Primavera's

Primavera's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria promises to provide a welcome new dining option to Marshalltown's main street. The owner is the previous chef of Joe's Italian Grille (now closed).  The location and service at Joe's were not ideal, but the food was always appetizing and filling. By combining the best of Joe's with a new high traffic location, perhaps Primavera's can succeed where Joe's did not.


The Looks
This new Italian option is located in a space previously occupied by a Mexican restaurant, and it certainly looks like it.  Nothing much in the way of an "Italian" atmosphere, things are pretty basic. No obvious sign to identify the place from the outside.  The seating is very limited, so you might not be able to get a table on a busy lunch day. Due to the tight space, you can see back into the kitchen, which is nice (looks clean).

The Cost
A lunch special with a soda will probably cost you around $10, with most dinner items going above that. Pizzas start at around $12.  Not the lowest cost lunch for cheap Marshalltownians, but potentially worth it for good Italian.

The Grub
The menu is pretty similar to Joe's with a few modifications.   All your typical Italian options are here, including lasagna, ravioli and manicotti.  I had the chicken parmesan, which was very tastefully done, and including the spaghetti, more then most could eat in one sitting.  The star of the show is probably the fresh pizza.  It's the same thin crust style as we had at Joes, which is good because it's mighty tasty, but not good, because piggish potbellied folk like yours truly could eat several pizzas.  No more salad bar, but the items on the lunch menu come with a small salad and fresh bread.  In general, good portions, and good food.

Primavera's
10 West Main Street
Marshalltown, IA 50158
(641) 753-104011:00am to 9:00pm Monday through Thursday
11:00am to 9:30pm Friday and Saturday
Closed Sunday