Four years ago, I trekked up to Western New England University for my “official visit,”
and by that, I mean my older brother took some time out of his day to show me around. A few
months later, I made the decision to attend WNE and follow in his footsteps. But there was
something that always stuck with me from that day. After my tour of the campus, he took me
down the street to his favorite spot around campus, Texas Roadhouse. As we were driving in, my brother exclaimed, “My roommate loves that restaurant,” and pointed to a small brown building to the right. That small brown building was Leone’s, a family-owned Italian restaurant just about five minutes from campus. Four years later, I finally got the opportunity to try Leone’s this past weekend.
Immediately upon entering, we were greeted with smiling faces and the option to wait for
a seat or grab a spot in the bar area. After a quick glance into the bar, I noticed a booth was open and jumped at the opportunity. The vibe inside was quite comforting, a mix of mellow brown wood and cool gray walls. At some points, I forgot I was in the bar as the sound of voices didn’t overpower a personal conversation. The music added to the experience without hurting my ears. I would give the restaurant vibes an impressive 9/10.
The service was also quality. Our waitress immediately said she would be with us soon, which I appreciated. Drinks came out almost instantly as our food took a cool 10-15 minutes after ordering. Our waitress returned periodically to clean up unused plates and inquire about our experience. The only issue we ran into was a request for a refill of water that never came. But we were always greeted with a smile and had no problem splitting the two checks. For this, I would hand the service experience a solid 7/10.
Last and most importantly, the food. The menu is filled with an abundance of options, from pasta to salad to pizza. We went with a side of caesar salad and tortellini en brodo soup to
start. But boy, let me tell you, that was no side salad. I mean, this thing came out in what
looked like a bowl for spaghetti and meatballs filled with greens. And the croutons? No different
story. It looked like they cut a hard roll into fourths and threw it on top. But aside from that, it
was a very tasty salad and more than enough to split four ways. The soup was extremely tasty as the tortellini melted in my mouth.
For our meals, we split a chicken parm sandwich and a margarita pizza. The chicken parm sandwich was to die for. A hefty piece of chicken with the perfect amount of sauce and gooey mozzarella cheese, all hugged by a soft ciabatta bread on the outside. It really was fantastic. As for the pizza, I wasn’t a big fan. The mozzarella slices were tasty, and the dough was nice and crispy, but overall, there was a lack of flavor to the whole thing. The best way I can describe it is an Italian restaurant that makes pizza. I’d give the food experience a 7/10.
Overall, my experience at Leone’s was a quality one. The atmosphere was welcoming, the service was good, and the food was delectable. I’d have to give this restaurant a 8/10.
