Well this place is interestic. I think I fell into the biggest Italian sterotype. There are fake flowers, fake vines hanging from lattice work and string lights. I think I heard the soundtrack from Lady and the Tramp. I sat in the bar area and the server has been so nice and friendly. I received a warm basket of bread always a good choice. Garlic and herby yum. Also had Chicken Scampi which is not on the menu but they made the Shrimp scampi with chicken for me. Ice tea: very good not bitter or old. Menu: The menu has a decent variety of classic dishes and pizza and apps. Do not come here expecting a new take on Classic Italian. It is good for a chain concept and the food is better than the decor. I would take this place over OG or Carabbas but not Carinos.
(4)
Farley L.
Had lunch here last Sunday afternoon, was a recommendation from a police officer we met. This place was fabulous! There is nothing like the smell of garlic from the parking lot that gets you salivating before you get to the door. I had Mama's favorite which was excellent. Save a portion to take home for the next day and it was just as good. Can't remember what my wife had but she ate it all. Going back this Friday with friends and to celebrate our anniversary. Really great Italian, good wine. Molto bene Will definitely be taking guests here.
(5)
Christina S.
I have to be honest I have never eaten at the restaurant we always do take out. I love the chicken parm it is by far my fav!! Tonight my husband had chicken Marsala and said it was ok but probably wouldn't have it again. The girl working their tonight Erin I think was super nice. It is a little pricey in my book, per person about $12-$15 and it is just the entree no salad. I was also bummed tonight because they have a yelp offer for an appetizer if you check in, I asked if I could use it and she said it was only for dining in which it doesn't say and I have a one year old so I don't do a lot of dining in right now, take out seems to be the way to go!
(4)
Pepper T.
Since my last review the menu has changed a few times for the better. Also since my last review I've dined at several Italian Restaurants in the Scottsdale area that offer similar meals at much higher prices that aren't as good so I feel the need to update my review. This is a family owned and operated budget Italian Restaurant that's been a pillar of the area for over twenty years. Nothing comes pre-made all the food and sauces are prepared in-house. Portions are large and prices are low. No other restaurant that I know of offers around a half dozen fresh vegetable choices for your dinner nightly. If your not a fan of pasta you can alter your dish to be prepared with spaghetti squash instead. Although the restaurant isn't gluten free they do offer gluten free pasta and whole wheat pasta for those who are interested. Another health helpful option is the grilled chicken parmesan that you can get over vegetables if you care too. I had one of the new dinners Steak Gorgonzola where I swapped out the pasta for spaghetti squash ($13.99). This dish was richly flavored and delicious. The steak was seasoned and was butter knife tender. The sauce was delicious and flavorful. The dish was made with fresh spinach and sundries tomatoes and gorgonzola cheese. I'm a big fan of the spacious comfortable dog friendly patio and enjoy the live music that plays on the weekend. I've always found the service friendly and warm and efficient. Tag's offers DEEP discounts. You can get $25 extra on a $100. gift card purchase and they also have a Swipe Card that gives you additional savings. This is a family friendly kind of restaurant.
(4)
Janed B.
First time visiting Tagliani's. Pizza supreme was very tasty, great crust. Old world Italian restaurant atmosphere. Nice service. A basket of buttery garlic toast is served with every meal, a plus. Will be back for sure.
(5)
Steve F.
We dined at this restaurant once and had take out once, both times the food was absolutely terrific. My wife loved the Eggplant Parmesan and I had the fettuccine, both the pasta and marinara sauce were great. The salads were very fresh and their dressings, which I think they prepare themselves, were very good. They welcome having you customize the marinara sauce with whatever you would like to add. Very comfortable dining room with nice relaxing music playing at a proper level.
(5)
Rachel M.
First time for lunch and first time ordering pizza....pizza has the thin lavash style crust, which I love, young men working the lunch hour were very accommodating and friendly....have lots of lunch specials....we love coming here for dinner and now I will love coming for lunch
(4)
Gissell R.
It's good but could use just a tad bit more flavor. Very decent food. They get 5 stars for service though. Amanda was my server & she's great! Got free wings and onion rings for checking in, so that's a plus
(5)
Christine P.
Love the Italy decor feel, nice layout. I wish I was actually there though. Haha :)) We got the 6 wings and 6 onion rings complimentary because I checked myself into yelp. Yayyy for yelp. The garlic bread was DELICIOUS! ( Had three basket :/ ) but it' s.so .good!!!!!!!!! The Mediterranean pizza minus the olives was awesome. Love the thin crust. The sauce was on point. Yumm. Boyfriend had the rigatoni spicy sausage pasta.. he absolutely enjoyed it. Everything was on par he said. He devoured the wings. He liked how the crush peppers were on the wings. He thought it was perfect :) Our waitress wasn't too friendly nor helpful. But the food was really good and I had great company! :)
(3)
Darline C.
My husband and I went here with another couple last night. Firstly, we have been here before and have had good experiences. This time...not so much. I ordered the chicken Marsala, and it was presented in a bowl which was weird, then chicken breast that had what looked like they slopped some canned cream of mushroom soup on it. When I took my first bite, it pretty much tasted like that too. My husband loved their mussels the last time we were there. When he got it the mussels were served completely dry with no yummy garlic broth whatsoever and there was some angel hair pasta below it that had no sauce and was a hard blob of pasta that was not freshly prepared. Not sure what happened since the last time we were here. Change in ownership, chefs, I don't know...but we're not going back.
(2)
Good Eats S.
At Midway Chevrolet to pick up a repaired vehicle and happily, it was dinner time, so stopped in for our second meal at Tagliani's 59th. I had garden salad with creamy garlic dressing and the Chicken Dynamante. DH had garden salad with creamy garlic dressing and Chicken Marsala. Salads were very crisp and fresh. DH loved the dressing---I thought was good, but not the best ever. Chicken Marsala---DH loved it and I have to say my sample from his plate was excellent. I would say rivaled mine! Sauce was very light and flavorful, chicken was perfectly cooked. Chicken Dynamante---came with ziti, but kindly substituted angel hair, because I don't like "tube pasta". It was really good. Again, my chicken was also perfectly cooked, and the Pepperocini Sauce was just a "wow" in the mouth. I had to poke DH to keep his fork off my plate! Tagliani's now has two of their sauces---the Marinara and the Pepperocini---bottled and for sale. We took one of each. As I said, the Pepperocini Sauce is delicious, and I remember from our previous visit that I---not a huge tomato sauce lover---really liked their Marinara sauce. I would say it is almost as good as what a friend of mine makes, and she is one of those Italia-to-the-bone cooks and knows her sauce! And same as the first time, service exemplary! Can't ever complain about the service here, I think!
(3)
Michael G.
Just ordered pickup and the service was excellent, I got the pasta Tagliani, it was one of the best pasta dishes I've had in a long time. Every bite had flavor, the noodles cooked to perfection and the broccoli too... I recommend this place %110!!!
(5)
Irina H.
Good food, good value, generally good service - this only lacks the 4th star because I feel the food could use just a tiny flavor boost. It's very good, but not quite excellent. There are lots of wonderful options, generous portions and unusual items (you can get things like spaghetti squash or tortellini as a base in mix-n-match pasta, and you can toss on any variety of toppings). It's definitely fresher and more authentic than the standard salad-n-breadsticks chain, and features lots of healthy options. The atmosphere is cozy and cute, although slightly chain-y. Overall, a great place to try if you're in the area.
(3)
Nakata H.
Found this place on yelp. My doggies really enjoyed their dog friendly large patio area. Super dog friendly which is always plus. They have a really good selection of happy hour menu everyday from 2:30- 6:30 pm. Our server ms. Faye was very knowledgable and on point on her recommendations. Food was closer to five stars but since we only had appetizers, I am going to keep it 4 stars for now. You can get frequent dinner card which I think you can collect credits for free. You can get free appetizers on yelp check in. I can't wait to go back!!
(4)
Kt K.
Besides having the best happy hour, this place allows dogs on the patio. Best Mykonos pizza and calamari. If you ever need a delicious cake order the 1/4 sheet to feed twelve or the half for 24 ppl. You will not be disappointed!! My family loved this cake!!!!
(5)
Julie S.
Good as usual... My hubby and I always get the baked spaghetti, which I highly recommend. My rum and diet was a little weak but my husband says hi just have a high tolerance... ha ha Overall we love this place!!
(4)
Angela R.
Tagliani is our "stand-by" ... we visit at least once a month and have dined here many times over the past 8 years. The Caesar salad is dressed with a fairly true Caesar dressing, without a lot of vinegar. As always, was good. Rieseling wine same as always. But I asked young man/server if they stocked my "NEW FAVE" wine: ROSCATO, a sweet red from Italy...he said no. I said well tell the owner it has just been requested. (He chuckled annoyingly, as if to say "yeah right!" so I then told him...THAT IS HOW the industry improves...by listening to the customers who pay the rent!) He was younger, a new server whom we had never met... Salmon was a fresher taste last night than usual. This establishment manages to broil it and still keep it moist, yet fully cooked inside...a very good reflection on the chef! Ravioli was over-cooked last night, sadly. Too soft, yet normally just right level of al dente. So, 2 things: Bring in ROSCATO red sweet wine. It is wonderful! Also, your Salmon has not been as fresh-tasting in the past year or so...as it was very fresh for the past 8 years. have you changed vendors? Example: Macaroni Grill (a chain) and Christos in central phoenix, both consistently serve salmon that is NOT fishy! It can be done, with the right sea food vendor and buying / storage habits!) This will remain one of our regular destinations. But the stoic-faced ownership NEEDS TO LISTEN!
(4)
Beau S.
The free appetizer you get upon check-in has surprisingly good wings. Had papas plate and baked spaghetti. Everything was very good besides the lasagna. Lasagna was a bit of a let down. But really enjoyed the manicotti on papas plate was great. Prices are decent. Service was good.
The atmosphere is lovely, the service was super, and furthermore, the food was excellent. Be hungry when you go, because there is plenty! Lasagne is delicious, not to much of anything in it, just right. Wines are great
(5)
Natty K.
This place is not as good as it used to be. Not to mention, their prices have increased and their portions have decreased. Service is poor and the cleanliness of the place is questionable... I miss the way it used to be. I will not go out of my way to come here anymore. :(
(2)
Manny S.
This is a very nice Italian restaurant that's perfect for lunch or dinner with your family. It's nice inside and the service is top notch. I've only eaten here a few times but was always greeted by a friendly person who chatted a bit on the way to the table. The servers are also friendly and attentive. We got a sampler platter for a starter the last time we came and it was a lot of food! It comes with artichoke dip, chicken wings, onion rings, mozzarella, zucchini and mushroom fritti. No problem serving three adults and two kids. They have a nice menu with a number of choices. But, I figure that any place that has the tag line, "your neighborhood pasta place" is giving me a hint about what to order. I've had the Baked Ziti and the Sausage Lasagna. Both dishes are very good. Their sauce is delicious and they're a contender for the best meatballs in the valley. Nice place for a good meal with your family - note, they have a very good children's menu.
(4)
Judy L.
Always a fan and love their food. The 14th Street pizza is my favie but this time it tasted different. It was good but it was not GREAT!!! =( The service was great.
(4)
Sarah M.
I went in expecting a very nice Italian dinner, and the food was trying too hard to not have any flavor. I will never go back here again because it was worse than the nastiest Olive Garden in town!
(2)
Joe S.
We enjoy this place alot...however we recently went to enjoy the live entertainment on the patio and found out that they allow smoking and left ALOT sooner than we wanted to....I thought there was a law :(
(3)
Karina H.
I have been here before with my bf and we had a great time with good food...we decided to eat here for our anniversary dinner (well, lunch actually). We got drinks (waited 10+ mins) so I'll knock a star off and they were not very good to boot. We ordered the make your own pasta dish. My boyfriend ordered a spicy rigatoni with meatballs. I got ravioli with marinara. Within two bites my boyfriend could tell that there were nuts in it. He has a pretty bad nut allergy so I quickly waved someone down and I believe she was a manager...she had an accent but never said her name. She told my boyfriend it was HIS fault. His pasta dish that shouldn't have contained any nuts (no warning on the items he chose) somehow had nuts. She said he should have informed the staff before ordering but really! Pasta doesn't usually have nuts! I'm allergic to bananas but I don't go around telling places to keep my spaghetti away from the banana foster, do I? Honestly, she was so rude. I love the goat cheese salad but after that experience we won't be going back. The male manager ended up not charging us for the pasta.
(2)
Brian G.
I took my XC team here and called early in the day for a reservation. They had a side room for us, which was great, but still had to wait for 10-15 minutes to be seated. I sat out in the main dining area with my other coaches and received excellent food and service. We finished and paid and went to check on the kids, knowing it would take longer to serve 20 kids. We were shocked to see they only had drinks at this point, and quickly discovered that only one waitress had been assigned to serve 20 kids. Salads started coming at this point, but it took an hour and a half before they got their food. I asked them to bring the checks immediately after the food in order to speed things up, and asked that they include the tip in the check to make things easier (high school students don't get the concept and I still wanted the waitress to get a tip despite everything). They said they would, but then did not include the tip, which slowed things down even more. There was still only one waitress handling all the checks, and at this point there were very few patrons left in the restaurant, yet management did not get her the help she clearly needed in order to expedite service. It took over two hours to serve my group. I understand a large group takes more time to serve, and am ok with that. Management did not seen to understand what is necessary to serve a group this large. In the future (if we return) I will make sure to request sufficient waitstaff for the group or simply drive a little farther to the Bell Road location in Peoria where management understands the logistics of serving a large group. Just to be clear - the food and prices were great and the staff perfectly friendly. All the issues we had could have been solved simply by having an appropriate number staff to serve the large group.
(2)
Trevor C.
I came home to find my wife buried under a pile of books studying away. Neither she, nor myself wished to cook and I thought she could use a break so I set off searching the Yelp app for something new. I came across Cucina Tagliani and the reviews seemed good so I figured what the hell. We arrived and stood by the vacant host station for someone to assist us. The manager came by after a few minutes and seated us. Our waitress came by a short time later to take drink orders. However, since we'd made it in time for happy hour, we just ordered water while we perused the happy hour menu. By the time she returned, we had already chosen our drinks, app, and entrees. She apologized for the slow service and said that it was due to everyone covering every position - busing, waiting, hosting duties. We weren't too bothered about it, but I was starting to get antsy when she arrived. The rest of the service was good. Since Good Eats S. had written a review not 1 hour prior to our arrival, we used theirs as a guide. We both got the Mama's Sampler. We both agreed that the chicken and lasagna were fantastic! However, the fettucine was bland. Maybe more garlic could have brought it to life, but it was still edible. I would order the chicken parm on it's own next time since it is so good. We ordered onion rings for our app. They were good, but not something I would expect at an Italian restaurant. I would certainly order them again, but would also like to try other items on the menu. The garlic bread is plentiful and beats the hell out of Olive Garden's. Flavor is good, and it is cooked perfectly. We ordered an Italian Dream and Monsoon Madness for our drinks. All I can say is that they are strong, but you don't know it until you've had one down. The alcohol sneaks up on you since they are just so fruity and good. Now I know what you're thinking - men don't drink fruity drinks. I figure who cares as long as it is good and gets you the effect you're looking for. These drinks definitely do that. We will be coming back at some point.
(4)
Cobalt Z.
Decent Italian in a suburban strip mall. Decent wine selection, meal sizes were generous. Bathroom was built for Phoenix Sun players, I had to tiptoe to use the urinal. Seriously.
(3)
Ty Y.
My husband went for lunch on Saturday and were disappointed. It must have changed hands the decor had changed a bit and the bread was different (not in a good way). The bread was very soggy like it had been sitting for hours and it was only lunch time. The service was horrible even though there were only people sat three tables. It was just not as welcoming and friendly as it used to be. Though I hand't been there in few months it "was" one of my go to restaurants.
(1)
Jeanne L.
Sat outside on the patio last Friday night - they had a wonderful singer who played everything - not so loud that you couldn't talk though. The food was wonderful, service was good and the atmosphere was so nice! Planning to bring a group this weekend!
Found this place using Yelp while in Anthem, AZ. So we (my parents and I) piled in the car and drove about 25 minutes to this place. It was Happy Hour when when we arrived so I asked for the strongest drink on the their menu. I had the Monsoon Madness. It's wasn't that strong, but it was good drink. We had appetizers - Calamari Fritti and a Caprese Bruschetta - Both delicious. Dinner - My dad had a Pepperoni/Pineapple Pizza, My mom had the Eggplant Parmesan and I had the Linguine and Clams in White Sauce. Everything was delicious.
(4)
Andrica D.
The good was amazing ! We sat on the patio and listened to the live music. Very accommodating to our large party. I got the wedge blue cheese salad and it was amazing ! I also got the angel hair pasta and toma-fredo sauce and it was amazing !! I would recommend this place for sure !!
(5)
Pearsey P.
This place is good, and the happy-hour specials are pretty good too. My only complaint is that they make everything extra FATTENING. I wanted to eat more, but there was soooooo much unnecessary butter and cream and oil all over everything. I got the steak fettuccine.
(4)
Marty R.
THE VERY BEST Italian food we've ever had in Arizona. Wish they'd come over to Chandler. SOON.
(5)
Eric H.
Outstanding linguini with clams in garlic butter sauce. It was made just right and feels like home cooking. Very tasty garlic bread as well. They also have many true Italian items on the menu that you wouldn't find in pseudo Italian places (e.g. Olive Garden), but some items can be pricy. Option to customize pasta. Service is ok, nice decor inside but it's more of a eatery than a 1st class restaurant. I would go back when I crave for some real Italian food.
(4)
Bo R.
I've been here on 2 occasions. Once for dinner, and once for lunch. Both times have been good, quality experiences. When we had dinner at Tagliani's it was 4 of us. I was with my family, and my brother in law raved about it. We ordered 2 appetizers, and each of us ordered an entree. We family styled the entrees and everyone ate some of everything. All of it was very good. Bread was fresh and warm. Put it in the the "Must do again" category. Went back for lunch a few days ago. Went to check-in, and low and behold, a free app! Wings and Rings! And honestly, they were the best wings I've ever had. Grilled to absolute perfection. The rings were homemade. Awesome. I had the lunch special baked ziti. Very good. Gf had the Eggpant Parmesian. She gave it a 3.5. I tried the spaghetti and maranara that went with it. I thought it had a very clean, and fresh flavor. Great for a maranara. Little one had the pepperoni pizza off of the Kids' Menu. I had a couple of bites to try it, and I thought it was excellent. I'd have eaten it. The only gripe was the bread seemed a tad dated. But, it was 3pm when we got there, and I'm sure fresh bread might be a stretch. Overall, it was an excellent experience with great food, and good service.
(4)
brendan k.
Always a fan. For a few reasons, but my most important one is the dog friendly patio. I like to go for a few drinks on friday with my dog Blueberry who has the entire staff wrapped up in her little paw. Always good service, and although Im an atkins dieter, they are very in tune with making sure my dietary needs are met. Just a real good vibe from everyone there and the fact that they are involved in dog adoption events and have accomodations for my cheap little fur covered date make this place kinda great for the both of us. To all the staff and Mr Sample, thank you all for being accomodating. Foods great as well. Blueberry should be the mascot for this place. I realize now I had posted this review to the other location. Reguardless. I have not been to the other location and think a 5 star rating should be appropriate by association. Avanti! Also, the patio on fridays evenings has a real talented young lady who is really nice to listen to and gives a real nice ambiance to the whole area.
(5)
Scott R.
Came for lunch OMG who is cooking fire them! Fried cheese Yuk was old and well not very good! What happened to this place is it under new management? Hope it gets better last two visits not as good as it was couple years ago! Was very happy to see response from a manager and hope that my next visit is great !
(3)
Terri D.
We have been here atleast a dozen times over the Last couple of years, the food is not at all like it used to be. Pasta sauce was Not good, chicken parm was Not seasoned well, the bread was soggy.
(1)
Jesse J.
I went with a group last night for dinner to try Cucina Tagliani and well it just wasn't my cup of tea. I love Italian food don't get me wrong and I love big portions both of which Cucina Tagliani offers. The service was great as well. My problem was the food just wasn't really good. I had the calamari which was ok and a ceaser salad which again just ok. Then for main course i had the veal parmigiana which I thought just really lacked in flavor and thought the meat was over done. So overall it wasn't a bad experience just lack of tasty food that led to the low rating so try at your own risk.
(2)
Michelle M.
We came back, after a personal invitation from the owner, after a so-so experience at the 59th avenue location. We decided to try out the 83rd (Arrowhead location) second time around. What a world of difference. Staff, service, atmosphere....all was excellent! Including the food. Complimentary garlic bread was delish, and we also started with a wing onion ring combo plate. Yummy wings :) I had the caprese side salad, small but really delicious and fresh and I had a make your own pasta dish with fettuccini, garlic butter, spinach and roasted onions. Butter was Lacking a little flavor, but none the less, very good and pasta was super fresh. My husband had the steak Gorgonzola over fettuccini with a side of antipasto salad. Again, very good. Manager visited our table....server was as sweet as could be. Loved the Italian family style atmosphere....we will be back. Thank you very much for the invitation to dine again :)
(4)
Shane M.
I have never left a review on Yelp before but I was inspired to download the app just to warn people about this place. I wish I would have looked at reviews before I came here today. I used to make the drive from north scottsdale, all the way over to glendale just for this restaurant when I was 16 to let's say 20. I am now 30 and decided to mix things up with my girlfriend and try my favorite from when I was a kid. This place has gone down hill in a hurry. I laughed audibly out loud when I read the review previously written saying they think it changed hands. I had just done a Google search on my phone to see if they sold out. The owner must have gotten a new manager or food provider. The food made me sick. I ordered whole wheat pasta with the reduced fat marinara and it came out like a bowl of soup. We tried the 4.50 portobello mushroom appetizer and that was like a hot sponge soaked in vinager. The bread is soggy and nasty. I was embarrassed to take my girlfriend here.
(1)
Anita N.
Better Italian food at Olive Garden and that's saying a lot! New to the area I decided to give this place a try and unfortunately it'll be the last time. Happy hour is not happy hour, the waitress who wasn't familiar with the menu had to keep coming back and telling me all the things I couldn't get. Not a great business strategy. Worst of all I couldn't customize my order which was shocking. You'd think if I could have a burger made my way at a fast food joint that they could customize your meal for the price you're paying here! So be careful if you are allergic or really dislike certain foods. It also worried me that the food isn't being cooked to order because of this and perhaps just frozen bulk that's reheated. I ordered the spinach manicotti which I forced myself to finish because I felt bad for my friend who had offered to pay. The food was lukewarm at best, not presented well and I felt ill after it all. I won't be returning, there are plenty of other restaurants in the area to choose from.
(1)
Carmelo W.
it was a-ok.
(3)
Ali C.
I cannot believe I have forgotten to review one of my favorite restaurants. I have been coming in for years and I absolutely love it. I typically get the pasta plate and order a gnocchi with garlic butter and spinach which is big enough on the full for me to take home and eat for lunch the next day. The half is good sized too, but you only take a little home then. The atmosphere is typically friendly. (Every once in awhile you encounter a miss-hire with the wait staff. I had one waitress every time I came it. Ugh. She was just not cool but I'm hoping she just isn't there any more.) The decor is old an Italian homey feel. I will say I prefer this location to the newer one near the 101. Its a smaller setting, I don't feel as forgotten and my food is always hot at this location even when I do take out.
(5)
Robyn S.
called ahead and took our dogs here. they set up the outside patio for us along with many water bowls for all the pooches. All I ate was their desert pizza cookie which was just ok. the bread they bring out as a complimentary snack was yummy though so I'm excited to try their actual food next time I go. Nice place and friendly service.
(5)
Taylor J.
I had lunch here earlier today with my mom. Our server was Emma I believe, curly hair. The service was great as was the food. What was not so great was the woman two booths down complaining along the entire time. When she got rude with Emma, Emma said she would go get the manager to fix the problem. Emma kept apologizing for their problem and remained composed and polite the entire time. I have worked in the service industry for over 10 years and I have never seen a manager handle something like this. He actually stood up for his employee and refused to let either him or his server be treated disrespectfully. The woman started shouting about how awful it was that she was not getting something for free and how they do not value customers. She made the environment uncomfortable. It was amazing to see a manager 86 someone instead of kissing their ass like most people expect. I will come back to this location because I know the managers respect their staff.
(5)
Lucky T.
Yes, yes and hell, yes! The food--I had veal piccata the small portion--was delicious and more than enough. My friend got the large size veal parmigiana and she had to take more than half home for the next day. Her portion was that large, so maybe it is smarter to get the large order for a little more and get 2X the food. They put bread that's toasted with garlic and olive oil on the table first which was dee-licious! Obviously, I totally blew the Atkins all protein diet with that bread basket, but it was sooo good! I just love the food here, so this is now my new go-to place for real Italian. ***Keep up the good work at this location, but you need to kick the 83rd Ave. location and get them cooking like the 59th Ave. location. I've eaten at both, and they just are not the same: different cooks make a difference.
(5)
Susan M.
We've been meaning to get to this intriguing restaurant for quite a while. Well, for Valentine's day, while everyone else was jacking up their prices, they were offering a $10 off $30 through Sunday night, so we went one day early and we were NOT disappointed. The Caprese salad and Antipasto salads were divine. The Fritti plate which in our case meant half mozza and half zucchini was so fresh! The mozza literally melted at the touch. Our entrees were very good as well. My hubs got the Papa combo which consisted of veal, lasagna and some spinach manicotti. He said it was spectacular. My Chicken Saltimbucca was very good but a bit dry for my taste. I saw many other orders go out that looked very yummy so I'm going to go again and again, working my way around the menu. The service was excellent with Barbara offering suggestions and helping in any way she could. Now, this is not the most glamorous place on earth but it's comfortable and you feel like family!
(4)
Ron P.
Less expensive food if that is what you are looking for. Happy hour has some good items but most are fried. Not that there is anything wrong with that!
(2)
Laura B.
I was really excited to go check this place out because I've heard great things about it. The interior was very cute and loved the music, it was very Italian. However, I was a little disappointed with the food. I got the Cesar salad to start off with and thought it tasted funny, but was then told by our server it was because there's anchovies in the dressing. That would've been nice to know ahead of time in case someone is allergic to fish, plus I wouldn't have ordered that salad then. I didn't enjoy my steak Gorgonzola either, which I think has the anchovies in thy sauce too, because that did not taste as good as it sounded in the menu. I won't be going back anytime soon.
(2)
Justin S.
We used to really like the food here so decided to try it again, especially since we found online where kids eat free. There was a little bit of a hassle when we got the check, but ended up getting that removed. However, we were still charged for our kid's drinks when the menu specifically said they were included with the meals. The antipasto salad we got was not filled with "meats" as described, but rather a small portion of only pepperoni and the dressing had an unusual after taste. The alfredo sauce was real bland, chicken parmesan too thin and mainly breading. When we reached out to the manager, never heard a word back so obviously customer service isn't such a priority here. We will never go back.
(2)
Mike W.
My family visits this location quite often. The food is usually quite good. However, more than once we've had an issue trying to use a coupon. Case in point, yesterday checked in on YELP and was rewarded a free onion/wing app, only to be informed by our waitress that they weren't accepting coupons that day (presumably because of Mother's Day?). As stated before, not the first time a coupon has been refused here. Not sure what the thinking is behind these decisions, but seems a bit off-putting. It's not like they're giving anything else away. Maybe change the wording on offers to exclude certain days, but seems to me a bad idea to treat customers in that manner.
(3)
Rachel S.
Service has always been great, don't care for the dry bread but it's the horrible water that stands out as trying to get the customer to order a "drink". Out of the four of us at dinner we all agreed the water tasted like chlorine water from someone's pool. The server said it's "filtered". NOT a chance! We asked him if we could get the water from bartender. He replied "it's the same". He kept pushing ordering a $4 sparkling water or cocktail etc. We all agreed no thanks. I went up to the bar later and asked for a glass of water. What do you know? It was fine and definitely filtered. Food is alright but when the water tastes better at even In and Out or any other restaurant you know they aren't paying attention to detail. Plenty of other great Italian restaurants on Bell Rd.
(2)
Mark M.
This I feel is one of the best italian eateries this side of the valley. I have been a regular here for the past five years and the lasagna is the best. I highly recommend this establishment. Great food, good prices, and the wait staff was very helpful
(5)
Brittany A.
My parents took my sister and I to this location since we were kids. I always loved it and then we started to go to the location at Arrowhead. The Arrowhead location was good up until about a year ago. Then their food's quality changed and I started sending food back too often. Last night (04/07/2014), I took my boyfriend to this location. It was his first time eating at Cucina Tagliani at any location and my first time back to this location in years. One of the best meals we've had in a while. I ordered the black mussel pasta for the first time and I can't remember a time where I had more flavorful mussels. I went to work after dinner and told everyone how good they were. My boyfriend was a huge fan of the garlic bread and the chicken parmigan. I'm thrilled to see a place from my childhood continue to offer the best quality and service. I forgot how much I love the decor there as well. I think we may ditch Olive Garden for a while and come eat here instead :)
(5)
Laraine J.
LOVE Tagliani's!! Try the Saltimbocca it's delicious!!! Better than Olive Garden and cheaper than Carabbas. Although carabbas is still better, imo
(4)
Becky K.
59th Ave & Bell location is the only one to go to always great service always great food. I customized by picking what I wanted spaghetti squash instead of pasta, spicy shrimp, artichokes, zucchini, rustica roma sauce and Alfredo mixed. I eat at this location often and the food is always prepared to the correct temperature and flavor is extremely tasty. Waitresses are great with their suggestions. They are extremely accommodating at this location. Ate in the pet family outside patio with my friend and her dog it was great. The Chocolate Marscapone cake is the most delicious chocolate cake I have ever had at a restaurant. In contrast 101 and Bell lacks the service and lacks knowledge of menu, which made it so they will not accommodate as much. Flavor is just not as good as 59th and Bell location which is the location my review is definitely positive on.
(4)
Erinn D.
Great italian restaurant. I've been coming here for years. I usually get the build a bowl pasta. I love that you can get spaghetti squash as a substitute for regular pasta. The staff is also very friendly.
(5)
Walt P.
We love this place! My wife and I have been eating here since they opened nearly 20 years ago, and it is one of our favorite places. The service is outstanding, the food is outstanding, and the prices are quite reasonable. I love their pasta tagliani and pasta diavolo, and their pasta bowls are really good too!
(5)
Joanne G.
Low class Italian food. Will not be back
(1)
Eric S.
Wow, I'm with David M. et al - this place is extremely good in so many ways, I can't understand all the hate. I do not think the food rates a five - definitely a solid four, but I'm giving it a five for the overall experience and to counter the negatives which I think are definitely not appropriate. Cucina Tagliani is in a strip mall. Then again, it's in Glendale, which might as well be Phoenix, so what ISN'T in a strip mall? Its decor is on the edge of being cheesy, but it was done well enough that you get what they were shooting for (Italian villa) without it actually being distracting. Except that it is, a little bit. If I have one complaint about the place it's that the seating at the tables can make you feel a tad self conscious, being so close to other diners and in the middle of everything. That said, it's obvious that they gave some thought to staggering the tables, and overall I didn't feel THAT uncomfortable, so make of it what you will. The food is simply delicious, and the portions are beyond generous. It's difficult to screw up artichoke dip, but CT's artichoke dip appetizer was so good I couldn't stop eating it. Not good for me - because it was so huge it could have been a meal in and of itself. The bread - crusted with parmesan - was a bit too tough for my companion, but I found it a delightful accompaniment to the dip, and in any case, soft pita was provided as well. I do not have enough good words for the optional antipasto salad ($1.99). There are two types of antipasto: the a la carte meat and cheese tray provided with a salad as an afterthought, and the full-on salad that is completely incorporated with meats and cheeses. The second kind is incredibly easy to get wrong. The antipasto at Cucina Tagliani is definitely of the latter type, and yet it is pulled off magnificently. I don't think I can recall having better. As others have mentioned, the canteloupe is a surprisingly delicious nuance. My companion's garden salad was competent and delicious. I opted for the spicy sausage and rigatoni, and she had the veal parmesan. Neither of us could get halfway through our "half" lunch portions, but we both agreed that they were superior examples of local Italian fare. Olive Garden this ain't. Not that I really have anything against Olive Garden - they do a decent job of wrapping Italian cuisine up for mass appeal - but comparisons to Cucina Tagliani are unfair - this is nothing like that. It is not bland, the portions are not so tightly controlled, and more than anything - these taste like someone's unique recipes - not recipes manufactured for mass consumption. Finally, the price. Definitely in line with expectations. We got out with a generous appetizer, two salads, two entrees and two drinks - with enough to take home for dinner, and it cost us $36. The service merited a 20% tip, as it was efficient and very friendly. We never once wanted for something to nosh after the first initial 3 minutes. Give it a shot. I doubt you will be disappointed.
(5)
Craig S.
My wife and I have been eating at Tagliani's for many years. We have a frequent dinners card with them that awards us points. That aside. We never get anything fancy. Usually just their pasta bowel. You get a choice of about 10 pastas, 10 sauces, 25 added toppings. (Meat, Veg, cheese). Always get the half size. This is always more than enough and I always take half home. The food has always been good and the service has always been good. Not great that is the reason for the 4 stars. They do serve good food and in a quantity that is for me to much to eat at one setting at a reasonable price. The decor, and music fits the Italian style. They always play Frank Sinatra songs. The seating is comfortable and you can carry on a conservation with who you are with without having to shout and now everyone knows what you are talking about. There is a lot to choose from on the menu. The only thing I wish they had would be a pasta dish with fish, shrimp, octopus, clams, mussels. I can keep wishing and hope they see this and grant my wish to me. I will keep coming back. Give them a try. Enjoy life!! Craig
(4)
Laura C.
Very disappointed Sunday. We were a party of six and no one walked away satisfied. The quality of the food has really taken a turn for the worse. Seems like everything is precooked, frozen and reheated. This was my favorite Italian restaurant.
(2)
Marty F.
Like Mexican food I've always found it impossible to find my favorite Italian restaurant.. Well look no further because I found my favorite Italian place in the valley. Funny that I live on the west side and had no idea this place existed. It's just north of Bell of 459th Ave. Easy to miss if you're not looking for it. Right as you walk inside it has that family Italian feel to it. Awesome decor all around. A bar on the right as you walk in and then the rest of the restaurant is on the inside. Ive been here a few times and I'll tell what I've had. The first time I had their baked spaghetti and wow.. it was tasty! Every bite better than the next. They also bring out fresh bread for dipping in oil and balsamic vinagar. Makes it that much better. My favorite dish so far.. Eggplant Parmesan. Holy.. this dish was insane. Im not even an eggplant fan and I couldnt get enough. the meal is definitely big enough to split for two. however they do offer a single portion. I highly recommend this delicious place!
(5)
Jen K.
I love this local eatery! Veal Parmesan is often missing from Italian restaurants' menus, but you can get it here, and it's wonderful. We visited recently for Mothers' Day and I split the Papa's Combo with my mom. The combo has Veal Parmesan, Spinach Manicotti and Lasagna...what a dream! Other diners in our group got Fettucine Alfredo with Chicken, Ravioli and Pizza (children's menu) and everyone was very happy with their selections. They even handed out carnations to all the mothers...what a nice touch!
(5)
Courtney K.
I went here for a nice lunch one afternoon. A nice lunch is NOT what I got. My food was awful. I got the lunch pasta special, which tasted just like a cheap frozen dinner. The chicken was bland and dry, and the sauce WAY OVER PRICED FOR MICROWAVE FOOD! I may go back to try something else, but I hardly write reviews. This was the worst food I have had in Phoenix yet.
(1)
Josh J.
The food at this location has gone way down hill and the service is terrible! Go to the Arrowhead location.
(1)
Morgan D.
Chris S. personally attacked me for disliking Cucina Tagliani. So, I would definitely listen to him when he asks you to consider the validity of these reviews. It may be upsetting for Chris to read such hatred in reviews, but it is more upsetting to get a message full of hateful personal attacks. I hope Chris isn't the owner, he seemed to be mighty emotional over the whole thing! I'm not the only one who hated this place, Chris. Are you going to attack us all?!
(1)
Kenna K.
I have been eating here for years. I don't love italian food to begin with but its one of the best places i have found in this area. I always order the same thing and tonight my boyfriend ordered takeout. When I tasted mine i was disappointed right away. I called the store and the man who answered the phone made no excuses, immediately took responsibility and told me a new one would be ready soon. I told him I would have to wait to drive back and he offered me a free dessert for my trouble. The desert was HUGE and three people couldn't finish it. My new order was cooked perfectly and he also included fresh bread. This place as better then average food and well above average customer service. There arent many places that offer free things when customers aren't acting angry or upset. Give them a try, and tell them if you have any problems. You will leave happy :)
(4)
David M.
What a delight this restaurant is! A big first is that while it was crowded while we were there, it was still fairly quiet. A few tables over us, a couple had a baby that didn't look to happy. At a moment like that I considered asking if we might move to a table on the other side of the restaurant but was it worth the bother? The decor is what you might find on a piazza of an Italian village. I can tell you at Concia Tagliana somewhere in the walls and ceiling which are festooned with trellises and leaves and strings of lights is some mean soundproofing. I rarely ever hear the little rug rat! The service was excellent. My friend uses a wheel chair when we go distances. Not only did someone offer to hold the door as we came in, the hostess offered to take the wheel chair in a back room as soon as we were seated without my asking. A little thing but really appreciated. We were seated next to a couple that were finishing their dinners. They told us they had been coming there for years. Their meals looks so good that we just ordered what they had-no need to look at a menu. Norma's salmon was to her satisfaction which is saying something. She's particular about food and one doesn't hear the word's very good from her that often. I had eggplant parmesagn which was fixed as well as I could ask for. When they served these, they were at a temperature where we culd start eating them immediately. The fact that the manager brought them out, himself, tells me there were not going to sit and get cold. No, the food was like poison and such small portions, here. There was more than enough food to have it boxed up for another meal at home.Kari, our waitress, who did an excellent job not only boxed everything up, but put the salads and the entrees in seperate containers, wrote what was in it and whose it was. To make it even better they were bagged when she brought them out! That quality of service really stands out for me.. I am happy to say that reviewing this restaurant gives me a perfect platform to discuss some of my pet peeves. The first is the size of the they glasses they use for water and soft drinks. We live in Arizona where it is HOT in the summers. More than a few restaurants use glasses that as soon as you sit down and quench your immediate thirst, they have to be filled up again. My kingdom for a decent size glass of water for a change. Cucina Tagliani gives you large bordering on huge glasses of what ever you order. Our server didn't even have to think about refilling the glasses, her concern could be with getting the meal served proper. This alone would be good for half a a star from me. My second pet peeve started flashing red lights for me when Kari said we could have a salad to go with our meal for ninety nine cents. When I hear that I immediately envision a salad of size that would have to go past a mirror twice to get a reflection. Norma likes a salad. though, so for that price I said let's do it-against my better judgment. I was shocked when she brought out two salads that were large, fresh and inviting! Even by the size of the regular dinner salads one sees at most places, these were generous. This was good for a star just on his own. My third pet peeve is the "complimentary bread" that gets served, especially at an Italian eatery. Usually there is an end piece that looks like are risking your bridge work if you bite down on it. Aside from that, the rest will be ok but not something to write home. We won't even talk about the fact that it almost always takes two baskets to be sufficient. It's a given that another one will have to be requested. Here the three slices of bread were light and fresh, no ends, perfect to dip in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar you tke out of the basket on the table to mix on the extra plate set for that at the table. About the time I was ready to request a second basket, what was delivered but another basket of bread as nice as the third. I like this place. I will share a final moment of horror that occurred for me at Cocina Tagliana when we requested our check. We never looked at the menus which also mean we never looked at the prices. Based on the quality of the food, the large servings, and the really good service, I was questioning whether I was going to have to sell my first born, if I had one, to pay for the meal. My last pleasant surprise was how reasonable the amount of the check was! In addition to that, a short survey was attached to the check. They asked some questions I would want to know if it was my establishment. It is obvious they are concerned about staying above what is just sufficient. It is working! Before I make Cucina Tagliani sound like an Italian eatery Nirvana, let me say one thing, I have had better Italian food at higher prices in more sophisticated establishments.. So many things come together right here that for a neighborhood eatery, I don't think I could have asked for much better..
(5)
Lynn M.
My son and I have been eating here for years and it is consistently enjoyable. We always get their pasta with meat sauce, a half portion is enough for the both of us. Their house made italian dressing is so good I could almost drink it ! The prices are right and the servers are always efficient, but our waitress today was especially awesome. Being in the restaurant industry myself I especially appreciate good service, and it's not always easy to find. Katie was spot on and really sweet, wish there were more like her !
(5)
Brent F.
It's been really hard for me to find good Italian food since moving to Phoenix but this place is the best I've found. The food actually has flavor, the wait staff was nice and the place has a nice feel. I go back when I can.
(5)
Brenda B.
I have eaten here twice now , you get a free appetizer for checking in here. I ordered the full size veal picatta and the veal parmigiana, the portion size is amazing to say the least , I can easily get 3 meals out of this, and it was very good. My companion orders the lasagna and a couple meat balls on the side and he really enjoys his dinners as well. We got a free order of bruschetta , and the tomatoes were very fresh . Has always been a pleasant dining experience . And good to very good service , will be back again.
(4)
Honest R.
Went to this place for lunch with family today. Wasn't impressed and after going to the one on 83rd and Bell which was a much better experience. Arrived and was seated by host. Drinks brought out quickly, ordered the mussels in rusted garlic sauce, Cesar salad, rigatoni alla diavolo, my wife ordered the mussels in alfredo sauce. I ordered a childs pizza for my son. Had to ask for bread which is usually not requested in Italian restaurants. Server Mary brought bread when requested but with no butter, brought salad and never offered Parmesan cheese. Food came out and compared to the 83rd Ave location it was bland and my son's pizza looked like they had someone training for the first day. The thing wasn't even round. Nonetheless I will be returning to that location. The place was stuffy too.
(2)
Thee D.
One of our favorite restaurants until very recently. The environment is cozy and the help has always been friendly even at their busiest times. To be honest I have only had a handful of items on their menu but they are pretty damn good. Recently I have been getting angel hair pasta with capers, asparagus, Garlic butter and bacon and it really does it for me. Recently they have changed the bread to include a flat bread which doesn't have much flavor. They also are not as diligent with offering the extra parmesan as they once were and I think it really is some of the staff. Stars favorite has always been the baked spaghetti with extra white sauce. As a note the white sauce has chicken stock in it so again not vegetarian friendly and Star can no longer eat it. We probably will return but are sue to be very specific with every meal we order as the mere mention of being vegetarian no longer seems to be a valid way to announce you do not want an animal product in your food. Be sure to sign up for their member card or download the coupon from their website and save 10$ off a 30$ bill. They also have live music on the weekends which really hasn't been too bad.
(3)
Lisa H.
I've been going to Tagliani's for a long time. Here are my tips -- keep it simple and sit in the bar. The bartenders are usually far better with a lot more personality and for whatever reason, they tend to be women. I always order a pasta bowl. Save your money and order a half bowl (or do the whole thing and save 1/2 for lunch tomorrow). My favorite is the tortellini with 1/2 marinara and 1/2 pepporchini sauce and two meatballs on the side. It's perfect. This isn't "to die for" Italian food, but it's relatively cheap and it's close to me, so it's one of my regular places.
(4)
Lora F.
One of my favorite go to places. For lunch i love the calimari fruiti salad. Yum yum For dinner there are a few od my faves. Chicken dynamite(spicy) and really good. Seafood pasta always a winner if you like seafood. The salmon is also a winner. Never had a bad meal here. They have another location at arrowhood but I like this one the best
(5)
Theresa D.
OMG. Since they changed management, this place went way down hill. I can't believe this woman actually argues with the customers! My gnocci was cold and she told me I could either pay half of it and get a free dessert or just take it off the bill. No offer to re do it, no offer to just take it off and dessert. We had a few more instances where there was a problem with our food. ANd she was just a nightmare. They need to replace this witch. We have been going here for years and I will vow to never go back to this location but instead head over to the Arrowhead location where the service is much better.
(1)
Lisa P.
When you would like to pull over to the side-street of life for lunch or dinner, this place has charm and great eats. The antipasti has cantaloupe, salami and peperoncinis plus black olives married in a delicious home-style dressing. You must try it when you go. All of the pasta dishes I've tried have been above average, homemade and fresh. Thin pizzas are not bad when you're on the run. I love the classic bossa-nova music playing from the 40's & 50's and italian wine garden style dining room is quaint, dark and relaxing.
(5)
Sarabear B.
I agree with the others.... the food is horrible. They do their best at service, and are very nice.... but that is no reason to eat here. Unless it is a holiday and everyplace in town is closed.... i WOULD choose it over McDonalds. That isn't saying much.
(1)
Lynne R.
Since the owner offered to make it right I have improved my rating based on his interest in customer happiness, I always try to be fair.
(2)
Sujith P.
Good ambience, quick service, and above all great tasting food. The prices are competitive too. I was a fan of Olive Garden until a Professor I once worked for took me out for lunch to this place. I would never return to Olive Garden anymore because these people make the dishes tastier and the portions are larger than Olive Garden's. My wife, who was a bigger fan of Olive Garden agrees with me. I would especially recommend the Eggplant Parmesan and the Spinach Manicotti. The Enggplant Parmesan is usually on their discounted "specials" menu. Tip: Try to find one of the coupons they send out in newspapers.
(4)
Christine D.
I've been going to this location for over 10 years! Best calamari fritti in town! And try the spicy sausage rigatoni, you won't be disappointed! And lastly, if you're trying to watch the carbs a bit, you can substitute spaghetti squash for your 'noodle' choice. It does cost a little extra, but it's worth it!
(4)
Tim C.
Just read Korina A's review. She's puts it best. The service was fine; its just that the food sucked. Bad. And the wine list is way too pricey to not even list what the hell they're serving when you order a cab. Garbage. Just stay away.
(1)
JT D.
Came in yesterday for Friday dinner, table for two. Ordered happy-hour glass of wine. Ingored us for awhile. They served my wife's soda, said wine would be up shortly. 10 minutes later, asked where's my wine, they said bartender was a little "backed up." 15 minutes later, after appetizers and salad and ordering entrees, still no wine. Asked again. Glass of wine shows up, filled maybe 1/3 full, if that. Another 15 minutes , asked if dinner was coming soon. Second basket of bread given. Bread really dry that night. Another 10 minutes without anyone stopping by our table, we got up to leave. Waitress came by and said, please don't leave - your dinner is "up." Sat back down and she served our entrees. Overall not a good experience. Salad and bread -- the basics -- tasted like they were several days old. Entrees, ravioli and fettucini, pretty good. Service terrible. But the manager came by, apologized and gave us our dinner on the house. I appreciated his sincerity and that he didn't start spewing mumbo-jumbo excuses. Just apologized sincerely and said he wanted us back. We'll give it another try in a few weeks, see if the service is better.
(2)
Andrea H.
Lots of great food choices. Their appetizers are wonderful.
(4)
Mary L.
We decided to give this restaurant location a try, We'd been to their Bell Rd location and were not impressed by their service. As a matter of fact, we've never been back and we live very close. So we tried this location with trepidation and am I glad we did. Food was good, service was excellent. The bread they start you out with is great!! We all had Choose your own pasta/sauce etc and 3 of 4 were excellent. ! of us had chicken on her sauce and it was not good tasting, but we were in a hurry and didn't make it known to the server. 3 of us would go back as the Rustic Roma sauce was very good.
(3)
Megan B.
Why, oh why am I SO picky about italian food? I can't help it. my tastebuds have been offended more often than overjoyed in almost every italian restaurant I have been to since moving to Arizona. This place was dumb. We were seated at this awful middle-of-the-room table and I felt like I was in a fishbowl. The decor was..... tacky. You can tell that they are trying to be cute, so for that I guess I give them some credit, but the food did not measure up. It was average at best, and the focaccia bread that they bring you to start is mostly oil and fat with a bit of dough. Tasty? yes. Rapidly enhancing the obesity epidemic sweeping the nation? Also yes. Sorry tagliani's, my mouth (and waistline) do not approve.
(2)
Siriusly M.
**Edited: My review is actually for a different location; I didn't realize there were too so close by** I remember when this was Tony Romas....after it reopened as "the new Italian Place" I tried it and though, "eh, it's okay." I went back today to meet a friend and.... mmmmmm mmmmm mmmmm. If you've read my other reviews, please know that I do eat food other than chicken Parmesan. I've just been eating a lot of it lately. So...I had the chicken parm and it was delicious! The breading was amazing. I feel, because of my frequent C.P. encounters, and because I have an Italian husband who likes to cook for me, I am pretty knowledgeable when it comes to good C.P....and this was terrific. The decor is nice. Charming and relaxing. The booths are huge. The service was great. The water tasted horrible. And that is my review.
(4)
Melissa H.
I really like Tagliani's. I know it is not the best Italian food I will ever have, but it is something different than Olive Garden on the west side of town. Yummy bread served before the meal and 2 options for portion sizes really help bring me back. Their dinner sizes are huge and are served with salad or soup and their lunch portion is about half the size of dinner but still too much food at times. The chicken saltimboca has me addicted. A chicken breast rolled with fontina and prosciutto, breaded, sliced and served on a bead of pasta with a creamy marinara with chunks of tomatoes and prosciutto in it. My husband finds numerous choices to please his tomato hating palette. They just opened a third location in Avondale.
(4)
Eric L.
I have to say that I don't understand all these bad reviews. I work right by the Original location in the strip mall by Garcias. I have been here many times and I think it's some of the best Italian I have had. I wouldn't dream of walking into an Olive Garden with this place near by. Not one person I have ever taken there has complained and most have really enjoyed it. I have to wonder about some of these reviews. I can't help but think they have other interests when reviewing...
(4)
Tara W.
Patio weather is here. A great glass of pinot, an accoustic guitarist. Great atmosphere, killer food. I would highly recommend. Anne Marie took care of us, she was super nice. Started with the portabello mushroom cooked in a house vingerette and topped with gorgonzola cheese. A nice dressing of onions and sliced tomatos with 4 toast slices. (It was a huge shroom). I had the make your own pasta. I chose gnocchi with pesto sauce, added sliced portabello mushrooms and spicy sausage link. Boyfriend had the Papas combo - spinach cheese cantaloni, lasagna, and veal parm. This place has HUGE Portions. (I apologize for the typos, am on cell doing this review)
(5)
Greg P.
Been coming here for ten years. Their Veal Parmesan is the best I've had, and I've tried it many places. Their gnocchi with meat sauce is the closest I've ever come to my immigrant Italian grandmother's.
(5)
Karin R.
An excellent Italian restaurant with two West valley locations. Pick-A-Pasta is great and usually they have really tasty specials.
(5)
Stevey P.
A decent Italian place up near Arrowhead that is just OK. Don't be alarmed by the tragically boarded up shopping center. Been there a few times for lunch. Don't get me wrong, it's better than an Olive Garden, but after each time I go there - nothing strikes me much to rush back for my next meal. The insides feature faux brick, with painted on ivy, stacks of wine crates and tomato jars. Oooh, aaah, bleh. Yesterday I had the marinara chicken with tortellini...pretty average. I had a taste of the 14th St. pizza - very good, btw. The pasta chips were ick. They need to stop that, NOW. The service yesterday was OK, a bit long, but OK. A good-sized selection of menu items featuring chicken dishes, pizzas and a build your own pasta thing. Yawn.
(3)
Steve P.
First, I have been a customer of Tags since the 59 ave and Bell restaurant opened. I have seen the evolution of this family owned restaurant and then their expansion in opening two other Tags in the valley. The poor rating I have to unfortunately give Tags has not been my experience until recently, say the past year or so. Much of their problem I think can be reduced to poor managment and consequently poor oversight and customer service. The past three experiences I have had at Tags have left me wondering if I will return again. On one occasion I ordered a margarita and was delivered what is called a tag margarita, something that was not what I wanted nor ordered. The waitress told me that this particular drink was the only type of margarita they offered, for 8.95. I got the impression, rightly or wrongly that this was an attempt by the waitress to pad the bill. I later went to the bar and asked the barmaid if they did in fact make a traditional margarita to which she told me they did. On this particular occasion I ordered their Romano Chicken dish and was served an entirely different chicken item. The server realized the mistake once she placed the meal in front of me. Then my wife found a hair in her meal that she ordered. I normally would chalk all this up to simply a bad experience that needed to be weighted against all the previously good experiences we had had at Tags. My wife and I again returned to Tags about a month ago, hoping that things may have improved. I think it is the one establishment that we would give second, third and fourth chances to. We sat on the patio and ordered a half order appetizer of their calamari. It was obvious to us that the portion size was considerably smaller then on previous visits, as we normally would order the calamari appetizer. When our orders arrived again, I did not receive what I had ordered. When the waiter placed my meal in front of me, I asked him what I had ordered. He said, " Penne noodle, rustic roma sauce, and it looks like...hhhhmmm...meat?" The poor guy couldnt even read his own writing, so I guess I cant fault the kitchen staff for making the wrong meal. I had ordered a pasta bowl of penne nooodles, rustic roma sauce and mozzerella cheese. He asked if I would have liked to send it back, but my wife already had her meal and had I sent it back she would have been done by the time my meal was served. There was no offer of taking the meal off the check or getting the manager to visit our table to see how things were. Again, I think this goes back to some management issues with this particular restaurant. Due to Tags expansion, many of the more proactive managers, Rhonda being my favorite, were sent to the newer restaurants to manage them. Unfortunately that has left the 59th Ave Tags with a manager that is not proactive in his customer service nor congenial in nature. It seems that this is reflected in much of the staffs attitudes also. It is my hope that Tags will return to its previous place as one of our favorites, but I wont be one that will hold my breath until that happens.
(1)
Ben C.
I think this place gets the nod because there isn't a whole lot of Italian on that side of town with a family vibe. I compare this place to an Olive Garden without the American"ized" twist. Happy hour is decent and the sauces for everything are high quality. The shrimp parm is something that I haven't seen very often and it is phenomenal. I also really liked the eggplant ans shrimp appetizer. This is like a once a month place.
(4)
Korina A.
Gahhh! I mean... gahh!! I guess the endless cheesy commecials finally got to me. Despite my instincts, and the signs -- cartoony logo, aforementioned cheesy commericals -- I decided to give it a try. The decor was cozy -- chock-a-block with wine crates, fake vines, and the like -- but it actually worked in this case. Our server took a while, but was friendly, once she arrived. I ordered a glass of pinot noir, and again, against my better instincts, I ordered the salmon. Past experience has told me than not many places can prepare salmon the way I like it -- a little crisp on the outside, medium-rare on the inside. But I gave it a shot. First clue that was a mistake: my server did not ask how I would like it prepared. Second clue: she was completely taken aback when I said, "medium rare." While we waited, we munched on some really delicious crisp and chewy bread, dipped in olive oil. My companion also enjoyed a caesar salad topped with a nice, slightly fishy (in a good way) dressing and parmesan shavings. When the entrees arrives, we both immediately said the same thing, "oh my god, it's swimming in butter!" Now I'm with Paula Deen on the butter issue. Butter is good -- but not 2 inches of it in my dish. When I examined the salmon, it was nice and crisp on the outside. But as soon as I touched it with my fork, it fell apart. Alas, cooked until it flaked. Once my companion fished the veal piccata out of the butter, she found it tough and nearly inedible. The piccata sauce lacked the bright lemon-garlic taste that it's known for. It was basically butter and capers. The pasta on both our dishes was fairly good. All in all, I would not return. It was a half step above Olive Garden. Lesson learned: Listen to your instincts!
(2)
Kelly T.
Food is good and I like the variety to choose from. Haven't been disappointed yet. I don't really like this restaurant at this location. It's the atmosphere and it just feels over crowded.
(3)
Armando S.
It's a good neighborhood Italian. Not gourmet but it's a good combination of value and quality. Generally we like to cook our own sauce at home. But when we're pretty much being lazy, it's a good enough getaway. You just need to order the half portions and that's plenty. The wine selection could be a little more extensive, but it does ok. I just get a kick at the total spectrum of excellent to poor reviews. Different strokes...
(3)
Natalie W.
Overrated in my book. Not bad food, some of it was pretty good. But, I can have much better pasta, much better to home. The setting is very nice, though, with weathered bricks, twinkley lights and twining grape vines.
(3)
Jessica B.
I have been going here for over 10 years. It is way better than any other Italian place I know...especially the Olive Garden (ewe)!! I usually get the same dish every time so I can't really tell you overall how the rest of the food tastes. I order the angel hair pasta with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella on top. Delicious!!! I love their service and cozy atmosphere. It is honestly my favorite restaurant and I have taken several friends who all agree that the food is wonderful and all of them are now returning customers. My family, friends and I all love it!!!
(5)
Phyllis G.
We absolutely love this place. I come from a long line of italian cooks and this is as close to home cooking as it gets. The portions are enormous and the flavors are authentically italian. Service was super. In addition if you sign up on their web site you get discounts on your meals. Please try it - if you enjoy good Italian food.
(5)
Lynn M.
My son and I have been eating here for years and it is consistently enjoyable. We always get their pasta with meat sauce, a half portion is enough for the both of us. Their house made italian dressing is so good I could almost drink it ! The prices are right and the servers are always efficient, but our waitress today was especially awesome. Being in the restaurant industry myself I especially appreciate good service, and it's not always easy to find. Katie was spot on and really sweet, wish there were more like her !
(5)
Brent F.
It's been really hard for me to find good Italian food since moving to Phoenix but this place is the best I've found. The food actually has flavor, the wait staff was nice and the place has a nice feel. I go back when I can.
(5)
Brenda B.
I have eaten here twice now , you get a free appetizer for checking in here. I ordered the full size veal picatta and the veal parmigiana, the portion size is amazing to say the least , I can easily get 3 meals out of this, and it was very good. My companion orders the lasagna and a couple meat balls on the side and he really enjoys his dinners as well. We got a free order of bruschetta , and the tomatoes were very fresh . Has always been a pleasant dining experience . And good to very good service , will be back again.
(4)
Matthew S.
Well this place is interestic. I think I fell into the biggest Italian sterotype. There are fake flowers, fake vines hanging from lattice work and string lights. I think I heard the soundtrack from Lady and the Tramp. I sat in the bar area and the server has been so nice and friendly. I received a warm basket of bread always a good choice. Garlic and herby yum. Also had Chicken Scampi which is not on the menu but they made the Shrimp scampi with chicken for me. Ice tea: very good not bitter or old. Menu: The menu has a decent variety of classic dishes and pizza and apps. Do not come here expecting a new take on Classic Italian. It is good for a chain concept and the food is better than the decor. I would take this place over OG or Carabbas but not Carinos.
(4)
Tara W.
Patio weather is here. A great glass of pinot, an accoustic guitarist. Great atmosphere, killer food. I would highly recommend. Anne Marie took care of us, she was super nice. Started with the portabello mushroom cooked in a house vingerette and topped with gorgonzola cheese. A nice dressing of onions and sliced tomatos with 4 toast slices. (It was a huge shroom). I had the make your own pasta. I chose gnocchi with pesto sauce, added sliced portabello mushrooms and spicy sausage link. Boyfriend had the Papas combo - spinach cheese cantaloni, lasagna, and veal parm. This place has HUGE Portions. (I apologize for the typos, am on cell doing this review)
(5)
Greg P.
Been coming here for ten years. Their Veal Parmesan is the best I've had, and I've tried it many places. Their gnocchi with meat sauce is the closest I've ever come to my immigrant Italian grandmother's.
(5)
Steve P.
First, I have been a customer of Tags since the 59 ave and Bell restaurant opened. I have seen the evolution of this family owned restaurant and then their expansion in opening two other Tags in the valley. The poor rating I have to unfortunately give Tags has not been my experience until recently, say the past year or so. Much of their problem I think can be reduced to poor managment and consequently poor oversight and customer service. The past three experiences I have had at Tags have left me wondering if I will return again. On one occasion I ordered a margarita and was delivered what is called a tag margarita, something that was not what I wanted nor ordered. The waitress told me that this particular drink was the only type of margarita they offered, for 8.95. I got the impression, rightly or wrongly that this was an attempt by the waitress to pad the bill. I later went to the bar and asked the barmaid if they did in fact make a traditional margarita to which she told me they did. On this particular occasion I ordered their Romano Chicken dish and was served an entirely different chicken item. The server realized the mistake once she placed the meal in front of me. Then my wife found a hair in her meal that she ordered. I normally would chalk all this up to simply a bad experience that needed to be weighted against all the previously good experiences we had had at Tags. My wife and I again returned to Tags about a month ago, hoping that things may have improved. I think it is the one establishment that we would give second, third and fourth chances to. We sat on the patio and ordered a half order appetizer of their calamari. It was obvious to us that the portion size was considerably smaller then on previous visits, as we normally would order the calamari appetizer. When our orders arrived again, I did not receive what I had ordered. When the waiter placed my meal in front of me, I asked him what I had ordered. He said, " Penne noodle, rustic roma sauce, and it looks like...hhhhmmm...meat?" The poor guy couldnt even read his own writing, so I guess I cant fault the kitchen staff for making the wrong meal. I had ordered a pasta bowl of penne nooodles, rustic roma sauce and mozzerella cheese. He asked if I would have liked to send it back, but my wife already had her meal and had I sent it back she would have been done by the time my meal was served. There was no offer of taking the meal off the check or getting the manager to visit our table to see how things were. Again, I think this goes back to some management issues with this particular restaurant. Due to Tags expansion, many of the more proactive managers, Rhonda being my favorite, were sent to the newer restaurants to manage them. Unfortunately that has left the 59th Ave Tags with a manager that is not proactive in his customer service nor congenial in nature. It seems that this is reflected in much of the staffs attitudes also. It is my hope that Tags will return to its previous place as one of our favorites, but I wont be one that will hold my breath until that happens.
(1)
Kenna K.
I have been eating here for years. I don't love italian food to begin with but its one of the best places i have found in this area. I always order the same thing and tonight my boyfriend ordered takeout. When I tasted mine i was disappointed right away. I called the store and the man who answered the phone made no excuses, immediately took responsibility and told me a new one would be ready soon. I told him I would have to wait to drive back and he offered me a free dessert for my trouble. The desert was HUGE and three people couldn't finish it. My new order was cooked perfectly and he also included fresh bread. This place as better then average food and well above average customer service. There arent many places that offer free things when customers aren't acting angry or upset. Give them a try, and tell them if you have any problems. You will leave happy :)
(4)
David M.
What a delight this restaurant is! A big first is that while it was crowded while we were there, it was still fairly quiet. A few tables over us, a couple had a baby that didn't look to happy. At a moment like that I considered asking if we might move to a table on the other side of the restaurant but was it worth the bother? The decor is what you might find on a piazza of an Italian village. I can tell you at Concia Tagliana somewhere in the walls and ceiling which are festooned with trellises and leaves and strings of lights is some mean soundproofing. I rarely ever hear the little rug rat! The service was excellent. My friend uses a wheel chair when we go distances. Not only did someone offer to hold the door as we came in, the hostess offered to take the wheel chair in a back room as soon as we were seated without my asking. A little thing but really appreciated. We were seated next to a couple that were finishing their dinners. They told us they had been coming there for years. Their meals looks so good that we just ordered what they had-no need to look at a menu. Norma's salmon was to her satisfaction which is saying something. She's particular about food and one doesn't hear the word's very good from her that often. I had eggplant parmesagn which was fixed as well as I could ask for. When they served these, they were at a temperature where we culd start eating them immediately. The fact that the manager brought them out, himself, tells me there were not going to sit and get cold. No, the food was like poison and such small portions, here. There was more than enough food to have it boxed up for another meal at home.Kari, our waitress, who did an excellent job not only boxed everything up, but put the salads and the entrees in seperate containers, wrote what was in it and whose it was. To make it even better they were bagged when she brought them out! That quality of service really stands out for me.. I am happy to say that reviewing this restaurant gives me a perfect platform to discuss some of my pet peeves. The first is the size of the they glasses they use for water and soft drinks. We live in Arizona where it is HOT in the summers. More than a few restaurants use glasses that as soon as you sit down and quench your immediate thirst, they have to be filled up again. My kingdom for a decent size glass of water for a change. Cucina Tagliani gives you large bordering on huge glasses of what ever you order. Our server didn't even have to think about refilling the glasses, her concern could be with getting the meal served proper. This alone would be good for half a a star from me. My second pet peeve started flashing red lights for me when Kari said we could have a salad to go with our meal for ninety nine cents. When I hear that I immediately envision a salad of size that would have to go past a mirror twice to get a reflection. Norma likes a salad. though, so for that price I said let's do it-against my better judgment. I was shocked when she brought out two salads that were large, fresh and inviting! Even by the size of the regular dinner salads one sees at most places, these were generous. This was good for a star just on his own. My third pet peeve is the "complimentary bread" that gets served, especially at an Italian eatery. Usually there is an end piece that looks like are risking your bridge work if you bite down on it. Aside from that, the rest will be ok but not something to write home. We won't even talk about the fact that it almost always takes two baskets to be sufficient. It's a given that another one will have to be requested. Here the three slices of bread were light and fresh, no ends, perfect to dip in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar you tke out of the basket on the table to mix on the extra plate set for that at the table. About the time I was ready to request a second basket, what was delivered but another basket of bread as nice as the third. I like this place. I will share a final moment of horror that occurred for me at Cocina Tagliana when we requested our check. We never looked at the menus which also mean we never looked at the prices. Based on the quality of the food, the large servings, and the really good service, I was questioning whether I was going to have to sell my first born, if I had one, to pay for the meal. My last pleasant surprise was how reasonable the amount of the check was! In addition to that, a short survey was attached to the check. They asked some questions I would want to know if it was my establishment. It is obvious they are concerned about staying above what is just sufficient. It is working! Before I make Cucina Tagliani sound like an Italian eatery Nirvana, let me say one thing, I have had better Italian food at higher prices in more sophisticated establishments.. So many things come together right here that for a neighborhood eatery, I don't think I could have asked for much better..
(5)
Karin R.
An excellent Italian restaurant with two West valley locations. Pick-A-Pasta is great and usually they have really tasty specials.
(5)
Stevey P.
A decent Italian place up near Arrowhead that is just OK. Don't be alarmed by the tragically boarded up shopping center. Been there a few times for lunch. Don't get me wrong, it's better than an Olive Garden, but after each time I go there - nothing strikes me much to rush back for my next meal. The insides feature faux brick, with painted on ivy, stacks of wine crates and tomato jars. Oooh, aaah, bleh. Yesterday I had the marinara chicken with tortellini...pretty average. I had a taste of the 14th St. pizza - very good, btw. The pasta chips were ick. They need to stop that, NOW. The service yesterday was OK, a bit long, but OK. A good-sized selection of menu items featuring chicken dishes, pizzas and a build your own pasta thing. Yawn.
(3)
Phyllis G.
We absolutely love this place. I come from a long line of italian cooks and this is as close to home cooking as it gets. The portions are enormous and the flavors are authentically italian. Service was super. In addition if you sign up on their web site you get discounts on your meals. Please try it - if you enjoy good Italian food.
(5)
Theresa D.
OMG. Since they changed management, this place went way down hill. I can't believe this woman actually argues with the customers! My gnocci was cold and she told me I could either pay half of it and get a free dessert or just take it off the bill. No offer to re do it, no offer to just take it off and dessert. We had a few more instances where there was a problem with our food. ANd she was just a nightmare. They need to replace this witch. We have been going here for years and I will vow to never go back to this location but instead head over to the Arrowhead location where the service is much better.
(1)
Lisa P.
When you would like to pull over to the side-street of life for lunch or dinner, this place has charm and great eats. The antipasti has cantaloupe, salami and peperoncinis plus black olives married in a delicious home-style dressing. You must try it when you go. All of the pasta dishes I've tried have been above average, homemade and fresh. Thin pizzas are not bad when you're on the run. I love the classic bossa-nova music playing from the 40's & 50's and italian wine garden style dining room is quaint, dark and relaxing.
(5)
Sujith P.
Good ambience, quick service, and above all great tasting food. The prices are competitive too. I was a fan of Olive Garden until a Professor I once worked for took me out for lunch to this place. I would never return to Olive Garden anymore because these people make the dishes tastier and the portions are larger than Olive Garden's. My wife, who was a bigger fan of Olive Garden agrees with me. I would especially recommend the Eggplant Parmesan and the Spinach Manicotti. The Enggplant Parmesan is usually on their discounted "specials" menu. Tip: Try to find one of the coupons they send out in newspapers.
(4)
Christine D.
I've been going to this location for over 10 years! Best calamari fritti in town! And try the spicy sausage rigatoni, you won't be disappointed! And lastly, if you're trying to watch the carbs a bit, you can substitute spaghetti squash for your 'noodle' choice. It does cost a little extra, but it's worth it!
(4)
Tim C.
Just read Korina A's review. She's puts it best. The service was fine; its just that the food sucked. Bad. And the wine list is way too pricey to not even list what the hell they're serving when you order a cab. Garbage. Just stay away.
(1)
Mary L.
We decided to give this restaurant location a try, We'd been to their Bell Rd location and were not impressed by their service. As a matter of fact, we've never been back and we live very close. So we tried this location with trepidation and am I glad we did. Food was good, service was excellent. The bread they start you out with is great!! We all had Choose your own pasta/sauce etc and 3 of 4 were excellent. ! of us had chicken on her sauce and it was not good tasting, but we were in a hurry and didn't make it known to the server. 3 of us would go back as the Rustic Roma sauce was very good.
(3)
Megan B.
Why, oh why am I SO picky about italian food? I can't help it. my tastebuds have been offended more often than overjoyed in almost every italian restaurant I have been to since moving to Arizona. This place was dumb. We were seated at this awful middle-of-the-room table and I felt like I was in a fishbowl. The decor was..... tacky. You can tell that they are trying to be cute, so for that I guess I give them some credit, but the food did not measure up. It was average at best, and the focaccia bread that they bring you to start is mostly oil and fat with a bit of dough. Tasty? yes. Rapidly enhancing the obesity epidemic sweeping the nation? Also yes. Sorry tagliani's, my mouth (and waistline) do not approve.
(2)
Siriusly M.
**Edited: My review is actually for a different location; I didn't realize there were too so close by** I remember when this was Tony Romas....after it reopened as "the new Italian Place" I tried it and though, "eh, it's okay." I went back today to meet a friend and.... mmmmmm mmmmm mmmmm. If you've read my other reviews, please know that I do eat food other than chicken Parmesan. I've just been eating a lot of it lately. So...I had the chicken parm and it was delicious! The breading was amazing. I feel, because of my frequent C.P. encounters, and because I have an Italian husband who likes to cook for me, I am pretty knowledgeable when it comes to good C.P....and this was terrific. The decor is nice. Charming and relaxing. The booths are huge. The service was great. The water tasted horrible. And that is my review.
(4)
Melissa H.
I really like Tagliani's. I know it is not the best Italian food I will ever have, but it is something different than Olive Garden on the west side of town. Yummy bread served before the meal and 2 options for portion sizes really help bring me back. Their dinner sizes are huge and are served with salad or soup and their lunch portion is about half the size of dinner but still too much food at times. The chicken saltimboca has me addicted. A chicken breast rolled with fontina and prosciutto, breaded, sliced and served on a bead of pasta with a creamy marinara with chunks of tomatoes and prosciutto in it. My husband finds numerous choices to please his tomato hating palette. They just opened a third location in Avondale.
(4)
Eric L.
I have to say that I don't understand all these bad reviews. I work right by the Original location in the strip mall by Garcias. I have been here many times and I think it's some of the best Italian I have had. I wouldn't dream of walking into an Olive Garden with this place near by. Not one person I have ever taken there has complained and most have really enjoyed it. I have to wonder about some of these reviews. I can't help but think they have other interests when reviewing...
(4)
Andrea H.
Lots of great food choices. Their appetizers are wonderful.
(4)
Kt K.
Besides having the best happy hour, this place allows dogs on the patio. Best Mykonos pizza and calamari. If you ever need a delicious cake order the 1/4 sheet to feed twelve or the half for 24 ppl. You will not be disappointed!! My family loved this cake!!!!
(5)
Julie S.
Good as usual... My hubby and I always get the baked spaghetti, which I highly recommend. My rum and diet was a little weak but my husband says hi just have a high tolerance... ha ha Overall we love this place!!
(4)
Andrica D.
The good was amazing ! We sat on the patio and listened to the live music. Very accommodating to our large party. I got the wedge blue cheese salad and it was amazing ! I also got the angel hair pasta and toma-fredo sauce and it was amazing !! I would recommend this place for sure !!
(5)
Pearsey P.
This place is good, and the happy-hour specials are pretty good too. My only complaint is that they make everything extra FATTENING. I wanted to eat more, but there was soooooo much unnecessary butter and cream and oil all over everything. I got the steak fettuccine.
(4)
Ben C.
I think this place gets the nod because there isn't a whole lot of Italian on that side of town with a family vibe. I compare this place to an Olive Garden without the American"ized" twist. Happy hour is decent and the sauces for everything are high quality. The shrimp parm is something that I haven't seen very often and it is phenomenal. I also really liked the eggplant ans shrimp appetizer. This is like a once a month place.
(4)
Korina A.
Gahhh! I mean... gahh!! I guess the endless cheesy commecials finally got to me. Despite my instincts, and the signs -- cartoony logo, aforementioned cheesy commericals -- I decided to give it a try. The decor was cozy -- chock-a-block with wine crates, fake vines, and the like -- but it actually worked in this case. Our server took a while, but was friendly, once she arrived. I ordered a glass of pinot noir, and again, against my better instincts, I ordered the salmon. Past experience has told me than not many places can prepare salmon the way I like it -- a little crisp on the outside, medium-rare on the inside. But I gave it a shot. First clue that was a mistake: my server did not ask how I would like it prepared. Second clue: she was completely taken aback when I said, "medium rare." While we waited, we munched on some really delicious crisp and chewy bread, dipped in olive oil. My companion also enjoyed a caesar salad topped with a nice, slightly fishy (in a good way) dressing and parmesan shavings. When the entrees arrives, we both immediately said the same thing, "oh my god, it's swimming in butter!" Now I'm with Paula Deen on the butter issue. Butter is good -- but not 2 inches of it in my dish. When I examined the salmon, it was nice and crisp on the outside. But as soon as I touched it with my fork, it fell apart. Alas, cooked until it flaked. Once my companion fished the veal piccata out of the butter, she found it tough and nearly inedible. The piccata sauce lacked the bright lemon-garlic taste that it's known for. It was basically butter and capers. The pasta on both our dishes was fairly good. All in all, I would not return. It was a half step above Olive Garden. Lesson learned: Listen to your instincts!
(2)
Kelly T.
Food is good and I like the variety to choose from. Haven't been disappointed yet. I don't really like this restaurant at this location. It's the atmosphere and it just feels over crowded.
(3)
Armando S.
It's a good neighborhood Italian. Not gourmet but it's a good combination of value and quality. Generally we like to cook our own sauce at home. But when we're pretty much being lazy, it's a good enough getaway. You just need to order the half portions and that's plenty. The wine selection could be a little more extensive, but it does ok. I just get a kick at the total spectrum of excellent to poor reviews. Different strokes...
(3)
Natalie W.
Overrated in my book. Not bad food, some of it was pretty good. But, I can have much better pasta, much better to home. The setting is very nice, though, with weathered bricks, twinkley lights and twining grape vines.
(3)
Jessica B.
I have been going here for over 10 years. It is way better than any other Italian place I know...especially the Olive Garden (ewe)!! I usually get the same dish every time so I can't really tell you overall how the rest of the food tastes. I order the angel hair pasta with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella on top. Delicious!!! I love their service and cozy atmosphere. It is honestly my favorite restaurant and I have taken several friends who all agree that the food is wonderful and all of them are now returning customers. My family, friends and I all love it!!!
(5)
Sarabear B.
I agree with the others.... the food is horrible. They do their best at service, and are very nice.... but that is no reason to eat here. Unless it is a holiday and everyplace in town is closed.... i WOULD choose it over McDonalds. That isn't saying much.
(1)
Lynne R.
Since the owner offered to make it right I have improved my rating based on his interest in customer happiness, I always try to be fair.
(2)
Honest R.
Went to this place for lunch with family today. Wasn't impressed and after going to the one on 83rd and Bell which was a much better experience. Arrived and was seated by host. Drinks brought out quickly, ordered the mussels in rusted garlic sauce, Cesar salad, rigatoni alla diavolo, my wife ordered the mussels in alfredo sauce. I ordered a childs pizza for my son. Had to ask for bread which is usually not requested in Italian restaurants. Server Mary brought bread when requested but with no butter, brought salad and never offered Parmesan cheese. Food came out and compared to the 83rd Ave location it was bland and my son's pizza looked like they had someone training for the first day. The thing wasn't even round. Nonetheless I will be returning to that location. The place was stuffy too.
(2)
Thee D.
One of our favorite restaurants until very recently. The environment is cozy and the help has always been friendly even at their busiest times. To be honest I have only had a handful of items on their menu but they are pretty damn good. Recently I have been getting angel hair pasta with capers, asparagus, Garlic butter and bacon and it really does it for me. Recently they have changed the bread to include a flat bread which doesn't have much flavor. They also are not as diligent with offering the extra parmesan as they once were and I think it really is some of the staff. Stars favorite has always been the baked spaghetti with extra white sauce. As a note the white sauce has chicken stock in it so again not vegetarian friendly and Star can no longer eat it. We probably will return but are sue to be very specific with every meal we order as the mere mention of being vegetarian no longer seems to be a valid way to announce you do not want an animal product in your food. Be sure to sign up for their member card or download the coupon from their website and save 10$ off a 30$ bill. They also have live music on the weekends which really hasn't been too bad.
(3)
Lisa H.
I've been going to Tagliani's for a long time. Here are my tips -- keep it simple and sit in the bar. The bartenders are usually far better with a lot more personality and for whatever reason, they tend to be women. I always order a pasta bowl. Save your money and order a half bowl (or do the whole thing and save 1/2 for lunch tomorrow). My favorite is the tortellini with 1/2 marinara and 1/2 pepporchini sauce and two meatballs on the side. It's perfect. This isn't "to die for" Italian food, but it's relatively cheap and it's close to me, so it's one of my regular places.
(4)
Lora F.
One of my favorite go to places. For lunch i love the calimari fruiti salad. Yum yum For dinner there are a few od my faves. Chicken dynamite(spicy) and really good. Seafood pasta always a winner if you like seafood. The salmon is also a winner. Never had a bad meal here. They have another location at arrowhood but I like this one the best
(5)
Farley L.
Had lunch here last Sunday afternoon, was a recommendation from a police officer we met. This place was fabulous! There is nothing like the smell of garlic from the parking lot that gets you salivating before you get to the door. I had Mama's favorite which was excellent. Save a portion to take home for the next day and it was just as good. Can't remember what my wife had but she ate it all. Going back this Friday with friends and to celebrate our anniversary. Really great Italian, good wine. Molto bene Will definitely be taking guests here.
(5)
Pepper T.
Since my last review the menu has changed a few times for the better. Also since my last review I've dined at several Italian Restaurants in the Scottsdale area that offer similar meals at much higher prices that aren't as good so I feel the need to update my review. This is a family owned and operated budget Italian Restaurant that's been a pillar of the area for over twenty years. Nothing comes pre-made all the food and sauces are prepared in-house. Portions are large and prices are low. No other restaurant that I know of offers around a half dozen fresh vegetable choices for your dinner nightly. If your not a fan of pasta you can alter your dish to be prepared with spaghetti squash instead. Although the restaurant isn't gluten free they do offer gluten free pasta and whole wheat pasta for those who are interested. Another health helpful option is the grilled chicken parmesan that you can get over vegetables if you care too. I had one of the new dinners Steak Gorgonzola where I swapped out the pasta for spaghetti squash ($13.99). This dish was richly flavored and delicious. The steak was seasoned and was butter knife tender. The sauce was delicious and flavorful. The dish was made with fresh spinach and sundries tomatoes and gorgonzola cheese. I'm a big fan of the spacious comfortable dog friendly patio and enjoy the live music that plays on the weekend. I've always found the service friendly and warm and efficient. Tag's offers DEEP discounts. You can get $25 extra on a $100. gift card purchase and they also have a Swipe Card that gives you additional savings. This is a family friendly kind of restaurant.
(4)
Janed B.
First time visiting Tagliani's. Pizza supreme was very tasty, great crust. Old world Italian restaurant atmosphere. Nice service. A basket of buttery garlic toast is served with every meal, a plus. Will be back for sure.
(5)
Steve F.
We dined at this restaurant once and had take out once, both times the food was absolutely terrific. My wife loved the Eggplant Parmesan and I had the fettuccine, both the pasta and marinara sauce were great. The salads were very fresh and their dressings, which I think they prepare themselves, were very good. They welcome having you customize the marinara sauce with whatever you would like to add. Very comfortable dining room with nice relaxing music playing at a proper level.
(5)
Rachel M.
First time for lunch and first time ordering pizza....pizza has the thin lavash style crust, which I love, young men working the lunch hour were very accommodating and friendly....have lots of lunch specials....we love coming here for dinner and now I will love coming for lunch
(4)
Gissell R.
It's good but could use just a tad bit more flavor. Very decent food. They get 5 stars for service though. Amanda was my server & she's great! Got free wings and onion rings for checking in, so that's a plus
(5)
Nakata H.
Found this place on yelp. My doggies really enjoyed their dog friendly large patio area. Super dog friendly which is always plus. They have a really good selection of happy hour menu everyday from 2:30- 6:30 pm. Our server ms. Faye was very knowledgable and on point on her recommendations. Food was closer to five stars but since we only had appetizers, I am going to keep it 4 stars for now. You can get frequent dinner card which I think you can collect credits for free. You can get free appetizers on yelp check in. I can't wait to go back!!
(4)
Good Eats S.
At Midway Chevrolet to pick up a repaired vehicle and happily, it was dinner time, so stopped in for our second meal at Tagliani's 59th. I had garden salad with creamy garlic dressing and the Chicken Dynamante. DH had garden salad with creamy garlic dressing and Chicken Marsala. Salads were very crisp and fresh. DH loved the dressing---I thought was good, but not the best ever. Chicken Marsala---DH loved it and I have to say my sample from his plate was excellent. I would say rivaled mine! Sauce was very light and flavorful, chicken was perfectly cooked. Chicken Dynamante---came with ziti, but kindly substituted angel hair, because I don't like "tube pasta". It was really good. Again, my chicken was also perfectly cooked, and the Pepperocini Sauce was just a "wow" in the mouth. I had to poke DH to keep his fork off my plate! Tagliani's now has two of their sauces---the Marinara and the Pepperocini---bottled and for sale. We took one of each. As I said, the Pepperocini Sauce is delicious, and I remember from our previous visit that I---not a huge tomato sauce lover---really liked their Marinara sauce. I would say it is almost as good as what a friend of mine makes, and she is one of those Italia-to-the-bone cooks and knows her sauce! And same as the first time, service exemplary! Can't ever complain about the service here, I think!
(3)
Michael G.
Just ordered pickup and the service was excellent, I got the pasta Tagliani, it was one of the best pasta dishes I've had in a long time. Every bite had flavor, the noodles cooked to perfection and the broccoli too... I recommend this place %110!!!
(5)
Christina S.
I have to be honest I have never eaten at the restaurant we always do take out. I love the chicken parm it is by far my fav!! Tonight my husband had chicken Marsala and said it was ok but probably wouldn't have it again. The girl working their tonight Erin I think was super nice. It is a little pricey in my book, per person about $12-$15 and it is just the entree no salad. I was also bummed tonight because they have a yelp offer for an appetizer if you check in, I asked if I could use it and she said it was only for dining in which it doesn't say and I have a one year old so I don't do a lot of dining in right now, take out seems to be the way to go!
(4)
Irina H.
Good food, good value, generally good service - this only lacks the 4th star because I feel the food could use just a tiny flavor boost. It's very good, but not quite excellent. There are lots of wonderful options, generous portions and unusual items (you can get things like spaghetti squash or tortellini as a base in mix-n-match pasta, and you can toss on any variety of toppings). It's definitely fresher and more authentic than the standard salad-n-breadsticks chain, and features lots of healthy options. The atmosphere is cozy and cute, although slightly chain-y. Overall, a great place to try if you're in the area.
(3)
Angela R.
Tagliani is our "stand-by" ... we visit at least once a month and have dined here many times over the past 8 years. The Caesar salad is dressed with a fairly true Caesar dressing, without a lot of vinegar. As always, was good. Rieseling wine same as always. But I asked young man/server if they stocked my "NEW FAVE" wine: ROSCATO, a sweet red from Italy...he said no. I said well tell the owner it has just been requested. (He chuckled annoyingly, as if to say "yeah right!" so I then told him...THAT IS HOW the industry improves...by listening to the customers who pay the rent!) He was younger, a new server whom we had never met... Salmon was a fresher taste last night than usual. This establishment manages to broil it and still keep it moist, yet fully cooked inside...a very good reflection on the chef! Ravioli was over-cooked last night, sadly. Too soft, yet normally just right level of al dente. So, 2 things: Bring in ROSCATO red sweet wine. It is wonderful! Also, your Salmon has not been as fresh-tasting in the past year or so...as it was very fresh for the past 8 years. have you changed vendors? Example: Macaroni Grill (a chain) and Christos in central phoenix, both consistently serve salmon that is NOT fishy! It can be done, with the right sea food vendor and buying / storage habits!) This will remain one of our regular destinations. But the stoic-faced ownership NEEDS TO LISTEN!
(4)
Beau S.
The free appetizer you get upon check-in has surprisingly good wings. Had papas plate and baked spaghetti. Everything was very good besides the lasagna. Lasagna was a bit of a let down. But really enjoyed the manicotti on papas plate was great. Prices are decent. Service was good.
The atmosphere is lovely, the service was super, and furthermore, the food was excellent. Be hungry when you go, because there is plenty! Lasagne is delicious, not to much of anything in it, just right. Wines are great
(5)
Natty K.
This place is not as good as it used to be. Not to mention, their prices have increased and their portions have decreased. Service is poor and the cleanliness of the place is questionable... I miss the way it used to be. I will not go out of my way to come here anymore. :(
(2)
Eric H.
Outstanding linguini with clams in garlic butter sauce. It was made just right and feels like home cooking. Very tasty garlic bread as well. They also have many true Italian items on the menu that you wouldn't find in pseudo Italian places (e.g. Olive Garden), but some items can be pricy. Option to customize pasta. Service is ok, nice decor inside but it's more of a eatery than a 1st class restaurant. I would go back when I crave for some real Italian food.
(4)
Walt P.
We love this place! My wife and I have been eating here since they opened nearly 20 years ago, and it is one of our favorite places. The service is outstanding, the food is outstanding, and the prices are quite reasonable. I love their pasta tagliani and pasta diavolo, and their pasta bowls are really good too!
(5)
Joanne G.
Low class Italian food. Will not be back
(1)
Craig S.
My wife and I have been eating at Tagliani's for many years. We have a frequent dinners card with them that awards us points. That aside. We never get anything fancy. Usually just their pasta bowel. You get a choice of about 10 pastas, 10 sauces, 25 added toppings. (Meat, Veg, cheese). Always get the half size. This is always more than enough and I always take half home. The food has always been good and the service has always been good. Not great that is the reason for the 4 stars. They do serve good food and in a quantity that is for me to much to eat at one setting at a reasonable price. The decor, and music fits the Italian style. They always play Frank Sinatra songs. The seating is comfortable and you can carry on a conservation with who you are with without having to shout and now everyone knows what you are talking about. There is a lot to choose from on the menu. The only thing I wish they had would be a pasta dish with fish, shrimp, octopus, clams, mussels. I can keep wishing and hope they see this and grant my wish to me. I will keep coming back. Give them a try. Enjoy life!! Craig
(4)
Laura C.
Very disappointed Sunday. We were a party of six and no one walked away satisfied. The quality of the food has really taken a turn for the worse. Seems like everything is precooked, frozen and reheated. This was my favorite Italian restaurant.
(2)
Marty F.
Like Mexican food I've always found it impossible to find my favorite Italian restaurant.. Well look no further because I found my favorite Italian place in the valley. Funny that I live on the west side and had no idea this place existed. It's just north of Bell of 459th Ave. Easy to miss if you're not looking for it. Right as you walk inside it has that family Italian feel to it. Awesome decor all around. A bar on the right as you walk in and then the rest of the restaurant is on the inside. Ive been here a few times and I'll tell what I've had. The first time I had their baked spaghetti and wow.. it was tasty! Every bite better than the next. They also bring out fresh bread for dipping in oil and balsamic vinagar. Makes it that much better. My favorite dish so far.. Eggplant Parmesan. Holy.. this dish was insane. Im not even an eggplant fan and I couldnt get enough. the meal is definitely big enough to split for two. however they do offer a single portion. I highly recommend this delicious place!
(5)
Marty R.
THE VERY BEST Italian food we've ever had in Arizona. Wish they'd come over to Chandler. SOON.
(5)
Courtney K.
I went here for a nice lunch one afternoon. A nice lunch is NOT what I got. My food was awful. I got the lunch pasta special, which tasted just like a cheap frozen dinner. The chicken was bland and dry, and the sauce WAY OVER PRICED FOR MICROWAVE FOOD! I may go back to try something else, but I hardly write reviews. This was the worst food I have had in Phoenix yet.
(1)
Manny S.
This is a very nice Italian restaurant that's perfect for lunch or dinner with your family. It's nice inside and the service is top notch. I've only eaten here a few times but was always greeted by a friendly person who chatted a bit on the way to the table. The servers are also friendly and attentive. We got a sampler platter for a starter the last time we came and it was a lot of food! It comes with artichoke dip, chicken wings, onion rings, mozzarella, zucchini and mushroom fritti. No problem serving three adults and two kids. They have a nice menu with a number of choices. But, I figure that any place that has the tag line, "your neighborhood pasta place" is giving me a hint about what to order. I've had the Baked Ziti and the Sausage Lasagna. Both dishes are very good. Their sauce is delicious and they're a contender for the best meatballs in the valley. Nice place for a good meal with your family - note, they have a very good children's menu.
(4)
Judy L.
Always a fan and love their food. The 14th Street pizza is my favie but this time it tasted different. It was good but it was not GREAT!!! =( The service was great.
(4)
Sarah M.
I went in expecting a very nice Italian dinner, and the food was trying too hard to not have any flavor. I will never go back here again because it was worse than the nastiest Olive Garden in town!
(2)
Joe S.
We enjoy this place alot...however we recently went to enjoy the live entertainment on the patio and found out that they allow smoking and left ALOT sooner than we wanted to....I thought there was a law :(
(3)
Karina H.
I have been here before with my bf and we had a great time with good food...we decided to eat here for our anniversary dinner (well, lunch actually). We got drinks (waited 10+ mins) so I'll knock a star off and they were not very good to boot. We ordered the make your own pasta dish. My boyfriend ordered a spicy rigatoni with meatballs. I got ravioli with marinara. Within two bites my boyfriend could tell that there were nuts in it. He has a pretty bad nut allergy so I quickly waved someone down and I believe she was a manager...she had an accent but never said her name. She told my boyfriend it was HIS fault. His pasta dish that shouldn't have contained any nuts (no warning on the items he chose) somehow had nuts. She said he should have informed the staff before ordering but really! Pasta doesn't usually have nuts! I'm allergic to bananas but I don't go around telling places to keep my spaghetti away from the banana foster, do I? Honestly, she was so rude. I love the goat cheese salad but after that experience we won't be going back. The male manager ended up not charging us for the pasta.
(2)
Trevor C.
I came home to find my wife buried under a pile of books studying away. Neither she, nor myself wished to cook and I thought she could use a break so I set off searching the Yelp app for something new. I came across Cucina Tagliani and the reviews seemed good so I figured what the hell. We arrived and stood by the vacant host station for someone to assist us. The manager came by after a few minutes and seated us. Our waitress came by a short time later to take drink orders. However, since we'd made it in time for happy hour, we just ordered water while we perused the happy hour menu. By the time she returned, we had already chosen our drinks, app, and entrees. She apologized for the slow service and said that it was due to everyone covering every position - busing, waiting, hosting duties. We weren't too bothered about it, but I was starting to get antsy when she arrived. The rest of the service was good. Since Good Eats S. had written a review not 1 hour prior to our arrival, we used theirs as a guide. We both got the Mama's Sampler. We both agreed that the chicken and lasagna were fantastic! However, the fettucine was bland. Maybe more garlic could have brought it to life, but it was still edible. I would order the chicken parm on it's own next time since it is so good. We ordered onion rings for our app. They were good, but not something I would expect at an Italian restaurant. I would certainly order them again, but would also like to try other items on the menu. The garlic bread is plentiful and beats the hell out of Olive Garden's. Flavor is good, and it is cooked perfectly. We ordered an Italian Dream and Monsoon Madness for our drinks. All I can say is that they are strong, but you don't know it until you've had one down. The alcohol sneaks up on you since they are just so fruity and good. Now I know what you're thinking - men don't drink fruity drinks. I figure who cares as long as it is good and gets you the effect you're looking for. These drinks definitely do that. We will be coming back at some point.
(4)
Cobalt Z.
Decent Italian in a suburban strip mall. Decent wine selection, meal sizes were generous. Bathroom was built for Phoenix Sun players, I had to tiptoe to use the urinal. Seriously.
(3)
Ty Y.
My husband went for lunch on Saturday and were disappointed. It must have changed hands the decor had changed a bit and the bread was different (not in a good way). The bread was very soggy like it had been sitting for hours and it was only lunch time. The service was horrible even though there were only people sat three tables. It was just not as welcoming and friendly as it used to be. Though I hand't been there in few months it "was" one of my go to restaurants.
(1)
Nikki G.
Found this place using Yelp while in Anthem, AZ. So we (my parents and I) piled in the car and drove about 25 minutes to this place. It was Happy Hour when when we arrived so I asked for the strongest drink on the their menu. I had the Monsoon Madness. It's wasn't that strong, but it was good drink. We had appetizers - Calamari Fritti and a Caprese Bruschetta - Both delicious. Dinner - My dad had a Pepperoni/Pineapple Pizza, My mom had the Eggplant Parmesan and I had the Linguine and Clams in White Sauce. Everything was delicious.
(4)
Brian G.
I took my XC team here and called early in the day for a reservation. They had a side room for us, which was great, but still had to wait for 10-15 minutes to be seated. I sat out in the main dining area with my other coaches and received excellent food and service. We finished and paid and went to check on the kids, knowing it would take longer to serve 20 kids. We were shocked to see they only had drinks at this point, and quickly discovered that only one waitress had been assigned to serve 20 kids. Salads started coming at this point, but it took an hour and a half before they got their food. I asked them to bring the checks immediately after the food in order to speed things up, and asked that they include the tip in the check to make things easier (high school students don't get the concept and I still wanted the waitress to get a tip despite everything). They said they would, but then did not include the tip, which slowed things down even more. There was still only one waitress handling all the checks, and at this point there were very few patrons left in the restaurant, yet management did not get her the help she clearly needed in order to expedite service. It took over two hours to serve my group. I understand a large group takes more time to serve, and am ok with that. Management did not seen to understand what is necessary to serve a group this large. In the future (if we return) I will make sure to request sufficient waitstaff for the group or simply drive a little farther to the Bell Road location in Peoria where management understands the logistics of serving a large group. Just to be clear - the food and prices were great and the staff perfectly friendly. All the issues we had could have been solved simply by having an appropriate number staff to serve the large group.
(2)
Jeanne L.
Sat outside on the patio last Friday night - they had a wonderful singer who played everything - not so loud that you couldn't talk though. The food was wonderful, service was good and the atmosphere was so nice! Planning to bring a group this weekend!
I've been here on 2 occasions. Once for dinner, and once for lunch. Both times have been good, quality experiences. When we had dinner at Tagliani's it was 4 of us. I was with my family, and my brother in law raved about it. We ordered 2 appetizers, and each of us ordered an entree. We family styled the entrees and everyone ate some of everything. All of it was very good. Bread was fresh and warm. Put it in the the "Must do again" category. Went back for lunch a few days ago. Went to check-in, and low and behold, a free app! Wings and Rings! And honestly, they were the best wings I've ever had. Grilled to absolute perfection. The rings were homemade. Awesome. I had the lunch special baked ziti. Very good. Gf had the Eggpant Parmesian. She gave it a 3.5. I tried the spaghetti and maranara that went with it. I thought it had a very clean, and fresh flavor. Great for a maranara. Little one had the pepperoni pizza off of the Kids' Menu. I had a couple of bites to try it, and I thought it was excellent. I'd have eaten it. The only gripe was the bread seemed a tad dated. But, it was 3pm when we got there, and I'm sure fresh bread might be a stretch. Overall, it was an excellent experience with great food, and good service.
(4)
brendan k.
Always a fan. For a few reasons, but my most important one is the dog friendly patio. I like to go for a few drinks on friday with my dog Blueberry who has the entire staff wrapped up in her little paw. Always good service, and although Im an atkins dieter, they are very in tune with making sure my dietary needs are met. Just a real good vibe from everyone there and the fact that they are involved in dog adoption events and have accomodations for my cheap little fur covered date make this place kinda great for the both of us. To all the staff and Mr Sample, thank you all for being accomodating. Foods great as well. Blueberry should be the mascot for this place. I realize now I had posted this review to the other location. Reguardless. I have not been to the other location and think a 5 star rating should be appropriate by association. Avanti! Also, the patio on fridays evenings has a real talented young lady who is really nice to listen to and gives a real nice ambiance to the whole area.
(5)
Scott R.
Came for lunch OMG who is cooking fire them! Fried cheese Yuk was old and well not very good! What happened to this place is it under new management? Hope it gets better last two visits not as good as it was couple years ago! Was very happy to see response from a manager and hope that my next visit is great !
(3)
Terri D.
We have been here atleast a dozen times over the Last couple of years, the food is not at all like it used to be. Pasta sauce was Not good, chicken parm was Not seasoned well, the bread was soggy.
(1)
Jesse J.
I went with a group last night for dinner to try Cucina Tagliani and well it just wasn't my cup of tea. I love Italian food don't get me wrong and I love big portions both of which Cucina Tagliani offers. The service was great as well. My problem was the food just wasn't really good. I had the calamari which was ok and a ceaser salad which again just ok. Then for main course i had the veal parmigiana which I thought just really lacked in flavor and thought the meat was over done. So overall it wasn't a bad experience just lack of tasty food that led to the low rating so try at your own risk.
(2)
Michelle M.
We came back, after a personal invitation from the owner, after a so-so experience at the 59th avenue location. We decided to try out the 83rd (Arrowhead location) second time around. What a world of difference. Staff, service, atmosphere....all was excellent! Including the food. Complimentary garlic bread was delish, and we also started with a wing onion ring combo plate. Yummy wings :) I had the caprese side salad, small but really delicious and fresh and I had a make your own pasta dish with fettuccini, garlic butter, spinach and roasted onions. Butter was Lacking a little flavor, but none the less, very good and pasta was super fresh. My husband had the steak Gorgonzola over fettuccini with a side of antipasto salad. Again, very good. Manager visited our table....server was as sweet as could be. Loved the Italian family style atmosphere....we will be back. Thank you very much for the invitation to dine again :)
(4)
Shane M.
I have never left a review on Yelp before but I was inspired to download the app just to warn people about this place. I wish I would have looked at reviews before I came here today. I used to make the drive from north scottsdale, all the way over to glendale just for this restaurant when I was 16 to let's say 20. I am now 30 and decided to mix things up with my girlfriend and try my favorite from when I was a kid. This place has gone down hill in a hurry. I laughed audibly out loud when I read the review previously written saying they think it changed hands. I had just done a Google search on my phone to see if they sold out. The owner must have gotten a new manager or food provider. The food made me sick. I ordered whole wheat pasta with the reduced fat marinara and it came out like a bowl of soup. We tried the 4.50 portobello mushroom appetizer and that was like a hot sponge soaked in vinager. The bread is soggy and nasty. I was embarrassed to take my girlfriend here.
(1)
Anita N.
Better Italian food at Olive Garden and that's saying a lot! New to the area I decided to give this place a try and unfortunately it'll be the last time. Happy hour is not happy hour, the waitress who wasn't familiar with the menu had to keep coming back and telling me all the things I couldn't get. Not a great business strategy. Worst of all I couldn't customize my order which was shocking. You'd think if I could have a burger made my way at a fast food joint that they could customize your meal for the price you're paying here! So be careful if you are allergic or really dislike certain foods. It also worried me that the food isn't being cooked to order because of this and perhaps just frozen bulk that's reheated. I ordered the spinach manicotti which I forced myself to finish because I felt bad for my friend who had offered to pay. The food was lukewarm at best, not presented well and I felt ill after it all. I won't be returning, there are plenty of other restaurants in the area to choose from.
(1)
Carmelo W.
it was a-ok.
(3)
Ali C.
I cannot believe I have forgotten to review one of my favorite restaurants. I have been coming in for years and I absolutely love it. I typically get the pasta plate and order a gnocchi with garlic butter and spinach which is big enough on the full for me to take home and eat for lunch the next day. The half is good sized too, but you only take a little home then. The atmosphere is typically friendly. (Every once in awhile you encounter a miss-hire with the wait staff. I had one waitress every time I came it. Ugh. She was just not cool but I'm hoping she just isn't there any more.) The decor is old an Italian homey feel. I will say I prefer this location to the newer one near the 101. Its a smaller setting, I don't feel as forgotten and my food is always hot at this location even when I do take out.
(5)
Robyn S.
called ahead and took our dogs here. they set up the outside patio for us along with many water bowls for all the pooches. All I ate was their desert pizza cookie which was just ok. the bread they bring out as a complimentary snack was yummy though so I'm excited to try their actual food next time I go. Nice place and friendly service.
(5)
Taylor J.
I had lunch here earlier today with my mom. Our server was Emma I believe, curly hair. The service was great as was the food. What was not so great was the woman two booths down complaining along the entire time. When she got rude with Emma, Emma said she would go get the manager to fix the problem. Emma kept apologizing for their problem and remained composed and polite the entire time. I have worked in the service industry for over 10 years and I have never seen a manager handle something like this. He actually stood up for his employee and refused to let either him or his server be treated disrespectfully. The woman started shouting about how awful it was that she was not getting something for free and how they do not value customers. She made the environment uncomfortable. It was amazing to see a manager 86 someone instead of kissing their ass like most people expect. I will come back to this location because I know the managers respect their staff.
(5)
Lucky T.
Yes, yes and hell, yes! The food--I had veal piccata the small portion--was delicious and more than enough. My friend got the large size veal parmigiana and she had to take more than half home for the next day. Her portion was that large, so maybe it is smarter to get the large order for a little more and get 2X the food. They put bread that's toasted with garlic and olive oil on the table first which was dee-licious! Obviously, I totally blew the Atkins all protein diet with that bread basket, but it was sooo good! I just love the food here, so this is now my new go-to place for real Italian. ***Keep up the good work at this location, but you need to kick the 83rd Ave. location and get them cooking like the 59th Ave. location. I've eaten at both, and they just are not the same: different cooks make a difference.
(5)
Susan M.
We've been meaning to get to this intriguing restaurant for quite a while. Well, for Valentine's day, while everyone else was jacking up their prices, they were offering a $10 off $30 through Sunday night, so we went one day early and we were NOT disappointed. The Caprese salad and Antipasto salads were divine. The Fritti plate which in our case meant half mozza and half zucchini was so fresh! The mozza literally melted at the touch. Our entrees were very good as well. My hubs got the Papa combo which consisted of veal, lasagna and some spinach manicotti. He said it was spectacular. My Chicken Saltimbucca was very good but a bit dry for my taste. I saw many other orders go out that looked very yummy so I'm going to go again and again, working my way around the menu. The service was excellent with Barbara offering suggestions and helping in any way she could. Now, this is not the most glamorous place on earth but it's comfortable and you feel like family!
(4)
Ron P.
Less expensive food if that is what you are looking for. Happy hour has some good items but most are fried. Not that there is anything wrong with that!
(2)
Laura B.
I was really excited to go check this place out because I've heard great things about it. The interior was very cute and loved the music, it was very Italian. However, I was a little disappointed with the food. I got the Cesar salad to start off with and thought it tasted funny, but was then told by our server it was because there's anchovies in the dressing. That would've been nice to know ahead of time in case someone is allergic to fish, plus I wouldn't have ordered that salad then. I didn't enjoy my steak Gorgonzola either, which I think has the anchovies in thy sauce too, because that did not taste as good as it sounded in the menu. I won't be going back anytime soon.
(2)
Justin S.
We used to really like the food here so decided to try it again, especially since we found online where kids eat free. There was a little bit of a hassle when we got the check, but ended up getting that removed. However, we were still charged for our kid's drinks when the menu specifically said they were included with the meals. The antipasto salad we got was not filled with "meats" as described, but rather a small portion of only pepperoni and the dressing had an unusual after taste. The alfredo sauce was real bland, chicken parmesan too thin and mainly breading. When we reached out to the manager, never heard a word back so obviously customer service isn't such a priority here. We will never go back.
(2)
Mike W.
My family visits this location quite often. The food is usually quite good. However, more than once we've had an issue trying to use a coupon. Case in point, yesterday checked in on YELP and was rewarded a free onion/wing app, only to be informed by our waitress that they weren't accepting coupons that day (presumably because of Mother's Day?). As stated before, not the first time a coupon has been refused here. Not sure what the thinking is behind these decisions, but seems a bit off-putting. It's not like they're giving anything else away. Maybe change the wording on offers to exclude certain days, but seems to me a bad idea to treat customers in that manner.
(3)
Rachel S.
Service has always been great, don't care for the dry bread but it's the horrible water that stands out as trying to get the customer to order a "drink". Out of the four of us at dinner we all agreed the water tasted like chlorine water from someone's pool. The server said it's "filtered". NOT a chance! We asked him if we could get the water from bartender. He replied "it's the same". He kept pushing ordering a $4 sparkling water or cocktail etc. We all agreed no thanks. I went up to the bar later and asked for a glass of water. What do you know? It was fine and definitely filtered. Food is alright but when the water tastes better at even In and Out or any other restaurant you know they aren't paying attention to detail. Plenty of other great Italian restaurants on Bell Rd.
(2)
Mark M.
This I feel is one of the best italian eateries this side of the valley. I have been a regular here for the past five years and the lasagna is the best. I highly recommend this establishment. Great food, good prices, and the wait staff was very helpful
(5)
Brittany A.
My parents took my sister and I to this location since we were kids. I always loved it and then we started to go to the location at Arrowhead. The Arrowhead location was good up until about a year ago. Then their food's quality changed and I started sending food back too often. Last night (04/07/2014), I took my boyfriend to this location. It was his first time eating at Cucina Tagliani at any location and my first time back to this location in years. One of the best meals we've had in a while. I ordered the black mussel pasta for the first time and I can't remember a time where I had more flavorful mussels. I went to work after dinner and told everyone how good they were. My boyfriend was a huge fan of the garlic bread and the chicken parmigan. I'm thrilled to see a place from my childhood continue to offer the best quality and service. I forgot how much I love the decor there as well. I think we may ditch Olive Garden for a while and come eat here instead :)
(5)
Laraine J.
LOVE Tagliani's!! Try the Saltimbocca it's delicious!!! Better than Olive Garden and cheaper than Carabbas. Although carabbas is still better, imo
(4)
Becky K.
59th Ave & Bell location is the only one to go to always great service always great food. I customized by picking what I wanted spaghetti squash instead of pasta, spicy shrimp, artichokes, zucchini, rustica roma sauce and Alfredo mixed. I eat at this location often and the food is always prepared to the correct temperature and flavor is extremely tasty. Waitresses are great with their suggestions. They are extremely accommodating at this location. Ate in the pet family outside patio with my friend and her dog it was great. The Chocolate Marscapone cake is the most delicious chocolate cake I have ever had at a restaurant. In contrast 101 and Bell lacks the service and lacks knowledge of menu, which made it so they will not accommodate as much. Flavor is just not as good as 59th and Bell location which is the location my review is definitely positive on.
(4)
Erinn D.
Great italian restaurant. I've been coming here for years. I usually get the build a bowl pasta. I love that you can get spaghetti squash as a substitute for regular pasta. The staff is also very friendly.
(5)
Eric S.
Wow, I'm with David M. et al - this place is extremely good in so many ways, I can't understand all the hate. I do not think the food rates a five - definitely a solid four, but I'm giving it a five for the overall experience and to counter the negatives which I think are definitely not appropriate. Cucina Tagliani is in a strip mall. Then again, it's in Glendale, which might as well be Phoenix, so what ISN'T in a strip mall? Its decor is on the edge of being cheesy, but it was done well enough that you get what they were shooting for (Italian villa) without it actually being distracting. Except that it is, a little bit. If I have one complaint about the place it's that the seating at the tables can make you feel a tad self conscious, being so close to other diners and in the middle of everything. That said, it's obvious that they gave some thought to staggering the tables, and overall I didn't feel THAT uncomfortable, so make of it what you will. The food is simply delicious, and the portions are beyond generous. It's difficult to screw up artichoke dip, but CT's artichoke dip appetizer was so good I couldn't stop eating it. Not good for me - because it was so huge it could have been a meal in and of itself. The bread - crusted with parmesan - was a bit too tough for my companion, but I found it a delightful accompaniment to the dip, and in any case, soft pita was provided as well. I do not have enough good words for the optional antipasto salad ($1.99). There are two types of antipasto: the a la carte meat and cheese tray provided with a salad as an afterthought, and the full-on salad that is completely incorporated with meats and cheeses. The second kind is incredibly easy to get wrong. The antipasto at Cucina Tagliani is definitely of the latter type, and yet it is pulled off magnificently. I don't think I can recall having better. As others have mentioned, the canteloupe is a surprisingly delicious nuance. My companion's garden salad was competent and delicious. I opted for the spicy sausage and rigatoni, and she had the veal parmesan. Neither of us could get halfway through our "half" lunch portions, but we both agreed that they were superior examples of local Italian fare. Olive Garden this ain't. Not that I really have anything against Olive Garden - they do a decent job of wrapping Italian cuisine up for mass appeal - but comparisons to Cucina Tagliani are unfair - this is nothing like that. It is not bland, the portions are not so tightly controlled, and more than anything - these taste like someone's unique recipes - not recipes manufactured for mass consumption. Finally, the price. Definitely in line with expectations. We got out with a generous appetizer, two salads, two entrees and two drinks - with enough to take home for dinner, and it cost us $36. The service merited a 20% tip, as it was efficient and very friendly. We never once wanted for something to nosh after the first initial 3 minutes. Give it a shot. I doubt you will be disappointed.
(5)
Jen K.
I love this local eatery! Veal Parmesan is often missing from Italian restaurants' menus, but you can get it here, and it's wonderful. We visited recently for Mothers' Day and I split the Papa's Combo with my mom. The combo has Veal Parmesan, Spinach Manicotti and Lasagna...what a dream! Other diners in our group got Fettucine Alfredo with Chicken, Ravioli and Pizza (children's menu) and everyone was very happy with their selections. They even handed out carnations to all the mothers...what a nice touch!
(5)
Josh J.
The food at this location has gone way down hill and the service is terrible! Go to the Arrowhead location.
(1)
Morgan D.
Chris S. personally attacked me for disliking Cucina Tagliani. So, I would definitely listen to him when he asks you to consider the validity of these reviews. It may be upsetting for Chris to read such hatred in reviews, but it is more upsetting to get a message full of hateful personal attacks. I hope Chris isn't the owner, he seemed to be mighty emotional over the whole thing! I'm not the only one who hated this place, Chris. Are you going to attack us all?!
(1)
JT D.
Came in yesterday for Friday dinner, table for two. Ordered happy-hour glass of wine. Ingored us for awhile. They served my wife's soda, said wine would be up shortly. 10 minutes later, asked where's my wine, they said bartender was a little "backed up." 15 minutes later, after appetizers and salad and ordering entrees, still no wine. Asked again. Glass of wine shows up, filled maybe 1/3 full, if that. Another 15 minutes , asked if dinner was coming soon. Second basket of bread given. Bread really dry that night. Another 10 minutes without anyone stopping by our table, we got up to leave. Waitress came by and said, please don't leave - your dinner is "up." Sat back down and she served our entrees. Overall not a good experience. Salad and bread -- the basics -- tasted like they were several days old. Entrees, ravioli and fettucini, pretty good. Service terrible. But the manager came by, apologized and gave us our dinner on the house. I appreciated his sincerity and that he didn't start spewing mumbo-jumbo excuses. Just apologized sincerely and said he wanted us back. We'll give it another try in a few weeks, see if the service is better.
(2)
Christine P.
Love the Italy decor feel, nice layout. I wish I was actually there though. Haha :)) We got the 6 wings and 6 onion rings complimentary because I checked myself into yelp. Yayyy for yelp. The garlic bread was DELICIOUS! ( Had three basket :/ ) but it' s.so .good!!!!!!!!! The Mediterranean pizza minus the olives was awesome. Love the thin crust. The sauce was on point. Yumm. Boyfriend had the rigatoni spicy sausage pasta.. he absolutely enjoyed it. Everything was on par he said. He devoured the wings. He liked how the crush peppers were on the wings. He thought it was perfect :) Our waitress wasn't too friendly nor helpful. But the food was really good and I had great company! :)
(3)
Darline C.
My husband and I went here with another couple last night. Firstly, we have been here before and have had good experiences. This time...not so much. I ordered the chicken Marsala, and it was presented in a bowl which was weird, then chicken breast that had what looked like they slopped some canned cream of mushroom soup on it. When I took my first bite, it pretty much tasted like that too. My husband loved their mussels the last time we were there. When he got it the mussels were served completely dry with no yummy garlic broth whatsoever and there was some angel hair pasta below it that had no sauce and was a hard blob of pasta that was not freshly prepared. Not sure what happened since the last time we were here. Change in ownership, chefs, I don't know...but we're not going back.
(2)
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Address :17045 N 59th Ave,Ste 101
Glendale, AZ, 85308
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes 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.
Matthew S.
Well this place is interestic. I think I fell into the biggest Italian sterotype. There are fake flowers, fake vines hanging from lattice work and string lights. I think I heard the soundtrack from Lady and the Tramp. I sat in the bar area and the server has been so nice and friendly. I received a warm basket of bread always a good choice. Garlic and herby yum. Also had Chicken Scampi which is not on the menu but they made the Shrimp scampi with chicken for me. Ice tea: very good not bitter or old. Menu: The menu has a decent variety of classic dishes and pizza and apps. Do not come here expecting a new take on Classic Italian. It is good for a chain concept and the food is better than the decor. I would take this place over OG or Carabbas but not Carinos.
(4)Farley L.
Had lunch here last Sunday afternoon, was a recommendation from a police officer we met. This place was fabulous! There is nothing like the smell of garlic from the parking lot that gets you salivating before you get to the door. I had Mama's favorite which was excellent. Save a portion to take home for the next day and it was just as good. Can't remember what my wife had but she ate it all. Going back this Friday with friends and to celebrate our anniversary. Really great Italian, good wine. Molto bene Will definitely be taking guests here.
(5)Christina S.
I have to be honest I have never eaten at the restaurant we always do take out. I love the chicken parm it is by far my fav!! Tonight my husband had chicken Marsala and said it was ok but probably wouldn't have it again. The girl working their tonight Erin I think was super nice. It is a little pricey in my book, per person about $12-$15 and it is just the entree no salad. I was also bummed tonight because they have a yelp offer for an appetizer if you check in, I asked if I could use it and she said it was only for dining in which it doesn't say and I have a one year old so I don't do a lot of dining in right now, take out seems to be the way to go!
(4)Pepper T.
Since my last review the menu has changed a few times for the better. Also since my last review I've dined at several Italian Restaurants in the Scottsdale area that offer similar meals at much higher prices that aren't as good so I feel the need to update my review. This is a family owned and operated budget Italian Restaurant that's been a pillar of the area for over twenty years. Nothing comes pre-made all the food and sauces are prepared in-house. Portions are large and prices are low. No other restaurant that I know of offers around a half dozen fresh vegetable choices for your dinner nightly. If your not a fan of pasta you can alter your dish to be prepared with spaghetti squash instead. Although the restaurant isn't gluten free they do offer gluten free pasta and whole wheat pasta for those who are interested. Another health helpful option is the grilled chicken parmesan that you can get over vegetables if you care too. I had one of the new dinners Steak Gorgonzola where I swapped out the pasta for spaghetti squash ($13.99). This dish was richly flavored and delicious. The steak was seasoned and was butter knife tender. The sauce was delicious and flavorful. The dish was made with fresh spinach and sundries tomatoes and gorgonzola cheese. I'm a big fan of the spacious comfortable dog friendly patio and enjoy the live music that plays on the weekend. I've always found the service friendly and warm and efficient. Tag's offers DEEP discounts. You can get $25 extra on a $100. gift card purchase and they also have a Swipe Card that gives you additional savings. This is a family friendly kind of restaurant.
(4)Janed B.
First time visiting Tagliani's. Pizza supreme was very tasty, great crust. Old world Italian restaurant atmosphere. Nice service. A basket of buttery garlic toast is served with every meal, a plus. Will be back for sure.
(5)Steve F.
We dined at this restaurant once and had take out once, both times the food was absolutely terrific. My wife loved the Eggplant Parmesan and I had the fettuccine, both the pasta and marinara sauce were great. The salads were very fresh and their dressings, which I think they prepare themselves, were very good. They welcome having you customize the marinara sauce with whatever you would like to add. Very comfortable dining room with nice relaxing music playing at a proper level.
(5)Rachel M.
First time for lunch and first time ordering pizza....pizza has the thin lavash style crust, which I love, young men working the lunch hour were very accommodating and friendly....have lots of lunch specials....we love coming here for dinner and now I will love coming for lunch
(4)Gissell R.
It's good but could use just a tad bit more flavor. Very decent food. They get 5 stars for service though. Amanda was my server & she's great! Got free wings and onion rings for checking in, so that's a plus
(5)Christine P.
Love the Italy decor feel, nice layout. I wish I was actually there though. Haha :)) We got the 6 wings and 6 onion rings complimentary because I checked myself into yelp. Yayyy for yelp. The garlic bread was DELICIOUS! ( Had three basket :/ ) but it' s.so .good!!!!!!!!! The Mediterranean pizza minus the olives was awesome. Love the thin crust. The sauce was on point. Yumm. Boyfriend had the rigatoni spicy sausage pasta.. he absolutely enjoyed it. Everything was on par he said. He devoured the wings. He liked how the crush peppers were on the wings. He thought it was perfect :) Our waitress wasn't too friendly nor helpful. But the food was really good and I had great company! :)
(3)Darline C.
My husband and I went here with another couple last night. Firstly, we have been here before and have had good experiences. This time...not so much. I ordered the chicken Marsala, and it was presented in a bowl which was weird, then chicken breast that had what looked like they slopped some canned cream of mushroom soup on it. When I took my first bite, it pretty much tasted like that too. My husband loved their mussels the last time we were there. When he got it the mussels were served completely dry with no yummy garlic broth whatsoever and there was some angel hair pasta below it that had no sauce and was a hard blob of pasta that was not freshly prepared. Not sure what happened since the last time we were here. Change in ownership, chefs, I don't know...but we're not going back.
(2)Good Eats S.
At Midway Chevrolet to pick up a repaired vehicle and happily, it was dinner time, so stopped in for our second meal at Tagliani's 59th. I had garden salad with creamy garlic dressing and the Chicken Dynamante. DH had garden salad with creamy garlic dressing and Chicken Marsala. Salads were very crisp and fresh. DH loved the dressing---I thought was good, but not the best ever. Chicken Marsala---DH loved it and I have to say my sample from his plate was excellent. I would say rivaled mine! Sauce was very light and flavorful, chicken was perfectly cooked. Chicken Dynamante---came with ziti, but kindly substituted angel hair, because I don't like "tube pasta". It was really good. Again, my chicken was also perfectly cooked, and the Pepperocini Sauce was just a "wow" in the mouth. I had to poke DH to keep his fork off my plate! Tagliani's now has two of their sauces---the Marinara and the Pepperocini---bottled and for sale. We took one of each. As I said, the Pepperocini Sauce is delicious, and I remember from our previous visit that I---not a huge tomato sauce lover---really liked their Marinara sauce. I would say it is almost as good as what a friend of mine makes, and she is one of those Italia-to-the-bone cooks and knows her sauce! And same as the first time, service exemplary! Can't ever complain about the service here, I think!
(3)Michael G.
Just ordered pickup and the service was excellent, I got the pasta Tagliani, it was one of the best pasta dishes I've had in a long time. Every bite had flavor, the noodles cooked to perfection and the broccoli too... I recommend this place %110!!!
(5)Irina H.
Good food, good value, generally good service - this only lacks the 4th star because I feel the food could use just a tiny flavor boost. It's very good, but not quite excellent. There are lots of wonderful options, generous portions and unusual items (you can get things like spaghetti squash or tortellini as a base in mix-n-match pasta, and you can toss on any variety of toppings). It's definitely fresher and more authentic than the standard salad-n-breadsticks chain, and features lots of healthy options. The atmosphere is cozy and cute, although slightly chain-y. Overall, a great place to try if you're in the area.
(3)Nakata H.
Found this place on yelp. My doggies really enjoyed their dog friendly large patio area. Super dog friendly which is always plus. They have a really good selection of happy hour menu everyday from 2:30- 6:30 pm. Our server ms. Faye was very knowledgable and on point on her recommendations. Food was closer to five stars but since we only had appetizers, I am going to keep it 4 stars for now. You can get frequent dinner card which I think you can collect credits for free. You can get free appetizers on yelp check in. I can't wait to go back!!
(4)Kt K.
Besides having the best happy hour, this place allows dogs on the patio. Best Mykonos pizza and calamari. If you ever need a delicious cake order the 1/4 sheet to feed twelve or the half for 24 ppl. You will not be disappointed!! My family loved this cake!!!!
(5)Julie S.
Good as usual... My hubby and I always get the baked spaghetti, which I highly recommend. My rum and diet was a little weak but my husband says hi just have a high tolerance... ha ha Overall we love this place!!
(4)Angela R.
Tagliani is our "stand-by" ... we visit at least once a month and have dined here many times over the past 8 years. The Caesar salad is dressed with a fairly true Caesar dressing, without a lot of vinegar. As always, was good. Rieseling wine same as always. But I asked young man/server if they stocked my "NEW FAVE" wine: ROSCATO, a sweet red from Italy...he said no. I said well tell the owner it has just been requested. (He chuckled annoyingly, as if to say "yeah right!" so I then told him...THAT IS HOW the industry improves...by listening to the customers who pay the rent!) He was younger, a new server whom we had never met... Salmon was a fresher taste last night than usual. This establishment manages to broil it and still keep it moist, yet fully cooked inside...a very good reflection on the chef! Ravioli was over-cooked last night, sadly. Too soft, yet normally just right level of al dente. So, 2 things: Bring in ROSCATO red sweet wine. It is wonderful! Also, your Salmon has not been as fresh-tasting in the past year or so...as it was very fresh for the past 8 years. have you changed vendors? Example: Macaroni Grill (a chain) and Christos in central phoenix, both consistently serve salmon that is NOT fishy! It can be done, with the right sea food vendor and buying / storage habits!) This will remain one of our regular destinations. But the stoic-faced ownership NEEDS TO LISTEN!
(4)Beau S.
The free appetizer you get upon check-in has surprisingly good wings. Had papas plate and baked spaghetti. Everything was very good besides the lasagna. Lasagna was a bit of a let down. But really enjoyed the manicotti on papas plate was great. Prices are decent. Service was good.
(4)Domino T.
Although the customer service was top notch and the atmosphere more elegant than that of Olive Garden, the food and drinks were subpar. We ordered a half loaf of garlic-cheese bread to start and were given 4 very small biscotti sized bread sticks. The actual bread that comes with the meal is far more massive and delicious than that which was ordered. For a drink I got the Tagliani Margarita that was ok but quite plain for a margarita. I was expecting a more fruity and stronger taste but the amount of ice in the drink really watered it down. Next came the cesar salad that had a sour taste dressing. I was dying to get my main dish (a big plate of raviolis with alfredo sauce) and was greatly disappointed! I was given a giant plate but with only 4 (again FOUR) raviolis that were just a bit bigger than a silver dollar coin. The rest of the plate was covered in alfredo sauce to make it look filled. I was not only shocked but very hungry. I finished my food before my fiancé even started digging into his own plate. He got the Steak Gorgonzola that tasted plain and the sauce was very soupy. He and I were not satisfied with the food and not filled one bit unfortunately.
(1)Milton K.
The atmosphere is lovely, the service was super, and furthermore, the food was excellent. Be hungry when you go, because there is plenty! Lasagne is delicious, not to much of anything in it, just right. Wines are great
(5)Natty K.
This place is not as good as it used to be. Not to mention, their prices have increased and their portions have decreased. Service is poor and the cleanliness of the place is questionable... I miss the way it used to be. I will not go out of my way to come here anymore. :(
(2)Manny S.
This is a very nice Italian restaurant that's perfect for lunch or dinner with your family. It's nice inside and the service is top notch. I've only eaten here a few times but was always greeted by a friendly person who chatted a bit on the way to the table. The servers are also friendly and attentive. We got a sampler platter for a starter the last time we came and it was a lot of food! It comes with artichoke dip, chicken wings, onion rings, mozzarella, zucchini and mushroom fritti. No problem serving three adults and two kids. They have a nice menu with a number of choices. But, I figure that any place that has the tag line, "your neighborhood pasta place" is giving me a hint about what to order. I've had the Baked Ziti and the Sausage Lasagna. Both dishes are very good. Their sauce is delicious and they're a contender for the best meatballs in the valley. Nice place for a good meal with your family - note, they have a very good children's menu.
(4)Judy L.
Always a fan and love their food. The 14th Street pizza is my favie but this time it tasted different. It was good but it was not GREAT!!! =( The service was great.
(4)Sarah M.
I went in expecting a very nice Italian dinner, and the food was trying too hard to not have any flavor. I will never go back here again because it was worse than the nastiest Olive Garden in town!
(2)Joe S.
We enjoy this place alot...however we recently went to enjoy the live entertainment on the patio and found out that they allow smoking and left ALOT sooner than we wanted to....I thought there was a law :(
(3)Karina H.
I have been here before with my bf and we had a great time with good food...we decided to eat here for our anniversary dinner (well, lunch actually). We got drinks (waited 10+ mins) so I'll knock a star off and they were not very good to boot. We ordered the make your own pasta dish. My boyfriend ordered a spicy rigatoni with meatballs. I got ravioli with marinara. Within two bites my boyfriend could tell that there were nuts in it. He has a pretty bad nut allergy so I quickly waved someone down and I believe she was a manager...she had an accent but never said her name. She told my boyfriend it was HIS fault. His pasta dish that shouldn't have contained any nuts (no warning on the items he chose) somehow had nuts. She said he should have informed the staff before ordering but really! Pasta doesn't usually have nuts! I'm allergic to bananas but I don't go around telling places to keep my spaghetti away from the banana foster, do I? Honestly, she was so rude. I love the goat cheese salad but after that experience we won't be going back. The male manager ended up not charging us for the pasta.
(2)Brian G.
I took my XC team here and called early in the day for a reservation. They had a side room for us, which was great, but still had to wait for 10-15 minutes to be seated. I sat out in the main dining area with my other coaches and received excellent food and service. We finished and paid and went to check on the kids, knowing it would take longer to serve 20 kids. We were shocked to see they only had drinks at this point, and quickly discovered that only one waitress had been assigned to serve 20 kids. Salads started coming at this point, but it took an hour and a half before they got their food. I asked them to bring the checks immediately after the food in order to speed things up, and asked that they include the tip in the check to make things easier (high school students don't get the concept and I still wanted the waitress to get a tip despite everything). They said they would, but then did not include the tip, which slowed things down even more. There was still only one waitress handling all the checks, and at this point there were very few patrons left in the restaurant, yet management did not get her the help she clearly needed in order to expedite service. It took over two hours to serve my group. I understand a large group takes more time to serve, and am ok with that. Management did not seen to understand what is necessary to serve a group this large. In the future (if we return) I will make sure to request sufficient waitstaff for the group or simply drive a little farther to the Bell Road location in Peoria where management understands the logistics of serving a large group. Just to be clear - the food and prices were great and the staff perfectly friendly. All the issues we had could have been solved simply by having an appropriate number staff to serve the large group.
(2)Trevor C.
I came home to find my wife buried under a pile of books studying away. Neither she, nor myself wished to cook and I thought she could use a break so I set off searching the Yelp app for something new. I came across Cucina Tagliani and the reviews seemed good so I figured what the hell. We arrived and stood by the vacant host station for someone to assist us. The manager came by after a few minutes and seated us. Our waitress came by a short time later to take drink orders. However, since we'd made it in time for happy hour, we just ordered water while we perused the happy hour menu. By the time she returned, we had already chosen our drinks, app, and entrees. She apologized for the slow service and said that it was due to everyone covering every position - busing, waiting, hosting duties. We weren't too bothered about it, but I was starting to get antsy when she arrived. The rest of the service was good. Since Good Eats S. had written a review not 1 hour prior to our arrival, we used theirs as a guide. We both got the Mama's Sampler. We both agreed that the chicken and lasagna were fantastic! However, the fettucine was bland. Maybe more garlic could have brought it to life, but it was still edible. I would order the chicken parm on it's own next time since it is so good. We ordered onion rings for our app. They were good, but not something I would expect at an Italian restaurant. I would certainly order them again, but would also like to try other items on the menu. The garlic bread is plentiful and beats the hell out of Olive Garden's. Flavor is good, and it is cooked perfectly. We ordered an Italian Dream and Monsoon Madness for our drinks. All I can say is that they are strong, but you don't know it until you've had one down. The alcohol sneaks up on you since they are just so fruity and good. Now I know what you're thinking - men don't drink fruity drinks. I figure who cares as long as it is good and gets you the effect you're looking for. These drinks definitely do that. We will be coming back at some point.
(4)Cobalt Z.
Decent Italian in a suburban strip mall. Decent wine selection, meal sizes were generous. Bathroom was built for Phoenix Sun players, I had to tiptoe to use the urinal. Seriously.
(3)Ty Y.
My husband went for lunch on Saturday and were disappointed. It must have changed hands the decor had changed a bit and the bread was different (not in a good way). The bread was very soggy like it had been sitting for hours and it was only lunch time. The service was horrible even though there were only people sat three tables. It was just not as welcoming and friendly as it used to be. Though I hand't been there in few months it "was" one of my go to restaurants.
(1)Jeanne L.
Sat outside on the patio last Friday night - they had a wonderful singer who played everything - not so loud that you couldn't talk though. The food was wonderful, service was good and the atmosphere was so nice! Planning to bring a group this weekend!
(4)Courtney M.
This place was absolutely disgusting. My fiancé and I went here because someone told us it was amazing - apparently they were delusional. First off, the service was not good. Our waiter kept disappearing for long stretches of time and when he did come around, he wouldn't stop scratching the side of his face. We ordered and then had to wait a rather long time before our food was actually done. I've had lots of Italian food in my life and this was not Italian. It was some poor excuse for a knock-off cuisine. The alfredo sauce was runny and on it's last leg, the noodles were over cooked and the bread was just nasty. I tried out the tiramisu for the sake of review and it was just as bad. The flavor was off, it didn't even taste like espresso and there were no lady fingers in it as with a traditional cake. It was worse than some store bought knock-off and I honestly considered asking for a refund. We asked the waiter and they said they make the sauce in batches and keep it for days. I have no idea why they can't make it any fresher than that. It was almost $40 for the two of us and not even worth a penny. I am never coming here again and unless you have no taste buds, I advise you stay away. You can get much better quality food at Carrabbas which is just down the street a ways.
(1)Nikki G.
Found this place using Yelp while in Anthem, AZ. So we (my parents and I) piled in the car and drove about 25 minutes to this place. It was Happy Hour when when we arrived so I asked for the strongest drink on the their menu. I had the Monsoon Madness. It's wasn't that strong, but it was good drink. We had appetizers - Calamari Fritti and a Caprese Bruschetta - Both delicious. Dinner - My dad had a Pepperoni/Pineapple Pizza, My mom had the Eggplant Parmesan and I had the Linguine and Clams in White Sauce. Everything was delicious.
(4)Andrica D.
The good was amazing ! We sat on the patio and listened to the live music. Very accommodating to our large party. I got the wedge blue cheese salad and it was amazing ! I also got the angel hair pasta and toma-fredo sauce and it was amazing !! I would recommend this place for sure !!
(5)Pearsey P.
This place is good, and the happy-hour specials are pretty good too. My only complaint is that they make everything extra FATTENING. I wanted to eat more, but there was soooooo much unnecessary butter and cream and oil all over everything. I got the steak fettuccine.
(4)Marty R.
THE VERY BEST Italian food we've ever had in Arizona. Wish they'd come over to Chandler. SOON.
(5)Eric H.
Outstanding linguini with clams in garlic butter sauce. It was made just right and feels like home cooking. Very tasty garlic bread as well. They also have many true Italian items on the menu that you wouldn't find in pseudo Italian places (e.g. Olive Garden), but some items can be pricy. Option to customize pasta. Service is ok, nice decor inside but it's more of a eatery than a 1st class restaurant. I would go back when I crave for some real Italian food.
(4)Bo R.
I've been here on 2 occasions. Once for dinner, and once for lunch. Both times have been good, quality experiences. When we had dinner at Tagliani's it was 4 of us. I was with my family, and my brother in law raved about it. We ordered 2 appetizers, and each of us ordered an entree. We family styled the entrees and everyone ate some of everything. All of it was very good. Bread was fresh and warm. Put it in the the "Must do again" category. Went back for lunch a few days ago. Went to check-in, and low and behold, a free app! Wings and Rings! And honestly, they were the best wings I've ever had. Grilled to absolute perfection. The rings were homemade. Awesome. I had the lunch special baked ziti. Very good. Gf had the Eggpant Parmesian. She gave it a 3.5. I tried the spaghetti and maranara that went with it. I thought it had a very clean, and fresh flavor. Great for a maranara. Little one had the pepperoni pizza off of the Kids' Menu. I had a couple of bites to try it, and I thought it was excellent. I'd have eaten it. The only gripe was the bread seemed a tad dated. But, it was 3pm when we got there, and I'm sure fresh bread might be a stretch. Overall, it was an excellent experience with great food, and good service.
(4)brendan k.
Always a fan. For a few reasons, but my most important one is the dog friendly patio. I like to go for a few drinks on friday with my dog Blueberry who has the entire staff wrapped up in her little paw. Always good service, and although Im an atkins dieter, they are very in tune with making sure my dietary needs are met. Just a real good vibe from everyone there and the fact that they are involved in dog adoption events and have accomodations for my cheap little fur covered date make this place kinda great for the both of us. To all the staff and Mr Sample, thank you all for being accomodating. Foods great as well. Blueberry should be the mascot for this place. I realize now I had posted this review to the other location. Reguardless. I have not been to the other location and think a 5 star rating should be appropriate by association. Avanti! Also, the patio on fridays evenings has a real talented young lady who is really nice to listen to and gives a real nice ambiance to the whole area.
(5)Scott R.
Came for lunch OMG who is cooking fire them! Fried cheese Yuk was old and well not very good! What happened to this place is it under new management? Hope it gets better last two visits not as good as it was couple years ago! Was very happy to see response from a manager and hope that my next visit is great !
(3)Terri D.
We have been here atleast a dozen times over the Last couple of years, the food is not at all like it used to be. Pasta sauce was Not good, chicken parm was Not seasoned well, the bread was soggy.
(1)Jesse J.
I went with a group last night for dinner to try Cucina Tagliani and well it just wasn't my cup of tea. I love Italian food don't get me wrong and I love big portions both of which Cucina Tagliani offers. The service was great as well. My problem was the food just wasn't really good. I had the calamari which was ok and a ceaser salad which again just ok. Then for main course i had the veal parmigiana which I thought just really lacked in flavor and thought the meat was over done. So overall it wasn't a bad experience just lack of tasty food that led to the low rating so try at your own risk.
(2)Michelle M.
We came back, after a personal invitation from the owner, after a so-so experience at the 59th avenue location. We decided to try out the 83rd (Arrowhead location) second time around. What a world of difference. Staff, service, atmosphere....all was excellent! Including the food. Complimentary garlic bread was delish, and we also started with a wing onion ring combo plate. Yummy wings :) I had the caprese side salad, small but really delicious and fresh and I had a make your own pasta dish with fettuccini, garlic butter, spinach and roasted onions. Butter was Lacking a little flavor, but none the less, very good and pasta was super fresh. My husband had the steak Gorgonzola over fettuccini with a side of antipasto salad. Again, very good. Manager visited our table....server was as sweet as could be. Loved the Italian family style atmosphere....we will be back. Thank you very much for the invitation to dine again :)
(4)Shane M.
I have never left a review on Yelp before but I was inspired to download the app just to warn people about this place. I wish I would have looked at reviews before I came here today. I used to make the drive from north scottsdale, all the way over to glendale just for this restaurant when I was 16 to let's say 20. I am now 30 and decided to mix things up with my girlfriend and try my favorite from when I was a kid. This place has gone down hill in a hurry. I laughed audibly out loud when I read the review previously written saying they think it changed hands. I had just done a Google search on my phone to see if they sold out. The owner must have gotten a new manager or food provider. The food made me sick. I ordered whole wheat pasta with the reduced fat marinara and it came out like a bowl of soup. We tried the 4.50 portobello mushroom appetizer and that was like a hot sponge soaked in vinager. The bread is soggy and nasty. I was embarrassed to take my girlfriend here.
(1)Anita N.
Better Italian food at Olive Garden and that's saying a lot! New to the area I decided to give this place a try and unfortunately it'll be the last time. Happy hour is not happy hour, the waitress who wasn't familiar with the menu had to keep coming back and telling me all the things I couldn't get. Not a great business strategy. Worst of all I couldn't customize my order which was shocking. You'd think if I could have a burger made my way at a fast food joint that they could customize your meal for the price you're paying here! So be careful if you are allergic or really dislike certain foods. It also worried me that the food isn't being cooked to order because of this and perhaps just frozen bulk that's reheated. I ordered the spinach manicotti which I forced myself to finish because I felt bad for my friend who had offered to pay. The food was lukewarm at best, not presented well and I felt ill after it all. I won't be returning, there are plenty of other restaurants in the area to choose from.
(1)Carmelo W.
it was a-ok.
(3)Ali C.
I cannot believe I have forgotten to review one of my favorite restaurants. I have been coming in for years and I absolutely love it. I typically get the pasta plate and order a gnocchi with garlic butter and spinach which is big enough on the full for me to take home and eat for lunch the next day. The half is good sized too, but you only take a little home then. The atmosphere is typically friendly. (Every once in awhile you encounter a miss-hire with the wait staff. I had one waitress every time I came it. Ugh. She was just not cool but I'm hoping she just isn't there any more.) The decor is old an Italian homey feel. I will say I prefer this location to the newer one near the 101. Its a smaller setting, I don't feel as forgotten and my food is always hot at this location even when I do take out.
(5)Robyn S.
called ahead and took our dogs here. they set up the outside patio for us along with many water bowls for all the pooches. All I ate was their desert pizza cookie which was just ok. the bread they bring out as a complimentary snack was yummy though so I'm excited to try their actual food next time I go. Nice place and friendly service.
(5)Taylor J.
I had lunch here earlier today with my mom. Our server was Emma I believe, curly hair. The service was great as was the food. What was not so great was the woman two booths down complaining along the entire time. When she got rude with Emma, Emma said she would go get the manager to fix the problem. Emma kept apologizing for their problem and remained composed and polite the entire time. I have worked in the service industry for over 10 years and I have never seen a manager handle something like this. He actually stood up for his employee and refused to let either him or his server be treated disrespectfully. The woman started shouting about how awful it was that she was not getting something for free and how they do not value customers. She made the environment uncomfortable. It was amazing to see a manager 86 someone instead of kissing their ass like most people expect. I will come back to this location because I know the managers respect their staff.
(5)Lucky T.
Yes, yes and hell, yes! The food--I had veal piccata the small portion--was delicious and more than enough. My friend got the large size veal parmigiana and she had to take more than half home for the next day. Her portion was that large, so maybe it is smarter to get the large order for a little more and get 2X the food. They put bread that's toasted with garlic and olive oil on the table first which was dee-licious! Obviously, I totally blew the Atkins all protein diet with that bread basket, but it was sooo good! I just love the food here, so this is now my new go-to place for real Italian. ***Keep up the good work at this location, but you need to kick the 83rd Ave. location and get them cooking like the 59th Ave. location. I've eaten at both, and they just are not the same: different cooks make a difference.
(5)Susan M.
We've been meaning to get to this intriguing restaurant for quite a while. Well, for Valentine's day, while everyone else was jacking up their prices, they were offering a $10 off $30 through Sunday night, so we went one day early and we were NOT disappointed. The Caprese salad and Antipasto salads were divine. The Fritti plate which in our case meant half mozza and half zucchini was so fresh! The mozza literally melted at the touch. Our entrees were very good as well. My hubs got the Papa combo which consisted of veal, lasagna and some spinach manicotti. He said it was spectacular. My Chicken Saltimbucca was very good but a bit dry for my taste. I saw many other orders go out that looked very yummy so I'm going to go again and again, working my way around the menu. The service was excellent with Barbara offering suggestions and helping in any way she could. Now, this is not the most glamorous place on earth but it's comfortable and you feel like family!
(4)Ron P.
Less expensive food if that is what you are looking for. Happy hour has some good items but most are fried. Not that there is anything wrong with that!
(2)Laura B.
I was really excited to go check this place out because I've heard great things about it. The interior was very cute and loved the music, it was very Italian. However, I was a little disappointed with the food. I got the Cesar salad to start off with and thought it tasted funny, but was then told by our server it was because there's anchovies in the dressing. That would've been nice to know ahead of time in case someone is allergic to fish, plus I wouldn't have ordered that salad then. I didn't enjoy my steak Gorgonzola either, which I think has the anchovies in thy sauce too, because that did not taste as good as it sounded in the menu. I won't be going back anytime soon.
(2)Justin S.
We used to really like the food here so decided to try it again, especially since we found online where kids eat free. There was a little bit of a hassle when we got the check, but ended up getting that removed. However, we were still charged for our kid's drinks when the menu specifically said they were included with the meals. The antipasto salad we got was not filled with "meats" as described, but rather a small portion of only pepperoni and the dressing had an unusual after taste. The alfredo sauce was real bland, chicken parmesan too thin and mainly breading. When we reached out to the manager, never heard a word back so obviously customer service isn't such a priority here. We will never go back.
(2)Mike W.
My family visits this location quite often. The food is usually quite good. However, more than once we've had an issue trying to use a coupon. Case in point, yesterday checked in on YELP and was rewarded a free onion/wing app, only to be informed by our waitress that they weren't accepting coupons that day (presumably because of Mother's Day?). As stated before, not the first time a coupon has been refused here. Not sure what the thinking is behind these decisions, but seems a bit off-putting. It's not like they're giving anything else away. Maybe change the wording on offers to exclude certain days, but seems to me a bad idea to treat customers in that manner.
(3)Rachel S.
Service has always been great, don't care for the dry bread but it's the horrible water that stands out as trying to get the customer to order a "drink". Out of the four of us at dinner we all agreed the water tasted like chlorine water from someone's pool. The server said it's "filtered". NOT a chance! We asked him if we could get the water from bartender. He replied "it's the same". He kept pushing ordering a $4 sparkling water or cocktail etc. We all agreed no thanks. I went up to the bar later and asked for a glass of water. What do you know? It was fine and definitely filtered. Food is alright but when the water tastes better at even In and Out or any other restaurant you know they aren't paying attention to detail. Plenty of other great Italian restaurants on Bell Rd.
(2)Mark M.
This I feel is one of the best italian eateries this side of the valley. I have been a regular here for the past five years and the lasagna is the best. I highly recommend this establishment. Great food, good prices, and the wait staff was very helpful
(5)Brittany A.
My parents took my sister and I to this location since we were kids. I always loved it and then we started to go to the location at Arrowhead. The Arrowhead location was good up until about a year ago. Then their food's quality changed and I started sending food back too often. Last night (04/07/2014), I took my boyfriend to this location. It was his first time eating at Cucina Tagliani at any location and my first time back to this location in years. One of the best meals we've had in a while. I ordered the black mussel pasta for the first time and I can't remember a time where I had more flavorful mussels. I went to work after dinner and told everyone how good they were. My boyfriend was a huge fan of the garlic bread and the chicken parmigan. I'm thrilled to see a place from my childhood continue to offer the best quality and service. I forgot how much I love the decor there as well. I think we may ditch Olive Garden for a while and come eat here instead :)
(5)Laraine J.
LOVE Tagliani's!! Try the Saltimbocca it's delicious!!! Better than Olive Garden and cheaper than Carabbas. Although carabbas is still better, imo
(4)Becky K.
59th Ave & Bell location is the only one to go to always great service always great food. I customized by picking what I wanted spaghetti squash instead of pasta, spicy shrimp, artichokes, zucchini, rustica roma sauce and Alfredo mixed. I eat at this location often and the food is always prepared to the correct temperature and flavor is extremely tasty. Waitresses are great with their suggestions. They are extremely accommodating at this location. Ate in the pet family outside patio with my friend and her dog it was great. The Chocolate Marscapone cake is the most delicious chocolate cake I have ever had at a restaurant. In contrast 101 and Bell lacks the service and lacks knowledge of menu, which made it so they will not accommodate as much. Flavor is just not as good as 59th and Bell location which is the location my review is definitely positive on.
(4)Erinn D.
Great italian restaurant. I've been coming here for years. I usually get the build a bowl pasta. I love that you can get spaghetti squash as a substitute for regular pasta. The staff is also very friendly.
(5)Walt P.
We love this place! My wife and I have been eating here since they opened nearly 20 years ago, and it is one of our favorite places. The service is outstanding, the food is outstanding, and the prices are quite reasonable. I love their pasta tagliani and pasta diavolo, and their pasta bowls are really good too!
(5)Joanne G.
Low class Italian food. Will not be back
(1)Eric S.
Wow, I'm with David M. et al - this place is extremely good in so many ways, I can't understand all the hate. I do not think the food rates a five - definitely a solid four, but I'm giving it a five for the overall experience and to counter the negatives which I think are definitely not appropriate. Cucina Tagliani is in a strip mall. Then again, it's in Glendale, which might as well be Phoenix, so what ISN'T in a strip mall? Its decor is on the edge of being cheesy, but it was done well enough that you get what they were shooting for (Italian villa) without it actually being distracting. Except that it is, a little bit. If I have one complaint about the place it's that the seating at the tables can make you feel a tad self conscious, being so close to other diners and in the middle of everything. That said, it's obvious that they gave some thought to staggering the tables, and overall I didn't feel THAT uncomfortable, so make of it what you will. The food is simply delicious, and the portions are beyond generous. It's difficult to screw up artichoke dip, but CT's artichoke dip appetizer was so good I couldn't stop eating it. Not good for me - because it was so huge it could have been a meal in and of itself. The bread - crusted with parmesan - was a bit too tough for my companion, but I found it a delightful accompaniment to the dip, and in any case, soft pita was provided as well. I do not have enough good words for the optional antipasto salad ($1.99). There are two types of antipasto: the a la carte meat and cheese tray provided with a salad as an afterthought, and the full-on salad that is completely incorporated with meats and cheeses. The second kind is incredibly easy to get wrong. The antipasto at Cucina Tagliani is definitely of the latter type, and yet it is pulled off magnificently. I don't think I can recall having better. As others have mentioned, the canteloupe is a surprisingly delicious nuance. My companion's garden salad was competent and delicious. I opted for the spicy sausage and rigatoni, and she had the veal parmesan. Neither of us could get halfway through our "half" lunch portions, but we both agreed that they were superior examples of local Italian fare. Olive Garden this ain't. Not that I really have anything against Olive Garden - they do a decent job of wrapping Italian cuisine up for mass appeal - but comparisons to Cucina Tagliani are unfair - this is nothing like that. It is not bland, the portions are not so tightly controlled, and more than anything - these taste like someone's unique recipes - not recipes manufactured for mass consumption. Finally, the price. Definitely in line with expectations. We got out with a generous appetizer, two salads, two entrees and two drinks - with enough to take home for dinner, and it cost us $36. The service merited a 20% tip, as it was efficient and very friendly. We never once wanted for something to nosh after the first initial 3 minutes. Give it a shot. I doubt you will be disappointed.
(5)Craig S.
My wife and I have been eating at Tagliani's for many years. We have a frequent dinners card with them that awards us points. That aside. We never get anything fancy. Usually just their pasta bowel. You get a choice of about 10 pastas, 10 sauces, 25 added toppings. (Meat, Veg, cheese). Always get the half size. This is always more than enough and I always take half home. The food has always been good and the service has always been good. Not great that is the reason for the 4 stars. They do serve good food and in a quantity that is for me to much to eat at one setting at a reasonable price. The decor, and music fits the Italian style. They always play Frank Sinatra songs. The seating is comfortable and you can carry on a conservation with who you are with without having to shout and now everyone knows what you are talking about. There is a lot to choose from on the menu. The only thing I wish they had would be a pasta dish with fish, shrimp, octopus, clams, mussels. I can keep wishing and hope they see this and grant my wish to me. I will keep coming back. Give them a try. Enjoy life!! Craig
(4)Laura C.
Very disappointed Sunday. We were a party of six and no one walked away satisfied. The quality of the food has really taken a turn for the worse. Seems like everything is precooked, frozen and reheated. This was my favorite Italian restaurant.
(2)Marty F.
Like Mexican food I've always found it impossible to find my favorite Italian restaurant.. Well look no further because I found my favorite Italian place in the valley. Funny that I live on the west side and had no idea this place existed. It's just north of Bell of 459th Ave. Easy to miss if you're not looking for it. Right as you walk inside it has that family Italian feel to it. Awesome decor all around. A bar on the right as you walk in and then the rest of the restaurant is on the inside. Ive been here a few times and I'll tell what I've had. The first time I had their baked spaghetti and wow.. it was tasty! Every bite better than the next. They also bring out fresh bread for dipping in oil and balsamic vinagar. Makes it that much better. My favorite dish so far.. Eggplant Parmesan. Holy.. this dish was insane. Im not even an eggplant fan and I couldnt get enough. the meal is definitely big enough to split for two. however they do offer a single portion. I highly recommend this delicious place!
(5)Jen K.
I love this local eatery! Veal Parmesan is often missing from Italian restaurants' menus, but you can get it here, and it's wonderful. We visited recently for Mothers' Day and I split the Papa's Combo with my mom. The combo has Veal Parmesan, Spinach Manicotti and Lasagna...what a dream! Other diners in our group got Fettucine Alfredo with Chicken, Ravioli and Pizza (children's menu) and everyone was very happy with their selections. They even handed out carnations to all the mothers...what a nice touch!
(5)Courtney K.
I went here for a nice lunch one afternoon. A nice lunch is NOT what I got. My food was awful. I got the lunch pasta special, which tasted just like a cheap frozen dinner. The chicken was bland and dry, and the sauce WAY OVER PRICED FOR MICROWAVE FOOD! I may go back to try something else, but I hardly write reviews. This was the worst food I have had in Phoenix yet.
(1)Josh J.
The food at this location has gone way down hill and the service is terrible! Go to the Arrowhead location.
(1)Morgan D.
Chris S. personally attacked me for disliking Cucina Tagliani. So, I would definitely listen to him when he asks you to consider the validity of these reviews. It may be upsetting for Chris to read such hatred in reviews, but it is more upsetting to get a message full of hateful personal attacks. I hope Chris isn't the owner, he seemed to be mighty emotional over the whole thing! I'm not the only one who hated this place, Chris. Are you going to attack us all?!
(1)Kenna K.
I have been eating here for years. I don't love italian food to begin with but its one of the best places i have found in this area. I always order the same thing and tonight my boyfriend ordered takeout. When I tasted mine i was disappointed right away. I called the store and the man who answered the phone made no excuses, immediately took responsibility and told me a new one would be ready soon. I told him I would have to wait to drive back and he offered me a free dessert for my trouble. The desert was HUGE and three people couldn't finish it. My new order was cooked perfectly and he also included fresh bread. This place as better then average food and well above average customer service. There arent many places that offer free things when customers aren't acting angry or upset. Give them a try, and tell them if you have any problems. You will leave happy :)
(4)David M.
What a delight this restaurant is! A big first is that while it was crowded while we were there, it was still fairly quiet. A few tables over us, a couple had a baby that didn't look to happy. At a moment like that I considered asking if we might move to a table on the other side of the restaurant but was it worth the bother? The decor is what you might find on a piazza of an Italian village. I can tell you at Concia Tagliana somewhere in the walls and ceiling which are festooned with trellises and leaves and strings of lights is some mean soundproofing. I rarely ever hear the little rug rat! The service was excellent. My friend uses a wheel chair when we go distances. Not only did someone offer to hold the door as we came in, the hostess offered to take the wheel chair in a back room as soon as we were seated without my asking. A little thing but really appreciated. We were seated next to a couple that were finishing their dinners. They told us they had been coming there for years. Their meals looks so good that we just ordered what they had-no need to look at a menu. Norma's salmon was to her satisfaction which is saying something. She's particular about food and one doesn't hear the word's very good from her that often. I had eggplant parmesagn which was fixed as well as I could ask for. When they served these, they were at a temperature where we culd start eating them immediately. The fact that the manager brought them out, himself, tells me there were not going to sit and get cold. No, the food was like poison and such small portions, here. There was more than enough food to have it boxed up for another meal at home.Kari, our waitress, who did an excellent job not only boxed everything up, but put the salads and the entrees in seperate containers, wrote what was in it and whose it was. To make it even better they were bagged when she brought them out! That quality of service really stands out for me.. I am happy to say that reviewing this restaurant gives me a perfect platform to discuss some of my pet peeves. The first is the size of the they glasses they use for water and soft drinks. We live in Arizona where it is HOT in the summers. More than a few restaurants use glasses that as soon as you sit down and quench your immediate thirst, they have to be filled up again. My kingdom for a decent size glass of water for a change. Cucina Tagliani gives you large bordering on huge glasses of what ever you order. Our server didn't even have to think about refilling the glasses, her concern could be with getting the meal served proper. This alone would be good for half a a star from me. My second pet peeve started flashing red lights for me when Kari said we could have a salad to go with our meal for ninety nine cents. When I hear that I immediately envision a salad of size that would have to go past a mirror twice to get a reflection. Norma likes a salad. though, so for that price I said let's do it-against my better judgment. I was shocked when she brought out two salads that were large, fresh and inviting! Even by the size of the regular dinner salads one sees at most places, these were generous. This was good for a star just on his own. My third pet peeve is the "complimentary bread" that gets served, especially at an Italian eatery. Usually there is an end piece that looks like are risking your bridge work if you bite down on it. Aside from that, the rest will be ok but not something to write home. We won't even talk about the fact that it almost always takes two baskets to be sufficient. It's a given that another one will have to be requested. Here the three slices of bread were light and fresh, no ends, perfect to dip in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar you tke out of the basket on the table to mix on the extra plate set for that at the table. About the time I was ready to request a second basket, what was delivered but another basket of bread as nice as the third. I like this place. I will share a final moment of horror that occurred for me at Cocina Tagliana when we requested our check. We never looked at the menus which also mean we never looked at the prices. Based on the quality of the food, the large servings, and the really good service, I was questioning whether I was going to have to sell my first born, if I had one, to pay for the meal. My last pleasant surprise was how reasonable the amount of the check was! In addition to that, a short survey was attached to the check. They asked some questions I would want to know if it was my establishment. It is obvious they are concerned about staying above what is just sufficient. It is working! Before I make Cucina Tagliani sound like an Italian eatery Nirvana, let me say one thing, I have had better Italian food at higher prices in more sophisticated establishments.. So many things come together right here that for a neighborhood eatery, I don't think I could have asked for much better..
(5)Lynn M.
My son and I have been eating here for years and it is consistently enjoyable. We always get their pasta with meat sauce, a half portion is enough for the both of us. Their house made italian dressing is so good I could almost drink it ! The prices are right and the servers are always efficient, but our waitress today was especially awesome. Being in the restaurant industry myself I especially appreciate good service, and it's not always easy to find. Katie was spot on and really sweet, wish there were more like her !
(5)Brent F.
It's been really hard for me to find good Italian food since moving to Phoenix but this place is the best I've found. The food actually has flavor, the wait staff was nice and the place has a nice feel. I go back when I can.
(5)Brenda B.
I have eaten here twice now , you get a free appetizer for checking in here. I ordered the full size veal picatta and the veal parmigiana, the portion size is amazing to say the least , I can easily get 3 meals out of this, and it was very good. My companion orders the lasagna and a couple meat balls on the side and he really enjoys his dinners as well. We got a free order of bruschetta , and the tomatoes were very fresh . Has always been a pleasant dining experience . And good to very good service , will be back again.
(4)Honest R.
Went to this place for lunch with family today. Wasn't impressed and after going to the one on 83rd and Bell which was a much better experience. Arrived and was seated by host. Drinks brought out quickly, ordered the mussels in rusted garlic sauce, Cesar salad, rigatoni alla diavolo, my wife ordered the mussels in alfredo sauce. I ordered a childs pizza for my son. Had to ask for bread which is usually not requested in Italian restaurants. Server Mary brought bread when requested but with no butter, brought salad and never offered Parmesan cheese. Food came out and compared to the 83rd Ave location it was bland and my son's pizza looked like they had someone training for the first day. The thing wasn't even round. Nonetheless I will be returning to that location. The place was stuffy too.
(2)Thee D.
One of our favorite restaurants until very recently. The environment is cozy and the help has always been friendly even at their busiest times. To be honest I have only had a handful of items on their menu but they are pretty damn good. Recently I have been getting angel hair pasta with capers, asparagus, Garlic butter and bacon and it really does it for me. Recently they have changed the bread to include a flat bread which doesn't have much flavor. They also are not as diligent with offering the extra parmesan as they once were and I think it really is some of the staff. Stars favorite has always been the baked spaghetti with extra white sauce. As a note the white sauce has chicken stock in it so again not vegetarian friendly and Star can no longer eat it. We probably will return but are sue to be very specific with every meal we order as the mere mention of being vegetarian no longer seems to be a valid way to announce you do not want an animal product in your food. Be sure to sign up for their member card or download the coupon from their website and save 10$ off a 30$ bill. They also have live music on the weekends which really hasn't been too bad.
(3)Lisa H.
I've been going to Tagliani's for a long time. Here are my tips -- keep it simple and sit in the bar. The bartenders are usually far better with a lot more personality and for whatever reason, they tend to be women. I always order a pasta bowl. Save your money and order a half bowl (or do the whole thing and save 1/2 for lunch tomorrow). My favorite is the tortellini with 1/2 marinara and 1/2 pepporchini sauce and two meatballs on the side. It's perfect. This isn't "to die for" Italian food, but it's relatively cheap and it's close to me, so it's one of my regular places.
(4)Lora F.
One of my favorite go to places. For lunch i love the calimari fruiti salad. Yum yum For dinner there are a few od my faves. Chicken dynamite(spicy) and really good. Seafood pasta always a winner if you like seafood. The salmon is also a winner. Never had a bad meal here. They have another location at arrowhood but I like this one the best
(5)Theresa D.
OMG. Since they changed management, this place went way down hill. I can't believe this woman actually argues with the customers! My gnocci was cold and she told me I could either pay half of it and get a free dessert or just take it off the bill. No offer to re do it, no offer to just take it off and dessert. We had a few more instances where there was a problem with our food. ANd she was just a nightmare. They need to replace this witch. We have been going here for years and I will vow to never go back to this location but instead head over to the Arrowhead location where the service is much better.
(1)Lisa P.
When you would like to pull over to the side-street of life for lunch or dinner, this place has charm and great eats. The antipasti has cantaloupe, salami and peperoncinis plus black olives married in a delicious home-style dressing. You must try it when you go. All of the pasta dishes I've tried have been above average, homemade and fresh. Thin pizzas are not bad when you're on the run. I love the classic bossa-nova music playing from the 40's & 50's and italian wine garden style dining room is quaint, dark and relaxing.
(5)Sarabear B.
I agree with the others.... the food is horrible. They do their best at service, and are very nice.... but that is no reason to eat here. Unless it is a holiday and everyplace in town is closed.... i WOULD choose it over McDonalds. That isn't saying much.
(1)Lynne R.
Since the owner offered to make it right I have improved my rating based on his interest in customer happiness, I always try to be fair.
(2)Sujith P.
Good ambience, quick service, and above all great tasting food. The prices are competitive too. I was a fan of Olive Garden until a Professor I once worked for took me out for lunch to this place. I would never return to Olive Garden anymore because these people make the dishes tastier and the portions are larger than Olive Garden's. My wife, who was a bigger fan of Olive Garden agrees with me. I would especially recommend the Eggplant Parmesan and the Spinach Manicotti. The Enggplant Parmesan is usually on their discounted "specials" menu. Tip: Try to find one of the coupons they send out in newspapers.
(4)Christine D.
I've been going to this location for over 10 years! Best calamari fritti in town! And try the spicy sausage rigatoni, you won't be disappointed! And lastly, if you're trying to watch the carbs a bit, you can substitute spaghetti squash for your 'noodle' choice. It does cost a little extra, but it's worth it!
(4)Tim C.
Just read Korina A's review. She's puts it best. The service was fine; its just that the food sucked. Bad. And the wine list is way too pricey to not even list what the hell they're serving when you order a cab. Garbage. Just stay away.
(1)JT D.
Came in yesterday for Friday dinner, table for two. Ordered happy-hour glass of wine. Ingored us for awhile. They served my wife's soda, said wine would be up shortly. 10 minutes later, asked where's my wine, they said bartender was a little "backed up." 15 minutes later, after appetizers and salad and ordering entrees, still no wine. Asked again. Glass of wine shows up, filled maybe 1/3 full, if that. Another 15 minutes , asked if dinner was coming soon. Second basket of bread given. Bread really dry that night. Another 10 minutes without anyone stopping by our table, we got up to leave. Waitress came by and said, please don't leave - your dinner is "up." Sat back down and she served our entrees. Overall not a good experience. Salad and bread -- the basics -- tasted like they were several days old. Entrees, ravioli and fettucini, pretty good. Service terrible. But the manager came by, apologized and gave us our dinner on the house. I appreciated his sincerity and that he didn't start spewing mumbo-jumbo excuses. Just apologized sincerely and said he wanted us back. We'll give it another try in a few weeks, see if the service is better.
(2)Andrea H.
Lots of great food choices. Their appetizers are wonderful.
(4)Mary L.
We decided to give this restaurant location a try, We'd been to their Bell Rd location and were not impressed by their service. As a matter of fact, we've never been back and we live very close. So we tried this location with trepidation and am I glad we did. Food was good, service was excellent. The bread they start you out with is great!! We all had Choose your own pasta/sauce etc and 3 of 4 were excellent. ! of us had chicken on her sauce and it was not good tasting, but we were in a hurry and didn't make it known to the server. 3 of us would go back as the Rustic Roma sauce was very good.
(3)Megan B.
Why, oh why am I SO picky about italian food? I can't help it. my tastebuds have been offended more often than overjoyed in almost every italian restaurant I have been to since moving to Arizona. This place was dumb. We were seated at this awful middle-of-the-room table and I felt like I was in a fishbowl. The decor was..... tacky. You can tell that they are trying to be cute, so for that I guess I give them some credit, but the food did not measure up. It was average at best, and the focaccia bread that they bring you to start is mostly oil and fat with a bit of dough. Tasty? yes. Rapidly enhancing the obesity epidemic sweeping the nation? Also yes. Sorry tagliani's, my mouth (and waistline) do not approve.
(2)Siriusly M.
**Edited: My review is actually for a different location; I didn't realize there were too so close by** I remember when this was Tony Romas....after it reopened as "the new Italian Place" I tried it and though, "eh, it's okay." I went back today to meet a friend and.... mmmmmm mmmmm mmmmm. If you've read my other reviews, please know that I do eat food other than chicken Parmesan. I've just been eating a lot of it lately. So...I had the chicken parm and it was delicious! The breading was amazing. I feel, because of my frequent C.P. encounters, and because I have an Italian husband who likes to cook for me, I am pretty knowledgeable when it comes to good C.P....and this was terrific. The decor is nice. Charming and relaxing. The booths are huge. The service was great. The water tasted horrible. And that is my review.
(4)Melissa H.
I really like Tagliani's. I know it is not the best Italian food I will ever have, but it is something different than Olive Garden on the west side of town. Yummy bread served before the meal and 2 options for portion sizes really help bring me back. Their dinner sizes are huge and are served with salad or soup and their lunch portion is about half the size of dinner but still too much food at times. The chicken saltimboca has me addicted. A chicken breast rolled with fontina and prosciutto, breaded, sliced and served on a bead of pasta with a creamy marinara with chunks of tomatoes and prosciutto in it. My husband finds numerous choices to please his tomato hating palette. They just opened a third location in Avondale.
(4)Eric L.
I have to say that I don't understand all these bad reviews. I work right by the Original location in the strip mall by Garcias. I have been here many times and I think it's some of the best Italian I have had. I wouldn't dream of walking into an Olive Garden with this place near by. Not one person I have ever taken there has complained and most have really enjoyed it. I have to wonder about some of these reviews. I can't help but think they have other interests when reviewing...
(4)Tara W.
Patio weather is here. A great glass of pinot, an accoustic guitarist. Great atmosphere, killer food. I would highly recommend. Anne Marie took care of us, she was super nice. Started with the portabello mushroom cooked in a house vingerette and topped with gorgonzola cheese. A nice dressing of onions and sliced tomatos with 4 toast slices. (It was a huge shroom). I had the make your own pasta. I chose gnocchi with pesto sauce, added sliced portabello mushrooms and spicy sausage link. Boyfriend had the Papas combo - spinach cheese cantaloni, lasagna, and veal parm. This place has HUGE Portions. (I apologize for the typos, am on cell doing this review)
(5)Greg P.
Been coming here for ten years. Their Veal Parmesan is the best I've had, and I've tried it many places. Their gnocchi with meat sauce is the closest I've ever come to my immigrant Italian grandmother's.
(5)Karin R.
An excellent Italian restaurant with two West valley locations. Pick-A-Pasta is great and usually they have really tasty specials.
(5)Stevey P.
A decent Italian place up near Arrowhead that is just OK. Don't be alarmed by the tragically boarded up shopping center. Been there a few times for lunch. Don't get me wrong, it's better than an Olive Garden, but after each time I go there - nothing strikes me much to rush back for my next meal. The insides feature faux brick, with painted on ivy, stacks of wine crates and tomato jars. Oooh, aaah, bleh. Yesterday I had the marinara chicken with tortellini...pretty average. I had a taste of the 14th St. pizza - very good, btw. The pasta chips were ick. They need to stop that, NOW. The service yesterday was OK, a bit long, but OK. A good-sized selection of menu items featuring chicken dishes, pizzas and a build your own pasta thing. Yawn.
(3)Steve P.
First, I have been a customer of Tags since the 59 ave and Bell restaurant opened. I have seen the evolution of this family owned restaurant and then their expansion in opening two other Tags in the valley. The poor rating I have to unfortunately give Tags has not been my experience until recently, say the past year or so. Much of their problem I think can be reduced to poor managment and consequently poor oversight and customer service. The past three experiences I have had at Tags have left me wondering if I will return again. On one occasion I ordered a margarita and was delivered what is called a tag margarita, something that was not what I wanted nor ordered. The waitress told me that this particular drink was the only type of margarita they offered, for 8.95. I got the impression, rightly or wrongly that this was an attempt by the waitress to pad the bill. I later went to the bar and asked the barmaid if they did in fact make a traditional margarita to which she told me they did. On this particular occasion I ordered their Romano Chicken dish and was served an entirely different chicken item. The server realized the mistake once she placed the meal in front of me. Then my wife found a hair in her meal that she ordered. I normally would chalk all this up to simply a bad experience that needed to be weighted against all the previously good experiences we had had at Tags. My wife and I again returned to Tags about a month ago, hoping that things may have improved. I think it is the one establishment that we would give second, third and fourth chances to. We sat on the patio and ordered a half order appetizer of their calamari. It was obvious to us that the portion size was considerably smaller then on previous visits, as we normally would order the calamari appetizer. When our orders arrived again, I did not receive what I had ordered. When the waiter placed my meal in front of me, I asked him what I had ordered. He said, " Penne noodle, rustic roma sauce, and it looks like...hhhhmmm...meat?" The poor guy couldnt even read his own writing, so I guess I cant fault the kitchen staff for making the wrong meal. I had ordered a pasta bowl of penne nooodles, rustic roma sauce and mozzerella cheese. He asked if I would have liked to send it back, but my wife already had her meal and had I sent it back she would have been done by the time my meal was served. There was no offer of taking the meal off the check or getting the manager to visit our table to see how things were. Again, I think this goes back to some management issues with this particular restaurant. Due to Tags expansion, many of the more proactive managers, Rhonda being my favorite, were sent to the newer restaurants to manage them. Unfortunately that has left the 59th Ave Tags with a manager that is not proactive in his customer service nor congenial in nature. It seems that this is reflected in much of the staffs attitudes also. It is my hope that Tags will return to its previous place as one of our favorites, but I wont be one that will hold my breath until that happens.
(1)Ben C.
I think this place gets the nod because there isn't a whole lot of Italian on that side of town with a family vibe. I compare this place to an Olive Garden without the American"ized" twist. Happy hour is decent and the sauces for everything are high quality. The shrimp parm is something that I haven't seen very often and it is phenomenal. I also really liked the eggplant ans shrimp appetizer. This is like a once a month place.
(4)Korina A.
Gahhh! I mean... gahh!! I guess the endless cheesy commecials finally got to me. Despite my instincts, and the signs -- cartoony logo, aforementioned cheesy commericals -- I decided to give it a try. The decor was cozy -- chock-a-block with wine crates, fake vines, and the like -- but it actually worked in this case. Our server took a while, but was friendly, once she arrived. I ordered a glass of pinot noir, and again, against my better instincts, I ordered the salmon. Past experience has told me than not many places can prepare salmon the way I like it -- a little crisp on the outside, medium-rare on the inside. But I gave it a shot. First clue that was a mistake: my server did not ask how I would like it prepared. Second clue: she was completely taken aback when I said, "medium rare." While we waited, we munched on some really delicious crisp and chewy bread, dipped in olive oil. My companion also enjoyed a caesar salad topped with a nice, slightly fishy (in a good way) dressing and parmesan shavings. When the entrees arrives, we both immediately said the same thing, "oh my god, it's swimming in butter!" Now I'm with Paula Deen on the butter issue. Butter is good -- but not 2 inches of it in my dish. When I examined the salmon, it was nice and crisp on the outside. But as soon as I touched it with my fork, it fell apart. Alas, cooked until it flaked. Once my companion fished the veal piccata out of the butter, she found it tough and nearly inedible. The piccata sauce lacked the bright lemon-garlic taste that it's known for. It was basically butter and capers. The pasta on both our dishes was fairly good. All in all, I would not return. It was a half step above Olive Garden. Lesson learned: Listen to your instincts!
(2)Kelly T.
Food is good and I like the variety to choose from. Haven't been disappointed yet. I don't really like this restaurant at this location. It's the atmosphere and it just feels over crowded.
(3)Armando S.
It's a good neighborhood Italian. Not gourmet but it's a good combination of value and quality. Generally we like to cook our own sauce at home. But when we're pretty much being lazy, it's a good enough getaway. You just need to order the half portions and that's plenty. The wine selection could be a little more extensive, but it does ok. I just get a kick at the total spectrum of excellent to poor reviews. Different strokes...
(3)Natalie W.
Overrated in my book. Not bad food, some of it was pretty good. But, I can have much better pasta, much better to home. The setting is very nice, though, with weathered bricks, twinkley lights and twining grape vines.
(3)Jessica B.
I have been going here for over 10 years. It is way better than any other Italian place I know...especially the Olive Garden (ewe)!! I usually get the same dish every time so I can't really tell you overall how the rest of the food tastes. I order the angel hair pasta with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella on top. Delicious!!! I love their service and cozy atmosphere. It is honestly my favorite restaurant and I have taken several friends who all agree that the food is wonderful and all of them are now returning customers. My family, friends and I all love it!!!
(5)Phyllis G.
We absolutely love this place. I come from a long line of italian cooks and this is as close to home cooking as it gets. The portions are enormous and the flavors are authentically italian. Service was super. In addition if you sign up on their web site you get discounts on your meals. Please try it - if you enjoy good Italian food.
(5)Lynn M.
My son and I have been eating here for years and it is consistently enjoyable. We always get their pasta with meat sauce, a half portion is enough for the both of us. Their house made italian dressing is so good I could almost drink it ! The prices are right and the servers are always efficient, but our waitress today was especially awesome. Being in the restaurant industry myself I especially appreciate good service, and it's not always easy to find. Katie was spot on and really sweet, wish there were more like her !
(5)Brent F.
It's been really hard for me to find good Italian food since moving to Phoenix but this place is the best I've found. The food actually has flavor, the wait staff was nice and the place has a nice feel. I go back when I can.
(5)Brenda B.
I have eaten here twice now , you get a free appetizer for checking in here. I ordered the full size veal picatta and the veal parmigiana, the portion size is amazing to say the least , I can easily get 3 meals out of this, and it was very good. My companion orders the lasagna and a couple meat balls on the side and he really enjoys his dinners as well. We got a free order of bruschetta , and the tomatoes were very fresh . Has always been a pleasant dining experience . And good to very good service , will be back again.
(4)Matthew S.
Well this place is interestic. I think I fell into the biggest Italian sterotype. There are fake flowers, fake vines hanging from lattice work and string lights. I think I heard the soundtrack from Lady and the Tramp. I sat in the bar area and the server has been so nice and friendly. I received a warm basket of bread always a good choice. Garlic and herby yum. Also had Chicken Scampi which is not on the menu but they made the Shrimp scampi with chicken for me. Ice tea: very good not bitter or old. Menu: The menu has a decent variety of classic dishes and pizza and apps. Do not come here expecting a new take on Classic Italian. It is good for a chain concept and the food is better than the decor. I would take this place over OG or Carabbas but not Carinos.
(4)Tara W.
Patio weather is here. A great glass of pinot, an accoustic guitarist. Great atmosphere, killer food. I would highly recommend. Anne Marie took care of us, she was super nice. Started with the portabello mushroom cooked in a house vingerette and topped with gorgonzola cheese. A nice dressing of onions and sliced tomatos with 4 toast slices. (It was a huge shroom). I had the make your own pasta. I chose gnocchi with pesto sauce, added sliced portabello mushrooms and spicy sausage link. Boyfriend had the Papas combo - spinach cheese cantaloni, lasagna, and veal parm. This place has HUGE Portions. (I apologize for the typos, am on cell doing this review)
(5)Greg P.
Been coming here for ten years. Their Veal Parmesan is the best I've had, and I've tried it many places. Their gnocchi with meat sauce is the closest I've ever come to my immigrant Italian grandmother's.
(5)Steve P.
First, I have been a customer of Tags since the 59 ave and Bell restaurant opened. I have seen the evolution of this family owned restaurant and then their expansion in opening two other Tags in the valley. The poor rating I have to unfortunately give Tags has not been my experience until recently, say the past year or so. Much of their problem I think can be reduced to poor managment and consequently poor oversight and customer service. The past three experiences I have had at Tags have left me wondering if I will return again. On one occasion I ordered a margarita and was delivered what is called a tag margarita, something that was not what I wanted nor ordered. The waitress told me that this particular drink was the only type of margarita they offered, for 8.95. I got the impression, rightly or wrongly that this was an attempt by the waitress to pad the bill. I later went to the bar and asked the barmaid if they did in fact make a traditional margarita to which she told me they did. On this particular occasion I ordered their Romano Chicken dish and was served an entirely different chicken item. The server realized the mistake once she placed the meal in front of me. Then my wife found a hair in her meal that she ordered. I normally would chalk all this up to simply a bad experience that needed to be weighted against all the previously good experiences we had had at Tags. My wife and I again returned to Tags about a month ago, hoping that things may have improved. I think it is the one establishment that we would give second, third and fourth chances to. We sat on the patio and ordered a half order appetizer of their calamari. It was obvious to us that the portion size was considerably smaller then on previous visits, as we normally would order the calamari appetizer. When our orders arrived again, I did not receive what I had ordered. When the waiter placed my meal in front of me, I asked him what I had ordered. He said, " Penne noodle, rustic roma sauce, and it looks like...hhhhmmm...meat?" The poor guy couldnt even read his own writing, so I guess I cant fault the kitchen staff for making the wrong meal. I had ordered a pasta bowl of penne nooodles, rustic roma sauce and mozzerella cheese. He asked if I would have liked to send it back, but my wife already had her meal and had I sent it back she would have been done by the time my meal was served. There was no offer of taking the meal off the check or getting the manager to visit our table to see how things were. Again, I think this goes back to some management issues with this particular restaurant. Due to Tags expansion, many of the more proactive managers, Rhonda being my favorite, were sent to the newer restaurants to manage them. Unfortunately that has left the 59th Ave Tags with a manager that is not proactive in his customer service nor congenial in nature. It seems that this is reflected in much of the staffs attitudes also. It is my hope that Tags will return to its previous place as one of our favorites, but I wont be one that will hold my breath until that happens.
(1)Kenna K.
I have been eating here for years. I don't love italian food to begin with but its one of the best places i have found in this area. I always order the same thing and tonight my boyfriend ordered takeout. When I tasted mine i was disappointed right away. I called the store and the man who answered the phone made no excuses, immediately took responsibility and told me a new one would be ready soon. I told him I would have to wait to drive back and he offered me a free dessert for my trouble. The desert was HUGE and three people couldn't finish it. My new order was cooked perfectly and he also included fresh bread. This place as better then average food and well above average customer service. There arent many places that offer free things when customers aren't acting angry or upset. Give them a try, and tell them if you have any problems. You will leave happy :)
(4)David M.
What a delight this restaurant is! A big first is that while it was crowded while we were there, it was still fairly quiet. A few tables over us, a couple had a baby that didn't look to happy. At a moment like that I considered asking if we might move to a table on the other side of the restaurant but was it worth the bother? The decor is what you might find on a piazza of an Italian village. I can tell you at Concia Tagliana somewhere in the walls and ceiling which are festooned with trellises and leaves and strings of lights is some mean soundproofing. I rarely ever hear the little rug rat! The service was excellent. My friend uses a wheel chair when we go distances. Not only did someone offer to hold the door as we came in, the hostess offered to take the wheel chair in a back room as soon as we were seated without my asking. A little thing but really appreciated. We were seated next to a couple that were finishing their dinners. They told us they had been coming there for years. Their meals looks so good that we just ordered what they had-no need to look at a menu. Norma's salmon was to her satisfaction which is saying something. She's particular about food and one doesn't hear the word's very good from her that often. I had eggplant parmesagn which was fixed as well as I could ask for. When they served these, they were at a temperature where we culd start eating them immediately. The fact that the manager brought them out, himself, tells me there were not going to sit and get cold. No, the food was like poison and such small portions, here. There was more than enough food to have it boxed up for another meal at home.Kari, our waitress, who did an excellent job not only boxed everything up, but put the salads and the entrees in seperate containers, wrote what was in it and whose it was. To make it even better they were bagged when she brought them out! That quality of service really stands out for me.. I am happy to say that reviewing this restaurant gives me a perfect platform to discuss some of my pet peeves. The first is the size of the they glasses they use for water and soft drinks. We live in Arizona where it is HOT in the summers. More than a few restaurants use glasses that as soon as you sit down and quench your immediate thirst, they have to be filled up again. My kingdom for a decent size glass of water for a change. Cucina Tagliani gives you large bordering on huge glasses of what ever you order. Our server didn't even have to think about refilling the glasses, her concern could be with getting the meal served proper. This alone would be good for half a a star from me. My second pet peeve started flashing red lights for me when Kari said we could have a salad to go with our meal for ninety nine cents. When I hear that I immediately envision a salad of size that would have to go past a mirror twice to get a reflection. Norma likes a salad. though, so for that price I said let's do it-against my better judgment. I was shocked when she brought out two salads that were large, fresh and inviting! Even by the size of the regular dinner salads one sees at most places, these were generous. This was good for a star just on his own. My third pet peeve is the "complimentary bread" that gets served, especially at an Italian eatery. Usually there is an end piece that looks like are risking your bridge work if you bite down on it. Aside from that, the rest will be ok but not something to write home. We won't even talk about the fact that it almost always takes two baskets to be sufficient. It's a given that another one will have to be requested. Here the three slices of bread were light and fresh, no ends, perfect to dip in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar you tke out of the basket on the table to mix on the extra plate set for that at the table. About the time I was ready to request a second basket, what was delivered but another basket of bread as nice as the third. I like this place. I will share a final moment of horror that occurred for me at Cocina Tagliana when we requested our check. We never looked at the menus which also mean we never looked at the prices. Based on the quality of the food, the large servings, and the really good service, I was questioning whether I was going to have to sell my first born, if I had one, to pay for the meal. My last pleasant surprise was how reasonable the amount of the check was! In addition to that, a short survey was attached to the check. They asked some questions I would want to know if it was my establishment. It is obvious they are concerned about staying above what is just sufficient. It is working! Before I make Cucina Tagliani sound like an Italian eatery Nirvana, let me say one thing, I have had better Italian food at higher prices in more sophisticated establishments.. So many things come together right here that for a neighborhood eatery, I don't think I could have asked for much better..
(5)Karin R.
An excellent Italian restaurant with two West valley locations. Pick-A-Pasta is great and usually they have really tasty specials.
(5)Stevey P.
A decent Italian place up near Arrowhead that is just OK. Don't be alarmed by the tragically boarded up shopping center. Been there a few times for lunch. Don't get me wrong, it's better than an Olive Garden, but after each time I go there - nothing strikes me much to rush back for my next meal. The insides feature faux brick, with painted on ivy, stacks of wine crates and tomato jars. Oooh, aaah, bleh. Yesterday I had the marinara chicken with tortellini...pretty average. I had a taste of the 14th St. pizza - very good, btw. The pasta chips were ick. They need to stop that, NOW. The service yesterday was OK, a bit long, but OK. A good-sized selection of menu items featuring chicken dishes, pizzas and a build your own pasta thing. Yawn.
(3)Phyllis G.
We absolutely love this place. I come from a long line of italian cooks and this is as close to home cooking as it gets. The portions are enormous and the flavors are authentically italian. Service was super. In addition if you sign up on their web site you get discounts on your meals. Please try it - if you enjoy good Italian food.
(5)Theresa D.
OMG. Since they changed management, this place went way down hill. I can't believe this woman actually argues with the customers! My gnocci was cold and she told me I could either pay half of it and get a free dessert or just take it off the bill. No offer to re do it, no offer to just take it off and dessert. We had a few more instances where there was a problem with our food. ANd she was just a nightmare. They need to replace this witch. We have been going here for years and I will vow to never go back to this location but instead head over to the Arrowhead location where the service is much better.
(1)Lisa P.
When you would like to pull over to the side-street of life for lunch or dinner, this place has charm and great eats. The antipasti has cantaloupe, salami and peperoncinis plus black olives married in a delicious home-style dressing. You must try it when you go. All of the pasta dishes I've tried have been above average, homemade and fresh. Thin pizzas are not bad when you're on the run. I love the classic bossa-nova music playing from the 40's & 50's and italian wine garden style dining room is quaint, dark and relaxing.
(5)Sujith P.
Good ambience, quick service, and above all great tasting food. The prices are competitive too. I was a fan of Olive Garden until a Professor I once worked for took me out for lunch to this place. I would never return to Olive Garden anymore because these people make the dishes tastier and the portions are larger than Olive Garden's. My wife, who was a bigger fan of Olive Garden agrees with me. I would especially recommend the Eggplant Parmesan and the Spinach Manicotti. The Enggplant Parmesan is usually on their discounted "specials" menu. Tip: Try to find one of the coupons they send out in newspapers.
(4)Christine D.
I've been going to this location for over 10 years! Best calamari fritti in town! And try the spicy sausage rigatoni, you won't be disappointed! And lastly, if you're trying to watch the carbs a bit, you can substitute spaghetti squash for your 'noodle' choice. It does cost a little extra, but it's worth it!
(4)Tim C.
Just read Korina A's review. She's puts it best. The service was fine; its just that the food sucked. Bad. And the wine list is way too pricey to not even list what the hell they're serving when you order a cab. Garbage. Just stay away.
(1)Mary L.
We decided to give this restaurant location a try, We'd been to their Bell Rd location and were not impressed by their service. As a matter of fact, we've never been back and we live very close. So we tried this location with trepidation and am I glad we did. Food was good, service was excellent. The bread they start you out with is great!! We all had Choose your own pasta/sauce etc and 3 of 4 were excellent. ! of us had chicken on her sauce and it was not good tasting, but we were in a hurry and didn't make it known to the server. 3 of us would go back as the Rustic Roma sauce was very good.
(3)Megan B.
Why, oh why am I SO picky about italian food? I can't help it. my tastebuds have been offended more often than overjoyed in almost every italian restaurant I have been to since moving to Arizona. This place was dumb. We were seated at this awful middle-of-the-room table and I felt like I was in a fishbowl. The decor was..... tacky. You can tell that they are trying to be cute, so for that I guess I give them some credit, but the food did not measure up. It was average at best, and the focaccia bread that they bring you to start is mostly oil and fat with a bit of dough. Tasty? yes. Rapidly enhancing the obesity epidemic sweeping the nation? Also yes. Sorry tagliani's, my mouth (and waistline) do not approve.
(2)Siriusly M.
**Edited: My review is actually for a different location; I didn't realize there were too so close by** I remember when this was Tony Romas....after it reopened as "the new Italian Place" I tried it and though, "eh, it's okay." I went back today to meet a friend and.... mmmmmm mmmmm mmmmm. If you've read my other reviews, please know that I do eat food other than chicken Parmesan. I've just been eating a lot of it lately. So...I had the chicken parm and it was delicious! The breading was amazing. I feel, because of my frequent C.P. encounters, and because I have an Italian husband who likes to cook for me, I am pretty knowledgeable when it comes to good C.P....and this was terrific. The decor is nice. Charming and relaxing. The booths are huge. The service was great. The water tasted horrible. And that is my review.
(4)Melissa H.
I really like Tagliani's. I know it is not the best Italian food I will ever have, but it is something different than Olive Garden on the west side of town. Yummy bread served before the meal and 2 options for portion sizes really help bring me back. Their dinner sizes are huge and are served with salad or soup and their lunch portion is about half the size of dinner but still too much food at times. The chicken saltimboca has me addicted. A chicken breast rolled with fontina and prosciutto, breaded, sliced and served on a bead of pasta with a creamy marinara with chunks of tomatoes and prosciutto in it. My husband finds numerous choices to please his tomato hating palette. They just opened a third location in Avondale.
(4)Eric L.
I have to say that I don't understand all these bad reviews. I work right by the Original location in the strip mall by Garcias. I have been here many times and I think it's some of the best Italian I have had. I wouldn't dream of walking into an Olive Garden with this place near by. Not one person I have ever taken there has complained and most have really enjoyed it. I have to wonder about some of these reviews. I can't help but think they have other interests when reviewing...
(4)Andrea H.
Lots of great food choices. Their appetizers are wonderful.
(4)Kt K.
Besides having the best happy hour, this place allows dogs on the patio. Best Mykonos pizza and calamari. If you ever need a delicious cake order the 1/4 sheet to feed twelve or the half for 24 ppl. You will not be disappointed!! My family loved this cake!!!!
(5)Julie S.
Good as usual... My hubby and I always get the baked spaghetti, which I highly recommend. My rum and diet was a little weak but my husband says hi just have a high tolerance... ha ha Overall we love this place!!
(4)Andrica D.
The good was amazing ! We sat on the patio and listened to the live music. Very accommodating to our large party. I got the wedge blue cheese salad and it was amazing ! I also got the angel hair pasta and toma-fredo sauce and it was amazing !! I would recommend this place for sure !!
(5)Pearsey P.
This place is good, and the happy-hour specials are pretty good too. My only complaint is that they make everything extra FATTENING. I wanted to eat more, but there was soooooo much unnecessary butter and cream and oil all over everything. I got the steak fettuccine.
(4)Ben C.
I think this place gets the nod because there isn't a whole lot of Italian on that side of town with a family vibe. I compare this place to an Olive Garden without the American"ized" twist. Happy hour is decent and the sauces for everything are high quality. The shrimp parm is something that I haven't seen very often and it is phenomenal. I also really liked the eggplant ans shrimp appetizer. This is like a once a month place.
(4)Korina A.
Gahhh! I mean... gahh!! I guess the endless cheesy commecials finally got to me. Despite my instincts, and the signs -- cartoony logo, aforementioned cheesy commericals -- I decided to give it a try. The decor was cozy -- chock-a-block with wine crates, fake vines, and the like -- but it actually worked in this case. Our server took a while, but was friendly, once she arrived. I ordered a glass of pinot noir, and again, against my better instincts, I ordered the salmon. Past experience has told me than not many places can prepare salmon the way I like it -- a little crisp on the outside, medium-rare on the inside. But I gave it a shot. First clue that was a mistake: my server did not ask how I would like it prepared. Second clue: she was completely taken aback when I said, "medium rare." While we waited, we munched on some really delicious crisp and chewy bread, dipped in olive oil. My companion also enjoyed a caesar salad topped with a nice, slightly fishy (in a good way) dressing and parmesan shavings. When the entrees arrives, we both immediately said the same thing, "oh my god, it's swimming in butter!" Now I'm with Paula Deen on the butter issue. Butter is good -- but not 2 inches of it in my dish. When I examined the salmon, it was nice and crisp on the outside. But as soon as I touched it with my fork, it fell apart. Alas, cooked until it flaked. Once my companion fished the veal piccata out of the butter, she found it tough and nearly inedible. The piccata sauce lacked the bright lemon-garlic taste that it's known for. It was basically butter and capers. The pasta on both our dishes was fairly good. All in all, I would not return. It was a half step above Olive Garden. Lesson learned: Listen to your instincts!
(2)Kelly T.
Food is good and I like the variety to choose from. Haven't been disappointed yet. I don't really like this restaurant at this location. It's the atmosphere and it just feels over crowded.
(3)Armando S.
It's a good neighborhood Italian. Not gourmet but it's a good combination of value and quality. Generally we like to cook our own sauce at home. But when we're pretty much being lazy, it's a good enough getaway. You just need to order the half portions and that's plenty. The wine selection could be a little more extensive, but it does ok. I just get a kick at the total spectrum of excellent to poor reviews. Different strokes...
(3)Natalie W.
Overrated in my book. Not bad food, some of it was pretty good. But, I can have much better pasta, much better to home. The setting is very nice, though, with weathered bricks, twinkley lights and twining grape vines.
(3)Jessica B.
I have been going here for over 10 years. It is way better than any other Italian place I know...especially the Olive Garden (ewe)!! I usually get the same dish every time so I can't really tell you overall how the rest of the food tastes. I order the angel hair pasta with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella on top. Delicious!!! I love their service and cozy atmosphere. It is honestly my favorite restaurant and I have taken several friends who all agree that the food is wonderful and all of them are now returning customers. My family, friends and I all love it!!!
(5)Sarabear B.
I agree with the others.... the food is horrible. They do their best at service, and are very nice.... but that is no reason to eat here. Unless it is a holiday and everyplace in town is closed.... i WOULD choose it over McDonalds. That isn't saying much.
(1)Lynne R.
Since the owner offered to make it right I have improved my rating based on his interest in customer happiness, I always try to be fair.
(2)Honest R.
Went to this place for lunch with family today. Wasn't impressed and after going to the one on 83rd and Bell which was a much better experience. Arrived and was seated by host. Drinks brought out quickly, ordered the mussels in rusted garlic sauce, Cesar salad, rigatoni alla diavolo, my wife ordered the mussels in alfredo sauce. I ordered a childs pizza for my son. Had to ask for bread which is usually not requested in Italian restaurants. Server Mary brought bread when requested but with no butter, brought salad and never offered Parmesan cheese. Food came out and compared to the 83rd Ave location it was bland and my son's pizza looked like they had someone training for the first day. The thing wasn't even round. Nonetheless I will be returning to that location. The place was stuffy too.
(2)Thee D.
One of our favorite restaurants until very recently. The environment is cozy and the help has always been friendly even at their busiest times. To be honest I have only had a handful of items on their menu but they are pretty damn good. Recently I have been getting angel hair pasta with capers, asparagus, Garlic butter and bacon and it really does it for me. Recently they have changed the bread to include a flat bread which doesn't have much flavor. They also are not as diligent with offering the extra parmesan as they once were and I think it really is some of the staff. Stars favorite has always been the baked spaghetti with extra white sauce. As a note the white sauce has chicken stock in it so again not vegetarian friendly and Star can no longer eat it. We probably will return but are sue to be very specific with every meal we order as the mere mention of being vegetarian no longer seems to be a valid way to announce you do not want an animal product in your food. Be sure to sign up for their member card or download the coupon from their website and save 10$ off a 30$ bill. They also have live music on the weekends which really hasn't been too bad.
(3)Lisa H.
I've been going to Tagliani's for a long time. Here are my tips -- keep it simple and sit in the bar. The bartenders are usually far better with a lot more personality and for whatever reason, they tend to be women. I always order a pasta bowl. Save your money and order a half bowl (or do the whole thing and save 1/2 for lunch tomorrow). My favorite is the tortellini with 1/2 marinara and 1/2 pepporchini sauce and two meatballs on the side. It's perfect. This isn't "to die for" Italian food, but it's relatively cheap and it's close to me, so it's one of my regular places.
(4)Lora F.
One of my favorite go to places. For lunch i love the calimari fruiti salad. Yum yum For dinner there are a few od my faves. Chicken dynamite(spicy) and really good. Seafood pasta always a winner if you like seafood. The salmon is also a winner. Never had a bad meal here. They have another location at arrowhood but I like this one the best
(5)Farley L.
Had lunch here last Sunday afternoon, was a recommendation from a police officer we met. This place was fabulous! There is nothing like the smell of garlic from the parking lot that gets you salivating before you get to the door. I had Mama's favorite which was excellent. Save a portion to take home for the next day and it was just as good. Can't remember what my wife had but she ate it all. Going back this Friday with friends and to celebrate our anniversary. Really great Italian, good wine. Molto bene Will definitely be taking guests here.
(5)Pepper T.
Since my last review the menu has changed a few times for the better. Also since my last review I've dined at several Italian Restaurants in the Scottsdale area that offer similar meals at much higher prices that aren't as good so I feel the need to update my review. This is a family owned and operated budget Italian Restaurant that's been a pillar of the area for over twenty years. Nothing comes pre-made all the food and sauces are prepared in-house. Portions are large and prices are low. No other restaurant that I know of offers around a half dozen fresh vegetable choices for your dinner nightly. If your not a fan of pasta you can alter your dish to be prepared with spaghetti squash instead. Although the restaurant isn't gluten free they do offer gluten free pasta and whole wheat pasta for those who are interested. Another health helpful option is the grilled chicken parmesan that you can get over vegetables if you care too. I had one of the new dinners Steak Gorgonzola where I swapped out the pasta for spaghetti squash ($13.99). This dish was richly flavored and delicious. The steak was seasoned and was butter knife tender. The sauce was delicious and flavorful. The dish was made with fresh spinach and sundries tomatoes and gorgonzola cheese. I'm a big fan of the spacious comfortable dog friendly patio and enjoy the live music that plays on the weekend. I've always found the service friendly and warm and efficient. Tag's offers DEEP discounts. You can get $25 extra on a $100. gift card purchase and they also have a Swipe Card that gives you additional savings. This is a family friendly kind of restaurant.
(4)Janed B.
First time visiting Tagliani's. Pizza supreme was very tasty, great crust. Old world Italian restaurant atmosphere. Nice service. A basket of buttery garlic toast is served with every meal, a plus. Will be back for sure.
(5)Steve F.
We dined at this restaurant once and had take out once, both times the food was absolutely terrific. My wife loved the Eggplant Parmesan and I had the fettuccine, both the pasta and marinara sauce were great. The salads were very fresh and their dressings, which I think they prepare themselves, were very good. They welcome having you customize the marinara sauce with whatever you would like to add. Very comfortable dining room with nice relaxing music playing at a proper level.
(5)Rachel M.
First time for lunch and first time ordering pizza....pizza has the thin lavash style crust, which I love, young men working the lunch hour were very accommodating and friendly....have lots of lunch specials....we love coming here for dinner and now I will love coming for lunch
(4)Gissell R.
It's good but could use just a tad bit more flavor. Very decent food. They get 5 stars for service though. Amanda was my server & she's great! Got free wings and onion rings for checking in, so that's a plus
(5)Nakata H.
Found this place on yelp. My doggies really enjoyed their dog friendly large patio area. Super dog friendly which is always plus. They have a really good selection of happy hour menu everyday from 2:30- 6:30 pm. Our server ms. Faye was very knowledgable and on point on her recommendations. Food was closer to five stars but since we only had appetizers, I am going to keep it 4 stars for now. You can get frequent dinner card which I think you can collect credits for free. You can get free appetizers on yelp check in. I can't wait to go back!!
(4)Good Eats S.
At Midway Chevrolet to pick up a repaired vehicle and happily, it was dinner time, so stopped in for our second meal at Tagliani's 59th. I had garden salad with creamy garlic dressing and the Chicken Dynamante. DH had garden salad with creamy garlic dressing and Chicken Marsala. Salads were very crisp and fresh. DH loved the dressing---I thought was good, but not the best ever. Chicken Marsala---DH loved it and I have to say my sample from his plate was excellent. I would say rivaled mine! Sauce was very light and flavorful, chicken was perfectly cooked. Chicken Dynamante---came with ziti, but kindly substituted angel hair, because I don't like "tube pasta". It was really good. Again, my chicken was also perfectly cooked, and the Pepperocini Sauce was just a "wow" in the mouth. I had to poke DH to keep his fork off my plate! Tagliani's now has two of their sauces---the Marinara and the Pepperocini---bottled and for sale. We took one of each. As I said, the Pepperocini Sauce is delicious, and I remember from our previous visit that I---not a huge tomato sauce lover---really liked their Marinara sauce. I would say it is almost as good as what a friend of mine makes, and she is one of those Italia-to-the-bone cooks and knows her sauce! And same as the first time, service exemplary! Can't ever complain about the service here, I think!
(3)Michael G.
Just ordered pickup and the service was excellent, I got the pasta Tagliani, it was one of the best pasta dishes I've had in a long time. Every bite had flavor, the noodles cooked to perfection and the broccoli too... I recommend this place %110!!!
(5)Christina S.
I have to be honest I have never eaten at the restaurant we always do take out. I love the chicken parm it is by far my fav!! Tonight my husband had chicken Marsala and said it was ok but probably wouldn't have it again. The girl working their tonight Erin I think was super nice. It is a little pricey in my book, per person about $12-$15 and it is just the entree no salad. I was also bummed tonight because they have a yelp offer for an appetizer if you check in, I asked if I could use it and she said it was only for dining in which it doesn't say and I have a one year old so I don't do a lot of dining in right now, take out seems to be the way to go!
(4)Irina H.
Good food, good value, generally good service - this only lacks the 4th star because I feel the food could use just a tiny flavor boost. It's very good, but not quite excellent. There are lots of wonderful options, generous portions and unusual items (you can get things like spaghetti squash or tortellini as a base in mix-n-match pasta, and you can toss on any variety of toppings). It's definitely fresher and more authentic than the standard salad-n-breadsticks chain, and features lots of healthy options. The atmosphere is cozy and cute, although slightly chain-y. Overall, a great place to try if you're in the area.
(3)Angela R.
Tagliani is our "stand-by" ... we visit at least once a month and have dined here many times over the past 8 years. The Caesar salad is dressed with a fairly true Caesar dressing, without a lot of vinegar. As always, was good. Rieseling wine same as always. But I asked young man/server if they stocked my "NEW FAVE" wine: ROSCATO, a sweet red from Italy...he said no. I said well tell the owner it has just been requested. (He chuckled annoyingly, as if to say "yeah right!" so I then told him...THAT IS HOW the industry improves...by listening to the customers who pay the rent!) He was younger, a new server whom we had never met... Salmon was a fresher taste last night than usual. This establishment manages to broil it and still keep it moist, yet fully cooked inside...a very good reflection on the chef! Ravioli was over-cooked last night, sadly. Too soft, yet normally just right level of al dente. So, 2 things: Bring in ROSCATO red sweet wine. It is wonderful! Also, your Salmon has not been as fresh-tasting in the past year or so...as it was very fresh for the past 8 years. have you changed vendors? Example: Macaroni Grill (a chain) and Christos in central phoenix, both consistently serve salmon that is NOT fishy! It can be done, with the right sea food vendor and buying / storage habits!) This will remain one of our regular destinations. But the stoic-faced ownership NEEDS TO LISTEN!
(4)Beau S.
The free appetizer you get upon check-in has surprisingly good wings. Had papas plate and baked spaghetti. Everything was very good besides the lasagna. Lasagna was a bit of a let down. But really enjoyed the manicotti on papas plate was great. Prices are decent. Service was good.
(4)Domino T.
Although the customer service was top notch and the atmosphere more elegant than that of Olive Garden, the food and drinks were subpar. We ordered a half loaf of garlic-cheese bread to start and were given 4 very small biscotti sized bread sticks. The actual bread that comes with the meal is far more massive and delicious than that which was ordered. For a drink I got the Tagliani Margarita that was ok but quite plain for a margarita. I was expecting a more fruity and stronger taste but the amount of ice in the drink really watered it down. Next came the cesar salad that had a sour taste dressing. I was dying to get my main dish (a big plate of raviolis with alfredo sauce) and was greatly disappointed! I was given a giant plate but with only 4 (again FOUR) raviolis that were just a bit bigger than a silver dollar coin. The rest of the plate was covered in alfredo sauce to make it look filled. I was not only shocked but very hungry. I finished my food before my fiancé even started digging into his own plate. He got the Steak Gorgonzola that tasted plain and the sauce was very soupy. He and I were not satisfied with the food and not filled one bit unfortunately.
(1)Milton K.
The atmosphere is lovely, the service was super, and furthermore, the food was excellent. Be hungry when you go, because there is plenty! Lasagne is delicious, not to much of anything in it, just right. Wines are great
(5)Natty K.
This place is not as good as it used to be. Not to mention, their prices have increased and their portions have decreased. Service is poor and the cleanliness of the place is questionable... I miss the way it used to be. I will not go out of my way to come here anymore. :(
(2)Eric H.
Outstanding linguini with clams in garlic butter sauce. It was made just right and feels like home cooking. Very tasty garlic bread as well. They also have many true Italian items on the menu that you wouldn't find in pseudo Italian places (e.g. Olive Garden), but some items can be pricy. Option to customize pasta. Service is ok, nice decor inside but it's more of a eatery than a 1st class restaurant. I would go back when I crave for some real Italian food.
(4)Walt P.
We love this place! My wife and I have been eating here since they opened nearly 20 years ago, and it is one of our favorite places. The service is outstanding, the food is outstanding, and the prices are quite reasonable. I love their pasta tagliani and pasta diavolo, and their pasta bowls are really good too!
(5)Joanne G.
Low class Italian food. Will not be back
(1)Craig S.
My wife and I have been eating at Tagliani's for many years. We have a frequent dinners card with them that awards us points. That aside. We never get anything fancy. Usually just their pasta bowel. You get a choice of about 10 pastas, 10 sauces, 25 added toppings. (Meat, Veg, cheese). Always get the half size. This is always more than enough and I always take half home. The food has always been good and the service has always been good. Not great that is the reason for the 4 stars. They do serve good food and in a quantity that is for me to much to eat at one setting at a reasonable price. The decor, and music fits the Italian style. They always play Frank Sinatra songs. The seating is comfortable and you can carry on a conservation with who you are with without having to shout and now everyone knows what you are talking about. There is a lot to choose from on the menu. The only thing I wish they had would be a pasta dish with fish, shrimp, octopus, clams, mussels. I can keep wishing and hope they see this and grant my wish to me. I will keep coming back. Give them a try. Enjoy life!! Craig
(4)Laura C.
Very disappointed Sunday. We were a party of six and no one walked away satisfied. The quality of the food has really taken a turn for the worse. Seems like everything is precooked, frozen and reheated. This was my favorite Italian restaurant.
(2)Marty F.
Like Mexican food I've always found it impossible to find my favorite Italian restaurant.. Well look no further because I found my favorite Italian place in the valley. Funny that I live on the west side and had no idea this place existed. It's just north of Bell of 459th Ave. Easy to miss if you're not looking for it. Right as you walk inside it has that family Italian feel to it. Awesome decor all around. A bar on the right as you walk in and then the rest of the restaurant is on the inside. Ive been here a few times and I'll tell what I've had. The first time I had their baked spaghetti and wow.. it was tasty! Every bite better than the next. They also bring out fresh bread for dipping in oil and balsamic vinagar. Makes it that much better. My favorite dish so far.. Eggplant Parmesan. Holy.. this dish was insane. Im not even an eggplant fan and I couldnt get enough. the meal is definitely big enough to split for two. however they do offer a single portion. I highly recommend this delicious place!
(5)Marty R.
THE VERY BEST Italian food we've ever had in Arizona. Wish they'd come over to Chandler. SOON.
(5)Courtney K.
I went here for a nice lunch one afternoon. A nice lunch is NOT what I got. My food was awful. I got the lunch pasta special, which tasted just like a cheap frozen dinner. The chicken was bland and dry, and the sauce WAY OVER PRICED FOR MICROWAVE FOOD! I may go back to try something else, but I hardly write reviews. This was the worst food I have had in Phoenix yet.
(1)Manny S.
This is a very nice Italian restaurant that's perfect for lunch or dinner with your family. It's nice inside and the service is top notch. I've only eaten here a few times but was always greeted by a friendly person who chatted a bit on the way to the table. The servers are also friendly and attentive. We got a sampler platter for a starter the last time we came and it was a lot of food! It comes with artichoke dip, chicken wings, onion rings, mozzarella, zucchini and mushroom fritti. No problem serving three adults and two kids. They have a nice menu with a number of choices. But, I figure that any place that has the tag line, "your neighborhood pasta place" is giving me a hint about what to order. I've had the Baked Ziti and the Sausage Lasagna. Both dishes are very good. Their sauce is delicious and they're a contender for the best meatballs in the valley. Nice place for a good meal with your family - note, they have a very good children's menu.
(4)Judy L.
Always a fan and love their food. The 14th Street pizza is my favie but this time it tasted different. It was good but it was not GREAT!!! =( The service was great.
(4)Sarah M.
I went in expecting a very nice Italian dinner, and the food was trying too hard to not have any flavor. I will never go back here again because it was worse than the nastiest Olive Garden in town!
(2)Joe S.
We enjoy this place alot...however we recently went to enjoy the live entertainment on the patio and found out that they allow smoking and left ALOT sooner than we wanted to....I thought there was a law :(
(3)Karina H.
I have been here before with my bf and we had a great time with good food...we decided to eat here for our anniversary dinner (well, lunch actually). We got drinks (waited 10+ mins) so I'll knock a star off and they were not very good to boot. We ordered the make your own pasta dish. My boyfriend ordered a spicy rigatoni with meatballs. I got ravioli with marinara. Within two bites my boyfriend could tell that there were nuts in it. He has a pretty bad nut allergy so I quickly waved someone down and I believe she was a manager...she had an accent but never said her name. She told my boyfriend it was HIS fault. His pasta dish that shouldn't have contained any nuts (no warning on the items he chose) somehow had nuts. She said he should have informed the staff before ordering but really! Pasta doesn't usually have nuts! I'm allergic to bananas but I don't go around telling places to keep my spaghetti away from the banana foster, do I? Honestly, she was so rude. I love the goat cheese salad but after that experience we won't be going back. The male manager ended up not charging us for the pasta.
(2)Trevor C.
I came home to find my wife buried under a pile of books studying away. Neither she, nor myself wished to cook and I thought she could use a break so I set off searching the Yelp app for something new. I came across Cucina Tagliani and the reviews seemed good so I figured what the hell. We arrived and stood by the vacant host station for someone to assist us. The manager came by after a few minutes and seated us. Our waitress came by a short time later to take drink orders. However, since we'd made it in time for happy hour, we just ordered water while we perused the happy hour menu. By the time she returned, we had already chosen our drinks, app, and entrees. She apologized for the slow service and said that it was due to everyone covering every position - busing, waiting, hosting duties. We weren't too bothered about it, but I was starting to get antsy when she arrived. The rest of the service was good. Since Good Eats S. had written a review not 1 hour prior to our arrival, we used theirs as a guide. We both got the Mama's Sampler. We both agreed that the chicken and lasagna were fantastic! However, the fettucine was bland. Maybe more garlic could have brought it to life, but it was still edible. I would order the chicken parm on it's own next time since it is so good. We ordered onion rings for our app. They were good, but not something I would expect at an Italian restaurant. I would certainly order them again, but would also like to try other items on the menu. The garlic bread is plentiful and beats the hell out of Olive Garden's. Flavor is good, and it is cooked perfectly. We ordered an Italian Dream and Monsoon Madness for our drinks. All I can say is that they are strong, but you don't know it until you've had one down. The alcohol sneaks up on you since they are just so fruity and good. Now I know what you're thinking - men don't drink fruity drinks. I figure who cares as long as it is good and gets you the effect you're looking for. These drinks definitely do that. We will be coming back at some point.
(4)Cobalt Z.
Decent Italian in a suburban strip mall. Decent wine selection, meal sizes were generous. Bathroom was built for Phoenix Sun players, I had to tiptoe to use the urinal. Seriously.
(3)Ty Y.
My husband went for lunch on Saturday and were disappointed. It must have changed hands the decor had changed a bit and the bread was different (not in a good way). The bread was very soggy like it had been sitting for hours and it was only lunch time. The service was horrible even though there were only people sat three tables. It was just not as welcoming and friendly as it used to be. Though I hand't been there in few months it "was" one of my go to restaurants.
(1)Nikki G.
Found this place using Yelp while in Anthem, AZ. So we (my parents and I) piled in the car and drove about 25 minutes to this place. It was Happy Hour when when we arrived so I asked for the strongest drink on the their menu. I had the Monsoon Madness. It's wasn't that strong, but it was good drink. We had appetizers - Calamari Fritti and a Caprese Bruschetta - Both delicious. Dinner - My dad had a Pepperoni/Pineapple Pizza, My mom had the Eggplant Parmesan and I had the Linguine and Clams in White Sauce. Everything was delicious.
(4)Brian G.
I took my XC team here and called early in the day for a reservation. They had a side room for us, which was great, but still had to wait for 10-15 minutes to be seated. I sat out in the main dining area with my other coaches and received excellent food and service. We finished and paid and went to check on the kids, knowing it would take longer to serve 20 kids. We were shocked to see they only had drinks at this point, and quickly discovered that only one waitress had been assigned to serve 20 kids. Salads started coming at this point, but it took an hour and a half before they got their food. I asked them to bring the checks immediately after the food in order to speed things up, and asked that they include the tip in the check to make things easier (high school students don't get the concept and I still wanted the waitress to get a tip despite everything). They said they would, but then did not include the tip, which slowed things down even more. There was still only one waitress handling all the checks, and at this point there were very few patrons left in the restaurant, yet management did not get her the help she clearly needed in order to expedite service. It took over two hours to serve my group. I understand a large group takes more time to serve, and am ok with that. Management did not seen to understand what is necessary to serve a group this large. In the future (if we return) I will make sure to request sufficient waitstaff for the group or simply drive a little farther to the Bell Road location in Peoria where management understands the logistics of serving a large group. Just to be clear - the food and prices were great and the staff perfectly friendly. All the issues we had could have been solved simply by having an appropriate number staff to serve the large group.
(2)Jeanne L.
Sat outside on the patio last Friday night - they had a wonderful singer who played everything - not so loud that you couldn't talk though. The food was wonderful, service was good and the atmosphere was so nice! Planning to bring a group this weekend!
(4)Courtney M.
This place was absolutely disgusting. My fiancé and I went here because someone told us it was amazing - apparently they were delusional. First off, the service was not good. Our waiter kept disappearing for long stretches of time and when he did come around, he wouldn't stop scratching the side of his face. We ordered and then had to wait a rather long time before our food was actually done. I've had lots of Italian food in my life and this was not Italian. It was some poor excuse for a knock-off cuisine. The alfredo sauce was runny and on it's last leg, the noodles were over cooked and the bread was just nasty. I tried out the tiramisu for the sake of review and it was just as bad. The flavor was off, it didn't even taste like espresso and there were no lady fingers in it as with a traditional cake. It was worse than some store bought knock-off and I honestly considered asking for a refund. We asked the waiter and they said they make the sauce in batches and keep it for days. I have no idea why they can't make it any fresher than that. It was almost $40 for the two of us and not even worth a penny. I am never coming here again and unless you have no taste buds, I advise you stay away. You can get much better quality food at Carrabbas which is just down the street a ways.
(1)Bo R.
I've been here on 2 occasions. Once for dinner, and once for lunch. Both times have been good, quality experiences. When we had dinner at Tagliani's it was 4 of us. I was with my family, and my brother in law raved about it. We ordered 2 appetizers, and each of us ordered an entree. We family styled the entrees and everyone ate some of everything. All of it was very good. Bread was fresh and warm. Put it in the the "Must do again" category. Went back for lunch a few days ago. Went to check-in, and low and behold, a free app! Wings and Rings! And honestly, they were the best wings I've ever had. Grilled to absolute perfection. The rings were homemade. Awesome. I had the lunch special baked ziti. Very good. Gf had the Eggpant Parmesian. She gave it a 3.5. I tried the spaghetti and maranara that went with it. I thought it had a very clean, and fresh flavor. Great for a maranara. Little one had the pepperoni pizza off of the Kids' Menu. I had a couple of bites to try it, and I thought it was excellent. I'd have eaten it. The only gripe was the bread seemed a tad dated. But, it was 3pm when we got there, and I'm sure fresh bread might be a stretch. Overall, it was an excellent experience with great food, and good service.
(4)brendan k.
Always a fan. For a few reasons, but my most important one is the dog friendly patio. I like to go for a few drinks on friday with my dog Blueberry who has the entire staff wrapped up in her little paw. Always good service, and although Im an atkins dieter, they are very in tune with making sure my dietary needs are met. Just a real good vibe from everyone there and the fact that they are involved in dog adoption events and have accomodations for my cheap little fur covered date make this place kinda great for the both of us. To all the staff and Mr Sample, thank you all for being accomodating. Foods great as well. Blueberry should be the mascot for this place. I realize now I had posted this review to the other location. Reguardless. I have not been to the other location and think a 5 star rating should be appropriate by association. Avanti! Also, the patio on fridays evenings has a real talented young lady who is really nice to listen to and gives a real nice ambiance to the whole area.
(5)Scott R.
Came for lunch OMG who is cooking fire them! Fried cheese Yuk was old and well not very good! What happened to this place is it under new management? Hope it gets better last two visits not as good as it was couple years ago! Was very happy to see response from a manager and hope that my next visit is great !
(3)Terri D.
We have been here atleast a dozen times over the Last couple of years, the food is not at all like it used to be. Pasta sauce was Not good, chicken parm was Not seasoned well, the bread was soggy.
(1)Jesse J.
I went with a group last night for dinner to try Cucina Tagliani and well it just wasn't my cup of tea. I love Italian food don't get me wrong and I love big portions both of which Cucina Tagliani offers. The service was great as well. My problem was the food just wasn't really good. I had the calamari which was ok and a ceaser salad which again just ok. Then for main course i had the veal parmigiana which I thought just really lacked in flavor and thought the meat was over done. So overall it wasn't a bad experience just lack of tasty food that led to the low rating so try at your own risk.
(2)Michelle M.
We came back, after a personal invitation from the owner, after a so-so experience at the 59th avenue location. We decided to try out the 83rd (Arrowhead location) second time around. What a world of difference. Staff, service, atmosphere....all was excellent! Including the food. Complimentary garlic bread was delish, and we also started with a wing onion ring combo plate. Yummy wings :) I had the caprese side salad, small but really delicious and fresh and I had a make your own pasta dish with fettuccini, garlic butter, spinach and roasted onions. Butter was Lacking a little flavor, but none the less, very good and pasta was super fresh. My husband had the steak Gorgonzola over fettuccini with a side of antipasto salad. Again, very good. Manager visited our table....server was as sweet as could be. Loved the Italian family style atmosphere....we will be back. Thank you very much for the invitation to dine again :)
(4)Shane M.
I have never left a review on Yelp before but I was inspired to download the app just to warn people about this place. I wish I would have looked at reviews before I came here today. I used to make the drive from north scottsdale, all the way over to glendale just for this restaurant when I was 16 to let's say 20. I am now 30 and decided to mix things up with my girlfriend and try my favorite from when I was a kid. This place has gone down hill in a hurry. I laughed audibly out loud when I read the review previously written saying they think it changed hands. I had just done a Google search on my phone to see if they sold out. The owner must have gotten a new manager or food provider. The food made me sick. I ordered whole wheat pasta with the reduced fat marinara and it came out like a bowl of soup. We tried the 4.50 portobello mushroom appetizer and that was like a hot sponge soaked in vinager. The bread is soggy and nasty. I was embarrassed to take my girlfriend here.
(1)Anita N.
Better Italian food at Olive Garden and that's saying a lot! New to the area I decided to give this place a try and unfortunately it'll be the last time. Happy hour is not happy hour, the waitress who wasn't familiar with the menu had to keep coming back and telling me all the things I couldn't get. Not a great business strategy. Worst of all I couldn't customize my order which was shocking. You'd think if I could have a burger made my way at a fast food joint that they could customize your meal for the price you're paying here! So be careful if you are allergic or really dislike certain foods. It also worried me that the food isn't being cooked to order because of this and perhaps just frozen bulk that's reheated. I ordered the spinach manicotti which I forced myself to finish because I felt bad for my friend who had offered to pay. The food was lukewarm at best, not presented well and I felt ill after it all. I won't be returning, there are plenty of other restaurants in the area to choose from.
(1)Carmelo W.
it was a-ok.
(3)Ali C.
I cannot believe I have forgotten to review one of my favorite restaurants. I have been coming in for years and I absolutely love it. I typically get the pasta plate and order a gnocchi with garlic butter and spinach which is big enough on the full for me to take home and eat for lunch the next day. The half is good sized too, but you only take a little home then. The atmosphere is typically friendly. (Every once in awhile you encounter a miss-hire with the wait staff. I had one waitress every time I came it. Ugh. She was just not cool but I'm hoping she just isn't there any more.) The decor is old an Italian homey feel. I will say I prefer this location to the newer one near the 101. Its a smaller setting, I don't feel as forgotten and my food is always hot at this location even when I do take out.
(5)Robyn S.
called ahead and took our dogs here. they set up the outside patio for us along with many water bowls for all the pooches. All I ate was their desert pizza cookie which was just ok. the bread they bring out as a complimentary snack was yummy though so I'm excited to try their actual food next time I go. Nice place and friendly service.
(5)Taylor J.
I had lunch here earlier today with my mom. Our server was Emma I believe, curly hair. The service was great as was the food. What was not so great was the woman two booths down complaining along the entire time. When she got rude with Emma, Emma said she would go get the manager to fix the problem. Emma kept apologizing for their problem and remained composed and polite the entire time. I have worked in the service industry for over 10 years and I have never seen a manager handle something like this. He actually stood up for his employee and refused to let either him or his server be treated disrespectfully. The woman started shouting about how awful it was that she was not getting something for free and how they do not value customers. She made the environment uncomfortable. It was amazing to see a manager 86 someone instead of kissing their ass like most people expect. I will come back to this location because I know the managers respect their staff.
(5)Lucky T.
Yes, yes and hell, yes! The food--I had veal piccata the small portion--was delicious and more than enough. My friend got the large size veal parmigiana and she had to take more than half home for the next day. Her portion was that large, so maybe it is smarter to get the large order for a little more and get 2X the food. They put bread that's toasted with garlic and olive oil on the table first which was dee-licious! Obviously, I totally blew the Atkins all protein diet with that bread basket, but it was sooo good! I just love the food here, so this is now my new go-to place for real Italian. ***Keep up the good work at this location, but you need to kick the 83rd Ave. location and get them cooking like the 59th Ave. location. I've eaten at both, and they just are not the same: different cooks make a difference.
(5)Susan M.
We've been meaning to get to this intriguing restaurant for quite a while. Well, for Valentine's day, while everyone else was jacking up their prices, they were offering a $10 off $30 through Sunday night, so we went one day early and we were NOT disappointed. The Caprese salad and Antipasto salads were divine. The Fritti plate which in our case meant half mozza and half zucchini was so fresh! The mozza literally melted at the touch. Our entrees were very good as well. My hubs got the Papa combo which consisted of veal, lasagna and some spinach manicotti. He said it was spectacular. My Chicken Saltimbucca was very good but a bit dry for my taste. I saw many other orders go out that looked very yummy so I'm going to go again and again, working my way around the menu. The service was excellent with Barbara offering suggestions and helping in any way she could. Now, this is not the most glamorous place on earth but it's comfortable and you feel like family!
(4)Ron P.
Less expensive food if that is what you are looking for. Happy hour has some good items but most are fried. Not that there is anything wrong with that!
(2)Laura B.
I was really excited to go check this place out because I've heard great things about it. The interior was very cute and loved the music, it was very Italian. However, I was a little disappointed with the food. I got the Cesar salad to start off with and thought it tasted funny, but was then told by our server it was because there's anchovies in the dressing. That would've been nice to know ahead of time in case someone is allergic to fish, plus I wouldn't have ordered that salad then. I didn't enjoy my steak Gorgonzola either, which I think has the anchovies in thy sauce too, because that did not taste as good as it sounded in the menu. I won't be going back anytime soon.
(2)Justin S.
We used to really like the food here so decided to try it again, especially since we found online where kids eat free. There was a little bit of a hassle when we got the check, but ended up getting that removed. However, we were still charged for our kid's drinks when the menu specifically said they were included with the meals. The antipasto salad we got was not filled with "meats" as described, but rather a small portion of only pepperoni and the dressing had an unusual after taste. The alfredo sauce was real bland, chicken parmesan too thin and mainly breading. When we reached out to the manager, never heard a word back so obviously customer service isn't such a priority here. We will never go back.
(2)Mike W.
My family visits this location quite often. The food is usually quite good. However, more than once we've had an issue trying to use a coupon. Case in point, yesterday checked in on YELP and was rewarded a free onion/wing app, only to be informed by our waitress that they weren't accepting coupons that day (presumably because of Mother's Day?). As stated before, not the first time a coupon has been refused here. Not sure what the thinking is behind these decisions, but seems a bit off-putting. It's not like they're giving anything else away. Maybe change the wording on offers to exclude certain days, but seems to me a bad idea to treat customers in that manner.
(3)Rachel S.
Service has always been great, don't care for the dry bread but it's the horrible water that stands out as trying to get the customer to order a "drink". Out of the four of us at dinner we all agreed the water tasted like chlorine water from someone's pool. The server said it's "filtered". NOT a chance! We asked him if we could get the water from bartender. He replied "it's the same". He kept pushing ordering a $4 sparkling water or cocktail etc. We all agreed no thanks. I went up to the bar later and asked for a glass of water. What do you know? It was fine and definitely filtered. Food is alright but when the water tastes better at even In and Out or any other restaurant you know they aren't paying attention to detail. Plenty of other great Italian restaurants on Bell Rd.
(2)Mark M.
This I feel is one of the best italian eateries this side of the valley. I have been a regular here for the past five years and the lasagna is the best. I highly recommend this establishment. Great food, good prices, and the wait staff was very helpful
(5)Brittany A.
My parents took my sister and I to this location since we were kids. I always loved it and then we started to go to the location at Arrowhead. The Arrowhead location was good up until about a year ago. Then their food's quality changed and I started sending food back too often. Last night (04/07/2014), I took my boyfriend to this location. It was his first time eating at Cucina Tagliani at any location and my first time back to this location in years. One of the best meals we've had in a while. I ordered the black mussel pasta for the first time and I can't remember a time where I had more flavorful mussels. I went to work after dinner and told everyone how good they were. My boyfriend was a huge fan of the garlic bread and the chicken parmigan. I'm thrilled to see a place from my childhood continue to offer the best quality and service. I forgot how much I love the decor there as well. I think we may ditch Olive Garden for a while and come eat here instead :)
(5)Laraine J.
LOVE Tagliani's!! Try the Saltimbocca it's delicious!!! Better than Olive Garden and cheaper than Carabbas. Although carabbas is still better, imo
(4)Becky K.
59th Ave & Bell location is the only one to go to always great service always great food. I customized by picking what I wanted spaghetti squash instead of pasta, spicy shrimp, artichokes, zucchini, rustica roma sauce and Alfredo mixed. I eat at this location often and the food is always prepared to the correct temperature and flavor is extremely tasty. Waitresses are great with their suggestions. They are extremely accommodating at this location. Ate in the pet family outside patio with my friend and her dog it was great. The Chocolate Marscapone cake is the most delicious chocolate cake I have ever had at a restaurant. In contrast 101 and Bell lacks the service and lacks knowledge of menu, which made it so they will not accommodate as much. Flavor is just not as good as 59th and Bell location which is the location my review is definitely positive on.
(4)Erinn D.
Great italian restaurant. I've been coming here for years. I usually get the build a bowl pasta. I love that you can get spaghetti squash as a substitute for regular pasta. The staff is also very friendly.
(5)Eric S.
Wow, I'm with David M. et al - this place is extremely good in so many ways, I can't understand all the hate. I do not think the food rates a five - definitely a solid four, but I'm giving it a five for the overall experience and to counter the negatives which I think are definitely not appropriate. Cucina Tagliani is in a strip mall. Then again, it's in Glendale, which might as well be Phoenix, so what ISN'T in a strip mall? Its decor is on the edge of being cheesy, but it was done well enough that you get what they were shooting for (Italian villa) without it actually being distracting. Except that it is, a little bit. If I have one complaint about the place it's that the seating at the tables can make you feel a tad self conscious, being so close to other diners and in the middle of everything. That said, it's obvious that they gave some thought to staggering the tables, and overall I didn't feel THAT uncomfortable, so make of it what you will. The food is simply delicious, and the portions are beyond generous. It's difficult to screw up artichoke dip, but CT's artichoke dip appetizer was so good I couldn't stop eating it. Not good for me - because it was so huge it could have been a meal in and of itself. The bread - crusted with parmesan - was a bit too tough for my companion, but I found it a delightful accompaniment to the dip, and in any case, soft pita was provided as well. I do not have enough good words for the optional antipasto salad ($1.99). There are two types of antipasto: the a la carte meat and cheese tray provided with a salad as an afterthought, and the full-on salad that is completely incorporated with meats and cheeses. The second kind is incredibly easy to get wrong. The antipasto at Cucina Tagliani is definitely of the latter type, and yet it is pulled off magnificently. I don't think I can recall having better. As others have mentioned, the canteloupe is a surprisingly delicious nuance. My companion's garden salad was competent and delicious. I opted for the spicy sausage and rigatoni, and she had the veal parmesan. Neither of us could get halfway through our "half" lunch portions, but we both agreed that they were superior examples of local Italian fare. Olive Garden this ain't. Not that I really have anything against Olive Garden - they do a decent job of wrapping Italian cuisine up for mass appeal - but comparisons to Cucina Tagliani are unfair - this is nothing like that. It is not bland, the portions are not so tightly controlled, and more than anything - these taste like someone's unique recipes - not recipes manufactured for mass consumption. Finally, the price. Definitely in line with expectations. We got out with a generous appetizer, two salads, two entrees and two drinks - with enough to take home for dinner, and it cost us $36. The service merited a 20% tip, as it was efficient and very friendly. We never once wanted for something to nosh after the first initial 3 minutes. Give it a shot. I doubt you will be disappointed.
(5)Jen K.
I love this local eatery! Veal Parmesan is often missing from Italian restaurants' menus, but you can get it here, and it's wonderful. We visited recently for Mothers' Day and I split the Papa's Combo with my mom. The combo has Veal Parmesan, Spinach Manicotti and Lasagna...what a dream! Other diners in our group got Fettucine Alfredo with Chicken, Ravioli and Pizza (children's menu) and everyone was very happy with their selections. They even handed out carnations to all the mothers...what a nice touch!
(5)Josh J.
The food at this location has gone way down hill and the service is terrible! Go to the Arrowhead location.
(1)Morgan D.
Chris S. personally attacked me for disliking Cucina Tagliani. So, I would definitely listen to him when he asks you to consider the validity of these reviews. It may be upsetting for Chris to read such hatred in reviews, but it is more upsetting to get a message full of hateful personal attacks. I hope Chris isn't the owner, he seemed to be mighty emotional over the whole thing! I'm not the only one who hated this place, Chris. Are you going to attack us all?!
(1)JT D.
Came in yesterday for Friday dinner, table for two. Ordered happy-hour glass of wine. Ingored us for awhile. They served my wife's soda, said wine would be up shortly. 10 minutes later, asked where's my wine, they said bartender was a little "backed up." 15 minutes later, after appetizers and salad and ordering entrees, still no wine. Asked again. Glass of wine shows up, filled maybe 1/3 full, if that. Another 15 minutes , asked if dinner was coming soon. Second basket of bread given. Bread really dry that night. Another 10 minutes without anyone stopping by our table, we got up to leave. Waitress came by and said, please don't leave - your dinner is "up." Sat back down and she served our entrees. Overall not a good experience. Salad and bread -- the basics -- tasted like they were several days old. Entrees, ravioli and fettucini, pretty good. Service terrible. But the manager came by, apologized and gave us our dinner on the house. I appreciated his sincerity and that he didn't start spewing mumbo-jumbo excuses. Just apologized sincerely and said he wanted us back. We'll give it another try in a few weeks, see if the service is better.
(2)Christine P.
Love the Italy decor feel, nice layout. I wish I was actually there though. Haha :)) We got the 6 wings and 6 onion rings complimentary because I checked myself into yelp. Yayyy for yelp. The garlic bread was DELICIOUS! ( Had three basket :/ ) but it' s.so .good!!!!!!!!! The Mediterranean pizza minus the olives was awesome. Love the thin crust. The sauce was on point. Yumm. Boyfriend had the rigatoni spicy sausage pasta.. he absolutely enjoyed it. Everything was on par he said. He devoured the wings. He liked how the crush peppers were on the wings. He thought it was perfect :) Our waitress wasn't too friendly nor helpful. But the food was really good and I had great company! :)
(3)Darline C.
My husband and I went here with another couple last night. Firstly, we have been here before and have had good experiences. This time...not so much. I ordered the chicken Marsala, and it was presented in a bowl which was weird, then chicken breast that had what looked like they slopped some canned cream of mushroom soup on it. When I took my first bite, it pretty much tasted like that too. My husband loved their mussels the last time we were there. When he got it the mussels were served completely dry with no yummy garlic broth whatsoever and there was some angel hair pasta below it that had no sauce and was a hard blob of pasta that was not freshly prepared. Not sure what happened since the last time we were here. Change in ownership, chefs, I don't know...but we're not going back.
(2)