Zio Cecio Reviews

large group was in town for a meeting--- authentic wonderful italian food. outstanding!!! three of us are Italian and they loved it as well!!

We have been to this lovely restaurant recently because a friend of mine brought me there and I could say that I have been entirely satisfied, food was absolutely amazing, real Italian food cooked in a proper manner , something special that makes this place just unique, nothing to complaint about great value for money. The service was as quick as good always attentive making sure that nothing was missing for our needs. Highly recommended when we get back to Dallas we already know where to eat. Thanks Zio Cecio for the lovely dinner !!! Hai detto cavallo ??

Great Sicilian cuisine that uses ingredients imported from Italy and wine from the owner's vineyard. The appetizers were delicately prepared, the rosemary chicken tender and deliciously seasoned, and the tiramisu to die for. The quality of the food and service is worth the cost and is a great "special event" choice.

Owner and Chef Francesco never disappoints, almost to the point of perfection. Coming from a family from Sardinia, his dishes are original Italian and even down to having some vintages of his family wine vineyard. Zion is the real deal. Dallas and Texas are very lucky to have authentic Sardinian cuisine that is worthy of high praise!

I've been looking for good Italian food in Dallas for years, and on the recommendation of a personal friend who also happens to be a chef, I decided to try Zio's! Right away, the atmosphere is inviting as you enter the restaurant. The wait staff was very attentive, and hats off to Cezar who did a great job... especially with the wine recommendation! I started with some antipasti... the Tagliere Del Pastore consisting of a superb selection of cured meats and artisanal cheeses... for the main course the nights special... Halibut perfectly cooked with a tomato and olive based sauce. And for dessert theTorta di Limone Alla Grappa... melts in your mouth! Topping off the night with a little expresso... Thanks to Francisco and all the staff at Zio Cecio for a wonderful impromptu Sardinian dinning experience!!

For me, Italian cuisine is on a very high pedestal, and authenticity is not something to treat lightly. YouTube is filled with videos showing how to make proper, authentic Italian dishes such as spaghetti pomodoro or carbonara. In the end, it's frankly not easy, given the relatively simple set of ingredients. But once you've had it done right, you can never go back. I've been in the DFW area for 15 years, and the search continues for proper, authentic Italian cuisine (yes, you can find proper Neapolitan pizza, which is terrific, but I'm thinking more about Roman/Tuscan dishes here). The menu at Zio Cecio is a terrific offering, lots of dishes to match anyone's tastes or dietary needs. The focaccia starter was quite nice -- cooked perfectly with a taste of rosemary and some coarse semolina that brought it together. Well done on this. For starters, we did shared plates of asparagus risotto and the mussels/clams. Both were very, very good. I found the risotto especially intriguing, there was a very interesting cheese in there that captured my interest. The wine list has an extensive set of Italian offerings, plus regional highlights from Sardinia. The prices were generally quite high, not too many reds that were under $100 a bottle. Where it came apart was the main dishes. I had one objective, and that was to report the finding of authentic carbonara, but no luck. Sadly, the pasta was very overcooked, and the construction of the dish was baffling. Carbonara is pasta, egg yolk, guanciale, pecorino, and a bit of black pepper. Key in making it right is how the dish is finished as the ingredients are brought together before plating. Sadly, the carbonara I had at Zio Cecio seemed to have no egg in it at all, and really seemed to be overcooked spaghetti that was tossed with some undercooked thick-cut bacon, a bit of watery bacon run-off, and then topped with some average grated cheese. My wife had the veal chop, and for medium-rare, it was more leaning towards well done. The kids had pomodoro and margarita pizza. The pomodoro seemed OK, but again was overcooked. The margarita pizza bafflingly had thick slices of hothouse tomatoes, which made it a watery mess. The part that I struggle with the most was the price. $22 for pasta, $45 for veal chop. For a family of four, the bill was nearly $400 without dessert. I'd have been more OK with it had the bill been half of what it was, but there's no overlooking that the prices seem sky-high. Minor annoyance, but the service was also lacking. On the ride home, my wife and I compared the service experience here to other DFW restaurants at the same price point, and the gap was laughable. I came in with really high hopes, but the search for carbonara continues. (yes, I have the envious benefit of a wife who makes the most amazing authentic Italian cuisine, but occasionally we want to go out!)

Had a nice dinner here The seafood ravioli was rich and a huge order. My husband and I shared that and the ciopino. Can't wait to try something else

I really didn't liked my experience at this restaurant, food was kinda tasteless and the server had no idea what he was doing for a 30,00 U$ plate i think they should know what they're serving. loud music and crowded space, not coming back.

For me it is one of the hidden places in Lovers. It is a small place with a great variety of dishes, not a huge menu but a bit of everything. Always with great flavor,and the owner is there most of the times greeting you and ask you how was your experience. I love the lasagna, and I have never been a fan of that dish, but it is flavorful and rich, without being greasy or overcook. Delicious!! Don't miss it.

Not to be confused with Authentic "American Italian". If you are coming for veal parmigiana, go somewhere else. However if you want pasta with bold delicious flavors this is the spot! They actually know what "al dente" means!! Check out the specials and the seafood dishes are great! Finally a good Italian restaurant in Dallas!!

Great Italian food. Excellent wine selection. Extremely well trained staff. Superb value for the quality. Comfortable neighborhood atmosphere. I will go back soon. We need more places like this in Dallas! D N2Y

A so-so dining experience..Went here as we had a good dining experience about 1 1/2 years ago with friends and, we remembered the good ol' Cafe Italia that was here before. The service was excellent, 5 star. However, it ain't cheap. Tip for valet parking, no real free parking close by. House Red Wine was $12.00 per glass as was the white, the wine was OK but nothing special, my spaghetti was like that which I cook when my wife is away, a T.V. Dinner both in appearance and in taste. All in all it wasn't cheap and we were sorry we went, next time we'll try another Italian place or wait until we get to Italy this Summer. Not very Italiano to have the T.V. on to an NBA game all night. We want a pleasant dining experience not that of a sports bar.

You can always get a good meal here! The food and the service is wonderful. Good wine list too. We eat here about 2-3 times a month. It is a "go to" spot!

my wife and I have been twice in the last month and each time, we have enjoyed the specials. Very Italian, not your every day pasta meal. The service is attentive. We have always enjoyed the friendly and knowledgeable wait staff. The prices are very reasonable. This restaurant has quickly become one of our "regulars"

Beautiful restaurant, very good service and delicious food. The portions are a little bit too small for my taste, but I would still recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for good italian food.

Our family’s first time to visit Zio’s. We were hopeful to get some good Italian. Food was average at best. My roast chicken salad was soggy and chicken tasted like it was from a can. The waiter had a attitude and tried to up sell us every chance he got. We were going to get dessert but decided to leave instead. All in all, it was a expensive, poor example of an Italian restaurant. We won’t be back.

It pains me to write a negative review, especially about a family run restaurant, but after stewing about it for over a month I finally decided that the treatment that my guests, wife and I received at Zio Cecio was too inexcusable to ignore. To start with the positives, the restaurant is cute by Dallas standards; East Coast visitors would probably describe it as plastic. Anyway, we were able to make a reservation online for four people on a Saturday night just a few hours before arriving. In retrospect, perhaps that should have been a warning of bad things to come. We were seated relatively promptly, and quickly placed an order for a bottle of wine and some calamari. Things were looking good and I really wanted to like the place because it is close to my home. The wine (which the waiter helped select) arrived quickly, but was subpar and expensive. The calamari sat on the kitchen ledge within my sight for 15 minutes and finally arrived cold and rubbery. Ugh. I tried to ignore these gaffs and we placed our entre orders and waited. And waited. And waited ... Slightly under one hour (and several inquiries) later our food arrived. My veal dish, again cold, was about Olive Garden quality. My wife's salmon was dismal. And the osso buco ordered by one of my guests looked nice, and was reportedly OK, but cold too. But the coup de grace was one guest's risotto which was simply raw; not al dente, but tooth-cracking raw. The waiter tried to rationalize the raw risotto by saying it was Sardinian-style risotto. My guest, who has traveled extensively in Italy for decades, begged to differ. I was prepared to ignore this gaff too until the manager came out and proceeded to repeatedly insult my guest for questioning his inedible risotto. This was simply too much. Harvey Gough who ran the infamous Goff's Hamburgers down the street treated his customers with more respect. I treated everyone to dinner, tipped the waiter more than he deserved, and hoped the terrible experience would fade from my memory. Unfortunately, it lingers with me. In short, as much as I had hoped to like Zio Cecio, I cannot recommend it to anyone. There are plenty of better Italian restaurants in the area.

We found Zio Cecio in the Top 10 list of 2012 restaurants, D Magazine. From the minute we walked in, until we left (after closing time) we were treated with wonderful service. Everything we ordered was prepared beautifully and tasted terrific! This is an intimate setting restaurant, and was busy for a Monday night with regulars and new dining guests. Highly recommend for any special occasion!

We came in on Nov.9 & were served a dinner totally unlike we had had there in the past. The Carpaccio was about 1/3 the size it has been before. Both pasta dishes were too salty & when we told our waiter, he did not offer to bring something else------ he just said he would tell the kitchen.

I went with my partner on a Monday and we were constantly forced to pick something from their once-a-week menu which was actually Tex-Mex. I said I wanted Italian several times but it was forced down my throat and explained by the waiter that they would receive extra tip at the end of the night if I ordered Tex-Mex. Not for me, avoid!

seeing Zio Cecio from Lover's Lane, you may not be inspired by its outward appearance, but once inside, that once lack of inspiration turns to curiosity and then to delight. My epicurian bliss began with a Dei Quattro Mori, artichoke salad with tomato, lettuce and Grana Padano cheese. For my entree, I opted for the seafood and ricotta stuffed ravioli. These are not small squares, but giant taco shaped ravioli with a pistachio cream sauce. OMG! Though kinda full, I selected the cheesecake for dessert and was glad I made that choice.

Take it from an Italian. This is the best in town. Not cheap, but authentic and delicious! Great menu with daily specials and a super wine The owner is a celebrated chef who recently won 1st prize on a popular TV show featuring Italian restaurants around the world and broadcast on Italian tv. Be ready for an extraordinary experience.

I'm Italian, the real Italian cuisine in Dallas, delicious food, great wine, good staff, zio cecio nice and kind. I advise

I went with 2 guests. We all loved our dinners. The food selection is really reasonably priced. The service was excellent. The ambiance and vibe in the restaurant is great. The only issue we had was trying to find a reasonably priced Chardonnay wine, to no avail. We will all definitely go again. 3 Thumbs Up!

Thoroughly enjoyed our visit. My wife and I split the lamb chops and the branzino. Waiter suggested a great Chianti. Brought us a gratis bruschetta which worked perfectly with the wine. Mozarella and tomato was just ok primarily because of the tomato. The lamb was good but the fish was definitely better. Will try the snapper for two next time. Sealed the deal with a flight of digestifs. Four samples of the after dinner drinks. Highly recommended!

Delicious food you can’t go wrong with anything that you eat! All of the staff is very friendly, and I have NEVER had a bad meal there. HIGHLY recommended

Actually, the food at Zio is Sicilian and very good with nice size portions and excellent service. It is small, which can be quite noisy when busy. I prefer to sit on the enclosed patio when I really want to have a conversation. It has become a favorite dining spot for that type of food and one to which we enjoy taking out-of-towners.

the food in not bad but little proud of what they charge for it. Be prepared to spend top dollar for fair food.

This is my favorite neighborhood restaurant. I love the Lupara, an Italian version of a Manhattan, and the chicken with mushrooms. The services is great, friendly and efficient, the menu is varied with something for everyone, and the atmosphere is relaxing. I go at least a couple of times a month.

I really like the small size of this restaurant and the décor. The service was slow and the staff not attentive. I ordered the lasagna for 21.95 worth about 8.95. Small and really average. My friend ordered a pasta dish that was way to spicy. There is hot and this was way to hot. I think for the money I will go else where. Like the atmosphere and the location. Maybe this was just an off visit. $160 got 2 salads , 3 entrees, 4 drinks , 1 dessert.

We have been a few times and while it was just OK it didn't wow us but the other night it was vastly improved. They had new wait staff who executed flawlessly even trading out cocktails THEY didn't like. The food is Sardinian as the chef is from there so lots of fish done beautifully. The wine list has been revamped too. The restaurant was nearly full so others have found out what we did. I happyly will be back.

Walked in and got warm homey feeling. You can tell this is a place that locals love. The service was wonderful and the food was even better. I'm a fan of risotto and they had a delicious seafood risotto that was perfectly cooked. My dad has chicken parm and it was also perfect. Chicken breading was slightly crispy with a good sauce. The chocolate mouse and cheese cake were a perfect end to the meal!

Went here for dinner on a Saturday night on the recommendation of a friend. It was a nice small restaurant, medium to medium high noise level and it was really warm inside. And I am usually never warm so that was a surprise. They will allow you to bring your own wine for a reasonable corkage fee. My food was decent but our fellow diners ordered the whole snapper and it was clearly the way to go. I tried it and would definitely get that on a future visit. It is enough for two if not three people. Nice neighborhood venue with decent food and service. Would go back.

Zio Cecio has to be one of the best Italian restaurants in Dallas. The service is excellent and every dish was outstanding. I ordered pasta Carbonara - a beautiful preparation, cooked perfectly al dente, and quite flavorful. My spouse had the roasted chicken which was juicy and delicious. Can't wait to order that next time. Valet parking is a plus, and best to arrive by 6:30 pm (or make a reservation). It fills up quickly. You can always get a place at the bar as well.

Unfortunately, this restaurant is near out home so I am having trouble trying to stay positive as I would love to give it great reviews but this would not be the right thing to do. We dined there on December 21st with my real italian friend from Rome, her daughter and out two daughters. As it happens, the owner of the restaurant is from Serdegna and so were my friends parents… The menu looked promising, with nice options from which to choose. The wine was from the owner's vineyard and it was a nice red but a little overpriced. We shared two appetizers, the mussels had mostly shells and no flesh, we mainly found pieces of lemon rind which tasted disgusting. The squid was in a red sauce that tasted store-bought and very plain. By then, my italian friend was ready to leave but we decided to hang on for the main dishes. Two had the risotto with asparagus and cheese, completely tasteless, no additional pepper or salt could fix it, and worst of all (a real sin for italian food), the rice was not "al dente"!!!! Overcooked rice in an italian restaurant is a big "no no"! The other dishes, including squid ink spaghettis, lobster ravioli, and spaghetti carbonara were just as plain and tasteless as our rice. Service was nice and attentive. We didn't want dessert. I left my food as I don't like to eat just because I payed for it, so I ate at home later on. The price was $220 for five, having had only one bottle of wine and water. The quality of this restaurant is not better than an american-italian chain fast-food but the price did not match this. I would not recommend it and will never go again, even though it is less than a mile from home….

I was treated, or rather punished, to my birthday dinner at absolutely the worst restaurant in my dining out experience. Firstly, getting anything ordered either to drink or eat was a challenge. We felt invisible as not a single staff member had the sense of service to even bother to glance in our direction. A member of our party finally got up and ordered a bottle of wine from someone in a T-shirt who we thought might be a manager or maitre 'd, but the wine never came, as his entire focus was on the World Cup match on the TV over the bar. It really felt like a Monty Python skit! Most people around us were being given bread but we were even refused that! When our appetizers finally came after an hour and 15 minutes, the food was mediochre at best. My bolognese could have been whipped up by any amateur cook. When we finally had a waiter that could at least make eye contact, he was very conciliatory and gave the expected "I am so sorry. This is not our usual service." But it was too little, too late. Probably too little cooking time also for the food that one of our friends ate who spent the night and early morning throwing up his dinner. Avoid this place like the plague, or risk getting it !

I worked for Francesco for many years and it was one of the best experience if not the best. I must disagree with all the bad reviews. His employees are very well trained and their customer service must be perfect before they can approach a table. Also they have to know every little details of his beautiful cuisine and food. All the ingredients are fresh and choosen for the season.

Good pasta, good ravioli, boring salad. Please get rid of that "rib steak". It is bad. Real bad. Can't believe u will serve that low if quality. U r a great place but that steak is not

We chose this restaurant due to proximity to Dallas Love Field Airport as our daughter was arriving there. Three of us are gluten intolerant, and the chef & staff did an outstanding job meeting our dietary requirement with exceptional food. They even prepared a fully custom meal for our daughter based on her preferences. The food was outstanding.

I had a memorable dinner with a special menu custom tailored by the Exec. Chef Francesco Farris, I had special guests from Michigan, and all 10 of them were also very impressed: From the Focaccia, to a complete assortments of Anitpasti, both Hot & Cold, to the home made Pasta, to the Great Steaks flamed in a "Renato Wood fired Oven", to Branzino in rock Salt also baked in wood fire... Great Italian styles dessert...Excellent wine list, and a very extensive varieties of Grappas!

Just to be perzact, this place serves Sardinian food. I was informed of that by none other than Francesco Farris, the Managing Partner, and Chef of this wonderful restaurant. Being a country boy coming to the big city, I asked my buddy Bill if we could eat "Italian" for his birthday. He said, "I know just the place. I can't pronounce the name, but the food is terrific.". That was putting it mildly. The menu is written in (Sardinian -is that Italian?), with English explanations. I chose the "chicken, more words I can't remember fungi" . Turns out that's Chicken with mushrooms. But wait, it's more than just that. When my meal was served, it was a generous portion of perfectly (and I mean perfectly, I will elaborate if you'll stick with me) prepared chicken, with the most delicious "mushroom sauce" (Francesco is going to kill me, but remember I'm from the sticks, and don't fully understand the magic of a professional chef). Let me digress. The chicken was absolutely perfectly prepared. Moist (not overcooked and dried out). Tender, (you could easily cut it with your fork), generous (it looked like an entire 1/2 boned chicken), and had a baked on dressing of some sort (remember, I just eat, I don't cook), along with the "mushroom sauce". The reason I put hypens on either side of that is because it's not "mushroom sauce", it's some kind of garnish, dressing, sauce combination that is absolutely heavenly. I tell you, I've eaten Italian food all over the world, and until I ate here, my champion was a little place in Sydney, Australia (hard to get to when you're hungry for "Italian" (remember it's actually Sardianian). My new champion is Zio Cecio, and my new Hero is Francesco Farris. I can't wait to get back up there and do it again. I cannot say enough nice things about this place. The noise level was a little high, and the acoustics made conversation a little difficult, but heck, when you eat here, just smile at your companions, and enjoy truly world class cuisine. I mean it, this place is absolutely, positively, hands down, no question, the best I ever ate. If you go, tell Francesco that "Catfish" sentcha, and enjoy that "mushroom chicken". (Bill had the pork loin, and reported it was also delicious).

Two days ago, my dinner group and I tried Zio Cecio for the first time. This place was listed in an article naming the best restaurants in Dallas for 2012. Deservingly, Zio Cecio is mentioned. Our Brazilian waiter was knowledgable, attentive, affable and prompt. We had a variety of entrees from the menu; they were all great!

Went with a friend. I was introduced to the owner, and he felt the need to tell me and our party that my name in italian means "fake". I have no idea where that came from. What an idiot. Dinner was average. The pizza sucks. Go to fireside pies for a much better pizza. I had La bolognese con fettuccine ( spaghetti with meat sauce). It was $14.50, and you didn't get that much. It was descent, but not worth the price. Overall I wouldn't go back nor recommend it either. Especially for the prices. PS. Don't mention your last name to Happy the owner

From the first step out of your car, Vallet parking, greeter opening the restaurant door, immediate, warm greeting as being seated, stupendous service throughout the whole meal; casual, relaxed atmosphere; this restaurant is definitely a 5 star! Oh, did I mention the food? Mama Mia, you could not ask for anything more! Between the 3 of us, we had ravioli, salmon and a dish I cannot pronounce but EVERYTHING was delicious! Dessert of tiramisu and Creme Brule sent our taste pallettes spinning! A MUST TRY!

First time to dine here. Service was great. Cheese plate & carpaccio terrific. Pizza not very good. Would not go back.

The 4 of us went Valentines weekend. The restaurant was full, but not packed. Our waiter didn't speak English that well. He didn't explain the menu, was really hard to hear and barely came to the table. Glasses sat with no water, plates sat empty. When we asked him about items on the menu he simply read to us from the menu. Seriously? We can read! The food, was OK, nothing special. Definitely not worth $30+ per entrée. Not a special meal at all. Have gotten better service at a local Olive Garden.

First time here and fell in love with it. Was quite surprised at how quiet it was for a Friday night but our experience was exceptional. First a really good wine list. Wines by the glass were exceptionally good and more like upscale wines off a bigger list. Was nice to start the night with a good glass then have the option to change to another good one or stick with this one. An option that a bottle purchase doesn’t allow. Great variety of food and plenty of options. Highly recommend the whole backed fish in sea salt cask. Prepared to perfection and filleted at the table. Great find and can’t wait to go back.

I was here for dinner earlier in the week. The dinner was amazing. Pastas were cooked to perfection with amazing sauces. The red snapper had a entertaining table side presentation. Fish was moist and tender. For dessert, limoncello and chocolate cake to split. Both were amazing. Service was on point all evening long. Entire group loved everything!

We had an outstanding dinner in this amazing Italian restaurant. I had the first time of my life glutenfree octopus and the best glutenfree Lasagna ever in my life. Familyfriendly and we highly recommend this restaurant!

Friends said that we would enjoy the food here, and really they under sold it. From salad to dessert the food truly lit up our tastebuds! I would have preferred fresher lettuce in the salad, but the flavor was excellent. The red snapper in lemon caper sauce didn’t disappoint, in fact, it was outstanding! Both the lemoncello cake and chocolate mousse finished off the meal perfectly. My friend had the simple lasagna and my wife’s mezzeluna alla fonduta di pistacchio. Both endorsed the dishes as excellent. And service was as good as anyone could ask for, thanks Joel.

We had a birthday dinner here and it was hard to pick what we wanted - the menu is filled with great options. Our food was delicious and the service was excellent. We were both very pleased with our choices and everyone around us seemed pleased with theirs as well. We will definitely be back.

On a recent trip to Dallas we were searching for an Italian restaurant and found this one via the Open Table app. On a very busy Saturday night, the host was able to put together a table for 6 without a reservation, for which we were extremely appreciative. Zio Cecio reminds me of a family-style restaurant I visited a few years back in Tuscany. They serve authentic, mouth-watering Italian cuisine, rich in colourful flavour and texture. The portion sizes are perfect, the pasta is fresh, and the service is top notch. They also have an extensive wine collection, very impressive for a restaurant of this size. Should you give this one a try, ask for Yuri. He and his team will ensure that your dining experience is a very memorable one.

The chef is from Sardenia and his cuisine is authentic to that island. Squid Ink Risotto with Calamari. Bottarga (dried Sardenian Caviar), roasted suckling pig, salt encrusted Mediterranean sea bass. He even flies the mozzarerlla de bufolo in weekly from Naples. And for lighter fare...pizza with the thinnest crust cooked to perfection. Make a reservation to make sure you can get in. I've been dining there since it opened and am always impressed.

The service was very good. We had a large party and they accommodated us well and changed up the table seating as needed. A lot of the food portions are small. For example the Ravioli is only 5 or 6 pieces. The Risotti I ordered was plenty for dinner and to take leftovers home for lunch the next day. The pizza is a normal size. Vegan options available!

It's been 4 years since I last visited and gave a well deserved rave review of Zio Cecio. While the food for the most part is still very tasty, service on this particular evening (for our group of 6 persons) was not nearly as attentive. As a result, some of food offerings suffered. It appears that on this particular weekend evening, the restaurant was understaffed. It took forever to get drinks ordered and then delivered, chiefly because no one was minding the bar full time. Not enough staff. And if you order a martini, as one guest did, and it sits undelivered for 5 minutes, the drink quality surely suffers. I also observed a couple who came into the restaurant and waited...and waited....and waited some more. After 5 minutes of being ignored, they simply left. No one bothered to even greet them. What??? On the other hand, the kitchen was grinding away very efficiently, but there weren't always servers to deliver completed dishes. My pasta, for example, was lukewarm-ish, not piping hot. I should have sent it back. Notwithstanding, the flavors were still very good, and loaded with all the right ingredients. The one disappointing dish was mussels -- not flavorful as I would expect based upon other restaurants, and the mussels were too chewy. In all, compared to last time, this wasn't a first rate experience. I'm not inclined to return anytime soon.

Fantastic food - Good menu. Took wife and kids for a birthday dinner. Owner Francesco from Sardinia chatted us up and I saw him do that with every table. Custom made food, even obliged daughter with hot chocolate that doesn't exist. Valet for car included. Only gripe took 1 hour to get the food once the order was placed. Due to quality and personal touch of waiters, the owner, would go back again.

he owner of this place is absolutely disgusting. We have come there 4 times and not dresses to the 9’s but it shorts and a t shirt. Not looking like slums but not dressed perfectly. Tonight was the last time we will be at this place. He is a pompous jerk. He has no idea how much money anyone has. Shouldn’t Judge a book by its cover. We left a $100 tip. He stares you down like you are trash. This is a neighborhood restaurant. There are many many other restaurants around that are way better. He better get a grip on life. What an absolute jerk. I can’t even begin to tell you how horrible this man is…. I will post this on every single site. I think everyone should go in dressed like a normal human. His look isn’t the best. DONT GO THERE. THERE ARE OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANTS THAT ARE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU.

Go eat sonic because it is very clear you have no taste buds! The food at zio is fantastic and the service is excellent.

Some restaurants are too noisy, but Zio Cecio seems to take that into account by also offering a quiet covered patio for those who want to actually hear each other's conversation. We appreciated being greeted with an attendant who protected us from the pouring rain with a large umbrella. Food was great. Seafood risotto was tasty, but contained a little too much garlic for my taste. I would definitely go back to try other dishes.

The Caprese salad was very poor, the lasagna was okay, but my wife's pork chop was delicious. Very pricey. Service poor. Had to wait at least 30 minutes to get our check.

About 15 minutes outside of central Dallas business district but totally worth the trip! Francesco is the owner. Zio Cecio is "Uncle Cecio" , Cecio being short for Francesco. Fell in love with ZC's as soon as we tasted the delicious pizza our group of 7 shared while sipping wine and deciding what to have for dinner. Francesco is from Sardinia so he knows all about fish... the salt encrusted red snapper was just as it should be...perfectly cooked and mouth-wateringly (is that a word?) good. :-) The steak was tender, tasty and cooked perfectly to order. The veal chop was so, so tender, milky white, loaded with flavor and also cooked perfectly. The setting is simple, quite relaxed, comfortable and very friendly. Francesco came to our table twice to make sure everything was okay and then stayed to give me a few very welcome cooking tips. Great find.

Way too expensive for the quality of food. We paid $340 for 4 people and my 6 year old had just a plate of pasta, while the rest of us had primo, entrée and dessert.... I am a Italian native, born and raised so I am very particular when it comes to italian and did my homework on Italian restaurants in Dallas (I thought), but the menu although had some good choices was not anything but above average overall. I had a meat and cheese antipasto and they brought me a Sardinian goat cheese one minimal bite and some Spanish machego cheese (hello....how about gorgonzola, fontina, parmigiano, and the were 3 salami slices that looked like they came from a grocery store package not freshly sliced while the prosciutto was nicely sliced and fresh.... this was a joke for $12 appetizer) and my wife's lamb and my daughter's veal chops both entrees both $34 and $42 respectively, had a lot of fat and were not trimmed properly so the amount of meat to eat was minimal for the price, pasta was again average, kept on running out of bread and then we were brought stale bread.....The dessert were nothing special, they claim to be authentic, but the tiramisu, whichis always my "test" to see if the restaurant knows what authentic really means, was way off, made with Mexican coffee liquor and fill of whip cream, I told the waiter it was not very good. My daughter had a crème brulee not even Italian (should have been panna cotta to be Italian) and it came out with no crunchy top which is the norm for this dessert. The wait staff was very attentive, and plating presentation was nice, but there is a lack of authenticity and for the price I cannot see people coming back, it is owned by a Sardinian cook (who was not there), and there are very few true Sardinian plates on the menu. And a $20 corkage fee is a bit excessive $10-$15 would be appropriate. The maître de salde, was absent, he spent most of his time with the table next to use (only 2 table in the main dining room were occupied). He was Italian and only came to give me my veal chop entrée and spoke to me in Italian and then was never to be seen again, if one Italian sees another Italian the normal reaction to to speak to one another (this has been my experience in other Italian restos) he did not make any effort, and I think he needs to goto customer service school soon! I WILL NEVER GO BACK AND NEVER RECOMMEND THIS PLACE EVER!!!!

We use to frequent Zio Cecio when we lived in the Preston Hollow area and returned this weekend after not having visited for over a year. The wait staff was all different but attentive and friendly. Our party of six started with several appetizers including the octopus, calamari, and focaccia bread and everything was as great as we remembered. Entrees included the Bolognese, Berkshire pork chop, seafood ravioli, carbonara, and seafood risotto. Everyone was pleased with their meal choice. The seafood ravioli, my all-time favorite and special of the restaurant, was a little different and not quite as good as I remembered but my husband’s Berkshire pork chop was better than he remembered. I have and will continue to recommend Zio Cecio.

If you haven't been to Cio Cecio, it needs to be put onto your "go to" list. This non-descript looking building on Lovers Lane should not be passed by. Its accomplished chef-owner Francesco is from Sardina, Italy and the menu and wine list reflect his roots. This was our first trip and will return for many reasons. The grilled baby octopus in a mild tomato sauce was a nice hot appetizer on the cold night we visited. The mozzarella caprese salad was split in the kitchen for the two of us. Fettuccine bolognese was tasty. The star entree however was the Grilled chicken breast with mushroom sauce, delicious. We will definitely order the lemoncello sponge cake next trip. Be sure to try a glass or bottle of one of the Sardinian wines - Cannonau is a very pleasant red that will go with any beef, pork or chicken dish. If ordering seafood, ask for a Vermentino.

We had dinner at ZIO because my soon wanted risotto, so here we went. We where sat promptly and the host spoke Italian to me, I speak some so it was good. We where offered water, cocktails and wine list. Average wine list, prices acceptable, wine expert spoke to us for a bit. They have peroni beer, and that was good. Had the lasagna, my soon had their pasta special of the day and the risotto. I tasted both they where good. Service was good; they started slow but warmed up to us. The restaurant was full and the bar also, which made it very loud. DO NOT go if you are looking for quite. Honestly after a couple of drinks I did not even know someone was there. I do recommend if you want decent pasta, but don’t expect 5 star. I did notice many regulars. New staff by name, and the chef was going table to table to them. Did not come to us, oh well, I met the POPE, so he lost out. Enjoy

Very nice evening on their exposed patio. Great service. Excellent food. I had the lobster ravioli with a light rosy tomato sauce. My wife had a vegetarian lasagna. The other couple shared a dish of lobster ravioli and a salt crusted branzini. We also shared a magnificent 2005 brunello. Everything was perfect. Can’t think of anything that would have made the evening better.

For Dallas, this is a great option for Italian cuisine. The Neri Alle Vongole is definitely an acquired taste, so unless you've had it before or know that you like the squid infused spaghetti, I would not consider it as an option. The La Bolognese Con Fettuccine was wonderful. Someone mentioned that the Bolognese Fettuccine was a small portion, and traditionally, the pasta is a first course for dinner. Aside from that, I thought it was more than enough pasta. Especially when enjoying an antipasto (I would recommend one of the Carpacci's. Maddalena's Cheesecake was absolutely wonderful. We will definitely return. Also, our waiter was wonderful. Oh, and they have a fabulous wine selection!

This is the third time I have been to the restaurant. It will be the last. The first time, the food was generally good. The second time, the food was mediocre. This time, the food just wasn't very good, and the server could have cared less, even though he highly recommended one of the dishes we had. As an appetizer, we had the pizza with the prosciutto. The crust itself was doughy and undercooked, and cold, poor quality prosciutto was layered on top. The fettuccine bolognese was a better choice, but the pasta itself was overcooked. The waiter highly recommended the lasagna with meat sauce, but it turned out to be nothing more than a cheap blob of cheese, with no layering of pasta and void of any real meat sauce. When asked by the waiter, we told him of our opinion, but he seemed uninterested in our feedback at that point. Perhaps he was too focused on trying to steer other guests to an expensive bottle of wine as he did with us. I don't expect that much from Italian restaurants in Dallas, but Zio Cecio can't even meet the standard of mediocrity any longer.