Acqua Ragazza — Restaurant in Mooresville

We just returned from dinner at Aqua Ragazza and couldn't be more satisfied. Although they're new, they appear to have become quite popular because 5pm and 5:15 pm were the only tables available on a Wed evening, so we went at 5:15.

After a brief issue with being seated at a table that we didn't like, we asked for a change and they readily accommodated us. In fact we were approached by the person who we later learned was the owner, Tara, because she wanted to understand what we didn't like about the first table and to ensure we were happy with the change, which we were.

From the quick recovery, to very responsive service from Carina, and fantastic food from appetizers all the way to desserts, all our expectations were far exceeded. We ordered Negroni cocktails to start which were perfect. I liked that they did 2 large ice cubes and not a glassful of regular ice which always dilutes the drink too quickly. The meatball appetizer, as recommended by Carina, tasted great and had just the right texture. For main courses, our table had veal marsala and a mushroom tagliatelle, where the pasta was obviously made in house and both were fantastic. We also had sides of roasted potatoes and sautéed polenta -- a delicious item you don't typically see offered. A strong wine list complemented the food and we had a bottle of red blend from Maremma/Tuscany which was ideal for the food. We ended by sharing the ricotta cheesecake with a dark berry sauce which was a lovely ending to a fantastic meal (although we couldn't finish it!)

The few negative comments I've seen online were either (1) portion size (We couldn't finish any course except for the meatballs so I don't know how anyone would expect to be served more food) and (2) service, and I acknowledge that the service team is new and the owner is working with them to refine the overall experience. She is definitely paying attention to the details. To me, nothing was bad, the one slip up was quickly and graciously recovered, and it's what I would expect from a new restaurant finding its footing.

But the main attraction is the food, and everything we had was very well done. The leadership in the kitchen obviously has experience and knows what they're doing . And not only was the food attractively presented—it was hot and obviously fresh. We'll return because we enjoyed meeting the owner, believe she'll be successful, and most importantly, there are a lot of other great sounding items we'd like to try on the menu. Make a reservation and check this place out! It deserves to...

This is what downtown Mooresville has been missing to elevate the area. In my opinion we needed something in between casual and fine dining, with a trendy atmosphere, that seemed to welcome a more young progressional type of crowd. This seemed to hit the nail on the head for us! The place was decorated beautifully with such thought. You can tell a lot of time went into planning the tiny details (like the matte black silverware, cast iron plating, gold trims, and sophisticated color pallet). We tried to order a bit of everything just to try it all! Starting with a meat and cheese board, meatballs, and fresh bread. I would recommend if you order the meat and cheese board, order bread with it. We had a hard time finishing because we were a little confused on how to eat it, especially the soft cheeses. It’s just not your typical charcuterie setup — still very much delicious though, and high quality! The meatballs… chefs kiss* DELICIOUS. The portions felt bigger than small plate but not overwhelming that dinner was a waste. There was enough to share which I felt is also a plus! The lasagna was fresh and hardy, great portions and served hot with bubbly cheese (I may be drooling typing this). The noodles were fresh, the sauces were creamy and not overpowering, the ingredients were of the highest quality and you could tell. Everyone loved their pasta dishes. The pizzas were great size, especially for the price. Bigger than personal, so perfect to split. The dessert menu had great options! But tiramisu is always my go to. Didn’t disappoint! The fresh cream it’s plated with really tops everything off. We can’t wait to go back and try their full menu. Total our side of the bill was $204 —plus a $45 tip. (Multiple bar drinks, wine, sparkling waters, meat & cheese, meatballs, lasagna, creamy pasta with ham, margarita pizza, chocolate cake, tiramisu and a cheesecake Togo)

Also the staff… Wow. They were so attentive. The owner stopped by to introduce herself and checked on each table individually, which I personally feel like is ALWAYS a great first impression. We never felt rushed, even though I think we stayed a little late — the bar is also FANTASTIC! I don’t think my glass was ever empty (which I’m a huge fan of). The staff was knowledgeable and welcoming and various crew members from the night stopped by to thank us for coming to dinner. We felt so appreciated and at the end of the night we felt great about spending our money there. We can’t wait to spend more and we can’t wait to try...

I've been debating if I should leave a review, but decided to thinking that it may help someone decide to dine here. I won't be returning to Acqua Ragazza anytime soon. In summary (see detail below), the food was average, the wait staff was ok, it was very slow, and it was to loud.

Our reservation was at 6:30 on Friday night for 7 people. We were seated promptly and the waitress was prompt on getting drink orders. We realized right away that the background noise in the dining area was very loud. At our table of 7, we were not able to carry a conversation. It ended up that each end of the table were having their own conversation. After receiving drinks for the table, we placed our order for 4 appetizers. They came out promptly as would be expected. 3 of the appetizers were quite good. However, the $23 pizza was undercooked. The waitress did not return until all the rest of the appetizers were done and the pizza only had a few bits out of it. We informed them that it was undercooked and was told "I'll let the kitchen know". There was nothing else done about it. We proceeded to place our entree orders. While the food was being cooked, we had to flag down our waitress a few times to get refills of water and new drinks. After approximately 45 minutes, we asked out waitress if the food would be out soon. We got the standard "it will be coming out in a just a minute". Just under an hour from when we had ordered, the food started to come out. Unfortunately, the food came out over the span of approximately 5 minutes. We all proceeded to eat out entrees. I would call them average. The clams were overcooked and loaded with salt. The special pork chop was dry, the pasta was overcooked, etc... Under normal circumstances, some would have sent them back. However, we were very hungry, frustrated, and annoyed at this point so we just ate what we could so we could leave. We ended up leaving at 8:50.

When the bills were all split up, my wife and I ended up spending just under $200 with tax and tip for 2 people (and one person didn't have any drinks). It doesn't really bother us to spend that kind of money for dinner, but the overall experience was not worth it. Maybe it was due to only being open for a couple of months, but we were not pleased for that price...