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LoRusso's Cucina
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
3121 Watson RdSaint Louis, MO 63139
Neighborhood: Lindenwood Park
(314) 647-6222
- Nearest Transit:
-
Watson Rd @ Juniata St (30)
Arsenal St @ Watson Rd (30)
Watson Rd @ Scanlan Ave (30)
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 5 pm - 9:30 pm
Wed-Fri 11 am - 2 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
Sun 5 pm - 9 pm
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Dressy
- 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:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
36 reviews for LoRusso's Cucina
Review Highlights
"Unbelievable flash fried spinach."
(in 6 reviews)
"I chose the butternut squash ravioli and I'll be coming..."
(in 4 reviews)
"...favorite dish was the eggplant lasagna, which was made of..."
(in 5 reviews)
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36 reviews in English
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Review from Brent B.
Saint Louis, MO
9/4/2011
We visited the restaurant on 6/4/11. We were a party of 10 which over the last 8 yrs of our family reunion has proved problematic. Not at this restaurant! The service was very attentive, great and inexpensive wine choices, and quick response when Grandma picked a spicy dish by accident! One of our party was hearing impaired but the waiter had the sensitivity to look and respond to her rather than the interpreter. Wonderful food and wonderful service! Great place for a large group!
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Review from Dotty R.
Saint Louis, MO
12/13/2011
We visited here on 12/7/11; I had received a certificate from Living Social to go here back in August, but finally went. It was a nice place and the food wasn't too expensive. The wait staff was great and very attentive. It was a much older crowd, which doesn't bother me a bit, but I don't know if that would be a concern to the younger crowds.
I ordered the scampi spinaci and my boyfriend ordered strip steak asiago. The dish wasn't what i expected, but it was okay, given that the shrimp was breaded and a bit scorched. I ordered a side of mashed potatoes, and it was good. Our drinks were good too.
Although okay, I don't think I will be back and that is only because of location and I live closer to other Italian restaurants in the county. -
Review from Jen F.
Saint Louis, MO
11/29/2011
Great ambience: pleasantly noisy which lends itself to an intimate family dinner. Food was fantastic and well portioned. Our waitress was knowledgeable and attentive.
Our group had an excellent dining experience. -
Review from Tom J.
7/27/2011
We've been to LoRusso's twice now.
For this most recent visit, we bought the "feast" on Living Social or some other such groupon-type site. This dinner for two included toasted ravioli, two salads or your choice, an entree including Osso Bucco, Chicken Teresa and Penne with Vodka sauce. For desert, some spumoni.
The service could not have been better - very friendly and just the right amount of attention.
The toasted ravs were great - about as good at any I've had anywhere. We tried both the house salad and caesar. Both of those were also very good. The bread basket was also exceptional - a nice variety and all delicious.
The entree was all just kind of okay. The Osso Bucco was a highlight, I guess, but it wasn't that spectacular. It had a sauce that was kind of like BBQ sauce. We both liked it okay, but wouldn't get it again. The chicken was fine, but not memorable. The pasta was bland - not a good representation for an Italian restaurant trying to impress new customers. So the feast was a good value, no doubt, but if the purpose of offering this was to gather in some new regulars, I guess it didn't work very well. At least not fo us.
Overall, we thought LoRusso's was just okay, like a lot of other places on the Hill. It's a solid 3 star place. If someone asked us to go there, we'd be fine with it, but based on two visits, it's doubtful we'll go back in the next three or four years. There are just too many other options.Listed in: Buona Italiana
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Review from Chip K.
2/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love it when an Italian restaurant serves their bread with olive oil instead of (or, at least, in addition to) butter. So much better than butter. The olive oil at LoRusso's was, as I recall, particularly good. Nice and fruity, very complex tasting.
The pasta of the day sounded so good to me that I had to break my no-veal stance. It was a veal osso bucco-stuffed tortellini, covered with sun-dried tomatoes and other stuff which I don't remember, because it's now been a few weeks since we ate here. It was damn tasty.
My wife ordered their veal carciofi pomodoro, which was the closest thing on the menu to veal piccata, which is what she often orders at Italian restaurants. (I always give her crap about eating veal, but I had no grounds on which to harass her this time.) She really hated it. I didn't taste it, personally, because I'm not that big of a fan of veal cutlets, anyway. So, I can't attest to its goodness or badness.
But I can attest to my stance that if she wants her opinion to count towards the number of stars a restaurant receives, she can open her own Yelp account.
I liked what I had here. Four stars. -
Review from Andy C.
Silver Spring, MD
8/15/2010
One of the best Italian meals I've ever had. I went there last night while visiting from out of town, after several people suggested I couldn't go to St. Louis without trying some Italian food on The Hill. I couldn't have had a better meal.
We started with two appetizers - toasted ravioli and a flash-fried spinach. The ravioli and its accompanying sauce were sublime, and I was really impressed with the oddly crunchy, yet delicious spinach. For my main course, I had their pistachio chicken, served in a sauce of stewed cherries and peaches. It was one of the most amazing mixes of sweet and savory I've ever tasted in any dish.
My only regret at Lorusso's was not making a note of the name of our server. She was one of the most charming, confident, well-informed servers I've had the pleasure of meeting at a restaurant. You could tell that she was the type that people would probably come back year after year just to have her serve them. -
Review from Jonathan K.
Saint Louis, MO
12/16/2010
Really great Italian food on The Hill with a great atmosphere.
Flash fried spinach was delicious, very interesting because of the crunchiness, served with lemon. The house salad was decent, nothing exceptional. The 2010 Pasta Bowl Winner was really good, farfalle with eggplant, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, pine nuts with garlic olive oil. The chicken special for the night with Parmesan and a white wine sauce was excellent. It came with penne with red sauce, which was great as well. The other chicken dishes on the menu looked very appetizing. The Cheesecake with caramel and hazelnuts was delicious, an awesome end to the meal.
The service was solid, and prices were not too pricey, especially for good quality Italian. I really liked the atmosphere, it is just nice enough, yet homey at the same time. There were lots of holiday decorations around the restaurant since it is the season. We had a very enjoyable meal here and I look forward to coming back. -
Review from Alison V.
9/6/2010
The first time Yelp let me down!
Growing up close to the Little Italy section of Chicago, I was so excited to try a great restaurant in "The Hill" section of St. Louis.
We shared two vegetarian entrees - the Portabella Toralloni and the Eggplant Lasagna. Both were the worst Italian dishes that I have every had. The worst $32+tip that I have ever spent. -
Review from Daniel F.
10/23/2011
Not being a fan of the big plate of pasta with red sauce and cheese Italian cooking practiced at some places on the Hill, my usual places for Italian are LoRusso's and Trattoria Marcella. I suggested LoRusso's as a place to meet some friends from several hours away who are well versed in food and wine and in town for the marathon today. Luckily, perhaps, becausew the game was on at 7, the restaurant was not too crowded, though it actually got more crowded as the night went on - we had dinner res. at 5:30! Good things: I like the ambiance, and the live piano music was unobtrusive and well done. The food we all had was very good, I had beef tenderloin in a garlic and wine sauce with prosciutto and garlic mashed potatoes, and my girlfriend very much liked the butternut squash ravioli. My friend ordered 2 bottles of wine that were pleasant. However, service was a bit indifferent, and a little brusque. The person doing refills was especially so. Server was a little sporadic. Not as good an impression as other visits. One thing there I support - portions that are a reasonable size - enough, but not so big to enourage overeating.
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Review from Courtney K.
Saint Louis, MO
5/2/2010
My husband and I work in the area, so we've been to this place several times for lunch and for dinner.
Lorusso's has my all-time favorite meal. Their chicken spedini is sooooo good, and the chocolate raspberry cheesecake is amazing (my mouth is watering as I am typing this).
The atmosphere isn't uppity, but we typically try to dress up a little bit (my husband will wear jean and a nice sweater). The restaurant is dark, but it sets the mood for an italian dinner and wine night.
Definitely check this place out! -
Review from Pete B.
Champaign, IL
9/19/2010
I can't decide if I should give this place a 4 or 5 star...
The food was pretty good. It's not the kind of Italian food you can find anywhere. They have a couple of unique creations. I didn't really like the mushroom appetizer that the server recommended us. It was just too salty. My chicken entree was good, but not amazing. My sister's pasta was really good, and my sister's friend sirloin was pretty good. My sister said this is her new favorite Italian place, but I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Overall, it' s a really good place that you should try it. -
Review from liz a.
1/9/2010 ROTD 1/29/2010
I am definitely going to frequent this place for occasions. The food is great and I had so much fun. The restaurant is cozy/elegant and it smells sooo good!
I had the flash fried spinach and the peppered fillet but everything on the menu looked wonderful. Prices are really good.
The staff is great and like-able.
Love it. -
Review from Jane Y.
Saint Louis, MO
7/16/2011
I am a fan of LoRusso's! Been there many timesbut this is my first review of it, as we just went there for my birthday. We had the flash fried spinach and the wild mushroom apps. I didn't feel like spinach that night, but I loved the mushrooms! THey were so delicious. I noticed that someone else didn't like them.
I got the pork Milanese, which I loved, and I think was something someone else didn't like too much. So, that's the way it goes! The two men got steak mudega, and they loved it. They didn't actually comment on the risotto served with it, but I noticed it was gone. The other lady had the swordfish special. She didn't say anything particular about it, but we all noticed that the serving was rather small.
I thought our waiter was kind of a wise guy, but he was OK. We were having my birthday party, after all. It was obvious it was my birthday, and I was served a dessert with a candle--a little chocolate mousse type square on a beautifully decorated plate. We all ate it, and it was just enough, because we were going back to our house for our birthday party dessert. BTW, it was delicious.
CHef LoRusso was there and did get his photo taken with me. He is a very nice, jovial guy and always pleasant. ANd why shouldn't he be--he has a great restaurant that pleases many people time after time. It was a special place to go for my birthday! I have always enjoyed it. -
Review from Neal K.
Saint Louis, MO
7/4/2010
Lorusso's is our "occasion" restaurant, meaning we go there on special occasions. This place is top notch. The service is excellent, the atmoshphere is awesome (love the piano player), and the food has always been wonderful. My favorite dish is the butternut ravioli.
I can't really say anything bad about the place......perhaps the prices are a tad high....but that's what you get when you head to a place of this level. -
Review from Johnny B.
Chicago, IL
12/10/2007
LoRusso's is not your typical Italian restaurant on "the Hill". And that's a good thing. Not to point fingers, but some of the institutions up that way seem to rest on their laurels. Rich LoRusso has personally seen to it that his restaurant stays ahead of the pack of Italian fare in St. Louis.
Every time I have dined there, we got a personal tableside visit from Rich to check that everything exceeded our expectations, including the graduation dinner we had where he requested a picture of the entire family for his monthly newsletter. And each time, our expectations were exceeded. Unfortunately, it has been several years since I have been to LoRusso's, so details on menu items are fuzzy. But I can say with all certainty that everything I ever ate there was fantastic, and it is my #1 recommendation for Italian dining in St. Louis.Listed in: EYE-talian Food
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Review from Andrew V.
Saint Louis, MO
6/10/2011
Solid 4 stars - on some nights even a 5.
And yet another reason why I love Yelp! Because take this place for example; so here is a place that has been around (in a few various forms) since 1977. The star break down is 17 x 5-Stars, 7 x 4-stars and no more than 2 of any other star! There's something to be said about such longevity and fans in a market as tight as St. Louis. Now, I am not to 5 stars yet, because I've had times where it didn't blow my socks off - never was it bad, but just wasn't as great. However, I will always go back because their worst is never that bad. And why I love Yelp is because when someone complains about something like a corkage fee or a bad experience, I can then look to see the things like they were upset because really a reservation was lost (which happens from time to time) or the only places they give 5 stars to are the strip mall joints (fill in the blank with the specific cuisine) who's fanciest aspect is they roll the paper napkin around the plastic cutlery. ( However side note: corkage fees are based on the average bottle price of your wine list and have nothing to do with your food menu prices. You're paying to not buy something from them they already have an intend to make money off of. Same reason place have cake cutting fees - it's not to cut the damn cake)
Anyway, I won't go into any one particular item, but what I do know is I'm there often and by the fact they've been around so long indicates to me others have too. In fact it's one of those places which has always just done it well over time. They aren't the hottest, newest thing. They aren't throwing Alive Magazine parties or serving some Micro Green salad which they went all the way to Eureka to pick the greens for (which isn't a bad thing, just not their thing) they just do good food all the time. It's the kind of place I'll take family or out of town guests because I know there is nothing to worry about.
So all and all, I love LaRusso's and I love Yelp. Thanks to the LoRusso family for doing it so well time and time again and thanks to Yelp for letting me see explore the depths of each review and take it with the grain of salt it needed! -
Review from Kelly R.
11/11/2009
I can think of a hundred words to describe my experience last night, but I think the best is just "delectable."
My extended family went out for a meal here last night and I had fairly high expectations. After reading a few yelp reviews about it being a great find, I was excited. I also looked at the menu ahead of time (as I often do) and noticed a dish called "Butternut Ravioli." There was also a note that said menu was subject to change. I was hoping this menu item did not.
Sure enough, when we got there, I saw it staring at me from the menu! Score!
The beginning of the night began with an assortment of breads which were tasty. Some white house-made white bread, focaccia, and some crackers with seeds/spices.
We had the bruschetta and calamari to start and I didn't try the latter. The bruschetta was fine, but I wasn't as impressed with it as I expected. They served it with pesto and some shredded parmigiana cheese and it was tasty, but I've had better. Everyone said the calamari was really good. I'll take their word for that.
Then came the meal. Butternut squash ravioli surrounded by dried cherries in amaretto sauce with grilled veggies. Perfection. The subtle, sweet flavor of the pasta was enhanced with the tart cherries and the grilled veggies were a tasty side. As a warning: It's a very rich, sweet dish, so if anyone's looking for something more savory, I'd keep an eye out for something else.
Of course we splurged on dessert so 7 of us passed around the Tiramisu and it was very good. I don't like mine as soaked in espresso flavor as it was, but everyone else didn't seem to mind. I like my tiramisu a little fluffier and lighter, but it's always different wherever you go. It also tasted like there might be some Kahlua or Baileys in it, so that was a nice touch.
The service was great and everything was prompt and fast.
I will absolutely be back and I'd better see that butternut ravioli still on the menu! :-) -
Review from Jezebelly H.
Saint Louis, MO
8/23/2010
We anticipated pretty good food since this restaurant has been in business for a long while and the parking lot was full, restaurant was bustling on a THURS. night. What a let down!!
Slow service & very long wait for food after ordering. IF waitress had inquired about our food after serving, I would have voiced opinion--by the time we waited 1/2 hr for table then the other 40 min. for food I was sooo hungry I ate half my dish regardless.
We ordered evening special: pan seared Tilapia w/lemon dill sauce, herb crusted potatoes, & pea risotto. Fish: sauce was so over-powering that it was almost inedible & it was lightly battered which was not explained by waitress = complete failure. 3 potatoes served atop fish were just mush. Risotto was gummy.
Also ordered 16 oz pork chop off menu. Nice seared crust on outside & marsala sauce was tasty, but, pork was OVER cooked. yuck. Garlic mashed potatoes were okay, nothing special.
I left 1/2 my fish, my husband cleaned the pork down to the bone (dude behavior).
We will not be back & would not recommend. -
Review from Sara L.
Fenton, MO
2/15/2010
I had never been here before but my husband selected it after reading the reviews here...and this place did NOT disappoint!
It seems like the type of place where everyone is a regular and the wait staff knows your name and what you order. Very homey and comfortable. And even though it smells like smoke a bit when you walk in, I didn't notice a smoking section...GOOD THING!
We had pasta, of course. I chose the butternut squash ravioli and I'll be coming back for more of this! It was sooooooooooooooo good and not too sweet like they sometimes are at other restaurants.
The salad I got, which was the house, was very good, too. Very similar to Pasta House salad.
The wait staff was just lovely and the tiramisu was very very rum-y! Yum!!!
Go here. Now.Listed in: New Faves in STL
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Review from tricia w.
6/16/2009
Mixed feelings about this place, but I'll write about my last visit (actually carry-out). We called in an order of 2 salads, tortellini, lasagna. The bread that came with our order was not the freshest. The salads were fine, although nothing special - I personally like my salad fairly plain, so that works out in my favor. The tortellini was delicious - there were plenty of them to share b/n 2 ppl. The lasagna however, turned out to be an eggplant lasagna - maybe that's the only lasagna on their menu, but I was surprised to find no meat in it at all. The lasagna itself was really a large pile of sauce and cheese with a slice of eggplant.
I would say that I would actually go back only bc my previous experiences have been better, but now I know to stay away from the eggplant lasagna. -
Review from Kevin D.
2/5/2010 1 Check-in Here
Lo Russo's is lovely! It's upscale without being pretentious. The food is traditional but not boring. Everything we had was delicious (except the dessert, a carrot cake which was obviously frozen).
The atmosphere, service, wine selection and food were all wonderful. The live, quiet piano added to the atmosphere... but it's still perfectly OK to go in jeans and a sweater.
Our favorite dish was the eggplant lasagna, which was made of large, flat, fried pieces of eggplant (perfectly cooked), layered with ricotta cheese,with mozzarella and sauce on top. It might just be the best eggplant dish I've ever had.
We loved it and will be back again (although we may skip dessert next time). -
Review from Joel C.
Creve Coeur, MO
10/7/2009
One of my favorite places for fine dining Italian cuisine on the Hill. Actually is it technically on The Hill? It's close enough anyway.
Everything I have ever ordered from this place has been top notch. The small touches the chef gives to what might seem like run-of-the-mill dishes on the menu, elevate this place to a 5 star rating in my book.
Overall, I think this place is vastly under-rated and overlooked. The chef's attention to the small details is what makes this place a hidden gem to me. -
Review from Brad W.
Mobile, AL
11/6/2010
The best marinara sauce in the u.s. wine list is reasonable in terms of volume and pricing. Owner is usually present, which speaks volumes. Stick with the specials or Italian dishes. Steak was disappointing.
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Review from Robinson R.
Rockville, MD
3/24/2011
Italian done right. Was in town with the family. Can't go wrong here.
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Review from AJ P.
Washington, DC
10/31/2009
Was visiting St Louis and we were there as a big group. I don't frequent Italian Restaurants but we decided to go here as its middle of the road cuisine for everyone in the group.
The food was good. I had the "Fish Special" of the day and it was very good. I wish if I remembered what was all in it but the Wild Rice side blended very with the Salmon which tasted delicious. Everyone in the group seemed happy with what they ordered. The portions are perfectly sized and prepared with fair amount of attention to detail.
Can't forget our server. He was friendly and helpful. -
Review from Jo P.
Cincinnati, OH
9/15/2010
I think I was overly impressed by some of the reviews. First, to be fair, we were tourists staying downtown and took a $40 round trip cab ride to get to this restaurant. If we were locals and did not add that to the bill I probably would have felt better. I ordered a seafood stew type dish. The tuna in it was overcooked and inedible. The rest of my family enjoyed theirs better but I think all of our expectations were too high for the quality of the food we were offered. As a tourist I would go somewhere else closer to downtown.
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Review from Kate B.
St Louis, MO
11/19/2010 5 photos
Fabulous meal at a place with exceptional house specialties! Pure Italian. A good variety of entrées with some unique choices. The wild mushroom appetizer was fabulous, with complimentary glasses of wine. I got a house specialty, the ziti con vodka, which was perfect! They are known for their gelatos (made in house) but I couldn't resist the crème brûlée, my favorite!
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Review from Mirai S.
Woodside, NY
1/13/2009 ROTD 1/19/2009
This place is hands down my favorite restaurant in St. Louis. After moving to New York, I've found a lot of great Italian restaurants in the city. My standards for Italian food went up after living in an area that is known as one of the top-gourmet cities in the world. Still, LoRusso's is still one of my favorite Italian restaurants. I've made a visit to St. Louis recently and found out that this place is still great as I remember. God, the food here is always off the hook! The salad (Della Casa) is one of the best I've ever had, and all the pasta dishes are never disappointing. Great selection of desserts as well. The best part is, the prices are really sincere (A dinner like LoRusso's in NY will easily cost double of what you will pay here.) This will be the place I will always miss in St. Louis. Thank you for the great memories!!
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Review from Jack O.
Saint Louis, MO
10/11/2010
The cioppino was bad. The wife liked the portobella tortalloni.The piano was nice. Service was good. Our table location was bad.
We went here because of Yelp reviews and, unlike, Alison V., it was not the first time I've been misled in St. Louis. Since it was a Friday night, I called ahead to make reservations and was told they weren't necessary, which should have set off alarm bells. After entering the place, I was mildly disturbed by the fact that, despite my efforts, I could not find a place for my eyes, other than the floor, where there wasn't a photograph of the same large man in a chef's uniform, who I assume was the owner.
After being seated directly next to a wine bar where the lights were so bright that we literally felt like deer in the headlights, we decided on mains that were flagged on the menu as house specialties. These were portabella tortalloni for my wife, and, as I said before, cioppino for me. She liked the tortalloni.
WHY THE CIOPPINO WAS BAD
The soup, literally, tasted like canned marinara flavored with a little bit of fish stock (the menu says clam juice) with some risotto thrown in for texture. I had to add copious amounts of salt to make it satisfactory, which isn't something I normally do. Though the pieces of seafood were massive, all of it, except for maybe the mussels, was flavorless. The scallops were huge, but, that's right, they were flavorless, too. One of the two elephantine pieces of shrimp was not deveined. All of the fish, which the menu said was tuna, was very, very dry, despite the fact it was supposed to have been simmering in the soup. When I gave a piece of it to give my wife to taste, she said she thought she was eating chicken. The seafood was so bland, in fact, it was almost like they didn't even cook the seafood in the soup at all but, instead, added it to the soup-filled plate only just before serving it to me. Oh my. Hardly St. Louis' best Italian stew. -
Review from Donna V.
Longboat Key, FL
1/2/2011
We are never disappointed with LoRusso's, meal was fantastic and service also great. Only wish we lived closer to frequent there more often.
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Review from Hans G.
Seattle, WA
1/29/2006
Elegant yet unpretentious. Service and food that should cost twice the price.
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Review from Paul D.
Chicago, IL
4/16/2006
Oh lets see where to start. The "Pasta Bowl 2000" which is a Penne con Vodka with homeade italian sausage is wonderful. The stuffed fillet is one of the best thing I've ever eaten in Saint Louis. It is...well...a great place. Tony LoRusso is very friendly man which is always an added bonus. If you like italian food and you are tired of the more stanard Saint Louis staples-- I would really recommend it.
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Review from K W.
Ballwin, MO
1/3/2011
Unbelievable flash fried spinach!!!! My husband went on a Saturday night on the spur of the moment and we just fell in love with the place. We had a little bit of a wait which was expected for a Saturday night so we had a glass of wine at the bar. While waiting, the owner came by and spoke to us. Then we were seated in a little alcove and had the best waiter ever!! He encouraged us to try the flash fried spinach and it was AMAZING!!! What started out as a spur of the moment night out turned out to be very romantic and really fun as our waiter interacted with us and we listened to the live piano music. What a great restauant....great food, great wine, and fantastic service!
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Review from Stephanie F.
San Francisco, CA
8/6/2010
We had an amazing experience at Lorusso's! For appetizers we had the toasted ravioli and calamari fritti, both were very good. Next time I would like to try the flash fried spinach, the table next to us ordered it and it looked delicious. We tried the della casa and caprese salads- excellent. For dinner we ordered the chicken spedini, eggplant lasagna, nanna's stuffed eggplant, and the scampi spinaci...everything was very tasty- great marinara sauce. For dessert we had the pear cobbler and the tiramisu, awesome! We will definitely be back!
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Review from Teresa M.
Saint Louis, MO
5/2/2011
I seriously have no idea how this place stays in business. From the moment we walked in and the hostess couldn't find our reservations till the end of the meal when our waitress took about 20 minutes to bring us our check everything was bad. We used the online reservations which the hostess admitted to us that they never check. So if you make a reservation I strongly suggest calling. It begs the question why have an online reservation system if you don't plan to use it? Strange. Since it was Sunday night there were plenty of tables open so we did get seated quickly even though the hostess was hemming and hawing about the reservation. Waitress comes by and we place our order. I tried the butternut squash ravioli and my husband orders the eggplant lasagna. Both were terrible. So terrible. Nothing was cooked right, the flavors were totally off. His red sauce tastes like it's from a cheap can. My raviolis were suppose to come in a sauce, but it tasted like fermented wine. I have a feeling this place uses the cheapest food ingredients they can get because there is nothing fresh or flavorful about the food. Since our meal was so bad, we decided to cut our loss there and just wanted the check. Our waitress seriously vanished and we waited there for about 20 minutes for the check. Oh, the bread that the serve you towards the beginning of the meal is dry and tastes like it was baked 2 days ago. And there is a $20 corkage fee which in my opinion is steep when your average meal costs between $15-22 dollars. Would never go back and would never suggest to a friend.
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Review from Sarah G.
Las Vegas, NV
6/6/2007
This restaurant was recommended by the manager at our Downtown St. Louis hotel. He called ahead for us, but that wasn't necessary for our dinner at 6:30 on a Tuesday evening. The restaurant wasn't more than a third full at the time, which gave our servers plenty of time to give us personal attention. (It was nearly full when we left 90 minutes later, though.) Our server was very helpful in assisting us with our entree choices, and he didn't steer us wrong. The food was absolutely fabulous, and would have been a great supper even at twice the price. Honestly, with as beautiful a restaurant as Lorusso's is, and the service so gracious - you'd expect it to cost twice as much. Oh, in case you're feeling adventurous - Ted Drewes Frozen Custard is a doable walk/hike from the restaurant, just be sure you've got comfy shoes. (Our busser gave us good info about this other St. Louis institution - what to order and not to be intimidated by the line.) A fabulous way to spend an early summer evening in St. Louis!
