Villa Gargano

This place is a part of my memories, but my days will be scarce! I waited 20 minutes for a call in order and left without my meal! 1 person answering the phone and waiting on checkout as well as pickups! You could get a table and ordered and gotten your food quicker! Yet the owner is standing around talking and does not lift a finger to help!

Pizza was soggy, the chicken Parmesan was good. My friend got the chicken saltimboca, sauce was very sweet. When she complained they brought her garlic to put in the sauce instead of bringing her another dish. We will never return.

When I moved to the area I was told that this establishment had the BEST Italian food. Italian has always been my favorite food and I was so looking forward to eating here. That feeling ended the minute I took my first bite. Anyone who thinks they are the best Italian has obviously never had real Italian food. Not only will I NEVER step food in this «Italian» restraunt but I let everyone I know what a joke this place is.

Best pizza ever, great service, and a wonderful atmosphere!!!

This restaurant was recommended to me by my elderly coworker. My sister was in the mood for pizza but I wasn’t, so I suggested we go here instead.
The place was packed on a Friday night, so I was really looking forward to it. Kind of a bummer when they tossed some packaged breadcrisps on the table… I was expecting garlic bread, but oh well.
I ordered the chicken alfredo even though I was tempted to get spaghetti and meatballs. My sister ordered a personal pepperoni pizza.
The salads came with house dressing, which I enjoyed.
The food came fairly promptly, and hot. My sister’s pizza smelled delicious, and later at home I tried a leftover piece cold and it was indeed wonderful. She said it was very good.
My alfredo was abysmal. The sauce was obviously mostly mayonnaise based, with prepackaged Kraft cheese mixed into it so that when heated it was goopy and hard to move… but when cold it returned to being hard as a rock. Obviously not made-​from-​scratch with grated cheese and cream. It was almost inedible.
My sister enjoyed her pizza but declined eating here again as she said it was «too expensive for what you get.»

Save your time and your money and eat somewhere where the food is actually good. The wait staff was horrible and the experience was so bad we walked out. I have never left a bad restaurant review as I could always find something positive to say. I can not think of a single positive comment in this case. There are too many restaurants out there that are happy for your business and will aim to please. No need to pay for bad food, arrogant waiters, and extra long wait times.

Update: Went back again and tried the Filet Mignon I’d heard so much about, and it was incredible. Perfectly prepared and on par with the finest steakhouses in the country. My compliments!

Staff and owner are super nice. Great steak and cheese sub, pizza, and rosemary shrimp alfredo. Everything has been delicious!!!

I like Villa Gargano pretty well. I like to go there to remember Mama Susie as we used to go to Gargano’s East and Mama Susie would make delicious cookies and dance for us at the table… Oh the good old days. Anyway Gargano’s East is closed and Villa Gargano has some delicious food. The thing I have noticed is that you have to find what you like to eat there. I go specifically for this Hamburger that they make on a sub roll. It is so flavorful and juicy. I also like the chicken wings. they are hot and spicy and tasty! I love em. It’s been a while since I have been in but I will make it a point to stop by during Albany State’s Homecoming every year!

You gotta be kidding me! They get one star cause the food was decent not great. BUT, the entrees come with a salad and the waiter asked what type of salad we wanted and offered 3 choices. He NEVER once said that any of the salad choices cost more than the other. Again NEVER mentioned a price difference. We ordered the grilled artichoke salad with the fettuccine Alfredo. Bill came and the entrée was 12.50, the salad was an additional 950. We asked to see the menu again, there was no mention of this and their regular dinner salads are less than 7.50. This is called misrepresentation and will be reported to the better business bureau, which I have never done before.
If you eat here ask about the prices of everything. Seems like their business plan is based in deceit.

The good: I had the Gargano Special Salad — Very large full of meat and cheese.
The Bad: The House dressing was really nothing but oil with no taste. I would have thought the signature dressing would be better, I asked for some Balsamic to save it.
I also had an individual cheese pizza — Served without any extra’s like something to get it out of the pan with. — completely stale tasting and the whole pizza crust was tough and chewy, to the point I thought I would loose a tooth and there was no flavor to the crust.
I was surprised that there was not lunch portions or specials for lunch like pizza and salad. I told the manager about the pizza and he said I was the only one that has complained in 40 years, after that I went to Unilocal and checked and found a pizza complaint and showed it to him. I gave him a slice and he shared it with the cook and said there was nothing wrong; well if that’s the way the pizza is supposed to be at Gargano’s then I will never return. I have been there before and the pizza was great, but not this time. They did offer to make it over or to get something else, but I was already at an hour for lunch.
Quit living in the past and update your menu and go back to the old pizza recipe.

I’ve been here a handful of times and the service and food is always excellent. Wait staff is extremely attentive to the point where it borders on creepy, but it gets the job done well. Stuffed mushrooms, pizza, lasagna, and manicotti are all great. The manicotti has induced all 3 of my kids’ labors within 24 hours :)

It was a decent restaurant. The pizza was good. The service was good. I’m not sure if it was that memorable though.

I had dinner here with a friend. Service, was good. The waitress was attentive (but not too attentive) and had solid suggestions. She seemed knowledgeable about the menu and specials.
Food was OK. Both my friend and I had the chicken parmigiana… not the best I’ve had, but far from the worst. You certainly won’t go away hungry.
Ambiance in the restaurant is nice. More upper-​scale than the restaurant itself.

Decent atmosphere and décor, but the food was below par. And I don’t mean it was «American» Italian instead of «authentic» Italian, it was the worst attempt at Italian food I have ever had. The pizza, which the other reviewers on here said was great, was awful. I had a pepperoni, sausage and mushroom pizza (except it came without the mushrooms). It tasted like they got all the ingredients from the freezer section of walmart, and was pouring out more grease than any pizza I’ve ever seen. I’ve eaten pizza in ten states and 20 cities, including sicily, so I know my pizza. Don’t believe the other reviews on here, they don’t know what they’re talking about. Do yourself a favor and go down the street to mellow mushroom.

I ate here for lunch, I had the individual specialty pizza and was quite pleased. I really liked the atmosphere inside, the Italian music was good and I liked the dim lighting. The waiter was attentive, I will go back.

My dear friends, readers, aquintances and enimies, If you want the best slice of pizza to ever enter your mouth, YOU MUST try a slice of the Garganos Special. Words cannot describe the bliss!!!

Pizza crust was like frozen crust. My husbands baked spaghetti was drowned in a sugary tomato sauce and cheese. Stuffed mushrooms were gross. Disappointing because an older person suggested it who remembers this restaurant from many years ago and said that «it used to be great when Mama and Papa Gargano ran it».

I’ve come here twice while visiting my boyfriend’s family. His nana loves this place — it’s got a lot of memories and it’s also an institution in the city.
It’s a family-​owned restaurant that’s been passed down from generation to generation. They have an amazing wine selection — from all over the world and lots of great choices from California (which I’m more familiar with).
The last time we were there we were unfortunately seated at the back by the bathrooms and we were also unnoticed by the waitstaff for half an hour before we could order our food. Luckily breadsticks were in front of us, but I think we were also getting drunker on the wine.
I ordered the special of the night — which was a medley of their dishes, a pasta with white sauce, a veal picatta and ravioli. My fave was the veal and the ravioli.
Their salads are pretty large and were pretty delicious.
Everyone else was sharing pizzas and I tried a bite or two. The thin crispy crust reminded me of the Cheeseboard Collective in Berkeley.
Décor: Lots of murals, photos and kitchy goodness from a family restaurant.

When seeking a non-​chain dining option in the Albany area, Villa Gargano is one of the few options.
It’s the kind of Italian food you ate before you knew better. You know the kind: white bread covered in butter and garlic powder masquerading as garlic bread, cheap boxed pasta covered in a mess of red meat sauce, and iceberg lettuce salads with carrot shavings and watery Italian dressing.
While the food was forgettable, the incredibly accommodating (if a little absentminded) server, the straight from the 70s interior, and the three separate groups of highschoolers dressed up for their Homecoming dance certainly made the night memorable.
If you’re in Albany, come to Gargano’s.