Vito's Sicilian Pizzeria & Ristorante — Restaurant in St. Louis

Been thinking for a while on this review as I wanted to give a fair assessment.

Our experience might come down to going on a bad night. We were attending a concert at Powell Hall at 7PM, which was about a 6-7 minute walk. We arrived around 5:15 PM, was told it would be a 15 minute wait. Seated around 5:40 I think.

We were seated outside. I noticed all of the nice dress people were seated inside, while the casual crowd (like us) were outside. Odd observance, I'm assuming it was anecdotal.

The server was great and attentive. We quickly ordered our food as we had already been looking at the menu. However it took at least 45 minutes, if not closer to an hour to get our food. Pretty sure we saw others that ordered after us receive food before us. As soon as our food arrived I had to ask to pay to ensure we could make it to our concert.

Quick summary of timeline - we arrived around 5:15, sat around 5:30 or 5:40, got food around 6:40, ate within 10 minutes, left.

As for the food I can say the complimentary bread/rolls were great dipped in the olive oil/balsamic vinaigrette dipping oil. The toasted raviolis were hot and crispy with a delicious beef filling that really came through strong.

The pizza, from what I can remember since we had to eat it so quickly, was tasty. We ordered the Il Vacaro, which was a deep crust affair, with a fresh tomato sauce, sausage, spinach, and ricotta. I don't know if it's normal, but most of the cheese was on the center piece (it was cut into squares, not triangles) which meant most pieces didn't have much cheese. The top of the crust was nicely cooked, though I prefer a bit more char on the bottom of the crust if I'm ordering a quality pie like this.

Overall I'd like to think we were satisfied, but that is also giving some extreme leniency due to us going at a really busy time with multiple concerts in the area, and people wanting to eat before the their show.

Considering we don't live in STL, it's a shame that this was our experience here as we may never have the chance to...

Vito's was referred to me by a North County man who knows his food. I have only visited once, for a carry out order... but in my anticipation, I arrived very early (maybe 10 minutes after calling in) and so I had time to sit, wait, and experience the atmosphere. I very quickly regretted my decision to carry out, as the dine in atmosphere was truly stellar. This is the place to bring pizza lovers when inviting them to lunch or dinner... be it friends, family, a date, or for business. With smooth jazz/lounge music... perfect lighting making all visable while easy on the eyes... a perfectly diverse crowd from all walks of life enjoying themselves peacefully (an effect of the ambiance?)... and the smell... simply intoxicating. Prices are fair... and the place boasts its very own marinara sauce which is available for purchase in sealed specially labelled jars (as of this review, $6 for 16oz or $10 for 32oz)... and having tasted their pizza, I would have to give the sauce 2 thumbs up. Every member of the staff was amazing... and you can tell on some level they genuinely have at least some love for the place. (A fake smile from a miserable employee is a first class ticket to one star against an employer... not the case at Vito's... these guys are fun and friendly.) The atmosphere IS THE MOST INVITING BUSINESS I HAVE BEEN IN FOR YEARS EASILY. I would give it 5+ if I could... and the wrap: The food is great and unique... a different pizza for St. Louis with a Sicilian flare. The pizza itself reminds me somewhat of Bellecino's in Bridgeton, but with that unique sauce it becomes it's own creature... different from any pizza in St. Louis. While I wouldn't call it thick (it is more like a slightly thick handtossed) the pizza is full-bodied and will fill you up fast. There was no negative quality (even to scrutinize) that I can conjure. Vito's... absolutely fantastic facet of St. Louis and what may be the most comfortable restaurant/bar atmosphere anywhere. 5...

Service was all around slow. Our party of four walked in at about 4:45 pm. When walking in it took a moment to be greeted and seated. Once seated out side on the patio it was chilly, so thought, "Well before we move inside let's wait to tell our waiter first." We were outside for probably about 7 minutes before our server came and moved us inside. Once inside and seated, my water class was dirty and the wrong size. Another staff member did replace my glass with the correct size and water. Our pizza and appetizers were great. The only disappointments were the service and rude actions of other patrons. Our new waiter, was slow at getting our drinks from the bar, we had to ask for more bread vs. it being refilled without asking, also, when we got new bread it was burnt on the bottom. Our waiter also didn't clear additional plates and glasses from our table while dinning. Even with medicore service we still left a 20% tip. Once leaving the establishment my boyfriend shared with me what he experienced that made him uncomfortable while there. He said, when we were seated at our table he (Young African American Male) just happened to make eye contact with a woman (Elderly White Woman). And once innocent eye contact was made she asked to be moved to another table. After finishing eating my boyfriend noticed once again when leaving, she stared at us when leaving the establishment. And the last of the bad experience was when leaving the restaurant and walking to the parking lot, an elderly white couple walking in front of us, stopped walking turned around and stared us down and then clinched her purse as if we were going to rob her. Mind you, it was only my mother, aunt, boyfriend, and I walking to our cars in the parking lot at Vito's Restruant. With all of this we won't be visiting this establishment again, just a week ago we visited an authentic Italian Restaurant in The Hill and didn't have any of this happen...