Zinicola

First Time...Sara (server)was great and the food was Fantastic!!! Great Atmosphere!!! We loved everything...Our Anniversary Dinner was Just Perfect!

Food: the food here is amazing! I had a shrimp scampi (that wasn’t even on the menu) and it was fantastic. Homemade fettuccine with a healthy portion of shrimp in a delicious garlic butter sauce. The sauce had just the right consistency (most are too buttery/creamy). For my side, I had zucchini “chips” with an amazing homemade aioli. Absolutely to die for! Service: I sat at the bar because I came right when they opened. And I’m glad I did. Kristin was such a pleasant and knowledge server. She made amazing recommendations and every bite I had was phenomenal. Overall: amazing experience. Too bad I don’t live here or I’d be here everyday. Next time I’m in Charlotte, I will definitely stop by.

We came as a group of 8 to have dinner together and it was our first time here! Loved the atmosphere. Loved every dish we ordered. It was bursting with flavor, and the presentation was just as impressive. Our server, Dan, was attentive and knowledgeable. 5 stars to Dan, he was just amazing! He had a very good sense of humor and kids enjoyed it too! A truly top-notch dining experience!

Celebrated my grandmas 85th birthday and had a private room with family! Benjamin and Grace were phenomenal and made the night an unforgettable experience! We have food allergies in our family as well and they were very knowledgeable and made us all feel coomfortable, Can not wait to be back and will definitely be asking for them!! Thank you guys!

We celebrated our daughter’s 13th birthday here and couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The food was excellent, the atmosphere warm and welcoming, and the service outstanding. Everything was well-timed—not rushed and not overbearing—giving us plenty of space to enjoy. A special thank you to our waitress, Maria, who was fantastic! She was patient with the kids, answered all of our questions, and made the evening truly pleasant. Wonderful accommodations all around—we’ll definitely be back!

Zinicola is a terrific family-owned and operated dining establishment serving up unique and delicious takes on Italian fare with truly warm and genuine hospitality. They have an exceptional wine cellar (both on and off list) and knowledgeable staff to help guide selections to pair with your food and your and your guests particular tastes. Our server, Myari, was knowledgeable and attentive, and took care of our table with genuinely warm and friendly hospitality. I highly recommend visiting and can’t wait for my next trip to Charlotte.

The service was excellent. Benjamin and Grace gave us very good service. They were attentive. They were on point with everything there were no complaints. They also was well knowledgeable of the dishes that were being served to the party of 17 that we had. I would recommend that you ask for those two if you were having a large party To entertain and host.

Had a great holiday work team lunch at Zinicola with Benjamin. Spacious and well-lit. Service could not have been better. Everyone in our party enjoyed their meal, even if I’d say my meatball sub was above average rather than delicious.

We had a wonderful experience at Zinicola! The food was absolutely delicious — fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. Our waiter, Benjamin, treated every table with the same genuine attention and hospitality, and he took great care of us from start to finish. His professionalism and warmth truly stood out. Highly recommend both the restaurant and Benjamin’s exceptional service!

Our server MYARI V. Was amazing took care of us and gave great recommendations. The pistachio crusted lamb was absolutely amazing. Highly recommend it to everyone.l! The prickly pear drink was great as well. For dessert we had Nutella crème brûlée and tiramisu. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS.

Wonderful experience with MayArie ( please excuse if I am misspelling). She was absolutely amazing and saved our Valentine's Day from a previous restaurant with a bad experience. Absolutely loved her and the food was very good! Will be back!

The chef's table is the best. You gwt great food and a show. Ben and Darin were great servers. We will definitely be coming back

We are visiting and just ate at this incredible restaurant. To start our server Gracie was outstanding. The service was OUT OF THIS WORLD! And the FOOD was BEYOND delicious!! Everything! As a business owner, I am so appreciative for this kind of exceptional service and attention to detail and the homemade food was DELICIOUS. We cleaned our plates dinner and dessert. If I lived here this would be my #1 fav place to eat!! I recommend it to everyone! :)

Myari was our server, she was excellent. The food was wonderful. The manager even stopped at our table to check on us as well. This is a must try if you've not been.

Great food. The grilled octopus is one of the best we have had in this city. Tender, flavorful. We ordered 4 different entrees and they were all delicious. Two daily specials - short rib ravioli, and the lamb, as well as pizza and the seafood squid ink pasta were all fantastic! Definitely great food in an unpretentious atmosphere. One of the owners walks around and talks to you to make it more personal. Loved it!

Zinicola is our go-to place for amazing food, fantastic service, and great atmosphere. We went there tonight for my birthday, because my wife said "What special meal would you like for your birthday?" and I replied "Anything at Zinicola!". We went with a friend (who is a VERY picky eater) and combined We had the calamari, I got the "surf and turf" steak and shrimp, my wife got the pasticco al forno, and our picky eater friend got the eggplant lasagna (which he devoured). Our server, Benjamin, is the best server ever, he and the manager Michelle went out of their way to give me an unforgettable birthday experience. This place is simply amazing. If i could give it 10+ stars i would!

Dan gave us the best service I’ve ever had and that includes several Michelin restaurants! Food and wine selection were outstanding from start to finish: authentic Italian cuisine with top ingredients crafted expertly. I was shocked by how amazing the experience was! The perfect spot for a special occasion/date night. They were packed busy for valentines weekend and still ran the dinner service without a hitch

Alex was my sever he was outstanding I ordered The ribeye for my main entree it was amazing from the first bite. Perfectly cooked with a rich, beefy flavor, it had just the right balance of tenderness and juiciness. The marbling melted into the meat, giving it a buttery texture and deep flavor throughout. A nicely seared crust on the outside added a savory contrast, while the inside stayed moist and flavorful. Light seasoning let the natural taste of the steak shine without overpowering it. Overall, it was a very satisfying, high-quality ribeye that felt both hearty and indulgent.

Let me tell you about these folks. They were hovering constantly to make sure we were taken care of for Valentine's day. Benjamin is one of THE best servers we've ever had. Daren was an amazing server too. Benjamin was the funny one and Daren was the better looking one as Benjamin would say. Benjamin's testimony is awesome, highly recommend! Support this resturant!

Ben and Darin were exceptional! Absolutely outstanding service from them both! I love the way they made me feel through my whole dining experience at Zinicola! We will definitely return just because of how pleasant the service was with both of them. The food was outstanding!

My party recently dined at Zinicola in Charlotte, and it was one of the best dining experiences we've ever had. The food was excellent—the pasta was great—and the wine list was amazing . However, the true highlight of our evening was our waiter, Jalen. Jalen was, without a doubt, the best waiter I have ever encountered. He was incredibly attentive, but not hovering, and managed to anticipate our needs before we even had to ask. He gave us great, knowledgeable recommendations on the menu and wine pairings. What really set him apart was his genuine warmth and professionalism; he made every person at our table feel special and ensured the pacing of the meal was flawless. If you are planning a visit to Zinicola, I strongly recommend requesting Jalen. He transformed a lovely dinner into a truly memorable celebration. Five stars aren't enough for the whole experience!

We have been before for dinner and the food has always been excellent. This time we had a family party and reserved the room in front. The restaurant could not have been more accommodating. Everything was set up as we had asked. The servers were amazing. I remember one was Benjamin and Darren. The food was excellent, as expected. It doesn't matter if you want a quiet dinner or a family party, Zinicolas will not disappoint.

Jalen is an exceptional waiter! I had dinner with a group of friends tonight and he was very knowledgeable on the menu items and specials. He provided excellent service checking in on us to ensure our satisfaction with our food, kept our drinks full and was very complimentary to my friend who was celebrating her birthday.

We celebrated my brother-in-law’s birthday at Zinicola, and we were truly delighted. The atmosphere is warm and perfect for a special family dinner. The food was delicious, and the favorites of the night were the Veal Parmesan and the Fried Calamari. The staff was very friendly and the service was exceptional; Alex was very attentive and made sure everything was perfect throughout the evening. A true gem in Ballantyne. Highly recommended! We will definitely be back.

I visited my son in Charlotte (12/9/25) to celebrate my birthday, and we decided to try Zinicola. Both I and my son love food and love to cook. We were torn on what to order as there were so many delicious possibilities! We were both leaning to one of the simpler dishes the house-made bolognese, but were hesitating. Our waitress, Sara, who was fabulous, assured us that as first time customers we absolutely should try the bolognese as our first experience of Zinicola as it is a signature dish. Then we can try other dishes on return visits! (Also how refreshing to not be automatically pushed towards the most expensive dish on the menu!) Sara also shared that the chef-owner is himself Italian, and she pointed him out to us as he was visible across the room working in the open kitchen. She went on to tell us that the recipes used at the restaurant are all authentic family recipes. The dish did not disappoint! I have been fortunate to travel extensively domestically and abroad, and to have experienced thousands of restaurants and delicious meals, thanks to my business travel — and, honestly, this is the best bolognese I have ever tasted! Ethereal, rich, flavorful, satisfying exactly what one dreams the dish will be when craving this beautiful Italian comfort food. The prices are correct. Thank you, Sara for your excellent service and making our experience all the more enjoyable! We will definitely visit Zinicola again!

My husband and I had an amazing time here. Sara was fantastic in sharing the family recipes from the chef and owner! Our first time here but definitely not the last! Thank you for the amazing food!

John was a fantastic server and made great recommendations for a delicious meal. We also appreciated the sommelier who was also very friendly and helpful. Thank you for a great NYE meal - look forward to many more in '26. PS Shout out to all the food runners that were also delightful 😁

We thought the food was delicious and the service was 5 stars. The value was excellent and the ambiance was nice. Shout out to Ben and Darin for their attention to detail and great hospitality. We will be back!!

First time here. The staff was really good (knowledgeable, efficient and friendly). Props to Benjamin our server. The atmosphere was nice as well; leans towards fine dining without being too pretentious. Food was good, but candidly we’re very picky when it comes to Italian food as we compare it to our own. We had the mussels in white broth as an appetizer (8/10 - mussels were good but crusty bread needs to be delivered with the appetizer, not afterwards). We then had the beet risotto (7/10 - tasty but could use a little more flavor) and the classic lasagna (7.5/10 - also tasty but a little dry and could have used a little pop in flavor).

We had a chance to visit Zinicola recently and had a very nice experience. The staff and especially the server were more than gracious and provided outstanding service. We felt overall the food was very good. Highlights included the filet mignon, which was perfectly cooked the Caesar salad with the white anchovies, and the meatball appetizer. One note was on my original order of the known as lasagna. It was significantly overcooked, but the staff graciously replaced it within an outstanding version. Also, we felt the sauce and preparation for the Brio was a little bit lacking, and not as rich as we might would’ve wanted. Overall, though a very good Italian restaurant and one we would consider visiting again.

A local gem in the heart of Ballantyne- just too good. We loved their food, particularly the bruschetta and wood-fired pizza. Our server, Benjamin, was super awesome as well.

This was our first time dining here. The atmosphere is very nice but not pretentious. Our server was attentive and polite without being intrusive. Overall, I would give it 4.5 out of 5. Fried calamari: 5/5 Piping hot and perfectly seasoned. Very crispy yet tender. And didn’t come with a hunch of filler banana peppers like other restaurants. Bread: 5/5 Toasted and warm with a delicious olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip. Lamb chops: 4/5 Perfectly cooked. Slightly underseasoned but still very good. Would get 5 stars if it had more vegetables. Orecchiette: 2/5 The white wine sauce was barely noticeable. The pasta was dry. The most disappointing dish of the meal. In retrospect, we should’ve sent it back to be remade or to request another dish. Kids spaghetti and meatball: 5/5 For $8, this was a great value considering the homemade pasta, single giant meatball, and delicious sauce. My son loved it. Tiramisu: 5/5 Very moist and not too sweet. The chilled plate was a nice touch! Not sure if we’d return given how many other Italian options we have around here but this is a solid option.

Ambiance and service was fantastic, we ordered lamb shank dish which had shank missing all it had was shredded lamb , I guess they should rename the dish, calamari was kinda soggy, would have preffered crisp, my scallops were okay but pizzas and tiramisu were great .. on the whole it was a good evening

Servers and atmosphere were great. Sara was super nice and attentive! Most critique would come around the food needing a bit more flavor, but bring up my overall rating due to friendly service and quality of servers/experience.

We had a reservation for Valentine’s Day and we had a great time! The food was delicious! We ordered the chicken parm and the seafood pasta both were spectacular! I think the service was better than the food though! We had “the coop” as our servers and I kept telling my husband, “the vibes here are immaculate” they were so fun and just all around great service! My only suggestion is for them to dim the lights for more of a romantic vibe. Looking forward to coming back!!

This was our first time visiting the restaurant to celebrate daughter’s birthday. We were greeted and seated by manager. Our server Benjamin was very good well versed in the menu and his service was really great and attentive. The scallops were delicious, also, the salmon and branzino. We enjoyed the complimentary desert “ crème brûlée . It’s always nice to have a restaurant in the neighborhood for dinner. Normally, I’m accustomed to the manager to stop by to see if there are any issues and that did not happen. Of course his actions will not affect our returning. Thank You Patricia C

Came in the evening of 2/15 for a Valentines dinner and the area was very clean, very modern and staff were all very friendly. We were seated alongside the kitchen in a high top table which gave a good view of everything. Our waiter and all of the stuff we interacted with were all very nice. The issue we had was with the food but of course that can be subjective. Our bread first came out before the mussels, the bread was moderately salty and the mussel broth was very underwhelming. Then our entrees, chicken Parmesan (hers) and veal bolognese (mine) which after our first bite we looked at eachother and said the same thing, bit salty. Maybe we caught them on an off day. The food was good and I don’t want to compare a fine dining experience to franchise Italian restaurants but our food quality experience unfortunately was much like one

We dined at Zinicola the night before Valentine’s Day with friends. This was our third visit. Our reservation was at 5:30 PM, and our table’s bill was close to $400. We came expecting a relaxed evening and a properly paced dining experience. The food itself was good. However, from the moment we sat down, the entire evening felt rushed. We understand that it was a busy holiday weekend, but that should not come at the expense of the guest experience. The wait staff were polite and professional, and it was clear they were working hard. I am sure the two servers covering our dining room were simply executing the direction they had been given. That said, the pacing of service was far too aggressive. Appetizers and entrees were brought out too quickly and without appropriate timing, making it difficult to enjoy the meal at a comfortable pace. Plates were also repeatedly being cleared before we had finished. Specifically, a calamari dish that was still being picked at prompted multiple return visits asking if it could be removed. While this may seem minor, it reinforced the ongoing sense that we were being hurried through the experience. At one point, dessert was being pushed while a member of our party was still finishing his dinner, which felt unprofessional and unnecessary. The check was also presented very abruptly and with the same rushed tone, which further added to the pressure we were feeling throughout the meal. It gave the impression that once payment was secured, the expectation was for us to quickly vacate the table rather than be allowed to finish our evening naturally. The most disappointing moment came after we had paid our bill. While we were still seated and having a conversation, a manager, or possibly the maître d’, approached and politely asked us to move along due to the busy night ahead. This was especially off-putting given that there were still a few empty tables around us at the time. We left feeling pressured and stressed instead of relaxed. When spending approximately $400 on dinner with friends, you expect to feel welcomed and valued, not rushed through the experience. The food was good, but the overall atmosphere felt transactional and hurried. Unfortunately, this has made us seriously question whether we will return.

I recently dined at Zinicola and was extremely dissatisfied with the experience. My party and I were there for roughly two hours, and the main issues were the quality of both the food and the service. We ordered the $90 porterhouse steak medium, but it arrived undercooked and cold. Even after sending it back twice, the issue was never corrected. Another dish, the Bronzino, was tough and nearly burnt, although the flavor itself was decent. We also had to purchase a side of roasted potatoes separately, despite the menu suggesting they were included with the main dish, and the portion was very small. There was also a major service failure when we were told the restaurant did not carry basic condiments like ketchup or steak sauce. Although the manager apologized, having 35 years of experience in the food business, those apologies felt empty. The manager also made jokes about the chef/line cook, which I found inappropriate. Most concerning was that no compensation was offered—no complimentary item and no removal of an entrée from the bill. Our total bill was over $500 for seven people, including a mandatory 20% gratuity. This experience was unacceptable and not how you retain a customer willing to spend that amount of money.

Came here to celebrate my husband’s birthday and left disappointed. The food was bland, and there was zero price transparency. We were recommended a truffle pasta that wasn’t on the menu, never told the price, and then charged $50 for it. Completely unacceptable and not worth it.