Bar Lazio — Restaurant in Cranston

You might be wondering why I gave five stars across the board but only one star overall. Let me explain. My husband and I have visited this restaurant 4–5 times since it opened. The food is outstanding, the service top-notch, and the atmosphere excellent. Normally, this would be a slam-dunk five-star review. However, one of the owner, Chris, is the reason for this rating. We’ve had great experiences with the other owner, Vinnie. He’s friendly, attentive, and genuinely seems to care about his guests. Chris, on the other hand, has repeatedly shown a lack of hospitality and awareness of how to treat customers. One night, my husband and I came in for a date night and sat at the end of the bar near the door. Our bartender was fantastic. Another couple came and sat at the other end of the corner bar near us. Chris came over and chatted with them—for a long time. During this, he repeatedly blocked the bartender from doing his job and stood right in front of the TV we were watching (the Little League World Series). Not once did he acknowledge us, no greeting, no “how’s everything?”, nothing. Just a glance in our direction and that was it. Not a huge deal in isolation, but definitely off putting. More recently, my elderly mother met a friend there on a Friday around 5 PM. The server kindly pushed two tables together for them, as my sister-was joining later. They ordered drinks while waiting, and when my sister arrived, they caught up and planned to order dinner. After my sister left (about an hour later), and the two ladies were getting ready to order food, a server came over and asked if they could remove the unused table—totally fine. But then Chris walked over. No greeting, no introduction—just bluntly asked the two elderly women, “If you’re not eating, can you move to the bar so we can seat others?” Seriously! This kind of tone-deaf, dismissive behavior is completely unacceptable. My husband and I have both worked in the restaurant business worked in the restaurant industry for over 30 years, including time as a restaurant manager and now as an executive chef. We’ve never seen an owner act with such little regard for paying guest, especially elderly guests trying to enjoy a night out. It’s painfully clear that Chris doesn’t understand basic hospitality or how to run a front-of-house. Hopefully, Vinnie can set him straight before more loyal customers like us decide...

A Hidden Gem of Italian Hospitality and Heavenly Charcuterie in Knightsville!

Tucked away on Cranston Street, this new Italian treasure doesn’t just serve food—it delivers an experience steeped in old-world charm, warm hospitality, and culinary artistry. From the moment you walk in, you just feel that this restaurant is not like others. But let’s get to the star of the show: the charcuterie boards. The meats are hand sliced on an old school Italian machine for each order … hello attention to detail! Calling them "custom" barely does justice to the masterpiece they present. Whether you're sharing with friends over wine or treating yourself to a solo indulgence, the menu allows you to craft each board with 3, 6, or 9 items (what we got) from meat, cheese, veggy and olive categories, with detail and flavor balance. Imported Italian cured meats, aged cheeses that melt on your tongue, marinated olives, roasted peppers, incredible crackers, artisanal jams, house-made crostini—no two boards are alike, and every one is better than the last. The fig jam and hot honey, were incredible slathered as a base to craft mini Italian grinders tableside, with the large slices of Italian bread on each board!

Our service from each bartender was sincere and attentive, never rushed, and warm. Also try an espresso martini, to die for!

Beyond the boards, the rest of the menu looks equally stellar. Mindy and I will definitely be back to try some of the other dishes, the pizza’s and of course dessert! The friendly bartender told us about a special in June, half off any bottle of wine with any large 9 item charcuterie board!

In a sea of chain restaurants and cookie-cutter menus in Cranston, this neighborhood spot is a refreshing addition to Cranston Street and a reminder of what dining out should feel like—personal, passionate, and unforgettable. Five stars, no question. Make a trip this weekend, bring your appetite, and don’t forget to snap a photo of that charcuterie board (before...

My friend and I decided that we wanted to try Bar Lazio lastnight after hearing really good things about it. We decided to sit outside at around 5pm and planned on having a few drinks, ordering a Charcuterie Board and entrées. The Waitress seemed nice, younger girl. Not very attentive though. There were also a few other girls on the patio and a man. However, barely anyone there tended to our table and some of the surrounding tables. Our drinks took 20 mins or even a little over to come out, the board actually came out before our drinks. Then, no one checked in on us to see if we wanted to order our mains and to ask how our drinks and board came out. We sat for 30 mins waiting for someone to come check in on us before we finally put our cards down on the table because we decided we would rather go elsewhere that would be more attentive. My friend and I were really hungry because we had just gotten out of work before visiting. Now, this place has great reviews...so, maybe we just went on an off day. But, we were really disappointed with the lack of service and the fact that we had to go elsewhere for our dinner. We were looking forward to trying a pizza...