Arancini House

Find it! Easier said than done since it’s in the basement of the building. Amazing arancini in several varieties — fresh, warm and crispy. We also managed to try the ‘Torta della Nonna’ which they fly in monthly from Naples, Italy (made by grandmas in Naples). I loved that the placed was very specialized and clearly knew how to extract flavor and texture from what is a pretty simple idea.

Awesome owner! Food was quite good. We had the original and beans green arancinis as well as meatball and sausage & peppers rolls. My fave was the meatball roll. Good Lord, I could’ve wept! So so good! The arancinis were quite good too. He was out of a lot of stuff because they got slammed last night. Looking forward to going back and trying more stuff on the menu, like the Panelles and the awesome desserts!

My sister recently returned from Sicily and told me about the wonderful arancini she ate on a daily basis. Less than a week later I heard about this little gem. A friend and I split three balls — the red with ragu, white with bechamel and the weekly special — greens and beans. It was tough picking a favorite because they were all wonderful. I look forward to returning and trying the panelle, the rolls and the pizza. My friend actually returned the same night for dinner. It’s that good. Great place with a wonderful owner.

Authentic. Great flavor. Makes you wish to have seconds. Save space for the cannoli. Kids love it. Coffee is Lavazza.

If you are in the mood to try authentic Sicilian food at an affordable price in an adorable atmosphere with the friendliest, extremely talented owners– look no further! This is not your lit up store front that you pass on the street, look in and decide to try it; instead, you read the sidewalk sign and proceed to the left where you follow two flights of stairs down and to the right. This place defines «hidden gem» in every sense of the term. The ambiance is bright, fun and intimate. It is very welcoming and the owners add to that. My mom and I were walking in Mount Lebanon looking for a place to eat when I stopped to read the sign for Arancini House. Being that I’m on a restrictive diet, I was going to turn away when two patrons heard my mom and I talking and told us we have got to try their amazing food. They even went on to say that the owners would try to make me something that fit my Paleo diet. We followed their advice and couldn’t be happier. Joe (owner along with Manny) was so bright and passionate about his food and business that you couldn’t help but get excited about it too. I ordered the chickpea fritters (flour and chickpea). Joe was so enthused about this dish that he wanted me to try it before I even thought of buying it! What great customer service! I ended up buying two orders! They have such a phenomenal taste that I can barely describe it: a beautiful lemony taste paired with baked chickpea and a fried crust. You really need to try it and then do a better job than I could in describing it. It is phenomenal. I ordered the two of the house salad with chopped romaine and spring mix, roasted red peppers, olives, artichokes, cherry tomatoes, and a homemade red wine vinaigrette. I told the owner all about my diet and he decided to make me a new salad complete with protein (tuna). My mom ordered the meatball roll and really enjoyed it! She was also impressed with the chickpea fritters, I was so absolutely thrilled with the service and dining experience at Arancini House that I would recommend this restaurant to everyone and anyone!

They have Saturday hours!
Had read about this place a couple of times and really wanted to try it, but their hours just didn’t work for me. So, I was psyched to see their hours had changed (thanks, Unilocal)!
Stopped by around 11:30 on a Saturday. Joe, who I assumed was one of the owners, was super-​friendly. He explained their options and told us about some of their plans.
It’s a cute little space on the terrace level (read: basement) near across from the Saloon and up the block on Washington from La Pomponee (etc). Lots of seating.
Had the broccolini arancini (fried risotto ball), eggplant parm roll and a san pellegrino. The texture of the arancini was quite nice. Soft on the inside and lightly crisp on the outside. The roll had a nice mix of ingredients to give it flavor without being soggy. It came with a side of sauce. I thought the sauce was quite good — definitely made the roll. DH had a sausage and pepper roll and a slice of pizza. He found the pizza (a new addition to the menu) to be a tad greasy (they use whole milk moz), but solved that with a napkin.
Our total was just over $ 20 — so comparable to what we’d spend at a take out place (Chipotle, etc).
All in all, a really great addition to the neighborhood! We’ll be back.

Very nice and authentic! My wife and I both had the «original» arancini filled with bolognese and we both really liked it and plan to return.

Totally unique place with phenomenal food. Had an arancini stuffed with broccoli and cheese. Wow! Everything else looked fresh and made with love. I wish the owner much success. He deserves it!

Have a hankering for something warm and delicious for lunch? Arancini House is absolutely worth a visit! I didn’t know what these mysterious balls were. We asked the co-​owner and he explained to us that he owns the restaurant with his father in law (I believe) and the recipes are all traditional Sicilian recipes that his family has been making for years. The arancini balls were great but what was even better was the vegetarian eggplant roll we had! Imagine a non-​flaky and semi-​doughy croissant. Now imagine it stuffed with eggplant parmesan. Yum! Thank you, Arancini House, for having me leave your shop with a very happy belly and a little marinara sauce on my skirt.
Just a tip: this isn’t visible from the street, but rather you need to walk into what looks like a professional building and stroll down a flight of stairs. You’ll be so glad you did!

Truly delicious. Everything is completely homemade. And authentic. I had the arancini with the bolognese filling and it was melt in your mouth good and the sauce inside was perfection. I almost wish they would start jarring and selling their sauce! I also had a side salad with a fantastic vinaigrette. Not pricey in the least and you get a great meal. It is definitely a little hidden as you walk down a flight of stairs off the street level, but inside it’s quite cozy and welcoming. My guess is they will grow quickly and maybe eventually move to a street level storefront some day. Viva arancini house!

What a great new place in the area! It is a little bit hidden but it is well worth it to find it! I only had one arancini so far but I need to go back and try more. I had their original one it was fantastic.

FIND THIS PLACE! It is so worth the effort. Picked up one of each of the Arancini yesterday. Joe, the co-​owner, so friendly and helpful, explained how to reheat them for dinner. He also says they plan to extend hours as well as possiblly Saturdays in the future. But until then, make the effort to get there. It’s across Washington Road from Rolliers Hardware, heart of Mt. Lebanon, down one floor (steps AND elevator available) to the inviting café. They’ll explain everything! I took home an original, one of the bechemal/​peas, a pesto, and the broccolini. Don’t know which was best. reheated in the oven for about 15 minutes and then we ENJOYED totally for dinner.
These are delightful balls of rissoto stuffed with various centers – like a bit of pesto, or sauce, proscutto, peas, and so on. Got to try these! We will be back soon and often.
Had originallly seen a bit on one of the food channels about the «Arancini Brothers» in New York City and couldn’t figure how or when to get there to find them. But to know we now have our own place right here in Mt. Lebanon! WONDERFUL! Check them out.

Cibo Di Strada (Sicilian Street Food!). Homemade dough for the bread and great tasting Arancini (Little Oranges — filled with risotto and bolognese with peas. Delicious!
This little place has some panelle sandwiches, pepperoni rolls, sausage and pepper rolls, and homemade cannoli.
AH has breakfast items, too.
Stopped by for a quick and tasty sandwich or roll!