La Rosa

We placed a Take Out order per the online menu. When we tried to order a sub sandwich from the menu, the woman taking the order on the phone rudely informed me that this was LaRosa Restaurant and that they did not carry such menu selections. … So I changed my order to an entrée. No name was taken for the pickup reservation and they hung up before I could leave my name and pickup time! … When my husband arrived to pick up the order, he presented his AMEX card and the woman told him they did NOT take AMEX… He said she had an attitude about it and despite the good food, that we would not return to LaRosa in the future, after this experience… People who are gatekeepers need to know that the gate opens and closes.

Lovely authentic Italian restaurant hidden in the small town of New Bern. Romantic setting with a nice Italian wine selection. Great for dinner dates with your significant other. The garlic herb butter that comes with the bread is to die for!

Food was amazing, as was the wine. Got our own private area next to the bar per request. Simply loved it.

La Rosa’s is a terrific restaurant! I started going into the restaurant several months ago — and have been a «repeat diner» on a regular basis. Every meal I have had, has been absolutely delicious. The restaurant is immaculate. Angela, and her staff, are so attentive to all their customers — and really make everyone feel special. As a former New Yorker, I did not think I would find such a great Italian restaurant… I DID! I highly recommend La Rosa’s to anyone who really wants to enjoy their dinner.

The owner (who is on site) and staff are very friendly and attentive. Food is very good and servings are generous yet not overly so. The red sauce is of the caliber I used to enjoy back when I visited New York and New Jersey. Well worth visiting if you’re up for some good Italian.

My parents went to eat and brought back my order of lasagna (turned out to be lasagna noodles and meat sauce… no ricotta? no mozzarella? — Not lasagna!), a roll, which doesn’t sound what others get in the restaurant and cheesy garlic bread, which was really great. My parents wanted to surprise me with an order of cannoli which was not put in with the order. It should also have come with a side salad, but didn’t. Disappointing that my parents spent that much on a meal for me and it wasn’t what was ordered. Lesson learned: Check your bag before you leave.

Food was salty and rubbery. I would not recommend this place. Tasted like they microwaved frozen dinners

Really enjoyed our food! We came on a Friday night without reservations. Not a good idea! They told us 20 minutes wait, but it was more like 45.
They were extremely accommodating while we waited and during our meal. Everything was cooked fresh. Started with bruschetta — AMAZING! I enjoyed my eggplant parmigiana, my mother really liked her pasta with spinach and my husband raved about the lasagna.
The décor is different, red and white modern centered on roses.
We would eat here again, but definitely would call ahead!

Terrific food and fast service. I judge Italian restaurants by the most basic dish — cheese ravioli with marinara sauce. The sauce was tasty and there was plenty of it. Our meals were served with hot bread with fresh rosemary garlic butter. The minestrone soup was fresh and full of vegetables. Delicious!
My only reason for giving four stars instead of five is the atmosphere. We sat on the side of the restaurant with a tile floor and it was a little loud. The other side of the restaurant has carpeting and a bar — we will definitely return and try sitting there.
The cannoli is decent — the shell was fresh and the filling a proper Italian cheese plus chocolate chips. I would have preferred it without the chocolate syrup, which tasted like Hershey’s.
Overall great food and a great value for our money. We will return.

I was very disappointed in this restaurant. The service was good but the entrée was much too salty to eat. The bread and herbed butter were very good but the salad was very disappointing, all iceberg, one slice each of tomato and cucumber. The worst part however was the veal, spinach, prosciutto and mozzarella combination; it was salt overload! The tomato sauce was good and the pasta cooked well; overall there were more negatives then pluses.

My friend and I ate here before watching a show at the New Bern Civic Theatre last night and we were really impressed. Friendly service and absolutely delicious food. And I’m picky about my Italian food. Make a reservation, they get busy.

Sometimes New Bern does it right. When La bella Cucina on Trent Rd closed last year we lost the best Italian rest in town. So it was a surprise to find La Rosa so close by and serving some of the best Italian cooking I have ever had. I have had their Frutti de Mare twice and the ravioli stuffed with portobello. The sauce on the ravioli is enough to send you into ecstasy. As one other reviewer wrote, the complimentary salad is pretty pedestrian and the owner should at least replace the iceberg lettuce with something more appropriate like romaine. The Italian dressing leaves a bit to be desired also. The bread is hot and fresh, the butter laced with garlic, and the wine selection passable. I ordered house Chianti all three times and found it serves the purpose without any flourishes. The portions are substantial and you won’t leave underfed. My only caveat is that the kitchen is terribly slow. Be prepared to wait up to 45 minutes or more for the main course. Naturally it comes to you hot and savory but I hate the long wait. The décor could use some help to give the feeling you’re in an Italian restaurant but why quibble if the food is why you are there? The restaurant is small and reservations are needed unless you come later in the evening around 9 or after. By then, the Newbernians have gone home to bed.
PS: I went last night and discovered the owner Angelina has opened up another room adjoining the main dining area. There is a bar in there also. This should help accommodate the numerous diners on Friday and Saturday nights. However, it also adds more wait time for the meal. As she grows her business, the owner will have to hire more sous chefs.

Have eaten here twice and very pleased both times. I’ve had the stuffed chicken parm and the shrimp scampi and both were delicious. Their pricing is excellent. The staff is very friendly and attentive and look forward to eating here again on future visits! Definitely consider this restaurant when dining out in New Bern.

The wife and I decided to dine here based on the reviews and a craving for Italian food that was not from a pizzeria. La Rosa perfectly hit the spot but was easy on the wallet. I ordered the carbonara and the wife ordered the tour of Italy (lasagna, chicken parmesan and fetticine alfredo).
The carbonara ($ 9.99) was a large plate that was creamy with plenty of pieces of bacon. The sauce was perfect with the bread that was brought out before our entrees came out.
The tour of Italy ($ 12.99) was fairly large as well and was just as good as the carbonara. For two people, both of our entrees stuffed us to the point that we had no room for dessert and we definitely wanted some dessert.
All in all our trip to La Rosa was excellent and we will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu!

My friend and I were very excited to find this hidden gem in New Bern! The service was super friendly and fast. The food is delicious and Don’t forget to eat their amazing bread basket with homemade butter! So delicious! The wine was inexpensive and good. The décor is lacking a bit and skip the salad. It was basically iceberg lettuce. Nothing special. But give it a try! We will be back!

Zuppa De Pesce
This would be my last meal if l. was on death row :)
Just visiting the area. Wish l could stay to. sample the entire menu!
Went back the next day to order my tester meal; Pesto linguine and a side order of italian sausage, it was perfect!
Keep this lady in business, she does a great job…

I went here on a whim with my parents and it blew my expectations out of the water. Being from California I am a big «foodie» and this is by far the best Italian food
I have had since I moved here 3 years ago.
I highly recommend it. It’s great for a date night. Love love love this place!

Wife, daughter, and I ate here menu was great it a older group that comes here and the price was right

I came here while visiting from Los Angeles. I eat at awesome places all the time. This is one of them.
The stuffed chicken parm is delicious as is the ravioli and holy cow the garlic spread is delicious!!!
It’s so good. I was really surprised to find this heaven in the same parking lot as a gas station.
Definitely come here and make sure you make a reservation if you aren’t as famous as me.

Molto Buono! What this place lacks in typical italian restaurant ambience it makes up for in spades with its food. Excellent italian dining in New Bern.
The restaurant is located in a conveniently located strip mall of 70 and Glenburnie in a detached building on one end. The entry area is a little odd, you walk into the center of the room and the maître d’ is in the far right corner but they were rather quick to greet from across the room and seat. The dining area is rather plain, everything is decorated with red accents and a single rose appoints each table.
There is a simple basic italian menu and the prices are reasonable. We ordered the spinach and artichoke dip appetizer and it was served with toasted italian bread slices and was quite good. I ordered the tour of Italy as a main course, it consisted of a sizeable portion of fettuccini alfreda and two smaller portions of meat lasagna and chicken parmesan. The alfredo was alfredo but the lasagna was excellent. It literally melted in my mouth and the marinara was not too sweet or too spicy but just right. The chicken parm was also an excellent choice with a parmesan crusted breast in marinara. My dining companion enjoyed the stuffed chicken parmesan which was also delectable. There was also a large table of Italians dining nearby that also seemed rather satisfied.
Both entrees were served with a small side salad and we both ordered the bleu cheese dressing but it was a little runny and hardly any chunks, so maybe the house dressing might be a better choice next time.