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    Backstage Cafe

    3.7 (81 reviews)
    ModerateItalian
    Open 4:30 pm - 8:00 PM

    Order Backstage Cafe Takeout or Delivery

    Backstage Cafe Photos

    BACKSTAGE CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Backstage Cafe

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    The most disgraceful pizza ever, it was 32 dollars wasted I was so mad.
    Sarah J.

    the pasta was delicious but we ordered a pizza from here and it was completely sopping wet yet charred also. NEVER order from here and avoid it in general what a shame to screw up pizza that badly.

    Menu 7/21/2023
    Kenny H.

    Nice little Italian restaurant with a mom and pop feel. The building is older with aluminum windows and signs of a obvious previous water damage noticeable in the main dining area. Otherwise appears to be maintained. The food is delicious and delivered on a hot plate with a smile. Pleasant Italian restaurant music lightly played in the background. Portion size is respectable being it's labor intensive making house made meatballs and lasagna.

    a woman sitting at a table with a beverage in front of her
    Dianna M.

    Sarah was our server and she was delightful. The interior is small and quaint. I'd suggest that you arrive before peak hours to get a table. We enjoyed everything that we ordered (see photos) and had a lovely time at this establishment.

    janet B.

    Wow wow wow.last time we came here it was awful.clearly they have a new chef and I AM IMPRESSED!! We are definitely foodies and will drive to Portland for dinner any day for a quality meal. We had an appetizer called for fondata....delicious!!! My husband had the Butternut ravioli which was just perfect.ihad the duck breast with gnocchi figs and goat cheese.it was seriously spectacular!!! My only complaint was I could t eat it all. A part of me doesn't want to tell people how amazing this is so I can keep it to myself but I want them to succeed and if people know they certainly will. Absolutely spectacular and I'm thrilled they are here!!!!! The wait staff was sweet and helpful.such a great experience!!!

    Undercooked dough
    Sarah H.

    We were excited to try a new pizza place but that quickly disappeared. The chicken was inedible and spit out the first chunk. It left a rancid chemical taste in my mouth. I am very confident that they have not tasted the chicken. The crust not completely cooked. This was NOT worth $30 on Doorsdash.

    Lasagna
    Layjay G.

    It's a self seated spot, the atmosphere is refreshing, the food was amazing fresh as could be the flavor just blankets your tongue

    Logan M.

    I have not been in the restaurant before but I Ordered a medium calzone through door dash so I was expecting a little bit of a drop in quality that could plainly be noticed. I didn't notice this at all. It was so cheesy and the meat was a perfect amount of greasy. If you like your pizza/calzone dough on the doughier side like I do, then you will love it. But still a nice little bit of crispy on the outside. Definitely recommend checking this place out.

    Medium combo pizza with no peppers, Olives, or onion.
    Sara M.

    I ordered for takeout. I'm from out of town, house sitting, and picked this place because I felt like pizza. When I walked in, I was pleasantly surprised with the wonderful atmosphere. I wish I could have had a sit-down meal with friends or family. I went to the counter to pay for my order and the manager was very nice and personable. I special ordered my pizza, and she double-checked to make sure I wasn't overcharged before I paid. When they brought me my food, it smelled Devine! The kind of wonderful smells that make it feel like torture as you drive home. I ordered a specialty pizza and an order of Fonduta. The pizza is comparable to my all-time favorite pizza. It was a chain that was very prominent where I grew up, but hard to find in Washington state. Needless to say, I loved it! The Fonduta, on the other hand, is so flavorful and delicious I am in heaven! As I sit with both in front of me, I just want to devour the Fonduta and the crostini that came with it. I rarely leave a written review, but this place is worth every word! If you live near Kelso, WA, and you haven't tried the Backstage Cafe, you are inevitably missing out on exquisite food!

    Excellent dinner salad (very fresh not like bagged salad) and incredible Italian dressing.
    Jeff M.

    I have been frustrated for quite awhile that we don't have any Italian Restaurants in our area and have to go to Portland for it. But today, I discovered Backstage Cafe. This hidden gem seems to be unknown but has a small but flavorful menu. I went for a late lunch and was the only patron. I think the waiter was also running the kitchen, however I didn't feel shorted on either service or quality. I had an amazing dinner salad with some of the best Italian dressing. (I could have that on own!!!) I also had the spaghetti with meatballs. This was served in a timely manner, quite hot and with good flavor. The sauce had some chopped veggies and was well seasoned. The meatballs were excellently cooked and were meaty (I don't usually like meatballs that are ground too fine and these are not.) Overall greatly impressed and looking forward to going back.

    Pear dessert

    I often lament about the lack of high quality options in this area, but just had the most AMAZING meal at the Backstage Cafe in Kelso. I cannot believe I have never dined here before! It has to be the best kept secret in the area. Everything from the garlic shrimp to the brisket to the pear dessert exceeded my expectations. We realized too late that we should have taken photos of the main courses. My husband who loathes onions even picked through the risotto that accompanied the shrimp because it was THAT delicious! If you have ever wondered where high quality fare can be found in this area, you don't need to look any further. We will definitely return!

    Backstage Cafe
    Jay W.

    We stumbled upon this cafe by accident. Sometimes by stumbling we find the best ones. Such was the case here. I'm actually surprised there aren't more reviews for this place since its been in business for many years. It's also attached to a theater where not-so-current movies are shown along with food served from the cafe. There are two separate services. One is for lunch and finishes by 2:00. The dinner service is entirely different with butcher paper table cloths and a special full dinner menu. Both menus are great with something definitely for everyone. Lunch menu includes sandwiches, salads, soups, hamburgers, pizza and even Italian food. There definitely is something for everyone. The chef to this location is fairly new to this establishment and his food was fantastic. It was obvious you weren't just in a back street diner. Food was several steps above and you knew there was a good chef in the kitchen and not just a line cook. It was lunch and we just ordered the pizza combo special which included an amazing salad, small pizza and iced tea. Food and service was great. I would recommend stopping here. It's not the normal diner. The debate was whether this should be a 4* or a 5*. It really should be a 4 1/2* but if we try the dinner service, maybe it'll get an upgrade.

    Charming exterior

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    29 days ago

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    10 months ago

    I absolutely love other handmade, pastas, pizzas, and everything else you have to offer a real tour of Italy.

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    1 year ago

    Great food and service. We are quickly becoming regulars! The restaurant is small but never crowded.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Business owner information

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    Mike J.

    Thank you for the awesome review. - Mike

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    4 years ago

    This place is enchanting and amazing. Everything is freshly Made to perfection. The staff goes above and beyond.

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    3 years ago

    Wonderful service and great food. Server took our order promptly and food was delivered in a timely manner. Give it a try.

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    Ask the Community - Backstage Cafe

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    No soup today. On…read morethe road, I wanted something that I can eat while driving. I decided to get a couple of breakfast sandwiches and a pastry. I got the ham and cheese croissant and a Asiago sausage and egg bagel. I really didn't need two sandwiches since each were both filling. The bread for both was warm and each sandwich was okay. The pastry was really rich and just too sweet for me. Overall four stars. The service was great and the food was good.

    Very clean, spacious dining room, complete with a fireplace, which was especially nice yesterday…read morewhen I was there and it was cold and raining outside. I ordered through the kiosk, just inside the front door, which I found intuitive and easy to do. I ordered a bacon egg and cheese sandwich on ciabatta bread and it was amazingly fresh and delicious. I also ordered coffee, but would have preferred the option of getting my coffee cup (for the self-serve coffee station) before waiting for my sandwich to be prepared. Prices are reasonable, even though in my opinion coffee could be offered for a little less. The sandwich had so much bacon, I was shocked. Probably had 6 strips on it ; really generous with the bacon. Also appreciated that they have real cheese instead of that American "cheese"nonsense that many places offer. Drive-thru is available and one can place an order using the Panera app and specify "in store" or "drive thru" pickup preferences.

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    This is definitely a hidden gem. True it's a small town and a couple off Hwy 30…read more During the week they have an all you can eat. Crazy. $15.50 per person, includes pizza, salad and a drink. To make it make it better, the staff on 2 separate occasions asked us what kind of pizza we would like, they made one and it was perfect. If you're in area and need a bite, come by this place. You'll be happy.

    I was at Hometown Pizza a little over a week ago and it was around 7:30 pm. I was playing the…read moreOregon lottery. The owner was not there or any of the other nice workers that I knew from before. This young blonde haired girl was there that I have never seen before. It was 7:50 and they would be closing at eight. The girl walked into the slot machine area and commanded that I leave immediately! I said I just have $8.00 left and would hurry. She started yelling at me to get out now! I could hardly believe her rude behavior and I have never been treated so rudely by any other business owner! In fact I usually stay while the other pizza place vacuums! She Made me feel so horrible and her behavior was unnecessary. Because I didn't jump when she said she came in and made me cash out $8.00! She was trying to tell me it was against the law and all this other garbage. What she didn't realize is when I win I tip those kids at least $20. I will never go in there again thanks to the rude blonde girl! That's ok because the other pizza place has better food and the people that work there are very kind. Just did not have to be treated like that and they really don't need that rude person there hurting the business!

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    Backstage Cafe - italian - Updated May 2026

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