Luigi’s Italian Grill — Restaurant in Cullman

Mad at myself now for not taking pictures!

I really wanted to like this place a little more than I actually did, so here goes:

Luigi’s is a quant and cozy little hole-in-the-wall style Italian spot that you wouldn’t really expect to find in this area - that I guess opened up about a year ago. Food was pretty good overall. Fresh baked, handmade-looking and tasting, warm, and soft delicious rolls came to the table immediately with packets of real butter. I had to order some marinara sauce to go with my rolls that were just breathtakingly to die for. The marinara was also pretty good, but not as good as those rolls! It was nice and warm and also looked and tasted fresh and homemade and I wouldn’t mind making a creamy tomato basil or minestrone soup with that as a base! That should be on the menu if it’s not already lol (I didn’t read the entire menu so soup might be in there and I just missed it). I got the cannelloni as my main entree and it was pretty good however I didn’t get the feeling that it had any spinach which is what I was expecting since it listed spinach being in the dish on the menu. I suppose it could have been ground up into tiny pieces with the meat and cheese filling, but I just didn’t get the impression I was hoping for there especially how impressed I already was with the high quality taste of the rolls and marinara and even the tea… I was kind of expecting some actual fresh whole leaf spinach inside so that’s really my only complaint there.

The portion size was filling but not quite enough for leftovers -even after eating all those rolls- which I usually have anywhere I go and I wish it came with a small side salad or something instead of having to pay extra for a whole salad.

For dessert I thought I’d try some tiramisu which… I usually don’t get dessert, however I really like tiramisu and wanted to give theirs a shot so I’d know for future reference if I had a good spot for when I ever get a tiramisu craving… I took one bite and realized how good it was going to be and thought to myself… I can’t have a good tiramisu without an espresso, cappuccino, or coffee! So I waited to get someone’s attention and ordered a black coffee because that was all they had to offer in those regards. It was slightly bitter, but I fixed it up how I do with a little sugar, a little creamer, and just a tiny dash of salt and was able to enjoy it with my tiramisu. Alas, I think I almost cried at one point while eating it because I have not had a tiramisu that good in a VERY long time. I ate it slowly and enjoyed every single bite with a little swish of coffee every few bites. I get halfway through the tiramisu and start to get full QUICK. The only complaint I have with it is too much chocolate sauce. I’d prefer none honestly, but it was just a little too much and took away from the tiramisu in my opinion.

I was really into the food if you can’t tell, however the prices really threw me off which made me kinda pay more attention to all the other details I didn’t really like about the place so much. First of all, although this place was rather cozy, it was a bit cramped and not entirely handicap friendly to the point it probably should have been. The parking situation was pretty bad… just not enough spots really and some were a bit too close together for me to open my door and worry about not hitting someone’s car or the person next to me banging my truck with their car door. Also, people were parallel parking in the grass and on the sidewalks right off the road to eat here. And the entrance was a bit tight as well. I understand there’s only so much space for them to work with being a smaller and older building, but they need to figure out a better situation for the hostess station at least.

Now back to the price factor: I can kind of understand having to go up due to inflation, but… first of all, the prices on the menu did not match the prices on their website so that was a turn off. It cost $36 for main entree, tea, dessert, marinara, and a coffee. Why is it $5 for a bitter black coffee?...

This is the best food I’ve tasted in quite a while! I am quite familiar with the building, as I’ve had many breakfasts and a few catfish dinners here over the years. I’ve always thought the building could use some upgrades and still believe it certainly needs a remodel rather than the facelift it gets with each new tenant. I do believe the current decorators have an upper hand with the options of covering the walls with gorgeous and vibrant Italian tapestries and other small detailed interior designs. It gives the place a fresh look and most likely saved some money, and allowed room in the budget for more important things. We will get to that part soon. I’d much rather have authentic Italian food served in a room with walls adorned with tapestries than some angel hair and Ragu or penne and Prego served in a room with expensive Italian murals and cheap wine. So now, on to the food. Wait, let’s talk service…. I’m not sure of the situation, as I was with a large party and was unable to visit with any of the staff, but the servers must be family or close to the owners somehow. You will not experience service from a teenager who’s distracted by a cell phone and unhappy to be there, or anything even close. The staff were invested in customer service and very happy to be attentive to guests needs and seemed very happy to be there. These were seasoned veterans who knew the business and would put others to shame. The prices were very fair, and if any other review says different please consider the price of things these days and the fact that this food is QUALITY. So now I can move on to the best part…. The food is phenomenal. It’s the best Italian I’ve had in a very very long time and certainly the best I’ve had locally. There aren’t enough words to explain every dish I tried during my first visit. You just have to go taste it for yourself. I had the Eggplant Parmigiani and it was the best I’ve ever tasted. Most of the time I never eat my leftover pasta and sauce but I took mine home and ate every bite. Honestly the sauce had a flavor Ive never had and that’s probably because I haven’t had much, if ever any, authentic Italian food. It was so good. I had the Tiramisu (as an appetizer) because it’s my absolute favorite dessert and I was so excited to have some as it’s pretty hard to come by around here with options being limited to a couple of local bakery departments in the grocery store chains. Let me tell you, this tiramisu was legit. Oh mylanta it is next level. It picked me up and took me a notch higher. The layers of ladyfingers soaked in espresso and that creamy mascarpone cheese all married together with the cocoa powder dusting that hits just right on your tastebuds will change you. It’s one of those desserts you think about many times after it’s gone. It was a large portion, as was the food. It’s rich and flavorful and enough for a few meals for me, but I do eat smaller portions. I never eat until I’m full, it’s just a rule I have. My email signature has always said “stay hungry, stay happy” but I ate this food until I was full as a tick and was pretty darn happy about it. We paired the leftovers with a Josh Merlot and they complimented each other very well. I had a great experience and I truly wish these folks well, they’re doing a great thing here and I hope it catches on and takes off. This is a tricky town and they chose what’s been deemed as a “poisioned property” refer to my blog for more details, link below. 🔗 👇 but if anyone can change the world and better a community using the power of food, it’s certainly these folks!!! Five stars hands down. I’ll go back again and again and I’ll spread the word, this place is wonderful.

Shenanigans with Shannon Level 8 Google Local Guide 🔗...

This review was based on our last visit for dinner. Before, I start we have eaten at Luigi's about 4-5 times now. Mostly at dinner. We have tried variations of the spaghetti and lasagna. Lasagna was not bad - but it did meet our "picky" taste-test when compared what the wife can make here at home.

In my opinion - the best thing on the menu is the "spaghetti with meat sauce"! 5- stars or more! We have had it both at lunch and dinner. Absolutely fantastic sauce with lots of spices! Generous portion and it has been served hot every time! FWIW - I have also tried the "spaghetti works" which has meatball, sausage, mushrooms, & more. Good , but I didn't care for it as much as the meat-sauce. Opinions will vary. Also, their side salad is very generous and good!

This brings me to our last dinner visit. We decided to try something new - no reason to burn-ourselves-out eating the same thing every time! My wife got the Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken. I opted for the Baked Trio Pasta. Both dishes looked very good when presented to us. However, my pasta dish was not even warm - tepid at best! Yeah, I know - I should have sent it back to be reheated. My wife's Fettuccine Alfredo - she didn't care for it. She said the chicken was way too dry - like it was over-cooked. (We got a take-out box for it. Next day, I reheat and tried it. The sauce is great - but she was right -the chicken was definitely overcooked and tough!)

Will we return - absolutely! Especially when I get a craving for spaghetti! (The pic of the Chicken Parmesan another reviewer left looks awesome - I may have to try that as well!)

Lastly - And this shows my age - but I detest that damn POS (Point of Sale) machine that is presented to me at Luigis's. To defend myself - if service is really good - I'm going to leave a 18-20% tip anyway. I just don't like someone staring down at me with that "how much you gonna tip me look"! I will be choosing CUSTOM on the POS ($0) - informing my server I will be leaving cash instead. This will allow me time to consider the service and food for the meal...