Valley Forge Trattoria & Lounge

Always have a great meal here and great service along with it. A varied menu so there is something for everyone and prices are reasonable for the quality. Interesting specials, too. You can't go wrong. I usually call ahead for a reservation.

If you just happen to be driving by, Valley Forge Trattoria & Lounge looks pretty much like any other run-of-the-mill strip mall eatery. But, trust me, the attractive dining rooms and comfy bar area completely belie the restaurant's utilitarian exterior... And the excellent Italian cuisine continues to surprise and delight.The large menu runs the gamut... from a host of salads... to pizzas, strombolis and calzones... to classic pastas... to chicken, veal, beef, and seafood entrees... to a variety of sandwiches, croissants, wraps, grinders, and hoagies. Whatever your preferences on a given day, you will find the portion sizes quite generous. And you might also consider saving a bit of cash by skipping the appetizers, as a house salad and the restaurant's irresistible Garlic Knots are included with most entrées.You would think that with such an extensive menu, one might have a bit of trouble zeroing in on an entrée... Not so my dining companion, who is something of a semi-regular, often meeting her girlfriend here for dinner. Never a doubt. She is totally addicted to the kitchen's Chicken Parmesan, which she ordered on both of our two recent visits. And, as you can tell from the photograph below, the portion size borders on gargantuan... But quality is quite evident as well. The breading is light and crisp, the chicken moist & tender, and the sauce just sweet enough backed by a solid acidity. The dish is normally served with a pasta of choice; but she prefers a vegetable side, which changes on a regular basis. Most recently, it consisted of an appetizing combo of broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, and red onion. Obviously freshly sautéed, all constituents were at the very peak of good health.My own entrée choices were a bit more diverse. Veal, for example, is always a good indication of an Italian kitchen's capabilities (or lack thereof), and usually my first selection at a restaurant I have not previously visited. So, the Veal Saltimbocca seemed like a good place to begin. This dish, both quick and elegant, is a mainstay in Roman trattorias and is comprised of basically three ingredients: veal cutlets, prosciutto, and fresh sage (and, as pictured below, often with a topping of melted mozzarella cheese). And the rendition served up here is one of the most satisfying I have sampled anywhere. The veal was perfectly sautéed, firm to the bite yet tender, and all the other elements combined in a delightfully sensual gastronomic gestalt. And the simple sauce, made by deglazing the pan with a touch of marsala, added a slightly salty, sumptuous air to the proceedings. Kudos to the kitchen.On my second visit, I opted for the Eggplant Parmesan. Once again, this is a relatively simple dish... but - as I have mentioned in several other reviews - one that is easily mucked up. Eggplant is a decidedly tricky item to deal with. It is very easily either under or overcooked. If the former, it can be hard as nails and lacking in flavor; if the latter, a mushy mess. And if slightly over-the-hill, the seeds become an all too prominent part of the equation. Fortunately, Valley Forge's kitchen does everything just right. The lengthwise slices are appetizingly thin, the crisp golden-brown exterior yielding to a deliciously creamy core. A topping of melted cheese and pillow of your pasta of choice (in this case, capellini) bathed in a first-rate marinara complete the package. Dessert offerings, although not made in-house, are still quite good and certainly worth saving room for. Of course, you have traditional items like Cannoli and Tiramisu... but the Italian Lemon Cream Cake, light and airy on the palate, makes a fabulous finish. Even better, though, especially if you're looking for something with a bit more substance, is the Gourmet Turtle Cheesecake (pictured). The delightfully smooth and creamy New York-style cheesecake rests on a thick layer of fudge, is topped with caramel cream, and then sprinkled with a tiara of chopped pecans. Not-to-be-missed!The restaurant has a serviceable selection of wines by the glass; and, as my dining partner can clearly attest, the bartender makes a first-rate Cosmo as well.

Food was just good. Not great. Wine was ok. We had the Montepulciano d' Abbruzi (?)Service was provided by Hector. We felt cared for. The best hung by far was the ambiance. Just superb! I felt like I was in vacation!

Traditional Italian in Chester county. The owner and employees are hilariously Italian. The food is fresh and authentic. The inside is huge. The portions are huge. Congrats on the success of the restaurant, going on 30 years in business.

I've lived in the area for years and this was my first visit here. This restaurant has a lovely atmosphere with friendly attentive servers. If you are looking for some solidly good Italian food then you are in the right spot. The veal park was excellent as was the portobello mushroom ravioli. The garlic knots they bring out are served with a lively marinara for dipping. The salads are nothing out of the ordinary, but the entrees were delicious and the servings were very large.

Delicious! Beautiful atmosphere. Staff was on point! You will be pleasantly pleased. Thank you Yelp!

The food is great and deserves five stars but the extremely long wait time is why I'm giving one star. We ordered online for carryout. Order was placed at 7:18, said food would be ready at 7:57. I arrived around 7:42, food wasn't ready, was told it would be right up. 7:57- still no food, 8:02-still no food, 8:10-still no food. Finally at 8:17 I received my food. Entrees were supposed to come with garlic bread, they ran out, stale bread was thrown in my bag. I was comped dessert, too bad I don't eat tiramisu.So I'd only recommend eating here if you have lots of time to spare.

Kept seeing good reviews about the pizza here for awhile, finally decided to give it a try. Don't understand the hype whatsoever, absolutely mediocre pizza at best. Also got an order of garlic bread and it was literally an Amoroso's hoagie roll with butter and garlic powder on it, melted not even toasted. Not good, don't recommend.

Forgot part of my takeout order, and this isn't the first time this has happened... Service is below average and the managers are honestly rude. Tried to blame me for their mistake and only offered ingenuous apologies; no discount or comped items, just a waste of an extra 40 minutes driving there and back again. Food was fine, but clearly wasn't as fresh because it was an hour after my order was ready that I was finally able to get my meal. Honestly the food is not worth it as the attitude increases and the quality of service decreases; disappointing.

Amazing service and food! Just a really wholesome, cozy place. We loved our waiter, Hector. He was so kind and had such a sweet spirit. For our birthday they brought us each a piece of cake with big sparklers in them, and they couldn't have been more excited to give them to us! This place makes you feel like family right away! We will be back again and again!