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Pompilio's Restaurant Bocce, a strategic ball sport, is based on one of the oldest diversions known to man - throwing something at a target. The game of bocce we play today, safely, does not involve throwing rocks and large stones but rather has elements of bowling and horseshoes. With a history dating before the Roman Empire the game of bocce, a tradition in most Italian households, has been played by our own Italian family since our fore fathers immigrated to Cincinnati.In 1991, to pay tribute, we enclosed the southwest corner of our parking lot and built two regulation sized bocce courts with a patio area and bar.
Services
Electric trolleys no longer click-clack past the front door, nor do stagnant spittoons rest beneath the bar's front rail, but for over a century customers have been frequenting the establishment known, since 1933, as Pompilio's. In 1902 the bar and adjacent dining room looked very similar to what we see today.
The George Wiedemann Brewing Company was founded in 1890 and at one time was the largest brewery in the Southeast producing over 100,000 barrels a year. Its headquarters and Brewery were located in the West end of Newport, approximately five blocks west of the restaurant. The George Wiedemann Brewing Company for most of its history was the largest employer and land owner in the city of Newport.
Have Pompilio's cater your next event! Pompilio's restaurant is also a full service catering company specializing in traditional Italian buffets, small and large pans, boxed lunches, appetizer platters, and more. Pompilio's has convenient pick-up times, and we deliver to almost anywhere in the Tri-state area.
Are you looking to book a private party or corporate event? Pompilio's can accommodate up to 40 people inside in our back room or up to 60 in our outside dining area. Our space is great for special occasions, rehearsal dinners, weddings, corporate outings, birthdays, and anniversaries. Pompilio's experienced staff and great food can make any occasion a special occasion.
Reviews (47)
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Diana B.
Jun 23, 2022
This place definitely knows how to serve a meal our pasta tasted delicious and was served in a heaping portion that made a filling lunch the next day. I got the San Luci and it was just delicious! The Riesling was sweet and balanced, and we finished with the peanut butter chocolate cannoli. Absolutely loved everything (sans the bread; we expected something more than just sliced white loaf).
Brandon G.
Jun 18, 2022
I have been coming here for years and continue to come back. Pompilios is a perfect spot for a date night, the whole family, or just a quick bite! The staff is always so friendly and the place really has some history. Paityn was our waitress today and had great enthusiasm and was very welcoming. Looking forward to our next visit!
Michael Michael
Jun 14, 2022
Dinner was nice. Portions were adequate and fair with prices we believe are in 2022 good. Sunday brunch with a light customer base. Very relaxing environment while enjoying time with one another. When I do reviews I do them on the business so I have to give Pompilios the 5 star. We hope they consider kids moving forward during staff table assignments.
Katy M.
Jun 14, 2022
You know when you are driving to the restaurant for the first time, you got your windows down and your looking for your turn? This was us and then suddenly I smelled Italian and knew we were close. It smelled delicious and I immediately spotted the sign. We pulled in and parked and I nearly ran to the door, it smelled great and I was excited! Before entering the restaurant, I noticed to the right they had fresh basil growing and that gave me confidence, that this was about to be the best pasta I've ever had.

Boy oh boy was I correct. This restaurant reminded me of a ma and pa place, the original building and that comfy cozy atmosphere. The menu had so many delicious options that I felt overwhelmed and I just wanted to order the whole thing. How was I to decide on one thing when it all looked great? We looked up at our waiter, he asked if we wanted an appetizer?

So we asked what he recommended. He told us we had to try the artichoke spinach dip, I was hesitate but trusted his judgement. If I could add a drum roll to this review, I would! This spinach dip was the best dip I have had in my life. It was fresh, it was the perfect temperature and the pita bread was by far the best I have ever had. It was airy, crispy, warm and covered in parmesan and garlic, it was just the best combination ever.

After that eccellente appetizer, I was even more thrilled for the entrees to arrive. I ordered the homemade manicotti and he ordered the beef ravioli with alfredo sauce. The food came wicked fast and I was still licking my fingers from the dip, trying to move things around to make room for this steamy pasta dish that had just arrived! I've had a lot of pasta in my life and this was spettacolare!

I closed my eyes almost after each bite and felt like I was in Italy for a moment, I even joked about it while we were there. It was the best Italian food I have ever had and I literally cannot wait until we go back.
Rhonda W.
Jun 08, 2022
Had some of their food at taste of Cincinnati and liked it. So after the zoo today we Decided to try to find this for Dinner. We got the risotto balls as an appetizer and we shared the manicotti because I'm not much of a meat eater got the marinara with marinara sauce. Service was good places really cute inside. Pasta was cooked to perfection not overcooked. My.

My only complaint is that driving in Cincinnati and Newport there's so many one way streets I find it confusing. Plus I wish they had more parking finding parking can be tricky. But overall great place and I like it
Alley J.
Jun 03, 2022
Was in town for a long weekend from Nashville. We are here two out of the 4 nights we were in town. The food is beyond authentic and the Bellinis go down too easy! Definitely our favorite Italian joint of all time.
Eileen B.
May 30, 2022
I love this place The history the look of the place and of course the food We will always come here when we crave Italian food and it never disappoints We love to eat at the bar and the bar is gorgeous and the service is always fantastic
Chris L.
May 28, 2022
I've been coming to Pompilios for over 25 years and the experience has never been better. We had a table for seven on a busy Thursday evening and the dinner was flawless. Delicious eggplant Parmesan, excellent side salad, and great draft beer. We also enjoyed the garlic butter and the complimentary bread before the meal. First timers and life long diners agreed, Pompilios is the best when it comes to good Italian good!
Albert Tung
May 16, 2022
Service was great! However, the food was mediocre at best, lacked seasoning. Didn't really understand the plain bread. It wasn't warm, toasted, or anything. Maybe this was an one off situation, but definitely not 4.4 star rated food. Would recommend the three cheese tortellini, as it was the only thing with decent flavoring out of the three entrees we tried (three cheese tortellini, veil marsala, and Italian sampler).
Rachel H.
May 03, 2022
AMAZING food. Everything tasted good, including the cocktails. Our server was really great too and took great care of us. Reasonable amount of seating, so we didn't wait at all even on a Friday for four people.
Billy Bob K.
May 02, 2022
Visited for dinner recently. I had been coming regularly for years but this was first time back in a year. It was truly a disappointment. Food had little taste and served Luke warm. Not sure why it's quality has fallen so far.
Paul D.
Apr 26, 2022
Great food and atmosphere as usual! The mussels are a must for your appetizer. Huge servings for your entree so you might want to consider splitting a dish.
Missy Cipriani
Apr 16, 2022
Service? Excellent. Peyton was our server, she did great! As far as food? It was "ok" probably just being being Italian, i have higher expectations.
Matt Hennies
Apr 13, 2022
Excellent service Food was 7/10 What killed me was they brought out bread before the meal. Not warmed, not special bread, no butter, nothing. Literally just slices of plain white bread. Like regular kroger white bread. I need the owner of this restaurant to understand that nobody wants plain white bread before a meal lol
Jim J.
Apr 12, 2022
I visit Pompilio's probably once a month and usually give a shining review. This one isn't bad, but the service did stop after the server encountered an issue with an earlier check. He lost the cash that was in the server book to pay the bill and had to pay back $130. I've served for 20 years and totally know how that feels. Yet I also know that, as a professional, the service does not stop.

The server came out strong though and I thought we had a ringer. He took our order quick and the food came out just fine. The manager delivered our dinners and then we struggled to get refills or continuing service beyond that point. The busser came to the rescue and took care of our refills. I did speak to the manager who was very nice and apologized profusely.

She hooked us up with a couple of to go desserts even though we insisted that we were good to go. We will be back. I understand not every experience will be rockstar. I ordered the tour of Italy as usual and it never disappoints. My girlfriend had the cannanoli and she loved it. We left happy and will be back.
Sarah L.
Apr 10, 2022
Never been here.we followed the signs outside that directed us to a side door. Entered through the doors to no signs, no directions, no greetings from staff. The party in front of us seated themselves. A waitress walked past us with menus and smiled and kept on going. Naturally we thought we were to seat ourselves at one of the many open tables. We sat, someone came to our table and brought us bread and butter and we were ready to enjoy our dinner. Then, someone came to our table, asked us if we had checked in with the hostess.

We honestly replied "what hostess"? Since we had followed directions to the entrance and there wasn't a hostess in sight. She rudely stated there was a minimum 45 minute wait and we needed to leave. Which we did. And will not return. Wow. Not the response I was expecting, but it is what it is. It turned out all right for us that night. We found another locally owned restaurant nearby and had a fantastic experience.
Todd Lowry
Mar 18, 2022
Great Authentic Italian cuisine! Amazing wait and service staff. Always kind and Attentive. The atmosphere makes you feel like you are in a 1950's Italian place. (A little note of their fame. the movie "Rain Man" filmed some scenes there.) I had the special of the day - Pan Seared Halibut on top of pasta with an onion, basil, sun dried tomatoes, mushroom and bacon cream sauce. outstanding! My wife had (and loves) their house Lasagna. It was huge. She will be having leftovers for a couple days. I highly recommend Pompilios.
Damon L. Muncy
Feb 20, 2022
This place is a must visit. The food is very good and the atmosphere is welcoming and comfortable. We had great service. Very enjoyable dining experience. If you like Italian food, I highly recommend you give this place a try.
Darline Nedved
Jan 24, 2022
The Alfredo was more like a macaroni and cheese sauce. It was not white and creamy, looked like some kind of yellow cheese was added. I could not eat it. The toasted ravioli was burnt on most pieces. The meat ravioli was good alone but the Alfredo ruined the ravioli. Building was cool and historic and the waitress was fantastic. Really put off by the Alfredo that was definitely not Alfredo.
Grace L.
Jan 15, 2022
So mid tier I'm not sure how to describe it. There was something just slightly off about every single course we got. My wine was good at least.
Jenn W.
Jan 14, 2022
We ordered carry out from here and told the girl taking the order over the phone that I needed lots of mozzarella and provolone on top of my lasagna and I got neither! I guess the cook didn't pay attention to my order? The salads were good, but the pita bread was hard and the artichoke dip was greasy. This is my usual go to Italian joint and just the mistakes and nearly non edible food is becoming too common, and that is rather unfortunate.
Janice K.
Jan 10, 2022
This is a great little local place with a lot of character and charm. Very traditional Italian cuisine with homemade pasta. You will receive very large servings, so be prepared to share or take some home. I highly recommend the antipasti appetizer.
Renee Neville
Dec 27, 2021
Awesome place and great service. Ms Payton was awesome and helped me learn the history on this place as well. Can't believe it took me so long to eat here being I'm Italian and lived in Kentucky for 16 yrs. I'll definitely be back. Thanks again for the awesome service Payton and crew. Food was so so good and the portions was amazing.
Zach F.
Dec 20, 2021
Great neighborhood establishment food was fast and hit kist right. Definitely worth an evening while down in northern ky
L. Hicks
Dec 11, 2021
Great service friendly food was amazing price is fair portions are nice. All around I nice experience. I had the lasagna my friend had the chicken Alfredo
Jack G.
Dec 08, 2021
First off I have to mention our amazing server Chris. He is super helpful and just a great guy. He made us feel welcome from beginning to end. The menu is chock full of Pasta's served with just about any sauce you can imagine. The 4 of us ordered pasta dishes including tagliatelle with vodka cream sauce, puttanesca with meat sauce and angel hair with olives sun dried tomatoes and feta.

We also cheese filled rice balls with marinara and the meatballs in a robusto marinara. The wine list is extensive and served properly by our server Chris. We ended with tiramisu and limoncello. We were not rushed in the least and encouraged to take our time which I appreciated. We all had lots to take home. One of the best Italian meals I've enjoyed on a long time. I highly recommend. Ask for Chris. You won't be sorry.
Olivia S.
Dec 08, 2021
Friendly staff but the food just wasn't good. My noodles for my chicken parmigiana were over cooked and mushy. I tried a few other item and wasn't impressed. I really wanted to love this place:
Hope A.
Oct 27, 2021
We were looking for an Italian spot in this area for take out, and were having a hard time finding somewhere with ravioli or lasagna which I thought was super strange. Those are staples of Italian food right? Then we came across this place and it looked authentic. We ordered a variety of food, including: seafood ravioli, regular ravioli, manicotti, sausage with peppers/onions, chicken alfredo, and a build your own pasta dish.

Everyone enjoyed what they ordered. I personally ordered the regular ravioli with marina and it was very good. The sauce was tasty and the ravioli's were full and creamy. I did feel some of the dishes were a little small, but they did the job. The chicken alfredo dish was quite large. Because we ordered take out, we received some extra marina, ramekins of parm, and cut bread/butter.
R. A. F.
Oct 05, 2021
Have been coming here for years. Had a really disappointing experience as relates to food quality recently. Both myself and my friend had what would appear to be hastily prepared and bland tasting dishes. Service was not at its usual levels either
Byancia Kohler
Oct 02, 2021
Good food for a good price. LARGE portions. my only complaint would be that our waitress seemed annoyed she had to wait on us. It was just me and my two younger sisters.
Mindy Y.
Sep 25, 2021
Tips for this place 1. You can do street parking around the area if the parking lot is full 2. The ladies room is quite cramped and small Got the veal marsala for $26 and it was quite flavorful - actually it is one of the pricier dishes on the menu. Or you can get the chicken marsala for $10 cheaper. I tried a bite of my friend's tiramisu dessert and it was amazing - perfect sweetness and nicely chilled.
Melissa Ford
Sep 12, 2021
Food was so good! Ravioli was just wonderful. Home style comfort Italian. Definitely worth the visit!
Brianna W.
Sep 09, 2021
Celebrated a birthday recently. The food was delicious and really hit the spot! Enough food on the plates to split and share if you wanted to. Family brought delicious homemade cake made from scratch. My grandma specifically asked them to not clean up our table yet as we were just going to step outside to take a photograph yet when we came back inside, the cake was gone. That is the part I don't like about Pompillios.
Whitney Lawhorn
Sep 02, 2021
Our family loves this place! Such a local tradition with excellent Italian! Our little man loves the marinara so much he eats it by the handful! I would recommend a reservation for sure.
Carol S.
Aug 30, 2021
Absolutely our favorite Italian restaurant. We no longer live in Northern KY, but it's our first stop when are back in town. The marinara sauce is delicious. Meatballs are spiced just right and cooked in the tomato sauce. The manager was excellent and worked us inside when it rained and needed to sit inside. We love the waitresses. Service was great!
Jennifer Schellhouse
Aug 24, 2021
I'm not sure if we got there too early but the sauce tasted like last night's leftovers, and not in the good way. The meat sauce was bland. The lasagna was not good. The bread is dry and doesnt taste great but the whipped garlic butter is pretty good. The meatballs are pretty good. The best thing was the risotto balls. Our waitress was super friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is really cute so we were disappointed that the usual staples of an Italian eatery were not great.
The Hungry G.
Aug 01, 2021
Occasionally you come across this kind of Italian restaurant, a place that gives off the vibe of having started in a grandmother's basement three generations earlier and has spiraled out into a labyrinthine restaurant, full of paintings of wine bottles or chefs kissing their fingers. Parking is sufficient and free, which is surprising if you're not familiar with the residential areas this close to the Levee.

Constantly packed, Pompilios is not a place where you can just walk in and get a table, but, thankfully, you can pop into their in-house bar (featured in the movie Rain Man) and have a glass of wine or, like me, a beer as you wait between 15-45 minutes for somewhere to open up. The menu is red-sauce Italian, and with little exception is fairly priced and relatively simple.

Table bread is white loaf, with a side of a faintly garlic-infused butter, suitable for mopping up sauce more than as an appetizer. If you ordered a true appetizer, it appears relatively quickly, and your entree will follow before you've finished it. From what I sampled, the entrees are generally fine, nothing to write home about. One avoidance I would suggest is Homemade Meat Lasagna, which, contrary to ones expectations, is not baked, but rather assembled on the plate with cooked noodles, ricotta, and warmed sauce.

The result is a grainy, almost dripping wet, experience that falls completely apart at the first attention from a fork. Any other option on the menu is preferable to this macabre device. There's a reason Pompilios has survived in this high-rent of a neighborhood for closing in on 100 years. They know their business, and know it well. The staff, charming without being memorable, have a workman-like efficiency as they serve, cook, and clean.

With the current state of Newport as a whole, I wholeheartedly encourage you to visit for yourself, as few restaurants, especially Italian ones, in the area can cater to this level of quality or service for their price-point.
Shannon Wedig
Jul 21, 2021
Pompilio's is a hometown favorite. Food is especially delicious and the service is always top notch. Thank you!
Peggy C.
Jul 16, 2021
I was so excited to take my out of town guests to have dinner here last night. It was so disappointing. It started with sliced, dry, white bread in a basket? There were 3 of us and we each had a different entree. Not one of them was what I would call "good". They were flavorless and not at all what was expected at this highly recommended place. I will say the service was good and she was very friendly.
Tamara Green
May 28, 2021
One of the top places in NKY for traditional Italian food! Complimentary bread is served as soon as you are seated. This visit I ordered manicotti with meat sauce, my daughter ordered the rigatoni bolognese, and my husband had the chicken parm hoagie. All of our food was very good, but if I had to nit pick, my manicotti pasta was a little tough and could have probably used a few more minutes cooking. Our service was friendly and fast, and the prices were reasonable.
Ali F.
May 18, 2021
This place gets rave reviews, which shocked me b/c the food was pretty mediocre. The risotto balls are to die for, but both our meals were just meh. I ordered the shrimp alfredo. The menu specifically says the shrimp are grilled. No way. They were boiled. They had zero flavor. I HATE that. Good Italian chefs know you HAVE to cook the shrimp with flavor, THEN put them in the yummy alfredo sauce.

That is my biggest pet peeve ever. BF had the manicotti w/meatballs. It was very, very dry. We had to ask for extra sauce, but even the cheese inside was just dry. And the meatballs were ok. So all in all, we were pretty disappointed. I don't think we'll go back.
Karen B.
May 02, 2021
A classic, you just always know you can count on a really solid meal from here. I got the byo pasta with angel hair and meatballs, yum!
Michele K.
Mar 26, 2021
I've only been to Pompilio's twice but I really like the old school Italian feel of the place. I really liked the fried raviolis and although the rigatoni Bolognese wasn't exactly traditional it tastes very very good. My fiance really enjoyed the chicken parm for his meal too. The price of meals are great! $13-$20 per plate and the house wine was good and inexpensive. Pompilio's is a bit of a hole in the wall but sometimes those are the best places to get food!
Sami B.
Mar 05, 2021
Pompillios is a local gem that has truly stood the rest of time. I've been a regular guest here since I was a kid, and somehow it is still just as good as I remember it always being, if not better. The staff is always so warm and welcoming, the food comforting and delicious, and the experience is always so pleasant. We're so lucky to have this classic spot in the area, and I will go back again and again and again. Everything on the menu is amazing!
Chad P.
Oct 14, 2020
Great evening at Pompilios! You can enter from the back which is their main entrance or from the tavern they are connected to in front. Parking is also in back but if it's full, the street around you should have room. Enjoyed great service from Andrea tonight. She was stellar in making sure we were taken care of. I had the pasta sampler, which I would give a 3/5 itself.

The Alfredo was stellar in the sampler! Some of the best I've ever had. It comes with three other pastas with red sauces and one of them was just bleh. I can't tell you which one as I wasn't able to ascertain it but it definitely did not get taken home. However that iffy experience was surpassed by the others as well as the great dessert!

I had the Cookies and Cream cannoli, which is only a seasonal thing. It was stellar and so flavorful. A friend of mine got two desserts, saying she was going to take home one of them but she ended up finishing them both off. I really enjoyed that they were enforcing masks if you weren't sitting at a table and being very safe. Definitely would return!
MaryLinda W.
Oct 12, 2019
This was my first visit to Pompilios despite growing up in Bellevue, and I was not disappointed. Wish I had been there before now! We started with Caesar side salads and bread. Hubby ordered the lasagna and I had cannelloni with Alfredo sauce, topped with melted cheese. The croutons on the salad looked homey, and tasted delicious! The lasagna and cannelloni were generous portions, and if we hadn't eaten later than usual, I would have had some left over. As it was, we were both well fed.
Lauren H.
Oct 06, 2019
I absolutely love this food! This is some of the best Italian you can get in the greater Cincinnati area by far. I had the Three Cheese Tortellini and risotto balls. Cooked to perfection. The portions were slightly more than I could eat, but I was happy to enjoy the leftovers. This place has a fun ambience and feels very home style Italian.