Quattro by Piazza
905 W Main St,Ste 18 A, Durham, NC, 27701
Quattro by Piazza Menu
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Antipasti
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Insalate
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Pasta Fresca
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Specialitas Della Casa
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Pesce
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Pollo
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Vitello And Bistecca
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Gelatos
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Desserts
Healthy Meal suggestions for Quattro by Piazza
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Antipasti
-
Insalate
-
Pasta Fresca
-
Specialitas Della Casa
-
Pesce
-
Pollo
-
Vitello And Bistecca
-
Gelatos
-
Desserts
Visit below restaurant in Durham for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Durham for healthy meals suggestion.
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
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Address :
905 W Main St,Ste 18 A
Durham, NC, 27701 - Phone (919) 956-7360
- Website https://www.quattrodurham.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street, Validated
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
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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Greg W.
Fresh Pasta on a Budget; When we walked in on a weeknight, I was skeptical. The place was maybe 1/4 full and that tends to worry me, especially when in a high traffic location such as Brightleaf Square. However, when I started seeing the food come out and actually got my dish myself all doubts were immediately washed away in a wave of gluten ecstasy. Service was good but took a long time to get our first drinks for the restaurant being empty. However, once we got served drinks and bread the service picked up and attention was more to our liking. The pasta and dishes offered range from traditional Italian pairings to some more trendy options like squid ink pasta and their spin on Frutti di Mare. You even can build you own pasta (pick 3; pasta/sauce/meat-seafood-veggies) for no more than $16. Their wine list is extensive and offered by the glass which is pretty unique for a place that has this sort of quality and heritage for the traditional Italian cuisine. The selection superb but more than reasonably priced, maxing out at $10/glass for the most expensive. Their desserts are traditional but also include some fun takes on apple tart and other trendy desserts. The apple tart with salted caramel ice cream was warm, had excellent texture and crunch with a cooling sweetness of the ice cream. They also sell fresh pasta at $4.99/5.00 per pound. The pasta is fresh and takes ~40 seconds in boiling water to make. I bought some to play around with during our visit and chose the squid ink pasta. It was fantastic and held the sauces just as it did in the restaurant. The fact that you can get in and out for around $20 (excluding tip) for a fresh and superb plate of pasta is amazing to me. However, this place deserves a bit more recognition and more patrons who I constantly see are complaining on blogs and posts that there is no good pasta around. In fact, some of the best pasta is sitting right in your backyard if you live in Durham at a more than reasonable price. I highly recommend this place.
(4)Eric M.
Came here for lunch. The pizza menu looked delicious so I got the Funghi (mushroom pizza). First, the pizza that came out looked nothing like the awesome looking pizza's they show in the menus. Instead of covered in fresh wild mushrooms, it was sparsely covered and the mushrooms were a bit slimy. My biggest gripe is the crust. It was not crispy nor particularly flavorful. If you ever ate those Red Baron microwavable pizzas as a kid then that is the kind of crust you can expect. Just bready, bland, and cheap tasting. Service was mediocre. The hostess had to remind the waitress to get out water. But after that it was normal.
(2)Molly F.
Boss screamed at a waiter right in front of my party and didn't apologize for the disturbance. Giant gross black hair in one of our water glasses. Sauce aggressively over-seasoned.
(1)Leon M.
Lunch on Sunday was great! I had the pesto spaghetti with shrimp and my wife had the chicken Marsala. Both pastas were fresh and the sauces were spot on. We will do it again.
(4)Caroline Z.
The design of this Italian restaurant in Brightleaf Square restaurant is quite unique - it's laid out to resemble... well, an Italian piazza, with a little fountain and everything. There are outside tables as well, so you can do a little people-watching when the weather allows. On the menu, you'll find very good home-made pasta, and you can buy some to take home and cook, at the little market in the same building (which I hear is closing soon, so stock up now just in case).
(4)Jason K.
My wife and I went for an early dinner before a get together over at Fullsteam and decided to go despite some of the bad reviews. We are really glad we did. The restaurant wasn't overly crowded but our reservation was for 6:15. We were seated immediately, our candle was lit, our menus we handed to us, our water glasses were filled and our drink orders were taken. Bread was delivered promptly and it was good but not great focaccia. We both had small salads and then pasta. The salads were very good and the pasta was great. I wouldn't consider Piazza fine dining by any stretch, but it is close to impossible to find decent red-sauce Italian in the Triangle and we both felt Piazza did an excellent job with our dinners. Our servers we attentive but not pushy, the place was clean, the food was prepared well and for a price we found to be totally reasonable. I'm not sure what's up with all the super negative reviews of this place. We'll definitely be back next time we get a craving for fresh pasta.
(4)Faith D.
Big space, big crowd, but big deal. Greatly disappointed! The beautiful space deceives you because it makes you believe it will be an exceptional experience. The food is way too expensive in comparison to the poor quality and bland flavor. The garlic spread came out cold, the salad lacked an advertised item, chicken was tough and dry, and the pasta was overcooked. I asked about the pecans that were missing on my salad and the server did not know they needed to be there. He said, "Sorry, they didn't tell me what happened." Then he ended up charging me the full price for a salad they did not follow through with. Not okay. He said he'd inform the manager and I did get 15% my $10 salad. Just a side note, but if you are a manager and a customer has an issue you should probably show good customer service and approach them to make sure everything is okay. That didn't happen. Besides that incident with my salad, the server was attentive at the beginning, but then seemed to lose the good customer service along the way. Overall, it seems this restaurant is trying to be something special and misses every opportunity to shine. Fun location, but I think that is what draws the crowd, it is definitely not for the food or service.
(1)Lesley L.
I went to Piazza Italia for the first time last week for lunch. My colleague and I were able to walk there from the office, which was a plus. Our server was very knowledgeable and attentive. He explained the menu well, after both my colleague and I had picked out paninis and learned that the panini machine had broken the day before. (I was quite surprised that they hadn't fixed or replaced the panini machine, as this was a Friday lunch, heading into the weekend!!) We both got different pasta dishes, and I really liked my linguini with basil pesto dish. Their pasta is homemade and quite good.
(3)Real R.
Something very wrong Saturday 1/19/2013. No one came to our table, until hostess went and told waiter we were getting perturbed. Candle not lit. Clumps of dust hanging from lamps over the tables(health code?), bulbs in lights around window burned out. No wine list with menus, drinks not refilled in timely manner, no offer for additional bread. Staff indifference, forgetfulness, service slow, food problems; one dish was cool, improperly reheated, the other dish (veal)was undercooked and pink inside. Front-end manager suffering from 'lost in translation' issues, and shouldn't be in this position. Have dined here before, with good experiences and great tasting food. Overall, staff lacking the cohesive team approach and care for customer service. Summary: 1. Seated with menus but no wine list. 2. We sat for too long before anyone came to the table. I turned and stared at the hostess island, and she finally got the message, and walked over to the bar and got the waiter whose table ours was, to come wait on us, who was busy delivering free wine tastes. 3. When the waiter came to greet us, he asked us what we wanted to drink. He seemed surprised we didn't have a wine list, and had to go retrieve one for use to just get a glass of wine. 4. Food preparation. One dish was cold, reheated in a microwave unevenly the first time, reheated in a pan the second evenly through. The second was undercooked veal (pink inside), which also had to be sent back. Should never have happened. Dishes should come up ready together at the same time. A peek in the kitchen explains the level of staffing and why many of the food inconstancies are occurring. I have the feel the place was sold a year or two ago, and its on the slide. Sadly, something changed. Call Chef Ramsey!!
(2)Liz W.
My family and I went here to celebrate my parents' 24th anniversary. We had never been here before but it looked like a nice place, and we really like going to Brightleaf Square. The first thing I noticed when we walked in was how empty it was, which seemed odd for a Friday night at dinner time. It's a fairly big dining room, but aside from us only maybe two other tables were filled. Not that I mind not having to fight crowds, but an empty restaurant is always a red flag for me. All of their pasta is homemade, and I ordered the fettuccine with gorgonzola cream sauce. I also paid extra to add grilled chicken. The pasta itself was good, you could tell it was freshly made, and the sauce had a nice flavor. The chicken, however, was overcooked and extremely dry. It was more like chicken jerky. My mother and grandmother ordered the gnocchi, and they were both disappointed as well. The gnocchi, unlike my chicken, seemed undercooked and a bit raw. The only person who really liked what he got was my dad, who had the chicken marsala. Overall, I would say the meal was a letdown. It's a shame because this really is a pretty restaurant. The inside is pleasantly decorated, and the outdoor seating is in the middle of Brightleaf Square. It looks like it would be a lovely place to enjoy an outside meal in the spring or fall. Unfortunately, the food is too mediocre and the prices too high to make it worthwhile.
(2)Romin B.
A customer service nightmare. Out with a couple friends, even our waiter noticed our entrees were taking a while (you know, for those rare moments, every 15 minutes or so, that he remembered he was serving our table). He later determined that our order had been lost and they were gonna get our food as soon as they could. Our waiter, bless his heart, passionate about getting us some justice but completely apathetic about providing us any kind of decent service, called the manager over to speak to us. The manager apologized and "generously" offered to bring us some more bread while we wait; you know, the free bread we already got earlier, and probably would've asked for anyway if our waiter ever showed his face. A few minutes later, out comes 3 tiny pieces of bread for the 3 of us, and another 10 minutes later, our food. I ordered the veal parmesan, which is the only reason this places gets 2 stars. It was above-average and came with a supposedly fresh-made fettucine alfredo which was also fine. It would've been nice if the prices were at least a few dollars cheaper unless the food was especially memorable, which it wasn't. Also shared some kind of fish appetizer that wasn't too appealing. At the end of the day, I spent $28 including tax and tip for my entree and 1/3 of an app (no drink). If you're keeping track at home, that's not a dollar comped off our bill for our troubles. Clearly a manager who'd rather save a couple dollars than encourage repeat visits.
(2)Wendy V.
Great Pizza!
(4)Alex S.
I usually don't go for Italian food since I'm not a big fan of pastas; but Piazza DOES have a nice deal for pasta and their squid ink linguine (with mushroom marsala) is GREAT. Yum yum. But I've never had squid ink linguine anywhere else so can't really compare it to anything. The service is pretty good and seating hasn't ever been a problem for us (even when we had 8 people with no reservation). I like the decor, both outside and inside, even though it doesn't really go with the cuisine... I just like the warehouse feel lol. Also, once at lunch we asked for olive oil with our bread. Instead our waitress brought out their "house oil" or something. It was a reddish-tinted oil with spices and other things inside. It looked cool, but was pretty nasty and salty. Opt for the extra virgin if you see this thing approaching your table. I was also mildly disappointed for restaurant week when you didn't have a choice of which flavor gelato to get, though I still picked gelato over the other desserts. And then it melted too fast.
(3)Eric T.
AWFUL!! A group of us went there for lunch and ordered mostly panini sandwiches. All of the sandwiches were not true paninis. They just had the bread that look like only thing used in the sandwich press. I ordered the PANINI PROSCUITTO and the meat was country ham. There's a HUGE difference between proscuitto and country ham. On top of it, there was just sliver of meat on the sandwich. I'm not expecting a moundful but more than one slice would be nice. The others at the table ordered veal panini and were equally disappointed. I can't comment on their italian plates but if the sandwiches are a sign of business, I say BEWARE! Take your $$$ and go somewhere else.
(1)Christi H.
Enjoy this restaurant. Pasta and sauces very good. Not sure why there are such bad reviews. Service and cleanliness never an issue for us. Go almost every time we are on our way to Raleigh.
(4)Chris A.
We checked this place out for triangle restaurant week and will not be back. It was the worst service I've ever experienced at a nice restaurant in my life. We waited 20+ minutes before our waiter ever even noticed us sitting down and at one point went 10 minutes without beverage or water. The food was portioned to ridiculously small sizes - apparently their plan was to take advantage of TRW customers, not create new customers. Our waiter blamed the kitchen staff, the manager blamed everyone else, no one took responsibility or offered any kind of amends. In addition, the food on the TRW menu was clearly pre-prepared and nothing tasted fresh other than the pasta. Our fried ravioli appetizer wasn't even hot enough for the cheese inside to be melted, and my Veal Parmigiana was like something from a cheap Chinese restaurant, over-fried and chewy. Yuck.
(1)J C.
I ordered chicken fetuccini alfredo to go. $12 for pasta in bland sauce, another $4 for five tough slivers of chicken breast. I can't believe people pay to eat here. Never again.
(1)J S.
Well it was a nice atmosphere. The food was quite like that of a chain restaurant. The chicken was somewhat bland and the pasta was drowned in butter. Tiramisu was ok/good but no better than Italian restaurant at the mall. Pricing was reasonable for the quantity but it was too high for the quality. Service was pretty good, but not outstanding. Probably won't return here.
(2)Morton H.
My wife and I had dinner there and the food was mediocre at best. The dinner was expensive, as my wife had the lobster tails. They made her ill, and she spent the night with assorted abdominal problems. I do not recommend their seafood. My food was bland. If I could give a negative star rating I would. I emailed the restaurant with this complaint and never got a response.
(1)Paige S.
Everything was just okay. Unfortunately the kitchen could not serve dishes at the right temperature. Mashed potatoes were ice cold. "Warm" apple tart was cold. For the price could go somewhere with better food. On the upside.. The pasta was nice a fresh. Only upside to the restaurant unfortunately.
(2)Angie Y.
A cute restaurant, but nothing special. I've always had good service when I've been here. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here - it's a decent option, but there's definitely better in Durham.
(3)Sandy S.
If you love Italian food, this is NOT the place. Our reservations for a party of 9 were honored 45 minutes late. We ordered a selection of appetizers and every one of them was sub-par. Over-salted, over-cooked, under-cooked. Ditto the mains. The only positive comment I have is that the gelato was good. So get a gelato to go and send a Duke student to DNA test the veal.
(1)Nicole G.
I came here on Valentines Day hoping to have a nice dinner. We were given a "Special menu" that we were told was supposed to speed up service. Ordering off the regular menu would cause delays. I was unimpressed with the special menu and shocked by the amount of time it took for our food to arrive. Our main course did not arrive until over an hour after we ordered and it was luke warm and bland. The restaurant was fairly busy but there were still multiple empty tables. I can't imagine that it was any busier than a typical Friday or Saturday night. I am not sure if our food took so long because the kitchen was backed up or our waiter was slow. My water glass was never refilled until I pulled someone aside and asked for it to be refilled. In addition my husband had to go to the bar to order his beer.
(2)K G.
I think they have a new chef because last summer this place was amazing and now it's pretty bad. I had the ALLA CAPRES salad which the new chef decided to add sun-dried tomatoes to...it all ready has fresh tomatoes and doesn't need any others. Then I had the RAVIOLI QUATTRO FORMAGGIO and they were over cooked and very tough. My husband had spaghetti with bolognese sauce and the sauce was disgusting. He thought it was just tolerable enough to eat (and he was starving) but if that had been my dinner, I would have sent it back it was so bad. The service on the other hand was wonderful as usual. Hence the two stars I hope these reviews get the attention of the owners and managers so they can go back to they way there were cooking over the summer!
(2)Shannon A.
This is a buzz location for Durham. It creates a lot of conversation, sitting on the corner of Brightleaf square, the atmosphere is nice with its exposed brick, rustic feel. I've been to this location for business lunch and most recently for an event that reserved a large area of the restaurant. First and foremost- the food was superb, unpretentious as most would assume, not straying far from just great tasting italian food! It is the type of restaurant that you would want to come in early and enjoy a cocktail (or three) at the bar. The service could be improved. I actually had a server tell me that "cash was preferred". WHAT?! Obviously, I then paid with my card. Sketchy! A server who spoke to us with an italian accent was later seen by us at another bar at the end of the night talking with no accent. Seems a bit on the cheezy side that the server would pretend he was italian. Be real, seriously! There is nothing fancy about this place that you couldn't find at any other italian/rustic restaurant other than it's location. I do love that you can make a night of Brightleaf Square and a great nightlife bar area when you leave dinner.
(4)Mei O.
We came in with the lure of the Restaurant Week lunch menu, everything on the fixed menu sounded delicious. The decor was cute, and would be a good date place if the inside wasn't so noisy. Overall, the food was good, but nothing made me giggle with delight. The fried ravioli appetizer was a highlight, and the dipping tomato sauce was yummy. The house salad was ok, but was very lightly dressed, and I'm a fan of heavier dressing. The home-made pasta? Yummy, and there was a lot of it! The gorgonzola cream sauce? Good, but tasted more like an alfredo with a hint of gorgonzola. The bolognese sauce was pretty standard, not bad, not amazing. They had run out of tiramisu, which was a bummer because Andrew had his heart set on that for dessert. And the weird thing was I swear I watched an employee walk out the door with a platter of tiramisu. The chocolate cake was rich and moist, and I really enjoyed the chocolate hazelnut gelato. Major bummer: The wait staff was completely overwhelmed, and the restaurant was only half full. We were half waited on by the hostess and a very frantic, seen only at the end of our meal waitress. Actually, most of the people that worked there seemed to be frantically running around, with a few random people just kind of pacing. It was weird and made for a slightly disappointing lunch.
(3)Alison S.
This is my friend's favorite Italian place in Durham, so we went here the other night as she is getting ready to move away. It was my first visit. We sat outside and there was some live music at the other end of the courtyard, which was loud, but not too loud to make conversation difficult. Our waiter was nothing to write home about, but didn't do anything wrong either. Our food came out quickly and was really delicious. I ordered the eggplant parmesan and my friend had fettucine alfredo with shrimp. All of the food was delicious. Gotta love fresh pasta when it is done well. The prices were a little steep, but a nice occasional treat.
(3)Michelle F.
My boyfriend and I went here before going to a show at the DPAC. This was actually the reason we decided to go, if you present tickets for a show at the DPAC with the same show date as your dining date, you receive 20% off your bill. We started with montepulcino red wine and settled for the complimentary bread with roasted,spreadable garlic.Both were good. I was hesitant to order risotto after being disappointed at other restaurants but decided to give it a chance and ordered the special: saffron risotto with lobster, spinach, and tomatoes. It was a really great decision. The risotto was perfectly cooked, same goes for the lobster mixed into the risotto. Good flavor, very creamy and the veggies mixed in tasted fresh. My boyfriend had the shrimp scallop/seafood pesto which was a little oily but still delicious. The fresh homemade pasta was definitely the highlight of his dish. We both took home leftovers that were large enough for two days' lunch. Another highlight of the dinner was the staff, everyone was so nice and happy. We got seated after a party of 12 so it took a little while for our food to come out, to offset this our waiter asked what time we needed to leave to get to the show on time and found time to squeeze in gelato on the house! We decided on chocolate hazelnut gelato. It had great hazelnut flavor and I think actually had hazelnuts mixed in. It was not as creamy and soft as I had hoped for but was still enjoyable- a perfect portion for two!
(4)Melissa P.
Eh. Overpriced, slightly better than chain quality Italian. Nice, outdoor seating in Brightleaf. They have a walk-up gelato line in the other door that is worth the visit.
(3)Neil S.
We were in downtown Durham at noon on a Saturday. Several places were closed, we ended up here. Big room, almost no-one else there. Quick to a table; ordered coffee to drink and a few minutes later it came. Cold. I can understand not having steaming coffee on hand then but not serving cold coffee. If nothing else they surely have a microwave. After that a different server showed up, Megan, and the level of service went up. I got lasagna, my wife got Mezzaluna Pesce. The lasagna was good but nothing special. The Mezza was subtly spiced; my wife liked it. I wouldn't go there for it. $27.50 for two noon meals in an area where we could have done better for less. All in all mediocre service at a time when no one else was there and above-mediocre food. A three in my book.
(3)Jeanie O.
If I am in the mood for Italian food, this is my first choice. There is no wait to be seated, and it has a nice atmosphere. My gripe is the lighting - - for some reason, they turn down the light so low (a bit dark when you walk in). It didn't used to be that way. Not sure if they did it for going "green". Of course we order the Italian dish - pizza, pasta (no sandwiches - why would you order sandwich in an Italian restaurant??). They are served hot, and taste pretty good. Their bread is hit or miss. The wait staff are friendly.
(4)Caroline S.
Been to Piazza Italia a couple times. While I've never been overly impressed by the service or food, overall it's a pretty good Italian restaurant. Why? Homemade pasta, homemade desserts, and great bread. So they have a good offering but sometimes the execution is a bit off. For example their bread is great, but at lunch they offer it with butter. When we asked for olive oil, boy were we lucky that they could give us olive oil since they only make it available at dinner?! Tried their homemade pasta which was great. Opted for the carbonara (you choose your pasta type, sauce then add on meat) whether the pasta doesn't hold up against sauce or it was just a poor sauce, the pasta got really gummy. Also, wouldn't try the carbonara sauce again overall since instead of pancetta or bacon they seem to use just regular boiled ham. For $9.50 it was a big portion and good for at least 2 meals. The location and the atmosphere is nice (albeit a little cheesy in decoration), and given the weak selection of Italian restaurants in the area, if you're in the mood for some homemade pasta check it out.
(3)Jennifer A.
I've been here twice. The first time, my husband and I were scouting rehearsal dinner locations. We were extremely impressed with the service, the food, and the pricing. We decided that, since it was a block or so away from the church we were using, and that since it was one of the only good restaurants close by, we would go with them. Planning was a nightmare. Whoever it is that does their party planning/catering does not speak english very well. The service during our rehearsal dinner was horrid. Our contract for the room was from noon until three. We arrived at 1 p.m., an hour late because a few people were late and then the rehearsal ran over (as they sometimes do). Upon entering, we were told by our server that we were *early.* News to us, for sure. There were two other tables sat in the restaurant, both already served. The meal was as about as I expected, although I had to ask three times for my beverage to be refilled, but I really cannot let them off for what followed. When my husband was handed the bill, it was incorrect. They had billed us for the entire amount of the dinner, when we had already paid for half of it in advance. He left the room we were in to address it with the waiter, who then corrected it and brought it back to my husband who had sat back down to finish his lasagna. Instead of handing my husband the bill and leaving, as he should have done, the waiter announced loudly enough to get everyones attention how much we now owed since the bill had been adjusted. I was extremely embarrassed. Their food is good, their gelato is amazing, but some of their waitstaff need to learn some manners. I certainly will not be back.
(2)Douglas T.
Home made pasta. Amazing dishes. I sampled most of the 7 entrees our table had and they were all great. The deserts were a disappointment, however. Good service, good atmosphere. A definite recommend and it will become a regular stop for us.
(4)Minnow N.
We just came in for the gelato since the little bakery down the street didn't have any anymore. We came in around brunch time so they were pretty empty. The guy helped us out and was very friendly. The lemon was very very very tart so be warned. The mango was pretty good and the rum raisin was rummy. It was good but not Italian gelato good. Refreshing on a hot day!
(3)Dave S.
This place is pretty solid. My wife and I went on our first date here, so we will always view it with a lot of nostalgia. The food is pretty good, the service has always been good as well, and the atmosphere is pretty solid. My only 2 issues with the place are as follows 1) it is generic. There are a million restaurants like this in the world, and they are all good places to go to dinner 2) it is expensive. For the same price you can go to much better restaurants. I can't think of a much better Italian place in Durham, but there are restaurants that are just better for the price. Overall, it is a solid bet if you want a nicer meal than you normally have, want to get dressed up a little bit, or don't mind paying extra. Give it a try.
(3)Tabitha H.
We had a party of 20 and sat in the wine cellar tonight. The room was beautiful and the entire restaurant was tastefully decorated for Christmas. For a party of 20, the service was stellar and enthusiastic. When I requested an impromptu champagne toast, the server was obliging rather than irritated. That gets high marks from me, because he already had a lot on his, a-hem, plate. The food was excellent. We are a family of sharers, and I tried at least 7 things from the menu and was incredibly impressed, My lobster salad was so good that my family joked about how they didn't get any. The kids really liked to go pick out their gelato at the counter after the meal. Ok...the adults did too. A great and overlooked gem in Brightleaf!
(5)Christina M.
We went here after reading good reviews on other sites and got there before the dinner rush, so it may have given us a better experience. The food was delish and having the bread with the roasted garlic was a yummy surprise. The white wine sangria was so good; it left me wanting a lot more, and I'm not usually much of a drinker. I agree with the other reviews - the gelato was really good. But also like some of the other reviews, the service slowly went downhill the longer we were there. Maybe the guy thought we were there for too long! Either way, I definitely recommend it.
(3)Katie T.
The Brightleaf location is cool and the restaurant has a nice ambiance. My friend and I shared the fried 4 cheese ravioli appetizer with pomodoro sauce. Heaven! Next moved on to the Insalata Mista which was also very good. For my entree I ordered rigatoni with pesto and vegetables. It was fairly bland and since I like very flavorful food, I wasn't terribly impressed with this part of the meal. I was too full for dessert but my friend had the mint gelato and said it was delicious. I didn't look at prices when I ordered and was surprised when the bill came and my pesto rigatoni was $16. I don't mind paying that if the meal is good, but I don't think my rigatoni was worth the $16 price tag. On the flip side, the ravioli appetizer was worth every one of the $8. Our waiter was strange and kind of made me cringe every time he came to the table. Every interaction we had with him was just weird and uncomfortable, almost like he didn't know how to do the waiter small talk but he really wanted to. I think he's probably a nice guy but just socially awkward. Tonight's experience didn't wow me (other than the ravioli), but it was good enough that I'd give it another try. By the way, did I mention that the ravioli were good?
(3)Chris B.
Surprised to see such negative reviews on here. The better half and I ate here for a large, late weekend lunch, and were pleased overall. Expect above-average "red-sauce" style Italian-American food. Things got off to a good start with yummy rosemary bread and a head of roasted garlic. I need to do more of that at home -- the garlic turns out so sweet and savory, and loses all its harshness. We started with the mussels appetizer. A huge portion, drowning in very liquidy white wine/butter/garlic sauce with some diced fresh tomatoes. When we were through, the waitress asked if we would like some more bread to dip in the sauce -- we declined since we each had an entree coming, but could definitely see the appeal. The better half had the gnocci with pomodoro sauce -- the gnocci were house-made and excellently prepared. The sauce was a bit sweet, but good. I had the eggplant parm -- wished for a bit crispier breading on the parm, but it wasn't too greasy and I'll take that tradeoff on my parm dishes any day. The spaghetti (again, housemade pasta!) was superb. Had that good bite that you can only get from well-prepared fresh pasta. We didn't stick around for dessert. Service was just fine, although not too efficient (also, the restaurant is fairly large and the kitchen is in a corner, so its a long walk for the servers). I could see how things could be slow at peak times, but that wasn't our experience at all. And everyone was friendly, which makes things go much smoother all around!
(4)AK S.
So sad to give this rating but 3 strikes, your out... My first experience at Piazza Italia was AMAZING! I now know that that was completely related to the fact that I was one of 3 tables in the entire place. The taste of the food is wonderful but would be unbelievable if management got their stuff together and ran the place right. On both visits, our food came out cold and at different times fro each other. Asked for bread three times from our server and it never came... A guest with me ordered soup and salad as his meal and the salad never showed... With that said, the egeplant parm is AWESOME. Service sucks.
(2)F G.
Oh how i love downtown durham....so why not try this place. I ordered the gamberi and capesante pesto, lobster and crab cakes, and the tuscan fish fry. Yeah i was hungry. Hadn't eaten seafood in a long time so I was a bit overeager. Everything tasted really fresh and the pasta was cooked to perfection but the food lacked salt especially the tuscan fish, which was dry. But the crabcakes were the best. They come served on a bed of greens with a dressing. It was so yummy. My waitress was very nice. They even offer outdoor seating but it was too chilly for me. I ate too much so I didnt have any room for dessert. But I hear the gelato is BOMB!! Went here on father's day and I could count on one hand how many tables were filled so I can't really say if thats the norm. I think they are usually closed on sunday. We had a table facing the street which was nice. I love to people watch. Overall it was a nice dinner with the hubby!!
(4)Kim F.
I ate here 12/16 and found the food and the service mediocre. The reason this place gets 2 stars is for the house salad dressing and the salad in general. It was not your average house vinagrette and is made fresh (according to the waiter). I came in around 1:30 and there was only one other table and a group of a dozen or so ladies, so the service should have been better than it was, which was almost non-existent. The waiter did come back to let me know the meal would be out in a bit, so the wait was only about 25 minutes total. I ordered the pollo parmigiana romana (which I suppose is the expensive version of chicken parmesan) and the piece of chicken was pounded so thin and fried so hard it was difficult to cut. The herbs it was prepared with was very tasty and the pasta was fresh and good, but overall, I've had better for less money.
(2)Jennifer H.
I ate here a little over a week ago with 4 of my friends for restaurant week and absolutely loved it. I had the Ravioli Quattro Formaggio as the appetizer, and it was delicious. The dipping it came with also had a nice zing to it. For the entree, I had the fettuccine with wild mushroom sauce and shrimp. They did not skimp on the number nor the size of the shrimp, and I got a plate full of the pasta. My only complaint would be for the dessert -- they ran out of tiramisu; I was there for lunch on Friday and the place wasn't packed. I was not expecting them to run out of such a central item. On the other hand, I had the gelato, which was decent (though a little too sweet for my taste). The service was good - the waitress told us that they were short-staffed due to a waitress who had suddenly quit. She was very apologetic that our service wasn't that fast and that everything was so frantic. However, i felt well taken care of and that our presence was acknowledged. I didn't really notice that service was slow - the only sign was that our water didn't get filled as much as usual.
(4)Kevin H.
Rediculously delicious!!!!! The lasagna was an omg experience. All the pasta dishes are homemade. Even the pasta! The service was excellent as well I will most surely be back here again.
(5)Jenny L.
Went there for a dinner with friends the other night. Had the caprese salad to start with chicken/sausage/mushroom pasta for entree. Pretty average. Think there has been a change in management - portions got bigger and its starting to taste like Margiano's.
(3)Katharine D.
Went here for our 10th Anny. Great service and excellent food!!!!! Requested private seating for the occasion. They seated us in a room to ourselves and dimmed the lights. Highlights of the meal- mussels perfectly cooked lobster and crab cakes, veal ravioli in pink sauce. My husband got the NY Strip special- Yum!!!!! The gelato did not disappoint.
(4)Arthur H.
Good meal with colleagues! The only issue was the lack of wine choices. They did not have our first 2 choices. Otherwise, food was enjoyed by the whole team!
(4)Starlotte H.
Wonderful atmosphere. Impeccable food! I was not expecting such a treat! The rosemary bread is delicious!
(5)Jillian P.
I've only eaten here once, so it might have only been a fluke. But I doubt it. The hostess and the staffed seemed to be stretched too thin and the food was mediocre at best. My salad was completely covered in dressing, I like to be able to taste vegetables not drown them completely. As a place that makes their own pasta, I was disappointed in my pasta meal. My rigatoni were over cooked and the sauce was bland. No fresh ground pepper, no fresh shaved parmesan cheese. And they messed up my friend's order completely, they are not very good at substitutions or changed to their menu. I would go back, just to see if it was just a fluke, maybe order something different. But I don't have high hopes.
(2)Luke C.
*********update 5/18/08 Whatever it is, Piazza has slipped. The waiting staff was rude, the food was slow and bad. I had a seafood linguini and the crab and shrimp were both stringy (read- bad and frozen food). My wife ordered crab ravioli and it was NOT tasty at all. It felt doughy and covered with lots of bland beurre blanc. I would not go back again. ************************* I'll let you have one guess as to what this restaurant specializes in. The food is generally pretty good. The spaces are large and handsomely decorated. There is a function room off one side of the place. You can sit at the tables or the bar. There is an open kitchen which is pretty well organized. The best things about this place are the pastas, the wines and the gelatos. The gelato shop is part of the restaurant and offers splendid and flavorsome gelatos. The downside is that the place is a little too expensive for the food it offers and that occasionally the food can be a bit salty!
(1)janet t.
I've eaten here a few times. The food is okay but not exceptional for the price--quantity is good but quality isn't consistent.
(3)Christine S.
One star for the nice venue. I came here with a large group (~20 people), so its understandable if we dont get our order right away. However it took ONE HOUR AND THIRTY MINUTES to get the food to our table. I ordered a $12 linguini dish with basil pesto, and it was a very mediocre meal. Not worth a 1.5 hour wait or the $12. The portion sizes for my friends' dishes were also quite small for the pricing.
(1)Jim B.
My wife I expected a better experience at Piazza Italia, but were disappointed. My wife had the mussels, and I had Veal Parmesan. Both dishes were over-cooked. The veal was burnt and consequently very dry. The bread that came with the meal was very average, and I had to ask for olive oil . . and this is Italian! The side pasta that came with the veal was more like a simple macaroni and cheese dish, something you would expect to get at a low end buffet. On the positive side, the space is big and nice and we were happy with the service. I also liked their wine iist.
(2)Matt S.
While the location can't be beat in Durham, the food can be...right around the corner at Pop's. I have to admit, I was excited by the menu when I first looked at it but the actual food just wasn't very exciting. The service was decent, but disorganized.
(3)Jon B.
I ordered the MEZZALUNA DI PESCE and found the apple and ginger accents very nice. We both enjoyed out Caesar salads and the fresh bread with roasted garlic heads. We both enjoyed our wine and the environment. We will visit again. My wife and I enjoyed our meals - we did not order the most expensive items available - it was a good choice for both of us - sometimes my wife does not enjoy her meals as much as I do. We also were able to order gelatto cones to go ... they were good - I was spoiled for too many years at Kopp's Custard in Milwaukee.
(4)Mike B.
3 stars tells you all you need. It just didn't blow me away. They tried on the service side but the food just held them to 3 stars. The location is great but the food is okay.
(3)Brian L.
Due to my indecisiveness giving this place 3.5 stars. Nice and big dining area although very empty. Waitress was new and a little rough around the edges. Dinner was good, but not spectacular. I had the seafood pesto linguine which was nice and creamy but on the bland side...actually if there was a movie called the Bland Side, it would be about this restaurant.
(3)Christina L.
There was a Pasta and Risotto festival at Quattro by Piazza Italia, which offered 20 different types of pasta for a fixed dinner price of $15. Wine was $5 per glass, and $8 for a platter of 10 different gelato shots (no actual alcohol included, the gelato is merely presented in shot glasses). This event was barely advertised, no idea why. It's confusing because this place is supposed to be called "Quattro," but only "Piazza Italia" can be found on Yelp, and "Quattro" does not appear to have their own website up yet. Regardless, servers come around to tables with a giant bowl of pasta in their arm. Initially, it seems like they hardly give you anything to sample, but trust me, if you sample EVERY pasta offered, this is plenty enough! It's an all you can eat pasta event, and you are more than welcome to request more of a certain pasta, if you have the stomach for it. While waiting for the pasta to be prepared, we were given a plate of focaccia with tomato sauce for dipping. Yes, I sampled EVERY SINGLE ONE of these: Risottos: -Creamy Asparagus -Wild Mushroom -Sausage -Shrimp with Pomodoro -Chicken with Frontina Cream -Lemon Chicken -Lamb Saffron -Beef with Garlic and Parsley -Beef and Caramelized Onion with Parmesan Cheese -Veggie Risotto Pastas: -Spaghetti Pomodoro -Spaghetti Putanesca -Linguini Carbonara -Linguini Wild Mushroom Marsala -Ravioli Alfredo with Basil and Fresh Tomatoes -Fettucinni Alfredo -Fettucinni Pesto Alfredo -Rigatoni with Gorgonzola Cream -Rigatoni Napolitano -Squid Ink with Spicy Pomodoro Favorites: Lamb Saffron Risotto, Shrimp with Pomodoro Risotto, Fettucinni Alfredo, and Rigatoni Napolitano. Paired my pasta with a glass of Dr. Loosen "Dr. L" - Riesling (Mosel, Germany, 2011). It was nice and sweet, consisting of apple, lemon, crushed rocks, honey, and bright acidity. Spaghetti Putanesca and Lemon Chicken Risotto are very salty, Squid Ink with Spicy Pomodoro is quite spicy if you eat a mouthful all at once, Spaghetti Pomodoro is just your typical spaghetti without meatballs, Creamy Asparagus Risotto was more like regular rice instead of mushy (the texture risotto is supposed to be), and Wild Mushroom Risotto was okay. Everything else was mediocre or unappealing. Granted, my group was the first to arrive (right at opening), so perhaps this explains why the first few batches of risotto and pasta were unimpressive. Still, we left bloated and were barely able to move. We had no room for the platter of gelato shots (flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Cookies and Cream, Hazelnut, Coconut, Pineapple, Strawberry, Mango, Peach, and Bubble Gum). They were in the process of promoting the place, so I was able to snap some shots of the specially-plated dishes they were using for promoting the place (none of which were actually served to us).
(4)Ashley B.
Decided to give this place a try for Triangle Restaurant Week, and just in case, decided to reserve ahead of time. Good thing, because the place was packed! As date night and during TRW, my boyfriend and I had high expectations for this place, but....it was O-K. There was a lot of servers, bus boys and hosts/hostesses, and yet we still encountered issues with service: empty water glasses, a food tray left at our table (when they gave us our food), and we were barely given any attention. What if I needed a beer? What if I need more napkins? None. However, the food was pretty good. Bruschetta for an appetizer, Parmesan-crusted veal with alfredo pasta, and chocolate cake with vanilla gelato. The bruschetta and cake were probably the best things I ate there. The veal and alfredo were a strange pair. The veal was eh, and the alfredo was sauce-less. SAUCE-LESS. WHERE TF WAS MY SAUCE?! And I couldn't ask the server for more for two reasons: 1) she was nowhere to be found, and 2) I didn't want to get charged extra for an already $20 per person meal for TRW. And finally, the chocolate cake was the size of an average-sized computer mouse. yeah. THAT small. Overall, I would come back with friends to try something else, but definitely not for Triangle Restaurant Week. Meh.
(2)Erika U.
I dined here earlier this week as part of a large work party. We were seated in the wine cellar room which was quite lovely and private. The food was pretty good but not the best Italian food I've ever had. The real downside was the inefficient service that we received. Our waiter forgot to take 1/2 of the table's dessert order and could only split out checks individually. He did this by ringing up one check at a time, so this added an extra 30 minutes to our experience that wasn't necessary.
(3)Jennifer H.
So four of us went out to celebrate a friend birthday. We ordered a pitcher of white sangria and it was delish! The bread with marinara was pretty good too. I ordered the eggplant parma and it was just ok. It didn't have a whole lot of flavor-it didn't appear to be breaded and it came in the shape of a loaf-which personally I found a bit weird. I substituted the spaghetti with rigatoni and the pasta was good! The sauce was good. I cleaned my plate! I was pretty disappointed that our sever didn't do anything in recognition of my roomies birthday. As for the cost...I thought it was a bit on the pricey side for Italian food.
(3)Valerie C.
My boyfriend and I went here for Valentine's Day as we made more last-minute reservations, this place was very close to where we where beforehand, and one of the few restaurants to still have a reservable spot. I made the reservations on Open Table and then started skimming reviews, only to see that it was rated fairly well EXCEPT for Valentine's Day. There were complaints of the restaurant running out of food, being very unprepared for the rush that the holiday would bring, etc., but we decided to give it a shot anyway because the menu looked good and the atmosphere appealing for it being a special night. We were seated and greeted right away and there were plenty of open tables, plus they had a special $30 per person Valentine's Day menu offered. However, the waitress then came back to tell us that we were only allowed to order off the pre-set, price-fixed menu that night. That was definitely not made clear to us in advance of coming, and we likely would not have gone there had we known that would be the case. My boyfriend told her that was bad news, and she went to check with a manager, who said they would "make an exception" and allow us to order any singular item off the pre-set menu and would charge us just for that item. Still disappointing, as the regular menu was more extensive and I had an item in mind to order that was not on the pre-set menu, but we both found something we enjoyed. He ordered the eggplant parm and I the chicken marsala, and subbed the pasta for veggies. She told me it would be squash and zucchini, but instead I got bell peppers and onions, though it was still tasty. His was too, and overall we both enjoyed the food. We also each ordered wine- the house Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio. Both delicious. Only other downside: there was some kind of party going on at the very back of the restaurant, so there was really loud dance/hip hop type music playing. We could hear it even being seated at the table along the front exterior of the restaurant, the farthest spot from the back area, so it really took away from the atmosphere and mood we should've had at a place like that and on a night like that.
(2)Emily Y.
Overwhelmingly three stars. The interior design is gorgeous: fountain in the middle, light ambiance, a bit more than your typical brick and mortar Durham restaurant setting. However, the quality of the food was unimpressive. The chop salad italiano I ordered was average, and the daily special risotto relied too much on its cream sauce and had a dull taste. The salmon wasn't too bad I suppose, but the fact that the server offered to put cheese on it was very strange. Also, the price of the risotto was as high as someplace like Nana's, which is a bit ridiculous. I had the chance to sample some of the seafood pasta, of which I was not a fan. Dessert was slightly better: at least the lavender creme brûlée had an ordinary taste. I would deem this a last resort restaurant in Brightleaf sort of place. Better to look further downtown.
(3)Lizzy L.
I attended a private party/group event here last week and we had a separate room reserved for about 40 people with a set menu. For appetizers we had calamari and mozzarella-filled ravioli/dumplings. My husband did not venture to eat the octopus with its little tiny legs sticking out but I was not daunted. I don't usually highlight restaurant bread but Piazza Italia's house bread was soft and fluffy and garlicky! I know other reviews mentioned that the red dipping oil sauce is an odd color, which was definitely something I haven't tried before, but I enjoyed it with the bread. My husband ordered the rigatoni with sausage from the set menu--this was AMAZING. I'm still salivating just thinking about it. The sausage comes in large chunks and the rigatoni sauce is creamy/cheesy/tomato-y. I ordered the breaded veal with fettucini alfredo. On our way out I saw their glass display of a noodles that look handmade, and my fettucini definitely tasted very fresh, but the sauce was too thick and the fettucini ended up very dry. With a thinner sauce perhaps I would have liked the fettucini more. Dessert: The tiramisu was more creamy (in a good way!) than other types of tiramisu I've tried before. I ordered the strawberry gelato which comes in a small scoop and tastes fresh, but not as fluffy as I was hoping.
(4)Ryan N.
Wife and I came in on a Saturday night. Had reservations but were not needed. We sat outside (very nice area) and our server came out within a few minutes and asked what we wanted to drink. We both got a very weird vibe from him, almost like he was high or drunk, but we didn't think he actually was. The other thing that rubbed us both the wrong way was when he cam to refill my unsweetened tea he said "when I first moved to NC and tried sweet tea for the first time I thought it would taste good with vodka and that's how I got my first DUI." TMI man. Not sure that's something you should be proud of and telling your customers about. However, the food was amazing! I had the 'build your own pasta' and it was some of the best I've ever had. All homemade ingredients including the meatballs (you could really see and taste this). Prices were pretty inexpensive for being all homemade. Definitely come back when in the area again.
(4)Rhona K.
I am not sure about the validity of the other reviews on this restaurant, but I went during restaurant week, where they had a four course meal for $20.Portion sizes were a lot bigger than I imagined, given that the meal came with 4 whole courses, but taste was just a little better than average. I give this place 4 stars because they cooked my sole just right, fried to the right crisp, without leaving any evidence of residual oil or burnt tips. The piece of fish itself was huge and extremely generous, and so so tender and juicy! The only problem I have with the food was the risotto itself. I ordered a sole with creamy risotto, and the risotto was slightly undercooked. Instead of risotto, it tasted more like barley slathered in a bit of cream. If it wasn't for the phenomenal fish that lay on top of the risotto or the delicious three other courses, I would've given this place 5 stars. For curiosity's sake, the other courses I had were 4 cheese ravioli, mint salad, and a tiramisu desert...mind you, this was all for $20 and came with the most delicious complimentary (warm!!) italian bread. Come here during restaurant week!
(4)Leyna D.
They took out silverware. I don't think we are getting food. Send help. Edit: they brought the silverware back, but not one patron in the restaurant has a meal. It's quite amazing.
(1)Susan K.
We live in the area, but we're not natives, and we know good Italian food when we taste it - one of us grew up just outside of New York City, and the other is from the Mediterranean! We wanted good Italian and wondered where to get it in Durham... not a family pizza place; we were looking for a nice dinner out. Lots of bad reviews for this restaurant mixed with the good ones, but we like the location and the atmosphere, so we took a chance on going. Very glad we did... in fact, we'd say the poor reviews must be from another era, reviews of other chefs and servers. Our server Ashley was beyond friendly, helpful, and prompt. The food was fresh and homemade: the fruitti di mare, veal Parmesan, fettuccine Alfredo, and tiramisu are all foods in which we rarely indulge, but enjoyed for this special occasion, complemented by a nice Malbec and espresso at the end of the meal. The atmosphere is great for a date night or quiet dinner with your best friend. Not that we've been to all the Italian places in the Triangle, but among the half dozen or so we have visited, this is the most impressive. Everyone has their own opinions and experience, and of course, some things on the menu are just better than others. But sometimes, a poor review isn't fair or accurate. Or, it could be quite out of date. Just keep that in mind and give this place a chance if you're in the mood for a casual but classy - and delicious! - Italian meal.
(5)Tiffany C.
Popped in to have a glass of wine before dinner at a nearby restaurant and was greeted by higher level staff (either the manager or possibly one of the owners). The place was empty except two tables in a back corner but I was promptly asked if I had reservations. Huh? I ordered wine (Chianti) and a complimentary basket of, what looked like it was suppose to be focaccia bread, was delivered to the table. Bleh and bleh! The wine was slightly soured, as if it'd been opened several days previously and not resealed correctly. In an attempt to get the taste out of my mouth I tried the "bread." Bad idea. It was stale, dry to the point of crumbling, and absolutely tasteless. I'm not sure how that's even possible. No way I'd return for dinner after that experience.
(1)Kristen S.
My husband and I have enjoyed going to Piazza in the past and we were excited to take visiting family there on their last night in town. It was the first time that we were there since they began sharing the space with Chamas. Unfortunately, I will not be going back anytime soon. I had a bad feeling when the restaurant only had a few guests at prime dining time on a Saturday night and now I know why. Our server was terrible. He didn't know the basics of taking care of his guests. He didn't give knowledgeable responses when asked about the menu (like I mentioned earlier it was my family's first time). He was slow to get drinks and then it took equally as long to get refills. My meal was supposed to include shrimp and scallops and when it arrived only contained the shrimp. Everyone else was done eating at my table by the time my food even came out. And lastly, they messed up the bill and while my husband waiting for them to try and fix their mistakes, he heard the waitstaff complaining about seating between themselves. I really enjoy going out to dinner, I enjoy good dining experiences and Piazza just didn't cut it.
(2)Virginia H.
I have always wanted to try this place since we frequent DT Durham. It was horrible. We went for lunch on a Saturday around 11:30. We were the only table in there (I thought it was because they opened only 30 minutes prior, but I do not think that was the case). The service was very slow. We ordered a prosciutto panini and a green salad and goat cheese crostini. The panini had very thickly sliced meat to which my husband thought it was a ham sandwich, not a prosciutto sandwich. The green salad was literally a handful of mixed greens and a balsamic dressing (the consistency of mayo) on the side (no cheese, no tomatoes, no onions, nothing). The crostini had no flavor. I got the herb goat cheese with prosciutto crostini and there were no herbs in the cheese and the meat was cut like the little diced ham pieces you see at salad bars. It was disgusting. They have cloth napkins that they need to replace--when we left, the black tights I was wearing were almost white with all the fuzz that came off the napkins. Also, our server never asked why over half our meal was left and we did not ask for a box. The only good part about this meal was the free bread they bring you before your meal like most Italian restaurants. Very disappointed and I will never be back.
(1)Stephanie R.
Friendly service, elegant space, and delicious food were exactly what we needed after a long day at the hospital. The pasta and coconut gelato, both made in-house earlier in the day, are to die for! Will definitely be back again. They also have great spaces for events!
(5)Adam L.
Great food at a great price. Had a wonderful outdoor dining experience on a Friday night whilea band played not far down Brightleaf Square. Calamari, chop salad, and rigatoni: all delicious. Not crowded at all. Had a great night, would love to return.
(4)Allison Y.
Environment: Classy, comfortable. Not too dressy, but you should probably shy away from a T-shirt and sweatpants combo. Food: You're going to have to pay more to get a good dish. Tuna with creamy black and white linguine = $23. Smoked gouda stuffed chicken with spaghetti = $21. The black and white linguine was both aesthetically and gastronomically pleasing, and the (slightly cold) seared tuna steak helped to balance out the creamy richness of the pasta. Service: Friendly, quick Overall, pretty good experience. Not sure why the other reviews are pretty average to negative. Maybe our service and food was better because there weren't very many other people in the restaurant (even though it was a Saturday night?).
(4)Hannah S.
This place is really underrated. I go like every two months. Their Italian cuisine is so good and incredibly diverse. Although they do have normal, delicious Italian dishes like lasagna and chicken parmesan, they also have a lot of variety. It's never too busy and you can have some Gelato at the end of the meal that's amazing!
(5)Beth M.
DELICIOUS food, so so service. I love the food and the prices are great. But the service was a bit slow for no obvious reason and I was irritated that I came specifically for the gelato- but the server brought us our check before we'd finished our entrees without asking if we were done. That was annoying. Could be luck of the draw. But I recommend it and definitely get some homemade pasta!
(4)Carden F.
Recently went here for a Christmas party and I was really impressed. I don't quite understand the large amount of negative reviews as I'd absolutely recommend this place. I got a Caesar salad as an appetizer and it was a good typical salad. I got the ravioli and while it was on the light side (6 ravioli total), the taste was delicious. My girlfriend got the lasagna, which I tried and it was also very good. It had the right combination of cheeses, meat, spices and sauce. We tried the tiramisu for dessert and it had a very good flavor as well. The service was good and my drink only remained empty towards the end of the meal. Overall it was a good experience and I found it to have better food than the majority of the other non-chain Italian restaurants in Durham.
(4)Bill D.
Tried this place for the first time last night and did not have a good experience. Service was beyond terrible, even though they were probably at 25% capacity. We had to ask for basic items (water, refills, silverware, extra chairs) repeatedly and had to go chase someone down multiple times just to get these covered. I had a martini (the Colin Firth) that was very good. My wife ordered a Pimm's drink off the menu and when it came, it was bland and watered down. For $10, we sent it back and ordered a bottle of wine. The waitress had to come back and ask what we ordered a second time, and after 30 minutes with no wine, I went inside (we were at their outdoor tables) to find the waitress, who said "oh, I need to go check on that!). I told her we'd been there for over 30 and my wife still did not have a drink, so please put a focus on that. The wine came almost 10 minutes later. We ordered a calamari app, which was OK, but we had to ask twice for silverware, which finally came when the app was cold - most of which we'd given up and eaten with our fingers. It appears that they're now sharing kitchen (and maybe staff and ownership) with Chamas (Brazilian churrascaria) who have relocated to the space adjoining this restaurant. We've always enjoyed Chamas, so maybe they'll get it figured out. Not sure we'll be back.
(2)Hunter B.
Delicious pizza and great atmosphere. I always come here with people who are new to the area. A nice pizza spot is always essential, and this is it. You will find it at the entrance if brightleaf. Cool, calm and relaxing are the vibes you'll feel here.
(5)Kathryn E.
Oh the potential!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a gorgeous restaurant in the middle of Brightleaf square. Suprisingly, I have walked by it a dozen times and never noticed it after four years of living in Durham. My friend went here for lunch one day last week and came home raving about it so we tried it tonight for ladies night. First of all, the exposed brick and warm atmosphere will instantly relax you. I love this type of ambience. I had high hopes. Italian food is my second favorite cuisine, hot on the tails of Mediterranean, so I was hoping to have a new favorite place to frequent. First of all, excellent service- our server was quick, thorough and helpful. They started us off with a cold focaccia bread with homemade olive oil dipping sauce- pretty standard fare. The bread would have been better hot for sure. First course was a salad that sounded delish on paper but was suprisingly 'blah' despite amazing ingredients (pine nuts, garbanzo beans, tomato, homemade arugula dressing). According to the servers recommendation, I chose a stuffed chicken breast dish- unfortunately the chicken was a bit overdone and it came atop of a mound of pasta swimming in butter. It actually made me somewhat nauseated and the pasta was slightly bland despite all of the lard. I sampled a friend's spagetti bolognese which was perfectly average...the best dish of the table was a pesto shrimp and scallops dish which was actually fantastic. You do get large quantities of food but the price point is slightly high. All in all, this is a beautiful restaurant that has many possibilities. It may deserve another shot.
(3)Grant D.
I went to Piazza Italia on graduation week for the high school students, so they had a smaller menu to accommodate the influx of customers they would have to receive . Luckily I was able to find what I wanted on the menu. I ordered the ravioli ricota, which was a spinach ravioli, tossed in an alfredo sauce. For the appetizer, my table shared the fried ravioli and the bruschetta. The fried ravioli was very fresh, and the cheese had a good flavor. It was a pretty good serving portion as well, 7 pieces. The bruschetta was delicious, the tomatoes were seasoned perfectly. My main entree was good, but nothing to write home about. The alfredo sauce was slightly on the blander side of things. The real star of this meal however, was the dessert. I ordered the Crostata, an apple pie- like dessert served with a side of vanilla gelato. The gelato was... amazing. I've never tasted any ice cream quite like it. The flavor was rich and deep, and the ice cream had just the right amount of softness, but it wasn't melting apart. The service was a little slow, but it was crowded so I cannot complain. I will definitely go back.
(4)Kev H.
Space: BLAND Food: BORING Service: BANGING Forgive the slang, I couldn't think of a positive standard English "B" word to describe good service and I didn't want to look one up as it would stifle my free thought. The bottom line is that Piazza asks for too much money and in return gives little back to please the palate or the other senses. Conclusion: BYPASS
(2)Alejandro B.
Their lunch prices are spectacular. $9 for gnocchi bolognese and bread, you honestly can't go wrong with that. Gnocchi is delicious, you can definitely tell they make it from starch. A pretty solid bolognese and you have a terrific combination. The portion is very, very generous too. Dinner is more expensive, still tasty but I stick to lunch with Piazza, you just can't beat that bargain.
(4)