Location: Brentwood
Saint Louis, Missouri Food Guide: 10 Italian food Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Brentwood
Find out what Italian restaurants to try in Brentwood. Brentwood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri. The population was 8,055 at the 2010 census. Brentwood is home to Brentwood High School, a 2006 National Blue Ribbon Award winner, and Mark Twain Elementary School, a 2009 and 2017 National Blue Ribbon Award winner.
10. Gioia's Deli
Overall Ratings
4 based on 171 reviews
Reviewed By smmarkfan
When you begin to consider a grocery store deli sub (or worse) for lunch, kick yourself and head for Gioia's! The quality comes through in every bite and you will remember why you have taste buds. Outdoor seating great for dog lovers!
9. Farotto's
Overall Ratings
4 based on 114 reviews
When you dine with Farotto's, whether it be in our restaurant, a few chef prepared meals-to-go, or for a catered event, you can always be sure you are receiving quality meals with world class service! Providing great food to our customers is only a half o
Reviewed By NXTTRP
We ate dinner at Farottoâs on a week night, three different pastas and one veggie pizza. I like the idea that there are a nice variety of pastas on the menu, but we couldnât find any dish that we were truly excited about. Farottoâs seemingly has been built in stages over the years with no natural flow to the place. There are narrow hallways and you have to walk down through a service area to get to the back dining room. There is a nice deck, however, with STL weather cooperates. Our service was good enough and we each enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine. The red wine would taste better, however, if it were served a few degrees below room temp. Farottoâs is easy to find, but thereâs a lot of traffic on week nights around dinner time. Parking is around the back in a too dark parking lot. We donât have many reasons to return soon.
8. Trattoria Marcella
Overall Ratings
4 based on 322 reviews
Reviewed By Gene S
Can anyone say Emperor's New Clothes? If you read the reviews, you would expect an amazing evening if you had a meal at this establishment. I'm here to tell you that you are being duped.I made a reservation on Open Table and when it asked if we were celebrating anything special, I checked the box for birthday and wrote a similar note in the comments section when booking our reservation.Upon arrival we were greeted by a girl in a tank top, white short shorts, sandal/flip flops, covered in tattoos. Fundamentally, I'd have no problem at all being greeting by this girl on the patio of a BBQ joint or burger bar, or any joint or bar for that matter. I am however shocked that this is the first impression at what is supposed to be a fine dining establishment. Our server was a bit awkward in her mannerisms. She seemed almost forced to go through the specials and the desserts with awkward pauses in the wrong spots like she was acting in a bad play. She was pleasant however overall so aside from her seemingly odd behavior and obvious disappointment that we didn't order bottles of wine, she was fine.The interior looks brand new for 1970 as in perhaps it hasn't been touched since the building was built; which seems even more strange since it pre-dates this business. Perhaps the owners wanted to save money and just kept the decor in place from whoever owned it before them. It is long overdue for any kind of remodel/update.The final straw was that the birthday was completely overlooked. Not a mention, not a candle, nothing. We did see someone else's birthday being celebrated, but if you get to the end of the meal and then have to tell your server you are here for a birthday, it kind of defeats the purpose. Since we had decided during our disappointing and overpriced dinner that we were going to Ted Drewes for dessert; we let this slide as well.The bill arrived and it was almost $100 w/tip. 1 appetizer, 1 salad, and 3 pasta dishes. No drinks, no alcohol, no dessert. 11% sales tax was an added insult. I'm not sure that's even correct.I don't mind paying $100 for a nice meal. What I mind; is paying $100 for an overpriced meal when the atmosphere, is stale, the staff are odd, and the greeter is dressed for the beach. I can get all of this for 1/2 the price at many establishments in the area and be happy to do so. What I mind, is paying $100 for a $50 experience.I have a go-to Italian place that is similarly priced but it's top notch. You feel like you are getting your money's worth. The decor and staff are upscale, and they treat you as you expect in upscale restaurant. The food is comparable, but the overall experience makes a huge difference. When you book for an event; its the first thing they greet you with when you arrive. Little details like this make a huge difference.For us, this was a one and done. Sadly, if this honest review was here before we chose to go, we would have skipped it for our old standby. My issues are not related to a single experience that may have been on an off night, They are indicative of the management and how this place is run. Shame on those who raved about the Emperor and didn't give an honest assessment of their experience."Surprise and Delight" are the buzzwords of customer service and retention today. Any time you are spending your hard earned money and have an experience which surprises and/or delights you in a good way; you will likely be back to that business again. For a meal which neither surprised nor delighted and in the end, just ticked us off; we will never be back.
7. Katie's Pizza & Pasta Osteria
Overall Ratings
4 based on 213 reviews
Reviewed By Christy A
M-F 3-6pm is happy hour. Lunch 11-2pm Options are perfect portions & variety. Great for groups, outdoor seating, brunch or date night. One of my favorite spots & service is wonderful. Pear Pizza, Black Garlic Pizza & Fried Artichoke Salad are my absolute favs.
6. Frank Papa's Ristorante
Overall Ratings
4 based on 68 reviews
Reviewed By Barb H
Iâm not a red meat eater, but my husband swears they make the best steaks heâs ever had. I had a pollo con fungi (chicken and mushroom) dish that was good. Their shrimp scampi is great. This is our âmust-go-to placeâ when weâre in the area. Consider making reservations, even on weeknights.
5. Pastaria
Overall Ratings
4 based on 444 reviews
Reviewed By kevindouglasw
I was staying couple blocks away to be in court the next day. Picked up kale salad and minestrone. Both very good and priced well. I wish Iâd eaten in because atmosphere was very nice.
4. Acero
Overall Ratings
4 based on 132 reviews
An Italian restaurant acclaimed for it's amazing and authentic Italian dishes and perfect wine pairings.
Reviewed By WesC249
It's a pleasure to know that after several years and several visits, Acero continues to maintain its high level of excellence. And the tasting menu pricing, which allows us to indulge our desire to sample several items from the menu and leaving feeling sated but not stuffed, is still a pricing concept that I wish other high-end restaurants would adopt. The food, as always, was superlative, from the beet salads to the entrees (lamb chops and scallops) to the desserts (lemon-blueberry cheesecake and chocolate gooey heaven). But, as always, the star was the raviolo, the most decadently delicious dish to be found in The Lou. Our redhead server was also a pleasure -- very friendly, very knowledgeable, and very helpful.
3. Cafe Napoli
Overall Ratings
4 based on 339 reviews
When Tony Pietoso opened the original Cafe Napoli in the '80s, it quickly became a success. So Successful, in fact, that it moved to a bigger location at 7754 Forsyth Blvd. The restaurant continued to flourish with its generous portions of regional Italia
Reviewed By Tubman74
Wonderful artichoke & heart of palm salad. Pasta entree of ground salsiccia over linguine (never thought Iâd say this) just too heavily saturated by oil & sausage, which contributed even more oil. Better than average service provided at a table in the bar, but bar itself small enough & my dinner late enough to make singular & inane nearby conversations all too audible. Pre-dinner cocktail well executed. All-electronic/mobile valet experience a disaster.
2. Maggiano's Little Italy
Overall Ratings
4 based on 454 reviews
Reviewed By Timothy M
Visited Maggiano's on Easter with 15 family members for dinner. Seated on the balcony,we had a good view of much of their dining room. The waitress was very personable as well as efficient. It took a while for the food to come as the place was very busy. They had a pretty good variety of entrees to choose from, and also some "deals". You could get a meal that included entree,salad and dessert with another entree to take home. There were some other deals also. Their wine list was very good. Everyone said their food was very good.
1. Trattoria Marcella
Overall Ratings
4 based on 322 reviews
Reviewed By Gene S
Can anyone say Emperor's New Clothes? If you read the reviews, you would expect an amazing evening if you had a meal at this establishment. I'm here to tell you that you are being duped.I made a reservation on Open Table and when it asked if we were celebrating anything special, I checked the box for birthday and wrote a similar note in the comments section when booking our reservation.Upon arrival we were greeted by a girl in a tank top, white short shorts, sandal/flip flops, covered in tattoos. Fundamentally, I'd have no problem at all being greeting by this girl on the patio of a BBQ joint or burger bar, or any joint or bar for that matter. I am however shocked that this is the first impression at what is supposed to be a fine dining establishment. Our server was a bit awkward in her mannerisms. She seemed almost forced to go through the specials and the desserts with awkward pauses in the wrong spots like she was acting in a bad play. She was pleasant however overall so aside from her seemingly odd behavior and obvious disappointment that we didn't order bottles of wine, she was fine.The interior looks brand new for 1970 as in perhaps it hasn't been touched since the building was built; which seems even more strange since it pre-dates this business. Perhaps the owners wanted to save money and just kept the decor in place from whoever owned it before them. It is long overdue for any kind of remodel/update.The final straw was that the birthday was completely overlooked. Not a mention, not a candle, nothing. We did see someone else's birthday being celebrated, but if you get to the end of the meal and then have to tell your server you are here for a birthday, it kind of defeats the purpose. Since we had decided during our disappointing and overpriced dinner that we were going to Ted Drewes for dessert; we let this slide as well.The bill arrived and it was almost $100 w/tip. 1 appetizer, 1 salad, and 3 pasta dishes. No drinks, no alcohol, no dessert. 11% sales tax was an added insult. I'm not sure that's even correct.I don't mind paying $100 for a nice meal. What I mind; is paying $100 for an overpriced meal when the atmosphere, is stale, the staff are odd, and the greeter is dressed for the beach. I can get all of this for 1/2 the price at many establishments in the area and be happy to do so. What I mind, is paying $100 for a $50 experience.I have a go-to Italian place that is similarly priced but it's top notch. You feel like you are getting your money's worth. The decor and staff are upscale, and they treat you as you expect in upscale restaurant. The food is comparable, but the overall experience makes a huge difference. When you book for an event; its the first thing they greet you with when you arrive. Little details like this make a huge difference.For us, this was a one and done. Sadly, if this honest review was here before we chose to go, we would have skipped it for our old standby. My issues are not related to a single experience that may have been on an off night, They are indicative of the management and how this place is run. Shame on those who raved about the Emperor and didn't give an honest assessment of their experience."Surprise and Delight" are the buzzwords of customer service and retention today. Any time you are spending your hard earned money and have an experience which surprises and/or delights you in a good way; you will likely be back to that business again. For a meal which neither surprised nor delighted and in the end, just ticked us off; we will never be back.
