Acquista Trattoria

To start with, I was with my parents and a family friend. We originally wanted to go to thai food, and unfortunately we found out that the thai place was not open (despite on the website they said they were open). Not knowing where to go, my mother suggested this place. We used to go a long time ago and they remodeled since. The store looked amazing, the new place was a lot better than the old place since all the seating was set in one part of the restaurant and not split in the middle by the kitchen. The place looked very very clean and new. We ordered food and got the free bread that comes with ordering a meal. It was delicious like we remembered. We got our food and it was good. I felt like the dish I got was not amazing, because it was a dish of veggies and calamari. There was not much substance to it, and I felt kind of hungry afterwards, which is not what I want to feel after i eat a main course. The rest of my group enjoyed their meals. One of the specials came with free coffee and dessert. The dessert I was told was good, the coffee i heard was not that great. It tasted a little better with the dessert but stand alone, it wasn’t amazing. We left and we definitely enjoyed our experience, and would go back again.

Their food has always been solid and their renovations put them at 5 stars. Great date night place to sit down for a meal in the area and quality Italian food. Ask for homemade pasta if they have. You can’t go wrong with Acquista.

This is a little gem, small yet great service and food!
Only con was that it can get very loud, but thats because the food and service is soo good that they get packed!
They have really good specials to check out. Their service is fast and friendly, and the food is delicious!
We ordered the fried calamari which was cooked perfectly and just right. Then I had the penne ala vodka and my boyfriend had the linguine with clams. Both were portioned just right. And unlike other italian restaurants, they actually give you a decent amount of clams in the linguine! We were pleasantly surprised.
I would definitely recommend stopping in for a good italian meal.

I love their plain cheese pizza… Yummy food… Quick delivery… Excellent ambience if u want to dine in… other dishes on their menu is good too

ABSOLUTELY LOVE this place! We can here all the time with my boyfriend and it is the best Italian food in queens! Lovely servers and awesome chef! Authentic Italian kitchen. Chef was making homemade mozzarella today, how cool is that?
My personal favorite is chicken francaise and chicken Marsala. Even their salads are so delicious! Definitely stop by here for lunch or dinner! Oh, and they have specials for dinners and wines some weekdays :)

Never came across this place in all my four years at St. John’s University. However, Acquista has been the go-​to Italian neighborhood restaurant for my fellow students. That fact alone should tell you enough to want to go there. The food and service was good, the staff is friendly, polite, and attentive. The specials are well planned and well executed.
While they do have outdoor seating, it feels more like a desperate attempt to maximize on table seating rather than allow customers to enjoy a beautiful spring/​summer afternoon.
We ordered the fried calamari has a shared appetizer. They are very generous with their potion sized. The calamari was thinly bartered (just how I like it) and best of all wasn’t drenched in oil. Even their marinara sauce was fresh.
For entrees, we went with the lobster ravioli and lasagna. Both dishes tasted good.
While the entrees were not mind blowing I could see why this restaurant has grown to become a local staple.

Impressed with their level of service and food. It was busy on an early Saturday summer evening.
Also tried their delivery — excellent service, timing and solid food turnout.
Thanks.

I used to like this place until I spoke with the manager named Angelo Acquista (junior).
Waited over an hour and a half for delivery (not the first time with this restaurant) and he insisted he couldnt issue me a refund and was offering me credit. Arguing with him felt like I was arguing with my exboyfriend. ZERO managerial skills. Also he was hesistant on providing me with a name after I told him I was a Unilocaler. His excuse for late delivery was that I called at a bad time.
On top of all of this I had to call back and beg for a refund.
Not a big loss the food was mediocore. Spend your money somewhere else.
*UPDATE: The owner named Paolo reached out to me and told me that no one by the name of Angelo works there meaning whoever the manager was on the night of 4÷29÷16 was LYING about his name.

Good food and great service for an Italian restaurant in Flushing. I came here with my relatives that live in the area and it’s their go-​to place for a homey Italian meal. None of the dishes blew me away, but everything was pretty solid overall.
The appetizers were pretty classic, we had the Arugola E Parmigiano (our veggies for the night) and the Fried calamari.
For pasta, we had:
Gnocchi Al Telefono — which was delicious and had the perfect texture!
Linguine Di Mare — very average, but the pasta was accompanied with lots of seafood
Farfalle Al Salmone — this was the BEST, delicious fresh salmon and asparagus. really tasty!
For dessert we also ordered the tiramisu and a chocolate lava cake. The tiramisu was light and fluffy, but the lava cake fell short (lava didn’t even come out!). Overall the experience and food was good. Definitely a very family friendly restaurant!

I have been coming here for 10+ years and they are super consistent which many restaurants can not do. The food is always super flavorful and enough for left overs to bring home. Free focaccia bread is out of this world. Service is always on point. Been to many Italian restaurants in NY and this is still my #1! Best dishes are the Linguine Acquista and Farfalle al Salmone! Tiramisu is still probably the best out there and always sells out.

I came to Acquista to restaurant-​hop in the local area, and I had a positive experience overall here. I got a $ 10 calzone with mozzarella cheese and vegetables (including sliced carrots and broccoli), and I thoroughly enjoyed it, because all the ingredients were fresh, and the bread that the cheese and vegetables were in, were soft.
At first, I felt confused about why customers at other tables got bread baskets, but I didn’t. I’m glad I asked about this to my server, who said that I wouldn’t get free bread since the calzone already includes it, and plus, I’m not ordering a full meal. Fair enough, but hearing this in advance from the server would’ve been great.
I have a soft spot for restaurants that combine class and casual-​ness, and Acquista Trattoria has exactly that: there’s a lot of natural light coming into the space, there’s a lot of booth seating, and the walls near the bathroom are made of smooth, dark wood, and the noise level is on the quieter side. When I was in the restaurant, different types of people were in here, from people enjoying a quiet dinner solo, to couples, to a family of seven at a round table. If I’m in the area again, I’d come here to enjoy some of their other dinner options.

The restaurant was the venue to my best friend’s engagement party.
I have seen it before and after the renovations. It went from old fashion to very modern – quick. Absolutely love the new interior. They have chalkboard walls for drink and food specials. The waiting area is mainly windows, which i definitely prefer over artificial lighting.
We were booked for about 5 hours, they let us come in an hour prior to decorate which was nice cause we made A LOT of decorations. We couldn’t find our tape so they let us use theirs. They were very accommodating.
We had 5 different dishes: bruschetta, calamari, an anti-​pasta, main entrée and dessert + coffee.
The dishes were spread out throughout the 4 hours (the first hour was us mingling). The dishes were pretty yummy; they definitely didn’t shy away from the cheese. The salmon was delicious and so was the tiramisu. The penne ala vodka was extra saucy and cheese which filled me up quick.
We had kids running around but they were very nice about it.
Overall, it was a great experience.

My bf and I ordered the bruschetta, fettuccine alfredo and a panini. Bruschetta was okay– I didn’t like that some slices of bread were thin and others thick. It was also soggy in areas and hard in others. Just not consistent.
My fettuccine alfredo was pretty good, but I could honestly eat any type of cream pasta. My bf didn’t say anything about his panini which means it was just okay.
Service was just okay too. We didn’t get our bread and olive oil dip until our food came out, but every other table got their bread basket as soon as they ordered.

Came here for lunch with a few friends! The ambiance of this place is really pleasant after their recent renovation. The staff is extremely efficient and friendly! They have pretty good lunch specials for about 10 bucks (a panini, drink and a side or a pizza) however they’re cash only!
They brought us fresh focaccia bread and olives with olive oil which was really warm and soft. For lunch I got the Emiliya panini and a side of fries. The panini was good but not too flavorful, I probably wouldn’t get it again. The fries were really crispy on the outside and really good!
Overall I really enjoyed my experience here and will come back :)

I’m a St. John’s student and I’m so mad it took me so long to try out Acquista!
It was 8pm on a Tuesday night when my dad and I stopped in for dinner. They sat us right away and immediately brought us water and menus. Our waitress was such a sweetheart. Great ambience to this place: it’s laid back and casual yet feels upscale.
We ordered two appetizers to start: the fried calamari and eggplant rollatini. Both were incredibly delicious! I would do without the calamari next time just because it wasn’t the best I’ve had but I would order two orders of the eggplant rollatini next time — soooo good!
For our entrees: two pasta dishes — Spaghetti Bolognese and Cavvatelli Siciliana. We also put in an order of garlic knots to come with our entrees.
Everything was truly amazing. We finished off with a slice of cheesecake — also amazing! Definitely order that if you want dessert at Acquista. They close at 9pm and by the time we finished our meal, they didn’t hesitate to still offer us dessert and we weren’t rushed out to leave. Really nice of them.
They were also hosting a special — if you pay with cash, it’s 15% off. So we saved a few bucks by doing that! I saw on the chalkboard that they also host a ton of other specials like a wine night, etc.
Will definitely be coming back very soon to try more items on their extensive Italian menu!

Went here for dinner last Saturday night. My date and I shared the fresh mozzerella salad which was very good and a generous portion. For main course, I had the grilled branzino with vegetables and he had a special veal dish of the day. My Branzino was ok, he also thought his Veal was ok. For dessert we had two generous scoops of gelato– pistachio and chocolate, both very good. Overall ok dining experience and reasonably priced.

In my six years at St. John’s, I actually never got a chance to come here. In the past month I’ve had the pleasure of trying it twice and I have to wonder how much more weight I would’ve gained if I had known about it sooner. Both times, I’ve tried the funghi e tartufo, a sauceless mushroom pizza drizzled in truffle oil, and it’s consistently amazing. I’ve also now sampled a salad, a sandwich, a pasta, a tiramisu, and a gelato. I enjoyed them all. It’s a comfortable place to devour meals. The warm bread basket and olive oil at the beginning also stole my stomach (which then grabbed my heart to come with because they go everywhere together.)
I will be coming back. And most likely, I will be getting that funghi pizza again. There’s something about truffle oil that both attracts and sickens me at the same time. I can’t get enough.

I’ve had the pleasure of dining in and ordering take out when I lived in the area. The food was always fresh and delicious. The staff here is nice and personable. It’s a family owned business that believes in providing customers with authentic Italian classic recipes.
It’s nice to see even with the ever changing neighborhood, Acquista Trattoria remains true to the heart. Fourteen years and standing, this restaurant sure knows how to hold its own. The portions are generous without the expensive price tag to boot.
Acquista Trattoria has undergone renovations. They’ve upgraded the restaurant with exposed brick, Italian furniture, new lighting and a sidewalk café. The new look provides a family-​friendly environment. Manhattan meets Fresh Meadows.

Acquista’s is a great place to come for a delicious, homey, good ol’ Italian meal which can be hard to find in Flushing. Located right on Union Turnpike, this is a go-​to spot for St. John’s students when they want a nicer place to dine out (but still affordable), have birthday dinners, take their parents for a nice lunch/​dinner, or even go on dates. Acquista’s has always been a great Italian restaurant with excellent food, but ever since they’ve remodeled the place, it really has enhanced the overall dining experience!
Along with their regular menu, they have the following specials during the week. Who doesn’t love a great special?!
Lunch Specials:
Monday-​Friday @ 11−3pm, dine-​in, and cash only.
Dinner Specials:
Monday — Pasta night (5−9pm for only %16.95, dine-​in only)
Tuesday — Dine in discount (15% off, 5pm to close, $ 25 minimum, dine-​in, cash only)
«Wine-​Down» Wednesday — ½ off bottles of wine (5-​pm, $ 25 food min, dine-​in only)
The last time I dined here, I decided to partake in the Monday pasta night special which I highly recommend! It comes with a starter (soup or salad), your entrée of choice (from the given pasta options), dessert (2 small cannolis or gelato), and a coffee… all for $ 16.95! They also provide complimentary bread and olives as an appetizer (don’t be shy to ask for more when you run out). Everything tastes fresh, is served hot, and is full of flavor. You really can’t beat this deal for the quality of their food.
I am looking forward to trying some of their other specials during the week, and I heard they recently started doing brunch on the weekends!

Have you ever had one of those conversations when a friend tells you that a certain restaurant is the best «enter cuisine here» they ever had… and you think to yourself «really?» and you look to your other friends, wondering if they are thinking the same thing? — I did when my friend told me about Acquista Trattoria.
Now hear me out, I know there are excellent Italians out there but taking demography into consideration, Flushing/​Fresh meadow is not known for Italian food, so you can’t blame me for being skeptical!
Acquista Trattoria is an Italian restaurant located on Union Turnpike, on the corner of 178^th street and Union Turnpike, a block off St. John University.
Parking: Not hard to find parking around this area, if you have trouble finding a spot on Union Turnpike, head toward the residual area (178^th street and 179^th street)
Décor and Ambiance: first impression walking in– Clean, simple yet elegant, modern looking place with wooden tables and booth style seating along the wall. The place is filled with a mix and diverse crowd, casual which is always a plus for me. Definitely a roomy place and tables are not overlapping each other so you don’t have to listen to the conversation from the table next to you.
Our group of 10 went on a Saturday night at around 7pm and the place was half filled. We got seated immediately and were given water and 3 baskets of bread. NOW I need to talk about the bread, they are focaccia, hot, soft, moist, olive oily, cheesy focaccia! I must say I’m impressed, this is definitely a good start, so we asked for 3 more baskets of it afterward.
The menu was impressive, boasting a lot of traditional Italian dishes, from appetizers to sandwiches to to pizza and pasta. They all sounds great so we ended up ordering different dishes and shared.
Out of our many dishes, my favorites that night were:
Fried Calamari– I just can’t resist fried calamari, how can you resist these soft chewy yet tender ring of crunchiness? My favorite is actually the legs, its extra flavorful and crunchy. If you are not sure, just GET IT!
Farfalle Al Salmone– Fresh salmon and asparagus in a pink vodka sauce, now you know I didn’t order this dish because I would be dying in the bathroom if I did (lactose) but I did take a chance and took 1 bite of this dish from my friend and O-​M-​G, this is delicious! Sure the salmon is fresh and tender and the asparagus is green and crisp but it’s DEFINITELY the vodka sauce, you know it’s creamy just by looking at it– it’s nice and thick which compliments greatly with the salmon and asparagus. The portion itself is not big but perfect for dinner. I would have taken another bite if I wasn’t so afraid of my lactose but if you are not lactose, this is a total WINNER!
Linguine Di Mare– Clams, Shrimp and calamari all in a light red sauce, what can go wrong here? NOTHING! Except maybe too much clams, shrimps and calamari and that’s exactly what I got and wanted. I love this dish, the clams were sweet, the shrimps were huge and calamari flavorful, tender. The linguine was al dente and they totally pile those seafood on top with no reservation. I’m usually not a red sauce fan (love the creamy stuff even tho I can’t handle it) but this one I do love. Excellent choice for seafood lovers! MUST TRY!
Service: Excellent from start to finish. No dirty looks from waiter and waitress when we asked for extra bread and water was refilled regularly! Love it!
Price: Normal– Dishes and entrées are less than $ 20, excellent quality! My only complaint is the portion size but if you don’t come in expecting Cheesecake Factory portion then I think you’ll be okay!
Overall: I enjoyed my experience at Acquista Trattoria, I still can’t say they are the best Italian I ever had but I can say they are probably the best around this neighborhood. With great food, good price and excellent service, I can see them becoming my go-​to Italian restaurant in the Flushing/​Fresh meadow area. Just don’t be like me and spoil your dinner by eating too much focaccia.