Luigis Tuscan Grill — Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale

We went for the first time yesterday, for our Anniversary. WHAT an experience! The atmosphere, feels like home and the food??? OMG! The bread to start is delicious! Sitting in a spoonful of Olive Oil and dusted with Parmesan Cheese, it's to die for. The Caesar salad, was perfect. Homemade croutons, fresh sliced Parmesan Cheese and the dressing was not overpowering. Next, we had the Shrimp balls. All I can say, is, WOW! The Shrimp is ground and mixed with Asparagus and herbed breading, then baked and placed in a bed of THE BEST Marinara sauce I have ever had! Huge, beautiful chunks of Tomato and freshly sliced Garlic. It was, delicious! Now for dinner... I'll admit, it was a challenge to decide on what to eat, but we narrowed it down to the Rigatoni Beef Bolognese and the Rigotta and Pear stuffed Ravioli. (Yes, I said, Pear)...OMG! My husband and I were rolling our eyes into the back of our heads! The Bolognese was excellent! The sauce was absolutely delectable and the dish was stick to your ribs, hearty! The Ravioli? How can I describe it, except that it is a delicate, explosion of flavor that makes your mouth, happy! You think, Pear and Ricotta? But, oh! When you put it in your mouth and the filling hits your taste buds? Absolute, heaven! Last, but not least, dessert. Again, a difficult choice. And, we couldn't choose, just ONE. So, after yet another poignant description by our server, C.J., we decided on the Deep Fried New York Cheesecake and homemade, Tiramisu. Well, first of all, they brought out the Tiramisu with a sparkler candle, which was amazing, but when I took my first bite? It was like floating on a cloud. Light, not too sweet, just the right touch of coffee, with a surprise layer of mini chocolate chips in the middle. Absolutely, delicious! Now, that Cheesecake! Okay, WHEN you visit this incredible gem on Las Olas Blvd, in Fort Lauderdale, you MUST, for the sake of ALL that is holy, try this dessert!! A slice of creamy, New York Cheesecake, rolled in Corn Flakes (yep,I said, Corn Flakes!) and deep fried to a golden brown, served with a scoop of homemade, Pistachio icecream. After my first bite, I thought I heard angels singing, OMG!! I felt as if I was Home in Heaven!! And, the Pistachio icecream? Wow!! That's all you heard coming from our corner table, Wow, OMG, Wow, OMG! I hope I described Luigi's Tuscan Grill with enough detail to make your mouth water, but honestly? You MUST add it to your list of places to go. The staff is a fantastic group of individuals who make you feel right at home and whose ONE desire is to make your visit an experience you'll never forget. Well, touche, guys, it worked!! My husband and I will...

FIRST TIME! LAST TIME! My family of five were in town celebrating the completion of my doctorate. We were excited to try this restaurant for the first time as the reviews were very strong. I never pull the race card but I can’t imagine why a restaurant would turn away a 5 party ticket, unless we are not their type of clientele.

So we walk up and my oldest son, home from college for the holidays and to celebrate my graduation let’s the hostess know we have a group of 5 after she asked, “How many?”

She then asks, “Do you have a reservation?” and we respond with a friendly, “No”. In an almost comical manner she slowly shakes her head and said “No, sorry”…………..and that’s it. 😳. Not, I am sorry it will be a 1 hour wait, or I am sorry we can’t seat you know but give us 30 minutes. It was just a solid, “No”.

So I ask, very kindly, “So there are no seats available before 10 pm?” (their closing time) Which I could tell by her face, this threw her off. She hesitantly explained, “Oh ummm maybe there is something that may come up, around 8.”

I asked may I make a reservation for that time, she says yes and grabs a 1980’s yellow lined note pad to “jot” my name and phone number down. She then says….wait for it 😁……”I will call you IF something becomes available at that time.”

I said ok, we left and I called the restaurant using a different name and phone number. I was able to make a reservation with no problem for 8:30.

Needless to say we opted to not patronize Luigi’s now nor in the future. It was a very weird and disappointing exchange. We live in Orlando, home of Mickey Mouse…5 STAR service everywhere and a very tolerant and welcoming environment to all people.

If you are “of color” and decide to try this restaurant out…be sure to make a reservation and hope they will allow you to be seated. You would think in 2023….no one would walk into an establishment and feel like they are blasted back into the racist 1950’s era.

Happy New Year and I hope this review prevents others from being slightly embarrassed the way I felt when my family and I were turned away from the...

The wife and I while in Ft Lauderdale decided to go to Las Olas for a nice dinner at an Italian place. We chose Luigi's Tuscan Grill based on reviews posted on line. I tried making reservation on line but had no luck because for some reason on line there were "no tables available between 6 PM and 11 PM", so I tried calling and was able to book a table for 6:30 PM by the canal. When I arrived, a little after 6, we were sited right away, the canal areas was empty. What a disappointment all the way around on all our choices that evening. The canal area was nothing to brag about, it seemed antiquated and it felt dirty. The waiter was more interested in selling us an expensive bottle of wine rather that explaining the various entrees we were considering, or making us feel welcome. After taking our orders he spent the majority of his time taking to the other staff members rather that checking on us, not that the place was not so busy, I only noticed two other tables with customers in the canal area during our entire time there We finally settled on Spaghetti Puttanesca for me, and Veal Scaloppini Marsala for the wife. Both dishes were a negative experience. My spaghetti was so loaded with sauce in a way I had never experienced, and the anchovies so salty that I could not eat any. My wife's veal was also so loaded with sauce that it obscured the veal, which had a rare texture. She did not finish the meal. The highlight of the evening was the bread, it was very tasty, we asked for an additional portion. Needless to say, I would not dine...