A plate of creamy pasta, golden chicken Parmesan, or bubbling lasagna can make an Italian restaurant menu almost impossible to resist. But behind those tempting descriptions, professional chefs sometimes see something different: dishes that are easy to overcook, surprisingly expensive, or simply better prepared at home.
In March 2023, Eat This, Not That! published interviews with several chefs about Italian restaurant dishes they personally avoid. Additional interviews published by Business Insider in 2021 and Eat This, Not That! in 2022 and 2025 revealed similar concerns about preparation, flavor, and value.
Their opinions don’t mean these dishes are universally disappointing. After all, a wonderful plate of pasta can make an ordinary evening feel like a celebration. But their observations offer some useful clues about what deserves a second look before ordering.
Eggplant Parmesan: When Tender Turns Into Mushy
Eggplant Parmesan should bring together tender eggplant, rich tomato sauce, and melted cheese in delicious harmony. But sometimes that delicate balance disappears.
Private chef Christopher Spinosa told Eat This, Not That! in March 2023 that restaurant versions he’d encountered were consistently overcooked and mushy.
He preferred making the dish himself, where he could control the preparation and texture.
His complaint wasn’t about eggplant Parmesan being a poor dish. It was about restaurants failing to deliver the texture he wanted.
If you’re considering ordering it, the question isn’t whether eggplant Parmesan belongs on the menu. It’s whether the kitchen prepares it with enough care to preserve its character.
Pasta Pomodoro: A Simple Dish That Raises Questions About Value
Pasta pomodoro has something beautiful about it. Its uncomplicated combination of pasta and tomato sauce proves that good cooking doesn’t always need elaborate ingredients.
But chef Jaime Chabla offered an interesting perspective in a 2023 Eat This, Not That! interview.
Chabla explained that he enjoys pasta pomodoro but rarely sees a reason to order it at a restaurant because he can prepare an equally satisfying version at home.
His objection wasn’t the flavor. It was the value of paying restaurant prices for something he considers straightforward to make.
That’s worth remembering when choosing between a familiar dish and something more distinctive on the menu.
Garlic Bread: When Simplicity Sounds More Appealing
Few things make a restaurant table feel as welcoming as warm garlic bread. The aroma alone can turn a quiet dinner into an occasion.
Yet chef John Fraser told Eat This, Not That! in March 2023 that he prefers excellent bread served with high-quality olive oil.
His reasoning was refreshingly simple. He enjoys bread and garlic separately but doesn’t feel compelled to combine them.
Chef Barbara Pollastrini expressed a similar preference for quality bread with olive oil and salt in a separate Business Insider interview.
Neither chef established that restaurant garlic bread is necessarily poor quality. They prefer allowing the bread itself to shine without elaborate toppings.
Linguine With Clams: When a Chef Wants More Flavor
Linguine with clams carries a certain coastal elegance. Tender pasta, clams, white wine, and herbs come together in a dish that appears beautifully uncomplicated.
But chef Ryan Rondeno told Eat This, Not That! that he usually prefers making it himself.
He believed his own preparation could deliver more layered flavors through ingredients such as pancetta, guanciale, fennel, citrus zest, and herbs.
Rondeno didn’t dismiss traditional linguine with clams as badly made. He wanted greater flavor intensity than the versions he typically encountered.
For diners, his perspective offers an interesting choice: appreciate the traditional simplicity or look for a restaurant that adds its own creative touch.
Lasagna: The Challenge of Serving It Just Right
Lasagna is one of those dishes that carries comfort in every layer. Pasta, sauce, cheese, and carefully prepared fillings come together in a meal that rewards patience.
But chef and author Allen Bixby raised an interesting concern in his 2023 interview.
He explained that restaurant lasagna often requires reheating before service, which can affect its texture and presentation.
According to Bixby, kitchens may add extra sauce or cheese to improve the finished appearance.
That doesn’t mean reheating automatically ruins lasagna. It simply shows why Bixby prefers to prepare it himself.
A good lasagna takes time, but the final result still depends on how carefully it’s served.
Mozzarella Sticks: Paying Restaurant Prices for a Familiar Shortcut
Golden mozzarella sticks have a wonderful trick. Break one open, and the melted cheese stretches like a delicious little ribbon.
But chef Sedona Kusler questioned whether they’re always worth ordering.
In a September 2022 Eat This, Not That! interview, Kusler explained that she suspects many restaurants purchase frozen, breaded mozzarella sticks and simply fry them before serving.
She preferred not to pay restaurant prices for something she could prepare at home in an air fryer.
Importantly, this was her suspicion, not a verified investigation into restaurant suppliers.
The practical takeaway is to ask whether a restaurant prepares its mozzarella sticks in-house if that distinction matters to you.
Cream-Based Carbonara: When Expectations Meet a Different Recipe
Carbonara can be wonderfully creamy without requiring a heavy cream-based sauce.
Italian chef Barbara Pollastrini explained in a 2021 Business Insider interview that she avoids carbonara prepared with cream.
Her preferred version relies on eggs, guanciale, and Pecorino Romano to create its distinctive character.
For Pollastrini, adding cream changes the experience she expects.
That doesn’t mean everyone must dislike cream-based carbonara. Some diners genuinely enjoy richer interpretations.
But if you’re looking for the preparation Pollastrini describes, checking the ingredients before ordering could prevent disappointment.
Sometimes the smallest menu detail makes the biggest difference.
Chicken Parmesan: The Problem With Dry Cutlets
Chicken Parmesan sounds like a guaranteed comfort-food victory. Crispy breaded chicken meets tomato sauce and melted cheese. What could go wrong?
According to chef Maricel Gentile, quite a bit.
In a February 2025 Eat This, Not That! interview, Gentile warned that chicken breast can become dry or overcooked, particularly when the cutlets are pounded too thin.
Private chef Julian Boudreaux also suggested choosing restaurants that prepare their chicken cutlets themselves rather than relying on preprepared versions.
These were professional opinions, not proof that most restaurants use frozen chicken.
If chicken Parmesan is your favorite, asking how the kitchen prepares it may help you choose a version worth ordering.
Shrimp Scampi: When Garlic Becomes the Main Attraction
Garlic can turn an ordinary seafood dish into something wonderfully aromatic. But for some chefs, too much of it overwhelms everything else.
Pollastrini told Business Insider that she avoids restaurant shrimp scampi because versions she’s encountered contain more garlic than she prefers.
Her alternative is a simpler preparation featuring shrimp, olive oil, parsley, white wine, salt, and pepper.
From her perspective, the goal is to let the shrimp’s natural flavor remain the centerpiece.
Her criticism doesn’t mean garlic-heavy shrimp scampi is poorly prepared. It reflects her preference for a different balance.
For diners, that distinction matters. A dish can be delicious and still not match what someone expects from Italian cooking.
The Secret to Ordering Better Italian Food
These nine dishes reveal something worth remembering: even professional chefs don’t agree on what makes a restaurant meal worthwhile.
Some avoid familiar recipes because they prefer making them at home. Others worry about texture, preparation shortcuts, or ingredients that overwhelm a dish’s original character.
The interviews published between 2021 and 2025 offer individual perspectives, not proof that every restaurant serves disappointing versions of these favorites.
So the next time an Italian restaurant menu leaves you torn between garlic bread, carbonara, or chicken Parmesan, consider asking how the kitchen prepares its dishes.
Sometimes the best restaurant decision isn’t avoiding your favorite food. It’s finding the place that prepares it exactly how you love it.
