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New management, new look for Via Verde

Posted by Geeky Swedes on January 29th, 2009

My Ballard reader Robert sent us this photo today of a new sign going up in front of Via Verde, the Italian restaurant on Market St. near 17th Ave.

We called the restaurant, and they said new management recently took over the establishment with plans to make some changes. Via Verde is still rather new to the neighborhood, opening in July of last year. (Thanks Robert!)

Tags: Ballard   Facebook

  • teethwhitening10
    I found this topic really interesting!Keep writing more!!!
  • That italian shop is very nice. I like yellow.
  • Sounds like they need a visit from Chef Ramsey.

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  • doer82
    I wonder, how is this restaurant going right now? I ever eat on the restaurant once just a month after they opened. And it sucks. I just thinking it's not like a restaurant but a gas station. Well, if it said they had new management, I'll give them another shot, and let see how it taste right now. Btw, why don't you help me by share your opinion about this word, kjkkjk. thanks.
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  • AlianBrin333
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  • teethwhitening10
    I agree with you Alian....its truly a good read.Teeth Whitening
  • it looks very nice now. very nice upgrade.
  • This hotel serves the world's best food. I liked this shop.
  • francodane
    Hey!
    im italian
    this is a good place


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  • After many visits at this place, still not sure about their quality...It can be great, but sometimes is very very average...
  • I love this place...
  • Via Verde's food have always been my favorite. I love to eat there as the place is so beautiful.

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  • Michelle
    I had a meal there and don't plan on going back. The food was ok, but it just wasn't that tasty.

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  • Yummy!! Italian food !
  • Interior photos would have been great. Wood fired pizza sounds wonderful. Prepare mine over applewood. Yum!
  • looks lke a nice place
  • webdevlopmentcompanymumbai
    Its a good news man. Thanks
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  • I have a couple genuine Italian restaurants down here in Florida where I live. The food is the best! It just doesn't get any better. I bet that place has good food too.
  • Well i don't really like this new look tbh

    This is pretty cool but you can get even better here
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  • I am going to check this out.
  • quickbucks
    I am gonna check it out.
  • I love Italian food too.Thanks for your reviews
  • Daydream1
    I love Italian food (and women!) too. I'd give this place a try if I were in the area as it looks OK, apart from the main dangling in front of the place!
  • arbitrageconspiracyreviews
    It may be new but I have visited this place. This restaurant really has a different taste. I like all the delicious dishes offered there. I would like to go again and again.
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  • homeequityloan
    I love Italian food. One day I will try this restaurant.

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  • i simply love italian pasta and italian food is my favorite.. gr8...
  • JayAllan
    I don't think the sign looks desperate.. I think a lot of people might miss it if it wasn't placed there.

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  • Italian food is normally good. What so bad about this one?

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  • I agree with some of posters before me. I was there only once and would never again go near this place. Really bad food..
  • I hope it gets better too.

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  • I've eaten at Via Verde twice and it wasn't that it was bad so much as bland. The green & red logo has to go, it looks more like signage for a gas station than an Italian Restaurant. Unfortunately, that new sign is just as tacky and stripmallish looking. Ballard is turning into Northgate.

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  • i love pizza i could eat pizza from teh rubbish if i had to
  • Ow, italian food is absolutely lovely.
  • I agree.. they must revise a new concept to improve their restaurant once in for all.
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  • hiphopmusic
    New sign and new management haven't changed a thing for this place. The food is still tasteless as ever, and a huge waste of money during this economic downturn. Such a shame, because usually Italian food is the best... but not here. Sad to say :(

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  • shanpollok2
    What they need is a new concept and menu. Some of the reason for turnover could be...drum roll please...ANOTHER Italian restaurant. How many Italian restaurants does one neigborhood need? MYBALLARD lists 15... This one is across the street from Palermo and a couple of blocks from Lombardi's.

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  • I found the food to be extremely bland as well. Not a fan of this restaurant at all. Backlink
  • dave8291
    Under new management already. From what I'm reading this doesn't seem like the place to eat out.

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  • A new restaurant and even newer sign. What will this sign change?
  • I think it is a wonderful new addition to the area. Best wishes for your success.
  • I never went to this restaurant but by looking at the comments here, i doubt it will be a fun experience.. anywayz no biggie.. loads of other places to go :)

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  • Though I love to eat Italian cuisines, that place looks wrecked, I would rather find some other place to go fill myself.
  • macharsh
    Such a very nice Italian food i like it very much

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  • This place really has to pick it up-ive heard too many bad reviews
  • warp9wb
    Looks like a nice typical Italian Restaurant

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  • mastery
    It's a charming enough sign. New ownership in under a year isn't that uncommon in the restaurant industry, and in this economy even less so. I hope they will do well.

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  • jamfolk
    I went there once and it wasn't terrible so much as, uh, not NOT terrible. The pizza was soggy and pricey. If I am going to spend a ton on pizza Veraci is where I want to spend it.

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  • I would eat there. I don't see the problem

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  • juliannanero
    I've eaten at Via Verde twice and it wasn't that it was bad so much as bland. The green & red logo has to go, it looks more like signage for a gas station than an Italian Restaurant. Unfortunately, that new sign is just as tacky and stripmallish looking. Ballard is turning into Northgate.

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  • lillyhayden
    I think this is a very nice idea.
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  • Karen521
    I'm not a local but looking to travel there soon and will definitely avoid this one! Thanks for the heads-up:)
    Karen
  • Had lunch here before, it was not bad... nothing fantastic though. Just another typical Italian joint in my opinion...
  • MMM pizza.. I hope that's what they have :-)
  • New sign or not, that space always looks like an annex to Kinko’s. Not good curb appeal for ANY restaurant.
  • Ron
    I agree with one of the other posts above...I miss the Market Street Grill.
  • amy
    It's the zombie-restaurant location. Just keeps popping up again...
  • I ate there once - possibly the blandest and most overcooked pasta I've ever eaten.

    If the new management is serious, they'll change the name, change the staff and change the menu. The furniture was OK.
  • Anthony
    That whole area there will always be an enigma, bring back Big 5 to that location.
  • mghart
    I miss the Market Street Cafe...
  • T-Rex
    I actually had a great flat-iron steak there
    and with with their
    happy hour pricing it was WELL worth it
    but was not
    compelled to go back...agree
    there was/is no atmosphere and the
    pasta side dish was unremarkable
  • bernie
    My fiance and I also had a horrible experience at Via Verde. Bad pizza, worse service. I agree with CB70 that we don't need another Italian restaurant...maybe a spot where i can get a big ass burrito.
  • Kristie
    It's a real shame about Via Verde- the first few weeks it opened this summer it was really good. Now it's beyond awful....I think there's been more than 1 change of management
  • I went there once and it wasn't terrible so much as, uh, not NOT terrible. The pizza was soggy and pricey. If I am going to spend a ton on pizza Veraci is where I want to spend it.
  • CB70
    What they need is a new concept and menu. Some of the reason for turnover could be...drum roll please...ANOTHER Italian restaurant. How many Italian restaurants does one neigborhood need? MYBALLARD lists 15... This one is across the street from Palermo and a couple of blocks from Lombardi's.
  • Bimmer
    I had a great food experience in Venice once, but the place had no sign on the street, and barely a name on the door, just a green awning. An old man walking by the street pointed it to me.
    Good places need no particular sign.
  • jules
    sounds like they need alot more than a new sign.
  • elle
    and what the H does change of management mean anyway? will the same people work there? will the same food be served? id rather this place be annexed by kinkos.. gag.
  • Billy
    Sounds like they need a visit from Chef Ramsey.
  • boardbrown
    New sign or not, that space always looks like an annex to Kinko's. Not good curb appeal for ANY restaurant.
  • elle
    on a hung over saturday evening we stopped in at about 5:30pm and there was only ONE other table of two. the seemed disorganized from the moment we walked in and not very friendly, whatever. we ordered a calzone and a small pizza. we watched as all of the servers prepared the food (!!!) no cooks(!!). we waited.. finished our waters.. no one refilled them... we had to go find out server to ask to refill them. then we saw them carrying food out (35 minutes after we ordered, there was a clock directly in front of me) got excited cuz we were starving and they gave it to the other people! we thought for sure ours would be out shortly then we realized they were just firing up the oven to cook our food! we actually saw them tossing the dough for our food after 50 minutes of waiting. it was crazy! they were obviously avoiding coming to our table which was highly irritating.. no one came to the table the entire time until they brought us the food. not one word either. the food itself was eh. my calzone had a HUGE slab of butter melted on it which was really odd. we stiffed them on a tip which i have never done and my sig other is highly against (he works in food service). it was ridiculous. writing this doesnt do the horrible service justice. it was awful.
  • PDX Ballardite
    That is one hella taaaacky sign. Looks a bit desperate: "Food here -- eat now!"
  • John
    ^^ I mean, how to you screw up a spinach salad?
  • John
    Thank god. Maybe they'll make some good adjustments. I'll give it a try again if they do.

    Via Verde was absolutely wretched. We ate there the first time when they first opened, like maybe within the first week. And it was actually pretty good... the ingredients were fresh. Went there again about 3 months later, and it was quite possibly the worst food I've had in a restaurant. I guess they were cutting corners and the food and ingredients suffered. We ordered the exact same thing as we did the first time bc it was so good... and it was DRASTICALLY different. Anyway, my girlfriend and I had a wager as to how long this place would last, and she guessed until January '09. So, I guess she was right.
  • Earinc
    I've eaten at Via Verde twice and it wasn't that it was bad so much as bland. The green & red logo has to go, it looks more like signage for a gas station than an Italian Restaurant. Unfortunately, that new sign is just as tacky and stripmallish looking. Ballard is turning into Northgate.
  • Earinc
    I've eaten at Via Verde twice and it wasn't that it was bad so much as bland. The green & red logo has to go, it looks more like signage for a gas station than an Italian Restaurant. Unfortunately, that new sign is just as tacky and stripmallish looking. Ballard is turning into Northgate.
  • Jake
    Ditto elle - actually bordering on gross. Zero flavor. Bad service. Greasy salad. Would be hard pressed to have done a worse job other than accidentally setting one of us on fire. Hope the new version is better.
  • Rachel
    Considering it opened in July and is already under new management (who apparently aren't very artistic on their signage ... can we use at least an interesting font, people?), not a good sign for that spot. Hmm ... looks like Ballard may have one less pizza place in a few months? I hate seeing places going out of business, but sometimes they should never open in the first place.
  • I love Italian food. Why was this place so bad, elle?
  • silence.kit
    I guess this is good news.

    ?
  • elle
    via verde was by far the worst dining experience i have ever had.
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