Federicos Grill

One and done type of place for me. Although, the service was good; the food wasn't what I thought it was going to be after reading all the good reviews here. The bread tasted like store bought bread that was toasted and the olive oil didn't have any taste at all. We ordered the polenta w/ meatballs and it was very underwhelming. The polenta was okay but the meatballs also tasted like they were from a bag of meatballs from a store. The size of the meatballs were really small too. We ordered the champagne chicken which was actually not bad at all. The chicken was perfectly cooked but the mashed potatoes could use more work as it was a bit dry. We also ordered the NY Steak that was cooked a little under medium than what I asked for but it was seasoned well and it was pretty big. I just wished the cut was a better cut than what I was given.

Servers were super friendly and fun. Food was decent, our favorite was the ravioli or beef wellington. The tiramisu wasn't super traditional but it still tasted good.

It seems more like a bar that became a restaurant. The presentation of the food was beautiful. Cutting open the Seafood Papilote at the table was so much fun. The noodles inside along with the seafood were delicious. The mozzarella in the caprese salad was a little dry as was the chicken in the French chicken dish. It was cut very thin and therefore dried out and was tough. Service was great and we had a great time overall.

Extremely cute, unique, welcoming, quaint gem located in the Niles district of Fremont. 8-10 parking spaces in the private lot with ample street parking. Came on a Tuesday evening to celebrate my parent's wedding anniversary and the outdoor patio was all open. There were diners inside, but the weather is beautiful and the patio is super cute with a rustic type charm. We were greeted with the warmest, most genuine welcome by Rico! He had excellent customer service, was attentive and made us feel welcomed. He memorized our order, brought everything out quickly and kept our waters/bread filled. Bread is complimentary and comes with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Gnocchi appetizer was a 7/10. Flavorful, but not best I've ever had Champagne chicken was delicious, per my DadPork chop was amazing, per my momI got the rigatoni pasta with sausage and I'd say 9/10! It was delicious, everything was very flavorful and I'd order it again. I would add that it's a spicy dish though. I wasn't ready for the lingering spicy taste in my mouth. All in all, if you're looking for an authentic, mom&pop type, unique, rustic and charming gem... this is your spot! Come here to have a good time, be social and eat good food. Don't expect fast food chain service here. ***Tuesday was open mic night! The crowd was nice with some older folk type songs being played on acoustic guitars. Lots of talent and I remember a girl, Riley singing accapella and she was excellent!

We decided to check out Federico's for Fremont Restaurant week (review is a bit overdue). Located in Fremont's historic Niles district, this is a local sit-down favorite. We went in with high hopes, but left quite disappointed.FOODFor the Restaurant Week, Federico's had a $40 3-course fixed menu. Between the two of us, we tried the options available to us. We also opted for the $5 Margarita special they had. They also had complimentary bread as well.The Margarita was great. Perfectly balanced and rimmed with plenty of salt. Definitely a very solid drink.For the appetizer, we had a choice of soup or salad. Both are pretty standard, nothing really stood out about them.For the main course, we got the lasagna and the chicken piccata. For the price, both were pretty delicious and left us quite full. It was great that they didn't skimp on the lasagna, but I wish they used a square plate to really get that classic lasagna shape. That being said, based on what I could tell, this isn't a normal menu item, so I'm guessing they used whatever dish they had on hand to make this.Dessert was tiramisu or cannoli. Was not impressed with either of these. The tiramisu was served in a champagne glass, which looks good for social media, but it's a bit tricky to eat, especially when you get to the end. Tiramisu was on the dryer end, which I did not prefer. Wasn't a fan of the cannoli either, but, to be fair, I'm not a fan of cannoli in general and this didn't change my mind.Overall, food was okay. Pretty average other than the drinks and the lasagna, which isn't on the standard menu.SERVICEThis hurts to write, because, as far as I could tell, the owner, Rico, really goes out of his way to make you feel attended to. Unfortunately, we did not get that level of service while we were here; we saw other people being served with hospitality, but we were not. We actually got there early before the rush, but we sat there for a while without being served. We had to flag down someone several times, once to order and twice to ask for our next course. Someone who arrived at the same time as us, finished right as we got our main course; they didn't order the 3 course, but it was still not great. There were definitely enough servers and the place did get busy, but we were there before it got busy, so I don't think it's a good enough excuse.What really sealed the deal for us, however was shortly after our main course was brought out, they asked us if we could move tables so they could seat more people. I understand if they asked us BEFORE we had food on the table, but having to move tables after your food has arrived, especially for a sit down restaurant, is not the experience I'd want to have.On a positive note though, Rico brought us two margaritas, when we only ordered one. He said he misheard and that the second was on the house. Rico also did thank us for stopping by as we left.It's great that Rico is very hospitable to his guests, but it's not consistent enough. For that reason, I cannot recommend the service.COSTWe got the special for Restaurant Week, so it was $40/person before tax and tip. It's a decent price for what you are getting, even if the food is only okay. If I was ordering off the menu, I wouldn't recommend it though.SETTINGPretty cozy place. There's a lot of art on the walls so plenty to look at as you wait for your food. There's also an outside patio with some interesting decor as well. Lighting is dim to add to the ambiance. Would be a good place for a date.Lots of street parking available. If it isn't, there's a large parking lot about 5 minutes away that should have spots.Overall, I was very unimpressed with the service. While others may have a different experience, that's not what I got and for a place with this level of inconsistency where it's literally hit or miss, I would not recommend it.2/5

My girlfriend wandered into Frederick's one night and told me that we needed to come back together. We've been back quite a few times since, and now it's time to share my feelings:- It's a great place for joining the Niles neighborhood experience. It's easy to spend an evening there with open mic, live music, and an art-filled ambiance (with paintings on the walls and a great backyard)- Backyard space has stunning views of the hills and lovely frogs and toads that croak at night - The wine selection is excellent- A great variety of foods to choose from- An intimate environment. This is a real place, and not a cookie-cutter boring restaurant.- I enjoyed meeting Rico, learning his story, and his passion for the restaurant business and his initiative to expand awareness and training around how to help people who are choking (an essential in the food industry!)- A real small business who cares about their patronsThis has turned into one of my go-to places for date night. Thanks, Rico and team, for your hospitality!

I always look forward to dining here because I know I'll leave happy and satisfied. The food is consistently fresh, high-quality, and clearly prepared with care and attention to detail. Rico is not only willing to accommodate, he seriously goes above and beyond! What truly sets this place apart, to me, is the outstanding service. The staff do what they can to make every diner feel welcome and valued. That rare, personal touch, combined with the restaurant's wonderful ambiance, keeps me coming back time and time again. I can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can sit back in the patio!Having a place like this in the community means a lot. Supporting local businesses is so important to me - especially in Fremont, where locally owned and operated restaurants have become scarce. Truly, this place is a gem and I highly recommend it.

I believe once you walk into a restaurant first impressions are important, this place is awful! Had a RSVP at 7 on Valentine's Day and we came 10 min early and the two waiter/waitress awful impression. They stared at us when we walked in, and didn't even greet us but looked annoyed. The man in the red apron who I believe is the owner helped us, after waiting 30min to be seated...got more irritated that when a party walked in after us they got seated immediately and they didn't even have RSVP.....People sitting down all look annoyed, they told us they were slow and it took them 2 1/2 hours to get their food and 1 hr to get their bill....this restaurant is not big so I don't understand, how it can be so disorganized. Plus when we sat down I saw the waitress look at us and roll her eyes with annoyance. It doesn't matter if the food is good, that doesn't compensate the horrific service and our first experience at this establishment. They should have planned better staffing on a day like Valentine's Day, because in the kitchen it looked like no one was there cooking and it looked like food wasn't being prepared. After we sat, waited about 10-15min....no water, no service, NOTHING! just ridiculous! We ended up just walking out....what a disappointment and disaster!!! HORRIBLE

Lovely decor full of history. Nice atmosphere. Good service. Good food. Good parking.

Federico's is such a staple of Niles and Fremont. A fun, artsy and welcoming atmosphere. It's such a pleasant dining experience I always love having a dinner here with family or a friend. Everything on the menu is spectacular. You can't go wrong. The owner, Rico, truly knows how to host and take care of his guests. You'll always be in good hands. In the spring and summer months the back patio is the place to be. And when it's cold, inside dining experience is always fantastic. So much art on the walls, you'll be sure to discover something new everytime!