Pines of Rome

We have been eating here for years. The pizza is great, and most of the other food is ok. I have to admit I was disappointed recently by the spaghetti and meatballs– meatballs were boring. Spaghetti carbonara is outstanding and prepared without cream sauce — different than any other preparation we have had, and best of all.
Pines of Rome is a neighborhood favorite.

My first time ordering and I am way impressed! I ordered Eggplant Parmigiana for carryout. It was ready for pickup right when they said, which was 10 minutes after I called. I got back to my office and it was double wrapped and piping hot! Layers of thin cut eggplant, breaded and fried, soaking up delicious tomato sauce and covered in cheese, just the way it should be — perfection! Thank you :)

My boyfriend and I were very surprised this place was as full as it was on Friday night when we ate there for the first time. It was clear after a few minutes, that these were people and families who had probably been there many many times before. This is the only way I could see a 3+ star review being justified.
Pros: The host was friendly and welcoming. The place was nondescript on the outside, and you step inside and it’s warm and people are chattering and eating — a pleasant surprise.
Cons: For practical reasons, I was a little annoyed that the menu does not describe what comes with the entrees. Does it come with salad? (no) a side of bread, pasta, etc? I had to ask the server, and then weighed my decision while two people stared at me.
The ‘house’ wine is a handle of some cheap wine you buy at the grocery store. I recognized it because I bought a huge thing of it the last snowstorm we had. Yet because it was served in a *regular drinking glass* (yes, not a wine glass) they up-​charged $ 8 or so.
We ordered fried zucchini as our appetizer, which I’ve had plenty of times other places. MOST fried things come with a dipping sauce, usually marinara. No dipping sauce. The plate was very bland and was served with the paper towel used to sop up the grease underneath! The bottom layer of zucchini was stuck and we had to cast out a good third of it because there were bits of paper towel stuck to them.
I ordered chicken parm, because I thought it’s really the easiest dish to make, it’s pretty much always tasty. The chicken breast came completely unseasoned and was almost tempura battered and deep-​fried, rather than battered with egg, seasoning, cheese, and then pan fried. No flavor, and no real marinara. That was on my side of spaghetti, and the marinara mysteriously got watered down as the meal went on. I didn’t finish either and we both left unsatisfied.
We are both slightly traumatized and are actually thinking maybe eating at a chain restaurant is safer, since this bland visit set us back around $ 60.

The pizza was completely soaked in grease. Not to mention the the dough was still soft in the middle. The service was crap. Not once did they fill up my glass for water. I use to go to this place all the time a few years back and it has completely gone downhill.

This is a local gem. Every time I went, they served exactly the same level of quality dish. I recently went there with my friend after 2 years of blank but our server remembered us! What a lovely surprise.

The worst lasagne ever had. Averyw little pasta and watery meat. The service was horrible. We had five people go to the restaurant, reccommend by a co worker. Will never go back to this restaurant again.

I’ve been going to Pines for over 30 years and it never fails me. The red pizza is like none other. Extended family that has moved elsewhere always returns to Pines when in town. It’s just that good!

A pretty good family restaurant.
My boyfriend and I came on a friday night. We were seated immediately. It’s a pretty large space. Our server was attentive and pleasant.
The food was pretty basic but good. We ordered the white pizza, the salad with red peppers, and chicken parmesan with spaghetti. For a family with serveral kids, I would recommend coming here.

Best Italian authentic food ever!
You feel like you are in Italy… I had the white pizza, the veil and Branzino with a very good Italian wine… the service was excellent and the owner is great and generous! I recommend it to all people in DC.

The white pizza here is amazing. I have ordered several times from this location. The staff is nice and the food is pretty good. I haven’t had a bad experience yet.

I’m a native Washingtonian and have been eating at Pines of Rome since before I could talk. Of all the popular restaurants in DC– from Rasika to 1789 to The Source to Rose’s Luxury to [insert name of latest trendy but mostly mediocre joint on 14^th street]- this is the only place I have ever fallen asleep fantasizing about. Order the luscious white pizza with fontina and the equally decadent red pizza with pepperoni and you won’t be disappointed. I’ve personally never tried any of the «fancier» dishes that seem to have disappointed other reviewers but, c’cmon– have you seen the place? If you want lobster then go to Fiola Mare and spend $ 350 (Fiola’s food more than lives up to the hype, by the way, but that’s a story for another day). If you want really freaking good pizza then go to Pines. Case closed end of story.

I was disappointed after reading others reviews. The place was very busy but the food was subpar. I really wanted to like this place. We all got the cheese ravioli which was the special of the evening and it was just not spectacular. The sauce could have used a little more seasoning. They never offered a refill on bread when we were only given 4 slices for 3 of us. I don’t think I would return here.

Pretty average Italian food. We had a variety of dishes for a party of 7 that we all kind of shared. We came around 8:30 pm on a Wednesday and were seated right away.
Appetizers
— antipasto plate (a unremarkable bed of iceberg lettuce with tomato, roasted bell pepper, tomato, olives, cheese and some tuna fish with a little dressing)
— fried calamari (average, not as crispy as I like)
— white pizza (nice thin crust with a white cheese tipping, the best of the appetizers)
Entrees
— spaghetti with clam sauce (clams in the shell in a typical white wine sauce, tasted ok)
— fried soft shell crabs (very good)
— sweet Italian sausage (my favorite entrée, nicely seasoned with a good amount of fennel)
— a breaded veal dish (can’t recall the name) that was ok
— a couple of other entrees that I didn’t try so can’t recall
Dessert
— cannolis (very good filling, just the right sweetness, no chocolate chips which is good in my book)
We also had a liter of the house red wine, that was very drinkable. The whole dinner was about $ 190, which averages out to $ 27 a person. The food was fine, nothing special but everyone enjoyed the meal. We’ve been here before with friends. It’s fine for a big group but not a place I’d pick if I was after a really nice Italian dinner.

I feel bad posting bad reviews about small businesses, but this place did not meet any of my expectations.
The service was sub par, and I had the lasagna which seemed like it was just microwaved as the texture was not super pleasant. They also did not have any of their desserts except for one and, again, it was subpar.
I didn’t have seafood which a lot of people seemed to like here, but as someone who always goes for the pasta when I go to an Italian restaurant, this left me with a big void in my… stomach.

Pizza was great and the chocolate dipped ice cream was amazing.
I had two cups of double espresso because it was so good.
Would recommend. …

Great family place with an authentic Italian feel to the environment. I had the fontina cheese pizza for antipasti which was awesome and for entrée ordered the veal scaloppine Marsala with spaghetti. The veal was too sweet for my taste but still good, however, the pasta and tomato sauce was very good.
Enjoyed my meal in great company with a nice bottle of red wine. The served load bread takes you back to the streets of Italy however I would have expected the menu to be more varied and with less processed ingredients (e.j fresh Parmesan cheese instead of powered and fresh meat sauce instead of out a of a jar).
All in all good place for something different on a Sunday afternoon with an Italian family.

After Paint Nite at Tommy Joe’s next door (see my review), my friend and I headed over to Pines of Rome. When I said they had the best white pizza she was all in. Pepe seated us (he is just adorable and so sweet) and we ordered salads with the house dressing. Not too much, not too little, it was just right. And then we inhaled the white pizza… friend agreed it was scrumptious and sees herself driving down from Wheaton to pick up whenever she gets craving. The décor is typical of an old fashioned upscale Italian restaurant but it use some spiffing up… new paint, etc.

Came to Pines of Rome at around 9:00 PM on a Saturday night, and got a seat no problem. The place was relatively empty when got there.
Pines of Rome isn’t too far from the Bethesda train station– roughly a five minute walk. It’s off the main road, so you might have to look carefully while looking for it. The dining area is fairly large but the layout of the place is a little strange. The rooms are dimly lit, and while I’m sure it’s supposed to contribute to the ‘ambiance’, it kind of gave me a headache.
We ordered the roasted peppers, along with a spaghetti and meatballs, and a white pizza with the cheese. The peppers were incredibly sour, and probably were a mistake– maybe some people like them. The spaghetti was very bland and they only gave us two meatballs. The pizza was incredibly meh was fairly greasy. The pizza is served to you already cut up into squares– this isn’t necessarily bad, but options would have been nice.
During dinner, I very much got the impression that they were trying to rush us the entire time. The servers weren’t terribly friendly, but they were all old men, so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. The prices aren’t exorbitant, but fairly high for mediocre food.
The place is overall a little grimey; while I’m sure Pines of Rome may have been a Bethesda staple in the past, I really don’t think it’s worth visiting in 2015.

For those who love the little dives or holes-​in-​the-​wall, you will see the appeal of this place. Pines is a fixture in Bethesda, but it has suffered from years of cruising along without any effort to remain current — or even clean. There is a musty odor that permeates the air and the walls are literally covered in years of dust and grease.
As for the food — I can’t speak to it’s authenticity because I am not an expert on Italian cuisine, and I don’t eat seafood — which many reviewers admire here. But I do know a good basic spaghetti and meatballs when I see it. Boxed pasta (as advertised on the menu) that was very al dente — but as one other reviewer noted, it managed to continue softening as the meal went along. Unfortunately, I was over my meal before I got to the point where the spaghetti was perfectly tender. The sauce was chunks of tomato without much else and the meatballs were tender but lacking in any real fresh flavor.
My dining partner had a house salad that was chunks of iceberg lettuce with a couple coins of radish and carrot dressed in a splash of oil and vinegar and a sprinkle of dried herbs. Not exactly the most original — or even quality salad. He also had the famous white pizza with fontina. That was pretty yummy — cheesy, gooey and salty with a crisp crust. Great appetizer, but not what I would recommend for a main dish unless you paired it with a vegetable to cut the richness. All that cheese is very rich.
Another curious notation on the menu are the two pasta sauces: Meatless marinara and meat flavored. What does meat flavored mean? They specifically state that their meat flavored dishes are not ground beef sauces. I guess it is my fault that I did not ask the server about that, but my spaghetti and meatballs was fine with marinara, so I didn’t bother to find out.
I also concur with the other reviewers about the service — brusk, quick, not particularly engaging, but in a place like this, I don’t know that I would take it personally.
This place definitely has its following though. A couple came in and sat down next to us and I noticed that they didn’t even pick up the menus. The gentleman asked if they had the roasted chicken — which they didn’t. He then asked about another dish and the waiter nodded. The fans of this place know what they like.

My family have been coming here for at least three decades. The place hasn’t changed at all! From the simple décor, delicious white pizza with fontina cheese, and best daily specials (whole flounder, soft shell crabs), this place is a great place for families.
I haven’t really tried everything from their menu, except for a very simple and very good linguine with clams with white sauce, sausage with peppers and chicken cacciatore. Yum. Their portions are very large and come with a side of spaghetti too.
The waitstaff are the same people I’ve seen after all of these years and are fast and efficient. Not the friendliest but very swift. Sure, their prices have increased a little bit, but still a moderately priced place for Bethesda.
Stick with their specials and you’ll leave happy and full.