Cafe Italia

abagail Javick

Food was amazing. Prices are so fair, best chicken francese I've had in the area. And the cannoli was so amazing. The staff were so kind and it really felt like a family in there. This place is COZY! Felt kinda silly going with a friend for a girls day once I saw the inside, dimmed lights, individual candles on the tables, BEAUTIFUL and perfect for a date night! Can't wait to go back with my husband! Very clean inside!

Donna Czapracki

Love love love the food. Service is always fabulous. Don't forget to bring your own wine for a small cork fee. We visit there every time im in the area.

James George

Cafe Italia is a restaurant that serves "homemade authentic" Italian food. That is neither a good thing nor a bad one. Cafe Italia is a small, BYOB restaurant with friendly staff that focuses on getting you good service fast so that you can enjoy their "homemade" recipes. They do not have the capability to entertain you more than that. So, eat and leave because it is crowded in here. After months, if not years, of hearing so many good things about this restaurant, I was anticipating my first dinner with my family group of 15. We had a reservation, as we were celebrating a birthday. Our whole party was at the restaurant on time. (The parking situation is a bit weird too. They have quite a crammed parking lot with spill-over on to the road and not all spots are clearly marked). Then we had to wait close to an hour for the family that was occupying "our" table to vacate. For the inconvenience, we got antipasto served on the house for the table. Two plates to share between 15 adults. I ordered the fried calamari for an appetizer since it is always a favorite of mine to compare between different restaurants. For my meal, I ordered a risotto, which came with a soup, Italian wedding. The soup came first, and it was the best part of my entire meal. It was delicious and the portion was just right that I did not overfill. The calamari came next, even before I was finished with the soup, so good timing. The calamari was good, but nothing that I would crave again. It was good. The marinara sauce was good. Nothing special. My dinner, the risotto with chicken, was actually a substitute for the lasagna that I initially wanted. I like a good risotto. I was disappointed when I took my first bite of the risotto to realize that it lacked salt (I know, we have different preferences on this) and the rice was undercooked. On the plus side, it wasn't mushy. Rather than a creamy risotto packed with flavor, I got the ingredients mixed with rice in a buttery broth. I may be biased here because I had such high expectations for this place. It is rated a near perfect 5 stars on my social media sites. Maybe I got it wrong or maybe most people see "authentic homemade Italian" and see this cozy place set not too far away from Wilkes-Barre city center, with the BYOB option and friendly staff and are primed to think this place is better than it is. Then again, skimming through the reviews after the fact, I notice that more recent reviews have been pointing to a decline in the quality, quantity and overall experience from this place. Maybe Cafe Italia is past its prime or due for a refresh or rethinking on what they're known for in the past, serve delicious meals in a comfortable setting for families to enjoy.