Scileppi’s at the Old Stone Church in Castle Rock draws crowds that many pastors — and restauranteurs — might envy.

Built in the 1800s, the church’s original stone façade remains in place. The menu and the stained-glass windows pay homage to the building’s past. Although this is not the first restaurant in this once sacred place, Lou Scileppi opened his in 2018.

Limited reservations are available; otherwise plan to arrive early or expect a wait. It’s not a large eatery, although it is impressive. This applies to the interior, exterior and the food brought to the table.

Scileppi’s has two dining areas: One is upscale and one is SliceWorks Purgatory, a pizzeria. Both menus are available in each setting. (There are also two SliceWorks Denver locations.)

The church-themed menu includes the Garden of Eden, with salads; the Old Testament features popular pasta dishes; the New Testament includes steaks and seafood entrees; and Taste of Heaven is dessert possibilities. After seeing the pizza menu, we thought it wise to include a slice with a house salad. Then we stuck to the Old Testament: gnocchi al fresco ($16); veal parmigiana ($22); and linguine with white clam sauce ($21).

After placing our order, a basket of what our server called round rolls was brought to the table. These are thick and shaped like cinnamon rolls but are chewy and perfect for dipping in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar — as well as the sauces in our entrees.

Whole pizza pies range in price from $18 to $25 and we saw plenty go out the door as carryout orders. Our slice of white spinach was $4.75 . The salad as a side is $8, but only $3 when ordered with an entree.

The slice was large enough to count as a full meal. The chewy crust was topped with creamy, herb-seasoned ricotta, mozzarella and parmigiana cheeses.

I was surprised there was no eggplant parmigiana on the main menu; the options were chicken or veal. Although hidden under a blanket of melted mozzarella, which also concealed the marinara sauce, the meat maintained its lightly breaded coating. The amount of cheese was excessive, but the sauce, made with San Marzano tomatoes, was rich without being acidic or overpowering. It’s served with penne pasta, which was nothing special, but eating it was a good way to avoid wasting any of the sauce.

Adorned with clam shells, the linguini had fresh cherry stones and little necks in a wine and butter-based sauce augmented by slices of fresh garlic. The presentation and flavors are almost sinful.

Gnocchi is something that can either be worth singing with the choir about or a disappointment. These mini potato dumplings were, fortunately, the former. It’s because these were light and tender, coated with the right amount of marinara sauce, chopped fresh basil and parmigiana.

Servings are generous, and service was exemplary thanks to Malorie. She good-naturedly answered questions and remained attentive throughout our meal. She accomplished this while also managing other tables. The place was packed! We never felt rushed, although it was evident the occupied seating was in demand.

Scileppi’s at the Old Stone Church

Description: Italian cuisine for dining in or carryout.

Location: 210 Third St., Castle Rock

Contact: 1-303-688-9000; scileppis.com

Prices: $15-$32

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Details: Credit cards accepted. Alcohol. Wi-Fi. Patio.

Favorite dishes: Linguine with clam sauce, veal parmigiana

Other: Gluten-free and vegan options available.