Vinzo's Italian Grill & Pizzeria — Restaurant in Casselberry

Had my surprise birthday dinner here and wow - what a perfect choice! If you're visiting Orlando and craving authentic Italian that'll make you feel like you're dining in someone's Italian grandmother's kitchen, Vinzo's is your spot.

Let's start with those garlic knots because they set the tone for everything that followed. These aren't your typical afterthought bread service - they're pillowy clouds of perfectly baked dough, glistening with real garlic butter and fresh herbs. The kind of appetizer that has everyone at the table reaching for "just one more" until the basket mysteriously empties.

The Fried Mozzarella deserves its own paragraph. Forget those frozen mozzarella sticks you get elsewhere - this is the real deal. Fresh mozzarella, perfectly breaded and fried to golden perfection, with a marinara sauce that tastes like it's been simmering for hours (because it probably has).

Now, let me tell you about their cheese pizza. Sometimes the simplest things are the hardest to perfect, and Vinzo's nails it. The crust has that ideal balance of crispy and chewy that only comes from perfect dough-making and a properly hot oven. The sauce is bright and fresh, and they clearly don't skimp on quality cheese - it's that perfect blend of mozzarella that stretches just right with each bite. You can taste the quality of every ingredient.

My friends ordered the Chicken Parmesan, and I may have "sampled" more than my fair share. The chicken was pounded thin, perfectly breaded, and topped with that same amazing marinara and melted cheese. The pasta dishes, especially the gnocchi, showcased the kitchen's expertise.

What sets Vinzo's apart is their commitment to quality ingredients. You can taste the difference in everything from their olive oil to their tomatoes. There's no cutting corners here - this is Italian cooking done right.

The staff deserves special mention. Despite handling our large birthday group, they were attentive, friendly, and made the celebration even more special. They struck that perfect balance of being there when you need them without hovering.

The ambiance transports you straight to Italy - from the checkered tablecloths to the family photos on the walls. It's cozy and authentic without feeling kitschy. The whole place has this warm, welcoming vibe that makes you want to linger over your meal.

To any tourists visiting Orlando - yes, the theme parks are great, but do yourself a favor and venture out to Vinzo's. This is the real deal Italian food that locals love, and you'll understand why as soon as your first bite.

Prices are more than fair for the quality and portion sizes you get. In fact, given the quality of ingredients and preparation, I'd say it's a bargain compared to many Orlando restaurants.

Whether you're a local or just visiting, Vinzo's is one of those places that reminds you why family-run Italian restaurants hold such a special place in our hearts. It's not just about the food - though that's exceptional - it's about creating an experience that makes everyone feel like...

UPDATED 8/15/19: How to go from 5 stars to 1 in a few easy steps.

The restaurant smelled musty, which was a change but unto itself not a big deal, just wasn't what we were used to. Server took a while before even coming by for a drink order and took just as long filling it. Food was likewise late to the party and while I was marveling at how the kitchen managed to make fettuccine carbonara bland my wife was struggling with overly stale croutons and suspiciously fishy salmon on her salad. Would've gotten it fixed but for the fact the server had done a drop-and-run. So we had to flag him down to provide the plates and napkins we had asked for when he promptly vanished again. 20 minutes or so later the server reappeared to ask how everything was tasting, at which point my wife (the one who worked in a 4 star restaurant) explained how he tanked at his job, albeit politely. His reaction was conciliatory until she mentioned the drop-and-run at which point his eyebrows went up and had the audacity to say "I do have other tables to wait on" in a tone just short of offensive enough to warrant an altercation.

I'm going to pause here and point out the place was brisk but not busy, and definitely not busy enough to warrant his lack of attention. We've been going there for 4 years so we had plenty of experience.

So we talked to the manager, who took off the offending salmon and offered a 25% off coupon. That won't be necessary. The food has fallen off over the years and if that's what passes for service now we'll be happy to provide patronage to another establishment. Really too bad for a place which I used to recommend to everyone.

The food, ambience, service, and pricing were out of this world. The bruchetta was delicious, as was the mr alfredo pizza and marscipone chocolate cake dessert. The server was quirky but very good and attentive. The furnishings were tasteful and quiet, something fitting about when the wedding theme from "the godfather" started playing. And taking all that into consideration, I can't believe how affordable it was. Dinner and dessert, with a decent bottle of wine for less than...

Love the decoration, the Italian style of the restaurant was really warming and welcoming and of course I love the food as well. The restaurant was clean and organize. The food is really good, we order a family special, includes two pizzas, 20 wings and 2 liter of soda I believe the price was less than 40 dollars or so, very good price for all the food that we get enough for 2 adults and 2 kids and even have some leftover pizza for lunch the next day. The employees were very friendly, and the service was fast. They also was offered the day that we went a beer specials. They even have gift cards! Was out first time and have to say that the food was nice, the ingredients feel fresh, and the best of all was that the pizza wasn't greasy and wasn't feel greasy neither...it was a little bit crunchy, the amount of ingredients in every bite was perfect!; each slice had a good amount of ingredients, the wings were perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection and the sauces were nice specially the Ranch. I definitely recommend this place to someone that want to eat a really nice pizza with good ingredients and within...