Fraschetta BYOB — Restaurant in Lower Merion Township

We had an extremely disappointing experience at Fraschetta last night. It had been a few years since we had been to the restaurant, and we understand it’s under new ownership. Unfortunately, despite the fact that the food continues to be good, we may never return to the restaurant. We made a reservation on OpenTable for 8:30pm. We arrived at 8:35 and waited for about 5min for the table to be ready. Within 10min of sitting down, the wait staff approached our table and told us that we had to put an order in within the next 5min because the kitchen was closing. We took that in stride and provided our order. Dinner came and we were enjoying our meal with friends. After the main course, we ordered dessert and proceeded to linger over dinner the way any patron would in any restaurant. There were three full tables on the second floor including ours at that time. At roughly 10:20 the restaurant threw all the overhead lights on to make it known they wanted us all out of there. In all my years of dining, I have never had a restaurant chase its customers out in that manner. Every patron on the second floor looked at one another in disbelief. It felt like we were being chased out of a fraternity party. We decided to ignore the rude signal and continue our meal and conversation. Shortly thereafter, one of the restaurant employees approached our table and asked us to wrap our dinner up because they were closing. This was less than 2hrs after we arrived. Under no circumstances should a restaurant offer an 8:30pm reservation in a fine dining establishment if they aren’t comfortable with the patrons being there for two hours. It truly was one of the weirdest restaurant experiences...

This place is the epitome of a perfectly executed dining experience. From the time you walk in, the attention to detail is impeccable. The ambiance was so lovely - dim, romantic lighting, with just enough spotlights to enhance the food and table tops. The service was 10/10. From the moment we arrived, the staff was attentive, knowledgeable, and extremely professional. The owner, Phuong is incredibly sweet and walked us through the menu with detailed recommendations. Water glasses were never empty, and the pacing of the meal was spot on- not rushed, but also never a long wait between courses. The food was PHENOMENAL. The pappardelle with forest truffle mushrooms was creamy, rich, and perfectly balanced. The pork tenderloin stuffed w/ prosciutto was PERFECTION and packed with flavor. It was paired with garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed greens which were excellent compliments to the pork. The crab and corn fritters served over whipped lemon ricotta was a religious experience and a must-try. Fraschetta’s exceeded my expectations in every way. It’s the perfect setting for a romantic dinner, a celebratory dinner, or even a casual girls night out. The true definition of what a restaurant should be, from...

We came to Fraschetta for a date night, and had a good experience. The staff was very friendly, knowledgable, and entertaining. Honestly, they were the highlight of the night. (5/5) The food ranged from okay to good. Starting with the Polpette, this was okay. The meat was pretty dry; which would have been less of an issue if there was slightly more sauce on it. I had the Pappardelle Bolognese, which was good albeit with noodles that were a bit too soft. (3/5) My wife had the pork loin and we both enjoyed it. It wasn't otherworldly but it hit the spot. (4/5) We split the Tiramisu which was phenomenal and would highly recommend. (5/5) The ambiance is also pretty good, slightly rustic but I really appreciate that the noise level was at a point where I could easily hear my wife but not the other patrons. The exposed kitchen area took a bit away from the moment though. (4/5)

All things considered, we had a good experience. Because of the staff (Nick and Devin), we are very likely to be back and are excited to try the other items on the menu. I highly recommend this place for a casual...