By David Jones

This week’s review is about a nice Italian restaurant in an out-of-the-way spot in Downingtown.  Lin used to work at Pepperidge Farm in Downingtown so we were familiar with Woody’s which used to sit at this location on Chestnut Street. Anyone familiar with the original location for Victory Brewing will also know how to find Pomodoro. It is worth the search.

We found out about this place from a good friend, Tommy Vee, who had tried it and recommended it to us.  They have a little bit of something for every taste here, from sandwiches and pizzas to a host of different pasta dishes.  I was glad to see their specials for the Tuesday we were there, were not marked up highly over the regular priced meals.

I got the penne special with eggplant, cherry tomatoes, pesto and mozzarella for just $14.95.  Most of the pasta dishes are in the mid-teens, which is a very fair price.  My penne was just right in every way and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Lin had a very good chicken dish that came with mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables and a very nice mushroom sauce.  We had a bit of a disconnect with the waitress during the order when Lin asked if the chicken came with pasta and she said no, but she be happy to get the chef to add it.  At that point Lin ordered the dish.

Lin and I were both thinking the dish would come with the chicken “on” the pasta or the pasta on the plate.  Instead, they substituted the pasta for the vegetables, giving her mashed potatoes and pasta with no veggies.  The pasta was also a huge portion.  This is a miscue on our part and not a fault of the restaurant.

Pomodoro’s is a fairly large place that was able to accommodate us without a reservation early on a Tuesday evening, but I would suggest reservations, since it was packed on a Tuesday early.  It might be a little more crowded at other times.

Even though the restaurant was full we were still able to converse across our table and the room wasn’t overly noisy.  Tables and chairs are not fancy, but they are functional and comfortable.

The hostess after seating us, apparently didn’t assign us to a waitress and so it took almost 15 minutes until a waitress stopped by to see if we had been waited on.  That’s a little glitch and things like that can certainly happen though it would be helpful if the staff don’t unload their complaints on the customers.

Some staff think this endears them to the customers, but I feel it includes us in situations in a way that doesn’t correct the problem and adds a stress to our dinner that’s unnecessary.

Pomodoro’s is a BYOB and unlike many others, they DO NOT charge a corkage.  Our dinners came with a very nice house salad and very delicious bread and dipping sauce.  Our total bill was $42 with tax and a 20% tip, which is excellent for the meal we received.

I asked Lin how many stars she would give Pomodoro’s on a scale of 1 to 4 and after some discussion we both agreed on 2 and a half.  I have no problem recommending Pomodoro’s.

I think it’s a very worthy trip to Downingtown from anywhere in our area.

Pomodoro Downingtown Pizza & Italian Restaurant

Address: 200 Chestnut St, Downingtown, PA 19335
Phone:(610) 873-0405

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A native of Chester County and a 1968 graduate of Octorara Area High School, David Jones earned a Masters Degree in Medical Ethics from from Villanova University. Mr. Jones served as CEO of both Mayview and Wernersville State Hospitals and later worked directly with then Governor Rendell to modernize and right-size Pennsylvania’s entire state hospital system. Jones and his wife Lynn make their home in Parkesburg and dine out frequently across Chester County and the Delaware Valley.