This place is so outstanding the only thing they could do to make it better is to broaden the menu to add items. Everything is spectacular but they could use a few more dishes. The mussels appetizer and beet salad are terrific as is the heirloom tomato salad. The marinara sauce is yummy, rich and sweet and the specials are always outstanding. The service is great as are the pomegranate martinis. Definitely a favorite. Pizza is super thin and crusty, very New York style. read more

Well it was touted as the best pizza. Not as take out that's for sure. Good but problems. All ingredients fresh. Dough is flavorless. While I'm sure take out makes tons of money the pizza is not the type that does well by the time it gets home. Sorry and I really wanted to love it. Vero hands down better and that's probably why they refuse to do take out. I will try it again in house. read more

Was so disappointed ,we got the bass with the mussels meal and gnocchi and it was super fishy and tasted horrible. The calamari was great the salad was good, the wine was mediocre but the waiter didn't care that we didn't like the entrée. The waiter did offer us a free dessert but we declined. We have eaten there for years and was so disappointed in the meal, every meal we've had there has been amazing- just not tonight and the service was not so good. read more

Best pizza around the area. Il Greco is delicious. Fresh ingredients. A bit more pricey but much better quality than the competitors.

I've had pizza from here a few more times since my initial post and wanted to bump the score up to a solid 5 stars as they've been consistent and the quality of the food is always on point. Hands down the best pizza I've found on the east side of Cleveland! read more

Stopped by for a late night pizza and wow were we impressed. They had a spot on the patio which had a great view of the parking lot, but as far as patios go this one was pretty nice. The server disappeared a lot but i always had water in my glass and had he been more visible may have had 2 glasses of wine instead of one... Ordered a Margarita pizza and it was delicious... Tomatoes and arugula were very fresh. Sauce was tasty as well. Wish we had went with the small instead of the large but had leftovers for days so thats not always a bad thing! read more

Small, narrow, NY style restaurant with open kitchen. Very romantic spot for dinner. This is NOT Olive Garden. Chef/owner worked in New York and his goal has been to bring New York style upscale dining to Cleveland Hts. The calamari app is very good, pasta's are big portions and usually very good... especially the home made Bolognese... but think about 'splitting' the entree portion for two. The thin crust pizzas are excellent. The wine list is ALL Italian, some good picks both in red and white. Salad specials are usually very good. The only drawback can be the service on the weekend. Lots of well meaning college type waiters working the room, and on a busy night, the service can get slow..... during the week it is not a problem. read more

This is a very small restaurant, around 8 tables and though we came after 9 on a Friday night, we had to wait 20 minutes for a table (they don't take reservations). The calamari appetizer was delicious and Caesar salad was also very good and we both loved the vegetarian pizza, but thought the pepperoni pizza was very salty. Service was excellent. You can tell that they use very fresh high quality ingredients. Most entrees were $20-30...beer and wine were also expensive. read more

Carryout. 18 inch thin crust cheese pizza. $14 super crisp.

Nice patio but small. They need to do something about the parking lot headlights blasting into the patio. I had the penne and it was a huge portion... But only so-so on taste. Tasted like pasta from a box. Good wine list and appetizers. read more

Been coming here for YEARS for New York-style pizza. Best in Cleveland by far. The entrees are fantastic as well. I wish parking was better, but welcome to Cleveland Heights! Don't let that stop you though. Some of the best Italian in Cleveland. read more

Excellent place! The pizza is a thinner crust, light, and flavorful. The alads as really creative and come with amazing fresh dressings, the sun-dried tomato, mmm!! Save room for the tiramasu which is one of a kind! Great dining experience, and can't wait to try more options! read more

I was very much looking forward to dining here after my friends enthusiastically talked about it. Our waiter never mentioned the specials to us but the table next to us got the full run-down. My husband's Crown & Coke tasted off. At first glance, most pastas and entrees are $25 ish. We started with salads. I opted for the sun dried tomato vinaigrette with Gorgonzola. I had to salt it because it was under seasoned. And there was barely any Gorgonzola on it. I went with the gnocchi. Again, under salted. The sauce was nice and creamy but it didn't have much flavor aside from the included sausage. Now here is where it gets weird...the wine list. How in the world can a restaurant with entrees in the $25 price range have a wine list that only lists varietals and no brands? I asked the waiter about the brands and he was very sheepish about it. Translation: these are cheap wines, folks. Yes, they are mostly Italian varietals but how can you pour a Super Tuscan for $8 a glass? Hmm... this place seems to be an old pizza place that one day decided to expand into a full size, albeit super small restaurant. Given that Dante in Tremont, Nora in Little Italy, and Trentina in Cleveland Heights has similar price points in their menus, these places are all head and shoulders above Marotta's in terms of food quality, restaurant experience, and certainly wine list. I don't get it, Marotta's, but we won't be back, and I am sad to say that. I really wanted to love your restaurant. Or maybe we completely missed the boat by not ordering pizza... read more

Marietta's has the best pizza and great Italian food in general. Great atmosphere. Wonderful wines. It's a restaurant of choice for both special occasions and Friday night pizza. read more

If you're 50 or over, pick up your cloak of invisibility at the check-in station. I will only be doing Marotta's take out from now on. Service was getting consistently less attentive to the point that you had to budget more than an hour to get a pizza in house. The last time we were there, the waiter was positively insulting. When we asked about the specials, he blew it off saying, "You know the same old, same old." I don't know what wild hair was up his ass but he eliminated two customers for good. read more

I had the most amazing meal and it was during Happy Hour!! It's more than appetizers and drinks- full pastas and pizzas. I left out of there so full I had to walk it off- now that is one darn good happy hour. I'd also like to thank my server, Jeni. She was attentive, sweet, and made excellent recommendations! This is such a great little spot to have here in the Cedar Lee area. The intimate setting was perfect for a dinner for 1 or 4. I'll be back often... and with friends! read more

The best New york pizza is not at 14th and 3rd, or Lexington and 86th but on Lee Rd at Marotta's--thin crisp crust, savory sauce and just the right amount of cheese cooked to perfection. With lots of interesting variations, you can't go wrong and the price is definitely Cleveland, not big Apple at $14.00 for an extra large 8 slice plain pie. Pair it with the fantastic arugula salad and you've got a meal for 3-4 people. read more

Fantastic Italian food - the pizza is amazing, pastas excellent - and the service is always attentive without being overbearing or annoying. Servers are very knowledgable about the dishes and wines. A pleasure! read more

If you're looking for really good Italian food in Cleveland Heights, you've found your spot. I haven't had pizza this authentic since I backpacked across Europe after I graduated with my Philosophy and Gender Roles in Postracial America degree from Case Western. The service here is amazing. My waiter Bradley was so attentive to my every need. And don't get me started about the ambiance. It looks like a romantic cafe straight out of Venice in the middle of Cleveland Heights. Now onto the food. In my world and national travels, I've had some good pizza. Personally, I think NY pizza, like everything else in New York City is overrated and not terribly unique. I've been to all of these places- Capri's needs to just turn into jeans. I've been to Santarpio's in Boston which was better than any NY pizza, aside from the fact that my car got stolen in that neighborhood. Stop in an try their margherita pizza and enjoy a glass of Chardonnay on the lovely patio! read more

Excellent food and great service! Get a pizza or maybe the pasta. Can't pick which is better.

Nice atmosphere, bad pizza. Ordered Margherita pizza, after reading reviews about crust, imagine pizza baked on a Ritz cracker. Cuisine conceived by a triathlete. My three year old who loves to scavenge pizza crust gave it the blech face. Slow service made it even less delicious. read more

I was there the other night with 5 other people. I have eaten at this restaurant at least a half a dozen times and thought it was fairly good, if a bit pricey. This night was terrible, I don't think that any of the kitchen staff was over 18, the service was incredibly slow and the server couldn't cut the pizza with a pizza wheel. Yet she served it, even though she didn't know where to put it on the table. The pasta's were average, but served lukewarm. We were there for 2 and 1/2 hours, had 3 pastas, 2 medium pizzas, 5 beers and a $200 tab. Oh Well, live and learn. read more

Marottas is a Cleveland Heights staple. Of course the pizza is amazing as we all know in this area. You won't be disappointed with any pasta dish as well! And to top it off the service is always superb!! If you are new to the area this is a must try. And if live in CH and haven't gonna you need to go! read more

I've lived in Cleveland Heights for 15 years and hadn't visited this place until last night. What a mistake! Walked in around 7pm on a Friday and this place was hopping. Stood in line to talk to the hostess and she was happy to let my husband and I have a seat at the tiny bar to have some wine even though we were just going to order pizzas to go. (Most places won't let you do that on a busy night.). Ordered a bottle of wine that was recommended after told me they didn't carry a Malbec or Merlot. The wine was a very nice Italian red and exactly as described. Ordered 2 large pizzas to go and enjoyed some chit chat with the executive chef/owner, Brian. He talked about the business, the vision, and the outdoor patio (which I'm hoping to enjoy this summer!) He definitely knows the who's who of the Cleveland culinary scene and we had a great time talking to him while he tossed some pizzas around. Can't wait to come back to the dine-in side to get another sense of the restaurant. Had to wait until today to write to review as the pizza was to go. My teenage son says it's the best pizza he's ever eaten. I couldn't agree more! We'll definitely be back!!! read more

Really good crunchy pizza. I like that this place is not stingy with the toppings. The waiter was a gem who was kind and made me feel comfortable. I would definitely attend this place again. read more

Marotta's never fails to satisfy me. It's easily the best pizza in Cleveland, and arguably in the state. My family roots are back in New York, and from what I've experienced, the pizza at Marotta's is seriously comparable (maybe even better) than ANY of the Original Ray's shops scattered around NYC. Despite it's small size, Marotta's boasts an intimate dining area with a small, yet impressive menu filled with traditional Italian dishes and deserts. The service was on the slow side, but the food itself definitely made up for it. We ordered a few appetizers and salads (calamari and the arugula salad) but the highlight of our experience was the pizza, hands down. The crust was the best part- crunchy, but not burnt. All in all, this place gets 5 stars. I'm getting hungry just reminiscing! read more

Marotta's is in a great location and the food is very good. 6 of us walked in on Saturday at 6:30 and asked for a table. The person who greeted us checked around the restaurant, came back and said there would be a 45 min wait for a table. There was an empty table for 6 at the front of the restaurant beautifully set. I asked if we could have the table inside and her reply was, "it's taken". I asked if they now take reservations and she replied "no". I felt very unwelcome and probably will not return. read more

Went in Friday night, was expecting to get pizza but opted instead for the lobster special. It was perfectly cooked pasta with very rich but well balanced lobster flavor. Plenty of knuckle meat, with a fairly small tail, it was reasonably priced for what it was. The service was polite and professional, although I wondered why it took so long to get salads. The salads themselves, which were free with the purchase of entrees was enormous for a house salad and the creamy garlic dressing was addictive. Overall, I am sold that this is one of the best Italian eateries around. read more

As far as cleveland pizza goes, this is my favorite. It's got a particularly good crust. It's good for dining in or taking out.

Wonderful Italian Restaurant, but not in Little Italy. No place I've found makes a better Bolognese sauce. It's not always on the menu, but it's worth calling ahead and going when they have it. Everything I've had here is excellent. The place is small and can get quite loud on a busy night, especially when groups show up. read more

Never dined in, but for great NY style pizza, this is the best I've found in Ohio. It's a bit expensive, but always my top pick on pizza night. read more

We almost always eat in. We usually eat the pizza, which is excellent, but the mussels and other entrees we've ordered also are very good. The service is always stellar, too. Highly recommended. read more

I've been going here since it opened. I'll occasionally dine in but as a lover of NYC style pizza and living about a mile away I often carry out. Over the past 9 months the quality of their pizzas has deteriorated, uneven cooking, saggy crust, burnt. Last night may have been the final straw. I went in to pick up my pie and was the only one at the counter so I started to say "pickup for..." No eye contact from the woman behind the counter who was doing something else, maybe a check. I'm waiting while a couple other workers are standing around. Finally she hands me someone else's credit card to which I replied " that's not my card, I haven't even paid for my pizza yet. I've been worried. "The woman then says "wait a bit it" and then goes off with a bill and apparently the credit card. I was still the other person at the counter and editing. Meanwhile another worker hands me a bag and says "here's your Caesar Salad." I told him no that's not playing I'm here to pick up my pizza. Do they give me my pizza? No, I'm still waiting as the only person at the counter. Finally after waiting for a while the woman comes back, gets my pizza, prepared and runs the bill. Almost 10 minutes and I was the only one at the counter. I get home, open the box to find a burnt crust, hard and crunchy. Lousy, apathetic service and unorganized. Never used to be like this. Has there been a change in ownership? Change in management? Anyway time to look for another carry out pizza place in the Heights. read more

Awesome place! Very small so you might have to wait on the weekends, but worth it. Pasta portions are huge and pizzas are some of the best in the city. Nothing pretentious about this place, just great food. read more

A lot better restaurants to be had, while the food and pizza was average. Service was completely dismal. From lack of bringing out appetizer, not asking if additional drinks were needed when wine was emptied before meal was served, to picking up card and never bringing out a bill just the card swipe read more

This very popular neighborhood Italian eatery is a mainstay of the Cedar/Fairmount neighborhood. Last night, for the first time, we came early enough to avoid the crowds and long waits. (Marotta's does not take reservations.) We were not disappointed. The food was excellent -- especially the Mussel appetizer. Less impressive was the atmosphere. The lighting and glare from dim lighting and overhead window irritated and the pacing of the courses pretty sluggish. Also, the Pinot Grigio was served too cold, was of indifferent quality and only half full in the glass. Our server was warm and accommodating. All in all, it was worth a return visit. read more