Vincenzo’s

The best Italian restaurant in Cincinnati — bar none! Vincenzo was in the kitchen! Overall experience gets five stars. Amazing staff! Vincenzo’s wife Andrea is a gem!

Love love love the fettuccini Alfredo. Sabrina (our waitress) is great. Place is clean, not terribly noisy and prices are very reasonable

Craving Italian so decided to give Vincenzo’s a try. We’ve past it so many times and now wish we had stopped in sooner.
Sat at the bar and ordered mussels and penne Bolognese with their panna cotta for dessert. Yum!
We will definitely put this restaurant on our regular list for Cinci restaurants.

Here is what I would have to say ~ as said perfectly by another reviewer Carolyn B:
«We have been eating at Vincenzo’s for literally decades. It used to be in a converted gas station which was so small that you would wait in your cars until a table became available. Then, believe it or not, if you had to use the restroom, you had to go outside and around the building! To me the juxtaposition added to how much I liked the place because you would never expect to have such a fantastic meal from this place which looked like a dive! They have since moved to a new locale on Chester Road. Just so you know, this place also looks unimpressive from the outside, but is light years ahead of the original place.»
I loved that little place with white tableclothes and low prices for freshly prepared meals. The «new» place is very nice, but that crazy «charm» is gone. I’m handicapped now and wondered if I’d ever have their meals again. Decided one day to call and ask Tina to bring my meal to the car… which she readily did. She was my favorite waitress at the old place, too. She is always professional and pleasant… always willing to oblige. How lucky am I?
My favorites are the fish or chicken picata, cheese ravioli with marinara sauce, or a special request of angel hair pasta topped with artichokes, mushrooms, whole garlic cloves, capers and tomatoes (some fresh, some sun-dried)…or whatever else I want added. Their fettucini Alfredo is outstanding and included with the picata dish… or sometimes I substitute for bow-​tie pasta with «aurora» sauce (which is cream with some tomato making it «rose» in color”).
I’ve never been disappointed by a meal and highly recommend Vincenzo’s to everyone!

I’d heard great things about Vincenzo’s, so I was disappointed by my three-​star experience. We had great service, but the food was just okay.

A group of us who get together monthly have chosen Vincenzo’s quite regularly as our meeting place. Every one likes the food and it is a quiet and pleasant place to have a conversation. Misto di Mare seems to be a common favorite though the specials are always worth trying. Good Italian food — nice atmosphere.

I have driven past Vincenzo’s for years, and didn’t know it was there until we went as an office for a co-worker’s birthday lunch a few days ago. It is perpendicular to Chester Rd. and so that is my excuse for why i have never paid attention to it, that and I usually see it pre-​coffee in the morning. Anyway, the atmosphere inside is great and the servers were conscious of our 1 hour lunch schedule, asking if we had a time constraint, and making it happen. I had the Tre Formaggi Farfalle, and the pasta was done well and the sauce was awesome. One of my co-​workers wanted spaghetti with Italian sausage, and meatballs and it was an easy request for them to accommodate. Its also nice to know that they do have gluten free options available at an Italian restaurant. I can’t wait to go back with my wife and try their wine list with dinner.

We eat here as a family four or five times a year. Although the menu has been trimmed as of late, they will make almost anything if you ask. The food and service are consistently outstanding and the portions are perfect. The muscles with spicy red sauce are a must have appetizer.

A low key Italian joint with good food.
I really like their mussels in red sauce. Seafood risotto was okay. I wouldn’t get it again. Their chicken dishes are good.

We have been eating at Vincenzo’s for literally decades. It used to be in a converted gas station which was so small that you would wait in your cars until a table became available. Then, believe it or not, if you had to use the restroom, you had to go outside and around the building! To me the juxtaposition added to how much I liked the place because you would never expect to have such a fantastic meal from this place which looked like a dive! They have since moved to a new locale on Chester Road. Just so you know, this place also looks unimpressive from the outside, but is light years ahead of the original place.
I find the atmosphere to be warm with an old world touch and the wait staff to be friendly, helpful and professional. This time I chose the salmon special which was very tasty and hubby got the veal piccata with linguine. Served with a lemon & white wine sauce with capers (they will leave them off if, like me, you don’t care for them), it is a dish that never disappoints. I tried a new-​to-​me Coconut Macaroon Martini which was very much to my liking. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until after our dinner that I found out that the offer a gluten-​free pasta for only $ 2 extra! Consistently high-​quality dishes are what we expect from them and they always deliver. It’s no wonder that our friends selected this place for us to meet them.

In my opinion best Italian food in Cincinnati. Have never been disappointed with anything I have tried. I highly recommend the chicken picatta. Prices are fair and never very busy.

Serious YUM! My husband and I love this place. The food is my favorite Cincy Italian. It’s sort of pricey, but tastes awesome. My absolute favorite is the seafood pasta… salmon, crab, shrimp, garlic, sundried tomatoes, and mushrooms tossed with angel hair pasta and a garlic butter sauce.

I had the salmon and rock shrimp with farafelle pasta. Tasty but a little heavy on the Alfredo sauce. Nice atmosphere and good service

Was recommended by someone I met while golfing in Lebanon. Great meal, nice environment, I would recommend to anyone looking for good Italian.

We’ve been going to this place for at least 15 years. It used to be in a tiny restaurant on route 4 with an bathroom you had to go outside to get to. But we never cared because the food was so good.
My family has continued eating at Vincenzo’s at the new location, without ever having an inconsistent meal. The only complaint I have is that one of my favorite dishes, Pollo Zingara, is no longer on the menu, but they’ll still make it for you if you ask. The Aurora sauce is another secret gem. On the menu, some standouts are the Gamberetti Aglio Olio, the Pollo Piccata, and the Pollo de Vincenzo. Always great service as well.

Love this place with an excellent menu and staff! Pasta options are plentiful, portion sizes are generous, and service has been spectacular each time I have gone.

We went most recently to Vincenzo’s for lunch on Thursday, March 28. We arrived just a couple minutes past two, and realized that Unilocal’s listing is in error: the lunch hours Monday to Friday are 11 AM until 2 PM, not 2:30. However, the hostess was kind enough to overlook our lateness and we were seated. (We took advantage of the restaurant’s free Wi-​Fi to notify Unilocal of this; they have yet to make the correction.)
I am a native New Yorker, having moved to the Cincinnati area nearly 4 years ago. My husband and I have eaten at Vincenzo’s many times. Considering my background, I keenly feel the dearth of genuine independent Italian restaurants in this neck of the woods. Ironically, it was a friend who lives in Iowa but frequently visits Cincinnati who introduced us to Vincenzo’s, and we are so glad he did.
For our recent luncheon visit, we started with the mussels Luciano (The white wine sauce). This appetizer gets five stars, Both for quality and quantity. My husband had his usual — veal piccata, Served with capellini (they will substitute any pasta of your choice for whatever one the dish comes with). Vincenzo’s veal dishes are exceptionally good, besides the fact that veal is such a rarity in these parts! It was a meatless day for me, so I went for the cheese ravioli in Arrosto sauce. Superb!
On previous visits, we’ve enjoyed the calamari fritti, the pancetta-​wrapped shrimp and scallops (5 stars on this one too, for taste as well as presentation; portion-​wise, it is on the small side as a shareable appetizer compared to the mussels or calamari), the Misto di Mare, veal da Vincenzo, and several seafood specials. The food is consistently authentic, delicious, with generous portions. Usually more than enough for leftovers — added bonus: the waitstaff will cheerfully «wrap that up for you, «rather than throwing a styrofoam container at you so you can be the busboy. (How ANYONE can put up with packaging their own leftovers at a restaurant is beyond me-​but I digress…)
On this visit, our waitress was polished, professional, prompt, and knowledgeable. The level of attention she gave was just right.
Overall, mi piacere… I love Vincenzo’s.
Why 4 stars not 5? Well, on more than one occasion, at dinner time, the servers were not in the same league as the lady described above. My criticism is I found them a little too casual and chatty, and the level of attention a bit lacking. Also, in response to a question on ingredients or preparation the response was along the lines of «yeah I think so» or «I’m pretty sure» … And nothing further, as though that is satisfactory! (Again, this happened more than once.) it shouldn’t be necessary for the dining customer to say «will you please go ask the chef and MAKE sure?»
And a few little touches that I’d like to see added… Like a wheel of parmesano to be freshly shaved or chunked off for an antipasto plate … Cold marinated octopus salad … Fresh sliced Italian BREAD … With olive oil NOT butter! (However, Vincenzo’s fresh baked ciabatta rolls are very special)
Four and a half stars ! We will return often.

I fear that this great Italian restaurant has been forgotten since it has moved from its cramped little gas station location. There is no waiting in line at this nice little local place these days. But the food is still excellent and a good value. Keep this place in mind for that family reunion dinner that you just don’t know where to have, it will keep everyone happy!

The large size of this venue as well as the numerous photos and plaques near the entrance cement this as an institution, even for the casual out-​of-​town visitor like myself. My colleague and I showed up right as dinner service opened and absolutely loved it. They have an appetizer with bacon wrapped shrimp and scallop. Do not miss! Absolutely great.
I also had a great, basic penne and sausage pasta. Reliably good for what very much seems to be a place that does a ton of covers. Surprising in the best way possible :-)

Great club soda and pretty good salad.
Other than that this place was A big disappointment
Vincenzo’s is a sad excuse for Italian food.
The décor reminds me of a dressed up holiday inn hotel lobby, and come to think of it so does the food.
Save your money and hit up Biagio’s in Clifton