Really good food and great prices. Â The presentation was a bit disconcerting based on the cost and type of food. Â We walked in in shorts and t-shirts and weren't sure if we should have stayed since we felt under dressed. Â I am glad we did stay though. Â The prices and food were fantastic. Â Highly recommended.
Review Source:Was looking for a nearby lunch spot in the area as I was visiting a friend and found that there was a yelp deal here so I decided to check it out.
The interior is very fancy, table cloths and stemmed glasses for water on every table.
Simple bread and kalamata olive is complimentary. We had the pizza fritta as the appetizer which came out hot and quick. It's basically a flatbread with cheese, pesto, and marinara but it was very good and nicely baked. Our entrees came out soon after. I had the tortelloni which was excellent although the portion was quite small for 13 dollars. My friend had the lasagna which was also a little small for the price but it was very meaty and good.
Overall a good experience here, will come back here once again to try the more popular items like the salmon sandwich and the lobster & crawfish dip.
We were very impressed with everything about this restaurant!! Â We went in for Sunday brunch and we were unaware that we needed reservation, but they were very welcoming anyway. Â After waiting about 10 minutes we were taken to our table. Â The owner came over to great us. Â He was great with the children! Â Our food came in a very timely manner and was delicious. Â With tiramisu being my favorite I had to give it a try....my oh my it was the bomb! Â I can't wait to go back for date night without the kidos!
Review Source:Found this place randomly through a Yelp search for Italian food in the area. We've been through a couple bad experiences at other area Italian restaurants and so I was not expecting much. First impression, the interior was very clean and decorated nicely without being gaudy. We got there fifteen minutes before they closed and feeling guilty, offered to order carry out so our waiter could go home on time. Our waiter very charmingly deferred and we ordered two pasta dishes and our fave beer, Stella, which they had on tap (Awesome!). Bread was brought out, nothing to really write home about but the pasta was divine. I ordered the carbonara plus chicken & my husband got spaghetti and meatballs. Both were perfect. In particular, my carbonara (not too heavy) was the best I had ever had. A friendly older gentleman came over to greet us when we were finished - I am assuming he was the owner. He was very pleasant. All in all, it was a shockingly awesome experience - we will be back again.
Review Source:Good Italian.  Having lived in Italy for 3 years it's of course New York Italian, rather than authentic but not cheesy Olive Garden. (All that really matters is the sauce if you ask me) I do enjoy the risky and diverse entrées like certain seafood they offer regularly with unique ingredients that are available, but I would suggest that you up the portion size if you want to be taken seriously as a REAL Italian place,, I want to feel like I should wear sweat pants to dinner when I eat Italian!  (I know the owner may be actually Italian hearing him speak "Ital-ish" and I think he also owns Vinny's so that draws me more back to the old school New York food culture.  Anyway, good spot to eat and probably the nicest looking restaurant in Stafford.
P.S. also very family friendly. Â I always feel welcome bringing the kids and they can always find something on the menu that suits them and doesn't rack up the bill.
Fine Italian dining in Stafford. Â Very impressed with both quality of food and service. Â The owner made a point of greeting my father and I as we arrived, and stopped by our table multiple times to check on us. Â Wait staff was friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable. Â Will definitely return.
Review Source:This spot, tucked away quietly in a strip mall off of Route 1, is a hidden gem. The outside facade belies the nice restaurant inside that serves authentic Italian cuisine that you won't get elsewhere.
The restaurant can get quite busy - between happy hours, diners, and those just there to party, this place has it all. Definitely get the pasta special - you can get all of the pastas either in a dinner or side order portion which will help if you're too full after an appetizer. Also, go for the cioppino. Best one I've had so far on this side of the country.
My husband and I visited on a Saturday night. Â We did not have a reservation and were asked to wait 15 minutes, which to us is not long for a Saturday night. Â The atmosphere was much ritzier that I expected, lots of dark wood and an elegant feel. Â However, I noticed that some diners had little ones with them and they didn't seem out of place. Â I made note of that since we have a three-year-old. Â The large parties that were there seemed comfortably seated. Â
We waited at the bar and were served right away by the bartender. I had a Tangueray & tonic (good amount of liquor) and my husband had a Sam Adams. We took our drinks to the table which was ready as promised in 15 minutes. Â There was live music while we waited so that was relaxing and added ambiance.
We ordered the Olives Siciliane for an appetizer - who knew warm olives would taste so good! Â I would go back just for this dish again. Â I had the Saltimbocca special (which was pork) and my husband had the Trenette al Nero di Seppia Con Frutti Di Mare (mussels, clams, shrimp, calamari tossed with squid ink linguini in a p.grigio garlic wine sauce). Â He says this is the best squid ink pasta he's had and really enjoyed the addition of the unbreaded calamari to the usual suspects found in a seafood pasta. Â I wish the special was part of the regular menu as I would definitely have it again. Â But if not, I'm game to try something else as I had a hard time deciding from the menu. Â
The price was under $20 for each of our meals and under $50 with drinks and an appetizer included. Â The service was perfect - a nice balance of attentiveness and privacy for date night. Â We will definitely be back and possibly for future family gatherings!
My son and his new bride took us here last night for dinner.They are stationed at Quantico MCAS and had wanted to check it out for some time.
Its in a type of strip mall and on the corner there, so not a BIG place.
It was a Friday evening and the place had a good crowd.(Always a good sign.)
Your Free "Noshing while you wait" is a French bread with a tasty Kalmata olive spread. They had a pretty good beer list and wine list as well.Servers were quick to take orders and refill us on anything through out the meal.
There is this older guy who plays the Keyboard (not sure if it's nightly or just Friday, but it was a nice touch. Played a lot of show tunes, sang a bit, but I loved it when he played "the Godfather" theme song. With the dim lighting it seemed possible that Marlo Brandon would be sitting near by asking for the Horses head!
All of our plates were pretty amazing. Â I had the Tortellini con Prosciutto di Parma. Â It was this Amazingly FRESHLY made (you can tell that was NOT frozen!)Cheese tortellini with spinach and some cremini mushrooms....and this creamy marscapone sauce.With this crispy prosciutto sprinkled on top. Oh my.....Delish.
A spot I would return to time and again.
This is my third time here. Â The first time I threw a party for my husband. Â The place was recommended by a co-worker so, I was getting into a very uncomfortable situation. Â I like to try out places before I use a venue, particularly if I'm inviting other people.
Every visit has been outstanding! Â The owner ALWAYS comes to the table; AND he remembers you. Â I used this deal to take my BFF. Â He came by and spoke to me. Â My friend was very impressed. Â
The service is good. Â The food is absolutely outstanding! Â Eat here. Â You will not be disappointed.
We enter on a Friday night and there is a gentleman playing the piano. A great atmosphere I just walk into!
The waitress recommends the lobster and crawfish dip. Delicious! Served with toasted french bread, there are large chunks of lobster and crawfish! Checked in on Yelp and got this appetizer for free, thanks Yelp!
I order the Trenette al Nero di Seppia Con Frutti Di Mare (squid ink linguine with seafood), first time having this and it too was fantastic! A great seafood dish, and they don't skimp on the seafood either. I had a whole extra bowl that I filled with the clam and mussel shells. Not to mention there was squid, shrimp and octopus in there as well! I was very surprised at how well priced this was considering all the seafood they gave. Highly recommended for seafood lovers.
A friend orders the Pappardelle alla Bolognese, which is also served in a large bowl and it's tasty as well.
The owners seemed to take great pride in their restaurant and would mingle with the customers. The only gripe was that the owner seemed to make the rounds to every table but us. But no matter, the food and our waitress were great!
We went for a date night. The food was amazing! The atmosphere was nice, somewhat elegant. The service was a little slow. It seemed we had to wait a while for the server to get to us and when it came time to cash out the server dropped the check and took a while to come get the payment then disappeared for a while with my credit card. It wasn't a super busy night so I wasn't sure the delay. If this were based on service alone I might have given it a two. The food is what really saved this review.
Review Source:As soon as I stepped foot into this place I instantly felt uncomfortable. Everyone was starring at me like I didn't belong there. Thats fine. I guess I didn't wear my tuxedo but the money I was paying with didn't dress up either. So the person I will assume was the manager an older gentleman with a pretty sour disposition basically pretended that I didn't exist. Thats fine I am only a paying customer I don't deserve the hopefully awesome customer service you may be providing your dine in customers. I finally get someones attention and after a few minutes they located my order. I paid and drove all the way home. I get home and I am missing the cheesecake that I paid for. Thats fine I guess I didn't deserve their delicious cheesecake (assuming). So the spaghetti and meatballs (spaghetti con polpette) chunks of unflavored meat and a disgusting red sauce. I feel bad I bought this for my son but I was relieved I didn't have to eat it. The veal slices with gravy (scaloppini di vitello alpa marsala) this was okay its nothing to write home about. Personally I make better marsala myself. The ravioli with bacon (tortellini con prosciutto di parma) was the best dish in our order. We also tried the lobster and crawfish dip. It was ok. It was kind of runny but I guess thats what you get in a fine restaurant like that.
From the looks of things this place is trying to be an upscale Italian restaurant but it really falls short. I have been to some of the best Italian eateries all around the world. For the price I paid for the service and product I received this place would rank dead last.
I would never return to this place not even for the cheesecake they owe me. Improve your customer service and improve your food then maybe you can turn your nose up at people. I guess I should have picked up my order out back by the dumpster.
Also I forgot to mention the waitress that helped me seemed kind and another server there said hello. So two of the approximately ten people had some manners.
Thanks for nothing. Now my stomach hurts.
3.5 stars: nice interior and good brunch spot.
Blood Mary ($4.73): Run-of-the-mill bloody mary.
Crab Cake Benedict ($14,73): Delicious. The eggs were poached nicely and the crab cake had lots of great chunks of crab in it.
New York Steak & Eggs ($15.73): My boyfriend asked for his steak to be cooked medium. Although it was still juicy and flavorful, it was borderline well-done. He also asked for sunny side up eggs - strangely enough, one of them was basically over-hard.
I'm not familiar with many nice brunch spots in Stafford, so I'd definitely come back to Zibibbo to try other dishes!
We've become frequent customers over the last year or so.
Stafford doesn't have a lot of nice dining options and we were surprised to find this little gem of a restaurant.
Comfortable, relaxed seating with nice ambience.
The food is amazing. Â It also passes the authenticity test as we've brought one of our Italian friends here for lunch and he loved it as well. Â We lived in Manhattan for a year and this is as good as any of the places we frequented on the upper East side.
Pretty much everything we've gotten is outstanding but a couple dishes I keep going back to:
braised beef over risotto
scallops over wilted spinach
linguini with clams (lunch)
mussel stew (lunch)
crab benedict (brunch)
amerreto french toast (brunch)
The only drawback is the location. Â It's tucked away in a strip mall and hard to find for anyone that isn't already familiar with the location. Â It's the only thing that keeps it from being overrun by people.
We stopped on a foggy Sunday night and had a great meal. The lobster dip was fabulous. We shared it as well as the trout entree. Portions were large. Bread was very good. Always a way to judge an Italian restaurant. Â Our server was knowledgeable and attentive without being intrusive. Definitely a five star experience.
Review Source:I was pleasantly surprised by my second visit to Zibibbo after the less than perfect first. I'd like everyone who reads both reviews to null and void the first in their decision making process if they plan on visiting during anytime Nino is in the restaurant; which is almost everyday. He runs a tight ship, and will ensure all your dining needs are met.
To the food breakdown!...
Beverages:
Wine: 5 stars. Can't remember the name of any of them (such shame...I shall never be an official wino at this rate.). I will say that all were very tasty, and the owner Nino himself refilled my glass many times during the meal. Wonderful service! I was also very pleased that each bottle was poured through an aerator into a decanter for service. Am I the only one that enjoys that sound?
Cappuccino: 5 stars. It's so nice to see a restaurant providing a cappuccino that is actually a cappuccino. Coffee with a few milk bubbles and cinnamon is NOT a cappuccino. Foam is key. Lots of frothy foamy goodness. Zibibbo provides all elements to perfection. A perfect way to end a perfect meal.
Appetizers:
Olive Siciliane: 5 stars. The fact that these are served hot is really enough for me to love them. Adding into the mix an extra touch of fennel puts these olives in my craveable category. Sooo yummy!
Lobster & Crawfish Dip: 5 stars. I love a restaurant the puts quality above all else. This dip is representative of how Zibibbo does just that. It's loaded with large chucks of fresh lobster and crawfish, and it's still only priced at $12.73. In DC this dish could easily sell for $16.00-$18.00 being that it's not only got so much seafood in it, but also because of its unique depth of flavors. A little lime? Or is that the freshness of the peppers that I tasted? This appetizer is a winner.
Entrees:
Maryland Crab Meat Cannelloni: 5 stars. This was a little sample the owner Nino provided to my friends and I based on his recommendation. This little cannelloni was a testament to how well suited Nino is for the restaurant industry. Not only did my friends and I more than enjoy the beautifully simple and comforting flavors of the small crepe filled with fresh crab meat and topped with a blush cream sauce, but we were wonderfully pleased by the gesture. Many a great restaurateur has advised that the best way to spend your advertizing budget is not on prospective customers, but on those who are currently in your restaurant. Providing a sample of one of the specials can be just enough to bring someone back for another visit. I know it will be bringing me back. ;)
Truffle Risotto: 5 stars. The best way to explain to you all about how good this was is to tell you about how I ate the leftovers right out of the frig cold the next morning. No it wasn't the prettiest thing in the world, but as soon as I had the room in my stomach I just couldn't resist eating the rest. It was sooo good; creamy, perfectly cooked, essence of truffle and butter perfection. More please!
Pork Chop Marsala: 5 stars. Â Nino was kind enough to carve this tableside for my friends and I. We had decided to split three entrees instead of just getting one a piece; love when people are willing to do that! Even though we had told Nino that we won't mind divvying it out along with the risotto, he insisted on plating it for us. Again, such attentive, caring, and personal service. On top of that the pork was splendidly juicy. I don't believe it could have been better. The combination of the Marsala wine sauce and pork stuffed with mozzarella was drool worthy. The sides were amazing as well; a broccoli au gratin mashed potato and eggplant disks with tomato tapenade. Both were outstandingly good, but I did favor the eggplant.
Ciopinno: 5 stars. If only I had taken a picture of this dish. I regret the fact that I didn't deeply. It was that beautiful in a gigantic, white porcelain bowl with large grilled pieces of toast dipped into it along the rim. The array of seafood that was in this ciopinno was notable. It was obvious that no expense was spared when making the selection for it. Gosh, I swear I could have drunk the broth through a straw. It was creamy seafood liquor heaven. All of the seafood was also like butter; perfectly cooked and no doubt fresh as fresh can be. Yum!
Desserts:
Profiteroles: 5 stars. Even though I was nervous about my pant button becoming a projectile, I couldn't refuse this dessert. My friend had specifically told me about the unique presentation at Zibibbo how good they are. I couldn't miss out on cream puffs encased in chocolate mousse. I'm so glad I didn't either. My pants, on the other hand, that's a different story. ;)
Pistachio Gelati: 5 stars. This was what one of my friends ordered, and allowed me to sneak a bite of. Oh my goodness! I love gelato/i and this one was no exception. The portion size was also very generous as three medium sized scoops. I look forward to trying the other flavors soon.
Did you say Stafford? As in Stafford VA? No joke, this is by far the best italian restaurant when you consider price, authenticity and overall value. Sure, you can go into DC for better italian, but you'll pay an arm and two legs. If you're looking for a good italian meal at very reasonable prices, look no further than Zibibbo 73. I live in Alexandria near Shirlington Village and often find myself driving south for this great place.
Review Source:Great Food!!! without a doubt the best restaurant in Stafford!
The pizza fritta appetizer is every good. Â I have gotten about half of the entrees (ex. Chicken Parmesan, Pasta Carbonara, Spicy Shrimp). Â All have been very good, but I definitely recommend the Pasta Carbonara.
The Service can be poor sometimes, but the past few times I have gone, its  been pretty good.  Sometimes the meal can take a little bit of time.
My husband and I came for lunch. We used to come to this place when it was Firkin & Bulldog. Now they are an italian restaurant. The service here is very good. The waiter knew his stuff and the owner was very engaging with the customers and excited to talk about his restaurant and Italy (considering we just got back from Italy last month).
We ordered the blackened salmon sandwich and the pan seared trout with lemon and capers. The salmon sandwich was very tasty and the pineapple chunks complimented it very nicely. The trout with angel hair pasta...AMAZING! My husband was eating most of my plate. It was delicious! The side salad that came with the meals were also good with the balsamic dressing. We love balsamic!
For dessert we had tiramisu. We were told that the owner's wife makes it every morning and we had the last piece. It was a large portion, and needless to say very, very good.
Also, try the house prosecco...delicious!
Would definitely come back here to eat. We are probably going to try their dinner and/or brunch next time. Their menu items look so good!
Hence, the name Zibibbo 73...all prices end in $.73!
Zibibbo 73 is in the old Firkin & Bulldog, which I loved.  So I was a bit leery of Zibibbo's.  Quickly, here are my thoughts: nice décor, good service, tasty food, but the operation needs to be a bit more put together. Â
For me, a dining experience starts at home, when I conduct research on the restaurant, menu, etc. Â When I arrived at the restaurant, the online and in-house menus did not match, and many of the dishes on the in-house menu they did not have because of the claim that they were updating their menu. Â Then, there was a Yelp check-in offer, and I asked if I could use it, but was told it was expired (which it was - but since it was still online, it should have been honored). Â The hostess (also my server) acknowledged me from behind the bar - did not even walk around to the host stand before asking how she could help me. Â After that, service was good, but that was a bit unprofessional.
Food was good and I appreciated the lunch specials. Â Bread was warm and the pesto was a nice change from olive oil. Â A huge, fresh side salad (though the server was wrong about the salad vegetables) came with my lunch size portion of gnocchi. Â I found the gnocchi to be standard, but tasty, and the portion was still big, even though it was lunch size.
If Zibibbo 73 was a bit more well run, I'd return often (as I work in the area). Â But until then, I'll be looking for other places to lunch.
Zibibbo has really great food. I LOVE their soups. It's just too bad that they don't hire very good servers. I've eaten here at least 5 times and the servers were almost...embarrassing. Once I came in to pick up some food I had called in 20 minutes beforehand. It was lunch time and the place was dead. The servers didn't even acknowledge that I was there. I stood there waiting for about 10 minutes when the very attentive owner finally came out and greeted me, took my order (whoever answered the phone apparently never put the order in) and brought my lunch out within 5 minutes with complimentary bread and drinks.
Long story short, I will continue to eat a zibibbo, but I will dread having to deal with the staff while waiting, waiting, waiting for my delicious food.
Went here on date for the first time, who knew Stafford had such a jewel! Too bad it is hidden in a non-descript shopping plaza off route 1. People may not know of it yet, but I have a sneaking suspicion word will travel and this will be the place to bring your parents out for special occassions or that significant other you want to impress.
You walk in and feel as if you are dining a secret ritzy Italian restaurant in New York City that only the elite are privy to know exists. The prices on the menu are reasonable for the quality of ingridients and variety the owner has to offer. The owner himself is authentic and boisterous. He makes you feel like you are the best customer he has ever had and dotes on you throughout your visit.
Will comment more later.
OVERALL
FOOD:
Exceptionally authentic with classics and one-of-a-kind items
PRICE:
You get what you pay for, fresh ingridients, flavorful meals that leave you satisfied in more ways than one
ATMOSPHERE:
Intimate yet laid-back enough to be casually not out of place
I really want to give this place 4 or 5 stars. If they tweak just a few things here and there, they will doubtless earn it.
1. Location: Not the best place for such a nice restaurant. Its in a fairly new shopping center off route 1 that has plenty of visibility, but isn't known for being a place to find food.
2. Appearance: From the outside, the restaurant is just an unassuming brick building. Again, nothing special. Inside the restaurant is where things start looking up. The tables and place settings are very rich and elegant. You first thought is "How much are they going to be charging me in here?". The bar matches the décor of the restaurant. The only downside is the fake brick wall along the back. I don't understand that choice but its not a deal breaker. It just doesn't fit.
3. Price: Not too bad. I am used to eating in DC so this looks cheap to me. The price to portion size ratio my be heavy on price but that has never upset me. However, what will the Stafford Natives think?
4. Food:
Pan-seared parmesan-crusted trout with lemon capers served with grilled Asparagus -$15.73
My trout was well cooked and nicely seasoned. The sauce was very good complement to the fish. The little ball of mashed potatoes was kind of silly and I could tell that my asparagus had been in the fridge a few days next to some celery. It was pale and had an off flavor.
Fettuccini with wild mushrooms, sautéed in a Grillo wine sauce - $12.73
My wife absolutely loved her mushroom pasta dish but she wished that it came with a blush sauce rather than white.
6. Drinks: The sangria was well below standard. Definitely more juice than wine. Drinks can make or break a restaurant. You want people to know they will be taken care of when they come to your restaurant. Â The best way to get repeat customers is by making their favorite drinks properly. I'm not saying over pour. Just make sure the drink meets the standard.
5: Service: The service was prompt and courteous. The owner of the restaurant made us a little uncomfortable when he came over and started picking up the cheerios my 8 month old dropped on the floor. Yes, babies drop stuff. I just thought it was odd to start cleaning up around our table while we were still there.
6. All in all, a good experience. Â Zibibbo may need some time to settle in and gather a following. . I will be going back to reassess.
Suggestions: How about some signature cocktails?
- Tuscan Limonata - Fresh squeezed lemonade, with a shot of house made  limoncello (I have a good recipe if you want)
- Fenneltini - Follow the standard recipe for a martini but on the toothpick with the olives, add fresh cubes of fennel bulb and perhaps a few at the bottom of the glass.
- Bellini - Iconic champagne based cocktail. Just a little peach pure in champagne.
Finally, find some nearby farms and buy fresh local ingredients. You can brag about it and charge more for it!
I've come here three times now and two things are for certain: 1) Their Lobster & Crawfish Dip is awesome and 2) Everything else is very average.
I've had their meatball sub (just ok), chicken parmesan sub (just ok) and their Italian sub (just ok). Â Yes, I like subs! Â While I haven't tried any of their "Italian" dishes, I don't really feel the need to come back and do so. Â I would, however, come back for wine and the Lobster & Crawfish Dip (spicy, creamy and just wonderful) for a casual night out.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
