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Al Sospiro Trattoria
- Hours:
Tue-Thu, Sun 5:30 pm - 9 pm
Wed-Fri 11:30 am - 2 pm
Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Intimate
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
12 reviews for Al Sospiro Trattoria
12 reviews in English
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Review from Allison L.
Owings Mills, MD
5/18/2009
My parents love this place and go pretty often but this past weekend was the first time I went. It was really good! The restaurant is tiny inside and out, and basically if you blink driving down Georgia Avenue, you'll miss it.
Once inside, there's a small wine bar on the top level (they have wine tastings every so often), and the main dining area is downstairs. There's also a small outside seating area.
The restaurant is incredibly cute, much of it handpainted by the owners wife (who I believe also make the desserts). Even the bathroom was incredibly cute, and also impeccably clean.
The food is much lighter Italian food (aka not heavy with creamy sauces and lots of cheese... yeah, that's my favorite, too) so if you're looking for like lasagna or something similar, you probably won't find it here. What they do have is incredibly fresh, but somewhat lighter, fish, meat, pasta, and desserts.
For appetizers, the garlic bread and panzanella are both really good choices. Instead of an entree, I got the salt cod appetizer and roasted potatoes (both reeeeeally, really good). I tried some of my dad's halibut (one of the specials that day) and kind of wanted that as well.
The appetizers for dinner are about $8, entrees about $15-$30, sides $6... everything is slightly cheaper at lunch.
Definitely one of the better choices in Olney. -
Review from John B.
Rockville, MD
3/5/2012
I'll keep this brief as it is not deserving of any more of my valuable time.
Came in here with the old lady to eat on a Tuesday night. We were seated fairly promptly and given a good amount of a time to get settled in and scan the menu. Now, here is where Al Sospiro went down the pooper. When my girlfriend informed the waiter that she was going to be having a Diet Coke with her meal, his face immediately grimaced. It grimaced, he became less enthusiastic, he stopped helping, he stopped caring. Because we wanted soft drinks. Assistance with the menu became a task, sharing his thoughts on the food was tiresome, everything just become a God-damned chore. Understand, we haven't even ordered yet.
The food bordered on decent. The lady ordered gnocchi and I ordered...something. Honestly, it made no impression on me. I can't even remember it. You will not get anything here that you cannot get up the road at the pizza joint except for the attitude.
So from this moment on in the meal, the waiter never checked in on us again. I had to ask for a refill even after he walked by 4-5 times and saw my empty glass. He didn't even bring us our bill until we had to almost physically stop him from practically fellating another party one by one as they ordered off the wine list. The best part of all of this was when we were trying to pay our bill of like $14.00 (Groupon) with a $50, he was stunned we wanted change!
There are only two certainties with this place. The food is mediocre and this particular waiter was a clown. Dine at your own risk! -
Review from Jennifer L.
Silver Spring, MD
7/22/2011 4 photos
My mom and I went there for lunch on a weekday.
The dinning room is actually down the flight of stairs so it is not very handicap accessible. When I was walking down I thought I was entering a dungeon because it was also dark and it was cement floors.
The bread was warm, so that is a plus but I wish it came with butter instead of olive oil ( I think). My mom was like "are we drinking oil now?"
There were 2 other pairs there with one lady as the only server. She would disappear for long times, but I guess she was helping in the kitchen. The food took a while to come out and the portions were really small.
My mom got the pasta shells with spicy sausage. We struggled to finish it because it did not taste that great. The shells were hard (ha ha). Sausage was blah.
I got the beef tenderloin with home fries. The beef was very delicious except for the fact that it was a bit bloody inside ( I like my beef medium well). The hostess forgot to ask me how I would like it and I forgot to mention it to her, so I guess that just took a stab at it. The home fries were VERY oily and crispy.
Check out the pictures :) -
Review from Karen S.
Olney, MD
2/5/2010
Food: I had some of their specials the night we went - a grilled eggplant and mozzarella stacked appetizer that had wonderful flavor and a nice immediate presentation, but after a few cuts into the mozz, the entire dish got runny with its moisture. Still, a great start for an eggplant lover. My entree was a classic seafood in white wine and garlic sauce atop spaghetti. The shrimp, calamari and scallops were perfectly cooked, particularly the calamari. The only regret was that the menu didn't mention that it had tomatoes, which my stomach is a little sensitive to.
Our of the two meals, mine beat my husbands, which was a rather simple green salad with balsamic and a forgettable pepper crusted tuna steak.
Nice wine selection, but not so knowledgeable young woman working the bar. She carried a bartending book with her. I'm all for learning on the job, but let's not be too obvious about it.
Overall, a great little find in Olney. It put a healthy dent in our wallets (over $100 for two) for what was supposed to be a simple night out, but we'll go back.
Ambiance: We lowered the average age a few notches. Not a place I'd bring kids to. Tiny upstairs wine bar; head downstairs for a cozy dinner.
Location: On the east side of GA Ave. Other posters are right - it's itty bitty. Look for a Domino's pizza sign - it's right next door. If you can't get parking in the front lot, duck into the lot behind it. Technically, it might belong to another business, but we didn't have a problem at night. -
Review from Johnny B.
Olney, MD
7/28/2010
As a long time resident in Olney, MD, I remember when the building Al Sospiro is located in was once the Famous FinneyFrocks maintenance and repair shop. It had been a staple of Olney for well over 50 years I believe. Anyhow, I think that is what I like most about this place. The unique atmosphere and nostalgia is what makes this Trattoria a pleasure to visit. They have a nice wine bar upstairs to indulge; if that is all you would like to do, or they have a quaint dining area downstairs that offers Italian dishes that have a unique twist on traditional cuisine. Since the restaurant is situated in what used to be a garage, the noise in the restaurant tends to be quite loud. The food is a little over priced for what you get, but it is not too bad.
If the prices were a little less, I might go here more often. RIght now, its on an annual rotation in my frequenting of restaurants. There are just cheaper alternatives in the area. -
Review from Carol B.
Baltimore, MD
4/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Rosemary potatoes were amazing and I really appreciate the egg-less pasta. Very nice ambiance; like dining in a huge wine cellar. I'll definitely go back.
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Review from Nina A.
Olney, MD
11/26/2011
Nice atmosphere, friendly waitress. Food was okay but not great. They don't make their own pasta, disappointing for a high end italian restaurant. We'll probably go back some day but I wasn't blown away.
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Review from dave h.
Olney, MD
8/5/2007
This place just opened in the small town of Olney, and it has received great word of mouth around town. A chef friend of mine from the Belgium place across the street raved about this little Italian place so I had to try it.
Over all opinion...very interesting. It has a little wine bar with some couches upstairs and a quaint little dining area downstairs. They have a pretty good Italian wine list and some south American wines also. The wife ordered the arribiata pasta, which was excellent; not too spicy but still had a great arribiate kick. And the noodles were done perfectly. I ordered the Italian sausage with white beans, to try something different. It was okay, the beans were like a soup and the sausage was a little rubbery. I don't think it was b/c it was cooked too long, i think it was the type of pork it was. I am excited to try something else there.
The services was good, the staff of young wait staff did a good job of timing the food, cleaning the tables, filling waters, and not being a pest.
Overall i would add this to my list of good places in O-town.Listed in: Food in O-town
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Review from Allyson S.
Silver Spring, MD
7/23/2008
According to my parents, this place used to be a greasy lawnmower repairshop - talk about a complete 180. It is TINY, but very nice. The downstairs dining area got a little loud at times. I really really liked the food - I ordered the fetuccine pesto (on special) which was delicious but I liked my dad's swordfish (also a special) even more. Don't leave without dessert!! The apple crisp and chocolate bundino were amazing. An excellent new addition to Olney.
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Review from Bahia S.
Miami, FL
6/9/2010
So so. This place seemed like a cute little hole in the wall that looked promising, and overall their food was pretty good, but nothing too special. There was nothing to complain about, but the good didn't make me go "wow". The decor is a little bland, and the service was mediocre. The waiter kept forgetting about us, even though the place is very small and there were 3 servers for the 10 tables.
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Review from thomas p.
Silver Spring, MD
9/24/2010
Authentic trattoria from Rome. The veal ragu is fantastic. I had a special of quail with sausage that was cooked perfect. Do not expect pasta and meatballs. Food is cooked to order so not a place for a quick in and out. Service is fine. Simple well made food This would be called a neighborhood restaurant in any part of Rome that your hotel would direct you to if you asked for local fare.
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Review from Bettie P.
Silver Spring, MD
3/7/2011
I wish I could eat here more- the food is great- but it's pretty pricey. The service is mediocre and because of the small space, it can feel cramped.
