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    Lena's Cafe

    3.8 (85 reviews)
    ModerateItalian
    Closed 4:00 pm - 8:00 PM

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    LENA'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

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    a van parked in a parking lot
    Gerald H.

    Stopped here on a recommendation from my bud Thiccc Henry- local FBI and Italian food specialist. I asked for the best Italian cuisine in Toonus- and this and Mama Rendazzo were the first two, with him swearing by Lena's. Looks kind of like an 80s bank building upon arriving, and upon entering was like stepping back in time with communal long table seating and some booths on the walls. Nothing to write home about but we were here for the food - not the mood. Ordered a diet and water, along with my favorite- chicken parmesan. I would like to believe I have sampled enough chicken parm meals along the eastern seaboard to be an authority on them; however, I'm not that braggadocios. The salad was underwhelming - standard wilted lettuce salad. Ranch was a nightmare. However, the bread was straight GAS. That's a good thing. Thick cut and very light - incredible. Put away about 5 baskets of it. Chicken parm? Absolute FIRE. Chicken was properly battered and fried, and the red gravy was like Jesus took water and turned it tomato holy gravy. Incredible tang and hearty feel - uniform thickness. Wow. Chicken parm- everyone knows my order, I would give it a 8.1 / 10. Plus it came with an order of spaghetti. Very good. Bill was fine and the waitress was very attentive. Can get crowded and outdated but it was incredible .

    The Building

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    2 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Great Italian restaurant to eat at , excellent service, bread was very fresh and tasty, great choice of Italian cuisine, very fair priced

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    3 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    2 years ago

    This place never disappoints. I come from northeast Pa. For work and never miss having dinner here!

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Food was very good, it was busy over lunch time but we still got our food in a reasonable rime

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    3 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great Italian food. Stuffed shells are the best I've ever had. 5 stars for sure! Will be back soon.

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    4 years ago

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    18 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    2 years ago

    the food is amazing and I love going there and spending time with friends. Lenas food is the best

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

    I wish I could tell you how the food was. We left after waiting 20 minutes, to no avail, for a server to arrive at our table.

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    A favorite local, family-owned restaurant. My go-to meal is the eggplant parm with homemade noodles, house dressing on the salad.

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    4 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Since I moved out of town, I have to come here to satisfy my Lena's craving at least every other visit.

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    3 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    Page 1 of 3

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    Finelli's Italian Villa - Chicken parm in house!!

    Finelli's Italian Villa

    4.3(123 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Vibes were very cozy and the servers were all polite and kind. We ordered the eggplant parm, salmon…read morespecial, mushrooms, and the peanut butter chocolate cake. Everything was delicious, served hot, and the food came out fast. I would come back again for the warm service and because it was so hard to choose our menu items. The menu is extensive and so many things looked good.

    We went to Finelli's Italian Villa last Friday so my family could experience Finelli's like I did…read moretwo years ago, and I'm so glad we did. It's a small spot tucked right in the middle of the block off 17th Street in Altoona. Don't let the location fool you--it's worth every bit of the drive. My wife, our three teens, and a longtime friend joined me for dinner. We started with the drunken mushrooms as an appetizer, and even though I'm not usually a big mushroom guy, these were absolutely phenomenal--packed with flavor and cooked perfectly. We also tried the chef's special tomatoes and mozzarella in a balsamic vinaigrette, which was fresh and delicious. Everyone ordered different entrees, including a crab cake, encrusted chicken with vegetables, and shrimp Alfredo. Every single dish was outstanding. My crab cake was one of the best I've ever had--loaded with crab and seasoned just right. Nothing was heavy or overly sauced; it all tasted fresh and high-quality. To top it off, they brought out a dessert tray with multiple made-fresh options. My wife also had a freshly made cappuccino that she really enjoyed. The wait staff was attentive, polite, and genuinely friendly the whole night. Amigh even stopped by our table to check in and make sure we were having a great evening. If you're craving a really solid, high-quality Italian meal without any fuss, do yourself a favor and check out Finelli's Italian Villa. We left completely satisfied and will definitely be back. Highly recommend!

    Photos
    Finelli's Italian Villa - Penne Vodka with Chicken

    Penne Vodka with Chicken

    Finelli's Italian Villa - Eggplant parm with thing spaghetti

    Eggplant parm with thing spaghetti

    Finelli's Italian Villa - Filler photo. Didn't photograph my food.

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    Filler photo. Didn't photograph my food.

    Pizza Blvd - The Honey Cup pizza

    Pizza Blvd

    4.8(22 reviews)
    3.1 mi

    This pizza was great, not "Altoona pizza" at all (IYKYK). It was a very well executed NY style,…read morenot exactly NY but in the vicinity and very tasty. Crust was thin, light and airy - not doughy, perfect texture. Sauce was very robust. Perfect amount of grease to keep it from being bland w/o being overwhelming. Service was very good and it's a cute space inside. Hubs tried the coffee soda which wasn't personally to my taste, but he enjoyed it. If we'd been hungrier they had some desserts that looked good. We only come through one lunch a year on the way north, but I think we've found our place to stop each time.

    Was pretty excited when we first saw this place while passing by! Decided to check it out and order…read moresome takeout for lunch. Ordered four things and it only took about 15 minutes! We got a pizza steak sub, ham and cheese sub, chicken bacon wrap, and I personally tried the buffalo chicken wrap. (One of my favorite lunches!) I was so pleasantly surprised by the quality of the ingredients! Everything tasted fresh and the subs had homemade bread! Everyone really enjoyed their various sandwiches, and I especially enjoyed my wrap! It had quite a nice spicy kick! And a good ratio of chicken to sauce. I also enjoyed the additional veggies which added that perfect hint of crunch and freshness! Went to pick up our order and got a chance to look inside the restaurant. It was a really nice spot! I wasn't in there for very long but from what I could see it was clean and well taken care of. Unfortunately as I was picking up my order I lost something in the parking lot and didn't realize it until about two hours later. When I called and asked they were super kind and helpful about it and I was able to go and pick it up. The employees were super helpful and kind in this situation! This would definitely be nice place to go with family or friends or even to pick of a to go lunch for work. Nice place overall!

    Photos
    Pizza Blvd
    Pizza Blvd - Garlic knots

    Garlic knots

    Pizza Blvd

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    Alto Markets

    Alto Markets

    4.3(16 reviews)
    2.8 mi

    Stopped by after seeing recommendations for their italian subs from a local facebook group. This…read moreplace is on the outside of Altoona and close to the mall area. This is an interesting setup with a small italian market and a deli counter. It looks like they do a lot of a catering based upon the view into their back of house. While we waited we picked up various speciality items. My son and I both ordered the 12" Pompeii's. This is one of their italian specialty cold cuts and comes with hot peppers. The meats and cheeses are boars head brand, sliced fresh and the sub comes loaded. The roll is a nice dense loaf. The hot peppers add a great kick! We both only ate half of our subs and had leftovers for dinner. They have various other hot & cold subs that we'll try on future visits. The service was helpful and super friendly. They were busy so it took probably 15 minutes to complete the process. Overall, it was a great sub and a welcomed change from the usual chain offerings. My only gripe is there's no in-store seating. If you're local it's a great takeout sub but we wanted to eat them immediately.

    Overall, a couple of good hoagies. The meats are sliced fresh and very thin and the veggies are…read morefresh. The roll were a bit bready but not bad. The market itself has a nice selection and some homemade sausages and other Italian staples. Bonus was the pepperoni roll next door at their bakery was delicious (Forno Alto).

    Photos
    Alto Markets - Deli/ Hoagie Counter

    Deli/ Hoagie Counter

    Alto Markets - 6" Pompeii 06142025

    6" Pompeii 06142025

    Alto Markets

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    Lena's Cafe - italian - Updated May 2026

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