Grotto

Greatest little Italian restaurant I've been to. The food is fantastic, from the short rib which I think is one of the best selections on the menu to the hanger steak, everything is awesome. I recently had the crispy duck and the crab and mushroom soup. Incredible. The atmosphere is just like what you'd expect for a small Italian place, good music and nice decor. The servers are the best around. I have to give a shout out to Mark who is not only one of the best servers (if not the best), but he's on top of his game and his humor and personality make for such a great experience. You must stop by and enjoy the experience. You will not be disappointed.

My wife and I wanted to try a new spot out and came across Grotto on Google. I had the Mahi Mahi and she had Chicken Florentine. As a restaurant owner she is always critiquing. I watched her take her first bite and stop chewing with a look on her face and said I said “whats wrong” She said “I will never be able to come back here without ordering this, it’s so good.”Both dishes were amazingly delicious. The wait staff did an amazing job and the front end were great getting us in without an appointment. Two days later I was late to an appointment and needed something quick to eat and grabbed my wife’s chicken Florentine leftovers which was a big portion to start and ate that on the way. Needless to say it was so good I called an order in for 3 chicken flo’s to go. Great place and great atmosphere. Well done.

Absolutely delicious! Julie was such a great server. The place filled up fast even with a reservation. We had the seafood soup, scallop dinner with pasta, and the short ribs with veggies and potatoes. For dessert we had the raspberry Chocolate cake and fruit tart. Even the bread and oil dip was fantastic. The food was amazing and it was a great choice to celebrate a birthday here. Would absolutely return again.

The hype is real, y'all. Based on many great reviews here, we took a trip to check out Grotto in North Syracuse. It was well worth the trek. Its a smallish, unpretentious venue, staffed by friendly folks and the owner who was on site overseeing things. Julie was our server, a real pro, so good, we will probably ask for her next time. For starters, hot crusty Ciabatta loaf with dipping oil, we had the Hearts of Romaine salad, and the wedge which featured crumbly and creamy blue, bacon, and a touch of balsamic. Delish. For mains, Eggplant parm on a massive bed of ziti, and the short ribs served on a pile of creamy, cheesey mashed with veggies. The au jus was rich and beefy, the veggies still had some crunch, and I still have enough for lunch tomorrow. Two beers, two glasses of Bordeaux, 2 starters, 2 mains, $96 + tip, which is extremely reasonable these days. Service 10/10 Food 10/10 Pacing (an element that seems spotty around town) 10/10 Give it a go.