Leo's Italian Restaurant - Oelwein, Iowa

Kayty D.

We got there before 5 got sat down waited a good 10 min for our waitress. She got our drink order and brought our drinks back. We was not ready for our order just yet she said she would give us a few minutes. Except everyone after us already ordered and was getting their salads and bread and 15 min go by we are still waiting to order. They had no chicken Alfredo for kids which is what our one daughter loves. No lid or kid cups. Still everyone after us eating. We get our food an hour after we got sat down. The server was sweet but not on top of it. Just seemed like we were forgotten about. Took way too long and wasn’t worth the wait!!! This was our first time visiting. And probably our last!

Kaitlyn S.

Im visiting the area and this was my first time at Leo’s, as a manager in food service I was extremely disappointed. You CANNOT serve a 15 dollar pasta bread bowl that’s visibly burnt, rock solid on the outside, and still managed to taste undercooked on the inside. There is absolutely no reason for items that I would never send out my drive thru window to even leave the kitchen in a restaurant charging triple the amount. If it looks burnt and it’s hard, it’s garbage.

Heidi

I don’t live in Oelwein. I traveled 35 minutes just to try something new. Turns out, I should’ve saved the gas and stayed local. The service was one of the worst I’ve ever experienced, and it wasn’t because they were short-staffed. Leo’s just sorely lacked the service one would expect, considering the over-inflated prices on their menu.

Our server barely checked on us. We had to flag her down just to ask for condiments after our food was finally brought to us. Not only did it take nearly 50 minutes to get our food, but patrons who came in after us, locals most likely, received faster service.

One of my table mates ordered a beer and was brought a mixed drink. Instead of taking accountability for the mixup, our server blamed the bar for making the wrong drink. That may have been the case, but she was the one who took his order. He ordered a beer and didn’t receive a beer. It only got worse from there. My husband ordered a bacon cheeseburger, only to be presented with a burger that was half cooked, half raw. It definitely wasn’t worth its $14.29 price tag. I ordered the Taste of Italy, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that what came out on my plate somehow managed to cost $21.99. It was bland and lukewarm at best. In all honesty, it tasted like a store-bought frozen dish that they just warmed up and haphazardly threw on a plate.

Needless to say, I will not be a repeat customer. Once was more than enough for both my tastebuds and my wallet.

As evidenced by my take-home box, I didn’t enjoy my meal enough to eat even half of it.

ETA (in response to the reply): We had two separate tickets for a total of four people. My table mate asked for a beer menu and one was provided. He chose his beer of choice and was brought a mixed drink instead. A double shot of some kind. And as far as I know, it’s illegal to leave with an open container of alcohol. So, no, he did not get it to go. Our server took no accountability, negating the fact that she was the one who brought him the beer menu in the first place and was the one who took his order. She blamed the bar instead and didn’t even offer to make it right. You may very well serve hot meals, but mine most certainly wasn’t. It was bland and lukewarm, as I previously stated. The burger had chunks of uncooked meat. It wasn’t rare. There’s a difference between rare and uncooked. It never should have been brought out that way.

And after reading the other reviews, it doesn’t appear that you are properly addressing the issues at hand, as this doesn’t seem to be a singular occurrence.

Raul C.

Really nice Italian restaurant in Oelwein, IA. Delicious food and friendly service makes this restaurant a gem. Don’t miss the upstairs lounge Generations.

Hance T.

Leo's was sooo good! Their garlic bread with cheese, is like, this superbly made cheese toast. It is fantastic. See pic. Of course you get more than the 2 peices in the pic.
We also had Chicken Alfredo and the onion rings were really good. I had a chicken bacon ranch wrap which although not Italian was wonderfully fresh, with a good amount of chicken. Will definitely be back.

6-26-22. We took the little elevator ride up to the bar upstairs. Had some drinks and a pizza which was really good. So far Leo's has never disappointed.

Robert K.

Not our best dining experience by far. You could tell by the pictures that I had a burger that was half raw and half cooked and lo and behold the melted swiss cheese that should be on a Reuben was put on top of coleslaw so it was not melted. The fettuccine alfredo was so good that it wasn't even touched much, by the looks of the picture it was said that the fettucini Alfredo could have been better at home out of a jar. Remember that this is my opinion but my opinion also is that I will not be going back. It wasn't all bad the lemonade was great.

Our servers name was Lacey, wasn't very friendly. Seemed to be aware of everyone but us. Maybe if I was a local I would have better service.

Deidra S.

Great place for some yummy food, plus the lounge upstairs is a nice place for a drink and to hear some live music!

Season C.

All of the waitstaff is absolutely amazing! The food is spectacular! Would highly recommend!! Thank you for a wonderful meal!