Luciano's Ristorante Italiano — Restaurant in Duluth

A Disappointing Experience at Luciano’s Ristorante Italiano

On Saturday, March 8, 2025, our party dined at Luciano’s Ristorante Italiano, located at 6555 Sugarloaf Pkwy #309 in Duluth, GA. Our reservation was at 5:00 PM, and we arrived as a group of approximately 40 people—about 25 high school students and 15 adults. While the students and their teachers had preselected meals in advance, the parents had the opportunity to order directly from the menu.

Unfortunately, our experience at Luciano’s was far from the high-quality dining experience we had anticipated. From the moment we entered, an overwhelming, unpleasant smell of old fish permeated the restaurant, immediately dampening our expectations. This was particularly concerning given that my daughter has a severe allergy to fish and shellfish. Although we took precautions in selecting her meal, she found her food to be bland and unappetizing. The fettuccine Alfredo was especially disappointing—lacking in flavor, with cheese that tasted artificial and a barely-there sauce. The side salad was similarly uninspiring, tasting like little more than a bowl of waterlogged lettuce. Dessert was no better; the cheesecake arrived drowning in an overly bright, neon-red sauce that made it entirely unappealing. Ultimately, my daughter left the restaurant still hungry, having been unable to eat anything of substance despite the $60 meal charge. Even worse, shortly after leaving, she began experiencing mild allergic reactions—an itchy throat that, while not severe enough to require her EpiPen, did necessitate a dose of Benadryl to reduce the inflammation.

Unfortunately, she was not the only one who had issues with allergen accommodations. A guest at my table, who is allergic to dairy, had to send her meal back twice before finally receiving a dish that did not contain cheese. This raises serious concerns about the restaurant’s attention to food allergies and dietary restrictions. In an era where food sensitivities are common and require careful handling, it is unacceptable for a restaurant to be this careless.

That said, not everything was disappointing. My caprese salad was fresh and flavorful, and my tomato basil fettuccine was excellent. However, even this was overshadowed by the rushed and impersonal service. Before I had even finished my meal, our server, Daniel, approached to ask if I was done, followed shortly by the manager, who asked the same question twice. The moment I took my last bite, Daniel swooped down like a great vulture and removed my plate, making me feel as if we were being hurried out. Initially, I assumed this was due to the restaurant needing to turn over tables quickly, but that theory fell apart when we ended up sitting there for another 30 minutes without receiving our check. After attempting to get Daniel’s attention, he finally approached and, in a tone that felt dismissive and irritated, asked what I needed. When I requested the check, he responded that he “didn’t know we were ready to close the check.” This contradiction—rushing us through the meal but then leaving us waiting indefinitely—made for a frustrating and confusing experience.

Overall, Luciano’s Ristorante Italiano failed to provide the quality, hospitality, and care expected of a reputable Italian restaurant. Between the poor handling of food allergies, inconsistent service, and lackluster meals, I cannot recommend this establishment, particularly for those dining with large groups or individuals with dietary restrictions. Given this experience, I will not...

I like leaving reviews, but I want to leave this one where you've heard me say this right up front: reviews are so subjective. I'm giving this place 3 Stars; but that's just my personal, subjective opinion. I 100% think you should try Luciano's and decide for yourself.

So why the three stars? I think it's just because it was really just an average experience overall.

We were there around 3pm on a Tuesday. And I get that 3pm is that wild time in a restaurant where everyone is recovering from the lunch rush and preparing for the dinner rush. But... the service was really slow. Not just once or twice, but all the way around. Our server was a super nice guy and we tipped him well, but we only saw him a couple times. So everything was just slow.... for example, it took forever to get our order... then it took forever to get our drinks... then we didn't get bread until we asked about it when our food came out... then we didn't get a refill on drinks until we were getting our check. Which, by the way, took forever. I mean, when I say took forever, it was the kind of thing where we're starting to wonder if the rapture happened or a Zombie apocalypse broke out somewhere and we needed to run. We're looking around and wondering what we should do... should we leave? So we would just have to flag down whoever we could to get stuff. Everyone was nice though and helpful, once we got their attention. But who knows, maybe our guy wasn't normally a server and was just filling in or something?

But the service is only a small part of the overall experience so on the food!

The food was good. It really was good. Well, okay it was really pretty average to me. I didn't really like the pasta. But like I said in the beginning, these things are so subjective. And the enjoyment of Italian food probably even more than usual. I liked the food... but didn't love it. Same with my wife and daughter; we were all pretty MEH about the whole thing. I got lasagna and my wife got, I think, the tomato basil fettuccini and my daughter got a cheese pizza. The pizza was frozen pizza level bad - I definitely had higher hopes cause it looked they had a cool pizza oven. I think my daughter, who is roughly 65% pizza didn't even finish her first slice. I could hear Dave Portnoy dropping the box and storming off saying "Frankie, it's a 4.8, that's a review!"

It's been a couple weeks since we were there and I can't really remember the specific reasons I thought my food and my wife's food was just OK; but that's kind of gets to the point of what I'm trying to say, I guess... the food was just average and kind of forgettable to me.

But, the place has a nice enough atmosphere and decent food. I'm kind of hard on my Italian restaurants and maybe I was too hard on the food in this review, who knows? And again, I definitely think you should try it out yourself. You might love the food and I imagine our experience with the service was a rarity and that you're experience will be better. Just don't get the pizza. But you should get the lasagna; though I don't...

Phenomenal Food and Service That Goes Above and Beyond

Luciano’s is hands-down one of the best dining experiences we’ve had in a long time. The food was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the service was absolutely exceptional—largely thanks to our server, Richard, who went above and beyond to make the night unforgettable.

From the very beginning, Richard’s attentiveness and professionalism stood out. He was knowledgeable about every detail of the menu, offered thoughtful recommendations, and was consistently there to ensure we had everything we needed—often before we even realized it ourselves. His presence was the perfect balance of friendly and professional, making us feel completely at ease throughout the evening.

The food was incredible. The mussels were fresh and perfectly paired with a delicious sauce and bread. The salads were crisp, vibrant, and clearly made with high-quality ingredients. While the veal meatballs had fantastic flavor, they were slightly oversalted for my taste. When I brought it up, Richard handled the feedback with grace and immediately resolved the issue. A manager even came over to acknowledge the feedback, which showed the restaurant’s commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.

One particular moment highlighted Richard’s attentiveness: the setting sun was beaming directly into several tables in his section, including ours, making it difficult for everyone to enjoy their meal. A busser, while clearing a nearby table, unintentionally adjusted the blinds, worsening the glare. Without hesitation, Richard noticed the issue, quickly fixed the blinds, and apologized to all the affected tables. His awareness and quick action turned what could have been an uncomfortable situation into a seamless resolution, all without us even needing to ask.

The cocktails were expertly crafted—fresh, balanced, and a perfect complement to the meal. And the desserts? Amazing. The homemade coconut cake was moist, flavorful, and the perfect way to end the evening.

Luciano’s, you have a tremendous asset in Richard! His exceptional service, great personality, and ability to elevate the dining experience truly set him apart. If you’re planning to visit, do yourself a favor and ask for Richard—he’ll make your night unforgettable.

We’ll absolutely be back. Thank you to Richard and the entire Luciano’s team for delivering such a fantastic dining...