Lombardi’s Neighborhood Italian

This place is truly wonderful! However, after I just found it and it’s right near my house… it’s closing in a few weeks after being opened for over 30 years… darn it. Check it out before it’s too late!

Food was pretty good, although I have had better Italian. But this place has character! The staff was helpful, the drinks were good, and it was nice and spacious.
It was freezing cold though. It was a chilly day in August, and they had the air conditioning on ice cold. I had a birthday party of 14 and everyone was freezing!
Also they are not good with reservations. I called a week early to reserve a spot and they told me they would have to see if they could book my reservation (I’m not sure why they couldn’t just look at the book and tell me yes or no, like other restaurants) and call me back. They never called back. So I called back again & they said yes they did have my reservation and sorry they hadn’t called back. I asked could I change my reservation from 10 people to 14. They said let me check and call back. They of course never called back.
Also, when my party arrived nobody was at the front desk to show people where to go. There is a secret upstairs most people don’t know about.

My family has been coming to Lombardi’s for the last seven years and we have never been disappointed. Their Garlic festival is exceptional. Simply a great place for either a quiet dinner or coktails & appetizers after the movie next door. Good wine list!

Fresh flavors, not heavy, enjoyably spiced. There are smaller portions available on some entrees. There is a broad spectrum of selections which allows choices for vegetarians as well as meat eaters. Prices are reasonable/​quality great. Gluten free also available.
Lombardi’s accommodated a large gathering of 8 last night with ease. Most choices each person selected were different. The Roasted Vegetable Ravioli, Dungeness Crab Spaghettini, Penne with Italian sausage, Chicken Parmegiano, Veal Scollopini Marsala, Lamb Polpettine Pappardella all were wonderful. The veggies were zucchini and carrots which were gently cooked and not sauced.
We got to hear about the history of the building from Diane, Owner. In July Lombardi’s in Ballard will have been there for 23 years.
They have wine tastings and other events.
The Tiramisou was great.

Sure it’s not the hippest place to get drunk, but the HH specials are good and you can make a meal out of a single $ 4 plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Which is probably why you’ll find this place teeming with little old ladies any day of the week.
The bruschetta sampler and chicken fingers and fries w/​gorgonzola dip are decent as well ($ 6 and $ 5, respectively).
There are definitely plenty of better options in Ballard, but if your first choice is packed, consider Lombardi’s. It’s an all-​around okay place, and there’s alfresco seating in the front.

I went here for happy hour with a friend. I like the atmosphere, though the bar area is small. Service was great, and everyone working there was cheerful and welcoming.
Drinks were delicious! And at happy hour, they were a great deal. $ 4 cocktails? Yeah, I can live with that! Especially when they’re usually $ 5 at other places during happy hour.
Food was good, but just that. Good. Not great, just your average happy hour food. Except Italian-​style. I mean it wasn’t bad and I enjoyed it, but I’m probably overly critical and my standards are higher because I’ve lived in Italy. My friend thought the food was amazing though.

EH, NOT SUPER, BUT NOT BAD. And yes, I have had better. It’s ATMOSPHERE OVER QUALITY. It is a nice little place, with a lot of stairways and some cute waiters. But, the food is not spectacular… which is my point.
SERVICE: NOT BAD. My bud and I sat in the bar, we did get waited on right away.
FULL SERVICE BAR: I do like a full service bar. I got my RUM & COKE and the waiter suggested an ITALIAN WINE (sorry, don’t know the name of it) to go with my pasta dish.
FOOD: ADEQUATE. As I mentioned, it wasn’t spectacular. I had the PENNE SICILIANA. It was very spicy, so I had to order additional bread to go with it to cut the spicy in my mouth.
PARKING: Tough to find in Ballard at dinner time. But, we did find street parking down the street.
PRICE: For the smaller portions, it was ok. I spent $ 9 on the small portion; and, the portion was enough for me.

I’m not sure if people just went on off nights or if they are those overly critical customers (we all know them), but I thought this place was great! My boyfriend and I wandered in because we tried to go to La Carta De Oaxaca and it was waaaayyy too packed. We’re not too familiar with Ballard restaurants, so we thought, hey can’t really go wrong with italian. I guess I went in not really expecting anything cause I was just hungry, but it turned out to be one of the most pleasant surprises ever! The house cab sauv was super delicious, and my lamb meatballs with papperdelle (a spring special) was AMAZING. I thought it was so good, I really could not get over how well seasoned it was. My boyfriend had the Penne Siciliana, and he almost never finishes what’s on his plate and he ate the whole damn thing. The server was attentive and nice, and the honey pine nut tart was soooooo good.
I would definitely recommend this for a casual dining experience with good Italian. I mean, it’s certainly not the most «authentic» italian I’ve had, I go to my parents for that, but It had a nice ambience and romantic feel. It may have helped that it was a Wednesday night and generally mellow out, but I will definitely go back!

The comments here are pretty good. Here is my summary.
This place started out great and was one of the best places around. But over time the quality of their food has declined while their prices have gone up. Great atmosphere, it is a pleasant setting. Service can be great though sometimes not attentive enough. Even their own wine label selections are good. But they need improvement in their kitchen. It strikes me as a place that doesn’t pay their kitchen staff enough. The worst place to save money is the kitchen and the food tastes like it even though the prices here are high. I tried it again recently because I was hoping the quality food was back. It isn’t.
So if you want atmosphere, this is a good place. But if you want good Italian food in Ballard, skip this place and go to Pasta Bella up the street. The price is similar but the food is way better. The service is good, too.

This place has a definite soulless chain-​restaurant feel, but we love to go and sit at the bar for happy hour or dinner. Bartender Seth is funny and easy to talk to, and mixes great cocktails.
We always get the gorgonzola tortellini which has just enough gorgonzola taste to satisfy without spilling over into «smelly» territory.
Demographic for Lombardi’s tends toward grey hair and loud birthday parties… which doesn’t sound great but for some reason always works out to a good time.

This place may be a little pricey for its offerings, but we left quite satisfied.
Not having enough experience in «authentic Italian» cuisine, let’s focus on what we enjoyed while we were there.
A $ 20 bottled wine list was a nice addition to our meal. The selection was not as skimpy as a I assumed it would be, and we enjoyed the 2007 Alatano Douro from Portugal ($ 20) with every part of our meal, and long after we finished.
The appetizers and salads looked a bit disappointing and plain, but we did enjoy the garlic bread ($ 4) that came with a mild red dipping sauce and baked bits of cheese crumbles. It wasn’t very garlicy, but it keep our appetites in check.
The seasonal menu really caught my eye throughout the night, but we ended up not ordering from it. I suspect we will the next time we visit. The pumpkin ravioli and chicken alla cacciatore looked quite good.
We had entrees of Chicken Saltimbocca ($ 16) and Scampi Diavolo ($ 18). The chicken was wrapped in a very thick cut of proscuitto and doused in a creamy cheese sauce. The garlic mashed potatoes and grilled veggies made this dish comforting and drool-​worthy after each bite. The shrimp, while well cooked over the fettuccine, was littered with red pepper flakes, which made the dish incredibly spicy. I had to offer my guest multiple bites of those wonderful mashed potatoes to help ease the sensation, but the burn lasted far beyond the end of the meal.
We decided to forego dessert this time, but the apple tart and gelato/​sorbet offerings both sounded wonderful. I’m sure this will be a casual stop in at some time in the future.

Not worth the Money!
The service was awful! No water or coffee refills, no bread and garlic until we asked after we had are starters. The server wasn’t even around besides taking our order, dropping off the bill and the check.
The food is OK at best. I had the pumpkin butternut squash with a sage cream sauce for $ 14. It was pretty sweet in taste and rarely tasted the sage. Most the entrée items were $ 12 — $ 20.
If you want good Italian food in Ballard, just go to Pasta Bella.
Or Root Table across the street is a little cheaper and tastes 10x better

All evening my gf was giddy about going to Lombardi’s. Italian food sounded nice so we went. We got there and were seated pretty promptly though immediately after we were seated the manager came over and told us we had to move because he «had an elderly couple coming in and they couldn’t walk far from the door.»
We moved without hesitation, and sat in the back-​half of the restaurant. It really looked like a completely different restaurant than the front too. The front was very well lit and just generally looked much nicer than the back half. After we moved it took quite a while for us to even get to put in our drink orders… so long that we had time to decide our food selections, debate over wine, decide to ask for a suggestion from the waitress, then change our minds and pick a bottle from the list.
The appetizer also took quite a while to come out, which was just the bruschetta sampler, two scoops of toppings and four «crostini’s» which were just the regular bread that comes with the garlic clove. The food wasn’t bad, but nothing spectacular. For $ 15/​plate I would expect something better than what I received.
The real problem with the experience was the service as a whole, and the real prick-​looking manager. Our server was terrible at re-​filling our water and never came back to check on us after delivering the food. We opted to not order dessert based on all of this. Though we determined that the server was probably not entirely at fault, the manager appeared to be a total asshole even shouting in front of the entire restaurant «why did I hire you?» at our waitress.
All in all the food was nothing special and the service was pretty bad. I’d of much rather gone to Olive Garden where the food is better and their breadsticks r0x0rz.

Beautiful Sunday, hanging out with my awesome mom, we decided to end the day here. I knew that the reviews were so-​so and a co-​worker told me not to come here but we didn’t want to think about where to go any more. Besides, it is Italian food. Can’t screw it up too much so we decided to give it a shot.
First of all I do like the layout. Since it was a nice day we sat outside. Located in the middle of Ballard, it is the perfect place to people watch. Our waiter was really nice and talkative, but not too talkative.
The food itself was ok. For starters we had a small Caeser salad. I thought that the dressing was pretty good but didn’t like the fact that they gave us Romain lettuce spine which didn’t really had much flavor. For the main entrée I had the spaghetti bolognese, which I thought was decent, but not great. The noodles were a little too well done for my taste and the sauce didn’t have much flavor to it. My mom on the other had loved her veal piccata.
I’d come here again but I would order something else. As we left I saw someone eating the lasagna which look excellent. Might have to order that next time.
Zipzap Zubidy Bop!

While perhaps a bit overpriced for me (mostly because I’m not really a big fan of Italian food), I was very impressed by the smoked salmon ravioli (not as impressed with the flaccid lasagna). The menu isn’t big, but the service, atmosphere, and ambiance were fine. The wine list did contain a few winners
I would go here again, if only for the ravioli.

Lombardi’s for the money is a good place to go to on a nice day. I stopped by today to eat outside because it was just so darn gorgeous outside. It helps that they are nicely located too.
Atmosphere — This is the second restaurant in SEA that I never made it inside of because the weather here has been sooo grrrrreat!!! I thought SEA was known for rain??? Back to the review… nice outdoor eating area, nice napkins, a fancy feeling place w/​out the fancy feeling price.
Food — I took advantage of the Urban Eats Promotion and picked items (wine, app, main & dessert) from a set menu all for $ 30. Nice! I started with the Calamari Fritti which was lightly breaded calamari cooked perfectly (i.e. not like rubber). Although, I did not care much for the red pepper aioli, as I am more a banana peppers or a marinara guy. For the main dish, I had Lombardi’s Baked Meat Lasagna (beef bolognese, béchamel, parmesan cheese, pasta). The sauce was fine but could have been spicier. I then washed this all down w/​the house red; a smooth red w/​mild notes. For dessert I had the chocolate mousse, actually I ordered it and never got to it as I had to go a pick someone up and the place was busy… so I skipped the calories and left.
Service — Friendly, apologetic, sincere, cute (makes up for the missed mousse), busy.
Overall — I enjoyed the meal on this nice day and will maybe give them another chance this week before I leave as it is supposed to be beautiful all this week.
Now SEA if you had a good football team… I would move here!

What’s with all these bad reviews!!! I guess I’ve just been lucky during the thousand or so times I’ve been here, but I’ve yet to have a bad experience, which is saying a lot since I’ve been coming here for random meals out with family and friends since forever.
For starters, Lombardi’s gets at least 3 stars for the bread and garlic they send out! It’s amazing, roasted garlic… how can you not love that? Well, beyond the roasted garlic the cheese appetizer they have is pretty good as well. It’s a creamy, smooth, house made cheese that’s tangy and garlicky without being overpowering. I quite enjoyed it. And from time to time they have a baked brie appetizer (usually in the Fall and Winter) which is divine!
Entrees have all been good in my experience. I typically stick with a pasta dish of some sort and I have to say the Gorgonzola Tortellini has yet to fail me. It’s hearty, creamy, thick and the pasta is perfectly al dente. There’s the perfect amount of Gorgonzola, not too little, not too much, just the right amount. Gorgonzola, for me, is sort of an overbearing cheese that is usually used in excess amounts. I like it and all, but feel like there usually could be half the amount that’s served… Lombardi’s understands me though and always delivers the perfect amount. Every now and then their pasta is cooked a little past al dente, but I’ve yet to have a mushy bowl of pasta. Their steak dishes tend to come out overcooked, but their chicken dishes almost always are cooked perfectly.
Drinks have always been mixed well and are pretty reasonably priced. Service has always been friendly and the décor (while outdated) is nice. They accommodate groups well and are always great about dividing the check! SCORE! There’s nothing worse than trying to figure out a bill, it just ruins a night. Definitely more suited for a casual night out with a group of friends or on a spontaneous date night. Food is probably closer to 3 stars, but the overall experience is probably 3.5 (hey, I’ll round up!) So go on and check it out! It’s been open for at least 15 years, so they’ve gotta be doing something right.

Every time I go to this joint it grows on me more and more– it’s become a go to date place for me and The Girl when we’re looking to catch a flick at the Elttaes– we always end up running later than we should and I always end up telling the wait staff that we’re in a hurry and they always end up obliging us.
Every member of the wait staff has always been great– last night it was Rachel– she started getting busy, knew we were in a hurry, so she passed us to another server who made sure that we got everything we needed as quick as possible.
The food here is great– I’m an East Coast Italian kid and am used to mom and pop Italian restaurants and this one is really well done– somewhere in between home-​style and gourmet, it’s a good blend of fancy without pretentious. The Chicken Parm here is my favorite in the city.
There’s a lot of pluses to Lombardi’s– the location is right in the heart of Ballard, the food is great, the wait staff is gracious, the prices are very reasonable. I recommend Lombardi’s followed by a movie at the Elttaes followed by either some dessert at Cupcake Royale or a beer at The Matador– there’s not too many better Monday night dates out there.

Came here on a whim with my friend for happy hour. Took awhile for someone to realize that we were sitting there for over 5 minutes without any service but once the bartender came over to take our order, everything was good. And it doesn’t hurt that the bartender was cute and had a nice voice ;)
My friend and I ordered the pepperoni & sausage pizza (but oddly, we didn’t see any sausages in the pizza so we guessed that they ran out), chicken & fries and garlic bread. Prices are very good for what we got. We couldn’t finish everything. Everything tasted great! The pizza was a very good size, baked just right and not too greasy. The chicken was tender & juicy (fries were a little too heart-​attacky but tasted goooood hehe). The garlic bread was deeeeeelicious~ good thing the bartender recommended that we try it.
The 3 dishes plus a soda came out to around $ 18.
I liked the layout of the restaurant and service was good. And it’s perfect that Cupcake Royale is just a second away from here — dessert! Haha

Oh Unilocal!I should have known to come here and read the reviews. *sigh* Lesson learned.
Lombardi’s came recommended by my better half, our first visit was a’ok. Nothing fantastical and no OMG SO AMAZING@#() moments. But, if I only knew what was in store when we returned last week.
Last Sunday we prepped to go out for our anniversary, and since we were trying to avoid any and all Seafair hub-​bub we made our way to Ballard where we ended up at Lombardi’s. From the get go the waiter was a little snide. I will admit, at first he sat us in a *very* busy area, right next to a walk way, which, when attempting to have a romatical evening out, didn’t seem ideal. So we became «that couple» who asked to be moved the front dining room. From that point on the service became beyond poor.
I could go into detail about how the wait staff was standoff-​ish and not so helpful or how they didn’t bother to grab us drinks after our first beer prior to the food… I mean hell, I won’t even mention that we had to ask for bread, which is something we normally have just gotten there without having to request. No, all of that doesn’t really compare to the aftermath.
To top the whole experience off, they charged my card *twice*. It’s bad enough that they wanted to charge me period for lackluster service, but TWICE?! I don’t think I’ve been so close to having a stroke in my life. I would have totally understood if it was a slight of hand, a batch settling twice, but no. My card was ran once on Sunday, then again on Monday.
When I phoned the Ballard location to get assistance I was given excuse after excuse as to why the card was ‘accidentally’ charged twice. When I did mention the awful service I was brushed off with a ‘don’t know what to tell you but someone will call you back’. So. I waited… and waited.
A week later, I’m still waiting. Between my other half and I we’ve made a few calls to other locations, have been promised phone calls back, gift cards as the standard sorry.etc. But to date, nothing, no follow through. Nada. So uh, hey Nolan from Issaquah, if you are reading this we are still waiting for a response from someone! I’m sure he’s hanging out in the land of rainbows and ponies along with Lombardi’s book keeping department! They simply must not exist.
So in turn. Bad show Lombardi’s! Booo!
I will say this, the food was great. But unfortunately I can’t justify having to plunk down my money to an establishment that does not want to give a straight answer as to why and where my money went. :(