Leli's Italian Eatery, Market And Bakery

I dined here, for the first time, a couple of weeks ago. We met another couple who recommended the restaurant so I was anticipating a nice meal. I was very disappointed. I ordered the pork tenderloin with oyster mushrooms. The mushrooms were rubbery and the pork was tough and hard to chew. The young waiter came to check on us shortly after the food arrived and asked how everything was. When I told him the pork was overdone he said he was sorry. As I had barely touched the food, I thought he might let the cook know and I could order something different but no one followed up. It was not at all crowded so I am not sure why things weren’t addressed. The food was not cheap and it was pretty inedible. I won’t eat there again although I would buy their gelato. It was good.

I had dinner at Leli’s this week May 2023. This is advertised as an Italian restaurant however, even the basic bread is awful! I knew after eating the bread it was going to go downhill. The chicken was chewy as if microwaved and there was no flavor to anything. The menu is overwhelming. I would recommend limiting the menu to items that you can make well. The place was empty and now I know why. Please work on improving your concept and recipes.

From the moment we entered the vibe was odd. Seating is tight and service was slow. Started with a salad and the meatball appetizer. The salad dressing was good however the meatballs were deep fried with a hard outer shell and lacked flavor. Veal parm with pasta and a pizza were our mains. I am not sure what kind of Italian they are attempting. but there are definitely better choices in Wake Forest. Within 5 minutes of the meal being served a waiter presented himself and stated that the dish had to be brought back to the kitchen because there was a problem with the pasta. The hand tossed wood fire pizza was not airy and the crust really tough. Decided not to take a chance on replacing the entree because the reason for removing the dish was not explained. I would not recommend this spot. Ended up spending $55 for a really poor meal.

The freshness at this place is the best available! I can really taste the difference with fresh homemade pastas vs. others. I really appreciated that extra effort here, and the pasta tasted great! Looking forward to trying their pizzas.Their baklavas at their bakery was very good as well!

This place would be over the top if the chef tried his own food! I have been here a few times to give it a chance because I like the small Italian New York style atmosphere and the menu seems amazing, but each time I was disappointed. I got one dish where the chicken was hard and over cooked, and ordered a steak the other time that was so rare I couldn’t cut it or eat it- when I ordered medium. If they could get this down and perfect the cooking, this place would be great!