Ciao Trattoria Italiana

We we looking for a quiet spot last week since we had family in town. This is right around the corner from us and we were hesitant to try it because of the Comic Sans type lettering. It was almost hard to take it seriously. Honestly we were surprised at how good the food was. Didn't get the server's name, but she was the shorter brunette, she was great. Food was fast and delicious. Only suggestions: the comic sans really throws people off. Been talking to friends and neighbors and they're all hesitant to try it because of that. Also, the manager was up at the front counter scrolling through TikTok videos and hovering over tables. Thought it was weird when he could've been helping the staff out. We'd be back again

I really wanted to like this place. I liked the ambience. I liked the server's niceness- and the full bar Martini was delicious - BUT I had to wait forever in a non busy restaurant for it. The server was too busy being nice to the 2 other tables to remember I had ordered an appetizer so our meal came first - and was barely warm. So we had to send all the meals back to be "reheated". The homemade salad dressing was not that "homemade tasting".And the spaghetti & meat sauce was pitiful. It tasted like they opened a jar of shelf sauce & crushed up a few meatballs to make it a meat sauce. My sauce was likewise not good. It tasted like spam that was fried and cut up into very very small pieces. Made me sad. Our appetizer of the bruchetta was very good WHEN it finally came out.

In my previous review, I commented that I would update on our most recent visit to ciao Trattoria Italiana. We went this past Friday around 6pm and it was a completely different experience than our first visit on a Thursday night. They were busy, but still several open tables. We were seated as soon as we walked in. Our booth near the window seemed extra chilly. Our server seemed frantic and rushed. We placed our orders, my husband got the same dishes before, clams with red sauce over linguine. He liked it so much the first time! I chose the spaghetti carbonara for this visit. We ordered our salads with the house dressing on the side. It took some time to receive our salads, they came drenched in dressing and we never received any bread until we asked the staff person who had delivered our food to us. It took about 45 minutes from the time that we placed our order to the time that our main dishes were delivered.We were both hungry and looking forward to this! Both dishes came out hot, which was great! My husband's dish was nowhere near as good as the first night that he had it. The clams were quite sandy, and the sauce was more tomato than a good balance as it was the first time.The spaghetti carbonara was quite disappointing. I've ordered this dish multiple times at other restaurants. The Parmesan cheese had not mixed with the egg well enough to make it a creamy sauce. It was very chunky. In addition, the meal was very greasy. The guanciale was crispy as described but it was as though it had not been drained prior to adding the pasta. So much grease - I could not eat nor did I want to take the rest with me. My hubby and I wondered as to whether or not they were just too busy and the chefs were rushed. That's what it seemed like with both of our meals. Not the same care was taken as was our first visit.We will still return, but during the week when they're not so busy.

I've never been to its owner's other restaurants, but we stopped in to Ciao after seeing some positive posts about it online, and I definitely want to come back and try more.It was -- as to be expected -- very uncrowded when we visited at around 3:30 on a Sunday afternoon. We got greeted and seated quickly. Our server, whose name I unfortunately have forgotten, was lovely and attentive. She was great with suggestions and definitely wanted to make sure she answered any questions we had about the menu.Our server highly recommended the bruschetta, which I look forward to trying, but we skipped it this visit because my spouse isn't a fan of uncooked tomatoes. He ordered the spaghetti with meat sauce, while I -- a gnocchi lover -- went with the gnocchi alla romana.We were pleasantly surprised to find that our orders came with a salad, which was nice and fresh. The serving size is on the smaller side, which I don't mind at all when it's coming as a complement to a main dish, but I wanted to mention for folks used to big servings. I thought the house dressing was delicious.For the pasta dishes: first off, the servings are generous. Not "this is absurdly, ridiculously big for one human even with the most voracious appetite" big the way that some places get but "I could split this into two servings and be fine" big, which is what I prefer. (That being said...as you'll see, I cleaned my plate this visit!) My husband liked his spaghetti and gave it the detailed review of "it's good". Not a world changer maybe, but tasty. He took about half home.Now, let's talk about my dish. I will say that it's nothing like any gnocchi alla romana I've come across before; typically, I encounter that dish as a semolina-based gnocchi that's baked. This is the gnocchi that most people here think of as "standard" -- made with potatoes and cooked, I believe, in water.Now with that aside, this dish is absolutely delicious. The gnocchi are great; they are tender, not tough. What it's served in -- a mix of tomatoes, capers, mozzarella, and basil -- is absolute perfection. The first bite was so surprisingly delicious I think I said a curse word out loud. (OK, I know I did.) It's the perfect balance of flavors with the hearty gnocchi, fresh produce, and a slight tang from the capers. This is my favorite gnocchi dish I've had in the city and one of my favorites in general. I was full about halfway through my plate but kept going because I didn't want the flavor to stop. So yeah, absolute perfection.The bread that came with our pasta was good! I do wish the butter had been served in a dish and a little less cold rather than in the butter packets, but that's not a huge deal.I ended up getting dessert to-go; I went with the server's recommendation of a new cookie crumble banana cheesecake. When I ate it later, it was delicious! Flavorful but not super dense and heavy.Super subjective sidebar that I don't factor into this rating: I'm not personally a huge fan of the overall decor style -- and that'll obviously vary a lot from person to person! But it's definitely a lot of gray in the "modern farmhouse" inspiration. I wouldn't personally call this a "cozy" restaurant as a result. But again, people like different things! I just wouldn't go here if I really wanted the candlelit vibes some people associate with Italian restaurants in general and that I get in the mood for sometimes. And sound, at least when it's uncrowded, echos a bit here.Now, one final big positive: the price. For two soft drinks, two big servings of pasta with salads and bread, and one dessert, the total before tip was $55. I felt like we really, really got our money's worth.I saw several folks walking out with pizzas to go, so I look forward to giving one a try. But honestly, I feel like I'm going to need that gnocchi dish every time I'm nearby.

Was in the neighborhood and decided to stop in and try Ciao. Nicely decorated inside, nice bar. Was seated immediately and brought menus. I noticed they had all the ingredients to make spaghetti alla gricia and asked the server if it was possible to make. She went back to ask the chef and he said yes! Was so happy to have it again, as it's hard to find here. It wasn't very pretty so I'm not attaching a picture because I don't want that to sway anyone but it was tasty! We started with the goat cheese bruschette, which was divine. Salads were fresh and the house-made dressings were really good. My sister got the penne al'arrabbiata and that was super delicious as well. Service was attentive but not overbearing. We would definitely return.

We went for a quick lunch as the place is really close by. We had the cheese steak and the chicken Marsala. The severs were a little late for figure out whose table was who's but once they did all was good. She brought some bread and food came out quick. I had the Marsala it was legit flavorful lots of mushrooms and the pasta was cooked well. The cheese steak was huge and had lots of veg and meat. Very tasty and the sauce with it was good too. I will def go back and try dinner hope it continues to do well

Arrived about 4 on a Friday. Got the last booth. Plenty of table seating. Was by myself. So many food options but I felt like pasta. Ordered penne with spicy sausage and a cup of pasta e fagioli. Came with a small salad with romaine, carrots, tomatoes and cheese. Chose a house creamy vinaigrette. Also served grilled and crusty slices of bread. Everything was delicious. The bread was just the best! Although not a large place, the atmosphere was comfortable and had a up-scale feel. Cloth napkins instead of paper. Service was stellar! They serve alcohol but I didn't check out that menu. Will certainly return to try the eggplant parm. This restaurant is at the end of a small center and parking was convenient.

The food is very good the service was good. The ambiance is nice. They charge a take out fee for ordering a pizza?? What's up with that? They also charged my husband extra money for meat sauce which came on the spaghetti! So instead of his dish being $18 it was like $23. If they're going to charge extra they need to put it on the menu so people know! Of course there is a credit card fee as well. This restaurant is really convenient cause it's down the street from my house but there is another Italian restaurant the other way and they don't charge extra for anything! This is why I'm giving it three stars.

Quite literally the best Italian food in Jacksonville. I wish more people knew about this place! Upon walking in, you feel the cozy and welcoming atmosphere Ciao has to offer. The staff are very friendly, kind, and knowledgeable. They really try to connect with their customers, which adds to the inviting vibe. Chef/owner Tonino takes great pride in his cooking as practically everything is made from scratch. Almost everything is modifiable except for the lasagna. I like how you get a side house salad and fresh bread with butter to complement your entree. My ultimate favorite entree that I'll probably never shut up about is the scallop pancetta. It is a little pricey but 100% worth the money. It comes with 3-4 scallops that are about golf ball size, capers, pancetta, and topped off with arugula. My other favorite dishes are the chicken parm, eggplant parm, and linguini amalfi. For appetizers, I love the ciao meatball (it's huge!), calamari, and la caprese bruschetta. Their desserts are really good as well. My favorite is the almond tiramisu, this restaurant is the only one that carries it btw. They also make amazing pizza and wings too! I highly recommend this place! They have a private dining room too if you ever want to host a birthday or other special events. They also have outdoor seating which is perfect for those sunny days. Overall, 10/10 will definitely visit again!

I had been here before with really poor service, but that had improved when we returned last night. The service was cordial, quick and overall good. However, my problem this time was the restaurant practices. When we got our bill, we realized that we had been charged more than the prices on the menu. When we inquired the server checked, and said the reason was that there was an up charge for using a credit card, When we asked to see a menu we discovered that on the bottom of the menu in VERY SMALL PRINT they was a statement saying the menu prices were subject to change and that the prices listed were cash prices. Although I understand that technically they disclosed the practice, I find it highly unusual and not acceptable. If you need to charge a surcharge for a credit card fee, I think that it should be a separate line item before the tax line so that you don't have to choose to tip based on the inflated prices. I think that this practice alters my decision about returning to this establishment.