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    Lorenzo's Italian Cafe

    4.2 (55 reviews)
    Closed 6:00 am - 3:30 pm

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    Reviews With Photos - Lorenzo's Italian Cafe

    Delicious treat with enough to take home for a snack, the vibe is lovely,  people who work here are delightful!!
    Stacey G.

    Yummy biscuits & gravy with enough to take home later as a snack!! Lucky us to enjoy this establishment again, food & service is exceptional!!

    The beautiful yolk of a soft poached egg on top of house made corned beef hash (I like them just a hair less done, but this is in range).
    Daniel B.

    It's the details. They make their own corned beef hash. They make their own Italian bread for Italian toast. They ask if you want onions in your potatoes. They fill their cannoli to order. Yes, it's still a small ramshackle diner in Schenectady. And it does not put on any airs. There is traditional canned corned beef hash on the menu too. Syrup is "pancake" syrup served in a mystery squeeze bottle. The fat used to fried the potatoes tastes like food service goo. Placemats are printed with ads for businesses in the community. Sugar replacement packets are generic versions of brand names. But the crust the kitchen gets on that corned beef hash goes on for miles. And the tender strips of meat are just incredible succulent. Additionally, the lingering flavor satisfied me deep down until dinner. Plus the soft poached eggs crowning the whole thing had beautiful golden yolks. Real butter was used copiously, where it counted most... on the Italian toast. What I truly loved was when I asked the waitress if they filled their cannoli to order, she sounded almost insulted by the question. And it's an insulting insinuation. I get it. I really really do. But there are plenty of places where that's the norm. Even in Schenectady. Oh yeah. Also there was no line to get on on a Sunday around noon. Yet. This was my first visit, and I'm already a big fan. There will be many more. Five star love comes over time. But Lorenzo's is off to a very strong start.

    House made hash with eggs, home fries and toast....EXTREMELY TASTY!!!
    Wesley M.

    Okay...THIS PLACE TOTALLY ROCKED BREAKFAST!!! This was my first visit and is a total YELP discovery. Thank you YELPers for the reviews. The food was outstanding, the service was prompt and friendly while the food was plentiful as well as TASTY. I will definitely return to sample the other menus items. Perhaps next time I will try lunch? This is a total Friends & Family recommendation establishment. I am so going to Bookmark this restaurant!!!

    Poached eggs over homemade hash.
    Shane B.

    We went for breakfast. I know, simple meal, but the homemade hash was excellent! Poached eggs were good, home fries were nice crispy and tasty. Even the rye toast was notably fresh and thick sliced. Good service and fair prices. Better than most other diners around.

    Turkey bacon egg and cheese , home fries with onions and peppers

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    4 months ago

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    15 days ago

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    2 months ago

    Will not be going to this place, they charge $2 for a piece of cheese and the place is dirty.

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    1 year ago

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    9 months ago

    Another great experience!!! Great service, Great food, Great quality with affordability.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    Matthew R.

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    My service was very poor and the wait time for just a sub and grilled cheese is outrageous. Do not recommend

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    Matthew R.

    Thanks Joel I appreciate the review and will try to make it better.

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    Matthew R.

    Thank you so much!

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    6 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Lorenzo's Italian Cafe

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    I've always wanted to visit More Perreca's on Jay St. I've heard so much about the restaurant and…read moreespecially the bakery, Perreca's, located right next door. The businesses are located a couple of blocks from the gateway marking the entrance to Schenectady's Little Italy. So much history, food and romance in this neighborhood. We had Sunday brunch at More Perreca's. The bakery is closed on Sunday but I got a Sausage Lettuce Tomato sandwich served on toasted Perreca's bread. It was so delish. The Italian sausage was served with lettuce, tomato, roasted garlic puree, mayo and side salad. Everything was so fresh. My $11 meal was reasonably priced. The garlic purée was amazing. They need to bottle it. I'd buy some. My friend had the Mac and cheese and an espresso martini. He loved both. Rachelle was our server. She was wonderful. Very helpful. She explained some of the menu to me because there were a number of Italian sausage dishes. The food was prepared quickly which was great because we were hungry. Rachelle came back later to check on us. I gave her a thumbs up and a smile while busily chewing a bite of sandwich. The restaurant is charming with nice tin ceilings and big windows to let the light in. There are many booths which makes it cozy. When we arrived most of the tables were full. Based on the chatter in the room it sounded as though a lot of friends had gathered at the restaurant to literally break bread over brunch. The menu offers a nice variety: from egg breakfasts, assorted salads to Italian classics. It was an all around yummy and enjoyable experience. I let Rachelle know that we'll be coming back.

    My family, party of six, had lunch here Thursday 2/26/26. It was Downtown Schenectady Resturant…read moreWeek. Three course lunch $20-choice of 3 apps, 3 entrees, & 2 desserts. A great value! Our server, Rachelle M. was great! My app was garlic parm wings that were tasty & crispy-perfect. Three of us had the eggs in purgatory- 3 eggs cooked in a spicy marinara sauce w/ 4 pieces of toasted Perreca's famous Italian bread. Highly recommend this dish that's always on their menu. Others had the very good eggplant rollatini over spaghetti. The original coal-fired bakery is next door offering their signature crusty bread, red tomato pie, cheeses, meatballs, salamis, soppersottas, olives, giant cupcakes, & cannolli. Located in Schenectady's Little Italy. Restaurant hours: Sun, Wed, Thursday 11am-7pm, Fri & Sat 10am-8pm, closed Mon & Tue. More's Perreca's never disappoints. Beer, wine, & cocktails served so try here for brunch too. Thank you, Rachelle & staff. We had a great time. Nick & Liz, Albany, NY, USA

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    Inside More Perreca's.
    Inside More Perreca's.
    My Italian Sausage Lettuce Sandwich.
    My Italian Sausage Lettuce Sandwich.
    More Perreca's

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    Cornells in Little Italy

    Cornells in Little Italy

    3.4
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    Went to Cornell's in Schenectady for Restaurant week on Friday night. 4 days later I literally feel…read morestolen from. We went with 3 kids, and were told there was no kids menu, it says thus no where, should no one ever bring a child here? The menu had no traditional American Italian kids items ie chicken parm. It had Barciolle, stuffed flounder, eggplant rollatini, and steak pizzialo. Which is fine, if you still offer a kids menu. The stuffed flounder gotten by 3 of us, one child, Was inedible, the stuffing mixture was so old, it tasted so off. Sour almost. None of us ate it. One child got steak pizzialo, the steak was basically boiled in tomato sauce, tough and not good. Service was maybe a 2/5. Save your money, I want mine back. $210 with tip. We left hungry. When the waitress came and saw the full plates, she said, do you guys want boxes? No thanks.

    Unfortunately I have to agree with many of the other more recent reviews here-- Cornell's seems to…read morehave gone way downhill in the last couple of years. I was here last in 2022 and had many delicious meals during my trip to Schenectady. This time, I returned to the restaurant and asked for a seat at the bar, only to be told that they weren't accepting walk-ins. I thought this was odd, but made a reservation for the following week. I wish I'd followed my gut and skipped it. The menu looks the same, but the preparations are completely different. The chicken Milanese used to be two large pieces of chicken served with a light and delicious cream sauce, nothing else. Now, it's a single thinly pounded piece of chicken, piled with lettuce and tomatoes (no mentioned of this on the menu) and served on top of a bland cream sauce. I wouldn't have ordered it if I'd known this. Also, the side order of cavatelli which used to be so delicious tasted like it had about a tablespoon of salt poured over it. Seriously, I've never had such salty food in my life. I also heard a diner at an adjacent table complain to their waitress that their food was too salty. I don't know what happened, but Cornell's is a completely different place than the great restaurant it once was. I won't be going back.

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    Cornells in Little Italy
    World famous Perreca's bread
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    Cold antipasto

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    Canali's Italian & American Restaurant

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    At Canali's today for a post funeral luncheon for around 50 people…read more Food: 3.5 Stars, rounded up to four Value: 4 Banquet Room: 2 The buffet moved efficiently as tables were called to get in two lines in front and behind the buffet table. "Chicken Marsala" with mushrooms and onions was very good -- Moist, tender, and flavorful. Cut with a fork! Roasted Potatoes were excellent! Browned on all sides with crispy skin and not greasy. They rightfully call them their "famous" roasted potatoes. Italian Bread was outstanding! Tortellini Primavera was blah. Sauce was too thin. Not enough vegetables. 2 Stars Ziti looked okay, but I did not have any. I heard the sauce was good. Baby Meatballs were weak, bland and slightly spongy in texture like frozen ones from market. 2 Stars Salad was limp and dressed too soon. Very little in it besides salad greens. Water was served in plastic cups, but there were nice white cloth napkins. Wines, coffee, and cookies were self serve. Price for this Buffet was $20. plus tax and gratuity per person offered Noon to 4 pm Wed. thru Sunday. The Chicken Marsala protein was selected from several. I would order the chicken, potatoes, and bread again on another visit or by takeout. Parking lot is huge. Many stairs lead down to the large basement Banquet Room. I smelled mildew when I sat down likely from the old carpeting.

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    Another view of bar

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    Another view of bar

    Lorenzo's Italian Cafe - italian - Updated July 2026

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