How do you know you’re going to a real-deal Italian joint? Let’s get into what makes some of the great Italian restaurants in Buffalo Niagara!
by Max Fisher
Make sure you find the right Italian spot for your next craving – you just need to know where to look
Find the Real Deal
Want to know a little-known fact about me? I’m all about Italian Restaurants. No, really. What’s my favorite Billie Joel song? “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant”, of course. What’s arguably my favorite meal to eat? Pizza. Who has the best pizza? Authentic Italian restaurants (if you said DiGiorno, please stop reading this now). Where do I take dates for delicious meals? Italian restaurants (I’d take them to my mom’s house for pasta, but there comes a time in every man’s life where he realizes not everyone likes Farfalle con Prosciutto e Panna. Their loss, they don’t know what they’re missing).
Finding a good Italian restaurant can be a daunting task, however. How do you know you’re going to a real-deal Italian joint and not just some borderline Chucky Cheese that deems itself “Italian” because you can order wine coolers with your soggy pizza and sad-looking lasagna? Rest assured, however, that by the time you finish reading this article, you’ll have a better understanding of what exactly makes a great Italian restaurant. So, put on some Andrea Bocelli, grab some good vino, and let’s get into what makes some of the great Italian restaurants in Buffalo Niagara!
Authentic Italian is Soul Food
One thing to keep in mind is that Italian is a romance language. So by extension, whatever place you decide to dine in should have some sort of romantic atmosphere. Think dim lights and well-dressed waiters carrying server trays like they’re fresh off of graduating charm school. If your chosen establishment is super bright and they mispronounce everything on the menu (“today were serving pasta with Ragow, but if that’s not of interest to you we also have bologneece.”) do yourself a favor, grab your coat in the most polite fashion possible and head for the door.
Another important thing to consider is portion size. For this, pick quality over quantity. When you go to an Italian restaurant, you’re not going to your grandma’s who thinks you are perpetually underweight (“Nonna, I don’t care how much you want me to eat another bowl of Minestrone, I physically can’t!”) You should be going to enjoy the rich and varied ingredients, the sauces, the cheeses, and the different types of bread. If everything is quality, trust me, you won’t worry about stuffing yourself. Authentic cuisine will feed your soul and leave you hungry for the combination of elements that made the meal instead of having a big old meal just for the sake of having one. With all this in mind, my go-to spot for getting a good Italian meal is Lombardo Ristorante.
Roasted eggplant with ricotta, San Marzano tomato sauce, & house-made tagliatelle pasta at Lombardo Ristorante
First off is they keep ridiculous hours, which if you’ve ever been to Italy really gives you that authentic European Laissez-faire feel (wait they open at 5 P.M every day and close at either 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. depending on the day? That’s only 4 to 5 hours of business a day, by god it’s like I’m back in the old country!) Secondly, when you go through the door, you’ll notice that the vibe is just right. Lights just low enough that a local band can play some nice soft rock, but not bright enough that anyone notices. The staff are always dressed sleekly in black and white attire that gives you the sense that this is truly upscale. Yet the most important aspect by far is the food and they do not disappoint. The woodfired pizzas are normal sized (which is the way they do it in Italy; the gargantuan pizza fit for a football team is an American thing), but what sets these pizza’s apart from your regular pizza place (beside the portion size) is the ingredients. Italians hold freshness above everything else, and that definitely translates over to Lombardo Ristorante. I can’t tell you where they got the cheese, but I can tell you that what I taste is fresh, unprocessed, unsoiled ingredients, and my taste buds have yet to lead me astray. So, I will continue to adhere to their judgment.
Housemade Makes all the Difference
And did you think I forgot about their pasta? Perish the thought. You know it’s house-made, right? They’re not just going to the supermarket getting 30 packs of assorted Barilla, heating a big pot of water and calling it a day. No, every little bit of pasta you put in your mouth was handcrafted by someone who cared enough to make sure that every part of what they were making was excellent. Which leads me to my final point, Italians are inherently a hardworking people that take pride in everything they do. So, whether or not the food was prepared by an Italian or not, that attention to detail and pride in the presentation must be present, and these are aspects that Lombardo Ristorante seldom misses.
Some of the selection at Gallo Coal Fire Kitchen in Lewiston
Forget the All-You-Can-Eat Breadsticks
I’m going to come clean with you all because you know I never lie to the reader. When it comes to Italian food, I choose my moms’ food over any restaurant (and if you don’t have a similar answer, you are not really Italian, I’m sorry to say). Home-cooked preferences aside, I hope this piece gave you at the very least some semblance of a road map to traverse Italian restaurants. At the end of the day, the tell-tale sign that you’re in a good Italian restaurant is whether or not there’s a sense of pride in the food they serve. If all the staff emanate a sense of confidence and assurance then you’re in the right place, because I’ll say it again, Italians are a proud people so as a result it rubs off on those around them as well as the food they make. That’s what makes it so good.
Buon appetito!
Italian Restaurants in Buffalo Niagara
choose any restaurant to see location information, view the menu, get directions, & more.
A Touch of Italy
Tonawanda
Amici Ristorante
Kenmore
Andiamo Takeout Bistro
Williamsville
Anna Grill INC
Buffalo
Aroma on Bryant
Buffalo
Bella Vista Ristorante
Niagara Falls
Bellini’s Bistro
Buffalo
Bobby Jay’s Italian American Grill
Buffalo
Cabaret
Buffalo
Cafora’s Pizza & Pastaria
Newfane
Burrata Rooftop Bistro
Grand Island
Caffe Aroma
Buffalo
Cammarata’s Restaurant
Lockport
Campobello’s Italian Restaurant
Amherst
Carmelo’s Coat of Arms
Lewiston
Carmine’s
East Amherst
Casa Antica
Lewiston
Casa di Francesca’s
Buffalo
Casa Nova Restaurant
Niagara Falls
Chef’s
Buffalo
Cugino’s Italian Restaurant
Williamsville
Daniella.
Buffalo
Davolio’s Kitchen
Williamsville
Fanara’s Restaurant
Buffalo
Faso’s Restaurant
Buffalo
Forno Napoli
Buffalo
Fortuna’s
Niagara Falls
Frank’s Sunny Italy Family Restaurant
Buffalo
Frankie Primos +39
Buffalo
Gallo Coal Fire Kitchen
Lewiston
Giacobbi’s Cucina Città
Buffalo
Giancarlo Sicilian Steakhouse
Buffalo
Gigi’s Cucina Povera
Buffalo
Ilio DiPaolo’s Restaurant
Blasdell
Iniziò
Buffalo
Italian Prime at Salvatore’s
Buffalo
Jovi’s
Kenmore
JT’s Restaurant
Buffalo
L’Isola D’Oro Italian Restaurant
Hamburg
La Costa Verda
Depew
La Cucina di Mamma
Niagara Falls
La Hacienda Ristorante
Niagara Falls
Lebro’s Restaurant
Getzville
Leon’s Italian Bistro
Niagara Falls
Lunetta’s Restaurant
Cheektowaga
Marco’s Italian Restaurant
Buffalo
Marotto’s
Buffalo
Michael’s
Niagara Falls
Molinaro’s Ristorante
Lockport
Mulberry Italian Restaurant
Lackawanna
My Tomato Pie
Amherst
Osteria 116
Buffalo
Otto’s Restaurant
Buffalo
Pane’s Restaurant
North Tonawanda
Pasquale’s Italian Restaurant
Multiple Locations
Prima Pizza Pasta
Buffalo
Raphael’s
Hamburg
Ripa’s Italian Restaurant
Lancaster
Ristorante Lombardo
Buffalo
Rizotto Italian Eatery and Sweetery
Williamsville
Roman Cafe
North Tonawanda
Romeo and Juliet
Multiple Locations
San Marco
Buffalo
Santarsiero Restaurant
Buffalo
Sinatra’s
Kenmore
Sorrentino’s Spaghetti House
Buffalo
Tappo Restaurant
Buffalo
Tecla
Sanborn
Tempo
Buffalo
The Como Restaurant & Lounge
Niagara Falls
The Grotto
Buffalo
The Italian Village
Depew
Tony’s Pizza and Pasta
Cheektowaga
Trattoria Aroma
Buffalo
Village Eatery
Lockport
Zetti’s Pizza And Pasta
Amherst
What do you think of our guide to Italian restaurants in Buffalo Niagara? Know a great one that we missed? Have a favorite? Let us know.
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