Review: DeGidio's
That red sauce though. This St. Paul classic was established in 1933.
A filling and delicious stop for large portions and a family-friendly atmosphere.
Okay full transparency, this wasn’t my first time going to DeGidio’s. This restaurant located on West 7th in St. Paul is a staple in my husband’s family and we’ve been going fairly regularly for the last handful of years.
We’ve always had a great experience coming here thanks to the food, the service and the price. Might as well start this restaurant writing adventure on a high note!
Atmosphere
The first thing you notice when you arrive is that there’s a decent-sized parking lot (amazing for this area of St. Paul) and that the restaurant is actually quite large.
Once inside and you look around, you see that it’s more of a classic restaurant. The weekly special is on the board behind me says Pumpkin Ravioli, the lighting isn’t overwhelming, everything is dark solid wood and there’s some music playing as well. The main dining area isn’t massive itself but it’s comfortable and not too loud.
There’s also a main bar area with the bar right in the middle so there’s seating around the entire thing as well as an event space in the back that looked massive when I walked by.
Is it a trendy, new, Instagram-worthy interior? No. But that’s not why you come here. You come here for comfort and familiarity.
Food
This is why you’re here; the food. You’re not going to leave this place hungry, that’s for sure. The portions are massive and every item is so filling and hearty, it’s perfect for the fall and leading into winter when all we want to do is bundle up in a blanket.
I had to start with the Italian beer (Peroni), but there are plenty of local brews available as well. To no surprise, many wine options for pretty much anyone too.
The appetizers are always delicious and the perfect size to share, and don’t forget about the bread that comes to the table with an amazing seasoned butter. The calamari comes with their red sauce (more to come on that) and the tomatoes that come with the bruschetta were some of the best I’ve had.
For entrees, we had a hot dago at the table, a lasagna, a chicken alfredo and then the pictured spaghetti that was my meal. I have to get the classics when I’m here because they’re just that good. The red sauce is delicious and has just a little bit of a kick so it’s not too sweet. It’s definitely recommended to add baked mozzarella as well. How can you not?
The meatballs were huge and seasoned well. I’ve never had issues with those. The sauce again tasted like perfection. The only thing I noticed this time around was that noodles looked a little dry and that there was some water at the bottom of my dish (thinking it’s related to the baking process for the cheese), but once I started mixing up the noodles, sauce and cheese, it got incorporated into the food and everything was creamy and delicious.
Service
Our waitress was unbelievably kind and helpful the entire time. It was the Minnesota Wild’s home opener a few hours later so the restaurant was slammed with hockey fans, but our drinks came out quick, our food didn’t take too long and we never felt rushed to get out of there. A consistently great experience.
Value
Massive portions of food in a fun area of St. Paul (a few breweries are nearby, Xcel Energy Center is a short walk) and not ridiculous prices? Sign me up. We had 5 adults at the table who each had multiple drinks, appetizers, entrees, and even dessert and it was about $200.
8.9 out of 10.
You aren’t coming here for dishes that will blow you away with different textures and flavors. You’re coming here for heavy, delicious Italian food that will keep you full for the entire day. We love DeGidio’s and will always support this restaurant. For the price (and ease of parking) it truly is a great spot on the busy West 7th area of St. Paul.
If you want to check them out, they do take reservations and you can also order their stuff to go.
DeGidio’s Restaurant & Bar
425 7th St. W
St. Paul, MN 55102
If you try them out, let us know! We’d love to hear about your experience.
MMMM...Love me some DiGideos! Food is ALWAYS good. I usually default to the spaghetti and meatballs too. But recently I tried the pesto linguine. Try it. You'll love it. Great choice for your inaugural post!