Red Rose

Service is terrible, rushed us out, food not so good will never go back overall experience was just horrible…

Small simple nice place, nothing special. But you need to know the story of this place and owner! I was almost cried ! You will change your mind about this place right away) I don’t want to tell you the story and how good their food is, you must try it! thank you Red Rose and special thank you to Antonio Romano!

Red rose is still a disgusting dated dump. Tried it again on a whim, 5 years since my last review. Perhaps I got it wrong and all the friends and family writing the reviews are right? Nope. It’s a hugiene disaster zone, with the lowest quality food and wine. AVOID

This place is great. Great owner, service and food is awesome. Best chicken cutlet ever! Pounded thin and served to perfection. Try it!

A favorite spot of my fiancé and mine. We have been coming here ever since we started dating. The food is AMAZING! The atmosphere is that of an old school neighborhood Italian joint. The owner, Santo, is such a nice man. I am by no means a regular but he recognizes us every time we go there. I cannot say enough about the staff. It is all local kids from the neighborhood as the waiters and it gives this place such a friendly vibe. I will be a life long customer of Red Rose!

Well, that was 25+ minutes with no menus, no water, no server contact of any kind. The bread was good though… A server told the table behind us (while completely ignoring us) that their food would be the next table coming out. Or maybe the next table after that. I was hoping Unilocal would let me keep that zero stars, but alas, I need to click something.

Delicious! Came with friends of ours as this is their go to Italian spot. Been here a few times and never disappointed. Santo was generous and welcoming and made us feel at home (which is tough dinning out with small children). Looking forward to our next trip.

Superb Italian food! Walking in you feel like you’re in a relatives house. The servers strive to be as attentive as possible and there are always regulars who come here. You won’t see the neighborhood crowd in here, but its a good mix of folks that come here.

Food is amazing! When my dad first mentioned it I was like «It’s so far!!» but to be honest it’s not that bad of a train ride from Manhattan to Brooklyn. I’ve been going ever since (about 7 years ago). The food never disappoints and my dad knows the owner and we see his dad make the rice balls by hand everyday (that’s why there is only a certain amount made and sold). We had clams, chicken parm, stuffed shells, eggplant parm. The food is just so good!!!
And to put them to the test, I had a big family dinner (20 of us) go and the food just did not disappoint, it was just so delicious. Wish I could go every weekend =)

If you eat Italian food anywhere else in Brooklyn, you’re an idiot. Generous portions, perfectly-​cooked, and the nicest people ever.

My first time with friends at this restaurant and it was never empty, groups of families and friends were enjoying this place.
The staff was very friendly and funny !
The owner was very warm and knew one of the ladies we were with .
Go for the rice balls so good and the veal dishes very tasty and the succulent lamb ribs were to die for !! The pork dish was eaten completely. We also tried their lasagna it was excellent and serving sizes were huge ! We will be going there
Again when we need some really good Italian food. Chao Bella.

We held our rehearsal dinner here in Sept. 2014 and it was absolutely fantastic. Our guests loved everything from the warm and friendly service to the delicious and plentiful food. Santo made us feel at ease throughout the entire process and it is clear that he cares about the food that comes out of the kitchen. After looking throughout Brooklyn for potential venues to host our dinner, we couldn’t be happier with our choice.
If you happen to be nearby and are hankering for unfussy, delicious Italian food — stop in, you won’t be disappointed.

You must go. Incredibly delicious home style food in a beautiful spot on Smith Street. Santo makes you feel welcome and like you are a guest in his house. Every dish was more delicious than the next. A must when Downtown.

My family and I wandered in here while breezing through the streets of Cobble Hill. The words «Sicilian Food» found my eyes quite easily and it was a done deal from there.
One thing I truly appreciate in a restaurant is a committed owner. Man, the owner of Red Rose loves his spot! It’s a true family gem and he isn’t afraid to let you know it. I loved the authenticity and raw element of the atmosphere.
The food was on point. We tried several special appetizers, none of which disappointed. I was especially happy with the fried artichoke hearts. The owner honored a special request in my meal which really put a good taste in my mouth, literally and figuratively. The chicken parm was thin but plentiful and the gnocchi with homemade pesto was divine. It tastes real and the gnocchi basically melted in my mouth. Grade A!
The wine was not only tasty, but very affordable. Our bottle was $ 18 and got the job done of putting a warm smile on our faces. I’m excited to have found such an authentic spot and can’t wait to make it my new Italian joint! Mangiare!!!

Great service old school place that take care of the patron. I eat here once a month and never have a problem. also the bar is pretty good at getting you tipsy.

This is one of our favorite regular spots in the neighborhood, and being from a southern Italian family growing up in the NYC area, the food is exactly what I appreciate from the home cooked «red sauce» meals and recipes I grew up with. It’s family owned, and has that kind of vibe. The staff always remembers their regulars, some of whom seem to have been coming here probably since the 80s when it opened, and always make a point to chat and make you feel at home. We like to come here regularly for dinner, and for holidays such as Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, etc.
The food is what I consider to be some of the best in the neighborhood, and in New York, as far as southern Italian goes. If you’re looking for chi-​chi style, long wine lists, and things with a «modern twist», this is not your place. If you’re looking for really good homestyle Italian cooking and a warm dining experience, you can’t go wrong.
Things we really like include the bolognese or Winter pasta, the grouper oreganata is fantastic, the meatballs are excellent, and the ravioli is often my favorite. I also recommend the angel hair with shrimp. I haven’t tried the rice balls, but they are made personally by the owner, Tony, (as is most of the food), and they appear to be a favorite. In true Italian style, portions are pretty large, and you’ll likely have some to take home.

The worst dinner service I have ever had. Actually, it ended up as no dinner service.
It started out well enough. My wife and I decided to try out an «authentic» Italian restaurant in our new neighborhood. We were greeted and pointed to our table, quickly followed by a list of specials. We decided to start with stuffed meatballs, followed by lasagna for me and bow tie pasta with prosciutto for her.
The bread came quickly enough, but the meatballs took longer than they should have. They were worth it, though, as the filling was cheesy and the sauce was amazing. What happened next, however, was not.
The server who picked up out plates asked us if we had ordered dinner. «We have», we said. 30 minutes later, another server literally dropped a check on our table and walked away (we hadn’t gotten our food yet). I flagged him down and explained it, and the manager claimed it was his a mixup. OK, fair enough.
20 more minutes of waiting and we were done. Tons of people that came in after us had gotten the very same dishes we had ordered. I left a $ 20 on the table to more than cover the appetizer and the tip and flagged a waiter to tell him we were leaving. The manager heard and proceeded to yell at us that we were disgraceful for not waiting and he handed me my money back and told us to «Go home!»
Fair enough. We went down the street to another Italian restaurant and had an amazing meal. It’s too bad we’ll never be able to say that about Red Rose. Avoid this place if you want to have a good meal and a nice evening out.

If there were more stars to award, I would award them all to the Red Rose. This friendly, family owned restaurant has the best Italian food you will find. The rigatoni bolognese is delicious. Ask for it with a scoop of ricotta in the sauce. The rice balls are a Red Rose specialty. This week, for dessert, I got a chocolate soufflé that was one of the best desserts I’ve ever encountered in a restaurant. Everything I’ve ever ordered there in the past 10 years is first rate. The owners are there every night, running their restaurant. For years, the wait staff has remained the same. That says a lot about a business. You’re greeted as a friend, every time you return.
If you’re looking for hip or for snotty décor, move on, move on. The Red Rose is all about the food and the service. Treat yourself to a meal there. This place is great!

I don’t have a Noni*, but if I did I expect she’d make food like they do at Red Rose.
The first thing you should know is that the portions are huge. And the appetizers are tasty. Know that you’re going to take home a doggy bag and it will make it a lot easier to look through the menu, which is both expansive and full of cheese-​based items.
Red Rose is an old-​school Brooklyn place, and the kind of place where if you’ve been twice they’ll treat you as if you’ve been 100 times. First time? They’re still really nice and the host (whose name I did not get, but should have) will treat you like extended family from the time you call for reservations to the time you walk in the door.
Things to get: the rice ball appetizer (get two) and the cheese stuffed pepper.
Things not to get (dinner variety): the spaghetti and meatballs. The meatballs were huge, and there were four of them, but they were basically flavorless though quite filling.
During the winter, sit in the back as it’s a little chilly up front but overall a great place effectively out of the way of the main drag in the area so it’s not packed with a line out the door on a Friday night. This isn’t where you go for a swagged out night of Italian debauchery, it’s where you go on a Friday night when you just want some good food you’ll most likely be eating for lunch on Saturday, too.
* — I had a Nana; Jews and Catholic Italians, always just about one letter off but basically the same thing.

You gotta love this place. Red Rose is an old school Brooklyn red sauce joint and I give them major points for keeping it so real. Actually it’s nicer than a «joint» but it feels pretty joint-​like, which is a good thing.

We came here right before Christmas and it was as decked out as one would expect (see my photo). It’s modest, while at the same time there are little touches that make it more of a restaurant and less of a «joint.» Don’t get me wrong. There’s no pretense here. You’ll get good service. you’ll get good food. And you’ll leave happy.
So in a red sauce joint, naturally I’m going to want to order something that features it, preferable not plain old spaghetti. What better vehicle for red sauce than eggplant rollatini over angel hair, right? Verdict? I’ve had better rollatini (personal preference is thinly-​sliced, whereas Red Rose’s is thick), but I wasn’t complaining. But the red sauce was just the way I like it– rich and zesty, *not* sweet, spiced with maybe the tiniest bit of fennel (?) The way it should be in a red sauce joint. I started with a traditional (Italian American-​style with an f-​ton of breadcrumbs) stuffed artichoke that was absolutely perfect. The thing is massive!
I cut my teeth on places like Red Rose, as Italian American food was a staple of my childhood, both at home and when we’d eat out. I think this place would have been one of my favorites to go to as a kid (when I would only eat one of two things: manicotti or ravioli). Nostalgia is not clouding my opinion, however as I call ‘em like I see ‘em and if you’ve been reading my reviews, you’d know this by now! Do check out Red Rose for some good Italian food.