Benito's Italian Cafe And Pizzeria

I have been here three times now and EVERY time the food is fantastic. Two of those times it was a special occasion & they gave me a free dessert item for my birthday. The people who work here are so nice and always make sure to be attentive whether it's busy or not. I would pick this place over anywhere else to go for a special occasion or a quiet lunch. 😍😍😍

We went on Black Friday about 3 pm. There were 3 other tables and eveyone was seated well away from others. The server was attentive but didn't hover. We started with stuffed mushrooms and Shrimp Aioli. The mushrooms were excellent. My only negative (if I had to find one would be that the crab was surimi). The shrimp aioli was excellent. I should have adked to take home the extra garlic and oil to have on pasta. I had the Veal Parmigiano with an upgrade to fettuccine alfredo and I added a single manicotti. I have not had this quality of Italian food since I lived in New York. As you can see in the picture the Manicotti is not a prepackaged round pasta tube. The filling was the perfect combination of mozzarella and ricotta and seasoned perfectly. My husband had the large Stromboli. He is picky and the customized his fillings to exactly what he did and did not want. Their homemade sauce is to die for. I can't wait to go back and try their bologanese sauce, mushroom sauce, and their clam sauce. They also have daily lunch, dinner, and happy hour specials. They have a full bar with plenty of bar stools. All in all, a true hidden gem in Jacksonville.

Very nice establishment. The atmosphere is very comfortable and relaxing. Service and staff get 5 stars all day. Waiting staff is constantly checking on you and on the move, not to mention everyone is super polite. The food is nothing that will knock your socks off, but it is very good. The cheesy garlic bread was very good. This is a would return visit.

We headed over to have some pizza. We based our decision on a google review that said this is their favorite pizza! Well, 4 out of 4 in our family AGREED! This is our favorite pizza now too! Also, their Maraniar sauce is the best! We had a large pie with pepperoni on the while thing and black olives on one side then ham and bacon on the other. The crust was perfect, soft on the inside and just enough crunch on the outside! We absolutely loved it. Their garlic bread had great flavor but could have been cooked a little more to be more crispy. Then there was the mozzarella sticks, they too were amazing! Leci's will be our new go to Italian restaurant from no on! Their service was amazing as well. I highly suggest you stop in and give them a try!