Sunny Italy Cafe — Restaurant in South Bend

I used to see the "Sunny Italy Cafe" billboard on old 31 (now HWY 933) near the stateline when I was much younger. I thought about going there a few times in the last 30 years, but never actually did. I guess it was just an instantly forgettable passing thought, and I never heard ANY buzz about the place. Tonight I stopped in for dinner.

I arrived at 5:45, the parking lot was almost empty on a Friday evening. (uh oh!) There were two other tables seated and more employees than customers. Right away my skin began to crawl, as I am HIGHLY ALLERGIC to pretension and faux eleganza. The inside looks like a caricature of any 1940's Italian mob film. I thought it stupidly ironic that a restaurant called SUNNY Italy is so dark and dingy inside.

The hostess (remember they had two out of thirty tables seated!) walked me to the darkest corner of the dining room. I vetoed this for a spot near the front windows.

I knew I wanted the spaghetti with meat sauce. The prices merit special attention: the spaghetti with a nothing special salad (97% just lettuce) and a small loaf of bread cost $15.00. Adding meat sauce was $3.00 extra. The tiny, little gag-sized (8 ounces) bottle of Coke (no refills!) was $2.00. (See pix)

I reflexively asked for the house Italian dressing, the waitress repeated back "CREAMY Italian", I said "No, I don't like creamy dressings", she said that's how our house dressing is made. She then SUGGESTED plain vinegar and oil. I didn't like the sound of that so said I will try the creamy house dressing. Five minutes later she brought me a plate of lettuce drenched with plain vinegar and oil. I took a photo for this review and set it on the far side of my table without tasting it. At this same time she brought the little clown-sized bottle of Coke and I uncontrollably laughed as she set it in front of me along with a glass full of ice. I asked her "How much is this wonderful vintage costing me?!" She replied $2.00. As I continued to chuckle at this absurdity she sensed my disdain and offered "The small bottles are a TRADITION with us. Most people DON'T LIKE the big bottles."

OH, I SEE!!!, it's a TRADITION! It isn't just you fleecing your customers by serving stingy, small portions for the ridiculous prices- IT'S TRADITION!!! And certainly no one will argue, mock or otherwise impune a TRADITION because that might some how cross into some imaginary cultural disrepect that scares all kowtowed Americans to death!

What a steaming load of B.S.!!! Most people DON'T LIKE the big bottles??? When and where do Americans NOT like things big and more? Why do you think almost every restaurant in America offers a giant 64 ounce drink size or at least free refills?!!! This tiny, little joke-sized bottle is nothing more than a money grab as Sunny Italy is counting on people needing more than two Dixie Cups of drink with their meals.

I set the doll-sized bottle of Coke on the far side of the table without tasting it.

My waitress brought my spaghetti while I was only half finished with my salad and asked if I did not want the travel-sized bottle of Coke? I said "No, not for $2.00 I don't!", with a chuckling smirk in my voice.

The spaghetti and sauce was actually pretty good. The meatball was drek. For the money the portion was small.

As I finished my poor choice of a meal, I felt suffocated by dusty, old pretension that might have flown three, or four, or five decades ago, but was just sad and pathetic today. Sunny Italy Cafe is attempting to monetize it's moldy, faux grandeur into a palatable fleecing operation that convinces customers that they should feel good about dropping their money here. Their failure becomes more absurd as the years pass, they have become a parody of "added value" through mock solicitousness and third-rate elegance.

As I paid, the aged hostess asked how was my meal? I said simply and honestly "Disappointing." She said "What was wrong?", I replied that my review would be on yelp within 24 hours. She asked...

Been a local to the Michiana area for a long time and never heard of this restaurant but I love Italian food and was pleasantly surprised when I found it.

I looked at the menu beforehand and had an idea of what I'd get. The prices seemed high but I assumed portions met those price points. Let me say, pricing didn't justify portions or quality.

When we arrived, the place screamed Italian food which was fool hearted promise of what was to come. It was very dark inside and the tables were spaced very close together. We were lead to a table with a picnic BBQ style tablecloth. Very cheap feeling...

Our server was pleasant but seemed overwhelmed from the small influx of customers. I was disappointed in no soup option. Figured I could get Italian wedding soup or zoupa Toscana. We had ordered the garlic bread and cheese as an appetizer, my wife got chicken cacciatore and I got the fried chicken.

The garlic bread was $8 without cheese and $10 with... Just garlic bread..

Came out fairly soggy from the garlic and butter with no crunch but $10..

Okay, unimpressed so far but we're in for the ride, now. Our server kept suggesting to pair the chicken with some sort sausage sauce, which I did. The "sauce" was just sausage cooked in a tomato base, which I was charged extra for adding.

The spaghetti sauce was waterry, the chicken was too salty, our salads were small and extremely basic. No croutons or onion, an eighth of a tomato with a small cup of dressing to pair.

Total price to experience the oldest Italian restaurant in South Bend $96.08

Mind you, portions didn't reflect this at all. We both agreed that Olive Garden or the FAR SUPERIOR Villa McCre would've been the better option. Lots of places to enjoy a meal at the price point...

The power shut off during our dining before we got our food so we was forced to leave with our food to go at full price. Not to mention the food is honestly compared to fazolis, I'm not even kidding. Meanwhile the waitress and host told me at least 3 times there best in town. I paid $42.00 for two speghettis with little sauce basically enough to tent the noodles pink. I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would ever give this place good reviews. The carpet had the odor of mold. These people think alot of themselves and must make people feel the same way. Whoever rated this high needs to get out more foreal. A total waste of people hard working money. For people to think it was actually good is so mind boggling. Has to be friends of the family. Well for being open for almost hundred years and only having slightly over 100 reviews isn't outstanding and I'm sure not best in town as in food nor reviews. So disgusted with my experience and it's not the lights it's the actually waiting the extra time because the light for...