people who like good bread. Alexander's is not good for sea urchin crunching, small-batch moonshine sipping, mise-en-place modernists. There are nice places like Lawrenceville and Umi for you.
(5)
Natosha D.
The wait staff is so friendly. The Menu has a lot to choose from. Sometimes they run of things - but they always have great replacement options and work really hard to accommodate you. There are wine specials a few times a week, and always plenty of parking. I love it here, it's my go to for me and hubby's date night.
(5)
Macdabrows ..
Don't expect fresh food. We have taken ravioli and tortelini. It was fast, that's perhaps because of microwave. Never more.
(2)
Kennedy J.
This restaurant is a gem! Parking was easy to find on a side street next to the restaurant. We were greeting as soon as we walked in and the host say is immediately-impressive for 6:30 on a Friday evening. We ordered the fried zucchini, which came with marinara sauce. Absolutely amazing!! Best marinara I've ever eaten. There is a page in the menu of mix-and-match pastas with sauces. I got the tortellini with pesto and my mother got the gnocchi with red pepper sauce. The pesto was more like an Alfredo sauce with pesto in it. Although not what I expected, it was amazing. The red pepper sauce was sweet and tangy, a little different but still very enjoyable. All of the courses came out quickly- we were there for less than an hour. Our waiter was very nice and frequently refilled our waters. Overall, amazing experience and I will be returning next time I am in Pittsburgh.
(5)
Mariam A.
Great food, nicest waiters in the world. We had the Italian coquielle for appetizers and it was AMAZING. Their candied walnut salad is to die for. Their entries are simply superb. I highly recommend this place, it's a gem!!
(5)
Meghan B.
Went out to lunch with my coworkers and this is where they suggested. I had never been- so I was pretty excited to check it out. Alexander's is a small and charming building, with a nice patio area outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. We really enjoyed sitting outside- although it was a little noisy (being on Liberty Avenue and all). Before our meal, we were given bread. It was thick cut, fluffy white bread. Although it was good, it wasn't anything special. It was served with butter packets- pretty tacky if you ask me. I would have much rather preferred some house made oil. I ordered the Abby Alexandra's Angel Hair- grilled chicken, spinach and tomatoes with angel hair pasta and a very light white wine sauce. It was delicious. The meal itself felt rather light, making it easy for me to practically finish the entire large portion. I was able to stop myself to save a little for leftovers, though. My one complaint is that the server did not offer additional parmesan for the meal. I have never been to an Italian restaurant that didn't offer freshly grated cheese on top of your meal and was honestly shocked that they didn't. The pasta would have been much better with some freshly grated cheese- although it was still quite good. Otherwise, the service was good, the food was good and we had a nice time.
(3)
Sue F.
Nice 1/2 off wines by the glass on Mondays. My boyfriend and I did the pick your own pasta, sauce, toppings. We both chose the agli oilio which needed roasted garlic for more flavor. I had the matalda pasta which was new for me and it was excellent with sun dried tomatoes. Service was ok and was short staffed in our opinion. We sat on the patio but next time will opt for the dining room. We thought the value was good for what we got. I'll go back next time I'm in the area.
(4)
Peter B.
One of the last great Italian institutions in the city. The best part is that the food is awesome these days and they make an effort to keep the decor and the menu fresh. There are very good reasons why Del's is gone and Alexander's is still here. The pesto and the bread (both made fresh every day) are my favorite parts and are definitely crave-worthy. The grilled asparagus is also quite impressive given how simple it is, but I'd agree with Pepin in saying that the best food is ordinary things prepared extraordinarily well. I'm an epicurean 23 year old with Italian grandmothers so I think I have an idea of what's good. Alexander's is good for dates, family dinners with just the right amount of class, and people who like good bread. Alexander's is not good for sea urchin crunching, small-batch moonshine sipping, mise-en-place modernists. There are nice places like Lawrenceville and Umi for you.
(5)
Meghan B.
Went out to lunch with my coworkers and this is where they suggested. I had never been- so I was pretty excited to check it out. Alexander's is a small and charming building, with a nice patio area outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. We really enjoyed sitting outside- although it was a little noisy (being on Liberty Avenue and all). Before our meal, we were given bread. It was thick cut, fluffy white bread. Although it was good, it wasn't anything special. It was served with butter packets- pretty tacky if you ask me. I would have much rather preferred some house made oil. I ordered the Abby Alexandra's Angel Hair- grilled chicken, spinach and tomatoes with angel hair pasta and a very light white wine sauce. It was delicious. The meal itself felt rather light, making it easy for me to practically finish the entire large portion. I was able to stop myself to save a little for leftovers, though. My one complaint is that the server did not offer additional parmesan for the meal. I have never been to an Italian restaurant that didn't offer freshly grated cheese on top of your meal and was honestly shocked that they didn't. The pasta would have been much better with some freshly grated cheese- although it was still quite good. Otherwise, the service was good, the food was good and we had a nice time.
(3)
Sue F.
Nice 1/2 off wines by the glass on Mondays. My boyfriend and I did the pick your own pasta, sauce, toppings. We both chose the agli oilio which needed roasted garlic for more flavor. I had the matalda pasta which was new for me and it was excellent with sun dried tomatoes. Service was ok and was short staffed in our opinion. We sat on the patio but next time will opt for the dining room. We thought the value was good for what we got. I'll go back next time I'm in the area.
(4)
Natosha D.
The wait staff is so friendly. The Menu has a lot to choose from. Sometimes they run of things - but they always have great replacement options and work really hard to accommodate you. There are wine specials a few times a week, and always plenty of parking. I love it here, it's my go to for me and hubby's date night.
(5)
Macdabrows ..
Don't expect fresh food. We have taken ravioli and tortelini. It was fast, that's perhaps because of microwave. Never more.
(2)
Jennifer G.
My husband and I had one of our first dates in Pittsburgh at Alexander's, so it has a special place in my heart. I knew he was a keeper when we ordered the asparagus/goat cheese appetizer and I loved it so much that he let me eat all but one piece on my own. There is a bar areas out front that has a more casual feel and dining room in the back. The dining room is small and intimate offering several booths along the sides of the restaurant and several tables in the middle and towards the front of the dining room. The decor has a homey feel with nice colors and a fun chandelier. The menu is much more extensive then a typical Italian restaurant. There are several appetizer choices in addition to the previously mentioned grilled asparagus. There are also several salads and two soup options, the soup of the day and wedding soup. The first time I was there I tried the veal diablo which was veal with hot peppers and mushrooms and a Marsala sauce. It was delicious. It had a nice kick but wasn't too hot that you didn't enjoy it. On my second visit I enjoyed the "pastabilities" create your own pasta. With 10+ sauce choices plus 10+ pasta the combinations seem endless! I enjoyed the angel hair with the Marsala wine and red pepper sauce. My husband had the Bolognese and was equally happy. The pasta seemed to be in an endless bowl. I felt like I was eating forever and there was still two meals worth of pasta left in my take out container. The build your own pasta is quite a value for the price (although it does not come with a soup or salad like the other entrees do). We were stuffed, but after seeing several desserts go by, I decided I wanted to order the Napoleon. It was stuffed with strawberries and blueberries and the cream was delectable. Overall a great dining experience. We will be back.
(5)
R H.
Well where do I start! The food was very bland for my taste. I'm not going to say much more but I won't be returning. I have to add this by far is one of the WORST Italian restaurants I've ever ate at. Good luck
(1)
Paul K.
Alexander's offers some of the worst Italian food I've ever had. I went there with my girlfriend and my parents on a Saturday night, and from start to finish the experience that Alexander's gave us was simply awful. First, when we arrived around 6 pm, the restaurant was half-empty (bad sign #1). The hostess seated us at a table in the center of the very cramped and very small dining room (bad sign #2). Then, our waitress did not even come over to take drink orders for another 10 minutes (bad sign #3). Once the waitress finally arrived and took our orders, the food itself offered no relief. My girlfriend and I ordered the Caesar salad - the salads were drowning in Caesar dressing, the croutons were badly burnt and inedible, and there were too many croutons to begin with. This restaurant couldn't even get a simple salad right, but I hoped against hope that the entrees would be an improvement. Unfortunately, the entrees were no better. My girlfriend ordered Chicken Alfredo. Not only was the dish absurdly light on chicken (3 small pieces total? Come on!), the alfredo sauce was thick and gummy to the point of tasting like glue. My mom ordered the Mushroom ravioli, which was completely bland. I ordered the Veal Diablo with Shrimp; the plate came with 3 pieces of veal sliced extremely thin, 3 nice sized shrimp, and... that was it. No pasta, no garlic bread, nothing but an ocean of very mediocre marinara sauce. I finished my entire plate, the remaining half of my mom's plate after she was finished eating, and as much as I could stomach of my girlfriend's Alfredo (which was only a couple of forkfuls, as that Alfredo sauce was one of the foulest things I've ever eaten), but I still was left hungry. The dessert course offered a distinctly rotten cherry on top of this already heaping garbage sundae. We were initially assured that all of the desserts were made in-house, but that soon proved not to be the case. Indeed, for several of our desserts, a store-bought version would have been an improvement. I ordered a cannoli, figuring that even a crappy Italian restaurant can't screw up a cannoli, as it is a violation of Italian Law or something. Unfortunately, their "fresh-made" cannolis consisted of a pre-packaged cannoli shell, pre-packaged cannoli filling (which, by the way, was gritty, as though someone had dumped in white sugar but not mixed the cream thoroughly enough for the sugar to dissolve), and put the two together in the kitchen. Needless to say, my cannoli was awful. My girlfriend ordered the tiramisu, and what she received was about as far removed from tiramisu as one can get. There were almost no ladyfingers, and the ones that were in the dish were drowning in coffee. On top of that, the dessert was swamped with an excessive amount of coffee-flavored cream that essentially destroyed the dish. My uncle's chocolate cake was dry and uninspiring; a store-bought cake would have been more moist. I did not pick up the check - my uncle was nice enough to do that - so I did not see the final bill. However, they could not have paid me to eat this often-inedible food. The service was slow and inattentive, the food was simply awful, and I left hungry. Do not waste your time, your money, or your energy with this place, as you can get better Italian food virtually anywhere else in the city.
(1)
Deb F.
My sister Cyndy was in town on her birthday and my kids Megan & Michael and son's girlfriend Niki surprised her by making reservations at Alexander's Italian Bistro in Bloomfield. When we got there, our table was ready and we were immediately greeted by Michelle. From that moment on I knew they had picked the right restaurant. Michelle was so sweet and attentive. She explained the menu, helped us make our selections and made us feel like we were in her own home. Michelle started by bring us our drinks and homemade bread which she replenished a second time. It was so good. Then our meals came. Each one of us ordered something different. Megan had Classic Chicken Parmigiano, Michael had Penne with Marinara, Meatballs & Hot Sausage, Niki had Chicken Piccata, Cyndy had Penne with Pesto Sauce & I had Angel Hair Pasta with fresh tomatoes, spinach, chicken with splash of white wine. We all tasted everyones dishes and we couldn't find a winner. All were so delicious. At the end of the dinner, we all grabbed our to-go bags. Because we had cake waiting at home, Michelle gave my sister a loaf of their fabulous bread which we enjoy the next day with our coffee. So if you are looking for a great place to eat with fabulous food in a friendly environment. Alexander's Italian Bistro is your place!
(5)
Julie R.
My parents were in town and since my Mom's birthday is next week we decided to go out for an early celebration. I now live in Bloomfield so we decided to go Italian. Full disclosure: my first choice was D'Amico's but either they changed their storefront and I didn't recognize it, or they have closed. In any event, my plan B was Alexanders. We went on a Tuesday night around 7. Parking was no problem, free street parking after 6-nice! The bar was deserted and the small dining room had two or three small groups. So no shouting to make yourself heard-double nice! The seating was comfortable (we got a square table in the middle of the room). Our server was very nice and efficient and I'd give her at least 4 stars. My mom got the spinach and cheese ravioli w/ marinara sauce (on the menu the ravioli are deep fried but they honored her request for a "normal" cook), my dad got angel hair with bolognese sauce, and I got linguini with pesto sauce. I was surprised that the pasta dishes did not come with a salad so if you go, that's additional. The server said that the serving sizes were generous. They were good portions but not huge by Pittsburgh standards. My mom does not have a large appetite and she ate all but one ravioli. I ate all my pasta and could have had more. My Dad was reaching for his third slice of bread after he polished off his pasta, so I'll let you draw your own conclusions! :) The sauces were good and the pasta tasted like it was fresh. Everything was warm/lukewarm, but not steaming hot. I'm a bit of a slow eater, especially with pasta so by the time I was finishing, it was cold. The food was OK, in cases like this, I really wish you could give a half star, because this is 3.5 stars. Nothing was horrible, nothing was excellent. It was good. The bill with a tip was around $55 (we all had soft drinks), which again I don't have a major quibble about. Not sure I will go back, but not sorry I went. :)
(3)
Sarah M.
This was my first time here and I will never go back. My hubby and I were excited to get alil dresses up and have some Italian and god did they mess that off. To start off when we walked in the place REEKED of piss. Like someone has literally just peed on the floor. Our waitress showed us to a booth in the back where they were scraps and trash under and around our table. I asked her for a drink list she informs me there isn't one k fine I move on. Then we get an appetizer the fried ravoli which was prices at 8$ but only came with four bite size pieces on a plate. That's it. Now onto the meal I order a tortellini and marinara and my husband got the tuna. Mine came out with random mixed veggies In it(which I just picked around) and my husbands came out fine except his sauces came in plastic cups(it was a 20$ dish). Oh and that's not the end of it. After telling the waitress that I didn't receive what I ordered we had to listen to her and the cook scream at each other while we at. She then have us our check and then disappeared. We waited until I finally stopped another waitress to cash us out. I paid 65$ all together and it should have been free.
(1)
Deena A.
I AM BOYCOTTING ALEXANDER'S FOR LIFE!!! The manager SCREAMED AT ME at the top of his lungs in an epic meltdown that lasted 10 minutes! On Sat., April 12, 2014, I attended the 50th birthday party for my dear friend, David Flynn. I organized the party, but relied on Dave and his sister to provide me with the final head count. I made the reservation for 25 people. The manager and I played phone tag for the two days before the event. I called back and left messages TWICE to confirm, but apparently he never got my messages. (This was part of his rant, his indignation at unreturned phone calls that actually HAD been returned!) The dinner started at 7 PM. Most of our group arrived on time, but some of our group (including me) arrived between 8 PM-9 PM. I was working on a homemade birthday present for Dave, which took longer than expected. I called Dave, his sister and my friends (Reesa & Joel) to tell them I was running late. In hindsight, I should have also called the restaurant to let them know, and for that I am truly sorry. That still doesn't justify the manager SCREAMING AT ME FOR 10 MINUTES! After enjoying a delicious dinner, drinks and birthday cake, none of us had a clue that anything was wrong. If the decision to return to a restaurant were based SOLELY on the food and wait staff, I would definitely return to Alexander's. But sadly, when the manager has a nuclear meltdown and throws a 10-MINUTE SCREAMING TEMPER TANTRUM, it tends to sour one on returning to a restaurant. Towards the end of our dinner, some of us started to smell cigarette smoke, which we later realized was coming from the patio out front. (It was a warm night, and they had the front sliding-glass doors open.) In the midst of the smoke discussion, the manager approached our table and began an EPIC RANT, SCREAMING AT ME FOR 10 MINUTES!!! He was angry that everyone in our group hadn't arrived at exactly 7 PM. The restaurant's kitchen is open till 10 PM on Sat. night, so I don't understand why this was a big deal. We ended up with 20 people total and 5 no-shows. I am always disappointed by no-shows, but I explained this possibility to the manager when I made the reservation. I STILL BROUGHT HIM 20 PAYING CUSTOMERS! BTW...the dining room was practically EMPTY, which is not what I would expect on a Saturday night in Pittsburgh. Maybe I'm not the first customer to be on the receiving end of the manager's meltdown. The manager SCREAMED that he had called me twice, and I hadn't called him back! He ranted about this about a dozen times. I told him I HAD called him back - TWICE. It's not my fault if he didn't get my messages. He SCREAMED that he had put an extra waitress and cook on staff because he expected 25 people. He SCREAMED that I had cost the restaurant $100! How much money do you think 20 people spent on appetizers, dinner and drinks? I find it hard to believe that they didn't make any money, or at least break even. I am sorry that there were 5 no-shows in our group, but I always thought Saturday night was the busiest night of the week for most restaurants. I didn't realize the restaurant would look like a deserted, old western ghost town with hardly any customers. On a Saturday night, I assumed they would have a full staff on duty with or without my reservation. I was wrong. I'm sorry. I'm not perfect. The manager also YELLED at me and my friends for "LOOKING COMFORTABLE" in his restaurant!!! Since when is looking comfortable an OFFENSE??? I thought restaurants wanted you to feel comfortable, but apparently not at Alexander's. He also SCREAMED that one of the waitresses only got a $1.00 tip! I found that hard to believe, but just in case he wasn't making it up, I tipped my waitress $35 on my $26 dinner check! I am a former waitress, and I would feel HORRIBLE if any waitress every got ripped off on my watch! Even if his story wasn't true, I figured she deserved an extra big tip just for having to WORK in such a horrible place where the manager YELLS at paying customers!!! If he treats the customers this way, I can only imagine how he treats the employees. THE MANAGER'S RUDE BEHAVIOR HAS COST HIM MY BUSINESS AND MY FRIENDS' BUSINESS FOREVER!!! During his rant, he actually SCREAMED that he never wanted to see me in his restaurant ever again! I'm happy to grant him that wish. And so are my friends. This is an example of the WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I have ever witnessed in my entire life!!! I thought the manager was going to have a heart attack or a stroke the way he was SCREAMING FOR 10 MINUTES! SCREAMING at paying customers is completely unacceptable behavior, and I will NEVER eat at Alexander's ever again. It's really a shame because I loved their salmon with pesto sauce. But great food can't make up for a manager who throws a TEMPER TANTRUM and SCREAMS AT YOU. Also, you can smell smoke in the dining room, which sucks. My friends and I are BOYCOTTING ALEXANDER'S FOR LIFE!!!
(1)
Laura M.
I came here about a year ago with some friends for dinner, when one of my friends wanted Italian food, and we wanted to try a place in Bloomfield. I ordered the create-your-own pasta with mafalda pasta, gorgonzola basil cream sauce, and chicken. The sauce was actually quite tasty, although a bit on the strong side, and overpowered the chicken quite a bit. It was definitely unique, however! The bread that was served with the pasta was thick and soft, but wasn't particularly unique. Service was fine, and the atmosphere was nice. Overall, not a bad option for Italian food in Bloomfield, and I'd go back if a dining companion wanted to try it, but I wouldn't go out of my way to return since there's better Italian to be had elsewhere in PGH. 3.5 stars.
(3)
Colleen S.
A good, reasonably prices Italian restaurant in Bloomfield. We went on Halloween around 7pm and found that is the absolute best time to go out to eat! It was completely empty except for two other parties. They bring you bread and oil to the table. We also ordered bruschetta which was very good. Everyone seemed very happy with their meals. Beware of the pasta Diablo! My dad was sweating from the heat of it and he normally loves spicy food. He said it was delicious, but it sounds like a great dish for someone prepared for some serious spice (not me!). My little brother was disappointed that his spaghetti and meatballs came with one meatball, but besides that we were very happy with the meal. Nice portions and great service.
(3)
Stephanie P.
Suffice it to say, this is not real Italian food and it's below average and overpriced when it comes to American-Italian food. The staff was excellent though and you will have great service and conversation. Thanks but probably won't be back.
(2)
Aldona Z.
Unbelievable!!!!!! What can I say except that it is the best Italian family owned restaurant in Pittsburgh!!!! The wedding soup is the best along with the beans and greens.We thought we were in Italian Heaven with these starter dishes, then we had the stuffed banana peppers with their special bread and we were satisfied beyond belief! Then came the linguine with clam sauce.It was so perfect.Just the right amount of garlic.We will continue indulging .The owner, Alex, was hospitable and genuinely concerned for our satisfaction. It was a memorable experience.We felt we were in Italy.It is Pittsburgh's Italian DIAMOND!! DIANE
(5)
Brooke G.
I have been going here my whole life, and I can say without a doubt that I have yet to ha e a bad experience. I have had almost everything on the menu and everything is amazing. Very filling portion sizes and great service. They offer a lot of good wines and a unique beer menu. All of their desserts are made on site, i highly recommend the rice pudding. If you find yourself in Little Italy (Bloomfiled) the best place to eat is Alexander's.
(5)
Kristen H.
I've lived in the area for over three years and I must have passed this place hundreds of times but last week was the first time I dined here. I totally regret having passed this place up! The problem is, this place is across from Silky's which I know and love, and based on the exterior I assumed this was a very expensive restaurant geared towards the 50+ crowd. It *is* nice inside, but when we dined here I was in sweat pants and not an eyebrow was raised. Full disclosure: I was dying at the end of a long urban hike, and we were right next to Alexander's and I told my friend I would hate him forever if he did not buy me pasta RIGHT.NOW. :) Alexander's totally hit the spot. It was so good! I was really surprised! I had the chicken bruschetta and it was DELCIOUS. I'd had the same item at Del's a few weeks ago and Del's cannot hold a candle to Alexanders. My chicken breast was only slightly seasoned which is a sign of a good, confident chef. The chicken was delicious and perfect and came out tasting like well seasoned chicken, not salt. It came with a side of pasta in any sauce I wanted from their lengthy list of sauces. I chose penne in gorgonzola cream sauce. The gorgonzola sauce was extremely strong. VERY cheesy. I like gorgonzola, but it was a bit strong for me--although it was still very good. My friend had a spaghetti and marinara in the marinara was incredible. You can tell its made on site. It was excellent. Our entrees came with side salads which were very good, and there was bread nad oil on the table for dipping although we didn't get into that too much. I will def be back, and if you havent tried alexander's, I recommend it. Its good, and you're not going to go broke eating here.
(4)
Jade T.
Nice and solid 3.5-stars for some solid AmericanItalian food! Service was really really friendly and the portions were really generous. It doesn't compare to your top-rated traditional Italian joint because that's not what it is. It's really more of an unpretentious mom and pop spot, with consistent hearty meals. Great stop for lunch or dinner, and cozy family atmosphere. We ate, we laughed, and had a very relaxed meal with coffee and dessert at the end. Drinks were refilled seamlessly and leftovers carefully packaged. Would definitely come by again!
(4)
Jinna C.
This place is small and cozy. We came here on a Sunday night and the restaurant was not busy. Our waitress was friendly and not pushy since we took a while trying to navigate the extensive menu options! I ordered the tortellini. The dish was rich with the ricotta cheese and the creamy sauce. I finished only about half the dish. The flavors were good but it got to be too much after a while. The portion was also huge which may also have to do with my ability to finish it. We also ordered the veal parm with pasta. The veal was cooked nicely. The meal came with 2 pieces of veal and a nice portion of pasta with marinara sauce. I liked it better than the tortellini. That dish didn't have anything left at the end of the meal! For dessert we ordered the ice cream with candied nuts and the tiramisu. Both very good! The tiramisu was not too sweet and a nice portion to end the meal.
(4)
Kennedy J.
This restaurant is a gem! Parking was easy to find on a side street next to the restaurant. We were greeting as soon as we walked in and the host say is immediately-impressive for 6:30 on a Friday evening. We ordered the fried zucchini, which came with marinara sauce. Absolutely amazing!! Best marinara I've ever eaten. There is a page in the menu of mix-and-match pastas with sauces. I got the tortellini with pesto and my mother got the gnocchi with red pepper sauce. The pesto was more like an Alfredo sauce with pesto in it. Although not what I expected, it was amazing. The red pepper sauce was sweet and tangy, a little different but still very enjoyable. All of the courses came out quickly- we were there for less than an hour. Our waiter was very nice and frequently refilled our waters. Overall, amazing experience and I will be returning next time I am in Pittsburgh.
(5)
Mariam A.
Great food, nicest waiters in the world. We had the Italian coquielle for appetizers and it was AMAZING. Their candied walnut salad is to die for. Their entries are simply superb. I highly recommend this place, it's a gem!!
I unfortunately have to say that my wife and I agreed that both our meals served were the worst dinners we have had in Pittsburgh. I am pretty forgiving but this was not acceptable. Both meals were served barely warm. The decor was old 70's which could have charm but this didn't. The server was fair. Forgot to even bring us water after requesting it and didn't ask how the dinners were. Both plates were mediocre at best. I will not return.
(1)
Katherine P.
Went yesterday for my parents 30th anniversary. We went for a late lunch so the restaurant was empty when we arrived. Our waiter was fabulous! He was very attentive and wanted to make sure the experience was wonderful for my parents. We started with wine and apps, and I loved the fried zucchini. It wasn't overly breaded and were were able to split it between six people and not worry about not having enough. I ordered a Malfada pasta with feta spinach and sundried tomatoes and it was excellent! It was the perfect portion and spiced wonderfully. My parents each got chicken parm and devoured it. All in all a wonderful experience and we will definitely return.
(4)
Jonathan E.
solid 4-star restaurant. my wife took my sister/bro-in-law here as part of a night on the town. +1 for street parking on the side of the building. +1 for being very attentive to us, especially when we walked in. +0 for dated decor. too many mirrors. could use an update. -1 for small tables. we were crammed in like sardines. +1 for a giant LOAF of bread for the table. pretty crumby. literally--there were lots of crumbs. +0 for a $10 corking fee. we brought our own bottle. +1 for GREAT marinara sauce. +1 for GREAT gnocci. +0 for good cavatelli. it was much more al dente than we expected. +1 for good portion sizes. +1 for a live vioinist that walked around. he took requests and was quite talented. +1 for honoring our 15% off coupon that we got for signing up for their e-mail list. recommended!
(4)
Tom R.
This was a nice family Italian restaurant. Food was very good, and service was excellent. Our server was a young lady named Mieke, and she really added a lot of pleasure to the dining experience. We would certainly go back to dine here again.
(5)
Mark D.
Very nice classic Pittsburgh neighborhood Italian. Best choice for hearty, simple popular Italian dishes I took my parents there for dinner and we all enjoyed our meal. My mom loved her chicken parm. My clam sauce with whole wheat pasta was absolutely perfectly al-dente. Salad is fresh with a very nice balsamic vinagrette. Wedding soup was a bit salty, but otherwise perfectly fit my conception of what wedding soup should be. Dad had the tortilla soup (I know; odd choice) and he liked it quite a bit. Standout item was the beans & greens which were very fresh. Service was excellent. Atmosphere is a bit dated and very Pittsburgh, but if you are looking for decent American Italian at good prices with good service, highly recommend.
Living in Bloomfield, I was excited to finally try some authentic, excellent Italian fare. Unfortunately, I hadn't had much luck so far at Pleasure Bar (okay food), or D'Amico's (awful food). I've had more consistent, tasty Italian at the Olive Garden, which is sad. So I decided to give Alexander's Italian Bistro a try. We stopped in tonight, a Saturday evening. The place was pretty much full and we didn't have a reservation, but we got seated after just a few minutes. The tables are packed pretty tight and you can see the servers dancing around each other precariously. The decor is charming without being all tacky like other local Italian places...I love the beautiful backlit stained glass panels that open the space up. There is a nice little bar area in the front with a smaller bar food menu and a couple nice TVs...we'll have to check that out soon. Mr. got the Eggplant Alexander, I got the Mafalda Alexander. The eggplant was nice and crispy, not mushy inside like eggplant parmesan can often turn out. It was very rich and definitely two meals worth of food. My pasta was excellent. The noodles were flavorful on their own, and cooked freshly and perfectly. I like the mafalda noodles, which aren't too commonly used in most Italian places. The sauce, a mixture of marinara and alfredo, was tasty and not overpowering. The spicy Italian sausage was soooo good...just the right amount of spicy, tender and flavorful. They give a pretty large basket of bread that is moist, fresh, and flaky. We got the tiramisu for dessert, which was pretty good. It's hard to find real tiramisu anyways so I give them credit for having it. The ladyfingers were a little bit tough to cut with a spoon but they were good, and the cream was very good, not too sweet. A nice finish to the meal. Only downsides...no soup or salad included with the dish, those are extra. Our server was nice enough but kinda disappeared when we were finished with our food...we waited around a good 15 minutes for her to come back and wrap Mr.'s leftovers and ask if we wanted dessert, then another 10 minutes after finishing dessert for her to come back with the check. This is one of my top pet peeves. Alexander himself (I'm pretty sure anyway...) stopped by the table at the end of our meal to ask how everything was, which is always a nice touch in my book. Everyone working there seemed like they must be family, but not the type of family who dread working for the family business, which is nice. We'll definitely be back.
(4)
Elizabeth M.
From the outside of the restauarant I was hoping for a cute, quirky place. Unfortunately, it was a very underwhelming, boring, and forgettable meal.
(2)
Pavan M.
So a friend and I went to Alexander's because it was the closest restaurant to his place and we didn't feel like driving on the snow-covered roads. I didn't have high expectations - I thought I would get standard Italian fare with nothing special while also probably paying too much. From the get go I was wrong! The decor and ambiance isn't upscale but it also isn't terrible. It feels like a down home, mom and pop type of restaurant. It sort of reminded me of a place that Tony and his crew would eat at in "The Sopranos" - good food and cool ownership. When we entered, it looked like the owner was chatting it up with some regulars. Seeing us, he warmly greeted us and introduced us to our waitress. Before I get to the food a note on the service. Our waitress was great - super friendly, helping us with any questions, and checking up on us during our meal just enough to feel taken care of but not intrusive by any means. I could tell this wasn't her first rodeo. The food was spot on. Along with our menus, we got a basket full of fresh Italian bread and butter. The bread was standard white but it was moist and tasted very fresh. But you know how it is - don't fill up on bread! Perusing the menu, they had a lot of variation which I love - chicken marsala, spaghetti, etc but the chicken parmigiana sandwich was calling my name. It came on hearty bread strong enough to hold the sandwich and not fall apart. The best part was the chicken which was crispy! It came with what tasted like homemade sauce and cheese. It's a simple meal but very tasty - you bite into it and first get the slightly sweet sauce and cheese then the hearty chicken. Mmmm. The sandwich was around $9 and it came with fries. A very good and hearty meal. I look forward to trying some of the other options at Alexanders the next time around!
(4)
October R.
I'm not really a big fan of going out and eating Italian since many of the pasta dishes prepared at restaurants seem like they came from the frozen section of the local grocery store, I can do that at home and save some money, thank you very much. Alexanders is very different. You can tell the sauces are all freshly made and there is a great selection of them. I recommend the Gorgonzola basil cream sauce. The menu has all the classic Italian favorites and the Specials menu always has mouth watering seasonal items on it as well. The whole family can enjoy Alexander's. Great Italian food, very reasonable prices and huge portions make this our go-to Italian eatery.
(4)
Aldona Z.
Unbelievable!!!!!! What can I say except that it is the best Italian family owned restaurant in Pittsburgh!!!! The wedding soup is the best along with the beans and greens.We thought we were in Italian Heaven with these starter dishes, then we had the stuffed banana peppers with their special bread and we were satisfied beyond belief! Then came the linguine with clam sauce.It was so perfect.Just the right amount of garlic.We will continue indulging .The owner, Alex, was hospitable and genuinely concerned for our satisfaction. It was a memorable experience.We felt we were in Italy.It is Pittsburgh's Italian DIAMOND!! DIANE
(5)
Brooke G.
I have been going here my whole life, and I can say without a doubt that I have yet to ha e a bad experience. I have had almost everything on the menu and everything is amazing. Very filling portion sizes and great service. They offer a lot of good wines and a unique beer menu. All of their desserts are made on site, i highly recommend the rice pudding. If you find yourself in Little Italy (Bloomfiled) the best place to eat is Alexander's.
(5)
Kristen H.
I've lived in the area for over three years and I must have passed this place hundreds of times but last week was the first time I dined here. I totally regret having passed this place up! The problem is, this place is across from Silky's which I know and love, and based on the exterior I assumed this was a very expensive restaurant geared towards the 50+ crowd. It *is* nice inside, but when we dined here I was in sweat pants and not an eyebrow was raised. Full disclosure: I was dying at the end of a long urban hike, and we were right next to Alexander's and I told my friend I would hate him forever if he did not buy me pasta RIGHT.NOW. :) Alexander's totally hit the spot. It was so good! I was really surprised! I had the chicken bruschetta and it was DELCIOUS. I'd had the same item at Del's a few weeks ago and Del's cannot hold a candle to Alexanders. My chicken breast was only slightly seasoned which is a sign of a good, confident chef. The chicken was delicious and perfect and came out tasting like well seasoned chicken, not salt. It came with a side of pasta in any sauce I wanted from their lengthy list of sauces. I chose penne in gorgonzola cream sauce. The gorgonzola sauce was extremely strong. VERY cheesy. I like gorgonzola, but it was a bit strong for me--although it was still very good. My friend had a spaghetti and marinara in the marinara was incredible. You can tell its made on site. It was excellent. Our entrees came with side salads which were very good, and there was bread nad oil on the table for dipping although we didn't get into that too much. I will def be back, and if you havent tried alexander's, I recommend it. Its good, and you're not going to go broke eating here.
(4)
Jade T.
Nice and solid 3.5-stars for some solid AmericanItalian food! Service was really really friendly and the portions were really generous. It doesn't compare to your top-rated traditional Italian joint because that's not what it is. It's really more of an unpretentious mom and pop spot, with consistent hearty meals. Great stop for lunch or dinner, and cozy family atmosphere. We ate, we laughed, and had a very relaxed meal with coffee and dessert at the end. Drinks were refilled seamlessly and leftovers carefully packaged. Would definitely come by again!
(4)
Colleen C.
I went there recently with my family, and the food was good overall, but the service was rude. Upon arriving there, we asked if there was a place to hang our coats, and were told it's "a little hard to get to"; and that was it, so we crammed them into our booth. Corkage fee was charged for the wine we brought (since the wine list is practically nonexistent), which we completely expected and appreciated that we could bring our own wine; but our waiter took the cork out of the bottle and set it down on the table and walked away. WOW. For $10 per bottle, maybe he could have actually poured it into our glasses? The restaurant ran out of bread that night, we were told. The salad came with the dressing in disposable plastic cups on the side. Really? I think Eat N Park has a better dinner salad than this! Most Italian bistros ask if you'd like ground pepper on the salad, but this wasn't an option, so it was pepper from the shaker on the table. We had one dessert for a birthday in our group, but our waiter never asked anyone else at the table if they wanted to order dessert or coffee. Since the appetizers and entrees were good, I may give 'em another chance, maybe for lunch, but I am truly blown away that Alexander's was Post-Gazette's Reader's Choice Award winner for Best Italian in 2008, which is very proudly displayed in several places.
(3)
Teresa T.
Stopped in for dinner on a Sunday night at 7pm and Alexander's was about half full. We decided to go simple and stick with the Pastabilities. I choose the Bolognese with penne (~$12) and mushrooms (extra $1.50), while my husband ordered the Marfredo with farfelle ($11), sundried tomatoes and hot sausage (extra $4). Bolognese was solid though lacked mushrooms and my husband's dish was tasty too though the hot sausage was bland, it needed salt. Portions are huge, mine was easily two meals. Italian bread or rolls (not warmed up) w/ butter balls comes with the meal and there is EVOO on the table. For dessert, we ordered the chocolate chip cannolli which came with two - we enjoyed them but it pricey for the size $7. Aside from the dessert, the meal was reasonably priced. Service was consistent with other Yelpers' reviews - really, really friendly. We liked our waitress. Because there were no mushrooms in my dish, she was suppose to take it off our bill but forgot so ended up giving a cash credit. Also I ended up packaging my Bolognese home since I couldn't eat it all and she asked if we wanted the rolls too and wrapped my pasta in saran wrap for the trip home to prevent any sauce spillage which was a smart move since we had walked here. One comment though would be on the decor. You walk in and the bar area somewhat has a modern feel but then once you go into the dining room it is like you are warped back into time. There is just a lot of visual stimulation - over the top - that just doesn't go together. Overall though, Alexander's just gets it done - nothing fancy w/ home style food and great prices and service. We'll be skipping other Italian places in the area and will be back again.
(4)
darren l.
Very good but not spectacular. Charming small place in 'Little Italy' Bloomfield. Usually can get seated any evening and this place has a nice assortment of menu choices. The 'senators peppers' which is an appetizer of sauteed peppers, garlic, EVOO, and tomatoes is really tasty and flavorful without being too spicy. This is a pick your pasta then pick you sauce kinda place. Service is fine. House salad dressing matches the greens perfectly. Alexanders is food allergy friendly and they have GLUTEN-FREE PASTA! But this is not an over-the-top place, but then again, the prices are not over top either. Recommended.
(4)
Brittany W.
Great food and great service! The Maffalda Alexander is FANTASTIC, I've ordered there many times for dinner for the family, and the family style servings are gret for gatherings and meetings. They also have a GREAT salad with candied walnuts and dried cranberries that is to die for! Definitely a must have when ordering there!
(4)
Joe K.
Alexander's is good, solid Italian food without any pretentiousness. Their menu is large, but not outrageously expansive like a lot of other local Italian restaurants in the area. There's a nice selection of Italian favorites, plus you have the ability to create your own past dish (choose your pasta, type of sauce, and add-ons). I've been to Alexander's several times for lunch and always enjoyed it, so I decided to take my girlfriend there for dinner on a recent night. When we entered, we were warmly greeted by the staff and asked where we wanted to sit. We sat in the front of the house/bar area so I could keep an eye on the Pirates game. While there, I overheard an older lady complaining that her dish was less than stellar. The server and the manager agreed with her assessment and offered to make her anything else on the menu to make her happy. I've always been pleased by the pleasant, accommodating nature of the staff when I've visited Alexander's; it's truly a strong point of the restaurant. I ordered the pork osso bucco with garlic risotto, while my girlfriend went with chicken parmigiano. We opened with bruschetta toast. It was a nice start. The tomatoes were fresh, and the taste of balsamic vinegar gave it a little pop of flavor. I then had their wedding soup, which is always enjoyable. It's full of meat and has just the right level of saltiness to it. My girlfriend was pleased with her garden salad; in particular, she enjoyed the flavor and texture added by walnuts and cranberries. The pork osso bucco I received was huge. Unfortunately, the flavor was not as big as the size of the dish. The pork was tender and properly cooked... the garlic risotto, not so much. It was just kind of bland. Together, the dish was fairly tasty, but not something that I would order again. My girlfriend was pleased with her massive serving of chicken parmigiano and pasta. It was good, but the breading was a little soggy because it was doused in sauce. Somewhere during the course of our dinner, the manager walked from table to table, and asked every group if they wanted a loaf of Italian bread. I suppose that they had a lot of extra bread and were giving it out since the night was winding down. I heartily accepted- their bread is delicious. Little things like this are why I love Alexander's. If you're looking for some tasty Italian food served in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere, you can't go wrong with Alexander's. Just stick with the pasta, and you'll be happy.
(4)
Claire S.
This is my go-to for good, unpretentious, Italian-American home cooking. Alexander's is the place where the locals go for an inexpensive meal. The dining room is small and decorated to look like an Italian trattoria. The menu has all the basics, tons of pastas, different sauces, meatballs, parmigiana, etc. The bread is from (I'm pretty sure) Mancini's which is an old Italian-American bakery in the city. Come as you are: jeans, Steelers jersey, college sweatshirt, what have you. The service can be a bit flaky, but everyone is quite nice. Just relax. If they mix up an order they'll make it right. I love the wedding soup here and they make awesome chicken piccatta. I also like how they serve the meat and pasta dishes separately on small plates, instead of dumping everything together on a big dinner plate. For dessert they make a real tiramisu with lots of rum, and also really good rice pudding. One warning: it is really easy to overeat here. I eat lightly during the day if I know I'm going to Alexander's for dinner.
(4)
Iliana C.
OMG THIS PLACE IS AMAZING! Okay, the ambiance is cutesy and romantic. Upon arrival you are given a bread basket with HUGE Texas sized bread. I wasn't such a big fan because it was so soft that it seems to deteriorate while holding it. Little too messy for my liking. The bruschetta was not your typical bruschetta and honestly I would not recommend it. The Caesar salad is really a pity. Although it looks like a Caesar salad it doesn't taste like one since the lettuce, croutons, and dressing are all so flimsy. It hardly tasted like anything. So why am I giving this place a 5 star review? Because the pasta is amazing! The best pasta I have ever had! Now I know why people with Italian mothers/grandmothers scoff at places like Olive Garden where they don't make their own noodles. What a difference it makes. The menu offers you a large selection of noodles (gluten free available) and sauces to choose from. I had the marfredo (mix of marinara and alfredo) and I was dying over how good it was. My girlfriend, who has an Italian family, had the aglio aoli (sp?) and she was also dying over how amazing this was. DO COME HERE but don't waste any of your time with the appetizers or bread. Save your appetite for the pasta! I didn't get to try the deserts but next time I want to try their tiramisu since all the deserts are also made on site.
(5)
Penelope F.
We stopped in on a Tuesday afternoon. Service was very friendly. Ambiance is super comfortable. Food was great, the chicken pesto asparagus salad was amazing. Heavy on the pesto but that's what I love! Had a Blue Moon and it made an excellent early dinner.
(4)
Michael H.
Not real Italian. When there's a crab dish on the menu and you don't let your customers know this there's a problem. Imitation crab meat at an Italian restaurant doesn't fly. I was hoping for some good Italian while out of town and was truly disappointed. The bar service was extremely friendly about my compliant and did remove that dish from my bill. My entree was pasta and shrimp. I haven't paid $20 for a dish of pasta and 5 large shrimp in a long time. Don't worry but I won't come close to this restaurant again.
(1)
Marlena H.
I went here for a first date and I have to admit I was quite surprised. I wasn't expecting the food to be as good judging by the dining room (though it was a pleasant surprise to see fresh flowers). It wasn't a super fine dining atmosphere, but you definitely get quality and delicious food. Our server brought us a loaf of bread to take home at the end of the night (shocking). The service alone (not to mention the food too) is enough to bring us back.
(4)
Dana K.
Portions, food, & service were top notch. It was 2 couples and 5 kids. The restaurant is a bit cozy, but we were incredibly pleased with everything. There was plenty of room in the bar while we were there. There is a parking garage right next door & there was a decent amount of on street parking available.
(4)
Sally M.
I wasn't really a fan. In fact, this may hae been some of the most sub-par Italian food I've had (it seemed very touristy), and it was definitely my least favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh while traveling there on business the past few months. Cute ambiance! Cute neighborhood! Friendly local wait staff! But kinda touristy & uninteresting food pairings / ingredients.
(2)
Bennett R.
Loved it! I was not too excited about trying to eat healthy at an Italian joint, but went with friends. I was impressed at how many healthier options they had, if that's what you're in the mood for. Or pig out on a hot plate of carbs and dairy with a side of italian sausage. My friends and I split an order of beans, greens and tomatoes. I regret the sharing part, it was so outrageously delicious I wanted it all to myself. Next time I'm getting my own. In the spirit of healthy eating, I went with a salad, which was big, fresh, and just what I wanted. If you like salad, you're set. If not, the pasta my friends had looked great too. You can get gluten free or whole wheat pasta for an additional charge if you like. My boy friend had angel hair with alfredo, our friend had linguini marinara with fried calamari. The waitress was very pleasant, and kept her cool even though she had the pleasure of serving this merry band of drunk, vicious old queens. Now I would have been sold on the service and the food, everything I tasted was great. But the two pasta dishes weren't all that hot. Somewhat warmer than warm, they said. My friend let the waitress know but wasn't unhappy enough to send it back, even though the manager was adamant they could remake the plate in no time. (I work in a customer based industry and I know first hand, nothing can be worse than an unhappy customer who isn't willing to let you fix the problem after they bring it to your attention.) So at the end of the meal, he offered to buy us a round of drinks instead. Smart guy - offer a couple of drunks some free liquor, and all is forgiven. He took an almost great meal and made it great for them. Sadly, I was driving so didn't take him up on the offer. So - great food, beans and greens, lots of choices, beans and greens, good service, and beans and greens. If it were closer to home I'd be ready to move in.
(4)
Jr A.
This review is for the banquet facility. My family had a special event in their party room this past weekend. The point man a the restaurant was Jim and he could not have been nicer or professional. He told us he wouldn't be there the day of the event but he made sure another employee, Dave, knew of our special needs. The event went off smoothly and we could not have been happier with the food, service and price. A great restaurant to stage an event
(5)
D S.
The food - bruschetta and fried ravioli apps, side salad, 1/2 order of aglio olio, and rice pudding - was pretty good. The aglio olio and rice pudding were the best parts of the meal. The service was good. Everyone was friendly. The interior could use some sprucing, but, all in all, it was good Italian food. I'll be back for the half-priced wine!
(4)
Amy R.
We originally decided to go to Alexander's for an official dinner for a seminar speaker, expecting 15-20 people to come. So I talked to the manager and he set me all up, despite the fact that I was calling only 3 days before the dinner. He was so super nice and wonderful. We wound up only having 5 (who passes up free food?) but it was still a lovely dinner. The waitress was really helpful in suggesting the best things to get. I agree about the bread...it was just 'meh'. We didn't get an appetizer, but the homemade salad dressing (ranch) was very (very) good. I got the special for that night - fresh veal, and it was so so so good. The waitress said it would melt in your mouth, and it did. I also got the marfredo sauce on malfada pasta as my pasta side, based on other Yelp reviews of this combination and it was also quite good. Overall, great food. I would definitely return.
(4)
Sheila S.
A friend took me here for the best gnocchi I have ever eaten. We both chose the gorgonzola basil sauce; I added sweet baby peas and she added broccoli. We ate and ate and took home enough for dinner - it reheats really well. Clearly, whoever made that gnocchi is not a novice! Wine was half price since it was a weeknight, and the house cabernet was delicious. Service was stellar and the atmosphere is fantastic. I'd go regularly if I lived in Pittsburgh.
(5)
Mary Lou B.
Looking at all the other reviews about this place, I wondered if we actually went to the same place. I thought it wasn't very good. I had the Eggplant Alexander which consisted of a bunch of soggy fried eggplant with a ton of cheese melted on it. I've made much better at home. My beloved had veal Parmesan. Which was dry, overcooked and lukewarm. Did we catch them on a bad day? I'll never know because I don't think we'll return.
(2)
Kiersten S.
I'm sorry, this place is simply not good. Unfortunately, it is yet another example of poorly made Americanized Italian food. Too much cheese, too much butter and cream, and quite possibly the worst bread I have ever consumed at any Italian restaurant in my life. Someone had to go out of their way to find bread this flavorless and awful. It's already a travesty that it's served to me before the meal, but to put it on my sandwich! I'm actually offended for Italians, and bread. Yes bread, this is not your best. The eggplant Parmesan served to my mother was soggy, covered with an absurd amount of plastic Parmesan cheese swimming in a bland sauce. My fathers pasta, cream and cheese. Contrary to popular believe, this is not traditional Italian! This is what some would refer to as, terrible and heavy. And the cannoli? Words could not describe my disappointment. I'll admit it, I'm already an Italian food snob. I cook tons of Italian food for myself, family, and friends, and I only use the highest quality ingredients and go about preparing my meals in traditional southern Italian ways. I've had phenomenal Italian meals at the few great Italian restaurants in this city, so whenever I get the opportunity to eat at another "Italian" joint, I'm heading in with high expectations. Is this what Italian food in Pittsburgh has come too? Seeing other similar Italian places in Bloomfield, I'm sad to say...yes. I'm actually slightly upset even writing this because the waitstaff is charming, and I hear the owners are great, but to pass this off as representative of Italian food is an injustice. If you want a truly great Italian meal please look elsewhere.
(1)
Sam F.
This place is perfect if you've had a rough day and want to go somewhere to have a relaxing, homemade dinner. The people there treat you like family and the food is awesome. You can buy make- your-own pastas and the tomato sauce is the best!!! The fried ravioli entree is really yummy too. The only thing I can say as a semi-"ehh" about this place is that they don't have just a regular meat lasagna! The appetizers are really good, but for instance if you order their provolone sticks, it only comes with three. Not exactly enough to share with another person. They give you complimentary bread to start though. The Abby Alexandra's Angel Hair entree is very good as well. I should also mention that their proportions are huge! I always have leftovers no matter how hungry I am walking in. All in all, this place is a gem. The people are soooo friendly and it's a really enjoyable environment to be in. Great for a casual drink, a nice dinner with your family or even a lo-key dinner date. The food is awesome and it's well worth a trip to this area of town if you don't live close.
(4)
Dean J.
Solid American Italian food that's not making a pretense of being anything else. The service was incredibly friendly, the food was well thought out, as promised, and in ample portions. Half price wine on Monday and Wednesday. Will be headed back.
(3)
Thomas C.
I used to work near Alexander's 10 years ago and it was consistently good, so we decided to go there on Valentine's Day for a nice meal. As it turned out, the service and meals were a disaster. In fact, I have not seen service that bad in years. We ordered the "make your own pasta" and the meals were unlike anything I have ever seen from an Italian restaurant. Not only were the dishes not correctly prepared based on the order, but bland and something you might see from a frozen microwave dinner. The waitress and general manager were lost with how to make things right. They were fumbling idiots who made no effort to suggest or substitute the meals. I was not impressed with the management and staff. We literally scavenged what we could from our meals, paid the check and got out of there. How many times have I left an Italian restaurant hungry? 2-14-2011 was the first time. Beware of this place, its not the same as it was back a few years ago.
(1)
Sarah S.
I'm kinda sad to see any bad reviews of Alexander's on here. But come on people, who can actually write a review of an ITALIAN restaurant when they've only eaten the tuna or a hoagie? PASTA is in their name, so you should probably try the PASTA before commenting on something that isn't their SPECIALTY. Sorry for the sarcasm. I've been going to Alexander's for years, and I can't remember ever getting a bad meal. I love that you can pick what kind of pasta you want, what sauce, and the toppings. My favorite is the marfredo sauce. It is spaghetti sauce mixed with alfredo sauce. So freakin good!!! My only "issue" is that they never seem to add enough sauce on your pasta, but you can ask for some extra on the side and they bring you a little bowlful. It's perfect!!! I get hot sausage on top (which isn't too spicy) and broccoli (which is always steamed just right, so it's not limp). The bread always comes with olive oil and parmesean cheese that you can dip it in. I love that. We always get a carafe of their Chianti. It seems to go really well with the pasta. And lastly, the price is right. Why pay $20 for a plate of pasta? Alexander's agrees. With wine and 2 dinners, we get outta there for under $50. Not bad. This is an all-around good italian restaurant. Sorry to the haters, but this place blows Joe Mama's outta the water!!!
(5)
Shanna C.
I really wanted Alexanders to be great - like a hidden gem in a sea of Big Burritos and high-priced Shadyside Italian joints. Well, it was well priced, but the food was just... okay. They didn't go that extra mile to make it great. I had the blackened ahi tuna salad - the tuna was fantastic, but the dressing came in a plastic condiment cup with a lid and the tuna looked real lonely on some standard dark salad greens. Pasta portions were generous... but again, not fantastic. Joe Mama's actually has better pasta. Half-priced wine by the glass - also generous. However there was lipstick permanently imprinted into the glass I got. The bar looks really nice and the dining room was more like a living room painted warm colors and filled with booths. I really wanted to like it. But I also wanted to comment on how the stellar review from an unknown source underneath the glass table top to read while you dine made it feel like some substandard tavern. I wanted to tell the waitresses screaming across the dining room to quite down because I can't hear the strangely out of place pop and rock music coming from the quality sound system over her asking if her customers want coffee with the dessert. I wanted a nice dinner at a beautiful restaurant. I got an OK one in a wonky dining room. If they take a step back and consider what they could do to make the place better, I think they can get there. However, that's not likely to happen without new management.
(3)
Britney T.
The food here is authentic and FILLING! Each table has a nice setup complete with oil & vinegar to start out with when the fresh, fluffy white Italian bread is brought to your table. The gnocci is one of my favorite things, main course-wise, but a lot of people seem to like the bolognese. My favorite dessert is the Tiramisu. They also offer a side house salad which is also really good (they use dried cranberries and candied walnuts, mmmm!!!). I'm not a huge fan of wedding soup, but Alexander's has one of the best.The mac n' cheese is fabulous as well. Everything here is. Nothing is done cheap. The atmosphere is dimly lit and romantic, I suppose, the bartenders are sweet and conversational, and the servers are timely, polite and very friendly. They have outside seating available, weather permitting. Decent drink specials and a variety to choose from. Alexander (the owner) is such a nice guy, he goes out of his way to make the customers happy. I feel like I'm at home here. When I go back to Pittsburgh, this may very well be the first place I visit!
(4)
Matthew Lee C.
Alexander's is an extraordinary family-owned old fashioned Italian restaurant. Highlights: Homemade rice pudding, tiramisu. Sorry, desserts first. The bread is fresh and is served with oil, vinegar, and parmesan cheese. Traditional antipasto is delicious and made to suit the size of your party. For appetizers, the fried ravioli and calamari fritti are to die for. Entrees: the cream sauces, red sauces, and the pesto are all delicious but my favorite is the Marfredo Sauce, a mix of marinara and alfredo. The Marfredo goes really well with sliced spicy Italian sausage. PS. The service cannot be beat. It's one of the friendliest restaurants I have eaten in. I used to go there often when I was a student living in Bloomfield.
(5)
Trish I.
Had veal romano, it was excellent, some of the best veal I have had in a restaurant in years. The pasta was also very good, I chose the Gorgonzola sauce, also very good. The waitress was very friendly and the cost was reasonable.
(5)
Denise L.
Seat yourself in the back.... Only one server/bartender from 2-4:30 pm.... But good service regardless....fried ravioli was good.... Meatballs ok... Chicken rissoto was delicious....chicken eggplant parm was fried....( just to give a heads up)....lemon bar is very sweet( but good). Carrot cake yummy....1 dessert is enough to feed 2! Discounts for upmc family house guests..... It started raining and the manager offered to drive us back to family house when we asked to call a taxi... Great service for a good price.... Definately would recommend!
(4)
Megan H.
Very average Italian food. If you're looking for a pasta+sauce experience, it's pretty boring. Eggplant parm was a little better than average. But all in all, not any more exciting than what I can make for myself with a jar of sauce and box of pasta.
(2)
John H.
Disappointing. The food was below average and the service was ok. We were expecting a lot from this restaurant but it definitely did not deliver. Pasta was not homemade and sauces mediocre at best. Wine selection is very weak. The outdoor seating is a redeeming quality.
I unfortunately have to say that my wife and I agreed that both our meals served were the worst dinners we have had in Pittsburgh. I am pretty forgiving but this was not acceptable. Both meals were served barely warm. The decor was old 70's which could have charm but this didn't. The server was fair. Forgot to even bring us water after requesting it and didn't ask how the dinners were. Both plates were mediocre at best. I will not return.
(1)
Paul K.
Alexander's offers some of the worst Italian food I've ever had. I went there with my girlfriend and my parents on a Saturday night, and from start to finish the experience that Alexander's gave us was simply awful. First, when we arrived around 6 pm, the restaurant was half-empty (bad sign #1). The hostess seated us at a table in the center of the very cramped and very small dining room (bad sign #2). Then, our waitress did not even come over to take drink orders for another 10 minutes (bad sign #3). Once the waitress finally arrived and took our orders, the food itself offered no relief. My girlfriend and I ordered the Caesar salad - the salads were drowning in Caesar dressing, the croutons were badly burnt and inedible, and there were too many croutons to begin with. This restaurant couldn't even get a simple salad right, but I hoped against hope that the entrees would be an improvement. Unfortunately, the entrees were no better. My girlfriend ordered Chicken Alfredo. Not only was the dish absurdly light on chicken (3 small pieces total? Come on!), the alfredo sauce was thick and gummy to the point of tasting like glue. My mom ordered the Mushroom ravioli, which was completely bland. I ordered the Veal Diablo with Shrimp; the plate came with 3 pieces of veal sliced extremely thin, 3 nice sized shrimp, and... that was it. No pasta, no garlic bread, nothing but an ocean of very mediocre marinara sauce. I finished my entire plate, the remaining half of my mom's plate after she was finished eating, and as much as I could stomach of my girlfriend's Alfredo (which was only a couple of forkfuls, as that Alfredo sauce was one of the foulest things I've ever eaten), but I still was left hungry. The dessert course offered a distinctly rotten cherry on top of this already heaping garbage sundae. We were initially assured that all of the desserts were made in-house, but that soon proved not to be the case. Indeed, for several of our desserts, a store-bought version would have been an improvement. I ordered a cannoli, figuring that even a crappy Italian restaurant can't screw up a cannoli, as it is a violation of Italian Law or something. Unfortunately, their "fresh-made" cannolis consisted of a pre-packaged cannoli shell, pre-packaged cannoli filling (which, by the way, was gritty, as though someone had dumped in white sugar but not mixed the cream thoroughly enough for the sugar to dissolve), and put the two together in the kitchen. Needless to say, my cannoli was awful. My girlfriend ordered the tiramisu, and what she received was about as far removed from tiramisu as one can get. There were almost no ladyfingers, and the ones that were in the dish were drowning in coffee. On top of that, the dessert was swamped with an excessive amount of coffee-flavored cream that essentially destroyed the dish. My uncle's chocolate cake was dry and uninspiring; a store-bought cake would have been more moist. I did not pick up the check - my uncle was nice enough to do that - so I did not see the final bill. However, they could not have paid me to eat this often-inedible food. The service was slow and inattentive, the food was simply awful, and I left hungry. Do not waste your time, your money, or your energy with this place, as you can get better Italian food virtually anywhere else in the city.
(1)
Jennifer G.
My husband and I had one of our first dates in Pittsburgh at Alexander's, so it has a special place in my heart. I knew he was a keeper when we ordered the asparagus/goat cheese appetizer and I loved it so much that he let me eat all but one piece on my own. There is a bar areas out front that has a more casual feel and dining room in the back. The dining room is small and intimate offering several booths along the sides of the restaurant and several tables in the middle and towards the front of the dining room. The decor has a homey feel with nice colors and a fun chandelier. The menu is much more extensive then a typical Italian restaurant. There are several appetizer choices in addition to the previously mentioned grilled asparagus. There are also several salads and two soup options, the soup of the day and wedding soup. The first time I was there I tried the veal diablo which was veal with hot peppers and mushrooms and a Marsala sauce. It was delicious. It had a nice kick but wasn't too hot that you didn't enjoy it. On my second visit I enjoyed the "pastabilities" create your own pasta. With 10+ sauce choices plus 10+ pasta the combinations seem endless! I enjoyed the angel hair with the Marsala wine and red pepper sauce. My husband had the Bolognese and was equally happy. The pasta seemed to be in an endless bowl. I felt like I was eating forever and there was still two meals worth of pasta left in my take out container. The build your own pasta is quite a value for the price (although it does not come with a soup or salad like the other entrees do). We were stuffed, but after seeing several desserts go by, I decided I wanted to order the Napoleon. It was stuffed with strawberries and blueberries and the cream was delectable. Overall a great dining experience. We will be back.
(5)
R H.
Well where do I start! The food was very bland for my taste. I'm not going to say much more but I won't be returning. I have to add this by far is one of the WORST Italian restaurants I've ever ate at. Good luck
(1)
Deb F.
My sister Cyndy was in town on her birthday and my kids Megan & Michael and son's girlfriend Niki surprised her by making reservations at Alexander's Italian Bistro in Bloomfield. When we got there, our table was ready and we were immediately greeted by Michelle. From that moment on I knew they had picked the right restaurant. Michelle was so sweet and attentive. She explained the menu, helped us make our selections and made us feel like we were in her own home. Michelle started by bring us our drinks and homemade bread which she replenished a second time. It was so good. Then our meals came. Each one of us ordered something different. Megan had Classic Chicken Parmigiano, Michael had Penne with Marinara, Meatballs & Hot Sausage, Niki had Chicken Piccata, Cyndy had Penne with Pesto Sauce & I had Angel Hair Pasta with fresh tomatoes, spinach, chicken with splash of white wine. We all tasted everyones dishes and we couldn't find a winner. All were so delicious. At the end of the dinner, we all grabbed our to-go bags. Because we had cake waiting at home, Michelle gave my sister a loaf of their fabulous bread which we enjoy the next day with our coffee. So if you are looking for a great place to eat with fabulous food in a friendly environment. Alexander's Italian Bistro is your place!
(5)
Julie R.
My parents were in town and since my Mom's birthday is next week we decided to go out for an early celebration. I now live in Bloomfield so we decided to go Italian. Full disclosure: my first choice was D'Amico's but either they changed their storefront and I didn't recognize it, or they have closed. In any event, my plan B was Alexanders. We went on a Tuesday night around 7. Parking was no problem, free street parking after 6-nice! The bar was deserted and the small dining room had two or three small groups. So no shouting to make yourself heard-double nice! The seating was comfortable (we got a square table in the middle of the room). Our server was very nice and efficient and I'd give her at least 4 stars. My mom got the spinach and cheese ravioli w/ marinara sauce (on the menu the ravioli are deep fried but they honored her request for a "normal" cook), my dad got angel hair with bolognese sauce, and I got linguini with pesto sauce. I was surprised that the pasta dishes did not come with a salad so if you go, that's additional. The server said that the serving sizes were generous. They were good portions but not huge by Pittsburgh standards. My mom does not have a large appetite and she ate all but one ravioli. I ate all my pasta and could have had more. My Dad was reaching for his third slice of bread after he polished off his pasta, so I'll let you draw your own conclusions! :) The sauces were good and the pasta tasted like it was fresh. Everything was warm/lukewarm, but not steaming hot. I'm a bit of a slow eater, especially with pasta so by the time I was finishing, it was cold. The food was OK, in cases like this, I really wish you could give a half star, because this is 3.5 stars. Nothing was horrible, nothing was excellent. It was good. The bill with a tip was around $55 (we all had soft drinks), which again I don't have a major quibble about. Not sure I will go back, but not sorry I went. :)
(3)
Sarah M.
This was my first time here and I will never go back. My hubby and I were excited to get alil dresses up and have some Italian and god did they mess that off. To start off when we walked in the place REEKED of piss. Like someone has literally just peed on the floor. Our waitress showed us to a booth in the back where they were scraps and trash under and around our table. I asked her for a drink list she informs me there isn't one k fine I move on. Then we get an appetizer the fried ravoli which was prices at 8$ but only came with four bite size pieces on a plate. That's it. Now onto the meal I order a tortellini and marinara and my husband got the tuna. Mine came out with random mixed veggies In it(which I just picked around) and my husbands came out fine except his sauces came in plastic cups(it was a 20$ dish). Oh and that's not the end of it. After telling the waitress that I didn't receive what I ordered we had to listen to her and the cook scream at each other while we at. She then have us our check and then disappeared. We waited until I finally stopped another waitress to cash us out. I paid 65$ all together and it should have been free.
(1)
Deena A.
I AM BOYCOTTING ALEXANDER'S FOR LIFE!!! The manager SCREAMED AT ME at the top of his lungs in an epic meltdown that lasted 10 minutes! On Sat., April 12, 2014, I attended the 50th birthday party for my dear friend, David Flynn. I organized the party, but relied on Dave and his sister to provide me with the final head count. I made the reservation for 25 people. The manager and I played phone tag for the two days before the event. I called back and left messages TWICE to confirm, but apparently he never got my messages. (This was part of his rant, his indignation at unreturned phone calls that actually HAD been returned!) The dinner started at 7 PM. Most of our group arrived on time, but some of our group (including me) arrived between 8 PM-9 PM. I was working on a homemade birthday present for Dave, which took longer than expected. I called Dave, his sister and my friends (Reesa & Joel) to tell them I was running late. In hindsight, I should have also called the restaurant to let them know, and for that I am truly sorry. That still doesn't justify the manager SCREAMING AT ME FOR 10 MINUTES! After enjoying a delicious dinner, drinks and birthday cake, none of us had a clue that anything was wrong. If the decision to return to a restaurant were based SOLELY on the food and wait staff, I would definitely return to Alexander's. But sadly, when the manager has a nuclear meltdown and throws a 10-MINUTE SCREAMING TEMPER TANTRUM, it tends to sour one on returning to a restaurant. Towards the end of our dinner, some of us started to smell cigarette smoke, which we later realized was coming from the patio out front. (It was a warm night, and they had the front sliding-glass doors open.) In the midst of the smoke discussion, the manager approached our table and began an EPIC RANT, SCREAMING AT ME FOR 10 MINUTES!!! He was angry that everyone in our group hadn't arrived at exactly 7 PM. The restaurant's kitchen is open till 10 PM on Sat. night, so I don't understand why this was a big deal. We ended up with 20 people total and 5 no-shows. I am always disappointed by no-shows, but I explained this possibility to the manager when I made the reservation. I STILL BROUGHT HIM 20 PAYING CUSTOMERS! BTW...the dining room was practically EMPTY, which is not what I would expect on a Saturday night in Pittsburgh. Maybe I'm not the first customer to be on the receiving end of the manager's meltdown. The manager SCREAMED that he had called me twice, and I hadn't called him back! He ranted about this about a dozen times. I told him I HAD called him back - TWICE. It's not my fault if he didn't get my messages. He SCREAMED that he had put an extra waitress and cook on staff because he expected 25 people. He SCREAMED that I had cost the restaurant $100! How much money do you think 20 people spent on appetizers, dinner and drinks? I find it hard to believe that they didn't make any money, or at least break even. I am sorry that there were 5 no-shows in our group, but I always thought Saturday night was the busiest night of the week for most restaurants. I didn't realize the restaurant would look like a deserted, old western ghost town with hardly any customers. On a Saturday night, I assumed they would have a full staff on duty with or without my reservation. I was wrong. I'm sorry. I'm not perfect. The manager also YELLED at me and my friends for "LOOKING COMFORTABLE" in his restaurant!!! Since when is looking comfortable an OFFENSE??? I thought restaurants wanted you to feel comfortable, but apparently not at Alexander's. He also SCREAMED that one of the waitresses only got a $1.00 tip! I found that hard to believe, but just in case he wasn't making it up, I tipped my waitress $35 on my $26 dinner check! I am a former waitress, and I would feel HORRIBLE if any waitress every got ripped off on my watch! Even if his story wasn't true, I figured she deserved an extra big tip just for having to WORK in such a horrible place where the manager YELLS at paying customers!!! If he treats the customers this way, I can only imagine how he treats the employees. THE MANAGER'S RUDE BEHAVIOR HAS COST HIM MY BUSINESS AND MY FRIENDS' BUSINESS FOREVER!!! During his rant, he actually SCREAMED that he never wanted to see me in his restaurant ever again! I'm happy to grant him that wish. And so are my friends. This is an example of the WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I have ever witnessed in my entire life!!! I thought the manager was going to have a heart attack or a stroke the way he was SCREAMING FOR 10 MINUTES! SCREAMING at paying customers is completely unacceptable behavior, and I will NEVER eat at Alexander's ever again. It's really a shame because I loved their salmon with pesto sauce. But great food can't make up for a manager who throws a TEMPER TANTRUM and SCREAMS AT YOU. Also, you can smell smoke in the dining room, which sucks. My friends and I are BOYCOTTING ALEXANDER'S FOR LIFE!!!
(1)
Laura M.
I came here about a year ago with some friends for dinner, when one of my friends wanted Italian food, and we wanted to try a place in Bloomfield. I ordered the create-your-own pasta with mafalda pasta, gorgonzola basil cream sauce, and chicken. The sauce was actually quite tasty, although a bit on the strong side, and overpowered the chicken quite a bit. It was definitely unique, however! The bread that was served with the pasta was thick and soft, but wasn't particularly unique. Service was fine, and the atmosphere was nice. Overall, not a bad option for Italian food in Bloomfield, and I'd go back if a dining companion wanted to try it, but I wouldn't go out of my way to return since there's better Italian to be had elsewhere in PGH. 3.5 stars.
(3)
Colleen S.
A good, reasonably prices Italian restaurant in Bloomfield. We went on Halloween around 7pm and found that is the absolute best time to go out to eat! It was completely empty except for two other parties. They bring you bread and oil to the table. We also ordered bruschetta which was very good. Everyone seemed very happy with their meals. Beware of the pasta Diablo! My dad was sweating from the heat of it and he normally loves spicy food. He said it was delicious, but it sounds like a great dish for someone prepared for some serious spice (not me!). My little brother was disappointed that his spaghetti and meatballs came with one meatball, but besides that we were very happy with the meal. Nice portions and great service.
(3)
Stephanie P.
Suffice it to say, this is not real Italian food and it's below average and overpriced when it comes to American-Italian food. The staff was excellent though and you will have great service and conversation. Thanks but probably won't be back.
(2)
Mina M.
I have been coming to Alexander's off and on for almost 25 years. I think in all that time I have only had one meal that was below par. Pretty good average I'd say. I went the other night with my adult daughter. I had the calamari with pasta, a cocktail ( yum, yum), and a garden salad. The salad was very fresh and arrived promptly. The cocktail was strong but great. The calamari arrived quickly and was piled so high on the plate I could barely see over the plate! It was served on what tasted like fresh tomatoes over the pasta. It was so good I couldn't stop eating it, even after I was full. My daughter had the salad too with linguini and clam sauce. It was loaded with clams. They were tasty and not rubbery. She suspected they were canned but since they were tender it was okay. The sauce was fragrant too, not fishy. Our server was super efficient and polite. She kept up with us without being intrusive. The decor of the restaurant has been updated a bit over time. It's cute. A bit too bright for an Italian restaurant if you ask me, but I'm from New England where Italian places are all dimly lit. Overall, a wonderful, easy going, friendly neighborhood place to go to relax over some good food and drink. Have a few laughs without a tv interrupting your dinner conversation. You have to sit in the bar for that. Take your mom. Take the family. Take your husband when you can't stand another night of cooking. Just go it alone and who cares about anyone else?! Just have fun eating some really good food that tastes like someone cares.
(4)
Ray C.
I had a wonderful experience at this restaurant bringing 8 out of town guests from across the country. The food was outstanding and the wait staff is very accommodating. Alex made a special effort to make sure our time there was enjoyable. Good authentic Italian cuisine at a very reasonable price.
(4)
Jinna C.
This place is small and cozy. We came here on a Sunday night and the restaurant was not busy. Our waitress was friendly and not pushy since we took a while trying to navigate the extensive menu options! I ordered the tortellini. The dish was rich with the ricotta cheese and the creamy sauce. I finished only about half the dish. The flavors were good but it got to be too much after a while. The portion was also huge which may also have to do with my ability to finish it. We also ordered the veal parm with pasta. The veal was cooked nicely. The meal came with 2 pieces of veal and a nice portion of pasta with marinara sauce. I liked it better than the tortellini. That dish didn't have anything left at the end of the meal! For dessert we ordered the ice cream with candied nuts and the tiramisu. Both very good! The tiramisu was not too sweet and a nice portion to end the meal.
(4)
Jonathan E.
solid 4-star restaurant. my wife took my sister/bro-in-law here as part of a night on the town. +1 for street parking on the side of the building. +1 for being very attentive to us, especially when we walked in. +0 for dated decor. too many mirrors. could use an update. -1 for small tables. we were crammed in like sardines. +1 for a giant LOAF of bread for the table. pretty crumby. literally--there were lots of crumbs. +0 for a $10 corking fee. we brought our own bottle. +1 for GREAT marinara sauce. +1 for GREAT gnocci. +0 for good cavatelli. it was much more al dente than we expected. +1 for good portion sizes. +1 for a live vioinist that walked around. he took requests and was quite talented. +1 for honoring our 15% off coupon that we got for signing up for their e-mail list. recommended!
(4)
Tom R.
This was a nice family Italian restaurant. Food was very good, and service was excellent. Our server was a young lady named Mieke, and she really added a lot of pleasure to the dining experience. We would certainly go back to dine here again.
(5)
Mark D.
Very nice classic Pittsburgh neighborhood Italian. Best choice for hearty, simple popular Italian dishes I took my parents there for dinner and we all enjoyed our meal. My mom loved her chicken parm. My clam sauce with whole wheat pasta was absolutely perfectly al-dente. Salad is fresh with a very nice balsamic vinagrette. Wedding soup was a bit salty, but otherwise perfectly fit my conception of what wedding soup should be. Dad had the tortilla soup (I know; odd choice) and he liked it quite a bit. Standout item was the beans & greens which were very fresh. Service was excellent. Atmosphere is a bit dated and very Pittsburgh, but if you are looking for decent American Italian at good prices with good service, highly recommend.
Seeing as I am named Alexander I'm not surprised that a restaurant which shares my name is fantastic. I have eaten at Alexander's several times and the food and wait staff have always been spot on. My favorite dish is the Mafalda Alexander (Mafalda pasta, sausage, and a tomato cream sauce). They give you an un-eatably huge portion which is fine by me, it makes a great lunch the next day. Also, I think the decor and prices make this a great spot for a date night. One minor flaw is that the only parking is metered street parking. It's usually not a problem finding a spot relatively close, however I have run into issues in the past.
(4)
Sarah E.
I was a little surprised by the lackluster reviews for Alexanders on here. I've only been there once, but I was quite pleased with the experience. From the second I entered the restaurant, I was greeted in a very friendly manner. Service to my table was also prompt and amicable. There is quite a bit of variety on the menu, and the prices are reasonable. I had the Tortellini Verde and my friend had the Mafalda Madison (thankfully I was able to sample this a bit too). I thought both were flavorful and tasty. Granted, I'm not an Italian food connoisseur, but it was definitely comparable if not better than other Mom & Pop Italian places I've been to. It certainly blows Olive Garden out of the water, but perhaps that goes without saying. I will definitely go back!
(4)
Paul D.
Just went to Alexanders Italian Bistro , Boy What a Treat ! There should be another Star for this place. The Food was excellent , the wine was very good and the deserts were to die for. Ok maybe I might have had a little too much wine.,But I was very impressed. The staff was very attentive , The Italian bread was fresh and plentiful, And I had the Angel hair spaghetti with Hot peppers and hot sausage. My friends had seafood selections. Espresso for everyone after the Tiramisu Deserts ! YUMMMMM ! I would Recommend Alexanders to anyone who enjoys fine Italian food. ( PS its not a chain restaurant ) Parking was plentiful too. I LOVE Mom& Pop places. Very clean & cozy. More Wine Please ?
(5)
Teresa T.
Stopped in for dinner on a Sunday night at 7pm and Alexander's was about half full. We decided to go simple and stick with the Pastabilities. I choose the Bolognese with penne (~$12) and mushrooms (extra $1.50), while my husband ordered the Marfredo with farfelle ($11), sundried tomatoes and hot sausage (extra $4). Bolognese was solid though lacked mushrooms and my husband's dish was tasty too though the hot sausage was bland, it needed salt. Portions are huge, mine was easily two meals. Italian bread or rolls (not warmed up) w/ butter balls comes with the meal and there is EVOO on the table. For dessert, we ordered the chocolate chip cannolli which came with two - we enjoyed them but it pricey for the size $7. Aside from the dessert, the meal was reasonably priced. Service was consistent with other Yelpers' reviews - really, really friendly. We liked our waitress. Because there were no mushrooms in my dish, she was suppose to take it off our bill but forgot so ended up giving a cash credit. Also I ended up packaging my Bolognese home since I couldn't eat it all and she asked if we wanted the rolls too and wrapped my pasta in saran wrap for the trip home to prevent any sauce spillage which was a smart move since we had walked here. One comment though would be on the decor. You walk in and the bar area somewhat has a modern feel but then once you go into the dining room it is like you are warped back into time. There is just a lot of visual stimulation - over the top - that just doesn't go together. Overall though, Alexander's just gets it done - nothing fancy w/ home style food and great prices and service. We'll be skipping other Italian places in the area and will be back again.
(4)
Joe K.
Alexander's is good, solid Italian food without any pretentiousness. Their menu is large, but not outrageously expansive like a lot of other local Italian restaurants in the area. There's a nice selection of Italian favorites, plus you have the ability to create your own past dish (choose your pasta, type of sauce, and add-ons). I've been to Alexander's several times for lunch and always enjoyed it, so I decided to take my girlfriend there for dinner on a recent night. When we entered, we were warmly greeted by the staff and asked where we wanted to sit. We sat in the front of the house/bar area so I could keep an eye on the Pirates game. While there, I overheard an older lady complaining that her dish was less than stellar. The server and the manager agreed with her assessment and offered to make her anything else on the menu to make her happy. I've always been pleased by the pleasant, accommodating nature of the staff when I've visited Alexander's; it's truly a strong point of the restaurant. I ordered the pork osso bucco with garlic risotto, while my girlfriend went with chicken parmigiano. We opened with bruschetta toast. It was a nice start. The tomatoes were fresh, and the taste of balsamic vinegar gave it a little pop of flavor. I then had their wedding soup, which is always enjoyable. It's full of meat and has just the right level of saltiness to it. My girlfriend was pleased with her garden salad; in particular, she enjoyed the flavor and texture added by walnuts and cranberries. The pork osso bucco I received was huge. Unfortunately, the flavor was not as big as the size of the dish. The pork was tender and properly cooked... the garlic risotto, not so much. It was just kind of bland. Together, the dish was fairly tasty, but not something that I would order again. My girlfriend was pleased with her massive serving of chicken parmigiano and pasta. It was good, but the breading was a little soggy because it was doused in sauce. Somewhere during the course of our dinner, the manager walked from table to table, and asked every group if they wanted a loaf of Italian bread. I suppose that they had a lot of extra bread and were giving it out since the night was winding down. I heartily accepted- their bread is delicious. Little things like this are why I love Alexander's. If you're looking for some tasty Italian food served in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere, you can't go wrong with Alexander's. Just stick with the pasta, and you'll be happy.
(4)
Sally M.
I wasn't really a fan. In fact, this may hae been some of the most sub-par Italian food I've had (it seemed very touristy), and it was definitely my least favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh while traveling there on business the past few months. Cute ambiance! Cute neighborhood! Friendly local wait staff! But kinda touristy & uninteresting food pairings / ingredients.
(2)
Bennett R.
Loved it! I was not too excited about trying to eat healthy at an Italian joint, but went with friends. I was impressed at how many healthier options they had, if that's what you're in the mood for. Or pig out on a hot plate of carbs and dairy with a side of italian sausage. My friends and I split an order of beans, greens and tomatoes. I regret the sharing part, it was so outrageously delicious I wanted it all to myself. Next time I'm getting my own. In the spirit of healthy eating, I went with a salad, which was big, fresh, and just what I wanted. If you like salad, you're set. If not, the pasta my friends had looked great too. You can get gluten free or whole wheat pasta for an additional charge if you like. My boy friend had angel hair with alfredo, our friend had linguini marinara with fried calamari. The waitress was very pleasant, and kept her cool even though she had the pleasure of serving this merry band of drunk, vicious old queens. Now I would have been sold on the service and the food, everything I tasted was great. But the two pasta dishes weren't all that hot. Somewhat warmer than warm, they said. My friend let the waitress know but wasn't unhappy enough to send it back, even though the manager was adamant they could remake the plate in no time. (I work in a customer based industry and I know first hand, nothing can be worse than an unhappy customer who isn't willing to let you fix the problem after they bring it to your attention.) So at the end of the meal, he offered to buy us a round of drinks instead. Smart guy - offer a couple of drunks some free liquor, and all is forgiven. He took an almost great meal and made it great for them. Sadly, I was driving so didn't take him up on the offer. So - great food, beans and greens, lots of choices, beans and greens, good service, and beans and greens. If it were closer to home I'd be ready to move in.
(4)
Claire S.
This is my go-to for good, unpretentious, Italian-American home cooking. Alexander's is the place where the locals go for an inexpensive meal. The dining room is small and decorated to look like an Italian trattoria. The menu has all the basics, tons of pastas, different sauces, meatballs, parmigiana, etc. The bread is from (I'm pretty sure) Mancini's which is an old Italian-American bakery in the city. Come as you are: jeans, Steelers jersey, college sweatshirt, what have you. The service can be a bit flaky, but everyone is quite nice. Just relax. If they mix up an order they'll make it right. I love the wedding soup here and they make awesome chicken piccatta. I also like how they serve the meat and pasta dishes separately on small plates, instead of dumping everything together on a big dinner plate. For dessert they make a real tiramisu with lots of rum, and also really good rice pudding. One warning: it is really easy to overeat here. I eat lightly during the day if I know I'm going to Alexander's for dinner.
(4)
Amy R.
We originally decided to go to Alexander's for an official dinner for a seminar speaker, expecting 15-20 people to come. So I talked to the manager and he set me all up, despite the fact that I was calling only 3 days before the dinner. He was so super nice and wonderful. We wound up only having 5 (who passes up free food?) but it was still a lovely dinner. The waitress was really helpful in suggesting the best things to get. I agree about the bread...it was just 'meh'. We didn't get an appetizer, but the homemade salad dressing (ranch) was very (very) good. I got the special for that night - fresh veal, and it was so so so good. The waitress said it would melt in your mouth, and it did. I also got the marfredo sauce on malfada pasta as my pasta side, based on other Yelp reviews of this combination and it was also quite good. Overall, great food. I would definitely return.
(4)
Sheila S.
A friend took me here for the best gnocchi I have ever eaten. We both chose the gorgonzola basil sauce; I added sweet baby peas and she added broccoli. We ate and ate and took home enough for dinner - it reheats really well. Clearly, whoever made that gnocchi is not a novice! Wine was half price since it was a weeknight, and the house cabernet was delicious. Service was stellar and the atmosphere is fantastic. I'd go regularly if I lived in Pittsburgh.
(5)
Mary Lou B.
Looking at all the other reviews about this place, I wondered if we actually went to the same place. I thought it wasn't very good. I had the Eggplant Alexander which consisted of a bunch of soggy fried eggplant with a ton of cheese melted on it. I've made much better at home. My beloved had veal Parmesan. Which was dry, overcooked and lukewarm. Did we catch them on a bad day? I'll never know because I don't think we'll return.
(2)
Katherine P.
Went yesterday for my parents 30th anniversary. We went for a late lunch so the restaurant was empty when we arrived. Our waiter was fabulous! He was very attentive and wanted to make sure the experience was wonderful for my parents. We started with wine and apps, and I loved the fried zucchini. It wasn't overly breaded and were were able to split it between six people and not worry about not having enough. I ordered a Malfada pasta with feta spinach and sundried tomatoes and it was excellent! It was the perfect portion and spiced wonderfully. My parents each got chicken parm and devoured it. All in all a wonderful experience and we will definitely return.
(4)
Morgan D.
Living in Bloomfield, I was excited to finally try some authentic, excellent Italian fare. Unfortunately, I hadn't had much luck so far at Pleasure Bar (okay food), or D'Amico's (awful food). I've had more consistent, tasty Italian at the Olive Garden, which is sad. So I decided to give Alexander's Italian Bistro a try. We stopped in tonight, a Saturday evening. The place was pretty much full and we didn't have a reservation, but we got seated after just a few minutes. The tables are packed pretty tight and you can see the servers dancing around each other precariously. The decor is charming without being all tacky like other local Italian places...I love the beautiful backlit stained glass panels that open the space up. There is a nice little bar area in the front with a smaller bar food menu and a couple nice TVs...we'll have to check that out soon. Mr. got the Eggplant Alexander, I got the Mafalda Alexander. The eggplant was nice and crispy, not mushy inside like eggplant parmesan can often turn out. It was very rich and definitely two meals worth of food. My pasta was excellent. The noodles were flavorful on their own, and cooked freshly and perfectly. I like the mafalda noodles, which aren't too commonly used in most Italian places. The sauce, a mixture of marinara and alfredo, was tasty and not overpowering. The spicy Italian sausage was soooo good...just the right amount of spicy, tender and flavorful. They give a pretty large basket of bread that is moist, fresh, and flaky. We got the tiramisu for dessert, which was pretty good. It's hard to find real tiramisu anyways so I give them credit for having it. The ladyfingers were a little bit tough to cut with a spoon but they were good, and the cream was very good, not too sweet. A nice finish to the meal. Only downsides...no soup or salad included with the dish, those are extra. Our server was nice enough but kinda disappeared when we were finished with our food...we waited around a good 15 minutes for her to come back and wrap Mr.'s leftovers and ask if we wanted dessert, then another 10 minutes after finishing dessert for her to come back with the check. This is one of my top pet peeves. Alexander himself (I'm pretty sure anyway...) stopped by the table at the end of our meal to ask how everything was, which is always a nice touch in my book. Everyone working there seemed like they must be family, but not the type of family who dread working for the family business, which is nice. We'll definitely be back.
(4)
Elizabeth M.
From the outside of the restauarant I was hoping for a cute, quirky place. Unfortunately, it was a very underwhelming, boring, and forgettable meal.
(2)
Pavan M.
So a friend and I went to Alexander's because it was the closest restaurant to his place and we didn't feel like driving on the snow-covered roads. I didn't have high expectations - I thought I would get standard Italian fare with nothing special while also probably paying too much. From the get go I was wrong! The decor and ambiance isn't upscale but it also isn't terrible. It feels like a down home, mom and pop type of restaurant. It sort of reminded me of a place that Tony and his crew would eat at in "The Sopranos" - good food and cool ownership. When we entered, it looked like the owner was chatting it up with some regulars. Seeing us, he warmly greeted us and introduced us to our waitress. Before I get to the food a note on the service. Our waitress was great - super friendly, helping us with any questions, and checking up on us during our meal just enough to feel taken care of but not intrusive by any means. I could tell this wasn't her first rodeo. The food was spot on. Along with our menus, we got a basket full of fresh Italian bread and butter. The bread was standard white but it was moist and tasted very fresh. But you know how it is - don't fill up on bread! Perusing the menu, they had a lot of variation which I love - chicken marsala, spaghetti, etc but the chicken parmigiana sandwich was calling my name. It came on hearty bread strong enough to hold the sandwich and not fall apart. The best part was the chicken which was crispy! It came with what tasted like homemade sauce and cheese. It's a simple meal but very tasty - you bite into it and first get the slightly sweet sauce and cheese then the hearty chicken. Mmmm. The sandwich was around $9 and it came with fries. A very good and hearty meal. I look forward to trying some of the other options at Alexanders the next time around!
(4)
October R.
I'm not really a big fan of going out and eating Italian since many of the pasta dishes prepared at restaurants seem like they came from the frozen section of the local grocery store, I can do that at home and save some money, thank you very much. Alexanders is very different. You can tell the sauces are all freshly made and there is a great selection of them. I recommend the Gorgonzola basil cream sauce. The menu has all the classic Italian favorites and the Specials menu always has mouth watering seasonal items on it as well. The whole family can enjoy Alexander's. Great Italian food, very reasonable prices and huge portions make this our go-to Italian eatery.
(4)
Eric G.
In my opinion, this place is a bit overrated and overpriced. I've heard very mixed things about this place, and after going in a couple of times for a happy hour I decided to get dinner one night. I didn't really know what to expect because the menu online listed dishes but no prices (as a side note: I HATE when restaurants do this!). I don't mind paying $15-20 for a good dish of food, but the quality of the pasta and sauces are totally average. I could boil a $1 box of pasta and $2 bottle of general marinara sauce at home and it wouldn't taste much worse than this food. It's definitely nice to go out for meals, particularly at a place like this that has such a well lit inside and a soothing vibe- however, I simply didn't think the quality of the food was good enough for the type of restaurant it strives to be. Furthermore, I found the people who work there to come off as a bit pretentious about the food and drink selections. In general, I would say the food and staff are a bit off putting and I wouldn't recommend this place to friends who have never been here before. However, if you go, definitely try the happy hour, which is one of the better ones in Pittsburgh *half off appetizers and drinks. Plus, wine is half off on Mondays and Wednesdays, which I would assume are their slower nights.
(3)
Mina M.
I have been coming to Alexander's off and on for almost 25 years. I think in all that time I have only had one meal that was below par. Pretty good average I'd say. I went the other night with my adult daughter. I had the calamari with pasta, a cocktail ( yum, yum), and a garden salad. The salad was very fresh and arrived promptly. The cocktail was strong but great. The calamari arrived quickly and was piled so high on the plate I could barely see over the plate! It was served on what tasted like fresh tomatoes over the pasta. It was so good I couldn't stop eating it, even after I was full. My daughter had the salad too with linguini and clam sauce. It was loaded with clams. They were tasty and not rubbery. She suspected they were canned but since they were tender it was okay. The sauce was fragrant too, not fishy. Our server was super efficient and polite. She kept up with us without being intrusive. The decor of the restaurant has been updated a bit over time. It's cute. A bit too bright for an Italian restaurant if you ask me, but I'm from New England where Italian places are all dimly lit. Overall, a wonderful, easy going, friendly neighborhood place to go to relax over some good food and drink. Have a few laughs without a tv interrupting your dinner conversation. You have to sit in the bar for that. Take your mom. Take the family. Take your husband when you can't stand another night of cooking. Just go it alone and who cares about anyone else?! Just have fun eating some really good food that tastes like someone cares.
(4)
Ray C.
I had a wonderful experience at this restaurant bringing 8 out of town guests from across the country. The food was outstanding and the wait staff is very accommodating. Alex made a special effort to make sure our time there was enjoyable. Good authentic Italian cuisine at a very reasonable price.
(4)
Kiersten S.
I'm sorry, this place is simply not good. Unfortunately, it is yet another example of poorly made Americanized Italian food. Too much cheese, too much butter and cream, and quite possibly the worst bread I have ever consumed at any Italian restaurant in my life. Someone had to go out of their way to find bread this flavorless and awful. It's already a travesty that it's served to me before the meal, but to put it on my sandwich! I'm actually offended for Italians, and bread. Yes bread, this is not your best. The eggplant Parmesan served to my mother was soggy, covered with an absurd amount of plastic Parmesan cheese swimming in a bland sauce. My fathers pasta, cream and cheese. Contrary to popular believe, this is not traditional Italian! This is what some would refer to as, terrible and heavy. And the cannoli? Words could not describe my disappointment. I'll admit it, I'm already an Italian food snob. I cook tons of Italian food for myself, family, and friends, and I only use the highest quality ingredients and go about preparing my meals in traditional southern Italian ways. I've had phenomenal Italian meals at the few great Italian restaurants in this city, so whenever I get the opportunity to eat at another "Italian" joint, I'm heading in with high expectations. Is this what Italian food in Pittsburgh has come too? Seeing other similar Italian places in Bloomfield, I'm sad to say...yes. I'm actually slightly upset even writing this because the waitstaff is charming, and I hear the owners are great, but to pass this off as representative of Italian food is an injustice. If you want a truly great Italian meal please look elsewhere.
(1)
darren l.
Very good but not spectacular. Charming small place in 'Little Italy' Bloomfield. Usually can get seated any evening and this place has a nice assortment of menu choices. The 'senators peppers' which is an appetizer of sauteed peppers, garlic, EVOO, and tomatoes is really tasty and flavorful without being too spicy. This is a pick your pasta then pick you sauce kinda place. Service is fine. House salad dressing matches the greens perfectly. Alexanders is food allergy friendly and they have GLUTEN-FREE PASTA! But this is not an over-the-top place, but then again, the prices are not over top either. Recommended.
(4)
Brittany W.
Great food and great service! The Maffalda Alexander is FANTASTIC, I've ordered there many times for dinner for the family, and the family style servings are gret for gatherings and meetings. They also have a GREAT salad with candied walnuts and dried cranberries that is to die for! Definitely a must have when ordering there!
(4)
Iliana C.
OMG THIS PLACE IS AMAZING! Okay, the ambiance is cutesy and romantic. Upon arrival you are given a bread basket with HUGE Texas sized bread. I wasn't such a big fan because it was so soft that it seems to deteriorate while holding it. Little too messy for my liking. The bruschetta was not your typical bruschetta and honestly I would not recommend it. The Caesar salad is really a pity. Although it looks like a Caesar salad it doesn't taste like one since the lettuce, croutons, and dressing are all so flimsy. It hardly tasted like anything. So why am I giving this place a 5 star review? Because the pasta is amazing! The best pasta I have ever had! Now I know why people with Italian mothers/grandmothers scoff at places like Olive Garden where they don't make their own noodles. What a difference it makes. The menu offers you a large selection of noodles (gluten free available) and sauces to choose from. I had the marfredo (mix of marinara and alfredo) and I was dying over how good it was. My girlfriend, who has an Italian family, had the aglio aoli (sp?) and she was also dying over how amazing this was. DO COME HERE but don't waste any of your time with the appetizers or bread. Save your appetite for the pasta! I didn't get to try the deserts but next time I want to try their tiramisu since all the deserts are also made on site.
(5)
Penelope F.
We stopped in on a Tuesday afternoon. Service was very friendly. Ambiance is super comfortable. Food was great, the chicken pesto asparagus salad was amazing. Heavy on the pesto but that's what I love! Had a Blue Moon and it made an excellent early dinner.
(4)
Michael H.
Not real Italian. When there's a crab dish on the menu and you don't let your customers know this there's a problem. Imitation crab meat at an Italian restaurant doesn't fly. I was hoping for some good Italian while out of town and was truly disappointed. The bar service was extremely friendly about my compliant and did remove that dish from my bill. My entree was pasta and shrimp. I haven't paid $20 for a dish of pasta and 5 large shrimp in a long time. Don't worry but I won't come close to this restaurant again.
(1)
Marlena H.
I went here for a first date and I have to admit I was quite surprised. I wasn't expecting the food to be as good judging by the dining room (though it was a pleasant surprise to see fresh flowers). It wasn't a super fine dining atmosphere, but you definitely get quality and delicious food. Our server brought us a loaf of bread to take home at the end of the night (shocking). The service alone (not to mention the food too) is enough to bring us back.
(4)
Dana K.
Portions, food, & service were top notch. It was 2 couples and 5 kids. The restaurant is a bit cozy, but we were incredibly pleased with everything. There was plenty of room in the bar while we were there. There is a parking garage right next door & there was a decent amount of on street parking available.
(4)
Sam F.
This place is perfect if you've had a rough day and want to go somewhere to have a relaxing, homemade dinner. The people there treat you like family and the food is awesome. You can buy make- your-own pastas and the tomato sauce is the best!!! The fried ravioli entree is really yummy too. The only thing I can say as a semi-"ehh" about this place is that they don't have just a regular meat lasagna! The appetizers are really good, but for instance if you order their provolone sticks, it only comes with three. Not exactly enough to share with another person. They give you complimentary bread to start though. The Abby Alexandra's Angel Hair entree is very good as well. I should also mention that their proportions are huge! I always have leftovers no matter how hungry I am walking in. All in all, this place is a gem. The people are soooo friendly and it's a really enjoyable environment to be in. Great for a casual drink, a nice dinner with your family or even a lo-key dinner date. The food is awesome and it's well worth a trip to this area of town if you don't live close.
(4)
Alex W.
Seeing as I am named Alexander I'm not surprised that a restaurant which shares my name is fantastic. I have eaten at Alexander's several times and the food and wait staff have always been spot on. My favorite dish is the Mafalda Alexander (Mafalda pasta, sausage, and a tomato cream sauce). They give you an un-eatably huge portion which is fine by me, it makes a great lunch the next day. Also, I think the decor and prices make this a great spot for a date night. One minor flaw is that the only parking is metered street parking. It's usually not a problem finding a spot relatively close, however I have run into issues in the past.
(4)
Sarah E.
I was a little surprised by the lackluster reviews for Alexanders on here. I've only been there once, but I was quite pleased with the experience. From the second I entered the restaurant, I was greeted in a very friendly manner. Service to my table was also prompt and amicable. There is quite a bit of variety on the menu, and the prices are reasonable. I had the Tortellini Verde and my friend had the Mafalda Madison (thankfully I was able to sample this a bit too). I thought both were flavorful and tasty. Granted, I'm not an Italian food connoisseur, but it was definitely comparable if not better than other Mom & Pop Italian places I've been to. It certainly blows Olive Garden out of the water, but perhaps that goes without saying. I will definitely go back!
(4)
Shanna C.
I really wanted Alexanders to be great - like a hidden gem in a sea of Big Burritos and high-priced Shadyside Italian joints. Well, it was well priced, but the food was just... okay. They didn't go that extra mile to make it great. I had the blackened ahi tuna salad - the tuna was fantastic, but the dressing came in a plastic condiment cup with a lid and the tuna looked real lonely on some standard dark salad greens. Pasta portions were generous... but again, not fantastic. Joe Mama's actually has better pasta. Half-priced wine by the glass - also generous. However there was lipstick permanently imprinted into the glass I got. The bar looks really nice and the dining room was more like a living room painted warm colors and filled with booths. I really wanted to like it. But I also wanted to comment on how the stellar review from an unknown source underneath the glass table top to read while you dine made it feel like some substandard tavern. I wanted to tell the waitresses screaming across the dining room to quite down because I can't hear the strangely out of place pop and rock music coming from the quality sound system over her asking if her customers want coffee with the dessert. I wanted a nice dinner at a beautiful restaurant. I got an OK one in a wonky dining room. If they take a step back and consider what they could do to make the place better, I think they can get there. However, that's not likely to happen without new management.
(3)
Dean J.
Solid American Italian food that's not making a pretense of being anything else. The service was incredibly friendly, the food was well thought out, as promised, and in ample portions. Half price wine on Monday and Wednesday. Will be headed back.
(3)
Jr A.
This review is for the banquet facility. My family had a special event in their party room this past weekend. The point man a the restaurant was Jim and he could not have been nicer or professional. He told us he wouldn't be there the day of the event but he made sure another employee, Dave, knew of our special needs. The event went off smoothly and we could not have been happier with the food, service and price. A great restaurant to stage an event
(5)
D S.
The food - bruschetta and fried ravioli apps, side salad, 1/2 order of aglio olio, and rice pudding - was pretty good. The aglio olio and rice pudding were the best parts of the meal. The service was good. Everyone was friendly. The interior could use some sprucing, but, all in all, it was good Italian food. I'll be back for the half-priced wine!
(4)
Britney T.
The food here is authentic and FILLING! Each table has a nice setup complete with oil & vinegar to start out with when the fresh, fluffy white Italian bread is brought to your table. The gnocci is one of my favorite things, main course-wise, but a lot of people seem to like the bolognese. My favorite dessert is the Tiramisu. They also offer a side house salad which is also really good (they use dried cranberries and candied walnuts, mmmm!!!). I'm not a huge fan of wedding soup, but Alexander's has one of the best.The mac n' cheese is fabulous as well. Everything here is. Nothing is done cheap. The atmosphere is dimly lit and romantic, I suppose, the bartenders are sweet and conversational, and the servers are timely, polite and very friendly. They have outside seating available, weather permitting. Decent drink specials and a variety to choose from. Alexander (the owner) is such a nice guy, he goes out of his way to make the customers happy. I feel like I'm at home here. When I go back to Pittsburgh, this may very well be the first place I visit!
(4)
Matthew Lee C.
Alexander's is an extraordinary family-owned old fashioned Italian restaurant. Highlights: Homemade rice pudding, tiramisu. Sorry, desserts first. The bread is fresh and is served with oil, vinegar, and parmesan cheese. Traditional antipasto is delicious and made to suit the size of your party. For appetizers, the fried ravioli and calamari fritti are to die for. Entrees: the cream sauces, red sauces, and the pesto are all delicious but my favorite is the Marfredo Sauce, a mix of marinara and alfredo. The Marfredo goes really well with sliced spicy Italian sausage. PS. The service cannot be beat. It's one of the friendliest restaurants I have eaten in. I used to go there often when I was a student living in Bloomfield.
(5)
Trish I.
Had veal romano, it was excellent, some of the best veal I have had in a restaurant in years. The pasta was also very good, I chose the Gorgonzola sauce, also very good. The waitress was very friendly and the cost was reasonable.
(5)
Denise L.
Seat yourself in the back.... Only one server/bartender from 2-4:30 pm.... But good service regardless....fried ravioli was good.... Meatballs ok... Chicken rissoto was delicious....chicken eggplant parm was fried....( just to give a heads up)....lemon bar is very sweet( but good). Carrot cake yummy....1 dessert is enough to feed 2! Discounts for upmc family house guests..... It started raining and the manager offered to drive us back to family house when we asked to call a taxi... Great service for a good price.... Definately would recommend!
(4)
Megan H.
Very average Italian food. If you're looking for a pasta+sauce experience, it's pretty boring. Eggplant parm was a little better than average. But all in all, not any more exciting than what I can make for myself with a jar of sauce and box of pasta.
(2)
Thomas C.
I used to work near Alexander's 10 years ago and it was consistently good, so we decided to go there on Valentine's Day for a nice meal. As it turned out, the service and meals were a disaster. In fact, I have not seen service that bad in years. We ordered the "make your own pasta" and the meals were unlike anything I have ever seen from an Italian restaurant. Not only were the dishes not correctly prepared based on the order, but bland and something you might see from a frozen microwave dinner. The waitress and general manager were lost with how to make things right. They were fumbling idiots who made no effort to suggest or substitute the meals. I was not impressed with the management and staff. We literally scavenged what we could from our meals, paid the check and got out of there. How many times have I left an Italian restaurant hungry? 2-14-2011 was the first time. Beware of this place, its not the same as it was back a few years ago.
(1)
Sarah S.
I'm kinda sad to see any bad reviews of Alexander's on here. But come on people, who can actually write a review of an ITALIAN restaurant when they've only eaten the tuna or a hoagie? PASTA is in their name, so you should probably try the PASTA before commenting on something that isn't their SPECIALTY. Sorry for the sarcasm. I've been going to Alexander's for years, and I can't remember ever getting a bad meal. I love that you can pick what kind of pasta you want, what sauce, and the toppings. My favorite is the marfredo sauce. It is spaghetti sauce mixed with alfredo sauce. So freakin good!!! My only "issue" is that they never seem to add enough sauce on your pasta, but you can ask for some extra on the side and they bring you a little bowlful. It's perfect!!! I get hot sausage on top (which isn't too spicy) and broccoli (which is always steamed just right, so it's not limp). The bread always comes with olive oil and parmesean cheese that you can dip it in. I love that. We always get a carafe of their Chianti. It seems to go really well with the pasta. And lastly, the price is right. Why pay $20 for a plate of pasta? Alexander's agrees. With wine and 2 dinners, we get outta there for under $50. Not bad. This is an all-around good italian restaurant. Sorry to the haters, but this place blows Joe Mama's outta the water!!!
(5)
John H.
Disappointing. The food was below average and the service was ok. We were expecting a lot from this restaurant but it definitely did not deliver. Pasta was not homemade and sauces mediocre at best. Wine selection is very weak. The outdoor seating is a redeeming quality.
(2)
Colleen C.
I went there recently with my family, and the food was good overall, but the service was rude. Upon arriving there, we asked if there was a place to hang our coats, and were told it's "a little hard to get to"; and that was it, so we crammed them into our booth. Corkage fee was charged for the wine we brought (since the wine list is practically nonexistent), which we completely expected and appreciated that we could bring our own wine; but our waiter took the cork out of the bottle and set it down on the table and walked away. WOW. For $10 per bottle, maybe he could have actually poured it into our glasses? The restaurant ran out of bread that night, we were told. The salad came with the dressing in disposable plastic cups on the side. Really? I think Eat N Park has a better dinner salad than this! Most Italian bistros ask if you'd like ground pepper on the salad, but this wasn't an option, so it was pepper from the shaker on the table. We had one dessert for a birthday in our group, but our waiter never asked anyone else at the table if they wanted to order dessert or coffee. Since the appetizers and entrees were good, I may give 'em another chance, maybe for lunch, but I am truly blown away that Alexander's was Post-Gazette's Reader's Choice Award winner for Best Italian in 2008, which is very proudly displayed in several places.
(3)
Brooke G.
I have been going here my whole life, and I can say without a doubt that I have yet to ha e a bad experience. I have had almost everything on the menu and everything is amazing. Very filling portion sizes and great service. They offer a lot of good wines and a unique beer menu. All of their desserts are made on site, i highly recommend the rice pudding. If you find yourself in Little Italy (Bloomfiled) the best place to eat is Alexander's.
(5)
Laura M.
I came here about a year ago with some friends for dinner, when one of my friends wanted Italian food, and we wanted to try a place in Bloomfield. I ordered the create-your-own pasta with mafalda pasta, gorgonzola basil cream sauce, and chicken. The sauce was actually quite tasty, although a bit on the strong side, and overpowered the chicken quite a bit. It was definitely unique, however! The bread that was served with the pasta was thick and soft, but wasn't particularly unique. Service was fine, and the atmosphere was nice. Overall, not a bad option for Italian food in Bloomfield, and I'd go back if a dining companion wanted to try it, but I wouldn't go out of my way to return since there's better Italian to be had elsewhere in PGH. 3.5 stars.
(3)
Colleen S.
A good, reasonably prices Italian restaurant in Bloomfield. We went on Halloween around 7pm and found that is the absolute best time to go out to eat! It was completely empty except for two other parties. They bring you bread and oil to the table. We also ordered bruschetta which was very good. Everyone seemed very happy with their meals. Beware of the pasta Diablo! My dad was sweating from the heat of it and he normally loves spicy food. He said it was delicious, but it sounds like a great dish for someone prepared for some serious spice (not me!). My little brother was disappointed that his spaghetti and meatballs came with one meatball, but besides that we were very happy with the meal. Nice portions and great service.
(3)
Stephanie P.
Suffice it to say, this is not real Italian food and it's below average and overpriced when it comes to American-Italian food. The staff was excellent though and you will have great service and conversation. Thanks but probably won't be back.
(2)
Aldona Z.
Unbelievable!!!!!! What can I say except that it is the best Italian family owned restaurant in Pittsburgh!!!! The wedding soup is the best along with the beans and greens.We thought we were in Italian Heaven with these starter dishes, then we had the stuffed banana peppers with their special bread and we were satisfied beyond belief! Then came the linguine with clam sauce.It was so perfect.Just the right amount of garlic.We will continue indulging .The owner, Alex, was hospitable and genuinely concerned for our satisfaction. It was a memorable experience.We felt we were in Italy.It is Pittsburgh's Italian DIAMOND!! DIANE
(5)
Jennifer G.
My husband and I had one of our first dates in Pittsburgh at Alexander's, so it has a special place in my heart. I knew he was a keeper when we ordered the asparagus/goat cheese appetizer and I loved it so much that he let me eat all but one piece on my own. There is a bar areas out front that has a more casual feel and dining room in the back. The dining room is small and intimate offering several booths along the sides of the restaurant and several tables in the middle and towards the front of the dining room. The decor has a homey feel with nice colors and a fun chandelier. The menu is much more extensive then a typical Italian restaurant. There are several appetizer choices in addition to the previously mentioned grilled asparagus. There are also several salads and two soup options, the soup of the day and wedding soup. The first time I was there I tried the veal diablo which was veal with hot peppers and mushrooms and a Marsala sauce. It was delicious. It had a nice kick but wasn't too hot that you didn't enjoy it. On my second visit I enjoyed the "pastabilities" create your own pasta. With 10+ sauce choices plus 10+ pasta the combinations seem endless! I enjoyed the angel hair with the Marsala wine and red pepper sauce. My husband had the Bolognese and was equally happy. The pasta seemed to be in an endless bowl. I felt like I was eating forever and there was still two meals worth of pasta left in my take out container. The build your own pasta is quite a value for the price (although it does not come with a soup or salad like the other entrees do). We were stuffed, but after seeing several desserts go by, I decided I wanted to order the Napoleon. It was stuffed with strawberries and blueberries and the cream was delectable. Overall a great dining experience. We will be back.
(5)
Peter B.
One of the last great Italian institutions in the city. The best part is that the food is awesome these days and they make an effort to keep the decor and the menu fresh. There are very good reasons why Del's is gone and Alexander's is still here. The pesto and the bread (both made fresh every day) are my favorite parts and are definitely crave-worthy. The grilled asparagus is also quite impressive given how simple it is, but I'd agree with Pepin in saying that the best food is ordinary things prepared extraordinarily well. I'm an epicurean 23 year old with Italian grandmothers so I think I have an idea of what's good. Alexander's is good for dates, family dinners with just the right amount of class, and people who like good bread. Alexander's is not good for sea urchin crunching, small-batch moonshine sipping, mise-en-place modernists. There are nice places like Lawrenceville and Umi for you.
(5)
Meghan B.
Went out to lunch with my coworkers and this is where they suggested. I had never been- so I was pretty excited to check it out. Alexander's is a small and charming building, with a nice patio area outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. We really enjoyed sitting outside- although it was a little noisy (being on Liberty Avenue and all). Before our meal, we were given bread. It was thick cut, fluffy white bread. Although it was good, it wasn't anything special. It was served with butter packets- pretty tacky if you ask me. I would have much rather preferred some house made oil. I ordered the Abby Alexandra's Angel Hair- grilled chicken, spinach and tomatoes with angel hair pasta and a very light white wine sauce. It was delicious. The meal itself felt rather light, making it easy for me to practically finish the entire large portion. I was able to stop myself to save a little for leftovers, though. My one complaint is that the server did not offer additional parmesan for the meal. I have never been to an Italian restaurant that didn't offer freshly grated cheese on top of your meal and was honestly shocked that they didn't. The pasta would have been much better with some freshly grated cheese- although it was still quite good. Otherwise, the service was good, the food was good and we had a nice time.
(3)
Sue F.
Nice 1/2 off wines by the glass on Mondays. My boyfriend and I did the pick your own pasta, sauce, toppings. We both chose the agli oilio which needed roasted garlic for more flavor. I had the matalda pasta which was new for me and it was excellent with sun dried tomatoes. Service was ok and was short staffed in our opinion. We sat on the patio but next time will opt for the dining room. We thought the value was good for what we got. I'll go back next time I'm in the area.
(4)
Natosha D.
The wait staff is so friendly. The Menu has a lot to choose from. Sometimes they run of things - but they always have great replacement options and work really hard to accommodate you. There are wine specials a few times a week, and always plenty of parking. I love it here, it's my go to for me and hubby's date night.
(5)
Macdabrows ..
Don't expect fresh food. We have taken ravioli and tortelini. It was fast, that's perhaps because of microwave. Never more.
(2)
Kennedy J.
This restaurant is a gem! Parking was easy to find on a side street next to the restaurant. We were greeting as soon as we walked in and the host say is immediately-impressive for 6:30 on a Friday evening. We ordered the fried zucchini, which came with marinara sauce. Absolutely amazing!! Best marinara I've ever eaten. There is a page in the menu of mix-and-match pastas with sauces. I got the tortellini with pesto and my mother got the gnocchi with red pepper sauce. The pesto was more like an Alfredo sauce with pesto in it. Although not what I expected, it was amazing. The red pepper sauce was sweet and tangy, a little different but still very enjoyable. All of the courses came out quickly- we were there for less than an hour. Our waiter was very nice and frequently refilled our waters. Overall, amazing experience and I will be returning next time I am in Pittsburgh.
(5)
Mariam A.
Great food, nicest waiters in the world. We had the Italian coquielle for appetizers and it was AMAZING. Their candied walnut salad is to die for. Their entries are simply superb. I highly recommend this place, it's a gem!!
I unfortunately have to say that my wife and I agreed that both our meals served were the worst dinners we have had in Pittsburgh. I am pretty forgiving but this was not acceptable. Both meals were served barely warm. The decor was old 70's which could have charm but this didn't. The server was fair. Forgot to even bring us water after requesting it and didn't ask how the dinners were. Both plates were mediocre at best. I will not return.
(1)
R H.
Well where do I start! The food was very bland for my taste. I'm not going to say much more but I won't be returning. I have to add this by far is one of the WORST Italian restaurants I've ever ate at. Good luck
(1)
Deb F.
My sister Cyndy was in town on her birthday and my kids Megan & Michael and son's girlfriend Niki surprised her by making reservations at Alexander's Italian Bistro in Bloomfield. When we got there, our table was ready and we were immediately greeted by Michelle. From that moment on I knew they had picked the right restaurant. Michelle was so sweet and attentive. She explained the menu, helped us make our selections and made us feel like we were in her own home. Michelle started by bring us our drinks and homemade bread which she replenished a second time. It was so good. Then our meals came. Each one of us ordered something different. Megan had Classic Chicken Parmigiano, Michael had Penne with Marinara, Meatballs & Hot Sausage, Niki had Chicken Piccata, Cyndy had Penne with Pesto Sauce & I had Angel Hair Pasta with fresh tomatoes, spinach, chicken with splash of white wine. We all tasted everyones dishes and we couldn't find a winner. All were so delicious. At the end of the dinner, we all grabbed our to-go bags. Because we had cake waiting at home, Michelle gave my sister a loaf of their fabulous bread which we enjoy the next day with our coffee. So if you are looking for a great place to eat with fabulous food in a friendly environment. Alexander's Italian Bistro is your place!
(5)
Paul K.
Alexander's offers some of the worst Italian food I've ever had. I went there with my girlfriend and my parents on a Saturday night, and from start to finish the experience that Alexander's gave us was simply awful. First, when we arrived around 6 pm, the restaurant was half-empty (bad sign #1). The hostess seated us at a table in the center of the very cramped and very small dining room (bad sign #2). Then, our waitress did not even come over to take drink orders for another 10 minutes (bad sign #3). Once the waitress finally arrived and took our orders, the food itself offered no relief. My girlfriend and I ordered the Caesar salad - the salads were drowning in Caesar dressing, the croutons were badly burnt and inedible, and there were too many croutons to begin with. This restaurant couldn't even get a simple salad right, but I hoped against hope that the entrees would be an improvement. Unfortunately, the entrees were no better. My girlfriend ordered Chicken Alfredo. Not only was the dish absurdly light on chicken (3 small pieces total? Come on!), the alfredo sauce was thick and gummy to the point of tasting like glue. My mom ordered the Mushroom ravioli, which was completely bland. I ordered the Veal Diablo with Shrimp; the plate came with 3 pieces of veal sliced extremely thin, 3 nice sized shrimp, and... that was it. No pasta, no garlic bread, nothing but an ocean of very mediocre marinara sauce. I finished my entire plate, the remaining half of my mom's plate after she was finished eating, and as much as I could stomach of my girlfriend's Alfredo (which was only a couple of forkfuls, as that Alfredo sauce was one of the foulest things I've ever eaten), but I still was left hungry. The dessert course offered a distinctly rotten cherry on top of this already heaping garbage sundae. We were initially assured that all of the desserts were made in-house, but that soon proved not to be the case. Indeed, for several of our desserts, a store-bought version would have been an improvement. I ordered a cannoli, figuring that even a crappy Italian restaurant can't screw up a cannoli, as it is a violation of Italian Law or something. Unfortunately, their "fresh-made" cannolis consisted of a pre-packaged cannoli shell, pre-packaged cannoli filling (which, by the way, was gritty, as though someone had dumped in white sugar but not mixed the cream thoroughly enough for the sugar to dissolve), and put the two together in the kitchen. Needless to say, my cannoli was awful. My girlfriend ordered the tiramisu, and what she received was about as far removed from tiramisu as one can get. There were almost no ladyfingers, and the ones that were in the dish were drowning in coffee. On top of that, the dessert was swamped with an excessive amount of coffee-flavored cream that essentially destroyed the dish. My uncle's chocolate cake was dry and uninspiring; a store-bought cake would have been more moist. I did not pick up the check - my uncle was nice enough to do that - so I did not see the final bill. However, they could not have paid me to eat this often-inedible food. The service was slow and inattentive, the food was simply awful, and I left hungry. Do not waste your time, your money, or your energy with this place, as you can get better Italian food virtually anywhere else in the city.
(1)
Julie R.
My parents were in town and since my Mom's birthday is next week we decided to go out for an early celebration. I now live in Bloomfield so we decided to go Italian. Full disclosure: my first choice was D'Amico's but either they changed their storefront and I didn't recognize it, or they have closed. In any event, my plan B was Alexanders. We went on a Tuesday night around 7. Parking was no problem, free street parking after 6-nice! The bar was deserted and the small dining room had two or three small groups. So no shouting to make yourself heard-double nice! The seating was comfortable (we got a square table in the middle of the room). Our server was very nice and efficient and I'd give her at least 4 stars. My mom got the spinach and cheese ravioli w/ marinara sauce (on the menu the ravioli are deep fried but they honored her request for a "normal" cook), my dad got angel hair with bolognese sauce, and I got linguini with pesto sauce. I was surprised that the pasta dishes did not come with a salad so if you go, that's additional. The server said that the serving sizes were generous. They were good portions but not huge by Pittsburgh standards. My mom does not have a large appetite and she ate all but one ravioli. I ate all my pasta and could have had more. My Dad was reaching for his third slice of bread after he polished off his pasta, so I'll let you draw your own conclusions! :) The sauces were good and the pasta tasted like it was fresh. Everything was warm/lukewarm, but not steaming hot. I'm a bit of a slow eater, especially with pasta so by the time I was finishing, it was cold. The food was OK, in cases like this, I really wish you could give a half star, because this is 3.5 stars. Nothing was horrible, nothing was excellent. It was good. The bill with a tip was around $55 (we all had soft drinks), which again I don't have a major quibble about. Not sure I will go back, but not sorry I went. :)
(3)
Sarah M.
This was my first time here and I will never go back. My hubby and I were excited to get alil dresses up and have some Italian and god did they mess that off. To start off when we walked in the place REEKED of piss. Like someone has literally just peed on the floor. Our waitress showed us to a booth in the back where they were scraps and trash under and around our table. I asked her for a drink list she informs me there isn't one k fine I move on. Then we get an appetizer the fried ravoli which was prices at 8$ but only came with four bite size pieces on a plate. That's it. Now onto the meal I order a tortellini and marinara and my husband got the tuna. Mine came out with random mixed veggies In it(which I just picked around) and my husbands came out fine except his sauces came in plastic cups(it was a 20$ dish). Oh and that's not the end of it. After telling the waitress that I didn't receive what I ordered we had to listen to her and the cook scream at each other while we at. She then have us our check and then disappeared. We waited until I finally stopped another waitress to cash us out. I paid 65$ all together and it should have been free.
(1)
Deena A.
I AM BOYCOTTING ALEXANDER'S FOR LIFE!!! The manager SCREAMED AT ME at the top of his lungs in an epic meltdown that lasted 10 minutes! On Sat., April 12, 2014, I attended the 50th birthday party for my dear friend, David Flynn. I organized the party, but relied on Dave and his sister to provide me with the final head count. I made the reservation for 25 people. The manager and I played phone tag for the two days before the event. I called back and left messages TWICE to confirm, but apparently he never got my messages. (This was part of his rant, his indignation at unreturned phone calls that actually HAD been returned!) The dinner started at 7 PM. Most of our group arrived on time, but some of our group (including me) arrived between 8 PM-9 PM. I was working on a homemade birthday present for Dave, which took longer than expected. I called Dave, his sister and my friends (Reesa & Joel) to tell them I was running late. In hindsight, I should have also called the restaurant to let them know, and for that I am truly sorry. That still doesn't justify the manager SCREAMING AT ME FOR 10 MINUTES! After enjoying a delicious dinner, drinks and birthday cake, none of us had a clue that anything was wrong. If the decision to return to a restaurant were based SOLELY on the food and wait staff, I would definitely return to Alexander's. But sadly, when the manager has a nuclear meltdown and throws a 10-MINUTE SCREAMING TEMPER TANTRUM, it tends to sour one on returning to a restaurant. Towards the end of our dinner, some of us started to smell cigarette smoke, which we later realized was coming from the patio out front. (It was a warm night, and they had the front sliding-glass doors open.) In the midst of the smoke discussion, the manager approached our table and began an EPIC RANT, SCREAMING AT ME FOR 10 MINUTES!!! He was angry that everyone in our group hadn't arrived at exactly 7 PM. The restaurant's kitchen is open till 10 PM on Sat. night, so I don't understand why this was a big deal. We ended up with 20 people total and 5 no-shows. I am always disappointed by no-shows, but I explained this possibility to the manager when I made the reservation. I STILL BROUGHT HIM 20 PAYING CUSTOMERS! BTW...the dining room was practically EMPTY, which is not what I would expect on a Saturday night in Pittsburgh. Maybe I'm not the first customer to be on the receiving end of the manager's meltdown. The manager SCREAMED that he had called me twice, and I hadn't called him back! He ranted about this about a dozen times. I told him I HAD called him back - TWICE. It's not my fault if he didn't get my messages. He SCREAMED that he had put an extra waitress and cook on staff because he expected 25 people. He SCREAMED that I had cost the restaurant $100! How much money do you think 20 people spent on appetizers, dinner and drinks? I find it hard to believe that they didn't make any money, or at least break even. I am sorry that there were 5 no-shows in our group, but I always thought Saturday night was the busiest night of the week for most restaurants. I didn't realize the restaurant would look like a deserted, old western ghost town with hardly any customers. On a Saturday night, I assumed they would have a full staff on duty with or without my reservation. I was wrong. I'm sorry. I'm not perfect. The manager also YELLED at me and my friends for "LOOKING COMFORTABLE" in his restaurant!!! Since when is looking comfortable an OFFENSE??? I thought restaurants wanted you to feel comfortable, but apparently not at Alexander's. He also SCREAMED that one of the waitresses only got a $1.00 tip! I found that hard to believe, but just in case he wasn't making it up, I tipped my waitress $35 on my $26 dinner check! I am a former waitress, and I would feel HORRIBLE if any waitress every got ripped off on my watch! Even if his story wasn't true, I figured she deserved an extra big tip just for having to WORK in such a horrible place where the manager YELLS at paying customers!!! If he treats the customers this way, I can only imagine how he treats the employees. THE MANAGER'S RUDE BEHAVIOR HAS COST HIM MY BUSINESS AND MY FRIENDS' BUSINESS FOREVER!!! During his rant, he actually SCREAMED that he never wanted to see me in his restaurant ever again! I'm happy to grant him that wish. And so are my friends. This is an example of the WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I have ever witnessed in my entire life!!! I thought the manager was going to have a heart attack or a stroke the way he was SCREAMING FOR 10 MINUTES! SCREAMING at paying customers is completely unacceptable behavior, and I will NEVER eat at Alexander's ever again. It's really a shame because I loved their salmon with pesto sauce. But great food can't make up for a manager who throws a TEMPER TANTRUM and SCREAMS AT YOU. Also, you can smell smoke in the dining room, which sucks. My friends and I are BOYCOTTING ALEXANDER'S FOR LIFE!!!
Takes Reservations : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Intimate Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : 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.
Alex W.
Seeing as I am named Alexander I'm not surprised that a restaurant which shares my name is fantastic. I have eaten at Alexander's several times and the food and wait staff have always been spot on. My favorite dish is the Mafalda Alexander (Mafalda pasta, sausage, and a tomato cream sauce). They give you an un-eatably huge portion which is fine by me, it makes a great lunch the next day. Also, I think the decor and prices make this a great spot for a date night. One minor flaw is that the only parking is metered street parking. It's usually not a problem finding a spot relatively close, however I have run into issues in the past.
(4)Sam F.
This place is perfect if you've had a rough day and want to go somewhere to have a relaxing, homemade dinner. The people there treat you like family and the food is awesome. You can buy make- your-own pastas and the tomato sauce is the best!!! The fried ravioli entree is really yummy too. The only thing I can say as a semi-"ehh" about this place is that they don't have just a regular meat lasagna! The appetizers are really good, but for instance if you order their provolone sticks, it only comes with three. Not exactly enough to share with another person. They give you complimentary bread to start though. The Abby Alexandra's Angel Hair entree is very good as well. I should also mention that their proportions are huge! I always have leftovers no matter how hungry I am walking in. All in all, this place is a gem. The people are soooo friendly and it's a really enjoyable environment to be in. Great for a casual drink, a nice dinner with your family or even a lo-key dinner date. The food is awesome and it's well worth a trip to this area of town if you don't live close.
(4)Sarah E.
I was a little surprised by the lackluster reviews for Alexanders on here. I've only been there once, but I was quite pleased with the experience. From the second I entered the restaurant, I was greeted in a very friendly manner. Service to my table was also prompt and amicable. There is quite a bit of variety on the menu, and the prices are reasonable. I had the Tortellini Verde and my friend had the Mafalda Madison (thankfully I was able to sample this a bit too). I thought both were flavorful and tasty. Granted, I'm not an Italian food connoisseur, but it was definitely comparable if not better than other Mom & Pop Italian places I've been to. It certainly blows Olive Garden out of the water, but perhaps that goes without saying. I will definitely go back!
(4)Shanna C.
I really wanted Alexanders to be great - like a hidden gem in a sea of Big Burritos and high-priced Shadyside Italian joints. Well, it was well priced, but the food was just... okay. They didn't go that extra mile to make it great. I had the blackened ahi tuna salad - the tuna was fantastic, but the dressing came in a plastic condiment cup with a lid and the tuna looked real lonely on some standard dark salad greens. Pasta portions were generous... but again, not fantastic. Joe Mama's actually has better pasta. Half-priced wine by the glass - also generous. However there was lipstick permanently imprinted into the glass I got. The bar looks really nice and the dining room was more like a living room painted warm colors and filled with booths. I really wanted to like it. But I also wanted to comment on how the stellar review from an unknown source underneath the glass table top to read while you dine made it feel like some substandard tavern. I wanted to tell the waitresses screaming across the dining room to quite down because I can't hear the strangely out of place pop and rock music coming from the quality sound system over her asking if her customers want coffee with the dessert. I wanted a nice dinner at a beautiful restaurant. I got an OK one in a wonky dining room. If they take a step back and consider what they could do to make the place better, I think they can get there. However, that's not likely to happen without new management.
(3)Dean J.
Solid American Italian food that's not making a pretense of being anything else. The service was incredibly friendly, the food was well thought out, as promised, and in ample portions. Half price wine on Monday and Wednesday. Will be headed back.
(3)Jr A.
This review is for the banquet facility. My family had a special event in their party room this past weekend. The point man a the restaurant was Jim and he could not have been nicer or professional. He told us he wouldn't be there the day of the event but he made sure another employee, Dave, knew of our special needs. The event went off smoothly and we could not have been happier with the food, service and price. A great restaurant to stage an event
(5)D S.
The food - bruschetta and fried ravioli apps, side salad, 1/2 order of aglio olio, and rice pudding - was pretty good. The aglio olio and rice pudding were the best parts of the meal. The service was good. Everyone was friendly. The interior could use some sprucing, but, all in all, it was good Italian food. I'll be back for the half-priced wine!
(4)Britney T.
The food here is authentic and FILLING! Each table has a nice setup complete with oil & vinegar to start out with when the fresh, fluffy white Italian bread is brought to your table. The gnocci is one of my favorite things, main course-wise, but a lot of people seem to like the bolognese. My favorite dessert is the Tiramisu. They also offer a side house salad which is also really good (they use dried cranberries and candied walnuts, mmmm!!!). I'm not a huge fan of wedding soup, but Alexander's has one of the best.The mac n' cheese is fabulous as well. Everything here is. Nothing is done cheap. The atmosphere is dimly lit and romantic, I suppose, the bartenders are sweet and conversational, and the servers are timely, polite and very friendly. They have outside seating available, weather permitting. Decent drink specials and a variety to choose from. Alexander (the owner) is such a nice guy, he goes out of his way to make the customers happy. I feel like I'm at home here. When I go back to Pittsburgh, this may very well be the first place I visit!
(4)Matthew Lee C.
Alexander's is an extraordinary family-owned old fashioned Italian restaurant. Highlights: Homemade rice pudding, tiramisu. Sorry, desserts first. The bread is fresh and is served with oil, vinegar, and parmesan cheese. Traditional antipasto is delicious and made to suit the size of your party. For appetizers, the fried ravioli and calamari fritti are to die for. Entrees: the cream sauces, red sauces, and the pesto are all delicious but my favorite is the Marfredo Sauce, a mix of marinara and alfredo. The Marfredo goes really well with sliced spicy Italian sausage. PS. The service cannot be beat. It's one of the friendliest restaurants I have eaten in. I used to go there often when I was a student living in Bloomfield.
(5)Trish I.
Had veal romano, it was excellent, some of the best veal I have had in a restaurant in years. The pasta was also very good, I chose the Gorgonzola sauce, also very good. The waitress was very friendly and the cost was reasonable.
(5)Denise L.
Seat yourself in the back.... Only one server/bartender from 2-4:30 pm.... But good service regardless....fried ravioli was good.... Meatballs ok... Chicken rissoto was delicious....chicken eggplant parm was fried....( just to give a heads up)....lemon bar is very sweet( but good). Carrot cake yummy....1 dessert is enough to feed 2! Discounts for upmc family house guests..... It started raining and the manager offered to drive us back to family house when we asked to call a taxi... Great service for a good price.... Definately would recommend!
(4)Megan H.
Very average Italian food. If you're looking for a pasta+sauce experience, it's pretty boring. Eggplant parm was a little better than average. But all in all, not any more exciting than what I can make for myself with a jar of sauce and box of pasta.
(2)Thomas C.
I used to work near Alexander's 10 years ago and it was consistently good, so we decided to go there on Valentine's Day for a nice meal. As it turned out, the service and meals were a disaster. In fact, I have not seen service that bad in years. We ordered the "make your own pasta" and the meals were unlike anything I have ever seen from an Italian restaurant. Not only were the dishes not correctly prepared based on the order, but bland and something you might see from a frozen microwave dinner. The waitress and general manager were lost with how to make things right. They were fumbling idiots who made no effort to suggest or substitute the meals. I was not impressed with the management and staff. We literally scavenged what we could from our meals, paid the check and got out of there. How many times have I left an Italian restaurant hungry? 2-14-2011 was the first time. Beware of this place, its not the same as it was back a few years ago.
(1)Sarah S.
I'm kinda sad to see any bad reviews of Alexander's on here. But come on people, who can actually write a review of an ITALIAN restaurant when they've only eaten the tuna or a hoagie? PASTA is in their name, so you should probably try the PASTA before commenting on something that isn't their SPECIALTY. Sorry for the sarcasm. I've been going to Alexander's for years, and I can't remember ever getting a bad meal. I love that you can pick what kind of pasta you want, what sauce, and the toppings. My favorite is the marfredo sauce. It is spaghetti sauce mixed with alfredo sauce. So freakin good!!! My only "issue" is that they never seem to add enough sauce on your pasta, but you can ask for some extra on the side and they bring you a little bowlful. It's perfect!!! I get hot sausage on top (which isn't too spicy) and broccoli (which is always steamed just right, so it's not limp). The bread always comes with olive oil and parmesean cheese that you can dip it in. I love that. We always get a carafe of their Chianti. It seems to go really well with the pasta. And lastly, the price is right. Why pay $20 for a plate of pasta? Alexander's agrees. With wine and 2 dinners, we get outta there for under $50. Not bad. This is an all-around good italian restaurant. Sorry to the haters, but this place blows Joe Mama's outta the water!!!
(5)John H.
Disappointing. The food was below average and the service was ok. We were expecting a lot from this restaurant but it definitely did not deliver. Pasta was not homemade and sauces mediocre at best. Wine selection is very weak. The outdoor seating is a redeeming quality.
(2)Colleen C.
I went there recently with my family, and the food was good overall, but the service was rude. Upon arriving there, we asked if there was a place to hang our coats, and were told it's "a little hard to get to"; and that was it, so we crammed them into our booth. Corkage fee was charged for the wine we brought (since the wine list is practically nonexistent), which we completely expected and appreciated that we could bring our own wine; but our waiter took the cork out of the bottle and set it down on the table and walked away. WOW. For $10 per bottle, maybe he could have actually poured it into our glasses? The restaurant ran out of bread that night, we were told. The salad came with the dressing in disposable plastic cups on the side. Really? I think Eat N Park has a better dinner salad than this! Most Italian bistros ask if you'd like ground pepper on the salad, but this wasn't an option, so it was pepper from the shaker on the table. We had one dessert for a birthday in our group, but our waiter never asked anyone else at the table if they wanted to order dessert or coffee. Since the appetizers and entrees were good, I may give 'em another chance, maybe for lunch, but I am truly blown away that Alexander's was Post-Gazette's Reader's Choice Award winner for Best Italian in 2008, which is very proudly displayed in several places.
(3)Katherine P.
Went yesterday for my parents 30th anniversary. We went for a late lunch so the restaurant was empty when we arrived. Our waiter was fabulous! He was very attentive and wanted to make sure the experience was wonderful for my parents. We started with wine and apps, and I loved the fried zucchini. It wasn't overly breaded and were were able to split it between six people and not worry about not having enough. I ordered a Malfada pasta with feta spinach and sundried tomatoes and it was excellent! It was the perfect portion and spiced wonderfully. My parents each got chicken parm and devoured it. All in all a wonderful experience and we will definitely return.
(4)Morgan D.
Living in Bloomfield, I was excited to finally try some authentic, excellent Italian fare. Unfortunately, I hadn't had much luck so far at Pleasure Bar (okay food), or D'Amico's (awful food). I've had more consistent, tasty Italian at the Olive Garden, which is sad. So I decided to give Alexander's Italian Bistro a try. We stopped in tonight, a Saturday evening. The place was pretty much full and we didn't have a reservation, but we got seated after just a few minutes. The tables are packed pretty tight and you can see the servers dancing around each other precariously. The decor is charming without being all tacky like other local Italian places...I love the beautiful backlit stained glass panels that open the space up. There is a nice little bar area in the front with a smaller bar food menu and a couple nice TVs...we'll have to check that out soon. Mr. got the Eggplant Alexander, I got the Mafalda Alexander. The eggplant was nice and crispy, not mushy inside like eggplant parmesan can often turn out. It was very rich and definitely two meals worth of food. My pasta was excellent. The noodles were flavorful on their own, and cooked freshly and perfectly. I like the mafalda noodles, which aren't too commonly used in most Italian places. The sauce, a mixture of marinara and alfredo, was tasty and not overpowering. The spicy Italian sausage was soooo good...just the right amount of spicy, tender and flavorful. They give a pretty large basket of bread that is moist, fresh, and flaky. We got the tiramisu for dessert, which was pretty good. It's hard to find real tiramisu anyways so I give them credit for having it. The ladyfingers were a little bit tough to cut with a spoon but they were good, and the cream was very good, not too sweet. A nice finish to the meal. Only downsides...no soup or salad included with the dish, those are extra. Our server was nice enough but kinda disappeared when we were finished with our food...we waited around a good 15 minutes for her to come back and wrap Mr.'s leftovers and ask if we wanted dessert, then another 10 minutes after finishing dessert for her to come back with the check. This is one of my top pet peeves. Alexander himself (I'm pretty sure anyway...) stopped by the table at the end of our meal to ask how everything was, which is always a nice touch in my book. Everyone working there seemed like they must be family, but not the type of family who dread working for the family business, which is nice. We'll definitely be back.
(4)Elizabeth M.
From the outside of the restauarant I was hoping for a cute, quirky place. Unfortunately, it was a very underwhelming, boring, and forgettable meal.
(2)Pavan M.
So a friend and I went to Alexander's because it was the closest restaurant to his place and we didn't feel like driving on the snow-covered roads. I didn't have high expectations - I thought I would get standard Italian fare with nothing special while also probably paying too much. From the get go I was wrong! The decor and ambiance isn't upscale but it also isn't terrible. It feels like a down home, mom and pop type of restaurant. It sort of reminded me of a place that Tony and his crew would eat at in "The Sopranos" - good food and cool ownership. When we entered, it looked like the owner was chatting it up with some regulars. Seeing us, he warmly greeted us and introduced us to our waitress. Before I get to the food a note on the service. Our waitress was great - super friendly, helping us with any questions, and checking up on us during our meal just enough to feel taken care of but not intrusive by any means. I could tell this wasn't her first rodeo. The food was spot on. Along with our menus, we got a basket full of fresh Italian bread and butter. The bread was standard white but it was moist and tasted very fresh. But you know how it is - don't fill up on bread! Perusing the menu, they had a lot of variation which I love - chicken marsala, spaghetti, etc but the chicken parmigiana sandwich was calling my name. It came on hearty bread strong enough to hold the sandwich and not fall apart. The best part was the chicken which was crispy! It came with what tasted like homemade sauce and cheese. It's a simple meal but very tasty - you bite into it and first get the slightly sweet sauce and cheese then the hearty chicken. Mmmm. The sandwich was around $9 and it came with fries. A very good and hearty meal. I look forward to trying some of the other options at Alexanders the next time around!
(4)October R.
I'm not really a big fan of going out and eating Italian since many of the pasta dishes prepared at restaurants seem like they came from the frozen section of the local grocery store, I can do that at home and save some money, thank you very much. Alexanders is very different. You can tell the sauces are all freshly made and there is a great selection of them. I recommend the Gorgonzola basil cream sauce. The menu has all the classic Italian favorites and the Specials menu always has mouth watering seasonal items on it as well. The whole family can enjoy Alexander's. Great Italian food, very reasonable prices and huge portions make this our go-to Italian eatery.
(4)Kiersten S.
I'm sorry, this place is simply not good. Unfortunately, it is yet another example of poorly made Americanized Italian food. Too much cheese, too much butter and cream, and quite possibly the worst bread I have ever consumed at any Italian restaurant in my life. Someone had to go out of their way to find bread this flavorless and awful. It's already a travesty that it's served to me before the meal, but to put it on my sandwich! I'm actually offended for Italians, and bread. Yes bread, this is not your best. The eggplant Parmesan served to my mother was soggy, covered with an absurd amount of plastic Parmesan cheese swimming in a bland sauce. My fathers pasta, cream and cheese. Contrary to popular believe, this is not traditional Italian! This is what some would refer to as, terrible and heavy. And the cannoli? Words could not describe my disappointment. I'll admit it, I'm already an Italian food snob. I cook tons of Italian food for myself, family, and friends, and I only use the highest quality ingredients and go about preparing my meals in traditional southern Italian ways. I've had phenomenal Italian meals at the few great Italian restaurants in this city, so whenever I get the opportunity to eat at another "Italian" joint, I'm heading in with high expectations. Is this what Italian food in Pittsburgh has come too? Seeing other similar Italian places in Bloomfield, I'm sad to say...yes. I'm actually slightly upset even writing this because the waitstaff is charming, and I hear the owners are great, but to pass this off as representative of Italian food is an injustice. If you want a truly great Italian meal please look elsewhere.
(1)darren l.
Very good but not spectacular. Charming small place in 'Little Italy' Bloomfield. Usually can get seated any evening and this place has a nice assortment of menu choices. The 'senators peppers' which is an appetizer of sauteed peppers, garlic, EVOO, and tomatoes is really tasty and flavorful without being too spicy. This is a pick your pasta then pick you sauce kinda place. Service is fine. House salad dressing matches the greens perfectly. Alexanders is food allergy friendly and they have GLUTEN-FREE PASTA! But this is not an over-the-top place, but then again, the prices are not over top either. Recommended.
(4)Brittany W.
Great food and great service! The Maffalda Alexander is FANTASTIC, I've ordered there many times for dinner for the family, and the family style servings are gret for gatherings and meetings. They also have a GREAT salad with candied walnuts and dried cranberries that is to die for! Definitely a must have when ordering there!
(4)Iliana C.
OMG THIS PLACE IS AMAZING! Okay, the ambiance is cutesy and romantic. Upon arrival you are given a bread basket with HUGE Texas sized bread. I wasn't such a big fan because it was so soft that it seems to deteriorate while holding it. Little too messy for my liking. The bruschetta was not your typical bruschetta and honestly I would not recommend it. The Caesar salad is really a pity. Although it looks like a Caesar salad it doesn't taste like one since the lettuce, croutons, and dressing are all so flimsy. It hardly tasted like anything. So why am I giving this place a 5 star review? Because the pasta is amazing! The best pasta I have ever had! Now I know why people with Italian mothers/grandmothers scoff at places like Olive Garden where they don't make their own noodles. What a difference it makes. The menu offers you a large selection of noodles (gluten free available) and sauces to choose from. I had the marfredo (mix of marinara and alfredo) and I was dying over how good it was. My girlfriend, who has an Italian family, had the aglio aoli (sp?) and she was also dying over how amazing this was. DO COME HERE but don't waste any of your time with the appetizers or bread. Save your appetite for the pasta! I didn't get to try the deserts but next time I want to try their tiramisu since all the deserts are also made on site.
(5)Penelope F.
We stopped in on a Tuesday afternoon. Service was very friendly. Ambiance is super comfortable. Food was great, the chicken pesto asparagus salad was amazing. Heavy on the pesto but that's what I love! Had a Blue Moon and it made an excellent early dinner.
(4)Michael H.
Not real Italian. When there's a crab dish on the menu and you don't let your customers know this there's a problem. Imitation crab meat at an Italian restaurant doesn't fly. I was hoping for some good Italian while out of town and was truly disappointed. The bar service was extremely friendly about my compliant and did remove that dish from my bill. My entree was pasta and shrimp. I haven't paid $20 for a dish of pasta and 5 large shrimp in a long time. Don't worry but I won't come close to this restaurant again.
(1)Marlena H.
I went here for a first date and I have to admit I was quite surprised. I wasn't expecting the food to be as good judging by the dining room (though it was a pleasant surprise to see fresh flowers). It wasn't a super fine dining atmosphere, but you definitely get quality and delicious food. Our server brought us a loaf of bread to take home at the end of the night (shocking). The service alone (not to mention the food too) is enough to bring us back.
(4)Dana K.
Portions, food, & service were top notch. It was 2 couples and 5 kids. The restaurant is a bit cozy, but we were incredibly pleased with everything. There was plenty of room in the bar while we were there. There is a parking garage right next door & there was a decent amount of on street parking available.
(4)Amy R.
We originally decided to go to Alexander's for an official dinner for a seminar speaker, expecting 15-20 people to come. So I talked to the manager and he set me all up, despite the fact that I was calling only 3 days before the dinner. He was so super nice and wonderful. We wound up only having 5 (who passes up free food?) but it was still a lovely dinner. The waitress was really helpful in suggesting the best things to get. I agree about the bread...it was just 'meh'. We didn't get an appetizer, but the homemade salad dressing (ranch) was very (very) good. I got the special for that night - fresh veal, and it was so so so good. The waitress said it would melt in your mouth, and it did. I also got the marfredo sauce on malfada pasta as my pasta side, based on other Yelp reviews of this combination and it was also quite good. Overall, great food. I would definitely return.
(4)Sheila S.
A friend took me here for the best gnocchi I have ever eaten. We both chose the gorgonzola basil sauce; I added sweet baby peas and she added broccoli. We ate and ate and took home enough for dinner - it reheats really well. Clearly, whoever made that gnocchi is not a novice! Wine was half price since it was a weeknight, and the house cabernet was delicious. Service was stellar and the atmosphere is fantastic. I'd go regularly if I lived in Pittsburgh.
(5)Mary Lou B.
Looking at all the other reviews about this place, I wondered if we actually went to the same place. I thought it wasn't very good. I had the Eggplant Alexander which consisted of a bunch of soggy fried eggplant with a ton of cheese melted on it. I've made much better at home. My beloved had veal Parmesan. Which was dry, overcooked and lukewarm. Did we catch them on a bad day? I'll never know because I don't think we'll return.
(2)Kristen H.
I've lived in the area for over three years and I must have passed this place hundreds of times but last week was the first time I dined here. I totally regret having passed this place up! The problem is, this place is across from Silky's which I know and love, and based on the exterior I assumed this was a very expensive restaurant geared towards the 50+ crowd. It *is* nice inside, but when we dined here I was in sweat pants and not an eyebrow was raised. Full disclosure: I was dying at the end of a long urban hike, and we were right next to Alexander's and I told my friend I would hate him forever if he did not buy me pasta RIGHT.NOW. :) Alexander's totally hit the spot. It was so good! I was really surprised! I had the chicken bruschetta and it was DELCIOUS. I'd had the same item at Del's a few weeks ago and Del's cannot hold a candle to Alexanders. My chicken breast was only slightly seasoned which is a sign of a good, confident chef. The chicken was delicious and perfect and came out tasting like well seasoned chicken, not salt. It came with a side of pasta in any sauce I wanted from their lengthy list of sauces. I chose penne in gorgonzola cream sauce. The gorgonzola sauce was extremely strong. VERY cheesy. I like gorgonzola, but it was a bit strong for me--although it was still very good. My friend had a spaghetti and marinara in the marinara was incredible. You can tell its made on site. It was excellent. Our entrees came with side salads which were very good, and there was bread nad oil on the table for dipping although we didn't get into that too much. I will def be back, and if you havent tried alexander's, I recommend it. Its good, and you're not going to go broke eating here.
(4)Jade T.
Nice and solid 3.5-stars for some solid AmericanItalian food! Service was really really friendly and the portions were really generous. It doesn't compare to your top-rated traditional Italian joint because that's not what it is. It's really more of an unpretentious mom and pop spot, with consistent hearty meals. Great stop for lunch or dinner, and cozy family atmosphere. We ate, we laughed, and had a very relaxed meal with coffee and dessert at the end. Drinks were refilled seamlessly and leftovers carefully packaged. Would definitely come by again!
(4)Jinna C.
This place is small and cozy. We came here on a Sunday night and the restaurant was not busy. Our waitress was friendly and not pushy since we took a while trying to navigate the extensive menu options! I ordered the tortellini. The dish was rich with the ricotta cheese and the creamy sauce. I finished only about half the dish. The flavors were good but it got to be too much after a while. The portion was also huge which may also have to do with my ability to finish it. We also ordered the veal parm with pasta. The veal was cooked nicely. The meal came with 2 pieces of veal and a nice portion of pasta with marinara sauce. I liked it better than the tortellini. That dish didn't have anything left at the end of the meal! For dessert we ordered the ice cream with candied nuts and the tiramisu. Both very good! The tiramisu was not too sweet and a nice portion to end the meal.
(4)Jonathan E.
solid 4-star restaurant. my wife took my sister/bro-in-law here as part of a night on the town. +1 for street parking on the side of the building. +1 for being very attentive to us, especially when we walked in. +0 for dated decor. too many mirrors. could use an update. -1 for small tables. we were crammed in like sardines. +1 for a giant LOAF of bread for the table. pretty crumby. literally--there were lots of crumbs. +0 for a $10 corking fee. we brought our own bottle. +1 for GREAT marinara sauce. +1 for GREAT gnocci. +0 for good cavatelli. it was much more al dente than we expected. +1 for good portion sizes. +1 for a live vioinist that walked around. he took requests and was quite talented. +1 for honoring our 15% off coupon that we got for signing up for their e-mail list. recommended!
(4)Tom R.
This was a nice family Italian restaurant. Food was very good, and service was excellent. Our server was a young lady named Mieke, and she really added a lot of pleasure to the dining experience. We would certainly go back to dine here again.
(5)Mark D.
Very nice classic Pittsburgh neighborhood Italian. Best choice for hearty, simple popular Italian dishes I took my parents there for dinner and we all enjoyed our meal. My mom loved her chicken parm. My clam sauce with whole wheat pasta was absolutely perfectly al-dente. Salad is fresh with a very nice balsamic vinagrette. Wedding soup was a bit salty, but otherwise perfectly fit my conception of what wedding soup should be. Dad had the tortilla soup (I know; odd choice) and he liked it quite a bit. Standout item was the beans & greens which were very fresh. Service was excellent. Atmosphere is a bit dated and very Pittsburgh, but if you are looking for decent American Italian at good prices with good service, highly recommend.
(4)Douglas R.
I've eaten at Alexander's for a decade, but, like Del's, it's becoming one of those places where the food gets worse every time you go there. Today, half the lettuce I had on my Caesar salad was rotten. I have no idea why it ever left the kitchen. And it was take-out, too, so there wasn't much I could do about it after driving all the way home. (They gave me the wrong entrée too, but at least it was edible.) I finally think I'm done with this place.
(1)Eric G.
In my opinion, this place is a bit overrated and overpriced. I've heard very mixed things about this place, and after going in a couple of times for a happy hour I decided to get dinner one night. I didn't really know what to expect because the menu online listed dishes but no prices (as a side note: I HATE when restaurants do this!). I don't mind paying $15-20 for a good dish of food, but the quality of the pasta and sauces are totally average. I could boil a $1 box of pasta and $2 bottle of general marinara sauce at home and it wouldn't taste much worse than this food. It's definitely nice to go out for meals, particularly at a place like this that has such a well lit inside and a soothing vibe- however, I simply didn't think the quality of the food was good enough for the type of restaurant it strives to be. Furthermore, I found the people who work there to come off as a bit pretentious about the food and drink selections. In general, I would say the food and staff are a bit off putting and I wouldn't recommend this place to friends who have never been here before. However, if you go, definitely try the happy hour, which is one of the better ones in Pittsburgh *half off appetizers and drinks. Plus, wine is half off on Mondays and Wednesdays, which I would assume are their slower nights.
(3)Mina M.
I have been coming to Alexander's off and on for almost 25 years. I think in all that time I have only had one meal that was below par. Pretty good average I'd say. I went the other night with my adult daughter. I had the calamari with pasta, a cocktail ( yum, yum), and a garden salad. The salad was very fresh and arrived promptly. The cocktail was strong but great. The calamari arrived quickly and was piled so high on the plate I could barely see over the plate! It was served on what tasted like fresh tomatoes over the pasta. It was so good I couldn't stop eating it, even after I was full. My daughter had the salad too with linguini and clam sauce. It was loaded with clams. They were tasty and not rubbery. She suspected they were canned but since they were tender it was okay. The sauce was fragrant too, not fishy. Our server was super efficient and polite. She kept up with us without being intrusive. The decor of the restaurant has been updated a bit over time. It's cute. A bit too bright for an Italian restaurant if you ask me, but I'm from New England where Italian places are all dimly lit. Overall, a wonderful, easy going, friendly neighborhood place to go to relax over some good food and drink. Have a few laughs without a tv interrupting your dinner conversation. You have to sit in the bar for that. Take your mom. Take the family. Take your husband when you can't stand another night of cooking. Just go it alone and who cares about anyone else?! Just have fun eating some really good food that tastes like someone cares.
(4)Ray C.
I had a wonderful experience at this restaurant bringing 8 out of town guests from across the country. The food was outstanding and the wait staff is very accommodating. Alex made a special effort to make sure our time there was enjoyable. Good authentic Italian cuisine at a very reasonable price.
(4)Paul D.
Just went to Alexanders Italian Bistro , Boy What a Treat ! There should be another Star for this place. The Food was excellent , the wine was very good and the deserts were to die for. Ok maybe I might have had a little too much wine.,But I was very impressed. The staff was very attentive , The Italian bread was fresh and plentiful, And I had the Angel hair spaghetti with Hot peppers and hot sausage. My friends had seafood selections. Espresso for everyone after the Tiramisu Deserts ! YUMMMMM ! I would Recommend Alexanders to anyone who enjoys fine Italian food. ( PS its not a chain restaurant ) Parking was plentiful too. I LOVE Mom& Pop places. Very clean & cozy. More Wine Please ?
(5)Teresa T.
Stopped in for dinner on a Sunday night at 7pm and Alexander's was about half full. We decided to go simple and stick with the Pastabilities. I choose the Bolognese with penne (~$12) and mushrooms (extra $1.50), while my husband ordered the Marfredo with farfelle ($11), sundried tomatoes and hot sausage (extra $4). Bolognese was solid though lacked mushrooms and my husband's dish was tasty too though the hot sausage was bland, it needed salt. Portions are huge, mine was easily two meals. Italian bread or rolls (not warmed up) w/ butter balls comes with the meal and there is EVOO on the table. For dessert, we ordered the chocolate chip cannolli which came with two - we enjoyed them but it pricey for the size $7. Aside from the dessert, the meal was reasonably priced. Service was consistent with other Yelpers' reviews - really, really friendly. We liked our waitress. Because there were no mushrooms in my dish, she was suppose to take it off our bill but forgot so ended up giving a cash credit. Also I ended up packaging my Bolognese home since I couldn't eat it all and she asked if we wanted the rolls too and wrapped my pasta in saran wrap for the trip home to prevent any sauce spillage which was a smart move since we had walked here. One comment though would be on the decor. You walk in and the bar area somewhat has a modern feel but then once you go into the dining room it is like you are warped back into time. There is just a lot of visual stimulation - over the top - that just doesn't go together. Overall though, Alexander's just gets it done - nothing fancy w/ home style food and great prices and service. We'll be skipping other Italian places in the area and will be back again.
(4)Joe K.
Alexander's is good, solid Italian food without any pretentiousness. Their menu is large, but not outrageously expansive like a lot of other local Italian restaurants in the area. There's a nice selection of Italian favorites, plus you have the ability to create your own past dish (choose your pasta, type of sauce, and add-ons). I've been to Alexander's several times for lunch and always enjoyed it, so I decided to take my girlfriend there for dinner on a recent night. When we entered, we were warmly greeted by the staff and asked where we wanted to sit. We sat in the front of the house/bar area so I could keep an eye on the Pirates game. While there, I overheard an older lady complaining that her dish was less than stellar. The server and the manager agreed with her assessment and offered to make her anything else on the menu to make her happy. I've always been pleased by the pleasant, accommodating nature of the staff when I've visited Alexander's; it's truly a strong point of the restaurant. I ordered the pork osso bucco with garlic risotto, while my girlfriend went with chicken parmigiano. We opened with bruschetta toast. It was a nice start. The tomatoes were fresh, and the taste of balsamic vinegar gave it a little pop of flavor. I then had their wedding soup, which is always enjoyable. It's full of meat and has just the right level of saltiness to it. My girlfriend was pleased with her garden salad; in particular, she enjoyed the flavor and texture added by walnuts and cranberries. The pork osso bucco I received was huge. Unfortunately, the flavor was not as big as the size of the dish. The pork was tender and properly cooked... the garlic risotto, not so much. It was just kind of bland. Together, the dish was fairly tasty, but not something that I would order again. My girlfriend was pleased with her massive serving of chicken parmigiano and pasta. It was good, but the breading was a little soggy because it was doused in sauce. Somewhere during the course of our dinner, the manager walked from table to table, and asked every group if they wanted a loaf of Italian bread. I suppose that they had a lot of extra bread and were giving it out since the night was winding down. I heartily accepted- their bread is delicious. Little things like this are why I love Alexander's. If you're looking for some tasty Italian food served in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere, you can't go wrong with Alexander's. Just stick with the pasta, and you'll be happy.
(4)Sally M.
I wasn't really a fan. In fact, this may hae been some of the most sub-par Italian food I've had (it seemed very touristy), and it was definitely my least favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh while traveling there on business the past few months. Cute ambiance! Cute neighborhood! Friendly local wait staff! But kinda touristy & uninteresting food pairings / ingredients.
(2)Bennett R.
Loved it! I was not too excited about trying to eat healthy at an Italian joint, but went with friends. I was impressed at how many healthier options they had, if that's what you're in the mood for. Or pig out on a hot plate of carbs and dairy with a side of italian sausage. My friends and I split an order of beans, greens and tomatoes. I regret the sharing part, it was so outrageously delicious I wanted it all to myself. Next time I'm getting my own. In the spirit of healthy eating, I went with a salad, which was big, fresh, and just what I wanted. If you like salad, you're set. If not, the pasta my friends had looked great too. You can get gluten free or whole wheat pasta for an additional charge if you like. My boy friend had angel hair with alfredo, our friend had linguini marinara with fried calamari. The waitress was very pleasant, and kept her cool even though she had the pleasure of serving this merry band of drunk, vicious old queens. Now I would have been sold on the service and the food, everything I tasted was great. But the two pasta dishes weren't all that hot. Somewhat warmer than warm, they said. My friend let the waitress know but wasn't unhappy enough to send it back, even though the manager was adamant they could remake the plate in no time. (I work in a customer based industry and I know first hand, nothing can be worse than an unhappy customer who isn't willing to let you fix the problem after they bring it to your attention.) So at the end of the meal, he offered to buy us a round of drinks instead. Smart guy - offer a couple of drunks some free liquor, and all is forgiven. He took an almost great meal and made it great for them. Sadly, I was driving so didn't take him up on the offer. So - great food, beans and greens, lots of choices, beans and greens, good service, and beans and greens. If it were closer to home I'd be ready to move in.
(4)Claire S.
This is my go-to for good, unpretentious, Italian-American home cooking. Alexander's is the place where the locals go for an inexpensive meal. The dining room is small and decorated to look like an Italian trattoria. The menu has all the basics, tons of pastas, different sauces, meatballs, parmigiana, etc. The bread is from (I'm pretty sure) Mancini's which is an old Italian-American bakery in the city. Come as you are: jeans, Steelers jersey, college sweatshirt, what have you. The service can be a bit flaky, but everyone is quite nice. Just relax. If they mix up an order they'll make it right. I love the wedding soup here and they make awesome chicken piccatta. I also like how they serve the meat and pasta dishes separately on small plates, instead of dumping everything together on a big dinner plate. For dessert they make a real tiramisu with lots of rum, and also really good rice pudding. One warning: it is really easy to overeat here. I eat lightly during the day if I know I'm going to Alexander's for dinner.
(4)Eric G.
In my opinion, this place is a bit overrated and overpriced. I've heard very mixed things about this place, and after going in a couple of times for a happy hour I decided to get dinner one night. I didn't really know what to expect because the menu online listed dishes but no prices (as a side note: I HATE when restaurants do this!). I don't mind paying $15-20 for a good dish of food, but the quality of the pasta and sauces are totally average. I could boil a $1 box of pasta and $2 bottle of general marinara sauce at home and it wouldn't taste much worse than this food. It's definitely nice to go out for meals, particularly at a place like this that has such a well lit inside and a soothing vibe- however, I simply didn't think the quality of the food was good enough for the type of restaurant it strives to be. Furthermore, I found the people who work there to come off as a bit pretentious about the food and drink selections. In general, I would say the food and staff are a bit off putting and I wouldn't recommend this place to friends who have never been here before. However, if you go, definitely try the happy hour, which is one of the better ones in Pittsburgh *half off appetizers and drinks. Plus, wine is half off on Mondays and Wednesdays, which I would assume are their slower nights.
(3)Paul D.
Just went to Alexanders Italian Bistro , Boy What a Treat ! There should be another Star for this place. The Food was excellent , the wine was very good and the deserts were to die for. Ok maybe I might have had a little too much wine.,But I was very impressed. The staff was very attentive , The Italian bread was fresh and plentiful, And I had the Angel hair spaghetti with Hot peppers and hot sausage. My friends had seafood selections. Espresso for everyone after the Tiramisu Deserts ! YUMMMMM ! I would Recommend Alexanders to anyone who enjoys fine Italian food. ( PS its not a chain restaurant ) Parking was plentiful too. I LOVE Mom& Pop places. Very clean & cozy. More Wine Please ?
(5)Peter B.
One of the last great Italian institutions in the city. The best part is that the food is awesome these days and they make an effort to keep the decor and the menu fresh. There are very good reasons why Del's is gone and Alexander's is still here. The pesto and the bread (both made fresh every day) are my favorite parts and are definitely crave-worthy. The grilled asparagus is also quite impressive given how simple it is, but I'd agree with Pepin in saying that the best food is ordinary things prepared extraordinarily well. I'm an epicurean 23 year old with Italian grandmothers so I think I have an idea of what's good. Alexander's is good for dates, family dinners with just the right amount of class, and people who like good bread. Alexander's is not good for sea urchin crunching, small-batch moonshine sipping, mise-en-place modernists. There are nice places like Lawrenceville and Umi for you.
(5)Natosha D.
The wait staff is so friendly. The Menu has a lot to choose from. Sometimes they run of things - but they always have great replacement options and work really hard to accommodate you. There are wine specials a few times a week, and always plenty of parking. I love it here, it's my go to for me and hubby's date night.
(5)Macdabrows ..
Don't expect fresh food. We have taken ravioli and tortelini. It was fast, that's perhaps because of microwave. Never more.
(2)Kennedy J.
This restaurant is a gem! Parking was easy to find on a side street next to the restaurant. We were greeting as soon as we walked in and the host say is immediately-impressive for 6:30 on a Friday evening. We ordered the fried zucchini, which came with marinara sauce. Absolutely amazing!! Best marinara I've ever eaten. There is a page in the menu of mix-and-match pastas with sauces. I got the tortellini with pesto and my mother got the gnocchi with red pepper sauce. The pesto was more like an Alfredo sauce with pesto in it. Although not what I expected, it was amazing. The red pepper sauce was sweet and tangy, a little different but still very enjoyable. All of the courses came out quickly- we were there for less than an hour. Our waiter was very nice and frequently refilled our waters. Overall, amazing experience and I will be returning next time I am in Pittsburgh.
(5)Mariam A.
Great food, nicest waiters in the world. We had the Italian coquielle for appetizers and it was AMAZING. Their candied walnut salad is to die for. Their entries are simply superb. I highly recommend this place, it's a gem!!
(5)Meghan B.
Went out to lunch with my coworkers and this is where they suggested. I had never been- so I was pretty excited to check it out. Alexander's is a small and charming building, with a nice patio area outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. We really enjoyed sitting outside- although it was a little noisy (being on Liberty Avenue and all). Before our meal, we were given bread. It was thick cut, fluffy white bread. Although it was good, it wasn't anything special. It was served with butter packets- pretty tacky if you ask me. I would have much rather preferred some house made oil. I ordered the Abby Alexandra's Angel Hair- grilled chicken, spinach and tomatoes with angel hair pasta and a very light white wine sauce. It was delicious. The meal itself felt rather light, making it easy for me to practically finish the entire large portion. I was able to stop myself to save a little for leftovers, though. My one complaint is that the server did not offer additional parmesan for the meal. I have never been to an Italian restaurant that didn't offer freshly grated cheese on top of your meal and was honestly shocked that they didn't. The pasta would have been much better with some freshly grated cheese- although it was still quite good. Otherwise, the service was good, the food was good and we had a nice time.
(3)Sue F.
Nice 1/2 off wines by the glass on Mondays. My boyfriend and I did the pick your own pasta, sauce, toppings. We both chose the agli oilio which needed roasted garlic for more flavor. I had the matalda pasta which was new for me and it was excellent with sun dried tomatoes. Service was ok and was short staffed in our opinion. We sat on the patio but next time will opt for the dining room. We thought the value was good for what we got. I'll go back next time I'm in the area.
(4)Peter B.
One of the last great Italian institutions in the city. The best part is that the food is awesome these days and they make an effort to keep the decor and the menu fresh. There are very good reasons why Del's is gone and Alexander's is still here. The pesto and the bread (both made fresh every day) are my favorite parts and are definitely crave-worthy. The grilled asparagus is also quite impressive given how simple it is, but I'd agree with Pepin in saying that the best food is ordinary things prepared extraordinarily well. I'm an epicurean 23 year old with Italian grandmothers so I think I have an idea of what's good. Alexander's is good for dates, family dinners with just the right amount of class, and people who like good bread. Alexander's is not good for sea urchin crunching, small-batch moonshine sipping, mise-en-place modernists. There are nice places like Lawrenceville and Umi for you.
(5)Meghan B.
Went out to lunch with my coworkers and this is where they suggested. I had never been- so I was pretty excited to check it out. Alexander's is a small and charming building, with a nice patio area outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. We really enjoyed sitting outside- although it was a little noisy (being on Liberty Avenue and all). Before our meal, we were given bread. It was thick cut, fluffy white bread. Although it was good, it wasn't anything special. It was served with butter packets- pretty tacky if you ask me. I would have much rather preferred some house made oil. I ordered the Abby Alexandra's Angel Hair- grilled chicken, spinach and tomatoes with angel hair pasta and a very light white wine sauce. It was delicious. The meal itself felt rather light, making it easy for me to practically finish the entire large portion. I was able to stop myself to save a little for leftovers, though. My one complaint is that the server did not offer additional parmesan for the meal. I have never been to an Italian restaurant that didn't offer freshly grated cheese on top of your meal and was honestly shocked that they didn't. The pasta would have been much better with some freshly grated cheese- although it was still quite good. Otherwise, the service was good, the food was good and we had a nice time.
(3)Sue F.
Nice 1/2 off wines by the glass on Mondays. My boyfriend and I did the pick your own pasta, sauce, toppings. We both chose the agli oilio which needed roasted garlic for more flavor. I had the matalda pasta which was new for me and it was excellent with sun dried tomatoes. Service was ok and was short staffed in our opinion. We sat on the patio but next time will opt for the dining room. We thought the value was good for what we got. I'll go back next time I'm in the area.
(4)Natosha D.
The wait staff is so friendly. The Menu has a lot to choose from. Sometimes they run of things - but they always have great replacement options and work really hard to accommodate you. There are wine specials a few times a week, and always plenty of parking. I love it here, it's my go to for me and hubby's date night.
(5)Macdabrows ..
Don't expect fresh food. We have taken ravioli and tortelini. It was fast, that's perhaps because of microwave. Never more.
(2)Jennifer G.
My husband and I had one of our first dates in Pittsburgh at Alexander's, so it has a special place in my heart. I knew he was a keeper when we ordered the asparagus/goat cheese appetizer and I loved it so much that he let me eat all but one piece on my own. There is a bar areas out front that has a more casual feel and dining room in the back. The dining room is small and intimate offering several booths along the sides of the restaurant and several tables in the middle and towards the front of the dining room. The decor has a homey feel with nice colors and a fun chandelier. The menu is much more extensive then a typical Italian restaurant. There are several appetizer choices in addition to the previously mentioned grilled asparagus. There are also several salads and two soup options, the soup of the day and wedding soup. The first time I was there I tried the veal diablo which was veal with hot peppers and mushrooms and a Marsala sauce. It was delicious. It had a nice kick but wasn't too hot that you didn't enjoy it. On my second visit I enjoyed the "pastabilities" create your own pasta. With 10+ sauce choices plus 10+ pasta the combinations seem endless! I enjoyed the angel hair with the Marsala wine and red pepper sauce. My husband had the Bolognese and was equally happy. The pasta seemed to be in an endless bowl. I felt like I was eating forever and there was still two meals worth of pasta left in my take out container. The build your own pasta is quite a value for the price (although it does not come with a soup or salad like the other entrees do). We were stuffed, but after seeing several desserts go by, I decided I wanted to order the Napoleon. It was stuffed with strawberries and blueberries and the cream was delectable. Overall a great dining experience. We will be back.
(5)R H.
Well where do I start! The food was very bland for my taste. I'm not going to say much more but I won't be returning. I have to add this by far is one of the WORST Italian restaurants I've ever ate at. Good luck
(1)Paul K.
Alexander's offers some of the worst Italian food I've ever had. I went there with my girlfriend and my parents on a Saturday night, and from start to finish the experience that Alexander's gave us was simply awful. First, when we arrived around 6 pm, the restaurant was half-empty (bad sign #1). The hostess seated us at a table in the center of the very cramped and very small dining room (bad sign #2). Then, our waitress did not even come over to take drink orders for another 10 minutes (bad sign #3). Once the waitress finally arrived and took our orders, the food itself offered no relief. My girlfriend and I ordered the Caesar salad - the salads were drowning in Caesar dressing, the croutons were badly burnt and inedible, and there were too many croutons to begin with. This restaurant couldn't even get a simple salad right, but I hoped against hope that the entrees would be an improvement. Unfortunately, the entrees were no better. My girlfriend ordered Chicken Alfredo. Not only was the dish absurdly light on chicken (3 small pieces total? Come on!), the alfredo sauce was thick and gummy to the point of tasting like glue. My mom ordered the Mushroom ravioli, which was completely bland. I ordered the Veal Diablo with Shrimp; the plate came with 3 pieces of veal sliced extremely thin, 3 nice sized shrimp, and... that was it. No pasta, no garlic bread, nothing but an ocean of very mediocre marinara sauce. I finished my entire plate, the remaining half of my mom's plate after she was finished eating, and as much as I could stomach of my girlfriend's Alfredo (which was only a couple of forkfuls, as that Alfredo sauce was one of the foulest things I've ever eaten), but I still was left hungry. The dessert course offered a distinctly rotten cherry on top of this already heaping garbage sundae. We were initially assured that all of the desserts were made in-house, but that soon proved not to be the case. Indeed, for several of our desserts, a store-bought version would have been an improvement. I ordered a cannoli, figuring that even a crappy Italian restaurant can't screw up a cannoli, as it is a violation of Italian Law or something. Unfortunately, their "fresh-made" cannolis consisted of a pre-packaged cannoli shell, pre-packaged cannoli filling (which, by the way, was gritty, as though someone had dumped in white sugar but not mixed the cream thoroughly enough for the sugar to dissolve), and put the two together in the kitchen. Needless to say, my cannoli was awful. My girlfriend ordered the tiramisu, and what she received was about as far removed from tiramisu as one can get. There were almost no ladyfingers, and the ones that were in the dish were drowning in coffee. On top of that, the dessert was swamped with an excessive amount of coffee-flavored cream that essentially destroyed the dish. My uncle's chocolate cake was dry and uninspiring; a store-bought cake would have been more moist. I did not pick up the check - my uncle was nice enough to do that - so I did not see the final bill. However, they could not have paid me to eat this often-inedible food. The service was slow and inattentive, the food was simply awful, and I left hungry. Do not waste your time, your money, or your energy with this place, as you can get better Italian food virtually anywhere else in the city.
(1)Deb F.
My sister Cyndy was in town on her birthday and my kids Megan & Michael and son's girlfriend Niki surprised her by making reservations at Alexander's Italian Bistro in Bloomfield. When we got there, our table was ready and we were immediately greeted by Michelle. From that moment on I knew they had picked the right restaurant. Michelle was so sweet and attentive. She explained the menu, helped us make our selections and made us feel like we were in her own home. Michelle started by bring us our drinks and homemade bread which she replenished a second time. It was so good. Then our meals came. Each one of us ordered something different. Megan had Classic Chicken Parmigiano, Michael had Penne with Marinara, Meatballs & Hot Sausage, Niki had Chicken Piccata, Cyndy had Penne with Pesto Sauce & I had Angel Hair Pasta with fresh tomatoes, spinach, chicken with splash of white wine. We all tasted everyones dishes and we couldn't find a winner. All were so delicious. At the end of the dinner, we all grabbed our to-go bags. Because we had cake waiting at home, Michelle gave my sister a loaf of their fabulous bread which we enjoy the next day with our coffee. So if you are looking for a great place to eat with fabulous food in a friendly environment. Alexander's Italian Bistro is your place!
(5)Julie R.
My parents were in town and since my Mom's birthday is next week we decided to go out for an early celebration. I now live in Bloomfield so we decided to go Italian. Full disclosure: my first choice was D'Amico's but either they changed their storefront and I didn't recognize it, or they have closed. In any event, my plan B was Alexanders. We went on a Tuesday night around 7. Parking was no problem, free street parking after 6-nice! The bar was deserted and the small dining room had two or three small groups. So no shouting to make yourself heard-double nice! The seating was comfortable (we got a square table in the middle of the room). Our server was very nice and efficient and I'd give her at least 4 stars. My mom got the spinach and cheese ravioli w/ marinara sauce (on the menu the ravioli are deep fried but they honored her request for a "normal" cook), my dad got angel hair with bolognese sauce, and I got linguini with pesto sauce. I was surprised that the pasta dishes did not come with a salad so if you go, that's additional. The server said that the serving sizes were generous. They were good portions but not huge by Pittsburgh standards. My mom does not have a large appetite and she ate all but one ravioli. I ate all my pasta and could have had more. My Dad was reaching for his third slice of bread after he polished off his pasta, so I'll let you draw your own conclusions! :) The sauces were good and the pasta tasted like it was fresh. Everything was warm/lukewarm, but not steaming hot. I'm a bit of a slow eater, especially with pasta so by the time I was finishing, it was cold. The food was OK, in cases like this, I really wish you could give a half star, because this is 3.5 stars. Nothing was horrible, nothing was excellent. It was good. The bill with a tip was around $55 (we all had soft drinks), which again I don't have a major quibble about. Not sure I will go back, but not sorry I went. :)
(3)Sarah M.
This was my first time here and I will never go back. My hubby and I were excited to get alil dresses up and have some Italian and god did they mess that off. To start off when we walked in the place REEKED of piss. Like someone has literally just peed on the floor. Our waitress showed us to a booth in the back where they were scraps and trash under and around our table. I asked her for a drink list she informs me there isn't one k fine I move on. Then we get an appetizer the fried ravoli which was prices at 8$ but only came with four bite size pieces on a plate. That's it. Now onto the meal I order a tortellini and marinara and my husband got the tuna. Mine came out with random mixed veggies In it(which I just picked around) and my husbands came out fine except his sauces came in plastic cups(it was a 20$ dish). Oh and that's not the end of it. After telling the waitress that I didn't receive what I ordered we had to listen to her and the cook scream at each other while we at. She then have us our check and then disappeared. We waited until I finally stopped another waitress to cash us out. I paid 65$ all together and it should have been free.
(1)Deena A.
I AM BOYCOTTING ALEXANDER'S FOR LIFE!!! The manager SCREAMED AT ME at the top of his lungs in an epic meltdown that lasted 10 minutes! On Sat., April 12, 2014, I attended the 50th birthday party for my dear friend, David Flynn. I organized the party, but relied on Dave and his sister to provide me with the final head count. I made the reservation for 25 people. The manager and I played phone tag for the two days before the event. I called back and left messages TWICE to confirm, but apparently he never got my messages. (This was part of his rant, his indignation at unreturned phone calls that actually HAD been returned!) The dinner started at 7 PM. Most of our group arrived on time, but some of our group (including me) arrived between 8 PM-9 PM. I was working on a homemade birthday present for Dave, which took longer than expected. I called Dave, his sister and my friends (Reesa & Joel) to tell them I was running late. In hindsight, I should have also called the restaurant to let them know, and for that I am truly sorry. That still doesn't justify the manager SCREAMING AT ME FOR 10 MINUTES! After enjoying a delicious dinner, drinks and birthday cake, none of us had a clue that anything was wrong. If the decision to return to a restaurant were based SOLELY on the food and wait staff, I would definitely return to Alexander's. But sadly, when the manager has a nuclear meltdown and throws a 10-MINUTE SCREAMING TEMPER TANTRUM, it tends to sour one on returning to a restaurant. Towards the end of our dinner, some of us started to smell cigarette smoke, which we later realized was coming from the patio out front. (It was a warm night, and they had the front sliding-glass doors open.) In the midst of the smoke discussion, the manager approached our table and began an EPIC RANT, SCREAMING AT ME FOR 10 MINUTES!!! He was angry that everyone in our group hadn't arrived at exactly 7 PM. The restaurant's kitchen is open till 10 PM on Sat. night, so I don't understand why this was a big deal. We ended up with 20 people total and 5 no-shows. I am always disappointed by no-shows, but I explained this possibility to the manager when I made the reservation. I STILL BROUGHT HIM 20 PAYING CUSTOMERS! BTW...the dining room was practically EMPTY, which is not what I would expect on a Saturday night in Pittsburgh. Maybe I'm not the first customer to be on the receiving end of the manager's meltdown. The manager SCREAMED that he had called me twice, and I hadn't called him back! He ranted about this about a dozen times. I told him I HAD called him back - TWICE. It's not my fault if he didn't get my messages. He SCREAMED that he had put an extra waitress and cook on staff because he expected 25 people. He SCREAMED that I had cost the restaurant $100! How much money do you think 20 people spent on appetizers, dinner and drinks? I find it hard to believe that they didn't make any money, or at least break even. I am sorry that there were 5 no-shows in our group, but I always thought Saturday night was the busiest night of the week for most restaurants. I didn't realize the restaurant would look like a deserted, old western ghost town with hardly any customers. On a Saturday night, I assumed they would have a full staff on duty with or without my reservation. I was wrong. I'm sorry. I'm not perfect. The manager also YELLED at me and my friends for "LOOKING COMFORTABLE" in his restaurant!!! Since when is looking comfortable an OFFENSE??? I thought restaurants wanted you to feel comfortable, but apparently not at Alexander's. He also SCREAMED that one of the waitresses only got a $1.00 tip! I found that hard to believe, but just in case he wasn't making it up, I tipped my waitress $35 on my $26 dinner check! I am a former waitress, and I would feel HORRIBLE if any waitress every got ripped off on my watch! Even if his story wasn't true, I figured she deserved an extra big tip just for having to WORK in such a horrible place where the manager YELLS at paying customers!!! If he treats the customers this way, I can only imagine how he treats the employees. THE MANAGER'S RUDE BEHAVIOR HAS COST HIM MY BUSINESS AND MY FRIENDS' BUSINESS FOREVER!!! During his rant, he actually SCREAMED that he never wanted to see me in his restaurant ever again! I'm happy to grant him that wish. And so are my friends. This is an example of the WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I have ever witnessed in my entire life!!! I thought the manager was going to have a heart attack or a stroke the way he was SCREAMING FOR 10 MINUTES! SCREAMING at paying customers is completely unacceptable behavior, and I will NEVER eat at Alexander's ever again. It's really a shame because I loved their salmon with pesto sauce. But great food can't make up for a manager who throws a TEMPER TANTRUM and SCREAMS AT YOU. Also, you can smell smoke in the dining room, which sucks. My friends and I are BOYCOTTING ALEXANDER'S FOR LIFE!!!
(1)Laura M.
I came here about a year ago with some friends for dinner, when one of my friends wanted Italian food, and we wanted to try a place in Bloomfield. I ordered the create-your-own pasta with mafalda pasta, gorgonzola basil cream sauce, and chicken. The sauce was actually quite tasty, although a bit on the strong side, and overpowered the chicken quite a bit. It was definitely unique, however! The bread that was served with the pasta was thick and soft, but wasn't particularly unique. Service was fine, and the atmosphere was nice. Overall, not a bad option for Italian food in Bloomfield, and I'd go back if a dining companion wanted to try it, but I wouldn't go out of my way to return since there's better Italian to be had elsewhere in PGH. 3.5 stars.
(3)Colleen S.
A good, reasonably prices Italian restaurant in Bloomfield. We went on Halloween around 7pm and found that is the absolute best time to go out to eat! It was completely empty except for two other parties. They bring you bread and oil to the table. We also ordered bruschetta which was very good. Everyone seemed very happy with their meals. Beware of the pasta Diablo! My dad was sweating from the heat of it and he normally loves spicy food. He said it was delicious, but it sounds like a great dish for someone prepared for some serious spice (not me!). My little brother was disappointed that his spaghetti and meatballs came with one meatball, but besides that we were very happy with the meal. Nice portions and great service.
(3)Stephanie P.
Suffice it to say, this is not real Italian food and it's below average and overpriced when it comes to American-Italian food. The staff was excellent though and you will have great service and conversation. Thanks but probably won't be back.
(2)Aldona Z.
Unbelievable!!!!!! What can I say except that it is the best Italian family owned restaurant in Pittsburgh!!!! The wedding soup is the best along with the beans and greens.We thought we were in Italian Heaven with these starter dishes, then we had the stuffed banana peppers with their special bread and we were satisfied beyond belief! Then came the linguine with clam sauce.It was so perfect.Just the right amount of garlic.We will continue indulging .The owner, Alex, was hospitable and genuinely concerned for our satisfaction. It was a memorable experience.We felt we were in Italy.It is Pittsburgh's Italian DIAMOND!! DIANE
(5)Brooke G.
I have been going here my whole life, and I can say without a doubt that I have yet to ha e a bad experience. I have had almost everything on the menu and everything is amazing. Very filling portion sizes and great service. They offer a lot of good wines and a unique beer menu. All of their desserts are made on site, i highly recommend the rice pudding. If you find yourself in Little Italy (Bloomfiled) the best place to eat is Alexander's.
(5)Kristen H.
I've lived in the area for over three years and I must have passed this place hundreds of times but last week was the first time I dined here. I totally regret having passed this place up! The problem is, this place is across from Silky's which I know and love, and based on the exterior I assumed this was a very expensive restaurant geared towards the 50+ crowd. It *is* nice inside, but when we dined here I was in sweat pants and not an eyebrow was raised. Full disclosure: I was dying at the end of a long urban hike, and we were right next to Alexander's and I told my friend I would hate him forever if he did not buy me pasta RIGHT.NOW. :) Alexander's totally hit the spot. It was so good! I was really surprised! I had the chicken bruschetta and it was DELCIOUS. I'd had the same item at Del's a few weeks ago and Del's cannot hold a candle to Alexanders. My chicken breast was only slightly seasoned which is a sign of a good, confident chef. The chicken was delicious and perfect and came out tasting like well seasoned chicken, not salt. It came with a side of pasta in any sauce I wanted from their lengthy list of sauces. I chose penne in gorgonzola cream sauce. The gorgonzola sauce was extremely strong. VERY cheesy. I like gorgonzola, but it was a bit strong for me--although it was still very good. My friend had a spaghetti and marinara in the marinara was incredible. You can tell its made on site. It was excellent. Our entrees came with side salads which were very good, and there was bread nad oil on the table for dipping although we didn't get into that too much. I will def be back, and if you havent tried alexander's, I recommend it. Its good, and you're not going to go broke eating here.
(4)Jade T.
Nice and solid 3.5-stars for some solid AmericanItalian food! Service was really really friendly and the portions were really generous. It doesn't compare to your top-rated traditional Italian joint because that's not what it is. It's really more of an unpretentious mom and pop spot, with consistent hearty meals. Great stop for lunch or dinner, and cozy family atmosphere. We ate, we laughed, and had a very relaxed meal with coffee and dessert at the end. Drinks were refilled seamlessly and leftovers carefully packaged. Would definitely come by again!
(4)Jinna C.
This place is small and cozy. We came here on a Sunday night and the restaurant was not busy. Our waitress was friendly and not pushy since we took a while trying to navigate the extensive menu options! I ordered the tortellini. The dish was rich with the ricotta cheese and the creamy sauce. I finished only about half the dish. The flavors were good but it got to be too much after a while. The portion was also huge which may also have to do with my ability to finish it. We also ordered the veal parm with pasta. The veal was cooked nicely. The meal came with 2 pieces of veal and a nice portion of pasta with marinara sauce. I liked it better than the tortellini. That dish didn't have anything left at the end of the meal! For dessert we ordered the ice cream with candied nuts and the tiramisu. Both very good! The tiramisu was not too sweet and a nice portion to end the meal.
(4)Kennedy J.
This restaurant is a gem! Parking was easy to find on a side street next to the restaurant. We were greeting as soon as we walked in and the host say is immediately-impressive for 6:30 on a Friday evening. We ordered the fried zucchini, which came with marinara sauce. Absolutely amazing!! Best marinara I've ever eaten. There is a page in the menu of mix-and-match pastas with sauces. I got the tortellini with pesto and my mother got the gnocchi with red pepper sauce. The pesto was more like an Alfredo sauce with pesto in it. Although not what I expected, it was amazing. The red pepper sauce was sweet and tangy, a little different but still very enjoyable. All of the courses came out quickly- we were there for less than an hour. Our waiter was very nice and frequently refilled our waters. Overall, amazing experience and I will be returning next time I am in Pittsburgh.
(5)Mariam A.
Great food, nicest waiters in the world. We had the Italian coquielle for appetizers and it was AMAZING. Their candied walnut salad is to die for. Their entries are simply superb. I highly recommend this place, it's a gem!!
(5)Louise M.
I was extremely disappointed w/ my experience at Alexander's last evening. I had visited this restaurant in the past and remember it being much better? Also, I can't believe this is all Bloomfield has to offer, being the 'Italian' district of Pittsburgh - are you kidding? First of all, house Chianti tasted like vinegar. Pasta dishes were an average of $15 and didn't even come w/ a house salad. They did come w/ soup? however, we were not offered any and forgot about it until this morning. All of the pasta dishes my party ordered as well as the entrée salads were mediocre (chicken looked like it was processed?) and didn't have many of the ingredients that were outlined on the menu. And, to top the night off, I got sick off of mine and was up all night w/ indigestion. UGH!! I was looking forward to a low-key family dinner and something good to start off the holiday weekend and this restaurant came up short.
(2)Gerald H.
I unfortunately have to say that my wife and I agreed that both our meals served were the worst dinners we have had in Pittsburgh. I am pretty forgiving but this was not acceptable. Both meals were served barely warm. The decor was old 70's which could have charm but this didn't. The server was fair. Forgot to even bring us water after requesting it and didn't ask how the dinners were. Both plates were mediocre at best. I will not return.
(1)Katherine P.
Went yesterday for my parents 30th anniversary. We went for a late lunch so the restaurant was empty when we arrived. Our waiter was fabulous! He was very attentive and wanted to make sure the experience was wonderful for my parents. We started with wine and apps, and I loved the fried zucchini. It wasn't overly breaded and were were able to split it between six people and not worry about not having enough. I ordered a Malfada pasta with feta spinach and sundried tomatoes and it was excellent! It was the perfect portion and spiced wonderfully. My parents each got chicken parm and devoured it. All in all a wonderful experience and we will definitely return.
(4)Jonathan E.
solid 4-star restaurant. my wife took my sister/bro-in-law here as part of a night on the town. +1 for street parking on the side of the building. +1 for being very attentive to us, especially when we walked in. +0 for dated decor. too many mirrors. could use an update. -1 for small tables. we were crammed in like sardines. +1 for a giant LOAF of bread for the table. pretty crumby. literally--there were lots of crumbs. +0 for a $10 corking fee. we brought our own bottle. +1 for GREAT marinara sauce. +1 for GREAT gnocci. +0 for good cavatelli. it was much more al dente than we expected. +1 for good portion sizes. +1 for a live vioinist that walked around. he took requests and was quite talented. +1 for honoring our 15% off coupon that we got for signing up for their e-mail list. recommended!
(4)Tom R.
This was a nice family Italian restaurant. Food was very good, and service was excellent. Our server was a young lady named Mieke, and she really added a lot of pleasure to the dining experience. We would certainly go back to dine here again.
(5)Mark D.
Very nice classic Pittsburgh neighborhood Italian. Best choice for hearty, simple popular Italian dishes I took my parents there for dinner and we all enjoyed our meal. My mom loved her chicken parm. My clam sauce with whole wheat pasta was absolutely perfectly al-dente. Salad is fresh with a very nice balsamic vinagrette. Wedding soup was a bit salty, but otherwise perfectly fit my conception of what wedding soup should be. Dad had the tortilla soup (I know; odd choice) and he liked it quite a bit. Standout item was the beans & greens which were very fresh. Service was excellent. Atmosphere is a bit dated and very Pittsburgh, but if you are looking for decent American Italian at good prices with good service, highly recommend.
(4)Douglas R.
I've eaten at Alexander's for a decade, but, like Del's, it's becoming one of those places where the food gets worse every time you go there. Today, half the lettuce I had on my Caesar salad was rotten. I have no idea why it ever left the kitchen. And it was take-out, too, so there wasn't much I could do about it after driving all the way home. (They gave me the wrong entrée too, but at least it was edible.) I finally think I'm done with this place.
(1)Morgan D.
Living in Bloomfield, I was excited to finally try some authentic, excellent Italian fare. Unfortunately, I hadn't had much luck so far at Pleasure Bar (okay food), or D'Amico's (awful food). I've had more consistent, tasty Italian at the Olive Garden, which is sad. So I decided to give Alexander's Italian Bistro a try. We stopped in tonight, a Saturday evening. The place was pretty much full and we didn't have a reservation, but we got seated after just a few minutes. The tables are packed pretty tight and you can see the servers dancing around each other precariously. The decor is charming without being all tacky like other local Italian places...I love the beautiful backlit stained glass panels that open the space up. There is a nice little bar area in the front with a smaller bar food menu and a couple nice TVs...we'll have to check that out soon. Mr. got the Eggplant Alexander, I got the Mafalda Alexander. The eggplant was nice and crispy, not mushy inside like eggplant parmesan can often turn out. It was very rich and definitely two meals worth of food. My pasta was excellent. The noodles were flavorful on their own, and cooked freshly and perfectly. I like the mafalda noodles, which aren't too commonly used in most Italian places. The sauce, a mixture of marinara and alfredo, was tasty and not overpowering. The spicy Italian sausage was soooo good...just the right amount of spicy, tender and flavorful. They give a pretty large basket of bread that is moist, fresh, and flaky. We got the tiramisu for dessert, which was pretty good. It's hard to find real tiramisu anyways so I give them credit for having it. The ladyfingers were a little bit tough to cut with a spoon but they were good, and the cream was very good, not too sweet. A nice finish to the meal. Only downsides...no soup or salad included with the dish, those are extra. Our server was nice enough but kinda disappeared when we were finished with our food...we waited around a good 15 minutes for her to come back and wrap Mr.'s leftovers and ask if we wanted dessert, then another 10 minutes after finishing dessert for her to come back with the check. This is one of my top pet peeves. Alexander himself (I'm pretty sure anyway...) stopped by the table at the end of our meal to ask how everything was, which is always a nice touch in my book. Everyone working there seemed like they must be family, but not the type of family who dread working for the family business, which is nice. We'll definitely be back.
(4)Elizabeth M.
From the outside of the restauarant I was hoping for a cute, quirky place. Unfortunately, it was a very underwhelming, boring, and forgettable meal.
(2)Pavan M.
So a friend and I went to Alexander's because it was the closest restaurant to his place and we didn't feel like driving on the snow-covered roads. I didn't have high expectations - I thought I would get standard Italian fare with nothing special while also probably paying too much. From the get go I was wrong! The decor and ambiance isn't upscale but it also isn't terrible. It feels like a down home, mom and pop type of restaurant. It sort of reminded me of a place that Tony and his crew would eat at in "The Sopranos" - good food and cool ownership. When we entered, it looked like the owner was chatting it up with some regulars. Seeing us, he warmly greeted us and introduced us to our waitress. Before I get to the food a note on the service. Our waitress was great - super friendly, helping us with any questions, and checking up on us during our meal just enough to feel taken care of but not intrusive by any means. I could tell this wasn't her first rodeo. The food was spot on. Along with our menus, we got a basket full of fresh Italian bread and butter. The bread was standard white but it was moist and tasted very fresh. But you know how it is - don't fill up on bread! Perusing the menu, they had a lot of variation which I love - chicken marsala, spaghetti, etc but the chicken parmigiana sandwich was calling my name. It came on hearty bread strong enough to hold the sandwich and not fall apart. The best part was the chicken which was crispy! It came with what tasted like homemade sauce and cheese. It's a simple meal but very tasty - you bite into it and first get the slightly sweet sauce and cheese then the hearty chicken. Mmmm. The sandwich was around $9 and it came with fries. A very good and hearty meal. I look forward to trying some of the other options at Alexanders the next time around!
(4)October R.
I'm not really a big fan of going out and eating Italian since many of the pasta dishes prepared at restaurants seem like they came from the frozen section of the local grocery store, I can do that at home and save some money, thank you very much. Alexanders is very different. You can tell the sauces are all freshly made and there is a great selection of them. I recommend the Gorgonzola basil cream sauce. The menu has all the classic Italian favorites and the Specials menu always has mouth watering seasonal items on it as well. The whole family can enjoy Alexander's. Great Italian food, very reasonable prices and huge portions make this our go-to Italian eatery.
(4)Aldona Z.
Unbelievable!!!!!! What can I say except that it is the best Italian family owned restaurant in Pittsburgh!!!! The wedding soup is the best along with the beans and greens.We thought we were in Italian Heaven with these starter dishes, then we had the stuffed banana peppers with their special bread and we were satisfied beyond belief! Then came the linguine with clam sauce.It was so perfect.Just the right amount of garlic.We will continue indulging .The owner, Alex, was hospitable and genuinely concerned for our satisfaction. It was a memorable experience.We felt we were in Italy.It is Pittsburgh's Italian DIAMOND!! DIANE
(5)Brooke G.
I have been going here my whole life, and I can say without a doubt that I have yet to ha e a bad experience. I have had almost everything on the menu and everything is amazing. Very filling portion sizes and great service. They offer a lot of good wines and a unique beer menu. All of their desserts are made on site, i highly recommend the rice pudding. If you find yourself in Little Italy (Bloomfiled) the best place to eat is Alexander's.
(5)Kristen H.
I've lived in the area for over three years and I must have passed this place hundreds of times but last week was the first time I dined here. I totally regret having passed this place up! The problem is, this place is across from Silky's which I know and love, and based on the exterior I assumed this was a very expensive restaurant geared towards the 50+ crowd. It *is* nice inside, but when we dined here I was in sweat pants and not an eyebrow was raised. Full disclosure: I was dying at the end of a long urban hike, and we were right next to Alexander's and I told my friend I would hate him forever if he did not buy me pasta RIGHT.NOW. :) Alexander's totally hit the spot. It was so good! I was really surprised! I had the chicken bruschetta and it was DELCIOUS. I'd had the same item at Del's a few weeks ago and Del's cannot hold a candle to Alexanders. My chicken breast was only slightly seasoned which is a sign of a good, confident chef. The chicken was delicious and perfect and came out tasting like well seasoned chicken, not salt. It came with a side of pasta in any sauce I wanted from their lengthy list of sauces. I chose penne in gorgonzola cream sauce. The gorgonzola sauce was extremely strong. VERY cheesy. I like gorgonzola, but it was a bit strong for me--although it was still very good. My friend had a spaghetti and marinara in the marinara was incredible. You can tell its made on site. It was excellent. Our entrees came with side salads which were very good, and there was bread nad oil on the table for dipping although we didn't get into that too much. I will def be back, and if you havent tried alexander's, I recommend it. Its good, and you're not going to go broke eating here.
(4)Jade T.
Nice and solid 3.5-stars for some solid AmericanItalian food! Service was really really friendly and the portions were really generous. It doesn't compare to your top-rated traditional Italian joint because that's not what it is. It's really more of an unpretentious mom and pop spot, with consistent hearty meals. Great stop for lunch or dinner, and cozy family atmosphere. We ate, we laughed, and had a very relaxed meal with coffee and dessert at the end. Drinks were refilled seamlessly and leftovers carefully packaged. Would definitely come by again!
(4)Colleen C.
I went there recently with my family, and the food was good overall, but the service was rude. Upon arriving there, we asked if there was a place to hang our coats, and were told it's "a little hard to get to"; and that was it, so we crammed them into our booth. Corkage fee was charged for the wine we brought (since the wine list is practically nonexistent), which we completely expected and appreciated that we could bring our own wine; but our waiter took the cork out of the bottle and set it down on the table and walked away. WOW. For $10 per bottle, maybe he could have actually poured it into our glasses? The restaurant ran out of bread that night, we were told. The salad came with the dressing in disposable plastic cups on the side. Really? I think Eat N Park has a better dinner salad than this! Most Italian bistros ask if you'd like ground pepper on the salad, but this wasn't an option, so it was pepper from the shaker on the table. We had one dessert for a birthday in our group, but our waiter never asked anyone else at the table if they wanted to order dessert or coffee. Since the appetizers and entrees were good, I may give 'em another chance, maybe for lunch, but I am truly blown away that Alexander's was Post-Gazette's Reader's Choice Award winner for Best Italian in 2008, which is very proudly displayed in several places.
(3)Teresa T.
Stopped in for dinner on a Sunday night at 7pm and Alexander's was about half full. We decided to go simple and stick with the Pastabilities. I choose the Bolognese with penne (~$12) and mushrooms (extra $1.50), while my husband ordered the Marfredo with farfelle ($11), sundried tomatoes and hot sausage (extra $4). Bolognese was solid though lacked mushrooms and my husband's dish was tasty too though the hot sausage was bland, it needed salt. Portions are huge, mine was easily two meals. Italian bread or rolls (not warmed up) w/ butter balls comes with the meal and there is EVOO on the table. For dessert, we ordered the chocolate chip cannolli which came with two - we enjoyed them but it pricey for the size $7. Aside from the dessert, the meal was reasonably priced. Service was consistent with other Yelpers' reviews - really, really friendly. We liked our waitress. Because there were no mushrooms in my dish, she was suppose to take it off our bill but forgot so ended up giving a cash credit. Also I ended up packaging my Bolognese home since I couldn't eat it all and she asked if we wanted the rolls too and wrapped my pasta in saran wrap for the trip home to prevent any sauce spillage which was a smart move since we had walked here. One comment though would be on the decor. You walk in and the bar area somewhat has a modern feel but then once you go into the dining room it is like you are warped back into time. There is just a lot of visual stimulation - over the top - that just doesn't go together. Overall though, Alexander's just gets it done - nothing fancy w/ home style food and great prices and service. We'll be skipping other Italian places in the area and will be back again.
(4)darren l.
Very good but not spectacular. Charming small place in 'Little Italy' Bloomfield. Usually can get seated any evening and this place has a nice assortment of menu choices. The 'senators peppers' which is an appetizer of sauteed peppers, garlic, EVOO, and tomatoes is really tasty and flavorful without being too spicy. This is a pick your pasta then pick you sauce kinda place. Service is fine. House salad dressing matches the greens perfectly. Alexanders is food allergy friendly and they have GLUTEN-FREE PASTA! But this is not an over-the-top place, but then again, the prices are not over top either. Recommended.
(4)Brittany W.
Great food and great service! The Maffalda Alexander is FANTASTIC, I've ordered there many times for dinner for the family, and the family style servings are gret for gatherings and meetings. They also have a GREAT salad with candied walnuts and dried cranberries that is to die for! Definitely a must have when ordering there!
(4)Joe K.
Alexander's is good, solid Italian food without any pretentiousness. Their menu is large, but not outrageously expansive like a lot of other local Italian restaurants in the area. There's a nice selection of Italian favorites, plus you have the ability to create your own past dish (choose your pasta, type of sauce, and add-ons). I've been to Alexander's several times for lunch and always enjoyed it, so I decided to take my girlfriend there for dinner on a recent night. When we entered, we were warmly greeted by the staff and asked where we wanted to sit. We sat in the front of the house/bar area so I could keep an eye on the Pirates game. While there, I overheard an older lady complaining that her dish was less than stellar. The server and the manager agreed with her assessment and offered to make her anything else on the menu to make her happy. I've always been pleased by the pleasant, accommodating nature of the staff when I've visited Alexander's; it's truly a strong point of the restaurant. I ordered the pork osso bucco with garlic risotto, while my girlfriend went with chicken parmigiano. We opened with bruschetta toast. It was a nice start. The tomatoes were fresh, and the taste of balsamic vinegar gave it a little pop of flavor. I then had their wedding soup, which is always enjoyable. It's full of meat and has just the right level of saltiness to it. My girlfriend was pleased with her garden salad; in particular, she enjoyed the flavor and texture added by walnuts and cranberries. The pork osso bucco I received was huge. Unfortunately, the flavor was not as big as the size of the dish. The pork was tender and properly cooked... the garlic risotto, not so much. It was just kind of bland. Together, the dish was fairly tasty, but not something that I would order again. My girlfriend was pleased with her massive serving of chicken parmigiano and pasta. It was good, but the breading was a little soggy because it was doused in sauce. Somewhere during the course of our dinner, the manager walked from table to table, and asked every group if they wanted a loaf of Italian bread. I suppose that they had a lot of extra bread and were giving it out since the night was winding down. I heartily accepted- their bread is delicious. Little things like this are why I love Alexander's. If you're looking for some tasty Italian food served in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere, you can't go wrong with Alexander's. Just stick with the pasta, and you'll be happy.
(4)Claire S.
This is my go-to for good, unpretentious, Italian-American home cooking. Alexander's is the place where the locals go for an inexpensive meal. The dining room is small and decorated to look like an Italian trattoria. The menu has all the basics, tons of pastas, different sauces, meatballs, parmigiana, etc. The bread is from (I'm pretty sure) Mancini's which is an old Italian-American bakery in the city. Come as you are: jeans, Steelers jersey, college sweatshirt, what have you. The service can be a bit flaky, but everyone is quite nice. Just relax. If they mix up an order they'll make it right. I love the wedding soup here and they make awesome chicken piccatta. I also like how they serve the meat and pasta dishes separately on small plates, instead of dumping everything together on a big dinner plate. For dessert they make a real tiramisu with lots of rum, and also really good rice pudding. One warning: it is really easy to overeat here. I eat lightly during the day if I know I'm going to Alexander's for dinner.
(4)Iliana C.
OMG THIS PLACE IS AMAZING! Okay, the ambiance is cutesy and romantic. Upon arrival you are given a bread basket with HUGE Texas sized bread. I wasn't such a big fan because it was so soft that it seems to deteriorate while holding it. Little too messy for my liking. The bruschetta was not your typical bruschetta and honestly I would not recommend it. The Caesar salad is really a pity. Although it looks like a Caesar salad it doesn't taste like one since the lettuce, croutons, and dressing are all so flimsy. It hardly tasted like anything. So why am I giving this place a 5 star review? Because the pasta is amazing! The best pasta I have ever had! Now I know why people with Italian mothers/grandmothers scoff at places like Olive Garden where they don't make their own noodles. What a difference it makes. The menu offers you a large selection of noodles (gluten free available) and sauces to choose from. I had the marfredo (mix of marinara and alfredo) and I was dying over how good it was. My girlfriend, who has an Italian family, had the aglio aoli (sp?) and she was also dying over how amazing this was. DO COME HERE but don't waste any of your time with the appetizers or bread. Save your appetite for the pasta! I didn't get to try the deserts but next time I want to try their tiramisu since all the deserts are also made on site.
(5)Penelope F.
We stopped in on a Tuesday afternoon. Service was very friendly. Ambiance is super comfortable. Food was great, the chicken pesto asparagus salad was amazing. Heavy on the pesto but that's what I love! Had a Blue Moon and it made an excellent early dinner.
(4)Michael H.
Not real Italian. When there's a crab dish on the menu and you don't let your customers know this there's a problem. Imitation crab meat at an Italian restaurant doesn't fly. I was hoping for some good Italian while out of town and was truly disappointed. The bar service was extremely friendly about my compliant and did remove that dish from my bill. My entree was pasta and shrimp. I haven't paid $20 for a dish of pasta and 5 large shrimp in a long time. Don't worry but I won't come close to this restaurant again.
(1)Marlena H.
I went here for a first date and I have to admit I was quite surprised. I wasn't expecting the food to be as good judging by the dining room (though it was a pleasant surprise to see fresh flowers). It wasn't a super fine dining atmosphere, but you definitely get quality and delicious food. Our server brought us a loaf of bread to take home at the end of the night (shocking). The service alone (not to mention the food too) is enough to bring us back.
(4)Dana K.
Portions, food, & service were top notch. It was 2 couples and 5 kids. The restaurant is a bit cozy, but we were incredibly pleased with everything. There was plenty of room in the bar while we were there. There is a parking garage right next door & there was a decent amount of on street parking available.
(4)Sally M.
I wasn't really a fan. In fact, this may hae been some of the most sub-par Italian food I've had (it seemed very touristy), and it was definitely my least favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh while traveling there on business the past few months. Cute ambiance! Cute neighborhood! Friendly local wait staff! But kinda touristy & uninteresting food pairings / ingredients.
(2)Bennett R.
Loved it! I was not too excited about trying to eat healthy at an Italian joint, but went with friends. I was impressed at how many healthier options they had, if that's what you're in the mood for. Or pig out on a hot plate of carbs and dairy with a side of italian sausage. My friends and I split an order of beans, greens and tomatoes. I regret the sharing part, it was so outrageously delicious I wanted it all to myself. Next time I'm getting my own. In the spirit of healthy eating, I went with a salad, which was big, fresh, and just what I wanted. If you like salad, you're set. If not, the pasta my friends had looked great too. You can get gluten free or whole wheat pasta for an additional charge if you like. My boy friend had angel hair with alfredo, our friend had linguini marinara with fried calamari. The waitress was very pleasant, and kept her cool even though she had the pleasure of serving this merry band of drunk, vicious old queens. Now I would have been sold on the service and the food, everything I tasted was great. But the two pasta dishes weren't all that hot. Somewhat warmer than warm, they said. My friend let the waitress know but wasn't unhappy enough to send it back, even though the manager was adamant they could remake the plate in no time. (I work in a customer based industry and I know first hand, nothing can be worse than an unhappy customer who isn't willing to let you fix the problem after they bring it to your attention.) So at the end of the meal, he offered to buy us a round of drinks instead. Smart guy - offer a couple of drunks some free liquor, and all is forgiven. He took an almost great meal and made it great for them. Sadly, I was driving so didn't take him up on the offer. So - great food, beans and greens, lots of choices, beans and greens, good service, and beans and greens. If it were closer to home I'd be ready to move in.
(4)Jr A.
This review is for the banquet facility. My family had a special event in their party room this past weekend. The point man a the restaurant was Jim and he could not have been nicer or professional. He told us he wouldn't be there the day of the event but he made sure another employee, Dave, knew of our special needs. The event went off smoothly and we could not have been happier with the food, service and price. A great restaurant to stage an event
(5)D S.
The food - bruschetta and fried ravioli apps, side salad, 1/2 order of aglio olio, and rice pudding - was pretty good. The aglio olio and rice pudding were the best parts of the meal. The service was good. Everyone was friendly. The interior could use some sprucing, but, all in all, it was good Italian food. I'll be back for the half-priced wine!
(4)Amy R.
We originally decided to go to Alexander's for an official dinner for a seminar speaker, expecting 15-20 people to come. So I talked to the manager and he set me all up, despite the fact that I was calling only 3 days before the dinner. He was so super nice and wonderful. We wound up only having 5 (who passes up free food?) but it was still a lovely dinner. The waitress was really helpful in suggesting the best things to get. I agree about the bread...it was just 'meh'. We didn't get an appetizer, but the homemade salad dressing (ranch) was very (very) good. I got the special for that night - fresh veal, and it was so so so good. The waitress said it would melt in your mouth, and it did. I also got the marfredo sauce on malfada pasta as my pasta side, based on other Yelp reviews of this combination and it was also quite good. Overall, great food. I would definitely return.
(4)Sheila S.
A friend took me here for the best gnocchi I have ever eaten. We both chose the gorgonzola basil sauce; I added sweet baby peas and she added broccoli. We ate and ate and took home enough for dinner - it reheats really well. Clearly, whoever made that gnocchi is not a novice! Wine was half price since it was a weeknight, and the house cabernet was delicious. Service was stellar and the atmosphere is fantastic. I'd go regularly if I lived in Pittsburgh.
(5)Mary Lou B.
Looking at all the other reviews about this place, I wondered if we actually went to the same place. I thought it wasn't very good. I had the Eggplant Alexander which consisted of a bunch of soggy fried eggplant with a ton of cheese melted on it. I've made much better at home. My beloved had veal Parmesan. Which was dry, overcooked and lukewarm. Did we catch them on a bad day? I'll never know because I don't think we'll return.
(2)Kiersten S.
I'm sorry, this place is simply not good. Unfortunately, it is yet another example of poorly made Americanized Italian food. Too much cheese, too much butter and cream, and quite possibly the worst bread I have ever consumed at any Italian restaurant in my life. Someone had to go out of their way to find bread this flavorless and awful. It's already a travesty that it's served to me before the meal, but to put it on my sandwich! I'm actually offended for Italians, and bread. Yes bread, this is not your best. The eggplant Parmesan served to my mother was soggy, covered with an absurd amount of plastic Parmesan cheese swimming in a bland sauce. My fathers pasta, cream and cheese. Contrary to popular believe, this is not traditional Italian! This is what some would refer to as, terrible and heavy. And the cannoli? Words could not describe my disappointment. I'll admit it, I'm already an Italian food snob. I cook tons of Italian food for myself, family, and friends, and I only use the highest quality ingredients and go about preparing my meals in traditional southern Italian ways. I've had phenomenal Italian meals at the few great Italian restaurants in this city, so whenever I get the opportunity to eat at another "Italian" joint, I'm heading in with high expectations. Is this what Italian food in Pittsburgh has come too? Seeing other similar Italian places in Bloomfield, I'm sad to say...yes. I'm actually slightly upset even writing this because the waitstaff is charming, and I hear the owners are great, but to pass this off as representative of Italian food is an injustice. If you want a truly great Italian meal please look elsewhere.
(1)Sam F.
This place is perfect if you've had a rough day and want to go somewhere to have a relaxing, homemade dinner. The people there treat you like family and the food is awesome. You can buy make- your-own pastas and the tomato sauce is the best!!! The fried ravioli entree is really yummy too. The only thing I can say as a semi-"ehh" about this place is that they don't have just a regular meat lasagna! The appetizers are really good, but for instance if you order their provolone sticks, it only comes with three. Not exactly enough to share with another person. They give you complimentary bread to start though. The Abby Alexandra's Angel Hair entree is very good as well. I should also mention that their proportions are huge! I always have leftovers no matter how hungry I am walking in. All in all, this place is a gem. The people are soooo friendly and it's a really enjoyable environment to be in. Great for a casual drink, a nice dinner with your family or even a lo-key dinner date. The food is awesome and it's well worth a trip to this area of town if you don't live close.
(4)Dean J.
Solid American Italian food that's not making a pretense of being anything else. The service was incredibly friendly, the food was well thought out, as promised, and in ample portions. Half price wine on Monday and Wednesday. Will be headed back.
(3)Thomas C.
I used to work near Alexander's 10 years ago and it was consistently good, so we decided to go there on Valentine's Day for a nice meal. As it turned out, the service and meals were a disaster. In fact, I have not seen service that bad in years. We ordered the "make your own pasta" and the meals were unlike anything I have ever seen from an Italian restaurant. Not only were the dishes not correctly prepared based on the order, but bland and something you might see from a frozen microwave dinner. The waitress and general manager were lost with how to make things right. They were fumbling idiots who made no effort to suggest or substitute the meals. I was not impressed with the management and staff. We literally scavenged what we could from our meals, paid the check and got out of there. How many times have I left an Italian restaurant hungry? 2-14-2011 was the first time. Beware of this place, its not the same as it was back a few years ago.
(1)Sarah S.
I'm kinda sad to see any bad reviews of Alexander's on here. But come on people, who can actually write a review of an ITALIAN restaurant when they've only eaten the tuna or a hoagie? PASTA is in their name, so you should probably try the PASTA before commenting on something that isn't their SPECIALTY. Sorry for the sarcasm. I've been going to Alexander's for years, and I can't remember ever getting a bad meal. I love that you can pick what kind of pasta you want, what sauce, and the toppings. My favorite is the marfredo sauce. It is spaghetti sauce mixed with alfredo sauce. So freakin good!!! My only "issue" is that they never seem to add enough sauce on your pasta, but you can ask for some extra on the side and they bring you a little bowlful. It's perfect!!! I get hot sausage on top (which isn't too spicy) and broccoli (which is always steamed just right, so it's not limp). The bread always comes with olive oil and parmesean cheese that you can dip it in. I love that. We always get a carafe of their Chianti. It seems to go really well with the pasta. And lastly, the price is right. Why pay $20 for a plate of pasta? Alexander's agrees. With wine and 2 dinners, we get outta there for under $50. Not bad. This is an all-around good italian restaurant. Sorry to the haters, but this place blows Joe Mama's outta the water!!!
(5)Shanna C.
I really wanted Alexanders to be great - like a hidden gem in a sea of Big Burritos and high-priced Shadyside Italian joints. Well, it was well priced, but the food was just... okay. They didn't go that extra mile to make it great. I had the blackened ahi tuna salad - the tuna was fantastic, but the dressing came in a plastic condiment cup with a lid and the tuna looked real lonely on some standard dark salad greens. Pasta portions were generous... but again, not fantastic. Joe Mama's actually has better pasta. Half-priced wine by the glass - also generous. However there was lipstick permanently imprinted into the glass I got. The bar looks really nice and the dining room was more like a living room painted warm colors and filled with booths. I really wanted to like it. But I also wanted to comment on how the stellar review from an unknown source underneath the glass table top to read while you dine made it feel like some substandard tavern. I wanted to tell the waitresses screaming across the dining room to quite down because I can't hear the strangely out of place pop and rock music coming from the quality sound system over her asking if her customers want coffee with the dessert. I wanted a nice dinner at a beautiful restaurant. I got an OK one in a wonky dining room. If they take a step back and consider what they could do to make the place better, I think they can get there. However, that's not likely to happen without new management.
(3)Britney T.
The food here is authentic and FILLING! Each table has a nice setup complete with oil & vinegar to start out with when the fresh, fluffy white Italian bread is brought to your table. The gnocci is one of my favorite things, main course-wise, but a lot of people seem to like the bolognese. My favorite dessert is the Tiramisu. They also offer a side house salad which is also really good (they use dried cranberries and candied walnuts, mmmm!!!). I'm not a huge fan of wedding soup, but Alexander's has one of the best.The mac n' cheese is fabulous as well. Everything here is. Nothing is done cheap. The atmosphere is dimly lit and romantic, I suppose, the bartenders are sweet and conversational, and the servers are timely, polite and very friendly. They have outside seating available, weather permitting. Decent drink specials and a variety to choose from. Alexander (the owner) is such a nice guy, he goes out of his way to make the customers happy. I feel like I'm at home here. When I go back to Pittsburgh, this may very well be the first place I visit!
(4)Matthew Lee C.
Alexander's is an extraordinary family-owned old fashioned Italian restaurant. Highlights: Homemade rice pudding, tiramisu. Sorry, desserts first. The bread is fresh and is served with oil, vinegar, and parmesan cheese. Traditional antipasto is delicious and made to suit the size of your party. For appetizers, the fried ravioli and calamari fritti are to die for. Entrees: the cream sauces, red sauces, and the pesto are all delicious but my favorite is the Marfredo Sauce, a mix of marinara and alfredo. The Marfredo goes really well with sliced spicy Italian sausage. PS. The service cannot be beat. It's one of the friendliest restaurants I have eaten in. I used to go there often when I was a student living in Bloomfield.
(5)Trish I.
Had veal romano, it was excellent, some of the best veal I have had in a restaurant in years. The pasta was also very good, I chose the Gorgonzola sauce, also very good. The waitress was very friendly and the cost was reasonable.
(5)Denise L.
Seat yourself in the back.... Only one server/bartender from 2-4:30 pm.... But good service regardless....fried ravioli was good.... Meatballs ok... Chicken rissoto was delicious....chicken eggplant parm was fried....( just to give a heads up)....lemon bar is very sweet( but good). Carrot cake yummy....1 dessert is enough to feed 2! Discounts for upmc family house guests..... It started raining and the manager offered to drive us back to family house when we asked to call a taxi... Great service for a good price.... Definately would recommend!
(4)Megan H.
Very average Italian food. If you're looking for a pasta+sauce experience, it's pretty boring. Eggplant parm was a little better than average. But all in all, not any more exciting than what I can make for myself with a jar of sauce and box of pasta.
(2)John H.
Disappointing. The food was below average and the service was ok. We were expecting a lot from this restaurant but it definitely did not deliver. Pasta was not homemade and sauces mediocre at best. Wine selection is very weak. The outdoor seating is a redeeming quality.
(2)Louise M.
I was extremely disappointed w/ my experience at Alexander's last evening. I had visited this restaurant in the past and remember it being much better? Also, I can't believe this is all Bloomfield has to offer, being the 'Italian' district of Pittsburgh - are you kidding? First of all, house Chianti tasted like vinegar. Pasta dishes were an average of $15 and didn't even come w/ a house salad. They did come w/ soup? however, we were not offered any and forgot about it until this morning. All of the pasta dishes my party ordered as well as the entrée salads were mediocre (chicken looked like it was processed?) and didn't have many of the ingredients that were outlined on the menu. And, to top the night off, I got sick off of mine and was up all night w/ indigestion. UGH!! I was looking forward to a low-key family dinner and something good to start off the holiday weekend and this restaurant came up short.
(2)Gerald H.
I unfortunately have to say that my wife and I agreed that both our meals served were the worst dinners we have had in Pittsburgh. I am pretty forgiving but this was not acceptable. Both meals were served barely warm. The decor was old 70's which could have charm but this didn't. The server was fair. Forgot to even bring us water after requesting it and didn't ask how the dinners were. Both plates were mediocre at best. I will not return.
(1)Paul K.
Alexander's offers some of the worst Italian food I've ever had. I went there with my girlfriend and my parents on a Saturday night, and from start to finish the experience that Alexander's gave us was simply awful. First, when we arrived around 6 pm, the restaurant was half-empty (bad sign #1). The hostess seated us at a table in the center of the very cramped and very small dining room (bad sign #2). Then, our waitress did not even come over to take drink orders for another 10 minutes (bad sign #3). Once the waitress finally arrived and took our orders, the food itself offered no relief. My girlfriend and I ordered the Caesar salad - the salads were drowning in Caesar dressing, the croutons were badly burnt and inedible, and there were too many croutons to begin with. This restaurant couldn't even get a simple salad right, but I hoped against hope that the entrees would be an improvement. Unfortunately, the entrees were no better. My girlfriend ordered Chicken Alfredo. Not only was the dish absurdly light on chicken (3 small pieces total? Come on!), the alfredo sauce was thick and gummy to the point of tasting like glue. My mom ordered the Mushroom ravioli, which was completely bland. I ordered the Veal Diablo with Shrimp; the plate came with 3 pieces of veal sliced extremely thin, 3 nice sized shrimp, and... that was it. No pasta, no garlic bread, nothing but an ocean of very mediocre marinara sauce. I finished my entire plate, the remaining half of my mom's plate after she was finished eating, and as much as I could stomach of my girlfriend's Alfredo (which was only a couple of forkfuls, as that Alfredo sauce was one of the foulest things I've ever eaten), but I still was left hungry. The dessert course offered a distinctly rotten cherry on top of this already heaping garbage sundae. We were initially assured that all of the desserts were made in-house, but that soon proved not to be the case. Indeed, for several of our desserts, a store-bought version would have been an improvement. I ordered a cannoli, figuring that even a crappy Italian restaurant can't screw up a cannoli, as it is a violation of Italian Law or something. Unfortunately, their "fresh-made" cannolis consisted of a pre-packaged cannoli shell, pre-packaged cannoli filling (which, by the way, was gritty, as though someone had dumped in white sugar but not mixed the cream thoroughly enough for the sugar to dissolve), and put the two together in the kitchen. Needless to say, my cannoli was awful. My girlfriend ordered the tiramisu, and what she received was about as far removed from tiramisu as one can get. There were almost no ladyfingers, and the ones that were in the dish were drowning in coffee. On top of that, the dessert was swamped with an excessive amount of coffee-flavored cream that essentially destroyed the dish. My uncle's chocolate cake was dry and uninspiring; a store-bought cake would have been more moist. I did not pick up the check - my uncle was nice enough to do that - so I did not see the final bill. However, they could not have paid me to eat this often-inedible food. The service was slow and inattentive, the food was simply awful, and I left hungry. Do not waste your time, your money, or your energy with this place, as you can get better Italian food virtually anywhere else in the city.
(1)Jennifer G.
My husband and I had one of our first dates in Pittsburgh at Alexander's, so it has a special place in my heart. I knew he was a keeper when we ordered the asparagus/goat cheese appetizer and I loved it so much that he let me eat all but one piece on my own. There is a bar areas out front that has a more casual feel and dining room in the back. The dining room is small and intimate offering several booths along the sides of the restaurant and several tables in the middle and towards the front of the dining room. The decor has a homey feel with nice colors and a fun chandelier. The menu is much more extensive then a typical Italian restaurant. There are several appetizer choices in addition to the previously mentioned grilled asparagus. There are also several salads and two soup options, the soup of the day and wedding soup. The first time I was there I tried the veal diablo which was veal with hot peppers and mushrooms and a Marsala sauce. It was delicious. It had a nice kick but wasn't too hot that you didn't enjoy it. On my second visit I enjoyed the "pastabilities" create your own pasta. With 10+ sauce choices plus 10+ pasta the combinations seem endless! I enjoyed the angel hair with the Marsala wine and red pepper sauce. My husband had the Bolognese and was equally happy. The pasta seemed to be in an endless bowl. I felt like I was eating forever and there was still two meals worth of pasta left in my take out container. The build your own pasta is quite a value for the price (although it does not come with a soup or salad like the other entrees do). We were stuffed, but after seeing several desserts go by, I decided I wanted to order the Napoleon. It was stuffed with strawberries and blueberries and the cream was delectable. Overall a great dining experience. We will be back.
(5)R H.
Well where do I start! The food was very bland for my taste. I'm not going to say much more but I won't be returning. I have to add this by far is one of the WORST Italian restaurants I've ever ate at. Good luck
(1)Deb F.
My sister Cyndy was in town on her birthday and my kids Megan & Michael and son's girlfriend Niki surprised her by making reservations at Alexander's Italian Bistro in Bloomfield. When we got there, our table was ready and we were immediately greeted by Michelle. From that moment on I knew they had picked the right restaurant. Michelle was so sweet and attentive. She explained the menu, helped us make our selections and made us feel like we were in her own home. Michelle started by bring us our drinks and homemade bread which she replenished a second time. It was so good. Then our meals came. Each one of us ordered something different. Megan had Classic Chicken Parmigiano, Michael had Penne with Marinara, Meatballs & Hot Sausage, Niki had Chicken Piccata, Cyndy had Penne with Pesto Sauce & I had Angel Hair Pasta with fresh tomatoes, spinach, chicken with splash of white wine. We all tasted everyones dishes and we couldn't find a winner. All were so delicious. At the end of the dinner, we all grabbed our to-go bags. Because we had cake waiting at home, Michelle gave my sister a loaf of their fabulous bread which we enjoy the next day with our coffee. So if you are looking for a great place to eat with fabulous food in a friendly environment. Alexander's Italian Bistro is your place!
(5)Julie R.
My parents were in town and since my Mom's birthday is next week we decided to go out for an early celebration. I now live in Bloomfield so we decided to go Italian. Full disclosure: my first choice was D'Amico's but either they changed their storefront and I didn't recognize it, or they have closed. In any event, my plan B was Alexanders. We went on a Tuesday night around 7. Parking was no problem, free street parking after 6-nice! The bar was deserted and the small dining room had two or three small groups. So no shouting to make yourself heard-double nice! The seating was comfortable (we got a square table in the middle of the room). Our server was very nice and efficient and I'd give her at least 4 stars. My mom got the spinach and cheese ravioli w/ marinara sauce (on the menu the ravioli are deep fried but they honored her request for a "normal" cook), my dad got angel hair with bolognese sauce, and I got linguini with pesto sauce. I was surprised that the pasta dishes did not come with a salad so if you go, that's additional. The server said that the serving sizes were generous. They were good portions but not huge by Pittsburgh standards. My mom does not have a large appetite and she ate all but one ravioli. I ate all my pasta and could have had more. My Dad was reaching for his third slice of bread after he polished off his pasta, so I'll let you draw your own conclusions! :) The sauces were good and the pasta tasted like it was fresh. Everything was warm/lukewarm, but not steaming hot. I'm a bit of a slow eater, especially with pasta so by the time I was finishing, it was cold. The food was OK, in cases like this, I really wish you could give a half star, because this is 3.5 stars. Nothing was horrible, nothing was excellent. It was good. The bill with a tip was around $55 (we all had soft drinks), which again I don't have a major quibble about. Not sure I will go back, but not sorry I went. :)
(3)Sarah M.
This was my first time here and I will never go back. My hubby and I were excited to get alil dresses up and have some Italian and god did they mess that off. To start off when we walked in the place REEKED of piss. Like someone has literally just peed on the floor. Our waitress showed us to a booth in the back where they were scraps and trash under and around our table. I asked her for a drink list she informs me there isn't one k fine I move on. Then we get an appetizer the fried ravoli which was prices at 8$ but only came with four bite size pieces on a plate. That's it. Now onto the meal I order a tortellini and marinara and my husband got the tuna. Mine came out with random mixed veggies In it(which I just picked around) and my husbands came out fine except his sauces came in plastic cups(it was a 20$ dish). Oh and that's not the end of it. After telling the waitress that I didn't receive what I ordered we had to listen to her and the cook scream at each other while we at. She then have us our check and then disappeared. We waited until I finally stopped another waitress to cash us out. I paid 65$ all together and it should have been free.
(1)Deena A.
I AM BOYCOTTING ALEXANDER'S FOR LIFE!!! The manager SCREAMED AT ME at the top of his lungs in an epic meltdown that lasted 10 minutes! On Sat., April 12, 2014, I attended the 50th birthday party for my dear friend, David Flynn. I organized the party, but relied on Dave and his sister to provide me with the final head count. I made the reservation for 25 people. The manager and I played phone tag for the two days before the event. I called back and left messages TWICE to confirm, but apparently he never got my messages. (This was part of his rant, his indignation at unreturned phone calls that actually HAD been returned!) The dinner started at 7 PM. Most of our group arrived on time, but some of our group (including me) arrived between 8 PM-9 PM. I was working on a homemade birthday present for Dave, which took longer than expected. I called Dave, his sister and my friends (Reesa & Joel) to tell them I was running late. In hindsight, I should have also called the restaurant to let them know, and for that I am truly sorry. That still doesn't justify the manager SCREAMING AT ME FOR 10 MINUTES! After enjoying a delicious dinner, drinks and birthday cake, none of us had a clue that anything was wrong. If the decision to return to a restaurant were based SOLELY on the food and wait staff, I would definitely return to Alexander's. But sadly, when the manager has a nuclear meltdown and throws a 10-MINUTE SCREAMING TEMPER TANTRUM, it tends to sour one on returning to a restaurant. Towards the end of our dinner, some of us started to smell cigarette smoke, which we later realized was coming from the patio out front. (It was a warm night, and they had the front sliding-glass doors open.) In the midst of the smoke discussion, the manager approached our table and began an EPIC RANT, SCREAMING AT ME FOR 10 MINUTES!!! He was angry that everyone in our group hadn't arrived at exactly 7 PM. The restaurant's kitchen is open till 10 PM on Sat. night, so I don't understand why this was a big deal. We ended up with 20 people total and 5 no-shows. I am always disappointed by no-shows, but I explained this possibility to the manager when I made the reservation. I STILL BROUGHT HIM 20 PAYING CUSTOMERS! BTW...the dining room was practically EMPTY, which is not what I would expect on a Saturday night in Pittsburgh. Maybe I'm not the first customer to be on the receiving end of the manager's meltdown. The manager SCREAMED that he had called me twice, and I hadn't called him back! He ranted about this about a dozen times. I told him I HAD called him back - TWICE. It's not my fault if he didn't get my messages. He SCREAMED that he had put an extra waitress and cook on staff because he expected 25 people. He SCREAMED that I had cost the restaurant $100! How much money do you think 20 people spent on appetizers, dinner and drinks? I find it hard to believe that they didn't make any money, or at least break even. I am sorry that there were 5 no-shows in our group, but I always thought Saturday night was the busiest night of the week for most restaurants. I didn't realize the restaurant would look like a deserted, old western ghost town with hardly any customers. On a Saturday night, I assumed they would have a full staff on duty with or without my reservation. I was wrong. I'm sorry. I'm not perfect. The manager also YELLED at me and my friends for "LOOKING COMFORTABLE" in his restaurant!!! Since when is looking comfortable an OFFENSE??? I thought restaurants wanted you to feel comfortable, but apparently not at Alexander's. He also SCREAMED that one of the waitresses only got a $1.00 tip! I found that hard to believe, but just in case he wasn't making it up, I tipped my waitress $35 on my $26 dinner check! I am a former waitress, and I would feel HORRIBLE if any waitress every got ripped off on my watch! Even if his story wasn't true, I figured she deserved an extra big tip just for having to WORK in such a horrible place where the manager YELLS at paying customers!!! If he treats the customers this way, I can only imagine how he treats the employees. THE MANAGER'S RUDE BEHAVIOR HAS COST HIM MY BUSINESS AND MY FRIENDS' BUSINESS FOREVER!!! During his rant, he actually SCREAMED that he never wanted to see me in his restaurant ever again! I'm happy to grant him that wish. And so are my friends. This is an example of the WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I have ever witnessed in my entire life!!! I thought the manager was going to have a heart attack or a stroke the way he was SCREAMING FOR 10 MINUTES! SCREAMING at paying customers is completely unacceptable behavior, and I will NEVER eat at Alexander's ever again. It's really a shame because I loved their salmon with pesto sauce. But great food can't make up for a manager who throws a TEMPER TANTRUM and SCREAMS AT YOU. Also, you can smell smoke in the dining room, which sucks. My friends and I are BOYCOTTING ALEXANDER'S FOR LIFE!!!
(1)Laura M.
I came here about a year ago with some friends for dinner, when one of my friends wanted Italian food, and we wanted to try a place in Bloomfield. I ordered the create-your-own pasta with mafalda pasta, gorgonzola basil cream sauce, and chicken. The sauce was actually quite tasty, although a bit on the strong side, and overpowered the chicken quite a bit. It was definitely unique, however! The bread that was served with the pasta was thick and soft, but wasn't particularly unique. Service was fine, and the atmosphere was nice. Overall, not a bad option for Italian food in Bloomfield, and I'd go back if a dining companion wanted to try it, but I wouldn't go out of my way to return since there's better Italian to be had elsewhere in PGH. 3.5 stars.
(3)Colleen S.
A good, reasonably prices Italian restaurant in Bloomfield. We went on Halloween around 7pm and found that is the absolute best time to go out to eat! It was completely empty except for two other parties. They bring you bread and oil to the table. We also ordered bruschetta which was very good. Everyone seemed very happy with their meals. Beware of the pasta Diablo! My dad was sweating from the heat of it and he normally loves spicy food. He said it was delicious, but it sounds like a great dish for someone prepared for some serious spice (not me!). My little brother was disappointed that his spaghetti and meatballs came with one meatball, but besides that we were very happy with the meal. Nice portions and great service.
(3)Stephanie P.
Suffice it to say, this is not real Italian food and it's below average and overpriced when it comes to American-Italian food. The staff was excellent though and you will have great service and conversation. Thanks but probably won't be back.
(2)Mina M.
I have been coming to Alexander's off and on for almost 25 years. I think in all that time I have only had one meal that was below par. Pretty good average I'd say. I went the other night with my adult daughter. I had the calamari with pasta, a cocktail ( yum, yum), and a garden salad. The salad was very fresh and arrived promptly. The cocktail was strong but great. The calamari arrived quickly and was piled so high on the plate I could barely see over the plate! It was served on what tasted like fresh tomatoes over the pasta. It was so good I couldn't stop eating it, even after I was full. My daughter had the salad too with linguini and clam sauce. It was loaded with clams. They were tasty and not rubbery. She suspected they were canned but since they were tender it was okay. The sauce was fragrant too, not fishy. Our server was super efficient and polite. She kept up with us without being intrusive. The decor of the restaurant has been updated a bit over time. It's cute. A bit too bright for an Italian restaurant if you ask me, but I'm from New England where Italian places are all dimly lit. Overall, a wonderful, easy going, friendly neighborhood place to go to relax over some good food and drink. Have a few laughs without a tv interrupting your dinner conversation. You have to sit in the bar for that. Take your mom. Take the family. Take your husband when you can't stand another night of cooking. Just go it alone and who cares about anyone else?! Just have fun eating some really good food that tastes like someone cares.
(4)Ray C.
I had a wonderful experience at this restaurant bringing 8 out of town guests from across the country. The food was outstanding and the wait staff is very accommodating. Alex made a special effort to make sure our time there was enjoyable. Good authentic Italian cuisine at a very reasonable price.
(4)Jinna C.
This place is small and cozy. We came here on a Sunday night and the restaurant was not busy. Our waitress was friendly and not pushy since we took a while trying to navigate the extensive menu options! I ordered the tortellini. The dish was rich with the ricotta cheese and the creamy sauce. I finished only about half the dish. The flavors were good but it got to be too much after a while. The portion was also huge which may also have to do with my ability to finish it. We also ordered the veal parm with pasta. The veal was cooked nicely. The meal came with 2 pieces of veal and a nice portion of pasta with marinara sauce. I liked it better than the tortellini. That dish didn't have anything left at the end of the meal! For dessert we ordered the ice cream with candied nuts and the tiramisu. Both very good! The tiramisu was not too sweet and a nice portion to end the meal.
(4)Jonathan E.
solid 4-star restaurant. my wife took my sister/bro-in-law here as part of a night on the town. +1 for street parking on the side of the building. +1 for being very attentive to us, especially when we walked in. +0 for dated decor. too many mirrors. could use an update. -1 for small tables. we were crammed in like sardines. +1 for a giant LOAF of bread for the table. pretty crumby. literally--there were lots of crumbs. +0 for a $10 corking fee. we brought our own bottle. +1 for GREAT marinara sauce. +1 for GREAT gnocci. +0 for good cavatelli. it was much more al dente than we expected. +1 for good portion sizes. +1 for a live vioinist that walked around. he took requests and was quite talented. +1 for honoring our 15% off coupon that we got for signing up for their e-mail list. recommended!
(4)Tom R.
This was a nice family Italian restaurant. Food was very good, and service was excellent. Our server was a young lady named Mieke, and she really added a lot of pleasure to the dining experience. We would certainly go back to dine here again.
(5)Mark D.
Very nice classic Pittsburgh neighborhood Italian. Best choice for hearty, simple popular Italian dishes I took my parents there for dinner and we all enjoyed our meal. My mom loved her chicken parm. My clam sauce with whole wheat pasta was absolutely perfectly al-dente. Salad is fresh with a very nice balsamic vinagrette. Wedding soup was a bit salty, but otherwise perfectly fit my conception of what wedding soup should be. Dad had the tortilla soup (I know; odd choice) and he liked it quite a bit. Standout item was the beans & greens which were very fresh. Service was excellent. Atmosphere is a bit dated and very Pittsburgh, but if you are looking for decent American Italian at good prices with good service, highly recommend.
(4)Douglas R.
I've eaten at Alexander's for a decade, but, like Del's, it's becoming one of those places where the food gets worse every time you go there. Today, half the lettuce I had on my Caesar salad was rotten. I have no idea why it ever left the kitchen. And it was take-out, too, so there wasn't much I could do about it after driving all the way home. (They gave me the wrong entrée too, but at least it was edible.) I finally think I'm done with this place.
(1)Alex W.
Seeing as I am named Alexander I'm not surprised that a restaurant which shares my name is fantastic. I have eaten at Alexander's several times and the food and wait staff have always been spot on. My favorite dish is the Mafalda Alexander (Mafalda pasta, sausage, and a tomato cream sauce). They give you an un-eatably huge portion which is fine by me, it makes a great lunch the next day. Also, I think the decor and prices make this a great spot for a date night. One minor flaw is that the only parking is metered street parking. It's usually not a problem finding a spot relatively close, however I have run into issues in the past.
(4)Sarah E.
I was a little surprised by the lackluster reviews for Alexanders on here. I've only been there once, but I was quite pleased with the experience. From the second I entered the restaurant, I was greeted in a very friendly manner. Service to my table was also prompt and amicable. There is quite a bit of variety on the menu, and the prices are reasonable. I had the Tortellini Verde and my friend had the Mafalda Madison (thankfully I was able to sample this a bit too). I thought both were flavorful and tasty. Granted, I'm not an Italian food connoisseur, but it was definitely comparable if not better than other Mom & Pop Italian places I've been to. It certainly blows Olive Garden out of the water, but perhaps that goes without saying. I will definitely go back!
(4)Paul D.
Just went to Alexanders Italian Bistro , Boy What a Treat ! There should be another Star for this place. The Food was excellent , the wine was very good and the deserts were to die for. Ok maybe I might have had a little too much wine.,But I was very impressed. The staff was very attentive , The Italian bread was fresh and plentiful, And I had the Angel hair spaghetti with Hot peppers and hot sausage. My friends had seafood selections. Espresso for everyone after the Tiramisu Deserts ! YUMMMMM ! I would Recommend Alexanders to anyone who enjoys fine Italian food. ( PS its not a chain restaurant ) Parking was plentiful too. I LOVE Mom& Pop places. Very clean & cozy. More Wine Please ?
(5)Teresa T.
Stopped in for dinner on a Sunday night at 7pm and Alexander's was about half full. We decided to go simple and stick with the Pastabilities. I choose the Bolognese with penne (~$12) and mushrooms (extra $1.50), while my husband ordered the Marfredo with farfelle ($11), sundried tomatoes and hot sausage (extra $4). Bolognese was solid though lacked mushrooms and my husband's dish was tasty too though the hot sausage was bland, it needed salt. Portions are huge, mine was easily two meals. Italian bread or rolls (not warmed up) w/ butter balls comes with the meal and there is EVOO on the table. For dessert, we ordered the chocolate chip cannolli which came with two - we enjoyed them but it pricey for the size $7. Aside from the dessert, the meal was reasonably priced. Service was consistent with other Yelpers' reviews - really, really friendly. We liked our waitress. Because there were no mushrooms in my dish, she was suppose to take it off our bill but forgot so ended up giving a cash credit. Also I ended up packaging my Bolognese home since I couldn't eat it all and she asked if we wanted the rolls too and wrapped my pasta in saran wrap for the trip home to prevent any sauce spillage which was a smart move since we had walked here. One comment though would be on the decor. You walk in and the bar area somewhat has a modern feel but then once you go into the dining room it is like you are warped back into time. There is just a lot of visual stimulation - over the top - that just doesn't go together. Overall though, Alexander's just gets it done - nothing fancy w/ home style food and great prices and service. We'll be skipping other Italian places in the area and will be back again.
(4)Joe K.
Alexander's is good, solid Italian food without any pretentiousness. Their menu is large, but not outrageously expansive like a lot of other local Italian restaurants in the area. There's a nice selection of Italian favorites, plus you have the ability to create your own past dish (choose your pasta, type of sauce, and add-ons). I've been to Alexander's several times for lunch and always enjoyed it, so I decided to take my girlfriend there for dinner on a recent night. When we entered, we were warmly greeted by the staff and asked where we wanted to sit. We sat in the front of the house/bar area so I could keep an eye on the Pirates game. While there, I overheard an older lady complaining that her dish was less than stellar. The server and the manager agreed with her assessment and offered to make her anything else on the menu to make her happy. I've always been pleased by the pleasant, accommodating nature of the staff when I've visited Alexander's; it's truly a strong point of the restaurant. I ordered the pork osso bucco with garlic risotto, while my girlfriend went with chicken parmigiano. We opened with bruschetta toast. It was a nice start. The tomatoes were fresh, and the taste of balsamic vinegar gave it a little pop of flavor. I then had their wedding soup, which is always enjoyable. It's full of meat and has just the right level of saltiness to it. My girlfriend was pleased with her garden salad; in particular, she enjoyed the flavor and texture added by walnuts and cranberries. The pork osso bucco I received was huge. Unfortunately, the flavor was not as big as the size of the dish. The pork was tender and properly cooked... the garlic risotto, not so much. It was just kind of bland. Together, the dish was fairly tasty, but not something that I would order again. My girlfriend was pleased with her massive serving of chicken parmigiano and pasta. It was good, but the breading was a little soggy because it was doused in sauce. Somewhere during the course of our dinner, the manager walked from table to table, and asked every group if they wanted a loaf of Italian bread. I suppose that they had a lot of extra bread and were giving it out since the night was winding down. I heartily accepted- their bread is delicious. Little things like this are why I love Alexander's. If you're looking for some tasty Italian food served in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere, you can't go wrong with Alexander's. Just stick with the pasta, and you'll be happy.
(4)Sally M.
I wasn't really a fan. In fact, this may hae been some of the most sub-par Italian food I've had (it seemed very touristy), and it was definitely my least favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh while traveling there on business the past few months. Cute ambiance! Cute neighborhood! Friendly local wait staff! But kinda touristy & uninteresting food pairings / ingredients.
(2)Bennett R.
Loved it! I was not too excited about trying to eat healthy at an Italian joint, but went with friends. I was impressed at how many healthier options they had, if that's what you're in the mood for. Or pig out on a hot plate of carbs and dairy with a side of italian sausage. My friends and I split an order of beans, greens and tomatoes. I regret the sharing part, it was so outrageously delicious I wanted it all to myself. Next time I'm getting my own. In the spirit of healthy eating, I went with a salad, which was big, fresh, and just what I wanted. If you like salad, you're set. If not, the pasta my friends had looked great too. You can get gluten free or whole wheat pasta for an additional charge if you like. My boy friend had angel hair with alfredo, our friend had linguini marinara with fried calamari. The waitress was very pleasant, and kept her cool even though she had the pleasure of serving this merry band of drunk, vicious old queens. Now I would have been sold on the service and the food, everything I tasted was great. But the two pasta dishes weren't all that hot. Somewhat warmer than warm, they said. My friend let the waitress know but wasn't unhappy enough to send it back, even though the manager was adamant they could remake the plate in no time. (I work in a customer based industry and I know first hand, nothing can be worse than an unhappy customer who isn't willing to let you fix the problem after they bring it to your attention.) So at the end of the meal, he offered to buy us a round of drinks instead. Smart guy - offer a couple of drunks some free liquor, and all is forgiven. He took an almost great meal and made it great for them. Sadly, I was driving so didn't take him up on the offer. So - great food, beans and greens, lots of choices, beans and greens, good service, and beans and greens. If it were closer to home I'd be ready to move in.
(4)Claire S.
This is my go-to for good, unpretentious, Italian-American home cooking. Alexander's is the place where the locals go for an inexpensive meal. The dining room is small and decorated to look like an Italian trattoria. The menu has all the basics, tons of pastas, different sauces, meatballs, parmigiana, etc. The bread is from (I'm pretty sure) Mancini's which is an old Italian-American bakery in the city. Come as you are: jeans, Steelers jersey, college sweatshirt, what have you. The service can be a bit flaky, but everyone is quite nice. Just relax. If they mix up an order they'll make it right. I love the wedding soup here and they make awesome chicken piccatta. I also like how they serve the meat and pasta dishes separately on small plates, instead of dumping everything together on a big dinner plate. For dessert they make a real tiramisu with lots of rum, and also really good rice pudding. One warning: it is really easy to overeat here. I eat lightly during the day if I know I'm going to Alexander's for dinner.
(4)Amy R.
We originally decided to go to Alexander's for an official dinner for a seminar speaker, expecting 15-20 people to come. So I talked to the manager and he set me all up, despite the fact that I was calling only 3 days before the dinner. He was so super nice and wonderful. We wound up only having 5 (who passes up free food?) but it was still a lovely dinner. The waitress was really helpful in suggesting the best things to get. I agree about the bread...it was just 'meh'. We didn't get an appetizer, but the homemade salad dressing (ranch) was very (very) good. I got the special for that night - fresh veal, and it was so so so good. The waitress said it would melt in your mouth, and it did. I also got the marfredo sauce on malfada pasta as my pasta side, based on other Yelp reviews of this combination and it was also quite good. Overall, great food. I would definitely return.
(4)Sheila S.
A friend took me here for the best gnocchi I have ever eaten. We both chose the gorgonzola basil sauce; I added sweet baby peas and she added broccoli. We ate and ate and took home enough for dinner - it reheats really well. Clearly, whoever made that gnocchi is not a novice! Wine was half price since it was a weeknight, and the house cabernet was delicious. Service was stellar and the atmosphere is fantastic. I'd go regularly if I lived in Pittsburgh.
(5)Mary Lou B.
Looking at all the other reviews about this place, I wondered if we actually went to the same place. I thought it wasn't very good. I had the Eggplant Alexander which consisted of a bunch of soggy fried eggplant with a ton of cheese melted on it. I've made much better at home. My beloved had veal Parmesan. Which was dry, overcooked and lukewarm. Did we catch them on a bad day? I'll never know because I don't think we'll return.
(2)Katherine P.
Went yesterday for my parents 30th anniversary. We went for a late lunch so the restaurant was empty when we arrived. Our waiter was fabulous! He was very attentive and wanted to make sure the experience was wonderful for my parents. We started with wine and apps, and I loved the fried zucchini. It wasn't overly breaded and were were able to split it between six people and not worry about not having enough. I ordered a Malfada pasta with feta spinach and sundried tomatoes and it was excellent! It was the perfect portion and spiced wonderfully. My parents each got chicken parm and devoured it. All in all a wonderful experience and we will definitely return.
(4)Morgan D.
Living in Bloomfield, I was excited to finally try some authentic, excellent Italian fare. Unfortunately, I hadn't had much luck so far at Pleasure Bar (okay food), or D'Amico's (awful food). I've had more consistent, tasty Italian at the Olive Garden, which is sad. So I decided to give Alexander's Italian Bistro a try. We stopped in tonight, a Saturday evening. The place was pretty much full and we didn't have a reservation, but we got seated after just a few minutes. The tables are packed pretty tight and you can see the servers dancing around each other precariously. The decor is charming without being all tacky like other local Italian places...I love the beautiful backlit stained glass panels that open the space up. There is a nice little bar area in the front with a smaller bar food menu and a couple nice TVs...we'll have to check that out soon. Mr. got the Eggplant Alexander, I got the Mafalda Alexander. The eggplant was nice and crispy, not mushy inside like eggplant parmesan can often turn out. It was very rich and definitely two meals worth of food. My pasta was excellent. The noodles were flavorful on their own, and cooked freshly and perfectly. I like the mafalda noodles, which aren't too commonly used in most Italian places. The sauce, a mixture of marinara and alfredo, was tasty and not overpowering. The spicy Italian sausage was soooo good...just the right amount of spicy, tender and flavorful. They give a pretty large basket of bread that is moist, fresh, and flaky. We got the tiramisu for dessert, which was pretty good. It's hard to find real tiramisu anyways so I give them credit for having it. The ladyfingers were a little bit tough to cut with a spoon but they were good, and the cream was very good, not too sweet. A nice finish to the meal. Only downsides...no soup or salad included with the dish, those are extra. Our server was nice enough but kinda disappeared when we were finished with our food...we waited around a good 15 minutes for her to come back and wrap Mr.'s leftovers and ask if we wanted dessert, then another 10 minutes after finishing dessert for her to come back with the check. This is one of my top pet peeves. Alexander himself (I'm pretty sure anyway...) stopped by the table at the end of our meal to ask how everything was, which is always a nice touch in my book. Everyone working there seemed like they must be family, but not the type of family who dread working for the family business, which is nice. We'll definitely be back.
(4)Elizabeth M.
From the outside of the restauarant I was hoping for a cute, quirky place. Unfortunately, it was a very underwhelming, boring, and forgettable meal.
(2)Pavan M.
So a friend and I went to Alexander's because it was the closest restaurant to his place and we didn't feel like driving on the snow-covered roads. I didn't have high expectations - I thought I would get standard Italian fare with nothing special while also probably paying too much. From the get go I was wrong! The decor and ambiance isn't upscale but it also isn't terrible. It feels like a down home, mom and pop type of restaurant. It sort of reminded me of a place that Tony and his crew would eat at in "The Sopranos" - good food and cool ownership. When we entered, it looked like the owner was chatting it up with some regulars. Seeing us, he warmly greeted us and introduced us to our waitress. Before I get to the food a note on the service. Our waitress was great - super friendly, helping us with any questions, and checking up on us during our meal just enough to feel taken care of but not intrusive by any means. I could tell this wasn't her first rodeo. The food was spot on. Along with our menus, we got a basket full of fresh Italian bread and butter. The bread was standard white but it was moist and tasted very fresh. But you know how it is - don't fill up on bread! Perusing the menu, they had a lot of variation which I love - chicken marsala, spaghetti, etc but the chicken parmigiana sandwich was calling my name. It came on hearty bread strong enough to hold the sandwich and not fall apart. The best part was the chicken which was crispy! It came with what tasted like homemade sauce and cheese. It's a simple meal but very tasty - you bite into it and first get the slightly sweet sauce and cheese then the hearty chicken. Mmmm. The sandwich was around $9 and it came with fries. A very good and hearty meal. I look forward to trying some of the other options at Alexanders the next time around!
(4)October R.
I'm not really a big fan of going out and eating Italian since many of the pasta dishes prepared at restaurants seem like they came from the frozen section of the local grocery store, I can do that at home and save some money, thank you very much. Alexanders is very different. You can tell the sauces are all freshly made and there is a great selection of them. I recommend the Gorgonzola basil cream sauce. The menu has all the classic Italian favorites and the Specials menu always has mouth watering seasonal items on it as well. The whole family can enjoy Alexander's. Great Italian food, very reasonable prices and huge portions make this our go-to Italian eatery.
(4)Eric G.
In my opinion, this place is a bit overrated and overpriced. I've heard very mixed things about this place, and after going in a couple of times for a happy hour I decided to get dinner one night. I didn't really know what to expect because the menu online listed dishes but no prices (as a side note: I HATE when restaurants do this!). I don't mind paying $15-20 for a good dish of food, but the quality of the pasta and sauces are totally average. I could boil a $1 box of pasta and $2 bottle of general marinara sauce at home and it wouldn't taste much worse than this food. It's definitely nice to go out for meals, particularly at a place like this that has such a well lit inside and a soothing vibe- however, I simply didn't think the quality of the food was good enough for the type of restaurant it strives to be. Furthermore, I found the people who work there to come off as a bit pretentious about the food and drink selections. In general, I would say the food and staff are a bit off putting and I wouldn't recommend this place to friends who have never been here before. However, if you go, definitely try the happy hour, which is one of the better ones in Pittsburgh *half off appetizers and drinks. Plus, wine is half off on Mondays and Wednesdays, which I would assume are their slower nights.
(3)Mina M.
I have been coming to Alexander's off and on for almost 25 years. I think in all that time I have only had one meal that was below par. Pretty good average I'd say. I went the other night with my adult daughter. I had the calamari with pasta, a cocktail ( yum, yum), and a garden salad. The salad was very fresh and arrived promptly. The cocktail was strong but great. The calamari arrived quickly and was piled so high on the plate I could barely see over the plate! It was served on what tasted like fresh tomatoes over the pasta. It was so good I couldn't stop eating it, even after I was full. My daughter had the salad too with linguini and clam sauce. It was loaded with clams. They were tasty and not rubbery. She suspected they were canned but since they were tender it was okay. The sauce was fragrant too, not fishy. Our server was super efficient and polite. She kept up with us without being intrusive. The decor of the restaurant has been updated a bit over time. It's cute. A bit too bright for an Italian restaurant if you ask me, but I'm from New England where Italian places are all dimly lit. Overall, a wonderful, easy going, friendly neighborhood place to go to relax over some good food and drink. Have a few laughs without a tv interrupting your dinner conversation. You have to sit in the bar for that. Take your mom. Take the family. Take your husband when you can't stand another night of cooking. Just go it alone and who cares about anyone else?! Just have fun eating some really good food that tastes like someone cares.
(4)Ray C.
I had a wonderful experience at this restaurant bringing 8 out of town guests from across the country. The food was outstanding and the wait staff is very accommodating. Alex made a special effort to make sure our time there was enjoyable. Good authentic Italian cuisine at a very reasonable price.
(4)Kiersten S.
I'm sorry, this place is simply not good. Unfortunately, it is yet another example of poorly made Americanized Italian food. Too much cheese, too much butter and cream, and quite possibly the worst bread I have ever consumed at any Italian restaurant in my life. Someone had to go out of their way to find bread this flavorless and awful. It's already a travesty that it's served to me before the meal, but to put it on my sandwich! I'm actually offended for Italians, and bread. Yes bread, this is not your best. The eggplant Parmesan served to my mother was soggy, covered with an absurd amount of plastic Parmesan cheese swimming in a bland sauce. My fathers pasta, cream and cheese. Contrary to popular believe, this is not traditional Italian! This is what some would refer to as, terrible and heavy. And the cannoli? Words could not describe my disappointment. I'll admit it, I'm already an Italian food snob. I cook tons of Italian food for myself, family, and friends, and I only use the highest quality ingredients and go about preparing my meals in traditional southern Italian ways. I've had phenomenal Italian meals at the few great Italian restaurants in this city, so whenever I get the opportunity to eat at another "Italian" joint, I'm heading in with high expectations. Is this what Italian food in Pittsburgh has come too? Seeing other similar Italian places in Bloomfield, I'm sad to say...yes. I'm actually slightly upset even writing this because the waitstaff is charming, and I hear the owners are great, but to pass this off as representative of Italian food is an injustice. If you want a truly great Italian meal please look elsewhere.
(1)darren l.
Very good but not spectacular. Charming small place in 'Little Italy' Bloomfield. Usually can get seated any evening and this place has a nice assortment of menu choices. The 'senators peppers' which is an appetizer of sauteed peppers, garlic, EVOO, and tomatoes is really tasty and flavorful without being too spicy. This is a pick your pasta then pick you sauce kinda place. Service is fine. House salad dressing matches the greens perfectly. Alexanders is food allergy friendly and they have GLUTEN-FREE PASTA! But this is not an over-the-top place, but then again, the prices are not over top either. Recommended.
(4)Brittany W.
Great food and great service! The Maffalda Alexander is FANTASTIC, I've ordered there many times for dinner for the family, and the family style servings are gret for gatherings and meetings. They also have a GREAT salad with candied walnuts and dried cranberries that is to die for! Definitely a must have when ordering there!
(4)Iliana C.
OMG THIS PLACE IS AMAZING! Okay, the ambiance is cutesy and romantic. Upon arrival you are given a bread basket with HUGE Texas sized bread. I wasn't such a big fan because it was so soft that it seems to deteriorate while holding it. Little too messy for my liking. The bruschetta was not your typical bruschetta and honestly I would not recommend it. The Caesar salad is really a pity. Although it looks like a Caesar salad it doesn't taste like one since the lettuce, croutons, and dressing are all so flimsy. It hardly tasted like anything. So why am I giving this place a 5 star review? Because the pasta is amazing! The best pasta I have ever had! Now I know why people with Italian mothers/grandmothers scoff at places like Olive Garden where they don't make their own noodles. What a difference it makes. The menu offers you a large selection of noodles (gluten free available) and sauces to choose from. I had the marfredo (mix of marinara and alfredo) and I was dying over how good it was. My girlfriend, who has an Italian family, had the aglio aoli (sp?) and she was also dying over how amazing this was. DO COME HERE but don't waste any of your time with the appetizers or bread. Save your appetite for the pasta! I didn't get to try the deserts but next time I want to try their tiramisu since all the deserts are also made on site.
(5)Penelope F.
We stopped in on a Tuesday afternoon. Service was very friendly. Ambiance is super comfortable. Food was great, the chicken pesto asparagus salad was amazing. Heavy on the pesto but that's what I love! Had a Blue Moon and it made an excellent early dinner.
(4)Michael H.
Not real Italian. When there's a crab dish on the menu and you don't let your customers know this there's a problem. Imitation crab meat at an Italian restaurant doesn't fly. I was hoping for some good Italian while out of town and was truly disappointed. The bar service was extremely friendly about my compliant and did remove that dish from my bill. My entree was pasta and shrimp. I haven't paid $20 for a dish of pasta and 5 large shrimp in a long time. Don't worry but I won't come close to this restaurant again.
(1)Marlena H.
I went here for a first date and I have to admit I was quite surprised. I wasn't expecting the food to be as good judging by the dining room (though it was a pleasant surprise to see fresh flowers). It wasn't a super fine dining atmosphere, but you definitely get quality and delicious food. Our server brought us a loaf of bread to take home at the end of the night (shocking). The service alone (not to mention the food too) is enough to bring us back.
(4)Dana K.
Portions, food, & service were top notch. It was 2 couples and 5 kids. The restaurant is a bit cozy, but we were incredibly pleased with everything. There was plenty of room in the bar while we were there. There is a parking garage right next door & there was a decent amount of on street parking available.
(4)Sam F.
This place is perfect if you've had a rough day and want to go somewhere to have a relaxing, homemade dinner. The people there treat you like family and the food is awesome. You can buy make- your-own pastas and the tomato sauce is the best!!! The fried ravioli entree is really yummy too. The only thing I can say as a semi-"ehh" about this place is that they don't have just a regular meat lasagna! The appetizers are really good, but for instance if you order their provolone sticks, it only comes with three. Not exactly enough to share with another person. They give you complimentary bread to start though. The Abby Alexandra's Angel Hair entree is very good as well. I should also mention that their proportions are huge! I always have leftovers no matter how hungry I am walking in. All in all, this place is a gem. The people are soooo friendly and it's a really enjoyable environment to be in. Great for a casual drink, a nice dinner with your family or even a lo-key dinner date. The food is awesome and it's well worth a trip to this area of town if you don't live close.
(4)Alex W.
Seeing as I am named Alexander I'm not surprised that a restaurant which shares my name is fantastic. I have eaten at Alexander's several times and the food and wait staff have always been spot on. My favorite dish is the Mafalda Alexander (Mafalda pasta, sausage, and a tomato cream sauce). They give you an un-eatably huge portion which is fine by me, it makes a great lunch the next day. Also, I think the decor and prices make this a great spot for a date night. One minor flaw is that the only parking is metered street parking. It's usually not a problem finding a spot relatively close, however I have run into issues in the past.
(4)Sarah E.
I was a little surprised by the lackluster reviews for Alexanders on here. I've only been there once, but I was quite pleased with the experience. From the second I entered the restaurant, I was greeted in a very friendly manner. Service to my table was also prompt and amicable. There is quite a bit of variety on the menu, and the prices are reasonable. I had the Tortellini Verde and my friend had the Mafalda Madison (thankfully I was able to sample this a bit too). I thought both were flavorful and tasty. Granted, I'm not an Italian food connoisseur, but it was definitely comparable if not better than other Mom & Pop Italian places I've been to. It certainly blows Olive Garden out of the water, but perhaps that goes without saying. I will definitely go back!
(4)Shanna C.
I really wanted Alexanders to be great - like a hidden gem in a sea of Big Burritos and high-priced Shadyside Italian joints. Well, it was well priced, but the food was just... okay. They didn't go that extra mile to make it great. I had the blackened ahi tuna salad - the tuna was fantastic, but the dressing came in a plastic condiment cup with a lid and the tuna looked real lonely on some standard dark salad greens. Pasta portions were generous... but again, not fantastic. Joe Mama's actually has better pasta. Half-priced wine by the glass - also generous. However there was lipstick permanently imprinted into the glass I got. The bar looks really nice and the dining room was more like a living room painted warm colors and filled with booths. I really wanted to like it. But I also wanted to comment on how the stellar review from an unknown source underneath the glass table top to read while you dine made it feel like some substandard tavern. I wanted to tell the waitresses screaming across the dining room to quite down because I can't hear the strangely out of place pop and rock music coming from the quality sound system over her asking if her customers want coffee with the dessert. I wanted a nice dinner at a beautiful restaurant. I got an OK one in a wonky dining room. If they take a step back and consider what they could do to make the place better, I think they can get there. However, that's not likely to happen without new management.
(3)Dean J.
Solid American Italian food that's not making a pretense of being anything else. The service was incredibly friendly, the food was well thought out, as promised, and in ample portions. Half price wine on Monday and Wednesday. Will be headed back.
(3)Jr A.
This review is for the banquet facility. My family had a special event in their party room this past weekend. The point man a the restaurant was Jim and he could not have been nicer or professional. He told us he wouldn't be there the day of the event but he made sure another employee, Dave, knew of our special needs. The event went off smoothly and we could not have been happier with the food, service and price. A great restaurant to stage an event
(5)D S.
The food - bruschetta and fried ravioli apps, side salad, 1/2 order of aglio olio, and rice pudding - was pretty good. The aglio olio and rice pudding were the best parts of the meal. The service was good. Everyone was friendly. The interior could use some sprucing, but, all in all, it was good Italian food. I'll be back for the half-priced wine!
(4)Britney T.
The food here is authentic and FILLING! Each table has a nice setup complete with oil & vinegar to start out with when the fresh, fluffy white Italian bread is brought to your table. The gnocci is one of my favorite things, main course-wise, but a lot of people seem to like the bolognese. My favorite dessert is the Tiramisu. They also offer a side house salad which is also really good (they use dried cranberries and candied walnuts, mmmm!!!). I'm not a huge fan of wedding soup, but Alexander's has one of the best.The mac n' cheese is fabulous as well. Everything here is. Nothing is done cheap. The atmosphere is dimly lit and romantic, I suppose, the bartenders are sweet and conversational, and the servers are timely, polite and very friendly. They have outside seating available, weather permitting. Decent drink specials and a variety to choose from. Alexander (the owner) is such a nice guy, he goes out of his way to make the customers happy. I feel like I'm at home here. When I go back to Pittsburgh, this may very well be the first place I visit!
(4)Matthew Lee C.
Alexander's is an extraordinary family-owned old fashioned Italian restaurant. Highlights: Homemade rice pudding, tiramisu. Sorry, desserts first. The bread is fresh and is served with oil, vinegar, and parmesan cheese. Traditional antipasto is delicious and made to suit the size of your party. For appetizers, the fried ravioli and calamari fritti are to die for. Entrees: the cream sauces, red sauces, and the pesto are all delicious but my favorite is the Marfredo Sauce, a mix of marinara and alfredo. The Marfredo goes really well with sliced spicy Italian sausage. PS. The service cannot be beat. It's one of the friendliest restaurants I have eaten in. I used to go there often when I was a student living in Bloomfield.
(5)Trish I.
Had veal romano, it was excellent, some of the best veal I have had in a restaurant in years. The pasta was also very good, I chose the Gorgonzola sauce, also very good. The waitress was very friendly and the cost was reasonable.
(5)Denise L.
Seat yourself in the back.... Only one server/bartender from 2-4:30 pm.... But good service regardless....fried ravioli was good.... Meatballs ok... Chicken rissoto was delicious....chicken eggplant parm was fried....( just to give a heads up)....lemon bar is very sweet( but good). Carrot cake yummy....1 dessert is enough to feed 2! Discounts for upmc family house guests..... It started raining and the manager offered to drive us back to family house when we asked to call a taxi... Great service for a good price.... Definately would recommend!
(4)Megan H.
Very average Italian food. If you're looking for a pasta+sauce experience, it's pretty boring. Eggplant parm was a little better than average. But all in all, not any more exciting than what I can make for myself with a jar of sauce and box of pasta.
(2)Thomas C.
I used to work near Alexander's 10 years ago and it was consistently good, so we decided to go there on Valentine's Day for a nice meal. As it turned out, the service and meals were a disaster. In fact, I have not seen service that bad in years. We ordered the "make your own pasta" and the meals were unlike anything I have ever seen from an Italian restaurant. Not only were the dishes not correctly prepared based on the order, but bland and something you might see from a frozen microwave dinner. The waitress and general manager were lost with how to make things right. They were fumbling idiots who made no effort to suggest or substitute the meals. I was not impressed with the management and staff. We literally scavenged what we could from our meals, paid the check and got out of there. How many times have I left an Italian restaurant hungry? 2-14-2011 was the first time. Beware of this place, its not the same as it was back a few years ago.
(1)Sarah S.
I'm kinda sad to see any bad reviews of Alexander's on here. But come on people, who can actually write a review of an ITALIAN restaurant when they've only eaten the tuna or a hoagie? PASTA is in their name, so you should probably try the PASTA before commenting on something that isn't their SPECIALTY. Sorry for the sarcasm. I've been going to Alexander's for years, and I can't remember ever getting a bad meal. I love that you can pick what kind of pasta you want, what sauce, and the toppings. My favorite is the marfredo sauce. It is spaghetti sauce mixed with alfredo sauce. So freakin good!!! My only "issue" is that they never seem to add enough sauce on your pasta, but you can ask for some extra on the side and they bring you a little bowlful. It's perfect!!! I get hot sausage on top (which isn't too spicy) and broccoli (which is always steamed just right, so it's not limp). The bread always comes with olive oil and parmesean cheese that you can dip it in. I love that. We always get a carafe of their Chianti. It seems to go really well with the pasta. And lastly, the price is right. Why pay $20 for a plate of pasta? Alexander's agrees. With wine and 2 dinners, we get outta there for under $50. Not bad. This is an all-around good italian restaurant. Sorry to the haters, but this place blows Joe Mama's outta the water!!!
(5)John H.
Disappointing. The food was below average and the service was ok. We were expecting a lot from this restaurant but it definitely did not deliver. Pasta was not homemade and sauces mediocre at best. Wine selection is very weak. The outdoor seating is a redeeming quality.
(2)Colleen C.
I went there recently with my family, and the food was good overall, but the service was rude. Upon arriving there, we asked if there was a place to hang our coats, and were told it's "a little hard to get to"; and that was it, so we crammed them into our booth. Corkage fee was charged for the wine we brought (since the wine list is practically nonexistent), which we completely expected and appreciated that we could bring our own wine; but our waiter took the cork out of the bottle and set it down on the table and walked away. WOW. For $10 per bottle, maybe he could have actually poured it into our glasses? The restaurant ran out of bread that night, we were told. The salad came with the dressing in disposable plastic cups on the side. Really? I think Eat N Park has a better dinner salad than this! Most Italian bistros ask if you'd like ground pepper on the salad, but this wasn't an option, so it was pepper from the shaker on the table. We had one dessert for a birthday in our group, but our waiter never asked anyone else at the table if they wanted to order dessert or coffee. Since the appetizers and entrees were good, I may give 'em another chance, maybe for lunch, but I am truly blown away that Alexander's was Post-Gazette's Reader's Choice Award winner for Best Italian in 2008, which is very proudly displayed in several places.
(3)Brooke G.
I have been going here my whole life, and I can say without a doubt that I have yet to ha e a bad experience. I have had almost everything on the menu and everything is amazing. Very filling portion sizes and great service. They offer a lot of good wines and a unique beer menu. All of their desserts are made on site, i highly recommend the rice pudding. If you find yourself in Little Italy (Bloomfiled) the best place to eat is Alexander's.
(5)Laura M.
I came here about a year ago with some friends for dinner, when one of my friends wanted Italian food, and we wanted to try a place in Bloomfield. I ordered the create-your-own pasta with mafalda pasta, gorgonzola basil cream sauce, and chicken. The sauce was actually quite tasty, although a bit on the strong side, and overpowered the chicken quite a bit. It was definitely unique, however! The bread that was served with the pasta was thick and soft, but wasn't particularly unique. Service was fine, and the atmosphere was nice. Overall, not a bad option for Italian food in Bloomfield, and I'd go back if a dining companion wanted to try it, but I wouldn't go out of my way to return since there's better Italian to be had elsewhere in PGH. 3.5 stars.
(3)Colleen S.
A good, reasonably prices Italian restaurant in Bloomfield. We went on Halloween around 7pm and found that is the absolute best time to go out to eat! It was completely empty except for two other parties. They bring you bread and oil to the table. We also ordered bruschetta which was very good. Everyone seemed very happy with their meals. Beware of the pasta Diablo! My dad was sweating from the heat of it and he normally loves spicy food. He said it was delicious, but it sounds like a great dish for someone prepared for some serious spice (not me!). My little brother was disappointed that his spaghetti and meatballs came with one meatball, but besides that we were very happy with the meal. Nice portions and great service.
(3)Stephanie P.
Suffice it to say, this is not real Italian food and it's below average and overpriced when it comes to American-Italian food. The staff was excellent though and you will have great service and conversation. Thanks but probably won't be back.
(2)Aldona Z.
Unbelievable!!!!!! What can I say except that it is the best Italian family owned restaurant in Pittsburgh!!!! The wedding soup is the best along with the beans and greens.We thought we were in Italian Heaven with these starter dishes, then we had the stuffed banana peppers with their special bread and we were satisfied beyond belief! Then came the linguine with clam sauce.It was so perfect.Just the right amount of garlic.We will continue indulging .The owner, Alex, was hospitable and genuinely concerned for our satisfaction. It was a memorable experience.We felt we were in Italy.It is Pittsburgh's Italian DIAMOND!! DIANE
(5)Jennifer G.
My husband and I had one of our first dates in Pittsburgh at Alexander's, so it has a special place in my heart. I knew he was a keeper when we ordered the asparagus/goat cheese appetizer and I loved it so much that he let me eat all but one piece on my own. There is a bar areas out front that has a more casual feel and dining room in the back. The dining room is small and intimate offering several booths along the sides of the restaurant and several tables in the middle and towards the front of the dining room. The decor has a homey feel with nice colors and a fun chandelier. The menu is much more extensive then a typical Italian restaurant. There are several appetizer choices in addition to the previously mentioned grilled asparagus. There are also several salads and two soup options, the soup of the day and wedding soup. The first time I was there I tried the veal diablo which was veal with hot peppers and mushrooms and a Marsala sauce. It was delicious. It had a nice kick but wasn't too hot that you didn't enjoy it. On my second visit I enjoyed the "pastabilities" create your own pasta. With 10+ sauce choices plus 10+ pasta the combinations seem endless! I enjoyed the angel hair with the Marsala wine and red pepper sauce. My husband had the Bolognese and was equally happy. The pasta seemed to be in an endless bowl. I felt like I was eating forever and there was still two meals worth of pasta left in my take out container. The build your own pasta is quite a value for the price (although it does not come with a soup or salad like the other entrees do). We were stuffed, but after seeing several desserts go by, I decided I wanted to order the Napoleon. It was stuffed with strawberries and blueberries and the cream was delectable. Overall a great dining experience. We will be back.
(5)Peter B.
One of the last great Italian institutions in the city. The best part is that the food is awesome these days and they make an effort to keep the decor and the menu fresh. There are very good reasons why Del's is gone and Alexander's is still here. The pesto and the bread (both made fresh every day) are my favorite parts and are definitely crave-worthy. The grilled asparagus is also quite impressive given how simple it is, but I'd agree with Pepin in saying that the best food is ordinary things prepared extraordinarily well. I'm an epicurean 23 year old with Italian grandmothers so I think I have an idea of what's good. Alexander's is good for dates, family dinners with just the right amount of class, and people who like good bread. Alexander's is not good for sea urchin crunching, small-batch moonshine sipping, mise-en-place modernists. There are nice places like Lawrenceville and Umi for you.
(5)Meghan B.
Went out to lunch with my coworkers and this is where they suggested. I had never been- so I was pretty excited to check it out. Alexander's is a small and charming building, with a nice patio area outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. We really enjoyed sitting outside- although it was a little noisy (being on Liberty Avenue and all). Before our meal, we were given bread. It was thick cut, fluffy white bread. Although it was good, it wasn't anything special. It was served with butter packets- pretty tacky if you ask me. I would have much rather preferred some house made oil. I ordered the Abby Alexandra's Angel Hair- grilled chicken, spinach and tomatoes with angel hair pasta and a very light white wine sauce. It was delicious. The meal itself felt rather light, making it easy for me to practically finish the entire large portion. I was able to stop myself to save a little for leftovers, though. My one complaint is that the server did not offer additional parmesan for the meal. I have never been to an Italian restaurant that didn't offer freshly grated cheese on top of your meal and was honestly shocked that they didn't. The pasta would have been much better with some freshly grated cheese- although it was still quite good. Otherwise, the service was good, the food was good and we had a nice time.
(3)Sue F.
Nice 1/2 off wines by the glass on Mondays. My boyfriend and I did the pick your own pasta, sauce, toppings. We both chose the agli oilio which needed roasted garlic for more flavor. I had the matalda pasta which was new for me and it was excellent with sun dried tomatoes. Service was ok and was short staffed in our opinion. We sat on the patio but next time will opt for the dining room. We thought the value was good for what we got. I'll go back next time I'm in the area.
(4)Natosha D.
The wait staff is so friendly. The Menu has a lot to choose from. Sometimes they run of things - but they always have great replacement options and work really hard to accommodate you. There are wine specials a few times a week, and always plenty of parking. I love it here, it's my go to for me and hubby's date night.
(5)Macdabrows ..
Don't expect fresh food. We have taken ravioli and tortelini. It was fast, that's perhaps because of microwave. Never more.
(2)Kennedy J.
This restaurant is a gem! Parking was easy to find on a side street next to the restaurant. We were greeting as soon as we walked in and the host say is immediately-impressive for 6:30 on a Friday evening. We ordered the fried zucchini, which came with marinara sauce. Absolutely amazing!! Best marinara I've ever eaten. There is a page in the menu of mix-and-match pastas with sauces. I got the tortellini with pesto and my mother got the gnocchi with red pepper sauce. The pesto was more like an Alfredo sauce with pesto in it. Although not what I expected, it was amazing. The red pepper sauce was sweet and tangy, a little different but still very enjoyable. All of the courses came out quickly- we were there for less than an hour. Our waiter was very nice and frequently refilled our waters. Overall, amazing experience and I will be returning next time I am in Pittsburgh.
(5)Mariam A.
Great food, nicest waiters in the world. We had the Italian coquielle for appetizers and it was AMAZING. Their candied walnut salad is to die for. Their entries are simply superb. I highly recommend this place, it's a gem!!
(5)Louise M.
I was extremely disappointed w/ my experience at Alexander's last evening. I had visited this restaurant in the past and remember it being much better? Also, I can't believe this is all Bloomfield has to offer, being the 'Italian' district of Pittsburgh - are you kidding? First of all, house Chianti tasted like vinegar. Pasta dishes were an average of $15 and didn't even come w/ a house salad. They did come w/ soup? however, we were not offered any and forgot about it until this morning. All of the pasta dishes my party ordered as well as the entrée salads were mediocre (chicken looked like it was processed?) and didn't have many of the ingredients that were outlined on the menu. And, to top the night off, I got sick off of mine and was up all night w/ indigestion. UGH!! I was looking forward to a low-key family dinner and something good to start off the holiday weekend and this restaurant came up short.
(2)Gerald H.
I unfortunately have to say that my wife and I agreed that both our meals served were the worst dinners we have had in Pittsburgh. I am pretty forgiving but this was not acceptable. Both meals were served barely warm. The decor was old 70's which could have charm but this didn't. The server was fair. Forgot to even bring us water after requesting it and didn't ask how the dinners were. Both plates were mediocre at best. I will not return.
(1)R H.
Well where do I start! The food was very bland for my taste. I'm not going to say much more but I won't be returning. I have to add this by far is one of the WORST Italian restaurants I've ever ate at. Good luck
(1)Deb F.
My sister Cyndy was in town on her birthday and my kids Megan & Michael and son's girlfriend Niki surprised her by making reservations at Alexander's Italian Bistro in Bloomfield. When we got there, our table was ready and we were immediately greeted by Michelle. From that moment on I knew they had picked the right restaurant. Michelle was so sweet and attentive. She explained the menu, helped us make our selections and made us feel like we were in her own home. Michelle started by bring us our drinks and homemade bread which she replenished a second time. It was so good. Then our meals came. Each one of us ordered something different. Megan had Classic Chicken Parmigiano, Michael had Penne with Marinara, Meatballs & Hot Sausage, Niki had Chicken Piccata, Cyndy had Penne with Pesto Sauce & I had Angel Hair Pasta with fresh tomatoes, spinach, chicken with splash of white wine. We all tasted everyones dishes and we couldn't find a winner. All were so delicious. At the end of the dinner, we all grabbed our to-go bags. Because we had cake waiting at home, Michelle gave my sister a loaf of their fabulous bread which we enjoy the next day with our coffee. So if you are looking for a great place to eat with fabulous food in a friendly environment. Alexander's Italian Bistro is your place!
(5)Paul K.
Alexander's offers some of the worst Italian food I've ever had. I went there with my girlfriend and my parents on a Saturday night, and from start to finish the experience that Alexander's gave us was simply awful. First, when we arrived around 6 pm, the restaurant was half-empty (bad sign #1). The hostess seated us at a table in the center of the very cramped and very small dining room (bad sign #2). Then, our waitress did not even come over to take drink orders for another 10 minutes (bad sign #3). Once the waitress finally arrived and took our orders, the food itself offered no relief. My girlfriend and I ordered the Caesar salad - the salads were drowning in Caesar dressing, the croutons were badly burnt and inedible, and there were too many croutons to begin with. This restaurant couldn't even get a simple salad right, but I hoped against hope that the entrees would be an improvement. Unfortunately, the entrees were no better. My girlfriend ordered Chicken Alfredo. Not only was the dish absurdly light on chicken (3 small pieces total? Come on!), the alfredo sauce was thick and gummy to the point of tasting like glue. My mom ordered the Mushroom ravioli, which was completely bland. I ordered the Veal Diablo with Shrimp; the plate came with 3 pieces of veal sliced extremely thin, 3 nice sized shrimp, and... that was it. No pasta, no garlic bread, nothing but an ocean of very mediocre marinara sauce. I finished my entire plate, the remaining half of my mom's plate after she was finished eating, and as much as I could stomach of my girlfriend's Alfredo (which was only a couple of forkfuls, as that Alfredo sauce was one of the foulest things I've ever eaten), but I still was left hungry. The dessert course offered a distinctly rotten cherry on top of this already heaping garbage sundae. We were initially assured that all of the desserts were made in-house, but that soon proved not to be the case. Indeed, for several of our desserts, a store-bought version would have been an improvement. I ordered a cannoli, figuring that even a crappy Italian restaurant can't screw up a cannoli, as it is a violation of Italian Law or something. Unfortunately, their "fresh-made" cannolis consisted of a pre-packaged cannoli shell, pre-packaged cannoli filling (which, by the way, was gritty, as though someone had dumped in white sugar but not mixed the cream thoroughly enough for the sugar to dissolve), and put the two together in the kitchen. Needless to say, my cannoli was awful. My girlfriend ordered the tiramisu, and what she received was about as far removed from tiramisu as one can get. There were almost no ladyfingers, and the ones that were in the dish were drowning in coffee. On top of that, the dessert was swamped with an excessive amount of coffee-flavored cream that essentially destroyed the dish. My uncle's chocolate cake was dry and uninspiring; a store-bought cake would have been more moist. I did not pick up the check - my uncle was nice enough to do that - so I did not see the final bill. However, they could not have paid me to eat this often-inedible food. The service was slow and inattentive, the food was simply awful, and I left hungry. Do not waste your time, your money, or your energy with this place, as you can get better Italian food virtually anywhere else in the city.
(1)Julie R.
My parents were in town and since my Mom's birthday is next week we decided to go out for an early celebration. I now live in Bloomfield so we decided to go Italian. Full disclosure: my first choice was D'Amico's but either they changed their storefront and I didn't recognize it, or they have closed. In any event, my plan B was Alexanders. We went on a Tuesday night around 7. Parking was no problem, free street parking after 6-nice! The bar was deserted and the small dining room had two or three small groups. So no shouting to make yourself heard-double nice! The seating was comfortable (we got a square table in the middle of the room). Our server was very nice and efficient and I'd give her at least 4 stars. My mom got the spinach and cheese ravioli w/ marinara sauce (on the menu the ravioli are deep fried but they honored her request for a "normal" cook), my dad got angel hair with bolognese sauce, and I got linguini with pesto sauce. I was surprised that the pasta dishes did not come with a salad so if you go, that's additional. The server said that the serving sizes were generous. They were good portions but not huge by Pittsburgh standards. My mom does not have a large appetite and she ate all but one ravioli. I ate all my pasta and could have had more. My Dad was reaching for his third slice of bread after he polished off his pasta, so I'll let you draw your own conclusions! :) The sauces were good and the pasta tasted like it was fresh. Everything was warm/lukewarm, but not steaming hot. I'm a bit of a slow eater, especially with pasta so by the time I was finishing, it was cold. The food was OK, in cases like this, I really wish you could give a half star, because this is 3.5 stars. Nothing was horrible, nothing was excellent. It was good. The bill with a tip was around $55 (we all had soft drinks), which again I don't have a major quibble about. Not sure I will go back, but not sorry I went. :)
(3)Sarah M.
This was my first time here and I will never go back. My hubby and I were excited to get alil dresses up and have some Italian and god did they mess that off. To start off when we walked in the place REEKED of piss. Like someone has literally just peed on the floor. Our waitress showed us to a booth in the back where they were scraps and trash under and around our table. I asked her for a drink list she informs me there isn't one k fine I move on. Then we get an appetizer the fried ravoli which was prices at 8$ but only came with four bite size pieces on a plate. That's it. Now onto the meal I order a tortellini and marinara and my husband got the tuna. Mine came out with random mixed veggies In it(which I just picked around) and my husbands came out fine except his sauces came in plastic cups(it was a 20$ dish). Oh and that's not the end of it. After telling the waitress that I didn't receive what I ordered we had to listen to her and the cook scream at each other while we at. She then have us our check and then disappeared. We waited until I finally stopped another waitress to cash us out. I paid 65$ all together and it should have been free.
(1)Deena A.
I AM BOYCOTTING ALEXANDER'S FOR LIFE!!! The manager SCREAMED AT ME at the top of his lungs in an epic meltdown that lasted 10 minutes! On Sat., April 12, 2014, I attended the 50th birthday party for my dear friend, David Flynn. I organized the party, but relied on Dave and his sister to provide me with the final head count. I made the reservation for 25 people. The manager and I played phone tag for the two days before the event. I called back and left messages TWICE to confirm, but apparently he never got my messages. (This was part of his rant, his indignation at unreturned phone calls that actually HAD been returned!) The dinner started at 7 PM. Most of our group arrived on time, but some of our group (including me) arrived between 8 PM-9 PM. I was working on a homemade birthday present for Dave, which took longer than expected. I called Dave, his sister and my friends (Reesa & Joel) to tell them I was running late. In hindsight, I should have also called the restaurant to let them know, and for that I am truly sorry. That still doesn't justify the manager SCREAMING AT ME FOR 10 MINUTES! After enjoying a delicious dinner, drinks and birthday cake, none of us had a clue that anything was wrong. If the decision to return to a restaurant were based SOLELY on the food and wait staff, I would definitely return to Alexander's. But sadly, when the manager has a nuclear meltdown and throws a 10-MINUTE SCREAMING TEMPER TANTRUM, it tends to sour one on returning to a restaurant. Towards the end of our dinner, some of us started to smell cigarette smoke, which we later realized was coming from the patio out front. (It was a warm night, and they had the front sliding-glass doors open.) In the midst of the smoke discussion, the manager approached our table and began an EPIC RANT, SCREAMING AT ME FOR 10 MINUTES!!! He was angry that everyone in our group hadn't arrived at exactly 7 PM. The restaurant's kitchen is open till 10 PM on Sat. night, so I don't understand why this was a big deal. We ended up with 20 people total and 5 no-shows. I am always disappointed by no-shows, but I explained this possibility to the manager when I made the reservation. I STILL BROUGHT HIM 20 PAYING CUSTOMERS! BTW...the dining room was practically EMPTY, which is not what I would expect on a Saturday night in Pittsburgh. Maybe I'm not the first customer to be on the receiving end of the manager's meltdown. The manager SCREAMED that he had called me twice, and I hadn't called him back! He ranted about this about a dozen times. I told him I HAD called him back - TWICE. It's not my fault if he didn't get my messages. He SCREAMED that he had put an extra waitress and cook on staff because he expected 25 people. He SCREAMED that I had cost the restaurant $100! How much money do you think 20 people spent on appetizers, dinner and drinks? I find it hard to believe that they didn't make any money, or at least break even. I am sorry that there were 5 no-shows in our group, but I always thought Saturday night was the busiest night of the week for most restaurants. I didn't realize the restaurant would look like a deserted, old western ghost town with hardly any customers. On a Saturday night, I assumed they would have a full staff on duty with or without my reservation. I was wrong. I'm sorry. I'm not perfect. The manager also YELLED at me and my friends for "LOOKING COMFORTABLE" in his restaurant!!! Since when is looking comfortable an OFFENSE??? I thought restaurants wanted you to feel comfortable, but apparently not at Alexander's. He also SCREAMED that one of the waitresses only got a $1.00 tip! I found that hard to believe, but just in case he wasn't making it up, I tipped my waitress $35 on my $26 dinner check! I am a former waitress, and I would feel HORRIBLE if any waitress every got ripped off on my watch! Even if his story wasn't true, I figured she deserved an extra big tip just for having to WORK in such a horrible place where the manager YELLS at paying customers!!! If he treats the customers this way, I can only imagine how he treats the employees. THE MANAGER'S RUDE BEHAVIOR HAS COST HIM MY BUSINESS AND MY FRIENDS' BUSINESS FOREVER!!! During his rant, he actually SCREAMED that he never wanted to see me in his restaurant ever again! I'm happy to grant him that wish. And so are my friends. This is an example of the WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I have ever witnessed in my entire life!!! I thought the manager was going to have a heart attack or a stroke the way he was SCREAMING FOR 10 MINUTES! SCREAMING at paying customers is completely unacceptable behavior, and I will NEVER eat at Alexander's ever again. It's really a shame because I loved their salmon with pesto sauce. But great food can't make up for a manager who throws a TEMPER TANTRUM and SCREAMS AT YOU. Also, you can smell smoke in the dining room, which sucks. My friends and I are BOYCOTTING ALEXANDER'S FOR LIFE!!!
(1)