Vitale’s

Went to the trivia night and has a wonderful time. Ate a delux pizza and it was the best. Very enjoyable experience.

We tried Vitale’s with a dear old friend of my SO. A really nice impression when we walked in– we were sat right away and it has the old school decorations and style. You might call it outdated but i like to think of it as nostalgic.
We had the deluxe pizza which was awesome. Lots of toppings, thinner crust so it wasn’t too heavy, and just the right amount of sauce. I tried the Sicilian Sampler– fettuccine alfredo, chicken parmesan, and lasagna. Fettuccine alfredo was excellent, missing the classic spoon to twirl the pasta though! Lasagna was also good with the right balance of the ingredients. Chicken parmesan was «eh», I think a little overdone. It was a little on the tough side.
But overall, the experience was great, our server was excellent and had good recommendations for the menu. I loved the slightly more formal Italian feel, rather than the Olive Garden type feel of the place.

I was born in 1972, and I grew up eating at Vitale’s on Leonard frequently. I moved away from Grand Rapids in 1998, and I think I had only been back to Vitale’s once until last week when I returned to the area for a conference. I was so proud to introduce my friends and colleagues to this Grand Rapids heritage restaurant last Thursday night! I ordered manicotti, which had been my mother’s favorite Vitale’s dish before she passed away in April of 1990. It was just as I remembered it. The tomato sauce was perfectly balanced. The scents, flavors, and textures sang in harmony. It was perfect. My friends and colleagues were also impressed by both the quantity and the quality of the food. Vitale’s on Leonard is a classic Italian restaurant. It’s a treasure. It’s a jewel. I’ve been to Italy. I live in Chicago, which is known for the mafia! Yet, my favorite Italian food is still found at Vitale’s on Leonard Street.
P. S. I couldn’t find my receipt after my visit. I sent off an email this morning, and they responded with a copy of my receipt very quickly. Impressive!

The best Italian in Grand Rapids. Lovely place to take a date. Love the manicotti meat or cheese. Mostacoli very good. Pizza is great. Worth a wait.

We tried a pizza after hearing how good it was. Maybe it was the kind of pizza we tried… It was supposed to be a veggie pizza — but it was canned olives and mushrooms on top of a pizza.
Not at all fresh. I got a headache from the sodium overload.
After this experience we won’t try another pizza from here.

It depends on what you order mainly. During peak periods, it can take around 20 – 30 minutes at most. Their appetizer is decent. I came to the restaurant by a friend’s recommendation.
Parking is crowded as usual, sometimes worse during the weekends when parties are planned. My favorite is the stuffed sirloin steak.
Although I don’t frequent north of downtown, this restaurant is very calming.
One thing I suggest is doing takeout at the restaurant, not the bar across from it. Apparently, they only have dine-​in.

This has never happen to me ever nor anyone I know. Found some kind of bug in my lasagna

There are a few times in life when a meal is so amateurishly crafted and planned that it is nothing short of idiotic. Last night, I had one of those meals — pizza from Vitale’s on Leonard.
The dish was poorly prepared. Undercooked, greasy, and gross without a hint of freshness. A glaze of cheese grease brought a hint of tart sweetness. The sauce was placed on a mound of pizza dough. The combination of the cheese and sauce alone was to die from!
Pizza has four basic elements: dough, sauce, cheese, and other toppings. Their dough is actually not bad, the sauce is mediocre, the cheese is horrible, the other toppings are not fresh.
Seriously this place is terrible. The only place you’re likely to find worse pizza from is their nasty York creek area location.
The people that work in the takeout area look like criminals. I’m sure they’re all nice people (please don’t stab me!) but they have no business being in customer service.
The good news is that the only direction they can go is up!

The pizza is 5 stars. Quite likely the best in town (where did Arena’s go?)
The rest of the menu is mostly good. Spaghetti was lame. Lazagna was quite good. But you can order just about anything here and it’s likely to be good.

We did not eat in but ordered a pizza to go. Vitalie’s is still one of the very best take out pizzas in Grand Rapids. I say that and I mean the Vitale’s on Leonard. We have been going here for over thirty years and about the only thing that has changed is the oven. I miss the old pizza oven pizzas but Vitale’s appears to have mastered the chain ovens.

Went to Vitale’s Restaurant (not the sports bar) last week Saturday evening. Found the place to be very enjoyable. Waiter was very helpful & prompt & checked in on us regularly (but not too much). Courses of food came out promptly, very hot & very generous portions. We will go again if in the neighborhood & I’d recommend it if you are in the neighborhood.

Good all around Italian restaurant.
Very good pizza, spaghetti, etc. Other Italian dishes that, unlike Olive Garden type restaurants, have their own distinct flavors. Usually an attentive wait staff. Lots of parking in the lots surrounding the buildings.
A nice feature is that aside from their main restaurant, they have a sports bar in an adjacent building. Pizza, subs, etc. on the menu, along with a lunch buffet.
I have been coming here for years and that won’t be changing!

Food was very tasty… service was ok, but didn’t appreciate feeling rushed. Offering my group boxes for left overs… When we clearly not finished dining.
Found this very irritating !!!
Interesting since there only 3 tables with diners present.

Great pies, and great people! I love coming here for pizza. The employees are always nice and the pizza is always greasy. Just the way I like it!
The toppings are awesome and the sauce is the best I’ve tasted in Grand Rapids. I have a large family, and we usually go with two of the $ 11 16″ one toppings. A great deal!
If my film would let me, I would eat pizza from here four days a week for dinner.
The only bummer is that they don’t deliver, but this is one pie that am more than willing to drive to pick up.

We had dinner here last night, 6÷18÷15. The last time I ate here was 1998 and had only fond memories if the food and atmosphere. Things have not changed much over the years.
Our waiter, Mlue, was very attentive and made us feel welcome and like important people to him. He was very pleasant and funny as he served us and continually checked on our progress. This young man is a very good waiter and you may want to request him when you visit Vitales on Leonard.
We had the Lasagna, and it was as good as I remember. The only difference is they have changed from fresh shredded parmesan cheese to fine grated type, but it was still as good as I remember. [This cheese is a table item to be added at your discretion.]
If you are looking for a great experience in eating and service I recommend this wonderful establishment,

Favorite place for bar food in GR. Always go to the sports lounge and never been in the actual restaurant across the parking lot. Phenomenal pizza and burgers. The appetizer sampler (and their ranch) is top notch too.

Best Pizza ever. Never had a bad experience. Friendly staff… ALWAYS. Love this place!

Convenient: Adequate parking, low to average wait times.
Friendly wait staff. They were even tolerant of my youngest in a foul mood.
Food quality is average at best, but you tend to get a lot of it.
I’m torn between giving 2 or 3 stars, but no one has ever been anything but friendly to us there and it doesn’t break the bank, so… 3 stars for the family-​friendly factor. I wouldn’t necessarily go with friends or if it was just me and the wife.

Amazing and authentic. We wanted to try someplace new and local to Grand Rapids.
We loved the garlic cheesebread so much we came back the next week. Good pizza. Excellent and large fish pasta.
Love the localness and ambience of the restaurant.

Pasta was overcooked, oversauced, and overpriced. Portion sizes are too big – every table went home with a box, except for me since I was so dissatisfied with my food. «Fresh» veggies were clearly frozen. Kraft Parmesan in the shaker. You can buy better pesto at the grocery store. Décor looks like it hadn’t been updated in the whole 60 years it’s been open. Terrible smell as soon as you walk in. Would not go back. Call Gordon Ramsay, this place would make a great episode of Kitchen Nightmares.

They cannot keep their takeout straight.
Waited 20 minutes to find out the pizza had been done for a period of time.
I understand it can get busy, but people who have paid should be first priority.

Manager of Vitale’s emailed me about my review just a week after I posted it and wanted to know what waitress served me. Nothing about how they can make up my poor experience, no money back, etc. I was severely disappointed, I had to make up my boyfriend’s birthday dinner because of this place (another $ 50 spent on top of the $ 50 spent here)!
Maybe my experience was not ordinary, but I would not expect management to ever make up a bad experience. All they wanted from me was to know who to fire. Thanks, but no thanks. She could have been having a bad day, but it’s YOUR responsibility, Management, to fix my experience.

Bad service… waitress didn’t want to be there.
Didn’t tell us the specials, and when asked what she recommnended she said Burgers, Pizza or Pasta. When I asked her what she normally ordered, she said it’s all good. Really? Don’t you even eat here?
The pizza was bad. I got the supreme, and although I enjoyed the cooking on the crust, the sauce was bland, unseasoned, and could’ve been out of a jar. The pasta was served cold, and we went it back.
Although the manager did stop by the table to ask if everything was okay… I feel it was the obligatory «touch every table» and he hadn’t been made aware of our unhappiness.
However, he did figure it out. He comp’d my friend’s meal (which she didn’t eat at all)…and tried to make restitution but it was too late.
My friend recommended a 1 star or lower. However, since the manager’s did such a good job, I’ll raise that to a 2 Star.
I will be back for a further review… but perhaps I’ll wait for a little training to get done… and then not bring my picky friend!
2 Stars… with an updated review in the near future.

Vitale’s Italian restaurant is definitely one of THE spots for some great food in Grand Rapids. The main restaurant, as some call it, is nice and a good place to take a date or have a relaxing evening of dining out with family… but the real star of Vitale’s is, without a doubt, the pizza — and you don’t need to dine in to get this goodness.
But, let’s pause on the Italian dishes (other than pizza) that they offer. Because, you just can’t go wrong here. Really. They have all the standards that you’d expect and they’re all friggin’ awesome. The fettuccine alfredo is some of the best I’ve had — the alfredo is creamy, delicious, extravagant and rich. But not TOO rich. The manicotti is smothered in their famous marinara sauce which is slightly sweet and really what brings their awesome pizza together so well.
As I mentioned earlier (and other reviewers have too), the pizza is the standout here. The perfect balance of crust, sauce, cheese, and toppings make this a perfect pizza. The pizza/​marinara sauce… to die for. They should seriously consider bottling this stuff and selling it in Meijer stores to form some kind of Michigan-​based partnership that could overtake the country.
You know how some reviews just go on and on singing the praises of the place being reviewed? That’s what this will turn into if I don’t stop writing now. Just know that Vitale’s is the BEST pizza in Grand Rapids and you’re a friggin’ moron if you think otherwise — and I mean that in the nicest way possible. If you’re in Grand Rapids and starving for pizza… forget everywhere else and call up Vitale’s for your takeout. You have your orders.