Donatos Fox Chapel

Lobster stuffed with crab was so delicious, steak was cooked perfectly. Will definitely be back again. Service was also fantastic

Easy reservation to get on a Thursday night. We used open table and it makes it so easy to make. And we even changed it two times as we added people.
Started with the oysters and they were great.
Had the broiled lobster stuffed with crab. Loved it. And it was a great portion for the $. It had to be at least a 3 lb tail.
Server was a little off the mark with regards to here professionalism but it did the job. I expect she was either new or came from max and ermas.
Love the environment and I just hope it survives!!! It’s the fanciest place in fox chapel.

Awesome food great place worth the price

For years we drove past this restaurant until one evening we decided to give it a try.
The service was awesome and the meal was easily the best we’ve had.
Since this was our first time we were given a complimentary meatball. Ok., odd. But these were incredible. My wife is gluten free and they were extremely accommodating even making a special meatball for her.
The appetizers were great and the steaks done to perfection.
Their house red wine, which has their own label, was spectacular. Full body. Complemented the steaks perfectly. Next time (Monday!) we’ll be getting bottles not glasses.
While quite expensive it’s worth it.
Highly recommend!

Great food, service and atmosphere. The mushroom risotto is out of this world. The bartender makes a mean dirty martini! Very clean and the staff is very professional.

I made a reservation but I was early and decided to sit at the bar and the service was so great that I decided to stay at the bar and eat my dinner. food was great the service was great nothing to complain about

Tonight’s visit was our first visit to Donato’s, and it was my best friend’s birthday. I made reservations for 2, and we were promptly seated to a beautiful table for 2 decorated & personalized just for my friend. She was very surprised and happy!
After our soup, salad and bread, our meals arrived: I had the filet mignon oscar and the birthday girl had the night’s special of surf & turf. INCREDIBLE. Beautifully prepared and every bite was succulent and made to perfection. The steak MELTED with each bite and the seafood was fantastic. There was not a bad bite. Both of us were over the moon with our meals and every bite in between. We had wonderful wine and crème brûlée for dessert. Needless to say, we left very happy & full. The staff and service was impeccable and we felt special & taken care of. The **only** thing missing was meeting Chef D, who unfortunately was not in the kitchen tonight. (It’ll give us an excuse to go back!) THANK YOU DONATO’S!

Found the food and service poor. Seems to be more a place for older folks with expensive cars to be seen.

I really had high hopes for this place but it missed my expectations. The atmosphere is intimate, and not for you and your partner but for you, your partner and whoever is in the table next to you, IT SO CRAMMED. They seated us in a small two top hardly large enough fit a plate… we quickly moved to a 4 top with still little to no room. We got the calamari by recommendation. My hubby loved the peppers and calamari. I thought the calamari inside was cooked perfectly but the outside was mushy, it was OK. I couldnt decide what I wanted so I panicked and got crab cakes. My love got the delmonico and frites it was 44 $ meal. Salad with house dressing way too sour he didn’t finish his. My Caesar salad wasn’t great. Our entrees came out and I took two bites of my crab cakes and quickly started to feel ill hubby shared his steak with me which they raved about its «genetically» mutated value. Bullshit. I had better delmonico at Wal-​Mart, the truffle frites were pretty much cut up raw potatoes covered in oil with crusty cheese they sucked, I was embarrassed I even recommend he get them, way better at burgatory. My crab cakes I ended up giving to my other half along with my cold spinach. Did I mention our food sat under a heat lamp for a long time? How do I know this? Well the lemon served with my meal was hot and seared they plated it way to early. Guh I wasted a beautiful night out wishing we spent the 130 $ at the casino. Also I would like to add however the wait staff young nice and kind just not up to par for «fine» dining. Id say one word «wannabes» Also it a whole day later and both he and I still feeling ill most likely crab cake related.
Oh fun fact they brought out olives at first with «cheese» hahaha my love ate the butter wedge so quickly honest mistake he thought it was cheese. I was mad he didn’t share the «cheese.» so he asked for another piece the waiter was so baffled he went to ask the bus boy what was on the plate. He came back quickly with another wedge of butter lol. My hubby ate the butter lol was the funniest thing ever lol. This is why Im doing the reviews and not him he doesn’t know the difference between butter and cheese LOL.

This particular visit we were a paltry party of 6, we were treated like royalty. The restaurant’s ability and willingness to accommodate everyone in our party was second to none. The organic salmon done a perfect medium, the steaks yummy, veal Oscar style (tender), the appetizers; stuffed banana peppers (stuffed with tuna), Tuna tartare, seared prosciutto wrapped shrimp, (complimentary) meatballs were great — the stuffed banana peppers were a tad bland (the tuna filling) — but executed well.
Our server, Eddie (who we request when making reservations) is knowledgeable, attentive (but not intrusive) and completely made our dinner comfortable and a terrific experience!

Seeing that fall is in full swing, I stopped by Donato’s last week for their delicious Fall Harvest Salad with roasted pumpkin, bourbon-​poached pear and shaved red onion on a bed of arugula tossed in a house made pumpkin-​sage vinaigrette.
It was a nice, big portion that was definitely big enough to satisfy two hungry people. The bourbon-​poached pears elevated the salad from standard to stellar and brought memories of the holiday season. Not only was the food great but the staff was super friendly and knowledgeable. Donato’s has a very nice extensive wine list with customized wine bottles from the Pittsburgh Winery. I enjoyed my salad with a glass of Merlot from the Pittsburgh Winery… The full-​bodied red wine complimented my salad beautifully! Overall, I enjoyed my experience and will be back again.

Hubby ran in for a takeout and the entrée was ok… noodles and clams. He ordered a serving of lobster bisque and was disappointed in the quality. He was also overcharged $ 5. When he spoke to the manager the next day, the manager admitted he had been overcharged but refused to refund the money… told him he now has a $ 5 credit to a restaurant that overcharged him and served him subpar food. Well they can keep that fiver and enjoy it because they will not be getting any more of our money.

It’s pretty good. I do not know of any other fine-​dining choices in Fox Chapel, which helps this place. But compared to what’s down the road in Pittsburgh, this place would really pale.
The setting is very nice. It looks and feels right. The bar is a bit of a time-​warp back to the late 1980s, but the dining feels nice. The noise-​level is good — comfortable «chatter» but not too loud, so it’s good for a proper business lunch.
Service is attentive but just not as professional as it should be to match the style and price-​point. Prepare for a wait-​staff who will ask you to pass a dirty plate to him/​her, or will make an awkward reach across the table. (You would never see this at Capital Grille, for example.)
The food is good but not amazing. I’ve tried a few salads, the salmon, and a steak. The greens are fresh and the salmon is well prepared. The one time I tried the New York Strip was a disappointment. The cut and quality were good, but my medium temperature came out medium well to well done. (A huge miss for a $ 42 steak.)
They do take care of their regulars and seem flexible with reservations and for accommodating large groups. They have a private room in back that works very well for groups up to maybe 15 or so.

I never write reviews on restaurants, but had to do this. I was so outraged by the pricing at Donato’s. PLEASE BE WARNED. The environment in the restaurant is very lovely, though the service was somewhat slow. The unbelievable thing is that I ordered a $ 10 salad. The menu states that you can add a topping such as chicken, steak, or shrimp. There was no price shown for these additional items. To my horror, the bill came in at $ 30. I was charged $ 16.00 for a steak topping on my salad. When I asked for the price to be double-​checked, I was told that it was correct and that nothing could be done. $ 30 for a salad. I will never, ever visit this restaurant again. Completely outrageous to charge this kind of money and not warn your customers. Stay away.

It’s hard finding upscale vegan food. I always order fried eggplant, linguine w/​tomato sauce (specially made), bread w/​a side of olive oil and garlic (dip). The eggplant is coated with soymilk (not eggs) and the chef makes a special bechamel sauce with soymilk… BONUS POINTS! How many places will do that? That plus a salad for $ 25. I can’t eat all of it in one sitting. It usually takes 2 – 3 days.
yummmmmmmy!

I stopped by here a couple of Fridays ago with my fiancé and 2 other dining companions. We had made reservations earlier in the week but whenever we arrived it was obvious that we didn’t need them as at least 75% of the restaurant was open and never did fill up. The inside is decorated tastefully with neutral colors and dark woods with the white linen table cloths that you would expect from a finer dining establishment.
Our waitress came over to greet us in a reasonable time period and asked if we had ever been there before. After hearing all of say no, she told us that she would get us some of their meatballs on the house while taking our drink order. I ended up going with a bourbon drink that was really good and whose name I wish that I could remember. One of our dining companions ended up going with a wine that she wasn’t too fond of. After she had mentioned it the waitress came over and asked her what was wrong with the drink. After some cajoling she got it out of her that she wasn’t a big fan of the wine and even brought over a sample of a different wine that she would happily replace it with. I guess it my dining companions face that gave away her thoughts about the wine but it almost seemed like they had a microphone on the table. The service was that good and it stayed that way throughout our dinner. In the meantime we put in our food orders with my fiancé and I decided to split the calamari Diavolo as an appetizer, while I went with the Delmonico Steak & Frites for my entrée and then the truffle macaroni sounded good enough that we also decided to split that as a side. First up for the food was the order of meatballs for both couples (it ended up being a large meatball for each person) at our table. They were covered in a marinara type sauce and were a great start to the meal. The meat was moist, tender and juicy and went well with the marinara sauce. Next up was the calamari diavolo which was awesome. Since I am a fan of spiciness, I absolutely love it whenever they put banana peppers with calamari as they did here. The spiciness does well to pair with the mild sweetness of the calamari. It was all covered in a San Marzano tomato sauce which was nice. The taste of it was awesome and I think that it was probably my second favorite calamari in Pittsburgh. The only thing that I didn’t enjoy about it was that the breading got a bit soggy with the sauce but I easily overlooked that due to the taste. Our entrees came next with the side of truffle macaroni. My steak was pretty enormous and I was impressed with the size of it while the frites that came beside it had a nice truffle smell to them. The steak was cooked perfectly to the medium that I has asked for and was juicy and delicious. The frites were also very good as the smell and taste of the truffle helped to elevate them beyond your normal frites. Last but not least was the truffle macaroni which ended up being my least favorite portion of the meal. It was more of a watery macaroni and cheese with the truffle oil and although I thought it tasted ok, it was not nearly at the same level as the rest of our meal was. After we had finished our meal the waitress asked all of us if we wanted to take a look at the dessert menu. While we acquiesced, I knew that I wasn’t going to get anything as the meal had left me completely stuffed.
The bottom line for me is that I would head here again in a heartbeat. Yes the prices are a bit more than some other places but the food was excellent and the service was the best that I have had in a long time. As the old adage goes «you often get what you pay for» and I think that Donato’s was well worth the money.

After my recent experience at Donato’s I’m honestly stunned by the bad reviews. Donato’s is on the top 25 (34) Pittsburgh restaurants this year and I couldn’t agree more. The service was phenomenal! THE best service I have had all year. Yes, the food is a bit pricey but well worth it to me. Also, Donato’s has many deals out right now including a burgh bargains deal and even better, a travelzoo deal which, for a couple, includes an app, two entrees, a side dish and two glasses of wine for 69 $ or double that for four people– 135 $. We went with the four person deal and joined another couple on a recent Friday night.
The décor was nice– table cloths, large photos/​paintings of Italy. Surprisingly, the restaurant was quite dead. We were one of about 5 tables leaving about ¾ of the restaurant empty. As we were coming in, we noticed a jazz band setting up in the bar area which was fantastic dinner music.
Our waitress came over immediately to get our drinks. She also asked us if we had been to Donato’s before. We had not so, she brought us out their famous meatballs on the house. Who would turn down free meatballs? Wow. What a great start to our meal. Tender, juicy and a hint of spice. Hubs and I decided on our appetizer– shrimp wrapped in mozzarella and proscuitto. Before our app came out, the waitress asked about our drinks. When I gave her a half hearted «ok» she probed further to discover my discontent. I explained that the wine I had ordered was not what I was expecting but I was fine with it. She asked if she could bring me something else but I declined. I really was «ok» with it. A few minutes later, she arrived at our table with a tasting of another wine she thought I might enjoy. I did take a liking to that wine but again assured her that my current glass of wine was fine. Before our apps arrived, we were served a bread basket with three different types of bread. Wonderful breads but nothing to dip them in which made me a little sad. Not to worry, our apps soon arrived and I fell in love with the huge shrimp skillfully wrapped in soft mozzarella and crispy proscuitto. I could have lived without the pickled eggplant underneath the shrimp.
On to the next course. Soup or salad to go with our entrees. I ordered the wedding soup. Perfect with lots of spinach and cheese. At this point I am pretty full. Then our entrees arrive. Are you kidding me? This was huge. Hubs ordered the filet oscar and I ordered the 10 oz filet with seasonal vegetable– green beans. We also got the truffle mac as a side dish. I took a deep breath, got my second wind and dug in. The green beans were crisp and flavorful. The filet was oh so tender and juicy. And the truffle mac? Rich, creamy and decadent. Now this was a meal! Unfortunately, I could only make it through about a third of it before I had to tap out. No worries. My filet and truffle mac made for a wonderful lunch the next day. The only downfall I see in Donato’s menu was the dessert. Yes, I looked despite my growing waistline. Nothing jumped out at me. The basics were there, tiramasu, gelato, sorbetto but, nothing interesting and different that I just HAD to try. All in all, Donato’s has fantastic food and great service. If it’s the price that steers you away, keep your eyes open for a deal.

Food here is overpriced for what it is. If they dropped the prices down a bit, it might be worth it. However, the service is god-​awful. Some of the most aloof, clueless servers I’ve ever had. Bottom line: This place is NOT worth it.

I’d say good overall, but over rated and over priced. My wife and I made the trip to Fox Chapel to try the place out and I can say, it was just okay (with one exception — see below). I had the eggplant parm. which was way over sauced and exceptionally soggy. My wife had the Scampi — not too impressed. We had the Calamari as an appetizer and it was fine — not exceptional. Our salads (the Donato salad and a cesar were only okay). The prices are tailored for the Fox Chapel crowd — and they can have it.
There was one exception and bright spot — the Tiramisu was, without a doubt, the best I’ve ever had.

One of the top five Best Restaurants in Pittsburgh!
I was trying to find somewhere new and different to take my wife Tamika for Mother’s Day and I immediately thought of Donato’s as she LOVES Italian food.
I was able to easily book our reservation on my phone using the Open Table app. At the time of reservation I requested a booth. I even got a telephone reminder from the restaurant of the date and time of our reservation. When we arrived we were greeted by the host, our jackets taken and we were escorted to our booth.
Our waiter, John C. quickly came and took our drink orders and placed fresh warm bread on the table. Our favorite was the bread that was similar to pizza. I could eat that stuff all day long!
F.Y.I. They do have a kid’s menu but, it’s not listed in the menu. You just have to ask. They offer a huge cheeseburger, chicken tenders and a kids version of just about every pasta on the menu. Our daughter got her usual cheeseburger and fries and absolutely loved them ($ 10).
The wife ordered the Tagliatelle Bolognese ($ 15), a pasta dish with beef, pork and veal. I tried the Lasagna Fresca ($ 16). Each entrée comes with either soup or salad. Tamika got a salad and I got the Crab Bisque. It was the best I have EVER had. I wanted to drink out of the bowl, it was that good!
Tamika thought her Bolognese was outstanding. My Lasagna was good but, not life changing. My portion was quite small compared to Tamika’s huge bowl of pasta and my noodles were over cooked and almost mushy. I prefer my pasta just past al dente.
The service was OUTSTANDING! Tied for the best we’ve had in any restaurant. Our glasses never got empty. All of the waiters work as a team. If a different waiter walks by and notices a empty plate he/​she whisks it away without you even noticing it.
At the end of the meal we were each given a tasty ginger snap type of cookie and my wife was given a white rose which is her favorite color rose.
My only complaints are that my Lasagna noodles were overcooked and portion was small for the price and the kids burger is expensive @ ($ 10).
I do highly recommend Donato’s and will be back often.