The Rocket

Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: Focus

Media Credit: Meagan Gribbin Natili Restaurant and Lounge proved to be a major disappointment. The service was poor, the food tasted bland and it was served cold. [Click to enlarge]

Natili Restaurant and Lounge
104 West Wayne St.
Butler, Pa. 16001

A fixture in the Butler area dining scene, the Natili Restaurant has been around nearly 70 years. Many changes and expansions have made the restaurant what it is today.

There are two Natili restaurants in town within a few blocks of each other. The Natili Restaurant and Lounge, located on the south side of town, is more family-oriented.

FOOD

The spinach manicotti was average at best. The green manicotti shells were stuffed with ricotta cheese and bits of spinach that I could barely taste. The shells were doused in plain tomato sauce and topped with melted mozzarella cheese. It could have used some extra seasoning to spice it up a bit.

My guest decided on the fettuccini alfredo with chicken. The dish included about five chunks of chicken. The alfredo sauce was very pasty, rather than "creamy," like the menu declares. The dinner was basic with only fettuccini noodles, alfredo sauce and the chicken. Again, it probably could have used a little extra flavor.

Apparently we missed the dinner rush, because it seemed like we got the leftovers. The meals most likely would have been much better if they had been fresh.

I must confess, though: the Reese's peanut butter specialty cheesecake-topped with chocolate and bits of peanut butter cups-was absolutely fantastic.

PRICES

Some of the prices weren't too bad, but for the most part, everything seemed a bit overpriced. Appetizers fell between $4.50 and $8.50, with a very unique selection that ranged from french fries with meat sauce to shrimp cocktail.

There are more than 50 dinner dishes to choose from, including salads, pastas, linguini, chicken, veal, steak and seafood. The average price for salads was around $8. The dinners ranged anywhere from $9.75 for the spaghetti aglio-olio to $19.95 for the New England shrimp scampi.

All sandwiches were less than $6.50, and the desserts were no higher than $4.25.

ENVIRONMENT

It's a little hard to put my finger on how to describe the atmosphere seeing as how we were the only people in the whole dining room. There were a few patrons at the bar where the live music was, but as for the restaurant itself, the place was practically empty. I suppose you could call it a quiet atmosphere.

The bar was located upstairs from the dining areas. The well-divided areas were split into a diner-style smoking section and a more dressed up non-smoking section.

For a restaurant that features menu items on the higher end of the price scale, I would expect a more well-presented bistro. The cushions on the chairs were stained and the wicker backs were broken, there were crumbs on the floor under the table next to us and the placemats were made of paper.

The windows were decorated with plastic plants, one wall had mirror panels that made the room look better and old paintings adorned the walls.

The restaurant does seem to offer a great selection of music in the bar for weekend patrons.

SERVICE

After waiting to be noticed for about five minutes, my guest and I were seated in the empty dining room. We then continued to wait for another 10 minutes or so for our waitress to take our drink orders. After the initial delay in service, things began to run smoothly.

I was surprised that the waitress didn't take any of our used plates away when she brought the next. They just sort of piled up on the table. The waitress was very friendly but seemed a little exhausted. It looked as though she was going back and forth from the bar to our table the whole night.

THE BOTTOM LINE
With such an Italian-sounding name and after all of the great reviews I had heard, I expected this place to be a little fancier. No dripping wax candles or remnants of the "old country" were in sight. I would recommend Natili for a good place for an adult or business dinner, but make sure you get there early enough so that the food is still fresh.

Meagan Gribbin is a junior communication major and the advertising manager for The Rocket.

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