Biancas Restaurant - Albany (GA)

3 /5 F.A.: I’ve been to Bianca’s twice. The space itself is welcoming and clean, which creates a pleasant atmosphere. The restaurant presents itself as Italian, but unfortunately, it seems to cater more to those who haven’t actually experienced the real Italian cuisine firsthand. I’ve been to Italy a couple of times, and I’ve never come across dishes where pasta, vegetables, and meat are all served together on the same plate, it feels more like a fusion interpretation than authentic Italian fare. That said, with a few thoughtful adjustments, there’s definitely potential for improvement. The service staff were friendly, though a bit too eager, both when taking orders and bringing the check. Also worth noting: the price point personally feels slightly high for the overall quality and experience. With some refinement, the offer could be better.

5 /5 Daniel Clawson: We had dinner at Bianca’s this past Saturday and it was simply said, a well oiled machine of professionalism and well crafted taste sensations. My girlfriend had been here before with her work, they take clients here when in town, but this was my first time here. After traveling to Albany, GA for nearly a year now my only complaint is not coming to Bianca’s sooner. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel personally to many large metropolitan areas and have eaten at restaurants that are known to be destinations of their own. I believe Bianca’s is on its way to becoming that sort of fine dining establishment. The decor is modern, elegant, and clean. The lighting is moody, but deliberate. They dim the house lights so much that even though the neighboring tables are relatively close together, they fade into dark obscurity because your primary light is a nice little lamp on your table. This does make taking photos a little more dramatic than I would normally go for in my lighting choices, but it helps keep your focus on those in your party than on everyone in your vicinity. I do have to make special mention of the wait staff. Our waiter, Johan, was a delight and charming to interact with, but they also had people to make sure drinks stayed full, plates being taken away, bread refilled. Furthermore when the table next to us accidentally knocked over a wine glass, three people swooped in immediately to clean up the mess before any semblance of disruption could be felt. They train their staff well and it shows. For those who have been there, I feel like this is aspiring to be at the level of service they have at Bern’s Steakhouse in Tampa, FL. I was thoroughly impressed. Everything we ordered was delicious, but I do have a few favorites I want to mention. For starters, the complimentary bread with a herb and garlic infused olive oil was truly memorable. The bread was crusty and nicely toasted, but had a texture almost like they used a cake flour or something. It had such a fine granular mouth feel that it was almost like chewy, pillowy, croutons. It’s hard to explain, but excellent and thankfully they happily refill the bread upon request… and we did which is unusual for me because I don’t normally like to fill up on the bread to make sure I have room for the meal. For my entree I ordered the Spaghetti Al Coccio Con Fritti Di Mari and the sauce was remarkably flavorful and well developed. The portion of seafood was generous enough to fill even the most hungry patron. My girlfriend had the 16 oz Linz (sp?) ribeye from the chef’s menu that day. It was cooked in a caste iron skillet and thus had a bit more gradation in temp than I would like to see at that price point, but overall came out a solid medium as ordered. I also wish the seared crust was a little more defined, but I am being a little nitpicky. It was an excellent steak. My favorite bite of the evening was the dessert. I normally go for anything chocolate, but I saw the Tortino and it stood out to us as something worth trying. It is described as a sponge cake filled with vanilla gelato, topped with fresh berries and a vanilla cream glaze. This description doesn’t say that the gelato is the best I’ve had outside of Italy and the thick crust on the bottom of the sponge cake was amazing while having a dense and chewy consistency that was scrumptious while still being moist barely describes the elation that came out of this tasty morsel. I would come back just for the Tortino. All things considered, if you’re in Albany, GA and have a reason for a nice sit down fine dining experience, put this at the top of your list.

4 /5 Shane Buckner: I’ll be honest the only reason 4 stars steak was way undercooked. Also not a lot of flavor. The meatballs were a little spicy, but they were good. The fried ravioli was delicious. The best thing was the bread that they give you free with the meal. My wife likes her spaghetti. My dad loved his eggplant Parmesan, and my mom who normally doesn’t like anything actually liked the shrimp Alfredoalso always ask for the price of the special because if I would’ve known that 16 ounce ribeye was $90. I would not have gotten it. That was a total letdown with how much it cost. It should’ve been way better.

5 /5 Linda Mobley: Thank you to the owner of Bianca’s Resturant. Jerry your service was excellent, the food was great, and the desert was delicious. You made our Anniversary a special night.

1 /5 D. Lakes: I visited Bianca’s with my cousin last night and had an amazing experience. The food and atmosphere were wonderful, and the bar staff were incredibly friendly and attentive. I’m originally from Albany and was visiting family for the holidays, so I was pleasantly surprised to find such a great restaurant. I spoke so highly of it to my parents that I returned the very next day with my mom so she could experience it as well. Unfortunately, our second visit was very different. We sat down and ordered our food. I ordered the wings, and my mom ordered the wagyu sliders. The menu states that the burgers are served with tomatoes, lettuce, and onions. My mom requested no onions. When the food arrived, the burgers were topped with cheese. My mom cannot eat cheese. I politely asked the waiter if the burgers could be remade without cheese. His response was, “I don’t know what you want me to do, all of our burgers come with cheese. I can take the cheese off.” His tone was rude and dismissive. While I was still speaking, he abruptly grabbed the plate from in front of my mom and walked away, then went behind the bar and began assisting another patron. I approached the bar to ask for a manager and was told that he was the manager. I was honestly shocked by the lack of professionalism. I asked that the burgers be removed from the check so we could pay and leave. There was no apology or acknowledgment of the situation. I was truly disappointed, especially after just telling my family how wonderful this restaurant was. While I understand that mistakes happen, the way this situation was handled was unacceptable. Unfortunately, we will not be returning. I’m sharing this in hopes that someone from the establishment who values customer service will take this feedback seriously.