Amalfi's Pizza n Pasta

Amalfis has the look of a good local eatery, if only the service and the serving size didnt stink.

Charlotte italian Restaurant Review
8542 University City Blvd, Charlotte 28213
704 547-8651

Charlotte Critic takes a look at Amalfi's Pizza n Pasta, a local Charlotte italian restaurant.

More in Charlotte | More in 28213
Free italian restaurant deals

Add your review for Amalfi's Pizza n Pasta here!

Amalfi's Pizza n Pasta

So I received an ad with pictures of Amalfi's Pizza 'n Pasta food and then went on to read the raves from all the member reviews on citysearch.com, but I dont know which restaurant these people were going to.

The place is extremely small, and pretty much look like a larger than normal dining room at an Italian women's home. This is fine and a very welcome decor for what I am looking to do, which is eat a hearty italian authentic meal. The establishment welcomes you with a chalkboard saying please seat yourself, and the looks we received looked like we were interupting something, or the staff was flipping coins for who would have to go greet us.

All in all, the service was extremely lacking, and gave the feeling that nobody really wanted to be there or make sure the customers would be back. As my wife put it, the greetings and feeling you are given is part of the reason we goto restaurants. Amalfi's failed in this friendly atmosphere in a serious way.

Next comes our meal which was tasty in all and pretty fresh ingredients across the board, but better to look at all of the important elements of an italian meal.

The salad and bread are extremely important and this is what can set a restaurant apart. Goto Sopranos in Clearwater/Largo, Florida if you want to see a restaurant that puts every element together.

Amalfi's was serving a prepackaged tossed salad, with very dry "bought it at the supermarket" bread. Even a franchise like Olive Garden knows how important good bread is too a meal, and this was a major let-down, and I would have preferred some buttered wonder bread.

A dry loaf and a scoop of whipped buitter in a to go cup do not demand the prices this menu was asking.

The wife had the Chicken stuffed ravioli from the baked item menu, and I the Stromboli with sauage. The raviolis were overpriced at $8.99 for three, and the stromboli was $6.25 which is a good price, but wasnt big enough to fill me, or even to be a warm-up.

The actually menu prices for meals was around $6 for some to about $11.99 for most menu items, which again seemed hefty considering the poor service and plastic table clothes.

Couple this all with $1.65 cokes and charging for every refill, and you have something bordering on gauging for a deli-style atmonsphere.

The stromboli had great ingredients and nicely thin sliced sausage and peppers but again was pretty much the smallest I had ever been served. I recommend you goto DaVincis Pizza in the new Shoppes at Davis Lake for a real stromboli that is only $5.75 and is twice as big.

Total bill was about $25 with tip and I left hungry still.

To leave an italian restaurant still hungry is not a very authentic feeling.

Keeping in mind that the staff was friendly, though not attentive at all, and the food tasted good, though was cleary overpriced for such a small mom/pop location, I cant say I will be back, but the tiny serving I did have tasted good enough.

Amalfi Pasta 'n Pizza
8542 University City Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28213-3579
(704) 547-8651