Location was beautiful! However, once we were seated they gave us water and came back 10 minutes later and gave us only drink menus.... 15 minutes into the service, we finally received actual menus. Only two other tables at the time, so not busy at all. Service was not great. Very weird vibes in there with the staff and they seemed to not want to be there. Food was way too overpriced for how average it tasted. The sauces were very watery and food was insanely salty. Our whole table came home and stayed in the bathroom all night. We definitely thought the all the food was frozen and sauce was just poured on top. Has lots of potential, but this was not a good experience. read more

This is your fair warning. If you're a foodie--like grind your coffee to a certain fineness and scrutinize the flavor profiles of the sauce kind of foodie--skip this spot. The ambiance is tough to beat. Being in an 19th century church with gorgeous stained glass windows takes you back to a simpler time, a welcome environment in today's culture. That alone made the dinner acceptable. Everyone we were taken care of by was extremely nice. We were greeted and seated quickly, and checked on with water topped off without delay. My primary frustration is the food, and it's why I can't recommend this place. The bread that they start you out with, focaccia, is fairly good but somewhat oily on its own. Not mushy, just--oily. The daily changing menu and extensive specials list was my first cue for concern. The menu is never the same with the exception of some customer favorites. I ordered short ribs w/saffron risotto. The risotto tasted like a tap water rice (metallic), and the short rib was extremely fatty. The flavor combination was bizarre to me--short rib with tomato sauce and saffron risotto. Sounded good, but missed the mark for me. My husband ordered some chicken dish which tasted better than mine, but still wasn't wonderful. We ordered 2 entrees and 2 waters. Before tip, our bill was $62. I don't think I'd return. Wish them the best though, as many of the other patrons seemed happy with their meals. read more

La Cava Restaurant - Outside - Italian Near Me - Salisbury, North Carolina

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Many people had told me about La Cava but most had not been there or "had always wanted to try it but never made it there". We fell into that later category, but finally got to make our first trip to La Cava to celebrate a birthday with 7 friends! To start, the most obviously unique aspect is that the restaurant is inside an old church! It is neat and the setting was great with the stained glass windows and large vaulted ceilings you would expect. Unfortunately for me the service didn't quite live up to the ambiance. We did receive our first round of drinks pretty quickly, however our glasses were empty for long enough after, that one from the group finally just got up and ordered a drink from the bar. When we did finally get our drink order taken, a couple waiters and waitresses took them together which just further complicated things. Similarly while we did not have drinks we were waiting to order our food for long enough we started wondering if they forgot about our table. For an Italian place with a decent emphasis on wine (they have many many bottles of wine all around the dining room) I would have liked to see a bit more of an Italian centric by the glass menu. They have a Chianti and a Montepulciano for reds, but could be a cool way to introduce people to some new wines instead of the same old California wines. As for the food, again, it was not bad, but with some tweaks could be something really special. I had the Veal Saltimbocca. The taste was fine, but the presentation left a lot to be desired. The veal was roughly the same thickness as the prosciutto topping it, and the sides of home fries and bland spinach were not great. I did love the sauce it was served with though. I heard similar complaints about the chicken gismonda from our group. However the beef stew and the Swordfish got pretty good reviews! Overall, I don't want to say it was bad, I could just see it easily being so much better. I would like to return and likely will to try some different things but will set expectations a bit better. read more

La Cava Restaurant - Church interior - Italian Near Me - Salisbury, North Carolina

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I've been here a few times now and every time the food is delicious, the service is exceptional, and the restaurant is so unique. It being in an old church is really cool. The stain glass and old timey vibes are so pretty. I forgot to take a pic of the dessert cart, but definitely do what you can to save room for it. The key lime pie was decadent! read more

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We went to La Cava last night for our 35th Wedding Anniversary and it didn't disappoint! I had the swordfish which was AMAZING, my husband had the Pasta special which he wouldn't stop raving about and the Cesar Salad was a dance of delicious for my mouth! We are fairly new to Salisbury, and sad I just found this place, but I will forever love this place and will dine here often. Elegant atmosphere inside this 1897 Church and the staff was friendly, professional and welcoming. Food was great, service was prompt and I highly recommend La Cava Restaurant read more

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My wife and I met friends for dinner. In an old church. Wonderful atmosphere the service was great. The food from salads to desserts rolled table side to choose was excellent. Rolled eggplant, pasta, an amazing experience. A place to go back to again. read more

The best restaurant in Salisbury! Food is always amazing, service is stellar and the ambiance of being in an old church built in 1897 just completes the experience. read more

This is a really beautiful restaurant nestled in an older part of town in what was obviously a church. This gives a great experience just for the venue itself. We met our party at the table covered in white linen. Definitely dress up a little. No need for formal wear but don't wear a tee shirt and jeans! Plenty of staff milling about all working to give everyone a good experience. It took a minute for anyone to come back to the table once we had an arrived. Our main waitress was nice and took our drink order. No cold glasses for the beer. This level of restaurant should have this available. This is where space may be an issue due to the old bones of the church. Lots of wine on shelves and on the menu. A fair amount of beer selection and ask, because they had Peroni, but it wasn't on the menu. They brought focaccia bread with olive oil. It was warm and fresh. I had the chicken cutlets, lightly fried over cut potatoes and spinach, with a very good brown sauce with mushrooms. The waitress had told us that the potatoes were mashed, but it didn't matter. The dish was tasty and came out hot. The price point was a little high for chicken, but you're paying for the experience and ambience as well, so not an issue for us. Keep this in mind if the venue is not your thing. My wife had the fresh fettuccini with garlic and mushrooms. The brown sauce was very similar to the one used on the chicken. Tasty but over salted. The other couple also ordered the chicken and enjoyed it and also the ravioli with sausage and broccoli rob with a white sauce. No description on the menu for the sauce. We all ordered the Caesar salad that was made table side. The curious thing was that my wife and I said we'd split the $13 salad and they gave us each a sizable plate from the same mixing bowl. Our friends ordered and didn't specify that they wanted to split the salad and were each charged $13? We all pretty much had the same portions. The salad was good but I had to ask for fresh black pepper. And no anchovies. Got to have them for an authentic Caesar salad. I know most folks don't like them, but at least offer them on the side. Dessert was seen all thru out the meal as it rolled by on a cart. It was a nice presentation and a good selection. Our friend had the crème brûlée cheese cake. Very nice and fresh. Everyone was nice and clean place with pretty good food and top notch ambience. This place would be great for a romantic dinner or special celebration. I'd go back for a second meal if we're near the area. The service was nice but you get a variety of servers and no one really takes on the table themselves and interacts to form that real dining experience. Don't get me wrong everyone was pleasant, but no one really stepped it up. The restaurant was fairly full but not overwhelming. read more

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We have frequently visited over the past 10ish years and recently seen a turn in the service and quality of food. We really have enjoyed our recent visits and the value you get for food and beverage. Wine selection and pace of meal service is great. Atmosphere and overall experience are top notch. Wish the craft cocktails and nonalcoholic options were more but that is not expected in this town. read more

So nice and clean! The food is great and their wine is phenomenal! Go check it out! The staff is always super attentive and makes sure you are taken care of. read more

The service was very good and ambiance is always nice. with that being said the food was horrible!!! The lobster bisque was lukewarm at best. We were not sure if it even had lobster in it. Lobster ravioli were chewy and cold. McDonalds would have been better and $100 cheaper!! Waitress didn't even ask why we did not eat food. It was a very disappointing New Year's Eve dinner!!! Not sure I will try again for those price. read more

Good food, carefully crafted. Lovely setting in an old church; the bar is basically an altar, with the stained glass windows behind it. Nice spot for date night. read more

When I made our reservation, told them it was our 30th anniversary. No mention or acknowledgment. There were four of us, each ordered something different. The veal in the veal parm had to be cut with a sharp knife, sauce was thin. Lobster ravioli had no identifiable lobster, the eggplant parm was rolls with skin on, again, thin weak sauce. I had the trout which was very good. But one out of four meals even close to "worth the expensive bill" . No. Would not go back. read more

Food is okay. Desserts are great. The huge drawback is the service. Service is lackadaisical at best. Whimsically. They seemed to have a problem multitasking. First time there. Maybe it was an off night. read more

Amazing ambiance, service, and food. I go to many nice restaurants in various cities and countries, but I always look forward to a fabulous experience at La Cava in Salisbury, NC. read more

I have been hearing about this little gem in Salisbury for years now, and it was well worth the wait. Definitely a special occasion kinda place, white tablecloths and all. Set in a old church, but in a warm cozy way, with a great little bar when you enter, I loved how you could see all the stained glass around you. I got taken for my birthday by my extremely generous friends. True Italian food, the freshest, simplest, everything we had got a 5 star rating. Heads up, when making a reservation ask for the wine alcove, we didn't know, but I do now! They start you off with their amazing warm focaccia bread and olive oil, this disappears very fast! Their cocktail list was good and not long like some places, I got the French 75, on the table we also had the raspberry limoncello Bellini and the lemon drop martini. All drinks were fabulous and served so nicely. The also have a nice wine list too. We ordered the Robiola for an appetizer, it's Italian soft cheese served on toasted bread topped with truffle infused honey. Amazing. A must get. You can smell that truffle. Then we got the Caesar salads, which they make at your table, all fresh ingredients, you watch them make the dressing and put it all together. Quite a cool thing. Makes the salad even more delicious. Great way to remember it. Entrees we got the salmon special , blackened on top of fettuccine Alfredo and the Linguine all' amatriciana. The salmon, which I didn't have was described as perfectly cooked and the fettuccine was nice and creamy and balanced well with the salmon. The linguine, was also delicious, tossed in tomato sauce flavored with great chunks of bacon, onions and red pepper. Nice light, very flavorful and the linguine was perfectly Al dente. 2 perfect entrees, with others I look forward to trying next time. I love that they have off the menu specials. Their dessert cart had been sitting there throughout dinner and I had been eyeing everything. I wish I could have had a bite of everything ! Hard to choose but we went with the cheesecake and the Profiteroles. Both of these desserts were to die for, rich creamy cheesecake so good and the crust was divine. The profiteroles were very chocolaty on the outside and nice cream inside, and the pastry was so good, both hit the palate! Definitely get at least two desserts to try! We did get a glass of wine too, I got the cab red blend, which was good and my friend had the Pinot noir, also great. My only suggestion would be that they get some new wine glasses, the ones they had were kinda small. Other than that this was a stellar restaurant, fabulous service, Lauren and Victoria know their stuff. Great find in Salisbury. I hope to have many more trips to La Cava....so should you! * Funny womens bathroom situation, check it out . read more

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A lovely space with moody vibes. The service was standard with a bit of a flat affect all around. The food for the most part was salty and heavy. This did not make for a great post-meal feel. In the future I would certainly steer clear of the pasta, especially having had the real deal in Italy. read more

Amazing service. Delicious food! Never disappointed!! A great place to bring visitors to impress! read more

Victoria, Timothy, Lauren, Tara and the 3 guys in the kitchen gave us the perfect meal for our anniversary. We were greeted and seated immediately. At the table was water, focaccia and oil. We ordered wine and found that Victoria's recommendation was spot on (Villa Marin valpolicella ripasso). We ordered bresaola as a starter. The smoked prosciutto is made in house and was amazing with arugula and capers. I ordered swordfish and my wife ordered sea bass. The sea bass came out whole, and the meat was dissected at our table. Both of the plates came with roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli. Both fishes were fantastic and perfectly cooked. For dessert we had limoncello cake which was made of limoncello soaked cake and marscapone "icing". It was subtle in flavor and delicious. All in all, everything was amazing including the service. The fact that 7 people on staff made all that happen while being inundated with prom traffic is amazing. We were so impressed. I can't wait to go back! read more

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Great place for celebrations and meetings because of its pleasing aesthetics. However, slightly overpriced for the food you receive. I had the white fish special and nonalcoholic mint cocktail. I wasn't impressed to be completely transparent. The service was good but a little chaotic in my opinion. It definitely has a lot of potential but if the desserts are the only thing that I look forward to then I won't be going back. read more

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We go to La Cava for most of our special occasions or when we just want a terrific meal. The staff and management are friendly and very attentive. Food is great and the wine selection is good and reasonably priced. Strongly recommend. read more

The food and the service were outstanding. This was our first time and we will definitely be back.

We have been coming here for 20+ years and Giani and staff have been providing 1st class food and service every time. Setting is an old Lutheran church and it's beautiful. We are regulars and they treat us as such. read more

We were visiting a friend in Salisbury and I found this gem thanks to Yelp. La Cava is an italian restaurant that is located in an old church so it has beauitful stained glass windows. The ambiance is 5 stars. This is a must if you're in the area. The food was delish, too. The fried calamari appetizer was yummy, I would give it 5 stars. The lobster ravioli which is housemade had a creamy sauce with chunks of lump crab meat on top. The sauce was missing something though, it needed some kick. 4 stars for the ravioli, still pretty good. Overall great experience and a highlight of my visit to Salisbury. read more

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Love this place! Best Caprese Salad! Best La Cava Salmon! Best truffle fries! Many fond memories here! Salute! read more

Flavor flavor flavor flavor. Cordon bleu, chef. They r making me write more to post this, but more is unnecessary.

my husband had the wahoo and it looked good but very fishy tasting...the marinara sauce for my eggplant parm was good but the eggplant parm was just okay.. we both had 2 glasses of red cab..wine was good but small pours and wrong wine glasses... the ambiance was wonderful and the waitress Kirsten was very sweet.. not sure we will be going back anytime soon unless it's just for pasta and wine ..we sat by the wine and the cases were pretty dusty. read more

What a great experience at La Cava celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary. If you desire a great meal and terrific service from the wait staff at a white table cloth restaurants than you shouldn't be disappointed in the experience for your special occasion. The set menu doesn't run page after page but something for your taste from an Italian restaurant. I had the veal parmigiana and my wife had the grilled salmon. Both were excellently prepared and visually appealing. There was one special for the evening. There is a terrific dessert assortment and it makes you want to get you more than one read more

I eat here about 4 times a year. I have read the bad reviews and never had any of those experiences. the food is always good, the servers are always friendly. For someone to say Olive Garden is better than this place I say you're crazy. We ate here recently and my steak was awesome and my wife loved her veal parmigiana. the appetizers we had were also excellent. The prices are a little higher here, but prices are higher everywhere, it's called inflation. The service is slower, but that's to be expected in a quality restaurant. read more

Excellent service, fantastic food and a nice date night or out with friends atmosphere. We has the NY Strip and a creamy wide noodles dish. From the focaccia with oil to crostini with burrata to the lemoncelo cake and tiramisu it was all perfect. Steak was seared and the sides were squash and zucchini with potatoes. Pasta was creamy with a bit of bacon and greens. Leave the kids home and escape for a great meal. read more

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I was skeptical about this place but after coming here I am a believer! I was here in Salisbury for a business trip and everyone told me I had to go to La Cava. It was apparently the best fancy/nice restaurant in Salisbury. They have a private room in the back for larger parties so if you have a board dinner or work dinner it's a good place to have it. PARKING: They have a parking lot in the back that can hold probably 10 or so cars and if not then there is street parking. ATMOSPHERE: It is located in an old church, which is very interesting. It's one big room with 2 tables in a slight alcove and all the original stained glass is still there. It's romantic and nice, you could enjoy a quiet dinner or take coworkers out for a nice dinner. FOOD: We ordered an appetizer, main course and dessert. Yes, the food is not cheap but you are paying for the atmosphere and quality. BREAD - complimentary warm bread is like a focaccia that is sliced into thin pieces, with the olive oil/balsamic it was very good. CAVATELLI - handmade cavatelli (small oval shaped pasta) with a ragu/meat sauce. It was SO good. I literally savored every bite. I would say the quality of the pasta was up there with Bestia and Scarpetta. Chewy, al dente, fresh pasta. The sauce was very good as well. My friend got the Vodka Pasta, which they cook right in front of you. Also very tasty with al dente pasta. CHOCOLATE CAKE - this was very rich but very good. It was almost frozen (I think they have to defrost it?) so parts of it were VERY hard. There is a solid fudge/mousse layer and then a cake layer. Overall though if you like chocolate you will like this. Very dense and very chocolatey. The ceasar salad also looked very good and there are many options! Overall, definitely worth trying if you're in Salisbury. read more

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Food, service and ambiance are great. Have eaten there many times, and no matter what I had it was great.

Ordered the special it was beef rolled up with Swiss cheese in the middle. Gnocchi was good on the side but not enough on the plate. Beef was very dry like chopped steak and had to chew a lot for every little bite, zero flavor. For the price, I expecting a lot more. Won't be going back. Left hungry. read more

La Cava is so romantic. Built in a former church, the dining area is surrounded by stained glass windows. This authentic Italian restaurant is pricey but worth every penny. The vibe is very relaxed, almost as if you are sitting on a busy street in an Italian town. The serves flutter around pouring wine and offering fresh charcuterie and homemade desserts. I highly recommend this spot for special events with your favorite people! read more

Very good. We ate here while vacationing at the lake. They understood how to let a couple enjoy a leisurely dinner without being rushed. Great food, service, and of course venue. read more

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A very beautiful location with nice staff. The food was way overpriced for the quality they served. I've had better food at the grocery store cafeteria. The drinks were also sub par, very watered down. read more

We ate here this past Saturday for a early Valentines Day Dinner. We are from Roswell and our son goes to college in town. My husband and I were very disappointed. Slow service. Only two waitresses takIng all the orders for the entire restaurant. We had to ask for help from the bar tender to give us refills. Later my entree was served at the same time with my side salad.. Come on guys, you know better. I had the spinach ravioli. My husband had the shrimp Pasta special. We have had better pasta meals at a pIzza tavern or even Olive Garden. We again had to ask the passing bar tender Again if we could order dessert. They did have a good cosmo.. Very Disappointed. Poor service, poor food. Over priced. I would not be surprised if they r closing the doors soon. read more

The first thing you'll notice when you walk into La Cava Restaurant is how intimate and beautiful the restaurant is. As a remodeled chapel, the walls have large, colorful glass-stained windows, the ceilings built with high, wooden beams placed yards above you, eliciting a space that is both grand and spacious, and all tables are adorned with a simple candle for warmth. Service at La Cava Restaurant is impeccable with many waiters coming by to check on us throughout the night, refilling water glasses, providing complimentary refills of drinks, and replacing silverware and plates. While I do regret not getting our waitress's name, I adored her bubbly personality and friendly smile. She presented the specials in a clear, joyful voice that made it easy to focus, even though there were way too many specials provided. It was practically a 10 minute speech, much too long for us to remember everything. Since I was out with coworkers for a business dinner, we decided to share two appetizers, the calamari and clams in a wine sauce, while for an entree, I got the seafood soup, a special that consisted of lobster, scallops, clams, shrimp, and mussels in a tomato soup served with linguine. The portion of each appetizer was a bit small to be shared among the four of us, especially the clams. There were only six clams on the plate so we only got a little taste and awkwardly tried to offer the last two for everyone else. The calamari was easier to share, although I could have finished a whole dish by myself. I was super impressed by the heat in the tomato sauce. There wasn't any horseradish so I'm curious as to what they added to give it that delightful kick of spice. I thought my entree was going to be small since the appetizers weren't too large, but boy, was I wrong. My plate was shaped like a ship, a Titanic full of seafood on a red sea of tomato soup. Everyone at my table exclaimed in astonishment at the sheer size of it. The amount of seafood in that dish was daunting. I already knew that I wasn't going to be able to finish it on my own, but my coworker gladly shared the dish with me. I personally loved the shrimp and clams the most. The clams were GIGANTIC and heavy, while the meat inside was thick and deliciously savory, tasting fresh without the ocean-like after taste. The shrimp had a good bite to them and soaked up the sauce well. While I am a big fan of lobster, I didn't like how I had to crack open the claws myself. It just made for a very messy dinner, something I try to minimize when I'm out with coworkers. We had also put in an order of two souffles of grand marnier (the restaurant requires an order of two) at the very beginning of our dinner since it would take some time to prepare. The souffle was delightfully puffy when it hit our table, but once the waitress added the white bechamel, or cream sauce, the souffle deflated into this airy pudding that was lightly sweet and creamy. My coworkers did lament that they could barely taste any liqueur. My waistline may not be so happy with all the food I had, but my tummy sure is. The ambiance was lovely, the service was fantastic, and the food was obviously cooked with care. Definitely a gem of North Carolina! read more

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definitely a gem in Salisbury! Friendly waitress, fresh daily menu, amazing cook, delicious foods! read more

La Cava Restaurant - bar area - Italian Near Me - Salisbury, North Carolina

The atmosphere was awesome and the food was terrific. Staff was friendly and very helpful. Definitely will return. Five stars.