In Springfield for a business trip...we drove by this restaurant on our first night there and knew we had to stop by. The restaurant is quaint and adorable. But the food is absolutely fabulous. Having been to Italy before, I found the food very authentic. We shared the gnocchi ragu, seafood risotto, and chicken and polenta. All of them were excellent. Service was great along with the ambiance. I highly recommend Nonna's Cafe!! Â Oh and the tiramisu is to die for!!
Review Source:Came here for lunch. Had the chicken with grilled polenta and steamed vegetables. The grilled polenta was well cooked and flavorful. I sure do love polenta. But you know what? I don't love it so much to eat two giant pieces of it along with a chicken breast and vegetables for lunch. One piece, on its own, was about the size of a bar of gold. I had troubles making it through one of them. Still, it was tasty; I just question the portion size. As for the rest of the meal, the carrots were undercooked; otherwise, the veggies were rather tasty. The chicken was overcooked, although flavorful.
As for the atmosphere...I couldn't help wondering whose homes they must have burgled in order to acquire all those random pictures on the wall. Although they may have been trying to achieve a homey-italian feel, it read more like "Great Aunt Louise's den" to me.
This place is ok for sure. I'd definitely be more inclined to try other places before heading back here again anytime soon though.
So, to be fair, I had read a lot of reviews before I went here. Â My bro-in-law picked Nonna's because they recently moved to Springfield and wanted to try something new. Â Upon entering, the first thing that popped into my mind was Restaurant: Â Impossible...anyway? Â Anyway, the place is pretty cozy, but upon further inspection, you see dirt, a horrible paint job, wreathes of sticks above the door, and really just a poorly kept cafe. Â
The bread was absolutely delicious! Â They kept our bread basket full to the brim, which is good because that's ultimately what I filled up on. Â
We started with an appetizer of calamari. Â Now, I won't bash this too hard, as if you order calamari in the Mid West you should be prepared for sub par food, HOWEVER, one could argue if you're going to put it on the menu, make it good. Â It was very greasy and over cooked, and worst of all, the batter seemed to be that of a catfish batter, or at least corn meal based. Â Not good. Â
For my dish, I decided to try the Mushroom Ravioli, based on the good reviews I'd read about it. Â It was most definitely not good. Â Unfortunately, the ravioli was over cooked, and basically tasted of garlic oil. Â Don't get me wrong, I LOVE garlic, but this dish was just TOO much. Â
My brother in law ordered the penne bolognese and his comment was that it was flavorless. Â He did not finish his meal. Â On the bright side, my sister's dish, the chicken breast with fettuccine was pretty decent, she had no complaints.
Overall, I thought the pricing was ok. Â The setting is good for a date night, though, if you're on a dinner date, this is probably not a place I would want to go. Â
I won't be returning, but I do hope they get it together. Â It could be a great place!
Sub par. A pasta dish should not ever be 17$  Wait staff was ok, I tried this place again becouse I love Downtown Springfield and want Nonna's to make it. But if  I am to be honest- I say take your hard earned money to D'arpino's, DiGiasinto's they have better selections, better pasta and sauce and better prices; and if you Love Italian food and want the real deal NO SUBSTITUTE: Gilardi's and Avanzare.
Sorry Nonna's-Black Listed!
Been here several times because my girlfriend likes it. Food is fairly good but way overpriced. Service is very ordinary. Last time I was there was for the Dinner and a Movie promotion. Turns out they had no tickets at 5:30 pm on a Saturday night. Go figure. To make things worse, I ordered a glass of red wine and what I got was half a glass of red wine, literally. 8 dollars for 4 ounces of red wine.... what a bargain! Made up for it by not tipping. If you order wine, be sure your glass is full. Won't be going back, I can cook this stuff at home.
Review Source:I love Nonna's. I always find a time to eat here when I'm home. Sit upstairs if you like to watch your food being made. And ask for Sam to serve you. He makes the best coSAMos, as I like to call them. Tell him Mel sent you and he will take the best care of you. Try the hummus of the night. It's always good. The hummingbird cake can't be missed or try the cheesecake. The flavor changes often. My favorite dish is the chicken linguini. Â But I usually opt for the special of the day.
Review Source:This is my absolute favorite Italian restaurant in town! Â I come from a restaurant family so I tend to be hyper critical of service and we have never had a bad experience at Nonna's. Our one year old son loves their hummus and the ingredients just seem so fresh. We try to make it there every Sunday because there are not a lot of options downtown on Sundays. Go to Nonna's, eat, drink, and enjoy the atmosphere!
Review Source:The garlic and Parmesan with the oil is nice but good god man how about a little balsamic vinegar to go with it for dipping you tit. The bread was a little on the soft side for dipping, the fried lasagna was interesting, the service was ok. All in all not a bad place to eat as we went there in between movies and they were fast enough to get us in fed and out with plenty of time to see our flick. Very courteous staff just not very memorable. Â Not the food nor the service. Remember "Life's too short to date ugly women or eat average food".
Review Source:This place was incredible. Went in for a light lunch and was thoroughly satisfied. Ordered a Capresse Salad with a seared tuna steak. The Tuna steak was cooked just right, seared on the outside, warm but red in the middle.
The Pesto and herbs that topped the sliced Tomatoes and fresh mozzarella was amazing. The fresh mozzarella was great but the tomatoes, although edible, weren't as fresh as I would have liked, albeit I have high standards when dealing with raw tomatoes (they have to be fresh from the garden roma's for me to love them). Not that it wasnt delicious, just that I would have liked roma's instead of the beefsteak tomatoes they used.
The olive oil used to dip the bread in was good quality and fresh extra virgin olive oil. Lots of places that dont know what they are doing will try to pass off cheaper light olive oil, not Nonna's though.
The Spumoni was a great end to the incredible meal.
The service was very friendly and prompt. They met my every need and gave suggestions as to what they thought I would like.
The verdict isnt quite in yet. I would still like to go in and try a full spread of theres. Cant say they are better than Bruno's, I'll have to try their meat sauce first (the gauge of any Italian joint). At this point, they are both on par with each other, and I highly recommend both.
I have NEVER had something good or as it was supposed to be while eating here. They can't cook meat to temperature. I once had to send back whipped potatoes because they were so salty I nearly vomited. You can order a dish with a side of polenta, but they're always out of polenta so why bother? The only reason I go back is because a lot of my friends like it because it's cheap, has a great location, and they're accustomed to eating this food. Actually, I have refused to go to Nonna's and had to ditch my friends on several occasions; it's that bad!
Review Source:Had lunch here one weekday. The waiter brought us out some homemade bread, fresh garlic and grated parmasean. There are bottles of Olive Oil on the tables so we made our own dipping sauce w/ it, the garlic and cheese (wait, that's what you're supposed to do, right?) The bread was kinda boring, I gotta say though. Bruno's gets better points in that area (not to mention their awesome sun dried tomato dipping oil but... that's another review, lol)
:
The atmoshpere was nice, they gave me a dish-towel for a napkin. That was odd. They didn't have any beer on tap but i guess i can't hold that against them. Michael ordered the Ciappino and it arrived with an ant on the plate crawling amongst the parsley (he didnt think that it was a big deal... but I was kinda not ok w/ it, lol) Â The pasta was really good but the seafood was just eh. I guess he should stop expecting good seafood here in MO. After him having lived in Florida, nothing here really lives up.
I got the Chicken Parm w/ Fettuchini Alfredo on the side. The chicken wasn't dry in the least bit, which was a plus but I was a little disappointed that the breading wasnt a little more crispy (after the sauce sat a few minutes, it got terribly mushy.) I'll be honest, I'm not a HUGE fan of authenitic sauces. Their marinara was definatly fresh, you could for sure tell that but it just seemed to be missing a little something. On it's own, the Fettuchini was a little doughy but mixed together in a bite w/ the chicken, the flavors melded perfectly and it was a bunch of cheesy/tomato-y goodness, lol. It was certainly a big serving. I am usually able to finish my meal but I couldnt this time. Still wanna try their dinner menu sometime (especially their Stuffed Chicken Marsala!)
Nonna's has a very casual/intimate atmosphere and would make for a a great date night dinner to a night out with the family. Prices were very fair, and the entrée size was very filling. I shared an order of the toasted 3 cheese ravioli, and have to say that it was very good I would highly recommend that you give it a shot. One item that I really wish that I would have tried was the fried lasagna. I only had a small bite of it but  have to say that it was very good and if I am back in town anytime soon I can promise you that I will be ordering that.
Review Source:I was in Springfield with a work colleague and we found Nonna's while  checking out the downtown area. It was subsequently recommended by the concierge at our hotel (OK so our hotel wasn't high end enough to have a concierge but still, the woman at the front desk made a solid recommendation) so we decided to give it a try.
Nonna's looks like it could work great as a date night, which was unfortunate since I was with someone from work. It had a great atmosphere, and even on a cold Tuesday night with less than half a dozen tables full, they had entertainment.
For dinner I had the seafood crepes on the recommendation of our server and started with a house salad. My colleague had the crepes florentine. Both of us were very pleased with our choices.
Prices were great too, probably $5 less than we would have paid in a larger market. This is a great Springfield treasure.
Recommended.
Brought to Springfield for a swim meet, I lucked out and ended up having a date-night opportunity sans children. Â Nonna's caught our eye.
In downtown Springfield, which pleasantly surprised me for a small-market city, Nonna's was located on one of the main drags running through it. Â Not much to look at on the outside but the art and photo walls, with a small upstairs landing, was appealing to the eye.
Not the most romantic venue, but the menu is authentic and the food was satisfying. Â Prices were commensurate to the options and quality. Â We shared the toasted ravioli, which is a little hard to come by sometimes, but it's the only way I like my ravioli so I must say: Â Yummy.
We had a bottle of a Pinot Noir (wine selection was a tad weak) and shared the seared tuna steak with freshly steamed vegetables. Â The veggies were perfect and the tuna was 'good.' Â My honey liked the tuna more than I and again, it was fine for the price, but I've had so much better.
On the whole, we fared well, and I have no regrets. Â For the price, it was time well spent and my taste buds took that into account. Â For $61 all-in, it was spot on.
I'd go back again.
I have been going to Nonna's for years, and always have a good experience. My husband and I love to come here for special occasions when we don't want to spend much money. It's especially great for vegetarians as there are numerous items to choose from.
My favorite dish is the Mushroom Ravioli, and the Eggplant Parmesan is a close second. If your feeling particularly hungry, the house salad is a perfect starter. They also give you some Italian bread with olive oil, freshly crushed garlic, and parmesan cheese.
For parties and large groups, you can easily call ahead and reserve the upper balcony. It's one of my favorites spaces in Springfield, overlooking the restaurant and part of the kitchen.
They also have an excellent wine menu with a small selection of port and beer.
Nonna's comes highly recommended as a local favorite!
I've been to Nonna's roughly 5 or 6 times. Each time has been just good enough, with little to make me yearn for another visit. Perhaps I have just ordered the wrong things but even this excuse is becoming tired... The atmosphere of Nonna's is quite appealing as it is quaint and charming. If you come as a large party or get seated in the overflow upstairs, you will enjoy a bird's eye view of the kitchen and the cooks in action. As far as I know, this vantage point is unique to Nonna's.
When reflecting on my handful of Nonna's experiences, there was one dish that was exceedingly lack luster. I almost shudder now thinking about the Ratatouille. This dish consisted of a about a dozen noodles... seriously I think there were only about 12. These noodles were submerged at the bottom of bowl that was brimming over with really watery tomato sauce and chunks of tomatoes.... There were a few other vegetables that were drowned in the red sea too. After the first taste, I was pretty convinced that I was eating an entire can of whole peeled tomatoes. There was even a slightly metallic taste, that can only be achieved when tomatoes are trapped inside a dark aluminum can for a couple of years. There's nothing wrong with using a canned component to a sauce or a dish, but I think it must remain an element and not the final product. There was nothing personal or special about this sauce that might suggest a thoughtful hand in the kitchen... unless you include the effort to open the can.
This terrible dish was an anomaly to my other Nonna's dinning experiences. Their warm pita bread that is a companion to their hummus appetizer is probably the most memorable thing I have had and it was truly delightful. I don't know if they prepare the pita bread in house, but it was softer and better than most I have had. I have also had the spanakopita, the eggplant Parmesan, the seafood crepes, and the beef tenderloin tips. Of these entrees, the beef tenderloin tips were easily the best, while the others were fine, but not exceptional.
The food aside, the service has always been really friendly and prompt. They know their menu and they are able to answer your questions. I have just eagerly been waiting for that "YES" experience when I dive into a Nonna's signature dish. Since it hasn't happened yet, I don't know when I will be back... It will have to be over lunch when the prices will be cheap so I won't feel bad over an average meal.
Found Nonna's on my BB after a Springfield Cardinals game (1.5 mi away) and was really surprised. The food and service was great. The special for the night was lamb chops with a balsamic BBQ sauce. It was different and delicious.
All the dishes smelled and looked incredible.
Now I have a great Italian place in Springfield bookmarked and will always return whenever I'm back in town.
I visited Nonna's for lunch on a week day - it was excellent. My lunch included spanokopita and couscous, which were delicious. An Italian friend remarked that couscous is a prominent part of Sicilian cuisine, and she looks forward to visiting Nonna's when she comes to Springfield. My dining partner's chicken parm featured a fat, juicy chicken breast, not the flattened breaded patty so common in lesser restaurants.
A great place for down home Italian cuisine, like Nonna used to make.
Hands down the best Italian/Greek (Hey, they have awesome Calamata Olives and some really good Greek dishes) in Springfield and surrounding areas.
Expect a massive Antipasto plate with Olives, cheese, Broccoli and Pepperochini for starters (It's worth it) some very decent priced wines, great food and an Corsican version of guitarr by the window.
In short. A very nice place for you, your date and conversation over good food.
i miss this and The Moxie. i have two Italian aunts and this place is the closest place i've ever had outside of their kitchen or Little Italy in NYC. who knew that Springfield had such kickass Italian?
the service is superb and i love to sit upstairs. the picture in my profile was taken at Nonna's at my last dinner there. i tend to order the chicken parmagiana religiously but i've never had a bad choice there. the tiramisu is to die for. the sausage and polenta is excellent even if it was the Jerkface Ex's favorite. i had the seafood lasagna and nearly died of joy. i don't think there is a bad choice on the menu. there is a ton of variety and something for everyone. it's authentic and tastes like my Nanny's homemade gravy!
my BFF Andrew and i would eat here after a movie at The Moxie. it was the perfect combination! i love their olive oil with fresh garlic to dip your bread in. even their Cokes are fizzy and cold and just right. what's even better is that you can eat like a king for a good price and still end up having to get a to-go box for your leftovers!
this is the go-to place when i had out of town visitors. it's the best thing about Springfield!
I LOVE Nonna's. We've been enjoying this place for ~10 years. Lunch and dinner, both are great - different menus for each. Lunch is more sandwich/salad driven. Dinners are the typical Italian fare - lasagna, spaghetti, chicken parm, etc with some specialties of the house. They also have delicious gnocci. Fresh bread and "butter" are served up front with your meal. The wait staff is always friendly. We moved away from Springfield a couple of years ago, so when we visit we always hit Nonna's. We also bring a container and take home some "gravy". Happy dining!
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