Sarafino's Pasta and Pizza

We had to wait, as we had a party of 13 and they really don't take reservations. Fast and fun service by Pam and Alexis. Everyone loved what they ordered, but some highlights were the greens and beans, polenta, veal Parm, and Arancini. Oh and the bread. The bonus was that dinner came with a show, as several people/prospective customers came in and gave the staff a super aggressive time about the wait. The staff and owner don't take kindly to that. Many folks seated at their tables joined in , ala Jerry Springer. Seriously, management should consider a 90 minute limit on tables during busy times. Once seated, service and food were fast. As our party waited in the Circle Bar next door, we'd have to send a scout over for table status. it was frustrating to watch as 1 table opened only to have to wait on the other 2 tables as guests were clearly done and lingering. Serafino's is small and there is no real place to wait without invading someone else's space. BYOB is a bonus, too. After the wait, the food (and entertainment) was worth it. Great evening, thank you, Serafino!

I rarely write reviews and tend to believe those that do so, have either a very good or very bad experience. I have been coming here for over two years, and I currently live a block away, so it is "convenient". I think the food is good, and above average, so I continue to come back, however, there are issues with the way the place is ran/the way they do business, that make me not want to come back. In reading the other reviews, I see this sentiment is shared. Two weeks ago, I came here after a viewing (death of a family member). Our party was six and I knew it would be more difficult to get a table due to how small the place is, however, we did arrive at 4:30 p.m. At the time, there was only one party on the list, of five. So, I provided my number and we went back to my house. I got a call about 15 minutes later, which I quickly returned. They said that they did call me and I asked if I should come back down. I was hung up on. So, we went back down (sidenote that it was very cold outside and I had family in town, who could have remained at the house). Upon arrival, there was still the same party of 5 ahead of us, and there was a table being held in the back, which we could have taken, or the party ahead of us. Well, we waited over an hour and a half longer after they called me to come back. Not only that, but the table that they held was for a Judge and his party, clearly showing preferential treatment, when we could have eaten and left in that amount of time. We asked why they called us when there was no ability to be sat, and they had no response, and we practically walked out. The waitress, we had many times, and she is quick and a hustler, which I appreciate, but she should not be in charge of running the waitlist on top of bussing and doing everything else. It is completely mismanaged and chaotic.Now, to the food, it is always great, but this time I had the crabcake special. The crabcakes, while full of plenty lump crab meat, was overwhelmed by large stuffing sized pieces of bread. The best part of the dish was the portabella mushroom and accompanying sauce. I know there are different style crabcakes, but the large amount of bread was not my preference. The greens and beans do not have enough broth. The rest of the food was excellent. It is hard to say if we will be back any time soon, but please consider taking reservations, or at least having an electronic waitlist. It is 2025 and a paper waitlist is absurd.

The food was amazing. I cannot recommend it more. The bread and olive oil to start and the pumpkin ravioli was perfect. They were very very busy. We went on a Saturday night and waited almost two hours (food was worth it though). I think they could benefit from updating their system, lots of people in and out asking when their name would be called. Lots of tables and the place is small, but again, food was well worth it. And it was byob which was fun! Everyone in there had great attitudes, even though they were busy. Parking was ok, street parking. The block over had some open spaces and they do have a small lot.

My wife and I weren't really that hungry after the evening appetizers at our hotel. We still kind of needed dinner. So, a quick search on Yelp told me to go to Sarafino's. It takes a car to get here as it is located in the hills of Pittsburgh. Without my phone's GPS, I don't think I would've ever found this place. They looked a nice and inviting place as I arrived. I had already ordered takeout before arriving. After paying, I got my food and was able to quickly drive back to the hotel. The linguine with clams that I ordered was more than enough for my wife and I. It had a nice clammy and garlicky flavor. It had the most clams that I've seen in a long while. It was good. I think the only thing that would've made it better was if we decided to eat there. Sarafino's did look like a great and happening spot.

Although the food and service here are both excellent, it pains me to have to drop them from a 5 star to a 3 star. That's because my gnocchi with red pepper sauce and sausage came out on a severely chipped dish. It is actually a violation of the Food Safety Act because pathogens can be harbored in the part of the plate that is no longer glazed. If I'd been a health inspector, they would have been in big trouble I'm sure. See this below:55 Pa. Code § 5320.91 - Food serviceh) Utensils used to prepare and serve food and beverages shall be free from chips and cracksThe server was very nice. I told her to throw it away and don't bother to wash it. She said she'd tell the owner but that he was "old School" and may not listen.Everyone loved their food, including me. The linguine with clam sauce and the butternut raviolis were delicious according to my friends. Just be cautious and keep an eye out for those chipped plates.

Sarafino's is a hidden gem of Pittsburgh! We went during the week of Thanksgiving and it was busy! We waited for over an hour for our table because they wrote my phone number down wrong, but that's okay. We also waited another 10-15 min after being seated for someone to come to our table a there were 2 servers and they have like 10 total tables. Regardless, I've been here before so I knew what to expect! this is a real homestyle Italian place. Large, delicious potions. BYOB. We got the Spring Diavola and the Sarafino's pasta dishes. Cozy, no frills, homey vibes.

I always love an Italian restaurant, but a BYOB makes it even better! If you don't want to pay a corkage fee, bring a screw top bottle or open it before you enter (wish I had known that).The inside is fairly small, but it has a really nice homey feel. The A/C wasn't working well when we were there and we were uncomfortably warm.The menu is perfect for me as too many choices make me over think things. There were also numerous specials which all sounded good.Our server was super friendly and helpful. She brought warm bread with a dipping sauce which we enjoyed while waiting for our appetizers. I shared an Arancini ball with family, which was a special. It was huge! It was not my favorite as it didn't have the right consistency that I am used to with smaller sized ones. For my entree, I chose a rotini pasta with a bolognese sauce. Good arrived quickly and it was piping hot which I love. The flavor of mine was very good, but was it really bolognese when it had very little protein. The pasta was cooked well. We had a nice experience and I would return and try something different.

We went to Sarafino's for my 40th birthday yesterday because I watched a TikTok from Ana Eats Pgh & the food looked incredible! All I have to say is the food was better than I even imagined. The restaurant is very small & doesn't take reservations, but they were able to accommodate our group of 12. The servers were so kind and made the evening special! The crusty Italian bread and dipping oil is perfect! We ordered the greens & beans & Margherita pizza as starters and both were delicious! My friends tried several selections that they all enjoyed - Sarafino's pasta, chicken and veal parm, etc. I had the crab cakes - a recommendation from the server and it was a 10/10! This unassuming restaurant is one of the best in the Pittsburgh area! I recommend 1000%

It's been pre-pandemic since I've been here and left with a positive experience. Server was friendly and had about 4 daily specials (no prices told unless I asked). Ordered the seared steak panini which came with a house salad for a reasonable price. The steak was cooked nicely and the bread had a great buttery crunch. It came with "sarafino's sauce" though which was essentially house Italian. I asked for ranch and they didn't have it. Ended up getting a side of Mayo as the Italian didn't totally gel for my preference...otherwise a great sandwich.

Came here on a Tuesday night and there was a short wait. Great service, food came very quickly. Best chicken parm I've had at a restaurant in a long time!