Angelo's of Bellevue — Restaurant in Bellevue

I went there when I moved to Bellevue last January and honestly the 3 stars go to the waitresses because they were very polite and nice even when they were is shock because we left more than a half plate and didn't want to take it to go. As an European who has lived in Florence (Italy) I can tell you that what my husband and me ordered WAS NOT EVEN CLOSE to the italian flavors that I was expecting. We went in the host was very nice and polite and when we sat down he gave us 2 menus. We ended up ordering the only ones I was expecting the most traditional flavor which was the lunguini with clams and the seafood cannelloni. Well here it is what happened: The salads were good. As soon as our plates came in I could see that the cannelloni were literally invisible because they were buried in a cheese plate, whenever I decided to go for it I saw that I couldn't differentiate what was cannelloni and what was cheese which is crazy because the pasta of cannelloni tastes very alike with the lasagna pasta which was nonexistent on that plate. Honestly for the price of the plate I was expecting fresh seafood and not the nail-size flavorless shrimp that was inside, anyway we ate 2 spoons of that dish (one my husband and one myself) he tried to eat a couple spoons more but I believe on the 3rd spoon he gave up so we left 90% of that dish. Now lets try the linguini, I knew the flavor wasnt gonna be that strong because I smelled the plate (I love the aroma of pasta) and it smelled just like butter... the clams werent properly cooked (still I tried to ate most of them because leave the entire plate to me sounds crazy) but it was the best part of the plate! The pasta tasted like plastic, very oily and I couldn't see no clam sauce at all (just so you know pasta is not just the pasta and throw the clams on top, the pasta (after you cook it) has to be prepared ik a pot with all the ingredients inside (including the sauce) that way the flavor enriches the entire plate). Anyways we ended up spending $156 for a dinner where the best item was the $80 bottle of wine that we got there. The waitresses were surprised that we didnt want to take the plates to go but honestly I just wanted to leave. I feel sorry for the staff that has to tell customers how traditional the plates taste because in my opinion it's not true and I felt super embarrassed when the person who refilled our water asked us what was the problem and I had to tell him all this (which I know deep inside that person completely understood us). My recommendation? find a real Italian chef or train the...

Our review read as follows - although this community may love this restaurant. This restaurant is NOT looking for new clients or investors or wants to serve black people!!

Here's what happened during our visit: We were in Bellevue, WA, looking for a nice place to eat; while waiting for our son, he finished his meeting which took a few hours. While searching for a good restaurant nearby, we came across Angelo's of Bellevue - an Italian restaurant with a 4.4/5 rating. The website indicated that they offer both dine-in and takeout options - we decided to dine in. Unfortunately, we were not warmly received due to our lack of reservation, but we decided to wait. While waiting, we noticed other customers being greeted by name, which made us feel that this place must be highly regarded. After waiting for over 45 minutes, we were finally seated and given a menu. However, surprisingly, the two tables seated after us were served before us. Our server, Veronica, later took our orders; we ordered Seafood Cannelloni and Cannelloni Alforno from the pasta menu and the specialty Black Spaghetti. To our disappointment, the Seafood- Cannelloni and Cannelloni Alforno didn't come with pasta, and the food was mashed and burnt. We packed two meals and left the rest of the food, which was too salty, creamy, and cheesy. We packed the two decent ones, not because they were tasty but because of how much we paid for the whole food.

Veronica didn't check on us throughout our visit until we asked for the bill, and even then, she chatted with tables near and across from us instead of attending to us. We informed another server to let her know we needed to leave and requested our bill. We paid for the unsatisfactory food plus a tip (the tip was given Not for the service received but because we love to support those who work in the food industry) and left very unsatisfied! Veronica, our server, showed no acknowledgment and remained ungratified even after we had paid; however, the male host/greeter thanked...

Angelo's deserves to be put on a pedestal for it wonderful Italian cuisine and value. They have a vast wine list and host wonderful wine tasting events at no cost to the customer! What makes Angelo's unique is that beyond being a family owned business since 1977, the wines are curated by the owner of Angelo's, meaning that he travels to Italy and visits the vineyards, meets the people and samples the wines on-site before deciding if it is a wine worthy of his restaurant. To top that, what isn't made in-house on the menu, is imported directly from Italy! Their wonderful frozen Limoncello dessert, Tiramisu and more are not made in their kitchen, they are made in Italy and sent right to Angelo's restaurant. I haven't had the Tiramisu yet, but my associate says it is the BEST she has had. Dinner included a basket of bread (a little dry - my only criticism), your choice of soup or salad (soup was off the hook!) and your entre. I digress, referring to my previous review of Piatti, where I enjoyed a delicious pasta Bolognese, but was disappointed by the poor value (see my review below). On the contrary, dining at Angelo's left me satisfied, happy and anxious to get back to try their Seafood Canneloni, their most popular dinner entre.

Bonus - there are Angelo's restaurants in Bellevue AND Burien. I was so impressed that I felt compelled to be a bit wordy....but isn't that the essence of a good review?

Hungry for Italian? Try Angelo's and be sure to sign up for their wine tasting schedule. I hope your experience will be as...