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Sauce
Sauce

Sauce Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Dining
  • Website: http://www.saucerestaurant.com
  • Phone: (212) 420-7700
  • Hours of Operation: Dinner: Sunday - Thursday: 5:00pm - 12:00am, Friday - Saturday: 4:00pm - 1:00am. Brunch Saturday + Sunday: 11:00am - 3:45pm.
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Executive Chef: Frank Prisinzano
  • Dress Code: Casual Dress
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Beer, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Private Party Facilities: We have a beautiful private dining room that can sit up to 30 guests. We offer personalized family style prix fixe menus and beverage packages.
  • Private Party Contact: Daria Albert (212) 420-7700

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Allen St
  • Public Transit: F train to Second Avenue.
  • Parking: Street Parking
A word from Sauce
Sauce is Frank Prisinzano's fourth neighborhood restaurant in lower Manhattan. Sauce's nose-to-tail red sauce trattoria approach fuses culinary tradition & innovation with the freshest local ingredients.
Foodspotting photos
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Diner Reviews
  • "Conventional red sauce Italian, but beautifully prepared and quite inexpensive. Pastas were outstanding, as were the fried zucchini sticks. There’s loud music, but it’s still possible to carry on a conversation."
    Dined on 7/30/2014
  • "Good food. very good and friendly service. Garlic bread was a little too heavy on the garlic. Great octopus appetizer. Parpadelle pasta was fresh but mushroom sauce was a little heavy on the oil. Salad was fresh. Zucchini sticks/Chios were VERY salty. Overall, food seemed a little heavy on the salt."
    Dined on 7/29/2014
  • "Very small portions for the price paid; excellent food, mediocre service for a very high bill. I'd only recommend this to someone who had money to waste. You can easily get food that's as good for better prices (and appropriate portions) elsewhere."
    Dined on 7/28/2014
  • "We were enough in number (16) to fill two tables we'd reserved, but management did nothing to seat us near each other when it could easily have been done. The bar was stocked with one rum and one tequila. The food was mediocre at best. Red sauce Italian with no flare. I had a salad that came looking good enough, but I doubt if it was dressed in olive oil, or at best, extra virgin; I could barely sense the sparky acidic taste of vinegar; the few pinoli seemed to be fried (pinoli are quite oil-rich and need toasting, not frying), and I could go on. I guess it works as a hangout where conviviality friends trumps the food and service. Note: It had also been quite difficult contacting restaurant by phone staff about our res."
    Dined on 7/25/2014
  • "If you sit outside, try not to sit on the Allen St side. Lots of car noise. Aside from that, the food was awesome, especially the burrata and the lasagna. Will go back. Meatballs were damn good too."
    Dined on 7/25/2014
  • "We usually eat family style so that everyone can try everything. In groups of 3 or more I recommend getting the plank as one of those dishes. The portions are appropriate (not too big, not too small). And remember to save room for dessert! All of them are amazing."
    Dined on 7/23/2014
  • "We love Sauce. The food was great, the ambiance vibrant, perfect to go with friends. Thank you!!!!"
    Dined on 7/18/2014
  • "Really delicious. Red sauce like grandma. Pricey for the size of portions... But really good!"
    Dined on 7/18/2014
  • "Took us probably an hour to get our check and pay after we finished our meal. Why you ask? Because our waitress decided to leave without telling us."
    Dined on 7/17/2014
  • "I enjoyed my meal here thouroughly, loved the food and I especially like italian. I highly recommend any one of their pastas. absolutely exceptional"
    Dined on 7/12/2014
  • "Despite having a reservation, we were seated about 20 minutes after our whole party arrived. The wait staff was pushy and continuously tried to clear our unfinished plates. The food was good overall, definitely go for the specials."
    Dined on 7/11/2014
  • "The dishes you grew up on in Southern Italian restaurants, with better ingredients, a lower level Carbone. But everything is oversauced and unless you can stand a thunderous noise level, sit outside."
    Dined on 7/4/2014
  • "Traditional Italian-American dishes but prepared beautifully and a few surprises: zucchini strings! Casual but professional service. Quite satisfying."
    Dined on 7/4/2014
  • "A GREAT RESTAURANT TO GET A BETTER THAN GOOD MEAL. THE STAFF WAS REALLY GREAT . THE WINE WAS EXCELLENT AND WOW THAT BUFFALO CHEESE !!! PERFECT FOR A MEAL OUT WITH FRIENDS."
    Dined on 6/27/2014
  • "The staff has turned over considerably since we first ate here a few years ago. And yet the experience is still much the same: really great food in a relaxed, friendly LES atmosphere. All the sauces, especially the ragus and Bolognese are rich and deeply flavorful. Take a look at the big stew pots behind the bar, and you'll understand why. The garlic bread is like no other. The burrata is worth whatever it's doing to your cholesterol. The staff is great: laid-back, friendly, attentive. We'll definitely be back often."
    Dined on 6/21/2014
  • "I love the menu here. It's so eclectic. Lots of choices for carnivores and vegetarians. Food is prepared simply and deliciously. Good price point."
    Dined on 6/19/2014
  • "Steak Pizzaoli was great. Steak had a singed crispy crust and tender medium rare interior, covered in a flavorful marinara sauce. Started with the burrata and garlic bread accompanied by a bottle of Barbera. Although the waiters were young and hip, and a bit aloof, our waitress was very attentive and met all of our needs."
    Dined on 6/13/2014
  • "Ridiculous noise level-deafening! In warm weather you can sit outside which would be my recomendation"
    Dined on 6/7/2014
  • "Food was good and prices were reasonable for NYC. The restaurant however was worn down and serving stations were right next to tables. The background music was not suited for a relaxing dinner and conversation and didn't seem to match the setting."
    Dined on 6/6/2014
  • "While the decor is funky but not really anything to write home about, the food was really good. Not worth a trip just on its own but great if you're in that part of town."
    Dined on 6/1/2014
  • "The food and service was average at best. Waitress had real attitude. Will never eat their again "
    Dined on 6/1/2014
  • "plainly put the food is great. simple, delicious american-italian cuisine. Rose was my server and even though she looked to be handling more tables than any one person should be asked to she maintained a great attitude and couldn't have been more enjoyable to deal with. Not my first time at this restaurant and certainly not my last. "
    Dined on 5/31/2014
  • "As a fan of Frank's restaurants, I love this casual LES gem. drinks and food are excellent, not to mention very reasonable in price, considering the quality. This place feels like home, with its warm wood interiors and kitschy grandma's house upholstery. All the food - pastas, grass fed beef, braised pork, veggie salads and sides (zucchini matchsticks = crack) - are excellent . Service is unpretentious, helpful and hospitable like being at a close buddy's place. "
    Dined on 5/28/2014
  • "Nothing special and think over-hyped for what it is. While maybe a hot spot, food certaily was just ordinary and for what it was in my view overpriced. Can do far better at other places. Our special vegetarian pasta dish was way too highly peppered. Red sauce was decent but nothing to write home about. Pasta was so-so as well."
    Dined on 5/20/2014
  • "A group of us went to celebrate a recent law school graduation and they accomodated our reservation perfectly, even with a few last minute changes in our party size. The food is absolutely amazing, everything is fresh and rich in flavor, the service is great and the restaurant is very hospitable."
    Dined on 5/17/2014
  • "The food was incredible! Homemade pasta was delicious... Meatballs to die for! My friend had the Chicken Milanese... Said it was light and fabulous! However they were playing loud, foul rap music...very inappropriate !"
    Dined on 5/10/2014
  • "Came here Friday night for dinner with a friend, made a reservation which somehow got lost even though they called to confirm? Had burrata (special app), polenta plank -really good bolognese, zucchini pasta "noodles" and a side of meatballs, everything was tasty - but very standard nothing was outstanding. I'm a true NYer (born & bred) and this is def more of a "scene" than a place fit for a foodie. 90's hip-hop was pumpin thru the restaurant - like every other new place in the area and BK, over that scene but it seems to still be the "trendy" thing to do."
    Dined on 5/9/2014
  • "Our reservation for 5 was at 5PM. 3 of the party didn't arrive until 5:20 yet we were never rushed. I had been here last year from Indiana when visiting my daughter & son-in-law who live in Bushwick. Everyone else ordered some sort of pasta but I ordered the Salmon which was top notch. Last year we had ordered the Polenta plank so I was sure to get the Polenta side dish. It did not disappoint. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their pasta. Prices are VERY reasonable. I've spent much more at national chain restaurants such as Maggiano's and they weren't nearly as good. The youngster in the group finished off(with some help from his dad) a superb banana split ice cream dessert. We spent nearly two hours there."
    Dined on 5/3/2014
  • "Third time and it keeps getting better. Best Sauce, Wine and TATS in town!"
    Dined on 4/26/2014
  • "I've been to many NYC restaurants of all types. This little gem has it all. Great staff. Good energy and the food is simple, fresh and perfectly prepared. All 5 of us loved their meals. Started off with my favorite bottle of Valdobiadene prosecco and it got better and better. Just go and you won't be disappointed. Mussels marina are a hit. "
    Dined on 4/25/2014
  • "Sauce had really great food, but the music was extremely loud. And I'm usually fine with loud music, but the choice in music was terrible. I came to eat dinner and catch-up with a good friend, not scream over R Kelly and Color Me Bad."
    Dined on 4/19/2014
  • "Simply put Sauce is delicious! When visiting NYC, I'm always willing to go the distance from which ever neighborhood I'm staying in to have the treat of dining here. The only draw backs for me personally is that one must remember to bring cash as it's cash only, and it's rather loud with the music playing over the system. If you land near a speaker it could be a drag, but the wait staff generally listens to the request to turn it down a bit. "
    Dined on 4/17/2014
  • "I Forget the item's name, but the description made it sound like a charcuterie plate, which it was not. It was a few pieces of meat on a plate. The meat plate was filled to the hilt with a hot ham water--which, by the way, was ruled a non-sauce in 2005 by the US Sauce Commission, a federally-funded vestige of the Carter era. "
    Dined on 4/16/2014
  • "The saucy selections at Sauce were quite tasty. Even walking into the restaurant, you could immediately smell the goodness of the ingredients and the food. However, the service was lacking. Although we made a reservation and were there on time, we waited at the bar for an hour with no explanation, apologies or a comped drink. The wait staff was pleasant and friendly, but it wasn't quite enough to make up for the extremely long wait."
    Dined on 4/12/2014
  • "It was so loud you couldn't hear anything. Tables were so close I sat there uncomfortable the whole time. When I told the waitress that I couldn't hear the specials, she rudely said that it wasn't her fault it was so loud in there. The food was totally unappetizing. I went in very hungry, until I saw a gross hunk of buratta cheese that we ordered slapped on a plate. I felt rushed to leave. I was given half the amount I left on the plate to take home. This was one of the most dissapointing and unpleasant dining experiences I have ever had. If I had known, I would never have made arrangements to eat at this place. Nice service and good food are the essentials, and Sauce can't even deliver that."
    Dined on 4/4/2014
  • "It's regrettable that the service was awful. It took a quite long time for the waitress to come to our table. She attended the couple seated next to us, who came 5 mins after us, first with detail menu explanation. When finally she came back to us, she just asked what we wanted. We asked about the octopus that is shown on their website, but she said "we don't serve seafood because this is an Italian restaurant." (then, take out the octopus pix from the website) Fried zucchini could have be very good if it was served hot. (was lukewarm) and iced raw fennel was too salty. Mozzarella and meatball pasta were good, but not memorable. We're constantly asked if we're done or not. Didn't feel like ordering desert and left. I won't go back."
    Dined on 4/3/2014
  • "The food is fantastic, the staff is knowledge and the price is right. Worth the small wait you may encounter sometimes. Have the zucchini matchsticks, you want them instead of French fries going forward."
    Dined on 3/28/2014
  • "I found Sauce on Zagat, and the 26 in food made me make a reservation. The menu was unusual and a little complicated at first but the wait staff was helpful and it turned out to be manageable. LOTS of vegetable-based items, and the gnocchi with kale were delicious. My salmon was perfectly cooked, with plenty of veggies. Here's my favorite part: they cranked up the music as we sat down and the WAITRESS suggested that she turn it down!! And so she did, and we were totally fine with it. The panna cotta was a little gelatinous, but really, you shouldn't get dessert at an Italian restaurant anyway. The wine list is very reasonably priced; we had a Nero di Troia for $40 and loved it. Very fair prices too."
    Dined on 3/28/2014
  • "My boyfriend and I had Sauce on our list for a while since he lives a few blocks away. Sunday we finally got to try it out. The food was bland, the pasta wasn't fresh. I had the carbonara special and it was very runny as opposed to creamy. I was very disappointed as I was looking forward to a neighborhood Italian place. The waiting staff was extremely friendly."
    Dined on 3/23/2014
  • "Sauce seems to have a lot of potential, but the menu was not inspiring. I got the pecorino kale salad and either the dressing was bland or there wasn't enough of it on the hearty kale. The meatballs and sauce were the best out of everything we ate that night. The meatballs were seasoned well and tender, and the sauce was quite good. One of my friends got the special of the night--pasta carbonara. It was a very small portion and he was still hungry after. My other friend got the chicken parm with spaghetti and while the pasta was good, the chicken needed salt and was flavorless. All and all, this place has a pleasing ambiance and potential to be better, but the food just fell flat."
    Dined on 3/22/2014
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