Ermilio’s Italian Home Cooking

We had a long wait, but we didn’t mind. There were nice people waiting for tables also. So there was friendly coversation to occupy us. The restaurant is in a converted old house. It was beautiful. Our waitress was one of the best I’ve had. The food was very good. We had the Pesto and the Primavera. They came with complimentary salad and bread. The bread was good and came with roasted garlic which was yummy smashed with the butter and spread on top. I then had the house Tiramisu. Maybe I should give five stars? It’s very close, but I think there is a little room for improvement in making the menu more extensive and unique especially for vegetarians.

I would give it 3 ½ stars. The food is wonderful but they do not except reservations and the wait can be tremendous. The restaurant is very small as it was once a home. It is charming and the atmosphere delightful eclectic.
On our last visit, I think they forgot about us as we waited over two hours. However, the time did pass quickly as we filled it with fun, wine and trivia pursuit in the second floor lounge.

5÷31÷2016 Fast service in a quaint old home. Jules was our server, friendly and efficient ! Now the food! Dressings are made in house, salads are served with warm homemade bread and roasted garlic. My husband had Shrimp Provencal… which made him groan in delight! I had the Chicken Marsala which should make olive garden despair because it was SO good here. I highly recommend this place to eat! You will not be disappointed!

Ermilio’s had the best food of any of the places we ate at during our trip to Eureka Springs. We got there at around 5:45 and they had about an hour and 15 minute wait. However, the bar and games upstairs are a great way to spend the wait time. Be warned, the upstairs bar is cash only and fairly expensive, but fun. We were started after pretty much exactly the estimated time. Our server was a super nice, younger guy who was very attentive and funny. The roasted garlic for the bread was really good and a nice touch. The salad are pretty basic, I got the red wine vinaigrette, which was ok, but not crazy flavorful and I decided to not eat it all so I could save space for the entrée. We got the poem chop and the rib eye special. Both were fantastic! The pork chop was super tender and the mushroom demi glacé was rich and flavorful. The rib eye was really tasty and tender as well and had a herbed butter melting over the top of it that really added a great richness when you ran the forkful of steak or mashed potatoes through it. For dessert we got a triple chocolate salted caramel brownie to bring back to our hotel for later and the was fabulous as well. This place is awesome! You should definitely as it to your must try list for Eureka Springs!

We loved Emilio’s! The service was quick and friendly and our server even gave us wonderful recommendations when we asked. The food was amazing! We would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Eureka Springs!
They even had a gluten-​free pasta option and all pasta sauces were gluten-​free. They were very accommodating and welcoming. Will definitely be going back on our next visit to town!

My boyfriend and I have been to Ermilio’s twice. For appetizers, we have tried the stuffed mushrooms and the pesto bread rounds. We both enjoyed the pesto bread. The mushrooms were forgettable. For pasta, we have tried mom’s homemade red sauce, the pesto, and the tomato basil. We agreed the pasta and sauces (and food overall) were reasonably priced and fairly average in taste.
Upstairs is a waiting area/​lounge full of games, and a delightful bartender who we encountered during both visits. The bar is cash only. We waited over an hour each time, but the wait was expected. We had different servers each time, but each one was equally hurried and borderline rude. Neither one noted what the specials were and more or less seemed to be annoyed to be there.
Overall, the atmosphere upstairs is great, but we found our experience downstairs to be lacking.

Waitress was great, bread was good. Nothing special about the spaghetti and meatballs or salad. A little pricey for bowl size.

Quaint, great and fast service! Our waitress was awesome and our food was deeeeeelish! First came warm bread with roasted garlic cloves n butter. So awesome! Then we had our salads. And before we knew it our entrees arrived… I ordered chicken Alfredo fettuccine and my wife ordered pesto spinach linguine. So so good. Would recommend to all!

My friend had suggested we go here and we did. I normally don’t like Italian food… but this place omg I loved every bit of what we got. The place doesn’t have that much seating so we got there a little early to park and we waited by the time 5 hit 4 other couples has shown up so it fills up quickly.

This place is AWESOME!
When we arrived, there was a wait for a table. But they directed us upstairs where they have different areas to sit and lounge while talking or playing one of there many board games. They also have a cash only small bar upstairs. Had a wonderful time before even getting to the table. Dinner was fantastic too. Linguine with Pesto sauce was very good. You gotta try the Pesto vinaigrette dressing. Calamari and spaghetti with meatballs all delicious.

My husband and I ordered to-​go from Ermilios the first night we arrive into Eureka Springs. We had heard great things about them and had to try it!
Even as to go food… we loved it! I ordered the Gnocchi with Gorgonzola and the hubby ordered the tortellini… both were amazing! Both came with a salad and some amazing bread with roasted garlic on the side.
Next time we will have to dine in since our food was a little lukewarm when it arrived to us, overall great place… cant wait to go back.

Love that you can go upstairs while waiting, have a drink, and play some games. The roasted, spreadable garlic was fantastic. Their sauce in the shrimp pasta dish was buttery and rich, so amazing, and I highly recommend. The pork chop was nice and hearty, but didn’t care for the past that came on the side. You can tell the tiramisu was made fresh. It was to die for! If there’s a wait, then wait.

Love Ermilio’s. I live in Fayetteville and some of my friends have driven to Eureka Springs just to eat here. I love that the calamari is NOT fried and the juice it comes in is so good, especially when you dip your bread into it. The wait staff is professional and attentive. I like how the owner greets people and I even saw him clearing off a table. The marinara sauce is a little sweet for my liking, but the pork chop was outstanding! Love the ambience and photos on the wall gives it a «family feel» plus it’s in a converted house. No wonder it’s been voted best Italian food!

Always a «must eat» for us when we are in Eureka! Alan has been there a while and is a great server. Roasted garlic w/​butter and fresh parmesan on the bread is perfect! Stuffed mushrooms are the only way to begin the meal… By the time the main course arrives, you’re ready for the to-​go container! Friendly people and great food… Ermilios has impressed again!

Okay… make sure you get the half and half salad dressing (pesto and blue cheese) it is AWESOME! Building has great character. The servers are very good, the service is built for speed, was amazed at how fast the food came out. Based on the speed, the pasta was seriously lacking. Assuming they have most items precooked then just heat on the fly to get turnover of tables rolling. Besides pasta not being cooked properly, all other food was good. Heck I would go back just for the salad and Italian cream cake.

The hubs and I love this place. We first visited here before we had kids back 13 years ago & it still does not disappoint! They have been voted best Italian food in the state & there is a reason why. The atmosphere is great, staff is all so friendly and helpful, and best of all, the food is off the charts delicious!
We got there just after they opened at 5PM. The wait for a table was a bit long, maybe 45 minutes, but with the games upstairs (and a bar) it seemed like no time at all & we were being seated. We had no complaints from our kids on the wait either… how often does that happen?!
There isn’t one bad item on the menu, they’re all great.
We had lasagna, spaghetti, penne pasta and salad for dinner. For dessert the hubs tried the cheesecake, the boys had the brownies, and I had the cannoli. All of it was to die for!
We will be back!

For me, the piece de resistance was the artichoke appetizer. What a way to start a meal!
We were in Eureka Springs for a Thanksgiving getaway. We’d done our family dinner the Sunday before, sent the kids and grandkids to their «others,» and we headed south.
Ermilio’s is the kind of little dining gem I love finding. .. kitschy ambience, friendly staff and g-​r-​r-​r-​r-​e-​a-​t food.
As noted, the artichoke appetizer got things going for us. Sautéed artichokes, served warm with tomatoes in a perfect basil vinaigrette. Yum and double yum!
After Catholicism bread is the second religion of Italy. Ermilio’s offering is a warm loaf of crusty bread with roasted garlic cloves. So nice!
The salads were OK, but lettuce salad is an American thing, not so much Italian. They were out of their pesto dressing, which always means it’s made fresh and not poured from a bottle. No problem. Her «Too Blue for You» blue cheese and my house vinaigrette were just fine.
Her entrée was classic eggplant Parmesan. She raved. It must’ve been good ’cause I make a pretty fair eggplant parm myself. My primo and secondo were gnocchi with tomato-​basil sauce and Ermilio’s rolled meatballs, respectively. .. entrambi delizioso!
Our waiter, Benjamin, was most attentive, adding immeasurably to our dining experience.
Finally, I have to note that the price is fantastically reasonable. When the check arrived, I did the diner’s double take. .. appetizer, entrees and wine. .. leaving us stuffed to the point of not even wanting dessert. .. a mere 63 dollars. My favorite Italian in Kansas City costs 20 dollars more. .. each!
Ermilio’s! Buon appetito!

I really wanted to just LOVE this spot! and don’t get me wrong– it was good. but it was just… good. nothing overwhelming or spectacular. maybe that’s my fault for ordering something pretty standard, but Italian is just that… the standard classics are what make it simply delicious. I had the fettuccine alfredo and it was decent. the salad was ok. the wine was good, but really pricey for what it was.

We had high expectations due to the reviews but were sadly disappointed.
Filet mignon was interesting– ordered medium rare but it was unevenly cooked sitting in odd flavored sauce. Pasta that came with it had horrible sauce on top. Green beens were ok.
Also ordered the chicken salad which turned out pretty good if you like a lot of raw vegetables. It was a good sized portion too.
Lastly the cannoli tasted like it was old and had been sitting out for hours.
Overall, it was way overpriced for mediocre food.

A great place for a delicious dinner and great service ! But go early for they don’t take reservations.

Husband and I had heard so many great reviews of Ermilio’s so we had to give it a try. It’s a quaint home set in the historic district which is nice. We arrived at 6:30 on a Saturday night and expected to have a wait. The hostess estimated an hour and 20 minute wait. We headed upstairs to the bar to pass the time and found a nice surprise of board games to entertain us while we waited. After 2 rounds of battleship, several too hard trivial pursuit questions, an abandoned game of backgammon, 2 glasses of wine and Chex mix totaling an hour and 25 minute wait we were finally seated.
The waiter brought out fresh bread and roasted garlic which was very intriguing and looked amazing; however, after smashing the garlic and mixing it with butter to spread on our bread it was quite the let down. The waiter suggested the pork osso buco so hubby went with that and I decided on the chicken Marsala. The salads arrived very quickly after ordering. The three choices of salad dressing are all homemade pesto, red wine vinaigrette and blue cheese. We opted for the pesto and red wine which were pretty bland and flavorless. Dinner arrived very quickly after finishing up our salads. My first bite of chicken Marsala was pretty good. Hubby and I have been working on cooking chicken Marsala at home and have perfected it to our taste so I compared Ermilio’s Marsala to ours. I have to say ours is better. Ermilio’s was good, don’t get me wrong, but my practice makes perfect Marsala won in my books and I’m not Italian.
Husband’s pork osso buco was stellar in presentation but the taste was Nothing more than bland pork roast with brown gravy. At $ 28 for that dish I really expected a tastebud masterpiece. Overall the actual dining time experience lasted about 20 minutes and the food was nothing spectacular so it was definitely not worth the 1 hour and 25 minute wait.

Oh my word! Absolutely fantastic! Allen was our server and he has to be one of the best servers I’ve ever had from his suggestions to his sense of humor. The food was phenomenal, if you are in eureka springs you must eat here! Our table enjoyed the artichoke hearts, clams, fasagna (they were out of lasagna but Allen suggested something that was a faux lasagna so we named it fasagna), gnocchi, shrimp pasta, chicken pasta, salmon, and the tortellini. It was all exceptional. We will definitely eat there again, we are actually planning a trip there just to eat at ermilios!

Ermilio’s was by far my best meal of the weekend. I came here on a Thursday around 8pm with my wife, which worked out well because there was no wait! Our waitress was a local who was extremely friendly, and very helpful in trying to get us to narrow down our choices. Her wine recommendation was on point, as my wife loved it (also being filled to the brim might have been bonus points).
The roasted garlic served with the fresh Italian bread is something I’ve never seen done in a restaurant before. Some people eat the garlic plain, some smash it onto the bread, some mix it up to make a garlic-​butter spread for the bread our waitress told us. I opted to smash it into some butter to make a garlic-​butter spread and boy was it tasty! That may be my new favorite thing to do when serving Italian food.
Entrée selection was hard. but I finally decided on Ermilio’s Pan Roasted Pork Chop. WOW. This was honestly the best pork chop I’ve ever had from a restaurant. It was literally cooked to perfection, was a huge size (not all bone like some other restaurants) and the porcini mushroom demi-​glaze was a perfect pairing to it. The pasta with tomato basil sauce that comes as a default side was okay … nothing to write home about in my book. You can change the side for $ 3, which I think is a little ridiculous because pasta is pasta, but I digress.
A must stop at restaurant whether you’re just driving through, staying for a day or a staying a whole week (god bless your soul, I don’t think there’s enough things to do in this small town for more than a weekend).

We were seated at the table with another couple because they were busy. I think this couple may have been on a first date. It made them more uncomfortable the it did us but either way, it was about the worst thing a restaurant can do. We chatted on and they sat quietly. $ 100 + later we felt like the experience did not match up to what we spent and we won’t be back. The food was ok but there are too many choices in town where you get your own table.

We came here on a Friday night around 8:00 and got seated right away. Our waitress was very friendly and had great recommendations for our meals. I started with a glass of wine and my husband got a beer. My wine was filled to the top!!! Score!
Before your meal, they bring out bread with fresh marinated garlic. The waitress recommending crushing the garlic and mixing it with butter and the fresh Parmesan on the table to spread on the bread. Wow was it good! I’ve never seen that before at an Italian restaurant.
I ordered the Tuscan chicken pasta and my husband got the pork chop. Both meals came with side salads (I recommend the pesto dressing). My pasta was great. The sauce tasted like Alfredo, but it’s texture was lighter so I didn’t feel so guilty eating it, although I finished it all! My husband ‘s pork chop was so tender! It cut like butter. I didn’t even know a pork chop could cook so well! It also came with a side of pasta and mushrooms.
After dinner we were stuffed, but of course we ordered dessert. We got the chocolate mouse cake. The cake was ok. Nothing to brag about, but the
«garlic» bread made up for it!

I had spinach fettuccine Alfredo. It was sublime. Paired with salad with house dressing, and a nice glass of Cabernet. The wait was only thirty minutes (it was a Tuesday) and it went by fast lounging on the deck with the other tourists. A larger group gave up and left after ten minutes of waiting. Their loss!

From the moment we walked in the door from the icy cold, we felt we were in the perfect place. There is an upstairs waiting room with a small wine and beer bar, but it also has several games to play to pass the time while we waited (45 min wait). We played «Apples to Oranges» and pulled in another family, whom we’d never met, and had a great time. We were almost disappointed when we were called to our table… Almost.
Seating is in close quarters as this was a home refurbished Into a restaurant, but we were comfortable. It was a beautiful home. The bread and garlic was amazing and plentiful. Our food… I had the salmon, and it melted in my mouth (I was melting too)!
In all, excellent service, superb atmosphere, incredible food. I can’t wait to go back in the spring!

The best Chicken Marsala that I have ever had. The side salad and pasta were outstanding as well. We went with the Italian cream cake for dessert and we enjoyed that thoroughly.
Do yourself a favor and get there early. We arrived at 6:30 and we only had to wait 15 minutes to be seated. On the other hand, the groups that arrived after 7 were told that they would have to wait an hour and a half to be seated.
The atmosphere to this place was singular, like most places in Eureka. Honestly, on the surface this feels like a place that you would have to pay top dollar to enjoy a meal at, but that simply isn’t the case. They offer big portions at a great value. This was my favorite meal in our three day trip to Eureka.

This is my overall favorite restaurant in Eureka Springs. It has excellent authentic Italian food served in a clean, welcoming environment. The restaurant is an old house, which gives it a unique atmosphere. There is usually a long wait — but for good reason: It’s popular and good. On my recent visit we were told there would be an hour wait. In actuality it was about 45 minutes. The good thing about the wait time is that there is a nice upstairs lounge and bar area with comfortable seating as well as a nice deck outside. The waiting area has several games, such as trivial pursuit. Our wait flew by as we sipped on martinis and played trivia games. Once seated, the service is quick, attentive, and prompt. The eggplant parmasan is out of this world!

Came in on Valentine’s Day expecting a wait. Just as we thought, it was 3 hours but we hadn’t made reservations anywhere else and decided to wait it out. Luckily, this place is built for long wait times! There is an upstairs bar and board games to play while you wait. Drinks were a little pricey but they had $ 20 wine by the bottle we did for our second round.
Everyone in this town is here for a good time and despite being the youngest people in the room by several years we had a great time waiting and doing trivia.
Once we were seated we could tell they were prepared for hungry people who had been waiting. Bread showed up almost instantly and he had our appetizer order in in under 5 minutes. The waiter was polite, efficient, and very knowledgeable about the menu.
The food was delicious! The clam sauce came with clams still in the shell and my spinach fettuccini was very fresh. My fiancé had tortellini with tomato basil and everything was great for him as well.

A place with authentic Italian cuisine in the middle of Midwest. When we went there with my SO, from the advice of the Lookout Lodge owner, we weren’t really expecting anything exceptional.
However, when we arrived there, we realized that we smelled a smell we haven’t smelled in a long, long time; actually since we last went to Italy: the smell of an authentic Italian cuisine.
After some waiting (apparently a busy night can get you an hour and a half of waiting time), we went in and weren’t decieved. The taste is hard to describe with words, I could but wonder how they managed to pull such a good of a cooking without the market and Italian products.
A true wonder and a must-​taste. They might even made it into michelin’s guide if it covered Eureka Springs.

We went there after Kim (the owner at The Lodge) highly recommended it and we were not disappointed! It was delicious! Really really fantastic!
The ambiance the quaint house provides and the colors and style of the restaurant were wonderful!
We liked it so much we went back the next night!
Good job Ermilio’s!

We’ve been hearing about Ermilio’s for quite some time now. Every time we go to Eureka Springs we are asked, «Did you eat at Ermilio’s?» This past weekend, my husband and I took an anniversary trip and finally are able to say that YES, we ate at Ermilio’s. And not only that, we LOVED it.
It was about 8pm on a Saturday night, and the wait was about an hour long. We actually expected this and were fine about it. They do have a bar/​lounge upstairs with an assortment of board games (both adult and children — Candyland, anyone?) to help pass the time. The restaurant itself is in an old house, so I’m almost certain their upstairs lounge used to be a children’s playroom at some point.
Finally we got our table. We got the little room right next to the kitchen doors and loud espresso machine. Not the best place to be seated, but we were in a pretty good mood. They bring out a nice loaf of crusty bread and a bowl of roasted garlic cloves which was something different. I’ve never smashed a garlic clove and spread it on bread before at any other restaurant, so I thought that was a pretty unique touch.
For appetizers, we wanted the mussels but they were sold out so we settled for the sauteed artichoke hearts. This was the only bummer of the whole evening. I guess I expected more from this dish. It was lukewarm, and while I don’t know if that was intentional or not, I think it would’ve tasted better hot. Actually now that I read back over the menu online it says it «served hot» so there ya go.
We had much better luck with the entrees. I chose the spinach and ricotta stuffed ravioli with tomato basil sauce. These raviolis were huge, super tender and extremely flavorful. I wanted to eat the whole thing so bad, but I knew I couldn’t. And I don’t know if the pasta is homemade or not, but it sure tasted like it. My husband got the Shrimp Provencale which he enjoyed a lot. I snuck a little bite, and the cream sauce was very light, not heavy like an alfredo. Super yummy. We also got a side of the meatballs just to try them out. Now these were absolute stunners. If you’re not going to get this as your entrée, at least get a side (you get two) because you do not want to miss it. Trust me.
Last but not least, dessert. We saved room somehow. Decided to go traditional with the Tiramisu. Very creamy, not too espresso-​y (for those that don’t like the coffee taste), and was the perfect Italian ending. However, our table neighbors had a lemon ice box cake that they were making smacking food noises over, so we’re thinking next time we’re getting that.
All in all, a great meal. Was it worth the hour wait? For me, yes. For my husband, yes. For you? Hopefully, (most likely) yes.