First time in this town and try this place because we're attracted to the wood fired pizza. We ordered diavolo pizza and was dissapointed because the base was so soft as if it were underdone, though the sides are crunchy. We also had the calamari for appetizer and it was a bit fishy and bland. Now the Rigatoni ala Vodka was actually decent and has good flavor, I added the Italian meatballs which was okay but it does adds taste to the otherwise light pasta. The Mama Cappa Cappucino is a great coffee that helps lightened my day here :) read more

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Great food and service. Recommend reservations. Have been several times. Quality fresh made everything.

Wonderful atmosphere & delicious food. My fiancé and I ate outside and it was perfect. Our waiter was very friendly and charming, he was an older gentleman with a sweet demeanor and witty jokes. I am one happy pregnant lady! The cannoli is to die for! Sooooo delicious!!! read more

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Great service! A young woman with curly hair was our server both times we went there. She's so lovely! All employees are amazing there! The pastas and pizzas are so authentic and delicious. We went with very big groups both times and got our food very fast. Highly recommend! read more

Try the Gnocchi with Sweet Sausage its amazing. My friends and I tried two pizzas and they were delicious as well. read more

Clemenza's - Gnocchi and Sweet Sausage this place is amazing. - Italian Near Me - Fort Walton Beach, Florida

Two negative experiences with takeout orders. Ordered pizza and salad for pickup and was told 20 minutes. Arrived 30 minutes later and was told the "wood" was wet so their wood fired oven was not operational. Left with the salad. Second time same order. Upon arrival told that the pizza had not been cooked because they were "too busy". Said I'd pay for the salad and was told I owed for the pizza as well!!! Unbelievable! Lesson here is don't go to Clemenza's on a weekend. read more

Stopped by on our family vacation and the food was spectacular. Everything tastes homemade and authentic. Our waiter was very attentive and friendly despite the heavy crowd. Highly recommend. We'll be back! read more

Well u sure don't want to work there. The mgr is 2 faced. He will tell u one thing and lie to u . They have there little click. My wife had 4 heart attacks. Mgr fired me because I couldn't make it n. They could care less about ir personal problems. Tells u what kind of person they r read more

We visited there last night while on vacation. The food and staff were absolutely amazing!!! This restaurant was a crowd pleaser for both the kids and adults. All of the food was fabulous (we tried a couple of the pizzas, caprese, spaghetti, linguine and carbonara), and the homemade bread was out of this world. We'll be back! read more

The best place in Fort Walton! Every time I visit Destin I try to go to this place and none of the time i have visit have been a disappointment! The food is amazing, I'm an Italian food lover and I have to say this place have the best cheese ravioli I have ever had! The service is amazing, my boyfriend and I now with Covid are trying to support local businesses and the best waiter after all our visits have been in this place! Totally recommend read more

This is the best Italian we've ever had! All the sauces were so rich in flavor. The wine selections were fantastic and even their bread (which is made in house) was so fresh. When we vacation again, we will be coming back! read more

Clemenza's - Chicken Piccata - Italian Near Me - Fort Walton Beach, Florida

Brunch was delicious. I went with the shrimp n grits and wasn't disappointed at all.

We walked in for a party of four and the place was full. The hostess who seemed to be very busy wasn't the friendliest at first so I had grown very skeptical of the place. Once seated after a wait, everything went above and beyond my expectations. We enjoyed the pizza. Alfredo, chicken Marsala, the zucchini side and tiramisu. My teen daughter loved her zucchini. Definitely a must stop next time we are in town. read more

We came for a luncheon and we're the only customers. There were a total of 20 people here. Our food took forever to come out, one of our guest came 15 mins after everyone ordered and his food came out first. My ravioli appetizer, the cheese wasn't completely melted, our last two guest didn't get their sandwiches until everyone was done eating and ready to go. The serves alone was less than par and this was my first visit. read more

Clemenza's - Chicken panini - Italian Near Me - Fort Walton Beach, Florida

Really enjoyed our dinner there. We ate at the bar and the bartendress was on her game and was keeping up with the to go orders, the people at the bar as well as keeping up with all the other drink orders. She was very patient with us while we tried to figure out which of the meals we wanted. I had the Pasta Emilianna and my coworker the Tortelloni Corleone. Each were delicious and I didn't leave a morsel. The bread was delicious. The very thin crust pizza looked delicious as well. Definitely will go back to try other things. read more

All I can rate is the calzone I purchased at Clemenza's. Staff is professional and works hard to satisfy their customers. The food itself was delicious and you get good quality and a good amount of food. Many friends who are local find Clemenza's as one of the top Italian restaurants in the area. read more

Some friends and I were in town for a week-long 4th of July getaway and after eating our weight in fish over the course of a week, we decided to stop into Clemenza's for some traditional Italian fare. They have apparently been on the receiving end of many local awards for their food and atmosphere, so we decided to give it a try. Atmosphere: The restaurant is nice, yet casual, so come as you are. The reviews/awards is what initially brought us here, but we were surprised to see *every* *single* *award* they had ever received framed and covering the walls of the restaurant. It was a little distracting. Our dinner was earlier in the evening and still pretty sunny outside, so the light pouring in from the entrance of the restaurant was blinding and made focusing on conversation difficult. Request to sit towards the back of the restaurant if you have an early dinner. Food: Bread basket - thumbs up. We ordered the Caramelized Marscapone and Fig, as well as an antipasto platter as appetizers. Both were excellent, and got us excited about our main courses. For the main courses, we ordered the Pesto Gnocchi, Ravioli Bolognese, Neapolitan pizza, and Shrimp pasta. The pizza and shrimp dishes - good. Pizza, in fact, was great. Best thing we ordered that night. The gnocchi and ravioli were terribly bland, and lacked flavor - so much so that we sent the pesto dish back. It was disappointing. Summary: solid spot in Fort Walton Beach. Stick with the appetizers and the pizza though. read more

Love this place! The food is amazing & so is the staff. Jennifer was our waitress & she was knowledgeable in their menu & very attentive if we needed anything. She's extremely friendly & I would recommend her service! You won't regret going here! read more

We moved to this area recently and this restaurant was recommended to us by a coworker. We were very disappointed! We were seated pretty quickly but we waited a very long time to be greeted by a server. They were not that busy and seemed well staffed. I ordered chicken parmesan and it was terrible! My husband ordered chicken piccata and it was okay. He felt the chicken was over cooked. Not at all what I expected from an authentic Italian restaurant! So disappointing because the Clemenza's in Destin that serves breakfast and brunch was wonderful! Not so with this location. High prices for entrees that was not good. read more

We love the food at Clemenzas. It is our favorite restaurant when we come to FL. However, last night we had a different feeling. The food was great, as usual, but we were wedged in with the other customers. No distance at all between tables. They refused to social distance people even though there were many empty tables. They seated all of us elbow to elbow. The staff did not wear masks and acted as if covid did not exist. We took our food to go and left early without dessert. Also, a staff member in the bar was dropping the f-bomb and other unpleasant words. We will not be going back. So long Clemenza's!! read more

I've been here a few times for pizza, and I can say honestly that it is excellent for pizza. The pasta, on the other hand, is underwhelming, and I have attempted it on several ocassions when I did not want pizza. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this place for pasta, but I would recommend them for pizza. It's almost as though a completely different cooking staff makes the pizza. read more

Not impressed. Walked in and waited to be seated as the hostess stands stated. We were not acknowledged for approximately five mins, even though several wait staff looked at us as they walked by and they were not even close to being busy. Once we were seated at a high top table, drink orders were taken and delivered our waitress disappeared. This being the first time we had ever eaten here, we had a few questions about the menu. Once the waitress finally came back, we asked the few questions we had and were left feeling like we were a complete inconvenience to her. For example, my husband ordered the steak (medium-rare) and eggs, which comes with a side of grits or a salad. Seeing how he does not enjoy either of those items, he asked if he could sub that for something he would rather have and was told no, the kitchen wouldn't do that. Instead of offering a solution we were told, "they come on the side anyway, so someone else at the table can just eat them". Okay, so how does that help my husband and his meal? At this point we were all highly agitated and not really happy with the situation. We then waited 45 minutes for our meals to arrive, watching plate after plate go past to people who had ordered after us. Once we're finally eating our meal, the waitress comes to refill our daughter's and my husband's sweet tea glasses, that were completely empty, and informs us that this was the last of the sweet tea so they would have to drink something else. Mind you, it's only noon so they will be open for an hour longer. We were not impressed by the greeting, the service or the food. For the amount of positive reviews and awards this place has received we were expecting way better quality and experience. read more

We are locals. Yesterday was our first experience at this restaurant. It was a Thursday evening. I was surprised to see that they were really busy on a weekday. There was no hostess and we were not greeted upon arrival. We waited for approximately 4-5 minutes before who I assume was the manager came in from outside and greeted us. Once seated our service was very, very slow. I was ready to order before our server came to take our drink order, but the server took our drink order a left. She was very distant throughout the entire meal and only checked on us one time. The meal itself was delicious. The food was very well prepared. They bring bread to the table before your meal, which was really tasty. The bruschetta was not very good though. The pasta meals were very overpriced. Kids meals were $7 and they only came with pasta. I ordered chicken alfredo and it was $20; again it only came with pasta. The portion was not very large. I would have imagined for this price you would have received a side salad or more food. I will note that almost every other table I saw had ordered pizza. So I imagine that's the best value on their menu. If we return, maybe we will try that next time instead. read more

The wife ordered the filet mignon and pasta and I ordered the seafood linguini. Both plates were some of the best Italian food we have ever had. The garlic knots were so good and perfectly prepared. We topped it off with two Peroni beers. Great meal! read more

Had another great night here at their chef's table/cooking class/Divine dinner. Fine dining is hard to find in Fort Walton Beach but this place is dining at it's best. If you're looking for good eats, then come here. Author David Moon Zomosapiens Scales of Justice Pickle's Pickle The Wife's Wicked Weekend read more

I won a $25 Clemenza's gift card that I decided to use today for lunch. I ordered the asparagus soup and the large arugula salad with shrimp. In total I paid $20 for a smaller amount of food then expected. The soup was gritty and had too much asparagus fibers in it that I had to pick out of my mouth. Not pleasant. The salad was just arugula, 2 cherry tomatoes, 6 shrimp and bit of shredded provolone cheese. The dressing was so bitter that I couldn't finish the salad. Overall the food was overpriced and overspiced. Very underwhelming. read more

4 stars for food 0 stars for service hence a 2 star review. At the inaugural dinner of my women's group we decided to try this spot to get a little lush on, and some noms. Our reservation was for 7, but we were not seated until 730. Then we didnt have our order taken until 7:47. Bread and water 8pm. The food is outstanding, and there are a lot of gluten free items on the menu if you pick and choose. The sauteed garlic spinach has a hint of spice- which I was not expecting, but liked very much. Thank goodness for the bar, because if I wasn't tipsy I would have left after 15 minutes of waiting. *THIS* is ridiculous. What's the point of a reservation if I have to wait 45 min for a table anyway? A gaggle of girls drinking, and bonding, and we are made to wait? I don't think so. read more

According to my credit card bill after eating at this fine establishment, they charged me for my entree twice. So my meal was $12.77 and I tipped $2, making it a grand total of $14.77. However, the amount charged to my credit card ended up being $27.54, which is twice the amount of the entree plus the tip. That, in all my years of dining out (fortunately I mostly didn't pay), has never happened. At times, a shady restaurant like Bonefish (bone who? bone you? bone fish! more like fish bone... fishbone pumping in the back of your throat!!) will charge a dollar or three more, but here, they doubled it, all over your face! read more

Two times I have ordered lunch and both times they missed the mark! When you charge so much for lunch you need to get it right, esp for takeout. This time was too much. I ordered a chicken Caesar salad and the garlic rolls. The total came to a little over $20.00. There was no dressing on the salad or with it, but most importantly the chicken was under cooked. I did not not notice the semi raw chicken until I had eaten several bites of salad! I only have 30 minutes for lunch so I missed out . They said they would put the money back on my card but it was a long lunchless day! read more

Clemenza's - Raw chicken salad with whatever dressing i could borrow - blue cheese i think. - Italian Near Me - Fort Walton Beach, Florida

There has been a decline in the overall experience. Has there been a management change? My family and I have gone to Clemenzas numerous times. Each time is great. We've not been there for a few months and decided to go today. Here were my observations: They only had 1 special (which they were out of)...in the past they'd always have 2 or 3. They were out of regular coffee! I've never heard of such a thing (especially from the place that's supposed to be the best). They gave us a broken high chair for our 1 yr old. There was a random vacuum hanging out in the dining area. Saw some tables get half the party served followed by significant wait for the rest of the party. The servers were also outspoken about how slammed the kitchen was and how they "fight back and forth about how many specials they'll make". Overall it really felt disjointed and poorly managed. Food was still tasty but I was disappointed at the overall decline in quality. read more

I feel in love with this delicious sicilian style restaurant. I took my little guy for a mommie and me lunch, we both had spaghetti aka pasta marina for the big kids and added meatballs 2 for $3 extra. The sauce was just right, not too tangy or sweet and the meatballs were yummy! It was worth a trip out there. They also have oven fire cooked pizza and teach classes if you're interested. Our waitress was super nice and friendly to my son. Since it was our first time she gave us the low down on the specials and which dishes she had tried and liked she was very helpful. It's a great date night spot with its romantic style decor and low lighting in the evening and beautiful bright atmosphere during the day. read more

Clemenza's - Pasta marinara with meatballs - Italian Near Me - Fort Walton Beach, Florida

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We are in town because of the hurricane damage to our homes and lack of power. We sent our daughter ahead and she and her girlfriend go in and are shamed for not making a reservation....we are 2 days since a catastrophe and nothing on the website stood out that said to make reservations ....they are told 45 minutes and asked "do you want to wait" and they said yes, then she said "well it's going to be an hour" ...ok?They then go to bar to wait and have a beverage. The bartender walks over and asks are you here for take out and they explain they want to order a drink as they sat in two open seats and the line was not close to these seats. The bartender loudly says "well this is for takeout and they are next" Our girls walked out and called us. We went elsewhere. You're in a strip mall? read more

I came here for dinner at 6pm on a Friday night and would gladly eat here again. Atmosphere and servers were both nice. I had their special of the day - Pork Milanese with Saffron Rice and Green Beans. It was cooked well and the only thing I would have to complain about would be that it didn't impress me that much for a $25 plate. (Perhaps the saffron bumped the price up?) I also had a Coconut Bomba cake for dessert, which was tasty. My wife had the Mimmo pizza (prosciutto, tomato, mushrooms). She says it was "Amazing. Would eat 47 more times at least." I had a piece and would agree that it was delicious. Crust was perfectly crispy and chewy. Bottom wasn't soggy at all. She also had a tiramisu which she quite liked. My two year old had two meatballs and a slice of her mom's pizza. She devoured her dinner. My mother in law had the chicken marsala which she described as the best chicken marsala she has ever had. Mother in laws boyfriend had the chicken alfredo. He didn't say much about his meal except when asked if he liked it - "Oh yeah, it's great." read more

Awesome food... and owner was great!!! He let me mix up my ravioli so I could try both!!! The smoked mozzarella and the truffle-stuffed porcini mushroom one.... YUMMMMMM!!!! Both were AWESOME in the sage brown butter sauce! read more

Clemenza's - Italian Near Me - Fort Walton Beach, Florida

1 word - OUTSTANDING! Every bite was just incredible. I'm sorry, Tradewinds fans, but Clemenza's has taken over as the best Italian food in the Northwest Florida Area. Not only was the food great, but the service was impeccable too. Everyone on the staff is committed to making this an experience second to none. When we left, the entire staff, including the owner, thanked us for coming in. Water stayed full and they were there to take care of our every whim. We had: Veal Parmigan, Ravioli in a vodka sauce, vegetarian pizza, Shrimp in white sauce, extra meatballs, calamari starter and a chocolate stout cake for dessert. I highly recommend all of them. read more

This restaurant is perfect for a family dinner or a romantic date night. My mom and I went and we both enjoyed are food. The servers are all friendly and helpful. The mushroom soup is to die for. The fresh baked hot bread with oil was the perfect way to start the meal. Overall we had an amazing experience. read more

One of our favorite spots in FWB - the food is always delicious and so is the house wine! The pizza is so good, we love to split a pizza and a bottle of wine for date night. I recently tried the chicken Marsala too and that was 10/10. The staff is always friendly and attentive. Last thing, the bread + olive oil combo is much better than most other Italian places we've been to. read more

This is the top breakfast place in the Destin area. The eggs Benedict is the best I have ever had. Superb ingredients and the hollandaise sauce is fantastic. This is a must try on weekends for their breakfast! read more

Clemenza's - Best Eggs Benedict - Italian Near Me - Fort Walton Beach, Florida

First time diner. Very busy night with Christmas parties etc. had reservations. Seated on time. Very good , pleasant and attentive wait staff. Good simple and fun selection of food on the menu. Not too loud. Food was excellent and average wait time. Staff were very patient with a busy six year old playing at the table. They understood what was expected of a fine dining restaurant. The "lagniappe" was the staff boxed the leftovers for takeout for you and had them in a nice to go box and bagged. That earned them an extra tip too! I'll be back! $$$$. read more

For now, I'm going to give Clemenza's 4 stars, but I will reconsider after dining-in (will it go up to 5 stars, stay at 4, or plummet...?). My guess from my experience is that it can only go up! I placed a large order for pick up and my mom picked up the order, so I did not see the inside of the restaurant nor did I experience table service, but I am looking forward to it; I will definitely be going back for a dine-in experience. My order was ready for pickup promptly and on time, within about 30 minutes of placing it, and it was all neatly packaged and nice and hot when we got home. They even walked out with my mom and loaded it into the car for us (it was a big order, but not that big... They were just being courteous, and it was very appreciated). Also of note, shortly after I placed the order someone called me back to make sure I knew that the restaurant I called was the FWB location and not the Destin location. Fortunately, I had called the correct location, but I definitely appreciated the consideration and courtesy of the call. Mimmo's Homemade Garlic Rolls - Good, but the dough itself was too buttery and heavy for me. Grilled Eggplant Caponata - Also very good, but I was wanting more intense flavors. It is topped with capers and anchovies, so I was expecting a heavy salty and briny flavor. It was too mild for me, but still good. Sautéed Spinach - Tasty. Simple, but that's what wanted; spinach and garlic. Caesar salad - Good. Not the best I've ever had though (again, I prefer bold flavors and wanted that punch of anchovy). It was crisp, fresh, and light. Chicken Saltimbocca - Very good. Moist and lots of flavor. Lasagna - My husband said it was the best he has ever Pasta Bolognese - Delicious. Full of flavor and texture. Classic, "simple" dish done right Margherita Pizza - Nice subtle flavors. Exactly what I wanted. Lovely, light and crisp, yet somehow slightly doughy crust. Perfecto! read more