D’Amico & Sons

My new obsession is the Parma pizza. It’s absolutely delicious. The prosciutto, cheeses, and rosemary are a damn good combination. The arugula on top makes me feel like I’m eating healthy, plus it adds a nice refreshing and light touch to the pizza. The crust is excellent. You must get this pizza!

n Friday, October 23, a friend and I met for lunch at the Roseville location. We both ordered the signature soup, Tuscan Chicken, nothing else. A few hours later, I was in extreme abdominal pain. I considered Urgent Care and at one point later in the evening, ER. The next afternoon I checked with my friend and discovered she also was very sick. Food poisoning. I quickly called the restaurant to tell them about our illnesses and to make sure the soup was pulled. They said a manager would call me back. My friend called later that day. Wen never received a return call. I called the Operations Manager for D’Amico on Monday and left a long, detailed message. It’s been four days. No response. Seems they don’t really care about their customers.
The wait staff at the restaurant were very nice. The management? No.
My friend and I won’t be back
Apologies for originally posting this for the Mill City location.

I’ve had some excellent D’Amico experiences in the past, and at other locations. For instance, the real restaurant downtown. However, this new café /​take-​out thing is not a good thing for their brand. It’s very expensive and the quality is nothing like what I’ve come to expect from them. Here’s a few of the low points: Grizzly Chicken (pet peeve), expensive desserts that are not even edible, paying premium price for cafeteria-​style dining, food that comes to each person at different times, etc… If you use a debit/​credit card, the server will ask you to «fill this out» rather than «sign,» indicating that you should tip them before you walk away to wait for someone to bring your food out. Okay, I usually tip even at an «order here» place like this, but I felt like this was pressure I didn’t need. Also, why did we have to ask for some bread with our $ 20 tiny pasta dish? Ridiculous… then they brought three, thin, dry slices and we had to get up again to get some butter at the condiment/​beverage station.
Pass on this.

A travesty has occurred. The end of an era. A favorite past time given the kibosh. The finest way to relax with friends on a summer evening or a cold winter night must now be redefined. I regret what I am about to inform you, Unilocalers.
D’AMICO & SONS NO LONGER OFFERS BOTTOMLESS WINE.
It’s true. Damico & Sons is just one of many Italian eateries in the area (some with even better food). Yet D&S has always been a haven that has stood out from the masses. Because they prided themselves on having their delightful staff coming around and generously keeping your wine filled throughout the evening. Write, call, protest! This absurdity must be reversed!

Food is decent, no service to speak of.

I was pleasantly surprised here. I ordered the fettuccine bologna and by the time I was done there were no leftovers. I am a picky eater and usually stay away from dishes like this but it was very good. The only thing missing was a little bread. Anxious to go back and try their pizza.

My mom and I came here on Mother’s day… and enjoyed it. On mother’s day D’Amico’s have a special promotion that «Mom’s eat free when they dine with their kids»… so I went with my mom and I’m her kid… so she got a free meal! She had the Spaghetti with Shrimp and I got the Chicken Pizza… we both got a taste of the other’s and it was both delish! Thank you D’Amico for a nice Mother’s day lunch… my mom and I both enjoyed it… immensely!

Simply, too expensive and portions too small. From the reviews of this place I am not the first to make these observations. One would think this place would respond with changes. Guess they don’t care.

Northern outpost of the tasty local chain featuring pastas, salads, soups and sandwiches.
I particularly enjoy their options for combos like the pick three salad plate or the ½ sandwich/​soup or salad selection.
Good food at decent prices.

Great salads, and delicious pizza (love the crust). Happy hour 4−6pm Monday-​Saturday…$ 6.00 pizza! We will be back!

The food was pretty good but definitely overpriced. The ambience of the patio seating was incredible. The staff was very accommodating for our large group. Would definitely go again.

There is a limited menu and the wine list even shorter. The employees seemed a little confused about what’s available in a bottle vs glass only. Despite those little awkward moments the place gets four stars for quality in the food (but not the wine). We had to lower our expectations because this is another of the limited service restaurants which is a hot trend now on the perception the customer will save because of less staff needed. The prices in these order at the counter with delivery to the table seem about the same if not more than at many full service restaurants.
The pasta dishes had hardy thick sauces and portions generous. You can get your own water and soda and the place seems to have the open airy space so that kids can roam about without bothering other diners.
Even with limited service there seemed to be different staff appearing every few minutes to either clean or ask how everything is going, sometimes just a few minutes from when the last person just asked. It’s a fun family oriented friendly noisy place. Perhaps a little fine tuning is needed in the ordering procedure as it’s confusing when the person tossing the salads and preparing side dishes is placing plates on the counter as the customers wander over and wonder if this is mine or someone else’s.

The two times I have been here I have had TERRIBLE service :(
Time #1
All we wanted was a to-​go sandwich for one person. We ended up waiting over 20 minutes.
Time #2
We asked for time to look over the menu before ordering, and then nobody seemed to want to take our order. A couple employees were behind the counter — just cleaning silverware; including the one employee we told we would be ordering in a few minutes. But we only got to order when a different employee happened to see us and came to take our order.
Other than that, food’s fine. But terribly inefficient time-​wise. Be cautious!

We often come here for the Friday/​Saturday night couple’s special. For $ 30 total, you can get two salads, two entrees, and all you can drink wine.
This place is like an upscale Noodles and Co where you order at the front and wait for your food at a table. They have servers who come around and fill your wine (if you got the special) and ask how things are going. There’s an area in the back where you get your own bread, condiments, and water.
The pasta dishes have always been flavorful with generous portions. It’s not the best food you’ll ever have, but it’s reasonable for the price. The great food, service, and prices will keep us coming back for more.

Good food but maybe a little overpriced. I had the pick 2 combo, in which I chose a salad and sandwich. For my sandwich, I had the chicken club. I thought the bread it was on was quite good but the goods in the sandwich were so so (fortunately, good bread can make a sandwich). For my salad, I went with caprese– good amount of mozzarella and not too much dressing.
Not much to say about service since its an order at the counter place.
This location has a nice patio outside, although its near a busy street.

I got a decent sandwich for the first time in the Cities.
It would have been nice if the Hot Italian sandwich had capicolla instead of plain ham, but I’ve learned that Minnesotans seem to shy away from actual hot food.
The salad my wife ordered had an entire chicken breast in it, but it was well dressed.
Overall a nice clean place to bring people and have a conversation and some food.
I would have gone back to the bar for a dessert (They had an awesome looking chocolate malted panna cotta), but a large group came in for lunch, so I just skipped it.
Still way better than a Subway or Jimmy Johns, and only a touch more expensive.

Gail D.
We usually go to D’Amico about once a month for the wonderful salmon with cucumber yogurt sauce. We were there last evening, but noticed a big difference in the usual quality of the bread. It was very thinly sliced and tasted stale. It did not have the usual great chewiness that goes great with pasta and wine. Hope this was only a temporary issue. We also frequent the Naples restaurant in winter.

Eh.
This was suppose to be a quick lunch, but it turned into an irritating (and kind of expensive) one…
We were running around on a recent Saturday afternoon, we were hungry and in the mecca of malls and chains. We decided on D’Amico.
Upon walking in, the cashier was all over us, «Can I help you? Would you like to order? What can I get you??» I was trying to browse the menu in silence and was getting irked.
I guess I should have appreciated her eagerness because that is the where it ended.
I had the Sons Chopped and my dining companion had the Balsamic Chicken salad. He just ordered the first thing he saw, I ordered this because I’m on a chopped salad kick (thanks to Black Sheep).
I attempted to find a clean table while he hit the restroom. I had to go as well, but after what he told me, I skipped it.
The food was fine, but for over $ 20 I was a bit disappointed. My salad was pretty good and very large, but he was disappointed in his. He should have got the Chop; almost $ 11 for the Balsamic Chicken was a rip off.
Plus, the food took forever. By forever, I mean over 20 mins. And, the place was in disarray. It was just plain dirty and messy. They did not have enough people available to deliver food and clean up tables.
I would not go back. We decided we should have just gone to Cecil’s for sandwiches and salads instead.

On this unseasonably warm, 80-​degree day in October, I could think of no better way to spend my Friday lunch hour than by eating on the patio at D’Amico with my mom. When the weather is this nice, you just have to get outside even if it’s only for an hour.
We decided to share the Turkey and Avocado sandwich and the salad sampler. The sandwich was good, but nothing too special. The avocado spread was a bit bland, and it could have used less of the mayo.
I always seem to order the salad sampler, and I’m not quite sure why. Maybe it’s because they offer a dozen salads to choose from (most with a creamy dressing). Whenever I order the salads, I’m always a bit dissapointed. They are never quite as good as I hoped when I ordered. Unfortunately, I didn’t notice there «Pick Two» lunch special on the menu until we left. Next time, I will stick with a half sandwich and cup of soup.
I can say that I was very pleased with their desserts. When I went to the counter to order, it was pretty tough to make my decision from the numerous jars of cookies and a bakery case full of homemade bars and more fancy desserts like their Tin Roof bar with chocolate crust filled with caramel and peanut butter mousse. But, in the end, I couldn’t pass up their seasonal Pumpkin Cookie. I’m glad I didn’t. The cookie was fabulous! It had a soft texture, almost like a pumpkin bar or cake, with just the right amount of sweet frosting on top. Delicious! I will definitely be back for more baked goods.

D’Amico gets extra points for being a local restaurant in Roseville’s wasteland of national chains.
I take my very elderly mom (she’s 90! – go Mom!) our for lunch or dinner once a week, and I’ll do just about anything to keep her away from Red Lobster or the Macaroni Grill, so we are visiting D’amico’s fairly regularly. Mom loves the turkey club sandwich on ciabatta and orders it every time we are here. I like the salad sampler (portions of three salads plus a piece of good bread) but the salads don’t rotate as often as I’d like.
On my most recent visit, I went for the grilled shrimp pasta with garlic. Sha-​zaam! The pasta was perfectly al dente and the six big shrimp were jazzed up with a generous sprinkling of red pepper flakes and a ton of barely seared garlic. I’m not sure everyone would have loved that heavy a hit of garlic, but personally, I love it when the food slaps my taste buds around a little.
I don’t often have dessert here, but when I do, my fave is the key lime tart. It has a luscious velvety texture and is not overly sweet. It is emphatically tart and lime-​y, none of that bland flavorless sweetness that characterizes the pies at Perkins or Bakers Square. Hurrah! Now my taste buds are gonna go take a nap.