Papa Razzi

Underwhelming, «forgettable» service.
Took my mother here for dinner on the night before I returned to California after my holiday visit. I chose this restaurant because my mother had been there a few times in the past and loved one of their dishes, which sadly they no longer make.
The waiter gave every indicator that the last thing he wanted to do was to serve us — perhaps he needed to spend more time on his messy man-​bun. He got the order wrong, forgot the wine and pretty much never used a complete sentence with us.
He would ask how things were and before hearing that I wanted another glass of water was already walking away, responding, «great» as if we said all was fine.
We had to find him to get our wine — 10 minutes after ordering (he had only one other table in the nearly empty restaurant), and when pointing out that the appetizer was not prepared as requested, just took it away without an explanation and statement of when to expect the new dish.
When he came back to the tables, we had to hand the dirty dishes to him — as he did not want to strain himself.
What made matters worse was how we saw him animated with his table of 7 — which he clearly saw as his meal ticket for the night.
We might have been able to overlook all this if the food was excellent, but our $ 100 tab paid for food that was… ok. Would eat the food again, but won’t have the chance as I never want to experience such a lack of service as a customer.

We have been to Papa Razzi on a few occasions. It fits in with the Cranston «vibe» and is a nice place to grab a bite after spending some time walking around Garden City. It is my understanding that it one of a few locations, however it does not have the «chain» feel to it. We have been happy with the meals each time we have been. They also offer a special on Mondays; it’s worth checking out if you happen to be the neighborhood.

This place is horrible. The «food» was terribly tasteless. Both my meal and my girls meal had undercooked pasta. I’ve never had dry lobster in my life till I came here. The service was good, the best edible thing I had was the bread…

Very good my wife had salmon and I had veal and on Monday all the dishes are $ 15.99 so not that expensive and the service was great.

My wife and I have been to this restaurant many times over the years when we are in he area, and we have always enjoyed good food and service.
Our most recent visit was on 10÷6÷15. This particular day we stopped in for lunch and we sat at the bar, where we were well taken care of by Melissa. We started off by sharing a Di Papa salad which was excellent. I then had an Italian Beef sandwich, with fries, that was oh so tasty. My wife ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese and she was not pleased with her entrée. She had ordered it many times in the past, and it was not as she remembered. The Bolognese was mostly tomatoes and mushrooms, with very little meat. When our sever asked how everything was my wife explained her disappointment with her choice. The restaurant staff responded immediately by making her a new batch. This efficient and professional response, while well intentioned, still left my wife wishing that she had selected a different entrée. This is the first time I ever remember us being disappointed with any aspect of this eatery. So we we won’t give up on Papa Razzi, in fact after today’s visit, and the accommodations made to my wife, we joined the restaurant’s Bene Rewards program. So we will be back!
Recommendation to the Chef: go back to making Spaghetti Bolognese one batch at a time, instead of trying to mass produce it. The meat cooks down too much, and disappears in the sauce instead of making it more flavorful.

Papa Razzi is better than most people give it credit for. It’s not the best Italian restaurant in the state of Rhode Island, but it’s pretty consistent. There is great outdoor seating, it’s in a wonderful neighborhood near lots of shops, the menu is broad and well-​rounded, and the sangria is fantastic.
I’ve visited Papa Razzi several times over the years and have always been pleased with my food. Most recently I’ve become mildly obsessed with their rigatoni, which is served with sausage, caramelized onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and a touch of cream. It’s really tasty, and I’ve ordered it twice now. I’m not sure I’d order anything else, but my sister loved the Puttanesca pizza on a recent visit so I may have to try that.
I’d happily continue to visit Papa Razzi for it’s convenience (it’s near where I live) and the food. Service has been good as well, and of course there’s that fantastic sangria I just can’t stop ordering. It’s easier on the parking as well compared to some of RI’s more prominent Italian eateries (think Federal Hill traffic) so that’s nice as well!

I had expected something not as classy as this from the name of the place. Food was quite good; had the Puttanesca Calzone and antipasto.

I dream of the Manzo salad, with fresh greens, gorganzola cheese, and medium rare sliced beef. I thoroughly enjoyed it today. My appetizer of grilled shrimp over sautéed spinach would have also been amazing had the hair not been present on it! Oh well, at least the appetizer was free, said our fau pau young waiter. (I had checked into the restaurant on Unilocal and they advertised a free appetizer for filling out a form, so I did!) Never should a hair be present on food, even if it’s free, right?! Anyhow, my boyfriend’s Italian beef sandwich was good, but he agreed that my salad was better. I will go back again for the Manzo salad, but please hold the hair on my shrimp appetizer!

Mozzarella Frittas was amazing so friendly and courteous amazing food here and an enjoyable experience

Wow. This used to be the place to eat great food in a great atmosphere. Used to be! Their Caesar Salad, which was once the best in the state, was lacking any anchovy, so it was basically mayo, no flavor. I ordered a risotto dish and was served WHITE RICE that they tried to pull off as risotto… Um, trust me, I know the difference. Just sad. This will be our last time here after over 23 yrs of coming here. The past 2 times have been little better the cafeteria food. Besides that, food was very slow coming out, our food went to the wrong table, I was served a food a specifically said I had an allergy to, when pointed out, was not offered a replacement. When told about risotto, the waitress just shrugged it off. Worst experience on all levels.

I have ate here many times over the past year, I have had some really good meals here and I have had some really bad meals here but for the most part it’s just average some of highlights of the restaurant is if you join there membership which is free for every 300 dollars you spend you get a 25 dollar gift card as well as a free appetizer every time you come into the restaurant except Saturday as long as you keep filling out the survey so that’s pretty cool price wise it’s a little above average for a chain restaurant however it’s very nice inside
I will keep coming back to eat here I do wish the food was more consistent that’s something the restaurant needs to improve on.

Had the veal parmesean. The quality of veal was superb! They did the penne pasta al dente. The server was very attentive.

My husband and I came here for mothers Day. We were greeted by a lovely hostess. We able to get a table. I was surprised since it was a holiday.
Our waiter was very attentive and The meal was terrific. They had several pasta dishes and I had a roasted vegetables pasta. The veal parmigiana was outstanding as well. We had a chocolate mouse pie and cappuccino which was the best. I defiantly would recommend this restaurant over any in the area.

Okay, why have I not written a review for Papa Razzi yet?! I love this place for all occasions, including large groups or just two at the bar. This is a constant meeting spot for my friends and I, and for good reason. Papa Razzi is a great destination for either brunch, lunch, or dinner: I’ve been able to try all three.
The décor is warm, classic, and inviting. I mention large groups because the folks at Papa Razzi are experts at accommodating whoever you may like to bring by. The wine and drink list is fantastic, and the servers have really wowed me in the past by their willingness to let me sample something if I’m not totally sold on it. The bread and olive oil is hands down the best you will ever have (just be sure to get some extra olive oil if you’re a junkie like me!).
I generally order one of the same few dishes each time, but perhaps one of the best parts of dining anywhere within the Papa Razzi chain is the amazing Bene rewards program they have. You rack up points much more rapidly than other places with similar programs and the Bene member section on the website very concisely tracks your progress toward your next $ 25 reward. Please do yourself a favor and stop by if you haven’t already!

I came here with my mom for lunch today. The restaurant is large, well laid out with an open kitchen and the serve staff is friendly and well trained. Also the men’s room was clean and as nice as the rest of the restaurant!
I had half a Caesar salad and the Rollatini Melanzana. Both tasted rather bland like chain restaurant food which of course they are. Also the sauce was warm but the eggplant was not on both our Rollatinis.
So while I was not overly impressed with the food, the service and atmosphere were quite nice, so A-​OK.

I think this place is Great. I came here with my friend and the food is delicious. I dont like that theres not much options on the menu but everything on the menu is delicious. Portions are small/​medium not BIG at all … I love the gelato is definitely refreshing… One thing I didnt like was that the drinks are very pricey. 5 dollars for half of glass of moscato and 10 for a full glass ??? Makes not much sense to me but if you dont care to spend the $$ go for it. It’s a classy rest but you can dress casual. The staff is friendly ans very very attentive and helpful if you have menu questions. I didnt like that the names of the entrees were in Italian I wish they were in English because I couldnt pronounce it Lol

This place was so good, and the staff was very nice. I honestly thought it was going to be horrible by the fact it’s called «Papa Razzi». The salad I had was dynamite, as was the mixed drinks and desserts. If anything you –need– to try the desserts. I was pleasantly surprised.

When I lived in MA I frequented the one in Hanover. Many of my work Christmas parties where there and I often stopped in after work for a drink. When I moved to Ri I stopped going until I found this one in Cranston with a living social deal!
We visited on a Saturday around 7 and were seated immediately. Our waitress informed us of the specials and offered wine suggestions. We both opted for a chicken dish with mushrooms and prosciutto. I found the prosciutto to be a bit rubbery so I took it off but otherwise it was good. The potatoes were roasted to perfection. Tender and slightly crisp on the outside, and perfectly seasoned. I opted for a glass of Moscato. It was slightly bubbly, crisp and just sweet enough. I made a mental note of the brand so I could purchase a bottle. My kids had the grilled cheese (huge and cheesy) and cheese pizza (meh…). We were too stuffed for dessert but I’ll save room next time.

I really do not like chain restaurants but Papa Razzi is the only one in the area that I will return to time and again with little complaint. That being said, it’s time for an update.
Dozens of visits later and while I still consider Papa Razzi a «win», there have been a few snafus over the years. Brunch isn’t great; I’ve never been impressed and the cocktails are weak. A few times, we’ve been served cold foccacia or have had to wait an unbearable amount of time for them to make more.
But, gripes aside, I will continue to eat at Papa Razzi because god damn! that Panzanella Salad with the goat cheese vinaigrette is freaking delicious! Also, they always have a table open and they make just about every dish to-​order so if you’ve got a dietary restriction (hello, no meat!) then they can customize most items to suit your needs. They also have a designated gluten-​free menu.
I have two favorite times to eat at Papa Razzi.
1. In the dead of winter, when Garden City is covered in snow and you can pop in for a little respite and a plate of delicious, piping hot Gnocchi di Sorrento.
2. On a bright, sunny day and you can sit on the patio and enjoy a refreshing plate of the Panzanella Salad and in ice cold iced tea.
Papa Razzi is NOT like other Italian-​American chains. Trust. It’s definitely worth a try and bonus points because you’re grandparents will LOVE it! Promise.

I really thought I’d be giving Papa Razzi a higher review since I’ve been many times over the years and never had a bad experience. Until today. As far as chains go, Papa Razzi always had consistently good food and service. I love the outdoor seating in the summer as well as the bread and oil they start off with. This time the food was okay and the service was horrible.
It started out okay. The server wasn’t very nice but we got our drinks, foccaccia and bread sticks so we were happy. Soon it became clear that we’d been waiting a really long time for our food. When I looked around for our server she ignored us. Finally our food was brought out by 2 different’ servers and a manager. My husband’s order was incorrect. None of this would have been terrible, mistakes happen, but nobody apologized or even acknowledged the wait or the fact that a mistake had been made. When our server finally appeared, again we received no apologies or acknowledgement and her sour attitude continued.
Finally when the check appeared, she told us she took the sandwich off the bill (I hadn’t complained so she must have realized her error) and said «sorry» in a very curt manner. While I appreciate that in the end they had resolved the error, an apology or even a simple trip to our table to let us know the food was coming would have been nice. I hope that this was a one-​time negative experience. This won’t keep my from going back based on prior experiences but if I keep having meals like this one I’ll find another place in Garden City to enjoy.