Prego's Trattoria — Restaurant in Burlington

Our Go-To for Four Years—Let Down on Graduation Night

For the past four years, Prego’s has been our family’s go-to spot every time we visited Elon. Move-ins, move-outs, parents’ weekends, celebrations—you name it, we ate here. The food was always fresh, the prices fair, and the staff kind—especially accommodating our gluten-free family member. It truly felt like “our place.”

So when it came time to plan our daughter’s graduation dinner, we never even considered going anywhere else. We booked a reservation months in advance, and the day of the big night, we confirmed the time change from 4:30 to 5:30. The staff said no problem.

But when we arrived? Total confusion. They insisted we were late for a 4:30 reservation and had no record of the change. We had left a deposit. They had our phone number. No one called. And now, on graduation night, with a party of eight, we stood at the host stand stressed and confused while they “figured something out.” Thankfully, they did seat us—but the tone for the evening had already shifted.

Then came the second surprise: no prices on the menu. We assumed it was a prix fixe setup. But no—it was à la carte. When we asked the server for prices, she seemed embarrassed and said she could check, but it might take a while. That should have been a red flag.

The meal pacing was equally off. Our salads had just hit the table when hot entrées arrived—within five minutes. We asked them to hold the food, but anyone in hospitality knows what happens then: rushed food, kept under heat lamps, sent back lukewarm. It wasn’t a smooth service—it felt like they were trying to turn the table fast. And if they had handled the reservation properly, that wouldn’t have been necessary.

The food, unfortunately, wasn’t the quality we’d come to expect. It tasted rushed and lacked the attention and freshness we were used to. Whether it was pre-prepped for the night or just mishandled, it was disappointing.

And then we found out why the prices were missing: a 20% across-the-board price increase for graduation weekend—without notice, signage, or any explanation. That’s not just poor hospitality—that’s price gouging. If you’re going to increase prices for a special occasion, own it. Do a prix fixe menu. Be transparent. Don’t hide it by removing pricing from the menu and hoping no one notices. That was the biggest letdown of all.

We were so put off, we all decided not to order drinks. You lost out on 16 drinks across the table. A small thing, maybe—but a reflection of how let down we felt as a group.

To be clear: I work in F&B. I understand the pressure of big nights like this. But the art of hospitality is balancing those challenges with grace. Not once did a manager check in. Not one touch at the table to acknowledge the occasion or the issues. That silence spoke volumes.

The one saving grace was our server. She mentioned she was a guest server, and she handled the entire situation with calm, kindness, and professionalism. None of the night’s issues were her fault, yet she owned everything she could. Her service is the only reason we left a proper tip.

There were other things that bothered us—but do I really need to keep piling it on? I think the message is clear. I hate writing this. I’m even open to taking it down—if the owner reaches out, acknowledges what happened, and shows they take pride in making it right. Because after four years of loyalty, I didn’t expect to end our time at Elon this way.

We’ll be back for her master’s graduation in two years. I hope by then this experience is the exception—not the rule.

Other notes: Caesar salad was dry. We needed extra dressing. My Caesar literally had one crouton in it and when asked for extra they were old and not fresh. Cheese in parm. Barely melted. Sauce on pasta was way too much. Drenched and almost inedible.

Soda was flat. No bubble. Polenta was dry and cold. Bread was not fresh like usual. You all missed every mark...

THIS is the THEE best italian spot in NC i’ve ever tried. This is beating out charlotte, raleigh—honestly such a hidden gem in a place like alamance?!

Firstly i’m a huge foodie so i’m quick to check if the ambiance and friendly staff are to make up for a lack in quality food, but this place?? BLEW me out of the water.

We ordered the calamari to start and it was to DIE for. All of our food came out SOOO quick. Perfectly crispy, lightly breaded and TENDER squid paired so incredibly well with a marinara sauce you could tell was homemade and fresh. They also brought out this little complimentary fried polenta bites that were reminiscent of a well done fried potato bite. They also brought out a simple bread and olive oil (which was ALSO flavorful which is rare in places i’ve been to)

We also order drinks, in which i’m skeptical bc the menu is saying smirnoff and at this point in my life i want some quality vodka, but they tell me they have top shelf and for a small up charge (like $2) i can have tito’s, so i order a pomegranate martini and it’s to DIE for. it was only like $9?!?!? i would’ve easily paid $18 for something that quality at a perry’s steakhouse or something. They used this special pom vodka that had my taste buds dancing. My partner had the sangria and that was also delicious. the bartender knows what’s she doing, that’s all imma say.

So let’s get to the MAIN courses: We opt for the Chicken parm (basic ik but if they do the basics well? certifiable restaurant) and then i got the shrimp diavolo (not sure if i spelled this right) and the waitress let me know we could choose any pasta we liked, and they home make their fettuccine and their gnocchi, so we both got the freshly made fettuccini as our pasta of choice and OMGGGGG. all i can say is the chefs back there know what they’re doing. It was DELICIOUS and the serving size was HUGE?!?! it was so well priced for the portion, flavor, and work they put into the dish. We got a side caesar and it was incredible. the croutons had a caramelized onion essence i’ve never experience in a caesar, which was such a nice surprise.

Finally, i wanted to say the owner checked in on us multiple times and informed us he and his father trained in New York with real Italian chefs which absolutely reflects in the food. our server stephanie was incredible as well and so attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. Just overall a 10/10 experience from food to service to ambiance. We stumbled upon this place traveling inbetween raleigh and greensboro and i’m telling you, i would drive 45 minutes just to experience this again.

Thank you for sharing your food with us and allowing us the privilege of experiencing your...

To celebrate my mother's birthday, my family and I had dinner at Prego's Trattoria last night. From the moment we walked through the door, we were transported to an Italian dining experience that exceeded all our expectations.

The dining room immediately sets the tone with its warm, welcoming atmosphere. You can tell this is an establishment where genuine care goes into the details. Our server was quite knowledgeable about the menu and provided excellent recommendations. The service was attentive throughout the evening without being intrusive.

We ordered several dishes to share and try different parts of the menu. The lasagna was absolutely outstanding - rich, perfectly layered, and incredibly satisfying. The stuffed mushrooms were a delightful appetizer with a wonderful blend of flavors that had us wanting more.

The shrimp mushroom risotto was another standout dish - creamy, perfectly cooked risotto with tender shrimp and earthy mushrooms that complemented each other beautifully. However, the grilled shrimp linguini was a bit of a mixed experience. While the shrimp were excellently prepared and perfectly grilled, the pasta itself was disappointingly flavorless and underseasoned, which was surprising given how well-executed the other dishes were.

The cocktail selection offered some nice options. The Moscow mule was expertly crafted with the perfect balance of ginger beer and vodka - refreshing and well-made. Unfortunately, the white chocolate raspberry martini was not as impressive, although it tasted wonderful, it didn't feel alcoholic at all. We ended the meal with limoncello cake and turtle cheesecake, which was a lovely traditional touch and the perfect way to conclude our dining experience.

We left feeling completely satisfied and content, with my parents already planning...