Villalba Italian Restaurant

I’ve given this place 3 chances & it’s just not good! The bread is horribly greasy (& not in a good way) the type of bread is not what j would pair with their canned marinara sauce.
I had their lasagna on one visit when they first opened & it was late at night but the sauce tasted like the cook ran out of sauce & just added a can of tomato paste to make it go further. It was just bad & that’s coming from someone who loves most all Italian food. I would mention that I rarely send food back but I would have sent this back but it was actually carry out. I gave them another chance since I thought they were new & maybe someone in the kitchen made a mistake.
I had the pesto linguini (of whatever noodles they served with their pesto), the pesto was out of a can or the chef was just an idiot. Their didn’t appear to be basil in it & the green was some herb which had no taste, almost like it was added just for color. It was slimy, not like a paste. It was drenched in olive oil & there wasn’t a single pine nut added. My 3^rd visit wasn’t any better, the tomato sauce on their pastas are not homemade & I honestly would rather save my money & go to Fazollis. Yes, it’s that bad. Or the place that used to be Snappy Tomato, their food is better too! Did I mention how ridiculous their bread is? As for deserts… People on here brag on their desserts. I will agree Sysco does make a good tiramisu & cannoli. Costco has a great tiramisu in their frozen section which is $ 10 for 8 pieces, I know that you couldn’t tell the difference.
I would love for someone who has a general knowledge of Italian food to buy this owner out, I live so close & would love a decent place got Italian food.

Tried it three times. Each time it was worse. Bruschetta had no discernible basil. Lobster ravioli was dry and meat too done.

I’ve been here a few times and really enjoy the food. (Save the pizza– I was not a fan however all of the pasta dishes were amazing)
It’s a small restaurant so you may have to wait for a seat during the dinner rush. They’ve got great lunch specials too.

Love this place! The the best veal marsala and chicken Marcella I have had ever !
Jessica One of the servers is amazing really all are great! Staff and service friendly people and everything is fresh it’s really delicious.

Simply put, I love this place. Authentic Italian food for an affordable price, especially at lunchtime.
You can’t beat their lunch deal. $ 7.50 gets you your choice of pizza, spaghetti, a sandwich, or calzone (with your choice of a side), and they do NOT skimp on portion size!
Their ingredients are fresh, their service is great, and every dish is a win. I’ve had almost every sandwich on the menu, the pizza, the calzone, a couple different salads, and even some of their dinner features (Chicken Marsala and 4-​cheese Ravioli). I’ve never had a less-​than-​great experience.
Wine and draft beer available, and their coffee is AWESOME.
Fair warning: it’s not a fancy place by any means. Feels like an average café-​type spot, so it wouldn’t be your top choice for a hot date. However, it’s always very clean and has an all-​around good atmosphere.

I came by for dinner last week due to the positive reviews on Unilocal.When I arrived and was seated the first thing that struck me was how plain looking this Italian restaurant is on the inside. It doesn’t look like most Italian restaurants that I have visited before.
After looking at the menu I ordered the Gamberi pizza that comes with shrimp on it. It arrived about 15 minutes later. It was a little greasy compared with other pizzas I have had. Also the shrimp had a different taste that I couldn’t identify. At first I thought the shrimp wasn’t cooked enough but since I didn’t get sick later it must have been a seasoning. I don’t think I would order it again.
My table service was good. I realize this restaurant has a very good Unilocal rating however my one experience here didn’t rate a 3 in my opinion. Perhaps if I came back and tried something else I would rate this restaurant higher. Unfortunately I don’t live here and doubt I will come back when I am in town.

Amazing food, so-​so atmosphere. If you want quaint and romantic, I would go to Café Nonna, but you will pay more for the atmosphere. If you want amazing american/​italian food then this is it! Reccomendations: they have incredible pizza (i will eat gluten for this pizza) and the pizzas are huge, pastas (they basically let us create our own), lasagna is really great and I usually don’t order lasagna. The wine list is limited, but they have a few selections and they are all reasonably priced. We have only been for dinner, but we have always had great service. It is a new favorite when we are craving Italian and don’t mind leaving stuffed with leftovers!

Food is great, and lunch prices can’t be beat. They generally run a lunch combo for around $ 7.50 with a big selection of choices (I usually get the sandwiches, which are HUGE and loaded with meats and veggies). The staff is friendly and I love that they provide free garlic bread and marinara sauce as an appetizer (for free).

As much as I’d like to give this place 5 stars for the food, everything else about it is less-​than-​stellar. As for the food, it’s absolutely authentic and, in my opinion, the best in town. I usually get the Calzone, which is always made with fresh, high quality ingredients. It’s perfection and the quality is pretty consistent; I’ve only had one or two duds (burnt) in 3 years.
Unfortunately, the service here is an absolute atrocity. You have to hound the waiters for simple things like refills, silverware, or napkins which take forever. I once had my waitress admit to me that she’d just gone out back to smoke pot, which was her excuse for not bringing me a fork.
The staff, including the owner, does not treat customers well. This is not based on my experience alone, but also what I’ve observed with other customers. At this point, I only order To-​Go orders because I genuinely dislike being in there. For the most part, the staff has a lot of turnover, with the exception of one waiter who has been there for quite a while. The ownership has clearly fostered an elitist environment, as I’ve seen the staff be highly dismissive to customers time after time.
As for my personal experience, I eat there once per week. As mentioned, I normally get my orders to go (because if the service), and almost always leave the bartender/​to go employee a tip, etc. I’ve gotten the same order every time for several years now and not once has anyone ever thanked me. Instead, they look for new ways to nickel and dime me every time.
On that note, the prices have gone up quite a bit here over the last few years. That alone doesn’t bother me because, as mentioned, the ingredients are fresh. But what does bother me is the aforementioned nickel and diming. Likewise, it’s always a crapshoot as to what price you will actually pay. I’ve gotten the same order every time for three years and it’s been everything from $ 8 to $ 15. I’ve inquired before, and been treated very disrespectfully.
In other words, this is not the kind of place you want to spend your money based solely on service. Like I said, I have probably spent well over a thousand dollars here, always been nice, always tipped, get the same order once per week (sometimes more) and have NEVER been shown any appreciation whatsoever. They genuinely do not give a rip about their customers. But, despite all of that, I nonetheless find myself going back because the food is legitimately awesome. I guess you take the pros with the cons.

We tried this place for the first time and I have lobster ravioli with pink sauce. The sauce had a nice kick to it in the lobster tasted fresh. My husband had the veal it tasted frozen but the vegetable side it was very tasty.

This is an easy place for us since we can order a pizza and a reasonably priced bottle of chianti and the kids are happy with pizza/​toasted ravioli or what not. It’s a classic red sauce family Italian spot, not to be mistaken for fine dining Italian. I think expectations are met when understood, so if you want hearty generous portions of pasta, calzones etc… this place will fit the bill.

Traditional Italian, the real deal! Plentiful and fairly priced. While the atmosphere is strip mall they have a good local crowd and the guests are boisterous. Good local place!

Have come here a few times for lunch. Great pizza. Nice specials. Best crust I have had in a while.

Second time here, great experience both times. Four stars because the service is a little slow– we got drink refills but it was a little late, and were promised a second round of bread that never came.
The food, however, is on point. I had the Carbonara and it was excellent. Great portion size as well. But if you order a pizza– know that it is enough for two!
We will be back for sure.

We had Pizza Quatro Stagioni and Villalba. The first one was very good but the Villalba wasn’t impressive. The Villalba crust was quite thick and chewy. We’ve had better Italian pizzas. One great point was the waitress (a short hair lady with glasses). She was very attentive but not «intruding». She delivered a great service beyond our expectation. (4 stars)
Second, third and fourth etc. reviews: We’ve been here a couple times since the first review. I have to admit we were lucky the first time since we got that nice waitress helped us. All the other times we dined here, the waiters were not very attentive, they ignored us, no water, no bread and let us wait 50 minutes. I even went out to get gas for my car after 40 minutes waiting. When I came back, the food wasn’t there. (3 stars on average). And one more thing I don’t like about this restaurant: the plates were often dirty.
I agree with James S., just order takeout.

If I could give this place 20 stars, I totally would. Some of the best Italian food I have ever had in Nashville!
Parking is easy to obtain. It’s located in a strip mall area, so there is plenty of space. The restaurant is very cozy and warm. The staff is very attentive, courteous, and fast. The owners of the restaurant are also always there to greet guests and to seat them.
My husband and I go here once a week and we have yet to be disappointed. The portions are very nicely sized, the food tastes heavenly, and the prices are very good. We usually get two entrees and an app or dessert for about $ 50.
The garlic bread is always seasoned and buttered just right. It’s crusty and delicious. The Alfredo sauce… This is where they shine the brightest! They produce some of the best Alfredo sauce I have ever tasted. It’s tangy, buttery, cheesy, and thick. I almost always get the lobster ravioli. You really can’t go wrong with it! The raviolis are huge, tender, and the lobster is so fresh. The chicken parmigiana is always just amazing, too! The chicken is pan fried and has this delicious crust in the outside.
My husband has tried heir calzone and pizza and we loved them. The dough is crispy and seasoned well. They use high quality meats and fresh cheeses that just melt in your mouth.
I’ve never had more delicious food in my life.

Eaten here several times and always really enjoyed the food, then I tried the veal Marsala and my life changed for ever. It’s one of the tastiest things I’ve ever had. The flavor of the sauce with the perfectly cooked veal compliment each other like Sinatra and Martin and that’s no lie.

A regular a mama Mia, but thought we would give this establishment a try since we’re nearby.
Not sure if it was an off night or what.
Two servers in the entire building which needed flagged down for service after a 15 minute wait. Wine served was flat and in dirty glasses (pic attached), switched to chianti which was much better. Food was fair but much resembled that of Fazoli’s or a homemade frozen dinner. Salads were wilted and brown. Server comped the wine which made things slightly better but we will not be returning.

Thank you Unilocalers for another great find. Local business that I enjoyed.
Ate a salad and pasta dish. Both were made to order and well done.
the staff was friendly, knows their menu, and wants you to have a great meal.
I will be back.

Wow. I did not expect this little joint to produce such good Italian food!
I had a white pizza and oh my. They loaded it with ricotta cheese! It was soooooo delicious! The crust was to die for as well.
My bf had lasagna which was huge! The marinara was seasoned so perfectly that it went so well with the dish.
It has now become our new favorite Italian restaurant. The price is so reasonable. The service is great. The place is clean. Everything is excellent!