10/02/09

Calamari, Antipasto, Pasta Oh My!

by Love to Eat

Starting with a Pilgrims Passion cocktail and calamari, WOW! It only gets better, then we had bruschetta and a caprese. Ordered their house wine, Regaleali with our main meal which was "Crazy Alfredo" it had shrimp, sausage, chicken, roasted peppers, porcini mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, jalapenos in a cream sauce, that's a mouthful. Also the Pork Tenderloin alla Siciliana was incredible, it had roasted baby red potatos w/ garlic and a baby arugula salad. They both went very well with the wine we ordered. What an amazing experience! We go all the time now it's like Cheers, everyone knows your name.....

• Pros: great food, great atmosphere, great cocktails!
• Cons: make a reservation!

07/03/09

Bland Bland Bland

by VegasNK

I don't get what the hype is about. The food is horribly bland. The service is awful. I've been to Nora's 3 or 4 times and have never had a good meal.

Carluccio's on East Trop. is 10 million times better and even more reasonable of a price. Also- good luck trying to get a table even when you have a reservation.

• Pros: Fun bar scene
• Cons: Worst food ever

05/20/09

Has Nora's Changed?

by GreyGoose

Has Nora's Changed? Have they lost their attention to the details that made them great? I have been going to Nora's for years and I have always raved about their authentic Italian food, service and freshness. However, we went there May 14th, 2009 and it was an evening of disappointments and mishaps for us at Nora's. It started with the service as we had a reservation but it took them 20 minutes after our reservation time for our table to be available. Once seated, we were offered a beverage and then we were forgotten for 30 minutes, and this is not an exaggeration. The waiter returned and asked if we wanted any drinks??? Not at all wondering if we wanted to order our dinners or appetizers. After the meals came I noticed that the flavor of the shrimp scampi I ordered was not right, it just did not taste good, it was flat and boring and the shrimp did not taste fresh, they were chewy and had a smell. I also tried the Orange Roughy and I said this fish is awful. The fish was not fresh and it tasted really bad!! This is when the rest of the table began to complain that their dishes too were unsatisfactory, bland and very disappointing. We all were shocked that it could be so bad. One friend said this happened to him before here and that he was done with Nora's. The service continued to be terrible, as we had to flag down our waiter to get our bill.

Not sure if Nora's has lost its focus but if it continues to service its customers with no attention and to shovel unpalatable food it will sadly lose its place as one of the great restaurants in Las Vegas.

• Pros: Usually Great
• Cons: Totally Missed on Everthing Tonight

02/14/09

BEST ITALIAN IN VEGAS!!!

by kristin183

I honestly cannot beleive anyone would ever give this place a bad review!!! They must have very very sad taste buds!! This place is amazing!! I have had a few things there but hands down the Baked Ziti is the best thing ever created! I crave it. My boyfriend gets the Crazy Alfredo and it is equally as good!! Great Service, Great Atmosphere!! Overall A+++++++++

• Pros: Baked Ziti
• Cons: Nothing

02/07/09

Ragu Out of a Jar Is Better

by TPTP

My husband and I were very disappointed as we went here based on the "rave" reviews. It was horrible! Olive Garden is better. The sauce was out of a can, the pesto was cream based but not good cream. Surprised that they are an Italian family that call it authentic. My husband is from Italy but he is not that picky when it comes to food and he thought it was the worst. The restaurant itself is not bad and the only good thing was the Prosecco!

• Pros: Prosecco
• Cons: food

11/11/08

Perfect for Group Dining

by tmegs

Our party of 20 went to Nora's after our wedding. We had reservations and chosen a preset menu. We arrived early and were able to have drinks in the bar. The food came out quickly, and was all very good. The cost for the amount of food we had was generous! Everyone had a wonderful meal!

• Pros: Food, service
• Cons: Small, and crowded when busy

07/05/08

Not even "good" Italian!

by chefsteven

As a chef I try my best to not be hypercritical of any restaurant however this place had some of the worst food I have ever tasted! I ordered a spaghetti with meat sauce and recieved an undercooked (not al dente) oversalted greasy mess of a plate that was unedible. When I returned it the waited laughed and said "thats how it always is here" she had six tables and could not be bothered with us. My date ordered a salad and pasta as well and recieved bad lettuce and suspect tomato's! We will not go here again. Do not be fooled by hype....this place bites!

Chef Steven

• Pros: Pretty Place
• Cons: Bad Location, Bad Food and even worse service!

05/12/08

Surprsingly average

by westie2

The 2007 recipient of the LVRJ?s Reader?s Choice award as the Best Undiscovered Restaurant and has a Zagat rating of 24, 18, 21. This southern Italian restaurant is very popular and we encountered a long waiting line as we entered at 7PM, but we had secured advance reservations and were promptly seated. We shared a Caesar salad that was on the small side though the menu indicated it would serve 2-3. The salad itself was decent, but the croutons were soft and flavorless. The menu was the same as you would find in any Italian/American restaurant so Ms. Westie ordered the eggplant parmesan while I chose meatballs and spaghetti. Both dishes were satisfactory though typically over sauced and below expectations.

• Pros: Serves typical Italian/American fare
• Cons: Crowded

12/29/07

Not authentic and no flavor

by vick817

I do not understand why there are so many positive reviews for this place! The first time we go to any restaurant, we order something simple that is difficult to ruin.My husband and I went to Nora's for an early dinner, I for capellini and he for penne, both with meat sauce (his also had meatballs, which he says were very good). We both prefer robust flavor in our foods; the meat sauce was bland and the pasta was salty - very disappointing.

We both remember the Italian foods from the neighborhoods of our youth with robust flavors of ripe/rich and thick tomatoes and sauces, fresh oregano and basil and fresh, creamy cheeses with a touch of bite; we have yet to find anything comparable. Nora's falls severely short of authentic, flavorful Italian food but we will keep on searching and recommend that everyone else do the same.

Meanwhile, you may as well stick with chain Italian restaurants, like Olive Garden or Maggiano's. At least you know where you are getting and it tastes ok no matter where you order it nationwide.

09/17/07

Have you had their cocktails? AMAZING!

by cocktailplease

I am hooked on the Spiked Ice Tea Martini. The feeling I get in there is great. Everyone is friendly, not just the staff but the patrons. You might wait for a barstool, but it is well worth the wait. Those cocktails are just one of the many reasons to frequent Nora's. Great Pizza, pasta and arancinis!