Taste Of Italy, Fort Worth, Texas Restaurant Details

Food:

Service: 2 - 3 star
Food: 2 - 5 star
Pricing: 3 star
Overall: 1 star

Why 1 star? They only have fresh jalapenos, which for someone who grew up with traditional pickled jalapenos, are disgusting. I will not rate any restaurant that chooses to carry fresh jalapenos, particularly ONLY fresh jalapenos, more than 1 star.

Food:
Their food dishes are some of the best Italian you will find in the area (if you exclude Dallas, which has better places with nicer staff). Their signature dish, which lets you sample 3 varieties (Lasagna, Eggplant, Chicken and 1/2 Fettucini Alfredo), is full of flavor and a reason in itself to go here.

On the other hand, when you order a pizza, your luck will vary -- it might be made fresh, or it might be a reheated pizza that was sitting out for too long, in which case the texture and taste make it easy to distinguish them. Unfortunately, the last time I ordered pizza here, it was the latter, so I can no longer praise their pizza, nor rely on them as a source for pizza (for other reasons also, mentioned below). Everyone who tried it said it wasn't that good. It's surprising, as when I ordered their pizza in the past, it was always very good. The drive to Mr Jims, Nizza, and other places doesn't seem as far, now.

To Go:

They don't put your name with your order, so if you forget the number they give you (because who's in the habit of remembering an order id?) you may receive condescending looks while they attempt to find your food.

Service:

Some of their staff are nice and courteous, but enough of them aren't that it's often apparent when you're there. They tend toward acting mildly brusque in dealing with you, the customer. You may receive some looks, or a sense of attitude that you're something of a mild inconvenience.

Nizza's owners also tend to be a little brusque, but there's a hint of friendliness and appreciation of your being there. You don't get such a positive vibe from Taste of Italy's staff, or at least not from many, if not most of them.

Pricing:

The cost of a meal is average for this type of establishment (gourmet Italian with pizza). In fact, it seems the manager believes them to be located near the downtown area of some major city, with how some of their items are priced.

$3.00 for a pizza topping, and if you order a half topping (half of the pie), it's... oh wait, the manager doesn't care, it's still $3.00. Probably the biggest thing that irked me the last time I went there. No other pizza joint I've been to charges full price for half toppings, and topping prices seem to be assuming you're always ordering a giant size (18") pizza. Check Rocco's in Dallas -- 1.50 per topping, half that if you order a half, and 3.00 for 18" toppings. Reasonable. Normal. Sane. You won't find that at Taste of Italy.

In conclusion, they are worth checking out for some great Italian cuisine, but they fall short in too many other ways -- most linked to poor management -- that it doesn't surprise me that this place failed once before.

Solely for offering only fresh jalapenos, I hope they fail again.

Food:

The calamari and pizza were top notch!

Food:

Nasty & Disgusting is all I can say! Went for lunch on 9/6/2015 at Taste of Italy off Boat Club Road. The hostess went to seat me at a table right by the front door and there were three flies on the table. I asked if I could move to a table at the back of the restaurant to get away from the flies and the front door (giving them the benefit of the doubt since the table was right by the front door, and it is summer time). She agreed, but didn't even seem to be embarrassed or apologetic about the fly situation.

I ordered a tea, side salad (not bad) and manicotti. I (unfortunately) ate my salad, and while waiting for my manicotti, I noticed that my Parmesan shaker was empty, so I asked my waiter for some Parmesan for my lunch, he took my empty shaker, went to the kitchen, and brought me a new one. As I was looking at it, I saw something black in it. I shook it around, but couldn't tell what it was. I unscrewed the lid and realized it was a dead fly in the Parmesan shaker! Now my stomach is starting to turn. I start to look around the restaurant, and notice there are flies EVERYWHERE! Literally! There must have been 20 to 30 flies buzzing around the restaurant.

So I get up to leave and, being the too polite person that I am, pay for my meal that I'm not going to eat, I go up to the front to check out. I notice as I wait for them to ring me out, that the complimentary bread that comes with your meal is laid out on the kitchen prep counter with flies buzzing all around it. I get you have to prep meals, and that that means out on a counter, but the majority of restaurants do not have a pest problem. It was sickening! DO NOT GO THERE!

I cannot believe they pass inspection from the FDA. I get it's summer, and every restaurant has a fly or fruit gnat every once in a while, but it's typically 1 or 2, not 25! Eat at your own risk....

Food:

Best Italian food I have had in the U.S.

It doesn't look like much from the outside, but Benny is an incredible chef making truly authentic Italian. There is a secret menu for those who become 'regulars' (garlic knots for example).

I live in Austin, but every time I visit my parents I make a visit to this place. EVERY. TIME. Seriously my favorite restaurant.

Food:

10 times better then Olive Garden at a quarter of the price. I assure you do not judge a book by its cover, the building doesn't look like much. It looks like a cheap knock off Chinese restaurant but this is by far the best Italian food in Texas.