Ciao Ragazzi Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Lake Township

Walked in on a Saturday night about 7:30 with no reservations. [I called previously and was told we didn't need to make one, unless we had a larger party.] Our waiter immediately started speaking Spanish to us (we are not), and looked confused when I ordered in English. We ordered the meatballs for appetizer, which were amazing, but a bit spicy. We tried the Chicken Picatta, which came with mashed potatoes (weird, but I changed to angel hair pasta) and it was very good but a bit too much lemon (think Grecian style). We also ordered the Chicken Marsala (also came with mashed potatoes) which had only had tiny bits of mushroom :( For dessert we tried the Creme Brulee, which was decent, but would skip (too thin and burnt sugar). We also had 2 glasses of wine each (house Cab and Moscato). Our bill was about $150 with tip. The most upsetting thing was the server asked us to move (while we were eating dessert) to the bar because they had a party of 6 that was coming in. I politely refused and they tried to offer me shots--which was also refused. There were about 6 other empty tables at this time as well.

I also absolutely disagree that this pasta was homemade or near authentic in anyway. It is a nice little neighborhood restaurant, with a parking lot next to it, (empty gravel lot--no signs). Also, if you are handicapped- it is a bit adventurous to walk up the ramp outside and on the inside. The restaurant was very clean. For a small intimate dining experience, the music was relatively loud for a Saturday night.

Overall, I would skip this place, as there are much better options such as La Scarola on Grand or Ignotz on 24th Oakley--which are definitely authentic and...

The food was a hit and miss for some of us. We were a party of 5, and got seated quickly. We’ll go there again to try other dishes and see how their dessert menu turns out.

Dinner came out a little more than expected since we each got a drink and spent money on appetizers and sides.

*Drinks: They had a great drink selection and offered non-alcoholic beers and virgin cocktails. *Service: The service was great, server was super attentive and patient. *Ambiance: Nice and chill, they also had outdoor seating. *Parking: They have parking and it was nice and easy! *Portion size: Big, some of us had to take leftovers home.

We got the following: *Friend calamari & Shrimp: The calamari was nice, crispy and soft. Shrimp was slightly over cooked. Dipping sauce were good. *Mussels: Good sauce but slightly over cooked. *Brussels sprouts: Nice and crispy, but the Hawaiian sauce was a little too sweet for some of us. One of us liked it and finished the whole dish. *Linguini Vongole: Good dish, sauce was nice and light, clams were cooked well, and pasta was al dente. *Veal parmigian: Ok dish, nothing special. *Fettuccini Alfredo: Friend A liked it and couldn’t stop eating even though they were full. *Side of spinach: Finally found a place that doesn’t over cook its spinach, and is nicely seasoned. *Lasagna: Friend B liked it and kept eating even though they were full. *Lamb chops: Friend C liked it. The Lamb chops were cooked and season well. Sides were...

This restaurant has become one of my husband's and my favorite restaurants nearby. My close friend also often goes to this restaurant and brings other relatives and friends. I have recommended this restaurant to people I know. The food is delicious. Unfortunately, Friday early evening my friend and I had a bad experience. The young man seating people was rude. He asked if I had a reservation, proceeded to shake his head and make a face at the computer screen, and said he could seat us, but we should make a reservation at the weekend because it was very busy. Ok, but it was 5:30 in the evening. We didn't know we needed a reservation so early and we were never told that before. In the dining area, the whole time we were there, until about 7pm, only 2 other tables were occupied. Other people were at the bar and patio area, but it was not at capacity at that hour by any means. I felt unwelcome. Honestly, we wished we had just walked out and gone to another restaurant. I was very surprised, as all the other servers are very professional and polite. It is a shame, but I don't know if I will be returning. I still gave a good review because this is the first bad experience of many times. Maybe the more experienced employees should talk to the younger employees about how to...