Little Italy Restaurant — Restaurant in Florida

Avoid at All Costs — Unsafe Food, No Accountability, and Dishonest Staff

This was one of the worst restaurant experiences I’ve ever had.

I called Little Italy in Celebration, FL several times to place a takeout order—no one ever answered. After getting nowhere, I decided to drive 20 minutes to the restaurant in person.

When I arrived, I asked the young hostess if a manager was available. She said, “We don’t have a manager—just an owner, and they’re not here.” I asked again if anyone was in charge. She said, “Nope.”

Despite the red flags, I placed a takeout order—around $100 total. While I waited, I asked the bartender who was in charge. His answer? “Nobody.” I told him I had tried calling several times with no luck. A few minutes later, he came back and said the phone was fixed. I tested it right there—still no answer. Lie after lie.

When I got the food, the salad was fine. The shrimp appetizer was overcooked. The main dish was mediocre, but the linguini with clams was a serious concern. It smelled off, and the clams were dark grayish-green—clearly unsafe to eat.

I tried calling again to report the issue—still no answer. So I drove another 20 minutes back to the restaurant with the food practically untouched. I asked the hostess who I could speak to about the spoiled food. Again: “No one is in charge.” I asked for the owner’s number. She gave me a name and phone number.

I called the number, and the man who answered claimed I had the wrong person. I insisted the hostess call the owner directly. Eventually, I was able to speak with her and explained the situation. I asked for a full refund. She refused, offering only to refund the bad dish. I explained I had now driven back and forth twice, and the rest of the food was cold and uneaten. I told her I would contact the health department if she couldn’t resolve this, and asked for her license number.

Suddenly, the same man who earlier claimed I had the wrong number jumped on the phone. So yes—he lied to avoid the call.

The owner then accused me of “making threats” and refused to refund anything.

This place is a disaster. No leadership. No honesty. No concern for food safety and NO REFUND.

Do yourself a favor and avoid Little Italy in...

So we went in, even though we saw the reviews. We were on the fence about waiting for a restaurant in the same area with a longer wait but we chose here because it looked like we would receive fast service. We got a variety of items and the values weren’t the greatest for what you pay. Most Italian dinners include a salad - this place does not. We got appetizers - anything with cheese was good, the others no. We got several calzones, two different chicken dishes, a shrimp dish and the steak. The calzones only had mozzarella - no ricotta. The main dishes were either bland or burnt- my chicken dish tasted like chicken noodle soup. I reseasoned it with the Parmesan and red pepper on the table and only ate the meat. It was raved as the most popular dish and it was gross. No adult was happy with their meals, they were underwhelmed, and we each felt bad about it so we didn’t say anything. The kids were happy and that’s about it, but again they got cheese pizzas and a cheese calzone. They don’t have a dessert menu. I ordered tiramisu but didn’t know until the bill it was $10. Even though it was pricey the tiramisu was good. When the bill came, it had the standard 1 check, 18% gratuity and all the local fees but in addition to that they charged a “green fee,” $7.71- I asked and the waitress said it was new and it was for recycling- it was not advertised on anything we saw at the restaurant. We gambled on this place because people said it was either great or terrible. It looked extremely empty and yet the service was still slow. We must have gone on an off night, but taking into consideration all the other recent reviews, they’ve had several off nights the last few weeks. If you have a choice and there’s a nearby restaurant you’re considering, pick the other restaurant. The Turkish place next door had a 4.9 ranking - choose that place, we...

Five-Star Family Experience – Authentic Italian Flavor!

Tonight, my family and I had the pleasure of dining at Little Italy Restaurant (2901 Parkway Blvd, Kissimmee, FL), and it was an unforgettable experience.

Our server, Alfredo, provided outstanding service. He was attentive, made thoughtful and delicious recommendations, and truly made us feel welcome—especially since we were dining with both our toddler and our five-month-old. He even suggested toddler-friendly meal options, and to our surprise, our picky eater loved it!

We started with the mozzarella and calamari appetizers—both were fresh, crispy, and full of flavor. I ordered the Seafood Puttanesca, which was incredibly rich and authentic, while my wife had a veal dish that she couldn’t stop talking about. Having traveled to Italy multiple times, she said this was the first place in America where the Italian food actually tasted like it came from Italy. That’s saying a lot.

We’re a family that prioritizes eating organic and clean. Our son typically won’t touch processed food here in the States—but tonight, he not only ate, he asked for seconds and had a second helping of apple juice (a rare treat for him). The quality of the food was exceptional.

We also had a lovely interaction with a young lady from Mexico who added even more warmth to our dining experience.

This was our first outing as a complete family since welcoming our newborn, and it couldn't have gone better—until we hit witching hour. We stayed past our children's bedtime, and both our toddler and baby were understandably tired and fussy. Alfredo kindly helped us wrap up our food so we could head home and put the little ones to bed.

As you can see in the pictures, we were truly enjoying our meal. Thank you to Alfredo and the entire team for a wonderful experience—we will definitely be...