We had a lovely experience at Cafe Roma last week. The service and food were fantastic and memorable. We started with some calamari because how could you not at an Italian restaurant? Our entrees included spaghetti with veal meatballs and the special Lamb Chops. The veal meatballs were a change from your typical beef meatballs and they were excellent. We just wished there were three meatballs instead of two. The lamb chops were the best that I have ever tasted. They came in a sweet red wine sauce. The meat was cooked to perfection with just the right amount of pink. I could not gush enough about this dish and would get this over and over again. And to end our lovely meal, we got the limoncello cake and tiramisu. The limoncello had a strong lemony flavor which was superb. The sponge in the tiramisu was slightly overdrenched and felt too "wet." Still, the tiramisu had a distinquishable coffee flavor. For a romantic evening out, I love this place. read more

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I always enjoy Cafe Roma! Their food is always flavorful and hot! I highly recommend the shrimp and scallop alla panna! They also have a great muscles pasta! Their garlic bread is a must and I always pair my meal with a glass of red wine. The service is great! And the Ambiance feels like you're not in Maryland anymore! Haha read more

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We were on the search for Italian food last night. I don't eat Italian out much because I'm picky since I grew up in a house where you make your own. The manager is the star for me. On the ball. Attentive. We really enjoyed our food. The pasta and sauce were so amazing we couldn't stop. My whole bronzino was cooked perfectly. The tiramisu seemed the real deal. And the wines we had were fairly priced and excellent. How could it have been 5 stars? Our server seemed uninterested in anything we had to say and kept trying to take our plates before we were finished. Our bread never materialized. Our wines took forever to deliver. Calamari was tasty but just a hint of rubbery. Overall we would definitely go back. read more

Needed a last minute meal! Every dish was served hot and most delicious. Fast service and was able to add substitutions which was fantastic!! Love supporting local!! read more

I have to say my family loves this place. The staff are always very customer service oriented and the owner is always wonderful to say hello the challenge I had this time is it took over 30 minutes to bring out my soup and then more time for our food, they forgot my fiancé soup so we told him to cancel it, the place was not that busy for a Saturday night so I can't understand what the delays were about. Finally, the reason for the three stars is the seafood and pasta did not taste fresh. My scallop tasted like bleach, the shrimp was hard. The mussels and clams were cooked nicely. I asked for my pasta to be al dente, and for the most part I would give them credit it was cooked as requested. I gave the dish 4 out of 10. My fiancé got the veal piccata with angel hair pasta. He felt it had a nice taste, properly seasoned and prepared. he gives it an eight out of 10. Well we won't give up on this place. I feel like this was just a bad night for my dining experience; however, I may give up on some dishes.. read more

Café Roma - Seafood Platter - Italian Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

After a long day of work, I stopped by Cafe Roma for dinner. I started my night with a Peach Martini, a fruit forward cocktail. While waiting for food, I was given a basket of bread served with butter. I would have preferred it served with olive oil, balsamic, and parmesan. For starters, I enjoyed the Gamberi Aglio Olio and Small White Pizza with Fontina Cheese. The Gamberi Aglio Olio consisted of five jumbo shrimp sautéed in a savory garlic butter and white wine sauce. The Lobster Ravioli was not what I expected to taste like. The lobster cream sauce resembled an alfredo sauce and I was not a huge fan of it. read more

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The food was a little bit greasy, but the place is nice. It was very quiet and a little bit weird mixed feeling but in general we had a good experience. The service was a bit slow. My food didn't taste very good so I asked them to bring some sauce and then I find out they charge me for that.!! read more

Got a simple spaghetti with meat sauce and this was pathetic...at first I thought they had the sauce in another container...nope... Bread was awesome read more

I'm a little spoiled because I lived in the Boston area for 8 years and had access to amazing Italian food. The food here is fine (got lasagna and another pasta dish), but nothing spectacular. That lasagna here is better than Capo Deli in Potomac but not as good as Gemellis (though you have to cook Gemelli's at your home from frozen). read more

So I was REALLY craving some white sauce pasta tonight, our usual go-tos for Italian are Greggorio's Trattoria or Il Pizzico. TLDR: Those places are better. It's Thursday night and we decided to check out Cafe Roma because it was closer and seemed to have good reviews. I ordered the fettuccine Alfredo pasta with chicken and David got a large Everything Pizza. For appetizers, we got the stuffed mushrooms. Oh and they also gave us cold bread with butter which I think wouldve been nice toasted or maybe with some olive oil and parmesan? Stuffed Mushrooms: No salt was used. Like at all. Didn't season the mushrooms and there were no breadcrumbs in the topping, which was also bland. Fettuccine Alfredo: Chicken was dry and some pieces were hard. Became hard to eat after a while because the sauce didn't stay creamy and luscious, it sort of solidified and just wasn't good to eat. Everything Pizza: Well one thing was this was a BIG pizza. The not good was that the cheese wasnt evenly distributed (see photos)? Like some slices straight up didn't have cheese? We liked how the crust was thin. Still wouldn't recommend. Overall, was pretty disappointed at our experience. Wait staff was just fine as others stated (they forgot our garlic bread) and didn't give off the most friendliest vibes. Ambiance was decent, it was a small ish restaurant but they were able to make it feel somewhat homey. Will stick to our usual go-tos. read more

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So I just found out our favorite Italian neighborhood joint has a chef from the long time well known Pines of Rome in Bethesda! No wonder the white pizza and osso buco are off the chain and so nostalgic ! Please skip the everyday pasta and go for the daily specials. I mean the ravioli is awesome and pesto gnocchi is absurd but roast veal, soft shell crabs and rockfish with crab are next level amazing. Burrata, fried calamari and white beans are our go to apps but please leave room for tiramisu, chocolate mousse cake and of all crazy things... my fav flan anywhere! read more

Café Roma - Sleeper hit seafood pasta - Italian Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Our absolute favorite Italian place in the DMV. It's hard finding good Italian places when you're used to the options that Boston has, but I've found a place I finally love! Food is wonderful and the flavors are consistent each time you come. Exceptional service and their manager is very knowledgeable in food and wine pairings. Their wine selection is really good! It's a cozy place but definitely worth getting a little dressed up for a low-lit dinner with my love at our favorite corner table. Cafe Roma also does an excellent job with larger parties. Give this neighborhood Italian place a go, you won't regret it! read more

Café Roma - Fettuccini Pescatore - Italian Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

If you're looking for a quiet dinner out, with delicious Italian cuisine, and very friendly staff... Look no further. The menu has all the classic Italian menu items, so you are guaranteed to find something you'll love. read more

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Let me first start by saying I am from NY! I've been looking for an Italian place that serves chicken Francese. Which is my favorite Italian dish. No one has it in the DMV. Only Cafe Roma offers it under another name --Chicken Doratti. It's so good that I ask them to add the sauce to my pasta and not give me marinara. I've been coming here for two years and every time I come the food is fantastic. Tonight I invited close friends of mine and everyone raved about all their dishes. I licked all my plates clean. I'm not going to sugarcoat it! We all ate everything. Can't wait to go back. Big plus free parking up front too. You can't go wrong here. Also they make the best French martinis everrrrr! read more

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We have ordered takeout from here a few times and everything has always been delicious, and tonight we dined in for the first time. It was my daughter's birthday so we had a large group, and they were incredibly accommodating. They brought out drinks and bread promptly, everyone's food came out hot and delicious, and they even wrote happy birthday on a plate for my daughter's dessert and sang to her. The service was wonderful - refilling drinks before they were empty, checking in to see if we needed anything else, and they even boxed up the leftovers for us. It was a wonderful experience and we will certainly be back! read more

I wasnt sure what to expect based on other Yelp reviews but I was pleasantly surprised. The chicken parmesan was very good. Not out of this world but very good. The bread brought to our table was warm and fresh. My mom enjoyed her lunch special and couldn't believe the large portion for the price. The restaurant has a cute, casual feel to it. The only downside to our lunch was the service. We were one of three or four tables and there were several servers. My mom (much to my dismay) had to call ours over several times. It's good to know this place is so close to home! read more

Café Roma - Chicken Parmesan - Italian Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

I have ordered take-out from Cafe Roma 3 times. I've tried different meals to give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt. The food is simply not good. Very bland. My favorite italian dish is shrimp fra diávolo because I love savory or spicy foods. Café Roma should not call what they serve fra diavolo. I got white pasta with marinara sauce at best. Even the garlic bread wasn't good. read more

One of my favorite places. Best to make reservations. The manager is super nice. The staff are very attentive. Popular for couples and large parties. read more

The service was Okay and the food was alright. First we started with cold bread and olive oil and Parmesan for it and it made it pretty good but obviously warm bread would've been better. We then had a small cheese pizza and it was pretty mediocre nothing special to me. For the entree I had the chicken doratti which came with spaghetti and it was actually pretty good. Not in a rush to return but if I did I would definitely need to try the chicken parm. read more

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We love Cafe Roma, it is our go-to for celebrating birthdays, out of town visitors, and good report cards. The service is always outstanding. Our youngest LOVES the flounder with Apricot glaze- it's a huge meal, and they never second guess her our treat her like a baby when she orders from the adult menu- let alone a plate the size of her head. read more

We wandered to Cafe Roma for date night dinner! 1. The Calimari was good (not great), and the marinara dipping sauce was average. 2. The Anti-Pasta was amazing; the olives were the star! 3. The salad (Billy Salad) was pronounced good 4. The spinach ravioli was also declared awesome Overall a little stronger Marinara would improve the Calamari, and the rest of the food was easily strong already. It is hard to do Italian Cruisine as much of it has been Americanized, but they did a good job. I did not eat the included bread, but it smelled amazing! read more

I was pleasantly surprised by Cafe Roma as I am very picky with Italian food but I enjoyed everything I tried here. We had the calamari, lobster ravioli and the chocolate mousse cake. Everything was fresh and flavorful. The service was also very fast and our server was friendly! read more

I have been coming to this restaurant for years and it's so delicious! The chicken Florentine with a side of linguine is amazing. Also the cheese pizza with marinara sauce is so authentic! The staff is always friendly and attentive. I am very picky about my restaurants and this is one of my favorites. This is a five star place! read more

Not sure what happened Saturday night, but everything we ordered was bad. The white pizza crust was too thick , too much cheese, and we had to ask time after time for marinara sauce. The Peppers came out with no parsley and no garlic , was terrible. Had to send the Roast veal back. Twice. Was terrible. The fried calamari was raw and sent back. They then threw it in fryer and reserved. I'm t was terrible. Over fried and chewy. Bad bad a bad , they charged us for everything. Including the veal that was in-edible. Bad. Not going there again anytime soon. read more

Gotten take out from here often mostly because it's the only nearby italian place. Some entrees like the Lobster ravioli are good enough if you're craving. But their fettuccine alfredo is worse than a jar of prego and box of noodles. The people are nice and friendly and that matters read more

Great food and service. We had the chicken Parmesan and lasagna. It was delicious. Highly recommend if you want Italian food.

Got take out tonight and loved it! This is a neighborhood gem that we just discovered and glad we did! We could walk here, so love that it's close and had an authentic Italian menu. Got the gnocchi with marinara, and my husband got the spaghetti carbonara... both were excellent. The one stars on here are not only unnecessary but also unwarranted. I ask before you one star a restaurant, especially a small mom and pop one like this one... why? Because your personal taste didn't align with a dish? People feel too entitled these days that restaurants owe them the world and then some. Don't like it? Guess what, you don't need to go again! Unless you saw rats running around or ok your waiter slapped you in the face, then keep it moving. (Lookin at you Elle D.) read more

The Whole Fried Flounder with Apricot Sauce is a crazy good new fave. It's fried to crunchy skin with tender fish underneath perfection, and the glaze of sauce is delicious. The Antipasto Mixto Salad was a perfect accompaniment. read more

White pizza is great! Usually several good specials, always reliably consistent. Service is attentive and pleasant. Owner always there to meet and greet. Fusilli Quattro Formaggio, Fettucini Pescatore and Chicken Marsala are my favorites. read more

A laid back Italian restaurant...food okay, service great. Location secluded. A wide range of choices on the menu read more

Café Roma - Fried Calamari - Italian Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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I went there last night with my family. First of all the staff at this restaurant are very nice, efficient and attentive. The food was fresh and delicious. They know what they're doing. We will return! read more

Food wise it's closer to a 4. Giving an extra star for the exemplary service. Our server was super nice, he suggested tasty food to eat and could not have been more hospitable. Got the calamari, shrimp and scallop alla pana,, and Cappellini pomodoro. Everything tasted great. read more

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We tried this place based on reviews..l let's just say I wish we left and went elsewhere. The waitress was awful. Barely spoke didn't seem to want to be there and could not get anything right. We ordered two soft drinks no ice.... and she repeated no ice.... the. they come filled with ice. we ordered a chicken dish with sauce on the side.... she said they could do that... dish comes drenched in sauce. We just kept it.... we asked if she knew what was in a dish...she said no and we asked if she could check...she checks and comes out and says "vegetables and vegetables" can't tell us what kinds lime we initially asked, We still tipped 20 percent but will not return.... plus the bread is like a commercial bread with no good crust or taste.... how can you serve bad bread? I should have know at the start. There were other snafus and we skipped dessert as we just wanted to get out of here. read more

I had been looking forward to trying Cafe Roma since moving to the neighborhood. One night, my wife and I were really craving good Italian food - and thought for sure Cafe Roma wouldn't disappoint based on all the reviews and delicious looking photos. Boy were we so wrong. We ordered take out during the pandemic. Fried Calamari Shrimp & Scallops Alla Panna Chopped Clams w/ Linguine - White Sauce Our bread was stale. The calamari was old and chewy. We ended up throwing it away. The clam linguine was pure salt, but probably the best thing we had. The shrimp and scallops alla panna was so oily and heavy. The cream lacked flavor. It just tasted salty and oily. The noodles were overcooked and mush. The scallop didn't taste fresh. We didn't end up eating very much and just threw everything away. Complete waste of money. On top of that, the order took a lot longer than quoted. Service was okay. They weren't the nicest nor friendliest. read more

Food is really good especially the bread and pizza. The ambiance of the place was really nice. Service is on point and fast

Food was alright but the Dining Room was 85+ degrees during our meal... Hope they fix the AC

Nice family friendly restaurant. Food is flavorful and very good. I live out of state however my Maryland family enjoys Cafe Roma. We come here for dinner whenever I visit. read more

Great food for carry out. Don't get me wrong it's a nice place to sit and eat too. The lasagna is fantastic and I haven't had a chicken or lamb dish I didn't like. read more

Authentic Italian fare. Friendly staff. Cozy atmosphere. The ONLY change I would suggest would be better 'Italian' bread for the table. Food was excellent! read more

Excellent food the pasta is always al dente. The roasted veal in the oven is amazing.