One of my favorite places in the city! My wife took me here for my birthday and I can say this place was one of our favorite Italian spots in the city. This place is pretty intimate as it is smaller in nature and tables are fairly close so it reminded us of a more authentic Italy experience. My wife thoroughly enjoyed it as a her pasta was remarkable. We also loved their staff as they were able to get us say pretty quickly. read more

My buddy took me here for my birthday and it was such a wonderful experience--birthday or not. Staff was bright, gave wonderful recs, quick and attentive throughout our meal. We loved the wine, bread and salad; both had pasta. Great portion sizes and the flavor was rich. It was a bit loud and somewhat tight but I think the busy-ness is just a testament to how many people want to experience the restaurant and all it has to offer. read more

Got their Works pizza, great pizza. 8/10. The pizza is very thin, and the crust is fantastic. Nice place, they were extremely busy but they were fast and on top of things. Nice people there, they greeted us right away. read more

Calderone Club - Works Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

When planning my friend's bachelorette party in Milwaukee, we wanted an Italian restaurant that was highly rated and close to the rest of our plans. We chose this spot and were glad we made a reservation for our group of four because the place was absolutely packed on a Saturday night. The energy inside was lively and fun, although we were seated in the very back corner of the restaurant, which felt a bit cramped. At least we had a window seat, which helped make the space feel a little more open. Our server was an older gentleman, and at first he came off a bit rude. He spoke to us in a way that felt dismissive, almost like we were young and clueless. However, as the evening went on he warmed up significantly and ended up being very kind and attentive. It seemed like most of the staff were actually Italian, and our waiter had a deep Italian accent that added to the authenticity. He had a very traditional vibe, and by the end of the meal we really appreciated him. The food was the highlight of the night. Everything we ordered was delicious, and we were all happy with our dishes. I chose the Gnocchi San Marzano ($24.95). It had a perfect balance of gnocchi, tomatoes, and sauce. The dish was a little more saucy than others I have had, but since I love sauce, it was perfect for me. Overall, despite the tight seating and the rocky start with service, we left full, happy, and impressed. It was a great choice for a celebratory night out. read more

Calderone Club - Gnocchi San Marzano - Pizza Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Frank is the best bartender! He's so friendly. Tonight was my first time trying this place, but he made me feel like I was a regular. I sat at the bar since all of the tables were reserved. I got the chicken fettuccine alfredo and an amaretto sour with grenadine, both of which are a staple for me when I go out for Italian food. The food came out so fast, especially with how busy it was around 5:30pm. I was shocked! The sauce was rich and creamy, maybe a little runny for my liking, but the flavor was so good! I want to come back and try some of the appetizers and desserts next time. read more

Calderone Club - Chicken fettuccine alfredo - Pizza Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Now this place knows how to do NYE! We had reservations and were promptly seated at a cute little table with a window view. Service was fast, warm, and inviting. Every part of our meal was spectacular. Drinks, salad, bread, pasta, and steak were all perfectly cooked and delicious. I highly recommend the seafood pasta. Thank you for a great experience. We'll be back - as soon as we can! read more

Calderone Club - Pizza Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

An absolute classic. Old school authentic Italian vibe with excellent classic dishes, and an extensive menu. The staff is always SO friendly- you can tell they really care about the restaurant. Tortellini was to die for read more

Last review was 7 years ago, so an update is needed. The thin crust pizza is still arguably the best in town, as are their meatballs and fried eggplant strips! Other favorite dishes I've ordered here are the Penne con Salsiccia with a spicy sauce, Cappellini alla Primavera with chicken or shrimp added, the Cowboy Cut Pork Chop, Veal Piccata, Lasagna, and a recently upgraded pasta with bolognese! read more

Calderone Club - Lobster Ravioli - Pizza Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Food is okay. This place is hyped locally, but not really deserving. The real thing keeping it down is the atmosphere. It is SO loud in here, you can't hear someone sitting right next to you. And you're packed in here like sardines. You have to turn to the side to walk between tables. read more

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Last night's dinner at Calderone Club in Milwaukee was nothing short of amazing! We started with the most incredible meatballs--seriously, life-changing. Then came the fried burrata, creamy and dreamy in every bite, paired perfectly with a stunning antipasto platter loaded with all the good stuff. For mains, we couldn't resist their classic Margherita pizza, with that perfectly thin crispy crust. And of course, we had to balance things out with a fresh, crisp salad. To top it all off? Their house limoncello. Sweet, zesty, and the perfect way to end such a perfect meal. This is a must visit for Italian in Milwaukee! read more

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We ordered pizza takeout from here one Friday night when we arrived in Milwaukee late. I was grateful they were open. But it was in part of town that was pretty crazy for Friday night so not where you want to be walking around with your preteen daughters there for a gymnastics meet. We took it back to the hotel and it was good, but not great. But there were few restaurants available to order from after 10 PM. read more

Date of visit: October 3, 2024 We hadn't been here in years as we just don't eat downtown all that often, but we met up with some friends and had a wonderful time. First, the service was excellent. Our server was very attentive and we wanted for nothing the entire meal: waters were filled frequently, fresh plates delivered at the perfect time, and empty plates cleared quickly. The food was a bit of a mixed bag, leaning towards good; the cheese garlic bread and the pizza were both overcooked just a tad. The fried ravioli appetizer was perfect. My husband felt that it was odd that the shrimp alfredo was served with the tails on still and that it wasn't super flavorful, but he still cleaned the plate. And he had no qualms with the turtle cheesecake. The main event however, was the tiramisu. It was perfection! I would definitely come back and perhaps try a pasta dish. read more

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Came here on a Friday night by myself and still regret sitting inside and not asking for outdoor! It was incredibly loud cause of it being packed. I got to try their Kitty Cocktail soda and it was sooo good, from Steven's Point with 100% cane sugar!! I got their eggplant frittes for an appetizer and they were delicious!! Nice and crunchy with a marinara dipping sauce, yum! My main entree was a popular dish of theirs but for some reason I wasn't a fan of. It had a very pungent cheese that was really overpowering. I am a fam of mozz but maybe it was the parm?? Completely my own preference that made me not finish it. Then I had the Lemon Sorbet for an appetizer and was not expecting it to look like this at all!! It was really good, I ended up mixing it in my drink cause I'm a big fan of lemon. Service was great! No complaints there. Maybe I'll come back to try something different but not exactly in a rush to! read more

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5 bites in and can't believe how good the Penne con Salsiccia is. Every bite I shake my head in disbelief about how good it is. Yummy! I love the spicy cream sauce! read more

Calderone Club - Penne con Salsiccia - Pizza Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The owner is a friend of a friend, I was in town for business so had to try it I Gino the owner and he Rocks The food was amazing priced right and service was top rate I had an old fashioned drink it was delicious It was full when we got there, it took about 20 for a table. While waiting we sat at the bar with some locals who had dinner there. They raved about the food. We had Calamari it was perfectly made. They claim the world's best meatballs, so we had to have those they were very tasty. I had Penne with spicy sausage and it was amazing. Im looking forward to coming back. read more

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We love this city, and we were there visiting for a few days on business. The service was excellent but the food was average and expensive, especially for pasta - flour, egg and water. They do advertise that their pasta is made fresh daily, which it felt like it was - clean and freshly prepared. The ambiance was quaint and there was also outdoor seating available, which would have been fun with a group! We got our entrees quickly and they were filling, but everything was rather bland - not much garlic in the Alfredo and the tomato sauce was good, but not great. They did not offer fresh ground black pepper and only had crushed red pepper, which is all heat and no complexity like Allepo or Calabrian crushed red peppers. Maybe we'll try their pizza next time! read more

This review is based on a carry out order. Such a cute restaurant, and boy were they busy for a Saturday night. We were staying at the hotel across the street and were constantly recommended it. So we decided to pick it up for dinner and it certainly did not disappoint. We got an order of spaghetti and meatballs and their gnocchi. With an extra side of meatballs. The meatballs were delicious. The gnocchi tasted full of flavor and super fresh, as was the spaghetti. We were so full but couldn't help but keep eating. We also order some garlic bread, and I think that was the downfall they were rock hard. There was supposed to be melted mozzarella on top, but it was barely melted. For the cost of it was rather disappointing. We also ordered a side salad to share. The portion was pretty great but we had most the core of the romaine for the greens for the ceasar. Next time we're in town, I'm looking forward to dining in the restaurant and try other dishes! read more

Not good at all Very small portions served Not friendly servers Ambiance is not bad read more

This place is a Milwaukee institution. Food is good. Staff is friendly. Prices are fair in my opinion with one exception ... DO NOT order cocktails at this place. Sort of average and way way overpriced. There are much better cocktail bars in the area that make way better drinks that are fairly priced. Just stick to beer or wine here. read more

Great location for dinner before a show at the Marcus Performing Arts Center. I recommend a reservation, which we did have. This place fills up fast. Our server was knowledgeable and friendly. We had an order of garlic bread, the gnocchi, tortellini, and the rigatoni followed by spumoni for dessert. My gnocchi was fine but I really liked my sister's tortellini. Our mom really enjoyed the bolognese sauce with her rigatoni. The spumoni was delicious and I highly recommend ordering it. The tables are fairly close together so this place gets loud. It also felt like I did a lot zigzagging to get to the bathroom. read more

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I barely leaves 5 stars review, but Calderone def deserves one! The food was one of the best Italian tastes we've ever had. Pizza was baked to the perfect crust. Everything in the pasta was homemade, as well as all the toppings on the pizza. Chicken Alfredo and raspberry walnut salad were awesome too. The most basic dishes usually shows the best of one restaurant. Although we dined at the bar cuz tables were all reserved, but the service was great, felt like eating at a friend's place! read more

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This was my first time coming here. Fortunately we were able to get seated since it gets very busy here and you would need reservations. We were seated right away and greeted by Alessandro our waiter who was absolutely wonderful. I ordered an old fashioned which was perfect. We then ordered the raviolis for our appetizer which we devoured. For our meal we ordered a medium margarita pizza. I can't believe how delicious this pizza was. The crust was perfect. So much flavor and so fresh. The best margarita pizza i have ever had. I do want to point out our waiter Alessandro, who was so sweet and funny. He arranged my silverware for me as the food came out and its the little things like that, that i appreciate. Top notch service here. We are definitely coming back! read more

Had the Penne Con Salsiccia Piccante that the waiter recommended. I'm glad I took his recommendation because the amount of flavor that the dish had was out of this world. The large basil leaves through out the dish with the little sausage patties is amazing. The sauce itself is delicious and it binds everything together. Even the texture and firmness on the pasta was great. I am glad I made the trip to try the food here. The bar looks really chill and the staff was friend. I got to-go but the staff was casual with me and seemed mad chill. read more

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Let's start out with the vibe of the place. It was packed, table upon table, festive, decisively Italian in decor (the walls were painted exactly like I had mine when I lived in Italia), and the bustling energy was fantastic. In spite of having the loudest patrons of any American city, yeah you MKE, it was surprisingly quiet. Pleasant in fact. So, you might say, so what? Don't bore us, take us to chorus. The food. OK, the food was rather delicious. I started with the melanzane fritte, not greasy, sublime. The minestrone Genovese was absolutely fab, super fresh and lovingly prepared. The angel hair pasta was delicious, my wife had it and I stole from her plate throughout the meal. I had the ravioli pesto, which was a bit of a let down as the pesto didn't taste properly Ligurian and the amount of cream and salt was a deal breaker. Now the highlight of the meal: the bread. This was perfectly made Italian bread and tasted fresh out of the oven. Good service, and kindness rounded out the experience. We shall return. read more

Great dinner place before any sporting event in Milwaukee but also any day of the week. Food is very very good and service was even better. We sat at the bar as we didn't have reservations and the place was busy! I recommend making reservations if you want to sit a table. We were fortunate there were 2 spots at the bar. Elijah, David and Fernando were FANTASTIC. Extremely friendly, courteous knowledgeable and speedy. They ere super busy but kept engaging us and answering our questions. If you're going alone or as a couple I recommend sitting at the bar. Either way don't miss this place read more

Went here on a Friday evening a day before my nephew's graduation from MU. It was a very nice place and the food was amazing. The gnocchi was delicious and the bread before dinner was warm and very good. The spamoni was very good for dessert. Our server was excellent and very nice. The only negative was the place was extremely crowded,because of graduation weekend, and it's very tight seating in there. Also being so crowded, it was very loud it there. So if you have sensory issues this isn't the place for you. Overall, I'd eat there again in a heartbeat. read more

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We were downtown for an event and our original restaurant we wanted to eat at was booked, so we hopped over to Calderone Club. It's been many years since I've eaten here and after our dining experience will definitely make sure to be back sooner than later. First, the service was amazing. It's been a long time since we've had decent service at a restaurant. Second, the food was outstanding. We started with the Arancini, main course had Spaghetti and Meatballs and Chicken Parmesan and finished with a piece of Cheesecake. I know restaurants are struggling still after Covid so I think my expectations are set really low. But we were just blown away and reminded me of how dining used to be with the high level of service and wonderful food you expect when dining out. read more

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This has been the best Italian restaurant I've tried in Milwaukee so far. As far as I know, the flour is brought from Italy and that makes a big difference, even for those that avoid gluten. The service was outstanding!! And the ambiance is excellent for any ocassion. Would definitely come back. read more

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The food was fabulous. The service was good and the ambiance made you feel welcome. You have to try their meatballs. read more

Calderone Club - Raviolis and great meatballs - Pizza Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

the food was amazing, but the restaurant was super small and VERY full at 6:30pm on a Friday. not good if anyone suffers from anxiety. Had a reservation and we still had to wait for about another 1/2 an hour. The food was so good and the service was great. read more

Loved It! Kelsey was awesome! Meatballs are best in the biz! Everyone was very friendly!

Food mediocre. Service not much better. Attitude sucks. Chef, manager, staff look at each customer as a number on a spreadsheet. They have no interest in service or an enjoyable dining experience. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME OR $$ read more

Service was very friendly, taste of food was 6/10 rating, nothing spectacular, food was very expensive and small portions, pasta dishes average price $29, steak $59, the potion size of my rigatoni was the same size as a side of pasta at other Italian restaurants, I'm sorry but for me it was way over priced for what you get, also bread basket was very weak, I may also add price does not include a salad or soup, I won't be back read more

The food here is very tasty. I was upsold on the meatballs and it was definitely worth it. Reservations are highly recommended here as the restaurant gets full very quickly. Even though it was busy, our food came out quickly and the server was very attentive. read more

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Al Ray was our waiter and his suggestion to try the Penne pasta with sausage was life changing! Wonderful evening

We were in Milwaukee recently to watch the Bucks play the Celtics. I am a huge Celtics fan and when my friend sent me ticket info, I was super excited. We went to this nice Italian place post game as this is one of their go to places post game dinner. They had preordered pizzas for us and wine as well. Staff were very friendly and welcoming. Place was packed. We sat at the bar. Pizza was great. Who does not like a nice slice of pizza post basketball game and a nice glass of wine. If you're in the area to watch the Bucks place, highly recommend making reservation here and trying this place. read more

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My boss, and owner of the HD dealership I work at, is a Wisconsin native, and travels extensively to Milwaukee for Harley Davidson related events. Upon hearing that the Hubs and I would be traveling to his stomping grounds, he jumped at the chance to recommend Calderone Club to us for dinner on one of the two evenings we would be in town. He told us to make reservations, and I'm glad we did well in advance! This place is sought out, and stays busy for good reason!! Calderone is EVERYTHING you would imagine when looking for authentic Italian dining!! The ambiance, service, and handmade pastas are beyond fulfilling and noteworthy! My hubs had a spicy, HOMEMADE SAUSAGE, and creamy arrabbiata penne pasta dish, and I had the lasagna on the recommendation of our server. Most times, I never "clean my plate"... this time, there wasn't a bite left! Tender homemade pastas, deliciously rich bolognese sauce, creamy REAL cheese, flavorful and surprisingly spicy sausage, it all leaves you feeling full and satisfied! It's absolutely all we hoped for and more! My only regret is not having room (or time!) to grab one of their pizzas (which looked and smelled heavenly!!)!! Oh well, guess I'll just have to go back! Again, and again, and again.... read more

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During my recent visit, the restaurant was busy, and I was directed to available seats at the bar. When I approached the end of the bar, I noticed those seats were reserved. As I was about to look for another seat, one of the bartenders remarked, "Those are reserved and not for you." Two other bartenders then directed me to a different spot at the bar. That same bartender later attempted to pass off his comment as a joke, saying he was "just kidding" and "busting my chops." I placed my order and clearly stated that I could not have cheese, dairy, or added salt. I ordered the Linguine alla Pescatora. According to the menu, the description reads: "Pan-seared shrimp with a jumbo scallop, fresh clams, and mussels, sautéed in garlic, wine, and peppercorn sauce, all tossed with fresh linguine pasta. A seafood lover's delight." Nowhere did it state that the dish was prepared with a cream-based sauce. When my meal arrived, it was served in such a sauce. I pointed this out to the bartender who took my order, and he apologized, saying he had not heard me mention "no dairy." The first bartender then interjected, insisting I had never said "no dairy" and claiming the dish's ingredients were clearly listed on the menu. He stated I would still need to pay for it. I again referred to the exact wording from the menu, which lists the ingredients as: "Pan-seared shrimp with a jumbo scallop, fresh clams, and mussels, sautéed in garlic, wine, and peppercorn sauce, all tossed with fresh linguine pasta." Although I agreed to pay, he continued to challenge my statement in front of other patrons. Clearly, the bartender in question does not have to worry about his job, given the nature of his actions and comments. I paid for the meal, tipped the bartender who took my order, and left without eating. read more

we were in Milwaukee, just wandering around the civic center area and stumbled across an Italian restaurant. The aroma of garlic, rosemary etc drew us in. To say the least the service was excellent, Pirona on tap in a chilled glass, the bread and butter, then calimari as a starter. The waiter made suggestions as to their specialties: we ordered one of each. Truly amazing presentation and taste. Gem for sure. Ambiance was that of a true family Italian restaurant. Salute! read more

Calderone Club - Penne with sausage - Pizza Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Great pizza! We had the Calderon Special Pizza. It was great. We finished the whole pie. The place seems like a genuine Italian casual restaurant. Our waiter was Italian and pretty funny. The next time I'm in Milwaukee, I'll be back. read more