Nino's 1354 1st Avenue, Manhattan, New York 10021

"When I said that my group was going to have dinner at Nino's, the response was laughter, "I only know it because it's always empty." The restaurant itself was fine. It really gave an impression of Italian Restaurant for boomers, where no younger people would ever consider stepping into. The bathroom floor was incredibly sticky for some reason, and the urinal would not stop flushing. The host was sassy, in a way that some people may be offended but I thought he was funny. What wasn't funny was the food. So bad, I couldn't laugh. I expected my appetizer to be fine since it's hard to mess up tomato and mozzarella. There were two gigantic slices of tomato and three tiny balls of mozzarella, smaller than a 25 cent gumball. The tomatoes tasted like pesticides and the mozzarella tasted like the way the inside of an old, dirty freezer smells. Next, I had some pasta with a beef sauce. I almost went into the kitchen to see if my mom was there. The pasta somehow didn't intermingle with the sauce in any way, and the beef had zero flavor. The tomato of the sauce was present if you thought about it. I wonder if they sourced their ingredients from Morton Williams or the Gristedes down the street because it's cheaper. I could not get myself to stay for dessert, as I could walk to Gristedes myself. If you bring a date to this restaurant, you deserve the turmoil in your relationship to come. I guess this is why Nino's usually sits empty on any given day."

"10/10 meal and service! Really excellent food, reasonable prices and huge portions. You will have leftovers. Highly recommend this restaurant for date night, family gatherings and more!"

""Because you didn't ask!" That was the answer my mom was given after we left the restaurant and noticed that everything except she ate was a lunch special. The total of her individual items was larger than the special. She talked to the manager and he was argumentative, unkind and had the nerve to tell my mom that they didn't give her the lunch special because she didn't ask. She didn't ask?! Oh my god! What kind of establishment would be this way towards their own customers? Treat them this way? Were they trying to be crooks? We didn't even get a lunch special menu to consider when looking at the regular menu. The food was pretty good and i took photos. But I'm not going to advertise/recommend this restaurant. And when i wanted to switch tables in the completely empty restaurant the waiter gave me attitude. The restaurant was cheating us of a discount and withheld any knowledge of it. We only found out, on our way out, where there was a small chalk board that advertised it. My mom of course told them they'd lost a loyal costumer. I only went once, but will also not return."

"Nino’s is more then just a restaurant, its an experience. It’s a culinary adventure that takes you back to Italy. Its funny to brag about a ceasar salad, but I’m bragging about it. Get the ceasar salad, made fresh tableside ever time you go. Can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but some of my favorites include beef carpaccio, baked clams, and my personal favorite lobster fra diavolo! They even let you pick your lobster from their lobster tank! New York dining at its finest!"