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  • 0

    This is a historic Italian place - yes it was in Rainman but I think the history of being open during the gangster era is by far more interesting.

    My partner ordered a chicken pasta dish that was absolutely out of this world. I ordered a half spaghetti, half ravioli dish that was OK, I was expecting more out of their marinara sauce.  Another member of our party ordered a veal dish and it was not good. The veal was dry and the dish was bland with little to no flavoring. I also expected more out of the bread - tasteless.

    The service was very good and they have an excellent wine list. Bar is decent; I was disappointed in their beer selection.

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  • 0

    I am baffled. Really. This place has been listed as the best Italian restaurant in some local publications. I was looking to do something cool, and this turned up as one of the locations for the great film, Rain Man. So we chose this place as our Friday dinner spot.

    The place was full to brim, and it seemed like it was full of local families, which i thought, is always a good sign. There are some Rain Man memorabilia on the walls.We waited for some 20 minutes before we got a table. I got a beer from the bar so the wait was ok. By this time we made our choices from the menu.

    For antipasti, we got a bruschetta. I am  not exaggerating, but we felt the bruschetta came out of some fastfood chain kitchen. It got the looks, but soggy and tasting bad. Each of us had one piece which we somehow finished. So much for the McShetta.

    I ordered a Ravioli, with Pompilios Meatball sauce. My wife ordered a Shrimp Ronaldo. None of the dishes impressed us. May be i don't like Meatball sauce. I had liked Meat sauce from Bella Luna and i wanted to experiment a little. The experiment was a failure. My wife went into the desperation mode and ordered a bunch of desserts. A Tiramisu, and 2 cheese cakes. Tiramisu was not as good as the one in Olive Garden. And that says something. Cheesecakes were adequate, did not open any new door for me. Anyways my bar for desserts is pretty high due to living close to Bonbonerie.

    I had checked into this place on Facebook,thinking that i would add something like "and xxc was so delicious" but that never happened. For once, i am happy that only 2 people liked my status.

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  • 0

    This is such a hard review for me to write because this is such a historical and nostalgia type place, but unfortunately that is probably the only thing keeping this place open.

    To start off, I ordered a bloody mary that tasted frankly like a bucket of barbeque sauce which was odd? I passed it around the table and not one person would drink it. Free booze and it's that bad? Yes. We had a big group of around 8. We started with some apps, that were OK at best.

    Then we ordered a variety of entrees. I ordered their "famous lasagna." I usually always go with what they say they do best. What came out what the most disgusting display of food I have ever witnessed. The lasagna was so soggy and tasted defrosted, or watered down. The ratio of ingredients was horrible. The entire thing was basically ricotta. And as for the famous red sauce, there was a heaping pile of it slopped on top adding absolutely no flavor, texture, or anything to the dish.  I get that it is old world, but come on people. This was so bad, I feel gross just thinking about it. Bottom line, it was inedible. Again we passed it around and some of the men in my family are like garbage disposal's and they wouldn't even touch it.  

    My dad ordered the special which was a pumpkin risotto with tilapia. Everything was beige, No color, no texture. The risotto was so overcooked it was also inedible. The taste all around was bland. It didn't even taste like there was salt, let alone a hint of any other flavor. The only glimpse of hope was a meatball sub in which we took the overcooked meat balls off of, and fought over the garlic bread it was on.

    I get that it is old world. And now I understand why when we walked in it looked like a nursing home. This is where people used to go, but hopefully I will never have to not eat, here again if that makes sense. Went home starving. The service was okay and why I'm giving this place two stars instead of one. I hate to do this to a place's reputation, but be warned.

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  • 0

    I was looking for a nice, Italian restaurant to take Dana to as she recently became a resident of Cincinnati and we wanted to celebrate her birthday. After searching on Yelp, this looked like the most promising of the 14 or 15 restaurants that popped up, but I couldn't have been more wrong.

    Admittedly, I was suckered in by the fact that this place has been open since 1933 and that a scene from "Rain Man" was filmed her. I enjoy going to places with history. As for charm level, this place is great. It has a nice vibe to it and looks really cute in a way that only old-time homegrown restaurants can be.

    We walked in and were seated quickly and almost everything on the menu sounded delicious! However, most of the meal proved to be extremely underwhelming.

    The meal started with the complimentary basket of bread and butter that was brought to the table. It was clearly sliced, white bread from a grocery store put in a basket. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't even warmed or even made to look as though it had possibly been baked at the restaurant.

    For an appetizer, we had the "Breaded Cheese Sticks" ($6.99), which tasted like Mozzarella Sticks that were bought frozen from a Kroger store and heated up a few moments before they were brought to the table. They weren't bad, but once again, it felt like a lack of effort.

    We also shared the Caeser Salad that came with my main course and it was nothing to write home about either.

    For our main courses, I had the Chicken Parmesan ($12.29) and Dana had Rigatoni and Meatballs ($10.29). The sauce on both of the dishes was extremely bland...almost as though it were tomato paste with light seasoning. The same goes for both the chicken and the meatballs as far as blandness goes...very little flavor.

    The one redeeming aspect of the meal was the cannoli ($5.29) that we had for dessert. It was actually very good...not too crispy and not too soft...just right.

    Overall, we were both very under-impressed with this place as it seemed as though it would be wonderful judging from the reviews on here.

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  • 0

    I could eat the sauce by itself! It's delicious

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  • 0

    Love Pomillios!  I live a couple blocks from them and eat there often.  The customer service is great and the food is awesome.

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  • 0

    I went to Pompilios for lunch and got their Italian Sampler.  The food was very good, but I was a little surprised with what seemed like lack of effort that went into the presentation of the meal.  Everything on my plate was swimming in marinara sauce like they just slopped it on.  It wasn't so much that it didn't look appetizing, but I literally couldn't even see my food because there was so much sauce.  Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it.

    For the sampler and the cheesecake I had for dessert, I spent $20.  I'd go back again someday.

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  • 0

    I love this place for their eggplant parmesan and their embracing of whole wheat pasta.  You can sub whole wheat for many of their traditional pasta dishes which is great!   I always start with an antipasti platter, an italian salad and the eggplant.  The garlic bread is fantastic but with cheese it can be a bit too heavy.  

    The bar area is smoking and they do serve soft drinks in little glass bottles (no free refills) but it's all about the atmosphere and the food at Pompilios!  Also on the night before the Flying Pig they got us in and out and on our way at a reasonable hour which we appreciated since they don't take reservations!

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  • 0

    If you've ever seen the 1987 classic "Rain Man", you've seen Pompilio's. And if you visit Pompilio's, you will eat classic Italian food.

    I came here with my girlfriend Kayla to celebrate our one month anniversary. It took a few minutes, but we were finally seated and after a few minutes more we were able to place our orders.

    I went with the cheese ravioli in meat sauce and a Caesar Salad, while Kayla got the spaghetti with sauce and meatballs with the tossed salad. Everything is HUGE here. And by huge, I mean the meatballs were big and the raviolis were big, and the salad portions were large. And both ravioli and spaghetti were just swimming in sauce.

    We each got a Coke, although I was surprised when our server asked if we wanted it in a bottle or from the fountain. The menu made it seem as though the bottle was the only option. They need to update that.

    Another thing that needs some minor help: the bathrooms. As this place is pre-ADA by quite a bit, I'm willing to let the fact there was no accessible stall slide, but they were so small that turning the wheelchair around was simply not going to happen, thus I dock a single star here.

    Therefore, Pompilio's gets a 4 out of 5. Great food, decent service. You do pay for the experience (around $33 for two people pre-tip), but it was overall worth the price.

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  • 0

    Smokers in the bar while we were waiting was very irritating to my eyes & lungs.  The only thing that saved me was standing in the open doorway to outside (it was balmy) for 45 minutes.  I would have given another star if there was NO smoking.  I was not the only one bothered by the smoke.  

    They were quite busy on this Tuesday evening.  Dinner was very good, both food & service. I was there with a group of 12.  My Shrimp Ronaldo was very good & came with a nice salad for $12.79.  My friends said their food was also very good.  
    We will go back when they are completely smoke-free.

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  • 0

    Visited Pomplilios for the first time on Sunday. Love, love , love! The food is wonderful, generous entrees (we could've have shared the tortellini) and the service was helpful and courtesy without lingering.  For two entrees with salad and bread and two crafts beers came to $50 with tip. Not too bad for a great meal with plenty to take home for lunch tomorrow.

    Overall Pompilios was a enjoyable dining experience. Cant wait for warmer weather so we can enjoy a meal on the charming patio. We're looking forward to visiting again and again .

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  • 0

    So, this is the second time I'd been to Pompilio's, but only my first time actually eating there. The first time, my fiance and I were basically ignored for twenty minutes trying to get on the list to be seated, while parties who had come in after us were being seated almost immediately. If it's never happened to you, it's pretty infuriating, and it's not the first time this has happened to us.

    When a group of coworkers decided to go there for a holiday lunch, I figured I'd give them another shot--at least I knew I'd actually get seated this time. And I guess I still just don't get it. Maybe it's because I rarely eat pasta anymore, but I just thought Pompilio's was all hype and no real food substance. The place was busy for lunch, but not packed, and service was middling at best. We did have a large group, but a good server should still be able to handle multiple tickets without problems.

    I had the tortellini in three-cheese sauce and I felt like I'd eaten a brick afterwards. The dish kind of hardened and congealed as I ate it, making it even heavier and grosser. It was excessively oily as well, and I'm a fan of olive oil in just about everything. If I go back I'll make sure to get a marinara dish or something non-pasta, because the Cesar salad was pretty good, and I hate to write off local institutions without giving them another chance.

    I'm glad to see a local institution doing strong business, so two stars for now, until my next trip. Maybe the third time really will be a charm.

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  • 0

    While most people rave about this place, I thought it was rather average. After a long wait, I ordered lasagna - which didn't take long to come out, but was tasteless. The nostalgia of this place may keep it open...but I don't think I'll return.

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  • 0

    This place rocks!  I want to try everything on the menu because they all look delicious, but my favorite is the Poached Salmon & Dill Sauce!  The pricing is very reasonable and staff is fast and friendly.
    This is one family owned restaurant I like supporting.   The building itself has alot of history and character.  
    I just love it here!!

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  • 0

    I love this place. My sister had her rehearsal dinner here back in like 1999 because it was where her and her husband's first date was, and that is my earliest memory of this place. I remember loving it - they have a patio out back that is great for that kind of thing, and the food was so good.

    I have been consistently going since then (let me be clear, I was like 12 in 1999) and loved it. Their sauce is amazing (I buy it at Remke's a lot - I need to get some when I'm back home because it is delicious) both meat and marinara and their pasta is delicious.

    One complaint (a big one for my husband) is that they do Coke by the glass bottle. And it's kind of pricey. But honestly, it's worth coming for the food and I like the cute little bottles.

    It is really cute inside - kind of close together, really full, and this old "Italian" feel that has that great we painted it to look this way feel that I love so much. The booths are super comfy if you can get one.

    Parking is a mess - be careful. It's a thin lot and people park crazily. I suggest parking on the street if you can.

    The pasta is great - their tortellini is my favorite and I always have leftovers. The bread they serve is always fresh and delicious. And it's well priced.

    A good Italian staple.

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  • 0

    Remember old school Pompilio's with the jukeboxes at each table? I've grown up with this restaurant, evolving from my childhood favorite, "The Best Grilled Cheese In The World" to their signature ravioli dishes. I also really enjoy the eggplant Parmesan and antipasto appetizers. It's not the best Italian food I've ever had, but it eats, and is consistent in flavors. Pompilio's is one of restaurants you get a hankering for every so often, and has a signature taste you can only experience here.

    Order water with your meal. Soda is served in little glass bottles which is around $2.00 with no refills.

    Service here has always been quick. My favorite experience included an adorable elderly waitress with a beehive hairdo. She mistakenly used a straw to write down our order. I watched a tomato nonchalantly roll off a salad plate as she carried them to our table. Later, she brought over a disorganized fist full of checks, shuffled through them confused, but had memorized the exact price of each of our orders. I was impressed and amused, she got a great tip. Lovable Italian Grandma...she adds to the restaurant's character!

    One huge compliment for Pompilio's is that although the restaurant permits smoking, the smoking area is walled-off, completely separated by the kitchen from the non-smoking area. The entrance is in the non-smoking section, allowing customers to never experience the smell of smoke if they choose not to be around it. Thank you, Pompilio's!

    Price per person: $12.00

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  • 0

    I've lived in Cincinnati all my life, with the exception of the two months I lived in Dayton, Ky. Today was my first visit to Pompilios. I was excited because I love Italian food and I was interested to see all the Rain Man stuff.

    I'll give Pompilios one star for the Rain Main stuff. I'll give it another star for the gorgeous bar. I'll give it a third for the $5 lunch special! Now THAT is a deal. No stars for the food, I'm afraid. It was just okay. I had the grilled chicken pasta with olives, sun dried tomatoes and olive oil. The chicken tasted like it was pulled from an overdone baked chicken you can pick up at Kroger. The chicken was in no way succulent. It was the dry, crispy outside pieces. Note - I have never noticed the chicken at Kroger being overdone. Saying the chicken in this dish was like overdone Kroger baked chicken is an allegory.

    Anyway, I've used the word Kroger more times in this review than the word Pompilios. I guess that says something.

    Though some of the reviews on here give me pause, I would be willing to give the place a try for dinner sometime.

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  • 0

    We recently attended a rehearsal dinner here and had a decent experience. The waitress seemed overwhelmed by our group but it's probably understandable. It took a really long time to get our food, but there were a lot of people. Service varied from very nice to so-so depending on who was at our table at the time.

    The restaurant is pretty big and has a nice bocce ball court and patio area. The food was fine- I'm not sure if it's the type of place you get fresh made pasta (except their ravioli and lasagna), but I would agree with Alex S. that it's slightly expensive for what you get. That being said, the folks who ordered the scallops were very happy and I had a taste- pretty delicious.

    Not sure if this would be my go-to place for Italian, but it's friendly and good if you want to have a leisurely night with some bocce ball.

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  • 0

    Don't get me wrong... I like Pompilios. But I used to LOVE it. Then we had a succesion of indifferent server experiences and on our last visit they had switched up the recipe for my favorite thing on their menu, the Chicken Marsala, as well as jacking their prices up far beyond what I consider to be a reasonable level (especially in the current economic climate). Consequently we haven't been back since maybe the start of this year.

    I can't see why people rave about the bread. It's soft, bland and boring as far as I am concerned, no better than the cheapest loaf from a dollar store. Crunchy freshly-made bread for the win, please!

    The extra point they could otherwise get for serving ice cold Coke in glass bottles is, sadly, withdrawn as the Coke is the regular HFCS-laden nastiness rather than the proper stuff with real sugar in it.

    The atmosphere works - despite almost everyone having to walk through the smelly smoking area to get to their table - and they are rightly proud of their association with the hit movie "Rain Man".

    Good, but was great. Could be great again with a little work and less snotty servers.

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  • 0

    I have lots of great memories of Pompilio's.  It was always the gathering spot for our family when someone was in town or there was a special occasion.  As a kid I always thought it was cool that Rain Man was filmed there and they had a bunch of the memorabilia hanging up.

    Now I love Pompilio's for a different reason: the delicious food.  Everything I've tried on the menu has been great.  And there's something for whatever kind of food mood you're in.  I believe you have to judge an Italian restaurant on their spaghetti sauce.  It's on most entrees, and if they don't know how to make good sauce, they probably don't know how to make much else.  Pompilio's sauce is great.  Especially their meat sauce, which I don't usually like anywhere.  They actually have meatball meat in theirs which is so much tastier than whatever other places use.  

    The outdoor patio is great in warm weather.  Lots of space to sit and a good atmosphere.  They also have a bocce ball court with tournaments.  Drinks are pretty cheap too, so you can relax outside for a while without worrying too much about the tab.  

    The only negative to this place is the service.  It's fast enough, but not always the friendliest.  They tend to know a lot of the regulars, and if you aren't one, you feel a little left out.  They don't make a lot of effort if they don't know you.  

    My favorites: the spinach artichoke dip for an app, and just plain spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.  Usually I feel silly ordering spaghetti when I can make it at home, but when it's this good, it's worth it.

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  • 0

    The fiancée and I went for dinner last night and were very underwhelmed. We arrived between 8-8:30, but there was still a 25 minute wait (even though there were enough empty tables to seat everyone who was waiting). After waiting nearly 10 minutes, the 3 groups in front of us were seated, but then we had to wait nearly 10 more minutes - while hangrily* eyeing 4 empty tables - before we were finally seated.

    The pre-dinner bread was boring: thin white bread that tasted like the stuff you get in elementary school. Both the fiancee's meal and mine were bland, and neither came with much protein: I only got 3 small-medium shrimp and 2 scallops in a dinner portion!

    Also, I'd like to point out that the fun and somewhat exciting historical fact that the movie "Rain Man" was filmed at Pompilio's does not mean the place has good food. The two are completely separate aspects of the restaurant.

    The only redeeming quality for Pompilio's was that the cannoli we ordered for dessert was good.

    I would not recommend going here to eat.

    *hangrily = hungrily + angrily (root: hangry = hungry + angry)

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  • 0

    Best Italian food in the Greater Cincinnati area. You can go to Brio's down the street for twice as much and half the quality but I wouldn't recommend it. Best marinara sauce in the city with great bread. I recommend the Italian sampler.

    The place has a lot of history and has been open for decades. It was actually in the movie Rain Man in the "toothpicks" scene. Overall dynamite place to eat with a bill around 30 bucks for two people.

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  • 0

    I love me some Italian. So far nothing beats Vito's Cafe, where performing arts students sing show tunes to you while the server waits for you to sample the wine, but credit where it's due: Pompilio's was my first independent Italian after I moved here, and it's still pretty high on the list.

    I won't bother mentioning the Rain Man scene with the toothpicks; the other reviewers here seem to have it covered. But I will mention that the place really, really wants you to remember it. There's memorabilia from the shoot everywhere, tons of stuff signed by cast and crew. It's maybe slightly on the tacky side, but Pompilio's still comes out ahead on the classy front in spite of this, and hey, not every Italian restaurant has so many pictures of Tom Cruise.  

    The atmosphere hovers somewhere between formal and casual; you can get away with either. It's fairly small and intimate, good for dates. It almost goes without saying that the food is excellent, though prices are on par for the fare. It's the sort of place where you want to be a regular, and you want to learn the cooks' schedules so you can come in and get that dish you love done just right. There's outdoor seating for the warmer months, and a small bar facing the street, though I don't imagine most people would go here for that.

    There are enough options for Italian in this city that you'll likely be offered a lot of other (and better) suggestions. Vito's would be mine. But I'd recommend trying this place at least once. It's certainly not bad; I am giving it four stars, after all. If you want good Italian at a restaurant that doesn't take itself too seriously--and I cannot make that claim for Vito's--this is your best bet.

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  • 0

    There's a famous scene in 80's classic "Rain Man," where a waitress, played buy unknown-at-the-time Bonnie Hunt, spills a box of toothpicks on the floor, and savant-Raymond, played by Dustin Hoffman, knows exactly how many are on the floor. It's amazing.

    That scene - filmed right here, in the family owned classically - Italian Pompillio's.

    A friend of mine once told me that Pompillios' feels like someone's kid sister is taking your order and bringing you food. That's very very true. Everyone is full of smiles and down-home charm. Forget the corporate-nonsense of Olive Garden, when you come to this place, you're family.

    The food at Pompillios' is decent. Not the best Italian meal I've ever had, but the meatball on top of my spaghetti was large and freshly cooked and the sauce was thick and tasty. I was quite happy. A little expensive for what it was, but oh well.

    Plus, it's such a landmark of popular-culture - and don't they know it. "Rain Man" posters and pictures and autographs and memorabilia line the walls. They've even put together a giant cloth mural depicting scenes of the movie above the inner-doorway. And on the mural? Why, the toothpicks from the scene, of course.

    I'm not sure I would go back again just for the food, but if a hungry movie lover came to town? There's nowhere else in Cincinnati I'd rather taken them.

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  • 0

    I took my two daughters here as I thought they would be intrigued by the "Rain Man" connection, and I had enjoyed meals here in the past. There is a good amount of parking nearby, if you find there is not enough room in their lot. We entered through the bar side, mainly to start the evening off by seeing where the movie scenes were filmed. We then traversed the restaurant to the more formal dining side. We were at first escorted to a ridiculously cramped table in the far corner of the room. When seated, there was barely enough room to breathe as the distance from the seat to the table was incredibly tight. This would be acceptable only for a couple sitting on one side. We moved ourselves to the next booth up, and found it to be very comfortable.

    Our waiter turned out to be extremely friendly. We ordered drinks, water for me, root beer and Sprite for my daughters. These arrived promptly, though we were surprised that they came as a 12 ounce bottle of root beer, and an 8 ounce bottle of Sprite; both served with a glass of ice.

    I ordered the veal Marsala. My oldest daughter asked if she could she get a mix of the cheese and meat tortellini. The waiter said they would be glad to do it. My other daughter ordered the Boneless Stuffed Chicken Breast Florentine. The tortellini did not come with a salad like the other entrees, so a side salad was ordered. A basket of bread and butter was brought out. I was a little disappointed that although it was fresh, it was cold, and was just sliced bread from what was likely a store bought loaf. I expected better here.

    The salads were simple: Lettuce, grape tomatoes and a couple slices of cucumbers. Two came with the honey mustard (reminiscent of Marzetti's), the other a red-wine vinegar. All were excellent.

    The entrees arrived hot, and looked fresh. The tortellini was very good, with a nice, fresh marinara sauce. The pasta was cooked well, and the meal got a good review from my oldest daughter.

    The younger daughter also liked her stuffed chicken. The spinach linguini was perfectly cooked, the sauce was very good, and the stuffing and breading were nice. The chicken was a little bit dry, but nothing that the sauce couldn't overcome.

    The veal Marasala was the disappointment of the night. While the pasta was cooked well, the sauce was extremely salty. Not to the point of being inedible, but distracting with every bite. In addition, the veal was surprisingly fatty, and chewy. Exactly the opposite of what veal is supposed to be.

    The night was enjoyable overall. The portion sizes were large; more than half of two of the meals went home in a to-go container. The waiter was very friendly and hospitable, and the atmosphere is excellent for a home town favorite. Expect a wait, on any night, unless you arrive by 5:00. Pompilios is a local legend with a Hollywood past - a perfect combination for a great night out. Although not perfect, we will certainly be back.

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  • 0

    Cool atmosphere in the bar area. It's like a time capsule. I'd definitely recommend hanging out at the bar rather than dining in. The food is just OK to me. They do have some vegetarian options, but they are limited, and not particularly exciting.

    There is an outdoor area out back and in the warmer months, you can play Bocce Ball back there, which is fun.

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  • 0

    This restaurant serves consistently good food.
    My only complaint is the tiny bottles of Coke products.  I would rather have a fountain drink.
    This place hasn't changed in years and it doesn't need to.  I married in to an Italian family and they love the place.  We spend the summers on the bocci ball courts.
    The menu has been updated to include some sandwiches.
    The lasagna is wonder, as is the eggplant parm.
    You won't be disappointed with your experience at Pompilio's.

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  • 0

    I am with Kelly L.  Was in town visiting, asked for a good Italian place (heard they went here during the filming of Rain Main or something), and really was underwhelmed with the food.

    Atmosphere was 'cute', but food was really not exciting.  Almost gave them four stars, but just can't.  Sorry.

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  • 0

    If you want authentic Italian food in NKY, don't pass up Pompilio's! Located a few blocks from Newport on the Levee, this is by far the biggest bang for your buck, especially for Italian.

    The portions are perfectly-sized: not too big, not small, and priced right. Our service was fast, which was a pleasant surprise given that we were there on a Friday night during Restaurant Week.

    My Italian friend said I could include his thoughts in my review: "Let them know a real Italian likes this place!"

    I definitely plan on being back for food and for bocce!

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  • 0

    I've eaten at Pompilio's 3x and I cannot believe the reviews this place gets for good food. Atmosphere is 5 stars-very cool. But food. BLECH.

    Go because you want to see where Rain Man was filmed or to play bocce' ball out back. Don't go for the food. I mean this.

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  • 0

    In my opinion Pompilio's is hands down,  the best Italian place in NKY. Don't come expecting a pizza or a meatball sub, the menu here is top notch. Try the calamari alfredo, it's a classic.
    It's really busy on weekends so, come early. The best time to go is during the week because there isn't an extreme wait. However, if you do have to wait, stick it out you won't be dissappointed. Plus they filmed the toothpick scene from Rainman there! If you like Dustin Hoffman and great Italian food Pompilio's is your place!

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  • 0

    As my cousin is a native of the area, I looked to her for options on where to go for dinner. She suggested Pompiio's for it's connection to the movie Rain Man. Not really having any other ideas, I went along. Alas, what she didn't tell me is the food is mediocre at best.

    I started with a cup of the minestrone, which was mostly a bowl of black olives and a red-base, not at all what I was expecting. I've eaten more than my fair share of minestrone, and not once have I had been bombarded with black olives. I ate around the olives as best as I could (I loathe olives), and found the base to have just an odd flavor.

    For the main dish I went for their sampler that was a "favorite" of the Rain Man cast. It's a couple pieces of ravioli, a piece of lasagna and a couple other items haphazardly tossed on a plate and doused with a red sauce. The sauce itself was meh, and the rest of the food didn't do much for me either.

    Unless you're a movie buff and just want to say "I was there!" the next time you're watching Rain Man on DVD, you can skip Pompilio's.

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  • 0

    I had looked forward to trying Pompilio's given the praise I'd heard and my love for true old family Italian joints. However, it was clear Pompilio's is resting on their laurels, and I was greatly disappointed.

    My parents and I came here to celebrate my mom's birthday and decided to go all out, ordering some appetizers and salads in addition to our entrees. We had the toasted ravioli, which was probably my favorite thing I had there, and the caprese salad. The caprese salad was small for its price, and the mozzarella tasted pretty ordinary and did not have the decadent moisture that I expect from an authentic Italian restaurant.

    I had the lasagna, which was underwhelming. Tasted a bit like it had been prepared the day before and had been sitting under a warming lamp. I did like the sauce and the fact that the dish wasn't overly heavy as some lasagna dishes can be.

    The absolute KILLER though was that they do not offer freshly-grated Parmesan. WHAT!? If I wanted to ruin my "authentic" Italian dinner with store-bought cheese dust, I would have carried my refrigerated Kraft Cheese Parmesan Shaker in my purse. Maybe it's an Italian family tradition to use this stuff, but I haven't encountered that custom at other authentic Italian restaurants.

    I do have to give some credit for the fact they do have the bocce ball court here, although it was December and I couldn't play.

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  • 0

    Back in Newport's darker days my dad brought Mom to this great little restaurant. It's been a family favorite for too many years to count. It was my favorite date night and family night location for nearly a decade. It's also the place that scene in Rainman with the phone book and the waitress was filmed (you can find all kinds of photos and posters on the walls). One night my dad whispered to me that Cincinnati Bengal's coach Marvin Lewis was just heading out after his meal and I looked up just in time to spot a tall dark frame with a friendly face before he exited, pretty cool!

    This family owned, historic and slightly kitschy location has great food, reliable servers (many who have been there for years) and a really great if crowded bar area. Call ahead for seating or sit at the bar to wait for your table. If your unsure of what to order and you're not a vegetarian, try the Italian Sampler.

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  • 0

    Pompilio's is the quintessential neighborhood italian joint. It's a neighborhood staple, where people come "every friday night" for years and years.

    Like many people, I have been coming here since I was a kid. I took my soon to be wife on our first date here. And for a while I stayed away. Everything felt like it was going through the motions.

    In the past year or two, however, Pompilio's has been revitalized. They've added some really good menu items, on the top end and the bottom. The Bocce Ball courts have been fixed up, and the service has improved.

    Favorites for food:
    Artichoke Spinach & Cheese Dip and Toasted Ravioli for appetizers

    Chicken Milanese, Chicken Florentine, Shrimp Ronaldo, Italian Sausage Hoagie, and Three Cheese Tortellini for entrees

    spend the extra money for a caesar salad, its delicious

    Comparing the bread to the olive garden is downright silly. Gimenetti Baking Company makes the bread fresh every day, and they slice it at Pompilio's on a bread slicer from the 1920s, and if you notice, the bread almost goes stale by the time your meal is done = no preservatives. Wonder Bread? give me a break.

    They have specials going on all the time. Last night was 1/2 price wine and appetizer night, and they'll be having a Christian Moerlien and Great Lakes Brewing Company beer tastings in the coming weeks, according to our host Larry, who was handling a really busy night fantastically.

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  • 0

    I have only been here once, but it is certainly a place to experience. On a weekend night, the place will be packed, with standing room only in the bar while you wait for a table. Fortunately we were seated in a medium sized dining room, not the smallest and not the largest, which seems to have a diner-like feel.

    My Alfredo pasta dish was excellent. The service was slow, but as I said, the place was swamped. My husband did not particularly like the lasagna; it was dry. Interestingly, while we waited at the bar, I asked someone next to me what she recommended. She said she gets the meatball sub with a side of sauce. I think that may be the key: if you like lots of sauce, order extra.

    Of course the place is full of character and nostalgia. Between the fact that it's been there forever and the connection to the Rain Man movie and the photos of Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman in the bar, you have to go at least once.

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  • 0

    We usually go later in the evening when there aren't many people. The service is usually superb. The food has always been great.

    My favorite is the fried ravioli.

    I can't give it 5 stars because the last time we went, our favorite waiter was actually pretty grumpy to us (and we tip very well). Must have had a bad night.

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  • 0

    Pompilio's is practically an institution - this place has been around for some time and they know what they're doing - which is casual, Italian fare with no pretense. This is your standard Italian spaghetti and meatball/iceberg salad kinda joint, so don't go expecting them to pronounce bruschetta "broo-skett-uh" or ricotta "rick-goat-eh."

    The food isn't spectacular, but it is pretty good, and this is a good place to take large groups and kids. In the summertime, relax out on the back patio and enjoy a Peroni and game of bocce. Bocce leagues run Monday-Thursday nights during the summer.

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  • 0

    What a fantastic place.

    I have been coming to Pompilio's since I was a baby.  I remember being infatuated with the coin operated select-o-matic jukeboxes on the tables.

    What's to say.  Eggplant parmigiana is to die for.  Their bread is fantastic.  Sauce is delicious.  

    So five stars?  I wouldn't say the place is an extreme value but nostalgia and quality eggplant parmigiana together are priceless. Five stars.

    Funny story... one of the grandchildren of the owners was hitting on my then girlfriend/now wife and invited her out to dinner here.  Heh it was funny because I had already beat him to it!  If you read this... sorry man the secret is out!

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  • 0

    I cant believe no one has reviewed this place yet.  I've been going to Pompilios since I was born, so you have to take my review with a grain of nostalgic salt.

    That being said, as far as Italian hole-in-the-walls go, this place rocks.  Half the waitresses have been working there since my parents started dating, and they have the standard red and white checked table clothes.  The prices are pretty reasonable.

    They have all the traditional Italian American fair, and I have never been disappointed.  I always get the Rigatoni with meatballs.  Hasn't betrayed me in 20 some years.  My mom and girlfriend love the eggplant.  I also think they have homemade ranch dressing for the salads.  If it's store bought, I want to know what store.  I usually eat about 5 pieces of their bread.  I dont think they bake it in house, but it has to be from somewhere around the corner b/c it is always so fresh and delicious.

    Bonus points for the old-school bar in the front that has a very "neighborhood corner tavern" feel.  But it can get smokey.  They also have tons of Rainman memorabilia since the toothpick scene was filmed here.

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