Amalfi’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

We stopped in here for dinner during a weeknight based off a recommendation from a friend. I didn’t expect much to begin with, but to say I was underwhelmed is an understatement. The restaurant itself is on the smaller side, but most tables were taken which is usually a good sign. Not so much here.
First, we couldn’t figure out if we were to seat ourselves or wait to be seated. There was no sign at the hostess stand and there was no hostess. We eventually just took a seat after awkwardly standing for a while. There were 2 servers and a bartender that I saw in the restaurant. There may have been more, but I couldn’t tell. Based on the number of tables, that’s probably all the staff that’s necessary, especially during the week. There was a large table (10+) of people who appeared to be regulars, but they weren’t taking up the servers’ attention because they already had their meals by the time we sat down. At any rate, our waitress finally came over, and she was very nice. However, the service itself just wasn’t attentive. Drinks weren’t refilled until towards the end of the meal, and we only saw our server when she came over to take our order, bring drinks, deliver the meal, and drop the check off. We’re not needy by any means, but to be checked on more than once during a meal is necessary. More importantly, because the restaurant is small, it takes one glance across the room to check on a table.
Finally, the check was left prior to us finishing our meal with the usual line — «no rush.» I hate when this happens. I can understand if the restaurant is busy and people are waiting for tables. I cannot understand when there are open tables and/​or no one is waiting for a table.
As for the food, you do get table bread and olive oil. Nothing special, but nice nonetheless. My bf got the veal parmesan sub, and he really liked it. I got the sausage calzone which was as expected. Prices weren’t bad. Food was OK. Service is subpar. There are far better Italian restaurants around town that we’ll be visiting again before thinking of returning here.

One of the best Italian restaurants in Charleston very affordable yet so very delicious. The crab bisque is to die for so much flavor the best I have ever had. The entrees are always delicious my fav is chicken Alfredo with my yummy soup. My husband loves the pizza, lasagna, stuffed shells. You really can’t go wrong here. Lunch specials are the best anywhere in town. We go here so often they know my order before I order it. The owners are the nicest people. The husband is from Italy and his wife is the sweetest person. They are always on the floors talking to their guest making sure everyone is happy. That’s people who care about their business. The servers are alway on point making sure drinks are filled and that you don’t need anything. We often frequent BOTH locations because there is also one in Mount Pleasant. Thank you for your great food and service.

I have had Amalfi’s to go before, but this was my first dine in experience. The owner welcomed us and was very friendly. Our server was okay. She was a little off in her timing. My water was empty for awhile before being refilled, and it took awhile to put our order in. When we placed the order, it took a long time to get the pizza. The pizza and the salad were very good though. The Amalfi’s salad is delicious with fresh greens, and chicken.
I forgot one of the best parts-​the bread! It is made in house, and was just right. I would go back just for the bread! Aside from the lengthy time to be served/​get our order, we enjoyed the dinner.

I want to start out by saying that the staff and people who work there are immaculately friendly. There was never a moment where someone wasn’t coming to the table asking if me and my friend needed anything, in fact, I believe the owner himself took the time to talk to us about our meal, something I really appreciate. But the food was (my apologies) awful. I had the chicken fettuccini alfredo and my friend had the lasagna, the fettuccini sauce was creamy but the noodles tasted a little hard and the chicken itself tasted like it was from a can. Or boiled maybe? — With no seasoning what so ever. I took a bite of the chicken and it had the texture of rubber in my mouth. Disgusting. I had a taste of my friends lasagna, the tomato sauce tasted like bland marinara, also with no flavor what so ever. The bread was one of the few things I enjoyed. You could tell it was home made and fresh from the oven. Then we ordered dessert. We shared a tiramisu which was ok… Except for the fact there was a layer, maybe a half inch thick, of plain cocoa powder. God forbid you slightly inhale while trying to eat it or the powder blows straight to the back of your throat, instant suffocation. Once you fight past the layer of cocoa death it was pretty good. But still we didn’t finish anything we ordered. The place itself looked very open and relaxed. It set a nice Italian restaurant vibe and looks like a nice classy place to go for dinner. But the food… That was just awful. Very disappointing.

Amalfi’s is always great. When in James Island this is where we go. Both locations are great. Friendly staff and owner. We had a dinner special this visit and it was awesome. The bread is always hot and fresh and sauce is wonderful. Love it!

One star because you get food and the bread is good (I am French Btw).
However… Service is forced, the salad is awful… Good is not cut correctly.
And? The turamisu is clearly microwaved !!! (What a shame).
Place to get food just to get food…
Moreover a sign is saying in italian: «Eat and shut up». No comment here…

Really good stuffed shells here. Not the best, but still good. They could use a little more seasoning. It came with either a soup or salad. I chose the salad and was pleasantly surprised to have a plate of mostly dark green lettuce instead of the iceberg that you get from most places. The balsamic was a different flavor, I think I would get a different dressing next time. The bread that everyone gets is delicious! We got extra to go with our main dishes. For dessert, we shared the cannoli and ended up saving the second for later! Overall, I recommend a visit if you are nearby.

Had the crab bisque to start. It had a good flavor and consistency. I ordered the Cannelloni, it was alright. I felt that it was fairly flavorless except for the sauce. For desert we had the cannoli which was well worth it. It was rich and creamy.

If you like Stouffer’s lasagna drowning in red sauce and long walks off of short docks this is the place for you!
I want so desperately to leave a good review of a good Italian restaurant on James island but this is an epic disappointment.
The good. The generic Cesar salad the wine on the table was drinkable. The ambiance was nice.
The bad. The main course was soggy and the wife’s ravioli meat tasted like dog food. I actually don’t think dog food tasted that bad.
Please fix this place or go out of business.

For a modest sum, my wife and I had a perfectly satisfactory dinner that equaled Italian restaurants that charge twice as much in Charleston.
The dining room isn’t extravagant and as interesting as Lucca, Indaco, or Lana, and the wine list doesn’t reach the heights, but the food shines pretty brightly at Amalfi. We weren’t famished so we ordered a rather light dinner – a simple entrée for both of us which came with a salad or soup. I had the Fiorentina soup – basically an old-​fashioned traditional escarole soup. It was as as good as I’ve had at high quality Italian restaurants in New York and Philadelphia. Thick shredded spinach/​escarole, with bits of chicken in perfectly seasoned broth.
With her entrée, my wife ordered a garden salad which was fine but unexceptional. The bread that came with olive oil for the table was superb – freshly made, dense, warm and most importantly, very savory.
Our entrees also differed– I had stuffed shells with a nice thick sauce, a bit of mozzarella cheese covering the shells stuffed with ricotta and spinach. Tasted very good, but a little bit more seasoning would have helped. Similarly, my wife’s marinara with spaghetti was simple but filling. The side dish of meatballs we ordered were floating in a small bowl of thick, fragrant tomato sauce – not the thin broth-​like substance that tends to pass for sauce/​gravy here in Charleston.
All in all, a good experience topped off by efficient and friendly service…

Stopped in for lunch with zero expectations while killing some time before a hair appointment next door. I must say, I was impressed with the friendly service, reasonable lunch prices, and generous portions. I ordered the Chicken Parmigiana which came with soup or salad. I tried the tomato bisque and it was a large bowl of rich, creamy, deliciousness. I felt guilty eating my entrée after a hearty soup and ended up taking half home. The chicken parm was also tasty. This restaurant is low key Italian compared to the other JI offerings, which isn’t a bad thing. Sometimes you just need some simple delicious Italian without the fancy prices.

I have only had takeout from here but the food is really solid. Meals come with soup and the tomato bisque is incredible. I have tried the lasagna and the clams, both were traditional and good. The portions were enough to fill me up which is saying something and the clams were local which is a nice bonus. The dining room is small and noisy but it is what it is. Go forth and try for yourself.

First course was the highlight, crab bisque and tomato bisque were very tasty. (One of the best tomato bisques we’ve ever tasted.) And the bread and oil were delicious. Lasagna and stuffed shells were fair. But the gnocchi bolognese was terrible. Had a strange metallic taste.
Waiter was nice about sending it back, and took it off our bill.

If I could give negative stars I would. The only saving grace of this restaurant is the bread and the appetizer trio. We had to send back the Crab Bisque because of a horrid rancid taste. The staff was accommodating and replaced it with a salad which was ok. Following that I had order the Tortellini Panna which looked delicious but when I took a bite a rancid taste even worse hit me like a mac truck. Ten people tried it and were all disgusted. Overall If I had to pick between eating the tortellini again or eating McDonalds everyday of my life, I’d pick McDonalds.

Peace out Carabbas, Amalfis has blown you straight out of the water.
I have visited both the Mount Pleasant and new James Island location, and they were both remarkably memorable. This location is in a currently under construction shopping center, so do not be discouraged by the exterior mess. When you walk in, the space definitely feels very new. There are few tables, a small bar space. The space just feels very ‘in the works’, which makes sense since they are new, but none of that –ish matters because the food and service are crazy awesome.
The hostess and my waiter were very pleasant. While talking to my gf, they both overheard me mention a Dr. Who convention I went to last year, and boy did they perk up. A funny, interesting and nerdy conversation about Dr. Who ensued with my waiter and the hostess for a little minute. lol, very cool. I ordered the Vesuvio, a three part appetizer with 3 arancini (rice balls), calamari, and meatballs. Loved the rice balls. A nice crispy and firm exterior, and well seasoned center. Great intro to a meal. Id definitely order those by themselves as an appetizer if they had it. The calamari wasn’t too plentiful, but also very good. Not too salty, not too chewy. For dinner my gf got the gnocchi, which she spoke highly of, as that is her favorite Italian transplant dish. Myself, I ordered the fettuccine with chicken and broccoli, and opted for the tomato bisque; both were so so delicious.
Let me interject here.
Quality seriously shined with everything on my table last night. You’ve had real cream and the watered down runny stuff. The tomato bisque was… amazing. It was so creamy and packed full of flavor. Just eating this compliment to my entrée with a piece of bread had me full, and wanting to take a to go container of it home. Like the bisque, the alfredo was also so rich and creamy. Quality ingredients make a difference, making Amalfis stand out. And the complimentary bread is yummy slightly salty pizza dough rolls. Say what!
The dinner menu is affordable, plentiful and delicious (the trifecta!) and the lunch specials? Easily one the best in Charleston. I rarely come to James Island, but am so glad I got to visit. My thanks to the chef. Thankfully both locations wowed me, so lucky me, lucky everyone!

In a strip mall but go here if you want authentic Italian food I love their lasagna. Salads are fresh made but nothing special. The red sauce is very tasty and not salty good size portions. I will definitely be back

Amalfi’s is fantastic. Authentic, charming, delicious Italian dishes for a great price.
Lunch specials are unbeatable (salad, bread and slice of pizza AND a drink for about $ 7).
Any of the Italian dishes are worth a try. The Baked Ziti is a favorite of mine.
The space itself is a little tight and there’s often a turnaway for lack of space (and the popularity of the place on a Friday night). Definitely call ahead for a reservation if you’re planning on going on Friday, Saturday or Sunday night. They’re fantastic at keeping a table open for you.
The champagne and beer selection is fantastic. Also budget-​friendly.
The owner frequently comes around to visit your table to ensure all is well. He’s adorable, professional and very authentic ;)

Super excited about this James Island location. I was a fan while working in Mt. Pleasant but was not going to travel there outside of work functions. This place didn’t disappoint, I almost don’t want to say how great it is so that I can always pop in without a wait. Selfish, I know, but their homemade bread will do that to you. Their lunch specials can not be beat… soup/​salad, drink, bread, and an entrée that usually gets paritally boxed bc there is so much food and it is less than $ 10.
Now, this place is great, but as usually, I need to take my stand on the use of styrfoam… I know, I know do I really have to always write about this? The answer is yes until restaurants stop using it. Amalfi’s, please adopt the use of enviromentally friendly to go items and I promise to keep coming back. Please and thank you!

I was a regular at the other Amalfi’s on Long Point Road since it was near my former work place, but upon finding that they opened a second location closer to my house I was excited to try it out. Amalfi’s truly has some of the best lunch specials in town, normally consisting of a salad or soup, pasta and a drink. Several combo options are available and the price is just right. They always immediately bring out fresh warm bread and their in-​house made balsamic and oil to dip it in. I normally go for the lasagna and have enough to take half home. My other go to is the chicken parmesan sub. It’s ranked as my favorite sub of all time. The staff is extremely friendly. They even have my name down. Now that’s service!

What an incredible experience. We just happened upon this restaurant and I am so glad we did. The menu is absolutely beautiful. I had the lasagna for lunch and it was some of the best lasagna I ever had. The owner is from naples italy and the food couldn’t be any more authentic. The service was fantastic, the atmosphere was awesome, and I had more food then I can ever eat. This is definitely going to be one of my fav places. 5 licks of the plates for me!