Basillini Italian Cafe

What a disappointment. As a Vienna resident, I watched and waited as the old Jerry’s Pizza site was remodeled, anticipating a place to get fresh and delicious sandwiches and salads. So on a Friday evening, off my husband and I went to pick up a sandwiches. The young man taking orders was slow, which I attributed to this possibly being his first job. After ordering and paying ($ 17 for 2 meatball subs – no extras), we waited. And waited. The women’s basketball game on one of the TVs ended and still we waited. Ten minutes after we ordered, the young man asked our name and entered it so that they could call us when our order was ready. And still we waited. I believe during our wait 2 people came in to pick up carry out orders they had called in and a 3^rd ordered and left, saying he would be back in an hour to pick up his salad and pizza.
Watching the employees work was confusing. There seemed to be lots of action – almost perpetual motion, but not a lot of progress. Two containers of food were brought out, bagged, but never picked up while we waited. After half an hour my husband asked when we would get our order. He was told it would be ready in a minute. It was actually 10 minutes. So a 40 minute wait for 2 meatball subs, one with cheese, one without. I assumed both the meatballs and the sauce were made earlier in the day, so I couldn’t understand the hold up.
When we got home (a 1 mile drive) we began to eat. We were shocked to discover that the sauce and the meatballs were room temperature. Even the inside of the meatballs was room temperature. The taste. The sauce tasted of tomatoes – only tomatoes. I did not taste any garlic or Italian spices, not even a splash of cayenne to give it a little spiciness. It did not have the off flavor of a jarred sauce – it was more like straight tomato purée. The meatballs were similarly tasteless. Because they were 1″ in diameter, I wonder if they were not frozen meatballs from Costco. I have never seen tiny restaurant meatballs.
So the entire visit was a disappointment. Long wait, disappointing food, served cold. We will not be back.

Excellent food. Very friendly service. I really enjoyed my pesto pizza. Very fresh ingredients in our salads too. Highly recommended.

Food was decent. It could be much more flavorful. However the food didnt seem microwaved which is a ++ especially if u want some food quicker but with more care. Nice staff. Not a normal sit down. This is very much café style.

So tasty. The Mediterranean chicken salad had the best eggplant. Real ingredients, from scratch.

Wanted to like it. The owners seem nice and the menu was promising. But there’s just not much reason to eat here, based on one visit. The food tastes okay, if only a drop better than what you might pour out of a can. But the menu is uninspired, and the food is served in plastic takeout containers with wrapped plastic utensils. I tried the pea soup (not bad) and a sausage with pasta, which had a sauce with some ordinary sausage bits but no whole sausage. I had a small bottle of pellegrino, since there is no soda fountain, and paid $ 12 for a lunch that looked like it was cooked in a microwave in the very containers I ate it in. Jerry’s subs, the old tenant, had better food and presentation. I wish them well, but I won’t be back.

I took my daughter to Basillini Café last week and was impressed by the food, price, and the owner, Joseph, who has run an Italian restaurant in DC for nearly 20 years before this. This is now my number 1 goto lunch place in Vienna. Great food, great conversation, great prices – try it and you’ll thank me.

The food here was edible. I was hoping to see something more like Pazzo or Plakka, but found a low end café. Think basement café in office building but more expensive and you get the picture. Frozen pizza, plastic containers, etc. Expensive wine by the glass helps you forget your decision to go there. Good location and friendly staff are not enough to make up for discount atmosphere.

This is NOT an Italian restaurant. It is a fast-​food mix of food styles served on plastic plates, and requiring a LOT of self-​serve. We paid $ 28.00 for a meatball sub served in the aluminum take-​out container (they forgot the chips), a small portion of lentil soup in a plastic to-​go bowl, and my salad with turkey on it that was straight out of the vacuum-​packed container (gelatinous). The only bright spot was the hummus, and even then, it was a very small portion for the price. We did get bread, and it was hard as a rock. You are also expected to take care of your own trash. Had the price been $ 10.00 cheaper, I MIGHT have been okay with the experience, except the young man waiting on us was having a conversation while we were eating about his runny nose… Once again, Vienna has an over-​priced restaurant where the customer is the server, busboy, and sometimes the manager.

I am giving this four stats because I did not go there expecting white linens and tuxedos.
That being said, I am pretty hard on italian restaurants because I grew up with my italian grandmother in NY.
This was a pleasant surprise. When I see a homemade pasta dish for $ 5 – 10 I get a nervous, but I had the spinach and cheese ravioli with light Alfredo sauce and it was simply delicious. Side of fresh baked bread was very good and my wife had a wonderful salad.
The table next to us had a pizza and it looked very good. Will try soon.
The only negative is the plastic bowl, but I am sure they are working out the kinks as the place has been open about a month.
Will go again without a doubt.

Horrible! Ordered takeout tonight. Fettuccine Alfredo, pink (red n white) linguine with meatballs, lasagna with meat sauce. There was no taste to the fettuccine Alfredo and even my 11-​year-​old thought the same thing. Worst of all the meatballs were not homemade! They are frozen— factory made!!! No seasoning AT ALL on ANYTHING. There was no béchemel in the lasagna as noted on the menu. Now I have 40 dollars worth of bland pasta and Giant frozen meatballs in the fridge that will have to be grandiosely doctored up for flavor. I do NOT recommend unless you are feeding the under 8 or over 80 crowd. Horrible!

i LOVE this exceptional café… i just learned that the owners owned Listrani’s in the Palisades… NO wonder i love the food… now i don’t have to drive to the district to gobble up the delicious cuisine.
the menu is bursting with family recipes… i started with every other appetizer and a main course… every thing is simply perfect… the chef is a food god… he cooks everything to perfection. the salads are fresh and delicious.
what is amazing about this place is the reasonableness for the quality of food. pizza. everything is at a price almost everyone can afford. carry out and eat in is offered. beer and wine are available so you can sit and enjoy a late long lunch then go home for a much deserved nap.
as the american culture is being exported abroad with all of its ills… hurry hurry hurry… this little café is a world of sanity and health right here in little olé Vienna. i cannot thank the owners enough for choosing the location they have … it is within walking distance to me… and how wonderful it will be if it snows to ski on down for a warm meal…
don’t miss this hidden gem… your tummy will thank you!
i do not understand the negative reviews given for this restaurant… i find this place welcoming and quaint. they are just getting going… come on give them a break… good grief. it is hard enough starting a small business without crabby people trying to sink you in the first couple of months you are getting going. i read the negative reviews and can say that they are unjust. yes it might be a little slow during a rush time. go to mac D’s if you are in such a hurry… i hear 7 – 11 has hot dogs. this is not FAST food and this wonderful place caters to a different NON AMERICAN way of eating… don’t come here if you are going to complain. keep your negative energy away from one of my very favorite places… you are messing with my digestion and killing my food buzz.

Super tasty food, simple casual setting and really reasonable prices — with small sized portion options to prevent over-​carbing (as low as $ 4.95). Polite staff and really small and oriented to takeout. I expect them to get overwhelmed in general and by Jammin Java patrons in particular. The variety of offerings is quite large and hope it stays that diverse. We tried mushroom soup, meat pie appetizers, beef lasagne (tons of super cheese and great bolognese sauced meat), and her fettuccine alfredo was great. More wonderful things to try like lemon shrimp — we will return.

The food is amazing! They have a unique combination Of Italian and Lebanese’s food. Food came out slow but the owner apologize since the place just open. I think it will get better and faster. Like every business, it will improve. Love the food. Thank you for bring some good food to Vienna!

Basillini should either get a 1 star review or a 5 star review depending on what you expect when dining there. My expectations are not everyone’s expectations. However, certain basic principles should be expected of any restaurant/​café.
Basillini is very casual. I mean, plastic silverware wrapped in plastic, plastic take-​out containers instead of tableware, and plastic cups. Although we were waited upon at our table shortly after we arrived, other patrons ordered at the cash register like at McDonalds. Once food arrives, no one will ask you if everything is satisfactory. If you ask for water it comes straight from the tap with no ice in a plastic dixie cup. You pay your check up front and again, no one asks if you enjoyed your meal and if everything was alright.
As far as the menu, it’s not really typical Italian. In fact, it appears the owner is Lebanese which explains why the food isn’t really Italian. There are Jalapeño Poppers and hummus on the appetizer menu, along with fries. Weird.
We ordered Chicken Parmesan and Pizza as our usual test of Italian American food. The chicken breast was moist and fully cooked, but had no breading and absolutely no seasoning, with a big glob of melted mozzarella on top. We received 2 rock hard balls of bread with our salads. Inedible, no olive oil and no butter. The pizza crust was oddly thick and not fully cooked. I ordered Pizza Neapolitan and again, under seasoned. Oven definitely not hot enough… no char on the crust. The kitchen staff definitely have no experience in Italian cuisine even in the loosest sense of the word.
This place would not last 5 minutes in New York.
So, if you want a fast food joint with no service and so-​so food, then this place gets 4 – 5 stars. If you are expecting good food and service, one star.
Sorry. I really was hoping for a good Italian experience in Vienna without the high prices of Bonaroti. Now, I think I’ll stick with the high prices and have my expectations fulfilled.

Very good food! Very good and friendly service. Kids and wife were comfortable and very happy with the food choices and quality overall. I felt very comfortable and welcomed at this Café that offers a wide variety of healthy Italian food. Kids, adults, vegetarians and health conscious diners will enjoy the food and service. Thank you Joe and Carole.

Very nice Italian Café in the old «Jerry’s» space in the same shopping center as Jammin’ Java. A definate upgrade with classic Italian entrees and subs as well as some original offerings and daily specials. The wife is pleased with the numerous vegetarian choices and salad offerings with house made salad dressings. Family casual atmosphere and very reasonable price points. Welcome to Vienna, we’ll see you round’ for sure!