Guido’s Restaurant

We live right around he block from this place, and half the time it’s not even open. Food is subpar to what you can get on Federal Hill. We were one of two couples in the entire place and the waitress and chef were fighting. We honestly wish something really great would go into this location instead because it’s a great spot! When persimmon opens up across the street I don’t know how they’ll compete.

Classic Providence restaurant. Divey, sassy, homemade Italian, nothing unique/​soild classic menu and comfort food. When I think about all of my favorite things in RI this place tops the list.
It used to only be open 2x a week at most, no hours posted and when they were open, someone’s Italian grandma would be waitstaff & chef. We would always joke that it seemed like a front for some other sort of business, but the food was to good to pass up. Homemade pasta from scratch.

We had an excellent dinner at guidos this evening. BYOB was probably the best part of the meal plus the food was excellent so that shows you how much I like my alcohol. the service was fantastic the big haired lady brought everything out in such a great way. I recommend this place to anybody. Cheers

My friends and I have driven by this place a million times and we always say we need to try it. Well, last night we finally did and it was fantastic! I don’t understand how this joint only has 3.5 stars and I also completely disagree with some of the bad reviews on here. First of all it’s BYOB and who doesn’t love that? Yes, the food takes a bit to come out, but you need to take into consideration that all the food is made fresh on the premises. As far as the waitress being «rude» I 100% disagree. She is sassy! And there is a clear difference between sassy and rude. She had us in stitches laughing through our entire meal. We had a party of three and everyone was more than satisfied with their meal. Not to mention our bill was just over $ 60. You can’t beat that for good Italian food. I suggest trying pasta with Guido’s special sauce. Best damn pasta sauce I have ever had.
This place deserves 5 stars without a doubt. I am looking forward to going back soon!
Just a heads up… it is cash only. So make sure you hit up an ATM on the way!

I am absolutely perplexed by all of these positive reviews. My husband and I had an awful experience here, from service to food to ambiance. We would never ever return. I love BYOB and I don’t mind waiting a long time for my meal… but not here! We had reservations and still waited 20 minutes to be seated in the back room (which is freezing and dead silent). When the one waitress sat us, she quickly said she hopes we aren’t too hungry because it’s going to be a longggg time until we eat. OK fine, we bought 2 bottles of wine so I didn’t mind. We ordered the garlic bread and antipasta for appetizers, which did come out quickly. The bread was cold and had a seafood taste to it. The antipasta was a bowl of lettuce with a plethora of olives and a few tiny chunks of tasteless cheese. I ordered the eggplant rollatini and my husband ordered pasta bolognase. When it came out 1 hour and 45 minutes after we were seated, we would eat just about anything at that point. The eggplant was fine, but the red sauce was super-​heartburn acidic. My husband’s bolognase tasted exactly like burned hamburger. The waitress never came back to check on us. I ended up going to ask for the bill, we paid, and we left hungry and annoyed. Is it cheap food and big portions? Yes; our bill was roughly $ 68. But it’s NOT a comfortable restaurant, friendly service, or good Italian food. Spend a bit extra and go to Siena.

First time here. Read the mixed reviews ahead of time. The waitress was extremely friendly. Chatted with us just enough, not too much, and left us feeling like she was looking forward to us coming back. She did mention that reservations are highly recommended, more so for your benefit not necessarily theirs. The food was excellent. Expect to bring home left overs. She even explained how to reheat them to preserve the fresh taste. Will definitely be coming back here. Bring plenty of wine, a big appetite and good conversation for an intimate dining experience.

This is my favorite Italian Restaurant in the world. I have been eating here for 20 years. It is a unique dining experience that I wish upon anyone who is more concerned with a delicious meal than impeccable service. Dina the waitress is one of my favorite people, but she serves and manages the entire restaurant on her own, which sometimes puts people off. Cut her a break! It’s worth it. Get the anti-​pasto. It is the most glorious salad in RI. The dressing is even better. All of Guido’s homemade sauces are perfection. They are the perfect balance of ingredients, and Guido’s garlic is the best part. BYOB and Cash only.

Guido’s does homestyle Italian meals the way they were meant to be: comfort food that’s served and eaten with no real regard to time, life, or that paper you’re scrambling to finish. We didn’t bring any wine (because of said paper, hehe), but it is BYOB with a corkage fee of around $ 5.
The restaurant is small, as one would expect for a homestyle joint, and has an unpretentious interior. It’s clean and well-​maintained, but nothing fancy or shiny. Fine by me; I prefer to let the food do the talking. While we’re on that subject, make sure you order something with a red sauce: that’s where Guido’s shines. I got a hearty meal with red sauce and meatballs, and I felt like I’d suddenly welcomed an Italian grandmother into my life. Oh, and save some room for that wonderful garlic bread. You won’t regret it.

For those of you that want your food made quick and easy, GO TO OLIVE GARDEN. This is NOT the place for you.
Food here is made the hard way, the way people in large families made it passing the cooking along from one generation to another. Yes, time is factor but the place is very old school and the way things were done back then. The veal pizzaiola is the best and so is the chicken parmesan.

TERRIBLE! AWFUL! Plan on being there for at least 4 hours. We went on Valentine’s night and we waited 1 hour for a bottle opener, 1 hour for bread (bread that tasted like Stop and Shop), 1 hour for the food, and another hour for the check. Now I don’t mind waiting 4 hours and getting the chance to stare loving into my husband’s eyes, but if I’m going to wait that long the food better be incredible. It was nothing special. It was just regular Italian food that I could make at home. I’m from an area where we have excellent Italian food so maybe I’m spoiled, but if you’re going to only have ONE WAITRESS for the entire restaurant and make all of your guests wait 4 hours for the food it better be the best damn Italian food.
GO TO BELLA PASTA IN PAWTUCKET! Way better!

Don’t get the veal. It was awful.
Stick with the red sauces. Red clam sauce still wins. Shrimp scampi was not bad.
Also, Oh My God the garlic bread.
That is all.

My favorite of all Italian restaurants. I first ate here while attending Brown in the mid 1990s. Everything the reviews say is true: it is slow (because they are making real food for you), it is like traveling back in time when you walk in the door, certainly remember to bring your own wine, and (like anywhere) the waitress will treat you right if you treat her right. The strangest things happen at this place. Once, we got in close to closing time, and Julia Roberts came in for dinner after us. She was not happy to see us there (Roberts is a notorious jerk — she told my friend she would not go on a date with him, but he never asked her out), but the staff were cool about everything. In the years since I’ve left Providence, I have returned occasionally and think of this place fondly and often. It truly reflects the best of Providence in many ways.

I will start out by saying, I didn’t carefully read the reviews before making the trip over. We were on our way to waterfire and I wanted to show our out-​of-​town guests a representation of Providence without having to wait an hour for a seat should we have gone to a restaurant closer to the «attraction.» It seemed Guido’s would have been a good choice. We pull up and when I walk in, it felt like the music stopped in this little restaurant. The only waitress in the place, an old school woman I would later liken to «the soup Nazi» from Seinfeld, asked if I had reservations. I replied I did not. This, apparently, was my first mistake… despite the three open tables. It was nearly 9:00 so I thought it was safe. She states that she probably does not have anything for me, while shaking her index finger at me, judgingly. This should have been my first clue to abandon ship. A few minutes later she starts clearing two of the three said tables. A couple walks in who seem to have a reservation and she seats them cheerfully. I continue to wait. She finally comes back to tell me «I am clearing this table for you.» Ok. I think things are resolved. I tell my party to head inside… Next issue, two of the four are accompanying us more to waterfire than for dinner and merely want to share an appetizer. Houston, we may have a problem. There is a minimum per person charge listed in the menu (plus, cash only, plus a sharing charge, and a rule about sharing, do you catch my drift?) So, now our concern has shifted to pissing off the intolerant waitress by letting her know half of our party does not plan to order an entrée. I can understand the restaurant’s point of view. They can’t have tables of people who come to eat bread and byob and don’t order much, but we were planning to order almost to cover the «rule». I was now focused on not having our
waitress angry rather than trying to enjoy a Saturday night out with our friends. While I am now starving, because have I mentioned we are feeling like we are getting the silent treatment as our waitress walks by us numerous times without a word? I do get it, I do. You are busy. There are many tables. You are the only one taking care of them. But perhaps, just maybe, you shouldn’t be the only service staff for an entire restaurant?! So, finally we get up the guts to make our disclaimer. She says she will check. We are given the thumbs up. We are brought over water which is never refilled during the meal. Many moons later, we receive some bread for the table. It is warm and good and helps our now grumbling bellies. Next the salads arrive. They are standard. Finally, our entrees arrive. They are good.
Not spectacular. But good. Not worth the painful service, the cash only and the long wait If you aren’t particularly hungry and have a bottle of wine ready (the BYOB part is a plus, unfortunately I did not recall it before we arrived), this could have been a more tolerable experience. But is that what you want when you go out to eat? Tolerable? Personally, not I. I’ll save my pennies for a more friendly and comfortable setting for a good, not great, meal elsewhere next time.

Ate at Guido’s for the very first time last night. Read the reviews carefully — they are very accurate and helpful. We came prepared with two bottles of red wine and got the last table available. Per the previous reviewers, we there was one waitress for the entire restaurant. She worked very hard. We were patient and everything was excellent. I tried the lasagna with the bolognese sauce. It was excellent — made from very fresh ingredients. Everything was prepared to perfection. The pasta was very fresh — not from a box. The tomato sauce was homemade and very fresh. The ricotta cheese was fresh. The portion was enormous. Surprisingly unlike many small mom-​and-​pop Italian places — the food was not oversalted. I give Guido’s a strong thumbs up for my first time there. It exceeded my expectations.

Best Italian food in Rhode Island. Play your cards right with the waitress and you’ll get much better service! :) Don’t come here if you are in a hurry because the food takes a while but is well worth the wait. I don’t ever drink but if you do it’s a byob. Garlic bread is off the rocker!

For the people complaining about how long the food takes, go to Olive Garden.
It’s supposed to take a while as the food is made to order, not warmed in a microwave. Enjoy the BYOB amenity by sipping on your favorite drink while you wait. The garlic and oil aroma that hits you as you walk in should be a clue for what to expect.
Never had a bad thing on the menu. The taste is just right. Get the garlic bread, goes well with everything.
Keep in mind, there is only one waitress, but she’s a little dynamo. Make sure you get in your order right and everything should be just fine.
Bring cash as they don’t take cards here.

One of the best Italian restaurants in RI. Who needs the hill when you have Guido’s? We had the cutest waitress. She was super nice but a little overwhelmed. She had 2 rooms filled with customers and also had to answer the phone. She gave us the low down on the place and even made a suggestion or two as to what we should order.
The chicken cacciatore was great and the spaghetti bolognese that the mister got was great. Don’t skip on the garlic bread. It was DE-​LICIOUS! It did take a bit for the food to come out which was expected since i read some reviews before heading over. So, as the reviews suggested we brought some vino and worked on the garlic bread. Guido’s had great quality and the food would almost, *almost* rival that of my grandmothers…

Ugh. This is one of the worst places I’ve eaten at in New England, if not the entire US. The other reviewer had it right — the food, atmosphere and service is something out of Kitchen Nightmares. Allow me to elaborate.
We came here with another couple looking for some good Italian food and conversation. I heard the service was slow but didn’t mind — we were well stocked with beer and wine and had a lot of catching up to do. The first sign of trouble was the burnt, flavorless garlic bread. I ordered a chicken cutlet with penne and it was a disaster. The blandest dish I’ve ever had — unseasoned chicken and the sauce may as well have been water. I forced myself to eat half the dish. I had no interest in boxing the rest up, but the waitress seemed highly offended when I refused, so I relented. On my way to our next destination, I promptly deposited it in a sidewalk trash bin.
I could have made this meal at home for a fraction of the $ 60 I paid for two, and much better. Wouldn’t be that hard and I’m not exactly a great chef. I’m shocked at the 5 star reviews. Stay away.

This is a wonderful place — my favorite restaurant in Rhode Island. In fact, I end up in Little Compton or Westport, Mass. a few times each year and make it a point to go to Guido’s — even though it’s more than 30 miles away!
The reviews that talk about the delicious dishes, the generous portions, the cozy atmosphere and wonderful aromas — and the time it takes for your food to arrive are all correct.
Call first to let them know you’ll be coming and the staff will be appreciative. Be nice to the waitress: she’s also the hostess and busses all the tables and has to deal with people that think they are at Maggiano’s rather than a small, special neighborhood gem.
Most of the customers are regulars, and they usually enjoy the amazing garlic bread and a couple of glasses of wine or beer (BYOB) while patiently waiting for their food to come out of the kitchen. I’ve found that when I relax and do the same I have a wonderful experience.

I was a little concerned about going here for a dinner date recently because of the mixed reviews it had gotten on Unilocal.My date, however, wanted Italian food. I always say that I don’t go out for Italian, because I can cook it better (or at least more cheaply) at home, especially in Providence. The Italian food on Atwells always leaves me cold.
This place was a compromise — and it turned out to be a surprise and a delight. This is the Italian my grandmother makes. We walked in to a fabulous warmth — amazing in December! — and the smell of fresh garlic. The waitress was friendly, the service, while not fast, was entirely reasonable considering that you could see them in the kitchen cooking our food from scratch.
The cheese ravioli was beyond amazing — possibly one of the best I’ve ever had. The garlic bread was unbelievable — nothing fancy, but a generous loaf of richly buttered, heavily garlic’d heaven.
It’s BYOB, which was a nice perk, though the $ 4 bottle fee was a little steep. The food prices were more reasonable, especially the garlic bread, which, at enough for nearly a meal itself, was $ 5.
My advice?
— Ignore the reviews that bitch about the service. Be nice to your waitress and she’ll be nice to you.
— Bring wine.
— Get the garlic bread — even if your food takes a bit, you won’t notice or care.
— Call for reservations. It’s a tiny place, and by the time we left, it was full.
— Bring cash — they don’t take cards.
— EAT HERE.