Juliana’s Fine Tuscan Cuisine

We have been here 10 times over the past 2 years and love the food. I go for the tried and true penne pasta with sausage and meatballs. Delicious! My husband usually gets the seafood special and it has never disappointed. Nice and quiet. You can actually have a conversation with your dinner party. Tried the caprese salad thus evening and it was delicious.

My boyfriend and I tried out Juliana’s for the first time last night, and I can’t wait to go back! Great intimate date spot, with a private room you can rent free of charge for special events. I got the «Godfather» (meatballs and sausage pasta) and it was delicious! I can not wait to go back and try the Chicken Marsala. We both enjoyed a great evening, and enjoyed getting to know Juliana herself! I love mom and pop restaurants, and quality Italian is hard to find!

Great little family Italian restaurant in College Park. We had an excellent meal and wonderful service. We’ve been there several times and we’ll be back again.

Really sad to say how disappointing this dinner was. We live down the street and wanted to support a local business. Sadly, we can’t justify coming back. Service was slow and choppy. The server was extremely novice. We had to make requests over and over again. My husband’s fettuccine Alfredo came with red sauce and my eggplant was raw on the inside. I asked for Alfredo sauce instead of red only to find an extra $ 6 charge on the check. I understand an up-​charge (though $ 6 is high) but feel like it should be mentioned. Menu was overpriced. It took 17 long, long minutes to check out after our meal was finished. Positives include a great location and beautiful, cozy inside. Hope they change so they can stay in College Park– and so that we don’t have to drive for great Italian!

Remember that time we accidentally crashed a private party at Juliana’s? Yeah, that was strange.
I went here for dinner with some friends who couldn’t make my formal birthday party. I’ve been wanting to go here for a while so I was glad they agreed to this restaurant when our other plans fell through. We were going to meet at 7. There was like no body in the restaurant. One or two tables were sat and a large-​ish group was coming in. They were all wearing white. We got a table near the back.
We got the bruschetta for an appetizer. I got a caesar salad and a shrimp based entrée. Everything was great.
As we were sitting there, we noticed more and more people coming in wearing white. They were all ordering from a prefix menu. As we were considering dessert, the band starting playing and people starting singing. Turns out there was a private event called «A Jazzy White Christmas». Proceeds from the dinner were going to a charity. Since we weren’t a part of it, we passed on dessert and excused ourselves.
Thanks to the people of Juliana’s for not kicking us out!

Great food, great service. Owner is personable and even had the chef prepare something special off the menu for my vegetarian girlfriend. Great Italian in college park.

Read through the reviews and we must disagree with most. The ambience was very nice and the server made us feel right at home. Ask for a meatball and tomato gravy appetizer that was not on the menu, and he accommodated. Dinner special was grouper on creamed spinach risotto. Ahhhh-​mazing! We will definitely be back!

My boyfriend and I just moved to College park in June and this was our first time trying the restaurant. We just got to go but Carl was so nice and accommodating and our food was delicious!!! My guy usually complains about something when it comes to dining out but he had none here except he wanted more! :)
Such a neighborhood gem and you pay for what you get so if you think the prices are too high than go to Olive Garden.

Meh. Sorry. Nothing special here. Dark. Dirty. I ordered chicken Piccata and received chicken Marsala. Caesar salad drenched in dressing. We won’t be back.

Went here once, and the ambiance was going for traditional Italian food and the food was just average; nothing I can’t get at Carraba’s. And the food was overpriced for the portion and quality. However, the service is amazing and Juliana (the owner) is a sweetheart.

My boyfriend and I ate Valentines Day dinner here and the food was excellent! I ordered the Chicken Picatta and ate every last bite… I even used a spoon to eat the delicious sauce! My boyfriend ordered the Filet with mashed potatoes and it was cooked perfectly. The owner came and greeted us and was VERY friendly and actually made conversation with us. That is a unique experience these days.
Good– food quality, owner is friendly and local, husband is the chef
Bad-​food takes a while to come out because it is prepared fresh so be prepared to wait a little while.

I don’t know why I have a hard time at Italian restaurants… or basically any place that serves a finer cuisine. My main complaint at these establishments is way too much salt in their dishes! Maybe I need to specifically request less or no salt added (can I do this). My mom’s Sicilian and she never adds salt to her dishes and they come out great… so why do restaurants always have to add tons of salt. Let the customer add more salt if they want too!
So look… except for the salt problem, everything was actually descent here. So, if you like salty food, you’ll love this place. I had the Chicken Picatta, which is one of my favorite Italian dishes (along with Veal Picatta). The sauce was nice and simple enough. The first handful of bites were good, but then I have to come back to the salt problem. The more I ate, the more the salt built up in my mouth, to the point that I stopped tasting my meal and instead felt like I was just eating salt. I’d probably give my meal 4 or 5 stars if it wasn’t for this.
For a side, I ordered the spinach. I’m not sure if this was deliberate, but the spinach was only half sauteed. So part raw spinach and part cooked. It was still good, but would have been better, if all of it was cooked.
I didn’t have time for dessert, but would have really liked to try their Tiramisu. I did have a good Cabernet, and they have a full liquor bar. I saw a couple of single patrons sitting at the bar, chatting up with an employee. The bar seating area can fit about 6 people, since they devote most of the space to the restaurant itself.
Overall, the service was good. The ambiance of the place was nice. It looks small from the outside, but they make good use of the space. We really did had a good experience there, in spite of my qualms, and I would like to try it again.

Just okay. I’m not super impressed. We came because of an expiring groupon. Service was just okay, more on the slow side and the waitress seemed like she really didn’t wish to be bothered. When she brought us the check she pretty much tossed it on the table from about 2 feet away. It seems they have a certain clientele and it isn’t us. :-)The food was not stellar and tiny portions. I’m used to servings I can only eat half of in. Italian restaurants, not so here. I do not think I will come here again groupon or not.

The place is pretty good. not great. BUT the Bruschetta is worth the trip! They need to jar this stuff!

Alright Unilocalers, I’m going to get real and probably real rambly, let’s get started.
I have been dying to try Juliana’s in College Park since moving to my new place about a block down the street. One evening I was heading to trivia at Wildside (now the Hangar) and I saw a group of happy party goers with balloons and presents and smiles galore all going into Juliana’s. I was jealous of all them and desperate to try this place! A few days later my lovely friend emailed me about a Groupon for Juliana’s. The stars had aligned and we were going to make a night of it! Starting with dinner at Juliana’s and then seeing a local rendition of Rent, the musical.
The night had finally come; we were both excited and hungry! It was about 7pm on a Thursday night and we were one of two tables sat. The inside was comfortable and there seemed to be plenty of seating for groups and also intimate tables for love birds. Our server was friendly enough, but a bit on the awkward side. No worries, I’ve dealt with awkward, let’s order. Our Groupon allowed us for $ 40 so we figured we would make the most of it and get an app, entrée, and two desserts. We don’t play when it comes to dessert. So we ordered the mussels starter and the lamb and saffron risotto main event. Before the mussels came out, our server came to the table seeming very nervous, this put us on edge. He explained that the owner said that we had to order two entrees with the Groupon. We were a bit confused since the detail was not on the voucher and asked to speak with the owner. The server went back to the kitchen and returned after a bit, still looking nervous and shady by any means, he said that the owner did not wish to come out, but that he needs us to order at least $ 40 worth of food and beverage. We were puzzled and annoyed. Why wouldn’t we order AT LEAST the amount noted? So then the mussels came out. Huge mussels, nice! Cracked shells in blandish thick sauce, not nice. That’s alright, we have lamb coming next. I love me some lamb! As a whole the lamb dish was ok. The risotto was undercooked and the lamb was over seasoned. Boo. So it’s time for dessert. Come on Juliana’s, redeem yourself! We ordered the coconut cake and the tiramisu; the coconut cake blew us away! It was moist and ooey gooey inside and so very coconutty and divine! It sure did make our experience a lot better, but not enough to save the whole experience.
To be fair, I’d give Juliana’s a 2.5 because the coconut cake was THAT good, but the customer service and main meal in general was no where I wanted it to be.

I had the caprese salad and filet mignon with mashed potatoes. My date had the chicken with mushroom risotto. Both dishes were delicious. The ambience of this place is also pretty amazing, its not too uppity and it still sets a nice mood. There were some families there with their kids, and other couples on dates. They have a great room set aside which would be good for a small meeting or gathering.
The service was also phenomenal, the wait staff was friendly without being overbearing. They wanted to make sure we had plenty of time to peruse their menu and were great at answering any questions.
The only reason this isn’t a 5 star review is because I was pretty disappointed with dessert. We ordered the tiramisu, and I was expecting something out of this world based on the reviews everywhere. Let’s just say it left something to be desired.
I’m still planning on going back, and I’ll try the coconut cake next time. Hopefully that’ll be worthwhile.
Definitely check it out, their dinner at least is exceptional.

If your in the mood for some delicious Italian food without the «chain» feel… Juliana’s is the place to go! Ambiance is slightly dark, quaint with the cutest little tables window side (my fav place to sit) that make for a perfect romantic, intimate date night without all the fluff!
Bruschetta was on point! this lovely appetizer comes with about 5 or 6 pieces, just enough to get the meal started.
Chicken and Mushroom Risotto is just simply AMAZING! I cant seem to want to order anything else when I go.
As for dessert, they seem to be famous for this Coconut Cake — but I have yet to try this… I do recommend the Apple Crisp! YUMMM warm and delicious :)
You can never go wrong picking Juliana’s

I’ve been here a couple of times now and I’m pretty much always impressed with my experience. As many others have said, this place is almost always empty. I’m a little curious about how they stay in business, actually. But don’t be swayed by the plethora of empty tables… this place is great! The service is always quality and the food is awesome… way better than your usual chain Italian fare. Some favorites of mine:
–Bruschetta~ This is kind of a new spin on the old favorite! Toasted rounds of baguette with feta cheese, olives, marinated tomatoes, and pecorino cheese. Absolutely awesome! I don’t even like olives, and I liked this.
–Chicken carbonara ~ Very delicious… this was a special one day.
–The Godfather ~ My boyfriend loves this one. It’s meatballs, sausage, eggplant, tomato brodetto, and mozzarella over pasta.
–Calamari= Always good and comes with fried zucchini strips as well.
This is definitely worth a try, and there’s a Unilocal deal now where you get $ 20 off for only $ 10! Who can complain about that?

I was on a mission. Find a place that isn’t «break the piggy bank» expensive, but also manages to create that quiet, cozy environment where you can go for a romantic dinner. This means, no techno, loud crowds, and «battle of the shortest skirt contests».
This restaurant was a breath of fresh air. Totally decked out in classy Christmas decorations, dimly lit (in a good way), and very price efficient for what you receive. The waitress, Lina, could not have been more charming.
Wine — Wine prices were fine, anywhere from $ 6-​$ 8 a glass, just enough to last through dinner. I didn’t see a beer menu, but was on a wine mission anyway.
Appetizer — Was hoping to make dinner the big standout, so we only shared the Bruschetta app. WOW, this may be the least expensive appetizer, but it was great. They should call this the «loaded bruschetta» because each of the 5 pieces came with a mountain of kalamata olives, parmesan, onions, and tomatoes. It was one of those things where you could taste each ingredient, and they all just fused together perfectly.
Dinner — I got the seafood risotto (w/​perfectly cooked scallops and shrimp), and my partner ordered the crusted grouper. Both well cooked, came out hot, and were delicious.
Dessert — So, the coconut cake reviews decided our fate. Haven’t made a habit or ordering espresso, so ordered espressos as well. Moist, rich, and delicious… and it made me question why I haven’t had coconut cake more often. Wait! Because I haven’t had coconut cake quite this good yet! If you’ve had a big dinner, you could easily split a piece of coconut cake and be more than satisfied.
Mission accomplished. Thanks Juliana’s.

I was dying of hunger but not in a «stuff my face» sort of way… more in a OMG «I want amazing food» kinda way. I parked on Edgewater and just let my eyes steer me in the right direction and boy… did they ever!
So many things to highlight here I am not even sure where to start so let’s just go with order:
Ambiance/​Location — From the sidewalk it looks like a dark italian/​Tuscan hideaway… inside it transitions into a warm and cozy setting of a family owned restaurant. The setting is very romantic but not stuffy if you know what I mean. There is a bar area that is more relaxed and 2 dinning areas that are medium sized open rooms. There is also what seems to be a private dining room towards the back to the right.
The location is perfect, right in the heart of College Park on Edgewater, within walking distance of other great spots around town.
Service — Chris! 2 thumbs up. Has been working here about 6 years and by the passion he had for the food, you can tell he really enjoys his job. He was so passionate about the amazingness of their dessert that he up sold me even though I could not finish my entire lunch. I know, I know, it’s not hard to up sell a female on dessert but it was 1:30 in the afternoon and I just had a starter, salad and meal… now dessert? That is going overboard even for me. However, he said people come in this place to simply purchase an entire Coconut Cake… that’s gotta be good.
My response after I agreed — «I hate you» and Chris responded with, «You will love me after you taste it.» OH — MY — GOSH, he was so right… I have to agree with Annette here in her review, «THIS IS THE BEST CAKE IN ORLANDO!» I totally second that!
Appetizer — Bruchetta, it was perfection. 5 small pieces of crispy, warm, soft bread topped with an amazing caramelized onion, tomato and fresh shredded mozzarella. They were the perfect size, 2 bites each and so delicious. I could have eaten 20 of these for lunch but I am glad I didn’t… there was so much more to try.
House Salad — came with the entrée I ordered and was the perfect portion. It was a small serving and it was full of fresh lettuce, cucumber pieces and tomatoes. The dressing was a creamy Italian I think, it was delectable. I would have LOVED a large portion of this topped with Salmon, yum!
Salmon piccata with mashed potatoes was my entrée, yes, for lunch… don’t judge. I have to confess… this is the first fish I have ever ordered as an entrée. I LOVE shell fish but I have never ordered fish as a main course… ever! Wow… was I glad I did today. The fish was so tasty… it was cooked perfectly in my uneducated-​fish consuming head =) The seasoning was amazing, yes very salty, and I loved it. The potatoes were not amazing but it’s ok, everything else made up for it!
Back to the coconut cake… OMG… I am usually a coconut crème pie girl and it was so much better than that. The most moist piece of cake I have ever had in my life! Such creaminess and amazingness all molded together on one plate and allll mine! I almost licked the plate… almost! I would like to bathe in it… yes, THAT GOOD!