Via Roma Pizzeria Con Cucina

Giving Via Roma Pizzeria 1000 Stars! Yes, it was that good! ; D I absolutely LOVE Italian food. It's my favorite, but unfortunately I don't get to have it very often. So when I choose an Italian restaurant to dine in, I have to choose wisely. Well this establishment did not disappoint. Came in 50 min before closing. It was the holidays, we just finished shopping, and we were hangry, craving Italian. The staff was so kind welcoming us in. They let us choose anywhere we wanted to sit. There was only 2 other parties dining, and one large dinner party. The restaurant was small and cozy. It also had a small bar area which looked like they had a vast wine selection. The lighting was dim, and the ambiance was casual. Service was outstanding. It wasn't until later after our dinner that we found out, Henry who can and took our orders was the actual owner. No wonder he seems very chillax and in good spirits. He was nice to talk to, I almost wanted to ask him to pull up a chair and join my kids and I for dinner haha. All staff was amazing and so kind. I wonder if they are all related because they seem like family and they treat you like so too. Now for the food. I'm drooling as I reminisce writing this review. I want to go back. We start off with the complimentary house bread, I believe it's foccacia and it comes with a dipping oil; olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. That was sooo delicious. Loved it so much, I had to tell my kids to stop eating the bread because they would be too full from it to eat their entrees. Now for the main dishes, here's what we tried....Papperdelle Bolognese (5/5); this was my order, and it was to die for. The papperdelle pasta was fantastic. It was almost paper thin and tasted delicious. Without a doubt they make their pasta in house. The sauce was a red tomatoe base sauce with pork and beef, topped with some Parmesan. It was just the perfect balance of savory and tangy. The portion was large, I didn't finish it but I took the rest home and enjoyed it later. If I go back I would order this again, even though there are more items on the menu I would like to explore. Seafood Risotto (4/5) Delicious! Seafood was prepping's cooked well. There was a good amount. My daughter enjoyed this and ate almost the whole dish! I didn't finish try some of hers. It was delicious, however, I do wish the risotto was more on the creamy side, but that's just a personal preference. Overall the dish was yummy. Cannelloni a la Veneziana (4/5) this came out straight from the oven in a baking dish. It reminded me of a very large stuffed giant rigatoni. There was 3 pieces. So the dish size itself is medium. Not huge, definitely enough though. It was stuffed with ground meat and topped with melted cheeseChicken Parmigiana (5/5) This classic dish taste amazing. Chicken was large and light battered. Juicy and tender. Went well with the sauce which is a red sauce.At the end of dinner, Henry had us stay and he gave a complimentary tiramisu. Very sweet of him, and it was the perfect dessert to end the meal. The coffee liquor was strong but sweet and sophisticated tasting. We also ordered a large combination to go. The dough was thick but tasted amazing. Overall, I highly recommend this restaurant and definitely will be coming back for more. They also have a second location now in Folsom area.

Not quite sure where the 5 stars are coming from. As a Bay Area transplant who had the pleasure of real, authentic Italian dining, I view the rating as extremely inaccurate and misleading.We entered and were greeted by a male host, telling us there are reservations at X time at X tables, so we need to be done by a certain time. That was red flag #1. We should've walked out then.They provided complimentary bread, which they claim to be focaccia. Unfortunately, it was cold as if it had been defrosted, dense and doughy; exact opposite of what focaccia should be. The highlight was the balsamic vinegar, it was sweet and smooth.I ordered the lasagna and my wife ordered the pappardelle bolognese. Both dishes tasted like they poured Sysco-sized tomato sauce over some noodles and called it a day. I do believe the lasagna noodles were homemade, but the pappardelle was not, which is a shame because they advertise it to be. The meat tasted old and both dishes were completely flavorless. No salt, no spices, nothing. Where's the garlic? Even with the fresh cracked pepper, I couldn't get any flavor. The Parmesan cheese was like Kraft, served in a shaker as if we were at a chain pizza place. I forgot I was eating lasagna at one point until I struck gold at the end by finally finding a tiny dollop of ricotta cheese. Save your time and money. The experience itself is stressful because the tables are on top of each other, and so are the patrons. You can get better Italian food from an American restaurant, which happens to serve Italian dishes, or dare I say Olive Garden. How does that even happen?

Overall: the owners hospitality really made our experience here special! Our party of five arrived and had to wait for an open table. The owner personally greeted us and situated us outside temporarily with an abundance of water and bread to ensure that we were not hungry while waiting for our table. he went above and beyond and provided us with a complementary Caesar salad - which was the BEST Caesar salad our entire group as ever had!!!Pros: the shrimp pasta special was out of this world! A few of us at the table ordered that and it did not disappoint. The table bread was phenomenal, and the waiter brought it over to us constantly, ensuring that we had enough at our table. The pizza was extremely fresh and you can tell that it is made upon request. Cons: this space inside the restaurant is pretty small, which definitely guarantees a wait before being seated. Overall, hidden gem!! Now our go to Italian spot!!

What a great surprise. Went for a late dinner and had some of the best Italian food ever. Went in and the owner immediately greeted us and chatted. He had several recommendations of daily specials. We went for the daily special which was soup or salad, meal and dessert.I had the shrimp risotto and my husband had the gnocchi. My risotto was creamy and delicious but the gnocchi was the best we had ever had. Pillow of goodness that just melted in your mouth.Highly recommend this place for a great meal!

I've been coming to Via Roma for years at the Rocklin location - the entire staff and their owner are incredible! Henry is always a pleasure to talk to and remembers us when we come in. I've never had a bad meal there. The location in Lincoln is just as good! Don't sleep on their specials - they are always so yummy. Always a very calm atmosphere. Can't wait to go back!

As always, 5 out of 5! We are always happy and grateful for the restaurant! We do birthdays and when we choose a restaurant we come here often.First, the service is always fantastic. The staff is friendly and always doing a great job! They always go above and beyond!The decor is cozy, and the only issue I would say is when it is busy, the restaurant is on the smaller size which makes for an intimate atmosphere and it doesn't seem to get loud.The food is incredible. I would recommend trying off menu specials as they are very tasty. Having said that, I had pizza tonight which I have never ordered previously and it was fantastic! Like I was thinking that it is the best pizza around. Why? First, the dough is chewy and yet nicely crispy on the edges.It isn't "par-burned" like a lot of the wood fired ovens in town that have burned flour on the base that sticks to the dough and makes for a bitter taste. Quite the opposite! It was perfectly cooked. The sauce was tasty and not runny, and the pepperoni and mozzarella was very tasty. Finally, it had no "flop" factor that requires folding or worse, the toppings falling onto your lap! It was great! I also tried the special (ravioli) and it was fantastic!! We will be back!

Best Italian food in area, I tried the lasagna and it was the best lasagna I ever had. The service is great, the owner will go around and talk to the guests, like they use to do decades ago. The ambiance is great with stuff of Italy and the lighting is nice for a romantic meal with your loved one. There dessert are great the best cannoli's and Tiramisu. This place is great and the pizza is the best as well.

what a lovely spot to come and get some delicious italian food from! from the start, we were greeted and treated with such hospitality. staff were attentive, conversational, and overall the sweetest!! i ordered the chicken parm which was flavorful -- i finished every bit of it. shoutout to the wonderful staff for also giving a slice of tiramisu on the house :^)

Enjoyed the variety of meal selections, the service, and the ambiance. Pizza seemed a really popular choice.

Another great meal! We have been coming here for years and have always had a good meal. Last few times we have just gotten their pizza and beer. I love the dough they use. I asked if we could buy some and they said yes!!! Henry, the owner, is the greatest and always so friendly. He makes the dining experience even better. Keep up the great work.