Restaurant Review: Armando's Italian Restaurant and Pizza

is an unpretentious place with really good food.  Imagine the way your grandmother’s kitchen smells after she’s made a batch of her famous red sauce and that’s what it’s like to walk into Armando’s.

I went for lunch on a Saturday with my husband and our son. We arrived around noon and were seated immediately. There were a few other families eating, but the majority of the restaurant was empty. Having never been to Armando’s before I asked the waitress what she recommended. She said the most popular menu items are the lasagna ($7.95 lunch, $10.25 dinner) and the fettuccini alfredo ($7.75 lunch, $11.95 dinner), both of which come with two hot garlic rolls and a homemade soup or salad.

The menu is expansive with all the popular Italian dishes including appetizers, salads, soups, pasta dishes, baked pastas, entrees, seafood dinners, pizzas, Stromboli, calzones, subs, desserts and a children’s menu. The pizzas are available in 10, 14 and 16 inches and they have a great selection of gourmet options, such as Shrimp Diavolo and Chicken Ricotta. You can also create your own pizza with the variety of toppings available.  

On the way to our table we passed a family eating pizza and it looked really good so I took their lead and ordered a 10 inch Pizza Giardinara ($10.50) which has sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, scallions, mushrooms, zucchini and pecorino cheese. I also asked for chicken on it. My husband ordered a 10 inch pepperoni pizza ($7.50) and a small house salad ($2.50). Pizzas don’t normally come with hot garlic rolls, but our server was kind enough to bring us a couple anyway. Score! They were utterly naughty and delicious!  They had a crisp outer shell, doughy inside and were coated with the perfect amount of butter, garlic and parmesan cheese.

My husband and I were both extremely happy with our pizzas. The dough was light and fairly thin but still chewy and substantial enough not to flop over when you hold it in your hand. Best of all, it wasn’t greasy at all. The vegetables on my Pizza Giardinara were fresh, the chicken was lean and the pecorino cheese gave every bite a subtle nuttiness. I would order it again in a heartbeat! The ten inch size was perfect for my lunch. I ate a little over half of it and brought the rest home.

My husband was also pleased with his pepperoni pizza. The cheese was thick and the pepperoni was spicy. The sauce was sweet and tangy with a touch of oregano. Every pizza is served on an elevated silver platter with sides of garlic powder, oregano and red pepper flakes.

For an authentic Italian meal, go to Armando’s.  They’re open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon until 9 p.m.