Argenziano's — Restaurant in Corona de Tucson

I would be remiss if I did not upgrade my 4 stars to 5 with Argenziano's after my dinner last night. This is truly a neighborhood gem out here in the southeast side and for those of us who live in the Vail, Corona de Tucson area. Argenziano's serves up delicious Italian food (and special menu's for certain occasions) consistently and very well.

Last night we had our Valentine's day dinner here and the joint was PACKED. A testament to the loyal and faithful customers who love the owners, staff, and food. My bestie is a regular here (me not as much) and invited us to join she and her hubby for dinner. She told me they had a special menu, so I was totally down. We started with the special appetizer which was a bacon wrapped stuffed mushroom. I have no idea exactly what was in it other than deliciouness. It was SO good. We all had to go with the prime rib, with the option to add on a lobster tail for $8 (who can resist that?)... the prime rib (big slab) was cooked perfectly, full of flavor and included fresh sauteed veggies and fresh mashed potatoes. Who knew that a restaurant that primarily does Italian could serve up a meal like this? I didn't, but my bestie did because she told me they do this on occasion and she ordered some stuffed pork chops to go for later in the week.

Maybe you think you have had better Italian, or pizza somewhere else... and that is possible but with the consistent delivery of delicious food paired with the heart of the people that work here, they get 5 stars from me. You can clearly see they appreciate their community, and their community appreciates them. Oh, and a little known secret? If you ever stop in for a sandwich - go with some fries on the side, their fries...

On our first visit to the area, we decided to eat dinner here because of their great reviews. We made reservations for 7, arrived at 650 and were seated immediately. Our waitress was very nice and was with us as soon as we were seated. Everything she was responsible for, she did well and timely. We ordered 3 appetizers and four meals. After just over 1.5 hours, we still hadn’t received any of said food. I asked her if we were going to get the appetizers before we get our food and she said yes. I couldn’t believe they didn’t have three fried appetizers out to us by this point. I went to speak to man running the restaurant and kindly expressed my discontent and he seemed unhappy that I was expressing my frustration. He made several excuses about crazy busy they were and that he was sorry. Then a woman with purple hair sitting behind the counter next to him turned around and rudely told me that they’re behind but that the staff were working hard. I told her there wasn’t a reason to be rude as I was being very calm and respectful about my complaints. When I returned to our table, 2 of the 4 entrees were there and two of the appetizers. So they were still missing 2 meals and a pizza which was another 7 minutes out to being done. Basically the server did her best but the kitchen staff failed on every level. We will not return as the food was mediocre anyway, and we will not suggest It to anyone-but the food service sucked and so did the managers/owners attitude. They have some stuff to work on improving, and should humble themselves when someone with loads of front and back house experience is trying to give...

Argenziano's is a little off the "eaten" path, located in Corona de Tucson. If you are passing by, you will miss it due to somewhat of a deceitful exterior and poor signage. Even though there is a huge sign, it looks old and worn to the point where it makes one wonder if the restaurant is still in business. These parts of Vail have closed down many businesses including a once thriving golf course next door. Anyhow, once you get passed the outdoor facade, you walk into an old Circle K turned into Italian restaurant. The ambiance is a little better inside with a colorful fresco mural against the far wall, but you have to get passed the somewhat oversized large bar space in order to see it. Once seated, you are greeted by a friendly and welcoming waiting staff. They are quick to take your drink order and return with the refreshments. The menu is not too extensive, but it has plenty to choose from. The chicken wings make you wonder if you truly are in an Italian restaurant, but the pizza confirms it. The spaghetti and ravioli pasta dishes were okay. The salad was the usual, and the rolls...well, they looked very promising when they arrived at the table. See my pictures for their aesthetic beauty. However, when we reached for one, instead of a hot or warm roll that would melt the butter ever so softly, they were a little too firm and cold. Argenziano's is worth a visit, but a few simple tweaks would have me returning time and again. The pizza alone will warrant a second visit, and maybe we will have to...