I always forget about DeFazio’s Italian Restaurant when it comes to Italian food in Wichita. I visited DeFazio’s Italian Restaurant for the first time 10 years ago and I had not been back since then. That speaks to my true nature as an Eastsider, but also to how I felt about the food. Based on its longstanding history in Wichita, it’s safe to say that I am probably in the minority when it comes to opinions about DeFazio’s Italian Restaurant. I wanted to give it another shot this most recent visit, so I came in without expectations.

A lot changed in 10 years since I first visited, they renovated both dining areas and developed a new menu with some great options for those with dietary preferences. As opposed to every other Italian restaurant with a very pasta-centric menu, DeFazio’s Italian Restaurant offers several entrées that allow you to select your side based on your preference. That being said, those of us that did not order pasta for lunch did not fare so well in portion size.

All meals came with soup or salad, so we tried both. Their Italian salad included rarely seen additions, including pickled eggplant, heavily dressed with their signature dressing. Their minestrone soup did not stand out as far as minestrone soup goes, but hard to have an outstanding one.

I ordered the lunch portion Calabrian-style cod with olives and capers and Italian potatoes. The cod was cooked nicely and had a great acidic flavor with bursts of saltiness from the olives and capers. The Italian potatoes were all cooked through and well-seasoned. I generally liked this dish overall, but felt like they served a tiny portion for the price; the cod in the picture was probably two thin, spindly fingers worth of cod. We encountered this problem again with their manicotti carbonara, which came with only one manicotti that was light on filling and flavor.

The linguini with clams in white wine sauce fared better with regards to portion size to price point. Plentiful with clams and white wine, the pasta absorbed it well to create a great well-rounded dish.

I felt like DeFazio’s Italian Restaurant could be hit or miss depending on what you order and their expansive menu makes a little difficult to know what’s good versus what’s not. If I’m in the neighborhood and craving Italian food, I might be up for a revisit or I may be back in another 10 years. It’s a toss up for me.

DeFazio’s Italian Restaurant
2706 N Amidon Ave, Wichita, KS 67204
316-838-0709
Closed Monday-Tuesday
Wednesday-Saturday 11:00AM-10:00PM
Sunday 11:00AM-9:00PM