Allegria Italiana — Restaurant in Florida

In short: food isn't bad, could be better, prices are a bit high but only because of the quality of ingredients.

Extended: Not sure what the hype about this place was. My mother recommended it, but the last time she was here was a few years ago. My friend told me it was mediocre but recent reviews said it was good so I thought I'd give it a shot.

When the end bill for two was $90, you'd expect the quality of the food to be above an olive garden.

For an appetizer we got a caprisi salad which was very lack luster, and for $15 including prosciutto you'd expect the ingredients to be of quality. The balsamic, oil, mozzarella and tomato all lacked flavor and buying cheap ingredients from Publix and pairing it with a quality balsamic would top this any day.

The sangria at $10 a glass was an absolute joke, not flavorful and tasted like a frozen pre mix if anything else.

The bread was "standard" in that you'd find it at any other chain, and the fact it's only served if you order an entre, and comes with plastic disposable butter containers is an insult to the prices they charge.

I got the vodka sauce pasta with shrimp. It's hard to mess up pasta, and it was cooked well and the sauce was pretty good. At $23 though, you'd expect more shrimp and maybe a bit more noodles.

At the end of the day, if this review seems like in critiquing a steak house, when it's a Chilli's, I apologise. However, when the average entre is above $15, and a bill for two comes around $95 after tax and tip, you'd expect a bit more quality out of what you're eating. They definitely try to make the restaurant seem upscale but ultimately fail. The food isn't bad, but I would go elsewhere if you're looking for good Italian food, especially at this price point.

Edit: I had called earlier asking about a credit card we possibly left there, and gave the owner my name and number. After leaving a review (without text) he called and followed up with me. I do appreciate that and he was very respectful, I directed him to my text review though I submitted later.

I have had friends in the restaurant business and an extended family member even owns a fast food chain up north; I understand the difficulties that go into managing a restaurant and I could NEVER do it. I also do not have a clue what is done to source better quality ingredients. That is what I suggest to be done though. The recipes are there, the plating is nice, and the prices aren't unreasonable if the quality can be brought up.

Ultimately, I'm a random person and the reader of this should form their own opinion on a restaurant. I give every place a try, and I recommend...

We visited for the 1st time per the reviews. The servce is perfect. Seriously awesome service.

The food...not so great. The food is not freshly made. The marina is grossly sweet. It taste like hunts can sauce with canned crushed tomaotes and sugar. Totally bland outside of that. The meatballs taste alright. Finely ground so they are light not dense. You could taste the oregano. The parm cheese taste like kraft and personally i can't stand kraft. I buy fresh and grate it myself.

The chicken parm was most likely frozen. The breading was as thick as the chicken and a tab over cooked. The mozz was not a whole milk cheese and tasted cheap and mostly flavorless. Not to mention everything is drawning in sauce. Chic parm way to pricey.

The fettuccini with bacon and all was good. The same receipe ive had at other itlian establishments in brooklyn and atlanta are made from pig but not bacon. Bacon is a cheap sub and for the costs it should have the other.

Canoli was 1/2 filled and not so great. Chocolate cake was good. Not sure where they got it but they did well there. Still for$6 it was a very small piece.

Very pricey for what it is. I doubt we will be back. Olive garden does a better job with thier microwave. But again the service was awesome and appreciated.

Per your question....you never came by. I did let the server know the sauce was horrible but my husband didnt say anything about the parm. We felt bad for not likening it. Is that ok with you? I mean really you never came by our table and what would you had done tell us we were wrong? And just because you think someone does a good job handling thier tables doesnt mean you buddy buddy with them. And while we are at it did your mum teach you any grace or manners? Where did you learn to cook? Seriously you can't be Itlian. I would had known. (Thats sarcasm just in case you...

My boyfriend and I went to Allegria Italiana Restaurant in Brandon, FL for Valentine's Day - 2024 for the first time. The atmosphere was nice but it would have been better if they were playing some romantic Italian music. You could hear some music in the distant behind there counter but not in the eating area. The service was great, the servers were very attentive to your needs and courteous. The food was mediocre and disappointing. I ordered the chicken marsala, the chicken was bland and not seasoned, the sauce was very watery, and the wine was not burnt off before serving it. You could still taste the liquor flavor in the sauce. The noodles were cooked well and tasted good. The caesar salad was over killed with dressing, and the vinegar in the dressing was over powering. The thought the sweet iced tea tasted nice. My boyfriend ordered the Tour of Italy. It came with a Chicken Parmigiana which he did not like, the chicken and breading was really dry and did not have a lot of flavor. The meatballs were okay but very luke warm and a couple were still a little cold. He did really like the cheese ravioli though. But his entire plate and all three items were overly covered with chunky tomatoes (marinara sauce). All you tasted were tomatoes and it was not seasoned at all. Both meals were definitely NOT worth the $85 they charged per person for this holiday and that did not include (drinks, tax, or gratuity). The total bill came to $240 and that did not include any alcoholic beverages. We would have been better off going to Carrabbas Italian Grill since the food always tastes good there. I come from an Italian family, and sadly this place does not meet the standards of true Italian cooking. Plus the food was not...