Palermo Villa Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

THIS place is open again not sure if it same place but they are open

Palermo offers large portions, hearty fare, reasonable prices, yummy pizza and it’s like 3 blocks from my house. As far as I’m concerned, they can’t do a lot of wrong.
The dining room is pretty tiny and this place seems to attract a lot of larger groups and families, meaning it can be a tight squeeze.
The last time I was here, we didn’t make a reservation and so ended up at one of the tables in the bar. We watched the hostess greet every person that came through the door on a first-​name basis and it was clear that people return here often.
I’m a pesto devotee, so their pesto bread is my idea of heaven.
I want to eat their Fettucini Palermo every night of the week. Grilled chicken and prosciutto in a thick, creamy romano cheese sauce? I am SO in. The only negative to this dish is that it’s huge and it doesn’t really come close to reaching its original glory when reheated.
The Rigatoni Carbonara is also amazing. The salty bacon really comes through and adds an awesome punch to the pasta.
Despite being small, they’ve accommodated our large family for dinner with no problem.
There’s nothing cutting edge about Palermo Villa, but that’s ok because they do their Italian comfort food so well. You know you’ll leave full and content and you won’t feel like you just got grossly overcharged for a bowl of pasta.
It’s on a side street off North Avenue, so parking can be tight. We often just walk there to avoid the hassle.

This is my husband and my favorite place for pizza in MKE. They have thin crust — but not cracker thin. The pizzas come with a thick layer of cheese. It is cut in squares and has that delicious home made taste.
The pasta is so-​so, as are the apps. However, the prices are reasonable. Locally owned in a fun neighborhood, right down the street from the Oriental. Good for a pre-​movie dinner.
Full bar, has that old school red-​and-​white checkered table cloth appeal.

Going to Palermo Villa was a good experience overall, but I can also see why the restaurant was not packed. One of the major reasons I gave this place 4 stars instead of 3 (for the middle of the road type restaurant) is because: My companion ordered the conch salad. It arrived. He took several bites and decided he hated it. He said the conch was very rubbery and tasteless. We told our server to send it back, and he ordered something else. She brought a menu, gave him a minute, and took his order. She came back a minute later and told us that she asked the kitchen to prepare his dish right away and that she had taken the conch salad charge off our bill. His food arrived about 3 minutes later. I was really impressed by this. Of course, this is what restaurants should do when food is not good and the customer won’t eat it… but I have been a lot of places that would have still charged.
Overall, good waitress.
The food: we shared the fried eggplant appetizer. Issues: eggplant was cut far too thick and was quite moist (the trick in preparing eggplant is to slice it, sprinkle with salt, let sit 10 – 15 minutes, and then thoroughly pat dry with a towel) and therefore soggy. I also felt as though the breading was lacking flavor/​spice. For the best fried eggplant, head to Balistari’s.
I had a house salad. Pretty good, romaine lettuce, house dressing. My only complaint was that the lettuce was cut very large… I always find it awkward to eat a salad with fork and knife (plus, lettuce is difficult to cut with a butter knife…).
I was also a little surprised that a breadbasket was not provided, I suppose I just expected it at an Italian restaurant.
My companion ended up ordering the eggplant parm sandwich. Fried eggplant slices, excellent flavor (why don’t they use that dredge for the appetizer, I wondered). The sandwhich was bulky and impossible to pick up. My advice to the kitchen: cut the sandwich in half at an angle to make it easier to eat.
Would go back. Overall, great price for the food.

Love this joint, always order the TOGC, owner (when she is in) is an Italian Godess and will instantly be your friend for life. Wine list has gon down hill over the years, but food still good. Make a reservation, and prepare to wait for a table.

I arrived with my friends after walking around. We came around closing but it was beautiful. The atmosphere was nice, the staff were pleasant and the food was delicious. I ordered the Penne Puttanesca and it was so good. Because I couldn’t eat it all, I took some of it home and my mouth is watering now while thinking about it. If someone’s looking for good Italian food, I would say to come here. You won’t be disappointed.

I may be biased since I have a few personal ties to the restaurant and I’m very Italian, but I love some of the food items here. I can’t make a visit with ordering the fried eggplant or a Sicilian style pizza. They’re one of the only restaurants in the city that does a proper one and it’s unreal! I adore it. The garlic bread and cheese bread are both very, very yummy. Last, but not least, they do amazing scfingi (Italian doughnuts covered in sugar). Probably my favorite place to go and order a pizza. Take out is great but sometimes you just need to sit down with a glass of wine in a nice calm restaurant and stuff your face full of pizza.

Get the T.G.O.C. Just do it.
I’m not sure why everyone orders pizza here, because I’ve always been haunted by the descriptions of the pasta! My fav by far is the T.G.O.C. or Tomato, Garlic, Olive oil, and Cheese. Sooo good! A big cheesy tomatoey bowl of pasta. One serving could easily feed a family of 4. In fact I’m craving it right. now.
Every time I’m here it seems to be filled with middle aged+ couples. Which really, who cares? I get the impression this is one of those restaurants that your family always likes to go to (you know what I mean, every time someone’s in town your family always HAS to go here, just because that’s where you always go). But that’s probably a good thing right?
The place is small, seems like your grandma’s favorite restaurant (see above) and kind of feels like it’s run by the italian mob. But who cares? (They’re probably going to come after me for saying that).
Definitely worth checking out.

Palermo is not to be confused with your freezer section. Please don’t.
I’ve been here a bunch of times and loved the pizza every time. Most recently, two of us split a florentine with chicken added to it. Something about it seeming a healthier choice…
They do thicker and thinner crust, and they’ll also do one sort of in the middle upon request, which I do every time.
The build your own option is pretty all-​encompassing, so you have a. Large number of ways to get exactly what you want, and how you want it.
The salads are pretty typical for a pizza place, and one is large enough for two to share. If there’s something you do not like, however, such as mushrooms, ask for them to be left off, even if they’re not listed on the menu description. Some details get left out.
Do get the garlic bread, as it’s pretty much awesome over their regular bread service.
The bar set-​up is decently priced, with good options for beer and wine. Not sure on cocktail pricing as I’ve yet to order one here.
Lastly, service is good. Very middle of the road with enough personality to get by. But I’m there for the pizza.

I read some reviews of this place, and I am little surprised, I think the pizza here is very good. The only down side: it kind of sits in your stomach like a brick and you don’t sleep too well and you feel compelled to go to the gym at 3 AM. Try Transfer Café on the near south side for a lighter pizza.

I’ll just go ahead and say what everyone else is thinking.
Pizza Man, you are sorely missed.
No no, I get it. I’m writing a review for Palermo Villa. The thing is, you can’t do North Avenue Italian and not think about Pizza Man and their unexpected and tragic demise.
Here’s the thing. One of my *favorite* menu items at Pizza Man was the «Artichoke a la Mode» pizza. You remember. It was the one with the artichokes and fresh garlic and cream cheese and tomatoes? And it was awesome every time! You remember. And so do I.
Of all of the awful things about Pizza Man burning to the ground, the loss of my «Artichoke a la Mode» was high on the list. Enter Palermo Villa.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Palermo does well on its own with pasta dishes and pizza, and always has. They’ve been around for a long time; they’re an old-​school MKE staple. But recently, I’ve discovered something truly beautiful on the Palermo menu. It’s been hiding all this time.
A CREATE YOUR OWN PIZZA OPTION? EVERYTHING TO RE-​CREATE THE A LA MODE IS AVAILABLE? WHAT?
Shut the front door.
And it’s good! Really good. Not the same, but just as good.
So some of their other menu items are a little standard and a little uninspired, and the wine list isn’t the most varied or boutique-y…but so what? Seriously people. The «Artichoke a la Mode» is truly alive and well off North at Palermo Villa.

If I could give a 0 I would, and I never do. Awful service, seriously rude staff across the board, and crap food. What a waste of money.

I had a pizza here, while the rest of my family ordered pasta. The pizza was delicious and I was pleased with their topping choices. The pasta portions were HUGE — we ate the leftovers for lunch the next day and still didn’t eat it all.
We sat outside at a small outdoor table, unfortunately the bar next door was busy. There were bar patrons that had had a bit too much wandering the sidewalk in front of us, as well as smoking. I found the menu to be a bit pricey.
I would go back again, but sit inside.

WAY overrated. I tried pasta the first time and it was bland and overcooked. Next time I had pizza and was really underwelmed. Soggy crust. I wonder if they heated up their own frozen pizza. And the dining room is dismal. Sticky chairs and tables and a dreary non-​design that’s more suited to Applebee’s. Won’t be going back. Meglio Pizza on Humbolt & Kane ROCKS. Try the triple baked.

average for an italian restaurant.
i had the ravioli with goat cheese and kalamata olives. this seemed to be one of the few original items on the menu.
service and food was prompt and adequate. there was nothing terribly memorable about the place, but it wasn’t awful.
if you get the calamari and ask for two tartar sauces, the marinara is a little runny

I was here this past weekend with a large group and the food was great. We had alfredo and ravioli and both were delicious. We also had tomato and garlic bread that was fabulous too. The service was good as well. Even with a large group, they managed to get everybody the things that they needed. We also brought in a cake and they were very accommodating with cutting and plating it. Overall, it was a great experience and I will hopefully be back.

Eh, so-​so Italian. At best.
Try Pizza Man and you won’t be disappointed!

I have been here with my boyfriend twice. Dress is casual. When you enter the restaurant it is a little uncomfortable, because you have to stand at the bar and wait for the busy bartender to seat you. Both times we sat at a cozy window table in the bar. The dining room seems a bit crowded and bright. The food is standard Italian American, tasty, plentiful, and not too expensive. (About 12 dollars for a large baked pasta entrée, including salad.) The first time we went we had excellent service and we were given a basket of fresh bread. We went back, and the service was slow and we weren’t given or offered any bread. Our server didn’t ask us if we wanted more beer or dessert, and generally made us feel unwelcome. I would say it is worth checking out, but the service seems to be inconsistent. The food was yummy both times. The homemade bleu cheese dressing was delicious.