Lucia

A month after eating there, my fiancé and I are still talking about Lucia’s incredible food and service. It was hands down the best meal we have ever eaten!

I can’t deny the food was delish… and the interior was reminiscent of those I visited in Italy, but let’s be honest here… the wait for this elusive resto is honestly not worth the hype and MONTHS of waiting.
If you’re up for waiting until next season for a decent Italian meal, this is your place. Otherwise, Urbano is just as intimate/​romantic and (almost) as tasty.

Stumbled upon this restaurant by accident but it was best accident I ever made! A friend and I walked in and got lucky that they had a table for 2 available!
The restaurant is absolutely adorable! The couple that owns it are super sweet and the staff are amazing! We learned that the restaurant was named after their dog. The staff took the time to review every item on the menu with us!
We split a bottle of Pinot Noir and learned that all their wines are from Italy. The wine was phenomenal and paired well with everything we ate. For appetizer we had the beets with crème– the combination was so refreshing! Following that we got the Tajarin with brodo Parmigiano and grated black truffle and Potato gnocchi with lamb neck ragu and Pecorino Romano. However, my friend is vegetarian so we requested for the gnocchi to be vegetarian and they were very accommodating. I have to say the gnocchi is the best I have ever had, lightly toasted on both sides but soft on the inside. It almost reminded me of a savory mini French toast! The parmigiana was simple perfection especially with black truffle.
For dessert, we got the pana cotta and chocolate mousse with small dices of grapefruit on top. The grapefruit wasn’t my favorite but the pana cotta paired perfectly with the chocolate mousse. The dessert was refreshing and a perfect way to end the meal!
I would HIGHLY recommend this restaurant to anyone that hasn’t tried it. I’m not sure everyone would be as lucky in getting a table at the last minute so I would make a reservation!

We were off on a weekday and were finally able to get in to eat here! My wife and I love Italian food and this is a keeper. We had the family package menu and it was wonderful. Everything was felt authentic and creative in combinations. We loved a majority of the dishes. You can’t win them all but if we can get a majority of likes, we’re happy. We’ll definitely be back.

This is the best Italian restaurant in Dallas, TX. I was in Italy a couple of months ago, and this would compete well with the best restaurants in Rome, Florence, or Venice.

I’ve often wondered how a restaurant could maintain a one month lead time to get a reservation during the entire five year period they’ve been open. After eating there last night, I now know why — it is just that damn good!
Lucia is worth all the good press it gets and then some. The food, service and ambience are as good as you will find anywhere. ANYWHERE!
We went on a night when the menu was Prix Fixe and family style. I’m glad it was because it required me to try things outside my normal food comfort zone. I would never order beets or sweetbreads and both were off the charts good. There wasn’t anything that wasn’t world class. That’s right — WORLD CLASS!
The service was outstanding. The ambience and atmosphere… as good as it gets!
There are not enough superlatives in my personal dictionary to accurately describe Lucia. It is one of the best dining experiences I have ever experienced.
Huge star and huge smiley face!

Really enjoyed this place.
Food was very fresh and delicious.
Dishes are authentic with slight creative twists.
This is definitely the best Italian spots in Dallas and in league with great Italian restaurants in SF or NYC.
Need to make reservations weeks to months in advance as the place is fairly small

I have been wanting to dine here ever since I moved to Dallas 2.5 years ago. I absolutely love authentic Italian and had heard nothing but good things about this place.
So for months, I tried making the reso in advance first day of the month. It never worked out. In the meantime, all the build up around eventually eating here one day continued.
Here’s the set up — this place was hyped. I mean super-​hyped. Since I had been wanting to go SOOO badly, I was expecting heavenly food, like from the book, «Kitchens of the Great Midwest.» Metaphorically, like a symphony in my mouth. Every bite bringing me to tears of joy, so was the expectation…
So the day finally came, after a tip from a friend about getting there as soon as they open to snag a seat at the bar. Well, since that wasn’t possible on a weekday, something else happened to work out.
I was waiting for my friend to get into town, but it wouldn’t be until 10p. I called and asked when the kitchen closed or what was the latest we could come in. She said 9:50, and hopefully, if available, we would be seated.
We got there at 9:30 and they said give us a minute and we’ll see if we can seat you at the bar. They said YES! Then they suggested we go to Dude, Sweet Chocolate while we wait for our place to be set up (~5 minutes). [See Dude, Sweet Chocolate review later — that’s a whole ‘nother great story.]
The hostess came to get us after about ten minutes. We were seated at the bar. Staff was super nice and friendly! After bringing our prosecco (amazing), they said there was actually a table available for us! We lucked out! It was only the two of us, but we were sharing plates, so usually, party of two sit across from each other, but we got to sit next to each other on a bench with pillows! It was fantastic.
Olives were warm when they came out — quite the variety. Then the bread and sea salt flaked butter came out. Delicious.
We got the gnocco fritto to start, the squid ink spaghetti and gnocchi for primo course, the wagyu beef for secundi, and then the chef-​recommended apple sorbet and rice pudding for dessert.
The app was good, but not what we expected. It is different from the gnocchi, so don’t think you are duplicating dishes. It was fried bread, light as a pillow, where I believe the term refers to, like gnocchi. The radishes didn’t seem to pair well on the plate though?
Of the two pastas, the squid ink spaghetti with clams was better. Not a super fan of the sauce, but the pasta was good. I will say however, I was underwhelmed by the pasta. Best pasta I have ever had is in Seattle with a place that has limited dining times as Lucia. But I was expecting the best, the best I would ever have or had. Unfortunately not the case.
My friend practically devoured the beef. They didn’t ask for the cook, but brought it out medium rare. Smart decision considering that’s what most Americans order anyway, but maybe the dish they make just has to be prepared to that perfect medium-​rare. The root vegetables to accompany were good, and it was the fall, but for such a heavy protein, I would expect some lighter vegetables rather than the hearty root on the dish.
The dessert was probably our favorite, but also not my absolute favorite. My friend liked the green apple sorbet with the chocolate hazelnut spread. Individually, both were good, but the flavor and texture combo just didn’t seem to go.
As for the rice pudding, there was a lot going on with the dish — rice pudding, squash, ganache, and bark. Again, all delicious separately, but not all paired well together. I liked the balance of the rice pudding and squash, and the bark was a nice crunch, but the ganache didn’t go. Also, I would have placed the bark on the side rather than on top of the pudding.
Overall, the service was great, the environment was lovely, and food was good. However, did the place meet my extremely high expectations? No. Was it worth all the hype? Probably not.
I will note, we ordered risotto for another friend to go, and she loved it. Maybe we’ll have to try other dishes when we come, or a different menu on a different day.
We’ll see.

Stepping into this little hidden gem — we were greeted with a casual and genuine smile and a robust atmosphere.
Nice interior.
We sat in our seats and immediately found ourselves being educated on delicious foods to taste.
Which we did!
The food is great here… As is the service.
Love Lucia!

I have been waiting a LONG time to visit Lucia, and I finally got my shot on my birthday this year. I faithfully made my reservations at 9 AM on the 1^st of the previous month, and when the day finally came, my parents and I went down to see what the fuss was about.
It didn’t take long to find out. Each and every single piece of food on our table was about the best of anything I have ever had. Even the simple olive appetizer was something special. I don’t care if you are on a diet — do NOT skip the bread and butter. Both are made in-​house, and will send you in to a foodgasm.
Our dinner consisted of the most decadent gnocchi and cavatelli pastas, and a serving of pork jowl that just MELTED in my mouth. My parents and I were way beyond impressed — we cleaned each and every crumb of food off our plates. I had never had such amazingly authentic and delicious Italian food EVER. It was an unforgettable dinner.
As I am sure many have written, this place is very much not cheap. But the three of us managed to not break the bank by skipping the wine altogether, and sticking with water. The total bill for two large pastas and the pork jowl was less than $ 100. I will chalk that up to a victory for my frugal self! It was easily the finest dinner I have ever had. Thank you, Lucia!

Wow, I have died and gone to food heaven after eating a fantastic meal at Lucia. I got us a reservation in early September for my boyfriends birthday last night in late October… yes you heard me correctly. If you want to go here, you have to decide on a date very early in advance, or try and score a seat at their bar (only 4 seats available) which is first come first serve.
The inside is cozy and intimate and very small. The whole restaurant only holds around 30 people. The staff is so knowledgeable, welcoming, helpful, and makes the whole experience so worth the large bill you will receive at the end.
The menu is coursed starting with appetivo and ending with dessert. For me and my boyfriend we ordered a bottle of wine (because when in Rome), two appetivo’s, two pastas, one main course, and one dessert and just shared everything. I would say this is the perfect way to do it and gives you the perfect taste of multiple dishes and leaves you satisfied but not over stuffed.
My favorites were the truffle gnocchi, the waygu beef, and the butternut squash ravioli. Absolutely incredible!
Great authentic Italian food in the most amazing atmosphere. Great spot for special occasions or date night to impress. I was very happy with my experience at Lucia, and already counting the days until I get to come back!

Super fresh pasta, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of the dishes I tried. I’m not a huge fan of Italian food in general, so this review may not be a good representation of the restaurant. They aren’t kidding when they say that it’s difficult to get a reservation at Lucia. I decided to take my chances and try to grab a spot at the bar for a party of two on a Wednesday night at 8:30pm. There were two seats available, but since my colleague was running late, we lost out to another walk-​in customer. Luckily for us, a party of 2 were no-​shows, so we were able to grab a table after a 15 minute wait (we browsed the chocolate shop next door). It’s definitely a cozy seating arrangement, and you can basically hear everything your neighbors are saying. We tried:
–Complimentary Bread & Butter: The bread was delicious, and it was difficult to stop eating.
–Complimentary Olives (
): Really good, and I liked the variety. However, this is a huge amount of olives for just two people, and I wish they actually gave us less. My coworker doesn’t like olives, and I hate wasting food, so felt a lot of pressure to finish all of them on my own.
–Baby Lettuces (w/​Lemon, Smoke Anchovy, Garlic, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, $ 8): Not so great– the dressing was way too lemony and sour for my liking.
–18 Month Old Red Wattle Prosciutto w/​Arugula, Texas Melon ($ 16,
): Good, but not the most amazing prosciutto/​melon dish I’ve had. The prosciutto was actually too salty for my tastes.
–Spaghettini (w/​Sausage, Chanterelles, Garlic Cream, $ 22,
): Yum, the spaghettini was super fresh and delicious. However, the sausage, chanterelle and garlic cream combination just didn’t quite do it for me. This dish was nice and creamy, but I didn’t like the type of sausage they used.
–Short Rib (w/​White Polenta, $ 29,
): Not so great– the meat wasn’t seared, and ended up having that soft and chewy texture. I didn’t like the flavor combinations in this– skip!
–Brown Butter Breadcrumb Semifreddo (w/​Dry Peach Purée, Texas Peaches, $ 9,
): Our server hyped up this dish a lot, but we thought it was just ok. It was really, really sweet, and I didn’t like the peaches in there. The texture of the bread crumbs were too scratchy for me– I wouldn’t get this dessert again.
I regret not ordering the Watermelon Salad, since I saw a couple other tables order it and it looked amazing! The best part about dining at Lucia is the wonderful staff– everyone is really friendly and caring, and they go out of their way to make sure you are taken care of. Our server was really nice, and the perfect amount of attentive. I would come back to Lucia to try additional pasta dishes, but wouldn’t re-​order anything from this visit. Parking was easy to find on the night I went, but it can be challenging during the peak dinner hours.

On a quiet weekday night in bishop arts I gathered that scoring a table at Lucia,
self proclaimed to be always booked months in advance,
should be easy to come by.
Passing by the dimly lit cozy euro bistro
dining room it didn’t look full.
I made a phone call. The host paused with a sort of unwelcoming clandestine exclusiveness.
«Any bar seats?» I said, already knowing there were seats. «There are seats now, but we seat on a first come first served basis.»
She said with a distant friendliness and a bright diction.
I walked in. There was in fact at least one open table, and 4 seats at the bar, at which they gave me the stool on the end positioned awkwardly near the service well.
The relaxed bistro charm was certainly nice, as was the waitress who graciously talked me through a menu that was punctuated with at least 8 meat plates, housemade pastas and $ 30 plus protein entrees.
It seemed imbalanced.
She suggested the main charcuterie $ 18 as a meal, which didn’t seem quit festive enough, otherwise she broadly suggested everything was good which seemed mostly sincere.
The room buzzed with groups of non hip middle aged Moms and dads and a single woman reading a book at the other end of the bar.
I was brought a plate of wonderfully large and fresh olives. I ordered the duck confit $ 30, and was told I had to order all courses at once, and dessert would be ordered after.
It seemed fair, if not a little rigid.
The duck confit was good, maybe perfect,
but the high price for oak cliff perplexed me.
The panna cotta for dessert had more the consistency of yogurt, disappointingly.
I suppose this place works best for a small group, where you can share plates and drink wine together. I’ll come back for the charcuterie and the pastas, but Lucia seems to be missing some warmth. Despite all the wood décor, and cute euro grandma plates, the snootiness dampers things.
Summary
Perfect Euro food (I really wouldn’t call it Italian.)
Narrow meat-​centric and pasta menu
Slightly snotty staff
Perfect for middle aged couples with a fat wallet

Foi gras stuffed prune is the best $ 1 you have spent in a long time. Lots-​O-​meat, Lots-​O-​pasta, and the menu changes often. The bread is heavenly. Service is old school classy.

***Lucia is very highly regarded and definitely shows potential, but I found their food good but disappointing***
Lucia is located in the Bishop Arts District, which is a hipster neighborhood in Dallas. This area has a very inviting vibe. The businesses here look interesting and they are located in historic buildings and reside on quaint small town streets. Lucia with its comforting menu but also with upscale touches and friendly but also knowledgeable service makes it the perfect fit for this neighborhood.
Lucia is an Italian restaurant and offers a lot of variety in its menu. You will find an assortment of delicious sounding pastas, hearty main courses featuring proteins local to the area and several desserts. Lucia also features a very impressive antipasti menu that includes a collection of housemade salumi.
Dinner started with complimentary rustic bread and a nice plate of olives. For my first course, I went with their foie gras stuffed prunes. The prunes were sweet while the foie gras was a topping of creamy, savory, meaty, buttery, and delicious foie gras mousse. You can get this by the piece (at a dollar each) – a great value if you just want to get a taste or if you want to indulge.
I tried some of their charcuterie next. I ordered the classic combination of beef with Parmigiano Reggiano and arugula. The flavors of course went together very well. The arugula was fresh, bitter and leafy while the thickly shaved Parmigiano Reggiano was nicely salty and sharp. The beef was moist and rich. Cured meats are not something I would usually order, but I think fans of these types of preparations will be highly satisfied here.
I tried two pastas. The first was al dente casarecce, which had a great chew. The garnishes of chili, raab and crispy crunchy breadcrumbs were all fine but did not elevate the dish. I did not love the shrimp. The flavor had a strong fish flavor and the flavor did not blend well with this pasta course.
The other pasta I had was cavatelli and it was good. It had a simple topping of a ‘nduja ragu and Pecorino Romano. I would have preferred that they kept the sausage thicker (and not minced up so much) since this is one of the better sausages out there. I have had cavatelli at a lot of places – Michael Mina in San Francisco, Marea in New York, Bestia in Los Angeles – and while this would not be one of the best preparations of cavatelli I have had, I think a lot of people would enjoy it.
For dessert, I had their Italian crepes filled with a prune paste and then topped with a brown butter gelato. The gelato was fine, but they put too much prune paste in the crepes. It was extremely sweet. In addition, the crepes were burnt. The burnt flavor was not too bad, but it was disappointing watching other crepes dishes being plated with a much more even cook on the crepes.
Service was good – quick and very friendly. The restaurant is a small place. It has an interesting cluttered and home-​like feel that I was not expecting.
Prices were too high given the quality. Everything I had was good, but the Italian food here did not match up with other excellent Italian restaurants across the country charging similar prices. I did like how you could order smaller and less expensive portions of all of their pastas.
I found a lot of what I had at Lucia good but not exceptional. A lot of the menu sounds delicious though and the food did show promise. I would definitely be willing to give it another shot and I think it is a good option for locals and visitors seeking out comforting rustic Italian cuisine utilizing high quality ingredients.
Free street parking is available in the nearby residential area.

Brilliant, 100
I decided to wait until it was time to write review number 100 to write my thoughts on Lucia. I wanted review number 100 to be special ;-) It was going to be either Lucia or frank, as timing would have it. Well, the choice between the two is simple.
Lucia…Soulful, inspiring, delicious, simple, real food.
Of course, all the hype that’s been out there about this place, the difficulty of getting a reso, why would I even try. So many places get hyped, and deliberately limit reservations to create buzz, and then disappoint. But, I figured, I should try this place.
Wow. I am truly impressed. It’s hard for me to say that. But I just did. A truly fantastic restaurant. Maybe I have felt this way before about a restaurant experience 5 times my whole life. Maybe fewer.
And, more importantly, I had the perfect dish** here.
This is the mythical neighborhood place that seems to only exist in film or in dreams, with enough charm and character for 20 restaurants. And that is good here… not sappy or over studied. Just… perfect.
It’s laid back (this is OC) but serious as well. Urbane.
And the food… I have never met a non-​native Italian who can cook «Italian» as well as this chef, this kitchen. And I actually do know a thing or two about food in Italy.
Sitting inside the restaurant feels like a cross between some charming little restaurant/​café in Noe Valley blended with a good trattoria/​ristorante hybrid from any number of cities in central Italy, or Rome… Perhaps like Enoteca al Bric in Roma. Here in Dallas. Yes. Dallas!
I could go on and on, and geek out and get boring, but I won’t do that to either one of us. Everything I’ve eaten here has been superb. The chef sets very high standards and keeps to them. My sincerest compliments to him.
Well, OK, I will go one about one dish:
** Cacio e pepe. I’ve given up on ordering this in the states. It’s likely my favorite pasta dish, which has gained some popularity stateside in recent years. After speaking with the chef on how he makes it, I ordered it. It seemed the right thing to do.
Praise the lord, or JC or whomever/​whatever you praise, but It was so good, it actually brought tears to my eyes. I texted a couple friends who dig food, at the time, that I was getting emotional over a plate of pasta… and they, knowing me, wanted to know where I was and what was I eating that could possibly be that outstanding.
Cacio e Pepe — Better than any I’ve had in Italy or anywhere. Here in Dallas!
Another visit, Carbonara… As good as it gets. Executed to perfection. Soulful. Here in Dallas!
Salumi… made in house, all as good as almost any artisanal salumi I’ve had in Italy or Spain. In Dallas. Yes, Dallas.
Wine list quite good, service perfect. Friendly all the way around and attentive.
And for the prices they charge, this is easily one of the best restaurants I have been to in perhaps 20 years.
Brava Lucia, brava!
Cin cin!

It took about 4 reservations before we were finally lucky enough to make it into Lucia for dinner. Each time we attempted a reservation, we had to call ~2 months in advance. We were able to score a table for two this past Friday night and we made sure not to miss it.
The restaurant is quite small, but it displays an inviting, intimate setting for diners to enjoy.
They didn’t have too many reasonably priced wines by the bottle options, so we chose one of the Italian red wines that we had never heard of before. At first, I didn’t like the wine at all, but once our food started to arrive, the wine got a lot better.
The complimentary bread is out of this world good. It was so good, that we asked for a second loaf. Warm and soft on the inside, with a buttery crust on the outside, making it the perfect starter for a good dinner.
We decided to select two options off of the Primi portion of the menu, as well as our two entrees. For the Primi dishes, we went with the Taglierini cacio e pepe and another noodle dish with salted Cod and bok choy. The best way to describe the Taglierini is a sophisticated version of a cheese pasta, but way too refined to be compared with mac and cheese. I thought the dish was wonderful. The cod dish was even more wonderful; however, I would have never known it was cod had it not been printed on the menu. I never saw or tasted fish, but whatever it was, it was excellent.
For my entrée, I went with the only fish option available, which was Mackerel. The fish was cooked perfectly, and it settled in a beautiful brown sauce that I have no idea what to call.
My fiancé got the Duck and the few bites that I had had just enough of sweet and savory to it to make it a true winning dish.
Overall, the food and service was great. I look forward to the day of coming back to see what else I can love from this authentic Italian restaurant!

An Italian Gem Hidden in Bishop Arts
–Since moving to Dallas 6 months ago, Lucia is the 70^th restaurant on my Dallas foodie list (mostly due to difficulty procuring a reservation) — the wait was well worth it.
Atmosphere: Intimate. Relaxed. Welcoming. Although a small restaurant, I didn’t find the restaurant particularly cramped or loud as some have mentioned.
Food:
In short, the meal was outstanding.
–The Foie Gras Prunes were delicious. Great pairing.
–Both the Rabbit Agnolotti and Gnocchi dishes were well-​executed and creative
–The Lamb Chop entrée was also excellent with great accompaniments
Overall, Chef David Uygur serves unique dishes that still embody traditional Italian cuisine.
Service: Excellent. Seriously. Everyone in the restaurant was incredibly amicable and made you feel like family. Service was attentive, but not overbearing, and the recommendations offered were on point.
Would I come here again? YES, and I intend to.
Recommended? YES. Look online to see when they next take reservations, or drop by sometime to see if you can snag bar seats.

There’s so much hype and I don’t see how.
This was probably the only restaurant left in Dallas that I was really excited to try. I made reservation twice before and was unable to make it until the third time. It happened to be my birthday, and I was prepared to be amazed, but the outcome was highly disappointed.
Soooo… what did I have that was so not appetizing? We started out with a salumi platter-​a tasting of house-​made cured meats. Seriously, some of the salamis from Central market are better than this. The foie gras stuffed prune for $ 1 each was probably the only decent thing there. To be clear, it was foie gras mousse. Then the waitress recommended the saffaron casarecce with squid braised in ink because it’s different. It sounded pretty unique to me. The garlic from the dish gave a great essence, but it was way too greasy. The flavor from squid ink was so fishy when you chew on it. I had a difficult time finishing it. For the main entrée, the rabbit leg confit was pretty bad. It was bland and dry, almost like the white meat in chicken. My meal wasn’t very pleasant so I decided to pass on dessert.
I was pretty sad and disappointed with my experience at Lucia. Especially for how excited I was, but she let me down like the economy.

Lucia is a cozy Italian kitchen in the Bishop Arts District that is as authentic as it is hard to get in to. Don’t expect over sauces & cheesed pastas here. You’ll find daily handmade pastas, creative dishes & cooking techniques, & some of the finest in house salted meats in Dallas.
My Overall Rating — 4 Stars (Atmosphere, Service, Food, Return)
Atmosphere — Lucia is a tiny restaurant who fills up it reservation list at the beginning of each month. But you don’t feel like you’re at a restaurant, it’s much more intimate. You feel like you’re at a friend’s house who just happened to host a private dinner for you and 20 — 30 (at most) friends. There are only 4 seats at the bar for walk-​ins, so good luck if you go that route. That being said, the terms cozy, warm, inviting, delicious… you get the picture. Welcome to Lucia. 1 Star.
Service — Service is great, with our server being well-​versed in many items on the menu. This is very important for a restaurant of this type, because the menu that changes on a weekly if not daily basis. Your server will know what the best items are to order according to your tastes, so be sure you ask for recommendations and do not be shy about what you like and do not like. Also, reservations are open only at the beginning of every month. You must call in and leave a message with your contact information along with preferred dates. If you make the list, you will get a call back and then be sure you put it on your calendar. The fact that they must do this still to this day shows you how incredible the wait is for Lucia. 1 Star.
Food — The process are handmade daily. The have an incredible Charcuterie plate available consisting of meets that are all made in house. You will find multiple types of salumi, cheeses, and assorted pork offerings that would make any New York delicatessen proud. We order a combination plates on our visits, although our last visit had one cheese that literally smelled & tasted like fart. Sorry, it wasn’t appetizing, but it was funny watching each other trying to eat it. We order 2 proteins & 2 pastas to share among four of us. The scallops were huge, tender, succulent, but too salty. My favorite dish was a gnocchi like pasta that was filled with rabbit. It was soft, creamy, and it really an incredible bite. But honestly, I hesitate to describe any other dishes because chances are your menu will be completely different. 1 ½ Star.
Will I Return? — Only for special occasions. Because Lucia is honestly a special restaurant. If you want a truly unique, Italian restaurant in the heart of the Bishop Arts District in Dallas, then put a reminder in your calendar to call in on the first of each month so that you can reserve a table. ½ Star.
My Unilocal Rating Scale (Sum of all parts):
1 Star — Atmosphere — Is it a cool dive? Perhaps an upscale place? No matter the type, atmosphere plays a big part and I’ll give a star if I like it or thinks it has great charm.
1 Star — Service — You can have a great meal with bad service. But that’s also what can make a five star joint drop to four. It’s important to the dining experience that service is great and on point.
2 Stars — Food — I’ll award up to two stars for the food, since this is the main reason we dine out. Sometimes the extra star is given for value, but it’s really all about the food.
1 Star — Will I come back? — If I know for a fact I’ll return, I’ll give this a star. A place has to make an impression for me to return.
Each Category can be given up to 1 star except food (2 stars) because I consider all these categories important to the overall dining experience. I will sum them up to provide my final Unilocal score.