Trattoria Da Luigi

I almost never write a bad review for a local restaurant but feel like it's my duty to let others know they shouldn't waste $100 of their hard earned money at this restaurant. My husband and I were very excited to visit this long standing restaurant in Royal Oak. I actually thought, it's been there a long time so they must be doing something right. I have visited many years ago and the food was delicious, service was good and vibe was that of an authentic Italian, family run business.Last night however seemed extremely reminiscent of an episode of Kitchen Nightmares. We were greeted and seated promptly to an almost empty restaurant at 5:30. Several others joined within a few minutes. Weather was cold and windy, so thought it might have something to do with it. We quickly ordered Bruschetta, Pasticcio, and Spaghetti Al'Amatriciana. Bruschetta ok, bland tomatoes (but it's the winter), liquid quickly saturated the bread and made for a soggy bite after the first couple. The pasta dishes were absolutely inedible. The Amatriciana was so gamey and overcooked, it definitely felt like it was a pre-made sauce and possibly frozen. As my husband tried to eat it, I could smell the meat across the table. If you're wondering, I have ordered this before and made it myself and it should not smell or taste the way it did. The guanciale wasn't crispy, rendering it's delicious fat or anything resembling how it should taste. The Pasticcio was definitely made and frozen. It was cut into a square and covered in a creamy meat sauce to disguise rubbery, chewy pasta on every single side of that cube. Unacceptable quality and so disappointing. We will not be back ever and I feel like Luigi's vision has turned into a tired restaurant struggling to survive.

Trattoria di Luigi is an average Italian spot--not bad, but not particularly memorable either. The pasta dishes were decent, though lacking the depth of flavor you'd hope for in a classic Italian meal. The sauces were a bit on the bland side, and the portions felt small for the price. The ambiance is cozy, but it doesn't stand out, and the service, while polite, was slow during my visit. If you're in the mood for Italian and nearby, it's a convenient option, but don't expect anything extraordinary.

We went for dinner on a Saturday evening and sat on the patio. We didn't have a reservation but were able to be seated quickly. We started with the lemon calamari and it was incredible the creamy lemon sauce was so light and the perfect amount of citrus.We had the special (lamb rigatoni) and the vodka rigatoni. Everything was delicious our waitress was so kind and told us all her recommendations.Finally we finished dinner with two lemon cellos which was home made and the end of a perfect dinner! By far the best espresso martini I have ever had!

We set out to go somewhere else, which had an hour wait, so we came here. The ambiance is very casual, festive and celebratory. The crowd was loud and fun-loving, which bothered my wife. She thought it was way too loud and prohibited conversation. I had fun though.For food--we had bruscheta for one starter and eggplant for the other. Both good. For mains, I had lasagna that I absolutely loved, wife had chicken and artichoke. She thought the dish was very very skimpy on artichoke, having only a few leaves and no hearts. We had a bottle of pecorino wine that I liked. So all in all, I thought it was very good. My wife would say it was fair. You go and tell me what you think?

I hate to be this negative about a restaurant in the area, but this was a disappointing meal. The sauce tastes like it was straight out of a Chef Boyardee can. Not sure if it was missing some herbs, salt, maybe a shot of vinegar I don't know. The fusilli noodles were fine, and the sausage was really good, but if you're going to put down a red sauce to tie it together, you need the balance.I will say that service was good, the guy who sat us and checked in on us was nice and attentive, and our server was on point, but the food just isn't there.

Returned to Trattoria Da Luigi after a long time away. Still a good experience, but disappointing in a few respects. For our appetizer, we got the caprese. The co-diner enjoyed the ap, but had a few complaints. We were given 3 very thin slices of tomato, with a much larger quantity of cheese. Also - a side of balsamic vinegar to drizzle over the ap would have improved the dish. For our mains: I got the chicken Milanese, which was wonderful. The co-diner got the chicken Marsala. Unfortunately, both of us thought the sauce for the Marsala had been over-salted. This really reduced our enjoyment of what could have been a very good entree. For dessert, we had coffee and tiramisu. We thought it the best tiramisu we'd had in many moons - a great finish for the meal. Our server was nice, attentive, and very knowledgeable. One tip: advise that those visiting Trattoria da Luigi park in the nearby parking deck (about a block away, so not too bad). This will enable you to avoid having to back into angled parking - the latest innovation by the sadistic Royal Oak parking overlords. All in all, a nice experience at one of the area's very fine Italian restaurants.

Da Luigi is a hidden gem for authentic Italian food. Everything is delicious, fresh and homemade - including recipes straight from the owners hometown in Italy. My husband always gets pasta and is very picky about his sauces. He is not disappointed. I always get chicken or fish and have also never been disappointed. And the atmosphere is friendly and welcoming. Definitely one of our favorite places.

We ordered the calamari and sausage with peppers for appetizers, there was maybe 2 small pieces of sausage. The Pasticcio was terrible, no one at the table liked it. It tasted like something in it was spoiled, the owner even came to the table when he found out we didn't like it and told us what was in it. He never offered a replacement meal. The chicken dish was good, the veal dishes were so small it looked like half a meal. Food was very overpriced for what you got, will not go back.

We went to Luigi's tonight just shortly after 5 pm. (Restaurant was pretty empty) While we were finishing up our dinner barely an hour later, the busser started removing our silverware, water, and dishes as he was told to do by the owners son. We overheard the owners son say we need to get these people out of here. ( us and a few other tables) Mean while they would stand a table away with paper tablecloths and dishes waiting for people to leave. My sister asked for a refill coffee, and the busser said sure. After speaking to someone, he came back and said it would be 15 minutes. On our way out, we asked if we got out in enough time to the rude owners son. I told him he was rude and we would not be back. He said enjoy Olive Garden. We would certainly get better service there. It wasn't worth the money we dropped there to be treated like that. The actual server Mia was the only nice person there.

this place is terrible.. made reservation.. then one hour before reservation they canceled it and said they are booked. save your time and money.. I would go to Olive Garden before I went here