Casa Rugantino - Kitchener, Ontario

Came here for a birthday dinner with a friend after many, many years from last dining experience. Food was still good and plentiful. The set up inside however has definitely not been set for accessibility considering handicapped signs on the entrance door. The washroom was blocked by chairs stacked outside ... the door unable to utilize the facilities. The server was disappointing and her lack of connection appearing robotic with her patrons. For the price tag I expect better service and attention to detail with the warmth and friendly Italian feel. We felt rushed at the end and not like there was a line waiting for our table. Disappointing that fencing outside was being worked on during dinner hour with saws running making it impossible for anyone to sit outside and enjoy a wonderful warm spring evening dining. Even though food was good...between accessibility, disappointing atmosphere and service for the price tag made the celebration meal feeling flat. Next time I think "order to go" is a better choice because value seems only in the food and not the experience. Read more

Another delicious meal at Casa Rugantino. The short rib ravioli were outstanding! The only way they could have been better is to have a few more on the plate. We also ordered a white sauce (Alfredo) pizza with Italian sausage and artichokes. The sausage had hints of fennel ... seed and the earthy sweetness of the artichokes was a beautiful combination. Flavours were on point. However, I was surprised by the thickness of the pizza dough and in some places, it wasn't cooked completely. A lighter, thinner crust that could be gently folded when eating would take me back to Italy and make this a 10/10. Looking forward to my next visit already! Read more

Another visit and carbonara was great again. Pizza has a lot of room for improvement. We wanted to try it again but it was again a bad choice. The dough is dry and hard. The service was really slow. We waited 20 mins to get a drink although a lady ... who seems to run the place asked us as soon as we sat down but it was not until a server came to ask that we got our drinks. So probably 10 mins between the first interaction and 20 mins more after the second one. The same for the food and the bill. Forever to get our bill and 20 minutes more waiting to pay. They were really busy but I guess bringing the bill and the machine could have been an option. Something important, please chop the sundried tomatoes for your pizza. You are not supposed to eat a whole sundried tomato like that. It is salty and it is supposed to add flavour not take over the entire flavour of the pizza. First visit.The pasta was incredibly good. We ordered carbonara and it was very tasty. The pizza was not great. I would not order it again but I would definetely come back for that pasta. The white sangria was delicious but overpriced for sure. Service was ok. They were extremely busy! Read more

I brought my grandparents here and I had high hopes for the food and service, and I wasn't disappointed. They ordered the 4 item pizza, and my mom and I shared the veggiterian cappelini. When we told the waitress that we will be sharing, they separated our dish before bringing ... it out and made sure both had the same type of veggies. Both the pasta and pizza tasted great. Even my grandpa, who's very picky, loved the food. We also ordered two desserts at the end. They both were delicious and not overly sweet. The Tartufo's chocolate shell had small pieces of hazelnut in it, which added to the flavour. We also ordered one 6oz red wine, and one mixed drink. The service was good and our waitress was polite and helpful. We sat inside right by the window, which meant great lighting and made for a cozy yet lovely experience. Our total came to ~$67 before tip. I'd definitely recommend this place for anyone who's looking for a good Italian restaurant! Update: the food and service was as great as my visit 4yrs ago. This time I ordered the special veal ravioli, and it was lip-smacking delicious! Read more

Everything made homemade except the noodles, this Italian restaurant had delicious food. The interior was nicely finished and had large windows. Fast service and tall drinks. We had spaghetti and meatballs and chicken penne. The only downside was the table being very sticky.