The best italian I've had anywhere in the New Orleans area. The service is great, ecspecially the youngest Joseph. You can't beat the 5 course dinner for $30! The wine selection is great and the live musician adds to the ambience of the restaurant.
(5)
The Foodie X.
My brother and his wife rave about this place so my expectations were heightened, and let's just say....what a disappointment! Overall: Food quality: Average Service: Sub par Atmosphere: Casual and comfortable We had reservations and we were seated immediately, which is great in my book. Shortly after being seated, a young girl took our drink orders. However, she skipped over a 4 year old (yeah lady, he wants a drink too) and when someone ordered a glass of wine, she had no clue what types of wine are offered. Se said that she would get the wine list. Well, ten minutes later, that wine list still had never made its way to our table. We had to ask for it again and she replied "Sorry, I was busy." Really? We are customers too. It took her all of about 2 minutes to bring it to us, so I didn't see how it was so time consuming that warranted us waiting that long and have to ask for it a second time. I would have rathered hear that she forgot. I guess we didn't matter. At least that is how I took it. Half hour later the head waiter finally took our order. He was very personable. I liked him. I ordered the 5 course dinner. Crab claws app, two pastas course, salad, veal Payton, and tiramisu, a $32.00 dinner. Our food came out fast and it was OK. Like I said, it didn't live up to the hype I heard about this place. The food is average. It wasn't bad, but nothing to write home about either. The atmosphere is enjoyable. As far as the wait staff, I have to say that half are friendly (the men) the other half (young snotty girls) were not. Bottom line, I was not impressed. I won't be back. I didn't think the experience justifies the prices.
(2)
Shannon S.
Impastato's is owned by the brother of Sal of Sal & Judy's fame. Some of the dishes are very similar to what you can get at Sal & Judy's but some are very different and still very tasty. I've enjoyed all of the food I've had and there are still many dishes here I still want to sample. The service has always been very excellent and the servers have made some very good food and wine recommendations. Impastato's has a very unique atmosphere with an impressive collection of sports memorabilia, worthy of any sports bar, decorating the entire restaurant (and the owner seems to always be in the restaurant and happy to talk about his passion for collecting every time I've been there; and there might even be a few well known coaches or athletes dining along with you). There usually is live music and you might have to chase a violin player away but that can add to the fun. Certainly worthy of a visit and an interesting and great place to take a date.
(4)
Sabrina T.
This is my favorite Italian restaurant in the New Orleans area! The 5 course meal is amazing. The Trout Romano, crab claw appetizer and the blueberry banana pie are my favorite items on the menu. We love Roy singing too! A definite must if you're looking for good Italian in New Orleans.
(5)
Claire C.
This is more of a 2.5 star review, but what'cha gonna do. Went here on a Friday with four other people, including my italianish grandfather who wanted some hearty home cooking. We were seated immediately, so that was nice. The ambiance is kind of kitschy with a huge stained glass drop skylight in the middle of the dining room. The old photos in the entry were cool! Our waitress didn't really seem to know what she was doing, I think she was new, but she disappeared after giving us red wine glasses for our bottle of white and then picking them all up and giving us white glasses. The food: Calamari appetizer was ok, not the best. I wanted the crab claws but no one else agreed. Tom Fitzmorris was sitting at an adjacent table and seemed to be really enjoying his meal. I tried to order the lobster steamed in Cajun spices that was supposedly flown in daily, but they didn't have any lobster. Someone else in my party ordered a trout dish but they didn't have any trout even though 5 or so dishes on the menu were trout-based. I ended up getting the lasagna, which was really subpar and salty. The bottom layer of noodles wasn't cooked all the way and was hard to cut through. With less salt and more time in the oven, it would've been good though. It's hard to mess up lasagna. Others in my party seemed underwhelmed as well, except my grandfather who was munching away at some steamed cauliflower that was flavorless, and a mahi mahi dish that was supposed to substitute for the trout. The verdict: I guess if you're really in the mood for a heavy and rich Italian meal, this is the place to go. I was really looking forward to eating some of good Italian , but I didn't find it here. Everything was also really expensive considering the quality.
(3)
Eileen Z.
Have you really lived if you haven't had a Rickey Jackson crab finger? I was actually fortunate enough to dine here with both Rickey and Mike McKenzie and we were treated like kings (of course). It was one of the most amazing experiences I have had. Everything is good for Metry Italian fair. The portions are ridic huge. The Red sauce and alfredo flows freely here. If you are a football or sports fan you should go if nothing else to see the museum of memorabilia here.
(4)
Rachael K.
Was craving authentic homestyle Italian food and settled upon Impastatos for my birthday celebration with friends. While I normally would stick with a solid spaghetti and meatball I was tempted by the chef's 5 course special. It was way too much food but everything was delicious and I was excited to have a five course lunch leftover. The trout Payton is a must pick for your main course. The lounge singer was a nice touch! Will definitely be back sooner than later!
(5)
L F.
Big mistake! We had reservations and from the time we arrived at the restaurant we felt rushed and they wanted us to leave. All of this was coming from the owner! Yes the owner came to our table three times and told the waitress that he needed our table - we were still eating. What about the table next to us where his family was sitting??? He also told the piano player to take breaks after each song so people would not stay longer to enjoy his music and song. What a nightmare - not the dining experience our party of 6 expected. We will NEVER go back to this place and we will let everyone know about this dining experience !
(1)
Ellen Y.
I love Impastato's! The prices are great and you get plenty of food. Husband got the five course dinner choice and I got lasagna crab claws: delicious! the sauce had a good wine flavor to it alfredo and red sauce pasta: very good. alfredo is butter-heavy, which I liked salad: very good house dressing and tasted fresh and produce was fresh veal parmesan: wow! cooked really well and covered in delicious, thick parmesan cheese. and the red gravy is so yummy! cheesecake with raspberry sauce: soooo good lasagna: no ricotta cheese mixture and lots of ground beef. I liked it, but I didn't absolutely love it. I'd say the red gravy is better Service: our server Nicole was awesome, but the girls bussing the table and doing our drinks could have been a little friendlier. they just kind of didn't say anything. The ambiance was okay. it is covered in sports memorabilia and pictures, which i read some people didn't like. this doesn't bother me at all. it's a small restaurant, but we didn't feel crowded. i'm looking forward to going back.
(4)
Christopher W.
I ate the Tom Fitzmorris eat club dinner tonight and the group was great but sad that the food nor service didn't live up to reputation. 1st the food, to start I had crab claws as my appetizer which was probable the best part of the meal. There was a sauce similar to my mother crab stew sauce which was good served along with home baked bread which was great. The second course was a romaine and tomato salad which featured a great dressing and was very good. The third course was a fettuccine alfredo and angel hair asciutta. The angel hair was great while I though the Alfredo was overly seasoned with black pepper. The main course was the house special veal Payton. The veal was a panne veal which was good but the topping of crabmeat, artichokes and mushrooms did not go well at all, and I have had better veal panne. The dessert was a creme fresh with blueberries which was good. The worst part of the meal was the service. Irregardless of the size of group we had the service should behave been way better. When you are at a fine restaurant you expect fine service and this didn't happen. Repeatedly you have to ask for water and others asked for bread that they never received. Overall I think it was way overrated.
(3)
Kate F.
The salad, veal, and most everything was COVERED with oily sauces. Order ALL sauce on the side. I found it all much LESS tasty than Venizia. One must also LOVE football, which I could not care less about. The entire restaurants devoted to the Saints. It's like a Brooklyn Saints shrine. Good Sinatra style singing, but I couldn't enjoy it surrounded by foot all helmets. Frankly, I left all my food untouched. There was a 1/2 cup of dressing on a side salad and a stick off butter on one piece of veal.
(3)
Sheryl L.
Had my husbands 65th birthday dinner celebration with a party of 10. Had the Chef Special. Exceeded my expectations and that of our guests as well. Service and food out of this world. Staff was unbelievable. Food beyond fantastic. More than we could consume. Want to impress friends and family? Take them here!
(5)
jenn s.
Huge let down. As we were seated immediately we were also pressured immediately to order. Like the minute we sat down. We were pressured the entire meal. We were not given the chance to really look at the menu. Upon seating the servers were placing pasta in front of us which I guess they just assumed you wanted the five course meal. My daughter ordered lasagna which arrived very over cooked. Maybe I've watched too many episodes of Hell's Kitchen but I would've thought that someone from the kitchen to the waiter would've caught that. The pasta came out cold, the crab claws were good, my veal parmesean was not good. We had about 5 different servers. I never could figure out who exactly was our waiter but we were constantly out of drinks. The ambiance was okay if you like being surrounded by football helmets and jerseys. Too much ... overkill. I am not big on being rushed through a meal and the food wasn't anything to talk about. They have way too many restaurants in this city to put up with that ..
(1)
Stephen L.
I had a great time with my sister and her adult son here. Big complete Italian meal for like 32 bucks. Fun, fancy/family style. I would definitely go back. I am picky and I enjoyed the food quite a lot.
(4)
huong t.
Impasatatos you have my vote for fanciest Italian restaurant ive had the pleasure of dining at in Metry/New Orleans area. I love you salmon color tablecloths its a nice departure from the black or white im used too. Your bar area looks like a fine dining football fanatics dream with all its memoralbilia. Your food omg i would be soo happy to have just Crab Claws as my entree. It is that Incredible. My friend and I got the Joe's Dinner Special. I would have been perfectly happy if this was only a 3 course special of appetizer,entree and dessert instead of 5 which included salad and pasta. The Tilapia Payton was good but your chocolate mousse cake was divine! Service was great Alec was awesome! I will definately be back now i understand why people love this place soo much.
(4)
Josh T.
Literally my favorite place to eat. It's been a few years, so I'm not sure if the quality has regressed, but I'm sure it's still excellent real Italian food.
Good, but can't compare to Sal and Judy's. If you're a Saints fan come here. There are many walls of memorabilia. Joe Impastato tries too hard to make food the way his brother Sal Impastato does, but he does not succeed. Homemade pasta and tossing it in the sauce in front of all restaurant patrons is a nice start. It cannot compare to the simplicity and perfection of Sal's Lacombe place. I definitely will travel the extra hour and wait 2 weeks for my reservation to get the most perfect Italian meal. Sal and Judy's is better than my mama's cooking! Shhhhh...Don't tell her.
(3)
Stephen K.
Party of 8 with a 5:00 reservation on a Thursday. Obviously, it was a little early, no one else was seated at that point. The staff was a little rushed getting us seated, table wasn't quite ready, nobody to serve at the bar. However, after a couple of minutes of standing around, the staff stepped it up. Interior is a little dated, but what you would expect in a high end family Italian restaurant that has been around for a while. Live entertainment that added positively to the atmosphere. Business casual dress seemed the norm. Service was above average to excellent. Handled a large table with ease. Additional help moved in when necessary. Efficient without being intrusive. Nice touch of preparing the pasta at the table. All the food was high quality. I had a trout dish that was so good I was envious of the trout. One member of the party had a filet that looked more like brisket - we were a little confused about that, but everything else was awesome. Lots of good dessert choices. The canoli was excellent. I didn't see the bill (short arms), but plan on $50 a person by the time you leave. I plan to go back.
(4)
Courtney S.
We went to Impastato's for the first time on Friday night. The food is very good, with a number of traditional Italian and seafood dishes. The bread brought to the table before the meal was incredible--both soft and crispy. We both ordered the house salad before our meals...Wow. One of the best salads I've ever had. Initially I thought it was a bit pricy for a non-entree salad, but after tasting it, the cost no longer mattered. My boyfriend ordered the lasagna, which he said was among the best he ever had. I had the Redfish Payton, which was really good. The sauce was a bit rich, but in a good way. The staff was friendly and attentive. My water glass was never empty, which is always a good thing. The only negative: when the bill came, my boyfriend discovered they charged for soda refills--$2.50 per glass. No matter the restaurant, if a restaurant charges for refills, he refuses to return. (I may have to go back on my own...)
(4)
Brent S.
Impastato's is an amazing restaurant. Definitely get the 5 course dinner meal, well worth your money! You start off with a choice of three appetizers which are all delicious. Then a salad, plate of half fettuccini and half pasta with red sauce. Then finally the entree, which you will have to take home because you will be so full. All of the food here is amazing, their bread is perfect too! Make sure you have a reservation because it does get crowded, and don't have plans for after dinner because you will be eating for a while!
(5)
Marianne A.
Loved it! So much fun. Old school Italian place, complete with live entertainment. We did the 5 course meal. Pasta was great - one red sauce, one white. Moved on to crab claws, then salad. You can pick any entree with the dinner. I went with the chicken parm (it's my try out dish, if a restaurant gets that right, I'll come back and order other items). It was terrific. We all wanted to drink their red sauce. Others had the soft shell crab ("outstanding"), ricotta raviolis ("terrific") and trout almondine ("delicious"). Owner is a true restauranteur - visits each table, jokes with guests. Will absolutely go back again.
(5)
Tay H.
This is hands down the best Italian restaurant in New Orleans - but it's also my favorite Italian restaurant anywhere in the country...and I've lived in New York City for the past five years and travel regularly to other U.S. food-mecca cities like Chicago, Seattle, Austin, and San Francisco. Everything you could possibly order here will be fantastic. You should know it's going to be good as soon as you get your fresh, hot bread...and things just get better and better from there. The shrimp scampi and crab claws are both decadent and delicious. The house pasta duo - pasta ascuitta and fettucini alfredo - are made with fresh, homemade pasta and are topped with the richest and tastiest of sauces. The Veal and Fish Payton are incredible, as is their ridiculously tender Pecan-Smoked Filet Mignon, served with an unexpectedly delicious roasted peach. I am also completely obsessed with their crab cannelloni and have begged to have it shipped to me on dry ice. Honestly, I could just go straight through the menu and tell you how awesome it all is - I really have tried it all - but you should go there and check it out for yourself. The owner, Mr. Joe, is an incredibly warm and amazing person. When someone as awesome as him is turning out such terrific food, how could you eat anywhere else???
(5)
Rosemarie G.
Food is Uh-Mazing!! Authentic Italian Food. Couldn't be more pleased. Great entertainment too! This place is a real find
(5)
Torrey S.
Had a 6:30 reservation...still no sign of being seated at 7:30 & had to go elsewhere,
(2)
Faith A.
It's been quite some time since I have been to Impastato's and my family recently dined to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday. We all had such a great time we were questioning why we haven't been in such a long time. We went on a Thursday night and the dining room was nearly full for dinner. The decor is very "New Orleans in her glory days". Every inch of the walls are filled with 8x10 photographs of memories past. You can't help but begin to feel a little nostalgic as you look around the room. The menu is vast and offers all the New Orleans Italian classics. After looking through the menu we all decided to opt for the 5 course pre-fixed dinner. The price varied depending on what you chose but it was about $32-$40 a person for an appetizer, pasta, salad, entree and dessert. So. Much. Food. It made the most sense in terms of best value, but you've been warned. You will leave uncomfortably full. But really, what is a good Italian meal without being stuffed up to your eyeballs upon completion? I thought everything was paced out really well. We never felt rushed, but the courses never took a long period of time to come out either. For my appetizer I chose the shrimp au gratin. Holy creamy cheesy goodness batman! It came out piping hot and sizzling, it was delicious and rich. Next on deck was a healthy portion of pasta, a sampling of their alfredo and red sauce, the best of both worlds. A salad with a light Italian dressing was welcomed after 2 heavy courses. For my entree I went with the Fish Payton which was a great piece of white fish topped with a lemon butter sauce with mushrooms and artichoke hearts and crab meat and crawfish. The fish was a white flaky fish and tasted great, no fishy flavor. The sauce was delicious and complimented the fish nicely without overpowering it. My husband got the pecan smoked 10 oz. filet and it was cooked perfectly. It was one of the best steaks I've had in the city. For $40 and it comes with 4 other courses makes it one hell of a deal. The 5th and final course was dessert. I was so full by this point, but the homemade cheesecake that they make in house caught the attention of my sweet tooth. Yep, you guessed it. It was awesome. They also have a huge wine list. I found their prices for bottles to be a little high, but priced right for wines by the glass. One of our favorite parts of the night was the entertainment. An adorable older gentleman sang old songs while playing the piano. I really felt like I stepped back in time and was living in the glory days of old school New Orleans. He approached our table and asked what the special occasion was and played a special song dedicated to the birthday girl. Needless to say, my mother in law had a great time on her birthday. We will definitely not let multiple years go by before we visit again!
(5)
Skylar S.
Yeah, wasn't excited about eating Italian food in New Orleans, but this place was pretty legit, even though I couldn't keep the thought of gumbo out of my brain. The owner(who was pictured with hundreds of famous people all around the restaurant) came to our table and basically just told us to sit back and enjoy the "special" and he gauranteed we would love it.... We did. We had a table of about eight guys, and they literally kept bringing plate after plate of delicious food to our table. I had the veal porterhouse, and I loved it. Some weird old man was singing on stage. He looked like he was like 97. It was kind of cool I guess, but it didn't really sound great. I'm down for some cool old Italian tunes, but you should be able to sing my man! They may want to consider rethinking the entertainment... Cool sports memorabilia every where. I especially loved the Thurman Thomas jersey. Go Bills.
(4)
Chris N.
I have to agree with the sediments of a couple of my fellow Yelpers; this is one of the best Italian restaurants in New Orleans. Since I'm Italian myself, I naturally have a high standard for this cuisine. I immediately separate Italian restaurants into two categories; restaurants that make their pasta in-house, and those that don't. This restaurant does in fact make all of their pasta in-house, which brings their dishing up a few more notches. Everyone in my party ordered a different app, entree, and dessert, and we all sampled each other's dish. Everything was fantastic. The wait staff was very attentive and personable. Our waitress made us laugh on several occasions. I am really looking forward to bringing some of my family members to this rare, authentic Italian restaurant.
(5)
Joshua H.
This place is Italian as fuck! I was expecting Robert Dinero and Joe Pesci to walk out from the kitchen the whole time I was there. This is probably one of the most authentic Italian restaurants I've been to. I ran across this place after being stuck in Metairie and I was not ready for the level of experience. Service was amazing. And the atmosphere added to the experience as well. Football helmets everywhere from famous football players who has eaten there at one point. Pictures of the restaurant owner with icons like Mohammed Ali and others. I came here completely underdressed, but was treated no differently for it. The waitress girls were all very sexy. And the food was delicious. I ordered the Alfredo Pasta as an appetizer and lasagna for dinner and it was perfectly cooked. And the ingredients were all imported, so the taste was fresh, unique and of course delicious. I would recommend anybody who can afford this place (because it isn't cheap) to go there. 5 stars... easy.
(5)
Iva Y.
I have no idea why people rave about this place. Was nothing special for me, ordered their 5 course dinner deal, they serve you 2 kinds of pasta for appetizer and that was something I normally make at home when I'm out of food,the salad was probably the best thing. I ordered Veal Parmesan for entree and it was drowning in tomato sauce and the meat smelled weird...
(2)
H Z.
The five course meal is really a big meal! I have to pack a lot. I like their bread, so soft inside and crispy surface. The appetizer crab claw is very yummy!
(4)
Rock A.
Great place! Love it! Five course dinner is best deal around! Appetizer, pasta (marinara and alfredo), salad, entree, and dessert--all for around $30-$35!! Food is phenomenal! Plus you get freshly baked, crusty rolls. So fresh and hot they burn your fingers if you aren't careful--which is a good thing :) -Caesar salad is delicious but very garlicky (you will taste the garlic for a day, but sometimes it's worth it!) -Shrimp scampi is incredible. -My husband orders the Filet Mignon and puts it up against any steakhouse around--and he's eaten at the best numerous times. -Pasta is made fresh and delicious -Bourbon pecan pie and Tiramisu are out of this world! Pleasant Frank-Sinatra-style singing and live piano playing makes for a wonderful dining experience. The gentleman is very talented and soothing. Two dining areas. One is more formal and one has a ton of sports memorabilia hanging up. We enjoy both rooms, depending on our mood. But you may want to request one or the other. Service is always outstanding. The owner, Joe Impastato makes his way around the room to say hello. Something you don't see much these days. It's down home yet formal, if that makes sense. We always feel welcomed. Great choice for special occasions or any occasion!
(5)
Henri A.
Food was good, but service was terrible. I reserved a 7pm table for 6 on a Friday. Three of my guests arrived early, and the rest of us arrived right at 7pm. The staff did not give us menus or water or take a drink order for almost 15-minutes. There were waiters and other staff just standing around chatting and doing nothing. It almost seemed like the restaurant was not even open yet. Our waiter was hardly seen the whole time we were there. We were there 20-minutes before we even saw him. He only came to us for the dinner order, dessert orders and the bill. He also took a very long time to process my credit card. He never checked on us at all outside of that. There's no excuse for that. We had to waive down other staff for water and drink refills and bread. Some of us ordered the 4-course dinner. They brought the second course (2 pastas) almost immediately after we got out first appetizer, and we struggled to fit it all on the table. They were supposed to serve these courses consecutively. Our table was situated in the middle of 2 major traffic lanes for the staff. I got bumped and rubbed by the staff the whole time I was there. The food was very good aside for a bone in my Trout Payton entree. Two of my guests had entrees that looked like there was an entire stick of melted butter in them, but dipping the hot Italian style bread in them worked well for them. One other strange thing was this old guy on a stage singing songs to prerecorded background music. He sang songs of an entire Willie Nelson album. Really? Willie Nelson in an Italian restaurant? One of my guests was a Willie Nelson fan and liked it, but I thought it was strange.
(2)
Dana A.
While visiting family during Mardi Grad my sister and I and our SO's decided to go here for Valentine's Day dinner. Plenty of our family have eaten here and it came highly recommended. One of our party decided to order lobster, at a ridiculously hefty price tag, and when it came out found it to be rubbery, bland, and off in flavor. Now, when paying so much money for a lobster you would expect it to be succulent and flavorful. This person is no stranger to seafood so it wasn't a newbie mistake on their part. The food was sent back and a different dish brought out with no fuss. The waitress was very accommodating and pleasant through the whole thing. We all settled in to eat when the owner came storming out of the kitchen and proceeded to rudely, and loudly, tell our table off for sending food back. We were all dumbfounded. NEVER is there ever any excuse for a paying customer to be talked to like that, owner or not. Food will be sent back, it's a risk you take owning a restaurant. But you bite the bullet and try to make sure your guests have a memorable meal, for a good reason. We were extremely embarrassed and taken aback by this behavior. We will NEVER be back to this establishment and we're making sure everyone knows what kind of treatment customers get here.
(2)
Kendra H.
This was the greatest place in the whole of New Orleans. We actually just came in for some bananas foster because, well yeah. From the second we came in and asked to be seated for dessert it was such a great experience. The hostess was very helpful and our waiter Chris gave the most exceptional service. It was a very hilarious and unimaginable experience.
(5)
Alison G.
Really excellent food. Sooo good! I would have gave five stars, but I didn't like how loud the restaurant was. However, the loudness seemed to be part of the ambience. Service was okay. We did not get the appetizer we were supposed to get or our coffee. We were so full, we didn't bring it up, but it really should not have been forgotten....
(4)
Andy S.
This is my favourite restaurant in the outskirts of New Orleans. They treat you like an old Italian friend. You should choose from their 5-course menu where you get an appetizer, pasta, salad, meal, and dessert. Believe me, you will be full before you get to the dessert. It is also great to go with groups and sample everyone else's meal, especially the appetizers. The experience is great especially on nights when the lounge singer is there entertaining everyone.
(5)
K W.
This is sad, one of my favorite out of the way places but the absolute failure of service tonight can not be ignored. Reservations are apparently more of a suggestion. Shame on you Impastados.
(1)
Nadona G.
Walked in and stood at the hostess stand for about 5 minutes while employees constantly walked past us without the slightest attempt of acknowledgment. My husband finally asked in a loud voice if anyone worked there and a waiter stopped in his tracks grabbed a couple of menus and showed us to a seat by the kitchen. The inside pages of my menu fell on the floor (my 8 year old could construct a better functioning menu) and our waiter finally came and asked us if we wanted anything to drink. I ordered a salad for starters, it was overdressed but managed to taste bland! For the entree I ordered the ricotta ravioli and my husband ordered the lasagna. While we waited for the food we could hear some of the staff arguing in the back. The food came and it was disgusting! Drowned in this red sauce that tasted something like the sauce in a can of spaghetti-o's. My husband and I thought the whole thing was a joke and just sat there in disbelief that this place is even open. My husband and son left the table to go to the restroom and on the way back they saw a couple of the hostesses (?) physically fighting in the kitchen. I could hear it but I didn't see it.. As my husband got back to the table he asked for the check. We were there for 20 min, had two bites of our food, paid the $60 check and left VERY disappointed. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. There was nothing good about it.
(1)
Masia R.
Let me start with the environment. It was so welcoming and the temperature inside and spacing was literally perfect. The service was amazing the decor was so interesting and romantic yet still comfortable for a casual night. It was by far the best kept restaurant in Metairie. - The food! I ordered the chicken Parmesan and the fried zucchini. It was exquisite. - I also had a Ketel One and Cranberry that was made with real cranberry juice and it was perfect. * Their Amaretto Sour was lovely aswell. Their host was amazing and the cocktail server and actual server were so helpful and attentive. At first I was worried because we didn't make a reservation but it was a Tuesday night and although it was still very full we were seated immediately and the placing of the tables from each other made you feel not crowded. -Lastly as we were leaving I was looking at the pictures of all the sports players on the wall and the owner walks up to me hands me this saints championship ring that literally must have cost a fortune because it was all gold and diamond covered and weighed a ton and said "take some pictures show your friends" it was so fun and interesting definitely a new favorite spot for me and my husband!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Dressy Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Sarah M.
The best italian I've had anywhere in the New Orleans area. The service is great, ecspecially the youngest Joseph. You can't beat the 5 course dinner for $30! The wine selection is great and the live musician adds to the ambience of the restaurant.
(5)The Foodie X.
My brother and his wife rave about this place so my expectations were heightened, and let's just say....what a disappointment! Overall: Food quality: Average Service: Sub par Atmosphere: Casual and comfortable We had reservations and we were seated immediately, which is great in my book. Shortly after being seated, a young girl took our drink orders. However, she skipped over a 4 year old (yeah lady, he wants a drink too) and when someone ordered a glass of wine, she had no clue what types of wine are offered. Se said that she would get the wine list. Well, ten minutes later, that wine list still had never made its way to our table. We had to ask for it again and she replied "Sorry, I was busy." Really? We are customers too. It took her all of about 2 minutes to bring it to us, so I didn't see how it was so time consuming that warranted us waiting that long and have to ask for it a second time. I would have rathered hear that she forgot. I guess we didn't matter. At least that is how I took it. Half hour later the head waiter finally took our order. He was very personable. I liked him. I ordered the 5 course dinner. Crab claws app, two pastas course, salad, veal Payton, and tiramisu, a $32.00 dinner. Our food came out fast and it was OK. Like I said, it didn't live up to the hype I heard about this place. The food is average. It wasn't bad, but nothing to write home about either. The atmosphere is enjoyable. As far as the wait staff, I have to say that half are friendly (the men) the other half (young snotty girls) were not. Bottom line, I was not impressed. I won't be back. I didn't think the experience justifies the prices.
(2)Shannon S.
Impastato's is owned by the brother of Sal of Sal & Judy's fame. Some of the dishes are very similar to what you can get at Sal & Judy's but some are very different and still very tasty. I've enjoyed all of the food I've had and there are still many dishes here I still want to sample. The service has always been very excellent and the servers have made some very good food and wine recommendations. Impastato's has a very unique atmosphere with an impressive collection of sports memorabilia, worthy of any sports bar, decorating the entire restaurant (and the owner seems to always be in the restaurant and happy to talk about his passion for collecting every time I've been there; and there might even be a few well known coaches or athletes dining along with you). There usually is live music and you might have to chase a violin player away but that can add to the fun. Certainly worthy of a visit and an interesting and great place to take a date.
(4)Sabrina T.
This is my favorite Italian restaurant in the New Orleans area! The 5 course meal is amazing. The Trout Romano, crab claw appetizer and the blueberry banana pie are my favorite items on the menu. We love Roy singing too! A definite must if you're looking for good Italian in New Orleans.
(5)Claire C.
This is more of a 2.5 star review, but what'cha gonna do. Went here on a Friday with four other people, including my italianish grandfather who wanted some hearty home cooking. We were seated immediately, so that was nice. The ambiance is kind of kitschy with a huge stained glass drop skylight in the middle of the dining room. The old photos in the entry were cool! Our waitress didn't really seem to know what she was doing, I think she was new, but she disappeared after giving us red wine glasses for our bottle of white and then picking them all up and giving us white glasses. The food: Calamari appetizer was ok, not the best. I wanted the crab claws but no one else agreed. Tom Fitzmorris was sitting at an adjacent table and seemed to be really enjoying his meal. I tried to order the lobster steamed in Cajun spices that was supposedly flown in daily, but they didn't have any lobster. Someone else in my party ordered a trout dish but they didn't have any trout even though 5 or so dishes on the menu were trout-based. I ended up getting the lasagna, which was really subpar and salty. The bottom layer of noodles wasn't cooked all the way and was hard to cut through. With less salt and more time in the oven, it would've been good though. It's hard to mess up lasagna. Others in my party seemed underwhelmed as well, except my grandfather who was munching away at some steamed cauliflower that was flavorless, and a mahi mahi dish that was supposed to substitute for the trout. The verdict: I guess if you're really in the mood for a heavy and rich Italian meal, this is the place to go. I was really looking forward to eating some of good Italian , but I didn't find it here. Everything was also really expensive considering the quality.
(3)Eileen Z.
Have you really lived if you haven't had a Rickey Jackson crab finger? I was actually fortunate enough to dine here with both Rickey and Mike McKenzie and we were treated like kings (of course). It was one of the most amazing experiences I have had. Everything is good for Metry Italian fair. The portions are ridic huge. The Red sauce and alfredo flows freely here. If you are a football or sports fan you should go if nothing else to see the museum of memorabilia here.
(4)Rachael K.
Was craving authentic homestyle Italian food and settled upon Impastatos for my birthday celebration with friends. While I normally would stick with a solid spaghetti and meatball I was tempted by the chef's 5 course special. It was way too much food but everything was delicious and I was excited to have a five course lunch leftover. The trout Payton is a must pick for your main course. The lounge singer was a nice touch! Will definitely be back sooner than later!
(5)L F.
Big mistake! We had reservations and from the time we arrived at the restaurant we felt rushed and they wanted us to leave. All of this was coming from the owner! Yes the owner came to our table three times and told the waitress that he needed our table - we were still eating. What about the table next to us where his family was sitting??? He also told the piano player to take breaks after each song so people would not stay longer to enjoy his music and song. What a nightmare - not the dining experience our party of 6 expected. We will NEVER go back to this place and we will let everyone know about this dining experience !
(1)Ellen Y.
I love Impastato's! The prices are great and you get plenty of food. Husband got the five course dinner choice and I got lasagna crab claws: delicious! the sauce had a good wine flavor to it alfredo and red sauce pasta: very good. alfredo is butter-heavy, which I liked salad: very good house dressing and tasted fresh and produce was fresh veal parmesan: wow! cooked really well and covered in delicious, thick parmesan cheese. and the red gravy is so yummy! cheesecake with raspberry sauce: soooo good lasagna: no ricotta cheese mixture and lots of ground beef. I liked it, but I didn't absolutely love it. I'd say the red gravy is better Service: our server Nicole was awesome, but the girls bussing the table and doing our drinks could have been a little friendlier. they just kind of didn't say anything. The ambiance was okay. it is covered in sports memorabilia and pictures, which i read some people didn't like. this doesn't bother me at all. it's a small restaurant, but we didn't feel crowded. i'm looking forward to going back.
(4)Christopher W.
I ate the Tom Fitzmorris eat club dinner tonight and the group was great but sad that the food nor service didn't live up to reputation. 1st the food, to start I had crab claws as my appetizer which was probable the best part of the meal. There was a sauce similar to my mother crab stew sauce which was good served along with home baked bread which was great. The second course was a romaine and tomato salad which featured a great dressing and was very good. The third course was a fettuccine alfredo and angel hair asciutta. The angel hair was great while I though the Alfredo was overly seasoned with black pepper. The main course was the house special veal Payton. The veal was a panne veal which was good but the topping of crabmeat, artichokes and mushrooms did not go well at all, and I have had better veal panne. The dessert was a creme fresh with blueberries which was good. The worst part of the meal was the service. Irregardless of the size of group we had the service should behave been way better. When you are at a fine restaurant you expect fine service and this didn't happen. Repeatedly you have to ask for water and others asked for bread that they never received. Overall I think it was way overrated.
(3)Kate F.
The salad, veal, and most everything was COVERED with oily sauces. Order ALL sauce on the side. I found it all much LESS tasty than Venizia. One must also LOVE football, which I could not care less about. The entire restaurants devoted to the Saints. It's like a Brooklyn Saints shrine. Good Sinatra style singing, but I couldn't enjoy it surrounded by foot all helmets. Frankly, I left all my food untouched. There was a 1/2 cup of dressing on a side salad and a stick off butter on one piece of veal.
(3)Sheryl L.
Had my husbands 65th birthday dinner celebration with a party of 10. Had the Chef Special. Exceeded my expectations and that of our guests as well. Service and food out of this world. Staff was unbelievable. Food beyond fantastic. More than we could consume. Want to impress friends and family? Take them here!
(5)jenn s.
Huge let down. As we were seated immediately we were also pressured immediately to order. Like the minute we sat down. We were pressured the entire meal. We were not given the chance to really look at the menu. Upon seating the servers were placing pasta in front of us which I guess they just assumed you wanted the five course meal. My daughter ordered lasagna which arrived very over cooked. Maybe I've watched too many episodes of Hell's Kitchen but I would've thought that someone from the kitchen to the waiter would've caught that. The pasta came out cold, the crab claws were good, my veal parmesean was not good. We had about 5 different servers. I never could figure out who exactly was our waiter but we were constantly out of drinks. The ambiance was okay if you like being surrounded by football helmets and jerseys. Too much ... overkill. I am not big on being rushed through a meal and the food wasn't anything to talk about. They have way too many restaurants in this city to put up with that ..
(1)Stephen L.
I had a great time with my sister and her adult son here. Big complete Italian meal for like 32 bucks. Fun, fancy/family style. I would definitely go back. I am picky and I enjoyed the food quite a lot.
(4)huong t.
Impasatatos you have my vote for fanciest Italian restaurant ive had the pleasure of dining at in Metry/New Orleans area. I love you salmon color tablecloths its a nice departure from the black or white im used too. Your bar area looks like a fine dining football fanatics dream with all its memoralbilia. Your food omg i would be soo happy to have just Crab Claws as my entree. It is that Incredible. My friend and I got the Joe's Dinner Special. I would have been perfectly happy if this was only a 3 course special of appetizer,entree and dessert instead of 5 which included salad and pasta. The Tilapia Payton was good but your chocolate mousse cake was divine! Service was great Alec was awesome! I will definately be back now i understand why people love this place soo much.
(4)Josh T.
Literally my favorite place to eat. It's been a few years, so I'm not sure if the quality has regressed, but I'm sure it's still excellent real Italian food.
(5)Al D.
Underwhelmed, odd, overrated. What? Impastato's underwhelming? The Impastato's experience all just a bit odd? Impastato's overrated? That can't be; after all Tom Fitzmorris gives it four stars and rates it number 60 on the 300 most essential New Orleans restaurants list. Well, I guess if you are a food critic, and you are a friend of theirs, you might have a more enjoyable experience than we had. First of all we arrived at 7 pm for our 7 pm reservation. We stood at the front door for a few minutes before my wife decided to go to the bathroom and said she would find me when she got out. She got out and I still hadn't seen the hostess. One of the waiters walked by at one point and said, "she'll be right with you." In the mean time three different groups walked in, were noticed by Mr. Joe who obviously knew them, and they were ushered immediately to a table in the front room. We were actually getting ready to walk out when the hostess finally greeted us, almost 10 minutes after our arrival, and seated us in the back room. This is where things started to get odd. The first thing we noticed was none of the servers were smiling, they all looked upset about something. The male wait staff were in suits and ties, the busboys were in black and whites, and the female wait staff were in black pants with black, un-tucked, wrinkled button down shirts...just a bit odd. We both got the five course meal which was a bit underwhelming. The crab claws were drowning in some thick gravy type sauce and the shrimp scampi were overcooked and rubbery. The pasta was nothing special, the same "red gravy" and alfredo sauce you can get at any other restaurant around town. The salad meager and the creamy Italian dressing tasted more like Good Seasons Italian from the old school shaker bottle. I had the Osso Bucco and it came out in a watery mess of a plate with rice drowning in the broth. Not a bad piece of meat but it was more of a soup on a plate than an entrée. The veal dish my wife had was supposed to be pan sautéed. The veal looked like three pieces of English beer battered fish and chips. It was obviously breaded and deep fried in the fryer, not pan sauteed. The sauce was premade and had broken on the plate. It all tasted just a bit "canned". After talking to one of the servers I think they use frozen veal cutlets and premade sauce that they heat up and toss on a plate. We seriously felt like we were in the middle of a Kitchen Nightmares/Restaurant Impossible episode. Then the desert. Out of 12 deserts on the menu they admitted they only make 2 of them in house. We ordered one of each. They were OK. One was cheesecake with a berry topping. Come to find out the berry topping is out of a can. Oh, by the way, the chocolate mousse cake everyone raves about...is the same chocolate mousse cake they serve at Zea's...both restaurants buy it from Sysco. Then, as we were leaving we passed by the front dining room. People are happy and laughing, unlike our back dining room that was dark and gloomy and depressing. The piano was playing and a guy was singing. I don't think it would have made the food any better but it may have made the experience better. I guess you have to be a friend, or food critic, to get good service here. Still though, I can't imagine how someone like Mr. Fitzmorris can give this place four stars based on the food they serve. They must really put on a show for him. Makes you wonder about some of his other ratings, I know I have at times. We'll give the place another chance, but I'm not holding my breath. I can get Sysco food anywhere in town.
(2)Robinbird M.
Good, but can't compare to Sal and Judy's. If you're a Saints fan come here. There are many walls of memorabilia. Joe Impastato tries too hard to make food the way his brother Sal Impastato does, but he does not succeed. Homemade pasta and tossing it in the sauce in front of all restaurant patrons is a nice start. It cannot compare to the simplicity and perfection of Sal's Lacombe place. I definitely will travel the extra hour and wait 2 weeks for my reservation to get the most perfect Italian meal. Sal and Judy's is better than my mama's cooking! Shhhhh...Don't tell her.
(3)Stephen K.
Party of 8 with a 5:00 reservation on a Thursday. Obviously, it was a little early, no one else was seated at that point. The staff was a little rushed getting us seated, table wasn't quite ready, nobody to serve at the bar. However, after a couple of minutes of standing around, the staff stepped it up. Interior is a little dated, but what you would expect in a high end family Italian restaurant that has been around for a while. Live entertainment that added positively to the atmosphere. Business casual dress seemed the norm. Service was above average to excellent. Handled a large table with ease. Additional help moved in when necessary. Efficient without being intrusive. Nice touch of preparing the pasta at the table. All the food was high quality. I had a trout dish that was so good I was envious of the trout. One member of the party had a filet that looked more like brisket - we were a little confused about that, but everything else was awesome. Lots of good dessert choices. The canoli was excellent. I didn't see the bill (short arms), but plan on $50 a person by the time you leave. I plan to go back.
(4)Courtney S.
We went to Impastato's for the first time on Friday night. The food is very good, with a number of traditional Italian and seafood dishes. The bread brought to the table before the meal was incredible--both soft and crispy. We both ordered the house salad before our meals...Wow. One of the best salads I've ever had. Initially I thought it was a bit pricy for a non-entree salad, but after tasting it, the cost no longer mattered. My boyfriend ordered the lasagna, which he said was among the best he ever had. I had the Redfish Payton, which was really good. The sauce was a bit rich, but in a good way. The staff was friendly and attentive. My water glass was never empty, which is always a good thing. The only negative: when the bill came, my boyfriend discovered they charged for soda refills--$2.50 per glass. No matter the restaurant, if a restaurant charges for refills, he refuses to return. (I may have to go back on my own...)
(4)Brent S.
Impastato's is an amazing restaurant. Definitely get the 5 course dinner meal, well worth your money! You start off with a choice of three appetizers which are all delicious. Then a salad, plate of half fettuccini and half pasta with red sauce. Then finally the entree, which you will have to take home because you will be so full. All of the food here is amazing, their bread is perfect too! Make sure you have a reservation because it does get crowded, and don't have plans for after dinner because you will be eating for a while!
(5)Marianne A.
Loved it! So much fun. Old school Italian place, complete with live entertainment. We did the 5 course meal. Pasta was great - one red sauce, one white. Moved on to crab claws, then salad. You can pick any entree with the dinner. I went with the chicken parm (it's my try out dish, if a restaurant gets that right, I'll come back and order other items). It was terrific. We all wanted to drink their red sauce. Others had the soft shell crab ("outstanding"), ricotta raviolis ("terrific") and trout almondine ("delicious"). Owner is a true restauranteur - visits each table, jokes with guests. Will absolutely go back again.
(5)Tay H.
This is hands down the best Italian restaurant in New Orleans - but it's also my favorite Italian restaurant anywhere in the country...and I've lived in New York City for the past five years and travel regularly to other U.S. food-mecca cities like Chicago, Seattle, Austin, and San Francisco. Everything you could possibly order here will be fantastic. You should know it's going to be good as soon as you get your fresh, hot bread...and things just get better and better from there. The shrimp scampi and crab claws are both decadent and delicious. The house pasta duo - pasta ascuitta and fettucini alfredo - are made with fresh, homemade pasta and are topped with the richest and tastiest of sauces. The Veal and Fish Payton are incredible, as is their ridiculously tender Pecan-Smoked Filet Mignon, served with an unexpectedly delicious roasted peach. I am also completely obsessed with their crab cannelloni and have begged to have it shipped to me on dry ice. Honestly, I could just go straight through the menu and tell you how awesome it all is - I really have tried it all - but you should go there and check it out for yourself. The owner, Mr. Joe, is an incredibly warm and amazing person. When someone as awesome as him is turning out such terrific food, how could you eat anywhere else???
(5)Rosemarie G.
Food is Uh-Mazing!! Authentic Italian Food. Couldn't be more pleased. Great entertainment too! This place is a real find
(5)Torrey S.
Had a 6:30 reservation...still no sign of being seated at 7:30 & had to go elsewhere,
(2)Faith A.
It's been quite some time since I have been to Impastato's and my family recently dined to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday. We all had such a great time we were questioning why we haven't been in such a long time. We went on a Thursday night and the dining room was nearly full for dinner. The decor is very "New Orleans in her glory days". Every inch of the walls are filled with 8x10 photographs of memories past. You can't help but begin to feel a little nostalgic as you look around the room. The menu is vast and offers all the New Orleans Italian classics. After looking through the menu we all decided to opt for the 5 course pre-fixed dinner. The price varied depending on what you chose but it was about $32-$40 a person for an appetizer, pasta, salad, entree and dessert. So. Much. Food. It made the most sense in terms of best value, but you've been warned. You will leave uncomfortably full. But really, what is a good Italian meal without being stuffed up to your eyeballs upon completion? I thought everything was paced out really well. We never felt rushed, but the courses never took a long period of time to come out either. For my appetizer I chose the shrimp au gratin. Holy creamy cheesy goodness batman! It came out piping hot and sizzling, it was delicious and rich. Next on deck was a healthy portion of pasta, a sampling of their alfredo and red sauce, the best of both worlds. A salad with a light Italian dressing was welcomed after 2 heavy courses. For my entree I went with the Fish Payton which was a great piece of white fish topped with a lemon butter sauce with mushrooms and artichoke hearts and crab meat and crawfish. The fish was a white flaky fish and tasted great, no fishy flavor. The sauce was delicious and complimented the fish nicely without overpowering it. My husband got the pecan smoked 10 oz. filet and it was cooked perfectly. It was one of the best steaks I've had in the city. For $40 and it comes with 4 other courses makes it one hell of a deal. The 5th and final course was dessert. I was so full by this point, but the homemade cheesecake that they make in house caught the attention of my sweet tooth. Yep, you guessed it. It was awesome. They also have a huge wine list. I found their prices for bottles to be a little high, but priced right for wines by the glass. One of our favorite parts of the night was the entertainment. An adorable older gentleman sang old songs while playing the piano. I really felt like I stepped back in time and was living in the glory days of old school New Orleans. He approached our table and asked what the special occasion was and played a special song dedicated to the birthday girl. Needless to say, my mother in law had a great time on her birthday. We will definitely not let multiple years go by before we visit again!
(5)Skylar S.
Yeah, wasn't excited about eating Italian food in New Orleans, but this place was pretty legit, even though I couldn't keep the thought of gumbo out of my brain. The owner(who was pictured with hundreds of famous people all around the restaurant) came to our table and basically just told us to sit back and enjoy the "special" and he gauranteed we would love it.... We did. We had a table of about eight guys, and they literally kept bringing plate after plate of delicious food to our table. I had the veal porterhouse, and I loved it. Some weird old man was singing on stage. He looked like he was like 97. It was kind of cool I guess, but it didn't really sound great. I'm down for some cool old Italian tunes, but you should be able to sing my man! They may want to consider rethinking the entertainment... Cool sports memorabilia every where. I especially loved the Thurman Thomas jersey. Go Bills.
(4)Chris N.
I have to agree with the sediments of a couple of my fellow Yelpers; this is one of the best Italian restaurants in New Orleans. Since I'm Italian myself, I naturally have a high standard for this cuisine. I immediately separate Italian restaurants into two categories; restaurants that make their pasta in-house, and those that don't. This restaurant does in fact make all of their pasta in-house, which brings their dishing up a few more notches. Everyone in my party ordered a different app, entree, and dessert, and we all sampled each other's dish. Everything was fantastic. The wait staff was very attentive and personable. Our waitress made us laugh on several occasions. I am really looking forward to bringing some of my family members to this rare, authentic Italian restaurant.
(5)Joshua H.
This place is Italian as fuck! I was expecting Robert Dinero and Joe Pesci to walk out from the kitchen the whole time I was there. This is probably one of the most authentic Italian restaurants I've been to. I ran across this place after being stuck in Metairie and I was not ready for the level of experience. Service was amazing. And the atmosphere added to the experience as well. Football helmets everywhere from famous football players who has eaten there at one point. Pictures of the restaurant owner with icons like Mohammed Ali and others. I came here completely underdressed, but was treated no differently for it. The waitress girls were all very sexy. And the food was delicious. I ordered the Alfredo Pasta as an appetizer and lasagna for dinner and it was perfectly cooked. And the ingredients were all imported, so the taste was fresh, unique and of course delicious. I would recommend anybody who can afford this place (because it isn't cheap) to go there. 5 stars... easy.
(5)Iva Y.
I have no idea why people rave about this place. Was nothing special for me, ordered their 5 course dinner deal, they serve you 2 kinds of pasta for appetizer and that was something I normally make at home when I'm out of food,the salad was probably the best thing. I ordered Veal Parmesan for entree and it was drowning in tomato sauce and the meat smelled weird...
(2)H Z.
The five course meal is really a big meal! I have to pack a lot. I like their bread, so soft inside and crispy surface. The appetizer crab claw is very yummy!
(4)Rock A.
Great place! Love it! Five course dinner is best deal around! Appetizer, pasta (marinara and alfredo), salad, entree, and dessert--all for around $30-$35!! Food is phenomenal! Plus you get freshly baked, crusty rolls. So fresh and hot they burn your fingers if you aren't careful--which is a good thing :) -Caesar salad is delicious but very garlicky (you will taste the garlic for a day, but sometimes it's worth it!) -Shrimp scampi is incredible. -My husband orders the Filet Mignon and puts it up against any steakhouse around--and he's eaten at the best numerous times. -Pasta is made fresh and delicious -Bourbon pecan pie and Tiramisu are out of this world! Pleasant Frank-Sinatra-style singing and live piano playing makes for a wonderful dining experience. The gentleman is very talented and soothing. Two dining areas. One is more formal and one has a ton of sports memorabilia hanging up. We enjoy both rooms, depending on our mood. But you may want to request one or the other. Service is always outstanding. The owner, Joe Impastato makes his way around the room to say hello. Something you don't see much these days. It's down home yet formal, if that makes sense. We always feel welcomed. Great choice for special occasions or any occasion!
(5)Henri A.
Food was good, but service was terrible. I reserved a 7pm table for 6 on a Friday. Three of my guests arrived early, and the rest of us arrived right at 7pm. The staff did not give us menus or water or take a drink order for almost 15-minutes. There were waiters and other staff just standing around chatting and doing nothing. It almost seemed like the restaurant was not even open yet. Our waiter was hardly seen the whole time we were there. We were there 20-minutes before we even saw him. He only came to us for the dinner order, dessert orders and the bill. He also took a very long time to process my credit card. He never checked on us at all outside of that. There's no excuse for that. We had to waive down other staff for water and drink refills and bread. Some of us ordered the 4-course dinner. They brought the second course (2 pastas) almost immediately after we got out first appetizer, and we struggled to fit it all on the table. They were supposed to serve these courses consecutively. Our table was situated in the middle of 2 major traffic lanes for the staff. I got bumped and rubbed by the staff the whole time I was there. The food was very good aside for a bone in my Trout Payton entree. Two of my guests had entrees that looked like there was an entire stick of melted butter in them, but dipping the hot Italian style bread in them worked well for them. One other strange thing was this old guy on a stage singing songs to prerecorded background music. He sang songs of an entire Willie Nelson album. Really? Willie Nelson in an Italian restaurant? One of my guests was a Willie Nelson fan and liked it, but I thought it was strange.
(2)Dana A.
While visiting family during Mardi Grad my sister and I and our SO's decided to go here for Valentine's Day dinner. Plenty of our family have eaten here and it came highly recommended. One of our party decided to order lobster, at a ridiculously hefty price tag, and when it came out found it to be rubbery, bland, and off in flavor. Now, when paying so much money for a lobster you would expect it to be succulent and flavorful. This person is no stranger to seafood so it wasn't a newbie mistake on their part. The food was sent back and a different dish brought out with no fuss. The waitress was very accommodating and pleasant through the whole thing. We all settled in to eat when the owner came storming out of the kitchen and proceeded to rudely, and loudly, tell our table off for sending food back. We were all dumbfounded. NEVER is there ever any excuse for a paying customer to be talked to like that, owner or not. Food will be sent back, it's a risk you take owning a restaurant. But you bite the bullet and try to make sure your guests have a memorable meal, for a good reason. We were extremely embarrassed and taken aback by this behavior. We will NEVER be back to this establishment and we're making sure everyone knows what kind of treatment customers get here.
(2)Kendra H.
This was the greatest place in the whole of New Orleans. We actually just came in for some bananas foster because, well yeah. From the second we came in and asked to be seated for dessert it was such a great experience. The hostess was very helpful and our waiter Chris gave the most exceptional service. It was a very hilarious and unimaginable experience.
(5)Alison G.
Really excellent food. Sooo good! I would have gave five stars, but I didn't like how loud the restaurant was. However, the loudness seemed to be part of the ambience. Service was okay. We did not get the appetizer we were supposed to get or our coffee. We were so full, we didn't bring it up, but it really should not have been forgotten....
(4)Andy S.
This is my favourite restaurant in the outskirts of New Orleans. They treat you like an old Italian friend. You should choose from their 5-course menu where you get an appetizer, pasta, salad, meal, and dessert. Believe me, you will be full before you get to the dessert. It is also great to go with groups and sample everyone else's meal, especially the appetizers. The experience is great especially on nights when the lounge singer is there entertaining everyone.
(5)K W.
This is sad, one of my favorite out of the way places but the absolute failure of service tonight can not be ignored. Reservations are apparently more of a suggestion. Shame on you Impastados.
(1)Nadona G.
Walked in and stood at the hostess stand for about 5 minutes while employees constantly walked past us without the slightest attempt of acknowledgment. My husband finally asked in a loud voice if anyone worked there and a waiter stopped in his tracks grabbed a couple of menus and showed us to a seat by the kitchen. The inside pages of my menu fell on the floor (my 8 year old could construct a better functioning menu) and our waiter finally came and asked us if we wanted anything to drink. I ordered a salad for starters, it was overdressed but managed to taste bland! For the entree I ordered the ricotta ravioli and my husband ordered the lasagna. While we waited for the food we could hear some of the staff arguing in the back. The food came and it was disgusting! Drowned in this red sauce that tasted something like the sauce in a can of spaghetti-o's. My husband and I thought the whole thing was a joke and just sat there in disbelief that this place is even open. My husband and son left the table to go to the restroom and on the way back they saw a couple of the hostesses (?) physically fighting in the kitchen. I could hear it but I didn't see it.. As my husband got back to the table he asked for the check. We were there for 20 min, had two bites of our food, paid the $60 check and left VERY disappointed. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. There was nothing good about it.
(1)Masia R.
Let me start with the environment. It was so welcoming and the temperature inside and spacing was literally perfect. The service was amazing the decor was so interesting and romantic yet still comfortable for a casual night. It was by far the best kept restaurant in Metairie. - The food! I ordered the chicken Parmesan and the fried zucchini. It was exquisite. - I also had a Ketel One and Cranberry that was made with real cranberry juice and it was perfect. * Their Amaretto Sour was lovely aswell. Their host was amazing and the cocktail server and actual server were so helpful and attentive. At first I was worried because we didn't make a reservation but it was a Tuesday night and although it was still very full we were seated immediately and the placing of the tables from each other made you feel not crowded. -Lastly as we were leaving I was looking at the pictures of all the sports players on the wall and the owner walks up to me hands me this saints championship ring that literally must have cost a fortune because it was all gold and diamond covered and weighed a ton and said "take some pictures show your friends" it was so fun and interesting definitely a new favorite spot for me and my husband!
(5)