FAYETTEVILLE – We all have that one place that we drive by all the time and say to ourselves, “one of these days I have to stop in there and try their food.”
One of those places for me was Giacomo’s Italian Restaurant. I often travel to Fayetteville to visit the Antique Mall located on Route 30, and every time I turn to get on or off Mont Alto Road, I see that yellow and brick building with the red door waiting for me to stop. I finally did a few weekends ago, and boy was I glad I did.
Located at 107 Mont Alto Rd. right across from the Seven-Eleven convenience store, Giacomo’s Italian Restaurant awaits, offering an authentic taste of Italy, or so I had heard. When I walked in, the smell of fresh bread and simmering marinara hit me like a train of culinary delight.
The dining area was small but inviting. There are two areas, one with tables and the other with booths that allow diners to look out at the world of Route 30. I chose to sit in the back dining area where I was welcomed with fine art depicting the comforts of Italian living.
Friendly staff members were quick to make me feel welcomed with cheerful greetings and fast service. I was also impressed with the welcoming of every customer who came in immediately as the entrance door shut.
I started off my meal with an order of meatballs covered in mozzarella cheese in their signature marinara sauce. This came with a side of fresh Italian bread which was perfect for dipping and covering with the extra cheese. Not the most carb-friendly starter, but it was delicious.
For my entrée, I got an order of their Crab and Shrimp in a pink sauce tossed with fettuccine. This also came with Italian bread and a house salad. The salad was made with fresh ingredients and was a nice light appetizer while I finished off the meatballs and awaited my main course.
Once my dinner arrived, I knew I was in for a treat. The wonderful smell of seafood and garlic permeated from the bowl and reminded me why Italian cuisine ranks high among my favorites. The shrimp was cooked to perfection and the crab meat mixed with the cheesy sauce made each bite a flood of flavor. While fettuccine is not my normal go-to pasta, it worked great for this meal as the sauce clung to each noodle.
After an overload of carbs and a very full stomach, I decided to skip on dessert, but the menu did offer some great choices such as cannoli, lemoncello marscarpone cake, which is layered Italian cake with whipped lemoncello and topped with white chocolate, and seasonal desserts. The lemonello marscarpone cake was very tempting and will be tried on my next visit.
The lunch and dinner offered several options including specialty and made-to-order pizzas, stombolis and calzones, sandwiches and subs, both hot and cold, and a variety of pasta dishes such as lasagna, spaghetti and ravioli. If you are in the mood for Italian, there is no better place to visit than Giacomo’s.
Giacomo’s is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m.- 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.- 10 p.m. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays. It also has delivery, pick-up and even a drive thru window. For more information, readers may visit the website at: https://www.giacomositalianrestaurant.net/
