Monterosso’s Italian Restaurant

I go way back with Monterosso’s, several years, and it was a favorite of mine until just recently. Everything suddenly changed. The Caesar side was below average, the bread sweet, and with the balsamic vinegar and olive oil almost like jelly it was like eating some kind of desert. The bolognese, a favorite before, tasted like none I have ever had anywhere. The sauce was way below average. The bruschetta, which I expected to be served on toasted bread, was served on soft stuff. My four guests were not too pleased either, only one finished off her entrée.

With my previous positive visit in mind, when my dad and stepmom stated they were coming to visit the NW I immediately made a dinner reservation for us all at Monterosso’s. My partner had never been to this restaurant, either, so I was excited for all three of them.
The evening rolls around and we arrive. Having only gone with my mom last time, I didn’t realize how awkward it would be for four people to stand shoulder to shoulder in the dining area waiting to be noticed.
The tables start as soon as one enters; a better design might be to eliminate the first two tables, and put a nice small sign up that says «Please wait to be seated» or «We will seat you shortly».
So, we stood there right next to diners for a couple of minutes before the waitress noticed us. She had a tight smile, I told her we had a reservation for four, and then we were seated. Another better design idea would be to eliminate 3 or so more tables so the existing tables can be spaced more than 6 inches a part. Or, when diners arrive, seat them with empty tables between the parties. We were literally bunched together with the three other parties, with every single other table in the train car empty. It was not comfortable.
The waitress took our drink order, and then informed us of a complimentary wine tasting that evening. Three of the four in my party chose to participate, ages 55, 28, and 26, and then we were carded.
Unfortunately, while my dad (55) and I (26) had our IDs, my partner (28) had inadvertently left his behind. In a restaurant, I was surprised that this was a problem. He looks well over 30 years of age, has more visible tattoos than an 18, 19, or 20 year old would be able to physically get done in that short time window, and this party wasn’t a group of early 20-​somethings. It had two respectable parents in their mid-​50s! Do you really think they would facilitate underage drinking?
Further, the way that the waitress presented the fact that he could not engage in the wine tasting was short and condescending. And, to be quite honest, I think it was just a power trip. She wanted to be rude, so she was. So, I withdrew my request to engage in the wine tasting, and while my dad still did it, he chose not to purchase a glass afterward. Had we not been treated like this, they likely would have sold at least three glasses.
Moving to the food. The table bread was a bit bland, but three of the four entrees were tasty and filling. The Mediterranean Capellini, however, was the smallest of all the plates, pretty tasteless, and left a lot to be desired.
After finishing, we paid the check and then went to have a drink elsewhere.
Overall, with the cramped quarters, the rude service, and our general vibe from the whole experience, we will not be returning.
There are a lot of simple things (freeing up the space a bit, better customer service, more consistent portions) that this restaurant could do to vastly improve perception. I just wonder if they ever will.

The food is average. It is better than olive garden but that isn’t saying much. I’d give them ⁴⁄₅ if it weren’t for the cramped quarters and odd smell. The ambience has much to be desired.

Such a cool restaurant! You dine in a train! this is a very small restaurant so I highly suggest you call and make a reservation. They have about 10 tables that fit 4 ppl/​table (this is just a guess from what I can remember). The food was great! the service was great! I plan to bring my friends or family from out of town here because it is a very unique and different way to enjoy a night out.

We absolutely love Monetrosso’s. It is such a unique, local business with fantastic cuisine. The menu has quite a variety of very well done dishes — do not pass up the bruschetta! We have our usual favorite plates, and whenever we decide to try something new, we’re not disappointed.
We have also attended during their special events… About twice a year Aaron hosts a «7 Wines and 7 Appetizers» which is a set menu, with a more individualized one-​on-​one experience — you get to learn about the wines you’re drinking, the food you’re eating, and why they marry so well! We’ve also taken a «Mother Sauces» cooking class — while a small venue, it was a great experience. Again, a one-​on-​one atmosphere, and the opportunity to learn how Adam makes such wonderful dishes.
Long story short, it is a great restaurant for any occasion. It is one of the few non-​chain restaurant in the Tri-​Cities that truly serves up a wonderful meal and ambiance. While it is a smaller venue,
P. S. They also serve lunch, and while my husband and I work full time so haven’t been able to enjoy this luxury, my retired parents can say nothing bad about their lunch offerings!
P. P. S. If you’re looking for a more «pizza and beer» joint, try their sister restaurant, «Atomic Brew Pub» across the street — YUM!

The train car may be fun and gimmicky but it quickly feels more cramped than intimate. The wine list needs simplifying. Food is great but the portions are a little uneven. The house balsamic is too sweet for my taste.

Aaron and crew provide a great atmosphere coupled with great service and wonderful food. Hannah was great! Delicious REAL Italian cuisine. And a wine list to match.

I had been wanting to visit this restaurant for some time, yet I don’t live close by and usually have two young boys with me. So my husband and I finally made it and were not disappointed. I started with the Manhattan clam chowder. It was perfect in my opinion. My husband had the mozorella salad. I couldn’t stop nibbling it. For the main dishes we ordered Matt’s stuffed pork loin and chicken picatta. The sauce on both were flavorful and did not overpower the flavor of the meat. It was worth the wait and we’ll come back for another date night.

Been coming here with my family for years now. Thought I’d write a review about it. Antipasto plate is a great starter. Soups are high quality, though I wish they would serve more. Great wine selection, they do wine tasting events every so often if you’re into that. The plates that I’ve come back to enjoy have been ‘Matt’s stuffed pork tenderloin’ and the ‘chicken marsala’.
The service is a pleasure, the location is quiet and relaxing though it is a small train car so expect noise to bounce off the walls. The only complaints I have is that if the temperature outside is high it’s going to be hot inside the restaurant and the tables are a bit short in height so be prepared to armadillo roll if you’re tall O_​o Everyone I’ve gone there with enjoyed the food and service. The molasses dinner rolls are worth the trip alone.

To be fair, I didn’t try the food. It might have the most amazing Italian in the area, but it wasn’t worth the trouble to try the food.
Stood and waited 10 minutes at the door for someone to see us. No one came to help, so we saw an empty table and took it. Sat for another 10 minutes until someone finally noticed us. Came and told us we needed reservations. All that time wasted. Put up a sign saying reserved or by reservation only. Would have saved me time.
The car itself is cramped. I could have reached over and taken the people next to us’ fancy looking wine. All in all unpleasant and not worth the wait. If you do want to try it, make reservations.

We were visiting from Los Angeles and a local recommended it. I thought the food was excellent (Caprese is misspelled on the menu, FYI– no accents in Italian) — and the service was prompt and friendly. It had a cute, small town feel and was very cozy. Homemade cheesecake too!

I had the Mediterranean Capellini which was revoltingly sweet. Like they added sugar! It had 3 little cherry tomatoes and was garnished with raw green and red pepper. It was gross. The service was slow, there seemed to be only one waitress — she was nice. The bread was marginal at best. Compared to any Portland restaurant it was straight up horrible. For the Tri-​Cities, maybe it was great, I dunno.

Great food. we had the chicken Marsala and loved it. Can’t wait to come back! Loved the atmosphere too.

The worst frozen Costco food prepared in a dirty cramped train car.
If you would rather someone else prepare some Kirkland Signature Tortellini with your Kirkland Signature recipe Pesto and charge $ 20 per plate then be their guest. Gross.

I’m in Richland for work and was craving Italian food. Monterosso’s is this really cool little restaurant in a converted train dining car. It’s quite nice on the inside, with Christmas lights and candles, and definitely a romantic spot to bring a date.
The food was awesome — I had the fettuccine alfredo with chicken, which was a bit more than your average fettuccine dish, with sautéed onions and garlic in it as well. They also provide complimentary bread and olive oil to tide you over till your food gets here (also very tasty).
My waitress, Tiffany, was great and helped me find some stuff to do around town while I’m here as well.
I’d definitely recommend this place to anyone, and if I come back to Richland, I’ll be eating here again!

We went for my wife’s birthday. It’s just after Christmas. She loves Italian… So lets try somewhere new and Italian
Really cute restaurant, an old rail car, very nicely done. We really wanted to like this place. Two stars for the quaintness.
The restaurant was COLD — there was a portable heater going at the entrance. Every time some one came in out went the heat.
I had soup to start — Cream of Ham and Potato — exquisite! Worthy of 5 stars but an extra cost to the meal
My wife had a salad — It was drowned in a strong vinaigrette dressing. There was nothing to the salad — she was VERY disappointed
They served a very heavy wheat roll with heavy olive oil — strange
My wife’s salad was part of the special
She then had the special — chicken and polenta apparently with fried veggies. What few were on the plate were buried under the polenta — CORNMEAL — it was crusty and lumpy. The chicken breast was OK — it was fried in a cornmeal coating as well. She didnt know Polenta was cornmeal — wrong choice
(we are not sure how cornmeal is Italian)
I had Lasagna. Looked great, but I had a hard time identifying the cheeses (should have been 5). The whole dish was buried under tomato and crunchy raw onion pieces — really disappointing
Service was OK… The whole place was SLOW…
All I can say is we tried it…

Ambiance and interior were gorgeous. We made a reservation because of the limited space inside the train car. We went there in December and the holiday decorations were very inviting. The food, however, was so-​so. I had the portobello ravioli with sherry sauce and it was very dry and not very flavorful. My boyfriend’s chicken spaghetti dish was also quite bland. Gorgeous setting with average food. Probably would only go back for the unique experience – not for the food.

Good food, unique atmosphere of the railroad dining car. One of the Tri-​Cities’ most unique restaurants.

This place really surprised me! The food was amazing, the service great, and eating dinner in train car was a great twist on the whole experience.
Nice work Monterosso’s…you’re our go to place for Italian food in the Tri Cities.

Classic Italian in an antique railroad dining car — What can be better than that? The pluses for this restaurant — Great service, excellent wine selections and some good food selections.
I ordered their mozzarella caprese salad for an appetizer, which was ok. They put the cheese and tomatoes on shredded lettuce, which was not that great. I ordered the eggplant parmesan for my entrée, which was good (not great, but good). Their sauces were fresh and excellent.
I skipped the deserts as there was a limited selection. Their wine list is awesome. I would order from their local walla walla winery selections.
Overall, I liked this restaurant, but it didn’t have that wow factor.