The Italian Underground

I have been at this restaurant a few times now and I always walkaway thinking… well, I’ll order something different next time but every dish has so far left me disappointed. The place has a nice atmosphere an the waiting staff is excellent but the food is very bland. Last night was no exception and it will be the last time I will give them a try for a long while. I woke up several times last night with bad indegestion and still feel very bloaded this morning. As I mentioned before the atmosphere is nice and the staff is cordial and friendly but the food is not good.

I’ve eaten at the Italian Underground numerous times over the last 20 years, we discovered this little gem by accident and have been going to this local-favourite ever since for dependable GREAT food. The restaurant is located in an historic building in down-town Glenwood Springs (one of the oldest! and has minimal seating, you guessed it, in the underground dining room. Crowds tend to form early and the wait for a larger party (5 and up can be 1 1/2 hours and up, while smaller parties get in a bit faster. It’s a good idea to come early (hours are 5pm-10pm . If you do find yourself in the snaking line that inevitably spills out on to the cobblestone pedestrian street in front of the restaurant, it’s well worth it. Check out the views, enjoy the flowers and benches and read a good book. The small dining room and relatively small menu delivers delicious and well prepared food, EVERYTHING is good and nothing is overlooked. The restaurant serves some great unique appetizers like escargot, prosciutto with sweet onions and cheese platters. However, most entrees come with bread, salad and either spumoni ice-cream or sorbetto-ripieno (sorbet at the finish for a really great, albeit gut-busting, value. (Many entrees on the menu come in either the regular portion (GENEROUS! or “smaller portion” for 15% off the price. Your meal will begin with some of the best fresh baked bread you’ll ever try. It’s soft, wheaty and warm (versus crusty and toothy and comes with blow-your-mind AWESOME whipped garlic butter which is not at all overwhelmingly garlicky. Next, a romaine based side salad with outstanding home-made dressing will arrive in a small wooden salad bowl to tide you over until dinner. (Try the house Italian -The baked entrees are some of the best of the best and come with a thoughtful side of piquant cherry peppers. Lasagna (meat version and vegetarian spinach are perfectly spiced and piping hot. The parmigiana, Northern Italian rotisserie chicken and chicken cacciatore are hits with the carnivores (look for the vegetarian eggplant parmigiana special- it’s excellent! . Other popular dishes there are perfectly cooked (al dente pastas such as linguine with clam sauce, spicy arrabiata, fetuccini with shrimp as well as old standby fare like pizza and spaghetti with meatballs. The sauces are fresh, and truly unique and even a simple dish of spaghetti with butter and Romano is elevated to the sublime. The restaurant serves a lovely selection of premium Italian wines and great desserts like Tiramisu, Tartufo, and cheesecake. Of note: the busy waitstaff is attentive, quick and great year in and year out.

This was not a favorite. Our food was much slower than people sat after us. The food was also just ok, I had the shrimp scampi and my husband had the lasagna. The server was nice, but I wouldn’t recommend got the price and the quality.

This is one of our favorite Italian places to eat. We are from Denver and make sure to stop here every time we come into town.

Nice food, nice service, nice interior. Absolutely recommend!