Allison’s Restaurant

Very good little restaurant. We had a nice meal and very reasonable too.

Very quite local spot with great food! The specials are always amazing as well as the food on the menu.

Charming restaurant! Every time we go the menu is delicious and the wait staff is awesome, although I do agree with other comments that they are understaffed. Daily specials are also great options. Bartenders are a solid A.

We love this place.
Reasonable prices on wine. We’ve been here at least 10 times and don’t ever leave disappointed. I get the same dish every time I am here, chicken Limone, it’s a lightly breaded chicken breast with lemon flavoring, pasta, and marinara sauce. I’ve sampled the menu a bit through others and everything on the menu seems good. The vegetable lentil soup is solid.
Service is always good, it’s cozy, well lit, and perfect for date night.
And it’s local… So try it out!

I only recently became aware of this restaurant and am so glad I found it. The food is outstanding and the service is excellent. There is plenty of parking which I appreciate. The place is not very large so only a busy weekend you should make reservations.

Took wife and daughter for New Years Eve dining. Good food and friendly/​helpful service.

I’ve wanted to try this restaurant for a while now. I’ve heard great things via word of mouth and the ratings have stayed pretty consistent.
My parents and I came in on a Saturday around the time they opened. We were the only people in the restaurant, which was nice. The restaurant is pretty small, but has a decent bar area and there’s quite a bit of seating on right side of the restaurant. Our server came over about a minute or so after we sat down. She was very nice and was attentive throughout our meal.
Our server took our drink orders and brought us a basket with focaccia bread, cornbread, and butter. I didn’t eat the cornbread but the focaccia was delicious. After we received our drinks, it was time to order. I ordered the Balsamic Chicken (balsamic tomatoes, balsamic glaze, basmati rice and asparagus) and a side Caesar salad. The caesar salad came out first. It was a standard salad: lettuce, croutons, and sprinkles of cheese. Everything was fresh, but I wish it had more dressing on it. A majority of my lettuce was completely dry. I’m not sure it was worth the $ 6.00. When my entrée came to the table, I noticed a dark brown hair stick in my rice. I immediately brought it to my servers attention. She apologized and set it back to the kitchen to get new rice and to have my meal re-​plated. My meal was fine, but I felt like it was a dish I could have made at home and it would have tasted the same. There was nothing wrong with the meal — everything was cooked perfectly — I just wasn’t completely blown away. It was average, at best.
My dad ordered the Linguine Pasta with Sautéed Shrimp (sautéed shrimp, fresh tomatoes, garlic and white wine butter sauce.) He thought the dish was great. The dish had plenty of shrimp, and he raved about the garlic and white wine butter sauce all night. There was no take-​out box for him! He pretty much licked his bowl clean!
My mom ordered the Chicken Parmesan (with angel hair pasta, marinara, and broccoli.) She thought the chicken was delicious, but was disappointed that her broccoli was cold (butter wouldn’t even melt on it.) The portion of the chicken parmesan was huge. She took more than half of it home to eat the next day.
Overall, my parents really liked their meal, which is why I’m giving 4 stars. I took one star off because of the hair in my food and I thought my meal was average. It’ll probably be a while before I go back. I’m not completely writing the place off, though. I would definitely order something other than the balsamic chicken. I would love to pop in for lunch to see what kind of choices they offer.

The grilled chic salad with fried Brie is very good I have also had this salad with fried chic (just ask they will fry the chic) the grilled hanger steak is also very good and they cook it perfect and it’s very tender

The lasagna is really good. The other people in the party got the lobster ravioli and licked their bowls clean. Good serving size and excellent service. Unilocal is great for this kind of gem you would normally ever find tucked away in a strip mall.

Pretty damn good for the area. It is a fairly small establishment in a mediocre looking strip ‘mall’
But the outside doesn’t hint that the place is actually decent inside. The restaurant is pretty small, but does have a bar side as well. I went on Saturday evening, around 630 — and all tables were either full or reserved (which I found surprising — there were Several reserved tables). I sat at the bar (full menu available). The menu is not very large, but has the basics of a family owned Italian restaurant.
We got: turkey minestrone soup (near thanksgiving), Caesar salad, bruschetta, fried mozzarella, crab + lobster ravioli, lasagna, and lemoncello cake.
The soup had good flavor, but was certianly not 100% made in house, salty and very similar taste — «semi-​homemade’. VERY little turkey.
Caesar salad was noticeably light on the dressing as well.
Bruschetta was not to my personal liking, I prefer heavy on tomato. This was a lighter version, with pesto instead of basalmic.
Fried mozzarella was VERY generously sized. The outside was perfectly crisp and tasted like comfort food. It is basically a brick of cheese on top of garlic bread, breaded and fried.
Crab/​lobster ravioli was okay, but again, light on the meat.
Lasagna was good. noodles firm, meat amount adequate :) it came with a small amount of unusually paired vegetables that were fresh (unlike those in the soup)… just strange w the lasagna.
Lemon cake was good.
We were served by Jessica, at the bar (she was a bartender too) and she was EXCELLENT. Patrons seem like a mix of regulars and are very friendly. Food is good but not memorable beyond the fried mozz. I’d still return, it is like a nicely dressed family establishment and I like the welcoming atmosphere :)

The service was terrible. Our party of 6 walked into the restaurant only to be seated at a 4 person table. The waitress says, «I will let you all figure out the seating» and scurries away. What in the world?! Terrible first impression… we didn’t stay so I can not comment on the food. :-(

Loved my entire meal. Come here occasionally and this place always delivers. Friendly and knowledge staff help me order just the right meal. It can get crowded though and there is no room for larger parties.

Fan-​fn-​tastic! I travel a metric ton for my job. As such, I get to visit loads of establishments for dinners and whatnot. I will say that this place has some of the best foods I have eaten on the road.
Been here 4 times, got a wide assortment of dinners. Every one was exactly what I was looking for. The Balsamic Chicken was delectable, the Grilled Italian Sausage was unreal, the Lasagna was just… yeah.
Absolutely recommend this place, great food. I will say it seems like they are perpetually understaffed but sitting solo doesnt really bother me.

Let me start off by saying that out server was great and very friendly. Based off the reviews on Unilocal we were excited to try this place out but we’re very disappointed with our experience. We sat in the back and the table behind us had just about finishing their food. It looked delicious. I asked what they ordered and it was all three of the dishes I was thinking of and each said it was excellent. Again, couldn’t wait to order.
We started off with the fried green tomatoes and the fried oyster appetizers. Mine tasted great, I had them add goat cheese cause that’s how I like it. It was served on top of their cole slaw. I think the tomatoes could and should stand on their own. My husband order the fried oysters and said he’s had better, but no big deal.
My rating is a result solely from our entrees. I ordered the shrimp and calamari Diablo. I don’t know what it was, but the pasta and shrimp tasted grainy/​mealy and the dish had a lot of oil in it. The taste was totally off and I couldn’t finish my plate. My husband ordered the Parmesan crusted cod. It came with asparagus and cheddar mashed potatoes.
The fish was clearly undercooked. We let the server know and she took it back. When she brought back the food the chef had reheated the same piece of fish and replated it to look nicer. I know this because our server said he was going to finish cooking the fish for us. Needless to say, the fish still didn’t taste right and in the back of my husbands mind he was scared he was going to get food poisoning. The potatoes were very good.
There was no apology from the chef or a visit to the table from the manager and the restaurant was not busy at all. We received the bill and were charged full price, no discount or offer of a comped dessert. I’ve worked many years in the food industry and find this unacceptable.
I would have loved to go back and try this place again, everybody has an off night, but it’s not going to happen.

I was out doing some shopping in Crofton on July 3, had a craving for steak, so I pulled out my Unilocal app looking for restaurants nearby with a good steak. For some reason, Allison’s came up on the list, but after reading the reviews I didn’t really understand why they were listed for steak… but they still sounded good, so off I went to give it a try. I will agree with some of the other reviews, this is really more of an Italian restaurant than anything else, and once I saw the pics of the lasagna from some of my fellow Unilocalers, I lost my craving for steak.
I arrived around 8:45pm…their hours were posted as being open until 10:00, so I thought I’d have plenty of time. But when I walked in, everyone was seated around the bar and the dining room was completely empty. A young lady came up to greet me and informed me that the kitchen was closing at 9:00, that she had sent everyone home early for the holiday, thinking they’d be slow. As it turned out, this wasn’t the case, as a few people came in after I did as well, and this poor girl was slammed! She was bartending and waiting tables for everyone in the bar area, as well as serving as hostess… she had my sympathy! But she did it all with a smile and a great sense of humor, so thumbs up to her!
I did order the lasagna, which was really probably the best lasagna I’ve ever had. Really… try it! Served with a side of sauteed vegetables, it was just the right consistency, the sauce was delicious, lots of cheese, spices were just right… absolute perfection! So why only 4 stars instead of 5? While I realize this young lady was working alone, I’m not so sure of the wisdom in sending home your crew on a holiday night. Also, there was no bread or salad offered with my meal, and when I finished, she said «You’re ready for your check, right?» rather than asking if I wanted dessert or coffee. Again, I understand she was busy, but I would have liked one of their desserts, even if it was in a to-​go container. But I’ll definitely go back and give them a chance to get that fifth star.

This is our go to place several times a week
Great food, great atmosphere and close to home. Customer service is top shelf from the wait staff to the owner. Personality abounds … Tess — The Amazing Graze — our favorite school teacher Matt, or Chef Jim, all aim to please… and then some…
So to Scott C I have to ask, did you have a bad day dude? Because these are some of the loveliest people I have ever had the pleasure of dinning with… My advice, go there judge for yourself …

Strip mall restaurant where the chef knows what he is doing. Food was very good. Great cornbread at the table. This is what we call a neighborhood gem and we will be back.

We came for lunch and had ordered a salad with fried brie and a crab cake sandwich. The brie was a glorified mozzarella stick and the greens looked like they were right out of a Costco value bag. The crab cakes were disappointing. Both dishes felt like they were not hot enough. I have a bad back and found the chairs uncomfortable.
The service was great, however, and the dining area is pleasingly cozy and a bustle with activity.

Hmm monthly dinner with the male parental and we need to try something new! Neither of us are wanting any chain, so I check out thee Unilocal to help a chica out.
So Allison’s is located in this random strip mall, you can’t see if from the main road, but if you see a BK you have hit the right spot. The place is unassuming, and you would have no idea what to expect just by looking on the outside.
The place is quaint, and it wasn’t too crowded. They appear to have specials pretty regularly, and they looked delish. The menu is fair sized, it changes for lunch/​dinner. Service was prompt, and attentive.
Bread basket had some sort of herb bread and this bomb cornbread. I loved it’s sweetness, just the way I think it should be.
On this night I ended up with fettuccine Aurora, that has shrimp, lump crab, spinach and artichokes in a pink sauce. The dish was a perfect size, the proteins were plentiful, and it was seasoned nicely. Here is the goof, I totally ordered something else! I ordered the Penne Pasta with Italian Sausage and somehow got this. The funny thing is I didn’t care because it was just so good! My dad ordered the Chicken Limone which he said was just as good. He totally cleared his plate.
Pretty cool neighborhood spot, I’d definitely come back and try something else, probably the specials!

Hubby is still full of surprises!
This week’s date night too us to a strip mall, which had me raising an eyebrow at him as we approached. «Really?» REALLY! Step instead Allison’s and it’s cute, cozy, and has a great, comfortable vibes. You can tell they have a mainstay of regulars by the sheer familiarity the folks at the bar displayed with the bartender.
I was hungry, but not starved and sort of nervous about ordering a whole salmon entrée. However, when it arrived it was perfectly portioned, as well as the sides (veggies and mashed potatoes). I would have killed to order a bottle of wine like the table across from us, but alas, I am still preggers so it was Shirley Temples for me. They did a good job with those though! lol!
My hubby got the same entrée and then ordered the chocolate mousse cake which he was very pleased with. I took a bite and really liked it too, but there was no way I could finish one myself. A bite was just enough.
I look forward to becoming one of Allison’s regulars. They do good food well and have plenty of yummy, tasty, healthy options. Again, this restaurant is pretty small, so get there a little early or a little late to make sure you can get a seat and don’t be afraid of the über commercial location. You won’t even notice when you are instead.