Angelo’s Civita Farnese

Small changes in menu and presentation; the antipasto salad was a little meager, but the rest of our favorites en pointe… veal parm, snail salad, veal and peppers. I like the new bar area, cozier seating, but still enjoy the main dining room when we come with the family or meet friends. We’ve been coming for about 25 years now, always a stand-​by. Love the safe, easy, valet parking lot. Staff friendly and service prompt.

Established in 1924, Angelos keeps the original menu. We tried the home made pasta with the house sauce, the meatballs and the veal with peppers. Everything was great and delicious. Would come also only that we are in Providence a couple of nights. I recommend Angelos to anyone either passing by or if live here. And it gets busy so come early for dinner.

Used to be Better
Angelo’s is one of those local institutions that has been around so long people forget to ask why they went there in the first place. The food is plain, flavorless, and completely unremarkable. The service is friendly, but slow.
I guess I want to remember Angelo’s from 25 years ago when it used to be a bit dumpy inside with communal tables with the best portion size in the state. Now it’s been remodeled and lost the nostalgia and the food is worse.
Sad to see.
Thanks

My kids and I were very hungry and looking for a fast, inexpensive place for a late lunch. We were up on the hill doing some business and ended up here for lunch. My daughter had the Eggplant Parm, and while it was tasty it had a mushy, not crisp crust. I know it was oven baked but it could have been so much better. In comparison the Veal Parm was delicious. My daughter confiscated half of mine. My son wolfed down his cheese ravioli. Service was quick, and friendly. Second time here and we’ll be back!

This place is a Rhode Island INSTITUTION! If you want a meal that’s been made the same exact way they’ve been since the 1920’s Angelo’s is the only spot worth visiting on the hill.

First off the waitress did not impress me at all. We asked for a drink menu, her response was «they’re in the process of getting a new one but we can make what you like». We then asked if they had Stoli Raspberry Vodka? Her response «Umm, I think so». The drinks were not made to our liking, and not with the brand we requested. Moving on the appetizers…
Hand cut fries were delicious! A must have!
Don’t bother ordering the Pasta fagioli!
Basically Campbell’s tomato soup with beans and over cooked pasta.
My son ordered pizza…
Undercooked and unimpressive.
Two orders of Chicken Parmigiana.
Chicken was excellent… Pasta was from a box and the sauce was very acidic.
The last meal ordered was from the ‘Specials’ of the night… Not at all special. Can’t even remember the name… A chicken, eggplant concoction that had way to much breading and not nearly enough flavor.
We asked for some more bread and extra napkins, we received neither. Waitress was very inattentive and non bothersome.
Needless to say, we will not be back!

we were looking for an inexpensive pasta dinner. someone from the group suggested Angelo’s. Two of us ordered the homemade pasta with pink vodka sauce and agreed it was good, but not inexpensive. Two of my companions enjoyed the house sauce with meal balls. they said it was good. my wine, I think pricey, was supposed to have come from a small bottle. I question that as it tasted flat, and I never saw the small bottle. the biggest turn off was the garlic bread… you say garlic… hummm, i ask, garlic where? they charged us $ 3.89 for a plate of what looked to be 3 slices of bread, no more than a ¹⁄₃ of an inch tick, cut into toast points!!! It was taste less. Two of us ordered what amounted to a tiny slices of spamoni… and my other two companions got run of the mill vanilla ice cream for dessert. the service was fine, hoerver it was 4:30 on a Wednesday. the dinner rush had not started. I will not rush back.

Keep walking past this place. There may be one or two meals of note but I wouldn’t spend any more money figuring out what they are.
Salmon Sicilian is plain sautéed fish with a slice of lemon on chopped iceberg lettuce. Pastas are high school cafeteria level
Old school in the worst way

I love the Chicken Parm, might be my choice if asked what i could have as my last meal!
Pros:
Chicken Parm I sub the pasta for the fries every time!
The Sauce is definitely homemade not Hunts weird a reviewer suggested that.
I like the old school Italian bread.
Staff has been working there for years.
Meatball and fries is a fun app.
Train runs around the ceiling of the restaurant for the kids.
Your orders fly out the kitchen.
Cons:
Too much sauce on the Chicken Parm but I do the same thing every time push it off onto my fries!

Angelo’s was featured by the Food Network on Guy Fieri’s Diners Drive-​Ins and Dives. I loved the restaurant because the food tastes great and comes in healthy portions at a cheap price. Since I ate dinner here with my co-​workers during a business trip, we were able to order a lot of items on the menu with our dinner allocation. The meatballs and fries, stuffed mushrooms, and fried calamari are very good. Angelo’s is known for its veal and peppers entrée. I tried it and it is exceptional. The pasta is also fresh and tastes great. We topped it off with the delicious desserts. It was formed in 1924 and they have the original countertops. Depending on your perspective, you may find it retro or think it is dirty. Do not let looks fool you. It is a great place to eat.
If you are passing by Providence and looking for recommendations, please see

If you want quick, tasty Italian-​American food in a place that gives a nod to its past, this is the place to go on the Hill. Family friendly, great staff, good prices.

Get the lobster ravioli — delicious!
There is parking behind the restaurant, which is very handy on federal hill. The place can get busy on Friday/​Saturday night, and it can get a little loud inside. However, if your party is all of age, there are some tables and booths near the bar that were quite cozy!

Meh. I should have known based on the reviews that this place was not going to blow me away. The service was okay and the food was sub par. We had the chicken parm which was okay. The veal and peppers were decent. The meatballs were flavourless and so were the sausages. Will not be back there again. Totally overrated.

Was anticipating this place as old school Italian restaurants are rarer these days… Oh boy what crap food, portions were not that big. Everything was covered in HUNTS canned sauce… Food was reheated, bland, no pepper or olive oil… Won’t be going back, I hate giving such bad reviews but gotta tell it like it’s.

Actually, a 3.5. I had a very delightful (and filling) dinner when I was in Providence for a conference. Angelo’s came with high recommendations from locals. I ate at the bar rather than taking a table in the main dining room. I had excellent service from everyone. Seemed to be a «locals» meeting place. I had the Jamie Special, which included Chicken Parmesan, Eggplant Parmesan, Fried Peppers over cavatelli? with a house sauce. All was very good. Came with a basket of bread and butter. Bread was really good, too! Not sure what their other selections are, but would expect they are as good. Seems to have a good local reputation.

We saw Angelo’s on a Diners, Dive-​In and Dives episode. Since we were in Providence, we said why not. Plus, it was inexpensive. But that’s where my excitement ends. (My partner LIKED it, too bad.) Only thing, we both agreed we ordered the wrong things for lunch (which was on the show.)
At Angelo’s, you get comp bread with butter and not oil (kidding me right?), CRAZY. Too bad, oil with grated cheese is better (new school).
We tried green beans salad and the beef braciola. They are both off the Angelo’s Classic Menu.
STRINGBEAN SALAD $ 4.30 (¹⁄₅ me) (³⁄₅ him)
It was okay once you put on vinegar and oil on it with some grated parmesan. I WOULDN“T seek it out. He agreed to a certain extent. Plus, it was out of a can. NOT FRESH.
BRACIOLA (BEEF) $ 10.95 (²⁄₅ me) (⁴⁄₅ him)
He enjoys the simplicity of the food and pretty much enjoyed. Me, no. The red sauce seems out a can. NO HERBS, NO SALT OR PEPPER. (You gotta be kidding me.)
Another thing, the KING beverage they served was more syrupy than carbonated. GROSS. The lemonade was TOO SWEET. Don’t ask about refills, cuz didn’t have one. No thanks on today, BUT there were a few glimpses of redemption passing while we dined. (Chicken Parm and Arugula salad with cannoli beans)
We loved our server. (Chris was her name, possible short for Christine). Very efficient and attentive. WE WILL TRY AGAIN, but with new menu selections for each other.
OVERALL, ME 2.5÷5 STARS HIM ⁴⁄₅ STARS

My fiancé and I absolutely love this place and the funny thing is we’ve never actually eaten here, ha-​ha! In all honesty the fact that it’s so easy to get takeout from here is what we love best about it. The chicken parm is one of the best you will find anywhere and when you get it to go you can be sure to have enough for more than just one meal.

I know Angelo’s is an institution, an experience, a very specific appeal. But when you live in Providence and there are so many great Italian restaurants that are cooking old school gravy and cutting fresh pasta daily, there’s just no reason to hit up Angelo’s.
Perhaps I’ll be skewered for this review. Perhaps I ordered poorly. Perhaps the mediocre service is supposed to be part of the charm. My ‘fresh’ linguini was so water-​logged that it ruined the Original House Sauce. I could barely get through the plate of it. While my friends genuinely seemed to enjoy their stuffed eggplant and chicken parm, I was just turned off. Also, the bread that comes to the table is barely a step up from Wonder, and you have to ask for butter — and make sure you ask for REAL butter, otherwise they’ll just bring you margarine. Both are in the little plastic packets.
Some people love dive-​y, diner-​y, cheap food places. I am not one of them. And if you aren’t either, then I strongly suggest you don’t go to Angelo’s. There are dozens of other spots where you can spend your hard-​earned cash and have a satisfying experience.

So, after walking the entirety of downtown Providence (which didn’t take long), my wife noticed a pine cone statue sort of thing. Her being Italian, she told me that this is the hallmark of an Italian neighborhood. Being around lunch, we decided to try it out. A short walk later, we decided to stop be Angelo’s out of pure curiosity.
The décor at Angelo’s is pretty much exactly like every Italian restaurant that hasn’t changed in 60 years. It’s not a bad thing. It’s a nice little mixture of nostalgia and comfort.
As for the actual food, it was fairly underwhelming for me. My wife got an eggplant parmesan sandwich, which looks like the eggplant was recently reheated and put on a normal white roll. I ordered the cheese ravioli, which also looked to be prepackaged and reheated. It was all edible, albeit bland. It got the job done and the service was friendly, but I couldn’t help be be a little disappointed in an Italian eatery with so much history to serve this up for lunch.
⁶⁄₁₀

I may not be the best person to tell you about Angelo’s because every time I go here I basically order the same thing. It’s that kind of place. You come here because the food it consistent, it’s not gourmet, but it’s fabulously comforting and it fills that void.
Friends of mine feel the same way, and one of them who has since moved away from RI still revisits Angelo’s each time he’s in town. It’s that kind of place. You’d like to know what I get here every time? Well it’s the chicken parm, although once I believe I tried the eggplant parm as well, which was also good.
It’s just so crispy and the sauce is tangy and the cheese is gooey, it’s just exactly what I crave when I think «chicken parm.» Even though my homemade version is great, there’s something nice about coming here and having them make it their way. It just tastes right.
Finally, the service isn’t half bad either. Our waitress on our most recent visit was pretty hilarious. It’s definitely a low-​key spot, especially compared to other restaurants in the neighborhood, but that definitely helps it shine when you aren’t looking to get gussied up and make reservations somewhere.