Sergio’s Pizza & Restaurant

After a hard day of work I didn’t feel like cooking and decided to order Sergio’s through silver spoon delivery. If you’re from Hamden check it out great delivery services, but that’s a whole other review. I had high hopes after reading the reviews online, but sadly I was disappointed. I ordered baked manicotti which came with soup and garlic knots. The garlic knots were delicious, but the baked manicotti was not good at all. The manicotti was covered in deli sliced mozzerella and was definitely over cooked. The manicotti was rubbery and had very little taste. A little seasoning can go a long way. They were generous with portion size but they were underfilled and underwhelming. Maybe the pizza is better? I’ll give them another shot but won’t try the pasta dinners again anytime soon.

We didn’t have places like these growing up in ‘80s-‘90s eastern Iowa. Here in Connecticut, there’s a entire category of casual, cozy Italian restaurants. They’re distinct from pizza/​grinder shops in that there isn’t a particular emphasis on any one dish; the point here is a relaxed atmosphere and good down-​to-​earth food. Sergio’s virtues were extolled by a friend of mine, a longtime local, so I made them my first choice.
I got there about half an hour after they opened. They were decorated for Christmas and there was Sinatra playing. Soup of the day was beef and barley, perfect for a cold rainy Saturday, and accompanied by four slices of chewy bread and butter. It had been entirely too long since I last dipped bread into soup. My appetizer was escarole and beans, and it was bigger than the entrée! The escarole itself was perfectly done, tender but not mushy. Entrée was pasta e fagioli (pasta fa-​zool, my friend told me beforehand), in a light and delicious tomato-​based broth. I transferred over some of the escarole for a great combination. I should mention that this was only my second time ever having escarole and beans — the first was a homemade bowl from my friend — and my first time having pasta e fagioli. These are Old World dishes that I’d never encountered as a kid.
Service was very courteous, and didn’t make me feel weird for dining alone at what is clearly a group/​family-​focused establishment. Oh, and while I was eating, a big family with delightfully thick New York accents came in, sat down, and began a gift exchange, making for some nice background noise.
I’d recommend Sergio’s to anyone, local or passing through. I’ll be going less bean-​heavy for my next visit — I’m thinking penne alla vodka, with meatballs…

Came here for Hamden Restaurant week after hearing really good things about this place. I think we should have stuck with the pizza, because the pasta/​chicken wasn’t great. Also, service was extremely slow, and dinner took literally 2 hours for 2 people, even when it wasn’t fully booked.
However, the dessert was really tasty. And it might have just been disorganized because of restaurant week. So overall I will definitely go back and try it again and give