Lucio’s Italian Restaurant is a family-owned Italian restaurant in Franklin, North Carolina, serving traditional Italian cuisine, homemade pasta, seafood, steak and classic Italian-American favorites. Located on Highlands Road, Lucio’s was established in 1984 by Lucio and Dorothy Gamboni and continues the family’s Italian cooking traditions, with roots tracing back to Naples, Italy.
Pasta is a centerpiece of the menu, with selections including spaghetti with meatballs, lasagna al forno, fettuccine Alfredo, linguine with pesto, cheese ravioli, manicotti, cannelloni and tortellini. Specialty dishes include Fettuccine Della Casa with chicken, broccoli, mushrooms and a creamy garlic Parmesan sauce, along with baked pasta dishes featuring Italian sausage, eggplant and mozzarella. Pasta entrées are traditionally served with salad and Lucio’s signature garlic rolls.
Beyond pasta, Lucio’s offers a variety of chicken, veal, steak and seafood entrées. Guests can find Italian-style chicken and veal preparations, grilled steak, steak pizzaiola and seafood dishes featuring shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams and fish. Seafood pasta selections include linguine with red or white clam sauce and Zuppa di Pesce, a combination of seafood served over linguine.
Appetizers include fried ravioli, fried zucchini, mozzarella marinara, eggplant Parmigiana, fried calamari, mussels and escargot with pesto. Vegetarian-friendly pasta and eggplant dishes are also available, with guests encouraged to ask about ingredients and preparation.
The restaurant serves wine and bottled beer alongside soft drinks, espresso and other beverages. Desserts include spumoni ice cream and a changing selection of Italian-style sweets.
Lucio’s offers traditional sit-down dinner service in a cozy, family-operated setting. With its long history in Franklin, homemade Italian dishes and classic dining atmosphere, the restaurant is an option for family dinners, date nights, celebrations and visitors looking for an Italian dinner.
Whether you’re looking for Italian food in Franklin, homemade pasta, lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken Parmesan, eggplant Parmesan, fettuccine Alfredo, seafood pasta, steak, garlic rolls or wine with dinner, Lucio’s Italian Restaurant offers a varied menu of traditional Italian favorites.
