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Armando's
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
42 reviews for Armando's
Review Highlights
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"The garlic knots are too delicious." In 5 reviews -
"Aside from the fantastic food, this place was jumpin." In 3 reviews -
"Best traditional lasagna I've ever eaten." In 5 reviews
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42 reviews in English
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Review from Katie R.
A= Awesome lunch specials! Everything on the lunch menu is under $10, which is not only surprising but even better!
R= Radtastic garlic knots! Instead of the usual bread with oil, the servers promptly brought over two baskets overflowing with knots, with complimentary marinara sauce on the side. Although I used the oil and vinegar, it was the http://bomb.com.
M= Muscles galore! A ton of the menu offered seafood and muscles...yum!
A= A+ wait staff. Despite our fairly large party, the server and hostess was extremely helpful [suggesting dishes to order!], prompt, friendly and did a great job to ensure our experience was great. He checked back in frequently, but not too many times to be annoying. :)
N= Nice & pleasant atmosphere! The walls adorned cute Italian paintings on their bright deep hues, bottles of wine were neatly put in their racks and everything just seemed put together, and very nice.
D= Destined perfect for a casual celebratory lunch, or even a special date night.
O= Outstanding all around! wow :)
What a cute little place in Parker! Armando's not only made the graduation celebration special, but made the best food! :) -
Review from Linda T.
What I'd really like to do is go and just order the garlic knots and marinara dipping sauce. They're so good and not too garlicky that you cannot return to the office after lunch! It is complimentary and you can always ask for more with your meal.
The dining area is nice and the servers are all attentive. We never had to ask for drink refills; they kept a good eye on us.
I was here on a Thursday and ordered the gnocchi pasta lunch special for $6.95, I think. I didn't enjoy it too much. It seemed to have a lot more than the "touch of creme" that was described on the menu. The smell of basil was also a bit strong for me. I'd return to try something else though! -
Review from Urg G.
Aurora, CO
Went there on Valentine's day. It was a busy night and had to wait for over 30 min even after we made a reservation. Nevertheless we loved the place and service.
The food was excellent and we loved everything we ordered. Mussels, bruschetta for appetizers, Lamb shank and gnocchi for entree. They had many vegetarian options (I don't mean just pasta in marinara sauce or white sauce and eggplant parmesan which are the most over used entrees in Italian restaurants for vegetarians) that I wanted to try. Maybe next time.
Service was wonderful, so was the ambience. Our waiter was extremely patient and wonderful.
They were definitely expensive , but not overpriced. -
Review from Rebecca S.
Parker, CO
Food was good, server was good and attentive but we did hit the between meal lul of 3pm so can't comment on how it is when they are busy. Only complaint was that they charged for every little thing, someone in our party asked for some more dressing for her salad and they charged $1 for a bit more dressing. Overall we were happy and will go back.
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Review from Dale Z.
I hit Armando's for happy hour last week and was very pleasantly surprised. The appetizers were 1/2 price (good, but not great chicken wings were what we had), and the draft beer was only $1.75 a pint. True, the selection is limited, but if I can drink Stella Artois for less than $2, I am happy. The stools and tables in the bar area are very much crammed together. Also, there were some small kids (not belonging to the customers I think) running around.
I have not been back here since having mediocre Italian food on my last visit. And, although I think their prices are too high for what you get, I would be willing to try them again some time. -
Review from John W.
Fun place for Italian in Parker. They always have a great special and the food has always been good. My favorite part is that the owner always seems to be in the house, having fun and occasionally serenading the customers. Fun stuff.
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Review from Josh L.
Parker, CO
I took the family here for dinner yesterday evening. First, I have to say that the food is excellent. I had the veal with prosciutto wrapped shrimp. The desserts were great as well - I really enjoyed the Tiramisu. Our server was attentive, but they all seemed a bit 'rushed' for some reason. The table clearing was a bit quick; we'd barely put our forks down and someone was pulling dishes from the table. Are they short on dishes or something?
When we first ordered, I asked for an Antipasto appetizer, a bottle of wine, and the delicious garlic bread. The antipasto never came, as it seemed the waiter forgot about it. I never asked again, but this reinforces the rushed wait staff.
If the service was a little less rushed, and I received everything I ordered, I would have given 5 stars. The food was very good. -
Review from Barbi P.
Parker, CO
If I could give this a 3 1/2 star I would. I like the place, it is warm and cozy and full of life and the food is good I just can't get that into traditional Italian food. I blame growing up with a off the boat Italian grand mother who it would seem tried to kill us all with 7 course Italian meals for every occasion. If I never tasted marinara sauce again I would be happy.
Armandos is a great traditional Italian place. They sing while they cook, the decorations are traditional but updated. The place is always busy and it is for good reason.
We originally went here because a friend had read some reviews that mentioned the staff getting in loud arguments with customers and we were more than happy to see a show but alas there was no fighting. We told our waiter we were expecting a show so he took the time to yell at us. He was a great waiter with a good sense of humor something I appreciate. -
Review from Lee S.
This review is for Happy Hour only. I ate dinner here a couple of years ago and it was awful. It would have been one star at best. I came back for Happy Hour a few months ago and the prices are great, service is great, food specials are great...I'll be back. Now, maybe I'll try dinner...if I'm feeling brave.
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Review from Ashley W.
Denver, CO
Delizioso!!! This is my restaurant of choice for birthday dinners, out of town guests or carb loading before 1/2 marathons. It doesn't get more authentic then this, from the wine list to the Italian owner greeting your table, you might forget you're in Parker, CO. The cozy atmosphere is complete with a glowing fire place on chilly nights.
You will never go back to Maggino's again. -
Review from Cheryl L.
I haven't been in a long time but when I did go I ordered Chicken Picatta and it tasted like metal. I was going to box it up to take it up and then changed my mind.
Not sure if someone used a metal bowl to mix up the items and this reacted with the lemon juice.
I would be willing to give it a try to see if has changed but every time I think about going back I get that metal taste in my mouth and we end up going someplace else. -
Review from Celeste S.
Parker, CO
This place is IT.
I get excited about this place. I have been twice and have LOVED it. Everything is homemade and just so tasty.
The cook sings opera as he's making your meal and you can hear him no matter where you sit. To some that might be annoying, to me it creates such awesome environment.
The owner is usually there greeting everyone as they come in, and greeting everyone on their way out. He even gives all the ladies kisses on the cheek! I'm not one for strangers invading my bubble, but I love that!
The service is stupendous... The waiter's are very on top of everything and just so friendly. Half the time, I wish we could invite them to eat dinner with us!
The pricing is about the same as your average Olive Garden, so it's not too bad. In fact, they put out coupons in the Parker Community Magazine once in a while and they are great!
Now, about the food... WOW! I could write about every detail about the food, but all you have to know is that the garlic rolls are DELISH, the pastas are EXQUISITE, the wines are GREAT (the house red- a Chianti, I believe- yum!), and the desserts are AMAZING (especially that tiramisu).
Family owned and family oriented... YES!
GO, people, GO! -
Review from Cass B.
Parker, CO
Best traditional lasagna I've ever eaten. I've never had ricotta like this! The most annoying part of my visit was other patrons, talking so loudly that I could not hear them calling names. My husband ordered a pizza, and had we shared his pesto pizza, I'm sure I would not be entirely so enthusiastic about my liking of this place. The garlic knots were decent. The service wasn't bad despite the fact that they were ridiculously busy.
Someone mentioned in another review that they won't seat incomplete parties. I don't think I would be so turned off about that; it's a smart move from my perspective. Why keep your ready to pay guests waiting on other guests? Putting disrespectful guests in their place IMO is the owner's job. Not to mention, isn't it rude to order and eat before everyone in your party arrives?
In any case, watching the owner and the chef yell across the restaurant at a bus boy is not only entertaining, it adds to the charm of the place. The dessert that I saw several other tables order while I was there made me want to come back again and just order dessert sometime. My next trip will be on a weekDAY and hopefully there will be less obnoxious customers. I don't know that either of us would order pizza here again... but you know, everyone is different when it comes to pizza. That's why there are so many styles!Listed in: Stalker Checklist, South of Denver Local Favs, Parker Picks
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Review from Jamie A.
Parker, CO
First time eating here today and I really liked the food. It was good Italian and very reasonably priced. There were 4 in our group and everyone ordered something different and we all sampled the other person's lunch. Everything was really tasty! You would never expect the nice atmosphere inside from what you see on the outside. Good service, but they do hurry and get everything out quickly. Next time, I will let them know we aren't in a hurry so they can slow down and so can we.
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Review from Carissa P.
Denver, CO
Aside from the fantastic food, this place was jumpin. Not surprising that a stellar happy hour ($1.50 Coors Light for example) and yummy pizza is the perfect combination to lure us all out of our homes in the burbs. On a Wednesday no less. Take note suburban restaurants, this is how it's done.
This place is like Cheers, everyone is a regular and the staff hands out hugs with the menus. I told my husband before we ordered that I hoped the food was good because I really wanted to come back!
Our app was fried eggplant covered in mozzarella, basil, and marinara (they have a vegetarian sauce- yay!). It was yummy and (I think) only $4 as a happy hour special.
We then split the large Mediterranean salad which had a creamy, flavorful dressing. All of the ingredients were fresh and ripe, the lettuce was crispy and good, no wilted leaves here.
Our waiter said that the Spinach Pizza was his favorite so why not?? It's a stuffed pizza with their perfect crust encasing sauteed spinach, garlic, olives, and lots of mozzarella. Seriously amazing.
We'll be back. Sooner than later I'm sure. This place has been around forever for a reason, -
Review from Sheila F.
Parker, CO
How could I say anything bad about an Italian restaurant that is owned by Italian brothers, one of whom will most likely greet you with a kiss when you walk through the door!
Now I will be honest, I have had better Italian food, but never have I felt more welcome, more comfortable, or more appreciated as a patron. The rolls are baked fresh, the salad is always crisp (I love the raspberry vinaigrette), and the Meatballs are Fabulous!! While they will happily make any adjustments to any menu item for me the Quattro Formagi (sorry about the spelling, I am of German decent) is my favorite dish, and I always request, you guessed it, a meatball on the side! When you go expect that Antonio will great you with his authentic Italian charm and if you are lucky you will her Armando singing opera in the kitchen. Now really, what more could you ask for? -
Review from Scot J.
Englewood, CO
This place is fantastic. The food is superb and the atmosphere is great. If you want some really good Italian food in the Parker area, this is THE place to go!
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Review from Matt R.
St Paul, MN
My wife's been on an Italian kick recently, so we've been trying different Italian places. Armando's is nearby, so we stopped in for dinner. Everything we had was pretty terrible.
I see so many positive reviews, I feel like we missed out... but I'm not going to take the chance of having another awful experience to see if other entrées were better.
The service was poor (we were in the back corner so I suppose it could be easy to forget us). It took 30 minutes to get our check after the waitress had picked up our dishes, and another 15 to come back with the receipt.
It's pretty nice in there - cozy and relaxed - definitely well taken care of despite the outside looking very old and sparse. But when we were there at about 7pm, it was LOUD. We had to really speak up to hear each other across the small two-person table.
The food was the worst part by far. My veil dish was cold, the meat was very tough, in large pieces and flavorless, the artichokes weren't trimmed down enough and so had those tough 'outer pieces' still on them. I was expecting the buttery sauce, but it seemed like it was only butter and oil mixed together, and being cold it was disgusting. My wife's dish was the gnocchi w/ meatball, she described it as bland.
I've never given a 1-star review before, but I've never been to a place that so truly deserved it. Sorry, Armando's. -
Review from Shannon T.
Pasadena, CA
***WATCH WHEN YOU ORDER CATERING***
I have the experience of both dining in and ordering large quantities of food from here for a party, both back in May around graduation time.
First, the DINING IN experience:
We arrived a bit early for our 11AM reservation since graduation ended earlier than expected. We sat outside and they gave us some utensils so we could cut up some delicious bread my aunt baked to tide us over. (Note that you are not allowed to bring in birthday cakes, etc. to this place as it is "a health code violation"). They opened to let us in about 10 minutes early. Our waiter was a bit odd... just awkward and hovered unnecessarily. The food was OK; I think we make better Italian food at home, but oh well. I actually liked the leftovers better the following day. But prices are reasonable and where else can you really go for a nice brunch in Parker?
Now the "CATERING" experience:
We called about 2 weeks in advance to place an order. Everything was ready upon pick-up, however, my mom was SHOCKED when an employee charged an additional *****$80.53***** to her credit card. When he shoved the receipt in front of her to be signed she asked, "What is this extra charge for?!" since we had already paid over $240 in total for the food. He said, "Well, usually people leave something." Basically, he was asking for a tip. A TIP?! So let's get this straight: We spend roughly $250 on food, and *PICK IT UP OURSELVES* and you're expecting a 33% tip?! After my mom told him to cancel the charge, he sheepishly took back the receipt and said, "Well, I helped you on the phone when your ordered." Wait, WHAT? Excuse me? That's called YOUR JOB.
Regardless of how mediocre the food was, that's ridiculous. And it's just odd to tack on a 33% tip! That's just shady... They even ran the extra $80.53 without my mom's authorization. Something funny was going on there and they thought they could take my mom for a ride.
****WATCH FOR HIDDEN (and UNAUTHORIZED) CHARGES.***** -
Review from Jake S.
Englewood, CO
This place is amazing! The owner walks around the dining room making sure everything is perfect. The garlic knots are too delicious. I could eat them every day. I have quit looking at the menu because whatever is on special is usually the most amazing thing I've ever eaten. 6 stars!!!!
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Review from Clay B.
Garland, TX
The homemade Italian food is some of the best I've had. The owners have a great attitude and sense of humor which translates to a fun atmosphere where employees and customers are respected.
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Review from Jesus H.
Parker, CO
This place really is awesome. I hope it doesn't close like most other Parker businesses are doing. The decor is a little cheap. That's a knock. However, the food is wonderful.
I had the veal Parmesan, and my girlfriend had a fettuccine alfredo. They were both fantastic. Our server was one of the best servers I've ever had, and the whole staff was friendly.
The food is filling, and it's not as cheap as Olive Garden, but you're getting fantastic food. Next time, I want to try the pizza. -
Review from Katherine Z.
Parker, CO
I Love this place! I am in about once a week and am always greeted and seated with a warm welcome and heartwarming smile.
I am so tired of the same old thing and chains, I prefer a Mom & Pop any day of the week. Armando's leaves my belly and my soul satisfied! -
Review from Paul M.
Parker, CO
This is the best Italian food in Parker, hands down.
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Review from Cassandra K.
Parker, CO
I have to update my review of this restaurant because it's somehow slid downhill since it first opened.
My hubby and I went to eat on 'date night'. The first time we had been out in a long time due to health issues I had been having. So when he asked me where I wanted to go, I said Armando's. Boy did I regret that after leaving.
It took about 20 minutes before anyone took our drink order and then we waited too long for our food order to be taken. I ordered the waiter recommended Lobster Ravioli. I LOVE good lobster ravioli, like Maggiano's has! This was NOT it. My hubby ordered the Lasagna and it was good. Should have gotten it myself. My plate came and the sauce literally was drowning in orange oil! It looked disgusting. The sauce was all separated and looked like oil and curdled milk.
However, I didn't want to be a complainer and tried my nasty looking food anyway. Big mistake. It was AWFUL. I waited, and waited, and waited for a waiter to come around so I could send it back. Finally, I flagged down some other guy that resembled our waiter, but wasn't. He was so nice and took one look at my plate and agreed that it wasn't right at all.
I waited 15 minutes for another, fresh plate to be brought out. In the meantime, I ate bread and a little of my hubby's food, which he wasn't wanting to share. :-) The second plate came and believe it or not, they brought me the SAME ravioli, only with a new sauce on them!! How do I know? I had taken a bite out of one and left it on the plate. The same ravioli appeared on this new plate. 1st of all, that's not OK at any restaurant and is against the law for restaurants to do. 2nd of all, all the ravioli had soaked up the orange grease from the 1st plate and now was hiding underneath a fresh batch of sauce!
If I had felt better, I would have demanded the manager and let him know what his staff were doing, but I just wanted out of there. Again, we had to flag someone down to get our check and wait, wait, wait. Our waiter asked how the second one was and since the plate was still full of food, you would think that would have given him a clue. Nope. I told him it was still awful because the cook's recycled the same, greasy ravioli onto this plate. I thought he might credit me a $15.00 meal I didn't eat, but NOPE. Our bill was like $80.00 and the food sucked. I hate when that happens.
I left there with having eaten a salad, some bread rolls and a bit of lasagna. Very disappointing and we won't be returning. I left the waiter a tip.....a little advice written on the ticket.....that next time a customer has such a terrible dish, get the manager and get it rectified. Don't allow a recycled dish to be served and then paid for by a customer, especially when it's not eaten at all. No money left to him.....he hardly waited on us. I would have loved to tip the other waiter from the table behind us, that actually did help us.Listed in: Top Restaurants
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/30/2008
I had gone to this restaurant when it was a different little sandwich place, but since Armando's had… Read more »
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9/30/2008
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Review from Junaida J.
Parker, CO
Love this place - food was excellent, atmosphere was warm & friendly, yet elegantly decorated - kind of like visiting your rich uncle's place for lunch. Their house red was very good and their complimentary garlic knots were awesome - i could eat it all day. Very kid-friendly and once you've been to Armando's and tasted how real homestyle italian taste like (it's co-owned by 2 brothers and most who work there are family), you wont bother with chain italian restaurants like Olive garden. Not of the same calibre as Brio's or Margianno's - but for the family-friendly price, Armando's is a good place to treat 20 of your closest relatives, enjoy good food and still have some change in your pocket!
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Review from Valerie H.
Parker, CO
Love this place...
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Review from Eric D.
Littleton, CO
nice menu selection and a great atmosphere for a restaurant in parker. The food is always solid and the pizzas are very nice. Nice option for italian food in parker.
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Review from John M.
Parker, CO
Nice italian menu and family run. I avoided this place as the outside seems a bit "chain restaurant" looking but the inside is homey. We had a nice caprese salad and a veggie pie which they forgot the tomato sauce on however the waiter offered to remake it. We asked just to get some on the side. I'll be back here for another round.
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Review from Myla P.
Went here for dinner one night with my boyfriend's family. I had the Veal Parmesan, which was a huge portion and I thought pretty tasty. Everyone else at the table enjoyed their meals as well. But the most memorable thing about Armando's was the garlic rolls, that are served with marinara dipping sauce. I could easily sit with a basket of those and no entree and be perfectly happy. The service, however, was very slow. Plenty of servers stopping to chat with loyal customers, but not quite so eager to refill a first-timer's water glass. Also, the prices were high in my opinion, but that would not deter me from returning.
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Review from James M.
Denver, CO
I had the homemade spaghetti, which was just ok. Two people in our party had seafood cannelloni, which neither person especially liked. The tilapia with clams, which my father-in-law had, was excellent. The complimentary garlic knots were some people's favorite part of the meal. It was a little pricey for what it was.
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Review from Dana O.
Parker, CO
Wow. Worst service ever is an UNDERSTATMENT. SO DISSAPOINTED.
Went there last night for date night with friends. Food was o.k. Not like the first time we ate there. Our server was so bad, we sat for over an hour waiting for our entree, with dirty salad plates and empty glasses. My husband finally got up and bussed our table. Will not go back!!!!!!!!!!
Not sure if it'll make a difference but I will write a letter to manager. -
Review from Andy C.
Aurora, CO
This is a GREAT restaurant. The food is awesome, and the staff are friendly and helpful. Five stars for sure!
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Review from Mira S.
Littleton, CO
Love Italian food but this one is really on low side. There aren't really good Italian places around here in Parker. There are few good ones in downtown's Highlands area. But even for SE Denver area it wouldn't be considered to be good. I make way better lasagna following recipe off Safeway Lasagna Pasta box, not some sloppy dish as they serve here and charge $12. And, the spaghetti meatballs dish was probably worth $3.00 the most, not $11 they are charging here. Plain cheap spaghetti noodles (not homemade pasta) and small tasteless meatballs. I happened to have the same meatballs but in a sandwich during lunch. Shocked they were charging $9 for a small sandwich that had just 2 meatballs sitting in days-old bread.
If you want to try laid-back Italian restaurant, try Romano's (the original restaurant been in business for 35+ years in Littleton; the second location is now open at C-470 & Broadway) or Pasta Jays (Park Meadows, Lone Tree) for food. If you want the chic environment and decent food, go to Brio's and Maggiano's. Armando's has none of it. -
Review from Valerie A.
Brentwood, TN
I love there food. Pizza, garlic knots, salads...I love it all. I normally go for lunch so it is not too packed in there like it seems to be for dinner....which is a good thing. This is one of my favorite pizza to eat in Parker.
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Review from Chris M.
I'm giving this a 3 because the first time I went there with no reservations on Mother's Day and the food was fabulous, service, atmosphere, wait staff, owner stopped by, chef singing opera from the kitchen... my husband and I loved it... then last week, we ordered pizza to go and some pesto focaccia. The pizza was the worst pizza I've ever had.. seriously! Pizza Hut is preferable.. the crust was soggy, way too many toppings, no cheese or sauce to speak of.. it was just awful. The pesto bread was unassembled... so that was weird.. got the bread.. a thing of pesto, tomatoes, fresh basil, I dunno.. It tasted ok with me making it myself, but for $7 bucks, it was disappointing. I'll go a third time to see if I can break the tie.
Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Anjanette M.
Parker, CO
Finally some yummy italian food. Loved loved loved the chicken picata! Excited to go back.
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Review from Donna S.
Aurora, CO
Love this place! My husband had the lasagna and I had the mussell spaghetti with white sauce. Fantastic food!! We'll go again. The waiter was a bit inexperienced but not bad. Going again tomorrow night for their gluten free spaghetti..
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Review from Sara H.
Lakewood, CO
I was at this restaurant with Nicole. I have to say she summed it up pretty well. Pretty much everything was a little sub par. My salad was good but other than that, I have had better. Much much better. They weren't that busy and our service was really lacking. We had already started eating and had to ASK if our meals came with bread. We probably should have been snacking on that with the salads and that would have helped to keep the kids happy. Also, I feel that for lunch it was a bit pricey. It is after all, only pasta. They have no kids meals on their lunch menu and the only kids meals on the menu were $8.50! I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old, even if they share I will not spend that for a meal that will mostly go to waste. Oh well, it was ok I had enough to share with them. Also I added shrimp to my pasta for $3.00, for that I got 4 shrimp that were over cooked. That's kind of sad. The garlic knots were great! (once we got them) They were the highlight of the meal. Overall it was disappointing. Not horrible but certainly nothing to write home about.
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Review from Nicole R.
Fort Collins, CO
My friend, her two kids, and I ate at Armando's for lunch on a weekday. I have to say neither of us was impressed. In fact, I found it boring. Vegetarians and vegans make note that nothing is labelled as veggie or vegan. Now I know what dishes are usually vegetarian but knew to ask to be sure as many places use meat based broths etc. Their red sauce is meat based - even the dipping sauce that comes with the bread is meat based. They were kind enough to prepare my eggplant and pasta with a veggie sauce upon request. I added on a salad with Italian dressing, it was eh. My eggplant parm looked so good but it tasted only ok just boring. The cheese didn't taste very high quality either. The service was ok, we had to ask for the bread that comes with the meal. Actually the bread was probably the best part of the meal. The decor was kind of boring. Armando's was boring luckily my dining partners were not!
