Nestled in the heart of Historic Downtown McKinney, Centro on the Square is a vibrant American Italian Bistro with a menu that celebrates the best of both worlds-offering beloved American and Italian classics alongside inventive regional pasta dishes. Whether you’re craving a perfectly seared steak, a comforting bowl of house-made pasta, or a fresh take on a timeless favorite, our kitchen delivers bold flavors and warm hospitality in a stylish, welcoming setting.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 112 E Louisiana St Ste A, McKinney, TX 75069
Phone: (214) 548-4252
Website: https://centrotx.com/?utm_source=GMB&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=GMB
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: resy.com
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Centro on the Square in Downtown McKinney
Nestled in the heart of Historic Downtown McKinney, Centro on the Square is a vibrant American Italian Bistro with a menu that celebrates the best of both …
Book Your Centro on the Square Reservation Now on Resy
Centro On the Square is a locally owned and owner-operated bistro in the heart of McKinney, Texas’s historic downtown square.
Centro on the Square | McKinney, TX
Centro On the Square is a locally owned and owner-operated bistro in the heart of McKinney, Texas’s historic downtown square.
Reviews
Scott Falco
We visited this very awesome 1930’s Jazz age styled American/Italian Bestro in McKinney Tx for a four way Birthday celebration and I can surely say that this place instantly rocked to one of our favorites that I will have to introduce all my close friends and relatives too. First off, the vibe and general atmosphere of this place is what I love in a restaurant. They also feature a live Jazz band on Thursday night’s after 6 pm..We will be back to see that in person soon. Now this is fine dining but without the stiff collar so to speak so it is not cheap but the taste and quality of the fare here are second to none. The selections available in the bar are not what you would commonly expect in a small country town and anyone who is a cocktail enthusiast will be very intrigued buy their selection. Everyone we interacted with was warm, professional, knowledgeable and very welcoming. Will was our wait person and he was phenomenal and knew the whole menu like the back of his hand. He satisfied our every desire with efficiency and a uncommon flair. Grant was the first manger we encountered and again next level service minded. Had anything been amiss I’m sure Grant would have seen to our satisfaction of the matter. The evening however was flawless. Every dish of every course they served was a symphony of flavor, quality and delight.
Pastas are all made fresh in house and are some of the best I have ever tasted. I personally sampled the Mussels for my appitizer and they where superb, the beet salad also was a delicious change from the norm and for my Entrée the Wagyu beef short rib pasta. The flavor of this dish has to be experienced! Any words I would use would be inadequate to convey it’s divinity. This was paired with a Vermentino White wine, exquisite! I could go on and on about all the succulent flavors that we experienced but I will let my pictures do the talking this place has to be experienced words cannot describe. Lastly we encountered a Manager by the name of Basil (ironic for a Italian Bestro) before we left, we conveyed our joy with how everything flowed flawlessly over the course of the evening. This place catapulted itself to our top 5 rating in the DFW area. Very, very impressed we shall be back soon for more! Bravo (I would strongly suggest reservations in advance as this place is very popular and parking in the square in old downtown McKinney may prove challenging especially during prime time.) Ambiance, decor, flavor, quality (everything made in house and fresh),lastly service, everything is a grand slam hit here.
… morePastas are all made fresh in house and are some of the best I have ever tasted. I personally sampled the Mussels for my appitizer and they where superb, the beet salad also was a delicious change from the norm and for my Entrée the Wagyu beef short rib pasta. The flavor of this dish has to be experienced! Any words I would use would be inadequate to convey it’s divinity. This was paired with a Vermentino White wine, exquisite! I could go on and on about all the succulent flavors that we experienced but I will let my pictures do the talking this place has to be experienced words cannot describe. Lastly we encountered a Manager by the name of Basil (ironic for a Italian Bestro) before we left, we conveyed our joy with how everything flowed flawlessly over the course of the evening. This place catapulted itself to our top 5 rating in the DFW area. Very, very impressed we shall be back soon for more! Bravo (I would strongly suggest reservations in advance as this place is very popular and parking in the square in old downtown McKinney may prove challenging especially during prime time.) Ambiance, decor, flavor, quality (everything made in house and fresh),lastly service, everything is a grand slam hit here.
M Sweet
Centro on the Square… yes, Yes, and Heck YES! First, the holiday spirit is alive and well. Very much giving festive dinner with friends in a hallmark movie vibe, very nice holiday atmosphere tonight. With a much needed contrast to the chilly night the inside of the restaurant was warm and bustling. All that said, of course what we’re all here for, the food and service were both fantastic! Our waiter described the menu as “American Bistro with Italian influence”. The burrata was SO good, flavors were well balanced and plate was beautiful. Salad was fresh and well dressed. I ordered the short rib cappellacci which was so flavorful; felt rustic yet carefully prepared nonetheless. The filet was perfectly cooked and was fork tender. We finished with the “classic” cheesecake but it was anything but. We had the pleasure of speaking with the manager Basil who had great service and pride in opening the restaurant so recently. To our surprise they’re also open for lunch, we’ll definitely be back soon!
… moreNegar Tlz
We had a wonderful dining experience at Centro on the Square. I ordered the salmon, which was perfectly cooked and full of flavor. My partner had pricy rigatoni à la vodka, and it was rich, creamy, and very well balanced.
We finished with the tiramisu for dessert, which was the perfect ending to the meal—light, classic, and delicious. Great food, inviting atmosphere, and attentive service. Highly recommended!
… moreWe finished with the tiramisu for dessert, which was the perfect ending to the meal—light, classic, and delicious. Great food, inviting atmosphere, and attentive service. Highly recommended!
TJ P
I cannot recommend Centro On the Square highly enough! From the moment we walked in, we were warmly welcomed by the staff. Karla provided excellent, personal service throughout our meal, making sure we had everything we needed. The owner Grant touched the table and was very kind. The ambiance of the restaurant is elegant and inviting, perfect for a special night out.
The food was absolutely delicious. The mozzarella was fresh and flavorful, the green salad was refreshing, and the in house pasta dishes were cooked to perfection. We particularly enjoyed the chicken marsala and the lemon ricotta agnolotti del plin. The drink selection was impressive, and the Italian house red wine was smooth and delicious.
We ended our meal with the cannoli for dessert, which was good but not the best we’ve had. Next time, we’ll be sure to try the tiramisu. Overall, Centro On the Square exceeded our expectations and we will definitely be returning in the future. Thank you for a wonderful dining experience!
… moreThe food was absolutely delicious. The mozzarella was fresh and flavorful, the green salad was refreshing, and the in house pasta dishes were cooked to perfection. We particularly enjoyed the chicken marsala and the lemon ricotta agnolotti del plin. The drink selection was impressive, and the Italian house red wine was smooth and delicious.
We ended our meal with the cannoli for dessert, which was good but not the best we’ve had. Next time, we’ll be sure to try the tiramisu. Overall, Centro On the Square exceeded our expectations and we will definitely be returning in the future. Thank you for a wonderful dining experience!
Sam Warren
To start the vibe and atmosphere is absolutely amazing, the dark design with table lights and great decorations make this a good spot for a date or just a nice dinner. The service was also great and the people were all very friendly. All thats said the food is what you want to know about. The focaccia bread was good but they dont being you any oil or butter with it, so it was a dry eat. The Meatballs were really good, best thing we had that evening. The fried ravioli werent really all that so try something different. The bolognese was a solid dish with a solid sauce and the noodles cooked great and it all tasted fresh, switch to the spicy vodka Rigatoni and the noodles were way more al dente and the sauce didnt taste like any vodka sauce id ever had, it wasn’t that good in my opinion as someone who eats vodka pasta everywhere. Definitely room to go again and switch up the 2 dishes we didnt care for and try others though since the other 2 we enjoyed quite a bit! Give them a try! Overall I give this place a 7.4/10
… moreClay J
A great experience in downtown McKinney. Drinks were great and the atmosphere / vibes were as well. Our Caesar salads were mediocre to start but the entrees were both equally delicious and redeemed the food. Highly recommend spicy rigatoni and adding on meatballs.
… moreAlexa H
The place is published as an Italian restaurant which we did not find too many italian food options in the menu. We found the menu very limited and hard to decide what to order. Only few pasta options, 5 entree dishes and if you want to add protein to your pasta is extra charge. My husband’s salmon was raw, they brought a cooked salmon after we called it. But was not pleasant that we couldn’t enjoy our lunch eating tat the same time..:they offered us a tiramisu at no cost due to their lack of cooking but we never got it. I feel it is overpriced for the tasteless “Italian” dishes offered. I got a shrimp pasta which wasn’t special at all. The mussels for appetizer were ok. The atmosphere is nice, nice music but if I don’t have good food I won’t be back. There are many Italian good choices in mckny. Save your trip to this one.
… moreJose Silva
We went for my fiancé’s birthday on Christmas Eve. Our server was amazing she was extremely helpful with wine selection and properly serving it. The food was delicious and perfect serving size. Would definitely go back and try other items on their menu.
And if you have room after wards for dessert, the limoncello sorbet and the tiramisu were amazing.
… moreAnd if you have room after wards for dessert, the limoncello sorbet and the tiramisu were amazing.
vkl0253
This was worth the drive. My BFF and I stopped by for a meal. We had a bunch of drinks and they were all good. For appetizers we had the calamari and mussels. I highly recommend the mussels with white sauce. However, you should skip the calamari. It quite greasy and not what I would expect from a higher end restaurant. The red fish was spectacular–crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside. It paired quite well with the sauce. If you had to pick one dish from this place, I’d recommend the red fish. I had the spicy vodka rigatoni. I think maybe they messed up on the sauce because it was very spicy… this coming from an Asian, and it was too spicy for me. We then replaced it with the lemon ricotta. Both were delicious. You can tell the pasta was well made.
… moreRyan Patel
We had an incredible dinner tonight at Centro On The Square! From start to finish, everything was spot-on — the atmosphere was lively and inviting, the service was friendly and attentive, and the food was absolutely fantastic. Every dish was packed with flavor and beautifully presented, and the cocktails were just as impressive.
It was the perfect spot for dinner with friends — great energy, great food, and a vibe that makes you want to stay and chat all night. Highly recommend this place if you’re looking for a fun night out with top-notch food and service!
… moreIt was the perfect spot for dinner with friends — great energy, great food, and a vibe that makes you want to stay and chat all night. Highly recommend this place if you’re looking for a fun night out with top-notch food and service!