Luigi's Italian Chophouse & Bar

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Story Rooted in Family and Resilience

Luigi's Italian Chophouse & Bar is one of Fayetteville's most enduring dining institutions — a restaurant with more than 70 years of history behind every plate. It was founded by Peter Parrous, a Greek immigrant who arrived in the United States in 1938, served in World War II, and discovered a passion for cooking while overseas. Drawing on his mother's meat sauce recipe, Peter opened the original Luigi's in downtown Fayetteville in the early 1950s. That sauce, unchanged, still anchors the menu today.

After a gap and a relocation, Luigi's reopened at its current address on McPherson Church Road in 1982. Then, in 1993, tragedy struck: Peter and his wife Ethel were killed in a shooting that injured eight others, including their daughter Connie. In an act of extraordinary resolve, their children — Nicholas, Linda, Connie, and son-in-law Tony Kotsopoulos — chose to reopen rather than close. That decision defined the character of everything that followed.

From Neighborhood Eatery to Upscale Destination

The transformation was deliberate and sustained. A major renovation in 1999 added a full-service bar. Between 2000 and 2002, the team introduced weekly wine tastings — a first for Fayetteville — along with a "Wine of the Week" program and a 2,500-bottle climate-controlled wine cellar. In 2003, that commitment earned Luigi's its first Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, a recognition the restaurant has maintained every year since. Two private dining rooms and an outdoor patio followed in 2009–2010, expanding capacity for celebrations and corporate events.

Today, a third generation is at the helm. Tony retired in 2020, and his daughter Lia Ernst and her husband Nate stepped in as partners and operators, carrying the family tradition forward alongside Nick Parrous and Linda Higgins.

What's on the Plate

The menu reflects the restaurant's evolution from a spaghetti house into a full Italian chophouse. Steaks are USDA Upper 2/3 Choice or better, wet-aged for a minimum of 28 days, and hand-cut in-house — from an 8 oz Filet Mignon to a 24 oz Bone-in Cowboy Ribeye. The Australian Wagyu Flank Steak, sourced from Phoenix Wagyu at marble grade MB 9+, is grilled over an open flame and finished with a balsamic glaze.

The Italian side of the menu is equally serious: homemade sauces, pan-sautéed pasta dishes, Calamari Fra Diavolo over linguine (described as one of the kitchen's most popular dishes), fresh fish delivered daily, and NC Diver Scallops sourced from Wanchese. Desserts include tiramisu and cannoli, and the She Crab Soup — made with Atlantic blue crab claw meat, Old Bay, cream, and sherry — has become a signature.

The Wine Program

The award-winning wine list runs to more than 300 selections, both imported and domestic, with over 30 available by the glass. The list spans Chianti Classico and Super Tuscans to Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and Napa Cabernet, always served at the correct temperature. It's the kind of program that draws guests from well beyond Fayetteville.

The Atmosphere

The space offers main dining rooms, a comfortable bar, an outdoor patio, and two private dining rooms — named after long-serving employees Miriam Jones and Lee Collison — that together accommodate up to 100 guests. The tone is casual but upscale: warm enough that first-time visitors feel at ease, polished enough to mark a special occasion properly.