La Strada Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Florida

ITALIAN RESTAURANT Lastrada Italian Restaurant

OVERVIEW: Unpretentious and rustic homemade Italian dishes created and prepared with care and a love for hearty Italian cuisine by owner/chef, Mark Derusso.

OBSERVATIONS: When you enter, stand near the door, wait for someone to greet you. If no one is at the front to immediately acknowledge you, be patient, this is a family run concern and as such deals with common Restaurant issues, ie., a labor shortage.

They have some negative reviews. Read them closely, they consistently relate to issues outside the sphere of the one who preps, cooks, and plates the home style Italian dishes which this owner does.

OUTSIDE: Ample parking for the small family run eatery. Parking can get tight because patrons from adjacent business will use and fill up parking spaces . Outside seating available amongst old world Italian decor.

INSIDE: Quaint and intimate, with a homey feel for the seating area. Old school music with Sinatra-esque tunes playing as you relax and wait/eat you’re made to order dishes. Clean and comfortable. I did not use restrooms.

SERVICE: I was greeted shortly after arrival by the owner’s wife, immediately seated. Waiter arrived promptly, and continually checked on me throughout my meal, as well as pre-and post.

SUSTENANCE: Appetizers, Crab stuffed mushrooms, and Eggplant Baratta. The mushrooms, appeared to be white button variety, presentation, texture, taste, were all good. I was told it was in a white wine, and I believe garlic sauce. The eggplant appetizer, for me, stole the show. Eggplant was cooked perfectly, appeared to be pan fried in possibly olive oil, Italian breadcrumbs coated, an appropriate chunk of mozzarella layer, topped with housemaid pesto, all bedded on house made fresh marinara sauce.

Main dish of seafood cannelloni, stuffed with a shrimp, crab, lobster, and Italian cheese, then covered with a vodka cream sauce. Presentation , portion, flavors were all good. As a side, I had a house salad, all with dark, leafy greens, which I personally prefer, julienned carrots, tomato quarter, topped with one of their homemade dressing’s. My choice, this time, bleu cheese.

SUGGESTIONS: Come early, they do get busy. I arrived at 4:25 PM and patrons were coming in pairs and couples, early and often. By the time I left, they were 3/4 full.

KID FRIENDLY: I only saw one set of children, they were provided available highchairs.

If you are looking for homestyle Italian food, that’s real and not out of a box or a bag, not premade or off a truck frozen, with affordable pricing, and a great atmosphere, Lastrada Italian restaurant is for you!

A Roving Restauranteur Review

Pa. Mark Derusso, you are creating a fresh made product, which to many in our day and time is under appreciated. I tip my hat to you, sir.

Buon cibo,...

Grab yourself a glass of wine for this one it's going to be a minute. I am a 35-year-old woman that has never been out on Valentine's. Last night February 14th 2024 was my first time and it was the most awful experience. My fiance, who I am marrying exactly a month from today February 15th 2024, took me out for Valentine's Day thinking it was going to be the best experience that both of us could have. He reserved the table a week or so in advance. We got there right at our reservation time 7:45 p.m. and was sat. We then were ignored for 15 minutes before even asking us if we wanted to order anything. We ordered calamari and cheese bread. We also ordered our entrees which came with a salad. Are salads came out 15 minutes after getting our order and then our cheese bread. At this point we've already been there for 45 minutes. We then get a hold of the waitress and tell her that we want our appetizer here and are entrees taken to go. We were then there for a whole hour before she gave us our entrees to leave. But she had no problem giving us our check to get us out of there. Mind you we reserved our table and the rest of everybody else and they say they were booked at capacity which the restaurant isn't very big. I heard this server telling the door dash people that the cook was at least 15 to 20 minutes behind. They should have never agreed to do DoorDash on Valentine's Day when you have a fully booked restaurant for the night. When we told the waitress that the calamari was undercooked rubbery and not very much portion, she didn't seem to care very much but said that she would let him know. We ate most of it because we were hungry. I'm also a diabetic and needed to consume something other than bread. We had one waitress that I can't remember her name I think it started with a c and our second waitress was Heidi. When we got home and looked at our food I was pretty disgusted. For whatever price my fiance paid it was definitely not worth what we got. I got chicken parm and he got tortellini meat something. I believe my chicken parm was $21 plus tax and the taste of it should have been $5.99 plus tax. For the restaurant to be in business that long, last night should have been smooth sailing. But it seemed like the customers that were getting service were people that ordered wine. Needless to say, I will be cooking Valentine's...

Our group of 12 had a reservation at La Strada Italian Restaurant in St. Augustine for an 8 PM birthday dinner celebration for our sister. Unfortunately, what should have been a joyous occasion was overshadowed by unprofessional and downright hostile behavior from the owner/ chef and staff.

The evening started off promisingly. Our waiter did an excellent job explaining the history of the restaurant and how there was only one chef, who also happened to be the owner. He kindly asked for our patience and carefully planned the ordering process to accommodate the kitchen, which we appreciated.

Things took a turn when one of our sisters, who is vegan and has a few allergies, politely asked questions to find a meal she could safely enjoy. The waiter relayed her questions to the chef, but we were shocked when we could clearly hear the chef yelling and belittling the waiter from the dining room for simply asking questions. This was extremely uncomfortable, especially since we were the only customers left in the restaurant.

Despite the tension, the waiter finished taking our orders. However, the shouting resumed when the waiter returned to the kitchen to ask if our sister could order a side of potatoes without cheese. Eventually, he brought out her food—steamed greens and bread—but then approached her in a very aggressive manner, pointed his finger in her face, and said with a nasty attitude, "See what you caused?!" before walking away.

His words and tone completely ruined the atmosphere. Our sister, understandably shaken, broke down in tears, feeling blamed for causing a scene when she had simply tried to find a suitable meal. The mood of the evening was destroyed. We quickly asked for to-go boxes, paid our bill, and left after confronting the waiter to express our disappointment. The Owner was made aware of the situation but NEVER made any attempt to resolve the solution and did not even care enough to walk out from behind the kitchen doors.

This experience was UNACCEPTABLE on EVERY level. No customer should witness or be subjected to such hostility from staff, and no person should be made to feel responsible for the poor behavior of restaurant employees. We will NOT be returning and simply cannot recommend La Strada Italian Restaurant to anyone seeking a respectful, joyful, and professional...