Il Fresco

Found the best thing about this restaurant is the decor, Its a beautiful old building and nicely decorated, Now about the food, my daughter and I were celebrating my birthday and although we had a nice evening the food was lacking. I had the Zuppa di Vongole as an appetizer, the clams were chewy and the sauce tasted like plum tomatoes straight from the can. My daughter had the straccatelli soup, which was mediocre at best. I did not want a huge dinner (wanted to save room for dessert) so i had the crabcakes as my main course, they were very good. My daughter on the other hand was not as lucky, she ordered the special which was swordfish (on my recommendation) it was bland, overcooked and expensive. served with a little duchess potatoes i believe. quite dissapointing. I had gelato for dessert which was good,,, but not good enough to get me to come back..... more

First of all, let me start by saying that we have dined at Il Fresco many times as the food is very good and the decor delightful. However, my last experience there will be my LAST bc it was the single most horrible experience we have ever had at ANY restaurant. We were seated on a Saturday night with NO reservation. However, they did us no favors... there were more than plenty of emtpy seats on the patio available at the time they sat us. We placed our order immediately and within 10 minutes were served our appetizers AND salad. Then the waiting began. As other tables were sat after us we watched them order, receive their apps and entrees as we still waited for ours. After we received our entrees after 1 1/2 hours later (after app and salad course) we asked for our check and then placed our first complaint of the wait for our food. The waiter was extremely apologetic and he said he would talk to management to see what could be done. The waiter came back and told us that the manager didnt think anything was handled wrong and told us there was nothing they could do. He said that if we wanted to talk to the manager I was welcome to do so. We were not looking for any freebies... all we wanted was acknowledgment that 1 1/2 hours is unacceptable to wait, while others who were sat after you AND ordered the same number of courses as you, were served first. I took the waiter up on his suggestion and went inside and asked for the manager. When I asked for the manager I was rudely welcomed by the owners sister telling me she could handle my problem. I spoke to her calmly and was told that this was not the Olive Garden and here we had to wait for our food. I explained that I didnt want anything for free but did want them to own that 1 1/2 hour wait for a chicken dish and pasta for two people is unacceptable. They raised their voices, created a scene and I told them we would never dine at their establishment again. I was literally chased out of the restaurant and they proceeded to tell my husband that I used foul language and that he needed to ""control his wife"".... even more insulting. I do not except freebies for anything and regrettably have spent a lot of money at this restaurant over the years. All we wanted was an acknowledgment of the long food wait... I will not go back bc I choose not to be treated this way as a customer. Very unprofessional. I suggest they take a look in the mirror and know that the customer is ALWAYS right. more

A truly disappointing experience. more

This place was recommended to us by an excellent hotel in the area and all I can say is I was given horrible advise. I actually thought it was more like a joke. more

Isn't worth the effort to put on a pair of shoes. If you want descent Italian cooking, there are plenty of other excellent choices in Rockland County. I would actually go so far as to say that Olive Garden is a better choice. This place is a laughable choice. Garbage, garbage, garbage. Save your money and order Pizza Hut if you want an Il Fresco-like Italian experience. more

This place is a find. Great choise of menu and great specials. A great place for a romantic dinner. Small dining area. Everything you want to have an enjoyable evening out. Once you go, you'll want to go back. Pros: rodderswalt says 2 thumbs up Cons: tight parking. more