IL Triangolo Restaurant
“So it is kind of hard to RSVP last minute, luckily I called and Mario said he can work something out for me.”
“It shows in the homemade wine, bread, pastas, desserts and special dishes such as the veal alla grappa.”
“The food is so fresh and so flavorful & authentic that you'd swear you were somewhere in Italy, not Queens!”
IL Triangolo Restaurant
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Call ahead to make reservations, and when you show up on time, turn your cell phones off and put them away, because Mario is not havin' any of that at his establishment!
Do as he says because he's about to make your life a lot more delicious.
We were fortunate enough to catch the soft shell crab special, which is sauteed with olive oil and lemon. It's divine. Also enjoyed were the namesake Homemade Triangolini Ubriaco Signature Dish and my go-to, the Homemade CavateIIi broccoli rabe, sausage and cherry tomatoes. The Triangolini sauce is creamy and complex, the cavatelli is perfect for those of us who love hearty pasta.
Although we were sufficiently stuffed from our meal, we couldn't pass up their housemade dessert menu. We ultimately shared a tiramisu – no regrets.
Also, make sure you're not wearing shorts, flip flops, or sandals, gentlemen, you're here to have a proper dinner – Mario.
The food is good. However, I am very disappointed with the service. The host picks and chooses which customers to attend to.
Classy service with the warmth of a well managed, family-owned business. Many delicious homemade items include soppressata, pork sausage and various pastas. Cozy atmosphere that's perfect for holiday dinners or intimate date nights. You don't have to, but go ahead. Throw on a tie and make it special.
I really would rate this 4 1/2 stars, but I am rounding this up to five stars. I went to Il Triangolo to celebrate my birthday, and I was treated with excellent hospitality. The owner of the restaurant, Mario, came out and greeted the table and made sure we were properly waited on. The service at the restaurant is definitely five stars. Additionally, the wait staff made sure our coats were hung up, which I felt was a classy policy. I was intrigued by the no cell phone policy, but overall it made for a better dining experience. Instead of texting, we were all actually talking to each other.
Now onto the food. The starter of the fresh baked bread was awesome. The bread was light and fluffy and super delicious. The olive-sun dried tomato spread was yummy, as was the olive oil option. We then ordered appetizers of hot antipasto and a Mediterranean salad. Both were very tasty/delicious, but I thought the hot antipasto appetizer was a bit small. For entrees, we ordered a chicken frangelico, chicken parmigiango, veal pizziola, veal piccata, a special lamb chop rollatini entree over basil mashed potatoes, and chicken ala vodka. We also had a side of spinach and broccoli rabe. All had a side of pasta. The chicken frangelico was probably the best entree and deserves five stars. It was very flavorful, and each bite was a surprise. The chicken parmigiano was a well made chicken parm, but at the end of the day it was chicken parm. The veal piccata was a mixed bag; some pieces were very tender, some were more tough. The lamb entree was delicious, but there was very little meat on the bone. The basil pesto mashed potatoes were awesome. I did not try the veal pizziola or chicken ala vodka, but both plates were finished and enjoyed. Overall, the entrees and appetizers were four stars, because the lamb entree was disappointing but everything else was good, or in the case of the chicken frangelico, great.
For dessert, we had carrot cake, creme brulee, a cannoli, and tiramisu. All were awesome; I thought the cannoli was one of the best I ever had in my life, honestly. Desserts were 4 1/2 stars; they were all totally delicious, but not also innovative plate revelations.
Overall I give this four and a half stars, rounding up to five stars. The four and a half star rating on Yelp is well deserved. The chicken frangelico was a delicious innovative plate revelation, and I would highly recommend eating this dish. And the service is top notch. Be prepared to not look at your cell phone during the meal; I don't think that is a bad thing!
4.5 STARS……HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
I am fully cognizant of the controversies regarding this restaurant.
However, I'm confining this review to the great experience that me and five other members of my dining group had on Saturday, 7/9/16:
Although located in a congested area of Queens, Il Triangolo delivers by offering valet parking. Observe the beautiful mural as you walk to the corner entrance of the restaurant. It is cool.The restaurant offers great value. The vast majority of pastas and main course on the dinner menu are in the teens and low twenties.
Upon arrival, there was a humorous moment. In a clear violation of the spirit of this "old school" Italian restaurant the Backstreet Boys were blaring when our group arrived. The waiter, sheepishly and immediately, ran to change the radio station before the owner was aware of this faux pas. Tony Bennett returned and order was restored to the world.
Immediately thereafter, Mario, the owner(who resembles wiseguy actor, Paul Sorvino), arrived to greet our group and take our order.He was a gracious host the entire evening. The service here was exceptional. We were encouraged to relax, were never rushed, and dined for nearly three hours.
Given the policy against cellphones, I asked Mario whether it was okay to take food photos. Mario, feigning indignation, replied in perfect New Yorkese "Whadda ya think, we're communists here?" So….we have the benefit of some photos of great food.
Mario brought over some homemade Italian Bread. It was outstanding, fresh and delicious. Mario followed that up with some incredible complimentary Homemade Caponata. a very good start.
Two diners ordered the superstar app, a special called Salmon Rollatini. My companions raved about this dish, with one exclaiming that it was the best dish of the evening. Another member praised the Baked Clams, particularly the unique thyme-seasoned breadcrumbs atop the clams. I loved my half-order of Linguine with White Clam Sauce which contained fresh clams, tasty sauce and perfectly al dente pasta.In contrast to most places which try to squeeze out a few extra bucks from half orders, Mario actually charged half ($9.00).
Mains were similarly superb. Three, including me, ordered the Veal Chop Special ($44.00). Unlike in a multitude of other places which provide a gargantuan-sized chop with lots of gloppy brown sauce to cover a less than fresh chop, the chop here was very,very fresh and covered with an appropriately spare amount of provolone,gravy and very thinly sliced sweet potatoes. I loved it, as did my fellow diners.The others commented favorably on the Sea Bass Special, Veal Milanese and Veal Sorrentino.
Dinner, for some,not me, concluded with large and delicious Cannolis and a Napoleon, both reasonably priced at $8.00.Two diners indulged in Grappa and Homemade Limoncello. I tasted the former. It put hair on my chest (just what I need) and nearly floored me.
An absolutely wonderful evening. Il Triangolo is one of the select Italian restaurants on the geographical area of Long Island.
Came here last night with a party of 7 and had a wonderful time. Atmosphere, service and food were all spectacular.
Food: homemade pasta- need I say more? They have a generous number of pasta dishes and the waiter said we can mix and match pastas and sauces (which I ended up doing). It's nice he let us know that because at fancy restaurants people tend not to do that as it may offend the chef.
We got a few apps too- they were all great. My favorite being the baked clams. The clams were so tender and not chewy/overcooked which I feel like happens easily w baked clams.
Desserts were also phenomenal! They have a different dessert menu everyday (that they recite) as they are made fresh every day. They were all great but I have to point out the cannoli. Probably the best I've ever had. Made with fresh ricotta, it was so creamy and not overly sweet. Exactly how all cannolis should be.
A few other food things to point out:
-homemade bread was great, but no olive spread or olive oil (guess they only do this sometimes?)
-they gave us complimentary chicken meatballs to start which was so kind. I don't eat chicken,
but everyone liked them and I tried the sauce which was very classic and flavorful.
Drinks: beer and wine only. They have homemade wine which is super cool and adds to the whole rustic Italian feel.
Service/ambiance: the place has such a nice old school Italian vibe that is clean and not overly done. Wood paneled walls, red/white checkered napkins in bread baskets etc.
the service was also superb. This place clearly prides themselves in making sure guests are taken care of and have a great experience.
Other:
-I read on their Yelp they have a no children (under 13) policy on Fri/sat nights (LOL!). To be honest there nothing worse than a bratty kid ruining your otherwise perfect dining experience so I totally give them props on this.
-the cell phone thing wasn't as nuts as some people made it out to be on Yelp. You can still take pics and honesty being on your phone when you're at a meal is totally rude so again, props to them for delivering the realness
All in all a total 5 star experience
PARKSIDE whattt??!?
This place blows Parkside out the water. I mean its not even comparable, that's how good Il Triangolo is! I first visted this place about 3 months ago. I have to admit that once finding out their cellphone policy I was like "OH HELL NO!" But now that I think about it, every restaurant should implement such policy!
Okay okay about their food. THE BEST ITALIAN FOOD in Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island, Long Island, Brooklyn. Get it? That is how freaking good it is. Everything is home made (pasta, sauce, bread even organic freaking wine!) Mario (the owner) is there all the time (thats how you know its the real deal), he is polite, cordial and is very attentive. He personally comes to each and every table to greet you and to tell you of the daily specials. I don't even want to list the items that I've ordered because they are all so good. You really can't go wrong. Order it all!
Our family came here last night for Thanksgiving dinner and we were blown away. Mario bought his poultry fresh (turkey was running around with his homies in the morning, on my plate in the evening). The turkey was prepared rollatini style and stuffed with all its glory. The dish came with sweet potato, mashed potato and sauteed brussel sprouts. So GOODDDD!
All of the deserts offered are self baked by Mario's talented wife! All worth trying.
I just went there last night and I can't wait to go back!
This was truly a great meal and experience.
The service was great and the food was even better.
When you sit down you are greeted with warm fresh made bread and a delicious olive spread.
I could have left satisfied if I only had the bread and olive spread.
We got a carafe of the homemade wine. It is a blend and a tad on the sweeter side BUT very good. I love anything that is homemade. I feel a lot of restaurants have lost this touch. Not here. They take pride in everything that comes out of the kitchen. It is obvious in the quality, presentation and taste.
First Course:
Baked Clams –
Simple and made to perfection
Mussel special (sauce based broth and house made sausage)-
This was great. I couldn't get enough of the broth. The fresh bread ensured that by the time we finished the dish there was no broth left.
Main Course:
Gnocchi special with bolognese sauce-
The Gnocchi were pillowy soft and fluffy. The sauce stands out. It is really a great red sauce.
Chicken special (stuffed with mushrooms, spinach and cheese)-
Very good and the sauce it came with was perfectly complimented with a little balsamic.
Chicken Frangelico-
A signature dish that was amazing. I almost asked for them to leave the almonds off but I went with it and boy am I glad. The sauce was amazing, the chicken was perfectly cooked and the almonds gave a nice contrast with the sauce and chicken.
Dessert:
Homemade Italian cheesecake-
Fluffy and Delicious. I don't normally love Italian cheesecake but I loved this one. They put some strawberries on top and that added a little sweetness.
Amazing meal, service and experience.
We actually enjoyed the no cell phone policy. It was relaxing to not think about touching my phone.