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Rico's Restaurant FeaturedHot

The entrance of Rico's Restaurant in Ross Township, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2021 (Across North Hills Photo/Matt DeReno)

Food & Drink - Restaurants February 27, 2021 4274

Rico's Restaurant: Elegance, Old World Charm, and Fine Italian Cuisine In Ross Township

October 03, 2021 (Updated: February 24, 2025)

Overall rating

4.8

Food

5.0

Atmosphere

4.0

Service

5.0

Pricing

5.0

Location

N/A

Rico's Restaurant is situated in the heart of a Ross Township on its own street, 1 Rico Lane, perched up high just off Evergreen Rd. and near the McKnight Rd. - Babcock Blvd. intersection. It is a favorite hangout for lovers of fine Italian cuisine and has an appeal that extends far beyond the North Hills, if not beyond the City of Pittsburgh.

The decor is an eclectic mix of old-world understated, muted luxury, with white tablecloth touches of class in every corner of the multi-story restaurant, which is tucked away in the North Hills of Pittsburgh. When you walk in you feel like you are in the middle of a Frank Sinatra song.

Upon arrival, diners are promptly parked by a valet attended that runs—doesn’t walk—between trips to the parking lot.

After entering, you are escorted through a decorated lounge, wallpapered with a collage of celebrities, who have at one time or another, dined at Rico's Restaurant. The list includes luminaries such as Bruno Sammartino, the Rooney’s, Franco Harris, Johnny Carson, Shirly Temple, Michael Keaton, and the list goes on as long as Rico’s wine list.

Comfortable armchairs and thematic artwork add a welcoming and warm touch as you walk past a wine room protected in decorated wrought iron. The restaurant interior is compartmentalized lending a cozy warm feel to each dining area. Tables are nicely spaced, and many provide a calming clear view of the surrounding woods. This place holds a certain timeless romantic charm.

The menu offers a wide variety of delicious and mouthwatering cuisine. the main courses will appeal to fans of traditional and comfortable Italian staples such as veal parmigiana and angel hair pasta.

Rico’s is a great place to celebrate a birthday and we were here for exactly that. My daughter was turning 18 in a few days and we wanted to take her someplace special. Rico’s was an excellent choice. They are also ideally suited for business meetings, holiday parties, wedding functions, funeral luncheons, and reunions. The banquet room can accommodate parties from 20 to 200.

We started with thinly sliced breaded zucchini and stuffed banana peppers served with tomato sauce. Prior to the main course, we all split a fantastic Caesar salad. The stuffed banana peppers were tender, succulent, and infused with the right amount of spice.

For the main course, I had veal parmigiana, comprised of breaded veal topped with their homemade tomato sauce, melted parmigiana, and mozzarella, with a side of Rico’s famous angel hair pasta, tossed and served in a delicate cream sauce and with imported Portuguese pignoli nuts. It was cooked to perfection, tasty and filling. I found Rico’s famous angel hair pasta uniquely velvety, rich, and nutty.

My son had the fettuccine alfredo, a tangle of pasta tossed with cream sauce, and parmigiana cheese. My wife had the broiled seafood platter, which included petite lobster, shrimp, sea scallops, Boston scrod, clam coquille, stuffed oyster with crabmeat, lemon, and drawn butter. Our birthday girl chooses the fettuccine allo scoglio, a hearty mix of baby shrimp, scallops, and clams tossed with delicate tomato sauce or white sauce.

Everything we ate was fresh and delicious. We are a family that shares and to my palate, all the dishes were exquisite.

Pasta entrées are available as à la carte appetizers or side dishes with an entrée order. Some selections of gluten-free pasta are available, so be sure to check with your server. Upon request, the server will provide pricing and availability.

Our meal was followed by a handcrafted Tiramisu, the famous coffee-flavored Italian dessert. From what I understand, this dessert is still handmade by the famous Rico Lorenzini himself, who while handing the business over to his son David Lorenzini, still shows up to prepare foods in the kitchen. My son had a scoop of vanilla ice cream, which he devoured in short order.

Rico’s has a reputation for using the best quality ingredients to produce dishes that are simply delightful and our experience backs that up.

If you are a wine connoisseur, this is the place for you. Rico's, over the years, has developed many connections to bring select wines from Tuscany, Italy to California to their restaurant in Ross Township.

Be prepared. With a lot of entrees around the $40 range, the food is a great value for the money, but certain items at Rico's can be pricey. For example, there is an after-dinner drinks menu, that includes a glass of scotch that will set you back $35. However, a moderately-priced bottle of wine is around $40, and for the selection, ambiance, and service at this level of restaurant, it is well worth the price. Still, if you blink, you could easily spend upwards of $100 a bottle.

There is little to complain about at Rico’s and the staff bent over backward make us feel at home. On a minor note, I would have liked a recommendation for pairing wine with our entrees, and this was not offered. Moreover, the décor of Rico’s certainly has the charm of a classy, elegant restaurant but you also get the sense the decor probably looked the same thirty or forty years ago. Hey, many will like that sense of continuity, but if there is one area that Rico’s might improve upon, it could be to add a splash of modernity or a fresh update. Then again, a guy like Tony Soprano might like it the way it is, and who would I be to complain about that?

If you are looking for a fine dining experience, I highly recommend Rico’s Restaurant in Ross Township. The food is delicious, and the atmosphere is classy, understated, and perfect for a memorable occasion. I will be back to make many more!

Buon appetito!