Naples Spaghetti House is a local favorite for Italian food. I've only been here twice, but I've had good meals both times. It's located in downtown Steubenville (take a right off Market Street bridge, go two blocks, turn left). There's a small parking lot, and they DO take credit cards.

When we walked in, they had to find an area to clear off for us before we could get a seat. The layout of this restaurant is pretty awkward, and the way they placed tables is as if they just wanted to squeeze as many people into an awkward space as possible. I had to ask the couple sitting to the table next to us to move so I could get out of our table. She took our drink orders, and I was happy to see a huge cup brought back (less refills!).

When you sit down, there's a placemat with a map of Italy on it. The furniture is old, worn, and the waitresses are past their prime. But that's part of its charm. The menu has pastas, chicken, veal, and seafood dishes, as well as sandwiches.

I opted for their Italian Platter - rigatoni, ravioli and gnocchi. You can choose which sauce - tomato, meat, marinara or mushroom. I went with marinara. They also came with salads. They're known for their house red wine vinaigrette dressing; they even sell it, along with their sauces to-go. A small bag of bread came out first. Nothing special here. Doesn't seem homemade.

A basic salad came out next: iceberg lettuce, couple radishes, tomatoes, olives. Their house dressing really is good. It's light, refreshing, homemade and tasty. Tangy like oil and vinegar, but full of flavor. Opt for it instead of the ranch or thousand island, which are generic.

Finally, the main course came out. I was expecting three separate portions, but they just kind of threw all three types of noodle down and covered it with a sauce. The gnocchi was dense; It was too thick for me. It wasn't very flavorful. The rigatoni and ravioli were pretty good, though. I got the cheese (you have the option for meat) ravioli, and it was fantastic. It was creamy and the homemade noodle really makes a difference here. The rigatoni was also good. The marinara was hearty and perfect consistency. I topped mine with parmesan cheese and enjoyed my meal.

Is this a five-star dining establishment? No. It's a hometown place where you can get a decent Italian dish. Enjoy the environment and a tasty meal.

Grade: B