Matteo's Family Style Ristorante Italiano in Hallandale

 

"Welcome to Matteo's," the man holding the door open spoke as we walked through the doorway into a bustling dining room; every table full with people laughing and eating.

"Party of nine," we replied, "we have a reservation." Our table was ready and waiting for us and we were seated immediately.

We checked out the menu, ordered a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water, and a full size Italian antipasto. Everyone selected their entree of choice. Matteo's offerings are listed on the menu as "full" orders and "half" orders. Don't be surprised at the amount of food you receive. A half order is more than enough for one and a full can be shared by two or three.

Chopped Salad

We started with a chopped salad and Caesar salad for the table. Our excellent server, Alex, was extremely patient as he served the salad to each of us and kept the bread basket and water glasses full. Everyone was talking so the short wait for our entrees to arrive passed even more quickly.

 

Full Order of Spaghetti with Meatballs and Sausage

 

Since we were a party of nine, we ordered some full orders and some half orders and there was a lot of sharing around the table. Everyone was tasting all the dishes and "oohing" and "aahing" about each of them. Everyone was happy with their choice and each exclaimed how delicious the food tasted. I selected the Chicken Matteo which is half a chicken with sausage links smothered in roasted and sauteed vegetables. Enough for a small army.

One of our group was celebrating her birthday and a small cake with candle was presented by a group of singing servers. Coffee and cappuccino was served and the small cake was divided among us for each to have a taste.

We had a wonderful time and I think Matteo's is a great place to go for a fun dining experience.