Arturo Joe's — Restaurant in Narragansett

Lisa Richmond Arturo Joe's 5/7/18

One could make a meal out of appetizers alone. Bread baskets with roasted garlic and olive oil was available immediately upon our seating. Katie was our server and she was very attentive and informative. Several of our fellow diners orderd and shared with the group Gorgonzola Bread (house-made focaccia bread stacked, then covered with gorgonzola cheese, a touch of cream, garlic, and Italian herbs), Fig Mascarpone Phyllo Purses (balsamic vinegar cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, scallions, hints of garlic, tarragon, and dill, finished with a balsamic reduction) and 3 out of the 5 choices of calamri dishes Calamari Giovanni, Traditional Calamari and Calamari Balsamic all were delicious, well presented and enjoyed by all. My main course was Fettuccine Carbonara which I ordered with penne sauteed with prosciutto, bacon, mushrooms, and peas in a creamy alfredo sauce. The presentation was wonderful and the dish delightful. Sonny's main course was Seafood Nicola which consisted of gulf shrimp, scollops, clams, squid, mussels, white fish sauteed in a spicy red clam sauce served over fettuccine. He was very happy with his meal and was able to take some home after tasting all the appitizers he was unable to finish his dinner. The atmosphere was clean and boasted many local photos of our wonderful ocean for which we are famous for. I expected a nightmare when our bills came out by the way our ordereds were taken however much to my delight Katie was able keep track of everyone's without taking the orders per couple. We give Arturo Joe's a rate of 4.5 and will...

The food was...Fair, not horrible but not as good as years past. I was expecting fresh made pasta instead i get a, it reminded me of Barilla. I order the chicken parmingiana (sp?) It was an okay-minus. The sauce was thick and bland, the mozzarella tasted like super market pre-packaged a bit salty. I found it odd that the chicken was served on a separate plate than the pasta which incidentally , the pasta was a bit small, portion-wise. My wife had the lobster ravioli and she didn't care for it. The Giovanni calamari was a bit heavy and slightly over cooked. The bread was good, warm, tasty. Olive oil could've used some rosemary. Overall the service was fair a bit detached or semi unattentive. My drink(water) wasn't refilled for a little while, almost near the end of our meal. If I had to describe the food...it tasted like job and not a creation or something that someone would have been proud to serve....its like a, "yeah, I did it"meh versus, "Yes! I made that for you!" Not a bad place just seemed like a tired little restaurant that locals go to because it's comfortable and convenient, not because "they have the best...x" It may be a while before we go back again. It'll be like a, we haven't gone here in a while...let's see if its better...

My family and I have been coming to this restaurant for over 20 years, and up until now, we’ve always had consistently good experiences. Unfortunately, our visit on August 23, 2025, broke that streak.

The food, as always, was excellent. The issue this time was with our server, Amelia.

I ordered a glass of J. Lohr Cabernet, but when she returned, she brought me Chardonnay instead. When I politely told her that I hadn’t ordered Chardonnay, she snapped back, insisting that I had. I don’t even drink white wine, so I know for certain I wouldn’t have ordered it. Instead of simply correcting the mistake, she argued with me. She did eventually bring me the Cabernet, but throughout the night she kept making little digs about it—at one point even calling me “Cab.”

For the record, I have a thick skin and enjoy some playful banter, but this wasn’t that—it just felt dismissive and unprofessional.

She also argued with my 17-year-old niece, who had specifically requested her pasta without mozzarella. We all heard her make the request, yet the server insisted she hadn’t.

It was disappointing, especially after so many years of positive experiences here.

I hope that management sees this review and does...