Gennaro’s Little Italy

Great restaurant. I was born in Italy so I know good food. Danielle was also very attentive to our needs. I had the Zappa del Mare, fantastic. I would bring my friends back with me next time.
Frank G.
Once again, a great experience, so much food, big drinks, oh my!
CLOSED? Why? This place will be missed. I hope they open somewhere else soon.

Gennaro’s was a fabulous Charleston find! Regardless of where you’re staying, it is well worth the drive to eat at this delicious restaurant! My best friend and I shared the Shrimp and Fettuccine Alfredo, which was absolutely, melt-​in-​your-​mouth fantastic! Our waitress, Tara, was a delight. She was spunky, unafraid to recommend, and very attentive. To add to our enjoyment, there was a live jazz band providing wonderful dinner music! I can’t recommend this restaurant enough. Great prices, great atmosphere, great service, and, above all, FANTASTIC food.

This is the second time I’ve had the opportunity to dine here. Once again, some of the best food I’ve had in Charleston. I had the Ribeye, Gorgonzola style. Absolutely spectacular. The steak was cooked to perfection and the Gorgonzola sauce was just how I used to make my own.
Our server was Kelly, she was awesome. Very friendly, prompt and knowledgeable. Probably the best service I’ve had since we moved to Charleston, 3 years now.
Not to demean Kelly, but finding decent service here has been difficult. Especially since this is where «hospitality» is supposed to have originated in the States.
I’ll continue to support Gennaro’s in West Ashley.

You know as soon as you walk in the door. The aromas of tomatoes and fresh Romano cheese fill your senses with anticipation of the meal to come. First timer but that will change soon. The veal was perfect and the sauce explodes in your mouth with fresh tomato taste. Highly recommended.

Great food and service. Thomas the bar manager was very nice and accommodating. Great menu selection and pricing. Intimate setting and relaxing environment.

In a nutshell:
Food = Best Italian in West Ashley
Service = Excellent
I would definitely recommend!
It’s a GREAT Italian restaurant; after searching Charleston for a bearable Italian joint, we finally found one worth mentioning! The palatable gastric experience we endured is one for the books.
We were promptly greeted by our waiter, Tommy, who quickly got our drinks, & offered us some delicious Italian bread (that came with some scrumptious dipping sauces: an oil, garlic, & spices-​based, & a balsamic-​based). We ordered the calamari for an appetizer, and boy are we glad we did: it came quickly and was lip-​smackingly good! Though it was wonderful enough to eat by itself, it came with a delectable marinara and another flavorful, creamy sauce.
Shortly after, we got our house salads with house dressing (a creamy Italian) & all the while, Tommy made sure our glasses were always full and that there was enough time between pre-​main course food and our entrees to chat and let our salads & appetizers settle. My boyfriend ordered the veal scallopini and I, the chicken bolognese, both of which were spectacular! His veal had a savory, robust sauce full of wonderful aromatic flavor. My chicken bolognese was OUT OF THIS WORLD. I had expected chicken on top of a bed of pasta in a red pasta sauce, because I have always associated bolognese with such a sauce, however the chicken came as 2 cylindrical fried pieces of awesomeness (the chicken is rolled with ham, & ricotta & mozzarella cheeses) with a wonderfully smooth Alfredo sauce & a separate dish of spaghetti & tomato sauce. It was similar to a chicken cordon bleu, but SO much better.
Though were offered dessert, I was so full, I literally couldn’t stand another bite (Good thing I didn’t eat lunch today!!). We let Tommy know how much we truly enjoyed our meal & his service (because he truly was an exceptional server), so we will be returning VERY shortly. :D Everything we had was piping hot & the food was truly sensational.

Food was excellent. They were flexible on making adjustments that suited what I was looking for. Service was amazing. Cannoli reminded me of my Aunt Michelle. Will come back.

AWESOME restaurant! Great service and even better food! The homemade bread was so good!

Sorry to offer a crummy review — especially since I’ve never eaten here — but the reason for the poor review is that I clicked on the link to go to Gennaro’s website and view the menu — and I’d love to try it — but I certainly won’t go visit a place that does not include pricing on their menu; it makes me automatically think this is a place is far too expensive.

I love Italian food so much that I was blessed to marry a beautiful lady of italian descent! We have dined at Gennaro’s two times now for a weekend dinner date and we love Gennaro’s. The atmosphere is a little bit dark and romantic. The service is fantastic. Such good people there. The food is authentic Italian food and nearly everything is local and made in the restaurant. The bread and oil is delicious! The creamy Italian salad dressing is made in house and fantastic. I have had two different entrees (pasta both times) and I was in heaven. Forget La Fontana, Gennaro’s blows that place away! Gennaro’s is the best Italian restaurant in West Ashley. If you are lucky you may dine there on a night when the violinist serenades you while you eat. Super fun and very romantic. Best place in West Ashley for Italian food

I love Italian food, it has always been my favorite kind of food. Thank you for opening in West Ashley, I live just right around the corner, me and my husband always go out and eat and try to find places. The food was amazing as always. We will be back.

Just a word of advice– if you order the Steak Caruso, be very specific about which cut of meat you want. I placed a takeout order for the Steak Caruso, an entrée that is described on the menu as, «8 oz tenderloin wrapped in Prosciutto ham…» Instead, I got a giant, fatty rib-​eye with no prosciutto. When I called the restaurant to inform them of the issue, I was told, «well, the rib-​eye is really good.» The employee said that I should have specified that I wanted tenderloin, even though the menu clearly states that the cut is tenderloin. She made no offer to replace the expensive, botched entrée with what I actually ordered. She made no effort to remedy the situation. I come from a service industry background, and I would count this among my worst customer service experiences. Add to that, the side dish described on the menu as «Mixed Seasonal Vegetables» were covered in a pound of cheese.

Food was amazing as usual. Our Waitress was the worst I’ve had here. Danielle was never around. She dropped off the drinks and took forever to come back. She waited until we were done with our salads to put the main order in the kitchen. ?? We asked for cheese on our main dishes but she said it would make it salty. I said I would like cheese please. She said «Do you want it salty?»
I’m not out to eat to argue adding Parmesan cheese. Just give me my damn cheese!!!

A big more updated than it’s sister in north charleston. The good is awesome I recommend the Chicken Bolognese!

The food was really good. Unfortunately, that was the only good part of our dining experience. Let me start by saying I have worked many years in the food and beverage industry. I’m not claiming to be an expert or anything, but 10 minute drink times, 15 minute appetizers and 30 minute entrees are not my idea of expedient operations in a restaurant. I always give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but the couple next to us was not so patient and left the restaurant before their meal was served. All of the tables around us all seemed to be waiting. Servers were constantly apologizing for the wait. Through all of this, I could not tell who was the front of the house manager or if they were addressing guests. I can certainly say no manager ever came to my table to apologize for our wait.
If the kitchen and wait staff could be more expedient, I would return. They were certainly not prepared to deal with the amount of tables they had in the restaurant.
I liked the food. I liked the ambiance (it wasn’t too loud like Bocci’s can be). I love Italian food, so I’m hoping this restaurant can pull it together and make it.

The absolute BEST authentic Italian food in Charleston. Everything is great! My favorite is the Eggplant Michael, Chicken Parm and the Pizza is to die for!

Excellent dinner last night. Apps to dinner was right on. Love having it back in West Ashley.

Pancia mia, fatti capanna! What a wonderful meal. I had the clams and linguine, mom had the Zuppa Del Mare’ and my lady friend had the Chicken Piccata. OMG! The food was the best, authentic Italian I’ve had here in Charleston. Hell, it rivaled the Italian we had in NYC. Everything was cooked to perfection. Katie our server spoiled us to no end. All of the staff spoke as they walked by. Gennaro’s in romantic, quiet and as casual as you want it to be. They have awesome happy hour special from 4 – 7 with half off apps and drink specials.
Here’s the hidden secret I was told about last night. After 9pm, they start a new happy hour with $ 15 bottles of wine, the best pizza in town and other apps for half off. I didn’t get to stay for the late night happy hour, but I will so be back.
This now joins some of my *must eats* in Charleston! You’ve got to check them out!

Same wonderful atmosphere and food as the Dorchester Road establishment. Highy recommend the mussels with white wine sauce. May be the best in town. The bread served with olive oil and garlic is a favorite of mine. Also recommend the Eggplant Michael for an entrée.