A Berks County institution, Santino’s Family Restaurant in Wyomissing has been a family owned and operated business since 1982. “La Casa Della Pasta” was first opened by the Grande family and named Maria’s; its name officially changed to Santino’s in 1986. In 1989 Gary and Donna DiMariano decided to buy the restaurant for a very good reason. “My parents bought the place to keep my brother [Dino], sister [Angela] and I here in Berks County,” co-owner Gabe DiMariano tells me. “We try to make sure one of us is here at all times to make sure the place is being run the way it’s supposed to be.”
LIKE ONE OF THE FAMILY
Through the years, the restaurant has always been a popular place for families. Located on State Hill Road, Santino’s sits on the border between the Wyomissing and Wilson school districts. “We’re a family owned restaurant that’s supported by local families,” Gabe mentions. “We attract a lot of families because we have a huge variety on our menu. Kids can get a slice of pizza or spaghetti and meatballs while their parents can get the salad bar and a nice entree.” And though Santino’s is known for its great salad bar, the eatery also offers classic Italian-American favorites like veal marsala, chicken saltimbocca and linguini with mussels.
A bonus: nearly every entree is under $15! While Santino’s does have a children’s menu, their cheesesteaks, meatball parmesan and lasagna are popular with the older kids.
A HOME RUN
Santino’s is a popular meeting place for families and groups of all kinds. “We support a lot of local sports teams, whether it be through fundraisers or golf outings,” Gabe explains, “so a lot of the local teams come in here. We get everything from the group of 80 after a high school football game to a group of 10 coming in after a swim meet.”
SALUTE TO THE FAMILY
The DiMariano family and their staff are a warm and welcoming bunch. But if your family’s anything like mine, you still may want to stop in at their sports bar before your table is ready. It seats more than 20, is open from 11am-2am daily, and is a great place to watch the game. They even offer pizza, six-packs and a huge catering menu for take-out. The only issue you may run into at Santino’s is parking. But hey, you’re about to carbo-load on a generous portion of manicotti. You may want to park a couple of blocks away!
Santino's Family Restaurant | 1 Wellington Blvd., Wyomissing | 610.670.2052 | mysantinos.com
BY JON PACIFIC | PHOTO BY HEIDI REUTER
