Zappone’s Italian Bistro

My first experience with them was not the best, although after the follow up I received from the owners I gave them another try! The service was great and food was delicious! Can’t wait to try more of their dishes!

Great little local italian joint, wife & tried it for the first time tonight. She was very specific what she wanted … Good Italian … NOT a chain! Her mom suggested Zappone’s, so we decided to give it a shot.
We shared the Tomato Jam, Goat Cheese & Arugula flatbread … really more like a pizza with those ingredients (with arugula put on after/​fresh). Delicious but about enough for 4 rather than 2 … like many Apps go. Literally it was more than I could’ve eaten for dinner if that was my only dish.
Wife got the homemade ravioli and liked the sauce and pasta filling just fine, but found the noodle portion a bit more ‘al-​dente’ than she’s used to. Not worth sending back or anything as it wasn’t ‘crisp’ (it’s homemade, right, so it can’t be), but a little more ‘done’ would’ve been nice.
On our waitresses suggestion (her name was Teresa and she was helpful, smiling, and attentive throughout, although we were her only customers on the patio outside), I tried the Chicken Saltimbucco (sp?) and boy that was a great call. Starter Caesar was nice, though I like a LITTLE ‘stronger’ Caesar dressing than what they offer (a tiny bit more vinegar/​lemon juice/​salt in the mix relative to the other ‘stuff’ IMHO would make it perfect), but if you like a milder/​cheesier Caesar you’ll love it.
AFA the main course goes, the Chicken and it’s sauce were delicious, those were perfectly cooked. The veggies under the breast (zuchs, red bell peppers) could’ve stood to be a little more ‘al-​dente’ but they weren’t mush or anything, I still ate ‘em right up. That also came with a basic bowl of rigatoni w/​alfredo & parmesan on the side, that was a nice compliment to the main dish.
Best of all, they had a ‘live band’ … well, a dude with an elaborate drum machine/​keyboard setup that made it sound like he was a whole band by himself, and he was great. Played sweet 70’s rock the whole time … Eagles, Pink Floyd, Christopher Cross, Styx, that sorta stuff. At the end of the night (we got there late) the guy even let me sit next to him at the mike and sing lead on a song while he played (and reminded me of the lyrics as we went along lol) … We did a little «Brown-​Eyed Girl», one of the wife’s favorites. Then I got him to close the night with Space Oddity (RIP David!) that I loudly sang along with from my table nearby, helped HIM remember the words on that one … So that was FUN!
However, since he was playing somewhat loudly (not to me, but I could see SOMEone feeling it was loud) in the small dining room, it was not exactly quiet in there … and dining room itself is relatively small and fairly tightly packed … so, well, don’t expect an quiet/​intimate dinner unless you call ahead and make sure there’s no ‘band’ playing when you’re there. Because of that we sat on the patio where we could still hear the music but still talk easily until we finished with dinner … then we went inside to hang out and rock out. Best of both worlds, you might say.
So … food 4.0, service 4.5, band-​dude 5.0 … so let’s round up and go with 5, esp. since they’re a locally-​owned business. Remember … BUY LOCAL, people!!!

I stumbled across this gem their 2^nd day in business. I had no idea it was day 2, and was super surprised when I found that out. This family’s spin on homemade Italian is some of the best I have ever had. Even though I never was able to frequent the place more than once every 2 – 3 months, they always remembered me when I walked in. They always remembered my regular order, including the drink. And what can I say about the bread, it’s amazing. I salivate just thinking about it, even though I haven’t been in Arizona to go back in a year and a half. I would gladly recommend this to anyone and everyone. Great food, great experience.

This place was awesome and I’m so glad we tried it after seeing some friends check in on FB saying great things. They were right! My husband had the side Caesar salad and Chicken Parmesan and he said it was great, and I had a house side salad (delicious dressing and quality salad with cherry tomatoes, mixed greens, green olives) and Spaghetti w/​white clam sauce which was AWESOME! Tons of whole clams in the shell, delicious sauce, pasta cooked perfectly and a huge portion. We will definitely be returning to try more stuff (they had some appetizers that looked amazing) and we will absolutely recommend to friends!

AMAZING! AMAZING! AMAZING! My husband & I came across this place when we were looking for a caterer for our wedding. We scheduled a tasting with Dina & everything was absolutely wonderful, so wonderful in fact that they did cater our big day this past Saturday. Dina and her team were phenomenal. They made the evening completely stress free for me. We got compliments on the food all night long!
Also, after our tasting we did become somewhat regulars. Spaghetti & meatball night is our favorite. $ 5.99 for spaghetti & meatballs, a dinner salad, and fresh bread!

AZ italian food continues to disappoint. There was one redeeming quality… the bread… and maybe the salad.
The red sauce was flavorless and I’ve had better out of a jar (victoria’s is great btw), nothing like you’d find in nyc or boston.
Eggplant parm was not properly prepared. Eggplant was was bitter and not salted and rinsed… Not a fan.
The calamari was chewy but the garlic was a nice addition, could be overpowering for some.
Service was amateur hour at it’s finest. I could hear the servers at the bar area loudly discussing amongst each other about their shifts, how the kitchen was backed up, and orders coming out wrong, etc… No one wants to hear that.
Needless to say I won’t be back nor would I recommend this restaurant to anyone

My husband and I love this place. I love that they put green olives on our pizza instead of black ones. They are always so kind and quick to make modifications if you ask.
The chips are so stinkin good too. I have yet to try something there that I didn’t love. This will forever been my favorite local pizza place.

Here now for the first time. I had the Spaghetti w/​meatball special. It came with a nice starter salad which was a bed of spring mix with olives, pimentos and a house vinaigrette dressing. A nice sized bowl of perfectly cooked pasta, a tasty sauce and a substantial meatball filled the tank nicely. Oh, don’t forget the fresh bread for dipping. All for $ 5.99 ! I’ll be back.

Had a fabulous time with excellent food and live music on a Saturday night. My wild mushroom fettuccine with chicken was to die for and the crème Brule cheesecake was out of this world. No waiting on the day after Christmas. .a major plus in our eyes… when though the place was hopping!

Decided I’d try a longtime bookmark while «in the area.» (It took me 27 minutes to drive from Tempe’s SWIHA to Gilbert’s Rise Up Bakery, and then another four minutes to Zappone’s.) I’m so glad I did!
I was promptly greeted at the door, and I inquired if I had to sit at the bar to enjoy the happy hour menu, or would I be able to sit anywhere, and the greeter said I could sit anywhere. I almost sat at the bar, but it’s such as small space (five or six high bar chairs), and I didn’t want to sit with my back to the front entrance, so I chose to sit at a red leather-​backed booth/​four-​top. Slightly dark indoors, but not too dark to drive me away. I eat with my eyes as well as my mouth, y’know.
Happy hour menu features a $ 1 off house cocktails, $ 4 glasses of house wines, $ 4 well drinks, $ 3 drafts, 15% off wine bottles, a few $ 5 apps, a $ 5 Caesar salad, and a $ 3 bowl of «warm olives.»
A shout-​out to server Caressa, who made me feel so welcome; She was friendly, patient, and understanding in regards to my questions regarding food allergies. No negative vibes here! She also took my requests to sample three wines (a house red, a house white, and Cannon Ball Chardonnay– I went with the $ 8 glass of Chardonnay).
Because of the terrific customer service shown to me, I decided I’d go with three courses:
Jake’s Mac-​n-​Cheese, $ 5.
this dish featuring alfredo, mozzarella on penne and topped with pancetta! Smoky and cheesy, and a lovely bite/​chew from the penne, and a great value!
Sausage & Onion Pizza, $ 5.
what if it looked like it might be soggy from the marinara sauce and its crust a bit thicker than I’d like it to be? It had Italian sausage (from Chicago) on it– it had to be good! And it was! Enjoyed a small slice of the eight-​inch pizza and had the rest boxed, for I was about to enjoy the second course…
Fettuccine Alfredo, with chicken, $ 16.
chose this entrée, because it was one of two pasta entrees that did not include marinara** as an ingredient, it also featured one of the two pasta varieties made in-​house! (The other is ravioli.) The sauce was silky smooth (no clumps!) and just salty enough to make me reach for «just one more» forkful. Didn’t feel greasy, either. One of the best Alfredos I’ve had, and I’d definitely order it again.
I could’ve ended the meal there– I certainly ate more than I wanted, but the cheesecake was calling my name…
Mascarpone cheesecake, with blueberry compote, $ 6.
desserts are made in-​house, with the exception of the gelato and sorbettos, which come from Italy. Couldn’t try the sfogliatelle and cannoli due to the powdered sugar content, so cheesecake it had to be, and I was THRILLED! It was beautiful to look at, fun to photograph, and very delightful to eat. It had this golden-​brown top layer that was so gratifying to cut through with a fork, and perfect-​to-​me center that was neither too firm, nor too whipped, and a not-​very-​sweet graham cracker crust. The blueberry topping was exquisite! I cannot gush about this sweet concoction enough! I contemplated on taking a whole cheesecake home ($ 36) and appeased myself by planning on ordering one for Christmas, should Mom and I get an invitation to lunch/​dinner. While the holiday catering menu only listed Peppermint chocolate cheesecake as the only dessert option, Carissa told me I could ask for any flavor I wanted. I quite fancied the one I tried tonight!
Miscela d’Oro Americano, $ 2.50, with $ 0.50 refills.
Feast of the Seven Fishes menu, Dec. 9^th, 6pm, $ 50 all-​inclusive!
Holiday Pre-​sale menu!
FYI, Zappone’s also offers weekly dine-​in specials! $ 6 Spaghetti & meatballs with house salad on Mondays and Tuesdays; 50% off all wine bottles, all day Wednesdays; and Buy one pizza and get 50% off second pizza all day Thursdays.

Food was good! I’d say a little above average but great flavors. Went on a Saturday night and they were packed. They offered house bread while waiting.
The food was good quality but I’m only giving a 3 star since it was expensive. Basic Fettuccine Alfredo was $ 13.00, +$ 4.00 for shrimp.

This place is freaking amazing! A little hole in the wall that I am so glad I found.
They have an amazing happy hour deal– 50% off their Italian wine bottles!
I ordered their Lobster Fettuccine, which was freaking amazing. They are very generous with their lobster and the sauce was just amazing. My husband ordered their Seafood Fettuccine, which was also phenomenal. They basically put the entire ocean in the dish. Had plenty of mussel, shrimp, and calamari.
I am definitely going back soon for a date night with the hubby and saving room for dessert!

Zappone’s is very close to our house, and we enjoy the food. I wish their Alfredo sauce had a little more flavor (like some more garlic flavor maybe?) but we will come back. We went on a Friday once and were plesantly surprised by the live music! That singer actually helped me (unintentionally) pick a song for our first dance at our wedding by playing a Jason Mraz song! :)

Finally found a great neighborhood Italian place. Seafood Fettuccine, Mushroom Fettuccini, and Fritto Misto were all fantastic.

I can honestly say this is the best Italian food I have had. Considering I grew up working for my Uncle Nunzie (born in Italy) at his restaurant and I lived 2 doors down from a little old lady from Sicily whose mission seemed to be to feed the entire neighborhood when she could, this is saying a lot. From the spaghetti and meatballs to the porcetta ragout (my absolute favorite when it is on the menu), from the bread, appetizers and desserts to the sandwiches and bar selection everything is amazing.
The staff is pleasant and attentive, the owners walk the dining area to make sure everything is just right. It is decorated well and has a terrific atmosphere.

Last night we picked Zappone’s for dinner to start our celebration of Dads 90^th birthday. Because there were 11 of us I want won’t go into detail on each dish that we had but most of us we very happy and satisfied with what we ordered. For the 3 unfortunate family members that ordered the Saturday night special, they were left sitting looking hungrily at the rest of us as they finished their dish in just a few spoonfuls. DONT ORDER THE SPECIAL OF THE DAY.
Now I understand it’s August and we are under an excessive heat advisory, however I do not want to go to a nice restaurant and sit and sweat throughout my entire meal. The thermostat was on the wall above our table and was reading 83 degrees. REALLY. I asked twice if they would please lower the A/​C as it was very uncomfortable. My request was ignored.
I love Zappone’s food which is one of the reasons we choose to have dinner here last night. I guess it’s time to look elsewhere again

I found this place on Unilocal and had bookmarked it a while ago, so glad I did!
We decided to try this place last night l since we wanted Italian. From the moment we walked in to the moment we left everything was great!
The atmosphere is just adorable with a cute little bar towards the back. Our server was awesome, very friendly and accommodating. The food is incredible — and quite possibly some of the best Italian food I’ve had here in Arizona! The restaurant does fun things with customers (cooking classes, dinner/​opera nights, etc…)
Will most definitely be back — can’t wait to take some of the cooking classes too!

Zappone’s offers $ 5 customer appreciation lunches once a month. How cool is that?! The restaurant was packed when we came here on Tuesday, but we were seated promptly and our orders were taken on a fairly quick amount of time.
I chose the chicken caprese sandwich, which came with your choice of salad or chips (Caesar salad for me). The bread with the sandwich was superb. The outer crispy crust contrasted well with the moist, soft texture of the bread. The chicken was tender and flavorful, and the basil/​mozzarella combination was excellent. The salad was crisp and refreshing. It was quite a lot of food for $ 5!
Service was good despite the large number of patrons. Drinks were refilled as needed and the owner and staff were very friendly.
I believe the lunch special runs on the first Tuesday of the month. I’ll definitely be back to try more of their dishes on other days though!

Great service and great Italian food! We are so happy to have found this place.
The mussels in white sauce are awesome. The bottle of Capezzana (Red blend) was a great suggestion for our meal.
We felt right at home thanks to the owner and servers and we will be back soon to sample the other menu options.

This is one of the prospective places my brother and his fiancé are looking to cater their wedding. Coming from a big italian family, my parents stressed to him that he needed to have good food at the wedding. As I am visiting him, they took me here to try the food and give my NY verdict.
We started with the fried gnocchi, which were a pleasant surprise. The shell of it almost had an egg roll crunch to it, and inside, I have no idea what was inside of it, but it was delicious. Inside the gnocchi must’ve been a mix of cheese and a light sauce. Very yummy, and would be a big hit if it made its rounds at the wedding. I ordered the caesar salad as a side, the dressing was a bit watery but tasted well.
I ordered the pasta amatriciana. While it was a good dish there were some elements of it that just needed some fixing for me. The onions stood out, they just didn’t feel like they belonged. Perhaps if they were caramelized instead it would gel better. Also, the dish needed more pancetta. The pancetta will sweeten the sauce more and bring out the flavors instead of them all meshing in.
For dessert we had the italian sampler platter. It consists of cannoli, panna cotta, and cheesecake. The cannoli were great, the pistachio crumbs really gave the cream a nice nutty flavor. The panna cotta was good as well, the first time I ever had panna cotta was in italy, so I have pretty high standards for it. This panna cotta stands up well to it. It wasn’t as thick and it wasn’t as creamy, but the taste was there for it. The cheesecake was delicious as well. My brother said this wasn’t the cheesecake they had sampled that would be apart of the wedding selection, but it still would’ve been a good choice. (The one for the wedding would’ve been the marscapone one).
I think if my brother and his fiancé chose this caterer for the wedding my family would be happy, and I know my brother and his fiancé are happy with it so it would be a great win-​win.