Pastina Rustic Italian Restaurant in Mentor
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Mentor, Lake County, Ohio, US
Site: http://www.pastinarusticitalian....
- Monday:Closed
- Tuesday:4–9PM
- Wednesday:4–9PM
- Thursday:4–9PM
- Friday:4–9PM
- Saturday:4–9PM
- Sunday:4–8PM
Easily became my favorite Italian place to eat. Everything is made there, literally. The bread and oil sauce they give you while you wait is phenomenal. We bought that sauce to go for at home it was so good.The raviolis were the best Ive ever had anywhere. Hands down. The mushroom pasta my girlfriend got was tasty! Great flavor.The salads were awesome! The dressings were awesome! Good size for a salad too.I didnt have a cannoli but my mother did and she said it was the best shes ever had.Will be back many many times. Ill be trying many different dishes.
I had Calamari app. and Scampi Alfredo...hhhmmmm salad wad kinda big we split patina salad..:) 1st time here great homemade pasta...
Great little menu, nice atmosphere, and friendly service. Food was great.. I ordered the sweet squash ravioli and it was amazing, the pizzas are great too!
We were in the area on a Sunday evening. No reservations, short wait. Packed bar, good crowd. Food was delicious. I had butternut squash ravioli, which was yummy. Hubby had chicken parm, & cleaned his plate. We will be back!!!
First time and it was so delicious! Our party had salmon and risotto, chicken parm and spaghetti. Everyone was raving about their meal. The service was excellent and although I feel theyre a bit pricy for what you get, its nice to have a bit of ambiance with a good meal.
Their Gin cocktails are amazing, and the bolognese was fantastic too. I thought the setting was very comfortable in. The service was on time and punctual. 10 out of 10. Completely enjoyed the experience
Had a group of over 20 on a Sunday after a funeral viewing. They took very good care of us , especially for a last minute rush job.I want to thank them for a great effort and making us feel welcome. Will keep going there.Thanks,Bill Tigue
*Good Food* *Extremely Loud Atmosphere* *Charged Use For Chees on a Side Sald & didnt let us know during time of ordering*Im Kinda torn whether or not to suggest this location because their food is absolutely delicious however the atmosphere & service is terrible.
Took my girlfriend for our 10 month anniversary dinner here and she exclaimed that you could taste the love in every delectable bite. I highly recommend the tiramisu as well.
Great Italian american restaurant in suburban Cleveland. Stopped in with some friends and it was a good thing we made reservations as the place was packed, and there was a line waiting to get in. Tasting the food explains why. It is excellent!We got the Arancini, Gnocchi, chicken scallopini, and mushroom fettuccine. With the desserts we rolled out of there very satisfied. If were ever in the area again, well definitely want to stop in again!
Always good food and service. Every time we go is at least 8 people and have never been disappointed!
Where do I even begin?!!.. From the moment you walk in the front door, to the time you’ve finished dinner and dessert, you receive nothing short of polite, smiling staff to amazingly tasty food. What a wonderful restaurant!! I dined here for dinner tonight with my dad, aunt and grandparents. The calamari was the best I’ve ever had! The chicken parmesan was perfection! The cannoli presentation was exactly how it tasted, super fantastic! What a wonderful dining experience with my dear family. Thank you to the hostess, Mrs. Baca and to our waitress, Sara, for a job beyond well done. And thank you to everyone behind the food and the restaurant that makes it so great of a place to dine. I will return soon!
Tasty Italian food in a relaxed atmosphere. Pasta is made in the restaurant and is always good. Entrees are a bit expensive ($20+ for chicken) but are delicious. Picatta is a favorite and for dessert the tiramiso and Creme Brulee are great choices. Definitely one of the areas better Italian restaurants.
Food was so good!!! Worth every penny!
The food and service was mediocre at best. I got the Butchers cut, medium rare. What I got was single slice of bacon cut in two, a 1/4 thick round steak, about 2 across. Covered with a Blue cheese sauce and whole lot of overcooked cheap and flavorless cheese rice, with snap peas. The quality did not come anywhere close to the $21 price tag. It was not good enough to be be a splurge, and did represent a good value. I did like the dinner salad, it was fresh and flavor filled. The ice tea was ok
Its definitely a very beautiful place, but we came at a rush time, and waited for way too long. 30 min before they gave us a table and then one more hour before food, my order was mixed, but they did their best to get what I ordered as soon as possible. The food was great. Maybe we should try it during different hours. Order a table in advance.
We had the best experience at this restaurant. I never leave reviews for restaurants, but after eating here I cant stop talking about it. The food is so fresh, all of it. The service is great and very friendly. The place is authentic, it is everything they say they; we cant wait to eat here again. Make your reservations early.
Service was the slowest Ive ever seen in my life! After being seated took 15 minutes for the server to ask our drinks. Another 15 mins to actually get them drinks, another 15 mins to get bread and a half an hour to get our food which was mediocre. The server never came to check on us at all. I saw her go to the same tables 3-4 times before even acknowledgung us! Olive garden is far better and cheaper!!!!!!!! Never ever again.
The food was delicious and filling and the staff were very friendly and courteous.
You can never go wrong going here. They started us off with fresh herb bread with sauce on the side. My husband had the shrimp scampi with fettuccine. I had the fresh catch of the day consisting of blackened salmon stuffed with spinach and goat cheese over butternut risotto with brussel sprouts. Plus, they have a great bar selection. He started with a Columbus IPA and I had the float and stinger (bourbon, lemon juice and pinot noir) before sharing a bottle of pinot noir. Always great food, cocktail list, atmosphere and staff.
Waited forever for someone to come to seat us. Service friendly but slow. Food was good and hot. Prices not bad. Most likely short staffed.
The food was very tasty and made fresh to order. Portions were huge. Our server was very attentive and gave great service.
Nice place! First time there as it was up the street from Nostalgia lounge and open for dinner. Very good food and excellent service. Will come again when in the Mentor area.
Heaven.....just amazing. From their dipping oil to fresh made pasta to amazing Alfredo....oh and the bread pudding with butter Scotch was to die for...fantastic service
We had our rehearsal dinner here and were beyond pleased! We had looked into a few different places but had ruled them out for various reasons, then a friend who has hers at Pastina recommended it and it was the perfect place! The staff was timely and organized throughout the planning process, allowing us to tour the possible rooms we could use, answering any questions we had, and giving us lots of freedom to personalize the space. We were able to reserve a private room with a delicious buffet set up and unlimited soft drinks/ mimosas/ and sangria at a very affordable price. The day of the event the staff at Pastina was very accommodating, asking us how many table we wanted, how we would like the room set up, even setting up the gift table for us. They also allowed us early access to the room so that some friends could decorate it (anything was permitted except confetti). It was so nice to have such beautiful private space with wonderful food.
Recently visited with a dozen girlfriends. Food and service was excellent! Table was ready when we arrived per reservation. We had a variety of cocktails and wine. Many seafood and pasta dishes. My chicken broccolini was fantastic! Great job Athena handling all of us women.
Cold. The atmosphere, the sliced bread, the service, and the temperature.The calamari might have been good if it wasnt swimming in syrup. And the Bolognese sauce was just... off. When we were seated, and throughout dinner, the smell of burnt-- something-- kept permeating the dining area, making everything we ate just a little bit more unpleasant. The waitress checked on us regularly enough, but didnt really listen to what was being said when we spoke, and seemed to practically ignore most of what I said and would refer to my husband as to whether I was finished with my own food.We wont be back anytime soon.
Disappointed to say the least. Besides the expensive overcooked noodles, the service was distasteful from our server, Kari. We had a large group of 22 for a birthday party so I know larger groups can be overwhelming. However, whenever we had a question, she snapped at us for no reason for example: 1. As she went around to collect everyone’s order, she reached my sister who wanted to place a to go order and all she asked was when is the best time. She responded “let me get everyone that is here, I’m not worried about the people that aren’t here”. She definitely could’ve said this nicer as my sister was just trying to help make sure it was all on the same check. 2. As our food started to come out, other serves were helping to bring them out. They would go around to each person asking if they ordered this until they found them. They put my food in front of my brother in law so I told him that’s mine as he ordered something else. As we switched plates, Kari spoke up and said “y’all need to be patient, we only have 2 cooks and there is 25 of you all”. We were all dumbfounded as not one person was complaining about the wait. We actually were enjoying time together since we all haven’t seen each other on over a year. 3. Lastly and this is the final straw that I will not be returning to this establishment. As we boxed our food up and paid our bills, my sister wanted a family pic of us all at the table. She asked Kari and she responded “No I can’t take it. I’m about to cry, I i didn’t get any tips”. My sister was so hurt as she was the organizer of this party, spent the most for her to treat us this way. I’ve never heard a server say this whether it was about another table or us. At this point I was ready to talk to the manger about her rudeness but my sister asked me not to. Days later, this is still weighing on me as I would like management to know about their server. My recommendation is any big parties, they should automatically add in the gratuity so this doesn’t happen to another family. Maybe they will get their picture taken.
Pastina is amazing!! The food is to die for and everything is homemade! Visited for the first time and I am definitely impressed and we will be back! The atmosphere was relaxing and very modern.
Was very dissatisfied. From my drink, the salad and the entree. I ordered an old fashioned.. tasted like pure bourbon. I had the server make it the right way to add simple syrup. Then my caprese salad came out and it was little grape tomatoes and cubes of mozzarella. Then for my entree I ordered a shrimp scampi it had an overload of sauce and it tasted like it was burnt like they used a dirty pan or something.. needless to say I won’t be dining here again. Bad experience.
Sat at the bar. Bartender very cordial and efficient. Ordered the stuff pepper appetizer which had good texture and flavor, needed spice. Had the eggplant arribiata that was fresh pasta (a little overcooked) and a very tasty eggplant sauce. Large portion that was quite satisfying. Will return.
Absolutely the best mushroom ravioli I have ever had! The homemade pasta is phenomenal and they have an excellent selection of wine. The portions are generous so be sure to share!
Food was just ok. Nothing spectacular. Service was good. Prices were fair.
Friendly polite, great service and delicious food. Drive 40 min to get there with x4 kids and was worth every mile . Is drive 40 minutes to give them a high five 🤣 go there thank me later lol. Of yea good drinks to 😉
Two great dishes, full of flavor. The atmosphere was nice and service was great. I enjoyed my meal so much that when I told another friend about my experience, she said we need to go for brunch another day. Please eat here, you wont be disappointed.
This place is THE BEST around for pasta. Honestly, it ruined every other Italian restaurant for us because we just judge them in comparison to Pastina. Everything tastes super high quality and every server weve had has been amazing. Just make sure you make a reservation! 😍
The food was great, service was excellent, we had a great dinner with our family
First time eating here. Very nice place, a notch up from your typical chain restaurant. Service was friendly, prompt and very helpful with our questions. Food was excellent though when choosing from the menu youll need to know something about Italian pasta. Portions were large and we each took a box home. The pricing is a notch up too, but totally reflected in the atmosphere, quality and service. Would definitely recommend visiting.
The food and drinks are great! Be sure to reserve a table online a few days beforehand as the restaurant is quite popular!
Awesome find while traveling. Food was excellent and a good drink selection.
The mushroom pizza with arugula was absolutely delicious and the service was warm, friendly and efficient! Nice selection of craft beers too!
The Shrimp Scampi pasta was DEEEE-LICIOUS!! The Cannoli was one of the best Ive ever tasted! All the servers were VERY nice and VERY respectful! The food came quickly! The bread with sauce that was served before our dinner was very tasty! The prices were pretty reasonable too. Loved it!
Bread appetizer with that amazing sauce is awesome, probably the best sauce I’ve ever had appetizer wise to dip in. Chicken pasta was very tasty. Friendly staff. Clean and professional environment.
Nothing special here. Modest portions of overcooked noodles smothered in thick, overly processed marina sauce. Veal Marsala propped up on bitter Brussels sprouts, with wilted fresh herb garnish. Loose-textured, bland gnocchi served cold. The best part of the meal was the bread.
Took my daughters for a mommy/ daughter date night. Waited over 10 minutes to get a server after we were seated. Waited over an hour for a kids pizza and an entree pasta. Manager just said, “sorry, it’s Saturday night.” Terrible service and mediocre food!
Excellent food. Fantastic service. We always love everything we order from here.
Loved the food,ambiance. Waitress was wonderful!Too pricey for my budget. SS doesnt pay a living wage.
Used to love this place. Called a $100 curbside order from my car tonight. I ordered apps and 3 adult meals.Then I order the kids meals. The hostess tells me I can’t order kids food for curbside. She says their policy is that I have to come in and prove they exist before they will sell me kids meals. Literally have to bring the kids INTO the restaurant before they will even let me order the kids food. I was so shocked.What!? My two toddlers are screaming in the background during this whole call. How is that not proof enough?This is honestly the most ridiculous take out policy I’ve ever encountered. We cancelled the whole order.
Been eating there since it opened and usually are very satisfied. Tonight we had a party of 10 (5 adults, 5 kids) and we were very disappointed. Service was extremely slow, several meals came out luke warmor cold and and 3 of the entrees came out 20 minutes after the others. It should not take nearly 2 hours to eat relatively simple dishes. No one seems too concerned, not sure what’s going, on but we certainly won’t be back.
Theres no doubt their food is usually very good, problem is the service inside the restaurant. After very slow service we asked to speak to the manager to let them know. His explanation was that a bunch of orders all came in at once. No apology. So, basically hes saying that if theyre busy expect a long wait and slow service. Again, theyre lucky the food is good otherwise theyd be closed. If you like good Italian and dont mind the fact that theyre not going to staff appropriately then go to Pastina.
Food was at par. The bread was weird and the cold marinara that came with it was even weirder. I liked the fresh pasta. It was cooked al dente how I like it.I would say my food was lukewarm, and my Chicken Piccata was not very flavorful. It was just alright, on the dry side. The prices are insane when you consider the enjoyability of the meal. They did sit us at a dirty table as well. The staff was nice to us though.I have to give this place the benefit of the doubt due to COVID. Things are different during all of this. Maybe under normal circumstances it wouldve been better. I just wish we had chosen a different restaurant to celebrate the birthday we came there for.
I was at this restaurant the other day, the day the air conditioning was acting up. The owner was doing everything she could to resolve the problem. She was checking in on the customers reassuring us that she was addressing the issue and doing whatever she could to accommodate us. The food was phenomenal!! Fresh and authentic. I was especially pleased with the pizza. Great service, friendly staff, clean and comfortable. The whole family enjoyed our first time visit. I’ll definitely be a returning customer, with my friends and family.
Due to covid by husband and I decided to do a micro wedding of 20 people and have our reception dinner at Pastina Rustic. Let me tell you, I think with every bite we were raving about how wonderful the food was. Our server was alone but she was fantastic and extremely helpful. My husband and I will definitely be spending our anniversarys here!
Food was fantastic, 5 stars. I give 1 star to the server, very rude! Caleigh also over heard our private conversation and commented on it!!!
We’ve always really liked the food from pastina. The fresh pasta and pizza are both very good! My wife loves the stuffed peppers and the dipping bread is very good!
Bar tenders were very nice, food was so so.
Great foods. Nice staff. Need more selections for vegetarian s.Beautiful pizzas
Pastina is one of the best restaurants in the area, and if you like fresh made pasta, there is no better place to go. It is one of our go-to places for dinner for my wife and I, and the food, drinks, and service are always excellent. The decor is very comfortable and well-designed, and the bar area is large and open. My favorite is the shrimp scampi, and my wife loves the chicken parmigiana. They pizzas are a favorite for our kids. Check them out - you will not regret it!
Food is delicious. However, service is abhorrent. Slow as molasses. Didnt bring drinks for over an hour after we were there. Brought our food out with dishes stacked on top of peoples food. Its a pandemic - you need to think about an actual dish sitting on top of food that another member of my party will be ingesting. Gross. We had to ask for things like parmesan cheese - which youd think it would be logical with an Italian place, but okay. Spoke to the manager about the issues, and he didnt care. Walked away practically rolling his eyes. Our waitress was seen plating food which is why her service was slow bc she just wasnt around to to her actual job. Totally sad bc this used to be our favorite place.
The food and service here is always excellent! My boyfriend and I went to Pastina for Valentines Day. We made reservations so we were seated instantly. Our server (I forgot her name) was great at her job! We were able to eat and cash out in under an hour on a busy holiday night. We will be back again 😍
We were visiting from Michigan and the owners were absolutely fabulous! The food was superb! Im not a fan of pasta but I will definitely be visiting again!
We dropped in for our usual light dinner; split a couple appetizers. The food is top notch. The service provided by Barb at the bar was exemplary. A decent selection of wines that extended beyond the local Ohio offerings was appreciated. If, and I mean if, we found a flaw it would be that we were expecting a stand alone establishment with open air seating on a patio. We just might have misunderstood the description we read. Still, this place is an easy 5 stars. The calamari is great, especially when paired with their pasta sauce. We ordered a flat bread which was delicious. Before we left we ordered the three cheese ravioli with meatballs just to try a couple bites. Fantastic.
Very disappointed. The food all had a bit of dish water taste. Don’t remember the description of the $18 gnocchi being fried. And also was supposed to have sauce and didn’t or not an amount of note. And the portions looked like 2 to 3oz of dough ($18 flower and potato). Then my next dish $22 for, 4 very well done shrimp and small portion of over cooked noodles. It must have gone straight from hot sauté to the box and lid immediately. Clearly didn’t toss the noodles and they all stuck together in one small glob. The white sauce didn’t taste anything like the description on the menu. For the reviews online and from patrons i expected much better and had been very excited to go. My expectations where in no way met. I would have had a more satisfying meal getting the pasta special from papa joes. No exaggeration. I would have saved $60 for a more enjoyable meal. What ever water they had made the dough, and cooked the pasta in taste like a dish tank. It was the overall flavor of both dishes. I Chalking it up to it being 7:30pm on Sunday and the cooks rushing through my order to close the kitchen and product quality due to covid. But i will not be back to try again. I know how much 4 shrimp 4 ounces of noodles cost and wouldn’t mind paying that if the sauce was exceptional or even tasty in some manner.
Weve been here several times for dinner and love it. All the ingredients are as locally sourced as possible. Everything is made from scratch in house, including the pastas and breads and you can really tell the difference. The food is very fresh and vibrant. They dont use near as much garlic as most Italian places, which depending on your tastes can be a good or bad thing. An example is their Alfredo sauce, which is more buttery than garlicky. A different approach in my experience, but good in its own way. Everything weve tried here has been very good. The atmosphere is pleasant and fun, with an area with couch seating in front of a fireplace. The booths are nice and comfortably quiet enough for conversations. My biggest recommendation: make reservations if going during peak dinner hours. It is not unusual for at least an hour wait, especially during colder months when people arent out grilling and traveling themselves.
I was pleasantly surprised by the food here! I have driven by Pastina for quite sometime and was very excited to try it. Its always packed but I honestly didnt expect much. I was blown away! The food was so good! Staff was also attentive and the facility is gorgeous inside. Very impressed and will definitely return.
Called made reservations for 7:00 September 11,2020 (which was the time given when we called at 6) Friday night, covid still not allowing much seating. We get there on time, gave our name, hostess (which their hostesses are not the friendliest every time someone approaches) said, oh ya we had alot of calls ahead of yours and its gonna be a really long wait. Sorry! Wait, what!? Whats the point of a reservation? Needless to say, we like authentic Italian dont mind paying the price, but it was good food not great food, never friendly happy to have you service. Pastina is close to our home which was convenient.Done, we wont be back!
Great place good decor and atmosphere. Loved the butternut squash ravioli!! Server was very sweet and did a great job!! Will definitely return.
Food was delicious and Hannah was an excellent server. Carmel me machiatto cocktail is like a dessert in a glass. Fantastic!
2nd visit 2nd time I was disappointed !! Better than the last visit but still lacking. Had to send back my side as it was very oily/greasy and lacked flavor only to get greasy fries with no flavor and no dipping sauce. The server talked them up as great. Just as disappointing did not eat them. $18 for pasta 🍝 with one meatball and one small sausage. Sorry 😐 Way over priced especially for the quality and portion size. I have no problem paying for good food that is quality. Also kitchen staff this isnt your social club its your work stop horsing around and do your jobs.
For the amount of money we paid, I was disappointed at the amount of shrimp in my dish. If the shrimp had been large, I would have been happy. 5 medium shrimp for $22 in a pasta dish is skimpy. I will say that the homemade pasta was cooked properly and delicious. We asked for a recommendation for wine and, even though it was one of the most expensive on the menu, it was an excellent wine, worth the money! The staff was friendly, helpful and well trained. We were sat at a table where we could see into the bar and the entertainment started before we left. It was tasteful music that didnt impede on our conversations.
Excellent staff, very happy with our entrees. The interior is beautiful! Great pick for my little girls birthday dinner. Very reasonable prices and quality ingredients. Looking forward to visiting again soon, cant wait to sit on the patio in the summer!
Homemade pasta was amazing. Staff was great. Didnt have to wait a long time for food to come out. Best Italian restaurant I have been to.
Hands down the best dining experience in lake county. Fantastic homemade pastas and bread, locally sourced beef/pork & produce and excellent craft cocktails!
I was looking forward to a dinner night with the family. They are few and far between with covid. I chose pastina because food has always been pretty good it’s got a good vibe I have never really had anything but a good experience. It happened to be a total monsoon outside. We pulled in and there was a handicapped spot and 5 open spots for Curbside only. We would have had to walk in the monsoon to get to the door. Being with my small children I parked in a curbside spot. I probably shouldn’t have I don’t disagree that it was prob not the most tasteful thing but considering they were ALL open and I didn’t want my children to eat dinner soaking wet I gave it a shot. When we entered the hostess said you need to move your car that’s curbside only. I told her I understand but we didn’t want to eat dinner soaked and there were 5 open curbside spots. She said we need to move it. The place was empty. We had 5 people with us waiting and it was literally pouring rain. She let us leave. I told my husband nicely maybe we should go somewhere else and he agreed. She kinda had a don’t let the door hit you on the way out kind of attitude. $200 bill or more.... gone.
We had a party of 4 with reservations made several days in advance. We were seated promptly. Once we were lead to a large room, we realized the air conditioning was not working. One of our quests was elderly & became un comfortable. I asked if we could move to another area where the air was working, but was told their were private parties. There were open tables in booths we could have been seated. The host told us the air was coming on. It never did. Service was poor, our waitress was slow. Our drinks did come out until our dinner. The bread was cold & thrown on a plate. The pasta was not exceptional. Wont come back
Delish! Lori was awesome! Very attentive and sweet. Rodent the bartender made my special drink! We will definitely be back!
Had to wait a bit, without a reservation, so if suggest making one. Pizza was great, and the pastina salad was as well. Kids had a pasta and meatball, it was an appropriate size and tasty. We were passing through on a road trip and stopped for a nice meal, well worth the trip off the interstate.
Amazing food, amazing service, and amazing atmosphere!
Recently took the cross country team I coach here for a pre-meet pasta dinner and had a good experience. Most people enjoyed their food and thought it was excellent. The only person who didnt like their food was someone who didnt like cheese and ordered a dish with cheese in it without knowing it was filled with ricotta cheese. All the pasta here appears to be homemade and fresh and the salads also were very good and appeared to be home made as well with fresh ingredients. Free bread was served that was good too. Nice decor inside with good service. This place is a little pricey, but is reasonable for the quality of food. I would come here again.
My wife was so pleased with the entire night at Pastina. She loved the hostess and waitress. They were fantastic from beginning to end. It smells wonderful when you walk into the restaurant. We ordered the Capricciosa and the Fall Vegetable Pasta. The fresh sauce made the dish quite delicious. Fantastic restaurant.
Not happy with this place..the food was not worth the money we paid for it
Enjoyed a delicious meal for two on Tuesday night. We sat at the bar and enjoyed one hell of a spinach pizza with Burratta cheese.Thanks guys, for a job well done!
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS, I arrived late my party was already eating so I called ahead and the hostess and waitress was so nice and accomodating...and the food was amazing..I had the potato ravioli and my wife had the Americana Pizza....will definitely be visiting this establishment again.
Recommended to me by locals and extremely glad I checked it out. Authentic flavor that reminded me of my grandmother’s cooking. Absolutely loved the sauce and the arancini.
This was an amazing meal. One of the best Italian dinners I have ever had. They have fresh homemade bread with this dipping sauce that had to be made from crack. It was that addictive. Pasta was fresh and you could tell it was made in house and fresh. I had a veal dish that was superb. Waitress was very attentive and you could tell this place cared about its customers. I wish I lived closer. I would eat here all the time.
Great food and service! Awesome Italian food from a storied family in the Lake County area. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 - the prices. In terms of Italian food, while it is very good, I feel that it is a bit overpriced. Staples such as Chicken Parmesan and Pasta Bolognese are 18-19$ when I would expect to pay about 4-5$ less. In fact, two of the other restaurant chains owned by the same family (Longo’s and Joey’s) charge about 4$ less for each meal. They do boast about homemade pasta, which is very much appreciated, but I still feel that the prices are a bit high. This should NOT stop you from going, this is an awesome restaurant.
Perfection across the board! From the smiling hostesses, to the accommodating and friendly service to the best tasting Italian food I have ever had. The atmosphere so calming and inviting. Blessed that its so close to home. But if it wasnt it would be worth the drive
It was a great dinner. We had gnocchi with pesto sauce and butternut squash ravioli and amazing. So glad we enjoyed our evening out !!!
I cant quit thinking about our dinner this evening. Everything, and I mean everything, was so delicious. I ordered their homemade Cavatelli Luna Rosa. It was absolute perfection. I married into a big Italian family almost 50 years ago and I quickly learned to appreciate good Italian cooking. This matched anything Ive ever had in our family. Their service was also amazing. Thank you for the best meal in a long time.
True Italian food! Delicious all home made including the pasta noodles. Beautiful restaurant, attentive staff and hearty portions of food. Blows any other Italian restaurant Ive ate in away. Whoever runs this place has high attention to detail and cares about every aspect of the place and it shows.
I took a party of six here for my Fathers birthday. And while I would love to leave a 5 star review, two of my guests were not impressed with the food, and I feel the service was not up to par with the price. All in all not a bad experience, but not my favorite, I hoped for more.
No question - Hands down - BEST Italian food in Lake County!!! Their homemade sauce, gnocchi and chicken parm are absolutely wonderful!! Im salivating just talking about it :)No seriously, this place is by far THE best place for authentic Italian food!
Excellent and creative dinner menu along with daily specials, all beautifully presented. Everything is made fresh including the bread and various pastas and the pizza is fabulous too. The dining room is beautiful for a quieter or more intimate dinner or choose seating on the bar side with many TVs which has booths and high top tables which is perfect if your a sports fan.
Absolutely wonderful amazing homemade pasta sauces and cheeses. True italian
I Dont even know where to start. The service last night was embarrassing. We were there to celebrate by wifes birthday. Weve had multiple birthdays, rented out the backroom for wedding partys and baby showers and never had a complaint. Not 1 person in our party of 12 received a single drink refill in 2.5 hours. Not 1 person was asked if theyd even like a drink refill. Those of us that asked for a refill never recieved the refill. 3 people had tea and only after the 3rd request she brought over a pitcher of tea. The 9 other people never recieved a single refill. Our glasses remained empty the entire night as Our server seemed to be Mia and could careless. I made it through my entire meal before the parmesan cheese even made it to the table. 3 at our table wanted desert and our server never made it back for the order. After 25 minutes she comes over and asks about desert completely oblivious that it was already decided and weve been waiting to place the order. Took another 30 mins to even get the desert for only 3 people. 55 mins total to place and receive our order. And yes I kept track as it became a sick joke by this point. The last 1 hour we were there consisted of waiting on 1 brownie and 2 creme brulees. Multiple tables had the wrong checks brought to them. The New Garlic dip for the palm frites was awful. Why in the world would you get rid of the chipotle mayo and sriracha ketchup is beyond me. Very unlikely we will be returning anytime soon. The place was not even remotely busy and theres no excuse for last nights service. My wife almost physically took the Bills to the counter because we began to feel like hostages. Nothing was a priority, and nobody was even remotely attentive. Everyone in our party couldnt believe it as I said weve never had a issue and always considered the service to be good. Not a good sign!
Food was great and service was as well
Pastinas is a more upscale Italian restaurant. I have always had great dishes and the portions are large. Beware the bar area on cold fall days, there is a fireplace there, but if you arent seated in front of the fireplace it is cold... Very cold.
First time here. Visiting and met family here. Food was really good, waiter was really niceI just wish my tiramisu was colder :-) pricing a little more upper scale but cozy atmosphere. Even a little fireplace you can sit down with friends behind the bar. I do recommend this place
Food was amazing, wonderful atmosphere and great friendly prompt service.
Weve had delicious meals here, especially their linguine and meatballs. This past Sunday, though, we hosted our sons Baptism reception and everything could not have been better! Matt and Mike were soo easy to work with and friendly. The food and service were excellent. They even moved us to the main dining room so our party wouldnt be cramped. Im so grateful! We will be back.
Came with a large group(with reservations) for Valentines day. What a mistake. They have no idea how time the food coming out. Our waitress ignored us many times and Id rather go to Olive garden . Didnt even ask how our food was very poor experience. To bad the spent all the money making the place look beautiful,they should have spent it on better wait staff and chef
Do not go there without a reservation because they will only squeeze you by giving you a time limit to eat your food. So basically sure I can seat you but shove your face in by this time because we have other people coming in. And the look we were given when we came in and said we did not have a reservation was pretty rude
If you know anything about Good Italian food and how it should be cooked DO NOT GO HERE.VERY disappointed. My Gnocchis were terrible very mushy. The portions are small. The bread is nothing Italian either is the sauce that comes with it. We will never go back. This place gives Real Italian Food a bad name. Shame on you.
I love the food here! The bruschetta is wonder and comes with different toppings on them! I also love the salads! They put on the best home made mozzarella cheese! It is so good with the walnuts and strawberries!
GreaT food! I always enjoy the food here. Havent got a bad meal yet. I had the cavatelli and it was superb. Home made noodles of course with all their pasta. The salmon was cooked to perfection and served with risotto and fennel salad. Both quite tasty as well. This place can really get very busy so a reservation is suggested.
Excellent food! Made fresh, from scratch, daily, and you can see the quality they put into everything they do. Classy and pleasant atmosphere, but, my only complaint is that when its really busy, it gets really loud (music and crowds of people) and its hard to hear other people youre with.
Not even sure what to say other than its amazing. Wife had the chicken Alfredo..fantastic. I had the chicken parm.. fantastic. Brother-in-law had the pizza...fantastic. Its a bit on the pricey side, but well worth it.
My family went to pastina last night and I wasn’t able to attend. My husband brought me food home and it was just as good as eating it in the restaurant. Great portion sizes & amazing flavors. The bread was fresh and the dipping sauce was delicious. The pasta tasted perfect with a great consistency & sauce ratio. The chicken parm had a crust that gave the right balance. The cannoli. Oh the cannoli. Even in a styrofoam container, that cannoli looked to-die-for. It tasted better than any other cannoli this mouth has eaten. I had a great experience with pastina and I didn’t even sit in the restaurant this time! Highly recommend. My entire family was raving about the food from the variety of options to the portion sizes.
Held a rehearsal dinner here with full reservations and planning. Seated our party of twenty at two separate tables on the enclosed patio. Wait staff was distracted and inattentive. Room was so loud we had to yell to converse. Most of the food was good, though the seafood was dry and overcooked.Might be a nice place to go for an evening out with friends, but certainly wouldnt recommend for a party or event.
The service was not great. When I got there I went to the bar and the bartender was not very friendly and was arguing with other servers he seemed to be upset at. Once seated our server was hard to get a hold of and not very attentive, but it might be because she was being pulled in many directions. The appetizers were very good, but the main courses took forever and were just ok.
Food is good. Service is good. However 2 goods do not justify it to be rather pricey.
Never have had a bad meal here. Atmosphere, people and food are the best.
Absolutely LOVE this restaurant for its food, decor, service, and atmosphere. I found the food to be authentic Italian, served in good portions. My first experience there was very impressionable for me and my guest and we will definitely return. The only thing that could be even slightly negative (but was humorous) was our young server. The bread is VERY tasty, so when we asked her what was in the bread, she replied focaccia and insisted it was the ingredient that made it so good. Honestly, I think it was rosemary. Focaccia, of course, is a type of bread, not an ingredient. :-)
Food and service was absolutely excellent! Perfect place for a date night. Extensive wine, beer, and mixed drink selection. Great classic Italian food. Service was prompt and inviting. Atmosphere is warm and romantic. Highly recommended!
So amazing. Homemade pasta is the best. Had a great shrimp diablo app. Reisling was great and creme brulee was so good. Service was also awesome!
Incredible food! Everything is made from scratch! Tuscan atmosphere, family friendly. Kids menu available. Highly recommend the Arancini and Gnocchi!
Pastina is one of my favorite places to eat for special occasions or just a casual meet up. The handmade pasta, breads, and sauces are unbelievably tasty. Olive what now???? The are very flexible with their menu- my favorite is the carbonara with Alfredo sauce. It will change your life- and your waist line but lifes short
Food is good, service is terrible.They are way under staffed. Took 25 min just to get my drink. While we waited to be seated the people in the kitchen were very unprofessional screaming at each other.
The food is always good, but the service and attention and care to detail needs attention. Orderes pizza to take home and when I got home ALL 3 pizzas were wrong. Went back and got home to find out one of the pizzas was still incorrect. Two trips and over an hour later, and we are what we got.
Incredible place! Loved the food!!! Service was top notch and drinks were delicious. Highly recommended.
Service was slow and inattentive; we had to ask for water. My Manhattan tasted more of vermouth than bourbon, and was shaken (as evidenced by the murkiness and foam on top). Both the Arancini appetizer and my Pastina pizza were very good.
Service is very good and the food is great. It is a little more expensive than your typical restaurant, but you can tell the food is made from scratch. I would definitely recommend Pastina for some tasty food!
Great locally owned restaurant and bar. Older crowd. Great vibe. Consistently good food and varied menu. Make all their sauces, dressings etc from scratch. Farm to table when possible. We only sit on the bar side of this restaurant Big bar with Plenty of tvs Also have entertainment some nights.
Fantastic food. Definitely will be there again. Our server was fantastic as well
I had high expectations of Pastina restaurant in Mentor, prior to arriving. Mentor is not particularly known for its variety of trendy, upscale eateries. Pastina was sure to be a home run, right? The interior is gorgeous, no doubt. Pastinas main floor features a rustic, home-like dining section as well as a more casual section. I would recommend that one schedules reservations in advance if dining in the home-like section appeals more. Wait time wasnt long when we arrived and this was a good thing given that the lobby is extremely small. Again, reservations in advance are crucial to dining in the immediate future upon arriving. Food was incredibly mediocre compared to the upscale design of the building. I was extremely, extremely disappointed. Ingredients were moderately fresh, were not flavorful nor high in quality. I cannot express how disproportionate the food quality to atmosphere ratio was. Absolutely disappointing. This easily could have been a 4/5 or even a 5/5 venue and a redeeming upscale eatery for Mentor. Unfortunately, this place still needs a lot of work and I will most likely not return.
Ok so Ive been here once before and it was OK. I went last night for my wifes Bday and we had made reservations to eat. We got there and were immediately greeted and seated us next to the table of 20. It took 20 min for the waitress to come take our drink order. I asked if the had a recorking service as I was going to buy a bottle of wine. She looked at me like I was speaking another language and responded with no knowledge of what she was talking about, but told me yes. Fast forward to the end when I expected my wine to be recorked and sealed to go home, heres what she did. She shoved the cork in the top and gave me two thank you bags to put it in. So after my 100 dollar diner which was subpar, I was sent home with an open container. How unprofessional. Pastina sells a very wide selection of wine so why did this happen? We will not be returning to this place bc of this incident and our entrees were poorly done. The inside of this establishment is nice and well done. Doesnt match the service or food quality. I heard they had good pizza, but that isnt what we had. Sad this place had potential to be good.
2nd time there..both times just delicious. Love the fresh pasta, sauces are so fresh. Great time and service.2018 last 2 times we have been there, service is slower and food lukewarm. Still tasty, just not hot.
Pasta was way undedone and greasy. I like al dente but this was borderline raw..I can see why The restaurant almost empty.. no offer for extra cheese.I won’t be back
Just went for cocktails and dessert at the bar. Great service! Had the fudge brownie with espresso Gelato ! Amazing. Would highly recommend if you are looking for a nice upscale bar.
Fantastic local place. Freshly made every day pasta! You could tell. My husband had a great serving of fettuccini Alfredo - fresh broccolini and chicken topped a wonderful Alfredo sauce. I had a great salad worth my small plate special. Freshly made foccacia bread came with the meal - excellent flavor! We found the place via yelp as we are not from the area. Well with the stop!
Décor is inviting and tasteful. The service leaves nothing to chance - very attentive without hovering. But the best part of this experience is the food! Authentic Italian! Pasta (made in-house)done perfectly and the sauces are spectacular. The beet salad features in-house mozzarella and drizzled with wonderful balsamic syrup. Bravo for the diligence that has gone in to a restaurant that uses local resources and works hard to provide the best all around experience.
Been here twice. 1st time was good and needed to try again.2nd time wasnt very pleased, way way to loud in the dinning area to speak to the person next to you.Food wasnt bad. Try it if you like Italian.
So very disappointed. I have been here before and everything was wonderful. Tonight, it was a different story. We were there for and hour and a half and still had no food! For God’s sake - it was Sunday! Not busy and still we received sub-par service!
First time there and will definitely return. Great food and service.
The food was good. Definitely fresh and homemade pasta and sauce. Our waitress wasnt the nicest nor fastest but we did enjoy the food.
Generous salads. Fresh pasta. Very good food and good service. We had a group with two long tables in the party room, which worked out well for us. Well be back.
Great Italian fare. We had butternut squash ravioli, fantastic. Service was quick. We were able to call ahead for seating.
I should have known... extremely overrated. Very beautiful restaurant with tons of potential, but quality of food (especially for the price) was lacking. Ordered arancini and stuffed pepper appetizers. Beautiful presentation, very quick to the table, but both were cold. The cheese inside the arancini wasnt even melted. For entrees e ordered cheese ravioli and chicken parmesan. Chicken parm was hot, but cold ravioli. They brought out a plate of hot ravioli to replace the first plate. Both ravioli and chicken parm were delicious, but nothing to justify the extremely high price point as compared to local competitors (which they would include salad and dinner rolls as well).
Food was great as ever! Our waitress Ashley was awesome. Compliments to the Josephine!
Very, very friendly group of people working there. Atmosphere great. Food amazing! Pasta homemade daily. Cannolis are out of this world. Absolutely loved the place!!!
Over priced pasta that is not made as decribed. A wait in the lobby of over 15 minutes then seated in an almost empty dining room. No one left. Pasta was served room temperature and stuck together, chicken over cooked, broccoli was all stems. The salad doesnt even come with the meal. $20 for pasta and you have to pay $3 for the salad. Really!
Service is always great and the food is wonderful. Our family loves coming here for fresh made pasta dishes. Menu has good variety.
The food is always fresh and tasty. Excellent and friendly service. Go there for a wonderful dining experience.
Decent waitresses, great salad. Very disappointed in the shrimp dish. Only four (2) shrimp buried under a pile of hardened pasta for $21. I will not go back.
Went here for the first time for my daughters birthday, food and service was incredible. If you have never been here and looking for good authentic homemade Italian food then this is the place to try
We had guests from another country with very thick accents and our waiter, Joe was great with them. Food was great, he went out of his way. Thank you!
Price of food did not match the flavor. Both pasta dishes, Bolognese and chicken parm were dry and tasteless not sure what the chef trying to achieve there are.so many Italian restaurant on the street.
Arrived 30 minutes early for a reservation. Place was empty, but they wouldnt seat two of us because theres a policy. Stood in lobby for 30 minutes instead of drinking a couple high profit beers. Just stupid. Food is OK, but dumb policies will keep me away.
The food was delicious...the service not so great 😒 Made a reservation for special Bday dinner, hostess was not very gracious...and server took a long time to serve us & disappeared for lengths of time
The food is incredible!
I see lots of reviews here that say this place has great food but terrible service , and I 100% agree.Great food. Terrible service.
Great food, came for my wedding anniversary. Less than a week later my wife had told me she had a separate life. Great service.
Good food. Good service. They dont require a reservation. They do prefer it however.
Holy Canoli was it good!!! Delicious, delicious food!!! Great friendly service, too!
Pretty decent place to eat, I got the shrimp scampi it was a little salty and I think the noodles were under cooked and super oily. The place was packed with two parties so Im not sure if our order was rushed or not. If give it a second try.
Love the food and ambiance. Great for mostoccasions. Can be a bit pricey as meals do not include a salad as may be standard in other comparable establishments.
The ambiance, food and service at Pastinas was really good. The only reason for a four star rating instead of five stars is everything is a la carte. Dinners should include a salad or vegetable.
We had a party of over 30 and the service was very good considering. The food was good and still warm; I say warm because serving 30 people at once is no easy task
Food is always great good wines. Bar tender this evening was less than attentive. Seemed to be more interested in making new friends will go back. Of course
Dinner there 3 times last 2 were very disappointing. Food not prepared well served almost cold. Nice atmosphere but I go to a restaurant to eat good food.
Delicious Italian. Creative dishes using really fresh ingredients. Lovely atmosphere, too. Mmmmm!!!
Fantastic homemade pastas. Everything was fresh and delicious. The service was excellent, too!
Food was good, service was excellent. I had the Shrimp Scampi - delicious flavor!
Great food! Awesome music and ambiance! Only thought for improvement would be that the pasta bolognese was a bit salty! Other than that, phenomenal! Will definitely be back!!
The food was wonderful. The waitress took very good care of us which made our meal very enjoyable.
Excellent food and desserts! Great vibe and atmosphere too. The side room is perfect for a party
Took my daughter for a special meal before her Daddy Daughter dance. The staff was great with us and we had a wonderful time
The food was very good!! We had a wonderful waitress!!
High quality, tasty food and amazing service! We would recommend to Pastina to anyone in the area.
I’ve been here a few times and the food quality and service is excellentA lot different then your ho hum Italian in every corner. Very high quality
The food was fantastic, our server was so nice and quick, and the atmosphere was wonderful. Our food came out much quicker than expected.
Great atmosphere, great service and our food was excellent. Extensive menu and drink selections. We will be back!
Delicious fresh tasting food. Amazing salad and even the decaf was really good. Excellent service. Tiny bit pricey but worth it.
Everything is Ala carte so it adds up, sauces are nice. My gnocci was good but a bit mushy, cavatelle quite good, pleasant and attentive server
Very professional service and kind waitresses. Waitresses back each other up to help get food out to everyone quicker. Food is very good and would recommend to anyone
Pastina is fantastic! The food is amazing and fresh. The only thing I wish is you could order take-out ahead instead of walking in ordering and waiting at the bar for it.
Fantastic food made fresh and sourced local
Food is A+....highly recommend the Butternut Squash Ravioli.
Best Italian cuisine since NY, presentation and freshness is their staple. you will absolutely love any dish you get. I know I did!
Visited place for a Christmas party. Everything on cadering menu was great. The best Italian food in the area. Will be back with my family when we are in the mood Italian comfort food.
Ordered mushroom pizza. Tasty but should be called arugala pizza. Graciously was remade, added $1.50 for extra mushrooms, better though still had MORE arugala on top than mushrooms. Also had a delicious cocktail; Herb and Meyer and a Pastina Salad.
Great food, nice atmosphere, and attentive service.
First time dining. Wonderful service and some of the freshest ingredients. Pasta was wonderful. The owner Joe was a pleasure meeting. Planning my next return visit.
Delicious pasta and a comfortable environment. Cocktails were better than expected. Generous portions and great service.
Stumbled on this place driving through town and am so happy I did. Food is fantastic! Atmosphere was really nice. Really impressed.
Pesto Shrip pasta is good!
Best shrimp scampi small plate! Food locally sourced and pasta is homemade. Nice neighborhood restaurant and very good service.
Literally the best Italian food Ive ever had. My wife and I will be attending again.
Food and service was fantastic,most of all the food is made from scratch, great place to eat!
Total reviews rating 4.4
199 Reviews for Pastina Rustic Italian Restaurant 2023:
Review №1
2022-07-22Locally grown & raised ingredients, home made pasta & marinara sauce ~ a taste of Rome in Mentor Ohio! We stopped in to celebrate our anniversary, this place is nice enough for a special event and casual enough for a lunch or dinner. We ordered the veal parmigiana, came with home made linguine. We also had fettucine marina with meatballs and a side salad. Both were generous portions that tasted great! An extensive wine list is offered for those with a palate for a nice vino. We left full & satisfied.
Review №2
2022-04-02The salmon dish is arguably the best dish Pastina has made. It was recently added to their menu after being on special for a few weekends. All components work so well separately and even better together. The cocktails here are always delicious and well crafted. And the service is on point. Pizza is delicious as well. You cant go wrong. All around good experience.
Review №3
2022-05-22We found this place in mentor on our way back home to erie... down pouring rain. Waitstaff was very friendly. And this place was booming. The marinara sauce they bring with your bread is addicting and sooo delicious. Highly recommend and will go back when Im in the area. Prices were very reasonable for the quality 👌
Review №4
2022-02-06Small portion for dinner cost me 17 bucks for 4 ravioli with 3 meatball.. sauce is too thick like tomato paste. Meatballs taste old with no flavor. What is with the bread? And dipping sauce is cold. I wish to give 3 more stars but.. 😞
Review №5
2021-12-15The most amazing pasta youll have in your life. Although the place was packed and very loud, the staff were courteous and nice. The pasta, sauce, everything is made from scratch from locally sourced ingredients. At Pastina you can taste the difference. The noodles had texture and the sauce was rich. Next time I am in Ohio again itll be a must visit!
Review №6
2022-02-27Very disappointed.I ordered a simple Italian classic, Chicken Piccata. What I received was over cooked, mushy, flavorless, watery pasta. Somehow the pasta was over cooked, the chicken was overcooked, but somehow had no color - it was white and rubbery. The traditional breading was non existent, instead it was just a thin layer of gummy flour that I could scrape off the chicken with a fork. What should’ve been a traditional fresh lemony briney cream sauce was straight water. The sauce had no flavor at all. I was so disappointed. The salad that was served with our dinner (which was an extra $4) was not impressive. The bread that was served was the sliced italian bread you can buy for a $1 a loaf at the supermarket. For an average of $25 a plate I would suggest going somewhere else... The server was nice but didn’t check on us at all during our meal, and then when I said I didn’t want a box for my meal (that I took one single bite of) she said “I wish you had told me you didn’t like it!” I would’ve said something if she had come back at all to our table before we were finished to check on us.. instead I felt like I was being blamed for not being asked…?The only redeeming quality was she took the dish off our check without us asking which was very much appreciated.
Review №7
2022-01-22Pastina’s party of 8 on a busy Friday night, did a great job- I ordered shrimp scampi with home made fettuccini (pictured below) was delicious! I recommend reservations highly- give it a try
Review №8
2022-03-28Lord, please give me the strength and fortitude to NOT go to Pastina every week. I will be overweight AND broke. Rustic Italian is the feel of the restaurant for sure. The food is DELICIOUS. When they say everything made from scratch, they MEAN it. The pasta was amazing. The pizza phenomenal. Fresh ingredients felt like they were picked from a greenhouse in back. So good.
Review №9
2022-01-17I drove 2 hours and was worth it!I have been to a lot of Italian restaurants but none as delicious as this!You can taste the difference with the homemade pasta and homemade sauces.The bartender was right on the money with my chocolate martini .Not to mention the waitress, I believe she was Alyssa. She was fantastic and did a great job. I highly recommend and is one of my favorites. I wish they had one in Huron County, I would visit on a regular basis.
Review №10
2022-07-05Excellent food and wine. We had some wonderful nebiolo wine and ate with delite chicken marsala and Bolognese.