Gusto Dolce Italian Bistro

Reviews

• MG

  Maribel Gonzalez-Perry

  Aug 9, 2026
  3.0
  Bread is good. I had the cheese lasagna with meatballs. My hubby had the chicken alfredo. He said it was really good. Shrimp oregonalda. Was good too.
• NN

  Nikki

  Aug 9, 2026
  5.0
  What a great find in Strongsville! Gusto Dolce Italian Bistro was absolutely delicious. Everything tasted fresh and homemade, the portions were generous, and the flavors were wonderful. You can tell there is a lot of care put into the food. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the service made the experience even better. If you’re looking for great Italian food in the Strongsville area, definitely give Gusto Dolce a try. We’ll absolutely be back!
• LL

  Lisa

  Aug 2, 2026
  3.0
  The place is clean, everyone was very nice. I bought two deluxe pizzas, Xtra cheese, cost me $64. The pizza is good but very stingy with toppings. The sausage is good but hardly any sausage or mushrooms! The sausage looks like it's cut from sausage links but only one piece on each slice of pizza, same with mushrooms! You can see by slices I started eating (sorry was hungry 🤣) The crust is thin, it's good and somewhat crispy. Just wish they would add more toppings! I'm hoping maybe this was just bad day and will try them again for pizza, hoping I get more toppings! If not, I will be on search AGAIN for best pizza in Strongsville!
• LW

  Lilly Walker

  Jul 31, 2026
  5.0
  We tried this place last year and not impressed with the food at all. Gave it another try tonight and it was marvelous Had the Fettuccini Already and Husband has spaghetti. They must have new people in the kitchen .So much better this time around
• NC

  Natalie Capretta

  Jul 19, 2026
  1.0
  I wish I could give this place zero stars. From the moment we walked in, I was taken aback that virtually nothing had been changed or updated from the restaurant that previously occupied this location. It immediately gave the impression that little effort had been put into preparing the space. We were seated in a booth where the table was at least six inches too low to comfortably eat. The booth itself was dirty, with food debris on the floor and shoved between the booth and the wall. The plastic picnic-style tablecloth was ripped in several places, which didn’t exactly inspire confidence in the cleanliness of the restaurant. I remember looking at my husband in disbelief. The only reason we stayed was because he had purchased a gift card for my birthday. After being seated, no one acknowledged us for over 15 minutes. Eventually, the hostess brought bread and oil, and sometime later our waitress finally took our drink order. We ordered two cocktails and waters. The alcoholic drinks arrived first, and we had to wait even longer for our water. The cocktails were disappointing—poorly made, clearly using low-quality ingredients, yet priced between $10 and $15 for a small glass. For food, we ordered the mozzarella triangles, the Italian Stallion hoagie with pasta salad, and the garlic butter pasta with breaded chicken. The portions were very generous, and I’ll be honest—the food actually tasted great. However, the service continued to be a mess. The pasta salad arrived first by itself. We had to remind our waitress about the mozzarella triangles. When our entrees finally came out, she said she’d bring Parmesan cheese but never came back until she dropped off a takeout box and the check. Only after presenting the bill did we learn there was a 3% surcharge for paying with a credit card. Customers should be informed of that before ordering, not after they’ve finished their meal. At the very least, restaurants should clearly disclose these fees up front. As we were eating, my husband and I talked about how this might be a better place for takeout than dining in because the dining room was so dirty and poorly maintained. But even that idea quickly changed. If the areas customers can see are in this condition—especially after the restaurant had reportedly been closed for a week earlier in the month, when everything should have had the opportunity to be thoroughly cleaned—it made us question what the kitchen looked like. A few hours after we got home, both of us became violently ill, likely caused by bacterial contamination and/or cross-contamination. It was one of the worst experiences we’ve ever had after eating at a restaurant. We genuinely enjoy supporting local, family-owned businesses, and we went in hoping to find a new favorite Italian restaurant. Instead, we left with an experience that was unsanitary, poorly managed, and ultimately made us sick. Based on our experience, I cannot recommend this restaurant to anyone. The cleanliness and food safety practices need serious attention before anyone else gets sick. This restaurant needs to be shut down. $110 down the drain… literally. EDIT: I kindly emailed the chef, per his request, in hopes that I could provide information as needed to assist them with determining if the cause of our illnesses came from something in the restaurant. Immediately, I was threatened with legal action. I will not be intimidated into retracting my honest review of this establishment.