Fuoco Italian cuisine — Restaurant in Midland

First of all, let me start by saying that I am very excited to have a new Italian restaurant in Midland. The service was good, but seemed like they were a little short staffed. I think with some refinement Fuoco could be go to establishment. However, it really needs a boost in atmosphere. They do seem to be actively remodeling; but at the moment, it seems very stale which was a problem the former restaurant that occupied this space suffered from. The lighting needed to be warmer and more dim. This is definitely not somewhere I would like to take a date.

The food was a very mixed bag. I definitely think with some tweaking it could be way better. The pasta was very watery and lack luster. One person in my party’s food was way too salty and another’s pasta had a burnt/scorched flavor. You should always have a expeditor QC the food before it hits the floor.

Now it’s not all bad…… The marinara had a unique and brilliant flavor. It was a bit watery and could probably use a longer cook, however it is unique and stands out among a crowded field. The pizza was made very well; light with a good crisp and good flavor. The only lacking quality of the pizza was the mozzarella. I believe a higher quality mozzarella would elevate this pizza to one of the best in town. The calamari, while somewhat bland in flavor, paired very well with the marinara and fresh squeezed lemons. Also sporting a crispy and not too chewy texture.

I don’t want to see another restaurant close in Midland. I want to see Fuoco thrive and succeed, and they’ve got a great foundation...

Went there around 6:45 pm on Father's Day. Only saw two staff members working. One girl who looked like she was in high school with long dark hair, and one slightly older girl with lighter hair. Walked through the rear entrance to the front ... there was a huge pool of water on the floor near the rear entrance and the floors desperately needed to be swept. Debris everywhere. Tables left with plates all over them. We got to the front and waited, and waited, and waited. There was no concierge stand or even menus to look at while we waited. It seemed very lackluster and disorganized. When the high school girl got to us, she didn't say hello, she didn't say sorry for the wait, no smile, she just asked how many and walked off. She made us feel like we were an imposition rather than welcome patrons. We waited some more. After a while, we just left. We then proceeded to go to Ray's. We went to Fuoco because we had never been there before and we like to try new places. We'll never go back. The staff was terrible and the restaurant was dirty. It also probably violated safety codes by leaving such a large pool of water on the concrete floor without a yellow safety warning stand. I blame the staff for their poor attitudes, but I also blame management for being so cheap that they don't have more people working. Those girls were obviously unable to handle the workload. I cannot believe that this place has 4.6 stars. I'd give them a...

This place is absolutely amazing.

The customer service was 10/10, the waitress took their time to explain what each order was, incredibly patient since this was my first time coming there; and was able to provided excellent recommendations and service.

The food is pretty good; I can't lie.

I got the calzone with pepperoni, and I did not expect the portion is be huge. Incredibly flavorful, the bread tastes homemade, amazing crust and was great over all.

Then I got the Rigatoni Special; this dish is absolutely amazing. The creamyness of the sauce, the flavor, how well everything blended with eachother was so balanced, it left me wanting more. The meatballs were very tender, juicy, and large, HOWEVER, in my opinion it was over seasoned. It was mostly spices that overpowered it and I didn't really like that.

The complimentary bread was also good; very soft, yet also had a oven baked hardness on the top, great flavor, but I did have a little trouble tearing the bread and eating it, but that's due to me having braces.

The price for these items in my opinion are priced correctly; the portion sizes are huge, they don't cut corners, at least for the food, and the service is amazing.

Would I come...