Michael Trecaso’s Italian Restaurant

I’ve always enjoyed this place. It has many find memories and wonderful food and ice cream.

Michael T has always been a curmudgeon, even back in his Akron U pizza shop days. He needs to retire.

Why is this place still open?!? It has fallen so far from what it once was — an Akron institution known for its great ice cream and nice location in Highland Square. It is a sad shell of its former self. The staff, the building, the food, the owner/​manager — all look worn out and depressed. Just a horrible experience all around. I rarely give one-​star reviews but this place deserves nothing more.

I wish I would have read these reviews before dining here. My food was ok, but nothing special. The prices were higher than I would expect for the portion and quality. The menu clearly stated bread and salad with the dinners. The salad was 50% cheese, and we had to ask for the bread. We were never asked if we wanted anything else to drink besides water. Desert was good, but charged a $ 1 for not including an ingredient? Whatever… We just wanted out at that point, but my wife was looking forward to ice cream.

Ice cream is ice cream, so that’s not the issue with this place. The real problem is the laughably-​bad, rude service. The Grinches who stole all the joy from Highland Square.

Go here only if no other place is open! The food was marginal and portions small. The service was fine but the policies stink! Do you want cheese on your salad? It’s $ 1 extra and they don’t tell you. We asked why we were charged. When we said they should have told us about the extra dollar, the waiter said «that’s your opinion»!!! Really? Charge us and not tell us and that’s just an opinion? It’s not the dollar, it’s the principle. Ice cream anyone, not here. The ice cream is just okay, they do give huge portions, but they charge too much too. If you want a listed sundae with a different ice cream, $.25 extra for a substitution. Really, are they pre-​made and they have to take out one to put in another? Don’t they just scoop one or the other? Why is that extra? Also, don’t expect your favorite topping free as we expected. The favorite is an extra $ 1 also! So a hot fudge sundae is $ 1 more to have hot fudge! Don’t bother. Other places have better food and better prices. This place is a big disappointment.

Trecaso’s is a hidden gem in Akron, mainly over shadowed by the ice cream they sell under Mary Coyles. Everytime people are meeting me there for dinner, I end up telling them to go to Mary Coyles and they know right where that is. The Italian food is great from spaghetti to gnocchi to lasagna. I would say their food is as good if not better than Luigi’s.