Valentino's Eatery

WOW! The best part is, this is a great restaurant in Florence. I'm from Philadelphia and this is every bit as good (if not better) as a good Italian restaurant there. And I have eaten at many Italian restaurants in Italy, this is right up there. My grandson suggested going here for his birthday on Wednesday for lunch. I was very happy about that choice. He got a meat pizza and I have never seen so much meat on a pizza like this. I got my favorite, chicken parmigiana. The sauce was excellent! There was so much and it was really good. The salad was top notch and even had a yellow carrot. The salad dressing (creamy Italian) was the best and they make their own! And the bread was so good and fresh. Now I wonder if they make that too. The dining room is perfection. Black tablecloths with nice goblets etc. Definitely upscale.

Im a long time customer of Valentinos but last 2 visits have not been good. Went n the day after Valentine's Day wanting some pasta. But, they had a V. Day menu AND NO PASTA ON THE MENU. Other than a side that was part of the entree. Wife wanted mussels and a salad. No salads on the menu but one comes with entrees. For +$2 it could be made an entre and get a salad with it. We did that but they still charged me $4.75 for a "side salad". They argued but did change it. The big problem was how long it took to get served. 40 minutes just to get salads. After 1 hour and 10 minutes, and server nowhere in sight. I talked to bartender and they brought it right out. We had a $200 gift card with $12 left on it and presented that with C. C. to bartender. When she came back, the computer said we had $200 and our meal was taken off leaving a balance of $130. I told her $12 was correct but she insisted we just keep it at $130 for all our troubles. A very generous compromise. Thank you.

Came in for mom's birthday celebration, and Valentino's Eatery did not miss! From the service to the ambiance, this place is a gem in the town of Florence.The food is absolutely delicious, and I LOVE that it's a family owned business and has been for years. They make their salad dressing from scratch, and you can taste the quality in each dish. Not only are the portions plentiful, but they really do pack a flavorful punch! We we ordered:Caesar SaladCrab CakesValentino's Garlic BreadChicken PiccataVeal PiccataLinguine & ClamsStrawberry Lemon Drop MartiniAs you can see, everything was fire, right down to the martini! At the end of our meal, our server (omg, I forgot her name! **ugh!**) brought out mom's choice of dessert, the Dark Chocolate Torta. It was so rich and creamy. A yummy way to end dinner for sure!I highly suggest Valentino's if you are in the area. Parking isn't an issue, and they also offer outdoor dining in the cooler months. Pricing is reasonable for the quality of food. There aren't a lot of eateries in this area right now, so bookmark this place and go buck wild! Support this local small business. You'll be glad you did!

This is my second time there it was me and my wife's wedding and my girls birthday. The first time we went everything was great. We go today and it just seemed like the waitress didn't want to help us. All we did is ask for some more dinner bread and if it could be warm up and she said that that's just the way it comes out they're busy, so it gets sometimes like that. I just thought that there could've been a different approach to it. Then we asked for more dinner rolls and she said there's a charge. I get it, but I think she could've had a different way to approach it. I just felt like she was dry and it seemed like she didn't even want to be there. Even my daughters that just turned 18 felt the same way, so what I did was I call for the manager over. I spoke to him and he was fine. I told him I don't like doing bad reviews, but I appreciate him coming over. He talked to us, but I feel like nothing was going to get done. I would never sit with Dawn If I decide to go back, I don't mind spending the money, but I want to have a good experience when I go out to dinner. That's why I was there especially on a special night like tonight. It was a very nice place. Also just to add the restaurant was very clean and the food was delicious and I did tell the manager that I didn't want to put a negative review on his restaurant, but I feel like people should know the experience that I had. Again the food is delicious, but the service that I had tonight was not good, so I'm putting a good and bad review in. The manager did apologize, but again I would not recommend sitting with the waitress Dawn.

The interior is very nice, cozy and romantic. I'd love to give a higher rating but the food in my opinion was only so-so. The bread was good, comes with butter and a (very) spicy tomato sauce/oil. The bar was extremely slow on getting drinks for some of the group (my hubby ordered a drink when we first got seated and last to get a drink which was after some got their food!). The traditional margarita was only so-so, the blood orange margarita was pretty good and the Milano margarita was only okay. The bar staff seemed a bit novice, but the service was nice/pleasant, just not on top of it. Our food did come out all correct and again our server was extremely pleasant.I ordered a chicken cacciatore, which I thought was only so-so. It just lacked flavor (despite having mushrooms, onions and peppers). The house salad was fine, the balsamic dressing was disappointing (just tasted like oil). Others got Chicken Parm (I didn't try but my sister likes), Stuffed Shells (okay), and Baked Fish (pretty good). I would not recommend upgrading to the Caesar salad (I tried it and it was flavorless, does it need more cheese???). I think this is an okay option for the area but I'm not necessarily in any hurry to return soon.

I try to maintain a bucket list of out-of-the-way Arizona eateries that are worth a road trip. Florence might seem far, but Valentino's is worth it. We first went for my mother-in-law's birthday. It's a tight space but elegant without being posh (it's rural AZ). They have a very nice wine selection, not expansive or over the top, but well selected for an Italian eatery. Service is fast and friendly. We ordered a variety of dishes including a seafood stew that my father-in-law devoured, bolognese that my mother-in-law didn't complain about (that's high praise), chicken in their marinara with a side of meatballs, and I had the spicy shrimp (sorry, I can't remember all the exact names of the dishes). I found the shrimp very spicy and could have toned it down a bit, but still delicious! For desert we had the chocolate tort (very rich and delicious), ice cream with baileys, and I had the coconut cream pie which was good but too sweet for me... and I ate all of it regardless. We've already made reservations for my upcoming birthday and look forward to trying more dishes!

What a gift we have right here in our neighborhood. The food is as authentic as an Italian restaurant could be imagined. The indoor or outdoor seating is very comfortable. The staff are fun & very friendly. The food is so well prepared and presented. Be sure to try the homemade sausage. We look forward to trying more & more of the menu. Be sure to plan your visit since Valentinos is so popular. Enjoy your visit!!

We went here for the first time for our anniversary lunch. I had heard really great things about it and we decided to check it out- glad we did!Our waitress was very nice and all over her job. Very hospitable and skilled. She was always there with water refills and checking if we needed anything. Very friendly! Definitely an asset to the restaurant. We ordered the calamari appetizer and it was overcooked and rubbery. Pretty much like chewing on rubber bands. Super disappointing as it is not a cheap plate by any means. This was the only low spot of the experience. When the waitress asked how it was, we told her it was rubbery and were kind of just met with an "oh." The salads that came with the entrees were very fresh and flavorful! Portion size was excellent. The house bread was served with butter and this spicy tomato oil. The bread was warm and lovely, the butter soft and the tomato oil had the perfect amount of spice to it. I had the chicken Alfredo entree and it was one of the best I've had. Very generous amount of chicken and the sauce was flavorful. My husband had the chicken parmigiana and the breast served was huge and crispy. Great portion for the price, for sure. We didn't save room for dessert but when we return again, we will be sure to try something out. They looked great on yelp!

Nope - never again!Feb 2025 * couplesNope - not again!!! First time was a little disappointing as halfway through dinner the wait staff started cleaning up all of the tables around us. It was so loud and distracting we couldn't enjoy our evening out with friends. The pasta was NOT al dente, and the calamari was served without lemon wedges. Still the chicken parm was good. Just a few weeks ago, my husband and I returned and thought let's give it another chance. We ordered the calamari as an appetizer and again no lemon wedges which is traditional in Italian restaurants. We asked for them and by the time they arrived, the calamari were ice cold. The frying oil also probably needs to be changed also as the smell overwhelmed the food. The waitress told us that French onion soup was an option as a side in lieu of salad before our entre. When the bill came, we were charged $4 for a cup of soup. She should have mentioned that there was an up charge. I ordered the shrimp scampi which was served with raw/jarred garlic and diced tomatoes. The shrimp were overcooked and tough and the pasta was overcooked. I couldn't eat it at all. The waitress noticed I didn't eat it and offered to take it off the bill and bring me something else. At that point, I had lost my appetite. My husband's marsala sauce was gelatinous. Chicken was decent. The red dipping sauce for the bread has a Mexican spice flavor and strange but the bread is very good. I filled up on that as I didn't eat my entree. Finally, we ordered a slice of the NY style cheesecake with berries. It arrived with a huge dollop of whipped cream and some berry juice. The fresh whipped cream had gone flat and melted all over the plate and slice and looked so unappetizing. Didn't the waitress notice this? I asked where the berries were, and she took the slice and returned a few minutes later with slices of a fresh strawberry thrown on top. The cheesecake had a refrigerator taste as well. Average entree is $25 - $35 too! This area needs more restaurants!!!

I have eaten here twice and this is some of the best Italian food in Arizona! The chicken/veal Parmesan is outstanding and the chicken marsala was very flavorful. The mud cake is my favorite dessert, but the tiramisu was also a hit. The staff was very friendly and helpful when ordering and the service was very attentive. I can't wait to visit this area again so I can eat here.