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Abrusci's
Categories: Restaurants Italian Restaurants Gluten-Free Italian, Gluten-Free [Edit]
3244 Youngfield StSte G
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
(303) 232-2424
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
48 reviews for Abrusci's
Review Highlights
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"It is the best damn Italian food period." In 3 reviews -
"...love the bread with the olive oil mixture that comes prior..." In 6 reviews -
"This family-owned business in Wheat Ridge/Applewood is..." In 3 reviews
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48 reviews in English
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Review from Shawn J.
Updated - 5/21/2012
Italian food, the right way, backed by great service is what you'll find here. While occasionally they'll have service hiccups as my comments from 2010 illustrate, this is one of the few places that I would drive all the way down from Evergreen in the snow to go get and take it back up. And if you've ever drove I-70 in a snowstorm you know this is not a decision taken lightly. But this food is so good! It's your classic Italian fare, everything from bruschetta to classic spaghetti to higher end dishes. There's not a miss on their menu. Yeah, you've heard that before. But their food is so good it holds up to travel. A 40 min drive back up the mountain can kill most food but they package theirs well and it's made right so it holds up to being true take out food. But if you go inside the service is pretty good as well. In 4 years of eating here I can count on one hand the number of times they've messed up and have 3 fingers left over. In my experiences that kind of service is ultra rare, and always great to experience!
5 Stars, without any question. Best of Denver list - No Question. But the best part is they are right off I-70 so if you're driving through Denver it's relatively easy to check them out, have great Italian food, and be back on your way!Listed in: Kinetik's Best of Denver (and…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/3/2010
I am sitting at the bar at Abruscis waiting on a call in order that got lost. Nothing like waiting… Read more »
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Review from Gabi J.
Denver, CO
3/22/2012
I remember back in the day when Abrusci's was just being built and my father was looking for a good place to find home cooked good Italian food. When this place opened my father use to take me and my brothers there, and that was years ago.
I only have fond memories of this place and I remember when my father got really ill and was unable to no longer able to come and enjoy the food and the family that he had called Abrusci's since it had opened, I believe it was around two years.
I had gone in there a few times after that and they recognized me and asked about how my dad was and if there was anything they could do.
They were always willing to go above and beyond to help my family.
The atmosphere here is warm and inviting with yellow and red tones. They normally have live Jazz once or twice a week and an outdoor patio and full bar.
Good food and if you stick around or become regulars the owners do take notice, you are not just a dollar amount here, you are a real person -
Review from Leeah K.
Denver, CO
3/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
The garlic/ olive oil dip for the bread you're given when you are seated, immediately won me over. I had the individual size Gorgonzola salad and the portion was perfect! Everyone else at my table ordered entrees and ended up with leftovers. You absolutely get what you pay for!
The service is meteocre but the gentlemen working there were all extremely attractive, so that made up for it. -
Review from Marggaret W.
Park City, UT
5/8/2012
Great lunch with our Grandkids! In a shopping mall, but once inside it's just a great Italian restaurant with a pleasant atmosphere and friendly staff. Try it you'll like it!
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Review from Laurie W.
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
Eating at Arbusci's was a good experience. My friend and I went there for dinner. We started with a glass of wine and bread with their house roasted garlic and spices in olive oil. Definitely delicious!
Then I went for the Caesar salad and my friend had the minestrone. She liked hers, I thought mine was ok, but a little on the bland side. Huge portion, though.
For dinner, my friend had the Carbonara and I had the Spinach Lasagna. Again, she liked hers, but I thought mine was bland. I took most of the lasagna home to Mr. Mixer and he agreed.
Arbusci's has a homey feel to it, and the servers were quite nice. It was very busy at 7:30 on a Friday night, which is a good thing to me. Arbusci's is just comfortable.
If I lived on this side of town, I wouldn't mind going to Arbusci's again. -
Review from Scott N.
3/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
A very solid Italian restaurant with all of the trimmings. The service was friendly and prompt, the decor is classy (with some Italian charm), and everyone has a great time. The pasta is absolutely wonderful tasting and the wine list is extensive. The waiters are well-versed in the best wine pairings for the various dishes and are very willing to give you their opinion if asked. The prices are very reasonable for the quality of good and services you receive. My overall recommendation is to go here well before you even think about going to a Olive Garden or a Mac Grill, you won't be sorry.
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Review from Jamison E.
San Antonio, TX
2/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
My family and I were headed toward the mountains for a ski trip and we stopped at Abrusci's on a whim. We were actually going to go to Chili's which is in the same parking lot but thought we would try this place instead and I'm glad we did. The restaurant is in a strip center and not much to look at from the front. The interior was also not super exciting, but the food was fresh and good quality.
Homemade bread with olive oil and garlic paste is served when you sit down which was very good. I ordered Linguini al Abrusci (tomatoes, capers, red onions and fresh basil in a spicy white wine sauce. Finished with a bit of butter and Asiago cheese). They aren't joking about it being spicy, I probably had my water glass filled 5 times! It had a great flavor and pretty spicy but manageable and not overpowering.
The prices might be on the higher side for the portion and simplicity of the dishes but probably comparable to that of Chili's so I didn't feel I was getting ripped off. -
Review from Samantha E.
Centennial, CO
3/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
During my mom's visit in February, she met a friend at Abrusci's in Wheat Ridge for lunch. She liked her salad so much that we went back a few days later after an appointment in Arvada.
She raved about the grilled pepper chicken salad she had for her main dish on visit #1, and after the salads we got for appetizers on our second visit, I'd guess that salads are Abrusci's specialty. Both the spinach salad and the field greens (gorgonzola, oranges and vinegarette are a fantastic combination were fantastic). The complimentary bread with olive oil and garlic-- beware the pile of roasted garlic-- is delicious. We had pastas for our entrees, and they were good, but nothing I'd drive out of my way for. She had the linguini with roasted tomatoes; the roasted tomato flavor was good but the sauce needed more spices. I ordered the orecchiette with salmon. The pasta was cooked al dente and the salmon had a nice flavor to it, but the sauce wasn't memorable at all-- the asparagus and tomatoes were actually the best part of the dish. While I didn't love my meal, I saw a meatball sandwich at the table next to us as we were leaving and was wildly jealous.
Another place I don't know that I'd drive out of my way for, but if I'm ever up in the area again, I'd be happy to stop by. -
Review from Dannielle R.
Navasota, TX
10/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Vibrant Italian food, excellent customer service paired with a good ambiance is the best explanation I can think of for this family establishment.
Both our plates were very good, best Italian I have had in a while. Loved their choice of a house wine too.
The staff's professional attitude of pride and appreciation to serve took it over the top for us.
Easy 5 star place. -
Review from KJ P.
Denver, CO
5/4/2011
Are you daring, adventurous, and spontaneous? Go somewhere else.
Do you still ride with the training wheels on your tricycle? Do you think that Mrs. Dash is a wicked crazy spice? Do you remember that time you went to Topeka for the quilter's convention, had a Roy Rogers, two Shirley Temples and jaywalked twice as one of the craziest nights of your life? My friend, Abrusci's is for you! This is best described as a Mom and Pop Olive Garden.
This place is safe, completely unoffensive and thoroughly underwhelming. Really two and half stars. -
Review from Teresa L.
Arvada, CO
4/22/2011
Pleasantly surprised, but a few issues that can't be overlooked:
Inconsistency. Service was inconsistent during our visit- our waiter disappeared at strange times (ie: when my glass was empty) and then was super attentive, bringing our check before we'd been served our dessert.
Seasoning was also inconsistent. The garlicky olive oil was good, but a bit salty. The salad dressing (creamy garlic) was extremely underseasoned and definitely needed a zap of salt/mustard/vinegar/lemon to liven it up. My Steve's rigatoni was surprisingly good, correctly seasoned.
The rigatoni was really a surprise. The sauce was like I make myself- big chunks of onion and fresh garlic, and pretty slivers of fresh basil. Pasta was properly cooked (al dente!). Plenty of sauce.
Doug mentioned the cold bread....and we noticed that as well. It was delicious bread, but cold bread is not appetizing. It seemed chilled, like it had been in the fridge, not even held at room temperature.
Also, the prices were a bit high for the portion size- I'd agree with previous reviewers who said they were about $1/$2 too much per entree. But overall, it was better Italian than I expected it to be- certainly the best we've had for a while from some of the other local places. -
Review from Gitana G.
Arvada, CO
1/27/2011 1 photo
It was okay. Perhaps I ordered the wrong thing: an artichoke sandwich. It was decent but I only ordered it after default; nothing on the menu seemed really interesting, unfortunately.
Abrusci's does a good salad; hard to mess that up. Service was fine. They accommodated my my eighty-nine year old grandmother without a problem (there were other seniors there too.) A good sized lunch crowd. The entrees seemed $1 or $2 overpriced for lunch.
The chocolate ravioli for dessert was the real stand out - made to order. A nice patio on the south side that would be great in the summer. There really isn't too much restaurant-wise in this particular part of town, and that is why I will take my husband here in the future.Listed in: Restaurants Reviews
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Review from Marie W.
Denver, CO
4/19/2011
Hmm. I'm having a tough time on this one. I've come here a few times now because it's close to home, and my grandma's Italian. Being away from home, I miss that big, loud side of the family, and awesome food that I don't have to cook.
That said, we're Genovese, so Northern Italian...and rumored to be some of the cheapest people in Italy. Because of that, heavy, fried, sauce and cheese laden American/Southern Italian, over priced food doesn't sit well with me. And that's what I feel like you're getting at Abrusci's.
The food is...okay, and the service is the same. Adequate with an attitude. Mostly bored, vapid college aged children. And really, I wouldn't even complain if the prices weren't so ridiculous. I'd say they are consistently about $2.00 overpriced for the food and portion size that they offer.
They do have an extensive gluten free menu, which is awesome! And their GF pizza and pastas are really good. But is that really worth paying $21.45 for a medium sized vegetarian pizza? It might be to some. But I just feel like they know they have a corner on the GF market in the area, and are going to use that advantage to sock it to their customers. To me, that feels a little rude.
Again, maybe I'm biased based on my idea of 'italian' being different than what they offer here. I'd say, give it a try and decide for yourself. But don't be surprised if it doesn't quite live up to what you hope from it. I'm willing to bet you'll like it less once you get your check.
I can't say I won't be back. But I can't say I will either. -
Review from Michelle H.
Golden, CO
2/7/2011
I've found that most places who say they have the best food, usually don't, and this place is no exception.
We ate there for lunch. The first thing that put me off was the limited lunch menu. A few salads, 2 soups, some sandwiches, and pasta dishes which basically were just spaghetti and sauce. No entree style things.
The minestrone soup tasted like very bland, watery vegetable soup. I ordered the Chicken Parmesan sandwich. Chicken was undercooked so I sent it back. When I got it the second time, it was definitely cooked, but had a weird coloring to it. I'm not sure if they put dye in it or what. However this time it was overcooked and was dry in several spots.
They may be better for dinner, judging by all the high reviews, but I definitely won't be going there anytime soon. -
Review from Erin T.
Littleton, CO
7/7/2011
Hands down the best Italian restaurant in town....
Abrusci's is known nationwide amongst the Celiac community for their efforts to bring high quality gluten free Italian food to their patrons. Not only have they succeeded, but they are the benchmark all other GF friendly Italian restaurants aim to achieve.
Everything I've tried on the menu has been fresh, delicious, and super memorable. Frankly, it's been difficult to order something different from Steve's Penne and Sausage or the Penne Gorgonzola... but I manage. My husband and non-celiacs enjoy Abrusci's just as much as I do. We come here for many of our special occassions because they do such a stellar job.
Good service, amazing food, and extraordinary entrepreneurs that have gone above and beyond to make my life better. 5 Stars! -
Review from Tammy F.
Denver, CO
11/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
GLUTEN FREE heaven! Ok so the service wasn't great but the food was delicous! This place is busy and pricey but for the care they take in providing a gluten free experience we will be back!
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Review from Caroline F.
Wheat Ridge, CO
9/21/2010
"The best Italian food, period?"
Pardon my French, but you've got to be fucking kidding me.
I was thrilled to find this place on Yelp when I did a search for gluten-free restaurants (which Denver is obviously in dire need of), especially because this place is a three minute drive from my house. My mom was visiting from out of town, and because she's gluten-intolerant, I like to find restaurants where she doesn't have to struggle to find something she can eat on the menu.
I really can't express how disappointed we were about this place. Our servers (we had several- a different one came to our table every time... ?) were inexperienced high school kids who you could tell didn't give a shit about the food and just wanted to go home. The ambience was ridiculous- bright lights, screaming babies, uncomfortable chairs. But the food is what was really disappointing.
Maybe it's because my family is from New Jersey and we're used to great Italian food, but when you say it's the "best, period", you should know what you're talking about. The salads were mediocre. My chicken marsala was very undercooked, my boyfriend's spinach and sausage manicotti tasted worse than a frozen dinner (the cheese on top wasn't even melted), and my mom's gluten free pasta was hard and barely edible. My dad said his chicken dish was pretty good.
I won't give you the gory details, but my stomach was not happy when I got home. I've only given out five 1-star reviews so far, and I don't like to do it, but this place deserves it. I actually feel offended that they call this crap "Italian food". -
Review from Helmut S.
Denver, CO
10/3/2011
When you walk into this vile yellow explosion of a dining room, you are bombarded with the slogan that they have the best Italian period, lmao!
The only people I would think that would agree with this statement are those that think Olive garden is authentic Italian food.
The service is spotty to be generous and the food is prepared like the someone thinks they need to prove they know what they are doing....c'mon onions in meatballs, your Nonna didn't do it that way. -
Review from Carrie G.
Wheat Ridge, CO
12/31/2011
Long story short this review is about the FOOD and not the service. My wife surprised me with dinner this evening since it was our 1 yr anniversary and I was very excited for the two us to go out. Service was prompt by a very friendly waiter from start to finish. Our food on the other hand was less then to be desired . We had the fried ravioli with tomato sauce, followed by our entrees; Chicken Marsala and Spinach Lasagna. The ravioli were as if they came out of a box. They were not homemade at all....my Chicken Marsala was served with asparagus and risotto. My chicken was juicy but lacked a very key ingredient, the Marsala. My asparagus came out cold and was not prepared properly...meaning that they had left the woody and unpleasant part still on it. My risotto was very bland and had no flavor what so ever. It seemed that they had used white rice in lieu of Aborio rice, which risotto is made with and substituted water for chicken or vegetable stock to cook it with. ABSOLUTELY NO FLAVOR. My wife dish was crunchy, and after tasting it seemed to also come out of a box. Not sure how this restaurant got such good reviews, but it seems crazy to me that no one knew bad Italian food when they have it.
Again...the service was great. Our sever and also the manager who listed to my complaint about the food. He removed 50% from our bill, even after we had already paid and followed that up by buying us dessert and asking that we give them another chance at a later date. BY THE WAY THE DESSERT (MADE IN HOUSE) AND GELATO WERE DELICIOUS. We do very much appreciate his offer and his service. So to them, I say "Thank You". The reason given as the possible explanation for the bad food was that since it was New Years Eve, they had several specials and he thought maybe the kitchen had focused too much on those rather than on their "regular" entrees. While this may be the case, I would suggest that in the future, they place their focus more evenly on their food, and consider reducing the amount of specials if necessary... -
Review from Brandon Y.
Denver, CO
3/26/2011
Not too bad at all. I went in expecting the standard kinda crappy, but kinda awesome mom and pop style italian food that really isn't good, but it isn't bad.
The food here was much better than I expected, and the whole group felt the same way. The fact that they do offer a gluten free menu is a huge plus. Their garlic is done well, and in good amounts.
Good chow. I'll go there again for sure. -
Review from Holly W.
Denver, CO
3/27/2008
Abrusci's means love in my relationship.
Perhaps my man knows how much I love the warm gluten free bread served before dinner or maybe having a whole gluten free menu to order from without having a long allergy conversation has something to do with it. The wine list is fantastic, by the bottle or by the glass.
Our favorite appetizers are the lettuce wraps: chicken and white bean combo with perfect pesto to drip over, the fried calamari: clearly the largest portion I've seen anywhere, and the sausage/pepper combo: sure to fill you up before dinner. Their salads have to be about the best in town, I like the spinach: strawberries, goat cheese, pistachios. (Get the dressing on the side as I've found it can be too much of a good thing on the individual portions.) Hands down the best meal is Steve's Penne: spicy sausage, cream sauce. We've never had the room to try the gelato.
I've always adored their lunch menu: meatball sub? You bet. I always ask for extra sauce, right up front. I've considered drinking their tomato sauce right from the little bowl, but bread dunking gets two birds with one stone.
Perhaps change isn't always good. They've just changed their gluten free bread vender. The portions are smaller. Sure, the bread is crispy, but we wanted more. Sadly, last night we veered from our favorite meal by ordering Linguini Carbonara and found it ordinary rather than exciting. We tried our friends' entre, and it didn't hold a match to our favorite.
For now on, we'll order our favorite meal when we go: calamari, spinach salad, Steve's penne.
Now. That's love. -
Review from Boroka B.
Boulder, CO
11/4/2008
OK. There is hope for humanity... Gluten free Italian food does infact exists!
When I was diagnosed with Celiac disease, I thought I will never taste another bite of fetuccini alfredo with shrimp... And well, Abrusci's not only has it (along with a wide range of other gluten free dishes) but their food rocks! Great noodles, great alfredo sauce... Heaven on a plate.
Now, the service can be trying. I try to be patient, but their servers can be inatentive and so far, both times that we made the treck down from Boulder, they were always grouchy. We had 2 different servers, the first time we were there they weren't that busy, and the dude just seemed too bored to serve us. The second time, a different dude... and he seemed too busy to serve us. Kinda sad, but since their alfredo rocks, I grinn and bear it. :-p -
Review from Suzy S.
Denver, CO
12/7/2009
It was a Tuesday night and there was only one other table being utilized, yet we were sat right next to the kitchen partition, right next to the cash register. I suppose this made it convenient for the waiter, whom also found it more convenient to talk to us as he was approaching the table, rather than when he arrived. He was also talking very loudly to other staff as he entered the dining area throughout our meal.
The meal itself was OK... worth 3 1/2 stars, but the service screamed "get out! We want to go home!" . It was only 7:30 though. -
Review from Jelena W.
Lakewood, CO
8/20/2007
The size of Abrusci's ad in the Yellow Pages would make it seem like the foremost authority on Italian food in the entire phonebook, which prompted a trip here for my pasta-lovin' self, my brother, and his girlfriend. The restaurant, located in a strip mall, looks quite unimpressive from the outside, except for its ambitious motto: "The best Italian food, period."
I had hoped to be convinced of said motto's veracity, but, sadly, I was disappointed in that regard. The atmosphere was more Olive Garden than Tuscany, though the wait staff seated us promptly in a desirable spot. We came at a late hour, with few other diners present, and were rewarded with a great deal of attention from our waitress, who filled all of our water glasses- none of us ordered anything stronger- the instant they dipped below half full/half empty.
My favorite part about the food we ordered was the giant salad that came first. The entire table chose side salads with their meal, so instead of sending three little salads to each of us, the kitchen sent out a giant salad bowl, a pair of tongs, and three plates- we got at least twice as much delicious salad with our meals as we would have had it been served individually. As a certified saladophile, I was delighted with the mixed greens, and the Italian dressing was excellent.
The entrees, however, failed to impress. I ordered chicken marsalla, and was underwhelmed by the rubbery mushrooms and slightly overcooked chicken. The bed of pasta on which the chicken rested was quite good, but I wish I had asked them to leave the sauce on the side- there was quite a lot drenching both chicken and pasta. My brother and his very cute ladyfriend were similarly neither turned off nor delighted by their entrees.
In the end, Abrusci's is just what you'd expect from the location: Strip mall Italian. But not bad, and a fairly large menu with something to appeal to everyone- might be a good choice for large groups with varying tastes. -
Review from Kurt W.
San Diego, CA
1/21/2012
This is our stop for the trip up and back from the slopes. Right off the 70 and easy on and off. The food here is truly incredible. The oil, garlic paste, and herb bread dipper could suffice for dinner with a bottle of red wine! All the pasta dishes are amazing.
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Review from Maggy N.
Arvada, CO
1/5/2010
I wasn't too impressed, being from Boston and comparing it to the North End is probably unfair...however, if that's what you're looking for I wouldn't visit.
The restaurant is in a store front area and while it has some Italian themed, decor it lacked ambiance considerably. The food was all right, and there is a gluten-free menu...but I would still double check with the cook about things. -
Review from Joseph C.
11/3/2008
I got the chance to finally try this place a few nights ago and with a slogan of "Best damn Italian food...period." Abrusci's in my opinion makes a seriously strong statement, that I cant agree with, especially when your restaurant is nowhere near the shores of Italy. So on behalf my Italian ancestors (of which I haven't any) I take a little offense to such a bold and ridiculous statement.
The service here is really on point in my opinion. I was impressed that our waiter could tell me from their extensive wine list by memory which wines were by the bottle or by the glass. He was very attentive and wasn't in the least bit overbearing.
The food is good, but not great. But based on the crowded dining area inside and the patio outside on this evening they look to have a very solid following. I think some of this has to be that this place is a haven for those who are of the gluten free variety. They offer an entire separate menu of gluten free items.
Though not necessary, reservations are a good idea. 3 stars for the wine list and service that pays attention to detail. Ciao! -
Review from Sarah H.
Irvine, CA
8/5/2011
Great Italian food!
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Review from Peter T.
Denver, CO
7/24/2010
This place does lots of things well however they go above and beyond in the realm of Gluten-Free options. For most restaurants, GF options are always an afterthought, not Abrusci's. They offer just about everything on the menu sans-gluten and they do it really well.
The atmosphere is average, nothing spectacular but their menu is great. Make sure to try the Eggplant Parm and their Gorgonzola Salad is fantastic. -
Review from Daniel T.
Denver, CO
1/25/2007
I've only ever been here for lunch, but have been constantly impressed with the quality of the food. It takes a while because of the huge lunch rush, but the wait staff tries to keep up and the food is great.
Be sure to check out the home made garlic potato chips. Yum -
Review from christine h.
Golden, CO
1/23/2008
Yum. I have had great experiences here. I love the bread with the olive oil mixture that comes prior to the food. My meal was plentiful and tasty.
I prefer to support family owned businesses and this one that I am impress with. -
Review from Gideon S.
Arvada, CO
1/18/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Stopped by here for Dinner. I have to say I was throughly impressed with their Gluten-Free Menu. On top of that the food was great. It wasn't the best Italian food I have had, but it deserves the 4 stars. Had the Gluten-Free Calamari, Ravioli, & Gluten-Free baked Ziti. I will most certainly be revisiting here! Two thumbs up for local business!
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Review from Kathy c.
Denver, CO
2/3/2011
Our 50th anniversary dinner was perfectly wonderful. Everyone enjoyed the food and wines and the service from our waiter and other staff was great. Thank you for helping to make our celebration so special. Yours is a neighborhood restaurant that we love.
Kathy and Vince Cook -
Review from Doug Y.
3/2/2008
revised 5/2/2008
Had dinner here tonight with friends. After feeling a little gun shy about making my own choices (my good food radar is on the fritz) I stuck with the waitresses recs. The bread and olive oil w/garlic and dried herbs was okay but the bread was cold. The gluten free bread was interesting and tasty but the texture was... Herman (her man) made the right call. It was very similar to sponge cake? The spinach salad was a little light on all the wonderful ingredients promised (strawberries, goat cheese, pistachios) but I enjoyed it probably because of the dressing. We ordered the Steve's Rigatoni with Sausage family style recommended by our server and touted on the menu as "hand's down the best thing on the menu". I hope not. It was good but far from great. The Chicken Picata also recommended was a little dry and the side of spaghetti with marinara was cold and under seasoned as were the green beans. It was a friday night and the place was packed and with a party of six we were still seated right away but I think a little love was lost in the frenzy because I couldn't taste it in the food.
Oh and no pizza is served at dinner time because they don't want to tie up the tables with the wait for baking pies. WTF! Best Damn Italian! Scuzi? Lost a star.
3/2/2008 "We Have the Best Damn Italian Food Period!" I met some friends at my bud's house for some food and company before heading out to hear some music. They ordered in from Abrusci's because our friend Holly has Celiac disease which prevents her from being able to eat gluten and Abrusci's has a gluten-free menu. I usually don't like to order pizza delivered or take out but both gluten pizzas that Holly picked up were excellent (especially the Michelangelo. Thank you Holly!) and she loves the gluten free items here (she had a gluten-free Michelangelo). Holly says that A's is her favorite italian restaurant and I get it.
You might have seen the sign in the Applewood shopping center touting the 'Best Damn Italian" and thought like I did, "Fungu, you guys have some balls" but best or not, some people believe it. I guess this is another place on the neverending list of places to visit for the true pizza experience, fresh and hot out of the oven.Listed in: Pizzeria!
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Review from Jennifer J.
Aurora, CO
12/20/2008 ROTD 12/7/2009
I was really debating between giving Abrusci's 3 or 4 stars. The food is so good it makes my taste buds weep, however, the service makes me want to pull my hair out. I went to lunch with 4 others on a weekday. We were told it would be a 20-25 minute wait, but after waiting 30 minutes and having several other smaller groups who arrived after us be seated before us, we decided to tough it out at a 4-top in the bar. Being squished together at a table meant for 4 would have been bearable if the bartender/waitress hadn't been the worst server I've had in a VERY long time. We (5 women) obviously weren't who she was interested in flirting tips out of during lunch. She practically ignored us. When she brought out our drinks she piled all of them on one side of the table and walked away, leaving us to pass the drinks around to the appropriate person. We had to ask to order, ask for refills twice, ask for boxes, and ask for the check. When I asked for a larger box, she huffed away and took another 5 minutes to bring it around.
Enough negative, let's discuss the food. I had the cheese ravioli with meat sauce. It was AWESOME!! Absolutely bursting with flavor - primarily garlic (note to self: no more garlic lunches when I have to go back into the office). Everyone else enjoyed their lunches as well, and we all brought home leftovers.
There are lots of good things about Abrusci's, after all we do go to restaurants to eat. But I also expect decent if not good service when I'm paying more than $5 for my meal. Great food + local business + convenient location (for me) - BAD service - unpredictable wait time = 3 stars -
Review from Denise S.
Golden, CO
4/12/2011
I just had a fantastic, Abrusci's gluten free Italian meal! It included clam linguini with white sauce, Italian bread, house salad and chocolate chip cookie. Everything was excellent and you couldn't tell that any of the items were gluten free.
The pasta and bread were tender, and the cookie was "melt in your mouth". I highly recommend you try Abrusci's - gluten intolerant or not. I love Italian food and it's great to know I can still have it. -
Review from Toni L.
6/25/2008 2 photos
Despite their cocky advertising, I like this place. While I don't agree that this is the best Italian food period as they purport, I did enjoy myself. Anything smothered in garlic has to be good, right?
Food: Sticking with the garlic theme for the night, the waitress brought out a plate of olive oil containing some weird almond colored paste in the center. Turns out it was pureed garlic coated in a generous helping of shredded rosemary. Absolutely delicious with the complimentary bread (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). I split a single family sized order of veal marsala (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) with my parents. Each entree comes with two sides and we chose the garlic mashed potatoes along with the garlic green beans. The potatoes were much tastier than the beans, which were also done quite well. As for the meat, it was tender and dripping with delicious marsala sauce and mushrooms. The menu said this dish contained onions, but I only found one square shaped piece that looked like it had slipped in accidentally. It was pretty good without the onions, though.
Atmosphere: Don't be fooled by the entrance. The mundane greeting gives way to a spacious dining room with loads of translucent, decorative wine bottles lining a ceiling-level shelf. All the glass glows nicely when the sun sets.
Service: Wonderful. Our waitress was super helpful and couldn't stop smiling/laughing. The food came out faster than I had anticipated.
Synopsis: I'm not sure what their pasta dishes are like, but the entrees are great. I'm starting to slowly learn that family owned businesses are serious contenders in the restaurant rat race.Listed in: Italian Food
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Review from Meggin R.
Arvada, CO
10/14/2010
I was very disappointed. I was very tempted to give it a 2 stars. It came recommended so we went to try it. The service was terrible. I think the waiter had someone he was flirting with in the back. It took quite a while to get us drinks. We ordered an appetizer and we never got it. He took forever to come back out of the kitchen, and when he did he almost didn't take our order. I had to flag him down. The food was only slightly above average Italian. The hostess asked us if we wanted Parmesan. I naturally thought it would be the block in the shredder that was done over our plates. But no, it was a pizza shaker with not very good fake cheese. We probably won't be going back. It's sad, because we like to go to local restaurants, this one was just not up to snuff. You would be better off to go to smash burger down the street.
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Review from Dwight M.
Denver, CO
9/9/2008
This has become a favorite restaurant for me. I've been there a dozen times now, and have only had one meal that was so-so - it was their "not on the menu" special of the day and was a bit overpowered with rosemary.
Every other experience has been great service and great taste. I'm not gluten-free, but have shared many a gluten-free dishes there and their menu choices are plentiful. Steve's Penne is my favorite.
I recently turned the big 40. I decided to have a wine education/tasting in my living room and had Abrusci's delivered. The gluten free and gluten full Steve's penne/rigatoni, salads, eggplant parmesan and the Penne Grilled Vegetables were ordered in half-pans to feed 26 people.
They delivered and setup the pans with sternos and racks. Maybe it was the wine tasting that preceeded the meal, but I think the food tasted even better after transport and reheating than in the restaurant! I think the Penne Grilled Vegetables was my favorite - tasted superb and received a lot of compliments. But everything was perfect. And there was leftovers for days - The eggplant was especially great reheated the next day.
It was a wonderful birthday celebration, even if we did almost burn the house down trying to put out the sternos...
I would highly recommend their catering. -
Review from Kaye B.
Denver, CO
9/10/2010
I love Steve's Rigatoni with Sausage. This family-owned business in Wheat Ridge/Applewood is worth the drive from Denver. Great for kids and families. Plan for it in conjunction with a trip to AppleJack's!
