Babbo’s Spaghetteria

From spaghetti and meatballs to fresh bruschetta and Neapolitan-style pizzas, Babbo’s Spaghetteria in south Columbia offers restaurant-goers a time-honored Italian menu with a casual atmosphere set in modern, yet rustic Italian décor.
Babbo’s menu features a gourmet variety of traditional pasta and pizza options, as well as several appetizers and salads created by chef Brian Steinman. All menu options are priced between $5 and $15. Babbo’s also offers 23 types of red and white house and Italian wines.
Renowned St. Louis restaurateur Michael Del Pietro opened this seventh restaurant under the Italian family legacy on May 19. It’s the first of the Del Pietro restaurants to push westward out of the St. Louis area.
“This is exciting because it’s a new market for us,” said Mike Evans, restaurant manager. The Del Pietro name is well known in the St. Louis area, and this “is a chance for us to introduce our style and how we do things to a clientele that is not familiar with us.”
Restaurant owner Michael Del Pietro said he sees great potential in Columbia. “I wanted to bring the feel and tastes of Sugo’s to Columbia, but I thought the name Babbo’s might be a better fit for a college town with a younger demographic,” he said.
“Babbo’s is an Italian slang for Daddy,” Evans said. “Mr. Del Pietro’s idea was to keep it close to where his family would want it to be, keeping it a very simple and very cozy kind of feel.”
The Babbo’s name is a way to represent family, and “family is very important to Mr. Del Pietro,” Evans said. “That’s one of the reasons I love my job so much, and I take a huge sense of pride in working for them.”
Evans has worked with the Del Pietro family for more than 15 years split among several of their restaurants. When working at the original Del Pietro’s, Evans said Del Pietro’s mother “taught me so much about the restaurant, and there is still a lot of her influence in me and the way I like to deal with customers.” Babbo’s will keep much of the same ideals and provide the real traditional St. Louis-style Italian food that has worked so well for them in St. Louis.
The Del Pietros have “set that standard for high quality food for a reasonable price and just create a nice atmosphere for people to enjoy going out,” Evans said.
Sharing the modern Italian experience with customers is a high priority for Babbo’s staff, Evans said. “I want people to feel that we’re not going to overwhelm them,” he said. “You can come in as you are and enjoy a glass of wine and have some really good food and just a positive experience. I want every customer to feel like they are the most important person in here.”
Babbo’s Spaghetteria is open for lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and for dinner 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. “We want to be available to everyone who comes in, so we don’t take reservations,” Evans said.
Babbo’s Spaghetteria
1305 Grindstone Parkway
(573) 442-9446
www.babbosspaghetteria.com