Rao's New York - Buy Reservations

In town visiting relatives - they managed a reservation a while ago. For being so hyped up - was not impressed - marginal at best. Pasta was gummy and flavorless. I appreciated the company - but there is much better out there - maybe try somewhere off the beaten path.

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This was my 6th time. I've been lucky through the years to have friends that have access to a table. Everyone is so friendly and such a fun relaxed ambience. The meatballs never disappoint, seafood salad, rigatoni , orecchiette with sausage, lemon chicken, clams oreganata, steak pizzaiola. Can't wait until the next time.

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Ok let me start by saying I truly apologize for not knowing that you guys exist. I've been to NYC countless times but never been to the actual restaurant. Next trip this is my first spot I promise. With that said. One day I'm walking by the frozen food section in whol foods and I stumble upon rao's chicken parm w/ spaghetti. I grab one to take to work for lunch, thinking much of it than just frozen dinner. Or so I thought... come lunch time I pop this suckered in the microwave and I'm like wow this smells really good. I take it out,peel off the plastic and take my first bite...... oh my effing god!!!!! The best, hands down, food I ever tasted from the "frozen" section. No frozen taste, taste freshly made, portion is spot on, not too much to get food coma while working but not small enough to leave you going to the vending machine. So about a year goes by of me trying the chicken parm, penne vodka, and the meat lasagna. A fucking plus I swear if rao's was a religion I would convert. No joke I finally tell my wife to try it with my son, since out of nowhere a family size box appeared in whole foods... I almost lost my wife to the chicken parm lmao. So today, a couple of months later. We are in whole foods again, we shop in other stores too I swear lol. We decide to do a whole rao's dinner. Farfalle pasta and the sensitive marinara, it was the only sauce left. Came home and made it with some slice spicy pork sausage... chef kiss is an <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Funderstatement.im&s=308c37a2f869b932e5a4484caca4789adcea748cb02ad11b86c4839869e2782f" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">understatement.im</a> not kidding by far and Ieam by far the best tasting sauce, frozen dinners, pasta. I don't who grandma's up there cooking up a storm but she must be protected at all cost. That is all frome today. Did I mention how effing delicious rao's is.. just making sure lmao

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Its 100+ years of history is based only on memories and not historical context. The food is fantastic and delicious. Wet meatballs vs. dry. It's lush vs. crunchy. The Lobster Fra Diablo was a salty yet creamy lobster with a perfect al dente pasta sauce that was light but left traces of heat applied. The guardian will remain for the elderly and they are just a vest for energy and life. A loving effort.

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The owner was extremely disrespectful and used aggressive language towards a Black woman in front of the of the whole restaurant. I would not eat here unless you like your food served with an hateful attitude.

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DELIRIOUS DEFENSIVENESSFor me, this business model deserves a poor review. However, who cares, because the owners want you not to come here, anyway; and there is literally no reason why you would want to come here: food is bad, the business culture is bad, space is bad, and the atmosphere is boring.This is a restaurant that basically promotes people to book tables for life, and trade their reservations, to those who do not hold the privilege of owning a table. This di facto has created a club of old members whose prerogative is to benefit from the possibility for others to gain access to the restaurant. PROVINCIALISMUsers and owners, ended up trapped in a provincial sense of ownership and advantage, based on seniority, that as a side-effect has made this spot one of the most dire cauldron of gerontology in the five boroughs, over the years. That is the funny thing: they do massive efforts to exclusively own something that no one really would want to use. And that is what makes this place what it is.If you are expecting to find here a lively atmosphere where generations and cultures mix, you are wrong. The delirious appetite for exclusivity, ended up turning this place into a glorified elders day care. GASTRONOMIC ILLITERACY Food here consist of bad overcooked versions of Italianish cliches, made on the greasy and stodgy side. Basically, this is food that people who are illiterate in gastronomy can like, and that those who really know about gastronomy and about the richness and delicacy of Italian cuisine would be embarrassed by. Not great ingredients to start with, a lot of fried tomato, vulgar overcooked pasta and melted cheese all over. Any conventional Italian restaurant would basically do not worse than this. UNWELCOMING, BECOMING A FORM OF UNEXCITEMENTBut beyond the poor quality of the food, It is really uninspiring to think of a restaurant as a place that does not welcome customers; and that makes its culture out of illiteracy and exclusion. The same people, week after week, year after year, eating the same spaghetti. Sounds like a nightmare, right?The fact that a group of guys have a privilege membership status because they arrived before is a dreadful notion of a society; and makes these people's lives repetitive. A society with neither hospitality nor interest for those who come, for visitors, for foreigners; is a society that rots in selfreference, lack of imagination, intolerance and bore. THIS RESTAURANT IS NOT NEW YORK The beauty of New York is that it is a city that welcomes everyone, without fear. Diners are there for the rich and for the poor. For the local and for the visitors. Since 1762, Fraunces Tavern has been pulling out a plate of great food and a beer to anyone who was hungry or thirsty, and who wanted to contribute to the improvement of the city. This is a city that makes everyone feel welcomed and at home. It makes those that come in a greyhound bus escaping from a hell of a town notice that they belong here. It becomes once and again the best city in the world because it attracts and celebrates different cultures, because it is neither afraid of changes nor of the intelligence of those that are different and unique. IF THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT, YOU CAN BE MORE DARINGMaybe this whole club should consider to move their aged dusty club, their overcooked spaghetti and meatballs to the depth of an underground abandoned mine, where depth would allow them to totally isolate themselves, and make sure no fresh air and no one with new ideas would ever ventilates the rarified hovel. They would became as exclusive that no one would ever know that they exist.Maybe one day some speleologist would find their skeletons, and their plastic dentures chewing spaghetti as death founded them.I would definitively remain on the surface, enjoying the company of many others, and welcoming the richness New York is made of.

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Fantastic place! A must have experience when in NY. Might run into someone famous

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The anticipation of going to Rao's was really huge, ain't gonna lie and let me just say the experience of not only the food which was truly amazing and then add in the atmosphere the history the great people eating, talking and truly enjoying themselves not only at our table but the whole restaurant had a truly amazing vibe that anyone would enjoy but especially to myself and people like me that grew up Italian and spent many days eating around the kitchen table with family, it's memories that very few restaurants in my life have been able to recreate!If I ever get the opportunity to go there again it would be a true joy and blessing!John Tedesco

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I love to go to Rao's New York. A hidden gem! Absolute must for anyone traveling or local!

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Grow up in the area and got to see since the 70’s alot of public celebrities go here, so i always said when i get older ect……. Food is amazing

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Dining here was an incredible experience! The inside is small, only enough for about 10 groups at a time, but tables vary in size. Every staff member was incredibly kind (especially since I came straight from work and arrived a little early, and the rest of my party a little late, they sat me at the bar and had a lovely conversation with me while I waited even though they seemed to be extremely busy.There was no menu, the Maitre D' sat down with us at our table and told us our options for each course. He helped us develop a well rounded menu that would serve all of our tastes and it ended up being just enough for us four. Obviously the meatballs were incredible, but the veal over pasta was our favorite. I'm still dreaming about it!

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When you look up in the dictionary "old school Italian" Rao's in East Harlem is what comes up. As someone that loves the history and culture of New York from the day of yesteryear stemming from the 19th century through the 1980's, this place is "the place".It's in a neighborhood that many of us have read about, how it's its' own little enclave with many historic people who've dined here from the right side and on the wrong side (and I'm not talking politics).Yes there were a few known people recently here, one with us, to enjoy a great meal and share stories of his peers in the acting world.But the evening was a night of going back in time, chatting with DDP and interacting with staff as if we were long standing family.We flew into NYC only to dine here. And quite frankly even though we were offered a table and came, we really expected mediocre overrated food much akin to what we typically experience in NY, but we were so wrong!Dinner started with bread and as Ron said why stuff yourself with bread when the food is so good? And he was right.They gave us time to catch up and reminisce without impeding on us and then Joe pulled up a seat and asked for our preferences. There was a lot to choose from and through negotiation we came up with a dinner plan.Wanting to sample as much as we could we may have overextended the ordering but who cares when you're going through such a cool experience that many don't get a chance to try.We started with mozzarella caprese which was very good, clams oreganato which was delicious and a dish of roasted peppers.After that we went with their very good meatballs. Maybe not as good as Steve Martorano's Fort Lauderdale meatballs but these mini football sized ones were still great, second place so far on the US, straight out of a early 20th century kitchen from Nonna.And then the pastas, do you want the best bolognese sauce you've ever had? Then you'll need to come here. With rigatoni this was the best hands down. If you're from another generation and experienced Sunday cooking with a dividing line between gender responsibilities, then this is where you'd come to remind you of how good the past was, and how much many of us miss the "old days". We also had linguine with a soup of garlic and oil, also great although with a wish of the pasta being Al dente in lieu of soft.The wine was flowing and the stories kept on coming... with multiple reasonably priced but excellent Brunello's. And then ... an OMG chicken parmesan made by The Almighty himself, the best I've ever had, bar none. No one has ever come close. We also had their lemon chicken which is unique and delicious.Finished off with a great pistachio tartufo and cheesecake, rubbed our bellies with content, took a few pictures with staff to cement a night of great affair, and left with big smiles on our faces.This is a gem with history that is so rare to find today. If you somehow get lucky enough to dine here do so. You're not going to regret it.

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Go here for the meatballs! The lemon chicken is a star as well as the veal piccata. My favorite will always be the orecchiette with broccoli rabe & sausage.

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