Nonno's Homestyle Italian & Pizzeria — Restaurant in Cedar Springs

The food was great! Our waitress however needs more training, she was nice and polite, and she knew the menu pretty well, although, we were seated with menus by the hostess, we had sat there well over ten minutes and weren't acknowledged by our server. When she finally got there to get our drink order she was polite, but, when she brought our drinks back she handed them to me to pass to everyone, I found it a little odd that she didn't move from that spot, it was the same with the appetizers, then when she brought dinner she did it again, that's when I told her that I was trying to be rude but handing out advice, but said that I had never had a waitress approach a table and stand in one spot to serve the food, of course she hurried off after that. We were almost finished with our meal before she came back to see how our meal was and asked if we wanted refills on our drinks. At the that point we asked for refills and to go containers. Also we had piled all of our appetizers and plates from them into a big pile for her to take eventually, she took them when she brought our food, asking that we hand them to her. If I wanted to serve my family myself I would have stayed home. Mind you we were seated in the middle of the dining room which had access to all sides of our two tables that were pushed together. Which the one table definitely needed the feet adjusted because it was really wobbly and did irritate my husband and father as they tried to eat because their drinks were sliding about. I have worked in the restaurant business over 25 years, 11 of which I was a server, the rest a general manager, my advice to our young waitress, acknowledge your tables as soon as you can, I know it gets busy, but take that 15 seconds to say I'll be right with you, get your drink order then serve those drinks to your customers yourself, don't pass them to one person at the table to serve for you, that goes with your food as well, when people go out for dinner they want to be catered to, they aren't there to do it for you, after you serve your food check back on your tables to see if everything is fine, don't wait more than half the meal, just give them a few minutes to get settled and get back there, keep an eye on their drinks, don't wait until they are almost gone to ask for refills. You are a sweet young lady, you just need to learn how to work your tables so you can make money. Obviously our tip was not as much as you could have made on us, but you didn't do your job properly. Remember there are ALOT of people out there that have or are working in your line of business and they know their jobs and how they want to be treated. Good luck and we...

Who would think that you'd go to a little strip mall next to a Tractor Supply for incredible Italian food? Our party of four was surprised to see a line almost out the door when we arrived for a Sunday evening dinner. It was beautiful weather so we waited at some tables outside. We were told 15 minutes and their estimation was accurate. Once seated our waitress seemed to lack the pleasantries, even to the point of sounding a bit abrasive, but we know how hard it is to maintain good staff levels recently, so we just rolled with it. We started with appetizers of bruchetta and a warm pretzel with spinach dip. The pretzels were gone, so we were asked if we'd substitute for tortilla chips which we did. The bruchetta came already heaped onto the pieces of bread and it was absolutely delicious. The spinach dip was SO cheesey that it would leave stringers when you dipped, but could have used some more spinach... and tortilla chips... we asked for a few more chips after eating what was brought but was told by our waitress that she'd charge us for another appetizer to get us a few more chips. Instead I had her get a container so we could take the rest of the dip home. Main course time! The Chicken Parmesan was also top notch with two generous chicken breasts and a flavorful marinara that tasted fresh enough to have been made at the table. The two pasta dishes that the ladies got were also great, one with an alfredo sauce and one with the same marinara that came on the chicken parmesan. Then came the surprise of the weekend... the Stromboli. I split my order with my friend to get half his Stromboli, and I'm not regretting that decision! The Stromboli wasn't prepared the way that I prefer, (sealed and puffed up from the steam and juices) but it was SO GOOD! My buddies comment about the flavor going all the way through the crust would be the most accurate. The crust was incredibly flavorful, lightly garlic buttered, crispy, yet light and bready... it's hard to actually describe, but it had us both contemplating calling this the best Stromboli either of us have ever been served. The waitress even gave my friend a surprised look as if to say "you've never been here before" when he ordered the Large size Stromboli. Needless to say, we ended up taking multiple boxes of food home when we finally finished with the cannoli. The service was okay, the price was good, and portions were generous, and food was INCREDIBLE!!! Half the conversation on the long ride back was about how good that meal was... from all four of us! Highly...

A Hearty Homestyle Italian Experience at Nonno’s in Cedar Springs

As someone who’s a proud quarter Italian (with a son who’s one-eighth Italian and seven-eighths delightful mongrel), our family takes our pasta seriously. So when we wandered into Nonno’s Homestyle Italian & Pizzeria on a sunny July evening at 5 PM, we were ready to embrace our heritage one bite at a time.

Tonight’s special was chicken Parmesan with spaghetti, and I knew I had to give it a whirl. My son opted for the pasta penne with chicken and their creamy Rose sauce. His entrée came with a fresh side salad, while both our meals included generous slices of garlic bread. I added a side salad with their house dressing—which, while simple, was downright addictive. Sometimes less truly is more.

Now, when we say the portions are generous, we mean it. My son was served what can only be described as a ceremonial pasta bucket. Undeterred, he dug in with gusto and earned his spot in the prestigious clean plate club. As for me, the chicken Parmesan was delicious but defeated me just shy of victory—I ate too much to warrant a to-go box, yet not quite enough to claim a clean plate badge. A noble effort nonetheless.

Drink-wise, my son kept things bold with a Dr. Pibb, while I went with a refreshing lemonade. We both agreed our meals hit the mark: flavorful, filling, and made with care.

The ambiance was warm and welcoming. The restaurant was spotless, our server friendly and attentive without hovering. I even popped into the men’s room before dinner and was genuinely impressed—clean enough that, while I wouldn't endorse it, you could probably eat off the floor. (Respect to the crew who keeps it that pristine.)

All in all, Nonno’s is one of Cedar Springs’ hidden gems—a place where even partial Italians and full-blooded food lovers can find something to celebrate. We’ll be back. Next time, maybe I’ll train harder and join the clean plate...