Tep’s Villa Roma

My wife and I first found this wonderful restaurant about four years ago, just driving by on our way to a casino. The restaurant then was a place made for romantic dinners and the service was personal and warm. We had a dinner experience that stayed with us and made us say to each other next time, we have to go there again. Well, that opportunity happened, when yesterday again we were in Tahoe for a wedding and driving by, the memories came back and we decided to go enjoy the place we had remembered. I first called the restaurant around 530 pm to make a reservation. I was politely informed that they don’t make reservations, only first come first served service. So we then arrive at the restaurant around six and add our name to a list and are told of the 15 to 20 min. wait time, no biggie, we have a cocktail at the bar and wait. 30 min pass and the bar area is now packed with people waiting. My beautiful wife mentioned to me that the restaurant must have gotten alot more popular. Our names are called, reminding me of the red lobster we went to two weeks ago after my nephews grad nite. My wife and I walk into the dinning area and the place is packed, loud, busy, and definitely not romantic at all. I was crushed to say the least. The waitress said hi and informed us that after we order, we can help ourselves at the salad bar that currently had a line of six or eight people. I could not believe Red Lobster had just scored points on our romantic Italian spot, I was crushed even more. I understand these things happen to great restaurants and the food was still good. But I will miss the quiet, romantic restaurant that stayed in our memories all those years.

Well this place is super cute, and I’ve eaten here in the past no problem. We came in, a group of five on a Wednesday night and had to wait about forty minutes for a seat. That’s really not a big deal to me, I don’t mind waiting and they don’t take reservations so that’s cool. Also the interior is adorable, they have little facades that look like the outsides of buildings and string lights. Really novel but I liked it a lot.
So why one star?
Well my step mom ordered the special, Mahi Mahi, and noticed that it was a little off; it didn’t taste fresh and she didn’t feel comfortable finishing it. When she told our waiter «Hey, this tastes a little fishy» (she was trying to be polite about it), he said «Well yeah you’re eating fish» and just walked off.
I ordered the salmon. It didn’t taste fresh but for twenty bucks a plate I wasn’t going to NOT eat it. Whats the worst that could happen?
Food poisoning. Food poisoning was the worst that could happen. I spent the last two days basically chained to a toilet and had to miss work. It had to be this restaurant because I hadn’t eaten all day except for that, and I was the only one at the table who got sick.
The rest of the food was mediocre and the fish got me ill, so I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone :(

I absolutely loved my choice for Tep’s Villa Roma for my wedding reception! Dan and Chris were so easy to work with and fun! The food was super yummy and the atmosphere was just right, I would definitely recommend for a reception or even just stop in for dinner. Chris was an excellent D. J and super nice. Thank you so much Tep’s Villa Roma the night was perfect!

In town for vacation. Drove by and liked idea of Italian for dinner. Looked up on Unilocal.Reviews basically positive. Always a few, but that’s why there’s reviews.
Older place, been around 40+ years. Old school dinning area with lots of seating. Nice salad bar… looks fresh and full. Good sign. Menu pretty varied and prices $ 14 — $ 30. Most of the basics with a few interesting items. Started with salad bar/​soup that comes with the meal. As it looked at first glance fresh and good variety. Soup was homemade. Veggie Italian mixture. Was ok. Appetizer: Calamari. Large thick 4″ strips with crunchy breading. Came piping hot with marinara sauce. I have eaten Calamari all over the world and this was a 6 out of 10 ranking. Sauce is where they lose out. Just a plain no piazzas. Needs to be spicy, or hot or something. Still fresh and crunchy good.
Wife had the Salmon Ravigote. I had the Steak Gambino. The salmon was covered with a seafood mix of Lobster, Shrimp and Crab. Nice touch. She was thrilled with her choice. My steak was cooked just right, covered in mushrooms, fried potatoes, pepperchini peppers and a few onions. Looked really good and when put together it worked! A little spicy. Steak was a nice Sirloin. All in all a pretty good meal with their own touch. Nothing over the top, but good solid service, great varied menu and our dinner was a great value. Lots of food. Looked like a varied Wine list and by the glass also available. Would recommend and eat here again if in the area.

Ravioli was drowning in sauce (which came from a can), the «salad bar» is only slightly more appetizing (again, everything was from a can or package), and the pasta with garlic and oil should be re-​named «Mounds of garlic and oil with some pasta (from a box)». Servers are really sweet though. Upshot: way too expensive for what this is. Save your money and go somewhere else.

Having eaten here before, I thought a wedding reception would be good here. Well not if you like light, a dj that knows what he is doing, or food that doesn’t smell like it was boiled in dirty diapers! Awful night, awful place, never returning,

Loved the food! The staff was good and fair! Very understanding of our allergies and we were able to enjoy our dinner without worries!

This place was amazing! Great food and service. Salad bar was a nice perk, but don’t fill up before your awesome meal! Not too crowded for a Friday night, and we didn’t feel rushed at all. I’d definitely recommend and will be back.

Very delicious dinner. We had Streak Marsala and Shrimp Francese. The waiter Jerson was fantastic very professional! Highly recommended!

Very impressed with everything. So sorry hadn’t come sooner. Best Italian family style restaurant within 100 miles. Our server Connie was amazing. Plenty of quality food. Salad bar over the top and prices are reasonable.

Went here for my birthday based on a friend’s recommendation and loved it. A family owned restaurant. Chris, our server was fantastic. It was perfect for a special occasion, but at the same time casual enough where groups were enjoying a meal. The menu was extensive and pricing was on point. Apps were about $ 8 – 11. We ordered the calamari which was probably some of the best I’ve had because they were large tasty pieces. There’s pizza and a variety of pasta to choose from with chicken, steak and seafood options. About $ 16 – 22 for entrees which include the antipasto bar, soup and bread. We ordered the house wine which was $ 9 for half liter and $ 15 for liter. I ordered the chicken piccata with pesto pasta. The pesto was creamy and fresh. My boyfriend ordered penne cabanaro which had a different take from what one would be used to, but it was very tasty and filling. I highly recommend and will be going back again. w

Great food, great service and cozy environment! The eggplant parmigiana is absolutely amazing! The food is always consistently wonderful.

Teps is a great little spot for dinner in South Lake. It is a casual ambiance and perfect for families. They have a large dining room and we have never had to wait for a table. They have a wonderful salad bar with many options including soup. Every dish I have tried her has been wonderful. They play Italian music and the décor is old world Italian and feels very homey and comfortable. This is a great place if you are really hungry– the portions are quite large and definitely more on the indulgent side rather than healthy though they do have options if you are watching your calories. My family makes a stop every time we are in Tahoe.

This place is only ok. We were there first and clearly the salad bar came out of a fridge and was not cut fresh. The cucumbers were frozen together and slimy. The pasta that came with my chicken was clearly microwaved or had been sitting in a bowl in a fridge. It was hard on the edges. Only the sauce tasted kinda fresh. Chicken was good but overpriced. Even the tiramisu tasted like last week. I would go to scuza instead if you want to spend this kind of money. The two stars go to the waiter who was amazing!

This is a great Italian restaurant to go to if you are visiting Lake Tahoe. It is located conveniently if you are staying near Ski Run Boulevard.
The inside as well as the outside of the building gives it a comfy older Italian feel and the authentic Italian music helps a lot with that. The salad bar is fresh, unlimited, and it comes with any entrée so if you are really hungry it comes in handy. The food is pretty good. I got spaghetti and meat ravioli, in which the meat in the ravioli was a bit strange but the spaghetti was amazing. The staff are friendly and the service was quick but not rushed. In the waiting area they have a fish tank with a puffer fish which would be great as enjoyment for kids while waiting to be seated. All in all, an awesome dining experience for kids and adults alike.

Fairly underwhelming Italian restaurant but for the price, it can work for some. There is a large amount of seating so they should be able to take a larger group. They also have a buffet salad bar and of course large pasta dishes, so if you’re really hungry from a day on the slopes, this could be worth your dollar.
Just don’t expect anything too fancy. Décor, seating, etc is a bit outdated. Plates for the salad bar are in a cooler.

Great pizza. Well worth a repeat visit when we return to Tahoe area again.
Restaurant was referral for Italian dishes — not pizza. After seeing pizza at other tables, we ordered one. So glad we did. Very tasty.
Sausage, mushrooms, onion. Yum. .
12÷28÷15

I would give this place 3.5 stars.
I wouldn’t have picked this place out myself based on the look of the outside, but my father in law spotted it in his drive in and wanted to check it out.
Pros:
–Almost every main dish comes with the salad bar.
–The salad bar was big and has chilled plates.
–Nice atmosphere inside, looks more like a date-​night place. For awhile, my kids were the only ones there (luckily they were napping).
–Food was average/​good.
–10% off on Unilocal check in discount
–service: average
Cons:
–Not necessarily a «con» but i wouldn’t have picked this place and I wouldn’t come here again, I’d rather check out some higher rated restaurants around town.
Overall, I’m not disappointed that I went. I left full, but I won’t return.

Tep’s is on the agenda every Tahoe adventure taken, I don’t care how much or little time I have. Their unlimited soup and salad bar is worth the visit alone. Where else can you get fresh salad with all, and I mean ALL, the fixings you can think of! Six different dressings, and of course oil and vinegar are available. They take such care in presentation, down to the chilled salad plates, and all items on fresh ice. I’ve never seen a sloppy or messy salad bar, even on busy weekend evenings. Their house made minestrone is unbelievably incredible, and I hear the rolls and Parmesan bread are pillows of Heaven.
My dinner dates have gone on and on about their chicken parmigiana, lasagna (no béchamel), eggplant parmigiana, tortellini, ravioli, etc. Unfortunately I can’t report back on those, as much as I would love to dive face first into the eggplant. If you think that’s as good as it gets, their desserts are amaze balls as well. Tiramisu, cannelloni, spumoni… I could go on and on describing these fat kids’ smiles and gloriously full Buddha bellies. Service has always been friendly, prompt even on busy nights, and very accommodating. The best time to go is senior dinner during the week, when they open at 4pm. Fill up on your unlimited soup and salad (included with all entrées), taste a bit of your main dish, and take the rest home for a fantabulous meal later.
Don’t forget to check in on Unilocal for your 10% discount off your check! Simply mmm mmm good all around.

Tolle Salatbar, leckere Fettuchine als Tagesempfehlung, fantastische vegetarische Lasagne. Alles sehr schmackhaft. Sehr freundlicher Service. Gutes Preis –Leistungsverhältnis

Wouldn’t go back. My husband had the rib special– clearly they were just boiled– he couldn’t even finish them. Spaghetti sauce must have been jarred. Even the kids didn’t like their food– and they are not picky Italian food eaters! How hard is spaghetti with marinara???
Disappointed.