First reviewed by Sparty
Emil's remains our first choice for special occassions, because it's authentic, historic, and romantic. We'll be there tonight, celebrating our anniversary!
I ordered from Special Delivery. S.D. called me to say Emil's was out of something with my order. I've been ordering from them for 13 years through S.D. No More
My husband and I dined at Emil's on May 23rd and Brenda was our waitress. The food, the service and the ambiance was the best. It was very authentic and you could tell the sauce was homemade. And, the salads were served cold which is the way they should be served and not just an iceberg lettuce with one tomato slice! It had a mixture of spinach and romaine. We plan to make another trip soon to Lansing and look forward to dining at Emil's once again!
1 of 2 users found the following review helpful:
Trying to find decent Italian food in Lansing is like trying to find homegrown pineapple in Antarctica. Emil's is sadly no exception. The entrees invariably taste like heated-up frozen food (Stouffers does a better job), and the service is sub-par. I've seen this place go down the tubes over the years, and it is no longer an establishment I wish to frequent.
I was going to Emil's for years, and had a wonderful time... met my wife there.. for our Night out... once a week...Had the Deablo, was awesome... my wife had the Veggi Las., and we started off with the Anti Pasto ...SOOOO GOOD, went to Esatwodd Last week to brovo's, and spent a ton.. and left Hungry, went to Emil's, and was so STUFFED, AND HAD FOOD TO TAKE HOME...,,, what a great old fashion, romantic, really passionate about the food, and great wine list.. for the Peaple that had wrote bad things about Emil's... please ignore, what a great, wonderful, great food, service, wine, drinks, Been going there for Years.. So love it...
1 of 1 users did not find the following review helpful:
My wife and I went to Emils expecting some authentic Italian cuisine, instead we got food that could have been made by an 8th grade Home Ec. class. I ordered the antipasto app. to start with. All the relish food (peppers, olives, etc.) was all served at room temp and shriveled up, looking like it had been sitting around for at least the whole day. The cheese was old looking too. Main dishes weren't any better. When we told the waitress, she said that there was nothing that she could do.
1 of 1 users did not find the following review helpful:
Many years ago this place was great...what a shame it has turned into the worst Italian Restaurants in Lansing. We went at 6 on a Thursday night, the service was non-existent as the waitress assigned to our area was busy talking with the old men at the next table.. eventually someone gave us some water and eventually a manager stopped and told us the sad tale of woe the waitress was experiencing at the next table(the least he could have done is bring us water and a free appetizer for our inconvenience)...NOT OUR PROBLEM! Eventually a surly waitress was assigned to us and we finally got some water! After a time we got the worst excuse for Italian Bread I've ever had...I could have bought better stuff in a day old bakery! Apparently the kitchen chefs have no idea how to cook Chicken Picatta...it is suppose to have a VERY LIGHT breading (if any) and a wonderful lemon sauce on it. I could not see the chicken for the heavy breading and could hardly pick out the lemon flavor...the salad was ordinary and the meals were WAY OVER priced. Looking for a good Italian restaurant in Lansing...DO NOT go here, head to DeLuca's on Willow
1 of 1 users did not find the following review helpful:
There is only one Emil's in Lansing, correct? Because the awesome food I keep seeing described is not what we received. My steak tasted like it was injected with water and my canned green beans were luke warm. My boyfriend had krab meat alfredo. Why was this meal $15? It wasn't even real crab! I could've made the exact same thing at home for $5. We were completely cramped and our server was slow. The only thing this place has going for it is the pizza, and they're too far away to deliver. We won't go back.
I love Emil's. My boyfriend and I go regularly and my dad always requests that we go when my parents come to town. It's the best little mom & pop place. AMAZING food, the best I've ever had. It's a small place and get's busy on the evenings and weekends. They treat everyone like a regular and I never leave hungry or dissapointed.
Ok, so I have been going to this place for 20 years or so and it has been one of the most consistent restaurants in town. The menu really hasn’t changed that much in 20 years. This is a very good comfort food place, lots of carbohydrates and a full bar, no exotic Italian food here. If Lansing had a local mafia this is where they would eat. What Emil’s is not is an exciting place to go to don’t go there on your first date, the service can be pretty spotty at times. One day you will be treated like family and the next time you will be treated like an annoyance. Don’t risk it with a first date you won’t like it. All that said I think this is a great “Italian American” restaurant.
Some of the food here is really great (e.g. the artichoke hearts with horseradish sauce, the bread), but most is just a little better than okay. Also, service varies incredibly. Sometimes, it's perfectly adequate, but other times it's incredibly amateur ("hon, if you could just hand me that plate I might be able to make room for that bread basket," etc.). If you want diner service in a unique setting for restaurant prices, go to Emil's. If you want better pizza and pasta in a better ambience with better service, go to Spagnuolo's instead.
Oh, yes, they also food poisoned me the last time I was there.
Emil's has the best eggplant primavera anywhere. I've gotten it for ages, and it's consistently amazing. Their minestrone is excellent as well. The entrees cost less at lunchtime and are great for takeout if you work downtown--just be sure to call ahead so you're not kept waiting. I don't know much about their other entrees because I love the eggplant primavera so much. The one thing that irritates me about the place is the salads, which are made with iceberg lettuce and are just mediocre.
On the classic theory of advertising, price and quality determine consumption choice. Hard to beat Emil's here. We have good big chains in town (Olive Garden, Carraba's, and Cuchina Bravo) but nothing so cookie cutter can create the sort of checkered tablecloth ambience and down home feeling as an old eating establishment like Emil's; one that has been well maintained and improved over many years. Great deals: the daily special or the vegtarian sub. Order grilled Italian peppers on the side as a nice compliment to many dishes. Lemon Ice is wonderful here--we get frozen strawberries on it. Appetizer menu has expanded--and I like the variety of olives in the olive sampler. The mussels aren't worth it (try Claddaugh's for a deal on steamed mussels--though they've started counting, too). If you've got a meat eater who likes Italian food try the sausage and peppers. If you've got a meat eater who doesn't accompany you for Italian food try the terrific ribs: We've long thought them to be the best in town.
I love Emil's, the food is so great, but, it is an old restaurant, and I cannot believe they don't exceed the fire code in that place. You are so cramped at a booth for four that you cannot move your arms! And the booth across the "aisle" is about 4 inches from your booth! But the food will keep me coming back for more. Wait staff could be friendler, she had a bit of an attitude.
The food here is great; plus, on Mondays and Tuesday you can get all you can eat spaghetti for less that $6.00. The service can be a little slow, but the food is well worth the wait. It's a great place to take your family or go on a date.
1 of 1 users did not find the following review helpful:
Nice place.
Food is ok.
Service is slow.
I have not been to this place for over a year and am not planning on going back anytime soon.
" My negatives are that although the food is varied and tastes good, it 39... "
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" Pasta dinners came with a soup or salad... "
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