Dioli's Italian Market — Restaurant in Winston-Salem

We came here because of a personal recommendation from friends who RAVED about this place (and we were bolstered by the 5-star reviews we read on Google Maps). We came on a Friday morning, around brunchish, excited and looking forward to going out of our way to visit this local joint. We told the employee behind the counter that we were first-timers, that we were so excited, that we'd heard great things. No other customers were present, so it wasn't as though we were distracting him from pressing sales.

We asked, "What's good here?"

We were met with a very annoyed look and a monotone, "Everything's good here."

I get it--sometimes people have bad days. There are usually elements of peoples' lives that bleed into work to varying degrees.

So we forged on, politely probing him for more information. He seemed very offended when I asked if he could heat up the eggplant parmesan that was sitting in the cold case. He wasn't particularly proud of anything on the menu, and he seemed offended that we had questions about the menu.

And he seemed ESPECIALLY offended when we asked about the dessert case. This really bothered me from a professional standpoint. NONE of the desserts had prices on them, so I asked, "How much is this pistachio cake slice?"

He gave me another annoyed, deadpan look and said, "Everything in the case is between 5 and 6 dollars."

Dude. You can't be bothered to write little signs to communicate the price to me, and then you can't be bothered to just tell me? You expect all of your customers to just blindly buy your food without any information about how much you're charging for your products?

Why? Why is this the standard?

We wanted to support this business and give it an honest shot, so we went ahead and ordered a berry tart slice. We also order three sandwiches.

The tart? It was fine. A little too sweet, and a little stale tasting, as though it'd been out in the air a bit too long. And it was $6.50!! So the price "quote" from him was a lie! Why?! So overpriced for what you get.

The eggplant parmesan sandwich? Also just fine. Average. Not worth over $8. I am an eggplant lover, and I was just kind of unimpressed because of the thickness of the breading around the eggplant.

The roast beef? Unexpectional. Not bad, but not a star. You can get it at an Arby's or a supermarket without paying the premium from here.

The breakfast sandwich? It was fine; also not really noteworthy.

Presentation was pretty for all four items; well-wrapped and nice looking.

I understand that you're a small business that probably isn't experiencing a strong customer base right now. I wish our experience had been better because we really came in prepared to be massive fans and return all the...

Hands down the best Italian cuisine in Winston Salem (yes, even Di Lisio's, despite different offerings). The lasagna is delicious and despite many efforts, I cannot replicate the authentic flavor of Dioli’s at home. The tuna and potato salad are chefs kiss! 🤌🏽 If you’re looking for something sweet, the peanut butter cheesecake is pure heaven as well as the tiramisu. My child likes all the colorful cookie selections. Plan accordingly, they close early and aren’t open for dinner. I recommend bringing the items home to warm yourself though; they do use microwaves to heat the food if you choose to dine in house. The soda selections in the cooler, like the cream soda & root beer are a treat we like to occasionally indulge in. So glad this place survived Covid. The family who runs the place are friendly and always slammed!

Edit to say: I decided to read only the negative reviews after posting bc I was just curious what WS folks think about this place - wow, you just have to laugh..people complaining about a 50¢ price difference, mask wearing (when it’s proven they don’t make a difference) and the most common negative review, the grumpy old man..has no one here ever been to Italy?! Every chef in Italy is a grump, albeit in my years going here (since they were located downtown), I’ve never even seen this person everyone speaks of. The young guy up front and the woman with her hair slicked back are usually super busy and not there to converse with me..I’m a rather sensitive person and have never been offended. So funny, thanks for the laughs Winston! I swear I have no affiliation with this place. If you go out to eat to feel important and be coddled maybe you should dine elsewhere. 🤷🏽‍♀️ Also, anything on that side of town is going to be flooded with Wake Students during the school year..how is that a problem?

Also, to Dioli’s: Thanks for my complimentary sticker today!! Love repping local. Thanks for your contribution to...

The Dioli's Italian Market Experience (Carryout Edition). I was excited to try Dioli's and thought I would walk into an atmosphere of hanging meat and cheese. Not... but that's ok; I threw myself into eating mode and started to look at the menu. I can't say I felt greeted, but I was there and hungry. I ordered the Fresh Rotisserie Turkey Sandwich on Focaccia. I ordered a bag of chips because they do not have a robust selection of sides. Lastly, I ordered their New York Style Cheesecake.

So onto the review of the food. It was ok. I wish I could say more. I look at this place as a sandwich and salad place now that I have been but felt I could have gotten better at New Jersey Mikes or Carving Board. When I think of an Italian Market, I think of more than what I got. Service was ok, and they could have been slightly friendlier, so I am undecided if I...