Rao's Restaurant in NYC
 

Has anyone ever been to Rao's Restaurant in NYC? It's incredibly diffult to get a reservation here! I've tried for over a month but, have only reached their answering machine which states they are fully booked for the remainder of 2009 and not taking reservations for 2010. It doesn't matter when I call, day or night, I have never reached a human. I've also left several messages on their machine and they apparently don't return calls. Just curious if anyone has been and if you have any pointers on how to get a reservation here?

Yes, I know there are a million great restaurants in New York. If it were me, I'd scrap the idea and move on however, I have a girlfriend who REALLY wants to eat here so I was trying to be accommodating.

Your girlfriend will probably have to do without eating at Rao's. Here's a web site to help:

http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/raos/raos.html

Legend has it that tables are assigned for life, so you have to wait for someone to die--or know connected people who have those lifetime tables--to get in.
Rumor or not, it is just about that difficult.

You can also try the Raos in Vegas (on another trip of course), easier reservation system, supposedly the same food.

The legend is fact. The owner was on a Bobby Flay show, and said that all the tables in the NY restaurant are reserved for their regular customers. So yes, people's tables are assigned for life.

I've eaten at the Rao's in Las Vegas three times. First time, it was very good. Second time, we had mixed results. Last time, it was just so-so. Don't know if the food is the same caliber as the Rao's in NY but it wasn't anything extraordinary. After the last time, I said that I think I'll give it a pass the next few times I'm in Las Vegas.

We haven't been to Rao's in East Harlem in a number of years. Our connection was a late friend who was the owner, Frankie's, dentist. Our friend insisted we go.

It's actually a pretty mediocre red sauce place, ridiculously overpriced for food and a limited wine list, cash only, and probably more famous for the cachet of the difficulty of procuring a reservation than for anything else except possibly the self-important notables for whom tables are indeed reserved.

If you think "Jersey Shore" is stereotypical, it doesn't hold a candle to Rao's.

Is this the place that packages their pasta sauce sold in my market? If so, I suggest you buy some and invite your friend over for dinner. LOL
Incidentally, I thought it was one of the most bland bottled sauces I've ever tried. I hope the real thing is WAY better.

Wow, I had no idea! So if I understand correctly, Joe Blow, or some celebrity, probably has a reservation every single Friday night at 7pm??? That's just crazy! I take it there are no walk-ins as well?

Barbara, thanks for the website. I had heard of their sauces but, I obviously didn't realize it would be easier to part the Nile than to get a reservation at this restaurant.

Thanks!

Don't worry, it will not be the last time you disappoint your girl friend.

To me Rao's is like the Empire State building, if somebody wants to go, you go with them otherwise you are not missing anything. From what I have heard it is over priced and over rated. And it is part of character to think if the herd is headed in one direction go in the other. (Unless you see the fire.)

Well, I LOVE the bottled pasta sauce, it's anything but bland, although some of the varieties are definitely better than others. Anywho, my only idea is to ask your hotel concierge to try to book you a table--if you're staying in a hotel in NYC, of course.

"Is this the place that packages their pasta sauce sold in my market?"

Yes, they sell some. I think "Patsy's" is another NYC restaurant that does the same.

"Don't worry, it will not be the last time you disappoint your girl friend."

Very funny, aduchamp1.

A good friend (who has pretty good taste in food) is in the movie/tv business and was taken there by a regular 2 years ago - she said it was the most exceedingly mediocre place she had ever been to. Warm red sauce drowning over-cooked pasta.

it's the atmosphere, for people who want to live out their "goodfellas" fantasies.

One more thing I don't understand.

I hear that Carmine's is much better and easier to get into.

Carmine's serves family style.

There are many nice Italian restaurants in whcih the OP can charm his girl friend but Carmine's is not one of them.

it worked for us..we're from San Diego, we loved everything about it.

www.carminesnyc.com

Raos has been around for ever. Yes its very hard..next to impossible to get a table there unless you are associated with one of the in clients.( Like having a Giraffe from Gino) But thats another story.. To the OPs post, I suggest you get a jar of Raos' Vodka Sauce and cook some prosciutto and arugula with garlic and add it to the existing jar of sauce. Get a bottle of Brunello and eat on the rooftop of a manhattan building or at home... The magic of the place lies in the dificulty of procuring a table.... See you there :)Cheers

it worked for us..we're from San Diego, we loved everything about it.

I am sure you did. Did you eat at other Italian restaurants during your stay?

To the Original Poster:

Tell Rao's that you want Bo Dietl's table. And if he is not there and does not have his gun, you will be just fine.

Lest someone thinks that I was serious about Bo Dietl's table, it is a joke. I have seen to many people take thngs literally and seriously on these boards.

I agree with NewBe that their jarred sauce is pretty good, but it ought to be for $9+.

I usually pay $8, but yeah, it's overpriced! The Vodka is my favorite.

There are 100s of Italian restaurants in NYC that are better than Carmine's. I think Il Mulino is the highest rated in Zagat's, but I've never eaten there. It's also hard to get into, but not impossible. There are also the clebrity chef places, such as Babbo, Felidia, also highly rated. Then there are 'local', neighborhood places that are all over town, and some very good.

Bspielman - you hit the nail on the head. Honestly, Rao's is mediocre at the very best. You can find *inifintely* better Italian restaurants in NYC that offer fantastic food, great ambiance and wonderful service. If you'd like suggestions and give us a price range, we'll inundate you with great ideas.

I'm curious why the comments that their canned sauce is good, when people seem to say the sauce and the food in the restaurant is so bad? Why don't they just open a jar of their own sauce if it's so good?

Why don't they just open a jar of their own sauce if it's so good?

Too epsnsive.

I have to disagree about the food in the restaurant. It's not what you'd get in my family's part of Italy or from my kitchen, but very good for a "red sauce" style. You don't order from a menu, you just tell the maitre'd what you may feel like having (like "we feel like some veal tonight") and he tells the table what to order, and the food just emerges from the kitchen.

To get a table, you have to be invited/offered the table by the person it is assigned to. Every table is assigned and the table owners are expected to fill the table every night, either themselves or by their friends/associates. I believe you can just show up to eat at the bar, though I've never done this and don't know what the process is for scoring those seats.

I've eaten at Rao's several times - a good friend of mine - a character in his own right - made the reservations - he'd call me and tell me he had reservations for such and such a date. The deal with him was - he brings the wine - you treat him to the dinner. He brought the cheapest wine and he was proud that he was Rao's only customer who brought his own wine. Frankie - the maitre d' would sit down at the table with you and sort of have a conference about ordering (no printed menu - of course). Sometimes he would say - you are ordering too much. The food was red sauce Italian - not bad - but nothing special. It's the place and the customers you go for. Sat next to Senator D'Amato once - he with his girl friend and his hands all over her.

EEEEWWWWW!

About 10 years ago I walked into Rao's before dinner hour and spoke to a guy at the bar. I asked him how I could get a reservation. This was around November. The guy told me to call them in April when they would open up the books for the following 6 months. I forgot about it and never called. But now I know that I could have called until I was the proverbial blue in the face and I still would not have gotten a table!

There are much nicer spots that you could take your girlfriend. I bet she might be impressed with Babbo.