Colletti's Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Harlingen

This was my first time to this restaurant. It was lunch time and there were two of us arriving at 11:20. We both started with tall glasses of ice tea and cups of soup. The tea was good; however, it is served in very tall and heavy glasses and unfortunately this restaurant does not supply straws. They had to decided to follow the no-plastic national trend and ban plastic straws. The problem with this practice is they did not provide paper straws as an alternative. Not good. With the ice the glass was so cold, and so tall and heavy it made it difficult for myself, a senior citizen, to pick up the glass. The soups were flavorable, but not served hot. I personally like soup that is hotter than what was served. I was disappointed that the cup of soups are not served with any bread, crackers, or croutons. The waitress told us those perks are only for patrons who order a bowl of soup. She had to ask the kitchen staff to provide us with a small plate of toastinis since there were two of ordering soup. The entres were good. My friend had the bacon wrapped shrimp with pasta alfedo. I had a steak sandwich which was a special offering as I was informed that it is not offered on the printed menu. The ambience of this restaurant is well above average compared to other establishments in Harlingen. We stayed long enough to see the restaurant accommodate a decent lunch crowd. After I paid the waitress I informed her that had given me too much change. She told me it was the restaurant's policy to round up or down the cost to the nearest dollar. I promptly gave her the proper loose change for the balance and a very healthy tip. The service had been superb. I do not agree with their policy to round up or down the total cost. This is quite common in Mexico, but that is because the Peso currently worth about five cents in the United States. It is rare to ever see coins less than a peso. For a business in the US to round off I believe is rude. First, if you round down it does not say automatically that the restaurant is being kind, but tells me that your food, drinks, and services were overpriced to start with. Secondly, rounding up is actually theft. It is what Americans call "gouging." You are swindling money out of customers for products and services not rendered. Some people may think that it would average out, but that is true only after a person makes numerous return trips to the establishment. Frankly, the first time an establishment swindles money out of me would be the last time as I would...

This was our first visit. We stopped by far early Saturday evening dinner. I was very hungry, which may influence my review.

This spot cannot be judged by the exterior. It's an older building, but the interior is spectacular. It's clean, spacious and inviting.

The hostess had us to our table within minute of arriving and zero wait. The tables are cozy. Luckily, they weren't too busy at the time with plenty of seating options.

Our server didn't keep us waiting long and took our drink order. We opted not to do an appetizer and save room for dessert instead.

Shortly after, she returned with our drinks and to take our dinner order. She was polite and professional but not overly friendly or suggestive of options as first timers. Nonetheless, we decided quickly.

Our wait for our entrees was no more than 15-20 minutes. Our plates arrived to order, presented well and cooked perfectly.

I had the Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. The pasta was high quality, the Alfredo was creamy and delicious. The chicken was tender and seasoned well. My only disappointment is that it seemed more of a lunch portion. I also had a glass of the house 🍷 Merlot and it was yummy.

My son had the Mediterranean Chicken and loved it. We both devoured every last bite.

After clearing out entree dishes, we shared a serving of their amazing Tiramisu. This was the highlight. It was perfect in texture and taste. I highly recommend.

I would gladly drop by again when in the...

We would be regulars because the food is amazing! It's beautiful and you can tell the owner loves the place. We expect the wait times for the food but we can sit there for up to 10 minutes just for someone to get your drink order (it happens so often, we just went ahead timed it). What's worse is that you can see staff standing in the hallway conversing, and yet you can't even get a glass of water. The first time we went we thought, oh well it's kind of busy; couldn't see our waiter anywhere on the floor and when we asked a passing waiter for drinks, they said it wasn't their table but that they would tell our waiter... Then our waiter came and asked us again, it just seemed petty. The second time, we took the family and everyone in our party of 7 commented on how the waitress just disappeared so you can't even wave for help. The third time we went we sincerely wondered if this was one of those theme restaurants where the staff is rude... Like for fun. This last time we went we were seated and felt forgotten. By the time the waitress came we had our drinks and meals ready to order. Not once did she come by to ask how everything was even though she passed by us several times. What I did notice was that they are very quick to clear empty plates and cups. We're patient people, and the food is incredible. I didn't know if it is worth the terrible service. We'll hope they read this and when we go back to have a...