Zito's

We had a really enjoyable dinner at Zito’s. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and I especially appreciated that it’s a family-owned restaurant. I also loved the small Fiat out front—that’s always a cool touch and adds to the restaurant’s charm before you even walk in. The service was friendly throughout the meal. My only real suggestion would be for the staff to provide a little more guidance on portion sizes. We were trying to decide between ordering family-style or individual entrées, and the response was essentially, “You can do either.” While that’s true, we were hoping for a recommendation based on the size of our group and how the dishes are typically served. For anyone going, I’d recommend ordering family-style. The appetizers were a little smaller than I expected, so I’d slightly over-order there, but the pasta and entrée portions were generous. As for the food, I’m admittedly a bit of an Italian-American food snob. I thought it was good—not the kind of meal I’d rave about for weeks, but solid, enjoyable, and satisfying. My favorite dish was the penne alla vodka. I really liked the addition of the ground beef, which gave the sauce a little more richness than you typically find. I’d definitely come back. I’d like to try a few more dishes because I have a feeling there may be something on the menu that’s truly exceptional—I just don’t think I found it on my first visit. Overall, I think four stars is a fair rating.

The burrata appetizer was very good. We split a caesar salad, which was excellent! I chose the pistachio gnocchi for my meal. It was decadent! When we arrived at 6:00, the restaurant was about half full. However, it really picked up as the evening went on. Maria, the busser was so sweet and did a great job of keeping the tables cleared.

The restaurant’s ambiance is quite attractive: beautiful décor, tasteful lighting, quality furnishings, appealing design, and a great-spacious outdoor dining terrace. However, tonight’s atmosphere was brutally noisy. We were seated inside but realizing the loud cacophony of conversartions and loud laughter, we moved to the outside terrace to enjoy the soothing traffic noise of Federal Highway—perhaps the fact that there was a large party of young people hovering at the bar loudly enjoying themselves was the cause of the excessive noise level. Other than that, everything else deserves a 5-Star accolade. I highly recommend you give it a shot. I will certainly go back soon, but next time, I’ll come prepared and bring my noise reduction earplugs. Tonight’s price per person including tax and a 20% tip was $66–NO alcohol. Though my group doesn’t drink alcohol, they have a full bar. They also offer a complimentary valet parking which is very nice. The tiny-tiny old fiat car on display on the terrace seems to the Zito’s mascot.

All of our meals were top quality and delicious! The calamari and shrimp are to die for! The presentation was absolutely beautiful! The ambience was great, the staff was friendly and the service was some of the best we have ever had. Our server was very helpful and genuinely seemed to enjoy his job which made our meal that much better. We are looking forward to going back and trying more of their menu!

This is one of the BEST restaurants in all of Fort Lauderdale hands down! Came here tonight for the first time with my mother and sister. Everything we had was a 10/10!! I had their dirty martini (perfection) and their favorite espresso martini (immaculate). The Fritto misto was light and crispy and came with a perfectly cooked tomato sauce for dipping. I had the Parpadelle which was a huge portion that was full of flavor and perfectly Al dente. My sister had the mushroom pasta and my mother had the chicken. Our server was named Laura and she was knowledgeable, gave great suggestions, and was very attentive. The atmosphere was quiet and the restaurant was clean and beautifully decorated. All in all it is a lovely spot everyone should check out. I will most definitely be back!!