Used to love this restaurant it had great food and great service to match. We were wondering if there were new owners - the food was still good but the service was deplorable- started with loud - very loud clanging smashing pans every couple of minutes very unpleasant - followed up by a vanishing waiter who delivered food on a metal cart that rattled and added to the unnecessary noise ...I have been in the restaurant business for over 20 years and I would hope that my wait staff could carry plates rather than pushing them on a cart. Finally we were served coffee loaded with coffee grinds ...that was right after the waiter who presented the desserts chose to touch his finger on to the items as he explained them to us...
(2)
Michael F.
If the food doesn't blow you away, the service certainly will. I am pretty stingy with 5-star reviews and even more so for Italian food considering it has to stand up to grandma's, so understand Arugula must be doing everything perfect to earn this score. Its a great BYOB and I highly recommended for date night or any special occasion.
(5)
Laviza S.
Have not been back in a long time because the food has gone downhill the last couple times we went.
It was VERY yummy. We had the calamari antipasti and the caprese salad, they were fantastic. The penne arugula was good and my dad loved the veal. The owner and waiter were very attentive. Great service, great food, all in all, a great experience. Bravo!
(5)
Michael G.
Nice decor and fantastic service, but mediocre good. The Mussels in Red were tiny and dried up, and their bass entree was nothing to write home about.
(3)
Josh V.
We went to Arugula for a family reunion type thing and we were VERY Impressed! The apps and antipasti were really fresh and delicious! Our entrees were very very good as well. I did not find the price to be ridiculously expensive and the portions were adequate though I would have liked them to be a little bigger. Overall I look forward to going back!
(4)
Avi S.
Food is awesome and the service is top notch! Had the octopus kabob and calamari and both were great! I love that it's a BYO. Definitely coming often.
(5)
Melisa M.
We went there for lunch on a Thursday. We arrived at noon and were the only ones there. The food was good. Another two tables were seated closer to 1pm. The service was a bit slow considering there weren't alot of people there. Waitstaff was friendly. I thought it was odd we were not offered dessert at the end, only coffee. Not sure if they have dessert. I preferred not to tempt myself, so I didn't ask.
(3)
Chuck R.
Went last night with friends. Food and service was above par. There were 9 of us and our waiter was very attentive. They even chill your white wine and beer without being asked and they pour for you. Only downside is the noise level.
Can't complain about the food or the waiter but they practically threw us out although it was about 930 Yelled out insulting remarks too Was afraid to order another coffee although the place was empty They are not as good since they got their liquor license
(2)
Tesh S.
prices are a little high but the food is delicious.....best bets include the octopus special (app), mussels marinara (app), penne vodka, langoustines, and ravioli (lunch)...papardelle with salmon was the only entree we thought needed some work....loved the outdoor seating option
(5)
Len G.
I went there this past Friday night with a party of 6. The food was okay, which really is not what your are expecting for the price. I found myself thinking we should have just gone to Michael Angelos in the Northeast instead where the Italian food is always great and much more affordable.
(3)
Ron D.
An attractive restaurant with so much possibility and so little to offer in customer satisfaction. The food is your basic Italian fare but uneven in quality. Served on over-sized white dishes, my Pollo Sofia (17) was very well prepared and tasty. My wife's Linguini Pescatore had thick pasta with a scant selection of mini seafood trimmings. A Rigatoni Bolognese was rather pedestrian and lacking any real meat in the sauce. The restaurant was extremely noisy. The walls an floor are all hard surfaces, and the few sound absorbing baffles on the ceiling only provide a decorative band-aid for a poor design. Nearby, a table of women were screaming in laughter all through our meal (at least they were having a good time). While eating I was bumped about 10 times by walkers and waiters. I should have left when the waiter apologized for having to shout the specials at us.
(2)
Christine M.
The food was delicious and the service was great. But the portion sizes were very small. I ordered a Spinach Ravioli special that was topped with Shrimp and Grilled Scallops in a creamy sauce. Again, it was extremely delicious. But 4 ravioli, 2 shrimp, and 1 scallop sliced into five pieces, doesn't warrant $33.00 per plate. We had a lovely time, but if you spend $66.00 on dinner and walk away hungry, there is something not quite right. So yes, super yummy, but unless they are going to start advertising themselves as a "small plates" restaurant, it was way overpriced. I rated it three stars for the quality of the food, but it could have been a 5 star experience if the portions were a little more generous. Even if they served a small salad with the meal and something to dip the bread in, or a little butter, I would have felt better about it. I would not go back a second time unless they made some changes.
(3)
Ann K.
This is a very attractive, slightly upscale dining experience for the area. The food is quite good, but the menu is slightly limited. It seems that they need to get their act together a little more, so as far as the wait staff and kitchen, and their interaction with customers. One of the people in our party ordered a veal dish topped with crab, and was served lamb chops topped with crab. He questioned this and was told "The veal is excellent!" and was never offered an exchange to the dish he ordered. He was very easy going about this, but, did request a complimentary dessert, which they agreed to after some going back and forth, and then charging us for the dessert, and then removing it from the bill. Personally, if it were my restaurant, I would have removed the charge for the entree from the bill, since it was my staff's mistake to keep guests happy & coming back. I never heard of trying to convince someone to eat something they didn't order! Portions are good size and everything is well prepared. It is a bit loud, and the waiting area spills into the dining area adding to the chaos and overcrowding. I love that it's a BYOB. They are new and I'm sure they are in the growing stages! Best wishes!
(3)
David L.
Excellent value! Unusually good grilled octopus and grilled salmon. Very nice addition to suburban restaurant options.
(4)
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Address :1051 County Line Rd
Huntingdon Valley, PA, 19006
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Classy, Upscale Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
K M.
Used to love this restaurant it had great food and great service to match. We were wondering if there were new owners - the food was still good but the service was deplorable- started with loud - very loud clanging smashing pans every couple of minutes very unpleasant - followed up by a vanishing waiter who delivered food on a metal cart that rattled and added to the unnecessary noise ...I have been in the restaurant business for over 20 years and I would hope that my wait staff could carry plates rather than pushing them on a cart. Finally we were served coffee loaded with coffee grinds ...that was right after the waiter who presented the desserts chose to touch his finger on to the items as he explained them to us...
(2)Michael F.
If the food doesn't blow you away, the service certainly will. I am pretty stingy with 5-star reviews and even more so for Italian food considering it has to stand up to grandma's, so understand Arugula must be doing everything perfect to earn this score. Its a great BYOB and I highly recommended for date night or any special occasion.
(5)Laviza S.
Have not been back in a long time because the food has gone downhill the last couple times we went.
(3)Nikkita F.
I went here on a Sunday yesterday with a party of four. After we came in and have gotten water, we waited another 30 or more minutes for our waiter to take our order. They were only 2 other tables except us in the dining room. The appetizers we got were the ricola salad it was nice fresh. Calamari Griglia was fresh with chopped tomatoes. When we were waiting for the entree it smelled like burning 2 different times. For the entree we had Vitello Cristallo there was too much oil on the plate, the veal medallions were not sautéed but breaded and was too salty, they were topped with wilted brocolli di rape like one or two pieces, the presentation wasn't pretty. Costolette di Agnello is lamb chops which were all burned and red with blood inside. Pollo Sophia the chicken was too tough and hard to eat. When we finished eating we had to wait 30 minutes for them to come and ask for desert. The Chocolate ice cream looked like it store bought whole hazelnuts inside with fudge and chocolate ice cream. The chocolate mouse cake was also store bought . It was bitter and dusted with powdered sugar.
(2)Syvan T.
It was VERY yummy. We had the calamari antipasti and the caprese salad, they were fantastic. The penne arugula was good and my dad loved the veal. The owner and waiter were very attentive. Great service, great food, all in all, a great experience. Bravo!
(5)Michael G.
Nice decor and fantastic service, but mediocre good. The Mussels in Red were tiny and dried up, and their bass entree was nothing to write home about.
(3)Josh V.
We went to Arugula for a family reunion type thing and we were VERY Impressed! The apps and antipasti were really fresh and delicious! Our entrees were very very good as well. I did not find the price to be ridiculously expensive and the portions were adequate though I would have liked them to be a little bigger. Overall I look forward to going back!
(4)Avi S.
Food is awesome and the service is top notch! Had the octopus kabob and calamari and both were great! I love that it's a BYO. Definitely coming often.
(5)Melisa M.
We went there for lunch on a Thursday. We arrived at noon and were the only ones there. The food was good. Another two tables were seated closer to 1pm. The service was a bit slow considering there weren't alot of people there. Waitstaff was friendly. I thought it was odd we were not offered dessert at the end, only coffee. Not sure if they have dessert. I preferred not to tempt myself, so I didn't ask.
(3)Chuck R.
Went last night with friends. Food and service was above par. There were 9 of us and our waiter was very attentive. They even chill your white wine and beer without being asked and they pour for you. Only downside is the noise level.
(4)Michael L.
Alright, this review is for a Valentine's Day dinner. I know that things don't always go so smoothly on nights like this, so I was prepared to be forgiving. I had worked in the restaurant business for better than a decade, so normally I'm pretty lenient when things get out of control. But honestly, my experience was a disappointment. My girlfriend and I arrived at the restaurant at about 7 pm, to a full house. We were part of a party of 6, 3 couples. Drink order was taken within 10 minutes, and we were given the specials at this point also. Drinks delivered relatively promptly. Then things went off the rails. Our waiter didn't reappear to take our order for better than a half hour. Food wasn't delivered for 40 minutes after that, and we were almost finished eating before the waiter came back to check to see if everything was ok. Like I said, I used to work in this biz, so I'm forgiving. You have to really work to blow a tip with me. But honestly, there was no excuse for what I saw here. The waiter, instead of coming by and trying to manage the inordinate wait, simply hid. The owner or manager - an older Italian man wearing far too much cologne and looking like a hybrid between Ricardo Montalban and the Tall Man from Phantasm, was wandering around the dining room, but not interacting with any customers and not checking in on anyone at all. It seems there was simply no attempt to placate a roomful of diners who were impotently waiting for their food. Just not the way to manage the situation at all. As for the food: Okay. Just meh. Your typical, mediocre, uninspired, strip mall Italian. While this was not a "red gravy" joint, the menu was fairly uninspired, with a lot of minor variations on themes that relied on the same ingredients with slight differences. My girlfriend's salmon was just a grilled piece of salmon, far from the best I've tasted, with some sautéed chopped tomatoes on top. Boring. My "fusilli arugula" was properly cooked pasta with arugula, cherry tomatoes and maybe a teaspoon or two of crabmeat - very little, actually. In short, nothing to make this place stand out. Nothing really creative in terms of the menu, and while nothing was bad, nothing stood out either. There's a place for middle of the road, uninspired strip mall Italian. It's called New Jersey. I guess this place would be okay as a neighborhood place if it was in my neighborhood, but for the prices, there are about a zillion better options in the city. So that's my meh-I've-had-better review. Good for the area, yes. A dining destination? Absolutely not.
(2)Susan C.
Can't complain about the food or the waiter but they practically threw us out although it was about 930 Yelled out insulting remarks too Was afraid to order another coffee although the place was empty They are not as good since they got their liquor license
(2)Tesh S.
prices are a little high but the food is delicious.....best bets include the octopus special (app), mussels marinara (app), penne vodka, langoustines, and ravioli (lunch)...papardelle with salmon was the only entree we thought needed some work....loved the outdoor seating option
(5)Len G.
I went there this past Friday night with a party of 6. The food was okay, which really is not what your are expecting for the price. I found myself thinking we should have just gone to Michael Angelos in the Northeast instead where the Italian food is always great and much more affordable.
(3)Ron D.
An attractive restaurant with so much possibility and so little to offer in customer satisfaction. The food is your basic Italian fare but uneven in quality. Served on over-sized white dishes, my Pollo Sofia (17) was very well prepared and tasty. My wife's Linguini Pescatore had thick pasta with a scant selection of mini seafood trimmings. A Rigatoni Bolognese was rather pedestrian and lacking any real meat in the sauce. The restaurant was extremely noisy. The walls an floor are all hard surfaces, and the few sound absorbing baffles on the ceiling only provide a decorative band-aid for a poor design. Nearby, a table of women were screaming in laughter all through our meal (at least they were having a good time). While eating I was bumped about 10 times by walkers and waiters. I should have left when the waiter apologized for having to shout the specials at us.
(2)Christine M.
The food was delicious and the service was great. But the portion sizes were very small. I ordered a Spinach Ravioli special that was topped with Shrimp and Grilled Scallops in a creamy sauce. Again, it was extremely delicious. But 4 ravioli, 2 shrimp, and 1 scallop sliced into five pieces, doesn't warrant $33.00 per plate. We had a lovely time, but if you spend $66.00 on dinner and walk away hungry, there is something not quite right. So yes, super yummy, but unless they are going to start advertising themselves as a "small plates" restaurant, it was way overpriced. I rated it three stars for the quality of the food, but it could have been a 5 star experience if the portions were a little more generous. Even if they served a small salad with the meal and something to dip the bread in, or a little butter, I would have felt better about it. I would not go back a second time unless they made some changes.
(3)Ann K.
This is a very attractive, slightly upscale dining experience for the area. The food is quite good, but the menu is slightly limited. It seems that they need to get their act together a little more, so as far as the wait staff and kitchen, and their interaction with customers. One of the people in our party ordered a veal dish topped with crab, and was served lamb chops topped with crab. He questioned this and was told "The veal is excellent!" and was never offered an exchange to the dish he ordered. He was very easy going about this, but, did request a complimentary dessert, which they agreed to after some going back and forth, and then charging us for the dessert, and then removing it from the bill. Personally, if it were my restaurant, I would have removed the charge for the entree from the bill, since it was my staff's mistake to keep guests happy & coming back. I never heard of trying to convince someone to eat something they didn't order! Portions are good size and everything is well prepared. It is a bit loud, and the waiting area spills into the dining area adding to the chaos and overcrowding. I love that it's a BYOB. They are new and I'm sure they are in the growing stages! Best wishes!
(3)David L.
Excellent value! Unusually good grilled octopus and grilled salmon. Very nice addition to suburban restaurant options.
(4)