This is how Italian cooking should be! Sauces are absolutely fantastic. Everything is home made here and they use no garlic on the sauces and no ricotta on lasagna just how it should be! Place is simple, not big but the food is fantastic. Staff is really friendly and I do disagree with all the other reviews saying the opposite. The bread for the sandwiches is freshly baked which makes them extra tasty! read more

My favorite Italian restaurant always enjoy Veal Parmigiana spaghetti meatballs garlic bread Shrimp Gamberi read more

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Small but pleasant restaurant that makes very good Italian food. The chicken gorgonzola was something I hadn't really seen before. I enjoyed the gorgonzola cream sauce over cavatelli (which appeared to be made in-house, it didn't have that pasta slug look), though I expected a chicken dish served with a side portion of pasta than a huge plate of pasta with chicken chopped into it, and the sauce also had sun-dried tomatoes mixed in which was not described on the menu. Both of these are minor concerns that would have been alleviated if I asked. The marsala and marinara sauces are both tasty as well, as is the warm bread. Generally impressed with the first visit and looking forward to trying something more conventional with their red sauce in the future. read more

What a great find on a whim! Excellent food and atmosphere. This place reminds me of a little family Italian place I frequented when I was a child. The chicken picatta and gelato were fantastic. My mom loved the veal parmigiana. Will definitely come back if I'm in the area. read more

2nd time we have gone to this treasure! Food is delicious and made to order. Staff is polite and friendly! great prices for the amount of food! we always have leftovers! today we both had parmigiana- my husband veal and I had chicken. The veal was tender and a huge piece! Chicken was good. I don't normally like red sauce it's too acidic but theirs is good and no heartburn ‍ read more

New go to spot for Italian! Family had mozz sticks for our picky eater....loved 'em. I had the veal parm and my wife had chicken marsala... both outstanding! Son had the gnocchi and his buddy had the Italian sub. Place is family owned and old school restaurant, just how I like them. Last and should be first, Aurora who waited on my to go order was lovely and could not have been more kind. State Law! read more

Love this place. Authentic Italian food very reasonably priced. The cavatelli and meatballs is my go-to item.

I'm a bit surprised there's only two reviews for it. Caffe Roma is tucked away in the west park. It is quite small with only 10 tables in the main inside room (an adjacent room had a private party, so I don't know if it's also normally open] I never heard of it until my sister had a recommendation for it from a friend. The menu boasted a homemade pizza using Mama's authentic recipe. Whoever mama is, the pizza is what I've been looking for in Cleveland. $1.25 a slice; Mostly topped with diced tomatoes, some very lightly sprinkled grated cheese [parmeasan, I believe] and a light tomato sauce with some herbs sprinkled on top, delicious. I've seen too much of the loaded mozzarella cheese with salty tomato sauce pizza around in Cleveland and this thankfully was not it. Caffe Roma offers more sophisticated options than a typical Italian place at this low price range [no entree on the menu is more than $15-16]. In addition to just basic items like a type of pasta with your choice of sauces and eggplant parmasean, there a few additional items like a dish with capers, mussels, a pasta dish with red cream sauce and shrimp, and Spaghetti Carbonara [the entree, only $12]. My grandpa is a picky eater and he found it to his satisfaction. They added plenty of mushrooms and extra sauce to his plate upon his request. His main gruff was that the bread (complimentry) was not Italian, but was a set of rolls. I noticed no music inside, which I actually liked. On a Friday evening, around 6:00 PM, the place was bustling also with pickup orders, but the service never slacked off at all. The service was quite good with the 2-3 servers to the place coming by us and helping us out, and they were nice enough not to kick us out after we sat there for 10-15 minutes after paying our bill. You can also bring your own wine although they do now have wine there. A great place that has Italian food [more authentic than other places] on a cheaper budget. read more

A bit of the allure is gone for me, but I still love their arrabiata sauce way too much for my own good. It seems their food has changed, just slightly. New cooks since the small expansion, maybe? I don't know. All I do know is that I loved looking into the previous kitchen and seeing the little, Italian ladies cooking up a storm. Now you look in on who appear to be young, borderline teenage boys. Sigh... it's just not the same. The portions seem slightly smaller and the salads got some sprucing up. What is the same is that arrabiata... oh, yes. Being a creature of habit I can't help but order that sauce poured abundantly over a big mound of angel hair pasta with meatballs. Also, their homemade bread comes out piping hot, ready to melt some butter. Carb-e-diem, people. Totally worth the hours of working on my fitness that will ensue the next day. The service has always been a little sketchy, so that was pretty much the same. They also chopped down their wine selections significantly and made each bottle $15 each. I didn't enjoy the Pinot Noir we ordered, mostly because I could have bought it from the grocery store for well under $10--but that's just life when you're ordering wine from a restaurant. Mark-up City! Anyways, I still can't drop them a start considering I continue to come back and enjoy my food. And for that price? It still rocks. I just wish some of the more recent changes would go back to the way they used to be. Ahhh, memories.... read more

I love fine dining; I love adventurous dining. But sometimes on a gloomy mid-October day I just crave comfort food. Not complex, simple but well executed. I randomly chose to do take-out from Caffe Roma. I was not disappointed! The lasagna was rich, tasted like it had been made with homemade noodles, and came in a huge portion. The garlic bread was also wonderful, homemade bread slathered in garlic butter and topped with cheese. Just what my old italian nana would have made me years ago if I had had one! Adventurous Italian dining? No. What you enjoyed as a kid? Yes. read more

My wife and I had dinner here Tuesday night. First time here, and we loved it! My wife is a picky Italian and she had the Arrabiatta with linguini and raved about the spicy sauce, very authentic and good portion. I had a nice slab of very tasty lasagna, and we both had the simple house salads. Food, service and atmosphere was excellent. We've been looking for a nice authentic Italian restaurant on the near west side ever since Maria's in Lakewood closed, and we finally found our new go-to Italian! Great menu, and there are many choices for the type of pasta for some of the dishes which aren't specific to one type. read more

My husband raved how good the food was here. I wanted olive garden. But,nooo..he insisted we go here. Needless to say...not impressed in the least. Very outdated, dirty,and I was cringing on the inside. To appease this man of mine, I gave it a try. We ordered wedding soup, mozzarella sticks,andpizza.I ordered angel hair with marinara,and he ordered eggplant parm. It was a whole pound of boxed pasta with out of the jar ragu sauce. The soup was ok. Microwaved no doubt. Our waitressnever came over...not once while we were eating to see how things tasted. She sat talking with some guy the whole time. Then, some guy who worked there was out working on his car out back, kept coming in and out huffing and puffing whilst mumbling under his breath. 45 dollars later plus a tip.... Not worth it. Definitely not authentic Italian food. read more

Italian Food as Authentic as it gets. Right down to the owner. The Pasta is Awesome and the service is Great!! Huge Portions. Had my son's Wedding Rehearsal Dinner there and the people could not stop talking about it. read more

Best place, great food and great service everytime! My three young picky kids literally sit as they eat and rave between bites at the food.

I've often found that increased complexity is not a good sign--it usually indicates that an establishment is trying to hide some of the flaws somewhere in their processes. So it's an encouraging sign that Caffe Roma serves up no-frills Italian food, letting the fresh ingredients shine through on their own. By far my favorite part of the meal was the bread selection. Hot, fresh Italian bread is an excellent (and dare I say, necessary) start to the meal. Just be careful not to eat too much as the main dish portions are on the large side. I ordered the Italian Sausage Sandwich with Peppers and Onions. The sausage was very flavorful but not overly spicy while the roll was one of the freshest I've ever had with a sandwich. I'd get it again, though the pasta main dishes that other people ordered looked great as well. Decisions, decisions... But that was all child's play compared to the desserts. Homemade cannolis filled with a mascarpone cream filling as well as Tiramisu that was pretty heavy on the rum (or whatever alcohol was used)--you can't beat that! And the portions are small enough that you don't need to feel bad about taking two. I've heard the gelato is very good as well, but I haven't had the chance to try it yet. The only drawback was the somewhat slow and unresponsive service. Though it makes for a nice, relaxing, Italian-style meal, it was a bit overkill. This was particularly the case after the meal when it took a little while for us to get the check and have the credit card processed. If you run into similar problems when you eat here, a gentle nudge might help. read more

I've been coming here since they opened in 2004. My family was actually one of their first customers! I love this place! This place is the perfect small Italian eatery with a cozy feel to it. The food is amazing! Great portions, home-cooked style Italian food. My favorite is the cavatelli with meatballs, spaghetti aglio-olio, and chicken parmesan! Also definitely get a salad before the meal, the house dressing is a delicious oil and vinegar style dressing! Tiramisu is also a great finish to a wonderful meal! I recommend it! Caffe Roma is run by a wonderful Italian family, and the service is great! Always friendly and make you feel right at home! If you live in the area, don't miss this wonderful gem of a restaurant! Try it! read more

Based on recommendations (from Yelpers Will S and Cara L) I ventured to West Park to try out Caffe Roma. I liked the place and enjoyed my meal so I'll be back (next time I'm trying the the Pasta Puttanesca!) The salad was iceberg lettuce based but not poured from a bag. Although basic it was one of the best salads I've had out. It is odd to be excited by a restaurant having a chilled super fresh, crisp iceberg lettuce based salad! It was topped with a few veggies and a generous handful of shredded mozzarella and with a tasty Italian dressing served alongside homemade yeast rolls. The red wine I selected was basic although a slight pour and I wished they would invest in some decent wine besides all purpose Libby glasses they used! :-) Some of the pastas are homemade but not all so be sure to ask as I did -- although it was odd to me that the servers had no idea which they made there and had to get a manager or owner to talk with me. I did love that the person who came over had a heavy Italian accent.. I choose a pasta that was made there -- I think a cavatappi type. I really enjoyed and appreciated that it was more savory (and in this case a little spicy) and not a sweet sauce. Not being a red meat eater I did ask the server if the sauce had meat in it and learned that it did not. When she brought it to me she said she had them prepare it with the marinara because the typical sauce they use has meat broth in it. That was nice of her to take care of this and good to know should you be a serious vegetarian or vegan. The serving was generous so I had a small serving for lunch the next day. The environment is very casual and basic with vinyl table cloths covering the tables in a spacious dining room. The service was good, prices very affordable although I had kind of hoped for a cute, cozy Italian decor that wasn't the case yet it was a good basic Italian diner. read more

My wife and I wanted Italian food, we found this restaurant on our GPS. The food was fantastic and the quiet cozy feel reminded us of being back in Milan. The portions were perfect and the service outstanding. My wife had the stuff ziti, it was out of this world. We finished our dinner with gelato and cannoli. Wow! We definitely will return when in the area. read more

Completely happy! The chicken parm and Veal Marsala were amazing. Honestly the best we've ever had. Prices are fair. Service was good. The cheese garlic bread is a huge serving. Their sauces are perfection. Make sure to split a Cannoli. So good. A local restaurant on Lorain that will surprise you. Completely authentic and even had a piano player. My new chicken parm fix when I don't feel like making it myself! Definitely recommend. read more

Excellent Italian food, I crave their red sauce, Been going there since 1 room over 10 years . Chicken Parm and service always great.

This lovely little joint might not look like much but packs a mighty punch. I've been there twice now and they have killed it twice! There veal piccata was excellent along with their pasta marinara! Highly recommend the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Red win with the meal read more

Cafe Roma brings back memories of eating in a mom & pop restaurant in the North End of Boston. Homemade meatballs were just right, pasta not overcooked, veal cutlet the real deal. Cannoli is also freshly made. Hard to find, but don't miss out. read more

Caffe Roma - dinner with my wife and daughter - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

This is about as good as it gets for Italian. Joe and his family (literally!) are from Italy and understand the importance of fresh ingredients and warm smiles. read more

Delicious home cooked italian food in a cozy atmosphere. A variety of made-from-scratch pizzas, pastas, salads, antipastos, italian coffees, and deliciously crisp cannolis, + gelato from the la gelateria - all at reasonable prices + the fun and convenience of BYOB/W. A definitive Cleveland neighborhood italian restaurant on the west side! read more

Very great Italian food and friendly staff ! I have tried a few menu items and you can't go wrong with meatballs , lasagna, or the chicken piccata . read more

I love this place! It's probably the area's best-kept secret! The menu, food, and service are absolutely superb!

Lovely food. Simple yet tasty and a real value Will return as often as I can Very friendly staff. read more

First time here and definitely not my last. The Chicken Parm was perfect and the stuffed Penne in meat sauce was amazing. I can't wait to try the other menu items. I'm not sure why it took me so long to stop in but certainly glad I did. read more

If your looking for some Italian food that is not in little Italy but just as good and more affordable then Caffe Roma is your spot. The only real negative to this place is the ambiance. Its a little worse for ware as far as decor goes so probably not the spot for a date night or a nice meet the parents dinner. If none of that is important to you then head on over. We ordered the stuffed spicy peppers and the Italian wedding soup as appetizers and were very pleased. The peppers really have a kick to it but I didn't find it so spicy that I couldn't eat it at all. The soup really shined however as it tasted fresh and homemade and was a great deal at 3.99 a bowl. As our entrees we ordered spaghetti with two meatballs and angel hair with meat sauce. I preferred my angel hair with meat sauce because I thought the meat tasted better. The meatballs were ok but I thought they were a little spongy for my taste. It could just be the amount of bread crumbs they add. The service here is great and someone was always coming over and filling our water and bread. If your in the area come check this place out! read more

It's a neighborhood bar that makes real Italian food. No blaring music. No halo of televisions. When I go to eat, I go to eat. There are tables by the window to watch the passing parade. read more

I lived just a few blocks from here, ate there once and I will NEVER go back. The food was honestly amazing, but it was the fact that the young child of the owner, manager, or someone on the staff was yelling and throwing a toy around the entire time we were there. And THEN said child threw said toy directly into my plate of lasagna, the parent/proprietor laughed, retrieved the toy and did NOTHING else. No apology. No offer to replace my meal. Nothing. I watched this toy land on the floor a dozen times before it hit my dinner. Disgusting place. Disgusting people. read more

Little Mom and Pop place which I love. Great food that is reasonably priced. I felt like I was having dinner with an Italian family. No flair, no pretense, just classic Italian carb overload slathered with sauce comfort food. read more

Stopped her for dinner after a long walk at Lakewood park, was craving Italian after walking 3 miles what's better than loading up with carbs right? Pass the NO! It's a rip off of any spot in little Italy, horrible clearly jarred tomato sauce; and the presentation of their plates? No couth! I felt like chef Ramsey was gonna run in and make someone an idiot sandwich, I played it safe with chicken parm, which came to me on a plate, drowned in sauce, with ONE splat of cheese. Really guys? Chicken PARMESAN, meaning CHEESE. But hey whatever. My salad tasted like your typical giant eagle bagged salad with the smallest cup of dressing and maybe 5 croutons. I was highly upset, I'm an Italian food lover and this place made me want to rethink my eating habits. read more

Wish I could give this place 3 1/2 stars. It was good just not as good as the other local places such as peppers in Lakewood or Bruno's in West Cleveland. It is popular though and last time I went it was packed, so we had to head somewhere else. I'll have to check it out again and up my rating if it satisfies my Italian craving. I had the stuff peppers my last visit;it was really good, but we were notified they thought the peppers were medium to hot;assuming I could handle it I gave it a try. I cried the whole time...lol read more

Not overly impressed. The calamari was decent but nothing special. We got the pasta carbonara and the lasagna. The carbonara had a really odd after taste and was very salty, while the lasagna had an extremely sweet red sauce and the noodles were over cooked. Really didn't feel it was worth the $40 bill. The plus side was the homey atmosphere, but the waitress could have been much friendlier. Overall I will not be returning. read more

Seriously the worst restaurant experience in my life. The Veal Marsala tasted like a maple syrup pancake, the calamari was as chewy as a rubber band, and the frozen veggies that they put in a pretty poor excuse of penne, were completely water logged and under seasoned. ( Pasta was way under cooked and far from el dente and the sauce was super watery and flavorless) After taking a few bites of everything, we finally chose to tell the waitress (whom was absolutely a sweetheart) that we simply were not happy with the food. The owner stormed over to us, and argued with us about everything. She literally grabbed bites of our food with her dirty fingers, and threw them into her mouth and without even cheweing them she swallowed them whole and said everything was delicious. After I point out that I am a chef, and we both know darn well that the Marsala did not resemble Marsala under any circumstance (and for $17) and how the Calamari was as rubbery as chewing on a shoe she comes back with saying how she thinks the cooks must not have added enough water or flour to the Marsala sauce and says how there is no way it is maple syrup because she doesn't have that in the kitchen. Um, do we not know what maple syrup tastes like? Regardless if that was their ingredient, it still TASTED LIKE SYRUP! She also argued that the calamari was still perfect and if we still disagreed she would be willing to just throw it back into the fryer. Um Seriously??? When a customer has to come out and say "Are you honestly arguing with us, are the customers not always right" and she says that her food is delicious and that we are crazy, needless to say we will not be back. I highly suggest the sweet waitress gets a new job. This place is clearly going under. read more

Went there last night with a friend. The service was up to par but the food was out of this world!!! It is the best Italian food I've ever had in a restaurant by far!!!! I got the lasagna (it's pretty hard to beat my family recipe but this rocked!) a side salad (the Italian dressing tasted homemade) and gelato, which melted in my mouth. We also shared a calamari appetizer which was also yummy. The prices were very reasonable and I can't wait to go back! read more

I ate an early dinner at Café Roma last week (week of 7-4-16) and it was very, very good.. I ordered an appetizer as my meal (sausage and peppers and onions served w/a small bowl of their sauce and hot bread and butter.) It was delicious. Friends ordered gnocci w/sauce. Yum. I tasted the gnocci--home made from what I could discern. Again, yum. This is not a chain. Yay. It is not noisy. Yay. There is no TV or music blaring away. Yay. Our server was very accommodating. Nice, homey and very comfy feel to this place, no rushing or hustling. My appetizer, which was enough for my evening meal, was $12, including the sauce and bread and butter served with it. I believe the gnocci was $12.95--huge portions. Neither person could finish so they go to take leftovers home for an entire second meal. Next time I come here I'm trying their pizza, which, if it's as good as their sauce, should be fantastic. Parking (free, of course) is behind the restaurant. read more

I've only had this place a few times brought to me by togo orders, so I've never been inside but their meatball sub is very delish! Ill have to dine in sometime soon. read more

I had the stuffed peppers, they were good but the previous time that spicy red sauce was better. It was just hot this time no taste. Idk about the seafood, two of my friends, and two different times, got sick when they ate the clam sauce. read more