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    Cucina Calandra

    3.8 (348 reviews)
    ModerateItalian, Pizza, Bars
    Closed 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Order Cucina Calandra Takeout or Delivery

    Cucina Calandra Photos

    CUCINA CALANDRA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Cucina Calandra

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    Meredith A.

    I came for a conference in this hotel and visited the attached Cucina Calandra for dinner with my family. It was good! Not high end or anything but for a mid-casual pasta place, we really enjoyed it. The cheese bread at the beginning of the meal started us off right. Amazing! The Italian salad was ok, and the spaghetti bolognese was delicious. We finished the night with affogato and that was lovely. Our waiter was friendly. Would recommend!

    Grinchmas
    Michelle J.

    Such a fun spot for the holidays, with cute grinch themed cocktails. Definitely recommend if you enjoy Italian food and wish there were some grinch themed apps. Also they accept reservations and their service is friendly and attentive

    Pappardelle bolagnese
    Diana M.

    Came here for lunch with girlfriends for their holiday grinches grotto. It was such a cute way to spend some time with friends for the holiday. Plenty of parking in the lot. We made reservations ahead of time. The themed drinks looked fun. I personally had a spicy margarita. Food and drinks were good. Service was great. The gave us each a loaf of bread on the way out which was nice !

    Mary V.

    Old-school New Jersey Italian cuisine. Think: traditional dishes and HUGE portions. When we visited earlier this month, the restaurant was under renovation, so they had moved all the tables into the bar area. Servers started us with bread from their bakery, served with olive oil for dipping (yum, cutely served in a colander). We continued with two fresh salads, two pastas (one with pesto sauce, one with vodka sauce) and the chicken cutlet with gnocchi. Again, portions were huge! Felt like a pound of pasta on my plate. I should have asked to add a protein, to balance my carb loading. Other than that, the food was pretty good - for that price point I just look for something a little more inspired. We took home half of the food as take-out. I think they could shrink their portion sizes and reduce their food costs, to reduce their menu costs, and everyone would still have plenty to eat. Just a thought. The short wine list showcases mostly Italian wines. I enjoyed a sambuca after dinner while my family shared cheesecake and affogato for dessert. The restaurant was BUSY and servers were friendly and attentive. Very family-friendly spot with lots of kiddos. To our surprise on this recent Saturday evening, live music started mid-dinner: a man, a guitar, and some entertaining backup tracks. It got a little loud for us, but entertaining, and fun to see all the kids dancing to the music.

    Pasta
    Joanne T.

    Came in for a holiday pop up (Grinches Grotto) with friends and had a lovely holiday experience. Make reservations in advance as they are a tiny restaurant and limited seating. We had pizza to start. It was a hot honey and pepperoni pizza. Delicious! I ordered the lobster ravioli, good but a small portion. My husband had pasta and my friend had seafood pasta. Everything was good. We ordered holiday drink but the presentation was underwhelming. Had few desserts - also average. Overall a good spot. We didn't love the blasting music at the end of our dining experience. They seemed like they wanted to turn it into a night club. Just wasn't the vibe for us.

    Seafood pasta
    Dena H.

    We came here for the Christmas decorations and atmosphere and had a great time! I wish the drinks were a bit more festive or in festive mugs but they were good. We shared the fried calamari to start and it was good. For our entree we shared the chicken parm and rigatoni Ala vodka and both were delicious. My friends also enjoyed their dishes. The food was overall very good!

    Zucchini fries and Fried Calamari
    Gissell M.

    Wanted to find a place with elevated pizza and pasta for a early dinner. On a Monday it's hard to find in north jersey. I enjoy Calandra bread and was excited to try the restaurant. You can imagine the disappointment when they said there is no pizza yet it wasn't listed on the menu anywhere. We then ordered apps but crab cakes come in a trio and not on there own. Finally we get to the dinners and the lasagna packed a punch. It does have peas so I will caution you. Rigatoni vodka was much denser and less saucy then other locations. Chicken was grilled and tasted a bit lemony. Ordered the carrot cake for dessert but it was sold out. Vanilla gelato was pricy but satisfying.

    Cioppino
    Monica D.

    I went with a few friends for their Bacon and Bourbon night a couple of weeks ago and while they had plenty of bourbon (3 tastings with 2 shots each) it was more than we can drink because we had to drive. Also aside from a bacon candle and additions to an entrée, there wasn't much bacon to be had. The selections were very good. I went with the appetizer of shrimp with a bourbon glaze, the Fig n Pig entrée and the bourbon bread pudding. They had an expert on hand to walk you through each tasting and the saxophonist playing was really good. An overall phenomenal value at just $50. I'll keep coming back to this place because it is really good food, service and events.

    Calamari.
    Allison H.

    Since moving to the West Coast, I've been severely deprived of NJ Italian food. Cucina Calandra has always been one of my favorites, with a reputation to match-- several bakeries, restaurants, and a shelf filled with restaurant awards. I've visited Cucina Calandra recently when I was visiting back home, and the food did not disappoint. The portions are generous for the value, and include a warm cheese bread and bread you can take to-go. All the dishes I tried were fresh, well-cooked, and flavorful. The chicken parm dish had a delicious pan-fried crust and toasted, melty cheese. The lobster ravioli special was acidic and savory, which balanced out the creamy pasta. And the calamari was so tender! (The plates will also be the size of your head... Maybe bigger.) Cucina Calandra is a solid spot for a dinner at reasonable price point. (Man, do I miss a good marinara.) Cucina Calandra did seem a little understaffed, though.

    Chicken parm!

    From start to finish the food, ambiance and service was top notch. You will not be disappointed!

    Suzette S.

    My son's girlfriend sent me an Instagram reel about Cuncina Calandra's floral garden pop-up. Hubby and I made reservations. We arrived early and our reservation was for the floral garden but it was a bit outside. We were seated indoors. Great ambience, soft music playing, Tuscan decor. We enjoyed a leisurely dinner. Our server Kenny was great! The cheesy bread was served hot! Yum. Hubby and I selected entree's from the specials Pork chop and lobster ravioli. Bonus: Calandra bakery around the corner you can grab sweet treats and breads to go!!

    Not right
    Ron C.

    My wife and I went to Calandra"s tonight for dinner. How this place is in business is beyond me. The only English speaking people in the whole place were my wife, me and the manager. Firs red flag was when I ordered a bottle of Mondavi cabernet. The waiter brought me a Merlot. He corrected that. We ordered appetizers and main courses. My wife wanted some flat breads that are on the menu. So she ordered two of them. The waiter said to us in what little English he speaks that not on mondays do we have pizza or flatbreads.! Then 15 minutes later all the food we ordered came out at the same time! Not kidding, everything, apps and main courses all at once! So I got up went inside to ask for the manager. Turns out the manager is also the bartender. She had a full bar so we waited a while for her to address the issue. When she finally came to our table, she was very apologetic. Offered us desert on the house. I personally would be embarrassed to even say I am the manager with what is going on there. The service was just terrible and the food was even worse. After I ate some of my pasta, the dishes stayed on our table while they dried up. I had to go inside to find a bus boy. My wife ordered the some Italian salad special, the tomatoes were white, nowhere near ripe. The mozzarella was tasteless, sent that back. My pasta was supposed to have peas and prosciutto, lots of peas, no prosciutto!. Done with thus dump, Ciao, bye, c ya. Here's a pic of the table, food sat there for ever.

    Calamari Fritti

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    a wonderful place to have a family or romantic diner. Excellent food ang great service.

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    Ask the Community - Cucina Calandra

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    As I stepped into the warmly lit dining room, I was immediately welcomed by the hostess's radiant…read moresmile and genuinely cheerful demeanor a delightful first impression that set the tone for the evening. Moments later, we were in the capable and charismatic hands of Maya, our server. She brought not just efficiency, but real joy to the table: quick wit, a warm and friendly vibe, and an infectious passion for the food that made every recommendation feel personal and sincere. Hospitality like hers elevates a meal from good to memorable. We began with the Caesar salad, and it was exactly what a Caesar should be: crisp, balanced, and perfectly executed, with that ideal punch of garlic, anchovy, and Parmesan. No missteps here this was textbook excellence. Next came the meatballs, and they were glorious enormous, tender orbs that instantly transported me back to Sunday dinners at my grandmother's table. Generous in size and soulful in flavor, they were everything you want in a classic Italian meatball. The accompanying tomato sauce was nothing short of velvety luxury: smooth, rich, deeply savory, and so delicious I found myself sneaking extra spoonfuls just to savor it. On a whim, I requested a side of the short rib ragu, and it proved to be one of the standout moments of the night. Braised to fall apart tenderness in what I can only describe as an osso buco style preparation, it mirrored the kind of slow cooked, soul warming short ribs I make at home only better. The depth of flavor was top notch, luxurious without being heavy. For the main event, I went with the chicken Parmesan, and let me tell you; it was the bomb-diggity of chicken parms. Massive in portion (honestly, almost comically large), it arrived golden and crisp on the outside, juicy within, blanketed in that same magnificent tomato sauce and a generous snowfall of melted cheese. Every bite was pure comfort and satisfaction. Congratulations to the kitchen this is how chicken Parm should be done. A lovely surprise came when the chef himself stopped by the table to say hello. That personal touch, combined with the restaurant's charming ambiance lush hanging vines draping overhead like a cozy Italian garden created a wonderfully inviting and relaxed vibe that made the whole experience feel special. I left with generous leftovers, already plotting to pair the short rib ragu with fresh pappardelle pasta at home. From the warm welcome to the passionate service and soul satisfying plates, this was a thoroughly wonderful evening. If you're craving authentic Italian American comfort food served with heart, this place delivers in spades. Highly recommended.

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    We moved back to Jersey a year ago and could not find great pizza. We have finally found it!!!…read more Have been here twice already in a week. The smell of the wood fire as you walk in is amazing. And if you've forgotten a beverage - there's a liquor store across the parking lot!!! Mike is great to speak with as he preps the dough and everyone who comes in is a regular!

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    Cucina Calandra - italian - Updated May 2026

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