(215) 627-6011
760 S 9th St
Philadelphia,
PA
19147
39.9404
-75.1578
Neighborhoods: Bella Vista/ Southwark, South Philadelphia
What People Are Saying About Ralph's Italian Restaurant
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
In Short – Ralph's reputation keeps the famished and the famous returning to its two historic floors. There's not much you won't recognize on the menu. Pasta and red sauce--also known as gravy in these parts--are staples, so stick to them. Basic veal dishes are the house specialty--choose from a tender cutlet dressed in egg yolk, or one topped with prosciutto, sauce and Parmesan.
Best Spaghetti and Meatballs!
by musicnutz
Ralph's has everything going for it. A quiet dining room with exceptional food. My husband and I went for the first time last night and are still talking about how delicious the food was! We went traditional- spaghetti and meatballs and my husband got chicken parm. It was FANTASTIC!!! Had a real "old world" style to it.. really nice to have this since all Italian restaurants are trying to be so damn contemporary these days. We will definitely be back! Oh yeah and the wine was delicious too!
Horrible
by gstnj
Went to Ralph's last night. with 6 of us. I had the worst Veal Malsala ever. It was in a thick beige butter sauce, looked like turkey gravy instead of a deep rich sauce as it should have been. Escarole was mushy and overcooked. Waited forever for our meals. Red sauce in other dishes was watery. Bread was stale, no olive oil or cheese on table. Never asked if we wanted appetizers. No one said good night to us or thanked us - we spent over $200. We will never go back.
Worst Italian Food I've Ever Had!
by nunnayerbizness
I feel like the victim of a sick joke. I was told by a co-worker how great Ralph's is. So, I went there this past Saturday with a lady friend, and hands down it was one of the worst dining experiences of my life.
Let's start with the food. We ordered the antipasto as an appetizer. There was very little meat and cheese on the plate. The olives and beets were from a can. And the lettuce was friggin' iceburg lettuce!
I had the lasagna, and it was awful. My date got the chicken cattiatore, which she wasn't all that pleased with. Her entree came with a side of spaghetti and marinara sauce. She took one bite of it and it was overcooked. We also got a side order of broccoli rabe. This was the most offensive part of the meal--they actually BOILED the broccoli rabe, not sauteed it! I had to send it back it was inedible! Last, the bread they served was like Wonder bread...and no olive oil on the table?!?! Gimme a break!
The service was reprehensible. Our waiter had a nervous tick thing going on, and it was disturbing to place our order and watch him violently move his head back and forth. The bottle of wine we ordered costed $40; afterward, we went to a liquor store and saw it on the shelf for $16.99!
I have no idea how Ralph's got a good reputation, but it's my opinion that anyone who eats there and likes it has never had a good Italian meal in their life! One thing I will say is that Ralph's lives up to its name--IF YOU EAT THERE, YOU WILL *RALPH* UP YOUR MEAL AFTERWARDS! AVOID THIS PLACE LIKE THE PLAGUE!
- Pros: Nothing
- Cons: Terrible food, terrible service, terribe decor
The Details on Ralph's Italian Restaurant
What To Drink:
You could peruse the big book of Italian wines, but make it easy (and cheap), and order up a whole or half carafe of Chianti or Lambrusco.
Know Before You Go:
No plastic is accepted here but an ATM is on the premises.
Notable Chef:
Jimmy Rubino
Smoking Permitted:
Yes








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