Went to dinner with daughter with a long time staple in Manchester. Newer owners in the last 6 months and wow do they have to fix many items. All food frozen and not seasoned. Poor quality food, staff was OK but not great. 39.00 dollars for 2 people no alcohol REALLY ! too bad it’s centrally located and is one of only«sit down» restaurant on that side of town. It is too bad due to the fact that when Paganni’s owned it and the last owner it was awesome and fresh ! NOTANYMORE !!
Brianna L.
Place rating: 3 Newington, CT
I’ve been here plenty of times. The pizza is delicious but they messed up my order. I got a veggie burger with NO cheese they gave me cheese. I’m lactose intolerant… so I scraped the cheese off and ate it anyway. The bun was tasteless, it tasted like white bread. Not only this, but the bun was so big I could hardly taste the veggie burger. The veggie burger in itself didn’t take great anyway. Their pizza will always be my favorite. Everything else… well…
David b.
Place rating: 5 Hartford, CT
Had a great dinner, our waitress, «Kelsey» was very pleasant and professional Great Food, staff, and of course yummy food!
Jackson F.
Place rating: 5 Cave Creek, AZ
If I’m in CT, I’m going to Rocco’s for a pizza. To me, some of the best pizza ever. I had a pasta dish their once, which was good, but their pizza is where it’s at. Always friendly and pleasant staff. Just be sure you’re going in the entrance and out the exit. Very narrow and the signs are small. I’ve never had an issue but other people seem to.
Amy W.
Place rating: 3 Manchester, CT
In addition to pizza and wings, the menu is vast and able to be personalized in many ways. There are appetizers, salads, Italian classics, fish entrees, BBQ ribs, chops, steaks, sandwiches and a kids’ menu. From make-your-own pasta-bowls, to choosing from a dozen burger toppings, to customizing your entrée with a choice of add-ins and/or proteins, Rocco’s aims to please. READMOREAT:
Shellene O.
Place rating: 4 Hebron, CT
First visit here for myself and the hubby, we’ve driven by too many times to count and I’ve always wanted to stop. Our waitress was really great: friendly, attentive and quick. The garlic bread came with some marinara sauce to dip it in(love that)! Both of us ordered from the specials menu(as a wise waiter once told me «order a special, the stuff on the menu is always here»). I was on the fence about the chicken pot pie special, but the waitress promised it was delicious, and she was right! Yum gravy, nice pastry on top, and just the right amount of chicken and veggies. To finish it off the hubby and I shared a hand filled cannoli that was perfect(their filling was the perfect texture and sweetness). I’m only giving it 4 stars until I can come back and try a few more items on the menu(the pot roast dish someone next to us ordered looked great). We’ll be back :)
Jimmy F.
Place rating: 1 Ellington, CT
First of all I will never go back there again and neither will my family and friends after what happened to me tonight. First of all I was over charged then I asked to speak to a manager and was hung up on then when I called back the manager whom I think was the owner couldn’t who couldn’t even figure the sales tax out correct started to get belligerent with me on the phone and yelling at me. Wow with that kind if customer service they will never stay in business. The old owners were alway polite And nice.
Tim L.
Place rating: 2 Meriden, CT
Good food, very rushed service. Surprised result after all the good reviews. Staff was much more interested in closing than service and it was only 8:00. No bread served with Italian food? Too many other places to try.
Julia W.
Place rating: 3 Manchester, CT
I’ve lived in Manchester for twelve years and passed Rocco’s a bazillion times, but it took the powers of Unilocal to tell me to this little Italian restaurant was last-minute date night friendly, and not the super fancy restaurant it appears to be from the street. Rocco’s main parking lot is located in the back of the building, and you walk past the pick up window, into the bar, and then kind of have to linger awkwardly in the server station area until someone sees you to seat you. It didn’t take long, but with three other couples waiting, it was uncomfortable. The front of house waiting area isn’t any better. You’re kind of in the way no matter how you try to shift around the busy servers. Once we were seated, the server was mildly attentive, forgetting basics like silverware and napkins. I had to ask him to speak up several times. He was fine, but I wish I didn’t have to wait for forks to eat our salads, after we were already half way through our wine. I ordered the Rocco’s Eggplant Parmesan. It was a hearty order of fried eggplant, topped with mozzarella and sauce, next to a small portion of from-the-box penne. For the price, it was a ton of moderately good food. My date ordered the ravioli special that night and also felt fine about it. With so many top-notch restaurants in the area, serving up homemade goodness with spectacular service, I can’t say I’d stop by Rocco’s again anytime soon, though there wasn’t anything particularly bad about my experience.
Daphne D.
Place rating: 5 Manchester, CT
Rocco’s has everything in a restaurant we love! Wonderful owners — you’ll find the wife seating people, cleaning tables, and leading by example. Delicious food! Comfortable seats(plenty of booths). And lot’s of other happy customers(Fri, Sat you may have to wait if you don’t get their by 6pm). My favorite(it’s often hard for me to stray) is the pasta bowl. Their bolognese sauce tastes fresh, tomatoey and sweet. It’s hard to decide between the eggplant and chicken parm so we often order both and split them.(We have another delicious dinner the next night). For lunch, try the margarita pizza and the Greek chopped salad with romaine, cucumbers, feta, olives, scallions with wonderful fresh dill and balsamic dressing. We usually get the same server, Bridgette, who always let’s us know the latest drink specials and remembers what we like. If you love Italian, want a nice steak, chops or some fresh seafood, try this place. If you care about paying a ton to be seen — go to Caveys(right next door) but if you want a warm, really friendly, tasty meal with other likeminded people, go to Rocco’s.
Milissa S.
Place rating: 5 Manchester, CT
My girlfriend and I had only went there for take-out only, which was always good for a quick hot grinder on the go. The other night, we decided to stay local and with a Italian craving. we tried Rocco’s sit down dining. We are KICKING ourselves for wasting a year not trying this place sooner. She had a spinach and onion calzone… She loved it and had left-overs for days! I had the Rachel sandwich on a grilled pretzel roll and loved it as well! Service was outstanding. We look forward to eating there soon!
Emily B.
Place rating: 4 Manchester, CT
We had a great date night at Rocco’s! We went on a Monday night and discovered it was half price wing night. This is a wonderful deal, and their wings are pretty well priced at full price so the half off was awesome. My boyfriend tried the wings and said they could have been hotter but overall they were a great size and really crunchy. I was in the mood for a hearty pasta dish so I got the linguine with clam sauce. It was a huge portion with nice big fresh clams. I also asked for some bread for dipping and they heated up a few rolls for me! Our server Bridgette was really great and attentive. After dinner we went to the bar for a cocktail on our way out. I’m not sure if I would recommend the bar area… it seemed crowded, a lot of regulars having loud inappropriate conversations… we may have just hit it on an off night. We have heard wonderful things about Rocco’s and I will absolutely be back to this little Manchester restaurant. They have a nice outside seating area that I can’t wait to take advantage of!
Donald R.
Place rating: 5 Manchester, CT
Love these independent places! Great staff here, delicious food. The buffalo chicken salad is one of the best anywhere. Everything tastes fresh, and unique!
Sarah A.
Place rating: 5 Hartford, CT
This is one of my restaurants in Manchester. I appreciate the variety on the menu. They have pizza, grilled entrees, pasta dishes, and some incredibly delicious salads. Their corned beef & cabbage served around St. Patrick’s day is especially good. I’ve never had a bad meal here. If there’s ever an issue with anything, the waitstaff will figure out a way to fix it without you even having to ask. It’s a cozy, friendly restaurant and great for dining in, and they offer a takeout service as well. We’ve been back 1,000 times, give or take. It’s our go-to place in Manchester!
Frank V.
Place rating: 5 South Windsor, CT
This is the best Italian place around! Have been there quite a few times and have tried a lot of different dishes, nothing was less than great! Their sauces are great especially the tomato sauce. Great Chicken Parm, eggplant Parm and Chicken Marsala! The service is also great with an obviously experienced wait staff, not hired because the owner thinks they have a great behind! I would recommend Rocco’s to anyone into Italian food. A friend of mine says it’s the only place in the area he’ll bring his parents who are both from Italy! I think that says something! I say forget the Olive Garden and support a great local business!
Kimmy B.
Place rating: 4 Manchester, CT
We went to Rocco’s for my sisters birthday and there was 15. Service was awesome and food came out all at the same time. Good service great food and awesome service! Try it
K O.
Place rating: 4 Central Manchester, CT
Good local restaurant offering a wide range of food from sandwiches, burgers, and pasta. Family friendly and crowded during prime dinner time.
Melly W.
Place rating: 2 Central Manchester, CT
Our first visit to Rocco’s was inspired by the good reviews on Unilocal.We love Italian food and are always looking for new places to try. All four of us were all new to Rocco’s and eager to try their dinner entrees. We ordered an eggplant parm, chicken parm, spinach pie with chips and veggies, and a calamari fra diavlo. The bread served before our meals was delicious, and the side salads that came with three of the entrees were adequate. The dressing is brought to the table in its own bottle– which is a wonderful idea. The entrees arrived hot and everything looked delicious. Looks can be deceiving. The marinara sauce on both Parms was overly sweet. A side of Alfredo noodles was swimming in sauce. The fra diavlo sauce was thin and lacking in flavor, the calamari was soft and unseasoned. The whole wheat penne noodles were overcooked and not al dente. We went from excited and happy to disappointed all around. The thought of bringing the leftovers home wasn’t appealing to any of us. We were all disappointed and unable to think of why we would return. Rocco’s didn’t live up to our expectations. It’s not that one dish was a horrible disaster — they all were.
Gosha A.
Place rating: 5 Manchester, CT
The restaurant It’s close to me, so grab some lunch or dinner. *Location Wow. Been open four log time I know. The Restaurant Locate it on Little busy Street. So you need to park on back restaurant. Park spot big. * Food Try so Buffalo wings and Buffalo Chicken pizza and Salads. Taste perry good. don’t have to wait 4 food the log. Need like 10 to 15min. menu has a lot of alrighty. chicken, salads, pizza, pasta, burgers, sandwiches and more. they have a full bar and tv’s. *Service I can tell you nice and friendly. can’t be more happy.
John P.
Place rating: 4 Manchester, CT
My family & I went there for lunch, and was greeted by a nice and friendly waitress. The restaurant sports a nice, clean, updated and pleasant atmosphere. Lunch was quiet, but who’s complaining, there’s nothing worse for me than eating in a lunch hall full of people talking… so, we had a nice enjoyable lunch with excellent conversation! The waitress ordered our Ice Teas and we were ready to order lunch. Note: They do Not have a lunch menu, but they do have sandwiches available. I can only speak for myself, because I forgot what my wife ordered(though she did say it was very good), I took advantage of their«Build Your Own Pasta Bowl».and had fun with it! Don’t you love it when you have so many options when it comes to building your own dinner? I chose for Rocco’s Marinara Sauce(very tasty) with penne pasta. Then for my extra add ons I chose: Sausage & Onions… by the way, this came with a cool little salad which I ate in a matter of seconds being a side dish. There balsamic vinaigrette dressing was excellent and made from scratch! Once salad was done, our lunch/dinner came right out. As I dove into it, I couldn’t find the sausage. I was expecting it to be sliced up and mixed evenly throughout the dish, but what unexpectedly happened was the entire sausage was hidden under a bed of penne marinara sauce & micro sliced onions. There dish was about 3″ deep, so I had to go digging for the sausage, but finally found it in whole, and once I cut into it and tasted it, my mouth watered up! I loved it and it truly was worth the extra $$…The micro onions were another fantastic addition $$ as well and was happy that I treated myself to this«Build Your Own Pasta Bowl». After finishing up, the waitress asked us for dessert but we declined because we were stuffed!!! I even tried a bit of my daughter’s pizza and it was delicious too! The bottom line is, go there for dinner, the vibe will be better(more crowded). You will really enjoy just about anything from their nice menu of dinners. Don’t forget, they do have Pizza & Grinder Service in the back. You can call in, and pick up Pizza anytime!!! If you enter from the back parking area, you will first walk into there nice bar area, just past the Pizza/Grinder Pickup door. The bar is very welcoming for friends, doing business between friends, or just a single person relaxing with a bowlful of peanuts sitting at the bartop. Two regular tv’s are there for your viewing pleasure as well. The owner of this restaurant is as nice as can be!!! We love you Erica! Keep up the great work!!!