Went there for our anniversary. The staff was very nice and attentive despite also having a large group to attend to. The food was alright. Nothing really special. We had the appetizer sampler and the pasta sampler. Much too much for two people. The server wrote funny stuff on our to-go boxes. We will likely go back, but for the memories. Not necessarily for the food.
(4)
slapnuts m.
I'm not sure why this restaurant has such great reviews. Service was good but the food is not. A Tony's frozen pizza from Walmart tastes better than the pie from this place. Corn was under cooked. Pasta was poor. Fried chicken was greasy. Maybe there are no good restaurants in St. Louis and this one is graded on the curve.
(1)
Kevin M.
Great chicken again.
(5)
Julie B.
The food here is not amazing - really it's not. But we eat here all of the time. It's one of those restaurants that started out as a mom and pop business in Granite City IL and now has 2 additional locations - Collinsville and O'Fallon. I ate at the GC location many times when I was younger - it was a favorite and their steaks were awesome; the ambience more fine dining than not. Collinsville location is where we go now because it is closest to our home. It is more country / chain-like atmosphere - no fine dining here! Always a bunch of tables in the waiting area with silent auction items and a pie with too much whipped cream showcase up front. All this said, we frequent this restaurant because the food is fine, the steak is cheap and good enough (not as good as the steak was in GC), as is the soup and salad that come with most entrees. Definitely order dressing on the side - they are ridiculous with it. The salad is iceberg lettuce, homemade croutons, cucumber, cheese, and a pepperoni (maybe some tomatoes too). The vegetable beef barley used to be amazing; now it's just ok. You get a big pile of thick white bread with garlic butter with your meals. The fried chicken is good / decent. They also have a buffet during lunch and some evenings - you will roll out of there if you're not careful. I have never had dessert there. The showcase doesn't make me want any either. Fish is awful. I've asked for broccoli with my meals in the past (more than once!), and it is always yellow. When we questioned it, they acted like it was fine - it was not. Don't go there looking to get your veggies. Service is inconsistent. Most of the servers are teenagers / early 20's - lots of young men in particular. Our hostess was telling the table next to us about the wine by the glass special, and she said they had "Mer-LOT". And yes, she pronounced the "t". I think this says it all. Yep, we eat here all the time. It's one of the better options in Collinsville. Sad, huh?!
(3)
Tiffany K.
Great lunch buffet for a reasonable price! Amazing desserts too. Carb heavy but delicious.
(4)
Amanda G.
This Ravanelli's is by far better than the OFallon location. Better, kinder service (there is one somewhat overly attentive creepy waiter) and much better food. I've only been here a few times compared to my frequent trips to OFallon, but OFallon has been less than appealing lately. It's like they keep the A Team here and those on punishment go to the other location. Much more laid back and friendly feel here. Worth giving this place a shot. Large menu. Lots of delicious items. Have never had them but their pies look phenomenal.
(4)
Kyle A.
This restaurant was chosen randomly but the good reviews directed me and a good friend to this quaint and homely restraint with servers that felt comfortable and we're also swift in the cleaning work they were getting done on what I can imagine was a slow lunch shift. The food, well prepared, presented, and consumed haha I couldn't find anything I dislike about this place but I didn't exactly get the wow I expected out of a fine dining/Italian restaurant however I definitely intend to return.
(4)
Brian M.
Ravanelli's is quite possibly one of the best places for fried chicken, however thats not all they serve. You can get almost anything here from a quick burger/sandwich to pasta, and even a steak. Anytime I stop by I usually get the chicken dinner and usually have left overs. The chicken is crispy but not greasy, and has a great flavor. I also have to get the Tortellini Soup, this stuff is amazing and always a on my order. The atmosphere pretty basic and simple, family friendly and on special events they open up a buffet which allows you to sample a variety of their dishes. They do not skip out on the quality with the buffer, this is the same quality food that you order right off the menu. Prices are very reasonable for the quality and portion sizes. The Collinsville location is actually the 2nd location to open, with the original being located in Granite City and the newest location in Fairview Heights/O'Fallon. I have tried all three and the quality is consistent across the board.
(4)
Lynne B.
Excellent with peanut and tree nut allergies! Staff was extremely helpful in checking the ingredients in the different foods. Clean, friendly and loads of choices! We will be back!
(5)
Tami M.
Many people rave about their Italian food, don't get me wrong it is good, but there is so much more to choose from. We love their lunch buffet it is awesome. A different variety every weekday.
(5)
Cat C.
My family and I have eaten here several times and have never had a bad experience!!! This past weekend was my daughters 2nd bday party and we ordered the chicken and ham party pack with additional chicken... I was a little nervous at how the chicken would taste for carryout.. Well- it was PERFECT!!! Several people complimented the ham was the best they've ever eaten! The chicken was crispy and juicy and even the few pieces we had leftover were delicious the next day... Will definitely order from them for our next party!
(5)
Tiffany M.
Most of the time it's all delicious and everyone is friendly but there have been a couple times we've had a rude waitress and once my raviolis were frozen in the center :/ tht hasn't happened in over a year and we have been back since been good so far. There drive thru service is horrible though never had them get a order right yet always have to go back because they forget a few things.
(4)
Sarah C.
The place was full for midweek lunch, which is always a good sign! I decided to skip the buffet and order off the menu. I had the apple gorgonzola salad which was HUGE. Probably four cups of mixed greens, plenty of apple and cucumber, as well as Craisins and walnuts. The tortellini soup was also really good. I'll definitely try them for dinner sometime, considering how nice the lunch was today.
(4)
Su I.
My second time around. Someone wrote best deal for the family, heck I think it's the best deal for me. I had 2 pieces of fried chicken breast dinner, it comes with 2 sides and get this... My meal also comes with a bowl of soup and salad. All for $9.99. I had dinner and left over for lunch the next day. A must dinning place for chicken lovers.
(5)
Brandon C.
Been hearing great things about this place lately, so I decided to try it out yesterday. I arrived around lunchtime and decided to go with the buffet. For $7.50 this is a steal. They had salad, potatoes, vegetables, fish, shrimp, their famous fried chicken, rigatoni, pizza, soup, and dessert. I really liked the Italian salad. I'm a bit of a fried chicken fan, and I was not disappointed. The pizza cut in the traditional St. Louis style had a good Italian seasoning on it. I didn't get a chance to try the rigatoni, it was out everytime I went back up but I hear it's good. I finished my meal with some really good bread pudding. The service was great, constantly taking plates away, refilling drinks, and stocking the buffet. The pies that you see when you first walk in looked really good but I didn't get a chance to try them. In my 3+ years of living in the area I'm sad I didn't come here sooner, especially since I'm leaving soon. Great place to get a meal for 2 or large groups.
(4)
John H.
I've eaten Ravanelli's food at a few catered events, but, until Tuesday, had never visited. I arrived as part of a very large group -- like forty plus people -- for a luncheon, and enjoyed the buffet, particularly the pork loin and fried chicken. The server was in constant motion, clearing plates, and keeping us all well watered. I didn't try any pie, but they are large, lovely, and prominently displayed near the main entry. Ravanelli's seems like the sort of place that a chain may try to emulate, but the quality of the food here seems higher.
(4)
Karen C.
If you told me about a place where 4 people can eat huge lunches for a total of $30, I'd slap you and call you crazy. Unfortunately, slapping myself doesn't have the same effect. Either way... holy crap is this place inexpensive for what you get. I had the 1/2 fried chicken dinner (HALF! for $4.99!), it comes with a baked potato, salad & bread. Am I at KFC with these prices? Thankfully, no! The chicken was really delicious, but I was so full of salad & bread that I could only eat a little bit of the chicken when it arrived. Since I was hopping on a plane in an hour, I sent my leftovers home with my mom to enjoy. Their menu has a great selection, the dining area is nice, and the service was great. Two thumbs up.
(4)
Bill M.
My family loves to come to this Ravanelli's location. We are always treated like family (the kind that like you, not the ones who are constantly trying to get you to commit to investing in a glass-flavored silly string factory or edible birches) and receive excellent service, the food is top-notch and we even love taking some of the home-made baked goods with us on the way out. Sometimes they get backed up with large groups, but overall it is an excellent experience!
(5)
Bridgette K.
Absolutely LOVE this place! Great food! We get the family carry out special at least once a week!
(5)
Debby R.
Warning! This place is habit forming. Great food with great service. The portion sizes are HUGE but very reasonable. Sharing is a definite option. The appetizer pizza was delish! The pasta dishes are all a full pound and come with soup and salad. We definitely will be back on our next trip to ST Louis. Highly recommended.
(5)
John K.
For a local chain, terrific. Always solid deals for the family, and very good lunch buffet. My fav is the Thursday night family deal with the pan of spaghetti coupon can feed 8 adults well. Be prepared to wait for take out as this place is busy a lot. White pizza is delicious and blows away the chains. Ribs are average, but it is a staple on the east metro side.
(4)
Tracy S.
Typically, I enjoy my visits to Ravanellis. However, today was far from a delightful experience. We made reservations for the Easter buffet. Upon arrival, we were told they were "preparing our table." Fifteen minutes later we were still waiting for our table. When we asked a second time, they told us they were still waiting for others to leave. We were finally seated about 15 minutes after our reservation. We were crammed, and I do mean crammed, into a room with the buffet table and approximately 45 people. The food was mediocre and overly salted. All in all, my family will not be back next year. Huge disappointment.
(3)
Wawa F.
I ordered Monday special meal of 4 pieces of fried chicken just costed me 8.99. The chicken was surprised me delicious and juicy
(4)
Andrew S.
Both the service and food were great. I had the honey Dijon chicken sandwich which was quite tasty and finished it off with a slice of brownie cheesecake which was crazy good. Jake was possibly the best server I've had in my life. If you ever go to this place, request Jake as your server!
(5)
Rudy P.
Ordered to go. Pulled right up to the pick up window in 20 minutes. My 'King Pasta Pie' Dinner was plentiful and absolutely delicious. Looking forward to coming back and dining inside.
(4)
Ed L.
Can't talk, ..eating :) Very good food, service, and prices. Best deal is the buffet
(5)
Donald W.
Went there for our anniversary. The staff was very nice and attentive despite also having a large group to attend to. The food was alright. Nothing really special. We had the appetizer sampler and the pasta sampler. Much too much for two people. The server wrote funny stuff on our to-go boxes. We will likely go back, but for the memories. Not necessarily for the food.
(4)
slapnuts m.
I'm not sure why this restaurant has such great reviews. Service was good but the food is not. A Tony's frozen pizza from Walmart tastes better than the pie from this place. Corn was under cooked. Pasta was poor. Fried chicken was greasy. Maybe there are no good restaurants in St. Louis and this one is graded on the curve.
(1)
Dean R.
We were in the area at Splash City and were looking for a nearby place to have dinner. This place had good reviews so despite our first impression we decided to try it. The food was very mediocre and certainly not worth four stars. We definitely wouldn't come here again. Too many places that have far superior food and a nicer atmosphere for the same money.
(1)
Tamara N.
Each time I try this place , i really want to love it. But it keeps getting worse. Carry out order wrong each of the last four times. Mac and cheese was glorious the first time. Now it's just noodles in a cup with very little cheese sauce on top.
(1)
Mark B.
Service was very attentive and more than expected. Food was plain and ok. Had salmon. It was ok. Might not want to expect much. Good wholesome regular food.
(3)
Mindy P.
My entire family has made Ravanelli's a regular on our list for Saturday lunches. For a group of 10 I think the service that we have had has been great. I've never been a huge fan of fried chicken, but I am a huge fan of pasta! The past few times I have visited we have done the lunch buffet, they have seafood on a specific day of the week, although I can't remember which day. I think Tuesdays. I LOVE LOVE LOVE their clam chowder soup. It fills you up quickly though, so not the right strategy for trying everything on the buffet. Like I said, I am not a hug fan of fried chicken, so as far as I know maybe it's not that great, but I enjoy it. The seasoning seems to be a perfect combination of not too salty and not too crispy. Looking forward to the next seafood buffet day!
(4)
Mike B.
I have to agree with some other reviews regarding eating there and carry outs. If you eat there the food is excellent, service is good, and they get your order right, but when it comes to carryout typically there is something wrong with the order, either you are missing something like bread, or a salad or even a whole meal. We visited and ate dinner there on a Friday night back in February 2013 and we received excellent service. Our waitress was awesome, she was super friendly and took really good care of us. I would recommend visiting, but if you do carryout make sure you check the order very carefully before driving off, because 99% the order is missing something and you will need to go back in and get the missing item.
(4)
Pat W.
We have been fans of Ravanellis for over 30 years, but have noticed a real decline in service and food quality in the past two years. We usually go to the Collinsville location, which is closer to our home. On every visit, we have to ask for a spoon for the iced tea, and usually have to ask for bread. Recently, we had a new, nervous waiter, who did a good job, but had to be reminded several times about bread, butter, straws, etc. So when I found a hair in my cold mashed potatoes, I wasn't inclined to make a fuss. (Should have). The next time, we ordered the chicken special, and my husband substituted soup for his salad. I didn't get my salad, and when I asked the waitress for it, she was rather snippy, and said I didn't get a salad with my meal. After we explained, she brought the salad and later a piece of free carrot cake. Last week, we were going to go there, and went to the Granite location instead, because of the long wait in Collinsville. Got there, and the server brought us bread right away, with butter that had so much garlic salt it was inedible. This is not how their butter usually tastes. No straws. No spoon. Runny ( although hairless) mashed potatoes.The cream gravy was cold, and tasteless. We will keep going, as they have fabulous chicken, but if the service and food quality continue to go downhill, we may have to re-think, which would be a shame, because when they are hitting it right, the food is good.
(3)
Bret M.
I'm not much of a fried food eater, but this was the best fried chicken I've ever had. The only thing that took away a star for me was the salad. Iceberg lettuce and a piece of tomato just don't cut it in my world. Otherwise, a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I even arrived about 3 minutes after the posted closing time and was seated with a smile.
(4)
Don F.
Chicken was pretty good. Customer in front of me was checking out and complained of the rigatoni being off. I thought it was just me. Tasted like chef boyardee. They had no pizza out the whole time I was there. The lady asked well did you ask the server. Yeah the one time we saw them. So obviously this is a frequent problem since it is not new to the counter lady.
(1)
Bob K.
WOW! Read reviews on yelp and thought I would try it out. Freaking AWESOME! Try the tortilla soup--some of the best soup I've had had in a long time. Next came fresh baked bread, which tasted incredible with a whipped garlic butter. Again, best butter I,ve had in a while. (Yes, even the damn butter was worth reviewing here! ) I got the half fried chicken, and a slice of chocolate meringue pie. Will be back many more times after this first timer's first impression.
(5)
Michael L.
If you love ridiculous portions of mediocre to good level food this is your spot. The service by our waitress was pretty good except the water that was dripping from the ceiling into a bucket over our left shoulders. The place made us wait for ~15 minutes before sitting group of 3 of us. When we walked back the place was 20% empty and the bus boys did a TERRIBLE job of cleaning the tables, leaving people to wait in the lobby to look at some random silent auction items they had going on. The soup was good. The salad had too much dressing on it, order dressing on side next time! I had the chicken fettuccine. Not great. I can make same quality at home. Be nice if they served warm bread with the meals.
(3)
Patrick B.
Fair prices and fair food. Nothing to write home about / nothing to ship either . Fair says it all.
(3)
Andrew P.
Found this restaurant on yelp and it was within walking distance from my hotel. It is Veteran's day and there was actually about a 20 minute wait when I got there. I found out that the buffet was free for all Veterans for dinner which was very cool. So I came in thinking I would just order from the menu but when I saw the buffet had steak, fried chicken and ribs i changed my mind. Then the waiter told me it was only $7.99 and I was sold. So on to the food, the macaroni and cheese was out of this world. I honestly could have eaten a full plate of it. The ribs, chicken and steak were all awesome. I told my wife on my walk back to the hotel how shocked I was that I liked everything I ate so much. I debated on a 5th star but it is hard to give that to a buffet. It honestly was almost there but when i look back at my other 5s I just couldn't do it. I will definitely come back. Also the 20 minute wait they quoted ended up being like 10. Highly recommend.
(4)
kate j.
The food here is amazing. It really is super good. They are probably best known for their fried chicken, which I've had several times, and it is also amazing. So why the 3 stars? Their carryout blows!! Twice my husband and I have ordered dinner from here only to be let down. For one, the food just isn't as good. Why, I have no idea. The other night I ordered their rigatoni casserole for carryout, something I've had in the restaurant and it was amazing, so saucy and cheesy and really good baked flavor, and the carryout version was pretty weak. Now, the next day, when I reheated my leftovers in the oven, it was back to being really delicious. When I had it "fresh" as carryout, it felt like someone just stuck it in a microwave to melt the cheese on top. Ravanelli's gives you a LOT of food. For one entree you get salad AND soup plus bread, usually. (Their soups are also incredible, I recommend vegetable beef.) This is also way better in-house. My to go salad was laaaame, brownish lettuce, one hot pepper, and literally one piece of pepperoni. The soup? It came in a little cup that was honestly the size of the container the salad dressing came in, no bigger than a quarter of a cup. Ugh. Not to mention they give you absolutely nothing but the food with the to go orders. Both times my husband and I got no utensils, napkins, no Parmesan packets for pasta, no crackers for the soup (in house you get a little basket with like eight different kinds of crackers), no butter for the bread! I was surprised they even gave me a straw for my drink. Ravanelli's really does have great food, and they give you lots of it, but if you don't want to be disappointed, please eat IN the restaurant and save the to go orders for Applebee's.
(3)
Rebecca M.
I've had two Ravanelli's experiences lately. My roommate got their carryout for her rehearsal dinner and it was awesome. Their fried chicken is some of the best I've ever had, which explains why everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) raves about it. We also had some sort of pasta (maybe mostaccioli?) that had a wonderful sauce on it. I enjoyed the leftovers for several days. More recently a group of my friends went to the restaurant for dinner and had a really good experience. Soup and salad comes with pretty much every meal except sandwiches and they have a choice of three soups on any given night. Most meals are $10-$15, but it's worth it for the amount of food that you get. I would recommend any of the pasta dishes. Or the Italian beef. Or the pork chops. Or the chicken, like I already said. Basically, I like everything. Even though the restaurant was packed, service was really good and our waiter, especially, was friendly and very helpful with suggestions and answering questions. They also gave me free dessert for my birthday! It was cheesecake and it was huge and amazing and delicious.
(4)
Bill C.
Why 4 stars? For value. The quality is average but Ravanelli's is very consistant. The service is excellent and the portion sizes are "generous." The best value: Their chicken dinners. For $7.99 (1/2 chicken, all dark; you can pay more for white) I get more food than I can eat. A bowl of soup, a very large salad, 4 pieces of chicken and a baked potato, and fresh bread. In fact, my wife will usually order a side dish knowning that I'll have plenty to share. The chicken is always cooked properly (no pink!) and is crisp and juicy. Except for KFC, I don't know of a place in Edwardsville that serves whole, fried chicken (most places offer strips or a breast only). We go here about once a week. Be warned - on weekends, this place is packed. Best bet - go early or late (after 8:00). Almost forgot to mention - pies are very good; I like the chocolate. Hope you like lots of merinque - they pile it on.
(4)
kelli f.
I have mixed feelings on this restaurant.Sometimes its great and sometimes its the worst.The service is aleays bad but most of the time the food is really good.If you dont mind a long wait and bad service,you are sure to find something good to eat.I dont recommend the drive thru.I have never yet had them get an order right,but i keep trying because it seems convenient at the time until you get it home and its never what you ordered or payed for.Last night I placed my order over the phone drove all the way there to pick it up at the convenient drive thru window.you would think i would know to check it before leaving but i just wanted to get home and sure enough again they cant tell a breast from a chicken thigh,so i still get to go home and cook because nobody was this little tiny slimy piece of dark chicken.They never forget to charge me for the breasts though!!!!
(3)
Su I.
My second time around. Someone wrote best deal for the family, heck I think it's the best deal for me. I had 2 pieces of fried chicken breast dinner, it comes with 2 sides and get this... My meal also comes with a bowl of soup and salad. All for $9.99. I had dinner and left over for lunch the next day. A must dinning place for chicken lovers.
(5)
Bob K.
WOW! Read reviews on yelp and thought I would try it out. Freaking AWESOME! Try the tortilla soup--some of the best soup I've had had in a long time. Next came fresh baked bread, which tasted incredible with a whipped garlic butter. Again, best butter I,ve had in a while. (Yes, even the damn butter was worth reviewing here! ) I got the half fried chicken, and a slice of chocolate meringue pie. Will be back many more times after this first timer's first impression.
(5)
Tamara N.
Each time I try this place , i really want to love it. But it keeps getting worse. Carry out order wrong each of the last four times. Mac and cheese was glorious the first time. Now it's just noodles in a cup with very little cheese sauce on top.
(1)
Sarah C.
The place was full for midweek lunch, which is always a good sign! I decided to skip the buffet and order off the menu. I had the apple gorgonzola salad which was HUGE. Probably four cups of mixed greens, plenty of apple and cucumber, as well as Craisins and walnuts. The tortellini soup was also really good. I'll definitely try them for dinner sometime, considering how nice the lunch was today.
(4)
Brian M.
Ravanelli's is quite possibly one of the best places for fried chicken, however thats not all they serve. You can get almost anything here from a quick burger/sandwich to pasta, and even a steak. Anytime I stop by I usually get the chicken dinner and usually have left overs. The chicken is crispy but not greasy, and has a great flavor. I also have to get the Tortellini Soup, this stuff is amazing and always a on my order. The atmosphere pretty basic and simple, family friendly and on special events they open up a buffet which allows you to sample a variety of their dishes. They do not skip out on the quality with the buffer, this is the same quality food that you order right off the menu. Prices are very reasonable for the quality and portion sizes. The Collinsville location is actually the 2nd location to open, with the original being located in Granite City and the newest location in Fairview Heights/O'Fallon. I have tried all three and the quality is consistent across the board.
(4)
Lynne B.
Excellent with peanut and tree nut allergies! Staff was extremely helpful in checking the ingredients in the different foods. Clean, friendly and loads of choices! We will be back!
(5)
Tami M.
Many people rave about their Italian food, don't get me wrong it is good, but there is so much more to choose from. We love their lunch buffet it is awesome. A different variety every weekday.
(5)
Cat C.
My family and I have eaten here several times and have never had a bad experience!!! This past weekend was my daughters 2nd bday party and we ordered the chicken and ham party pack with additional chicken... I was a little nervous at how the chicken would taste for carryout.. Well- it was PERFECT!!! Several people complimented the ham was the best they've ever eaten! The chicken was crispy and juicy and even the few pieces we had leftover were delicious the next day... Will definitely order from them for our next party!
(5)
Tiffany M.
Most of the time it's all delicious and everyone is friendly but there have been a couple times we've had a rude waitress and once my raviolis were frozen in the center :/ tht hasn't happened in over a year and we have been back since been good so far. There drive thru service is horrible though never had them get a order right yet always have to go back because they forget a few things.
(4)
Julie B.
The food here is not amazing - really it's not. But we eat here all of the time. It's one of those restaurants that started out as a mom and pop business in Granite City IL and now has 2 additional locations - Collinsville and O'Fallon. I ate at the GC location many times when I was younger - it was a favorite and their steaks were awesome; the ambience more fine dining than not. Collinsville location is where we go now because it is closest to our home. It is more country / chain-like atmosphere - no fine dining here! Always a bunch of tables in the waiting area with silent auction items and a pie with too much whipped cream showcase up front. All this said, we frequent this restaurant because the food is fine, the steak is cheap and good enough (not as good as the steak was in GC), as is the soup and salad that come with most entrees. Definitely order dressing on the side - they are ridiculous with it. The salad is iceberg lettuce, homemade croutons, cucumber, cheese, and a pepperoni (maybe some tomatoes too). The vegetable beef barley used to be amazing; now it's just ok. You get a big pile of thick white bread with garlic butter with your meals. The fried chicken is good / decent. They also have a buffet during lunch and some evenings - you will roll out of there if you're not careful. I have never had dessert there. The showcase doesn't make me want any either. Fish is awful. I've asked for broccoli with my meals in the past (more than once!), and it is always yellow. When we questioned it, they acted like it was fine - it was not. Don't go there looking to get your veggies. Service is inconsistent. Most of the servers are teenagers / early 20's - lots of young men in particular. Our hostess was telling the table next to us about the wine by the glass special, and she said they had "Mer-LOT". And yes, she pronounced the "t". I think this says it all. Yep, we eat here all the time. It's one of the better options in Collinsville. Sad, huh?!
(3)
Tiffany K.
Great lunch buffet for a reasonable price! Amazing desserts too. Carb heavy but delicious.
(4)
Amanda G.
This Ravanelli's is by far better than the OFallon location. Better, kinder service (there is one somewhat overly attentive creepy waiter) and much better food. I've only been here a few times compared to my frequent trips to OFallon, but OFallon has been less than appealing lately. It's like they keep the A Team here and those on punishment go to the other location. Much more laid back and friendly feel here. Worth giving this place a shot. Large menu. Lots of delicious items. Have never had them but their pies look phenomenal.
(4)
Kyle A.
This restaurant was chosen randomly but the good reviews directed me and a good friend to this quaint and homely restraint with servers that felt comfortable and we're also swift in the cleaning work they were getting done on what I can imagine was a slow lunch shift. The food, well prepared, presented, and consumed haha I couldn't find anything I dislike about this place but I didn't exactly get the wow I expected out of a fine dining/Italian restaurant however I definitely intend to return.
(4)
Michael L.
If you love ridiculous portions of mediocre to good level food this is your spot. The service by our waitress was pretty good except the water that was dripping from the ceiling into a bucket over our left shoulders. The place made us wait for ~15 minutes before sitting group of 3 of us. When we walked back the place was 20% empty and the bus boys did a TERRIBLE job of cleaning the tables, leaving people to wait in the lobby to look at some random silent auction items they had going on. The soup was good. The salad had too much dressing on it, order dressing on side next time! I had the chicken fettuccine. Not great. I can make same quality at home. Be nice if they served warm bread with the meals.
(3)
Patrick B.
Fair prices and fair food. Nothing to write home about / nothing to ship either . Fair says it all.
(3)
Andrew P.
Found this restaurant on yelp and it was within walking distance from my hotel. It is Veteran's day and there was actually about a 20 minute wait when I got there. I found out that the buffet was free for all Veterans for dinner which was very cool. So I came in thinking I would just order from the menu but when I saw the buffet had steak, fried chicken and ribs i changed my mind. Then the waiter told me it was only $7.99 and I was sold. So on to the food, the macaroni and cheese was out of this world. I honestly could have eaten a full plate of it. The ribs, chicken and steak were all awesome. I told my wife on my walk back to the hotel how shocked I was that I liked everything I ate so much. I debated on a 5th star but it is hard to give that to a buffet. It honestly was almost there but when i look back at my other 5s I just couldn't do it. I will definitely come back. Also the 20 minute wait they quoted ended up being like 10. Highly recommend.
(4)
Mark B.
Service was very attentive and more than expected. Food was plain and ok. Had salmon. It was ok. Might not want to expect much. Good wholesome regular food.
(3)
Mindy P.
My entire family has made Ravanelli's a regular on our list for Saturday lunches. For a group of 10 I think the service that we have had has been great. I've never been a huge fan of fried chicken, but I am a huge fan of pasta! The past few times I have visited we have done the lunch buffet, they have seafood on a specific day of the week, although I can't remember which day. I think Tuesdays. I LOVE LOVE LOVE their clam chowder soup. It fills you up quickly though, so not the right strategy for trying everything on the buffet. Like I said, I am not a hug fan of fried chicken, so as far as I know maybe it's not that great, but I enjoy it. The seasoning seems to be a perfect combination of not too salty and not too crispy. Looking forward to the next seafood buffet day!
(4)
Mike B.
I have to agree with some other reviews regarding eating there and carry outs. If you eat there the food is excellent, service is good, and they get your order right, but when it comes to carryout typically there is something wrong with the order, either you are missing something like bread, or a salad or even a whole meal. We visited and ate dinner there on a Friday night back in February 2013 and we received excellent service. Our waitress was awesome, she was super friendly and took really good care of us. I would recommend visiting, but if you do carryout make sure you check the order very carefully before driving off, because 99% the order is missing something and you will need to go back in and get the missing item.
(4)
Pat W.
We have been fans of Ravanellis for over 30 years, but have noticed a real decline in service and food quality in the past two years. We usually go to the Collinsville location, which is closer to our home. On every visit, we have to ask for a spoon for the iced tea, and usually have to ask for bread. Recently, we had a new, nervous waiter, who did a good job, but had to be reminded several times about bread, butter, straws, etc. So when I found a hair in my cold mashed potatoes, I wasn't inclined to make a fuss. (Should have). The next time, we ordered the chicken special, and my husband substituted soup for his salad. I didn't get my salad, and when I asked the waitress for it, she was rather snippy, and said I didn't get a salad with my meal. After we explained, she brought the salad and later a piece of free carrot cake. Last week, we were going to go there, and went to the Granite location instead, because of the long wait in Collinsville. Got there, and the server brought us bread right away, with butter that had so much garlic salt it was inedible. This is not how their butter usually tastes. No straws. No spoon. Runny ( although hairless) mashed potatoes.The cream gravy was cold, and tasteless. We will keep going, as they have fabulous chicken, but if the service and food quality continue to go downhill, we may have to re-think, which would be a shame, because when they are hitting it right, the food is good.
(3)
Bret M.
I'm not much of a fried food eater, but this was the best fried chicken I've ever had. The only thing that took away a star for me was the salad. Iceberg lettuce and a piece of tomato just don't cut it in my world. Otherwise, a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I even arrived about 3 minutes after the posted closing time and was seated with a smile.
(4)
Don F.
Chicken was pretty good. Customer in front of me was checking out and complained of the rigatoni being off. I thought it was just me. Tasted like chef boyardee. They had no pizza out the whole time I was there. The lady asked well did you ask the server. Yeah the one time we saw them. So obviously this is a frequent problem since it is not new to the counter lady.
(1)
Brandon C.
Been hearing great things about this place lately, so I decided to try it out yesterday. I arrived around lunchtime and decided to go with the buffet. For $7.50 this is a steal. They had salad, potatoes, vegetables, fish, shrimp, their famous fried chicken, rigatoni, pizza, soup, and dessert. I really liked the Italian salad. I'm a bit of a fried chicken fan, and I was not disappointed. The pizza cut in the traditional St. Louis style had a good Italian seasoning on it. I didn't get a chance to try the rigatoni, it was out everytime I went back up but I hear it's good. I finished my meal with some really good bread pudding. The service was great, constantly taking plates away, refilling drinks, and stocking the buffet. The pies that you see when you first walk in looked really good but I didn't get a chance to try them. In my 3+ years of living in the area I'm sad I didn't come here sooner, especially since I'm leaving soon. Great place to get a meal for 2 or large groups.
(4)
John H.
I've eaten Ravanelli's food at a few catered events, but, until Tuesday, had never visited. I arrived as part of a very large group -- like forty plus people -- for a luncheon, and enjoyed the buffet, particularly the pork loin and fried chicken. The server was in constant motion, clearing plates, and keeping us all well watered. I didn't try any pie, but they are large, lovely, and prominently displayed near the main entry. Ravanelli's seems like the sort of place that a chain may try to emulate, but the quality of the food here seems higher.
(4)
Karen C.
If you told me about a place where 4 people can eat huge lunches for a total of $30, I'd slap you and call you crazy. Unfortunately, slapping myself doesn't have the same effect. Either way... holy crap is this place inexpensive for what you get. I had the 1/2 fried chicken dinner (HALF! for $4.99!), it comes with a baked potato, salad & bread. Am I at KFC with these prices? Thankfully, no! The chicken was really delicious, but I was so full of salad & bread that I could only eat a little bit of the chicken when it arrived. Since I was hopping on a plane in an hour, I sent my leftovers home with my mom to enjoy. Their menu has a great selection, the dining area is nice, and the service was great. Two thumbs up.
(4)
Bill M.
My family loves to come to this Ravanelli's location. We are always treated like family (the kind that like you, not the ones who are constantly trying to get you to commit to investing in a glass-flavored silly string factory or edible birches) and receive excellent service, the food is top-notch and we even love taking some of the home-made baked goods with us on the way out. Sometimes they get backed up with large groups, but overall it is an excellent experience!
(5)
Bill C.
Why 4 stars? For value. The quality is average but Ravanelli's is very consistant. The service is excellent and the portion sizes are "generous." The best value: Their chicken dinners. For $7.99 (1/2 chicken, all dark; you can pay more for white) I get more food than I can eat. A bowl of soup, a very large salad, 4 pieces of chicken and a baked potato, and fresh bread. In fact, my wife will usually order a side dish knowning that I'll have plenty to share. The chicken is always cooked properly (no pink!) and is crisp and juicy. Except for KFC, I don't know of a place in Edwardsville that serves whole, fried chicken (most places offer strips or a breast only). We go here about once a week. Be warned - on weekends, this place is packed. Best bet - go early or late (after 8:00). Almost forgot to mention - pies are very good; I like the chocolate. Hope you like lots of merinque - they pile it on.
(4)
kelli f.
I have mixed feelings on this restaurant.Sometimes its great and sometimes its the worst.The service is aleays bad but most of the time the food is really good.If you dont mind a long wait and bad service,you are sure to find something good to eat.I dont recommend the drive thru.I have never yet had them get an order right,but i keep trying because it seems convenient at the time until you get it home and its never what you ordered or payed for.Last night I placed my order over the phone drove all the way there to pick it up at the convenient drive thru window.you would think i would know to check it before leaving but i just wanted to get home and sure enough again they cant tell a breast from a chicken thigh,so i still get to go home and cook because nobody was this little tiny slimy piece of dark chicken.They never forget to charge me for the breasts though!!!!
(3)
Dean R.
We were in the area at Splash City and were looking for a nearby place to have dinner. This place had good reviews so despite our first impression we decided to try it. The food was very mediocre and certainly not worth four stars. We definitely wouldn't come here again. Too many places that have far superior food and a nicer atmosphere for the same money.
(1)
John K.
For a local chain, terrific. Always solid deals for the family, and very good lunch buffet. My fav is the Thursday night family deal with the pan of spaghetti coupon can feed 8 adults well. Be prepared to wait for take out as this place is busy a lot. White pizza is delicious and blows away the chains. Ribs are average, but it is a staple on the east metro side.
(4)
Tracy S.
Typically, I enjoy my visits to Ravanellis. However, today was far from a delightful experience. We made reservations for the Easter buffet. Upon arrival, we were told they were "preparing our table." Fifteen minutes later we were still waiting for our table. When we asked a second time, they told us they were still waiting for others to leave. We were finally seated about 15 minutes after our reservation. We were crammed, and I do mean crammed, into a room with the buffet table and approximately 45 people. The food was mediocre and overly salted. All in all, my family will not be back next year. Huge disappointment.
(3)
Wawa F.
I ordered Monday special meal of 4 pieces of fried chicken just costed me 8.99. The chicken was surprised me delicious and juicy
(4)
Andrew S.
Both the service and food were great. I had the honey Dijon chicken sandwich which was quite tasty and finished it off with a slice of brownie cheesecake which was crazy good. Jake was possibly the best server I've had in my life. If you ever go to this place, request Jake as your server!
(5)
Rudy P.
Ordered to go. Pulled right up to the pick up window in 20 minutes. My 'King Pasta Pie' Dinner was plentiful and absolutely delicious. Looking forward to coming back and dining inside.
(4)
Ed L.
Can't talk, ..eating :) Very good food, service, and prices. Best deal is the buffet
(5)
Bridgette K.
Absolutely LOVE this place! Great food! We get the family carry out special at least once a week!
(5)
Debby R.
Warning! This place is habit forming. Great food with great service. The portion sizes are HUGE but very reasonable. Sharing is a definite option. The appetizer pizza was delish! The pasta dishes are all a full pound and come with soup and salad. We definitely will be back on our next trip to ST Louis. Highly recommended.
(5)
kate j.
The food here is amazing. It really is super good. They are probably best known for their fried chicken, which I've had several times, and it is also amazing. So why the 3 stars? Their carryout blows!! Twice my husband and I have ordered dinner from here only to be let down. For one, the food just isn't as good. Why, I have no idea. The other night I ordered their rigatoni casserole for carryout, something I've had in the restaurant and it was amazing, so saucy and cheesy and really good baked flavor, and the carryout version was pretty weak. Now, the next day, when I reheated my leftovers in the oven, it was back to being really delicious. When I had it "fresh" as carryout, it felt like someone just stuck it in a microwave to melt the cheese on top. Ravanelli's gives you a LOT of food. For one entree you get salad AND soup plus bread, usually. (Their soups are also incredible, I recommend vegetable beef.) This is also way better in-house. My to go salad was laaaame, brownish lettuce, one hot pepper, and literally one piece of pepperoni. The soup? It came in a little cup that was honestly the size of the container the salad dressing came in, no bigger than a quarter of a cup. Ugh. Not to mention they give you absolutely nothing but the food with the to go orders. Both times my husband and I got no utensils, napkins, no Parmesan packets for pasta, no crackers for the soup (in house you get a little basket with like eight different kinds of crackers), no butter for the bread! I was surprised they even gave me a straw for my drink. Ravanelli's really does have great food, and they give you lots of it, but if you don't want to be disappointed, please eat IN the restaurant and save the to go orders for Applebee's.
(3)
Rebecca M.
I've had two Ravanelli's experiences lately. My roommate got their carryout for her rehearsal dinner and it was awesome. Their fried chicken is some of the best I've ever had, which explains why everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) raves about it. We also had some sort of pasta (maybe mostaccioli?) that had a wonderful sauce on it. I enjoyed the leftovers for several days. More recently a group of my friends went to the restaurant for dinner and had a really good experience. Soup and salad comes with pretty much every meal except sandwiches and they have a choice of three soups on any given night. Most meals are $10-$15, but it's worth it for the amount of food that you get. I would recommend any of the pasta dishes. Or the Italian beef. Or the pork chops. Or the chicken, like I already said. Basically, I like everything. Even though the restaurant was packed, service was really good and our waiter, especially, was friendly and very helpful with suggestions and answering questions. They also gave me free dessert for my birthday! It was cheesecake and it was huge and amazing and delicious.
(4)
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Address :26 Collinsport Dr
Collinsville, IL, 62234
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
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Donald W.
Went there for our anniversary. The staff was very nice and attentive despite also having a large group to attend to. The food was alright. Nothing really special. We had the appetizer sampler and the pasta sampler. Much too much for two people. The server wrote funny stuff on our to-go boxes. We will likely go back, but for the memories. Not necessarily for the food.
(4)slapnuts m.
I'm not sure why this restaurant has such great reviews. Service was good but the food is not. A Tony's frozen pizza from Walmart tastes better than the pie from this place. Corn was under cooked. Pasta was poor. Fried chicken was greasy. Maybe there are no good restaurants in St. Louis and this one is graded on the curve.
(1)Kevin M.
Great chicken again.
(5)Julie B.
The food here is not amazing - really it's not. But we eat here all of the time. It's one of those restaurants that started out as a mom and pop business in Granite City IL and now has 2 additional locations - Collinsville and O'Fallon. I ate at the GC location many times when I was younger - it was a favorite and their steaks were awesome; the ambience more fine dining than not. Collinsville location is where we go now because it is closest to our home. It is more country / chain-like atmosphere - no fine dining here! Always a bunch of tables in the waiting area with silent auction items and a pie with too much whipped cream showcase up front. All this said, we frequent this restaurant because the food is fine, the steak is cheap and good enough (not as good as the steak was in GC), as is the soup and salad that come with most entrees. Definitely order dressing on the side - they are ridiculous with it. The salad is iceberg lettuce, homemade croutons, cucumber, cheese, and a pepperoni (maybe some tomatoes too). The vegetable beef barley used to be amazing; now it's just ok. You get a big pile of thick white bread with garlic butter with your meals. The fried chicken is good / decent. They also have a buffet during lunch and some evenings - you will roll out of there if you're not careful. I have never had dessert there. The showcase doesn't make me want any either. Fish is awful. I've asked for broccoli with my meals in the past (more than once!), and it is always yellow. When we questioned it, they acted like it was fine - it was not. Don't go there looking to get your veggies. Service is inconsistent. Most of the servers are teenagers / early 20's - lots of young men in particular. Our hostess was telling the table next to us about the wine by the glass special, and she said they had "Mer-LOT". And yes, she pronounced the "t". I think this says it all. Yep, we eat here all the time. It's one of the better options in Collinsville. Sad, huh?!
(3)Tiffany K.
Great lunch buffet for a reasonable price! Amazing desserts too. Carb heavy but delicious.
(4)Amanda G.
This Ravanelli's is by far better than the OFallon location. Better, kinder service (there is one somewhat overly attentive creepy waiter) and much better food. I've only been here a few times compared to my frequent trips to OFallon, but OFallon has been less than appealing lately. It's like they keep the A Team here and those on punishment go to the other location. Much more laid back and friendly feel here. Worth giving this place a shot. Large menu. Lots of delicious items. Have never had them but their pies look phenomenal.
(4)Kyle A.
This restaurant was chosen randomly but the good reviews directed me and a good friend to this quaint and homely restraint with servers that felt comfortable and we're also swift in the cleaning work they were getting done on what I can imagine was a slow lunch shift. The food, well prepared, presented, and consumed haha I couldn't find anything I dislike about this place but I didn't exactly get the wow I expected out of a fine dining/Italian restaurant however I definitely intend to return.
(4)Brian M.
Ravanelli's is quite possibly one of the best places for fried chicken, however thats not all they serve. You can get almost anything here from a quick burger/sandwich to pasta, and even a steak. Anytime I stop by I usually get the chicken dinner and usually have left overs. The chicken is crispy but not greasy, and has a great flavor. I also have to get the Tortellini Soup, this stuff is amazing and always a on my order. The atmosphere pretty basic and simple, family friendly and on special events they open up a buffet which allows you to sample a variety of their dishes. They do not skip out on the quality with the buffer, this is the same quality food that you order right off the menu. Prices are very reasonable for the quality and portion sizes. The Collinsville location is actually the 2nd location to open, with the original being located in Granite City and the newest location in Fairview Heights/O'Fallon. I have tried all three and the quality is consistent across the board.
(4)Lynne B.
Excellent with peanut and tree nut allergies! Staff was extremely helpful in checking the ingredients in the different foods. Clean, friendly and loads of choices! We will be back!
(5)Tami M.
Many people rave about their Italian food, don't get me wrong it is good, but there is so much more to choose from. We love their lunch buffet it is awesome. A different variety every weekday.
(5)Cat C.
My family and I have eaten here several times and have never had a bad experience!!! This past weekend was my daughters 2nd bday party and we ordered the chicken and ham party pack with additional chicken... I was a little nervous at how the chicken would taste for carryout.. Well- it was PERFECT!!! Several people complimented the ham was the best they've ever eaten! The chicken was crispy and juicy and even the few pieces we had leftover were delicious the next day... Will definitely order from them for our next party!
(5)Tiffany M.
Most of the time it's all delicious and everyone is friendly but there have been a couple times we've had a rude waitress and once my raviolis were frozen in the center :/ tht hasn't happened in over a year and we have been back since been good so far. There drive thru service is horrible though never had them get a order right yet always have to go back because they forget a few things.
(4)Sarah C.
The place was full for midweek lunch, which is always a good sign! I decided to skip the buffet and order off the menu. I had the apple gorgonzola salad which was HUGE. Probably four cups of mixed greens, plenty of apple and cucumber, as well as Craisins and walnuts. The tortellini soup was also really good. I'll definitely try them for dinner sometime, considering how nice the lunch was today.
(4)Su I.
My second time around. Someone wrote best deal for the family, heck I think it's the best deal for me. I had 2 pieces of fried chicken breast dinner, it comes with 2 sides and get this... My meal also comes with a bowl of soup and salad. All for $9.99. I had dinner and left over for lunch the next day. A must dinning place for chicken lovers.
(5)Brandon C.
Been hearing great things about this place lately, so I decided to try it out yesterday. I arrived around lunchtime and decided to go with the buffet. For $7.50 this is a steal. They had salad, potatoes, vegetables, fish, shrimp, their famous fried chicken, rigatoni, pizza, soup, and dessert. I really liked the Italian salad. I'm a bit of a fried chicken fan, and I was not disappointed. The pizza cut in the traditional St. Louis style had a good Italian seasoning on it. I didn't get a chance to try the rigatoni, it was out everytime I went back up but I hear it's good. I finished my meal with some really good bread pudding. The service was great, constantly taking plates away, refilling drinks, and stocking the buffet. The pies that you see when you first walk in looked really good but I didn't get a chance to try them. In my 3+ years of living in the area I'm sad I didn't come here sooner, especially since I'm leaving soon. Great place to get a meal for 2 or large groups.
(4)John H.
I've eaten Ravanelli's food at a few catered events, but, until Tuesday, had never visited. I arrived as part of a very large group -- like forty plus people -- for a luncheon, and enjoyed the buffet, particularly the pork loin and fried chicken. The server was in constant motion, clearing plates, and keeping us all well watered. I didn't try any pie, but they are large, lovely, and prominently displayed near the main entry. Ravanelli's seems like the sort of place that a chain may try to emulate, but the quality of the food here seems higher.
(4)Karen C.
If you told me about a place where 4 people can eat huge lunches for a total of $30, I'd slap you and call you crazy. Unfortunately, slapping myself doesn't have the same effect. Either way... holy crap is this place inexpensive for what you get. I had the 1/2 fried chicken dinner (HALF! for $4.99!), it comes with a baked potato, salad & bread. Am I at KFC with these prices? Thankfully, no! The chicken was really delicious, but I was so full of salad & bread that I could only eat a little bit of the chicken when it arrived. Since I was hopping on a plane in an hour, I sent my leftovers home with my mom to enjoy. Their menu has a great selection, the dining area is nice, and the service was great. Two thumbs up.
(4)Bill M.
My family loves to come to this Ravanelli's location. We are always treated like family (the kind that like you, not the ones who are constantly trying to get you to commit to investing in a glass-flavored silly string factory or edible birches) and receive excellent service, the food is top-notch and we even love taking some of the home-made baked goods with us on the way out. Sometimes they get backed up with large groups, but overall it is an excellent experience!
(5)Bridgette K.
Absolutely LOVE this place! Great food! We get the family carry out special at least once a week!
(5)Debby R.
Warning! This place is habit forming. Great food with great service. The portion sizes are HUGE but very reasonable. Sharing is a definite option. The appetizer pizza was delish! The pasta dishes are all a full pound and come with soup and salad. We definitely will be back on our next trip to ST Louis. Highly recommended.
(5)John K.
For a local chain, terrific. Always solid deals for the family, and very good lunch buffet. My fav is the Thursday night family deal with the pan of spaghetti coupon can feed 8 adults well. Be prepared to wait for take out as this place is busy a lot. White pizza is delicious and blows away the chains. Ribs are average, but it is a staple on the east metro side.
(4)Tracy S.
Typically, I enjoy my visits to Ravanellis. However, today was far from a delightful experience. We made reservations for the Easter buffet. Upon arrival, we were told they were "preparing our table." Fifteen minutes later we were still waiting for our table. When we asked a second time, they told us they were still waiting for others to leave. We were finally seated about 15 minutes after our reservation. We were crammed, and I do mean crammed, into a room with the buffet table and approximately 45 people. The food was mediocre and overly salted. All in all, my family will not be back next year. Huge disappointment.
(3)Wawa F.
I ordered Monday special meal of 4 pieces of fried chicken just costed me 8.99. The chicken was surprised me delicious and juicy
(4)Andrew S.
Both the service and food were great. I had the honey Dijon chicken sandwich which was quite tasty and finished it off with a slice of brownie cheesecake which was crazy good. Jake was possibly the best server I've had in my life. If you ever go to this place, request Jake as your server!
(5)Rudy P.
Ordered to go. Pulled right up to the pick up window in 20 minutes. My 'King Pasta Pie' Dinner was plentiful and absolutely delicious. Looking forward to coming back and dining inside.
(4)Ed L.
Can't talk, ..eating :) Very good food, service, and prices. Best deal is the buffet
(5)Donald W.
Went there for our anniversary. The staff was very nice and attentive despite also having a large group to attend to. The food was alright. Nothing really special. We had the appetizer sampler and the pasta sampler. Much too much for two people. The server wrote funny stuff on our to-go boxes. We will likely go back, but for the memories. Not necessarily for the food.
(4)slapnuts m.
I'm not sure why this restaurant has such great reviews. Service was good but the food is not. A Tony's frozen pizza from Walmart tastes better than the pie from this place. Corn was under cooked. Pasta was poor. Fried chicken was greasy. Maybe there are no good restaurants in St. Louis and this one is graded on the curve.
(1)Dean R.
We were in the area at Splash City and were looking for a nearby place to have dinner. This place had good reviews so despite our first impression we decided to try it. The food was very mediocre and certainly not worth four stars. We definitely wouldn't come here again. Too many places that have far superior food and a nicer atmosphere for the same money.
(1)Tamara N.
Each time I try this place , i really want to love it. But it keeps getting worse. Carry out order wrong each of the last four times. Mac and cheese was glorious the first time. Now it's just noodles in a cup with very little cheese sauce on top.
(1)Mark B.
Service was very attentive and more than expected. Food was plain and ok. Had salmon. It was ok. Might not want to expect much. Good wholesome regular food.
(3)Mindy P.
My entire family has made Ravanelli's a regular on our list for Saturday lunches. For a group of 10 I think the service that we have had has been great. I've never been a huge fan of fried chicken, but I am a huge fan of pasta! The past few times I have visited we have done the lunch buffet, they have seafood on a specific day of the week, although I can't remember which day. I think Tuesdays. I LOVE LOVE LOVE their clam chowder soup. It fills you up quickly though, so not the right strategy for trying everything on the buffet. Like I said, I am not a hug fan of fried chicken, so as far as I know maybe it's not that great, but I enjoy it. The seasoning seems to be a perfect combination of not too salty and not too crispy. Looking forward to the next seafood buffet day!
(4)Mike B.
I have to agree with some other reviews regarding eating there and carry outs. If you eat there the food is excellent, service is good, and they get your order right, but when it comes to carryout typically there is something wrong with the order, either you are missing something like bread, or a salad or even a whole meal. We visited and ate dinner there on a Friday night back in February 2013 and we received excellent service. Our waitress was awesome, she was super friendly and took really good care of us. I would recommend visiting, but if you do carryout make sure you check the order very carefully before driving off, because 99% the order is missing something and you will need to go back in and get the missing item.
(4)Pat W.
We have been fans of Ravanellis for over 30 years, but have noticed a real decline in service and food quality in the past two years. We usually go to the Collinsville location, which is closer to our home. On every visit, we have to ask for a spoon for the iced tea, and usually have to ask for bread. Recently, we had a new, nervous waiter, who did a good job, but had to be reminded several times about bread, butter, straws, etc. So when I found a hair in my cold mashed potatoes, I wasn't inclined to make a fuss. (Should have). The next time, we ordered the chicken special, and my husband substituted soup for his salad. I didn't get my salad, and when I asked the waitress for it, she was rather snippy, and said I didn't get a salad with my meal. After we explained, she brought the salad and later a piece of free carrot cake. Last week, we were going to go there, and went to the Granite location instead, because of the long wait in Collinsville. Got there, and the server brought us bread right away, with butter that had so much garlic salt it was inedible. This is not how their butter usually tastes. No straws. No spoon. Runny ( although hairless) mashed potatoes.The cream gravy was cold, and tasteless. We will keep going, as they have fabulous chicken, but if the service and food quality continue to go downhill, we may have to re-think, which would be a shame, because when they are hitting it right, the food is good.
(3)Bret M.
I'm not much of a fried food eater, but this was the best fried chicken I've ever had. The only thing that took away a star for me was the salad. Iceberg lettuce and a piece of tomato just don't cut it in my world. Otherwise, a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I even arrived about 3 minutes after the posted closing time and was seated with a smile.
(4)Don F.
Chicken was pretty good. Customer in front of me was checking out and complained of the rigatoni being off. I thought it was just me. Tasted like chef boyardee. They had no pizza out the whole time I was there. The lady asked well did you ask the server. Yeah the one time we saw them. So obviously this is a frequent problem since it is not new to the counter lady.
(1)Bob K.
WOW! Read reviews on yelp and thought I would try it out. Freaking AWESOME! Try the tortilla soup--some of the best soup I've had had in a long time. Next came fresh baked bread, which tasted incredible with a whipped garlic butter. Again, best butter I,ve had in a while. (Yes, even the damn butter was worth reviewing here! ) I got the half fried chicken, and a slice of chocolate meringue pie. Will be back many more times after this first timer's first impression.
(5)Michael L.
If you love ridiculous portions of mediocre to good level food this is your spot. The service by our waitress was pretty good except the water that was dripping from the ceiling into a bucket over our left shoulders. The place made us wait for ~15 minutes before sitting group of 3 of us. When we walked back the place was 20% empty and the bus boys did a TERRIBLE job of cleaning the tables, leaving people to wait in the lobby to look at some random silent auction items they had going on. The soup was good. The salad had too much dressing on it, order dressing on side next time! I had the chicken fettuccine. Not great. I can make same quality at home. Be nice if they served warm bread with the meals.
(3)Patrick B.
Fair prices and fair food. Nothing to write home about / nothing to ship either . Fair says it all.
(3)Andrew P.
Found this restaurant on yelp and it was within walking distance from my hotel. It is Veteran's day and there was actually about a 20 minute wait when I got there. I found out that the buffet was free for all Veterans for dinner which was very cool. So I came in thinking I would just order from the menu but when I saw the buffet had steak, fried chicken and ribs i changed my mind. Then the waiter told me it was only $7.99 and I was sold. So on to the food, the macaroni and cheese was out of this world. I honestly could have eaten a full plate of it. The ribs, chicken and steak were all awesome. I told my wife on my walk back to the hotel how shocked I was that I liked everything I ate so much. I debated on a 5th star but it is hard to give that to a buffet. It honestly was almost there but when i look back at my other 5s I just couldn't do it. I will definitely come back. Also the 20 minute wait they quoted ended up being like 10. Highly recommend.
(4)kate j.
The food here is amazing. It really is super good. They are probably best known for their fried chicken, which I've had several times, and it is also amazing. So why the 3 stars? Their carryout blows!! Twice my husband and I have ordered dinner from here only to be let down. For one, the food just isn't as good. Why, I have no idea. The other night I ordered their rigatoni casserole for carryout, something I've had in the restaurant and it was amazing, so saucy and cheesy and really good baked flavor, and the carryout version was pretty weak. Now, the next day, when I reheated my leftovers in the oven, it was back to being really delicious. When I had it "fresh" as carryout, it felt like someone just stuck it in a microwave to melt the cheese on top. Ravanelli's gives you a LOT of food. For one entree you get salad AND soup plus bread, usually. (Their soups are also incredible, I recommend vegetable beef.) This is also way better in-house. My to go salad was laaaame, brownish lettuce, one hot pepper, and literally one piece of pepperoni. The soup? It came in a little cup that was honestly the size of the container the salad dressing came in, no bigger than a quarter of a cup. Ugh. Not to mention they give you absolutely nothing but the food with the to go orders. Both times my husband and I got no utensils, napkins, no Parmesan packets for pasta, no crackers for the soup (in house you get a little basket with like eight different kinds of crackers), no butter for the bread! I was surprised they even gave me a straw for my drink. Ravanelli's really does have great food, and they give you lots of it, but if you don't want to be disappointed, please eat IN the restaurant and save the to go orders for Applebee's.
(3)Rebecca M.
I've had two Ravanelli's experiences lately. My roommate got their carryout for her rehearsal dinner and it was awesome. Their fried chicken is some of the best I've ever had, which explains why everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) raves about it. We also had some sort of pasta (maybe mostaccioli?) that had a wonderful sauce on it. I enjoyed the leftovers for several days. More recently a group of my friends went to the restaurant for dinner and had a really good experience. Soup and salad comes with pretty much every meal except sandwiches and they have a choice of three soups on any given night. Most meals are $10-$15, but it's worth it for the amount of food that you get. I would recommend any of the pasta dishes. Or the Italian beef. Or the pork chops. Or the chicken, like I already said. Basically, I like everything. Even though the restaurant was packed, service was really good and our waiter, especially, was friendly and very helpful with suggestions and answering questions. They also gave me free dessert for my birthday! It was cheesecake and it was huge and amazing and delicious.
(4)Bill C.
Why 4 stars? For value. The quality is average but Ravanelli's is very consistant. The service is excellent and the portion sizes are "generous." The best value: Their chicken dinners. For $7.99 (1/2 chicken, all dark; you can pay more for white) I get more food than I can eat. A bowl of soup, a very large salad, 4 pieces of chicken and a baked potato, and fresh bread. In fact, my wife will usually order a side dish knowning that I'll have plenty to share. The chicken is always cooked properly (no pink!) and is crisp and juicy. Except for KFC, I don't know of a place in Edwardsville that serves whole, fried chicken (most places offer strips or a breast only). We go here about once a week. Be warned - on weekends, this place is packed. Best bet - go early or late (after 8:00). Almost forgot to mention - pies are very good; I like the chocolate. Hope you like lots of merinque - they pile it on.
(4)kelli f.
I have mixed feelings on this restaurant.Sometimes its great and sometimes its the worst.The service is aleays bad but most of the time the food is really good.If you dont mind a long wait and bad service,you are sure to find something good to eat.I dont recommend the drive thru.I have never yet had them get an order right,but i keep trying because it seems convenient at the time until you get it home and its never what you ordered or payed for.Last night I placed my order over the phone drove all the way there to pick it up at the convenient drive thru window.you would think i would know to check it before leaving but i just wanted to get home and sure enough again they cant tell a breast from a chicken thigh,so i still get to go home and cook because nobody was this little tiny slimy piece of dark chicken.They never forget to charge me for the breasts though!!!!
(3)Su I.
My second time around. Someone wrote best deal for the family, heck I think it's the best deal for me. I had 2 pieces of fried chicken breast dinner, it comes with 2 sides and get this... My meal also comes with a bowl of soup and salad. All for $9.99. I had dinner and left over for lunch the next day. A must dinning place for chicken lovers.
(5)Bob K.
WOW! Read reviews on yelp and thought I would try it out. Freaking AWESOME! Try the tortilla soup--some of the best soup I've had had in a long time. Next came fresh baked bread, which tasted incredible with a whipped garlic butter. Again, best butter I,ve had in a while. (Yes, even the damn butter was worth reviewing here! ) I got the half fried chicken, and a slice of chocolate meringue pie. Will be back many more times after this first timer's first impression.
(5)Tamara N.
Each time I try this place , i really want to love it. But it keeps getting worse. Carry out order wrong each of the last four times. Mac and cheese was glorious the first time. Now it's just noodles in a cup with very little cheese sauce on top.
(1)Sarah C.
The place was full for midweek lunch, which is always a good sign! I decided to skip the buffet and order off the menu. I had the apple gorgonzola salad which was HUGE. Probably four cups of mixed greens, plenty of apple and cucumber, as well as Craisins and walnuts. The tortellini soup was also really good. I'll definitely try them for dinner sometime, considering how nice the lunch was today.
(4)Brian M.
Ravanelli's is quite possibly one of the best places for fried chicken, however thats not all they serve. You can get almost anything here from a quick burger/sandwich to pasta, and even a steak. Anytime I stop by I usually get the chicken dinner and usually have left overs. The chicken is crispy but not greasy, and has a great flavor. I also have to get the Tortellini Soup, this stuff is amazing and always a on my order. The atmosphere pretty basic and simple, family friendly and on special events they open up a buffet which allows you to sample a variety of their dishes. They do not skip out on the quality with the buffer, this is the same quality food that you order right off the menu. Prices are very reasonable for the quality and portion sizes. The Collinsville location is actually the 2nd location to open, with the original being located in Granite City and the newest location in Fairview Heights/O'Fallon. I have tried all three and the quality is consistent across the board.
(4)Lynne B.
Excellent with peanut and tree nut allergies! Staff was extremely helpful in checking the ingredients in the different foods. Clean, friendly and loads of choices! We will be back!
(5)Tami M.
Many people rave about their Italian food, don't get me wrong it is good, but there is so much more to choose from. We love their lunch buffet it is awesome. A different variety every weekday.
(5)Cat C.
My family and I have eaten here several times and have never had a bad experience!!! This past weekend was my daughters 2nd bday party and we ordered the chicken and ham party pack with additional chicken... I was a little nervous at how the chicken would taste for carryout.. Well- it was PERFECT!!! Several people complimented the ham was the best they've ever eaten! The chicken was crispy and juicy and even the few pieces we had leftover were delicious the next day... Will definitely order from them for our next party!
(5)Tiffany M.
Most of the time it's all delicious and everyone is friendly but there have been a couple times we've had a rude waitress and once my raviolis were frozen in the center :/ tht hasn't happened in over a year and we have been back since been good so far. There drive thru service is horrible though never had them get a order right yet always have to go back because they forget a few things.
(4)Julie B.
The food here is not amazing - really it's not. But we eat here all of the time. It's one of those restaurants that started out as a mom and pop business in Granite City IL and now has 2 additional locations - Collinsville and O'Fallon. I ate at the GC location many times when I was younger - it was a favorite and their steaks were awesome; the ambience more fine dining than not. Collinsville location is where we go now because it is closest to our home. It is more country / chain-like atmosphere - no fine dining here! Always a bunch of tables in the waiting area with silent auction items and a pie with too much whipped cream showcase up front. All this said, we frequent this restaurant because the food is fine, the steak is cheap and good enough (not as good as the steak was in GC), as is the soup and salad that come with most entrees. Definitely order dressing on the side - they are ridiculous with it. The salad is iceberg lettuce, homemade croutons, cucumber, cheese, and a pepperoni (maybe some tomatoes too). The vegetable beef barley used to be amazing; now it's just ok. You get a big pile of thick white bread with garlic butter with your meals. The fried chicken is good / decent. They also have a buffet during lunch and some evenings - you will roll out of there if you're not careful. I have never had dessert there. The showcase doesn't make me want any either. Fish is awful. I've asked for broccoli with my meals in the past (more than once!), and it is always yellow. When we questioned it, they acted like it was fine - it was not. Don't go there looking to get your veggies. Service is inconsistent. Most of the servers are teenagers / early 20's - lots of young men in particular. Our hostess was telling the table next to us about the wine by the glass special, and she said they had "Mer-LOT". And yes, she pronounced the "t". I think this says it all. Yep, we eat here all the time. It's one of the better options in Collinsville. Sad, huh?!
(3)Tiffany K.
Great lunch buffet for a reasonable price! Amazing desserts too. Carb heavy but delicious.
(4)Amanda G.
This Ravanelli's is by far better than the OFallon location. Better, kinder service (there is one somewhat overly attentive creepy waiter) and much better food. I've only been here a few times compared to my frequent trips to OFallon, but OFallon has been less than appealing lately. It's like they keep the A Team here and those on punishment go to the other location. Much more laid back and friendly feel here. Worth giving this place a shot. Large menu. Lots of delicious items. Have never had them but their pies look phenomenal.
(4)Kyle A.
This restaurant was chosen randomly but the good reviews directed me and a good friend to this quaint and homely restraint with servers that felt comfortable and we're also swift in the cleaning work they were getting done on what I can imagine was a slow lunch shift. The food, well prepared, presented, and consumed haha I couldn't find anything I dislike about this place but I didn't exactly get the wow I expected out of a fine dining/Italian restaurant however I definitely intend to return.
(4)Michael L.
If you love ridiculous portions of mediocre to good level food this is your spot. The service by our waitress was pretty good except the water that was dripping from the ceiling into a bucket over our left shoulders. The place made us wait for ~15 minutes before sitting group of 3 of us. When we walked back the place was 20% empty and the bus boys did a TERRIBLE job of cleaning the tables, leaving people to wait in the lobby to look at some random silent auction items they had going on. The soup was good. The salad had too much dressing on it, order dressing on side next time! I had the chicken fettuccine. Not great. I can make same quality at home. Be nice if they served warm bread with the meals.
(3)Patrick B.
Fair prices and fair food. Nothing to write home about / nothing to ship either . Fair says it all.
(3)Andrew P.
Found this restaurant on yelp and it was within walking distance from my hotel. It is Veteran's day and there was actually about a 20 minute wait when I got there. I found out that the buffet was free for all Veterans for dinner which was very cool. So I came in thinking I would just order from the menu but when I saw the buffet had steak, fried chicken and ribs i changed my mind. Then the waiter told me it was only $7.99 and I was sold. So on to the food, the macaroni and cheese was out of this world. I honestly could have eaten a full plate of it. The ribs, chicken and steak were all awesome. I told my wife on my walk back to the hotel how shocked I was that I liked everything I ate so much. I debated on a 5th star but it is hard to give that to a buffet. It honestly was almost there but when i look back at my other 5s I just couldn't do it. I will definitely come back. Also the 20 minute wait they quoted ended up being like 10. Highly recommend.
(4)Mark B.
Service was very attentive and more than expected. Food was plain and ok. Had salmon. It was ok. Might not want to expect much. Good wholesome regular food.
(3)Mindy P.
My entire family has made Ravanelli's a regular on our list for Saturday lunches. For a group of 10 I think the service that we have had has been great. I've never been a huge fan of fried chicken, but I am a huge fan of pasta! The past few times I have visited we have done the lunch buffet, they have seafood on a specific day of the week, although I can't remember which day. I think Tuesdays. I LOVE LOVE LOVE their clam chowder soup. It fills you up quickly though, so not the right strategy for trying everything on the buffet. Like I said, I am not a hug fan of fried chicken, so as far as I know maybe it's not that great, but I enjoy it. The seasoning seems to be a perfect combination of not too salty and not too crispy. Looking forward to the next seafood buffet day!
(4)Mike B.
I have to agree with some other reviews regarding eating there and carry outs. If you eat there the food is excellent, service is good, and they get your order right, but when it comes to carryout typically there is something wrong with the order, either you are missing something like bread, or a salad or even a whole meal. We visited and ate dinner there on a Friday night back in February 2013 and we received excellent service. Our waitress was awesome, she was super friendly and took really good care of us. I would recommend visiting, but if you do carryout make sure you check the order very carefully before driving off, because 99% the order is missing something and you will need to go back in and get the missing item.
(4)Pat W.
We have been fans of Ravanellis for over 30 years, but have noticed a real decline in service and food quality in the past two years. We usually go to the Collinsville location, which is closer to our home. On every visit, we have to ask for a spoon for the iced tea, and usually have to ask for bread. Recently, we had a new, nervous waiter, who did a good job, but had to be reminded several times about bread, butter, straws, etc. So when I found a hair in my cold mashed potatoes, I wasn't inclined to make a fuss. (Should have). The next time, we ordered the chicken special, and my husband substituted soup for his salad. I didn't get my salad, and when I asked the waitress for it, she was rather snippy, and said I didn't get a salad with my meal. After we explained, she brought the salad and later a piece of free carrot cake. Last week, we were going to go there, and went to the Granite location instead, because of the long wait in Collinsville. Got there, and the server brought us bread right away, with butter that had so much garlic salt it was inedible. This is not how their butter usually tastes. No straws. No spoon. Runny ( although hairless) mashed potatoes.The cream gravy was cold, and tasteless. We will keep going, as they have fabulous chicken, but if the service and food quality continue to go downhill, we may have to re-think, which would be a shame, because when they are hitting it right, the food is good.
(3)Bret M.
I'm not much of a fried food eater, but this was the best fried chicken I've ever had. The only thing that took away a star for me was the salad. Iceberg lettuce and a piece of tomato just don't cut it in my world. Otherwise, a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I even arrived about 3 minutes after the posted closing time and was seated with a smile.
(4)Don F.
Chicken was pretty good. Customer in front of me was checking out and complained of the rigatoni being off. I thought it was just me. Tasted like chef boyardee. They had no pizza out the whole time I was there. The lady asked well did you ask the server. Yeah the one time we saw them. So obviously this is a frequent problem since it is not new to the counter lady.
(1)Brandon C.
Been hearing great things about this place lately, so I decided to try it out yesterday. I arrived around lunchtime and decided to go with the buffet. For $7.50 this is a steal. They had salad, potatoes, vegetables, fish, shrimp, their famous fried chicken, rigatoni, pizza, soup, and dessert. I really liked the Italian salad. I'm a bit of a fried chicken fan, and I was not disappointed. The pizza cut in the traditional St. Louis style had a good Italian seasoning on it. I didn't get a chance to try the rigatoni, it was out everytime I went back up but I hear it's good. I finished my meal with some really good bread pudding. The service was great, constantly taking plates away, refilling drinks, and stocking the buffet. The pies that you see when you first walk in looked really good but I didn't get a chance to try them. In my 3+ years of living in the area I'm sad I didn't come here sooner, especially since I'm leaving soon. Great place to get a meal for 2 or large groups.
(4)John H.
I've eaten Ravanelli's food at a few catered events, but, until Tuesday, had never visited. I arrived as part of a very large group -- like forty plus people -- for a luncheon, and enjoyed the buffet, particularly the pork loin and fried chicken. The server was in constant motion, clearing plates, and keeping us all well watered. I didn't try any pie, but they are large, lovely, and prominently displayed near the main entry. Ravanelli's seems like the sort of place that a chain may try to emulate, but the quality of the food here seems higher.
(4)Karen C.
If you told me about a place where 4 people can eat huge lunches for a total of $30, I'd slap you and call you crazy. Unfortunately, slapping myself doesn't have the same effect. Either way... holy crap is this place inexpensive for what you get. I had the 1/2 fried chicken dinner (HALF! for $4.99!), it comes with a baked potato, salad & bread. Am I at KFC with these prices? Thankfully, no! The chicken was really delicious, but I was so full of salad & bread that I could only eat a little bit of the chicken when it arrived. Since I was hopping on a plane in an hour, I sent my leftovers home with my mom to enjoy. Their menu has a great selection, the dining area is nice, and the service was great. Two thumbs up.
(4)Bill M.
My family loves to come to this Ravanelli's location. We are always treated like family (the kind that like you, not the ones who are constantly trying to get you to commit to investing in a glass-flavored silly string factory or edible birches) and receive excellent service, the food is top-notch and we even love taking some of the home-made baked goods with us on the way out. Sometimes they get backed up with large groups, but overall it is an excellent experience!
(5)Bill C.
Why 4 stars? For value. The quality is average but Ravanelli's is very consistant. The service is excellent and the portion sizes are "generous." The best value: Their chicken dinners. For $7.99 (1/2 chicken, all dark; you can pay more for white) I get more food than I can eat. A bowl of soup, a very large salad, 4 pieces of chicken and a baked potato, and fresh bread. In fact, my wife will usually order a side dish knowning that I'll have plenty to share. The chicken is always cooked properly (no pink!) and is crisp and juicy. Except for KFC, I don't know of a place in Edwardsville that serves whole, fried chicken (most places offer strips or a breast only). We go here about once a week. Be warned - on weekends, this place is packed. Best bet - go early or late (after 8:00). Almost forgot to mention - pies are very good; I like the chocolate. Hope you like lots of merinque - they pile it on.
(4)kelli f.
I have mixed feelings on this restaurant.Sometimes its great and sometimes its the worst.The service is aleays bad but most of the time the food is really good.If you dont mind a long wait and bad service,you are sure to find something good to eat.I dont recommend the drive thru.I have never yet had them get an order right,but i keep trying because it seems convenient at the time until you get it home and its never what you ordered or payed for.Last night I placed my order over the phone drove all the way there to pick it up at the convenient drive thru window.you would think i would know to check it before leaving but i just wanted to get home and sure enough again they cant tell a breast from a chicken thigh,so i still get to go home and cook because nobody was this little tiny slimy piece of dark chicken.They never forget to charge me for the breasts though!!!!
(3)Dean R.
We were in the area at Splash City and were looking for a nearby place to have dinner. This place had good reviews so despite our first impression we decided to try it. The food was very mediocre and certainly not worth four stars. We definitely wouldn't come here again. Too many places that have far superior food and a nicer atmosphere for the same money.
(1)John K.
For a local chain, terrific. Always solid deals for the family, and very good lunch buffet. My fav is the Thursday night family deal with the pan of spaghetti coupon can feed 8 adults well. Be prepared to wait for take out as this place is busy a lot. White pizza is delicious and blows away the chains. Ribs are average, but it is a staple on the east metro side.
(4)Tracy S.
Typically, I enjoy my visits to Ravanellis. However, today was far from a delightful experience. We made reservations for the Easter buffet. Upon arrival, we were told they were "preparing our table." Fifteen minutes later we were still waiting for our table. When we asked a second time, they told us they were still waiting for others to leave. We were finally seated about 15 minutes after our reservation. We were crammed, and I do mean crammed, into a room with the buffet table and approximately 45 people. The food was mediocre and overly salted. All in all, my family will not be back next year. Huge disappointment.
(3)Wawa F.
I ordered Monday special meal of 4 pieces of fried chicken just costed me 8.99. The chicken was surprised me delicious and juicy
(4)Andrew S.
Both the service and food were great. I had the honey Dijon chicken sandwich which was quite tasty and finished it off with a slice of brownie cheesecake which was crazy good. Jake was possibly the best server I've had in my life. If you ever go to this place, request Jake as your server!
(5)Rudy P.
Ordered to go. Pulled right up to the pick up window in 20 minutes. My 'King Pasta Pie' Dinner was plentiful and absolutely delicious. Looking forward to coming back and dining inside.
(4)Ed L.
Can't talk, ..eating :) Very good food, service, and prices. Best deal is the buffet
(5)Bridgette K.
Absolutely LOVE this place! Great food! We get the family carry out special at least once a week!
(5)Debby R.
Warning! This place is habit forming. Great food with great service. The portion sizes are HUGE but very reasonable. Sharing is a definite option. The appetizer pizza was delish! The pasta dishes are all a full pound and come with soup and salad. We definitely will be back on our next trip to ST Louis. Highly recommended.
(5)kate j.
The food here is amazing. It really is super good. They are probably best known for their fried chicken, which I've had several times, and it is also amazing. So why the 3 stars? Their carryout blows!! Twice my husband and I have ordered dinner from here only to be let down. For one, the food just isn't as good. Why, I have no idea. The other night I ordered their rigatoni casserole for carryout, something I've had in the restaurant and it was amazing, so saucy and cheesy and really good baked flavor, and the carryout version was pretty weak. Now, the next day, when I reheated my leftovers in the oven, it was back to being really delicious. When I had it "fresh" as carryout, it felt like someone just stuck it in a microwave to melt the cheese on top. Ravanelli's gives you a LOT of food. For one entree you get salad AND soup plus bread, usually. (Their soups are also incredible, I recommend vegetable beef.) This is also way better in-house. My to go salad was laaaame, brownish lettuce, one hot pepper, and literally one piece of pepperoni. The soup? It came in a little cup that was honestly the size of the container the salad dressing came in, no bigger than a quarter of a cup. Ugh. Not to mention they give you absolutely nothing but the food with the to go orders. Both times my husband and I got no utensils, napkins, no Parmesan packets for pasta, no crackers for the soup (in house you get a little basket with like eight different kinds of crackers), no butter for the bread! I was surprised they even gave me a straw for my drink. Ravanelli's really does have great food, and they give you lots of it, but if you don't want to be disappointed, please eat IN the restaurant and save the to go orders for Applebee's.
(3)Rebecca M.
I've had two Ravanelli's experiences lately. My roommate got their carryout for her rehearsal dinner and it was awesome. Their fried chicken is some of the best I've ever had, which explains why everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) raves about it. We also had some sort of pasta (maybe mostaccioli?) that had a wonderful sauce on it. I enjoyed the leftovers for several days. More recently a group of my friends went to the restaurant for dinner and had a really good experience. Soup and salad comes with pretty much every meal except sandwiches and they have a choice of three soups on any given night. Most meals are $10-$15, but it's worth it for the amount of food that you get. I would recommend any of the pasta dishes. Or the Italian beef. Or the pork chops. Or the chicken, like I already said. Basically, I like everything. Even though the restaurant was packed, service was really good and our waiter, especially, was friendly and very helpful with suggestions and answering questions. They also gave me free dessert for my birthday! It was cheesecake and it was huge and amazing and delicious.
(4)