Gaetano’s

This is a classic Italian restaurant. A great NYC feel with the Sinatra music vibe. These guys got it great with fresh pasta and super service. Best carbonara in town! Love the history here and this place is a must for anyone visiting Denver.

My wife and I live in the neighborhood and I can’t believe it took us 2.5 years to eat here. They have great home style Italian and the service was solid on a busy night. Tiramisu was devoured in seconds flat. Fun to eat in a place with a bit of history!

I had the spaghetti and meatballs it was delicious, the tiramisu is awesome, my drinks were mixed wonderfully. The bartender and waitress were great accomplices for my evening meal before heading back to my business as usual work week.

We have eaten here a few times over the past year and the food has been great along with the service. (Only reason I gave an additional star)
We decided to come here with another couple for NYE and the service was absolutely AWFUL! First of all our server. Didn’t bring water. Silverware. Or bread although we asked multiple times. She didn’t even bring any of our meals OR ask if they were ok. The hostess completed all of these after we had to ask another server. The only time we actually saw our waitress was when she took ONE drink order and our food order. Our drink order may have tripled if not for the lack of a server. We also were here an additional half hour or so while the hostess tried to find our waitress just so we could pay our tab. We left a small trip only for the poor hostess who basically was our waitress that night however if not for the hostess we likely would have walked out. Again we had been here times before and loved it. But NYE was one of the worst experiences we’ve had in Denver to date.

Horrible management!!! Very inconsistent restaurant! We have given this place many many opportunities and there is always something that makes the experience horrible from the service, food, ect… We stopped going here for good bout 5 months ago, and will never be back.

Eh. Not much flavor. I bet the old people like the food. Very very bland. Some salt and pepper on the table might have helped. I thought with the look of the place and the prices on the menu the food would be amazing. It’s not.

Meh, poor service and over poached eggs benedict. I’d say there’s much better brunch spots in denver. Be prepared to be judged for your 4^th mimosa in 2 hours… not fun, go somewhere else.

Ordinarily I would not even write a review for simply mediocre food, however, when added with poor service and sheer rudeness, I felt obliged. First the food– the egg carbonara lacked any seasoning and was quite light on sauce. Service– in addition to slowness in a nearly empty restaurant, one member of our table asked for hot sauce and was told, «it’s up at the bar,» and had to get his own. All of this would have been acceptable, but for the judgment that was met at 1:45 when our server told us that, «due to the time and the sheer amount that you’ve consumed, this is the last round I can serve you,» when dropping off our fourth mimosa in three hours of being there. Our only reason for occupying a table so long is that three of the six members of our party had to order more food, as the first dish was lacking, disappointing, and left us hungry.
She is fortunate to have added gratuity to our tab because, had she not, 20% would not have been left on the table.

Gaetano’s isn’t bad if you’re craving some Italian and don’t feel like makling it yourself. They’ve been pretty busy the two times we have been in and the service is pretty slow, but friendly. The menu trends more towards ‘Spaghetti and Meatballs’ than Osso Buco. Pretty basic stuff, but all of the pasta is handmade and the sauces flavorful. Maybe not the place to be if you want to be reminded of your two week trip to Italy in 2009 and how they would never serve this sort of thing there, but great if you just want some noodles and sauce.

I’ve always loved Italian food, just ask anyone, but it has to be good Italian food, made with love (or at least not apathy). And yes, it helps if the restaurant is in a nice, safe location.
Gaetano’s first of all is actually near a place (no joke) called «The Anger Center,» where people go to get treatment for anger management issues. This is not very close to Gaetano’s to be fair, just another ten minute drive. But the surrounding neighborhood is pretty sleazy and not somewhere you would want to walk around at night unless you can easily break out some Jackie Chan moves or carry a baseball bat with you. Lots of homelessness, people selling bootleg DVDs on the street corner, cops always doing something across the street or within walking distance, spotty parking, potholes, you get the idea.
The food kind of reflects the location (which I guess makes sense in a way, since if you were a great place you’d probably be willing to pay a little bit more for rent and more traffic). Anyway, that’s probably why the cool bullet-​proof doors are there.
The food, while not something that would slide out of a donkey’s back-​side, was passable. I could get it down, but it wasn’t better than anything I could buy at the frozen food section of your local WalMart or McDarnold’s or King Soopers. Just kind of re-​heated frozen meals served by a waitress with glazed-​over «walking dead» apathetic eyes and sloping forehead.
Maybe Gaetano’s can’t afford to be in a nicer neighborhood, or pay for better lighting and signage, or pay for better ingredients or better cooks, or for better conditions there; but it all impacts the overall experience — which just wasn’t worth the drive there, the costs, when I can just go get a DiGirono’s and put some quality meats on it, some good spice, and go home and put on the Pandora channel and relax without all the attendant drama.

Don’t make a reservation, it won’t be honored at Gaetano’s. We made one and waited over 45 minutes to be seated. This is not the first time, it happens time and time again. The hostess was rude and made no attempt to remedy the situation. The were a bit bothered that I asked why it was taking so long and brushed me off as if I were putting them out. Unacceptable.
«Frank» is extremely to loud. You should have to shout to have an intimate conversation.
The food is good but really not worth the wait.

I stopped in here Monday night on a recommendation of a friend. I have a weakness for Italian food so I was looking forward to a good meal. Legend has it that this used to be an old mob hangout in Denver, not sure how much truth there is to that, but these guys were thinking. In a neighborhood where parking is a premium they have their own lot across the street. The place is dimly lit and has enlarged old black and white photos on the walls. Cozy atmosphere, narrow, narrow walkways, but friendly staff.
Started with some wine and was pleased with the choices they have for their house options. Reasonable and good tasting, though I think we were all surprised when the whites came in what looked like a single rose vase. Not to worry, I was drinking red.
I ordered some garlic bread to come with our other choice of baked ravioli. My garlic bread didn’t come with our other appetizer. Hmmm. I thought. He must have forgotten.
Wasn’t too worried about it as they had loaves of round bread on the table and oil and vinegar to use for dipping. Sadly no fresh cracked pepper to add to it. One of my cohorts noticed that we didn’t have salt and pepper at all on the table. I looked around and seems no one did. Not sure if tis is standard operating procedure here or if the opening staff just forget. No worries, I didn’t need it for my choices.
I ordered the lobster ravioli which came in a vodka sauce. I must say when I got a bite of the ravioli without too much sauce I cold taste it, but with just a bit too much the vodka sauce was overpowering. Still, the dish was tasty. Halfway through my meal I asked the waiter about my bread and he went to check on it. By the time he came back my meal was over. Good thing as his answer was «they ran out». Apparently they don’t keep butter and bread on hand to make more. Quite disappointed in that. This was my second Italian meal out where bread was not offered. I’m all for all of you on these carb free diets, but I can’t eat a good pasta without fresh garlic bread. It’s a character flaw I suppose.
My friends were pleased with their choices as well– lasagna and chicken scallopini. They looked amazing.
I would go back, but next time I’m asking about the bread before I order.

Good food and a easy go to! This place has an out of this word Frank Sinatra that performs on occasion! It’s the best show in town! Dinner and classic entertainer!
Good shit!

Cannot say enough good things about this place. Though Italian food isn’t necessarily my first choice for fare, I was so happy we finally made the trip to Gaetano’s. We had recently purchased a Denver passbook and elected to use the «buy one, get one» deal. To be honest, I expected service with the passbook to be sub par to average at best. But I was very pleasantly surprised. Service was impeccable. I ordered the lasagna which was INCREDIBLE! We also ordered the tiramisu to go. To. Die. For. Tiramisu is, hands down, my favorite dessert and Gaetano’s is my favorite to date. We will definitely be back and are grateful that the passbook got us to take the plunge.

I haven’t been here in awhile and they have since remodeled which looked pretty cool, instead of the Italian Paintings on the wall, they have blown up nostalgia pictures of the good ol’ days of the Italian Mafia… I was a fan of the new décor. Of course you can hear the old Frank Sinatra and others of the time as their music. We were there on a Saturday night and it was packed (they even accomodated a large party that night) so I was glad that I used Open Table for my reservation which I only had to wait about 50 – 10 mins after we got their for our table. I was lucky and was able to snag a spot in the parking lot as well. I felt that the atmosphere was pleasant (but yes loud — but I think of it as being in a hopping Italian night spot back in the day — it kind of added to the atmosphere for me).
Our waitress was very pleasant and attentive, the wine had a good pour. They did change their sausage and peppers app since the last time we were there (instead having the sausage and peppers in the sauce the sauce was on the side and the peppers were presented in a fancy arrangement), ok their sausage ROCKS so this didn’t bother me to much, but my husband felt that they probably had them roasting in the sauce for hours before so he was a little disappointed. The lasagna he ordered looked fabulous and he felt it was a little salty, I tasted it and didn’t feel that it was salty, but I felt the sausage in the lasagna was lacking… this would have rocked as well if they used the same flavorful sausage from their appetizer (and what the probably use for the sausage and peppers entrée as well). I ordered the scallops because I love scallops, but this where I got disappointed, I ordered the 2^nd most expensive item on the menu at $ 26 and was served a fancy arranged dish of only 3 (yes 3 scallops) some sauteed spinach and asparagus, and their parm risotto. While the scallops were very tasty, if you are only going to give 3 the price needs come down, the risotto did not have flavor and was very bland (which I was suprised on since it was supposed to have parm which is usually a saltier cheese), I believe it had some peas mixed in as well, I livened it up by adding olive oil, balsmic (from the table) and mixed the sauteed spinach in with it since that had some salt in it. The tiramisu at the end of dinner was definitely decedant which I will give them that.
I do still really like this place and will come back and order the staples since I used to love their Egg Plant Parm. I used to love their mussels and was going to order them and changed my mind, but noticed that when someone else ordered them the portion was smaller than it used to be. Again I will come back to try another dish, but please don’t become one of the hoity toity new Denver Restuarants and just make a good old school Italian meal and all will be good.

After reading the reviews we decided to try Brunch today. First I have to say the mimosas and sangria bottomless options are top notch. Way large goblets that I love to see come my way. Just the right amount of oj and champagne. The sangria was good but before noon drinking I like to keep it more refined mimosa.
We were sitting on the outdoor patio and before we even ordered our food what appeared to be a owner of sorts asked us if we would be done eating by 1 as they had a very large party coming and forgot to plan ahead and block off the area. Sure we should be done but what if I wanted to enjoy more mimosas? (Don’t rush me that’s not cool)
Ok out food came and my husband ordered the skillet egg thing and instantly we noticed the amount of grease around the edges, we asked for a extra napkin to dab it off. Then he dug into the center of the skillet and we noticed a POOL of oil seep out. I thought it might maybe be juice of some sort so I stuck my finger in. Nope it was either olive oil or grease. Not to be gross but it was past my fingernail or a good 1/​3″ deep. Obviously retuned. My breakfast burrito also has extra oil associated with it. Might have come from the sausage but I really think the cook has a heavy hand with the olive oil. Not good at all. Drinks a plus. Food super nasty

Don’t go here on Wednesday nights unless you like a loud mouth Frank Sinatra impersonator/​comedian to ruin your dinner. Very loud. It may be adequate in a bar or a bachelor party. We could barely talk to each other. The waitress couldn’t hear us. Extremely unpleasant. We ordered mushroom ravioli, pescatore pasta and a salmon salad. Very hard to enjoy anything. It took an hour for our food to arrive. The ravioli was dry inside and came in a tasteless broth. The salmon salad was fine. The seafood pasta was cooked properly al dente but the sauce was lacking in taste.
I don’t know how many times a week they have that entertainer. I would call ahead to know. Specially if you want a nice dinner instead and don’t feel like a singalong.
I won’t be coming back.

Food Was Beyond Disappointing
After visiting to celebrate a special occasion we left completely dissatisfied. The food was underwhelming, no flavor and the portions were very small for the price. The lobster ravioli came with only 5 under stuffed raviolis, one completely empty. For a $ 20 dish ($ 4 per ravioli) I would expect a delicious dish, but Gaetano’s ravioli lacked flavor and spice.
My wife ordered the Pescatore with gluten free pasta. The flavor was overwhelmingly seafood and little else. That said the gluten free pasta wasn’t bad but the overall dish tasted like cheap store bought seafood medly mixed with pasta.
Overall it was not a positive experience. The only redeeming factor was the waitress who provided good service.

Welcome to my newest addition to Denver brunch in the highlands. When Universal or Snooze is CRAZY packed and you have to wait an hour or two, you can walk right into Gaetanos and generally be served right away.
Add to that the bottomless orange pomegranate, grapefruit mimoas, coupled with the bottomless sangria and you’ve got yourself a home run. When Lou’s Food Bar gives you these tiny wine flutes and doesn’t refill them quickly, they tell me they’re overly cheap and clearly don’t want me to return in the future. At Gaetanos, these last 2 visits, they had us new mimosas before we were done with the glass, additionally going above and beyond to let us pick from any of the 4 bottomless options, this specific quality knocks it out of the park for me.
What’s really mind-​blowing to me is that the burrito was amazing, go figure, a burrito in a italian restaurant which was better than a lot of the burritos I’ve had in mexican places! It’s been a while since I“ve been to Gaetanos for dinner, however, if I make it by here during the nighttime hours, I’ll be happy to add to my experience and this review!

I really didn’t want to write this review in regards to their Sunday brunch because I wanted them to be my hidden gem, well-​kept secret… etc. But I figure if they don’t start to boom eventually they might not do the brunch anymore and I will be really sad.
Some of the highlights from my brunch today. First of all, parking in Highlands area is just hard and they have their own parking lot! Gaetano’s have been serving Sunday Brunch since March of this year and I’m surprised it’s not busier than they have been.
Second, bottomless coffee is really delicious. They serve illy Italian coffee and it’s smooth and not acidic at all. I am not a fan of South American coffee for that very reason.
Third, today, they had bottomless pomegranate mimosas for $ 10 per person. I really wanted to have some but I had to get back to working on a paper for school… ugh, school always gets in the way of fun!
Fourth, they have make your own bloody mary for $ 6 a glass. With bacon and everything!
Fifth, their prices on their brunch menu is from $ 10 – 12 per person and no more. This is the best deal I have seen in Denver Hipster Brunch places ever!
Sixth, the portion sizes are amaze balls! I almost couldn’t finish it but it was so delicious that this fat kid almost licked the plate.
Seventh, great music selections! Me and Mrs. Jones and other variations of old school soul and R&B on a lazy Sunday. You can’t beat that.
I can’t believe this place is not rated better on Unilocal.I know a lot of the reviews came from many moons ago and the most recent reviews after the new owners have been 4 – 5 star ratings. If you like brunch, it’s not just Italian, they have a lot of benedicts for around $ 10 and they have banana foster french toast… etc. Chicken and waffles with bacon bits in the waffle!!! But they also had Carbonara pasta with eggs on top, which it was interested to eat pasta for breakfast but it turned out to be amazing!!!
Come to Gaetano’s for brunch, you won’t regret it. Now I just have to regret posting it because they will start having long lines… Awesome work Gaetano’s!!!