Café Dodici - Italian restaurant in Washington - 122 S Iowa Ave, USA

We have eaten here several times (both dine in and carry out). It's a nice place with better atmosphere than many places. The service is friendly and prompt. I also enjoy that they have a daily special that is I believe is typically off-menu so it adds some degree of surprise if you like the option for variety. They have a coffee shop next door that is also good if you want something like that for desert or to go with your meal. We really enjoy it and will continue to return. I’ve included a photo of my most recent special which had meat that was sourced from a local farm/business.

I love Cafe Dodici - I always stop in for brunch when I’m in town. The biscuits and gravy are always on point, fluffy eggs, crispy bacon, roasted potatoes… The coffee drinks are solid. The atmosphere is intimate and comfortable… they have multiple seating areas, including outside. Thank you for always making sure I have a great experience!

Café Dodici is a restaurant we treat ourselves with. We order to go more than we eat in but the food is still the same high quality. On this trip we had salads, Tortellini Bianco (cheese tortellini with prosciutto and peas,) Meat Lover's Fettucine with added alfredo for a rosé style sauce, Chicken Parmesan with spaghetti and the Blue Plate Dinner special of local pork sausage with 4 mushroom Parmesan cream sauce with penne pasta. For the sausage dish (not pictured) my husband added red sauce for a rosé style sauce. My dish was the Chicken Parmesan and it was so good. I had recently had it at two other Italian restaurants and this beat it, hands down. I love the fresh tomato added on top. Next time I make this at home I will do the same (when garden season tomatoes are ready!) We all had our own dishes but were gladly dipping into each others to try new dishes we had not had before. No one had a clear favorite as they were all delicious. Portions were great and we all had take home boxes because we opted to share desserts. We ordered a tiramisu and the blue plate comes with salad and dessert for the same price as a regular entree (salad and dessert not included) so it's an even better deal. It was peppermint cheesecake this evening. (not pictured.) My salad may look overly carroty and lacking but I told them no cucumbers and the carrots were from my husband who isn't a fan. It looks like a mostly spinach salad but really, it wasn't quite incorporated so the fancier lettuce was on the bottom and when I stirred with the dressing it was fine. I would like to note that they put a carafe of water on your table. This is nice because our family does not drink wine or alcohol drinks and being able to fill up our glasses when we want, rather than waiting on the staff, is nice. Ambience is nice and décor is one of a kind. Our waiter was great, in fact they all are. The owner and other non-wait staff comes around the restaurant too to talk to patrons and make sure everything is going well. They use a RESY reservation system and for weekends I recommend it. It wasn't busy when we came at 5:45 but it soon filled up. I was able to note on the system that we had a wheelchair patron so they could make sure we had a good place to sit. You can also call for reservations.

Delicious Italian food. My favorites were the ravioli with meat sauce and the tiramisu! They have a great espresso as well!

I have been to the restaurant twice. Both times, the service was excellent , food was outstanding, and hospitality abounded. The last time, the owner, Lorraine, spoke to my 4 friends from Puerto Rico and me for 10 or 15 minutes. You can feel her love of food and her town. The food is Italian, and Lorraine's husband, an Italian , is the chef. Food is not Americanized but much more traditional Tuscan cuisine. The servers I have had, Sandra and Zoe, were very attentive and pleasant. Recommend the Blue Plate Special, which includes soup or salad, entree, and dessert for 20 or 21 dollars. The entree rotates each day or week.

I applied here 16 into my 20s and after years of applications, its clear that Lorraine just does not like me. I've thought about posting this for a long time and I am sick of it. Many businesses in this town say they will hire but you can hand in applications for years just to be denied for years. Many of my friends have worked here and no matter what I am never considered. The menu hasn't changed in years anyway. And whenever I see Lorraine, she is extremely stuck up and pretends to not know me. I know she does. She knows she does. Whatever stuck up social game she wants to play, I do not. I thought about going here recently, but why would I after years of her treating me socially in a way that I never deserved, even as a child. I am posting this to say that they don't treat you well unless you or your parents have money, or are an upper social class. I am sick of businesses in this town operating similarly. Its 2024, not 1994. If Lorraine thinks that she's too good to hire me then I know that I am far too good to ever work here or to ever bring any of my money here ever again. I am tired of being treated badly in this town by business owners from childhood into adulthood. This is just another business that wasted my time over and over again.

Have had supper here several times but just had lunch. OMG! Artichoke parmesan appetizer was sooooo good. Had the Tuna melt which had apples in it, added just enough sweetness. And the lentil vegetable soup was excellent. All around awesome meal! And of course, staff really makes you feel welcome. Highly recommend.

Always have such a delicious meal there. The service is friendly and make you feel right at home. The owner is delightful and always makes the rounds of the tables to further make people comfortable and welcome.