Old World Italian in the Heart of Greensburg- Rialto Cafe

25 West Otterman Street, Greensburg

Rialto Cafe is tucked inside a more than century old stone building (circa 1796) at the corner of West Otterman Street and North Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown Greensburg.  The bar (pictured above) is the original from the restaurant's opening in 1933, and the staff still serves up cold ones and libations over this bar almost 80 years later.  The Montouri family has owned the Cafe for 3 generations now.  It has become one of those places that a couple may have come to on a date, then got married and brought their children there, and now those children bring their children there.  Tradition, family, and good family recipes is what makes Rialto Cafe a mainstay (and quite literally a historical landmark) in Greensburg.

So, let's get to it.

From left to right:

• Most of the dinner entrees are served with the Rialto Cafe House Salad.  The salad itself consists of lettuce, chopped mozzarella, pickled beets, and black olives. I ordered mine with the house dressing, the Creamy Parmesan.  The salad was simple, yet different.  

• We shared the Fried Zucchini Appetizer.  I was pleasantly surprised by the cut of the zucchini.  The zucchinis are sliced lengthwise, then breaded lightly, and fried.  It is served with a side of their traditional red sauce.

• As my main entree, I ordered an Italian favorite of mine, the Cheese Raviolis.  Each ravioli was a pasta pillow filled with a ricotta cheese mixture.  My favorite part of the dish was the generous meatball spooned right into the center of the plate.  It was tender, well seasoned, and quite possibly one of the better meatballs that I have had.  The entire plate was smothered in Rialto's traditional sauce, which is a smooth red sauce.

What you need to know before you go:

• Parking is metered, so bring change!
• Rialto Cafe is a fabulous choice on a nice, pretty day.  They have a good amount of patio seating (the outdoor space was once where the dining room of one of Rialto's patriarchs used to serve his family his homecooked meals. ;) )
• There are menu choices for every budget!  The staples of the Rialto Cafe menu are their sandwiches, pasta dishes, and their pizza.

For hours and directions, call below (Yes, I said call. They do not have a website yet- so very old school.):

 724-834-8010