Shells and Sauce

I come here a lot and the service is always top notch by Maria. She is so friendly, memorable, and attentive to all tables she works with.The food here is delicious. The Penne with meatballs and sausage are my current favorite but I truly have not had a dish I've been disappointed with. The downstairs is a bit claustrophobic but the upstairs area is more open. I usually sit downstairs but either way, I love the ambiance.

Tucked away in the Congress Park neighborhood is Shells & Sauce, one of my favorite places to eat! It's my go-to restaurant to take friends & family. It's very reasonably priced with nice size portions. They serve deliciously consistent Classic Italian dishes, and have gluten-free options too. A couple of tips...make a reservation if you can, this cozy place is always busy & it's closed Sundays & Mondays. There are two dining rooms, one main level & the other upstairs. Just like a noisy Italian family having Sunday supper, Shells & Sauce can get loud. Parking can be a challenge, there is a small parking lot in the back but it's pretty much street parking. We brought our out-of-town friends here one early Friday night. Happy to have made reservations because it was hopping at 5:30pm. Our server was great. She kept our water glasses full & was quick to bring us complimentary (endless) fresh baked bread with a balsamic dipping oil. We had the Scallops & Risotto, Lasagna, Shrimp Carbonara & Shrimp Diavolo. The scallops were cooked perfectly, the lasagna was cheesy & delicious, the carbonara was divine, (best I've had) & the diavolo was spicy & delectable as usual. Our dishes were outstanding. This place is lively & fun, I highly recommend it!

Came for Happy Hour at 4:30pm -- not bad, not great either. * mini grilled salmon, very dry fish but delicious garnish and sauce. * mini Bolognese, it's capellini not penne as advertised, and way overcooked; the 'homemade sauce' tastes surprisingly bland. (FWIW the best pasta for Bolognese sauce is tagliatelle.)I am guessing they probably make these dishes in large batches at the start of Happy Hour that don't taste so good anymore close to 5:00pm. Next time will order from their regular menu. Cozy, homey dining room. Great waitstaff!

Ordered carry out, it was ready on time and perfect temp. The pork loin is fantastic, cooked to order as requested. Great flavors on the pork and ravioli. Great to go packaging. Walked from home, truly a neighborhood hot spot. Super busy, highly recommend a reservation as it's tiny and highly desirable! Delish!

I made a reservation in advance and was seated right away. It wasn't too busy on a Tuesday night so possibly didn't need to but they weren't completely empty either. Our waitress was super friendly. She made small talk with us and complimented our outfits. We started with the bruschetta. It was a little different than I've had before as it had olives in it. It was really flavorful and good. We ran out of bread so my friend even used the complimentary bread to eat the rest of it. I ordered the special of the day which was a lobster/crab stuffed ravioli and topped with some veggies and shrimp. It came in a broth - it was amazing. I also then used the bread to dip in it. My friend got special as well. We really enjoyed our meals - I'll definitely be back!

Oh my how do I start this. . .this place was a hidden gem within a neighborhood and it was so quaint and cute!! We decided to sit outside as we did not make an appointment and we were a party of 5. Towards the end of the dining experience, we were all a little cold BUT that was on us. Pro Tip - Make an appointment as this place busy busy busy!!As soon as we were sat, they came out and gave us our menus and gave us fresh bread boules with a balsamic vinaigrette to dip the bread in. I thought that was a nice change to the usual olive oil with balsamic vinegar. Some of the people that I was with thought that it was too vinegary but i liked it as I LOVE balsamic vinegar. lol We placed our order and soon after, we got our food and let me tell you. . .silence enveloped our table as we started to dig into the food. And you know that is the best compliment that you can give to a restaurant. . .that silence fell upon the table once the food came. The food was so freaking good! I had the chicken piccata with linguine pasta. BUT I wished that they had just served it with plain spaghetti OR fettucini so that the pasta could've picked up more of the sauce. I seriously wanted to spoon up the sauce. But then again, I have yet to meet a piccata that I did not like. The food was amazing and everything came out quickly and everything was sooooooo delicious! The free bread was good BUT they needed to proof the bread a little longer as it was a very dense bread and I could tell that the boule was underproofed. Did I eat it even though it was under proofed? Heck yeah I did! Cuz I love bread. . .or rather I love carbs. . .LOL The service was great from the hostess to the server to the bus boy to the food runner. Everyone was very friendly and willing to answer any questions. If I lived in that neighborhood, I'd be in so much trouble as I would be here almost everyday! LOL Just come and eat here. You won't regret it!

It's always impressive when a restaurant can handle a huge group! We were like 15 people deep & the service was great. I believe the servers name was Jamus and they handled all of the "what do you think?"s and "can you do this instead?"s with grace! I can't review everything the table got, but there were some definitely highlights. I ordered the creamy piccata with salmon & it was incredible. Loved the lemon flavor mixed with the salty capers and the perfectly cooked salmon. Would definitely order again! I also got the lavender peach sangria, which was very refreshing but not very lavendery. It was just a delicious peach sangria. A friend got the peach salad with goat cheese & it was tasty but she wished there was more toppings on it. She also got the bruschetta flatbread, which I tried myself and really liked. They have a unique to them recipe that I liked & the olives added a good salty flavor. Lastly, two other orders were the lasagna and the sachetti. The lasagna was a fellow yelp favorite that did NOT disappoint-- it was the size of a brick. The sachetti was great too and not rich at all like you might think when you read "white wine truffle sauce". Overall, can't wait to come back for some great Italian food!

One of my favorite places to eat in Denver for Italian. The food is on point and delicious. I usually book through a reservation site and have eaten here 3/4 times total. I usually book through a reservation site like Resy or Open Table. My only complaint is the entry and host stand. They are busy and could give it a bit more attention. The table is usually never ready upon arrival but they do a great job ensuring you are sat close to your reservation. Cool, and there is no room to hang at the bar for a drink, so you are usually in the entry ramp way of the door. PS I have seen people here without a reservation and they don't get a table. Don't be those people. The food is great. I love the Shrimp Diavolo. It has never let me down, unlike the Lasagna which seems to be popular for unknown reasons. The drinks are great too. I think my desert has been limited but I believe they are done well with a great alcohol to mix flavor. I get a later reservation so I can relax and typically it's closer to close so there is not a rush to leave although they ask for 1.5 limit total. This place is also the first date of me and my husband so it is even more special to me.

Good value could not finish the plate of chicken parm. The Negroni was perfect , the waiter was very attentive.

Service was super friendly and wine pours were large but ambiance was nonexistent and food was very average. Got the Caesar which was pretty bad, the chicken Marsala was decent, and bolognese was average at best. Always super crowded and has people outside though