Chiarella's

My husband and I were very pleased with our dining experience! Greeted by owner Tommy, and seated quickly. Food was very good from caesar salad and meatballs to the main corse.Everything was excellent, veal was tender and well seasoned.My husband had chicken Dina and loved it. Looking forward to returning again.

We dine here frequently and the food is always excellent! The owners Tommy & Dina are friendly and accommodating. The veal dishes are awesome!!

We suspected a problem when we entered at 5:30 on a Sat eve and we were the only patrons. Within minutes we were attacked by a server who became part of our dining party and spent most of the evening with us. Not a total problem because we weren't looking for a romantic evening but a bit annoying none the less. His hovering and rantings actually added a sense of comedy to the night. Upon noting we came sans wine he offered a glass- we were served cold merlot- its the thought that counts. We chose to order their "special" appetizers. The grilled romaine was good although a bit less dressing would have helped. The shrimp wrapped in bacon tasted frozen and the puff pastry resembled a crescent roll. Not terrible but nothing to write home about. Then the real trouble started. My husbands chicken parm was decent but needed a spark of flavor or a bit more sauce. Just the opposite for me. I ordered another special- ny strip stuffed with crabmeat. It came floating in a puddle of some type of brown sauce that soon made my lips go numb. It was so heavy on the peppercorns that it was not edible. Another hovering waiter offered to return it to the kitchen to "lighten" it up. Fearfully i agreed but it came back only a bit more edible. I was told I had a sensitive palate HAHA It didn't matter that it was too peppery because the steak was so full of gristle I couldn't chew it anyway. Dessert was another disaster. Amaretto ice cream enrobed in choc chips turned out to have only 5 chips floating somewhere in there but encased in tasteless whipped cream. Earlier we had been told that this restaurant had been part of Kitchen Nightmares. Gordon needs to return and help these guys out!! They didn't get it the first time apparently. As a last laugh our bill arrived without any itemization.. Just a total. By then we just wanted out so we left and laughed all the way to the car.

We went to this restaurant for my mother's birthday because the restaurant that we had planned on going to was closed. This turned out to be a wonderful choice. The decor was beautiful and warm and the staff was friendly and attentive. They shared stories with our family all night and really made everyone feel at home. Everything on the menu sounded amazing and our only regret was not being able to try more of the dishes. Some standouts from the night were the spaghetti and meatballs, the strip steak special with Gorgonzola, and the eggplant Parmesan. I didn't get to taste the clam's casino special but everyone in my family raved about it. The homemade tiramisu was a perfect end to a delicious meal. Chiarella's made my mother's birthday memorable and I know that we will be returning. I could keep going but I highly recommend trying this place for yourself!

This was the second time we had dinner at Chiarella's in South Philly and everything was excellent, this place is so quaint. I highly recommend it. The owner Tom was awesome as was our waiter and the rest of the staff. The food was so delicious, I loved the salmon and my husband loved the chicken parm, the home made desserts were fabulous, we felt like family. One of my favorites.