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Cannoli Joe's
Categories: Restaurants Italian Restaurants Buffets Italian, Buffets [Edit]
4715 W Hwy 290Sunset Valley, TX 78745
(512) 892-4444
- Hours:
Wed-Fri 11 am - 1:30 pm
Wed-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 8:30 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 9:30 pm
Sat-Sun 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
135 reviews for Cannoli Joe's
Review Highlights
"...the apple crisp, chocolate dipped macaroons, and the best..."
(in 3 reviews)
"Grilled veggies, pastas, pizzas, lasagna, you name it."
(in 6 reviews)
"I think it was my favorite of the pasta dishes."
(in 10 reviews)
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135 reviews in English
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Review from Steven G.
Austin, TX
1/23/2012
Been to Cannoli Joe's many times. My girlfriend and I had a great time eating the Italian brunch/buffet on Sunday afternoon. The waiters are always very helpful and friendly. The atmosphere is also nice for an Italian meal. The food is good, but not exceptional. I would rate the desserts higher than the food, so save some room for cannoli, quality ice cream and Italian pastries with globs of chocolate which are always there to eat.
I guess, to keep the cost down. some high end Italian food is not in the buffet. Items such as chicken parmesan, veal and egg plant. I can understand that. Meal price is reasonable.
There is always ample parking.
Funny that the music was not always Italian. I heard a song sung in Portuguese by Brazil '66 while we ate there.
This place was started by the owners of County Line BBQ. They did a good job putting an Italian restaurant together. -
Review from Danielle H.
Houston, TX
2/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
It may be good for a family with kids that is used to eating mass produced, canned or otherwise bad food. Everything was salty, greasy and in general just NOT GOOD. I can't even speak "un-ill" of the deserts.
My server forgot about my table at some point and when he asked to take my plate (or plates, there were several at my table just waiting, sadly all with wasted food) and I kinda made a yuck face after he asked if he could take them he actually said "yeah, I know, food is pretty bad." wow, even the server admitted to it.
All I can say is I've had my fair share of bad, decent and good Italian, and for the price, you are better off at olive garden. -
Review from Minerva T.
Garden Grove, CA
(Apologies for the pictures - I didn't have my camera) This was the first "real" meal that I had in Austin, and it was for the bachelorette party. I thought it was a tad odd that after the girls all got massages and felt relaxed they would want to get stuffed at an Italian buffet. After a few wrong turns, we made it to the place, and I'd say that it looks pretty neat on the outside. Its exterior walls are painted with scenes of Italian buildings. Inside it looks like a street in Italy with the food stations looking similar to shops and street vendors.
I ended up getting one and a half plates of food. For $8, it was a decent lunch considering it was all you can eat. However, as far as Italian food goes, it's definitely just mediocre. I liked that the food was created in small portions by an actual cook behind the serving station; I could see the cook mixing up some vegetables and sausage before she put it out on a small serving plate. That was the cool part because I like knowing that my food isn't mass produced. However, the recipes must have been generic enough to be able to made by many and probably be liked by many. None of the dishes stuck out to me as being much better or much worse than another. At least it wasn't a terrible meal though! -
Review from Robert S.
Pflugerville, TX
2/5/2012
The food here while not the best Italian food I have tried but it is far from the worst. There is always more than enough options that one would be hard pressed not to find something worth trying and liking. It does tend to be a little pricey so this might not be the place for the budget conscious diner but it is great for special occasions and far superior to olive garden.
I had a very negative dining experience recently and wrote to let management staff know my displeasure. I got a detailed apology and explanation. I am satisfied. They really do care for their customers. -
Review from Chris L.
Austin, TX
1/19/2012
This is a review that I have been meaning to write for a long time. I figured that I would give it sometime in order to make sure that the review I write would be accurate in all aspects.
First let me say that when I did have a chance to eat at this place, certain foods tasted amazing. The atmosphere and the feeling you get from how everything is set up is perfect for how you theme a restaurant. The meatballs and mashed potatoes and salads are what kept me wanting to eat at this place every time. That is the only reason you see two stars for this review, otherwise it would have been one star. The pizza was ok but then again it looks like it was made more for little hands then adult appetites. The desserts are wonderful and even the wide selection of spaghetti. There was even a vegan spaghetti option. I should point out that it has been more than 7 months since I last ate there. Why so long you ask?
Well, let me give you some insight on that. When creating any kind of restaurant, especially a buffet, you want your customers to know that they have the luxury of eating there at any time that is reasonable, especially from lunch to dinner time. This is why I enjoy places like Chinese buffets and Golden Corral because I know that I can go any time after 11am and enjoy their food.
Cannoli Joes requires that you know their schedule in order to enjoy their food. There have been many, MANY times that they have lost business, and I am talking like a good ten to twenty people type business because their hours did not match ours. I want to really make this a valid and huge point here so I will explain it in more detail, not for those who already enjoy the food, but for those that work and run this place. YOU HAVE TERRIBLE HOURS!
One time after working a long day, my whole family drove in from out of town and I had told them about this place. We got in on a Saturday around 3:30pm when most restaurants are busy in their day. What was happening at Cannoli Joes? NOTHING! You know why? They were closed! WHY? For what reason? Who knows! I was so mad because that was the FIFTH (5th) time that had happened in the last three months! When I went inside that one time I did let the manager know that they have terrible hours and need to fix that. I don't even recommend this place to people any more. Most all know how great the food is, but many also comment that they too have to plan their time in order to go here, otherwise it will be closed.
How many times have you wanted to eat at your favorite restaurant on the weekend in the afternoon or evening only to go and find out they are closed, again. Usually that doesn't happen. Why? Because they want business. Most people aren't eating out as much anymore and with the economy as bad as it is, you would think that most businesses would want or need the extra money they are losing. With this place, it's like, "eh, we've got better things to do." Seriously?!
Even in the evenings that I have tried to go and eat there, they have been closed. Yes, you read that right, I said, EVENINGS! You know when people are getting off of work and have the luxury of eating out on a Monday or Tuesday night. Again, what is happening at Cannoli Joes? I know you want to say it, so go ahead! NOTHING! Why? They are not open to the public on those days!
I have never seen a place with hours this bad. If you want to eat here, you have to plan it out. You can't just show up to this place. They want you to memorize their schedule so you can't just go whenever you crave their food. Yes, there are some foods here that are great but having gone through all the troubles I have, I haven't been back since and probably never will. I would rather eat at a place that wants the repeat business and makes it easier for customers to come anytime.
I'm sure this has happened to many people, so if that is the case, please write your yelp reviews about their hours so this place can start changing their wicked ways, either that or just shut down already, and leave the nice building for another Italian restaurant who wants the hours and business.
Want to try a good large size meatball? I would say go here but chances are, their probably closed, so just head down the road on south lamar to Olive Garden instead. Cheers! -
Review from Stephanie R.
Austin, TX
11/16/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Take a walk with me...if you will.
Imagine an Italian stroll through your best carb-loaded dream. Yes, that's right, a bounty of coma inducing delectables await.
Grab a plate and start at the salad bar. Go ahead, try all of them.
Next let's walk across the cobblestone path to the table of grilled/sauted delights that include roasted potatoes, chicken, grilled veggies, and more.
(Is your plate full yet? If so, return to table and eat it all, then return)
Continue on to the pasta bar but DON'T LOOK AHEAD! Yes, that is a dessert area up there, but stay away until you are done eating.
Pizza? Pasta? Baked Pasta? Yes, my friend, they are all here. Waiting for you.
Ok, ok! Try the desserts! Giant macaroons dipped in chocolate, chocolate covered strawberries, ice cream, cannoli, oh my!!!
You will have to loosen your britches after eating here, and please stay away from the scale in the morning.
You can't eat here all the time, but it is a very nice treat once in a while. The food is good and selections are endless. -
Review from J S.
Austin, TX
11/16/2011
I agree that this is a buffet and that the food is not gonna match the quality of an Italian bistro. But if food lacks flavor then its hard to appreciate the variety. Being a vegetarian I was excited to see the choices I had, but was disappointed with the blandness and greasiness of the food. The eggplant parmesan was decent and so was the spinach alfredo pizza. But other than that everything right from the soup to the dessert was sub standard. Luckily this month they were celebrating their 4th anniversary and priced their buffet at $10.99 instead of the usual $14.99 ;)
Had i paid 15 bucks for this buffet, i would have taken one star off my review. Overall I would say that Cannoli Joe's didn't meet my expectations. -
Review from Carrie S.
Austin, TX
10/24/2011
Ok, it is a buffet. The food is not going to be super fresh all day. Let's put that out there, be realistic, and move on. Now, that being said, I LOVE this place! I think I gained 5 lbs eating there yesterday, but I suppose it was worth it. There is a seemingly ENDLESS selection of yummy classic and creative Italian dishes to taste, plus yummy gelato and pastries.
The salads are fresh and flavorful. One of them consisted of banana peppers, feta cheese cubes, and tomatoes and made for a fabulous appetizer. That simple yet perfect salad was right next to the fresh and tasty bruschetta topped with diced tomatoes and pesto.
The sides and entrees are tasty and fresh for the most part. The veggies were good, especially considering they were on a buffet hot plate. The broccoli was nicely steamed and very spicy, and the mixed russet and sweet potatoes were perfectly seasoned. The creamy butternut squash casserole was rich and packed with flavor, and the Italian meatloaf was topped with a lovely, sweet, tomato-y glaze.
The desserts are decadent and plentiful. The cookies and cream and peppermint gelatos were light and refreshing and the chocolate covered strawberries were fresh and dipped perfectly.
The only disappointments were the creamy pasta dishes and the cannolis (yes, the cannolis at Cannoli Joe's were disappointing...ironic!) The fettucini alfredo was extremely bland, as was the cream inside the cannolis.
Even so, I love this place. It has unbeatable variety and the cooking is mostly extremely good. This is seriously the best buffet in Austin for the price, which is pretty fair. -
Review from Jordan G.
Austin, TX
9/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was pleasantly impressed for this being a buffet. My date decided not to mention it was a buffet before we began our excursion, so imagine my surprise upon arrival. Everything was pretty tasty even though we arrived later in the evening closer to closing time.
I really enjoyed the ambiance and they did a reasonable job not making it feel like a buffet joint with dim lighting and some nice pictures of Italian vistas. Not that it can be avoided, but I'm sure this place regularly has large families with many screaming children pass through its doors, this trip was no exception. Fortunately I was able to block out the majority of my fellow patrons youthful indiscretion with a self induced food coma.
The price was very reasonable for the amount and variety of food available. The staff was attentive and everything looked clean. I'd like to eat here again, I just have to remember to bring my self restraint :P -
Review from Cathy B.
Huntsville, TX
8/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Cannoli Joe's fits in the category of "if you're planning to go for dinner, don't eat most of the day". OMG, there is a lot of food there to choose from!!
Now mind you, this is a buffet so when food is made in this mass quantity, the quality just can't be kept at the highest of standards. But keeping in mind that it IS a buffet restaurant, it's a good one.
There are plenty of options for a variety of tastes and eating preferences (except maybe vegan but if you're vegan, you've already limited in life yourself by choice so don't complain).
The waitstaff is very pleasant and they have a good balance between checking regularly but not being hovering waiters.
We went for a birthday gathering and all had a good time. -
Review from Deirdre C.
Austin, TX
8/7/2011
I was soo in love with cannoli Jos. I cant wait to go back. It was the first buffet place i didn't feel creepy in and I left NOT feeling sick! The options were fresh and flavorful unlike other buffets that have a tendancy to be dull and lack luster.
The decor was a lil cheesy but in a good way. It felt warm and nice in there. -
Review from Melissah H.
Austin, TX
4/25/2011
Gross. Don't do it. Waste of time and money.
That being said, I am not a buffet fan. Wanting brunch, then realizing it was Easter and not wanting to wait, we decided on this place. We should have trusted our apprehensive instincts and stayed away. There was not one thing worth the $20 per person cost. A few items were inedible, resulting in the horror of a polite disposal into a napkin. I'm pretty sure Olive Garden or the frozen section of HEB has better Italian food. -
Review from Tiffany K.
Austin, TX
5/1/2011
I dined at Cannoli Joe's just yesterday as an organizer of a banquet for a student organization from the University of Texas. At the time, I believed myself to be satisfied because I was surrounded by good company, but looking back on how much food I actually ate, I didn't really enjoy the food.
Of what I tried, the pastas with white sauce all tasted the same: very bland. The pastas with red sauce also all tasted the same: equally bland. There were some mysterious things that I put on my plate without noting the names of that I did not take more than one bite of. Nothing excited me, except for the cotton candy, if only because it was unexpected.
On the other hand, the food was always fresh and well stocked. I enjoyed the salad, which I believe is difficult to get wrong. There was a very large variety of foods to try and maybe I was unlucky and tried the wrong things. The dessert section was enormous and impressive. So many different flavors of ice cream!
Overall, I believe the service was good. Though there were only a few waiters for our party of over 100, our plates were cleared promptly and we never ran out of water. The restaurant is also decorated well and it would be appropriate to dress up for dinner.
I don't think I would have been satisfied if I had paid the normal dinner price of $20 and I don't think I would eat here again on a personal venture. However, if you are considering hosting a large party here (upwards of 50 people), I do recommend Cannoli Joes. They were very accommodating, allowing us to set up an hour before guests arrived, and also allowing us to leave later than we had scheduled. They also had a sound system, projector, and screen that are very suitable for presentations. Your guests will be glad to be able to eat as much food as they like! -
Review from Christine C.
Austin, TX
11/6/2011
Cannoli Joe's does not have great food. It is greasy and usually swimming in a pile of sauce/butter/oil. The pasta is mushy and the meat is tough.
But it does have some redeeming qualities. It has a good selection at a good price. The pizzas were okay, the salads weren't bad, and some of the veggie accompaniments were actually pretty good. The desserts were the best part. I loved the bread pudding and the apple crisp.
The wait staff was very attentive. I was in a group of 15 people and the person who served us made sure to refill our drinks and take our dishes when we were done with them promptly.
Overall, this is a place to go if you're starving, craving mediocre Italian food ,and want a variety of things to choose from. -
Review from Jon D.
Austin, TX
11/3/2011
This is on the list of places to which i will never return. We have been there a few times, each one overpriced and disappointing. The food is always greasy. The cannolis are the same ones you can buy frozen at Sam's Club. Only decent dish was the bread pudding, because they use day-old bread from The County Line.
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Review from Cynthia W.
Round Rock, TX
4/3/2011
I stumbled on to Cannoli Joe's because of a seminar I attended. I'm not a very big fan of Italian food but I was pleasantly surprised with the food that was a part of their buffet. The food was fresh and quickly replaced when out, used/dirty plates were removed from my table immediately, and the variety of foods was ample. Granted, Cannoli Joe's is a buffet -- I'm not expecting intricate Italian dishes. Don't expect the world's greatest Italian food, I'd say they are par with Olive Garden. Pricing is reasonable (considering a normal dish at OG is about the same but not for all you can eat); lower would be great but I understand a business needs to make some money.
If I happen to be in the area and have a craving for a little bit of this and a little bit of that Italian food, I would not mind coming to Cannoli Joe's once more. -
Review from Katy D.
Austin, TX
10/24/2011
Yuck! Bland pasty processed food...
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Review from Sujata G.
Saint Louis, MO
5/8/2011
I was impressed! I've heard a lot of things about Cannoli Joe's and they're great for student organizations (because of the free room rental!!)
I like buffetts( especially when I'm super hungry!) and this one did not disappoint! It was like an endless line of food!!
Some of my favorites were the stuffed mushrooms, chicken marsala, cheese ravioli, AND their creamy mac 'n cheese!
The desert line is pretty nice too, they have a little something for everyone. such as gelato, bread pudding, etc... -
Review from Katherine C.
Austin, TX
12/10/2010
Honestly, I really like this place. My first buffet experience was a Chinese restaurant that served burritos, so I gauge everything based on that bizarre establishment's protocol. I usually venture out to Cannoli Joe's for an 11 AM buffet, primarily because we miss the church crowds and we also get the first pick of buffet items/table space.
The only thing I've spat out on the menu tends to be their "Filet Mignon" on weekend evenings which tends to be very charred and almost inedible every time. On the other hand, to the right of that item they served roasted vegetables! And polenta! And pasta, and and and. I feel like twirling around in a haze of garlicky goodness every time I go.
Skip the cannoli. Eat some cream puffs and budget your stomach room for the entrees. The veggie lasagna, polenta squares, eggs benedict on the weekends, and various non-pasta-based dishes are the best to be had.
They serve a ton of drinks, and I always get coffee so that I stay awake long enough to drive home and pass out in a pasta-induced coma. They also serve alcoholic drinks of various kinds. Our servers have consistently over many visits been polite, attentive and quick to remove plates. In short, it's an awesome buffet experience that I don't mind recreating as soon as I forget how full I was the last time I visited.Listed in: Noodle All The Day, Stand in Line
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Review from jana n.
11/7/2010
Trough.
Food wasn't hot. Hostesses took forever to seat us but plenty of time to text someone. Not that great of a selection. I think most of the pastas, meat balls, and other things start out frozen from a bag or box. Pizza was burnt on the bottom. cold meatballs---yuck.
Great lemon tart and choc. cheese cake. I don't even really like desserts. -
Review from Deji M.
8/10/2010 1 Check-in Here
My betrothed-to-each-other friends whisked me away to Cannoli Joe's buffet dinner after I'd gotten used to a diet of yogurt and hummus. They wanted to see how well a rehearsal dinner for 100 guests could fit. I felt like I had consumed the meals of 100 guests by the time I was done; I fit just fine.
It is possible to eat kind of healthily here from fresh, in-house made food, unlike buffets where a plain salad's about all the health you can get. Plenty of sauteed veggies with yummy flavors and sauces. A variety of salads will also keep you entertained - like a big pizza pie hitting your eye might, minus the high-calorie amore.
They do have pizza though. And pasta. And more pasta, in different shapes and sizes with different sauces and spices. Even meatloaf with mashed potatoes. Calamari. Mussels. Gluten-free pasta. Stuffed mushrooms. Food and more food.
I remembered reading less-than-favorable reviews for the place. While I was joyously walking around picking out the good stuff, I couldn't really understand why. I waited a few days to see if my stomach would exit out the backdoor. Nope. When we ordered wine, the friendly waiter brought out a 3-glass tasting flight ($5/glass wines). I ate all the feta from every salad. It was right.
I'm for real, people. You play your cards right, you might just have a good thing going for you here. I'm no buffet connoisseur or conqueror by any means, but this sensitive tummy says it was a-ok. My thorough abuse of the dessert stand probably had the staff worried.
I wont be back because I can't possibly get my $16's worth, but such is the case for me and most buffets. Someone else drives and pays though, I'd feel it up again. -
Review from Michelle T.
Austin, TX
12/25/2010
Today was the first day that I ate at Cannoli Joe's. I think my friends built it up to be something spectacular and I thought it was meh.
I made it a point to tell the hostess that neither of us had been there before. I was expecting a little tour of the buffet. When I was seated and a lady (she ended up not being our server) stopped by, she indicated that the hostess should have showed us around.
The food was OK - nothing special. About everything had a taste that was slightly off in some way.
The candied yams weren't candied, they were like fried sweet potatoes. The rotisserie chicken was dry. The veggies were cooked in a sauce that made them taste a bit bitter. The pecan pie had a strong taste of cheap bourbon in it. Anything that had chocolate tasted a little bitter.
I did like the fresh fruit, the stuffing, and the chicken marsala.
I had mixed feelings about the server. He didn't smile and he stood away from the table to ask questions. However, he was prompt in clearing plates and refilling drinks.
I guess for $50 for Christmas buffet for two, I was expecting something pretty special. I was a little disappointed. However, being that it is Christmas, I decided to round up from 1.5 stars. -
Review from Vol T.
San Antonio, TX
1/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good place to go to when you're hungry. They have pretty much all the standard Italian dishes and more. The quality and taste of the food is very good. The restaurant itself is pretty big and maze-like. The service is very good.
Some items I had include pepperoni pizza (they have 5 or 6 other pizzas), polenta, vegetable lasagna, Greek salad with huge chunks of feta, bacon bacon bacon (along with other breakfast items such as waffles, poached egg, etc at lunch), spaghetti and meatballs, roasted peppers and zuchinni, sweet bread, ice cream... I could go on but I won't. I recommend this place! GO! -
Review from megan p.
Austin, TX
9/4/2011
Make sure you know what the times are for dining. It took me two trips before I could actually eat there. The interior is cute. It's similar to the New York New York Casino in Las Vegas. The food is great and the waitstaff are extremely nice. The cost for alcohol is great. I recommend having a glass of wine with your meal.
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Review from James F.
Updated - 9/2/2010
Warning: This review contains explicit remarks about chicken skin. You know that part of the chicken that those boneless fellas at the grocery store leave out; but rib meat is included! Cannoli Joe's rotisserie chicken is tops in Rooster's world. Dining today I could have carefully removed all the skin from the buffet line and just left the rest of the chicken. I didn't basically cause I didn't want to alarm any government agencies. That secretive little know branch of the food triangle police.
Moving on to the rest of the bounty; every item I tasted on a recent visit was delicious. The green beans with garlic, mushroom, and sun dried tomatoes along with the white pizza were almost magical. The same or another kitchy accolade described the grilled scallions. I think I ate 10 or more. Other noteworthy items included the Caesar salad, assorted breads, Marsala glazed carrots, and the mashed potatoes with rosemary gravy.
The desserts continue the gluttony fest with the apple crisp, chocolate dipped macaroons, and the best bread pudding I've ever had. Its worth noting that the bread pudding is served swimming in Frangelico sauce; just saying. I hurt myself on this visit; yet I still refuse to go to the doctor.
I can hear the backlash from here; like I hate buffets. I don't think this would be good place for my over eaters anonymous group. And my personal favorite I'm afraid of chicken skin. If you pick the right combination of plates (yes I said plates..plural) it can hit the mark. A four star update for the folks at Cannoli Joe's!Listed in: Warning! Shady Places Ahead
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/24/2008
MAMMA MIA!! Grasso persone unitevi! (see google translator) My wife and I have dined at Cannoli… Read more »
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Review from Saira A.
Austin, TX
9/7/2010
I bought the groupon for brunch at this pleasant little gem and wasn't expecting much, so I was VERY happy with what I got for my money.
My friend and I waltzed in, indignant that a restaurant would have the gall to offer a "brunch" that doesn't start until 11:30. Let's not kid ourselves, that's lunchtime! We got there an hour early since we didn't bother checking when they opened. So right off the bat, I was annoyed with the place.
However, the food made up for the hours. It was extremely difficult to pace myself and not stuff my face with the very first plate. I wound up tasting about 2 dozen different things, split up into 4 rounds. I didn't want to eat too much of any one thing in case I got full and wouldn't be able to get to dessert!
My favs:
Pesto/Garlic Bruschetta - fabulous!!!
French toast
Waffle
Macaroni - I liked the shape. :)
Potatoes - What's not to love about fried potatoes?
Dessert Pizza - YES!
Bread Pudding - OMG!
Apple Crisp - MMM!!!
Unfortunately, I was too full for pizza and lasagna, since I needed to sample all the desserts. I have a serious sweet tooth. The peanut butter chocolate cannoli was as good as I expected it to be, but it didn't blow my mind or anything.
I did enjoy savoring every bite of my meal. I'd say about 2/3rds of the things I tasted were exceptionally yummy, and the other 1/3 was average. For a buffet, I think this ratio is pretty awesome!
I'll be back with reinforcements as soon as I can convince people it's worth the drive south. -
Review from Wayne N.
1/29/2011
I think of all the restaurants where someone has recommended it to me, I've never been more disappointed. It looks nice and fancy (and is priced as so), but you certainly do not pay for what you expect at that price.
First off, according to their website theres filet mignon on the weekend dinner, which was lacking this saturday. That takes a lot of fun out of it to begin with. 2ndly, price does not include drink. $16 a person+ tax+ tip and no drink with that? Say what?
I think our group of 10 guys can summerize best that the best item out there was the grilled vegetables and the calamari. Salad wasn't bad either. Nothing else impressed us (we literally tried a little bit of everything). All the pasta dishes were very thin and watered down sauces that didn't have much taste. The pork marsala, fish, and roast chicken were really dry. The pizza was slightly better than say Cicis. Soup of the day: Tomato Basil. One member of our group really likes tomato basil soup. They said it tasted like Campbells.
The desserts really looked tantalizing, but ultimately were a huge disappointment. The ice cream (which we thought was gelato) tasted like low quality store brand ice cream, the cannoli and cheesecake had the texture of chalk, and the cream puff type thing was super dry.
Stay away. Olive garden (which i like) is definitely better, and itd be close but macaroni grill (which i hate) would be on par with this at half the price. -
Review from Dead C.
Austin, TX
9/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Like the interior... very interesting.... food was ok..
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Review from Jane K.
Austin, TX
9/19/2010 2 photos
There's not much you can expect from a buffet.
The pasta wasn't that great (rather mushy with unflavored sauces), but the meat was good. Definitely one of the better mashed potatoes I've had. Parmesan chicken was overdone, bruschetta was okay, calamari was tough, and the desserts were disappointing.
The restaurant did put some effort into the interior design. Does somewhat get you into thinking that you are Italy. -
Review from Tim M.
Austin, TX
3/4/2011
Well from reading the mixed reviews I have to say "I love Cannoli Joe's" I think the idea of a Italian village street and freshly cooked entrees' is cool. Unlike the typical Chinese Buffet that dumps "fresh" food on to older food and keeps string it up to look good. This is a clean and tasty change. Yes the price is high but for a once and a while treat I think its worth it.
Just thought you should know! -
Review from Martin S.
Pflugerville, TX
1/21/2011
I want to give this more stars, but I simply can't. The idea behind the restaurant seems fantastic, but I always leave feeling unsatisfied. The last time I went, I tried to figure out exactly why that is.
My best guess is that while everything looks fancy and first-class, the taste is, well, ordinary. Maybe I'm being unduly harsh because my expectations are set too high, because the food isn't really bad - it's just not that great either.
To be fair: They have a wide selection of items, and most of them are cooked well. Grilled veggies, pastas, pizzas, lasagna, you name it. There's also a wide variety of desserts. -
Review from Lene L.
Austin, TX
5/17/2010
Good buffet option considering I dislike a lot of asian food. But I love pasta. I could eat pasta in my sleep. This makes me like this place. Like, LIKE this place. But after 3 plates of pasta, I was stuffed. Pistachio ice cream (or was it gelato? i can't tell the difference) was delicious. The 30oz margarita was a steal of a deal. The $10 birthday discount (through email sign up) was well worth it.
We will be back :-) -
Review from Michael B.
Austin, TX
3/16/2010
I don't know why we went here really. We were out of ideas. Salt Lick was packed with SXSW people. I knew anywhere downtown would be as well. We drove by, I spotted it and said "Hey I've never been here! Let's try it!"
But I really hate buffets. Everything usually ends up tasting the same. And I really hate watching people just pile food onto their plates. You can go back multiple times, people! It's like no thought at all is given to the selection or arrangement, let's just pile it up! How high can we go!
And then there are the people constantly running into me as they go after MORE FOOD! Cannoli Joe's was maybe at 20% capacity and I was still being jostled.
Whoever said it was like Vegas is sorta right. The look kind of reminds me of New York, NewYork. But I have had some decent food at Vegas buffets before.
Here the pizza is soft and floppy and greasy. The salads are wilted and saturated with dressing. The sausage and peppers aren't flavorful or spicy. The meatballs are bland.
What was good? The peach bellini was tasty. Garlic mashed potatoes were decent. The macaroons and chocolate bread pudding were OK. And for some reason my wife was wild about the charred steak being served.
And the service was good. But really . . . is a buffet a true test of server competence? So we will just leave it at this: he was a really nice and pleasant fellow!
As I have said about The Olive Garden before, we won't be returning by our own free will . . . but if we found ourselves here again, perhaps a couple (or five) peach bellinis would win us over on Cannoli Joe's. -
Review from Nalin V.
Houston, TX
7/30/2011
Great food. All you can eat, quality italian buffet.
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Review from Eve R.
11/6/2010 1 Check-in Here
Basic buffet - nothing spectacular, a few things pretty good, a few things not so good. We went for brunch, but I didn't try any of the brunch items, other than the country potatoes which were darned good. Most of the pasta was bland, but not bad. Just not great. It's easy to fill up fast on bready and pasta-y dishes, so you have to graze carefully to avoid damage. The bf tried some of the breakfast dishes, and liked the eggs florentine in particular. We both liked the bruschetta quite a bit also. The deserts were largely disappointing, but I was pleased the cannolis were not soggy - one of my pet peeves. Not quite authentic, but not terrible.
The salads were pretty good, crisp & fresh, and the veggies (which I did not try) looked like they were not overcooked, always a plus in my book. The rotisserie chicken (which I tried a tiny bit of when I was already pretty full) was pretty good. Tasty, moist. I wish I'd discovered it sooner.
Unless it's sushi, I'm unlikely to get my money's worth at these all-you-can-eat places. I can't eat all that much at one sitting, but I really like to take small samples of a lot of things, so I enjoy buffets, if they are good. I'd go back if I had another Groupon. I found enough things that I liked enough to make it worth the drive and the price. I'd like to try at dinner some time to try some of the more meaty dishes others have written about. -
Review from Errol M.
11/5/2009
Hmmmm. More like 2.5 stars. I rounded it up because of our waitperson. I left here thinking, "Why would obviously professional waitpeople work at a buffet?" I should have asked.
For various reasons, we wound up here for Wednesday lunch, and I've never been here, and now I have. Olive Garden meets Golden Corral is pretty accurate. A lot of cold and tepid stuff, not bad, and possibly great if you enjoy cold and tepid stuff. I actually thought the best thing was the minestrone. The place is an indoor maze, all nooks and crannies, think La Madeleine on steroids, just darker. Lunch & drink & tax & tip = $15.
I took a bite of a dessert item labeled "lemon bar," and it tasted like feet. I'm not saying that's a good or bad thing, I'm just saying it tasted like feet. It may have been an intricate blend of ricotta and lemon with subtle nuances I can't discern, which is fine, but just say so, and don't tell me it's a lemon bar. -
Review from Amanda W.
Bastrop, TX
7/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
They are fun and remind me of Europe, but the quality is what you would expect from a buffet. It's better than crappy chinese buffets, but it's no Nonna Carlotta, if you know what I mean. I only go if there is a coupon or discount, because otherwise it's just insane to pay that much for one meal, that's not even the best.
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Review from Angus B.
Austin, TX
8/13/2009
OK, so my previous review was removed for being outside the Terms of Service and because it didn't reveal that I had actually been to this restaurant. I have eaten at this restaurant, and my review still stands. Here it is:
Don't. -
Review from Jackie A.
New Orleans, LA
12/22/2007
I don't know how to rate this place, there are just so many factors...
-The atmosphere is terrible. The place really big- so big that there is a map of the building on the menu. The buffet is set up like a street, with building/carts for different food items. They actually give you a tour if it's your first time there. I felt really ridiculous being there. It's pretty much like a buffet in Las Vegas. Not a place you take someone you just met...
-The service is ok. So So. It's kind of a fuss to get you to a table... the hosts have to write out some card with your name on it, then page a waiter... blah blah blah.
-The food is REALLY GOOD. I mean, damn, I tried almost everything and it was delicious. No seriously. Really, really good food. It's not really authentic, but just really, really tasty, with kind of fancy dishes too. I couldn't believe that such a shitty concept could produce such good food. The deserts are really delicious too- the Frangelico bread pudding is great.
So good food, terrible atmosphere and one really big problem- I ate so much that I felt sick. It was total glutton land, like I got a head ache and felt terrible after dinner because I stuffed myself like crazy. I felt like shit for eating so much pasta... I seriously couldn't handle Cannoli Joe's. This is probably why I won't come back for a really really long time... I just can't handle it! I have to give it four stars though, because their food is great.
PS- I didn't poop for almost three days after I ate here. Yet another way that Cannoli Joe's kicked my ass.Listed in: I'm Ashamed of Myself
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Review from Whitney F.
Austin, TX
10/9/2009
Cannoli Joe's is just like Las Vegas.
You walk in, and at first all the glitz and glammer wows you! Plus, well, it actually looks kinda like Vegas. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if you told me it was designed by the same guys that did the interior of New York New York. And that ubiquitous staple of the Vegas dining scene--the buffet--well, that's what this place is all about.
So you go in, you sit down, and the waiter is MORE than happy to bring you several samples of all their different wines by the glass. Just like a cocktail waitress in a Vegas casino, buttering you up to make some bad decisions.
And then, you head over to the buffet and start eating. Sometimes you come up lucky--perfectly cooked unlimited filet mignon on a Thursday? Jackpot! But more often than not, you're coming up snake eyes...6 different kinds of pasta? All overcooked and meh. 10 different kinds of dessert? Bleh. And yet, just as the old ladies continue shoveling those quarters into the slots at Caesar's, so too do you fill your plate time, and time, and time again.
Around your fourth trip to the buffet, (which would coincide with say, one's 4th day in Vegas) you start to notice a lot of unsavory things about the place. For example, why is the place decorated all over with wagon wheels? Did this used to be a Cracker Barrel? And, gee, there sure are a lot of sad looking morbidly obese people shoveling it in all around me....maybe it's time we get out of here...
And so we left, with a stomach ache instead of a hangover, but with that same lingering feeling that so often accompanies a trip to Vegas--shame, and the impression that you spent a whole lot of money with nothing to show for it. But it's ok...what happens at Cannoli Joes stays at Cannoli Joes.
