Honest and unbiased Waynesville, NC restaurant reviews

Overall Rating:
If it weren’t for the large Bocelli’s Italian Eatery sign out front, it would be rather easy to just drive right by Bocelli’s and not even know it was there. Fortunately we live in the area and have driven by enough times to spot it!

The Restaurant

Bocelli’s is located at 319 N Haywood Street in Waynesville, NC and is located in the popular downtown and historic district of Waynesville. The building is tucked away next to a wild bird store called the “The Bird Place” and is offset from the main road. The building has a wonderful Italian feel to it, and walking up to the building from the main sign, you pass through a brick paved outside dining area that I’ll bet during the spring and summer is a wonderful place to sit outside, eat and enjoy the mountain views surrounding Waynesville.

Upon entering, you are greeting by not only the hostess, but by a statue of a rather plump Italian waiter featuring the menu.  The statue is a great touch.  Bocelli’s has two floors.  The first floor is the main dining area with a number of tables.  The second floor features the bar (they serve wine and beer only) and a very large private dining room that I would imagine could be used for wedding dinners, corporate parties, etc.  Bar seating is available at the bar, and additionally at a  few tall tables with bar stools.  We chose to sit in the bar area, but next time will most likely sit downstairs in the main dining area as it seems it would be more comfortable.

The restaurant is nice, but overly fancy and decorated to provide an Italian like atmosphere.  Everyone there was dressed casually, so feel comfortable eating in jeans, shorts, or slacks.

The only complaint I have is that the temperature inside was a bit cool.  This is however a very minor issue and had no reflection in our review.

The Menu

The menu at Bocelli’s is large.  They offer all of the standard Italian fare including Pizza, Calzones, Pastas, and Lasagna.  They also feature a number of specialties that were new to me including:

• Shrimp Artichoke & Sundried Tomato Pasta (what my wife chose)
• Chicken Florentine Bocelli (what I chose)
• Totellini Campange - Described on the menu as: Mushrooms, arichokes, sundried tomatoes, and sliced Italian sausage sauteed and tossed with a tri-color tortellini in a creamy tomoto sauce.
• Spinach and Roasted Garlic Raviolli - Pasta pockets stuff with spinach and roasted garlic tossed with red pepper pesto cream sauce and served over fresh baby spinach.

If you prefer something lighter, they offer 6 different salads along with a number of hot and cold subs.  The appetizer menu includes: Mozarella sticks, breaded mushrooms, calamari, wings and more.   For desert they offer Cinnamon Knots (fried dough rolled in cinnamon suger and drizzled with a homemade glaze), Lemoncello and Cannolis (my personal favorite).

Our Dinner

I order the Chicken Florentine Bocelli and my wife chose the Shrimp Artichoke & Sundried Tomato Pasta.  For drinks, my wife chose a glass of Reisling and I chose a local and seasonal pale  ale.  We chose to skip getting an appetizer in order to save room for some Cannoli’s later.

While our food was prepared, our waitress brought us our salads, which are included with dinner selections.  I’m not a salad eater normally, but this time I ate my whole salad.  The lettuce and veggies in  the salad were very fresh and coupled with the ranch dressing was really good.  My wife chose the house Italian dressing and said it was excellent as well.

Our food arrived shortly after we finished our salads and looked delicious:

As I said earlier, I ordered the Chicken Florentine Bocelli, which is described on the menu as:  Boneless chicken breast stuffed with spinach, artichoke and feta cheese, then baked in garlic oil and white white and served over Fettuccine Florentine.

To be honest, the dish wasn’t entirely what I expected.  I expected a full chicken breast stuffed with feta cheese, and laid on top of the pasta based on the menu description.  What I received was a diced chicken mixed with feta cheese, spinach, artichoke, a cream sauce and fettuccine.  Fortunately it was still delicious, just not what I expected.  The ingredients were fresh and the sauce was creamy and thick.  You can tell a good Italian place by the consistency of the sauce. Unfortunately it was so good I ate the whole the whole dish!

My wife ordered the Shrimp, Artichoke & Sundried Tomato pasta, which is described on the menu as: Tender shrimp sauteed with artichokes and sundried tomatoes served over angel hair pasta in a fresh basil & oregano white wine cream sauce.

My wife loved the dish, and her only complaint was that the pasta was a tad overdone.  The tails of the shrimp were removed, which was nice.  Nothing irritates me more than getting a shrimp dish at a restaurant and the meal arrives with the tails still on.  I also tasted her pasta, and agree it was delicious.  If we visit again, I’ll definitely have to order it for myself.

Even though we were both stuffed, we couldn’t resist getting cannolis.

When they arrived, we almost hated to eat them as the presentation was beautiful!  But I can’t imagine any presentation good enough to keep me from eating a Cannoli.  They tasted great.  Not the best Cannoli I’ve ever had, but for the price of $4.95 for two they were great!

We had also eaten lunch at Bocelli’s one day the previous week and took advantage of their daily specials.  I got the Chicken Parmesan sandwich, fries, and drink for $6.95 and my wife got a Calzone.  Both were excellent and priced right for a lunch meal.

The Staff

The staff on both occasions was pleasant and friendly, although I’d have to say that our waitress for dinner was far more attentive and personably.   She did give us a few funny looks while taking pictures until I explained why.  Can’t blame her, it is strange to see people taking pictures of their food.  The restaurant seemed sufficiently staffed and we didn’t see anyone waiting long periods of time for their drinks, food or checks.

I will say we did feel a bit rushed.  For example, once we done eating, our plates were taken and the waitress flew by saying “I’ll get your check”.  I had to call her back over to tell her we would like some dessert.  Determining if a waitress is just being courteous and trying not to make you wait vs. rushing you is always hard for me to distinguish, and most likely she was just trying to be courteous, which I do appreciate.

Family Friendly?

Bocelli’s is a family friendly restaurant.  They offer a smoke free environment, have sufficient high chairs, and offer a kids menu featuring: (for 12 and under): Manicotti, Cheese Ravioli, Stuffed Shells, Chicken Strips and fries, and Spaghetti with a meatball.  Another nice feature is that he downstairs tables are covered with white paper and children are given crayons to color with.  It’s enought to keep them entertained while waiting on the food.  Heck, it even keeps me entertained!

Price

Menu prices are reasonable and average for this type of restaurant.  Average price for speciality and dinner items is about $12.00.  Kid’s meals are $4.50.  Appetizers range $3.95 - $6.95.  Their daily lunch specials are very reasonable and priced around $7.00.

They also offer a senior (55 and over) discount of 15% off dinner entrees, Monday - Saturday 4:00pm - 5:30pm.

Hours

Monday - Thursday: 11:30am - 9:00pm, Friday/Saturday: 11:30am - 10:00pm, and Sunday 12:00pm - 9:00pm

Bocelli’s Ratings

We liked Bocelli’s.  The food and service were good and the prices reasonable.

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