Pasta House Branson

[denjac]

We tried the Pasta House in Branson last Saturday. Thumbs up! Reasonable prices and great food and service. Better than Olive Garden.

[snagged in outlet 3]

If it's the same company that started here in St. Louis you can't wrong. Consistent, quality and good prices. Nothing over the top, just good traditional Italian food.

SIO3

[Terry Beeson]

WOAH WHOA WHOA WHOA!!!! Wait a minute here.... I didn't think it was REAL Italian unless it was located on "The Hill..."

I didn't care much for the Pasta House in Springfield. I'm still looking for a good one here. I had a coworker at St John's who grew up in St Louis who said she had not found one yet. But I'm still going to try DiGiacinto's.

And I'll take Macaroni Grill over Olive Garden any day. Plus, Zio's is pretty good ambience and the food is good. I tried Rocky's in Branson (downtown - Sycamore. Hard to find, not much parking, not much to look at outside) for lunch a few weeks ago. Nice looking place and good service. But I hope the dinner menu was better than the lunch. Fair to good.

[ollie]

Pasta House is bogus. I had a kid work there when I was a manager in St. Louis at another pizza joint and he told me that they used a LOT of pre-made items from different suppliers. Mind you that was in the 90's. Zio's is nothing more than a Mazzio's in an upscale atmosphere. It is the same, trust me. I guess I shouldn't put any of them down, it's just I expect a true Italian joint to be made from homemade recipes and not from a mix or pre-made item just heated up. IMO

[Trav]

Zio's is a Mac Grill rip off. Pasta house is fast food, dont let the ambiance fool ya. And Mac Grill is nothing but an Italian Applesleeze.

[CMAC]

What about J. Parino's in SPFD, that is kind of Italiany? We have a Pasta House at Lake of the Ozarks which is nothing special, but Domenico's I think is the real deal, especially the Tortelini (SP).

[Danoinark]

Charlie Gitto's either location in St. Louie!!!!

If you get a chance try Botinni's in Harrison

[Terry Beeson]

Trav and Ollie,

I don't disagree with you at all. When I say I'll take MG over OG any day, it's just a comparison of the two. And you're right that Zio's is a MG rip off and the food is only "good"... I'd give it a C at best.

There is an Italian place in Jonesboro, AR (where I moved here from...) called Lazzari's. It was an old Western Sizzlin' that Mr. Lazzari (Sr) bought and turned into a really really good Italian restaurant that puts OG, MG, Zio's, PH, etc. to shame. If you're going through there sometime on the way to Memphis or points south, stop in and give it a try.

Most of the chains are simply "nuke and serve" joints with a bit of atmosphere.

Anybody out there a true Italian connoisseur that can recommend anything in the Springfield/Branson area?

[snagged in outlet 3]

Man!!! I didn't think I would have to duck after a simple comment about a place. Maybe the Pasta House Co's out of town are run differently, but Kim Tucci here in town runs a decent place. I said "nothing over the top".

Last week alone I ate at Cunetto's and Amighetti's, both on The Hill. I eat on The Hill at least every other week if not every week. Zia's, Gitto's, Gianni's, Rigazzi's, all of them. I only bring this up because I also eat at Past House on Olive Road near the hospital when I visit my dad and I've never had a bad experience. I've been eating at Past House for years and never had a bad experience at any of them here in town. Nothing special, decent prices, consistant.

I like that place east of Mountain Home on 62. I can't think of the name.

Fire away, SIO3

[Gavin]

Used to be a kitchen mananger at P. House in the mid 80's...Some of there items are pre-made at their factory on the Hill, mostly stuffed pastas like canneloni, manicotti, ravioli, etc. Pizza shells are purchased. Bread came from Fazio's on the hill, Meat from Kuna, Pasta by R&F... but almost everything else was prepped in house before the wait staff showed up. Hundreds of pounds of noodles, huge pots of red sauce, stocks, soups. Thats just the way the restaurant biz works..Get there at 7-8am to prep cook, open the doors at 11am, lunch rush, prep for dinner, dinner rush, clean up and go home around 11pm. P. House is pretty decent fare for the price but nothing spectacular. If you have any favorites I can share a recipe or two.

BTW.If your looking for some upscale Italian places in St. Louis.....I'd recommend any of the following: Stellina Pasta on Watson, Trattoria Marsala on Watson, Lorenzo's on the Hill, LoRusso's on Watson, or Frank Pappa's on Brentwood. Gitto's and Tony's are pretty good, but there menu's are old school and prices are very high.