CLT Eats – A Charlotte Restaurant Review

Main Seating Area

There are several restaurants from the area of Providence Road near the Manor Theater that back fifteen years ago or so have sense moved or closed that I remember fondly. Riccio’s is one high up on that list.

The Riccio’s of today is squirreled away in a hidden shopping center that’s barely clinging to life just off of Highway 51 between the Big Pink Church and Carmel Commons. What you’ll find at this long-lived Charlotte restaurant is the typical family Italian options with a unique treat or two thrown in and a few that you’d expect to find but are notably absent.

The strip mall setting and rather unappealing interior are disappointing but don’t seem to deter most people. It’s not usually slammed when I go but I tend to get there a little after the rush when I can make it. The same staff always seems to be there and that’s not surprising since it is a family owned and run establishment. You’ll also find the requisite rag-tag assortment of pseudo-Italian art, unappealing red and white plastic table cloths and a sheet of white paper covering the table cloths with crayons readily available to entertain your inner child or your outer child depending on your circumstances.

There are plenty of pasta options and that seems to be the focus of Riccio’s. The lasagna is particularly good. They also are popular for pizza however I’m less enthralled with those options. Notably absent are Calzones and Strombolis which I find very disappointing. The Fettuccine Dolcelatte makes up for that faux pas though.

As much as I wax nostalgic for the good ole days, Riccio’s really isn’t a particularly stand out restaurant today. They’re not bad and I like to go from time to time but honestly Portofino’s is better. I need to diversify the Italian restaurants that I visit so keep that in mind. I’m not a true Italian connoisseur. Service is usually friendly and reasonably quick. Not spectacular, just average.

The bottom line is this place is not a rock star but it’s a decent performer. I prefer other places usually but it’s great on occasion when I crave one of the items they do pretty well. It’s also great for ordering pizza instead of the typical big pizza companies. Although, there again there are other options for carry-out pizza that I may prefer. Oh, I almost forgot. Mark emailed me and asked that I comment about smokiness levels. This is a non-smoking establishment.

Pros

• Good food
• Decent service

Cons

• Pretty average overall
• Atmosphere is lame
• What? No Stromboli?

Rating: Recommended