Ciro's Italian Eatery — Restaurant in Elkton

We tried Ciro's at the end of a very, very long, and hot day. The parking lot was packed, which was a very good sign. Despite being packed, the hostess graciously accommodated our request for a table.

Our waitress arrived immediately and got us cold drinks. Wanting to wash my hands before eating, I found the restroom clean, we'll stocked, and nice.

We ordered a steak and cheese 12 inch sub, onion rings, and manicotti? Which came with a soup or salad and garlic bread. I chose a Caesar salad. The salad was crisp and fresh, and the dressing was flavorful. I wish they had put a little less fresh ground pepper on the salad, but that was a small thing.

The steak and cheese sandwich was stuffed with meat and cheese, and the toppings balanced nicely (the lettuce and tomato also fresh and crisp), and it was wonderful. The onion rings were homemade in-house and delicious.

The manicotti was perfection. Excellent sauce, the ricotta filling was delicious, and the pasta, cooked all dente, was fantastic.

Our server was kind and attentive without hovering. One big standout was that the patio was open and had a large party seated there. Without a conversation, staff seamlessly adjusted to check on every table and meet every customer's needs when their designated wait staff was working the patio. That is a true example of a well trained, respectful team of staff who care about each other and their employer. It was spectacular to observe.

Between the food, the outstanding staff, and the joyful, great atmosphere and attitude overall, I'm positive I will be a regular...

I honestly do not know why others have rated this place so highly. We were referred by a resort employee. We had planned on eating down the street and we're told that the restaurants were owned by cousins or relatives from the same part of Italy . Our appetizers were so unimpressive... fried calamari and garlic mozzarella bread. Calamari small , hard with nasty crust. Marinara better, covered flavor some. Next Caesar salad which I love, dressing just blah, from a bottle. Next a seafood linguine dish in vodka sauce. The Chana were microscopic, mussels bitter, langoustines fishy. Only the shrimp were decent. I have lived on 2 coasts and know a little about seafood. The vodka sauce was so runny, not rich or delicious. Daughter had gnocchi in alfredo. They were ok, Alfredo better than vodka sauce, but not at the caliber I was expecting. My husband had chicken parmigiana. It was his birthday. That is all he had wanted as we are on vacation and 1400 miles from home. He was so disappointed. Wafer thin chicken, Tasted like frozen food. Son had a slice of pepperoni pizza, it was by far the best thing we ordered!! We did not even bother ordering desert. I have had better meals from chain restaurants! And frozen food these days has improved greatly, don't know who their supplier is.. may I recommend HEB Central Market and Costco to bring things up a notch. If anyone who owns this establishment is from Italy I'm sure their ancestors are turning in...

Friday at 7pm at the end of September is not a bad time for a visit for 6 people. Only had a 10 minute wait for a table although the parking lot was full. We accepted an outdoor table but it was a bit chilly. No wind so it was tolerable.

Drink order was quick and beverages came shortly afterward. Coffee was room temp though which they remedied by 10 minutes later with a fresh batch. Appetizers were unappealing and overly breaded. Not enthralled with the jalapeño poppers or fried cheese sticks.

Waitress took orders quickly. Upon serving the soups and salads only 1 item was missed which was remedied quickly. Broccoli soup was not as warm as it should've been. Definitely not close to hot even.

Entrees came out shortly afterward. Everything seemed OK but also it seemed to be missing the heavy dose of cheese we're accustomed to when eating these entrees. Alfredo sauce was lacking full creaminess and garlic notes but it was passing. Lasagna was decent enough. Other pasta dishes were fine. Garlic bread was a bit hard and lacking garlic tastes. Maybe it fault for not requesting extra parmesan cheese. Thought we might at least have a shaker on the table of they didn't offer freshly grated on the entrées. Overall we were satisfied but a bit underwhelmed. Tastes like a lower cost true Italian restaurant. For the price I'd say it was acceptable in today's market....