Iozzos Garden of Italy

So I try not to be too much of a snob when it comes to Italian food, because no one likes an uppity Dago but this place by far is the best Italian food I’ve had in the city and state of Indiana! They had meatballs like my Dad and Grandma! The sauce was flavored to perfection, and they know their way around Veal Marsala! Will certainly be back for more! Go check out iozzos if you find your way downtown anytime soon! Really friendly wait staff as well.

My boyfriend and I went here for our 1 year anniversary. They remembered that it was our anniversary and gave us each a complimentary glasses of champaign to help us celebrate! It was too cold to sit outside when we went, but the outside patio is a lovely place and will be great on a nice summer evening. The staff was amazing and continually brought us fresh bread and kept our glasses full all night.
As for food we ordered the shrimp appetizer, it was delicious. Highly comparable to Bonefish Grill’s «Bang Bang Shrimp». Shortly after finishing our appetizers both plates came out hot with our entries. I had the shrimp pasta and it was delicious. We both had leftovers to take home and they tasted just as good the next day. I will be going back to try more of their menu, everything looked so good.
I highly recommend this place for a nice date night, evening with friends, or a place to celebrate any occasion. However, I would not bring kids here, it is too fancy to have little ones running around all the tables.

½ price wines by the glass on Wednesdays? Do they know that’s my day off or something. We sat on the patio and loved it. They have live music on Wednesdays and the group was just right. Featured oysters from New Zealand that were out of this world. The orzo pasta wasn’t my favorite but I blame myself for ordering something without meat in it. Had a drink in the bar to start the night and both the bartender and manager were very pleasant. Also super happy to find a place that has people in it after 8 PM. People were still getting seated when we left after 9. I feel like a lot of places downtown roll up the sidewalks at 8.

Great spot in downtown Indy. It has it’s own parking lot which is a huge plus! I’ve been frequently for half priced appetizers and they’re great! My favorites are the ZoZo shrimp (breaded) with a delicious spicy sauce, the mozzarella bread and the fried ravioli. The back patio is the cutest place to sit on a nice summer night.

I went to Iozzo’s for the first time yesterday with a good friend. The restaurant was pretty busy but we were able to sit out in the courtyard. We arrived at 6 and it was still a little warm outside, but we found a nice table that was mostly in the shade. This would be a perfect place to eat in slightly cooler weather! Our service was a tad slow at the beginning, as one waiter was serving the entire courtyard, but Anthony was very nice and helpful and our drinks were never empty!
We didn’t order an appetizer but in retrospect we wish we had tried the basil garlic bread. Our side salads looked very good but were unfortunately a little bland and underdressed. The bread they brought out was also underwhelming, although the marinated tomatoes served with it were delicious! My friend ordered shrimp florentine and loved it! I ordered classic spaghetti with meatballs and was not disappointed. The family sauce was light and sweet and the meatballs were tasty and tender. We did not order dessert but the table next to us ordered the brownie and it looked heavenly! Overall, I wasnt blown away by this meal, but I would go back and try it again.

Oh my amazing! We walked here from downtown, based on the Unilocal reviews. About a 25 minute walk, but wow, was it worth it! Our server was part of the family-​owned restaurant, and had a wonderful personality and was very accommodating.
The food was stunning. Even the vegetarian in our crowd was raving about the options. We sat on the patio, which was comfortable, and nicely spaced from other tables. I had the chicken piccata, which was tender, not heavy, and delightful. The fresh sugar snap peas were delicious too.
The tiramiso was nothing short of delectable. Light, boozy, just as it should be. Amazing experience!

Husbands birthday dinner was AWSOME! Our server was very knowledgable and friendly.
The appetizers: Garlic basil cheese bread was great and the pasta sauce for dipping was very tasty. The fried ravioli is the only fail of the night. Not much flavor, tasted much like ravioli we’ve have a dozen other places. Caesar salad dressing had a slight sweetness to it I’ve never had. It was very good and the lettuce crisp.
Entrees: Beef fillet with veg of the day (green beans) and side of spaghetti. All really good and cooked the way we like. Salmon with polenta and green beans. The polenta was awsome, very cheesy and creamy.
Dessert: Huge brownie with salted caramel and ice cream. Hubby loved it, I’m not a fan of brownies. I got the Chocolate Pavlova OMG it was good.
We will be back to try some other dishes but I’m getting the Chocolate Pavlova again !!

Decided to give this place a work after a previous reservation fell through. We visited in Easter Sunday and our reservation was for 6pm.
We arrived a little early and was seated right away. The table they placed us at was literally in the middle of the room next to a very large party. Because of where this table is situated it leaves very little room for people to be able to walk around.
Our server came over and took our drink order. He was polite and told us about any specials they had. He left and returned quickly to give us our drinks as well as take our appetizer order. Now because of how long we waited for him to initially come over we decided on no appetizer and went direct to our main course.
Our food came out in a reasonable amount of time. While we were waiting our server kept us updated on what was going on and when appx our food would come out.
When our food arrived mine was just ok. It was nothing amazing but it wasn’t terrible. It was just a mediocre Italian meal. My dinner mate, however, his was good. Good flavor and made me sad that I didn’t get what he had. What’s also sad is that I can’t remember what he had… or what I had. Soooo sad.
Overall it was ok. I kind of felt that we were being rushed through the entire meal. Maybe that’s not what he was trying to do, but that’s how it felt. I do feel they’re a little over priced for the experience we got. Again, it wasn’t terrible… but it wasn’t amazing. Just ok.

We look for the hidden gems where ever we go and this is one! A must go if your in the area the veal and filets were to die for!!!

First off, we made a reservation for 9:15, arrived there at 8:50, and were seated at 9:50. So we waited an hour just to be seated at our table. To be fair though, I recognize that this was not the restaurant’s fault. The group seated at our table had apparently been there for 3 hours, and were just really slow to leave. We watched them eat their dessert, pay their bill, and stay seated for another hour. The manager made every effort to make us comfortable while we waited. She even let us order beforehand so our food would be ready when we got to our table. And as soon as the other group left, a few waiters immediately scrambled to clear the table and have it ready for us — maybe 3 minutes max.
The garlic bread we ordered was at our table when we sat down, so that was great. And it tasted pretty good too with their tomato sauce.
We had the spaghetti with marinara sauce, chicken alfredo penne, and cheese ravioli in a rose sauce. From what I gauged, the chicken alfredo and cheese ravioli were good. I had the spaghetti and really enjoyed it. The sauce tasted different from what I’m used to and I liked that.
For dessert, we shared the tiramisu, which came in a cute little flute. And dear lord, it was delicious. Everything about it was perfect.
Overall, we really enjoyed it. The manager even gave us the garlic bread on the house because of our wait.

This is my new favorite Italian place in Indy. The food, cozy atmosphere and friendly service really left me blown away. The portions were huge, though they weren’t making up for anything. The quality was never lacking. The Iozzo’s family sauce was a delight. I’ve had a lot of sauces in life, but this one was particularly rich and flavorful. Everything appeared and tasted fresh and home made. The wine list, too, was well curated and reasonably priced.
We sat out in the back patio which is a hidden gem of Indy. I felt like I was truly at home from the moment I walked in. The staff were all warm and outgoing — even if they weren’t your server, every server seemed to care about you.
Go. And eat. And be at home.
Recommended eating: Chicken Parmesean and The Portobello Risotto.

Such a charming place! I dined here for lunch with a large (14) group of people, which can be challenging. They accommodated our extra two people without complaint, and we had terrific service throughout our meal. I asked if I could order off of their dinner menu, which I had read online, and they kindly obliged. I asked for the smoked salmon platter, and I absolutely loved it. They should add it to their lunch menu. It was delicious and not overly filling in case somebody wants a light lunch. We did not eat outside, but I saw they had a beautiful garden/​patio in the back. I would love to go back and dine out there next time.

How did I not know this place was here tucked away practically right next door to Shapiro’s? I had a delightful dinner here tonight with a group from work, and need to come back soon.
First of all, this is truly a family run establishment, which I absolutely love. Our server was the cousin of the owner, and she then identified pretty much every other person working there as another family member. The recipes are all ones passed down through the family, and there is a great picture on the wall that is the view from the family home in southern Italy.
The wine list is quite good, and our server knew it well which helped those of us less familiar with specific Italian wines.
We shared the calamari and the scallops with goat cheese appetizers. Both were excellent! The calamari was tender, tasty and not greasy! The scallops were sweet and cooked perfectly. The goat cheese, artichokes and red peppers complimented them nicely.
It was extremely hard to decide on an entrée, but since this was my first trip here, I decided I should get some type of pasta; I ordered the shrimp florentine which was delicious! I had every intention of only eating half and taking the rest home, but ended up finishing the whole thing… in my defense the sauce was nice and light… but it was a lot of wonderful fresh pasta, and tasty, large shrimp.
The house salad that came with the entrée was excellent as well, particularly with the gorgonzola and crispy prosciutto add ons and house balsamic dressing!
Somehow we all managed to find room to share a couple of desserts. We originally ordered the chocolate pavlova, but then our server came back to say the last batch all collapsed in the oven and weren’t fit to serve (we joked later than we should have told her to just bring out the collapsed ones since we didn’t know what they were supposed to look like and they probably still tasted good!) In any case, I do give them points for quality control. We shared a very large portion of the spumoni (3 generous scoops) and a big soup bowl of crème brûlée that was absolutely delicious! Our server noted the spumoni is imported from Italy and actually made with real pistachios rather than just pistachio oil. It was excellent! We were VERY glad we ordered only 2 desserts for 5 of us… these are definitely shareable dessert portions!
Parking is available in a small lot just north of the restaurant, so if you are heading south on Meridian, turn in just before you get to the restaurant. There is also a lot of street parking in the area if the lot is full. Major bonus points that they take reservations! I will definitely be back!

I went here with a big group for Devour Downtown. For the first course I got the Italian wedding soup which was okay, you could tell they made a simpler version with less ingredients for Devour. For the main course I got the Chianti Braised Short Rib which I thought was incredibly salty. I couldn’t finish most of it because of the salt. My date got the Lobster Ravioli which I tried and thought was lovely. For dessert, I got the tiramisu flute which was again alright. Overall, I thought the place was just okay.

A former boyfriend once worked here and he gave me the scoop on all the best menu items (the scallops folks!). I fell in love with this place (not so much the boy but he was very sweet) and dine here a few times a year. My most recent visit was this last Sunday. They started their Devour Downtown menu early. Lucky me!!! I had the braised beef. It was incredible in both taste and value. For $ 30 I dined on that fall-​apart tender piece of meat, Italian wedding soup and cannoli.
For those that have never been to Iozzo’s but have been to Mama Corolla’s… Let me try to sway you to visit downtown instead for Italian fare. (Sorry Mama C lovers… there’s gonna be a bit of bashing here.)
1. I don’t have to deal with the crowds and no reservation policy that makes going to Mama C’s an ‘event’. I’m 34 GD years old and don’t have time for ‘events’.
2. Although I love Mama C’s kitschy décor, I like the exposed brick and murano-​esque overhead lighting of Iozzo’s much better. It has a warm feeling without being to gritty. (Aka no plastic flowers or grapes)
3. The menu at Iozzo’s has more options for the lactose intolerant crowd. Translation: more seafood.
4. Iozzo’s has a deep history in Indy.
5. Iozzo’s outdoor patio is lovely. I believe they have movie nights out there in the summer.
6. Iozzo’s bar is far superior in esthetics and drink options. Less cheap chianti and more upscale wine from home and abroad.
7. They have a diner’s club that’s pretty legit. $ 30 yearly fee gets you all sorts of discounts on glasses/​bottles of wine, first access to special occasion dinners etc.
Reminder that this place isn’t Fazoli’s. You’re walking out at least $ 30 per person minimum (drinking water, no apps). This is why Devour is so awesome… Such a deal! This is your chance to try Iozzo’s for the next week or so.

So my g/​f was craving some good Italian style soup.
So we came here to pick up an order of Italian wedding soup.
The soup was literally filled up less than a quarter of the way.
Check out my pic.
It’s the one of the to-​go soup with the spoon in it.
If this is their portion size I can see why it’s always so busy. Everyone is ordering everything on the menu just to get satisfied.

This place is fantastic! It’s easy to make reservations. There’s a nearby parking lot. Wine list is great. Service is superb. Food is delicious. Great plus is the fact that they have a kids menu!
We ordered their Zo Spicy Shrimp which is very much like the infamous bang bang shrimp and it was delicious! Their soup of the daw which was a seafood chowder is superb. The choices for main entrees were great. Their dessert selection did not disappoint.
Food presentation was meticulous but not superficial. Atmosphere was warm and inviting. Overall, great Italian restaurant for romantic dinner dates or with families.

It is a small, successful Italian restaurant!!!
The food is beyond delicious and the staff is extremely nice!
I got the Chicken Picatta with green beans and potatoes. Each bite leaves you with a mouthful of deliciousness you can’t help but to finish you’re plate, if you can handle the planetary portion!

This restaurant has been in my «to-​do» list for quite some time. We called last night around 6:45pm, and they were able to squeeze us in at 7:15 due to a cancellation! Yay!
We started off with a ½ liter of the Montepulciano and it was pretty good; a nice back drop to our meal. We ordered the toasted ravioli and the ZoZo shrimp, and both were delicious. The toasted rav was toasted and crunchy and filled with ooey, gooey cheese. The ZoZo shrimp was like Bonefish Grill’s Bang Bang shrimp: the right amount of spice, a creamy sauce, and sweet, crunchy shrimp. Everyone at the table enjoyed both appetizers.
Our table ordered the smoked cheese ravioli, the baked penne with chicken, the lasagna, and the chicken Parmesan. Everyone really enjoyed their entrees and everyone except Ravioli had food to bring home. I had the Chicken parm and it was delicious and had enough left over for lunch the next day for me and my hubby! Our entrees also included a house salad (yummy and super fresh!), and a basket of bread with marinated tomatoes.
I am very happy we finally got a chance to try out this place. The service was very friendly and attentive, the atmosphere was lovely and the food will definitely bring us back here again!

This italian gem puts a smile on my face. You can get traditional pasta faves like spaghetti with meatballs or lasagna, or try some of the meatier options like osso bucco or the selection of parmesans (chicken, veal, etc.).
I have been here three times and never been disapointed. I really would love to head back and dine in the charming patio. This place is small so consider reservations! And, beware Lucas oil events for parking, traffic.
The service is always great, and they make their own ‘cello’s. I wanted to try the lemoncello… it’s on my list for the next visit!