Russo Italian Restaurant

Dan Martin

So the question in my mind is: Was this place as great three years ago as I remembered it? Because last night's visit wasn't great. The server (Linda, was it?) was truly delightful but whatever's going on in the kitchen and with choosing the wines has either gone downhill terribly in the last 3 years or I merely got lucky the night I went in 2019 and had a good experience. The pasta-fagioli soup was more like a ragu. It had white beans, half of which were cooked and half of which were dried and crunchy. My theory was that two batches of either the soup or the beans had been mixed into my bowl. The salmon came and was arguably decent, but the skin had a black grittiness, as though it'd been sauteed in grill-brick residue. It was unsalted -- that is to say unseasoned, which is not a trait that issues from a kitchen making sophisticated cuisine. The accompanying polenta cakes had just as much skin as the salmon! They were unpleasantly dry indeed. The dessert, which was a slice of chocolate cake, wasn't bad, but one could argue it had that tendency of modern mass-produced desserts to be loaded with sugar. At least its manufacture was outsourced to a kitchen capable of following a recipe, albeit one full of sugar and chemicals. The biggest offense yet was the wine. My goodness. What kind of plonk squeezed from acidic sad second-press grapes was the Montepulciano? Exactly the same question for the sangiovese: utterly lacking in any poetry whatsoever, along the lines of supermarket plonk. Worse yet, after I advised that the beans in the soup were uncooked and hard, there was no bother to remove it from the check! I merely got word back from the kitchen that someone was "sorry" about the amateur stew before me. So the question remains. Was Russo great before the pandemic bled off all of the restaurant industry's employees? Or was it never? I don't know but I'm not inclined to return to see if my 2022 visit occurred on a bad night.

J Dawk

We came in on a weekend night and had a party of 7. Our server was excellent and so was the food. My son accidentally hit his glass off the table and it shattered everywhere. The staff was so kind to him and made light of the mess. I give this restaurant 5 stars on its own due to its welcoming atmosphere and extremely professional and kind staff. The food only adds to it! Well done, Russo’s. You’re my new favorite Italian spot ❤️

Jon Monge

It's one of my favorite restaurants. The food quality is always amazing and I have never had a bad dish. It's really a nice place to have dinner dates with loved ones, friends and family.

Karin McCarthy

Excellent lil place in Worcester for a great meal either romantic with your love or sharing the evening with friends and family. …Karin, thank you for the kind words and look forward to seeing you again