LoRusso’s Cucina

Lorusso’s has a classy ambiance and is the quintessential traditional Italian restaurant. It’s a reliable option for good food on the Hill. The dishes are huge.

Over rated restaurant. Ate there on April 8. After waiting almost two hours, we were given a plate full of slop. The seafood risotto was over done. The veal Marsala was covered with some kind of mixture which vaguely resembled a Marsala sauce. Typical restaurant ploy to cover up substandard food. The restaurant smelled moldy, and the bathrooms resembled a gas station restroom. The only time we saw the owner was when he stepped away from the bar to shout goodbye. Will not be back

While visiting the BF, we went here as an alternative to another restaurant down the road. We indulged in a glass of wine and appetizers since we were starving. The toasted ravioli was delicious!
I ordered the chicken spedini… All I can say is that I wish I had ordered two! The sauce was wonderful! My BF stole some off my plate and said it was better than his fettuccine Alfredo.
Service was great. However, the weird naked baby picture in the entryway were kinda funny and creepy…

Tonight was my first visit and it was great! The atmosphere is great. My waitress was attentive and other servers stopped by as well and offered to fill drinks etc. The eggplant lasagna is wonderful! My mom had the veal Marsala and loved it as well! If I could change one thing it would be the desert menu. I would add my favorite Italian desert, cannoli’s. Overall it was a fantastic experience and I plan to return!

Wow, was I ever blown away by this place. We received a gift certificate from a friend and gave it a try. Salads, typical Italian house salad, but one of the very best we’ve tried. Both our pasta orders were outstanding. We liked it so much we were back the next weekend. LoRusso’s is our new go-​to place.

I had lunch at LoRusso’s on December 24. I had been looking for a place that had a good fried shrimp meal. I stopped somewhere else first but they were closed and I was driving by LoRusso’s and thought I’d check. They didn’t have shrimp on the lunch menu but when I told the server what I was craving she said they had it on the dinner menu and it would be no problem. I ordered the SCAMPI ALLA GRILGLIA, bread crumb covered jumbo shrimp with a lemon butter topping. I received a small house salad with the meal and ordered the house dressing, it was ok but a little too sweet for my taste. The shrimp arrived, there were 6 pretty good sized shrimp but I would not call them jumbo. They were a little over done but the taste was very good. They also served a side dish of shell pasta in a white cream sauce. Many of the shells were stuck together making them under cooked and chewy. The sauce was bland and needed seasoning badly. I covered it with parmesan and ate the cooked pieces. The service was excellent and I would give the food a 3 out of 5. I’ll try it again sometime but I’ll get a traditional italian dish, maybe that will be better.
I wanted to update this review because the owner has messaged me and said it could not have been his restaurant because they are not open on Christmas eve and have not been open for lunch in years. The day may have been different, possibly the 23^rd of December (I will call Biggies restaurant and find out what date they had their family party because that is where I stopped first). I know it was late afternoon and they let me order from a menu other than the one I was given. In that situation it is usually lunch versus dinner.
I heard back and it was in fact December 24^th, late afternoon. I don’t understand why this would be disputed, when they were actually open. There was a large party there as well in a back room. So the review stands as posted.

This place is great! I went for a friend’s private birthday and the whole meal was wonderful! The location isn’t all that great but the food makes up for it.

Saint Louis is home to a number of great Italian restaurants, and LoRusso’s has earned a place among the best of these. As a modestly sized restaurant on «The Hill» this location has an «old town» ambiance with pleasant but understated décor. Irresistible aromas allure visitors even while still in the parking lot. Once inside, there is a sense of being only a step away from an Italian grandmother’s well-​stocked kitchen.
We were seated promptly as per our reservations, and our small table for two was comfortably nested against a wall, allowing a view of two rooms filled with guests who ran the gamut with regard to age, gender, etc. it seemed most were having a good time, along with plenty of wine… the scent of «good vintage» perfumed the air.
Our waiter, Vince, was a lively and charismatic man who accurately sensed that my dinner guest was to be attended — while I remained low maintenance — and proceeded to make sure she enjoyed truly lovely service. All of her questions about the menu and specific items were answered in detail. In time, we ordered the eggplant lasagna (a meatless dish with cheese and marinara) and chicken spedini. Both arrived after a reasonable wait, along with Italian bread that was among the best I’ve had in the area.
Our entrees did not disappoint, with both dishes proving to be absolutely delightful. The Italian custard dessert with fresh berries also was a dream. Fresh, flavorful, and with just a hint of the wine/​spicing that is the hallmark of Italian fare in the Northeast, the Ohio valley, and the Great Lakes area. This was Italian of the sort one finds in the «auld neighborhood» in Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, or Chicago. Yes… this is how it should be. Eat! Eat! Let us feast!
And so we did, and so we shall again. Many thanks, LoRusso’s!

Went here during a week day evening. This was our first time here. Our waitress was very nice & accommodating. I ordered the Chicken Teresa which was excellent! The Alfredo noodles I ordered with it for a side were just ok. A little Bland & noodles tasted a little mushy. Had to add salt & pepper. The bread we received before hand was stale & hard. I’m writing the review because I thought the entrees were priced so high. $ 18 for Chicken Teresa & $ 20 for Chicken Alfredo, in my opinion is way over priced. Sad to say, We won’t b returning even though my Chicken Teresa was really good. :(

Went there last night for a special event and walked away thinking, «Yeah, won’t be going back here again.» The décor hasn’t been updated, so it has that «Classic» feel that everyone’s grandparents love. Also, a selection of food was provided for the event — toasted ravs, baked bruschetta, and these mushrooms — and it was fine but not worth the hefty price these items usually cost. It tasted like frozen food from your grocery store’s freezer section.
Also, when we went to order a drink from the bar, the waitress was super testy and rude. When she kept having to repeat the wine and beer specials, to customers coming up, she raised her voice and said «Okay, anyone here for this event, these are the specials!!» Only the bar had all of 5 people in it, with two of them right in front of her, so I don’t really get why she felt she needed to yell. Also — whether this was her responsibility or someone else’s — why wasn’t there a list of the specials, if having to repeat them was such a big hassle? I mean, it would take 5min to type one up and print it off. Even less time if you even just took a Sharpie to a piece of paper and set it on the bar. Something — when someone clearly knew that event had been scheduled in advance, approving those drink specials.
Now, I get it — I could tell the bartender was feeling stressed — but the bar wasn’t even that busy and I also don’t find that to be an excuse for rude behavior. She was pouring wine and beer, not even making complicated (or time-​consuming) cocktails. The bartender also asked if I’d like to run my card or keep it open. I said to keep it open and she ran it anyway, lol. So I was like, «Okay… guess you don’t need anymore of my money then!»
I really don’t complain about places that often — I try to highlight my positive experiences far more than my negative — but this really put a bad taste in my mouth and we won’t be returning any time soon.

One of our favorites. Our family from out of town requests to go here when they visit. Food is all excellent every time no matter what we order. Friendly, quick service, wonderful ownership. I highly recommend!

We went here last night with three of my buddies and their spouses to celebrate the guy’s birthdays.
Fantastic food and excellent service from our server, Vinnie.
Vinnie’s knowledge what ingredients were in specific dishes and the way they are prepared amazed us.
This is a favorite place for us and we’ll be back!

Holy cioppino! The BEST cioppino/​bouillabaisse… Order it. This is the best seafood laden bisque/​actually drinkable fisherman’s soup I’ve had in recent memory. Best thing on the menu, as recommended by our waiter. The Osso Buco is the 2^nd best thing here.
Fish quality in the cioppino is OK, not amazing. The dish as a whole is a solid effort. At $ 25, it’s not a steal, but at least it’s good — you will spoon your bowl clean.
The Mushroom Crostini appetizer is fantastic. Reasonable wine list pricing.

Watson & Arsenal, Part 2: I had the opportunity to dine at this intersection two successive gray and rainy weeknights. As it worked out, I ordered a similar dish at each restaurant, and LoRusso’s version was superior.
Here, «Chicken Spedini» was «chicken breast stuffed with focaccia crumbs, Fontina cheese, roasted tomato, pine nuts and Volpi prosciutto served with a roasted red pepper wine sauce.» Wow! For a chicken dish (which some justly think of as safe and sometimes boring) this one was excellent! My vegetable side was roasted fennel carrots, which I remember as served on a six-​inch-​diameter plate, generously filled. I also ordered garlic-​mashed potatoes, which I probably didn’t need with all those carrots, also a generous portion and excellent.
Gluten-​free menu: yes.
Wine: The Bridlewood Pinot Noir was very good.
Ambience: low light, dark wood, I like it.
Service: our particular server (it’s terrible I can’t remember his name, but I do recall he is from Chicago) was attentive, humorous at just the right moment, and knowledgeable about the menu and ingredients. He offered suggestions, and anticipated needs before we knew them, something I rarely experience. Really, he is best server I’ve met in a very long time, and it’s a shame I can’t recall his name (I went through every receipt in my Daytimer, and simply can’t find a name). He turned us on to the flash-​fried spinach (I believe he said it flash fried in canola oil? It certainly was sprinkled with grated Parmesan, and served with lemon wedges). Yes, it WAS like cotton candy, in a savory kind of way.

Been here twice now and both times fantastic from start to finish. Portions are great for 3 courses. The cioppini and the carnival are two dishes not to be missed. This restaurant is officially part of our rotation. Save room for dessert!
Updated — been in the rotation and have been here around 6 or 7 times for different family events or when craving some good eats. Still 5 stars. The versatility of the menu is what stands out. Roll from pastas to proteins and everything is cooked with flavors and consistency that is the mark of a great restaurant.
My only suggestion to the restaurant is to add the warm coconut cream pie into normal desserts. We ask every time we come back and haven’t had it in over a year!

Located with a number of other neighborhood Italian restaurants.
Fried Ravioli — average
Fried Spinach — not much to it unless you squeeze the lemon on it
Lobster Bisque — bland; was there Cognac added?
Chicken Spiedini — less than average; seemed like they stuffed it with bread crumbs which made it heavy and bland
House Made Apple Pie — pretty average; may have overheated it since it seemed like the sugars had broken down
Definitely a place for locals.

LoRusso’s is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in STL. Their menu is extensive, which is different than some of the other nicer Italian places. We decided to get dessert out of the way first*, and ordered the gorgonzola cheesecake (gorgonzola cheese, polenta crust with a roasted red pepper sauce for $ 10) and it was fantastic. I started with the Fettuccine Pollo Asiago (with grilled chicken, pancetta, asperagus, mushrooms with a oil butter sauce and topped with asiago cheese for $ 18) and it was delicious. Just when I thought I had picked the winning dish at the table, I tried the Veal Saltimbocca (with proscuitto and fontina in a white wine sauce, $ 21) and stood corrected. This was fantastic. Service, like always, was excellent.
*it’s a savory cheesecake, not really dessert
Pros: great food and reasonable prices, great atmosphere, friendly/​attentive staff
Cons: no room for dessert!

My husband and I have been coming here for years. The place has a modern Italian feel to it and the service is always fantastic. I can be a such creature of habit when it comes to ordering my favorite dishes off the menu over and over without trying something new or different. What if it’s not as good? Will I regret ordering something else if it doesn’t live up to my tried and true and then I’m stuck eating a sucky dish while longing for my fave? Well, I never have that problem here because a majority of the menu looks tasty to me, and I believe I have tried something different every single time and was completely satisfied with my choice each time.
I decided to try yet another different dish tonight, and once again, I was pleased. Tonight’s winner was a butternut squash ravioli tossed in a light amaretto and butter sauce, topped with ricotta cheese, dried cherries, and a variety of grilled vegetables including portabella mushrooms, zucchini, asparagus, and carrots. The amaretto and cherries gave it a slightly sweet taste, but not too much so. It still blended well with everything else in the dish. My husband went with the veal parmesan. It was a huge portion served on penne pasta. I tried a bite and was impressed with it as well.
We will most definitely be back again, and I’m sure whatever I choose at that point will also be delicious!

LoRusso’s has made it into the family rotation of restaurants to visit in St. Louis. At first, I suspected that part of the reason for that was its proximity to Ted Drewes, but LoRusso’s has some pretty darn good Italian food. Our latest visit was on a Friday evening following the WashU commencement.
I really like the bread basket here — in addition to regular bread, you also get a pretty good lavosh and foccacia. For appetizers, we started with the flash fried spinach, wild mushroom trio and calamari. My favorite was definitely the mushroom trio — the mushrooms were cooked perfectly, had great flavor and were served on top of some kind of bread. The spinach was alright. It’s light and crispy and something that you don’t normally see at Italian or a sit down restaurant. Probably worth a try, but pretty similar to kale chips or nori. The calamari was decent, but not really anything out of the ordinary.
I ordered the portabella pasta, which was cheese tortelloni with mushrooms, spinach, tomato and garlic. I need to put in the disclaimer that I don’t eat pasta or Italian food very often, but I enjoyed it. It was very cheesy — sheets of parmasean on top, and huge cheese-​filled tortellonis, which is good if you like cheese (and I do). Other recommendations: Dad loves the Cioppino here, I think he’s ordered it every time we’ve visited. And sister really likes the meatballs. I tried one from her Bolognese and it was juicy and tender.
Service was good — prompt at clearing plates and refilling water, and you get a wine bottle full of water too just in case. If you order dessert from here then they’ll bring out a tray and show everything to you. Unfortunately, (for reasons which have been mentioned previously) I have never tried desserts here, but they do look pretty good.

Never had a bad meal here, this is quickly one of my top picks for italian in St.Louis. The attention to detail and the customer focus is what makes this place memorable. The owner has been in the kitchen every time I have dined here and he almost always makes it out of the kitchen to ask how you are enjoying your meal,
On their web site the slogan, «Were not your usual Italian» is prominently featured at the top of the site, and I have to agree their focus isn’t the same typical italian found at other places on The Hill. My favorite dish here is the Chicken Pistachio, which is a sautéed boneless chicken breast, encrusted in pistachio nuts, served in a brandies peach sauce with sun dried cherries served with your choice of a vegetable, garlic mashed potato or pasta. I typically stick with the pasta, however the garlic mashed potato is amazing.
The atmosphere is classic italian steak house, when you enter you come right into the bar/​waiting area where you can enjoy a pre dinner drink while waiting on the rest of your group or relax before being seated in the main dining room. The kitchen is somewhat open and exposed to a few of the seats near the back, which is amazing considering you can see some of the action in the kitchen and some of the amazing entrée’s that are being delivered to the other customers.
I cannot recommend LaRusso’s Cucina enough, it is a great dining experience. I promise you will leave full and satisfied!