Looking for somewhere to eat with friends or family? Do you like Italian food? Then Virgillio’s is the place for you! This restaurant has everything from pasta and pizza, to salads, to even toasted subs. Virgillio Mario Urbano, the owner of the restaurant, is often there interacting with guests to make their experience as personal as possible. Most restaurants don’t have that personal connection feeling, but Virgillio’s is not a chain restaurant, which makes it more personable.
To start off my dinner, I was greeted by welcoming hosts. I went on a Saturday night, and it was fairly busy, but the wait was not long. My party consisted of two. We waited about 10-15 minutes before we were then seated in a booth right next to the desserts. Options for seating include inside dining, bar seating, and an outside uncovered patio.
Once we were seated, our waiter came to us shortly after to ask for our drink orders. My usual is the raspberry italian cream soda, which I definitely recommend. It’s made in the bar and is a creamy, flavorful, and carbonated drink. It also comes with a cherry on top! The drink is $3.99.
Shortly after, we ordered a half order of garlic knots, which comes with six knots — the perfect amount for two people. The knots are perfectly baked, making them crunchy on the outside, but warm and soft on the inside. They are also served with a perfectly textured marinara sauce, coating the garlic knots with just enough sauce, but not too much, to take over the flavor. A half order of knots is free with any order of pasta, although if no one in your party gets pasta, a half order is $3.99.
We then ordered our entrees. At this particular dinner, I decided to get baked ziti, which is ziti pasta baked under ricotta, marinara, and mozzarella. I also subbed the marina sauce for alfredo sauce. This baked pasta smelled absolutely delicious and came to me fresh out of the oven. The cheese was perfectly melted, and the pasta was perfectly cooked, soft but not too chewy. This flavorful pasta bursts in your mouth with a cheesy flavor. I couldn’t finish my pasta and had it later as leftovers — it still tasted very flavorful even when warmed up in the microwave. The baked ziti pasta was $16.99, and the added alfredo sauce was $3.00.
My other favorite entree is the quattro formaggi pizza, which includes a ricotta cheese base, parmesan, feta, pecorino, romano cheese, and basil. This pizza melts all the cheeses together and the added basil adds a small touch of flavor. I would recommend getting shredded basil, though, because the leaves are too much and fall off the pizza when you are trying to eat.
Although we were too full to get dessert, some desserts I have enjoyed at Virgilio’s in the past include the traditional cannoli (an Italian traditional cannoli shell filled with vanilla sweetened ricotta and chocolate pieces) and the traditional tiramisu (sponge cake layered with mascarpone).
Overall, my order totaled $31 including a 23% tip. This restaurant really catered to my needs with every person we talked to seeming joyful and willing to help. The food was amazing. It may not be cheap, but I think that it’s reasonably priced considering my order was on the pricier side with the added alfredo sauce. Fast food will always be cheaper, but the experience, as well as the quality of the food, was worth it at Virgilio’s. Make sure to give it at visit, located at 10025 West San Juan Way.
