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Ciao Baby
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
5074 Sunrise HwyMassapequa Park, NY 11762
(516) 799-5200
- 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:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
30 reviews for Ciao Baby
Review Highlights
"I love the rice ball and marinated skirt steak."
(in 4 reviews)
"Also as for the Mama's Pork Sauce, yowzer."
(in 3 reviews)
"prosciutto, nice reggiano cheese, amazing rice balls."
(in 4 reviews)
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30 reviews in English
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Review from Billie F.
1/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here on Saturday night after hearing about it forever. Now I know why everyone talks about it!
They start you out which some bread, fresh oil with a little balasamic glaze and chunks of parmesan cheese. Awesome, definitely not the same old stuff.
We started out with Calamari Trio. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I'm not a huge calamari fan, and most of the places I try it from, I find it too rubbery and gross. This was just perfect. Not too chewy, cooked just right. It was also smothered in sauce. The first was a plain marinara, good, but the other two definitely outshined it. The second was a gorgonzola sauce which was awesome. And then the third was a Thai Sweet Chili sauce. I love sweet chili, so this was naturally my favorite. For someone who isnt a huge calamari fan, I could not stop eating.
Now, they are known for their huge portions but they explained that they have added a new section to their menu for people who don't want such big meals. But since it was my first time there, I wanted to go big. We ordered the skirt steak. It came with crispy onion straws, mashed potatoes and mixed veggies. The plate was literally the size of the table. The steak was on a platter and it wrapped around a HUGE pile of potatoes and onion straws. The steak was cooked to perfection! We ate ALOT, and still had alot to take home with us.
Then came dessert. We ordered the icebox cake, layers of grahm crackers with chocolate pudding. It was rich and delicious!
I unfortunately cannot give them 5 stars because I have only been here once. But I can't to come back.
The service is awesome. They have a ton of servers who are all helping eachother out, which works perfectly as your table is never neglected. The food comes out super fast. They explain the menu thoroughly, AND they also told us that if there is an Italian dish that we want but we do not see it on the menu, they will make it for us anyway. Really? How many places do that?
The only problem next time is going to be figuring out what to order! -
Review from André C.
Brooklyn, NY
11/26/2011
Italian food is meant to be enjoyed with a group of people. Heaps of food on multiple plates should fill the middle of a table and give true meaning to the words "Family Style." Ciao Baby makes every attempt to blend the quintessential Italian dinner table with a very clean modern American decor.
I've been to Ciao Baby in Carle Place before the blaze and found it good. Massapequa Park is just as good. For those who've never been I must forewarn you, there is no such thing as "my dish." Everyone orders and everyone eats. The servings are intense. Big dishes that can satiate bigger appetites. I went with three other friends to celebrate a birthday. We started with the Rice Ball and the Linguine in Meatballs.
To start with: The Rice Ball was very large, bordering a gross exaggeration. The waiter described it as being as big as his head... and it was. Just because it's big however, doesn't mean it's yummy. I'm a big fan of rice balls. This particular mutant had the standard cheese, meat and crusty outside but the rice lacked a cohesive flavor. I felt like it was Chinese rice seasoned by the meat in the center. The rice in a rice ball should be seasoned just as well as the meat is. The flavor of the rice should complement the meat since it's working with the textures: crunch crust, soft rice, chewy meat. Each component has it's forte and the rice was unfortunately poorly executed. When you need to drown a rice ball in sauce it means there's a lack of flavor.
The linguine in meatball was a very innovative concept. I've never seen it before but it was a very creative take on "spaghetti and meatballs." Linguine is just thick enough to provide some consistency within the meatball. There are two meatballs in the appetizer and I would say it's enough for four people. The meat was well seasoned and I must admit, I was expecting it to taste like the meat in the center of the rice ball, but it didn't. They seasoned it differently and I couldn't pin point the profile exactly but I know i detected basil, oregano and ...er... rosemary?
The main course was the Chicken Voldostang. Presentation was relatively home style for the appetizers. A bed of sauce and two meatballs. A dollop of ricotta cheese and a rice ball out of the bowling alley. Direct presentation. That's all you need. The main course could learn something from the appetizer. It was a mess. There were strips of deep fried parsnips garnishing (more like smothering) a chicken wrapped around asparagus, prosciutto and mozzarella. All on a bed of mashed potatoes with a decent amount of Madeira sauce as a mote. 4 of these rolls of chicken were on the plate and it was the perfect amount for us but if you are just a couple eating out on a date.... you're going to feel sick as hell.
I suppose I understand the culinary zeitgeist of "family style" eating. Restaurants are trying really hard to be "authentic." But if I don't see a little old Sicilian lady stirring a giant pot of sauce I am not so convinced of it's authenticity. The food was good. But it really does require an exercise in modesty. Bigger does not mean better. I feel like the conventions of cooking would lend to the enhancement of Ciao Baby's menu: smaller portions equals greater concentrations of flavor packing a more powerful punch. It was no mistake that the meatballs were the most memorable part of the meal: it was the only dish that didn't suffer from elephantitis.
In the end we got a red velvet cake (yea, because that's Italian) and it tasted like ::GASP:: ENTEMANNS! (wince!) I suppose this is what happens when you try to make a hybrid American-Italian or Italian-American or Fake-Italian restaurant. It was incredibly sweet and, of course, insanely large.
I went to Ciao Baby with the intention of celebrating a birthday. We celebrated and it was a memorable evening. Food came and went. We ate and laughed. We sang and felt overwhelmed by the portions but the family style theme served it's purpose and just for that I'll be back. -
Review from Kat Y.
Manhattan, NY
11/10/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Ciao Baby is decent Italian food in true Italian style - incredibly large portions to share with your friends and family. The riceball is comparable to a child's head. The food is good, not Great but its gargantuan portions and the subsequent sharing makes it more of a fun social eating event rather than a fine dining experience.
Sometimes on weekends, there's a guy with a mic that walks around the restaurant crooning songs from the swing era. -
Review from Lou S.
Plainview, NY
1/13/2012
I have got to say the place has awesome food. Servers are very welcoming. I did not give this a 4-5 stars because I feel they are deceiving. The waiters say "If you don't like anything from the menu, we can make anything you want. If we have the ingredients, we can make it" So I ordered a pasta dish and it turns out they charged me 30 dollars for the dish! But a similar dish was about $10.00 less. Also when they come around with the deserts, they barely let you look at the menu with the prices. Guess thats how they make money.
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Review from Tracy K.
Syosset, NY
10/23/2011 3 photos
Ciao Baby closed in Garden City / Carle Place.... It won't close in Massapequa.. Place has people waiting at the bar on the weekends and it's hopping!
Fun, lots of big portions of Italian food. Fresh mozzerella.. prosciutto, nice reggiano cheese, amazing rice balls... and the other standard stuff... sauteed zucchini.. grilled skirt steak with garlic mashed.. etc.. Yum!
Never dined inside .. picked up take out twice...! -
Review from Nick H.
10/3/2011
I remember seeing this restaurant on Man vs. Food, the Travel Channel program starring Adam Richman. Ever since then I wanted to try out this restaurant and I finally got my chance on a recent Friday night.
The place is a bit difficult to find and easy to drive past if you don't have a GPS directing you exactly where to go. It is tucked away beside a Best Western and a yoga place, and there are plenty of trees to hide it from the main road. But once you find the restaurant, you'll be greeted with plenty of free parking and a friendly waitstaff.
The ambiance inside is hectic. Definitely not recommended for romantic dinners. This place is best suited for families or groups of friends. My family and I arrived on a Friday night and the place was crowded, but nothing too bad...plenty of empty tables. Our waiter was fine for the most part; he never rushed us and he did his best to answer any questions we had about the menu. The walls are covered with Italian themed pictures and photographs...Tony Soprano, Frank Sinatra, and Robert Deniro just to name a few, and music from the 50's and 60's plays loudly throughout the restaurant. The waitstaff looks extremely busy at all times, constantly going back and forth to the kitchen calling out orders for their assigned tables. Despite this frenzied atmosphere, Ciao Baby still somehow maintains a very comforting and homely atmosphere.
The portions served are HUGE and the prices reflect that. You do get plenty of food but it does not come cheap. You are basically paying for the amount of food you receive, not the the quality. The food here is not terrible, but it is not great either...just average. With that being said, some of the dishes are quite tasty. The meat filled rice ball, for example, was not only massive but filled with flavor. The marinated skirt steak was tender, juicy, and also quite flavorful. But other dishes like the seafood alla oreganata fell completely flat and lacked anything special or memorable.
Overall, not a bad dinner, but nothing special either. I would not go out of my way to dine here again, but if I was in the area maybe I would stop in for a glass of wine and a rice ball. -
Review from Mike D.
4/25/2011 1 photo
Haven't been in about 5 years and they have gone down since my fond memories. Used to frequent when they first opened probably over 10 years ago, but my Easter dinner visit wasn't as I remembered.
Service is hospitable and live Italian singer busting out Sinatra tunes was a plus. But, the food was lacking some luster. We shared a Gorgonzola salad with walnuts and sliced mango. It was refreshing. In the past we would have gone for the rice balls or fried calamari, two of their specialties. We decided to take it easy this trip. For an entree I had what used to be my favorite, Grandma's Old Fashioned Pork Sauce. The portion appeared smaller and the rigatoni was undercooked. Not even al dente, just straight up hard. Pork was quality and huge scoop of ricotta was still there. Sauce was so-so. Had a piece of my mom's marinated skirt steak which was really good.
Ciao Baby is an Italian theme family style restaurant with a little showmanship. At times it is a bit too much and over the top, but it makes your dining experience unique. It's expensive. For the 3 of us with no alcohol and no dessert, the bill was $112 w/o tip. I hope it was just an off night with regards to the food because I used to rave about this place. -
Review from Raj S.
Queens Village, NY
7/23/2011
Went for dinner with a friend, she recommend the place. I also remember seeing them on 'Man vs Food' so I agreed, why not.
We got there a bit late on a Saturday night (abt. 10pm), there was two large parties there wrapping up, about to leave. One of the parties had nice eye candy...hehe! Me like short shorts..
Service was quick to get a table, most of the place was available. I requested somewhere quite so we didn't have to hear the loud noise from the two parties, they sat us at a huge booth - wow we were only 2 and the table swallowed us up...LOL! But it's all good. The table was not clean so I asked the lady who brought our menus if someone could please clean it, it was sticky with maybe soda or something like that. The waiter came and started to layout our forks and plates and I ask again if someone could please clean the table or move us, right away a second guy came over and started to wipe but he didn't understand why...to him the table LOOKED cleaned. I pressed my fingers against the table to show him it was sticky, finally he understood and cleaned it properly.
I've never been here before, but my friend talked about how HUGE their portions are and the fact that they were on food network. So hey, great!
The waiter came and actually sat at our table and talked to us, kinda strange but hey...what ever. He was tall and the light over the table was gonna hit his head, so I guess that's why he sat with us or maybe its been a long day and his feet hurt, what ever.
The description of the Appetizers with chicken wings with onions and bread with sauces sounded really good, so I requested that. My friend suggested we share the skirt steak, so we ordered that. As for drinks, we ordered soda (Spirit), but when it came it seem like there was no fizz...we told the waiter and he promptly brought a new glass.
The waiter was really nice and their description of the food was excellent. They knew every ingredient and prep style of the dish, it was very impressive. Plus they were very friendly and seem really interested in getting the best dish for you, even though they probably had a long day they had the energy of now starting their shift.
The wings came and I was a bit confused as to the preparation after hearing such a great description. It was basically wings covered with onions and I didn't see the bread...apparently it was buried. The wings seem like the chef relied mainly on outer seasons to flavor it, nothing was done to the chicken itself inside to flavor it. But I found the chefs use of vinegar a bit too strong for this dish and its still burning my stomach up to now, some 3hrs later.
The steak then came, I ordered med rare. It was served over mash potatoes with carrots and squash on the side. Hmmm....I don't know where to start with this...it sucked. They steak was not warm at all, it wasn't med rare as I ordered, more like med well. The steak lacked any flavor, no cooking style from flame or seasoning was used to kick it up. The carrots and mash potatoes were ok, nothing to write home about. But what killed me was the squash, it was dark gray from freezer / fridge burn. When something has been around too long and it looses its freshness in the fridge / freezer. It just really killed my dish, cause with steak you really would enjoy some nice vegetables on the side to digest your meal. These guys need to visit some of the Argentinian steak restaurants in Queens or Portuguese steak houses in Newark to learn about skirt steak. So I requested the bill, but the waiter was nice enough to give a friendly effort to have us try their desserts.
We ordered their red velvet cake since everything else seem way too sweet, i.e. Chocolate, Whip Cream, etc.
The red velvet was served in a long serving dish with cream on the end with strawberries. Very nice, especially if your going to share. Then I had my first bite...tham! They just sank, the cake was just taken out the freezer and didn't' thaw properly. My friend said she could taste freezer burn and the sweetness of this thing was way too much. We ask for the check, the waiter saw we didn't touch the cake and apologized and offered another dessert instead. But its not his fault its the owner / manager for serving sub par food.
In summary, I hate franchise places and I avoid them. But I think that I would rather eat at McDonald's that eat here again. Oh, its been years since I had McDonald's by the way...just so you understand that.
I think this place is a gimmick, there living off of their TV fame and rep for serving large portions dishes. Great for them, but I would like to enjoy my meal and that means using my taste buds!
Oh, Chef if you read this...salt isn't the only seasoning to use...you should try fresh ingredients. Everything in this place seem so fridge / freezer precooked and reheated to serve. Kinda scary, cause I at least expect that at my local getto Chinese take out place around the corner. -
Review from Bill J.
Massapequa, NY
7/15/2011
I have been there a few times and I can say it is a good Italian resturant with prices a bit on the pricey side but the portions are big. However, do not order out. Because they don't care about your food quality, when you order out the food looks 5 times worse then it does in the resturant and the people at the resturant give you terrible service when you come to pick it up, iusually ignoring me. Tried to order out twice, never did again after the second time. I would only eat at the place and not order out again. Definitly a staple of Massapequa Park
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Review from Mai C.
New York, NY
3/1/2011
I've been to the Carle Place location a few times before it closed down. This was my first time at Massapequa and overall the food was good but everything else was sub-par.
I love the rice ball and marinated skirt steak. Everything else we ordered - calamari, mussels, pasta dishes were only ok. The portions are huge you don't need to order too many dishes. We ordered 3 apps, 1 salad and 3 entrees for 7 people and took home two bags of food.
Minus stars because:
- We waited a long time to be seated (we had a reservation and the table was ready)
- We waited a long time for our waiter to come
- The waiter was pushy and kept insisting we didn't order enough food -
Review from Kim L.
Babylon, NY
9/14/2010
I hate, hate hate to give one star reviews. I struggled intensely because the staff was friendly, but the food was truly abysmal. If you're from around here, you know that mediocre Italian is something this area is awash in. But Ciao Baby takes the genre to a whole new level of fail.
The decor is embarrassingly kitschy, down to scary mannequins of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. But I've eaten good food immersed in questionable themes before. I should have been wary when the big waitstaff presentation was a napkin covered colander with uncooked pasta shapes on it- this is New York, who doesn't know what uncooked capellini looks like? I think the best part of the meal was the bread, served with olive oil for dipping and shavings of some kind of cheese.
Feeling nostalgic for Sunday "gravy," I ordered the pasta with pork sauce. The penne managed to be both overcooked *and* stiff, which I didn't know was possible. The sauce itself was overwhelmingly flavored of saucepan, with little else in the way of taste and no tomato-perkiness. It just tasted overcooked, bland and bitter. The pork hunks were advertised as fork tender, but were hard as a rock, dry and also flavorless. As everyone says, the portions are huge, but the dish I got ranges from $22-30. It was a hell of a lot of bad food for a very high price.
My son got a kids meal (chicken cutlets and homemade fries) and my daughter got a side of penne with butter. Since I had a gift card, I thought I'd order dessert. The waiter said the desserts were all "about $9," but they were actually $14. Which again, isn't a huge deal, but the quality was poor. We got a peanut butter cake, and the frosting tasted like mildew and was oversweet. The cake itself was inedibly stale. Above and beyond the poor quality/massively high prices, I was actually a bit concerned about food safety. Oh, also, my Shirley Temple was even bad. Too much stale grenadine. I have never tasted a bad Shirley Temple, and I was almost curious how it could be messed up so badly.
For this- one adult dish, a side dish, a kids' meal and a slice of cake (no booze) the bill was $75 before tip. The restaurant has a definite Sopranos worship vibe, and I'd say they've got the "criminal" thing down pat.
Service was friendly but slooooooooow. We were there for almost two hours on a nearly empty Thursday night. All in all, I can't see a compelling reason to visit Ciao Baby. -
Review from Crystal T.
Mineola, NY
4/24/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I love this place. it's great to come with a ton of people or people that love to eat because they give you so much food. the food is amazing and so are the drinks, and dessert. They just need a better sign out front because it's so easy to pass by and it's a pain in the ass to turn around and go back.
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Review from Christine C.
Annapolis, MD
12/19/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Huge Dishes! Great italian food! Split a dish if you go.
Very busy on weekend nights. Great for family, friends and closeness!
Fresh pasta! -
Review from La S.
Farmingdale, NY
10/15/2010
I would have to agree with some of the other Yelpers. I've been coming here before man vs. food made a debut.
What draws you here is the portion size. The food is okay, some dishes are really good and others are just eh.
Favs: the rice ball is humongous and tastes decent. Clams ate tiny and full of bread crumbs.
I have to say we've ordered the marinated skirt steak and it was delicious both times. The meat platter is just ok, again you're marveling over the portions. 1 meatball is like a pound!
There was 6 of us and we opted to order 2 appetizers and 4 entrees and we still had leftovers. Another think, with tip and tax we paid 28.00 per person rather than their 'special' 29.99 per person deal.
If you want to go and talk the place is very loud.
Overall it's not terrible, but if you're looking for great Italian food, not here. -
Review from Diana P.
Brooklyn, NY
8/6/2011
It was mediocre italian food. Quality over Quantity, in my opinion. And, this place definitely does not believe in that!
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Review from Denise K.
Bethpage, NY
8/13/2009 32 photos
Lets see where do I begin?! For awhile now I have been wanting to give this place a shot, and boy oh boy it gave a shot back! As soon as you walk in they have this beautiful bar as you walk in. As we approached the host we were greeted by the friendly staff. Upon landing at our table we seen the most hysterical thing. They have a set of mannequins sitting at table! The atmosphere is nice and they have a complete open view of the kitchen. The whole scene of the restaurant just makes you say Mama Mia!
Now as anticipated, The Food!!! To start with the waiter left us with some fresh soft Italian bread and a roasted red pepper and eggplant in olive oil to dip and spread. Wowie was that good. Upon ordering the waiter warned us that the portions were on the large side, and boy he wasn't kidding! For that appetizer we asked for the Rice Ball. He said that it was the size of cannon ball. No joking it literally was and it was soo good it caused World war 3 on our tummies! The other appetizer we tried was the eggplant rolattini which I felt was the best I ever had!
For the main course we got Chicken Marsala and Mama's Pork Sauce. The chicken Marsala was excellent. The chicken Marsala came with mixed vegetables and mashed potatoes, and the sauce that came with it was soo good I could drink it with a straw! The chicken in the chicken Marsala was so delicate that you could cut it with a fork! Also as for the Mama's Pork Sauce, yowzer!!! This had soo much meat in it that it had to way at least 10 pounds!!! The meat was fork tender too! Not rough like most. After all of the meals there was so much food left over we have enough left overs to last us probably till mid December!
For desert we got the Ice Cream Sunday, and the Ice Box. The Ice Box was pretty good but a little dried out, in my opinion they should add ice cream to it, to make it a little more moist. The Ice Cream Sunday on the other hand was simply fabulous! It had chocolate and vanilla ice creams with chocolate sauce and whip cream, simple but great!
All in all this place is good in both ways, the food will make your mouth water, and the decor is like eye candy! Then again everything there is so huge don't wait too long!Listed in: Top Restuarants
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Review from D V.
Brooklyn, NY
4/26/2009
What can I say...Everything is bigger at Ciao Baby!
We ended up here for dinner randomly last weekend after a day spent on Long Island. From the moment we walked in, this place was quite a joke. The restaurant reeks of every Italian stereotype in the book. "Mambo Italiano" blaring from the speaker system, obnoxiously huge portions of mediocre food, framed pictures of Sinatra & Tony Soprano on the wall and to top it off, the Waiter wears a 3 piece suit "mob style!"
Our absolute favorite part was when he came over to tell us the specials and he brought out a colander with a white napkin draped over it and "samples" of pasta for the day....pretty much just uncooked, boxed pasta thrown in the napkin. (Ziti, angel hair, gemelli and one other) seriously?! You need to show me a sample of the Barilla dry Ziti you have in the back?
You know the guy who came up with that concept totally thought it was a genius and 'classy' move to present the pasta to the customer is this way. ahahahaahahahahaha so horrible.
To wrap it up - it was myself and my BF for dinner. We ordered a salad (big enough for a 5-top, then 2 main courses, again HUGE - we hardly put a dent in any of and the bill was $110. The waiter almost fell over when we didn't want any of it wrapped up.
I will never go back. But I guess I should have known better. -
Review from Jeff O.
Woodside, NY
9/16/2007
Ariels reviews are on my blog!
http://iwantmore.wordp...
FROM JEFF:
These portions are the sizes they serve at the Zoo - to hippos! The pasta really is delicious. This is like BJ's but with italian food - they sell it all to you in bulk! Great for a special occasion. It iS pretty good, hmmm..... I want more ciao baby -
Review from Michael G.
Massapequa Park, NY
6/27/2011
I do not understand how some people can rave about this place. This is strictly for people who dont know any better. You will find better Italian food at your average pizza place. Sauce has no flavor. Meatballs are like bricks. Food is loaded with butter and salt to try and disguise the low quality of the food. Only positive is the bar.
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Review from Franco C.
8/5/2007
Good food, massive portions.
This is the epitome of why everyone in the U.S. is turning into a butterball.
The service is good if a bit too chummy- I am not one of those people who enjoy having my waiter take a seat with me to go over the specials.
They usually have someone singing every now and then - standards like Sinatra, which naturally go well in a place where everyone seems to be auditioning for a role on the Soprano's.
The food is tasty and you really can't complain about the cost as you'll have enough for dinner, lunch and probably dinner again unless you are a big fat bastard.
The place gets crowded big time. -
Review from Max M.
Massapequa, NY
8/14/2011
Ciao Baby is a good place to eat if you know what you're doing. Not to belittle a previous 1-star reviewer, but you don't go to an Italian restaurant and order chicken wings and skirt steak!
There, I had to get that out. Next time you go order the calamari or riceball, with an Italian entree - meatballs or chicken dish.
It is VERY pricey here, but you order accordingly...one massive app, one dessert, one entree can easily feed 2 people... and usually they have deals (like $25 a person) where you pick one thing from each course and two entrees. It works out nice. I've never ordered straight from the menu when going here. They do make "some" excellent dishes, but there are also at least 4 Italian restaurants that are 5-stars within 5 minutes of this place. This is a once in a blue-moon spot that's ideal for bring large groups with kids too, and can actually be cheaper than the 5-stars if you know what to order. -
Review from Wayne S.
Bellmore, NY
4/4/2011 2 Check-ins Here
At the bar - good and plentiful portions
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Review from Jose V.
Howard Beach, NY
8/19/2009
Besides the decor which is marvelous, the music (franky) and the bar, i mean let's get to the real deal here, the food!
Not only is the food out of this world, I recommend the calamari, you must have it once in your life before you die from this place, the quantity is unbelievable. For what you pay for and the amount of food they serve, it literally is unbelievable. When they say homestyle they really mean home style.
This place is a real Gluttons paradise, the house wine is delicious and goes so well with many of the entrees this place offers. How could you forget the desserts?!!? If I wasn't going to the gym all the time and watching what I eat, I'd have eaten 1 of every dessert on the menu, just the fact that people out there have the control to not do this, is simply amazing.
Bottom line, despite the looks and feel and excellent service, this place has excellent food and a lot of it. Period. -
Review from Lou A.
New York, NY
8/1/2009
It is the Olive garden with bigger portion sizes and more italian stereotypes. I don't need some moron waiter or waitress putting on a fake brooklyn accent then showing me noodles as if it is the first time I have seen pasta before. The food is ok at best. Also don't come here if you like your pasta cooked any way other than al dente. It is kind of hypocritical of a restaurant that desecrates italian culture everyway possible to not cook to the customers tastes considering how most of the dishes they serve are American in origin and not classic Italian cooking.
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Review from Brian F.
New Hyde Park, NY
9/11/2006
Listen up people...this is a great pick. If you are the type of person who doesn't like to eat big meals, then this is definately NOT the place for you. I had heard they served extremely large portions, but that was an understatement. The portions are HUGE!!! The newest Ciao Baby is located in a shopping center at the corner of Voice road and Glen Cove road in Carle Place. This modernistic italian eatery is dimly lit, with hues of clay and tangerine...a nice pick for a family outting or a first date. We didn't have to wait for a table but rather we were seated immediately.
Each table is supplied with 2 waiters and the whole staff is ultra friendly. We didn't wait long for anything which in my book is a plus. We started out "sharing" a rice ball. For those of you who like rice balls...sharing is definately recommended. This thing was as big as a grapefruit. Topped with a huge amount of ricotta cheese, we are glad we only ordered one. I had the Sea Bass, which was 14oz. and topped with an oregano and pine nut crust. I managed to finish it, and we shared a few desserts which is a good thing. All of the plates that went bye were over stuffed with whatever was ordered. I cannot say that anyone would have been dissatisfied with their meals. All in all, this is a great pick and I plan on going back again and again. FYI, they also have a live singer that stroles around the dining room...and he does take requests. Check it out...you won't be sorry that you did!!!Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Danielle B.
Massapequa Park, NY
5/25/2010
Went here on a Sunday evening for dinner with my family. I have been several times before but wanted to come back as my birthday dinner choice.
It was 30+minute wait and we were to tired to look anywhere else, so we stayed. NEVER wait here for more than 15 minutes. It's good but not that good. If you come during the week it is much less crowded.
There is a gentleman which sings old Italian songs as he weaves his way through the restaurant. The bar area is lovely, but not big.
As for the food, they will make you almost any Italian dish on the planet (even if it's not on the menu). The portions are insane so you can definitely share. One entree is enough to feed 2-3 people. -
Review from Dan T.
Manorville, NY
12/28/2009
Was decent for lunch but nowhere near worth the hype I was fed.
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Review from Chris W.
Massapequa Park, NY
2/15/2011
Now it is pritty for me to give a place 5 stars, but this place definetly deserves it. I have been coming here for the past 3 years and have benn satisfied every time i leave. There waiting service is great, they are very sociable and easy to talk to. The food here is authentic, top notch italain food. There portion sizes are family style, so you can order 2 dishes and completly satisify 4 people, trust me. One of the best dishes in the whole place has to be the Gemelli Con Salsiccia, its to die for. Also the classic penne alla vodka is awesome. Believe me, and not the other reviews, if you try ciao baby, it will instantly become a family favorite!
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Review from Victor L.
Lynbrook, NY
10/30/2009
The biggest rice ball I've ever seen! The portions are huge, you can definitely order 1 thing for 2 people and be satisfied. The inside is really done up nicely and the staff was really nice. I'm a big fried calamari fan so I had that and was not disappointed. Great for a birthday dinner!
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Review from Rikki L.
Boston, MA
7/21/2009
my ex boyfriend and i went three or four times this year- we always get the penne a la vodka and a glass of wine each. it's about $40 with tip which is a great price for something so good, and we always have left overs!
