The BEST SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS DISH IN THE BOSTON AREA! Service is excellent, the owner is friendly and cares about every customer! I will be back again and again. read more

We waited a long time to give this place a try because the ratings on yelp weren't particularly favorable. After walking by over and over and seeing how packed it is, we thought we would check it out for ourselves. We called at 5:30 on a Friday to try to get a table for 7, it wasn't a problem. We were greeted by an attentive and friendly hostess, and seated promptly. The rolls brought to the table were amazing. My husband ordered a dirty martini, which was excellent and I had the blood orange martini. We started with the Melanzana Donna, which the waitress (who was super nice, but not overbearing) recommended and it was delicious. For dinner, we both had specials. My husband had veal bracciolini which came with potatoes au gratin and asparagus. The veal was perfectly cooked. I had the ravioli special filled with chicken and feta (I think) and had a pine nut and pancetta cream sauce. Excellent. We decided to go for dessert and ordered the cannoli gelato and creme brule. The creme brule was good, but the cannoli gelato was incredible. We would definitely order the gelato again. We look forward to going back soon! read more

Recent visit was just ok. Some dishes were good (Saltimboca) others not so good (ravioli special). Will try again. A bit pricey.

Finally checked this place out, and I was definitely impressed. The restaurant was mostly full, but not so full that there would be a wait. I sat at the bar for a drink, and was given a basket of bread which was a nice touch. They give you the oil and let you put the spices and cheese in yourself as you please. I'm a broke college student so the menu is a bit pricey for me, but I did venture to try the arancini appetizer. Fried balls of rice and cheese and meat --it was so good! It also came reasonably quickly which was nice because everyone around me had really good smelling food. At one point, the manager came over to check in with me and ask me how everything was and to make sure I was being taken care of. Good dining experience overall. read more

Love this place- food is good, service is good and is a great local quality italian restaurant! The prices are a little high, however the portion sizes are pretty big. if you are from the marblehead area i would reccommend that you try read more

My goodness. What a GREAT restaurant! From making a reservation, to greeting, service, decor, generous drinks and especially the food; Caffe Italia was superb. The Melanzana Donna was the BEST Eggplant Parm I have ever had. Can not wait to go back. read more

My fiance and I spent the weekend in Marblehead recently and upon recommendation from a friend we decided to try the "new place" in town; it was a bad decision. The service here was extremely poor and both of our meals were very bland. This is not a place to go for a nice evening out, as lazy and arrogant waitstaff, plus flavor lacking food do not make for an enjoyable time. Hopefully Marblehead has some other new spots on the horizon or maybe we should have stuck with one of the old hats. read more

Great atmosphere, large portions, fun drinks and a personable staff. Been their a few times and will be going back soon. I feel like I'm at the north end when I dine their just without the Boston headache. Awesome job!!! read more

We just had the worst dining experience in a long time. I am giving this restaurant one star only because I cant give it zero stars. The owner and the waitress constantly blamed everything on the fact that they were very busy. We dined here on Thanksgiving eve, arguably one of the busiest times of the year to dine out. Having said this, why were they so short staffed? We were seated right away and after our drink orders it took 30 minutes to be served a bottle of wine. When we ordered our meals, it took well over an hour to be served. We finally asked our server if we could have our salads that we ordered as appetizers only to have to tell her again exactly what we ordered. I am unsure if she even turned the order in. When the meal was served, it came out in bits and pieces. One order was wrong, two other sides of pasta came later and one meal was never served. When the owner walked by, we asked him to just cancel that last meal as everyone else had already finished eating. His only response was "OK, I will cancel it." Then he walked straight to the bar and was laughing and talking with some friends. I have never experienced this level of service before. What a total disappointment as this used to be a nice place to eat. Did I mention we were over charged on the bill? Charged for things we didn't even order. Do yourself a favor and avoid Cafe Italia in Marblehead read more

I have mixed feelings about our first dinner at Caffe Italia in Marblehead. I applaud the very extensive menu plus specials. There are almost too many choices, and most sound great. The wine by the glass choices are also abundant, and if a bit pricey (I don't believe I saw a glass for less than 8 bucks) my wife and I both enjoyed the Italian reds we ordered. We both ordered salads and fish entrees. The rolls were out of sight good, I understand they bake them on the premises using pizza dough. We were greeted by Donna, an in-charge sort of gal whom other Yelpers have mentioned and the service was friendly and attentive. So, with all of this positive, what's the mixed feelings and only three stars about? I have trouble being clear about this.... I guess I found the food overly complicated to the point that it didn't really work for me. Just a couple of examples, the salad I ordered had whole hazelnuts, goat cheese, and lemon juice in addition to greens and red onions. The various parts just didn't come together, that is I could taste a hazelnut, I could taste a big clump of goat cheese, ah there is a big red onion slice. But I wasn't really eating a salad, just a bunch of separate ingredients. I felt that way about the special halibut I had too which featured carmelized onions and chick peas. I got the separate ingredients which were all delicious, but things just didn't combine into a dish. The wife had salmon encrusted with pistachios. I had a bite.... nice salmon, nice crust, but nothing that said this combines to something more than just the parts. Anyway, the meal was good, not cheap, but very good. We'll go back and see if I can figure out what the chef has in mind. For now, 3 stars is where I'll leave it. read more

This place was great. We're not sure why it only gets 3.5 stars. Cesar salad was light and refreshing with an oil-based dressing. I got the special of the night, tortellini with Italian sausage etc. and my boyfriend got the chicken parm. Both were delicious; good portions but not overwhelming. Friendly service. Definitely recommend! read more

Best restaurant in Marblehead! I go in and sit at the bar, receive such a friendly greeting from Owner Mother and Son Donna and Mark. Great people, friendly staff, UNBELIEVABLE MENU, Specials every night, great drink menu, desserts, Mark goes into Boston and gets seafood fresh. The decor, atmosphere, seating and new catering menu- to die for. Read the menu and then go to the special menu, you still have to read through it twice before you can decide what to order which is the definition of a great concept, menu, theme/restaurant. read more

The manager is puzzingly rude. If you read down this page of reviews, you will see that other customers have received the same odd mistreatment from him. It took MORE THAN A FULL HOUR to be served. The manager does not, the reviews below correctly point out, care about making customers happy. The service was the worst ever recieved in Marblehead or on the North Shore. read more

i keep seeing caffe italia's truck driving around town so i had to pop in to see what it was all about. my wife and I were fortunate to get a seat at the bar on a busy friday night and thanksgiving weekend. food was great and wine was great. i absolutely fell in love with the restaurants layout and atmosphere. im a big fan of a bar with seating at both sides. ill be back for sure read more

This restaurant is OUTSTANDING! The menu is extensive, the food is phenomenal, the drinks are out of this world (we are partial to their martinis), the atmosphere is warm and inviting, and the staff/service is professional, efficient and friendly. The entree portions are generous enough to split and are separately plated (many restaurants just provide a second plate making sharing a bit awkward), and the salads are always fresh and delicious. The hard part is not devouring the entire basket of fresh rolls served upon being seated.... read more

This place is cozy and friendly. Upon entering, the door was held open for us by a handsome young gent and we were greeted by a hostess who was fabulous. She sat us at a table and commented in a deep husky voice "so smart of you boys to bring your wraps". They were hoodies. I loved it because she reminded me of certain kinds of individuals in San Francisco, if you get what I mean. She was sweet. Now, the water boy on the other hand, had a bit of attitude. I got the feeling it was his first job and first day on the job and he was a bitter pill. Oh well. Waiter was very friendly. Omg! The food was so much better than I anticipated. Had gnocchi in a red sauce. Might be the best red sauce I've ever had. Was great and the atmosphere was pleasant too. Partner had pasta with puttanesca sauce. He thought it was delicious as well. Highly recommended. Would have given five stars but have only been there once. Oh yeah, the rolls were great too. read more

Best Tiramasu ever ! Light, not overly sweetened. Lovely dinner too - it was really hot weather so we went light on the eating with just the arugula salad special (with peach pieces & crispy prosciutto) and an appetizer - the stuffed artichokes (2), with gorgonzola and wrapped with a bit of prosciutto which was a great taste combination; loved the cute single-serve prosecco bottles. Pleasant, efficient service read more

My wife and I have gone a few times and have enjoyed it. There rolled eggplant is excellent the rolls are dangerously good. Everything we've had there has been good, we usually get apps but we've had some entrees as well and they were good as well. The bar is the way to go and the young man that seems always there when we go is very good friendly but overly so. The prices are about what you would expect from a restaurant in Marblehead. The 1/2 priced apps for Happy Hour is a great deal if they're still doing it. The drinks prices are a little high but too crazy. Everyone working at the place has always been friendly with us. read more

Great bar,comfortable and cool in an old school feel. Menu has lots of good aps and entres offer clean sauces and fresh veggies. We had haddock and the chicken limone. Both were great read more

Eating leftovers at home can be enjoyable, but when I go out to eat, I expect fresh, quality food. Not our experience here. The apps were bland and luke-warm. The mains really tasted like yesterday's specials. The pasta was pasty and overcooked, the scallops were mushy, and the shrimp tasted like leather. A piece of cake for dessert actually tasted of freezer burn. Ugh. read more

Delicious delicious delicious food! Great service. John is the bomb. Always good times when he is behind the bar!

Love the appetizers, try the happy hour $5.00 appetizers from 4pm to 6pm. They are a meal in themselves. The fresh made Margaritas aren't too bad either. read more

You cannot go wrong with this place! From the ambiance to the food and drinks. Everything here is perfect! Even late at night they accommodate us always welcoming us! read more

This restaurant has it all. The ambiance (cozy booths or tables spaced without sitting on your neighbor), drinks (John and Andrea make the BEST dirty martini and Old Fashion ever!)...and take all of that and top it off with the incredible food...OMG! We have been going to the Cafe Italia for many years and although there are many other wonderful options in Marblehead and the North Shore, the Cafe keeps drawing us back because we know it will never disappoint. Ever. The apps like the eggplant Melazonndonna (sp?), stuffed artichokes, calamari...absolutely amazing...but the entrees like pistachio crusted salmon, the 'parms', bolanese, the fig and balsamic drizzled pizza...I could go on and on with their amazing menu. We simply love this place...and the owner Donna is amazing too, welcoming everyone who walks through the doors like they are family coming home for dinner ...and attending to their every need. 5-stars is an under-rating for this fabulous restaurant. read more

I have to say this is one of the worst places I have eaten. The service was awful. Its seems like a party in there with the staff. Joking around laughing and sometimes swearing.I can't believe how unprofessional some of the workers that work there.The food was terrible. I was told to go there by a freind. I went last week and I thought the place would of been alot busier. The bar was dead and I just did not have a good experiance at all. I will not be going back there anytime soon. read more

For a first timer at Caffe Italia, I must say it was time and money well spent. We sat at the bar for a more friendly atmosphere and were welcomed right away. The menu wasn't overwhelming but managed to have a dish for every liking. The service was well timed and and the food looked great and tasted the same. Our waitress was pleasant and sociable even with our 20 questions on the menu. Only complaint would have to be the loud music and I dont think we were the only one's feeling that way. read more

We ate at the Cafe Italia on a Friday night and it was busy so we sat at the bar. The service was efficient but not overly friendly. They do not have a designated take out area so we constantly had people leaning over us to get takeout and drinks while they were waiting. The Butternut Squash Stuffed Ravioli was very good and presented well. The bread that accompanied it was tasty but the only way to get oil for dipping was to wrestle it from a fellow diner. There was not much of an atmosphere as the servers were too busy to spare a word for the customers. Parking was difficult and took four turns around the block to find a spot. There seemed to be some parking behind Cafe Italia but the signage was poor so we did not want to risk towing by using it. ...............After sending this review to Caffe Italia I recived this reply from them............................................................................................................AFTER I STARTED TO RESPOND TO YOUR COMMENTS I REALIZED WHY ???? WE DO NOT PROVIDE PARKING THERE ARE NO SIGNS THAT STATE THAT WE DO. SERVERS DO NOT USUALLY TALK TO THE CUSTOMERS SITTING AT THE BAR THEY ARE TO BUSY FOCUSING ON THEIR CUSTOMERS.YOU SHOULD OF ASKED FOR OIL THE RESTAURANT HAS PLENTY OF IT BUT PICKING UP TAKE OUT DINERS I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT COMPLAINT I HAVE CHANGED THAT DO TO YOUR COMMENT THANK YOU FOR YOUR BUSINESS DONNA...... read more