Where do I even start? We had planned to go to a different Italian restaurant in the area, but with three kids with us, the 45-minute wait there would not have worked. So, one of our group suggested Forte's. Let me just say I'm glad they did. We called ahead and they said that due to the party size (we are six people; three adults, three kids), we might have to sit on the pizza parlor side. No problem. We arrived and were seated almost immediately. This is where the five-star experience started. Gina (we later found out she was brand new to the restaurant) came to our table immediately and asked if she could get anything for the kids. Genius! Anyone with kids knows that you can't even order a drink until you've addressed their entire meal. We quickly placed the kids' orders and got down to our own. We are a picky crew...each one of us adults has a no-this or a can-you-substitute-that for every meal. We like what we like. Gina was more than happy to accommodate. And more importantly, she wrote everything down. I don't go out to eat to be astounded by the server's Jedi mind tricks and memory capacity, because they almost always mess something up. I want a delicious meal, and I want it accurate. She understood EXACTLY what I was saying. I knew immediately that I wanted the Chicken Francaise, but I saw black squid ink linguine as part of one of the specials and asked if I could have that with mine. She checked with the chef and they were happy to make the substitution for me. Before I go any further, I have to say, this was BY FAR the best Chicken Francaise I've EVER had. The sauce was thick, buttery and lemony, just the way it should be. The egg batter was perfectly crisp yet not overdone. And the pasta was just the way I like it. A touch past al dente. Portion size was exactly as expected. Back to the ordering for a second. My friend couldn't decide what she wanted so she simply said "what do you recommend?" to Gina. Gina offered up her three favorite dishes and my friend, sharing the same tastes as Gina, was able to pick one. She could not have been happier with the eggplant dish she got (I can't remember which one), but she remarked that it was one of the tops she'd had. Gina ensured that the kids' food came out quickly and accurately and made sure everyone's drinks were always full. That's SUCH a rarity these days. She brought more bread when ours was finished, offered up parm cheese when my tortellini en brodo (yummy) came, and again when our dishes came out, and was all around as attentive as you could ever want a server to be. Mind you, the place was PACKED...AND she was working both sides of the restaurant. You would not have known it with the way she handled our crew. Simply put, we came for a dinner we never planned on having there and instead, we were positively blown away by both the service AND the food. I highly recommend this place and I have to suggest that you ask for Gina...you will not be disappointed! I can't wait to go back already! I made sure to tell the managers/owners about all of the above too. So many people only like to complain. Don't get me wrong, I'll tell you how it is when they mess up too, but this was so exceptional, I had to let them know. Mike and Steve happily introduced themselves, thanked me for my feedback and said they hoped we'd be back to see them again soon. Ummm yeah...you guys made us feel like family! read more

Forte is prob the busiest dinner restaurant in the area - it's no wonder you can't get a table on a Saturday night .. and the pizza area? A zoo. The actual pizza? Very good. You can watch them making it fresh right in front of you. We took the drunken grandma and arugula cran salad to go - very good! We've also ordered delivery and pick up multiple times over the last few months and have also tried their calzones. The food is consistent and quality tastes great every time. They do have a parking lot too! Would recommend you try it out! read more

Forte Pizzeria - Drunken grandma pie (vodka sauce) - Pizza Near Me - Caldwell, New Jersey

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I haven't been here in many years but I remember they had an awesome grandma pie. I got a grandma slice on the fly on a busy day and it was just as good as I remembered. Delicious. I would definitely come back again when I have the chance. Enjoy read more

Charming local spot in the middle of Caldwell. Family friendly and college oriented dining spot with creative, quality Italian ingredients and dishes. read more

Place was hopping. Hadn't been here in a long time. We decided to order in. Glad we did. I got a veal parm sub which needed its own trailer. It was huge. Not just big though it was delicious. Thin breaded veal with tons of mozzarella in sauce on soft bread. We also got chicken parm entrees a d a sub. Devoured. Mozzarella sticks which were perfect. Spicy vodka sauce pasta which my daughter loved. Stuffed shells also a hit. Spaghetti and meatballs good. Lastly a personal pizza which was sizeable. Nice people. Parking lot. Delish I'd come here again. Sorry no pics we were hungry. read more

I brought my family of 13 people and I will definitely go back. The food was excellent! I ordered 7 hot antipasto platters (for one) and the waiter said that would be too much and he was right. Instead he recommended two doubles and that was plenty. The only problem was I was no longer hungry when my Zuppe DI Pesci came out. There was plenty of fish in both the antipasta and the main course and it was quality fish. So I brought my pasta home. My wife (who is much harder to please) loved her meatballs & spaghetti, she took a lot home also. Everyone else enjoyed their meal. My vegan grandson said he had the best pasta he had ever had. The waiter was excellent, the service was excellent the ambiance was very good. The only problem was that there were several big parties at the same time and the noise was very loud, but it didn't affect the service. read more

Food is good. Pizzas are good, chicken parm is good, pasta dishes are good. Service is prompt and cordial. Ambiance is okay, especially in the upper section. (Lower section is mostly dedicated to walk-ins and take-out orders. Doesn't say anything about reservations on the website, but they do take them, so if you're dining in make one, especially on weekends. Then go next door for some really good ice cream. read more

My husband, my young daughter and I walk in and are seated right away which was nice. I mention that we want to order some pizza for my daughter and the server tells us they don't serve pizza in the restaurant portion so they make us move to a table in the pizzeria right in front of the counter. THEN when a server comes to set us up with plates and silverware, the same woman that made us move tells the server "they're not ordering dinner, they just want pizza". It was the strangest initial experience at the restaurant. We order mozzarella sticks which I did not like. My husband got the mozzarella en carrazo because he wanted to try it and I liked that even less. I got the bruschetta pizza. I liked the bruschetta however the crust was stale. The one thing I really enjoyed was the mariners sauce that was served with the bread. read more

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Best Italian around and specialty pizza is next level. Can't go wrong with anything on the menu, service is great, dining in and take out are both great options. Also a nice private party room available for events! Only note: if you're ordering out, don't get the lava cake unless you want melted ice cream or ask for the ice cream on the side. read more

Food and service were incredible.. Our server, Gina, was friendly and attentive throughout our meal. I particularly enjoyed the chicken dish, which was cooked to perfection and had a delicious flavor. The restaurant had a great atmosphere, and I appreciated the attention to detail in the decor. read more

To be honest we haven't been here as much lately. When we moved to the area a while ago, we use to eat here or order almost every week. We never had any problems but just started trying other places and once that happened. There's just so many to choose from around. We hadn't been back in a little while. But we ordered from there about two weeks ago and I remembered why we liked itvso much. The food was amazing. The delivery got to the house quick. Still hot! Really enjoyed the chicken franchise and chicken picata. Definitely going to keep Forte on the radar read more

We were there 9/27/23 Service was amazing, everyone was attentive but not overbearing. The bread and Margherita sauce were delicious. I don't usually eat bread but the sauce was so good you just want to sop it all up with bread. I could just eat this all day lol Grilled Octopus was tender yet grilled, not rubbery or tough Chicken Giambotta was good but I enjoyed my hubby's Pork Chop Special (forgot what it was called) and he liked mine better so we swapped lol. The pork chop was delicious, nice thick slice. We came here because they were working on opening in Hackensack and heard it would be their 3rd location. So a little google search and Caldwell was closest for us to scout. ;) read more

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Take out ordering is a breeze. The counter staff is well trained, and the food is delicious. read more

Forte Pizzeria - A #7 w/Breaded Eggplant/Fresh Mozz., Arugala. I added roasted peppers to it doused w/balsamic vinegar. - Pizza Near Me - Caldwell, New Jersey

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In the past (about 5ish years ago) I was here a handful of times - dinner, plus a few lunches. For takeout lunch I always ordered the house salad with grilled chicken. Everything was always good. BUT customer service was always iffy. It was my experience back then that the girls taking orders weren't the friendliest. Not that I needed to be gushed over, but a smile and a "thank you" isn't that hard. The guys on the other hand were friendlier. On Saturday I popped by on my way to an appointment and got a slice of pepperoni pizza to hold me over until I got home. The pizza IMO was OK, but definitely not the best I've ever had. I'm not a fan of thick crusts, and this slice had that. The one saving grace was the pepperoni. But let's face it, anything with pepperoni is good. I can't really give 4 stars because of the pizza experience. But the guy who helped me was very sweet read more

Forte Pizzeria - Pepperoni Slice - Pizza Near Me - Caldwell, New Jersey

The pizza has become mediocre. There's not enough cheese on pizza - very skimpy. I realized this when I went to the new ShopRite in West Caldwell and they have a pizza kitchen. The slices were unbelievably delicious, plenty of cheese and sauce, and just really like a NY style pizza should be. And prices 20% lower! They have takeout. read more

I ordered a pizza at 6:30 for delivery and at 8pm they delivered a cold burnt pizza that tasted like cardboard. Never again

The food was perfect. We started out with fried calamari and warm red sauce and a steaming bowl of pasta faigolia soup. I preorder my chicken cacciatore on the bone because it takes about a hour to cook. It was so so tasty and the mushrooms, onions and peppers were done just right the sauce wasn't too sweet. My husband had spaghetti with clam sauce and the sauce was topped off with the right amount of lemon and butter. Our friends had chicken parmigiana and veal scallopini. Veal and chicken done to perfection. The waiter knew how to serve the food and when to come by to see if we needed anything else. So much food, enough for dinner for the next night. Too full for dessert. Highly recommend going to Forte in Verona,NJ off of Bloomfield Ave read more

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Ok let me start by stating the wife used UBER eats and my usual shop in Caldwell does not, so unbeknownst to me this order routed to Hackensack. Here's my story, I've had dam rough luck this year health wise and been battling cancer since April. This "blessing" has had me in the hospital 2 separate times and rehab after each stint. I am currently in rehab as I write this. My wife stays by my side from opening till almost closing at the facility and each time she kisses me goodbye with some encouraging words, I watch her leave and wonder what I've done to deserve such a dedicated and loving woman. Anyway, I've reviewed numerous dinners at the Caldwell restaurant all positive experiences. We've been saving Fortes on line for a treat. Our order consisted of steak sandwich/mushrooms with hot cherry peppers. My wife ordered veal parm sandwich. Sides of pasta fagioli (sorry) and stuffed mushrooms. This Hackensack facility used minute steak and forgot to put the best part on, The hot peppers! Wifey veal was dry and had far too much cheese. Really disappointed a sick man and also my wife who suffers along with me. This was a poor disappointment for a guy who's not eating much. read more

Without a doubt the best penne vodka slice I've ever had. A lot of pizza places make the dough and throw on some penne vodka pasta and when you go and try and eat it the pasta falls right off the pizza. At Forte however, you'll notice how heavy each slice is because it's a dense slice of pizza, with baked penne vodka pasta on top. Not only do you get the gooey flavor from the mozzarella cheese of the pizza, but also get to enjoy penne vodka pasta piled on top. Hoping to go back tomorrow if I can talk my friends into going with me. read more

Forte Pizzeria - Penne Rigatoni Vodka Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Caldwell, New Jersey

Forte is a cute spot for Italian food. I usually get the parpadelle quatro, which is delicious and hits the spot every time. The person I went with got the pizza and thoroughly enjoyed it. Service was good, but I didn't love where they sat us which was right next to the counter where folks pick up their orders. The ambiance is typically for a pizzeria/ristorante. read more

Forte Pizzeria - Pappardelle Quattro - Pizza Near Me - Caldwell, New Jersey

Hello Forte: We were a party of 10 or 12 people we had a table fixed very nice. The owner usually give us a free appetizer and he did not no big deal. We been going there over 10 years. But when our main course course came out eight out of ten said the food was horrible. maybe because we went on a Friday it was to busy. I ordered veal Marsella the mushrooms were big as gulf balls and the sauce flat no taste. my other friend ordered a pasts dish he took to bites and rolled his eyes horrible. Mr Forte we spend a lot of money when we come there please look into. P.S service was great. read more

Finally did takeout from Forte which always has customers inside and outside. Phoned in order and it was ready in 30, as they said. The thin large cheese pizza was very tasty. Calamari with spicy tomato sauce, good and bountiful serving. Star of the evening: arugula salad limone. We were both surprised how flavorful that was, and it was wonderful with the other dishes. We have now tried many Italian spots in Verona and Caldwell, yet we are not close to trying them all! So many Italian spots here that it truly is Little Italy in NJ. We now understand why Forte has such a loyal customer base, even when the virus was roaring. We will return. read more

Forte Pizzeria - Calamari and Arugula Al Limone Salad - Pizza Near Me - Caldwell, New Jersey

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Rucking eight miles around Hilltop Reservation triggered hunger pangs. We decide pizza to be the proper treatment and, as we heard folk tales of their Grandma Pie, we opted to try Forte Pizzeria. In addition to Nona, we also ordered half regular and half pepperoni. The family's tastebuds were satisfied. Somehow, my rucking muscles were soothed, too. Now, I've read the reviews and the critics rating this beautiful pizzeria at one star appear petty and vindictive. What a wonderful place. read more

I took my wife and mother to Forte for the first time today. Upon entering the restaurant, one of the waitresses sat us at a table. We went for lunch, so we grabbed the lunch menus and placed our order. The bread was stale and hard. We received our meals, and heard the hostess complaining that we were eating on the wrong side of the restaurant. We did not seat ourselves. We were directed to a table and no one asked if we were having lunch or dinner. Our table was near the hostess stand, so we heard everything. We were right there and the hostess made some very rude comments to the other employees about us. My mother was getting upset and the experience ruined our lunch! None of the employees looked happy. There was a lot of complaining going on, and a lot of whispering. This is an unusually depressing restaurant! There is no way I'm going back there. They don't appreciate your business, and there's not a shred of friendliness or hospitality in the building. This is how NOT to run a business!! Fire that hostess, and anyone else that can't crack a smile. Don't waste your time or give this place your money. They don't deserve it! Plenty of other options in the area. read more

Always on the quest for the best pizza and Fortes didn't disappoint. For a Sunday afternoon the order to pickup time wasn't bad. Wings were really good, was surprised they didn't offer mild but offered BBQ, plain or spicy. Pizza was really good, the grandma was as well but was a little burnt on the crust. All in all a really good pizza place! read more

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Consistently good food and service. Love the garlic knots and warm sandwiches. Grandma's slice pizza is also really good read more

Forte Pizzeria - Linguine and clams - Pizza Near Me - Caldwell, New Jersey

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The Tommy Tomato pie is the best pizza I can remember ever having in NJ, and there is a lot of good pizza in the area. I find myself blown away by that pie. Forte is always reliable with good pizza, good speciality pies, and good food. Good service as well. Forte has been a town staple for my entire life. Anyway, grand slam on the Tommy Tomato read more

Wifey and I were heading to a comedy show in Montclair and needed a bite to eat. My daughter used to come to this Forte all the time when she was in high school and we had also eaten here a number of times. We decided to just get some slices since we were in a bit of a hurry and the place was pretty packed. We ordered a Penne vodka slice, one Sausage slice and two plain slices. The slices were tasty and hit the spot. I've never been a huge fan of the crust at Forte as it's a little crispy for my taste, but that's just my personal preference. This place always seemed to be packed, but they put people through quickly and their take out seems pretty smooth and fast. If I'm in the area I'd be back, but it's way too far away to be a regular pizza joint for me. read more

Forte Pizzeria - Pizza Near Me - Caldwell, New Jersey

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The chicken franchese and mozzarella sandwich was really good if not just for the originality, but it might be better if it had something like sundried tomatoes or roasted peppers because it was missing something. The pepperoni pizza was amazing and might be the best in the area. The Caesar salad with chicken was also really good. read more

Outdoor eating is now the norm and Forte has capacity with reservations. Nice that we could bring my playmate cooler filled beer wine and after dinner drinks. Comfy seating for 6 with bruschetta as an appetizer led to my Zuppa Di Pesce that was just the right amount of Scallops, shrimp, calamari, scungilli and lobster tail over linguini. Sauce was good but seemed the shrimp and lobster were over cooked and the scallops had the Sodium triphosphate aka metallic flavor. My girl had Eggplant Parm with salad that she enjoyed very much with half coming home. The rest at dinner enjoyed their meals and after Chocolate Cake and Cheese cake we were thinking about the gym but instead hung out the parking lot for a few drinks. Service was great, staff friendly and will come back. read more

Forte Pizzeria - Zippy de Zuppa di Pesce - Pizza Near Me - Caldwell, New Jersey

I've been ordering here for well over 30 years now and I have yet to have one meal wasn't up to par. Everything they serve is cooked perfectly and above all delicious! To dine in is a bonus, but their deliveries are always on time. And if it's going to be a while, they will be honest and tell you it will be a while. The finest Italian food and pizzeria anywhere in the area! read more

this place is so good!! i discovered it with one of my boys and fell in love with their cesar salad slice!

Yo...this place is so good. Bustling with college students and locals. The bottom layer of the pizza is crispy all the way to the crust! The dough is so light and airy. Omg. I will say, the blue cheese on the buffalo chicken pizza is super dank, so if you are a fan of that this pizza is right up your alley. As you can see from the pic, I couldn't wait to take a pic before biting into the grandma pizza. Although the grandma pizza has a simple ingredient list, the flavors were not. The pizza sauce was so flavorful accompanied with the mozz cheese. Bruh. Notes: A MUST TRY. read more

Forte Pizzeria - Buffalo Chicken and Grandma Pie - Pizza Near Me - Caldwell, New Jersey

The stars are for #1 the food #2 the cordial staff. The ambience is meh, a bit old, a bit run down but you know, some things are better with age. If you love tomatoes, this is the place, skip the butter for the bread and dig into the delicious stewed tomatoes which comes along the bread. You'll thank me later. The menu is extensive ( which is usually a red flag, think: Cheesecake Factory) but every dish here is not only huge and scrumptious too! I simply opted for the stuffed shells of my youth as they seem to be a rare menu item these days and I was in stuffed shell heaven. This was the most ever piled onto a place with the perfect amount of ricotta and mozzarella...and that sauce! Delisioso! The broccoli rabe, sausage...so good! The food would make any italian grandma proud. read more

Been going to Forte on and off for the last 15 years. From pizza to dinners. Food is sometimes great and other times just okay. Today was a deal breaker for me as a customer. I went in around 4:15 to get some slices to go. As i was being waited on i watched in dismay as one of the pizza makers was at his station and texting on his phone. He put down his phone right next to him and grabbed a dough to make a pizza. How gross is this. Phones are the dirtiest thing in our lives. Here is a guy making food with his hands after texting on his dirty phone. By the time I got home i was so grossed out I couldn't eat my pizza at the thought of this. read more

Wry difficult to make reservations. They take info and promise to call, but never do.

I have been coming here for years. Always thought food was competent and well prepared. Not any more. Dishes seem haphazardly conceived and put together. Telephone ordering is rude and dismissive. The whole situation/experience is now mediocre, at best. This has happened while prices have gone sky high. This place now need real work read more

This was my first time at a Forte pizza. It was a Saturday at 11:15am after running a 5K race across the street. I ordered the Sicilian slice and what I learned to be a Thai Chili slice. I started with the Thai and then cooled down with the Sicilian. I enjoyed my meal while watching ESPN and soccer on the televisions and listening to Christmas music. The slices appeared to be fairly large with a crust of medial crunchiness. They were very tasty and very much recommended. read more

We got our normal half margarita and half white pizza from Forte'a a while ago. We looooved the margarita! It was a great balance between the sauce and cheese. The crust was crispy and delicious too! We didn't love the white pizza- it wasn't our favorite but it certainly satisfied a craving. I'll def go back, maybe this time try the vodka pie slice! read more

This place has been a standby for delicious Italian for years. My husband hasn't been so while in the area, we decided to go for dinner. The place isn't too big and is divided btw a more casual spot and a slightly nicer part w/cloth tablecloths. We opted to sit in the nicer side and were greeted w/a big helping of Italian bread and marina for dipping. Service is fairly fast and attentive which is good. BYOB as well. We decided to try the grilled eggplant appetizer special for $15 which was really good. Well cooked w/o being overly chewy with a good helping of vinaigrette. We then split the eggplant rollatini for $17 and the rigatoni vodka for $14. The rollatini (3) was well cooked and flavorful with a healthy helping of mozzarella on top. Also very filling! The creamy vodka sauce over rigatoni was also a good choice and recommended. Nothing entirely new or inventive - just good, reliable, classic Italian food that is exactly what you expect. read more

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