We went to Cucina Calandra last night for dinner. The place looked really nice and welcoming with the Italian decor, the dining room was almost half full but the noise was moderate. We walked in around 6.30ish and had no reservation, we were greeted and seated by a gentleman, who we later found out was the manager. Our waitress came over and nicely introduced herself. The cheesy bread they served was out of this world! We had the calamari to start and it was perfect, crispy and tender along with a marinara sauce that had a slight sweetness to it. The pastas, which names i may not be able to remember or write correctly, were quiet delicious and paired perfectly with our white wine, also the portions were huge. We had to have the leftovers wrapped up. However the prices were okay but for the portion size and quality, we thought it was worth it. The only issue we had was that our waitress brought our check shortly after our main courses were cleared without asking whether we wanted dessert or not. The manager seemed to have noticed as he walked by our table seconds after. He asked us if we were offered dessert and we said no, that we would like to see the menu. He apologized and immediately brought us dessert menus, made a couple recommendations and took off the table the check our waitress had brought earlier. We were very much pleased by that attention to detail and professionalism from the manager, as it made a big difference and saved our dining experience. I mean who would not want to finish a great meal with dessert? We ordered the tiramisu and canoli which were wonderful along with some coffee. Overall it was a lovely experience and we will be back for more Italian food! read more

Hands down I give Cucina Calandra a 5 start rating! We took my family for dinner here when they were visiting from out of state and when they asked for a good Italian restaurant Cucina Calandra was my first and only thought. We love the atmosphere and we had our kids with us and they had a great time! Very family oriented restaurant! The wait staff was amazing! I had the Rigatoni alla Vodka. The vodka sauce was the best vodka sauce I have ever had. I highly recommend if your looking for fresh great tasting Italian food to head on over to Cucina Calandra! read more

Always a great experience visiting a Calandra's establishment. From the decor, to the staff, and food, always an A+ experience !

While here on a business trip decided to give this place a shot. Did not have high expectations staying at a best western but was very surprised.. food was top notch and service was great. They bake their own bread and pastries and have an excellent selection.. i highly recommend the house special steak . It's huge and delicious with the dry aging.. fantastic read more

On any other day I would give a four star ! However, yesterday's Mother's Day was a total fail. We arrived at 3:45 for our 4pm reservation for 7 people. We were told they were waiting for tables to clear. Ok no problem understandable. As we waited other people arrived for their 4pm reservation also. (Also party of 7 people). The first table that became available was given to a part of 7 that arrived after we did. We waited a few more minutes then we spoke to the hostess & manager who informed us it would just be a few more minutes. When we were finally taken to our table, it was a round table with a small square table push up next to it in the corner. I said to the manager who sat us that this was not acceptable. His response was well that's all we have. From then the dinner only got progressively worse. We waited a long time for appetizers. And another 45 minutes for entrees. Which came out at different intervals. The plates were somewhat hot but the food on them were cold. When you spend so much time waiting in a restaurant you can help but notice everything around. Other tables were receiving their food. The party of seven that was seated before us, finished their meal & left before we even got to the desert order. The table of 6 that was seated long after us received their appetizers, entree, and desert in a timely manner. And although the were seated well after us they received their dessert before we even ordered our! Not a good experience! Not a very pleasant way to celebrate Mother's Day! read more

Half price pasta night and the free cheesy bread they give you is out of this world. I highly recommend the Penne and vodka sauce. Don't be fooled this restaurant is in a best western but this isn't your typical hotel restaurant... much better! read more

Shrimp lobster ravioli to die for!!! Small portion but was full at the end and had an amazing taste ever bite

My Grand daughter and I had lunch at Cucina Calandra this week, We had two entrees two ice teas, a coffee, and one desert to split and the LUNCH bill was $81.00 and tip so our lunch was $100. The food was good but over priced for lunch. To top that off as I was having my coffee a Roach ran across my blouse. The gentleman at the front area came to our table to catch the roach in a linen napkin cloth and squeezed the napkin and said "sorry about that". That was it !!! I left the restaurant quietly I didn't want to up set my Grand daughter anymore than she already was. I went home and emailed the restaurant that evening I still haven't heard back from anyone. I understand these things happen in the food industry but I should of been compensated since lunch wasn't reasonable to begin with. We left the restaurant feeling sick to our stomach and did not enjoy the food after that. The gentleman that works at the front desk should learn that " sorry about that" was not the way to handle this disgusting event. I am very annoyed over my experience at this restaurant, even more annoyed that I've been ignored. read more

Cucina Calandra is as good as it gets. Every time I'm in the area that is the go to spot to eat...the pasta is out of this world! And don't leave out the sweets read more

I had a great time at Cucina Calandra with a group of friends who were in the area over their holiday break. They were looking for authentic Italian food so I knew that the Calandras would deliver just that and they did not let me down. We ordered calamari to start and right away the entire group was hooked. We ordered a second plate! One of my friends and I ordered the portobello ravioli - it was delicious. Others ordered cavatelli and gnocchi and all were greatly impressed. Then came my favorite part of the meal, the dessert; tiramisu and tartufo (yes, two desserts) and both were as good as any I've ever had. I'll definitely be back the next time anybody wants true Italian. Thumbs up on food, service, and decor. All wonderful. read more

lt Looked like an inviting place to eat. Great atmosphere, flowers rustic feel and outdoor seating on a warm spring night. However that's where it ended. Servicev was extremely slow. Empty wine glasses and a story from the server how staff didn't show up to work. Better to have kept that to them self. We ordered 4 pasta dishes that were average not exceptional for an Italian resturant with $24 pasta dishes. Skipped desert and will probably skip this location in the future. read more

My family and I were in on a Tuesday, for 1/2 price pasta and house wines. Pasta was good, bread and olives are great, my chop was cooked perfectly. Our waiter was NOT attentive, I watched the next table with similar number of people, getting much better service from their waiter. Get rid of the tacky grapevines. read more

I always enjoy the food at Cucina Calandra. The Linguini alla Vongole with white sauce was the best. The staff was friendly. I will be back.

I came here for lunch and was really disappointed. You know you've waited a long time for your food when the waitress asks you if you need anything else and you haven't been served yet. The food was ok, but the service was lousy. read more

I tried repeatedly to email these comments directly to the restaurant, but they would not respond to me at all. Par for the course... __________ I am sorry to be writing to share with you how abundantly disappointed we were in our meal at Cucina Calandra's on Sunday, Sept. 21. Our party of 26 were expected at 5PM to celebrate my mother's 70th birthday. As we were shown to a table of 20, we took over the next table, a round top, for some of the children. While some in our party were not there immediately at 5, our host told the waiter to begin service anyway. I looked forward to sharing the famous Calandra's food with my family, including my in-laws, who had travelled four hours for this dinner. An hour later, our waiter had not taken our orders. Some of us were missing plates, others had no water glass. Our party were given two baskets of the cheesy bread (for 25), but no other appetizers or plain bread appeared, as I have heard other patrons describe. We could not enter drink orders. We asked for wine glasses and for the bottles on the table to be opened, but we were told those were for "decoration." So people started ordering individual glasses of wine. Once we verfied that we could, in fact, order bottles of wine, we tried to change the drinks order, but were told it was too late. Glasses were never refilled. Our children noted that the waiter never asked for their drink order. "I didn't know they were with you," he responded. I am not sure where he thought the children were from.... Whole tables were seated after us and finished their meals, while we waited. Finally, our food began to emerge from the kitchen - one plate at a time. My risotto and my sister's dish came out among the first plates, but we refused to eat until everyone else had been served. Even the children's food came out among the last dishes - including a plate of french fries they ordered for the table! The cake we had ordered was not on site, we had to go fetch it. They had written the message incorrectly, of course, and we had to ask for the extra cake to take home. The loaves of bread that were near the exit for guests to take home were all taken away by the time we left. Very poorly handled. Poor service, poor damage control, just a terrible disappointment. read more

We started with the antipasto which was fresh and delicious. The room was empty at dinner time on a Sunday but somehow we waited about 15 mins for refills on our water despite several staff members standing around talking amongst themselves. Then came the main course. I had chicken parmigiana ($25) that was average tasting and my partner had a spicy seafood dish ($27). The seafood dish was tasty but when we tried the scallops they had a lot of sand in them. Unacceptable for a nearly $30 dollar entree, which we mentioned to the manager, who was accommodating and discounted the dish and threw in a free slice of cheesecake which was delicious. The main reason why this place is getting one star is because after cordially voicing our very reasonable complaint, several staff members peered out of the kitchen, starring at us and whispering amongst themselves, making both of us uncomfortable. This happened at least 8 times in the 15-20 minutes we spent there after voicing that complaint. read more

Excellent food and great place to eat outside in the warmer weather. Good service and comfortable environment for all types of guests.

Stopped by here on Tuesday night. As it turns out all bottles of wine and pasta are half price every Tuesday. Pleasant surprise. Had rigatoni with eggplant and cheese that was pretty good. read more

Cucina Calandra is and has been my go to for consistent, delicious meals! I have been a Calandra's customer for most of my life (starting at the bakery in Newark as a kid). Myself and my family have hosted many parties and dinners at Cucina. The kids of course LOVE Chef Henry and the adults always enjoy the food and outstanding service! I can always rely on them for all of my catering as well! Cucina is always consistent with the quality of food and service! Over the years, I have never once been slightly disappointed and that is why I always come back and highly recommend Cucina and all of Calandra's establishments! read more

The food and service here is always great. I really enjoy eating here when we have the chance. The cheese bread is a great way to start the meal. And getting to take home some fresh baked bread from Calandra's Bakery is a nice adult "goody bag" on the way out the door. The prices are extremely reasonable, and I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a nice night out! read more

Cucina, you lost my business. My family and I have been dining here for a long time. On this Christmas day, we made reservations for 2:00pm, party of three. My mother (a senior citizen) and I arrived about 1:45 or so, and awaited my aunt (a senior citizen) to arrive. We signed in and were told we'll be seated once our party is complete, and also we would have to be done by 4:00pm. I wasn't overly insulted because I realize patrons probably camp out from time to time, however I was slightly surprised. After all it is Christmas. At any rate, my aunt arrived and we sat approx. 2:05, no problem. As we were being seated the hostess again said, you have the table until 4:00pm. I remarked "Yes, I heard you the first time." Now I was shocked and feeling not so happy. I continued on not to harp on it to my family, but this interaction was extremely bothersome. So moving on, a table of 16 was next to us, busy place. We ordered, our food took longer than usual, which hey, I'm a realist, it was a packed restaurant. When all was said and done, we ate and ordered coffee. Remaining vigilant on the time, my aunt asked if Kasey our waitress could just warm up her coffee, it was approx. 3:50. Kasey said yes, but ended up helping to clean up the table of 16 next to us. When Kasey was done, she walked passed our table and I asked if she could quickly warm up my aunt's coffee, now we're out 3:55. She came back with the coffee pot, and my aunt asks innocently "are you going to kick us out at 4:00?", Kasey replied "Yes, you have to get out at 4:00pm." Wow - really, that was her delivery. Awful and insulting. Unfortunately, this whole experience has prompted an end of an era. Plenty of restaurants around who have an appreciation for their customers. Cucina has lost a long term customer just like that. Merry Christmas! read more

I love everything about Calandra's. When I was growing up my parents always went in to buy bread. It's the best you can find in the area. The restaurants especially Cucina Calandra are to die for! The bread basket is so good. I've never seen anything like it anywhere else. The bread has cheese inside which is so good. The food is so good. I love the antipasto, really nice portion sizes as well. You'll definitely get your money's worth. This is also a great place to host a baby shower or small party. My family has done it a few times and it's always a great time. read more

I am presently having dinner at Cucina Calandra. My experience is not so great. We had to wait over 45 minutes to get our food. When the waiter asked what we wanted to drink i said "water, NO ice please". I got water WITH ice. So, i asked water without ice, he brought it but the glass was dirty. I will not recommend your restaurant to any of my friends. We have enjoyed your restaurant in Caldwell though. read more

Free cheesy bread to start is absolutely delicious. I've tried both the meat lovers and "everything" pizza and loved both. Definitely a place worth trying if you are in the area and craving 'traditional' Italian food. read more

My son reserved rooms at the best western for his wedding in Dec. we came to book our room. We decided to eat lunch here and wow, it was fantastic!!! The calamari was tender and crispy. The margarita pie was off the charts!! Price reasonable!! read more

Food is always delicious. Can be considered a hidden gem as its attached to a Best Western but we always have a hard time getting a reservation and have yet to have a less than satisfactory meal. Staff is friendly and accommodating, never takes too long to get the food, and their cheesy garlic bread is amazing! read more

Had lunch there for the first time this past Thursday. We started with the fried calamari and a fig salad. The batter for the calamari was delicious and it was cooked perfectly. The salad was wonderful as well. The bread they put on the table to start was filled with cheese and also great. Everyone enjoyed their meals, but the best part was the service. Christian was our server and not only was he a excellent waiter, but he had a great personality to go along with his good service. He recommended every item that we ordered, and did a great job with the recommendations as we were all pleased. Even if the food was mediocre(which it was by no means), I would still go back again and request him to take care of us simply because of the welcoming and friendly service he provided which just topped off the delicious food. I have managed restaurants before and servers like him are hard to find. I rarely take the time to write reviews like this, but he deserved it. Would definitely recommend this place to anyone, and also suggest asking for Christian!!! read more

Don't waste your time! The service is horrible, our sever Julie was nasty! There was 8 of us we all ordered soup/salad to start, they brought out 2 soups and 20 to 30 minutes later brought out another soup, 10 to 15 minutes later brought out 2more salad. 2 of the salad orders where screwed up and Julie acted like she really did not care, NEVER offered to correct them. When it came time to for our main dishes 6 of got served and 10 minutes later out came another dish, we had to flag down our server to tell her 1 person never got his food. Julie processed to ask what did you order, we had waited soooooo long he forgot!! I asked to see the manger and Julie replied to me he is in the kitchen and walked away! The food was good but the service was HORRIBLE, I would never go back!!!! read more

I have been a regular at Cucina for years and have brought many people there and everyone loved it. The waiters are efficent and very helpful with making decisions as to what you might want to try if they are new specials. Charlie was extremely helpful and efficent. The Executive Lounge is warm and inviting and happy hour is fabulous. Gabby, one of the bartenders, is right on top of things. Have never had a bad meal and Chef Constantino is out asking the patrons if they are pleased. I would definitely recommed this restaurant. It is very family friendly with Chef Henry, the pizza man, as the kiddie magnet! The atmosphere is very much like Tuscany! Outdoor patio is a plus! Make sure you ask for Charlie or Eddie. I love this place! read more

I was back in town visiting and for the past few days, we've talked about going to Calandra's. We've visited the Caldwell location, but we decided to visit this location tonight since it's closer to us. We had a large party, so delays are to be expected, but the service left a lot to be desired. Questions about food allergies weren't answered before the food arrived (which left my mother sitting there waiting to eat her food until she had an answer). When the waitress showed up almost 10 minutes after the food runner, we asked her what kind of oil they use to fry the calamari (again) and we were told olive oil. I have never heard of a restuarant deep frying in olive oil, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt (even though I'm pretty sure she forgot to ask & just threw that answer out there). Drinks were continuously empty and it was a hassle to get a refill. Again, this is understandable, but at the end of the night, we received our bill with 6 more refills and one more drink than we actually had. We split checks and nobody else was even charged for their refills. I had one of the pasta specials (which was phenomenal) but one of our guests had the pizza & it was super undercooked. Overall, the food was the only saving grace. Unfortunately, the service was so terrible that we will only frequent the Caldwell location from now on. This wasn't an awful experience, but it turned what was supposed to be a nice dinner into an unpleasant experience. read more

Was visiting family this past weekend and we went to eat here. This was my second visit. We had reservations for 6:30 and were not seated until 6:50. The two hostesses were so unorganized. They kept asking the 4 parties waiting who we were, how many were in our party and what table we had! What table? Isn't that their job? The best way to put it...I felt like I was in the middle of an SNL skit. After finally being seated we were promised free desserts. The cheesy bread is awesome, however they don't cut the bread in pieces well enough, leaving the guests to put their hands all over the bread just to cut a piece (a little sloppy). I ordered the chicken Parmesan and it was great (the reason they got 1 star). We enjoyed our dinners and the free dessert was very good as well (the other 1 star- chocolate gelato). Overall the 3 stars lost was directly associated to the awful coordination of seating us and the other parties waiting at the same time. I understand it was Christmas eve night, however the restaurant was no busier than a typical friday night. read more

Come here for business lunches at least twice per week, great place , food and service.

I enjoyed this place. Food was real good, staff very friendly. Service was quick and we were seated without any wait time. Nice touch handing out bread to go. I'll be back for sure. read more

I attempted to have a special Sunday dinner tonight with my family and we were all very disappointed. The food was okay but nothing super special. They started us off with one small garlic-cheese bread. We had a Pizza Pugliese appetizer which was tasty. Unfortunately, after eating the pizza, we waited over 30 + minutes for our entree's. It was a small nightmare! There were 5 of us, we ordered three chicken milanase , gnocchi sorrento, and a chicken special . The chicken special was just okay and had a nice brown sauce, the gnocchi was cheesy and creamy, and unfortunately the three of us that ordered the chicken Milanese had over fried dry chicken cutlet. The chicken was tough and just totally overcooked. What a disappointment since I came here a few weeks ago and it was super juicy! My major complaint was that the service was really,really slow. The waiter was not paying attention to our table at all and seemed to be paying attention to every table but ours. We waited just too long! It was a 2 hour dinner that ended in disappointment for our family. I rated this restaurant with 2 stars, only because I am giving them the benefit of the doubt. Overall I was disappointed with the food and the poor service. With better service, our dinner would have been a great one. read more

Used to be one of my favorite spots. Took my parents there this weekend for Dad's bday. So disappointed. The filet mingon was ruined with a heavy sauce and "veiny" so chewing it was not an option. My linguine zuppa de pesce seemed like it has been sitting around for pick up way too long and the lobster was fishy and old. The Tiramisu, my favorite, again disappointed as it was frozen in the middle. The prices are ridiculous for what you are given. Very sad, not sure what happened but not heading there again. read more

Went to their NYE party. Food was pretty good, DJ did a decent job but....they had zero name brand liquor. All they served was some disgusting, cheap house swill. The kind of stuff that if you drank it you would have one heck of a hangover!!!! I would have rather paid another $20 for something you could actually drink. I mean it's New Year's Eve after all. Won't make that mistake again. read more

I've been here a number of times - twice for their happy hour and once with a groupon in their main dining area. Happy hour is a GREAT deal! The area is separate from the main restaurant and has a bar, obviously. Drinks and bar menu items are half price from 4:30-6:30. We mainly come here for the food - they have a number of different pastas, along with miscellaneous items (grilled cheese, burger, etc). My favorite pasta is the spaghetti carbonara which is very creamy and flavorful. I've also tried the buffalo calamari and steak bruschetta which are both yummmm. Only item I've tried so far that I wouldn't order again is the parmesan truffle fries. Overall, good service, good food, great prices. read more

I've been a loyal patron for over 10 years. I can't say enough good things about Cucina Calandra. Great food, amazing service. I wish I could get there more often. I've tried all kinds of things but the rigatoni bolognese will always be my favorite. Just a classic dish done perfectly. Love the bar too! read more

I went there with my girlfriend to celebrate our one year anniversary (her idea) and the place overall was pretty good. We had the hot bread with the cheese which was amazing and the stuffed meatballs we had as an appetizer rocked! When I ordered my dish (shrimp and linguini) I was a little surprised to see the shrimp still had the tails that I had to pick off on them but aside from that it was pretty good. Prices are a little up there but nothing worthy of complaints from me. read more

Great food! Service sometimes is slow. I guess it depends when you go and what room you sit in. Love the lounge and outdoor seating!