I haven't been to the Colosseum for about 20 years - have been twice in the past and enjoyed the food. I decided I would do a take out order so I looked at their menu on their website and placed the order. Food was really good, enjoyed it, but I was in for a shock with the price....it cost 32% more than what their website had shown. If I knew the true price, I probably would have gone elsewhere. I wanted to make sure that I had seen the numbers correctly, so just looked on their website. There are actually two places where you can view their menu. The one that I had looked at, was more text and descriptions - and not a photo or scanned copy of their menu. It was $19 there....however, on the other link on their website, the photo/scanned version, it was $25. I'd much rather pay the $19 and had that been the price, I would be going back to try other things, but at the $25 figure, there are other restaurants I enjoy that are that price or even less. I liked the food, I really disliked the price. A darn good think that I didn't eat there and had to pay a tip, not to mention IF I had some wine....I opened up a bottle of wine I brought back from Nova Scotia, which was enjoyable and I saved LOTS of money. A shame there is a difference - if not, then the prices are what they are and I wouldn't have gotten shocked and would feel entirely differently. read more

We used to go to the Colosseum frequently until one night when I ordered Alfredo with shrimp. The elderly waiter asked if I wouldlike to have jumbo shrimp? There was no price listing on the menu and the waiter did not offer any information about to cost. Knowing the price of jumbo shrimp is generally $19.99 a pound I anticipted a bump in the check; which I was fine with. When the check came it turned out the price of the jumbo shrimp was $5 a piece ($30!) - really! I asked for the manager and pointed out to him that I felt the Colosseum was "gouging" and the fact there was no notification of the price. He said he was sorry that I was unhappy. He offered us after dinner drinks - we don't drink. He felt the situation was resolved by giving us an $8 restaurant gift certificate. The situation was resolved by the fact we haven't been back since. Nor will we ever return to the Colosseum where the buyer trully has to "beware"! Tom F - Salem, NH read more

The service was terrible, we barely got checked up on, and we got rushed out the door even before we finished eating. The place was a ghost town inside. This place is for old people with zero taste buds. It smelled like a nursing home in there, and after I couldnt eat more of the drenched shrimp scampi(literally completely flooded with oil), we left to go get some taco bell. read more

Some traditional Italian dishes and other more traditional fare with an Italian flavor. Had pasta with meatballs and it was well-proportioned and neither overly spicy nor greasy. Service was very attentive and not hovering, and we like it when the waitstaff lets us eat in peace. Not cheap, but certainly worth the price and drive. read more

Was looking forward to a nice relaxing dinner. The exact opposite happened. Walked in and there was very loud entertainment. The front of the house seemed to have no idea what was happening. We had a 730 reservation and didn't sit down until 815. Then we had to wait for our server to come to our table. Once he came he was very good. He was very attentive. The food was very good however you couldn't have a conversation due to the loud and not very good music. Have dined there multiple times before and enjoyed it very much. After last night I have to say I will probably never go back. read more

The only reason why one would visit here is that it is not crowded and quiet. Food portions compared to traditional Italian Restaurants are very small. You still pay about $90 for meal for 2 with drinks and bread. The House Specialty Colosseum was ordered. It was like eating dried up overcooked Barber Foods Pressed Stuffed Chicken with broccoli poured over mushroom gravy. No bread was served like any Italian or even chinese restaurant. Bread has to be ordered at $5 for two very small child size bites. A far cry from traditional Italian dish or menu with no Lasagna on menu ! Even Applebees serves better Italian food !! Two stars are given because of following : Server was courteous and beer/mixed drink prices reasonable. read more

An absolutely outstanding dining experience from start to finish. I, along with my family and a friend and his family, were visiting Canobie Lake Park and were in the mood for a good Italian feast. I searched the reviews of places in the area and, while The Colosseum didn't seem to have a particularly favorable Yelp rating, the menu was more than enough to sell me and the others on the place. I'm so glad we ignored the mediocre reviews, because this place is just fantastic. From the warm fresh bread to the wonderful (and strong) martinis, through the excellent Arancini (so creamy and flavorful!), Calimari, rolled eggplant, and "Colosseum Stuffed Mushrooms" the place was a hit with everyone at the table, including five little ones who couldn't get enough of the amazing marinara sauce. The main courses were even better, with my Gnocchi Colisseum (gnocchi in a creamy bechamel with prosciutto and peas) and my wife's wonderfully rustic Carbonara proving this was more than just some strip mall Italian joint! My oldest boy ordered the Chicken Parmesan and, let's just say he met more than his match and went home with more than three quarters of it to feast on the next day. The kids had dessert while the adults had espressos, but we all took a bite here and there when they weren't looking. The pistachio cake and Oreo Pie were decadent to say the least. As an Italian, myself, and someone who has eaten at some of the best joints in Boston and Providence's famed Federal Hill, I can confidently say that The Colosseum stands shoulder to shoulder with some of the finest Italian restaurants I've eaten at. read more

Both good and bad. Last night we had dinner here with another couple and friends for a long time. My wife complained about her haddock. My pasta and sausage was good, but then the music starting blasting. The music was so loud, we had to leave because even long time friends could not hear each other. What's worse, when we complained to the waitress and manager, NO ONE CARED. I will not return. Music during dinner is fine, but when the music is a problem, then that's a problem. read more

This place is absolutely amazing! The food incredible I had the Chicken tartufo over homemade pasta. Service was great too, kept checking in on me while eating. I will be coming back! read more

I absolutely love this place. The food is unreal and the staff is all so wonderful. Great find for authentic Italian.

Went Friday night for dinner and it was amazing! The chicken Francise was recommended by two servers so I gave it a try and loved every last bite. The chicken was cooked perfectly that it melted in your mouth. The lemon sauce was so tasty. My father got the chicken Parm and ziti ( he gets it everywhere we go lol) and he absolutely loved it. We ordered three entrees, 3 beers, a sangria, and a coke and the bill was on $97. I was shocked how cheap it was. I can't wait to go back and try one of the 10 other meals I wanted. read more

I ordered a salad with a side of veal palm. The veal came on the same plate as the salad, which was ok with no sauce, but I ordered veal PALMAGIAN. The waitress took it back and added sauce and cheese but it was on the same plate. It's ok if you like sauce on your salad. I didn't complain about that. I have NEVER had such a thin piece of veal in my life. It seemed like a corn meal batter, which on each side was thicker than the meat. I could only taste batter. I scraped off the outside to reveal the paper thin meat and showed the waitress. She said at 1st that it was because he buys the very best veal and all the veal they serve is the same thickness. then she said that some other restaraunts use pork and mash it down thinner and serve it as veal. She even suggested that I try the other veal dishes instead. Then I told her that I like veal palm! Thankfully, they took it off the bill. Go to Ralphies or Trattoria Amalfi. read more

The Colosseum Restaurant - a man and a little girl sitting at a table - Italian Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

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Unbelievable food and great service. Always feel at home when dining there. The staff goes out if their way to welcome you.

Ugh. First off, the decor looks like an upscale IHOP, or perhaps, a cheap wedding. The place was pretty empty on a Saturday afternoon, and our waiter threw our napkins at us and watched us until we put them on our laps. Hi, rude. On to the food. I played it safe (so I thought) with the Spaghetti & Meatballs. It was lunch, I wasn't starving, and I didn't think a $15 plate of something more robust was necessary. My pasta came out in a dish full of red water. Hi, have we heard of straining spaghetti properly? On top of the spaghetti was this THICK sauce, that all stuck together like paste with meat in it. I couldn't eat it. I scraped it off the pasta and ate my spaghetti plain, with the red water. I tried putting some of the olive oil they have on the table, on the pasta, (since it was basically plain anyway, sans the water) but that just made it worse. The meatballs were also undercooked so I didn't eat more than a quarter of one of them for fear of salmonella or something. On the plus side (and the only reason why I gave 2 stars), my guest got the Spaghetti Aglio Olio, possibly the most simple Italian dish possible. Olive oil and garlic over spaghetti. That was pretty good, but it's kind of hard to screw it up. The portion was pretty small. Tab came to around $30 for two dinners and a gingerale. Soda is $3 per glass. But don't let $30 fool you, most things on the menu are $15+ (even at lunch time). Also, they only serve balsamic vinegar & oil with non-caesar salads, otherwise I probably would have tried one. Overall, I would never, ever come back here and I wouldn't tell anyone to try it. I'm honestly am appalled that people are comparing it to cuisine in the North End. Not even close. read more

My husband and I went here with a couple of friends recently. It wasn't particularly busy for a Saturday evening, and if we hadn't been wrapped up with chat chit we might have been more annoyed with the long wait to take our order, refill drinks, etc. I ordered the eggplant parm with gemelli, which was excellent. My husband was a little less enthused with his gnocchi. My friends both got the veal parm, which they both declared to be very good. Being a vegetarian I just took their word for it! The drink list is extensive and the Bella Donna martini I had was very good. The creamy lemoncello was perfect after dinner, as were the chocolate creampuffs from the dessert cart. (At first we said we would not partake in any dessert, but who can resist a chocolate cream puff?) read more

I cannot believe one of my favorite Italian restaurants is in a strip mall in Salem, NH. Seriously, these people know their food and care about their customers. It is a nice place, but you can totally get away with jeans during lunch. They use quality ingredients and the prices are perfectly reasonable. The mussels and shrimp are so fresh, I recommend any dish containing them. I almost always get the ziti alfredo with chicken and broccoli here. This is one of the only places where I will order it because it is always consistently good and totally worth all those calories. The desserts are to die for. Some are imported from Italy, others are from Boston's North End. I always have to have the rum cake that is covered with bright green marzipan. This is the only cake I have considered good enough to serve at my wedding. No kidding. Great cappuccino, too. Service is always wonderful. The staff is well-trained and highly professional, I love it. read more

Tried this again yesterday for luch and had another poor food experience. Although they have many acalades in their foyer, you would'nt know it by tasting the food. Do yourself a favor and spend your hard earned money somwhere else. read more

Awesome food and service!!!! WE LOVE THIS PLACE! The steak pizziolla is my husbands favorite dish! The eggplant romana was amazing and salad and bread and stuffed artichoke! Yum!!!! Met some really nice people at the bar too! Highly recommend this pl read more

I took my daughter there for lunch for her birthday. I got the veal and eggplant and my daughter got the stuffed calamari. Both were terrible. The veal was about an 1/8 inch thick and the eggplant was undercooked. Tha calamari was bland. The service was also bad. No smiles and never came back during the meal to ask how things were and never refilled our cokes. Better off at Ralphies. read more

Don't be fooled by the lack of stars on this place it's just a glitch in the yelp system. I've been coming here since I was a baby and could only eat tortellini soup responsibly and it's still my favorite Italian restaurant (and I live in New York now...) Two words: Veal. Parm. Tried and true for 25 years. read more

My wife and I stopped tonight for a bite at the bar. For the most part the entrees were pretty good. I had Veal and she had eggplant parm. Service at the bar was slow, the appetizer "World Famous Seafood Stuffed Mushrooms" Were horrible. Fresh seafood should not have a fishy smell or taste. The martini menu was a bit pricey for what you got. I don't think we'll be back. Not very impressive. read more

First time at The Colosseum and was not disappointed what so ever. We started with the stuffed mushrooms which were delicious. For meals, I got the chicken cacciatore which was very good. My bf got the chicken parmigiana which was great as well. The portions were huge! The best part of our dinner was our amazing waiter Danny! What a delight he was! Great service! Thank you for a great night! read more

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My friend and I both got spaghetti, sausage and meatballs. 1 Meatball, 1 Sausage. Singular, not plural. This had to of been the worst pasta, worst sausage and worst meatball ever. It was old. The sausage was dry and tasted at least 2 days old, probably older. I swear, they made this food yesterday or the day before, and slopped us leftovers. I'm sorry to have to give this review. Two people told us both it was pretty good and the prices for lunch were good. I am extremely let down. I'm pretty upset. I should have went to Wendy's. Would have gotten much better food and I wouldn't have had to wait as long as I did for the food. Also, I asked the hostess for some romano cheese... you wouldn't believe how much she gave me. Seriously? I ordered TWO pasta dishes. She gave me the tiniest pinch of cheese. Not even enough for one bite. We BOTH are extremely upset, and I actually wish I could get our money back. Not sure who is running the show at around 1:00pm, but there wasn't a SOUL in sight inside, but I wonder if the actual OWNER or the manager saw what we were given, if they'd be pissed. read more

Been coming here for years. What once was is no longer. Microwaves are working overtime. If there was ever a place that needed Gordon Ramsey, its here. read more

I've frequented the colosseum for over 10 years now. The food is always consistently outstanding. You can try to find Italian cuisine anywhere... But you'll never be able to duplicate the cuisine at the colosseum. I ordered the seafood stuffed mushrooms, the stuffed artichoke, and a shrimp appetizer... I highly recommend all of those choices. You will not be disappointed. I can't wait to go back and try their pork chop dish. The couple next to me were eating and it looked like it was fit for a king. By far the best choice for authentic Italian cuisine with so many healthy options. read more

A lot of hype for just ok.... There are a lot more authentic and better tastingmeals around here and in Boston. The owner is just a little too full of himself. Staff is ok and decor is cheesy. read more

Excellent service , pistachio martinis are fire . This place don't miss food is phenomenal .

I don't know why this place has only 3 stars . We went here after Copper Door and Tuscan kitchen turned us away due to long wait times / full reservations . This gem is tucked away in a little plaza and has a very unassuming exterior. Don't be fooled though ..you enter and are greeted by an impressive array of legit fresh nonna- baked pastries / cakes / cannolis / tiramisu . Hot steaming plates of in house made pastas with creamy light non greasy sauces . Hell just the drinks is 5 stars . Food would be an additional 5 stars and the service and friendliness - all round 10/10. Salvatore at the bar has worked here 26 years and let me tell you this man knows his way around the bar . Cocktails come to life under this maestros creative fingertips . He makes a mean Manhattan . I mean better than what I have tasted in most of my travels- national or international ( you d be impressed at my passport stamps which tells you a lot). My friend ordered the Gnocchi Colosseum. Airy gnocchi melts in your mouth and the sauce is pretty complex in flavor which tells me it did not come out of a can. The shrimp scampi was a good pick too . I honestly doubt you can order anything bad here . Go here , you will not regret . Live music happens once in a while too . Call to confirm . Maybe you ll find me here drinking another Godfather . Bellisimo! read more

We came here tonight for my mother's 60th birthday. We were actually supposed to go to a different Italian restaurant but the wait was too long. Anyhow, we were seated immediately at The Colloseum. The waiter we had was fantastic and our food was delicious. We will definitely be back! read more

lunch recently, we went in and were not sure they were open as it was empty and pretty dark on a pretty drizzly day....but folks appeared and soon we were seated at the bar.....they have 3 stars on yelp and that is about right, it is ok.....service was pleasant but seemed that everyone was running around doing something else....drinks were decent and as ordered, calamari tasted like something out of a box, chicken parm was tasty but their pasta sauce is sort of orange so it looked like some kind of buffalo chicken dish, chicken piccara was ok.......so OK!!! read more

I typically don't write many reviews, but this place deserves way more stars than it has! In the past year I have been to several restaurants in the North End and The Colosseum had superior food at MUCH better prices. My husband and I went for Valentine's Day this year in the blizzard. It took us 30 minutes to get home (we live 15 minutes away), but it was totally worth it! We shared the stuffed mushroom appetizer, I got the Fruitti de Mar, my husband got the Chicken Parm and we got some cannolis to go. All of the dishes were delicious and were very generous serving sizes. We'll be going back for sure. read more

My original review was removed because my wife signed up for a yelp account using my email address and this is apparently against the rules. Anyway here it is again, I strongly feel it needs to be said. We stopped in for lunch as they opened. We were the first customers of the day. We both ordered veal cutlets and spaghetti. To start, the bread they served us was obviously day old and stale. Our entree's arrived, the veal was rubbery, not tender at all. It was also tasteless, because it was waterlogged. They didn't drain all the water from the pasta and the cutlet was sitting in a puddle of water, causing the breading to separate from the meat as well and watering down the flavor of the sauce too.. This use to be our go to place for family celebrations and I can't recall it ever being this bad in the past. Nevertheless, we can't see us ever returning. read more

I ate at The Colosseum tonight and I was less than pleased with my food. I ordered the chicken piccata and it had green peppers on it. As soon as I saw green peppers I was immediately turned off. I told the main waiter as well as my waiter that I was not satisfied. The staff just continued to look at me. When the waiter told his manager about it they did nothing to make it right. Instead they made me pay for the food that I did not touch or eat. I personally would not recommend eating here! I am actually really disappointed since I am from out of town and was looking forward to a nice meal with my family. read more

Italian food made when you order. Service is good, food is good but a little expensive.

Excellent caesar salad and amazing fettucini I came in for lunch the place was dead and the service was slow at the bar. He seemed to be very busy doing everything but paying better attention to his only customer instead of stocking the bar, taking phone calls, waiting on the owners and being out of sight half the time. Glad the good made up for it. read more

I used to come here years ago when I first met my wife. So, for the first time in years we decided to try it out. We were seated as soon as we stepped through the door. We were so surprised how much fun we had. The owner even asks each table how everything is. This meant a lot to me. Also there was such a positive feeling you get from patrons to staff. Not to mention the food is out of this world, and affordable! Our order consisted of 2 entrees, 2 sodas, a kids meal, 1 appetizer, a bottle of terrific wine, and rice balls to go. All of this was 97. This was money well spent considering you are treated like kings and queens. I would suggest the stuffed seafood mushrooms. They were huge and tasted great. I'm a customer for life now they definitely gained my business. read more

This is the type of Italian place that doesn't use ricotta in their cannoli filling or offer tiramisu for dessert. Enough said.

Not a good dining experience, feel that we wasted our money. I will not be returning to this restaurant. Food was not great.. Service was extremely and painfully slow. The care factor from the staff was just about nonexistent, just got excuses. I would rate this place a zero if I could. We were a party of four adults. It took a good 15 minutes before our server came to our table and took our drink orders. It took another 20 minutes to actually get our drinks. We were told that the bar was backed up. We ordered an appetizer and then ordered our meals when our drinks came. It took about an hour and twenty minutes to get our meals after we had received our appetizer. We complained after an hour and were told that they had a big party in the back room. They do cook to order but an hour and twenty minutes is just too much. My feeling is that they know the capacity of their restaurant and how long it takes to make the dishes and should staff accordingly. When we finally received our meals, it was obvious that they had sat under a heat lamp for a while. They were lukewarm and not well prepared. My gnocchi was very pasty to the point that it stuck to the roof of my mouth. Another person in our party had the Veal Marsala which she said was tough. My husband had the veal colosseum which he said was good. Do yourself a favor, spend your money elsewhere. read more

Came here with a friend on a Friday night and sat at the bar. We spoke with the owner Michael and he was letting those at the bar taste a special appetizer the baby stuffed artichoke. It was incredible. My friend and I both had a Manhattan that was made perfect with Basil Hayden's. Then out came our meals. I ordered Chicken Francese, which is a light lemon sauce over homemade pasta and chicken. It was incredible and my go to dish here. I highly recommend dining here as this is a true family style restaurant. This is no chain restaurant and you can tell that everything is fresh and made to order. I think my favorite part is how the owners work around the bar and make sure to greet each guest as they arrive and as well as farewell when they leave. It truly feels like heading over to your Italian family's house for dinner. read more

My husband and I were here tonight and we had an issue with the amount of the veal that came out on his food and he mentioned that to the owner. She did n't think that this was a problem and she did nothing for us as we had gone to this establishment a few good times during covid. I also just had come out of the hospital a few weeks before and was told to only eat gluten free pasta. Well we were never told that the price of that would be an extra $5.00 added to the bill and she was not sympathetic that I didn't know this. Really? Are you kidding me???? How would I ever know that. We told her that we would never go back as she said times are hard and places are trying to make a living and actually that is why we went During covid last year many times. The veal dish didn't matter to her. They finally took the $5.00 off the order after much back and forth. Really?? Not a fun night and I would suggest thinking twice about ever going here as they have the worst customer service! I just mentioned going here with my family today... not happening!!!! read more