D’Amato’s
222 S Sherman Dr, Royal Oak, MI, 48067
D’Amato’s Menu
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Address :
222 S Sherman Dr
Royal Oak, MI, 48067 - Phone (248) 584-7400
- Website https://www.damatos.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Tue
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Valet, Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Classy
Noise Level : Loud
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Italian Cuisine
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.
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Nada O.
I know I said I was a red wine kind of a gal, but sometimes a girl wants something flirty, fun and full of calories-a martini. If you're looking for a great martini, D'amato's is the place to check out. And I mean this place has absolute lethal martinis. I must warn future patrons of D'amatos that these martinis have a high toxicity-just one and you're good for the night. One of my favorite martinis is the Lemon Drop. I must say though it is an acquired taste. If you're not a fan of bitter citrus I would recommend the Bellini. Besides the drinks, the atmosphere of D'amatos is laid back and chill. D'amato's connected to Goodnight Gracies, so if you're interested in having a drink and a cigar, pop on over next door.
(3)Sara G.
If this review was written 6 months ago, they would have gotten 5 stars-easy. But it's not. My husband and I used to be huge fans of their happy hour but they got rid of some of the best things on that menu. They had amazing lamb chops and calamari and I was so disappointed when the menu changed. The service at the bar is still amazing. I have never tried the regular menu but plan to soon!
(3)K L.
Well what can I say other then amazing...went there last night during restaurant week and had an amazing time. From the food to our server Denise (great attitude and so helpful) even though it seemed to be really busy due to high volume. Thanks again for a lovely time! Will be back again very soon!
(5)K H.
Went there a couple of weeks ago for a Birthday Day party. We had thre tables of us. We were seated in an area behind a curtain. It was a cold night outside and they have no heat in the room. We ate with our coats on.....staff said it would warm up but it never did. Our waitress was a rude little girl with a constantly runny nose. It was clear that she was doing us a favor being there. The food was awful; several people sent dishes back but tasteless replacements were brought out.. Our bill exceeded $1,000, which was a complete waste.
(1)Vince B.
I've had the Chicken Marsala here, very good man sized portions. Great place to go to start a Friday or Saturday night. Then head into Goodnight Gracies attached. I've had good food and good times here.
(4)Donn A.
I would go to this place for the calamari and their Cavatappi pasta. I've never been fond of calamari, but theirs make me crave for it. I don't think there's anything special they do to it, but the way it's tender (I've tried a lot that can be overcooked and rubbery, ugh!) and seasoned makes me want to eat more. The marinara sauce provides the perfect balance to the squid. The Cavatappi, on the other hand, gives me my garlic fix. Creamy and garlicky enough, and I must say, for something that uses garlic powder, I was surprised I actually liked it (I'm a fresh garlic guy, wards away bloodsuckers!). Others that I've tried here include the chicken marsala, which can be a little on the sweet side; their tiramisu, which was average; and the bruschetta (come on, how can you go wrong fixing a bruschetta?). Reasonably priced for their serving - prepare to share your pasta!
(3)victoria z.
I used to love a chicken dish this place offered, on our second attempt we were finally able to dine here, However the menu has been redone, and the chicken dish pulled because the new chef did not want an older chefs dish on his menu, fair enough, but if your pulling a great dish replace it with something as good if not better. This meal was a huge let down, The reason for 2 stars as opposed to one, is the service was very nice, and the soup that began our meal was very tasty and creative. It was a tomato soup topped with shredded hard boiled eggs and panchetta. I had mine without the panchetta so it lacked saltiness but otherwise the soup was very good. That is where the meal stopped being good. Firstly the new menu is incredibly over priced. I paid 3.75 for a cup of lipton's black tea. The main course. I had whole wheat pasta, with spring vegetables, a balsamic sauce, and grilled chicken. The noodles were very bland and slimey, the sauce was over powering, and their was mustard encrusted on the chicken, the chicken didn't seem like it went with the rest of the meal. My date had the sea scallops with sausage. The portion of this dish was very tiny for the price, it was 4 very small scallops a small amount of sausage and some veggies in the middle. He said his dish was not very good, either. I did not even eat my pasta, and we boxed it to go for him to eat later, and he decided later it was pretty gross as well. All and all our tab was 75 dollars, for basically a couple bowls of soup. I would no longer recommend this place, aside from the dining space is beautiful and the servers are very nice. But for the price and the food you receive it is not worth it, now I understand why they closed the kitchen an hour and a half early a few weeks back. They were doing me a favor.
(2)Pam E.
My party dined at D'Amatos on Nov 18. The service was excellent and the food was very good. I had the daily special of whole wheat linguini with salmon,asparagus and other veg in a cream based sauce. The salmon was cooked well and the portion was generous. My companion had a menu item of shrimp with tomatoes and other veg in a lemony sauce. It was very good.
(4)Laura M.
The food gets 5 stars and the wait staff gets 5 stars as well. I wish I could give I would like to give one star to upper management.. Management is so disorganized that they could not fulfill my reservation for a party of 12, even with a weeks notice. My phone calls were not returned, LIsa even disconnected me mid sentence when I finally got through to check the status of my reservation, and never bothered to call me back. This used to be one of my favorite restaurants. Maggiano's in Troy was happy to accommodate our party with one day notice, they were professional and the communication was exceptional, and the food was Great!!! Wish I could have been gushing over D'amatos. I bet the owner has no idea of the poor management.
(3)Otis M.
We held my Dad's birthday party here and it was great. The management team was a pleasure to work with. One short planning session and it was all set. Brunch was enjoyed by all. There was live music, mimosa by the carafe, food was great and we had all the space we needed for 30 people. I can't speak for their dinners, but our experience was very good.
(4)Parisa K.
I've only been to this D'Amatos a few times, and only once for dinner. I used to go all the time back in Ann Arbor during undergrad, but that place has since closed :( The D'Amatos in Royal Oak is set up much differently than the one in Ann Arbor. It's a cute space, but if you are planning on going for a quiet dinner, then don't go on a weekend night. It's attached to Gracie's and the bar at D'Amatos fills up itself, sort of taking over the restaurant. On to the food.... they have great calamari and good bruschetta. Their Napoleon pasta is delicious if you are looking for something simple and cheap, and the lemon chicken is delicious. I wish I knew if the entire menu is up to par with the Ann Arbor menu, but I haven't dined here enough to know, so I'm not about to say. Though pretty much all of the Ann Arbor menu was quite delicious (with my two favorites being the baked brie appetizer and the eggplant parmesean).
(4)Fern G.
I had dinner here a few nights ago and my overall experience was good. I was a bit concerned at first because the restaurant is so dimly lit. Usually, low lighting in a restaurant is a red flag that the place is trying to hide something (like outdated/old furnishings, high menu prices, etc.) Not in this case, I think they're just trying to achieve the right ambiance. I ordered the crab cake appetizer and it was hands down, the BEST crab cake I ever ate in my life! I'm a foody and a cook so I'm pretty picky when it comes to food. I make crab cakes at home with aioli and mine aren't even this good! They serve it over toasted focaccia with smoky bacon and arugula AND a fried egg on top! Woah mama! There was so much flavor going on here it was crazy! And it wasn't all filler either like some crab cakes. It was just fandamtastic. I ordered the filet mignon for dinner....well....here's where things got a bit rough. When they presented the dish, I found it odd that the meat was so large and filleted. Normally a FM is around 6-8 oz and 1-2 inches thick. I asked for mine mid-well so there would be some pink in the middle (plus I didn't want them to over-cook it and dry it out). I don't know what piece of beef they gave me but it was huge, filleted, and dry. It almost looked like the beef people use for pot roast - it had the same texture. I took a bite of the vegetables around the steak (parsnips, asparagus, etc) and ran them through the sherry sauce on the plate. WOAH - SO SALTY! I couldn't believe it, I thought maybe I got a bad vegee so I took a few other bites. Everything was WAY too salty - the sherry sauce, the beef, and the vegetables. The steak was dry and grainy - I'm still convinced it was not a filet. And for $27.00 oy vey! Maybe I should have known better. As a cook, I know that capers are salty, prosciutto is salty, and Parmesano reggiano is salty so to see all 3 of these ingredients in one dish, perhaps I should have said no. I was intrigued by the sherry sauce so I thought I'd give it a try. It almost tasted like they used too much beef stock, beef bouillon, salt, and onion powder to flavor the dish. My dinner companion had the saffron shrimp fettuccine and was very satisfied. The pasta appeared to be fresh and not from a box but I can't be sure since I didn't eat it. I sent the filet mignon back and told him no thanks. They were nice enough to apologize and take it off of my bill with no hassles. It didn't ruin me on the place though, I'll definitely be back to try some pasta and other dishes. Overall, I'd say don't order the filet mignon but everything else was good.
(4)Andrew H.
Well, I've waited the whole month so I wouldn't review while still pissed off...so, here it is. Four of us had New Year's Eve dinner here; the first sitting at 6pm. A prix fix menu of four courses, app, soup/salad, entree & dessert. Now, being raised in a restaurant, I totally understand that you've got to make your bucks on "special occassions", but they took it to the ridiculous. Apps we mediocre at best (unfortunately that was the best part of the meal). Soup was "lobster bisque" with not a sign of any lobster, overly salted and a couple kernals of raw corn. I had Diver Scallops for the entree...they gave me two of them, yes, just two, barely enough to qualify as an app. No garnish to speak of other than some slivered deep fried tomato that was just weird (no longer qualified as food). My better half had the Fillet (which was advertised at 7oz., cheap-skates...std is 8 oz for petit cut. She ordered it Medium (the only one at our table to order the beef so no confusion). It was served to her between rare and med rare...server took forever to come back and check on us... I asked where the rest of my entree was and why such a "great" restaurant, for those prices, can't cook a simple fillet. She took it away and returned with what see called a corrected order. It was still med rare, WOW...are these people for real. Slopping up meager portions (not looking for tons of food, just a proper portion) without garnish and unable to cook a simple steak. The early seating was not very busy, so no excuses (even if it was, there shouldn't be excuses). I felt sorry for the poor schmucks coming to the sold out late seating...I figure they'll throw one scallop in the middle of the table and let the patrons arm wrestle for it. Only one of the four entrees was even close to OK, a piece of fish. So, four drinks and paultry portions of app, entree and a sliver of dessert ran us $350 bucks AAAAAAHHHHHHHH Robery! Oh, they added 20% gratuity to the bill, but failed to mention it at any time. Classless profiteering. We could have gone to many REALLY GOOD restaurants for that kind of cash. Big rip off. Go anywhere but here and you'll be much happier.
(1)Kamie P.
It doesn't seem like there are too many great options for dining outside of this downtown Royal Oak area, but D'amato's actually suprised me. The interior is pretty large, has a full bar, and has a nice dim European feel to it. We tried the bruschetta and the Orchiette pasta. I wasn't such a fan of the bruschetta since they didn't use diced tomatos and it just didn't do it for me. I liked the bread they serve which was uniquely dense, kind of like sarah lee poundcake, yet still soft. The Orchiette pasta (Sauteed shrimp, applewood bacon, grape tomato, arugula, finished with lemon dill sauce and pecorino romano cheese), over the orchiette pasta that tastes like fresh shell pasta, was served very hot, which i appreciate, and the addition of the dill really complemented the dish. I was suprised by how much I enjoyed it! I'd recommend venturing out to this restaurant or this area if you're stuck in Southfield, MI with its limited dining options...
(4)sandhya H.
A classic spot to enjoy yummy appetizers/food and a great glass of wine. Beautiful interior,a nice place to meet a friend or have a family meal. The staff is highly skilled and the owners are very nice. Check it out!
(5)Judi D.
If you were like me and had never tried D'Amato's, its time for you to do so. Just had a wonderful dinner with a group of friends. The January special pasta, Tortelloni Rustica, was perfectly cooked and full of flavor. Another member of our party had the Chicken Marsala and was very impressed. And, if you are lucky enough to have Drew as your server, you will not only get excellent service, but someone who is very knowledgeable about the menu and someone who obviously enjoys his job. Thanks for a great evening. Will add D'Amato's to by list of favorite Royal Oak restaurants.
(5)Vickie S.
Wonderful, *Authentic* Italian food, lovely atmosphere, and a great selection of wines that are sure to please every palate!
(4)H C.
After reading yelp reviews, my husband chose to celebrate out 37th anniversary at D'Mato's last night and we are thrilled he did! To make things short and sweet... Food was served hot, plentiful and wonderfully flavorful Service was impeccable Atmosphere was charming with excellent spacing between tables which is important to me. We will return often... thanks for an enjoyable evening!
(5)Teresa ..
The first time my girlfriends and I dined here, everything was delicious. It was a busy night, but we had made reservations so we were seated right away. I ordered the Filet Mignon, and it was delicious. The microgreens, potatoes, and mushrooms were very tasty and the filet was cooked and seasoned perfectly. The bread they gave was also warm and soft. The second time around I brought my boyfriend here, raving about their filet mignon and bread. When we arrived, it was completely dead with only two other tables in the dining room. Our bread was cold and not soft like it was when we went the winter before. I assumed it was cold due to the lack of business they were having, so I brushed it off. We were also given a soup/salad choice, which I don't remember was provided when we first went to D'amatos. I ordered the Filet Mignon and it was different this time around. It was topped with leeks and there were few pieces of mushroom. The proscuitto made t he steak more salty than necessary. I was so disappointed with the changes they made to the Filet Mignon that I don't think I will return. They also provided a penne pasta that came with my steak (which was not included last time). I'd rather prefer spending $28 to get a great steak than to get a less than mediocre one with one side and a soup/salad.
(3)Helena H.
Food wasn't bad. We had the Tuesday special. Service leaves a lot to be desired. We sat for 20 minutes before we got our wine bottle. Then everything was dumped at the table at once. Two bites and they wanted their plates back lol. We kept saying we are not done until we really got upset ! I might come back for happy hour but that's about it! I have to add, we did like the decor and the ambiance. We went to Gracie's and that's a cozy place. I guess we will keep it on the list of places to go. One bad service should not speak for restaurant. They probably need to train them a little better.
(3)Keith W.
Sometimes, no matter how hard anyone tries, the planets just won't align! That was our experience last night: We had reservations for 8:15PM hoping to miss the dinner rush hour and arrived at 8:00PM. Was seated right away and that's when the fun began. It was between 10 and 15 minutes before our waiter, Jason, appeared. We ordered the Tuesday night special of Surf and Turf for two for $50. Asked for bread and water. Noise ambiance was louder than I expected but a conversation was possible across the table without having to raise my voice much. Another 10 minutes passed before the bread and water showed up but there was no oil, vinegar and cheese/spices at our table for the bread. Another 10 minutes passed before our salad and soup showed up. Had asked for Minestrone but Italian Chili showed up (unless the Minestrone is supposed to be really thick, I was too hungry to send it back). Asked for fixins for the bread. Wondered about the bottle of wine that comes with the dinner, just about when I was going to ask, Jason came and uncorked a bottle of California Zinfandel. Chili and salad were fine. After we finished our salad and chili it was probably another 10 minutes when a busser removed our plate and bowl. Main course showed up; had ordered one steak done medium and one medium well. It's a 50/50 chance and lost, we switched the steaks and we were off and running. Lobster and steak tasted fine but my lobster was room temp. Lobster was cooked just right with no sense of rubberiness. My medium steak was right on the money. Tony, the General Manager, was doing a walk around and asked us how things were going. Jason had not yet made a return appearance to check up on us. Main course was 80% eaten by this point. Talked him through what is outlined above, he was very apologetic, got our bread situation fixed, and offered us two Tiramisu as a conciliation prize. Told Tony the waitstaff appeared to be overwhelmed, but this was approx 9:30P and half the tables were empty so I'm not sure what was going on. Busser cleared the table. Jason appeared and apologized for our disappointment and brought our Tiramisu. Asked for the bill, gave an okay tip, and left. Underwhelming to say the least. Too much good competition within easy walking distance. We have had much worse service and food over the years so it wasn't a disaster but the ongoing collection of miscues and mistakes was a disappointment. No one is perfect but the difference and opportunity is made when the problem occurs and the people who can make a difference quickly pick up the pieces and more than compensate for what happened. We may try again sometime in the future but it isn't a priority in the big scheme of things.
(2)Jason H.
I have been here for happy hour at Goodnight Gracie, dinner at D'amato's and Sunday brunch. All of these occasions were top notch. The new dinner and brunch menus are excellent! I would definitely recommend pasta with Mrs. P's palomino sauce as a side to their great entres. Brunch is my favorite atmosphere in Royal Oak. There is a live (but not insanely loud) jazz band and not as many "Sunday Funday" drinkers to ruin a nice meal. Although, you will catch a decent buzz from their homemade mimosas that taste delicious. The new ownership make you feel like you are part of the D'amatos family each and every time.
(5)Alex P.
DUDE! Horrible, horrible service in the bar area. We were with a group of friends trying to have some dinner and drinks before a show. We had to get up from our serviced table to order most of our drinks directly from the bartender. The waiter seemed spread too thin and like he was taking care of the whole bar by himself. Wasn't just our table... Lots of tables near us had similar feelings. It was almost like we were on Punked. Repeatedly asked when we would be getting our food. When it finally came out all of the nearby tables were eyeing it like a group of hungry lions. The table next to us got totally shafted. He "forgot" to put their order in and remembered after an hour of them waiting for it. Will NOT be back here. Maybe try the restaurant area if you are looking for any kind of decent service.
(2)Heather B.
I think this place deserves a solid 4 stars. The service was attentive but not annoyingly so. We each got a cocktail, I got the very good sour raspberry martini and my husband got a Kentucky buck--we liked them a lot. The minestrone was decent, but nothing amazing (same with the bread). My husband's salad had shaved Parmesan in it, which kicked it up a notch from average. He really liked his chicken Parmesan and I enjoyed the stuffed shells. For dessert we shared the deep fried tempura candy bars (peanut butter cups and snickers) and the cinnamon donuts---by far my favorite part of the meal.
(4)S S.
I loved everything about this place. The food, the atmosphere, service, the key lime martinis! Great happy hour specials, even on Saturdays, but I had to ask for the menu. The bread, crispy brussel sprouts, corn chowder, the cavatappi, all fabulous. I had enough pasta and chicken left over for a full lunch the next day. Did I mention the key lime martini? This may turn into my favorite downtown RO spot.
(5)Jenn A.
Although we've been here before, it had been a while, so we thought we would take advantage of the Tuesday Surf and Turf special they were running through the end of November. All in all, we had a very enjoyable experience. I would recommend a reservation if you are going to try and hit this up next week though, when we got there at 6:30, there was over an hour wait for a table without a reservation, but we were able to score seats at the bar. Also, be prepared to wait (again, for the Tuesday special) as they were quite backed up with orders. Nonetheless, the food was prepared wonderfully and the wine selection was great as well. All in all, you can't go wrong with a feast for two with wine for $53 (with taxes and before tip). I am eager to try this place for brunch again to see what other pleasant changes may have taken place with the new ownership.
(5)Dick E.
For some reason I just wasn't impressed with this place. I mean the food was good but it wasn't worth what I paid. I might go back, I might not, just depends on what happens in the future.
(3)Christina D.
The owner replied to my previous review acknowledging the problem (waited 15 min at table without anyone taking my order) and offering a customer friendly 're-try'. I didn't take him up on it, but appreciate the customer respect he conveyed in his reply.
(4)Nancy D.
Stopped here for dinner Saturday before a show at Stagecrafters. Since we didn't have reservations, the greeter mentioned that we could sit next door in the bar (Goodnight Gracie's) and order off the menu. Worked for us. So we sit for quite a while waiting to be acknowledged. The server finally arrives, and while taking our drink order it becomes obvious he doesn't understand English very well. This was worse when we ordered our meal, as we had to actually point to the items on the menu and hoped we'd be served the correct meals. We started with an on tap beer that seemed rather flat. No head at all on a beer served from a tap seems just wrong. Worse yet, my glass had a chunk out of the rim and if I hadn't been paying attention I could have sliced my lip open big time! When I brought this to the server's attention, he was dutifully apologetic and replaced my beer, but that wasn't an auspicious start. Service throughout the meal was on the slow side. Hubby's salmon was tiny for the price. The chicken piccata was a decent portion size, but nothing special. It was also not very warm at all. We had arrived with plenty of time to spare, so decided to order fries for dessert as we were in the mood. It took a long time for them to arrive, and when they did they were cold, limp, greasy and tasteless. Not worth the calories for sure! Another wait for our bill, so that we made our curtain with a lot less time to spare than anticipated. I really don't understand why this place was supposedly full, when there are other, better options in Royal Oak. We won't return.
(1)Rachel M.
I wish I could review the food here... but instead I have to review the business itself. I used opentable to book a reservation here. Drove here and learned the entire street was blocked off. Why didn't this place remove themselves or list this on the opentable site like other establishments have? I don't know. This was a big deal since my S/O has a walking cast and can not walk for half miles. So I called the place to ask where there was parking and if there was a valet perhaps due to the event going on and the hostess told me she had no reservation for me. I explained it had been confirmed on my profile as well as my email and she said "Oh, well, no we don't have one. And anyways they just told me they are charging $15 to get into Royal Oak today." So basicly, we can't seat you, we can't serve you, we're busy - kick rocks. So I took my business elsewhere. Too bad D'Amatos... it's too many other Italian places out there I'm willing to try instead. Update: I looked on the website and the place is listed as having complimentary valet on Fridays and Saturdays. Well, it was Saturday. I would have paid $15 for a valet if I had had to especially considering all the events going on. It also says that during the festivals they will have private spaces available - Too bad the genius woman answering the phones at 10:30pm on Saturday Sept 1st didn't offer that to me. What a disorganized MESS. I *AM* happy to report that Opentable (NOT D'AMATOS) was very concerned about this issue and their reputation as a reliable service and I am more than happy with THEIR handling of this situation - hopefully no one else has to go through this. It's nice to know some business out there *DO* take their repuation and reliability seriously!
(1)Shane H.
This place was the turning point of the day. It turned my day from whatevers to AWESOME. I never liked italian food much. Reason it's because it either gets too greasy or it's just not done right. When my bf mentioned that he wants to take me to D'amoto's I was having doubts about this place just because they make italian food. But as soon as I see their vintage building and the retro romantic decor I decided to open my mind and give this place a chance. I was left in awe when the crabcake got on the table. Only a few things in life that exceeds my expectations and now the crabcake just got on to the list. It's beautifully done. And it tastes amazing. It comes with a sunny side up egg, bacons, spinach leaves and of course, the crabcake. I definitely recommend getting it as an appetizer. The scallops are surprisingly fresh for michigan. and they were tangy too. it tasted like they were baked with bacon. but no bacon in sight. The pulled beef were also very flavorful. They used this oval shaped wild rice. They were very slippery and fun to eat. This place is very romantic. I can see this place being filmed in a 40's or 50's movie where the women are in mink coats and diamonds. and this one waitress reminded me of venus from the painting where she stands in a clam. CLASSY.
(5)Logan W.
I can't say enough good things about this place. If you want great food, service and ambiance, but in an unpretentious atmosphere, then this is the place for you. It's hard not to go there 5 or 6 days a week because there are always amazing deals and entertainment that draw you in. They have a fun Sunday brunch that has too many great dishes to name, an awesome blues/bluegrass/folk band, a Bloody Mary bar and bottomless mimosas/bellinis. There's the Tuesday night surf and turf dinner for two special that is out of this world. Wednesday you've got half off wine and open mic night next door. Thursday you have half off whiskey and live music. Friday half off food for the ladies. Awesome entertainment every night. I feel like a crazed fan of a boy band when I think of D'amatos and Goodnite Gracie's. I sometimes have impure thoughts about some of the food on the menu. The palomino sauce is the best in town by far. The chicken siciliano is life changing. If you like veal parmigiana you'll be blown away. The impezzare salad is awesome if you're going to extra healthy route. I've been lucky enough to have the owner come by and bring some of their famous meatballs over to start. They are a great start to any meal. Even their burger is great!!! (Make sure you get it with a side of zip sauce) So whether you are looking for a fun place to go with some friends, you're looking for a great date spot, having a large party, or even just grabbing a bite by yourself, D'amatos is the place to be. One insiders tip...ask for the Logan Mule and you will not be disappointed.
(5)Mac G.
Amazing food and atmosphere. I was in Detroit on a business trip and this was by far the best restaurant we ate at. Highly recommend it!
(5)Michael R.
Excellent service, gorgeous atmosphere, prices that seem low for the quality of the menu and Goodnight Gracie's next door. Highly recommended. The Surf and Turf for Two was phenomenal.
(4)Samir N.
This place is a Royal Oak attempt at being nice (of course, Royal Oak is no Birmingham or Troy when it comes to upscale dining). I tried to go for Restaurant Week last year, but I went too late in the evening and Goodnite Gracie's had taken over. Like most other places in RO, a perfectly decent place morphs into a clubby-ish bar. Blekh. So I tried again Monday, since at the time of writing it was again Restaurant Week. The D'amatos, Yelp, and Restaurant Week sites all say that dinner is served until 10pm. So of course I get there around nine, only only to be told that the kitchen has already closed because it is Monday. Ugh. Take 3, I come back the next day and I finally catch the kitchen open (whew!). The food better be awesome for me having been turned away so many times. We got off to a good start with the calamari. . . . Promising. . . . Then came the entree, eggplant parmigiana. What a disappointment - it was two tiny, almost burnt pieces and the overfried breading kills any chance at flavor. Fail. At least a glass of house wine was included with the price fixe menu (which is in the most expensive tier for RO Restaurant Week). The final course was a slice of tiramisu cake, which was pretty good. Between the overcooked entree and staff that was busy mingling with their friends, this was an underwhelming experience. I am pretty sure D'amato's hates me.
(2)Jake T.
Huge improvements to the brunch offering here! The music is also awesome! Great food, great atmosphere, reasonable price... What more could one ask for?
(4)M W.
I'm pretty indifferent about this place. Decent location in downtown RO, close parking lot nearby, but we went on a Thursday so we were actually able to park in the lot. A Friday or Saturday would probably be a different story. The inside decor is ok. You can tell the style they're going for, and it works...I actually really like the black chandeliers. The food is decent but nothing that I couldn't make at home...I got the stuffed shells. They were decent, with a large portion size & came with soup. I got the minestrone soup, which was good. It had good flavor and a good veggie/noodle/broth ratio, but it wasn't hot enough. The shells were good, but the spinach didn't taste fresh and the sauce didn't taste homemade. My boyfriend got the chicken parmigiana, which was also good, but not great. Again, I have made this dish at home with much better flavor. And the pasta he got on the side was dry. Decent place, but not worth the price in my opinion.
(3)DJ E.
Kind of a hidden gem--literally. This place is situated oddly in Royal Oak, near the train tracks and bus station...but don't let that scare you away! We sat next to the windows that were open on a lovely day; it felt like being on a patio w/o being outside. We booked on OpenTable and the specials were great (Fri is ladies night, ladies entrees are half price!). Great fresh cocktails, top notch service. My husband wasn't crazy about his chicken Marsala but I loved what I'd had. May also want to consider offering valet parking at peak times too. Will return!
(4)Greg S.
Tried this joint again and wont be going back. Overpriced for what you get. Food seems to be haphazardly put together. Everything tastes bland. They think they can charge prices like a high-end restaurant and the food sucks Save your money.
(1)Dan M.
Very disappointing. When dinner arrived the ever confused and angry looking server only delivered 3 of the 5 entrees. Luckily we were seated next to the kitchen entrance....and had the wonderful opportunity of listening to the what might have been the head chef, he was in everyday clothes, yell at the staff for failing to deliver all 5 entrees at once. He then delivered 1 of the 2 chicken parmesan entrees that we were waiting on. At that moment I asked him if we might have bread since we never got any. This upset him that the server never delivered it and we had some a few mins later. Shortly after that the final dish arrived. As for taste only a few were impressed with their meal while the rest of us felt it was only average. At no time did the server ever apologize or offer any compensation. This place is overpriced and only the only real positive is Good Night Gracie's.
(2)Ian M.
Food was excellent- I got the Brisket (house special) and my date got the Gnocci. Both were delicious as was the free bread/oil/vinegar to start. Highly recommend the brisket- extremely tasty and rich. Nice atmosphere and good service as well. Will definitely be back!
(4)Mary D.
Great pasta and staff is wonderful! Brunch is a lot of fun too, especially the jazz you get to listen to during brunch. Pasta dishes are great and very generous. Love the atmosphere. This is definitely one of our favorite restaurants in Royal Oak.
(5)Josephine M.
If you like to try something different this is your place. The use unusual cuts of meat and types of fish. Everything is a la carte. Great bar selection especially for scotch. They also have a couple of random tables with the most comfy lawn chairs. Oh, hold your pee. The restroom is in the hallway by the train station. Everyone off the street uses the restroom. We used to go for New Years, but won't go again. The staff during the rest of the year is impeccable. On New Years they are more concerned with having fun. After dinner is served, forget about seeing them.
(5)Jonny P.
Finally went here to eat during Thursday's happy hour. This is not gonna be your 'traditional' Italian dining experience. Being said I can give D'amato's a solid 5 stars. My two lovely (and comical) dates for the evening & I started off by splitting the Crab Cake alongside the Pizza Funghi. I could try and get all foodie douchey and attempt to discuss the flavour palattes combined with the texture and presentation (blah blah blah) however when it comes down to it both were just damn good. The crab cake was served on crisp focaccia with a bit of bacon, arugula, shallots, roasted red pepper aioli, topped with a sunny side egg... The pizza just looked great, I am a sucker for mushrooms (cremini, shiitakes, and portobellos drizzled in truffle oil) and thought this was just over the top. Next we split the Asparagus & Mushroom salad, this was very clean & refreshing before getting started on our main courses. The Pasta Pennete is the greatest example of pesto I have ever experienced @ a restaurant. We paired this with an order of the beef brisket which was a bit rich and savory. I really felt like royalty @ the end of the sitting. If you are looking for a bit of a different take on Italian just go. Our mixture of the Happy Hour menu with the traditional fare successful. I'm looking forward to my next visit (for dinner!)
(5)Maggie H.
Over the past 6 months I have been to D'amatos 3 times and every time has been more disappointing than the last. I can forgive a restaurant for one bad experience, but three in a row warrants a review update. I took my family to Sunday Brunch because they had never been. All our food was cold, the waitress was sub-par, and they double charged my father's card. My husband and I returned a couple weeks later to give them another go, only to find out that they had removed the rack of lamb from the menu because it was too expensive for them to keep making it (at least that is what the waiter said). If you read my first review you know that the lamb was one of the main reasons I gave D'amatos such a high review. The final straw (with me being the camel) came last week. After our two bad experiences I was very weary of returning, however my husband and I decided to go to dinner Wednesday, for the half off bottles of wine deal. One of their saving graces up to this point had been their green salad with asparagus, green beans, prosciutto, and parmesan. However, they had removed it from the menu! What!? I was so upset, that was the only thing that caused me to return there. What a bummer! Needless to say my opinion of what I once considered one of my favorite restaurants has been changed and it will be a long time before my husband or I give them another shot.
(2)Maureen M.
All of the great reviews about D'Amato's has peaked my interest. Last night, I finally had the chance to try this restaurant out with friends. I made a reservation online, but it didn't seem like it was really necessary when we showed up a little after 8pm. I was happy to see that there wasn't a crowd waiting to be seated. We ordered the Calamari and Pizza Fungo as appetizers and they were both delicious! I loved the Calamari with red and yellow bell peppers and thin slices of jalapeno peppers. They added a nice kick. The Pizza Fungo was loaded with wild mushrooms and garlic. Yum! I ordered the Stuffed Eggplant. I've never ordered or eaten Stuffed Eggplant, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I can say that this particular dish has set the bar very high if I order it anywhere else. The presentation was beautiful. I should've taken a picture! There were 3 'roll's as I would describe them, surrounded by tomato fricassee and a little bit of basil pesto sauce around the edges. The basil pesto sauce added just the right amount of flavor to make this dish amazing. Needless to say, I practically cleaned my plate. My husband ordered the Filet Mignon with roasted fingerling potatoes, asparagus, prosciutto, leeks, trumpet mushrooms, and sherry cream sauce. WOW. I tried it, of course. I don't know how great the filet would be without the rest of the ingredients, but they definitely put it over the top. I wanted to lick his plate. Our friends ordered the Barramundi and the Orecchiette (without bacon). Based on their responses, I'd say they really enjoyed their entrees. The Barramundi got so much praise, I will definitely try it the next time we visit. Service and atmosphere were also very good. I was very impressed that they label their entrees that are Vegan, Vegetarian, and/or Gluten Free. They had plenty of options on the menu to accommodate many tastes and lifestyles.
(4)Cristin R.
Great food and service! Jason always takes good care of us and provides us with a wonderful meal and experience! They provide a gluten free dessert option that is Amazing too!
(4)J. M.
All seemed like my husband and I were in paradise for a while at D'Amatos last night. We were, for a while, anyway, until everything got spoiled. We made reservations for 7:30, arrived promptly and was seated efficiently after a group with a baby got seated before us. The hostess also accommodated my preference not to sit near a window, and since it wasn't that busy yet, we thought we had a comfortable spot. The atmosphere seemed cozy and the designer did a good job, except for too much black, with it being on the ceilings, the tables, and the bottoms of the walls, made it seem more like a lounge or bar than a restaurant in my personal opinion. We were greeted promptly by our male waiter who didn't tell us his name. He got our drinks order also in good time and he took our dinner order in a timely fashion as well. Our food was delivered fairly quickly, and the food was fabulous. I would've rated this place a 5 with the way the food was prepared, cooked and displayed on top of the wonderful experience with our palates, if it weren't for what happened later. My husband ordered the Beef Brisket with macaroni and cheese as a side dish included, and I ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken with gluten-free pasta. Don't know if any of the chefs know about rice pasta, but some versions need to be careful not to under cook it like this particular chef did. It could've been a little more cooked-through. But really, no real complaints with the food. Then, the kicker and kabash: as I'm finishing my wine, we expected within several minutes to get our bill, based on our previous history with prompt service so far. Our nameless waiter with a pony-tail was a no-show. Then, we discover he's behind us where my husband can see him at a table with a group of about 10 people. He went around to each and every one of those people, which I assumed incorrectly was taking their orders. We were right in front of him, and he didn't think to check in on us for our bill before going across to the table with one lady, and proceeded to take her order. We caught his attention on the way back and he asked us how we're doing. Our plates have been long gone, my wine is gone, and he has no idea that we would like our check?! It had been 20 minutes with the group behind us, and another 5 minutes with the lady across from us for a total of 25 minutes. When he came back, I told him that he took 20 minutes with the table of 10, and we were waiting before that to get our check. He announced as if it were a viable explanation that he 'wasn't taking their orders', he was saying "Hi" to everyone at the table! (like that's o.k.) I added that we waited another 5 minutes with the lady across the aisle. He moved his head about like he was flabbergasted at my response, like a bobblehead, and then apologized for having to wait. Funny thing is preceding this interaction, no Manager or General Manager or Chef came over to check in on our dining experience, and we didn't see one anywhere, even when leaving. That's what makes this experience even worse, no follow-up, no management. I told my husband that he shouldn't leave a tip at all, but if he leaves one, leave a dollar. He instead chose to leave a $5, which doesn't really tell the waiter or the establishment that you are displeased, even though we didn't have an opportunity until now to do so. This place would rock if they got their wait staff and management together. Word of mouth advertising is the best way to form a reputation, good or bad. Bad service can ruin a perfectly good dinner as it did last night. If you don't have to be somewhere on time after dining, skip this place; we won't probably be back.
(2)P G.
The salmon and pasta were the best bar none. Great value, atmosphere and great service. I'll be back many times!
(5)Craig B.
My partner and I received a coupon to D'Amato's in the mail, and we also were referred to the restaurant by our neighbors, so we decided to check it out. I have to say that we had a great meal. We ordered the Atlantic Salmon and Honey Peppered Angus Beef Brisket. The salmon was well cooked and accompanied with a fennel and radish citrus salad, which was light and refreshing. It was also served with a side of penne pasta with Mrs. P's Palimino sauce (we were told it was the owner's mother's recipe), which was a rich, creamy tomato sauce. The beef brisket was delicious and was accompanied by marscopone orzo mac 'n cheese, which was light and slightly sweet. It was a well balanced plate. Both entrees were served with a generous house salad. We will definitely be back.
(4)Reena P.
BRUNCH: NOT vegetarian friendly. Not very accommodating to even make a salad. I had grilled cheese for brunch because that is the best they could do off of a kids menu as an option. When you have a large group the service is VERY slow. DINNER: Generous portions. The food has good presentation and the flavours are very fresh and satisfying. I used to frequent this restaurant when they were in Ann Arbor and I am now pleasantly surprised with the dinner. They made a good vegetarian lasagna.
(3)Ms R.
I love this place. The atmosphere is fun, yet relaxing. The food is amazing and the drinks are fantastic. If you go here you should try the dark and stormy (ginger beer and dark rum). Under old ownership, I enjoyed the food. Recently I went back under the new ownership and the food is still amazing. The service is friendly and attentive. I had the scollops with sausage and it was amazing. I have been wanting to take my friends to try it. If you want to have a fun relaxing night or a romantic date this is definitely the place to go.
(5)Sarah F.
We went on Valentine's Day 2013 and it was super quiet. After asking, they moved us to a cozier, quieter table. Very nice staff, service was great. We were not rushed. The calamari was delicious. My entree was the chicken Marsala and my husband had the Cavatappi--Both equally tasty. We would definitely return. We went to Goodnight Gracie's, but sat right beside the live band. We left soon after.
(5)Zeze S.
My family took me out for my birthday to D'Amatos. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. I will definitely be back. 5 star restaurant, good food, and great service!
(5)mariah c.
So, I almost don't want to write this, because it feels like I'm in on a secret! However, since there were very few folks there on a Monday night (What? You don't go to the bar on a Monday?) I feel I have to share the news. You can get dinner here for oh, $5! Honest. Just show up before 7pm (I believe it's 5-7) on a weeknight, and ask for the happy hour menu. They may neglect to give it to you at first, but be sweetly insistent like my friend Angela, and you will be rewarded. With appetizers that are all around $4-5, you can get two or three and share. I enjoyed the little salmon on toast app, and also liked the slice of the white pizza I got to nibble. The bruschetta is loaded with lots of tomatoes and fresh fixins, but not for those who don't like garlic (or don't have breath mints on hand). Add on one drink, also at a wallet-friendly price (though possibly more than your food!), and you'll walk out just full enough and pleasantly buzzed. Nice!
(4)Mark F.
I used to frequent about 15 years ago... most friends stopped going, but I gave it another try a week ago. Totally understaffed - waiter was nice, but overwhelmed. Food was mediocre - like Olive Garden. Sauce was definitely from a jar. Timing sucked as well - salads came out at same time as meal, and then because there was only 1 guy working, everything was slow. to top it off, it was 1/2 off wine night, but when we got the bill, it didn't have the 1/2 price, so had to wait another 10 minutes for them to correct.... There are 20 restaurants within 2 miles - find another one
(1)Brit B.
While waiting for my friends for brunch, I drank a gin + cucumber muddler which hit the spot! And followed that up at the Bloody Mary Bar. I also tasted a friends Bellini/Mimosa which was great! Food was pretty decent, although one friend's plate was actually so cold she had to send it back (her first time ever sending food back!). Otherwise, everyone else was satisfied with their food. The drinks were great, the brunch was good... Nice Sunday brunch to start the week off.
(4)Krystle S.
So I re-visited D'Amato's last week after a co-worker needed a good girl "sesh" to vent. Ladies Night $5 Cosmos @ D'Amato's it is - no contest! Anyway, as you can also see below I got a response from Tony the owner. I let him know I was coming back and thanked him for responding to my concerns with their bathrooms. Well, I did it in person, but I'll do it again here. I was completely wrong about the bathrooms being shared with the train station - they aren't. The last time, and only other time, I went to use the loo there I had been at Goodnite Gracie's. It was dark, there were lots of hipster kids hanging out around there and the bathroom was really trashy and crowded. There were flyers and like some bar cards that were there so I wasn't imagining that and lots of toilet paper strewn about - so my first, and only, impression of the restrooms was pretty bad, BUT they are not on the platform at all. The train station is like across the street or something, so my apologies for that. I made it a point to look out there again and that's when I realized my mistake. The bathrooms were much cleaner, but there was still toilet paper all on the floor in two of the stalls, but whatever. I think it just gets crazier in there the later at night it gets - it happens. It taught me though to make sure I'm reporting on a business with more care and detail - I like this place a lot and I'd hate to have caused it to lose business due to my inaccuracies. Per usual the service was excellent, the food was excellent. Tony even came by my table (a few times) to check up and say hello. They really take Yelp reviews seriously, so I was rather surprised that he was so concerned with my experience. They made every effort to make sure my friend and I had a great evening (we did, we always do!). What's more is how unbelievably professional Tony and his staff are. He didn't come out and say to me, "Hey you're completely crazy and wrong with your lame review!" he accepted, irregardless (to a point) of what the actual reality is of his restaurant, his customer's experience and tried to rectify it. Even though I was incorrect, he rose above that and offered me the opportunity for a better experience. WOW. Now that's what I call classy. So I can't recommend this place enough even though I was a total fan before, now I'm a customer for life. Thanks Tony! (and ladies, he's single...jk, I have no idea)
(5)Nick T.
Honestly, coolest place I've been in a long time. I loved everything except for a glaze on my main dish. They noticed I didn't like it and the owner came out apologized, explained the entire dish to me, took it off and made me a new one without the glaze. While I was waiting, he brought me a plate of the most delicious pasta and meat ball dinner I've ever had. That right there is great customer service. The food is absolutely delicious and not like your every day choices. Two thumbs up.
(5)Jen O.
D'Amato's is the perfect place for your girls to get together with you for dinner. (and 1/2 off entree on Friday after 7pm was an added bonus - My bill was under 15.00 with tip) The chicken Marsala is fabulous!! We had reservations for 7pm, parking was easy - meters. We had enough time for a quick drink at Good Night Gracies. Check out other specials. Surf and Turf nt was a great date nt with my husband.
(5)Christina C.
This place was definitely worth 5 stars! My boyfriend and I came here for the thursday special (appetizer, 10 oz prime rib, dessert to share + a bottle of wine for 2 people all for $50!) and the food was beyond what we paid for. Our waitress started us off by telling us the type of wine that was served with this deal. I usually prefer sweet wine and asked her if we were allowed to switch out the wine and she said we could within $27 (or have $27 subtracted and pay the difference). I asked her what the sweetest wine was and she suggested us to try the house wine. I was not disappointed! It has easily become my new favorite wine! Afterwards, We were offered the choice of soup or salad to start off our meal. I went with the clam chowder which was delicious! Within the next 10 minutes, our prime rib (cooked in medium rare) were out. The presentation was lovely! The 10 oz prime rib laid on top of a bed of grilled asparagus and even included a baked potato on the side. The knife cut through The meat like butter! It was very tender and each bite kept getting better than the first. The dessert was the perfect ending to our meal. It is very similar to the donuts you would get at the cider mill, but with much more cinnamon sugar within each bite! It was also served with a side of ice cream that had a very unique texture. Overall, the food was awesome and the atmosphere/service was no different. Definitely a great place to take someone for a first date (cheap and fancy). My boyfriend and I will definitely be coming back for more!
(5)Derek F.
Great place if you want to impress,, the place is happening ,good vibe, nice menu with some solid choices, prices not crazy and the food is a little above average, you can have a good meal and go next door to good nite gracies and change it up,, you can have a good nite out, just be ready to$$$.
(4)Ashley R.
All I can say about d'amatos is... Thank goodness they are under new ownership!!! Wow, it was definitely a game changer! Before d'amatos changed ownership the food was mehhhhhhh at best. Would always get cold dishes etc- which was sad because I always loved the martini's there! However- it's all different now. Had the pleasure of dining there last Tuesday night. I had heard about this phenomenal deal they had that you get a 3 course steak and lobster dinner for two, plus a bottle of wine, for only 50 bucks! At first I was like "man this is some sort of joke". Let me tell you, it's not. It was the most amazing meal I've had in my life. The meal started out with a salad or soup, I went for the Italian wedding. It was awesome. Then a beautiful filet and buttery lobster tail arrived, which blew my socks off. It was served with a side of pasta- and the sauce that was on it was stuuuupid good. The owner came to our table to tell me that the sauce is his mothers secret recipe. Also, he was so sweet to bring out a few meatballs for us to try- a nice touch! Finally the meal was ended in these awesome donuts- wow. Omgg wow. Amazing. Talk about a food coma- and I'm gonna do it all over again very soon!
(5)Clara Y.
I would give it a 4.5 if they had a half star. I have always had great service here and the food is well cooked to order. I have had the steak, brisket, surf and turf and some appetizers. I only give it a 4.5 since I think they could add a few more items to the menu, but in terms of service and quality its a 5.0. This is a nice atmosphere and its enjoyable in the summer since they open up the windows , very patio like seating then.
(4)Lauren H.
I have been here before at night for the bar scene but never eaten here. My what a drastically different experience. I went for Sunday brunch with some girlfriends and had a great time. I made reservations through open table, so they immediately get bonus points because I love restaurants that use Open Table. When I arrived they had the table ready and I was seated immediately. I don't know if I was just lucky and came when it wasn't busy, but I was very impressed by how spacious and roomy this place felt. I have been to other brunch places in the Ferndale/ Royal oak area and they all feel very cramped and crowded and loud. They have a DIY Bloody Mary bar and bottomless mimosas or bellinis. Everything on their brunch menu looked delicious and average price was $12 or so. At our table we had an avacado frittata, cinnamon roll french toast (mine, yum!), and berry french toast. We shared an order of the donuts. The waitstaff was friendly and attentive. The Jazz band starts at noon and added great background music. The crowd was a mix of all ages. There were couples in the 60+ range, there were some groups of 20-30 something's and some families with kids as well. I will be back and can't wait to try some of their delicious dinners!
(3)Wayne P.
Weird dude talked to us through our window seat. Staff member made him go away. Max is cool too. Good food, old lady is happy, 5 stars.
(5)Sarah R.
Checked out D'Amato's for brunch and enjoyed my experience. You walk in and they have a jazz style band playing on the weekend which is pretty cool. If you really want to enjoy yourself, grab a few friends, order the bottomless mimosas and enjoy! I rarely get an "appetizer" for breakfast, but I do when I'm here. I love to start with their donuts. They come out warm and are served on mascarpone. They are a good, sweet, start to the heavier breakfast I end up ordering after. Downside was it seemed as though they did not have enough staff for the amount of open tables, so it was slower service. The wait staff did a good job keeping up from what they were working with.
(3)Rishi S.
Great brunch, Italian sausage omelet and Italian breakfast sandwich mixed with bloody Marys were a win win. Music added to the atmosphere, much better eating here for brunch rather than dinner and especially Friday / Saturday night. Only gripe why it's not a 5 was the service, our server was disinterested with us and came rarely to help.. Fix this and this brunch is actually at the top of detroit, which would be at the level of la dolce vita / Muse.
(4)Kim B.
My husband and I got takeout from here Saturday night and I have to say that this is probably the best Italian food I've ever eaten. My husband got the chicken fettuccine alfredo with minestrone soup and I had the chicken parmesan with a caesar salad. Both tasted amazing and were packaged beautifully in the take out containers. I feel like you can always tell a restaurant takes pride in their food by the quality of their take out - D'Amato's was nothing short of amazing. Thanks for the great service! Can't wait to come in and sit down for a meal!
(5)Beth H.
I am a fan of their happy hour, dining areas, service and food. Happy hour has a great selection of drinks and appetizers. Food selection is amazing. To top it off - Fridays is half off ladies' entrees! Antipasto plate was disappointing - menu says an assortment of Italian meats and cheeses with crostini, olives and pickled veggies. It was cheap crap meat and cheese. That won't happen again. I choose the Italian wedding soup for my side dish. It was very good and a nice start to a meal. Palomino sauce is a nice blend of their marinara and Alfredo sauces; it went perfectly with the gnocchi and shrimp. Huge portion. Foccia bread with oil and vinegar at each table. It was hard to stop eating it. Down sides - No changing tables in the restroom, loud drunkards in the bar area disrupting diners, and unruly children playing in the aisle. I really wish management would have done something.
(4)Dijla Z.
My husband and I just dined here for our 1 year wedding anniversary, and it was wonderful! We started with the carpaccio, which was awesome. It was fresh and very tasty, especially when paired with the salad on top of it. After that, we each got steaks. I had the New York Strip and my husband had the delmonico. Both were delicious, and cooked just how we like them-medium rare. D'Amatos has a very romantic ambience for couples and is perfect for a casual dinner or a fancy one! The service was also very good, I highly recommend this place!
(5)Gjon M.
Made a Yelp account just to leave great feedback for this place. THAT's how great of an experience I had at this awesome joint! I came in with my cousin Kris a few weekends ago for the Saturday night "club scene", which starts at around 11:30ish. First off, we came in at around 8 o'clock to eat and relax before the night-club scene came into action. The hostesses were cool and nice..also very attractive, which I find important for restaurants because they're the first faces customers see. Moving on to the seating- we were sat in cool lawn-style chairs (which are very comfy). I believe our servers name was Kristina (she was pregnant) I felt really bad because we changed our mind a few million times about what we wanted for our drinks/to eat/etc, but she was very patient and kind and you can tell she has a lot of serving experience. I ended up ordering the Gnocchi (DELICOUS) and Kris ended up getting the Cavatappi (which he couldn't get enough of either). After a FIVE STAR MEAL we lounged around and burned time until the clubbing began Moving on to the night life- they have a GREAT DJ that comes into D'Amatos and Goodnight Gracie's at around 10. You'll see around 12am they'll be lines out the door of just people waiting to get inside. Bouncers are very professional as well. Overall I was extremely satisfied with both my dining experience and my night-life experience. Will be back soon and I cannot wait!
(5)Adam O.
Stopped by for a drink and a light dinner recently as I had walked by umpteen times without ever spending a dollar inside. I should learn to trust myself. It's a beautiful joint from the outside, lighting, open sprawling concept. Equally as beautiful inside. I perched myself at the bar and ordered the calimari, caesar salad, and their version of the Manhattan. Calimari came and immediately my thoughts sprang to the frozen food aisle at Meijers. They were served not in rounds, or tentacles, but rather strips. Coating was somewhere between crisp and soggy and it was all plated with a duo of sauces that had no business being on the same plate as one another. Casear salad is a mountainous pile of romaine with a scattering of croutons, and laced with a dressing that had so little flavor or bite it could barely be identified as a Caesar if not for the handful of supermarket parmasean shards camped out on top. It was a salad masquerade. Each of those were 9 dollars. Best thing I tried was the Manhattan, that was presented on the rocks, which, after an actual stirring of the drink allowed the flavors to meld quite nicely. It's a downright shame that a place this beautiful to eat in is putting out food so uninspired, bland and un-Italian. It's a place that draws you in and then kicks you out.
(2)Liz P.
Went here today for the first time for RO Restaurant Week. Technically it was the second time, but that was for an event, so it doesn't count. :) Food was fantastic, and 3 courses for $25 is a pretty good deal. I made a reservation for 6pm (Friday night, figuring it would be busy) but it really wasn't. By the time we left, however, around 8pm, the place was hoppin', and so was Good Night Gracie's next door (which I STILL want to try, but haven't as of yet). I got the salad (and the bread that was pre-salad was awesome too, btw), the Chicken Siciliano (chicken, buffalo mozzarella, Balsamic drizzle, also came with about TWO POUNDS - I kid you not - of pasta with alfredo sauce), and the tiramisu. The tiramisu was pretty tiny but my friend got the donuts, and we split them ... OMG, THE DONUTS. They tasted like ELEPHANT EARS FROM CEDAR POINT. (and yes, that means delicious) I would go back just for the donuts. Seriously. The restaurant as a whole felt rather elegant, we were seated in these wicker chairs you'd expect to find outside on a porch. The water guy kept the water coming and the waiter stopped by to check on us every so often too. I usually give good places 4/5 but this places gets 5/5 from me because the service, the food, and all of the details were very good. Hopefully I will get back there at some point, although I did notice the entrees are normally like $15-20 each, which is a bit out of my price range normally.
(5)Christie P.
This is the girls' night place to go! I've had the steak a few times and friends have gotten pasta... all good and huge portions. They also have a bunch of specialty drink martinis. Goodnight Gracies is connected and it makes for a good cobtrast.
(4)Anthony N.
LOVED Sunday brunch! Everything about the experience was awesome! Waited a whopping zero minutes to be seated, service was outstanding (I think our server's name was Max), the food was perfect (huevos rancheros rocked my world) and ooh...did I mention the bottomless mimosas?! Love this place!
(5)Rena S.
I was here recently for a Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce Women's Luncheon (yea it's a mouthful). The service was mostly good, the owner came out and spoke to our group, you could tell he really had a passion for the restaurant. Many of the recipes (marked Mrs. P's) are his grandmother's recipes. Our waitress could have been a little friendlier, but it was a good group so I'll give her a pass. They are losing a star mostly, and maybe this is silly, for the fact that with my meal my coke was $3.00! I'm sorry, I know you are a nice restaurant but in what world does a coke cost $3.00! I could go to the store and get 3 2 liters for $3.00! Thank God their were free refills, or I would have seriously questioned their sanity. Ok, on to what you really care about, the food. It was phenomenal. I was feeling a little adventurous so I tried their Abbaccato pizza. O my! What a Treat! It's a pizza with delicious thin crust, smoked bacon, scallions, tomato, chevre cheese, avocado, Mrs. P's marinara sauce, and mozzerlla cheese. The flavor combination was mind blowing. I could have done with a little more bacon, but the flavors all worked so well together and the avocado really added and interesting layer of texture to the pizza! I will definitely be back for more! It was even pretty good leftover (though the crust was pretty soggy, I would suggest eating it all right away!).
(4)Carolyn E.
We came here for my Mom's birthday, and it was absolutely perfect for that kind of thing. The food is beautifully presented and honestly, very, very good. I wouldn't recommend many places right downtown in Royal Oak, but this is one I would recommend. I had some of the best pasta I've ever had, and everyone at the table felt the same way. It's also great because Goodnight Gracie's is right next door! I felt that the food and portions were a good value for your money.
(4)Robin S.
Great food! Incredible service! Great wine list. We stopped for a quick dinner and sat at the bar. Our experience was perfect from start to finish!
(5)Mary L.
Had a friends bday party here for 30 ppl and was fully catered to, the severs where great and they had a live DJ on a Friday night so we stayed and danced the night alway, best place ever for a good time. Drinks, food and dancing!
(5)Bonnie W.
Great place! The service was fantastic, the food was awesome. The price was completely reasonable. The atmosphere was great. I have no complaints about this place.
(5)M V.
After almost 4 years of living in RO, we decided to try this place. First off, very convenient parking with the lot right across the street. This place has one of the best happy hours I have ever seen involving food. It evens applies for Saturday. We had the brussel sprouts and calamari for apps (both $4 during happy hour). The calamari had some very nice sauces with it, pepper aioli and red pepper marinara. We had the crab cakes ($6 during happy hour, appetizer size) and gnocchi with alfredo sauce. The crab cakes were set off by a wonderful lemon, white wine sauce with like a corn salad. Very nice. The gnocchi was very delicate and filling. We will definitely be back, especially for happy hour.
(4)Adam H.
Awesome sunday brunch and jazz, and did I mention Cinnamon Roll French Toast!? I came here with my brother after a rough night. I was skeptical but upon opening the door we were greeted by the live jazz band dressed in jean overhauls. I was sold regardless. How cool is that? After a short wait we sat and were promptly taken care of. The all you can drink mimosa's were calling our names but I just couldn't muster up the strength after the night before. The Bloody Mary bar was pretty cool though. I almost gave that a try. Almost. The group got the fritatta and I went with the Cinnamon Roll French Toast. Holy mind blowing goodness. I am a changed man. It was awesome. Imagine a Cinnabon made of French Toast. It was perfect. Warm, gooey cinnamon goodness. Definitely what I needed. After our meal we sat and enjoyed the tunes for a little longer. The band was really friendly and I will definitely be back next time I am in Detroit.
(5)Andree H.
My husband and I stopped in for brunch 6 months ago and have been there every Sunday since. The live music, great food, bottomless mimosas and friendly atmosphere are a combination that can't be beat!
(5)Nivedita P.
I like this place, esp since Goodnight Gracie's is a Kool spot to hang out with gfs. I went there recently on a Sat & totally took advantage of the Happy Hour! They have Happy Hour Tuesday-Saturday 3pm-7pm. The Martinis are $6. They have great variety in Happy Hour menu too. Loved the Calamari, Crab Cake, Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Sausage & Pepper & their Potato Chips. Happy hour food price is between $8-$4. This place also has daily specials for dinner too. But I'll definitely be back for more Happy Hour food & drink ;)
(4)Nicole K.
We had a mixed experience here... - NY Strip - yuck! ordered it rare to medium rare, and it came out medium so we sent it back. The new steak was still not cooked to our liking but it was better. We took one bite of it and it was awful! It also had this runny, flavorless zip sauce on it that made it worse. The brussels sprouts served with it were cold and greasy, not even edible. The best part of the meal was the side of pasta that still needed Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. - Salmon - delicious! It was hot, with a nice glaze. The fresh sautéed spinach was good. The rice had decent flavor, but it was somewhat clumpy as if it was slightly over cooked. The service was good, and the appetizers we shared at the table were actually better than our meals. I won't be back any time soon but it's good for groups and next time we'll just order a bunch of small plates or try their brunch.
(3)Ryan M.
Excellent authentic italian food!! They must have a couple italian grandmas they imported from Italy working in the kitchen. Mama's meat balls are amazing and I also recommend the soft shells. The restaurant has a real lively atmosphere and the manager Tony makes you feel very welcome. tip: don't forget to top the dinner off with an order of tiramisu.
(5)Victoria C.
I took my husband to D'amato's for brunch on Father's Day. This was our first time dining at the restaurant so we had no expectations. I must say, we were blown away by how good the food was! I have a storied history with corned beef hash. I have NEVER had good corned beef hash at a restaurant, but am yet always compelled to order it for some dumb reason. It's like I'm looking for someone to finally prove me wrong. Well, the corned beef hash at D'amato's has restored my faith in restaurant hash! It was sooooooooo damn good!! I can't remember what my husband ordered but I remember him doing his fat happy dance as he was eating it. We wen't again on a Friday because they have an insanely good deal where ladies eat half-off. My sister and I ordered ribeye steaks and they were flavorful and cooked perfectly. We got their corn chowder soup as well and it was the best effin corn chowder I have ever had. The only reason I didn't give five stars is because I felt that service could been a little better. The waiter was not as attentive as we would have liked. They get extra points for being so accommodating because we took our 6-month-old with us on both occasions we dined here and no one gave us crap about it (our baby can be a little loud too smh). The manager even came over and played with the baby a little. I'll be at D'amato's this weekend with my girlfriends. It's the bomb.com
(4)Mike R.
Another visit recently for brunch. Lots of good to say with one challenge. The good; great interior/ambiance. The menu. The service. Quality of food. Prices/value are excellent for brunch I think. The only down side is that some of the egg dishes are pretty bland. I wonder if this is intentional to avoid disappointing those who don't like spicy food at all. But the Fricasa and the Lobster omelet dishes, while good overall, we're just too bland. Recommended...but assume you'll have to spice up the egg entree's
(4)Emily W.
Meh. Stopped in for happy hour. Drinks were fine, but the food menu...ick. The kind of food that makes you wonder whether you're being punked. Soggy frozen calamari and an anemic cheese plate that tasted like cleaning chemicals. As in, I actually wondered whether they had Lysoled their brie. May give them a second chance for the full dinner menu, or just stick to booze.
(3)B J.
Great place for a date or a group outing. They have a good blend of "traditional" Italian dishes like pasta & meatballs, but they also turn it up a notch with clams, filets, lamb chops, and swordfish. I've been here several times and have been pleased every time. Even the pizzas are worth a try. The service is good and the atmosphere is very nice. You can go here in jeans but they're also classy enough to host weddings. The best part is probably the bar, because there is usually a wait for a table. The bartenders provide excellent service and are very willing to serve you appetizers and even entrees at the bar. They aren't like some places where they are concerned with shuffling people to and from the bar as fast as possible. If you're even thinking of going to Andiamo, don't do it; go to D'Amato's instead.
(4)Sarah T.
The food was beyond fantastic. The bread and olive oil was surprisingly satisfying, the house salad was amazing with NO iceberg lettuce. Best I have ever had. But, our waiter was very rude to us because he could tell we weren't from the area. He acted VERY snooty. Hope he enjoyed the 50 cent tip!
(3)Sir Poop A.
You might as well go to Olive Garden and save the money. Plus you will get fresher bread and better service. This place was decent 15 years ago. Tried it recently again, and it sucked. the bar next door is fun and draws a big crowd on weekends.
(1)Adam F.
With so many other places to go I wouldn't waste my time coming here again.... I've got no problem waiting to be seated, but I've got a big problem waiting over 20 minutes after being seated n never getting service. A Party of 7 had to leave because we could not get served. One of the owners saw us get up to leave and offered us a free round of drinks but it was to late. It was then we found out the waitress next to us was our server..... She spent most of her time chatting and taking pictures for the table which would explain why she had no time for us. We walked 3 minutes n were seated n drinking elsewhere
(1)Daniel T.
Went here to celebrate my graduation from Oakland University. The food was excellent and I've never been served with such awesome service, especially during their dinner rush. My only recommendation is to make a reservation if you're planning to eat during dinner rush or you could be waiting 20-30 minutes at least.
(5)Lindy S.
Under new ownership and although there are still a few kinks to work out, the owner and staff are happy to do whatever it takes to accommodate and please the customers, which is a breath of fresh air! The menu has changed from what you may be familiar with from the previous management, although my husband and I missed some of the old menu items , the new additions are very welcome! We were also impressed with the knowledge the waitstaff had of the wine menu. Very helpful! You should try it....again!
(4)Carole H.
Was here with a group of 8 or so for a friend's birthday. The service was perfect (not always the case with a group), our waiter was just attentive enough, made great suggestions when asked, but was not overbearing. The food is perfectly done...a great mix of classic Italian with just a touch of a unique spin. I had a classic Ceasar salad, tossed with just the right amount of house made dressing, complete with sardine on top. Also enjoyed a few lamb shanks (I think they were actually called "chops" on the menu but I referred to them as "shanks" in tribute to the old Will Ferrell/Rachel Drach SNL "lovers" skit.... ) :) The interior is beautiful! Romantic, classy, with just a touch of a trendy feel. It almost made me forget that I had just spent 20 minutes searching for a parking spot that I ended up getting ticketed for by the end of the night. :)
(4)Sarah H.
I typically don't post reviews, but my experience was so awful here I couldn't resist. The service was HORRIBLE - we definitely will not be back! After waiting for over two hours just to get a few beers, we finally talked to the manager about our waitress, Phelicia, who was both rude and painstakingly slow at her job. Tony, the manager, attempted to salvage the the situation, but was not much better. You would think they would want to accommodate (or at least serve...) a party of 12, but we quickly found that wasn't the case. It was my first experience at this place, and the service was horrendous enough to make me never come back. Highly recommend trying one of the other bars / restaurants within walking distance instead of wasting your time and money here.
(1)Jimmy C.
EAT HERE!! I had the Crabcakes Benedict. My wife got the green eggs & ham sandwich and our friend had the open face BLT. We washed it down with some great mamosas & bloody marys. We moaned inappropriately throughout the meal! Our server Denise was the sh*t! Super funny & made great recommendations.
(5)Lnn S.
What, exactly, happened to those potatoes? They look like slaw and are relatively tasteless. And by the way, D'amatos, I really think you should reinvestigate the lack of zing in your Benedict. The bottomless mimosas and Bellinis are great, the coffee is amazing, and the atmosphere is really okay, despite the noisy ass band on Sunday brunch day, just make sure you sit far enough away if you're like me and go to brunch to socialize. For what you pay for here, these people need to reinvestigate their priorities when it comes to my mouth
(3)Barney C.
Ehhhh. The Sunday brunch menu is far from spectacular. My roommate ordered the French Toast and was pretty pissed once he set sight on the two lonely pieces of toast. My other friend ordered it as well and said: "it kinda didn't taste like anything ... no flavor, just bland." ... Two things that are cool about Sunday brunch at D'amato's is the live Jazz band and bottomless memosas.
(2)Nissa V.
Celebrated my best friend's 30th birthday this past weekend in the red room. We were extremely happy with all that the staff and our waitress did to ensure we were well taken care of. The food was fab. The ambiance was perfect. And the service was outstanding. Many people within our group said they would return, because they were so satisfied. They took care of everything with such thought and consideration. The place was so lively and positive. Goodnight Gracie's after dinner was an added bonus. So pleased! Thank you D'Amato's for making this event so special!
(5)Daniel R.
My favorite Italian restaurant in the area! Amazing food and a nice atmosphere. If on a first or second date, take her/him here and earn some points in your favor :)
(5)Amanda R.
Good Happy Hour Specials. We ordered the crab cake since there were so many positive reviews on that but they have changed it. It is only served on top of some corn, No bacon, focaccia or fried egg on top. It was a good crab cake but I can imagine it was amazing before the changes. We also ordered margarita pizza which was good and fried calamari that was in strips, it was also good. We'll be back to try the dinner & pastas soon!
(4)Kristin G.
There's something about D'amatos that makes me feel like I've left my little town for a while. Maybe it's the one man guitar serenade during dinner, maybe it's the eclectic Italian kitchen meets Grandma's living room decor? Or perhaps, it's the stellar wine list that goes on for days? Whatever the case, it's a keeper. Who doesn't like a bit of escapism now and then? For dinner, I was looking for something of the lighter variety so I opted for the Pizza Pomodoro. I haven't seen the combination of gorgonzola and arugula on a pizza in some time, so I was really excited to see how it was. I wasn't let down in the slightest. In fact, it slightly exceeded high expectations. The pizza arrived with a perfect crispy thin crust, topped with gorgonzola, arugula, sun dried tomato and artichoke hearts. The gorgonzola made the meal. Rich and creamy and with the slight tart of the arugula leaves and the great tomato zing of the sun dried tomatoes- 'za heaven! I had a few pieces and then took the rest home to enjoy for lunch the next day. It was just as delicious reheated. In fact, maybe better... My man got the special pasta of the night a lamb orzo pasta with cheve cheese. I took a few nibbles. The goat cheese was great with the stewed tomatoes and spinach all piled on with lamb and goat cheese. I took a bit without the goat cheese though and it was quite gamey, not a balanced dish without the cheese. BUT when those flavors were all together, it was singing Italian love songs in my mouth. Holy delicioso! To top it off, the service was impeccable. Thanks, D'amatos for a much needed getaway from the hustle and bustle!
(4)Pete D.
I have never had a good meal at D'amato. I read some of the other reviews I'm not sure if they eat at the same place. I wont come back.
(2)Phoebe J.
In response to Matthew D.'s Review on a megaphone... Tipping a bathroom attendant is NEVER necessary. Unless you stand at the counter using perfumes, loading your pockets with gum and mints and condoms, and possibly have a need for a safety pin or band-aid, you are not obligated to give a dollar or two for the paper towel. Bathroom attendant's are helpful- and have even served my friends and I with advice.. and the occasional safety pin for a broken dress strap. D'Amato's is a classy joint with stellar cuisine and service. I live in Manhattan and D'Amato's is surely up there with the creme de la creme of NYC italian joints.
(4)Lori D.
D'amato's---YUM!!! I am so very happy that I revisited this adorable, relaxed atmosphere restaurant in Royal Oak! I haven't been there since about 2004, mainly because the food was less than stellar at that time. Well, our experience this evening was a WONDERFUL one, thus the 5 star rating. We had a travelzoo coupon that friends had purchased on the internet and when they invited us, at first we said,"Oh not D'matos." Were we ever wrong and pleasantly surprised! The menu is reasonably priced. Many restaurants charge 20-30% more for the same type of meals. Our server, Maria, was just delightful! She helped us make some outstanding choices. The pizza appetizer she suggested was perfect. Just enough for four of us to share, it was cooked to perfection and so flavorful. Our calimari was also enough for four to share. It had a very light panko-like breading and had great flavor. The guys ordered Chicken Marsala. The chicken was so tender, perfectly moist, with just the right amount of mushrooms and sauce. The sides of potatos and broccoli were substantial as well. Bring your appetite, because the portions are plenty! I enjoyed the 6 oz. Filet, cooked to perfection atop asparagus, potatos, mushrooms with a light, but tasty sauce. The scallop meal my friend ordered was equally scumptious. The scallops were large in size and seared. The meal had several sausages on the side along with eggplant--all so good! I must say my favoite of the night was a green bean salad with gorgonzola cheese, a little garlic, lemon and olive oil. This salad just sang to me!!! I have to return for more! We will surely return, if not for more green beans, for the dessert, expressly the tiramisu,of which I was too stuffed to order! I can't wait to visit D'amatosagain. They have 1/2 wines on Wine Wednesdays and I certainly could pair a nice chianti with some pasta! Make a visit, ask for Maria and EAT! ..
(5)Ben S.
I'm recovering from a day long drinking binge and it's D'amato's fault. It was supposed to be a calm Sunday. I heard that D'amatos had brunch but for some reason I haven't had the chance to check it out. There are quite a few Breakfast places on Washington Street already that are pretty hard to compete with. Anyway.. D'amato's was the choice this Sunday and I was in love as soon as I heard the "Nawlans" style swing music from the Red Hot Sugar Daddies. I've always loved the Decor of this place, It's vintage and modern without too much of each. The music, decor and amazing food combined with great company was a cause for celebration. One drink lead to another and It got pretty messy from there on out. It was a really nice Sunday and it D'amatos was the catalyst. I think this is my new spot for Sunday Brunch. :,)
(5)Erik K.
We went there for brunch after I had heard some positive reviews. I will say that the 3*s is because the service was great, and the bottomless mimosas are key. However, I ordered the shrimp and lobster omelet, and unfortunately I was disappointed. It was extremely bland. With that said, by girlfriend really enjoyed what she ordered (sour cream pancakes), so I am open to returning and trying something else.
(3)Ben M.
Went there tonight with my girlfriend for a nice dinner. We recently relocated to royal oak and have been trying to find some go To places for us. D'amatos for sure wont be one of them. Very poor service our waitress maybe came back once, ignored me every time I tried to wave her down, our food took over 45 minutes to come out and when it did it was sub par. I had the brisket, was super dry no seasoning under salted the only saving grace on the meal was the onion straws on top to mask the taste. My girlfriend had the gnocchi and I've had many good Gnocchi's this cold and dry dish was far from what was expected. Won't be back too much competition in the area to waste money there again. Only good thing was at-least our martinis were really strong making em worth their money in alcohol content.
(2)Rajiv B.
When looking for a place that was not apart of the corporate giant and had a great ambiance, I think my friends and I made a great choice in D'amato's. We were not sure if we should make a reservation or not, but I'm glad we did. The restaurant was able to put our names down fairly quickly as we grabbed our things to go. We got to the restaurant about 20 minutes before our reservation time, but they were ready to go despite the wait in the lobby by other patrons. I don't know if we were lucky or if that's just the way they treat their reservation list - regardless, it was nice. The crowd on the Saturday night I went was a mix of professionals from their 30's to their mid-50's. It seemed as though most people were dressed nicely and having a good time. There was everything from small dinner dates, to little groups of friends, to large parties of people for birthday celebrations. The menu is not incredibly big, but the choices are wonderful. I thought the price rating when I first saw it was a little off. It was rated at 2 $$, but an average plate of dinner is about $26, if you put a beer in there you can add another $6 per. I'm not complaining about the price as I felt as though the quality of the food, the restaurant's ambiance, and the staff were worth it - just that the scale maybe a little off. Now, I can go on and on about the food - I personally got the shrimp pasta (I honestly do not know the name as it was a true Italian name), but it was good. The bread that comes to the table to share hit the spot. I don't think I've had too many breads with a nice salty taste to it, but this bread was wonderful. It had jut the perfect amount of salt with a great texture. Overall, I think this place is amazing. Can I see myself going there every weekend? Probably not, but doesn't mean I wouldn't go back again. If you're looking for good food, a solid ambiance, and maybe a place to see and to be seen - D'amato's is your place.
(4)Ronnie L.
This is probably, with it's sister Goodnight Gracies, is one of my favorite spots to get social in Royal oak. Every time we go I meet the coolest people, and sexiest girls who have personality. That's important to me: Personality. This bar has personality too. It's not that big, but it is nice. There's not alot of places to see or wander around to, but the crowd makes up this place. It's not Chachi, it's not Trash, it's well dressed people who are confident enough to go out and really have a good time leaving their hangups at home. They often have some really good House DJs on the decks or some snazzy band playing. Sometimes a portion of the bar becomes a dancefloor, but I think last something must have happened because my friend told me the bouncer told her she had to stop dancing last night even though they were playing house (which doesn't really make sense). I told her I would make it up to her and take her somewhere where she could let it all out. I know during the summer they open up the back patio. That's the key! The patio. Drinking and hanging out - Outside! That's my favorite buzz. As a boy who grew up throwing big bonfire parties out in Hicksville USA, who then spent years adventuring around the city of Flint with open intoxicants and whatnot, an outside bar speaks to my deepest inner soul. While many people grow up sneaking drinks in their parents basement or chilling at the house of the friend who's parents were away on business; my friends and I were out in the great wide open. Something about having a buzz under the stars feels right to me. I think that's it. If I ever eat here I will edit this report accordingly. Sadly I have not. This report is based on the expereinces I have had socially thus far. Dress nice and show up. The vibe and the people are mostly friendly. Admittedly I give it a 4 because I'm harder on my drinking establishments. A 5 better be Fantastic with trapeze artists and acrobats and utter debauchery! Maybe if I come here and eat and the food is sinfully delectable I will raise the stars.
(4)Jen F.
Just left dinner and cocktails at this restaurant. Jason S. was our server and made the evening wonderful. Fast service, great dinner recommendation and a ready smile. We have been twice in the last month and this place is consistently good. Stop in for great ambiance, excellent martinis and fast service. And ask for Jason's section!!
(5)David S.
I had business clients in town for dinner and decided to go since it had been 3-4 years since eating here. My clients are foodies, and they were all impressed with the quality and presentation. I enjoyed every dish we tried, and the price was inline with the food, and much better than other crap restaurants charging $20 a plate. My wife took clients 2 weeks later on my recommendation, and all 4 of them had a similar experience, so we will be back. I have been back for drinks around 11pm on the weekend, which was not my crowd (although I am 30-something), so I will stick to dinner!
(5)Tae K.
This place rocks at night! best place in Michigan for nightlife! I miss it already!
(5)Krista D.
good food. decent service. nothing super amazing. I got the pizza fungo since so many on yelp loved it and i thought it was good but nothing over the top. the salad was pretty delicious though apple and celery stalks with candied pecans and gorgonzola. I would go back.
(3)Nicole S.
I know I just reviewed Goodnight Gracie's a week or so ago, but after having my Christmas party at D'Amato's last week, I have to review this place. I work in a smaller office of about 20 or so people, and we decided to have our Christmas party dinner at D'Amato's on Friday. We were too late to get the private room, but we decided to go for it anyway. They sat us next to the private room, so it was still a bit away from all the other tables. We had a special menu since there was about 30-35 of us after our significant others, but it still consisted of some main appetizers and entrees from the regular menu. Of course I was already drinking a pomegranate martini when the appetizers came out. We had crab cakes and bruschetta (which I've already reviewed as "amazing" in my GG's review). Both were delicious, and surprisingly the bruschetta wasn't as garlic-y as it was the past few times I've had it. We were served salad and a pasta side before the meal. Both were what you would expect for a salad and side of spaghetti. It was the main course that blew me away. I ordered the filet mignon expecting it to be average at an Italian restaurant instead of a steakhouse. At a steakhouse I order my steak rare, I like it red and bloody. But at a place where I'm not too sure how good a rare steak will be, I order medium rare. This is exactly what I did here. When the meal came, it looked great with a small amount of some kind of white wine sauce over it (I'm assuming that's what it was at least!) and potatoes, mushrooms, and asparagus. I cut into it, and it was cooked exactly how I love my meat to be cooked. It definitely was more on the rare side than the medium side. It. Was. Amazing. I am not joking at all. I ate the entire thing while men around me were completely full and leaving meat on their plates. I couldn't get enough. The meat was rubbed in spices that made the outside perfectly seasoned and crispy. The inside was cooked perfectly and melted in my mouth. I could have had seconds if it were in front of me. It was almost as good as the filet mignon I had at Roast and 10 times better than the kobe filet mignon I had at Bourbon Steak. The only thing making this meal better was dessert. I chose tiramisu and my date had these house-made doughnuts. I really enjoyed the tiramisu and my date was pretty damn excited about how awesome the doughnuts were. If they tasted anything like the way they smelled, I'm sure they were great. I should have had a bite of them, but I did try the sauce they give to dip them in, and it was pretty good. The entire night was great. From the food, to the service, and even sitting with the rest of the restaurant instead of the private room. I went in thinking I would have a good meal, and I walked out wondering how/why I never ate here before and plotting my next return.
(5)Kate R.
D'amato's probably has one of my favorite happy hour menus around. I have not been for dinner, but have heard great things about that as well. I think I've had almost every item off the happy hour menu and have never been disappointed. Their calamari is the dish that I gauge all other calamari on - it's light and crispy, cooked perfectly and the garnishes & aioli are perfection. I'm a sucker for a good crab cake and I only with their crab cake was larger so that there was more to enjoy. The bruschetta's great and their pizzas are exceptional. The Pizza Abbaccato would have to be my absolute favorite - it's the lightest, most flavorful pizza I have ever had. Add that to the fabulous selection of martinis = Love this place! And I'd highly recommend the Carmel Coffee Martini. I've since replicated it on my own and have converted many non-believers!!!
(5)Renée D.
Up until yesterday I had thought the best thing about this place was the drink menu. But then they stepped it up with an improved menu and the food was great too. We started at neighboring Goodnight Gracie's, a martini bar that is attached to D'Amato's so that you can walk between the two without going outside. Happy hour at both locations is good, (although not as great as the previous Mon-Sat half off all drinks and appetizers) with $7 martinis and appetizers Mon-Fri from 5-7. The bruschetta that we got at Gracie's (which comes from D'Amato's kitchen) was overly cooked with melted cheese and nothing like the delightful toasted bread with big chunks of fresh mozzarella and tomatoes sprinkled on top that they used to serve. But the martinis were excellent, this time I got the Sunburn, a fruit juice and vodka blend that would fit in perfectly on a beach somewhere, and my favorite - the White Chocolate martini, creamy and delicious with chocolate shavings on top. We went to D'Amato's at 7:30 without a reservation. Upon hearing we didn't have a reservation the host acted as though we had said we wanted a Happy Meal. But we got the last table they had, a couple tables over from the live guitarist who played throughout dinner. First thing I noticed about the new menu: vegetarian items were marked! And there were many. Including the Caesar salad, which typically is not vegetarian due to anchovies in the dressing. I asked the waiter to check with the chef, who said that yes, the dressing had anchovies. Then it's not vegetarian! But nothing else looked suspect so I'm going to take their word on the rest of the marked vegetarian items. My bf got the Caesar salad, which he said was good, and I tried the asparagus and mushroom salad, which didn't have any lettuce and was extremely light, but tasty. The dressing they brought with it was more likely heavy cream so I'm glad I got it on the side. For dinner I got the one vegan option that I ended up trying because I was trying to eat light - a 'summer lasagna' that was thing layers of eggplant, zucchini, squash, and tomato sauce, no noodles or cheese. It was excellent, I wasn't sure if anyone could pull that off but they did, the entire thing was very filling and couldn't have been more than 400 calories, and I only say that much because they had to cook the vegetables in something. My boyfriend got the pesto pasta, which I tried and was the best pesto I've ever had, anywhere. The walnuts were ground up so fine I wasn't sure that's what it was until I tasted it. The service was slow in the beginning (they said they were busier than they had planned on for Good Friday) but the server Andrew was very friendly and prompt after we placed our order. Overall, I've been here 3 times over the past couple years and each time has been better, which kinda mirrors the reviews they've gotten. Adding this to the regular rotation for sure.
(4)Mark B.
Hit and miss with this restaurant. I've enjoyed good food and great service and I've sat at the bar and been ignored to the point where I've walked out. Some servers just need a refresher course on how to say, "be with you in one sec."
(3)C R.
Haven't been in a few years, but the last time I went the food was amazing! The gnocchi was delicious and the tiramisu was great.
(5)Kathryn L.
D'amatos is adjoining to goodnite gracies in downtown royal oak. I like the atmosphere at both venues, but am a little confused by D'amatos because...is it a bar? Is it a club (sometimes there is a dance area but sometimes not, and it's in the middle of tables so to get up from your table you will likely have to cross the dance floor)? Is it a restaurant? How many of the people who get tables there are actually ordering food? Aside from that, I must say that the drinks are outstanding and are fairly priced. The service has always been good. The food is good, but it's not your burgers / steaks joint that works for a meat and potatoes girl like myself. It's more of a gourmet place, like pizzas with feta and cucumber...that kind of thing. I think it's a good place to end your night when you don't really care what the vibe is anyway, and I think it's a good date place to hit up before going to a movie or going out elsewhere.
(3)Maria B.
**PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS REVIEW IS BASED ONLY ON THE FOOD** I noticed the quality isn't as good as it used to be, but what can i expect from a Royal Oak joint that's trying to be a restaurant/ bar/ jazz lounge. One safe choice on the menu are their personal pizzas, which are pretty decent. The other dishes are mediocre. I say this b/c i can't really taste the flavors in the food b/c they over salt and over sauce each of the dishes so much that my taste buds are literally numb and everything starts tasting the same : /
(3)Justin O.
I went back to D'Amatos a month or so ago. I know I said I would never go back, but it's close by, there was no wait and I was taking my neighbors to a nice dinner as a thank you for a very generous gift they gave me. I figured one more time, one last shot... Wow. The food! SO GOOD this time! I had the honey pepper brisket with mac 'n' cheese risotto. It was one of the best dishes I have ever had! Our waiter, Andrew (the best waiter in the universe) helped us pair our dinners with a great bottle of red. I know we had desert, I know it was good - I just cant remember anything in detail because of how great that brisket was. Seriously, go eat it now! If they have not already changed up for the coming Fall season. The host and waiter that were super rude to us from the last review, were not there. Hopefully they were canned. I would not want anything detracting from D'Amatos again! The chef there is so good that I hope the ownership is smart enough to not hire support staff that can hurt his rep. in the future.
(4)Shelly M.
Review is for the food only, we came here before a concert at The Royal Oak Music Theater. Had the organic airline chicken breast with risotto. It was so salty I could barely eat half of it. I was so thirsty the rest of the night, I had to drink water all night (between drinks of course), very upset about that. The next day my hands were swollen as if I ate fast food or something, yuk. The bartender was great, we had to sit in the bar section and he still managed to be very attentive waiting on us and taking care of the whole restaurant's drinks, not an easy job. My sister got the crab cake appetizer and that was actually very good, and I usually don't like crab cakes away from the coast. I really don't think I can forgive the mounds of salt that was loaded onto my dish, and it wasn't just the risotto, the chicken was just as salty. I really was hoping for better based on all the reviews on here. Maybe the rest of the food is better, don't order the organic chicken!
(2)Brian B.
Been here a few times for dinner and brunch. Both meals have good, there is no question about that, but there is something always off. The sunday brunch food was good. The doughnuts with the marscapone is a really good appetizer. The problem is the band they had playing each time was so damn loud. we were seated in the middle of the restaurant and everyone at the table basically had to shout to hear each other. last time i was there is was almost unbearable. few people were into it, but most were complaining to the point that the manager/owner turned down the volume on their mics. I can tolerate most anything, but that was unbearable. Dinner was decent. Food was good. I had the ribs which were very pleasant. What wasn't pleasant was the waitress essentially scoffing at the notion that we didn't want any wine/beer/liquor with dinner. Nighttime is fun there. I don't mind the music or anything because that is what i'm there for, not at 11am on sunday for brunch with my family. I might give this another shot, but doubtful
(2)Noelle L.
D'Amato's is one of my top Royal Oak standbys; I prefer the food and atmosphere there to Andiamo or Via Nove. The food is pretty solid (never had anything outright bad; we had an entree once that was overly salty but other than that, no complaints) and the specials are creative. The serving staff has always been great and seems very committed to providing guests with a fine dining experience even though the restaurant is somewhat casual. When I go with my fiance we each get our own dinners because he won't share, but it's also a favorite place for me and my girlfriend to go because we can share a couple items and get out of there without breaking the bank. Often we'll split a pizza and a salad- about 8 bucks each. Last night we each got salads and split a pasta dish, and the kitchen was good enough to plate it separately with no BS "split plate charge" like some places. We almost thought there had been a mistake because each half portion was still so large that we both took home leftovers! Last but not least, it's a good place to try new wines- they're doing half off bottles of wine on Wednesday nights, and they also do the occasional special wine dinner.
(4)Sweet P.
what i love at this restaurant, i really do love. only problem is that when i've tried something different, i haven't been terribly pleased. can't go wrong with martini's. i like their spicy version of the bloody mary, served in a martini glass. excellent caesar salad, which is sometimes hard to find. in terms of what to get for dinner? pappardelle. always a good choice. occasionally, i will get a tiny bit of grit (probably from the spinach), but the flavor is good enough to overlook it. their corn chowder, if they have it, is also fantastic.
(4)Joe T.
I know this place doubles as a nightlife bar/lounge venue, and Italian restaurant/bar by day - I will say that my review is based on my Friday/Saturday nightlife experiences here, ranging in the 10pm-2am window of time. My guess is that the sophisticated restaurant by day character of this venue is what keeps its reigns harnessed a little tighter on its nightlife crowd by night. That being said... Along with nearby places like Commune and BlackFinn, D'Amato's is another heavyweight contender in the 20-somethings bar scene in downtown Royal Oak. It's strictly a bar/lounge to hangout at, while there is pretty loud music, there's typically no dancing (though I have seen an informal-impromptu dance floor take shape in the later hours on weekends deep in the venue). This is a medium sized venue with a pretty grown and mature crowd. There are tables and chairs all over for you to be able to grab some drinks and talk with your friends in a similar to a restaurant type setting. All the times I have been here, I can say that management doesn't try to pack people in really tight like at Commune and Blackfinn - and that's a definite plus. While the Royal Oak barhopping effect does spillover some dousche-bags and skanks from nearby venues - the nice thing about this place is that it still keeps its composure by limiting how packed it gets and having staff monitor and act accordingly to any horseplay or bad behavior. Also, I've noticed that bartenders make drinks better and have better customer service here as well. D'Amato's also does not get as wild and drunken or lose composure as easily as some of the other bars in Royal Oak, either. Yet another plus. This place is a little more lit and has plenty of random seating - so it really does have a more trendy hang-out and converse loungy feel. Going into an office bldg. looking corridor in the back to use the bathroom is a little ackward, but not so bad. If you feel like Black Finn and Commune get a little packed and too wild for your taste, and want to drop it down just one notch - D'Amato's is very much worth a shot! I have no major gripes with this place. Check it out! Normally, I'd give this place 3-stars, but given that compared to some other Royal Oak venues, I can actually walk around freely in here and even find a seat to park my rump, I'll give them 4-stars on a curve.
(4)STEVE H.
D'Amatos has very tasty food. The Gnocchi was excellent. Dont expect a whole lot as far as portions go. A bit pricy, but if you're out to impress in Royal Oak this is a good place. A highlight is the acoustic guitar player on Friday nights, does alot of good classical style jazz fingerpicking.
(4)Anonymous A.
On both of my visits here, the food and wine has been at "about par" for what they charge, but the service has been far worse than expected. My first waitress was inattentive and passive and my second one was downright rude. She even mischarged my tip! That was the icing on the cake for me; I will not be back.
(1)Melanie J.
I first came to D'Amato's for the bar scene. If a table is available, I really enjoy hanging out here, catching up with friends. The atmosphere is cool and comfy and the service is great. More recently I have discovered brunch at D'Amato's and I have to say it's pretty awesome. They continue to evolve their brunch menu and it has become quite satisfying and increasingly vegetarian friendly. I have tried tons of items on the menu. The menu changes slightly, but I would recommend the Mediterranean Omelet and the Egg White Croissant for savory veggie friendly selections and my bf loves the Eggs Benedict (how it comes and with the crab cakes). For sweet options, the Stuffed French Toast and the Caramel Apple Donuts are both incredible. If you're in the mood for some beverages, the Pear Bellini is definitely worth trying (and there's a bottomless option!). Brunch is served 11am - 3pm, which is great for those of us who are not so fond of early rising. There is usually a constant flow of patrons, but we have never had to wait for a table. The service is right on and music by the Red Hot Sugar Daddies plays all through brunch, which makes for a very enjoyable experience. Check it out!
(4)Jana P.
Came here on Saturday, well... I'm surprised that this place didn't fill up. By day, this place is a italian restaurant and by night... it's a bar/club. I was there at night time. Great music by a DJ with a person playing drums. It's a good twist.
(3)Matthew D.
*Lifts megaphone to lips and hits the button* "ATTENTION RESTAURANT AND BAR OWNERS. I CAN GET MY OWN PAPER TOWEL, THANKS. IT IS AN INSULT TO YOUR PATRONS TO HAVE SOME DUDE SITTING ON A STOOL IN THE MEN'S BATHROOM EXPECTING A DOLLAR FOR SOMETHING I AM MORE THAN CAPABLE OF DOING MYSELF. AND I AM NOT ALONE IN MY HATRED FOR THIS TACTIC, IT HURTS YOUR BUSINESS FAR MORE THAN IT HELPS IT." The only thing worse than that was the music.
(3)Rebecca T.
It's been YEARS since I've been to D'Amatos, but had the opportunity to go there on Monday night with a friend. I thought it was a little interesting that 2 of the chairs at our 4-top table looked like they came in from the patio, they were wicker with some cushioning, but it made for a comfy experience. We ordered the crab cake appetizer, which was interesting as I've never seen a sunny side up egg on a crab cake, but it was delicious nonetheless. For my entree I had chicken marsala, which was good, but after I had chicken marsala at Carabba's several years ago, nothing has come close to it. Yet I still try it other places. My dining companion had the pasta with mushrooms, asparagus and some other stuff and it was delicious as well. Our waiter was very attentive, happy to suggest items or answer any questions we had. The restaurant wasn't too busy so we didn't have to shout to hear each other. All in all, very good experience!
(4)Kathy C.
I took a large group to D'amato's (15 people) for a birthday party. I had never been to the restaurant before. The staff were incredible, starting with the management who handled the reservation. The wait staff were efficient and friendly, and very helpful with menu selection. The food was outstanding. Our party had everything from salads to appetizers to full entrees. Portions were large, the pricing was very reasonable. The atmosphere is very pleasant. Fantastic restaurant. . . try it out!
(5)