These Italian Restaurants In Pennsylvania Are Seriously Underrated
Pennsylvania has plenty of Italian restaurants that get all the attention, but the real fun is finding the ones flying under the radar.
These underrated spots are the quiet overachievers, the places where the bread basket feels like a warm welcome, the sauce tastes like it has been simmering long enough to tell a story, and the dining room hums with that cozy, unhurried energy.
No flashy hype, no endless buzzwords, just plates that arrive looking classic and tasting even better than you hoped. Underrated does not mean average.
It usually means locals are keeping a good thing close, the kind of place you hear about from a friend who says, “Trust me,” and refuses to overexplain.
Expect rich comfort, fresh pasta moments, hearty favorites, and that familiar Italian restaurant rhythm where everything feels a little more relaxed.
Pennsylvania’s mix of cities and small towns makes it even better, because great Italian food shows up in the most unexpected places. My favorite sign is simple.
When the server recommends a dish like it is their personal pride and joy, I stop pretending I am indecisive and just say yes.
1. Fiorella
Walking into 817 Christian St, Philadelphia 19147 feels like crashing your cool Italian aunt’s dinner party, where everyone’s welcome and the food never stops coming.
Chef Marc Vetri opened this pasta bar, a gem that proves simple ingredients become magic when someone actually knows what they’re doing.
Their cacio e pepe uses just three ingredients but tastes like it took years to perfect, because it probably did.
The dining room barely fits thirty people, with mismatched chairs and walls covered in family photos that aren’t stock images.
Fresh ricotta gets made in-house every morning, finding its way into nearly half the menu in ways that’ll make you reconsider everything you thought ricotta could do.
The meatballs swim in Sunday gravy so good it should come with a warning label.
Fun fact: the restaurant’s name honors the owner’s grandmother, whose recipes form the backbone of their ever-changing menu.
2. Le Virtù
Abruzzo’s culinary soul lives at 1927 E Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia 19148, where Chef Francis Cratil-Cretarola recreates his grandmother’s recipes with obsessive authenticity.
The brick-lined space feels like stepping into a centuries-old Italian farmhouse, complete with wooden beams and intimate lighting that makes every meal feel like a celebration.
Their handmade chitarra pasta gets cut on actual guitar-string frames imported from Italy, creating those perfectly square spaghetti strands that grab sauce like nothing else.
I watched them make it once and couldn’t stop thinking about the texture for weeks.
The porchetta here rivals anything you’d find in Rome’s street markets, with crackling skin that shatters at first bite.
Seasonal vegetables arrive daily from local farms, then get transformed using techniques most American kitchens forgot existed.
Weekend reservations disappear faster than their famous arrosticini skewers at Sunday dinner.
3. Trattoria Carina
Located at 2201 Spruce St, Philadelphia 19103, this Roman-style trattoria brings the Eternal City’s greatest hits to Rittenhouse Square without any pretentious nonsense.
The space glows with white subway tiles and marble countertops that somehow feel both fancy and completely approachable at the same time.
Carbonara here follows the rules: just egg, pecorino, guanciale, and black pepper creating that silky sauce that coats every strand of pasta perfectly. No cream, no compromises, no apologies.
The owners previously worked at some of Philly’s most celebrated Italian spots before opening their own place.
Their carciofi alla giudia (Jewish-style artichokes) get fried until they bloom like crispy flowers, staying tender inside while the outer leaves crunch like the world’s fanciest chips.
Wood-fired pizzas emerge from custom ovens with leopard-spotted crusts that taste like actual Naples. The wine list focuses entirely on Italian regions, with staff who actually know what they’re pouring.
4. Murph’s Bar
Nobody expects world-class Italian food from a corner bar, which makes 202 E Girard Ave, Philadelphia 19125 Fishtown’s best-kept secret.
The industrial-chic space mixes exposed brick with modern touches, creating the kind of spot where you could wear anything from work boots to a blazer.
Chef Tommy Hoban spent years cooking at high-end Italian restaurants before deciding to serve his nonna’s recipes alongside craft beer taps.
His red sauce tastes like it’s been simmering since 1952, clinging to rigatoni with the perfect balance of sweet tomatoes and savory depth.
The chicken parmesan here could convert vegetarians, with breading that stays crispy even under a blanket of melted mozzarella and sauce.
I stumbled in here after a concert once and ended up coming back three times that week.
Meatball hoagies get assembled on fresh Sarcone’s rolls, because shortcuts aren’t happening in this kitchen. Late-night service means you can satisfy Italian food cravings until midnight most nights.
5. L’Angolo Ristorante
Since 1988, the corner spot at 1415 W Porter St, Philadelphia 19145 has been feeding South Philly families the kind of food that makes you understand why Italians take three hours for dinner.
The dining room feels frozen in time, with red leather booths and vintage photographs covering every available wall space.
Veal saltimbocca here gets pounded thin, layered with prosciutto and sage, then finished in white wine sauce that practically demands you sop it up with bread.
Three generations of the same family still run the place, with recipes that haven’t changed since opening day.
Their lobster ravioli special on Fridays causes actual traffic jams on Porter Street as regulars rush to claim their tables.
The BYOB policy keeps prices reasonable while letting you pair your meal with whatever wine you’ve been saving.
Every pasta shape gets made by hand in the basement kitchen, where the same crew has been rolling dough together for decades.
6. Ralph’s Italian Restaurant
Claiming the title of America’s oldest Italian restaurant, 760 S 9th St, Philadelphia 19147 has been serving red sauce classics since 1900, back when most Americans had never heard of spaghetti.
The interior looks exactly like it should, with dark wood paneling and framed photos documenting over a century of family dinners.
Their signature dish remains the same chicken cacciatore that fed Italian immigrants settling in South Philly generations ago.
Frank Sinatra ate here multiple times, and the booth where he sat still gets requested by couples on date nights.
House-made gnocchi float like little clouds in marinara sauce that tastes like someone’s great-grandmother is still stirring the pot.
The building itself predates the restaurant, originally serving as a private residence before transforming into this culinary institution.
Waiters here have worked the same sections for twenty-plus years, remembering not just your face but probably your grandfather’s usual order too.
Cash-only policy keeps things old-school in the best possible way.
7. Vecchia Osteria by Pasquale
Chef Pasquale Cusato brings serious Italian credentials to 20 Richboro Rd, Newtown 18940, having trained in Michelin-starred kitchens across Italy before landing in Bucks County.
The renovated colonial building now houses a sophisticated dining room where rough-hewn beams meet crisp white linens in perfect harmony.
His branzino gets filleted tableside with the kind of knife skills that make you stop mid-conversation to watch.
The menu changes with whatever’s fresh at the market, following Italian seasonal traditions most American restaurants completely ignore.
Homemade burrata arrives at your table still warm, oozing cream when you cut into it alongside heirloom tomatoes dressed simply in Sicilian olive oil.
I drove forty minutes for their osso buco once and would absolutely do it again tomorrow.
The wine cellar holds over three hundred Italian labels, with the sommelier actually visiting many of the vineyards personally.
Desserts get made by a pastry chef who studied in Bologna and takes tiramisu very, very seriously.
8. Dish Osteria and Bar
Pittsburgh’s South Side gets proper Italian treatment at 128 S 17th St, Pittsburgh 15203, where exposed brick walls and an open kitchen create the kind of energy that makes every meal feel like an event.
The industrial neighborhood setting somehow makes the food taste even more authentic, like discovering a Roman trattoria in an unexpected place.
Chef Dave Anoia worked under Marc Vetri before opening his own spot, bringing techniques learned in Italy’s best kitchens to steel city diners.
His agnolotti dal plin gets crimped by hand into tiny pockets bursting with roasted meat and served in butter sauce that’s basically liquid gold.
Wood-fired pizzas here rival anything in Philadelphia, with crusts that achieve that perfect balance between chewy and crispy.
The pork shank special sells out almost every night it appears, braised until the meat falls off the bone into a puddle of rich gravy.
Fun fact: the restaurant’s name comes from the Italian word for plate, keeping things simple and focused on what matters most.
9. DiAnoia’s Eatery
Strip District’s hottest table sits at 2549 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh 15222, where Dave Anoia’s second restaurant captures the chaotic energy of an Italian mercato with a deli counter, pasta station, and dining room all buzzing simultaneously.
The vintage-inspired space features subway tiles, hanging salumi, and enough visual interest to keep you entertained between courses.
Fresh mozzarella gets pulled to order, still warm and impossibly creamy when it hits your plate alongside crusty bread and roasted peppers.
The porchetta sandwich alone justifies the inevitable wait for a table, with herb-crusted pork piled high on house-made focaccia.
Their carbonara follows Roman rules so strictly it might as well have been made in Trastevere, with guanciale cut thick enough to provide real textural contrast.
Weekend brunch adds Italian twists to morning classics, like frittatas stuffed with ingredients that change based on what looked good at the market.
The bakery case tempts you on the way out with sfogliatelle that shatter into a thousand flaky layers.
10. Piccolo Forno
Lawrenceville’s tiniest Italian spot at 3801 Butler St, Pittsburgh 15201 fits maybe twenty people, but the wood-fired oven produces pizzas that punch way above their weight class.
The minimalist space lets the food do all the talking, with white walls and simple wooden tables creating a canvas for seriously impressive cooking.
Megan and Jim Ritchie imported their oven directly from Naples, then spent months perfecting dough recipes until achieving that signature leopard-spotted crust.
The Margherita here tastes like the platonic ideal of pizza, with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil creating perfect harmony.
Antipasti rotate based on seasonal availability, but the burrata with roasted grapes appears often enough to develop a cult following.
I once watched someone propose here over a Diavola pizza, which feels completely appropriate given how romantic the candlelit space becomes after dark.
The BYOB policy and tiny size mean reservations get snatched up weeks in advance. House-made pastas round out the menu for anyone who can resist the pizza’s siren call.
11. Il Pizzaiolo
Family recipes from Calabria have been feeding Mt. Lebanon residents faithfully at 703 Washington Rd, Mt.
Lebanon 15228 for decades, back when most Americans still thought pizza meant delivery chains.
The cozy dining room maintains that classic red-sauce-joint aesthetic with checkered tablecloths and walls covered in Italian scenes that transport you straight to the old country.
Their New York-style slices fold perfectly in half, with cheese that stretches for days and a thin crust that stays crispy even under generous toppings.
The Carfagno family still runs every aspect of the operation, from making sauce to greeting regulars by name at the door.
Eggplant parmigiana here gets layered like lasagna, with breaded slices, marinara, and melted cheese creating the kind of comfort food that fixes bad days.
The white pizza topped with ricotta and garlic proves that sometimes less really is more.
Fun fact: their pizza dough rises for exactly twenty-four hours, a timing they’ve refused to adjust despite countless suggestions for years.
12. Faccia Luna Pizzeria
State College’s college crowd and faculty alike pack into 1229 S Atherton St, State College 16801 for pizzas that go way beyond typical campus food.
The brick-oven centerpiece dominates the open dining room, where you can watch pizzaioli stretch dough and slide pies into roaring flames that kiss the crust with char.
Creative topping combinations include things like prosciutto with fig jam, proving that innovation and tradition can coexist peacefully on the same menu.
The Margherita remains their bestseller though, because sometimes you can’t improve on perfection.
Fresh pasta specials change weekly, with the kitchen experimenting based on whatever inspired the chef during weekend farmers market visits.
Their Caesar salad gets tossed tableside with a dressing recipe that’s been closely guarded since opening day.
The space fills with energy during Penn State home games, becoming the kind of gathering spot where strangers become friends over shared pizzas.
Gluten-free crusts here actually taste good, which feels revolutionary for anyone with dietary restrictions who’s suffered through cardboard substitutes elsewhere.