I flew up to Sacramento for the day for a meeting. Â As a result of a meeting gone bad, I was thrown into a pick-up truck, and driven to a run down shack called Vince's Motel. Â I think this hotel if it had any other names, would be called the No Tell Motel. Â I was scared for my life. Â I wasn't sure if I was going to be murdered, abused, or raped. They parked the truck in front of the motel and marched me to the side door where two women (hookers?) were hanging out, smoking a cigarette. Â As soon as the women saw us, they went inside the door. Â My mind was really racing now. Â After they left, I saw the sign. Â The sign said "Vince's Ristorante". Â We followed the women into Vince's Ristorante. Â
The interior of Vince's Ristorante was much like the exterior. Â It did not look good at all. Â I thought I was going to see the mafia in the ristorante, but, they weren't around. Â Instead, I saw a restaurant full of patrons. We were seated promptly. Â The waitress was good eye candy. Â She was very friendly. Â She touched me several times on the shoulder. Â Okay, I admit, I liked her touch. Â Because I was in a rush to eat and catch the next flight home, the waitress quickly took our order. Â I ordered the half steak sandwich. Â
The sandwich came with a side of soup. Â I ordered the minestrone soup. It was one of the best minestrone soups that I have ever had. Â It was not acid (sour). Â It was good, and hit the spot. Â
The half steak sandwich came out as an open faced sandwich on a toasted roll, and came with an order of steak fries. Â I was impressed that the sandwich came with half a steak. Â I'm not sure which half of the steak it was, or what kind of cut it was, but, the steak was well seasoned and cooked to perfection. Â The roll that the sandwich came on was like cheese bread. Â It made for a good sandwich. Â
I was apprehensive about coming to this place when I first pulled into the parking lot. Â But, don't let the seediness of the no tell motel fool you. Â The restaurant is pretty good, at least if you order the minestrone soup and the steak sandwich. Â They got me out of there in time to catch my flight back home. Â 3 1/2 stars.
Just in from Minneapolis and walked to Vince's Ristorante after checking in at our hotel. Went on the recommendation of my coworker and the three of us all had different dinners. Wow! What a surprise for me. Looks are deceiving! I was not expecting much from this humble appearing place, but the food, drinks and service were exceptional. The Bloody Mary's are not made from a bottled mix, rather it is their own fresh mix of real ground horseradish root, tomato juice, etc. My Filet Mignon (ordered rare) was served rare, wrapped in thick sliced bacon. I have never seen a Filet of that size in my life! It had to exceed the 16 oz claimed on the menu. No only that, but it was served rare with a wonderfully charred and crusty outside. It was deliciously tender and embarrassingly larger than my appetite so I will be enjoying the tasty remembrance tomorrow. I also ordered the spinach gnocchi with Alfredo sauce as my pasta side. A little risky, but well worth it! I am convinced that Vince's serves nothing that comes out of a can or bottle except the catsup. The gnocchi was perfectly done, with beautiful color and had just the right amount of garlic to be complemented by the creamy and buttery Alfredo sauce. Â Lest I forget, both the salad and clam chowder soup, which were served before the entree, were unexpected delights as well. The homemade bleu cheese dressing is not to be missed! That on top a crisp greens along with garbanzo and kidney beans made a gorgeous appetizer with the fresh French bread. The soup was also the work of someone who takes pride in their craft. Even the Spumoni (also included) tasted exceptionally good.
As for my coworker's meals, the special of the day was the seafood manicotti and it was delicious, even for a person who doesn't normally love seafood. The other meal was the Land and Sea which came with a large and perfectly rare steak served with breaded shrimp. We all left with satisfied moans and smiles!
Lastly, our server, Cathy, was more than just friendly. She was a truly helpful and attentive host. I have grown to appreciate a server/host/bartender who knows and loves the establishment and is willing to voice preferences or opinions and Cathy was all that with a smile!
If your looking for Exceptional food, Italian or otherwise, look no further. Great food and drinks, friendly and engaging service, plus decent prices in a unassuming atmosphere!
If you want homemade, authentic, just like Italy.... you want Vince's in Elk Grove. Everything is fresh and made mostly from scratch. Â You are sure to get a fabulous meal. The sauces are incredible and the portions are extraordinary. Â Rather you want dinner for two or if you want a full party.... you get the same great quality food. Â The owner Michael takes customer service very seriously, and wants everyone to get a great experience... every time. Â Â Seriously, if you want a good family meal, at a reasonable price, you have got to give Vince' a try.
Review Source:If you're going to eat here, I'd advise you not to get any seafood but if you really need some pasta I've eaten here several times and it's almost never made me sick. They actually do serve a pretty good gnocci, although it's a little greasy. The lunch special sandwiches also look decent.
Review Source:I will admit that I am adding at least 1-1.5 stars strictly for memory's sake. Â My parents have always loved this place so we ate here often. We still make it back every few months and it still feels a bit like home...probably because the decor or menu haven't been updated in the past 30 years but that makes me happy, I always know what to expect. Â The food is always good (but never great) and the service always comes with a side of sass. Â Places like Vince's make me happy and keep me sane.
Review Source:We are long time patrons of the Vince's in Elk Grove. Today we visited the West Sac branch. The story goes that two guys, Vince and Victor decided to go into the restaurant business. Â A coin toss decided the name of the restaurant. Â They had been in the salvage business and used the used brick from demolitions to build three restaurants. Â They eventually opened three places. Â Victor ran the West Sac branch. Â Many years ago we visited the third Vince's which was located on Folsom Blvd. Â I was told that this place was sold and sadly the new owner burned it down for the insurance money. Â It was the most upscale of the three, however Elk Grove has undergone periodic changes that make it very nice. Â
  When we walked into the West Sac restaurant we liked the layout as we entered.  The bar in front was isolated from the dining area (away from potential loud drunks).  We we led into a small dining room, which was almost full.  It had exposed brick - standard at all Vince's and (faux?) marble tables.  I thought this looked okay until we were ushered into their overflow banquet room.  It looked like a run-down VFW Hall that hadn't had the decor changed since the sixties.  It had black Naugahyde covered table with red Naugahyde chairs.  An LCD projector projected a football game against a large screen.
  I had heard that the recipes used by the two Vince's are different, but the menu is essentially the same.  Our party ordered the steak dinner and the spaghetti and ravioli.  We started with the minestrone soup, and their version is quite good, it is a bit spicier.  The salad was okay, with excellent Ranch dressing.  The steak was fine, but seemed a bit tough.  The spaghetti meat sauce is quite tasty and the ravioli's good.  Our waitress was attentive, but forgot to bring butter with the bread. Â
  Overall, I'd say the dining experience was diminished by the atmosphere - the food deserves a better dining room.  Hopefully, this place will see upgrades in the future.  I might visit again, but I prefer the Elk Grove Vince's.
Vince's is the best authentic Italian restaurant around for miles. We visit a few times a year and are always delighted. Many condolences for the loss of Peter, who absolutely made the place rock. Peter and his wonderful voice will be sadly missed, but we'll be back to enjoy the family ambiance and the food, again and again. Thank you Rossi family!
Review Source:Their Calamari.........possibly will result in my ending up in the ER tonight. Only took one bite but should have trusted my nose. Â Never again.
Their Cheesy Bread...........the amount of raw garlic will ward off vampires from my person for at least a week, no, a year.
Their spaghetti and meatballs......... I never thought I would consider chef boy'arde a gourmet chef..............but now I'm not so sure.
Vince's is AWFUL. Â I'm being generous people.
Vince's has an attached motel and it has to be to allow people a quick and convenient place to go vomit and evacuate diahrrea once the poison is swallowed.
Ask any old time West Sac resident and they will tell you that for italian foor or steaks it is a split city. You either like Vince's or Club Pheasant. Having eaten at both, I call Vince's my fave. I believe it has to do with personal preference rather than one being better than the other. Club Pheasant has dishes Vince's doesn't have nad Vince's has dishes CP doesn't have. Â
In over 25 years of dining there I have seen many changes. The bar area has had the most dramamtic decor update with the adding of a Sports theme. Also wiht the new upholstery in hte nice grey. I like it. However the Bottle collection is still the same. The dishes, chairs, table cloths, napkins etc have undergone a few changes over the years. But the food has remained the same great old family recipes they have always been. And that is why people keep going back. The miestrone is awesome! The Clam Chowder is yummy. The meatballs are wonderful. The baked ravioli is plentiful, hot and flavorful. The food has been consistenly good all the years I have been going there. My one nad only complaint is they changed the salad from iceberg lettuce to the mixed greens.
When the new owner took over from the original Frugoli family a couple of years ago he started singing accopella in the bar, which eventually evolved into Karaoke. It was fun and entertaining. I heard a rumor he passed away a few weeks ago and that saddened me. I missed his singing the last time I was there on a weekend.
Now Robb M I am afraid I have to take you to task about the "creepers" in the motel next door. Unless you know for sure, never asseme anyhting. Â Not everyone knows Kings Truck Stop used to be across the street. Where the Del Taco, Bargain Market and the Arco station is now. Vince's was the best place to eat in West Sac and truckers could get a clean room and a great home cooked meal on their way up and down the state. When hte 49er Trauck Stop went up out on West El Camino the truck stop became a ghost town. The land was sold and a developer built what is there now. But the restaurant is boomung as it always has and htat is due to the food, the long time wait staff. Iris has been there for as long as I have been going there. they make you feel like family. In the true itaian way.
Vince's is an old style Italian restaurant which deserves a satisfactory grade for their longevity and sticking to their guns. Â The food is not amazing, nothing to write home about but the portions are large and you get a whole meal whichever you choose. Â We chose freshly made New England style clam chowder and a house salad with a fresh mini loaf on the table...followed by spaghetti and meatballs and veal parmagiana. Â The sauces were rich with tomato paste and not much else. Â The dinner was concluded with Spumoni ice cream which was by far the best dish. Â Service is prompt and seemed to be a decent turn out for Sunday evening. Â "Nuff said."
Review Source:I have eaten here for over 35 years and very little has changed. Â Consistently good food and service. Â My favorites are the Calamari Steaks, Veal Parmigiana, and onion rings. Â The prices are reasonable and with the recent addition of the owner singing Italian opera and oldies it makes for a wonderful evening.
Review Source:Fabulous old school ambiance and food. All the salad dressings are homemade and so delish that I mentioned them to our server, and she said they sell them. I meant to purchase one, but forgot. We were there for lunch and the portions were so large we ended up eating leftovers for dinner and were stuffed for both meals. Pasta is homemade. Funny that the Sac Bee food critic did a review the week after we were there and had similar comments.
Review Source:Im rather disgusted and perplexed by the last dozen or so reviews Ive read.. mostly 2 stars.. YET WHEN YOU READ THE DETAILS THEY WRITE.. THE FOOD IS AMAZING. So amazing that I ate their my first about 2 weeks ago, have eaten there again since, and recommended it to several friends who also found it delicious.
So lets refresh... is YELP a place to complain about the atmosphere or rate the food and service? I mean if we are going to be snobs.. its in West Sac.. isnt that an automatic disqualification alone? Its connected to a motel!? What in West Sac isnt? It looks like your grandpas "man room" circa 1976... and? It has the food and quality to go with it... as in back when people cared about the quality of a place, the service, and what you got for your dollar... not about checking in or being seen at the new "it" place..
The Gnocchi is to die for, the meatballs are amazing and tender yet firm, the ranch dressing reminds EVERYONE IVE SPOKEN TOO of the ranch we all had in the 80s when it first came out... every so often you find a bit of mayo unmixed, or a drop of buttermilk... and while apparently the epicurean "Iron Chef" wannabe judges around here complain.. I applaud them for it.. it means its real, its mixed from separate components, and its real mayo and buttermilk, and its probably how my grandma would make it... with love and even the occasional human error...proving its real. Food is much like a diamond.. theres the real ones that include a flaw or spec proving its real, and theres the lab created.. so perfect you know theres something fishy...
As for my meal... I had baked Gnocchi with Alfredo and Pesto.. it had fresh mozzarella melted over the top to a golden brown, the pesto was awesome and fresh and not over garlicky, the alfredo was creamy and flavorful. My salad was as others have said.. green salad with 3 beans over it and ranch.. and yet the quality of the ranch made it seem pretty darn good.. whats that say? Would some croutons or maybe carrot shreds or a tomato help.. sure.. but Im sure you could ask for that and they give it to you..if you feel that compelled and fixated on it though.. update that prescription for Xanax cause your OCD is flaring up!
My fiance had the half spaghetti, half ravioli, baked, and with meatballs added... she ate until she could eat no more.. then while she was distracted by a childish antic.. I ate the rest.. mission accomplished ;)
She was happy to go back again.. and Id put this place on par with Espanol in East Sac.. above any chain, and miles above a certain factory italian place, as well as any olive garden with dull salty food. We had enough food for two meals each, the price was equal to what we pay and receive much much less for around town.. and the Dreyers ice cream was good afterwards... I recommend the Spumoni not just for authenticity to your meal but also because the Rum flavoring in it is a rare treat for those who dont know THAT is how Spumoni tasted for decades before it was abused at the italian factory place..
Ill say this.. it would be 5 stars.. I took one away for the tables and chairs, the motel next door, the fact its in West Sac.. etc etc.. and yet it somehow still has 4 and Id eat there any day of the week.. twice.. and its in West Sac.. for those who know me.. THAT SAYS IT ALL!
ATMOSPHERE/FOOD/MOTEL
Ok, the atmosphere ain't really happening - a cross between Zelda's and Club Pheasant. Nothing modern about this place, which probably hasn't been updated in years. There's a bar area when you walk in that's dark and divey. Â Some folks might like that there are definitely no frills here. I can see this as the kind of eatery that locals come for years and years, and that never changes.
The food is simple American Italian that's on par with Club Pheasant and a step below Espanol in Sac (which isn't really that great in my opinion). It's not expensive, but not quite as cheap as one might expect.
The restaurant is connected to "Vince's Motel." I like Robb M.'s idea that this "hide-a-way was created so the creepers had a place to 'dine' with their mistresses!" Not exactly the most romantic combo if you ask me.
NICE WAITRESS
I did have an experience where I forgot to say that I wanted marinara instead of meat sauce. After I got my food, the waitress could sense that I wasn't happy ("what's wrong hun?"). I wasn't going to say anything because it was my mistake, but she insisted on replacing my dish free of charge. That's pretty nice!
SUMMARY
If you live in West Sac, and like low rent Italian, stop on in as a legit alternative to Club Pheasant. But there's no earthly reason why anyone should travel from outside West Sac for this humble spot.
I have been to Vince's twice now, and both times have been somewhat surreal.
The first time, it was early on a weeknight and the restaurant was fairly quiet. The second time, it was a busy Friday night and there was some sort of banquet dinner going on.
Each time, my dining partner and i were treated like we were members of the family. The food is great; everything is made in-house. I would say that the service can be a little slow, but they're great when they do get to you. Very friendly and accommodating. There is an older gentleman who sings karaoke in Italian on weekends. It's a little... interesting. Like a family reunion where you don't necessarily know some of the cousins and distant uncles. You won't get kissed on the cheek by an aunt who wears too much lipstick, but the food is so good it would be worth it if it happened.
Meals include ice cream, which only serves to solidify the feeling of being at home. I keep waiting for my mother or grandmother to come out from the kitchen with some more bread and ask me how my day was.
This place is off the wall crazy! I had never even heard of this place even after all my years in Sactown, but my friend invited me to join him in celebrating his grandpa's 94th birthday and by the looks of it, I think it has been around for 94 years!
The restaurant is connected to Vince's Motel, which according to the old timers I was with, use to be one of the seediest motels in West Sac. I am certain this hide-a-way was created so the creepers had a place to "dine" with their mistresses!
I knew I was in for a treat when I walked in and saw the bartender wearing a "trucker's cap" with a cigarette papered clipped to it. Â Classic old school Italian, with the red pleather chairs, wood panelling, and linoleum flooring....too funny! Oh, and make sure to go on Saturday night, which so happens to be Italian karaoke night. Nothing sets the mood more than having some old Italian yelling "That's Amore" off tune while trying to eat your pasta!
This place was packed and I'm still trying to figure out why!?!? Maybe it was for the free entertainment. I was the only one in our party that had the gnocchi, which was pretty good, but everyone else in my group said their dinners were lacking. However, everyone agreed that the minestrone soup was the best! Â In reading the other reviews, it appears this place is hit or miss. Maybe the chefs were paying more attention the the 49ers game than to the meals they were preparing.
Service was good, attentive, and the food portions were hearty. If Vince's food had been better I would have given them 4-5 stars, but I've had better at Olive Garden. This was definitely an experience I will be talking about for some time and I will give this place another chance. Hopefully I will be there when the food is a hit, because this place is classic!
Ciao!
We came here because we had a <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> coupon and will not be coming back. The food was bland, service was crappy, and way overpriced for what you get. The do have generous portions and we will have leftovers for days, but they probably will not get eaten! A kids meal is 8 dollars for some cold fries and grilled cheese. The waitress was short with us and we felt very rushed.
Don't come here if you are looking for a nice evening.
Chef Robert makes the absolute best Cannelloni in the Sacramento area. Â You can compare Vince's to the fine Italian restaurants in the San Francisco area. Â Their pasta menu is fantastic. Â They make their own pasta daily, and the minestrone soup is to die for. Â The staff and their service is excellent. Â Ask to speak to Chef Robert and you will find a mellow man with a talent to cook authentic Italian.
I eat here often and have always been more than satisfied with the results.
I went there last night with my Boy friend, and Boy friend's employee.
I was pleased with the service, very friendly employees.
We were greeted at door in a professional matter. I had a strawberry daiquiri it was great.. Food was reasonably priced, and you can't leave hungry.. Food is great, if this place wasn't so faraway I may go more.!! This was our first time there.. Thumbs up!!!
Good old school Italian that Sacramento doesnt have enough of. Â The kind that Grandma used to make.
I stopped here on a Friday night by myself after a long day and sat at the bar for a few beers and dinner.
The bartender/waitress was very nice and attentive. Â The food was very reasonably priced and good.
It is not a foo-fee Italian Restaurant. Â It is a down to earth, dark, red checkered table cloth type of place. Â It has been there for 50 years and probably hasnt been redecorated since but that is part of the charm. Â A ton of locals in the place which says a lot.
If you want high end, classy Italian dont come here. Â This place is better than Espanol so if you are driving and have a choice, come here.
I will be back.
OK - We've been coming here on & off for about 30 years. It sold a couple years ago but is basically the same. Very old school Italian/steakhouse. Had the $32.95 sirloin steak dinner for 2. Always forget how much food they give you. Only ate 1/2 my steak. Soup was pretty good. Salad was mixed greens wth beans. Baked potato overcooked. Steak was OK. Free wine was yucky but the rest of the wine list is pretty reasonably priced w/decent selections. Pasta sauce actually wasn't bad. Had good spumoni for dessert.
Server was very nice and attentive. So too for the bartender.
Portions are large enough to split. Age group can be very mixed depending which day you come.
I could kill the brothers who screwed up my fav steakhouse, The Fireside. Also I don't think there's any really good old style Italian restaurants in the Midtown/downtown/east sac area. But I must say, at least this this place hasn't gone the way of Espanol which is definitely resting on it's laurels (and increased prices) and has the most awful food now. My hubbie usually won't leave anything on his plate unless it's truly inedible. He took 2 bites and left everything else and I left my full meal.
So, for decent food and large portions, Vince's is OK.
Vince's is the kind of place I wish was in my neighborhood so that I could become a regular.
I went to Vince's with a large group for an office party so we had a small selection of choices. Â I ordered the Italian chicken sandwich. Â Many of my co-workers had the steak sandwich. Â Theirs were delivered first and I was impressed with the size of the steak. Â Each must have been a good 8 ounces or more. Â Then they delivered my chicken and I was disappointed in it's small size, that is, until I started eating it. Â Great flavor.
Service for our large group was very attentive.
Ended up here on a rainy sunday evening after bouncing all across town; my dining mate asks me if I wanna try Italian; I was a bit skeptical, considering my only non-pizza order experience was the Old Spaghetti Factory and this awesome vegan Italian place I loved in L.A.
The place also looked a bit sketch from the outside, considering it's a long brick building with few windows, but I was pleasantly surprised by the interior: it's dim, but cozy, with some cute knick-knacks on the wall, past the bar, which had a memorial poster up for a deceased bartender. They apparently have karaoke on thursday nights... just an fyi. :)
Service was extremely friendly and prompt: our bread was delicious and fresh, our chardonnay light and lovely, the clam chowder that came with our pasta nicely peppered.... My friend got the lasagna and I had the spinach gnocchi in meat sauce. Very rich, good-sized portions, and not terribly expensive (only $30 dollars for the two of us). The pasta also comes with ice cream! I had rainbow sherbet--because I'm queer like that.
I would also like to repeat: our waitress was incredibly lovely to us. That, combined with the possibility of karaoke, means I might come back sometime to try their full bar action... I highly recommend this place if you're looking for some old school italian. Technically West Sac, but the River City needs more joints like this!
Driving past on Harbor I probably would have never stopped in to eat at this place but since I found it on Yelp I went in based on previous reviews. Â Wow, what a find! Â For less than 30 bucks with tip my coworker and I had a superb lunch.
We bother ordered the lasagna, both had the fresh made minestrone soup and both were certain that this is the best lasagna we have EVER tasted. Â It came to the table in it's own individual pan, blazing hot and with the perfect mixture of meat, cheese, sauce and pasta. Â
The building itself is a little dingy but I tend to like hole in the wall restaurants that remind me of going on road trips with my parents when i was little. Â This will become a regular lunch stop for me.
*4.5*
Vince's in West-Sac is easily a go-to place to eat for my family & I for a few reasons: It's cheap (my decently portioned lasagna is $11.95), it's kid-friendly (it's casual environment & usually mildy noisy in there so if the kids are noisy or fussy no one notices..sometimes not even me. :)), & the service is consistently good (if u see Tawny).
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Just got home from Vince's & had the BEST LASAGNA (w extra cheese) I HAVE HAD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. In fact I doubt there even exists a more tastier lasagna. Is it the cheese oozing eveywhere? Is it the marinara sauce? I'd venture to say it's one of the top 5 lasagnas in the entire WORLD. Seriously. I went to Biba's that fancy super expensive but over fluffed place a few years ago & had a lasagna but it wasn't even 1/8th the tastyness & deliciousness that this lasagna has, nor was it nearly the size. It was seriously heavenly. They got crack in that Lasagna. Â It's $11.95 comes w/ french bread, Â minestrone soup or house salad, and an ice cream dessert.Go n try some I'll give u a dollar if it aint knock your socks off delicious.
Hubby had the Rib Eye 16oz. $22.95 comes w/ french bread, minestrone soup, a house salad, side of pasta, baked potato, and ice cream dessert.
I think I know what the other peeps mean when they talk about service. This time I had a different waitstaff. I didn't think she was as helpful, Â cheery n waitressy as Miss Tawny (she da bestess, had her the last visit). She was real helpful n prompt at times, but not as prompt as other times. She was I think workin all the rooms..hmm..I guess that part wasn't her fault then. But i wont disclose her name. (I'm sure the owner knows who she is if ur reading this). And if you do, pls tell that woman to smile & be more chipper.
Man this place is a blast from the past or something.
Gotta think it's a direct competitor for the other really old Italian joint in West Sacramento, The Pheasant Club.
Both feature decor from the 70s and a menu to match, however Vince's gets my vote on a couple key issues:
They use <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.Restaurant.com&s=74d1b8d71a10ede4ab02b84422371a1f95a453b7370a69fd338559d7418ae791" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.Restaurant.com</a>, which is how I ended up going there.
Their dinner comes with everything and I mean everything.
The staff is very friendly.
The veal parmigiana was outstanding. Â I got a ribeye, which was OK, nothing wonderful, but great for the price.
The waitress seemed busy but was friendly enough.
I had such high hopes for this restaurant :( Â
We came on a Friday evening around 6 and it wasn't too crowded. Â However it took our waitress 15 min to get our drink order. Â We started with an order of calamari. Â Horrible, absolutely horrible. Â Very rubbery w/ no taste. Â With a dinner order you get soup or salad and ice cream. Â I ordered the gnocci in marinara and hubby got the veal parmigana, and both of us got their minestrone soup. Â The soup was very good. Â Great flavor. Â Gnocci was decent, and was a pretty good portion. Â The veal was over breaded and turned to mush. Â For ice cream selections it was sherbert, vanilla or spumoni. Â
I can see us going back in the winter for lots of soup but not much else...
Not much I can add to the review that Debbie posted below.
Very plain everything, nasty fatty cut of steak. Yes it's a good deal, no it's not that good.
Ambiance was cool, the place is LARGE and looks like it's been the exact same inside for oh say 30+ years.
So yeah edible but not much of anything more than that.
People have raved about the food at this place for years. Â But, dive is right. Â This place leaves a lot to be desired, in terms of both atmosphere and food. Â Dont get me wrong, we had a pleasurable enough experience in terms of customer service. Â But! Â To seat us they walked us through a dingy bar, full of pretty interesting characters. Â Ok unless you have three young kids in tow. Â Not exactly the environment I was looking for to have dinner.
The food itself? Â Well, it was a bit disappointing. Â I had heard so much, I had high expectations. Â My sicilian grandmother would have a heart attack if she had the spaghetti sauce. Â It was bland and overcooked. Â It tasted a lot like a canned meat sauce. Â My kids wouldn't even eat there's. Â My kids have never left a plate of spaghetti. Â
And the decor?  Can you say 70's crap?  Yeah, not the best.  I know alot of people like this  place and thats fine, but I was disappointed.  Maybe I'll give it another try.  Perhaps lunch is better?
The best dive Italian restaurant I've been to. Â Generous with alcohol, generous portions, very old school Gold Rush crowd. Â No windows. Â Located in Vince's Motel. Â Good food value in West Sac.
Order:
1. Steak Sandwich - a chunk of medium rare meat flanked by buns, plus steak-cut fries.
2. Lasagna - really cheesy with ground meat underneath, cooked in an aluminum container. It's like having a greasy cheesy huge portioned TV dinner.
3. Prawn Plate - deep fried prawns on a plate.
If you're ever in the mood for a *dive* Italian resto, check this one out.
Old school steak house and Italian food.
While Vince's is not somewhere you go for a fancy steak dinner (unless you're 70 plus years old), the sheer quantity of the food, combined with the excellent (and entertaining) service, and the overabundance of atmosphere makes Vince's a good bet if you are looking for steak or Italian food. Â
I ordered a steak dinner which included: soup, salad, fresh baked bread, the steak, a baked potato, pasta, and ice cream. Â I think it was something like $20 for all of that. Â My steak was cooked damn near perfect too. Â
The highlight though, was the staff. Â They're all grumbly and cute--in a way that makes me not dread old age so much. Â At one point the woman who works the bar tried to dim the lights and ended up turning off all the lights to the dining area. Â While we all went about our dining by candlelight, the woman and an old guy/waiter grumbled at each other trying to figure out how to get the lights back on (grumblegrumble:::get back to the bar, woman:::grumblegrumble::i thought I told you not to touch this:::grumblegrumble).
Real rating a 3.5
In recent years Sacramento's dinning scene has gotten significantly more refined and upscale (which is good) and a lot of older restaurants tried to change and catch up with this trend (which is bad). Thankfully Vince's Restaurant was not one them.
Pure unapologetic Italian-American fare! Vince's is a family run restaurant that serves Italian American classics and has solid-great service depending upon who your waitress is. Some say the location and decor leave a lot to be desired but they're just idiots. It's located in a very blue collar commercial part of West Sacramento. Though to be fair that's all of west sac and that's a good thing. No pretentious foodies or white collar snobs just good food for the rest of us. Vince's bar is the best type of dive bar and worthy of it's own review in that respect. The interior is like a set out of Goodfellas and very similar to many a 1950's East Coast Italian eateries. But enough of such trivial things on with the food.
The sauce is decent it will neither wow you or give you the impression it's out of jar. On any given day it may or may not have too much ground beef or peppers in it so Vince's loses some points for consistency but at least this way you know it's homemade. The pasta's are good, the ravioli a bit bland. To pick a pasta dish up order it with sausage (pretty good) or meatballs (good). Since I am not a fan of spaghetti and they don't have rigatoni I order the baked gnocchi when I order pasta (they have regular gnocchi and spinach) which is the ultimate comfort food and in my not so humble opinion Vince's best pasta dish. If you don't know what gnocchi are look em up and then go to Vince's and order them.
If you head in for lunch or want something a bit more substantive I recommend the steak sandwich. It's usually a new york strip broiled to perfection and always tender. I've never had a bad steak sandwich at Vince's and I've had a lot of them. Also the steak sandwich is by far the best bargain at Vince's, it's incredibly cheap (around $11 or $12 I think) for the quality and quantity of food.
While there are "better" Italian restaurants in the Sacramento area none are as homey, comforting and familiar as Vince's.
The question is, do you like Italian American food? If so, you will like Vince's. It is certainly better than the Pheasant Club, the other restaurant of the same genre in West Sac.
The minestrone soup was chunky and good. The salad was kind of blah. I had the cannelloni with red sauce and it was quite good, if a tad on the bland side. For dessert, spumoni, which I've always liked in spite of myself.
The waitress does indeed call you "hon" and "sweetie" Â and was very nice. The customers were about 90% old folks and a few big families. Service is a bit slow, but nobody seemed to be in a rush there. I would say that Vince's is old school in a good way. It seems like the sort of place where you could easily find yourself becoming a regular.
I went here based on an excellent recommendation from a long time friend. Yes, the portions were large, but the lasagna was barely cooked and the tomato sauce was almost raw. The waitperson was extremely condescending, even threw down part of the change as crumpled bills to indicate the amount of tip.
DNR (Do Not Return)
(For any Portlander reading this, just to get you on page - This is the Italian MFP of West Sacramento.)
Our group was greeted by an older gent sitting with a drink at the bar who looked like Johnny Cash (and apparently was the owner) right as we walked in. We were sat quickly in our own room and endured the service of a older lady who I was unable to judge the character of. I couldn't tell if she was angry, waiting to get off, or just....old.
For an Italian restaurant they sure had a lot of steak items on the menu. Steak sandwich, special steak sandwich, rib-eye steak....etc. Also, for being an italian restaurant they didn't have any italian beers. The choices were; domestic, import, Heineken, corona". Funny.
I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich that came like this -
Long bun, grilled piece of chicken, two pickle slices, parsley and a heap of flat french fries.
Bread, chicken, two pickle slices
Bread, chicken, two pickle slices
Shall I repeat again? Didn't even bring ketchup for the fries.
I should also note, Vince's Italian Restaurant is adjacent to "Vince's Motel". The seediest looking joint you eva' laid eyes on.
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