Have you tried Kent's newest Italian gem? Step into @maddalenas_kent , where every dish feels like it came straight from Nonna's kitchen and every cocktail is crafted with a whole lotta love. Opened in 2025, Maddalena's brings cozy, nostalgic Italian vibes to downtown Kent -- warm lighting, vintage china, chandeliers, and that lively, inviting buzz that makes you want to stay all night. The Food From house‑made pastas to fresh seafood and rich Italian classics, everything is crafted with care -- and yes, the wood‑fired pizzas are an absolute must‑try. Crispy, blistered crusts with bold, fresh toppings that taste like Italy in every bite. The Cocktails Sip on house‑made limoncello, infused spirits, and creative cocktails mixed with fresh juices and syrups made in‑house. Whether you're out for date night, catching up with friends, or treating yourself to a beautiful meal, Maddalena's is the cozy Italian spot you'll want to return to again and again. Cocktail: DARK CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO MARTINI house infused vanilla Watershed Vodka, Borghetti Espresso Liqueur, Cocoa Bitters, *Bent Tree Espresso Blend Beer: Blue Moon Antipasti HOUSEMADE FOCACCIA castelvetrano olives, lemon, roasted garlic, rosemary Pizza Wood-Fired SPICY 'NDUJA E CIPOLLA caramelized onions, robiola cheese, mozzarella, oregano, honey Pasta RADIATORE ALLA VODKA E 'NDUJA Calabrian sausage, sun dried tomatoes, broccoli rabe, creamy vodka sauce From great service, to the food, to the crafted drinks and the entire vibe -- this place is a must‑try if you're in the area. 10/10 read more

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Sweet! Another contender in Kent for a really great meal. Maddalena's food feels like your fav Italian auntie or Nona made it! That's what I pictured anyway in the first bite Dinner at 6:00 no reservations on a Thurs for 2. Would have been a 45 min wait, we were offered 2 seats at the pizza bar. Score! We were looking forward to dinner and a "show". Service is top notch. Friendly, helpful easy going. We went and the summer menu had just started. Which I think is a great thing to visit a place the menu changes. Food. We tried the meatball app. rich beefy flavor without the meatball being a dense brick. A chunky tomato sauce packed with flavor. We both wanted pasta and our server helped us pick. We requested 1 swap tomato sauce instead of pesto. The server had to check with chef. It made me think they almost were not going to honor the request. But they did. Phew We loved the orecchiette and rigatoni pastas. Both with sausage one spicy We also had the house made focaccia bread with olives and herbs and a really amazing dipping Olive oil We finished with 2 mini scoops of strawberry and hazelnut gelato. Setting. This is a tiny place. They packed it with tables and chairs. The result is LOuD. And barely room to squeeze in or walk through. That brings the experience down for both of us. Sitting at the pizza bar we could mostly hear each other. I suspect at the tables (by all the shouting) it was difficult to have a conversation. I would love to go back. Might try lunchtime and pray for less crowd This is food we loved to eat! read more

Maddalena's - Italian Near Me - Kent, Ohio

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Delicious & creative menu ! Dishes are authentic Italian with such attention to presentation . Servers are great with full knowledge of the ingredients . A MUST TRY !! read more

It's not often I would drive 40 minutes to get to a restaurant. But we all loved our first time here. Service, food, drinks and atmosphere were all great! The artichoke appetizer, warm olives, salads, pasta bolognese and fish of the day were all really delicious! And homemade gelato with interesting flavors. We chose oatmeal cookie gelato. So good. We put our name in, no reservations and walked around until our table was ready about 45 minutes. There are seats at the bar, but it was a nice night so we didn't mind walking around. A perfect meal! We will definitely be back! read more

This place is an absolute treasure. The entire staff was wonderful, and the food was truly amazing. My wife had a Bolognese that she raved about and I had an Italian sausage pasta (special) that was so delicious. The ambience of this restaurant is very quaint and welcoming. The owner took time to speak with every table....You just don't see this anymore. They go the extra step and appreciate you being a patron. I highly recommend this restaurant! It is our new favorite Simply Wonderful!!! read more

Absolutely loved everything about this place - great atmosphere, very well made cocktails, wine list on point , pasta perfectly cooked , fresh seafood, prompt & friendly service , can't recommend this place enough - A+++ read more

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So excited to have this awesome restaurant open up in Kent! Delicious food in a really cute setting. It is a little loud but the great service and food more than make up for it. This will become a regular spot for us. I got the arancini and bolognese and loved every bite. The homemade hazelnut gelato was the perfect end to a delicious dinner. read more

From start to finish, one of the best meals I have had at a restaurant. The owner, Mandy, was so warm and welcoming. Not sure what to say about the food, other than wow! Every single thing was fantastic. Definitely our favorite place! read more

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Amazing food This restaurant just recently opened in Kent and so far is living up the hype. Food is absolutely delicious and at a fair price. This alone makes it worth a visit. Entrees run about $20-30 but portions are large and tasty. Beef short rib was amazingly tender and flavorful. Matches $50+ beef dishes I have tasted elsewhere. Garlic bread was good also. Tastes more like cornbread tbh but still flavorful. Will run you $8 though for a large load, debatable value. Inside decor is modern upscale but it also is extremely packed and loud taking away from the fine dining ambiance. Service was also very slow with basically full seating which is understandable. Overall I definitely recommend this restaurant for upscale but not quite fine dining in the Kent area. If you don't mind the atmosphere being more casual and just want affordable yet fancy food, give this place a shot. Overall 4.5/5 Only improvements I'd suggest are making the garlic bread complimentary at a smaller portion with an entree purchase. And definitely get a reservation for larger parties. read more

Maddalena's - Garlic bread - Italian Near Me - Kent, Ohio

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First, big shout out to Paige our waitress who was awesome! Second, the food was amazing! Highly recommend for a birthday dinner or just any night. Calamari was tasty we had to fight over them! Mussels and sauce were to die for! We also had to fight over the bread! The vibe was great! Nice cocktail and wine menu. read more

This is not the best spot if you're looking for a traditional, filling Italian dish. In my opinion they try to be a little bit too fancy and wouldn't give a family member I was with noodles on the side with a meatball? Pretty nice people and the service was average. Nice presentation but it's a little tight and everyone is squeezed in there all back to back. It wasn't bad trying it but considering the prices and meal I got I probably wouldn't go back. read more

We have been to Maddalena's 2x now. The menu is amazing and we love how it changes. We appreciate the quality of the food and the service. We have had two great experiences and can't wait to go back. The atmosphere is a whole vibe. We have sat at the bar and at a table and the service is spot on along with the drinks! read more

Maddalena's - Chicken Saltimbocca - Italian Near Me - Kent, Ohio

The Experience matched the exceptional food! We had Veal Scallopini, Grouper and Chicken Saltimbocca. The three of us gave our dishes a perfect Ten!! Our server Olivia made an excellent wine recommendation for a Bottle of Chianti. The owner Mandy came by & Spoke with us to insure we were satisfied. The Chef? Give Emily a raise!! Thank You Maddalena's for an outstanding dining experience!! read more

I don't like paying for garbage american italian - this is priced right and very excellent.

Maddalena's is a restaurant that serves truly authentic Italian food... I know because my dad was born in Italy and my mother was a proud Italian American cook.... I wish she were still with us because she would love Magdalena's. (and, she was very picky) many reviews state that it is loud. I. Wondering if they have ever experienced dinner in an Italian home....Seriously though--food is excellent, moderately priced, and served by a great staff. And, Mandy, the owner is Sincere, professional and truly accommodating. Love, Bon Appetito read more

Excellent food, fabulous service and an intimate atmosphere. Highly recommend. Finally a restaurant that truly understands seasoning!

Incredible on every level. Flavor, service and ambiance. Sat at the bar with Mandy and had an incredible time

Out of towner just passing through and came her because of the good reviews. I wasn't even in the mood for Italian but the pasta dish I had was great. This is one of those places that you can't go wrong no matter what you order. Caesar salad was top notch also. read more

Amazing little gem on North Water Street in Kent! Ambiance looks like you're in an Italian cafe and woodfired oven out in the open. Great food and drinks and service that is personal and attentive. read more

Newer restaurant in an old remodeled building. Good use of a small space. Well appointed but loud. Service was professional and attentive. Unfortunately the food was subpar. Pasta was dry as if sitting under a heat lamp too long. Kale salad was mostly a bowl of kale. You had to buy a basket of garlic bread. I've never been disappointed by bread before but this was a strange almost garlic corn bread texture and missed the mark. The pizzas coming out of the pizza oven looked good but no one in our party tried them. Maybe that's the go to. I'd say it's pricy for the small portions and having to buy bread. These may be growing pains as it is a new restaurant but is that enough reason to wait and let them mature before going back....? Maybe. 2.5-3 stars. read more

In a town where most menus are geared toward college crowds, Maddalena's is a much-needed and refreshing addition to the Kent dining scene. Everything we've tried so far -- from the meatballs and Caesar salad to the daily fish special, pasta nero, and short ribs -- has been packed with flavor and expertly prepared. The atmosphere strikes a perfect balance of cozy and casual, with friendly, attentive, and accommodating service. A quick heads-up about the meat pizza: it's delicious but very spicy. If you're sensitive to heat, you might want to request it without the chili oil. Overall, a fantastic experience -- bravo! read more

First time dining at Maddalenas-fish entree and pizza were both very good-Kent needed a restaurant like this-we'll be back!

Good food, great service, fantastic cocktails, however, it is so loud in the restaurant, Tass had to yell across a two top to have a conversation. read more