Testa Rossa Italian Ristorante — Restaurant in Grand Rapids

I reached out on the 18th, which was my anniversary with my husband, after having a terrible dinner service at this place just letting the owner know that our service was less than desirable and nearly ruined our anniversary and never received a response back. Email I used for the feedback form is different from the one I'm posting this review on. This is unacceptable management, our service we received was absolutely atrocious (the servers excuse for why we were not receiving service or even being acknowledged for the first 20 minutes of being sat down was because of miscommunication yet there were plenty of servers walking past us who could see that we had not been served yet) and the food that my husband got for the price point was absolute robbery and he only ate it all because he paid for it, even though I encouraged him he is not the type of person to send food back and have it fixed. The bread that was served to us was absolutely stale and had them Saturday the end of day scraps. Totally insulting for the price of everything and the experience that we had. You might as well just spat in our food and call it a deal.

I work in food service myself, I work in a kitchen and while I obviously do not expect special treatment I do expect the standard for food service in this city to be consistent considering Grand Rapids wants to call itself restaurant city.

What kind of place gives you water AFTER your cocktails that took 20 minutes to get out to you? When I spoke to my coworkers at the restaurant I worked at they even said that's absurd, I don't know if the server was nervous because my husband is black and he was the only non-white person in the dining area we were sat, which let me tell you what a terrible floor design and the way that they sat us it forced us across from each other to where we could barely hear each other due to the loudness of the dining area the big parties that were there for the live music, another issue that we had because servers were more attentive to the bigger parties than they were to those of us who were just sat. We also had to deal with people walking right past our table almost rubbing their crotches against us because there was not enough space for people to walk through without getting into our personal space.

Again this was for our six year anniversary and I was really looking forward to checking this place out since we live in the area and it's hard to find places open on Sundays and that's when our anniversary fell on. I should have said something to the server but I could tell that she was nervous but also not really invested in doing her job so I don't know what difference it would've made to demand that something from our bill be comped because $71 for two pasta dishes And two cocktails that were poorly done is just absolute robbery. I couldn't even tell you our server name because I don't think she gave it to us, but she was a pale blonde haired girl who looked like she was a deer in the headlights most of the time when speaking to us. There was a server with curly almost burgundy colored hair and really cool earrings and Glasses who noticed that we weren't being helped in I wish that she had been in our server instead because again she was the only one who noticed that we hadn't been served yet and I was sitting there waiting to order because quite frankly I already knew what I wanted to order before we even got there since I took a look at the menu online.

I have attached a picture of what was left on my plate when we got our bill, as you can see I touched barely half of it.

UPDATE 6/22: almost a month after I submitted feedback and reported how disappointed I was in our experience I finally got a response back from the manager who offered a gift card to give them a second chance. Absolutely not, I want a refund, I don't want to have your food at this establishment or any other establishment related as I have had family members be treated poorly and have terrible food at the uncle cheetahs establishment. A gift card will not make up for terrible food...

Testa Rossa is a real gem on Wealthy Street, bringing that authentic Italian vibe right to the heart of the Midwest. From the moment we walked in, it was clear that this place is something special. The ambiance is beautiful, with a warm and inviting atmosphere that makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a cozy Italian trattoria.

We went there for dinner, and even though we arrived a bit later in the evening, the service didn’t miss a beat. The staff was friendly, attentive, and quick to get us settled in, which was much appreciated.

We started off with some fantastic appetizers—fried octopus and pizza bread knots. The octopus was perfectly cooked, tender with a nice crispy finish, and the pizza bread knots were a hit—warm, fresh, and loaded with flavor.

For the main course, we went big with two large pizzas. One was a classic meatball pizza, and the other was a unique white sauce and potato pizza. Both were excellent. The ingredients were fresh, and you could tell the pizzas were made with care. The meatball pizza was hearty and satisfying, while the white sauce and potato pizza offered a nice, creamy twist that was surprisingly good.

The portions were generous, so much so that we ended up taking a good portion of it home. And let me tell you, it was just as delicious the next day—always a sign of quality.

Overall, Testa Rossa is an awesome spot. The combination of great food, a welcoming atmosphere, and top-notch service makes it a place we’re definitely looking forward to visiting again. Whether you’re in the mood for a full dinner or just want to enjoy some good Italian food, Testa Rossa has got you covered. It’s a solid 5-star experience, and we can’t wait to go back...

After hearing the raves from trusted friends, we finally made the trek to Testa Rossa - and it did not disappoint.

Full disclosure: I grew up in the Northeast, traveled to Italy and when it comes to Italian food, I am downright very picky.

First off, the décor and layout looked smart, elegant, comfortable, unpretentious and interesting. Each room has its own character and charm; even the hallways come alive with portraits and bold colors.

Okay, the food.... My husband and I shared a calamari app done to near perfection. Lightly breaded big pieces - not the usual boring rings - presented nicely with a remoulade and grilled lemon.

The Caesar salad accompanying our entrees were perfectly coated and not drowned in a cloying glob of bad dressing. And it really was a terrific course!

My husband loved his Chicken Marsala while I was in heaven with my Veal Scaloppini. Testa Rossa does these two dishes right.

The wine list was wonderfully varied and rather impressive. They showcase a great selection of both whites & reds; whilst possibly limited to some fussy diners, a wine list need not be five inches thick. These people get to the point.

Though tempted, we skipped dessert. Next time. And there WILL be a next time. Cannot we not praise or recommend Testa Rossa more?

Also, special shout out to Parker, our mixologist. My husband - who's quite fussy with his Martinis - very much enjoyed his cocktail. I simply stuck with the sublime and full bodied Nero d'Avola.

Trish and Jolaina [sic] are running a top notch establishment and many of you would be the poorer in not...