Sorrento's Italian Joint

There is a lot to like at Sorrentos Pizza in Norwood (not to be confused with Sorrentos in Reading) but there are some issues with consistent food quality and pricing that are holding this storied institution back from the greatness that could be theirs

The pizza here is called thin crust but is fairly thick for this style.  Not my favorite, but if you prefer a medium-thick crust I believe you will like their pizza here.  The selection of pastas is rather small for an italian eatery, with only red-sauced spaghetti, ravioli, manicotti, and lasagna available -- no alfredo, no clams, no chicken, and no wine/butter/oliveoil-and-garlic based preparations at all.  In addition to the above, there are also a handful of hoagie-style sandwiches, some salads and soups, a few appetizers, and a half dozen desserts.  The place appears to be family owned and family run, which I generally consider a big plus.  They have a front dining room that serves double duty as a "softball hall of fame" full of trophies, photos, and other memorabilia from great local softball teams.  Dark wooden floors and kitschy decorations all over the walls makes for a very interesting and unique space to eat in.

The best news is that their red sauce, the traditional lifeblood of any neighborhood italian eatery like they are, is fantastic.  Rich, full bodied, neither thick nor thin, more savory and herb-y than sweet - I'd say this is one of the best red sauces to be found in the Cincinnati area, and they deserve to get plenty of business on this basis alone.  I rated them a point and a half higher on this basis alone.  That said, however, there seems to be some problems with consistency day to day, almost as if (and this is purely a guess here) different recipes are used by different cooks on different days. 

Pricing and portioning is a very real and very big problem here.  An 8inch plain pizza will run you 9.00, while a 16inch pizza for the family can run as high as 23.00.  A tiny loaf of garlic bread, not even enough for two diners, runs 4.00, and a dollar more if you want cheese on it and/or sauce for dipping (trust me - you do).  The lasagna is very good, and includes a salad and a few bites of bread, but at 12.50 it is priced at least three dollars higher than it should be for the portion size.   The meatball sandwich at 8.50 was enjoyable once I moved all of the meat to one half of the sandwich and ate that, but for 8.50 there should have been enough for the whole sandwich, especially with Betta's just down the street being absolutely packed with large meatballs for 2.50 less.  I should add that when I asked for onions to be added to this sandwich, I was told I'd be charged a dollar extra.  I didn't argue to point and simply didn't add the onions after all, but these are thrown in as a freebie on this sandwich anywhere else I can think of.          

The pricing is even more perplexing given the neighborhood and parking situation.  The neighborhood is low income with a lot of homes within easy walking distance, and parking is in a fairly small and poorly maintained lot that is not connected to the restaurant, and there do not not appear to be enough parking spaces in his lot to allow them to fill their fairly large dining room.  As a result, I would think the business strategy should be to target carryout lunches for hungry workers from local businesses during the business day, and the low income families in the neighborhood for evenings and weekends.  In both cases, I believe that the price point needs to be much lower, but they don't even have a lunch menu; and I do not think this neighborhood is well served by 9 dollar plates of spaghetti, 10 dollar sandwiches, or 20+ dollar pizzas

This is the kind of place that I really, really want to like, particularly given how good their red sauce (usually) is; but at these prices for these portions my meal money generally goes elsewhere

VOTED BEST PIZZA IN CINCY. I read the bogus review by Pizzaman, funny when City Beat has Sorrento's in Best Pizza catagory that this person writes a bad review. Sorrento's uses real tomatoes on their Margherita pizza. Not cans. They use 100% real cheese not processed cheese. Real ingredients cost more. Beer is $2.00 for a draft they have 22 selections at all prices. The salads have pepperoni, provolone cheese tomatoes, comes with Italian bread and butter. For $4.00 that is not bad. Now you can get a Large 16 inch cheese pizza for $13.50 and you can feed a family of 4 for around $20.00 if you don't drink alcohol. So if your going to write about Sorrento's you should at least tell the truth. I have been going there since I graduated from Xavier in the 70's. The DeLuca family treats everyone like family. Sorrento's caters to greater Cincinnati and does not thrive on a Norwood crowd Thank God. We drive from Westchester, Ohio to eat there every week. It is not a ghost town, last Saturday nite there was a 45 minute wait for a table. Keep up the good work Sorrento's and I voted Best Pizza and I hope you win. And PizzaMan eat at LaRosa's or wherever and stay in the dives.

The Best Pizza in Cincy. This has got to be Cincinnati's finest pizza in Cincinnati. They have a sauce like no other and the sausage is to die for. I have never had a pizza like this nowhere in Cincy, Chicago would love this pizza. So glad we found a place to eat real Italian pizza from a real Italian family with an old world crust and recipe of real Italian food. Bless all the DeLuca family. I cannot believe how cheap their beer prices are. A draft of beer for only $2.00, their prices are so reasonable compared to other places in Hyde Park and Cincinnati. The girls are so kind and wait on you like you were in a 5 star restaurant, no ego's here only good food and service.

A Classic Favorite. Without a doubt, one of the best original pizza places in the city. Great service (both at the bar and dining room. The atmosphere is great, especially if you appreciate sports. I still reminisce about the long walk from Cincinnati Gardens after a Cyclones victory to Sorrento's and watching Enrico DeLuca entertain the crowd with his various skills. Enrico is no longer there, but the family has kept up the pace delivering top-notch pizzas at a good price. In my opinion the sauce is the best part, slightly spicy and rich, yet a perfect balance to the chewy crust. The DeLuca's and Pizza is one combination that has survived the test of time!

GREAT FOOD. We were in there tonight to watch the UC game with our family. The food was excellent, we are from Michigan and we were in heaven when we finally found real pizza with 100% cheese and old world style pizza. The service was 4 stars my best to the DeLuca family for serving the Cincinnati community for over 50 years. Thanks and Lindsey was a great server. We wish her all the luck with her new baby. For all you out of towners who grew up with Little Italy's you will love this pizza.

What a neat restaurant in Norwood, I had no idea this place was such a cool place! Jacinda was our waitress and she was was best! She allowed us to move tables so we felt more comfortable, was kind, knowledgeable, and friendly! She made sure we were taken care of the entire time! I a def cute little gem of Cincinnati to check out!

This was a first visit, and this place is a hidden gem! The service was excellent as we walked in 30 minutes before closing and were able to eat in and receive excellent service. The pizza crust was so delicious. This is definitely a place to return for good pizza, service, and atmosphere! There was an error with pizza toppings, and we didn't even actually pay attention due to being hungry and just enjoying the meal. However, it was brought to our attention, and a new pizza was made. The honesty and exposure to error are positive qualities that will definitely keep people returning!

This is my favorite Italian restaurant EVER! It was my family’s first time there tonight, and we loved it. Anything you order is delicious, beautifully presented, flavorful, and fresh. My sister loved how they had an espresso martini, and the taste exceeded expectations! The hospitality is the best. Chef David is very fun and friendly and our waitress was awesome. My family will definitely be back as it’s now our go-to Italian restaurant!

Emma was able to get us in even though they were booked. Our waitress Winnie was great. They all went above and beyond to make sure we had a great experience. The food is amazing and the wonderful smell when walking into the door makes your mouth water. We will be back with our friends and family.

Excellent. It was really cool inside as the pictures show you. Nice outside area. We had the fried ravioli, cheese pizza, and Hungry Wolf (mushrooms, sausage, Canadian Bacon). Service was excellent and food was tasty. I will be back.