I've been here four times now, and yet somehow I manage to have high hopes each time I walk in... My misplaced faith is something you'd think I'd have learned from after being with my ex for one year too long...Decently good food and decently good atmosphere... the patio helps bump it from 3 to 4 stars in this arena.Unfortunately, absolutely AWFUL service. Aside from being severely understaffed, it's obvious that the waiters/waitresses/bartenders are of low quality. Friendly demeanor but zero anticipation for what would be needed (ie drink refill) and frequently forget simple requests (ie can I have the check please?). I'd attribute the aforementioned to the stress level due to minimal staff numbers, but I also sat once for 20 minutes waiting for the check while a male bartender joined a nearby table (clearly his friends) to do nothing more than socialize. Overall this has the potential to become a fixture in Crocker Park, but unfortunately, I think it's doomed for the same fate as its predecessor.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
lovelovesugar23
This place is absolutely amazing. The food and service here were on point and the flavors of each dish are perfectly balanced.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nabil Rahman
The halibut was tasteless and the veggies tasted as if it were air fried. the Mediterranean just tasted like oil.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Robin Knauerhase
Appetizers were great, as we most of the meals at our table. Risotto was just a little gummy; still enjoyable, but not as good as the other dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ms. A
I absolutely love Leo’s Italian Social. This was my first visit and definitely will not be my last ! The customer service was phenomenal . I even had a chance to meet the chef who prepared my food ! The crab cake was so fresh . TopTier experience and definitely recommend !!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Aaron Lauria
My family had reservations for Easter dinner at 3:00 today. Our server came around to take drink orders quickly. She also offered the table bread with an olive oil and vinegar dipping sauce. It was pretty good, but I wanted to save room for my meal, so I only had a few pieces. We waited a bit for our server to return to take our order. It turned out to take a bit longer than I expected and my wife took notice. I'm fairly patient, so it didn't bother me. I get it, it's Easter. The food arrived at the table and right away my father noticed that the food wasn't very warm. Then my sister said the same thing. Not off to a great start. My wife and I were served next, along with my sister in law and my brother. The food temperature seemed to vary a lot. It seemed as if certain food may have sat out, while other plates were much warmer. I got the Chicken Carbonara. It was warm, but not hot. The pasta was dry and undercooked in my opinion. The peas were plentiful, but also a bit undercooked. I didn't see much panceta, but there was some present. The chicken was also very dry. This was where I just put my fork down and called it quits. I tried not to complain as not to add to the overall disappointment at the table. I could see that my sister in law, who had made the reservations was getting pretty upset. Given the price per dish, I expected a lot more. We didn't get it. I can't speak for everyone in my family, but I know for certain that my wife and I will not be returning.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 2
Caruso Acupuncture
Sat at the outdoor bar, nice March evening. Ordered several meals: meatball, Sirloin seasoned with chimichuri, and the bean, sausage, greens appetizer, each of them were surprisingly good and tasty! Will come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
jacqueline tate
Beautiful atmosphere. Excellent customer service. Chicken parmesan was delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lasagna, Chicken Parmesan
Hailie M
The decoration and atmosphere is so pleasant and welcoming. The food and service was decent, not sure if I would return.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Sarah S.
I went here with some family for dinner after doing an escape room next door. Very expensive, but good. Service was very friendly, but after serving the entrees, couldn't find them to flag down for dessert orders. However, they had the most delicious tiramisu I have ever had in my life, and I've tried a lot of tiramisu. They put this delicious sprinkle of what I am assuming is cocoa powder on top of the slice, and it is just mwah! Definitely worth the wait, and still dream about that tiramisu.
I really want to like this place as I live in Crocker Park and it is nearby, convenient and I like Italian food. But every time I decide to give it another try, the results are the same: food is average (which it shouldn't be considering the prices), the service is lackluster and the decor and ambiance are average at best. It used to be Brio, which was better. My most recent visit with a friend began with us sitting at an empty table for ten minutes before anyone came over to offer us water/drinks. When ordering off the menu (there aren't specials, or at least none were identified to us), the server explicitly told us not to get the veal as the cooks (N.B., not chef) messed up the veal a lot. My chicken parmesan (which was recommended to my by the server, otherwise I wouldn't have ordered it) was fine but the side pasta was mostly cool to lukewarm. My companion's bolognese looked like it had been sitting out for a while and, when she tasted it, confirmed that it too was lukewarm. We didn't get napkins and silverware until AFTER the food arrived. A couple of bright spots were the wine selection and tiramisu. I note the wine as when I last visited, they didn't have any clean wine glasses (even though numerous staff members were standing around doing nothing). I ended up drinking it out of a water glass. This time, there were clean glasses available. The fact that this was one of the bright spots should give you an idea of the overall quality. Leo's wants to be an upscale Italian bistro but is, effectively, an expensive Olive Garden with a better wine selection. The owners should put some investment into the food and service sides (you know, the important stuff). I fear they won't as it's location and foot traffic makes it easy for them to have enough restaurant and bar patrons to make do. That is unfortunate because it has the potential to be something more.
AlexG
Some of the food was very good except for the hair inside of the oil for the bread. Makes everything else seem unappetizing. The server was very nice but so slow for how not busy it was.
Nader Naguib
I've been to Leo's a couple of times now, a few months apart, and unfortunately they have failed my expectations again.After being sat at the bar, it took 15 minutes for our waitress to come take our order, and the place wasn't that busy. She was nice though.We ordered 3 soups and a pasta dish.The soups took 15-20 minutes to make it to our table, wasn't hot and I am pretty sure it's something they have ready in the kitchen or buy ready. We asked for bread twice and didn't receive it.Now, the the pasta was the driest and weirdest carbonara I ever had.The noodles were cheap and overcooked, and there was no sauce to be seen.There were maybe 3 crumbs of pancetta, maybe they thought the peas would satisfy me.All to say, for the prices they ask, it is absurd that I can make a better carbonara at home in 5 minutes with an egg and some cheese.I will probably not be returning here even if I am at risk of fainting.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Anička Sim
We go to Crocker Park often and decided for the first time yesterday to try Leo's Italian Social. The ambiance of the restaurant is very nice. The service was amazing - our waitress was great! She talked to us, came to check on us often, provided refills promptly, and was overall fantastic. The food is good - but based on reviews, the ambiance of the restaurant, and location I must admit that I was expecting a "wow" factor with the cuisine. Maybe it's because where I'm from in Ohio, everyone's mom or grandma is from Italy and we are very spoiled with some of the best Italian cuisine, but I didn't feel like the food here was 10/10. I ordered the lobster & shrimp pasta. It was edible, but it lacked sauce and there were maybe two small chunks of lobster in it. It was just a bit underwhelming. My husband ordered the pepperoni pizza which he did not care for due to the spiciness, but I absolutely loved it. I will go back for the pepperoni pizza alone. We ordered the calamari for an appetizer and it was decent. Definitely not the best calamari I've had, yet far from the worst. I'd rate the food a 7/10 and the service and ambiance a 10/10. We would probably go back and try other dishes.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Sharon V
Table for 4. We enjoyed delicious food. Recommend chicken parm (huge portion) parm. Crusted chicken salad (huge delicious chicken) salmon over grilled potatoes with spinach (had a tasty lemony flavor with capers) and zucchini noodles with marinara sauce for our Vegan Gluten free person. They restaurant is very nicely decorated and there was a long family table that all Italian families must have! We will be back on our next trip to Ohio.
I've been here four times now, and yet somehow I manage to have high hopes each time I walk in... My misplaced faith is something you'd think I'd have learned from after being with my ex for one year too long...Decently good food and decently good atmosphere... the patio helps bump it from 3 to 4 stars in this arena.Unfortunately, absolutely AWFUL service. Aside from being severely understaffed, it's obvious that the waiters/waitresses/bartenders are of low quality. Friendly demeanor but zero anticipation for what would be needed (ie drink refill) and frequently forget simple requests (ie can I have the check please?). I'd attribute the aforementioned to the stress level due to minimal staff numbers, but I also sat once for 20 minutes waiting for the check while a male bartender joined a nearby table (clearly his friends) to do nothing more than socialize. Overall this has the potential to become a fixture in Crocker Park, but unfortunately, I think it's doomed for the same fate as its predecessor.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
This place is absolutely amazing. The food and service here were on point and the flavors of each dish are perfectly balanced.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The halibut was tasteless and the veggies tasted as if it were air fried. the Mediterranean just tasted like oil.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Appetizers were great, as we most of the meals at our table. Risotto was just a little gummy; still enjoyable, but not as good as the other dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I absolutely love Leo’s Italian Social. This was my first visit and definitely will not be my last ! The customer service was phenomenal . I even had a chance to meet the chef who prepared my food ! The crab cake was so fresh . TopTier experience and definitely recommend !!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My family had reservations for Easter dinner at 3:00 today. Our server came around to take drink orders quickly. She also offered the table bread with an olive oil and vinegar dipping sauce. It was pretty good, but I wanted to save room for my meal, so I only had a few pieces. We waited a bit for our server to return to take our order. It turned out to take a bit longer than I expected and my wife took notice. I'm fairly patient, so it didn't bother me. I get it, it's Easter. The food arrived at the table and right away my father noticed that the food wasn't very warm. Then my sister said the same thing. Not off to a great start. My wife and I were served next, along with my sister in law and my brother. The food temperature seemed to vary a lot. It seemed as if certain food may have sat out, while other plates were much warmer. I got the Chicken Carbonara. It was warm, but not hot. The pasta was dry and undercooked in my opinion. The peas were plentiful, but also a bit undercooked. I didn't see much panceta, but there was some present. The chicken was also very dry. This was where I just put my fork down and called it quits. I tried not to complain as not to add to the overall disappointment at the table. I could see that my sister in law, who had made the reservations was getting pretty upset. Given the price per dish, I expected a lot more. We didn't get it. I can't speak for everyone in my family, but I know for certain that my wife and I will not be returning.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 2
Sat at the outdoor bar, nice March evening. Ordered several meals: meatball, Sirloin seasoned with chimichuri, and the bean, sausage, greens appetizer, each of them were surprisingly good and tasty! Will come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Beautiful atmosphere. Excellent customer service. Chicken parmesan was delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lasagna, Chicken Parmesan
The decoration and atmosphere is so pleasant and welcoming. The food and service was decent, not sure if I would return.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
I went here with some family for dinner after doing an escape room next door. Very expensive, but good. Service was very friendly, but after serving the entrees, couldn't find them to flag down for dessert orders. However, they had the most delicious tiramisu I have ever had in my life, and I've tried a lot of tiramisu. They put this delicious sprinkle of what I am assuming is cocoa powder on top of the slice, and it is just mwah! Definitely worth the wait, and still dream about that tiramisu.
Restaurantji Recommends
I really want to like this place as I live in Crocker Park and it is nearby, convenient and I like Italian food. But every time I decide to give it another try, the results are the same: food is average (which it shouldn't be considering the prices), the service is lackluster and the decor and ambiance are average at best. It used to be Brio, which was better. My most recent visit with a friend began with us sitting at an empty table for ten minutes before anyone came over to offer us water/drinks. When ordering off the menu (there aren't specials, or at least none were identified to us), the server explicitly told us not to get the veal as the cooks (N.B., not chef) messed up the veal a lot. My chicken parmesan (which was recommended to my by the server, otherwise I wouldn't have ordered it) was fine but the side pasta was mostly cool to lukewarm. My companion's bolognese looked like it had been sitting out for a while and, when she tasted it, confirmed that it too was lukewarm. We didn't get napkins and silverware until AFTER the food arrived. A couple of bright spots were the wine selection and tiramisu. I note the wine as when I last visited, they didn't have any clean wine glasses (even though numerous staff members were standing around doing nothing). I ended up drinking it out of a water glass. This time, there were clean glasses available. The fact that this was one of the bright spots should give you an idea of the overall quality. Leo's wants to be an upscale Italian bistro but is, effectively, an expensive Olive Garden with a better wine selection. The owners should put some investment into the food and service sides (you know, the important stuff). I fear they won't as it's location and foot traffic makes it easy for them to have enough restaurant and bar patrons to make do. That is unfortunate because it has the potential to be something more.
Some of the food was very good except for the hair inside of the oil for the bread. Makes everything else seem unappetizing. The server was very nice but so slow for how not busy it was.
I've been to Leo's a couple of times now, a few months apart, and unfortunately they have failed my expectations again.After being sat at the bar, it took 15 minutes for our waitress to come take our order, and the place wasn't that busy. She was nice though.We ordered 3 soups and a pasta dish.The soups took 15-20 minutes to make it to our table, wasn't hot and I am pretty sure it's something they have ready in the kitchen or buy ready. We asked for bread twice and didn't receive it.Now, the the pasta was the driest and weirdest carbonara I ever had.The noodles were cheap and overcooked, and there was no sauce to be seen.There were maybe 3 crumbs of pancetta, maybe they thought the peas would satisfy me.All to say, for the prices they ask, it is absurd that I can make a better carbonara at home in 5 minutes with an egg and some cheese.I will probably not be returning here even if I am at risk of fainting.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
We go to Crocker Park often and decided for the first time yesterday to try Leo's Italian Social. The ambiance of the restaurant is very nice. The service was amazing - our waitress was great! She talked to us, came to check on us often, provided refills promptly, and was overall fantastic. The food is good - but based on reviews, the ambiance of the restaurant, and location I must admit that I was expecting a "wow" factor with the cuisine. Maybe it's because where I'm from in Ohio, everyone's mom or grandma is from Italy and we are very spoiled with some of the best Italian cuisine, but I didn't feel like the food here was 10/10. I ordered the lobster & shrimp pasta. It was edible, but it lacked sauce and there were maybe two small chunks of lobster in it. It was just a bit underwhelming. My husband ordered the pepperoni pizza which he did not care for due to the spiciness, but I absolutely loved it. I will go back for the pepperoni pizza alone. We ordered the calamari for an appetizer and it was decent. Definitely not the best calamari I've had, yet far from the worst. I'd rate the food a 7/10 and the service and ambiance a 10/10. We would probably go back and try other dishes.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Table for 4. We enjoyed delicious food. Recommend chicken parm (huge portion) parm. Crusted chicken salad (huge delicious chicken) salmon over grilled potatoes with spinach (had a tasty lemony flavor with capers) and zucchini noodles with marinara sauce for our Vegan Gluten free person. They restaurant is very nicely decorated and there was a long family table that all Italian families must have! We will be back on our next trip to Ohio.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4