Taste of Italy — Restaurant in Fort Worth

Service: 2 - 3 star Food: 2 - 5 star Pricing: 3 star Overall: 1 star

Why 1 star? They only have fresh jalapenos, which for someone who grew up with traditional pickled jalapenos, are disgusting. I will not rate any restaurant that chooses to carry fresh jalapenos, particularly ONLY fresh jalapenos, more than 1 star.

Food: Their food dishes are some of the best Italian you will find in the area (if you exclude Dallas, which has better places with nicer staff). Their signature dish, which lets you sample 3 varieties (Lasagna, Eggplant, Chicken and 1/2 Fettucini Alfredo), is full of flavor and a reason in itself to go here.

On the other hand, when you order a pizza, your luck will vary -- it might be made fresh, or it might be a reheated pizza that was sitting out for too long, in which case the texture and taste make it easy to distinguish them. Unfortunately, the last time I ordered pizza here, it was the latter, so I can no longer praise their pizza, nor rely on them as a source for pizza (for other reasons also, mentioned below). Everyone who tried it said it wasn't that good. It's surprising, as when I ordered their pizza in the past, it was always very good. The drive to Mr Jims, Nizza, and other places doesn't seem as far, now.

To Go:

They don't put your name with your order, so if you forget the number they give you (because who's in the habit of remembering an order id?) you may receive condescending looks while they attempt to find your food.

Service:

Some of their staff are nice and courteous, but enough of them aren't that it's often apparent when you're there. They tend toward acting mildly brusque in dealing with you, the customer. You may receive some looks, or a sense of attitude that you're something of a mild inconvenience.

Nizza's owners also tend to be a little brusque, but there's a hint of friendliness and appreciation of your being there. You don't get such a positive vibe from Taste of Italy's staff, or at least not from many, if not most of them.

Pricing:

The cost of a meal is average for this type of establishment (gourmet Italian with pizza). In fact, it seems the manager believes them to be located near the downtown area of some major city, with how some of their items are priced.

$3.00 for a pizza topping, and if you order a half topping (half of the pie), it's... oh wait, the manager doesn't care, it's still $3.00. Probably the biggest thing that irked me the last time I went there. No other pizza joint I've been to charges full price for half toppings, and topping prices seem to be assuming you're always ordering a giant size (18") pizza. Check Rocco's in Dallas -- 1.50 per topping, half that if you order a half, and 3.00 for 18" toppings. Reasonable. Normal. Sane. You won't find that at Taste of Italy.

In conclusion, they are worth checking out for some great Italian cuisine, but they fall short in too many other ways -- most linked to poor management -- that it doesn't surprise me that this place failed once before.

Solely for offering only fresh jalapenos, I hope...

Worst restaurant experience I’ve Ever Ever had in my almost 45 years of life. Worst and most unprofessional staff you will ever come across in Saginaw I promise. I give this place 6-8mths tops before the doors closed based on the unkept signs and building facility. Do Not Do Not waste your time or money here…. Read Below.. Rude Rude Rude People no one who works there seems happy and it shows so here we go

So I came in with high hopes for this restaurant and when I first arrived it seemed like your typical whole in a wall restaurant which I love. As we walked in the staff barely greeted us like we were disturbing their evening. The waitress brought us to the table but was very cold instead of warm and welcoming like you expect from an Italian family type restaurant. Of course you gotta get a salad so I did but I asked for croutons and 20 min later I had to go to the kitchen myself and get them. Then our food comes out I got the saltiest not just lasagna but the salty saltiest food I’ve ever had in my life. I couldn’t even eat it and I was starving but the major fumble was then I had to ask for bread that’s supposed to come with the meal that would never happen at Olive Garden I mean this place can’t even give you the bare minimum on customer service. Now the next part is the kicker now keep in mind I still paid for my meal obviously everyone from ownership to management to staff does not care and doesnt carry that true Italian passion you get from other Italian restaurants. And as we left the staff said thanks for the 1 star review my reply “you welcome and you get what you deserve” then an argument insued… Do Not Do Not waste your money or time here they already got my donation hope it helps them make improvements because based on all these reviews the people of Saginaw deserve better than this much better than this. Don’t Support this Place until they are willing to listen to the people and...

Nasty & Disgusting is all I can say! Went for lunch on 9/6/2015 at Taste of Italy off Boat Club Road. The hostess went to seat me at a table right by the front door and there were three flies on the table. I asked if I could move to a table at the back of the restaurant to get away from the flies and the front door (giving them the benefit of the doubt since the table was right by the front door, and it is summer time). She agreed, but didn't even seem to be embarrassed or apologetic about the fly situation.

I ordered a tea, side salad (not bad) and manicotti. I (unfortunately) ate my salad, and while waiting for my manicotti, I noticed that my Parmesan shaker was empty, so I asked my waiter for some Parmesan for my lunch, he took my empty shaker, went to the kitchen, and brought me a new one. As I was looking at it, I saw something black in it. I shook it around, but couldn't tell what it was. I unscrewed the lid and realized it was a dead fly in the Parmesan shaker! Now my stomach is starting to turn. I start to look around the restaurant, and notice there are flies EVERYWHERE! Literally! There must have been 20 to 30 flies buzzing around the restaurant.

So I get up to leave and, being the too polite person that I am, pay for my meal that I'm not going to eat, I go up to the front to check out. I notice as I wait for them to ring me out, that the complimentary bread that comes with your meal is laid out on the kitchen prep counter with flies buzzing all around it. I get you have to prep meals, and that that means out on a counter, but the majority of restaurants do not have a pest problem. It was sickening! DO NOT GO THERE!

I cannot believe they pass inspection from the FDA. I get it's summer, and every restaurant has a fly or fruit gnat every once in a while, but it's typically 1 or 2, not 25! Eat at your...