Dive into a taste of Italy at the newest Italian restaurant to come to Birmingham. Meet Grand Ticino by Amore, a cute lunch spot serving sandwiches, salads delectable desserts and more. You may have already heard of their parent restaurant, Amore Ristorante Italiano, and rest assured the food here is just as delicious. Read on to find out more about your new favorite lunch spot.

The answer to your lunch-time cravings

New Italian restaurant — Grand Ticino just opened on January 4, 2022. (Miranda Shaffer / Bham Now)

If you’ve been to Amore Ristorante Italiano, you know the food is authentic, upscale and insanely good. Grand Ticino is a more causal set-up than its parent restaurant and the lower price tag means this can be a weekly lunch destination instead of special-occasions-only.

Since its opening on January 4, Grand Ticino is already a popular spot, but we know you want the inside scoop so we decided to go try it for ourselves. We’ve got all the details on the mood, food and service.

Location: 5511 US-280 #109, Birmingham, AL 35242
Restaurant Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11AM-2PM
Market Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10AM-6PM
Cost: $11-22

The ambiance

Grand Ticino is tucked away off of Highway 280 in the Greystone Park Shopping Center, across from Amore Ristorante Italian. Walk through the door, and you’ll be surrounded by Italian goods like cured meats, marinated olives and cannoli shells.

Order up front then choose a seat in the dining room. Drinks and food will be brought to you. This is an upscale meets casual situation where you can walk in and grab take-away or sit in the chandelier studded dining room and enjoy a great meal with friends.

Even though it was in the middle of lunch rush, the service was speedy—my food came around 10 minutes after ordering. The staff was friendly and my waiter was wonderful.

The Food

This hole-in-the-wall spot is packing some big flavors. They have a selection of Italian staples like Pork Milanese, Chicken Rigatoni Arrabbiata, meatball subs and cannolis. They mentioned their menu will likely expand in the coming months.

I went with the Chicken Pesto Sandwich, and although I’m often hesitant to order chicken at restaurants since it can be super dry, this place made me glad I did. The chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside with fresh tomato and buffalo mozzarella bringing a nice freshness.

No exaggeration this is one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had.

The more food I saw come out of the kitchen the more I wished I had an unlimited appetite and bank account. Guess I’ll just have to go back for more?

Grand Ticino — The current menu. (Miranda Shaffer / Bham Now)

The Market

At their take-away market, you can stock up on items like fresh-made pastas, Italian cheeses, olive oil, coffee and more. It’s a little slice of Italy right off of 280!

Are you excited to try this new restaurant? Let us know your thoughts by tagging us @bhamnow.