Citarella Gourmet Market - West Village

This is the location that used to house the old Balducci store for decades. Citarella Gourmet does a wonderful job replacing that neighborhood staple with gourmet groceries in all categories. I have been quite satisfied with my shopping here. The staff and management are quite helpful too.

The store is well organized and plenty nice gourmets for city people. The staff is super friendly and always explain your questions. They have a good collection of cheese. Also, their seafood session is extremely fresh.

Just picked up a container of spinach from the prepared food counter for lunch. Opened it to find a bug on top. Can’t manage to get some from Citarella on the phone…

Recently bought a piece of Manouri cheese that was spoiled. Called customer service to ask about the return policy and was told that in store purchases can only be returned in 24 hours, specifically either same day or next day. So if you don't live within walking distance, don't shop here.

Citarella is a great high end shopping experience. Small in space but well organized and full of pre-cooked and fresh choices. Each time I go shop as sn Independent Contractor with Instacart, I am constantly floored by their foods freshness, the stores cleanliness and organization.

They sell nothing special or out-of-the-ordinary here. No specialty items. Mostly cheap brands and low quality items. Yet they price these ordinary items double, even triple what you’d find at other grocery stores. Prices not marked for most items. So come here if you want to pay $4.75 for one 1.19 lb eggplant. Yuck. Whoever owns this place is a grubby, greedy thief.

First time shopping here. Very nice layout and everything looks very fresh. A bit pricey but worth it if you want to splurge.

We ordered a full Christmas turkey dinner with all the sides. Everything was delicious and the variety was amazing. We heated everything up the next day (Christmas Day) and the turkey was still super moist. The pick up outside the store was quick and efficient. We were very grateful for this resource on such a special occasion.

This is the location that used to house the old Balducci store for decades. Citarella Gourmet does a wonderful job replacing that neighborhood staple with gourmet groceries in all categories. I have been quite satisfied with my shopping here. The staff and management are quite helpful too.

The store is well organized and plenty nice gourmets for city people. The staff is super friendly and always explain your questions. They have a good collection of cheese. Also, their seafood session is extremely fresh.

Just picked up a container of spinach from the prepared food counter for lunch. Opened it to find a bug on top. Can’t manage to get some from Citarella on the phone…

Recently bought a piece of Manouri cheese that was spoiled. Called customer service to ask about the return policy and was told that in store purchases can only be returned in 24 hours, specifically either same day or next day. So if you don't live within walking distance, don't shop here.

Citarella is a great high end shopping experience. Small in space but well organized and full of pre-cooked and fresh choices. Each time I go shop as sn Independent Contractor with Instacart, I am constantly floored by their foods freshness, the stores cleanliness and organization.

They sell nothing special or out-of-the-ordinary here. No specialty items. Mostly cheap brands and low quality items. Yet they price these ordinary items double, even triple what you’d find at other grocery stores. Prices not marked for most items. So come here if you want to pay $4.75 for one 1.19 lb eggplant. Yuck. Whoever owns this place is a grubby, greedy thief.

First time shopping here. Very nice layout and everything looks very fresh. A bit pricey but worth it if you want to splurge.

We ordered a full Christmas turkey dinner with all the sides. Everything was delicious and the variety was amazing. We heated everything up the next day (Christmas Day) and the turkey was still super moist. The pick up outside the store was quick and efficient. We were very grateful for this resource on such a special occasion.

Very good products! Very courteous service! Amazing patisserie ... fresh bread all the time, wide variety ... great sandwiches most of the time ...

Citarella Gourmet Market is one of the best places in the city for high quality food and desserts. After shopping at Citarella stores here in the city, Long Island and Connecticut, I think this may be my favorite store of them all. It's smaller than the one on the upper west side but better organized, making it easier to locate items & get shopping done quicker. The people who work here are very nice and helpful too. The produce is fresh and they have things that are hard if not impossible to find elsewhere- like their white clam sauce and pastries. The fresh fruit tarts in season are fantastic- I gave a slice to someone visiting my place and they said it was the best they've ever had. The mini bagels are also delicious when they're in stock. The salmon spread is amazing & tastes very good on the bagels and crackers too, especially with fresh dill. Another great thing they carry are the Russian Tea cookies - sweet, buttery with powdered sugar. I freeze them because they are very rich but also because they taste even better chilled. I am definitely a fan of this store ! As far as what could be improved/ typically everything is fresh but I have had to check expiration dates a few times because the items were a little too close to the expiration date or old. Once, an item was literally a day away from expiring and I was like really ? They should offer a discount for items so close to expiring IMO. As for prices, certain items are less than other stores (like orange juice) while others are significantly higher. The bread and bagels are excellent for the price. The store has half loaves too - less waste - a nice option. I really like this store. Will definitely return.

I have shopped at Citarella for decades, and today was my first terribly disappointing experience. A blind friend in a nursing home had asked on my most revent visit if I could bring him some caviar. I thought: what the heck? He has few real pleasures in life. The smallest size was $59. When I asked what I could get to serve it on I was told "toast points." It was packaged up, with an added $8 for what I assumed was the toast points and a small spoon. Turned out the extra charge was just for the spoon! When I returned to explain what had happened to a store manager, Candice, she explained I was paying for a "mother of pearl" spoon and that I got a "deal." You paid $8 and they are usually $10. Yikes! She kept repeating: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." It will take me a while to get over this disapponting experience.

Decades old high level west village grocer, pricey and well worth it. Great selections of bread and cheeses but really everything is first rate, from seafood to charcuterie, all of it! Excellent, efficient, friendly service from counter to checkout, the store is a delight!

This afternoon I bought an Avocado Turkey wrap. It contained thin slices of turkey, tomato, lettuce, and Avocado. The sticker said it was made this morning and even the though the avocado was a little brown I didn't mind. Unfortunately it was the last this I ate because I haven't stopped puking. I'm disappointed because Citarella is a great grocery store and they constantly advertise the freshest ingredients. I'll continue buying everything except their prepackaged/ ready made food.

Prices are outrageous. Their produce is not so high end as to justify an over 100% markup. $8/lb for table grapes? Give me a break. Westside market is nearby, and though also pricey, is much more reasonable.

Great selection of delicious prepared foods and produce. Expensive. Think the new Wegmans will really decrease their business.

Definitely a high-end supermaket, but they do provide good quality food. Worth it to buy seafood, poultries, meat, cooked food (potato salad , soup), and berries. But in my opinion, other groceries such as potato, vegetables, dairy products, eggs, are almost the same quality as other cheaper supermaket.

This review is for their hot bar. Incident date: 03/28. My mom got herself their chicken soup from their hot bar and it was literally disgusting. The color of the soup was grey and a really really bad flavor. Description would be that of a dirty rag water. It was not edible and was thrown out. How a supermarket of their class can sell such horrible product? Never again hot bar!

Shellfish is spoiled and old, $34 oysters that were inedible. Pictures look good, products aren't. Go anywhere else, rip off!

Their cupcakes are sooo goood specially the red velvet! i got a pack of 12 small cupcakes I think they were $20 dollars

I've been a regular customer here for several months and I'm done. Paying sky-high prices ostensibly because the fish is so fresh (in theory, anyway) - and then it's just more convenient to pick up other things while there, so bought a lot from them. First there was the rude guy at the fish counter -- cut the fish wrong, so he only had much larger or smaller cuts to offer - and refused to recut it. So I spoke with a manager -- same fish guy then refused to help me next time I was in the store. There are other really good people behind that counter - but i don't need to worry about whether there will be someone professional and pleasant behind the counter when I go to buy groceries. The last straw though came on my last visit with two things that happened ... Brought home a bad piece of fish for the second time in just over a month. Not cool. Hit-and-miss is not what I'm paying for. A cashier posed a question to me on that same visit (bless her!) ... she was shocked a pack of peppers cost $7 and asked why I would pay that much. (Yes - a person who works there. And it turns out she was right. Same exact product at Whole Foods is much less expensive - as is all the produce, which is generally better at WF too.) Bottom line: hit-and-miss on quality and service is something a bargain-basement store can get away with. At premium prices, not so much. (If you're looking for great fish in the general area - I just found Rozzo & Sons in Chelsea - a small biz with super nice folks and beautiful fish at fair prices.)

They raise prices every few weeks. Everything is prepackaged and serving size is for several people. Cold cuts are pre sliced and too thick. Tuna salad is DOUBLE what most people charge. ROBBER BARONS and the quality isn't there any longer. It's the only market in the West Village and they get away with it! Shameful, disgusting and despicable

I also come to Citarella as another source on where to pick up Luke's organic white truffle potato chips. My chiropractor is in this neighborhood and it makes it easier when i Need to replenish items. Citarella is on the pricey for a market, small and with limited products. But I feel you need to know exactly what you want/need to buy when shopping here. The market layout is very accessible and easy.

Overpriced for relatively bland prepared foods. Trader Joe's is a much better shopping experience and overall value.

This was spur of the moment food adventure for me which lots of fun. I have not been to Citarella for long time. We purchased smoked fish which certainly brings me back to my childhood days in my Brooklyn. The package smoke salmon lox was excellent. The smoke sable was delish fresh perfect for bread or crackers. Which brings me to the point the bread we purchase was fresh sour dough awesome sauce, I certainly had a party on my mouth yessss. The place was clean which is very important for this customer to view. All the items in the market were displayed in order all looking amazing. The produce was awesome certainly gourmet level. Next time we are there I will get some fruit.

Quality is going down, prices up up up!!! Prepackaged food Sliced cold cuts tasted terrible prepackaged also

The food here is great. Not for everyday shopping necessarily, but for a prepared meal or specialty items, its a dream. The prices may be a little high but the quality justifies it. My only complaint is that this location has the most persistent and annoying homeless man who constantly sits outside... oftentimes harassing customers. And they won't do anything about it. I've asked and they basically said "he's not our problem." I think twice before deciding whether harassment is worth it when I want something delicious. Many of my friends echo similar sentiment.

Love the fish and meat and fruit. But after tonight's purchases? No more prepped foods in plastic containers for us. The salt content is off the charts for soups, sides and main dishes. Some food is inedible. The fresher food behind the counter is not as consistently overly salted. Food managers: customers can add salt to taste but they can't delete it!!

My husband bought cherries and did not check the price. Long story short, 2.3lbs totaled $31! Yikes! I realize cherries are pricey, however $12.99 per lb is outrageous.

I don't really buy my groceries at Citarella because I'm a Whole Foods kinda gal, but I will stop by once in a while for their delicious cupcakes and other sweets! I really recommend their chocolate cupcakes, carrot cakes, and cheesecakes ($6.99)! They're all really affordable! If you're not into sweets they also have some pretty good sushi- I really like the spicy tuna ones when I'm on the run and just want something quick. Otherwise, their selection for a lot of stuff are quite small but they do have a hot bar section and other prepared food.

It's way spendy. The customer service is wildly variable. Except that the customer service of the fish department is consistently poor, surly as one reviewer commented. the fish quality is disappointing, Citarella used to be the best place in the vicinity to purchase seafood. (The cashiers are wonderful.)

Watch out for over priced items! They were selling four slices of beef for $38 dollars. Absurd! An affront to consumers! Watch out!

A high-end Italian gourmet market that is excessive overpriced but carries good quality food with ignorant servers who know about food. With a good close friend, she inquired in the bakery department if any of their chocolate layered cakes contain liquor which to our surprise the staff's cold and immediate response was a callous "no." Personally, I believe the bakery department are blatantly ignorant to baking and cooking or to the food world. Citarella has a good seafood and meat department, respectively.

Used to shop for virtually all my food at Citarella. But starting with the pandemic, they began packaging up more food in family-sized portions that they had previously sold to order in the deli or in produce. Try finding loose French green bean there! Or prepared foods for one or two people! (But the prepared foods are boring and hardly ever vary, to boot, so that's a loss only of convenience.) I'm missing Agata & Valentina on University Pl and look forward to Wegmans at Astor Pl! The bloom is off at Citarella.

Soups. It's all about the soups here. Skip the sushi, the coagulated hot bar, the entree items and the fish and just get their soups. I'm a big fan of their chicken noodle, split pea and lentil. They're hardy and available, both in the hot ready-to-eat containers or in a to-go container at the refrigerator. Otherwise, everything else here is pretty pricey, but not horrible, and the place is beautiful and so immaculately clean. My biggest purchases are the Ghirardelli chocolate chips and the strawberries to make chocolate-covered strawberries.

Citarella has been a fixture in the West Village for quite some time, however I've never walked into it before. On a recent trip to the area I decided to check it out after having visited their sibling store on the Upper West Side. This store is laid out quite differently than the one uptown. The one uptown has two floors and is laid out very much in a "U" shape on each floor. This one is one floor and is laid out more like a traditional supermarket. The cashiers are in the front area. To the right is the cheese/deli/meats section and to the left is the seafood area. Produce, a salad bar and many dried and jarred goods are focused in the center area. It's a good layout and despite being really darn crowded I was able to navigate around fairly easily with a bookbag on and carrying another bag in my hand. The meat section still works on an old fashioned deli counter where you take a number and wait to be called. I noticed a fair selection of precooked foods including whole roasted chickens and duck! On this particular occasion I picked up a roasted chicken for a quick dinner. The ladies behind the counter were very good about taking a whole chicken and splitting it up into two different bags (one for me, one for my girlfriend). They were friendly every step of the way. When I got it home, the chicken was still slightly warm but I reheated it anyhow. I was pleasantly surprised to find it had not dried out at all and it was quite flavorful. It wasn't the best roast chicken I've ever bought, but it was good. I do hope to try more of what Citarella has to offer in the future and perhaps up it's rating. All the produce, seafood and meats I saw looked high quality, and I know they carry good cheeses. I look forward to my next visit.

Citarella offers the best, the freshest seafood you can find in downtown Manhattan area! Their staff at seafood counter is nice and helpful! Angel is especially nice and knowledgeable! It's my go-to store for seafood!

Overpriced as all Citarella's are BUT decent selection. Lots of hot and cold foods. Salad bar stays fairly well stocked. Not a big location but it will definitely fit the bill if you're in need. Good selection of produce. Check out line moves quick but it's hit or miss on the cashier's customer service. Overall, I love my Citarella. I'll take your overpriced food any day over having to walk further. #lazypeopleproblems

A really big supermarket in New York. That has the freshest fruits and meat that is organic in town. This is soho style, pricy and good quality.

Why are the fishmongers so unhappy looking and slow moving and often rude? Are they union workers who can't be fired? Or is there no management incentive for them to be pleasant to customers? I will pay extra and walk further to avoid having to buy my fish from Citarella's from now on. I kept giving them chances and smiles, thinking perhaps the man's having a bad day? But this seems to be their style. So goodbye and good luck! Thank goodness they're not the only game in town.

I picked up some poached salmon and cole slaw today, and while the salmon was fine, albeit awfully pricey at $25/pound, the slaw was an embarrassment. There's no reason for water to be an ingredient in cole slaw other than to add weight, and Citarella's slaw has got so much water in it, eating it was like eating soup. And at $5/pound it's not even as good as the Sally Hansen I get in my Brooklyn bodega for $3/pound.

I called with a question. The person who answered the phone didn't have the answer, and she never even try to ask someone else or make any attempt to find the answer and instead she basically told me not to bother going to the store by saying "At this point, you won't even get into the store, so..." and it was 4:00pm.

I do not usually shop here but I was passing by and decided to go in. I bought a chicken pot pie that looked good. NOT! It was so salty that is inedible and the pastry was tough. Not going back. Citarella used to be good. I will be going Agata and Valentina from now on.

As a child I dreamt about unicorns and mermaids. As an adult I dream about shiny eggplant, musty truffles, foie gras and rack of lamb. Creating a meal using Citarella ingredients is almost assured success since everything is fresh, organic...perfect. Starting with the smoked/pickled area in the right corner. They shave paper thin slices of smoked salmon for you - sometimes I find myself leaving breathy smudge marks on the glass as they take the blade to the fish. Not to mention pickled and cured everything in the little nook. Then the deli area, always packed with people queuing for some herbed chicken to reheat and serve as their own. Lots of selection but usually quite busy. Then the cheese. Almost everything you could want. Lots of small hard to find brands. The produce. I dare you to find a dent in their celery, a bruise on their pears or a off color on their vine ripened tomatoes. The grocery items - sauces etc are minimal but select. Can get pricey... The fish might still be swimming for the juicy perfection laid out on ice. The guys behind the counter are always happy to give recommendations and even follow up with a recipe or two. Great selection of game and harder to find cuts as well. The artisan bread bar will finish off the meal with a loaf of crusty that'll look divine in your bread basket. It's not cheap, but it's worth every penny.

Considering Citarella sells impressively high-end deli and dried food goods, I was definitely surprised to find that some of their produce is extremely fresh, yet not exorbitantly priced. In fact, I've discovered that one can pick up some items (like tomatoes and peppers) at a discount here -- even relative to the lower-echelon groceries in the neighborhood, like D'Agostino or Gristedes. The beef I scored recently was purportedly ground fresh that day and the folks tending the meat counter were friendly, helpful, and efficient. Similarly, the cashiers know how to move a line. And there's almost inevitably one. No wonder -- what other similar options exist nearby, with the exception of the Union Square Whole Foods? And hell if I'm waiting through the lines there. As a bonus, they carry 22oz. bottles of Hitachino Nest here, something I haven't encountered anywhere else yet. While they're a pretty penny a pop, it's a nice treat to have sitting around at home after a long day at the office. Dear Citarella, thanks for being an enabler. Hugs and kisses, Kevin.

Rude ass manager. (check out girls nice though) Store feels dirty. Annoying layout. Sure you can get some very good quality items here but I can't get past the 3x markup on many items. Hasta la vista Citarella.

I'm updating my review and adding a star because of how awesome their fish section is. I wanted to post a picture on Yelp of their amazing shell fish section, and I had to take THREE pictures to get the whole shell fish section. Just the shell fish! Way better selection than other similar high priced markets (whole foods) and last time I was there I counted 7 or 8 different kinds of oysters available for purchase. The fish mongers are always super nice and knowledgeable, on my last visit I got clued into the fact they sell live crawfish, but even better than that I can special order 2-4 pound bags of fresh crawfish tails! No work, just tails. I don't even want to know how much that costs, but I'll start saving now.

I went to the West Village Citarella this afternoon to buy fish. I was pleased to see Boston mackerel on the ice. Unless you catch the fish yourself, you need to check the eyes, gills and skin texture to ensure it's fresh. Since the fish was under the ice, I asked her fishmonger to show me the eyes. He pulled the fish from the ice then put it right back onto the ice, not even bothering to show me the eyes as I had asked. I was really stunned when he blurted, wa'do ye wanna eat the eyes? I simply turned around and walked out of Citarella. It has an appearance of a fine gourmet store, but when a company hires inept employees for important customer related positions, especially the fish department, then the quality is doomed for failure because they know little about serving seafood cooks, and poor customer skills do not help. This sales person needs some serious training.

Citarella rules. I'm not going to review it though, I'll do that another day, or next year most likely. But, it's the scones. The Chocolate Chip Scone. I want to marry it. Then have asian scone half breeds. Imagine an intense buttery shortbread cookie. Now imagine that it boned/mated/smush smushed a tender ass chocolate chip muffin. They had a love child. Their children are sold at Citarella, chocolate chip scones! It's not too sweet, since the chocolate (dark) is sweet enough. Slightly crisp exterior. Fluffy interior (re toast it at home! 350 for a few minutes). LOVE OF MY SCONE LIFE. (Whatever Tea & Sympathy)

Instead of just seething at the JC Morton Williams I need to remember that this is absurdly close to the PATH, so it's only a 20-minute weekday trip or merely an hour and a half on weekends. The produce is in good shape. I've generally been pleased with the Fuji apples and this is one of the few places I've seen blood oranges. I think the fennel is the only item at Citarella in which their price is below average. The cost rises sharply when you move away from the fruits and vegetables. Don't buy anything without a price tag. Gazpacho season should be arriving in about four months.

Great organic grocery store if you're willing to pay much more than you should. Don't get me wrong, their food is worth it, but it's grossly overpriced. For a bag of 5 cookies its $8. As for the good side, their chicken noodle soup is to DIE for! Before going gluten free, I use to eat their soup like water. It is not too salty, has fresh vegetables, and large sized noodles. Their sushi is about $7-10 and you get 9 pieces. It's the best sushi I ever had and wish I could have it everyday. They also had a bottle of gluten free soy sauce which tasted exactly like regular soy sauce. If their prices were lower, I would have given them 5 stars.

I've lived in the neighborhood and shopped here for years. The customer service has taken a nose dive over the past year or so. Especially at the meat and fish counters. Workers know nothing about the product and are much more interested in socializing with each other than serving customers. When you do interrupt them to do their jobs they are rude and know nothing about the food they're supposed to know everything about. Managers: time to provide some hands on supervision as well as some customer service and food knowledge training...... I'm starting to really miss Balduccis. Example: On a recent Sunday my husband witnessed a tourist asking an employee at the meat counter the difference between one type of meat cut and another. The response "one is on the top and one is on the bottom". First of all not true. Second of all rude. If I did my job the way they do I would have been fired a long time ago. And rightfully so!

Best fish market in Manhattan! Period. I grew up having fish for lunch and dinner, 7 days a week. I know fish.

I read alot of whining disgruntled folks here with their lackluster reviews.....most whom don't seem to come here for what Citarella is known for and that is great FISH!!....I've been coming here for years even as far back as meeting Ed Koch there. Now I don't live in the City and just come in once every couple of months or have my fish delivered via UPS from them during the pandemic. ALWAYS excellent. I just dropped in early on 2/5/2022 to do alot of fish shopping much of which was to prepare a cold seafood tower/platter. I think the guy helping me was named 'Dave'......very friendly and attentive. I left, got in my car and my wife reminded me about the crab, which I had forgotten. So I go back in and get a full pint when in the past I would only get 1/2 pint...(kind of pricey) which they no longer offer to split. Fine....I take it and some other guy served me this time and actually said he had to "walk it" to the counter. I guess at $99 /lb it's a sign of the times......"smash and grab" etc. and maybe someone ripped them off or tried to in the past. I can't imagine that but these days there seems to be no accountability for crime in NY and America in general. Regardless, Citarella is my go to for great fresh fish. Go there for that and skip the rest if all you know how to do is whine.

It's not quite a Zabar's-level spot, but it's special enough to make you feel like you're having a grocery "experience" and not just checking an errand off your to-do list. Their pastries and holiday cookies are both beautiful and delicious, their butcher counter is the best around for fresh meat, and they sell a unique selection of pre-made foods including rockin' chicken pot pie. The salad bar is a great lunch option- as are their hot soups. If only it stayed open later! Sure it's pricey, but actually not much more than places like Gristedes and other comparable stores nearby. If you just resign yourself to the fact that groceries in the Village will cost you more than they should no matter *where* you go, then you'll be delighted with Citarella.

One of my good friends lives very close to Citarella, and I've walked by a number of times but never ventured in. It looks like Whole Foods on crack - beautiful, delicious foods taunting me....and at seemingly outrageous prices. My friend hosted a BBQ at her place, so went by Citarella for BBQ/party items. We got hamburger patties, kielbasa and sausages, salad fixings and cheese...and I was pleasantly surprised that we didn't have to take out a mortgage to buy the stuff. I was looking for a soft cheese (I'm not a huge soft cheese fan so needed a little help), and the people working at the cheese counter were really helpful and nice. They recommended a goat cheese...and specifically picked out an extra soft one for me. :-) When we grilled up the meats, particularly the kielbasa, they were DELICIOUS.

So when I visited New York every week, I would always walk past this place on the way to Penn Station. The name is terrible, and I would think of "Citronella" instead of "Citarella". What kind of stuff would they sell in a store called "Citronella"? Camping equipment and mosquito nets? Oh the country rube that I was. Being a gourmet cook, I really should have known better. This was my seafood mecca, and I didn't even know it. When I used to watch the food network, you know back when they actually showed trained chefs cooking, they would always tell you to make friends with your local fish monger. Tall task if you live in the middle of nowhere. Ah, but I live in New York now, and I have found my local fish monger. Hallelujah! It was a cold night, so I just wanted to make a simple mussel soup with white wine and saffron. Anywhere else I would have to settle for whatever Prince Edward Island mussels were left. But here, they actually had New Zealand mussels! You know the green ones? Large, succulent, and sweet. They made a fantastic soup and were inexpensive. And that was only 1 of the many exotic options available to me. I highly recommend this place!

Fancy market with Italian baked goods, chocolates, and other assorted delicacies. There's a hot food buffet albeit with limited selection. I took home a carton of lasagna, chicken parmigiana, and beef bourguignon. Lasagna: This was a home-style lasagna with soft, well-cooked noodles and a hearty meat sauce. One of the better lasagna I had in recent days. Chicken parmigiana: had a really nice cheesy layer which tasted like old-school Italian pizza Beef bourguignon: large chunks of meat which were tough and hard to chew. They should stick to Italian dishes. The buffet food was good but not worth the $15 I paid. You can get two slices of pizza down the street for $2 and be equally satisfied.