All aspects of the service at Cucciolo Osteria Durham are outstanding. The wait staff is knowledgeable and very friendly. Every request is listened to, and possible. Service is prompt and comes with a smile. I highly recommend going to eat here!
Caitlin Kearney
I've always loved dining here and have had great experiences. I also had my rehearsal dinner in the private dining room next to the restaurant and it was amazing! The people were nice to deal with and the food was insanely good. Only thing is that parking can be a bit tough in that lot.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Taylor Fulwider
Had a wonderful meal last night at Cucciolo— from appetizer - entree - dessert, all of the ingredients were fresh & the dishes were thoughtful and complete without feeling heavy…also our server Maggie was great!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu, Lasagna, White Ragu Tajarin
Grace Ho
Best Italian food I had in a while. I got the White ragu tajarin, and my husband the Beef and Pork lasagna. Both were delicious. The service was 10/10. Highly recommend and definitely will come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lasagna, White Ragu Tajarin
Guthrie Paterson
A top notch Italian spot on Main Street in Durham:Food > Extremely well executed classics with a modern slant. Polpette, arancini and lasagna were all hits.Drinks > Excellent cocktails and a very extensive wine list. Bar tender prepared very well balanced cocktails - and guided one through the wine list.Space > Just perfect and cozy (even with the super high ceilings in an old warehouse).Service > Prompt and efficient.A must visit spot in Durham!
My boyfriend and I went to Cucciolo for my birthday dinner, I was super excited to try their pasta as I am gluten free and do not get to eat at Italian restaurants very often... we ordered the house green salad, the White Ragu Tajarin(They were able to substitute my noodles for GF ones), the Linguine Alla Vongole and the Panna Cotta. Everything was DELICIOUS! We loved the atmosphere and the Espresso Martini that I ordered was one of the better ones I have had! We loved it and absolutely will be coming back! :)
Amy Chou
Amazing experience! Appetizers were super tasty. The pasta was a bit too salty for my taste, so the servers got me another plate that was less salty! Such a great and fast service :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rich Walker
Very nice Italian restaurant. Great food service was amazing. What else is there to say great dinner thank you so much.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lasagna
Scott Windham
The linguine alla carbonara was much too bland for a restaurant of this quality, but everything else that my party tried was excellent. The truffle tarajin was earthy and delicious and the spicy vodka rigatoni was bright and fresh and quite spicy.Walnut pesto arancini are out of this world.
The wife and I went for the Valentine's pre fixe menu and we were not impressed. It was 4 courses for $80 which seemed reasonable if the food was great. The food was ok: fancy mozeralla balls instead of sticks, a simple salad followed by mediocre pasta dishes. The pasta was undercooked (past al dente) and the flavoring was uneven. My main course was a middling cut of steak that they cooked in pork grease I think. I ordered medium rare and got medium well or well. I think two pieces had pink in them. The ambience was nice and waiter was great. He made a couple mistakes but quickly fixed them. Overall I was disappointed and can not recommend it.
This is the best pasta I have found so far in the Chapel Hill/Durham area. Thie sauces were flavorful, the pasta was fresh and al dente. The linguine alla vongole was outstanding as was the tiramisu. They could've put more pasta or less sauce in the amatriciana. The proportions were off. The mixed salad was also delicious, esp the shredded pecorino on top! The tender lettuce leaves and radicchio were also really nicely coated in a delicious and not too overwhelming dressing. Service was also great. This is a solid two thumbs up.
Kelly Sears
The food was the best Italian food I've had since moving to NC 4 years ago. The service was good and the atmosphere very urban minimalist. A bit noisy.
We are always seated right by the kitchen window with bright fluorescent lighting. It ruins an otherwise lovely experience, as I feel like I'm in a gym or doctor's office.
HometownGirl
We had a large group of 8, the seating area was tucked away so the ambiance was not so great. The server that took our order was very frazzled and was rushing us ... not very relaxing experience. Our reservation was at 5 pm and we were out of the door by 6:30pm. We felt a little rushed as the wait staff cleared our table after each course before everyone was finished eating . The food was excellent and everyone like what they ordered. Service needs to do something about rushing patrons.
Danica Thomas
Absolutely fabulous experience! We were quickly seated (we had reservations as soon as they opened), service was prompt and pleasant, our meals were all perfectly accurate and delicious, and even parking was easy! For appetizers our group shared the hazelnut burrata and the giant meatballs with crispy bread. These were delicious and I would be happy to enjoy them by themselves as a meal! But I got the butter chicken "sostanza" style, which is lightly breaded and fried in a butter oil sauce and is unbelievably delicious! Others in our group got the linguine a la carbonara, and the blue cheese alfredo tagliatelle. Everyone commented that these were some of the best dishes they've ever enjoyed! We had to look up a lot of the menu's Italian terminology online, but everyone was very pleased with their meals.We also enjoyed a range of creative cocktails, from the delish "Santa's 52-Week Vacation" with charred rosemary, to the "Captain Pek Pek's Business Class Flight" cocktail complete with attached paper airplane with the recipe printed on it! Loved these! There was also a nice array of desserts, and we enjoyed everything from affogato, gelatos, bread pudding, to tiramisu!The atmosphere is simple and streamlined, but it doesn't feel unwelcoming. The staff are all helpful, professional, and very familiar with the menu. They even had dietary restrictions labeled on the menu, so there are options for those that are vegan, gluten-free, etc. I appreciated that the pace of the meal was leisurely (true to a traditional Italian meal) and at no point did our group feel rushed.Every element of the meal was fabulous from start to finish, was served hot, and was presented beautifully! Thank you for a fantastic first experience, we will all definitely be back!Parking: Easy and close parking with handicapped options right up front.
All aspects of the service at Cucciolo Osteria Durham are outstanding. The wait staff is knowledgeable and very friendly. Every request is listened to, and possible. Service is prompt and comes with a smile. I highly recommend going to eat here!
I've always loved dining here and have had great experiences. I also had my rehearsal dinner in the private dining room next to the restaurant and it was amazing! The people were nice to deal with and the food was insanely good. Only thing is that parking can be a bit tough in that lot.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had a wonderful meal last night at Cucciolo— from appetizer - entree - dessert, all of the ingredients were fresh & the dishes were thoughtful and complete without feeling heavy…also our server Maggie was great!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu, Lasagna, White Ragu Tajarin
Best Italian food I had in a while. I got the White ragu tajarin, and my husband the Beef and Pork lasagna. Both were delicious. The service was 10/10. Highly recommend and definitely will come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lasagna, White Ragu Tajarin
A top notch Italian spot on Main Street in Durham:Food > Extremely well executed classics with a modern slant. Polpette, arancini and lasagna were all hits.Drinks > Excellent cocktails and a very extensive wine list. Bar tender prepared very well balanced cocktails - and guided one through the wine list.Space > Just perfect and cozy (even with the super high ceilings in an old warehouse).Service > Prompt and efficient.A must visit spot in Durham!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spicy Vodka Tomato Cream Rigatoni, Lasagna
My boyfriend and I went to Cucciolo for my birthday dinner, I was super excited to try their pasta as I am gluten free and do not get to eat at Italian restaurants very often... we ordered the house green salad, the White Ragu Tajarin(They were able to substitute my noodles for GF ones), the Linguine Alla Vongole and the Panna Cotta. Everything was DELICIOUS! We loved the atmosphere and the Espresso Martini that I ordered was one of the better ones I have had! We loved it and absolutely will be coming back! :)
Amazing experience! Appetizers were super tasty. The pasta was a bit too salty for my taste, so the servers got me another plate that was less salty! Such a great and fast service :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very nice Italian restaurant. Great food service was amazing. What else is there to say great dinner thank you so much.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lasagna
The linguine alla carbonara was much too bland for a restaurant of this quality, but everything else that my party tried was excellent. The truffle tarajin was earthy and delicious and the spicy vodka rigatoni was bright and fresh and quite spicy.Walnut pesto arancini are out of this world.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Truffle Tajarin, Spicy Vodka Tomato Cream Rigatoni
The wife and I went for the Valentine's pre fixe menu and we were not impressed. It was 4 courses for $80 which seemed reasonable if the food was great. The food was ok: fancy mozeralla balls instead of sticks, a simple salad followed by mediocre pasta dishes. The pasta was undercooked (past al dente) and the flavoring was uneven. My main course was a middling cut of steak that they cooked in pork grease I think. I ordered medium rare and got medium well or well. I think two pieces had pink in them. The ambience was nice and waiter was great. He made a couple mistakes but quickly fixed them. Overall I was disappointed and can not recommend it.
Restaurantji Recommends
This is the best pasta I have found so far in the Chapel Hill/Durham area. Thie sauces were flavorful, the pasta was fresh and al dente. The linguine alla vongole was outstanding as was the tiramisu. They could've put more pasta or less sauce in the amatriciana. The proportions were off. The mixed salad was also delicious, esp the shredded pecorino on top! The tender lettuce leaves and radicchio were also really nicely coated in a delicious and not too overwhelming dressing. Service was also great. This is a solid two thumbs up.
The food was the best Italian food I've had since moving to NC 4 years ago. The service was good and the atmosphere very urban minimalist. A bit noisy.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Truffle Tajarin, Walnut Pesto Arancini
We are always seated right by the kitchen window with bright fluorescent lighting. It ruins an otherwise lovely experience, as I feel like I'm in a gym or doctor's office.
We had a large group of 8, the seating area was tucked away so the ambiance was not so great. The server that took our order was very frazzled and was rushing us ... not very relaxing experience. Our reservation was at 5 pm and we were out of the door by 6:30pm. We felt a little rushed as the wait staff cleared our table after each course before everyone was finished eating . The food was excellent and everyone like what they ordered. Service needs to do something about rushing patrons.
Absolutely fabulous experience! We were quickly seated (we had reservations as soon as they opened), service was prompt and pleasant, our meals were all perfectly accurate and delicious, and even parking was easy! For appetizers our group shared the hazelnut burrata and the giant meatballs with crispy bread. These were delicious and I would be happy to enjoy them by themselves as a meal! But I got the butter chicken "sostanza" style, which is lightly breaded and fried in a butter oil sauce and is unbelievably delicious! Others in our group got the linguine a la carbonara, and the blue cheese alfredo tagliatelle. Everyone commented that these were some of the best dishes they've ever enjoyed! We had to look up a lot of the menu's Italian terminology online, but everyone was very pleased with their meals.We also enjoyed a range of creative cocktails, from the delish "Santa's 52-Week Vacation" with charred rosemary, to the "Captain Pek Pek's Business Class Flight" cocktail complete with attached paper airplane with the recipe printed on it! Loved these! There was also a nice array of desserts, and we enjoyed everything from affogato, gelatos, bread pudding, to tiramisu!The atmosphere is simple and streamlined, but it doesn't feel unwelcoming. The staff are all helpful, professional, and very familiar with the menu. They even had dietary restrictions labeled on the menu, so there are options for those that are vegan, gluten-free, etc. I appreciated that the pace of the meal was leisurely (true to a traditional Italian meal) and at no point did our group feel rushed.Every element of the meal was fabulous from start to finish, was served hot, and was presented beautifully! Thank you for a fantastic first experience, we will all definitely be back!Parking: Easy and close parking with handicapped options right up front.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Basil Tomato Bruschetta, Butter Chicken 'Sostanza' Style