Don't let my two stars discourage you from trying Calvino's; you've never had good pizza this place is just fine. I grew up in Northeast Pennsylvania (google "Old Forge Pizza" if you like documentaries) where I had access to both Brooklyn style and Old Forge style so the "middle-school cafeteria style" that most of the country is happy with is garbich to me. McPizza. The first thing I did when I went inside was to look for the kitchen so I could see if they had a real pizza oven or one of those stupid conveyor belt Pizza Hut contraptions. When the hostess saw my disappointment I explained that you cannot get a good crust with their type of oven but she assured me that everyone loves the pizza. As it turned out, the crust was the least of my disappointments. The sauce is cheap over-seasoned tomato paste and the cheese is tasteless. Pro tip: When looking at Yelp photos, if the cheese is beautiful with brown spots it's almost guaranteed to be tasteless. If someone ever writes a "Pizza For Dummies" book on page one it'll say that overcooked cheese looks great but tastes like almost nothing. The garlic bread is decent. The place was clean and nicely decorated. Prices are reasonable. The hostess was welcoming and friendly and my pizza was ready in under 15 minutes. read more

Calvino's - Beautiful brown spots = overcooked tasteless cheese. - Italian Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

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I've been a frequent patron of this restaurant and bar for years, both for lunch and dinner, since it is so close to my home, work and friends. In recent months, we unfortunately believe the food quality has slipped quite a bit. Perhaps there's a new chef, but I wish the Italian menu offerings were prepared and seasoned as they were previously. I never liked climbing up and down those steep stairs for meals, (especially after a cocktail or two!), and the most recent visits have convinced me the food is no longer worth the climb--sadly. (Submitted late Oct. 2023) read more

I'm only giving 4 stars because we've only had pizza here. If the entrees are as good as the pizza I may update to a 5th star. To start, this place is comfortable. It's not fancy-schmancy and it's not a dump. It's just a cool, casual mom and pop joint. The staff were friendly and very good. Our drinks never got empty. We had plenty of napkins and our server checked on us regularly. The garlic knots were like freakin' candy they were so good. Light, flakey and sweet. The pizza was great, rich sauce, good cheese. It was gooey and you could stretch it for miles! I got the Meat Beasty and the toppings were great. The bacon was real bacon, not bacon bits like most places use. The sausage was sweet and the pepperoni was good as well. I can't wait to go back. read more

This was so-so. The service wasn't the best, as we were sat and ignored for about 20 whole minutes. We ordered ice tea and root beer. We were brought 2 lemonades...? So when the right drinks came, the waitress set them down and started to walk away. Hang on! Like, we are definitely ready to order at that point! My boyfriend ordered a Greek salad and lasagna. When it came out, the salad looked amazing! And it was. The lasagna looked good, but was cold in the middle. I got the roasted veggies and the grilled chicken sandwich with no bread. The waitress made such a big deal about having to write down modifications. The veggis were disappointing. They were soggy and mushy, not appetizing at all. The chicken was very good. It was cooked perfectly, and had great flavor. It was average, but I don't think I'd go out of my way to come back. read more

5000 lbs. Thats what I would weigh if I had Italian Food as often as I want. I love Italian, but do not get to enjoy it as often as I would like. I still manage to nail a Pizza every week to 10 days. So I am Jones-in for some and I wanted Pizza and Lasagna at the same setting; a setting that is boasted by many to have extraordinary ( the best in Toledo) Lasagna, while claiming the Pizza is no slouch either. Calvinos appeared to fit that bill. And if it is good enough for Mike P. (and others) ... well then I just have to try it. So wifey and myself ordered Lasagna and Pizza cuz we wanted both and we... "Cross-Eat." I don't know if the Lasagna is the best in Toledo because I haven't had it at many other places around the Glass City. After Calvinos, I may not need to. If there is Lasagna this good around, I may need luggage to get there. The Pizza. Very good. Not the best... but it holds its own and was worth our time and money, and I judge a Pizza in 2 parts. A) How it tastes fresh and hot, and, B) how it tasted microwaved the next day. This Pizza came through excellent on Part B as well. Commendable. Beer and Wine only at this place. read more

Calvino's - Italian Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

The garlic bread and pizza both came out burned. The fettuccine was served room temperature and noodle were undercooked. The gyro Stromboli was ok, tzatziki was watery not good. Don't recommend read more

My husband and I visited Calvino's for the first time this weekend. I'd heard that Calvino's had some unique and healthy options for pizzas, so we decided to give it a try. The dining room is small -- about a dozen tables -- but the fact that it's upstairs with a railing overlooking the downstairs makes it seem larger and less cramped. My husband and I were seated right by the railing, which gave us a pleasant view of the restaurant, but also put us right in some sort of draft. We spent our entire meal fighting the chilliness -- but that's my only complaint about the experience. We weren't expecting the complimentary house bread: large bite-size pieces of soft garlic bread, sprinkled with Parmesan. The Primavera pizza we ordered was fresh and not greasy at all, and the whole wheat crust we requested was surprisingly wheaty (in a good way). To top off our tasty meal, we split a piece of tiramisu (we saw someone else in the dining room order it, and we couldn't resist!). There are plenty of other different pizza options on the menu, and we definitely plan to return and try a few more... just not until the spring. read more

Calvino's - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

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Calvinos is a small place, nothing fancy but great food. They have proven that you don't need to spend $500,000 plus on a restaurant to have good food and atmosphere. They are a place in continual progress. A very simple looking place but dont let that fool you. It has been eight years since we have been here and I forgot how the food was. We also had a surprise when our favorite server was still there, Lydia T. They have a great selection of wines in thier wine bar which you can choose from and then purchase with a small corkage fee. Well worth the price. We didn't have appetizers knowing that you get cheesy garlic bread when you sit down. I like the selection of pizzas and ordered the Greek- spinach, feta, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, fresh garlic and Kalamata olives. I am not a big fan of heavy cheese pizzas it takes away from the flavors of others ingredients. This pizza was perfect, the right amount of everything and semi heavy garlic. I didn't have any meat on this and it was perfect. I enjoyed every peice. We ordered a tomato based vegetable pizza and the same for this pie, very tasty. Finally, fettuccine with tomato cream sauce and meatballs. The pasta was very good and the sauce complimented the meatballs. Not my favorite meatballs but they were good because of the great sauce. Service was great, and the casual atmosphere made it more enjoyable. The true test of a really good Italian restaurant is that hours after eating you are still smiling and still have the hint of sauce, garlic and herbs. I was smiling big time remembering mom's food and how it made me feel. I was in heaven all evening. Give them a try you won't be disappointed. Ask for Lydia and tell her I sent you. Well you don't have to do that, but this is a restaurant that is locally owned and has amazingly great food. I will not wait eight years to go back. read more

Calvino's - Our pies we devoured. - Italian Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

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Great Pizza. Great staff. Ordered. Was told 15 minutes. Pull up for curbside. Will return.

The pizzas are great but the rest of the menu fell short. You can select a wine from the connected wine store to have with your meal, which is mice. I would suggest sticking with the pizza for the best experience. The uneven stairs to the dining area are also a problem. read more

Calvino's - Calvino's at the Cricket West strip mall, Toledo - Italian Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

Basic,cheap, bland & overpriced dishes. The vegetable kabob was half a soggy tasteless tomato and a half an onion for $14!!!! Robbery!! I was furious but I was on a date so I didn't complain. The service was poor the silverware needed wiped down. We needed to keep our coats on because it felt like the heat was non existent! I definitely would NOT return! read more

Came in there tonight at 8:50pm to sit and eat . Waited 5 mins until someone noticed me staring into space waiting to be seated . If I could give them zero I would . I was in the restaurant /service industry for years. Worked with some of the very best servers in the area . Rules at the restaurant have always been if your hours are 9 to 9 and a customer comes walking in at 8:59 pm that customer gets SEATED and WAITED ON. full service . If you close at 9 pm that's when you close . Anyone that steps foot in that door up until that time is allowed to sit down, relax , take it easy, order food and, be served. Not told the typical bs , " our kitchen closed at 8:45 so you can't order . If that's true, then , your posted hours need corrected. If you want to make certain that all your employees are out right at 9 pm because that's all they care about then change your posted hours to you stop serving at 8 pm PERIOD . Terrible rude nasty hostess little girl that needs training on how to treat customers . Very argumentative and combative when I asked what time they close and it was 8:55 pm and I said , "you close at 9. I'll take a seat for one" dems da rules . Quit being lazy and service your customers when they're inside your establishment within your posted hours. Here's a great suggestion . Seat your late customer and have the server then explain to the customer to please get their order in immediately because the kitchen closes soon . That way you get your order in immediately and get your customer in and out in a timely fashion without pissing him off . A last minute customer will understand and respect that . And you never know how bad of a night that customer could've had. And, now you just made his night with a great meal , good service and he leaves a great tip and a wonderful review . You Just lost another customer Learn how to treat people right read more

We had a nice dinner at this facility. We were seated promptly and greeted by the wait staff. Meals were prompt as well. Had a nice wine with dinner. The evening was perfect. We will return. read more

Wanted to try somewhere new and we found this place. They were busy, but that's a good thing for a Friday evening. They have a bar, so we sat there to eat. We shared the Basil/Tomato bread and Lasagna. The sauce was amazing. The staff was wonderful, informed us ahead of time of the wait from the kitchen, but we had plenty of time, so we didn't mind. We will be back! read more

My family and I stopped into Calvino's when we saw that it was the closest establishment and had pizza. I was expecting a typical pizza parlor, but it was so much more. Walking in I was surprised by how small it was, but my first impression was deceiving. There is an area to eat upstairs in a lofty type area, or there is a bar area where you can sit. My family and I were sat in the bar and enjoyed the coziness of the area, and also enjoyed the varieties of wine that they had. Calvino's offers its patrons the option of buying wine that is on the menu or looking at the wine that they sell by the bottle. If you buy wine that they offer by the bottle, you can drink it there for a seven dollar corking fee. When we were first seated I was impressed by the size of the menu. If you enjoy any type of Italian food, they have something you will enjoy. From pizza and pasta to a variety of soups I was debating between multiple dishes before I ordered. I was contemplating ordering an appetizer when the waitress told us that she would bring us some bread. But this bread was not like the typical bread basket that you receive from any other restaurant, this was the best bread basket that I have ever had. Their bread is pizza dough baked, covered in butter, and some seasoning. It was fresh out of the oven and dipping the bread into their pizza sauce put it over the top. I could have eaten it all day long. I am glad that I waited until she brought the bread because otherwise, I would have ordered a similar appetizer. The downside of that would have been that I would have had to pay for it, and I wouldn't have been able to enjoy either as much as I enjoyed just one. I was very impressed by the options that they give for pizza. You can choose from a thin, tradition, and deep-dish crust. The deep-dish crust is not a Chicago style deep dish crust. They have small, medium, large, and supreme size pizzas and any topping you can think of! I choose a deep-dish supreme pizza to share with my family. Overall the pizza was fine. I had incredibly high hopes after the breadbasket, but there wasn't anything special with this pizza. The best part, to me, was the pizza sauce, but the curst of my pizza was done more than I prefer (I prefer a dougher crust) and there was nothing exceptional about it. My mother had a salad and enjoyed how the salad was all romaine lettuce, excluding the other vegetables and fruits that were on the salad. My father had the lasagna and it looked like the ideal lasagna, there were even other patrons that commented that just seeing the dish made them contemplate what to order. He said he enjoyed it, but it was a larger portion than he was expecting. Our waitress was very kind and accommodating. She sometimes would forget something that we ordered, but was always very apologetic and would get it for us right after that. She made the experience an even better one! Overall Calvino's was better than I ever expected it to be. I had no idea that Toledo had something like this to offer! I will be dreaming of their bread for a long time to come, and I know that anytime I am in Toldedo this will be where I stop for something to eat. read more

I'm torn about this place because the pizza wasn't THAT phenomenal but it looks cute on the inside. Lol The host was young and she seemed flighty when I would ask her for clarity on my order. Once we took the pizza home we could tell that it wasn't made fresh (like it was sitting for a while). We didn't take long to pickup the pizza at the pickup time so i know the pizza wasn't just cold bc it was sitting for more than 10 minutes, but because the pizza wasn't made fresh. The pizza sauce tasted like sweet spaghetti sauce and the dough was hard. If you want to eat the pizza, I'd suggest trying to eat inside of the restaurant instead of doing take out. Maybe that would make a difference? read more

One of my favorite Italian restaurants in the Toledo area. I've only tried their pasta once but their pizzas and strombolis are always on point. Atmosphere is cozy for a date night or small group of friends to wine and dine. Reasonable prices from $8 - $15. read more

Toledo has a lot of restaurants, let's face it. But calvinos is great for a few reasons 1. Casual and kindof a hidden gem. A perfect place for a date 2. Great quality food, always hot 3. Wine bar downstairs, easy progression from dinner to drinks 4. Hard to find those "one of a kind" independent places in toledo 5. Ample parking read more

This is kind of an odd little restaurant. First of all, it is in a shopping center. This is usually off-putting to me but I've noticed it is not particularly uncommon in Toledo. Second of all, the main seating seems to be on the second level. There's a hostess stand but so far I haven't witnessed anyone sitting there. (It's possible they only have a hostess at dinner time?) The lack of a hostess or sign makes it a little awkward to know what to do when you first visit it. My wife and I just walk upstairs. I'm not sure if we're supposed to wait or not but no one has ever said anything to us so... The atmosphere is...interesting. It's kind of blah looking. The walls are kind of dirty and there are random seeming pictures on the wall. They're usually playing The Rolling Stones which I suppose is fine...if you like the Stones. I was impressed with their food. We ordered some garlic bread as an appetizer but that was unnecessary. They actually give you a little basket of bread, olive oil, and cheese. The first time we went we ordered pasta, which comes with a good sized house salad (with black olives and hot peppers). The second time we tried their pizza. They have a lot of good pizza options and they crust was fantastic. We've been getting pizza ever since. read more

My husband and I like this place for quick, local Italian. The pizzas are pretty good, very fresh ingredients. I like the Hawaiian and the Pancetta best. The roasted veggies are a good way to start your meal. They are lightly seasoned and tossed with pine nuts. The Greek salad is loaded with feta, and the tomato mozzarella is good. The wait staff is quirky. Once, we ordered the butternut squash ravioli and were given regular ravioli instead. We didn't send it back (it wasnt a big deal because both are good) but the waitress realized the issue and we were not charged for the entree. The beer and wine selection is good and prices are typical for the area. The dining room is small and located up a rather steep flight of stairs. If you've had a couple drinks or are a little clumsy, hold onto that railing! read more

My office is close to Calvino's so this has become our place to take out of town visitors. They're always impressed. It's unique, and unpretentious while still having fantastic food. I've only ever been served by one person, I don't know if it's just my luck or she's truly the only person working there but she's great! Pizza & Stromboli's are the favorites and have now turned into the office take-out favorite as well. Makes long boring meetings much better when everyone is munching on pizza. read more

Let me just say, my favorite part of this meal was the bread they give every table! But I'm a little biased, as bread is one of my favorite foods. My girlfriend and I went in right after opening and the place was almost empty. I loved the feel of the place, even if we did have to climb narrow stairs to get to our seats while she was wearing 5 inch heels. read more

The prices are a bit more than a commercial pizza would cost, but the pizza is fresh and doesn't leave you with a heavy, greasy feeling. Usually we get the pizza to go, but yesterday I ate there for the first time. The service was fast and the portions were big. Three of us (girls) shared a large greek pizza with chicken, herb fries and a tomato, feta and cucumber salad and we had more than half the pizza left! They also give you tasty bread with parmesan cheese on it to munch on while you wait for your food. Cute, casual place to go for a meal. read more

this is kitchen nightmares-tier. staff is in agony. pesto/pasta/dough is just frozen kroger stuff. westgate rent must kick ass at the moment. damn. bad place read more

This place works on a variety of levels. The food is great, it's an independant quite different than what you normally encounter, and the service is very good. Their pizza became my favorite (I consider this the best pizza in NW Ohio) soon after we started going here. I'm from the east coast, so finding good pizza here is hard, but this place does it right. We both order large ones, so at least half of it gets taken home, as it warms up extremely well. The pasta's are good too. The atmosphere is very nice, a hip feel to it, with great background music. read more

Calvino's is great. The pizza is amazing, my favorite being the eggplant. I love the roasted vegetable salad with pine nuts too. The have a small wine shop too, which offers only good wine available in each price range. Since the just charge a corking fee of $10 for the restaurant or $5 for the wine bar, and sell wine at state minimum, they have the best restaurant wine prices in town, and the best selection. The owner always takes time to talk to me and does a little something special as well. The only reason I give this place 4/5 stars is that the service is inconsistent. I have had everything from great to bad service from the servers here. read more

The food is always amazing !!! My husband & I used to love the husband & wife who ran the wine bar part of this place .... ( but haven't seen them in the last couple times ) We went last night sat at the bar no one waited on us so we went back to the hostess & asked to have a table .... Took the flight up those steep stairs ... Sat for 10-15 minutes watching 2 other tables get sat after us get a waitress & drinks still nothing .... Went back down to the hostess & she apologized for not telling our waitress she had a table .... There were only 2 waitresses upstairs with only 10 tables that were not even filled ..... Finally got some service but wow talk about not excited to get us anything ..... Thank gosh they have awesome food because that will be the only reason we go there from now on !!!!! read more

Nothing positive about the dinner here. Only ordered the garlic bread and the chicken Hawaiian Stromboli to split between two of us, wanted more but the menu was very lacking. Both orders came with Mariana dipping sauce that was ice cold. Garlic bread did not feel like it was fresh, and left my mouth tasting very funky. Stromboli which I was excited about was quite bland and tasteless. The two end pieces weren't fully cooked either, just raw dough. Considering the reviews I was very excited about trying this place, but it was not worth the visit in the slightest. read more

Good food, Not Exceptional Service. The Hostess was Very nice, But our server seemed to be a bit out of it Maybe it was an odd day for her, Doubt it though Good Place for a First date, Drink were expensive Ehh, Stromboli was huge and delicious, Overall, Ok Place to eat read more

Perhaps the positive hype did the place in for me. Most of the reviews are glowing, and my experience was meh. For those of you who like a drink with dinner, the place is certainly tailored to wine drinkers. No draft beers and the bottled collection was stale and what one might find in a convenience store. The beer list even included an entry for Sierra Nevada, which most people might know is the name of an actual brewery that produces a variety of beers. The squares of bread served before the meal were delicious. I ordered the regular-sized Godfather Stromboli, which I thought at $9.25 was mildly overpriced. There was precious little meat all cut into quarter inch cubes and minimal cheese. In truth, it contained more air than anything else. A big disappointment from the reviews here. A couple in my party split a large Greek salad that looked delicious and was to their satisfaction. A couple other people ordered pizzas, which looked far better than the Stromboli. The server was without personality and the overall dining experience had an antiseptic feel. I feel two stars is in order, but I can see how locals in the Old Orchard neighborhood appreciate the place. There is a trade-off for convenience and proximity. If you have to drive a distance, well maybe not so much. I won't be returning. read more

Calvino's is the best! For midwest style pizza Calvino's can't be beat. We usually get the greek pizza and add chicken to it, so good. The service is always very good and they always have incredible specials too. Whenever friends visit from out of town we always recommend they try Calvinos. The fresh bread they bring out is to die for as well, doused in butter and parmesan cheese, how could that be bad. If you have't yet, you must try Calvino's. read more

Delicious pizza. Had the T's pizza. Perfect amount of garlic, pesto and tons of tender artichoke hearts. Soup of day- Gazpacho. Delicious - chunky fresh crisp and so tasty. Staff is great. So happy to know about this local place. read more

Not much seating and not very cheap, but the food comes out hot, it comes out tasting good, and you get a lot of it. No skimping on the entrees here. The cost of this place, especially considering that it's Toledo, is really kind of high though. It's good for "every once in a while," but you certainly couldn't and shouldn't do it regularly. Four stars for the food alone. read more

For Toledo, this place is hard to beat. I recommend the Greek pie which is very unique to the area, but very tasty. read more

My favorite restaurant in NWO. Salads are cold and crisp, great blue cheese dressing. The bread bites they bring out are amazing, just pace yourself or you wont be able to finish your dinner. Wine is good but affordable, and you can pick it our yourself in the little wine shop on the ground floor. Lasagne is fantastic here, great portion, very good sauce. I've also enjoyed a few of their pizzas, but my main go-to is the lasagne. Servers seem like a rotating cast of students, but I've never had a bad experience, and it's a very casual setting. Please don't ever go to Olive Garden as long as this place exists! read more

This is a good place to eat. Let me start off with that. Lots of interesting choices in pizza, especially some non-traditional topping choices (sauteed eggplant (at least non-traditional for an area that has mostly chain pizzerias)). I wish I could give 3.5 stars. Because I am a fan, but I feel like 4 stars is just a little too much. It's good. If you're looking for a good pizza with little fanfare but quality ingredients, Calvino's seems to be the place to go. It also has a wine shop and I think you can choose a bottle to go with dinner if you want, or you can have a glass of one of their house selections. I had a glass of their merlot. It was okay. Not a lot of flavor. But what flavor it did have was good. I will most likely return in the future. Small space so not great for large groups (10 or more, and at 10 you might feel pressed for space). read more

this restaurant has some amazing bread and the greek calzone is to die for . Family friendly? Hah. Beer signs. Wine. No changing table in the restroom. Decor marginal, but good food. read more

Calvino's tonight was a refrigerator. Hey management, when 6 of the 10 people in your restaurant are wearing a coat maybe it's time to turn on the heat. The complimentary appetizer of pizza crust extras baked, rolled in butter and Parmesan were good but cold...including after we sent the first back...opening comments. MIST IMPORTANTLY: The Greek Pizza was fantastic!! But please remember to add chicken. The protein bump is worth the cost and delicious factor. Additionally we ordered a small pizza with pepperoni, bacon and pineapple. It was very good. The sauce was perfectly savory and just a touch of sweet...yum. I was so delighted with our meal that I overcame my grumpiness from it being so cold. However customer service is key for me, thus why only 3 stars. (I asked the server to turn up the heat to no avail. She was very nice and a good server otherwise!) I say go and enjoy but take a coat when dining during cold weather. read more

A Toledo tradition moving forward with new ideas and ownership Greek pizza with side marinara Roasted veg salad Lasagna Win win win read more

Can't speak to much of the menu here as I have Celiac, but I love the gluten-free pizza. Thin crust, stretchy cheese, fresh basil; it's great! My wife usually gets a salad and seems to really like them, as well as the bread. Has a friendly, neighborhood feel to it. We go there at least monthly. read more