Iozzo's Garden of Italy — Restaurant in Indianapolis

OMGoodness! This little spot is definitely a hidden gem in Indianapolis. (Nevermind the Tik Tok reviews 🙄) As we entered this quaint little place the atmosphere was definitely a vibe as we were greeted to a small but nostalgic dining room with giant photos on the walls of The Familly. (Iozzo) Which seemed to include everything from mobsters to chefs. Oh before I get too far, let me apologize for not having more photos. It’s so small and intimate I didn’t want to encroach on the privacy of the customers as it was, and normally is, a fully seated venue. We called ten minutes before arriving and was able to get a “Table top” which is considered the bar/lounge area. After being seated we decided to just move to the bar cause we felt so cramped and in the way. Turns out we met the most charismatic bartender ever, named “Phil”. Shout out to “Phil” who made our experience even more fabulous as the night advanced. He definitely knew his wines and even offered suggestions as to which wines would go with their classic and recommended entrees.

We started with the Basil cheese garlic bread which just melted in your mouth as all the flavors complemented each other and the pomodoro sauce was icing on the cake, so to speak! Then the market salad, which was a unique blend of fanciful flavors that danced across the palette. The Lasagna Bolognese had an interesting flavor that I couldn’t quite pin point, but I’m imagining that the 5 cheeses blend had something to do with the extravagant flavor of this popular dish. And the classical Chicken Parm was on point as well.

All in all, this was a semi magical experience that you’re not gonna expect from a place this small and tucked away in the middle of a city construction project. Iozzo’s is a MUST for your favorite Italian cuisine!

Cómo siempre, “Salud y...

I have been here multiple times. I love authentic Italian food, and this place might be the best in town for this. While the prices are high, the food quality and service always meet the standard set by the menu price. Additionally, the prices aren't as pretentiously high as some of the other fine dining spots in the area.

Me and my wife don't get out much since we have a son under a year old. Therefore, I can't afford to leave too many variables up to chance when planning our dates. Hence, why I picked a familiar favorite, Iozzo's. However, this highly controlled plan was quickly thrown off course when I arrived to find the massive lot directly outside the restaurant and the street parking outside completely full with event parking.

After parking (illegally) as close as I could to the restaurant in an attempt to frantically make our reservation, I inquired with my server whether the restaurant reserves any parking for their guests on nights like this. She said they don't have any spots despite their lease also including the lot. She tried to make it sound like something completely out of their control, which can't be true if they lease it. Call me a cynic, but I suspect that the restaurant believes selling their spots for an additional $30 a pop is a better business decision than ensuring their guest have somewhere to park.

The fact that this restaurant has its own lot directly outside is the only reason I chose this restaurant for our date. While I love the food, service, and atmosphere; I don't believe I will be going back. There are events in Indy almost daily and running the risk of getting ticketed, towed, or paying an additional $20 - $50 for parking, on top of my ~$150 bill and 20% tip is not worth any restaurant experience...

My wife and I had an overall terrible experience here last night for my birthday. 😢 After we were set, the waiter took our drink orders, then forgot about us. 20 minutes later I flagged him down to ask if we could order our food. The calamari was average at best, the rosemary bread was cold and borderline stale, my Italian wedding soup just tasted like water with carrots, meatballs, and raw spinach leaves (no salt in the broth), and my wife’s minestrone soup was extra super sweet. They offered to get me a salad or something but I said no, and yet they still upcharged me for the soup I didn’t eat. The fettuccini Alfredo was not very good… heck Olive Garden is better. My wife got a strip steak (medium-well… do those pics look medium well?!) with creamed corn and mushrooms. Her mushrooms were super super salty, and her steak did not taste fresh to me- I had to spit it out. Our drinks sat empty most of the evening. When the manager came by after our soups to ask if I wanted something else, I told her that we would like refills on our drinks, and that we really hadn’t seen our waiter much at all. She said, “yeah, I noticed…” She let me pick out a dessert for my birthday, but yeah, still charged us the up-charge for the water-broth soup I didn’t eat. The food and service were both terrible all night. I give this place 1/5 stars because the food and the service were both terrible, and the ambiance was also not good due to the obnoxious loud drunk people sitting behind us. However, the birthday dessert (tiramisu cheesecake) was pretty good and at least they comped that after everything else being...